A Leg To Stand On

It was raining when he returned to Cardiff. Stepping out into the mid-afternoon drizzle, Ianto Jones turned his face upward and let the cold water welcome him back to the town he'd left six years earlier.

"Shall I toss you an umbrella and start humming "Singing in the Rain" or do you want to come inside and meet your new co-workers?" Captain Jack Harkness was leaning against a nearby lamppost, looking quite damp and very amused.

"Looks as if you could have used an umbrella yourself, sir." Ianto ran a nervous hand over his hair to push it out of his face. He'd slept in the same room, had even shared bad hotel coffee and vending machine crisps with this man but he was suddenly nervous in his presence.

"Not 'sir' until tomorrow, Ianto." Jack pushed off the lamppost and stepped forward. "Get your suitcase and let’s go inside. I can’t have my new archivist catching pneumonia before his first day on the job."

"You're sure it's alright for me to stay here for a few days?" Ianto glanced towards the small, weather-beaten building Jack called a tourist office. It wasn't the most elegant of places, but Ianto had slept rough more than once in his life and had learned to appreciate shelter in any form.

"I was the one who dragged you away from London so quickly. I should be putting you up in Cardiff's finest hotel until you can find a place to live."

"I think I've had enough hotels," Ianto smiled at the memory of those nights. He'd met Jack Harkness in a shady pub after a horrible day barely a week ago. Ianto had been depressed and despairing, too miserable to face his lonely apartment. Jack had offered the use of the spare bed in his hotel room and had listened to the story no one else wanted to hear. Ianto had ended up staying with Jack for three more nights and when Jack returned to Cardiff, Ianto had agreed to follow him. Two days later, his life packed into the trunk of his car, Ianto left London for good.

"We have a few rooms set up for overnight stays. The view’s not much but the price is right and the company can’t be beat.” Jack finished his statement with a devilish grin that Ianto had come to expect. The façade didn’t disguise the shadows in Jack’s eyes, ones that mirrored his own, but Jack’s effort at levity was appreciated.

Ianto opened the trunk of his car, revealing the well-packed contents. It had been something of a surprise when he’d managed to fit it all in the trunk of his small car. So much of his life had been tangled up with Lisa’s; when he’d decided to bury that life with his lover, there hadn’t been much left.

“New job, new life”, he’d told himself, even as he’d clung to a single box of photographs and mementos. It remained in the corner of the trunk after leaving everything else of his and Lisa’s shared life at a drop box for charity.

What greeted him now were a few boxes of shoes, clothing and toiletries, some treasured CDs and DVDs, the box of mementos, and two heavy garment bags full of suits. He lifted the first of those bags and handed it to Jack, who grimaced at the weight.

Ianto just gave him a smile and hefted the other bag and small carry-all he’d packed with essentials. He closed the trunk and locked the car, turning to Jack and waiting for him to take the lead.

Pretending to struggle under the weight of the garment bag, Jack set off with Ianto just behind him. They hurried into the tourist office and closed the door behind them, glad to be out of the rain. Ianto took a moment to scan the room, not greatly impressed by the general shabbiness of the place. He didn’t need a white glove test to know it hadn’t been cleaned in a while.

Jack rolled his eyes, as if he could read Ianto’s mind or perhaps just his expression. He leaned over the counter and pressed a button to open a concealed door.

“As you may have guessed, this serves as a cover for one of the entrances into the Hub. We all take turns up here during quiet times, but you’ll probably be here the most. It’s a convenient way to take deliveries of supplies and food.” Jack paused for a moment, then conceded, “mostly food.” Jack waited for Ianto’s nod of acknowledgement before starting towards the door. He was almost to the threshold when he stopped abruptly and turned around. “You do eat take-out? You’re not one of those who insist on home-cooked food?” Jack remembered Cordelia with a shudder; she’d driven everyone crazy with her demands for a full kitchen and cupboards full of pots and pans. She’d finally gotten her wish but had died before she could put it to use.

“We used up all the hotel coffee packets and emptied the vending machine of crisps last week,” Ianto reminded him. “I think I can survive pizza and Chinese food.”

“Then you’ll fit right in,” Jack said cheerfully as he led the way through dim corridors and down stairs to a huge, round door. “Ready?” he asked, casting a glance over at Ianto before keying it open.

Ianto shuddered at the sudden noise of the door alarm and of the raised voices beyond. He followed Jack into a huge open space with the ambience of a neglected bus terminal. Two women and a man were gathered around a computer desk apparently fighting over a black bin bag. Given the amount of trash lying around, Ianto wondered if bin bags were scarce here at Torchwood Three.

“So much for first impressions.” Jack offered Ianto an apologetic smile. He draped the garment bag over a chair and motioned for Ianto to do the same as he made introductions. “Ianto Jones meet Torchwood Three – Suzie Costello, my Second; Toshiko Sato, resident computer genius; and Doctor Owen Harper. Group, meet Ianto Jones, our new archivist and general support.

Suzie and Tosh greeted Ianto with warm handshakes but Owen just shoved the bin bag into his hand and said, “New guy gets clean up duty.”

“Technically,” Ianto replied, “I’ve been with Torchwood fourteen months longer than you, Dr Harper.” He smiled serenely and returned the bag. “And I’m not on the clock until tomorrow at eight.” Owen took the bag, grumbling while the others, including Jack, laughed.

“Well, Mr. Jones, permit me to show you to your accommodations. I’ll give you time to settle in while we order some celebratory pizza. Any special requests for toppings?”

“Anything but anchovies.” Ianto picked up one garment bag and handed it to Jack before claiming the other one. He made careful note of the route to his temporary room down one flight of stairs and two turns, just past what appeared to be communal showers.

“Everything’s shared here,” Jack told him as he opened the old metal wardrobe and hung the garment bag before reaching for the one Ianto had been carrying and hanging it too. “Shared bathrooms, shared showers. There’s a dividing wall for some privacy and the ladies tend to favor the right side, as you’ll see by the color scheme. There’s another, smaller facility closer to the Hub, and a couple more in the lower levels, including one in the archives, which you’ll probably have to yourself most days.” Jack cast a look around. “Get unpacked, then join us upstairs when you’re ready. I’ll help you unload the rest of your belongings after we eat.”

Ianto nodded his thanks and dropped his carry-all off his shoulder onto the bed. He unpacked quickly, casting a glance up at Jack’s retreating figure before tending to the suits in the garment bags.

 

*****

 

Two-sixteen in the morning and Ianto was still staring up at the ceiling, idly tracing the exposed pipes and guessing what they carried and where they went. He'd long since run out of practical guesses and was debating the likelihood of Torchwood Three having an endless supply of beer delivered via the pipes from an alien still hidden at the deepest levels underground the Hub. If they had a machine that could magically produce crisps, they'd be set for life.

His thoughts drifted from food to his dining companions. He’d taken an instant liking to Toshiko with her quiet passion for knowledge and discovery. Suzie was a bit more of a mystery – she had a dark edge that Ianto recognized from some of his former co-workers at Torchwood One. In time, he thought they might become friends.

On the other hand, he expected Owen to be something of a trial. The man seemed determined to wind him up. Still, Owen had been carefully thorough when he’d given Ianto his physical and he’d asked a minimum of personal questions about Ianto’s damaged leg. He’d even taken measurements for what he promised would be a lighter and less painful brace. Of course later Ianto had overheard Owen asking Jack what he’d been thinking in hiring a gimp.

A faint sound beyond the door interrupted his thoughts and Ianto gladly left his bed to investigate.

"Jack?" he called after the retreating figure, familiar enough with that form to know it was his captain. He smiled as Jack slowed, then turned with the manner of an errant schoolboy.

"Just wanted to see if you'd settled in," Jack offered lamely, his expression making it clear he didn't expect Ianto to believe him.

"Easier to tell that if you open the door. Unless you like peeping through keyholes?"

"On occasion," Jack replied with a leer that wasn't as enthusiastic as usual. He looked tired.

"Here's the pair of us then, neither one sleeping. Must be the lack of little packets of crisps."

"Or the company." Jack's smile was much smaller than the toothsome grin he often used, but Ianto liked this one much better. "Want to come back to mine for a while?"

"Lead on, captain." Ianto gladly left the lower level, following Jack up into the Hub and higher still into his office. He'd noticed the hatch earlier when he'd gotten the tour, but hadn't realized Jack was serious when he said it led to his bedroom. He was standing beside Jack peering doubtfully down into the gloom when an alarm startled him. He was grateful beyond words that Jack didn't laugh at his reaction to the sudden noise. Instead, Jack hurried down to Toshiko's desk, trusting that Ianto would follow.

"Something just came through the rift. You up for an early start on your new job?" Jack's eyes were bright, the tiredness masked by excitement. Ianto couldn't help but feel some of that excitement himself.

"Reporting for duty, sir." He hesitated and looked down at his gimpy leg. He'd taken the brace off for the evening and, although it was better, it wasn't strong enough for a lot of running. "Better get my brace first."

"Leave it. You can be my backup and coordinate from the SUV."

"But what if it's dangerous? Perhaps you should call one of the others." Ianto was cursing himself for even considering going out in the field. With his injured leg, he was just a liability outside the Hub.

"We can at least do some recon. It's not far and I can always call the others once we know what we're up against." Jack’s excitement was irresistible and Ianto found himself smiling as he followed Jack towards the garage.

“You can ask,” Jack told him once they were on the way to the source of the rift disturbance. “It’s practically a tradition.”

Ianto considered resisting, just to be different, but he really did want to know why Torchwood Three thought it was supposed to be a secret organization when Torchwood One had had an entire publicity department.

“We prefer a lower profile here in Cardiff,” Jack said with an almost straight face, only the twitch of amusement at the corner of his mouth betraying him. “Actually, it started as an excuse to keep this team small and mobile. Less bureaucracy that way. Torchwood One set itself up as a security and anti-terrorism agency – they don’t get all that many aliens compared to us. At least not until… well, you know. We’re practically drowning in aliens here so we let the conspiracy theorists do half our work for us; they report alien sightings, we swoop in dramatically, do some clean up and everyone dismisses the whole aliens and secret organization thing as too fantastic to be real.” Jack glanced over at Ianto, grinning with delight as he added. “It gives us all an excuse to drive around in this beauty,” he patted the dashboard. “Won it in a card game from Hartman’s second.” Jack brought the SUV to a halt just in front of a row of old, seemingly abandoned warehouses.

“You’re not buying any of this, are you?” Jack grinned even wider. Jack opened the car door and slid out, turning back to Ianto and adding, “Oddly enough, most of it’s true. Wait here and monitor me on these.” He tossed a PDA and an earpiece to Ianto, closed the car door and took off with a run, studying a twin to Ianto’s PDA as he ran.

Ianto watched Jack until he was out of sight, then turned his attention to the PDA. He took up the small stylus and poked at the device, exploring the different functions until he felt somewhat comfortable using it. Returning to the main screen, he studied the readings, frowning at what he was seeing. He was just about to call Jack when the man reappeared, his smile impossibly bright.

“Looks like we’re going to need a secret weapon. Check the glove box.” Ianto opened the small compartment and frowned at the stash of candy and junk food. Jack reached past him, his body pressing against Ianto’s as he rifled through the food until he found a plain chocolate bar. “This should do. Come on.”

He stepped back and waited as Ianto undid his seatbelt and got out of the vehicle, looking adorably confused. Without explaining, Jack went to the trunk, opened the hatch and dug through the items stored there until he came up with a very large hypodermic needle and some rope. He stepped back, closed the trunk and set off at a quick walk back towards the nearest warehouse.

“Sir?”

“Don’t worry, Ianto. I just need your help. It’s not dangerous. Well, it shouldn’t be. But you’ve got to see this!”

They paused just outside the rusty door, sharing a look. Ianto took a deep breath of Jack’s familiar scent and found his uncertainty fading, being replaced with some of Jack’s excitement.

“Ready?” Jack asked and, without waiting for more than the briefest nod, he opened the door, dragged Ianto inside and slammed it closed again.

Ianto’s eyes were still adjusting to the gloom when a shrill cry drew his attention. He jumped, but Jack’s hand on his shoulder settled him. He felt something shoved into his hand.

“No idea if this will work but… unwrap that and toss a bit to our friend there as a distraction. I’ll try to get close enough to lasso her and then give her the sedative.” Jack started to move forward but Ianto’s hand clutching at his sleeve stopped him. “What?”

“That’s a dinosaur.”

“Yes.”

“A pterodactyl. With wings. And you want me to feed it chocolate?”

“You think she’d prefer Owen’s Fig Newtons?”

“How do you even know it’s a she?” Ianto wondered somewhat irrelevantly.

“An educated guess,” Jack replied, somehow making it sound lewd. Ianto just shook his head and tore the wrapper off the bar. “Someone’s going to be unhappy to find their chocolate missing.”

“Add it to the shopping list.” Jack was already edging towards the darkest shadows at the edges of the building, moving slowly and quietly behind the dinosaur. When he was in place he whispered into his headset. “Now!”

Ianto stepped forward and whistled, not knowing why he thought that would work better than any other method of drawing the dinosaur’s attention. Still, it worked and the head swung in his direction. For one moment they looked into each other’s eyes and Ianto fell a little in love with this ungainly and beautiful creature.

“Here, beauty.” He tossed a bit of the chocolate to her and she dipped her head to catch it. A second later she dropped it as she caught sight of Jack moving towards her. With a cry she swung her head back towards Ianto and he could have sworn she looked betrayed. Flapping her wings, she cried out again and rose, catching Jack as she went.

Ianto watched helplessly as she carried Jack in a circuit of the building. Jack was clinging to her leg with one hand and trying to inject her with the syringe. It took a few attempts, but he was finally able to inject the sedative. The reaction was immediate; the dinosaur released Jack and he dropped like a stone.

Frantic, Ianto moved as quickly as he was able to position himself under Jack, hoping to help break his fall. Seconds later, they were both on the ground, Jack’s body fully covering Ianto’s and both of them breathing like they’d just run a marathon.

Ianto lifted his hand to touch Jack’s face, to examine him for injuries, but suddenly found himself being grabbed and shifted, the two of them rolling to the left while the dinosaur landed beside them in an ungraceful heap.

Lying on top of Jack with the man’s arms holding him tight against his body, Ianto wanted more than anything just to let his head rest on Jack’s shoulder, let himself be engulfed by this feeling of comfort and safety. Instead, he brushed his lips against Jack’s – just the slightest touch – and then he rolled off to the side and struggled to stand. Jack was up and at his side in a moment, offering him a hand and, just this once, Ianto accepted the offer.

The pterodactyl – if that was indeed what she was – glared at him through one partly-open eye before it slid closed and she succumbed to sleep. Ianto couldn’t resist touching her – stroking her surprisingly soft, somewhat leathery skin.

“First day on the job and you’ve already made a friend.” Jack tossed him some rope. “Can you help me get her into the SUV?”

It was a struggle – she was dead weight and the trunk of the SUV was a tight fit, but they managed. They were both giddy with excitement by the time they transported their new pet into the Hub and secured her in one of the quarantine areas until Owen could examine her.

“What do you think?” Jack asked as they stood in what would serve as a nest for their new arrival. It had been a bit of a struggle for Ianto to navigate the ladder – his leg was aching – but Jack had assured him that the others would help with her care. Meanwhile, it gave Ianto an entirely different view of the Hub, and it gave Jack a reason to put his arm around Ianto.

When they finally returned to the main level, Ianto went off to make coffee and Jack headed off to the shower. He stopped just outside his office and turned back to Ianto.

“You never did get to see my luxurious accommodations.”

“Bit late for that now. It’s nearly seven. I need to shower to get ready for my first day on the job. I’ve heard the boss is rather demanding.”

“Is he? Better not be late then. But…” Jack hesitated, and the smile he gave Ianto was the smaller, more intimate one that Ianto preferred.

“Tonight it is,” Ianto promised, returning the smile with one of his own.

Jack nodded and disappeared into his office while Ianto made his very best coffee. For two.


::end::
 

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