Chapter 26
"Speaking of a bumpy ride," River muttered as they finally stopped moving.
Sherlock sighed and turned towards Ianto. "Do you think John will ever forgive me?" he whispered.
"There is nothing to forgive. You did not do anything wrong," Ianto answered and then glanced at Jack. "Unlike some..."
Jack acted like he didn't hear them and walked towards the door, holding it open for Karobarr. "I'm sure your planet must be beautiful," he said with a wink to her.
"The most beautiful place in the univerrse," she replied earnestly as she stepped out into a barren but magnificent landscape of grey, red, golden-brown and black rock. There were massive mountains, giant boulders, rocks, pebbles and pools of glittering sand.
Karobarr sighed and inhaled deeply. "Do you smell that? Purre undiluted steatite. Therre must be a larrge deposit nearrby."
Grobrarr sighed as he followed her. "We haven't even been gone forr long and I alrready missed this place. But arre you surre it is safe?" He turned around towards the Doctor, who smiled.
"I have gone three millennia further than the end of the war. All traces of the corrosion are gone and the world has rebuilt itself."
"Wow," Ianto exclaimed as he exited the Tardis. "My first alien world and it looks like something straight out of a science fiction show..."
Sherlock nodded as he looked around. "But there's something I don't understand. How can there be oxygen? Why can we breathe?"
"Algae," Karobarr replied. "Moss."
"It even grrows on ourr own exoskeleton. That's how we werre cerrtain we could surrvive on yourr planet, whateverr the cirrcumstances werre therre," Grobrarr nodded.
"This is amazing," John said, shaking his head slightly. If only he could take Sherlock's hand to look at all this beauty, like he normally would.
"So," Sherlock said, "will you settle here? Build a home?"
"We do not build," Karobarr answered, chuckling lightly. "We need no shelterr." She looked at Grobrarr. "I think we will rroam forr many yearrs. Until ourr family is larrge enough to split into trribes."
"Why not stay together in one group?" John asked. "I mean, I'm not saying that that is an assurance for a future without war, but rivalry between the tribes might be a risk you want to avoid..."
Karobarr frowned. "The little one has a point. But it is the way we have always lived."
"And did it not prove to be flawed?" Sherlock asked, taking a step closer to John. "Do you want to return to how it was or create something new, perhaps better?"
John glanced aside at where Sherlock was standing, but didn't move away. "It's just a suggestion. I don't want to decide how you organise your whole future." He smiled at Karobarr.
"Perrhaps we should see what the futurre brrings. Afterr all, we'rre not even a rreal family yet. The childrren could have a say in this," Grobrarr said.
"I suppose..." Karobarr said. She glanced at Grobrarr and her grey skin seemed to turn slightly darker across her cheeks as she smiled.
"Maybe we should give you two some privacy," Jack smirked.
"Oh..." Karobarr turned quickly towards them, as if she had, for a moment, forgotten they were there. "No... You arre welcome to stay... As long as you like. You arre ourr guests."
"We don't want to be in the way," Jack chuckled.
"We have the rrest of ourr lives," Grobrarr said. "Forr quite some time we won't see anyone else. As much as I apprreciate Karobarr's company, please feel frree to stay a little longerr." He actually looked a little bit nervous.
"Why don't you show us some of the beautiful places this planet has?" River asked. "I'm sure a little sightseeing will be good for all of us." She looked meaningfully at Sherlock and John, who had ended up even closer to each other, but still without even sharing a glance.
"I suspect things have changed a lot since we left," Karobarr said, pensively. "We will have to discoverr the beauty anew."
"Then let us help you," the Doctor said. "A world is never better explored than with a Tardis."
"Orr we could go by foot. I'm surre it's nice herre to walk," Grobrarr said quickly, glancing back at the tiny door he had been so happy to cross for the last time, a few minutes earlier.
The Doctor pouted slightly. "Walk?"
Ianto laughed. "Don't do much of that, do you?"
"Oh, he doesn't mean you don't look fit," Jack said with a wink to the Doctor.
"We'll walk," River decided, smiling.
"Try to wait for us though," John asked the Lapicomedons. "Our feet are not adapted to rock, like yours are."
"You just can't help yourself, can you?" Ianto muttered, glaring at Jack.
Sherlock frowned at him and moved to put a hand on his shoulder, but Ianto tore away. "I'll wait here," the young man snapped and stalked back towards the Tardis.
John looked back at him, then glared at Jack. "Is this really worth it? Making him miss the view because you can't keep your mouth shut?"
"I didn't ask him to run away, did I?" Jack snapped.
"No, you just had to rub it in his face once more that to you, everyone is as desirable as he is," Sherlock snapped. "And that you will do everything you can to get them, right?"
"And what's wrong with that? Not everyone can be as ridiculously possessive as some." Jack pulled his eyebrows up at John. "If one kiss is enough to destabilize your relationship..."
"Excuse me?" John said. "Is that what you hope, maybe?"
Sherlock turned to John. "Apparently he was right. I didn't cheat on you or anything, deep down you know that. I had no say in what happened. I would never have known if you hadn't told me. And still it is enough for you to push me away. What do you think will happen? Do you think I'll run to him as soon as your back is turned?"
"We - Sherlock, can we talk about that later?" John sighed.
"Can you maybe all shut up?" River said. "We are stepping into wonders no-one has seen in three thousand years. But all you can do is keep going on about are your petty relationship problems. Maybe go fight that out somewhere else and allow us to enjoy the beauty."
"Oh, so now we can't stay around if we're not all rainbows and butterflies?" Jack gave her an unimpressed look.
"I honestly don't care, but stop spoiling the experience for us. Maybe it would be good if you worked out your issues. Because you are all fools. It is clear enough that you love each other, but you simply don't want to see it because some stupid accident happened. Karobarr and Grobrarr have come here to create a world of peace, and you are all bickering like teenage girls."
"Honey..." the Doctor tried to interject halfheartedly.
Jack gave her an emotionless look, before he turned and walked away from them.
The two Lapicomedons were following the conversation almost like a tennis match, occasionally shrugging at each other and clearly not understanding a thing of what was happening.
Sherlock frowned at River for a moment. Then he looked back at John. "She's right. What happened shouldn't matter. But I don't blame you for being angry. Or doubting me. I wish you hadn't, but I am not going to be bitter about it anymore."
"Can we... have a moment?" John gave the Doctor and River a pleading look.
"Sure. Work this out. We'll go with our friends," River said, giving the Lapicomedons a reassuring nod.
Karobarr frowned and seemed about to speak, but then turned and hesitantly took Grobrarr's hand as they walked off.
Sherlock was watching John, still not sure of what to expect.
John waited until the others were gone, then cleared his throat and muttered: "I'm sorry." He looked at his shoes, but then forced himself to look up at Sherlock. "I was overreacting, and I want you to know that I didn't really think… the things I said. I'm really sorry. I should have told you earlier, but..." He looked uncomfortable. "I wasn't certain you still wanted to hear it."
Sherlock smiled and reached out a hand to him. "I wanted to. But I no longer need to."
John quietly looked at their hands and gave Sherlock's a little squeeze.
Sherlock pulled him closer. He smiled as he looked down and then, with a gentle finger under John's chin made him look up at him.
John smiled back and gently pulled Sherlock down by his neck to kiss him. "I love you. Always will," he mumbled.
"I love you too," Sherlock muttered, kissing him softly.
...
"Oh, so you think you can just waltz in and sweep me off my feet and all will be forgotten?" Ianto huffed as he stormed out of the Tardis. "Well, you can forget that. You can forget the whole thing. You don't even want me. Just as a 'part time shag', right?" He was blinded by tears and rage and nearly ran into John and Sherlock. When he saw them, he gasped. "Oh... You're here... I thought you'd gone off with..." He realised that they had been kissing and blushed, "... uhm... the others."
"Ianto." John gently put a hand on his arm. "Are you-"
"Yes, sure, why don't you run to them instead of actually talking to me about what you want?" Jack stormed after Ianto. "Why do I always have to know everything you want without you saying one thing to me? You know how it is between us, how it has always been. Why is it suddenly so different from what we had because I kiss him?" He looked part angry and part exasperated.
"Because he's our friend!" Ianto was practically screaming. "He's not some random bimbo from the local pub. He's not a one-time thing. You must have known that if you actually had managed to break him and John up, you couldn't have just had your fun and moved on. You wanted more, didn't you? You wanted him because he's so bloody gorgeous and brilliant and he might just be able to hold your attention in the way I never could."
John put a step back, not sure what to do.
Jack sighed and closed his eyes for a moment before he started talking again. "Listen, Ianto, that's just not true. I didn't even really want to kiss him - no offence, Sherlock, but I know that you and John are good together. What I really want right now is that we could just go back to normal. Or as normal as we can get." He gave Ianto a pleading look.
"Don't give me that. You wanted him from the moment you laid eyes on him. You even told me that he and John being together just made it more interesting. That's the real ego boost, isn't it? Being able to steal him away from his loving partner? Just like it gives you a kick every time I let you back in after you've been out fooling around. That despite everything... despite every shitty thing you've ever done to me, I can't resist you."
"Ianto, I never wanted to hurt you." Jack sighed. "You know how I am. But if I had known how this made you feel..."
Ianto swallowed hard. "I told you to stop..." he muttered and bit his lip.
Jack almost laid a hand on Ianto's arm, but then stopped himself and stepped back. "Then I'll stop," he said, resigned, turning his gaze down.
Ianto smiled a little. "To stop going after him... Remember? Back in Cardiff. I asked you not to pursue him."
"I won't. I won't go after him, I never really did. I was just fooling around, and I didn't want any of this to happen," Jack promised.
John took Sherlock's arm and quietly led him away.
"It did happen though..." Ianto sighed. "And I guess I kind of lost it for a while."
Jack looked into his eyes and carefully put a step closer. "I'm sorry. For hurting you like this. You are not..." He took a deep breath. "You are important to me."
Ianto made a small whimpering sound. "I am?"
"God, Ianto..." Jack gently took his hand, his face serious. "I'm so sorry that you even doubt it."
Ianto smiled a little, not taking his eyes off Jack's. "Hard to believe that I can mean anything to someone like you," he muttered.
Jack cupped Ianto's face in his hands, just looking at him. "Is it?"
"Of course it is. You're Captain Jack Harkness, right?"
"Yeah." Jack smiled a little. "That means you'll have to believe me on my word, isn't it?"
"Can I?" Ianto raised a teasing eyebrow.
Jack chuckled. "Oh Ianto," he smiled, before kissing him softly.
Ianto whimpered and trembled as he returned the kiss. Hesitantly he put his hands on Jack's hips.
Jack deepened the kiss and pulled him closer. "Oh Ianto," he whispered as he pulled back eventually.
"Jack..." Ianto muttered breathlessly.
Jack smiled at him, his arms still around his back. "Should we go find the others, or...?"
Ianto chuckled. "Or... Definitely 'or'."
Jack grinned. "Glad to hear you agree."
"I'm sure you are," Ianto teased and kissed him again.
"Let's find a soft rock to lie on," Jack winked.
"How about sand?" Ianto asked.
"Might be more comfortable, yes," Jack grinned. He wrapped an arm around Ianto's shoulders and guided him to a less rocky surface.
Ianto smiled as he turned to Jack and pulled him close. He kissed him hungrily. Interrupted by a lot of kissing and touching, they finally managed to get their shirts off without too many limbs getting tangled. Then Ianto unbuttoned Jack's trousers and pushed them down far enough to stroke him. Jack moaned and leaned on Ianto as he hurried to reciprocate.
Ianto gasped and bucked into Jack's hand. "I want you," he whispered. "Now."
"Anything you want, anything-" Jack bent down to kiss him, but stopped midway and frowned, looking down. "What...?"
Ianto looked up at him and then gasped.
"You're not serious." Jack tried to pull his foot out of the sand, but he only sank deeper. Immediately he stopped trying and wrapped his arms around Ianto's torso, as the other man was already deeper in the sand. "I'm going to try to pull you out, then you can help me."
Ianto nodded, clinging to him, his eyes already growing wide with panic.
Jack tightened his grip and pulled with all his power.
Suddenly Ianto screamed in pain. "My foot," he gasped. "It's stuck."
Jack let him go, a worried look on his face. "I'm sorry. Should I try again or do you think it's no use?"
Ianto whimpered. The sand was already past his thighs. "I don't know. I'm scared."
Jack took his hand. "We'll get out of here. I promise." Then he turned as far as he could. "Help!" he called. "Doctor! River! Grobrarr!"
"It's no use," Ianto cried as his hips were swallowed up by the sand. "It's too late, Jack. I'm sorry. I..."
"Shut up. I'm not letting you die here," Jack said. "Someone will show up." He started shouting again. "Sherlock! John!"