Fic: Broken Touch ~ Ch3 pt4
Rating: M
Genre: angst, hurt/comfort
Spoilers: Cyberwoman, Countrycide, Fragments…maybe more, maybe less…
A/N: Possible crossover with Doctor Who in future.
Pairings: Ianto/Jack, Ianto/Lisa
Warning: child abuse/molestation (not graphic), violence, language, slash
Summary: Ianto Jones is a broken man, and has been broken since long before Lisa, and long before Canary Wharf. Who will save him before he disappears into the shadows completely?
*****
Previously: Prologue 1/3 Prologue 2/3 Prologue 3/3
Ch1 Pt1 Ch1 Pt2 Ch1 Pt3
Ch2 Pt1 Ch2 Pt2 Ch2 Pt3 Ch2 Pt4 Ch2 Pt5 Ch2 Pt6
Ch3 Pt1 Ch3 Pt2 Ch3 Pt3
*****
Chapter 3 ~ First Days
Part 4
Ianto returned to his house that night, drained but feeling like he’d successfully crossed over a major hurdle in his plan. He had made it into Torchwood and completed his first full day. Setting down his bag and hanging his coat on the hook, Ianto crept into the living room to check on Lisa.
The conversion unit-mock-life support unit sat amidst boxes. Soft beeping and the hiss of the ventilator filled the silence of the darkened room.
“Ianto?” Lisa’s weak pain-filled voice broke the stillness.
Turning on the lamp threw the room into a warm light that contrasted with the cold metal. Lisa’s figure was exactly as it had been for the past several weeks-laid out unmoving in the metal frame. Ianto quickly moved to her side, checking on her monitors.
“How are you? Are you in pain?” He readied the pain medication. They had worked out a schedule, but today’s work had delayed her evening dose by over thirty minutes. He knew that she had to be feeling the holdup.
“It’s not too bad.” Her words were in conflict with the agony Ianto could feel coming off of her in waves.
“Liar.” He gave her a small, tired smile as he injected the syringe into her I.V. line. The overwhelming feelings rolling off Lisa slowly ebbed to a manageable level-for both of them. She sighed with relief as the drugs flowed through her system.
Ianto stroked her forehead with the back of his fingertips. This was his favorite time of day, which he acknowledged as some kind of sick irony. He knew he would have at least an hour with ‘his’ Lisa. An hour until he would feel her slip away and again become an empty shell.
“How was your first day?” Her voice broke through his thoughts.
“It was…interesting.” He traced his fingers over her brow and down to her cheek. “The team is very, well, unique doesn’t begin to describe it. And the hub,” he laughed, “is a wreck. It will take me months to clean it. And the archives look like it was ransacked by children with finger paints.”
Lisa smiled up at him as he continued describing the day. Eventually, the meds took over and her eyes closed in sleep.
Ianto sighed as he made his way to the bedroom and the shower. Each day that passed seemed to give him less and less time with her. He didn’t understand what was happening with Lisa. What did these switches in mental states mean? Whatever it was was making him even more anxious about The Plan. The stress threatened to overwhelm him at every turn.
***
A week later found Ianto sitting on his bed, file folders spread out across his comforter. Schematics stolen from the hub outlined the lower levels while printouts sketched out the basic routine for the team. Now that he had access to the information and the hub in general, he could begin to map out the next steps to be taken.
Firstly, he had to get Lisa out of the house and into the hub. He simply couldn’t continue providing for her when he would be spending so much time away from the house. Jack had made it very clear that the hours would be late and long, and this week had confirmed that fact. There was no way he would be able to give Lisa the pain meds she needed when they were needed. And the sheer energy cost-he just didn’t make enough money to pay to keep the cyber unit functioning.
Once he had her situated, he would need to look to the future. Sure, he could keep her relatively comfortable and possibly even safe within the hub. But he couldn’t keep it up indefinitely. At some point, an outsider with the expertise and knowledge would have to be brought in.
Lisa had known how to fix the short-term problems like her immediate life support, and she’d been a great help in getting both of them to this point. Her knowledge of Torchwood-specifically Torchwood 3-had proved essential to Ianto’s infiltration. But she wasn’t providing anything beyond that.
Ianto had tried, time and time again, to enlist her help in finding a more permanent solution to her situation. In her more lucid moments, she seemed to agree with Ianto on the need to bring in outside help. She would encourage and support him, but beyond that she could provide no input. And when she was distant, when she seemed to move beyond Ianto’s mental grasp, she was argumentative. She’d shoot down his ideas. When he listed certain scientists or procedures, she would refuse them.
She scares me, Ianto thought as he set down one file and moved to the next. He was exhausted. Between work, caring for Lisa, and trying to plan his next move, Ianto found little time for rest. And when he allowed himself even a moment to really consider Lisa’s behavior…
NO! Stop it. He closed his eyes, as though that single action would keep the overwhelming terror at bay. The fear that she was wrong-beyond the physical sense of the word. She’s still Lisa. She’s still the woman I love…the only woman I have ever loved. And she’s counting on me to fix her. He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly.
Opening his eyes, he glanced at the clock on his nightstand. It was after 5 in the morning. That gave him two hours for sleep before he’d have to get ready for work again. He sighed. It’ll all be over soon, he thought as he swept the files into a neat pile and set them on top of a stack of boxes. In three days, Lisa will be in the hub and I won’t have to stay up planning as much every night.
No, said another voice in Ianto’s head. Then you’ll just have to worry about keeping her hidden from the four people who know their own workplace inside out and are still suspicious of you.
Great, now I’m arguing with myself. Ianto groaned and crawled onto the bed, not bothering with the covers. Three more days, and then I can sleep.
Fatigue overcame him just as the sun’s light peaked through the curtains.
***
“Morning Ianto! Sleep well?” Jack’s voice was like a laser piercing through Ianto’s cloudy mind as he was let into the tourist office that morning. A bright, shiny, happy laser.
“Yes, thank you sir.” Ianto managed, failing to reach Jack’s level of enthusiasm. The smile fell from Jack’s face, replaced by a worried frown.
“You alright? God, you look like shit. Were you out weevil hunting without me?” The attempt at humor could not hide Jack’s concern, but it did raise a small reassuring smile from the tired man.
“No, I leave the heroics to you and the others. You save the day, and I’ll make the coffee.” Ianto set his bag down behind the counter and switched on the computer. “Shall I make you some, sir?” He looked back up at Jack to find the man leaning on the counter toward him. Smiling.
“Do I look like a man who would ever say no to your coffee?”
“No, stupid question. Let me just get started here and I’ll be right down to start a pot, shall I?” Ianto graced Jack with a tiny smile when the man nodded.
It was several seconds later when Ianto realized that Jack had not moved. Glancing upwards, he found Jack still staring at him.
“Sir?”
“That suit,” Jack started, leaning even further over the counter, “looks particularly stunning on you. You may have to limit your time in the hub, or I may just find myself too distracted to work.”
Ianto blushed furiously as his brain scrambled for something to say. This man seemed to have taken a liking to finding ways of flustering Ianto at every turn. A comment here, a look there. It was all so bewildering and new to Ianto, and it muddled his thinking.
“That’s harassment, sir.” The words popped out before he could stop them. Bracing himself for Jack’s retort, he was startled by the booming laughter that came instead.
“Harassment!” Jack laughed, “This coming from the man who stalked and pestered and harassed his way into a job?” The amusement shone through his voice and eyes, and Ianto was powerless against it.
“Well, when you put it that way…I guess I’ll just have to be careful and time the coffee trips to moments when it will not interfere with your work.”
Jack gasped dramatically and stood straight, clutching his chest. “Did…did you just make a joke?”
Ianto’s lip twitched. “I’m sure I wouldn’t know.”
“You did, you made a joke. My god, the others won’t believe me when I tell them…”
“So you won’t be wanting any coffee at all today, sir?” Ianto kept his normal stoic mask in place-hard work when faced with Jack’s animation.
“You’re bluffing.” Jack narrowed his eyes in mock-seriousness. He leaned forward slowly, like a predator closing in on its cornered prey.
Ianto held still, reminding himself that this was a game and that Jack wasn’t going to do anything. Right?
Jack’s arm reached around the counter, almost brushing against Ianto’s knee.
Ianto sucked in a breath, watching Jack’s hand as it moved past him…and hit the red button, opening the secret door to the passageway. The noise of the door broke the tension and Ianto forced himself to relax.
“Well,” Jack said, with a serious pout, “if that’s the way you’re going to be, I guess I’ll just do as I’m told. You’re just lucky I can’t survive without caffeine. You may have me under your control for now…but remember,” he moved through the door as it started to close, “I always win.”
Ianto was left breathless. The man was always doing this to him-saying and doing things that left him in such a state. The past week had been a string of innuendo and outright flirting. And it always left Ianto feeling like the inexperienced schoolboy he was.
As long as he doesn’t act on anything, I’ll be fine. Ianto thought as he pulled himself together. But a part of him knew that Jack wasn’t the slow and subtle type. And what am I going to do then? He didn’t have an answer.
***
The day had been a quiet one. No weevils. No rift activity. It gave the team a chance to catch up on paperwork and devote time to individual projects.
When Ianto came down to make the post-lunchtime coffee, Owen was already busy working on the autopsy of the alien they had found the previous night. The doctor was trying to determine the cause of death for the creature they had discovered floating in a ditch. It had been found by a group of backpackers outside the city, and it had taken the team hours to cover up.
Tosh was typing furiously at her computer, mumbling to herself. And Suzie was staring at the glove that had been found the night Ianto had joined the team. Everyone had tried to speculate as to the purpose of the strange metal armor, but so far no one had come up with any real theories. If it hadn’t been for the strange readings Tosh had picked up on her scanners, they would have written the object off as being of Earth-origin.
Ianto stared at it as he went by. He hated it. It reminded him too much of the Cybermen. Plus, he could feel something whenever he got too close-a tug at his chest and whispers in his ear. He made a point of never touching it.
Working the coffee machine, he felt the tickle on the back of his neck that told him Jack was watching him. True to his word, every time Ianto had entered the hub Jack had quit working to stare at him. Ianto didn’t know if it annoyed him or not. Rolling his eyes at his own conflicting feelings, he handed out the cups to the rest of the team before making his way to Jack’s office.
There was no need to knock-he already had Jack’s undivided attention. “Coffee, sir?”
“I’ve been good, haven’t I?” Jack gave him a pleading, oh-so-innocent look.
Ianto gave a nod and placed the cup on one of the new coasters he had bought. He had placed them throughout the hub in hopes of saving the furniture. So far, Tosh was the only one who actually used it. Suzie didn’t pay attention enough to remember its presence, Owen outright refused, and Jack…Jack liked to make a show of ‘forgetting’ so it would give Ianto an excuse to come wipe the ring off his desk.
“If it’s alright with you sir, I’d like to spend the afternoon in the archives.” He tried to keep his nervousness hidden. So far, Jack had let him into the lower levels for short amounts of time-to grab a file or take an item to storage. And while Ianto had begun working with Tosh on compiling an actual archive, he had always been accompanied.
Jack sipped his coffee, moaning obscenely. “You know just how to butter me up so I’ll bend to your every whim, don’t you? Alright, go hide from me down in the depths. At least with you down there, you can’t be here to rub it in our noses how sloppy we all are.” He smirked.
Ianto thanked him and turned to leave.
“Ianto, wait a sec.” Turning around, he saw Jack rummaging through his desk drawer. Pulling something out, he stood up and came around to Ianto’s side. Standing inches away-always too close-he held his hand up and dropped something into Ianto’s palm. “You’ll need this.”
It was two somethings, actually. Ianto stared dumbly down at the Bluetooth earpiece and…several keys attached to a key chain of a little green man. He looked back up at Jack, not quite sure what to say.
“The earpiece will keep you in touch with us up here. If we need you, or if you need us, just press the button and speak. And you’ll need the keys to access certain parts of the archives. They’re labeled according to what they open.”
Ianto looked closer at the keys. Each one had a different colored top with a printed label: ARC 1, ARC 2, ARC 7, DOCK, T.O.
“Only those three sections of the archives are locked…and you’ll need to be able to access the loading dock when storing the big stuff.”
“T.O.?”
“Tourist office.”
Ianto’s head snapped up. Jack was giving him the key to the hub?
“I know, I know. I almost didn’t give you that one. I was kinda getting used to the idea that I was the first thing you saw each morning,” he smiled sheepishly and shrugged, “but you really should have your own key. There may come a time when you’re needed here and there isn’t someone to let you in. Besides, everyone else has one. And you’ve certainly proven yourself this week.”
Ianto gaped at him before realizing that he should say something. “Thank you. I…” he gulped, suddenly overwhelmed by Jack’s trust. “I like the keychain.” He winced at his own lameness.
Jack grinned. “They were Suzie’s idea of a joke. She bought a bunch of them and gave us each one. There were a couple left over.”
Ianto realized just how close they were standing and took a step back toward the door. “Well, I guess I’d better…”
“Go on, go on. Go make the rest of us look bad. I’m sure you’ll have that entire dungeon sparkling by the end of the day.” Jack moved back to his seat as he gave a wave.
“Hardly.” Ianto scoffed, and hurried out of the office.
It was more than he had hoped for. He had all the access he needed to get Lisa to her new home. As he silently made his way past the others, he clutched the keys in his fist until he felt them dig into his skin. He needed to keep moving and not think. Because in all his preparation and planning, this was the one thing he hadn’t counted on dealing with-guilt.
***
The next two days went by in a blur. Ianto spent most of his time in the archives, going back and forth between his work on the files and preparing Lisa’s room. It had taken almost no time to find the perfect place to house her-it was in a secluded part of the lower levels. The lighting was dim, and absolutely nothing was stored in that area.
That second afternoon, he opened the dock doors to see if any type of alarm went off. If caught, he would simply say he was trying to bring some fresh air and sunlight to the stuffy halls. But nothing happened. No one said anything about it to him when he reemerged three hours later for another round of coffee, and Ianto counted it a successful test.
At home, he had everything ready to move. A rental van sat in his drive already packed with extra medical supplies, tools, and equipment. Lisa’s instructions for taking apart the unit for transport and reassembly, as well as how to keep her alive for the journey, were printed out.
Each night, he would return home, take care of Lisa, open his laptop, and wait. He had tapped into the internal hub cameras and sensors within his first couple days inside Torchwood 3. Now that he had access, all he was waiting for was the right moment.
From his observations, he knew that Jack almost never left the hub which meant he probably lived there. And while there may not be alarms on the loading dock, Ianto didn’t want to chance moving Lisa in when Jack was anywhere near the hub. So instead, he waited.
It took three more days of almost sleepless nights before the chance came. He had taken to napping for 30 minute intervals, an alarm waking him to check the cameras that let him know Jack was still there. Finally, on day three Ianto was awakened by an alarm that came through the computer instead of his clock. He saw that there was a police call for strange activity in the same park Ianto had first come across Jack. It looked to be another weevil, and Ianto watched with baited breath as Jack quickly gathered weevil spray and his webley before rushing out of the hub.
Ianto moved quickly. He knew that the park was far a good 40 minutes from the hub-30 the way Jack drove. Even if Jack reached the park to discover nothing, Ianto still had an hour to move.
Rushing into the living room, he got to work. Hours of mental and physical preparation paid off as he had everything dismantled and moved to the van in just under 20 minutes. Lisa had enough drugs in her system to remain unconscious for the duration, but Ianto gave her just a bit extra to be sure. He didn’t want her waking up and panicking before he had her settled.
He had to force himself to watch his speed for the short commute. It was just now 3 in the morning, and he was not going to let something as stupid as a speeding ticket thwart his plan. Even so, he only lived 10 minutes from the hub, and it took him almost half that time with no traffic.
Backing the van to the loading dock, Ianto had to steady his hands to unlock the doors. The metal clang of them sliding upwards seemed to echo into the silent night, and he quickly glanced around to make sure it hadn’t drawn anyone’s attention. It was silent.
Breathing heavily, he grabbed the dolly that sat just inside, and began to unload Lisa’s unit. It wasn’t easy to maneuver, but eventually he had her and the section she had remained connected to strapped on and wheeled to her new room. Setting her down carefully, he rushed back to get the remaining loads. It took five more trips to get the rest of the unit and the tools he would need. The whole unit could be broken into sections quite easily and he quickly had it reassembled and running. He returned to the van for the remaining medical supplies. That done, he closed the doors and drove the van to a nearby lot.
Adrenaline made him shake now that he had stopped moving. It took several attempts before he could open his laptop and bring up the hub cameras again. He forced himself to look closely at each one, careful not to rush or pass over anything. There was nothing. Jack was still out, and no sensors had been tripped. Ianto checked each camera three times before he felt safe enough to breathe.
Slowly, he put the van into gear and drove home. There would be time enough later to fix up the room to make it comfortable. There was also other equipment that needed to be installed for a long-term set up. Lisa had already given him the directions for a more efficient control panel. He didn’t understand the details, but she had assured him that it was necessary.
When he walked into his living room, he was startled by its emptiness. The silence was eerie without all the machines. It was that moment that it hit him-he had done it. Lisa was in the hub.
Ianto’s legs went weak and he fell to his knees in the middle of the room. His fingers traced the dark silhouette Lisa’s unit had created in the carpet-little fabric tufts smashed flat. Suddenly, he was struck by a wave of loneliness, stronger than ever before. He curled up in the shadow left by Lisa, and let exhaustion pull him to sleep.
***
Up Next: Chapter 3 Part 5
A/N: I never know whether to put these at the beginning or the end...and half the time I have theme in both. I just wanted to note that I do not have a beta, and therefore all mistakes are my own. I am open to any and all criticism that is constructive!! I welcome and cherish it, for it always tells me that someone is reading ;) and allows me to become a better writer. I keep finding stupid mistakes in previous chapters when I re-read older sections, and they piss me off. Grr!! So if you find something, please let me know and I'll fix it ASAP. Thanks!!!
Genre: angst, hurt/comfort
Spoilers: Cyberwoman, Countrycide, Fragments…maybe more, maybe less…
A/N: Possible crossover with Doctor Who in future.
Pairings: Ianto/Jack, Ianto/Lisa
Warning: child abuse/molestation (not graphic), violence, language, slash
Summary: Ianto Jones is a broken man, and has been broken since long before Lisa, and long before Canary Wharf. Who will save him before he disappears into the shadows completely?
*****
Previously: Prologue 1/3 Prologue 2/3 Prologue 3/3
Ch1 Pt1 Ch1 Pt2 Ch1 Pt3
Ch2 Pt1 Ch2 Pt2 Ch2 Pt3 Ch2 Pt4 Ch2 Pt5 Ch2 Pt6
Ch3 Pt1 Ch3 Pt2 Ch3 Pt3
*****
Chapter 3 ~ First Days
Part 4
Ianto returned to his house that night, drained but feeling like he’d successfully crossed over a major hurdle in his plan. He had made it into Torchwood and completed his first full day. Setting down his bag and hanging his coat on the hook, Ianto crept into the living room to check on Lisa.
The conversion unit-mock-life support unit sat amidst boxes. Soft beeping and the hiss of the ventilator filled the silence of the darkened room.
“Ianto?” Lisa’s weak pain-filled voice broke the stillness.
Turning on the lamp threw the room into a warm light that contrasted with the cold metal. Lisa’s figure was exactly as it had been for the past several weeks-laid out unmoving in the metal frame. Ianto quickly moved to her side, checking on her monitors.
“How are you? Are you in pain?” He readied the pain medication. They had worked out a schedule, but today’s work had delayed her evening dose by over thirty minutes. He knew that she had to be feeling the holdup.
“It’s not too bad.” Her words were in conflict with the agony Ianto could feel coming off of her in waves.
“Liar.” He gave her a small, tired smile as he injected the syringe into her I.V. line. The overwhelming feelings rolling off Lisa slowly ebbed to a manageable level-for both of them. She sighed with relief as the drugs flowed through her system.
Ianto stroked her forehead with the back of his fingertips. This was his favorite time of day, which he acknowledged as some kind of sick irony. He knew he would have at least an hour with ‘his’ Lisa. An hour until he would feel her slip away and again become an empty shell.
“How was your first day?” Her voice broke through his thoughts.
“It was…interesting.” He traced his fingers over her brow and down to her cheek. “The team is very, well, unique doesn’t begin to describe it. And the hub,” he laughed, “is a wreck. It will take me months to clean it. And the archives look like it was ransacked by children with finger paints.”
Lisa smiled up at him as he continued describing the day. Eventually, the meds took over and her eyes closed in sleep.
Ianto sighed as he made his way to the bedroom and the shower. Each day that passed seemed to give him less and less time with her. He didn’t understand what was happening with Lisa. What did these switches in mental states mean? Whatever it was was making him even more anxious about The Plan. The stress threatened to overwhelm him at every turn.
***
A week later found Ianto sitting on his bed, file folders spread out across his comforter. Schematics stolen from the hub outlined the lower levels while printouts sketched out the basic routine for the team. Now that he had access to the information and the hub in general, he could begin to map out the next steps to be taken.
Firstly, he had to get Lisa out of the house and into the hub. He simply couldn’t continue providing for her when he would be spending so much time away from the house. Jack had made it very clear that the hours would be late and long, and this week had confirmed that fact. There was no way he would be able to give Lisa the pain meds she needed when they were needed. And the sheer energy cost-he just didn’t make enough money to pay to keep the cyber unit functioning.
Once he had her situated, he would need to look to the future. Sure, he could keep her relatively comfortable and possibly even safe within the hub. But he couldn’t keep it up indefinitely. At some point, an outsider with the expertise and knowledge would have to be brought in.
Lisa had known how to fix the short-term problems like her immediate life support, and she’d been a great help in getting both of them to this point. Her knowledge of Torchwood-specifically Torchwood 3-had proved essential to Ianto’s infiltration. But she wasn’t providing anything beyond that.
Ianto had tried, time and time again, to enlist her help in finding a more permanent solution to her situation. In her more lucid moments, she seemed to agree with Ianto on the need to bring in outside help. She would encourage and support him, but beyond that she could provide no input. And when she was distant, when she seemed to move beyond Ianto’s mental grasp, she was argumentative. She’d shoot down his ideas. When he listed certain scientists or procedures, she would refuse them.
She scares me, Ianto thought as he set down one file and moved to the next. He was exhausted. Between work, caring for Lisa, and trying to plan his next move, Ianto found little time for rest. And when he allowed himself even a moment to really consider Lisa’s behavior…
NO! Stop it. He closed his eyes, as though that single action would keep the overwhelming terror at bay. The fear that she was wrong-beyond the physical sense of the word. She’s still Lisa. She’s still the woman I love…the only woman I have ever loved. And she’s counting on me to fix her. He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly.
Opening his eyes, he glanced at the clock on his nightstand. It was after 5 in the morning. That gave him two hours for sleep before he’d have to get ready for work again. He sighed. It’ll all be over soon, he thought as he swept the files into a neat pile and set them on top of a stack of boxes. In three days, Lisa will be in the hub and I won’t have to stay up planning as much every night.
No, said another voice in Ianto’s head. Then you’ll just have to worry about keeping her hidden from the four people who know their own workplace inside out and are still suspicious of you.
Great, now I’m arguing with myself. Ianto groaned and crawled onto the bed, not bothering with the covers. Three more days, and then I can sleep.
Fatigue overcame him just as the sun’s light peaked through the curtains.
***
“Morning Ianto! Sleep well?” Jack’s voice was like a laser piercing through Ianto’s cloudy mind as he was let into the tourist office that morning. A bright, shiny, happy laser.
“Yes, thank you sir.” Ianto managed, failing to reach Jack’s level of enthusiasm. The smile fell from Jack’s face, replaced by a worried frown.
“You alright? God, you look like shit. Were you out weevil hunting without me?” The attempt at humor could not hide Jack’s concern, but it did raise a small reassuring smile from the tired man.
“No, I leave the heroics to you and the others. You save the day, and I’ll make the coffee.” Ianto set his bag down behind the counter and switched on the computer. “Shall I make you some, sir?” He looked back up at Jack to find the man leaning on the counter toward him. Smiling.
“Do I look like a man who would ever say no to your coffee?”
“No, stupid question. Let me just get started here and I’ll be right down to start a pot, shall I?” Ianto graced Jack with a tiny smile when the man nodded.
It was several seconds later when Ianto realized that Jack had not moved. Glancing upwards, he found Jack still staring at him.
“Sir?”
“That suit,” Jack started, leaning even further over the counter, “looks particularly stunning on you. You may have to limit your time in the hub, or I may just find myself too distracted to work.”
Ianto blushed furiously as his brain scrambled for something to say. This man seemed to have taken a liking to finding ways of flustering Ianto at every turn. A comment here, a look there. It was all so bewildering and new to Ianto, and it muddled his thinking.
“That’s harassment, sir.” The words popped out before he could stop them. Bracing himself for Jack’s retort, he was startled by the booming laughter that came instead.
“Harassment!” Jack laughed, “This coming from the man who stalked and pestered and harassed his way into a job?” The amusement shone through his voice and eyes, and Ianto was powerless against it.
“Well, when you put it that way…I guess I’ll just have to be careful and time the coffee trips to moments when it will not interfere with your work.”
Jack gasped dramatically and stood straight, clutching his chest. “Did…did you just make a joke?”
Ianto’s lip twitched. “I’m sure I wouldn’t know.”
“You did, you made a joke. My god, the others won’t believe me when I tell them…”
“So you won’t be wanting any coffee at all today, sir?” Ianto kept his normal stoic mask in place-hard work when faced with Jack’s animation.
“You’re bluffing.” Jack narrowed his eyes in mock-seriousness. He leaned forward slowly, like a predator closing in on its cornered prey.
Ianto held still, reminding himself that this was a game and that Jack wasn’t going to do anything. Right?
Jack’s arm reached around the counter, almost brushing against Ianto’s knee.
Ianto sucked in a breath, watching Jack’s hand as it moved past him…and hit the red button, opening the secret door to the passageway. The noise of the door broke the tension and Ianto forced himself to relax.
“Well,” Jack said, with a serious pout, “if that’s the way you’re going to be, I guess I’ll just do as I’m told. You’re just lucky I can’t survive without caffeine. You may have me under your control for now…but remember,” he moved through the door as it started to close, “I always win.”
Ianto was left breathless. The man was always doing this to him-saying and doing things that left him in such a state. The past week had been a string of innuendo and outright flirting. And it always left Ianto feeling like the inexperienced schoolboy he was.
As long as he doesn’t act on anything, I’ll be fine. Ianto thought as he pulled himself together. But a part of him knew that Jack wasn’t the slow and subtle type. And what am I going to do then? He didn’t have an answer.
***
The day had been a quiet one. No weevils. No rift activity. It gave the team a chance to catch up on paperwork and devote time to individual projects.
When Ianto came down to make the post-lunchtime coffee, Owen was already busy working on the autopsy of the alien they had found the previous night. The doctor was trying to determine the cause of death for the creature they had discovered floating in a ditch. It had been found by a group of backpackers outside the city, and it had taken the team hours to cover up.
Tosh was typing furiously at her computer, mumbling to herself. And Suzie was staring at the glove that had been found the night Ianto had joined the team. Everyone had tried to speculate as to the purpose of the strange metal armor, but so far no one had come up with any real theories. If it hadn’t been for the strange readings Tosh had picked up on her scanners, they would have written the object off as being of Earth-origin.
Ianto stared at it as he went by. He hated it. It reminded him too much of the Cybermen. Plus, he could feel something whenever he got too close-a tug at his chest and whispers in his ear. He made a point of never touching it.
Working the coffee machine, he felt the tickle on the back of his neck that told him Jack was watching him. True to his word, every time Ianto had entered the hub Jack had quit working to stare at him. Ianto didn’t know if it annoyed him or not. Rolling his eyes at his own conflicting feelings, he handed out the cups to the rest of the team before making his way to Jack’s office.
There was no need to knock-he already had Jack’s undivided attention. “Coffee, sir?”
“I’ve been good, haven’t I?” Jack gave him a pleading, oh-so-innocent look.
Ianto gave a nod and placed the cup on one of the new coasters he had bought. He had placed them throughout the hub in hopes of saving the furniture. So far, Tosh was the only one who actually used it. Suzie didn’t pay attention enough to remember its presence, Owen outright refused, and Jack…Jack liked to make a show of ‘forgetting’ so it would give Ianto an excuse to come wipe the ring off his desk.
“If it’s alright with you sir, I’d like to spend the afternoon in the archives.” He tried to keep his nervousness hidden. So far, Jack had let him into the lower levels for short amounts of time-to grab a file or take an item to storage. And while Ianto had begun working with Tosh on compiling an actual archive, he had always been accompanied.
Jack sipped his coffee, moaning obscenely. “You know just how to butter me up so I’ll bend to your every whim, don’t you? Alright, go hide from me down in the depths. At least with you down there, you can’t be here to rub it in our noses how sloppy we all are.” He smirked.
Ianto thanked him and turned to leave.
“Ianto, wait a sec.” Turning around, he saw Jack rummaging through his desk drawer. Pulling something out, he stood up and came around to Ianto’s side. Standing inches away-always too close-he held his hand up and dropped something into Ianto’s palm. “You’ll need this.”
It was two somethings, actually. Ianto stared dumbly down at the Bluetooth earpiece and…several keys attached to a key chain of a little green man. He looked back up at Jack, not quite sure what to say.
“The earpiece will keep you in touch with us up here. If we need you, or if you need us, just press the button and speak. And you’ll need the keys to access certain parts of the archives. They’re labeled according to what they open.”
Ianto looked closer at the keys. Each one had a different colored top with a printed label: ARC 1, ARC 2, ARC 7, DOCK, T.O.
“Only those three sections of the archives are locked…and you’ll need to be able to access the loading dock when storing the big stuff.”
“T.O.?”
“Tourist office.”
Ianto’s head snapped up. Jack was giving him the key to the hub?
“I know, I know. I almost didn’t give you that one. I was kinda getting used to the idea that I was the first thing you saw each morning,” he smiled sheepishly and shrugged, “but you really should have your own key. There may come a time when you’re needed here and there isn’t someone to let you in. Besides, everyone else has one. And you’ve certainly proven yourself this week.”
Ianto gaped at him before realizing that he should say something. “Thank you. I…” he gulped, suddenly overwhelmed by Jack’s trust. “I like the keychain.” He winced at his own lameness.
Jack grinned. “They were Suzie’s idea of a joke. She bought a bunch of them and gave us each one. There were a couple left over.”
Ianto realized just how close they were standing and took a step back toward the door. “Well, I guess I’d better…”
“Go on, go on. Go make the rest of us look bad. I’m sure you’ll have that entire dungeon sparkling by the end of the day.” Jack moved back to his seat as he gave a wave.
“Hardly.” Ianto scoffed, and hurried out of the office.
It was more than he had hoped for. He had all the access he needed to get Lisa to her new home. As he silently made his way past the others, he clutched the keys in his fist until he felt them dig into his skin. He needed to keep moving and not think. Because in all his preparation and planning, this was the one thing he hadn’t counted on dealing with-guilt.
***
The next two days went by in a blur. Ianto spent most of his time in the archives, going back and forth between his work on the files and preparing Lisa’s room. It had taken almost no time to find the perfect place to house her-it was in a secluded part of the lower levels. The lighting was dim, and absolutely nothing was stored in that area.
That second afternoon, he opened the dock doors to see if any type of alarm went off. If caught, he would simply say he was trying to bring some fresh air and sunlight to the stuffy halls. But nothing happened. No one said anything about it to him when he reemerged three hours later for another round of coffee, and Ianto counted it a successful test.
At home, he had everything ready to move. A rental van sat in his drive already packed with extra medical supplies, tools, and equipment. Lisa’s instructions for taking apart the unit for transport and reassembly, as well as how to keep her alive for the journey, were printed out.
Each night, he would return home, take care of Lisa, open his laptop, and wait. He had tapped into the internal hub cameras and sensors within his first couple days inside Torchwood 3. Now that he had access, all he was waiting for was the right moment.
From his observations, he knew that Jack almost never left the hub which meant he probably lived there. And while there may not be alarms on the loading dock, Ianto didn’t want to chance moving Lisa in when Jack was anywhere near the hub. So instead, he waited.
It took three more days of almost sleepless nights before the chance came. He had taken to napping for 30 minute intervals, an alarm waking him to check the cameras that let him know Jack was still there. Finally, on day three Ianto was awakened by an alarm that came through the computer instead of his clock. He saw that there was a police call for strange activity in the same park Ianto had first come across Jack. It looked to be another weevil, and Ianto watched with baited breath as Jack quickly gathered weevil spray and his webley before rushing out of the hub.
Ianto moved quickly. He knew that the park was far a good 40 minutes from the hub-30 the way Jack drove. Even if Jack reached the park to discover nothing, Ianto still had an hour to move.
Rushing into the living room, he got to work. Hours of mental and physical preparation paid off as he had everything dismantled and moved to the van in just under 20 minutes. Lisa had enough drugs in her system to remain unconscious for the duration, but Ianto gave her just a bit extra to be sure. He didn’t want her waking up and panicking before he had her settled.
He had to force himself to watch his speed for the short commute. It was just now 3 in the morning, and he was not going to let something as stupid as a speeding ticket thwart his plan. Even so, he only lived 10 minutes from the hub, and it took him almost half that time with no traffic.
Backing the van to the loading dock, Ianto had to steady his hands to unlock the doors. The metal clang of them sliding upwards seemed to echo into the silent night, and he quickly glanced around to make sure it hadn’t drawn anyone’s attention. It was silent.
Breathing heavily, he grabbed the dolly that sat just inside, and began to unload Lisa’s unit. It wasn’t easy to maneuver, but eventually he had her and the section she had remained connected to strapped on and wheeled to her new room. Setting her down carefully, he rushed back to get the remaining loads. It took five more trips to get the rest of the unit and the tools he would need. The whole unit could be broken into sections quite easily and he quickly had it reassembled and running. He returned to the van for the remaining medical supplies. That done, he closed the doors and drove the van to a nearby lot.
Adrenaline made him shake now that he had stopped moving. It took several attempts before he could open his laptop and bring up the hub cameras again. He forced himself to look closely at each one, careful not to rush or pass over anything. There was nothing. Jack was still out, and no sensors had been tripped. Ianto checked each camera three times before he felt safe enough to breathe.
Slowly, he put the van into gear and drove home. There would be time enough later to fix up the room to make it comfortable. There was also other equipment that needed to be installed for a long-term set up. Lisa had already given him the directions for a more efficient control panel. He didn’t understand the details, but she had assured him that it was necessary.
When he walked into his living room, he was startled by its emptiness. The silence was eerie without all the machines. It was that moment that it hit him-he had done it. Lisa was in the hub.
Ianto’s legs went weak and he fell to his knees in the middle of the room. His fingers traced the dark silhouette Lisa’s unit had created in the carpet-little fabric tufts smashed flat. Suddenly, he was struck by a wave of loneliness, stronger than ever before. He curled up in the shadow left by Lisa, and let exhaustion pull him to sleep.
***
Up Next: Chapter 3 Part 5
A/N: I never know whether to put these at the beginning or the end...and half the time I have theme in both. I just wanted to note that I do not have a beta, and therefore all mistakes are my own. I am open to any and all criticism that is constructive!! I welcome and cherish it, for it always tells me that someone is reading ;) and allows me to become a better writer. I keep finding stupid mistakes in previous chapters when I re-read older sections, and they piss me off. Grr!! So if you find something, please let me know and I'll fix it ASAP. Thanks!!!