Chapter Eleven
Jack showed the Doctor and Amy into the hub, smiling at the look of amazement on the Scottish girl's face. She looked at all the technology, chancing a touch every now and then. At one point Jack had to stop her and she looked at him, puzzled.
"I wouldn't mess with that."
"So where is this man we're wasting our time over?" The Doctor interrupted, "You know it's rude to keep people waiting, right?"
"He's getting changed. He should be out in a minute."
"How long was he...you know...dead?" Amy asked sadly.
"Too long."
"I still think it was wrong." The Doctor chimed in.
"It's so easy for you, moving from time to time while the rest of us have to go through life slowly."
"Umm...hub's a bit busy today." Ianto's voice echoed through the empty room. He paused, "Wait, didn't this place blow up?"
"Rebuilt." Jack replied simply, turning to face him and groaned, "The cute suit?"
"It was the only one in the hub." He shrugged.
"And I thought I'd never be able to look at a suit again."
Ianto chuckled, moving to Jack's side, But you love my suits."
"That was why." Jack sighed, "Ianto, this is the Doctor."
"Oh wow. I've heard barely anything about you sir." Ianto held out his hand.
The Doctor looked at it but didn't shake it, trying to figure out what Ianto Jones was.
Amy nudged the time lord, "Don't be rude."
The Doctor reluctantly shook the Welshman's hand. Ianto smiled politely.
"And this is Amy Pond."
"Pleasure to meet you ma'am."
"Just call me Amy."
"I...I'm sorry if Jack bringing me back has screwed up a time line or something. We can try to fix it. I don't want to be the cause of some global catastrophe."
The Doctor shook his head, "No, no time line mishaps. None that I know of."
"Then...you're just angry with him for being a complete and utter idiot?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
"Hey!" Jack objected.
"Look, Jack acts without thinking sometimes, you know him better than I do so you must know that."
"I had thought this through. There wasn't a second of any day when I wasn't thinking about it." Jack cut in.
"You're not helping me defend you."
"The only defence I have is you Ianto." Jack murmured, looking into the younger man's stormy eyes.
Ianto smiled, "You need to stop saying things like that."
"Why?"
"Because it sends a shiver down my spine."
"And a blush to your cheeks." Jack grinned, running a hand along the Welshman's cheek.
"That too."
"You look so good in red."
"Shut it." Ianto smirked, "Seriously, what can be done to make this right?"
The Doctor sighed, "Nothing. It's too late now."
"Ianto will cause no one harm, I assure you Doctor."
"I've never intentionally hurt anyone Doctor."
"It's the principal. The dead should stay dead." The Doctor explained.
"Jack doesn't care. He never was one to care about principals. He just has to have what he wants."
"You mean a lot to him." Amy smiled.
"He means a lot to me."
"tell me this Jack," The Doctor turned to the captain, "What happened when you brought him back?"
"The nanobots looked at me, figured out that Ianto needed fixing and acted."
"So they used you as the example?"
"Yeah."
The Doctor sighed again, "So potentially, he could be like you?"
"What do you mean?" Jack turned to Ianto and saw the fear in his eyes.
"He may be immortal like you."
"Jack, what did you do?" Ianto asked worriedly.
"We don't know that that happened."
"We don't know that it didn't." The Doctor added.
Jack glared at the time lord, "Well then we'll just have to make sure he doesn't die again."
"But Jack, what if I am like you?" Ianto murmured.
"Don't say it like that."
"You know what I mean."
"Ianto Jones, you are not this way, and even if you were, I would never leave you."
"Wait a minute, you're immortal? He's immortal?" Amy interrupted.
"Sort of." The Doctor sighed.
"What'cha mean 'sort of'? He either is or he isn't."
"He dies...just wakes up after." Ianto explained.
"That's amazing."
"It's also against everything I've learnt in my life." The Doctor added, "One's bad enough, but two of you?"
"At least I wouldn't be alone." Jack tried.
"Jack, I wish you hadn't done this."
"I haven't had him back ten minutes and you've had a go at me, he's yelled at me, this is ridiculous!"
"Promise me you'll stop him from trying this again." The Doctor said to Ianto.
"I promise Doctor." Ianto smiled.
"He doesn't control me."
"Pfft, yes I do."
"No you don't."
Ianto tugged Jack to him, holding him close by his belt. Their chests pressed firmly together and Ianto felt Jack's breath hitch.
Ianto's lips ghosted over Jack's as he spoke, "Can I have your RAF coat?"
Jack swallowed hard and Ianto grinned at the power he had over the older man. Jack pressed his forehead to Ianto's, closing his eyes for a moment.
Jack spoke directly into Ianto's lips, "Whatever you want, you get."
The Doctor chuckled, "Okay, I don't doubt your power over him. I trust you'll stop this from happening again but I am going to have to break the vortex manipulator again."
Jack had his eyes closed, resting his forehead against Ianto's again until the words 'break' and 'vortex manipulator' snapped him out of it. He faced the Doctor, not moving from Ianto.
"Not again Doc."
"Again."
Jack sighed holding out his arm. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver, ran it over the wrist strap and then put it back in his pocket.
"What do you have against my wrist strap?"
"The fact that you use it for things like this."
Ianto tugged on Jack's belt to get his attention, smirking, "Seriously, give me the coat."
"We better get going." The Doctor smiled.
"I wish we could've met on better terms Doctor. You are so important to Jack, you know." Ianto murmured.
The time lord nodded, "Look after him, keep him grounded."
Ianto nodded, laughing when Jack shrugged his coat into his arms, "Will do Doctor."
"We're going to let ourselves out. You guys have some catching up to do." Amy murmured, grabbing the Doctor's arm and pulling him towards the cog door, "Come on."
Jack nodded, watching them leave before turning back to Ianto, "Put the coat on."
"I was kidding Jack."
"Put. It. On."
"You don't control me."
Jack tugged him close again, grazing his teeth over Ianto's bottom lip, smirking as he spoke into them, "Put the coat on Ianto, please?"
"What if I don't want to?"
"I can keep torturing you."
"I might like that." Ianto chuckled.
"Well so would I but Ikarii would hear."
"Who?"
"The friend who wanted to meet you."
"Making friends while I was gone hmm?"
"In my defence, you were in the back of my mine telling me to."
"Oh I was, was I?" Ianto's eyebrow rose.
"Mmhmm."
"I'm sure they're nice if you're friends with them." Ianto kissed Jack quickly, "Where are they?"
"...The Archives."
"What!"
A/N: Mainly dialogue, not that much detail but I like this chapter :) Please review. I won't be able to post much for a while after this as Exam week is here and I have like 8 assignments to do -_-
Cheers,
Gabz
xx