AN: Thank you Taamar you're a god send and also thanks MrDubois42 for your help with the French translations. So, you need tissues for this one get them out. :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood.
Rating: MA
Warnings: usual
Spoilers: CoE
Adrian
Adrian gently removed his arm from around Ianto and eased off of the mattress careful not to wake the young man. Ianto looked so peaceful in his sleep. He was none the wiser that it would be hundred and seventy-five years before he was back to this point. Adrian knew very little of Iden's second life, but he knew it wasn't good. When Ianto had told Jason about it the man had wept in Adrian's arms the entire night after, and if it was enough to make Jason cry… well, Adrian couldn't bear to think about it.
With one last glance at Ianto, Adrian left the abandoned flat building behind and made his way to the roof of an adjoining building. Iden was crazy if he thought Adrian was just going to let Ianto fend for himself. He wouldn't let his young friend see him, but he would stay nearby, just in case. It turned out that Ianto didn't need his Adrian as his guardian angel, but it made Adrian feel better anyway. As Ianto approached the park to meet his sister, Adrian finally felt safe in heading home.
When Jason met Adrian at the door he picked him up and pressed him against the door, forcing their lips together. As welcomes went it was one of the nicer ones.
"I missed you," declared Jason when he broke the kiss. "Just knowing you were keeping someone else warm last night drove me crazy."
Adrian smiled wrapping his legs around Jason's waist and his arms around Jason's neck. "And what did you do last night?"
"I was keeping the same person warm. In a friendly manner, of course."
"Of course," Adrian nodded, pulling Jason in for another kiss.
"Is this going to take too much longer?" Iden asked from the stairs, seeming more relaxed than he had been in a long time. "We do have a schedule to keep, you know."
Friendly manner my ass, Adrian thought, and about damn time.
"Yeah, give us about—three minutes." Jason teased as he reluctantly lowered Adrian until his feet were back on the floor.
"Actually, you know what? Take your time. I've just had an idea," Iden said, dashing from the foyer and toward the kitchen. Adrian heard him scramble down the stairs into the basement where he kept his lab.
"Shall we take our time?" Jason whispered against Adrian's ear. How could a man resist?
"Alright, where would you like to take our time at?"
"What's wrong with right here," Jason breathed, running his hand down Adrian's chest, and stopping just before the button of Adrian's skinny jeans.
"Umm…It's a bit exposed."
"Come on, Iden's in his 'Idea' mode. He wouldn't notice if we did it up against the wall in his lab; he certainly won't see us here." Jason begged, his hand lingering on the button of the jeans, which became tighter by the second.
"Okay." Adrian agreed, his breathing becoming shallow. Jason very slowly unbuttoned Adrian's jeans. Adrian trembled when Jason's hand ghosted over the skin of his abdomen. He loved how every time Jason touched him it felt new and exciting.
"I love you." Jason rasped, pulling down Adrian's jeans slowly.
"I love you too," Adrian replied wiggling to get out of his jeans more quickly and sighing happily when they got past his hips.
"I hate these pants," Jason pouted.
"No you don't." Adrian smirked, pushing Jason back so he could toe off his shoes and finish taking off the pants.
"They do do things to me," Jason grinned, turning Adrian toward the wall. Adrian spread his legs slightly upon hearing the snap of the lid of the lube popping open.
Adrian loved it when Jason opened him. He was always so gentle, it was a side of Jason that Adrian was sure no one else got to see. Jason removed his fingers from Adrian and turned him back around, capturing the Frenchman's lips as he undid his own jeans.
Jason picked Adrian back up and lined his cock up with Adrian's entrance as Adrian wrapped his legs around. He adored this position. Of course, he loved them all when it came to Jason.
Jason thrust slowly with his hands gripping Adrian's hips as they locked their lips again. Adrian broke the kiss.
"s'il te plait, fais-moi crier." He gasped, knowing Jason loved to hear him lose control and slip into his native tongue.
Jason gave Adrian an almost feral grin before burying his face into Adrian's neck and biting down.
"Merde," Adrian yelled. Jason laughed and increased his speed.
Adrian loved the feeling of Jason inside him. He loved how Jason knew the exact angle to make him go crazy. He let his head fall back against the wall cursing in French.
"So beautiful," Jason breathed. His movements becoming erratic.
"Baise-moi mon amour," Adrian moaned. It only took that little bit of dirty talk to send Jason crashing into his release. Adrian was about to follow when Jason's hand gripped the base of his cock and cut off his own impending orgasm.
"Not just yet." Jason grinned, pulling out of Adrian and lowering him to the floor.
"Jace, don't tease me." Adrian begged as Jason dropped to his knees. Thankfully, Jason didn't make him suffer for long. He engulfed Adrian's need quickly, sucking hard and starting a steady rhythm. Adrian let out a new string of curse words, and soon he was coming down Jason throat.
"Adrian," Jason whispered while he was still kneeling on the floor. Adrian looked down into his lover's eyes. "Alright, this is… listen, I mean… I love you, you know, and I was wondering…"
"Jason, just spit it out." Adrian laughed.
Jason rummaged around in his jeans a moment the pulled out a small silver band. "I don't really believe in marriage… I just want to declare my love for you in front of everyone. I want everyone to know that you're my number one. So would you agree to have a ceremony of sorts and stand with me and let us… Gods, Adrian will you marry me?"
Adrian looked down at his lover with wide eyes. "Yes."
Jack
The pain had been unbearable, but of course Jack had no choice but to bear it. It was excruciating, though. You never know how much you need skin until you don't have it. Jack could only scream, the agony made it impossible to think, impossible to remember where he was, or even who he was. The only thing that mattered was the pain. When it was over and his torment had finally ceased it had been so sudden that Jack had lost his voice his final scream still echoing in the cell.
It took him a moment to take in his surroundings and to remember exactly who he was. His hands were bound above his head. Cowards, he thought bitterly. That's when he began to shout. If they were going to hold him they at least needed to face him. In any other circumstance when the woman dressed in black appeared Jack would've been turned on, but the fact that he didn't know how Ianto was, if he had made it out, or if—No he couldn't think about that. He had to keep hope.
Jack recognized the concrete being poured into the cell the moment it hit his skin. He hated suffocating; it was right up there with burning and drowning on his list of 'least favorite ways to die'. Of course, he'd choose it any day over being blown up again. Once was more than enough, he did not want a repeat performance of that. Jack closed his eyes and prepared once again to embrace the darkness.
Iden Miller
Ianto stood in his makeshift lab and looked around at all the screens he had set up, at all the children speaking in unison. The children were being used to broadcast the signal. What if…? It clicked then, the way to send the 456 to hell, but Ianto was sure he wasn't strong enough to do it. The signal could be reversed and amplified, but a child would have to be used as a transmitter. No, not used. Sacrificed. He shook his head. Once he and Jack were back together they could figure it out as a team. Two heads are always better than one.
Ianto looked up when the door to his lab opened and Adrian entered, practically bouncing, his face glowing with delight. Ianto narrowed his eyes. This was no time to be happy. Not when ten percent of the child population of the world was at risk.
"Iden, if you want to make it to London before nightfall we really should get moving," Adrian reminded him, placing his left hand on the table in front of Ianto. There was a simple silver band on the Frenchman's ring finger. Ianto's jaw dropped open.
"You and Jason are tying the knot?" Ianto sputtered.
"Kinda… in a way. Yeah, he asked, and I said yes." Adrian grinned.
"Wow, well, okay, um, wow. That's lovely," Ianto smiled pulling his friend into a hug. "Lovely."
Adrian nodded when he pulled away from the hug. "Yeah, I was kinda thinking that maybe, if things go alright, we could possibly have a double ceremony…?"
Ianto sighed. "I don't know if Jack would… I mean, I've lied to him a lot… It might be awhile before… you know."
"He loves you. He'll understand this time, Yan, I just know he will."
"I've figured out a possible way to reverse the signal," Ianto sighed, deciding to change the subject. "If we use one of the children… but—"
"The child would die?" Adrian pressed.
Ianto nodded. "We'll find another way."
"Of course we will."
TW—TW—TW
"I'm just saying, I'm the Minister and I've been booted to the back seat. It doesn't seem fair." Ianto pouted from the back of Jason Land Rover.
"Yes, but if we reach a roadblock you'll need to hide. You have the face of a fugitive." Adrian explained. "Plus, how is it fair that I always sit in the back? It's not, but do I complain? No. So stop being such a baby."
Ianto mimicked his friend in the back with his face then leaned against his seat. He watched as Adrian pulled out a magazine he had gotten at the petrol station. "What sort of magazine is that?" Ianto asked.
"Don't worry about it." Adrian replied.
Ianto sat forward in his seat so he could peer over Adrian's seat. "A bridal magazine? Are you a girl?"
"Shut it. I've been waiting twenty five years for this ring. I'm going to plan accordingly."
"See… I was just thinking we'd do something small." Jason interjected hopefully.
"You 'was just thinking' wrong," Adrian replied.
"Are you going to go with a traditional dress? Or maybe a cocktail look?" Ianto teased.
"Don't tease, you're the maid of honor." Adrian snapped.
"You're feisty today," Jason grinned at his lover. Adrian blushed and cleared his throat.
"So what are we going to do in London?" Adrian asked.
"Stay in a hotel near Thames House and wait." Ianto yawned.
"Is that it?" Jason said, looking in the rearview at Ianto.
"Well no, we'll eat room service. Watch a film, maybe."
"That sounds like a good time." Jason leered.
"He doesn't mean it that way, Jace." Adrian sighed. He flipped though his magazine for a moment, then suddenly looked up and turned around in his seat. "You don't, right?" he asked Ianto.
"Nah… unless."
"No." Adrian snapped. "Hmm… country themed? What do you think?"
"Whatever you want, dear." Jason smiled.
"Do a James Bond theme." Ianto suggested.
"What? No." Adrian said shaking his head. "Oh my god, we are doing a fairy tale wedding!"
Jason made a strained face. "Yes, dear."
"You created this, Jason. I hope you're ready to deal with the consequences." Ianto deadpanned.
"It's all worth it," Jason smiled, looking over at Adrian with affection.
While Ianto grinned at his friends, enjoying the small moment of happiness in the midst of sorrow, he heard his phone alert and checked the caller ID before answering. It was Bethan. Ianto hurriedly answered the phone. "You're supposed to be in the panic room. I know for a fact yours doesn't get reception."
"Tad, listen… I can be the child you need to end this." Bethan said.
Ianto looked up and narrowed his eyes at Adrian. "Bethan, who told you?"
"Adrian, well not me directly; he told Joy and I heard it from her. Tad, let me do this. I have more than one life. I'll be fine. I'll find you, don't let a normal child go in my place. Don't let me have to live with knowing I could have saved someone and didn't."
"Bethan, you're asking me to do the impossible. I can't sacrifice my child. I will not do it."
"I'm over one hundred years old, I am not a child! This is my decision to make, not yours."
"We'll find another way, or someone else will. There is always another way. Don't ask me let you do this Bethan. I can't. I would lose my humanity."
"Tad, I want to do this. You taught me to be brave. I'm brave enough."
"Well I'm not!" Ianto shouted into the phone. "I'm not," he repeated softly. "Bethan, I promise, I will find another way."
TW—TW—TW
Ianto was silent the rest of the way to London. He held his tongue as Jason checked them into their suite, and he was even able to ignore his friends while he hung up his clothes in the small closet in the room.
He finally lost his temper when Adrian asked him what he wanted to order from room service.
"Who the fuck do you think you are, Adrian? Letting Bethan know that she could do this? Do you want to see her relocated? I mean, I know you have issues with her, but I never thought you'd want her gone!"
"I don't, Yanni."
Ianto pointed his finger at Adrian in warning. "Don't. Call me that."
"I'm sorry."
"If I have to watch my daughter die because you couldn't keep your mouth shut, understand that any friendship we have will be over."
Jason stepped in between the two men, facing Ianto. "Stop. You're upset, and you're not thinking clearly. You don't mean that."
"I do." Ianto snapped.
Adrian stepped to the side so he could see Ianto around Jason. "She deserved to know, Ianto! She's not a child, she's older than Jason! Would you deny him the right to make his own decision, even if you hated it? Would you deny me?"
"So you're admitting that you told her on purpose? Is that what you're saying?"
"I'll admit nothing."
Jack
When Jack dug himself free of the rubble that had been his concrete cell and saw Gwen and Ianto unharmed it took all of his self control not to take them in his arms and hold them, but, as Gwen said, there was work to do. He sat with Ianto in the back seat of the small car and waited. He wanted nothing more than to hold the Welshman close, but he knew he couldn't. Ianto was uncomfortable being affectionate in front of others, and Jack was sure he wouldn't be able to keep the embrace PG.
He finally got to hold Ianto when they found an abandoned barn to sleep in for the night before making their way to London in the morning. They just held each other, and Jack had a sinking feeling in his gut that Ianto was keeping something big from him. In the morning they joked that they were just going to let someone else take out the alien threat. It had been a nice fantasy, but they knew better. They got up quickly, and Ianto took them to abandoned warehouse in London that once been used by Torchwood London. And thus the Hub 2 was born.
"Jack," Gwen said quietly soon after the team had managed to use all their stolen goods to get into the mainframe.
"Hmm?" Jack said trying to figure out something, anything, that might give him a clue as to what was going on.
"I'm a bit worried about Ianto. I think he's hiding something from us."
"What's new?" Jack smiled, trying to brush Gwen's concern aside while he knew perfectly well she was right. But what Ianto was hiding was none of Gwen's business. Probably Ruby, Jack thought. It was likely that Ianto was only acting out of character because he was worried about his little girl. Jack understood.
Gwen sighed and shook her head. "I suppose."
Iden Miller
Throughout his long life, when Ianto thought of the days leading up to his reunion with Jack, he always figured he'd be busy. Doing something? Saving the children. So now, as he sat on the bed in his hotel room with nothing to do just blocks away from where his first death had taken place, he felt like he was forgetting something.
Ianto, Adrian, and Jason had been at the hotel for nearly twenty-four hours and now the 456 had arrived. Adrian and Ianto still weren't speaking to each other and Ianto was beginning to regret his harsh words to his best friend. The thought of losing Bethan still made it hard for Ianto to think, however, so an apology was still a long way off.
Ianto got up and walked to his window. He stared at the beam of light that was above Thames house and shivered. He had already timed when he Jason and Adrian would be heading down to give their final salute to Little Ianto. Ianto bit his lip and sighed. How was Jack going to react when Ianto revealed himself after? Ianto hoped he'd be so happy to see him alive that he wouldn't even need an explanation. It was doubtful, but it was nice thought.
That's when it clicked. All day he'd felt he was forgetting something, and he finally remembered: Alice and Stephen.
TW—TW—TW
Jack couldn't believe he hadn't seen it before. The 456. Of course. The children should have been his main clue. Of course, in the sixties they hadn't used children to communicate. Jack had tried to put that day behind him, the day he had sent twelve children into the unknown. He had thought that part of his life was closed forever, and here it was being dredged up after all these years. And now it was even worse. This time Frobisher was using Alice and Stephen against him.
When Jack returned to the Hub 2 after his call to Frobisher he was astonished to find Clement McDonald, the child who had escaped in 1965. What surprised him even more was that the man had shot him, though Jack couldn't deny that he had a right to do so. Jack revived in Ianto's arms, and Gwen managed to calm the distraught Clem.
After a long and difficult discussion about the events of 1965, Ianto had coaxed Jack to their sleeping space. They had made love. There was no other way to describe it. Ianto had seemed convinced that he was going to die soon; it was clear in his eyes. Jack couldn't even bear the thought.
The following morning Ianto confronted Jack about his choice to hand the children over without a fight, and the conversation devolved into Ianto accusing Jack of keeping secrets. How dare he? Ianto was keeping secrets of his own, and Jack was so angry as his hypocrisy that he angrily threw the existence of Alice and Stephen in his face and then left without another word.
When Jack returned from calling Frobisher to offer his help it seemed that their argument was a thing of the past. Jack was relieved. They were planning to blackmail the government into allowing them into Thames House, and Jack wanted Ianto with him. They were going to stand up to the 456.
Iden Miller
"I shouldn't have gone behind your back, Iden, I'm sorry." Adrian whispered so softly that Ianto could almost believe he had imagined it. Ianto turned from his closet and looked at his best friend, who was looking at his feet.
"I didn't mean it; I know you're right to have told her. I know… I just, I'm not strong enough for it." Ianto replied.
"We'll find another way." Adrian insisted.
"Yeah," Ianto choked, pulling Adrian into his arms. "I know we will."
"Oh good, you two have made up then?" Jason sighed, coming into the room. He sat on the bed and put his head in his hands. "It feels like we are getting ready for a funeral. I guess in a way we are."
"It helped me be strong enough to walk into Thames House, knowing I wouldn't come back out. Having the three of you, the three of us, there to see me off, it's an important memory, and I need it. I know it'll be hard, Jace." Ianto elucidated, sitting down next to Jason on the bed. Jason wrapped an arm around Ianto's waist and pulled him closer.
"You're him, right? And you make it through. I just have to keep telling myself that," Jason whimpered, burying his face into Ianto's neck.
They all held it together as they watched Ianto enter Thames House. They kept it in until they heard the building shut down. Then they cried together.
Jack
Ianto Jones was dead. Jack stared blankly ahead at the wall of the small cell that UNIT had placed him in, and felt utterly empty inside. Ianto was gone. It was the only thing he could think about. It didn't matter that the children were going to be taken, or that the 456 had seemingly won. Didn't they understand? There was no world anymore. There shouldn't be a sun or moon, or even a single star. Ianto was gone. Nothing would ever matter again. Nothing at all. Because Ianto was gone.
The clinking of his cell door opening dragged Jack from his thoughts, but he pushed resolutely back into them; they were all he had left. He wished he could sit and die with Ianto over and over again, just to have the time to hold him. He wanted to hold Ianto's memory in his mind and cherish it. He needed to immerse himself in it. To remember the blue eyes, the pale skin, the so perfect accent. If he forgot any of them he would surely go mad. He thought about the time he had wasted, months spent with the Doctor, two weeks of pushing his beautiful Welshman away… all wasted moments. He'd give anything to have them back.
Jack barely noticed as he was dragged from his cell and shoved on a helicopter. He hardly reacted when Stephen hugged him. They wanted his help now, of course. They had waited…waited until he had nothing left. Then they came to him, and he wanted to deny them. He wanted them all to suffer as he was suffering. He just wanted to be left in peace, to die and leave the pain behind, but even that was denied him. In the end it was Alice who convinced him try. Jack had thought he had nothing left to lose. He was wrong, and the choice he had to make was unbearable. The world was safe. The children were safe but Jack… Jack was broken.
Iden Miller
If watching his younger self walk to his death had been hard, trying to get to Jack after the fact had been damn near impossible. Now, as he watched Alice weeping over her son's lifeless form he wished he had tried harder, gotten there sooner. Maybe if Jack had seen him first he wouldn't have been willing to do what he had done. Ianto watched as the soldiers who had held Alice away from her son all fled the room. Of course, Jack had done the same, so caught up in his grief that he hadn't even noticed the blue eyed Welshman arrive in the room just moments before he activated the transmitter and ended the only life of Stephen Carter. Of course, no one else seemed to notice Ianto either. He had donned a uniform so he would blend in, having learned long ago that soldiers were practically invisible, just interchangeable parts.
Ianto walked slowly over to where Alice was sobbing. He dropped to his knees beside her, his own sobs breaking through his control. He had loved Stephen like a son. He had been more of a father than Joe ever was. Ianto reached out and let his hand go through Stephen's blond hair, sobbing harder when he felt the sticky wetness of the boy's blood.
"He murdered my son," Alice cried.
"I know," Ianto said, not even at a point where he could make an excuse for his lover.
Alice looked up and met Ianto's eyes. "I tried to stay away… I tried, and I… Oh god, David, how will I ever move forward?"
Ianto shook his head. He wasn't even sure he knew how to move forward. He felt like it was his fault. He'd figured out how to defeat the 456 days before. He should have used a Rift Child, he should have been strong enough to let Bethan go, should have let her make her own choice. But he hadn't been strong enough.
"You should run, David. Run far and run fast. Keep Ruby away from him," Alice sobbed as she released her son's body and put him into Ianto's arms. Ianto pulled the limp child close and wept, his heart broken, as he watched Alice get up and walk from the room through the same doors Jack had walked earlier.
"Come on soldier get it together," said a man in uniform. The man was holding a body bag. Ianto shook his head.
"Just put it down. I'll do it," he growled, mustering up every ounce of anger he had to snap at the man. The man dropped the bag and backed away.
Ianto carefully put Stephen into the bag, sobbing once again when he realized how big the bag was. Stephen was too young. Ianto shouldn't have been zipping the boy's body into a bag. He had to get away from the bag then lest he try and undo it just to see the beautiful child once more. He stood in the corner of the room away, from all the tech that Jack had used to murder a child, and thought about his choices.
He could walk through that door and see Jack. He knew in his heart that Jack had made the decision because it was the fate of one child against the fate of millions. He knew he could forgive Jack for it faster than Jack would ever forgive himself. But Ianto had to consider more than just his own desires. He had a child. When you have children you think once for yourself and twice for them. Jack brought danger; it was a simple fact. He didn't do it on purpose, it just happened. It was a part of who he was.
Time and again, Jack's past leapt up to wreak havoc and devastation to those around him. Countless people killed, with Tosh and Owen among them but for Ianto's intervention. Even Ianto himself hadn't been spared.
Ianto looked down at his wrist where he wore the vortex manipulator he had taken from John Hart, and made the hard decision. He would wait. Just until Ruby was grown. He could do it. With one final sob, Ianto pressed a few buttons on the vortex manipulator and vanished from the room.
He reappeared outside of Jason's SUV. He opened the back seat and got in silently. "Drive home, Jason. Adrian, call everyone and inform them that the threat has passed and they can start returning all the minor children to their homes. Also, inform all the Rift Leaders that I will be taking a twenty year break, starting now. You will be in charge during that time."
Ianto was relieved that his two friends didn't question him any further. He would have to tell them eventually, of course, but not now. Not when the pain was so raw he could hardly breathe.
AN: Don't Panic… Breathe, we are nearly done with 30, there is still more story to tell. Okay, better, alright now you may review.
