A Song as old as Time - Part 6
Title: A Song as old as time (6 of 12/13)
FanFic_50 Prompt: Question
Rating: This part PG, over all pg13.
Summary: A chance visit to a bar and the unexpected arrival of an old acquaintance raises a lot questions for Jack and creates a dangerous situation for Ianto.
Notes: This is set during the first series after 1x06 Countrycide, but before 1x08 They Keep Killing
part one part two part three part four part five
Eventually Jubel manages to get the communication device to connect and the screen blinks into life, revealing a room that appears to be part office and part gypsy caravan. In the room, sat behind a desk, is Grell, his scarred, reptilian features and tribal jewellery contrasting oddly with his smart business suit. He stares at Jubel for a moment before speaking, "Panorian, you have my money, I hope."
"Not as such. It's just that..." Jubel begins nervously, hands tensing on the back of his chair.
Grell shakes his head. "No more extensions and no more excuses. You went into this deal with you eyes open, you have two days left to pay in full, or you know the consequences."
"I know, sir, I know," Jubel says hastily, giving Jack a panicked glance, before turning back to Grell. "It's just that there's somebody here who wants to speak with you."
"Tell them I'm not interested." Grell moves to disconnect the call.
"I told him you'd say that, but he wouldn't take no for an answer. He says to tell you that his name is Jack and he needs to talk to you about Telamer."
Grell’s eyes widen for a moment, then his shoulders slump, and when he finally speaks his voice not entirely steady. “You’d better put him on.”
Jubel steps back so that Jack has a clear view of the screen, whispering to him as he does, “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
Jack takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, planning what he is going to say. He’s cold, soaking wet and so very tired, he would like nothing better than to have a hot shower and then crawl into bed and rest. But he can’t, not yet, not until this whole mess is sorted out.
So trying not to shiver too noticeably he begins as confidently as he can, “Long time no see, Grell. How’s life treating you these days? Because it looks pretty good from where I’m sitting.”
Grell’s reaction is better than he could have hoped for and Jack smiles. Nothing unnerves quite like a misplaced smile in his experience, and right now keeping Grell on edge is just what he wants, because it means that there's probably a better chance that he'll agree to what he is about to offer.
“Is it time?” Grell looks petrified and his hands are shaking as he retrieves a bottle from his desk drawer and takes a drink.
“Not exactly. I’ve come to make you an offer.”
“What is it?”
“You write off Jubel Panorian debts and let his daughter go, and I’ll consider your debt to me paid in full. You'll owe me nothing. It’s time that what happened at Telamer was left in the past where it belongs.”
“Just like that?” He sounds sceptical and a little angry. “Why would you do this for him? He is nothing, he's just a small time thief.”
“He’s a friend.”
“He must mean a great deal to you for you to do this for him. To give up such a…” Grell thinks for a moment, before deciding on the nearest translation that he can. “Such an honour debt in his name.”
“I’m not doing it for him.” Jack glances back at Ianto who has located what appears to the ship’s first aid kit and is tending to Jubel’s arm.
It amazes Jack sometimes just how much compassion Ianto still has given all that he has been through in his young life. He knows it may not be compassion in quite the same way that Gwen would see it. She still tends to concentrate on the small scale, to do what is necessary to save an individual and damn the consequences, and sometimes, Jack has to admit, it is the right thing to do. However, sometimes it’s not, and he only hopes that she will learn to tell the difference before something catastrophic happens. He doesn't want to lose her or anybody else because of it.
With Ianto it’s more his ability to put aside his own feelings and do what is best for the majority. There is only one time that Jack think of that Ianto acted contrary to this, her name had been Lisa and it had nearly destroyed him. It had been a nightmarish situation and one from which, Jack suspects, that Ianto is only just starting to recover.
“Well whoever it is, they should be honoured that you would do this for them, they will owe you a great deal in return.”
“He doesn’t owe me anything.” If anything it’s me that owes him, Jack thinks sadly. He can’t help but think that he has failed Ianto so many times, taken him for granted so often.
Grell shakes his head, “I will never understand you humans, and you, Jack, are a stranger one than most, but you honour your word, so I will accept your offer.”
“Then I have your word that you’ll return Jubel’s daughter to him and that she is unharmed?”
“She will be returned and she has not been harmed. She was only ever held as insurance that his debt would be paid. It would be bad for business if we were to damage anything held as security. Who would trust our word or trade with us if we did that?” He seems genuinely confused at the idea that he might do anything that would affect the value of something he could sell.
“So we can come and get her?” Jack just hopes that Grell’s ship isn’t too far out in Devor space, as if it is it could take as much as a week to get there, time which he really can’t afford to spend away from Torchwood and away from the Rift, just in case any other old friends should drop by.
“It's not that simple, my debt to you has to be seen to be paid, you will need to declare it in front of the elders of my house.”
“If I do that what guarantee do I have that you’ll let me, Jubel and his daughter leave the place alive?” Jack runs a hand through his hair, he can feel the beginnings of one of his usual post death headaches starting to throb dully in his temples. He doesn’t want to start an argument with Grell, not when they have all but resolved the situation, but he got no intention of walking straight into a trap either.
“You have my word on it, but only for myself and for my house, but I can’t speak for the rest of the clans. What happened there at Telamer…” He shakes his head, his expression haunted, “My people have long memories and what you humans did there will never be forgotten, and it can never be forgiven.”
There is an awkward silence as both Jack and Grell remember the horror that had been Telamer.
Telamer had been a Devor mining colony on a barren little planet on the edge of Pelagic Expanse. Over time it had grown into a thriving town, prosperous and relatively peaceful until war had broken out.
At the time Grell had been a very junior customs officer in charge of recording the few passengers and commercial transport ships that came to Telamer, and Jack had just been looking for somewhere to lie low after leaving the Time Agency.
The almost complete destruction of Telamer a few hours after Jack had arrived had been an accident and apparently nothing to do with the fact that it made an excellent staging post for further expansion into the Pelagic Expanse. An accident or at least that’s what the Federated Worlds Defence Force who had carried out the attack had claimed in the aftermath of it.
Whether it had been an accident or a deliberate attack for those caught up in the bombardment it had been three days of hell. It had been amid this destruction that Jack and Grell had moved the small band of survivors away from the firestorm and out into the relative safety of the wilderness and caves beyond the settlement. It had been in those three days that Jack had saved Grell’s life and Grell had declared it an honour debt in front of the only one of the town’s elders to have escaped alive.
Jack closes his eyes for a moment, he’s tired and sickened with it all, with the knowledge that no matter where or when you went in entire universe, from the beginning to the end of time, that the only constant was conflict, death and destruction.
But now is not the time to dwell on it and he forces it from his mind, before continuing is negotiations with Grell. “I’ll agree to it as long as it takes place on Aphelion Prime, that way you’ll know I’ve not come in armed and I’ll know the same is true for you.” Aphelion Prime is a trading centre, neutral ground, which has been used for centuries by dozens of races to sign treaties and conducted business with varying degrees of legality, in relative safety.
Grell seems to think for a moment before replying, “That is acceptable. I will expect you and Panorian to be outside the customs house, near Aphelion’s space port tomorrow evening.”
“I would say I look forward to meeting you again, but we both know that’s not true.” Jack is just relieved that Grell has agreed to his deal. He supposes that it must seem like a very fair trade to Grell, especially considering that the price for a Devor owing such a debt was usually to die in the place person they owed the debt to.
Grell smiles faintly. “It will be good to be free of my debt to you at last, I did not wish to pass it on to my sons. I will see you there.” He presses a button somewhere on his desk and screen goes blank.
As soon as Grell is gone Jubel hurries back over to Jack, hugging him as tightly as his injured arm will allow. “I don’t know how to thank you. What I did earlier, I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking straight.” His voice is muffled against Jack’s coat as he alternately thanks Jack and apologies for the stupid way that he’s dealt with the whole situation.
Jack lets Jubel hug him, his hand resting lightly on Jubel’s back. He can’t think of anything to say, mainly because most of the things that he’d usually say under these kind of circumstances, things like ‘don’t mention it’ or ‘you’d do the same for me,’ don’t really seem to apply. And partly it’s because he’s still angry at Jubel for trying to kidnap Ianto instead of just asking him for help.
Ianto. Jack looks round to see him holding a cloth against the scrape on his neck and considering contents of the first aid kit. He’s pale and shivering a little from the cold and his wet clothes, but other than that seems calm despite all that has happened.
Not that Ianto seeming fine with everything is ever a good indicator of what he's really feeling. Jack has learnt that since the incident with Lisa and then again after Brynblaidd, has learnt that Ianto is very good a hiding everything he is feeling. He also knows that keeping all that hurt and fear inside can’t be doing him any good at all.
Jack pats Jubel’s back. “You can let go now.”
Jubel nods and releases Jack, looking a little shame faced. “I am sorry you know, about what happened earlier, I didn’t mean to…”
“It’s alright.” Jack stops him before he can mention the shooting, he doesn’t want Ianto to have to hear about it, not yet and certainly not like this. But he does need to talk with him, to make sure he’s alright. “I need a few moments with him.”
Jack knows it’s not the ideal time to have a serious heart to heart with Ianto, but if he waits, if he doesn’t speak to Ianto about this now he knows he’ll keep finding reasons to put it off, to keep telling himself that there will be a better time to do it, that he’ll do it tomorrow. Only there is no such thing as a perfect time and one day they’ll run out of tomorrows and all he’ll be left with is more regrets.
Jubel sits down in the other flight chair and starts looking up the coordinates for Aphelion Prime. “Take as long as you want, this'll take a while.”
Getting up, Jack walks over to Ianto, determined to start putting things right between them before it is too late.
Part seven
FanFic_50 Prompt: Question
Rating: This part PG, over all pg13.
Summary: A chance visit to a bar and the unexpected arrival of an old acquaintance raises a lot questions for Jack and creates a dangerous situation for Ianto.
Notes: This is set during the first series after 1x06 Countrycide, but before 1x08 They Keep Killing
part one part two part three part four part five
Eventually Jubel manages to get the communication device to connect and the screen blinks into life, revealing a room that appears to be part office and part gypsy caravan. In the room, sat behind a desk, is Grell, his scarred, reptilian features and tribal jewellery contrasting oddly with his smart business suit. He stares at Jubel for a moment before speaking, "Panorian, you have my money, I hope."
"Not as such. It's just that..." Jubel begins nervously, hands tensing on the back of his chair.
Grell shakes his head. "No more extensions and no more excuses. You went into this deal with you eyes open, you have two days left to pay in full, or you know the consequences."
"I know, sir, I know," Jubel says hastily, giving Jack a panicked glance, before turning back to Grell. "It's just that there's somebody here who wants to speak with you."
"Tell them I'm not interested." Grell moves to disconnect the call.
"I told him you'd say that, but he wouldn't take no for an answer. He says to tell you that his name is Jack and he needs to talk to you about Telamer."
Grell’s eyes widen for a moment, then his shoulders slump, and when he finally speaks his voice not entirely steady. “You’d better put him on.”
Jubel steps back so that Jack has a clear view of the screen, whispering to him as he does, “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
Jack takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, planning what he is going to say. He’s cold, soaking wet and so very tired, he would like nothing better than to have a hot shower and then crawl into bed and rest. But he can’t, not yet, not until this whole mess is sorted out.
So trying not to shiver too noticeably he begins as confidently as he can, “Long time no see, Grell. How’s life treating you these days? Because it looks pretty good from where I’m sitting.”
Grell’s reaction is better than he could have hoped for and Jack smiles. Nothing unnerves quite like a misplaced smile in his experience, and right now keeping Grell on edge is just what he wants, because it means that there's probably a better chance that he'll agree to what he is about to offer.
“Is it time?” Grell looks petrified and his hands are shaking as he retrieves a bottle from his desk drawer and takes a drink.
“Not exactly. I’ve come to make you an offer.”
“What is it?”
“You write off Jubel Panorian debts and let his daughter go, and I’ll consider your debt to me paid in full. You'll owe me nothing. It’s time that what happened at Telamer was left in the past where it belongs.”
“Just like that?” He sounds sceptical and a little angry. “Why would you do this for him? He is nothing, he's just a small time thief.”
“He’s a friend.”
“He must mean a great deal to you for you to do this for him. To give up such a…” Grell thinks for a moment, before deciding on the nearest translation that he can. “Such an honour debt in his name.”
“I’m not doing it for him.” Jack glances back at Ianto who has located what appears to the ship’s first aid kit and is tending to Jubel’s arm.
It amazes Jack sometimes just how much compassion Ianto still has given all that he has been through in his young life. He knows it may not be compassion in quite the same way that Gwen would see it. She still tends to concentrate on the small scale, to do what is necessary to save an individual and damn the consequences, and sometimes, Jack has to admit, it is the right thing to do. However, sometimes it’s not, and he only hopes that she will learn to tell the difference before something catastrophic happens. He doesn't want to lose her or anybody else because of it.
With Ianto it’s more his ability to put aside his own feelings and do what is best for the majority. There is only one time that Jack think of that Ianto acted contrary to this, her name had been Lisa and it had nearly destroyed him. It had been a nightmarish situation and one from which, Jack suspects, that Ianto is only just starting to recover.
“Well whoever it is, they should be honoured that you would do this for them, they will owe you a great deal in return.”
“He doesn’t owe me anything.” If anything it’s me that owes him, Jack thinks sadly. He can’t help but think that he has failed Ianto so many times, taken him for granted so often.
Grell shakes his head, “I will never understand you humans, and you, Jack, are a stranger one than most, but you honour your word, so I will accept your offer.”
“Then I have your word that you’ll return Jubel’s daughter to him and that she is unharmed?”
“She will be returned and she has not been harmed. She was only ever held as insurance that his debt would be paid. It would be bad for business if we were to damage anything held as security. Who would trust our word or trade with us if we did that?” He seems genuinely confused at the idea that he might do anything that would affect the value of something he could sell.
“So we can come and get her?” Jack just hopes that Grell’s ship isn’t too far out in Devor space, as if it is it could take as much as a week to get there, time which he really can’t afford to spend away from Torchwood and away from the Rift, just in case any other old friends should drop by.
“It's not that simple, my debt to you has to be seen to be paid, you will need to declare it in front of the elders of my house.”
“If I do that what guarantee do I have that you’ll let me, Jubel and his daughter leave the place alive?” Jack runs a hand through his hair, he can feel the beginnings of one of his usual post death headaches starting to throb dully in his temples. He doesn’t want to start an argument with Grell, not when they have all but resolved the situation, but he got no intention of walking straight into a trap either.
“You have my word on it, but only for myself and for my house, but I can’t speak for the rest of the clans. What happened there at Telamer…” He shakes his head, his expression haunted, “My people have long memories and what you humans did there will never be forgotten, and it can never be forgiven.”
There is an awkward silence as both Jack and Grell remember the horror that had been Telamer.
Telamer had been a Devor mining colony on a barren little planet on the edge of Pelagic Expanse. Over time it had grown into a thriving town, prosperous and relatively peaceful until war had broken out.
At the time Grell had been a very junior customs officer in charge of recording the few passengers and commercial transport ships that came to Telamer, and Jack had just been looking for somewhere to lie low after leaving the Time Agency.
The almost complete destruction of Telamer a few hours after Jack had arrived had been an accident and apparently nothing to do with the fact that it made an excellent staging post for further expansion into the Pelagic Expanse. An accident or at least that’s what the Federated Worlds Defence Force who had carried out the attack had claimed in the aftermath of it.
Whether it had been an accident or a deliberate attack for those caught up in the bombardment it had been three days of hell. It had been amid this destruction that Jack and Grell had moved the small band of survivors away from the firestorm and out into the relative safety of the wilderness and caves beyond the settlement. It had been in those three days that Jack had saved Grell’s life and Grell had declared it an honour debt in front of the only one of the town’s elders to have escaped alive.
Jack closes his eyes for a moment, he’s tired and sickened with it all, with the knowledge that no matter where or when you went in entire universe, from the beginning to the end of time, that the only constant was conflict, death and destruction.
But now is not the time to dwell on it and he forces it from his mind, before continuing is negotiations with Grell. “I’ll agree to it as long as it takes place on Aphelion Prime, that way you’ll know I’ve not come in armed and I’ll know the same is true for you.” Aphelion Prime is a trading centre, neutral ground, which has been used for centuries by dozens of races to sign treaties and conducted business with varying degrees of legality, in relative safety.
Grell seems to think for a moment before replying, “That is acceptable. I will expect you and Panorian to be outside the customs house, near Aphelion’s space port tomorrow evening.”
“I would say I look forward to meeting you again, but we both know that’s not true.” Jack is just relieved that Grell has agreed to his deal. He supposes that it must seem like a very fair trade to Grell, especially considering that the price for a Devor owing such a debt was usually to die in the place person they owed the debt to.
Grell smiles faintly. “It will be good to be free of my debt to you at last, I did not wish to pass it on to my sons. I will see you there.” He presses a button somewhere on his desk and screen goes blank.
As soon as Grell is gone Jubel hurries back over to Jack, hugging him as tightly as his injured arm will allow. “I don’t know how to thank you. What I did earlier, I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking straight.” His voice is muffled against Jack’s coat as he alternately thanks Jack and apologies for the stupid way that he’s dealt with the whole situation.
Jack lets Jubel hug him, his hand resting lightly on Jubel’s back. He can’t think of anything to say, mainly because most of the things that he’d usually say under these kind of circumstances, things like ‘don’t mention it’ or ‘you’d do the same for me,’ don’t really seem to apply. And partly it’s because he’s still angry at Jubel for trying to kidnap Ianto instead of just asking him for help.
Ianto. Jack looks round to see him holding a cloth against the scrape on his neck and considering contents of the first aid kit. He’s pale and shivering a little from the cold and his wet clothes, but other than that seems calm despite all that has happened.
Not that Ianto seeming fine with everything is ever a good indicator of what he's really feeling. Jack has learnt that since the incident with Lisa and then again after Brynblaidd, has learnt that Ianto is very good a hiding everything he is feeling. He also knows that keeping all that hurt and fear inside can’t be doing him any good at all.
Jack pats Jubel’s back. “You can let go now.”
Jubel nods and releases Jack, looking a little shame faced. “I am sorry you know, about what happened earlier, I didn’t mean to…”
“It’s alright.” Jack stops him before he can mention the shooting, he doesn’t want Ianto to have to hear about it, not yet and certainly not like this. But he does need to talk with him, to make sure he’s alright. “I need a few moments with him.”
Jack knows it’s not the ideal time to have a serious heart to heart with Ianto, but if he waits, if he doesn’t speak to Ianto about this now he knows he’ll keep finding reasons to put it off, to keep telling himself that there will be a better time to do it, that he’ll do it tomorrow. Only there is no such thing as a perfect time and one day they’ll run out of tomorrows and all he’ll be left with is more regrets.
Jubel sits down in the other flight chair and starts looking up the coordinates for Aphelion Prime. “Take as long as you want, this'll take a while.”
Getting up, Jack walks over to Ianto, determined to start putting things right between them before it is too late.
Part seven