12
Ianto and Jack lay silently on the ground, both gasping for air like fish out of water.
Water.
Jack sat up, looking around with confusion as he looked at the place they were in, the remains of the destroyed tower behind them and a sky of brilliant blue. The ground was rumbling and he realised it was collapsing down so he grabbed Ianto who lay beside him and they ran for the walkway that sat above Canary Warf.
They turned back to watch the Tower and the Warf itself crumble into the water, all engulfed within a matter of moments as Ianto clung to Jack with horror.
"What's happening" Jack whispered, "What is going on? How the hell did we get here?"
Ianto went to reply and saw someone else rising from the footpath nearby, his cry drowned in the screams of the gulls as Yvonne Hartman started to run from the scene. From nowhere a small black dragon swooped, her talons searching as she dove for the woman and they disappeared in the strange mist swirling around them. Then came the familiar grounching of the Tardis.
"There you are" the Doctor ran/fell from the doorway of the Tardis looking around with interest, "Well, this is interesting."
"What happened?" Jack repeated, his eyes wide with confusion.
"The paradox has reversed" the Doctor said with glee, "Both worlds are one again, looks like it jumped back to the moment of splinter, or maybe….oooooo….I might have dialled it back a wee bit too much. The fall of Canary Warf? Oops?"
"Oops?" Ianto spluttered as the Doctor shrugged with a grin, "You have….you….saved us. Thank you Doctor."
As always the dragon was polite and he bowed to the man who stood grinning, Jack looking around as it all started to clear in his mind, "Shit. What happened to Ianto?"
"He stands beside you" Rose said as she leaned against the Tardis.
"And Yan?"
"He stands beside you" Rose repeated with a grin, "Seems he has a quick mind, that dragon of yours. He made this suggestion knowing that a reversal of time means there is a moment of…of…."
She seemed to struggle so the Doctor lit up as he pointed at her with glee "A moment of free-for-all. Oh, clever. So, we reversed time, reset time and melded the two worlds. Fantastic. How do you feel?"
He swung to look at Jack who blinked, "Huh?"
"What is your submarine called?"
"T3 of course" Jack snorted, reaching for his coms, "Suzie? Suzie are you there?"
"Wait. She was…is she…" Ianto turned to watch with interest as Jack waited, then nodded.
"It's OK Suze, just calm down. Sit down here you are, we have had an event. Yan and I will come for you." Jack said and then paled, blinking furiously as he looked at the Doctor, "How has this happened. Suzie is here. Alive and confused. How?"
"Like I said, the two worlds combined, those on both simply melded back together. Because you were in the Tardis you remember both worlds and timelines, it will fade and adjust in time for the others but the vortex energy will mean you keep both. Those on in the void simply fell down and woke up. Two are one."
"The lovers combined" Ianto said softly, looking over at Rose, "You are not the Old Mother. She has gone, you are Rose Tyler. I asked her for a favour. One owed to me. Seems she was the sly old fox I thought she was. Well. Wolf anyway."
"Yan?" Jack turned to look at him with surprise.
In reply Ianto reached for Jack's hand and he placed it on the small bump of stomach, Jack's face changing as he remembered Ianto from the world of water and the gift he carried.
"I asked her to combine those from both, not cancel one out" Ianto smiled, "I was thinking if Suzie, hoping it meant she had a chance in this world for a second life. Instead the turning back of time means she has not got the glove yet. It was only after I saw the amusement in her face I realized I was also asking for the life of our child. I am Yan the Dragon, afraid of flight and also water now it seems. I am both. The baby survives."
Jack had no answer, falling to his knees as he now placed both hands on the bump, his face growing wet as he wept.
He remembered.
Everything.
In that moment he had kissed his mate.
In that moment, as the worlds infused each other his wish had been the same.
That his dragon might bring forth new life.
Ianto started to laugh, throwing his head back as dragons started to arrive, bellowing and demanding explanation.
Ianto stepped back and transformed, his wings flying out to fill the space above those who stood watching with awe.
He was majestic, beautiful and most importantly….
He was whole.
Also…he was no longer red but white with a brilliant golden glow.
The crafty Bad Wolf had been a naughty girl, hadn't she.
Ianto folded his wings against himself as he watched the little back dragon approach her empty talons enough for him to know Yvonne had escaped.
No matter.
He killed her once, he will do so again.
Another day.
Today everybody lives.