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aviv_b_artworkTITLE: Chapter 59 - Competition
AUTHOR: Aviv_b
RATING: Chapter 59 - PG for language
CHARACTERS: Ianto, Jack, Aaron, The Doctor, and a surprise OC
DISCLAIMER: Not mine; Aunty B's and RTD's
WORDS: ~ 1360
SUMMARY: The Doctor visits Torchwood London and brings a surprise visitor for Jack, while Ianto and Aaron have a huge row over something Aaron insists on doing. Who's the visitor, and will Ianto and Aaron be able to resolve their differences?
Title is from: If you're a competitive person, that stays with you. You don't stop. You always look over your shoulder. Magic Johnson
Jack continued to lead Torchwood One getting them ready for when everything changed. As the years passed, the last vestiges of anger and hurt that had existed between Jack and Ianto gradually dissipated. They certainly weren’t social friends, but Ianto no longer felt the need to shield his mind so tightly around Jack and Jack didn’t feel heart broken every time he saw Ianto.
In the spring of 2020, The Doctor made his first formal visit to Torchwood One in the twenty first century. It had been well over ten years since Jack had seen The Doctor and he was startled to find that The Doctor was in a much younger body – but he was still the same old Doctor on the inside. Jack took The Doctor on a tour of the facility including the R&D labs. The Doctor was pleased to see that they were developing their own type of cyber-technology, designed to be controlled by human thought rather than the other way around. And he was delighted when Jack told him The Queen had issued a proclamation that declared that The Doctor was an official ‘Friend of the Crown’ rather than an enemy of the state.
As they reminisced in Jack’s office The Doctor asked, “So what’s happened to your original team from Cardiff?”
Jack sighed. “Well, Mickey Smith is still the head of Torchwood Three. I think you knew that already”
The Doctor nodded.
“Gwen is still there and is his second in command. Her husband Rhys has come on board as well. He’s doing quite well as a field agent from what I hear. Gwen and Rhys have two kids; I don’t know how they manage Torchwood and a life of their own, but they seem to have it figured out. Owen’s still there as well, but I wonder how much longer that will last. Mickey and he don’t get along that well and frankly Owen isn’t mellowing with age. And Tosh only works part-time for Torchwood since she had her second child; she and Owen just couldn’t find the balance that Gwen and Rhys achieved.
“And…” The Doctor replied. “What about that young man you were so fond of?”
“You’re asking about Ianto, right? Jack asked. “He’s here at Torchwood One. The Executive Director of Research & Analytics that you met, that’s him. You know, I’ve always wanted to ask you. Did you know you had brought me back to Cardiff two years in the future after our year on the Valiant?”
The Doctor was a bit embarrassed. “No, the Tardis seemed to have overridden my programming. I never have figured out why; but she clearly didn’t want me bringing you back in a matter of months.”
‘Now that was interesting,’ thought Jack. He wasn’t sure what to make of it, but he was relieved to know that The Doctor hadn’t purposefully destroyed his relationship with Ianto.
“Are you two…?” The Doctor’s voice drifted off, not knowing how to define their relationship.
“No we’re not together. He had already moved to London when I came back. He had met someone else, was essentially married to him. They’re still together.”
“I’m sorry Jack. I know how much he meant to you.”
“It’s taken a long time, but I’ve finally come to terms with it. He’s with the right person. He needs someone he can depend on, and as you know, I’m not always that reliable.”
“Well, this makes a proposal I have for you much easier, I think. I’ve been traveling with a young man who can’t return to his own time. I think he would fit in quite well here on earth. He’s from the end of the 21st Century, and due to the whole paradox issue, the closest I can get him to his own time is now. Well, I could have gotten him a bit closer, but oddly enough, it was the Tardis who forced me to bring him to Earth. I had taken him to one of the first space colonies on Mars, but the Tardis refused to leave until I brought him with us to this time.”
“He’s from the planet Sto,” The Doctor continued, “but of course humans haven’t traveled in space yet, so he can’t go back there. He has training in aeronautical engineering and technology from almost a hundred years in the future, which might come in handy.
Jack reluctantly agreed to interview the young man. While The Doctor went to the Tardis to retrieve the man, Jack wondered why The Doctor would trust anyone to his care. When The Doctor returned he was with a very young handsome man. Jack felt his heart skip a beat. For the first time in many years he felt an immediate pull toward the man. Not just physical, but an emotional tug he hadn’t felt since he was with Ianto.
“Jack, I’d like you to meet Alonso Frame.” Alonso put his hand out to Jack as he boldly looked him over. As Jack shook his hand, he felt a shiver down his spine.
“Oh yeah,” Jack thought. ‘This could be the start of a beautiful friendship.’
****
Jack’s new ‘friend’ was soon a favorite topic at Torchwood One. Jack had hired Alonso as his Personal Assistant; needless to say, there was much speculation as to just what was included in Mr. Frame’s job description.
Ianto met him the week after he started and was surprised to find that he liked the young man.
‘A nice young man,’ Ianto sighed as he described him to Aaron. ‘Probably all of twenty-three years old.’
“And how old were you when you met Harkness.”
‘About the same age.’
“Ianto, are you jealous?” Aaron asked with a small smile on his face.
‘No, of course not…yeah, a little maybe. He seems so young; when the hell did I get old?’
Aaron laughed. “Yes, at 37 you are practically ready for retirement. Think how I feel; I’ll be 53 next month; trying to keep up with those recruits at the Commando Course is getting harder each year.”
Ianto shook his head. Aaron’s continued insistence in completing one of the tests with each new batch of recruits was one of the few issues the two men had exchanged angry words about on more than one occasion. Every time Aaron returned from a training session Ianto could see Aaron’s bone deep weariness. And the last few years, Aaron would sleep for almost twenty-four hours straight upon his return. Ianto had asked him to stop doing the tests, but Aaron felt he had established his reputation as a tough bastard on his ability to complete the tests and didn’t want to do anything to diminish his reputation.
One particularly fierce row ended with a shouting match that still stung both of them.
‘Wonderful, Aaron. I just hope that won’t be the epitaph on your tombstone. Aaron Hamilton, toughest bastard ever, dead at age 55!’
“Lovely, Ianto. Since you’re so busy burying me, have you lined up your next partner?” And before he could stop himself, Aaron was horrified to hear himself say, “Maybe Captain Harkness will be bored with his boy toy by then and you can get him back.” That was the last thing that Aaron got to say before Ianto turned and punched him in the face.
‘How could you say that to me?’ Ianto raged. ‘Every time you go off to one of those training sessions I worry that I’m going to get a phone call about you dying on the course. Why do you persist in doing this? When you were in your early forties it was almost amusing, but the way you looked after the last round scared the crap out of me. ’
The only concession that Aaron would make was to have a full physical before starting a new round of commando training. Ianto wondered if subconsciously Aaron felt he was in some kind of contest with Jack, needing to prove to himself and Ianto that he wasn’t really growing older. Ianto could only hope that he wouldn’t end up losing his very mortal partner as he tried to compete with Jack’s immortality.
Chapter 60 is here:http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/32066.htm
