Broken Blue Eyes

by Chasing Aspirations

‘He had seen those eyes before. A very, very long time ago.’ Ianto’s return to Cardiff unlocks memories that have been long forgotten. Companion piece to 'Bright Blue Eyes'.

Title: Broken Blue Eyes

Words: 3636

Spoilers: Fragments, Minor spoilers for Cyber woman

Summary: 'He had seen those eyes before. A very, very long time ago.' Ianto's return to Cardiff unlocks memories that have been long forgotten.

Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood. If I did then COE would have been a very different story.

A/N: This story is a companion piece to Bright Blue Eyes so it will make more sense if you read that story first! Thank you to everyone who read, favorited or put 'Bright Blue Eyes' on alert. Also thank you to NikkieSheepie, been-CARLISED, NitzMalfoy, jack4ianto09 and Obsessivegeekybufflosnowcones for your wonderful reviews. The support and criticism were really appreciated. Enjoy!

'You're a failure to this family Ianto Jones, and more importantly you're a failure to me.' The drunken man lashes out again. Ianto tastes blood...

Fire all around him, the screams of his co-workers, his friends calling out, begging him. Save us! He can't help them. He has to find her. Needs to find her. Lisa! He hears her scream. 'Ianto! Help me! Please Ianto! Ianto please save me!' He rushes through the almost destroyed building. Everything else can wait. He needs to save her...

Another scream. Where is he? He turns to see a young woman. Terrified. Blood oozing between her fingers as she shakes. Screaming. Why? He hears a growl. He sees a creature. A monster. A murderer. Laying beneath him, a woman screaming. Dying. He screams. 'Run.'...

A pair of broken blue eyes. 'I am so sorry...'

Ianto Jones screamed as he jolted from his sleep. He sighed. He hadn't stopped having dreams like this since the battle. Always the same. His father abusing him, his co-workers burning, his friends dying, Lisa's screams as the machinery tears her apart and... He was already forgetting. He always forgot the last part of his dream. It was almost like something was forcing him to forget it. Like it was a forbidden memory. Best forgotten. Ianto sighed. If only he could forget everything that he dreamed about. Maybe then he would finally manage to sleep at night...

What was he saying? He couldn't forget! He had to stay strong! For Lisa's sake at least. She deserved that much. Oh Lisa. He climbed out of his bed and across the hallway to where he had the machinery set up. She was sleeping. He hoped she was having good dreams, about the memories before the battle. Maybe dreaming about the dates they'd been on or the friends they'd had. All dead now. He gently caressed her face. Soon, he thought, soon you'll be Lisa again. 'I'll do whatever it takes to fix you Lisa. I can't lose you. Not now. I need to save you.' He sobbed as he placed a kiss to her forehead.

'Ianto. Is that you?' Lisa croaked. Her voice was so weak. Ianto felt his heart breaking. This was his fault. If he'd gotten to her sooner...

'Yeah Lisa. It's me don't worry. Now close your eyes, you need to rest. Tomorrow I'm going to find the head of Torchwood Three. If I get a job there, we can use their technology to help you. They might have a way to reverse this or at the very least some way to ease your pain. I will save you Lisa. I love you.'

Lisa smiled weakly. 'I love you too. Now sleep. It's not just me that needs rest love. If you're going to track down the mysterious Jack Harkness then you'll need to be awake, not keeling over in exhaustion. Now back to bed. I'll be fine.' Ianto smiled at her and kissed her once more before returning to his room and trying to slow the racing thoughts tormenting his mind.

Ianto stood in the park and waited. He knew Jack would arrive sooner or later; after all, he had been the one to make the call reporting the 'terrifying' creature. Weevils were lethal if you didn't concentrate, but they were hardly the most dangerous alien out there. He shuddered at the memories of fire and metal that flickered through his brain. He shook his head. He had to stay focussed. This was important. It had taken him hours to locate the weevil, he couldn't lose it now. As he heard the screech of tyres approach from the road nearby, he edged slowly away from the weevil, hiding himself amongst the trees. He saw a fallen branch by his side and bent to retrieve it. He really should have come here armed.

He heard the engine cut off as the driver climbed out of the SUV. Ianto held his breath in anticipation. Despite the current situation, he couldn't help but feel a little bit excited. He was meeting Jack Harkness. The Jack Harkness. The only person ever known to stand up to Yvonne Hartman. He had claimed that the ghost project was a mistake from the start. Ianto frowned. They should have listened to him... He heard the sound of soft footsteps as the man approached. Ianto found himself wondering. Were all the rumours about him true? Was he really that handsome? Did he really flirt with anything that breathes? Could he really never die? Ianto stared intently as the man stepped into the light of one of the street lights.

The first thing he noticed was the army styled coat he wore. He looked like he'd just walked out of world war two, yet somehow; it seemed like it had been made for him. The second thing he noticed was that; Oh My God! He was absolutely gorgeous. Even the ridiculously far-fetched rumours didn't do him enough justice. A part of Ianto screamed 'Why do you care? You're not bisexual! You like women! Always have! And even if you were... YOU LOVE LISA!' He ignored that part of him as he continued to study the man.

The third thing he noticed was his eyes. For starters they were beautifully blue, the prettiest shade Ianto believed he had ever seen. Then there was the gut wrenching heartache that Ianto could see, cleverly masked behind the twinkle in them. He looked like a man who had lost everything. Ianto knew this as he saw the same look in his own eyes, whenever he used a mirror. He felt a strong wave of empathy for the man. Whatever had made the man look like that, he was truly sorry for. There was one more thing that drew Ianto to his eyes though. It was a haunting sense of familiarity. He had seen those eyes before. A very, very long time ago.

Ianto caught his breath as Jack approached the weevil. Time to see the legendary Jack Harkness in action. He saw Jack tense before he... threw himself at the creature? Was he insane or something? Did he have a death wish? Ianto cringed as he saw the weevil throw Jack off him and up against a nearby tree. Jack quickly bounced back throwing the weevil in the same direction. Ianto clenched his fists as the fight became more, and more intense. He saw Jack fall to the floor dragging the weevil with him and watched in horror as he saw the pair roll across the floor, still engaged in combat. Jack was supposed to be a professional. Why had he just launched himself at the weevil? He had to do something! He needed to save Jack to save Lisa. He needed to save Lisa!

Ianto edged forward as the weevil tore into Jack's neck. For some reason, this moment seemed far too familiar. He banished the thought as he raised the branch and hit the weevil, immediately distracting its attention from Jack and focussing it on a stick armed Ianto. Shit. He threw a punch at the weevil's jaw before bracing himself for the upcoming struggle. Now that he thought about it, this really wasn't one of his best ideas.

He felt the weevil grip his shoulders as he tried to push it as far away from his body as possible. Why had he underestimated this weevil? He'd seen weevil victims before. Some of them had been unidentifiable by the time they had been found. Ianto felt a jolt of fear run through his body as the weevil drew closer to his neck. He could almost imagine the pain he would feel as its teeth sunk into his flesh. He could almost remember the feeling. Why could he remember that feeling? He jolted back to the current situation as Jack tackled the weevil to the ground before spraying it and pulling a black bag over its head.

Ianto threw the branch back into the woods as he watched Jack sedate the weevil. He sighed as he caught his breath. This was one of the only things he had really missed about Torchwood. The adrenaline rush that came with field work. He watched as Jack clutched his neck, crying out in pain. He felt his breath quicken. What if the weevil had seriously injured him? He could die? No. Not Jack. A part of Ianto wondered where the hell that thought had come from. He ignored it again, instead watching cautiously as Jack stood up and removed his hand from his neck. It was covered in blood.

He watched as the man caught his breath. He had saved Ianto's life. For some reason, he felt like this wasn't the first time this had happened. 'Thanks.' He put his hand out to steady himself on the tree beside him, as he imagined the consequences if Jack hadn't saved him. Lisa! She would have been left alone. Ianto had been so careless. He couldn't do something like this again.

'No thank you.' Jack panted. So he was American? Ianto added this fact, to his mental list of facts about the man who stood before him, for future reference. He had to admit, there was something about that accent that sent shivers up Ianto's spine. The voice in his head screamed 'YOU LOVE LISA! LISA HALLET! YOU ARE DOING ALL OF THIS FOR HER! STAY FOCUSED!' He continued to block out the internal voice as Jack asked 'And you are?'

'Jones. Ianto Jones.' OK, he thought to himself, that sounded a lot more swave in my mind.

'Nice to meet you Jones Ianto Jones. Captain Jack Harkness.' OK so the rumour about him flirting with anything that breathes is definitely true. Not that Ianto was complaining or anything. Hang on. Where had that thought come from? Ianto wasn't attracted to Jack! Was he?

'Lucky escape?'

'I had it under control.' Yes because launching yourself at an alien is the epitome of control.

'You think so?' Jack smirked. 'Looked pretty vicious.' He moved towards Jack and put a hand to where the weevil had attacked his neck. 'You're um...' Jack edged away from his touch. 'You were bleeding.'

'Had worse from shaving.'

'It looked like a weevil to me.' Ianto internally smirked at Jack's attempt to remain unfazed by what he'd just said.

'I have no idea what you're talking about.' You're clenched fists beg to differ. Ianto looked up and met Jack's gaze as he allowed some of the smugness that he currently felt, show on his face.

'I'll take it from here.' Shit. Not good. He can't just leave! 'Thanks for the assistance.' What should I do? Ianto thought. I can't just let him leave.

'Anytime.' Really that's the best you could come up with? Come on Ianto think! 'By the way... Love the coat.' Had he just flirted with Jack? Had he actually...? Well Jack was well known for his endless line of partners ...as long as he kept it to flirting, nothing could go wrong. Ianto couldn't help but think ominously, those were famous last words.

Ianto stared at the tracker in his hand. The SUV would arrive in a few minutes. OK, Ianto thought as he breathed in deeply, this is probably your last chance to impress Jack. Don't mess it up! Ianto sighed. He had tried to talk to Jack yesterday. He'd brought him coffee and told him what he wanted. God, he'd practically grovelled and Jack still hadn't accepted him.

Jack's last words still echoed in his mind. 'There is no job for you here, and there never will be.' He felt so hopeless. He needed this job. He needed Lisa. And now, he had another reason to get into Torchwood. During the conversation he had with Jack, he kept on seeing flashes of images. Blood. Screams. A woman crying. A weevil. His mother. And a pair of broken blue eyes. When he tried to focus on the images, they faded from his mind only to return when he looked at Jack. It didn't make any sense and Ianto wanted to understand why he was seeing these things. He needed to know the truth. What did it mean? And how was it all related to Jack?

He snapped out of his thoughts as he heard the SUV screech around a corner. He stepped into the road as Jack drove towards him. He saw the look of frustration on Jack's face. Great. 'OK this has to stop!'

'No listen...' Ianto tried to plead with Jack. If he didn't listen to him now then he'd never know the truth... Since when did he care about the truth more than Lisa?

'I don't have time for this.' Jack stepped out into front of Ianto. As their eyes met, both men saw something so familiar yet they just couldn't quite name it. 'Look I don't care what your problem is. I want you out of this city by sunrise. There is no place for you here...'

Ianto felt his hope shattering as Jack spoke. He needed this job. He'd be lost without it. As he'd said before to Jack 'I saw what they did at Canary Wharf. What am I supposed to do with those memories?'

'Go back to London. Find yourself another life. Keep stalking me I'll wipe your memory!' Was that why he kept on forgetting the end of his nightmares? Was it because of Torchwood? Had he been retconned? Was it because of Jack? He needed answers.

'No but the thing is...'

'Look. Any conversation between us, no matter what the subject, is over. Finished. Done. Forever. I'm getting back behind the wheel of that car. If you're still standing in the road, I'm gonna drive through you.' Ianto felt defeated. What could he say now to change his mind? He was clearly stubborn once he had made a decision. After all, he had stood up to Yvonne Hartman. There was only one thing Ianto could think of to say.

'So you're not going to help me catch this pterodactyl then?' He fought back the urge to smile as Jack turned back to face him. Funny really. It was the first time he'd actually wanted to smile since Canary Wharf.

Who had told Ianto that Jack Harkness was a professional? They were about to face a pterodactyl equipped just with a syringe full of sedative. 'OK. That is the only special equipment you've got?'

'Yeah because I keep dinosaur nets in the back of the SUV.' Jack defended as he prepared the sedative.

'Torchwood London would have.' He felt quite smug in saying this. Clearly Yvonne had overestimated Torchwood Cardiff's efficiency when it came to alien technology and of course its leader... He had bloody thrown himself at a weevil! As if adding more evidence to Ianto's point, Jack jogged towards the door to the warehouse. No sense of subtly whatsoever, Ianto thought as he jogged to catch up. Jack swung open the door, instantly drawing the pterodactyl's attention to the two men. Both men quickly rushed back outside the warehouse as the pterodactyl swooped dangerously close, hurriedly closing the door behind them.

'How did you find it?'

'Rift activity locator.' Which was the truth. What Jack didn't need to know was that the pterodactyl had actually come through the rift three weeks ago. During that time he had familiarized himself with the creature and had discovered what it truly liked. Who would have thought that a pterodactyl would like chocolate so much?

'Torchwood London.'

'See, quality kit.' He said feeling quite smug.

'Yeah. It's quite excitable.'

'Must be your aftershave.'

'Never wear any.' That was his natural smell. It was just... wow!

'You smell like that naturally?'

'Fifty first century pheromones. You people have no idea.' Fifty first century? Surely that was impossible wasn't it? Then again this was Torchwood. Everything that happened here was impossible. Still... wow! 'You ready for another go?'

'I'm game if you are.'

'3, 2, 1.' Jack opened the door before both men rushed into the warehouse. 'Split up!' he heard Jack yell as the pterodactyl soared over their heads before landing and effectively blocking the exit. He heard Jack hush him as they met in the middle of the warehouse. A look of awe broke across Jack's face as the two men edged towards the pterodactyl.

'We're not gonna harm you but you can't stay here. Come back with me. I've got somewhere nice and big where you can fly around.' So the pterodactyl gets a place in torchwood and I don't, Ianto thought in frustration.

'And so you let the pterodactyl in and not me?'

'We need a guard dog.'

'I could be that. Like a receptionist. Building maintenance. Food and drink.' Ianto began to list getting more and more desperate as he went on. 'Dry cleaning even. That coat of yours must take a battering. Like a butler. I could be a butler.' Jack continued to edge forward as Ianto talked.

'We don't need a butler.' Ianto grabbed Jack's arm in a desperate attempt to get his attention.

'Excuse me. Dried egg on your collar.'

'It was a busy week.'

'What exactly is your plan?' Jack pulled his arm out of Ianto's grip as they approached.

'I'm gonna be the decoy.'

'But it'll rip you to shreds.' Again with the impulsive and unplanned strategies. Maybe Jack did have a death wish. For some unexplainable reason though, Ianto trusted him.

'Dinosaurs? Had them for breakfast. Had to. Only source of regular food protein after the asteroid crashed...' Jack turned to meet Ianto's bewildered expression. 'Long story. Here you go. One injection into the central nervous cortex. I'll keep it occupied.' He's absolutely insane if he thinks I'm going to let him get mauled to death by a pterodactyl, Ianto thought to himself. 'Move.'

'No.'

'What?' Jack asked as Ianto gave him the syringe.

'It knows me. I'll be a better decoy.'

'That's way too dangerous.' Hypocrite, Ianto thought.

'No. I've got a secret weapon. Chocolate. Preferably dark.' Ianto had to hold in a laugh as he moved to approach the creature. The look on Jack's face when he'd mentioned the chocolate had been priceless. Ianto whistled to get the creatures attention as Jack crept up behind the pterodactyl. 'I've got your favorite! Yeah.' He whispered before carefully throwing it towards the creature.

'It's er good for you serotonin levels... If you've got serotonin levels.' He continued to talk to the creature as Jack got closer to his target. The pterodactyl turned to see Jack who smiled at the creature before it took off, taking Jack with it. He. Was. Bloody. Insane.

'IANTO.' Jack yelled as he flew through the air. What the hell was he supposed to do? Chase around after the pterodactyl like a mad man? Ianto watched in horror as Jack continued to grip onto the creature as it flew around the warehouse. Jack grabbed the syringe and injected the tranquilizer, causing the pterodactyl to drop Jack into Ianto's waiting arms. Ouch! Having someone fall on you from that sort of height bloody hurt! 'Sorry.' Jack apologized.

The pterodactyl began to fall, sedative taking effect, towards where Jack currently lay on top of Ianto. Shit. The two men quickly rolled away from where the creature landed before they burst into laughter. That was great! Ianto felt so alive! He really had missed the exhilaration of Torchwood missions. There was so much that he had lost in that final battle.

Jack and Ianto's eyes met and the laughing fell away. Replaced by a sudden over whelming rush of memories.

'Crowds bustling and shoving through the wide streets...'

'His mother speaking 'Come on love. London will still be here tomorrow...'

'A young woman screaming. Blood dripping between her fingers...'

'A vicious creature. Snarling as it tore into its victim's throat...'

'Lying beneath him. His mother. Dying as Ianto screamed...'

'Her last words to Ianto. 'Run...'

'The pain. Teeth tearing into his neck. He screamed...'

'A gunshot. A man in a World War Two coat. His aunts embrace...'

'An American accent. 'I'm so sorry for your loss...'

'A pair of broken blue eyes...'

Ianto felt overwhelmed as he remembered that day. His mum. Oh God. His mum hadn't been in a car accident. She'd been mauled by a weevil. It all seemed so obvious now! There had been holes in the investigation and the report. He'd worked for Torchwood London. He should have realized this sooner! Jack had retconned him. How dare he! He had a right to know what had happened. It was his mother. He deserved to remember how she died. Jack had betrayed him! Jack had saved him! Jack had saved his life. He wouldn't be here, on the warehouse floor, if Jack hadn't saved his life. He owed Jack everything. His friends. His job. His girlfriend. Everything that had been good in his life before the battle. He wouldn't have had any of it if Jack hadn't have saved him. Jack was a hero. Jack was his hero. Jack, if he was honest with himself was also kind of attractive. Despite his impulsive nature, flirtatious actions and stubborn will he was a good man...

And Ianto was going to betray him. Ianto was going to betray his savior. The one who had tried to save him from his grief by making him forget. The man who, from Ianto's point of view, seemed to see Ianto as kind of attractive too. And he was going to betray Jack, knowing all of this. He gazed into Jack's beautifully broken blue eyes and saw the pain, exhilaration, concern, realization, empathy, lust, conflict, intelligence, hope and recognition and he realized that Jack knew. He remembered.

A/N: Hope you liked it! I'm considering a sequel for this story set straight after or during Cyber woman. Either that or Ianto's first day at Torchwood. Let me know what you think I should do!