Is That A Leek (on your lapel) Or Are You Just Glad To See Me?

[aviv_b_artwork]

POSTED IN 2 PARTS CAUSE LJ IS BEING A PILL

TITLE:  Is That  A Leek (on your lapel) Or Are You Just Glad To See Me?
 Author: Aviv_b
RATING:  PG
CHARACTERS:  Ianto, Jack, Gwen, Tosh, Owen, Rhys
DISCLAIMER:  Not mine; Aunty B's and RTD's
WORDS: ~ 3280
SUMMARY:  Gwen and Ianto keep disappearing at lunch time. Jack isn't worried, no, not at all. 

Written for redisourcolor Challenge 19 - Theme: Celebrations.  Words: pormanteau, dense, ravel and the sentence: "I'm so hungry I could eat an elephant!"

 

PART II

PART 1: http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/111595.html

The next day found Tosh, Owen and Jack attending the opening ceremonies of the St. David’s Day in Cardiff. To Tosh’s and Owen’s astonishment, Jack was dressed in a bright red waistcoat with a jacket of grey wool; along with a pair of grey breeches and stockings. The whole outfit was finished off with a black felt bowler hat.

“What is that you’re wearing?” Owen asked staring at Jack.

“I’ll have you know this is the Welsh National Costume. Not those silly cilts you see some of the men wearing, they’re a recent addition, not at all authentic. See all the lovely women in their red cloaks, and checkered aprons and black hats? That’s authentic. And I’m wearing what men of the same period would have worn. Some people should do their research more carefully,” Jack said without a hint of sarcasm.

“And what’s that in your lapel?” Tosh asked.

“A leek, the traditional symbol of Wales. Daffodils,” Jack sniffed, “another modern convention.”

“And you know this how?”

“The Google is my friend,” Jack said proudly. Owen snorted and Tosh bit her lip to keep from laughing.

Tosh and Owen were in for another surprise. When the ceremonies opened with the singing of the National Anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, Jack loudly sang the whole anthem in Welsh.  His beautiful voice caught the attention of other attendees who complimented him on his perfect Welsh and his costume.

 

“There’s a man who’s a true patriot,” one elderly Welshman said thumping Jack on the back.

 

Jack held his head a little higher as he listened to the speeches. He never noticed Ianto and Gwen watching from the side of the crowd.

 

“Oh my god, look at Jack,” Gwen said trying not to laugh.

 

Ianto peered around trying to find the sight of the familiar coat he loved so well. “I don’t see him.”

 

“Over there,” Gwen said pointing. “The man in the outfit, yeah that’s the one.”

 

Ianto almost snorted his coffee up his nose. “I think he’s on to us.”

 

“Well then we better do Wales and Torchwood proud today,” Gwen replied. “Aren’t you going to eat something before the race begins?”

 

“I had something earlier. I don’t want to eat anything else until the race is over.” They headed over to Ianto’s flat to get ready for the race.

 

***

A little before 2 PM, Gwen and Ianto lined up for the race in Butte Park. They were behind the elite runners, grouped with several participants from some of Cardiff’s better running clubs as well as with the UNIT runners.

 

“Enemy at eleven o’clock,” Gwen said trying to quietly point out their competition.

 

Ianto just smiled. Jack was no where in sight and he felt relaxed and strong. Gwen was nervous, but she had trained hard and was confident that she’d run a good race.

 

At the sound of the starter’s pistol, their group took off running at a steady pace. For the first half of the race, Gwen and Ianto maintained a slight lead over their UNIT opponents. They began to tire a bit and the UNIT runners caught up and passed them at the six kilometer mark.

 

“Oi, they’re cheating,” Gwen said as Ianto dropped back to run by her side. “They couldn’t have had that much of an increase in speed at this point in the race.”

 

“Don’t worry, I have my secret weapon.”

 

“I’m not going to cheat, Ianto, we win this fair or not at all.”

 

Ianto pulled two tiny plastic bags from the pocket of his fleece vest. “My specially blended chocolate covered espresso beans. Perfectly legal,” he said handing one of the bags to Gwen.

 

Within five minutes of eating the beans, Gwen and Ianto were gaining on the UNIT Team. They were neck and neck with the UNIT runners as they entered the last stretch of the race. The finish line was just visible in the distance.  Ianto and Gwen pushed themselves to a faster pace.

 

The crowd was screaming. Someone shouted, “'Y ddraig goch a ddyry gychwyn.'*

 

“That’s Rhys,” Gwen realized as she moved just ahead of her rival. She could see Ianto and his opponent moments from the finish line. They looked dead even.

 

Ianto was sweating so hard he could hardly see. He had sped up but the UNIT runner had matched his pace. Three steps from the finish line he heard a familiar ‘American’ voice yell, “Fe Godwn Ni Eto.”**

 

Ianto was so startled that he stumbled forward his chest crossing the finish line ahead of the UNIT runner.

 

Gwen finished moments later also beating her UNIT counterpart.

 

Jack ran over and helped Ianto to his feet. “I knew you’d win,” he said squeezing Ianto tightly.

 

“Can’t breathe Jack,” Ianto gasped.

 

“Oi, give the man some room will ya,” Owen said pushing Jack back.

 

Meanwhile Rhys had made his way to the Finish Line and was hugging and then snogging Gwen half to death.

 

The rest of team looked on as they continued to kiss. “And you were worried about Ianto and Gwen,” Tosh chided Jack.

 

‘What?” Ianto said turning to Jack. And then he saw it. “What is that in your lapel?”

 

“It’s a leek, its traditional…”

 

"I'm so hungry I could eat an elephant!" Ianto interrupted as he grabbed the leek and began to munch on it.

 

“So much for tradition,” Tosh said as she replaced the leek with a daffodil from the bunch she had brought for Gwen and Ianto.

 

Rhys and Gwen had finally stopped kissing and walked over and joined the others.

 

“Time to get back to work, kids,” Jack said after the UNIT runners came over and congratulated Gwen and Ianto.

 

“Still starving here,” Ianto snarked. “We’ll need to stop on the way back and pick up lunch.”

 

“Nonsense,” Rhys told the group. “I’ve made lunch and there’s enough for everyone. Thought I’d go for something traditional, so its Leek and Cheese Rarebit followed by Cawl and Llanddarog Fair Cakes for dessert.”

 

“Maybe we could skip the dessert and go home and make some of our own,” Jack whispered suggestively as they walked toward the SUV.

 

“How about you behave yourself at lunch and we’ll have a full course buffet dinner at my flat?”

 

“I like the way you think, Jones, Ianto Jones.”

 ********

Welsh translations:

*The red dragon will lead the way

 **We shall rise again.

 

********** 

And if you want to try the dessert for yourself, (no, not what Jack and Ianto are having unfortunately) here’s the recipe for Teisennau Ffair Llangadog (Llangadog Fair Cakes)

 

The original Llangadog Fair was a stock fair held on the first Monday after the 20th of September and drovers used to come from far and wide with their stock. Later, like so many local fairs, it became a pleasure fair rather than an agricultural fair. According to local legends the 'cakes' (biscuits actually) were served in the local taverns to the travelers who over-nighted there for the fair (hence the addition of ale as the binding agent).

Ingredients:

360g self-raising flour
240g butter
180g caster sugar
3 tbsp ale
120g mixed fruit

Method:

Sift the flour into a bowl, add the butter and rub into the flour with your fingers until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Combine the sugar into the mixture then add the ale until mixture comes together as a soft dough.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll until about 12mm thick then cut into 6cm rounds with a pastry cutter and press the fruit into the surface. Place on a well-greased baking tray and cook in an oven pre-heated to 190°C Bake for about 15 minutes, or until well browned and cooked through.

Allow to cool on the baking tray for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.