[Fic] Two Truths and a Lie

Jan 10, 2009 23:48

Title: Two Truths and a Lie
Author Name: jazie_star
Pairing(s): Jack/Ianto
Summary: Only at Torchwood could team bonding be dangerous.
Rating: PG-13 (just for some language)
Disclaimer: I do not own Torchwood or any of its respective characters. Am making no money off this whatsoever-it’s all for fun.
Warnings: Spoilers for Greeks Bearing Gifts
Word Count: ~8800
Author's Notes: My writing prompt (for thestopwatch  ) said that this should take place after “Greeks Bearing Gifts,” which made me think. There’s a huge change in Ianto between that and the next episode-he goes from utterly depressed to propositioning Jack. This abrupt shift has been fodder for many writers and I guess I’m no exception. I’d just like to say thanks to saphiry36 for being my beta and putting up with my insanity.  And to blackbird_song , for coming up with such an awesome prompt.
***


Teamwork is the ability to work as a group toward a common vision, even if that vision becomes extremely blurry.

- Unknown

Jack Harkness took a deep breath, readying himself. “The first round’s on Torchwood. As is the second, third, fourth... well, you get the point.” He unleashed the full force of his grin, trying to make the others smile, too. Gwen beamed back and Tosh made a weak attempt, but Ianto continued to stare at the table. “But if your liver gives out, we won’t be paying for your medical expenses.”

Owen smirked. “Fair enough. And just to show how grateful I am, I’ll go grab the first round.”

***

Three Days Earlier

It was nights like this that reminded Jack exactly why he’d never wanted to be leader.

After Mary was disposed of and Ianto had taken down Tosh’s report (and Owen cornered Tosh, demanding to know what she had heard), Jack took her outside. She looked even smaller than usual, hunched over and avoiding his eyes.

He sat her down and tried to talk to her. Mary’s betrayal had hit her hard-maybe even harder than the alien’s death. Not to mention the faith she’d once had in humanity was gone. That Jack could understand. Some thoughts should remain private and she had learned that the hard way.

As Jack stared at Tosh, a thought struck him. He wasn’t a good leader, and the proof was right in front of him. Suzie was a corpse with a bullet in her head (because Jack hadn’t been able to see past her façade). Ianto had managed to slip past his defenses and endanger them all (because Jack had paid more attention to the way his suits fit rather than his secrets). And now Tosh could be added to the list, because she was sitting on a bench with a shattered necklace beneath her heel and a shattered heart somewhere in her chest. And it was all Jack could do to wipe away her tears, smile encouragingly (God, that took effort) and walk away before his own composure cracked.

Dammit.

Ianto was locking up the tourist office. As usual he was the last one out of the hub at night, spending a few hours after the others had gone to clean up and put everything in order. Jack had gotten used to his silent presence and hadn’t ordered him to go home the way he would’ve with any of the others. The others kept up the pretense of having a life outside Torchwood. Ianto didn’t, and pretending that all was well would have been insulting.

And it felt good, having another person around.

“Heading out?” Jack said, leaning on the desk.

Ianto didn’t say anything, but nodded.

Jack had heard everything Tosh had. On the bench outside, she’d leaned forward, arms clasped around her middle, and divulged everything. Gwen and Owen’s affair. Owen wondering what it’d be like to have sex with Tosh. Gwen not being able to have sex in front of a weevil. Ianto so depressed that he sounded almost suicidal, all the while smiling and asking Tosh if she’d like a coffee.

Jack straightened up, preparing to walk back inside the hub.

It was Ianto’s voice that stopped him. “Where’s Tosh?”

Jack glanced over at him. Ianto was staring at the opposite wall, all the while buttoning his coat.

“I think she was headed home,” Jack said. “I gave her tomorrow off.”

Ianto’s fingers went still, frozen at the collar of his coat. “And when she returns,” he said and his voice was quiet, “are we to discuss what happened here today?”

“What?”

The younger man finally looked at him then. “Are we to discuss what happened here today?” he repeated. “Or should we avoid the subject because she won’t remember?”

The words were like a punch to the gut. “I wouldn’t do that.” For a moment he wondered at Ianto’s icy inquiries, but then he remembered how the younger man had taken Tosh’s arm and led her away from the others. How he’d taken down her report without anyone else in the room, and how tender he’d looked while her eyes had brimmed over. Ianto might not defend himself, but he was fiercely protective of those he cared about.

“Of course not, sir.” And there was just the hint of disbelief in Ianto’s voice.

Jack’s mouth thinned out. “I’m not in the habit of rectonning employees, even when they compromise security.” It came out sharper than he’d intended and grimaced. This was not the way he wanted this day to end.

He forced his face into something smooth and his voice into something teasing. “Come on,” Jack said. “Don’t you trust me?”

Ianto caught Jack’s gaze and held it. Pinned it. “No.”

Ouch. The silence stretched out, uncomfortable and heavy. Jack had a thousand retorts but all of them died in his mouth. There was no room for protest.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, sir,” Ianto murmured. His method of escape was to pick up his car keys and stride out the door. Dignified, but it was escape nonetheless.

Since when did Jack’s team feel they had to escape him? He signed and trudged back into the hub. See, this was why he wasn’t a good leader. The group was splitting apart, and the proof was right in front of him.

Gwen and Owen’s affair was entangling them all in something dangerous; Gwen was spending more time at work, less at home, and when he overheard her talking to her boyfriend all she seemed to do was apologize. Tosh resented both Gwen and Owen, even if she never realized it consciously. She wanted Owen to want her. But he didn’t. Instead, he wanted Gwen, without a thought for her co-workers or her boyfriend. Tosh could barely look her in the eye these days. As for Ianto, he remained on the fringes of things. He did his work, quiet and efficient as always, but Jack saw the emotion simmering just behind his frozen eyes.

All in all, Jack uneasily watched as the situation unfolded. There was too much resentment, too many past hurts, too much mistrust. He knew what happened when troops couldn’t work together-people started dying.

He couldn’t let that happen. He had to find a way to stitch the group back together.

***

So three days later Jack rounded up his troops. He could have contacted them all at once with his Bluetooth, but that was impersonal-exactly what he was trying to get away from. Instead, he visited them one by one.

Tosh was at her station, a pen wedged between her teeth, staring at the computer console determinedly. She didn’t look shattered anymore, but there was something fragile about her. Jack inhaled deeply and reached down to pat her shoulder. It was so small-it fit easily into his hand. “Busy?” Jack asked.

She tensed under his hand. He squeezed reassuringly and she uncoiled a bit. “Not really.”

“Finish whatever you’re doing,” Jack said, “and then go up to the tourist office. Everyone’s meeting there.”

That managed to snap her out the work induced haze. She pulled the pen out of her mouth and held it between thumb and forefinger. “What’s going on?”

Jack smiled, but did not answer.

Owen was next up on the list. The doctor watered the plants in the hothouse. Jack peered through the glass walls, examining him for a moment. Owen was surprisingly careful with the plants, checking their leaves and making sure each one received enough water. “Hey. Be in the tourist office in five,” he called. Owen raised his spray bottle and nodded. Message received.

Gwen was on the phone with one of her police contacts-Andy something-asking about a few disappearances. Jack tapped her on the shoulder. “Hey,” he mouthed. She adjusted the phone so she wasn’t speaking into it.

“What?” she whispered.

“Tourist office in five.”

She nodded.

Ianto was easiest-he was already in the designated meeting place. He was quietly conversing with a young man, sketching out a route on a map. The man listened with rapt attention, only glancing up briefly when Jack came into view. “You should be able to get there pretty easily,” Ianto was saying, his pen moving quickly over the map. He folded and handed it over. “Here you go.”

“Thanks.” The man gave him a quick smile and left.

Jack waited until the door clicked shut before he spoke. “You’re very good at that.”

Ianto did not turn, but instead picked up a few loose brochures and straightened them. “Someone working in a tourist office has to be good at giving directions.” His voice was neutral and distant. He could have been speaking to anyone.

Jack crossed the room until he stood at Ianto’s side, where he could not be ignored. Ianto’s eyes flicked up, met Jack’s, then looked away again. A heavy breath escaped his lips. “Is there anything you want, sir?” This time he sounded almost resigned.   Tired.

Something in Jack ached at the sound of it. The feeling surprised him-this yearning mixed with regret. He’d always associated it with Gwen, when she’d seen a little too much and something in her eyes changed. Hardened. This job demanded so much-Jack demanded so much-and he could see what it was costing her. And now he saw Ianto the same way, losing himself in the whirlwind of Torchwood. For a moment all he wanted was to be the one thing they could count on-the one certainty Ianto could rely on. But that was ridiculous, of course. Because not only were there no certainties in this life, but Jack himself could vanish at any time.

Before he could say anything, maybe explain why his expression had suddenly become pained, the others joined them. Gwen and Owen were laughing at some shared joke while Tosh stood a little behind, looking lost. “What’s going on, Jack?” Gwen asked.

Jack took a deep breath. “Tonight is the first of the Torchwood Tuesdays,” he said brightly. “So let’s go.”

The others didn’t budge. “What’s a Torchwood Tuesday?” Owen raised both eyebrows at him, warily curious.

“When we all go out,” Jack answered. “Get your coats.”

***

It should have been an easy way to bond-a pub, friendly banter and good company. The beginning went well. Ianto allowed himself to be drawn out of the hub, although it took a half-pleading, half-encouraging smile from Tosh. He sat next to her, cradling a glass in his hands, fingers toying with the condensation that collected on its sides. Tosh leaned into him a little, her eyes firmly on the table. She still couldn’t look Owen in the eye. The doctor himself had offered to get the first round, but Jack somehow suspected that had more to do with the attractive bartender more than actual generosity. Gwen still watched Owen furtively, gaze darting between him and her drink. Jack thought she saw a flash of something on her face when the bartender laughed, tossing her hair and smiling at Owen. Jealousy? Relief? It could have been both or neither.

Okay, so it wasn’t exactly an ideal excursion. But they were still out together. That was progress.

Jack flashed a grin at Tosh and asked her about the new rift alert program she’d been working on. He wanted to distract her, remind her that she was valuable, and that he took notice.

It worked a little. Tentatively, she began to talk. It was two rounds in that the others had relaxed enough for Jack to really get started.

“Time to play a game,” he announced.

Owen paused in the act of reaching for his drink. “I told you before-no strip poker.”

Tosh choked on a swallow. Ianto reached over and patted her gently between her shoulder blades. “What?” she rasped.

“He wears too many layers-it puts the rest of us at a disadvantage,” Ianto explained to her. He said it gravely, but there was a hint of a smile around his mouth.

Jack didn’t even try for offended. “Sorry to dash your hopes, Owen, but that’s not what I had in mind.”

Gwen spoke up, trying to ignore the flush creeping over her neck and cheeks. “What game?”

Jack leaned forward. “Two truths and a lie. Tell us two true things about yourself and one lie. It’s our job to tell which is which.”

Gwen frowned. “Like I say, ‘I’m secretly a mass murderer,’ and you have to call me on it?”

“I was thinking for something a little less obvious, but yes, that’s the general idea.” Jack grinned. “I once slept with two people who were supposed to execute me.”

They all stared at him. “Truth,” Owen said briskly. “My turn, is it? I was a psych major before I became pre-med.”

Gwen considered. “Lie.”

“Truth,” Ianto corrected. “I’ve seen his file.”

Owen glared at him. “Isn’t that cheating?”

This time it was Tosh who spoke up. “I was arrested and spent time in prison.” Her voice was utterly devoid of emotion, like she was reading the words off a cue card.

Snorting, Owen said, “Big fat lie.”

“Sorry, love,” Gwen laughed, “but you’ll have to go for something more believable next time.”

“I guess so,” Tosh said. Her voice was utterly devoid of emotion, like she was reading the words off a cue card. Jack watched Ianto’s arm move, as if he were taking Tosh’s hand beneath the table. He saw her eyes meet Ianto’s and warm a little. He gave her the tiniest of nods.

“Caught shoplifting when I was younger,” Ianto said quickly, as if trying to draw enemy fire.

“Truth,” Jack said, flashing Owen a grin. “I’ve seen his file, too.”

All eyes turned to Gwen, who shifted uncomfortably. “Um, I hate carrots.”

“Seriously? Tosh claims jail time, Ianto admits to being a criminal,” Owen said, “and you own up to hating carrots? It’s truth, by the way. I’ve seen you pick them off your food.”

Gwen’s mouth twisted. “I need another drink before I start confessing anything juicier.”

Owen sighed dramatically and pushed himself up from the table. “That’s my cue then. Mind helping, Tea-boy?”

Ianto silently rose and followed the doctor.

Jack allowed himself to feel a bit of satisfaction-the outing was going pretty well, all things considered. There were no veiled references to girlfriends, basement-bound or alien, and Owen and Gwen were showing interest in something other than each other. This might be what they all needed: time outside of work, to relax and-

That’s when Jack heard the sound of heavy footsteps, a shout and shattering glass.

Jack was moving before he was even fully aware of it, darting out of his seat. Owen was on the floor, wiping blood away from his mouth. A huge man stood over him, fist ready to deliver another blow. Jack moved hastily, but he wouldn’t be quick enough to stop anything, even he could recognize that.

Ianto came out of nowhere. The fist that should have connected with Owen’s face was yanked away. Before anyone could react, Ianto had the man shoved up against the bar, his right arm twisted up behind his back. He was pinned and if he moved, Ianto could pull that arm up even farther and see exactly what happened to that shoulder.

“Don’t move,” Ianto said coldly.

By that time, Jack was there. He gripped Owen’s shoulder firmly, pulling him up and out of harm’s way. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“You shagged my girl,” the man said into the bar. He moved his head so that one of his eyes was visible, glaring at Owen. “I remember seeing you leave with her. It was our one year anniversary!”

All looked to the doctor. Owen glanced down at his hand, where the blood from his lip was visible. “Damn,” he muttered. When he looked back up and saw everyone staring, his eyes narrowed. “What?”

This hadn’t been the spirited denial Jack was expecting. “Did you?” he asked, his voice deliberately casual. “Sleep with her?”

Owen gave an awkward half-shrug. “Maybe. Don’t really keep track of ‘em all.” Then, feeling the disapproval of nearly everyone in earshot, he added, “What, you expect me to take notes? Keep charts?” His voice lowered so that only those very close by could hear. “When was this? Recent?”

“Few months ago,” the man snarled.

Owen winced. “Might have been…” he looked to Jack, making a gesture like he was using a spray bottle. “You know.” That alien aphrodisiac the doctor he’d used.

Jack shot Owen a disapproving scowl. “You just couldn’t resist, could you? Did you even ask to see if she was attached?”

Owen didn’t reply.

“Nice,” Ianto said derisively. He turned his attention back to the man. “Listen, I’m going to let go in a second. We can just talk about this, right?” He looked at Owen. “Right?”

Very slowly, he loosened his grip on the man’s arm.

Owen gestured at the bar, perhaps about to offer to get the man a drink. Jack shifted, moving to Owen’s shoulder. He could protect him there, if the man attacked again. But he never had the chance. With the swiftness of a cobra strike, the man swiveled and drove his left fist directly into Ianto’s jaw.

Ianto went down, and there was a resounding crack as his head clipped the side of the counter. Jack would have flinched, but he was too busy throwing himself at the man. There was a blur of fists, an angry shout, and suddenly other hands were scrabbling at them, pulling them apart and holding him back. He watched as another bartender, this one male, blond and furious, shoved the other man in the direction of the exit. “Get out,” he said, and there was venom in his voice, “or I call the police. Now.”

The attacker looked as if he would have loved to take a swing at him, but his temper was cooling and common sense was taking over. He snarled a curse, then turned on his heel and left the pub.

Owen was already at work. He knelt beside Ianto, fingers probing at the back of his head. “Hey, you still with me, Tea-Boy?”

Ianto sat up and winced away from the doctor’s touch. “’M okay,” he said. But he swallowed hard and closed his eyes for a moment.

“Nauseas?” Owen’s mouth thinned out into a grim line. “Not good. Hey, hold still. Tosh, hand me that…?” A pale Tosh crouched on Ianto’s other side. She saw what the doctor was gesturing at and quickly grabbed a napkin off the counter. Owen took it and pressed the cloth against Ianto’s head. Ianto hissed as a clean napkin made contact.

“Hey,” the female bartender said. She knelt down beside Owen, her eyes fixated on Ianto. “I just called an ambulance.”

“I’ll go outside to wait for them,” Gwen said. She was already making her way for the door, pushing through the newly formed crowd.

Owen looked up at the bartender, all business. “Mind getting me a bucket or something? Unless you don’t mind cleaning vomit off the floor….”

She blanched and sprinted away.

Ianto’s voice somehow managed to sound dignified, even through gritted teeth. “I’m fine. I don’t feel sick.”

“Yeah, sure,” Owen agreed. “But she was going to hover and I can’t stand that.” He must have applied more pressure, because Ianto made a quiet, pained noise. Owen spoke quickly, as if to distract him.  “She fancies you, you know.”

“Really?” This time it was Tosh who spoke up. She reached down and took one of Ianto’s hands, prying apart the fingers long enough to slip her own hand in his. Ianto glanced over at her and Jack watched as he squeezed her hand gratefully. The three of them formed their own little world, Jack thought, protectively huddled together. Jack stood on the fringes of things, struck by how unneeded his presence was.

“She couldn’t stop asking who the pretty bloke in the suit was.” Owen pulled his hand away from Ianto’s head, peering at the makeshift bandage he’d made.    The formerly white napkin was sticky and red. Owen sighed and turned his attention to Jack. “He’s going to need stitches. Looks like the first Torchwood Tuesday is breaking up early.”

***

The night started out with Jack rounding them up for drinks. It ended with him sitting beside a hospital bed, sipping horrible coffee, and watching the gentle rise and fall of Ianto’s chest. “He’ll be fine,” Owen had said. “Just a concussion, but they want to keep him overnight just to be sure.”

Jack stayed while the others left for home. He kept replaying the evening’s events in his mind, trying to figure out exactly what he could have done to prevent this. Moved more quickly, maybe. Or gotten in between Ianto and Owen’s attacker. He caught the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger, pressing hard.   He had to keep thinking, because every time his mind quieted, he could hear the sickening thud of Ianto hitting the counter’s edge.

There was one silver lining to be found, though. During the encounter, the team had acted… well, like a team. Ianto had watched Owen’s back and Owen returned the favor. Tosh hadn’t left Ianto’s side-she’d helped Owen and made soothing noises whenever Ianto grimaced. Gwen had met with the police, giving them a report and description of the attacker. And Jack had stood by and watched, surprised by the efficiency of his team. He knew they were good-after all, he wouldn’t have hired them if they weren’t-but the way they had managed to come together despite the circumstances… it warmed him. When faced with an outside enemy, they had put aside their differences and banded together. Adversity brought them together.

And as he sat there, replaying the evening’s events in his mind, a thought occurred to him.

 And Part Two

fic, torchwood

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