Turning Point - 53/64
Title: Turning Point
Fandom: Torchwood
Pairings: budding Jack/Ianto, references to past Ianto/Lisa
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: If I was the one who owned Torchwood, you think I'd admit it now?
Spoilers: Some information and events from s1,2. NONE for s3.
Summary: In the aftermath of Lisa's death, Ianto is struggling to cope - and new surprises don't help matters much. Can his friends on the team at Torchwood help him carry on?
Author's Note: Sequel to Guilt.
Thanks to: My beta cazmalfoy, angelzbabe1989 for idea bouncing, and morbid_sparks for cheerleading even when she doesn'tdidn't know what happens.
Previous chapters at master list
Chapter Fifty-Three
“Ianto?” Tosh asked. “Tell me I’m not imagining that.”
Ianto shook his head. “You’re not imagining it.” He and Tosh had stayed behind in the Hub, keeping an eye on sensor readings as Jack, Gwen and Owen sped across the city to Estelle’s aid.
“Jack,” Toshiko said over the comm. worriedly. “There’s something odd going on that I think you should know about.”
“What is it, Tosh?” Jack asked tersely.
“Well, it’s a clear, dry night,” Tosh started.
“Yes,” Jack replied impatiently. “And?”
“Well, it’s a clear, dry night - everywhere but one spot, where the scans are reporting heavy rain.”
There was a pause on the other end. “Where?”
Tosh looked back to the screen, overlaying a street layout on the map showing the weather anomaly. She read out the address and Ianto blanched. He’d been to that address just that afternoon. “Damn,” he said quietly, more to himself than to Tosh or any of the others on the end of the comm.
Jack muttered something under his breath, but the comms. didn’t quite pick it up, so Ianto couldn’t make it out.
Tosh looked to Ianto, her eyebrows raised in a silent question. He nodded, tapping his earpiece to disable the microphone in his comms. “It’s Estelle’s address.”
Tosh heaved a sigh, doing the same. “I suspected as much.” She looked back at the monitor again, the small dot from the SUV tracker moving swiftly towards the red splodge indicating the anomalous rainfall.
There was radio silence from the other end too as Ianto and Tosh waited worriedly. Just as the SUV was nearing its destination, the rainfall disappeared, as if it had never been there to start with.
Tosh switched her comm. back on. “Jack?” She waited. “Jack?”
She shook her head. Jack was clearly now paying no attention to the comms. When they looked at the tracker they could see why - the others had reached the house.
Ten minutes later, it was Owen’s voice that came to them. “We’re heading back in a few minutes,” he said flatly.
“Is she…?” Ianto couldn’t bring himself to complete the question.
“We were too late,” Owen replied shortly. “We’re… bringing Jack back.”
Ianto bit his lip, swallowing hard. He doubted that any of the others - with the possible exception of Gwen, being the only other one ‘in’ on the secret of Jack’s particular problem - would suspect, as he did, that Estelle was more than just Jack’s ‘old friend’.
“I’ll…” Ianto took a breath, closing his eyes and composing himself. “I’ll prepare a bay in cold storage?”
“Please,” Owen replied in a hushed tone. “I’m not going to look into the details any further tonight. I think it would just upset Jack more.”
Ianto nodded, forgetting for a second that Owen couldn’t see him. “I agree.”
When the others returned to the Hub a short while later, Jack just seemed… blank. Owen and Gwen all but led him by the arm from the garage entrance up to his office.
“I’m going to go bring her in, then I think it’s probably best if we make ourselves scarce,” Owen muttered to Ianto as he walked past after they’d settled Jack at his desk. “I doubt Jack wants us fussing and watching him like this.”
Ianto nodded, but he knew that he wouldn’t - couldn’t - actually do that. He didn’t know if Jack would want to talk, but if he did, Ianto would listen. Jack had been there for him when he had needed him, seen him through his worst. Ianto blinked as he realised that not twenty-four hours ago Jack had sat just there on the sofa and let Ianto unload.
He now had the chance to return the favour, and really, it was the least he could do.
Chapter Fifty-Four
Comments and concrit are loved!
Fandom: Torchwood
Pairings: budding Jack/Ianto, references to past Ianto/Lisa
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: If I was the one who owned Torchwood, you think I'd admit it now?
Spoilers: Some information and events from s1,2. NONE for s3.
Summary: In the aftermath of Lisa's death, Ianto is struggling to cope - and new surprises don't help matters much. Can his friends on the team at Torchwood help him carry on?
Author's Note: Sequel to Guilt.
Thanks to: My beta cazmalfoy, angelzbabe1989 for idea bouncing, and morbid_sparks for cheerleading even when she doesn'tdidn't know what happens.
Previous chapters at master list
Chapter Fifty-Three
“Ianto?” Tosh asked. “Tell me I’m not imagining that.”
Ianto shook his head. “You’re not imagining it.” He and Tosh had stayed behind in the Hub, keeping an eye on sensor readings as Jack, Gwen and Owen sped across the city to Estelle’s aid.
“Jack,” Toshiko said over the comm. worriedly. “There’s something odd going on that I think you should know about.”
“What is it, Tosh?” Jack asked tersely.
“Well, it’s a clear, dry night,” Tosh started.
“Yes,” Jack replied impatiently. “And?”
“Well, it’s a clear, dry night - everywhere but one spot, where the scans are reporting heavy rain.”
There was a pause on the other end. “Where?”
Tosh looked back to the screen, overlaying a street layout on the map showing the weather anomaly. She read out the address and Ianto blanched. He’d been to that address just that afternoon. “Damn,” he said quietly, more to himself than to Tosh or any of the others on the end of the comm.
Jack muttered something under his breath, but the comms. didn’t quite pick it up, so Ianto couldn’t make it out.
Tosh looked to Ianto, her eyebrows raised in a silent question. He nodded, tapping his earpiece to disable the microphone in his comms. “It’s Estelle’s address.”
Tosh heaved a sigh, doing the same. “I suspected as much.” She looked back at the monitor again, the small dot from the SUV tracker moving swiftly towards the red splodge indicating the anomalous rainfall.
There was radio silence from the other end too as Ianto and Tosh waited worriedly. Just as the SUV was nearing its destination, the rainfall disappeared, as if it had never been there to start with.
Tosh switched her comm. back on. “Jack?” She waited. “Jack?”
She shook her head. Jack was clearly now paying no attention to the comms. When they looked at the tracker they could see why - the others had reached the house.
Ten minutes later, it was Owen’s voice that came to them. “We’re heading back in a few minutes,” he said flatly.
“Is she…?” Ianto couldn’t bring himself to complete the question.
“We were too late,” Owen replied shortly. “We’re… bringing Jack back.”
Ianto bit his lip, swallowing hard. He doubted that any of the others - with the possible exception of Gwen, being the only other one ‘in’ on the secret of Jack’s particular problem - would suspect, as he did, that Estelle was more than just Jack’s ‘old friend’.
“I’ll…” Ianto took a breath, closing his eyes and composing himself. “I’ll prepare a bay in cold storage?”
“Please,” Owen replied in a hushed tone. “I’m not going to look into the details any further tonight. I think it would just upset Jack more.”
Ianto nodded, forgetting for a second that Owen couldn’t see him. “I agree.”
When the others returned to the Hub a short while later, Jack just seemed… blank. Owen and Gwen all but led him by the arm from the garage entrance up to his office.
“I’m going to go bring her in, then I think it’s probably best if we make ourselves scarce,” Owen muttered to Ianto as he walked past after they’d settled Jack at his desk. “I doubt Jack wants us fussing and watching him like this.”
Ianto nodded, but he knew that he wouldn’t - couldn’t - actually do that. He didn’t know if Jack would want to talk, but if he did, Ianto would listen. Jack had been there for him when he had needed him, seen him through his worst. Ianto blinked as he realised that not twenty-four hours ago Jack had sat just there on the sofa and let Ianto unload.
He now had the chance to return the favour, and really, it was the least he could do.
Chapter Fifty-Four
Comments and concrit are loved!