Paradoxical or How not to prevent a paradox by Ianto Jones(es)
Paradoxical: inclined to paradoxes
Set some point in season 2, after KKBB, before Reset - I'll decide later. Probably spoilers for everything eventually, and for some DW, minor crossover to start with, greater later on.
Unbeta'd, I own only the mistakes, and please bear with me as this is the first long plot fic I've attempted, so I may get the pace wrong at first.
Enjoy :)
Chapter One
Ianto was deep in the archives, plodding through the tunnels when he heard it.
Gwen was staring at her empty coffee cup, wondering where Ianto was when she heard it.
Owen was pretending to work whilst actually staring at Gwen when he heard it.
Tosh was trying to figure out the benefits of making the cog door quieter; attempting not to think about Owen when she heard it.
Jack was asleep at his desk, bringing his mind back into consciousness when he heard it. At first he thought it was a lingering dream, teasing him; but one look out of the window verified its presence.
[Insert Tardis noise here]
As the blue box materialised in front of the main door Jack ran from his office to the railings. The other three in the room swivelled their chairs to follow both him and the box. They all looked suitably anxious; probably something to do with the fact that the last time the strange noise had been heard, Jack had gone missing for a while and come back...different.
The whirring finally came to a stop and a man with sticky up hair in a pinstriped suit stepped out. He scanned the room, eyes briefly stopping on Owen, Tosh and then Gwen with a puzzled expression before moving onto Jack, and then off around the room's occupants once more. He started to look anxious.
"No no no no no..." he seemed to be muttering under his breath. Then his face broke into a grin as Ianto hurriedly burst through the door from the archives looking somewhat ticked off.
Before he could speak however the Doctor bounded over to him and grabbed his arm, pumping it up and down in what wouldn't class for a handshake in any galaxy. "Nice to see you again Mr. Jones!"
The whole room, Ianto included, raised an eyebrow at the statement.
Ianto gave a half smile and slipped behind his polite facade. "I'm sorry sir, but you must be mistaken, we haven't met."
"Oh but we will!" The Doctor continued cheerfully, ignoring Ianto's pointed look about the grip his hand was still in, and then seemed to rethink some incomprehensible puzzle in his brain. "Although technically, we just have. Met that is. But no time for introductions, we really must fly."
His face became serious once more. He turned to look up at Jack as Ianto was still pondering who else was stowed away in the old fashioned police box.
"I'm sorry Jack, but he'll explain everything." Suddenly the Doctor, with Ianto's hand still firmly in his grip, sprinted back towards the Tardis, dragging the young man in with him. The door slammed swiftly behind them.
Jack reacted first, jumping over the railings right down to the ground floor, but by the time he'd landed the terrible noise had started up again.
He sprinted towards the disappearing box that held Ianto prisoner. The others had only just regained their bearings – too late – and were left staring at their Captain. Jack flung himself through the air where the Tardis used to be.
Gwen blinked.
Owen swore.
Tosh looked on forlornly.
Jack landed in a heap on the floor.
Everyone was silent for a few seconds before a barely audible, wretched 'no' burst the air in the Hub. Jack clamped a hand over his mouth to stop any more sounds escaping to betray his anguish. He couldn't believe it: the Doctor had just stolen Ianto! Pulling himself up, Jack's face was blank and expressionless; only his eyes revealing the feelings raging around inside. He surveyed his team, now minus one, and became their leader once again.
"Tosh, monitor the CCTV, look for this temporal pattern on the sensors; I want to know as soon as they re-materialise. You might want to check previous records in case they've gone back in time: I'll give you the data on the known sightings so far. Gwen, check with the local police if they've had any calls about anything that could be related to the Doctor; anything at all, even if it's stolen bananas. Owen, I want a sample of that man's DNA found and compared to what we have on record for the Doctor; let's make sure it's really him and not some imposter. Go!"
The team scuttled off to their respective tasks, each trying not to doubt Jack's determination that they would be coming back.
Jack retreated to his office to find Martha's phone number.
Everyone was so absorbed in their task that they almost didn't notice the glowing blue light of the teleport. Almost...
"Holy shit!" Owen exclaimed as a figure started to become visible in the middle of the Hub. Less than a second later everyone was gathered round, guns drawn and ready.
The blue light faded to reveal a dark shape, crouched in a defensive position. It was wearing a hooded cloak, its face hidden by the low angle of the head and the body by the folds of material. Even with his experience Owen was unable to get any idea of what kind of shape the creature underneath might be, though he assumed that since it was wearing a cloak – and a very clichéd mysterious black one at that – that it was at least vaguely humanoid.
Jack, however, wasn't so sure: he'd known some pretty odd looking 'people' in his time who could make themselves appear humanoid through simple disguises such as this, (most noticeably the Gregoanian with no legs.) He was just pondering what limb to ask the creature to place on its head when matters where taken out of his hands.
Two pale human digits appeared from beneath the cloak, and slowly raised themselves in the standard 'I surrender'.
Instead of relief that the creature or human – if that's indeed what it was – meant them no harm, Jack only felt himself tense at the sight before him. The peaceful gesture had revealed a band of leather circulating the slight, yet muscled wrist: to be more precise it was relatively thick and wide, a rusty brown in colour and covered in buttons with a screen where a watch face would be. Despite the subtle differences in the design, Jack easily recognised it for what it was; a time agents' wrist strap.
He wasn't the only one to have noticed either. Gwen brought her gun back up from where she had started to let it drop, her lips tingling as she remembered her encounter with John Hart. Tosh moved unconsciously closer to Jack and Owen re-adjusted his grip and stance: neither of them wanted a repeat performance of last time either.
Jack's voice was gravelly when he spoke; remembering the news John had brought him of the Agency's downfall. Only seven left and they had the luck to meet another one. "Who are you?"
The individual laughed an unfamiliar laugh; a youthful, mirthful laugh, at the same time harsh and accusing. And then it spoke, in an all too familiar voice.
"Honestly sir, and here I thought you would know me anywhere. Well, I guess you don't have x-ray vision after all."
The man who was not a stranger calmly brushed the hood back from his forehead, spiking his short black hair up at the same time.
Tosh gasped.
Owen swore.
Gwen ogled.
Jack stared, desperately hoping and dreading that what he saw before him was real.
"Ianto?"
Ianto Jones smiled and swept his gaze over his former team mates and boss.
"Well, did you miss me?"
TBC
Reviews and concrit are loved.