Alone again.
Nine AM Monday morning and Jack was once again dressing for a funeral. There had been too many during the past three weeks, but he knew this would be the worst, coupled only with that of Stephens and his daughter Alice.
Alice hadn't died during the attack of the 456, no, her death like so many others rested on Jack's shoulders. Jack had found her in her home two days after Stephen's death, his photo and teddy clutched tightly in her arms, beside her, an empty vodka and prescription bottle. Mother and son were buried together in a small private ceremony.
Jack shook his head, he couldn't think about that, not today. He finally pulled on the coat that had caused so much contention between him and Rhiannon, he had wanted nothing more than to burn that damn coat on his return from London but Rhiannon had insisted that for her brother's sake he wear it, she told him how much Ianto had gushed to her about him and that coat and though she couldn't see it herself, she knew that Ianto would want him to wear it today. So with a sigh he tugged the damn thing on over his suit and left his hotel room and made his way to the church.
As he entered the vast space, Jack wasn't surprised to see it was filled to capacity; Ianto had touched so many lives with his kindness and unwavering compassion. So many people wanted to pay their last respects to him, it made jack's heart both swell with pride and break all at once. Finding Gwen and Rhys quickly he took a seat beside them, Squeezing Gwen's hand as he sat down, she was crying already and he believed if he just concentrated on offering her comfort, then he could get through this. Not long after the funeral procession started, he stared straight ahead as Ianto's coffin made its way to the front of the church. There was a wail beside him as one of the pallbearers lost their footing, jostling the coffin so much that there was a load thump from the body inside. The body… the body, he still couldn't get used to that thought, the thought that inside that coffin was his Ianto, but no longer as he knew him, no longer full of life, just an empty shell. Gripping the pew in front of him, so tightly his knuckles turned white, Jack took his seat once more as Ianto was placed at the front of the church.
Most of the service passed in a blur and before long, Jack saw Ianto's brother in law helping Rhiannon to the pulpit, she spoke lovingly of the brother she had known as a child, of the man he had become and she had lost. She pulled out a sheet of paper and began reading.
Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you plann'd:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.
"Not many people knew" She said. "But Ianto was in love, very much so. He also knew that there would be a chance that he wouldn't get a chance to tell this person how he felt and made me promise that if anything happened to him that we would play this song..." This was as far as Rhiannon could go as she broke down in tears again, Jack watch, a lump in his throat as Johnny pressed play on a cd player, a haunting medley rang out and the words of the song washed over him: What ravages of spirit
Conjured this tempestuous rage
Created you a monster
Broken by the rules of love
And fate has lead you through it
You do what you have to do
And fate has led you through it
You do what you have to do
And I have the sense to recognize that
I don't know how to let you go
Every moment marked
With apparitions of your soul
I'm ever swiftly moving
Trying to escape this desire
The yearning to be near you
I do what I have to do
The yearning to be near you
I do what I have to do
But I have the sense to recognize
That I don't know how
To let you go
I don't know how
To let you go
A glowing ember
Burning hot
Burning slow
Deep within I'm shaken by the violence
Of existing for only you
I know I can't be with you
I do what I have to do
I know I can't be with you
I do what I have to do
And I have sense to recognize but
I don't know how to let you go
I don't know how to let you go
I don't know how to let you go
As the song finished Jack finally gave up all pretence of keeping himself together, tears cascaded down his cheeks as the service continued and was brought to an end, it was time to say goodbye. His Ianto, His love, was gone.