Title: New Year
Rating: K+
Prompt: New Year's Eve/Day at 10_hurt_comfort
Characters/Pairings: Janto
Genres: angst, hurt/comfort
Spoilers: Fragments
Summary: New Year's Eve stirs up unpleasant memories for Jack.
Tosh, Owen, Gwen, and Ianto stood in the main part of the Hub, watching the New Year's countdown on telly and toasting each other with glasses of champagne. Amidst their laughter and happy discussion on what they might see in the coming year, Ianto suddenly noticed Jack's absence. Glancing at his boss's office, he saw the older man sitting in his desk facing away from them, his own glass of champagne untouched.
Ianto smiled at a comment from Gwen that he hadn't really heard and excused himself, heading for Jack's office. "Sir?" he asked tentatively when he reached the door.
Jack glanced up, a weary expression on his face. "Oh, hey, Ianto. Come on in."
"Are you all right?" Ianto asked, moving into the office and standing in front of his boss. "Is something the matter?"
Jack gave him a sad smile. "I never explained to you how I ended up head of Torchwood, did I?"
"No, sir." Ianto somehow sensed that it wasn't a pleasant tale, but Jack wanted to share it with him anyway. He didn't prod, instead letting the other man take his time.
"It was New Year's Eve 1999," Jack said after a while, his eyes far away with the memory. "I was out on a field mission. When I got back to the Hub, I knew there was something wrong. It was too quiet. I got inside, and two of the members of our team were on the ground, dead. They'd been shot."
He paused and took a deep, shaky breath. Ianto reached over to place a gentle hand over Jack's, which were clasped tensely on his desk. "What happened to them?" he the younger man asked.
"I kept going," Jack continued, his voice filled with horror and grief as he relived that night. "Further inside was Alex Hopkins, Torchwood's leader. I asked him what had happened. He told me he had shot them - mercy killings. He had a pendant, he said it had shown him the future. He said the twenty-first century was when everything would change, and we weren't ready. He - he wanted to kill me, too, but of course it wouldn't have worked. Instead, he said he was giving me command of Torchwood. Then he shot himself, right in front of me." This last was said in a whisper as Jack squeezed his eyes closed, trying to block out the image that was still so vivid all these years later.
Ianto moved around to Jack's side of the desk and reached out to place a comforting hand on his lover's shoulder. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, Jack." The immortal gave him a thankful look. "But I'm not sorry you came to be the head of Torchwood. From what you've said in the past, you've done so much to improve this place."
"Ianto, Jack! It's almost time!" came Gwen's voice from the main area of the Hub.
Ianto smiled at Jack. "Come on. Let's not think about the past any more." He turned to lead the way out, but Jack caught his hand.
"Thank you for listening," he said. "I've…never told anyone about that before."
"I can't imagine carrying that with you all this time," Ianto said sympathetically, moving forward again to wrap his arms around Jack. "I'm glad you were able to get it out."
Jack nodded against him, not saying anything.
Suddenly, the sound of fireworks and shouting came from the television set out where the others were gathered. Ianto pulled back to smile at his lover. "A new year," he mused.
Jack smiled back. "A new start," he agreed, and leaned in to kiss him.
