Title: Old Books
Author: caz251
Summary: A book on one of Ianto's shelves sparks nostalgia for Jack as well as thoughts for the future.
Rating: G
Parings/characters: Jack/Ianto, mentions of the team, Alice, the card reader, past Ianto/Lisa, past Jack/Lucia
Prompt: Old Books (from Jantoseasonal, round one, challenge five)
Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood or any of the characters ... unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while.
If it wasn't the first time he had visited Ianto's flat, but it was the first time that he had time to explore, even if he did feel a bit guilty for doing so. The last time he had been at the flat had been over a month ago now, when he had brought Ianto home at the start of his suspension for hiding a cyber-women in the basement. At that point, he had just brought Ianto in and then left, not wanting to spend time around the man he had come to care for so much, especially when he found out that the other man had only been with him to distract him from his dirty little secret.
Now however, he had as much time to explore as he wanted, Ianto was asleep in the other room with the help of Owen's painkillers, and he himself didn't have anywhere to be until the next morning. After the horrendous day they had had out in the Brecon beacons, Jack had driven Toshiko home, Owen having gone with Gwen in an ambulance to hospital, he had then driven to Ianto's flat.
After helping the young man change, he gave him his painkillers and told him to get into bed, telling him that he would still be there if he needed anything. He then left the bedroom as quickly as possible, not wanting to be tempted to climb into bed with the other man and hold him close. Instead he decided to explore the flat, he made his way silently throughout the rooms, until he found himself in what appeared to be a study/library. The walls were lined with bookcases, which were filled with old books, books that although they showed their years, also showed the care with which they were handled.
He felt himself be drawn towards the books, running his hands along the spines of the books until he noticed what it was that had drawn him there. On the shelf was a book that stood out completely from the others on the shelf, the others having titles on their spines and this one having none. He pulled the book from the shelf, opening it, only for his eyes to be drawn to the dedication that he had never thought he would see again.
It will come to you. While it passes many by, I have seen it in the cards. The cards have spoken and you shall find it, what you dream of shall come to pass. The one who will love you unconditionally, they will be yours my friend. This book holds the key to the keeper of your heart and will lead you to them.
MotC
The book had been a gift from a friend, one in almost the same situation as he, after all to the eye the girl seemed to be about ten years old eternally. He had first met her when he had gone to her to find out what to do about the offer made to him by Torchwood, knowing that with her intimate knowledge of the cards she would be able to give him some guidance about his future. After that he had met with her quite regularly, in most cases just for the comfort of being able to be himself, and a strong friendship grew between them and he had taken to calling her the Mistress of the Cards as she would not part with her real name.
At one point, for her safety, people had been getting too close to finding out that a young girl was running a large area of Cardiff from behind the scenes, he had posed as her father and directed her investments on her behalf. The book had been a gift to him when they had parted ways, she going off to travel for a while with her guards. She had explained that it would lead him to what he wanted the most, someone to love him unconditionally.
He had lost the book about four decades previously and in his search for it he had found Lucia Moretti, and thinking that the book had done as it was supposed to he forgot all about it. Unfortunately, Lucia hadn't been the one for him, she had been unable to cope with his inability to age or die and had taken their daughter Melissa and put her under deep cover, calling her Alice for her protection.
After that he had never thought about the book again, he couldn't help but wonder though how it had come into Ianto's possession and if this had been what she had meant about it leading him to the person. He didn't know what to think, but he did know that Ianto Jones loved wholeheartedly, after all he didn't just desert Lisa when she was partially converted. If Ianto was the one, he knew that he would be loved fully, the younger man didn't do anything by half, and he was determined to love him back in equal measure. The Mistress had always joked that anyone who could love him unconditionally deserved no less than his complete love, and perhaps sainthood, something Jack did have to concede. If Ianto was the one then the younger man would be the only one for him, there would be no-one else, not that he would stop flirting, he was Jack Harkness after all.