Undeniable Horrors

The Death

Disclaimer: Still no owning here. Merely providing some wishful thinking for people.

Summary: Sometimes, it's so easy to forget that never staying dead isn't as easy as it sounds. Ianto/Jack. Forty-third in the "Immortal Janto" series.

Annabelle is eighteen, Theo is twenty-two, and the twins are twenty-six in this story.

This will be a two-chapter story, so double the moments of tears and Janto-ness.

I know that I promised a wedding story, but this wouldn't let me have any peace or any creativity in writing a wedding story. That one's coming!

Warning, this will be a tear-jerker, so you better get your tissues ready for this one.

All hell was literally breaking loose around him.

It was easy enough to avoid the bullets that were flying past him. After all, years spent running, both as a part of Torchwood and traveling with the Doctor gave them really good reflexes. Still, every time bullets starting whizzing and they were put into a life and death position, Ianto always got concerned – not so much for the fact that they couldn't stay, but because everyone else would.

As he ducked behind a pillar to draw a steadying breath, he checked his gun. The gun fire died down. He swore vehemently.

He was out of ammo.

Ianto was out of ammo and he was separated from the rest of the group by a wide hallway that contained way too many enemy gunmen. He would never get out of there alive or in one piece.

And he and Jack were supposed to be getting married – again.

Fate, it seemed, had other ideas and, as such, demanded that they postpone their happiness for another day. Ianto wasn't on good terms with Fate at the moment. Jack probably wasn't either, but Ianto didn't want to speak for Jack right now.

Drawing a deep breath, he tilted his head to the side a little bit, feeling the comm in his ear, glad that they had salvaged that particular bit of technology from the remains of Torchwood Three. These comms came in handy, though he knew that the message that he was going to relay back to the rest of the group wouldn't be easy for anyone. He had done what he had been tasked to do, though he was going to die as a result of this task.

It sucked that, here he was, in another governmental building, about to face his imminent demise. But, Ianto thought to himself grimly, at least this time, they had been successful in stopping an alien race from coming down and wreaking havoc on the unsuspecting human race. However, they had gone in to deal with the situation without the support (or express approval) of the American government – hence, the gunmen who were poised to take down an immortal fugitive of the law.

Figures.

Despite everything that they had done for the safety of the planet and the fact that they were (officially) on Torchwood business (despite the fact that Torchwood was considered to be a "retired" secret organization), the American government didn't take to having six people storm into a building, demanding authority. Even though Torchwood had been instrumental in ending the Miracle, all those years ago, the American government still did not look favorably on the organization, though Ianto saw no reason to dislike them.

Regardless, he had to grin at the humor of the situation, thinking about how six people (mainly British) had managed to dupe the Americans to get into a very secure and very well protected governmental building.

It would have been eight people who stormed the building, but S.J. had volunteered to operate this mission remotely from the TARDIS and Ianto had flat-out refused to pull Annabelle out of university to solve a problem. She already had enough to worry about without the problem of trying to save the world. Starting university was a stressful time. Besides, they had enough people on this to handle it, especially since Theo had clearly taken after both Mickey and Martha, inheriting their world-saving traits, and had proven quite successful in his acting abilities – throwing the Americans in the place for a loop when an operative they had assumed was from the CIA began speaking in his native accent.

Still, Ianto was drawn out of his thoughts as a demand from the military contingent that had their guns trained on the pillar that he was using as a shield was thrown out.

"Surrender yourself and you won't be harmed."

He gritted his teeth and touched his comm, quietly saying, "I'm out of ammo and I don't think they'll let me out of custody for a good long while."

"Just do what they say," Jack pleaded, his voice worried. "We can work out the legality of having you released later."

Ianto felt love surge through him. Jack's worry was well-founded. Still, the temptation of being unharmed and going into custody sounded nice, but anyone who had survived as long as both of them knew that, as soon as the American government got wind of the fact that he was one of the elusive Torchwood immortals, then they would do everything in their powers to keep him in custody (using every technicality they could scrounge up) – and with good reason.

He and the rest of the group had all overstepped a few laws while here.

"You know it's too good to be true, Jack," he whispered. "I know I promised that I would never say good-bye ever again."

"Ianto, don't!" Jack's voice hitched.

"Listen to Uncle Jack, Uncle Ianto," Theo's voice was soft and Ianto was keenly aware of the fact that he was only twenty-two and was about to witness (albeit a bit removed) the (rather gruesome) death of one of his immortal, beloved uncles.

For a few moments, he could hear the pleading of his TARDIS crew family, save the Doctor. They were trying to keep him from getting himself killed, though they all knew, deep down that it was an inevitable fact.

"I'm sorry, but I have to," he calmly said. "As soon as they start firing, get the TARDIS out of here. I can buy you enough time to get out without being harmed. Come back for me when you can."

The half-second before the response hung in the air and it was near timeless.

"We will, Ianto. I promise," the Doctor promised – and Ianto believed him.

"I'll see you on the other side." Ianto hoped that his voice was upbeat, though he knew that he was not convinced.

"I love you, Ianto," Jack said, his voice wobbling, on the verge of tears, though he could hear Jack trying to be strong for him.

Ianto smiled, glad to hear those words in his ear.

"Love you too, Jack."

And, with the image of Jack's face flashing across his mind, Ianto stepped around the pillar, holding his useless gun in a firing position. That was all the military needed. Multiple cracks cut through the air and he felt searing pain rip through him as they shot him down.

As he stumbled back a few steps and then fell to the ground, dying, he heard the klaxons of the TARDIS rumbling as it slipped away from this place. It was music to his ears.

Ianto Jones laughed as the darkness took him.

That's that. Yes, I'm ending it here, on something of a sad note, what with a death and all – but that's why you come back!

You want to see Ianto come back from the dead? Well, you're just going to come back because (ta da!) there's going to be a second chapter to this story. Yep, you read that right. There's going to be a second chapter.

Anyway, as always, reviews are love and I adore them. And, as I always say, I will endeavor to have the next chapter up as soon as I possibly can.