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Italics are again dreams.
If Ianto was surprised to find Jack and a girl curled up on the sofa asleep beneath Jack's coat, he didn't let it show. He fixes his face into perfect neutrality and goes to feed Janet the weevil without waking them. The other three team members all come in earlier than usual too much to his surprise. They gather silently in the small kitchen space while Ianto makes the coffee. The tension in the air is palpable as they keep sneaking glances at each other.
Owen tries a bit of levity. "Anyone see Jack's new bird?"
He gets no real response, other than a tightening of the muscles in Ianto's shoulders. They all lapse back into uncomfortable silence, broken only by the hiss of the coffee maker.
"Tosh?" Owen finally breaks the silence when he can't stand it anymore. "I'm sorry 'bout last night. Didn't mean to wake you."
"You didn't. I was awake anyway, weird dreams."
Gwen gratefully accepts the mug of steaming coffee from Ianto and cradles it between her hands as though trying to get warm. "Weird dreams? Me too. I think…"
"We died." Ianto looks at them all steadily, knowing instantly what happened in her dream somehow. "Well I died." He looks at the others who all nod. "It didn't feel like a dream did it?"
Owen gives him a grim half smile that suddenly seems more familiar than it should. "No."
Tosh shudders and rubs her arm, feeling the prickling burn again. "It felt like a memory."
Gwen looks nervously at Ianto. "You seem very calm about this."
"Oh believe me I'm not," Ianto says in return. He takes a deep sip of coffee feeling his throat stinging.
At that moment there is a loud call through the Hub. "Ianto Jones! Why is your cute suited arse not up in the Tourist Office? Anyone could walk in!"
The four of them spill out into the main Hub.
"Martha this is…unexpected," Ianto says as Martha Jones walks towards him, dragging a suitcase.
"Hi Ianto," she says wrapping her arms around him in a big hug. "Not unwelcome I hope?"
"Not at all." He smiles and hugs her back.
"Hey Owen. Hey Tosh, Gwen." She hugs them all in greeting. "Ianto any chance of a coffee? I'm parched."
"Sure thing." He vanishes back into the kitchen, still smiling.
Gwen eyes the suitcase. "Business or pleasure?"
"Unfortunately business." Martha continues. "I need to speak to your boss."
There is a crash from the kitchen.
"Martha?" The unfamiliar voice makes them all turn to look.
"Tish?" Martha stares in shock at her sister. "What are you doing here?"
Jack appears behind her, looking sleep crumpled and raking a hand through his hair. "Ah both Jones sisters, what a treat."
Owen snorts, just as Ianto reappears and hands Martha a cup. He doesn't offer one to Tish, merely fixes her with a cool look before turning away.
"I have news Jack. And you won't like it," Martha looks unhappy now.
Jack pulls a face. "Ianto a cup of coffee wouldn't go amiss right now?"
"Yes sir," Ianto says dully before muttering something under his breath, and going to get the coffee.
Martha raises an eyebrow. "Firstly though I'll ask why my sister is here?"
Tish looks at Jack. "I needed to talk to him."
Martha narrows her eyes. "You could of talked to me."
Her sister shakes her head. "You wouldn't understand."
Ianto reappears and instead of putting the coffee cup into Jack's outstretched hand like usual, puts it down with a bang on the edge of Owen's desk just out of his reach. Jack throws him a pained look and stretches for the cup. He takes a sip. "So tell me Martha Jones, what is your news?"
"Lucy Saxon has disappeared from the psychiatric facility she was placed in." Martha's medical training stops her referring to it as a nut house.
Both Jack and Tish's faces drain of blood.
"Lucy Saxon?" Gwen looks confused. "Wife of Harry Saxon, the prime minister who got assassinated?"
"I thought she retired from public life to the country or something," Owen says frowning. "She was hot too."
"Disappeared?" Jack recovers himself enough to ask. "How?"
Martha shrugs. "No one knows. She just vanished in the middle of the night. UNIT informed me."
"Have you called…?"
"He's not answering. I've left him messages. After R…" she hesitates.
"Rose," Jack bites his lip. "I haven't heard from him either."
"You don't think he could of…"
"He wouldn't." But Jack does not sound convinced by his own words. "He did tell me a storm was coming."
Tish is trembling at Jack's side and he puts an arm round her.
Ianto folds his arms, and purses his lips. "So the wife of Harry Saxon is, or was, locked in a mental facility?"
"Yeah," Martha answers him.
"I voted for him," Toshiko says disbelievingly.
"Me too," Ianto says not seeing the betrayed look Jack gives him.
"I did too," Owen says looking puzzled. "He was a good man…"
"No he wasn't!" Jack explodes at him, throwing his coffee cup to the ground where it shatters. "He was a monster!"
The team stare at him in shock. Ianto has taken a step towards him and stopped, looking nervous.
Jack looks at them all, his eyes haunted. "Let me tell you the truth about Harry Saxon."
He knew he was dreaming. He could wake himself from this at any moment. But right now, any memory of her, even this one, he wanted to cling onto. She gives him that smile, the one that says 'Isn't this fun?, just another adventure, even as her feet are blown off the ground, and her hair whips round her face. Always the same. She always falls and he does nothing but scream her name, reach desperately for her. She falls away from him, her hand outstretched to his. But this time the ending is different. The man who materialises to catch her is not Pete Tyler. It's the Master. The Doctor tries to rouse himself from the nightmare but not soon enough to avoid seeing the Master stroke back Rose's hair gently from her face. Rose smiles up at him. The Master looks directly at the Doctor. "I'll be seeing you soon Doctor."
The Doctor hears himself cry out even as slim arms encircle his waist from behind and she presses her cheek against his shoulder blade.
"It will be alright killer," Lucy Saxon murmurs to him. "I'm here with you."
"We need to find this man, Harry Saxon," Rose says as she hands the photographs to her three best agents. "It is highly likely that he will be suffering from amnesia and will not remember who he is. He may well have created a life – a false life – without knowing it. It is imperative that we find him. He needs to be brought here as soon as possible. Alive!"
The two men and one woman nod. Agent Drake, a blond haired man, and one of the most capable agents at Rose's disposal in Torchwood One, asks; "Is he dangerous?"
"Shouldn't be," Rose replies. "But he may resist you bringing him in." She looks at them a moment longer. "This a level one people. It needs to be handled as quietly and quickly as possible. Keep me updated."
"Yes Ma'am," they reply and leave her office.
Rose waits until the door closes behind them and sags into her chair. Mickey would be telling her off right about now were he here, about using work resources for her own personal gain. But if it's going to get her information on the Doctor then it is worth it. Let them try and stop me, she thinks suddenly, just let them try.
"He tortured me, and I died. Repeatedly."
Toshiko is leaning forward with her face in her hands. Owen looks angry. Gwen's hand is over her mouth and she is pacing back and forth. Ianto looks like he might be sick. "It was real. Its all real," he is muttering to himself.
Jack steps towards him, reaching for his shoulder. "Yan are you alright with this?"
Ianto shrinks back from his hand. "Don't call me Yan," he says.
Jack lets his hand drop. Ianto's voice is brittle and hard. A tone Jack isn't sure he has ever heard directed at him. The Welshman has backed up so he is standing with the other members of Torchwood. They have subconsciously manoeuvred themselves into a protective huddle. Owen and Ianto standing so close that their shoulders are touching; Owen's hand protectively on Tosh's shoulder; Gwen reaches for Ianto's hand and he lets her take it. They're a team. Jack isn't. Jack is on the outside looking in.
Ianto fixes him with an ice hard look. "We died Jack. All of us. We dreamt about it last night. A whole year Jack and you didn't tell us."
"You weren't supposed to remember!"
"But we do!" Ianto snaps back. "And you don't care enough to tell us what happened to us."
"Because I didn't know," Jack growls back.
Martha and Tish have remained silent throughout the exchange. Ianto suddenly snatches Owen's pistol from where he has carelessly – and against regulations – left it laying on his desktop. He points it at Jack. "Why didn't you talk to me? Instead of…her…" His lower lip is wobbling. "Tell me how it feels to die Jack. Because I only remember." His voice drips sarcasm.
Gwen and Toshiko stare wordlessly at him.
"Ianto!" Martha starts but Jack waves her back with a hand as Ianto continues his rant.
"Did you welcome it Jack? Did you want to die? Because I did!"
"You'd more easily kill me with the safety off Ianto," Jack says evenly, keeping his emotions hidden away. Ianto has freaked out like this before. They dealt with it then. They can again, as a team. But what frightens him most isn't Ianto aiming a gun at his head. It is the expression on Owen's face. He does not look in any way shocked, like he has seen Ianto holding a gun a million times, seen him screaming. A serene calmness in the face of Ianto's alien fiery anger. Ianto slams the gun back down on the desktop, turns and runs out of the Hub. Everyone stares after him for a moment.
"Jack?" Tosh stands up, her voice wavering.
Jack goes to her and pulls her to her feet and into a tight hug. "I'm sorry," he says sincerely. Gwen joins the hug silently and Jack pulls her in close. He looks at Owen who raises an eyebrow sceptically at him but takes the step closer that puts him within Jack's reach. Jack grabs the man by the shoulder and pulls him into the group hug. "I should have told you. We'll talk about what you remember. You can ask me anything. And I'll talk to Ianto." He awkwardly gives them all a squeeze, presses kisses to each of their heads where he can reach. "I really am sorry."
"Jack?" Martha asks a moment later. "What do we do about Lucy Saxon?"
"It can wait." Jack extracts himself from the group hug and heads for the lift.
He finds Ianto outside, leaning on a railing. His hands gripping it so hard that his knuckles are white. His cheeks are flushed pink, something that Jack normally finds so attractive in the other man, but now only serves to highlight his own fear about how strongly Ianto has taken this.
He stops a couple of paces behind him. "Yan?" he says quietly.
"Don't call me Yan," Ianto says, but his voice has lost its anger. "Go away sir."
"Not happening," Jack leans himself beside the younger man. Ianto slides his eyes away and Jack just waits, but Jack is not the most patient of men. He grabs hold of Ianto's chin and pulls it round to face him. "What did you dream about?"
Ianto's eyes are wide but still not quite looking at him. "I…" he licks his lips. You ruined my life Jack."
"Possibly. But you came to me remember?" Jack just looks at him evenly. "Where were you?" he asks gently.
"London. I was in London." He pauses. "We walked…from Nepal. Well I did. The others…they died."
That explains why Ianto reacted so strongly, thinks Jack even as he awkwardly pulls Ianto into an unwilling hug. Ianto does not pull away but he does not move his arms from his sides either. "Yan, I'm sorry."
Ianto finally meets his gaze. Jack's tone is so sincere that he can't help himself. Jack offers him a weak smile.
"Now you can either toddle off home and sulk or come back in and work on our big problem."
"Toddle?" Ianto raises an eyebrow.
Jack shrugs. "My mind went blank. So you're?"
Ianto sighs. "Working sir. So Lucy Saxon…" He notices Jack's face pale as he speaks. "Sir?"
Jack shakes his head. "I'm fine." He pastes a smile one his face and starts back towards the Hub. "Always fine."
"Good morning Mr Saxon," Rose sits down opposite the man. "I'm Rose Tyler." He is sat in interview suite B, with his elbows resting on the table. A normal looking man, dressed in blue jeans and a black v-neck jumper. Looking confused and a little scared.
He takes her offered hand and shakes it. "I think there has been some sort of mistake Miss."
Rose shakes her head. "We think you have amnesia Mr Saxon."
"What the hell are you talking about?" he says staring at her in confusion. "That's not my name. I'm Samuel Dexter, Sam."
The door to the room opens and Lucy Saxon walks in. Sam stares at her blankly. She drifts silently across the room, at the same time removing the chain from her neck and placing the ring in her hand.
"Hello Harry," she says smiling at him.
"My name is Sam! Who are you?"
"He doesn't remember," Rose says to Lucy.
Lucy shushes her. "He will." She comes to a stop beside Sam who stares at her in bewilderment. She raises her hand and smashes the ring against his temple. There is a blinding green flash and Sam screams. Both Rose and Sam are sent flying backwards off their chairs. Rose scrambles to her feet through the mass of papers, as Sam does the same.
He grins wickedly at Lucy. "I prefer it when you wear dresses."
"I know," she says back to him. "I love you Harry."
He sweeps her off her feet in a hug and spins her round, kissing her. "You and me baby, we're going to have some fun." He looks round and grins at Rose.
"What was that?" Rose asks Lucy who is staring into his eyes.
She doesn't look away from Sam, Harry, whoever he is. "My Master," she whispers.