Author's Note: I haven't really got much to say. It's just gone midnight (I'm such a party animal) and I'm tired. But thanks for new comments and hey to the new people who've set up alerts! You all make me feel warm and happy :) Enjoy the chapter! Love, Kal x

A Chance in a Million

Chapter Thirteen

Ianto lead the way into the Torchwood Office, the lights automatically turning on from the movement from the doorway. He shrugged out of his coat and hung it up on the stand just inside the entrance. Mel came in behind him and silently led the way through to the autopsy suite next door without pausing to remove her jacket. She unlocked the connecting door, Ianto close behind her and paused long enough for the lights to turn on. He was aware of Andy and Jamie following behind him but hanging back a little bit, as if afraid of what he was going to do or say. Without being asked, Mel moved behind the counter and selected a sealed test tube from a wooden rack. She silently held it out to Ianto who took it carefully and held it up to the light.

She was right when she had said it was tiny. Ianto had to squint to get a better look at it through the rounded glass. If he held it at the right angle, he thought he could just about make out the tiny flashing red light. It was certainly doing something.

"What did you scan it with?" he asked the medic, lowering the tube and blinking to try and rid his vision of black flashing images from staring directly into the ceiling light.

"This," Mel handed over a handheld device, the size of an old Nintendo Gameboy. It had a large screen with a steady green lining moving across the centre of it. Ianto ran it over the test tube and the green line jumped up like a heart monitor on overdrive. He moved it off and the line went static. "It's either sending or receiving a signal or some sort," Mel explained pointing to the line. "Hence why I labelled it a transmitter."

Ianto didn't point out that if it was receiving a signal, it wasn't a transmitter and pulled the lid off the test tube so he could tip the small device into his hand. He placed the test tube down and held it between his thumb and forefinger. It was very light. He peered at it closely. At first it looked like it was completely sealed, then he saw a tiny line running around the middle.

"What are you thinking?" Mel finally asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"How to dismantle the signal it's sending or receiving and maybe rewire it for personal use..." Ianto said, thoughtfully, not really paying attention to what he was saying.

"What personal use?"

"Huh...?" Ianto blinked and looked at Mel.

"You said you were thinking of re-wiring it for personal use. I was wondering what exactly." She explained, toying nervously with the edge of her jacket, knowing she needed to take that advice her friends and family had been giving her for years and think before she spoke.

Ianto met her gaze evenly, "I'm wondering if I could connect it up to our computers and enhance the communication software to send out a signal looking for Jack." He heard a quickly covered up sigh from the room behind him and ignored it, turning his attention back to the small alien device.

IIIII

Some hours later, Ianto rubbed his eyes as they refused to stay focused on the minute transmitter in front of him. He had connected it to his computer using what computer knowledge he had and used their software to redirect the signal out into the ether. He had cancelled the original signal completely, essentially leaving the tiny piece of equipment dead. The blinking red light had turned out and Ianto had to hope that whatever or whoever it was drawing to Earth had been deterred. Using a powerful magnifying glass and a pair of very delicate tweezers he had swiped from Mel's precious autopsy room, he had carefully added in three tiny wires which would allow him to control the device and its signal from a remote computer. Essentially, he added a blue tooth receiver into the transmitter which he protected from outside interference by using his computer and some intricate password software.

He knew he should go home. He had practically forced Mel out of the door an hour earlier, insisting he would soon follow. He had lied. Although at the time he hadn't meant to. He wanted some peace. He just wanted to send out one signal, to see if his efforts were fruitful. If it failed, he would call it a night and lock up and take another shot at it the next day.

Rubbing his eyes harshly, Ianto yawned and stretched before pressing the 'enter' key on his keyboard. This was going to be different. He had turned on the computer's microphone and was planning on broadcasting a wide signal to any ships or receiving devices within a certain radius of Earth. He wasn't looking for Jack's vortex manipulator. He was looking for Jack himself. He pressed a record button so he could leave his message repeating itself.

"Um... hello?" Ianto felt very stupid all of a sudden as his computer confirmed the signal was running strong. He hadn't thought through what he was going to say. "My name is Ianto Jones. From Earth. I am looking for a human going by the name of Captain Jack Harkness. If someone with that name is travelling with you or you know of them, please return this signal. Thank you."

He set the message to play back. Wincing at his stammer at the start and half wishing he had taken the time to start over. He glanced at the clock and grimaced when he saw it was pushing 3:30am. He decided to give it until 4:00am. Then he would turn it off and leave. He didn't want the message playing when he wasn't in the office, only when he was there to take any replies. If he got any.

IIIII

Jack was woken up by someone shaking his shoulder. He blinked up into a bright torchlight shining directly into his face and winced as it sent a spark of pain through his retina's thanks to the sharp contrast to the darkness his eyes had been accustomed to whilst he slept.

"Jack," came his name. "Jack, you needed. Captain needs."

Jack translated the broken English and pushed himself up until he was sitting on the edge of the bed. He was naked from the waist up, choosing to sleep in only his trousers. He thanked the messenger who left his room. He didn't know who it had been, their figure hidden behind the light. His t-shirt was in a crumbled ball on a small wooden chair next to his bed and he pulled it over his head, found he had it on backwards and twisted it before pushing his arms through the sleeves.

The ship was eerily silent as he made his way through to the cockpit of the ship. Dim lights lit up the corridor ahead of him and shadows hid every nook and cranny as he walked. Jack found himself wishing he had a weapon. His skin crawled with the lack of light and he told himself off. He was being silly. After what seemed an hour, when it was really only roughly ten minutes, Jack knocked on the door to the cockpit. He was invited in.

"Jack!" Came the excited greeting, "Jack, someone call for you."

"I'm sorry?" Jack frowned, completely confused and assuming he had misunderstood what he was being told.

"Call! Someone call for you!" The Captain seemed very excited and indicated the radio receiver and transmitter which was part of the ships control panel. There was silence for a few seconds and Jack was starting to grow impatient when he heard a voice.

""Um... hello? My name is Ianto Jones. From Earth. I am looking for a human going by the name of Captain Jack Harkness. If someone with that name is travelling with you or you know of them, please return this signal. Thank you."

"Ianto?" Jack gasped out loud. The Welsh boy was so dead if he had been keeping skills of this level from him! "Ianto! Can you reply?" He asked the Captain.

"Ya!" The alien pressed a button on the transmitter and invited Jack to step forward.

"Ianto?" Jack said, cautiously.

IIIII

Ianto jumped when he heard an unexpected sound. He lifted his head from his makeshift pillow and blinked, bleary eyed at the computer clock. 06:00. Ianto had allowed his head to rest on his folded arms on his desk for a few minutes but had been lulled into a relaxed state by the repeated message of his own voice. The new voice had dragged him out of his dreamworld.

"Hello?"

"Ianto?" Came the voice again. A voice Ianto recognised very well! Even if it was only soft. The signal wasn't as strong as he thought.

"Jack!" Ianto's voice was filled with joy and new energy.

"Oh gods, Ianto..." Jack voice filtered out through the speakers on his computer. Ianto could have wept.

"Where are you, Jack? Are you okay?" Ianto was worried the signal would cut out again.

"I'm okay. I'm on my way..." the signal cracked and Ianto missed the end of the sentence.

"Sorry? Say that again." Ianto found himself leaning forward as though it would make him hear Jack more clearly.

"I'm on my way home, Ianto. I'm coming back."

Ianto punched the air in joy.