Born This Way - Chapter 17

[madbottoms]

Title: Born This Way 17

Characters/Pairings: Jack/Ianto, John, Gray, Owen, Toshiko/Tommy, Suzie, OCs

Rating: NC-17

Warnings/Contains: Supernatural themes, character death, drug references, dub-con.

Summary: Sequel to Choices - Ianto Jones was born and raised in Hell, but he isn’t feeling as demonic as usual lately—thanks to Jack Harkness. But you can’t desert Hell without consequences and suddenly Ianto’s and Jack’s happily ever after may not be so happy.

Bonus chapter! Cheers for the comments and those sticking with it, even though I know it must be as frustrating as Hell right now. But some action and... other stuff isn't far away. Enjoy this next part in which Ianto runs into an old...'friend' and Jack is getting more concerned about Owen.

17

*~*

Deadly Sins

*~*

Ianto

Unholy Hell.

Naburus.

Where did Owen find Naburus?

Jack and I push open the doors into the arcade and see them draped all over each other between the change machine and the air hockey tables. Music pounds from the overhead speakers, and lights flash. The crowd jostles and twists through the room in an unchoreographed dance, shouting over the whistles and bleeps from the arcade machines and the blaring music. But Owen and Naburus don’t seem to be distracted by any of it.

Jack shoots me a grin and starts elbowing his way through the crowd. I grab his arm and pull him back. Should I tell him? Either way, it’s not safe for Jack to be here. Because Naburus can be here for only one reason.

He spins on me, irritation pinching his brow and pulling his lips into a hard line. “What?”

“I know him.”

His eyes widen. “From…?”

“Hell, yes. He’s from the Pit and a…friend, I suppose. Well, at least he used to be. His name is Naburus.”

He glances back over his shoulder as Owen loops his arms around Naburus’ neck and nearly climbs right into him. “You can’t be serious.” Fear and anger do battle on his face. He turns and storms toward them, but I grasp his arm tighter.

“Let go of me!” he spits.

“Jack, stop. He’s not here on vacation. He’s trying to get to you through Owen.”

He rips his arm away from me. “Well, it’s working.” He continues across the arcade toward the couple, who haven’t once come up for air.

I catch him halfway across the room and spin him to face me, grasping both his upper arms. “This isn’t the best strategy, Jack. Owen can’t know. It would be even more dangerous for him.”

He closes his eyes and draws a deep breath, working to calm himself. “So, what are we gonna do?”

“You stay here.” I look around, hoping Gray is in the general vicinity. As if he read my mind, I feel a flick on the back of my head. I roll my eyes and rub my head. “I’ll go talk to them.”

“No. I’m coming. He’s my friend, Ianto.” His eyes are hard, determined.

“Fine,” I relent when it’s clear that he’s not going to be deterred. “Stay behind me.”

We weave through the mob and finally reach the spot where Naburus has Owen pinned against the wall with his body. Before I know he’s done it, Jack steps around me and tugs Owen’s shirt. “Owen.”

Owen peels himself away from Naburus, his eyes cloudy and his breathing short. He takes a minute to get his bearings, and his eyes slowly clear. “Oh, hey, Jack. You guys made it.” He looks less than thrilled.

But Naburus looks plenty thrilled. He hooks an arm around Owen’s shoulders and leers at Jack. “You were at that party. Jack, right?” he says, reaching out a hand to him.

“And I’m Ianto,” I say, grasping his hand before Jack can. There’s no way in Hell I’m letting Naburus touch him.

His smile pulls into a voracious grin. “Russell.” He squeezes my hand hard—a challenge—but his eyes stay locked on Jack.

I drop his hand and we all stand here in awkward silence for a long second.

“So, is anyone hungry?” Jack finally says. “We could get a pizza next door.”

Owen looks hungry, but not for pizza. “Um…yeah, sure.”

Naburus guides Owen through the mass of humanity toward the door. Just as we reach it, it swings open and Lisa steps through on the arm of a muscled guy about my height, with short blond hair and an unsettling look in his deep-set brown eyes—something twisted and violent. I don’t need to be a demon to see this guy is bad news, and most likely already tagged for Hell. Owen pulls up short, eyes wide, and Jack grabs his hand.

Owen doesn’t even seem to notice Lisa. His eyes are locked on the guy. And I remember where I’ve seen him. The quarry.

“Hey, Dale,” Owen says, looking a little shell-shocked.

When Naburus tucks a hand into Owen’s back pocket and squeezes, his eyes cloud as his power washes over him. Owen leans into him and seems to forget about Dale altogether.

Lisa’s eyes slide over Naburus and finally come to rest on Owen. “Owen,” she says with a self- satisfied smirk, trailing a finger along Dale’s abs. She thrusts out her substantial chest and leers at me, as if hanging on the arm of a brute that’d just as soon swing at Owen as sleep with him is going to make me reconsider her numerous offers. “Hey, Ianto.”

Dale’s eyes pull away from Owen and fall hard on me. It’s a look meant to intimidate, no doubt. I stifle a chuckle at the memory of him screaming like a girl. That scream will go over big with the tenders when he’s spending eternity burning in the Inferno. They live for mortals like him—the ultimate in entertainment.

I rest a hand on Owen’s shoulder and look between Dale and Naburus. Owen’s somehow managed to go from bad to worse.

“Lisa,” I answer after a minute, nodding in her direction. I can’t constrain the scowl as I regard her date. “Who’s your friend?”

Dale glares harder. “Dale,” he says, shoving Lisa off and stepping forward.

I smile and hold out my hand. “Ianto.”

He looks at it for a moment then grasps it and squeezes. I squeeze back in warning, wishing I could do more.

Dale turns to Owen. “And who’s your friend?” he sneers.

Naburus’ eyes glow red as he extends an arm toward Dale with an impish smirk. “Russell,” he says.

Dale takes his hand and smirks back as he gives Naburus the same squeeze he gave me. But I see his eyes widen as his hand is crushed by Naburus’. He tries to pull his hand free, but a malicious smile curls the corners of Naburus’ lips as a crackle of red lightning shoots over the surface of his hand.

“Ahh!” Dale yells, his face twisting into a grimace. He drops to his knees as Naburus’ power surges through him. He gives a desperate tug at his arm and Naburus finally lets go.

Jealousy slices through me as I yearn for my old power, wishing I could have been the one to bring this arsehole to his knees. I shake my head, pushing the thought back, and loop my arm around Jack’s shoulders as we push past Dale and Lisa, through the door.

*~*

Jack

“I can’t believe what a wimp Dale is,” Owen says with a laugh. He wraps his arms around Naburus’ neck. “All you did was shake his hand, and he’s totally bawling on the floor like a baby. That was brilliant.”

More wicked than he knows.

We push through the door into Giovanni’s and I keep my head down, hoping Giovanni won’t notice me. But, of course, he does. He holds up his hand to Ianto. “Un toro!” he says with a wide grin.

Ianto nods at him. “Giovanni.”

Then Giovanni’s eyes slide to me and narrow to slits. “No discount,” he says.

“Whatever.” I push past him and sit in Ianto’s regular booth in the back. Ianto slides in next to me as Russell sits across from us and pulls Owen close to him. But his eyes never leave me, even when Owen buries his face in his.

I look expectantly at Ianto. He’s supposed to have a plan. One that doesn’t involve sitting here watching my best friend suck face with a demon.

“Hey, guys!” I look up at the source of the voice. Mona slides four scratched plastic plates and a stack of soda cups on the end of our table. She pulls a pad and pen from her short black apron. “I’m training and Simone said I can take your table.”

I look over at Simone, who’s leaning against the counter, watching Mona. I wave and she smiles back. “Hey, Mona. Just bring us a jug of Coke and…” I look at Owen for input.

He pulls his face out of Russell’s long enough to say, “No onions…or garlic.” He grins at Russell. When I look at him, he raises an eyebrow.

“Just a large cheese,” I say, looking back at Mona. Mona repeats the order out loud as she jots it on the pad.

“Coming right up,” she says, then grins. “I’ve been dying to say that.” She turns and her long black ponytail swings side to side as she struts away toward the kitchen, where she clips our order up in the kitchen window. She spins and grins at me again, clearly proud of herself. Simone gives her a pat on the back.

When I look back across the table, Russell’s expression sends a shiver down my spine. “So, Owen says you’ve known each other for a long time.”

I nod.

He paws at Owen, but his eyes are still locked on me. My frustration builds, and I find my anger directed at Ianto. He should be doing something. Then I feel his hand on my knee, squeezing. His eyes slide to the back of the restaurant and I follow his gaze—to the jukebox, and then the restrooms. I push Ianto and he stands, letting me out of the booth.

“Hey, Owen. Let’s go chose some music?” I say.

Owen hesitates and glances at Russell before saying, “Yeah, whatever,” and sliding out of the booth.

I grab Owen by the arm and move toward the back and then change direction through the restaurant to the dim corridor in back that leads to the unisex restroom.

Owen stares at me strangely. “I thought we were going to the jukebox.”

“I just need to take a leak first.”

Once out of sight of the table, I pull Owen up short. I stare hard at him. “Owen, this guy’s trouble.”

Owen tears his arm away from me. “Oh, this is rich,” he sneers. “You’re jealous!”

“Be serious. I am so not jealous. I just think he’s dangerous.”

Owen’s eyes spark and a smile spreads across his face. “And what’s wrong with dangerous?”

“No, Owen. I mean seriously dangerous. I have a really bad feeling about him.”

Owen’s smile doesn’t falter. “I’ve felt most of him, and believe me, there’s nothing ‘bad.’ And you saw what he did to Dale. He was protecting me.”

“Owen, be serious!”

His grin twists into a scowl. “You know what, Jack? Just get out of my face. You have Ianto, so it’s stupid of you to be jealous.”

“I’m not jealous,” I growl. He’s missing the whole goddamn point.

“Whatever.” He rolls his eyes.

I just stare at him, trying to figure out what to say so he gets it.

He glares, then wheels and struts back toward the restaurant.

“Owen, wait up.” I catch him by the arm just before he turns the corner into the room. “Ianto knows him—from where he lived before. He says this guy has done some really bad stuff.”

“Well, he’s doing some really good stuff to me, so you’ll just have to get over yourself.”

He’s bad for you. You don’t want him.

I cringe internally as I push the thought with my mind, hating myself for doing this to Owen.

He just stares at me.

I push again. He’ll hurt you like Dale.

Owen slumps back into the wall and lowers his eyes.

“You think he’ll hurt me?”

His voice is suddenly unsure, and this time I cringe outwardly. But he needs to stay away from him. I’m doing the right thing. “I do.”

He shakes his head, as if trying to clear it, then lifts his eyes to mine. “But…”

“He’s bad news, Owen.” I reinforce my words with my Sway.

He nods slowly. “Bad news.”

Acid builds in my stomach and I feel suddenly sick. I can’t shake the feeling that what I’m doing is wrong, even if it is to help Owen. “So, you’ll come with me and Ianto?”

He nods again.

I let go of his arm and we head back to the table.