The Unexplained Chapter 14
TWTWTW
Ianto stood up and left Jack's office, moving down to the autopsy bay. As he reached the railing, John Hart appeared on the secret lift.
"Owen!" called Gwen, pointing.
Ianto looked round, locking eyes with Hart. "This is all your fault!" spat the Welshman. "If you hadn't made him sleep with you…."
"Take it easy, Eye Candy. I'm here to help."
"We don't need your help!"
"Oh, I think you do." He walked over to the railing. "Is Jack dead?"
"Yes," said Owen.
"I thought he couldn't die."
"Why are you here? We don't want you here!"
"My wrist strap started flashing yesterday. It keeps flashing. It never does that, unless..." He looked at Ianto. "It's Jack's frequency."
Ianto looked up at Jack's office. "I just saw Jack….sitting at his desk. He was opening and closing his vortex manipulator."
"Ianto…." began Tosh, concerned.
"He's trying to get through to you, Ianto," said John.
"B-but, he's dead!" said Gwen, almost in tears.
Ianto went down to stand beside Jack. Carefully, he pulled his left arm from under the sheet and looked at his wrist. Opening the wrist strap, he saw a tiny light flashing. He looked up at John and then pressed the button.
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It was almost pitch black now. He couldn't see anything.
Was he destined to stay here for all eternity? Alone. Broken hearted.
Then it began to get lighter, a little at a time, until it was so bright, Jack had to close his eyes.
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Ianto leaned in so his lips were against Jack's ear and he whispered, "Come back to me, Jack."
Jack slowly turned his head and opened his eyes, looking straight into Ianto's.
"Jack!"
"Hey," Jack whispered.
Ianto kissed his forehead. "I thought I'd lost you."
"Must have….hit the wrong….button."
"Me?"
Jack gently shook his head. "Me. Help me to sit up."
Ianto helped Jack sit up and the older man swung his legs off the table. He stood up on unsteady legs and turned, seeing four pairs of eyes looking at him from the railing.
"Welcome back, Jackie Boy," said John. He looked at his wrist strap, opening it. It had stopped flashing. "Guess you don't need me after all." He saluted Jack and was gone. "Bye, Eye Candy," echoed round the Hub.
Jack and Ianto's eyes locked and held before Jack pulled his Welshman into a fierce hug, then he whispered, "I could use a stiff drink."
Ianto laughed against Jack's shoulder. "A stiff drink it is, then."
"I think we all could," said Owen.
"Boardroom," asked Ianto.
Jack nodded.
Ten minutes later, they were all seated around the boardroom table, drink in hand.
"So, Jack," asked Owen. "What the bloody hell happened?"
Jack looked at Ianto. "I wanted to get down to Ianto and I know that every now and then I can transport myself through space over really short distances. I pushed the wrong button," Jack lowered his eyes. "John built in a fail safe when he took my wrist strap, before I was...buried. He pushed the button before I was pushed into my grave, so to speak. It made me..." He shrugged. "Hybonate, I suppose. Slowed down my metabolism into a frozen like state."
"Almost as if you were dead," said Ianto.
"Yep."
"As you fell," said Tosh. "a light was all around you."
"That was John again."
"His strap was flashing, that's why he came back. To help."
"Who pushed the button?" asked Jack.
"I did," answered Ianto.
"How did you know?"
"I-I saw you, sitting at your desk. You were fiddling with the manipulator."
A big smile spread across Jack's face. "There's this place I go to, when I die. To wait til I come back. I closed my eyes and wished you could see me."
Ianto returned the smile. "I did."
"So, you're not gonna hit that button again in a hurry, are you?" said Owen.
Jack sighed. "No, I'm not."
"Well, I think we better get back to work," said Gwen.
"Yeah, leave these two alone," added Owen, with a cheeky grin.
As the others left, Jack and Ianto stood and embraced.
"I'm sorry about everything," said Jack.
"Ianto kissed him. "I forgive you...everything."
FIN