TITLE: To Separate The Lies From Truth

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

CHAPTER SUMMARY: The big reveal – part 2.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Torchwood or Doctor Who which is unlucky because Jack and Ianto deserve so much more!

WORDS: 3600

Notes: Still not the full backstory but more Jack centred (as Small Worlds was sort of his episode and I didn't want to take all of that) and of course slight Ianto whump (who could have guessed haha).


Chapter 15: Stolen Child (2007)

15th April 2007

Jack's heart and lungs constricted painfully when he received the dreaded phone call, and had remained so ever since, but getting to Estelle's was all that mattered. Ianto had been right. The Fae had gone after her, and now two people he loved were under threat.

His foot pressed down harder on the accelerator. The rest of the team in the back had picked up on his mood, and subsequently the direness of the situation and had refrained from asking questions and for that he was thankful. He couldn't have answered anyway.

In fact, he swore he hadn't even taken a breath until they finally reached Estelle's home. Jack pulled up the SUV in the front with screeching tyres and slammed down on the brake.

"Estelle? Ianto?" Jack yelled as he shoved open the door. "Estelle!"

"Jack!" The voice emanated from the far room, and Jack sprinted in the direction, not even bothering to close the front door. Estelle lay shaking on the floor beside the patio door, and he was by her side in an instant, gathering her up in his arms, mindful of Moses in her lap and the broken glass around her. "It's okay," he murmured, rocking her slightly as she clutched back.

Estelle was shaking. "You were right. I'm sorry, I didn't believe you…"

"Don't worry about that." Jack whispered. "Where's Ianto?"

"He went outside to get Moses." Estelle replied fearfully, pointing towards the darkened garden. "Moses came back, but…"

Jack loosened his hold and jumped up anxiously, letting Owen take over. "Stay here with her. Don't follow me."

The sight that greeted him in the darkness of the backyard, shook him to the core. Rain and wind battered down on him, resisting his movements, and making it hard to keep his vision clear, but to him it didn't matter. Ianto hung suspended in the air, surrounded by Fae as if time had frozen him there.

"Let him go!" Jack cried, pressing through the strong winds. "Why are you doing this? Let him go!"

One of the Fae flew out from the circle around Ianto to meet him. "Undying one, we are warning you! Stay out of our way!"

"You're killing innocent people." Jack argued, though a large part of him knew the paedophile was far from innocent. Estelle, however, had done nothing but idolise the species all her life. The only reason they would have gone after her, was to get to him.

"The Fae don't harm the innocent." They roared, angered by the prospect. "We only protect what belongs with us."

"The children belong here!"

"No. With us they live forever." The voices echoed threateningly. "Allow us to take our Chosen One or you'll lose all those you care for. We will take the one's you love."

His lover had still made no sign of movement and Jack was becoming desperate. He truly hated the idea of giving a child to such horrible monsters, but there was nothing else he could do. People were in danger, and they wouldn't just stop at people he knew. As if to prove their point, the wind surrounding Ianto grew stronger, and his lover vanished from sight, forcing a decision from Jack as he felt his heart freeze from fear.

"I promise!" Jack relented, yelling loudly into the wind. "Now, bring him back!"

The abnormal weather vanished in an instant, and Ianto reappeared, collapsing to the ground as time once and again sped up to reality. The Welshman huddled in on himself on the sodden ground, shaking, and despite already been drenched head to toe, Jack could see the tears streaming down his face as he raced closer.

The Fae vanished along with the weather; their goals reached for now. He grabbed Ianto closer to himself, heedless of the mud as he held his lover. He'd been terrified he'd lost him, like his squad almost a century ago.

Ianto was conscious in his arms, but he still hadn't said a word, or even acknowledged his presence as he lifted him up. He felt like ice. Jack's skin was no better, and he knew he needed to get him inside in the warmth before they both caught their deaths of hypothermia.

Tosh and Gwen greeted him at the patio door, as he carried Ianto over the threshold. Owen jumped up at the sight, from where he'd been crouching by Estelle, who was now perched on her sofa, a blanket around her shoulders.

"Ianto? Can you hear me mate?" Owen asked loudly, rubbing Ianto's chest to encourage a reaction. "Teaboy?"

Ianto simply curled tighter around Jack, trembling, whether with cold or for some other reason Jack couldn't tell.

"He's cold and in shock, but nothing that seems life-threatening." Owen announced, after a cursory check over. "I can look over him better back at the Hub."

Jack let himself take a deep breath "Okay, let's move out." He ordered, passing Ianto over to Owen who took over carrying him out to the SUV, Tosh and Gwen following silently, their expressions concerned.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Jack asked before they left, a hand placed firmly of Estelle's shoulder.

"I'll be fine, Jack. Thank You." Estelle assured. "Just look after Mr Jones. And tell him thanks from me."

"Will do. Call if you need anything okay." Jack beamed widely. "No matter what time, I'll always be free for you."

As usual Estelle wasn't fooled. "Save your charm for your young man." She chided, but her smile was warm. "He needs it."

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

16th April 2007

"Owen?" Jack asked the next morning as he came out his office, worried to see the medic crouching over Ianto again.

They'd placed gently on the sofa on arrival back to the Hub. It was old and lumpy but was probably a better alternative to the medical table. They'd changed him from the worst of his wet clothes, when Owen had first checked him over, and towelled dried the rest, before piling several of Jack's scratchy blankets over him from his bunker. He was out like a light almost straight after.

Jack however hadn't slept a wink, but it had been late when they got back from Estelle and he'd told to team to take a break as well, yet it seemed Tosh was already up again and typing at her workstation, and he could see Gwen stirring on the other sofa.

"He's still just sleeping." Owen assured. "Still no noticeable injuries. Whatever caused his fear and shock wasn't physical."

"The Fae." Jack whispered, brushing Ianto's hair from his eyes. "They were there."

"Did you find out anything useful?" Gwen asked keenly behind him and Jack sighed, straightening. He knew what he had to do, but by the looks around him, it wasn't just Gwen that would have trouble accepting it. "What do we do next, Jack?"

"Nothing." Jack answered, matter-of-factly. "The situation had changed, and the case is officially abandoned."

"But we can't give up!" Gwen argued. "A little child's life is in danger."

"We can and we will." He pressed firmly. "There's nothing else we can do."

"What's the weather forecast for today?" Tosh interrupted suddenly. No-one answered, and Jack keenly felt the absence of Ianto in the room. "I think it's happening again. Coed y Garreg Primary School."

Everyone stared at Jack who suddenly felt he was caught between two worlds. He'd promised, gambled Ianto's life, Estelle's life, hell probably even the team's lives that he would let them be. That he would not interfere in the Fae's quest to take their Chosen One, but on the other hand, he hadn't agreed not showing up at all. The least he could do was try and prevent another (maybe) innocent person from being killed by the Fae's own concept of justice. Especially, if they were around a primary school.

The visit to the Primary School simply directed them towards the house of a young Jasmine Pierce on Old Forest Road. Jack almost laughed at the irony as he drove past the sign, but he supposed it made sense. The Fae didn't often stray far from the forest. A fight between the Fae and some party guests was already underway as they arrived, but he left it in the other's capable hands, as his instincts lead him towards a hole in a fence of the bottom of the garden.

"Do you know you're walking in a forest? Well, you are. It looks like a very old forest, and it's magical. I want to stay in it." Jasmine's voice greeted him as he pushed away the branches of a small tree.

"You can see this forest?" He asked, looking around. There were a few trees dotted around, but he wouldn't exactly call it a forest. Not like there once had been. "It's not here, the real forest can never come back."

"Oh, it can. When they take me to it."

"They told you this?" Gwen chimed, having followed him from the garden. "But what about your mother? Don't you want to stay with her?"

The creatures appeared in the trees, angered by the mention of the Chosen One's mother. By instinct Jack grabbed Jasmine protectively at the sight, despite her protests.

"Leave her alone. Find another Chosen One."

"Too late. You promised." The Fae hissed, chanting the lyrics of an old poem. "Come away now, oh, human child."

"Next time they'll kill everyone at my school, like they killed Roy, and that man. If they want to they can make great storms, wild seas, turn the world to ice. Kill every living thing and your friend's will be first." Jasmine struggled in his grip as she yelled. "Let me go!"

Jack's hold on her loosened, at the reminder of his deal. He couldn't put his friend – his lovers – at risk. Let alone, the entire world. "The child won't be harmed?"

"Jack, you can't." He heard Gwen behind him, but ignored her. She didn't understand the prospect of a loss that big. Not yet.

"Answer me! She won't be harmed." He repeated. If they were holding him to his word, the most he could hope for was that they held their own to the same decree.

"We told you. She lives forever."

"A dead world, is that what you want?" Jasmine chimed in, still struggling against him. Gently, he turned her around to face him, kneeling to her eye level.

"What good is that to you?" Jack reasoned, making one last ditch attempt. "There will be no more Chosen Ones."

"They'll find us, back in time." Jasmine voice was echoed by the fae, but soon faded back to her normal voice as she continued. "I want to go with the Fae. I don't want to feel trapped anymore."

Jack pushed a loose strand of hair away from her eyes, and looking in them he saw the extent of her honesty shining brightly. He let go, dropping his gaze to the ground. "Take her."

He almost couldn't watch, as Jasmine moved away from him, but the pause in her movements as she turned back around, made him look up.

"Thank you." Jasmine whispered; her smile wide. She turned back around and danced towards the trees, disappearing into a bright white light. As she vanished, Jack was left with the feeling that he'd just seen her look more peaceful and happier than anyone ever had before. But that didn't stop the ice spreading through his chest as he heard Jasmine's mother start screaming from behind him.

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

"As I said before, what else could I do?" The shouted words stirred him from his sleep as they were soon joined by footsteps coming from the garage.

"More than just give up, Jack!"

"I've said my piece Gwen, if it's not enough then leave!" Jack hissed quietly, jogging up the steps from the garage door. "I'm not having you wake Ianto."

"Ianto's already awake." He chimed, sitting up on the sofa and looking around confusedly at the angry emotions of Gwen and Jack hammering his shields, and the cool expressions from the other two. "What's going on?"

"The Chosen One. Jasmine." Gwen replied coldly. "Jack just let them take her. She was seven!"

"They're not human!" Jack argued, emotionally exhausted. "They're not even alien. They're creatures of time with an indescribable power. There's nothing we can do against them!"

Jack spun on his heel, heading to his office, and slamming the door behind him. Owen made his over to him on the sofa, supposedly to check him over once again, but Ianto pushed him away, assuring he was fine as he got to his feet.

"I can't believe this. I'm getting out of here."

Gwen stormed out the Hub after grabbing her bag. The rest of the team stood there silently and nervously as if wondering what to do now.

"You guys can go too." Ianto spoke up, sensing their unease. They weren't as angry as Gwen, but he could still see they were shaken at having had to sacrifice a child. He'd only been for less than five minutes but felt he'd experienced more than enough conflict for one week. "I'll let Jack know."

Owen and Tosh nodded slowly, before collecting their things and leaving the Hub nervously. Ianto looked at the closed door of Jack's office, but passed it steadfastly. Perhaps it was better that there was just the two of them in the Hub. There was an inevitable conversation he needed have to have with Jack, but he needed to check a few details first.

While he knew it would take time for the fact he can now remember to sink in, the memories of his past the Fae had brought back to him were conflicting, and at the current moment he couldn't decide how to feel about them. He'd been fooled once before, but this time it felt different. They hadn't just told him, they'd shown him, the memories similar and close to the dreams he'd always had since he'd been rescued 7 years back.

Even so, he needed to double check to be sure it was truth. He had a feeling he knew what he'd find. In fact, the information on him was the same and as limited as always, but his new insight on what he'd learnt about the Fae in recent days, he had a feeling some dots would now be easier to connect.

Not just with his history, but with Jasmine's too.

He just wondered what Jack would say.

A few hours later, Ianto finally brought up the courage to talk to Jack.

"The others gone?" Jack asked not looking up.

"Yup. I said they could go. Also, Estelle called." He quickly realised that was the wrong thing to say when Jack's head snapped up away from his drink, worriedly. "She's fine." Ianto hurried to reassure. "She said she was thinking of booking a hotel while her house is fixed. It's apparently going to take longer than planned as has asked if anyone would be willing to take care of Moses in the meantime."

Jack put down the glass in his hand and pulled his phone from his pocket. He pressed a few buttons randomly, but the phone remained dead and he sighed.

"Fuck. Couldn't even keep that promise." He murmured, self-deprecatingly, then spoke louder. "What did you say? I would say yes but the Hub's not exactly the safest place for a cat."

"I already told her I'd be happy to take him in for a few weeks." Ianto answered, troubled by Jack's derisive tone. "My place's big enough and I've cleared it with my landlord."

"Thanks, you didn't have to do that." Jack acknowledged, staring at the glass of whisky he was fiddling with on his desk. "Have a drink with me? I needed one after today."

"I'd think I need to keep a straight head today if you don't mind." Ianto replied, sitting down across from the other. "It's probably already clouded enough."

"Water it is, then" Jack acknowledged, swallowing around his last mouthful of whiskey before swapping out not just Ianto's glass, but his own as well, with plain water.

They sat silently for a few minutes, almost studying the other. Jack probably looking for any belated sign of yesterday's events having a negative impact on Ianto, while the latter watched Jack to see if he would talk about what had been bothering him since he'd first heard the Fae were around, at least for no other reason than to let it of his chest and delay the other conversation Ianto needed to have with his lover.

"You've probably figured I've met the Fae before." Jack explained, finally breaking the atmosphere. "A long time ago now. On a troop train in Lahore 1909."

He stared at the wall behind Ianto as he spoke but he knew Jack wasn't seeing it, but rather the images of his past.

"Fifteen men with me in charge. Everyone happy. Too happy. Too noisy. Then we hit a tunnel. We thought some birds had flown in through an open window. Then came the silence. And when we came out of the tunnel, all fifteen men were dead."

"Jac-" Ianto interrupted soberly, but Jack waved it off as if he didn't believe he deserved it.

"They'd been suffocated. Petals just shoved down their throats. My squad. Men I was responsible for." Jack continued, guilty. "Everyone but me."

"Why did the Fae kill them?" Ianto asked hesitantly, though part of him already knew the answer.

"About a week earlier, some of them had got drunk, drove a truck through a village, ran over a child, killed her. That child was a Chosen One." Jack revealed, his emotions flooded and conflicted by both guilt at the death of a child, but also anger at the unfair form of justice. "I didn't find out till after, but even so, not all of them had been there that day. Yet they all died just the same."

"You couldn't have done anything." Ianto nailed down that belief firmly. "You didn't even know."

"Maybe, but I did today." Jack returned, just as steadfastly. "After I found out about them, I swore I wouldn't let them kill or take another child again, but you can see how that worked out. I didn't stop them, instead I let her go."

"She wanted to leave. The only way we could have stopped them from taking her is if she wanted to stay."

"But they never do."

"No, but now I think I know why." Ianto countered. He started to edge towards the topic he was hesitant about, even more after hearing Jack's past history and resentment for the Fae, but he'd learnt after last time not to keep things hidden, no matter what he believed Jack would think. "The Chosen Ones aren't selected at random."

"What do you mean?" Jack asked, sitting up straighter.

"I did some more research. There have been multiple reports in the last few months of Jasmine being late picked up from school, her becoming more and more secluded from her classmates, even having some bruises on her arms." Ianto described. "The timings coincide to when the mother's boyfriend came into the picture."

"Child abuse." Jack established, regretfully.

"Seems that way." Ianto nodded.

"The last thing Jasmine said…" Jack recalled, sadly. "She said she didn't want to feel trapped anymore."

"She wanted to go." Ianto repeated, firmly in hope that the more times he said it, the more Jack believed it. The other nodded slowly and drank the last of his water. "And the Fae don't harm their own. She'll be happier."

Jack's head snapped up a second time. "How do you know that?"

"They told me. When…"

"When you were at Estelle's." Jack finished for him. "Speaking of which, you saved her life. Thank you. " Jack assured, heartfully. "And sorry, I should have checked on you when you woke. I just…"

"You needed time, and that was fine. I'm fine."

"You were in shock. You were shaking so much and have been pretty much unconscious for nearly 12 hours. It don't think that quite the same as being fine." Jack exclaimed not believing his assertions. "When I went into the garden and saw you just frozen in mid-air, before vanishing completely, I…."

"They didn't hurt me. Not really." Ianto stressed, as Jack choked on his words. They hadn't really, he was sure his reaction had only been from having his memories shoved onto him all in one go. He took a deep breath as he metaphorically dived into the deep end. "They couldn't."

"What do you mean? They…" Jack trailed off as Ianto held his gaze, silently communicating through his eyes what he was trying to say, unable to get the words out, either aloud or by their bond. Jack shook his head, either not fully understanding ot believing what he was trying to share, but Ianto remained steadfast, and nodded, finally tearing his gaze away as the words found their way to his lips.

"I'm a Chosen One."

NOTES: Not much more than last chapter I know, but I kept writing soooooo much more. I had only planned for this Small Worlds arc to cover two chapters, but that …well just didn't happen. Last chapter however - posted tomorrow - will confirm all remaining questions, but I hope this reveal is working so far. It took me ages trying to get this big moment of the story perfect :)

Reviews make my morning when I first check my phone!

Thanks!