Fic: Vizzini's Rule (68/105)
Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter 68
Rating: R
Warnings: Just a little language again.
Spoilers: Season One thru Out of Time (1x10)
Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to Russell T. Davies and the Mighty Beeb. Just goofin' around! All ©’s to Catherine Tregenna for dialogue and situations borrowed from Out of Time.
Summary: In which Ianto’s car goes missing...
Notes: Just wanted to take a moment to thank the wonderful thrace_adams for all her help with this story. Biggest hugs for all your words of encouragement and magnificent beta-ing and for being such a great friend. *blows kiss*
Previous Chapters
Vizzini's Rule: Chapter Sixty-Eight
The rest of the day passed quietly enough. Tosh came in around lunchtime, but she was the only one who made an appearance. Emma called Ianto in low spirits early in the afternoon to tell him that she’d been offered the job but that Gwen didn’t think she should take it because it was in London. Ianto talked to Emma for half-an-hour trying to bolster her self-confidence, telling her that it was ultimately her decision and Gwen’s feelings on the matter shouldn’t have any effect on her choice. She sounded a little more determined when they hung up, but Ianto wasn’t sure how his words of advice would stand up in the face of Gwen’s disapproval.
Ianto split the day between the Archives and the Tourist Office, avoiding Jack and John. He was in the back office mid-afternoon when he heard the wall swing open. He got up to go see what was needed, but hesitated when he heard both Jack and John’s voices. He glanced through the beaded curtain to see them shaking hands. Jack caught a glimpse of Ianto and gave him another of those inscrutable looks before he turned and walked back to the passageway. Ianto ducked out of the line of sight as John turned around. He intended to just wait until he left, but after he heard the wall swing shut again he thought heard someone rustling behind his counter.
Ianto stepped out from the small office to find John behind the counter, startling the other man. Ianto fought against the desire that still lingered to smack John and tried to look helpful.
“Uh, I was looking for a bus timetable. Want to get out to the DIY stores, see if there’s any work going,” John said in his hearty voice.
Silently, Ianto found a schedule and handed it to John.
“Best of luck,” he managed to say with a small smile.
“Thank you,” John said as he took the schedule.
Ianto watched him leave, the smile fading from his lips as soon as John’s back was turned. He thought about going downstairs and finding Jack. He thought about how much he missed his Captain, not the brooding, angry man Jack had been since the rift had opened. He thought about grabbing Jack in the middle of the Hub, not caring who could see them and kissing him senseless.
Ianto sighed.
Cursing himself for being a coward, he pushed back through the beaded curtain and returned to his desk.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
It was much later that night when Ianto finally admitted defeat and decided to go home. Tosh had left around 6:00 and Ianto had, foolishly it seemed, hoped that Jack would come find him once they were alone. He didn’t care if it was to yell at him for being an arse that morning about John or to tell Ianto he was sorry he’d been an arse for the last week or just to request a fresh pot of coffee. But Jack never came.
Through some judicious CCTV stalking, Ianto knew he was still downstairs. He also knew that Jack knew he was still upstairs because the outside door to the Tourist Office was still unlocked, its light showing red on the security panel. He waited at his desk in the Tourist Office until quarter past eight before he gave in and shut down his computer. He’d seen Jack turn on some music, pour himself a glass of brandy and climb down the ladder to his room, very clearly ‘in for the night.’
Ianto sighed heavily as he pulled on his coat. He switched off the lights in the back office and instinctively reached for his keys on his way through the beads.
The hook was empty.
Ianto looked down at the keys on their row of hooks. Filing cabinet, secure archives, SUV, he ticked them off one by one, my keys. But there was no fourth set of keys. Ianto slipped his hand into the pockets of his coat. Jack’s present, no keys. Ianto closed his eyes, trying to remember that morning. He’d come in after unlocking the door, walked behind the counter and… put the keys where he always did - on the hook next to the spare SUV keys.
Frowning now, Ianto pulled off his coat and tossed it on the counter. He patted himself down, checking all his pockets even though he never carried his keys with him as they ruined the line of his suit. He even checked the little pocket on his waistcoat that sometimes held his stopwatch. No keys.
He went back into the office and turned on the lights. He sifted through the few papers on his tidy desk, looked on the floor, dumped out the waste bin. Starting to feel a bit of panic, Ianto pushed through the beaded curtain and looked at the hooks again.
John, he thought suddenly. John was back here. He remembered thinking that he’d startled John in his quest for the bus timetable and wondered, could he have taken them? But why? He doesn’t even have a driving license… Ianto bolted for the door and ran out to the line of parking spots on the quay. No green Audi sitting in his spot.
“Fuck,” Ianto said, staring at the empty pavement.
He ran back inside, pulling his mobile from his pocket. He dialed the number for the mobile they’d given John. No answer and the voicemail hadn’t been set up yet. Of course, Ianto thought bitterly, too complicated, no doubt. He tried Jack’s mobile as he searched behind the counter, hoping that he would see the keys and miraculously remember parking his car somewhere else the other day. Jack didn’t answer.
“Fuck!” Ianto said again. Probably saw it was me and hit ignore, Ianto fumed. Still searching in vain for his keys, he reached up and grabbed the phone that sat on the counter next to his computer. He pressed 1 which rang directly to the phone on Jack’s desk and waited. This phone didn’t go to voice mail, it didn’t have an ignore button and its ringing drove Jack mad.
“Hello,” Jack said. Ianto could hear the irritation in his voice, although whether it was due to him calling or the ringing Ianto couldn’t say.
“My car keys are missing. John was behind the counter earlier on and I can’t get hold of him.”
“You’re calling me because you lost your keys?” Jack asked.
“No, sir, I didn’t lose them. John stole them. And my car!”
“Ianto,” Jack sighed into the phone. “Don’t you think you’re overreacting? How do you know your car is even gone?”
“Because it’s not parked outside,” Ianto said through clenched teeth.
“Oh. Well, did you try calling him?”
“Yes!” Ianto took a deep breath. “He didn’t answer.”
Jack sighed again. “Come down here, I’ll get the GPS running,” he said and hung up.
Ianto slammed down the phone and locked up the office before heading to the Hub. He strode into Jack’s office and stood off to the side to watch as Jack called up the signals from Ianto’s car and John’s phone. When they completely overlapped on the screen and showed up as one big red dot, Ianto refrained from saying ‘I told you so,’ but he was thinking it.
Jack stared at the screen for a moment, waiting for the red dot to stop moving. When it did, Jack said in confused tones, “He’s gone home.”
A split second later, the possible ramifications of John stealing a car to return to his abandoned house hit both Jack and Ianto. Jack sprang up from his chair and headed around his desk to get his coat, but Ianto was already holding it out for him. After Jack had sprinted from the office, Ianto stared at the screen. Jack will get there in time and save the day, just like he always does, Ianto thought as he shoved his hands in his pockets. And when he gets back, he’ll send me away again.
Ianto shook his head. When Jack got back, Ianto wasn’t going to be there. Not anymore.
TBC in Chapter Sixty-Nine, Part One
Rating: R
Warnings: Just a little language again.
Spoilers: Season One thru Out of Time (1x10)
Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to Russell T. Davies and the Mighty Beeb. Just goofin' around! All ©’s to Catherine Tregenna for dialogue and situations borrowed from Out of Time.
Summary: In which Ianto’s car goes missing...
Notes: Just wanted to take a moment to thank the wonderful thrace_adams for all her help with this story. Biggest hugs for all your words of encouragement and magnificent beta-ing and for being such a great friend. *blows kiss*
Previous Chapters
Vizzini's Rule: Chapter Sixty-Eight
The rest of the day passed quietly enough. Tosh came in around lunchtime, but she was the only one who made an appearance. Emma called Ianto in low spirits early in the afternoon to tell him that she’d been offered the job but that Gwen didn’t think she should take it because it was in London. Ianto talked to Emma for half-an-hour trying to bolster her self-confidence, telling her that it was ultimately her decision and Gwen’s feelings on the matter shouldn’t have any effect on her choice. She sounded a little more determined when they hung up, but Ianto wasn’t sure how his words of advice would stand up in the face of Gwen’s disapproval.
Ianto split the day between the Archives and the Tourist Office, avoiding Jack and John. He was in the back office mid-afternoon when he heard the wall swing open. He got up to go see what was needed, but hesitated when he heard both Jack and John’s voices. He glanced through the beaded curtain to see them shaking hands. Jack caught a glimpse of Ianto and gave him another of those inscrutable looks before he turned and walked back to the passageway. Ianto ducked out of the line of sight as John turned around. He intended to just wait until he left, but after he heard the wall swing shut again he thought heard someone rustling behind his counter.
Ianto stepped out from the small office to find John behind the counter, startling the other man. Ianto fought against the desire that still lingered to smack John and tried to look helpful.
“Uh, I was looking for a bus timetable. Want to get out to the DIY stores, see if there’s any work going,” John said in his hearty voice.
Silently, Ianto found a schedule and handed it to John.
“Best of luck,” he managed to say with a small smile.
“Thank you,” John said as he took the schedule.
Ianto watched him leave, the smile fading from his lips as soon as John’s back was turned. He thought about going downstairs and finding Jack. He thought about how much he missed his Captain, not the brooding, angry man Jack had been since the rift had opened. He thought about grabbing Jack in the middle of the Hub, not caring who could see them and kissing him senseless.
Ianto sighed.
Cursing himself for being a coward, he pushed back through the beaded curtain and returned to his desk.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
It was much later that night when Ianto finally admitted defeat and decided to go home. Tosh had left around 6:00 and Ianto had, foolishly it seemed, hoped that Jack would come find him once they were alone. He didn’t care if it was to yell at him for being an arse that morning about John or to tell Ianto he was sorry he’d been an arse for the last week or just to request a fresh pot of coffee. But Jack never came.
Through some judicious CCTV stalking, Ianto knew he was still downstairs. He also knew that Jack knew he was still upstairs because the outside door to the Tourist Office was still unlocked, its light showing red on the security panel. He waited at his desk in the Tourist Office until quarter past eight before he gave in and shut down his computer. He’d seen Jack turn on some music, pour himself a glass of brandy and climb down the ladder to his room, very clearly ‘in for the night.’
Ianto sighed heavily as he pulled on his coat. He switched off the lights in the back office and instinctively reached for his keys on his way through the beads.
The hook was empty.
Ianto looked down at the keys on their row of hooks. Filing cabinet, secure archives, SUV, he ticked them off one by one, my keys. But there was no fourth set of keys. Ianto slipped his hand into the pockets of his coat. Jack’s present, no keys. Ianto closed his eyes, trying to remember that morning. He’d come in after unlocking the door, walked behind the counter and… put the keys where he always did - on the hook next to the spare SUV keys.
Frowning now, Ianto pulled off his coat and tossed it on the counter. He patted himself down, checking all his pockets even though he never carried his keys with him as they ruined the line of his suit. He even checked the little pocket on his waistcoat that sometimes held his stopwatch. No keys.
He went back into the office and turned on the lights. He sifted through the few papers on his tidy desk, looked on the floor, dumped out the waste bin. Starting to feel a bit of panic, Ianto pushed through the beaded curtain and looked at the hooks again.
John, he thought suddenly. John was back here. He remembered thinking that he’d startled John in his quest for the bus timetable and wondered, could he have taken them? But why? He doesn’t even have a driving license… Ianto bolted for the door and ran out to the line of parking spots on the quay. No green Audi sitting in his spot.
“Fuck,” Ianto said, staring at the empty pavement.
He ran back inside, pulling his mobile from his pocket. He dialed the number for the mobile they’d given John. No answer and the voicemail hadn’t been set up yet. Of course, Ianto thought bitterly, too complicated, no doubt. He tried Jack’s mobile as he searched behind the counter, hoping that he would see the keys and miraculously remember parking his car somewhere else the other day. Jack didn’t answer.
“Fuck!” Ianto said again. Probably saw it was me and hit ignore, Ianto fumed. Still searching in vain for his keys, he reached up and grabbed the phone that sat on the counter next to his computer. He pressed 1 which rang directly to the phone on Jack’s desk and waited. This phone didn’t go to voice mail, it didn’t have an ignore button and its ringing drove Jack mad.
“Hello,” Jack said. Ianto could hear the irritation in his voice, although whether it was due to him calling or the ringing Ianto couldn’t say.
“My car keys are missing. John was behind the counter earlier on and I can’t get hold of him.”
“You’re calling me because you lost your keys?” Jack asked.
“No, sir, I didn’t lose them. John stole them. And my car!”
“Ianto,” Jack sighed into the phone. “Don’t you think you’re overreacting? How do you know your car is even gone?”
“Because it’s not parked outside,” Ianto said through clenched teeth.
“Oh. Well, did you try calling him?”
“Yes!” Ianto took a deep breath. “He didn’t answer.”
Jack sighed again. “Come down here, I’ll get the GPS running,” he said and hung up.
Ianto slammed down the phone and locked up the office before heading to the Hub. He strode into Jack’s office and stood off to the side to watch as Jack called up the signals from Ianto’s car and John’s phone. When they completely overlapped on the screen and showed up as one big red dot, Ianto refrained from saying ‘I told you so,’ but he was thinking it.
Jack stared at the screen for a moment, waiting for the red dot to stop moving. When it did, Jack said in confused tones, “He’s gone home.”
A split second later, the possible ramifications of John stealing a car to return to his abandoned house hit both Jack and Ianto. Jack sprang up from his chair and headed around his desk to get his coat, but Ianto was already holding it out for him. After Jack had sprinted from the office, Ianto stared at the screen. Jack will get there in time and save the day, just like he always does, Ianto thought as he shoved his hands in his pockets. And when he gets back, he’ll send me away again.
Ianto shook his head. When Jack got back, Ianto wasn’t going to be there. Not anymore.
TBC in Chapter Sixty-Nine, Part One