m_findlow

Title: Olive branch
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters/Pairings: Ianto, Gwen
Word Count: 500 words
Rating: PG
Notes: Written for Challenge 52 - Diversion at anythingdrabble
Summary: Ianto is reluctant to take the olive branch offered.

'Ianto?' Gwen called out.

'Over here,' he called back, letting the soft click of boots find him, sliding the crate back onto the shelf.

'Ah, there you are.'

'Here I am,' he replied, wondering what Gwen wanted.

'It's getting late.'

Ianto checked his watch. It wasn't even half six. He looked up at her, the question unspoken in his eyes.

'Rhys is off with the lads tonight. I was thinking you and I could grab some dinner?'

'Just us.' He said it as a statement rather than a question.

Gwen frowned. 'That's okay, isn't it?'

'I've got a lot of work,' he replied. 'Jack's left this place in a right mess.'

'It'll still be there tomorrow.'

Ianto snorted. 'Yeah. Jack's legacy still lives on.'

Gwen caught the spiteful tone. It was that one of someone angry at being left behind. 'He's coming home, Ianto. I promise you that.'

He gave a chuckle, full of mirth. 'Not really something you can promise, is it?'

'I can believe though,' she countered. 'I can have faith. Don't you sit down here and think about him coming back?'

He spent a lot of time down here, thinking about Jack. Whether he was coming back was growing less and less certain by the day. When was the last time he'd genuinely felt he wasn't deluding himself? He'd shared Gwen's view for a long time: that Jack wouldn't abandon them like this, that if he'd meant to go, he'd have made sure they knew what they were doing first. Torchwood had been his charge, and not something he took lightly. He'd want to be sure that it kept going and that his team had the tools to do it. Or perhaps he'd simply given them too much credit, thinking they'd be able to go on without him at the drop of a hat.

He'd stood by Gwen in his own quiet way during the leadership spill, even though he'd ended up voting for Owen. Owen believed they were on their own and needed experienced leadership. Owen would get on with things. And that would free up Gwen to keep searching for Jack. That's what he really wanted. He'd done his own research and knew enough about the Doctor to know Jack was unlikely to be anywhere on Earth, but having someone else carry on where he'd given up was comforting. He admired Gwen her unshakable faith in Jack. He'd once told Ianto he'd do anything to take his pain away, but where was he now when Ianto was aching on the inside, trying to keep it together for the sake of the team. His faith in Jack was crumbling by the day.

'Come on,' Gwen said, resting a hand on his arm, giving it the gentlest squeeze. 'I hate thinking of you staying down here on your own all the time. It's just dinner.'

'Okay,' he said. Perhaps it was the diversion he needed from thoughts that threatened to crush him. At least Gwen was here.