Jack handed the key on a string to Ianto.
"What the bloody hell am I supposed to do with this?" Ianto asked.
"It's a TARDIS key. It'll help," Jack said.
"Help with what?" Ianto asked, impatient. He put the key around his neck anyway.
"Look around, what do you see, Ianto?"
"The Hub," Ianto snapped. "And why would it be me?"
"Because of the divergence point. In this reality, I didn't come back after the Year That Never Was, I travelled with the Doctor. But in our true reality, I did. You're the person that would have affected the most, Ianto. Not Gwen. Not Will. Not Fish or anyone else. YOU." Jack seized both his upper arms and turned him around. "Look close. No one knows more about this place than you do. You know every nook, every cranny. Something is here that doesn't belong. It's right there, exactly where you don't want to look. It's there, in the corner of your eye, Yan. SEE!"
With a huff, Ianto began to rotate in place, looking up and down and every which way but he couldn't see anything out of place. "I don't know what the fuck you're talking about…"
And then he trailed off as his eyes settled on Fish's worktable. No, Tosh's worktable. It was a book. Had that always been there?
"You see it don't you, Ianto?" Jack asked.
Ianto walked over and picked the book up. He tried to open it but it wouldn't budge. Once Ianto had picked it up, Jack's eyes were finally able to focus on it. He swallowed with fear. No one else here realised how lucky they were. He'd heard about these things. They were illegal, banned on every civilised world.
"It's a reforge. It was made by an extinct species, the Thylacosians. They didn't go extinct because of war or disease. They went extinct because of that."
"But what is it?" Fish asked.
"It's just a bleeding book!" Cameron exclaimed.
"'Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and sorry I could not travel both…'" Jack said, softly.
"Robert Frost," Fish and Henry said simultaneously.
Ianto turned. "Sorry?"
"A poem," Jack said.
"I know it's a bloody poem, Jack," Ianto snapped back. "What does it have to do with this thing?"
"That's what it is. You want to know 'what if?' This thing shows you." Jack pointed at the book.
"Like that Frank Capra movie! It's a wonderful life!" Tosh exclaimed.
Ianto shook his head, still not believing but Jack could see him on the edge. He dropped the book onto the table. The book immediately vanished from sight. "This is ridiculous. I have work to do. I don't have time for your nonsense, Jack."
"How can something create an entire universe like this? Make something out of nothing?" Fish asked, stepping forward.
"It's not reality, not really," Jack said, turning to Fish. "It's just a small pocket inside our own universe which is why we can still remember the real one. It starts out as deja vu but you can break through it. It's meant to be a learning experience."
"Some bloody learning experience!" Henry snapped. "Destroy it!"
"NO!" Jack shouted. "Nearly the entire Thylacosian race is trapped in little pockets like this. When it was invented, it spread like a viral fad. Not enough people broke through the mental barrier. Their numbers dropped below the minimum viable population. The few that survived destroyed the books not realising that was the worst thing they could do. If that book is destroyed, we'll be trapped in here!"
"You're telling me that we're in a pocket inside our own universe? And that back in the 'real' Hub, there's a book sitting on the table? And if someone destroys it we'll be stuck here?" Ianto asked, skeptically.
"That's exactly what I'm saying," Jack insisted.
It made perfect sense now, at least to Jack. He'd been miserable. The alternate reality the book had created for him had conflicted so much with his own reality that his mind had fought it. It was why nothing ever seemed right and he'd had so much heartache. Fish? From what he'd described, he didn't seem happy either. When he'd met Henry, he'd collided with his own happiness, breaking through the reality the book had created. Tosh and Miranda were blissful here. There was no reason for them to try and break through. They'd readily accepted this facade. Cameron seemed ambivalent either way so there was no real change there. Jack wondered what Gwen had felt. This was Ianto's learning experience so the book was working on him the hardest.
Ianto waved at him, dismissively. "I still don't see what this has to do with me."
"Your thoughts and feelings at the moment the book went off are what created all this," Jack said, waving around him. "It grabbed the people who were important to you and made this to teach you something."
"This is ridiculous." Ianto said, shaking his head, "You just make things up as you go along…"
Ianto continued to rattle on, angrily, making offensive references to Jack and his dubious parentage. Jack had to get Ianto to see but he had no idea how. A memory on the edge of mind that tingled. He was laying in bed with Ianto, the two of them just talking about how Owen had told Ianto the two of them were a recipe for disaster. It was the story of how Ianto had fallen in love with him. It started after the space whale… Ianto had said, flat out, that he hadn't loved Jack but maybe it hadn't been love. Maybe he hadn't even realised it… Jack stepped forward and said, loudly, "Ianto Jones… I love you."
Ianto stopped his tirade. His mouth open and his eyes wide. He'd never thought he'd ever hear those words from Jack's mouth… ever. But he'd heard Jack say them before… hadn't he? Ianto lifted his left hand. His ring finger was empty. Why did he expect to see a ring there?
"We're in there, Ianto. Reach for us," Jack begged, holding out his hand.
Ianto had no idea why but he grasped Jack's hand. Jack yanked him forward into his arms, hugging him tightly. "I love you, Ianto."
"Cariad…" was his whispered reply. Jack's pheromones were in his nose and they made his heart skip. "You left us."
"I came back."
"For all of us."
"For you," Jack cried. He took Ianto's left hand in his, rubbing the ring finger gently. "Yes, Ianto. It's always yes."
The anger was there, trying to rear its head again but he beat it back. It felt false, like it was there just to cover over something. The anger was his way of shoving his head in the sand. There was something below, something foggy and out of focus. It was like the book. It was in the corner of his mind, somewhere he didn't want to look, somewhere he never wanted to ever look…
Jack cupped his face in his hand and said softly, "I will love you, Ianto… forever."
The memory was sudden and complete, bursting through his mind like a bright sun. Jack was standing opposite him, the two of them in matching tuxedoes. The deep red roses decoated the church and Jack's hand in his. Will you love him, comfort him, honour and protect him, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?
Ianto whispered, "I will…"
flash… Alice walking a beaming Jack down the aisle… flash… I'm NOT like you, Jack. WE'RE NOT LIKE YOU!… flash...
Closing his eyes against the red countdown and filling his mind with Jack… flash… the world going dark and his mind screaming Jack's name… flash… Jack Harkness, will you marry me?… flash…
"Jack?" he whispered. He looked at his husband as if he hadn't seen him in years. He seized Jack's face, pulling him in for a kiss as long and as it was deep. Jack felt his knees go weak as Ianto's tongue slid along his. He held Ianto in a crushing embrace, drinking down the man he loved. It was like finding an oasis. When they broke apart, there were tears on their cheeks. They both wiped them from the other's face. Their foreheads touching.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Ianto sobbed. His head hurt and the memories were so confusing, jumbled and none of them made sense but he had Jack.
"Shh, it's okay, Yan," Jack replied, kissing him again. "I love you."
"I love you too."
They stood there for a few moments. Jack had his hands on Ianto's arms and Ianto had his hands cradling Jack's neck. He didn't want to let go. He didn't want to forget them again.
"What were you thinking, the exact moment it went off?" Jack asked, softly.
"I don't remember!" Ianto exclaimed with despair. Frustrated, he stepped back, his hand on his forehead.
"You have to, Ianto," Jack insisted. "It's the key to everything. The book's trying to teach you something. We need to figure out what. C'mon, Ianto. THINK! It would've had something to do with the Doctor since that's the moment that changed."
"Wait a minute, Jack," Fish said. "If this is Ianto's learning experience then why the bloody hell is my life so fucking upside down? Olivia left me years ago!"
"There must've been something about you being a part of Ianto's life here that went against what the book wanted to teach him," Jack said. He waved at the worktable even though he couldn't see the book.
Angry, Fish began muttering about bloody Torchwood and insanity. Jack turned back to Ianto as the other man spoke.
Ianto looked at Fish. "Perspective."
"What?" Fish asked, confused.
"You're one of my best mates, Fish," Ianto said, wiping tears from his eyes. "Whenever I talk to you about something, you always put it into perspective for me or give me a different point of view I'd never thought of. That blasted book wants me to be angry with Jack. It had me so deep in self pity and anger I was bloody drowning in it."
Miranda and Cameron were looking on, stunned. The two of them were the only ones who didn't remember anything.
Ianto looked around the Hub for a minute, grasping at the memories. "We'd had a row. You'd said something to… Martha?"
Jack grabbed him by his upper arms, throwing his head back and laughing.
"Martha Jones, voice of a nightingale!" Jack said. Then, he said, "Keep going, Ianto. You can do it. Remember!"
Ianto furrowed his brow deeply and said, "Pizza?"
"Pizza! I told Martha that I was eating pizza and doing you instead of having adventures with the Doctor!" Jack said, remembering himself.
"You didn't understand why I was so angry. I was going to go sleep on Mandy's sofa. You were on the roof. The rift alert went off and I saw to it myself. The book was up on the quay, by the railing. I brought it down here and then…" Ianto said. His brow furrowed more. "I'm sorry, Jack."
"No, s'okay. It's good, Ianto. Keep trying," Jack said.
"No! That's what I was thinking. 'I'm sorry, Jack'," Ianto said.
"What does it mean?" Tosh asked. "How do we fix this?"
"There's nothing to fix," Miranda shouted. She grabbed Tosh's hands. "Tosh, please! Don't you see! If they change things, you'll die!
"If we put it all back the way it was you won't know you lost her," Jack said to Miranda. "This is Ianto's learning experience. Only he'll know what's happened."
"That's worse!" Miranda screeched over them. She waved her arm at Fish. "Tosh will die! Fish won't remember his son! How is that better?!"
Tosh put her hand on Miranda's face. "I love you. I love you here and now and that's what matters."
"Toshiko… my rising sun… not yet… We haven't had enough time. I love you so much." Miranda fought back the tears threatening to burst through. Those words had never felt like enough. She had to keep Tosh with her, somehow. She couldn't lose her. She couldn't. She was desperate, trying to think of any solution.
Fish rounded on Ianto, grabbing his friend from Jack and shaking him. "You tell me, Ianto! We fix this and you tell me about David! Don't you dare fucking let me forget him!"
"Fish-"
"He's my son, Ianto! I'm fucking begging you!" he pleaded. "Please don't let me forget him! PLEASE!"
Ianto didn't get a chance to respond. Miranda had found her solution. She kiss Tosh gently and then turned. She bolted across to Tosh's workstation, picking up her sword. She pointed it at Ianto. "I challenge you."
"NO!" Tosh screamed.
Miranda didn't give Ianto a chance to respond. She lunged at him with her sword.
"MANDY! MANDY, STOP!" Ianto said, scrambling back.
"I'm sorry, Jones. I won't let you do this!" she screeched, swinging her blade.
He wasn't armed. His own sword was across the room. She'd seen him make this mistake over and over again but she'd never corrected him. Ianto wasn't her student. He wasn't her friend and now? Now he was her enemy. Ianto dodged, throwing everything he could get his hands on into Miranda's path. He overturned Fish's worktable and then the desk chair. He scrambled backwards, trying to make it to his workstation where his own sword was. Miranda saw Jack making the same move.
Unlike Jack, Miranda had no qualms about being armed within the Hub. She drew her gun and fired in Jack's direction. It was the best aim of her life. Two of the bullets landed in Jack's chest and he went down. She would rather have put two bullets into that book but she couldn't see it hidden within its perception filter.
"Miranda stop! Please!" Tosh screamed. She and Cameron ran straight for Jack, trying to help him.
Ianto managed to get to his blade just in time to parry a swing from Miranda. He brought his knee up into her belly and she reeled backwards.
"I'm not a fledgling in this universe, Mandy," Ianto snapped. He swung a few times, blows she barely dodged. He was strong in this reality. He had more than a single head under his belt and years of training with the Highlander and Duncan had taught him well. Ianto was showing her just enough skill so that she took him as a serious threat but not showing all his cards at once. "I've been training with Mac for years! And you know he's better than you are!"
Miranda circled to the right. He saw her free arm shift, going for the small throwing blade concealed in her belt. "Yes, the Highlander is better than I am but the only question that matters is are you?"
The small blade flew through the air with speed and accuracy. Ianto leaned, avoiding the weapon and it planted itself in Gwen's computer, the touch screen glass shattering. Miranda used the distraction to lunge for Ianto but he deflected the blow. She continued to swing at him. He was good but she was still better. He scrambled up the stairs towards the hothouse and she followed. She swung and the blade sliced into Ianto's arm. He switched hands and managed to land a solid kick to her face. He took advantage of the stunning blow. He brought his sword around, swinging upwards. The point sliced deep into Miranda's chest, cutting through her breast vertically. It continued arching upwards into her neck, jaw and face. She screamed as blood poured from the wounds. Ianto had severed a major vessel in her neck and face. The blood spurted, arching up and splattering the Welsh dragon painted on the concrete wall. Miranda stumbled backwards and fell, her sword falling from her grip. Her hands flew to her neck, trying to staunch the blood. Ianto stood above her, his sword raised for the killing blow.
"There can be only one!" he shouted.
"Ianto! NO!" Tosh screamed, running towards the catwalk.
Ianto's blade arced downwards… impacting with the metal just above Miranda's head. He leaned down so only Miranda would hear him. "You did it because you love her but I love Jack too. Things might be just fine the way they are here, but this isn't real, Mandy. It's not supposed to be this way. I'm sorry. That book wanted to teach me something and now I know what."
He dropped his sword and stepped over Miranda's dying form. Tosh bolted past him. There was no anger on her face, just desperation. She pulled Miranda's dying body into her arms, ignoring the blood spraying across her own face and chest from between Miranda's fingers. She gripped Miranda tightly and began whispering as fast as she could. Ianto tried to shut the words from his ears. He didn't want to hear the goodbye that Miranda would never remember but he heard enough that it tested his resolve. He hardened his heart. He went down the stairs and ran straight for Jack, laying flat on the concrete. He pulled him into his arms.
"Ianto…"
"Shh, don't try to talk, cariad, just listen," Ianto said. He cupped Jack's face, staring into his eyes. "I understood when you left. We watched the CCTV footage, we saw you running for the TARDIS and I understood. You needed your answers. When you didn't come back I thought I was angry with you but I wasn't… the truth is I was angry with myself. I was angry cos I wasn't good enough. How could I compete with all of time and space or adventures with a Time Lord? I'm just a nobody from Newport. I convinced myself I'd gotten over you because you were never coming back. I saw the hope of love in what we had and when you didn't come back I thought you'd destroyed that hope but it was still there. I tried to drown it in work, booze, and warm willing bodies but it was all a lie. I was always waiting for you. I never accepted Mandy here because that would mean, deep down, I was accepting you were never coming back. I was keeping that hope alive and I didn't even know it. And here you are. It took you a while this time, but you came back for me again. You said that to me the first time even though you tried to back out of it. I'm sorry, Jack. I'm sorry I lost faith in us because, it's good yeah? What we have?"
"The best," Jack said weakly.
"It was always a sore point for me… you and the Doctor. I know you love him… are in love with him. It was why I was so angry that night because I'm always afraid you're going to leave, that that blue box will appear on the Plass and you'll be gone again, leaving me behind." Ianto brushed his thumb over Jack's cheek. "I know what I'm about to say will put this right and that you won't remember me saying it but I know it's not about you hearing it. It's about me finally realising the truth. I spent a lot of time being jealous… jealous of the Doctor… of Gwen… of Mandy… But you always come back to me and now I understand that you always will. I thought that loving you was a choice but it isn't. I thought that I let myself fall in love with you but I was wrong. When you were gone in this reality, I fell in love with you even thought you weren't here. I know now that loving you isn't a choice but being with you is. It isn't just a choice for me. It's one for you too. I'm a choice you keep making and will make, day after day. You proved that to me and I'm sorry I never really saw it, Jack. I won't take it for granted ever again."
Ianto lifted his head as the glow of the book reached his eyes. He looked at Tosh and before he could tell her how sorry he was, how much he loved her and missed her… the world went black again.