Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood, Doctor Who, God, or anything that is publicly recognised.
A/N: - Well, this is the tenth chapter of Earth Angels Season One
- NO LISA present whatsoever
- Some Janto in this chapter! There is some slight Gwen-bashing, a hint of Doctor-bashing (it's mostly angst driven).
- Enjoy!
Earth Angels: Greeks bearing gifts
Tosh didn't realise, when she accepted the necklace, just how badly Owen thought of her. Well, she thought to herself, I no longer care. He could sleep with Cooper if he so desired. His love life will no longer affect me. She almost ran from the Hub, unable to stay around to hear the pitying thoughts of Gwen and Owen, nor the pain that Ianto was currently feeling. Ianto was her closest friend, and knowing he was in pain hurt her, even though she didn't know the cause.
Finding Mary in her house was a surprise. She tried to give the necklace back, but Mary wanted to show her that it could be used for good, and Tosh could feel her desire. Mary's desire burned her up, making heat pool between her thighs. She couldn't help herself when Mary kissed her. She simply longed for the contact, longed for the reciprocated emotions.
She tried to help her Mary, help her escape this world, because that's what Mary wants. And yet, how could it have come down this? Held at knife point by her alien lover as her ex-crush and despised co-worker watch on in pity, and her boss and best friend work together to get her free. Jack orders Ianto to bring the device. He resets it before handing it over to Mary, whilst telling Tosh with his mind to stay still, she'll get out alive.
Tosh wants to believe Jack, but she can see the malicious glint in Mary's now-cold eyes.
"Now, you release Tosh as I give this to you." Jack stated calmly.
Mary nodded eagerly. The exchange happened and Mary called "so long, lover" before she disappeared in a flash of white.
Jack sighed and pulled Tosh to him. "Oh, baby girl. I'm so sorry." He whispered as he kissed her hair.
"Why, Jack?" She asked, afraid of the answer, but still needing it.
"I reset the coordinates. It took her to the centre of Sol 3. She burnt up as soon as she was beamed out of the Hub."
Tosh began to cry, burying her face in Jack's chest as she sobbed silently. Ianto ordered Owen and Gwen home, and left to make coffee.
"It's not your fault, Tosh. I think it was better that she approached you, though. Could you imagine Gwen or Owen with this technology?" Jack said lightly, holding the offending necklace out. "You can keep it, if you so wish." Jack added, looking solely at the necklace.
Tosh lifted it from his hands and, throwing it on the floor, smashed it with her heel. "I don't want it, Jack, and I don't think it should be left around. It has an aura to it, that demands use. And the use is always and only for reading negative thoughts."
Jack smiled proudly at her. "Ah, Toshiko, my brave little Dragon. I'm so very proud of you."
"Jack…" Tosh paused, not wanting to overstep the boundaries, "…I…I couldn't hear any thoughts from you. Except the ones you sent, at the end."
"The awesome power of a mental defence. Mine is particularly good, due my demi-god status." He looked down at Tosh, and led her over to the couch. "How about I show you how telepathy can be used for good?"
Tosh looked confused, hopeful, fearful and eager all at the same time, so he took her hands and whispered "Close your eyes Tosh."
Jack retreated into his mind. In the darkness, he could see the golden light that came from his body, and an external green glow. It was the colour of light through leaves, and could only be Tosh. He visualised a room, and opened a door. The Tosh-glow stood-floated in the doorway, and he greeted her 'Come in, Tosh.'
Tosh walk-floated in, and looked around. On the wall were stills of Jack's life. Times of both pleasure and pain. His entire life as Aoi-Japheth-MacLeod-Captain-Jack-Harkness hung from frames around the wall.
'What about your previous lives?' Tosh asked.
'The door you came in through leads to a huge room. You didn't notice when you first stood in it, because I hadn't finished sorting this room out properly. That huge room is filled with my Nurya memories from Home. It has seven doors: each one leads to the room of one of my incarnations. This is my present incarnation's room. The pictures are my life, the objects are special things I want to remember. This, Tosh, is how Angels remember millennia of their lives. It's stored in rooms and preserved, so it will never get lost.'
Jack stopped in front of one of the earliest pictures. It was him, playing with his Papa, Grey and Sam. Pops, Dad and Mum were sat watching with laughter.
'Now watch.' He ordered Tosh as the scene began to play. He and Sam were about eight in it, and Grey was four. They were playing catch with a hover-ball. A.J.-Jack had managed to reprogram it, so it flew two inches above the floor, before leaping eight feet high whenever a hand went to catch it from the top. Only he had managed to catch it, and he'd stood laughing as his Papa had tried to chase it down. Tosh and Jack watched as A.J.-Jack whispered the secret in his little brother's ear, and then saw their Papa's expression as the perfectly straight-faced four year old leant down and lifted it into his hands. A.J.-Jack had already told Sam what was going on, so Sam cheekily suggested that A.J.-Jack's Papa take it off of Grey and throw it to him.
The three boys had fallen into a tangle of limbs, laughing helplessly as they watched the ball spring from Grey's hand.
The memory stopped and Jack moved on. He halted next to his fourteenth birthday. It was just Sam, A.J.-Jack, Pops and Dad now. Pops, Dad, Sam, Jack and Tosh watched as A.J.-Jack climbed onto the broken solar-surfer and, after fiddling for a couple of minutes, pressed a button and shot off into the sky, safety harness on tight, and goggles pulled up. He performed a couple of loop-the-loops and other dizzying aerobatic displays before he landed and hugged his adopted family in awed gratitude. Pride beamed on his Dad's and Pops' faces.
'You don't need to show me any more.' Tosh said softly.
Jack smiled and pulled her along, showing her the pictures – some horrific, others beautiful – until he came along a recent one. It was of Tosh, Owen and Ianto, and him. They were all watching Jack as Jack told them about his lives. It was after Gareth and Kat left, and Gwen had gone home. He'd been telling them about the sentient planet, and what it had shown him, as he'd waited. They had been laughing about something, and Ianto had hugged Tosh as he threw a grin to Jack. Owen was smiling happily, not being as snarkily depressed as he normally was.
'You see. We sometimes have cruel thoughts going through our minds, but Owen definitely respects and likes you, even if it is just as a friend.'
Tosh smiled gratefully, and they walked to the door, where, beside the door, in prominent show was a covert image of Ianto. Jack had obviously been watching him from across the Hub as Ianto sat reading an indistinguishable book with a soft smile on his face. Tosh could almost see the love that poured off Jack as he looked at the picture.
'You really love him.' Tosh whispered.
'Yeah, he's my life-mate. He just hasn't realised it yet, but I'm working on it.' Jack gave her a half smile before he said 'Well, little Dragon, I'll see you on the other side.'
Tosh opened her eyes to see Jack's pensive face in front of her. "He was in pain." Was all she said as she got up and walked away with a quick "Thank you and goodnight, Jack" thrown over her shoulder. Jack frowned as he processed that information.
"Yan!" He called.
Ianto appeared and said "You bellowed, sir?"
"Tosh said you were in pain when she read you. Was that actual pain, or your mental barriers reacting to the intrusion?"
"A bit of both." Ianto said blushing. "I'd cut my finger, and my head felt like it was being split open as she read me. I still have the residual headache, even now."
Jack grabbed Ianto's arm and pulled him down onto the seat next to him. He then knelt up, behind Ianto and began to massage his temples. "Sir…!" Ianto protested weakly before moaning in pleasure and relief as Jack's talented fingers soothed away any lingering pain.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed it. Please review, and I'll post the next chapter when it's written.
TTFN and DFTBA x