Fffc Bingo Card - Hidden in plain sight

[m_findlow]

Title: Hidden in plain sight 
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Tosh, Jack
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 1,000 words
Content notes: none 
Author notes: Written for Bingo Card Prompt 49 - Illusion at fffc
Summary: Jack has an important lesson for Tosh. 

‘Tosh?’ 

Her name rang out across the echoing expanse of the hub. She'd gotten so used to hearing it called out in that American twang that it had probably been used more times than in her entire life. No one had ever called out to her by name when she'd worked at the Ministry of Defence. Occasionally someone addressed her as Ms Sato, but that was generally just the friendly old security guard at the entrance, and he talked to everyone. Otherwise, she just sat at her desk and worked in solitude. No one really engaged her in any kind of meaningful conversation not even whilst twiddling their teabags in their cups in the kitchen. They didn't do banter or after work drinks or pub quiz nights at the Ministry, or if they did, she was exactly the kind of person who didn't get invited to them, and who would never even hear about them if they did happen. She supposed she'd been okay with that, living her solitary life, interspersed with obligatory family gatherings. If she'd known that life could be different, she'd never considered it. 

Now things were different. She still worked mostly on her own, but it was a different kind of solitude. A kind where she wasn't really alone because her boss made sure that she was acknowledged and appreciated. He was the kind of boss who drove her home after a late night; the kind she'd made a morning habit of picking up coffee for; the kind that would sit and drink said coffee with her and ask her all kinds of questions about what kind of books did she like to read, or had she seen that new movie about the ladies that worked in the space program back in the sixties, and boy, what a bunch of party animals they'd been! Jack often said strange things like that which didn't entirely make sense but she learned to just go with it. He must have met them at a function of some kind after they'd retired, since he would have only been a little boy back in the sixties. 

But what Tosh liked about working with Jack most was that she felt needed. He loved her intelligence and the way she could puzzle out complex alien technology with only a scant explanation about what it was or what it did. She assumed that Jack often knew more than he let on, but that he wanted to give her the challenge of figuring it out for herself. Where he'd ever learned about all these things she still didn't know. He must have worked for some kind of intelligence agency back in the States for years. Probably recruited right out of college. She let a little smirk cross her face as she pictured Jack in his late teens, early twenties, at college. With those looks he was probably the star quarterback and had a girl hanging off each arm. 

‘Tosh, what are you smiling about?’ Jack asked as he came close enough to see her off daydreaming. 

‘Oh, nothing,’ she replied. Now possibly wasn't the time to ask him about his halcyon days. 

‘Right…’ Jack said, letting her keep her little secrets. I'll just pretend I didn't imagine you fantasising about some sexy man. Trust me, I know that look when I see it. Anyone I know?’ 

‘Okay, you got me. They were doing reruns of Clark Gable films last night.’ 

Jack folded his arms. ‘Never picked you as a moustache girl, but I'll pay that. Maybe we should have a movie night together. I love the classics. Singing in the rain... God, I love that film.’ He clapped his hands together. ‘Anyway, all that aside for the moment. I've got a little project for you.’ 

‘Something that's come through the rift?’ 

‘No, just something I've clean forgotten to show you yet. C'mon,’ he said, holding out an arm, very much like Clark Gable, ‘you're gonna love it.’ 

He walked her across to the water tower and up onto the square stone that she'd always thought looked out of place. Flipping open his wrist strap, he pressed a button and the stone lurched, sending them upwards. His arms wrapped securely around her waist as they continued their ascent. 

‘It's a lift?’ 

‘Ground floor, Roald Dahl Plass. Going up.’ 

Overheard she looked up at the roof of the hub. Mechanics clunked and whirred, pulling aside a trap door and she could see bright blue sky peeking through it. They slid up through the hole as as promised, there they were, standing at the base of the water tower on the Plass. 

‘Sure beats the steps,’ she said as Jack let go of her. ‘But…’ She looked around the Plass. It was its usual busy self, hosting people out on their lunch breaks, enjoying that sun. ‘Didn't anyone just see us pop up?’ 

Jack smiled. ‘Step off.’ 

She did so and as she turned back to ask him what difference it made, Jack was gone. ‘Jack?’ 

A hand touched her shoulder and suddenly he was there again. ‘And the perception is broken.’

‘Where did you go?’ 

‘Nowhere. It's just an illusion. We call it a perception filter. It alters the visible spectrum so your perception of what's there and what isn't changes. Your attention is drawn away from it, like you don't really want to see what's there.’ 

‘That's amazing.’ She stepped back again, watching as Jack disappeared from view. Even though she knew he was there, her mind was trying to convince her otherwise until she stepped forward onto the flagstone again, bringing him back into view. ‘How does it work?’ 

He shrugged. ‘No idea. It's just always been here. They're really handy things to have if you know how to make one. Think you might find time to check it out? Call it a long term project.’ 

She didn't know where to begin but she agreed anyway. If Jack had faith in her, she should too.