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blucougar.livejournal.com posting in antigwenallies Jun. 10th, 2014 10:31 pm)Title: Adaption
Chapter Thirteen: Celebrations
Author: blucougar57
Summary: A new rift victim proves to be a revelation to the Torchwood team, and then some.
Rating: T
A/N: Jason is introduced to the Hub, and Jack makes an announcement that delights some, but not all...
Sorry for the delay in posting. My mum is home from rehab now, but she is pretty restricted in what she can do at the moment.
This is more or less the last chapter in the first part of this story. The next chapter will skip ahead a little, with Jason starting at a new school. But no fear - life is never dull when you're involved with Torchwood! And also, Gwen will still continue to cause problems in one way or another, despite making a show of conciliation.
One another thrilling note, I am off to Sydney in a couple of days' time for Supanova, where I will be meeting John Barrowman for the first time. :D Having secured a VIP ticket, I won't have to worry about long waits in queues for autographs and photos, or missing out on a seat at his panels. I'm immensely excited, especially since John and Scott posted pics on the office JB Facebook page today of them in first class on a Qantas plane, ahead of a 14 hour flight. They're on their way, and all fears of cancellation are evaporating!
Supanova, here I come!!!
Chapter Thirteen
Jason wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting when he and Ianto arrived at Roald Dahl Plass, but it wasn’t to be escorted to a tourist office on the boardwalk. He watched with a mixture of puzzlement and amusement as Ianto unlocked the door and let them in.
“I assume this is a front,” he asked, trying hard not to feel underwhelmed.
“Yes,” Ianto confirmed. “A functioning front. I try to have it open for at least a couple of hours every day. It helps to keep people from becoming suspicious. When you’re more familiar with Cardiff, this is something I might get you to do occasionally.” He paused, taking in the mixed emotions on the boy’s face. “What are you thinking about?”
Jason tried to smile but found he couldn’t quite manage it.
“I was just thinking about our Command Centre... in my world. It was out in the middle of the desert, and we had to teleport to get there. One hell of a walk, otherwise. It didn’t look like much on the outside, but it was pretty cool on the inside. Alien technology, and all that.”
Ianto smiled wryly.
“I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised when we get down into the Hub.”
Jason’s eyes went wide as he seemed to suddenly realise that he was being unintentionally insulting.
“I didn’t mean that in a bad way! I just... I meant... Aw, hell...”
“It’s all right,” Ianto assured him. “I think I understand. And we do actually have another entrance out on the Plass, at the foot of the water tower. We call it the invisible lift, and I’m sure Jack will be more than eager to show it off to you at some point today. For now, though, we’ll be a little more subtle.”
He reached behind the desk to hit the hidden button, and Jason laughed as the wall slid back to reveal the passageway beyond.
“Now that’s cool.”
Ianto motioned towards the opening as he went back to lock the tourist office door behind them.
“Go ahead.”
Jason paused, though, looking around the tourist office with apparent fresh appreciation.
“I could do that, I think.”
“What’s that?”
“Work in here. Like you said, once I’m familiar with Cardiff, I could help out by working in here. I could do this.”
“Only if you want to,” Ianto told him. “Just remember, Jason. You don’t have to do absolutely everything that we suggest. You’re not an employee. You’re here voluntarily and you don’t need to feel obligated to anything you don’t want to do, or don’t feel comfortable with.”
“Yeah, I understand that,” Jason said. “But my dad raised me not to turn my nose up to any kind of work. He always said that if you aren’t prepared to do it yourself, then whatever you need me to do, I’ll do. I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty.”
The smile on Ianto’s face was still warm, if also a touch sad.
“Yes, well, let’s hope we can avoid that for as long as possible.”
As Jason allowed himself to be ushered into the hidden passage, he couldn’t help but think that Ianto meant that in more than just the literal sense.
* * * * *
Jason knew he’d been inside the Hub before but that he’d been heavily sedated at the time. Therefore, he was only really seeing it for the first time, and he was seriously impressed by what he was seeing.
The Command Centre in his own world had been awesome in its own way, but there had also been a touch of the fantastical about it. Every time they’d teleported in, Jason had experienced a touch of surrealism, as though he’d just teleported into the middle of one of those old-style sci-fi films that his parents loved to watch.
The Hub, though, was a whole new level of awesome, all the more so because it looked so starkly real. There was no glossy sheen on everything, as was the case in the Command Centre. Here, the place looked lived-in... It looked human and that, Jason realised, was the difference. This place had a human element to it that was so starkly lacking from the Command Centre. This place was run by humans, not a disembodied head and a hysterical robot.
“How far underground are we?” he wondered, peering upwards at the ceiling that seemed so far away.
“Approximately one hundred feet,” Ianto answered. “There are more levels beneath this one. We have an extensive archives, cells, a submarine dock...”
“But no submarine?” Jason asked with a small grin that was matched by Ianto.
“Sadly, no.”
He didn’t elaborate and Jason made a mental note to ask later about what he suspected was a very interesting story.
“We did have an SUV that was designed to simulate a boat,” a new voice said with wry humour, “but it turns out you can’t waterproof a car, no matter how many James Bond movies you’ve seen.”
Jason grinned as Jack approached.
“I guess that means Chitty Chitty Bang Bang isn’t based on reality, then, either? Damn. And I always wanted a flying car.”
Jack roared with laughter, his earlier melancholy all but forgotten.
“How are you doing? Did you sleep okay?”
“Yeah,” Jason confirmed. “Like a log. Plus, Uncle Ianto cooked an awesome breakfast.”
From somewhere close by, there was a strange, strangled noise which Jack and Ianto pointedly ignored. Able to reasonably guess the source of the noise, Jason also ignored it. Ianto had already forewarned him that not all of the Torchwood team were likely to be entirely happy with his presence, and to expect possibly negativity. As far as he was concerned, what he chose to call the two men who had become like second fathers to him was his business and no one else’s. Even so, a small, less than saintly part of him couldn’t resist throwing the proverbial cat amongst the pigeons.
“Uncle Jack, is it okay if Uncle Ianto introduces me to Myfanwy? I’ve wanted to meet her ever since you first told me about her.”
Jack couldn’t stop the beaming smile that formed on his face. He knew what Jason had done with his seemingly innocuous request, and he couldn’t help but feel touched, knowing that this displaced teen had claimed him and Ianto as family. A subtle glance told him that Ianto felt much the same way.
“We’ll both take you up to see her a bit later, but there’s something I want to do first. Owen! Come up here. Gwen, Tosh?”
“What is it, Jack?” Tosh asked as they gathered around. Jack smiled nervously as he produced a velvet box out of his pocket.
“I have a special announcement. Yesterday, I asked Ianto to marry me, and he said yes. Made me the happiest guy in all the UK.”
Tosh squealed in delight, while Owen made exaggerated gagging noises. Jack barely noticed, his attention fixed on Ianto. He held up the box and opened it to reveal two beautiful white gold rings. Ianto’s jaw dropped a little, and he looked incredulously at Jack.
“You couldn’t have done this in that half hour you disappeared for yesterday...”
“I have a confession,” Jack admitted with more than a hint of nerves in his voice. “I ordered these a month and a half ago. I went there yesterday while you were getting Jason fitted for a winter coat to check on the progress. The jeweller was just putting the finishing touches on them, and I was able to pick them up this morning.”
Owen chuckled, both at the admission and at Ianto’s gobsmacked expression.
“So that’s why you were late in this morning. We thought you were late because you stopped to shag the teaboy.”
Ianto glowered at Owen.
“If you want decaf, you’re going about it the right way. And as for you...” He look back at Jack with a softening expression. “Were you really planning this before yesterday?”
“Yeah,” Jack admitted. “I might not have asked you when I did, if not for a bit of timely poking, but yeah. I was planning to eventually. I hope you’re not mad...”
Jack was silenced very abruptly by Ianto’s lips against his in a fervent and prolonged kiss.
“We have you to thank for this, do we?” Owen asked Jason, an amused smirk on his face. Jason grinned and shrugged.
“I might’ve given them that little poke. Sounds like I didn’t encourage something that wasn’t going to happen anyway, though.”
“No,” Jack conceded as he and Ianto separated long enough to slip a ring onto each other’s fingers. “But you had the right words to convince me beyond all doubt that it was the right decision, so thank you.”
“I think this calls for a celebration,” Gwen said, speaking for the first time since Ianto and Jason had arrived. “Why don’t I pop out and get a lovely cake, or some such from that little bakery down on Mermaid Quay?”
Jack smiled warmly in her direction, appreciative of the effort she was making, given her earlier display in the conference room.
“That would be nice, Gwen. Thank you.”
She paused, looking from one man to the other with the faintest hint of melancholy before speaking in a quiet and sincere tone.
“Congratulations, both of you.”
Then she was gone before either man had a chance to respond.
“Well, she’s making an effort,” Owen commented. “Have to give her that, at least.”
“She’s got a major crush on you, huh?” Jason mused. Jack nodded, looking as though he still didn’t really understand why it was such an issue.
“Yeah, I guess so. I admit that I flirted with her a lot... I mean, she’s an attractive woman, and where I’m from, it encouraged to show interest in more than one person. I know, I should have discouraged it, but I didn’t, so I suppose it’s as much my fault as hers.”
“Uh, excuse me,” Owen said, “but exactly how many times did you tell her to hold on to her life and not let things slide? Because I lost count of the number of times you let her go home early, or gave her a day off to spend time with Rhys. It’s not your fault that she didn’t do what you told her to do.”
“He’s right, Jack,” Tosh agreed. “If Gwen’s managed to get her priorities confused, then that’s her fault. Not yours. And besides, Jack, you flirt with nearly everyone! It also isn’t your fault that she can’t see that it’s just a part of who you are.”
“You used to flirt with everyone,” Ianto corrected. “Aside from when you use it to charm somebody, you’ve not flirted just for the sake of it for months.”
“You think Gwen hasn’t noticed that the flirting has stopped?” Jack wondered.
“On the contrary, I’m sure she has. It would account for why she’s upped the ante, so to speak. I suspect that she didn’t understand why you’d stopped, and she’d been trying to get you to start again.”
Jack snorted.
“Not gonna happen.”
“Guaranteed she’ll have red eyes when she gets back,” Owen predicted, “and tomorrow she’ll probably turn up in the sexiest, most revealing outfit she’s got.”
Jack uttered a short laugh.
“She does that, I’ll find a reason to send her into the sewers.”
“I’ll put down a fiver on that,” Owen said, only to earn himself a reproachful look from Tosh.
“Stop it. You don’t always have to assume the worst. She was sincere before when she congratulated them.”
“True,” Owen conceded, although he was only moderately contrite. “Anyway, congratulations and all that. Now, if you’ll excuse me, some of us still have work to do.”
Jack nodded and clapped Jason lightly on the shoulder.
“C’mon. Let’s introduce you to Myfanwy.”
* * * * *
When Gwen returned half an hour later there was no sign of the red eyes that Owen had predicted. She was, however, suspiciously cheerful to the point of exaggeration. The cake she unveiled, though, was enough to put a stop to even Owen’s snarky comments. It was a lavish Black Forest Cake and carefully piped icing on the top read ‘Congratulations Jack & Ianto’, finished off with the Celtic symbol for love.
Touched, Ianto drew her in for a warm hug.
“Thank you,” he murmured, pressing a light kiss to her cheek before stepping back to allow Jack to do the same. “It’s absolutely gorgeous.”
“Well, our boys deserve the best,” she said, her smile a little less forced.
“Seriously, though,” Jack said, “thank you.”
“I think,” Ianto declared as he lifted the cake with care, “that this calls for a proper, sit-down morning tea. Let’s take this to the conference room, shall we?”
They all filed upstairs, until only Jason and Gwen were left. She looked at the teen with a guarded expression. After all, they had not exactly hit it off when they met on Flat Holm Island, and Gwen supposed he probably was aware of her objection to him being in the Hub. She was surprised, therefore, when he smiled warmly at her.
“That took a lot of fortitude. I know a lot of people who wouldn’t have been as gracious.”
She blushed a little, seeing no point in playing ignorant. No doubt Owen had probably blurted out about the torch she carried for Jack, in the time she’d been out getting the cake. The thought irritated her, but she knew in her heart that she’d brought any likely ridicule on herself.
“I have my fantasies,” she murmured, wondering at the same why she was admitting this much to a boy she barely knew and had already clashed with more than once. “But that’s all they are.”
In a gesture that was eerily reminiscent of Ianto’s natural propriety, Jason offered her his arm.
“May I escort you to the conference room?”
“You may,” she answered, slipping her arm through his. Jason paused, then smiled sheepishly.
“Where is it, again?”
Gwen laughed and the last vestiges of tension between them dissolved, at least for the moment.
“C’mon,” she said, urging him towards the stairs. “That way.”
* * * * *
Both Jack and Ianto shared a wondering glance as Jason entered the conference room with Gwen on his arm, and then another when Gwen ushered Jason into the seat beside her. Neither said a word, not caring to disrupt whatever fragile truce had obviously been struck. Instead Jack passed glasses of champagne around, although he handed Jason a glass of Pepsi.
“No alcohol for you,” Jack told him with a wink. “You’re underage.”
Jason smirked in return and accepted the soda cheerfully.
“For the record, I would’ve refused even if you’d offered it. I had a very unpleasant experience a year or so back involving a bottle of wine, my two best friends and a very embarrassing skinny dipping incident at the beach in the middle of the day.”
“Say no more,” Tosh laughed. “You’ll give Jack ideas!”
“You think that’s a new idea to me?” Jack retorted as he sat. “Shame, Toshiko. I thought you knew me better than that.”
Laughter erupted around the table and Owen predictably complained about too much information. Ianto cut the cake and once it had been distributed, Jack spoke.
“We have two reasons to celebrate. First of all, Ianto saying yes and making me the happiest guy in all of Wales. Secondly, for Jason’s recovery and joining the family.”
“Literally,” Owen said with a grin. “A word of advice, kid. Do not go getting yourself into trouble with the local plods. Your new uncle here is none too popular with them and once they realise the familial connection...”
Owen trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid. Jason laughed, amused at the mere thought of being in trouble with the law.
“The worst trouble I was ever in was in grade school, and it wasn’t actually something I’d done. I... I wasn’t well-liked when I was a kid. I still don’t know why, but everyone had me pegged for being a bully, even though I wasn’t. A new kid and I hit it off... he was as lonely as I was... We were seen together at lunchtime on Billy’s first day and another kid said I’d been bullying him. I was caned for it and it wasn’t until after school, when Billy told his dad and my dad what really happened, that it all got sorted out.” Jason shrugged and offered a calm smile to the others who had fallen into a sober silence at his story. “I made my first real friend that day, and Billy’s been there ever since, so it all worked out okay.”
“You keep on like that and we’re going to need more alcohol in here,” Owen retorted. “Not to mention a shot of insulin for the sugar.”
“Oh, shut up, Owen,” Gwen said with a laugh. “I think it’s a great thing that Jason can be so positive.”
Again, Jack and Ianto exchanged bemused looks. Neither said a word, though. She was trying, at least. They could only hope it lasted.
* * * * *
to be continued....
Chapter Thirteen: Celebrations
Author: blucougar57
Summary: A new rift victim proves to be a revelation to the Torchwood team, and then some.
Rating: T
A/N: Jason is introduced to the Hub, and Jack makes an announcement that delights some, but not all...
Sorry for the delay in posting. My mum is home from rehab now, but she is pretty restricted in what she can do at the moment.
This is more or less the last chapter in the first part of this story. The next chapter will skip ahead a little, with Jason starting at a new school. But no fear - life is never dull when you're involved with Torchwood! And also, Gwen will still continue to cause problems in one way or another, despite making a show of conciliation.
One another thrilling note, I am off to Sydney in a couple of days' time for Supanova, where I will be meeting John Barrowman for the first time. :D Having secured a VIP ticket, I won't have to worry about long waits in queues for autographs and photos, or missing out on a seat at his panels. I'm immensely excited, especially since John and Scott posted pics on the office JB Facebook page today of them in first class on a Qantas plane, ahead of a 14 hour flight. They're on their way, and all fears of cancellation are evaporating!
Supanova, here I come!!!
Jason wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting when he and Ianto arrived at Roald Dahl Plass, but it wasn’t to be escorted to a tourist office on the boardwalk. He watched with a mixture of puzzlement and amusement as Ianto unlocked the door and let them in.
“I assume this is a front,” he asked, trying hard not to feel underwhelmed.
“Yes,” Ianto confirmed. “A functioning front. I try to have it open for at least a couple of hours every day. It helps to keep people from becoming suspicious. When you’re more familiar with Cardiff, this is something I might get you to do occasionally.” He paused, taking in the mixed emotions on the boy’s face. “What are you thinking about?”
Jason tried to smile but found he couldn’t quite manage it.
“I was just thinking about our Command Centre... in my world. It was out in the middle of the desert, and we had to teleport to get there. One hell of a walk, otherwise. It didn’t look like much on the outside, but it was pretty cool on the inside. Alien technology, and all that.”
Ianto smiled wryly.
“I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised when we get down into the Hub.”
Jason’s eyes went wide as he seemed to suddenly realise that he was being unintentionally insulting.
“I didn’t mean that in a bad way! I just... I meant... Aw, hell...”
“It’s all right,” Ianto assured him. “I think I understand. And we do actually have another entrance out on the Plass, at the foot of the water tower. We call it the invisible lift, and I’m sure Jack will be more than eager to show it off to you at some point today. For now, though, we’ll be a little more subtle.”
He reached behind the desk to hit the hidden button, and Jason laughed as the wall slid back to reveal the passageway beyond.
“Now that’s cool.”
Ianto motioned towards the opening as he went back to lock the tourist office door behind them.
“Go ahead.”
Jason paused, though, looking around the tourist office with apparent fresh appreciation.
“I could do that, I think.”
“What’s that?”
“Work in here. Like you said, once I’m familiar with Cardiff, I could help out by working in here. I could do this.”
“Only if you want to,” Ianto told him. “Just remember, Jason. You don’t have to do absolutely everything that we suggest. You’re not an employee. You’re here voluntarily and you don’t need to feel obligated to anything you don’t want to do, or don’t feel comfortable with.”
“Yeah, I understand that,” Jason said. “But my dad raised me not to turn my nose up to any kind of work. He always said that if you aren’t prepared to do it yourself, then whatever you need me to do, I’ll do. I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty.”
The smile on Ianto’s face was still warm, if also a touch sad.
“Yes, well, let’s hope we can avoid that for as long as possible.”
As Jason allowed himself to be ushered into the hidden passage, he couldn’t help but think that Ianto meant that in more than just the literal sense.
Jason knew he’d been inside the Hub before but that he’d been heavily sedated at the time. Therefore, he was only really seeing it for the first time, and he was seriously impressed by what he was seeing.
The Command Centre in his own world had been awesome in its own way, but there had also been a touch of the fantastical about it. Every time they’d teleported in, Jason had experienced a touch of surrealism, as though he’d just teleported into the middle of one of those old-style sci-fi films that his parents loved to watch.
The Hub, though, was a whole new level of awesome, all the more so because it looked so starkly real. There was no glossy sheen on everything, as was the case in the Command Centre. Here, the place looked lived-in... It looked human and that, Jason realised, was the difference. This place had a human element to it that was so starkly lacking from the Command Centre. This place was run by humans, not a disembodied head and a hysterical robot.
“How far underground are we?” he wondered, peering upwards at the ceiling that seemed so far away.
“Approximately one hundred feet,” Ianto answered. “There are more levels beneath this one. We have an extensive archives, cells, a submarine dock...”
“But no submarine?” Jason asked with a small grin that was matched by Ianto.
“Sadly, no.”
He didn’t elaborate and Jason made a mental note to ask later about what he suspected was a very interesting story.
“We did have an SUV that was designed to simulate a boat,” a new voice said with wry humour, “but it turns out you can’t waterproof a car, no matter how many James Bond movies you’ve seen.”
Jason grinned as Jack approached.
“I guess that means Chitty Chitty Bang Bang isn’t based on reality, then, either? Damn. And I always wanted a flying car.”
Jack roared with laughter, his earlier melancholy all but forgotten.
“How are you doing? Did you sleep okay?”
“Yeah,” Jason confirmed. “Like a log. Plus, Uncle Ianto cooked an awesome breakfast.”
From somewhere close by, there was a strange, strangled noise which Jack and Ianto pointedly ignored. Able to reasonably guess the source of the noise, Jason also ignored it. Ianto had already forewarned him that not all of the Torchwood team were likely to be entirely happy with his presence, and to expect possibly negativity. As far as he was concerned, what he chose to call the two men who had become like second fathers to him was his business and no one else’s. Even so, a small, less than saintly part of him couldn’t resist throwing the proverbial cat amongst the pigeons.
“Uncle Jack, is it okay if Uncle Ianto introduces me to Myfanwy? I’ve wanted to meet her ever since you first told me about her.”
Jack couldn’t stop the beaming smile that formed on his face. He knew what Jason had done with his seemingly innocuous request, and he couldn’t help but feel touched, knowing that this displaced teen had claimed him and Ianto as family. A subtle glance told him that Ianto felt much the same way.
“We’ll both take you up to see her a bit later, but there’s something I want to do first. Owen! Come up here. Gwen, Tosh?”
“What is it, Jack?” Tosh asked as they gathered around. Jack smiled nervously as he produced a velvet box out of his pocket.
“I have a special announcement. Yesterday, I asked Ianto to marry me, and he said yes. Made me the happiest guy in all the UK.”
Tosh squealed in delight, while Owen made exaggerated gagging noises. Jack barely noticed, his attention fixed on Ianto. He held up the box and opened it to reveal two beautiful white gold rings. Ianto’s jaw dropped a little, and he looked incredulously at Jack.
“You couldn’t have done this in that half hour you disappeared for yesterday...”
“I have a confession,” Jack admitted with more than a hint of nerves in his voice. “I ordered these a month and a half ago. I went there yesterday while you were getting Jason fitted for a winter coat to check on the progress. The jeweller was just putting the finishing touches on them, and I was able to pick them up this morning.”
Owen chuckled, both at the admission and at Ianto’s gobsmacked expression.
“So that’s why you were late in this morning. We thought you were late because you stopped to shag the teaboy.”
Ianto glowered at Owen.
“If you want decaf, you’re going about it the right way. And as for you...” He look back at Jack with a softening expression. “Were you really planning this before yesterday?”
“Yeah,” Jack admitted. “I might not have asked you when I did, if not for a bit of timely poking, but yeah. I was planning to eventually. I hope you’re not mad...”
Jack was silenced very abruptly by Ianto’s lips against his in a fervent and prolonged kiss.
“We have you to thank for this, do we?” Owen asked Jason, an amused smirk on his face. Jason grinned and shrugged.
“I might’ve given them that little poke. Sounds like I didn’t encourage something that wasn’t going to happen anyway, though.”
“No,” Jack conceded as he and Ianto separated long enough to slip a ring onto each other’s fingers. “But you had the right words to convince me beyond all doubt that it was the right decision, so thank you.”
“I think this calls for a celebration,” Gwen said, speaking for the first time since Ianto and Jason had arrived. “Why don’t I pop out and get a lovely cake, or some such from that little bakery down on Mermaid Quay?”
Jack smiled warmly in her direction, appreciative of the effort she was making, given her earlier display in the conference room.
“That would be nice, Gwen. Thank you.”
She paused, looking from one man to the other with the faintest hint of melancholy before speaking in a quiet and sincere tone.
“Congratulations, both of you.”
Then she was gone before either man had a chance to respond.
“Well, she’s making an effort,” Owen commented. “Have to give her that, at least.”
“She’s got a major crush on you, huh?” Jason mused. Jack nodded, looking as though he still didn’t really understand why it was such an issue.
“Yeah, I guess so. I admit that I flirted with her a lot... I mean, she’s an attractive woman, and where I’m from, it encouraged to show interest in more than one person. I know, I should have discouraged it, but I didn’t, so I suppose it’s as much my fault as hers.”
“Uh, excuse me,” Owen said, “but exactly how many times did you tell her to hold on to her life and not let things slide? Because I lost count of the number of times you let her go home early, or gave her a day off to spend time with Rhys. It’s not your fault that she didn’t do what you told her to do.”
“He’s right, Jack,” Tosh agreed. “If Gwen’s managed to get her priorities confused, then that’s her fault. Not yours. And besides, Jack, you flirt with nearly everyone! It also isn’t your fault that she can’t see that it’s just a part of who you are.”
“You used to flirt with everyone,” Ianto corrected. “Aside from when you use it to charm somebody, you’ve not flirted just for the sake of it for months.”
“You think Gwen hasn’t noticed that the flirting has stopped?” Jack wondered.
“On the contrary, I’m sure she has. It would account for why she’s upped the ante, so to speak. I suspect that she didn’t understand why you’d stopped, and she’d been trying to get you to start again.”
Jack snorted.
“Not gonna happen.”
“Guaranteed she’ll have red eyes when she gets back,” Owen predicted, “and tomorrow she’ll probably turn up in the sexiest, most revealing outfit she’s got.”
Jack uttered a short laugh.
“She does that, I’ll find a reason to send her into the sewers.”
“I’ll put down a fiver on that,” Owen said, only to earn himself a reproachful look from Tosh.
“Stop it. You don’t always have to assume the worst. She was sincere before when she congratulated them.”
“True,” Owen conceded, although he was only moderately contrite. “Anyway, congratulations and all that. Now, if you’ll excuse me, some of us still have work to do.”
Jack nodded and clapped Jason lightly on the shoulder.
“C’mon. Let’s introduce you to Myfanwy.”
When Gwen returned half an hour later there was no sign of the red eyes that Owen had predicted. She was, however, suspiciously cheerful to the point of exaggeration. The cake she unveiled, though, was enough to put a stop to even Owen’s snarky comments. It was a lavish Black Forest Cake and carefully piped icing on the top read ‘Congratulations Jack & Ianto’, finished off with the Celtic symbol for love.
Touched, Ianto drew her in for a warm hug.
“Thank you,” he murmured, pressing a light kiss to her cheek before stepping back to allow Jack to do the same. “It’s absolutely gorgeous.”
“Well, our boys deserve the best,” she said, her smile a little less forced.
“Seriously, though,” Jack said, “thank you.”
“I think,” Ianto declared as he lifted the cake with care, “that this calls for a proper, sit-down morning tea. Let’s take this to the conference room, shall we?”
They all filed upstairs, until only Jason and Gwen were left. She looked at the teen with a guarded expression. After all, they had not exactly hit it off when they met on Flat Holm Island, and Gwen supposed he probably was aware of her objection to him being in the Hub. She was surprised, therefore, when he smiled warmly at her.
“That took a lot of fortitude. I know a lot of people who wouldn’t have been as gracious.”
She blushed a little, seeing no point in playing ignorant. No doubt Owen had probably blurted out about the torch she carried for Jack, in the time she’d been out getting the cake. The thought irritated her, but she knew in her heart that she’d brought any likely ridicule on herself.
“I have my fantasies,” she murmured, wondering at the same why she was admitting this much to a boy she barely knew and had already clashed with more than once. “But that’s all they are.”
In a gesture that was eerily reminiscent of Ianto’s natural propriety, Jason offered her his arm.
“May I escort you to the conference room?”
“You may,” she answered, slipping her arm through his. Jason paused, then smiled sheepishly.
“Where is it, again?”
Gwen laughed and the last vestiges of tension between them dissolved, at least for the moment.
“C’mon,” she said, urging him towards the stairs. “That way.”
Both Jack and Ianto shared a wondering glance as Jason entered the conference room with Gwen on his arm, and then another when Gwen ushered Jason into the seat beside her. Neither said a word, not caring to disrupt whatever fragile truce had obviously been struck. Instead Jack passed glasses of champagne around, although he handed Jason a glass of Pepsi.
“No alcohol for you,” Jack told him with a wink. “You’re underage.”
Jason smirked in return and accepted the soda cheerfully.
“For the record, I would’ve refused even if you’d offered it. I had a very unpleasant experience a year or so back involving a bottle of wine, my two best friends and a very embarrassing skinny dipping incident at the beach in the middle of the day.”
“Say no more,” Tosh laughed. “You’ll give Jack ideas!”
“You think that’s a new idea to me?” Jack retorted as he sat. “Shame, Toshiko. I thought you knew me better than that.”
Laughter erupted around the table and Owen predictably complained about too much information. Ianto cut the cake and once it had been distributed, Jack spoke.
“We have two reasons to celebrate. First of all, Ianto saying yes and making me the happiest guy in all of Wales. Secondly, for Jason’s recovery and joining the family.”
“Literally,” Owen said with a grin. “A word of advice, kid. Do not go getting yourself into trouble with the local plods. Your new uncle here is none too popular with them and once they realise the familial connection...”
Owen trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid. Jason laughed, amused at the mere thought of being in trouble with the law.
“The worst trouble I was ever in was in grade school, and it wasn’t actually something I’d done. I... I wasn’t well-liked when I was a kid. I still don’t know why, but everyone had me pegged for being a bully, even though I wasn’t. A new kid and I hit it off... he was as lonely as I was... We were seen together at lunchtime on Billy’s first day and another kid said I’d been bullying him. I was caned for it and it wasn’t until after school, when Billy told his dad and my dad what really happened, that it all got sorted out.” Jason shrugged and offered a calm smile to the others who had fallen into a sober silence at his story. “I made my first real friend that day, and Billy’s been there ever since, so it all worked out okay.”
“You keep on like that and we’re going to need more alcohol in here,” Owen retorted. “Not to mention a shot of insulin for the sugar.”
“Oh, shut up, Owen,” Gwen said with a laugh. “I think it’s a great thing that Jason can be so positive.”
Again, Jack and Ianto exchanged bemused looks. Neither said a word, though. She was trying, at least. They could only hope it lasted.
to be continued....
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As an aside, I hope you enjoy your weekend (who knows, we may bump into each other - though I don't have the full VIP passm just a Sterling City one).
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I don't trust Gwen and foresee plenty more Cooper themed drama soon. Love the boys and their engagement news in front of the team.
Have a superb time at Supanova!
Looking forward to your next update. :)
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Loved the new chapter. Glad Jack announced his & Ianto's engagement first thing, in front of entire the team. And, Jason making a point in calling them Uncle Ianto & Uncle Jack. I think Jason is going to fit in just fine.
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Jason is awesome in this, claiming both Jack and Ianto in front of the team. I'm really happy that Jack was already planning on asking Ianto to marry him. Aw...
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Gwen's acting too...normal. I'd like to know what she's planning.