Fic: To The Pain (38/41)
Title: To The Pain, Chapter 38
Rating: R
Warnings: None really, just don’t feel like changing the rating :)
Spoilers: Season One thru End of Days (1x13)
Pairings: Jack/Ianto
Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to Russell T. Davies and the Mighty Beeb. Just goofin' around!
Summary: In which the moment of First Contact arrives…
Notes: So. We’re here and John’s not. *SIGH* So to spread the pain a little, I offer up today’s cliffie. Hope you enjoy!! P.S. Thrace says “hi” :) Sequel to Vizzini’s Rule; previous chapters of To The Pain can be found here. Thanks to my wonderful beta
thrace_adams for all the support and putting up with my lastminuteness - any mistakes are mine!
To The Pain: Chapter Thirty-Eight
The next morning dawned bright and sunny in the Himalayas. The front that had forced them off the mountain had blown through overnight, leaving a fresh coat of snow on the face of K2 and crisp cool air outside the UNIT headquarters. Ianto was standing outside the main entrance, enjoying the sunshine and indulging in thoughts of Jack.
It’s what? Four in the morning in London right now, he calculated. He wondered where Jack was and exactly what he and the Doctor were doing together. If they’ve gotten enough notice to be on the news, they must be up to something big. Could they know something about the Toclafane? Could they be trying to stop First Contact? Ianto scoffed at that idea. Why would they want to stop something this important?
He sighed and walked forward a few meters and looked up at the awesome sight of K2 rising up before him. He just couldn’t bring himself to believe another Abaddon lay beneath its rugged beauty.
“Ianto?” Tosh called.
He turned and smiled. “Yes?”
“Just wondering where you’d got to.” She joined him, shivering slightly and rubbing her arms.
Ianto scolded her. “You need your jacket.”
“Yeah,” Tosh laughed. “Just didn’t think to grab it. It is June after all.”
“It’s never really summer this high up,” Ianto said. “Is everyone starting to gather?”
Tosh nodded. “They’ve been testing the satellite feed and setting up monitors all morning. There won’t be a bad seat in the house when they’re done.”
“Big day.”
“Yes, it is.”
Ianto paused for a moment and then admitted his unease. “So why aren’t I more excited?”
Tosh sighed. “Maybe we’ve just seen it too many times. And it’s never gone well.”
Nodding, Ianto slung his arm across Tosh’s narrow shoulders. “Come on, let’s get you back inside and find a good seat. If this is the end of the world, I want to have a comfortable chair.”
Tosh laughed and gave him a squeeze. “I’m not really worried about the world ending, myself. Besides the fact that we’re in the middle of a UNIT base, we know the Doctor’s here, somewhere, and that Jack’s with him. If anyone can stop the world ending, it’s those two.”
“Good point,” Ianto admitted and opened the door for Tosh. Everything’s going to be just fine, he told himself, hoping that repeating it would make it seem more believable.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
The countdown had begun - only ten minutes to First Contact. Everyone at the base had been scrambling all morning, setting up televisions and monitors, checking sound quality and adjusting the satellites for the best reception. Ever since Mr. Saxon had completed work on the Archangel network, even places as remote as Skardu could get digital signals without much fuss, but the Major wanted everything to be perfect for this momentous occasion.
Gwen had spent the morning with the Major, still asking questions and trying to work out what was really going on. The rest of the team had tried to convince her to just enjoy the broadcast and not worry so much, but she’d persuaded herself that Saxon’s deviation from the First Contact protocols had a sinister interpretation that everyone else was just ignoring. Ianto still couldn’t understand why Gwen, of all people, didn’t like Mr. Saxon. He was kind and open and a positive force for the country. The good work he’d done for Britain as Minister of Defense and before that were just some of the reasons that most people had voted him into office. Why Gwen couldn’t see all of that just baffled Ianto.
He and Owen were sitting in two of the folding chairs set up in the mess where the largest screen had been placed. They were saving seats for the girls, Tosh having gone to find Gwen so she didn’t miss it.
“What about that guy?” Owen asked pointing at a particularly well-built specimen in UNIT’s usual black fatigues.
“What about him?” Ianto replied.
“He’s hot, right?”
Ianto glanced at the solider and, suppressing his first response which was along the lines of ‘guh’, replied with a disinterested, “Sure.”
“So why don’t you go talk to him?” Owen prodded.
Ianto looked over at his teammate. “What? What are you going on about, Owen?”
“I just… well, since Jack’s obviously here, well not here, but you know what I mean. He’s back from wherever he went with the Doctor but he hasn’t come back to Cardiff.”
“And?” Ianto asked, shaking his head slightly.
“Well, I say it’s clear that he’s not coming back,” Owen said quietly.
“I disagree,” Ianto replied mildly. “We have no idea what Jack and the Doctor are doing right now. We don’t know the reason Jack left. This could be it. Have you thought of that?”
Owen shifted uncomfortably. “No, but - ”
Ianto just smiled at him. “He’s coming back, Owen. I promise.”
“Yeah, so you keep saying,” Owen grumbled. “But for how long?”
That startled Ianto. “What do you mean?”
“He’s gone off and left us. Even if he does come back, what’s to stop him from swanning off again somewhere down the road?”
Ianto didn’t have an answer for that. Luckily at that moment Tosh appeared dragging a reluctant Gwen behind her.
“Here, now. Sit,” Tosh ordered.
Gwen dropped into the chair between the boys while Tosh sat on the other side of Owen. She gave Ianto a weak smile.
“Is it over yet?” she asked warily.
He chuckled. “Nope.” He consulted his pocket watch and nodded at the screen. “Should be starting in a few minutes. What’s wrong now?”
“Oh, I just have a really bad feeling about this whole thing,” Gwen said. She glared at Ianto with narrowed eyes. “Part of the problem is that you lot don’t think anything is wrong,” she said in a bitter voice. “Normally you’d be asking questions and pointing out the problems right along with me. It’s not like you.”
Ianto patted Gwen a little awkwardly on the knee as Owen spoke up.
“You’re the boss. It’s your job to do the worrying.”
They all laughed at that, even Gwen. She smiled reassuringly at Ianto. “In that case, I’ll be doubly glad when Jack finally gets back so he can do the worrying again. I’m getting wrinkles.”
“Well, I don’t see any,” Ianto reassured her as thanks for saying ‘when’ and not ‘if’.
Gwen squeezed his arm. “Thanks, pet.”
Ianto grimaced before he could help himself.
“What?” Gwen asked. “Do you not like it when I call you that?”
“Not really,” Ianto admitted. “Makes me feel like an exceptionally well-behaved Corgi.”
“Oh Ianto, I’m sorry. I never meant… it’s just something my mum used to call me. Always made me feel kind of good.”
Ianto shifted uncomfortably in his folding chair. “It’s not a big deal,” he muttered.
“Well, I’ll try to stop, okay? You’re not a Corgi, well-behaved or otherwise. I - ” Gwen lowered her voice and glanced over at Tosh and Owen who were talking together. “I don’t think I could have gotten through all this without you,” she said quietly.
“Me?” Ianto asked, surprised.
“You’ve been my rock since he disappeared. I know… I know we haven’t always seen eye to eye on everything, but I really appreciate all your help.”
“Thank you,” Ianto said, hoping he didn’t sound as shocked as he felt. “What brought this on?” he asked, concerned.
“Oh, it’s silly,” Gwen said breezily. “I just wanted to make sure you knew that before… before anything happens. I talked to Tosh when she came to get me.”
Ianto slipped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a quick hug. “Nothing bad is going to happen, okay? But thanks, just the same.”
Gwen sighed. “I hope you’re right.”
Ianto was quiet for a moment and then asked, “Did you say anything to Owen?”
Gwen chuckled and sat back up. “No.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “Somehow I think, ‘You’re a tosser and I’m a moron’ doesn’t need to be said, even if the world is going to end.”
Ianto laughed softly at first and then harder when Owen asked, “Did I hear you taking my name in vain?”
“Ssshhhh,” Tosh hissed as all the monitors were suddenly splashed with a still photo of Mr. Saxon. “It’s time!”
Ianto held his breath.
TBC in Chapter Thirty-Nine
Rating: R
Warnings: None really, just don’t feel like changing the rating :)
Spoilers: Season One thru End of Days (1x13)
Pairings: Jack/Ianto
Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to Russell T. Davies and the Mighty Beeb. Just goofin' around!
Summary: In which the moment of First Contact arrives…
Notes: So. We’re here and John’s not. *SIGH* So to spread the pain a little, I offer up today’s cliffie. Hope you enjoy!! P.S. Thrace says “hi” :) Sequel to Vizzini’s Rule; previous chapters of To The Pain can be found here. Thanks to my wonderful beta
thrace_adams for all the support and putting up with my lastminuteness - any mistakes are mine!
To The Pain: Chapter Thirty-Eight
The next morning dawned bright and sunny in the Himalayas. The front that had forced them off the mountain had blown through overnight, leaving a fresh coat of snow on the face of K2 and crisp cool air outside the UNIT headquarters. Ianto was standing outside the main entrance, enjoying the sunshine and indulging in thoughts of Jack.
It’s what? Four in the morning in London right now, he calculated. He wondered where Jack was and exactly what he and the Doctor were doing together. If they’ve gotten enough notice to be on the news, they must be up to something big. Could they know something about the Toclafane? Could they be trying to stop First Contact? Ianto scoffed at that idea. Why would they want to stop something this important?
He sighed and walked forward a few meters and looked up at the awesome sight of K2 rising up before him. He just couldn’t bring himself to believe another Abaddon lay beneath its rugged beauty.
“Ianto?” Tosh called.
He turned and smiled. “Yes?”
“Just wondering where you’d got to.” She joined him, shivering slightly and rubbing her arms.
Ianto scolded her. “You need your jacket.”
“Yeah,” Tosh laughed. “Just didn’t think to grab it. It is June after all.”
“It’s never really summer this high up,” Ianto said. “Is everyone starting to gather?”
Tosh nodded. “They’ve been testing the satellite feed and setting up monitors all morning. There won’t be a bad seat in the house when they’re done.”
“Big day.”
“Yes, it is.”
Ianto paused for a moment and then admitted his unease. “So why aren’t I more excited?”
Tosh sighed. “Maybe we’ve just seen it too many times. And it’s never gone well.”
Nodding, Ianto slung his arm across Tosh’s narrow shoulders. “Come on, let’s get you back inside and find a good seat. If this is the end of the world, I want to have a comfortable chair.”
Tosh laughed and gave him a squeeze. “I’m not really worried about the world ending, myself. Besides the fact that we’re in the middle of a UNIT base, we know the Doctor’s here, somewhere, and that Jack’s with him. If anyone can stop the world ending, it’s those two.”
“Good point,” Ianto admitted and opened the door for Tosh. Everything’s going to be just fine, he told himself, hoping that repeating it would make it seem more believable.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
The countdown had begun - only ten minutes to First Contact. Everyone at the base had been scrambling all morning, setting up televisions and monitors, checking sound quality and adjusting the satellites for the best reception. Ever since Mr. Saxon had completed work on the Archangel network, even places as remote as Skardu could get digital signals without much fuss, but the Major wanted everything to be perfect for this momentous occasion.
Gwen had spent the morning with the Major, still asking questions and trying to work out what was really going on. The rest of the team had tried to convince her to just enjoy the broadcast and not worry so much, but she’d persuaded herself that Saxon’s deviation from the First Contact protocols had a sinister interpretation that everyone else was just ignoring. Ianto still couldn’t understand why Gwen, of all people, didn’t like Mr. Saxon. He was kind and open and a positive force for the country. The good work he’d done for Britain as Minister of Defense and before that were just some of the reasons that most people had voted him into office. Why Gwen couldn’t see all of that just baffled Ianto.
He and Owen were sitting in two of the folding chairs set up in the mess where the largest screen had been placed. They were saving seats for the girls, Tosh having gone to find Gwen so she didn’t miss it.
“What about that guy?” Owen asked pointing at a particularly well-built specimen in UNIT’s usual black fatigues.
“What about him?” Ianto replied.
“He’s hot, right?”
Ianto glanced at the solider and, suppressing his first response which was along the lines of ‘guh’, replied with a disinterested, “Sure.”
“So why don’t you go talk to him?” Owen prodded.
Ianto looked over at his teammate. “What? What are you going on about, Owen?”
“I just… well, since Jack’s obviously here, well not here, but you know what I mean. He’s back from wherever he went with the Doctor but he hasn’t come back to Cardiff.”
“And?” Ianto asked, shaking his head slightly.
“Well, I say it’s clear that he’s not coming back,” Owen said quietly.
“I disagree,” Ianto replied mildly. “We have no idea what Jack and the Doctor are doing right now. We don’t know the reason Jack left. This could be it. Have you thought of that?”
Owen shifted uncomfortably. “No, but - ”
Ianto just smiled at him. “He’s coming back, Owen. I promise.”
“Yeah, so you keep saying,” Owen grumbled. “But for how long?”
That startled Ianto. “What do you mean?”
“He’s gone off and left us. Even if he does come back, what’s to stop him from swanning off again somewhere down the road?”
Ianto didn’t have an answer for that. Luckily at that moment Tosh appeared dragging a reluctant Gwen behind her.
“Here, now. Sit,” Tosh ordered.
Gwen dropped into the chair between the boys while Tosh sat on the other side of Owen. She gave Ianto a weak smile.
“Is it over yet?” she asked warily.
He chuckled. “Nope.” He consulted his pocket watch and nodded at the screen. “Should be starting in a few minutes. What’s wrong now?”
“Oh, I just have a really bad feeling about this whole thing,” Gwen said. She glared at Ianto with narrowed eyes. “Part of the problem is that you lot don’t think anything is wrong,” she said in a bitter voice. “Normally you’d be asking questions and pointing out the problems right along with me. It’s not like you.”
Ianto patted Gwen a little awkwardly on the knee as Owen spoke up.
“You’re the boss. It’s your job to do the worrying.”
They all laughed at that, even Gwen. She smiled reassuringly at Ianto. “In that case, I’ll be doubly glad when Jack finally gets back so he can do the worrying again. I’m getting wrinkles.”
“Well, I don’t see any,” Ianto reassured her as thanks for saying ‘when’ and not ‘if’.
Gwen squeezed his arm. “Thanks, pet.”
Ianto grimaced before he could help himself.
“What?” Gwen asked. “Do you not like it when I call you that?”
“Not really,” Ianto admitted. “Makes me feel like an exceptionally well-behaved Corgi.”
“Oh Ianto, I’m sorry. I never meant… it’s just something my mum used to call me. Always made me feel kind of good.”
Ianto shifted uncomfortably in his folding chair. “It’s not a big deal,” he muttered.
“Well, I’ll try to stop, okay? You’re not a Corgi, well-behaved or otherwise. I - ” Gwen lowered her voice and glanced over at Tosh and Owen who were talking together. “I don’t think I could have gotten through all this without you,” she said quietly.
“Me?” Ianto asked, surprised.
“You’ve been my rock since he disappeared. I know… I know we haven’t always seen eye to eye on everything, but I really appreciate all your help.”
“Thank you,” Ianto said, hoping he didn’t sound as shocked as he felt. “What brought this on?” he asked, concerned.
“Oh, it’s silly,” Gwen said breezily. “I just wanted to make sure you knew that before… before anything happens. I talked to Tosh when she came to get me.”
Ianto slipped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a quick hug. “Nothing bad is going to happen, okay? But thanks, just the same.”
Gwen sighed. “I hope you’re right.”
Ianto was quiet for a moment and then asked, “Did you say anything to Owen?”
Gwen chuckled and sat back up. “No.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “Somehow I think, ‘You’re a tosser and I’m a moron’ doesn’t need to be said, even if the world is going to end.”
Ianto laughed softly at first and then harder when Owen asked, “Did I hear you taking my name in vain?”
“Ssshhhh,” Tosh hissed as all the monitors were suddenly splashed with a still photo of Mr. Saxon. “It’s time!”
Ianto held his breath.
TBC in Chapter Thirty-Nine