A/N: So, this was written by me an the amazing 'TrekkieL'. The paragraphs alternate between her and mine writing. The first is hers the second is mine, third is hers etc... Big spaces between paragraphs mean a time skip. If you wanna read our other fic that we wrote together, It's on TrekkieL's profile. (This story will also be being posted on her profile) Hope you enjoy!
Jack was worried. The master had 'visited' him a few hours, days, months ago (who knows anymore) saying he had a 'surprise' for him. He'd come back with the torchwood team in tow, locking them each in a barred cage. Tosh and Owen held hands through the bars. Gwen looked like a lost puppy. Of course, this was worrying, but what was more worrying was Ianto wasn't with them.
None of the team knew where Ianto was, they had been knocked out and blindfolded. When the blindfolds were taken off, they were in cages, in a dark, basement like building.
"Jacky!" The masters voice pierced the silence as he rounded the corner. Jack tried to find the strength to even look at the man. "I'll bet your wondering where your little pet is." The master sneered, laser screwdriver in hand. "He's quite safe. Not unharmed, but safe. For now. Bring him in boys!" The master smirked and turned to his two servants.
The two men nodded at their boss, and turned away. A few seconds later, they came back, half carrying, half dragging Ianto with them. The whole team gasped and Jack looked away. The Welshman had a huge open wound running down the length of his face, there was blood seeping through his normally beautifully pristine suit.
The two men began to drag Ianto to the empty cage, but the master held up a hand. "Oh, no. He's not going in the cage just yet." The master grinned. "Come here, pet." The two men hauled Ianto over to the twisted master mind. Ianto tried to stand tall, which only upset jack further as Ianto was being so brave. The master ran his finger down iantos chest. "I can see why you kept this pet, jack." The master smirked. "I might make him my own if he survives what I'm going to do with him first."
"If you dare..." Jack started to threaten the man, but the two men put a gag over his mouth.
"Now then... Where shall we begin?" The maniac looked over at a table that was being wheeled in. On the table, there was everything from knives, to ropes, to guns. Everything capable of killing a man. The Master strapped Ianto to a table, and buckled him down. There was a muffled screaming from Jack. "I'm sorry, what was that?" The master asked. "I can't quite hear you" He gave an evil grin as he walked over to the table.
Jack watched as Ianto didn't even struggle to get away. Like he'd given up. Jack screamed at the master, cursed and shouted, but the gag prevented words from being formed. The master picked up a knife and sharpened it.
"Let's start small." The master smiled darkly and plunged the knife into ianto's left shoulder. Ianto screamed, and jack wished they'd gagged Ianto instead because the pain was too much to bare. Tosh whimpered from the cages, but jack couldn't hear, couldn't see, hell, he couldn't breath. All he could do was shout muffled protest and watch his lover... Oh god, it was too much for jack. Why couldn't the master just physically torture him, not use Ianto. Because he a bloody genius, jack thought.
The master grinned. He knew this would hurt Jack just as much as it would his pet. He slowly pulled out the knife which was embedded in Ianto's shoulder, twisting it round on the way out. The Welshman gritted his teeth and gave a muffled cry. He wanted to look over at Jack, but he knew that if he did, it would hurt him more than the torture. He didn't want to imagine the look on Jack's face, the pain in his eyes and face.
He also knew looking at Jack would hurt jack more than any torture possibly could. He couldn't do that to Jack. Jack shouted something desperately through the gag, and the master had an idea. He yanked the gag out of jacks mouth.
"Here's the deal. If you stay quiet whilst I stab him three times, he can rest in the cell for an hour." The master grinned. Jack was about to scream about how that wasn't even a good offer, but this was Ianto... He nodded, agreeing the the masters terms. The master unstrapped Ianto from the table and forced him to stand in front of jack. "And if you keep eye contact, I'll let you in the cell with him." The master added, knowing that if they were together, it would be more painful ripping them apart. Jack didn't realise this plan and nodded, his eyes fixed on Ianto.
Ianto stumbled, trying to stay upright. He looked Jack straight in the eyes and nodded. The master picked up a different knife from the table, longer and slightly wider. The master smirked. He walked up to Ianto slowly. He put the blade to Ianto's skin, dug in by about five centimetres, and started to draw a line down his arm. He went slowly, tracing the curves of his muscles and joints. Ianto looked into Jack's eyes deeper, hoping to find comfort in them. Instead he found more misery and hurt. Jack grit his teeth, determined to keep this deal. A single, silent tear rolled down Ianto's cheek.
Jack wanted to close his eyes, to yell at the master to stop, but he knew that it would blow it for Ianto, and there would be more. Jack saw the pain in iantos eyes, kept eye contact as the lone tear fell. Jack knew what Ianto needed. Pulling together all the strength he had, Jack smiled.
Ianto saw the smile that Jack was forming on his face as the master dug in the knife again, this time, going across his chest to his other shoulder and dug in. Ianto searched in Jack's eyes, and this time he saw it. A tiny glimmer, saying 'everything going to be alright'. Ianto felt the tiniest spark of hope flicker in his heart, and stood up taller.
Jack saw Ianto stand taller, he knew they were gonna get through this. Jack kept the smile and watched as Ianto made a smile of his own. The master grinned, pulled the knife out, and walked around behind Ianto. He plunged the knife hard into iantos back. Ianto gasped and lurched forward as he felt the pain shoot through his back and Jacks smile turned to immediate shock. Ianto didn't blink as he begged jack silently not to say a word. Jack nodded, keeping eye contact and trying, oh how he tried, not to speak.
Ianto fell to the ground in agony, still keeping eye contact with Jack. If anything could get him through this, it was him. He searched again to find the spark in Jack's eyes. He found it, but it was nearly gone. Jack struggled to keep eye contact with Ianto, knowing that there was only a few seconds until the Master pulled out the knife and they would be together again. The Master knew that they were still keeping eye contact, so he twisted the silver blade round once, and then twice. The Welshman visibly tensed up in pain, and Jack could see the hope draining out of Ianto's eyes and the pain seeping in.
"Entertainment at its best!" The master smirked, wrenching the knife out of Ianto's back and placing it down on the table. He unlocked the chains that held jack up and picked Ianto up roughly, shoving them both into the cell and locking it. "You have an hour." The master reminded them as he went to think about new ways to torture Ianto.
Ianto collapsed onto the floor of the cell, eyes fluttering, panting heavily.
"Ianto! Ianto, stay with me! Stay with me you hear me?" Jack picked up Ianto and pulled his head onto his lap, stroking his hair carefully. "Everything's gonna be alright, okay?" Jack whispered, voice cracking.
"I know..." Ianto winched as the excruciating pain in his chest, arm and back combined to send waves of pain through his body. "I'm ok... With you." Ianto sighed weakly. Tosh, Owen and Gwen, mostly forgotten, watched from their own cells. "'I'm tired, Jack." Ianto whispered.
"I know you are okay, but you gotta stay awake" Jack said, shaking him a little.
"Not just of this. Of everything. Of my life. You're the only reason I get out of bed in the morning. I love you Jack." Ianto slurred his words, only semi conscious.
"I know Yan, believe me, I know." The American kissed Ianto gently on the forehead, rocking them both.
Jack?" Ianto asked.
"What's wrong?" Jack asked.
"Can Owen... Reach that trolley... With the gun on?" Jack looked to where the trolley was. The two knives had been used and placed on the table, leaving the gun on the trolley. Owen heard Ianto and reached his arm through the bars. His fingers gripped around the leg of the trolley. He pulled it forward, grabbing the gun and handing it to jack through the bars.
"Why do you want this, Yan?" Jack asked.
"Kill me..."
"Ianto, look at me. Look at me in the eyes Ianto Jones." The Welshman turned his head to look up at Jack. His face was full of emotion. Not anger, not surprise, but disappointment. "Look me in the eyes, and tell me that you want to die." Ianto paused.
"If I kill you now, I will have to live with that for eternity. Killing the best man I ever knew. That would ruin me. It would tear my life apart. Look me in the eye, and tell me you want to do that to me."
"That doctor... The one you talk about. If he fixes this... It all goes back to normal." Ianto reminded him.
"And what if he doesn't! The doctor is a great man but I don't think the odds are in his favour at the moment!" Jack lowered his voice. "There is no way you can make me do this, Ianto." Jack handed the gun back to Owen, who hid it in the corner of his cell. Ianto sighed.
"I don't want to die, jack." Ianto admitted. Jack pulled the Welshman closer and held him as Ianto sobbed quietly. "It hurts, jack."
"Hey, it'll get better okay. I promise you that. As soon as we get back from the hub, we'll get you cleaned up and fixed, okay?" Jack said soothingly to Ianto.
"mmm" Ianto sniffled as he buried himself deeper into Jack's coat. "Okay."
Jack held Ianto as they both talked about anything that wasn't happening or going to happen. Ianto talked about the time his dad broke his arm on the swing, Jack talked about the first time he'd died and come back. They then both realised they very being very depressed and changed to happier subjects, involving the whole team. A hour flew past, and the master came back.
"Hi there guys!" The Master said, fiendishly exited. Jack felt Ianto quiver with fear and held him tighter. "This time, I'll think I'll take Jacky for a spin." His two servants opened the cage and hauled Jack out.
"No! No please!" Ianto whimpered, knowing that this would cause him three times the pain the stabs did.
"Ianto, it'll be ok." Jack tried to smile. Ianto nodded, concern visible in his eyes. Jack turned to the master. "So, what are you gonna do to me and what's the deal this time?"
"Well, you see. I can do anything I want to you, and you'll always revive yourself. I could kill you a million times over and make pretty boy over there watch" The Master indicated at Ianto "That would be fun, wouldn't it?"
"Just tell me the deal." Jack growled. The master grinned.
"Oh, I just had a brilliant idea. Pretty boy," the master strolled over to the cage. "Tell your friend to pass you the gun." Ianto did as he was asked and Owen got the gun from the far corner of his cage and handed it to Ianto. "You, pet, are going to be the one to kill jack... Five times." The master smirked .
"And what happens if I don't" Ianto said, face stern. "Oh, I wouldn't recommend that..." The Master plastered an evil grin onto his face. "If you don't kill him, then I will kill him a couple of times first, with you watching of course... And then I'll kill you as well"
"Ianto, you need to do this. Do it for me! Please! I need you to be strong, and do it for me." Jack cried. Ianto felt his hand, the one holding the gun, shake violently.
"You're asking me to kill you! Jack, I can't-"
"I CANT LOSE YOU!" Jack shouted. "He's gonna kill me anyway, and I'll come back. I always do."
Ianto looked Jack straight in the eyes. Jack gave a tiny nod, his eyes still bright despite the horror of everything. Ianto's eyes filled with tears as he lifted the gun slowly. He aimed at Jack's heart, trying to reduce his shakes so it wouldn't take multiple shots to end his life. He kept eyes contact with him the whole way. He pulled the trigger and a loud bang filled the room, followed by deathly silence. Ianto saw the life drain slowly out of the once bright eyes. Tears overflowed from Ianto's eyes, steaming down his face as he sobbed silently.
"One down, four to go!" The master grinned devilishly. Ianto stared at Jacks lifeless body. Jacks eyes remained open, still holding the understanding he had shown Ianto as he'd pulled the trigger. Jack sudden gasped and lurched forward. Ianto immediately pulled the trigger again.
Ianto repeated this another two times, still sobbing violently. He could felt the guilt crashing through him like a tidal wave. Before Ianto could pull the trigger for the final time, The Master walked up to him and held the gun still. Jack awoke again, taking deep breaths.
"Woah there, pretty boy!" The master smiled, pulling jack to his feet and pushing him against the bars of Ianto's cage. "In the head, gun touching." He smirked. Jack smiled weakly, still panting, and nodded. Ianto raised the gun, pressing it against jacks forehead. Jack closed his eyes. Ianto cried out as he pulled the trigger and jack fell to the ground once more. Ianto struggled to breathe as he dropped the gun and broke down in his cell, loud sobs wracking his body. The rest of the team stood in shook, all with tears in their eyes.
"There now, I'll be back in a few hours with more ways to torture both of you" The Master turned the corner, leaving the team alone. Ianto held Jack's limp body, rocking and sobbing violently. Jack sat up suddenly with a sharp intake of breath.
"Jack, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry" Ianto sobbed into Jack, his tears leaving tracks through the blood and grime on his face.
"It's not your fault, Yan. You know it's not." Jack smiled reassuringly as he tried to sit up. Ianto helped Jack sit against the bars of the cage, the bullet wound on jacks head healing almost immediately. Jack wrapped an arm around iantos shoulders.
"Ianto?" A small voice spoke up. Ianto turn to his left, where tosh was sat in the cell beside him, watching the two of them. "Are you alright?" Tosh then shook her head, muttering about how she was stupid to even ask.
"Tosh," Ianto held out his hand and tosh reached her hand through the bars, holding Ianto's hand tightly in hers. "It'll be ok."
About half an hour later, the team were trying to make conversation about anything, to avoid talking about what was coming. "How do you think Myfanwy's doing? Do you think they captured her too?" Ianto wondered out loud.
"Typical Ianto." Jack smiled "Always thinking of others, even when he is in great danger."
"You're hair looks nice today, Tosh." Owen smiled. Tosh rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, right."
"Well, you always look nice." Owen replied.
"Wait! Tosh, do you have a hair pin in?" Ianto asked.
"Yeah, why?" Tosh asked, taking out the pin and handing the pin to Ianto.
"The old picking-the-lock-with-a-hairpin routine." Ianto grinned mischievously, the best thing jack had seen all day.
"Good old Ianto Jones, can always rely on you to get me out of a crisis!" Jack said, as the pin was passed through the cages. Jack slapped Ianto on the back as he got up to work on the lock. After a few minutes of careful lock-jiggling he heard a click, and stepped back in triumph.
"Got it!" Ianto smiled as he unlocked the cage. He and Jack ran out and Ianto set to work unlocking Gwen's cage, then Tosh's. He was about to get Owens when they heard footsteps coming round the corner.
"Leave me! Get out of here!" Owen turned to Ianto. "Take care of Tosh, go!" Owen shoved Ianto away.
They had no choice but to leave Owen there. He had shoved Ianto too far for him to go back for him.
"We'll get you, I promise." Jack said, scrambling round the corner.
"Owen, no!" Tosh whispered, Ianto pulling her away.
"Tosh? Do you trust me?" Ianto asked, taking Tosh's hand and pulling her away. Tosh nodded.
"Yeah."
"We WILL go back for him. I promise. When have I ever broken a promise?" Ianto asked.
"Never." Tosh sniffed. Jack found something that looked like a store cupboard.
"Everyone in here!" He shouted. Everyone fit in the cupboard and waited as they tried to think of a plan.
The Master turned the corner where the cages were kept. "Well, Well, Well. Would you look at this. Looks like someone left their puppy at home" The Master imitated sadness. Owen snarled at him, hatred burning through his veins at the man who tortured his friends.
"If you dare hurt them again-"
"What? What, will you do, if I hurt them? You can't do anything! They've left their puppy tied to the post, left abandoned to the mercy of whoever finds him." The master smirked. "Looks like I'm your new owner."
Back in the cupboard with the rest of the team, things were getting desperate.
"Jack, we have to do something soon." Tosh whispered urgently.
"She's right, The Master's gonna do to him what he did to me, and I want no one, you hear me, no one to go through that like I did." Ianto looked Jack straight in the eyes. "Please, Jack." Jack could see the plead and fear in Ianto's eyes as he begged for Jack to do something.
"I'll go back. He can't kill me." Jack replied. "Tosh, you'll be used to hurt Owen, and Ianto, I'm not letting you get hurt again. Not you." Jack sighed, pressing his forehead against Ianto's. He turned to Gwen. "I'm trusting you to keep them safe." Gwen nodded and jack left, leaving behind a rather distraught ianto. Tosh held Ianto's arm, careful of the knife wounds.
"Jacks reckless, but he'll be back." Tosh put one hand on Ianto's shoulder. "It'll be ok."
Jack crept silently down the dark, damp corridor and peered round the corner. The Master was teasing Owen, although Jack could tell he was not far off from tying him up and beating him, just like Ianto. He needed to get there fast, he promised Ianto he wouldn't let anyone else get hurt.
Jack looked around for things to use, anything that could give him a few minutes alone to get Owen. He noticed the panel opposite him, so he sent a coded message to the ships bridge. All those years living, you pick up some good tips. 'Fire in the engine room.'
All Jack had to do now was wait for the bridge to get the message. Suddenly, alarms in every direction started blaring. The Master jumped. He turned around and sighed.
"What the hell is it now?" He muttered under his breath, stalking away in the other direction. As soon as he was down the corridor and away, Jack ran round the corner to save Owen.
"Jack! What the hell did you do?" Owen ran towards jack, speaking in a low whisper.
"Saved your ass, what do you think?" Jack gave his trademark smirk.
"Right, let's go then." Owen sighed. Jack lead Owen back the way he came and to the cupboard, but skidded to a halt at what they saw.
In front of them stood the two servants of the Master.
"Ah. Umm, hey" Jack tried his best to be smooth with the two men.
"I think you'll be coming with us. The master will want to see you." one of the men said.
"Well done, Jack. Now we're in a worse mess than before." Owen said, scowling at the American. Suddenly, there was a loud clang and the two men fell to the floor. Behind them stood Ianto and Tosh, holding fire extinguishers.
"Who'd of thought they'd have fire extinguishers in this place" Said Ianto, with a small smile.
"Ah, Ianto, Tosh. Just on cue as always" Jack said with a grin, before pulling them both into a hug.
Back in the hub...
"Owen! Stop playing with that bloody thing! It's used for medical reasons, not shooting my coffee cups!" Ianto shouted at Owen, who was, yet again, shooting paper cups.
"Hey, I'm just practising!" Owen retorted.
"Well, remember what happened last time?" Ianto asked.
"Yeah, I only nearly killed you. Nothing important."
"Children! Stop fighting!" Jack appeared from his office. "Ianto, got you a present!" Jack smiled as he threw a small box at the coffee boy. Ianto caught it and opened it. Inside the box, sat a golden stopwatch.
"It's to make up for what he did to you, and what he made you do." Jack smiled softly at the smile spreading across Ianto's face. He walked towards the Welshman and kissed him on the forehead. "I'll never let anything like this happen to you again, okay, I promise"
"Thank you Jack." He whispered back. "Anyway" Ianto said, back to normal volume "I think we'll have to find a few uses for this tonight, eh Jack?" Jack winked at Ianto, grinning.
"Owen! Killing Ianto wouldn't be acceptable!" Tosh laughed, taking the medical tool and putting it down on Owens desk.
"Ah, yes, tosh. Hello. Um..." Owen looked at tosh for the first time. It was good to see her smile.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
"Nothing. Um... You look great!" Owen smiled. Tosh blushed and brushed a stray hair out her face.
"Thanks. It's better than being I that place." Tosh pointed out.
"Yeah, I bet." Owen stammered slightly. "Um, Tosh?" Tosh turned to face him.
"Yes?" she smiled.
"Um, I was wondering, maybe... If you, would like to go out, for a coffee sometime, maybe?" His faced flushed pink slightly.
"I would love to." Tosh smiled. "Are you... Are you alright? After all, we did leave you behind..." Tosh trailed off.
"I'm alright. He didn't do anything, not really." Owen pulled down his sleeve, where he could still feel where the master had grabbed his arm. There were bruises, but once the timeline was restored, they were gone.
"I'm glad." Tosh smiled, wrapping her arms around Owens neck in a brief hug. Tosh pulled away and smiled. "Lunch time, coffee shop?"
"Sure thing" Owen smiled. He was glad about this. He realised earlier, when they were captives of the Master, that Tosh was really the only reason he had to be happy. She was always positive, never saying a bad word about anyone, ever. She cared so much him in there, when they left him. She would have put her life at risk for him, only now he realised.
"Great. I'm going to go and do my... Nerdy stuff... On the computer." Tosh smiled, turning towards her desk. She smiled when she saw the you rodent Owen had given her somewhen, she couldn't remember when. She also saw the photo of her and Owen on a picnic. She blushed and began imputing codes on her computer .
Jack and Ianto were sat on Jack's bed, watching a movie. Jack had decided that Ianto definitely needed to rest until the timeline was restored at least. It's not like Ianto could do any work at the moment anyway, he couldn't even stand by himself for more than a few seconds. "Jack?" Ianto said, looking up at the American.
"What is it Yan?" He said with a smile.
"When you die... What's it like?"
"Why do you want to know that?" Jack asked, pulling Ianto close.
"I... Was just thinking..." Ianto sighed. "About what I did..." Jack tensed.
"It was like being dragged down a dark abyss, then getting pulled back up to the light. You were always in the light though. Every time." Jack smiled.
The Welshman grinned up at Jack, and snuggled closer into his coat. It felt nice, familiar after this day of distress and uncertainty. It felt like home.
"You didn't cry out..." Jack traced a finger up the large knife scars on Ianto's arm. "You are the bravest man I've ever met, Ianto jones." Jack smiled, tenderly kissing the large scars.
"So are you, jack." Ianto smiled.
A/N: Sorry for any grammar, spelling mistakes or confusion in this fic. I had to copy and paste it off our Skype conversation :) Favourites and Reviews are greatly appreciated, they mean the world to us :D Thanks for reading!