Adventfic Day 3 - Christmas Tree
Dec. 4th, 2011 12:06 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
silkendreammaidTitle: Christmas Tree
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 #1 taken from the 2009 prompt list.
Author’s Note: Follows on from Coldand Shiver...
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.
Ianto is getting a headache. Gwen brings in a Christmas tree.
Christmas Tree Ianto Jones rubbed at his forehead. Three hours combing musty files and shelves would give anyone a headache, he mused, except it never had before. The low-grade ache was sitting right behind his left temple which was also not how it usually was. He idly wondered if he should see Owen for some pain relief but then rolled his eyes. Even on a good day he wouldn’t seek Owen out for anything unless a copious amount of blood was involved. A simple headache was something he could take care of himself. There were some headache tablets in the kitchenette. A couple of those and coffee should fix him and there was a niggling sense of hunger that wasn’t his. He smiled slightly. Myfanwy. He stood up and stretched before leaving the cool refuge of the Archives. The screaming and shouting that suddenly echoed down the passage had him running for the main Hub. Owen picked up his file and paused by the covered form on the table. The autopsy on the Coelsi had been exhaustive and detailed. He was still running tests on organ samples and the debris that he had washed from the corpse. What he wanted now was more coffee. He placed a gentle hand on the covered body for a brief moment and then moved up the stairs. Tosh was at her desk and Harkness was in his office. Owen couldn’t see Ianto and figured the young Welshman was still in the archives. A smirk settled on Owen’s lips and he prepared to storm into the Captain’s office demanding coffee and holding the file in his hands as ransom for that coffee. The siren sounds of the heavy cog door rolling back had him pausing. “Give us a hand will you, someone,” Gwen Cooper’s cheerful voice called. Owen turned to see the wide-eyed brunette trying to negotiate the metal walkway and dragging a large tree. “What the fuck, Cooper?” Owen exclaimed loudly. Tosh looked up and Jack appeared from his office. “It’s a tree, Owen,” Gwen told him impatiently. “Someone help, please,” she asked again as she continued to struggle with the tree. “What the hell are you doing with a tree, Gwen?” Owen demanded, purring the file down on his desk and walking closer. “You’re going to have to take it back.” “It’s a Christmas tree, Owen. For Christmas. Trees are supposed to be put up on the first day of December,” Gwen informed him. “Really?” Owen said unbelievingly. “Never heard that one before. Doesn’t matter anyway ‘cos you’re just going to have to take it back!” Owen repeated. “Don’t be a Scrooge, Owen,” Gwen snapped at him. “No, he’s actually right,” Jack interrupted as he came closer. “We don’t do Christmas trees, or decorations in here.” “Why not?” Gwen demanded to know. “It’s Christmas! A time to …” A loud squawk echoed above her. “And that is why we don’t have nice things in here,” Owen said as he pointed upwards. Gwen looked up. Myfanwy, wings spread and beak open wide swooped over the tree, circling around the water tower before swooping at the tree once more. This time her claws grasped and tore at the spindly branches. Gwen let go off the tree and shouted at her, waving her arms as she stepped back. Myfanwy took to the air screaming in protest. “Get back, Gwen!” Jack shouted, running forward to grab and drag her away from the tree. Gwen struggled free of his hands but quickly moved with him as Myfanwy flew down again. This time the pterosaur ignored the tree and snapped her beak a foot above Gwen’s head as she swooped past. The Hub resounded with loud cries and shouts and Myfanwy’s harsh screams. Owen pulled Gwen further away from the tree and Jack slipped off his coat and waved it around whenever Myfanwy came to close to them. “What is going on in here?” Ianto demanded as he appeared. “Gwen brought a tree in,” Tosh succinctly told him and Ianto rolled his eyes. With a quick ‘thanks’ Ianto hurried to the kitchenette to get some chocolate before running straight to the tree. “Stop Myfanwy! Stop!” he called firmly both verbally and mentally as he pulled the foil from the chocolate. Myfanwy circled above him, her shrieks softening as she felt his calming empathetic push. It took several minutes and then Myfanwy landed near him, shuffling closer to reach the chocolate in his hand. She crooned lowly and bumped her head against his chest. He petted her head with an indulgent smile. “Good girl, Myfanwy,” he murmured and dropped chocolate into her open beak. “Keep her there, Ianto,” Jack ordered in a calm voice. “Owen, help me quickly drag the tree out.” Ianto fed Myfanwy the chocolate all the while whispering endearments and praise to her in English and Welsh. He could feel her relaxing as she happily ate the chocolate and accepted his caresses. He kept up a gentle mental reinforcement as he heard Jack and Owen take the tree back out and place it in the lift out of Myfanwy’s sight. “All done, Ianto,” Jack said as he reappeared close by. Myfanwy squawked at the Captain and shuffled away from him before flying up to her nest. “She still doesn’t like me,” he commented with a smile. “Waving your coat at her like you did Sir, probably didn’t endear yourself to her,” Ianto pointed out. “I do hope your coat is undamaged,” he added in a stern voice. “Probably,” he said cheerfully. “And the coat’s fine, Ianto. You can check it for me if it’ll make you feel better,” Jack said as he draped the coat around Ianto’s shoulders. He smiled at the startled young man. “Coffee for me and Owen in my office in ten, please.” He turned and faced Gwen. “Gwen, my office now.” Jack began to follow a white-faced and shocked Gwen to his office. “Don’t forget my coffee,” Owen replied. “I’m making it now,” Ianto said as he walked past Owen. “And Tosh,” Jack called to the quiet tech wizard. “Can I have the rift reports as soon as Owen is finished?” “Sure, Jack,” Tosh replied and Jack disappeared into his office. Ianto swallowed two tablets and started the coffee machine. Myfanwy was still hungry and slightly upset and he promised he’d feed her as soon as he’d given the others their coffee. No more trees he promised her as well. “I hate this time of year,” Owen said abruptly from behind him. “You said that earlier,” Ianto pointed out. “It bears repeating,” Owen remarked and Ianto rolled his eyes at Owen’s attempt at a foreboding tone. “And come to me if your headache doesn’t get any better,” Owen added before he left leaving Ianto looking completely startled. “Damn,” he muttered.
Continued in Egg-nog
(no subject)
Date: 2011-12-04 06:03 am (UTC)