(![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
blucougar.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
antigwenallies May. 24th, 2014 11:13 pm)
blucougar.livejournal.com posting in antigwenallies May. 24th, 2014 11:13 pm)Title: Adaption
Chapter Twelve: Home Truths Are Hard To Swallow
Author: blucougar57
Summary: A new rift victim proves to be a revelation to the Torchwood team, and then some.
Rating: T
A/N: Jason’s first morning away from Flat Holm, and Jack lets the team know the decisions that have been made regarding Jason. Gwen is not happy.
Thank you for your good wishes and most of all for your patience. My dad is all but recovered from his hand surgery. My mother’s back surgery went very well, and she was moved to another hospital closer to home for rehab four days after the surgery happened. Her physio is going really well and she is getting to be more mobile every day. We hope she’ll be able to come home in a week or so.
Chapter Twelve
Jason awoke the next morning to light blue walls and ceiling, in a soft, comfortable bed that had him wanting to just go back to sleep. For a while, he almost did, and hovered pleasantly between sleep a waking for some time. In the end, though, it was the tantalising aroma of bacon that drew him properly back into awareness. Acutely aware of the way his stomach was suddenly growling, Jason sat up and paused to take in his surroundings.
His new room was easily as big as the one he’d had ‘Before’. A slightly grimace curled his lips. About a week ago, he’d realised that he’d started to make a fairly distinct divide between his life before the wormhole and after. He’d come to think of both periods as ‘Before’ and ‘After’ and he could almost see the capitalisation in his own mind. He supposed that, given enough time, it would all settle down. For now, though, the two were almost like totally separate lives. This was a whole new life and for all intents and purposes, he was effectively only one month old.
Jason grimaced again. Not only was that ridiculously maudlin, it was also incredibly unhelpful. Deciding that he’d had enough time to think, Jason pulled on a robe and went to see what was cooking.
* * * * *
Ianto smiled as Jason emerged, still looking slightly sleep-riddled.
“Good morning.”
“Morning,” Jason answered, smiling sleepily. “Mm. Something smells good.”
Pleased, Ianto passed him a plate with bacon, eggs, toast and a glass of juice.
“I can do more if you’re still hungry after that lot. Might even be able to whip up a few pancakes, if you fancy them.”
It was an innocuous enough offer, but Ianto knew he’d somehow made a mistake when Jason suddenly stilled, and a look of grief wiped the smile from his face.
“Talk to me,” Ianto urged him gently, hoping fervently that the boy wouldn’t just shut down on him. It was something that the Flat Holm psychologist had reported on during Jason’s early days on the island, that the teen had a tendency to shut down and block everyone and everything out as a way of dealing with an overload of grief and stress. Those incidents had lessened as time wore on but Ianto was acutely aware that the possibility of it happening was still there.
It was all the more reason for Jason to stay with him and Jack. How could a family who didn’t know what he’d experienced possibly be equipped to deal with uncertainties like this?
Just when Ianto thought he’d lost Jason, though, the teen raised his head and met Ianto’s gaze with red-rimmed eyes.
“I just had a memory... The day that I went through the wormhole, it started out like this. I was sitting in the kitchen, having breakfast with my mom. We were just talking, enjoying each other’s company. She made pancakes and waffles... It was the Saturday morning special, you know? Dad normally would have been with us but he had to work that day and he was already gone when I got up.” Jason’s chest hitched slightly as he struggled to suppress tears. “I got to have a real conversation with my mom that morning but I never got to do that with my dad. The last time I saw him and actually got to do more than say hi, or good night to him was nearly a week before.”
“I’m sorry,” Ianto murmured, feeling badly for the teen all over again. Jason shook his head.
“No, I’m sorry. You’ve cooked this awesome breakfast, and I’m dragging the mood down. It just... Well, it just hit kind of hard.”
“Don’t apologise,” Ianto told him. “You know it’s going to happen. There will be things that remind you of home and you’re going to feel the impact of it fairly hard, probably for some time. It’s all right, you know.”
“I know,” Jason agreed and, with a smile that wasn’t quite forced, tucked into his food. Ianto watched him thoughtfully for a minute before speaking.
“How would you feel about paying a visit to the Hub today? Nothing too intensive, just to show you around and give you a chance to take it all in.”
“Sounds good,” Jason agreed with perhaps a little more enthusiasm than he might have really needed. Ianto disregarded it, knowing that he was simply grabbing onto the offer of a change of subject to distract him from the earlier upset. “So does that mean you’re gonna let me help out there?”
“On on the administrative side, and perhaps helping to monitor the occasional mission from the Hub. You know you won’t be allowed to do any field work, right?”
“Oh, I know, and that’s fine. I’m just happy to do anything you need me to do. After all, I owe you guys so much...”
Reaching across the bench, Ianto gently grasped Jason’s hand.
“All you owe us is to make the best of your life that you can. You have no idea how encouraging it’s been, for Jack especially, to know that at least one rift victim is going to be okay.”
“I will be,” Jason said, “thanks to you and Uncle Jack.”
Ianto chuckled.
“He’s really pleased with that, you know.”
“I’m not trying to ingratiate myself with him, or anything,” Jason said, sounding a touch anxious. Ianto shook his head.
“We know, Jason. Believe me, Jack is very well-practised at picking out the disingenuous. Experience has made him very wary. He knows you’re genuine, and he appreciates your honesty. So do I.”
A fleeting look on Jason’s face told Ianto that the teen was easily capable of reading between the lines. To his credit, though, he said nothing of whatever suspicions he might have had. Score one to Jason, Ianto mused. Not only was he incredibly perceptive, but he was also capable of being discreet and discerning.
He smiled to himself, all the more confident that he and Jack had made the right choice. He was just sorry that he wouldn’t be there for the fireworks when Jack told the rest of the team, which would be... Ianto glanced discreetly at his watch, and barely withheld a smirk. Right about now...
* * * * *
Jack had gone to the Hub that morning under no illusions about how each team member would take the news about Jason coming into the Hub to help out. Owen and Tosh might not entirely agree, but he believed they would at least give him a chance to prove himself. Gwen, who had been suppressing her disapproval of Flat Holm, Jason and everything even remotely related with admirable determination, was likely to react somewhat more harshly. However, Jack expected that she would at least give him the courtesy of hearing him out.
At least, he had hoped that she would, although he had to concede that was a slim hope considering the announcement that he was going to commence the meeting with.
“All right,” Jack said with an exuberance that served to cover his nerves just nicely. “First thing’s first. There seems to have been some confusion since I came back about the hierarchy in this place, and I think it’s past time that I did something about it. Now, I want to say that I’m proud of the way you all pulled together while I was gone. You worked together and shared the load evenly, and it was really good to see in the reports that I read. However, in the event that I should have to leave again, for whatever reason, I think it’s important that there be a clear chain of command.
“Now, given that Ianto has been with Torchwood the longest, taking into account his time at Torchwood One, he would have been the obvious choice for my second. He, however, doesn’t want the job. He feels he’s more useful to the team in the position that he’s currently in. So with Ianto having declined, I’ve looked carefully at each of you and I’ve decided that my new second will be Toshiko.”
In all honesty, Jack fully expected objections from both Gwen and Owen. Curiously, the only one who protested was Tosh.
“Jack!” she exclaimed, startled. “I can’t... I...”
“Of course you can,” Owen assured her. “You’ve been part of Torchwood Three longest after Jack, and you’ll be brilliant. Stop doubting yourself, love.”
Tosh blushed a little at Owen’s words of confidence. She hazarded a glance at Gwen, but the other woman only smiled and nodded in wordless agreement. When she looked back at Jack, his smile was warm and encouraging.
“I already know you’re brilliant. I know you can do this. Trust me, Tosh. Give yourself a chance.”
Tosh let her breath out in a rush. The idea still frightened her silly, but she was also touched by Jack’s public show of faith in her.
“All right,” she said finally, hoping she didn’t look quite as much like a startled rabbit as she felt. “I accept. I’ll do my best not to let you down, Jack.”
He reached across the table to grasp her hand and press a kiss to the back of it.
“You never could. Now, to the other business of the morning. As you know, we brought Jason back from Flat Holm yesterday. Ianto and I have taken our time considering his situation, and we’ve made a decision. Once Jason has had a chance to settle in, he’ll come to work with us here, in the Hub...”
“You cannot be serious!”
Jack shut his eyes just momentarily. He was not the least bit surprised that the strident objection had come so swiftly from Gwen. Disappointed, perhaps, but not surprised.
“Gwen...”
“No! Jack, have you completely taken leave of your senses?”
Unappreciative of her choice of words, Jack spoke in a sharp tone that Gwen simply didn’t seem to hear.
“As a matter of fact, Gwen, I am serious. This is what’s happening. It’s not up for debate.”
“Oh, for god’s sake, Jack, there are so many things wrong with this, I don’t know where to start!”
“Why don’t you try?” Jack challenged her, while struggling to hold onto his rapidly thinning patience. “Give me one solid reason why this shouldn’t happen.”
“He’s just a boy,” Gwen said bluntly. “This isn’t a suitable environment for someone who isn’t even legally an adult!”
Jack nodded, conceding the point.
“Ordinarily, that would be true. Jason’s circumstances are a little different, though. Considering his background, helping out here might actually smooth his transition into society. This... what we do... is the norm for him.”
“You seriously can’t believe his story about fighting aliens, do you?” she retorted, drawing incredulous looks from her colleagues.
“Gwen,” Tosh said in exasperation, “haven’t you learnt by now not to discount anything? We know he’s come here from a parallel universe, and he has no reason to lie to us.”
He is just a kid, though,” Owen interjected before Gwen could argue further. “Exactly what are you planning on having him do here?”
Jack answered in a more passive tone, somewhat mollified by Owen and Tosh’s more moderate reactions.
“Nothing too intensive, and it’ll only be for a few hours a day at the most, after school and only then if he wants to. He’ll help Ianto by doing some administrative tasks and maybe even learn some basic archiving. He won’t be handling any artefacts or dealing with aliens directly. The most involved he’ll get might be in helping to coordinate the occasional mission.”
Owen nodded slowly.
“That’s reasonable enough. One thing’s for sure, he’ll get a fuller education working with us than just by going to school.”
Jack looked across at Tosh, who looked thoughtful.
“If he’s interested, I could introduce him to Mainframe and teach him the computer system in general. There are plenty of things he could study, like known alien species.”
Jack looked pleased by the suggestion.
“I think he’d probably like that. Gwen...?”
Again, he was not at all surprised by the belligerent look of displeasure on her face.
“I don’t know why you’re bothering to ask me for my opinion. Clearly it means nothing to you.”
“Not true, Gwen,” Jack countered wearily. “I value your opinion just as I value Tosh’s and Owen’s and Ianto’s. You just need to accept that that doesn’t automatically translate to agreeing with you. Your point about his age was a valid one, but Jason’s circumstances are special. No, I don’t want him fully immersed in this life, but I do think it will help him to adjust to be allowed to help us out in small ways.”
“What about where he’s going to live?” she asked, sounding marginally less irritated. “How will you explain his comings and goings to whatever family you place him with?”
“Not an issue,” Jack declared, all the while internally bracing himself for yet another explosive objection. “Jason will be living with me and Ianto. Ianto has created documents identifying me as his uncle and making me his legal guardian.”
“That is actually a pretty clever solution,” Owen mused.
“It certainly covers all the contingencies,” Tosh agreed. “I assume Jason knows he can’t talk about Torchwood, or anything related, to anyone he might meet at school or elsewhere?”
“He knows,” Jack confirmed. “He’s clear on the basic protocols, but he’ll be given the Charter to study when Ianto brings him in later this morning. Gwen? Care to add your piece? I know you’re chomping at the bit, so out with it.”
Gwen knew that, despite best intentions, she had a strong propensity to speak first and think later and, in the process, unintentionally cause hurt. She knew this about herself and still could not stop herself from uttering the words that next came out of her mouth.
“Do you really think that you’re the right person to be acting as his guardian, Jack?”
The stony look on Jack’s face would have been enough to stymie most people from arguing further. Gwen, however, thrived on confrontation, and that look on his face only spurred her on.
“Care to elaborate on that?” Jack asked in a tone that was one step shy of frigid.
“Well,” Gwen said with a sympathetic look and tone that had as much sincerity as Owen’s bedside manner, “you’re not exactly a father figure, are you? I mean, Jason is going to need stability. How can you give him that, Jack? Have you ever even looked after a boy his age before?”
Jack stood up abruptly, with an expression that could have frozen magma.
“As a matter of fact, I have. A whole platoon full of them.”
He walked from the room in silence, leaving one of his team frowning after him and the other two looking like they wished they were elsewhere.
“Fucking hell, Gwen,” Owen said in exasperation. “You really have a talent for hurting him in the worst possible ways. Congratu-fucking-lations.”
As he left the conference room, Gwen looked at Tosh with a familiar expression of defiance.
“I am not wrong about this.”
“Yes, Gwen,” Tosh replied with unexpected anger in her tone. “This time, you are wrong.”
“Tosh...”
“No, you’ve said your piece. Now you can listen. Ever since we found Jason in that warehouse, you’ve butted heads with Jack at every possible turn. You argued, needled, accused, and now this. I’ve tried to see your point of view but this time you’ve gone too far.”
“Tosh, I wasn’t trying to hurt Jack but he needs to hear the truth.”
“But that’s the problem, Gwen. It’s only the truth according to you. And you know what? Your version of the truth leaves quite a bit lacking.”
“You can’t...”
“Talk to you like that? Why not, Gwen? That’s the way you talk to Jack. That’s the way you talk to all of us when you get on your high-horse about something. Why should you be exempt from getting a nice, healthy dose of the truth when you deserve it?”
Gwen’s mouth opened and closed, but nothing came out. Taking advantage of her colleague’s apparent shock, Tosh spoke again as she stood up.
“I don’t know what it is about this case as a whole that’s put you on the offensive but you had better figure it out soon and get yourself sorted out because the only person with issues is you. And for the record, I believe Jack would make a wonderful father.”
Tosh walked out of the conference room with her head held high and leaving Gwen standing there in stunned silence.
* * * * *
“I probably ought to tell you that I recorded all of that,” Owen said as she passed the autopsy bay. Tosh paused, raising an eyebrow at him.
“Who are you planning to blackmail?”
Owen grinned up at her.
“Not you, darlin’. Even I’m not that dumb. No, I thought Jack might appreciate seeing it, once he’s had a chance to think things over properly, and realise Queen Cooper is just blowing hot air again.”
“She really hurt him, Owen,” Tosh said softly. “Why can’t she see that?”
“Can’t see the wood for the trees, that one,” Owen said with a sigh. “And I suppose... when you’re treated like you’re something special for long enough, sooner or later you’re bound to start believing it.”
“I hate her hypocrisy,” Tosh fumed. “She treats us like we know nothing and gets her nose right out of joint when we prove her wrong. She argues all the time but doesn’t think we have a right to argue against her. And then there’s the way she blatantly pants after Jack. She flirts with him all the time, right in front of Ianto! How can she not see how wrong that is?”
Her tirade was halted by the unexpected sensation of Owen’s arms around her and she realised that she hadn’t even noticed him leave the autopsy bay.
“That’s just plain old jealousy and wishful thinking on her part, darlin’. Ianto doesn’t like it but he also knows it means nothing to Jack. Did you notice that Jack doesn’t actually reciprocate anymore when she flirts? He hasn’t returned the flirting now for months. I don’t know when it happened, but Jack is well and truly committed to Ianto. Nothing Gwen does is going to change that.”
He hugged her close, pressing soft kisses to the top of her head, until an overly loud cough alerted them to the fact that they were being observed. Tosh tried to pull away but Owen didn’t let her and instead spoke in an utterly nonchalant tone.
“Problem, Gwen?”
Gwen frowned a little, unsure whether it was the sight of Tosh and Owen together that bothered her more, or the fact that they didn’t seem to care that they were rubbing her nose in it with their open display of affection.
“Last I checked, this was working hours,” she pointed out, uncomfortably aware of how snippy she sounded but also unable to help herself. Owen, however, only smiled in answer.
“Better get to work then, hadn’t you?”
While Gwen didn’t actually humph and stomp off, the look on her face and the stiffness of her posture told them both exactly what she was thinking.
“We’ll be hearing more about this, without a doubt,” Tosh said with a sigh. Owen kissed her softly, chastely, before finally letting her go.
“When you go back to your desk, she’s going to speak to you. She won’t be able to help herself. It’ll be along the lines of ‘oh, Tosh, are you sure you know what you’re doing? You know what he’s like, he’s just using you. Wouldn’t know commitment if it bit him on the arse...’ You know, all that usual rubbish. Just remember three things. One, she doesn’t know we haven’t slept together yet. Two, I talk to you about Katie. She doesn’t even know I was once engaged. Thirdly...” He paused, gazing at her with what could only be described as surprised realisation.
“I love you,” he told her simply. Tosh looked startled, and then delighted.
“I love you, too,” she answered with heartfelt fervour, relishing the sincere joy on Owen’s face at her reply. Exchanging another brief kiss, Tosh headed back to her desk.
* * * * *
Owen wasn’t wrong in his prediction. Tosh had barely sat down before Gwen spoke.
“You know he won’t commit to you, don’t you?”
Tosh looked up slowly, willing herself to stay calm.
“Excuse me?”
Gwen offered a tentative smile which Tosh supposed was intended to be sympathetic, but the jealousy in the other woman’s eyes was painfully obvious. It didn’t take much imagination for Tosh to guess what Gwen was most likely thinking.
If I can’t have him, why should you...?
Childish, and beautifully ironic, considering it wasn’t even Owen that she really wanted. She thought back to Owen’s words about being treated as something special and supposed she had to concede that Gwen’s superior attitude was not entirely her own fault. They had all contributed to her attitude in some way – even herself, by not speaking out sooner. Not anymore, though. Gwen was no rookie anymore, and the time for treating her with proverbial kid gloves was over.
“I know what he’s like, Tosh,” Gwen said in what Tosh suspected was an entirely unintentional condescending tone. “All he’s interested in is an easy shag. Please, don’t let him hurt you.”
In an instant, Tosh’s animosity vanished. However she’d started out, those last words were spoken with utter sincerity. Smiling and taking Gwen’s hand, Tosh spoke reassuringly.
“Don’t worry, Gwen. I’ll be fine. You don’t need to worry. Really.”
Looking somewhat reassured, Gwen returned to her own desk, leaving Tosh to get on with her own work with a not-so-small feeling of relief.
* * * * *
to be continued....
Chapter Twelve: Home Truths Are Hard To Swallow
Author: blucougar57
Summary: A new rift victim proves to be a revelation to the Torchwood team, and then some.
Rating: T
A/N: Jason’s first morning away from Flat Holm, and Jack lets the team know the decisions that have been made regarding Jason. Gwen is not happy.
Thank you for your good wishes and most of all for your patience. My dad is all but recovered from his hand surgery. My mother’s back surgery went very well, and she was moved to another hospital closer to home for rehab four days after the surgery happened. Her physio is going really well and she is getting to be more mobile every day. We hope she’ll be able to come home in a week or so.
Jason awoke the next morning to light blue walls and ceiling, in a soft, comfortable bed that had him wanting to just go back to sleep. For a while, he almost did, and hovered pleasantly between sleep a waking for some time. In the end, though, it was the tantalising aroma of bacon that drew him properly back into awareness. Acutely aware of the way his stomach was suddenly growling, Jason sat up and paused to take in his surroundings.
His new room was easily as big as the one he’d had ‘Before’. A slightly grimace curled his lips. About a week ago, he’d realised that he’d started to make a fairly distinct divide between his life before the wormhole and after. He’d come to think of both periods as ‘Before’ and ‘After’ and he could almost see the capitalisation in his own mind. He supposed that, given enough time, it would all settle down. For now, though, the two were almost like totally separate lives. This was a whole new life and for all intents and purposes, he was effectively only one month old.
Jason grimaced again. Not only was that ridiculously maudlin, it was also incredibly unhelpful. Deciding that he’d had enough time to think, Jason pulled on a robe and went to see what was cooking.
Ianto smiled as Jason emerged, still looking slightly sleep-riddled.
“Good morning.”
“Morning,” Jason answered, smiling sleepily. “Mm. Something smells good.”
Pleased, Ianto passed him a plate with bacon, eggs, toast and a glass of juice.
“I can do more if you’re still hungry after that lot. Might even be able to whip up a few pancakes, if you fancy them.”
It was an innocuous enough offer, but Ianto knew he’d somehow made a mistake when Jason suddenly stilled, and a look of grief wiped the smile from his face.
“Talk to me,” Ianto urged him gently, hoping fervently that the boy wouldn’t just shut down on him. It was something that the Flat Holm psychologist had reported on during Jason’s early days on the island, that the teen had a tendency to shut down and block everyone and everything out as a way of dealing with an overload of grief and stress. Those incidents had lessened as time wore on but Ianto was acutely aware that the possibility of it happening was still there.
It was all the more reason for Jason to stay with him and Jack. How could a family who didn’t know what he’d experienced possibly be equipped to deal with uncertainties like this?
Just when Ianto thought he’d lost Jason, though, the teen raised his head and met Ianto’s gaze with red-rimmed eyes.
“I just had a memory... The day that I went through the wormhole, it started out like this. I was sitting in the kitchen, having breakfast with my mom. We were just talking, enjoying each other’s company. She made pancakes and waffles... It was the Saturday morning special, you know? Dad normally would have been with us but he had to work that day and he was already gone when I got up.” Jason’s chest hitched slightly as he struggled to suppress tears. “I got to have a real conversation with my mom that morning but I never got to do that with my dad. The last time I saw him and actually got to do more than say hi, or good night to him was nearly a week before.”
“I’m sorry,” Ianto murmured, feeling badly for the teen all over again. Jason shook his head.
“No, I’m sorry. You’ve cooked this awesome breakfast, and I’m dragging the mood down. It just... Well, it just hit kind of hard.”
“Don’t apologise,” Ianto told him. “You know it’s going to happen. There will be things that remind you of home and you’re going to feel the impact of it fairly hard, probably for some time. It’s all right, you know.”
“I know,” Jason agreed and, with a smile that wasn’t quite forced, tucked into his food. Ianto watched him thoughtfully for a minute before speaking.
“How would you feel about paying a visit to the Hub today? Nothing too intensive, just to show you around and give you a chance to take it all in.”
“Sounds good,” Jason agreed with perhaps a little more enthusiasm than he might have really needed. Ianto disregarded it, knowing that he was simply grabbing onto the offer of a change of subject to distract him from the earlier upset. “So does that mean you’re gonna let me help out there?”
“On on the administrative side, and perhaps helping to monitor the occasional mission from the Hub. You know you won’t be allowed to do any field work, right?”
“Oh, I know, and that’s fine. I’m just happy to do anything you need me to do. After all, I owe you guys so much...”
Reaching across the bench, Ianto gently grasped Jason’s hand.
“All you owe us is to make the best of your life that you can. You have no idea how encouraging it’s been, for Jack especially, to know that at least one rift victim is going to be okay.”
“I will be,” Jason said, “thanks to you and Uncle Jack.”
Ianto chuckled.
“He’s really pleased with that, you know.”
“I’m not trying to ingratiate myself with him, or anything,” Jason said, sounding a touch anxious. Ianto shook his head.
“We know, Jason. Believe me, Jack is very well-practised at picking out the disingenuous. Experience has made him very wary. He knows you’re genuine, and he appreciates your honesty. So do I.”
A fleeting look on Jason’s face told Ianto that the teen was easily capable of reading between the lines. To his credit, though, he said nothing of whatever suspicions he might have had. Score one to Jason, Ianto mused. Not only was he incredibly perceptive, but he was also capable of being discreet and discerning.
He smiled to himself, all the more confident that he and Jack had made the right choice. He was just sorry that he wouldn’t be there for the fireworks when Jack told the rest of the team, which would be... Ianto glanced discreetly at his watch, and barely withheld a smirk. Right about now...
Jack had gone to the Hub that morning under no illusions about how each team member would take the news about Jason coming into the Hub to help out. Owen and Tosh might not entirely agree, but he believed they would at least give him a chance to prove himself. Gwen, who had been suppressing her disapproval of Flat Holm, Jason and everything even remotely related with admirable determination, was likely to react somewhat more harshly. However, Jack expected that she would at least give him the courtesy of hearing him out.
At least, he had hoped that she would, although he had to concede that was a slim hope considering the announcement that he was going to commence the meeting with.
“All right,” Jack said with an exuberance that served to cover his nerves just nicely. “First thing’s first. There seems to have been some confusion since I came back about the hierarchy in this place, and I think it’s past time that I did something about it. Now, I want to say that I’m proud of the way you all pulled together while I was gone. You worked together and shared the load evenly, and it was really good to see in the reports that I read. However, in the event that I should have to leave again, for whatever reason, I think it’s important that there be a clear chain of command.
“Now, given that Ianto has been with Torchwood the longest, taking into account his time at Torchwood One, he would have been the obvious choice for my second. He, however, doesn’t want the job. He feels he’s more useful to the team in the position that he’s currently in. So with Ianto having declined, I’ve looked carefully at each of you and I’ve decided that my new second will be Toshiko.”
In all honesty, Jack fully expected objections from both Gwen and Owen. Curiously, the only one who protested was Tosh.
“Jack!” she exclaimed, startled. “I can’t... I...”
“Of course you can,” Owen assured her. “You’ve been part of Torchwood Three longest after Jack, and you’ll be brilliant. Stop doubting yourself, love.”
Tosh blushed a little at Owen’s words of confidence. She hazarded a glance at Gwen, but the other woman only smiled and nodded in wordless agreement. When she looked back at Jack, his smile was warm and encouraging.
“I already know you’re brilliant. I know you can do this. Trust me, Tosh. Give yourself a chance.”
Tosh let her breath out in a rush. The idea still frightened her silly, but she was also touched by Jack’s public show of faith in her.
“All right,” she said finally, hoping she didn’t look quite as much like a startled rabbit as she felt. “I accept. I’ll do my best not to let you down, Jack.”
He reached across the table to grasp her hand and press a kiss to the back of it.
“You never could. Now, to the other business of the morning. As you know, we brought Jason back from Flat Holm yesterday. Ianto and I have taken our time considering his situation, and we’ve made a decision. Once Jason has had a chance to settle in, he’ll come to work with us here, in the Hub...”
“You cannot be serious!”
Jack shut his eyes just momentarily. He was not the least bit surprised that the strident objection had come so swiftly from Gwen. Disappointed, perhaps, but not surprised.
“Gwen...”
“No! Jack, have you completely taken leave of your senses?”
Unappreciative of her choice of words, Jack spoke in a sharp tone that Gwen simply didn’t seem to hear.
“As a matter of fact, Gwen, I am serious. This is what’s happening. It’s not up for debate.”
“Oh, for god’s sake, Jack, there are so many things wrong with this, I don’t know where to start!”
“Why don’t you try?” Jack challenged her, while struggling to hold onto his rapidly thinning patience. “Give me one solid reason why this shouldn’t happen.”
“He’s just a boy,” Gwen said bluntly. “This isn’t a suitable environment for someone who isn’t even legally an adult!”
Jack nodded, conceding the point.
“Ordinarily, that would be true. Jason’s circumstances are a little different, though. Considering his background, helping out here might actually smooth his transition into society. This... what we do... is the norm for him.”
“You seriously can’t believe his story about fighting aliens, do you?” she retorted, drawing incredulous looks from her colleagues.
“Gwen,” Tosh said in exasperation, “haven’t you learnt by now not to discount anything? We know he’s come here from a parallel universe, and he has no reason to lie to us.”
He is just a kid, though,” Owen interjected before Gwen could argue further. “Exactly what are you planning on having him do here?”
Jack answered in a more passive tone, somewhat mollified by Owen and Tosh’s more moderate reactions.
“Nothing too intensive, and it’ll only be for a few hours a day at the most, after school and only then if he wants to. He’ll help Ianto by doing some administrative tasks and maybe even learn some basic archiving. He won’t be handling any artefacts or dealing with aliens directly. The most involved he’ll get might be in helping to coordinate the occasional mission.”
Owen nodded slowly.
“That’s reasonable enough. One thing’s for sure, he’ll get a fuller education working with us than just by going to school.”
Jack looked across at Tosh, who looked thoughtful.
“If he’s interested, I could introduce him to Mainframe and teach him the computer system in general. There are plenty of things he could study, like known alien species.”
Jack looked pleased by the suggestion.
“I think he’d probably like that. Gwen...?”
Again, he was not at all surprised by the belligerent look of displeasure on her face.
“I don’t know why you’re bothering to ask me for my opinion. Clearly it means nothing to you.”
“Not true, Gwen,” Jack countered wearily. “I value your opinion just as I value Tosh’s and Owen’s and Ianto’s. You just need to accept that that doesn’t automatically translate to agreeing with you. Your point about his age was a valid one, but Jason’s circumstances are special. No, I don’t want him fully immersed in this life, but I do think it will help him to adjust to be allowed to help us out in small ways.”
“What about where he’s going to live?” she asked, sounding marginally less irritated. “How will you explain his comings and goings to whatever family you place him with?”
“Not an issue,” Jack declared, all the while internally bracing himself for yet another explosive objection. “Jason will be living with me and Ianto. Ianto has created documents identifying me as his uncle and making me his legal guardian.”
“That is actually a pretty clever solution,” Owen mused.
“It certainly covers all the contingencies,” Tosh agreed. “I assume Jason knows he can’t talk about Torchwood, or anything related, to anyone he might meet at school or elsewhere?”
“He knows,” Jack confirmed. “He’s clear on the basic protocols, but he’ll be given the Charter to study when Ianto brings him in later this morning. Gwen? Care to add your piece? I know you’re chomping at the bit, so out with it.”
Gwen knew that, despite best intentions, she had a strong propensity to speak first and think later and, in the process, unintentionally cause hurt. She knew this about herself and still could not stop herself from uttering the words that next came out of her mouth.
“Do you really think that you’re the right person to be acting as his guardian, Jack?”
The stony look on Jack’s face would have been enough to stymie most people from arguing further. Gwen, however, thrived on confrontation, and that look on his face only spurred her on.
“Care to elaborate on that?” Jack asked in a tone that was one step shy of frigid.
“Well,” Gwen said with a sympathetic look and tone that had as much sincerity as Owen’s bedside manner, “you’re not exactly a father figure, are you? I mean, Jason is going to need stability. How can you give him that, Jack? Have you ever even looked after a boy his age before?”
Jack stood up abruptly, with an expression that could have frozen magma.
“As a matter of fact, I have. A whole platoon full of them.”
He walked from the room in silence, leaving one of his team frowning after him and the other two looking like they wished they were elsewhere.
“Fucking hell, Gwen,” Owen said in exasperation. “You really have a talent for hurting him in the worst possible ways. Congratu-fucking-lations.”
As he left the conference room, Gwen looked at Tosh with a familiar expression of defiance.
“I am not wrong about this.”
“Yes, Gwen,” Tosh replied with unexpected anger in her tone. “This time, you are wrong.”
“Tosh...”
“No, you’ve said your piece. Now you can listen. Ever since we found Jason in that warehouse, you’ve butted heads with Jack at every possible turn. You argued, needled, accused, and now this. I’ve tried to see your point of view but this time you’ve gone too far.”
“Tosh, I wasn’t trying to hurt Jack but he needs to hear the truth.”
“But that’s the problem, Gwen. It’s only the truth according to you. And you know what? Your version of the truth leaves quite a bit lacking.”
“You can’t...”
“Talk to you like that? Why not, Gwen? That’s the way you talk to Jack. That’s the way you talk to all of us when you get on your high-horse about something. Why should you be exempt from getting a nice, healthy dose of the truth when you deserve it?”
Gwen’s mouth opened and closed, but nothing came out. Taking advantage of her colleague’s apparent shock, Tosh spoke again as she stood up.
“I don’t know what it is about this case as a whole that’s put you on the offensive but you had better figure it out soon and get yourself sorted out because the only person with issues is you. And for the record, I believe Jack would make a wonderful father.”
Tosh walked out of the conference room with her head held high and leaving Gwen standing there in stunned silence.
“I probably ought to tell you that I recorded all of that,” Owen said as she passed the autopsy bay. Tosh paused, raising an eyebrow at him.
“Who are you planning to blackmail?”
Owen grinned up at her.
“Not you, darlin’. Even I’m not that dumb. No, I thought Jack might appreciate seeing it, once he’s had a chance to think things over properly, and realise Queen Cooper is just blowing hot air again.”
“She really hurt him, Owen,” Tosh said softly. “Why can’t she see that?”
“Can’t see the wood for the trees, that one,” Owen said with a sigh. “And I suppose... when you’re treated like you’re something special for long enough, sooner or later you’re bound to start believing it.”
“I hate her hypocrisy,” Tosh fumed. “She treats us like we know nothing and gets her nose right out of joint when we prove her wrong. She argues all the time but doesn’t think we have a right to argue against her. And then there’s the way she blatantly pants after Jack. She flirts with him all the time, right in front of Ianto! How can she not see how wrong that is?”
Her tirade was halted by the unexpected sensation of Owen’s arms around her and she realised that she hadn’t even noticed him leave the autopsy bay.
“That’s just plain old jealousy and wishful thinking on her part, darlin’. Ianto doesn’t like it but he also knows it means nothing to Jack. Did you notice that Jack doesn’t actually reciprocate anymore when she flirts? He hasn’t returned the flirting now for months. I don’t know when it happened, but Jack is well and truly committed to Ianto. Nothing Gwen does is going to change that.”
He hugged her close, pressing soft kisses to the top of her head, until an overly loud cough alerted them to the fact that they were being observed. Tosh tried to pull away but Owen didn’t let her and instead spoke in an utterly nonchalant tone.
“Problem, Gwen?”
Gwen frowned a little, unsure whether it was the sight of Tosh and Owen together that bothered her more, or the fact that they didn’t seem to care that they were rubbing her nose in it with their open display of affection.
“Last I checked, this was working hours,” she pointed out, uncomfortably aware of how snippy she sounded but also unable to help herself. Owen, however, only smiled in answer.
“Better get to work then, hadn’t you?”
While Gwen didn’t actually humph and stomp off, the look on her face and the stiffness of her posture told them both exactly what she was thinking.
“We’ll be hearing more about this, without a doubt,” Tosh said with a sigh. Owen kissed her softly, chastely, before finally letting her go.
“When you go back to your desk, she’s going to speak to you. She won’t be able to help herself. It’ll be along the lines of ‘oh, Tosh, are you sure you know what you’re doing? You know what he’s like, he’s just using you. Wouldn’t know commitment if it bit him on the arse...’ You know, all that usual rubbish. Just remember three things. One, she doesn’t know we haven’t slept together yet. Two, I talk to you about Katie. She doesn’t even know I was once engaged. Thirdly...” He paused, gazing at her with what could only be described as surprised realisation.
“I love you,” he told her simply. Tosh looked startled, and then delighted.
“I love you, too,” she answered with heartfelt fervour, relishing the sincere joy on Owen’s face at her reply. Exchanging another brief kiss, Tosh headed back to her desk.
Owen wasn’t wrong in his prediction. Tosh had barely sat down before Gwen spoke.
“You know he won’t commit to you, don’t you?”
Tosh looked up slowly, willing herself to stay calm.
“Excuse me?”
Gwen offered a tentative smile which Tosh supposed was intended to be sympathetic, but the jealousy in the other woman’s eyes was painfully obvious. It didn’t take much imagination for Tosh to guess what Gwen was most likely thinking.
If I can’t have him, why should you...?
Childish, and beautifully ironic, considering it wasn’t even Owen that she really wanted. She thought back to Owen’s words about being treated as something special and supposed she had to concede that Gwen’s superior attitude was not entirely her own fault. They had all contributed to her attitude in some way – even herself, by not speaking out sooner. Not anymore, though. Gwen was no rookie anymore, and the time for treating her with proverbial kid gloves was over.
“I know what he’s like, Tosh,” Gwen said in what Tosh suspected was an entirely unintentional condescending tone. “All he’s interested in is an easy shag. Please, don’t let him hurt you.”
In an instant, Tosh’s animosity vanished. However she’d started out, those last words were spoken with utter sincerity. Smiling and taking Gwen’s hand, Tosh spoke reassuringly.
“Don’t worry, Gwen. I’ll be fine. You don’t need to worry. Really.”
Looking somewhat reassured, Gwen returned to her own desk, leaving Tosh to get on with her own work with a not-so-small feeling of relief.
to be continued....
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
From:
no subject
Very happy to read this new update.
There does seem to be some posting issues.
You might want to recheck since half the chapter is repeated again.
I have tried reloading my page to see if it was my laptop playing up but it still has the same issue.
Love the update. Hanging to read more!
From:
no subject
From:
no subject
Good on Tosh for telling Gwen off and Owen for recording it. Love the interaction between Ianto and Jason in the beginning.
Looking forward to the next update.
From:
no subject
I love the idea of Toshiko being Jack's second. She'll do a great job, with Ianto and Owen to support her. And Jason, when he gets to know her better.
So looking forward to Jason in the Hub. That's going to be fun!
Also, glad to hear the good news about your folks. I'm really glad they're doing so well.
PS: I reread "Another World" the other day. I can't recall if I ever commented on it, but I just wanted to say that it's a great story and I really didn't watch much of L&O:CI until I read it the first time. That and "No Greater Gift" are now on my Kindle permanently. :)
From:
no subject
Love the conversation between Jason & Ianto during breakfast. Good that they both know that Jason will have his moments when he will be overwhelmed when thinking about his former life. Going to the Hub & helping out will do wonders for him.
Gwen, what can I say! She has no knowledge regarding Jack's qualities when it comes to parenting skills. Tosh & Owen may not know everything about Jack's private & previous life, but, they know enough to not make stupid, crass assumptions. I love that Tosh is Second In Command & as her first official act, putting Gwen in her place. Well done, Tosh. Thanks Owen, for recording it. But, still, Gwen does not learn; to be so presumptions to think she can give Tosh advice concerning Owen - the women is delusional. Wonder what her reaction will be at the news of Jack & Ianto's engagement. I'm sure I am going to love it, Gwen will not.
Great update.
From:
no subject