AN: Here we are then... considering certain events that have happened in For Better or Worse... this might make you feel happier? No... wait... possibly not. :D Love you all.
Chapter 3: Scaring Jack Again
Ianto slept for a while, before she woke up, feeling sick again. She struggled out of Jack's embrace and only just made it to the bathroom before she was violently sick into the loo.
The Captain woke as she moved and hastened into the bathroom behind her, holding her hair back and rubbing soothing circles on her upper back.
She rested her head against her arm on the toilet seat with a groan. "This sucks." She muttered. She wondered how far Tosh had got with the device. Plus she'd noticed Gwen had kept her distance too.
"I know it does. Hopefully it'll be over soon." He hated seeing Ianto in pain.
She nodded and moved so she was leaning against him, tired again.
"Back to bed with you." He scooped her up again and carried her back to bed.
She leant against him again with a groan. This time wasn't as bad as the first one, so she took it as an improvement.
Jack cradled her to his chest and ran his fingers through her hair. "Try and get some more sleep Yan, I think it'll help."
She nodded and lay down when he placed her back on the bed. Just then Tosh yelled for Jack. "Maybe she's found something." She said with a small smile.
Jack kissed her forehead once more before quickly making his way back up the ladder. He hastened out of his office and down the stairs before coming to rest beside the Japanese woman's work station. "Did you find something?" He asked quickly.
Ianto settled and drifted off to sleep.
Tosh nodded. "Yes. The device was damaged when Gwen dropped it after it went off, hence we hadn't been able to get it activated again, but I've managed to fix it and..." She flicked a switch and the device lit up like before.
"Does Ianto need to be here or will it work without him in the room?" Jack asked.
Tosh looked at him. "It's a beam weapon, so he needs to be here, or we can take it to him."
"I'll go get him," Jack offered. He hoped that the thought of being turned back to normal would give his poor lover a burst of strength. Jack headed back down to where Ianto lay and shook her shoulder. "Yan? Wake up... Tosh has got the device working."
Ianto groaned and tried to shake Jack off, then opened her eyes. "Hmm? She's got it working then?" She was sleepy and out of it.
"Yes, come on." Jack shook her again. "Stay awake. We have to go up, there's not enough room down here to get clear aim."
She nodded and sat up, rubbing her eyes, then clambered off the bed and up to the main Hub. Tosh gave her a smile which she returned, sitting down heavily on the sofa, all strength she had gone.
Jack had done his best to help her and fussed about her for a bit as she slumped to the couch. He covered her with a blanket and would have attempted to make her a cup of coffee, but knew that Ianto would kill him if he touched his precious coffee machine. "Tosh?" Jack asked, tentatively. "Is it... ready now?"
Tosh nodded, looking at her friend worriedly. Ianto hadn't even tried to stop Jack fussing, which he hated. "Yeah it's ready. You just need to come and stand over next to me."
Jack moved back and stood next to the Japanese woman, fretting. "So... just... point and click? Right? All normal again?"
Tosh nodded. "Yeah. Ready Ianto?" Ianto nodded and closed her eyes waiting. "Here goes." Said Tosh and pressed the button.
Jack squeezed his eyes shut in case a burst of light or something would come from the device. When nothing like that happened, he opened his eyes and glanced between the two. "Did... did it work?"
Tosh shook her head as Ianto opened her eyes. "No, it's supposed to fire a beam. Just let me..." She looked guiltily at Jack and then opened the device, poking inside. "Just a minute..." Suddenly the device flashed and sparked then blew up. However a beam had shot out and hit Ianto.
Even before the light had dissipated, Jack had bolted to his lover's side. "Yan? Yan are you alright? YAN?"
Ianto had doubled over when she was hit by the light, but straightened up when Jack rushed over. "I'm... I'm fine." She said. She looked at herself. "Guess I'll change back at night like I did last time." She said, looking at Tosh who was looking shocked and worried.
Jack shot Tosh a 'he's-right-isn't-he?' expression but the Japanese woman was still gazing down at the little device in barely concealed horror. "I... yes... I suppose so..." She managed at last.
Owen shouted for Ianto to come over to be checked over, but as she went to stand up, pain lanced through her. She cried out and clutched at her chest. She was panting, wondering what had happened when pain shot through her again, constant this time and it made her scream and go rigid before collapsing to the sofa. She couldn't see, hear or think as she was wracked in mind numbing pain.
"OWEN!" Jack... okay, screamed. He had dropped to his knees beside the girl and tried to pull her close. "Yan, Yan it's me, can you hear me? Yan!" Owen was there and pushed him aside, shouting something Jack couldn't process right now. Then Tosh was there, pulling him away so Owen could work. Gwen was watching wide-eyed from the sidelines. This was all her fault. All her fault. If only she hadn't been so stupid... She shivered and had to race to the toilets to be violently sick. All her fault.
Tears were streaming down the Captain's face as he stared at Owen working furiously over the young woman. Tosh had left Jack's side and was kneeling beside the medic, passing him things as he barked for them. "Don't do this. Don't you dare die on me Ianto Jones." Owen was whispering to the girl. "If you die the Captain's going to be hopeless. Damnit Ianto!" He cursed. As if in response, the young woman stopped breathing.
Jack's own breath caught in his throat and his own breath stopped coming too. No, no, no. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening... Spots started to dance in front of Jack's vision and everything seemed to be coming from down a long tunnel. No.
Owen had started CPR, actions sure despite his worry. After what seemed like hours but was probably only a couple of minutes, the girl coughed, gasped and started breathing on her own again. The medic breathed a sigh of relief.
Jack had collapsed, head buried in his knees. His gaze shot up at the sound of the cough and he would have been on his feet and at her side if his legs hadn't cramped up on him. "God... Yan..." He croaked. Tosh turned to him and offered her boss a wan smile. "He'll be alright Jack." She assured him softly, slanting a glance at Owen. The medic offered a small nod in return. "Here, help me get her back up on the couch and I'll set up a drip and things." This was said in an undertone to the woman at his side. She nodded and set about bustling around.
Soon enough, Gwen was back pale and shaky herself, everything was set up and Ianto was stretched out on the couch. Jack had managed to get feeling back into his limbs and had grabbed a chair, settling himself at the young woman's side. "I love you Ianto Jones," he murmured, clasping the girl's free hand between both of his and bringing it to his lips.
Ianto wasn't really aware of what was going on as all she could feel was pain, then everything went black. Next thing she knew Owen was kissing her... No not kissing. Mouth to mouth. What had happened? She coughed, her chest feeling tight, in fact she felt weird all over, as if her bones and muscles were shifting under her skin. She felt a small sting as a drip was inserted and then warmth spread from the drip up her arm.
It was Tosh who noticed it first. Ianto's eyes were changing back to their normal colour and her hair was getting darker too, as well as shorter. Gwen took the opportunity to walk over to Jack. "Jack I'm so sorry, I really am."
Jack waved her apology away, eyes fixed on his husband. "Please be alright Yan, please." He mumbled, staring at Ianto's face with a burning intensity. Tears blurred his vision briefly and when they cleared he stared. "Owen?" His voice was strangled. "Is that? Is... Yes?"
Owen checked Ianto over. "Yeah, he's turning back. No wonder he's in so much pain. If the device worked properly, it knocks them out completely so the transformation happens with no pain, but as it's broken..." He trailed off. Gwen was still trying to apologise, upset that she had hurt her friends, and finding it hard to see Jack like that.
Jack finally turned away from Ianto and his voice when he spoke to the Welshwoman was harsher than he'd intended. "Gwen. Be quiet." It shut her up however and Jack couldn't admit that it was a bad thing. "Look," his tone was gentler this time. "Just... go home. Please." He couldn't look at her right now. The Captain turned his attention back to Ianto as Gwen, with her signature "kicked-puppy" expression she got whenever Jack spoke harshly to her, headed out of the Hub.
Owen gave Ianto a strong painkiller to help ease the transition, though Ianto still whimpered and moaned, writhing on the sofa in obvious agony. Tosh had sat down at her desk, feeling guilty as hell, Owen leaving Jack to comfort Ianto as he went to comfort the technician.
Jack carefully shifted the younger man gently and slipped onto the couch behind him so he could cradle him close. "Shh Yan," he murmured in the younger man's ear. "Shh I'm here..."
Tosh had turned into Owen's arms as soon as he was close enough. Her head rested on his shoulder and she could just see the boys nestled together on the couch. Ianto already looked calmer. "It's not fair," the Japanese woman mumbled. "Something always goes wrong for them..."
Owen hushed her gently. "They'll be okay. They've been through worse, they can get through this." He wasn't sure what worse was, but he was sure there had to be something.
Ianto curled and clung to Jack, his body shaking and shivering. He could feel things shifting and wasn't sure if Jack could feel it also. Slowly he was turning back into a man again.
Tosh nodded, trusting him and burrowed deeper into his arms. "Just... I wish it could be different. It's not fair they have to suffer so."
Jack's hands rubbed soothing circles on the younger man's back. "I'm here Yan, you're safe." He whispered, offering what comfort he could.
