Fic: Career Choices (10/10)
Title: Career Choices
Author: rev02a
Rating: R
Warnings: Language, violence, sexual commentary
Beta: comestodecember
Pairings: Jack/Ianto, past Jack/John, Owen/Tosh, Gwen/Rhys
A/N: AU. Thanks for reading, it's been fun!
Summary: As John Hart’s music agent, Jack Harkness is slowly killing himself with work. A chance romance with a local café owner could be the spark he needs to take control of his life.
Part Nine
Jack hated the smell of hospitals. He lay back on his hospital appointed linens and pouted. Ianto sat in the provided armchair at his side, reading the newspaper.
“The insurance agency seems to be a little frustrated at us,” Ianto commented, while turning the page of his paper. “They want to know if we plan to open another coffee shop. I don’t think they’ll cover us if we do.”
Jack grimaced. “There’s nothing wrong with The Hub. It’ll just need cleaned.”
“And have the bullet holes plastered over,” Ianto added sotto voce, as he closed his paper.
“It wouldn’t be too much work,” Jack decided.
Ianto shook his head. “It’s not worth the bad memories, Jack. No, I figure if you want another shop we’ll find another store front and name it ‘Third Times a Charm.’”
Jack glared. “That’s not funny.”
Ianto reached out and patted Jack’s hand. “Actually, there’s an opening in Oncologist surgery here.” He looked thoughtful. “I am considering applying.”
Jack stared. “But you’ve always seemed so set against it.”
Ianto smiled and stroked his hand up to Jack’s shoulder. “And then you got hurt. I forgot the rush I get when I’m saving someone’s life.”
“Yeah,” Jack grumbled, “not to be confused with the rush of being shot.”
Ianto stroked back Jack’s hair tenderly. “You just had to be the big hero. Thank you though, I am grateful.”
Jack gave up on being grumpy and leaned into Ianto’s touch.
“Tosh brought by the post. You have a million cards,” Ianto pointed to the pile on the side table. “I think that you might have a marriage proposal or two in there as well.”
Jack chuckled and reached up to clasp Ianto’s hand in his own. “Who wouldn’t want me? I’m gorgeous, even with a hole in my shoulder.”
Ianto rolled his eyes. “The hole is patched.” He slid some of the post over to Jack. “Here’s one from your old trainer. Let’s see what she says, hmm?”
“Tosh always swore Gwen was in love with me,” Jack commented, and he leaned around to see the card.
A year later
Gwen Cooper’s wedding was quite a spectacle. Rhys Williams smiled and looked lovingly at his new wife. Gwen grumped and moaned. (Of course, it was probably due to wearing heels while eight months pregnant, but who knew.)
Ianto had to physically hold his partner into his chair when the minister asked if anyone wanted to break up the wedding.
“I’ve always wanted to be the one who runs down the aisle and stops the wedding,” he laughed.
The women behind them shushed them. Jack glared.
“Yes, but if you do then Gwen will declare her undying love for you,” Tosh whispered.
They were seated together, with Tosh near the aisle and Owen and Ianto sitting next to one another. Jack claimed the seat near the window so as he could look out if he got bored.
The ceremony itself ended quickly, but then left plenty of time to listen to all the gossip during the reception.
“Of course she’s pregnant!” The groom’s mother cried. “Big as a house, too! I doubt it’s even my Rhys’! Just a common tart, she is!”
The buzz of the room lowered to listen to the woman list of her complaints. Jack and Owen, both with a drink in hand, watched the ensuing yelling match between mother and son as if they were watching a sports match.
“So glad my mother wants nothing to do with me,” Owen commented.
“I am so grateful that mine is on another continent,” Jack agreed.
They both winced when Brenda Williams slapped her son. Gwen entered the fray and the yelling went up in volume. Jack led them back to their table. Tosh was nibbling on a finger sandwich and nursing a vodka tonic. Ianto seemed to be tuning out the row as he sipped his lager.
“I bloody hate weddings,” commented the ginger woman seated at their table. She was Scottish, as far as Jack could tell. “I swear, you tell me that you’re taking me somewhere nice, but, instead, I end up at a wedding!”
She hit the man next to her on the leg. “Oww!” man yelped.
“Serves you right,” she continued, annoyed. She took a large swig of her drink, something straight, Jack noted amused.
“I’m Dr. John Smith,” the man offered, rubbing his leg.
“Small world,” Jack noted, “I knew a Dr. John Smith back in university. He was older than you, and had crazy hair.”
The man across from Jack patted his hair to ensure it was behaving. “Not me, I’m afraid. I only get bad hair if I come in contact with a fez.”
“I’m Amy Pond,” the woman at his side introduced. “My husband Rory is around here somewhere. He loves a good family row though, so he's probably being a spectator.”
“What do you specialize in?” Owen asked, apparently trying to make small talk. According to his facial expression, however, he couldn’t care less.
“Oh me? Emergencies mostly.” The man took a sip of his wine before grinning. “And you lot, what do you do?”
Tosh laughed, amused. “I’m in the entertainment industry, but I’m selling the company to go back into nuclear consulting.”
Amy and Dr. Smith both looked confused at the correlation between the two jobs. “My friend here,” she introduced Owen, “is in the middle of opening his own private practice as a surgeon.”
“I couldn’t stand the hospital anymore, unlike this sad sod,” Owen explained, looking at Ianto.
Ianto laughed. “I find the hospital more organized that I remember. I’m happy.”
“You’re a doctor, too?” Amy clarified.
“Yep,” Ianto replied, before touching Jack’s arm. “And Jack is writing a book.”
Jack grinned. “That’s his polite way of saying that I still haven’t found a job and am living on my retirement hedge fund.”
Amy began to agree that was the way to live when someone pushed the DJ into the punchbowl. The bride roared with anger before turning on her husband and beating him in the chest with her bouquet.
“Some wedding,” Ianto noted.
“I’m never getting married,” Owen agreed.
Jack put his arm around Ianto and watched the fight escalate when the bride’s mother joined in. Tosh took a slow sip from her drink as she watched one of the bridesmaids slip in the puddle of punch and fall to the floor.
“I don’t think this could get more entertaining,” Jack mused, rubbing Ianto’s neck.
“Oh, I’m sure it could,” Ianto replied, facing Jack. “Maybe Gwen is actually pregnant with an alien fetus.”
Owen laughed outright. Tosh rolled her eyes and stood for another drink.
“Actually,” Jack replied, cocking his head to examine Gwen, “I think she is.”
A man, presumably Rory, came and guided Amy and the Doctor out, avoiding the fistfight that had broken out between the groomsmen. Owen glanced back at Tosh before grabbing his keys.
“We’re out too. See you two next time you drop by London, yeah?”
Ianto agreed, and pulled Owen into a one armed hug, Jack stood and shook his hand. The two of them grabbed a drink from the open bar and ducked out the back door. Jack looked around at the quickly emptying reception.
“Shall we get going then?” he asked.
The groom’s father yelled and flung a centerpiece at his wife. “Yeah, I guess we had better.”
They walked out, avoiding a bridesmaid’s flying handbag, and Ianto stuck his hands in his pockets.
Jack glanced over at Ianto. “I’ve been thinking about a holiday,” he said offhandedly.
“Yeah?” Ianto appeared to be calculating his number of leave hours in his head.
“I was thinking the British Virgin Islands, maybe. We could lay out all day, get thrown off the public beach for being indecent, get sand in unlikely places…”
Ianto grinned. “That could be fun.”
Jack smiled affectionately at his companion. “Yeah, it could.”
The walked to the car quietly, and as Ianto opened the driver’s door he commented, “I could use a coffee.”
Jack nodded in agreement. “Me too.” He was thoughtful for a moment. “Know any coffee shops around here?”
FIN
Author: rev02a
Rating: R
Warnings: Language, violence, sexual commentary
Beta: comestodecember
Pairings: Jack/Ianto, past Jack/John, Owen/Tosh, Gwen/Rhys
A/N: AU. Thanks for reading, it's been fun!
Summary: As John Hart’s music agent, Jack Harkness is slowly killing himself with work. A chance romance with a local café owner could be the spark he needs to take control of his life.
Part Nine
Jack hated the smell of hospitals. He lay back on his hospital appointed linens and pouted. Ianto sat in the provided armchair at his side, reading the newspaper.
“The insurance agency seems to be a little frustrated at us,” Ianto commented, while turning the page of his paper. “They want to know if we plan to open another coffee shop. I don’t think they’ll cover us if we do.”
Jack grimaced. “There’s nothing wrong with The Hub. It’ll just need cleaned.”
“And have the bullet holes plastered over,” Ianto added sotto voce, as he closed his paper.
“It wouldn’t be too much work,” Jack decided.
Ianto shook his head. “It’s not worth the bad memories, Jack. No, I figure if you want another shop we’ll find another store front and name it ‘Third Times a Charm.’”
Jack glared. “That’s not funny.”
Ianto reached out and patted Jack’s hand. “Actually, there’s an opening in Oncologist surgery here.” He looked thoughtful. “I am considering applying.”
Jack stared. “But you’ve always seemed so set against it.”
Ianto smiled and stroked his hand up to Jack’s shoulder. “And then you got hurt. I forgot the rush I get when I’m saving someone’s life.”
“Yeah,” Jack grumbled, “not to be confused with the rush of being shot.”
Ianto stroked back Jack’s hair tenderly. “You just had to be the big hero. Thank you though, I am grateful.”
Jack gave up on being grumpy and leaned into Ianto’s touch.
“Tosh brought by the post. You have a million cards,” Ianto pointed to the pile on the side table. “I think that you might have a marriage proposal or two in there as well.”
Jack chuckled and reached up to clasp Ianto’s hand in his own. “Who wouldn’t want me? I’m gorgeous, even with a hole in my shoulder.”
Ianto rolled his eyes. “The hole is patched.” He slid some of the post over to Jack. “Here’s one from your old trainer. Let’s see what she says, hmm?”
“Tosh always swore Gwen was in love with me,” Jack commented, and he leaned around to see the card.
A year later
Gwen Cooper’s wedding was quite a spectacle. Rhys Williams smiled and looked lovingly at his new wife. Gwen grumped and moaned. (Of course, it was probably due to wearing heels while eight months pregnant, but who knew.)
Ianto had to physically hold his partner into his chair when the minister asked if anyone wanted to break up the wedding.
“I’ve always wanted to be the one who runs down the aisle and stops the wedding,” he laughed.
The women behind them shushed them. Jack glared.
“Yes, but if you do then Gwen will declare her undying love for you,” Tosh whispered.
They were seated together, with Tosh near the aisle and Owen and Ianto sitting next to one another. Jack claimed the seat near the window so as he could look out if he got bored.
The ceremony itself ended quickly, but then left plenty of time to listen to all the gossip during the reception.
“Of course she’s pregnant!” The groom’s mother cried. “Big as a house, too! I doubt it’s even my Rhys’! Just a common tart, she is!”
The buzz of the room lowered to listen to the woman list of her complaints. Jack and Owen, both with a drink in hand, watched the ensuing yelling match between mother and son as if they were watching a sports match.
“So glad my mother wants nothing to do with me,” Owen commented.
“I am so grateful that mine is on another continent,” Jack agreed.
They both winced when Brenda Williams slapped her son. Gwen entered the fray and the yelling went up in volume. Jack led them back to their table. Tosh was nibbling on a finger sandwich and nursing a vodka tonic. Ianto seemed to be tuning out the row as he sipped his lager.
“I bloody hate weddings,” commented the ginger woman seated at their table. She was Scottish, as far as Jack could tell. “I swear, you tell me that you’re taking me somewhere nice, but, instead, I end up at a wedding!”
She hit the man next to her on the leg. “Oww!” man yelped.
“Serves you right,” she continued, annoyed. She took a large swig of her drink, something straight, Jack noted amused.
“I’m Dr. John Smith,” the man offered, rubbing his leg.
“Small world,” Jack noted, “I knew a Dr. John Smith back in university. He was older than you, and had crazy hair.”
The man across from Jack patted his hair to ensure it was behaving. “Not me, I’m afraid. I only get bad hair if I come in contact with a fez.”
“I’m Amy Pond,” the woman at his side introduced. “My husband Rory is around here somewhere. He loves a good family row though, so he's probably being a spectator.”
“What do you specialize in?” Owen asked, apparently trying to make small talk. According to his facial expression, however, he couldn’t care less.
“Oh me? Emergencies mostly.” The man took a sip of his wine before grinning. “And you lot, what do you do?”
Tosh laughed, amused. “I’m in the entertainment industry, but I’m selling the company to go back into nuclear consulting.”
Amy and Dr. Smith both looked confused at the correlation between the two jobs. “My friend here,” she introduced Owen, “is in the middle of opening his own private practice as a surgeon.”
“I couldn’t stand the hospital anymore, unlike this sad sod,” Owen explained, looking at Ianto.
Ianto laughed. “I find the hospital more organized that I remember. I’m happy.”
“You’re a doctor, too?” Amy clarified.
“Yep,” Ianto replied, before touching Jack’s arm. “And Jack is writing a book.”
Jack grinned. “That’s his polite way of saying that I still haven’t found a job and am living on my retirement hedge fund.”
Amy began to agree that was the way to live when someone pushed the DJ into the punchbowl. The bride roared with anger before turning on her husband and beating him in the chest with her bouquet.
“Some wedding,” Ianto noted.
“I’m never getting married,” Owen agreed.
Jack put his arm around Ianto and watched the fight escalate when the bride’s mother joined in. Tosh took a slow sip from her drink as she watched one of the bridesmaids slip in the puddle of punch and fall to the floor.
“I don’t think this could get more entertaining,” Jack mused, rubbing Ianto’s neck.
“Oh, I’m sure it could,” Ianto replied, facing Jack. “Maybe Gwen is actually pregnant with an alien fetus.”
Owen laughed outright. Tosh rolled her eyes and stood for another drink.
“Actually,” Jack replied, cocking his head to examine Gwen, “I think she is.”
A man, presumably Rory, came and guided Amy and the Doctor out, avoiding the fistfight that had broken out between the groomsmen. Owen glanced back at Tosh before grabbing his keys.
“We’re out too. See you two next time you drop by London, yeah?”
Ianto agreed, and pulled Owen into a one armed hug, Jack stood and shook his hand. The two of them grabbed a drink from the open bar and ducked out the back door. Jack looked around at the quickly emptying reception.
“Shall we get going then?” he asked.
The groom’s father yelled and flung a centerpiece at his wife. “Yeah, I guess we had better.”
They walked out, avoiding a bridesmaid’s flying handbag, and Ianto stuck his hands in his pockets.
Jack glanced over at Ianto. “I’ve been thinking about a holiday,” he said offhandedly.
“Yeah?” Ianto appeared to be calculating his number of leave hours in his head.
“I was thinking the British Virgin Islands, maybe. We could lay out all day, get thrown off the public beach for being indecent, get sand in unlikely places…”
Ianto grinned. “That could be fun.”
Jack smiled affectionately at his companion. “Yeah, it could.”
The walked to the car quietly, and as Ianto opened the driver’s door he commented, “I could use a coffee.”
Jack nodded in agreement. “Me too.” He was thoughtful for a moment. “Know any coffee shops around here?”
FIN