Torchwood Fic: Mythology (5/?)
Title: Mythology (5/?)
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Rating: R/NC17
Warning: None
Spoilers: Set after 2.13. Spoilers for both series 1 and 2, and a bit of DW: Last of the Time Lords and The Shakespeare Code
Summary: With mythical beasts turning up all over Scotland, Torchwood Two thought they were in charge; however, so did Torchwood Four. Unfortunately for both parties their main suspect was refusing to talk to anyone other than Torchwood Three’s Ianto Jones.
Beta: rakina
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em - unfortunately. And I ain’t Shakespeare!
A/N: Set after my stories Lynchpin and Constant. Okay folks... time to investigate the other side of Ianto’s family tree! This one is lighter in tone to Constant - time to have a bit of fun!
Lynchpin here: http://hel-bee.livejournal.com/21730.html
Constant here: http://hel-bee.livejournal.com/23390.html
Mythology chapter 1 here: http://hel-bee.livejournal.com/25464.html
Mythology chapter 2 here: http://hel-bee.livejournal.com/25667.html
Mythology chapter 3 here: http://hel-bee.livejournal.com/25892.html
Mythology chapter 4 here: http://hel-bee.livejournal.com/26608.html
Chapter Five
Snippet:
Jack couldn’t help but laugh at the Doctor’s reaction. “Sorry, Doc,” he said in reply to the displeased look he received. “But the long and short of it is, Ianto Jones is no ordinary teaboy.”
Standing on the entrance to the invisible lift, Jack smiled broadly as he watched the Doctor trying to appease his companion. His latest was a feisty, red-haired woman, who didn’t look too impressed at her surroundings. “All I’m saying, Doctor, is that when you said you’d show me the universe I didn’t expect to end up in Cardiff!”
“It’s just a minor detour,” the Doctor tried to assure her. “I’ve a... loose end that needs tying.”
“Since when did you care about loose ends?”
Jack stepped off the invisible lift and made his presence known, his heart automatically soaring at the sight of the Doctor’s infectious grin. “Doctor, nice of you to visit,” he called.
“How could I not after the message I received from Martha?”
Jack didn’t answer, preferring instead to get better acquainted with the Doctor’s new companion. “And who might you be?”
“Donna Noble,” she said, giving him a look that said she liked what she saw. “And you?”
“Captain Jack Harkness - at your service.”
“Stop it, both of you,” snapped the Doctor. “We’re not here to add to Jack’s little black book.”
Jack snorted, amused. “Less of the little, if you don’t mind, Doctor.”
He held his arm out for Donna who happily took it, her hand gently squeezing his bicep. “Now if he’d told me we were gonna see such a specimen as you in Cardiff, I’d have been first out the box. Never lets me near the nice ones.”
The Doctor spluttered in the background, but Jack ignored him. “So, fair maiden,” he said, winking, “want to see my subterranean lair?”
“I bet you say that to all the girls.”
“And most of the boys too,” muttered the Doctor darkly.
Without further prevarication, Jack herded the Doctor and Donna onto the invisible lift and activated its mechanism with his wrist strap. He chuckled at Donna’s awe-filled gasps, and even the Doctor let out an impressed murmur when Myfanwy put in an appearance.
Gwen was waiting from them as they came to a halt, her expression halfway between curiosity and concern. It seemed that she wasn’t too sure about the Doctor visiting, even though Jack had assured her he had no intention of heading off on an extended holiday this time. She smiled thinly at their guests. “Can I get either of you a drink? I’m afraid my coffee skills aren't quite up to Ianto’s.”
“Oh, I’d love a cuppa tea,” said Donna.
Jack felt the Doctor grab his elbow as the two women headed towards the small kitchenette in the corner of the Hub. “We need to talk. Now.”
“Let’s go to my office. Since I’m pretty sure I know what you want to talk about.”
Jack shut the door behind them as they entered his office. The Doctor leaned against the desk, his hands in his pockets. “So,” the Doctor began, “I almost crashed the TARDIS when I got the message you asked Martha to pass along. The Master is dead, Jack. I’m sure of it.”
If he was being honest, Jack hadn’t really expected the Doctor to believe him. “Well, I’m sure he’s alive. He was here. Looking very different, but definitely the Master. He’s not someone I’m likely to forget in a hurry.”
The Doctor’s face darkened. “No, I don’t suppose you will.” He absentmindedly toyed with a pen on Jack’s desk. “But it might have been someone masquerading as the Master. Did you consider that?”
“It was definitely him.”
The Doctor frowned. “Come on, Jack. Why would he come here? No offence, but I doubt he’d return to 21st century Earth in a hurry - and he’s hardly likely to come after you.”
Jack tried not to take the Doctor’s words as an insult, but he found it difficult to keep the hurt tone out of his voice. “He wasn’t here to come after me; he was here to see his grandson.”
The Doctor’s jaw actually dropped. “I know I’m an old man, Jack, but I didn’t think there was anything wrong with my hearing until I thought you said ‘grandson’.”
“Believe me, Doc, it was a hell of shock to me as well. It’s not every day a member of your team tells you he’s part Time Lord. And that isn’t even the start of it.”
The Doctor sank heavily into the chair opposite Jack and rested his head in his hands. “I get the feeling this story is going to give me a headache.”
Jack couldn’t help but laugh at the Doctor’s reaction. “Sorry, Doc,” he said in reply to the displeased look he received. “But the long and short of it is, Ianto Jones is no ordinary teaboy.”
“Ianto Jones, I know that name…”
“I might have mentioned him when we last travelled together.”
The Doctor’s smile was back. “Oh, yes, I remember now. Me and Martha thought you might’ve had a bit of a thing for him. Mind you, she thought the same about Gwen as well… and of course you did seem to take a fancy to Professor Yana’s assistant.”
“Yeah, she was cute. But that’s beside the point. The Master was here to see Ianto, and to prevent something happening in the future that he might’ve slightly held against me.”
The Doctor groaned and sat upright in his chair, only to slump down again, his arm crossed over his chest. “He changed the timeline.”
Jack nodded and quickly explained about the appearance of Gray and his attack on Cardiff, which ultimately resulted in the cryogenic freezing of his brother and his assassination at the hands of the Master.
The Doctor listened, interrupting occasionally to ask questions or offer sympathies. He leaned back in his chair as Jack finished speaking. “I’d like to meet him. The Master knows the risks; this Ianto Jones must be someone special if he is willing to go to so much trouble.”
“I would say so.”
“Ah-ha! So you are sweet on him,” the Doctor said with a wink. “I hope the Master didn’t find out or he’d have removed a certain part of your anatomy that you’re particularly fond of.”
“I’m more than sweet on him,” Jack admitted, more to himself than the Doctor. “And it was only Ianto’s intervention that stopped us trying to kill each other.”
“He listened to Ianto?” the Doctor said, shocked.
“The Master did more than listen; he actually did what Ianto wanted.”
The Doctor let out a long whistle. “I don’t know what’s more remarkable: the Master doing what he’s told or that fact that you appear to have found someone to last for more than five minutes.”
“I’ll have you know I’m more than capable of monogamy.”
“Really?” the Doctor asked, surprised.
“Yes, really,” snapped Jack. “We’ve not exactly had the smoothest of rides, But Ianto has made it very clear that I don’t have any more chances left - next time I fuck up I’m out on my ear. I don’t intend for that to happen.”
The Doctor chuckled. “And having a grandfather with a propensity for smiting universes may make any break-up painful on your part.”
“His grandfather has nothing to do with this,” Jack countered, his irritability bleeding into his voice. “I only found out about Ianto’s less than normal family in the last few months; our agreement not to try and kill each other was made after I returned from the Valiant. And as long as my flirting doesn’t cross over Ianto’s Maginot Line of acceptable behaviour, my balls will say firmly in place. And I won’t risk losing something I’ve only recently realised was worth fighting for.”
The Doctor held up his hands in surrender. “I stand corrected. Though I hope you’ve thought this through, Jack. Even with Time Lord genes there’s no guarantee this Ianto of yours will have a longer lifespan than any other human; I fear it will be both our burdens to be alone.”
“He’s currently 102 and doesn’t look a day over 26; I think we can safely say his longevity is more than that of your average Welshman.”
Jack thought the Doctor had taken that snippet of information rather well, only letting out the smallest of gasps. “Of course, it would make more sense if I told you that Ianto’s maternal grandmother was half Carrionite.”
“Bloody hell,” the Doctor exclaimed, calculating genetic algorithms in his head. “He could live for centuries.”
“I'm kinda hoping you're right,” Jack said with a small smile.
“It's still just a blink in the eye compared to you,” the Doctor warned. “But longer than you thought possible, I bet.”
“A definite bonus, and something we’ve yet to discuss fully,” Jack conceded. “Though if I never run into his grandfather again it’ll be too soon.”
“And we return to the reason that brought me here. Where is he?”
Jack shrugged. “Ianto might know, but he seemed it to think it was sufficient for you to know the Master was still alive. I don’t think Ianto would tell you where he was unless the Master was intent on causing more trouble.”
“The crafty old sod must be masking his life force.” The Doctor waved a hand imperiously. “Call in the amazing Ianto Jones. I want to talk to him.”
“He’s not here,” Jack said apologetically. “He’s been called up to Torchwood Two in Scotland to help investigate some strange goings on. And potentially rescue them and Torchwood Four from his great aunt.”
The Doctor looked confused. “Eh?”
“She’s part of the Carrionite branch of the family.”
“Oh,” said the Doctor, nodding. “Well, what are we doing sitting around here when we could be investigating ‘strange goings on’ - a speciality of mine.”
Jack bit his lip. “I’m not sure Ianto would take kindly to us arriving out of the blue...”
“Nonsense,” declared the Doctor. “Donna can stay here and help mind the place with Gwen. We’ll be back before you know it, and you can fill me in on the way.”
Jack had long learnt not to argue with the Doctor, even his life was too short for such a thing. He raced after his friend as he left the Hub, calling out to Gwen that they were off to help Ianto and he’d call as soon as they got to Scotland. Donna rolled her eyes and returned to her cup of tea and copy of Heat magazine, muttering about spacemen and their inability to sit still for five minutes.
The Doctor closed the door to the TARDIS and Jack felt a pang of homesickness now he was back inside the old girl. He brushed the console with his fingertips, thrilled at the gentle hum he received in response.
“After everything you’ve told me, this Ianto Jones sounds truly unrivalled, and now I really, really want to meet him.” The Doctor grinned, pulling at a lever. “Out of interest, does your Ianto look anything like his grandfather?”
Jack laughed. “Certainly not in his current incarnation. Would you believe me if I told you the Master was ginger?”
“Bastard,” the Doctor said, almost affectionately. “I always wanted to be ginger.”
TBC
Comments are loved and cherished as always.
Chap 6 - http://hel-bee.livejournal.com/27087.html