Life In the Fast Lane
The rift had been hammering them all; for three days all manner of flotsam, jetsam, rabid bunnies intent on world domination, tall things with small guns, and everything in between, had been pouring through.
They had been working around the clock, in various groups and pairings, splitting off at various times to sort out whatever needed sorting out.
Somehow, and still neither of them was sure how, Owen and Ianto were now together, driving in Ianto’s car towards the site of another spike. And bickering.
“Will you slow down, you’ll have us in an accident!”
“What’s the point of going slow? This life moves fast. We have to move fast to keep up with it. If you slow down it will pass you by.”
Owen cast Ianto a sideways glance. “Riiiight. If you say so. But if you could avoid getting us killed in the meantime that would be just great.”
“Come on Owen, live a little! Live life to the limits! Live life in the fast lane!”
“Well, currently we are breaking all know speed limits and this road isn’t big enough to have a fast land so for fuck’s sake slow down before we have an accident!”
But it was too late for warnings as they were now nearly where the rift spike was showing.
Ianto brought the car to a screeching halt outside a warehouse, the source of the spike. Ianto was out of the car in seconds and Owen rushed to join him. Ianto pulled a gun out of his jacket pocket.
“What are you doing with that? You use a stun gun?”
“Stun gun? Who wants a stun gun? What good is a stun gun? Bullets; that’s what you want! Lots and lots of bullets!”
To reinforce his point he plucked another gun from his waistband. Before Owen could stop him, Ianto went charging into the warehouse screaming and firing off both guns in front of him.
“Shit!” Owen shouted and ran after him, gun drawn and ready.
He arrived inside the warehouse door in time to see Ianto run head long into large metal filing cabinet that stood in the middle of the room. Ianto bounced off and came to rest flat on his back on the floor. The cabinet was peppered with bullet holes and two spent guns fell to Ianto’s side.
Owen held his position and his gun steady as he glanced around the large space looking for any obvious threats. Not seeing anything he pulled his PDA out of his pocket and used it to scan the area, ignoring the prone and softly moaning Ianto for a minute.
The PDA beeped in the direction of the filing cabinet and Owen shook his head. The rift never ceased to amaze him with what it threw out.
Suddenly Ianto was pulling himself to his feet, one gun back in his hands. He spun around on his feet, pointing wildly.
“Who hit me? Someone hit me.”
“I’ll fucking hit you in a minute.” muttered Owen, reholstering his own gun and pocketing his PDA. He reached out and snatched the gun from Ianto’s flailing grip. He stuck it into the waistband of his jeans and grabbed Ianto by the shoulders, forcing him to sit on the floor.
“I need to look at your head. Sit.”
Unexpectedly Ianto sat, suddenly oddly quiet and pliant. Owen took his head in both hands and looked into his eyes. Well the one that would focus on him anyway. Everything suddenly clicked into place. “Exactly how much coffee have you had in the last three days Ianto?”
“Coffee is good. I make great coffee.”
Owen sighed. “Yes Ianto, you make great coffee. Wait a minute. Have you slept at all? The rest of us all managed at least small breaks, but what were you doing?” He groaned, realisation coming to him fully now. “You were being you weren’t you, you stubborn arse. I see it now. Whenever any of us got back from anywhere you were there getting everything cleared up from the mission and whenever we went out again we had all our kit re-stocked. Did you do that all?”
Ianto nodded quietly.
“Oh god Ianto.” Owen studied him a little closer. “Okay, the bump on your head is superficial, but you’re about to get the mother of all caffeine crashes, you realise that don’t you?”
Ianto nodded again, a sad look coming into his eyes.
Owen looked around. “Right, despite you doing a very good job of killing it, we’re never going to get that cabinet into your car, so we’ll send the others back with the SUV later. Come on Ianto; let’s get you back to the Hub mate.”
Owen stood and held out a hand to Ianto. Ianto took it and was hauled to his feet. Owen led him outside, tapping his comms and explaining that he and Ianto were heading back to the Hub and that there was a safe piece of rift junk waiting at the warehouse to be cleared up.
He poured Ianto into the car as he was talking and walked around to the driver’s side. He looked across at the young Welshman and carried on speaking into the comms.
“Now, I don’t want anyone to worry, but Ianto had a bit of a bang to the head. He’s fine but I want him off duty and on complete bed rest for the next 24 hours. No arguments.” He disconnected before anyone had a chance to question him further.
He started the car and looked over at Ianto who was fading fast in front of his eyes.
“That’ll keep them off your back for a bit. I can give you something to alleviate the withdrawal. Now your place or back to Jack?”
Ianto looked over at him, and eyebrow raised in surprise.
“Fuck off. I can be thoughtful and observant sometimes. Don’t you dare tell anyone.” Owen was driving now, pulling back onto the road.
Ianto smiled at him. “My secret.” Then quieter. “Jack. Thank you.”
“Yeah well. Don’t get used to it.”
“Wouldn’t dare. But do you have to drive so fast?"
They had been working around the clock, in various groups and pairings, splitting off at various times to sort out whatever needed sorting out.
Somehow, and still neither of them was sure how, Owen and Ianto were now together, driving in Ianto’s car towards the site of another spike. And bickering.
“Will you slow down, you’ll have us in an accident!”
“What’s the point of going slow? This life moves fast. We have to move fast to keep up with it. If you slow down it will pass you by.”
Owen cast Ianto a sideways glance. “Riiiight. If you say so. But if you could avoid getting us killed in the meantime that would be just great.”
“Come on Owen, live a little! Live life to the limits! Live life in the fast lane!”
“Well, currently we are breaking all know speed limits and this road isn’t big enough to have a fast land so for fuck’s sake slow down before we have an accident!”
But it was too late for warnings as they were now nearly where the rift spike was showing.
Ianto brought the car to a screeching halt outside a warehouse, the source of the spike. Ianto was out of the car in seconds and Owen rushed to join him. Ianto pulled a gun out of his jacket pocket.
“What are you doing with that? You use a stun gun?”
“Stun gun? Who wants a stun gun? What good is a stun gun? Bullets; that’s what you want! Lots and lots of bullets!”
To reinforce his point he plucked another gun from his waistband. Before Owen could stop him, Ianto went charging into the warehouse screaming and firing off both guns in front of him.
“Shit!” Owen shouted and ran after him, gun drawn and ready.
He arrived inside the warehouse door in time to see Ianto run head long into large metal filing cabinet that stood in the middle of the room. Ianto bounced off and came to rest flat on his back on the floor. The cabinet was peppered with bullet holes and two spent guns fell to Ianto’s side.
Owen held his position and his gun steady as he glanced around the large space looking for any obvious threats. Not seeing anything he pulled his PDA out of his pocket and used it to scan the area, ignoring the prone and softly moaning Ianto for a minute.
The PDA beeped in the direction of the filing cabinet and Owen shook his head. The rift never ceased to amaze him with what it threw out.
Suddenly Ianto was pulling himself to his feet, one gun back in his hands. He spun around on his feet, pointing wildly.
“Who hit me? Someone hit me.”
“I’ll fucking hit you in a minute.” muttered Owen, reholstering his own gun and pocketing his PDA. He reached out and snatched the gun from Ianto’s flailing grip. He stuck it into the waistband of his jeans and grabbed Ianto by the shoulders, forcing him to sit on the floor.
“I need to look at your head. Sit.”
Unexpectedly Ianto sat, suddenly oddly quiet and pliant. Owen took his head in both hands and looked into his eyes. Well the one that would focus on him anyway. Everything suddenly clicked into place. “Exactly how much coffee have you had in the last three days Ianto?”
“Coffee is good. I make great coffee.”
Owen sighed. “Yes Ianto, you make great coffee. Wait a minute. Have you slept at all? The rest of us all managed at least small breaks, but what were you doing?” He groaned, realisation coming to him fully now. “You were being you weren’t you, you stubborn arse. I see it now. Whenever any of us got back from anywhere you were there getting everything cleared up from the mission and whenever we went out again we had all our kit re-stocked. Did you do that all?”
Ianto nodded quietly.
“Oh god Ianto.” Owen studied him a little closer. “Okay, the bump on your head is superficial, but you’re about to get the mother of all caffeine crashes, you realise that don’t you?”
Ianto nodded again, a sad look coming into his eyes.
Owen looked around. “Right, despite you doing a very good job of killing it, we’re never going to get that cabinet into your car, so we’ll send the others back with the SUV later. Come on Ianto; let’s get you back to the Hub mate.”
Owen stood and held out a hand to Ianto. Ianto took it and was hauled to his feet. Owen led him outside, tapping his comms and explaining that he and Ianto were heading back to the Hub and that there was a safe piece of rift junk waiting at the warehouse to be cleared up.
He poured Ianto into the car as he was talking and walked around to the driver’s side. He looked across at the young Welshman and carried on speaking into the comms.
“Now, I don’t want anyone to worry, but Ianto had a bit of a bang to the head. He’s fine but I want him off duty and on complete bed rest for the next 24 hours. No arguments.” He disconnected before anyone had a chance to question him further.
He started the car and looked over at Ianto who was fading fast in front of his eyes.
“That’ll keep them off your back for a bit. I can give you something to alleviate the withdrawal. Now your place or back to Jack?”
Ianto looked over at him, and eyebrow raised in surprise.
“Fuck off. I can be thoughtful and observant sometimes. Don’t you dare tell anyone.” Owen was driving now, pulling back onto the road.
Ianto smiled at him. “My secret.” Then quieter. “Jack. Thank you.”
“Yeah well. Don’t get used to it.”
“Wouldn’t dare. But do you have to drive so fast?"