Twelve days. It had been twelve days since Harold Saxon had unleashed hell on earth. His Toclafane had descended and slaughtered millions. Humanity either submitted or fell. Ianto Jones was alone, barricaded within Torchwood's Hub. Gwen, Owen, and Tosh were dispatched for the Himalayas a few days before the invasion leaving Ianto behind because he couldn't keep up with his still healing legs. Ianto hadn't heard anything from them and feared the worst.
The Hub was well stocked and from Ianto's measure he could survive there for years. That prospect was not appealing so Ianto had prepared a cocktail of drugs capable of killing him five times over. He filled a syringe that he kept on himself at all times. The only thing that stopped him from using it was the thought that Jack would come back for him.
As Ianto obsessively watched the security footage of the Plass for any sign of Jack, a man appeared slinking across heading straight for the Hub. Tall with dark hair and an athletic build, he was wearing black clothing and combat boots. He walked up to the tourist office and looked directly into one of the cameras. Ianto's eyes widened when he recognized the face. It was Nick. Normally Ianto would have decked him at first sight, but now he was just happy to see a familiar face.
Ianto went up to the surface on the lift hoping the perception filter would hide him from the Toclafane. Nick was still looking at the camera but now he was nervously shifting his weight. Ianto urgently called out, "Nick! Get over here."
Nick looked around confused until he located Ianto crouching close to the fountain. So that must be the invisible lift, Nick thought to himself. He ran over and Ianto grabbed him as they descended into the base. Once they were safely inside, Ianto enthusiastically hugged Nick, "What are you doing here?"
"I came here for you. We need to leave."
"No no no. We have to stay here. We'll be safe here."
"No, we won't. Trust me; I need to get you out of here."
"What aren't you telling me?"
"A lot."
"I'm not going anywhere until you explain what is going on."
"Fine, but you're not going to like it."
Jack gasped back to life again still chained up in the damn engine room of the Valiant. He looked around and spotted his least favorite guard. Jack smirked and yelled out to him, "Hey there handsome. How long was I out that time? Seeing your smiling face makes it all worthwhile." The guard walked up to Jack and snarled before smashing Jack's nose with the butt of his rifle.
"Oh darling, must you be so rough?" Jack laughed maniacally.
"Freak, are you taunting my guards again?" The Master strode into the room and dismissed the irate guard. As he entered he was followed by his top guard, the one that Jack actually feared. He had a darkness lurking behind his eyes almost like that of the Master's. He showed such joy watching the Master work and honestly relished in the pain he inflicted.
"Knowing that you're coming back to life just takes the fun out of torturing you." The Master eloquently purred.
"I'm so sorry to disappoint."
"Young Ianto Jones was so much more enjoyable."
The smile fell off Jack's face as he took in the Master's implication.
"Oh yes, Mr. Jones was an absolute delight: so stubborn, so dedicated, yet so delicious."
Jack jerked violently in his chains while the Master grinned even wider. He then turned to the guard that entered with him and asked, "You remember Ianto, don't you?"
The guard smiled lasciviously and nodded his head. The Master pressed on, "I have to admit: none of this would have been possible without him. The young Welshman was an integral part of putting this all together."
Jack felt intensely nauseous and would have vomited had he eaten anything in weeks.
"Mr. Jones was the only human to actually have a cyberman instruct him how to build and maintain the advanced cyber technology. That cyberman used the stored memories and emotions from his dead girlfriend to coerce him into finishing the conversion. When I found out about him, I knew he would be perfect to put the finishing touches on the Toclafane."
Jack kicked himself for never thinking of Ianto's knowledge of cybermen as the reason he was abducted.
"Lucky for you, Jack, Mr. Jones has a very powerful friend. While in London, he was the contact for one of Torchwood's best operatives who had a frighteningly impressive record of assassinations and security breaches. He approached us offering to bring us Jones in exchange for having him returned with no permanent damage when we were done. Now the last thing I wanted was him ruining things or you poking your nose in, so I agreed. It's too bad because I would have loved to have kept him as a pet. What surprised me was how long he lasted before cooperating. I don't know what you did to produce such loyalty but I am impressed."
The Master kept ranting but Jack was lost in his thoughts about what Ianto suffered at that bastard's hands. Jack wondered who the operative was that helped him knowing that Yvonne Hartman employed some rather effective spies and killers. Supposedly, some of them were not at Canary Warf when it went down.
"Freak, are you even listening?" Jack snapped his head up and glared.
"Good, once we find him you'll get to see firsthand what a beautiful creature he is when he's at my feet."
Jack perked up, "You haven't found him?"
The Master furrowed his brow in frustration, "When we went to retrieve him at your base, there was nothing but a smoking crater. It is assumed that he went underground with that assassin friend. What was his name again?"
"Nick Paige." The guard spoke up from the doorway.
"Yes, that was it; one of his many aliases. Rest assured we will find them eventually. We know Jones was not with the rest of your team in the Himalayas which actually brings us to why I'm here today."
The Master nodded to his guard and the guard called out to the corridor. Two more guards wheeled in a cart with three plastic bags on top of it. The Master dramatically pulled the bags off one at a time revealing the frozen heads of Owen, Tosh, and Gwen. At seeing Jack's grief stricken face, the Master laughed and clapped his hands.
"Oh Freak, I want you to be able to view them every day but I'm afraid they'll start to stink. Perhaps we could set up some jars? I've heard tale that you have a thing for body parts in jars." The Master laughed again and signaled for the guards to take the cart away.
The head guard walked up and whispered something in the Master's ear and the Master nodded then turned to Jack, "I'm sorry but we must cut our visit short. There's business to attend to." The Master then strode out triumphantly as the guard grinned at Jack. Deep in despair, Jack's only hope was that Ianto was somewhere safe.
"How could you?" Ianto screamed as he shoved Nick away.
"Listen, I had to do it. They would have killed you otherwise." Nick pleaded as Ianto's hysteria rose.
"You're telling me I had something to do with these things taking over the planet?"
"Yes, I'm not sure what but it was Saxon that held you."
"Get out. I'm not going anywhere with you. Just leave."
Nick cringed at Ianto's harsh words, "I'll go, but before I erased your memory you made a recording for yourself. You told me to give this to you if things went bad with Saxon." Nick held out a small computer chip.
Ianto tentatively grabbed the chip and lowered himself into his chair. Nick sighed and stood on the lift, "Please, stay safe." He then ascended to the surface.
He always knew Nick would be the death of him. The man was a whirlwind of danger and mystery that would sweep into town leaving Ianto breathless. There was a time when all Nick had to do was bat his eyes and Ianto would do anything for him. Times had changed though, and Ianto began to see the lonely, perilous life Nick lived, he swore he would never end up the same. He started dating Lisa, hoping for a normal existence with a family. He supposed it was fate that despite trying everything to hold onto that small dream, he completely succumbed to the Torchwood life. Everything he rejected in Nick, he now embodied.
Ianto stared at the microchip as if he could read it just by concentrating. Ianto desperately did not want to see whatever truth was hiding but he knew that he owed it to the world. He slid his chair up to the computer and inserted the fingernail sized drive. The video began playing with a close-up of Ianto's face, bruised and scarred. It must have been right after he was released.
His voice on the video was harsh and strained, "If you're watching this, then the world has almost come to an end. The Master, that's what Harold Saxon likes to call himself, is planning something terrible. He's not human. I know he looks human but I'm convinced he isn't. He has two heartbeats like a Timelord. I know what you have to do to stop him, but you'll need your memories back. I've programmed a paternal response system in the bots that should activate visually. You'll need to be brave."
The Ianto on the screen paused and caught his breath, "There's something else: the Master knows Jack. He's going to go after him. You have to save him."
The video went blank for a second then Ianto appeared again, "Oh, and forgive Nick. He was trying to help. Besides you'll need him to restore your memory so hopefully you haven't killed him or anything."
Nick bolted down the alley. The sick, childish laughter was echoing behind him. He had trekked across Europe to get back to Ianto but seeing his home country devastated somehow brought the entire situation to reality. He had tried to prepare himself for Ianto's reaction but it still hurt. Now after years of being the spy, the fearless assassin, Nick was scrambling through the streets of Cardiff, heartbroken pursued by the alien invasion he couldn't stop.
As he weaved through the vacant city streets, Nick tried to keep count of the Toclafane pursing him. He had shaken off two but there was still one whirring around. He turned into a warehouse and ducked behind a stack of cartons. There was a heavy silence as Nick tried to control his breathing. Suddenly the crates in front of him were blown away and shattered.
A high pitched voice squeaked out gleefully, "I've found you!"
It flew directly toward Nick ready to rip him to shreds before it suddenly stopped short. Nick cautiously opened his eyes and looked up to see Ianto standing in front of him blocking the Toclafane's path. The black ball paused inches in front of Ianto before it moved forward gently and starting nuzzling the man's chest, "Father! Father!"
Ianto patted the bot and sternly told it, "You need to go back to work, now. Tell no one you saw me. Understand?"
"Yes, Father." The Toclafane then happily sped away.
"I'm so disappointed. I would've thought you'd be a better hider." Ianto smirked as he turned around and offered his hand to a still crouching Nick.
"You sure took your time."
"Well, I had to close up shop before I left." Right as Ianto finished speaking, a massive explosion sounded in the distance.
"Your doing?" Nick asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Self-destruct sequence. Clichéd isn't it? I assume you have someplace warm and safe to take me?"
"As a matter of fact, I do."
Nick directed Ianto to a secluded room in the underground bunker. It was a long ago abandoned fallout shelter that now served as a base of operations for the hastily formed resistance movement. Comprised of most of Torchwood's former operatives, the base had the added advantage of having the best alien technology scavenged from Canary Warf.
The two men sat on a small cot in the corner as Nick pulled out a sleek device resembling an ear thermometer, "You always did keep the best gadgets for yourself." Ianto snarked as he gazed jealously.
"All for queen and country, really." Nick replied while he fiddled with the controls.
"Even since you went freelance?"
"We all have to make a living. Now hold still."
Nick brought the device to the back of Ianto's neck and paused, "Are you sure about this?"
"It's the only way."
Nick leaned in slowly and kissed Ianto's neck before sitting back and activating device causing it to emit a warm light for several seconds. Ianto sat motionless until Nick impatiently asked, "Well?"
Ianto spasmed then rapidly turned and punched Nick in the face. His eyes then widened as he realized what he'd done and scrambled to help stop Nick's bleeding nose, "Shit! I'm so sorry. That was completely involuntary. All those memories coming back at once, I had to hit somebody."
"It's okay, I'll live. How are you?"
The adrenaline from a moment ago was wearing off and Ianto started making sense of his thoughts. He then sat on the floor, bringing his knees up to his chest and hiding his face, "Just give me a minute."
Nick hesitantly stood while holding his hand up to his nose. He then left the room and went to go find something to clean up the blood.
After a half an hour, Nick was pacing outside the room waiting for some sort of signal from Ianto who still hadn't moved. He finally couldn't stand it and approached the huddled form, "Are you alright?"
Ianto raised his head revealing red rimmed eyes, "I know what I have to do."
The small band of guerillas sat around their makeshift dining table and enjoyed their evening meal. Ianto never would have thought that surviving an apocalypse could turn spies and mercenaries domestic. He had them all thoroughly hooked on his coffee that he made with a machine constructed by Stanley, a particularly skilled arms manufacturer. Jorge, once a prominent Columbian drug dealer, was supplying them with coffee beans.
The talk had turned to news from other resistance outposts. Indigo was reading the report from Europe, "Station 16 in Prague has successfully demolished a UNIT headquarters . . ." At the mention of Prague, Ianto turned to look at Nick who caught his eye and then gazed downward sheepishly. Years earlier, their trip to Prague, which Nick had meant to deeper their relationship, had only served to push Ianto away. The young man had been promised a romantic weekend but was enraged when he found Nick up to his usual business. Ianto discovered him cleaning up after he had neutralized a dozen members of a terror cell that had got a hold of an Alterian vaporizer. Nick's excuse of 'I thought you'd never find out' had not set well.
Indigo's report was interrupted when the proximity alarm sounded and Reg shouted over the intercom, "She's here!"
The room erupted into a frenzy of excited voices and Nick ran out to greet their guest. Once he re-entered, he was accompanied by an attractive, young woman. Nick brought her straight up to Ianto and started to introduce her, "Ianto, this is Martha Jones-"
But, Ianto gasped when he looked at her wrist, "Where did you get that?"
Martha held up her wrist with Jack's vortex manipulator, "This is why I'm here."
Ianto listened uncomfortably as Martha told her tale of the past few months: the Doctor landing in Cardiff, meeting Jack Harkness, the end of the universe, the Master, the Toclafane, and traveling the world at the Doctor's behest.
After Martha finished, Ianto sat stunned and then finally said almost to himself, "So, he was a Timelord. I need you to take me to the Valiant."
"Ianto, I know you're worried about Jack but we have time, he can't die."
"Yes, he can. Just because he doesn't stay dead doesn't mean it makes it any less horrible. I know what it's like to suffer at the hands of the Master and I will not leave my lover to endure that fate any longer than I have to. You'll take me to the Valiant because I need to be faced with the Master in order for this to work."
After a period of tense silence, Nick turned to Martha, "You said he carries a weapon?"
"Yeah, a laser screwdriver, it kills with one shot."
Nick turned to his team, "Okay, that means I need ideas on how we get that off of him."
Ianto grabbed his arm, "What do you mean we? I'm doing this alone."
Nick put his hand over Ianto's, "Sorry, but you're stuck with me."
Martha interrupted, "What about the Toclafane? They'll rip us to shreds as soon as we get on board."
Ianto answered her, "They won't. They listen to me."
"If you can control the Toclafane why have you been hiding down here for months?"
"I don't want to run the risk of the Master finding out and reprogramming them. That's why I only have one shot to finish this."
"How are you able to control them?"
Ianto turned to Nick looking for encouragement as Nick put his arm around the young man's shoulders, "I helped design them."
Martha was right; the vortex manipulator was nauseating; Ianto swayed uncomfortably as he tried to steady himself. As soon as they landed in the corridor of the Valiant, Ianto, Nick, and Martha were approached by three Toclafane, "Father!"
Ianto sternly told the bot on the right, "I want you and the rest of your brothers and sisters on board to go round up all the guards and lock them in the cells. I need to speak to the Master and those humans cannot interrupt us. Understand?"
"Yes, Father."
Ianto then turned to the bot on the left, "I want you to take my friend Martha Jones to find her family."
"Of course."
Ianto addressed the middle bot, "Take my friend Nick to Captain Harkness."
"It's my pleasure."
"When you are done, I want you all to come to the bridge. Alright, now hurry."
The Toclafane took off merrily in different directions with Martha running to catch up with hers. Nick started to leave but turned and caught Ianto in a warm hug and then kissed him passionately. They were interrupted as the bot leading Nick flew back in and cooed, "Are you coming Mr. Nick?"
Ianto pulled back and nodded reassuringly. Nick then followed after the bot toward the engine room. Ianto took a moment to steady himself and headed toward the bridge. Once he stepped through the door, he took in his surroundings and counted himself lucky; the Master only had one guard with him. Unfortunately, it was one of the sadistic torturers from Ianto's imprisonment. The Master was busy taunting an old man hunched down in the one of the chairs.
The guard shouted out a startled sir causing the Master to spin around and upon seeing Ianto break out into a leering grin, "Ianto Jones, what an unexpected surprise. As long as you're here, I might as well give you the tour."
In the corner, the head guard was on his com device trying to contact the other guards, "Sir, no response from the rest of the post."
"Very nice, Mr. Jones. I do hope you're not here for some sort of revenge. I would hate to have to hurt you again. Allow me to introduce you to the man that your darling Jack ran off with. Oh, he's not much to look at now but let me make him presentable."
The Master then pointed his laser screwdriver at the Doctor and fired at him. A bright light encompassed the man as he started de-aging. The Master grinned and placed the weapon back in his pocket. The Doctor still sat emotionless in the chair but briefly looked up at Ianto curiously.
"There, much better. Now tell me, Ianto, what can I help you with?"
Ianto started walking toward the Master, "I want Jack. I heard you're holding him and I want him back." Ianto then pulled out a knife from his pocket and raised it up with a shaking hand.
"He abandoned you. He left with that. He doesn't appreciate your exceptional mind and precious loyalty. You remember the way I held you and made you mine." The Master was now was purring in Ianto's ear as he gripped his hand and wrenched away the knife.
Ianto collapsed to his knees as a dozen Toclafane flew into the room.
The Master placed his hand on Ianto's cheek, "Do you want to stay with me?"
Ianto glared up at the monster's face and spat directly into it. The Master stepped back and wiped his face, "That is the last time you spit in my face."
He then nodded to the guard who raised his gun. Before he could fire Jack burst through the doors and grabbed the barrel of the rifle. As the two fought, Nick entered followed by Martha and her family. The Master searched his pockets for his laser screwdriver and yelled in frustration. Jack finally knocked the gun from the guard and it slid across the table.
Jack turned in horror as a shot rang out. The Master had grabbed up the rifle and fired into Ianto's chest. However, before he could fire again the Toclafane cried out, "Father! He harmed our Father!" The bots then surrounded and sliced the Master sending him flying across the room.
Jack rushed to Ianto's side and cradled him in his arms. The guard started toward Jack but was pulled backward by Nick. As the guard stumbled backward and started to pull a pistol from his ankle holster, he was caught by Nick who quickly broke his neck.
Ianto reached up a quaking hand and touched Jack's cheek. He tried to speak but could only spit up blood. Jack shushed him and pressed a hand to the spurting chest wound, "Don't speak. Ianto, I-"
Ianto coughed out a strangled, "Jack."
Jack pleaded, "Shh, it's ok."
With his last bit of strength, Ianto pulled Jack closer and whispered, "I . . . dance . . . with you."
The Doctor had run over to the fallen Master and was begging him to regenerate to no avail. As Jack held Ianto's body and wept quietly, Martha put her hand on Jack's shoulder, "Jack, you have to destroy the paradox machine."
Jack reluctantly rose and picked up the fallen rifle. Nick knelt by Ianto's body and gently kissed his forehead then reached in Ianto's pockets and pulled out the Master's laser screwdriver. He stood and handed it over to Martha who shook her head, "All that technology and their best plan was pick pocketing."
"Is he going to be okay?" Nick nodded over toward the Doctor.
Martha gazed at the devastated Timelord, "I don't know. He's the last one now."
Once Jack destroyed the cannibalized time mechanism within the Tardis he returned to the bridge. The bodies of Ianto and the guard had vanished as well as the Toclafane. Martha's sister Tish looked around and asked, "What happened?"
There was a confused silence before the Doctor rose and spoke, "Time reset itself. We're back to right before the Toclafane arrived. No one will remember anything."
Martha's mother spoke, "Except us."
The Doctor nodded solemnly.
While the Doctor said goodbye to Martha who had decided to stay in London, Jack stood outside the Tardis talking to Nick, "So Ianto is back in Cardiff, alive?"
Jack nodded, "Yes, he shouldn't remember anything."
"Are you going back to him?" Nick asked nervously.
"Yes. I need him." Jack replied earnestly.
Nick firmly pressed on, "Do you love him?"
Jack paused and leaned back against the police box, "Yes. Overwhelmingly."
Nick didn't know what he was hoping to hear, but looking at Jack's sincerity, he couldn't deny that Ianto had found a better man.
A car pulled up in front of them and Nick shook Jack's hand, "That's my ride." He climbed into the backseat but after a moment rolled down the window. "If he's ever in trouble, call this number." Nick then handed Jack a plain business card with only a phone number written on it.
When the Doctor emerged Nick was gone and Jack was leaning against the ship lost in his thoughts. The Doctor tentatively approached him, "Jack, will you come with me? There's a planet that we visited when we were young. I want to bury him there."
Jack hesitated wanting to return to Ianto immediately but upon seeing the desperate look in the Doctor's face he accepted.
