Torchwood: Fanfic: Staying strong

[m_findlow]

Title: Staying strong
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Jack, Gwen, Ianto
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 761 words
Content notes: none
Author notes: Written for ladytiresias’s prompt "any, any, trying to stick together even when everything else has fallen apart" at fic_promptly
Summary: Working for Torchwood and staying safe are not always mutually exclusive

There was an anxious foreboding hanging over the boardroom. No one really wanted to be the first to break the silence. They watched each other carefully without meeting the others eye. Gwen fiddled with her coffee mug, turning it slightly in her hands one way, then the other. Ianto unconsciously clicked the end of his pen.

The door hissed gently and Jack swept in, still in his coat, his face full of a dark fury. He didn’t sit down, merely leaned his palms on the tabletop.

‘I gave you a direct order to stay out of it,’ he said coldly.

‘But Jack we,‘ Gwen began.

‘You defied me!’ he roared.

Both of them jumped back in their seats slightly at the outburst. They’d seen Jack’s temper flare on many occasions, but it was rarely directed at them.

Gwen tried hard not to start defiantly back at Jack. Ianto kept his eyes on the table in front of him so when the sound came out it was slightly muffled, but Gwen could tell the look was not one of condescension but determination.

Jack tried not to look shocked at the rebuttal. He’d expected acceptance, maybe even guilt. If anyone was going to speak against him it would be Gwen. He leaned in closer to Ianto.

‘What did you say?’

‘I said,’ he said, looking up to meet Jack’s eye, ‘you’re not always right.’

Jack chuckled blackly in disbelief.

‘You think so? Gwen, do you share Ianto’s opinion? Because let me tell you something, I am the Captain around here and what I say goes, so if you don’t like it, leave! I gave you the same choice once before, but this is the last time. Defy me again and I’ll retcon you both back so far you won’t even remember you own names!’

So far, Ianto had borne the brunt of Jack’s ire, but now Gwen stood up.

‘That’s the thanks you get working for Torchwood is it? We’re supposed to be a team, Jack! You need to trust us!’

‘Like you trusted me?’ he spat back. ‘This is not a democracy. I do what I need to, to protect this planet. And you. All you did today was prove that I can’t protect you, and if that’s the case, then I don’t want either of you here.’

‘We chose Torchwood, not the other way around. We know the risks. Don’t belittle the choices we made.’

Jack shook his head. ‘Gwen, there’s a world of difference between putting yourself in danger and me putting you in danger.’ His tone softened but it was clear the fire inside him still burned.

Gwen made a slow approach towards him. ‘You can’t control everything in this world Jack Harkness. All the people who’ve died, working for Torchwood, Suzie, and Owen, and Tosh, you can’t hold yourself responsible for that.’

It seemed she’d hit a nerve and his cast his eyes downward, refusing to look at either of them.

Both Gwen and Ianto had known this was coming. It had been building for weeks. They’d all lost something, but Jack seemed to be taking it hardest. What had happened this afternoon had simply been the tipping point that had brought it all down on their heads. And now they had to confront it, before it consumed them entirely.

Gwen reached out and took Ianto’s hand, pulling him up out of his seat, and then reached her other hand out to take Jack’s hand.

‘Jack. We need you, and you need us.’

‘I need you safe.’ he whispered, ‘I don’t want to lose you.’

‘You won’t’ she replied firmly, ‘Me and Ianto here, we’re not going anywhere. Not while there’s a dashing Captain wandering about the place.’

‘He is very dashing,’ Ianto agreed.

It brought a slight smile to Jack’s face. They were his two best friends in the entire universe, whom he loved dearly, and he was trying to drive them away. Torchwood or not, he was going to have to accept them the way they were.

Sniffing loudly, he wrapped an arm around each of them and pulled them both into a tight hug, trying to ease the anxious tension out of his own body.

'Okay, but we're going to have set some ground rules. This is still Torchwood, and I'm still your boss. If you want a favour, you're going to have to do it the old fashioned way.'

'By sleeping with you?' Ianto quipped.

'I'm open to influence,' Jack replied.

Gwen hugged him back and smiled up at him. 'Whatever you say, boss.'

Comments

[bk_forever]

Jack takes too much on his shoulders. He has to learn that losses happen, and no matter hiw much it hurts to lose someone, pushing away those that are left helps nobody. He can't make decisions for the rest of his team, thedy knew what they were getting into and they choose to be there, so he needs to let them do their jobs.

[carinas-carinae.livejournal.com]

This fic is also just excellent. Ianto's 'quip' at the end is so perfect, and it says a lot about the nature of the relationship between these three at this time.