Fic: To The Pain (4/41)
Title: To The Pain, Chapter 4
Rating: R
Warnings: None really, just don’t feel like changing the rating :)
Spoilers: Season One thru End of Days (1x13)
Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to Russell T. Davies and the Mighty Beeb. Just goofin' around!
Summary: In which the leadership of Torchwood Three is decided…
Notes: Sequel to Vizzini’s Rule. Thanks to my wonderful beta
thrace_adams for all the support - any mistakes are mine!
To The Pain: Chapter Four
Tosh and Ianto spent the rest of the morning getting the new conference room ready for - well, anything really. Together, they installed the monitor from the old conference room which was miraculously undamaged. Ianto dusted and polished everything that wasn’t nailed down (and quite a few things that were) until the room glowed with the soft patina of beautiful old wood. Tosh put the finishing touches on all the technological bits while Ianto stocked the bar and contemplated lunch.
Owen wandered in around 11:00 and voted quite enthusiastically for lunch, especially if a long meeting was first on the day’s agenda. By the time Ianto had returned to the Hub with two big bags of Chinese food, Gwen had arrived. She looked a little better than she had the day before, showered at least, if not well rested. As they were walking down to their new meeting space, Gwen trailed behind Tosh and Owen, obviously working up the courage to ask Ianto for something.
Ianto shifted the bags of food in his arms and was surprised when Gwen offered to take one.
“Thanks,” he said gratefully. “Did you need something, Gwen?”
“Yeah, I… I’m not sure how to… I mean, it’s not - well, I need to…”
“Gwen, I think you’ll find that there is very little that can surprise or shock me. Just ask.”
Gwen took a deep breath. “I need some Retcon.”
“For how many people?” he asked mildly.
“One,” she said in a small voice.
“And what strength?”
“F-four days.”
“Alright. With four days, you’re going to need to plant a suggestion. It’s too long a period of time to just forget without raising suspicion. Get Rhys drunk, when the Retcon kicks in, keep talking to him, telling him that he’s been ill, had the flu, something that could knock him out for days. Then, when he wakes up, keep telling him he’s been ill. The hangover should make it more believable. Did he go anywhere, talk to anyone while you were here?”
Gwen stared at him with those big eyes. “How… how did you -”
“I know everything,” Ianto said. “Did he go anywhere?”
“No, no I told him to wait for me and that’s what he did, just getting more and more angry. The only reason I was able to get any sleep last night was that he was so pissed he passed out while he was yelling at me.” Gwen’s chin trembled.
“You need to be more careful if you want to keep him in your life, Gwen.”
She nodded. “I know and I will try harder, I will.”
Ianto gave her a brief smile. “I’ll get the Retcon before you leave today.”
“Thanks, sweetheart, really. Thank you.”
“All part of my job,” Ianto said self-deprecatingly as he followed Gwen into the War Room.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Three hours later, the remaining food was cold and they were all still arguing.
Ianto sighed, looking at the leftovers scattered across the table. Ordered way too much, he mused, too used to Jack’s hollow leg. Oh well. The leftovers would feed him for a few days. Save him having to run out to get dinner after everyone had left for the night. He tuned back into the conversation. Tosh and Gwen were still debating the best way to get at Chandler and Bell who were up to their old tricks. If anyone ever actually leaves for the night, that is. He sighed.
He’d started the meeting off, at Tosh’s request, with a brief history of Torchwood and every single tiny detail he knew about the Doctor. They’d decided as one that Torchwood Three would keep going and that there was really no need to inform the Prime Minister of Jack’s disappearance. They established a six month waiting period before they would even discuss the possibility of Jack never returning. Ianto’s first new assignment was to deal with the PM’s communications and keep him in the dark for as long as possible, betting that Whitehall would panic if they knew Jack was missing.
Then the conversation had turned to Jack himself. After everything Ianto had told them of the Doctor and his TARDIS, they had given up the idea of contacting him through normal channels. They all admitted to trying his mobile at some point the night before with no success. Gwen had suggested the idea of boosting a mobile’s signal using the rift, but she was shouted down almost immediately. No one wanted to mess with the rift. Tosh had then directed the discussion to the current caseload and how to manage it. That’s when things had sauntered vaguely downwards into the present chaos.
“This is the fourth time they’ve tried it, I don’t see why you think talking to them again is going to make any difference,” Tosh said angrily.
“We can’t just -”
“Girls!” Owen interrupted. “We’re not going to get anything decided… what?” he asked when they both turned on him.
Ianto chuckled. “Good idea, Owen, give them someone to unite against. Look,” Ianto continued, figuring he’d better take advantage while he had the floor, “Torchwood isn’t a democracy. Not even Jack’s Torchwood. He’s the… he was the boss, the leader, he-who-must-be-obeyed. We’ll never be able to function if you insist that we vote on everything. Someone has to step up and take the lead.”
He sat back in his chair and picked up a spare rib, nibbling idly, not really eating as the other three digested his words and looked furtively at one another.
“Not bloody me,” Owen said firmly. He slid his chair back and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Tosh has seniority,” Ianto pointed out.
“But I… well, I don’t know,” Tosh said softly.
“Gwen?” Ianto asked.
“Me? But I’m the newest!”
Ianto chuckled. “I was asking for your opinion. Although…”
Owen nodded, coming back to the table and leaning his elbows on it. “Yeah, I see your point.”
“What point?” Gwen asked. “What about you, Ianto? You already know everything, why not you?”
“I’m the admin. Trust me, you don’t want me to stop doing my job,” Ianto said dryly. “Any objections?”
Tosh looked relieved and shook her head.
“Alright, Gwen is Acting Head of Torchwood Three until Jack returns or the six-month period expires.”
“But -”
“Now then,” Ianto said, smoothly ignoring Gwen’s objections. “If this meeting room will be sufficient, what should be done to the old one? Does anyone have any suggestions?”
Gwen stared at him with her mouth hanging open in guppy-fashion as the conversation perked up, Owen angling for a game room. After a few minutes, Gwen closed her mouth and gave herself a shake. She joined the conversation easily, telling Owen to shut up about a PlayStation and they all got to work.
Jack would have been proud of us, Ianto thought with a small sigh as a wave of sadness threatened to knock him out of his chair. If… when… if he comes back... Ianto dragged his thoughts away from Jack and paid attention once again.
TBC in Chapter Five
Rating: R
Warnings: None really, just don’t feel like changing the rating :)
Spoilers: Season One thru End of Days (1x13)
Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to Russell T. Davies and the Mighty Beeb. Just goofin' around!
Summary: In which the leadership of Torchwood Three is decided…
Notes: Sequel to Vizzini’s Rule. Thanks to my wonderful beta
thrace_adams for all the support - any mistakes are mine!
To The Pain: Chapter Four
Tosh and Ianto spent the rest of the morning getting the new conference room ready for - well, anything really. Together, they installed the monitor from the old conference room which was miraculously undamaged. Ianto dusted and polished everything that wasn’t nailed down (and quite a few things that were) until the room glowed with the soft patina of beautiful old wood. Tosh put the finishing touches on all the technological bits while Ianto stocked the bar and contemplated lunch.
Owen wandered in around 11:00 and voted quite enthusiastically for lunch, especially if a long meeting was first on the day’s agenda. By the time Ianto had returned to the Hub with two big bags of Chinese food, Gwen had arrived. She looked a little better than she had the day before, showered at least, if not well rested. As they were walking down to their new meeting space, Gwen trailed behind Tosh and Owen, obviously working up the courage to ask Ianto for something.
Ianto shifted the bags of food in his arms and was surprised when Gwen offered to take one.
“Thanks,” he said gratefully. “Did you need something, Gwen?”
“Yeah, I… I’m not sure how to… I mean, it’s not - well, I need to…”
“Gwen, I think you’ll find that there is very little that can surprise or shock me. Just ask.”
Gwen took a deep breath. “I need some Retcon.”
“For how many people?” he asked mildly.
“One,” she said in a small voice.
“And what strength?”
“F-four days.”
“Alright. With four days, you’re going to need to plant a suggestion. It’s too long a period of time to just forget without raising suspicion. Get Rhys drunk, when the Retcon kicks in, keep talking to him, telling him that he’s been ill, had the flu, something that could knock him out for days. Then, when he wakes up, keep telling him he’s been ill. The hangover should make it more believable. Did he go anywhere, talk to anyone while you were here?”
Gwen stared at him with those big eyes. “How… how did you -”
“I know everything,” Ianto said. “Did he go anywhere?”
“No, no I told him to wait for me and that’s what he did, just getting more and more angry. The only reason I was able to get any sleep last night was that he was so pissed he passed out while he was yelling at me.” Gwen’s chin trembled.
“You need to be more careful if you want to keep him in your life, Gwen.”
She nodded. “I know and I will try harder, I will.”
Ianto gave her a brief smile. “I’ll get the Retcon before you leave today.”
“Thanks, sweetheart, really. Thank you.”
“All part of my job,” Ianto said self-deprecatingly as he followed Gwen into the War Room.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Three hours later, the remaining food was cold and they were all still arguing.
Ianto sighed, looking at the leftovers scattered across the table. Ordered way too much, he mused, too used to Jack’s hollow leg. Oh well. The leftovers would feed him for a few days. Save him having to run out to get dinner after everyone had left for the night. He tuned back into the conversation. Tosh and Gwen were still debating the best way to get at Chandler and Bell who were up to their old tricks. If anyone ever actually leaves for the night, that is. He sighed.
He’d started the meeting off, at Tosh’s request, with a brief history of Torchwood and every single tiny detail he knew about the Doctor. They’d decided as one that Torchwood Three would keep going and that there was really no need to inform the Prime Minister of Jack’s disappearance. They established a six month waiting period before they would even discuss the possibility of Jack never returning. Ianto’s first new assignment was to deal with the PM’s communications and keep him in the dark for as long as possible, betting that Whitehall would panic if they knew Jack was missing.
Then the conversation had turned to Jack himself. After everything Ianto had told them of the Doctor and his TARDIS, they had given up the idea of contacting him through normal channels. They all admitted to trying his mobile at some point the night before with no success. Gwen had suggested the idea of boosting a mobile’s signal using the rift, but she was shouted down almost immediately. No one wanted to mess with the rift. Tosh had then directed the discussion to the current caseload and how to manage it. That’s when things had sauntered vaguely downwards into the present chaos.
“This is the fourth time they’ve tried it, I don’t see why you think talking to them again is going to make any difference,” Tosh said angrily.
“We can’t just -”
“Girls!” Owen interrupted. “We’re not going to get anything decided… what?” he asked when they both turned on him.
Ianto chuckled. “Good idea, Owen, give them someone to unite against. Look,” Ianto continued, figuring he’d better take advantage while he had the floor, “Torchwood isn’t a democracy. Not even Jack’s Torchwood. He’s the… he was the boss, the leader, he-who-must-be-obeyed. We’ll never be able to function if you insist that we vote on everything. Someone has to step up and take the lead.”
He sat back in his chair and picked up a spare rib, nibbling idly, not really eating as the other three digested his words and looked furtively at one another.
“Not bloody me,” Owen said firmly. He slid his chair back and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Tosh has seniority,” Ianto pointed out.
“But I… well, I don’t know,” Tosh said softly.
“Gwen?” Ianto asked.
“Me? But I’m the newest!”
Ianto chuckled. “I was asking for your opinion. Although…”
Owen nodded, coming back to the table and leaning his elbows on it. “Yeah, I see your point.”
“What point?” Gwen asked. “What about you, Ianto? You already know everything, why not you?”
“I’m the admin. Trust me, you don’t want me to stop doing my job,” Ianto said dryly. “Any objections?”
Tosh looked relieved and shook her head.
“Alright, Gwen is Acting Head of Torchwood Three until Jack returns or the six-month period expires.”
“But -”
“Now then,” Ianto said, smoothly ignoring Gwen’s objections. “If this meeting room will be sufficient, what should be done to the old one? Does anyone have any suggestions?”
Gwen stared at him with her mouth hanging open in guppy-fashion as the conversation perked up, Owen angling for a game room. After a few minutes, Gwen closed her mouth and gave herself a shake. She joined the conversation easily, telling Owen to shut up about a PlayStation and they all got to work.
Jack would have been proud of us, Ianto thought with a small sigh as a wave of sadness threatened to knock him out of his chair. If… when… if he comes back... Ianto dragged his thoughts away from Jack and paid attention once again.
TBC in Chapter Five