I have only two gifts I could give you and only one will mean anything to you -my love and immortality.
These words rang through his mind as his opened his eyes and looked up at his lover standing above him pleading for him to open his eyes. His gasp of breath had the other pulling his body towards him quickly saying his name over and over asking him how this was possible. He couldn't answer, he was still in his mind reliving a year that didn't truly exist but was lived.
"I'm alright." Were the only words he was able to pass as his mind returned to those words…murmured in hurt and sadness against his ear at what he believed to be the end of their lives. I want you to know that I never expected anything from you I know he has your heart. Thank you for letting me love you. "Alyssian."
"Ianto?" Jack asked pulling away from. He knew tears were falling from his eyes but he wouldn't be able to explain them to Jack. "Martha, you should examine him make sure –"
He looked up Martha and saw recognition for a moment before it was covered by her medic persona. "I don't need a check-up."
"You just came back from the dead." Jack told him quietly. "I'm grateful but was need to know-"
"I know why." He said quietly closing his eyes against the memory of the small person leaning against him and whispering against his ear promising love and his happiness not believing they could ever be both the same. "I'll let Martha examine me though."
"Jack, you have to let Ianto go if you want me to examine him." Martha said slowly detaching the Captain from his lover and moving him gently to the side.
He watched as Jack reluctantly moved away, in his sky blue eyes he saw the warring emotion – relief that his lover was okay and suspicion that something else was going on. He wanted to laugh and cry at that thought.
Time'll reverse. I hope you don't remember any of this. Be happy.
"Everything looks fine." He looked into Martha's eyes and for the first time he saw something besides affection. A quiet accusation letting him know –
"There has to be something." Jack said quietly.
"He's back, does it really matter why?" Mickey said from above them.
"I'm happy he's back but I just-"
Ianto knew Jack was thinking about Owen and his undead life…the pain in his chest seemed to grow. "It's a gift, Jack." Ianto said calmly reaching for the Captains hand. "Trust me."
"I love you." Jack answered him. Ianto closed his eyes as an echo of the words in a soft falsetto seemed to resonate through his mind.
"I love you too, Jack." Ianto laid back down and closed his eyes. "I'm tired."
"God, you must be in pain. I remember how much coming from a –"
"I'm not in pain." I just have an extra year of fighting things worse than the Toclafane coming through the howling because of the Master. The thought never crossing his lips as his closed his eyes as saw the sky wretched open and watched small metal balls terrorize the Earth and at that moment thought it was the worst thing that could happen. "I'm just tired."
"We should let him rest." Martha said quietly. He watched as she began to remove a needle and sever empty tube, "I would like to take some blood though before Jack takes you home."
"Blood?" Ianto was horrified at the thought. He didn't know what exactly was done to give him this Immortality but he didn't want it too closely examined.
"Jack, why don't you get everything finished off while I finish with Ianto, that way you can take him home once we're done." Martha told the Captain quietly. He kissed Ianto on the forehead and dragged Mickey back through the hub, "You're Caden."
"It was my tad's name, my middle name. When did you meet-"
"Only once." Martha interrupted as she began to draw blood, "I was alone passing though France when it happened." He watched as one tube filled and she inserted another. "We travelled for a while, I asked and was told. You are greatly loved."
"I know." His heart burned now and the more his memories seemed to settle the worse the burning became. He closed his eyes and looked away from Martha, "Alyssian."
"What are you going to tell Jack?" Martha asked him quietly. Ianto didn't know so he had no answer for his friend. "You are going to tell him, right?"
"Yes, Martha," Ianto answered tiredly, "I will tell him, eventually." He opened his eyes, his night blue eyes fixed Martha with a firm warning. "There is a lot more that you don't know or understand about the situation that I have to work through but I WILL TELL JACK."
"Fine but you know-" She began placing a cotton ball against his arm and bandaging it.
"A lot more than you." He slowly got up from the table when he heard Jack's footsteps, "I'm asking you as a friend to let me handle this. You think you understand the situation but you don't."
"I know that Alyssian loved you but didn't believe you-"
"That's wrong. I did. Martha leave it alone." Ianto had quietly put his suit jacket on and turned towards Jack, "I'm ready."
"Is something wrong?" Jack asked as Ianto moved towards him. He looked over Ianto's head at Martha, "He's okay."
"As far as I can tell, he's fine." Martha answered as she turned away from his taking the blood samples.
"Why do I feel like I'm-"
"I want to go home, Jack." Ianto was standing beside him looking even more tired. "I'll explain everything soon. I just need time to rest." Jack nodded and escorted the exhausted Welshman out of the hubs.
Love hate? Should I continue?