Work Text:
~*~
Walking on Thin Ice
*
Siannon was puttering about, not doing anything in particular apart from enjoying the lack of commitments she had for the holiday season. The school term had finished on a high note, the assistance of a certain friend of hers leaving a trail of broken hearts, male and female both, in his wake when he'd left. Methos would now be in Paris, enjoying the festivities with Duncan and Amanda; she'd been invited, but had declined even though it had been a while since she'd seen the other two. For some reason, she just hadn't wanted to leave the country for mid-Winter celebrations this year, no matter what religion was the excuse, and she'd never been one to ignore her gut instincts. She'd kept vigil on the longest night alone, the only light kept burning being the candle in the old chapel that honoured the sanctity of Holy Ground in its unobtrusive niche, the closest thing that remained to an altar; then festooned the place with greenery on Christmas Eve, and lit the last of the 4 candles in the advent wreath before singing carols in the local church on Christmas Day. She breathed in peace, and wrapped tranquillity round her like a cloak; time enough to be worrying about the world next week when it would be all coursework and lesson plans and marking. Not for the first time since she'd taken her current job she wondered why she'd gone back into teaching, but she knew she would fall in love with it all over again the first time a pupil said thank you with the light of understanding dawning in their eyes. Some things didn't change, and her need to teach was one of those; sometimes her need to heal outweighed that and she would strike off into medicine or nursing for a while, always gaining a reputation in being enthusiastic to share her knowledge. And always, always there was music; her first and greatest love, the constant in her life, the one thing that had been with her as long as she could remember, even before she'd become immortal. She wandered back into the kitchen and put the kettle on to boil, humming cheerful nonsense to herself as she dug the teapot out of its cupboard.
The strident ring of her phone broke into her idyll; her house phone rather than her mobile which puzzled her until she noticed the caller's id. She picked up the phone, unable to fight a creeping sense of dread and berating herself for it; after all there was always the possibility that it might just be a social call.
"Ianto! Hi, how are you?"
"Hi Siannon. I'm... Ok." Ianto's voice sounded strained to her, even over the phone, and his hesitation started ringing alarm bells.
"What's happened?" She asked.
"It's... complicated, and I don't think I could or should explain over the phone. Would you be able to come down to Cardiff? I think we could do with your help."
"Of course I can. Is everyone alright?" Siannon was getting concerned now; to have Ianto ringing her for help meant that there was probably something way off kilter going on. There was a pause on the other end of the phone, as if Ianto was trying to decide how much to tell her, followed by a sigh.
"We've been better, but..."
"It's too difficult to explain. I understand." She at least thought she understood; it was always so much easier to explain things face to face. There was another sigh from Ianto, this one sounding more like one of relief.
"Thanks, Siannon." There was another pause, and when Ianto spoke again he sounded so unsure that it nearly broke her heart. "I could... I could really do with a friend right now. That's why I needed to speak to you."
"It's no problem, Ianto, truly." She answered automatically, and then possibilities for why entered her head unbidden. "Oh Fuck. It's not Jack is it? He hasn't..."
"No! No. He is part of the problem, just not in the way you're thinking."
"Ah. I'll be there soon as; by this evening the latest. And Ianto?"
"Yes?"
"Look after yourself, please. I'll see you later."
"See you." The line went dead and she cradled the phone for a moment, trying to second guess herself about what might be the problem. She gave that up in favour of doing something about it, and began to gather a few things together in preparation for a short Winter trip to Cardiff, thanking all that was holy that the weather had been merely cold, rather than cold and wet. Rain in the valleys often meant snow on the fells which could sometimes cause problems getting down to the motorway, and she wanted to be heading south as soon as possible.
Siannon's luck held and she reached the motorway without any unexpected delays. She made good time on the M6; for some reason people seemed to be avoiding it for a change and that was all to her benefit. Even breaking the speed limit as much as she dared, the journey seemed to be taking forever; her mind providing a litany of 'hurry, hurry, hurry' for every passing mile.
The light was fading as she finally reached Cardiff, the street lights bright in the increasing gloom. She found a space in the car park she usually used in Cardiff, and made her way straight for the Ianto's tourist information office, texting as she walked to let him know she'd arrived. He met her on the boardwalk, hunched into his coat against the cold air. His face looked drawn, older than it should, and Siannon hurried to his side to fling her arms around him; if ever a person looked like they needed a hug, it was Ianto Jones. He returned the hug, and she buried her face into his shoulder, inhaling deeply; to her Ianto always smelled of Torchwood, of coffee and metal and water and time. She raised her head and kissed his cheek; he tightened his arms around her and then stepped back, still holding her shoulders loosely in his hands. She was pleased to see he now had a hint of a smile on his face, it erased some of the lines of care from it. He took a deep breath and squeezed her shoulders lightly.
"Thank you for getting here so quickly, Siannon, I really appreciate it."
"I had to; I only would have worried about you if I hadn't." She smiled at him, and lightly punched him in the arm. "Besides, I had nothing better to do. You saved me from having to tidy up."
"A fate worse than death from what Methos has told me about your place."
"Ach, he's a fine one to talk. Good job he's still in Paris or I'd make him regret that." She noticed the way Ianto's smile wavered. "Oho, and that is part of the problem too, I take it." Ianto nodded silently. Siannon linked her arm through his and gently guided him off the boardwalk. "Ok, lets get somewhere a little more comfortable and warm so you can tell me exactly what this problem is without us freezing to death. I know it's complicated, but if you hadn't noticed, time is one thing I'm not short of. Maybe I can help put things into perspective."
"That was the general idea."
"Then let's get to it, Ianto." They ended up in a pub that had booths as well as tables, which leant an air of privacy to the place. Ensconced in a booth, it was easy to forget that the place had plenty of other patrons and Siannon was at last able to focus properly on Ianto as they picked over a shared platter.
"Now you're here, I've no idea where to start. Everything is just so mixed up I can barely make sense of it myself, never mind explain to someone else." Ianto said, not meeting her eyes.
"How about at the beginning?" Siannon said carelessly.
"The beginning?"
"Yeah. You know, background information, that kind of thing. How the whole mess started would be useful. As would just what the 'mess' is." Ianto briefly raised his head and met her eyes.
"You do have a point." He observed. She watched gravely as Ianto pushed his plate away and sighed, though a smile did briefly light his face. "Good things first; I take you know about Jack and Methos and me?"
"I heard." She couldn't keep the grin off her face. "A little old bird told me."
"And you don't mind?" He asked cautiously.
"Mind? Why on earth should I mind if it makes you all happy? You are happy, aren't you?"
"I'm a bit...jittery... about it still, I've never had that sort of relationship before; but yeah, I think happy kind of covers it." Ianto's smile widened as he paused for a moment, before dropping his eyes back to the table once more. "It's just that I know you and Methos were..." Siannon interrupted with a short bark of laughter.
"Oh that! That was over hundreds of years ago. I love him dearly, but if you hadn't noticed we drive each other spare. We're more like a bad habit than anything else." She chuckled a little, thinking of another immortal woman who tended to be described as a bad habit. "No, it's time Methos had someone special in his life again; it's been a while. And two of you just makes for twice the happiness."
"And twice the heartache." Ianto stared at the table, avoiding her eyes.
"Oh don't be so pessimistic, Ianto Emrys Jones. Carpe Diem."
"I suppose." She watched as he carelessly shredded his paper napkin, making an unholy mess everywhere, the antithesis of the neat and controlled Ianto that was presented to the world in general. She laid a hand on his.
"Tell me what happened. It doesn't have to make sense; just tell me." He nodded, and gathered up all the bits of paper before compressing them into a ball and putting it aside.
"It started not long before Christmas. A plane came through the rift from 1953; with passengers..." Siannon listened carefully as Ianto told her about the 3 time-displaced people; Diane, Emma and John, and how they'd touched the lives of everyone at Torchwood but particularly Owen, Gwen and Jack. Her heart ached for all the Torchwood team, each being battered if not broken by the experience, and she wished there was something she could do to ease their pain. Then she mentally kicked herself; that was the whole point of having come to Cardiff, she *was* doing something. She found that she was gripping Ianto's fingers where they lay on the table, and he was hanging onto hers just as hard. His were trembling as he stuttered to a halt in his narrative.
"And what about *you* Ianto? I can understand Owen being heartbroken and Jack feeling powerless, and angry about it; but you're only just holding yourself together." Ianto closed his eyes, but didn't release her fingers.
"Just being the operative word. This, on top of everything else that has happened recently, has left me feeling so conflicted that I feel like I'm going to fly apart. It's like having about 5 different people living in my skin, and just waiting for one of them to go absolutely stark raving mad and drag the rest of us down in the process. Jack and I... we need each other, and I need him to need me. Right now, he probably needs me more than he ever has done and I can't bring myself to help him. I can't. Not yet. I'm too angry, Siannon. He's hurt, and grieving, but so am I; and to have to deal with his thoughtlessness rationally on top of all that is just too much. It's far safer for me to keep out of his way, than to say something I'll regret later. The last thing I want to do is damage what we have between us, because I'm not sure we'd ever manage to regain it if I did. We have too many reasons not to trust one another." He gave her hands a squeeze before releasing them to scrub at his face.
"Did you think about contacting Methos?" She asked cautiously.
"Oh I thought all right, but I know who he's with in Paris, and there's no way *I* want to even indirectly upset any of them, or come to the attention of people I'd rather not have knowing about me. Besides, it's not easy to just talk when he's around; or not when all three of us are in the same room anyway. We get... distracted far too easily. And contrary to what some people might like to believe, sex doesn't always solve all known problems..."
"It just delays having to deal with them... I know exactly what you mean." Siannon watched as Ianto let his hands fall into his lap, close his eyes once more and let out a huge sigh.
"I thought you'd understand. Having said that, Jack *does* need Methos. I can't deal with either of them right now; I wish I could, but..." He sighed and shook his head. "Without me there to complicate things, I think the old guy's version of damage control would be the best thing for Jack and me both. Jack won't ask for help though, he never does. So, what can I do about it?"
"Well for a start, you can stop feeling guilty about being annoyed with him. You're human Ianto, with human frailties and feelings. Accept that you feel angry with him instead of trying to deny it, acknowledge that you have a real and valid reason to be, and if you can admit to yourself that maybe your rational judgement might be a little clouded where he is concerned then so much the better. I know I'm not Methos, but leave Jack and *his* pain to me, you concentrate on dealing with your own. Don't go borrowing trouble, it'll only sneak up and bite you on the bum when you're least expecting it anyway."
"That might be easier said than done."
"I never said it was going to be easy. Life *isn't* easy, and you know that. So does Jack. He just needs gently reminding that there is more to life than pain, not to mention a kick up the arse to make him realise that taking people for granted is not a good thing."
"And how, if you don't mind me asking, do you intend to accomplish that? Like you said, you're not Methos; somehow I can't see you tackling Jack in quite the same way..." Ianto couldn't keep the puzzled expression off his face. Siannon waved a hand as she said blithely,
"Oh, I'll just resort to the traditional Irish method."
"Which is?"
"Throw enough alcohol at a problem until it seems less insurmountable." She grinned as Ianto spluttered with laughter.
"If you hadn't noticed, Jack doesn't drink much, even when Methos is around."
"Ah, but Methos isn't Irish. We're a very persuasive nation when one of our national pastimes is involved." She let the grin fade. "Seriously, he probably needs to talk as much as you. Being plied with alcohol and a sympathetic ear will give him an excuse to let his tongue run away with him, and he knows I'm a safe person to talk to. I'm sure he'll know exactly what I'm doing and why, he isn't completely stupid after all, but I'm suspecting he won't really care. Sometimes you need the truth that can only be found at the bottom of a bottle, though it's not a comfortable place to be, and certainly not one that you should visit too often."
"Sounds like you know it too well."
"Perhaps. Can't be helped, really; it's just one of those things...." She took a deep breath, shaking her head to clear it of the memories that threatened to surface that she didn't want to remember, and changed the subject. "So Ianto, what are *our* plans?" He met her eyes, and she realised that he was at least aware of some of the things in her life that had led her to seek truth or oblivion at the bottom of a bottle. To her utmost relief he seemed to understand her need to let them stay firmly in the past; he smiled slightly, and gave her the shadow of a nod as if he were conceding the point to her. He took a deep breath of his own.
"Plans, is it? Well for a start off, I'm not letting you drink me into a hangover. I really don't need one of those at the moment, thank you. You can come shopping with me tomorrow instead, if you want."
"Shopping?"
"I need a new car. I can't even look at the Audi without feeling sick, never mind *driving* the damn thing. It's been stuck in the Torchwood garage since... since..."
"John and Jack..." Siannon didn't elaborate further, it was obvious how much the death of John Ellis had distressed Ianto; and there was no way *she* would want to drive around in a car that had been used in a suicide. She could only imagine what it must have been like for Ianto to have Jack return to the Hub smelling of exhaust fumes and death; no wonder he felt like he was falling apart.
"Do you blame me?" He whispered. She shook her head emphatically.
"Not in the slightest." She smiled brightly then, trying to disperse the emotional miasma that had settled around them. "Right then, car shopping it is; I'll enjoy that, especially if you ask for a few test drives..."
"I'll be doing the driving."
"Spoilsport." She smiled at him. "Early start then?"
"Reasonably; I have the day off."
"I'll be your chauffeur, if you think you can stand it." Siannon offered; Ianto snorted with laughter.
"Siannon, I've lived through both Jack and Owen's driving. Nothing can compare to that. Sometimes I think Jack forgets he's still earthbound the way he throws the SUV around."
"It's possible, I suppose. Which reminds me, if I'm going to implement phase one of my plan for Jack tonight, I'd better be going. Will you be alright?" Ianto nodded, a faint smile on his face.
"I'm a damn sight better than I was before you arrived. We'll get through this sooner or later."
"Sooner, if I have anything to do with it. Jack might have time to waste on the dead; you don't. And the dead don't care *what* you do; all the problems stem from us poor sods who are left behind. You're right; we'll get through this." She stood up, fumbling in her bag for her purse. Ianto stopped her with an outstretched hand.
"You go; I'll sort this out. If you can help Jack piece himself back together it'll be worth more to me than I could ever hope to repay you."
"I'll do my best." Her glance at Ianto was heartfelt; he gave her hand a quick squeeze in response.
"I know you will. You always do." There was a pause as they both stood, silently meeting each other's eyes over the table. She took a deep breath and nodded at Ianto.
"Tomorrow, Ianto."
"Tomorrow." He agreed.
~*~
Siannon paid a quick visit back to her car after she left Ianto. There were practicalities to deal with before she even thought of speaking to Jack, including such mundane things as making sure she had somewhere to sleep that night and moving her car.
She checked herself into a hotel that was convenient to the Torchwood Hub without much trouble as many places were having a post-Christmas hiatus, and declined assistance to carry her luggage up to her room with a smile. Dumping her bag on the bed she dug around inside it to find her accomplice in dealing with Jack; a bottle of Knappogue Castle 1951 Irish whiskey. She knew he appreciated a good whisky and he might possibly have had a bottle of this himself at one point. She'd been lucky enough to pick up a decent amount in 1987 when it was first bottled and she still had a few left. It seemed appropriate to broach one for what might end up being the equivalent of a wake.
Bottle in hand she made her way through the damp twilight of the Cardiff streets to the Torchwood tourist office. Jack would know she was approaching if he bothered to check the CCTV but her appearance in the Hub would be no surprise; he'd given her the key himself, after all. Quietly, she let herself in.
The Hub was eerily silent when she finally stepped through the cog door for all there was the constant drip of water and the hum of machinery. She could also hear Myfanwy snuffling and shifting in her nest but it still felt curiously lifeless without the rest of the team; almost as if the Hub were a living thing and it was resting. Jack's office was a bright pool of light in the surrounding dimness; she tightened her grip on the bottle of whiskey, unsure of her welcome as she mounted the steps to the main level her footsteps echoing weirdly in the emptiness. As she neared the office she could make out Jack behind his desk; he seemed to be carefully looking at nothing and especially not her as he cradled what appeared to be an empty glass.
Siannon leaned on the doorframe for a moment, watching Jack as he ignored her. She didn't break the silence until he raised his head, acknowledging her silently with pain-filled eyes. She hefted the bottle of whiskey.
"I have a refill for that." She indicated the empty glass. Jack nodded and she stepped forward, cracking the seal on the bottle before pouring a generous measure of the amber liquid into his glass. The bottle was set down on the desk and she fetched a glass for herself, recapping the bottle once she'd filled it.
Jack remained silent.
Siannon raised her glass, inhaling deeply, letting the complex aroma of the whiskey permeate her senses, evoking memories of other people, other places. She raised her glass for a toast.
"To the friends who have left us behind," she said quietly. At first she wasn't sure how Jack would react but he slowly raised his own glass in echo of her.
"To the friends who have left us behind," he repeated an underlying note of roughness in his voice; whether it was from tears or death or screaming his throat raw in futility, Siannon had no idea and she wasn't going to ask. He would either tell her or he wouldn't, and in his own time. They both took a mouthful of the whiskey. Siannon let it roll gently over her tongue and down her throat, trying not to lose herself in the flood of memories that the explosion of flavours produced. Jack's first sip was tentative, his second less so and he produced a curious, if slightly shaky, smile as he glanced at the contents of his glass.
"Not quite what you were expecting?" She prompted. Jack shook his head.
"It's different. Good though." He took a larger mouthful.
"Only the best to help send a friend on their way, even if it is a little late." His eyes widened slightly at that, but they drank in companionable silence for a while. After they'd finished their first glass Jack seemed to realise that Siannon was still standing, though she had half-perched on the edge of his desk.
"Shall we take this somewhere more comfortable?" He asked, indicating the door of his office and the tatty looking couch by the autopsy bay.
"I thought you'd never ask." She replied, smiling to remove any sting from her words. She grabbed the bottle off the desk, leading the way out to the main area and towards the couch, refilling both glasses once they had settled themselves comfortably.
The Silence stretched between them as they drank; Siannon was gathering her thoughts and she assumed Jack was hoping she'd stay silent. She turned her face away from him to hide her smile; there was as much chance of her being silent a there was of Jack never flirting with anything in his life again, and he should have realised that. Casting a quick look at his face, she relented somewhat and began to tell him the story of how she'd appropriated the Knappogue '51, albeit with minor embellishments, ensuring she kept both their glasses filled and not giving him the chance to protest. From there she segued into one whiskey related tale after another, each one more ridiculous than the last and some of them even true; she had one immortal friend in particular to thank for those ones, Fitz had always seemed to have that sort of effect on things. She wondered, not for the first time, where her irreverent friend had disappeared to after nearly losing his head over 10 years ago and resolved to ask Methos sometime; he would know if anyone did. Her thoughts began to take a different path as she drained her glass, unable to remember *quite* how many she'd had by this point. She refilled it, and Jack's, pleased to see the lines of tension in his face somewhat eased.
"You know where the word whiskey comes from?"
"Never thought about it."
"It's Gaelic: uisce beatha." The words rolled off her tongue, her accent stronger as she spoke the language she had been born to. She paused, cradling the feel of the words in her mouth; sounds that spoke of home, of a time when her life had seemed so uncomplicated. She met Jack's eyes; he had the oddest expression on his face for a moment as if she'd startled him into revealing something. Before she could decide whether she'd imagined it or not, it was gone.
"Uisce Beatha," he repeated, the perfect pronunciation sounding strange when coupled with his accent. "What's that in English?"
"Water of Life." She took a breath, and gazed into her glass; she could feel Jack's eyes on her, demanding more with his silent stare. She raised her head to look at him. "It's a drink to remember life, Jack, not to forget it and we have so much life to remember. I've always felt that those of us who are blessed - or cursed - with immortality have a responsibility to remember those who don't. Not everyone agrees with me of course, but I can't say that I care about what they think; I do what I feel is right. There are so many people, so many places that are forgotten by history; while I hold their memories close they live on with me. Even if someone takes my head, they'll be passed along with my quickening so in effect, they live forever. Immortality without pain, not a bad thing, hmm?" Jack shook his head.
"You have a trained memory, though."
"And you don't?" She challenged.
"Not in the same way, and you know it. Besides you've had more practice."
"And you've got plenty of time ahead of you *to* practice. Don't try and tell me that you haven't experienced the way a sound or a scent can make your memories of people almost real enough to touch." She watched his face, could tell by his expression that he had. "Encourage that, revel in it and before you know it your memories of them will be so much clearer and they'll never die." The expression on Jack's face grew more thoughtful, and when he spoke it was in a near whisper.
"What about the things you don't want to remember?"
"You do what you're doing already; you learn to live with them. There's nothing else you *can* do unfortunately but eventually they'll fade into the background. I wish there was some grandiose immortal secret to impart, but there isn't, I'm afraid."
"You can't blame me for hoping though, can you?"
"Not at all. Don't forget Jack, in immortal terms you're still young. Like it or not you're going to get used to it and until then at least you've got friends who understand." She fell silent again, and took another drink. Jack was staring at the floor, lost in thought. She felt as much as heard him take a deep breath before letting it out, then another, as if he had been going to say something but thought better of it. Eventually his words came out in a rush.
"Did Ianto send you?" He met her eyes, a complex jumble of emotions behind the troubled blue gaze. Siannon didn't look away.
"Not exactly," she said as she put her glass on the floor and reached for Jack's hand. "He's worried about you, yes, but he called me because *he* needed a friend." She squeezed Jack's fingers to stop him from interrupting. "Oh I know he could have spoken to you or Tosh, but sometimes you need someone who will understand a situation while still being outside of it." She smiled. "I think I'm uniquely qualified for that, don't you? I've no ties beyond those of friendship with any of you and that makes me a pretty safe person to talk to."
"But..."
"We *talked*, Jack. You should try it sometime." She ran her free hand through her hair to calm herself. Getting exasperated with Jack now would undo everything she'd managed achieve and wouldn't solve anything. That was not why she'd invaded the hub with expensive whiskey; she took a deep breath. "And while we talked I realised something else; you need a friend too, possibly more than you need anything else right now, except Methos."
"Did you..." Jack trailed off without finishing the question, ducking his head to avoid Siannon's gaze but not before she'd caught the flash of guilty hope in his eyes.
"No, he's still in Paris. I'm afraid you've got to make do with me. I might not be Methos but I'm better than no-one."
"A hell of a lot better. And I do appreciate it." He curled his fingers round hers and held her hand as if it was made of spun glass.
"I'm glad about that. You never would have got the '51 out of Methos for a start, he's never appreciated Irish whiskey; too fond of his beer." They both chuckled at that though Siannon thought she could detect a note of desperation behind Jack's. She leaned over to grab her glass and the bottle and topped up their drinks so they could drink to the man who was being so desperately missed. They sat in comfortable silence once more, until Jack broke it, speaking softly.
"You know John felt like his life was over; his wife dead, his son an old man who didn't remember him. Everything he had worked toward, that had given his life meaning, gone in the blink of an eye. I couldn't even explain properly why I understood how he felt. He was in so much pain Siannon, he begged me not to condemn him to live; how could I deny him the release that I can never have?" Jack scrunched his eyes shut, but not before an errant tear had escaped down his face. "I could have stopped him, retconned him, given him a new life but if I'd done that he wouldn't even have had the memories of his wife and son. He didn't want to live alone and in the end all I felt I could do was ensure he didn't die alone. Was that so wrong of me?" Siannon felt unshed tears pricking at her own eyelids and she grasped his hand.
"I'm not sure if I would have done the same, but does that make it wrong? Not my place to decide; I'm not entitled to judge other people." Jack gave her a fleeting smile.
"That sounds very much like something Methos said to me once."
"Then accept it for what it is; the truth. Every immortal I know, including me, has done things that an ordinary person would never consider; both good and bad. Our entire way of life, what with the game and the Watchers and the like is more like a story than real life. I know you're not part of that world even though you are immortal, but you're certainly not ordinary. Anything but. In fact I'd go as far as saying you're an extraordinary person, Jack Harkness."
"Takes one to know one," Jack retorted with something approaching his usual demeanour and the hint of a twinkle in his eye. Siannon breathed an internal sigh of relief; now she could relax and truly do justice to the Knappogue '51, however much of it was left. She refilled their glasses, raising hers in another toast.
"To extraordinary people, wherever or whenever we find them!"
"Extraordinary People," echoed Jack as they clinked their glasses together with a smile, and drank deeply. It was almost the last thing Siannon remembered clearly, her recollection of the rest of the night became somewhat hazy after that; a side effect of all the whiskey. She did remember teaching Jack a number of drinking songs in English, Gaelic and Welsh and being surprised at how good a voice he had. That led to her threatening to steal him for the next Eisteddfod held in Cardiff which made him laugh. She remembered thinking it was a beautiful sound and telling him to laugh more often; he told her if she visited more frequently he would make sure he did. Somehow she also allowed herself to be persuaded to tell him stories of some of Methos' more colourful exploits, making them both dissolve into fits of giggles. Everything else had become too fuzzy to remember clearly but she couldn't forget how young and vulnerable Jack had looked after he'd eventually fallen asleep. At that point she tucked a blanket around him, kissed him softly goodnight, and left.
~*~
Siannon didn't even have the whisper of a hangover the next morning which didn't entirely surprise her seeing as she'd been drinking Irish whiskey or its equivalent for a long, long time. Even so, she was very thankful. She decided not to call Jack as she doubted he'd be as lucky and she didn't want to spoil her mood before meeting with Ianto.
It was a beautiful morning, clear, crisp and cold enough to make her very glad of the warmth of her coat and boots as she walked to her car. She'd dressed more smartly than was her custom as she felt it was highly unlikely that Ianto would be wearing jeans even if it wasn't a work day. She was pleased when she was proved right as she hadn't relished the vague possibility that she would be overdressed, though his low whistle of appreciation didn't exactly go amiss either. She gave him a twinkling smile before turning her attention to the drive ahead of them. Once they were underway her curiosity got the better of her.
"So, Ianto, any ideas on what car you want?"
"A few; it came down to practicality or German reliability versus French style." Siannon snorted in disbelief.
"You're sitting in a bloody Renault, one of the French answers to practicality at that, and you expect impartiality? French style's got to win; German cars are just so... staid... except for maybe the Porsches, and *they* aren't exactly the sort of thing you probably want for driving to work."
"Oh I don't know, it might be fun." She could hear the smile in Ianto's voice, though she didn't take her eyes off the road to look at him, instead she answered pragmatically.
"In Cardiff?"
"Yeah, well. You might have a point there." They fell silent for a moment.
"So what's your dream car then?" Siannon asked
"Promise you won't laugh?"
"Why would I laugh?" Ianto glared at her "Ok, ok. Promise. Cross my heart." She gestured with her left hand and waited for Ianto to divulge his secret.
"The Aston Martin DB5."
"The James Bond car?" She chuckled; it wasn't exactly the answer she'd been expecting. "I didn't know you were a closet James Bond fan."
"I assure you, there's no closet involved whatsoever." Ianto replied in the deadpan tone that made her want to hoot with laughter.
"Really? I never would have guessed." She chuckled. "It's a great car, but also not really suitable for driving to work."
"As well as being out of my price range."
"Hmph. So which ones have you been thinking about?"
"Astra."
"Cute and practical, but far too ordinary."
"That's what I was thinking... Mercedes R class."
"Evil car. Clarkson doesn't like it either."
"Citroen C6."
"Ooh, smooth. And why the C6? Isn't it a bit... much... just for driving to work?" She flicked a brief inquiring glance at Ianto before returning her concentration to driving. She saw Ianto smile out of the corner of her eye.
"Ah, but it's classy. And I kind of like the idea of having some of the lumps and bumps taken out of my life, even if it is only in my car. Plus, I'm a sucker for big executive cars; I think it's all the gadgets..." It was Siannon's turn to smile; Ianto was almost as much of a gadget freak as Tosh, he was just a bit less obvious about it.
"Can't argue with that." She replied. "I think I might be tempted myself if it wasn't for needing the space and adaptability of this thing at the moment. You've not seen the size of some of the instrument cases I'm lugging around on a regular basis."
"So when you're not surrendering to the demands of practicality, what's *your* dream car?"
"Not sure I have a dream car. I like them small and fast if life allows. This isn't my only car you know; I have a fun one too." She could tell she'd piqued Ianto's interest by the way shifted in his seat to look at her.
"Which is?" Siannon let a lazy smile creep over her face at his question, she was fairly sure he wouldn't be expecting quite the answer he was going to get.
"A 2004 Caterham Seven; the Superlight R500 to be exact." She was rewarded with a brief moment of silence, and the hiss of a quickly indrawn breath from Ianto.
"The one that was 'too fast to race'? Does 0-60 in just over 3 seconds?" He sounded cautiously excited, like someone reeling off the specs of a car they'd never thought they'd have the chance to see.
"Yup, that's the one. Haven't been able to use it much since I started this job, for a start the weather in Cumbria is about as predictable as the weather here, and then I don't think the school would take kindly to reports of one of their teachers hurtling along the Wrynose Pass in a Caterham."
"I can imagine." Ianto shook his head, unable to prevent a grin from sneaking onto his face. Siannon frowned at him.
"What?"
"I didn't think you'd be a petrol-head!" Ianto was fighting a losing battle with what sounded suspiciously like a giggle to Siannon.
"Nice to know I can still surprise the man who knows everything." She commented. "One of these days I'll bring it down here and take you for a spin. You'd love it."
"I'm sure I would; Jack would probably have a cat... and then demand that you take him out first. Wait until the weather's a bit better though, won't you?" They shared a smile.
"Too bloody right I will. No heating in an R500 you know." She realised at that point she'd just been driving away from the Bay randomly. "So, where to first, Ianto?"
"I thought we'd go and look at the Astra anyway. You never know, they might make me an offer I can't refuse."
"Now that I would like to see," Siannon said with a grin, which widened as Ianto rolled his eyes.
"Take the next left," he said, with enough long suffering resignation in his voice that Siannon couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Despite them both liking the nippiness of the car, the Astra didn't meet Ianto's criteria; not that Siannon had any real idea of what Ianto's criteria for a car actually were. They were back on the road and heading for the Citroen dealership in no time, Siannon being rather surprised when Ianto joined in as she began singing along to the radio. They reached their destination just after an enthusiastic rendition of 'Real Wild Child' had left them both in fits of giggles, driving from their minds the reason behind why Ianto needed a new car.
The C 6 was sleek but quirky, and they both fell in love with it before the test drive had taken them 50 yards.
"If you don't buy this Ianto, I will," she muttered at him. Ianto just smiled. After the test drive she left him hammering out the details of price, delivery and the like while she poked around among the other cars, taking mental notes of the ones she liked for future reference.
Ianto seemed perfectly happy with the deal he'd made as they climbed back into her car, but his good mood appeared to evaporate as they turned back toward the Hub. Siannon cast sidelong glances at him, noticing how his fingers were clenching and unclenching in his lap; it wasn't long before she reached a decision and pulled over. Ianto didn't seem to notice at first and she waited until he registered that they'd stopped. He said nothing, but managed to look guilty, flustered and relieved in equal parts. He met her eyes helplessly. She reached out to touch him gently.
"Are you going to tell me what the problem is, or do I guess?"
"I...I'm not ready to back yet."
"I kind of gathered that. Want more time out?" Ianto nodded in reply. "You should have said something. Right then." She paused in thought, mentally reviewing her options as she checked the time. When they began moving again, she headed out of the city. "We're going for lunch, and you can tell me anything else I should either be doing or worrying about in the process." She absently patted his leg in reassurance as she concentrated on the road once more.
Siannon stopped at a country pub on the other side of the M4; not that far away from the hustle and bustle of Cardiff distance wise, but miles away in terms of outlook. There was real fire in the grate, welcoming all with its cheerful crackle, driving the winter chill away. There were still swathes of greenery draped around the wooden beams, making the whole place smell of winter warmth and home. She took a deep appreciative breath and led them to a table near to the fire, but not close enough that they would overheat. Then she determinedly kept all talk to inconsequentialities until they had both eaten; she knew if she started pushing at Ianto he would manage nothing, and to her eyes he already looked thinner than he had when she'd last seen him a month or so back. Lunch was a pleasant memory, and they were idly chatting over their drinks when Ianto gave Siannon a wry smile.
"I wish the others would learn how to back off like you do. I think there would be a lot less frayed tempers, especially when we're all stressed out, tired and grieving." He sighed. "I'm sorry about before. I just..." his voice trailed off as he stared at the table.
"It's ok, Ianto. Really. If you aren't able to tell me outright, I'll just ask you things until I get there. I'm persistent like that." She smiled gently, and was pleased when Ianto raised his head and smiled back at her.
"I know, but that's ok. Saves me having to think." She sighed in response.
"I suppose thinking too much just stirs everything up at the moment."
"Something like that." Ianto shrugged, before reaching for his drink once more.
"So... I presume you were worrying about getting rid of the other car earlier on?" Siannon asked, watching Ianto's face carefully for the non-verbal cues that would tell her she'd pushed too hard. He seemed a bit uncomfortable, but not overly so.
"Just a bit. Usually it's part of my job to arrange things like that, but with this... I can't bring myself to even think about it."
"Could anyone else do it?" Siannon suggested carefully; Ianto had all but admitted this was one thing he couldn't deal with but she disliked implying that he couldn't do his job knowing how important to him Torchwood was.
"Tosh could manage most of it, but she'd need help." Ianto's answer was thoughtful, but no more than that.
"She'll have it."
"Siannon... I..." Ianto met her eyes, his expression hiding nothing for a change. To Siannon he looked fragile, vulnerable, and terribly young.
"I said I'd help, didn't I? And it seems to me that getting rid of that car will benefit everyone, not just you. It's too much of a physical reminder of what you've all just been through. Get rid of that and it will be easier for you all to move past this. Being on the outside has some advantages, you know."
"Thank you." Ianto whispered.
"Da chi." A comfortable silence fell between them while they both mulled things over. Siannon was wondering just how she was going to deal with Jack when they got back to Cardiff when Ianto interrupted her train of thought.
"How did it go with Jack last night? I'd not heard anything off him this morning when we left." The mask Ianto wore to face the world was partially back in place, but Siannon could see the cracks in it. She kept her answer light; she didn't want to make those cracks any bigger.
"Put it this way; I'm not sure he'll *want* to talk to me today. I introduced him to the joys of quality Irish whiskey and I'm a hell of a lot more used to drinking it than he is."
"Oh dear. I almost feel sorry for him." It looked like Ianto was trying to suppress the smile that wanted to escape, but he didn't quite succeed. She quirked a smile back at him.
"Almost?"
"Yeah. But not quite. And?"
"It did its job, eventually. We talked, amongst other things." The smile crept back onto her face at the less than clear memories of the night before.
"Oh?" Ianto seemed to be intrigued. Siannon wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.
"He has a very good singing voice." She explained; Ianto spluttered.
"Let me get this straight; you got Jack drunk enough to *sing* after how he's been feeling?"
"Yup." Siannon was quite proud of that fact and didn't see why she should try to deny it. Ianto chuckled and shook his head.
"You weren't kidding when you said you were very persuasive, were you? Remind me never to get drunk when you're there, I'm not sure the others are ready for my version of Welsh rugby songs."
"Oh I don't know, you'd probably find that Gwen knows them anyway."
"Probably." Ianto glanced at his watch, and sighed. "Much as I'd prefer not to, if you and Tosh are going to deal with...the Audi... you'd better get back."
"Suppose you're right. Still, soonest started, soonest finished. I'll drop you off first, though."
"If you wouldn't mind."
"Not in the slightest."
Some time later Siannon was cleaning the empty garage. Scrubbing the floor was probably an exercise in futility, it was a garage after all, but she wanted to remove all traces of the Audi from the place, and it had the added advantage of keeping her out of Jack's immediate vicinity. Tosh had been more than glad of her offer of assistance; she'd been the least affected by recent events but she'd still been shocked and upset by John Ellis's suicide. Siannon pushed her hair out of her eyes and surveyed her work; it was a job well done and she doubted the garage had looked so clean in years. Her reverie was interrupted by a quiet voice.
"You didn't have to do this, you know." She didn't acknowledge Jack's presence by turning round, just carried on with the cleaning.
"It needed doing." She said in a flat tone of voice. They both knew it was something that Ianto would have dealt with, that he hadn't been *able* to deal with, and that had ultimately been Jack's responsibility.
"But..."
"Leave it, Jack. Done is done. Time to move on, now." She still didn't turn to face him, but her voice was gentler.
"I guess." She heard him open the door, and then pause. "Come on up when you're ready, Siannon."
"Will do."
"And Siannon?" This time she did turn, glancing at him from over her shoulder.
"Yes?"
"Thank you." The door clanged shut behind him.
When Siannon eventually made her way back into the hub, everyone else bar Jack had left. She could see Jack was in his office, but she needed a drink before she could face him. Deciding to leave the coffee machine well alone as she didn't want to upset Ianto any more than he already was, she made 2 cups of tea and made her way down to the office. Jack was watching her, a wary expression in his eyes as she stepped across the threshold.
"Tea," she said as she put the mug on his desk. "I didn't think Ianto would want me messing around with the coffee machine."
"Tea is fine," Jack replied. "And you're probably right. Not upsetting Ianto is fairly high on my to-do list right now."
"Isn't it a bit late for that?" She asked, keeping her voice gentle so the words didn't sting quite so much. Jack still flinched as if she'd hit him, but met her eyes all the same.
"Let me rephrase that; I don't want to hurt Ianto any more than I have done already."
"Good." She perched on Jack's desk in her usual spot, and they drank their tea in a silence that definitely wasn't comfortable. Eventually Jack broke it.
"What do you want me to say, Siannon?"
"I don't want you to say anything. I want you to think."
"Think?" Jack leaned back in his chair and folded his arms, frowning at her.
"Yeah, think. It's not that hard once you try it, you know." It was a battle to keep her voice reasonably light when all she wanted to do was yell at him. She knew it would accomplish nothing if she did, but even so she had to exert a phenomenal amount of control to keep even a hint of it from showing in her voice. Sometimes her musical training was useful in ways she hadn't predicted. The fact that Jack didn't move from his position, even though he was glaring at her meant she had more or less succeeded.
"I am not going to apologise for not letting John die alone." He said, his voice determined, but not angry. She sighed, some of her anger leaching away at his obvious pain.
"I don't expect you to apologise for that." She replied carefully. "What I do expect you to do, and what you didn't do, is to show some consideration towards your team before deciding on a course of action that will adversely affect them. You're their boss for God's sake. Act like it."
"I..." She held up a hand to interrupt him.
"No, Jack. I haven't finished." Siannon bit her lip, not wanting to start a slanging match with Jack, but needing to say what she felt. She closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. "I know you can't die. Ianto knows you can't die. So does Gwen for that matter, but do you really think that they *like* being confronted with that? Did you once stop to think of how Ianto would feel about you dying in *his* car, and helping someone else to do the same? I bet you didn't. In the last few months he's had a hell of a lot to process emotionally, and there you go and pile something else on his plate. He doesn't blame you for not wanting John to die alone, anything but." She shifted round the desk and grabbed Jack's chin in her hand, forcing him to meet her eyes. "Why didn't you try to find another way, Jack?" She asked softly, forcing the anger and recrimination out of her voice.
"I...I'm sorry." Jack whispered. She let her hands drop.
"Don't tell me. Tell Ianto. I'm hopeful that after today he'll feel less fragile. Talk to him, let him *know* you appreciate him. Him. Not your archivist and general support officer. Him. It's important to you both, believe me. Ianto hasn't got time to waste on not living his life to the full, the likes of us have. Methos would agree with me."
"Methos would be a lot less polite about it than you've been."
"No doubt he would. So don't give him cause to need to be when he next drops by. Work it out Jack. And if you need to do it physically then..." She opened her arms in a gesture that said 'I'm here'. Jack stared at her like his eyes were about to fall out of his head. "I don't mean like *that*, Jack Harkness. If you need to hit something hard I'm as good with a big stick as the next person, and you're not going to be able to damage me permanently. And I run faster than you do." He blinked at her, and gave her a wry smile.
"I'll let you know if I need to take you up on the offer. Although to be quite honest the thought of going hand to hand with you is kind of... daunting. I know what you're capable of."
"That was the general idea. Even so, the offer's still open. We're warriors, Jack, like it or not. Sometimes we need some form of semi-controlled violence to ground us. If Methos were here I'd leave you to him, there is nothing about you that he can't deal with. However, I'm not Methos and I can't give you what you really need; which means you get the back up plan. It might do us both good." She fell silent; there was no way she was going to come any closer than that to admitting how frustrated she had been with him. Jack being Jack picked up on it.
"Have I really been that bad?"
"Not to me personally..." Jack's eyes pleaded with her, begging her to tell him otherwise. "I'm sorry," she whispered. Jack closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again his expression was all 'business as usual' again.
"Looks like I have some bridges to repair then." He pushed himself up out of the chair and grabbed Siannon's hand. "I think I might take you up on that offer after all, if it's still open." She squeezed his fingers, and let an almost feral smile creep across her face.
"It's open." She replied. "And thank you."
A while later, lying flat on her back on a crash mat with Jack's elbow in her throat, Siannon wasn't sure than thanking him in advance had been such a good idea. Admittedly he looked a lot worse than she did, but they were both battered and bruised. He sat back on his heels and offered her a hand to sit up. She took it gratefully, and they both sat there, panting. She grinned and shook her head.
"What?" He asked, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. It came away bloody.
"You cheat." He started to grin back, but hissed as the movement caused the split in his lip to open again.
"And that surprises you?" He asked as he prodded at his mouth with his fingers.
"Not in the slightest." She stretched, and then flowed upright. Jack scowled at her.
"The fact that you can still do that is obscene." He said.
"I've had more practice than you at this sort of thing." She returned the favour and held out a hand to Jack. He took it.
"True," he grunted as he hauled himself up, wincing slightly as he put his full weight on both feet. "Did you have to kick me so hard?"
"Yes. And anyway, you did it first." She stalked over to the water cooler, filled two cups and passed one to Jack. He took it gratefully and drained it. "Will you be ok by tomorrow?" She asked.
"You mean this?" He gestured at the bruises and abrasions that adorned him. Siannon nodded. "They'll be gone. If you'd killed me a couple of times beforehand it would have taken a lot longer for them to heal but there shouldn't be anything still visible by tomorrow." Siannon coloured slightly; she'd been rougher with him than she'd originally intended.
"I think I'm rather glad about that. I don't think I'd relish the others knowing that I'd beaten up their boss."
"Why? Worried you might get a request to do it again?" Siannon nearly choked on her water as she tried to laugh and breathe at the same time.
"I hadn't realised there might be a demand for the service."
"Hopefully there won't be." He reached out and squeezed her shoulder, saying with a touch and a heartfelt glance what he didn't put into words. She raised her hand to his where it rested on her shoulder and brushed her fingers across the bruises on his knuckles.
"Hopefully," she agreed. Jack nodded, and removed his hand.
"Shall we?" He asked, indicating the door. She indicated her agreement by sliding out past him, with a smack to his backside. The sound of his laughter followed her down the corridor, and she smiled to herself. The outlook was already improving.
Siannon woke to the wind veritably howling around the hotel, accompanied by the smash of horizontal rain against the window. She shuddered, it would be beyond foul outside; the wind would render any attempt at using an umbrella dangerous and would drive the rain straight through any normal coat. She found herself rather glad she didn't have a normal coat, and then remembered Ianto who not only didn't have a coat like hers but didn't have a car either. She checked her watch, it was 6am; she was sure Ianto wouldn't mind being woken a little early when he saw the violence of what was masquerading as weather outside his window.
An hour later, the wind had dropped slightly, allowing the rain to fall more or less vertically. Ianto still managed to get soaked by just dashing from his front door to Siannon's car and gasped a breathless thank you as she shoved a towel in his face to help him dry off. They were both warm and fairly dry by the time she pulled her car into a small underground car park that she hadn't realised existed until Ianto directed her there. She pulled into the space that Ianto indicated, that was marked 'contract only parking'. The only other car in the car park was one she didn't recognise. She shot a questioning glance at Ianto.
"You aren't going to tell me you've got a whole damn car park that you've been keeping secret now, are you?" Ianto shook his head, smiling gently.
"Torchwood had a hand in building it, but it's not exclusively ours; the Senedd gets the use of that bit." He waved at the other side of the car park where the other car was parked. "We get a percentage of the contract fees though, comes in handy." He dug around in an inside pocket for a moment before producing a car pass, Siannon could barely make out the tiny Torchwood 'T' logo in one corner next to a barcode. "Put this in your windscreen and then we can get out of here."
"So how do you propose we get out of here and through the tourist office without getting pulverised by the rain?" She asked as they walked across the car park.
"We don't." He stopped before an unremarkable door marked 'private' which had a combination lock. He tapped in the number and opened it, stepping aside to let Siannon in first. "Private entrance. This way eventually connects up with the entrance from the Torchwood garage."
"Eventually?" She queried, not sure she liked the sound of that.
"Eventually." Ianto confirmed with a hint of a smirk.
After the third locked door and second flight of stairs, Siannon realised that Ianto really hadn't been kidding. They came to a fourth door, and she thankfully recognised the corridor on the other side.
"Thank fuck for that!" She let out with a whoosh of breath. Beside her, Ianto chuckled.
"Now you know why we don't really use it that much, though it beats going outside when the weather is trying to wash the city into the Bay."
"Too bloody right it does, but I'm perishing for a coffee now."
"I think I can do something about that..."
"Have I told you recently how much I love you, Ianto?" She said, and hooked her arm through his as they made their way up to the hub proper.
"You're only after me for one thing." He said, trying to sound hurt and failing. She grinned at him.
"Damn straight. With chocolate sprinkles..."
Later, with her hands wrapped around a cup of heaven with chocolate sprinkles Siannon watched Ianto making Jack's first industrial strength coffee of the day. She realised he was whistling under his breath while he went through the ritual.
"You sound better," she commented. He threw a quick smile over his shoulder before continuing with what he was doing.
"Weather notwithstanding; I feel better. It's a relief." He straightened, turning round to face her.
"I bet it is." She indicated the coffee in Ianto's hand "Do you want me to take that down or...?"
"No, I'll take it. I need to talk to Jack before everyone else gets here. We both have some explaining to do and now I feel more able to manage my side I'd rather not leave it." He met her eyes, and she gave him the merest hint of a nod.
"I understand. Yell if you need me."
"I won't, but thanks anyway." Ianto grinned at her, and turned towards the stairs.
"Bugger off then," Siannon said cheerfully. "I'll phone when the others start arriving if you haven't surfaced..." She sent him on his way with a gentle push between his shoulders and a not so gentle slap to his bottom, musing as she watched him descend to the main level that Jack was right about the suits. Resolutely she quashed any further thoughts that threatened to travel in that direction and dug around in the cupboard for everyone else's favourite mugs before going to check on Myfanwy. By the time she'd finished Ianto was back in the kitchen area, fiddling with the coffee machine. She made her way down to beg another drink off him.
"Will you and Jack be ok now?" She asked as she approached.
"I think so. Whatever you did for him, thank you." He smiled at her, hands still busy on the machine.
"You should thank yourself, Ianto. I couldn't have done anything if you hadn't asked me down here after all. I just knocked some sense into his thick skull." The sound of the cog door and the entrance alarm interrupted her. She watched Owen stalk through the door, not looking left or right, not acknowledging anyone. She sighed. "I wish I could do more." Ianto joined her at the railing.
"I'm not sure anyone can help Owen, except Owen."
"Maybe not, but he seems so brittle..." She paused for a moment, watching Owen's silent progress toward the autopsy bay. "...and brittle things tend to shatter." Ianto didn't answer, just turned back to his coffee machine, wordlessly picked up Owen's drink, and took it downstairs to him; the silent message coming through to her loud and clear �" Torchwood would deal with Owen as best they could, no matter what their personal feelings in the matter and she would just have to leave them to it. Siannon had done all she could to help her friends, perhaps it was time to let them help themselves; even with that acknowledged, she found herself reluctant to leave. She decided to give herself another day, two at the most, in Cardiff and then she would have to go back to what passed as a normal life for her.
For the rest of the day she kept unobtrusively in the background. More often than not that meant giving Ianto a hand in the archives as they'd not bothered opening the tourist office because of the weather. She'd only approached Owen once, when delivering coffee and before she'd even opened her mouth he'd said.
"Don't. Just... don't." She left him in peace, even though it cut her up to leave him in such pain without even attempting to do something about it. She knew it was impossible to help someone who wasn't ready *to* be helped, but it confirmed that her decision to leave sooner rather than later was the correct one.
Thankfully the weather had calmed down somewhat by the time she was ready to leave the hub and Siannon only had to contend with wet streets and rain rather than having to fight to keep her car on the road as it was buffeted by a howling gale, but Ianto still accepted the offer of a lift home.
"So, same time tomorrow?" Siannon asked. Ianto shook his head, smiling brightly.
"No need. I'm picking up my new car tomorrow so I'm heading out that way before I go to work."
"Does this mean we can come and drool over it?"
"Only if you clean up after yourselves. And no sticky fingerprints on the paintwork either." Ianto admonished. She chuckled.
"I'll make sure to tell Jack. Though knowing him, fingerprints would be the least of the problem..." She trailed off, looking sideways at Ianto, waiting for his reaction. She wasn't disappointed with his spluttered reply.
"Siannon!"
"It's true." She was grinning now, unable to help herself. She enjoyed getting Ianto flustered and it wasn't that easy.
"Maybe it is. But..." Ianto swallowed the rest of the sentence and began to fiddle with the catch on his seatbelt, avoiding Siannon's gaze. She tried not to chuckle.
"Sorry Ianto. I shouldn't tease, but it's worth it just to see your face matching your shirt."
"I'll get you back." Seatbelt undone he did meet her eyes, underneath the humour she could see he meant every word.
"I'm sure you will." She replied, hoping that when he did it wouldn't be too embarrassing; Ianto still had access to the Watcher database after all.
"Thanks for the lift, Siannon."
"No problem. See you tomorrow." The car door slammed behind him and he waved at her as he ran down the path to his front door in an effort to avoid the worst of the rain. She waited until he was inside before pulling away and heading back to her hotel, hoping that the weather would improve before she left Cardiff.
The sky the next morning was that threatening flat shade of grey that promises snow, but never seems to deliver. Siannon was just glad the wind had dropped, especially when everyone except Owen trooped outside to ogle Ianto's new car. They didn't stay outside for long as it was too cold to stand around, and Jack amazed them all by behaving himself. It was a slow day for Torchwood, and Siannon ended up back in the archives for much of it helping Ianto with some of the filing and keeping well away from the artefacts. When she emerged Gwen and Owen had already left and Toshiko was typing away furiously on her computer, oblivious to the rest of the Hub.
"Coffee?" Ianto called down from his spot by the boardroom.
"Please," she replied and headed up toward him. "So what does Jack think of the new car then?"
"He likes it." Ianto ducked his head in an effort to hide the flush on his cheeks. "Especially the back window; said it might come in useful..."
"The window? What's so special about the sodding window?" Siannon was puzzled to say the least.
"It's concave rather than convex." Ianto replied matter-of-factly, though he was still blushing.
"So it's a bit different. But I still don't get..." she stopped as something clicked in her head as to just why a concave rear window on a saloon style car might be useful. "He never?" She gaped at Ianto. "In this weather? Outside? Dagda's Balls!" Ianto burst out laughing.
"Not even Jack is that crazy. But he did make a few suggestions."
"I'm sure he did." She leaned against the railing, fanning cheeks that were inexplicably flaming. Ianto chuckled.
"I'll let you take Tosh's coffee then, shall I? Unless you'd prefer to take Jack his of course?"
"No. No, I'll take Tosh's. It's fine." The sound of Ianto's laughter drifted up to her as he made his way down the stairs. She wasn't sure, but she thought she caught him whispering something that sounded suspiciously like 'payback'. She smiled to herself, typical of Ianto not to be beyond embarrassing himself in order to get to her. She picked up the other coffees and headed to Tosh's work station.
Tosh absently thanked her for the coffee but carried on doing whatever it was that engrossed her so much. Siannon finished her coffee, and when there was no sign of either Jack or Ianto emerging from the office she began to tidy up.
"There! Done." Tosh eventually pushed herself away from her desk, and smiled at Siannon. "Time to go I think." Siannon wandered over to the work station and checked her watch.
"Bloody hell, didn't realise it was so late. What's the weather doing out there now?" Tosh brought up the current CCTV footage on one of her screens. They both stared at it.
"That wasn't forecast." Tosh said as the Plass appeared onscreen shrouded under a blanket of snow.
"No it wasn't. Isn't it great!" Siannon couldn't help the enthusiasm that coloured the tone of her voice.
"It's snow."
"Yeah. And do you know how rare it is to get a decent snowfall in Western coastal areas now? That actually sticks?"
"I hadn't thought about it." Toshiko replied vaguely. Siannon was already scrambling into her coat.
"Come on Tosh, let's grab Jack and Ianto." Siannon dashed into Jack's office, glad that the door hadn't been closed; hopefully she wouldn't be interrupting anything. Two pairs of blue eyes turned in her direction as she barrelled through the door.
"What's the emergency?" Jack asked, smiling.
"Have you seen the CCTV for up there?" She indicated the Plass above them. Ianto immediately flicked the screen on Jack's computer over to the CCTV feed and shifted out of the way so Jack could see it. Identical grins lit their faces.
"We'll use the lift," said Jack, rolling down his sleeves as Ianto went to gather their coats.
The snow had almost stopped by the time they reached the surface, carpeting the entire Plass and the surrounding area, twinkling under the street lights. She grinned at Jack; for some reason the first proper snow of the season had always been a magical thing for her, and it touched something deep within her to see Jack reacting in a similar way. She threw the first snowball, hitting Jack squarely on the back of his head and was rewarded by being pelted by all three of the others. Soon there was nothing but the sound of laughter and the echo of muffled shrieks across the Plass as one or another of them managed to score a particularly direct hit with a snowball. Eventually they had to stop; fingers, toes and faces were becoming numb with cold despite the smiles and laughter. Siannon carefully brushed the snow off her coat.
"That was fun. Couldn't think of a better way to say goodbye," she said with a smile.
"You're leaving?" Jack sounded surprised.
"Tomorrow morning."
"And you weren't going to say goodbye." Ianto didn't sound surprised in the least.
"Don't need to." She said, squeezing Ianto's shoulder. "You know I'll be in touch, and anyway you know where I am if you need me. Take care of yourselves." She kissed both men on the cheek and offered an arm to Tosh. "Walk you back to your car?" Tosh accepted the arm with a breathless giggle.
"I'm sure I'd manage, but thanks anyway." Arm in arm she and Tosh crunched through the snow as they made their way to where the cars were parked. The snow touched everything with an air of mystery making Cardiff look magical rather than mundane; it was a beautiful sight. For a second Siannon thought she felt something, a ghost of presence whispering along her nerves. She stopped in her tracks, but it had gone if it had even been there.
"What's wrong?" Tosh asked. Siannon shook her head to clear it and glanced over her shoulder; Jack was leading Ianto back up to the invisible lift while trying to kiss him at the same time. She smiled to herself; life was good, or at least a hell of a lot better than it had been three days ago.
"Nothing's wrong, Tosh. Nothing at all."