Nothing Lost 3/5
Title: Nothing Lost (3/5)
Author: dwolf34
Rating: R. m/m/alien sex. Really. Sorry, I meant finally.
Characters/Pairings: Torchwood team, Notlar (original character), Jack/Ianto/Notlar
Disclaimer: Torchwood and its characters don't belong to me; nice folks at the BBC got to them first. Just borrowing, no profit, everyone goes home unharmed.
Spoilers: Maybe some for TW season one and two, somewhere. Assumes Kiss Kiss Bang Bang occured, but has gone all AU from there.
Many thanks to coffeegirl18 for the beta job, loads of support and squees, and putting up with my silly emails, occasional soapbox swaps and slow unpredictable writing style. I still claim all strange uses of punctuation as my own, even though she tried to set me straight. Remaining misspellings are entirely the fault of my spell checker. Me taking a leap into posting something that I'm still working on is all about skellerbvvt poking me and sanginmychains for so politely asking for an update, and all of you who asked for more. Feedback keeps me writing Notlar!
Summary: Follows "The Things Jack Does", and "Not Sleeping" and is a continuation of the storyline. Gwen and Rhys need rescuing, and decisions need to be made about Notlar.
"Part 1 Here"
"Part 2 Here"
---------------
Jack followed. Owen dropped the object into his hand while they were buckling belts. It was a small, crumpled bit of paper. While Owen drove, Jack smoothed the paper out. Tiny letters, written in English, spelled out a terrifying message.
They are whole, together, bound. Gwen is hurt, but not badly. There are 8 total. The one in charge seems to be an old friend of Rhys. She wants something from him, is threatening Gwen to get it. I'll keep an eye on them, let you know if anything changes, but hurry please.
Beneath was an address and a small map of a building with positions labeled. Jack read the address to the others. "Notlar said hurry, and please, so we'll meet you there."
The building was a house, in a row of others that looked perfectly ordinary. The tiny map indicated that Gwen and Rhys were in the back - probably a bedroom. Jack called Ianto for status, found that they were moments away. He laid out the plan quickly, hopped out of the SUV when Owen stopped, and headed for the alley in back of the house.
A large crow swooped out of a nearby tree, and landed neatly on Jack's shoulder. "Stop behind this next shed. They're watching the back door." The bird's voice was tinny, but quiet.
Jack nodded, stopped behind the shed. "Are they armed?" He whispered the question.
"Guns all around, yes sir. But not professionals."
Jack reached up and scratched the bird behind its head while he sighed. "This is going to get messy, then." He keyed the com again. "Heads up, people. They're armed, and must be considered dangerous, in the worst way."
Owen groaned softly back. "Bloody amateurs."
Tosh's reply was just as soft. "You're joking, right?"
"He's not," Ianto whispered. "I can see one now, through the window."
"Change of plans." Jack decided, squaring his shoulders. "I'll go in first, draw their attention. You three back me." Claws dug into Jack's shoulder. Jack turned off the com's pick up, although he kept track of the team's whispered protests. He certainly hadn't forgotten the feathered alien. "If you're bigger, can you take more damage?"
"Size doesn't matter." Notlar replied, settling a little.
Jack rubbed head feathers again. "But bigger makes a better shield. You may be the only one able to get to them quickly enough to save Gwen and Rhys from real harm. But I'll need to question the captors. Understand?" The others were settling down, most likely aware of his plan's merits.
"Yes sir. No killing, keep them safe." The bird cocked its head. "I'll have to fly in with you, and leave you unprotected."
"Yes." Jack smoothed feathers. "And ignore the others. Trust them to do their jobs well, and just do your own."
The bird shivered. "I understand." It rubbed his head against Jack's cheek. "Die well, and trust us to be there when you come back, sir."
Jack accepted that, nodded, took a deep breath. He keyed the com while he drew his Webley. "Enough. Watch out for each other, stay focused on Gwen and Rhys. Notlar is going to go to protect them, so don't rush and miss someone. The number is eight. Call them. Coms open. Ready?"
They settled, like he knew they would. Owen's acknowledgment hissed, Ianto's was curt, and Tosh's firm. Notlar simply launched itself into the air. "Let's do this." Jack shrugged out of his coat and rushed the building.
One shot grazed his thigh, but he kept going. The door became a battering ram to knock the air out of the idiot who had shot him. "One," he announced calmly, and barreled toward the shouts. He felt feathers skim his hair, but concentrated on the gunmen. The next came into the kitchen from the front of the house, and Jack put his shoulder behind a full body block, not slowing down in the least. A punch to the temple took the man out before he had a chance to shoot him. His "two," sounded a little more breathless.
As he picked himself up, he heard shots from the front of the house, turned that way. There was a grunt, and Owen's voice hissing "three". Ianto reported the fourth down after another flurry of shots, and it was followed by Tosh's triumphant shout and announcement that she'd gotten the fifth. That was all the front, then. Jack turned back to the hall just in time to see six and seven barrel out of a room, guns blazing. The force of the shots hitting his unprotected body shoved him back until he hit the wall. He brought the Webley up, not sure he could aim through the pain, but keeping their attention. Tosh and Owen had worked their way behind the pair. Jack felt the joy of pride in his team as Tosh reached the first and pressed a stun gun to his neck. Then the world went black.
The darkness beyond death was never restful. Jack hated the helplessness, the terror, the cold. It never got any easier to take. Thankfully, he never stayed there long. His consciousness was dragged, once again, back to his body, and he gasped in pain at his first new breath. Fingers stroked his forehead, and he realized his head was in a lap. His disoriented panic eased as soon as he realized he wasn't restrained in any way, and he breathed a moment, feeling the blood start to warm in his body again.
When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Dylan's smiling face. "There you are, boss." The alien touched the chain hanging loosely around its neck. "This stops working when you're dead, you know."
Jack shrugged. "I thought it would. You didn't run, though, so report."
Dylan grinned. "Gwen and Rhys are fine, no one got shot but you, and Ianto asked me to wait with you while he and the others finished cleaning up. Owen did the interview, and promised a report once every thing's sorted here. I believe they're up to retcon and fending off Cardiff's finest." Through the whole report, Dylan kept stroking Jack's forehead. "You took something like twelve shots to the torso. You're a mess, boss."
Jack turned a little in the alien's lap. "And you're nude. So the team can handle the public." He took a deep breath, checked to see that his vortex manipulator and the leash's handle were both intact on his left wrist, then reached up to touch the collar. "Your rules stand, Notlar. Do I need to tell you again?"
Notlar shook it's head, then recited all six rules, including the restriction on killing in a perfectly matter of fact tone. When it was done, it leaned down and kissed Jack, very gently. "I've never had a trainer die on me, Jack. It wasn't pleasant."
Jack caressed the alien's cheek. "I'm sorry. Didn't feel too good from my end, if that helps." Notlar nodded, and Jack sat up. "What happens if a tanta's keyed owner dies?"
Notlar shrugged. "The tanta waits to be keyed again." It cocked it's head. "But I think, if I were keyed to you and you died, I'd stay keyed."
"Don't even think about suggesting an experiment." Jack took stock of himself, decided the shirts were past saving, and started getting out of them. "Did anyone go after my coat?"
With his usual perfect timing, Ianto stepped around the corner. He not only had Jack's coat, but Notlar's leash. "Note to self - add shirts for Jack to the usual kit." He had smiles for them both. "Maybe pants, too."
Jack gave him a grin. "Thought you liked me nude."
"Yes, but the world at large isn't ready." Ianto looked over at the alien, totally ignoring its nudity. "Better?"
Dylan nodded, picked itself up. "Now that the boss is." It took the leash and calmly clipped it to the chain around its neck.
Jack gave them both a heartfelt smile of approval, then hauled himself to his feet. Instead of accepting the coat Ianto held out, he took his young lover in his arms and held him for a moment. "Thank you."
Ianto returned the hug, but his answering tone was dry. "What for this time, sir?"
"Not being hurt. Finding my coat. Watching after Notlar." Jack leaned in to breathe against Ianto's ear. "Not blushing." Then he let Ianto go, and took his coat.
"Ah." Ianto said quietly. "You're welcome, then, sir."
Ianto started to straighten his suit, but Dylan chose that moment to throw itself into his arms. Jack grinned when Ianto's arms closed around the alien, despite its lack of clothing and the leather leash hanging from its collar. Both of them were smiling.
"Thanks for the great advice, sir." Dylan's hug was enthusiastic - it lifted Ianto and swung him around. "And you were right." It set Ianto back on his feet right where he'd started.
Ianto kissed it, and grinned. "I know everything. Now change, so we can go, please."
Hours later Jack had all the reports on his desk, Owen's assurances that neither Gwen nor Rhys had suffered any lasting physical damage and another cup of Ianto's excellent coffee inside him. He'd figured out that the ringleader had somehow decided that Rhys was part of some international corporate spy organization, and had been trying to get him to give over some salable secret or another. Or maybe she was trying to recruit him. No one had been very sure, and she hadn't been very coherent after being essentially smothered by a shapeless blob that had seemingly come out of nowhere. Owen had administered a high enough dose of retcon that Jack would be surprised if she remembered what schools she'd attended.
Gwen had gone home first, after Owen had seen to her and Rhys and she'd filed a very concise report. Tosh and Owen had left together with some plan involving pool and pints. Ianto had brought his and Notlar's reports up with the coffee, and had gone off to find the remaining members of the team some dinner. Notlar wasn't underfoot. Jack had the nagging impression that it was downstairs in its kennel. The Hub was quiet again.
He picked up the red folder that held the team's reports on Notlar. He'd read through them all again once they'd gotten back to the base. Owen was right. Notlar needed to be keyed. But the idea still turned Jack's stomach. Notlar was intelligent and capable of taking care of itself. Keying it was trapping it in the worst way - ending its free will. Keying it to himself would mean trapping it very effectively forever.
On the other hand, it was really what Notlar wanted, not just what it needed. Like the collar, being owned was comfortable to it. It gave Notlar a sense of belonging, of stability.
It was like being married.
The revelation nearly stunned him. And his stomach did a hard flip. He could do that kind of commitment - had, even. But if there was anyone he wanted to marry right now, it was Ianto. And thoughts of his young lover brought memories of last night's activities. The way he'd taken charge - not only had he done it before, but he liked that role. They were definitely going to have to do more playing like that. It had been fun and relaxing for him, and Ianto had been incredibly creative. He could easily see himself on his knees for Ianto, subbing on those long days when the Rift was quiet, giving the young man all the control.
Except - what would they do with Notlar? Jack knew the three of them would very soon be taking that tumble together. Notlar was probably changing the sheets and setting the scene now, in hopes of him talking Ianto into a threesome. He wasn't totally sure, though, that Ianto wouldn't grick from that. Even if he did okay participating, threesomes could be tricky, and being in charge of one was even trickier.
Jack sighed. He wouldn't know until he could talk to Ianto. And they probably still wouldn't know without a test run. But if they could make the threesome work, maybe they could make the keying work. It would take a lot of understanding on both Ianto and Notlar's parts, though.
That thought was punctuated by the cog door opening. Jack happily left the office and went to meet Ianto. The scent of spicy chilies surrounded him. Ianto gave him the bags and shed his coat. Jack took the food to the conference room and started to spread it out on the table. Ianto came up in a moment with plates and such, and three bottles of water.
"Remind me we need milk and juice," Ianto remarked casually as he set the table.
The quiet domesticity fit Jack's mood perfectly. He let Ianto finish, then caught him around the waist and wrapped him in his arms. "Hi, honey, I'm home," he said quietly, then nibbled Ianto's ear.
Ianto smiled and captured his lips in a long, slow, lazy kiss. "That's my line."
"It is? I always get that confused." Ianto wasn't making any move to get away, so Jack kept holding him. "We need to talk."
Ianto nodded. "Alone." He gave Jack a little squeeze. "After food, though. Full stomachs for serious conversations."
Jack kissed him again. "Notlar is probably starving. It did a lot today - even shifting takes energy."
"Notlar is definitely hungry," the alien said from the doorway. "But I can take mine back down to the kennel, so you two can talk."
Jack let Ianto go, but only so he could see his reactions. "There's actually a part of this conversation we'll need you for. Could you hear me from the kennel if I called?"
Notlar considered. "Hear, no. But I'd feel it if you wanted me." It touched the collar, which was once again snug to its throat.
Ianto had turned and was opening packages. The room filled with the scent of spiced beef, cheese and rice. "Jack and I can talk over food, instead of after." He looked up, with the question written all over his face. "If that's okay with you, sir."
"We're off the clock, Ianto. Please don't call me sir." But Jack knew Ianto did it as a tease. He knew what it did to Jack's libido. "That's fine with me. Although we should maybe have candlelight."
"I can turn the lights down in here. And I think there might be a fireplace screen saver for the monitor, if you'd like to take a look for it." Ianto raised an eyebrow at Jack, letting him decide.
It was an offering of something close to romantic, and that suited Jack's mood fine. He nodded, and turned to the keyboard to see if he could find the graphic.
Notlar gave them both a grin and started loading food on a plate. "Take your time, sirs. And if you'd rather come down, I'll be waiting. Maybe watching a movie." It added a fork to the piled plate and scooped up a bottle of water. "This smells great, Ianto sir. Thank you."
"You're welcome," Ianto answered, and followed Notlar as far as the light controls. He dimmed the lights until the fake firelight Jack had found filled the room with warm flickers, but left enough for them to actually see what they were eating.
Jack waited until Ianto came back to the table before he sat across from him. They filled plates and ate a few moments in hungry silence. Ianto started the conversation. "You've been thinking."
"Yes. About last night and how much I want to do more of that." Jack unscrewed the cap from his water, took a sip.
"It was fun." Ianto was smiling that nice afterglow smile he'd worn this morning. "You're cute when you're on your knees, Jack."
Bait, and he knew it. "And handsome the rest of the time, I know." He flashed a teasing smile at his lover. "You're really good at the role, you know. I think we've wasted a lot of time with vanilla sex."
Ianto shrugged. "We know each other's reactions now. Makes the role play easier." That eyebrow went up. "We are just talking role play, aren't we? Scenes, not lifestyle?"
Jack nodded. "Scenes. But I'm up for some long ones, if you want, and we can keep it from the others."
"Wouldn't want to grick the girls, and Owen needs to know you're in charge." Ianto gave some attention to the food, which gave Jack a moment to enjoy the intelligent, insightful mind across from him.
"Anytime you want me on my knees, sir, just say the word." Jack knew Ianto needed to hear that, and more. "The rest of the time, Ianto Jones, you're mine, and don't forget it."
Ianto flashed him a grin. "Wouldn't have it any other way." He sat back with his own water bottle, drained a fair bit of it. "You've been thinking about Notlar, too, or we'd have had this conversation in front of it."
Jack blinked, looked for the teasing in Ianto's eyes, and didn't find it. No sarcasm, either. "There you go again, reading my thoughts and failing to be shocked. Are you sure you were born in this century?"
Ianto shrugged. "Loving you means meeting you halfway, Jack. I'm flexible enough for that. You're gentle with me - too gentle sometimes. I feel like I have to remind you I won't break." He put the water down, pushed his mostly empty plate aside, and leaned on the table. "So you know, I'm looking forward to sex tonight with you and Notlar, and I'm curious as to what form of his you'd like to shag. But I also know there are weightier things on your mind we need to talk about."
That was, probably, the most beautiful thing he'd ever heard. And it deserved a reward. So Jack got up, rounded the table, turned Ianto's chair so he could face him, kissed the young man gently, then knelt between his knees, capturing one hand between his own. "You're a wonder, and I'll try to meet you halfway, too, Ianto Jones."
Ianto leaned down to kiss him again. "You know this looks like a proposal, don't you?"
Jack smiled. "In a way, it is." He took a deep breath, trusted Ianto to be right about himself. "I'm going to have to key Notlar to me."
"You don't like the idea." Ianto made it a statement.
"Tastes like slavery." Jack wanted that clear.
Ianto put his other hand over Jack's and rubbed it soothingly. "You'd free it if you could." Jack just nodded. Ianto had more to say. "Jack, take me to bed. Take us to bed. I want to know if I can handle that before I make any more suggestions, okay? I want us all to know it."
"Just like that? No restrictions?" Of course there wouldn't be. When Ianto decided to try something, he gave it his best effort. It was one of the things Jack loved about him.
"One." Ianto kissed him again. "You in the middle."
Jack knew it wasn't just a gift, but he grinned anyway. "Is it my birthday again?"
Ianto shook his head. "I learn by example."
Jack kissed the smile that accompanied that quiet statement on his way to his feet. He offered Ianto a hand. "Notlar's downstairs, I believe."
Ianto allowed himself to be pulled to his feet, then straightened his suit. He started toward the door, turned to Jack with a wicked grin. "Race you!" was the lighthearted challenge he issued, and was off.
On to Part 4
Author: dwolf34
Rating: R. m/m/alien sex. Really. Sorry, I meant finally.
Characters/Pairings: Torchwood team, Notlar (original character), Jack/Ianto/Notlar
Disclaimer: Torchwood and its characters don't belong to me; nice folks at the BBC got to them first. Just borrowing, no profit, everyone goes home unharmed.
Spoilers: Maybe some for TW season one and two, somewhere. Assumes Kiss Kiss Bang Bang occured, but has gone all AU from there.
Many thanks to coffeegirl18 for the beta job, loads of support and squees, and putting up with my silly emails, occasional soapbox swaps and slow unpredictable writing style. I still claim all strange uses of punctuation as my own, even though she tried to set me straight. Remaining misspellings are entirely the fault of my spell checker. Me taking a leap into posting something that I'm still working on is all about skellerbvvt poking me and sanginmychains for so politely asking for an update, and all of you who asked for more. Feedback keeps me writing Notlar!
Summary: Follows "The Things Jack Does", and "Not Sleeping" and is a continuation of the storyline. Gwen and Rhys need rescuing, and decisions need to be made about Notlar.
"Part 1 Here"
"Part 2 Here"
---------------
Jack followed. Owen dropped the object into his hand while they were buckling belts. It was a small, crumpled bit of paper. While Owen drove, Jack smoothed the paper out. Tiny letters, written in English, spelled out a terrifying message.
They are whole, together, bound. Gwen is hurt, but not badly. There are 8 total. The one in charge seems to be an old friend of Rhys. She wants something from him, is threatening Gwen to get it. I'll keep an eye on them, let you know if anything changes, but hurry please.
Beneath was an address and a small map of a building with positions labeled. Jack read the address to the others. "Notlar said hurry, and please, so we'll meet you there."
The building was a house, in a row of others that looked perfectly ordinary. The tiny map indicated that Gwen and Rhys were in the back - probably a bedroom. Jack called Ianto for status, found that they were moments away. He laid out the plan quickly, hopped out of the SUV when Owen stopped, and headed for the alley in back of the house.
A large crow swooped out of a nearby tree, and landed neatly on Jack's shoulder. "Stop behind this next shed. They're watching the back door." The bird's voice was tinny, but quiet.
Jack nodded, stopped behind the shed. "Are they armed?" He whispered the question.
"Guns all around, yes sir. But not professionals."
Jack reached up and scratched the bird behind its head while he sighed. "This is going to get messy, then." He keyed the com again. "Heads up, people. They're armed, and must be considered dangerous, in the worst way."
Owen groaned softly back. "Bloody amateurs."
Tosh's reply was just as soft. "You're joking, right?"
"He's not," Ianto whispered. "I can see one now, through the window."
"Change of plans." Jack decided, squaring his shoulders. "I'll go in first, draw their attention. You three back me." Claws dug into Jack's shoulder. Jack turned off the com's pick up, although he kept track of the team's whispered protests. He certainly hadn't forgotten the feathered alien. "If you're bigger, can you take more damage?"
"Size doesn't matter." Notlar replied, settling a little.
Jack rubbed head feathers again. "But bigger makes a better shield. You may be the only one able to get to them quickly enough to save Gwen and Rhys from real harm. But I'll need to question the captors. Understand?" The others were settling down, most likely aware of his plan's merits.
"Yes sir. No killing, keep them safe." The bird cocked its head. "I'll have to fly in with you, and leave you unprotected."
"Yes." Jack smoothed feathers. "And ignore the others. Trust them to do their jobs well, and just do your own."
The bird shivered. "I understand." It rubbed his head against Jack's cheek. "Die well, and trust us to be there when you come back, sir."
Jack accepted that, nodded, took a deep breath. He keyed the com while he drew his Webley. "Enough. Watch out for each other, stay focused on Gwen and Rhys. Notlar is going to go to protect them, so don't rush and miss someone. The number is eight. Call them. Coms open. Ready?"
They settled, like he knew they would. Owen's acknowledgment hissed, Ianto's was curt, and Tosh's firm. Notlar simply launched itself into the air. "Let's do this." Jack shrugged out of his coat and rushed the building.
One shot grazed his thigh, but he kept going. The door became a battering ram to knock the air out of the idiot who had shot him. "One," he announced calmly, and barreled toward the shouts. He felt feathers skim his hair, but concentrated on the gunmen. The next came into the kitchen from the front of the house, and Jack put his shoulder behind a full body block, not slowing down in the least. A punch to the temple took the man out before he had a chance to shoot him. His "two," sounded a little more breathless.
As he picked himself up, he heard shots from the front of the house, turned that way. There was a grunt, and Owen's voice hissing "three". Ianto reported the fourth down after another flurry of shots, and it was followed by Tosh's triumphant shout and announcement that she'd gotten the fifth. That was all the front, then. Jack turned back to the hall just in time to see six and seven barrel out of a room, guns blazing. The force of the shots hitting his unprotected body shoved him back until he hit the wall. He brought the Webley up, not sure he could aim through the pain, but keeping their attention. Tosh and Owen had worked their way behind the pair. Jack felt the joy of pride in his team as Tosh reached the first and pressed a stun gun to his neck. Then the world went black.
The darkness beyond death was never restful. Jack hated the helplessness, the terror, the cold. It never got any easier to take. Thankfully, he never stayed there long. His consciousness was dragged, once again, back to his body, and he gasped in pain at his first new breath. Fingers stroked his forehead, and he realized his head was in a lap. His disoriented panic eased as soon as he realized he wasn't restrained in any way, and he breathed a moment, feeling the blood start to warm in his body again.
When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Dylan's smiling face. "There you are, boss." The alien touched the chain hanging loosely around its neck. "This stops working when you're dead, you know."
Jack shrugged. "I thought it would. You didn't run, though, so report."
Dylan grinned. "Gwen and Rhys are fine, no one got shot but you, and Ianto asked me to wait with you while he and the others finished cleaning up. Owen did the interview, and promised a report once every thing's sorted here. I believe they're up to retcon and fending off Cardiff's finest." Through the whole report, Dylan kept stroking Jack's forehead. "You took something like twelve shots to the torso. You're a mess, boss."
Jack turned a little in the alien's lap. "And you're nude. So the team can handle the public." He took a deep breath, checked to see that his vortex manipulator and the leash's handle were both intact on his left wrist, then reached up to touch the collar. "Your rules stand, Notlar. Do I need to tell you again?"
Notlar shook it's head, then recited all six rules, including the restriction on killing in a perfectly matter of fact tone. When it was done, it leaned down and kissed Jack, very gently. "I've never had a trainer die on me, Jack. It wasn't pleasant."
Jack caressed the alien's cheek. "I'm sorry. Didn't feel too good from my end, if that helps." Notlar nodded, and Jack sat up. "What happens if a tanta's keyed owner dies?"
Notlar shrugged. "The tanta waits to be keyed again." It cocked it's head. "But I think, if I were keyed to you and you died, I'd stay keyed."
"Don't even think about suggesting an experiment." Jack took stock of himself, decided the shirts were past saving, and started getting out of them. "Did anyone go after my coat?"
With his usual perfect timing, Ianto stepped around the corner. He not only had Jack's coat, but Notlar's leash. "Note to self - add shirts for Jack to the usual kit." He had smiles for them both. "Maybe pants, too."
Jack gave him a grin. "Thought you liked me nude."
"Yes, but the world at large isn't ready." Ianto looked over at the alien, totally ignoring its nudity. "Better?"
Dylan nodded, picked itself up. "Now that the boss is." It took the leash and calmly clipped it to the chain around its neck.
Jack gave them both a heartfelt smile of approval, then hauled himself to his feet. Instead of accepting the coat Ianto held out, he took his young lover in his arms and held him for a moment. "Thank you."
Ianto returned the hug, but his answering tone was dry. "What for this time, sir?"
"Not being hurt. Finding my coat. Watching after Notlar." Jack leaned in to breathe against Ianto's ear. "Not blushing." Then he let Ianto go, and took his coat.
"Ah." Ianto said quietly. "You're welcome, then, sir."
Ianto started to straighten his suit, but Dylan chose that moment to throw itself into his arms. Jack grinned when Ianto's arms closed around the alien, despite its lack of clothing and the leather leash hanging from its collar. Both of them were smiling.
"Thanks for the great advice, sir." Dylan's hug was enthusiastic - it lifted Ianto and swung him around. "And you were right." It set Ianto back on his feet right where he'd started.
Ianto kissed it, and grinned. "I know everything. Now change, so we can go, please."
Hours later Jack had all the reports on his desk, Owen's assurances that neither Gwen nor Rhys had suffered any lasting physical damage and another cup of Ianto's excellent coffee inside him. He'd figured out that the ringleader had somehow decided that Rhys was part of some international corporate spy organization, and had been trying to get him to give over some salable secret or another. Or maybe she was trying to recruit him. No one had been very sure, and she hadn't been very coherent after being essentially smothered by a shapeless blob that had seemingly come out of nowhere. Owen had administered a high enough dose of retcon that Jack would be surprised if she remembered what schools she'd attended.
Gwen had gone home first, after Owen had seen to her and Rhys and she'd filed a very concise report. Tosh and Owen had left together with some plan involving pool and pints. Ianto had brought his and Notlar's reports up with the coffee, and had gone off to find the remaining members of the team some dinner. Notlar wasn't underfoot. Jack had the nagging impression that it was downstairs in its kennel. The Hub was quiet again.
He picked up the red folder that held the team's reports on Notlar. He'd read through them all again once they'd gotten back to the base. Owen was right. Notlar needed to be keyed. But the idea still turned Jack's stomach. Notlar was intelligent and capable of taking care of itself. Keying it was trapping it in the worst way - ending its free will. Keying it to himself would mean trapping it very effectively forever.
On the other hand, it was really what Notlar wanted, not just what it needed. Like the collar, being owned was comfortable to it. It gave Notlar a sense of belonging, of stability.
It was like being married.
The revelation nearly stunned him. And his stomach did a hard flip. He could do that kind of commitment - had, even. But if there was anyone he wanted to marry right now, it was Ianto. And thoughts of his young lover brought memories of last night's activities. The way he'd taken charge - not only had he done it before, but he liked that role. They were definitely going to have to do more playing like that. It had been fun and relaxing for him, and Ianto had been incredibly creative. He could easily see himself on his knees for Ianto, subbing on those long days when the Rift was quiet, giving the young man all the control.
Except - what would they do with Notlar? Jack knew the three of them would very soon be taking that tumble together. Notlar was probably changing the sheets and setting the scene now, in hopes of him talking Ianto into a threesome. He wasn't totally sure, though, that Ianto wouldn't grick from that. Even if he did okay participating, threesomes could be tricky, and being in charge of one was even trickier.
Jack sighed. He wouldn't know until he could talk to Ianto. And they probably still wouldn't know without a test run. But if they could make the threesome work, maybe they could make the keying work. It would take a lot of understanding on both Ianto and Notlar's parts, though.
That thought was punctuated by the cog door opening. Jack happily left the office and went to meet Ianto. The scent of spicy chilies surrounded him. Ianto gave him the bags and shed his coat. Jack took the food to the conference room and started to spread it out on the table. Ianto came up in a moment with plates and such, and three bottles of water.
"Remind me we need milk and juice," Ianto remarked casually as he set the table.
The quiet domesticity fit Jack's mood perfectly. He let Ianto finish, then caught him around the waist and wrapped him in his arms. "Hi, honey, I'm home," he said quietly, then nibbled Ianto's ear.
Ianto smiled and captured his lips in a long, slow, lazy kiss. "That's my line."
"It is? I always get that confused." Ianto wasn't making any move to get away, so Jack kept holding him. "We need to talk."
Ianto nodded. "Alone." He gave Jack a little squeeze. "After food, though. Full stomachs for serious conversations."
Jack kissed him again. "Notlar is probably starving. It did a lot today - even shifting takes energy."
"Notlar is definitely hungry," the alien said from the doorway. "But I can take mine back down to the kennel, so you two can talk."
Jack let Ianto go, but only so he could see his reactions. "There's actually a part of this conversation we'll need you for. Could you hear me from the kennel if I called?"
Notlar considered. "Hear, no. But I'd feel it if you wanted me." It touched the collar, which was once again snug to its throat.
Ianto had turned and was opening packages. The room filled with the scent of spiced beef, cheese and rice. "Jack and I can talk over food, instead of after." He looked up, with the question written all over his face. "If that's okay with you, sir."
"We're off the clock, Ianto. Please don't call me sir." But Jack knew Ianto did it as a tease. He knew what it did to Jack's libido. "That's fine with me. Although we should maybe have candlelight."
"I can turn the lights down in here. And I think there might be a fireplace screen saver for the monitor, if you'd like to take a look for it." Ianto raised an eyebrow at Jack, letting him decide.
It was an offering of something close to romantic, and that suited Jack's mood fine. He nodded, and turned to the keyboard to see if he could find the graphic.
Notlar gave them both a grin and started loading food on a plate. "Take your time, sirs. And if you'd rather come down, I'll be waiting. Maybe watching a movie." It added a fork to the piled plate and scooped up a bottle of water. "This smells great, Ianto sir. Thank you."
"You're welcome," Ianto answered, and followed Notlar as far as the light controls. He dimmed the lights until the fake firelight Jack had found filled the room with warm flickers, but left enough for them to actually see what they were eating.
Jack waited until Ianto came back to the table before he sat across from him. They filled plates and ate a few moments in hungry silence. Ianto started the conversation. "You've been thinking."
"Yes. About last night and how much I want to do more of that." Jack unscrewed the cap from his water, took a sip.
"It was fun." Ianto was smiling that nice afterglow smile he'd worn this morning. "You're cute when you're on your knees, Jack."
Bait, and he knew it. "And handsome the rest of the time, I know." He flashed a teasing smile at his lover. "You're really good at the role, you know. I think we've wasted a lot of time with vanilla sex."
Ianto shrugged. "We know each other's reactions now. Makes the role play easier." That eyebrow went up. "We are just talking role play, aren't we? Scenes, not lifestyle?"
Jack nodded. "Scenes. But I'm up for some long ones, if you want, and we can keep it from the others."
"Wouldn't want to grick the girls, and Owen needs to know you're in charge." Ianto gave some attention to the food, which gave Jack a moment to enjoy the intelligent, insightful mind across from him.
"Anytime you want me on my knees, sir, just say the word." Jack knew Ianto needed to hear that, and more. "The rest of the time, Ianto Jones, you're mine, and don't forget it."
Ianto flashed him a grin. "Wouldn't have it any other way." He sat back with his own water bottle, drained a fair bit of it. "You've been thinking about Notlar, too, or we'd have had this conversation in front of it."
Jack blinked, looked for the teasing in Ianto's eyes, and didn't find it. No sarcasm, either. "There you go again, reading my thoughts and failing to be shocked. Are you sure you were born in this century?"
Ianto shrugged. "Loving you means meeting you halfway, Jack. I'm flexible enough for that. You're gentle with me - too gentle sometimes. I feel like I have to remind you I won't break." He put the water down, pushed his mostly empty plate aside, and leaned on the table. "So you know, I'm looking forward to sex tonight with you and Notlar, and I'm curious as to what form of his you'd like to shag. But I also know there are weightier things on your mind we need to talk about."
That was, probably, the most beautiful thing he'd ever heard. And it deserved a reward. So Jack got up, rounded the table, turned Ianto's chair so he could face him, kissed the young man gently, then knelt between his knees, capturing one hand between his own. "You're a wonder, and I'll try to meet you halfway, too, Ianto Jones."
Ianto leaned down to kiss him again. "You know this looks like a proposal, don't you?"
Jack smiled. "In a way, it is." He took a deep breath, trusted Ianto to be right about himself. "I'm going to have to key Notlar to me."
"You don't like the idea." Ianto made it a statement.
"Tastes like slavery." Jack wanted that clear.
Ianto put his other hand over Jack's and rubbed it soothingly. "You'd free it if you could." Jack just nodded. Ianto had more to say. "Jack, take me to bed. Take us to bed. I want to know if I can handle that before I make any more suggestions, okay? I want us all to know it."
"Just like that? No restrictions?" Of course there wouldn't be. When Ianto decided to try something, he gave it his best effort. It was one of the things Jack loved about him.
"One." Ianto kissed him again. "You in the middle."
Jack knew it wasn't just a gift, but he grinned anyway. "Is it my birthday again?"
Ianto shook his head. "I learn by example."
Jack kissed the smile that accompanied that quiet statement on his way to his feet. He offered Ianto a hand. "Notlar's downstairs, I believe."
Ianto allowed himself to be pulled to his feet, then straightened his suit. He started toward the door, turned to Jack with a wicked grin. "Race you!" was the lighthearted challenge he issued, and was off.
On to Part 4