This time when Jack stumbled through the portal into an alternate universe he paused and stared, confused. He was leaning against a stone wall, and as he looked around, he realized that he was still in Cardiff. A Cardiff that seemed eerily familiar, but strangely different. He looked around, noticing that he wasn't leaning against a stone wall, but a glass one. The glass was opaque and looked like it could be quartz.
"What the…?" Jack murmured, wondering if he was mistaken, and he wasn't in Cardiff at all. His mouth fell open as he gazed around the street. Looking around, he realized what was different. The streets were cobblestone, but the buildings around him were all made out of different types of crystal. There was no sign of cars anywhere; in fact, no sign of motorized vehicles at all. There was an eerie sound, and he realized that it came from the wind brushing past the buildings. It varied from a whisper to a crescendo as it whipped past angled cornices, the sound adding an odd music to the area he stood in. Jack blinked as he tried to take it all in.
Jack began walking; having pushed away from the wall he started to move along the quiet street. At one point he had to dodge a horse and cart and he wondered if he had been transported back into a parallel past that he remembered without a lot of fondness. This was too reminiscent of his time after he had left Gamestation and it was a time he wasn't happy to return to, if he was being honest with himself.
He came upon a junction and stopped, his mouth falling open as he entered an open market area. He knew he was not back in Victorian England. And in fact, he wondered whether they called this place Wales at all.
Before him stood St. David's Cathedral. Except it didn't look as he remembered, whether in the past or the present that he remembered from only a few days before. This cathedral shimmered in the wan light that came from the overcast sky above them. It was completely made of glass, and Jack marveled at the construction of such a massive structure. He was distracted by the sound of laughter and he turned to watch as a group of young boys wearing choir robes came out of a building on the opposite side of the square and headed in the direction of a the massive structure. Behind them walked a man at a sedate pace, gently chiding those more rambunctious individuals who were louder than their peers. Jack shaded his eyes as the sun came out and the reflecting light hit him in the face. There was something familiar about that walk.
"You have got to be kidding me," he murmured. He stepped away from the shadow of the alleyway and walked across the square, trailing after the group of boys who were now walking in pairs as they lined up at the entrance to the cathedral. Soon he was within calling distance, but he held his tongue as he attempted to observe the individual at the end of the group. The man was busy organizing the boys according to height, and the rowdy group quieted as they lined up in an orderly formation. "Ianto?"
The man in the cassock glanced up as a strange voice called out his name. "Yes?"
Jack had to stop his mouth from falling open for yet a third time as he met a familiar gaze. Grey-blue eyes met his own and the other man smiled. Jack felt a pain in his chest as he saw that face he had thought never to see again. "Oh my God," Jack whispered. A phrase ironically appropriate, given the man he was looking at was wearing a Roman Catholic collar.
"May I help you?" The man with Ianto's face and voice asked Jack with a look of inquiry. At that moment organ music started inside the massive cathedral and he smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, gweddi bore is starting. Perhaps I can assist you afterwards?" He smiled politely at the strangely dressed man. Jack stared at him for a long moment before his words sank in.
"Yes, of course," Jack murmured and looked away, confused. Where exactly had he ended up? The man in front of him gave him another hauntingly familiar smile before turning towards his charges and encouraging them to enter through the massive front doors. He brought up the rear and climbed the shallow steps at the front of the cathedral before looking back. The man behind him looked confused, and Father Ianto Jones was torn, since it was obvious that the man was in need of assistance.
"Please, come inside. This house is open to all. Afterwards, I would be happy to meet with you," Father Ianto said with another smile. The man nodded, and he took the response for acquiescence. Turning back towards the doors of the great cathedral, he entered behind the choir and followed them up the nave to the transept area, and the choir seating. He didn't look behind him, but was confident that the man would follow him into the cathedral.
After hesitating for a long moment, Jack followed. He paused as he entered the cathedral. Candelabras shimmered above him, the light from the candles reflecting in the vaulted glass ceiling above him. The pews were only halfway filled, and Jack realized that he was at an early morning service. Only the clergy and the devout were up for morning prayer. He was torn, knowing that the situation was hopeless, but unable to resist the temptation of meeting Ianto. Even if the man he had just met was as unattainable as the man who had left the world he had come from. He bowed his head with a sigh and took a seat in the last pew.
The group of boys and their shepherd reached their seats and sat down. A moment later, the doors opened again and Jack watched as the local bishop and several priests came in and walked up the aisle. He stifled a cough as the heavy smell of incense wafted over him as they passed. He remembered why he usually avoided these sorts of things and debated whether it was better to wait outside until it was over. He shifted in his seat and one of the parishioners turned to stare at him for making noise. Sighing softly, he crossed his arms over his chest and decided it was probably best to stay where he was.
The choir started singing and the sound reverberated through the building, the crystal creating interesting harmonics in response to the hymn. From that moment on, Jack was captivated and wouldn't have left even if he had to in an emergency. It was like nothing else he had experienced before, and he could see the rapturous expressions on the congregation as they listened to the pure notes that the boys sang. Then the mass started and Jack found that the sounds of the priests chanting carried to every nook and cranny of the cathedral.
The building had superb natural acoustics and although the whole service was in Welsh, Jack found himself drawn in, even though he still didn't understand much of the language. He watched as it progressed, the prayers interspersed with moments of song as the choir sang another hymn. He wasn't aware of the passing of time until the priests handed out the Eucharist and a short time later they were walking back down the aisle as the choir sang. He stood when the rest of the congregation did and bowed his head as the priests passed him, accepting the blessing they bestowed upon him. He felt a certain irony in doing so, not being the religious type, but appreciating their gesture nonetheless.
The choir followed, the boys still singing as they walked out of the cathedral, the man that Jack was interested in bringing up the rear again. He remained standing as they passed him, and he waited for the congregation to leave before he slipped through the doors.
The courtyard was mostly empty by the time he emerged, a few stragglers lingering as they chatted with one another. Jack wondered if he had waited too long, since the choir had disappeared. He had spent the time wondering just what it was he would say to the man he had met outside. A man who no doubt was curious that he knew his name. As Jack glanced around, he saw a figure dressed in a black cassock with the snow white surplice over it standing off to the side and he looked up to meet that familiar gaze again. Jack swallowed, still not sure what it was that he was going to say to the man who stood waiting for him.
Father Ianto Jones stood and looked up at the man in the strange uniform. He waited patiently for him to descend the steps. He didn't know the man, but obviously the man knew who he was. Something told him to be patient, that this man was harboring a hurt somewhere deep within him. Most people came to the cathedral for help, whether it be that of the heart and soul or for more material things such as food and shelter. Father Ianto suspected this one was sorely in need of help for the former, rather than the latter. When the man only stared at him without moving, he decided that he needed to take the first step. He walked to the base of the stairs and smiled up at the man before him.
"May I help you, my son?" He asked, his accent lending a musical sound to the words. The man stared down at him for a long moment before closing his eyes and sighing. "Please, whatever it is, perhaps I can help."
"I sincerely doubt that, Father," Jack said with a sigh, but he walked down the stairs to join the man before him.
"There is always hope for those who need help," Father Ianto said serenely. "And you look like a man sorely in need of hope." Jack shook his head.
"I think I'm beyond hope," he said softly, looking into the eyes he knew so well which stared at him in sympathy.
Father Ianto looked into the steady blue gaze of the man before him. He could see pain housed within them, as well as something else that he couldn't define. One thing he did know, however, was that this man was in need. If he could assist him, then he would be doing the Lord's will. Smiling at the other man, he extended his hand. "I don't believe we have met, though it seems you know my name. Would you please tell me yours?"
"Jack Harkness," Jack said as he clasped Ianto's hand and shook it. He felt himself shiver as Ianto touched his hand. Even his touch was the same, the grip warm and firm.
"Well Master Harkness, perhaps I can help soothe whatever is troubling your soul," Father Ianto said with a smile. He paused as if struck by a sudden thought. "But where are my manners? Please, come with me." With that Father Ianto tugged on Jack's hand, leading him across the square and towards another building that looked like a rectory. "Let us get inside, where I can offer you some refreshment."
Jack hesitated for a moment, torn. He knew that there was no hope for him in this reality, but couldn't help himself from following the other man. He did pull his hand back, as he felt a little uncomfortable with it in Ianto's grasp. The man by his side gave him a reassuring smile as he led the way into the rectory. Voices could be heard somewhere in the building, but Father Ianto turned the corner away from the sound and led the way down a short hallway. Jack noted that this building was built of crystal as well, but that the colors were a dark and murky red which didn't really show anything on the other side of the glass. Jack felt that at least that afforded some privacy for the residents. He smiled to himself as he thought about people living in glass houses. If any group would be eligible to do so, it would be a group of priests, he thought to himself.
Father Ianto opened a doorway and motioned for Jack to go through. Once inside, he offered to take Jack's greatcoat.
"Please, that must be rather warm. Let me take that for you," Father Ianto said. Jack automatically shrugged out of it, habit making him respond to Ianto's request. He felt his hand brush Ianto's as he handed over the garment and he looked away. He had a feeling that it was going to get awkward if he wasn't careful. He turned away as the other man draped his coat over the arm of a chair. He then tugged on the white surplice, removing it and folding it carefully before setting it down on the back of the chair next to Jack's coat.
"Please, sit," Father Ianto implored the man before him. He watched as the man named Jack Harkness sat down on the edge of a settee, almost as if he were poised to get up again. The priest observed the nervous movements of the other man's hands as well as the way he looked at everything other than the only other occupant of the room. This man was clearly uncomfortable, so Father Ianto sought to ease his nervousness. "May I get you some refreshment?" His question brought Jack's gaze back to him.
"I don't want to be any trouble," Jack murmured, confused by the gentle ways of the man before him.
"No trouble at all," Father Ianto said with a serene smile as he stood up again. "I'll just be a moment." He walked to the back of the room and behind an arras which hung from the wall. Jack sat back, trying to make himself relax. It was obvious that the other man had picked up on his nervousness and he sternly told himself to stop worrying. This man was clearly not his Ianto, although his looks and mannerisms were the same. He was also off limits. Jack thought about the other dimensions he had been in so far, and how in each the man he found wasn't right. They were all Ianto, but there was always something different. Something that separated them from the man he had known. The man he had loved. He closed his eyes, feeling his eyes sting. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't notice when Ianto returned. It was only when the scent of the liquid refreshment wafted in his direction that he realized that the priest had returned and had taken his seat again after setting a tray of something that smelled suspiciously like coffee only slightly different, on the table between them. He then poured them both a cup and handed one to Jack. "Perhaps this will help."
"Thank you," Jack said. He had to swallow past a lump in his throat as he looked at the man sitting across from him. He was careful not to touch his hand as he accepted the cup and took a sip. He sighed. Whatever it was, it was good. Not that he could expect anything else, from any incarnation of Ianto that existed.
To be continued…