Author's Note: Big thank you for your reviews and alerts :) I'm hoping to update this fic weekly at the moment. If I get back into writing the story, this could continue for a while but we'll see how I get on xx

A Chance in a Million

Chapter Two

"Ianto?" Gwen pushed open the door into the room. She looked horribly pale and Ianto sat up in concern. It was the next morning and Doctor Hague had agreed he was well enough to receive visitors.

"God, Gwen," Ianto said, wishing he was strong enough to get out of the bed. Apparently six months of being in a coma would seriously weaken your muscles. Who knew.

"Is it really you?" Gwen crept forward, her hand stretching out before her. She felt like she was seeing a ghost. She had looked at Ianto's dead body lying under the sheet. She and Jack had wept together over the loss. She had pinched herself so many times since receiving a phone call the night before that she had bruises. She had waited until Rhys left for work before driving herself to London, to the hospital where Ianto was being kept. She couldn't bring herself to tell him, in case there had been a mistake.

"Yeah, it is," Ianto smiled at her, suddenly feeling slightly embarrassed at being dressed in only a thin hospital gown, "I suppose it's a bit of a surprise."

"Yeah... but... how?" Gwen reached the bed and touched his arm, assuring that he was real.

"Jack kissed me as I died. The contact must have transferred some of his life energy, enough to bring me back. But it had a delayed effect. From what the doctors said, I was presumed dead until someone spotted that I was breathing. They're calling it a miracle," he gave a small laugh, "they can't understand how it was missed when I was removed from the building and are putting it down to the soldiers not paying attention and assuming everyone was dead."

"And you revived?" Gwen touched his face. A tear rolled down her cheek, "oh Ianto," she rapped her arms around him and they hugged tightly. Ianto closed his eyes he pressed his face against his friend's shoulder. He struggled not to cry himself. Gwen sniffed and pulled away and took hold of his hand instead, "and... and how are you?"

"Doing as well as could be expected, better actually," Ianto said, "the doctor says that apart from the coma there was nothing wrong with me. So as soon as I'm strong enough, I can leave."

Gwen nodded, pulling herself together enough to speak, "have you told Rhiannon and her family yet?"

"No," Ianto shook his head, "I gave the doctors your name when they asked for family members to contact. I wanted to speak to you first. I'll phone Rhi when I'm out. She doesn't need to worry about visiting me in hospital."

"If you want I could..." Gwen started but stopped when Ianto shook his head.

"I should do it," he said. "But enough about me, tell me about you. How's... things," he nodded towards the bump and Gwen smiled.

* * * * *

Captain Jack Harkness was sitting on the edge of a cliff which over looked a deep purple ocean whose waves tipped in pink. Two small orange suns were setting across the horizon, the night sky creeping up behind him. It was eerily silent as sound didn't carry on this planet. He was alone. A sea breeze ruffled his hair and it smelt like marshmallows roasting over an open fire. He smiled, a memory forming in his mind. He and Ianto had roasted marshmallows once. Until they got distracted by the romantic nature of it just being them and a fire in the middle of a field and the marshmallows on the sticks they'd rested near the fire had melted into black pools of goo. Jack and commented that it had been the heat from their bodies as they made love which had melted the sweet cubes rather than the fire. It had only been quick reactions which had stopped Ianto from planting some of the black goo in his hair. Jack laughed softly to the open ocean. They had had fun when Torchwood wasn't taking over their lives. But the laughter soon faded and his mood turned sombre.

Ianto. Months had passed but Jack still woke up every night to the image of Ianto's lips whispering those words to him, his beautiful eyes closing for the final time as his body went limp in Jack's arms. Every night he woke up screaming in loneliness, tears sliding down his face. The guilt of taunted the 456, of allowing Ianto to come with him, stayed in his heart still. Nothing he did on Earth made it any easier which is why he knew he had to leave. There was a whole universe out there. Something, somewhere, would have to make things better. Else there was no point anymore. He thought about Ianto and Stephen every day, every minute of every day. The look on Ianto's face as he accepted his death, the look on Stephen's as he trusted his "Uncle Jack" and the look on Alice's as she walked away from him in the hospital. These images haunted him always.

"Jack?" A voice came up behind him. He didn't turn round. "Jack, are you coming for something to eat?"

"I'm not hungry, Volta," said Jack. The red alien sat down next to Jack. Volta was a four foot tall female from a species known as Ospara. She was the co-pilot on the spaceship Jack was travelling on. The ship hosted a variety of creatures from all races to make it run. Jack had come into contact with the Ospara many years before and had called on a favour to have the ship come close enough to Earth for him to join their crew. Everyone had a job. Jack was an assistant navigator, his vast knowledge of the universe both past and present coming in handy.

"You should eat," persisted Volta, even though she knew it would be useless. She had known Jack less than two days and already understood that he carried a great grievance in his heart. Something he wouldn't share with anyone. But that didn't mean he should suffer any further because of it.

"Maybe later," Jack smiled at her then turned his gaze back out to sea.

"Okay, remember we lock the ships doors in two hours," Volta scrambled back to her feet and left Jack sitting alone. She glanced back over her shoulder as she walked away and shook her head. Jack was going to need a lot of healing.

* * * * *

Ianto smiled as Gwen explained the hi's and lo's of being pregnant. He lazily pointed out that there seemed to be more lo's and was she sure she wanted the thing? It earned him a friendly punch and he hugged her. He could see how happy she was. And he was glad that someone had walked away from the 456 incident with a life intact. As the conversation died down he sat back against the pillows. He was feeling tired but didn't want Gwen to go. He didn't want to be left alone with his thoughts.

"Gwen," he asked suddenly, "where's Jack?"

Gwen's smile fell from her lips, replaced by a sorrowed look in her eyes. Ianto knew he wasn't going to like what she had to say.

"Ianto," Gwen couldn't meet his eyes. She stared at the floor, twirling patterns in the dust with the toe of her shoe, "Jack's... gone."

"Gone? What do you mean 'gone'?" Ianto sat back and blinked away sudden tears. This was Jack all over. Ran when he was needed most.

"He's gone off to explore the universe or something," Gwen said, "me and Rhys, we watched him go. He was transported or something, I don't know. But he's gone. We don't know when he'll be back."

"No..." Ianto covered his face with his hands before pushing them up over his hair. His eyes were red. "And there's no way to get in touch with him."

Gwen shook her head, "I'm sorry, Ianto."

Ianto turned away from his friend. How could you leave me, Jack?