Break Away
Word Count: ~ 34.000
Summary: Ianto's life had been normal – or as normal as life could get for a Torchwood archivist. But then, everything changed when a stranger started following him around that only he could see; when his sleep was invaded by weird dreams; when he had to question his own sanity. In a nutshell: Before he'd met Jack Harkness.
Characters: Ianto Jones, Gwen Cooper, Owen Harper, Toshiko Sato, Jack Harkness, OCs and ?
Pairing: Ianto/OMC, Jack/Ianto, Gwen/Rhys (hinted), Owen/Tosh (hinted)
Rating: R
Spoiler: Everything Changes, Cyberwoman, Countrycide, Greeks Bearing Gifts, End Of Days, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Sleeper, Adam, Reset, Dead Man Walking, Fragments
Setting: after Something Borrowed
Warnings: Suicide, scenes that could be interpreted as dub-con, violence, language
Contains: AU, sexual situations
Author's Note: This was a piece of work. And if I hadn't forced myself to write it by taking part in the tw_classic_bb, I would probably still work on it.
Beta: My amazing beta for this one was larsinger29, who worked her way through every page and gave helpful hints and suggestions that made the story what it is right now. Thank you. :)
Disclaimer: I'm not making money with this fanfic. The tv-show Torchwood and the characters appearing within it belong to their producers and creators. Any similarities to living or dead persons are purely coincidental and not intended.
xxx
Prologue
Life had the habit of pulling you down sometimes. Even at the happiest of times, all of a sudden, a weight could settle on your shoulders that makes you doubt your choices. Ianto Jones knew that feeling all too well (being one of the only survivors of Canary Wharf and being granted mercy by his colleagues after hiding a Cyberwoman in their basement that had almost killed them all). Achieving happiness was hard for him, it always had been.
He preferred to live through the happiness of others instead – mainly his team: Owen and Tosh making tentative steps towards exploring a romantic relationship, even though Owen was technically dead, was one of those happy circumstances; another was Gwen's wedding and the blinding smile she wore after returning from her honeymoon; and then there was the way their boss Finlay Birch beamed at them, proud and happy with their work.
All that had been barely a week ago. Ianto's life had been normal – or as normal as life could get for a Torchwood archivist. But then, everything changed when a stranger started following him around that only he could see; when his sleep was invaded by weird dreams; when he had to question his own sanity.
In a nutshell: Before he'd met Jack Harkness.