4. Day five 1.30pm

Ianto had left Jack behind, something that twisted his gut as he had a long walk back without that little spark of whatever Ianto had that made the journey a mere step. He got back to find Ianto missing.

Great.

Jack sighed and walked over to Owen who was sitting under some trees with a very subdued Tosh.

"Hey, did you see where Ianto went?" he asked as he knelt to their level.

"Orinoco and a few others went with him towards the spring" Owen pointed and frowned "He seemed angry still. I mean … Toshiko made an honest mistake. They aren't' going to ask us to leave, are they?"

"No. No, I was a prick. I sort of did my usual foot-in-mouth thing instead of thinking though my thoughts before spewing them out. I've hurt his feelings … big time" Jack slumped back onto the ground, staring up at the sky and he got to see a light show as the sky undulated, shimmered then seemed to explode in tiny sparks like fireworks up in the heavens then they became joined like a fishnet, then the parts joined, the world now covered in a golden bubble.

"Wow" Owen sighed as he stood, looking up at the sky with his own mouth open.

Then …. It was gone.

"That's it?" Owen asked someone walking past "Just like that… we are safe?"

"Just like that?" she replied angrily "Our royal blood has just been spilled and you simply assume it is all it took? He has had to sacrifice a part of himself … some of his life essence for this. We are not immortal, even if some may be! He will age from this. He gave time! Time! It is precious!"

Jack went to ask what she meant when Ianto appeared, walking slowly while supported by Orinoco and a woman who was weeping as she hugged Ianto around the waist, talking softly to him. She was saying "too much. Too much."

"Ianto?" Jack rushed to him, grabbing him and Ianto grunted with pain as if he had been beaten to a pulp.

"Careful. He is tender he needs time to heal from this" came a hiss from the woman "Comfort. Quiet."

"Jack" Ianto croaked "Let me go. I want to go to bed. I am so tired."

"What happened?" Owen demanded "What is this? What did you do?"

"That light display you saw… it was his spark" the woman pushed Owen gently away from Ianto "He had to … release himself from his vessel. It will cost us all. What he has had to do, for us. He must rest. He will age, about ten years before his reset settles."

Owen went to speak and looked at Orinoco who looked older as well, no longer a teenager, he was now in his mid- twenties.

"I gave what I could to help him" Orinoco explained sadly "He would only take a drop. We all gave what we could but … it was not enough. He had to give of himself. I fear, it may have been too much. For he would give his all for us. Like a good leader does."

Owen looked at the retreating figures and then turned to find Toshiko weeping silently behind him, her face in her hands as she saw the damage she had caused. It was only as he went to help her to their own home for some comfort that a thought occurred "So … where IS Gwen?"

"Gwen?" someone said with surprise "What? She is berry picking."

"No. Not with us, she is collecting pinecones"

"No. She went to the rock pools for some peddles for the gardens."

"No. Berries, wasn't it?"

"Oh fuck me!" Owen groaned "Gwen. What the fuck. Please don't tell me you did something in the middle of this mind-fuck."

Rhys agreed with Owen's plea and started searching for her, soon some others joining in and it was Rhiannon who stopped walking, turning to ask "So … did anyone check your house? She's not at home is she?"

"Huh?"

They all shot to the house and Rhys slammed through the door into the kitchen where Gwen was standing at the stove, leaning over a pot humming. "Rhys! There ya are, I am … what's wrong pet?"

"I couldn't find you" he panted.

"Oh. I'm here silly. Look. Curry! They have tofu that can crumble and is just like mince. Well … sort of. Enough, it tastes alright here try a spoon" she lifted a serving spoon with a mouthful in it and frowned deeply. "Rhys?"

"I couldn't find you" he repeated as he stepped closer to her, reaching out "I love you Gwen. I do. I love the fucking bones of you. Please … please don't ever let me down, will you!"

"Of course not love" she said softly, her face softening as she cupped his face "I love the bones of you too … especially if you can find me some taco chips for this curry!"

"I might be able to do that" he smiled as he let their foreheads touch "For you."

She went back to the stove, still trying to understand why he had been so frantic.

Like he thought she might not be there?