The Believer of Fairytales
Pairings: Jack/Ianto mentions of Ianto/Lisa
A/N: This chapter is based on number 14 in my oneshot, Eighteen Truths about Ianto Jones. It does not follow that fic completely. I'm just using an idea!If you're curious about it check it out though!
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'Real love is forever.' –Tagline from The Crow
'Life itself is the most wonderful fairytale of all.' –Hans Christian Anderson
'For those who immerse themselves in what the fairy tale has to communicate, it becomes a deep, quiet pool which at first seems to reflect only our own image; but behind it we soon discover the inner turmoils of our soul - its depth, and ways to gain peace within ourselves and with the world, which is the reward of our struggles.' –Bruno Bettelheim
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Once upon a time, there was a boy named Ianto Jones who believed in fairy tales. When Ianto was a small boy his Mam would tell him all kinds of stories. She talked of brave knights, dashing princes, evil witches, and damsels in distress. Little Ianto would curl up next to his mother and dreamed. She would weave him the stories of Bearskin, Cap O'Rushes, Cinderella, Jack Frost, Aladdin, Frog Prince, Little Match Girl, Rapunzel, Snow White and Rose Red, and so many more stories. Little Ianto's mam knew them all it seemed, and Ianto was captivated by it. Little Ianto's father didn't know much about fairy tales except one that had a tailor in it. Little Ianto would share a secret grin with his mother because fairy tales were their thing and theirs alone. It inspired little Ianto, all of age four and very grown up, to choose his dream.
He would dream that one day he would find a princess and be a brave noble knight to her. One day he dreamed of fight off the clever wicked witch and slaying the ferocious evil dragon to save that princess. Ianto wanted to be a knight and protect the ones he loved. His mam smiled and told him that it was a fine dream.
When little Ianto was seven years old and not as little anymore; his mother bought him his first chapter book. It was Peter Pan and it was the first book Ianto stayed up all night reading. He finished the book at ten o'clock at night, feeling very grown up because ten at night was late for a six year old, and dreamed off flying off to Neverland. Ianto told his mother this. She gave him a sad smile and said,
"Ah my sweet mab, I don't know what I'll do if you fly off to Neverland. Who else will I tell my stories to? You're sisters and brothers are too old to listen to me chatter about make believe. I need you here, Ianto."
Little Ianto, who was not quite so little anymore, gave his mother a nod and a smile because while he did not understand what she was saying he hated to see her upset. That night Ianto added another dream to his list.
When little Ianto would get just a little bit older, he would find Peter Pan. Together they would go flying and face off Captain Hook.
When little Ianto's mother got sick when he was twelve; he stopped being little Ianto. Little Ianto hid in his head and Little Ianto became Ianto. He watched his mother die slowly. He would sit next to her and listen as she wove with shaky unsteady breath the stories he would beg her to tell as a child. Ianto would hold her hand and listen with a breaking heart as she told the stories to him one more time. She only took pauses as her youngest son gave her ice chips and changed her hat. He would record the tales on a tape recorded and listen to them at home, where he wrote them all out in seven different notebooks.
Then the day came when she couldn't tell her stories anymore. Ianto stood there with dry eyes, and swore to himself that even if it hurt he would still believe. Ianto added another dream to the list.
One day he would pass on the stories his mam told him. He would help people deal with the pain and let their inner child free.
Years later, Ianto was eighteen and set out to the university. He was ready to make his fortune in the world. He was ready to follow his dreams. He set out in an obsecenly old Volkswagen Beetle that was his trusty steed, and went to find his place in the world.
He found his princess two months in. It wasn't a big battle between evil and good. He didn't rescue her from a horrible witch (well did her biology professor count as a witch?). He didn't have to slay a vicious fire breathing dragon. No all Ianto did was catch her when she tripped down the stairs.
She looked up at him, and Ianto felt his breath get caught in his throat. She was like an exotic princess. Her chocolate skin made deeper by the cream sweater she was wearing. Her soft, sweet smelling black hair was pulled back and held with a giant clip. The moment her dark brown eyes met his, Ianto was under her spell.
It was a cordial romance. Ianto took an old world approach. He would leave her roses in spots she frequented. He wrote her poetry. He called her father to ask permission to date his daughter. Mr. Hallet was shock but consented to the odd Welsh boy, who was obviously in love with his daughter.
Ianto immediately began to woo (his word) Lisa. He took her out for dancing and dining. He would make her picnics and bring her coffee on the nights she would have to pull all nighters. It went on like that for years. Ianto treating Lisa like a princess while Lisa made Ianto her prince. They were swiftly heading to the ending of happily ever after, where there was a cookie cutter house, a white picket fence, three kids, and a dog. Instead they were both approached by Torchwood.
When Ianto was twenty one years old, he went to work as a junior researcher in Torchwood. He still believed in fairy tales. He hasn't told them to Lisa yet, but he made sure that she felt like she was living in one. He wasn't a man of action at this point. He was a prince to his princess but instead of witches and dragons. It was aliens, dangerous technology, a witch named Yvonne Hartman and enigmatic man called 'The Doctor'.
Then one day when Ianto was twenty two and a half years old, there was a great battle. Ianto ran and fought hard and valiantly. He used pieces of tech he knew how to work. He watched as brave noble friends die and the man called 'The Doctor' saved what was left of them. He fought and became bitter at the world. He ignored the fairy tales sitting in seven different notebooks hidden in a trunk in his closet. Ianto became a brave knight that day, because he saved his beloved. He saved the princess with the metal skin.
So Ianto set out into the world again with the princess hidden away. He went out to seek his fortune and found it in the Kingdom of Cardiff. He stalked a brave knight named Jack, and was able to convince him to allow him to be his teaboy. He took him to the wonders of Torchwood Cardiff where Ianto met a cast of characters.
There was Suzie, a cold beauty that reminded Ianto of a snow queen. He wouldn't go near her except when it was necessary. Then there was Owen, a snarky lonely doctor who took torment in teasing Ianto. He knew that Ianto was once a knight and prince but he lost his way. Ianto responded with equal dried bored sarcasm because all he thought about was the metal princess in the basement. Finally there was Tosh, who was quiet sweet and shy, a maiden with a fast clever brain and a great wit only Ianto could see.
When Ianto was twenty three, Suzie killed herself and Gwen joined the team. Gwen played the compassionate knight, who wanted to know about everything and everyone. Ianto could tell that she was the girl that waited for her prince. She found that prince in Jack.
Ianto called upon a doctor, who was supposed to cure his metal princess. Instead Ianto realized with horror that his princess had turn into a metal monster. Still he could not kill but the team did that for him.
That was the day Ianto lost faith in fairy tales a little bit.
During the mourning period when all Ianto had was time to think and nothing else to do. He went to the old trunk and pulled out the seven notebooks with the fairytales inside. He opened the first one and began to read. He read one tale a day and began to write out his own.
By the time his suspension was lifted. A girl had been kidnapped by fairies and that night Ianto read Peter Pan, and he mourned for the Lost Girl. He still offered comfort to Jack because Ianto knew that knights had tough decisions to make. People live or die based on those decisions. The teaboy understood that all too well.
Ianto met the real human monsters that feasted on flesh. He became the knight again and tried to defend Tosh. She could live while Ianto died. He just prayed that someone would find the notebooks and pass on the fairytales. He was unsuccessful the monsters had the team and one was readying to kill him. Ianto closed his eyes and readied himself for the great beyond. Then Jack burst in with a tractor as a steed, and looking every bit of a night. He defeated the monsters and Ianto's faith in knights was restored.
After the events with the human monsters, Ianto found his old list of childhood goals. He sat there at his desk in the archives and smiled a little bit. He then realized that his life was a twisted fairytale.
He wasn't a prince, knight, or anything of importance. He was just the teaboy, who helped the heroes. He found his Peter Pan (please he knew that Jack was immortal the archives gave him all the clues needed) in a flirtatious Captain. He fought aliens and inner demons, which were much scarier than fire breathing dragons and clever witches. Ianto sighed because what could a teaboy do when he was surrounded by brave a noble knights?
Then inspiration struck. He had a story to tell, an incomplete fairytale and he someone to share it with. So he began to write and he wrote for four hours straight. The little boy who believed came out in a vengeance talking about his mam, his dreams, his metal princess, and the immortal knight. During the course of this Ianto realized that he liked Jack.
He finished up the unfinished fairytale and took out a new notebook. He wrote at the top of the page.
The Teaboy and the Immortal: A Fairy Tale In Progress
Ianto smiled a secret smile. He took the unfinished fairytale and one of the notebooks with his mother's tales and went to find his love again.
Once upon a time, there was a broken teaboy named Ianto and an immortal Captain named Jack…
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H.N.: ENJOY! Please review! Chapter seven of Ianto or Harry should be up soon!