Chapter Fourteen

"I still don't understand what you're doing here," Ianto said, leading Jack upstairs to the conference room. David had sent them ahead of the others so they could talk privately for a few minutes before the official team debriefing. Ianto wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Jack sat against the edge of the table, hands crossed over his chest. It felt right, like he belonged there in his braces and wrist strap, but he seemed more worried than relieved, as if something was weighing on him even with Ianto's safe return.

"Evans called me," Jack told him. "He said you'd been taken by the Rift."

"And he asked you to come in?"

Jack cocked his head. "Not at first. He asked if I could find you. I don't have that kind of capability, to time travel. Not anymore. He called again and said they had a way of bringing you back, but that they needed my help."

"With what?" Ianto asked. "Did they find the equations Tosh left?"

"Yes, they did," Jack said with an impressed smile. "And they were brilliant—she's amazing, leaving them the way she did." He paused. "Some of the numbers were still missing, though, clearly scratched out, but we did our best to pull it all together."

"I suggested we go to Torchwood Three, leave a message there, but Tosh said we needed to stay in the dance hall." Something occurred to Ianto then, standing in front of Jack. "Would you have been there, at Torchwood? In 1941?"

Jack shook his head. "There were too many of me floating around at that time, so I made sure I was away. And she was probably right about staying near the opening. No, they needed a piece of the Rift manipulator."

Ianto frowned. "And you had it? You kept a piece of the Rift manipulator when you left?"

"Of course not!" Jack exclaimed. "I may be a lot of things, but I am not a petty thief. I came in and saw what was missing, told them what to look for. Owen found it in Manger's office."

Something was trying hard to make sense, but it was just out of reach. "How did the manager of an old dance hall get a piece of the Rift Manipulator?"

Jack nodded in agreement. "Good question. How was he talking to you in 1941 and yet also talking to Gwen Cooper at the dance hall a few hours ago?"

"He's a time traveler?" Ianto suggested, and Jack nodded again. "So, the bigger question is why—why did he have a piece of Torchwood equipment? And why was he in both times interacting with us?"

Jack stared down at the floor before looking up at Ianto. There was a sense of conflict in his face, confusion in his eyes. "I think we're being manipulated—Torchwood, that is," he added.

"To what end?" Ianto asked, and then it clicked. "The Rift."

"The Rift," said Jack. "It's the only explanation. He wanted to open the Rift." He glanced out the window into the Hub and moved closer, lowering his voice. "Ianto, opening the Rift is dangerous. It's volatile and unpredictable, and there are always consequences. I didn't want to help them at first."

Ianto suddenly understood why Jack seemed so uncomfortable. Swallowing hard, he nodded. "I see. I understand, really, I do."

"No, you don't," Jack said, moving closer still and taking Ianto's hand. "I didn't want to do it, to open the Rift, but then I thought about you…about never seeing you again… I couldn't let you die in the past and never see you again. I had to help you if I could."

"Oh," said Ianto, gazing down at their entwined hands, his heart racing. "I, er…I don't know what to say. I'm sorry—"

"No," Jack said, shaking his head. "Don't apologize. I did it for you."

Ianto swallowed again and met Jack's eyes. "When I was there, in 1941, all I could think about what getting back. To you. I think I—"

This time he was interrupted by the team bursting into the room. They sprang apart, Ianto coughing to hide the strong emotions swirling around him. He'd been about to say something he knew he shouldn't say, let alone feel…and yet he did. He'd been so scared of never seeing Jack again, and so relieved to see him once more, that it could only mean one thing: he loved Jack. And Jack had risked opening the Rift to save him. Did he feel the same? Did it matter? He was leaving one day, with his Doctor. Ianto had told Jack he wasn't looking for a serious relationship, and yet here he was, knee deep in one that was doomed to end. It was too late to pull back; he could only wait for the day Jack left and his heart would break once more.

"Christ, I hope we're not going to have to watch them get all touchy-feely," Owen grumbled as he threw himself into a chair. "Teaboy snogging his boyfriend is not something I ever want to see."

"Teaboy?" asked Jack with a grin at Ianto. Ianto rolled his eyes at the nickname and sat down across from Owen. Jack sat next to him while Tosh and the others filled in around the table. David Evans started.

"It's good to have you both back," he said, smiling at Tosh, glancing at Ianto. "However, I don't think this is over yet."

"Manger," Ianto guessed, and Evans nodded.

"He's part of it. More importantly, I'm concerned about the Rift, and I'm not the only one. Jack?"

"We opened the Rift," Jack told the table. "The Rift Manipulator is years ahead of its time, but it's not something Torchwood has ever completely understood—what it does, how it works. And even if they did, playing with a rift in space time is still dangerous. There are always consequences."

"Like what?" asked Owen, his tone skirting the edge of belligerent. "It worked, didn't it? We got them back."

Jack shook his head. "We did, yes, but that doesn't mean it won't have an effect. The Rift could become unstable, opening wider. It might become more active, dropping stuff all over the city. There's no way to know what might happen next."

"Which is why we need to watch it even more closely," said Evans. "We knew it was acting up, so now we need to make sure it doesn't get worse. Tosh, I'm afraid we're going to need you here in Cardiff."

"That's all right," she said. "I would have missed the party in London anyway. I'll start working on the monitoring programs as soon as we're finished. Is there anything specific I should keep an eye out for?"

No one spoke up. "Bilis Manger," Jack finally said, sharing a glance with Ianto. "He's behind this. He wanted the Rift open."

"Why would anyone want to open the Rift?" asked Owen. "He's just an old nutter in an ugly tie."

Gwen had been silent, watching Jack with an unsure look on her face. "Jack might have a point," she said, sounding reluctant. "What do we know about Manger? He was in photographs from 1941, and yet he looked exactly the same when I talked to him at the dance hall. How is that possible?"

"It's definitely the same man," Ianto said, and Tosh added her agreement. "Jack said you found a piece of the Rift Manipulator in his office, and that part of Tosh's equation was scratched out, so he must know something about the Rift. What if he manipulated us—got us to investigate the dance hall so we'd get sucked back in time, forcing you to open the Rift to rescue us?"

"Why keep the piece, then?" asked Owen.

"And why scratch out my numbers?" Tosh asked. "It doesn't make sense—if he wanted it open, those numbers were necessary!"

Once again everyone was silent, until Gwen spoke. "Should we try to find him, question him?"

"No," Evans said almost immediately. "It's too risky. If he lured us to the dance hall so Tosh and Ianto would get sent back, then we need to avoid any contact with him so no one else is taken. Look into it, see what you can find in the archives and anywhere else, but don't talk to him."

Gwen appeared ready to argue, but Owen spoke first.

"And in the meantime, we simply wait and see if the world goes to shit after opening the Rift?" he asked. "What if it actually worked? What if we can control it?"

Jack shook his head. "You can't control it, no one can. It's too dangerous. You could let anything in, or out, or it could explode and rip the world apart tomorrow."

"Or it could bring back the people we've lost," Owen snapped.

"If you know where they are," Jack said, his voice tight. "We knew when and where Ianto and Tosh were, and we had almost all the information we needed to open it as accurately as we could to get them back. You can't open it to find someone if you don't have any idea of where or when they are."

Owen began to disagree, but Evans held up a hand. "Enough. I'm no expert in space-time physics, but Torchwood One destroyed themselves because they thought they could control a dimensional rift at Canary Wharf. Look where it got them. We can't let that happen here."

Ianto felt several sets of eyes on him and stared hard at the table until Owen snorted.

"I'm not talking about bringing Cybermen through," he said. "I'm talking about—"

"I know who you're talking about, Owen," Evans interrupted him, his voice hard. "But it's not happening, so stop thinking about it. Look, it's been a long day, so go home, rest, and be here first thing in the morning. We need to be ready to put out any fires. Understood?"

Everyone nodded and started to leave, though Evans stayed seated. "Ianto, Jack—could you stay for a moment?"

Ianto exchanged a surprised look with Jack, who looked apprehensive and ready to go. They sat down, waiting for the others to leave, before Evans clasped his hands in front of him and sighed.

"You know I hate saying it, but we couldn't have done this without you, Harkness," he started. Jack pierced him with a knowing look.

"I'm worried I only made it worse by helping you," he said.

"I know you are, and so am I, but we couldn't leave them stranded in the past. I also know something is bound to go wrong with the Rift now that we've toyed with it. We could really use the extra help when it does."

Jack was silent for a long moment. "All right. If the Rift goes tits up like we both know it will, I'll be around. But I'm not sure what we'll be able to do if it does."

Evans smiled grimly. "We'll do the best we can, and we'll have a much better chance with you on our side. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome." Jack nodded curtly and stood to leave. Ianto stood with him, but Evans motioned him to stay.

"A word alone, please, Ianto," he said, then glanced back at Jack. "I'll send him out in a minute."

Jack grinned. "Good, because I haven't got my welcome back kiss yet!"

"Jack!" Ianto exclaimed, while Jack laughed and Evans rolled his eyes with a smile. Jack left the room, and Ianto couldn't help but watch him join the others downstairs. Tosh started speaking with Jack immediately, studying the computer monitors together, while Gwen and Owen watched warily, talking on the side. Behind him, Evans cleared his throat.

"I suppose he's not so bad," he said, earning a raised eyebrow from Ianto.

"I believe I told you that once, sir," he said.

"You did," Evans said. "I'm glad he agreed to help us. You should know he was extremely reluctant, though."

"He told me," Ianto said, wondering why Evans was sharing such information. "And I understand. He knows the Rift, knows what could happen as a result of opening it. And he's worried, I can tell."

"So am I," David murmured. "But we couldn't leave you behind…" He trailed off with a sigh. "Go home and get some rest. I want everything on Manger we can find in the morning. We need to figure out what he's up to before everything goes to hell. And it will," he said, before Ianto could ask. "So be ready."

"Yes, sir," Ianto replied. He felt the same anxiety, that something was coming, something they might not be able to stop. Yet with Jack, Ianto believed it would be all right.

They walked to Jack's place, knowing they would be back at the Hub early the next morning, if not sooner. Ianto tentatively reached out for Jack's hand and held tight, relieved when Jack squeezed his fingers and smiled. As soon as they entered Jack's flat, they were in one another's arms, touching and kissing and breathing sighs of relief: Ianto to be back, Jack to have him back. They barely made it to the sofa before they were naked, a desperate need to reaffirm that they were both there, in the same time, together. Afterward, they cleaned up and retreated to Jack's bed, where Ianto pulled Jack close against his chest and kissed his temple, his heart swelling.

"Thank you," he said once more. "For bringing us back. It was an amazing time to see and experience, but I don't know what I would have done if we'd been stuck there for the rest of our lives."

He could feel Jack smile. "I think you would have liked it," he said. "It was beautiful."

"I bet you fit right in," Ianto said.

"I like to think so," Jack replied with a laugh. "I have a lot of good memories of that time."

Ianto took a deep breath and asked the question that had been on his mind since the moment he'd met a certain RAF captain at the dance hall. "Jack, when we were in 1941, there was a dance, a Kiss the Boys Goodbye dance. We met a man, a captain with the RAF…he was leaving the next day." Another breath. "His name was Jack Harkness."

He felt Jack stiffen in his arms, then go limp, as if in defeat. "Tall, dark, and handsome?" Jack asked. Ianto nodded.

"He was a good man, a natural leader, but so sad," Ianto told him. "You would have liked him— probably snogged him."

Jack laughed lightly in his arms, but did not say anything. "I can't help but wonder how you have the same name," Ianto said quietly. "I know I once said I wouldn't ask about your past, but you're not from here, and—"

"—you're curious," Jack finished, sitting up to face him. "And there are no coincidences, I suspect. Not in this. You met him for a reason."

"Manger?" Ianto asked, growing tired of the name. Jack nodded in agreement. "But why?"

"I don't know," Jack replied. "But he must have his reasons, which means he must know about us. Maybe he hoped you would stay with the other Jack." He stopped and cocked his head, as if something important had occurred to him. "Because he knew I would do anything to get you back."

Ianto wasn't sure if that was the reason, it didn't make sense, but he understood there was a connection and needed to understand it. "So how is it that you share a name?" Jack took a deep breath and started to explain.

"My name isn't Jack Harkness. It was his name, the man you met in 1941. He died the next day. They went out on a sortie and were surprised by two formations of Messerschmitts. He destroyed three of the enemy. His men listened to his whoops of joy over the radio…then it all went quiet. He couldn't bail out because his whole plane was on fire, but his men all made it back to safety."

Ianto closed his eyes and thought about the man he had met at the dance hall. Yes, he could see that, and he wished more than anything he had said something, said more than good luck. "He was a hero."

Jack sighed sadly. "Yes, he was. When I was first in 1941—"

"Wait, you've been to 1941 more than once?" Ianto asked. "I know you're a time traveler, but how? Why?"

"The first time was after I had left the Time Agency—time travel was my job then, and it was amazing. But they were the ones who took my memories, so I left. I started running cons... I once told you I wasn't a good person…" He stopped, but shook it off and continued before Ianto could say anything.

"I was in London, 1941, and I needed a name to fit in. A soldier's name. Jack Harkness had just died, so I took his name. It was on that same trip that I met the Doctor." Jack turned to Ianto, his face earnest. "The Doctor changed me, made me a better man. After I was stranded here, I decided I wanted to live up to the name I had stolen. I enlisted and earned my rank. And I've been Jack Harkness for so long now, it is who I am: Jack Harkness, conman turned immortal."

Ianto didn't know what to say and leaned forward to kiss him first. "I think he would have been proud that you took his name, because here you are, saving the world."

Jack sighed. "Or destroying it. We shouldn't have opened the Rift, but I couldn't let you be stranded there."

Ianto nodded, a lump in his throat. Reaching over to turn off the bedside lamp, he pulled Jack down next to him. "We should sleep, so we're ready for whatever happens next."

They fell asleep tangled together, taking comfort in one another. Jack had said he would do anything to get Ianto back, and Ianto knew that he would do the same, even open the Rift, just as Jack had done for him. He loved him, and no matter what happened, he would always love Jack Harkness.

Author's Note:
Thank you for reading. I really appreciate all the comments and reviews. Time to get the finale started - enjoy!