The Secrets Of Suburbia 10/?

[missthingsplace]

Title: The Secrets Of Suburbia
Author: missthingsplace
Parings/characters: Jack/Ianto, Gwen/Rhys, Owen/Toshiko, Doctor/Rose, Donna (maybe others)
Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood or any of the characters ... unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while.
Summary: Moving to suburbia was nothing like they imagined.
Warnings: Slash, fluff, romance, angst, humour, AU
Spoilers: Anything is fair game
Rating: NC17 for series



A/N: Sorry there wasn't a chapter yesterday, having a house guest is throwing my life a little out of kilter and my bunnies and muses are having a hard time adjusting ... my attempt at the wrianojune  challange this year is one big fail! I shall attempt to catch up with replying to comments in the next few days.

The iron front gate let out a loud, grating sound then Jack pushed it open and made both of them wince as the sound hit their ears.

“It's like a jungle in this garden,” Ianto grumbled following the Captain along the path which consisted of cracked concrete and was overgrown with weeds.

“It's got to be years since anyone did any gardening,” Jack agreed, using his coat covered arm to push away a particularly nasty clump of stinging nettles out of the way and let Ianto pass before releasing them again.

“At least the insects seem to like it,” Ianto observed, watching the bees, wasps, butterflies and many others flitting around between the flowers and weeds.

“If the bees ever leave the planet for home we'll know we're in trouble,” Jack replied a little distractedly, trying to peer in one of the filthy windows.

“Are you trying to tell me that the bees are aliens?” Ianto asked, wondering if the Captain was joking.

“Not all of them,” Jack shrugged, chuckling softly at the look of amazement on the younger man's face. “but it's true I promise.”

“Bloody hell, it's a good job it's not general knowledge or the government would be capturing them for experiments,” Ianto retorted.

“Luckily for them,” Jack agreed. “I can't see a damn thing, these windows haven't been cleaned in forever.”

“We could just try knocking on the door?” Ianto suggested, looking at the wooden door before him that had seen better days, a very long time ago.

“No time like the present,” Jack agreed, rapping on the door with his knuckles.

Shortly after they could make out the sound of footsteps moving closer and closer towards the other side of the door and then the sound of a chain being put across before it was opened slowly.

“Who is it? What do you want?” The woman's voice boomed through the gap.

“I'm Captain Jack Harkness and this is my partner, Ianto Jones,” Jack explained. “we've just moved into 42 and thought we'd introduce ourselves to our neighbours.”

“I'm Donna, I'm sure the local gossips have already filled you in about me,” Donna snarked.

“Not really,” Jack told her. “we've not many of them as yet.”

“I bet you've met Gwen Cooper thought, yes?” Donna asked. “She's the biggest gossip in the street.”

“We don't tend to heed gossip,” Ianto chimed in. “we like to judge people for ourselves.”

“I 'spose you want to come in then?” Donna asked.

“Only if you have the time,” Jack smiled.

With that she closed the door, Jack and Ianto glanced at each other and were about to leave when they heard the sound of the chain being removed and the door creaked open again.

If they were both surprised when they caught their first glimpse of Donna Noble in the afternoon sun neither of them showed it, her hair shone bright red as the light caught it and she was tastefully dressed.

“Come in then,” her voice was almost one of command. “follow me.”

Jack walked in first, waiting for Ianto to enter before pushing the door closed and the pair of them followed the woman along the hallway into the living room.

“Have a seat,” she urged them waving at the sofa on one side of the fireplace, a fire was burning in the grate as despite the warm afternoon sunshine the room seemed freezing cold.

“Thank you,” Ianto told her politely, taking a seat and pulling Jack down beside him.

“Can I get you anything to drink?” Donna asked them.

“I'm fine thank you,” Ianto replied.

“A glass of water would be good,” Jack told her with a grin.

“Of course,” Donna smiled back and promptly left the room.

“Gwen was right about the inside of the house,” Ianto whispered to Jack as soon as she was out of sight. “it's like no-one lives here.”

“Hmm, the bare minimum with no ornaments of any kind and by the looks of it not a smattering of dust,” Jack observed. “but that doesn't mean she isn't just a minimalist who likes to clean.”

Something caught the corner of Ianto's eye and he turned his head to see a large white, fluffy cat sit on the carpet a few feet away and seemingly watch them intently.

“I would never have guessed that she had a pet,” Ianto said, a small frown wrinkling his brow.

“No sign of pet hairs anywhere,” Jack nodded.

“Here we are,” Donna announced, somehow a little too brightly as she reappeared with a glass of water in her hand and handed it to Jack before taking a seat in the armchair opposite them.

“Gorgeous cat,” Ianto said.

“He is, isn't he,” Donna smiled. “he's the perfect companion, can't answer back and he loves to keep me company.”

“You have a lovely home,” Jack smiled.

“Thank you, I'm afraid I just can't seem to get to grips with the garden, I guess I should get someone in but ...” she trailed off. “anyway, it's good for the wildlife and the environment for the garden to be a little wild.”

Ianto almost burst out laughing at her description of the garden being a 'little wild' but managed to hold it back.

“But I do like the house to be just so,” she continued. “I can't stand living in clutter or untidiness.”

“I'm a little like that myself,” Ianto told her with a smile.

“Well, it's been a pleasure to meet you,” Donna told them, getting to her feet and relieving Jack of the empty water glass and indicating that their visit was over. “but I really need to get on, work to do.”

“Of course,” Jack replied, he and Ianto following her back down the hallway again towards the front door.

This time one of the other doors off the hallway was slightly ajar, Jack glanced through the gap as they passed and frowned but waited until they were out of the house before mentioning it to Ianto.

“Did you see into that other room?” Jack asked as they walked across the street to their own house.

“No why?” He asked.

“It was completely empty, nothing at all in it,” Jack answered. “I don't know about you but I think I'm inclined to agree with Ms Cooper that Miss Noble isn't what she seems.”

“Yep, I couldn't put my finger on it but something felt wrong in that house,” Ianto agreed.

“We need to check those police records like we planned, just to see if she is in a relocation programme or not,” Jack said, following Ianto into their home. “it's very unusual not to find any kind of ID for someone.”

“I'll get onto it first thing in the morning,” Ianto agreed, heading for the kitchen to switch the coffee machine on and grab the takeaway menu's.

*~*~*

Donna picked up the cat and stroked the top of his head affectionately while watching out the dirt smeared window while the two men walked away.

“There's something I don't trust about those two,” she said to the cat. “we're going to have to be extra careful from now on I think.”

The cat looked into her eyes before liking a stripe up her cheek and then leapt from her arms onto the floor and then up onto the window ledge, it looked at the men for a moment before turning to look at her again.

“I think you could be right,” the cat agreed.

TBC