BEYOND THE VALE.
Ianto Jones paused behind the wheel of his car. Thick rain slapped onto the windscreen and he half wondered why the rift couldn't be somewhere more exotic like the South of France or the Caribbean. Cardiff of all places. The young Welshman smiled for no good reason and braced himself for the short sprint into his house. He was almost soaked through by the time he got inside his front door. Half way through taking his coat off his mobile rang. It was Jack. Ianto caught his breath as he spoke.
"Hello Jack, missing me already?"
He listened and shrugged his soggy coat back on. More trouble. It didn't matter; trouble gave him something to do, allowed him to be a part of something he was proud of. Above all it meant being closer to Jack, the only thing about Torchwood that was finally making any sense to him.
"I'll make my way back then and stop off at Costa on the way. I don't suppose anyone's had a chance to eat breakfast yet."
Arriving back at the Hub with hot donuts and lattes brought welcome smiles to the faces of his team mates. Everyone was a bit jaded after a frustrating night trawling through the Cardiff sewers looking for a rogue weevil. Even Jack looked fed up but he managed a brilliant smile that melted Ianto's heart. Gwen tucked into a pink iced donut.
"Rhys had made me such a lovely breakfast too." She said with a wistful sigh. "So why am I missing breakfast in bed, Harkness?"
"Yes, Jack it had better be good." Owen went to the couch and plonked himself down. "Some sleep this week might make a nice change, you know before you lot turn into werewolves or something."
"You mean we're not them now?" Gwen couldn't resist.
"Well may be you are." Ianto added smiling at her.
"Now then children." Jack smiled at Ianto. "We've had a call from Archie in Glasgow." He announced dramatically.
"What's this another Loch Ness Monster? Oh please no, that last one turned out to be made of industrial strength latex." Owen and Toshiko exchanged long-suffering looks.
"And I'm not going to Scotland there is way too much countryside up there and we all know the country side is full of nutters."
"Owen shut up for a minute." Gwen snapped. "Go on." She instructed a rather bemused Jack.
"Thank you Gwen. Ok no rubber monsters and no nutters, I promise. Archie got a call from an archaeology professor. Apparently they found some interesting bones so he's couriered them down to us, thought we might be better equipped to analyse them. They should arrive later today. From what he has told me I think we should investigate."
Toshiko finished sucking the icing off her fingertips. "What sort of bones?"
"Human. Apparently they have some odd features and therefore you Owen will be the perfect person to study them."
Owen wasn't sure whether he was being insulted or not. "Is that because I am odd or because I am a doctor or maybe it's because I am dead?"
"Actually I'm not sure. Toshiko can you do a local history search, check out everything from the weather to the folklore. The place is called Rossheath just outside of Inverness."
"Sure I can do that, how far back?"
"As far as you can. Ianto, Gwen and I will head up North…."
Ianto put down his coffee. "I'll get some flights organised then shall I?"
Jack shook his head. "We'll drive. I don't trust baggage handlers and I haven't got round to getting us our own private jet yet. Just find us somewhere nice and cosy to stay, it's cold up there."
Ianto nodded. "Consider it done."
"Jack do I really need to go?" Gwen did not relish the prospect of telling Rhys she'd be away again, she also thought that Jack and Ianto might want some time alone together.
Jack gifted her with a knowing smile. "Bring Rhys we could make it a foursome!"
"What?" Gwen and Ianto said at the same time.
"Joking guys. Ok, Gwen stay here. Actually you can carry on with the database updates, just for fun."
Gwen rolled her eyes. "I asked for that really didn't I?"
Jack's smile widened.
It was amazing to watch Ianto drive. Somehow he just instinctively seemed to know where he could speed safely, avoiding all the traffic hold ups and safety cameras with serene calm. Jack had not intended to leave all the driving up to Ianto, but he dozed off somewhere along the M6, just past Birmingham and didn't wake up until they were crossing the Fourth Bridge bathed in a beautiful Dundee sunset. Radio 2 babbled away at them in the background. Ianto sneaked a quick glance as Jack guiltily roused himself and told Ianto to pull over in the next lay-by so he could take over the wheel. Ianto was happy to give it up, having been awake for over 22 hours.
"You should've woken me earlier." Jack said as they swapped positions.
"You needed the sleep. Anyway I prefer my driving to yours."
Jack wasn't sure how to take that and his expression demanded an explanation from his friend.
Ianto sort of smiled. " You're too rough on the clutch and always grinding the gears. It's like being on a bus when you're behind the wheel."
They headed off into the dusky Scottish hills and the beginnings of a clear starry night. Jack was looking very unimpressed.
Back at the Hub and six pots of coffee later Tosh and Gwen were lamenting the absence of Ianto's fine brewing skills and unpacking bubble wrapped bones from boxes. Twenty boxes in all, rather more than they were anticipating. Owen kept muttering something about being there until Christmas until he extracted something curious that took his attention completely. He held up what was with out doubt a human skull. He carefully turned it over in his long hands.
"Wow." Escaped him.
Gwen and Tosh looked up waiting with bated breath. Owen didn't notice.
"Well Owen don't keep us in suspense." Gwen demanded. Owen glanced up and tossed the skull. Gwen lunged only just managing to catch it. She immediately saw why it was of interest. Etched into the bone above the eye sockets was an elaborate silvery spiral pattern interwoven with complex geometric shapes. The markings glittered brightly under the light like polished crystal. She passed it to Tosh, who examined it carefully.
"What a beautiful pattern. It reminds me of…."
"Crop circles." Owen interrupted. "And here's another one. I think I shall run these through a few tests. It might not be such a boring day after all." He looked more animated than he had done all morning. "Gwen can you help me clear a big floor space, I think we will have to lay these chaps out properly to get a better look."
Gwen nodded.
Tosh was busy at her terminal. "Well I've found those patterns and they're not crop circles. They are pictish symbols."
"What?"
"Pictish. The Picts, the Scottish equivalent of the ancient Britons. They used to carve their symbols onto stones. If the carbon dates match the style of the etchings then I'd guess those bones are approximately two thousand years old give or take a century or two."
Owen shook his head. "No way are these bones that old. They must be recent to be in such good condition."
Jack glared at the offending flat tyre. Ianto had been more upset about the squashed rabbit. Freezing late night air clung around them in a halo of torchlight. Ianto stood there like a sentinel with a lantern as Jack swapped the wheels over.
"It's a lovely night," Ianto commented gazing heavenward, "and it sounds like the others are making some progress with the bones. Owen says they've got twenty people."
"Well it does seem a little odd. I'm surprised they didn't contact the police instead of us." Jack picked up the tools and dumped them into the box in the boot.
"If you don't mind Jack, I'll drive. I couldn't face burying another rabbit."
Jack blew into his cold hands to warm them. "My dear Ianto…."
"That was the second one you hit. I mean if you've a rabbit problem, you could've said. Perhaps that illusive doctor of yours could fix it. I could always call Anti Pesto and have Wallace and Gromit sort it out for you."
Jack burst into deep laughter. An hour later the wheels of the car crunched along a stony driveway. They pulled up outside a granite cottage snuggled amid a cluster of old pines. There was a pink 'post it' note stuck on the front door. 'Mr Jones, Keys are under the blue flower box enjoy your stay.'. Jack found them and unlocked the door. They stepped in; Ianto had done his magic, warm and cosy. It was just what they needed.
Owen stood back and jammed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He surveyed the neatly arrayed skeletons on the tiled floor.
"God, its like a Time Team convention."
Toshiko smiled at the remark. It was 2am and Jack had just called them for an update.
"Ok Jack, what we've got are twenty complete adult human skeletons of indeterminate gender. They have the same build and matching characteristics. Each skull has a unique pattern etched into the forehead. The metallic stuff inside the patterns is silvery and quite soft bit like mercury but not. All the bones are exhibiting normal levels of radiation; they have suffered no damage due to disease or injury during life or post mortem. Interestingly the bones could have been buried yesterday, they are in excellent condition."
"That's strange." Jack's voice rattled out of the monitor speakers. "What about the patterns?"
Tosh took over. "Each one appears to match patterns found locally on Pictish symbol stones. There are lot of them in Scotland dating back a couple of millennia. I've no translations though. I'm emailing you what I've got on those. There's not much out of the ordinary, just some local wives tale about a cave in a hollow, but no specific location for it and there are no caves marked of any of the latest maps for that area. I'm still going through possible missing persons and murders etc." She tapped away on her keyboard and glanced up at Jack's web cammed face on her screen. "That's it for now."
"Ok. Go home and get some sleep. We'll touch base tomorrow evening."
"Right. Jack I was wondering if these bodies were clones." Owen was looking at his own report sheet as he spoke. "I mean what else could they be?"
"DNA?"
"Should have those results along with the radio carbon dates in the morning. I've taken the liberty of sending a couple of samples to UNIT in case they find something we don't."
"Ok. When you speak to Bob, give him my love and remind him that he owes me chocolate."
Owen shook his head. "I won't ask why. Speak to you tomorrow."
"Yes. Thank you and goodnight."
"Night Jack."
Jack turned off the laptop and closed the screen down. Ianto passed him a mug of tea.
"I thought you'd gone to bed." Jack commented with a nod of thanks for his tea.
"I decided I'd make sure there weren't any rabbits in the house, just in case you felt the urge to tread on one." Ianto replied, deadpan. He leant forward and kissed the top of Jack's head. "And now my work is done."
Gwen didn't want to get out of bed. She snuggled up to Rhys who was still asleep beside her. She dozed only to be disturbed an hour later by the phone ringing. Rhys was no longer beside her. Gwen reached for the receiver and immediately wished she hadn't as the vapid voice of her mother in law rattled offensively in her ear. An hour and a half later she stepped into the hub nursing a frown and bad headache. Toshiko was at her terminal looking refreshed and glamorous as ever. Owen was talking in the autopsy room, presumably with Jack on the videophone. Gwen went to her desk and dumped her bag and jacket on it. Tosh smiled at her.
"Hi Gwen."
"Sorry I am so late."
Toshiko shrugged. "I think we were all a bit late in this morning. Owen is just catching up with Jack now."
"Oh well, I guess I should attack that database." Gwen said with out enthusiasm.
Ianto sat studying the map, memorising the route to Rossheath, just in case the sat nav lead him astray again. He had arranged for them to meet Professor Davina Prudence at ten am so they could inspect the site of the archaeology dig. Another undoubtedly, very muddy hole, judging by the wet weather outside. Ianto was quietly grateful, it meant getting out of wearing a suit and into some more comfortable scruffies. He was smiling contentedly to himself when Jack strolled into the room.
"Did I do something funny?"
Ianto shrugged mischievously. "I'll drive then shall I?"
They wandered out to the car at a leisurely pace. Ianto unlocked it.
"Can I ask you something Jack?"
"The answer is yes provided I don't have to wear any thing made of PVC. I guess you're not going to let me splat a few bunnies either." Jack replied indicating the car keys. They got into the car.
Ianto smiled and keyed the ignition. He glanced at Jack beside him and then frowned. "Seatbelt Jack! I've known you for a while now. Why the old style RAF uniform?"
"Why the suits?"
They looked at each other. "I got there first."
"Isn't it dashing and heroic enough? Maybe I need a blue cape or something."
"No Jack, I don't think that's a good idea and you're avoiding the question. So come on tell me."
Jack looked at him. "Truthfully?"
Ianto nodded. "Always."
"Because the real Captain Jack Harkness was a hero in the true sense of the word. World War II was a very dark time in the history of this planet and people like Captain Jack were the lights that kept the darkness at bay. I fitted into that time like no other, because people like him gave me a reason to hang on, made me believe in something again. Sometimes when I died I really didn't want to wake up again because I'd given up hope. I suppose the Second World War made me realise that it isn't up to me anymore. I am like this for a reason. Rose Tyler believed in me so much that she made me eternal, I have to make that count for something."
Jack fastened his seatbelt and looked steadfastly out of the windscreen avoiding Ianto's gaze.
Ianto smiled and briefly grasped his hand. "So what did Owen have to report?"
"You won't get out of telling me about the suits that easily either. Owen thinks those bodies were cloned, the DNA is identical in each."
Ianto took a moment to think before commenting. "If they are, can we be sure they're human?"
"Owen is pretty certain that they are human. Though unlikely to be from Earth."
It was only a short drive along darkened winding roads shrouded by forest pines. The heavy rain made the tarmac slick and almost impossible to see. They pulled up in front of a row of grey cottages and Ianto grabbed his gortex coat from the back seat.
"This is going to be really dirty." Ianto groaned.
Jack arched his eyebrows. "The whole wet muddy look not doing it for you then? It could be fun?"
"Don't go there Jack. Is that Professor Prudence do you suppose?"
"Looks like it could be."
They stepped out into the frigid rain that stung their faces.
"Gentlemen, you must be from Torchwood?" There was no hint of a Scottish accent in the petite woman's shrill voice.
"Yes ma'am. I'm Captain Jack Harkness and this is Ianto Jones."
They shook hands. "Call me Davina. I'll show you the site."
Ianto grabbed a silver brief case from the boot of the car and the three of them hurried along the path, heads down against the driving rain. The path ended in a style that led into a field. A track could be seen running along the edge under the shadow of dark firs. Their boots sank into squeltchy mud and rotten leaves. Enlarged raindrops slid down from the dense branches above. Soon there were trees on either side of them and they followed a well-trodden path.
"Its just down here. We started the excavations about six weeks ago. It was when we found the skulls that you were contacted. An old university colleague of mine works in your Glasgow office, but he's into physics not archaeology. He said you'd be interested." The professor explained.
"So why excavate in the first place?" Ianto asked, looking disgustedly down at his new hiking boots, they were leaking.
"Actually the local police. It's all a bit random really. A dog found one of the bones and it's owner called in the police. They weren't in the least bit interested once they'd decided it wasn't recent looking and not connected to that serial killer they are all hunting for up here."
"Serial killer?" Jack looked at Ianto.
"It's been on the news Jack. Children, he kills children by chopping off their hands and feet. I think last count was five victims."
Jack paled slightly. Children. Ianto caught his look.
"I know, perhaps we're investigating the wrong thing here."
Jack nodded, and once again he found himself asking, how did Ianto get to know him so well?
"Anyway," the professor continued. "They decided it wasn't a crime scene so the copper in charge phoned the university and asked us to deal with it. Very exciting for us of course. However the more we dug up the more weird it all became, the whole dig very puzzling."
"Any strange goings on?"
Davina stopped and pulled back the hood of her anorak revealing an oval face framed by grey platted hair. She stared at the oddly dressed man before her.
"You ask me that turning up here looking like you've just stepped out from the battle of Britain!"
Ianto was smiling. "It's one of his more dashing fetishes."
She turned away shaking her head. "I see. Well actually yes. Silly really." She waved her arm. "This way."
They climbed a sharp incline, brambles snatching at their ankles. Below them was a clearing where sat two portaloos, an old careworn caravan and a waterlogged T shaped trench. Jack and Ianto followed the archaeologist to the caravan through more mud and went inside. The caravan smelt of dirt and the air inside was as damp as it was outside. Tools were neatly organised in crates and on shelves and a small trestle table housed a portable camping stove and tea making facilities.
"So what happened?" Jack leant against the doorframe. Ianto stood beside him silver case in hand.
"Well some of the tools would go missing, then turn up a couple of days later, electrical stuff playing up especially the geophysical survey equipment. Some of the students commented about strange smells, two of them got so spooked that they wouldn't come back to the site. They kept complaining about being watched when no one was there."
"And the finds, are they charted?"
Davina looked slightly indignant. "Of course, every last one." She reached under the trestle table and pulled out a plastic tube. Carefully she eased out the site diagrams and splayed them out on the tabletop. Ianto held down one of the corners.
"I sent a rough drawing down to your Cardiff office with the bones. This is where all the leg long bones were found, here the ribs, small bones for feet and hands and vertebrae and here the arm long bones and finally the skulls and pelvis'. It's the weirdest assemblage I have ever seen. So far as I could tell all the bones were cleaned prior to burial and each area has had repeated activity suggesting a long time span. Naturally the deepest bones are most likely the oldest, radio carbon dating will confirm that. I've been doing this for 40 years and this is new to me."
Jack studied the plan carefully.
"So what about pottery, tools, rubbish pits and that sort of thing?" Ianto asked.
"That is the weirdest part of all. Nothing, not a single pot sherd. Just the remains of a recently dead fox."
"These layerings look very precise." Jack commented.
"They are Captain….."
"Call me Jack."
"Jack. Sorry Captain is much more impressive though don't you think?"
She exchanged a smile with Ianto. "Yes the layering is unnaturally precise, everything perfectly aligned and at equally distanced depth."
"Any chance you've left any one behind down there?"
"I believe not, we dug down into what we thought would be layer twenty one and only found a base layer of a different type of soil completely undisturbed."
Ianto gazed out of the dirty window as the professor rolled up her plans.
"Is there anything in the local history to suggest an explanation?" Jack asked helping her stow the draughts.
Davina shook her head. "Only a local wives tale about a cave by the loch, which if it's referring to Ness is almost fifteen miles away from here."
"Nothing in the Parish or council records then?"
"You've been watching too much of Tony Robinson."
Jack frowned.
"Time Team." Ianto explained. Jack's face was still blank. "On the telly Jack."
"Ok." Jack smiled at the professor. "We're going to need to take a look around and run a few tests. No reason for you to get wetter too…"
Davina narrowed her eyes. "Don't fob me off. This is my site. I shall take you round, other wise the health and safety gurus would have my head if you fell down into the trench or something."
"Sure thing, we're very hot on safety at Torchwood." Ianto added glancing at Jack.
Owen and Gwen stood with Tosh clustered around a screen. Jack and Ianto staring down a web cam back at them.
"So where are we at?" Jack was looking cheerful. Owen frowned back. I've spent the whole day with those bones. They are not only alike they are exactly alike. Sample analysis confirms human bone and get this the dating results the most recent one having been buried around June 2006, the earliest approximately AD0007. Each skull is almost precisely 100 years apart from it's predecessor so I am assuming that applies to all of the other bones as well. Other than the normal radiocarbon readings and the inscriptions on the skulls it would be impossible to tell them apart Jack. How the hell did the archaeologists manage it?"
"They were buried in very precise order. I managed to convince the good professor to part with her most excellent site plan; a copy is on its way down to you. She also said she hadn't seen an…….What was the word she used?" Jack turned to Ianto.
"Assemblage Jack."
"Yeah that, she hadn't seen anything like it before. Ianto and I had a good look around the site, nothing seems out of the ordinary all the environmental readings were normal."
"The mystery deepens." Owen commented.
Toshiko smiled at him. "Well to add to it. I ran some checks on the symbols. The only matches have come from Pictish stone carvings. There's no other reference to anything human or alien in our database either. UNIT were unable to identify the metallic substance we pulled out of one of the etchings, though what ever it is it's completely inert. The only recent murders or abductions are of five local children who have had their hands and feet removed the police are currently investigating. A possible link is the reported disappearance of a twelve-year-old boy in 1907, no body ever found but he was living in Inverness at the time. That's it so far." Toshiko pulled off her glasses.
Jack was looking thoughtful. "Ok, I don't think there's much more you can do tonight. Ianto and I will head back tomorrow after we've interviewed some of the students on the dig. The rest of you go home."
"You know I am going to go home and dream about measuring bones now don't you!"
"Owen that comment has connotations you may not want to explore right now."
Tosh and Gwen exchanged grins.
"Goodnight."
"Night Jack."
Ianto sat at the laptop and went online to check his emails. There were two spams and one from his mother's solicitors advising him of the settlement on his mother's will. Jack read the message from over Ianto's shoulder.
"I'll get some drinks." Jack got up.
"There's beer in the fridge for me and Evian for you." Ianto replied closing down the screen. He pushed the laptop away from him and followed Jack to the kitchen.
"The nearest bar is in Inverness, so I took the liberty."
"You always think of everything. Dinner?" Jack passed him a bottle of Beck's.
"I've ordered, it's on its way."
"What time?"
Ianto checked his watch. "About an hour. I didn't think we'd be back here this early."
Jack was smiling at him. "Time for some fun?"
Ianto gave him his usual deadpan look. "Well, if you insist." Ianto put the untouched beer down on the kitchen bench. He grabbed Jack's shirt pulling him close and they kissed deeply Jack running his hands through Ianto's hair and gently pushing him back against the wall. Ianto was undoing the buttons on Jack's shirt when unbelievably his mobile started to ring. Jack pulled back and smiled at him and Ianto dug into his pocket to answer the call as Jack still smiling got his hands under Ianto's shirt and started caressing his neck.
Ianto closed his eyes and spoke into his Nokia.
"Hello. Ian…."
He paused listening and frowned at the voice in his ear. "Yes, professor…Ok yes. No it's fine. We can be there. 20 minutes. No problem." He hung up. "Shit."
Jack froze. "Don't tell me."
Ianto nodded. "There's a problem at the dig site. The professor asked if we'd go out there. She sounded a bit worried."
Jack looked skyward for a moment. "That is so not fair." He planted a brief kiss on Ianto's forehead. Ianto pocketed his mobile and straightened out his shirt.
"What was the problem?" Jack asked resisting the urge to kiss Ianto again.
Ianto was shaking his head with mild amusement. "She reckons a space ship has landed near the trench."
Driving in slanting rain in the dead of night through the unlit remote Scottish countryside gave Ianto the heebies. The wipers on his Renault Megan were wiping full pelt as icy rain slapped on the windscreen completely masking his view of the road. At one point he had slow down to less than 10 miles an hour as the rear wheels started to aqua plane on the wet tarmac as they took a sharp corner in to Ross heath village. They pulled up at the side of the road under the end street light of the only road that ran alongside the row of lonely granite cottages. Wrapped up in their coats with flashlights in their hands and loaded guns in their pockets they made their way down the woodland path towards the trench. Sleet cut at their faces and the wind whipped around them with freezing fury heedless of the sheltering trees. Ianto lead the way torchlight aimed firmly at the ground so he could see where he was putting his feet. He slowly became aware of light ahead and Jack grasped his shoulder to hold him back.
"Wait up." He whispered. They switched off their torches and peered through the rustling branches. It was impossible to see anything clearly and carefully they edged forwards weapons at the ready. The light a pink hue that bled through the undergrowth got brighter as they approached. They crouched down into the bracken at the edge of the clearing. A lone figure was there before them bathed in lilac, almost luminescent. It glided about in the blackness back and fourth over the excavated waterlogged trench. Ianto was transfixed and without thinking he rose to his feet to get a better look. The figure seemed to turn and float and Ianto caught his breath and stepped forwards.
"Ianto! What the fuck are you doing?" Jack hissed reaching out to stop him. But Ianto hadn't heard, he kept walking out into the open and tucked his gun into his coat pocket. The light was reflecting on his face and dancing in his eyes. It coalesced and suddenly dimmed and a naked woman was standing before him.
Jack watched from his hiding place his webley aimed and ready. Ianto just stood there face to face with? Jack couldn't see clearly enough. He cursed and edged a little closer. Had Ianto gone mad?
Ianto smiled, slowly reaching a hand out.
"I'm Ianto." He said encouragingly.
The howling wind suddenly dropped away and the rain stopped falling as more light eminated from with in the feminine figure before him and her hair strands of light in themselves floated around a silvery face, wide eyes gazing innocently into his.
She spoke so softly, but Ianto could hear her like music deep inside him.
"Hello Ianto. Why are you here on such a terrible night?"
Ianto was smiling at her. "I came to see you. What are you?"
A slender hand was raised to his face. "What are you?" She replied tilting her head to one side.
"Ianto." He said.
He could feel her smile in his soul.
Jack watched the exchange in silence making sure he had a clear line of fire, but Ianto didn't seem to be in any immediate danger.
"Ianto." She repeated. "Ianto I am here to take my last breaths, before I pass beyond the vale. I came to lie with the old ones, but they are gone." She gestured to the trench.
Her pain entered into him and Ianto frowned at it. "I'm sorry." He said. "They were dug up by the archaeologists."
"Ar….cha…e…o…lo…gitsss." She slid the word around his mind trying to question its meaning and Ianto sucked in a breath of wonder.
"Yes, it's our way of studying the past." He explained. "I'm sorry."
"Sorry. You are so young Ianto. I cannot remember young, a child so long ago, as old as the stars. Do you see the stars Ianto?"
The stars shone brighter than Ianto had ever seen them before. "They are beautiful."
She moved forwards and took the hand he still had outstretched. "So young, your race still tied to the soil under your feet. You have not touched the sky yet. You will have great journeys to come."
Her fingers were like ice against his. Ianto looked down at where she was touching him. Galaxies spun in his head, thousands of worlds passed by and yet he could see her shimmering face before him.
"Who are you?"
Centuries wheeled by in a flash. "I am old." She replied. "My last breath is come and I have come to rest. I thought I would be alone here to walk the final path."
Unbidden tears ran down Ianto's face.
"Why are you dying alone?"
Her fingertips touched the tears on his cheek and froze them. "I am the last."
A terrible loneliness overwhelmed him for the briefest of moments.
"You are here to see me on my way. To open the door." She explained.
Ianto sighed. "Perhaps I can save you."
"I am not to be saved, the others wait beyond for me Ianto. It is my time to pass." She seemed to dim. And carefully she settled herself down on the bracken at his feet. Ianto knelt down beside her and pulled off his coat gently setting it over her shoulders. Her gratitude curled around him and she lay down and closed her eyes.
"Peace will come from your foot prints Ianto of the young race. Walk in the light."
The light suddenly faded and to his horror Ianto realised that he was staring at a pile of bones. The wind surged back into life and the rain thrashed down on him. Jack was there in an instant flashlight in hand. He knelt beside Ianto examining the remains in front of them. It took him a moment to register the fact that Ianto was crying. Jack gathered him his arms and gently pulled him to his feet. Ianto clung to him soaking wet and freezing cold.
"Hey there!"
Jack turned on hearing the familiar voice of Professor Prudence. She was running towards them battery powered hurricane lamp in hand.
"Are you two all right?"
"We're fine. Its over we've sorted it." Jack called back. He held on to Ianto and they both walked toward the professor in the direction of her caravan.
Ianto was perched on the stool next to the portable gas heater with a smelly blanket thrown over his shoulders. Jack gratefully accepted the mug of tea from the professor and pressed it Ianto's grasp.
"Drink this we need to warm you up."
Ianto did as he was told, and turned his head to smile at Jack. "Tell me I didn't dream that Jack."
Jack looked into his blue eyes searching the wonderment there. "You didn't, but I'm not sure what happened."
Ianto returned his quizzical look with a steady gaze. "I saw the universe Jack. She showed me the stars and Time, centuries of it. It was beautiful. I've never seen something so beautiful in all my life. Like the universe was speaking to me through her." The tears came back. "Jack I spoke to God."
Jack reached out and touched his face profoundly moved by the joy in Ianto's eyes.
"Maybe you did." He said at length.
Professor Prudence had been watching the exchange without comment until now.
"So what was it?"
Ianto kept looking at Jack as he spoke. "She came here to die, this is where the rest of her family were buried." He finally turned his attention to her. "You dug them up, she was searching for them. I explained to her about why they were not there, I think she found that amusing in some strange way." Ianto looked back at Jack.
"I'll box up her remains and bring back them back with us, she can be with the rest of them then."
Jack nodded. "Ok, I'll take care of it. You need to stay in here and keep warm."
Ianto kissed him. "Thank you Jack."
Jack smiled knowing full well that Ianto was definitely out of sorts because he NEVER did that in front of anyone.