Fic: Lives Are For Living. (32/40)
Mar. 24th, 2014 06:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
silver_sunTitle Lives Are For Living. (32/40)
Fandoms Torchwood/Being Human crossover fic.
Characters/pairings Andy Davidson/Tom McNair. Other Torchwood and Being Human characters will appear later on.
Word count: This part 4000 (Total posted 91,500 /115,000)
Rating This part teen (adult over all) – see contains below.
Contains Mentions of depression/anxiety. Mentions of past canon major character death. Mention of minor character death – not canon. In later parts canon level violence, graphic sex, Andy's homophobic mother. Spoilers for Being Human (UK version) up to series 5 episode 3, and for Torchwood up to Children of Earth.
A/N: Crossover with Being Human. Technically a CoE fix it as it's set in the same 'verse as Finding Ways To Smile Again (although that isn't apparent until about 2/3 the way through the story). Follows on from Break and Breakaway from Tom McNair's POV – which is where it breaks from Being Human canon.
Summary
After being pushed out of the police force following the events of Children of Earth, Andy Davidson tries to build a new life for himself in the deep in the Welsh countryside.
Tom McNair walked out off his old life after realising it wasn't what he needed.
A chance meeting would take their lives in directions that they had never expected and bring them love that they'd not thought they'd find.
Starts here: http://the-silver-sun.livejournal.com/214504.html
“This is Gwen,” Andy said, showing who Tom guessed were team Torchwood into their living room. “And this is Jack and Ianto.”
Gwen looked like a sensible sort of person which was a relief, given that she was apparently somebody who worked for the Queen hunting aliens for a living. That two more of them had turned up unannounced was actually rather worrying, as he’d only thought that there would be Gwen. Although they probably did need all the help they could get it they were going to shut down the vampires dogfights as fast as they could. Tom frowned as he looked at Jack and Ianto. There was a nagging sense of something familiar about them, and then the memory clicked. “It's you, from the hotel.”
Ianto stared at him for a moment then looked away embarrassed, while Jack just stepped forward to shake his hand. “Who knew werewolves were so cute.”
“Does anybody want to tell me what is going on?” Gwen asked, looking first at Jack and then at Andy, who returned her baffled look.
“It appears we met briefly in a hotel at Christmas. We were in the same lift,” Ianto replied, eyes fixed on the floor rather than at anybody in the room.
“How does he,” Tom pointed to Jack. “Know what I am? And for the record, what they were doin' in the lift anybody'd remember. He had his hand down...” He looked at Gwen and stopped. “Well it were somewhere I'd say shoulda waited 'til they weren't in a lift.”
Gwen looked like she was trying hard not to laugh as she said, “I've seen worse working with those two, believe me.” She turned more serious as she added, “I've told them both about you being a werewolf because if we are going to help there's going to be no more keeping secrets from the rest of the team. Not about things we're working on.” She looked at Jack and Ianto like she was daring them to contradict her on it. They didn't.
It was fair, Tom supposed, but he still didn't particularly like it. Andy had been the first normal person he'd told about being a werewolf, and now the fact was apparently known to everybody who worked for Torchwood. “So just how many of you lot are there?” He asked, knowing he sounded annoyed and not really caring if they knew it.
“This is it,” Jack said, gesturing broadly. “Small but perfectly formed.”
“He's the flirty one, ain't he?” Tom asked Andy, starting to feel a little uncomfortable now in a way that had nothing to do with his injured leg. “The one you said about.”
“That would be Jack,” Andy replied sounding more resigned to the fact than amused. “I guess some things never change.”
“Hey, that’s not fair,” Jack said, speaking to Andy for the first time since they arrive. The fake indignation in his voice almost covered the real the hurt in his eyes, and Tom had almost decided to step in in case an argument started when Ianto spoke.
“Right well, now we have all been suitably introduced and embarrassed by it,” Ianto said pointedly. Placing the laptop he'd brought with him onto the table, faced them all. “Perhaps we could turn our attention to vampires, rather than where Jack's hands may have been."
Jack laughed, apparently not caring what people thought about him, while Gwen looked amused and Andy shook his head. Tom decided it probably wasn't best to point out that it hadn't actually been Jack's hands that he'd been talking about.
“Well that’s us told,” Gwen said sounding relieved.
"What you got on there about vampires then?" Tom asked. "'Cause I bet it ain't much. They don't mix right well with a lot of modern stuff."
Ianto glanced round at Jack before explaining. "We've got some data on our mainframe, but the undead were never really within the remit of Torchwood." He switched on the laptop which booted up quickly to show a swirling blue desktop.
"Do you want the network password, so you can get online?" Andy asked, trying to get a better look at what he was doing.
Ianto shook his head. "Secure satellite uplink. But thank you for the offer."
There really wasn't much visible from the sofa, so Tom stood up carefully, testing his weight on his injured leg before attempting to go anywhere. Falling flat on his face wasn't the sort of impression that he wanted to make. The scratches hurt, but it was his ankle that felt unstable, the joint puffy from where he'd wrenched it when he'd been little more than a quarter of a mile from home a few hours earlier. It'd heal, he knew. Physical injuries always seemed to fix themselves fast. Not as fast as he'd like, but still faster than normal people would. Why it never worked like that with colds and stuff he had no idea.
It wasn't far from the sofa to the kitchen table, but Tom was grateful to sit back down. Sat in the seat next to Ianto, he was relieved that he had either managed not to let any pain show on his face or that Andy had been too occupied with talking to Gwen, who'd taken him help to make them some tea. He didn't want Andy to worry about him any more than he already had been.
Getting things sorted out quickly so their lives could get back to normal was probably what he needed most. "Right, so do you want to know about vampires or just the ones that got me?” He asked.
“Is there a difference?” Ianto asked with a frown.
“Not really, I 'spose. They're all vamps in the end, they all mess up yer life one way or another, or kill yer.” He looked round at Andy, who fortunately had not appeared to have heard, and decided that toning it down a bit was probably the way forward.
“How about we start with the vampire that took you?” Jack said, joining them. “Can you give us a name?”
“Yeah, her name were Audrey, and she had a motorbike. And she had these two blokes, well vampires, Bill and Ben working for her, it were their van they stuck me in, after they'd tasered me. Oh and there were this another vampire at the farm called Joe, who knew Audrey, he seemed to know a lot about what were going on. And there were lots more who'd come to watch the fight, must've bin about forty odd, but I don't know what any of them was called.”
“Number plate it is then,” Ianto said, opening about half a dozen windows on the laptop. “Do you know where and when you were taken?”
As Tom went through the details he realised that Ianto was hacking into the CCTV feed for Rhayader without any apparent difficulty. He let him work for a moment before saying, “You do know vampires don't show up on cameras and stuff, right?”
“I read the notes that we had available,” Ianto said, the look that he gave Jack suggested that perhaps Jack hadn't. “But unless their odd ability is somehow passed on to their vehicles, I should still be able to...” Ianto stopped, as the footage now playing on screen showed Tom apparently talking to himself.
It was unfortunate, Tom decided, that Andy should pick that moment to join them, as a second later he saw himself fall to the ground shaking and twitching. Andy stared at the screen. “Oh god, is that how...” He turned away, eyes closed and shoulders tense. “Do we have to...”
“No,” Ianto pausing the footage. "I can retrieve the number plate information later. Opening another window on the screen, he said to Tom, "Are you up to narrowing down the search area of where they took you?"
"Course I am," Tom replied, not sure why they'd think he wasn't. It was only his leg that was hurt, not his head. "It were this big old farm about five or six miles north west of here. It smelt like used to be a pig farm in the last few years, but they're all gone now." He closed his eyes trying to recall any more detail about the place and the route they'd taken from Rhayader. "It were set back from the road a bit, not as far as here is, so maybe about a quarter of a mile or so." It wasn't much to go on, and he opened his eyes again. "I might be able to think of bit more in a minute."
"That's more than enough to start with," Ianto said, sounding impressed that Tom had recalled anything at all. "Do you think if I found an aerial view of the farm you could identify it?"
"Yeah, I think so. I mean it ain't like I'm gonna forget that place in a hurry."
"That's Google maps," Andy said, sounding distinctly unimpressed as he looked in at what they were doing again. "We're going to track down the undeads answer to the collaseum using Google? I thought you lot were more X-Files than that."
"If it works, don't knock it," Jack said. He turned to Ianto. "Okay then, time to do your thing."
There were only four farms in the area Tom was sure the farm had been. Two were instantly ruled out as one was a very large barn reared chicken farm, while the other was little more than a small holding with only single, small old barn that couldn't possibly have held the arena and cages that the vampires had built. There was little to chose between the other two and Tom was about to suggest that they drove out there and have a look around when Ianto said, "Are you sure that it used to be a pig farm?"
Tom thought for a moment. The smell of pigs had been strong, but it hadn't been fresh. "As sure as I can be. The place really ponged."
A minute or so later Ianto said, "Pen Mawr farm. They sold bacon and sausages to various supermarket chains before they went out of business two years ago."
"Looks like it's time to pay our pointy teeth friends a little visit," Jack said. He looked at Tom and then at the bandage on his leg. "You up to a bit of field work?"
"No, he's not," Andy said, horrified that they were even suggesting it. "You shouldn't be walking around. Tom, tell them you won't do it."
"I can't, 'cause he's right. We ain't gonna find out anything else sitting around here," Tom said, getting up. His leg throbbed, but stayed steady under him. He could do this. "If it really starts hurting I can always sit down, can't I?"
"They could still be there. Have you even thought of that?" Andy snapped, turning away from them, and going to stand by the window, fingers gripping white knuckled at the sill.
"We don't expect him to fight," Gwen said, trying to defuse the situation. "We'll make sure he stays safe."
"Torchwood. Safe," Andy replied incredulously. "Do you really expect me to believe that? They had a bloody weevil, how is that safe?”
“I wanna go,” Tom said, limping over to him and putting his hand over Andy's. “It wouldn't feel right not doing it. I mean what if something happened to them because I weren't there to tell'em about vampires? I mean they might think sunlight might kill'em, like it do in films and then where'd they be? I feel bad enough fer not stakin' them this morning as it is.”
"Then I'm coming with you," Andy said, looking and sounding like what he wanted to do was run and hide. “I can’t stay here waiting and wondering if you’re...please don’t ask me to do that.”
“Huh, sunlight really doesn't work?” Jack said sounding a little disappointed. “I'm guessing the UV gun is out then.”
“It would appear so,” Ianto replied, not sounding sorry in the least. “If we ever get those stellar jellyfish back you can use it then and I promise not to complain about how much they explode.”
“Really? Because you getting all angry...” Jack grinned. “It’s kinda hot.”
“We're working,” Ianto said, sounding like he'd had to say it dozens of times before. “So you can save that for later.”
“Not the right time?” Jack said, sounding rather more contrite now.
“What do you think?” Tom replied, wondering how Torchwood managed to get anything done or to be honest who was actually in charge or if they were just making it up as they went along.
0X0X0X0
Tom knew it was the right place even before they got out of the range rover. It looked a little different in the daylight, more run down and derelict than he’d originally thought, with the only sign that the farm had been visited recently being the tire tracks in the mud. There was no sign of Audrey’s bike or the van that had brought him there. Winding down the window, Tom sniffed the air. “I reckon they’re gone.”
“Time to take a look,” Jack said, getting out of the SUV. “Gwen, you're with Ianto, I'll take Tom and Andy.”
The afternoon was cool and damp, and Tom was glad that he'd had time to get dressed before they'd set off, although he wished he'd not lost his old trainers – it didn't seem right going hunting for vampires in his slippers, but it had been those or nothing as trying to wear his hiking boots had been too uncomfortable and he couldn't borrow Andy's as they were about three sizes too big.
The slippers squished wetly in the farmyard mud, as he got out of the SUV, and Tom decided that having a spare pair for transformation related incidents probably wouldn't be a bad plan. He'd probably have to replace the slippers as well now, he thought glumly at the idea of shoe shopping, vampires really did mess everything up.
His ankle was throbbing by the time they’d made a circuit of the outbuildings and he was sure that the deepest of the scratches had split again, but his determination to see to see it though remained undimmed. Andy had kept close to his side was jumpy, he could see it, shoulders tight, eyes darting around him like he expected attack at any moment. Jack had walked ahead of them, the vintage gun from the equally old looking leather holster on his belt, drawn. For all his flirting and easy laugh, Jack was, Tom decided, far more dangerous than people might first assume. He knew enough about fighting to know somebody who was ready for just about anything that might happen. Combined with the fact that Jack smelt different to any other human or supernatural he'd ever encountered, Tom was sure that the vampires had made themselves an enemy that they really didn't want in crossing Jack or Torchwood.
The farmhouse was empty, all the furniture and anything that might once have once made it a home removed. There was the faint scent of vampire in all the rooms, but nothing to suggest that they used the farmhouse any more than they used the barn.
“It's locked,” Ianto said, as they joined him and Gwen at the door to the barn. Taking something from his pocket he put it into the padlock and twisted, and it snapped open. “But not for long.”
Tom listened at the door for a moment, but there was no sound from within, nothing to suggest it wasn't as empty as the rest of the farm. Guns drawn, Jack and Gwen moved into the building, only calling for them to come in once the lighting was switched on and they were sure that they were the only ones there.
Inside the barn the cages and arena had been hosed down, the floor still damp with water and what smelt like bleach. The bodies Lucy and Gordon were gone, and Tom hoped that the little he'd remembered about them and told Gwen and Ianto while Jack had driven them to the farm had been enough to find their families. They should be told something, he was sure just so they weren't still waiting and worrying for them to come home. He'd seen what just one night of that had done to Andy, and he hated the idea on anyone else going through it maybe for weeks or even years.
“What do you think they do with the bodies?” Gwen asked looking around at the tiers of seating. “I mean they don’t eat them or anything like that do they?”
Ianto gave Jack a look that was as much revolted as shocked. Jack shook his head. “Vampires are blood only as far as I know. I didn't see any sign of graves out there and they have a van, so I'm guessing they're dumping them somewhere.”
Tom nodded, not wanting to know why the lack of bodies had made them instantly think cannibalism. He limped round the cages, stopping only once he'd found what he'd been looking for. The tooth he'd seen in the corner before the fight had begun. He held it up so they could see. “I dunno if you can do anything with this, like they do on them TV shows, but this were there before the fight, so it belonged to somebody, and it ain't a vampires. So maybe it might help find out who else they've been getting.”
“Hiroxian Resequencer?” Gwen said, taking a packet of tissues out of her coat pocket so that they had something to wrap the tooth in. “Or should we try that thing that looks like broken tuba that came in the other week? The holograms from bits machine?”
Ianto and Jack joined in the conversation talking about things which Tom had no idea what they were or did. Hoping that they weren't talking a load of rubbish and that they did actually have some machine that could figure out who the tooth belonged to, Tom waited while they talked, hoping that they would actually say something he understood or came up with a plan for finding the vampires that wasn't waiting until they came back for the next fight.
No plan or idea came though and a little later, after they had secured the barn door so it looked like they hadn't been there, Tom climbed back into the Torchwood Range Rover. Sore, tired and disheartened, it felt like they had nothing to show for what they had done apart from damp clothes and shoes from the constant drizzling rain. Next month, Tom was sure, Audrey and the rest of her vampires would be right back there watching werewolves and humans fight and die for their entertainment. Andy, who hadn't spoken since they had arrived at the farm, got in and sat down next to him, tension and barely repressed panic radiating off him. Taking Andy's hand in his, Tom held it tight, trying to convince himself that things would somehow all work out for the best in the end.
After a brief detour to a sprawling out of town supermarket complex on the edge of Llandrindod Wells to pick up a prescription for some antibiotics that had somehow been arranged, they'd driven back to Cwm Elan farm to decided on what they should do next.
At least this felt like they were doing something, Tom thought as he looked at a plan of the farm that Ianto had got on screen, as they went through what would be the best way of containing the vampires inside and rescuing anybody who'd been kidnapped by them for the dog fights.
He'd done this with his dad a few times. Found out where the vampires were holding a fight, made sure that they could prevent them from escaping and then staked as many as they could before they changed and took care of the rest. They'd never managed to save anybody, but it had never been about that. It had been vengeance. Nothing more, nothing less.
“We could do with somebody like you on the team,” Jack said, putting a hand on Tom's shoulder as he worked with Ianto updating the mainframes record with he knew about vampires and werewolves.. “Resourceful, can handle himself in a fight, easy on the eye. What do you say, Ianto? Room for another?”
Ianto rolled his eyes, looking amused rather than annoyed, but made no comment either way.
“You don't stop, do you,?” Andy snapped suddenly, furious at Jack. “Tom's not going to work for you, he's not risking his life dealing with your weird alien crap. And stop flirting with him.”
"Hey, just take it easy. It it was just a joke," Jack said, making a placating gesture. “It's alright.”
"No," Andy said angrily, taking a step towards him. "No, it's not alright, I'm not alright. I'm fucking fed up with trying to be alright for everybody and with trying to be nice, with trying to do the right thing and getting shit on for it."
"Andy-" Gwen began.
"No, I'm fed up with pretending, I did that for years you know, hid how I felt about everything and made myself so bloody miserable that sometimes I just wanted too..." He stopped, tears in his eyes. "After everything, the job, the..." He gestured hopelessly. "Even mum disowning me, none of that mattered so much anymore because I had Tom, and now you want to drag him into all your weird, spooky crap, and I know enough that people who do get killed or hurt or they lose everything." He stopped again, shaking, chest heaving. "And I can't lose him, he's all I have, and you won't care, because you won't think he's a proper person, but he is and I love him and I can't..."
"I think it’s time you should go," Tom said, positioning himself between them and Andy, hoping that if they were alone Andy might feel a bit more able to deal with what was going on. "There ain't much more I can do to help, not until the next full moon anyway. Andy needs me more'n you lot do, and he's always gonna come first."
"He's right, we should go," Ianto said to Jack, clearly not wanting to intrude and perhaps not knowing what to say. "We've got plenty to work with. Things we can follow up in Cardiff.”
"For what it's worth, I'm sorry," Jack said, as he reached the door. "I really am."
Andy slumped down onto the sofa. "Just go away."
"He'll be okay, won't he?" Gwen asked, pausing at the door once Jack and Ianto had gone outside.
Tom looked back at Andy who was now sitting hunched on the sofa, his head in his hands, shoulders shaking. "Yeah, eventually," he said hoping that it was the truth. "It ain't the first time," he added quietly when Gwen didn't seem convinced. "We'll manage. I won't let anything happen to him."
“I can't believe how calm you are about all this,” Gwen said, seemingly unable to look away from Andy. “Is it part of your...thing. Sort of keep calm or grr argh?"
“Nah, full moon only for that. It's just there ain't no point being anything else,” Tom said, too tired to take any offence. “I know it's all weird to you lot, and I bet your stuff'd be weird to me if I saw it, 'cause I bet there's worse'n weevils, but this, vampires and killing, it's all I've ever done. Got use to it I 'spose."
Gwen shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry. If there's anything you need, you call me, right? I've told Andy the same. I've not got that many friends any more, but the ones I have-" She put a hand on his arm. "I'll do whatever it takes to keep them safe, you've got my word on that."
It would be a very unwise person to cross her, Tom decided. It was actually rather comforting, it reminded him a bit of Annie, who'd been the nicest, most understanding person ever unless you hurt her friends and then, well you'd certainly know about it – although perhaps not for long. "I know, and thanks."
Once they were alone Tom sat down next to Andy and put an arm around him. "Do yer wanna talk or anything?"
Eyes closed and shivering once more, Andy shook his head, as he leaned into the embrace.
"Right then, how about we both get some sleep then?" Tom gave him a small squeeze, hoping that he was doing the right thing.. “I reckon we could both do with it.”
“Thank you,” Andy said, voice barely above a whisper. “I’m sorry.”
“Hey, it ain’t your fault, it’s bin a horrible day,” Tom said standing up and hoping Andy would following him. “So it’s gotta be a better one tomorrow.”
Andy didn’t particularly looked like he believed him, but followed him silently into the bedroom.
Not caring that both of them were still dressed, Tom lifted back the covers so they could both get in. Lying in bed, with Andy's head resting on his shoulder, Tom curled an arm about him. It felt good, like he was protecting him. He wondered if it was okay that he needed to protect him as much as Andy needed the reassurance that he wasn't alone and that he was loved, if it was wrong or weird that he should be taking something in return.
Time drifted as he tried to lie still and let Andy rest. His leg throbbed and Tom wasn't sure he could ever remember being so tired, yet sleep wouldn't come, thoughts chasing each other round his head about what he should have done differently both with the vampires and with not letting things get to a state where Andy couldn’t deal with them anymore. Lying awake, he watched the tension on Andy face ease as he slipped deeper into sleep.
No alternatives to what he’d done which would have had a better outcome presented themselves and nothing but killing the vampires before they could do it again came to mind as a plan for the future. As soon as he felt a bit better he'd start training, Tom promised himself. He'd let it slide, he knew. It had been months since he'd done anything more strenuous than chop wood or go for walk. He looked at Andy, calm now in sleep, his resolve strengthening. Next full moon, whether he had Torchwood's help or not he'd make the vampires sorry they'd ever intruded on their life together. He'd make sure they were safe, whatever it took.
Part 33 http://the-silver-sun.livejournal.com/231729.html
Fandoms Torchwood/Being Human crossover fic.
Characters/pairings Andy Davidson/Tom McNair. Other Torchwood and Being Human characters will appear later on.
Word count: This part 4000 (Total posted 91,500 /115,000)
Rating This part teen (adult over all) – see contains below.
Contains Mentions of depression/anxiety. Mentions of past canon major character death. Mention of minor character death – not canon. In later parts canon level violence, graphic sex, Andy's homophobic mother. Spoilers for Being Human (UK version) up to series 5 episode 3, and for Torchwood up to Children of Earth.
A/N: Crossover with Being Human. Technically a CoE fix it as it's set in the same 'verse as Finding Ways To Smile Again (although that isn't apparent until about 2/3 the way through the story). Follows on from Break and Breakaway from Tom McNair's POV – which is where it breaks from Being Human canon.
Summary
After being pushed out of the police force following the events of Children of Earth, Andy Davidson tries to build a new life for himself in the deep in the Welsh countryside.
Tom McNair walked out off his old life after realising it wasn't what he needed.
A chance meeting would take their lives in directions that they had never expected and bring them love that they'd not thought they'd find.
Starts here: http://the-silver-sun.livejournal.com/214504.html
“This is Gwen,” Andy said, showing who Tom guessed were team Torchwood into their living room. “And this is Jack and Ianto.”
Gwen looked like a sensible sort of person which was a relief, given that she was apparently somebody who worked for the Queen hunting aliens for a living. That two more of them had turned up unannounced was actually rather worrying, as he’d only thought that there would be Gwen. Although they probably did need all the help they could get it they were going to shut down the vampires dogfights as fast as they could. Tom frowned as he looked at Jack and Ianto. There was a nagging sense of something familiar about them, and then the memory clicked. “It's you, from the hotel.”
Ianto stared at him for a moment then looked away embarrassed, while Jack just stepped forward to shake his hand. “Who knew werewolves were so cute.”
“Does anybody want to tell me what is going on?” Gwen asked, looking first at Jack and then at Andy, who returned her baffled look.
“It appears we met briefly in a hotel at Christmas. We were in the same lift,” Ianto replied, eyes fixed on the floor rather than at anybody in the room.
“How does he,” Tom pointed to Jack. “Know what I am? And for the record, what they were doin' in the lift anybody'd remember. He had his hand down...” He looked at Gwen and stopped. “Well it were somewhere I'd say shoulda waited 'til they weren't in a lift.”
Gwen looked like she was trying hard not to laugh as she said, “I've seen worse working with those two, believe me.” She turned more serious as she added, “I've told them both about you being a werewolf because if we are going to help there's going to be no more keeping secrets from the rest of the team. Not about things we're working on.” She looked at Jack and Ianto like she was daring them to contradict her on it. They didn't.
It was fair, Tom supposed, but he still didn't particularly like it. Andy had been the first normal person he'd told about being a werewolf, and now the fact was apparently known to everybody who worked for Torchwood. “So just how many of you lot are there?” He asked, knowing he sounded annoyed and not really caring if they knew it.
“This is it,” Jack said, gesturing broadly. “Small but perfectly formed.”
“He's the flirty one, ain't he?” Tom asked Andy, starting to feel a little uncomfortable now in a way that had nothing to do with his injured leg. “The one you said about.”
“That would be Jack,” Andy replied sounding more resigned to the fact than amused. “I guess some things never change.”
“Hey, that’s not fair,” Jack said, speaking to Andy for the first time since they arrive. The fake indignation in his voice almost covered the real the hurt in his eyes, and Tom had almost decided to step in in case an argument started when Ianto spoke.
“Right well, now we have all been suitably introduced and embarrassed by it,” Ianto said pointedly. Placing the laptop he'd brought with him onto the table, faced them all. “Perhaps we could turn our attention to vampires, rather than where Jack's hands may have been."
Jack laughed, apparently not caring what people thought about him, while Gwen looked amused and Andy shook his head. Tom decided it probably wasn't best to point out that it hadn't actually been Jack's hands that he'd been talking about.
“Well that’s us told,” Gwen said sounding relieved.
"What you got on there about vampires then?" Tom asked. "'Cause I bet it ain't much. They don't mix right well with a lot of modern stuff."
Ianto glanced round at Jack before explaining. "We've got some data on our mainframe, but the undead were never really within the remit of Torchwood." He switched on the laptop which booted up quickly to show a swirling blue desktop.
"Do you want the network password, so you can get online?" Andy asked, trying to get a better look at what he was doing.
Ianto shook his head. "Secure satellite uplink. But thank you for the offer."
There really wasn't much visible from the sofa, so Tom stood up carefully, testing his weight on his injured leg before attempting to go anywhere. Falling flat on his face wasn't the sort of impression that he wanted to make. The scratches hurt, but it was his ankle that felt unstable, the joint puffy from where he'd wrenched it when he'd been little more than a quarter of a mile from home a few hours earlier. It'd heal, he knew. Physical injuries always seemed to fix themselves fast. Not as fast as he'd like, but still faster than normal people would. Why it never worked like that with colds and stuff he had no idea.
It wasn't far from the sofa to the kitchen table, but Tom was grateful to sit back down. Sat in the seat next to Ianto, he was relieved that he had either managed not to let any pain show on his face or that Andy had been too occupied with talking to Gwen, who'd taken him help to make them some tea. He didn't want Andy to worry about him any more than he already had been.
Getting things sorted out quickly so their lives could get back to normal was probably what he needed most. "Right, so do you want to know about vampires or just the ones that got me?” He asked.
“Is there a difference?” Ianto asked with a frown.
“Not really, I 'spose. They're all vamps in the end, they all mess up yer life one way or another, or kill yer.” He looked round at Andy, who fortunately had not appeared to have heard, and decided that toning it down a bit was probably the way forward.
“How about we start with the vampire that took you?” Jack said, joining them. “Can you give us a name?”
“Yeah, her name were Audrey, and she had a motorbike. And she had these two blokes, well vampires, Bill and Ben working for her, it were their van they stuck me in, after they'd tasered me. Oh and there were this another vampire at the farm called Joe, who knew Audrey, he seemed to know a lot about what were going on. And there were lots more who'd come to watch the fight, must've bin about forty odd, but I don't know what any of them was called.”
“Number plate it is then,” Ianto said, opening about half a dozen windows on the laptop. “Do you know where and when you were taken?”
As Tom went through the details he realised that Ianto was hacking into the CCTV feed for Rhayader without any apparent difficulty. He let him work for a moment before saying, “You do know vampires don't show up on cameras and stuff, right?”
“I read the notes that we had available,” Ianto said, the look that he gave Jack suggested that perhaps Jack hadn't. “But unless their odd ability is somehow passed on to their vehicles, I should still be able to...” Ianto stopped, as the footage now playing on screen showed Tom apparently talking to himself.
It was unfortunate, Tom decided, that Andy should pick that moment to join them, as a second later he saw himself fall to the ground shaking and twitching. Andy stared at the screen. “Oh god, is that how...” He turned away, eyes closed and shoulders tense. “Do we have to...”
“No,” Ianto pausing the footage. "I can retrieve the number plate information later. Opening another window on the screen, he said to Tom, "Are you up to narrowing down the search area of where they took you?"
"Course I am," Tom replied, not sure why they'd think he wasn't. It was only his leg that was hurt, not his head. "It were this big old farm about five or six miles north west of here. It smelt like used to be a pig farm in the last few years, but they're all gone now." He closed his eyes trying to recall any more detail about the place and the route they'd taken from Rhayader. "It were set back from the road a bit, not as far as here is, so maybe about a quarter of a mile or so." It wasn't much to go on, and he opened his eyes again. "I might be able to think of bit more in a minute."
"That's more than enough to start with," Ianto said, sounding impressed that Tom had recalled anything at all. "Do you think if I found an aerial view of the farm you could identify it?"
"Yeah, I think so. I mean it ain't like I'm gonna forget that place in a hurry."
"That's Google maps," Andy said, sounding distinctly unimpressed as he looked in at what they were doing again. "We're going to track down the undeads answer to the collaseum using Google? I thought you lot were more X-Files than that."
"If it works, don't knock it," Jack said. He turned to Ianto. "Okay then, time to do your thing."
There were only four farms in the area Tom was sure the farm had been. Two were instantly ruled out as one was a very large barn reared chicken farm, while the other was little more than a small holding with only single, small old barn that couldn't possibly have held the arena and cages that the vampires had built. There was little to chose between the other two and Tom was about to suggest that they drove out there and have a look around when Ianto said, "Are you sure that it used to be a pig farm?"
Tom thought for a moment. The smell of pigs had been strong, but it hadn't been fresh. "As sure as I can be. The place really ponged."
A minute or so later Ianto said, "Pen Mawr farm. They sold bacon and sausages to various supermarket chains before they went out of business two years ago."
"Looks like it's time to pay our pointy teeth friends a little visit," Jack said. He looked at Tom and then at the bandage on his leg. "You up to a bit of field work?"
"No, he's not," Andy said, horrified that they were even suggesting it. "You shouldn't be walking around. Tom, tell them you won't do it."
"I can't, 'cause he's right. We ain't gonna find out anything else sitting around here," Tom said, getting up. His leg throbbed, but stayed steady under him. He could do this. "If it really starts hurting I can always sit down, can't I?"
"They could still be there. Have you even thought of that?" Andy snapped, turning away from them, and going to stand by the window, fingers gripping white knuckled at the sill.
"We don't expect him to fight," Gwen said, trying to defuse the situation. "We'll make sure he stays safe."
"Torchwood. Safe," Andy replied incredulously. "Do you really expect me to believe that? They had a bloody weevil, how is that safe?”
“I wanna go,” Tom said, limping over to him and putting his hand over Andy's. “It wouldn't feel right not doing it. I mean what if something happened to them because I weren't there to tell'em about vampires? I mean they might think sunlight might kill'em, like it do in films and then where'd they be? I feel bad enough fer not stakin' them this morning as it is.”
"Then I'm coming with you," Andy said, looking and sounding like what he wanted to do was run and hide. “I can’t stay here waiting and wondering if you’re...please don’t ask me to do that.”
“Huh, sunlight really doesn't work?” Jack said sounding a little disappointed. “I'm guessing the UV gun is out then.”
“It would appear so,” Ianto replied, not sounding sorry in the least. “If we ever get those stellar jellyfish back you can use it then and I promise not to complain about how much they explode.”
“Really? Because you getting all angry...” Jack grinned. “It’s kinda hot.”
“We're working,” Ianto said, sounding like he'd had to say it dozens of times before. “So you can save that for later.”
“Not the right time?” Jack said, sounding rather more contrite now.
“What do you think?” Tom replied, wondering how Torchwood managed to get anything done or to be honest who was actually in charge or if they were just making it up as they went along.
0X0X0X0
Tom knew it was the right place even before they got out of the range rover. It looked a little different in the daylight, more run down and derelict than he’d originally thought, with the only sign that the farm had been visited recently being the tire tracks in the mud. There was no sign of Audrey’s bike or the van that had brought him there. Winding down the window, Tom sniffed the air. “I reckon they’re gone.”
“Time to take a look,” Jack said, getting out of the SUV. “Gwen, you're with Ianto, I'll take Tom and Andy.”
The afternoon was cool and damp, and Tom was glad that he'd had time to get dressed before they'd set off, although he wished he'd not lost his old trainers – it didn't seem right going hunting for vampires in his slippers, but it had been those or nothing as trying to wear his hiking boots had been too uncomfortable and he couldn't borrow Andy's as they were about three sizes too big.
The slippers squished wetly in the farmyard mud, as he got out of the SUV, and Tom decided that having a spare pair for transformation related incidents probably wouldn't be a bad plan. He'd probably have to replace the slippers as well now, he thought glumly at the idea of shoe shopping, vampires really did mess everything up.
His ankle was throbbing by the time they’d made a circuit of the outbuildings and he was sure that the deepest of the scratches had split again, but his determination to see to see it though remained undimmed. Andy had kept close to his side was jumpy, he could see it, shoulders tight, eyes darting around him like he expected attack at any moment. Jack had walked ahead of them, the vintage gun from the equally old looking leather holster on his belt, drawn. For all his flirting and easy laugh, Jack was, Tom decided, far more dangerous than people might first assume. He knew enough about fighting to know somebody who was ready for just about anything that might happen. Combined with the fact that Jack smelt different to any other human or supernatural he'd ever encountered, Tom was sure that the vampires had made themselves an enemy that they really didn't want in crossing Jack or Torchwood.
The farmhouse was empty, all the furniture and anything that might once have once made it a home removed. There was the faint scent of vampire in all the rooms, but nothing to suggest that they used the farmhouse any more than they used the barn.
“It's locked,” Ianto said, as they joined him and Gwen at the door to the barn. Taking something from his pocket he put it into the padlock and twisted, and it snapped open. “But not for long.”
Tom listened at the door for a moment, but there was no sound from within, nothing to suggest it wasn't as empty as the rest of the farm. Guns drawn, Jack and Gwen moved into the building, only calling for them to come in once the lighting was switched on and they were sure that they were the only ones there.
Inside the barn the cages and arena had been hosed down, the floor still damp with water and what smelt like bleach. The bodies Lucy and Gordon were gone, and Tom hoped that the little he'd remembered about them and told Gwen and Ianto while Jack had driven them to the farm had been enough to find their families. They should be told something, he was sure just so they weren't still waiting and worrying for them to come home. He'd seen what just one night of that had done to Andy, and he hated the idea on anyone else going through it maybe for weeks or even years.
“What do you think they do with the bodies?” Gwen asked looking around at the tiers of seating. “I mean they don’t eat them or anything like that do they?”
Ianto gave Jack a look that was as much revolted as shocked. Jack shook his head. “Vampires are blood only as far as I know. I didn't see any sign of graves out there and they have a van, so I'm guessing they're dumping them somewhere.”
Tom nodded, not wanting to know why the lack of bodies had made them instantly think cannibalism. He limped round the cages, stopping only once he'd found what he'd been looking for. The tooth he'd seen in the corner before the fight had begun. He held it up so they could see. “I dunno if you can do anything with this, like they do on them TV shows, but this were there before the fight, so it belonged to somebody, and it ain't a vampires. So maybe it might help find out who else they've been getting.”
“Hiroxian Resequencer?” Gwen said, taking a packet of tissues out of her coat pocket so that they had something to wrap the tooth in. “Or should we try that thing that looks like broken tuba that came in the other week? The holograms from bits machine?”
Ianto and Jack joined in the conversation talking about things which Tom had no idea what they were or did. Hoping that they weren't talking a load of rubbish and that they did actually have some machine that could figure out who the tooth belonged to, Tom waited while they talked, hoping that they would actually say something he understood or came up with a plan for finding the vampires that wasn't waiting until they came back for the next fight.
No plan or idea came though and a little later, after they had secured the barn door so it looked like they hadn't been there, Tom climbed back into the Torchwood Range Rover. Sore, tired and disheartened, it felt like they had nothing to show for what they had done apart from damp clothes and shoes from the constant drizzling rain. Next month, Tom was sure, Audrey and the rest of her vampires would be right back there watching werewolves and humans fight and die for their entertainment. Andy, who hadn't spoken since they had arrived at the farm, got in and sat down next to him, tension and barely repressed panic radiating off him. Taking Andy's hand in his, Tom held it tight, trying to convince himself that things would somehow all work out for the best in the end.
After a brief detour to a sprawling out of town supermarket complex on the edge of Llandrindod Wells to pick up a prescription for some antibiotics that had somehow been arranged, they'd driven back to Cwm Elan farm to decided on what they should do next.
At least this felt like they were doing something, Tom thought as he looked at a plan of the farm that Ianto had got on screen, as they went through what would be the best way of containing the vampires inside and rescuing anybody who'd been kidnapped by them for the dog fights.
He'd done this with his dad a few times. Found out where the vampires were holding a fight, made sure that they could prevent them from escaping and then staked as many as they could before they changed and took care of the rest. They'd never managed to save anybody, but it had never been about that. It had been vengeance. Nothing more, nothing less.
“We could do with somebody like you on the team,” Jack said, putting a hand on Tom's shoulder as he worked with Ianto updating the mainframes record with he knew about vampires and werewolves.. “Resourceful, can handle himself in a fight, easy on the eye. What do you say, Ianto? Room for another?”
Ianto rolled his eyes, looking amused rather than annoyed, but made no comment either way.
“You don't stop, do you,?” Andy snapped suddenly, furious at Jack. “Tom's not going to work for you, he's not risking his life dealing with your weird alien crap. And stop flirting with him.”
"Hey, just take it easy. It it was just a joke," Jack said, making a placating gesture. “It's alright.”
"No," Andy said angrily, taking a step towards him. "No, it's not alright, I'm not alright. I'm fucking fed up with trying to be alright for everybody and with trying to be nice, with trying to do the right thing and getting shit on for it."
"Andy-" Gwen began.
"No, I'm fed up with pretending, I did that for years you know, hid how I felt about everything and made myself so bloody miserable that sometimes I just wanted too..." He stopped, tears in his eyes. "After everything, the job, the..." He gestured hopelessly. "Even mum disowning me, none of that mattered so much anymore because I had Tom, and now you want to drag him into all your weird, spooky crap, and I know enough that people who do get killed or hurt or they lose everything." He stopped again, shaking, chest heaving. "And I can't lose him, he's all I have, and you won't care, because you won't think he's a proper person, but he is and I love him and I can't..."
"I think it’s time you should go," Tom said, positioning himself between them and Andy, hoping that if they were alone Andy might feel a bit more able to deal with what was going on. "There ain't much more I can do to help, not until the next full moon anyway. Andy needs me more'n you lot do, and he's always gonna come first."
"He's right, we should go," Ianto said to Jack, clearly not wanting to intrude and perhaps not knowing what to say. "We've got plenty to work with. Things we can follow up in Cardiff.”
"For what it's worth, I'm sorry," Jack said, as he reached the door. "I really am."
Andy slumped down onto the sofa. "Just go away."
"He'll be okay, won't he?" Gwen asked, pausing at the door once Jack and Ianto had gone outside.
Tom looked back at Andy who was now sitting hunched on the sofa, his head in his hands, shoulders shaking. "Yeah, eventually," he said hoping that it was the truth. "It ain't the first time," he added quietly when Gwen didn't seem convinced. "We'll manage. I won't let anything happen to him."
“I can't believe how calm you are about all this,” Gwen said, seemingly unable to look away from Andy. “Is it part of your...thing. Sort of keep calm or grr argh?"
“Nah, full moon only for that. It's just there ain't no point being anything else,” Tom said, too tired to take any offence. “I know it's all weird to you lot, and I bet your stuff'd be weird to me if I saw it, 'cause I bet there's worse'n weevils, but this, vampires and killing, it's all I've ever done. Got use to it I 'spose."
Gwen shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry. If there's anything you need, you call me, right? I've told Andy the same. I've not got that many friends any more, but the ones I have-" She put a hand on his arm. "I'll do whatever it takes to keep them safe, you've got my word on that."
It would be a very unwise person to cross her, Tom decided. It was actually rather comforting, it reminded him a bit of Annie, who'd been the nicest, most understanding person ever unless you hurt her friends and then, well you'd certainly know about it – although perhaps not for long. "I know, and thanks."
Once they were alone Tom sat down next to Andy and put an arm around him. "Do yer wanna talk or anything?"
Eyes closed and shivering once more, Andy shook his head, as he leaned into the embrace.
"Right then, how about we both get some sleep then?" Tom gave him a small squeeze, hoping that he was doing the right thing.. “I reckon we could both do with it.”
“Thank you,” Andy said, voice barely above a whisper. “I’m sorry.”
“Hey, it ain’t your fault, it’s bin a horrible day,” Tom said standing up and hoping Andy would following him. “So it’s gotta be a better one tomorrow.”
Andy didn’t particularly looked like he believed him, but followed him silently into the bedroom.
Not caring that both of them were still dressed, Tom lifted back the covers so they could both get in. Lying in bed, with Andy's head resting on his shoulder, Tom curled an arm about him. It felt good, like he was protecting him. He wondered if it was okay that he needed to protect him as much as Andy needed the reassurance that he wasn't alone and that he was loved, if it was wrong or weird that he should be taking something in return.
Time drifted as he tried to lie still and let Andy rest. His leg throbbed and Tom wasn't sure he could ever remember being so tired, yet sleep wouldn't come, thoughts chasing each other round his head about what he should have done differently both with the vampires and with not letting things get to a state where Andy couldn’t deal with them anymore. Lying awake, he watched the tension on Andy face ease as he slipped deeper into sleep.
No alternatives to what he’d done which would have had a better outcome presented themselves and nothing but killing the vampires before they could do it again came to mind as a plan for the future. As soon as he felt a bit better he'd start training, Tom promised himself. He'd let it slide, he knew. It had been months since he'd done anything more strenuous than chop wood or go for walk. He looked at Andy, calm now in sleep, his resolve strengthening. Next full moon, whether he had Torchwood's help or not he'd make the vampires sorry they'd ever intruded on their life together. He'd make sure they were safe, whatever it took.
Part 33 http://the-silver-sun.livejournal.com/231729.html
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Date: 2014-03-24 10:14 pm (UTC)Loved it. *hugs the boys*