ONE MONTH AFTER CHILDREN OF EARTH/ELEVEN MONTHS TO MIRACLE DAY
He walked, now.
Ianto had always wanted them to go on walks.
He paced the inside of the flat they'd shared, the warehouse that had temporarily served as Torchwood Three, and the short distance to his sister's home. He never spoke to her,though she'd seen his passing by numerous times.
He saw Ianto on these walks. It began as a small shadow that seemed to follow him around, but over time, it had begun to take form. Now, he saw the Welshman's face. Sometimes it was twisted with pain, sometimes it was serene, at peace.
He knew that it was wrong and that it wasn't actually Ianto, but he couldn't seem to bring himself out of his hallucinogenic state. It was an incredible feeling, seeing his lover again. Even if it wasn't real. Maybe it wasn't so much that he couldn't, but rather, he didn't want to.
THREE MONTHS AFTER CHILDREN OF EARTH/NINE MONTHS TO MIRACLE DAY
Jack lay awake in bed, staring at the ceiling. They'd rented a flat in an older building and the building made noises when the wind blew. And the wind always blew in Cardiff.
He saw something move out of the corner of his eye. He bolted upright and pulled his Webley from under his pillow, aiming it at the door.
"Ianto." Jack breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the Welshman leaning against the doorframe. "You scared me half to death. I almost shot you!"
"Wouldn't have mattered, Jack." He strode over and perched on the edge of the bed. "Might have hurt the wood, but I would have been fine."
"Right." Jack muttered, roughly shoving the pistol back under his pillow.
"Aw, don't be like that. I'm here now." He didn't move to touch the man, but his voice was gentle and soothing. "Lie down."
Jack did as he was told, feeling rather like a child. He yanked the covers up to his chin and glared at Ianto. "I can't sleep."
"Why not?"
"Fucking house creaks."
"It's talking, that's all." He smiled fondly at his lover.
"Yeah? What's it saying?"
"Telling you to close your eyes."
Jack rolled his eyes, but then did as the house said.
"There now." Ianto whispered. "I love you, Jack."
"I love you, too. I miss you." Tears began to slide down his cheeks.
SIX MONTHS AFTER CHILDREN OF EARTH/SIX MONTHS BEFORE MIRACLE DAY
Jack was big into memories now. Before Ianto was killed, he never really took the time to dwell on the past. Now, he couldn't seem to stop himself. There was one day in particular that he enjoyed visiting over and over.
It had been a fairly normal day at the Hub. The five were trying hard to find work to do, as the rift had been quiet for almost a week. Owen had gone out to pick up lunch for the team, and when he returned, his shoulders were covered in white powder.
"It's snowing, Guys."
The team raced to the tourist office to look outside. Jack supposed it was a bit silly to see five grown adults excited over a bit of frozen water, but it was a rare occurrence in Cardiff.
"Alright. Day's finished. Everyone go home." Jack spun on his heel, grabbed Ianto's hand, and dragged him down to his office.
"Sir?" Ianto asked, confused when Jack began tossing clothes at him from the supply closet.
"We're going outside." The Immortal's voice was muffled by the closet.
"But it's cold." The Welshman frowned.
"That's an order, Mr. Jones." His tone was firm, but it was obvious that he was joking.
"Oh, fine." Ianto grinned and pulled on a heavy jacket and snowboots.
Jack did the same, but refused to change his greatcoat. They looked a bit ridiculous as they headed outside, but neither of them minded.
The day went by quickly. It started with a long walk around the area, admiring the snow on the trees and buildings. Then Jack decided he wanted to make a snow Slitheen. It didn't matter that Ianto had absolutely no idea what a Slitheen looked like, but that's what they were going to make. Once that was finished, they had a vicious snowball fight.
The day ended with Jack pouncing on Ianto and knocking him to the ground because he couldn't stand to lose. This turned into an almost-shag in front of the Hub. Finally managing to pull themselves apart, they hurried into the building and into Jack's bunker.
Hours later, as Ianto lay on his chest, sleeping off his exhaustion, Jack had a realization.
He loved him.
ONE HOUR BEFORE MIRACLE DAY
Jack knew that he had completely lost touch with reality.
He saw Ianto everywhere now. It was causing problems in his everyday life, and he had absolutely no idea what to do. At work, he was sullen and withdrawn. At home, he spent his time speaking to a man who was long dead.
One night, he lay on the sofa staring at Ianto, who was perched on the armrest.
"What's troubling you, Love?" The Welshman asked softly.
"Can't do this anymore." Jack replied, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples. "I miss you so fucking much."
"I miss you too."
"I need to see you."
"I know."
"It could be so easy." He sighed angrily. "If I was normal, I could just take a few pills, go to sleep, and be with you again."
"I know. Look, you need to take your mind off of this. I don't like where your mood is headed." Ianto ghosted his hand over Jack's leg, and the man swore he could almost feel it.
"Yeah." He grumbled and clicked the power button on the remote. The screen lit up, and the nightly news began to play.
"People are now referring to the events as Miracle Day." The female reporter said, shuffling her blank papers on the desk.
Jack bolted upright and listened closely. Once the report was finished, he muted the television and turned to Ianto, who hadn't moved.
"Do you think," he began, "that the opposite works as well?"
"I don't know. Maybe."
"We're going to find out." The Immortal stood and hurried into the kitchen. He returned with a half-full bottle of Valium that Ianto had been prescribed during the year that never was.
"Jack, if it doesn't work, it will just end up hurting you."
"Don't care." The man effortlessly popped the top and shook a few pills into his hand. "I have to try." He tossed them back and repeated the process a few times. Once the bottle was empty, he set it on the coffee table and lay back down on the sofa.
"How do you feel?" Ianto asked, peering down from his perch.
"Sleepy, actually." Jack answered. "Wait for me, Darling. I'm on my way. I'll see you when I fall asleep."
His eyes slid closed and his breathing grew more steady.
And slower.
And slower.
And then stilled.
His body went limp.
And he was gone.
When he opened his eyes again, everything was white. He saw a figure in the distance, and it began walking toward him. As it neared, he saw that it was Ianto.
The Welshman stood before him, wearing his usual three-piece suit and his charming smile. "Hello, Jack. Welcome home."