Disclaimer: Standard still applies.
A/N: I've got two favorite fairy tales, this one and the Grimm's Cinderella. Gotta be the Grimm version though. Not Disney. If you like it, let me know, please. Enjoy!

61. Fairy Tale

Owen had been a merchant. He wasn't the best at it though. And the trouble was that Owen had three kids. Gwen, Toshiko, and the youngest, Ianto. Owen had been losing more and more of his customers and was always usually angry. He was sarcastic to his children and gave comments that cut them. The three children clung to each other. They didn't let their father's harsh words hurt them.

One day Owen heard of a new client, a very wealthy one actually. He grinned at the idea of having money again. He went to his children, knowing that he had been wrong to be so angry at them and wanted to make it up. "We're gonna have money. I'll buy you each some nice expensive things. What do'ya want?"

Gwen stepped forward, "Oh, I want some jewelry. Y'know ones that go with my eyes and big necklace. Rings too." For they had been on the poor side of life and didn't have any beautiful trinkets.

Toshiko stepped forward, "Oh, I want some nice dresses. Ones that look fantastic on me. So that I can go to parties and such." For they had been on the poor side of life and wore only rags.

Ianto stepped forward, "I don't need anything." He was nicest of the family. Always trying to take care of the others. "Spend my bit on Gwen and Toshiko."

"Oh, hush." Gwen said, "You need something Ianto. Just say something."

Ianto could tell by the look in Gwen's eyes that she wouldn't let it drop and would make him pick something. "Very well, I'll take the first branch that hits you on your way home."

"A branch?" Owen snorted. "Fine. Whatever floats your boat." He then said goodbye to his kids and left to his dealings.

In the bigger town Owen had bought some jewelry for Gwen and some dresses for Toshiko. One his way home he thought how stupid Ianto's request was. A branch? Seriously? Just as he thought this, a branch that was over a fence smacked him in the shoulder. He sighed. That must be the one then.

Grudgingly Owen climbed the high fence and dropped into the yard. He landed with a decent 'thump'. Groaning he stood up and glared at the fence. Why did the damn thing have to be so high? Owen sighed as he broke off a branch. He then heard something behind him. Turning quickly, Owen let out a shriek at what he saw.

It was man. But he looked very angry. "You are trespassing." The man growled, closing in on Owen quickly, "You broke my tree." Grabbing Owen by the scruff of his neck he hauled the merchant to his large house.

"Please." Owen said, fighting against the man the best he could, "I only grabbed the branch because my youngest child wanted it. It was a request of his."

The man stopped and glanced at Owen. "That so?" He could tell when people lied, he'd had practice in the past at getting people to talk.

"Yep. So, uh, if you want to hurt anyone, it really should be him and-" he stopped, did he just condemn his own child? He shrugged mentally, it had already been said.

The man threw Owen aside, "You would have your son take your place?" He sneered at the idea.

"Well, he is the one who wanted to branch instead of something I could buy."

The man stared down at Owen. He couldn't believe a father would give up his son like that. The man thought that Owen must be an awful father and saw a way to get the son away from the father. "Fine. Send him here." He pulled Owen close, "If he doesn't come I am tracking you down and will finish the job I was going to do today." Again, he threw Owen aside and started walking back into his mansion, "He'd better be here in the next few days."

Owen had gone home and told his children of Ianto's fate. They were devastated, the girls telling him to not go. But Ianto was nothing but loyal. And his father wanted him to go. They'd made a deal. He always upheld deals. Ianto packed a few belongings and then followed Owen's directions to the mansion.

Ianto arrived at the house. It was huge, a mansion with a large yard and very tall fence surrounding the property. He glanced over and saw a tree that had some branches hanging over the fence. He sighed, that would be the tree that proved to be his death. Probable death, with the way Owen had been talking.

He turned and saw a man come towards him. He had not felt frightened at the sight of him. The sight actually caught Ianto's breath. The man walked up and held out his hand, "Captain Jack Harkness."

Ianto took it, "Ianto."

The Captain smiled. Ianto was stunned by how large the smile was. He was still one edge, he wasn't totally at ease. Not with what Owen had said.

"Tired? Hungry?" The Captain asked, eyeing the young man before him. "Go in and Janet and Myfanway will get you set up."

"Janet and Myfanway, sir?" Ianto asked, following the Captain inside.

"My servants." He gave a glanced at Ianto again, "And I'll tell them to get you new clothes. Those are rags."

Very quickly Ianto was taken inside and fed. He got shown his room and given very fine and expensive three-piece suits. Anything Ianto would have wanted was given to him. But given to him by Janet or Myfanway. He didn't see the Captain much. And when he did see the man, he could tell that the Captain kept his heart locked up. Not wanting to get attached to people.

About a week into his stay the Captain had stopped beside Ianto. "What are you doing?"

Ianto looked up to see his host, "I am cleaning, sir."

"I see that." He paused, "But why?"

"I thought that Janet and Myfanway would like a little reprieve of their tasks." He stopped cleaning for a few, "I hope that is okay, sir."

The Captain was slightly surprised. It had been clear that Ianto was not like his father, but it hadn't been clear that he would be that thoughtful. "It's fine, Ianto. This is your home now, you can do whatever you like."

Ianto smiled slightly, "Thank you, sir." He paused, "Would you like a cup of coffee?"

The Captain shrugged, "Sure, shall we hunt down Janet to make us some?" For Janet made better coffee than Myfanway. Myfanway cooked better though.

"No, sir. Let's not bother her." He stood up, "I can make us the coffee."

They made their way to the kitchen in silence. Ianto went and made them some coffee, moving quietly about the area. He handed the Captain a cup before taking a drink of his own.

The Captain took a sip and then stared at the drink before glancing at Ianto, "How can you make coffee taste this good? I watched you make it and I didn't see you put anything special in it."

Ianto shrugged, "You could say I have a natural talent for coffee."

After that, Ianto and the Captain would often share a cup of coffee a few times a day. Slowly starting to talk to each other. The conversations growing each time. Getting more in-depth. And against the Captain's wishes, he was liking Ianto more and more. The Captain tended to try and keep people at bay, not wanting to get close for he knew he would just loose them in the end. But Ianto was getting under his wall, somehow.

The Captain found himself in love with Ianto in a short time.

He started asking Ianto if they could move their relationship beyond friendship. Ianto would reply with, "Sorry, Captain, but I don't think I'm ready."

"How often must I ask you to call me Jack, Ianto?" He realized that was probably his first step at starting a relationship with Ianto, getting him to use the Captain's real name.

"As always, once more, sir."

Most of their conversations ended this way. And Ianto thought that coming here to live with the Captain was the best thing that had happened to him. Though he was missing his family.

"You can go and visit them." The Captain told Ianto, "But be back in a week."

"Really?" Ianto asked, surprised. After all, the Captain was very protective of what was his, and clearly Ianto was his.

"Yes. But Ianto," the Captain started, "Take these with you." He held out a stopwatch and his coffee mug. He chuckled at Ianto's eyebrow raise, "If you start the stopwatch and wait for three minutes, you will be transported back here." Ianto took the stopwatch and put it in his pocket. "And if you have this coffee mug full of liquid and look in it, it will show you what is happening here at the mansion." Ianto took that and thanked him, stating that he would be back in a week.

When Ianto arrived home, his family was very shocked. Ianto had been well fed, was wearing an expensive suit and looked happy. Gwen and Toshiko rushed up and hugged him, ecstatic to see their younger brother. Owen was flabbergasted. His son returned and he had been treated well by the mad man.

The girls were devastated when Ianto said he was going to be returning to the Captain by the end of the week. They didn't want their brother to leave them. They were angry at the man for taking their brother away from him. All week they talked to Ianto, telling him that they loved him more. They missed him more than his Captain ever could.

Ianto was over taken by the love he was receiving from his family and decided to stay. So by the week's end he had not returned to the mansion. But Ianto did miss the Captain. He missed talking with the man. Filling the mug up with coffee he looked down, not sure if it would work. What he saw horrified him. The Captain - no, Jack - Jack was dying.

Ianto's stomach was in his throat as he grabbed his stopwatch and clicked the button at the top. "Come on, come on." He said, waiting for the three minute mark.

"Ianto, what are you doing?" Gwen asked.

"Going back to him." He didn't look up from the stopwatch.

"What? To the Captain?" Gwen reached forward, wanting to shake her brother, make him see that he had Stockholm Syndrome. That Ianto didn't actually care for the Captain.

"No, not the Captain. Jack." Ianto said, watching as the stopwatch hit the three minute mark.

He blinked and when Ianto opened his eyes he was back at the mansion. "Jack!" He ran into the room he had seen Jack dying in moments earlier. He rushed to Jack's side, collapsing beside the dying man. "Jack." He moved Jack so that his head was resting on Ianto's lap.

"Ianto?" Jack asked, his voice quiet, eyes having trouble staying open. "You called me Jack."

Ianto smiled, caressing Jack's face. "Indeed I did. You can't die, you need to hear me call you Jack more often."

"You came back." Jack smiled weakly.

Ianto swallowed, "Yes, I'm sorry I hadn't come back. But you can't leave me, Jack." He watched as Jack was loosing the fight to stay alive, "Jack, please Jack. No, no, no, no. You can't leave me." He felt tears spring to his eyes, "Jack, please. I love you." He held onto the body of his friend, who he loved. He knew Jack was dead, he could tell the moment Jack died. Ianto held onto the body tightly.

Ianto didn't know how long he was holding onto Jack's body, but he jumped back when he heard Jack gasp, breathing again. He struggled in Ianto's arm until he realized where he was.

"Jack?"

Jack looked up, "Ianto." He grinned up at the man he loved.

"You were dead."

Jack sighed, "Yes, I was." He then told Ianto about how long ago a woman had put an irreversible spell on him. That he couldn't die. She did it because he hadn't let her come in from the rain. She knew that not being able to die would hurt him more than any other punishment. Ianto held onto Jack tighter. Jack then explained how he had outlived many people and so he had closed himself off from becoming attached. But how Ianto had somehow gotten past the barriers. About how even though he knew he would loose Ianto one day, he wanted to stay with the younger man. Ianto replied by saying that he would spend the rest of his life with Jack, and that he wouldn't regret it.