Fic: Vizzini's Rule (19/105)
Jul. 13th, 2008 11:31 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
buttononthetopTitle: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter 19
Rating: PG
Warnings: None that spring to mind.
Spoilers: Season One thru Small Worlds (1x5)
Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to Russell T. Davies and the Mighty Beeb. Just goofin' around! All ©’s to Peter J. Hammond for the dialogue I borrowed from Small Worlds. No infringement, only worship, intended.
Summary: The origin fic continues - in which Ianto is given new responsibilities...
Notes: Thanks to everyone who's reading! I know how frustrating a WIP can be, especially one with no end in sight! I promise to keep going for as long as it takes. :o)
Previous Chapters
Vizzini's Rule: Chapter Nineteen
The next morning Ianto packed up his clothes for the day and ran back to the office. He’d considered calling a taxi, but decided the run would do him good, help him get focused for the day. As he ran, he considered just keeping a week’s worth of suits in his locker and making his daily runs part of his commute.
When he arrived at the Hub, he hurried down to the showers to get cleaned up before anyone came in. He showered quickly and was still breathing hard as he stepped over the bench to his locker when he heard footsteps on the tile. He clutched the towel around his waist tighter, praying it wasn’t Owen. He was in luck, it was Jack who stepped around the lockers.
“I thought that might be you. You left your car last night.”
“Yeah, uh, yes, sir. Needed a run,” Ianto explained as he tried to slow his breathing.
Jack just looked at him for a moment, apparently not liking what he saw. “You’re still too thin, Ianto. I could snap you in two right now.”
Ianto grimaced and turned to his locker, hiding his face. “I prefer wiry to thin, if you don’t mind sir.”
Jack chuckled and let the matter drop. He straddled the end of the bench and watched as Ianto scrubbed at his hair and his upper body with a second towel. “I’ve been thinking about our talk last night.”
Ianto looked up, trying to keep the excitement out of his voice, “Yes, sir?”
“I think we’re both right – you are part of the team, an essential part that I, for one, could not do without. But you’re right too, you are capable of much more than what you’ve been doing. So here’s my proposal.” Jack leaned back on the bench and crossed his arms. “I’m going to start giving you some new tasks, things that aren’t getting done right now. I’ll expect you to start attending the staff meetings, not just bringing in coffee and then leaving. You should have been doing that already,” Jack pointed out.
Hunching his shoulders defensively, Ianto replied, “I was never asked, sir, and no one ever said anything to me.”
Jack snorted. “Well consider this your engraved invitation.” He stood up and turned to leave the locker room. “Come find me after you get settled and I’ll show you what I have in mind.”
“Thank you, sir. I really… I–”
Jack waved his hand. “See you upstairs,” he said and left the room.
Ianto dropped onto the bench with a sigh. Maybe Jack really did want to trust him again. Maybe his second chance would work out after all.
That day, Ianto finally started to believe that he could get past his betrayal and move forward. Jack gave him several small assignments, monitoring mostly, rationalizing that Ianto’s organization and attention to detail made him ideal for the job. He also opened up the rest of the archives to Ianto. He’d been working on cataloging since his first day, but now Jack made him the keeper-of-the-keys as it were. Once again, Ianto’s natural tendencies to organization would be put to good use in the archives. Jack called a staff meeting just before lunch and announced the changes to the rest of the team. Tosh beamed at Ianto, Gwen looked happy as well and Owen grumbled.
That night, Ianto stayed late again, but this time he wasn’t cleaning. He was working on his new assignments. He had a list of items to check and was working his way down, line by line. He was enjoying himself so thoroughly that he didn’t even notice the time until Jack startled him again.
Ianto was looking over his list when he heard Jack say, just as he had the night before, “You shouldn’t be here.”
Ianto looked up, surprised to see Jack stripped down to just a plain white t-shirt and trousers. He looked as if he’d been sleeping and Ianto hoped he hadn’t woken him up. “Neither should you,” he replied quietly. Jack didn’t react to the quip, just stared at him looking exhausted, so Ianto moved on to the monitor. He heard Jack sigh behind him and the felt a hand on his back.
“Whadda ya got?” Jack asked.
Ianto glanced behind him but Jack wasn’t looking at him, he was watching the monitor. Ianto straightened up. Jack had touched him. It was the first time he’d had any contact with Ianto since the night Lisa died. Jack had touched him. Ianto felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off his chest. Jack had touched him. Jack had forgiven him.
Ianto sighed with contentment as Jack patted his back, then he answered question, “Funny sort of weather patterns.”
Jack furrowed his brow, looking closely at the monitor. “I wonder…” he said, trailing off.
“Sir?”
“Nah. Couldn’t be.”
“Sir?” Ianto asked again.
“Hmmm?” Jack pulled a rose petal out of his pocket. “Oh, sorry, I was just remembering something… something from the past.”
“Something to do with the weather?”
“Sort of,” Jack said. He rubbed the petal between his fingertips until it curled and fell apart. Then he looked at Ianto again. “It’s late, you should go on home. This can wait until morning.”
Ianto looked at Jack for a moment and then said, “Yes, sir. Good night, sir.”
Jack just nodded, distracted by his thoughts.
Ianto was almost to the cog door when Jack called out, “You’re not running again, I hope?”
Laughing, Ianto replied, “No, I’m going to take my car.”
“Good, good,” Jack said as he turned back to his office.
Ianto smiled as the door rolled back.
Jack had forgiven him.
TBC in Chapter Twenty
Rating: PG
Warnings: None that spring to mind.
Spoilers: Season One thru Small Worlds (1x5)
Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to Russell T. Davies and the Mighty Beeb. Just goofin' around! All ©’s to Peter J. Hammond for the dialogue I borrowed from Small Worlds. No infringement, only worship, intended.
Summary: The origin fic continues - in which Ianto is given new responsibilities...
Notes: Thanks to everyone who's reading! I know how frustrating a WIP can be, especially one with no end in sight! I promise to keep going for as long as it takes. :o)
Previous Chapters
Vizzini's Rule: Chapter Nineteen
The next morning Ianto packed up his clothes for the day and ran back to the office. He’d considered calling a taxi, but decided the run would do him good, help him get focused for the day. As he ran, he considered just keeping a week’s worth of suits in his locker and making his daily runs part of his commute.
When he arrived at the Hub, he hurried down to the showers to get cleaned up before anyone came in. He showered quickly and was still breathing hard as he stepped over the bench to his locker when he heard footsteps on the tile. He clutched the towel around his waist tighter, praying it wasn’t Owen. He was in luck, it was Jack who stepped around the lockers.
“I thought that might be you. You left your car last night.”
“Yeah, uh, yes, sir. Needed a run,” Ianto explained as he tried to slow his breathing.
Jack just looked at him for a moment, apparently not liking what he saw. “You’re still too thin, Ianto. I could snap you in two right now.”
Ianto grimaced and turned to his locker, hiding his face. “I prefer wiry to thin, if you don’t mind sir.”
Jack chuckled and let the matter drop. He straddled the end of the bench and watched as Ianto scrubbed at his hair and his upper body with a second towel. “I’ve been thinking about our talk last night.”
Ianto looked up, trying to keep the excitement out of his voice, “Yes, sir?”
“I think we’re both right – you are part of the team, an essential part that I, for one, could not do without. But you’re right too, you are capable of much more than what you’ve been doing. So here’s my proposal.” Jack leaned back on the bench and crossed his arms. “I’m going to start giving you some new tasks, things that aren’t getting done right now. I’ll expect you to start attending the staff meetings, not just bringing in coffee and then leaving. You should have been doing that already,” Jack pointed out.
Hunching his shoulders defensively, Ianto replied, “I was never asked, sir, and no one ever said anything to me.”
Jack snorted. “Well consider this your engraved invitation.” He stood up and turned to leave the locker room. “Come find me after you get settled and I’ll show you what I have in mind.”
“Thank you, sir. I really… I–”
Jack waved his hand. “See you upstairs,” he said and left the room.
Ianto dropped onto the bench with a sigh. Maybe Jack really did want to trust him again. Maybe his second chance would work out after all.
That day, Ianto finally started to believe that he could get past his betrayal and move forward. Jack gave him several small assignments, monitoring mostly, rationalizing that Ianto’s organization and attention to detail made him ideal for the job. He also opened up the rest of the archives to Ianto. He’d been working on cataloging since his first day, but now Jack made him the keeper-of-the-keys as it were. Once again, Ianto’s natural tendencies to organization would be put to good use in the archives. Jack called a staff meeting just before lunch and announced the changes to the rest of the team. Tosh beamed at Ianto, Gwen looked happy as well and Owen grumbled.
That night, Ianto stayed late again, but this time he wasn’t cleaning. He was working on his new assignments. He had a list of items to check and was working his way down, line by line. He was enjoying himself so thoroughly that he didn’t even notice the time until Jack startled him again.
Ianto was looking over his list when he heard Jack say, just as he had the night before, “You shouldn’t be here.”
Ianto looked up, surprised to see Jack stripped down to just a plain white t-shirt and trousers. He looked as if he’d been sleeping and Ianto hoped he hadn’t woken him up. “Neither should you,” he replied quietly. Jack didn’t react to the quip, just stared at him looking exhausted, so Ianto moved on to the monitor. He heard Jack sigh behind him and the felt a hand on his back.
“Whadda ya got?” Jack asked.
Ianto glanced behind him but Jack wasn’t looking at him, he was watching the monitor. Ianto straightened up. Jack had touched him. It was the first time he’d had any contact with Ianto since the night Lisa died. Jack had touched him. Ianto felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off his chest. Jack had touched him. Jack had forgiven him.
Ianto sighed with contentment as Jack patted his back, then he answered question, “Funny sort of weather patterns.”
Jack furrowed his brow, looking closely at the monitor. “I wonder…” he said, trailing off.
“Sir?”
“Nah. Couldn’t be.”
“Sir?” Ianto asked again.
“Hmmm?” Jack pulled a rose petal out of his pocket. “Oh, sorry, I was just remembering something… something from the past.”
“Something to do with the weather?”
“Sort of,” Jack said. He rubbed the petal between his fingertips until it curled and fell apart. Then he looked at Ianto again. “It’s late, you should go on home. This can wait until morning.”
Ianto looked at Jack for a moment and then said, “Yes, sir. Good night, sir.”
Jack just nodded, distracted by his thoughts.
Ianto was almost to the cog door when Jack called out, “You’re not running again, I hope?”
Laughing, Ianto replied, “No, I’m going to take my car.”
“Good, good,” Jack said as he turned back to his office.
Ianto smiled as the door rolled back.
Jack had forgiven him.
TBC in Chapter Twenty
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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Date: 2008-07-13 05:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-14 02:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-13 06:19 pm (UTC)I'm enjoying this so much! Can't wait for the next part!
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Date: 2008-07-14 02:23 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2008-07-14 02:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-13 11:11 pm (UTC)Two posts in one day?? I'm sure I only read part 18 earlier today. I@m impressed by the speed you're updating at whilst still keeping the quality! I can't write that fast!
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Date: 2008-07-14 02:31 am (UTC)I'll tell you a little secret - I'm about 11,000 words ahead so as long as I keep it steady I should be able to keep posting. :D
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Date: 2008-07-14 12:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-14 02:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-14 07:26 am (UTC)GW
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Date: 2008-07-14 08:18 pm (UTC)Thanks again for reading and commenting!!
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Date: 2008-07-15 11:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-16 01:02 am (UTC)Oh - and I adore your icon! :D
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Date: 2008-07-15 07:51 pm (UTC)Pleeeeaaaase tell me we're nearing the Janto action.. of any sort I mean.. Great chapter, I really loved it =]
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Date: 2008-07-16 01:03 am (UTC)(hey, did you see my music choice for this chapter?)
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Date: 2008-07-16 04:11 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2008-07-17 01:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-24 04:10 am (UTC)(off to read the next chapter)
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Date: 2008-07-25 03:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-06 03:42 pm (UTC)On a side note, I just had a cheese sandwich for lunch solely because Ianto had one earlier. Is that weird?
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Date: 2009-05-09 02:38 am (UTC)