The Contract
The Contract
“What’s this, Ianto?” Gwen asked. Three words that would change Ianto’s life because Torchwood was his life now. And now everything was about to come crashing down around him, with those simple words and Gwen Williams waving a manila folder around with black printed writing on the cover reading ‘Ianto Jones, Contract & Personnel File’.
Ianto’s heart turned to stone. “Where did you find that?” He asks, his voice raspy with fear, anger, and shock.
“In Jack’s ‘secret’ section in the drawers.” She admitted unashamedly.
“Why… what…. What were you doing in Jack’s secret section in the drawers.”
“I was just… I wanted to see if he had any other secrets like Jonah hidden away.” Gwen confessed, her cheeks heating up a little but her eyes were still defiant and curious. Ianto gritted his teeth.
“Jack was right! You obviously didn’t learn anything from Jonah!”
Gwen raised her chin. “We shouldn’t have secrets like Jonah in Torchwood, at least, not from each other. If I’d have known I wouldn’t have… so I decided to go looking and THIS is what I found. So an explanation would be nice.” She demanded, wishing he could see that she just had his best interest at heart. What she’d found was… it was awful. She hadn’t believed her eyes, which was why she’d come to Ianto hoping he’d laugh in her face and tell her it was a April Fools Day joke or something. But looking at him now; face ruddy from embarrassment and anger, sweat glistening on his forehead and his hair suddenly messy from running his hands through it although now they were clenched by his side as if he was trying not to punch something (or someone).
His mouth moved as he turned away and Gwen only just caught what he was saying, “he said he’d burnt it.”
The words etched themselves into her soul like a knife wound.
“Ianto! Please talk to me.” She begged, suddenly scared for him rather than disgusted that he’d signed his name to the paper document like signing away his soul to the devil.
He took a gulp of expensive whiskey before turning to face her. “OK.” He agreed.
xox
They sat in silence on the sofa, having no fear of being caught. Jack had gone to Scotland to Torchwood Two and Owen had been convinced into escorting Toshiko to a conference in London on technological advancements.
“My first day.” Ianto began, breaking the silence with a bittersweet smile. “I had no idea what I was doing. I knew I had to do this, get into Torchwood Three, for Lisa, there was no back up plan. So after finally convincing Captain Jack Harkness to give me a job - a combination of coffee skills, pterodactyl catching, desperation, and sexual chemistry - I turned up in a suit and waited in the Tourist Information Centre, letting in a very confused Owen and Tosh and Suzie. I didn’t see Jack for nearly five hours, he called up to ask me to order in some food and told me to come to his office when it arrived, that I needed to sign some paperwork. Half an hour later I walked into his office with help from Tosh who directed me in the right way. He was sat at his desk, stony faced and stiff. I almost lost my nerve right then and left. But he stood up and presented me with this file. It had my entire life story in it, including that retcon had no affect on me and Lisa’s supposed death. He turned to page twenty-nine and I saw a contract. I was so desperate to get in and get this over with that I nearly signed it straight away. Jack put his hands over mine and told me to read it, every last word, before signing it.” Ianto paused, this was the difficult part. “Health benefits, cover story, pay… all included, naturally. Also my job description. General Assistant, cleaning, refreshments, feeding the pterodactyl, manning the Tourist Information office and presenting a cover, researching and keeping an eye on people, keeping the archives and filing in order, making coffee, taking my orders directly from Jack.” He took a deep breath, his fingers tracing the words on the page in front of him. “Servicing all of the bosses needs according to his direction, emphasis on discretion and exclusivity as far as other team members go, but I was allowed to, if I should find time beyond my work duties, to pursue a sexual and/or romantic relationship with someone not affiliated with Torchwood, UNIT, or our or foreign governments.”
“And that means what I think it means.” Gwen pushed, wanting to clarify her horrendous discovery.
Ianto’s eyes were darker than she’d ever seen them when he turned to her. “I asked him that too. He sat down across from me, so as not to let his precious fifty-first century pheromones interfere with my thinking, and looked me in the eyes. Sex. He said. Whenever, however he wanted. It was his strictest stipulation of my employment. I didn’t think about it, I just signed my name and pushed the document towards him, standing up straight and waiting.” Finally a slight smile cracked his stricken face. “He dismissed me.”
“So, it was never… he never… it was never put into practice then?” She asked, relief edging through her voice.
“Oh no. It was. But that’s a bit too personal to go into just now.” Ianto said, his professional mask slipping on.
Gwen looked at him in confusion. “I don’t understand… I thought you wanted to be with each other.”
“We do. I do. But everything has a beginning.” And with that he left, filed the file away under Jack’s name and closed the draw, locking it safely behind him. All the while he felt a stinging in his heart…
Jack had lied when he said that he’d burnt the file.