Author's note
This chapter has been edited after the last episode of The End of Time. I just thought I'd put it in my story. If you haven't read the rest it comes after my story Consequences and before The Returning.
This is set after Children of Earth. It is my take on what could happen next. It features characters from Torchwood and Children of Earth who belong to RTD and the BBC. There are also some characters of my own invention. I would say that Jack is the central character as events unfold on his return to Cardiff. This story follows on from my first story Consequences so if you haven't read it you might want to. It is romantic but also full of angst and it may not end happily for everyone. There are sexual references and some swearing but not explicit. I hope you'll stay with it as I really enjoyed writing it. People seem to be reading my stuff but not reviewing. If you don't want to review please pm me and let me know what you think.
Chapter 1 - The Return (Wednesday)
Jack stood in the Plass overlooking Cardiff Bay staring at the building site that used to contain the headquarters of Torchwood Cardiff. He'd never even asked what had happened to everything that was contained in the Hub. Immediately after the 456 he'd just gone all over the world and basically got drunk, got laid and got killed time and time again. He'd wanted to die but this body wouldn't let him. Why when other people died at his hand did he get to live? And when the world had proved too small he'd gone off to find the one man who could get close to healing him; the only man he'd ever truly loved. He'd found him and they'd talked and Jack had felt better but not enough to want to return, so he continued to travel around the universe, not knowing what he was really looking for.
Then one night he was sat in yet another bar, downing yet another hyper vodka, trying to dull the pain and the bar tender handed him a note. He looked up and there he was, the Doctor, his Doctor. The note simply said, 'his name is Alonso.' It turned out that the Doctor was setting him up, trying to make Jack live again before he himself changed; Jack had yet to meet the new version but he knew that would happen some time. He'd liked Alonso. He'd liked him a lot but it hadn't taken the Midshipman long to work out that Jack's heart wasn't in it. They'd parted as friends and he would be happy to see him again. In fact he was part of the reason Jack had decided to return.
The problem was his thoughts still always ended up with Ianto. He still felt guilty; he could still hardly bare to think his name. He wished he'd told Ianto that he loved him, which he did in his way, and perhaps if they'd had more time – well he'd never know now. Ianto was gone and his grandson Stephen was gone. His daughter would never speak to him again. He knew he deserved all this but now he was back. In the end he decided that it was all he could do. Talking to Alonso had made him homesick for the place he'd grown to love. He also knew that his Doctor had changed again. He'd been away too long and he needed to find out what had happened with Torchwood and if whoever was running it would want him back.
"Jack is that you?" He heard a voice behind him and turned around. There, stood in front of him, was Gwen Cooper pushing a pram, with Rhys stood next to her. Gwen gave the pram to Rhys, ran towards him and threw her arms around him.
"Jack it is you." Then she started to hit him. "Where have you been? It's been months and we didn't know if you were ever coming back. I kept things going Jack, which wasn't easy," she said looking over at Rhys and the baby.
"It's a boy. We called him Gareth Ianto. He's wonderful."
Rhys pushed the pram towards Jack. Gwen took the baby out and held him out for Jack to hold. He'd never been one for babies but he took the child into his arms. As he looked at Gareth it was like looking into the eyes of someone with an old soul. This child was going to be special just like his Mum, and Dad.
"Hi Jack, it's good to see you. How've you been?" asked Rhys.
"So so," said Jack, "but I'm back now and I need to get involved again. I've indulged myself for far too long and I need to work and stop wallowing in self pity. So fill me in with what been happening. I see the Hub is no more so where is Torchwood?"
"Well," said Gwen, "follow me." Jack followed them to the old tourist office door and they went in. Inside was a familiar face.
"Idris Hopper as I live and breathe. What are you doing here?"
"Working, I got drafted in as a favour, just to keep this place ticking over for now," he replied. Turning to Gwen he added, "turned up at last then did he. Like a bad penny as usual."
"It's good to see you too." Jack didn't really know what to say. He and Idris had had a thing which was a bit love hate in the past. Idris however, came out from behind the desk and hugged him hard.
"Good to see you Jack." Then he pressed a button and the door opened. "Welcome to Torchwood Cardiff mark 2."
Jack looked astonished as he followed Gwen into the entrance to the new Hub. Rhys said he'd take Gareth home and catch up with her later. Once he got inside Jack found that things were rather different. He'd expected that because, of course, there was now no Ianto, just as there had been no Tosh and no Owen. What he saw was a very long tunnel. There was a carriage on rails.
"Get in," said Gwen, "and strap yourself in."
Gwen pushed a button and the carriage went off doing something around a hundred miles and hour. A few minutes later and they had reached their destination. Jack got out and walked forward. What he saw before him was almost a replica of the old Hub.
"How?" He almost stuttered getting the word out.
"We had help. After Frobisher killed himself he was replaced by Bridget Spears and Lois is now our contact in the Government. She was promoted after what happened. They got the funds to set us up again. We cleared the wreckage, which wasn't fun; we had to deal with the bodies of Janet and Myfanwy. Not easy to explain a fully grown Pteranodon, even a dead one. The cryogenic chambers had survived more or less intact as they were protected by that wall meant to keep out a nuclear explosion. Yes Gray's body is still there and………." Gwen stopped as if she didn't know how she was going to say the next sentence.
"Ianto is in there as well. His family agreed to it just in case. You never know Jack."
"I know," said Jack. "He isn't coming back."
"But why has this been built here and why the tunnel to get here?"
"Well the explosion seemed to do something to the rift. It moved about ten miles west and we had to get it under control."
"So where are we?" asked Jack.
"We're sort of half under an abandoned dock in Barry between Palmerston and Cadoxton."
"But isn't that where?" Jack stopped.
"Yes, we're also under one of the biggest areas for chemical works in Britain."
"Oh great," thought Jack, "that's a nice safe location for the rift."
They were stood at the top of a flight of steps. It was then he noticed that there were other people in the Hub, at their stations, carrying on as normal. Who were these people? He did recognise one of them.
Gwen said, "come and meet them Jack. They work here now. It's the team I've put together in your absence. Hello everyone," Gwen shouted from the top. "We have a visitor."
Three people looked up from their stations as Jack came down the stairs. Gwen introduced them starting with the familiar face.
"Johnson you'll remember as she spent a lot of time trying to contain you. She's in charge of security and general weevil hunting."
"Captain Harkness, good to have you back. I'll be happy to fill you in on all the security issues in the Hub and what we've had to deal with." She saluted and Jack felt embarrassed.
"This is Ellie Adams. She's our new medic. She came highly recommended by Martha Jones." Ellie was small and blonde which would have pleased John. He always said that every team needed a blonde.
"Nice to meet you." She spoke with an East Coast accent and we're not talking Hull.
"Not from round here then," said Jack.
"No I'm from a place called Manchester in New Hampshire," replied Ellie.
"And this is our new technology expert, Aidan Evans."
Jack looked at this young man in front of him. Six feet tall with eyes of blue, a bit lanky; he had the reddest hair that Jack had ever seen.
"We've some new stuff I'll run through with you some time Captain Harkness when you're ready, if that's OK." His accent was local but a bit softer than pure Cardiff.
"More local than Ellie then," he asked.
"Yes," Aidan replied. "I'm from Barry, well Cadoxton really. We're a bit particular about that. Which is how I got involved, as I worked for one of the firms above. They needed someone who knew technology and chemicals just in case."
"I'll take you to your office and give you a bit of time to get acquainted with your new surroundings. We always hoped you'd return sometime," said Gwen.
Jack sat in his new chair at his new desk and looked around him. Sat on the desk was a box he hadn't seen before.
"Gwen," he shouted. "What's this box on my desk?" Gwen came in. "Aidan's been looking at that. We found it among Ianto's things. In his diary it said that he found it in his pocket when he was returned by the Chula. With everything that had happened with the 456 he must have forgotten it. We don't know what the message on the box is about."
Jack turned the box over and written there was the message NOT TO BE OPENED UNTIL AFTER THE END OF TIME. Jack gasped and understood. The Doctor had called what had happened with the Master and the Timelords, the End of Time. The Chula must have known, somehow, about those events, so could the box be opened now?
"No-one's been able to open it," explained Gwen.
Without any instruction Jack slid various components of the box and you could hear bits click into place. The top slid open and Jack immediately closed it so what was inside would not escape.
"What is it Jack?" asked Gwen.
"Nanogenes," replied Jack. "The Chula obviously wanted either Ianto or myself to use them. Oh God not another choice," Jack thought. "Don't make me have to choose between them, Ianto or Steven. Where's Steven's body?" he asked Gwen.
"He was cremated Jack. Apparently at some time he'd said that he didn't want to be put in a box in the earth so despite everything Alice had him cremated."
Well that made the choice easier. He knew that there were many people who could be saved. But there must be a reason why Ianto was given this box and he was the only one who could open it.
"Take me down to where the bodies are Gwen. We're going to get Ianto back."