hotflower901: If all days started out like that... yeah, Karroe's a timelord. But he's not had the education the other timelords had so he's a bit... blurry with time and space.
Smori: I shouldn't have brought the Doc in but I couldn't help myself. Prepare for serious angst
katwinchester: I can't be sure (coz I'm not RTD) but it seems like he did it out of spite. I get he might be annoyed with the fans but it seemed like he was rubbing CoE in our faces. That's one thing you should never, ever do... don't piss off the Fans.
Poisoned-Thorns: Glad it did, jumps in time can sometimes be dodgy 0.o
DoctorWhoXTorchwood: He won't meet her but there's the other people on Jack's team. They're all healing in some form or another and hopefully the Doctor will be around long enough to draw on that. It'll be interesting to see (briefly, coz this is near the end) what the Doctor would be like if he never met Rose Tyler. Or if he did. Hehehe!
Village-Mystic: Things have progressed, albeit quickly with the three year thing, but they got there. They're comfortable and Jack's ready for bigger things... hm innuendo right there.
WickedWitchoftheSE: Yeah, some people said it worked, I like to think it did.
TheWeddingFairy: Here's the next part!
XxTypoMasterxX: It takes two to tango, Jack maybe dirty minded but Ianto let's him play ;]
deemama66: Aww, shucks, thank you! *Blushes* I think this classes as the ultimate AU because it's in an AU... it was funny in my head. Sorry. Not trying to torture you hun, just like cliff-hangers. Is there a term for people like that? Cliffers?
reddevilpoes: I think it's only harrassment if one person doesn't want it. Beware, there's cuddling.
Authors/Note: Again, beware, there's cuddling. I'm BACK! Yay for fixed internet! No more trekking all the way to the library in town to update! This part very nearly didn't end up getting posted, I was having my dinner and some of it got stuck going down and I choked but luckily I'm okay and cheered up because I'm alive and I'm updating. Damn chop suey roll bean sprouts! Just want to let everyone know that I've started leaving little status updates on my main profile page for where I'm up to, so check there every now and again if you're hoping for an update! Finally in this part, Jack wants bigger things and Ianto gives them to him... (pffftthahah innuendo again). The Doctor gets to see Torchwood and Torchwood gets another visitor. As always read and review and enjoy!
Part Nineteen
Toshiko was watching the CCTV footage of the lift as she stood behind William. He was sat down tapping out a message to have the 'ship' the person, Jack, Ianto and Karroe had rushed out to bring in, owned. It would be in the docking bay in twenty minutes.
"I wonder who he is. He looks human"
"That means nothing" Owen pointed out. It was more than common knowledge tht he was sleeping with an alien, despite said alien looking remarkably human.
"Whoever he is, he got Jack fairly riled up. Do you think he's dangerous?"
"Jack?" inquired William with a knowing smirk, Tosh rolled her eyes and swatted playfully at him
"So you reckon he's an alien?" she asked Owen. Owen shrugged, anything was possible! "Hm, whatever he is I'm sure we'll find out soon enough. Jack shares everything with us, even stuff we don't want to know about"
Toshiko sighed, she knew that only she, herself, and Ianto knew about why Jack shared everything with his team. This team was made up of people he'd lost in the other universe and people he'd come to know and respect in this one. Watching the banter between the newcomer and her boss it was clear to see that they knew each other... it was almost like the behaviour between Jack and John before he left the planet. Was he a relative of John's? Is that how Jack knew him?
The elevator reached their floor, the foursome stepped out and came into the main office of Canary Wharf
"Welcome to Torchwood" announced Jack
"Do you have to keep saying that every time we enter a new room?" the Doctor inquired, Jack pouted and went to hang his head until he felt Ianto lovingly squeeze his shoulder and toss him a smile
"Alright, Doctor I'd like you to meet my team. Ianto, could I get a coffee in my office?" he asked with a smirk and he hurried to his office to hang his coat up and close the blinds; it was partly for rewarding Ianto but after that he wanted to talk to the Doctor in private and explain things.
Jack sat down at his desk and leaned back in the high backed leather office chair. The Doctor was here, but not his Doctor because he'd never met Jack in this universe and not John because he was with Rose in outer space. Would this Doctor tell him the same things that John had told him? He wasn't sure if he could handle hearing that again, after all he still had that letter.
Glancing down at the draw that contained the letter Jack sighed deeply before pulling it out and taking it out of the envelope he kept it in
"Dear Jack, I know that I'm not the Doctor anymore. I know that all I am is John Smith but I still have all the memories that the real Doctor has. I remember telling you that you were a fixed point in time and space and even now when I look at you I can see it. Whatever Rose did to you in your universe it's carried over here. You still won't be able to die and at some point you're going to need to return to the universe you came from. You don't have to go right away, knowing you you'll probably ignore everything I'm telling you now.
But Jack, I also have to tell you that the people who were around you in the other universe will be drawn to you... the people you worked with will feel drawn to you unexplainably and they'll answer that pull. What you decide to do about it is up to you; just know that there is a possibility that people you've never met will come because you would have had a connection to them in your universe. It's all a bit hazy now that I'm human so maybe I'm not very clear on temporal dynamics anymore.
I know that this is something that you're going to find difficult to hear but when the reason you came here, when he passes away you have to go back to our universe. You can't stay here. Find someone clever enough to build you a Vortex Manipulator and travel back through the void.
As for me and Rose we feel that pull to you but the need to leave is far greater, I don't know if we'll ever come back. Our world is out in the stars and it's where we need to be. I know you of all people can understand this and forgive us for not returning. We'd only return if it got to dangerous or if we started a family (or both). But if or when that time comes we're entrusting you with Torchwood, look after it and be bigger on the inside.
"Jack?" he dropped the letter in his hands and looked up to see Toshiko standing in his doorway holding the door open "I knocked but you didn't answer. Can I come in?"
"Yeah" he nodded before rubbing his hand over his face. She came in and sat on the edge of his desk and looked pointedly at the letter. He folded it slowly, put it back in the envelope and put it back in his draw
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I was just reading a letter John wrote me before he left with Rose" he explained and she nodded
"Trying to get an idea how to handle the Doctor?" she inquired "He is John's former regeneration isn't he? After all the six steps of..." Jack nodded his head as he got up from his chair and lay down on his little two seater leather couch and propped his feet up on the arm
"I doubt I could ever find a way to 'handle' the Doctor even if the Doctor himself wrote a detailed instruction manual" he explained which made her chuckle "No, him being here reminds me that one day I'll have to leave"
"Leave?" gasped Toshiko "You can't leave us! You've saved all of us... and-and... what about Ianto? He's your family! You love him... how can you say that you're going to leave us?
"Not now, my oriental princess, but sixty or seventy years from now when you're all gone. When Ianto has passed away and I'm all alone. I have to go back through the void to the universe I came from"
"Jack..." she suddenly felt unbelievably sad for him. He was imprisoned, walking around every day in his own personal cell that kept him at a distance from everyone and everything else.
"And he's right. I have to leave, I don't want to stay here... it hurts too much to think about it"
Someone clearing their throat got both of their attention and they turned to see Ianto standing in the doorway with a angry scowl darkening his features he was holding two cups of coffee
"Tosh, can you leave me and Jack alone, please" he demanded quietly, his tone concealing his feelings. She quickly slipped past him and shut the door behind her leaving them alone to talk.
"Ianto..." began Jack but Ianto ignored him as he marched over to the desk and put the mugs down on the blotter before turning round and glaring at his lover
"When were you going to tell me? That you don't want to stay here? Am I really that much of a disappointment to you? Is it because I'm not like the one you lost? God! I'm jealous of myself! What am I going to tell the kids? Oh, sorry Tarren! Sorry Addie! Daddy left because he didn't want to stay here!"
"Ianto!" growled Jack as he got up, his temper flaring to match his lover's "I was talking about the future! When you..." he trailed off, the fight and anger leaving him
"When I... when I what?" hissed Ianto
"When you leave me. When you've lived your life and moved onto somewhere I can't follow. When I lose you" he sank down on the couch and buried his head in his hands mumbling into his palms "It destroyed me when I lost you the first time and I'm going to have to go through it again; I keep telling myself that the life I'm having with you is going to be worth the pain and suffering I'll have when I loose you... I don't want you to go, I don't want to live my life without you!"
"You're not going to"
"Yes! Yes, I am. You can live your life with me but I can't live my life with you and John reminded me of that. Now the Doctor's here and he's going to say the exact same things!"
"Jack" Ianto whispered his name reverently as he came and sat down next to him "You've kept this inside for a long time haven't you?"
"Centuries" replied Jack as he leaned into Ianto's open arms
"We should have a break from work. Just you and me and the kids... we'll go somewhere and I'll do my best to remind you of why I'm never going to leave you"
"But..."
"I'll always be with you Jack Harkness because you'll never forget me"
"I won't. Ever! I'll never forget how much I need you... how much I love you... how much I want to marry you" he whispered in his lover's ear. Ianto's eyes widened in surprise
"Jack..." he began trying to form words in answer to that but his mind had gone haywire. Jack pulled out a little navy satin box and popped it open revealing a manly looking engagement ring inside
"I've been trying to find the right time for weeks to ask you. Marry me, Ianto"
"I-I..." he took the box and stared down at the ring in shock, he never imagined that Jack would do something like this. Ianto had been pretty sure that Jack was happy with how things were but apparently he'd been wrong and damn, he couldn't take his eyes off that ring "Yes"
"Wha?" Jack mumbled, Ianto had been so quiet he hadn't heard his answer right
"Yes" repeated Ianto much louder this time as he pulled the band out of the box and slid it onto his finger "Yes!"
Jack pulled him into a fierce hug then kissing him before pressing him back down onto the little two seater couch and ran his hands under the suit jacket
"If it's okay with you. I'd really like to make love to you now" he told Ianto, who just smiled a smile that could rival Jack's hundred megawatt grin
"I'd really like you to" he answered before pulling Jack down for another bruising kiss.
Outside the others rolled their eyes again. Karroe tossed the Doctor a spare set of ear plugs before reaching for his own
"What are these for?"
"Well from the yes, Yes, Yes! it sounds like they've just made up whatever they were arguing about. Which means they're most likely about to have sex and believe me they can get noisy and loud... very loud" explained Owen
"I thought he was joking. You mean that they're actually having sex?" he glanced at the door and closed blinds
"I think it's sweet, they love each other so much. I wonder if Jack finally popped the question"
"Question?" Karroe, Owen and William demanded all of them turning their attention to her
"Jack's got an engagement ring, he's had it for weeks. If he has then it's about time" she told them before quickly putting in her plugs when she heard a string of 'oh god's'.
*
Ianto lay with his head pillowed on Jack's naked chest, feeling completely sated and content. He couldn't wait to tell his friends and the kids that daddy was going to marry him!
"What are you thinking about?"
"Telling everyone... the team, the kids... heh, even after all this time I still can't believe a man like you could want me" Jack sat up slightly meeting his eyes
"I hope I haven't given you reason to doubt what I feel for you"
"No, not at all, Jack, it's just... you're you and I'm..." he trailed off words failing him "You've been out across the universe, you've seen things I could never even begin to imagine and..."
"And after all that I love you" Jack interrupted him before Ianto could self-deprecate himself further. He ran his fingertips through Ianto's hair as they lay together "All the wonders of the universe mean nothing to me. It's this; right here, right now that matters to me... lying with you, holding you after making love" the silence comfortably stretched out between them until Ianto broke it after ten minutes
"We should get dressed" he suggested, despite the warmth from his lover he'd gone cold. Jack huffed a sigh, there were times that he wished he could just be with Ianto all the time like that and not have to worry about time ticking away.
Ianto picked up his boxer shorts and went to look for his trousers while Jack got a clean shirt out of the little cabinet on the other side of the room, something stopped him with one leg in his trousers and he looked up to see Jack staring at him intently "What?"
Jack had watched Ianto hunt for his clothes and it hit him just how much he wanted, no, needed Ianto Jones. The Doctor was in the next room, the Doctor! A creature that was quite often described as the stuff of legend and yet all he wanted to do was be with a regular human; Ianto's superiors, before Jack took over, had pretty much said he was nothing special. But he was! He was special! All the things he'd done... no, it was more than that. Just Ianto... in this universe and the other one, there was no way to seperate them. The lines had blurred and he'd never loved anyone as much as he did this man before him
"I..."
"Jack? You're scaring me, what's wrong?"
"Nothing" he shook his head before rising to his feet and crossed the room to cup his lover's face in his hands "I-" he choked on the words and he had to suck in a breathe for courage to continue "I love you"
"I love you too Jack" he answered as a small smile brightened his worried face "Now can I put my pants on?"
"Yeah, sorry" Jack pulled away and surreptitiously wiped a stray tear away. Ianto fastened his trousers and tugged his shirt up over his arms
"You were thinking of him, weren't you, the other Ianto?" he guessed, all the happiness he'd felt when Jack asked to marry him turned cold and hollow "You were asking him to marry you"
"What?" gasped Jack, his head jerking up in disbelief
"You didn't even deny it" Ianto sank down onto the leather couch looking forlorn and heartbroken
"I can't, you're right. But not in the way you think"
"Not in the way I think?!" snapped Ianto, he fastened up his buttons and hunted for his shoes "I'm not staying here when you want someone else. I've been with someone who used me for the ends and I won't let that happen again, not with you!"
"Ianto! Ianto!" Jack stopped him before he left the office "I wish he was you and I wish you were him... all the things I saw in him I see in you and all the things you are, were the things he could have been. I love you both because there's just no seperating the two of you now, it would be madness to try"
"Jack" whispered the upset Welshman, his eyes were sparkling with tears
"I'm marrying you... again, if you'll have me"
"You know I do" he said with a sigh "I'm going to go down to the canteen and get pastries then I'll get back to work"
"Okay. I'm gonna get dressed then talk to the Doctor" Ianto flashed him a smirk as he took his time finishing getting dressed
"Should I be jealous?" he asked, he knew that the Doctor was the person he least had to be jealous of. Hell, they both knew it.
"Yeah, totally jealous" winked Jack as he settled himself in his desk chair and Ianto left.
The Doctor watched Ianto walk out of the office with his eyes averted from the rest of the team and out down the hall to the lifts. Jack came out a few minutes later wearing a new shirt and had a warm smile on his face. The Doctor opened his mouth to say something but he was beaten to the punch
"Well?!" cried Toshiko, interrupting him before he spoke "What did he say?"
Jack's face slowly morphed into a scowl and he pulled out the little blue satin box and tossed it to her, she caught it easily and felt tears come to her eyes "Oh Jack, I'm so sorry"
"Open it" Karroe urged her, he shared a glance at the Doctor who nodded. Tosh watched them interact and became confused, doing as she was told she opened the box to find it empty
"Wha... oh my god, Jack! He said yes! You sneaky..." she stepped around her desk and rushed him, he grinned as he enfolded her in his arms
"Believe congratulations are in order" Owen agreed as the others came to hug him.
***
She'd seen the building before, a thousand times on the TV and on the news and she'd always dismissed it. But these past few months she'd felt a pull and it had slowly become unbearable, she'd lie awake at night and feel like something was missing.
She wandered up the steps and into the building, the guards behind the desk gave her a funny look and for a moment she mirrored them. Who the hell was she going to ask for? She didn't know anyone here, never been here before in her life!
"Help you?"
"Um, I dunno" she confessed "Is there someone I could talk to? Someone in charge?" the guard she'd spoke to glanced at her clothes knowingly then radioed the head of security to come down
"Staff Sergeant Spooner will be down shortly, he's in charge of security for all departments" explained Bill the security guard before pointing to a nicely decorated area off to her left "Please, if you'd like to wait in the waiting area"
"Thank you" she said finally before she made her way over to the waiting area and sat down to wait for him. While she was sat there she tried to figure out what she could say to the security guard.
Ten minutes later a man dressed in military fatigues appeared from the lift talking to a pretty Japanese girl carrying a heavy duty looking toolbox, they split near the desk. The woman moving to the main reception desk while the man continued over to her
"Hello, I'm Staff Sergeant Spooner, but you can call me William, everyone else does. How can I help?" he asked her as he shook her hand. She cleared her throat trying to come up with some decent excuse but found none so she decided for the truth
"I know this is going to sound weird but I'm supposed to be here" she explained, she was about to say more when the pretty, shy Japanese woman came over staring at her like she'd grown an extra head
"I know you" Toshiko announced as she stared at her, William glanced back and forth between her and his girlfriend and wondered how they knew each other
"You do?" gasped the unnamed woman
"Yeah" Tosh continued "I think you'd better come with me. Will, call down another technician to deal with the computers in reception. I'm going to take Gwen to see Jack" she told him before turning back to Gwen "If you'd like to follow me"
"How do you know my name?" Gwen asked as she followed the woman to the lifts, Tosh didn't reply.
TBC...