COMING HOME - Chapter 9 + EPILOGUE
Title: Coming Home - Chapter 9
Author: iantosdreamer46
Genre: AU
Pairings/Characters: Ianto/Jack, Tosh/Owen, Gwen/Rhys, Rhiannon
Summary: Ianto has returned to Cardiff to pursue his chosen career as a Theatre Director. He then encounters the Torchwood team who are looking for an alien with a revenge. It's at this point he meets Jack.
Rating: NC-17 Overall
Wordcount: 27,000
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, they belong to the BBC and RTD, I just like to experiment with them from time to time.
Artist:the_silver_sun
Beta:zazajb
A/N Thanks to the-silver-sun for an awesome design I love it. Also many thanks to zazajb for betaing my fic
Fic Masterlist http://iantosdreamer46.livejournal.com/3003.html
Artist Link http://pics.livejournal.com/the_silver_sun/pic/00082x3g/
Jack arrived back at the Hub to be greeted by a smiling Tosh.
“Hey Tosh you and Owen been experimenting whilst I was out?” He saw Tosh blush and he smiled.
“Erm....no Jack, we....” she spluttered and turned a deeper shade of red “I’ve analysed those readings.”
Jack was so pleased that Tosh and Owen had finally admitted their feelings to one another. She was a good influence on the acerbic medic. “Great, what’ve you found?”
“I think everyone should hear this, can we meet in the Conference Room in five minutes?”
“Sure, no problem, I need to change my shirt. I kinda had a slight accident. But before you ask we’re ok.”
“We...Jack?”
“Erm....I’m ok.”
Tosh noticed a grin spread across her Captain’s face when he’d said we but she didn’t want to push it. He’d tell all in his own time.
Five minutes later they were all sat in the Conference Room drinking coffee.
“Right kids, what do we have?” Jack’s mind drifted back to the fly area and thought about the smell. It had been sweet, but not a nice sweet. It had undertones of what he would describe as a caustic smell. It seemed to burn the insides of his nose. He’d recognised the smell but couldn’t think where from. It was a part of his past. If he could just remember, it would help identify the intruder.
“Jack....Jack.!”
“What?....Oh sorry Tosh, when I was on the stage I smelled something familiar. I’m trying to remember what though.”
“Can you describe it?”
“It was kind of a cross between” Jack thought the best way to describe it “....between candyfloss and bleach.”
“Urgh!” exclaimed Gwen “that’s not good.”
“No, but I’ve smelt it before....a long time ago.”
“How long are we talking here?”
“It would have to be around 1946”
“Great, during the war. Thanks Jack, that’s really gonna help us then.”
“Owen, let’s listen to what Tosh has to say before we talk about my smell.”
“I think you smell great Jack!”
“Thanks Gwen, but it’s not my smell that we need to worry about.”
Even though Gwen was married to Rhys, Jack was aware that she still had a crush on him. He’d so far managed to avoid it, maybe if Ianto agreed to see him, Gwen would get the message. He smiled at the thought of Ianto and looked at his watch. It was 11am....nine hours to sort out this problem before he saw him again. He was pleased he was sitting down, he didn’t want the rest of them to see his reaction straining against his trousers.
“Jack....Jack, you ok?”
“What....oh sorry Gwen, just thinking about something.”
“Something or someone? You’ve got that silly grin you get when there’s a man involved. Hey it’s not that Ianto guy is it? Come on Jack spill.”
“Ok, ok....yeah, we went for a coffee last night and we’re going again tonight.”
“So that’s what it’s called now!”
Tosh playfully slapped Owen on the arm “leave the man alone Owen, he deserves some fun.”
“Right kids, now we’ve got my life sorted out, can we get back to business. I don’t want anything to disrupt the opening night for Ianto.”
They all looked at one another then at Jack. They were pleased for him. He needed some fun.
“Right, this is what I’ve found. The readings you sent me were high in carbon. They also suggest that there’s only one life form in the theatre. Unfortunately it’s big. Not in the sense of tall or weighty, but it can spread itself out, stretch....you know like a piece of strong elastic.”
Jack listened to Tosh’s analyses. Putting her description along with his experience of the smell....he realised. “Owen....sorry to interrupt you Tosh, but....Owen go down to the archives and look for the file marked September 1946, London, Tennos. It should be in the box marked World War II.
“Great....why me? What’s up with Gwen or Tosh going?”
“Hey Owen, just do it. This is important, ok?”
“Yeah, ok....sorry.” Owen stood to leave.
“I’m sorry Owen, but if it’s what I think it is, well....he’s back for me.”
The three of them looked at Jack who slowly nodded.
“Who is it Jack?”
“Let’s just find the file first then I’ll tell all. But put it this way if I’m right, it could put Ianto and everyone at the theatre in danger.”
Owen was gone a matter of minutes and was out of breath when he got back to the Conference Room carrying a thin folder.
Jack took it from him and quickly scanned it. “I was right.”
“Right about what?”
“The life form we have in the theatre is a Tennos.”
“What’s one of them?” asked Gwen.
“They are/were a placid race, but I only found that out after I’d been stupid and killed a female.” He went on to tell them all about his encounter with the Tennos and how he realised that this one had come back for revenge.
“What do you want us to do?”
“I’m meeting Ianto tonight for another coffee, it would be good if you could go to the theatre and see if you can find it. But be careful, it likes the shadows and may catch you unawares. I don’t want anyone hurt. If we can capture it then we can communicate with it without any violence. I’ll make sure Ianto doesn’t go back to the theatre.”
“Ok, we can do that, but what if it does something in the meantime?”
“I don’t think it will Tosh, it’s after me.”
They looked at Jack who nodded, and they went to prepare things for that night.
~~~~~*~~~~~
The crew managed to fix the lighting bar in record time and the rest of the technical rehearsal went off without too many problems. As Romeo kissed Juliet in the death scene Ianto was reminded of that kiss earlier. He was pleased he was sat alone in the auditorium in the dark, as he could feel his reaction straining against the fabric of his jeans. What am I doing? I shouldn’t have feelings for a man! He couldn’t get Jack out of his head. He smiled, then realised there was someone stood next to him.
“Ianto....Ianto!”
“What....oh....Dawn, sorry. What can I do for you?”
“There’s a call for you” she held out the mobile phone “from a Jack Harkness. He says it’s important he speaks to you.”
Grinning Ianto replied “thanks Dawn, I’ll take it here.”
He took the phone from her and looked at her, raised his eyebrows and Dawn realised he wanted to speak to this Harkness man in private. Why was he talking to him now? Hadn’t he told her that he didn’t want anything to do with the maniac? She moved away, she would have to find out what he wanted.
“Jack, this is a surprise, can you just hold on a minute, we’ve just finished the tech and I had better let the cast get home to rest.”
“No problem, I’m not going anywhere.”
Smiling, Ianto moved the phone from his face, the cast and the crew were waiting on stage for their next instructions. “Ok people, we finally made it. Barring the disaster with the lighting rig, that wasn’t too bad. You all need to go back to your hotels and rest. Tomorrow is a big day. Dress rehearsal. I want to start promptly at nine and go through from the beginning as if we were giving a performance. Right off you go, get some rest, have a drink, one drink, I don’t want any hangovers, and be here at eight ready to begin on time. Thanks for your hard work today. Well done.”
The cast and crew disappeared off stage as Ianto went back to his call. Dawn remained a few seats back, she could just hear Ianto’s side of the call.
“Jack....sorry about that, I had to send everyone home.”
“Why has something else happened?”
“You could say that, we finished the tech without any more disasters.”
“Great, I’m pleased for you.”
“Thanks Jack, now what is it I can do for you?”
“Mmmmm Mr Jones, I think you know what I want to do, but that’s a discussion for later. I forgot to ask where you wanted me to pick you up from. Theatre or hotel?”
Ianto’s face flushed. He was pleased Jack couldn’t see him as the rest of his blood supply rushed southward and woke those feelings again. Subconsciously he palmed his hand over his arousal and moaned slightly, hoping Jack hadn’t heard.
“Ianto....Ianto, you ok?”
“Erm....yes Jack, I’m good.” He looked at his watch, it was 6.45pm. An hour and fifteen minutes before he met Jack. “I was just looking at my watch, how about you come to the St David’s and I’ll meet you in the lobby.”
“I’ll come anywhere you want me to” smiled Jack as he noticed the double entendre wasn’t lost on this gorgeous Welshman, as he heard him splutter on the other end of the phone.
Ianto coughed “right....erm.”
“Is that a yes then, eight o’clock in the lobby of the St David’s?”
“Yes....yes”
Jack smiled, this was going to be an interesting night “ok, see you then” and he hung up.
Ianto switched off the phone what have I done? I’ve just agreed a date with Jack Harkness. He realised he was looking forward to it. He felt someone stood at the side of him again.
“Ianto....you ok?”
“Yes Dawn, I’m good thanks. Here....you can have this back now.” He handed her the phone.
“Are you sure everything is alright? Jack Harkness, wasn’t he that guy who kept intruding yesterday? The one you told me to sort out?”
“Yeah he was....is. He was back today. It’s true there is someone in the theatre he showed me.”
“Oh, who was it?”
“Sorry, he didn’t actually introduce me to the person, but he proved to me that someone is here.”
“Right, and what was that call all about?” She looked at the expression on Ianto’s face realising she’d gone too far with the questions.
Now he had to say something, he couldn’t lead her on any longer. “Look Dawn, I know how you feel about me.” He saw her blush “but I have a policy and it’s something that will never change. I don’t date people I work with. Past experience shows it doesn’t work.”
“Oh....erm....right.” she was definitely embarrassed now.
“Look Dawn, you’re a nice person....it’s....well it’s....”
“I know, you just said, you don’t date people you work with. That’s fine, I just hope it hasn’t ruined our working relationship or our friendship.”
“No, it hasn’t. Look I must run I’ve got a meeting with Captain Harkness about this intruder, so if you’ll excuse me I’ve got to go and shower and change.”
“What, oh yeah, sorry. I’ll see you in the morning then?”
“Yeah, that’s great, see you then.”
With that Ianto had disappeared leaving Dawn open mouthed at his hasty escape. She collected her Netbook and diary and made her way back to the Green Room for the rest of her belongings. As she crossed the stage she thought she felt someone watching her. She turned to look stage left, but there was no one there. Stop being stupid, it’s just the shadows. You’ll be afraid of your own shadow if you’re not careful. She shuddered again and left.
The Tennos was watching, he began formulating a plan. The man who had just left the theatre seemed to be the way to get back at Harkness. He could wait, the time had to be right. The man would suffer, Harkness would lose his mate as he’d lost his own. The Tennos moved higher up into the rafters of the theatre. He welcomed the darkness, it was his friend.
tbc
Chapter 10 http://iantosdreamer46.livejournal.com/33731.html