Fic: "In the Lift"
Jul. 27th, 2008 08:41 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cowgrl_ficTitle: In the Lift
Characters: Ianto, Gwen, Jack
Pairings: canon pairings (Ianto/Jack, Gwen/Rhys mentioned)
Rating: PG (for talk about sexual situations)
Word count: 1618
Spoilers: Major spoilers for 2.13, "Exit Wounds"
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. I'm just playing with them because they're really that wonderful.
Summary: During a routine mission, Ianto and Gwen get stuck in a lift.
Gwen and Ianto were running through an office building in hot pursuit of a large, sentient, cockroach-like creature when it suddenly vanished into thin air. They stopped and stared.
Gwen was immediately on the phone to Jack back at the Hub. “What just happened?”
There was silence as Jack peered at the computer screen. “There’s been a spike in rift activity in that building.”
“So the rift sent us this creature, then snatched it back?”
“Apparently so,” Jack answered.
“The rift giveth and the rift taketh away,” Ianto quipped.
“Ok, Jack, as soon as we tie up loose ends we’re out of here.”
Those loose ends consisted of making sure all the workers in the building who might have seen the creature before being evacuated would receive the proper dose of retcon. Ianto put small doses into coffee cups at people’s desks, the coffee still in the machine, and a little in the water cooler just to be sure.
Gwen was taking last-minute readings of the area, in case they’d missed anything, when Ianto found her. “I’m done being the Retcon Fairy,” he said.
Both of them were glad to be done with another unsatisfying job, and looked forward to heading back to the Hub, putting their feet up, maybe ordering pizza. Gwen did one last scan with the hand-held device as they stepped into the lift. Ianto pressed the button for the first floor, the doors closed and the lift started its descent. The machine made a small noise as it passed each floor, as if announcing its progress toward the ground floor. “Boop…boop…boop,” said the lift, followed by a rather jarring lurch and suddenly they were at a full stop and the lights had dimmed, replaced by emergency lighting at the perimeter of the small enclosure.
“Bloody hell,” Gwen swore. “It’s just not our day.” She pulled out her mobile phone and rang Jack. (Thankfully, the mobile phone still got a signal inside the lift.) “Jack? What just happened? We’re stuck inside the lift.”
There was a moment of silence, and Gwen could imagine him keyboarding quickly in search of an answer. “I’m not seeing any new rift activity,” he said. “However, the power is definitely out in your building, and for several blocks around Cardiff Centre. I’ll be there as fast as I can. Oh, and one more thing? You need to keep Ianto calm.”
Gwen looked at Ianto for the first time since the lift had trapped them. He was ghostly white, his hands clenched tightly, and he was shaking. “I will. I promise. See you soon?”
“As soon as I can get there,” Jack assured her.
Her phone conversation done, Gwen turned her full attention to Ianto. She took two steps toward him.
“Are you okay?”
He nodded yes, though it was obvious from his pallor that he wasn’t okay.
“A bit claustrophobic?” she asked, stating the obvious.
“Just a bit,” he muttered through clenched teeth. “Ever since…that time with the cannibals.”
“I still have nightmares about them,” Gwen empathized. She placed her hands on his shoulders. “Ianto, listen to me. Jack’s on his way. He’s going to get us out of here.” Ianto didn’t respond. “Did you hear what I just said? Jack will get us out of here,” she repeated.
“I heard you.”
Gwen saw a flash of anger in his eyes. Good. Anything to distract him from his fear. But the anger dissipated quickly and soon he was shaking even harder.
“Ok, you need to slow down your breathing. You’re with me. You’re safe,” Gwen said in a calm voice. She took his hands, unrolling his fists one by one as she slipped her hands into his sweaty palms. “Slow down your breathing. Breathe calmly. There, that’s good.” Gwen watched as Ianto closed his eyes and inhaled slowly, then exhaled slowly. After a few more calming breaths he opened his eyes.
“Sorry,” he said, giving her a slightly embarrassed smile. “I can face all sorts of danger. Weevils, giant cockroaches, whatever, and I’m fine. Lock me in a small space and I fall apart. It’s a bit daft, isn’t it?”
“We all have something that scares us,” she reassured. Now that he was calmer, what could she say to keep him distracted? “So…how are things with you and Jack?” She gave him what she hoped was a conspiratorial grin.
“Things are okay,” he said, looking away.
“Just okay?”
Ianto sighed, pulled his hands out of hers and took a step away. He was silent for a moment. “Sometimes things with Jack are good. Really good. Other times…I don’t know.” He glanced at her. “Are you sure you’re okay hearing about this? I know you have feelings for Jack.”
“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want to know,” she said. “I’m sure he’s not an easy person to be in a relationship with.
“No, he isn’t. But then, neither am I,” Ianto added with a hint of a smile.
Gwen smiled back. Encouraged, she took his hands again, looking into his eyes.
“I think you’re good for Jack. I’m glad you’re with him. I want him to be happy.”
“So do I,” Ianto said softly. Gwen was surprised to see tears in his eyes, and instantly she was blinking back tears too.
“We both love him,” she said. “Do you realize how special that is?”
“Yes,” Ianto answered. He smiled at her, took a finger and brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes, then instinctively pulled her toward him and hugged her. She hugged him back. As she held onto Ianto she remembered having been jealous of him. But those feelings were gone now. After all the loss they’d been through--losing Tosh and Owen--those old feelings seemed petty and useless.
“I’m sure he loves you,” she said.
“He loves you, too,” he responded.
“I know.” She smiled up at him as she pulled away from the embrace.
“So...how are things with you and Rhys?” Ianto asked, having had just about enough of their mutual Jack-love-fest.
“Okay.”
“Just okay?” he teased.
Realizing they were replaying their earlier conversation, Gwen gave him a playful little shove. “We have our good days and bad days, like any couple,” she told him. “But overall, things are good. So much better now that he knows about Torchwood. And the sex is really good.”
“Ahhh…that’s important,” Ianto said, a sudden evil look in his eyes.
“Yes, you would know,” she said, her eyes narrowing slightly. And she thought all her jealously was gone! Oh, well. She didn’t want to hear about their sex life so she quickly changed the subject.
“So…how did Jack know you were claustrophobic?” she asked.
“Well…Jack has this fetish for having sex in as many different places as possible,” Ianto answered. Back to sex again! Gwen was sorry she’d asked. “And one night we were down in the vaults and accidentally got locked in one of the cells.”
“You got locked in?” Gwen tried not to laugh.
“All night. I was angry, then really scared. Jack tried to distract me with sex. Do you have any idea what it’s like trying to have sex when there’s a weevil staring at you?”
Gwen was sure it had been horrible at the time but now she couldn’t help laughing at the idea of Janet watching Jack and Ianto having sex. Luckily, Ianto was laughing too. “So, how did you get out?”
“Owen found us in the morning.” Ianto rolled his eyes. “I didn’t think he’d ever let me forget it.”
“I can just imagine Owen’s snarky comments.” She leaned her head against him and sighed. The story was funny, but now they were both missing Owen.
“Gwen? Ianto?” It was Jack! His voice was faint but they could hear him.
“Jack!” they both shouted.
He called out to them again moments later, his voice a bit louder as he tried to determine what floor they were on. They called back to him. They repeated this routine a few times, until he was obviously right outside the lift.
“Ok, now here’s what you need to do,” Jack instructed. “You need to pry the doors of the lift apart.”
Ianto’s hands were on the doors immediately. After forcing the doors apart, he was faced with another set of doors. “The doors are open but we’re still trapped,” Ianto shouted across the wall. His panic was rising again.
“Now you should see a lever,” Jack continued. “Turn it counterclockwise.”
Gwen put her hand on the lever and turned it. “Done!” she exclaimed.
The final set of doors opened and they were looking at Jack, though there was about a two foot jump from the floor of the lift to the hallway outside. Ianto didn’t waste a second - he was out! Gwen followed closely behind him, and then they were both hugging Jack.
“I’m so glad to see you.” Ianto buried his face in Jack’s chest, inhaling his familiar, intoxicating scent.
“I’m glad to see you, too,” Jack answered. “Did Gwen take good care of you?”
“Yes, she did.”
They walked toward the exit of the building, Jack in the middle, one arm around each of them.
“So, what did you two kids talk about while you were stuck in there?” Jack asked playfully.
“You, mostly,” Gwen answered.
“Oh, really?” Jack stopped for a second, glancing at both of them, his eyebrows raised ever so slightly. They were both smiling mischievously.
“Should I be afraid?” Jack flashed a flirtatious grin.
“Absolutely,” Gwen said affectionately.
Jack smiled as he looked lovingly at the two most important people in his world.
We love you, too, Ianto thought with a smile.
*end*
Characters: Ianto, Gwen, Jack
Pairings: canon pairings (Ianto/Jack, Gwen/Rhys mentioned)
Rating: PG (for talk about sexual situations)
Word count: 1618
Spoilers: Major spoilers for 2.13, "Exit Wounds"
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. I'm just playing with them because they're really that wonderful.
Summary: During a routine mission, Ianto and Gwen get stuck in a lift.
Gwen and Ianto were running through an office building in hot pursuit of a large, sentient, cockroach-like creature when it suddenly vanished into thin air. They stopped and stared.
Gwen was immediately on the phone to Jack back at the Hub. “What just happened?”
There was silence as Jack peered at the computer screen. “There’s been a spike in rift activity in that building.”
“So the rift sent us this creature, then snatched it back?”
“Apparently so,” Jack answered.
“The rift giveth and the rift taketh away,” Ianto quipped.
“Ok, Jack, as soon as we tie up loose ends we’re out of here.”
Those loose ends consisted of making sure all the workers in the building who might have seen the creature before being evacuated would receive the proper dose of retcon. Ianto put small doses into coffee cups at people’s desks, the coffee still in the machine, and a little in the water cooler just to be sure.
Gwen was taking last-minute readings of the area, in case they’d missed anything, when Ianto found her. “I’m done being the Retcon Fairy,” he said.
Both of them were glad to be done with another unsatisfying job, and looked forward to heading back to the Hub, putting their feet up, maybe ordering pizza. Gwen did one last scan with the hand-held device as they stepped into the lift. Ianto pressed the button for the first floor, the doors closed and the lift started its descent. The machine made a small noise as it passed each floor, as if announcing its progress toward the ground floor. “Boop…boop…boop,” said the lift, followed by a rather jarring lurch and suddenly they were at a full stop and the lights had dimmed, replaced by emergency lighting at the perimeter of the small enclosure.
“Bloody hell,” Gwen swore. “It’s just not our day.” She pulled out her mobile phone and rang Jack. (Thankfully, the mobile phone still got a signal inside the lift.) “Jack? What just happened? We’re stuck inside the lift.”
There was a moment of silence, and Gwen could imagine him keyboarding quickly in search of an answer. “I’m not seeing any new rift activity,” he said. “However, the power is definitely out in your building, and for several blocks around Cardiff Centre. I’ll be there as fast as I can. Oh, and one more thing? You need to keep Ianto calm.”
Gwen looked at Ianto for the first time since the lift had trapped them. He was ghostly white, his hands clenched tightly, and he was shaking. “I will. I promise. See you soon?”
“As soon as I can get there,” Jack assured her.
Her phone conversation done, Gwen turned her full attention to Ianto. She took two steps toward him.
“Are you okay?”
He nodded yes, though it was obvious from his pallor that he wasn’t okay.
“A bit claustrophobic?” she asked, stating the obvious.
“Just a bit,” he muttered through clenched teeth. “Ever since…that time with the cannibals.”
“I still have nightmares about them,” Gwen empathized. She placed her hands on his shoulders. “Ianto, listen to me. Jack’s on his way. He’s going to get us out of here.” Ianto didn’t respond. “Did you hear what I just said? Jack will get us out of here,” she repeated.
“I heard you.”
Gwen saw a flash of anger in his eyes. Good. Anything to distract him from his fear. But the anger dissipated quickly and soon he was shaking even harder.
“Ok, you need to slow down your breathing. You’re with me. You’re safe,” Gwen said in a calm voice. She took his hands, unrolling his fists one by one as she slipped her hands into his sweaty palms. “Slow down your breathing. Breathe calmly. There, that’s good.” Gwen watched as Ianto closed his eyes and inhaled slowly, then exhaled slowly. After a few more calming breaths he opened his eyes.
“Sorry,” he said, giving her a slightly embarrassed smile. “I can face all sorts of danger. Weevils, giant cockroaches, whatever, and I’m fine. Lock me in a small space and I fall apart. It’s a bit daft, isn’t it?”
“We all have something that scares us,” she reassured. Now that he was calmer, what could she say to keep him distracted? “So…how are things with you and Jack?” She gave him what she hoped was a conspiratorial grin.
“Things are okay,” he said, looking away.
“Just okay?”
Ianto sighed, pulled his hands out of hers and took a step away. He was silent for a moment. “Sometimes things with Jack are good. Really good. Other times…I don’t know.” He glanced at her. “Are you sure you’re okay hearing about this? I know you have feelings for Jack.”
“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want to know,” she said. “I’m sure he’s not an easy person to be in a relationship with.
“No, he isn’t. But then, neither am I,” Ianto added with a hint of a smile.
Gwen smiled back. Encouraged, she took his hands again, looking into his eyes.
“I think you’re good for Jack. I’m glad you’re with him. I want him to be happy.”
“So do I,” Ianto said softly. Gwen was surprised to see tears in his eyes, and instantly she was blinking back tears too.
“We both love him,” she said. “Do you realize how special that is?”
“Yes,” Ianto answered. He smiled at her, took a finger and brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes, then instinctively pulled her toward him and hugged her. She hugged him back. As she held onto Ianto she remembered having been jealous of him. But those feelings were gone now. After all the loss they’d been through--losing Tosh and Owen--those old feelings seemed petty and useless.
“I’m sure he loves you,” she said.
“He loves you, too,” he responded.
“I know.” She smiled up at him as she pulled away from the embrace.
“So...how are things with you and Rhys?” Ianto asked, having had just about enough of their mutual Jack-love-fest.
“Okay.”
“Just okay?” he teased.
Realizing they were replaying their earlier conversation, Gwen gave him a playful little shove. “We have our good days and bad days, like any couple,” she told him. “But overall, things are good. So much better now that he knows about Torchwood. And the sex is really good.”
“Ahhh…that’s important,” Ianto said, a sudden evil look in his eyes.
“Yes, you would know,” she said, her eyes narrowing slightly. And she thought all her jealously was gone! Oh, well. She didn’t want to hear about their sex life so she quickly changed the subject.
“So…how did Jack know you were claustrophobic?” she asked.
“Well…Jack has this fetish for having sex in as many different places as possible,” Ianto answered. Back to sex again! Gwen was sorry she’d asked. “And one night we were down in the vaults and accidentally got locked in one of the cells.”
“You got locked in?” Gwen tried not to laugh.
“All night. I was angry, then really scared. Jack tried to distract me with sex. Do you have any idea what it’s like trying to have sex when there’s a weevil staring at you?”
Gwen was sure it had been horrible at the time but now she couldn’t help laughing at the idea of Janet watching Jack and Ianto having sex. Luckily, Ianto was laughing too. “So, how did you get out?”
“Owen found us in the morning.” Ianto rolled his eyes. “I didn’t think he’d ever let me forget it.”
“I can just imagine Owen’s snarky comments.” She leaned her head against him and sighed. The story was funny, but now they were both missing Owen.
“Gwen? Ianto?” It was Jack! His voice was faint but they could hear him.
“Jack!” they both shouted.
He called out to them again moments later, his voice a bit louder as he tried to determine what floor they were on. They called back to him. They repeated this routine a few times, until he was obviously right outside the lift.
“Ok, now here’s what you need to do,” Jack instructed. “You need to pry the doors of the lift apart.”
Ianto’s hands were on the doors immediately. After forcing the doors apart, he was faced with another set of doors. “The doors are open but we’re still trapped,” Ianto shouted across the wall. His panic was rising again.
“Now you should see a lever,” Jack continued. “Turn it counterclockwise.”
Gwen put her hand on the lever and turned it. “Done!” she exclaimed.
The final set of doors opened and they were looking at Jack, though there was about a two foot jump from the floor of the lift to the hallway outside. Ianto didn’t waste a second - he was out! Gwen followed closely behind him, and then they were both hugging Jack.
“I’m so glad to see you.” Ianto buried his face in Jack’s chest, inhaling his familiar, intoxicating scent.
“I’m glad to see you, too,” Jack answered. “Did Gwen take good care of you?”
“Yes, she did.”
They walked toward the exit of the building, Jack in the middle, one arm around each of them.
“So, what did you two kids talk about while you were stuck in there?” Jack asked playfully.
“You, mostly,” Gwen answered.
“Oh, really?” Jack stopped for a second, glancing at both of them, his eyebrows raised ever so slightly. They were both smiling mischievously.
“Should I be afraid?” Jack flashed a flirtatious grin.
“Absolutely,” Gwen said affectionately.
Jack smiled as he looked lovingly at the two most important people in his world.
We love you, too, Ianto thought with a smile.
*end*
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