Strangers In The Crowd
Title: Strangers In The Crowd
Author: rheasilva_18
Rating: PG
Characters: Jack, Ianto and Lisa
Spoilers: Children of Earth (You need to know what happened on that awful fourth day to probably get this.)
Timeline: It’s complicated but mostly post-COE
Warnings: Angst
Disclaimer: We all know who the real owners are, this is written for entertainment purposes only.
Summary: It’s worth the risk when it’s the last thing you can do.
***
-Strangers In The Crowd-
Jack felt nervous and a little bit sick. He stretched out his legs in front of him and watched as the people of Earth milled about the gardens and held conversations with each other. It had been months since he had been on this planet and he’d almost forgotten how amazing the human race was in the 21st century, everyone was minding their own business and just getting on with things, unaware of what lay ahead.
However, he had a purpose for his visit and he was intent on doing it, no matter how long he had to wait or the risks that came attached.
The time was irrelevant to him now, he had to find that opportune moment and even if that meant waiting forever he would.
Hours passed by and he stayed. Waiting.
The large metal clock in the garden ticked and the minutes disappeared, never to be lived again but he still waited.
Jack’s nostrils were suddenly filled with that heavenly, old earth scent which he had never forgotten. He watched as the shutters to a little cabin were pushed open and the colourful chalk written boards were hung either side of the open window. He longed to go up to the counter and ask for their best blend but the shortness of cash restricted his movement.
Jack closely watched a figure walk across the white pathways into the gardens. Their swift, graceful strides pushed them elegantly through the crowds. They were not alone, a slimmer, pretty figure was linked onto them by the arm and her voice sang out like silk through the air. They smiled and laughed as they reached the queue to the little cabin under the apple trees. The woman soon began to fidget in her bag and she said something to the man before leaving him in the queue and drawing her attention to someone else.
Jack didn’t smile. He worked hard not to let the tears fall down from his eyes and he got up slowly from the bench, not letting his eyes fall from the sight in front of him. His body felt lighter with some relief. This was it; this was what he had come here to do.
“Hey,” Jack said to a slightly startled passer-by. “Can you do me a favour?”
***
“Excuse me?”
Ianto turned around, holding his two coffees. He was surprised to see a young woman who he’d never seen before standing in front of him, looking a little confused. “Are you Ianto Jones?” she asked.
“Yes?” he answered. He let a frown furrow his forehead.
“I was told to give you this,” the woman said, holding something that looked like paper in her hand. Ianto put his cups down on the table behind him before he took what was a folded piece of paper. The woman watched him, interested for a second as he unfolded it and read.
I’m sorry.
Ianto frowned. Who was..? He thought as he continued to stare down at the handwritten words on the paper. “Who asked you to-” he was midway through asking but stopped when he glanced up and saw that the girl had disappeared.
“Sorry!” A voice said as it came towards him. “That was Anna ringing me again trying to sort out Friday night,” Lisa said smiling and waving her phone. “Is that one mine?” She took the cup from the table where Ianto had placed them. “Mmm, that’s good. All morning I have been waiting for this! What’s that?” Lisa nodded to the note Ianto was still staring at.
“Oh, err...” Ianto folded it quickly. “It’s nothing, just - something but... nothing... erm - coffee okay?” he stuffed the note into his suit pocket.
Lisa giggled. “You’re a funny one Ianto Jones.”
Ianto forced a smile. Lisa was sipping casually at her cup when she suddenly squeaked because she had noticed the time on the metal public clock, standing the middle of the gardens.
“Oh, bloody hell. We need to get back, you know what Yvonne is like with time keeping nowadays and those new cards we use to get in and out track our every bloody move. Seriously, they must be breaking every freedom law there is with those things.” Lisa tugged on Ianto’s suit jacket to make him start walking.
Ianto didn’t get very far when he suddenly froze on the spot and stared straight ahead. His eyes had caught hold of a strangely familiar figure walking away into the distance.
“Ianto!” Lisa yelped. She had gone back to collect Ianto’s abandoned coffee but not noticed he had stopped and had walked right into him. “Watch where you’re going will you!”
“Sorry,” Ianto mumbled and Lisa wiped away the tiny specks of splattered coffee from her blouse.
“This was fresh on this morning,” she muttered. “You’re on washing machine duty tonight after that incident with the tomato sauce yesterday,” she informed him but her smile was lost when she noticed Ianto still staring, almost squinting into the distance. “What’s wrong? Is there something wrong, Ianto?” Lisa asked anxiously.
“No, it’s nothing.” He looked back at her quickly; she seemed overly nervous and worried. “I’m okay, don’t look so worried.” He lent forward and kissed her softly. Lisa smiled brightly.
“Then come back down from the clouds and live on the normal world with all the normal people would you,” she said. Ianto chuckled as she kissed him on the cheek. “Now get a move on.” She began walking again, back towards the tall glassed building known as Canary Wharf.
Ianto smiled and watched her get lost in the crowds of swarming people but soon his smile faded. He could no longer see the man in the long grey coat; the familiar stranger had walked away and disappeared, in amongst the crowds.
***
Fin