Chapter Text
Jack doesn’t know what he expects to happen when he gets back.
Well, no, he does. He thinks Gwen will be glad to see him, maybe yell at him at first, but ultimately be happy. Maybe Tosh will feel the same, without the anger and lashing out. That doesn’t mean she won’t be angry; she just prefers not to show it. He believes Owen will be relieved that his captain is mostly fine.
But he knows that everything isn’t going to be okay. He wants things to go back to normal, but that is unrealistic. He wants them to react that way, but he knows they won’t.
Jack expects a cold shoulder from Owen. From Gwen. It would be foolish to hope for anything else (not that he doesn’t think Tosh wouldn’t be apprehensive at first, but he doesn’t expect her to hold a grudge; it isn’t something she enjoys doing). He expects them to be loud and rash and demand information. He expects them to yell, push, and shove. Call him irrational, self-centred, inconsiderate, and just plain old selfish. Because he was. He is selfish.
However, the one reaction he can’t predict, and the one that is arguably the most important to him, is Ianto’s. He isn’t sure what to expect. He has no idea if Ianto will kiss him, punch him, hug him, or completely ignore him. He knows what he deserves. The pain, the hurt, the wrath. He knows what he wants, but he can’t entertain it. It’s practically out of the question. He just doesn’t know what to expect.
In fact, when he returns, he has no idea what he is doing. He is going to find out soon because he is already marching into the room that his team is in and pulling the trigger.
He smirks. At least after all that happened, he is still a good shot.
Ianto stares at the humanoid fish that now lies dead in front of him. He doesn’t want to turn around just yet out of fear. It may not be the person he expects.
God, he hopes it’s Jack. He needs it to be Jack.
He knows it’s definitely Jack when the sound of a smack rings through the room. Slowly, he turns around and sees exactly what he expected. Gwen ripping Jack a new one. He at least has the decency to look a bit sheepish. Though, there is something else behind his eyes that Ianto can’t quite read. Something he’s not sure he’s ever seen in Jack before.
"You could have at least let me know, Jack. I was right there with you just moments before. You couldn’t just tell me? Sometimes I wonder why I put up with you, you absolute moron!" Gwen’s not quite yelling, but she isn’t very quiet either. She lets out an exasperated sigh and opens her arms.
Jack looks down at her with confusion. Surely she isn’t offering to give him a hug? He doesn’t know what to do and is terrified he will somehow misinterpret the situation.
The rest of the team watches this interaction play out with confusion. But Ianto recognizes right away that something is seriously wrong. Jack never turns down any sort of affection. Ever. Even after arguments or fights. He always gives and is willing to receive all types of affection and never really questions why. Sure, his self-esteem is practically playing limbo with the devil, but he knows they care. He always knew. He never doubted it, but right now he is, and it’s making something inside Ianto churn. What could have possibly happened in the three months he was gone that would warrant this reaction?
About two seconds pass before Gwen says, "Come here, you idiot," and takes Jack into her embrace. Fear briefly flickers across his face at the abrupt contact. It faded so quickly that it was almost impossible to catch, but Ianto knew Jack, and he knew what he saw. For just a moment, Jack was scared. Like he thought Gwen was going to hurt him? Granted she did just slap him but it isn’t the first time she’s done that (although Owen is usually the one on the receiving end).
Gwen finally releases him, and Tosh quickly replaces her. The unexpected force almost knocks Jack off balance.
"I missed you."
"I missed you too, Tosh."
"Don’t ever do that again." She hits his chest with a bit of force, hoping to get her point across. Jack’s face contorts slightly when the contact is made. Not in physical pain, the blow surely wouldn’t hurt a man of Jack’s stature. It was as if he remembered something he didn’t want to do.
"I won’t, I won’t. Not without warning. I’m sorry."
"I know Jack, I know." Toshiko smiles softly up at him, and the corner of his mouth quirks up a bit before the carefully placed neutral expression returns.
Jack turns to face Owen and fears his rejection. No more than he feared Gwen and Tosh but they were different. They didn’t mind beating around the bush a bit and being nicer than they should for the sake of the other person. Owen is sharp. He makes clear and well-deserved jabs and isn’t afraid to do so. He says what’s on his mind and is honest almost to a fault. Some call him blunt but to him, he’s just saying things that the others around him are too much of a coward too.
“Nice of you to show up Harkness.” Owen shoots him a cheeky grin and playfully punches his arm.
To say Jack is confused is an understatement. Owen’s harsh words paired with the obvious playful look in his eyes are making his head spin. At least he thinks it’s playful. Owen always says things like that it’s not out of character for him, not even a little bit. Yet it still makes him wary. The last time he saw that playful gleam that followed after a remark like that he ended up being a personal knife block.
“We should head back to the Hub. Tosh, can you make sure he was the only thing that came through? Gwen and Owen check outside to make sure nobody came to see the commotion. Jack and I will put him in the boot.” Ianto’s voice cut through the room. Strong but not harsh. Leading but not overpowering. Just enough force to get everyone moving with minimal complaints. Although the fact that Jack looked like a kicked puppy might have helped.
Everyone had shuffled out of the flat by now and Jack is still staring at the spot where Owen was standing. His eyes are glassed over and his breathing is slightly shallow. It’s like he’s not even here.
It’s like he’s not even here.
“Shit.” Ianto slowly makes his way over to Jack, careful not to send him deeper into whatever this is.
“Jack?” Ianto starts to reach out but thinks better of it. “Jack, it's Ianto. You’re back in Cardiff. You are safe Jack.”
“Ianto?” Jack blinks and finally sees Ianto instead of looking through him.
“Yeah, it’s me, Jack. You’re safe.” Ianto searches Jack's eyes for some sort of acknowledgement. He’s not sure he finds what he’s looking for but they need to get back to the Hub before anyone else shows up.
“Jack, can you help me put him in the boot?”
“Yeah” he clears his throat “yeah of course.”
Ianto grabs the weird fish head and Jack gets the legs and they somehow make it out of the flat without running into too much furniture.
Jack goes to get into the driver's side but Ianto puts his hand over him and it’s enough to get the message across.
The drive back to the Hub is uneventful. Considering the very eventful day that they had Ianto thinks they should be grateful but it’s hard to be at the moment when his…his…when Jack is sitting next to him and looks half dead. He can tell that Jack is in his own world again; he just hopes it’s a good one.
He makes eye contact with Owen in the rearview mirror. Owen raises his eyebrow in reference to Jack’s current state. Ianto just shrugs. He isn’t sure what is going through Jack’s head. He knows how dark Jack’s past is from the little bits that he has been told, and yet none of those memories has shaken him as strongly as this is. Ianto pres ses the gas harder. They need to get to the Hub now.