A/N: this is the first thing I'm publishing on here. Right now it's a one shot, and I don't think I'll add anything else. Please review and all that stuff authors always say in author notes...

Rate T for language and shit.

Disclaimer: Not mine. Duh. Sadly...

Ianto knew he had to do it. He hadn't talked to them in years, but this was definitely a special circumstance. He'd go right to the source, too. No dealing with those half-wits his world called Ministry officials. He was one of the few people who knew where Harry Potter went when he left the wizarding world.

Aliens were invading London, and there was nothing he could do. He and Jack were separated at the moment, looking into the kids thing. After going to his sister, she softly, apprehensively asked him if there wasn't anything his friends from his "old job" could do. They had called the wizarding world that in public when he was still in it. After that… it wasn't brought up anymore.

But, the alien wanted children, Torchwood was blown to bits, and it seemed like the end of the world. Perfect time to contact an old friend with experience with this kind of stuff. Jack wasn't the only one who knew a madly brilliant man. If only contacting the Man Who Concurred was easy.

"Bloody hell," Ianto cursed. The wards outside Harry's ramshackle hut he called a home stung as he tried to pass them.

"I know you know I'm here, mate," Ianto called, getting as close to the invisible wall as he dared.

"So what, 'Puff?" A voice answered from behind him.

"Shit," He cried, spinning in place. "I hate it when you do that!"

"Yes," Harry Potter answered, green eyes sparkling. "But I love your reaction."

"I missed you, you mad man!"

Ianto threw himself into Harry's waiting arms. They embraced for a while before finally pulling away as one. They hadn't know each other during the war, but he had been part of the new DA after Harry went on his mission. He'd lived in the Room of Requirement with Neville and the others during seventh year. It wasn't until after that, when he found Harry on top of the Astronomy Tower. The only one not in the Great Hall celebrating with everyone else, besides him. That night, they'd become fast friends, sharing their life stories with each other. But, all things ended.

"OW!" Ianto rubbed the back of his head, where he'd just been slapped.

"You know what that was for, you git!" Harry yelled at him.

"Yeah, I know, but Lisa…" Ianto trailed off, not sure how to finish that sentence.

"You forget who you're talking to. That was also for Lisa! You idiot!"

Harry's eyes softened at his chagrined look. He always seemed to know everything, these days. One of the perks of being immortal, he imagined. He supposed knowing Harry was what made it so easy to be with Jack. He'd already faced the mortality of life when Harry told him about his Master of Death status.

"Oh!" He was suddenly struck with an idea. "I never even thought to ask you about it, stupid me. Do you know Jack Harkness?"

"Of course, Death hates the man. Never can keep him whenever he gets his hands on him," Harry explained, nonchalantly. Ianto sometimes hated it when he did that, but other times it was so entertaining to listen to Harry complain about Death's constant complaining.

"Right, well...He's kind of- we're, uh- well, you see-"

"You're shagging the man who can't die? Merlin if I'd known you wanted that, I'd have shagged you meself!" Harry joked, letting him into the wards, finally. Standing outside them had been making him jumpy.

"Yes, well. I wanted to ask, can you fix him?"

One look at Harry's face was answer enough.

"Right. That wasn't why I was here, anyway. Have you heard about the children?" Ianto quickly changed the subject, not wanting to dwell. He should've known. If the Doctor couldn't do it, he shouldn't have thought the MoD could've.

"Oh, that. I can't help, you know that. It's not my department. It's yours."

"I know, but I wanted to have you as backup, just in case. Just, keep an eye on the situation, will you?" Ianto wanted to know there was someone he knew could do something, in case. He had a bad feeling about this mission.

"Okay, Ianto, I'll watch." Harry knew just as well as anyone to listen to Ianto's 'bad feeling's. It had helped him save his family once.

"Say hi to everyone for me, will you?" He wasn't sure he wanted them to know he'd been to see Harry and not them, but hoped they'd understand.

"Will do," Harry assured him as he stepped out of the safety of the wards and disappeared with a pop.

(scene from epi -)

"No, Ianto is not dead! I refuse to believe it! Get me a ride to the city, I have someone to see!" Ianto's sister went to push that idiot girl Gwen that her brother didn't like out of the way. She didn't know her brother, not really. Only she did, and she'd be damned if she just sat back and allowed him to die.

"No need, Rhiannon, I'm here."

A man had appeared from nowhere in the cramped room, making Gwen draw her weapon. Rhiannon, however, grabbed him like they were old friends. Her husband left her in capable hands, always one to shy away from crying women, and went to check on the kids- meaning get back to his video game.

"Oh, thank you! Please tell me he's going to be okay!"

"I've brought him back, yes. But, he won't be the same. He'll be alive, but he'll be alive forever. I'm sorry, it was the only way."

"But, like you were telling me the other day, he'll be like his Jack?" Rhi was confused. Harry had tried explaining the whole immortal thing to her, before giving up.

"More or less, yes. I gave him my one free pass. It was supposed to be if I ever found someone, a soul mate, but...I think he deserves this."

"Oh, Harry!" Rhiannon embraced him again, tears soaking his shirt. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, Rhi, he'll be happy this way."

"Can someone please explain what the bloody hell is going on!?" Gwen wouldn't be ignored, it seemed. Harry sighed.

"I've been watching you, Gwen Cooper. I don't like what I've seen. All you need to know, little girl, is that I'm a friend of Ianto's- a real friend of Ianto's." He sneered like a Slytherin at her. He knew she was highly offended by being called a little girl, especially by someone who looked not a day over eighteen. It pleased him more than he'd expected, but he wasn't all that surprised. Anyone would be a little corrupt after the life he'd had.

"Hey, don't talk to her like that!" Andy chimed in, as always. Poor friend-zoned Andy.

"Some person she is, pining after a taken man, and settling for Rhys when he rejects her! Not to mention the cheating and drugging!" Gwen's deer caught in the headlights look was priceless, along with Andy's shock.

"Oh, yes, I know about that!" Harry gleefully continued.

"Are you-?" Gwen could hardly stomach her next words. "The Doctor?"

"That old coot? Well, I could see why you would think so. But, no. I'm much cooler."

There was a pause, no one quite sure what to say to that. Those that knew of the Doctor, knew what that could mean. The man was most likely not human. It was another thing Ianto had apparently kept from the team. Those that knew Harry (just Rhiannon), couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"You're joking! You're an old coot as well, Harry! No sense in denying it!" She kept laughing, hysterically now she knew her brother was safe. A thought sobered her quickly.

"Are my children safe now?" She demanded of her brothers friend.

"I'm afraid that's still something that needs to be dealt with," Harry told her, ignoring the gun still pointed at him. He had to give her credit for arm strength, he supposed.

"I'll get right on it, Rhi."

With that, he disappeared as if he'd never been there. Rhiannon didn't react, having seen her brother do it frequently when he'd first gotten his apparition license. He could never manage it silently, something she knew meant the wizard had to be ruddy powerful to be able to do. She suspected Harry did it to show off, and she'd be right.

"Hello, Jack," came a voice from beside him. He didn't know the voice, but he immediately thought of his Doctor. Only he could say his name exactly so. Sarcastic, a hint of exasperation, and altogether incredibly fond. Even Ianto didn't-. He cut off the thought and looked at the man the voice came from. He'd never seen him before, but he had a familiar feel to him. He felt like something he'd brushed thousands upon thousands of times; Death.

Jack didn't reply as he usually would, faced with indecision. Both men ignored the guns now pointed at the newcomer. Johnson shut up and Alice stood shocked.

"You can't fix it. Not the way you've just found you can. You know what Ianto would've said," at this Jack sucked in a breath. "He'd say there was another way. He'd make sure there was, because there's no way this wouldn't haunt you the rest of your so very long life."

"There isn't another way." Jack whispered to him, resolved despite this man who knew Ianto. He would live with it if it meant saving the world. He would have to, either way.

"Jack, I'll do it."

At this, he looked at the man- though, now he thought about it, he was more of a boy- bewildered.

"How?"

"Same way that silly Doctor man does it. With brilliance, sarcasm, and a touch of insanity."

He smirked at the immortal, before tampering with the computer, shoving Jack out of the way. He mumbled to himself, while tapping seemingly at random keys. Jack caught "no more death today," and "mustn't tell 'Mione about this...never hear the end of it," before the mumbles became incoherent.

Jack stood back, telling the soldiers to stand down. Thankfully they listened, because the man-boy seemed unconcerned about the many guns pointed at him. He wasn't sure what to make of this new person who came from literally nowhere, but seemed to know Ianto well.

"I'll need you to set everything up the way you would've if you'd used Steven. Don't worry Alice, your son is safe from harm. In fact, you should go home now, you won't want to see this."

Alice immediately left to get her son.

"What are you thinking?" Jack asked. He couldn't help but get into the swing of things now. It was just like with the Doctor, or an exciting day at the office. He couldn't help but feel enthusiastic now he knew he wouldn't have to sacrifice his grandson.

"I'm thinking I'll take Steven's place."

The still unnamed man continued on muttering and tinkering, not taking any mind to anyone else.

"But, you need a child!" Mr. Dekker interrupted. Not a wise move, on his part.

"No, Mr. Dekker. They use children, so it would be ideal to have a child. I can work around that." His glare intensified on Dekker before he moved on, taking no notice to the guns pointed at him again when Dekker fell dead to the ground.

"Who are you?" Jack was as mystified as he always was in the Doctor's presence. Had he just killed a man with a glare?

"Mustn't worry, everyone, you all know he was a horrid individual. As for who I am, you'll have to ask Ianto."

"Ianto's d-dead." Jack lost his childlike wonder at the reminder. The man-boy made a noise in the back of his throat and motioned him to get to work.

"You'll do the last bit, yeah?"

Jack stared at him, not sure why he'd let this go on.

"You said you could get around using a child," He started. "I want you to use me. I'll just wake up later, so no harm done. Why sacrifice yourself?"

"Oh, Jack, you don't even know me and you're already lining up for slaughter. We're going to be a disaster together after this."

The man-boy's eyes showed incredible fondness and mischief. Jack didn't know what to make of it, so he just watched as he got on the platform they'd set up. Then he realized he hadn't had his question answered.

At his look, the dark-haired young looking man chuckled. "Don't worry, Harkness, I'm harder to kill than you are."

He knew what that meant, of course, so he didn't hesitative before finishing the sequence on the computers and standing back to watch. It was a horrible thing to watch, too. The blood, the pain in the eyes, the convulsing. He was glad when it ended. Nobody moved, not sure what to do now. It was obvious the boy'd lied. He was dead.

"Give him a sec," came another voice from nowhere. This one he knew. He made a strangled noise and hurriedly turned toward the man the voice belonged to.

"Ianto," he breathed. He didn't move. He couldn't move.

"Harry always was dramatic, after the war. He's like you when it comes to his death. Never a dull moment."

"Ianto," Jack repeated, unbelieving, but hopeful.

"Jack."

"But- how?"

"I brought him back. Forever." Harry answered, coming back to himself slowly. He'd never actually died like that before. Since his last death, he'd really just become indestructible, not like Jack coming back again and again.

"Forever?" Jack turned to Harry with hope shining in his teary eyes.

"Forever," Ianto repeated, amused, despite himself. He wasn't sure what Jack's reaction would be, him living forever like this. Their relationship would change, of course. Now there was hope for it lasting, but he didn't know if Jack wanted that with him.

He didn't have to wait long before he had his arms full of Jack and a mouth full of tongue. Harry whistled from somewhere to the left of him.