Adventfic Day 13 - Arguments
Dec. 18th, 2011 10:28 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
silkendreammaid
Title: Arguments
Author: silkendreammaid
Disclaimer: I do not and never will own Torchwood or the characters within.
Rating: PG13
Warning: Language
Characters: Ianto Jones, Jack Harkness
Note: Written for the 2011 Advent Challenge. Prompt #24 taken from the 2011 prompt list.
Author’s Note: Thirteenth in the series that started in Cold … my apologies for falling behind, but i have a summer cold if anyone wants it....
Summary: December is starting off unseasonably cold. Torchwood has one dead alien and another one missing. There’s also the sudden disappearance of Cardiff’s rats.
In this chapter Jack and Owen argue
Arguments Owen Harper got out of the car, unaware he was humming, and walked around the empty Torchwood SUV. Snow was piled high covering its black sleekness. Snow was everywhere, falling straight down in a most unnatural manner. And everything was so silent. The air felt dead and heavy around him. It made Owen feel uneasy. With his gun out and held down at his side in readiness he cautiously made his way to the old cottage. His gun was up in an instant at the sight of someone appearing in the broken doorway. “What the…?” he began as he took in the form. “Jack?” “Owen. What are you doing here?” Jack questioned as he left the cottage. “You died, I see,” Owen said as he took in the blood-encrusted hair and the dried stains on his face. Jack was carrying a body bag, cradling it in his arms. “The other Coelsi?” “Yes. It seems to have bite marks as well. But no rats nearby. Did you see the rats on your way here?” “No. I was more interested in coming to see what trouble you’d gotten yourselves into,” Owen replied. “Well, you can stop on your way back and examine them. I have a couple in the SUV you can have as well. And take this one with you,” Jack said with a small lift of the bag in his arms. He headed over to Owen’s car. Owen followed with a frown. “And what? You and Gwen are going to stay here? There’s no way to contact you here,” Owen pointed out. “Or you while you’re here,” Jack replied. “I need you to find out if this Coelsi died the same way as the other one did and how all those rats ended up with cold burns.” “Cold burns?” Owen asked. “Yes, looked like burn marks but with ice on the edges.” “Frostbite?” Owen pondered. “Pretty much instant frostbite if it is,” Jack commented. “And yet rats head toward heat when it gets cold,” Owen thought aloud. “The heat source that showed on the thermal imaging would have drawn them but why is it so cold? Where is the heat…?” Owen swore. “It’s under the Hub.” “What do you mean, Owen?” Jack demanded. “Tosh found heat under the Hub. Thermal imaging again. Apparently the bedrock under the Rift manipulator is getting warmer. So, what if the heat is travelling from there here to there…?” “And you left Ianto and Tosh there?” Jack demanded again. “I didn’t have a choice. We had to make sure you two were okay – and where is Gwen by the way? – and Ianto was only sleeping and Tosh is well-able to monitor…” “What? What do you mean Ianto was sleeping?” “He collapsed, alright? Nothing to worry about, he is fine. I ran all the scans and checks and left him sleeping. I’ve spoken to him since and he’s awake and fine. Nothing, I repeat, to worry about.” Owen took a breath. “Coms and phones drop out about half a mile from here and I’ve marked the place. Even reversed back and immediately got reception again after it happened. If you want to, you can drive there and try it yourself. I know Tosh and Ianto would like to know you’re okay.” “You can’t just leave them like that, Owen! How do you know Ianto was going to stay asleep and not slip into a coma or something?! He might not have woken up!” Jack expostulated. “Oh for fucks sake, Harkness! I am a Doctor. I do know, even without all the alien tech I have at my disposal, when someone is asleep!” Owen snapped back. “He had a headache. He wasn’t possessed, there’s no tumour, he doesn’t have a hangover, he’s not even suffering from too much caffeine. It might possibly have been caused by lack of sleep from running around Cardiff in the wee hours this morning which is why last time I spoke to him, his head was better. Because he got an hour or so of sleep!” “You shouldn’t have come out here and left them there if there’s heat under the Hub!” “We didn’t know if you were alive! Or not in your case,” Owen retorted. “Yes there is heat under the Hub. We had no way of letting you know that. We had no way of knowing what – if anything you’d found. Tosh can’t leave the monitors, Ianto was asleep. Who else was there? Me. So yes a ‘Thanks Owen for risking everything to bring us this valuable information’ would be much appreciated about now.” Jack’s eyebrow rose. “Risking everything?” he blinked. “Are you being sarcastic?” “Fuck yes, I’m being sarcastic,” Owen rolled his eyes. “So, let me take our dead alien and those dead rats back to the Hub with whatever you know about this so I can get out of this unnatural countryside and this equally unnatural snow and back to the Hub.” “You shouldn’t have left in the first place,” Jack reiterated firmly. Owen sighed. “Arguing with you is like walking in circles. No wonder no-one ever argues with you.” Jack suddenly grinned. “Nah, you’re just doing it wrong.” Owen groaned. “I don’t want to know.” Continued in Snowed In
(no subject)
Date: 2011-12-18 05:47 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-12-19 12:48 am (UTC)where is gwen?
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Date: 2011-12-19 01:43 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-12-18 09:50 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-12-18 07:53 pm (UTC)Another great chapter!
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Date: 2011-12-18 11:33 pm (UTC)Ianto knows how to argue with Jack, I'm sure. He might even win sometimes =)