Fic: "The Heart of Everything" (Jack/Ianto) - 04/17
Title: The Heart of Everything
Author: Jedi Princess Clarrisani
Chapter: 04 of 17
Rating: PG-13 (M15+)
Pairing(s): Tosh/Owen, John/Ianto, Gwen/Rhys, Jack/Ianto, referenced John/Jack
Series: Breathe Trilogy (Part Two)
Summary: It's been a year since Ianto left, and the team haven't been the same.
Disclaimer: Still don't own. I'm not allowed to play in that sandbox.
Warnings: Some Season Two spoilers, including Owen and Ianto's story from "Fragments", and some minor references to “Something Borrowed”. Also, some references to the Doctor Who Season Three episodes "Smith and Jones" and "Last of the Time Lords".
A/N: Sequel to " Leave You". Written for TWWC (Torchwood Australia Writing Challenge) #10. This story is AU as it is set after season two, but everyone is alive and healthy - in other words, I've tweaked the events of Season Two to my liking. For one, the Grey storyline has been completely dumped, and some events never occurred...
----------
FROM PART THREE
--------
PART FOUR
"Oh you have got to be joking."
"Hm?" Owen pushed himself up on an elbow, rubbing his eyes as the sheets slid down around his waist. He frowned as he spotted Tosh sitting beside him fully dressed, a laptop on her lap hooked up to her PDA. "What is it?"
"I thought I'd check and see how the computer systems are running back at the Hub," she began, hitting a few buttons. "And what do I find? Someone has left them running during the night without the firewall switched on."
"Have to be Gwen." Owen stifled a yawn, flopping back down and folding his arms behind his head. "Jack sleeps at Ianto's place, so there'd be no need for him to go back there."
"Anyway," Tosh continued, fingers flying over the keys. "While they were down UNIT tried to hack in."
"And?"
"They broke through four of our security levels, which means they were able to access all our files on our latest acquisitions, which would include that fact we raided a UNIT warehouse a month ago."
"Which would mean Jack's in for a rather nasty phone call," Owen said. "Nothing new there."
"I've told Gwen to log off the system properly. And I've lost count how many times I've shown her to set up the firewalls."
"We all forget sometimes."
"She forgets most of the time."
"My, somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed." Owen pushed himself back up, leaning over to look at the screen. "What you up to now?"
"She left something running on her computer," Tosh said, hitting a few keys. "Search programs. One was the advanced facial recognition system trying to single out a woman who got on in London. Apparently she never left the train."
"Interesting," Owen said. "We'll have to let Jack and that bloody Captain John know that."
Tosh didn't even blink. "The other was a tracker on the local media, police, and animal welfare sites for anything on large black dogs."
"That turn up anything?"
Tosh hit a few keys, frowning and tapping the screen. "Apparently there has been a sighting of two large black dogs running at a considerable speed alongside the rail line."
"Really?" Owen tried to get a better look. "When was that?"
"Well, according to this it was less than an hour ago just outside of Newport."
"Right."
Owen swung out of bed, Tosh looking up sharply. "Where are you going?"
"To check out this sighting." He scooped his pants up off the floor, pulling them on. He turned to look at her. "According to John, this bloody-sucking human thing only starts hunting when she has her pets, so the sooner we can locate them the sooner we can locate her."
"Ring Jack at least," Tosh said. "Let him know where you're going."
"You can do that, sweetheart." Owen picked his gun up off the bedside table, checking to make sure it was loaded. "Not like you have anything better to do with your time."
Tosh shot him a look.
***
The problem was, despite having been with Ianto for over a year, he still knew next to nothing about the other man. He knew the basics, like what school Ianto went too, where he grew up and where he bought his suits, but other little things like where he hung out when he wasn't working Jack didn't have a clue about. He knew one or two places simply because Ianto had pointed them out while they were Weevil hunting.
In fact, with every passing day since Ianto had left, Jack had realised more and more how much they had kept from each other. Jack had never told Ianto about his past, his interests, or the exact nature of his relationship with the Doctor. And he had no idea about Ianto's hobbies, who his friends were, or even if Ianto had any family left out there.
If anything, it was making it hard for Jack to try and track him down. A feeling inside him told him Ianto was here somewhere in Cardiff, it was just a matter of trying to work out exactly where he was.
Hearing his phone ring, he scowled, pulling it out and expecting to see 'Gwen' on the caller id, but slightly surprised to see an unknown number. Blinking, he hit receive.
"Hello?"
"So you answer me on this primitive piece of technology, but if I call you on the wrist strap you put me straight onto voicemail."
Jack frowned. "How did you get this number?"
"Three guesses." He heard John sigh. "Look, I know what you're up too, so don't even bother. You're not going to find him."
Jack stopped in his tracks, ignoring those around him as he turned and made his way toward a secluded area of the main shopping strip. "Find who?"
"Don't play coy, you know who. Look, take it from me, if he doesn’t' want to be found he won't be. He pissed off on me about a month ago and didn't show up again until he was good and ready. Mind, I used every trick I knew to try and hunt him down, but he's too clever for that."
Jack narrowed his eyes. "Do you know where he is now?"
"I do, but I'm not telling you."
"John-"
"Look, let’s stop this and talk in person. Turn around." Jack frowned, turning and spotting John leaning against a wall just down the block, John raising his phoneless hand and giving a brief wave. "Hello."
Jack scowled, snapping his phone closed and heading back down the street to where John was sliding his own phone into his pocket. Reaching the other, Jack grabbed a fistful of John's shirt and threw him against the wall. "Where is he?"
"Threatening me is going to do nothing but get me turned on. You know I like it rough." John smirked as Jack loosened his hold. "If he wants to see you, he'll make himself known. Right now he has other things on his mind."
"Like?"
"Hunting our Plasmavore." John levelled his gaze on Jack. "He knows you're looking for him, you know."
"How can he know that?"
"Gut instinct, he says." John frowned. "He says he always knows when you're looking for him. Has he had psychic training or something?"
"Limited training with Torchwood One. It was part of their induction program to try and minimise the risk of brainwashing or control." Jack narrowed his eyes. "So you were lying when you told me he was in London. I should have expected that."
"No actually, I was telling the truth. I thought he was in London too." John shrugged, brushing Jack's hands from his shirt and smoothing it down. "I don't think he actually arrived til sometime late yesterday afternoon. All I know is the bastard snuck up on me again."
Jack watched him. "Snuck up on you."
"For some reason he likes scaring the crap out of me." John turned to face him straight on. "What, he never did that too you?"
"If you mean the 'one minute he's not there, next minute he is' thing, he does it to everyone. We just got used to not jumping when he does it." Jack smirked. "Why? Do you hit the roof when he does it, do you?"
"Oh drop it." John sighed, shaking his head and rubbing the back of his neck. He let his gaze drift around the people rushing off to work around them. "So, any news on our little hunted friend?"
"Tosh called. She took a look at the readouts from home. That woman never got off the train."
"Figured as much."
Jack nodded. "Tosh has adjusted the program to look for anyone who got off who didn't get on."
"Yeah, about that." John pulled a face. "Remember she's a Plasmavore, Jack. She doesn't just drink the blood of her victims, she can assimilate them. Become them."
Jack swore, rubbing his eyes. "I forgot about that little detail."
"Thought you might have. You've been out of the game too long." John started walking toward the Bay area, Jack falling into step beside him. "Ella Simpson was originally a receptionist for a taxation agency who we thought had gotten caught up in it all. She hit on us, which is nothing new there, and we thought she was just an innocent caught up in it all... until she tried to kill Eye Candy, anyway."
"You've mentioned that before," Jack said. "Was he all right?"
"Oh, fine. He was out of the game for almost a week and rather pissed off about it all, but fine." John shrugged it off. "Not like it didn't happen to me. Our paths first crossed when I was about to be sucked dry myself and he scared her off. Guess it makes us even."
Jack looked around, taking in the faces in the crowd and sighing heavily. "So our Plasmavore could be absolutely anyone."
"Yeap. So keep an eye on your little team."
***
As he drove out of Cardiff toward Newport, Owen silently wished he'd asked John for a better description of these Carshy. Firstly, that way he'd know what the hell to look out for, and secondly, he might know how to deal with them. Then again, if Ianto could take one down, then Owen himself should have no problem whatsoever. He'd always been better in the field than Ianto.
He gazed out along the road beside him, scowling as he hit another bump. It would have been so much easier to travel the M4, but unfortunately for him these creatures were running along the train line, and Jack still had the SUV. It was like life was working against him right now. Then again, as Tosh said, it could just be him and he needed to get over it.
Spotting something, he slowed and pulled onto the side of the road. Climbing out of the car, he snagged his binoculars from the seat beside him and gazed into the distance. That was them. It had to be them. They were in a field just up ahead and appeared to have stopped to kill a cow. There wasn't much left of the animal now, the two beasts just picking at the carcass.
He lowered his binoculars and frowned. They were the stuff of folklore that was for sure. Two great beasts that, if he were standing beside them, had to come up to just above his waist. From here their eyes did look like they were glowing, their fur pitch black and their teeth currently dripping with blood. They were on their way to accompany Death in the shape of the Plasma thingy John was hunting.
Narrowing his eyes, Owen slid back into his car and pulled out his gun, setting it in front of him on the dash before putting the car into gear and pulling out. He drummed his fingers on the wheel, wondering how close he could get before they would notice him. He considered his options, deciding to take out at least one of them before gunning it out of there. The other one could lead them back to this woman, and they'd only have to contend with one of the Carshy then.
Once he was within range, he pulled over onto the side of the road and switched off his car, picking up his gun and getting out. He looked up, stopping when he realised that in the brief moment he'd looked down to grab his gun, they'd gone. He frowned, casting his gaze around and pausing when he heard the soft rumble of a growl behind him.
He turned slowly, bringing his gun up only to let out a cry as a heavy weight hit him on the side. He stumbled, finding himself involuntarily moving away from the safety of the car but somehow managing to remain upright. He tightened his grip on his weapon, glad that he hadn't dropped it and swinging it in the direction of the attack, again only to find that again there was nothing there.
He swore, slowly moving back toward the safety of his vehicle only to stop at the sound of a nearby howling. He let out a steadying breath, swallowing a lump in his throat before beginning to move again. It would have been safer to stay in the car while there was no one to cover his back. Coming out here alone wasn't his brightest idea, that was for sure.
Something hit him in the centre of the back, sending him forward onto his knees. He swore again as his gun fell from his grip and slid along the uneven ground to stop just out of reach. He made a dive for it, only to stop as a large, padded foot fell into his line of sight. His eyes widened as he looked up to discover himself staring into the glowing red eyes of a Carshy.
To Part Five
Author: Jedi Princess Clarrisani
Chapter: 04 of 17
Rating: PG-13 (M15+)
Pairing(s): Tosh/Owen, John/Ianto, Gwen/Rhys, Jack/Ianto, referenced John/Jack
Series: Breathe Trilogy (Part Two)
Summary: It's been a year since Ianto left, and the team haven't been the same.
Disclaimer: Still don't own. I'm not allowed to play in that sandbox.
Warnings: Some Season Two spoilers, including Owen and Ianto's story from "Fragments", and some minor references to “Something Borrowed”. Also, some references to the Doctor Who Season Three episodes "Smith and Jones" and "Last of the Time Lords".
A/N: Sequel to " Leave You". Written for TWWC (Torchwood Australia Writing Challenge) #10. This story is AU as it is set after season two, but everyone is alive and healthy - in other words, I've tweaked the events of Season Two to my liking. For one, the Grey storyline has been completely dumped, and some events never occurred...
----------
FROM PART THREE
--------
PART FOUR
"Oh you have got to be joking."
"Hm?" Owen pushed himself up on an elbow, rubbing his eyes as the sheets slid down around his waist. He frowned as he spotted Tosh sitting beside him fully dressed, a laptop on her lap hooked up to her PDA. "What is it?"
"I thought I'd check and see how the computer systems are running back at the Hub," she began, hitting a few buttons. "And what do I find? Someone has left them running during the night without the firewall switched on."
"Have to be Gwen." Owen stifled a yawn, flopping back down and folding his arms behind his head. "Jack sleeps at Ianto's place, so there'd be no need for him to go back there."
"Anyway," Tosh continued, fingers flying over the keys. "While they were down UNIT tried to hack in."
"And?"
"They broke through four of our security levels, which means they were able to access all our files on our latest acquisitions, which would include that fact we raided a UNIT warehouse a month ago."
"Which would mean Jack's in for a rather nasty phone call," Owen said. "Nothing new there."
"I've told Gwen to log off the system properly. And I've lost count how many times I've shown her to set up the firewalls."
"We all forget sometimes."
"She forgets most of the time."
"My, somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed." Owen pushed himself back up, leaning over to look at the screen. "What you up to now?"
"She left something running on her computer," Tosh said, hitting a few keys. "Search programs. One was the advanced facial recognition system trying to single out a woman who got on in London. Apparently she never left the train."
"Interesting," Owen said. "We'll have to let Jack and that bloody Captain John know that."
Tosh didn't even blink. "The other was a tracker on the local media, police, and animal welfare sites for anything on large black dogs."
"That turn up anything?"
Tosh hit a few keys, frowning and tapping the screen. "Apparently there has been a sighting of two large black dogs running at a considerable speed alongside the rail line."
"Really?" Owen tried to get a better look. "When was that?"
"Well, according to this it was less than an hour ago just outside of Newport."
"Right."
Owen swung out of bed, Tosh looking up sharply. "Where are you going?"
"To check out this sighting." He scooped his pants up off the floor, pulling them on. He turned to look at her. "According to John, this bloody-sucking human thing only starts hunting when she has her pets, so the sooner we can locate them the sooner we can locate her."
"Ring Jack at least," Tosh said. "Let him know where you're going."
"You can do that, sweetheart." Owen picked his gun up off the bedside table, checking to make sure it was loaded. "Not like you have anything better to do with your time."
Tosh shot him a look.
***
The problem was, despite having been with Ianto for over a year, he still knew next to nothing about the other man. He knew the basics, like what school Ianto went too, where he grew up and where he bought his suits, but other little things like where he hung out when he wasn't working Jack didn't have a clue about. He knew one or two places simply because Ianto had pointed them out while they were Weevil hunting.
In fact, with every passing day since Ianto had left, Jack had realised more and more how much they had kept from each other. Jack had never told Ianto about his past, his interests, or the exact nature of his relationship with the Doctor. And he had no idea about Ianto's hobbies, who his friends were, or even if Ianto had any family left out there.
If anything, it was making it hard for Jack to try and track him down. A feeling inside him told him Ianto was here somewhere in Cardiff, it was just a matter of trying to work out exactly where he was.
Hearing his phone ring, he scowled, pulling it out and expecting to see 'Gwen' on the caller id, but slightly surprised to see an unknown number. Blinking, he hit receive.
"Hello?"
"So you answer me on this primitive piece of technology, but if I call you on the wrist strap you put me straight onto voicemail."
Jack frowned. "How did you get this number?"
"Three guesses." He heard John sigh. "Look, I know what you're up too, so don't even bother. You're not going to find him."
Jack stopped in his tracks, ignoring those around him as he turned and made his way toward a secluded area of the main shopping strip. "Find who?"
"Don't play coy, you know who. Look, take it from me, if he doesn’t' want to be found he won't be. He pissed off on me about a month ago and didn't show up again until he was good and ready. Mind, I used every trick I knew to try and hunt him down, but he's too clever for that."
Jack narrowed his eyes. "Do you know where he is now?"
"I do, but I'm not telling you."
"John-"
"Look, let’s stop this and talk in person. Turn around." Jack frowned, turning and spotting John leaning against a wall just down the block, John raising his phoneless hand and giving a brief wave. "Hello."
Jack scowled, snapping his phone closed and heading back down the street to where John was sliding his own phone into his pocket. Reaching the other, Jack grabbed a fistful of John's shirt and threw him against the wall. "Where is he?"
"Threatening me is going to do nothing but get me turned on. You know I like it rough." John smirked as Jack loosened his hold. "If he wants to see you, he'll make himself known. Right now he has other things on his mind."
"Like?"
"Hunting our Plasmavore." John levelled his gaze on Jack. "He knows you're looking for him, you know."
"How can he know that?"
"Gut instinct, he says." John frowned. "He says he always knows when you're looking for him. Has he had psychic training or something?"
"Limited training with Torchwood One. It was part of their induction program to try and minimise the risk of brainwashing or control." Jack narrowed his eyes. "So you were lying when you told me he was in London. I should have expected that."
"No actually, I was telling the truth. I thought he was in London too." John shrugged, brushing Jack's hands from his shirt and smoothing it down. "I don't think he actually arrived til sometime late yesterday afternoon. All I know is the bastard snuck up on me again."
Jack watched him. "Snuck up on you."
"For some reason he likes scaring the crap out of me." John turned to face him straight on. "What, he never did that too you?"
"If you mean the 'one minute he's not there, next minute he is' thing, he does it to everyone. We just got used to not jumping when he does it." Jack smirked. "Why? Do you hit the roof when he does it, do you?"
"Oh drop it." John sighed, shaking his head and rubbing the back of his neck. He let his gaze drift around the people rushing off to work around them. "So, any news on our little hunted friend?"
"Tosh called. She took a look at the readouts from home. That woman never got off the train."
"Figured as much."
Jack nodded. "Tosh has adjusted the program to look for anyone who got off who didn't get on."
"Yeah, about that." John pulled a face. "Remember she's a Plasmavore, Jack. She doesn't just drink the blood of her victims, she can assimilate them. Become them."
Jack swore, rubbing his eyes. "I forgot about that little detail."
"Thought you might have. You've been out of the game too long." John started walking toward the Bay area, Jack falling into step beside him. "Ella Simpson was originally a receptionist for a taxation agency who we thought had gotten caught up in it all. She hit on us, which is nothing new there, and we thought she was just an innocent caught up in it all... until she tried to kill Eye Candy, anyway."
"You've mentioned that before," Jack said. "Was he all right?"
"Oh, fine. He was out of the game for almost a week and rather pissed off about it all, but fine." John shrugged it off. "Not like it didn't happen to me. Our paths first crossed when I was about to be sucked dry myself and he scared her off. Guess it makes us even."
Jack looked around, taking in the faces in the crowd and sighing heavily. "So our Plasmavore could be absolutely anyone."
"Yeap. So keep an eye on your little team."
***
As he drove out of Cardiff toward Newport, Owen silently wished he'd asked John for a better description of these Carshy. Firstly, that way he'd know what the hell to look out for, and secondly, he might know how to deal with them. Then again, if Ianto could take one down, then Owen himself should have no problem whatsoever. He'd always been better in the field than Ianto.
He gazed out along the road beside him, scowling as he hit another bump. It would have been so much easier to travel the M4, but unfortunately for him these creatures were running along the train line, and Jack still had the SUV. It was like life was working against him right now. Then again, as Tosh said, it could just be him and he needed to get over it.
Spotting something, he slowed and pulled onto the side of the road. Climbing out of the car, he snagged his binoculars from the seat beside him and gazed into the distance. That was them. It had to be them. They were in a field just up ahead and appeared to have stopped to kill a cow. There wasn't much left of the animal now, the two beasts just picking at the carcass.
He lowered his binoculars and frowned. They were the stuff of folklore that was for sure. Two great beasts that, if he were standing beside them, had to come up to just above his waist. From here their eyes did look like they were glowing, their fur pitch black and their teeth currently dripping with blood. They were on their way to accompany Death in the shape of the Plasma thingy John was hunting.
Narrowing his eyes, Owen slid back into his car and pulled out his gun, setting it in front of him on the dash before putting the car into gear and pulling out. He drummed his fingers on the wheel, wondering how close he could get before they would notice him. He considered his options, deciding to take out at least one of them before gunning it out of there. The other one could lead them back to this woman, and they'd only have to contend with one of the Carshy then.
Once he was within range, he pulled over onto the side of the road and switched off his car, picking up his gun and getting out. He looked up, stopping when he realised that in the brief moment he'd looked down to grab his gun, they'd gone. He frowned, casting his gaze around and pausing when he heard the soft rumble of a growl behind him.
He turned slowly, bringing his gun up only to let out a cry as a heavy weight hit him on the side. He stumbled, finding himself involuntarily moving away from the safety of the car but somehow managing to remain upright. He tightened his grip on his weapon, glad that he hadn't dropped it and swinging it in the direction of the attack, again only to find that again there was nothing there.
He swore, slowly moving back toward the safety of his vehicle only to stop at the sound of a nearby howling. He let out a steadying breath, swallowing a lump in his throat before beginning to move again. It would have been safer to stay in the car while there was no one to cover his back. Coming out here alone wasn't his brightest idea, that was for sure.
Something hit him in the centre of the back, sending him forward onto his knees. He swore again as his gun fell from his grip and slid along the uneven ground to stop just out of reach. He made a dive for it, only to stop as a large, padded foot fell into his line of sight. His eyes widened as he looked up to discover himself staring into the glowing red eyes of a Carshy.
To Part Five