TITLE: Beauty of a Broken Angel

PART ONE OF SERIES: The Five Elements (AU Verse)

Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood, because if I did Ianto would be immortal!

Note: Here's the next chapter! Sorry, for those wanting answers. Love the enthusiasm but the despite a few clues here and there they won't be coming for a while, maybe in Part 2. They fit with some canon parts later on. Still patience is a virtue and I hope you still enjoy!

Chapter 3: Words to Live By

29th June 1988

The sky was blue, a brilliant blue, and the air was fresh and sweet. Everything else was whirlpool of vibrant colours for as far as the eye could see. Endless forests and fields, dotted with every species of flowers possible.

A young boy laughed, as he ran through the trees for hours on end, never tiring. The world was bright with freedom and happiness that would stay until the sun faded behind the horizon.

But it would never fade completely. The boy knew the night would bring it's own awe and wonder. Moonlight would replace the sun glistening through the canopies, enticing the nightlife from their homes to play until the sun rose once again.

The circle of life. It seemed perfect.

Almost too perfect.

He smiled. The boy might have to leave eventually, but he knew the forest would always be waiting.

4th January 2000

Sunlight streamed through the crack in the curtains, the unusual brightness stirring him from his sleep. Something was soft under his back and his breath hitched as his hazy mind momentarily forgot where he was as he rolled to the side. The softness fell away from under him as he crashed to the floor and scrambling to the corner. He squeezed his eyes shut against the intense light, trying to get his breathing under control as he focused on feeling the accustomed hardness of the wall against his back.

He heard movement in front of him and his senses without warning became inundated with second-hand feelings of concern and indecision. Another feeling he recognised but couldn't place tickled at the back of his thoughts, almost trying to push itself forefront as his memories from yesterday flooded him in one burst.

He remembered following the pull of the feeling from his cell, wandering though dark and empty corridors and – what were they called? – staircases until he'd found himself face-to-face with a strange man dressed in clothes he'd never seen along with a large blue-grey greatcoat that actually seemed to suit him. The sensation seemed to be pouring from him but caught by surprise and in fear of being punished, his power had lashed out in instinct before he could stop it, throwing the man backwards down the steps.

The usual feeling of pain had rippled through his body, but this time it wasn't his own and he'd backed up shakily in dismay as he got his first true glance at what everyone had always told him. He was dangerous.

He'd felt the anger as the man had awakened and flinched as he'd prepared himself for the pain that would follow, but now he remembered his own confusion as the anger had faded to concern before returning in a flash although this time it didn't seem directed at him. Rather than the expected pain, the man had instead led him from the building and into another, giving him the most food he'd eaten for as long as he knew.

He'd panicked at the sight of the water in the tub, believing this was his delayed punishment but he'd read only honesty from the man, who in the end had only cleaned the dirt off his skin and had promised not to hurt him.

A hand on his shoulder brought him back to the present and he snapped his eyes open, automatically withdrawing from the touch. The man from yesterday – Jack he now remembered – was crouched in front of him, his hands up palms facing forward, looking and feeling apologetic.

"Sorry" Jack confirmed as he moved backwards an inch. He paused as if deciding on something before whispering. "Ianto?"

The sound was barely audible to start but gradually became clearer as Jack continued. "Ianto? That's your name, right? Do you remember?"

The name sounded rather familiar but the memory vanished before he could grasp onto it. He shook his head vigorously.

"Can I show you something?"

Jack held out his hand in the same way he'd done twice before, letting him take the first move, before leading over to a small screen on the table.

"I got someone to do some research." Jack explained, pressing some buttons and he recoiled, confused as an image he recognised from somewhere appeared on the screen.

"That's you," Jack confirmed. "Your name's Ianto Jones. Born 19th August 1979. You went missing five years ago from your house in Cardiff, before showing up in London nearly a year later, which is when Torchwood One got hold of you. You have a sister, Rhiannon, in Newport who only knows that her little brother vanished when he was fifteen, never to be found."

He listened intently, studying the picture on the screen. He doesn't know how but he can tell it's him, but he looks younger, healthier, though the eyes staring back still show a hint of anguish. His mind strained as he processed the information. The name seemed to fit. It felt right, something even familiar about it, but he can't remember and it doesn't make sense. His breath hitched and his legs felt wobbly as he sunk to the floor, a hand supporting him on his back.

"I know you're scared and confused but I'm not like the others." He used the voice to ground him, the strange sensation nudging through to the front of his mind was almost calming. "They were wrong to treat you that way. You're human and Torchwood One knew that, and they kept you anything. They were wrong."

The voice paused and emotions of uncertainty and worry came rushing through, as Jack scrutinised him before asking cautiously. "Hey. What are you thinking?"

"Nothing makes sense, sir." He answered, uneasily. From what Jack had explained he'd been captive for only four years, not his whole life that he'd been lead to believed, but if that was the case, why couldn't he remember his life before. "I can do things. They kept asking and testing but I don't know how. The things you told me, they seem right but I can't remember. I'm a monster, how can I be human?"

"Don't ever think like that. You're not a monster. You may be different, but you're still human."

"They didn't know, but I could sense them, sir. I could sense their disgust and fear. I could feel their anger like pain. I can sense you. I felt you from my cell, stronger, different but further away. I could sense your sadness, but there was something else, like a link, luring me to you."

He could feel the surprise and realisation coming from Jack even before he spoke. "You're an empath." The word didn't mean anything to him, which must have shown on his face as Jack explained. "You can sense other people emotions. It's quite common where I'm from."

"You mean there's other people like me, sir?"

"Maybe, but it's very rare in this time and it's not something you can tell by looking at someone. I don't know about your other thing though."

"Time?"

Jack faltered, and emotions of doubt, distrust and sorrow hit him as if he'd slammed into a brick wall. He pulled back, and curled into himself, confused from the reaction and alarmed. He heard someone calling his newly found name and as fast as they hit, the feelings stopped completely, only the niggling sensation remaining. He glanced up, stunned by the sudden silence in his mind.

"I'm sorry. That wasn't aimed at you; I'm just not use to discussing my past." He sat down next to him. "You heard what Torchwood was about right?"

He'd heard rumours from the fair few that visited his cell and nodded nearly undetectably, but Jack obviously caught the movement.

"Well I'm not from around here. I was born in the future, 51st Century to be exact, but got stranded here a while ago. Psychic gifts like empaths are almost a guarantee, in that time. I didn't score very high unfortunately. Just basics. Enough to build the mental shield I just formed. I haven't practised for a while but from your reaction, I guess it worked?"

"It's quiet, sir. It's never this quiet." He answered amazed. "I can still feel that link, but the emotions. They're gone."

"I shielded them from you. They were overwhelming you."

"It's weird, sir. I think…I think I miss them. Not the strong ones. The underlying ones. There's almost a back- ground noise." He stopped talking; afraid he'd offended the other who'd block them only to help. "Sorry sir. Is that wrong?"

"Of course not, Ianto. It's all you've been used to for a while. Here…" Jack closed he eyes briefly and the noise faded back in slowly, as if someone was turning up the volume. "Just be sure to tell me if it ever gets too much, okay?"

~ * o ~ * o ~ T ~ o * ~ o * ~

A few hours later, Jack sat on the sofa with his laptop. He wasn't working though, his mind replying the earlier conversation. Despite the few scares during, he'd believed as if he had made progress with Ianto, but now it seemed like nothing had changed.

After their talk, Ianto had retreated to the corner, watching him intently but staying silent. Jack had ordered some early lunch and some water, but he found it impossible to entice Ianto to eat until, like the previous night, the plateful vanished when he wasn't looking. He found it strange the Ianto wouldn't eat if someone was watching, but decided it wasn't the worst problem, and made a mental note for the future.

Figuring Ianto needed time to process the information Jack had shared, kept an eye on his charge from the sofa while he used his laptop to check in on Torchwood One and the Rift. He didn't trust whoever Hartman had let takeover to deal with anything important, but thankfully there hadn't been any big alerts. If anything had come through in the last day, it was probably only junk.

Torchwood One was another matter. There was a high alert out for Ianto, but apparently, Yvonne still hadn't expected him to have gotten far. It was clear that she wanted him back but thankfully, she didn't suspect Jack's involvement. They were safe here for now.

Looking over at the corner he noticed that Ianto hadn't moved an inch in the last several hours.

"Ianto? Do you need anything? You can ask."

The man hesitated before talking quietly under his breath. "Toilet, sir?"

He started when he realised Ianto hadn't gone since he'd been here. Ianto flinched at his reaction, but Jack was quick to quell his fears. "Hey. You don't need to ask okay. You can go whenever you need."

Ianto nodded wordlessly but didn't move.

"Go on, it's okay. I'm not going to punish for moving. Do you want help?"

"No, sir."

"Ok. You can wash up at the same time. I'll have dinner delivered by the time you come out."

Ianto spent almost an hour in the bathroom, Jack constantly debating with himself whether he should go in and help, however he decided that if he wanted Ianto to start believing he wasn't a prisoner, then he had to obey his few wishes and let him regain his dignity.

Note: End of Chapter 3! Please Review!