Recovery: Chapter 10 - Caution
Aug. 19th, 2009 06:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
aviv_b_artworkCHARACTERS: Ianto, Owen,
WORDS: ~ 1160
SUMMARY: Owen explains the fact of life (with Jack) to Ianto
Caution is the eldest child of Wisdom - Victor Hugo
Two weeks after Ianto, Owen and Martha met, Ianto was well enough to go with Owen to his flat. Ianto could walk slowly with just a cane by now, his leg had healed well but he had lost a lot of muscle tone, tired easily and his balance seemed a little off at times. His right hand was in a soft cast and was still useless and painful.
With great flourish, Owen handed Ianto a box after they entered the apartment. Ianto sat down on the worn sofa and pulled open the box with his good hand. It was a new Blackberry Curve. Ianto grinned up at Owen; this was going to make life a lot easier.
“Hey, I took the liberty of setting it up for you – I’ve put me and Martha on speed dial. I figured you could add other numbers as you liked. It's a model that's not on the market yet. It’s got Wi-Fi, GPS, music and video downloading, I don’t know what else. I just figured I’d get you the one with everything and that way I couldn’t go wrong.” He handed the phone over to Ianto.
Ianto frowned as he realized that he really didn’t have any other phone numbers to add. He could see Owen watching him with concern and realized that Owen thought he didn’t like the phone.
He turned the phone on and typed, ‘Its fantastic, Owen. I’m a little overwhelmed. Thank you!’
Owen smiled back, “You’re a git, why shouldn’t you have the best, it’s not like I’m paying for it.” They both laughed.
They quickly sorted Ianto’s possessions into three categories: keep, store or give away. Ianto didn’t want to get rid of anything, but Owen convinced him that it was time to move on from second-hand student furniture, milk crate bookcases and plastic cups.
“Look, you don’t want this rubbish in your new flat. Trust me; milk crate bookcases do not impress the ladies. We’ll get you set up somewhere decent, and get you some new stuff. Nothing too fancy, but just right for a professional starting out. And don’t start on about who is going to pay for it. Torchwood can afford it.”
So Ianto agreed that the old college furniture could go to charity along with some of the kitchenware and some text books he no longer needed. Owen packed up a two boxes of old comfortable clothes for Ianto to take to UNIT and put the rest aside for storage. Ianto’s books, DVDs and other personal items were also put aside for storage.
As Ianto watched Owen finish packing up, he realized that he had hardly gotten to enjoy living in the flat. Six months at Torchwood, three months in the hospital, probably another three months at UNIT; by the time he was ready to return to Cardiff, a whole year would have gone by since he joined Torchwood.
Ianto typed some more and passed the phone over to Owen. ‘How many of us are left? Survivors I mean.’
“Just a handful, really. There were twenty-seven people including you who were rescued. Three died before reaching hospital, so that would be twenty-four. Three have gone to work for UNIT, two to other government positions, eight asked to be retconned that leaves eleven. You and three others are still undergoing rehabilitation. Three have ended their own lives. The other four….they’re in psychiatric facilities.”
Ianto took a moment to digest this information. ‘What are my choices? Am I going to be retconned or locked away?’
“No, your situation is a bit unique. You had the least service and the least exposure to classified information. You have seen alien artifacts, but hell half of the UK believes we’ve been visited by little green men. No ones being retconned against their wishes and I think that would be a unrealistic choice for you since you are going to need continuing care for quite some time.”
‘What about working for UNIT or Torchwood Three?’
“UNIT is a possibility but I want you to come back to Cardiff first and finish your recovery before you make any decision. And I won’t lie to you, that could take as much as another year.”
‘And Torchwood Three?’
“That’s not going to happen, Ianto. We’re a very small operation and we just don’t have a suitable position for you.”
‘I can tell that you are not telling me the whole story.’
Owen snorted. “You got me. OK, there are two reasons why Three is not an option. First, Captain Harkness doesn’t want anything to do with anyone from Torchwood One. I know that seems unfair, but why would you want to go work for someone who is just going to give you a hard time? Second reason, is a bit more personal. I don’t want you working there…”
Ianto couldn’t believe Owen was saying this to him. He could understand Captain Harkness…well actually he couldn’t, but he could understand why Owen would feel that he couldn’t do anything about it. But Owen didn’t want him there…what the fuck!
“Listen, you don’t know Captain Harkness. You probably heard something about him at Torchwood One, right?”
Ianto nodded.
“He’s not crazy, that part isn’t true. But he can be a bastard, a right bastard when he wants to be. Which is a fair amount of the time. He and I don’t get along all that well and you’d become a pawn between us. You don’t need that kind of shite in your life.”
‘There’s something else Owen.’
Owen shook his head ‘No’.
‘Owen, you know I have a little empathic ability. You’re broadcasting anxiety.’
“Fuck, Ianto he’s dangerous. Yeah, I can see you’ve heard that one before. And he’s physically and emotionally manipulative as well as incredibly sexually aggressive. There are times he actually scares the crap out of me. And you are just the type he likes to mess around with. I’m keeping you as far away from him as possible.”
‘What? So you don’t think I can take care of myself? Or are you afraid I like men? Or you’d like to shag him so you don’t want competition?’
“That’s enough! I don’t care who you mess around with, I really don’t. I’ve seen guys look at you as well as women. That’s your business. And Captain Gigolo Harkness is the last person, woman or man, I’d be interested in. But he’s dangerous, particularly for someone who is recovering from trauma. He has almost no boundary control. A refusal to him is just a challenge to be overcome. I want you to be able to have a happy life when you return to Cardiff. And I don’t want to have to get involved in your private life. So please, please do me this one stinking favor – go have sex with anyone you like who’s of age, with the exception of Jack Harkness! Is that so much to ask?”
‘No, I guess not. But if he’s such a bastard then why do you work for him?’
“It’s complicated.”
‘I’ll bet.’
Chapter 11 is here: http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/4957.html
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-08-20 12:41 am (UTC)Ok Miss Author. I have to ask. I know you said your Jack is going to have a dark side that comes out and plays and from what I see I think your Ianto will too. So Are you a believer in Happy Endings. Or will it be a horrible heartbreaking end?
Cause I admit that worries me a tad
no subject
Date: 2009-08-20 01:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-20 01:20 am (UTC)I just want you to know again, I just am in love with your Owen!
no subject
Date: 2009-08-20 05:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-20 05:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-20 05:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-20 06:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-20 06:29 pm (UTC)1)no one will go insane,
2)no one will die,
3)there really is an explanation for the noncom (though you'll have to decide whether you buy it or not),
4)there will be no additional dubcon/noncom that get's out of hand (though some advances by various parties may rebuffed by various other parties),
5)there will actually be some fun conscensual sex (m/f and m/m)
no subject
Date: 2009-08-20 06:36 pm (UTC)Hope you don't mind that we're all chatting on your story post. It was nice to talk about thoughts and ideas or what we think is to come with other readers :)
no subject
Date: 2009-08-20 06:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-20 07:09 pm (UTC)I love that you're chatting! This is really meant to be a contemplative work. Its not going to be action packed excitement.
If you've read my bio, you know that I am a disaster book junkie. But mostly non-fiction which means you get very detailed descriptions of everything that leads up to the disaster and the aftermath. And obviously I enjoy that.
But even in those, once the disaster happens and people are rescued/die there is very little follow up on the after-effects.
And in fiction writing, people either go crazy or heal immediately after a tragic experience.
But reality isn't so simple. People experience things that they don't even begin to process for many months or years. Or affect them at their emotional core. (Having survived a flash flood while canyoneering, I know a little about this).
But the amazing thing is that most people soldier on in the face of adversity. It's not always pretty, but they do the best they can with the cards they've been dealt.
Like my 34 year old friend who has survived in the last 3 years 1)horrific car accident, 2)bout one with cancer and now is 3)fighting a reccurance (Stage 4) of the cancer. She runs her own animal shelter so she can't stay in bed all day if she feels sick. We all joke that she'll be buried with a pooper scooper in her hand.
Or my cousins who have a beautiful chld (now 5) who will never walk, talk, be able to do anything for himself (dress or feed or toilet) but who have decided that the will not put him in a home and will keep him with them for his entire life. I can't even imagine that!
It's that kind of heroics that interests me more than saving humanity from the 123456.
My favorite comment so far (sent privately) was this: "I'm not being critical but you need a beta reader..I could have condensed your first five chapters into three sentances." Hmmm...I'm thinking they may have missed the point. Oh well, to each their own.
Sorry to be so long-winded, so I'll shut up now.
no subject
Date: 2009-08-20 07:21 pm (UTC)It's one reason I prefer your story so far over a lot I'm reading. I like contemplative and I ADORE disaster stories too. Actually my prompt I claimed from the Every Fandom Fest was 'Instead of Ianto dragging Lisa from the wreckage of Canary Warf, he himself was rescued' and it's supposed to be a Jack/Ianto/Owen story. And I admit a part of me is really tempted to have Ianto injured in a way that will leave him unable to do some things but I've not decided for sure yet.
Oh I do have another thing to ask. You aren't a Jack/Gwen shipper are you *tries not to make a gagging face* lol
no subject
Date: 2009-08-20 07:45 pm (UTC)And I'm fully aware that that has nothing to do with being deserving or undeserving or good or bad, or G-d rewarding or punishing you - shit just happens. And much of it, we don't ask for, create, or deserve, its just there.
And there you are in the next sentence asking about Gwen/Jack. You are amazing. And NO there will not be Gwen/Jack.
I'm writing a Gwen that is absolutely AU - not the nosey cheating tramp brat of S1 & S2, nor the AWESOME!Gwen of CoE, but how I think someone like Gwen would be - she might be a little shocked by some of the things she's seen, but as a policewomen, I think she'd have a lot of knowledge about people's motivations and be able to use that at TW. I just have to keep reminding myself that police in Cardiff probably wouldn't have the weapons experience that police in Chicago have.
A hug for you, now you have me crying at work! (Goes to hide in ladies restroom).
no subject
Date: 2009-08-20 07:59 pm (UTC)I'm SO glad you aren't a Gwen/Jack shipper. I am not a Gwen hater, although I do think she should get her head out of her arse. It sounds like you are going to write a very likable Gwen. I think if she wasn't so full of herself she would be a really likable woman and very compassionate to others.
*huge hugs for you too* I didn't mean to make you cry at all! lol I'm just very open about my life experiences and I use them to better my writing also.
no subject
Date: 2009-08-20 09:25 pm (UTC)I love that poster/slogan that's come out recently, and reminds me a lot of the WW2 morale posters: "Keep Calm and Carry On" - it's a great echo of the 'shit happens' motto. That idea that there are crap things happening, but panicking won't help. Getting on with it will.
Ramble'n'rant over ;-)
I really like Gwen as a character, she's as brilliant and foolish as the rest of us - an Everywoman. Though i don't like Gwack - yes, there was a sexual tension between them, and then she decided on Rhys and he backed off - in S2 i thought i saw it change into a brother/sister relationship. They love each other, but not in *that* way. But the thought of Jack and Gwen making the beast with two backs - yuck!
But i won't stand for Gwen bashing either; that annoys me big time.
no subject
Date: 2009-08-20 04:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-20 06:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-20 07:07 am (UTC)Don't try to hide things from an empath! Ianto definitely know Owen isnt telling him all.
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Date: 2009-08-20 06:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-21 06:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-20 05:54 pm (UTC)Confused a little by the compassion Jack shows at the site of Torchwood One aftermath, and then the hard usage of Ianto on the CCTV, and then his interactions with the team. Purposefully running hot and cold?
I take it that neither knew the other works for Torchwood? And Jack didn't recognise Ianto's face from the Brig's laptop, because Ianto is one of many that he's used for his 'pleasure', and also that Ianto's face was otherwise occupied during their back alley encounter?
Interesting to see how this pans out, i do hope he gets his right hand back working ok, otherwise how could he keep up his 100wpm typing speed and go "blam, blam, blam" with a MF gun? I like my Ianto mixed 10% justifiable woobie and 90% kickass.
More please, as fast as you can!
no subject
Date: 2009-08-20 06:22 pm (UTC)And no Jack didn't recognize Ianto. My presumption is that Jack would have been shown the 'official' Torchwood ID picture which was probably as accurate as most passport/driver's license photos.
Woobieness = depends on how you define this. I see Ianto as a pretty typical 23-24 year old. Adult but still not fully emotionally mature. A little uncomfortable about his sexuality so sometimes he tries to hide it and sometimes he wants to flaunt it. But he sure won't be some passive girly-man.
Admittedly he's getting a lot of crap dumped on him, (which is often a sign of woobieness) but for me its how he handles it that makes the difference.
Here's a guy who has really been to hell and back and he's cried, uh once. The noncom will be important later, but again, he isn't broken by the experience or ashamed. This has created some controversy (I've received a couple of scorching comments privately) so I suppose I could have made it a physical altercation instead.
But this type of situation unfortunately happens somewhat frequently to men when they are first starting to experiment with other guys. Particularly if they have been sexually active with women before. (At least that what my gay/bi males friends tell me).
The assumption that they don't have to worry about their physical safety with a stranger (which can be inaccurate about a woman, of course)carries over sometimes with some bad consequences.
no subject
Date: 2009-08-20 09:43 pm (UTC)Looking forward to learning more about Jack; he's always had that capacity for ruthlessness and loyalty.
If Ianto's ID badge picture looks like anything like mine for work then no wonder Jack didn't recognise him. I look drunk, but that's because the tripod has one leg shorter than the other two, so the camera was on a slant. I'm not often drunk at 11am.
My definition of woobieness is that tendency some writers of fan fiction have of putting Ianto in situations where he falls apart completely and has to rely on Jack to be the strong one. Urban Dictionary gives a definition as "Something or someone that makes you want to hug him/it/her, or is cute in a sad way." When i read woobie, i think of those big-eyed kids that Margaret Keane painted.
TOTALLY agree; Ianto is awesome (tm) but he's also a mid-20s valleys boy who's experienced some really out-there things, not quite a boy and not quite a man - daring and timid. "he sure won't be some passive girly-man" - HUZZAH!
I can't see what was wrong with the alley-action, it fits with the AU you've created and it's clearly a major plot point; sometimes readers have to trust authors - lol
Though i can see how it won't fit in with some peoples idea of the Jack/Ianto relationship.
We make mistakes, get misled by our cocks, have a bad day and want to take it out on someone else, if we're not perfect then how can we expect our heroes to be ;-) And it's not like Ianto just took it, he reacted and retaliated - it's just that Jack can be a big, threatening bully. Oh the times i've narrowly missed a hiding because of beer goggles and the lure of danger! Feasting with panthers.
no subject
Date: 2009-08-20 10:24 pm (UTC)And I don't whether you're male/female but as a het female I can wholeheartedly agree about the near misses. Yikes, I did some really stupid things and took some big chances with guys when I first started dating. I'm amazed that I wasn't seriously hurt at some point. Feasting with panthers, indeed!
My best friend in high school came out his senior year and had an experience far worse than Ianto's. He was essentially kidnapped for 2 days and molested by a 'nice' guy he met in a gay bar. He said he was so thrilled that some cute guy was actually interested in him that he never even contemplated the risks involved in going home with him. After all, he was 6'2" and in decent shape.
This was 30+ years ago (shit! I'm old) and the only good thing was that he was under 18 (age of consent in Illinois is 18). So his parents were able to demand that the police press charges. Because if he had been one day over 18, not only would the police have been unsympathetic, they probably would have beaten the crap out of him for good measure.
no subject
Date: 2009-08-20 10:43 pm (UTC)I'm a thirty-mumble gay male with interests in the non-vanilla side of sexuality. And that meant being super-careful, but on my first forays i got through more by luck than judgement. Sharpest tooth lurks behind sweetest smile.
Well, i say gay, but i'm not really, i just help out when they're busy. There's a rota. We've got a slot free on Sunday, 3.30pm to 5 - can you fill in? LOL
no subject
Date: 2009-08-20 11:45 pm (UTC)Rota: Would love to!! At my age, the dance card isn't all that full anymore...Wait - these aren't weevils are they? (see, I have learned
to ask the important questions first).
no subject
Date: 2009-08-20 11:54 pm (UTC)1. is it dangerous?
2. can i shag it?
taken from the revised edition of the Torchwood Operatives handbook, originally published 1881, last revised, 2005 by Capt. J. Harkness.
no subject
Date: 2009-08-21 02:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-21 04:23 pm (UTC)I shall have to wait until you make your next post at 'Torchwood Fanfic' however as i daren't add any more comms to my watch list ...
no subject
Date: 2009-08-21 04:47 pm (UTC)If I can keep up the 3 posts a week you should see another 5-6 link post on Fanfic the end of the week of Sept 4th. In fact, I guarantee it, since I'll be on vacation the following week.
Any suggestions you have about improving the fic are always welcome!
no subject
Date: 2009-08-21 08:18 pm (UTC)I shall be looking out for more, that's for sure, i loved it.
no subject
Date: 2009-08-22 01:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-22 03:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-12 04:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-12 05:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-12 05:20 pm (UTC)I just had to restart my laptop and find where i'd got to again, lol!