SUSPENSION 10

It felt like fire running through his veins as the real world suddenly vanished in front of his eyes. His last coherent recollection was his sister's scream as white hot light enveloped him and snatched him away. It was as if his very essence had been wrenched from his bones, spinning him round so fast, his world became a confusion of noise and colour. Suddenly the gulf of history opened up and flooded through his synapses, time itself become his blood, pumping so stridently through him that he thought his heart would explode. Ianto thought he had opened his mouth but when he screamed a blanket deaded the sound and all he could hear was a blustering wind, though he could not feel anything against his skin. Panic gripped him as he completely lost control of his senses. It was too much, the past, the present and the far distant future overwhelming him with knowledge he didn't want, couldn't cope with. He had no meaning in this place, no relevance and no foot hold as he spiralled deeper into the abyss.......

It took Jack a moment to come to his senses, comprehension sinking in like a lead weight in his gut. Snapping out of his stunned reverie he moved to Rhiannah's side reaching out a hand in comfort. She faced him, her two young children still clutched to her sides, her eyes ablaze.

"You bring him back. You get him back!"

Jack gave her an imploring, apologetic look. "I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do."

At that moment Owen burst into the room, gun in hand med bag slung over his shoulder. Jack leapt to his feet and raised his arms.

"It's ok Owen. Crisis over, lower your weapon." He pulled the medic back out of the room away from the sight of Rhiannah and spoke in low tones so as not to be over heard.

"The Mara have taken Ianto. I'll need you to Retcon Rhiannah and the children. Just implant the memory that he is missing, I think that would be best."

Owen holstered his weapon as Jack spoke. "Why did they take the Tea Boy?"

Jack shrugged. "Why did they want Jasmine? I don't know Owen. He was a chosen one who refused to go in childhood, they came back for him."

"So why did he change his mind?"

Jack gestured back to the bedroom. "They attacked the only family he has left, Ianto agreed to go if they left them alone, seems they accepted the deal."

Owen failed to hide his surprise. "Shit, no real choice there then."

"Not really. Look can you deal with this? I'm going back to the Hub."

Owen nodded. "Sure boss." He couldn't help but notice how shattered Jack looked.

He was always taught that History began when the first written languages came about, but it was so much older than that. The birth of the universe itself, the conception of existence and the formation of matter, the language of light and atoms and gases coalescing into life itself, billions of years sliding through his consciousness, the first stars and planets the first plants and insects, light years away from the world that he knew and thought he understood. How wrong he had been. Many pathways opened up, crossing dimensions and realities, millions of histories, billions of new beginnings and possibilities. Ianto shrank away from the enormity of it, trying to understand why the Mara were showing him all this. There were no games, no torments just eternity spread about before him like an open book, and he was drowning in its pages.

Jack climbed into the SUV and thumped the steering wheel finally releasing the surge of grief and anger that rose from his chest. Another failing, another soul lost to him. Someone he was finally starting to feel a strong connection with. He had felt it that first day in the park, the latent energy behind the young man's intensely blue eyes. Of course Ianto would sacrifice himself; it was in his very nature, the man had virtually no sense of self preservation. Jack had never met anyone so truly selfless, not even the Doctor and Rose had been like that. Ianto had been dragged down since birth, blessed only with brief periods in the light of happiness. Jack half found himself considering how the boy had managed to stay sane and perhaps this time he hadn't. The Mara had offered him an escape route from his grief and loneliness, a chance to begin anew in whatever form their lives took. He wondered at that, maybe one day that laughter at the back of his conscience would be Ianto's. Jack sincerely hoped not, perhaps he would be able to take some of his own goodness into their world and make changes. But eternity was a long time and Ianto had just been given that and with it came decay and corruption, even now Jack recognised the same things in himself and he knew he was still in the conception stage of his long life himself. He shuddered at the thought and half wondered if the Mara knew how to fix him or if, even, he was one of them in some strange way. He needed his Doctor more than anything right now. Jack keyed the ignition and drove back to Hub with tears running down his cheeks, not tears for Ianto, but for himself as he became overwhelmed with his personal despair.

AN: Hope this worked. Thanks for your comments boys and girls. xx