Author Notes: I written this fic for Torchwood under a different title "À La Mode" so I took the title from Snow Patrol's song and a Pushing Daisies music vid which inspired this fic, so I decided that maybe I should post it here as well seeing it is a crossover. :D
This is a crossover fic with Pushing Daisies and Torchwood. For those who haven't seen the show Torchwood, I recommend it and a short summary of what it is about. Torchwood is a UK sci-fi show, a spin off from the popular sci-fi show Doctor Who, about a group of people who specializes and investigates alien technology that has landed on Earth, and crimes whether it be alien or human to protect humanity. The fic down below will explain much more about these characters. *wink*. I hope you will enjoy.
Open Your Eyes(a.k.a À La Mode)
Up on the roof of the Longborough School for Boys, peering up at the nighttime sky through the astronomy class telescope young Ned would often wonder what sort of worlds were out there in that infinite, majestic space and asked himself if he, in fact was from another world. If there was anyone else like him.
Young Ned was 9 years, 27 weeks, 6 days and 3 minutes old when he discovered his gift of bringing life back to the dead with the touch of his finger starting with his dog, Digby. He knew that he wasn't like any other children nor were they like him with such a gift, so at that moment up on the roof of the Longborough School for Boys, young Ned looked up at the star-filled sky with a question. "Am I alone?"
It was 19 years, 40 weeks, and 2 days later that young Ned grew up and forgot such wonders and questions. He was now The Pie Maker, creating and baking pies with love and warmth the same as his mother did, at his restaurant The Pie Hole, along with his blonde employer Olive Snook who desperately craved a connection with the Pie Maker.
Her feelings were also shared with a woman named Chuck, a life-long friend and love since she and Ned were children, who at 28 years, 24 weeks, 3 days and 11 hours and 51 minutes old was found floating in the ocean after The Shiny Shoes Killer murdered her for a pair of golden monkeys figurines but she was brought back to life with a simple touch by Ned and they were together since.
"Oooh. Who is that tall, gorgeous drink of water?" Olive Snook asked no one in particular, eyeing the recent customer who walked in.
Captain Jack Harkness was the immortal and mysterious leader of the secretive Torchwood 3 organization, based in Cardiff, Wales as a defense against earth's extraterrestrial threats, saving anyone he could by any means possible which what brought the handsome Captain to The Pie Hole.
"Wow. He reminds me of an old film star." Chuck agreed, standing a safe distance away from Ned.
"He's not that good looking." said Ned.
"Now, you know I'm not inclined towards any particulars of the same sex," Ned's detective partner Emerson Cod spoke up. "But you've got to admit. That is one fine looking man."
"Which one of you is Ned?" The Captain asked, coming up the counter, his World War 2 greatcoat floating behind him.
"Uh, me." Ned said, raising his hand.
The Captain smiled slightly and held out his hand. Sadness and weariness reflected in his eyes. "Captain Jack Harkness. We need to talk."
"About?" Ned asked, gingerly taking the Captain's hand in his.
"A certain little trick of yours that could benefit me a hell of lot at the moment."
"I know a little trick or two that could benefit you and me at the moment." Olive Snook piped in seductively between Ned and The Captain.
"Olive. There's some pies in the oven." Ned informed her. Olive reluctantly walked away to the back of the restaurant, but not before she winked at the blue-eyed handsome captain.
"I'm afraid I don't know what 'certain trick of mine' that you are talking about," said Ned, his eye twitching.
"I think you do." The Captain held up a newspaper clipping from his greatcoat pocket. Ned immediately blanched at the picture of the woman named Chuck, also known as to the public media as the Lonely Tourist Charlotte Charles whose murder committed by the Shiny Shoes Killer aboard an ocean liner. The Captain directed his gaze to the person standing next to The Pie Maker; the very much alive and not dead Charlotte "Chuck" Charles, who smiled sheepishly at Ned.
"Told you that would come back and bite you on your ass," Emerson Cod said, taking another bite of his Apple Gruyère pie.
Ned turned to the captain nervously. "What do you want?"
"I want you to bring back someone very close to me. A man named Ianto Jones." Captain Jack said, confidently.
The facts were these: Ianto Jones was 26 years, 11 weeks, 2 days, 19 hours, and 13 minutes old when he met his end along with several other people in Thames House in London, England caused by an alien virus sent by outer space creatures called the 456 as a warning should their demands of taking the 10% of Earth's children were not met, similar circumstances would be bestowed on the rest of the world. As earth's last defense against hostile creatures from far parts of the universe, Captain Jack Harkness cradled his young welsh lover/team member in his arms, hearing him profess his love with his last dying breath. Amidst the chaos inside Thames House, it was then that the dashing, forever young Captain came to realize that he simply could not let Ianto Jones go.
"Aw! How terribly and tragically romantic." cooed Chuck, placing a hand over her heart.
The Pie Maker, The Captain and the woman named Chuck sat together at a empty booth listening as the Captain told his fateful tale. His Triple Berry pie sat untouched in front of him.
"Wait. You're saying that aliens from outer space are real?" Ned asked, curiously.
"You have been watching the news these past few days, right?" asked the Captain.
"I tend not to watch so much television. I prefer to keep an open and optimistic view on life without the violence and disturbing imagery."
"You investigate homicides and bring people back from the dead."
"And makes pies." Chuck offered, smiling sweetly at the Captain.
"I only bring them back for a minute."
"And you're surprised by the fact of the existence of life in other galaxies?"
"Yes," said Ned.
"Of course not! With all the books I read at my aunts Lily's and Vivian's library of outer space and the billions galaxies, it's impossible to believe that we are the only ones in the universe." Chuck said to Ned across the table.
"It's a subject that has never really come up in my line of work, which by the way, how do you know about my line of work?" Ned asked Jack.
"We've been keeping an eye on this place ever since we learned about the death of the lonely tourist Charlotte Charles and her recent resurrection." said Jack, looking over at Chuck.
Ned shrank a little in his seat. Chuck smiled shyly over at Ned.
"We keep track on anything strange happening in the world and we were trying to figure out how you managed to bring her back to life without any consequences. "
"Oh, there are. Believe me." Ned said.
"But there was no signs of Rift activity reaching this far. No reports of any strange sightings in the sky. So, how do you do it?" Jack asked, leaning forward.
Ned held up his index finger.
"I hope you're not going to ask me to pull that."
"No," Ned said, aghast. "This is what I use."
"Your finger?" Jack asked.
"Yes."
"That finger?"
"Yes."
"And nothing else?"
"No." said Ned.
"You said that there were consequences. Like what?"
"He can only bring them back for just a minute." informed Chuck.
"Just only a minute?"
"And I have to touch them again before that minute is up." said Ned.
"What happens if you don't?"
"Someone else dies in their place."
Jack nodded. "Makes sense. Don't want to shift the cosmic balance. What else?"
"Uh, touch once, they're alive. Touch twice. they're dead forever." said Ned.
The Captain eyed The Pie Maker suspiciously before suddenly speaking.
"You sure you're not an alien?"
Ned stammered. "Last time I checked... no."
The Captain sat silently for a moment, staring at the Pie Maker with an unreadable expression on his face.
"Okay. Let's get started. "Jack said.
Ned sat up straight. "You want me to go all the way to England to bring back your boyfriend for just a minute?"
Chuck gasped in excitement. "I always wanted to go to England! This is a great opportunity to visit Big Ben, drink tea, and eat fish and chips!"
Ned turned nervously to the Captain. "Isn't that just a waste of frequent flier miles going all the way to England for a short time?"
"No. Of course I'm not taking you all the way to England to bring back my boyfriend just for a single minute." said Jack.
Ned relaxed a little in his seat. Chuck was disappointed at the news.
"I brought him here."
"You brought her back to life but now, you can't touch her because she could go back being dead. " Jack said as he, Ned and Chuck walked into an abandoned airplane hangar where a small private jet sat waiting.
"That's pretty much it." replied Ned.
"Wow. Guess you guys must have to get extra creative." Jack winked. Ned smiled slightly and blushed at the memory of him and Chuck kissing through a piece of cling film.
"If you're from England, " Chuck asked, dressed in a trench coat with a scarf over her head and sunglasses. "Why do you have an american accent?"
"I'm from all over the place. Here we are." Captain Jack said, walking up to a table with a large metal coffin that held the body of Ianto Jones. Jack lifted the lid and peered inside.
"So, this is him?" Ned asked.
"Yeah. This is Ianto Jones."
"He's dressed nice." Chuck said, admiring Ianto's suit.
"He's about to look a better in minute. So, do your thing." Jack indicated to Ned.
The Pie Maker started his watch for one minute, reached over and touched the young Ianto Jones' pale forehead, quickly backing away.
The Welshman immediately sat up, taking in huge gulps of air.
"Holy..." Ianto exhaled, looking around. "What the hell just happened?"
"You're back." Jack said, grinning.
"Yes, I can see that. How is it that I'm back?"
"I brought you back." Ned spoke up.
"What? How? I thought we got rid of both gloves, Jack." Ianto said, accusingly.
The Pie Maker looked at both of them, curiously.
"Gloves?"
"Long story," said Jack.
Ned glanced down at his watch. "30 seconds. Whatever you want to say to him, you better say it now."
"Oh, don't worry, we're gonna have plenty of time afterwards." Jack replied, still grinning.
Ianto looked confused. "What do you mean 30 seconds? Jack, what is going on?"
"That's what I'd like to know." Ned stammered, nervously. "I told you about the consequences."
"What consequences?" Ianto asked.
"After the minute is up, someone else dies who is in close proximity of me. Sort of like balancing out things." explained Ned.
"Only a minute? When we brought people back to life, we only needed two."
The dashing Captain stood silent.
The Pie Maker looked at his watch and at the Captain. 10 seconds left. Realizing the Captain wasn't going to say anything to his Welsh lover, he gave an apologetic look at Ianto and was about to reach over to touch the young man again when his hand was suddenly grabbed by Jack's powerful grip.
"What are you doing?"
"No, not yet!"
Ned began to wrestle his hand free from the Captain's strong hold.
"Someone else is going to die within close proximity of me!" Ned grunted. "I'm not going to let that happen again."
"Just wait! Everything is gonna be-"
The Pie Maker's watch clicked to sixty seconds and Jack immediately collapsed to the floor.
"Ohh..." Ned said in shock, staring down at the now dead Captain Jack Harkness. He pivoted around and faced Ianto. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I warned him what would happen after the minute is up."
Ianto didn't looked particularly bothered by the fact his team leader/lover had just dropped dead.
"It's alright. Give him a minute."
Ned looked confused. "What?"
Ianto Jones said nothing as he jumped out from the metal coffin and waited patiently by Jack's side and sure enough, the dashing Captain came back to life on his own with a huge, loud gasp and enveloped himself quickly into the arms of Ianto Jones.
Ned immediately jumped back. "Whoa! What? How? I didn't even touch him!"
"He can't die." said Ianto, looking over at the Pie Maker.
"I beg pardon?"
"He can't die?" asked Chuck, incredulously.
"More like can't stay dead." Jack said, catching his breath. "That has got to be the easiest death I've been through."
"Exactly how many deaths you have been through?" asked Ned, bewildered.
Jack paused in thought. "I don't know. Lost count sometime after 1901."
Ned and Chuck exchanged uneasy glances.
The Captain looked over to his young welsh lover with a huge grin on his face.
"So..." Jack smiled seductively.
Ianto in turn smiled at his Captain and helped him to his feet.
"Here we are, then. "
"You're back."
"In the flesh."
"And what lovely flesh it is." The Captain gently stroked Ianto Jones' hand. He turned and looked over at the Pie Maker and the woman named Chuck.
"I can't thank you enough. You really... thank you."
Ned simply shrugged and smiled. "It's not a problem. Just don't come back here with any aliens for me to bring back. "
The Captain laughed warmly. "It's a deal. Come on. Gwen's gonna wonder where we are and we still got a problem we need to deal with back in Cardiff."
The Captain and Ianto Jones both turned to leave when Jack suddenly stopped.
"Do you think we can take a couple of slices of that Triple Berry pie before we leave? I think it would go great with Ianto's coffee."
"Sure! Olive can send them a couple of slices, right Ned?" Chuck asked.
"Yeah, sure. Why not?" replied Ned.
Jack smiled mischievously and whispered into his lover's ear. Ianto stifled a laugh.
"We'll, um. Ahem... we'll wait for the pies on the plane." said Ianto as he and the Captain quickly ushered themselves into the private jet.
Chuck and the Pie Maker smiled contently at each other, filling themselves with hope and happiness of their own relationship because no matter how hard death tries to separate people, love is stronger every time.
The End.