Lives in Fast Forward: Part VII
Title: Lives in Fast-Forward
Series: All Our Yesterdays
Episode: 3 of 13
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: All TW series 1-3, and DW 1-4 (at minimum)
Summery: The new Torchwood three is just starting to get settled in when three seemingly unconnected students die in weird circumstances. Torchwood takes the case and finds the students seem to have been aged, but only on the inside. With a lack of connection between the victims and no clues Mickey, and Ianto are forced to do a more in depth investigation.
Previous Part
Jack walked into the room grinning from ear to ear, and dressed in his usual attire. Mickey and Ianto exchanged a look and an eye roll. Going to the front of the room he set down his bag, "Hello I'm Professor Barrowman, I'll be taking over this class for a bit."
What the hell did Jack think he could teach? Ianto had been so busy getting their identities set up he hadn't actually looked at what class they were in. Grabbing the schedule Mickey had made for him he glanced at it, '20th Century Military History'. Ianto resisted another eye roll. Well, at least he knew what he was talking about and his look could work for a military historian.
Glancing around the room he saw quite a few of the students already fawning over Jack. Looking over at Trey and Jessica they were both staring wide eyed at Jack and whispering between each other. Oh this just got better and better. They both had a crush on him didn't they? Now he was going to have to listen to them talk about his lover and worse he’d have to deal with the ego-boost this was going to be for Jack.
The rest of the class actually didn't go too badly. Though Ianto had to glare at Jack once when he'd slipped up and told a personal anecdote from the time. Thankfully he noticed the glare and quickly covered it up saying he was paraphrasing a veteran he had once spoken with.
At the end Jack stood at the front, "By the way, I know you all have a paper due next class. That hasn't changed," He said to a symphony of groans, "Sorry kids, not my rules," he shrugged.
A group, Jessica included, immediately went down to talk to Jack. Ianto watched as the other man turned on the charm. He shook his head making a mental note to inform Jack the teachers were NOT supposed to flirt with their students.
Looking over at Trey as he was packing up Ianto asked, "Hey want to go get a coffee or something?"
The ginger man seemed a bit distracted before turning to Ianto, "Sorry, got another class," and took off.
Mickey on the other hand walked out with Jim, Eric and that group. All of them but Eric were whining about the paper. Eric peeled off from the group to head in another direction. "Hey Eric where ya going?" Mickey asked.
Eric answered in a neutral voice, "Just to train."
"Eric's on the rugby team and he does his own training any day he doesn't have practice," answered Jim.
Mickey quickly calculated who he'd be most likely to get information out of. "Mind if I join you?" he asked Eric.
The other man shrugged again, "Sure whatever." Mickey followed him out to a practice area. "So what are you training for?" asked the other man.
Mickey just shrugged, "I just like to keep fit."
Eric nodded and Mickey watched as the man moved around listlessly to get ready. Same way he'd been acting all through class. As Eric started to exercise the other man saw a change come over him. He became completely focused on whatever activity he was doing at the moment. Mickey gave up and sat down to cool off long before the other man was finished.
After Eric did his cool down stretches the man sat on the bench rubbing his knees. “You ok?” Mickey asked.
The man had reverted to his impassive bearing, “My joints have been a bit sore lately.”
Mickey was trying to figure out a way to get the other man to talk, “You written that paper yet?”
Eric started packing up his stuff, “No, but I’ll get it done.”
“We could work on it together?”
“I work faster alone.”
Mickey sighed, he hadn’t expected to get all his answers the first day, but he’d hoped for more. “Well then, I guess I’ll see you.” He got up and turned to leave.
“I’ll be here again tomorrow, same time.” Mickey turned to see Eric looking at him, “It’s nice to have someone else here.”
“Yeah, I’ll be here,” Mickey agreed. Then with a wave turned and left.
~*~
Ianto was waiting in Jack’s office when he got back. The look on his face left Jack torn on whether to retreat or to chuckle.
“Professor Barrowman?” The younger man asked raising his eyebrow.
“We needed to cover that class,” Jack decided to go with amusement, “Now we have it covered.” He gestured with his hands and put an innocent look on his face.
“With you as the teacher?” Ianto gave a skeptical look.
“With me as the teacher,” Jack confirmed.
“And you didn’t tell Mickey or me . . .?”
“I thought it’d be a surprise?” Jack offered, but after the look Ianto gave he relented, “You’d have tried to stop me.”
“Seriously Jack, you, as a teacher?”
Jack crossed his arms with a huff, “I teach firearms really well.”
Ianto rolled his eyes, “We ALL remember your ‘weapons’ training’. That’s part of the reason you can’t be the teacher. You’re not allowed to hit on students.”
Jack looked confused, “What?”
“Think about it Jack, did you hit on or sleep with your teachers?”
“Well . . .”
“Never mind. Look here and now you just can’t ok?”
“I’ll be a perfectly respectable professor ok?”
Ianto snorted, “I know when something’s impossible. Just . . . tone it down.”
“Depends,” Jack stalked toward the younger man.
“Depends on what?” he tried to show indifference. It became especially hard when Jack wrapped his arms around his waist.
“On whether you stand by the ‘no sleeping with your teacher’ rule,” he pressed their bodies together to illustrate his point.
“Rules are meant to be followed,” Ianto responded.
“Are you really sure?” Jack pressed as he ran him fingers over the younger man’s chest just beneath the collar of his jumper.
“Well, there are always exceptions to the rules,” Ianto allowed a slight smirk playing over his lips. “And you never can follow rules.”
“I remember several times I was very good at following your rules.”
“I think I may have found a connection . . .Guys!” Mickey froze from where he’d just walked in the office. Ianto stepped away from Jack, trying to hide his blush and turned to face the other man, while Jack started waving his hand in the classic ‘go away’ signal. “You guys do know we’re all still here? Working. Like we’re should be.”
Jack gave up waving the other man off, “Ok Mickey what did you find?”
“Think I have a connection between Taylor and Bedward. The group I’m sitting with are a bunch of partiers.”
“Which we would guess were friends of Taylor,” Ianto added.
“Exactly,” Mickey agreed, “One of the guys in the group was dating Bedward.”
“But that still leaves McKay unaccounted for,” Ianto pointed out.
“You are the one who’s suppose to be talking to his fellow nerds in the front,” Mickey grinned pointing at the other man, “Not having fun with the teacher.”
Jack looked unamused, “Why don’t you head out so he can finish ‘having fun with the teacher’?”
“Fine yeah whatever,” Mickey headed out of the office closing the door behind him.
“So ‘fun with the teacher’.” Jack stalked up behind Ianto spinning the young man around.
“We should . . .wait for the other’s to leave,” Ianto tried to get out.
Jack ignoring him began to nuzzle his neck. He felt the moment any resistance left.
“Jack, I just . . .Oh! Sorry!” Gwen said stopping abruptly.
Jack held Ianto where he was as he tried to move away. Letting out a sigh of frustration he set his head on the other man’s shoulder, “Why doesn’t anyone knock?” He said under his breath. “Yes Gwen?”
“Oh . . . um I checked the social networking sites and Mickey was right. John was friends with Julie’s boyfriend.”
“So then why don’t you tell Mickey then?” Jack asked obviously hinting that Gwen should go. Now.
“I’ll . . .Just go catch him on my way out.” She turned and left closing the door behind her.
Jack turned back to Ianto intent on starting right where they left off but the younger man finally managed to disentangle himself. “The others are still here,” he explained, “ later.” He turned and left the office leaving a pouting Jack Harkness behind.
He was happy he’d managed to distract Ianto this time, but he had no doubt that the other man would eventually find out his real motivation for posing as the teacher. Over the last week the calls had been minor, easily and quickly dealt with. He had been able to keep Ianto mostly in his sight. With this case also going under cover had been the easiest way to keep an eye on him.
Oh he knew Ianto would figure it out, and he knew that they’d likely have a row about it, but that wasn’t about to stop him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
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