Resolution

Rating: T

Summary: Sequel to "Mistletoe Romance". Ianto decides to celebrate New Years with Jack. Jack hates New Years' since 1999 when Alex killed himself. Jack learns that even the bad stuff can be filled with joy.

Notes: Series 1 story. Set between "Combat" and "Capt. Jack Harkness". Reasons: John killed himself and Diane left Owen on Christmas Eve in "Out of Time" and in "CJH" he's still sporting wounds from the Weevil fights so I figured one week was enough time for all of that.

~_~_~

One week. It had been one week.

Jack lay on his bed down in his sleep space trying to not think about John and Diane. It was so difficult to not feel pain at what they must have felt at being so far from their loved ones. Only the young girl Emma had been able to adapt. It wasn't a surprise though that she should be the one to choose to carry on. In all his years, both in the past and his own time, Jack had always been amazed at the adaptability of youth.

At least one of them had a happy holiday. He sighed deeply.

Gwen had begged him to not tell Emma about the others and after much arguing he had agreed to not tell her about John. Even though the man had tried to act the part of a parent, Emma would have been devastated to learn that he had killed himself. Instead they told her that he had left the country in an attempt to find a new life and didn't want anyone to contact him. They did, however, tell her about Diane. Jack's reason for that was not to encourage the girl to try to get back to her own time but instead he apologized for Diane's leaving so suddenly. He told Emma that Diane had snuck away to leave and they had been unable to stop her. Emma had smiled softly and said that her mother would not want her to put herself in danger just to try to get home.

If Gwen had been worried that Emma would try to go back through the Rift herself she was no doubt ecstatic when the girl had gotten a job at a shop in London. Yes, it was a bit of a drive away, but Emma was mature enough and independent to be able to handle herself. Also she was armed with her 1950's sense of morality. He'd like to see some guy try to cop a feel with her; the creep would probably end up begging to be arrested just to get away from her!

Jack smiled a bit at that. Gwen had told him, worriedly, about the incident at the club. He and Ianto both had told her gently that now that she knew what to expect from men in this time Emma would be more careful and guard her heart as well as her virtue.

Ianto.

His smile widened as he remembered their Christmas. They had spent the entire month celebrating, first by decorating the tree (the ornaments he'd bought were still proudly on display on the tree) and then by doing normal relationship things. They had bought presents for each other, watch holiday movies on the telly, gotten into a snowball fight, walked through the snow at night together, drank hot cocoa as they cuddled and exchanged their gifts on Christmas Day.

Jack had felt bad when Ianto had asked him to stay the night Christmas Eve. John had stolen Ianto's car and killed himself in it. Needless to say, Ianto had been less than pleased and refused to use his car right now. Instead he walked to work or Gwen popped by and picked him up. He had explained to Jack that knowing what had happened in it made him uneasy. Jack was planning on replacing the car with a new one.

The fact that he had asked Jack to stay the night after that had made Jack worried and happy.

"What about your family?" he'd asked.

"They know I work insane hours and even though it's Christmas we usually get together on Boxing Day to celebrate. Besides, it's all ready after 9. I called my sister and told her that I wasn't feeling up to driving in the snow and would see her later."

So Jack had grabbed Ianto's present and stayed at Ianto's for the first time that night. In the morning they had opened their presents and enjoyed each other's company.

Now that it was New Year's Eve Jack's good mood had dissipated. Now he thought of another New Year's Eve.

1999.

"Alex!"

He stared in shock at the hole in Alex's head. Blood and brain matter had splattered everywhere; on the equipment, his clothes, his face.

He closed his eyes at the painful memory. Until that night he had been first freelance then just an employee at Torchwood Three. But as the rest of the world celebrated the New Year, he had placed the bodies of Alex and the others he had killed in the morgue. He had spent hours cleaning up the blood and writing the official reports.

It was the last time he had celebrated the New Year.

"Jack? Are you down there?"

"Ianto?"

He sat up and watched as his lover climbed down the ladder and faced him. He was dressed in jeans and a sweater. He looked good.

"What are you doing back? I told you all to take the evening off and come in late tomorrow, Rift providing."

Ianto smiled and set down the basket he'd brought with him.

"I know but then I thought 'I have some cake left over from my sister's Christmas dinner and there's no way I'll eat it all myself and since Jack likes sweets I think I'll share it with him' and so here I am."

Jack watched in surprise as Ianto lifted out a cardboard box and a six-pack of beer. He then turned and smiled at him.

"Happy New Year Jack."

Jack stared at him. Did he know?

"I… I don't really…"

"I know." Ianto handed him a fork and sat down next to him. "I told her that I loved her for the first time on New Years. Maybe we have to let them both go."

Lisa. Alex too. Ianto might have been young (oh so young) but he wasn't stupid. He knew what New Years was like for Jack and despite his own pain had wanted to be with him, to make it better.

Jack took two bottles of beer and popped the caps off. He handed one to Ianto and tapped it with his own.

"To a fresh start for both of us."

Ianto smiled softly and said, "To letting go of ghosts and past mistakes."

"Happy New Year, Ianto."

"It is now that I'm here with you. Happy New Year Jack."

THE END