Out of Place Chapter 12

[galadriel1010]

Jack rested his chin on his hands and watched John check off his weapons inventory, “Flick knife in my boot, two sets of handcuffs, gun, another gun.” He patted his breast pocket, “Passport.”

“Passport?” Jack raised an eyebrow in amused bemusement, “You planning on leaving the country?”

“Following the evidence wherever it takes me.” He shrugged and grabbed a set of keys and a knuckle-duster from the table top, “And a knuckle-duster.”

“You sure that’s all you’ll need?” Jack looked at him thoughtfully, “And do you want backup?”

“Yes to the first and yes to the second, but only so far as they keep to the shadows.” He grabbed his wallet and slid that into his pocket with his passport

Jack looked impressed, “You know your popular culture.”

“Yeah.” He looked up and chuckled as the knuckle-duster went into a pocket in the lining of his trousers, “Blame young missy over there.”

“Should have guessed, so what back-up do you want?”

John hesitated a moment, then looked Jack straight in the eye, “I want Ianto.”

Jack nodded silently and turned to his partner, “Are you good with that Yan?”

The younger man nodded and stood up, “Give me ten minutes to get changed. What do you want me to do John?”

“A second pair of eyes around the place.” John grinned at him, “And a drinking partner if it goes wrong and we can’t find anything. You know, maintain the impression, give us a valid reason to return.”

Ianto rolled his eyes and disappeared up the stairs, leaving the two former time agents alone in the room, waiting for him to return. They studied each other over the tops of their coffee mugs, silent communication flying between them. Jack didn’t need to say anything like ‘Don’t let him get hurt’, or ‘Take care of each other’; John and Ianto were both professionals, experienced at working in all situations. Still, “Daring choice there.”

John grinned, knowing that he’d won something because Jack was the first to speak, “Ah, you know, best tool for the job.”

Jack raised an eyebrow, “And Ianto’s a tool is he?”

“Must be, to try to tame you.” He raised a finger as if listening intently, then reached out to grab Jasmine as she tried to pass him, “Good morning oh fair and beautiful angel.”

She gave him what could only be described as ‘a look’ and kissed him briefly, “I know, my hair’s a mess. I’ve got a bandana somewhere.”

“On top of the TV.” Ianto had returned in tight black jeans and a white shirt with the top three buttons undone, revealing a black choker.

Jack’s eyes widened and he swallowed, his mouth suddenly very dry and his trousers suddenly, inexplicably and uncomfortably tight. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again, apparently deciding that discretion was the better part of valour in this case.

Ianto looked decidedly uncomfortable, but very smug, under the scrutiny and put a black leather jacket over the back of one of the chairs, “This do?”

“I think that’s a yes.” Jazz fanned herself as she returned with her bandana, a bright blue one, and slipped an arm around his waist, “You’re practically edible.”

“I’ll say, I’ll be beating them off with a stick.” John laughed, “Jack, you’re very quiet.”

“The older man glared at him for barely a moment before his eyes swung back to his partner, “Wsgfl. Ahem. Yeah, you look great, really… Bloody hell.”

Ianto chuckled and grabbed his keys, “Don’t wait up.”

---

A tall, slim but well built, dark haired young man made his way across the almost deserted dance floor to the bar and leaned back against his whilst he waited for the Valarian barmaid to finish with the other customers and get round to him. The bar was busy, but not crowded. A couple of Raxacoricophalipatorians had the dance floor to themselves, probably mainly due to their large bulk, and their skin suits hung over the backs of two chairs, watched by an apparently human, probably disguised Raxacoricophalipatorian. Towards the back of the room, two aliens with lots of tentacles were playing table football; egged on by a couple of Toxions and another Valarian. There was a raised seating area off to one side, and a loud, distinctive voice was regaling anyone who would listen with far-fetched stories of far-flung travels. Judging by the laughter and cheers, he was proving popular.

“What can I get for you doll?” The barmaid’s question snapped Ianto from his scan of the room and he turned back to her with his most flirtatious grin,

He made a show of scanning the drinks list quickly and nodded towards the top shelf, “I’ll have a Venusian shock.”

She blinked all three eyes and turned to get the mixers, “With an accent like that, I’ll trust you now what you’re ordering.” He laughed loudly, loudly enough to alert John to his presence, and she grinned at him as she mixed the cocktail. She passed it over and smiled approvingly as he bit off a lump of banana before downing the drink with it. “Do you know what they did before bananas?”

He put the glass back down and took another bite of banana, “Marzipan, or icing, anything like that really.”

She nodded approvingly. “You know your drinks, you looking for a job? Mr…”

He shook his head and laughed, “Smith, Matt Smith.”

“Tracey. Well, actually it’s Traclejanratasuraly, but that’s a bit of a mouthful.”

“No kidding.” He raised an eyebrow as she poured him another shot

“On the house.”

“Muchas gracias.” They downed their shots together and he slid the glass across the counter, “Don’t think I can keep that up.”

Tracey laughed brightly and removed the glasses, checking along the bar to see that no one else wanted her attention, “I like a guy who knows his limits. So what brings you to Vegas, Matt?”

“Holiday. Seeing the sights and all that.”

“Speaking of sights, the Captain’s noticed you.” She nodded across the room and smiled wickedly

Ianto looked in the direction she had nodded and caught John’s heated gaze, smirking to himself when the time agent winked and turned away, “He one of your regulars?”

“No, first time here, same as you. Rumour has it he’s been this way once before, but many years ago.” she grinned, “He’s got some fantastic stories to tell.”

“Yeah?” He looked at the drinks list again and smirked, “He’s coming this way, isn’t he?”

“Yes he is.”

Sure enough, Ianto soon felt a hand in the small of his back, which slid down to grab his arse briefly before it moved away to rest on the counter. John grinned at him sidelong and winked at Tracey, “Heya handsome, what’s a guy like you doing in a place like this?”

The Welshman had slid a blank mask into place and merely raised an eyebrow coolly, “That’s the worst chat up I’ve heard in a long time.”

John sighed and leaned forwards against the bar, “Can’t blame a guy for trying, not when you wear jeans like those. Let me buy you a drink?”

He pretended to consider the question and treated John to a slow, lecherous smile, “That I can cope with.”

The time agent smiled predatorily and turned back to Tracey with a wink that made her blush, “Hey Blue, two hyper vodkas thanks, and whatever you’re drinking.” He turned to Ianto and passed him one of the drinks, “Think you can manage that, Eyecandy?”

“Is that a challenge Captain?” He took the drink and raised his glass

“I do love a challenge.” He too raised his drink and downed it, slinging the burning drink back and watching in grudging admiration as Ianto did the same. “So, and that’s quite enough of that I think, so, what brings you to Vegas Eyecandy?”

Ianto ordered two rum and cokes and gestured across to a table, letting John lead the way and seat them so that the time agent could watch the door and Ianto could watch the bar. He leaned back in his chair and smiled at the ceiling, “I’m doing on of those lists, the hundred things to do before you have kids.”

John looked amused, “You know, an alien bar in Vegas wouldn’t be on most people’s lists.”

He shrugged with a smirk, “Depends where you’re from. I’m from Cardiff.”

“Yeah, the accent gives you away.” An idea formed in John’s mind and he leered at Ianto for a moment before taking his gaze very deliberately back to the door, “You know, I’ve heard that Captain Jack Harkness is on the list of every alien in Cardiff?”

“Done it.” The Welshman’s expression never changed, apart from a flicker of amusement deep in his blue eyes.

John frowned, “Touche.” They exchanged mindless small talk for a while, flirting easily and enjoying each other’s company, not letting up their careful scrutiny without knowing what they were looking for.

After about ten minutes the door swung open again and a group of three men and two women breezed in, making straight for the bar. John stood up, “I’m getting another drink, can I get you one?”

Ianto nodded in understanding and ran n expert eye along the line of backs along the bar, “Same again thanks.” As John headed across to join them at the bar, the Welshman studied their body language closely; their posture, the way one of the women moved her hands in excitement whilst the other kept them perfectly still, one of the men kept his left hand close to her at all times, whilst the other two men touched each other too often to be just friends but in the wrong way to be lovers. He pretended to scratch his ear and activated his comm, “Looks like two brothers, maybe one of their girlfriends and then definitely another couple.”

John couldn’t reply, and Jack and Jazz were leaving them to it, but John acknowledged his message by winking across the room at him before turning to engage the more active girl and the nearest brother in conversation.

“Heya cutie, you come here often?” He leaned on the bar and tried to catch Tracey’s attention with a smirk

The man, tall and with spiked blond hair, scowled at him, “She’s spoken for.” and wrapped his arm around the giggling brunette’s shoulders.

John shrugged and winked at him, “I wasn’t talking to her.”

“You new in town?” The other man looked him over with mixed amusement and disgust

He shrugged and turned back to the bar, “Just got in today.”

“Then I’ll give you a friendly warning, watch who you try to chat up.”

John smiled as Tracey made her way across to him, “Thanks for the advice. Hey Doll, two cokes thanks.”

She laughed in confusion, “Normally people’s drinks get stronger through the night, not weaker Captain.”

He shrugged, “Yeah, well, there’s a very good reason for that. Let’s just say that I’ve had better ideas than starting at the top and working down, and the night is yet young.”

“You got plans for tonight then?”

The group of humans were watching him quite closely, and he silently thanked the blue alien for her inquisitiveness, “Not yet, we’ll probably head out somewhere, don’t know where yet though.”

The brunette appeared to be hanging off her boyfriend’s hand now, “Who’s we?”

Her boyfriend tried to shush her amicably, but they both ignored him. John gestured over his shoulder, “Me and Matt, we’re both new in town today.”

“That so?” The other man, who he thought was with the other woman and wasn’t related to either of the other men; so probably two brothers, one of their girlfriends and her sister, then sister’s boyfriend; grinned at him, “We could show you some fun.”

“Dan…”

He waved his girl off, “Aw, come on Sal, they’re new in town, it’s the least we can do.”

The older of the brothers laughed and thumped his brother, causing him to remove his arm from around the giggling sister to rub his shoulder, “Dan’s got a point Jack, what do you say?”

He shrugged, “Can’t get out of it now, can we?” A smile quirked at his lips, “I’m Jack, this is James, my brother, Alice my girlfriend.” She waved at him, despite being the closest one to him, her mass of brunette curls bouncing around her face madly, “Her sister Sally, and Sal’s husband Dan.”

“Pleasure to meet you all, I’m also James, that’s Matt over there.” He turned and gestured for Ianto to join them

The Welshman slid out of the seat and had to wind through a crowd now to join them, “Wondered when you’d remember I was there.”

John laughed and did the introductions, then they followed Alice and Jack across to a corner booth and dragged enough chairs over so they could all sit around.

Sally still looked less than impressed, “So, you two tourists here?”

“Yup, second gap year.” Ianto fabricated, “Getting the boxes off my list that I couldn’t afford to do first time round.”

“List?”

“Hundred things to do before you have kids.” He raised his glass in a silent toast to anyone who’d listen, “But it’s the Cardiff list.”

“What’s so special about the Cardiff list?” James asked

Ianto smirked, “We live on the Rift, all sorts of weird stuff going on over there.”

“That’s how come you’re in an alien bar and not batting an eyelid at the fact that the barmaid’s blue and has three eyes?” Alice giggled

Ianto pulled a shocked face, “I thought that must have been the alcohol.” they all laughed, “Nah, I’m cool with it. My best friend’s a Blowfish.”

“Really? We get some great drugs from them. Do you have trouble with Torchwood?” Jack asked with a raised eyebrow

Ianto was impressed, “You’ve heard of Torchwood?”

“If you go to the right places, you hear these things. I take it you have too?”

“Yeah, and as for trouble, have you heard of Captain Harkness?” He smirked, hiding the sudden concern carefully

Jack laughed, “Heard of him, never had the chance to meet him, mores the pity. I’ve heard his sexual appetites are all round entertaining, if you know what I mean.”

“Oh I know.” Ianto winked at him, “Yeah, I know all right. Suffice to say, I don’t get much trouble from them. Not the sort I don’t want, anyway.”

“You want to be careful what you say around here mate.” Jack warned, “That sort of thing around here can land you in a whole lot of trouble.”

He shrugged carelessly, “I’m from Cardiff, I’ve probably dealt with worse.”

“Yeah, you reckon you can handle yourself?” Dan made it sound like a definite challenge

Ianto rose to it, “Yeah, I reckon so.”

“We’ll see.” he leant forwards conspiratorially, “Have you heard of… The Chupacabra?”