Jack felt tired. The bone deep, won't be gone with sleep kind of tired. The seen too many things, was let down too many times kind of tired. He'd witnessed slaughter. He'd seen pain and agony at their worse. He'd died hundreds of times. He'd wanted to run away screaming but he couldn't. And after everything he'd seen everything here looked the same. Jack walked up to the cog door and took a deep breath. The alarms went off and he walked in.
Immediately a huge weight landed on his chest. The creature bowled him over and they fell off the metal platform. Teeth dug into his shoulder.
"Careful Ianto!" Someone called.
"Ianto?" Jack gasped.
The motion stopped completely. His attacker backed off of him and Jack sat up quickly. A wolf was sitting in front of him, staring. Jack scanned over the familiar face. The beautiful diamond blue eyes, attentive set of ears, the sleek blue fur. Ianto Jones, his favorite alien werewolf. Was a wolf? Now?
"It's not the full moon." Jack said, coming up to his knees.
"Completely vanishes off the face of the earth and the first words we hear of him are 'it's not the full moon'." Owen snipped, looking down at him.
Gwen was hovering over them as well. "A lot's changed Jack."
In her hands was a very large gun, loaded and everything. She pointed the barrel away from them toward the still closing door.
"Apparently." The Captain nodded.
He stared at the wolf and his heart dropped. He still couldn't hear him. He had thought that he just needed to be in range but that echoing chasm that Ianto's thoughts and emotions had filled was still very much empty. Ianto stepped forward and put his furry chest against Jack. The man hugged him tightly. Owen staggered a bit above then but only Ianto noticed, with drawing his emotions a bit.
"What are you all starting at? Did you get it?" Toshiko came over to them.
Ianto suddenly leapt up and out the cog door.
"Ianto!" Jack yelled. "What's he going after? What's going on?"
"Jack!" Toshiko exclaimed in shock.
"He's after the blowfish. It's really drunk." Gwen said.
Jack's eyes went wide. "A blowfish? You're sending him alone?"
"He can take it." Toshiko said. "Better question what in the world happened to you? Where have you been? Oh. And the blow fish is right outside. Still severely intoxicated."
"Well now it's just severely dead." Owen announced proudly, ignoring every other sentiment.
Toshiko sagged in relief. "Thank God. That was miserable. Chalk another one up to Ianto being wolfy."
There was a ticking as claws made their way down to the group through the cog door alarm. Ianto had his head held high and a dead alien draped over his back.
"Oh God. You brought it down here?" Gwen choked.
Owen snorted. "'E said what was I supposed to do, put it on display at the tourist shop?"
Owen was anchoring Ianto! Jack worked his jaw open and closed. Why? Why did Ianto leave him? The simplest answer was he got sick of waiting.
Gwen made a huffing sound. "Right. I'll run the files. Owen, Ianto you can take care of that. Tosh, can you run scans from the tourist - er."
She looked over to Jack oddly. Said man was just watching in astonishment. A lot had changed. It seemed as though Gwen had taken over the whole place. And Ianto had changed a lot. Where was his shy gentle alien?
"Jack?" Gwen asked. "Are you back? Or are you leaving again?" She looked braced for an answer.
The Xototllet took a small step to the side putting his flank against Owen. The medic dropped a hand immediately to Ianto's head. Jack recognized it. He did that when Ianto was upset. Why was he upset? Because he was back? Because he had left? Surely the Welshman could understand that.
"I had to make this trip." Jack stood up. "I had to find out it there was a cure for me. You all know. I went to the ends of the universe with a friend of mine searching and I found out that all there was for me was right here. I'm back and here to stay."
Gwen threw herself into his arms. Jack laughed and hugged her back.
Toshiko took her place soon after. "Don't leave us again Jack. I don't know if we can take it." She glanced pointedly at the oversized wolf.
Owen and the Captain stared at each other until Jack grabbed him and hugged him as well.
"Oi. None of this girly stuff." He protested patting Jack awkwardly.
Jack grinned looking at the last of his old team. The black Xototllet was fidgeting, tail halfway between wagging and holding still. God how he had missed those blue eyes.
Jack dropped to his knees, spreading his arms. "Ianto." he called trying to let how much he had missed him seep into his voice.
The blow fish slid to the ground with a solid thunk. The wolf launched himself into the waiting arms. Jack basked in the feeling. He loved Ianto. This was the realization he came to out there in the universe. He loved one in man in one time. He loved The Doctor too but Ianto was his now. The alien pressed into his chest, whining and panting. Jack roughly rubbed the wolf like head. Ianto ran his rough tongue over the man's face. Owen touched his chest lightly. He felt like he was back with Katie. But the happiness wasn't his. And he could feel the reservation tucked in with the happiness. It made him angry. He tried to push the feeling down for the Xototllet's sake.
He pushed the canine back away from him and kissed Ianto's nose lightly. "So I think we deserve a sit down, and a good talk over dinner. My treat."
Owen pumped his fist. "Finally! Not paying for things!" He declared.
Jack chuckled and pet Ianto around the ears. He use to like that a lot. Still did from the happy sigh the wolf gave him.
"So when is Ianto turning back?" The Captain asked.
Everyone lost their sudden enthusiasm.
Owen looked Jack straight in the eye. "He's not."
Quick Author's note:
Hello everyone. Hello especcially to the four of you who are constant read and reviewers. I've got to say this story was to be only a one-shot. It has now grown nearly beyond my limits of creativity and my schooling will be restarting soon. I have a vague idea where its going but if you have suggestions or directions please let me know! ta!
