TOUCHING THE VOID PART TWELVE

Cockney studied his new passport intently. "So I'm Warwick Clark, God what a ponsy name, makes me sound like a right gay boy... you sure this one isn't for Jonsey?"

Gwen smirked. "Check out the photo, sure looks like you."

The Londoner did not look impressed and he put the offending document down and swapped it for some of the others laid out in front of him.

"You need to memorise all of that over the next few days, and I will be testing you."

"Oh, bloody marvellous. Don't worry Miss Cooper I am sure I will cope, I'm just looking forward to my beach batch in New South Wales."

Gwen smiled at him and decided to leave him alone in the board room to get on with it. Tosh and Jonsey were working at her terminal, the younger man still determined in his efforts to get himself home. Owen and Ianto were in the autopsy bay going over the supply order for the new medical stock. Gwen glanced around looking for Jack. He was up in his office, pacing and in a heated discussion on the phone with someone, his door was closed so it was obviously private. She plonked herself at her desk and set to work on some reports that she needed to finalise for her weekly police briefing, it was a new thing she was trying out to improve relations and had yet to decide if the effort were worth it. She was engrossed in her task and somewhat startled by the hand that tentatively touched her shoulder an hour later.

"Gwen, coffee?"

Ianto's soft tones were at odds with harshness of the lights and the space that they worked in. She beamed up at him and was gratified when he smiled back. Suddenly they were plunged into darkness and the sirens wailed into life. The lockdown started and the lights flickered and came back on with the back-up power. Jack was already yelling from his office and Owen was cursing.

"Tosh sit rep!"

Quickly recovering herself her hands flew over her keyboard and she and Jonsey were staring into the monitors, half the CCTV feeds had gone down again.

"Jack it's another dimensional Breach, same energy signature as the last one..... I've got life signs, someone's come through!"

Jonsey was moving towards the vaults with Ianto and Gwen hot on his heels. Jack clattered down the steps.

"Get the doors open Tosh." He checked his Webley and joined the others. Ianto was handing out a gun to Gwen and then grabbed his own weapon checking it was loaded. Jonsey looked at him expectantly but Ianto shook his head. The security clamps released on the metal door and Jack and Ianto heaved it aside, taking point as they cautiously made their way down the steps. Ianto was checking his com and discovered that it wasn't working so he pulled a PDA from the pocket of his Jacket and inspected the readings.

He passed it to Jack.

"What do you make of it?"

Jack shrugged. "I'm not sure, but we stick together. Gwen, Jonsey you stay here. Ianto and I will check this out, if anything comes up these stairs that isn't us you get through the door and seal it, am I clear?"

Gwen nodded. Jonsey glared at him. "It could be Jack... my Jack; he may have found a way to get here."

Jack gave him a stern look. "Yes and if it is we'll let you know. In the meantime you do as I say, are we clear?"

Reluctantly Jonsey nodded his head.

Jack moved forwards with Ianto a pace behind on his right. They edged along the dingy Victorian corridor with practised efficiency. Fortunately the cells had remained in lockdown and Ianto quickly checked them, only to find Janet pacing and growling with her usual discontent. They continued on and Ianto once again fell into step just a pace back from Jack, his weapon unwavering in his hands. The faint glimmer of the emergency lights just enough for them both to see by as they arrived at the second stair well that led to the vaults, which was behind a reinforced door. Jack stepped aside; Ianto was the only team member who had access to this level apart from himself. He positioned himself at the manual release as Ianto tried his swipe card to unlock it. He shook his head and smiled.

"I'll open it Jack, you cover me."

Jack nodded, he was about to suggest that anyway. He was about to move aside when a dull thudding resounded through the heavy metal. It stopped and then started again a faint voice joining the pounding on the other side.

Ianto got to work straight away the moment he recognised the accented yells for help. Jack was there at the suddenly widening gap his Webley aimed to protect Ianto as Ianto worked feverishly at the stubborn crank handle. An arm came through and hands gripped at the door in an effort to shift it more quickly. Ianto did his best.

"Jeez hurry, for fuck's sake, they were right behind me!"

The gap widened and Ianto and grappled with the limb pulling the man through from the other side.

"Close it, close it now!"

Ianto and Jack did so as the stranger sank to the floor in a breathless heap. The door clanged to a close not a moment too soon as something boomed against it, making it hum and vibrate. Ianto drew across the new titanium bars to lock it, and stepped back gaping at the man by his feet. Their eyes met and before he could get a word out he was engulfed in a fierce embrace.

"Oh, God Ianto, you're safe, thank god." It took a moment for the hold to falter and a dishevelled somewhat battered looking version of Jack stepped back.

"Ianto?"

Ianto awkwardly stepped back so that he was in the light and immediately the other man's shoulders sagged.

"I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else."

Jack almost growled. "Now is not the time, what came with you?"

Ianto turned and faced him apologetically but Jack ignored the look, still glaring the other man.

"Two Partials."

"Two what?"

It was at this point that the other man realised he was talking to himself. He sank back against the brickwork.

"Two partially converted Cyberunits. They followed me through, I'm sorry. I blew the charges, but those two got through."

Ianto thought he looked about to collapse. "Will that door hold them?" He asked somewhat more gently than Jack would have done.

The man nodded. "For a while, the partials aren't much stronger than human's but their shielding is tough."

"Ianto get him up to the Hub and come back with the block charges and a pack of C4."

"That won't do it; you'll need to shut down their shields, a narrow beam EMP will do it."

Jack was getting impatient and somewhat unnerved by the presence of his other self; he suddenly understood how Owen and Ianto had felt. "We don't have that kind of weaponry here."

A Resonating thung rippled through the door making them all step back nervously.

"Actually Jack we do. It's in the secure Archive. It was salvaged from T1, I leant how to use it whilst you were away. Tosh and I..we....."

Jack shot him a glare and Ianto actually flinched from his look. "I'll go get it. You'd better come this way, I think we have someone here you'd like to meet." Ianto turned away and strode hurriedly off, this weird and unJack close at his heels and walking unevenly in his wake.

Gwen quickly lowered her weapon as Ianto came into view and stepped back as he marched past her, barking out orders as he went.

"As soon as I'm back in there you seal the door behind me and by the way this........"

"Jack!" Jonsey shoved past her and ran straight into the waiting arms of his partner. Gwen watched in fascination as the two men held one another in every way that Jack and Ianto didn't. When they finally parted they came through the door and into the slightly brighter light. Gwen frowned at them.

"Where's?"

"He's back there waiting for your Ianto. Two Cyberunits followed me through; they're going to deal with them." He registered the horror on the woman's face. "I'm sorry. I tried to stop them."

It was clear that he had as she noticed the bloody combat gear and his hand held tightly over an injury to his side. "Jonesy take him to the autopsy bay." She watched them and then Ianto returned with a strange device that was slung over his shoulder. She noticed him dart a quick glance in the direction of his counterpart and something uncertain flashed across his face.

"Ianto?"

He faced her with an obviously false smile. "Seal the door Gwen. Jack and I will try to take them down, if we fail, then you know the drill, any means."

Gwen nodded. "Can't Jack do this?"

Ianto shook his head. "He doesn't know how to use this, only me and Tosh and I am not letting her down here.... gotta go." He took off and Gwen reluctantly shut and sealed the door behind him. She ran up to Tosh who was still at her terminal.

"Tosh?"

The Japanese woman smiled up at her. "I Know. CCTV is coming back up, but we'll lose it again as soon as Ianto fires off that weapon. It's an E M Pulse canon, we'll probably lose the lighting as well so get armed with anything you can and make sure the others are too, in case Jack and Ianto don't succeed we need to be ready."

Gwen nodded and yelled down to the autopsy bay.

Ianto ran, the heavy weapon gripped in both hands. It was still charging and the bag of explosives and detonators bumped against his arse. He could hear the banging on the door becoming more urgent as he got closer and almost ran straight into Jack who was holding vigil with Webley at the ready, for what use it would be. He holstered the gun and quickly grabbed the tote bag from Ianto, setting it on the floor as the younger man took up sentry hoping to God the weapon would be charged in time. He glanced as Jack's hands scrabbled in the dim light preparing the C4 charges. The banging continued, the door shaking in the concrete mountings, dust snowing down from above them. The tired brickwork was beginning to give way. Ianto glanced down at the illuminated display on the canon that looked more like a vacuum cleaner hose and Ianto suppressed a nervous snigger as he suddenly thought of the Ghost Busters movie. The charge was at 70 percent, not nearly enough, not fast enough. The door shuddered again and cement became dislodged, skittering to the gritty floor, more mess. Jack worked frantically, knowing they'd only get one shot at this if they were lucky. He briefly glanced up at Ianto who was stood above him focussed on the door, the light casting eerie shadows over his stern face, he caught the brief smile that graced his pale face and smiled himself. Ianto was many things, but never afraid to face down death when the need arose and Jack realised in that fleeting moment just how much he loved the stoic man beside him and somehow he knew that whatever love Ianto had for him was totally undeserved. Jack sincerely hoped for a chance to put it right.

The door gave way with a crash.

AN: Sorry the update is delayed, have been somewhat ill and I hate to keep you all waiting because you have all reviewed so nicely to me so thank you.... if you know of anyone who does back transplants?????!!!!!!!