Title: Flame beneath ashes - Chapter 9: Hangover
Summary: AU. After the events of Countrycide, Ianto was retconned and allowed to start a new life in London. Intervening accidentally in a burning building, it's a very different man Jack meets four years later. But can Ianto really escape his own destiny?
Rating: T
Characters: Ianto Jones, Jack Harkness, Gwen Cooper, Owen Harper, Toshiko Sato, Myfanwy, Original characters.
Pairing: Jack/Ianto, Owen/Tosh, Gwen/Rhys (mentioned), Ianto/Lisa (past)
Genres: Alternate universe/action/romance.
Warnings: Violence, swearing, sexual situation (nothing graphic), character's death (temporary)
Spoilers: Spoilers for seasons 1 and 2. Exit wounds and Children of Earth are only mentioned as incidents and Miracle Day, of course, never happened

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Notes: Special thanks to my precious beta reader badly_knitted. Given the circumstances, I decided to split this chapter in two parts, in order to have something to offer to my faithful readers in a reasonable time. Not a terrific chapter, I'm afraid, but I hope you like it.

TW TW TW TW TW

Chapter 9: Hangover

The next day, early morning

Ianto jerked awake at the sound of the phone ringing and struggled to open his eyes as the sun streamed through the half closed curtains.

With a growl, he buried his face into the pillow and fumbled to reach the receiver of the phone. The sweet voice of the receptionist came through loud enough to pierce his eardrums. Stifling a yawn, he carded his fingers through his hair and rubbed his scalp, whilst she informed him that it was nine o'clock and he had apparently requested a wake-up call.

He thanked her in a thick voice, hung up and painfully rolled onto his back. The pounding in his head briefly intensified and he let out a grunt of pain, shielding his sore eyes in the crook of his elbow.

He tried to clear his throat and swallowed hard, but all trace of saliva seemed to have deserted his mouth leaving it as raspy as sandpaper. For a brief moment, he indulged himself by wallowing in the fog induced by the worst hangover he'd had for years, ignoring where he was and why a jackhammer was currently drilling holes in his skull.

But the blissful ignorance didn't last. Soon, through the haze of his mind, the events of the previous night started to fall into place like the pieces of a puzzle as random memories flooded his mind. His encounter with the two cops and his decision to stay in town. The fight with the creatures in the park and Jack dying then resurrecting in his arms. Jack, again, at the threshold of his room, staring at him with his piercing blue eyes, then nursing his Scotch in the armchair, whilst he filled in the events of Ianto's two missing years.

In the harsh light of day, it seemed so crazy and hardly believable. Although the lingering pain spreading through his shoulder blade was there to remind him that none of it was a dream. He had dreamt neither the fight nor Jack's resurrection. He had been there and had seen it. He knew if he dug in his gripsack, he would find a plastic bag containing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt stained with Jack's blood.

This was for real. Yet, though Ianto knew it, he still didn't feel it and that was what really bothered him.

He took a deep breath and sighed, pushing away the urge to light his first cigarette of the day. His sore throat wouldn't welcome the burn of smoke right now.

He knew he should have felt sad and angry. It was how normal people would have reacted. He should have been distraught, now that he knew the truth about Lisa's death. He should have felt guilty, knowing he was also responsible for the deaths of two other people. Maybe, also grateful and relieved, because he had finally got the answers he had searched for so long for. The gaps in his timeline had been filled and at least he could take comfort in the fact that he had tried his best to save Lisa's life.

In spite of all the alcohol he had downed, he had heard every one of Jack's words and understood what they meant, but in the end, that's all they were: some words, told by someone else, about a man he didn't recognize. None of his memories had come back. There was still a black hole in his mind and at the moment, he felt neither sad nor angry, just numb and confused.

At first, he had put it down to the fact he was drunk, but the effects of alcohol were gone before long and nothing had changed. He had also considered that he could be in shock, but then again, he had experienced shock in the past and knew it was a completely different sensation. It wasn't that he refused to admit the truth. He just felt strangely detached, as if it had happened to someone else.

Ianto pinched the bridge of his nose, took a deep breath and tried once again to clear his throat for want of clearing his head.

Keeping his eyes closed, he tried once again to picture himself carrying Lisa out of the ruins of the Torchwood Tower or luring a dinosaur in a warehouse with a bar of chocolate, but in vain. For whatever reason, his memories stayed deeply buried and refused to resurface, in spite of all his efforts.

Maybe it was just a defense mechanism of his mind to delay the shock of the revelations

and, after a while, reality would come down on him like the proverbial ton of bricks.

Which led to another question: would he be able to deal with it? Jack had told him he had been so distraught at the time, he had tried to kill himself. Would it be different this time? Would he be strong enough to cope with the sorrow and the guilt? Surely, he was a different man by now, but would it be enough?

What a mess!

He let out a low growl and rolled onto his side, his arms firmly hugging his pillow.

Moreover, aside from the obvious lack of reaction of his brain, the other thing that bothered him was that he couldn't help thinking that something was still missing. Not that he thought that Jack had lied to him. His instinct told him otherwise and it had never failed him. It was something else, as if Jack hadn't told him all the truth and skipped over something really important. Something Ianto knew he shouldn't have forgotten.

Once again, he undertook to review what Jack had told him, until he had literally tucked him in, before lea…ving.

Oh God!

Jumping into an upright position, which he instantly regretted, he gasped. His eyes snapped open and widened with horror, as he suddenly remembered how he had thrown himself at Jack and how the older man had gently, but firmly turned him down.

He lay back down with a moan of despair and took his head into his hands.

Shit, shit, shit, shit.

He felt his cheeks instantly flush with embarrassment. What had possessed him to do such a thing? Certainly, his love life was rather empty at the moment, but yet, that was no excuse to behave like the last of the rent boys.

Pulling his hair, he let out a whimper and contemplated the idea of burying himself under the covers and never coming out again. It was so humiliating.

After a moment though, he dropped his arms and stared at the ceiling with a frown.

Come on, Jones! Suck it up and be a man.

At least the older man hadn't seemed angry or upset by his appalling attempt at seduction. Furthermore, given the way he had looked at him at the door, Ianto wouldn't really be surprised to hear that he swung both ways, so maybe… After all, he hadn't said he didn't want him, only that he couldn't. But why? Because he wasn't interested or because he thought that Ianto was too drunk to understand what he was doing? Was there something else? Another ugly secret hidden in the depths of his shattered memory?

Stop it! He scolded himself. Thinking like that'll get you nowhere.

Ianto rubbed his face and sighed once again.

First of all, he had to call Mike and tell him he wouldn't be coming back right away, then he would have to try to contact Jack and find out what he was supposed to do now.

He rolled over and reached out to take his mobile from the nightstand. As he did so, he felt an unexpected rustling beneath his fingers. He raised himself on an elbow and retrieved Jack's folded note from under the phone. Rubbing his sore eyes, he squinted to read the few lines neatly scribed on the paper:

Meet me at 10.00 am at Café Ambrosio, near the Millenium Centre. Jack.

He turned the sheet of paper to see if there was anything else, but that was all.

Taking a look at the screen of his mobile, Ianto realized with dismay he had less than forty minutes to freshen up and pack before joining the Captain, and yet, only if he skipped breakfast.

Jumping to his feet, he hurried towards the bathroom, hoping that a cold shower would clear his mind and help him to work out how to handle his upcoming meeting with the dashing leader of Torchwood.

To be continued