Keep Dreaming

Pathetic Fallacy - Jack's POV

Walking back in the rain, I shrugged my shoulders as though that would give me an extra morsel of heat. It was winter, and it hadn't yet started to get bright until after 9am. It was gloomy and depressing.
I wondered what had happened to me, how I'd gone soft. I had spent years in trenches, cold and muddy and uncomfortable, and now I was bothered by some rain.
I realised how pathetic this was in comparison and tried to divert my attention to something else: Erin.
The group needed counselling, that was evident. Torchwood had had many rocky patches recently, people threatening to leave because of tension or fighting. It was a tough job, but they had started their jobs knowing what they were in for. It was starting to drive me crazy, and God knows I'm not qualified to resolve all these arguments. No, we needed an outsider. But we needed someone who would be able to handle the job. Someone who could sit and lessen the tension between the team, while simultaneously helping us with rift activity.
I had done my research in advance.
Erin Evans, an ex police officer-turned-therapist. She got fired from the force for assaulting a rapist.
By police standards, it was the wrong thing to do, but police standards and Torchwood standards were very different. She clearly had a strong personal compass, and didn't care what rules she had to break to make her point.
Erin moved from Ireland to Wales for a new start after losing her job. She went back to college and learned psychology. Seven years later, now 29, Erin was starting to settle down.
Well, she would've been settling down, had I not found her.
I've been slowly introducing her to the idea of Torchwood and the team over the last year through the guise of some vivid, continued dream that I'm having.
Erin seemed completely clueless that this "dream" was, in fact, reality. I could see what a perfect fit she would be for the team, though. That familiar glimmer that the others had in their eyes in their early days shone in Erin's eyes when I talked about Torchwood. I would need to really introduce it to her soon, though. The real Torchwood.
And the problem was... how?

And that wasn't my only problem either. I hadn't told any of the team yet. I kept making excuses to myself. But I knew that the idea of a shrink would be shut down immediately, and they wouldn't stop pestering me until I changed my mind.
No, I couldn't let that happen...

My restless thoughts quietened as I stood on a particular part of pavement and felt the familiar rumbling movement as it lowered me into the belly of Torchwood Three headquarters.
Standing in front of me with a piping hot mug of coffee and a towel, was Ianto Jones. He gave me a small, polite smile.
"I hope you don't mind. I saw that your tracker was nearby, and with the lashings of rain-"
I couldn't help but grin in response. God, it was cute when he did things like this.
"Thanks."
I replied as I took the coffee with a firm grip, as though I was afraid it would fall out of my slippery hands. But I didn't want to move away. Standing just centimetres away from him, I sipped the coffee, maintaining eye contact the whole time. I knew I could be sexy but God, I was doing a particularly great job right then.
Ianto was frozen to the spot, his timid little face fixed on mine. He kept his lips pursed tightly, as he watched me with wide eyes.
He broke the silence after a while.
"... is it okay?"
And just like that, the spell was broken; the moment over. I snapped out of my trance.
"Yes, very good, as always."
A crooked smile, a nod, and we walked our separate ways.
I cursed under my breath and balled a fist. It was at that point I made my decision.

I would tell Erin tomorrow.