Chapter Text
Second Chances
“Ok, where is your roasting pan?” Jack asked as he dug through cabinets in the small kitchen of Ianto’s flat.
“Jack, this really isn’t necessary. I’m sure that everyone…” he said for the fifteenth time since Jack had made the suggestion. It wasn’t that he didn’t have faith in his partner’s abilities, but the idea of them hosting a giant Christmas dinner with all of their family and friends was enough to make anyone nervy. Besides, he wasn’t sure what would happen to his flat. Not that he really lived there mind, but it was convenient to have it in case he had to meet old friends, or if they wanted a night away from the Hub.
“I know it isn’t, but I want to do it,” he said, turning from his rummaging to lean on the bar across from his lover. “I…it’s been a long time since I’ve had a big family Christmas, since I have even wanted to. That thing, with the Doctor? I don’t know, it just, it changed things. I can’t explain,” he said finally turning back to his search. “What about a baking dish?” Ianto knew what he meant. Though he didn’t have Jack’s time sense, even he knew something had happened that night several months ago. He had woken from a sound sleep feeling as if he had lost something, only to find Jack clinging to him like a spar in a gale. The Doctor hadn’t been particularly forthcoming about what had happened, merely telling them that it was all sorted now, and they should get on with their lives, but it hadn’t stopped them from thinking about it.
“Alright then, so how many people are we talking about then?” he said, pulling out his PDA. “And we’re going to need a tree. Live I suppose?”
“Definitely. Can't be as big as I’d like, the ceilings just aren’t high enough. Why did you choose this place again?” The big immortal’s voice came slightly muffled as he checked the gas oven.
“It was convenient, not like I actually live here anyway.”
“You could move, I’m sure that there are some places closer to the Hub.”
“One project at a time, Sir. Now, about this guest list?”
“Yeah, okay. Well, there’s Alice and her two, Gwen and Rhys…do you think we should ask the PC? What’s his name, Andy? He’s been a big help these last couple months. Oh, and your family, of course.”
“Of course,” Ianto said dryly, wondering if there was a way he could possibly get out of asking his sister and her husband. Maybe they would already have plans. “So that’s about twelve possible, thirteen if Andy brings a date. We are going to need more chairs,” he said, looking around the open plan lounge, trying to figure out where they were going to put everything and everyone.
Two hours and several very long shopping lists later, and Ianto Jones was about at the end of his tether. Jack wanted to do everything right, he got that. But why now, why this year, and why by all that was holy did he have to start with the biggest, most extravagant holiday of the year? First there was the food. Jack wanted to cook, and while he had no doubt that in all his years of life, Jack had learned to cook, he wasn’t sure his kitchen would survive a full on traditional Christmas dinner, not to mention the clean up. He didn’t even think he had enough dishes, though that was easy enough to handle. Then there was the seating. His flat was open plan, one large room comprising dining room/lounge, so they could probably move the furniture back and put a table in, but once again, he had neither table nor chairs for the number of people involved, and there would be children. He didn’t know what do to with children.
Then there were the decorations. The tree was the easy part, but then came the ornaments. The only ones Ianto had himself were the ones he and Lisa had chosen, and he couldn’t see using them. They had returned to the Hub after a recon of his flat, and now Jack was down in his office, trying to concentrate on paperwork, but in actuality probably more focused on the proposed dinner. Fortunately for them, the rift was quiet today, and hopefully would be for some days to come.
“Are you sure about the turkey, Ianto?” Jack asked as he walked into the room. “I mean it used to be goose, or a nice roast beef?”
“Turkey will be fine, Sir. Remember, some of these people are still under the impression that you are American, and turkey is what they eat.”
“OK, but maybe I should have both? I don’t know…”
“We will get the menu sorted, Jack. I know this is important to you,” Ianto said, leaning over Jack, putting the coffee and the lists down next to him on the desk. And he did know how much it meant to him, but it didn’t make it any easier on him, or on Jack for that matter. “Meanwhile, what are we going…” He paused as there was a knock at the door and Lois Habiba stood, waiting for permission to come in. Even though Jack had an open door policy, the young PA was still a little formal around them. Jack motioned her in with a friendly smile.
“Lois, come in. We’re just working on our Holiday plans. What about you? Back up to London with your family, or is there a boyfriend or girlfriend somewhere I should be jealous of?”
“Nope, just me, and since I’m still going to be training here for a few weeks, I suppose I’ll stay. There is just so much to learn,” she said, ignoring the innuendo almost completely. She was brilliant, and handled Jack like a professional, which made the two of them all the more willing to take her under their collective wings. It didn’t take more than a look between them before Ianto was issuing the invitation and adding her name to the list.
Lois Habiba had been hired at the Doctor’s behest and Ianto had never been happier. It had also been the suggestion of the Doctor that Jack finally deal with London. Oh, it would never be what it was before, and would remain under the control of Torchwood Cardiff, but the Doctor was right, it was still at least two hours to London on a good day and with Jack driving at his maddest and a police escort. After the fall of Torchwood tower, the team had just taken everything they could salvage and put it away in storage, leaving the rest to UNIT to clear up. After the loss of the Doctor and his belief that Rose was dead, Jack had just been unable to deal with it, and when he came back from his travels, he hadn’t had the time. Now they were starting over again. Martha Jones had agreed to sign on as chief medic and base commander and Jack had managed to track down Mickey Smith who was bored to tears and ready for the challenge. Mickey was going to handle tech ops and take the second in command. Ianto had been teaching Lois everything that she would ever need to know about archiving, paperwork and the care and feeding of a Torchwood field team, while Jack had been putting her through her paces on the firing line. There would never be an agent of Torchwood that couldn’t handle all contingencies again, though Jack was still looking for the right medic for Cardiff.
That left the only remaining new member of the London team. She was also in Cardiff for training and like Lois, she came at the Doctor’s recommendation, though unlike Lois, Ianto really wondered why he had suggested her. Not only that, but there was something about her, something cold and vaguely reptilian that made him shiver when he saw her, like déjà vu. He knew that Jack had the same reaction, and he had said something about the world having changed, but he still didn’t like to spend a lot of time with her, and had been glad when she had volunteered earlier to take the watch so they could have Christmas dinner. While he was thinking about it, Ianto made a note to bring her a plate when they returned. Just because she made him uncomfortable, didn’t mean he couldn’t be polite.
The thing about Commander Johnson ( he could never think of her as Rachel, and even Jack addressed her by her last name as they did in the military), was he didn’t know why she even accepted the job. Before they had approached her, he and Jack had run a background check so deep they had practically dug up her dead ancestors back to five generations. What they had found was a plan in place for attacking Torchwood, taking over the Hub and killing Jack should MI-5 ever find them inconvenient. Johnson had been quick enough to admit that she had been a part of that plan, just a soldier following orders, and Jack had dropped a few words in a few ears that meant not only was the plan scrapped, but those who had thought it up would be lucky if they got out with their heads, much less their careers. In fact, the UNIT general in charge of London had suggested a certain facility, but Jack had vetoed the idea, after a little more consideration that he usually would have given.
In the end, though, Jack took the Doctor’s recommendation with more weight than the evidence against her and invited her in. That surprised Ianto a lot, but he had always known the Doctor’s word carried weight with Jack. That she accepted surprised him even more, and while she didn’t invite confidences, Ianto had asked her one day why she had done. What she told him was telling. “I’ve given up a lot for them, just doing the job. This offered me a way out before I lost my soul as well.” Ianto wasn’t sure what she meant, but she and Jack had gone into his office and had a long talk and while she would probably never be as relaxed as the rest, she seemed to have taken Jack as her commanding officer and she would do whatever was necessary to get the job done. Still he was glad he wouldn’t be required to try to explain her to his family. The rest were bad enough.
“Are you sure it isn’t too much trouble?” Lois was saying as Ianto cleared his head and focused on the present.
“Not at all,” he said, knowing that Jack’s word alone wouldn’t do. “One more round the table won’t even be noticed, and Gwen and Rhys will be there, and Andy Davidson, so you won’t be without anyone to talk to.”
“Alright then. Do you need me to bring anything or do anything?”
“Not right yet,” Ianto assured her, he was still not sure enough to get help. “But I’m sure I will before it’s over.”
“Let me know then,” she said. “And Jack, I need those forms signed before too long if I’m going to get that equipment delivered before the hols.”
“I’ll make sure he does it,” Ianto said, cutting Jack off, and Lois retreated from the office, sensing that the two of them had more to discuss.