From Yesterday

Disclaimer- Torchwood is not mine but if it was this was how series 3 would have gone, let me know what you think...

Summary- 'There have been many of you, with your blue eyes and your determination, your desire to please; they all disappear sooner or later.' He just smiles at her, the cruelty in her eyes burns through him, he has to believe there's some humanity left in Jack... Janto (How COE should have been, the re write of series 3 from episode 3/4 just the first little bit)

A/N- Well I have decided that I'll take a shot at saving the whole series not just Ianto (although he is a major and undeniably THE most important part of it lol) so I'm going from episode 3 of the third series and making it into what we were promised something that would make Janto fans 'very happy' cause last I checked happiness wasn't lots of tears and sorrow... just saying...

Enjoy and let me know what you think... and any ideas just drop them in a note and I'll see if I can incorporate,

Drama without death can it be?(shocked look)

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Chapter one- my skin

They don't speak, not much right now anyway, they dance around each other, Ianto has the words on his lips, the questions, but he chooses to keep them to himself, if Jack had wanted to tell him he would have done so ages ago and it dawns on him now how little Jack actually tells them, him, about himself. Jack seems content in the silence, too busy drowning in his past and once again Ianto is confronted with their relationship and how fragile it is. Gwen grips his hand, squeezes it reassuringly, he smiles warmly at her despite himself, tears his gaze away the second the pity becomes too much.

Jack leaves the room, silence follows his exit, Ianto focuses on the laptop in front of him, he can feel the eyes on him, he turns to look at them all after a heartbeat. Gwen's eyes meet his and there's only one thing they all want to know from him.

"Ianto..." she begins, wrings her hands together nervously, "did you know, about all this?" he stares at her, those eyes wider than any he has ever had to stare into. He wishes that he could say that he did, because if he could then it wouldn't feel like such a betrayal, the rats would disappear from his stomach because he would have had the closure that Jack had trusted him with a little bit of the truth behind himself, all those years wouldn't be such a mystery to him, he would know a bit more about Captain Jack Harkness than everyone else. Instead he just uses a small smile to hide his pain,

"No, not until just now, don't know any more than anyone else," it's an admission to himself as much as it is to anyone else and not one that he's thrilled to make. He hears Jack's footsteps echoing not that far away,

"I'm sorry Ianto," she says with a small smile that he'll never see with his back to her, he's fixing his stoic mask into place, hiding behind the perfectly manicured suit, he taps at the keys looking through files and burying himself in work as he has always done when things become too much for him. Gwen sits Clem down on the couch holds his hands in her own, calms him as Jack appears in the doorway. He's all front and business as he stands there before them,

"Any new information?" He asks, looks longingly at the back of Ianto's head, like there's something he's dying to say but that he can't get to slip past the lump in his throat.

"No, not yet," Ianto says and turns away from the computer, his eyes meet Jack's for the briefest of moments before he rips them away and heads out of the room, slipping past Jack and into the large open area with the covered windows. He hadn't expected Jack to follow him but the Captain appears in front of him, smiles in an apologetic manner, there is no smile in response from Ianto even though part of him wanted nothing more than to give it to the elder male. "Was there anything else, Sir?" and it's 'sir' again blunt and painstakingly distant, none of the playful banter in his voice, none of the warmth in his eyes.

"It was a long time ago Ianto," he says and he's not sure if he's trying to justify what he did or why he didn't tell him or if he's just stating the fact.

"Does that make it easier for you to bury Jack? Did you not care enough to remember? Or did you not think that we... that I... deserved to know, what else have you been hiding from us Jack? How little do Gwen and I know about you? Do we even know anything? Maybe its best that we don't," Ianto says and it's not in a shout, he doesn't sound angry but Jack knows that he is, that he's hurt, Ianto stares at him for a pregnant moment and then he turns and goes to leave.

"I have a daughter," Ianto stops mid-step and he's glad that he has his back to the other male because it means that he can't see the tears welling up in his eyes, "she's called Alice," the younger's back stiffens at the information, Jack's heart sticks tightly in his throat and desperation seeps into his words, the need to convince Ianto that he's ready to be honest, to take them seriously. "She has a son, my grandson, he's called Steven," Ianto closes his eyes, the tears spill onto his cheeks and he doesn't wipe them away because it would alert Jack to their existence. "Frobisher took them hostage yesterday,"

"We'll get them back for you," Ianto says without looking back, his nails biting into the soft flesh of his palms to stop the strain from coating his words. He doesn't know how to feel over the revelation, is he meant to be grateful for the information? He doesn't feel grateful he feels burdened by it, just another little thing Jack had neglected to tell him all this time and he's stood in the revelation that their whole relationship is false. He feels older than he is and he thinks he should escape Torchwood and Jack Harkness whilst he still can. He walks away without looking back and Jack just watches him disappear from sight.

He feels guilty, all the things that he's kept from his team, his lover, thinking that they would never spill over, never come back to haunt him and now here they stand on his doorstep and ripping gaping holes into a relationship that had made him so happy. He swallows the sorrow because that's what he has to do, he has to be strong he has to stare this threat down, then he can place the pieces of his life back together, he can fix what he broke and he can make everything better for everyone, at least that's what he hopes.

When they find their way back into the main room, Gwen, Rhys and Clem are standing round the computer, Lois Habbiba and the other Civil servants are stood around the tank once again, crowded around, like children at a funfair staring at something so horrific that you just can't tear your eyes away from no matter how much you try. They've sent a man in a hazmat suit into the container with the creatures, the camera pans over them, they watch him as the camera searches the haze, the camera falls on something slumped in a corner, a child, hooked up to the alien, still a child. Gwen gasps, eyes wide in horror, Clem's crying, Ianto's stoically look's away, Rhys stares horrified at the screen and Jack takes a step back because for years he'd hoped that what the alien's had promised for the children was true, that they were happy, it had made it easier for him.

"I'm heading out," he grabs a cell phone off the side, "I'm going to lure agent Johnson to you, keep her here for as long as you can, show her what they're doing, get Lois to tell them Torchwood are coming," he demands grabbing his coat, "Rhys take the evidence and run, we might need this leaked, or at least the threat of leaking it," he explains and looks at Gwen and Ianto,

"You two stay here, keep watching any new information relay it to me immediately," He all but demands as he grabs the car keys and heads for the door,

"Do you want me to come?" Ianto asks and Jack shakes his head to indicate a 'no'

"No Ianto, I've got to do this myself, demons to face down I guess you could say, I made a mistake a long time ago and now I've got to put it right." He explains jogging towards the door, he glances back at the younger male as he opens it, "Ianto," soft blue eyes fix onto him, a hint of worry shimmering in the pale depths, "I'm sorry," he says and disappears with the slam of a door.

"He'll be fine Yan," Gwen assures him as she begins unplugging one of the laptops, she closes it and hands it to Rhys, she kisses him and squeezes his hand,

"Go Rhys, keep away from camera's as much as you can, don't call me I'll call you when it's safe," She says and forces the laptop into his arms, he takes it because he doesn't have much of a choice.

"I can't leave you here, what if you get hurt?" she hugs him again,

"I'll be fine Rhys, Ianto is here, we're going to be ok, we have the upper hand, we need you to go, if they know you're out there with all this evidence they won't touch us. I need you to do this for me Rhys, please sweetheart," she grips his hand so tightly he's worried she might break it. He nods and kisses her, it's enough to knock her off of her feet, "stay safe," she says with tears in her eyes, he kisses the top of her head and nods.

"I will if you will," he says with a smirk and then turns to Ianto, "shoot the shit out of anyone who comes near her ok mate?" Ianto smiles and nods, Rhys turns away and wipes a few of the tears away from his eyes as he grips the laptop for dear life and heads towards the door. As it slams shut Gwen turns to look at Ianto the worry obvious in her eyes, he envelops her in a comforting hug, they don't say anything as the whole warehouse falls into silence. They feel as though they've been stood there for hours on end before Gwen heads back over to the computer, Lois now standing in front of the prime minister, she types quickly,

'We need you to alert them to Torchwood's involvement, tell them you're Torchwood, tell them we're coming,'

She knows that the woman will hesitate its only natural, she's putting her career, her life, in danger, Ianto is standing over her holding his breath as he traces Jack's progress over London in his head, his heart is pounding in his chest and he thinks he can hear Gwen's.

'You have to tell them now, tell them we've filmed it all, everything they've all said we've recorded,'

Gwen types and waits again, Clem is cooing slightly beside her, gnawing away at his nails, Ianto is still holding his breath.

'Please Lois tell them'

After a handful of moments the woman steps forward, speaking quietly at first and then demanding more attention, she explains it all and Gwen smirks at their reactions, she smiles broadly and spins in her chair to look at Ianto, they high five as the phone rings, Ianto answers it.

"I'm almost at Thames house," Jack says over the crackling telephone line, "has Lois told them we're coming," he can hear Jack's footsteps on the concrete.

"She's told them everything," Ianto says and he knows that they have to keep talking that agent Johnson will be being dispatched any minute now. "Do you think this is wise Jack, do you think it will work?"

"It's the only plan we've got," Jack explains and that wasn't the answer Ianto was looking for,

"Maybe we should take more time thinking this over," Ianto almost pleads and once just once he wants Jack to listen to him, he knows that he won't.

"Too late sorry, it's now or never, I'm making a stand Ianto," He explains, "I'm sorry Ianto, for never telling you," he says briefly and before Ianto can say anything else the line goes dead. He shrugs when Gwen gives him a questioning look and simply says,

"They're coming," he instructs and starts dialling his sister's number on the phone, "I have to call Rhi tell her to keep the kids at home, she has to keep them safe" he says and Gwen nods in understanding. He dials and speaks, tells Rhiannon not to trust what the Government are saying to make sure no-body takes Mischa and David from her, that it's all lies, after that he sits next to Gwen with their hearts thundering in his chest. He finds her hand and squeezes it gently, now all they can do is sit and wait, wait for agent Johnson to come running in with her army, pointing guns at them. Wait for Jack to get to Thames house, wait to find out if all hell is about to break loose.

Their holding their breaths all the while, Clem just rocks back and forth silently,

XxxxXxxxX

Jack storms into Thames house and all but throws his gun on the desk, he announces himself as Torchwood, holding all the conviction he's not sure if he still possesses. They look at him, hold the guns for a second longer than is needed and then step aside and let him through. He walks through the corridors, great coat billowing like the cape of a superhero, people watch him in awe and he makes his way through the maze like corridors. He's tall, handsome and has the shadow of a smirk on his lips as he slips into the elevator,

He steps into the room were the 456 have taken residence, stands in front of it and takes a deep breath, this is it, this is what he's been waiting for, the chance to get back at them, to tell them no more that they can't mess with Earth anymore because Captain Jack Harkness is looking after it. He's taking on the Doctor's role and hoping he can do the man proud,

"You're not getting any more children," he says with all the power and confidence that makes him who he is. These creatures have haunted him for long enough and he's had enough of it, "we're not listening to your threats anymore, humanity will not stand by and let you take their children, you'll have a war on your hands if you carry on with this. I suggest you turn tail and run," Jack says with a smirk, there is silence from the creature who sit in the mist, "well?" the Captain prompts, they sway slightly in the hazy chamber,

"You yielded before," they hiss at him from behind the glass, Jack chuckles to himself,

"The demand is too great this time, that and we thought it was a onetime agreement, we're not going to roll over to you this time," Jack explains, hands on his hips and a frown ghosting across his face, he's all business,

"You yielded before," they sound more desperate now but Jack's not sure if he's just forcing an emotion onto them, they lash out at the glass once again, thrashing against it violently, he steps back slightly finding himself disgusted by them.

"I said no," Jack all but snarls, they hiss back,

"That is not an option you yielded before,"

"The number is too great this time, we're saying no," Jack all but growls at them, they fall silent for a few seconds before moving closer to the glass, to the speaker, to Jack, he stands his ground.

"This is unacceptable, we have released a virus into the building, all these people will die, you will die and tomorrow your government will give us the children that we have asked for, if they do not your whole world will perish." They tell him as the alarms start to buzz loudly, he stops for a second, the information digesting as the screams start and the building seals itself off. He's done it again, charged in guns blazing and now hundreds of people are going to die and it's all his fault, his fault and nothing he can do to stop it. He runs out of the room he stares at the guards stood in front of him and does what he does best in a crisis, barks orders.

"We need hazmat suits and gas masks and we need them now, go!" He demands as the people charge through the corridors a girl runs into him, she grips at his arm to keep her balance as her ankle gives out in her heels, her eyes are wide, wider than Gwen's when you say no to her, her breathing is laboured. She's beautiful, dark hair and dark eyes, young, no more than twenty-one, her whole life ahead of her, she's crying,

"We can't get out they've sealed us in," she tells him though she doesn't know why, she regains her balance thanks to him and he holds her steady, this handsome stranger who she knows does not work here, he wonders if she knows that this is his fault, by the way she holds onto him he'd guess that she doesn't have a clue.

"It's going to be ok," Jack tells her as the tears well in the almost black depths of her eyes,

"I just started yesterday, mum and dad were so proud, never been proud of anything else I'd done before this," she all but whispers to him, he's heard it before a million times, the desperate admissions of a dying man, he tells her that she's going to be ok but his eyes tell her that she won't. "I have a little boy," she whispers, her legs giving way beneath her, "he's so beautiful, the best mistake I ever made, I don't want to leave him. He won't remember me, he's too young to be able to," she mutters more to herself, her palms push against the floor, some ingrained desperation to keep moving, to survive. Jack's eyes bear a wall of tears for a woman he may have never known,

"How old is he?" It's familiar and it's something to take her mind off of the here and now even as the poison starts to seep into Jack's own mind and all he can really think it 'thank God Gwen and Ianto didn't come' she tells him that it's his second birthday in September. He stores that away somewhere in the recesses of his mind, feels it's the least he can do. He tells her this is all his fault, that if he wouldn't have come she would have been ok, he thinks if he'd have told her a minute earlier, before the virus had attacked her central nervous system, she would have slapped him. Instead it seems that words have lost their meaning and she's babbling, ranting at him like he's a long lost friend, he grips her hand, hopes it will help. He'll wake up from this soon and she won't, this young beautiful vibrant woman will cease to exist, to breathe, to smile, Jack can't explain what it's like to watch someone die, even if it's someone he barely knows it burns, because he's lived a thousand of their lifetimes and he'd give anything to give them the chance to see out the only one they have but he can't.

Her grip tightens against his hand, then loosens a little, her eyes are wide, vacant, he stares into them for a moment before it becomes too much for him, he gently pushes them closed before detangling himself from the girl, the weight of his immortality crushing him. He finds his way back into the room with the 456 stands before them with his Webley drawn and swaying slightly as his eyes blur,

"The remnant will be disconnected..." they hiss and the screeching starts, harsh and loud,

"If these people die here today then so will you," he promises with a slight waver in his voice, he fires, keeps firing until the bullets run out and the gun jams, he throws it down on the floor and screams, screams into the floor because he feels like wherever he goes, whatever he does he brings death, he screams for Rose, for the Doctor, the Tardis, screams for his mortality, his innocence, the ability to give in to the darkness and leave the fight behind. "Pray I don't wake up this time," he whispers to them as his vision swims in black, "I do, I hope you kill me for real this time, but if you don't... if my eyes force themselves open against the darkness, if the air fills my lungs, I will come for you, I will kill you, on behalf of these people here, I will see to it that you die a horrible painful death, you will not get anything more from this planet than an execution... I promise," he whispers as his vision fails and he passes out on the cold tiles of the floor.

XxxxXxxxX

Agent Johnson rushes into the warehouse serving as the Torchwood command centre; an army of trained assassins follow her in, intent on following every order without question. She stands in the middle of the room, points her gun at Gwen, Ianto points his back at her, several men swarm round him, their fingers poised over the triggers of their semi-automatics and he doesn't stand a chance but what did that ever matter to Torchwood, he stands his ground. Gwen smiles at the woman,

"Put the gun down and step away from the computers," Agent Johnson demands, neither Gwen nor Ianto listen to her, instead Gwen offers her a seat.

"I would put your guns down if I were you, see my wonderful, handsome, husband is out there right now with one of our laptops which has on its memory footage of everything that has happened today, everything your government has said and done. If he doesn't hear from me, he will go straight to the media with it, you'll never contain something like that, hell will spill out onto the streets, have you ever seen parents set to protect their children? They will stop at nothing, no gun will stop them, they will lay down their own lives to keep their children save, you will not win. So sit down, sit down and look at who you're working for, take a good hard look, listen to what we have heard and tell me that you're fighting for the right side, that you condone this." Gwen whispers, her words icy, as she lifts the volume on the computer,

Agent Johnson listens, despite herself, she knows this could be a trick, that they could have set it all up but as she watches everything unfolding on the computer screen she knows that it's not. She knows that this is the world, these are the officials that the people of the world elected to represent them and there they sit sending the children they're meant to protect to their deaths, she watches and bites back the emotions as they defend their own, sacrifice the children of the poorer working class people, like her mother and father had been, struggling to get by each day and taking comfort in the smiles of their children who made it all worth it. She fights against her training, her humanity, that maternal instinct that she had forced into the darkest corner of her mind; she knows that she has fought for something that she can never condone.

Ianto watches her as she watches the screen, as the truth comes crashing down on her, she motions for the men surrounding him to put their guns down and when they do Ianto does the same to his firearm. There's silence for a moment as the weight of everything crashes down on each of them, and then hell breaks loose. Clem starts screaming, gripping his head he moves to the back of the warehouse as if trying to escape the noise that screams in his head, blood starts to seep from his nose and ears and Gwen grips him tightly, rocking him back and forth comfortingly as he screams out in pain.

"What's going on?" Ianto accuses Agent Johnson, grabbing his gun once again and removing the safety, training it on her; she holds up her hands and pleads ignorance.

"It's not me," she explains and he believes her, the look in her eyes, it's the same look in Gwen's, terrified and uncertain, he lowers the gun and studies the computer screen, loads up a news feed that's being broadcast,

"It's them... It's Thames house," he begins looking back at Gwen, "it's sealed shut, they leaked a virus, it's in shut down, all those people... Jack..." He glances back at Gwen and Clem who's screaming slows until it stops, he doesn't move, just lies in Gwen's arms. She lies him down gently, steps away with tears glistening in her eyes and asks Ianto why. He merely shrugs, he doesn't know why, "they killed him, they're hiding something," it's the thing that makes the most sense to him, he looks at Agent Johnson, "we need to get in there, we need access to Jack's family," he demands and he thinks he sounds more like Jack than he intended but this is it now. This is plan B that they haven't even had the chance to establish and the worlds about to fall apart outside because now, now the government follow through with their plan.

In a few hours they'll take millions of children away from their parents, no real explanation, they'll lie, say it's for the best but no one really has the choice to say no. They're giving in; throwing in the towel and it's the people on the lowest rung of the ladder that are permitted to suffer. He closes his eyes to it all for a pregnant moment, prays that Rhi fights a good fight, knows she doesn't stand a chance over what's coming.

Knows that they don't stand a chance, Jack failed, what chance do they have, Gwen grips his hand, meets his eyes and this is it, this is Torchwood, the line of defence when the Doctor is absent. A small army that may or may not follow them, a handful of guns, no leader, no direction, Gwen's staring at him with wide uncertain eyes and he doesn't want the responsibility she's pushing onto him. They hold tightly to each other's hands, wish that Tosh and Owen were still around, that Jack had left them with more instructions that the weight of the world didn't rest solely on their shoulders.

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Well there is it, and Ianto lives! Amazing how that can happen isn't it, I know it was quite fast paced but I found that was true of CoE, well next time we're in for all that 'drama makes you bleed' that RTD loves so much, hope I made you all proud with this and gave you something new to believe in,

Hope you enjoyed and let me know what you thought and if I should continue...

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