Chapter 10
John jumped to his feet, dropping the amulet. He covered his eyes with his hands then peeked between his fingers. The Ianto... thing was still staring at him. He looked at the amulet at his feet. Could it be?
"How...?" was all he managed to utter.
Ianto shrugged.
"Jack isn't going mad after all. Or maybe he is. Or maybe you both are. Who knows?" He smirked.
John frowned. The fiend was reflecting his very train of thoughts. He slowly scanned the figure. He looked as solid as everything around them. John had been around enough to know that there were no such things as ghosts. Yet there was something utterly wrong in his expression. This looked less like Ianto and more like...
"Like you?" suggested the man, his grin widening in a Cheshiresque manner.
John shudder. That was exactly it. The blood was wrong, too. He knew how Ianto had died; there had been no blood, at least not enough to make him look as if he had been crowned prom queen...
"What are you? And what's with all the blood?
Ianto looked down at his bloodstained suit a look of mock annoyance on his face.
"Goodness me. This will be hard to explain to my dry-cleaner..."
His tone was a strange mix of Ianto's sarcasm and John's irreverence. Why was he so much like himself? He shuddered. Ianto laughed.
"Are you that stupid, Captain John Hart, that you can't put two and two together?"
John crossed his arms. He wanted nothing but to punch the apparition's teeth in but he had to control himself. Ianto chuckled.
"Did that sting? Let me give you a hint. It is no less than what you'd do to yourself."
In the distance, a rooster crowed. John turned to follow the sound. In that split second, Ianto had gone.
Jack was nursing a cup of tea in his study. Coffee just didn't taste the same since... He sighed. None of the books had provided him with anything of significant value. As for the alien technology, there was so much of it, spanned through space and time, he truly didn't know where to start. He stared the garden. The sun was coming out after a prolonged period of constant rain. In the distance, he saw John's silhouette approaching. His ex-lover had stayed clear of him for the last twenty-four hours and he'd been grateful for it. He was tired of having to fend off sexual invitation, especially since they were growing in indecency. His respite was to have been short lived; John was definitely headed for him.
Captain Hart open the door and walked to Jack's desk, leaving muddy footprints on the wooden floor. Judging by his route, he had walked straight across the flower beds. Jack sighed. Before he could say anything, John threw the green moonstone medallion on top of his open book. He must have been very focused not to notice its disappearance and right now, he was too tired to get angry about it.
"This thing, it's linked to Ianto's lingering appearance."
Jack's heart stopped.
"You've seen him?"
The man nodded. For a moment, Jack was overtaken by grief and jealousy. Why would he appear in front of John? He disliked the man. The very mention of his name would send Ianto in a sulky silence.
John sat down.
"He was wrong, though. Covered in blood. And also kinda different, you know? Acted, well...A bit like me, if you know what I mean?"
"Yes. He told me he was my brainchild. I was able to control him with my thoughts..." Jack's cheeks flared up with heat at the memory of the shower. "But not all of it."
"You said he had his keys on him when he was killed."
Jack winced at the word. John ignored him.
"What if the green moonstone absorbed your memory of him? Or part of his conciousness..."
Jack squinted slightly, looking in the distance for a moment.
"That would make sense. I have to look into this. Did he say anything else?"
John hesitated a moment. Jack arched an eyebrow.
"Well when I asked what he was he told me that the things he said were no less than what I'd do to myself."
Jack stared at John. No less than... Suddenly, it made all sense.
"Did he say anything before that? Insult you maybe?"
"He called me stupid," he admitted, begrudgingly. He wasn't about to tell him the part about being better than he would ever be.
Jack gave a sad smile.
"This manifestation of Ianto... It's reaching deep in our subconscious. I loved Ianto but always felt guilty and each of his apparitions have reflected that very sentiment... I don't believe you've ever liked him very much..."
John got up, flaring with anger. His chair fell back.
"Are you saying I believe myself to be stupid? To be inferior to that little piece of..."
Jack gave him a stern look. John clenched his fists then released them. He then smoothed the front of his jacket and ran his hand through his hair.
"Well. You're welcome. I will leave you to your research, or whatever."
He hurried past Jack and out of the study. Jack palmed the medallion, closing his finger on it. A sadness hung about the room despite the warm sunlight, now pouring in the room.