Chapter 29

Jack made it clear to Gwen that he wanted some time to talk to Ianto on his own before letting her see him. Part of him wanted stride into the office, grab Ianto and swing him around, shouting out that they'd found a cure, but the rational side to him was wary, knowing full well that it would only hurt more if his hopes were raised for nothing. He had to meet a compromise, a cautious optimism, giving Ianto reason to hold on, without giving him false hope.

Ianto had set out all the various documents on the floor in neat piles, adorned with numerous post-its and the fluorescent colours of highlighter pens, indicating that he had been studying them methodically, looking for any clues they'd missed earlier. He was concentrating hard, intent on doing whatever he could and Jack had to admire his determination to keep going, even if he personally wished he'd just take it easy and rest.

"Ianto?"

"Hang on – I think I'm onto something-" he held a hand out to hush Jack as he quickly scribbled something down on a notepad.

"Ianto – listen to me please?" Jack took the pen from his hand as he took a seat next to him on the sofa. "This is important. Owen and Tosh think they've figured out a possible treatment for the virus, a way of getting it out of your system for good."

"What?" Ianto frowned and looked at Jack as if he'd announced that he was running off with the pterodactyl.

"You're not gonna believe this – remember a few days ago you saying you were worried about me catching the virus?"

"Yeah-"

"And I told you it was my 51st century antibodies?"

"Yeah – at the time I thought you were bullshitting me. Sounded suspiciously like the 51st century pheromones line. There's no way that smell is natural."

"Hey – both happen to be true, well sort of... Anyway, there is a substance in my blood stream, from the future, I got inoculated with it when I was much younger. It was – or is – developed from nano-biotechnology. It works by boosting my immune system so it can tackle most pathogens and Owen thinks that if I have been exposed to this virus, possibly as a result of us being, you know, intimate … then there could be something in my blood that could be extracted and used to develop a treatment for you." Jack knew he was making a crap job, his explanation was garbled and the bewildered expression on Ianto's face caused him to bite his lip.

"Right- now try that by me again in a language that I can understand, bearing in mind I am fluent in several." Ianto looked thoroughly confused, he thought he'd heard Jack say there might be a cure, but he needed to have it simplified to confirm he'd understood what was being suggested.

"OK, basically, my blood contains something that stops me getting sick and it might be able to kill the virus you've been infected with." Jack placed his hands on Ianto's arms, looking him directly in the eyes, trying to make sure that he was taking in what he had to say.

"Might? So it might not work – Owen took some of your blood?" Ianto went to look at Jack's arm, before remembering that the puncture wound would have healed over almost as soon as the needle was withdrawn.

"They can take as much blood as they damn well want, if it means that we can find a way so that this virus doesn't kill you!"

"Won't it be messing with timelines? Giving me something from the future to cure this disease?" The pessimistic side of Ianto was almost deliberately looking for reasons why this wasn't going to work.

"I don't want to hear that, Ianto – if I have to strap you down so that Owen can inject this cure into you I shall, don't dare doubt me on that one!"

Ianto was unable to stop himself automatically rolling his eyes as Jack's lips twitched at the thought of doing just that.

"Oh really, Jack – any excuse huh?"

"Don't you get it? There's no guarantee this will work anyway, so why not give it a try – for me?" he pulled Ianto into his arms, hugging him tight to let him know just how much this meant to him.

"Jack, don't raise your own hopes too high, please?" Ianto whispered.

He could feel Ianto tense in his arms, he knew that Ianto was keeping himself from being too excited on purpose. His apparent diffidence a mechanism for defence and Jack had to play along with it for his sake. He was aware of the need Ianto had to remain in control emotionally so he patted him on the back and then reluctantly loosening his hold, he looked down at the piles of paper on the floor of his office.

"OK, now you were going to tell me what you've got from this lot."

"Not much more from the print-outs themselves – apart from the fact that Yvonne Hartman not only knew about the Pharm, but was also behind the funding of its research programme. However, there were some references to other departments that stirred up some old memories." Ianto rubbed his face wearily and Jack was immediately aware that reopening the can of worms that was Torchwood London was taking its toll on him, his voice was strained and there were dark circles under his eyes. "When I was taken on as a junior researcher I was assigned to Rupert Howarth, he acted as a mentor to me. He didn't survive the battle – was killed early on, I found his body."

Jack reached out to Ianto as he saw him close his eyes, only too aware of the images that were resurfacing of the events at Canary Wharf. He gave him a moment or two to deal with the painful memories, letting him know wordlessly that he didn't need to continue until he was ready. He watched carefully as Ianto swallowed hard and then nodded slowly.

"Rupert was head of the Biochemical Research Division – although he had an office at Canary Wharf his labs were located in a building requisitioned from the University of London. It occurred to me that there may well have been some information shared between his department and the one set up by Yvonne Hartman. I wouldn't have known about it, but- "

"That sounds feasible – it's OK, Ianto, I know that anything they got up to was not your responsibility."

"Anyway – I can provide you with the location and access codes to enter Rupert's old labs. Perhaps you can find something out there?"

"That sounds like a good place to start – I know that we never dealt with all the extra sites, just the Canary Wharf buildings."

"Meanwhile I thought maybe I could look through the old records of utility bills paid from the Torchwood account over the past ten years. There were a large number of buildings – some just safe houses, others used as storage facilities. But labs use a lot of power, it might help pinpoint the location. It also seems likely that if they're using weevils that come through the rift here, then they must have some sort of handling station here in South Wales." Jack let Ianto ramble on fully aware that he was just doing his best to focus on something other than Canary Wharf or genetically engineered diseases.

"Sounds like a very dull, but worthy task – will you be OK?"

"Unless I die of boredom before Owen and Tosh find a cure, I think I'll cope."

"I was going to take Gwen up to London with me – you OK with that?"

"I don't know - maybe I should get Rhys to go as well, you know, act as a chaperone?" Ianto couldn't resist teasing Jack.

"That won't be necessary. Apart from anything else I would like Gwen to have her mind on the job. Will you be OK while I'm gone?"

"You planning on coming back?"

"Of course!"

"Then I'll be fine."

"Oh yes, I nearly forgot, Gwen wants to see you – you up to a visit?"

"Oh God, she'll want to crush the air out of me in the guise of a hug, call me sweetheart and tell me it'll all be fine. Then she'll give me that smile, the one she uses on doomed victims to cover up the fact that she secretly thinks they haven't a hope in hell."

"So, that would be a yes?" Jack pretended not to notice the eye roll or the fact that Ianto's observations were scarily accurate.

"Does anyone have a choice where Gwen is concerned?"

Jack looked abashed at that comment, thinking back to when she had given him a choice, or at least the opportunity to influence her choices.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that." Ianto had spotted Jack's discomfort and felt bad about it.

"I know you didn't and for what it's worth, I did have a choice and I chose you."

Ianto couldn't trust himself to speak, afraid of saying the wrong thing and spoiling the moment, or losing his voice with the same effect. So he settled for wrapping his arms about Jack's neck and drawing him close for a kiss that was soft and tender.