10

Rhia sat and listened to her prince, her brother, her lovely teddy bear as he told her of his visions.

"How long have you been seeing him?" she asked.

"Since … I don't know, maybe within a day of my return?" Ianto shrugged, "Mad, I know. I know that Mam was …"

Ianto stalled out and blanched as the fake memory of their non-existent mother was almost brought in as evidence of his madness.

"You will get that for a while yet" she sighed, "The truth, the lie. Everything bleeding together. The only way around it would be to wipe those years spent on this planet, but I know you won't want to because they are him as well."

"Oh gods" Ianto's head fell into his hands as he felt his heart twisting in his rib cage.

"Jax was always good at getting under the skin of his marks" she snorted, then wanted to take it back when she saw his face crumble.

He rose to flee and she grabbed for him, "Wait. Sorry."

"No, you're right" he sobbed, "Not like it's really him. I want him so much I ache. Gods, I'm reaching for him in my sleep, what the hell can I do? He's probably not even on Sol 3 now, probably long gone with his Doctor."

Ianto snorted, "Doctor. Yeah, the only person to ever resist his lies, I bet."

Ianto was gone, scooting along the hallway as he fled to his mist filled trees and she sighed as she berated herself for upsetting him again.

She wondered.

Was he that far away?

She knew John would probably know and also knew he wouldn't tell her, his anger at the Captain still raw.

She did the next best thing, funny how they forget she was a Time Agent once.

She flipped open her VM and did a trace, surprised to find him nearby.

She stood watching as he stood outside the ruins of what was a pub. He had flowers in his fist and he knelt to place them, his words drifting on the wind.

"I love you Ianto, always."

She swore and moved forward, the sound of her footfalls making him rise as he turned to face her.

"Hello Jax" she said softly.

"Rhiannon?" he gaped, "How did you .. I mean … You're too late. He's gone."

Rhia frowned at the strange babbling and looked down, surprised to find the flowers were from Ianto's orchard.

"You have been walking amongst the apple trees" she said softly and Jack looked at the flowers.

"You know that place too?" he looked up and then grabbed for her, "Do you see him?"

"Him?"

"Ianto. Every day, I go and I wait. Sometimes the mist is not .. .I mean, when it is thick like whipping cream, I see him. Walking along the trees. God, have you ever seen him?" he was begging and she felt such a sadness flow over them both.

"You go to the old orchard beyond the briar patch to watch for Ianto in the mist?"

Jack released her arms and laughed, bitter and harsh.

"Jax"

"It's OK, I know I'm stupid. Just a figment of my mind, like he was here" he turned and looked at the rubble.

"So real though, I could practically taste him." He sighed.

"Jaxton" she said firmly, "I am not here for memory lane or I would have rattled off your agency number, BOE8513"

Jack blinked, and then frowned, "How do you … why do you call me Jax? I've not been that in a long time."

"Harkness." She said with a snort. "Heart-less."

"Stop it" he snarled, "You always were a bitch!"

He stepped back and blinked, "Wait. Wait, what is this?"

"You remember me now soldier?" she leered, "Agent?"

She let her sleeve slide so her VM showed and he blinked furiously as he tried to comprehend what the hell was happening.

"You listen to me Jax Boeshane, Jack Harkness or Captain Heartless, whatever you want to call yourself" she snarled reaching for him as he yelped with shock, "I didn't come here for bloody games. Fight the block. It was not a wipe, I know that much. Those memories are in there somewhere just locked away. Think. Heart-less. Less your Heart. Your heart. Where is your heart!"

"With my Heart's Keeper" Jack said automatically then blinked.

"There you are!" she grinned.

"Wait." He gaped, "What?"

"You are not heartless Captain, it is safe still" she soothed, this time closing her hand over his as she brought it to rest on her VM.

"Your Hart is safe within the arms of your keeper."