When The End Comes
It wasn't unusual for the members of Torchwood Three to leave Cardiff and go out into the surrounding areas in search of aliens. After all, it wasn't yet known just how far the Rift extended throughout Wales.
UNIT had received a tip off that a spaceship had landed, with what sounded like two Visacree Warriors onboard. They had informed Jack Harkness, and he couldn't ignore the tip off.
The Rift had open the day before and several aliens, artefacts and other irregular objects had fallen through. Most had been successfully sent back or put in the TW archives.
They were in the black Torchwood SUV, headed out of Cardiff, Jack was driving. The mood inside the car was fraught. No one, including Jack, wanted to spend time away, but it looked like they might have to for at least two or three nights.
The weather had taken a turn for the worst. Snow was beginning to fall and the area they were headed for was bleak and baron at the best of times… They were headed towards The Brecon Beacons.
Toshiko had packed a small suit case, making sure her beloved laptop was safe and secure. Gwen said her goodbyes to her boyfriend, Rhys and hurriedly packed an old kitbag. Owen stuffed a few bits into a ruck sake, not taking much care over the chore. Jack left Ianto to pack for the both of them. He trusted his lover to bring all the essentials for a few nights away from home and creature comforts.
Driving out of Cardiff, Jack looked in the rear view mirror at Tosh.
"What have we got?"
"Nothing yet."
"Keep trying." He looked at Gwen. "Hear anything on the scanner?"
"No Jack, nothing."
Jack sighed. "There must be something. Half a dozen people have reported seeing the ship land.
"What do these Visacree Warriors look like anyway?" asked Owen, screwing up his face in distaste.
"Oh, seven feet tall. Four arms. Fangs." Jack laughed. "Sorry, couldn't resist."
Ianto stifled a snigger.
"Oi, Tea Boy, shut it," said Owen, then he too laughed. "No, really."
"Have you seen Predator, the movie?"
"Yeah."
"Think ten inches shorter and a lot rounder. Like a weeble, but armour plated."
"Arh, right."
Jack and Ianto exchanged looks.
"Harkness!"
"No, really, that's what they look like."
"Are they dangerous?" asked Tosh.
"They're out of their own environment, I expect they'll be a bit disgruntled."
"To say the least," added Owen.
They drove on in silence for a while. Jack kept his eyes on the road, the rest of the team looked out of their respective windows.
"I wouldn't have thought the Rift would come this far out, Jack," said Ianto at last.
"We're not sure just how far it does go, Ianto. It might cover most of Wales, we just don't know."
Ianto raised an eyebrow.
"I expect, if we do find them, they'll be glad to get home again," said Gwen.
Owen laughed. "If their spaceship's workin' okay, that is."
Ianto turned his head slightly. "There were no reports of a crash landing."
"That's something then," replied Owen.
"We're booked into a Pub Hotel for a couple of nights at the least," Began Jack. "We can make that our base. Tosh I want you to set up there and guide us around.""Okay."
"Gwen, I need you to canvas the locals. Find out exactly what they know and what they saw."
Gwen nodded.
"That leaves me, Owen and Ianto out looking for clues."
"What if they don't want to go back Jack, what then?" asked Gwen.
Jack laughed. "Oh, they will believe me." He explained. "The Visacree Warriors are just that, Warriors. They exist to fight each other. Like Gladiators, but not to the death. Other aliens go to their Planet to watch them compete in battle. They can't do that here. They'll be more than happy to go home."
Gwen smiled. "A bit like WWF then?"
Ianto stared blankly at her through the rear view mirror.
"Wrestling, Ianto. On the telly."
"Arh."
Jack shook his head and smiled.
"We….I don't get to watch much TV." Mused Ianto.
"Give 'im a rest Jack, poor lad." Quipped Owen.
Ianto blushed.
"You asked for that," said Jack, placing his hand on Ianto's knee.
Ianto playfully swatted it away.
They drove on until they came to a small roadside café. Jack pulled in.
"Okay, breakfast, toilet break. No longer that 45 minutes." Instructed Jack, turning off the engine.
"And who's paying?" asked Owen.
Ianto held up a red card. "Torchwood, of course." He smiled, waggling the card above Jack's head.
"Nice one," replied Owen, getting out of the car.
Gwen and Tosh laughed as Owen hurried into the café.
They each ordered something to eat and drink, and Ianto popped off to the Men's room, while Owen and Gwen played on the fruit machine. Tosh and Jack sat at a window table, watching….just watching.
Ianto finished in the Men's room and was on his way back, when he noticed a small child sitting on a wooden crate beside the back door. She was crying.
Ianto knelt beside her, concern on his face. "Hey, are you okay?"
The little girl turned a tear streaked face on Ianto. His heart almost broke.
"I only….wanted to play." She said, between sniffs.
"With who, Cariad?"
The child pointed to a pile of stones outside the back door.
Getting up, Ianto went out to inspect. He found an unusual stone-like object. Picking it up, he took it back to Jack. As he passed the little girl, he placed a hand on her head.
"Jack?" began Ianto. "This was outside with some other stones." He gave it to Jack.
Jack turned it over in his hand. "It's definitely alien."
Tosh got out her censer, running it over the stone. She nodded. "Yes, it is."
"How did you find it?" asked Jack.
"A little girl, crying by the back door. She said she only want to play." Ianto shrugged.
"Do you think she saw the Visacree Warriors?" asked Tosh.
Owen and Gwen came back to the table.
"….no it wasn't my fault. I pressed the wrong button." Gwen was saying.
"And that's why we lost." Replied Owen, laughing.
"No…."
They sat down.
"What's that?" asked Gwen.
"Ianto found it outside. Alien stone."
Gwen raised an eyebrow. "Well done you."
Ianto bowed his head. "Thank you, but I did have a little help."
Just then, the little girl came into the café.
Ianto pointed to her.
Absently, Jack put the alien stone in his trouser pocket, and forgot about it.
The drinks arrived. Coke for Owen and Gwen. Tea for Tosh. Strong black coffee for Jack and white coffee for Ianto.
"Thank you," said Tosh, smiling.
The woman smiled back and went into the kitchen.
"So, the Visacree Warriors were here then?" This from Tosh.
Jack nodded.
A few minutes later, the first of the food arrived. Tosh and Ianto ordered toast.
Gwen's was the next to arrive, poached eggs on toast. Jack and Owen's came a few minutes later, two full English breakfasts.
Ianto looked at Jack's plate and rolled his eyes. "Think of all the cholesterol and calories," he mused.
Gwen smiled at Ianto. "You tell 'im."
"Gotta keep our strength up, Tea Boy. Ooww!"
Ianto had kicked Owen under the table.
"I prefer Coffee King, if you don't mind."
"Yeah, alright, just lay off the kickin'."
Jack smiled, getting on with his breakfast.
"Any way, Harkness, why does a man who can't die need to eat anyway?"
"To be sociable. To fit in." He smiled. "I'd starve to death so many time."
"Mmm."
Ianto smiled sadly.
Jack patted his knee under the table, understanding his sadness.
After they had finished eating, Ianto paid the bill and they went back to the car. There was a scribbled note on the windscreen.
My fends wont be goin hom. They ar over by the riva
Ianto looked around. "That little girl must have left this."
Jack pocketed the note, getting into the SUV. "Let's go see what's happening then."
The rest of the team got into the car and Jack drove off towards the river.
Ten minutes later, they were parked by the river. There was no sign of a spaceship, but there were remnants of what looked like brown armour.
"Jack?" asked Gwen.
Picking a piece up, Jack examined it. "I think we just found our Visacree Warriors. Or what's left of them."
Tosh ran the scanner over it, nodding. "No wonder they're not going home. The little girl must have seen this."
"What happened to them?" Owen asked, looking around.
Jack shrugged. "Not enough pieces for an explosion."
"Maybe it was ripped off," suggested Ianto.
"Could well have been. But by what or who?"
They split up and searched the surrounding area.
Owen came back with a few more pieces, so did Ianto and Jack. Tosh made a grisly discovery.
"Jack, over here."
Hidden under bracken were what was left of the two Visacree Warriors. They'd been tipped to pieces.
Jack looked around. It was desolate. "There's tyre tracks. They were dumped here?"
"Maybe they were at the café."
"We still need to find the spaceship." Jack told them. "Better gather all the pieces." He turned to Owen. "We need a body bag."
"I'll get one." He headed for the back of the SUV.
They collected all the pieces and added those they'd each found. Zipping up the bag, Ianto helped Owen put it in the back of the car.
"Hotel?" asked Ianto.
"Yep."
Jack drove on until they reached the Hotel. After checking in, Tosh set up the equipment in her room. As soon as that was done, Gwen went out to meet the locals.
The Hotel was set in a small village, a green was in the middle of the high street. Pretty houses were set back all around the green. Idyllic, little cottages. Bungalows and small two storey dwellings. The Pub Hotel, The Hope and Anchor, was the largest building in the entire village.
Jack gave Ianto the key and he, Owen and Ianto went off to see if they could track down the spaceship. Owen sat in the back working the communications equipment, that was linked to Tosh's laptop.
"Okay, Tosh, can you send any data through to us. It's all set up this end now."
"Will do, Jack." Tosh punched a few keys in quick succession. "Should be coming through about now."
Owen waited. "Got it."
"Thanks, Tosh."
"There are woods about three miles to you left, going away from the village."
"Head that way, Ianto."
Ianto started up the engine and drove off.
After almost ten minutes, they came upon the woods. Ianto parked the car and awaited instructions.
"Okay, Owen you take the left side. Ianto, you take the middle. I'll go down the right side. If you find anything, shout out."
The other two men nodded.
Moving off into the woods, Ianto waved to Jack as he went out o view. Moving slowly through the trees, Ianto wondered just how they could hide a spaceship in such a densely wooded area. He kept walking until he came to a clearing 50 yards ahead of him. "Tosh, can you hear me?"
"Yes, Ianto."
"Can you patch me through to Jack, I think I've found something."
"You're through now."
"Jack?"
"Whadda you got for me?"
"A large clearing 50 yards ahead." Ianto looked behind him. "I'm about 500 yards into the woods."
"Stay where you are. I'll call Owen and we'll meet you."
"Okay. Out."
Ianto stayed where he was and looked around. The trees seemed like they were moving in on him. He knew they weren't. It was his mind playing tricks on him. Nevertheless, he was relieved when first Jack appeared and then Owen.
"Let's go see what's up ahead, shall we," said Jack.
Ianto smiled nervously.
Jack picked up on Ianto's uneasiness, and slapped him on the back affectionately.
Moving slowly forward, they saw the remains of the spaceship scattered across the clearing."It certainly didn't land here."
"So what destroyed it, then?" asked Owen.
"Er, I think you better look over here," said Ianto, standing next to what looked like a very large birds footprint.
"Pterodactyl," said Jack. "A very large one at that."
"Like Myfanwy, you mean?"
Jack nodded.
Owen looked to the sky. "Shit! Where the hell is it?"
As if my telepathy, the large birdlike creature flew by.
"You were saying." Shouted Ianto, heading for cover.
"Jesus! It's twice the size of Myfanwy and some."
"It's hungry," said Jack.
"Well, sorry, but I ain't on the menu, thank you."
Jack laughed at Owen.
"What the bloody hell are you laughin' at, Harkness?"
"You have to ask?"
They all laughed.
"Ianto, chocolate, preferably dark, please." Joked Jack.
"Sod off!" replied Ianto, shivering.
"Tut, tut."
Owen smiled.
Ianto glared at him.
"Okay, we better get back to the SUV and warn the villagers."
"Jack, I think they might know," said Owen, stopping in his tracks. "I missed this first time round."
Over to the left of where they were was the remains of a cow and a horse.
Owen poked around in the remains. "A few hours dead."
"I don't like this Jack. The car's in the open," said Ianto, looking up.
"No problem. I'll go first."
Ianto frowned.
"Oh, come on. I can't die." Jack shrugged.
"So we stand and watch while it rips you to shreds," said Ianto. "Great."
Jack put his hands on Ianto's upper arms. "Hey, I'll be fine. Trust me."
"I still don't like it."
Two pairs of clear blue eyes met and held.
Owen rolled his eyes. "When you two have quite finished."
Ianto glared at him again. "I care, Owen."
Owen looked at the ground. "Okay. Sorry."
Jack looked from one man to the other. "Let's just concentrate on getting back to the car, shall we?"
"Sorry," said Ianto.
Jack smiled.
They walked back to where the car was parked. It was perhaps 30 yards from them.
"If we run, we might just make it," said Owen.
Jack shook his head. "I don't wanna risk it."
The Pterodactyl flew overhead, squawking.
Jack took a deep breath and ran before either of the other two could say anything.
"Jack!"
The bird swooped, catching Jack in the back as he opened the doors. He just got inside before in swooped again. He signalled for Ianto and Owen to follow and get in the car.
They both made it, but not before the giant bird tried to land on the roof.
"Get us out of here, Jack!" Yelled Owen.
Gunning the engine, Jack headed back the what they had come. The Pterodactyl following them. Jack turned suddenly.
"What the hell are you doing?" asked Owen, shocked.
"Leading it away from the village. Do you want a massacre?"
"Oh, shit!" Owen ran a hand across his face.
Jack drove for the next half an hour, the bird following. It swooped every now and then, clattering on the roof.
"Look," said Ianto, "up ahead. A cave."
Jack headed for it.
Parking the car, Jack turned first to Owen and then Ianto. "I'll go and see what's inside. Stay here, both of you." Jack's eyes rested on his lovers face. Leaning forward he kissed him gently. "Love you."
"Love you." Ianto replied.
Jack opened the car door and made a dash for it. Once inside the cave he had a good look around. It was about 15 feet deep by 6 feet wide by 6 feet high. Jack checked to make sure it was inhabited before going back to the mouth of the cave and wave Ianto and Owen inside.
Pushing their doors open, Owen and Ianto made their way to the cave. Ianto almost tripped just as the bird swooped down over the car, but managed to get to the cave intact.
Jack breathed a sigh of relief once both men were inside.
"Great. What now, Jack?"
"Tosh, are you there? Tosh."
"No reception," said Ianto.
"I am not enjoying this trip one little bit," said Owen.
"Why don't you just shut up!" said Ianto. "I am fed up of you windgin'"
"Okay, that's enough! We need to get a message out."
Ianto thought for a moment. "If I can get to the car, I can rig up the aerial to the laptop in the back and send it that way. We're too far for the coms to work on their own."
Jack shook his head. "It's too risky."
"You could draw it away long enough for me to get to the car."
Jack sighed, then giving in, said. "You run as fast as you can, and don't trip, okay?"
Ianto nodded.
Going outside, Jack made a noise, drawing the Pterodactyl to him, while Ianto waited at the mouth of the cave, ready to run.
As the large bird flew after Jack, Ianto ran to the car and jumped into the front seat. Putting his hand through the window, he bend the aerial, then getting a piece of wire from the glove compartment, tied it to the aerial. Leaning over into the back, Ianto turned on the computer and attached the wire to a USB cable and then to the USB port. He waited a few minutes for the computer to find and install the aerial.
"Tosh this is Ianto. Can you hear me? Ianto calling Tosh. Can you hear me?
"Ianto, where are you? The signal is weak."
"We're trapped out here. There's a great big Pterodactyl flying around. It killed the two Visacree Warriors and destroyed their spaceship."
"Oh, no!"
"It also killed a cow and a horse." Ianto paused to watch Jack running around outside the car. "We need to keep it away from the village, so were stuck here in a cave. Jack's keeping it busy while I wired the aerial to the computer.""Clever you. I'm impressed."
"Thanks." Ianto paused again. "The thing is, I don't know when we'll be back."
"Shall I come out to you/"
"No! No. It's far too dangerous. Get Gwen to help you. Warm the villagers. We'll be back as soon as we workout what to do with the Pterodactyl."
"Be careful, Ianto."
"We will, bye."
"Bye."
Ianto switched off the computer and opening the door carefully, ran back to the cage. Jack joined him a few minutes later.
Owen watched Jack as he entered the cave. "That was a good piece of manoeuvring, even if I do say so."
Jack was too out of breath to answer, so he just nodded.
Ianto was busy looking at his ripped coat. "Are you….okay, Jack?"
Again, Jack nodded.
"You're back's still bleeding."
Owen touched Jack's coat. "He's right. Take your coat off."
"I'm fine. It's because I've been….running around. It'll heal in a few minutes."
"Take you coat off," repeated Owen.
Jack did as he was asked. He had a deep wound between his shoulder blades.
"Strip to the waist, it needs looking at."
"Owen…."
"Humour me, Jack."
Jack rolled his eyes and Ianto helped him with his braces and shirt.
"It's nothing." He kept telling Owen.
"It's not healing, Jack and it's bleeding even more now."
Jack could see the concern on Ianto's face.
"Are you doing this just to upset Ianto, cos if you are…."
"He's not, Jack," interrupted Ianto.
"You….you have a few grey hairs, too."
"Knock it off, Owen." Jack looked at Ianto, who nodded.
"What's happening Jack?"
"I don't know."
"Jack?"
"Ianto, it's okay. I'll be fine….trust….me…."
The wound began to bleed steadily and Jack was becoming quite pale and sleepy.
"Don't you dare die on me Jack." Pleaded Ianto.
"As… if I…. would." He touched Ianto's cheek affectionately. "I…. love you, Yan." He closed his eyes.
"Stay with me, Cariad. Don't you dare leave me." Ianto had tears in his eyes. "Jack! Jack?"
Owen put a finger to the pulse in Jack's neck. "He needs medical help. I can't give him what he needs in here. Shit!"
"God, what'll we do!" Ianto got up and paced for a few minutes. "Your medical bag is in the car. I need to get to it."
Seconds later, Ianto was running back to the car. He went to grab the medical bag but came up with a gun instead. Rolling down the window, he waited for the Pterodactyl to circle around and taking careful aim, fired three times in quick succession. The great bird dropped to the ground, dead.
Ianto ran back with the bag. "Fix him up as best you can, then we'll drive back to Cardiff."
"Ianto…."
"I won't let him die, Owen. I can't."
Owen cleaned and dressed the wound as best he could. Then he and Ianto carried Jack to the back seat of the car. Ianto sat with Jack's head against his chest while Owen drove back to the village.
Ianto got on the radio.
"Tosh, get our things together outside the Pub, we're picking you both up. Jack's hurt and isn't healing. We're going back to Cardiff."
"Ianto…." started Gwen.
"Now, Gwen!"
"Okay Ianto."
Owen drove back as fast as he could picking up their bags and Tosh and Gwen. Then it was the long drive back to the Hospital.
Gwen sat in the front while Tosh sat with Jack and Ianto in the back. Ianto's eyes never left Jack's pale face all the way back. Tear rolled down his face as he tenderly touched Jack's face and brushed back a stray hair from his forehead. His hair had more grey in it now, too.
"He's aging," said Tosh, aloud.
"He's dying," replied Ianto, sniffing.
Gwen looked at Ianto and then at Jack.
He was right.
They both were.
Jack's hair had grey in it and he had laughter lines around the eyes and mouth. His lips were pale and this breathing laboured.
"But why? He usually recovers within minutes."
"He said it was because he was running around, but I don't believe that," answered Ianto.
"The faster we get him to hospital the better," added Owen, looking through the rear view mirror at Ianto.
Ianto just nodded.
"But why now?" said Tosh. "He was okay last week when he died."
Owen gave Tosh a glaring look through the rear view mirror.
"Sorry Ianto," she added.
Ianto tried to smile. "Came back almost straight away, didn't he?"
Tosh laid a hand on Ianto's and squeezed it gently. "Jack will be fine, you'll see."
"Don't give up hope, Ianto. Jack's a fighter."
By the time Owen pulled into the hospital car park, Jack was at deaths door. Getting out he opened the back door and helped Ianto get Jack into casualty."Need a little help here," called Gwen.
A doctor and porter came forward and Jack was put on a gurney and wheeled into a cubical. Ianto went with him. He wasn't about to let Jack out of his sight, his eyes told everyone that.
Turning his onto his side, the doctor examined Jack's wound. "This is really deep," he turned to the nurse, who had just entered the cubical. "3 pints of O positive, right away."
"Yes, doctor."
Ianto stayed by Jack's side as the doctor worked on him, holding his hand.
Jack tried to move and as he did so, the alien stone fell out of his trouser pocket.
The wound became less angry.
"Jack! It's healing," said Ianto.
Owen rushed into the cubical. "What are you on about, Ianto?"
Ianto pointed. "Look."
Ianto noticed the stone on the floor. "This fell out of his pocket and he began to heal."
"Shit! It was the stone."
"But how? Why?"
Jack's eyes began to flutter open. "I….Ianto?"
Ianto took hold of Jack's hand. "Here, Jack."
"Was it the stone?"
Ianto nodded. "Yes."
"Bilarnic age….stone. Works….on anyone. Always stayed away….from them. Forgot…."
"Your hair is going back to it's usual colour."
Jack smiled. "Good. Don't want you walking….around with an old man, do we." He winked at Ianto, raising a hand to caress his cheek.
"You really had us all worried, Jack."
Jack laughed. "Sorry about that." He sat up, taking the catheter out of his arm. "I think we better get out of here before anyone gets back."
Jack quickly got off the gurney and tried to followed Ianto and Owen out to the SUV. Ianto could see he was still a little unsteady, so offered him an arm. Jack accepted.
Gwen and Tosh were pleased to see him.
"Back to the Hub, me thinks," Jack said smiling.
Owen drove with Gwen beside him. Tosh sat in the back with Jack and Ianto.
That night, Jack held Ianto closing, kissing the top of his head.
"I really thought the end had finally come for you," said Ianto.
"Nah, you'd have worked it out in the end."
Ianto shook his head. "No, I wouldn't. I'd have lost you."
Jack placed a finger under his chin, lifting his head so their eyes met. "You'll never lose me."
They kissed.
THE END