Takes place a few weeks after 'Exit Wounds'.
'And A Sky Full Of Stars' (A. C. Clarke)
Ianto Jones eased his foot off the accelerator and dropped the SUV down to first gear as the snowfall suddenly became so dense that the windscreen wipers just failed to cope. His brow was furrowed with concentration as he struggled to see through the swirling blizzard filled headlamp beams into the dark night beyond. Jack, in the front passenger seat beside him unconsciously gripped the dashboard and stared ahead, trying to be a second pair of eyes, quietly relieved that it wasn't him behind the steering wheel right now. Jack grabbed a brief glance over his shoulder at Gwen. She was looking out into the wintery night her reflection facing her, haloed by the bluish interior lights in the back of the vehicle. Her face was drawn with exhaustion and the slight feeling of queasiness. Ianto's muttered curse brought Jack's attention back to the windscreen. Jack frowned, Ianto was not in the habit of vocalising his displeasures quite so colourfully and especially not in his native tongue. Again he had to slow up the SUV, the tyres losing their traction beneath them. The skid was minimal and Ianto got it under control straight away.
"Bloody weather." Was muttered again in Welsh and Jack couldn't help but smile. The only other time Jack had heard Ianto use his own language was when they were in bed together. Not that that had happened recently.
Since losing Owen and Tosh Ianto hadn't let Jack any where near him, not even to comfort him when he had cried over Tosh's body in the mortuary. Ianto had fallen into old habits, isolating himself and burying himself in the massively increased workload and making sure that Gwen went home to Rhys every night. Typical Ianto. Thank God Gwen had Rhys, was all Jack could think. All of three of them were stressed, riding on the verge of burning out and long nights like these never helped. Jack adapted, he always did, had learnt to. He had more trouble coping with the fact that his own brother had been responsible for their losses. Being buried for 2000 years hadn't been a bundle of laughs either. Gwen had shed tears daily for almost a month and each time she broke down, Ianto had held her, made her tea and assured her everything would be OK. Gwen recovered, as well as one could under the circumstances. Sometimes Rhys would help out at the Hub. Ianto's idea of course. Jack had not been happy, but as ever Ianto had been proved right, Rhy's presence in the Hub had helped them all enormously. Jack stole a glance at the young man beside him. Ianto's face was as unreadable as ever. Over the last few weeks he had said less and less. He only spoke to them about work, he never smiled and he'd stopped making coffee. Jack was surprised at how much he missed that. In truth he missed his Ianto, his beautiful voice, his sharp wit and the touch of his lips. They hadn't spoken about their relationship. Jack was assuming it was over, though he sincerely hoped that it wasn't. Jack sighed and went back to looking outwards into the swirls of white. He was as confused as the snowfall and just as cold inside his heart.
Something slammed into the side of the SUV. All Jack heard were the shouts and screams that issued from Gwen and Ianto. The world flipped and bounced and there came a sickening grinding of metal as the air bag blew up in his face.
It was the pain that initially brought him to his senses. Ianto let out a barely audible moan and tried to move, that made him cry out as white hot pain shot up his spine and into his head. He cracked open his eyes and blinked through the tears as a crazy upside down world assaulted his vision. He panicked and started jabbering in Welsh, trying to move his arms, which only made things worse.
"Shhh. Ianto, it's OK. Calm down. It's OK." Gwen's urgent tones snapped him to attention and he shut up.
"Gwen?"
"Yes. It's Ok." Her face came into view, but she was upside down. Ianto tried to move again, but this time something was holding his head still.
"Ianto, hold still." It was Jack.
Oh God, this couldn't be good.
"Jack?"
"You need to keep still, Ianto." His voice was firm, but kind and not in the least bit reassuring. Ianto tried to think, but that made his head ache all the more, his vision was wobbling.
"What happened?"
Jack's concerned countenance came into view, a cheeky smile broke out on his face.
"You trashed the SUV, good job you've got insurance."
Oh shit.
"Ianto, we need to get you out. Are you up for this?"
Where was the snow? Why is it daylight? HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN OUT?
"No, but do it anyway." He bit back through the pain, trying to smile.
"OK, just relax."
Relax?! What the fuck?
"Ahh. Oh my God……That hurts."
Something was shoved over his face. Air. Breathe.
Thank God. Oh Jesus this hurts.
"Are you two hurt?" The mask muffling his voice.
Jack's face was close to his, he felt lips brush against his forehead….
Dam it Jack any bloody excuse.
"We're both all right nothing………"
Ianto drifted.
"….Come on Jones…….enough……."
Oh God oh God oh God!
"Ok, Ianto. Here we……"
Everything went white and then everything went black.
Ianto cautiously lifted his eyelids and had to squint immediately against the brightness. It took him what felt like forever to adjust and some more to recognise the fact that he was staring up at a blue sky. Fluffy white clouds sliding by. Was he dead? The pain kicked in. No then, perhaps not. A sigh escaped him and suddenly Jack's face was blocking the view.
"Ianto, hey. Welcome back." His white smile was in place, the one he always had when he was worried, Ianto knew it well as only a lover could.
"Jack?" It was barely a croak and Ianto wasn't even certain that he'd been heard until Jack's smile widened just a little.
"Jack, is Gwen OK?"
He could feel Jack's fingers in his hair, that was nice.
"Gwen is fine, a couple of bruises. We're both OK. How are you feeling?"
That's about the dumbest question you have ever asked Harkness.
Ianto slid his eyes shut for a moment, he wanted to think about that. "I'm a bit sore Jack, but I'll be OK, right as rain in no time. You'll see." He tried to smile unhappy about the vile metallic taste in his mouth. He noted that Jack's coat was covered in blood.
Who's blood?
The smile fell away.
"Ianto, I have to see to your injuries. I'm sorry. I'll try not to hurt you. Hang in there……Keep……T….Me"
The stars were really bright that day.
Jack carefully applied pressure to the dressing as Gwen taped in on to Ianto's chest with duct tape. It was all they had to hand. The bleeding had slowed down at least. Jack heaved a worried sigh and caught Gwen glancing at him.
"That'll do Jack, you can let go now."
He hadn't realised that she had finished. His bloodied hand went back to Ianto's hair, the other replacing the ripped shirt to cover Ianto's crushed chest. The air bag on the driver's side had failed, the steering wheel having smashed the young man's ribs. Reluctantly Jack stood up and watched as Gwen began to examine Ianto's shattered left leg. They hadn't even checked the other car. He clambered around the battered remains of the blue Renault Megan and peered inside. His heart almost stopped when he saw two silent children in the back, their bodies broken and twisted. Jack reached in to check them. They were both dead. He couldn't see anyone else in the wreck so he searched around the surrounding ground in the long swaying grass. He found the remains of a young woman a few metres away, also dead. Jack straightened himself and pulled his mobile phone out of his coat pocket. No signal. What the hell had happened? He wandered back over to the upturned SUV and pulled out one of the flight cases from the relatively undamaged back end of the vehicle. Trying not to think about the state that Ianto was in Jack focussed on the task at hand, pulling out Tosh's scanners and taking readings, trying to get a fix on what had happened to them.
"Jack!" Gwen's urgent tones snapped him back in the moment.
"Jack I need a hand."
He dropped the gear back into the case and joined Gwen at Ianto's side, kneeling down to face her over Ianto's prone form. Gwen lifted Ianto's hand and placed it into Jack's grasp.
"Stay with him. I need to make up a splint." She instructed, moving away. Jack rested Ianto's hand down on the grass and pulled off his great coat. He gently spread it over Ianto. The young man opened his eyes and smiled up at Jack. Jack thought his heart was going to break, the light was fading in Ianto's eyes.
"That's going to be one heck of a dry cleaning bill."
Jack laughed though he wanted to cry. "Trust you to think of that…… You feeling any better?" He took hold of Ianto's hand again, there was no strength in it what so ever. Jack wasn't even certain that Ianto could feel the contact.
"No, not really. Is it bad Jack?"
Jack avoided his gaze.
"Tell me Jack."
Jack chewed at his lower lip and forced himself to look directly into Ianto's watery gaze. "Yep, it's pretty bad."
"Ok." Ianto seemed to take it well. "Where are we?"
Jack shrugged. "I've no idea, but the scenery's nice."
"Did I hit another car?"
Jack tightened his grip on Ianto's boneless fingers. "Yeah. Three fatalities." He replied knowing full well that Ianto would want the truth.
Ianto squeezed his eyes shut, but the tears found their way out anyway.
"Shit. I'm sorry."
Jack gently stroked his bruised cheek. "Not your fault Ianto." He looked on as Ianto lost control of his sobs and broke down into coughing. It took some time for the fit to subside and Ianto stared blankly up at he sky.
"Oh God it hurts."
"I know. Just hang on Ianto, please. Just hang on."
Gwen was suddenly there kneeling beside them unfolding a foil body wrap. Jack reached over to help her secure it around Ianto.
"Pull the rest of the gear out of the SUV and see if you can rig up some kind of shelter."
Gwen was looking into his face confused. "Jack?"
He met her look. "No mobile, no GPS, no radio or digital communications signals of any kind. I don't think we are on Earth."
Her hand went to her mouth as she took a moment to allow her eyes slide around the view behind Jack, rippling long grass and shallow hills as far as she could see.
"The Rift?"
"I think so."
"Then where the hell are we?" She hissed trying not to disturb Ianto.
"I don't know, but we'll need to get Ianto out of the elements before it gets dark."
"Right of course, you're right." She passed Jack a small zippered pouch. "That's morphine and a syringe." Then leant forward and lightly brushed her lips to Ianto's hair. "Jack's going to set your leg. Just slap him if it hurts." She made a point of letting him see her grin before she left. Jack was grateful for her kindness. He set to work continually glancing at Ianto's face as he prepared the splint that Gwen had found in the first aid kit.
Ianto sighed as he watched Gwen disappear from his line of sight. He could vaguely hear Jack chatting away amiably, but he could feel himself drifting again. It was getting darker and that felt strangely comforting.
"Ianto! Ianto!"
Jack's urgent tones dragged at him and Ianto struggled to hold on to the sound of his distant voice.
"Ianto. Stay with me, come on."
But Ianto really didn't want to. He just wanted to go home to his sparse little flat and curl up on his favourite couch with a bottle of chardonnay and a decent book. Something stung his face and he snapped his eyes open.
"Ianto."
"Go away Jack, leave me alone." He felt petulant and he really couldn't be bothered doing as Jack asked. Everything that man ever told him to do went wrong any way. Oh, God what's the matter with me, did I just yell at Jack? What the fucking hell ids going on? I'm scared. Jack I'm really scared. Please, help me.
"Please…..Jack……Pl…"
Jack hurriedly finished securing the splint registering the pain on Ianto's face as he fazed in and out of consciousness. Jack frowned, scared shitless. I am not losing another one, not now, not today. Please not this man. Ianto you're all I have.
"Don't you fucking dare give up on me Ianto Jones."
Jack slumped down on the grass and carefully gathered Ianto into his arms.
"Please wake up Ianto, please."
"Jack?" Ianto's voice was so weak.
"Hey there. I really need you to stay awake." He soothingly ran his hand through Ianto's hair trying his damdest not to cry.
"Let me go Jack. Please let me go….." Ianto slipped into Welsh mumblings.
"You are not going anywhere. Come on Ianto I need you to stay with me."
Ianto had closed his eyes again. "Don't want to stay, want to get home. Got to feed the cat…..Mo….hungry…."
Gwen watched worriedly from a discreet distance.
He could hear whispered voices one on either side of him. It was really annoying. Ianto tried to turn over to get comfortable and discovered he couldn't move. The pain made him feel sick and a groan escaped his dry lips.
"Ianto?" It was Gwen.
Ianto's eyes drifted open and all he could see was blue, but it wasn't sky. Is that the roof of a tent? What the hell was he doing in a tent with Gwen, or was it Lisa? No, that couldn't be right could it?
"Ianto?" Her soft Welsh lilt was really quite a turn on. He could feel a warm flush in his cheeks.
"Ianto?" Jack this time. He tried to smile but wasn't sure how successful he had been. Jack's face came into view so close, lips touching the end of his nose.
"I could really do with a pint Jack." It was all he could think of. "Moses. I've got to get up and feed Moses he must be starving by now." He tried to move to sit up and nothing would work properly. Why can't I get up? Oh, fuck that hurts!!
"Jack where am I?"
"You're safe. Everything is fine."
OK, it blatantly isn't.
"What happened? Why aren't I in hospital?" Somehow he knew he should be.
He could hear the fear in Jack's voice, well hidden as it was. "I think we've come through the rift and ended up on another planet." He replied.
"Oh, wow really? What's it like outside?" God I have to see this, another world, a different sky. Why does this have to happen now when I'm on my way out? Fuck it's just not fair.
He saw Jack was smiling down at him now. "Trust you. Actually it's a beautiful clear starry night."
Ianto took a moment to digest this. "Take me outside. I want to see it."
"We shouldn't move you Ianto." Gwen the voice of reason. Ianto gave her a defeated look before settling his gaze back to Jack.
"I'm dying. I want to see the stars, please Jack. Let me see."
"I'll take you outside."
"Thank you Jack."
It took a while to get him settled. Wrapped up in Jack's great coat and propped up in Jack's embrace his back supported against Jack's chest. Gwen sat beside Jack her left hand tightly clasping Ianto's right. They sat in silence heads turned up to the heavens of an inky black velvet dusted with bright diamonds that shone like angels.
"You have to focus on living Jack." Ianto finally said. "Look at that sky it is so beautiful." He pondered the stars, and enjoyed a little private game of making patterns and shapes and making new little constellations all of his own. Except that they weren't new at all. He recognised that sky, remembered it so well. He'd grown up under these very same stars.
Realisation dawned.
"Jack you do realise we are in Wales don't you? Look up see?"
Jack and Gwen complied.
"What am I looking at?" Jack asked.
Ianto sighed sleepily at his ignorance.
"Ianto?"
"The northern sky. This is Earth you idiot. Home."
Gwen and Jack exchanged puzzled frowns.
"He's right you know." Gwen conceded.
"I know everything."
Jack smiled. "Then we must have travelled through time and not space." It didn't help them much.
Gwen got up and wandered back to the tent they had salvaged from the wreck of the other car, feeling chilly. So near and yet so far, will I ever see Rhys again?
Jack kissed Ianto's cold cheek.
"Ianto?"
"Yes Jack?"
"You realise this is the most romantic thing we have ever done?"
"I love you too Jack."
"You stay with me now?"
"Always Jack. But it's getting dark and I really think I have to go."
Jack buried his face in Ianto's hair.
"Nice view. Don't be sad Jack. Gwen will need you, she won't see Rhys again."
Ianto closed his eyes and sank into the black.
Jack Harkness had never been more grateful to the emergency services before in his life. It had taken the fire crew nearly three hours to cut Ianto from the wreckage of the SUV. Fortunately the snow had abated enough for the arrival of an air ambulance courtesy of UNIT. Thank God for Martha Jones. Jack and Gwen had paced frantically up and down the corridor out side the theatre suite awaiting news of their friend, the youngest member of their tightly knit little family. As soon as it was clear that Ianto was going to be ok Gwen got a ride in a very posh UNIT limo back home to Cardiff, to the arms of Rhys and a bit of a clean up operation, though the local police with the assistance of one PC Andy had been very careful to Secure the SUV with all of it's gear away from prying eyes. Gwen, Rhys and two rather hunky young soldiers from UNIT took care of things at the HUB whilst Jack remained at the hospital at Ianto's side. Jack knew he should be in Cardiff, but this time he was not going to be absent when Ianto woke up. Too many promises between them had been broken in the past and Jack was determined to make things right for both of them.
When Ianto awoke, the first thing he saw was his Captain. His Captain. He smiled and Jack cried, tears of relief running down his handsome face. Ianto reached up to brush away a stray loch of hair.
"Hello Jack. How long have I been out?"
Jack was kissing his hand, then holding it to his wet cheek. "Four days."
Ianto's smile was still there, he felt content, rested. "Is Gwen OK?"
"She's fine, currently looking for a new vehicle for us."
"Oh dear. Are you OK?"
"I am now you're awake."
"Did I die Jack?"
Jack shook his head. "Came pretty close. But you said you weren't ready to leave me and you held on."
"I saw the stars in the sky Jack. Did you see them?"
"I see them every time I look in your eyes Ianto Jones."