Happenstance: Captain Jack Harkness, Part 1(14/??)
Title: Happenstance: Captain Jack Harkness
Rating: NC-17 for this chapter
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Spoilers: Through Season 1, episode 11, part 1
Summary: Set during and after ‘Captain Jack Harkness’, from Jack and Ianto’s perspective.
A/N: Can be read alone, if you've seen the episode it will make sense
Sorry guys and gals, this took forever, because it's so dang long! Therefore, it's a two parter. Part two up this week!
Beta'ed by the 'Super'
frakkin_addict
Linky Links!:
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter12 | Chapter 13
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As Jack and Tosh enter the rundown building, she reads to him from her Palm Pilot.
“The Ritz Dancehall. It's been derelict since 1989 but someone's complained about hearing music... music from the 1940s.”
“Shhh! Listen.”
Faint strains of music waft down the ornate stairs. Jack is bombarded with thoughts of another time. Impulsively, as is his wont, he follows, looking for a source. Almost in afterthought he calls for Toshiko.
“You coming up?”
Without checking to see if she is following, he moves to the second floor. He can feel a lightness enter his heart, as he lets nostalgia drift over him, happy to return to a simpler time if only for a moment. Entering through double doors, he is almost disappointed when he finds he hasn’t been transported back to the blitz. Unwilling to abandon his fantasies just yet, he pulls Tosh close for a dance.
“Just dashing young soldiers and pretty young ladies. And as they danced, the girls would look into their partners' eyes, smile softly and say ...”
He releases her in a spin.
“Jack! Mind my laptop.”
Tsk tsk, always so focused on the task at hand.
“I was thinking more along the lines of, ‘How long before you head off to war?’”
They look around a bit, but Jack’s initial elation has worn off, leaving him dissatisfied, and ready to leave. Just as they start to go, he hears laughter above the dim music. Glancing at Tosh he confirms that she too is looking behind them, towards the noise. They rush towards the third floor.
Ahh, now this is what I wanted. Just a little waltz down memory lane…
He takes in the stunning sight of men and women celebrating life together, dancing and drinking, warding off their fears of what’s to come. A look at his wristband verifies that these are in fact physical beings, and not of alien origin. As always, finding himself in a different time is thrilling, it reminds him of his carefree mortal days in the Time Agency. The days before they betrayed him, and all he had left to do was escape his past. Tosh is astonished by the sight as well, but not at all charmed by it.
“We should get out.”
Spoilsport.
Knowing she’s right, Jack follows her back the way they came, but the scene is now complete. People are mingling throughout the dancehall. Even as he hurries to the door, he drinks in the sights and scents, itching to play a bit.
Everything is done up so properly. Ianto would love this.
As they leave, an older, frail man speaks to them.
“Do call again.”
If only I could…
“I would love to.”
Taking one last longing look, Jack follows Tosh out, pushing past her onto a darkened street. Before he’s had a chance to fully comprehend where they are, the analytical techie has started firing off questions.
“It's night! Where's the SUV? Has it been stolen?
Gaining his bearings, Jack is struck with the seriousness of their situation.
“No. We have.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ianto is too busy studying Tosh’s monitor to notice when Owen wakes to the constant beeping. But he can’t ignore the annoyed exclamation that quickly follows.
“What the hell is that?”
“Tosh's rift monitor program. She set it to alert me if there were any further movements. The rift's been opening more and more recently.”
“Yeah, well, I've noticed that. Doesn't take a genius.”
The irritated medic moves to stand beside him.
“Tosh reckons the equations are forming a pattern. I should call her. She may have readings on her end and this is a bit over my head.”
Ianto activates his wireless earpiece, paying no mind to Owen’s concentrated glowering.
“Um, why wasn't I told about this?”
Because you’ve been unreliable since Diane-wait, you’ve always been a bit unreliable.
“Well, you've been off, haven't you?”
He receives no answer on his comm. A frisson of anxiety passes through him. He tries Jack’s comm, and both their personal cells. He quickly realizes that he isn’t going to be able to reach them remotely. In a rare moment of helpfulness, Owen tries to get into Tosh’s computer, meaning to figure out what the Rift monitor is showing them. Switching gears, Ianto calls Gwen, who is out running personal errands.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Since determining that she can’t contact anyone via cell or comm, Toshiko hasn’t let up with her questions. Jack is starting to think that she will actually work herself into a frenzy.
Can’t let her get too wound up. She won’t be able to think clearly if she gets frazzled. And I need her thinking clearly.
He tries joking with her, but she doesn’t take well to his flippant attitude. She snaps at him. Loudly.
Damnit, don’t draw attention, that’s basic time travel survival!
Tosh realizes her gaffe, and lowers her voice.
“People are staring at us.”
“We need to try to blend in.”
Hastily, they remove any obvious signs of the 21st century.
“It's easy for you to say. I'm the only Asian here.”
Jack relies on his charm, and blinding white smile to momentarily distract her from their predicament.
“Don't worry. You're with the Captain.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Suddenly excited, Owen calls Ianto over to Toshiko’s workstation.
“Hey. I've got into Tosh's files, all her reports. See there, December 24th. That's when Diane flew through the rift. I had to let her go.”
Ianto notes the pause before Owen is able to say her name. Curiosity prompts him to speak, before he thinks better of it.
“You were in love with her, weren’t you?”
Owen completely ignores the question, and follows a very different thought pattern, leaving Ianto with his assumptions.
“If Tosh knows a way of opening the rift, maybe we can get Diane back.”
Fear now, real and visceral, begins to tighten around Ianto’s gut.
“Jack would never allow it. Opening the Rift could devastate the city.”
Owen scoffs, and hurries to the manipulator. Ianto is quite put out by Owen’s dismissive attitude, and even more anxious about how his day is turning out.
What if he’s serious about this? What if I can’t talk him out of this? How far will I have to go?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Trying to look natural, Jack leads Tosh to the bar. He orders her a brandy, hoping to keep her nerves in check. A geeky looking officer approaches them, eying Tosh.
Here comes trouble.
The man pays for their drinks, and before Jack can turn on the charisma, Tosh is being dragged onto the dance floor. Laughing at the smooth move, Toshiko’s shocked expression, and the general circumstance, Jack moves closer to watch them dance. But his humor fades quickly when he overhears a not so subtle reminder of when they are.
“Why's George dancing with a Jap?
Suddenly angry, he wants to brawl, slam a few shots or have a quick shag.
Watch it there old man, keep a level head, you’re not that kid anymore. Just find a way to get her home.
Resolutely he pushes other, quieter thoughts away.
I could just stay here. Find the Doctor in London during the Blitz. Get word to him somehow, then he can find me. Tosh would be fine, a few months here then we can drop her off the morning after her party. Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve had to avoid myself for a while…
“Jack?”
Turning about, he looks to see who called his name, momentarily forgetting that no one knows him here. Feeling a bit bleaker than before, he moves to retrieve his captured team member. Jack politely motions that he is cutting in. But George, Tosh’s kidnapper, gets his dander up like Jack’s just stolen his favorite toy.
“I'm only borrowing her, mate.”
“Maybe she doesn't want to be borrowed.”
“You want to make something of it?”
Running out of polite conversation, Jack plasters a sly smile on his face and takes a more amusing approach.
“You can always dance with me if you like.”
George immediately reacts, shoving Jack hard.
Maybe I’lI get that brawl after all, Georgie boy just needs a little nudge.
“Okay, I'll lead. You follow.”
Rising to the bait, George pushes him. Jack pushes back, and moves to leave.
“Come on, Tosh.”
But the officer is a little more volatile than Jack counted on, and is looking for more than a shoving match. He grabs at Jack’s coat, swings and connects. Jack shoves back at him, hard enough to send him to the floor. Tosh pleads with him to stop. Luckily for her, before the fight can really begin, another man steps between them, addressing George.
“Cut it out, kiddo.”
The intervening Captain turns to apologize. Seeing his face, Jack is reminded of another, even more distant time. The memory crashes over him instantly.
On his first ever trip to Earth proper, Camp Kearny, San Diego, 1940. He was with his then favorite traveling companion, and they’d completed an intel mission in record time. Jack was bored out of his mind. His synthetically blonde partner had begged him to stay the night.
“Com’on, they’ll never know. One night! The Agency expected this to take a week, we’ve only been here 10 hours! We deserve a break for all our hard work.”
He’d always whined like a petulant child when he wanted something. Jack remembered sulking a bit himself.
“Hard work, pfft. We barged in on the General putting it to a Petty Officer and he told us everything. Where’s the fun in that? What ever happened to intrigue? Diabolical planning? Nefarious seduction?”
John had scoffed at Jack’s romantic notions.
“You’re just frustrated, because you didn’t get a taste.”
“Neither did you.”
“Oh yeah?”
Jack looks at him skeptically.
“I was with the General the whole time, you didn’t have him.”
“No… But that Petty Officer was in the washroom when I went to freshen up…”
“What?! You weren’t gone eight minutes!”
“Long enough. He surely didn’t complain.”
“You bastard. No wonder you’re so smug. You always preferred stranger-sex.”
“Not to you, love. I always prefer you.”
John had made an art form of leering long before Jack ever met him. It was one of his most attractive qualities.
“I’m already sick of this place. There’s nothing fun to do. Let’s go visit that bar on Mercury-Delphi in 3280. That wasn’t boring.”
“Or… I could suck you off, right here in the street, in fuddy repressed 1940.”
Well trained, Jack had already scoped out the area. They were leaning on a brick warehouse wall, smoking top of the line cigarettes, that couldn’t compare to anything he’d smoked back in Boeshane. The building jutted out to the right of them, so no one could approach them from that direction. Another smaller warehouse formed a little alleyway to their left, which would funnel and amplify any noise coming from there. So they were only exposed to the front. Not that Jack ever had any problem with a little, or a lot of, exhibitionism. Just not here, now. The less time he spent in this place, the better as far as he was concerned. No earth jails for him tonight, no sir.
“Alright… But then we go. Anywhere you want. Just get me off of this rock.”
“Oh, I’ll get your rocks off….”
Before Jack had time to respond, his pants were around his ankles, and John already had his mouth around him.
“Oh Fuh-I don’t even know how you did that!”
The memory becomes a little hazy at this point. Just a culmination of intense pleasure and bleak scenery. And a man walking towards them.
Jack had watched him as carefully as he was able, with stars encroaching his vision. The man was in officer’s dress, and maybe a little drunk. He was walking with the loose gait of a good buzz. But he was watching his own feet, stepping carefully, seemingly aware of his less than sober state. Jack decided then that he liked a man who knew his own limits. Jack only lost sight of him briefly when his head hit the wall behind him. John had a very talented mouth, even then. Jutting his hips further forward, he’d welcomed the slight change in angle. Then he resumed watching the officer, who had taken notice of them. He was close enough for Jack to see that he had pale eyes, and a strong chin. Actually, he was quite handsome. And staring. Even taking into account alcohol induced reaction lag time, this man was practically gaping at them. Glassy eyed, slack jawed, and interested. Jack smiled, and stepped up the show, moving his hips and moaning in time. Suddenly the man realized that he had been seen, and their eyes met. He’d look frightened, then confused. Jack just smiled wider, practically inviting him to join. But it was all over too soon for that. Jack exploded into John’s mouth, and accepted a rough kiss from him. But he’d caught the dashing stranger’s eyes once more before he turned to hurry back the way he’d come. That time Jack had seen nothing but lust painting his striking features.
Now all Jack sees is a calm, polite, in-charge exterior.
“Sorry about that. The men are a bit lively tonight. It's last day of OTU tomorrow.“
As he turns away again to speak to George, Jack is inexplicably saddened, but snaps out of it quickly. At the Captain’s insistence, George begrudgingly offers his apologies for striking Jack.
“It's okay. You barely got me.”
Quite the gentleman, the Captain isn’t satisfied.
“I think the lady also deserves an apology.”
Jack waits for the proper words to be exchanged, and turns with Tosh to walk away. He knows that he needs to leave this reminder of his past behind. But the Captain stops him, with a friendly smile.
“Hey, are you a volunteer too?”
“Yeah.”
“I'm Captain-“
They stumble over one another trying to introduce themselves. Jack feels himself slipping even further into his old persona, wanting this man to fall under his spell. Falling back on his undercover days, he insists that the other Captain introduce himself first.
Hell, maybe he’s famous.
“I'm Captain Jack Harkness. 133rd Squadron.”
What!? He can’t be! Can he?
Jack quickly runs through the list of things he knows about his namesake. Technically, he figures it is a possibility, if extremely improbable.
Of all the dancehalls in all of time and space… How did this happen?
Distantly he registers someone speaking to them, and the bright flash of a camera.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ianto can’t get Owen to answer any direct questions, so he’s stopped asking them for now. Rather than trying to talk him out of attempting to manipulate the Rift without Jack, or even Tosh, he is simply accepting the help with research.
I can see how he got through school, he is dogged when something interests him. I just never realized that could be applied to books as well as viscera.
Working from a recent file on Tosh’s computer, they have pulled up everything they can find on the Ritz from the 1940’s. Ianto is clicking through the scanned archives, while Owen has tackled some of the hard copies. Much to Ianto’s annoyance, the medic seems to feel the need to narrate every item that he reads.
“Right, the Ritz Dancehall, opened in 1932, shut down in 1989. Due to be demolished in one week. Now, the reported music is from the 1940s. Why is a ghost job taking them this long?”
A little distracted as he always is when viewing old photographs, Ianto can’t help but think about the people depicted in them.
“All those young soldiers ...”
Younger than me, no doubt. So neat and tidy in their dress attire. I always did like a uniform. Probably what first drew me to-Jack!
“Owen, look. There.”
Who’s he shaking hands with?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Another flash, and Jack realizes that he’s made one more time travel mistake.
Shit. Have to let that go. I doubt I’ll be able to destroy these photos before we leave. I wonder it they will make their way back to Torchwood. Maybe Ianto will uncover them.
Looking to his namesake, Jack tries to extricate himself as quickly as possible.
“I should be heading off...”
“Hey, I didn't catch your names.”
“Toshiko Sato.”
Pick an alias, any alias…
“I'm Captain James Harper. 71st.”
Owen won’t mind if I borrow his name for a bit. And if those pictures make it back to Torchwood, maybe then the name will too. I might as well start dropping breadcrumbs for them.
“71st, that's where I'm hoping to be posted next. What's your poison?”
Another time, sweetheart.
“Maybe later. My friend and I were in the middle of something.”
“Sure.”
He turns to go to the bar, letting Jack and Tosh make their exit into the hall.
“Why does that man have your name?”
Jack is too occupied attempting to maintain calm to answer her right away.
“I'm lost enough here without you holding back on me!”
Again Jack registers how close to her limit she must be. It is so easy to forget sometimes that his team isn’t trained for time travel. Taking a breath, he turns to look at her.
“It's not my name. It's his. I took his. But I didn't realize he was...”
Here? There then? Alive now? Just lie.
“…So hot!”
“Jack!”
Right, Tosh is serious, she wants serious answers.
“I know too much.”
“Then... share.”
“You wouldn't want that. Trust me. We have to get back. What's in here?”
He brooks no argument, and deftly redirects her to the problem at hand, gesturing to her laptop.
“I've got half the equation in here. The other half's back at the Hub. If I can find some way of getting these figures back to base, then they can combine them, open the Rift and bring us back through.”
That’s it, there’s my Tosh.
“Come on.”
He leads her deeper into the building, searching for somewhere private. Suddenly she pulls away, turning to look back.
“What?”
“I thought I heard my name.”
They’re reaching out.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ianto is at Tosh’s computer re-checking the Rift Monitor for the day’s activity, to see if there have been any notable fluctuations, aside from the spike that set off the alarm.
Digging through Tosh’s files is like browsing web source codes. There are too many numbers for even my taste. It’s a good thing I’m clever with patterns.
Owen has been buzzing around him muttering to himself for a bit, but suddenly rounds the corner with some purpose.
“Okay, so we use Tosh's information to open the Rift and bring them back.”
We’ve been over this, why can’t he understand?
“We can't. Half the equation's missing.”
“It can't be. It must be somewhere else. Let me try.”
You prat, I’ve checked everywhere.
“It's not there. It might be in her laptop. Which she never goes anywhere without.”
Owen curses loudly, further fueling Ianto’s exasperation with him.
I preferred him when he was sleeping.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Finding an empty room, Jack ushers Tosh in to consult her laptop. While she sets up he takes in the antiquated office.
Could we cram some more horns on the walls? Inadequacy or desire? And the clocks! This guy is a little obsessive. God, I love offices. You can tell so much about a person
Tosh gets her computer up and running, only to find that the battery is low. Hastily, she writes the formula down, fumbling with the fountain pen.
The woman can take apart and reassemble alien tech from 100 years in her future, and she can’t work a fountain pen. What is this world coming to?
Another low battery warning; Tosh pulls him from his musings to read the equation out to her. The screen goes black as he reads off the last characters.
“You got everything you need?”
“I just need the coordinates of the hall, so I can integrate them into the equation. Then we need to get the information back to the Hub.”
Suddenly a new voice enters the room, prompting Tosh to quickly close her computer.
“What are you doing in here? Who are you?”
Jack rounds the desk to introduce himself, but trips over his name realizing a little late that he isn’t Jack Harkness here.
“Captain ... James Harper. And this is Toshiko Sato, friend and mathematician.”
Careful Jack, gotta remember your cover.
“I'm Bilis, the manager. You're not in full uniform, Captain.”
Sharp eye on this one.
“On leave. 48 hours.”
Toshiko is staring at Bilis’ camera, drawing Jack’s attention to it as well.
Poloriod. That’s certainly out of place, shouldn’t hit the market for another, what? Five years or so? Which means he might be out of place too.
A grandfather clock chimes, pulling the manager’s attention to its face.
Where did he come from? What does he know? Why is that particular clock off from the others?
Bilis indirectly asks them to leave, which Jack is happy to do. He leads Tosh out of harm’s way, planning to find out more about this character before the evening is through. Following Tosh back to the party, Jack spies the real Captain Harkness on the stairs. Sidetracked, he hardly hears Tosh’s monologue. Jack stops at the landing, not ready to interact with the other Captain again just yet. Tosh is still talking, still worried.
“Granddad stayed in London but he was persecuted. If I stay stuck here, what will happen to me?”
Some leader I am, she’s loosing her mind and I’m lost in my own head.
He looks at her with sincerity, knowing she won’t accept some blithe line.
“I'll take care of you.”
As always, she seems uncomfortable when he is being genuine.
“This period, you look like you fit in. Have you been here before?”
“Yeah. I can't explain but I served in the war in 1941. I was undercover. I needed a false identity, so I took... his name.”
“Who were you before you took his name? Why him?”
I was no one.
“It was convenient.”
“But if you chose his identity to steal, then he...?”
“Dies, in battle.”
“When?”
Jack remembers pouring over Harkness’ dossier, modifying a few details here and there, covering his death. Of course, there had only been a description, no photo, which had made him a perfect mark at the time.
“Tomorrow.”
He can see the moment when Tosh realizes how lost he is feeling now. A small part of him regrets the crack in his amour, but a larger part is thankful for her sudden determination. With new focus, she approaches the group that Jack has been watching. Finding the right person, she excuses herself to get the information she needs for the Rift equations. Jack watches as Captain Harkness talks up his boys. Then he feels a warm hand on his shoulder, as the other Captain turns his attention on him.
“Glad you came. Shall we sit down?”
Jack can smell the alcohol on his breath, and wonders how drunk he might be. They take a small table with George, who seems to have dropped his previous grudge completely, grilling Jack on his military career.
“You must have seen some action”.
More than you can imagine, kid.
“Let's just say the enemy comes in many guises.”
He catches the appraising glance that Captain Harkness shoots his way.
“Yeah, I can't wait to get up there an’ give Jerry what for. How many did you kill in the Battle of Britain, sir? Twenty-six, wasn't it? No one's as fast as him. Hasn't lost a man yet.”
Jack wonders at the distant look that crosses this face. But Harkness quickly covers it by changing the subject, a device that Jack has to admire.
“Care for a drink, Captain?”
Tempting, but not with Tosh here. Not when I have to get back to Torchwood.
“I'll just have water, thanks.”
With another unreadable expression, Harkness stands to get a refill at the bar. A pretty blonde woman intercepts him. Harkness’ gaze cuts to Jack briefly before escorting her to the bar.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Gwen calls Ianto’s comm, interrupting an intense bout of ignoring Owen. After realizing that Ianto was, in fact, correct about not having the information to safely open the Rift, the moody Doctor had given up any pretense of actually helping. Most recently he’d recited every curse word in every language he’d ever learned, alphabetically. So, Gwen’s voice is currently a happy diversion.
“Anything your end?”
“There are no more photographs of Jack and Tosh after that night. That's encouraging.”
“Yeah, unless the bombs got 'em.”
Fuck. Shut up, Owen. I don’t exactly need your help in thinking up worse case scenarios.
Trying doubly hard to forget about Owen’s existence, Ianto continues talking to Gwen.
“The manager, Bilis Manger, kept them for posterity.”
“Bilis Manger? That's the name of the caretaker.”
Odd.
“Can't be the same guy, can it?”
“Not old enough. But he does look a bit out of his time. He wears a cravat.”
For the second time today, Ianto’s gut twists with nameless apprehension. In seconds his brain catches up and he realizes what he is seeing on the screen in front of him. He is certain that his hunch is correct.
Shit, Nonononono! What is going on?
“Gwen, he's in the photo with Jack and Tosh.”
Focused again, Owen rushes over to see what Ianto is looking at. Horning in on Ianto’s conversation with Gwen, he sends her into certain danger without a thought.
“He's the answer. He’s come through the Rift. Find out what he's doing.”
“No. Get out, Gwen. Wait for backup.”
“We can't lose him.”
We may have already lost Jack and Tosh.
“We can’t lose Gwen! Maybe this is a trap. He could be sucking us back through time one by one. Get out of there, Gwen. That’s an order.”
“I'm sorry but who exactly put you in charge?”
No one did, because there’s no one here to do it.
The connection ends with a quiet beep.
“Gwen? Gwen! She’s gone! What have you done? What if he’s trapped her too? Huh? What’s your brilliant plan then, when there’s just the two of us, and we still haven’t got any answers?”
Silence. Owen gives him a hard look before turning on his heal and hightailing it towards an access panel in the floor.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Unable to hear what is said, but knowing that the blonde must be the Captain’s girl, Jack leaves them in private. He goes to find Tosh. She’s just tucking away her formulas, and sees him coming. She’s got the data, and just needs to hide the equations away for the team to find.
They turn to look for a hiding place, but the nasty girl from the dance floor stops Tosh.
“I haven't seen you two here before. Is she with you?”
She stands in Tosh’s way, but directs the question to Jack. George, who is standing nearby, tries to placate her.
“Nah, she's after Tim. Why else would she let him bore her to death about navigation?”
Jack moves closer, wanting this to just blow over, but ready to step in before something really bad happens, like a mob of racist officers attacking them.
“Maybe she's a spy.”
Another officer takes notice, and looks Tosh over carefully.
“The Chinese are on our side, aren't they?”
Tosh, probably not even playing a part, portrays the perfect innocent victim. Jack watches the boys around them, trying to peg the hotheaded ones.
“I'm Japanese.”
But the girl will not be dissuaded. George takes up for Tosh again, obviously used to this woman’s temper.
“Leave it, Audrey.”
Suddenly Jack realizes that the biggest threat is standing right in from of him. He restrains Audrey to stop her from breaking Tosh’s laptop.
“If you've got nothing to hide, open the bag!”
He pulls her into a tight hug, looking for all the world like a casual gesture, but probably a little bit painful.
“She can't. Her work is top secret. She's a decoder for the Brits.”
Captain Harkness chooses that moment to slide between the two women, handing Jack his drink, and smoothes things over in a toast.
“Without ladies like her, we'd have no way of defending the country. To Toshiko.”
Guy like this would have been a shoe in at the Time Agency. All charm and grace, not to mention the nice ass. Is he just concerned about his boys getting rowdy? Or is he worried about me and Tosh getting caught in the middle of things?
The moment passes, and Tosh is back on her mission to contact Torchwood. She moves towards the stairs, but not before letting Jack in on her plan.
“I need Bilis' camera. Photographs last, don't they?”
“Sure, you don't want me to come with you?”
He asks to be polite, but he doesn’t exactly want to leave Harkness just yet. Apparently, the Captains are thinking similarly.
“Oh, you can't run out on me. I've just got you a drink.”
Jack finds himself faking a smile. He is drawn to this man, but is uncomfortable with the feelings he produces. Toshiko makes his decision for him, leaving him with quick assurances. Before he can talk himself into following her, Harkness is toasting him again.
“To a fellow captain.”
Looking for a safe topic, Jack settles on the obvious.
“So, what brings you down here?”
Second guessing himself, he moves to the stairs, wanting to be nearer Tosh in case she needs his help. The other Captain follows without comment.
“Well, I had to rest up. Injured my back bailing over Kent.”
The blonde follows them too.
“So that's his excuse for not dancing. Mind if I join you?”
Jack automatically gestures for her to join them, and sees Harkness do the same. But he gets the feeling that they are both offering out of propriety, not because they want to share a drink with a pretty girl.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Weary of his day and wary of Owen, Ianto follows behind him.
“What are you doing? Owen!”
Finally, the medic relents, answering the question, but not ceasing his actions.
“We haven't got the missing numbers. We'll improvise with the Rift manipulator.”
You may have a death wish, but not me. Not today.
Knowing before he starts that is will be fruitless; Ianto tries once again to sway Owen with logic.
“We can't. It's risky enough with the equation. If we don't do this properly, anything can happen.”
“Bombs are falling. They're stuck in the middle of the Cardiff Blitz. It's our duty to get 'em out.”
He’s right, but I can’t let him open the Rift. I’ve read the files, they didn’t always have stable control over Rift energy. Catastrophes have occurred. Masses of people pulled in and never heard from again. Entire alien ships slip through as it is, what could pass without restrictions?
“Open the Rift now and the world could suffer. We could all get sucked in. Who knows what will come out?”
Sick of the silent treatment, Ianto stops pulling his punches.
“This is about Diane, isn’t it! When will you accept she chose to leave you?”
Ah, a sore spot. Good.
“Whereas your cyber-girlfriend stuck around the course… not that she had a choice, wired-up in the cellar.”
Something cold rises in Ianto, anger pure and bitter mingles with regret and guilt.
“That was different.”
“Yeah, it was. Mainly because Diane didn't try and kill us and, oh yeah, she also happened to be a human being.”
Even when I try to be cruel, he still trumps me.
“Stop it.”
“Not some screwed up metal monster.”
Ianto can’t keep the words from coming out of him. He has pent them up for too long, accepted this man’s judgment for the last time.
“I thought she was still Lisa. I loved her. You only knew Diane for a week.”
I may have to work harder at it, but I can bite to the quick as well.
“And it wasn't enough. Maybe the manipulator can calculate the missing figures.”
Feeling raw and exposed, Ianto wants nothing more than to hide in a corner to lick his wounds. But he doesn’t have that luxury. Nor does he have the reserves to keep up this battle with Owen, who is acting like a man possessed.
Jack, you may have to find your own way home to clean up this mess. I just hope I’m still here to tell you I’m sorry.
Owen struggles with the machinery.
“There's a piece missing. We've got to find it.”
Feeling a little bit hopeful, not that fate seems to be on his side, Ianto resolves again to control Owen. He grabs his arm as he passes.
“Maybe you should go home.”
“You don't have any power over me.”
They exchange steely looks, but Ianto rallies to win this battle of wills.
“Okay, Ianto, we'll play it your way - safe and boring.”
Struggling to simply hold his ground and maintain eye contact, Ianto lets Owen get his last dig in without comment. Owen shakes his head and storms to the autopsy room, or some other safe haven out of sight. Ianto stands there for a moment, resisting the urge to cry. He’s withstood so many blows today that he takes the moment to number them.
Jack gone, perhaps forever, Tosh with him, Owen apparently hates and pities me, I’m obviously still not forgiven for hiding Lisa… Oh yes, add my blinding fear for the human race if I can’t stand in Owen’s way-
Beep beep.
Gwen!
“Yes, Gwen?”
“Yeah, Ianto, I’m out, but I’m gonna hang around a bit, yeah? See if I can find any clues outside.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sitting with the Captain and his blonde, Jack focuses on the music for a moment. Planting his most charming mask into place, he pushes aside all of his mixed feelings toward this mysterious man. As soon as there is a break Harkness draws him into conversation.
“So, what's your next mission?”
The safest answer is always the most vague.
“Careless talk costs lives.”
Nancy takes this to mean her, and excuses herself. Jack tries not to watch as Harkness gives her the most awkward farewell he’s ever witnessed. She leaves, distressed, with nothing more than a peck on her cheek.
The great hero, and he has no idea how to treat a young girl who is obviously head over heels for him.
“Was that it?”
“She's a sweet kid, but I need to look after my men tonight. It's their last day tomorrow.”
No, it’s your last day tomorrow.
“Go after her. Kiss her goodbye. Anything can happen tomorrow.”
“It's just a routine training exercise. I'm hardly gonna die.”
“That's when they catch you, when you least expect it. You don't know what's ahead. Kiss her-”
Kiss me.
“-goodbye.”
Harkness thinks it over for a moment before downing the last of his drink for courage. Without another look to Jack he goes after her.
Why did I say that to him? Just leave it, Jack. You can’t do anything to change his future. If he lives, who would I be now? I can’t watch this. He doesn’t want her. But I’ve left enough people without saying goodbye. He can do this for her. He can do this for all those I so carelessly left behind.
Jack is only aware that the moment is over when Harkness returns to accuse him.
“That just made things twenty times worse. Now she thinks she's in love with me.”
She’s in love with a ghost.
Ire up again Jack follows after the reticent Captain, badly wanting to draw something from him other than denial.
“Hey, her falling for you is hardly my fault. Play it cool in front of your men, but not in front of me. It's okay to be scared.”
Harkness turns on him, anger and misery painting his face.
“A Captain has to keep his head.”
“A Captain needs to explain risks, tell his men what to expect.”
“So what do I do? Tell 'em I saw a young boy get shot in the eyes mid-flight?”
“I understand.”
We’re equals, can’t he see that?
“Do you? Did you hear him on the radio, yelling for his mom, while the Messerschmitts pumped him full of holes and blew his plane apart? All I can hear on the radio- “
“-is screams. I went to war when I was a boy. I was with my best friend. We got caught crossing the border over enemy lines. They tortured him, not me, because he was weaker. They made me watch him die. And they let me go.”
Why does he make me remember? That was eons ago, before the Doctor, before the Agency…
“Who were they?”
“The worst possible creatures you can imagine. I persuaded him to join up. I said it would be an adventure. He hadn't lived.”
“Have any of us?”
You can, I can show you, there’s still time.
Before he can stop himself, Jack moves in to kiss the other man…
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Part two coming soon!
Rating: NC-17 for this chapter
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Spoilers: Through Season 1, episode 11, part 1
Summary: Set during and after ‘Captain Jack Harkness’, from Jack and Ianto’s perspective.
A/N: Can be read alone, if you've seen the episode it will make sense
Sorry guys and gals, this took forever, because it's so dang long! Therefore, it's a two parter. Part two up this week!
Beta'ed by the 'Super'
frakkin_addict
Linky Links!:
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter12 | Chapter 13
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As Jack and Tosh enter the rundown building, she reads to him from her Palm Pilot.
“The Ritz Dancehall. It's been derelict since 1989 but someone's complained about hearing music... music from the 1940s.”
“Shhh! Listen.”
Faint strains of music waft down the ornate stairs. Jack is bombarded with thoughts of another time. Impulsively, as is his wont, he follows, looking for a source. Almost in afterthought he calls for Toshiko.
“You coming up?”
Without checking to see if she is following, he moves to the second floor. He can feel a lightness enter his heart, as he lets nostalgia drift over him, happy to return to a simpler time if only for a moment. Entering through double doors, he is almost disappointed when he finds he hasn’t been transported back to the blitz. Unwilling to abandon his fantasies just yet, he pulls Tosh close for a dance.
“Just dashing young soldiers and pretty young ladies. And as they danced, the girls would look into their partners' eyes, smile softly and say ...”
He releases her in a spin.
“Jack! Mind my laptop.”
Tsk tsk, always so focused on the task at hand.
“I was thinking more along the lines of, ‘How long before you head off to war?’”
They look around a bit, but Jack’s initial elation has worn off, leaving him dissatisfied, and ready to leave. Just as they start to go, he hears laughter above the dim music. Glancing at Tosh he confirms that she too is looking behind them, towards the noise. They rush towards the third floor.
Ahh, now this is what I wanted. Just a little waltz down memory lane…
He takes in the stunning sight of men and women celebrating life together, dancing and drinking, warding off their fears of what’s to come. A look at his wristband verifies that these are in fact physical beings, and not of alien origin. As always, finding himself in a different time is thrilling, it reminds him of his carefree mortal days in the Time Agency. The days before they betrayed him, and all he had left to do was escape his past. Tosh is astonished by the sight as well, but not at all charmed by it.
“We should get out.”
Spoilsport.
Knowing she’s right, Jack follows her back the way they came, but the scene is now complete. People are mingling throughout the dancehall. Even as he hurries to the door, he drinks in the sights and scents, itching to play a bit.
Everything is done up so properly. Ianto would love this.
As they leave, an older, frail man speaks to them.
“Do call again.”
If only I could…
“I would love to.”
Taking one last longing look, Jack follows Tosh out, pushing past her onto a darkened street. Before he’s had a chance to fully comprehend where they are, the analytical techie has started firing off questions.
“It's night! Where's the SUV? Has it been stolen?
Gaining his bearings, Jack is struck with the seriousness of their situation.
“No. We have.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ianto is too busy studying Tosh’s monitor to notice when Owen wakes to the constant beeping. But he can’t ignore the annoyed exclamation that quickly follows.
“What the hell is that?”
“Tosh's rift monitor program. She set it to alert me if there were any further movements. The rift's been opening more and more recently.”
“Yeah, well, I've noticed that. Doesn't take a genius.”
The irritated medic moves to stand beside him.
“Tosh reckons the equations are forming a pattern. I should call her. She may have readings on her end and this is a bit over my head.”
Ianto activates his wireless earpiece, paying no mind to Owen’s concentrated glowering.
“Um, why wasn't I told about this?”
Because you’ve been unreliable since Diane-wait, you’ve always been a bit unreliable.
“Well, you've been off, haven't you?”
He receives no answer on his comm. A frisson of anxiety passes through him. He tries Jack’s comm, and both their personal cells. He quickly realizes that he isn’t going to be able to reach them remotely. In a rare moment of helpfulness, Owen tries to get into Tosh’s computer, meaning to figure out what the Rift monitor is showing them. Switching gears, Ianto calls Gwen, who is out running personal errands.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Since determining that she can’t contact anyone via cell or comm, Toshiko hasn’t let up with her questions. Jack is starting to think that she will actually work herself into a frenzy.
Can’t let her get too wound up. She won’t be able to think clearly if she gets frazzled. And I need her thinking clearly.
He tries joking with her, but she doesn’t take well to his flippant attitude. She snaps at him. Loudly.
Damnit, don’t draw attention, that’s basic time travel survival!
Tosh realizes her gaffe, and lowers her voice.
“People are staring at us.”
“We need to try to blend in.”
Hastily, they remove any obvious signs of the 21st century.
“It's easy for you to say. I'm the only Asian here.”
Jack relies on his charm, and blinding white smile to momentarily distract her from their predicament.
“Don't worry. You're with the Captain.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Suddenly excited, Owen calls Ianto over to Toshiko’s workstation.
“Hey. I've got into Tosh's files, all her reports. See there, December 24th. That's when Diane flew through the rift. I had to let her go.”
Ianto notes the pause before Owen is able to say her name. Curiosity prompts him to speak, before he thinks better of it.
“You were in love with her, weren’t you?”
Owen completely ignores the question, and follows a very different thought pattern, leaving Ianto with his assumptions.
“If Tosh knows a way of opening the rift, maybe we can get Diane back.”
Fear now, real and visceral, begins to tighten around Ianto’s gut.
“Jack would never allow it. Opening the Rift could devastate the city.”
Owen scoffs, and hurries to the manipulator. Ianto is quite put out by Owen’s dismissive attitude, and even more anxious about how his day is turning out.
What if he’s serious about this? What if I can’t talk him out of this? How far will I have to go?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Trying to look natural, Jack leads Tosh to the bar. He orders her a brandy, hoping to keep her nerves in check. A geeky looking officer approaches them, eying Tosh.
Here comes trouble.
The man pays for their drinks, and before Jack can turn on the charisma, Tosh is being dragged onto the dance floor. Laughing at the smooth move, Toshiko’s shocked expression, and the general circumstance, Jack moves closer to watch them dance. But his humor fades quickly when he overhears a not so subtle reminder of when they are.
“Why's George dancing with a Jap?
Suddenly angry, he wants to brawl, slam a few shots or have a quick shag.
Watch it there old man, keep a level head, you’re not that kid anymore. Just find a way to get her home.
Resolutely he pushes other, quieter thoughts away.
I could just stay here. Find the Doctor in London during the Blitz. Get word to him somehow, then he can find me. Tosh would be fine, a few months here then we can drop her off the morning after her party. Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve had to avoid myself for a while…
“Jack?”
Turning about, he looks to see who called his name, momentarily forgetting that no one knows him here. Feeling a bit bleaker than before, he moves to retrieve his captured team member. Jack politely motions that he is cutting in. But George, Tosh’s kidnapper, gets his dander up like Jack’s just stolen his favorite toy.
“I'm only borrowing her, mate.”
“Maybe she doesn't want to be borrowed.”
“You want to make something of it?”
Running out of polite conversation, Jack plasters a sly smile on his face and takes a more amusing approach.
“You can always dance with me if you like.”
George immediately reacts, shoving Jack hard.
Maybe I’lI get that brawl after all, Georgie boy just needs a little nudge.
“Okay, I'll lead. You follow.”
Rising to the bait, George pushes him. Jack pushes back, and moves to leave.
“Come on, Tosh.”
But the officer is a little more volatile than Jack counted on, and is looking for more than a shoving match. He grabs at Jack’s coat, swings and connects. Jack shoves back at him, hard enough to send him to the floor. Tosh pleads with him to stop. Luckily for her, before the fight can really begin, another man steps between them, addressing George.
“Cut it out, kiddo.”
The intervening Captain turns to apologize. Seeing his face, Jack is reminded of another, even more distant time. The memory crashes over him instantly.
On his first ever trip to Earth proper, Camp Kearny, San Diego, 1940. He was with his then favorite traveling companion, and they’d completed an intel mission in record time. Jack was bored out of his mind. His synthetically blonde partner had begged him to stay the night.
“Com’on, they’ll never know. One night! The Agency expected this to take a week, we’ve only been here 10 hours! We deserve a break for all our hard work.”
He’d always whined like a petulant child when he wanted something. Jack remembered sulking a bit himself.
“Hard work, pfft. We barged in on the General putting it to a Petty Officer and he told us everything. Where’s the fun in that? What ever happened to intrigue? Diabolical planning? Nefarious seduction?”
John had scoffed at Jack’s romantic notions.
“You’re just frustrated, because you didn’t get a taste.”
“Neither did you.”
“Oh yeah?”
Jack looks at him skeptically.
“I was with the General the whole time, you didn’t have him.”
“No… But that Petty Officer was in the washroom when I went to freshen up…”
“What?! You weren’t gone eight minutes!”
“Long enough. He surely didn’t complain.”
“You bastard. No wonder you’re so smug. You always preferred stranger-sex.”
“Not to you, love. I always prefer you.”
John had made an art form of leering long before Jack ever met him. It was one of his most attractive qualities.
“I’m already sick of this place. There’s nothing fun to do. Let’s go visit that bar on Mercury-Delphi in 3280. That wasn’t boring.”
“Or… I could suck you off, right here in the street, in fuddy repressed 1940.”
Well trained, Jack had already scoped out the area. They were leaning on a brick warehouse wall, smoking top of the line cigarettes, that couldn’t compare to anything he’d smoked back in Boeshane. The building jutted out to the right of them, so no one could approach them from that direction. Another smaller warehouse formed a little alleyway to their left, which would funnel and amplify any noise coming from there. So they were only exposed to the front. Not that Jack ever had any problem with a little, or a lot of, exhibitionism. Just not here, now. The less time he spent in this place, the better as far as he was concerned. No earth jails for him tonight, no sir.
“Alright… But then we go. Anywhere you want. Just get me off of this rock.”
“Oh, I’ll get your rocks off….”
Before Jack had time to respond, his pants were around his ankles, and John already had his mouth around him.
“Oh Fuh-I don’t even know how you did that!”
The memory becomes a little hazy at this point. Just a culmination of intense pleasure and bleak scenery. And a man walking towards them.
Jack had watched him as carefully as he was able, with stars encroaching his vision. The man was in officer’s dress, and maybe a little drunk. He was walking with the loose gait of a good buzz. But he was watching his own feet, stepping carefully, seemingly aware of his less than sober state. Jack decided then that he liked a man who knew his own limits. Jack only lost sight of him briefly when his head hit the wall behind him. John had a very talented mouth, even then. Jutting his hips further forward, he’d welcomed the slight change in angle. Then he resumed watching the officer, who had taken notice of them. He was close enough for Jack to see that he had pale eyes, and a strong chin. Actually, he was quite handsome. And staring. Even taking into account alcohol induced reaction lag time, this man was practically gaping at them. Glassy eyed, slack jawed, and interested. Jack smiled, and stepped up the show, moving his hips and moaning in time. Suddenly the man realized that he had been seen, and their eyes met. He’d look frightened, then confused. Jack just smiled wider, practically inviting him to join. But it was all over too soon for that. Jack exploded into John’s mouth, and accepted a rough kiss from him. But he’d caught the dashing stranger’s eyes once more before he turned to hurry back the way he’d come. That time Jack had seen nothing but lust painting his striking features.
Now all Jack sees is a calm, polite, in-charge exterior.
“Sorry about that. The men are a bit lively tonight. It's last day of OTU tomorrow.“
As he turns away again to speak to George, Jack is inexplicably saddened, but snaps out of it quickly. At the Captain’s insistence, George begrudgingly offers his apologies for striking Jack.
“It's okay. You barely got me.”
Quite the gentleman, the Captain isn’t satisfied.
“I think the lady also deserves an apology.”
Jack waits for the proper words to be exchanged, and turns with Tosh to walk away. He knows that he needs to leave this reminder of his past behind. But the Captain stops him, with a friendly smile.
“Hey, are you a volunteer too?”
“Yeah.”
“I'm Captain-“
They stumble over one another trying to introduce themselves. Jack feels himself slipping even further into his old persona, wanting this man to fall under his spell. Falling back on his undercover days, he insists that the other Captain introduce himself first.
Hell, maybe he’s famous.
“I'm Captain Jack Harkness. 133rd Squadron.”
What!? He can’t be! Can he?
Jack quickly runs through the list of things he knows about his namesake. Technically, he figures it is a possibility, if extremely improbable.
Of all the dancehalls in all of time and space… How did this happen?
Distantly he registers someone speaking to them, and the bright flash of a camera.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ianto can’t get Owen to answer any direct questions, so he’s stopped asking them for now. Rather than trying to talk him out of attempting to manipulate the Rift without Jack, or even Tosh, he is simply accepting the help with research.
I can see how he got through school, he is dogged when something interests him. I just never realized that could be applied to books as well as viscera.
Working from a recent file on Tosh’s computer, they have pulled up everything they can find on the Ritz from the 1940’s. Ianto is clicking through the scanned archives, while Owen has tackled some of the hard copies. Much to Ianto’s annoyance, the medic seems to feel the need to narrate every item that he reads.
“Right, the Ritz Dancehall, opened in 1932, shut down in 1989. Due to be demolished in one week. Now, the reported music is from the 1940s. Why is a ghost job taking them this long?”
A little distracted as he always is when viewing old photographs, Ianto can’t help but think about the people depicted in them.
“All those young soldiers ...”
Younger than me, no doubt. So neat and tidy in their dress attire. I always did like a uniform. Probably what first drew me to-Jack!
“Owen, look. There.”
Who’s he shaking hands with?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Another flash, and Jack realizes that he’s made one more time travel mistake.
Shit. Have to let that go. I doubt I’ll be able to destroy these photos before we leave. I wonder it they will make their way back to Torchwood. Maybe Ianto will uncover them.
Looking to his namesake, Jack tries to extricate himself as quickly as possible.
“I should be heading off...”
“Hey, I didn't catch your names.”
“Toshiko Sato.”
Pick an alias, any alias…
“I'm Captain James Harper. 71st.”
Owen won’t mind if I borrow his name for a bit. And if those pictures make it back to Torchwood, maybe then the name will too. I might as well start dropping breadcrumbs for them.
“71st, that's where I'm hoping to be posted next. What's your poison?”
Another time, sweetheart.
“Maybe later. My friend and I were in the middle of something.”
“Sure.”
He turns to go to the bar, letting Jack and Tosh make their exit into the hall.
“Why does that man have your name?”
Jack is too occupied attempting to maintain calm to answer her right away.
“I'm lost enough here without you holding back on me!”
Again Jack registers how close to her limit she must be. It is so easy to forget sometimes that his team isn’t trained for time travel. Taking a breath, he turns to look at her.
“It's not my name. It's his. I took his. But I didn't realize he was...”
Here? There then? Alive now? Just lie.
“…So hot!”
“Jack!”
Right, Tosh is serious, she wants serious answers.
“I know too much.”
“Then... share.”
“You wouldn't want that. Trust me. We have to get back. What's in here?”
He brooks no argument, and deftly redirects her to the problem at hand, gesturing to her laptop.
“I've got half the equation in here. The other half's back at the Hub. If I can find some way of getting these figures back to base, then they can combine them, open the Rift and bring us back through.”
That’s it, there’s my Tosh.
“Come on.”
He leads her deeper into the building, searching for somewhere private. Suddenly she pulls away, turning to look back.
“What?”
“I thought I heard my name.”
They’re reaching out.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ianto is at Tosh’s computer re-checking the Rift Monitor for the day’s activity, to see if there have been any notable fluctuations, aside from the spike that set off the alarm.
Digging through Tosh’s files is like browsing web source codes. There are too many numbers for even my taste. It’s a good thing I’m clever with patterns.
Owen has been buzzing around him muttering to himself for a bit, but suddenly rounds the corner with some purpose.
“Okay, so we use Tosh's information to open the Rift and bring them back.”
We’ve been over this, why can’t he understand?
“We can't. Half the equation's missing.”
“It can't be. It must be somewhere else. Let me try.”
You prat, I’ve checked everywhere.
“It's not there. It might be in her laptop. Which she never goes anywhere without.”
Owen curses loudly, further fueling Ianto’s exasperation with him.
I preferred him when he was sleeping.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Finding an empty room, Jack ushers Tosh in to consult her laptop. While she sets up he takes in the antiquated office.
Could we cram some more horns on the walls? Inadequacy or desire? And the clocks! This guy is a little obsessive. God, I love offices. You can tell so much about a person
Tosh gets her computer up and running, only to find that the battery is low. Hastily, she writes the formula down, fumbling with the fountain pen.
The woman can take apart and reassemble alien tech from 100 years in her future, and she can’t work a fountain pen. What is this world coming to?
Another low battery warning; Tosh pulls him from his musings to read the equation out to her. The screen goes black as he reads off the last characters.
“You got everything you need?”
“I just need the coordinates of the hall, so I can integrate them into the equation. Then we need to get the information back to the Hub.”
Suddenly a new voice enters the room, prompting Tosh to quickly close her computer.
“What are you doing in here? Who are you?”
Jack rounds the desk to introduce himself, but trips over his name realizing a little late that he isn’t Jack Harkness here.
“Captain ... James Harper. And this is Toshiko Sato, friend and mathematician.”
Careful Jack, gotta remember your cover.
“I'm Bilis, the manager. You're not in full uniform, Captain.”
Sharp eye on this one.
“On leave. 48 hours.”
Toshiko is staring at Bilis’ camera, drawing Jack’s attention to it as well.
Poloriod. That’s certainly out of place, shouldn’t hit the market for another, what? Five years or so? Which means he might be out of place too.
A grandfather clock chimes, pulling the manager’s attention to its face.
Where did he come from? What does he know? Why is that particular clock off from the others?
Bilis indirectly asks them to leave, which Jack is happy to do. He leads Tosh out of harm’s way, planning to find out more about this character before the evening is through. Following Tosh back to the party, Jack spies the real Captain Harkness on the stairs. Sidetracked, he hardly hears Tosh’s monologue. Jack stops at the landing, not ready to interact with the other Captain again just yet. Tosh is still talking, still worried.
“Granddad stayed in London but he was persecuted. If I stay stuck here, what will happen to me?”
Some leader I am, she’s loosing her mind and I’m lost in my own head.
He looks at her with sincerity, knowing she won’t accept some blithe line.
“I'll take care of you.”
As always, she seems uncomfortable when he is being genuine.
“This period, you look like you fit in. Have you been here before?”
“Yeah. I can't explain but I served in the war in 1941. I was undercover. I needed a false identity, so I took... his name.”
“Who were you before you took his name? Why him?”
I was no one.
“It was convenient.”
“But if you chose his identity to steal, then he...?”
“Dies, in battle.”
“When?”
Jack remembers pouring over Harkness’ dossier, modifying a few details here and there, covering his death. Of course, there had only been a description, no photo, which had made him a perfect mark at the time.
“Tomorrow.”
He can see the moment when Tosh realizes how lost he is feeling now. A small part of him regrets the crack in his amour, but a larger part is thankful for her sudden determination. With new focus, she approaches the group that Jack has been watching. Finding the right person, she excuses herself to get the information she needs for the Rift equations. Jack watches as Captain Harkness talks up his boys. Then he feels a warm hand on his shoulder, as the other Captain turns his attention on him.
“Glad you came. Shall we sit down?”
Jack can smell the alcohol on his breath, and wonders how drunk he might be. They take a small table with George, who seems to have dropped his previous grudge completely, grilling Jack on his military career.
“You must have seen some action”.
More than you can imagine, kid.
“Let's just say the enemy comes in many guises.”
He catches the appraising glance that Captain Harkness shoots his way.
“Yeah, I can't wait to get up there an’ give Jerry what for. How many did you kill in the Battle of Britain, sir? Twenty-six, wasn't it? No one's as fast as him. Hasn't lost a man yet.”
Jack wonders at the distant look that crosses this face. But Harkness quickly covers it by changing the subject, a device that Jack has to admire.
“Care for a drink, Captain?”
Tempting, but not with Tosh here. Not when I have to get back to Torchwood.
“I'll just have water, thanks.”
With another unreadable expression, Harkness stands to get a refill at the bar. A pretty blonde woman intercepts him. Harkness’ gaze cuts to Jack briefly before escorting her to the bar.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Gwen calls Ianto’s comm, interrupting an intense bout of ignoring Owen. After realizing that Ianto was, in fact, correct about not having the information to safely open the Rift, the moody Doctor had given up any pretense of actually helping. Most recently he’d recited every curse word in every language he’d ever learned, alphabetically. So, Gwen’s voice is currently a happy diversion.
“Anything your end?”
“There are no more photographs of Jack and Tosh after that night. That's encouraging.”
“Yeah, unless the bombs got 'em.”
Fuck. Shut up, Owen. I don’t exactly need your help in thinking up worse case scenarios.
Trying doubly hard to forget about Owen’s existence, Ianto continues talking to Gwen.
“The manager, Bilis Manger, kept them for posterity.”
“Bilis Manger? That's the name of the caretaker.”
Odd.
“Can't be the same guy, can it?”
“Not old enough. But he does look a bit out of his time. He wears a cravat.”
For the second time today, Ianto’s gut twists with nameless apprehension. In seconds his brain catches up and he realizes what he is seeing on the screen in front of him. He is certain that his hunch is correct.
Shit, Nonononono! What is going on?
“Gwen, he's in the photo with Jack and Tosh.”
Focused again, Owen rushes over to see what Ianto is looking at. Horning in on Ianto’s conversation with Gwen, he sends her into certain danger without a thought.
“He's the answer. He’s come through the Rift. Find out what he's doing.”
“No. Get out, Gwen. Wait for backup.”
“We can't lose him.”
We may have already lost Jack and Tosh.
“We can’t lose Gwen! Maybe this is a trap. He could be sucking us back through time one by one. Get out of there, Gwen. That’s an order.”
“I'm sorry but who exactly put you in charge?”
No one did, because there’s no one here to do it.
The connection ends with a quiet beep.
“Gwen? Gwen! She’s gone! What have you done? What if he’s trapped her too? Huh? What’s your brilliant plan then, when there’s just the two of us, and we still haven’t got any answers?”
Silence. Owen gives him a hard look before turning on his heal and hightailing it towards an access panel in the floor.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Unable to hear what is said, but knowing that the blonde must be the Captain’s girl, Jack leaves them in private. He goes to find Tosh. She’s just tucking away her formulas, and sees him coming. She’s got the data, and just needs to hide the equations away for the team to find.
They turn to look for a hiding place, but the nasty girl from the dance floor stops Tosh.
“I haven't seen you two here before. Is she with you?”
She stands in Tosh’s way, but directs the question to Jack. George, who is standing nearby, tries to placate her.
“Nah, she's after Tim. Why else would she let him bore her to death about navigation?”
Jack moves closer, wanting this to just blow over, but ready to step in before something really bad happens, like a mob of racist officers attacking them.
“Maybe she's a spy.”
Another officer takes notice, and looks Tosh over carefully.
“The Chinese are on our side, aren't they?”
Tosh, probably not even playing a part, portrays the perfect innocent victim. Jack watches the boys around them, trying to peg the hotheaded ones.
“I'm Japanese.”
But the girl will not be dissuaded. George takes up for Tosh again, obviously used to this woman’s temper.
“Leave it, Audrey.”
Suddenly Jack realizes that the biggest threat is standing right in from of him. He restrains Audrey to stop her from breaking Tosh’s laptop.
“If you've got nothing to hide, open the bag!”
He pulls her into a tight hug, looking for all the world like a casual gesture, but probably a little bit painful.
“She can't. Her work is top secret. She's a decoder for the Brits.”
Captain Harkness chooses that moment to slide between the two women, handing Jack his drink, and smoothes things over in a toast.
“Without ladies like her, we'd have no way of defending the country. To Toshiko.”
Guy like this would have been a shoe in at the Time Agency. All charm and grace, not to mention the nice ass. Is he just concerned about his boys getting rowdy? Or is he worried about me and Tosh getting caught in the middle of things?
The moment passes, and Tosh is back on her mission to contact Torchwood. She moves towards the stairs, but not before letting Jack in on her plan.
“I need Bilis' camera. Photographs last, don't they?”
“Sure, you don't want me to come with you?”
He asks to be polite, but he doesn’t exactly want to leave Harkness just yet. Apparently, the Captains are thinking similarly.
“Oh, you can't run out on me. I've just got you a drink.”
Jack finds himself faking a smile. He is drawn to this man, but is uncomfortable with the feelings he produces. Toshiko makes his decision for him, leaving him with quick assurances. Before he can talk himself into following her, Harkness is toasting him again.
“To a fellow captain.”
Looking for a safe topic, Jack settles on the obvious.
“So, what brings you down here?”
Second guessing himself, he moves to the stairs, wanting to be nearer Tosh in case she needs his help. The other Captain follows without comment.
“Well, I had to rest up. Injured my back bailing over Kent.”
The blonde follows them too.
“So that's his excuse for not dancing. Mind if I join you?”
Jack automatically gestures for her to join them, and sees Harkness do the same. But he gets the feeling that they are both offering out of propriety, not because they want to share a drink with a pretty girl.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Weary of his day and wary of Owen, Ianto follows behind him.
“What are you doing? Owen!”
Finally, the medic relents, answering the question, but not ceasing his actions.
“We haven't got the missing numbers. We'll improvise with the Rift manipulator.”
You may have a death wish, but not me. Not today.
Knowing before he starts that is will be fruitless; Ianto tries once again to sway Owen with logic.
“We can't. It's risky enough with the equation. If we don't do this properly, anything can happen.”
“Bombs are falling. They're stuck in the middle of the Cardiff Blitz. It's our duty to get 'em out.”
He’s right, but I can’t let him open the Rift. I’ve read the files, they didn’t always have stable control over Rift energy. Catastrophes have occurred. Masses of people pulled in and never heard from again. Entire alien ships slip through as it is, what could pass without restrictions?
“Open the Rift now and the world could suffer. We could all get sucked in. Who knows what will come out?”
Sick of the silent treatment, Ianto stops pulling his punches.
“This is about Diane, isn’t it! When will you accept she chose to leave you?”
Ah, a sore spot. Good.
“Whereas your cyber-girlfriend stuck around the course… not that she had a choice, wired-up in the cellar.”
Something cold rises in Ianto, anger pure and bitter mingles with regret and guilt.
“That was different.”
“Yeah, it was. Mainly because Diane didn't try and kill us and, oh yeah, she also happened to be a human being.”
Even when I try to be cruel, he still trumps me.
“Stop it.”
“Not some screwed up metal monster.”
Ianto can’t keep the words from coming out of him. He has pent them up for too long, accepted this man’s judgment for the last time.
“I thought she was still Lisa. I loved her. You only knew Diane for a week.”
I may have to work harder at it, but I can bite to the quick as well.
“And it wasn't enough. Maybe the manipulator can calculate the missing figures.”
Feeling raw and exposed, Ianto wants nothing more than to hide in a corner to lick his wounds. But he doesn’t have that luxury. Nor does he have the reserves to keep up this battle with Owen, who is acting like a man possessed.
Jack, you may have to find your own way home to clean up this mess. I just hope I’m still here to tell you I’m sorry.
Owen struggles with the machinery.
“There's a piece missing. We've got to find it.”
Feeling a little bit hopeful, not that fate seems to be on his side, Ianto resolves again to control Owen. He grabs his arm as he passes.
“Maybe you should go home.”
“You don't have any power over me.”
They exchange steely looks, but Ianto rallies to win this battle of wills.
“Okay, Ianto, we'll play it your way - safe and boring.”
Struggling to simply hold his ground and maintain eye contact, Ianto lets Owen get his last dig in without comment. Owen shakes his head and storms to the autopsy room, or some other safe haven out of sight. Ianto stands there for a moment, resisting the urge to cry. He’s withstood so many blows today that he takes the moment to number them.
Jack gone, perhaps forever, Tosh with him, Owen apparently hates and pities me, I’m obviously still not forgiven for hiding Lisa… Oh yes, add my blinding fear for the human race if I can’t stand in Owen’s way-
Beep beep.
Gwen!
“Yes, Gwen?”
“Yeah, Ianto, I’m out, but I’m gonna hang around a bit, yeah? See if I can find any clues outside.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sitting with the Captain and his blonde, Jack focuses on the music for a moment. Planting his most charming mask into place, he pushes aside all of his mixed feelings toward this mysterious man. As soon as there is a break Harkness draws him into conversation.
“So, what's your next mission?”
The safest answer is always the most vague.
“Careless talk costs lives.”
Nancy takes this to mean her, and excuses herself. Jack tries not to watch as Harkness gives her the most awkward farewell he’s ever witnessed. She leaves, distressed, with nothing more than a peck on her cheek.
The great hero, and he has no idea how to treat a young girl who is obviously head over heels for him.
“Was that it?”
“She's a sweet kid, but I need to look after my men tonight. It's their last day tomorrow.”
No, it’s your last day tomorrow.
“Go after her. Kiss her goodbye. Anything can happen tomorrow.”
“It's just a routine training exercise. I'm hardly gonna die.”
“That's when they catch you, when you least expect it. You don't know what's ahead. Kiss her-”
Kiss me.
“-goodbye.”
Harkness thinks it over for a moment before downing the last of his drink for courage. Without another look to Jack he goes after her.
Why did I say that to him? Just leave it, Jack. You can’t do anything to change his future. If he lives, who would I be now? I can’t watch this. He doesn’t want her. But I’ve left enough people without saying goodbye. He can do this for her. He can do this for all those I so carelessly left behind.
Jack is only aware that the moment is over when Harkness returns to accuse him.
“That just made things twenty times worse. Now she thinks she's in love with me.”
She’s in love with a ghost.
Ire up again Jack follows after the reticent Captain, badly wanting to draw something from him other than denial.
“Hey, her falling for you is hardly my fault. Play it cool in front of your men, but not in front of me. It's okay to be scared.”
Harkness turns on him, anger and misery painting his face.
“A Captain has to keep his head.”
“A Captain needs to explain risks, tell his men what to expect.”
“So what do I do? Tell 'em I saw a young boy get shot in the eyes mid-flight?”
“I understand.”
We’re equals, can’t he see that?
“Do you? Did you hear him on the radio, yelling for his mom, while the Messerschmitts pumped him full of holes and blew his plane apart? All I can hear on the radio- “
“-is screams. I went to war when I was a boy. I was with my best friend. We got caught crossing the border over enemy lines. They tortured him, not me, because he was weaker. They made me watch him die. And they let me go.”
Why does he make me remember? That was eons ago, before the Doctor, before the Agency…
“Who were they?”
“The worst possible creatures you can imagine. I persuaded him to join up. I said it would be an adventure. He hadn't lived.”
“Have any of us?”
You can, I can show you, there’s still time.
Before he can stop himself, Jack moves in to kiss the other man…
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Part two coming soon!