80 Years Old And Dying
Ianto walked back from Tesco swinging the carrier bag that contained two of Jack's favourite pastries; pecan and maple syrup, to be exact. Coming to Gourmet Burgers, he saw a figure standing by the statue above the Tourist Office. He spied that coat. He recognised it straight away. But something was wrong. The figure inside the coat was all wrong. It was thinner, older, bent over at the waist. Ianto hitched a breath, as he walked to the front of the man in Jack's greatcoat. There was no mistaking those blue eyes.
"Oh, my, God! Jack!"
Jack strained to lift his head. "Don't look at me, I'm hideous!"
He tried to move away from the Welshman was now stood. But Ianto stopped him, touching his face.
"What happened to you?"
"I-I picked up a rock that fell through the Rift last night. I started to age a few minutes later."
Jack staggered backwards, but Ianto caught him before he fell.
"Thank you."" I should have stayed with you last night." Ianto closed his eyes and sighed. "What can I do?"
Jack shook his head. "I really don't know."
"I'll call Owen. He'll know what to do." Getting out his mobile phone, Ianto called Owen Harper, all the while, keeping an eye on Jack. "Owen, something's happened to Jack!"
"Relax, Tea Boy, he'll be fine. Unkillable, remember?"
"He's aged about 45 years."
That got Owen's attention.
"What the fuck! How?"
"A rock. It came through the Rift last night." Pause. "He looks about 80, Owen."
"I'll be right there."
"Thank you." Ianto put his phone away and then turned to Jack. "We need to get you back to the Hub. Owen's coming in."
Jack groaned. "Legs are a bit wobbly, but I'll try."
Ianto put his arm around the older man's waist. "Lean on me."
"What would I do without you, Ianto Jones?" He kissed his lover's cheek.
Owen reached the Tourist Office door just as Ianto was helping Jack through the entrance down to the Hub below.
"Jesus!" muttered Owen, helping Ianto get Jack down into the lift. I need to check Jack over and then see what's in the rock that did this to him."
"It-it exploded," said Jack.
"What?"
"The rock's gone." Jack shook his head.
"Shit!" said Owen. "Now what do we do?"
Ianto helped Jack down to the autopsy bay once they were through the cog door, while Owen prepared the scanner.
"Get Gwen and Tosh in here now! We'll need all the help we can get."
Ianto nodded, getting out his phone again.
Tosh and Gwen arrived within minutes of each other. Both were shocked by what had happened to their Captain.
"How could this happen?" asked Tosh. "I thought you were a fixed point in time and space!"
Jack tried to laugh. "So did I." He closed his eyes.
Ianto stood by the autopsy table, holding on to Jack's wrinkled hand. He absently brushed a strand of thin, grey hair out of his eyes.
"Owen?" he asked.
Owen shook his head. "The scanner isn't picking up any thing out of the ordinary."
Ianto frowned.
"It still thinks this is Jack. The immortal version. No changes.
Haven't A Clue
After Owen had run out of tests to run, he and Ianto helped Jack up to the old couch. Once settled, Ianto went to maker coffee, while Tosh and Gwen sat with Jack.
Putting coffee beans into the machine, Ianto slumped against the wall, head down.
"I'm sorry," came a voice from beside him.
Ianto looked into concerned brown eyes of Torchwood's medic.
"Is he going to die?" asked the Welshman.
"I honestly don't know, mate," came the hushed reply.
"We can't lose him! I can't lose him."
The coffee machine gurgled and spluttered, as the pot began to fill. The air smelt of pure amber nectar that was Ianto's coffee.
Jack smiled, as he breathed in the familiar aroma. "That smells so good," he told Tosh.
The Japanese woman's heart sank as she noted the sad look in her once handsome bosses eyes.
"Are you in pain?" she asked.
Jack shook his head. "Ianto…I'm worried about how he's taking this."
Tosh looked in the direction of the kitchen. "Owen's with him."
"Good," Jack smiled. "Look after him, Toshiko. Ianto, I mean."
"Jack…"
"I can feel myself getting older." A tear slid down his face. "I don't know how long I've got left."
Gwen and Tosh exchanged concerned looks.
"I want to be with Ianto when I die."
Ianto approached with a tray filled with cups of coffee.
"You're not going to die, Jack!"
"Ianto…"
"No!" He placed the tray on the coffee table, then knelt beside his lover. "I can't lose you. I just found you."
Jack reached out a hand and cupped his young lover's face. "I'm sorry."
Ianto took the hand in his, kissing the palm. "Please…"
"I'd like us to go back to your flat. If I'm gonna die, I want to be naked in your arms." He closed his eyes. "I can't think of a better way to meet my maker." When he opened his eyes again, they shone with unshed tears.
Ianto could deny him nothing. He just nodded.
Loving Arms
Owen helped Ianto get Jack into the SUV and then stood back with Gwen and Tosh, as Ianto got in beside the older man.
"Do you think Ianto is strong enough?" asked Gwen.
Owen frowned, giving Gwen a sideways glance. "He's the strongest of us all!"
Tosh nodded in agreement. "He fell apart when Jack left with the Doctor, but by the time he came back, Ianto was a different person; stronger, more determined."
"I suppose so."
"There's no 'suppose' about it," said Owen, stepping back. "Watching Jack die will all but destroy Ianto, but it's what Jack wants, that counts right now and Ianto knows that."
As the SUV pulled up out of the underground garage, Jack looked at his colleagues, probably for the last time. He gave them a smiled and a wave before looking straight ahead.
Once Ianto had parked the car, he helped jack up to the flat. He was glad there was only one flight of stairs to climb. Opening the front door, Jack stepped inside, smiling at the pile of mail on the mat.
"Been a while, huh."
Ianto smiled, closed the door and, bending down, he scooped up the envelopes and takeaway leaflets, before dropping them on the table beside the phone in the hall.
Carefully taking off the beloved greatcoat, Ianto hung it on the hook behind the closet door, before walking Jack into the lounge.
"I can make coffee," said the younger man. "Are you hungry?"
Jack shook his head. "I just want to lie in your arms."
Taking hold of his lover's arm, Ianto walked him through to the bedroom. He carefully undressed Jack and helped him into the double bed before getting undressed himself and getting in beside him. Ianto placed an arm around Jack, letting the older man rest his head on his chest.
"I can't make love with you," Jack said, five minutes later.
"You already have…with your eyes."
They kissed tenderly and a few hours later, Jack passed away peacefully in his lover's embrace. Ianto felt as if his heart would stop beating too.
After carefully washing Jack's body and covering him to the neck in a clean white sheet, Ianto called Owen.
"Jack passed away 20 minutes ago."
"Jesus, Ianto, I'm sorry."
There was silence between then, then…
"Do you want me to help you bring Jack back here?"
"I want to bury him, Owen. I don't want him put in the vault."
Owen understood.
"Okay, mate. I'll arrange it."
"Thanks."
Captain Jack Harkness was buried two days later in a small cemetery at the back of a church in Penarth. Just close friends and Ianto's family attended.
On the headstone it said…
JACK HARKNESS
LOVER - FRIEND - HERO
And underneath were two hands entwined, surrounded by stars.
THE END