Year of the Cat - Chapter 19
Title: Year of the Cat - Chapter 19
Characters: Jack/Ianto, Gwen, Martha, other canon, some OC
Rating: say M for language and later situations
Spoilers: includes info up to end of season 2.
Disclaimer: Don't own - but wish I did...
Author's Note: Sorry I didn't get to post on Sunday - it was Easter and my mother was having kittens that I even wanted to be on the computer. As for Wednesday posting fail, that was b/c my computer and my internet were having domestic differences and weren't talking to one another. So, although it's late (or early - depending on how you look at it) it's here now! Enjoy! I'll be posting again on Wednesday! However, mad props to candybree and mrsalemp for being awesome and assuring me that writing John Hart was not making me crazy...
“An accident?!?!” Ianto all but screamed at the two men who were now huddling together in the corner trying to get away from the mad Welshman that was coming at them with a very red face. “How do you 'accidentally' read someone's diary? Especially when said diary was hidden at the time? Huh? Care to answer that?”
“Yan, I...it's...what I mean to say is...” Jack was trying to form a coherent sentences as Ianto's eyes bore down on him, cutting him beyond measure.
“You know what?” Ianto stomped over to the bookcase along one wall and pulled out another bound volume. “How about reading this one as well? Or is the fact that it was right out in the open enough to keep you from that? Huh? Oh, I know!” Ianto slapped his forehead in sarcastic remembrance before stalking over to the closet and reaching up on the top shelf and removing a box. He walked in a very calm manner, not at all one you would expect, putting on the voice to match - a voice that could scare even the most hardened of men - one that made Jack visibly shiver as Ianto drew closer. “Here. In this box are all the love letters I got from primary until the ones that Lisa wrote me when she went on the last holiday she took. Maybe you would like to take a peek at them as well.” He shoved the box at Jack, who looked at the window, thinking that maybe jumping out was a better alternative to the pseudo-calm and very scary Ianto in front of him. “What are you waiting for, Harkness? I still have a little bit of my soul left private. Go on, eat that too.”
“Ianto, I'm telling you, I didn't look for it. I was going to show Henry and it just happened...” Jack was holding his hands up in surrender as he tried to inch close enough to Ianto to reason with him physically.
“Don't do it.” Del's voice was a quiet warning, but one they heeded none-the-less. “And you,” he pointed to John, who was all but forgotten. “What role did you play in this fiasco?” The words were harsh, but there was a small play of a smile on his lips. “Were you reading too?”
John shook his head, looking almost innocent as he answered. “No, Del, honest. I was walking by and saw Jack. I am innocent.”
“Cut the shit,” Jack growled, turning his attention from Ianto. “You know what you were doing.”
Del looked in question at John, but he merely shrugged and gave him his best puppy-dog eyes. “I was walking by, you believe me don't you, Del?”
There was silence as Del thought of an answer. “Of course I do. Why would you want to pester Jack and Ianto; you don't even know them.”
Jack went to open his mouth in reply to that, but saw the look he was being given by Ianto. “I think that you need to leave the room now, Del. And take your friend with you.”
“Might I point out that, while this is your room, it's the one that John and I are currently staying in?” Del spoke with an even tone.
“Then we'll go,” Jack offered, making a move for the door.
Ianto stopped him with a hand to the chest. “How about this? How about you go to the room across the hall and get your shit and get out of my sight. Go sleep in the car or whatever, but not anywhere under this roof. And I will check from top to bottom before I go to sleep. If I find you, I will kill you.” Ianto's voice was too calm; Jack knew this was not an idle threat. He pushed past the man and slowly walked into the room they were sharing.
With a quick glance over at the playpen, Jack looked to see if there was anything that he would need. He was already mentally planning on going to the treehouse - at least that would be somewhere inside and not too cold. He kicked himself for not throwing the sleeping bags in the car in case of emergencies, but how could he have known?
Ianto came barreling into the room with a box stuffed with what appeared to be journals and a rugby trophy. He threw it on a desk in the room.“What part of our conversation in the tree house - the one where you promised to take care of John without involving me in it - What part of that conversation made you think that sharing my private thoughts from years ago with the one man who wouldn't hesitate to use it against me was a good idea?”
Jack dropped his arms to his side. "Jesus, Yan, do you really think I'm that stupid?"
"Evidence speaks for it self.” Ianto wore his hurt face. “You two were the ones all cozy in here alone." He gestured, one hand on his hip, the other indicating the room.
"Cozy? When is scuffling on the floor cozy?"
Ianto fell onto the bed. "I've learned not to judge with you two. One of the many things you've taught me. Now I can add this lesson in trust and privacy."
"Ianto, I...forget it.” Jack waved off any explanations that were forming in his head. “Nothing I say will make you believe me." He looked for something he might need, but found nothing. He started out the door, but turned when he heard Ianto's voice, bitter in the small room.
"That's right. So go play the victim, just do it elsewhere. I don't have the energy for it anymore."
Jack couldn't resist one more jab. "Oh right. Wouldn't want to take your specialty from you."
Shattered was not quite the word to describe the look that was on Ianto's face. He rhythmically clenched and unclenched his fists, trying to hold back tears by the repeated movement of his nails digging into his palms. “Yes, Jack. I'm always the victim. Not everyone can be the big damn hero you are. So, I got this - you just wait around until there's something you can do - you know - stride purposefully into the room abruptly, bark orders that include other people's ideas, brood on the roof, polish your gun, or make out with someone...”
Jack let out a slow breath as he mentally counted to ten. Grabbing a pillow form the bed, he planned his exit.
Ianto stopped him by pulling the pillow from his grasp.”Thats not yours. I'm sure whatever hotel you check in to will have their own pillows." He didn't watch as Jack walked out, wiping his cheeks. Down the hallway and out the door, past the girls in the living room with Henry and past Becca and Mrs. Jones sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee - never saying a word as he made his way across the yard.
**--**--**
Ianto was sitting on the bed flipping through the book that had started it all when he heard a quiet knock at the door. “Come in,” he invited, not bothering to close the book.
The door slowly opened to reveal Becca, her face puffy from crying. She clutched a tissue in her hand as she walked over and sat by him on the bed. “Are you okay? Your mum said that you and Jack had a fight.” Ianto nodded in silence, leafing through the journal and stopping at a page.
“June 14. I saw that cute girl who was in my English class last year. She was out with some friends - they were all eating chips. I would have talked to her, but I was with George - he would have made fun of me. Ever since that day when she was sat with her friends in the back of the room giggling, I have wanted to talk to her. In the best interest of my heart, however, I won't. She deserves much better than me. But the way that she smiles...and, that blue sweater she wears with the flowers on it - it makes her almost seem to glow. I really should stop being such a jerk and talk to her. Del would.” Ianto looked at her as he closed the book.
“George Wright,” Becca mused. “I hadn't thought of him in years. Did you know that he went into the military?”
Ianto shook his head. “Best place for him.”
There was a silence between them as each tried to think of something safe to say. Finally, Becca spoke. “How could you do it, Ianto?”
“Do what?” Ianto frowned in confusion.
“How could you do that to Jack? How could you send him away?” She twisted the tissue in her hands, dabbing at her eyes.
Ianto looked at the floor. “It's deeper than what happened here. There's no way you can even begin to understand.”
Becca placed her hand on his. “Ianto, I know you think it's different, but it's not.” She forced him to look at her. “Love is love, no matter how you want to look at it.”
“Becca, it's not that, it's...” Ianto looked at the watery eyes in front of him and found he couldn't go on. “It's also work. And Henry.”
“And let me say right now that that is one of the nicest things...”
“Don't. Don't. Please, don't.” Ianto was a bit harsher than he meant to be. “I don't want to hear anything else about how noble it is of Jack and I to take in a child that has nowhere to go. I just don't.” He looked over to see tears falling down her cheeks. “No, I didn't mean that. I only meant that...hell, Becca, I'm tired.”
“I can see that. But I can also see that deep down, you're happy. I saw you and Jack at Christmas. If that isn't love, I don't know what is.” She smiled through the now-drying tears. “You can't just throw that all away for a few bad days. He needs you.”
Ianto looked at her, confused. “Henry?”
“Jack.”
“Oh.”
“And I can't see why you are letting someone Del brings to your parent's house endanger one of the best things anyone could ever hope for. I know you two weren't always on the best of terms but why this? It's not worth it.”
“Really, Becca, it's not what you think.” Ianto took a deep breath. “There is so much more going on that anyone can realize.”
“I'm not sure I understand any of that. I mean, if it's something so terrible, wouldn't you need each other now more than ever?” Her voice was confused and her brow creased.
Ianto's own voice was small. “I would rather have him out on my terms than lose Jack to the things I can't control.”
“Like I've lost Kyle.” The sob escaped her throat before the last word was even out. Instinctively, Ianto held his arms out to wrap her up. She gratefully leaned against his solid form and cried for what seemed like the hundredth time since she found out that Kyle was missing. Ianto rocked her gently and stroked her hair, trying his best not to join her. Once she was sure she was done, she pushed herself away from him and looked into his eyes. “I don't want to be alone.”
“I...I...” Ianto stammered out, not knowing what to say. “I...you could stay here if you want. I don't think Mam would mind.”
“You don't think Mam would mind what, Ianto Jones?” Mrs. Jones poked her head in the door.
“If Becca stayed.” Ianto looked over to his friend. “I don't want her to be alone.”
“Of course not,” Glenda's eyes softened. “In fact, I think you need a good tea. Answer to everything.” She walked into the room and stood by Becca, rubbing her back. “I don't want you driving like that now anyway.”
“Not like I have anything to go home to right now anyway.” Becca hiccuped back a sob before hiding her face in her hands. Ianto sat beside her, looking and feeling helpless.
“All right, then, tea it is. Come on, I'll make it all better.” Mrs. Jones helped her to her feet.
Ianto followed behind, feeling as if he had fought the Cybermen all over again. And this time, he had lost Jack. All of the work they had done to build a relationship on love and trust, and it was all broken by one man. One man Ianto had never dreamed he would see again. And there was nothing he could do about it without giving too much away.
Mrs. Jones steered Becca to a chair across from Gwen before going to put a kettle on. Ianto set his hands on his hips and looked around.
“Where's Henry?”
“Tic?” Gwen asked. Ianto flinched a little at the nickname. “He's down with Tad.”
“And Myfanwy?” He frowned.
“She went out to talk to Jack.”
Ianto scowled and turned on his heels, dragging himself back to the bedroom as if he were made of lead. No sooner had his back hit the mattress than Mrs. Jones appeared in the doorway, the light behind her making her silhouette seem far more impressive than her size indicated.
“Ianto Andras Jones, who do you think you are exactly?” Her words sounded calm, but there was restraint in them, Ianto could tell.
Ianto sat up quickly. “What do you mean, Mam?”
“Don't give me that. This was meant to be a fun weekend for the girls and I am having no more of this under MY roof. Get that? My roof. NOT yours or Jack's or Del's or John's. Am I understood? Is everything clear to you?” Ianto started to talk, but quickly shut him mouth when she somehow began to loom over him. “I am the one who sent Myfanwy out there. You both need to talk to someone. And if it isn't going to be each other, we'll have to make do with what we've got!” She poked her index finger in his chest and Ianto was sure that was going to be a bruise in the morning.
“But, Mam! It wasn't my fault! Jack messed up at work and...” Ianto rubbed the forming bruise on his chest as he looked up at her.
She put her hands on her hips in a stance that Ianto remembered well from his childhood. “You listen here, young man. I have half a mind to put you over my knee - the whole lot of you! You are all at fault from where I am standing, and it's never okay for you to kick people out of MY house. In fact, can you say that for me?”
“Say what?” Ianto was puzzled.
“Tell me whose house this is,” she coaxed with her hands.
“Uh, yours and Tad's,” Ianto frowned out.
“Excuse me?” Mrs. Jones put her hand to her ear to hear better.
Ianto cleared his throat. “Your house. The house belongs to you and Tad.”
“That's right.” She smiled and ruffled her son's hair. “And now that we got that straight, are you going to remember?”
“Yes, Ma'am.”
“Good. Now why don't you take a nice warm shower and I'll bring you some tea.” She hugged Ianto.
“No, I don't think...” he stopped talking when he saw her eyebrows go up. “That would be fine, thank you.” He watched her walk out of the room and flopped backwards on the bed with a loud sigh.
**--**--**
Myfanwy knocked on the window of the car, startling a daydreaming Jack and making him jump.
“What are you doing out here?” He asked, rolling down the window.
She smiled as she poked her head inside. “I was about to ask you the same thing. But I think mine sounded a bit more like 'come around here often'.”
“Cute,” Jack tried not to smile, but found it hard.
“That didn't answer my question.” Myfanwy arched her eyebrow in the uniquely Jones way. “Do you want to try again?”
“Get in.” Jack reached across the seat and opened the door.
Myfanwy walked around the car and sat in the passenger seat, automatically reaching for the seatbelt and then hiding it by arranging the things she had brought out with her. Jack didn't miss the motion and smiled.
“What's all that?” He nodded his head at the bag sitting in her lap. “Were you planning on running away with me?”
“Mam.”
“Mam is planning to run away with me? Ifan would kill me!”
Myfanwy blinked once, very slowly at him.
“What?” Jack tried his best to look innocent.
“Jack, quit playing around. This is serious.”
“I'll say. If Mam and I ran away together...”
Jack got 'the look' from the young woman in the other seat.
“Oh! You meant you and I! Yeah, well. At least you're younger than me - might make you seem a bit like a mid-life crisis, but I can deal with that if you can...” He appeared to be thinking about the situation.
Myfanwy looked out the window. “So, why did you have the fight with my brother?”
“That's cutting right to the chase.”
“Yeah, well, I really didn't want to hear you hitting on me or Mam for the next half hour. So?” She turned back to Jack.
He turned away from her. “It's complicated.”
Myfanwy punching him in the leg. “Save it, I'm not a little girl. You can talk to me.”
“No, really, I don't think...” Jack rubbed his leg, she punched harder than he thought she could.
Myfanwy flipped the hair hanging in her face with a toss of her head. “Okay. Here we go. I am also thinking about dating my boss exclusively. We've been sneaking around for about seven months now. Don't give me 'it's complicated'.”
“Myfanwy, this is far more complicated than just that.”
“Okay, you two have Henry. But still.”
“Even more than that. Our jobs...”
“Oh, so now you're going to pull the 'being a shoeshop girl is nothing like working for the Cardiff Tourism Board'? Weak, Jack Harkness - weak.”
Jack shook his head. How could he tell her what was going on without telling her. Ianto was so much better at these things. “No, not that.”
“Then what?”
“Then, thank you for bringing the things out to me. You can go back inside and tell your mother that I got them.”
Feeling rejected, Myfanwy opened the door and threw the things she was holding in the car as she got out. “Mam says to sleep in the treehouse.” She slammed the door and stocked off toward the house, angry at Jack. She was almost to the door when she turned around and knocked on his window again. “She said to tell you that if you didn't that you'd be sorry. Good night.”
**--**--**
Jack tossed and turned on the wooden floor, winding himself in the sleeping bag.
“Are you going to brood up there all day?”
“I'm not brooding. I'm thinking.”
“I have seen brooding. That's brooding.”
“No, it's not. Really.”
“It is. Now, come down before I go up after you.”
“You wouldn't.”
“I am. Here I come.”
“Kaget, I'm warning you...”
“Hessa, I'm not listening...”
“I see that.” Hessa turned to see Jack standing beside her, a charming smirk on his face. “Why can't you just leave me alone?”
“Because,” Jack pulled her into his arms, “where would the fun be in that?”
Hessa sighed deeply. “You tire me.”
Jack's shoulders sagged. “You don't mean that.”
Hessa petted his hair, leaving her hand at his neck. “You're right. This place is what I'm tired of. We should go somewhere more exciting.”
Jack was confused. “What's more exciting than being on the run all the time?”
“Not being on the run,” she shrugged.
“What do you expect? We are running cons here.”
“Your idea.”
“I didn't hear you saying no.”
Hessa tried to turn from him, but he held her in place.“Let's not talk about this.”
“You were the one who said you were tired of this. I was just trying to help.”
“You're right yet again.” She smiled up at him, showing her canines. “What were you thinking?”
“I was thinking about that cute black spot on your pink little nose.” Jack bent to kiss her.
Hessa wrinkled her nose the best her kind could. “Don't. You know I hate the stupid thing.”
“All the more reason to love it.” Jack kissed her on the bridge of the nose. “And I do love it so.”
“Stop it,” Hessa's voice had a blush in it. “I'm glad you love my nose. Now can you tell me your grand plan?”
“It involves your nose, do you still want me to go on?”
“My nose is involved in what you have planned?”
“Well, not just your nose...”
“Kaget, is sex your answer to everything?”
“Hessa, the only time the answer would not be 'sex' is if the question was 'what don't you want'...”
“I'm trying to be serious here.”
“This is very serious...” Jack wiggled his hips.
“Kaget. Focus. We need to think about what we're going to do.”
“What do you mean? I thought we had that all worked out...” his eyebrow quirked up a bit.
She sighed. “Can we please be serious? We can't stay here.”
“Why not?”
“Kaget, do you remember when I told you that I had a brother? Well, the truth is that I had two. One died in the crash, but the other is out there. Somewhere.”
Jack froze. “I thought we said no truth.”
Hessa turned away from him. One of her whiskers tickled his cheek.
Jack's eyes opened to see the face of John Hart, dangling a string over his nose. “What the hell do you think you're doing?”
“Oh, you were making some very interesting noises, Jagen,” John sat back on his heels.
“Don't call me that,” Jack warned pushing himself to sitting. “And what do you mean?”
A grin spread across his face. “Wouldn't you like to know?”