Chapter 12
Gwen was sitting wondering where she was going to spend the night already realising that it wasn't with Jack. Why didn't that worry her more? She could see John eyeing her up and down but he was really too full on and too much like Jack.
Gwen said 'What am I going to do tonight? I can't go to Gwen's can I? I know that this Rhys is away but what if something happened and he returned I couldn't deal with that.'
Jack came to her rescue. 'Here have my key to Ianto's. The flat is nearby above the car park, level 10 number 104.'
'What will you do? asked Gwen looking at Jack and Ianto.
'Well someone's got to keep an eye on things here
and I'm sure John is bursting to get out on the tiles, replied Jack
'Am I allowed?' said John, 'after last time.'
'Just find someone who's out for a good time and don't drink too much. You're dressed more appropriately now so you should be OK. Just don't be too experimental and stay away from poodles!'
'Perhaps I'll just take Gwen for a night on the town' John suggested hopefully.
'Take me to Ianto's flat and we'll see' Gwen began walking to the lift and John followed smiling. As they disappeared Gwen could be heard telling John to behave himself but not with much conviction.
A little time later Ianto saw the pizzas arriving on the monitor and went up to the tourist booth that doubled as one of the entrances. He took some down to the cells and then returned to where Jack was sitting.
'I'll take this to the boardroom and make some coffee shall I?
'Yea fine', murmured Jack. 'I'll be there now.'
Ianto was sitting with pizza in hand when Jack arrived. Jack kissed the top of his head and sat down.
'Am I different to the Jack you know? He asked Ianto.
'Surprisingly yes, you seem to have had much more tragedy in this team. Jack leads a charmed life not being able to die. He's like a butterfly he skips from person to person without really seeming to care. But you, you're different, you really care about your team, I can tell, and that makes you so much more attractive than our Jack. Oh he looks good but he gives you nothing back. I know things have happened to him, probably horrible things but he doesn't share. You've lost Tosh and Owen and been through something with your brother Gray. What happened?'
'I don't want to say much but shall we say Gray never forgave me for losing him when we were children. He used John to get my attention. In fact John killed me and blew up parts of Cardiff but he also saved me when Gray buried me two thousand years ago. I survived that and eventually controlled him but couldn't stop him before he killed Tosh and caused the nuclear reactor to leak. Owen was there and he was finally killed. It brought Gwen, Ianto and me more together as we depended on each other. We couldn't face getting anyone new in. I wanted Martha but she had joined UNIT. So that left us. There are still things that the others don't know about me. Things I've done that had to be done but I wish, well I wish it hadn't been necessary.'
Somehow Jack found it easier to talk to a Ianto that was hopefully going to take the information away with him. It was like how sometimes it was easier to talk to a stranger.
Jack looked completely alone for a moment as he stared out into space so Ianto got up and put his arms around him and held him tight.
'When I return I'll try with my Jack to find out more, you can't be that different. Perhaps your Ianto will have worked some magic and I can pick up from there. There's always been something. I think I need to find out what.'
'Ianto knows I'm immortal and that bothers him but I know that he loves me and that's more important than anything else and deep down although I haven't said it out loud I hope he knows that I love him. He once described himself as a blip in time which he'll never be to me when he thought I couldn't hear.'
Ianto let Jack go and moved back to his seat. Somewhere out in the far reaches of the solar system two beings watched in their ships and were satisfied with what they'd seen of that world. They knew that the action they were going to take would now take place in the only other time that they had traced this human. It had taken time but they had finally tracked the time agent who called himself Captain Jack Harkness and now they were ready to wreak their revenge.