A/N: Just a little something that's been on my mind. Please tell me what you think.
Disclaimer: I do not and unfortunately will not ever own Torchwood or it's characters. They belong to RTD and BBC. If I did Ianto and Jack would be in love and Suzie not Gwen would be in the Team. Also the Pterodactyl would have more of a lead role.
Rain. Thousands upon thousands of tiny, pure, life giving droplets were currently holding fort above Cardiff. Ianto Jones shivered as he put on his well worn jacket and proceeded to lock the door to his house and hop into his car.
On a normal day, Ianto would have gotten up three hours earlier and would have made his way to the Rhold Dahl Plass and into the tourist information centre to begin a 'normal' day's work. Well, what anyone who had ever worked for Torchwood would call normal, he supposed. But today and for the four days afterwards, he was free of any such constraints and was making his way out into a secluded little village.
But unlike what everyone at Torchwood Three thought, he was not having a long deserved break, even though he really needed it. No, Ianto was going to a meeting, one that no one at Torchwood needed to know about.
Out in the Countryside, Ianto felt a gush of coldness sweep though hid body as he surveyed the surrounding hills. He knew he was safe from the cannibals but it still freaked him out; the look of absolute bliss as they talked of tenderising him and Tosh and the way they liked their lips whenever they looked into his eyes and talked of all they had done. He wanted more than anything to be back at the Hub, safe, and wrapped in Jacks arms but he knew he had to do this. It was his last true chance to say goodbye and to come to terms with all that had happened.
Finding a park next to an old stone building, Ianto stepped out of his car and spotted a familiar figure. He walked forwards and embraced Emma Kettrer in a huge bear hug. Emma was also one of the survivors from the battle of Canary Wharf. They and all the other survivors were coming together to mourn the loos of their co-workers and friends, ready to release the ghosts that had been constantly following them. Ianto smiled gently and followed her inside the hotel like pub, oblivious to the calculating eyes that watched their every movements.
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Toshiko Sato was sitting in the Information Centre cleaning up Ianto's computer when she noticed something odd on the screen of her seemingly fragile friends computer. Double checking, she felt as if she had swallowed a bucket of ice and another one was wrapped around her heart. She quickly walked through the entrance into the Hub and yelled;
"Jack!"
"Yeah, Tosh. What's wrong?" Jack replied quizzically, coming out of the Autopsy room.
"You want to come check this out now." She said, beckoning him over.
"I though you were just cleaning up Yan's computer." He said, walking back with her into reception.
"I know, I thought it would be simple until it came time for me to clean up his calendar…You know how Ianto took those days off to 'rest and relax?'" Tosh said, emphasising the last part and highlighting the problem on the computer.
"Yeah, what's the proble- he didn't. Please tell me he didn't," Tosh simply looked at him as realization quickly followed by shock and worry crossed across his handsome features. "He went to a Torchwood One Survival meeting?! Why didn't he tell us? Why didn't he tell me?!" Jack ended up shouting the last bit, angry that Ianto loved him but was unable to tell him something as important as this.
Tosh, the only person at Torchwood who actually knew about the two men being a couple, pit a consoling hand on his shoulder, squeezing the taut muscles gently.
"Maybe he didn't want to tell you because he was afraid that you would think that he was doing it for Lisa," she spoke tentatively, he soft voice carrying that edge of reason that Jack and Ianto prised so exceedingly. She knew that for whatever reason Ianto chose not to confide in Jack was not because he didn't trust his lover, but more along the lines that he was scared of what Jack would think of him.
Jack nodded distantly, but he was still angry and very worried. "He should have told me! Someone needs to have gone with him. It's important for us to know hid whereabouts in the Countryside in case something happens!" His voice shook with a hint of hysteria and he collapsed into Ianto's soft chair, sighing softly.
"Calm down Jack. He'll be fine; it's just a meeting between old colleagues; maybe it'll do him some good, help him release some of his guilt." She reached down and tugged on his chin, pulling his face up to gaze into his eyes. "Jack; he'll be back before the end of the week and once he's back, you can go all protective then and not let him go more than 5 feet away from you." She said this and kneeled down in front of the computer and began running her small expert fingers over the key board, smiling gratefully as Jack vacated the seat while he leaned against the wall, surveying all that she had done.
"I knew that Ianto has hidden talents, but I didn't realise that he is as good as he is with computers. He has about eight homemade programs and even some encryptions that without his help, I wouldn't be able to crack them. He gave me the passwords before he left and all he was protecting was our information from public eyes."
Jack looked thoughtfully at the computer, silently thinking of more ways to get Ianto even more firmly sealed into the team.
"Toshiko. How good do you think he is? I know he was doing a much better job at Torchwood One, but from your point of view how good?"
Tosh leaned back, the act of casualness unusual without the third member of their little gang present, her expression thoughtful.
"Of this was anything to go by, he has the ability to take down any government, not to mention Torchwood. I'm amazed that he's been able to keep everybody in the dark for so long."
Jack smirked at this, "Oh, not everyone was fooled. I used to see him fiddling with the computers after work. And one time I caught him changing the internal CCTV recordings. I realise now that he was covering up for Lisa. But seriously, from what I've seen, he is ahead of this time when it comes to computers. Way ahead of his time." Jacks eyebrows rose as he said this, emphasising his point. Tosh looked intrigued.
"Alien?"
"Maybe." Jack didn't look too convinced about it though.
"Out of his time?"
"Possibly." No change in expression.
"Time Agent?" Tosh knew about part of his past, she herself had been a Time Agent but had left to live in the Twenty-First Century.
"Nope." This time Jack looked stern. "I would know if he was a Time Agent Toshiko." His voice was harsh but he sent her an apologetic look, knowing he was taking it out on her and he didn't want to.
Suddenly Tosh grinned, "I've got it! He's an alien that's out of his time and is using the Time Agency to get back there!"
Jack's booming laugh filled the reception even as he shook his head. "Unlikely. But the first two parts might be right. Have to ask him about it sometime." He looked thoughtful as he walked back towards the main Hub. "Thank you Tosh. I'm gonna call him tonight, just to make sure."
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Ianto opened his Hotel door with a smile, gently bringing the sandy haired woman into a hug.
"Hey Izzy. Glad you could make it." He closed and locked the mahogany door as they made their way slowly out, walking towards the main hall at the end of the long road. Talking about anything that caught their thoughts, not a care in the world.
Reaching the hall Ianto stepped forwards. Sliding open the heavy bolts, Ianto frowned at the darkness inside. "They did say to be there at lunchtime right?" He was trying for calm, but he knew that ever knowing Isabelle would be able to detect the worry threaded though his words.
"We must just be early. That's all." She shrugged nonchalantly and stepped inside, expecting him to follow. Ianto sighed at her carelessness and followed her into the darkness.
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FOUR DAYS LATER
"Jack! C'mere a sec!" Owens voice was raised as he motioned for his boss to follow him into the boardroom.
"Where's Ianto? I want some coffee."
Jack refrained from rolling his eyes. Owen was perfectly capable of getting some himself, he just didn't. It wasn't even in Ianto's job description, he just did it.
"I don't know. He was supposed to be back Yesterday. Maybe he tried to call but we didn't answer." His voice was thickened with worry, but he was determined not to panic until he hadn't heard from Ianto by 8 tonight.
"Anyway, those huge box loads of paperwork that UNIT dumped on us?" Jack nodded and sat down on a chair, studying his stressed employee.
"Yeah. I think they didn't want them in their archives. It just means more work for Ianto. What about them?"
Owen looked at him seriously, his expression one that rarely graced his features.
"Jack. They are the back up files of Torchwood One."
Jack knew he was gaping and knew that he probably looked stupid, but right now he didn't care.
"Are you sure? You are serious?" He must of looked sceptical and that he thought Owen was pulling his leg because Owen shot him a stern look.
"I'm deadly serious, Jack. There's file reports, information on alien species, computer files and a whole lot of alien artefacts."
Jack smiled sadly. "That was one of the tragic things about Canary Wharf. The loss of all that information and technology left us devastated. This is fanta-" he stopped himself, thinking of the doctor. "This is great."
Gwen chose that moment to walk in curious as ever, oblivious to the hostile posture and icy glare that Owen had developed around her ever since he had found out that she's told Rhys that he had drugged her to get her to have an affair with him, rather than just tell him the plain truth.
"What's going on Jack? You said you were going to read my report. It's important."
Jack sighed, aggravated. Most of the time he was grateful, but sometimes and in increasing leaps and bounds Gwen was testing his patience and annoying him. Sooner of later he was going to give up on her.
"Owen was just showing me something important Gwen; I think that your report can wait for a bit longer. Do you mind leaving so that we can finish?" It wasn't a question and she seemed to realise and backed off. She nodded and walked quickly back out, shutting the door firmly behind her.
"Thank God. Back to business. There's quite a lot of indecent reports and field team reports, but on especially stood out to me. It was written by one of the highest ranking field agents in the whole of Torchwood One. Apparently there had been a major incident that had involved one hundred Torchwood employees. They'd been sucked through a rip and ended up being POW on a planet that's name hasn't been written in English. From what it says, one of the employees killed this planets version of a king to get free and before they left the remaining people swore revenge on each and every Torchwood member that had been transported there."
"And?"
Owen pulled in a deep breath. "That high ranking field agent? That was Ianto. He wrote the report. You know; the thing about all the survivors from Canary Wharf. Weeeeeell, all of them were on that planet. You'd better be keeping a sharp eye on Teaboy if you want him to survive, I have a feeling they'll be back soon. By the way, why didn't you tell us that Ianto had been one of the highest clearance levelled field agents in all of Torchwood?"
Jack shrugged carelessly, mind already planning ways to get Ianto to stay with him at the Hub all the time.
"Didn't really check that part of his files was sealed and I couldn't be bothered unsealing something that was obviously meant to be kept quiet. I'll check it when he gets back."
They both were silent, looking through the different reports, finding that most of them were signed or written by 'Ianto Jones. Head of the Field Team Division and leader of Field Team Alpha.'
Jack smiled, realising that Ianto had had a lot of adventures in his past and now he was determined to get him working as a field agent again.
A scuffling was heard outside the door, causing both of them to turn around as Tosh walked in after hurriedly knocking.
"Jack? There's been a report of a sighting and landing of a ship near a village two hours south of here seven days ago. I just got the report." She handed him the sheet, watching him carefully as his face paled and his hands began to shake as he noticed something.
"Owen. Pass me that report you talked about. Quickly." He grabbed the offending pieces of paper and scanned them, looking for the photo of the space ships and the name of the town before pulling a sheet that he had scribbled on when he had been upstairs five days ago. He flicked back and forth between these sheets before turning to Toshiko. "Are you sure these are right?" She took them carefully and double checked.
"Yes Jack. Where you wrote where Ianto has gone is correct is right, hmm the other sheet is certainly correct. What's wrong?"
The chair scraped as he stood up, adjusting the gun in his holster and he turned to face them both directly, his blue eyes; usually so cheerful and sparkling, dulled with his seriousness.
"Because, Tosh. One, this is the report that Owen used to tell me that Ianto needs out protection, Two the second sheet is where the sighting of that spacecraft was which is near where Ianto is, Three the aliens that have landed near where Ianto is are the exct same ones that swore death and revenge on him and FOUR, every single survivor from Canary Wharf is with him so I think now's the time to MOVE IT!"
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FOUR DAYS EARLIER
The Door slammed shut, causing Ianto to turn around in alarm, but no matter how he tried, it wouldn't budge. Peering into the darkness, Ianto tried unsuccessfully to see anyone; but there wasn't even a slither of light.
"Isabelle? Emma? Rick?! What's going on?!"
Then suddenly, something grabbed his wrist, tight enough to bruise and he was shoved to the floor heavily. Another scaly appendage snatched his chin and roughly forced his face upward at the nothingness above him.
"Well well weeeeeeeeeell. Seems like the alll powerful leader isn't so powerful anymore!" The croaky voice hissed into the blackness, laughing weaselly as he struggled. "We promised didn't we? And we always keep our promises."
Ianto was brought to his knees and something hit the right side of his head sharply, causing him to sway unsteadily as tried to focus. "You'll never get away with it. Somebody will stop you."
"It doesn't matter." The voice seemed to almost smile with glee. "You'll be dead."
The young Welshman spat some blood out, trying to releave his mouth of the coppery acidic tang.
"Even if you kill us, the deed is done. The Emperors dead, no matter what you do, he's not coming back!"
A sudden blinding pain in his abdomen alerted him that he'd been stabbed for his insolence and he grinned mercilessly. He had stuck the chord he knew was there and he had got the result.
"It has been demanded that you die," a ghastly orange glow penetrated the gloom, making Ianto squeeze his eyes shut to try and adjust.
Opening them, he found himself face to face to something that looked like it had come out of a horror movie. Mottled read skin stretched over the sharp features, contrasting with the soft pink hair that covered everything. It's fangs bared as it leant even closer until their eyes were centimetres apart. A devilish grin appeared as it's eyes became mad with glee.
"Though they never said anything about you not suffering. I'm going to m m m make you beg for the release of death."
As something excruciatingly painful was injected into his arm and it made it's way around his body, Ianto caught a glimpse of Isabelle, Rick, Emma and some of the blokes from Administrating.
Emma was trussed up on a crucifix like object, Rick was gagged and unconscious and Isabelle was lying in a pool of her own blood. The others were in various sorts of pain and torture.
The darkness crept in as he took in the other twenty-odd people all in carious states of pain, and some of them dead; being punished for a crime that they were innocent of, the perpetrator already dead, no matter what anyone believed.
The endless night beckoned and Ianto fell into it's deceptively soft arms, welcoming the brief rest before the true pain began.
A/N : Well? What do you think? Should I continue? Please tell me your thoughts as it helps me write, Thank you for reading.