Title: Meet Ceryse...She's Welsh
Author: bookwrm89
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Rating: PG-13
Series: 1) A Torchwood Costume Party, 2) Private Unmasking
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, they belong to the BBC & RTD. I just have fun with them once in a while.
A/N: Again, I wasn't intending to write another sequel to this story, but Ceryse keeps popping into my head at odd moments and demanding more stories about her...she's a pushy little drag queen that way. This story begins a couple of weeks after Gwen's costume party and deals with Ianto's past and why Ceryse's voice made Jack shiver.
Summary: This story begins a couple of weeks after Gwen's costume party and deals with Ianto's past and why Ceryse's voice made Jack shiver.

***

Ianto set the cup of coffee down on the desk next to Jack's hand and turned to leave the office.

"Ianto, stay and talk for a minute."  Jack's voice had a flirtatious lilt to it that made Ianto smile.  He walked over to Jack's side of the desk, but before he could lean against the edge like he usually did, Jack pulled him down into his lap and gave him a long, slow kiss.  When they came up for air, Jack gave Ianto a chiding look.
"Wearing your tongue stud to work is not playing fair, Ianto.  You know what that does to me."
Shifting knowingly on Jack's lap, Ianto replied, "Yep.  I have a fairly good idea of what it does to you, Sir."  The devilish gleam in the young man's eyes made Jack groan.  Ianto in this mood was going to make it a very long day for the captain.  Fun though.  Good thing it was Friday, everyone would probably enjoy getting off work a little early.
"You know, I've been wondering something since the costume party a couple of weeks ago." Jack began.
"What's that?"
"You seemed very comfortable as Ceryse.  How long has she been a part of you?"
Jack felt a hint of tension enter Ianto's frame as the other man shifted again.
"Since I was a teenager."  Ianto could see the slight question in his lover's eyes and decided to come clean.  "In fact, I used to work at a little club in Soho.  I tended bar and sang occasionally."  He was watching Jack's face closely and saw the shocked realization dawn in the captain's eyes.  "The name of the club was...."
"Vixens..." Jack whispered.  "I remember you...."
************************************************************
Six years ago....in London

Jack Harkness walked into the small club and felt himself relaxing.  It felt good to be out at night doing something other than catching aliens.  Even immortal, time-traveling heroes needed a vacation once in a while.  He'd come to London to get away from Torchwood and have some fun.  He'd heard good things about this club, and it had sounded like just the type of place he had been looking for.

He walked over to the bar, ordered a scotch and turned around to survey the interior of the club.  He was already drawing several interested looks, from both the men and the women in the club.  Of course, from what he'd heard about this place, several of the women could possibly be men too.  Jack knew he looked good.  He'd left his normal clothes at the hotel, including the greatcoat he usually wore.  Instead, he was wearing his black leather trousers, a blue jumper that exactly matched his eyes and a black leather coat.  His eyes darkened a bit when he thought about the coat, he'd bought it because it reminded him of the one the Doctor always wore.  Shaking those thoughts off, he took a sip of his drink, reminding himself that he'd come here to relax, not indulge in painful memories. 

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Vixens!"  The emcee had come out onto the small stage and Jack was glad for something else to concentrate on.  "Tonight, we have a special treat for you.  A brand new performer is here to sing for us, so put your hands together and give her a great big welcome.  Everyone, meet Ceryse...she's Welsh."

Jack joined in the applause as the young woman walked out on stage.  She was stunning.  Her black hair was styled in a blunt cut that accentuated the shape of her face, one lock dyed blue and following the curve of her jawline.  She was wearing a simple black dress that just reached her knees and was cutout over her stomach, showing that she had a small diamond stud in her belly button.  Her long legs were encased in shimmery black hose and she was wearing a pair of black, spiked heels that added almost 3" to her considerable height.

She stepped up to the microphone and her low, husky voice rolled over the crowd, "Thank you and good evening."  Music started to play and Ceryse started to sing...

"Birds flyin' high, you know how I feel.
Sun in the sky, you know how I feel...."

Jack was surprised at the song, he hadn't been expecting to hear the blues, but it was perfect for her husky voice.  He sat back, entranced, his focus completely on the stage.  When the song was finished, the applause was thunderous.  The emcee came back out and announced that Ceryse would be out later to tend bar and introduced the next act.  Jack decided to quit looking for a table and stay right there at the bar.

Half an hour later, Ceryse had made her way out, obviously taking time to change out of her stage outfit.  She was still all in black, but now she was wearing black leather trousers and a blue half-shirt that showed off her belly-button piercing.  She was also wearing a black studded collar around her neck.  Getting a closer look as she walked by him, Jack realized Ceryse was actually a young man, but Ceryse hid it well.  Quickly finishing his drink, Jack caught her attention to order another.  She walked over with a fluid grace and flashed a smile at him.

"What can I get you, Sir?"  Her voice sent shivers down Jack's spine.  The combination of her Welsh accent and the low, husky quality to her voice was intoxicating.  Jack flashed his trademark, sexy grin and replied,
"I'll have whatever you're handing out, Beautiful."  
She laughed, her blue eyes sparkling with humor, "Careful, that's the way to get served the most expensive drink in the place, Sir."  When she handed him a drink, though, Jack was surprised when it turned out to be scotch.  Exactly what he'd been drinking in the first place.
"Impressive."  He winked at her as she walked to the other end of the bar to take someone else's order.

He spent the evening flirting with Ceryse and dancing with anyone who asked him to.  By the end of the night, he was slightly drunk and extremely surprised to find himself in his hotel room alone.  He'd had fun, but there was no one there that had really caught his attention except for Ceryse.  And while she'd flirted with him, there had been no invitation for anything else.  Oh well, it wasn't the first time he'd lain in bed alone taking care of his needs on his own and he doubted it would be the last.  Still, he found himself fantasizing of blue eyes and a Welsh accent while he pleasured himself.

The next night, Jack again found himself at Vixens, looking around to see if Ceryse was there.  She was, but she wasn't working the bar.  Instead, she was with a group of friends, laughing and drinking.  Jack sat down at the bar again and ordered a scotch.  It was a Saturday night and the place was crowded, but Jack found his gaze continously drawn back to the table where Ceryse was sitting with her friends.  The streak in her hair was red tonight and she was wearing a soft, v-neck jumper of the same color.  The studded collar had been replaced with a thick, gold chain.  Jack's breath caught in his throat when she stood up and he saw that she was wearing a black leather mini-skirt and stilleto heels.  He was so caught up in how she looked that he didn't realize that she was headed his way until she was standing right in front of him.  Blue eyes looked up into blue eyes.

"Hello, again," the husky voice said.  "Would you like to dance?"

Jack stood up and answered, "Yes, I would.  Very much."

"So, should I just keep calling you 'Sir' or do you have a name?"  Ceryse teased as they headed towards the dance floor.

Jack laughed as he answered, "I'm C.., my name is Jack Harkness."  He deliberately left the "Captain" off.  Tonight he just wanted to be Jack.  Not a captain, not a former time-agent, not a member of a secret organization called Torchwood.  Just a man named Jack.  He didn't even really care if he got laid, although he'd love it if this bewitching person came back to his hotel room with him.

A slow, sultry song with a latin rythym was playing when they got to the dance floor and Jack took Ceryse into his arms, moving in time with the music.  They didn't talk, just lost themselves in the dance.  When the song ended, Ceryse stepped back and smiled.

"Thank you for the dance, Jack.  I'll be seeing you."  Then she walked back to her table, where her friends were obviously getting ready to leave.  She walked out of the club, not looking back.  

Jack sat back down at the bar and finished his drink, but the excitement had gone out of the evening when Ceryse had left and he left soon after.  Not feeling like going anywhere else, Jack headed back to the hotel and packed his stuff up.  He checked out and headed back to Cardiff....
****************************************************************************
Back in the Hub in 2008....

"Jack?"  Ianto's hesitant voice intruded on his memories.  Not sure what his lover's reaction was going to be to this revelation, Ianto moved to stand up, but Jack's arms wrapped around him and wouldn't let him move.
"Ianto, why didn't you tell me we'd met before?"  Jack's voice was slightly husky.
"By the time we met again, I was a different person.  I was only 19 when I was working at Vixens...so young.  Two years later I was recruited by Torchwood London and I fell in love with Lisa.  Then Canary Wharf happened.  I'd heard stories in London about Captain Jack Harkness from Torchwood Cardiff and I came here to try and convince you to hire me so I could save Lisa.  But everything went to shit and I didn't even care about living anymore.  By the time we started...whatever we...well, I could barely even remember a time when I wasn't Torchwood.  When you weren't Captain Jack Harkness.  Then you left, and came back and we started dating.  I'd all but forgotten Ceryse until Gwen's costume party."
"I heard that you went to a Halloween party as Ceryse while I was gone."  Jack said.
Ianto laughed, "Yeah, well, I was tired of everyone looking at me like they thought I was going to fly apart.  And it was fun to shock everyone with Ceryse.  It worked too, they all started treating me different, even Owen."  God forbid Jack ever find out just how differently Owen had been around Ianto that night, or vice versa for that matter.  Some things were better off just buried in the past.

"Jack, are we ok?"  Ianto asked.
"Yes, we are ok.  I was a little surprised, but I'm fine with it, Ianto.  In fact..." his voice trailed off and his eyes lit up.  "Do you still have any of those outfits?"  He grinned.
Ianto always got a little nervous when Jack got that look.  "Jack, it's the middle of the day and everyone is here.  And no, I don't have any of those outfits anymore."

Jack gave him another kiss and then said, "Ok, break time's over.  I've got some things I need to take care of."  Ianto stood up and walked out the door, wondering what Jack was up to now.  Still, at least he'd taken the news ok.  Ianto shook his head and headed down to the archives.

Jack watched him disappear and then got online to do some research.  Twenty minutes later, he'd found what he'd been looking for...Vixens was still there.  He picked up his phone and dialed the number of his favorite hotel in London, making a reservation for the weekend.  Then he put on his coat, told Gwen that he was heading out for awhile and left the Hub.  An hour later, he had found everything he needed at the shops and stopped by Ianto's flat to pack a few things.  He left the small suitcase in the SUV and headed down to the archives.  He had a surprise for the archivist.

"Ianto, come on.  We've got somewhere to be."  He announced.
"What?  Jack, I didn't hear any of the alarms going off, where are we going?"  Ianto was confused.
"You'll see.  Just come on."  Jack had that cat-that-ate-the-canary look on his face again.  Ianto knew there was no arguing when Jack was in this mood, so he put down the papers he'd been filing and followed his captain back upstairs.

"Gwen, Owen, Tosh?  Hey, guys, Ianto and I are taking off for the weekend.  Hold down the fort and don't call us unless the world's ending, OK?"  He laughed at the astonished looks on all of their faces, including Ianto's.  Then he grabbed Ianto's hand and pulled him out of the building into the waiting SUV, and headed to London.

***

Next story in series - London Interlude.