AN- This is the last chapter of Animus Materia. I'm contemplating a sequel.
Let me know what you think.
Special thanks to Ravenwolf for the beta! You've been amazing through it all! Your encouraging little comment and remarks really helped to keep me writing, through times when writers block reared its head. Love you!
Enjoy the chapter-would you like a sequel? Let me know?
Chapter 11- Romance in my soul.
There's an expression on Earth - "Put yourself in my shoes" - and Jack Harkness had never really thought he'd experience the shock of watching a person you'd just killed come back to life. Yet here he was; he'd shot this person, through the head, and here they were, standing up, complaining that he hadn't told them that resurrection was more painful.
"I... erm... what?" Jack asked, looking at the Doctor
Doctor grinned "Well Lianne here is a little walking miracle, because her father," here the Doctor nodded at Lucas, "is part alien, she had part of the DNA imported into her when she was conceived."
Jack looked at Ianto as he climbed to his feet, Gwen holding him steady.
"Part of this," The Doctor smiled "is being able to bring back the dead. However, the Immortal thing I'm confused about" the Doctor turned to Lianne.
Lianne smiled. "Its hard to explain, I knew Jack couldn't die, even before I met him; something just told me, and when I got the letter to help, I knew I had to. When I was reviving Ianto, I remembered Jack. Animus Materia is a very complicated and unique passion; if the person that has died has an Animus and it senses that there are some DNA differences, it will mix them. We were on the planet where my dad lives, and I was bringing him back. The last person who had touched Ianto when he was alive was Jack, and I had held Jack prior to this, so it latched onto the gene signature, recognised it as Ianto's soul mate, and reconfigured his DNA."
Ianto stared at Lianne and Jack was quiet. "I think I get it" Jack murmured. He looked sharply at Ianto, and his heart skipped a beat. He'd shot him through the head! He felt himself go numb, shock set in and he suddenly felt sick. If Ianto hadn't had the DNA make-up like him, he'd have been mourning him all over again.
Rhys noticed the tell tale signs he'd seen in Jack in the days after the 456: the quickened breathing, the shaking, and the glassy look in his eyes.
"Jack!" he shouted as Jack knees buckled.
"Jack" The Doctor ran forward and caught him before Jack could hit the ground, lowering him safely. "Jack can you hear me?"
Jack nodded slightly, his eyes focused on the ground. He felt physically ill.
He raised his head and looked at The Doctor, "I think..." he took a steadying breath, "I think I'm gonna be sick."
"Do we have a bucket?" The Doctor cried. Ianto jumped up, headache forgotten, and ran to the kitchen. He grabbed a bucket and had it under Jacks head just in time, as Jack heaved the last thing he'd digested into the bucket.
"Lovely," Rhys murmured.
Gwen wrapped her arms around Rhys, and buried her head in his shoulder. She hated seeing Jack in this state, but she knew it was to be expected.
Lianne handed a tissue to Jack so he could wipe his face, and then he slumped back against the Doctor, shaking slightly. Rhys watched and felt his heart go out to Jack, suddenly realising what was going on in Jacks head. In the few days he'd been helping Jack, he'd got to read him pretty well.
"Jack," he pulled away from Gwen and knelt down next to him, "Jack, listen to me, what you did, that's expected. Torchwood makes you more paranoid than normal, don't dwell on the 'what ifs' Jack, think how lucky you are now, you have someone to share eternity with, someone to care for, and have them forever."
Slowly Jacks eyes opened and he looked at Rhys, his eyes shining with tears. "But I shot him."
Rhys smiled sadly "And that's something you need to talk about, Jack. Look at it this way: here in front of you is a way for you to live a life that you didn't think you'd get the chance to. You've got to embrace it, here and now... don't push it away because you think you don't deserve it."
Ianto looked at Rhys, a new sense of respect surging through him. Jack and Rhys must have gotten close for him to be able to talk about this kind if stuff and not have Jack ranting at him that he wasn't worth the hassle.
The Doctor nodded his head, "Rhys is right Jack. If I didn't think you deserved another chance I wouldn't have done it; Ianto becoming immortal is an added bonus to it. Animus Materia made the decision, not us, we just followed the actions it set for us,"
Jack shook his head slightly and Rhys sighed, "Jack..." he tried, before Jack cut him off.
"Its not that I don't agree with you," Jack rose to his feet, and stood, albeit shakily, next to the Doctor, "it's just such a big thing for me, it's taking ages to sink in," he looked at Lianne, "you lied to me that day at Thames House, you said you were his cousin," Lianne nodded. "Why did you lie to me?"
Lianne smiled sadly, "because I didn't want to get your hopes up for us to fail, Initially, we were only gonna bring him back, for as long as he would have lived, the immortality is an unexpected bonus."
Jack blinked and leant back slightly, swaying. "Don't pass out on me," the Doctor said.
Jack shook his head and he fought back the tears. He didn't expect to feel arms round him, pulling him close. He didn't need to open his eyes to know who was holding him, and it made it all the more real. He felt his shoulders shudder and he inhaled the all-too-familiar smell.
"Ianto," he choked.
"I'm here Jack,"
Jack latched his arms around Ianto's waist, and refused to let go, as he felt his knee's buckle. Ianto supported him to the ground and buried his head in Jack's hair. "It's okay Jack, I'm here now, and I'm never letting go."
Jack tightened his grip on Ianto's waist and inhaled sharply, taking in the smell, and feeling of Ianto surrounding him.
Ianto didn't know how long he sat on the ground holding Jack, he just knew that by the time Jack finally pulled back to look at him his legs were numb and it was pouring with rain.
"It's all real?" Jack asked
Ianto touched Jacks cheek; he nodded his head "Its all real, Cariad. I'm not leaving you again."
"I remember what happened in those two years I had missing."
The Doctor turned to Jack "Excuse me?"
"I remember."
"Remember what?"
"I remember meeting you in the fifty first century, being with Ianto, being friends with Lianne, helping you fix the TARDIS."
Ianto looked stunned "So it's true...your..." he took a breath and leaned close to Jack's ear and whispered "Daxton Franklin Carter."
Jack nodded his head and leant back, he stared deep into Ianto's eyes, his heart made a decision, before he really registered in his brain what he was doing. Leaning forward, he placed a chaste kiss on Ianto's lips, feeling that familiar buzzing sensation he'd gotten used to. He felt Ianto return the kiss and pulled back slightly, before allowing Ianto to pull him into a more heated kiss, where he felt Ianto's tongue begging for entrance, and he smiled before granting it.
****
4 years later
"Ianto Jones, do you, take this man, to be with for the rest of your life, to have and to hold, to comfort and cherish, through sickness and in health..."
Ianto looked out in the audience at Lianne, Lucas, the Doctor, Gwen, Rhys, and his family, then he moved his eyes back to Jack. "Always and forever" he answered, not breaking his eye contact with Jack.
"You can kiss, if you'd like" the registrar smiled encouragingly, as Jack smiled and dipped Ianto down low, kissing him on the lips.
"I love you," he whispered as he pulled back.
Ianto grinned, "I love you more."
Jack chuckled, "I don't think that's possible"
"Oh yes it is" Ianto dead-panned.
Jack smiled "Oh no...." he stuck his tongue out and kissed Ianto again soundly, "it isn't..."
The little crowd that was gathered in the reception smiled and chanted as one "Oh yes it is!"
Jack and Ianto laughed, and The Doctor saw something in Jacks eyes he had never seen before, true happiness; this was all Jack has ever wanted, to have someone and not have to go through the heart break of losing them, or for them to be a blip in time as Jack had called them.
A few hours later, Jack was perched on a bar stool in the hotel where he and Ianto had had their civil partnership, watching as Ianto chatted and moved from family member to friends and back again.
"Can I sit here?"
Jack looked up and smiled when he saw Rhys stood by the chair. "Of course."
Rhys smiled and perched himself on the stool.
"Are you happy Jack?"
Jack smiled at Rhys "Honestly and truly, I don't think I've ever been this content. I have everything I could want, I'm not gonna lose Ianto, never, not again. I know one day we'll lose everyone around us, but we'll have each other to support."
Rhys smiled, "I was scared at the point when you were falling apart, I really thought we'd lost you."
Jack smiled sadly, "If it hadn't been for Mica you probably would never seen me again"
"Mica and her fifty first century mobile."
Jack laughed, "to the rescue!"
"Listen, I know this is a happy day and everything, and I don't wanna bring you down, but I wanted to ask you something."
"Ask away" Jack smiled.
"When Gwen and I are gone, look after our family, make sure they're okay, check on them, and stay in touch with them."
Jack smiled and nodded his head. "I will Rhys."
Rhys smiled and nodded his head, before looking at the dance floor where Lucas was whirling Ianto around.
"You should go save Ianto!" Rhys laughed.
Jack smiled and watched his husband. "Yup, I'll dance with you later Rhys!" he grinned.
"In your dreams Harkness!"
"OI, That'd Harkness-Jones now"
Rhys smiled and nodded, as Jack turned and walked onto the dance floor grabbing Ianto around the waist and stealing him from Lucas who looked on smiling happily. Ianto turned and buried his head in Jacks chest.
"DANCE, DANCE, DANCE, DANCE!" Rhys began to shout, and grinned like a maniac as the rest of the crowd joined in.
Jack and Ianto smiled at each other.
"To what?"
The DJ smiled and played the opening theme to an all too familiar song. Jack erupted into laughed and Ianto groaned hiding his head in Jacks shoulder.
We are what we're supposed to be
Illusions of your fantasy
All dots and lines that we can say
(What we do is what you wish to do.... -)
Music cut out and Jack and Ianto sighed in relief. Jack pulled Ianto close to him and they started to Dance as the familiar song world around them.
When you're quiet, but your eyes
Are saying everything I need to know
I want to burrow like a sparrow
Dodging alley cats and whiskers
Why do we talk in whispers?
Is it painful hearing voices ring
So early in the morning?
300 years later.
Jack Harkness-Jones grinned as he watched his son twirl his new wife around on the dance floor. Ianto sat beside them, neither man looking a day over thirty.
"It's so bizarre," Ianto laughed.
"What?" Jack asked
"Seems like it was yesterday he was born, and now..."
Jack smiled and nodded his head and smiled, and then he stood and offered his hand to Ianto.
"Dance with me?"
"Always," Ianto responded slipping his hand into Jacks.
I've been waiting for the day And I just might say it tonight
When I can throw away these numbers
That line my dresser drawers and cupboards
Start me over
Life seems so much slower
With your toothbrush by the mirror
Can I make it any clearer?
I just might say it tonight
I just might tell you tonight
That I love you
And you should stay all my life
"Jack?" Ianto gasped as he recognised the song that filled the air.
"I know."
Ianto smiled and leaned forward and captured Jack's lips in a kiss. Three hundred years had gone in the blink of an eye, and yes, there had been pain. But yet here, in the arms of the man he loved, their son dancing nearby with his wife, and they're song floating around them, Ianto and Jack were happy, and they always would have each other.
Together.
Forever.
From then, until the end of time - when the last star goes out and the planets have gone, they would love each other.
They're love would survive the end of the world...the end of time itself.
Songs
Cartoon heroes – Aqua
Might tell you tonight- Scissor Sisters