Summary: When you live forever, losing the one's you love is inevitable. Or is it?

A/N: This story happens at an unspecified time, so no spoilers, really.

Time After Time

When Ianto Jones finally passed on, he found himself surrounded by bright light instead of the darkness he expected. It was almost blinding, and all he could see was a figure of indeterminate gender dressed in white. The being addressed him right away. "You must move on now."

"Move on?" Ianto responded. "Move on where? Where am I?"

"You're between" was the answer. "You must move on to your next life."

"So I'll be born again. That explains why Jack has never been here."

"One day he will be, but not for a long time", said the white being. "Nothing lives forever, not even the universe and not even Jack. But to him it will still feel like an eternity."

"Will I get to see him again? Will I ever be with him again?"

The being laughed. "But you're with him every time. Every great love in his life, every one who's death he thought he could never bear, they've all been you. Even before his immortality, when he was part of the cycle of death and rebirth, you were always together. You just don't remember those lives."

"Does Jack know this?"

"No, he falls in love with you every time, but he doesn't realize that it's really the same soul he's falling in love with."

"But that's so cruel!" Ianto sputters. "You mean he has to keep losing me over and over again and never know that I'll come back to him? Why is he being punished like this?"

"He's not being punished", says the being. "But it is a heavy burden that he bears. Humanity needs him like this. He still has so much to do, and no one else has the strength to live this kind of life or has his capacity for hope and forgiveness. Any other person would go insane or want more and more power and control over everyone. Jack has stayed sane and devoted his life to protecting humanity, often without acknowledgement or thanks. No one could replace him. One day he will be able to rest, and then you will be reborn together, but that is a long way off."

"But he's so alone", Ianto murmurs. "Can I see him before I go on? Can I tell him? I don't want him to grieve for me when I'm coming back to him."

"You can see him, and you can try to tell him. But he won't hear you if he's awake, and it will seem as a dream to him if he's asleep."

"I'll take my chances. I have to at least try to comfort him. He deserves at least that much."

"So be it."

In an instant, Ianto found himself at Jack's bedside. He took a few moments to watch him sleep, as he used to do. But this time there were no smiles, just the stain of tears on his cheeks. Ianto leaned over and started to whisper in his ear, hoping that Jack would hear him and remember.

"Don't cry for me, Jack. I'm not gone. It's just going to take a while for me to come back to you. I've always been there Jack. My name and face kept changing, but it was always me. It always has been and always will be, from the beginning of time until the end of everything. I'll always be with you. I have to go now, but I'm coming back. I promise I'll find you as soon as I can. Just hold on and don't give up." With that, Ianto disappeared, and Jack stirred in his sleep, but there were no more tears.

Twenty-three years later, Jack is walking down the street when his eye is caught by a young man who is staring at him and smiling. Jack is sure he has never seen him before, but something about him seems achingly familiar. The young man approaches him and introduces himself. "I'm Ioan, and you're the infamous Jack Harkness."

"How do you know who I am?" Jack replies.

"Oh please. Everyone knows who you are. You're not exactly a subtle person. Besides, I've been watching you for a while now. I thought you would have noticed by now."

Without knowing why he's saying it, Jack finds himself telling Ioan "If you're looking for a job in Torchwood, there isn't one for you. And stop following me or I'll wipe your memory."

"I'm not interested in Torchwood, I'm interested in you." Ioan grinned. "I'll go for now, if that's what you want. But I must warn you, I'm very patient and very persistent." As he was leaving, he tossed one last comment over his shoulder. "By the way", he said with a smirk, "love the coat." Jack shivered and stared as the young man walk away.

Months later, Jack has finally given in. He's been happy with Ioan, but one night, as he watches him sleep, Jack feels guilty for his happiness. He promised Ianto he would never forget him and promised himself he would never love anyone else that much, yet here he is feeling like he's falling in love all over again. What kind of person does that make him? "What am I doing?" he says to himself.

Ioan stirs in his sleep, eyes barely open, and murmurs "Love you Jack."

Jack answers back, though he's sure Ioan can't hear him. "You hardly know me, and you're too young to know what love really is."

Ioan continues to mumble in his sleep. "I told you I'd come back, Jack. I told you I'd find you as soon as I could."

Jack is stunned. But that was just a dream, wasn't it? It was just something his mind made up to help him deal with the grief. Somehow though, he knows it's all true. All the loves of his life were really just one, and he was here with him once again. It was a gift that seemed to lighten the burden of the long years ahead of him.

Ioan smiled in his sleep as Jack wrapped his arms around him. He was right where he belonged.

If you're interested in writing about Ianto's other lives feel free, but I'd appreciate it if you'd let me know first and reference the original story.