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aviv_b_artworkTITLE: Chapter 90-Retirement
AUTHOR: Aviv_b
RATING: Chapter 90- G/PG
CHARACTERS:: Ianto, Jack, Mickey, Stephen, Jonathan
DISCLAIMER: Not mine; Aunty B's and RTD's
WORDS: ~ 1480
SUMMARY: Jack and Ianto get ready to retire to Cardiff. Jack has an idea which does not meet Ianto's approval..
Title is from: Retirement: World's longest coffee break. ~Author Unknown
Ianto's Journey begins here: http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/1972.html
All Chapter are linked.
Ok - you requested that we continue the Journey - and your wish is my command. This is a short chapter as much time was spent this week working out the details of everyone's continuing timeline. Cause I couldn't just drop our heroes back in Cardiff in a 'white room.' Well, I could, but it wouldn't be very interesting. And it does have pretty pictures.
More than eighteen months from the end of the Security Council hearings, Ianto and Jack finally moved back to Cardiff. While Ianto was looking for a small quiet retirement flat, Jack had something very different in mind.
“You’ve got to see it Ianto, its fantastic.” Jack had spent considerable time perusing the real estate listings in Cardiff. As they sat in Jack’s office, Ianto could practically see the excitement radiating from Jack.
‘You found a flat, then.’
“Yes, its perfect, you’ll love it!”
‘Jack, you should get what you like, my opinion isn’t really important, is it?’
“Of course it is, its for both of us.”
Ianto’s eyes narrowed at that comment. What was Jack thinking, for goodness sake? ‘Jack, I thought you understood that I wasn’t making any commitment to anything with you. So what do you mean its perfect for us?’
“Its two apartments in a converted house. The lower floor, I was thinking of that one for you, its clean and modern and the upper one, OK it is a little bigger, more like a loft; I thought that one would be for me. Two separate entrances, and a back garden, Ianto you won’t believe the size of it.”
Ianto sighed to himself. He did agree that they could live in the same neighborhood, and he was looking for a property with a nice garden, but leave it to Jack to decide for both of them. Still it wouldn’t hurt to look at it.
‘Ok, when can we go to Cardiff and see it?’
“I’ve got all the specs right here on my computer. Assuming you like it, I’ve made an appointment for us this Saturday afternoon.”
‘And if I don’t.’
Jack looked startled for just a moment. “Well of course I won’t buy it if you don’t like it.”
Ianto had to call a time-out to get a few things clear with Jack. Things like why Jack was the one buying both flats, and if he liked it so much why wouldn’t he buy the top unit regardless.
Jack hemmed and hawed a bit, finally confessing, “I want to know that my downstairs neighbor is quiet and reliable and I need to know you’re OK Ianto. You can see who you want; you’re not obligated to be with me. I worry about you…I uh, care for you, so please don’t shut me out.”
‘This is so Jack,’ Ianto thought as Jack pulled up the web site on his computer. Ianto had to admit that the converted house was stunning. Then he saw the price…£500,000. He sat down hard on a chair Jack had pulled over to the computer.
‘Jack! How can you think of spending that kind of money on a two flat conversion? Its obscene.'
Jack at least had the good sense to look abashed. “Uh, Ianto, it’s actually five hundred thousand for your flat, the total cost is…well never mind. I’ve got it covered.”
Ianto was having none of it. ‘I’m not going to be a kept man. Either I pay for it, or its not happening.’
“Ok,” Jack said smiling.
Ianto realized that he had walked into the trap that Jack had set. ‘Oi, and that’s only if I like the place.’
Jack gave him a wolfish grin. “Oh, I think you will.”
Ianto's Apartment
Jack's Apartment
They checked out the property and Ianto had to admit that it so exceeded his expectations that he couldn’t see not buying it. But the cost still bothered him a lot. It wasn’t that he couldn’t afford it. Aaron’s life insurance policy alone was worth over a million pounds. The insurance company didn’t want to pay it due to the nature of his death, but a call from the palace took care of that dispute. And he had never touched his settlement from Canary Wharf which was almost two million now with interest.
But there were people still struggling to get their lives back together a year after the invasion and here he and Jack were buying an almost £2million property. It just didn’t seem right. He worried about how it would look. Would others see them as profiting from the Invasion?
Even the King had made a show of solidarity with the public by stating that the bullet holes and other damage to the palace would not be fully fixed until every single citizen of the Commonwealth had a place to live.
Jack couldn’t hear Ianto’s thoughts like Aaron could, but he still had enough empathic ability to sense Ianto’s anxiety.
“Yes, it’s a bit extravagant, but really Ianto, I think you’ve paid as high a price as anyone these last years. Canary Wharf, the Invasion, losing Aaron, give yourself a break. Any one who begrudges you a comfortable retirement is not worth worrying about.”
In the end, they bought the two flats. Jack sold his flat in London to Mickey for the price he paid for it more than 20 years earlier. The only piece of furniture Ianto took with him to Cardiff was Aaron’s desk. Stephen took a few of the antique pieces from the house, and the rest was sold or donated to charity. After all, once Ianto's house was converted into a museum, there wouldn’t be any place for the furniture to go. Jack gave away everything in his flat to a foundation that was helping people who had lost their possessions in the Invasion make a new start.
Ianto still fretted a bit about public reaction to the flats that he and Jack had bought, but since he was funding the Heroes of the Toclafane Invasion Museum out of his own pocket, he hoped that would offset any negative publicity.
A very basic farewell party was held at Torchwood London in recognition of Jack and Ianto’s retirements. Jack may have acted like he didn’t care about appearances, but he knew that any lavish party for them would be subject to criticism. Mickey had formed good relationships with UNIT and the UN over the last year and he didn’t want anything to happen to jeopardize that.
Jack and Ianto had made numerous trips between London and Cardiff over the preceding year and a half, so the actual moving day consisted of driving to Cardiff with the last of their personal items.
They met for breakfast with Mickey and Stephen and Jonathan to say their goodbyes.
‘I’ll be back at least every other month or so while we’re in the planning stages of the museum so you won’t be rid of me just yet.’
Stephen and Jonathan and the rest of the museum board were already hard at work. “We should have plans from the three architectural firms that were chosen as finalists by the end of the month,” Stephen pointed out. “You should probably plan on making a trip sometime around mid-February so we can meet and review the renderings.”
‘That should work fine, weather permitting of course.’ The winter of 2040-2041 was turning out to be a lot colder than usual. London had already had more snow in December than it normally saw all winter. Ianto was relieved that virtually all of London’s displaced population had acquired new shelter – most of it was basic prefabricated housing. There were about a hundred families living in family quarters on military bases who were still waiting for their units to be finished, but no one was left in the makeshift shelters and tent camps that had been constructed right after the Invasion.
As they finished up breakfast Jack got up and shook Stephen and Jonathan’s hands. Finally he walked over to Mickey. “Mickey, you are going to be the best leader Torchwood has ever had. I’m so proud of you and I know the Doctor would be as well if he were here.” Mickey was surprised to feel himself choking up a bit.
“Hey, hey,” Jack said as he grabbed Mickey into a hug. “We’re just going to be in Cardiff. Why don’t you, why don’t all of you come and visit once we get settled in,” Jack said to the three men.
Ianto shook hands with Mickey, wishing him good luck. He hugged Jonathan and then Stephen who whispered, “if you want to be with Jack, you have my blessing.” Ianto pulled back stared at him for a moment and then nodded his understanding.
“Ok, let’s get the show on the road,” Jack said a little impatiently.
“You’re not letting him drive are you?” Jonathan asked Ianto in mock horror.
‘Yeah, I reckon it’s the closest I’ll be coming to the adrenaline rush of working for Torchwood now that I’m retired.’
“My driving is not that bad,” Jack said pouting a bit. “Besides if I let Ianto drive, it would take almost three hours to get to Cardiff.”
“Uh, Jack. It’s supposed to take three hours,” Stephen pointed out.
“Details, details,” Jack snarked as Ianto rolled his eyes in exasperation.
Chapter 91 is here: http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/53000.html
