Chapter 14
Jack and his team, the Doctor and Prince Varnia were all gathered in the Boardroom drinking tea and coffee, the Torchwood team attempting light-hearted conversation to ease the growing tension as the deadline inexorably neared the end.
The Doctor had just finished one of his tantalising stories of how he had helped save a distant planet of aliens, (who resembled arachnids on Earth without poisonous fangs) when a white brightness shone through the window. Conversation ceased abruptly as everyone turned to stare out the windows overlooking the main Hub.
Dazzling, white light pulsed in the Hub, expanding up and causing everyone in the Boardroom to blink and shade their eyes. As the light receded, three figures appeared as dark shapes before solidifying … three men stood shaking slightly, the smallest of them supporting his taller companions.
A mad dash out of the Boardroom ensued led by the Doctor, followed closely by Jack and his team, with Prince Varnia bringing up the rear. They all reached the Hub floor just as the three figures stepped out from the diminishing light.
Jack rushed forward when he spotted Ianto and pulled him unceremoniously out of John's embrace, hugging him tightly to himself as he cried out, "Ianto! Ianto!"
John glared fiercely at Jack, but said nothing. He turned with a smirk on his face to the others and said, "Well I hope you guys have a fantastic celebration dinner planned for me because we've just had one helluva ride through time and space!"
The Doctor rushed forward, grasping John's hand and shook it vigorously. "You must be Captain John Hart, Jack's friend! Welcome back and let's deal with this fine young man you've brought with you! By the way, I'm the Doctor!"
John grinned at the Time Lord and letting go of his hand, turned to the young man standing beside him transfixed, with his eyes locked onto Prince Varnia and announced, "This is Ianto Jones, from an alternate Universe, who was kind enough to agree to come and meet your gorgeous Prince and hopefully, win his heart. For the time being, we've called him Jones."
The Prince stood still in shock and bewilderment, gazing first at Ianto in Jack's arms, then turning to the other Ianto lookalike, Jones, who stood staring at him with a sexy smirk on his face. His former bond with Ianto still had a residue floating around inside him and he felt it pull towards the young man in Jack's arms. But that didn't stop him noticing just how beautiful this new Ianto was … and how attracted to him he was.
John turned to gaze at Prince Varnia and felt his breath catch. You are just gorgeous! Beyond gorgeous! Beyond any words the Universe could offer to describe someone like you! WOW! John pushed down the unwanted thought that followed his spontaneous flow … but you're not Ianto … you're not the one I love.
Jack was trembling as he held Ianto … then the young man slumped in his arms. Jack yelled out to Owen in alarm as he struggled to support Ianto's sudden dead weight. "Owen! Get over here! Ianto's collapsed!"
Gwen knew they couldn't all gather down in the autopsy bay so she gestured to Toshiko to help her deal with the two men standing awkwardly in front of each other, the Doctor just standing there grinning as if he had been instrumental in this meeting. She turned to Jones and invited him to join her and the Prince up in the Boardroom. Toshiko took the hint and gestured to the Doctor to follow her, explaining that perhaps they would be of more assistance leaving Gwen to deal with the Prince and Jones, while they could let the Shadow Proclamation know that John, Ianto and Jones had returned. The Doctor grumbled slightly, reluctantly following Toshiko to her work station. Then he shook his head vigorously, grabbed her hand and dragged her towards the Tardis.
Both John and Owen moved quickly to help Jack, while the Immortal tried to get Ianto up into his arms. John grabbed Ianto's feet while Jack wound his arms around his shoulders. Owen looked at Ianto, feeling for his pulse which was weak. Then stepped back in shock. "Get him to the autopsy bay!" the young medic ordered, racing ahead of them to set up his monitoring equipment.
He muttered to himself as he went down the stairs. "What the fuck has happened to teaboy?" Carefully John and Jack carried Ianto down, then gently laid him on the table. Seeing Ianto close up laid out on the table, Jack gasped in shock … then turned to glare at John.
Jack snarled at his former partner. "What the hell happened to Ianto, John? I trusted you to look after him! He looks terrible!"
John growled in reply. "He didn't cope when I left him to go in search of the other Ianto. My team tried to help him. He refused to eat; hardly slept; alternated between screaming fits and depression. I'm sorry, Jack, I never realised the bond, or more importantly, our separation, would affect him so badly. I was only gone six days and I hardly recognised him when I got back!"
"Sorry? You're sorry?" sneered Jack, "Your friends should have looked after him better than this! Got him medical help!"
"What part of 'My team tried to help him' did you not understand!" John growled in response, guilt and regret pooling in his stomach. "And he wasn't this bad when we left. The journey home knocked the crap out of him. We had to make unscheduled stops so Ianto could recover enough to continue hopping through space and time! All the while, I'm trying to make sure we get back before that damn deadline ran out!"
"Space hopping wouldn't have caused weight loss!" snapped Jack, his worry and concern for Ianto's poor condition making him angry at the man who had in fact, saved all their butts with his unorthodox solution.
John felt his anger rise up as he hissed out, "You idiot, Jack! You should realise by now what caused his weight loss … why he couldn't eat! The separation Jack of a bonded pair! I was strong enough to cope but Ianto wasn't. He hadn't had the time to get used to all the nuances of our bond and how to deal with a sudden separation! And then when my friends and I broke the bond? You should know how deeply that would have affected him … you should know how deeply sensitive he is … and you should know how stronghis empathic abilities are!"
Jack snarled back at him. "Yeah, well … just how strong was your bond, John? Did you sleep with Ianto? Lie naked with him? Did you fuck him, John?"
Enraged, John lunged towards Jack and spat at him, "No! I didn't lie naked with him! I didn't fuck him … but I damn well wish I had! Maybe then I wouldn't have returned him to you! Because Jack, I did that for his sake … not yours! I left him intact so he wouldn't have to live with the guilt! So he could come back to you, because despite our bond, it's you he's in love with! And I wish to hell he wasn't! I wish I could just take him away _"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP! Better still; get the fuck out of here … both of you!" yelled Owen frustrated at the two Captains fighting in his bay when he had a patient to deal with.
Jack and John looked over in shock at Owen and burst out simultaneously, "I'm not leaving him!" Now it was Owen's turn to look at the two men in shock and wonder … while they in turn, just glared at each other.
"Don't make me pull rank on you, Harkness! Because I will if you two idiots don't shut up! Medical protocols? You know the rules, Jack!" replied Owen, a smirk on his face.
Jack sobered at his medic's remarks. Owen was right. They were both acting like idiots … and Jack decided it was time for him and John to go up to his office and have a private talk. He nodded at Owen, and then gestured to John to follow him out of the autopsy bay.
John balked at leaving Ianto, but then he saw the pleading look in Jack's eyes and nodded curtly. Solemnly leading John up the stairs, neither of them missed the rather loud sigh of relief from Owen … which of course, was for their benefit.
Owen settled down to performing a thorough, physical exam of Ianto while the young man was still unconscious. Though he was concerned as to why Ianto hadn't woken up yet, he did note that his vitals had improved markedly. He smirked to himself as he pondered whether unconsciously, Ianto had reacted to all the tension around him and now the two annoying Captains were gone, he seemed to stabilise a lot quicker.
The young medic was still worried about why Ianto was taking so long to revive. Why is he so bad? He isn't injured … he's lost weight … but that shouldn't cause this level of breakdown. What the hell has the bond with John done to him? And the breaking of that bond? And what will be the long-term affects of it all? It's like the stupid fucker has gone into a virtual collapse … bordering on catatonic state. And how am I supposed to treat him, when I've no real idea what caused this and whether he'll be affected for some time? Shit! Why do all these stupid situations happen, revolving around teaboy? It's like he's marked out by Fate to be the fall guy in life …
The rise and fall of conversation in the main Hub could be heard as Jack and John bickered about Ianto, then it receded into the background as the two men headed up to Jack's office. Owen couldn't hear the voices of his other team mates … or the Doctor and Prince Varnia. He assumed that Gwen had taken charge and led them all up to the Boardroom. He hoped someone had the intelligence to contact the Shadow Proclamation. Which raised the inevitable question … would John's solution with Jones actually work and Prince Varnia accept the new Ianto? Owen shuddered at the horrifying thought of what might happen if it didn't work.
A sudden gasp escaped Ianto's lips as his eyes slowly fluttered open. Owen was instantly at his side, bending over him, his medical persona firmly in place as he checked the young man's stormy blue eyes as they came into view. A light flashed into Ianto's eyes and his face screwed up at the unwelcome intrusion as he blinked furiously. Then his whole body tensed as his mind tried to ascertain where he was and who was standing over him.
"Ianto! It's me, mate. Take it easy. You're in my bay, back at the Hub. Need you to calm down … breath slowly … that's it." Owen's voice was calm … soothing … unusually soft for the medic.
Ianto focused his eyes on the familiar face floating above him, a little puzzled at the soft gaze from the medic's brown eyes. "Owen?" he whispered in a croaky voice. "Where's John? Why isn't he here? Doesn't he realise I need him?"
Owen was taken aback at Ianto's latter questions. Did Ianto just ask for John? And not for Jack? Perhaps he's just disorientated and got their names mixed up. Those idiots are so alike, I wouldn't be surprised if he got a bit muddled … especially in the state he is in. Or … maybe that bond isn't as broken as John said it was. Shit! What if Ianto doesn't want Jack any more? What if he wants John instead? Fuck! What's Jack going to think? What's Jack going to do?
Owen shook his head furiously, earning a puzzled look from Ianto. He couldn't drive himself crazy thinking like this. It was Jack's problem, not his. All he needed to do was his job! "Sorry mate", he muttered apologetically to Ianto, earning him a raised eyebrow from his now, fully conscious patient. He turned to fiddle with some dials on his monitoring equipment, and then checked the flow of the drip that was rehydrating the young Welshman.
"Owen? What's wrong? Why am I here?" asked Ianto, his voice husky. He watched the medic carefully, noting the wires linking him to the monitors and wondered how he got back to the Hub. The last memory he had was gasping for breath as John and Jones struggled to maintain their grip on him … on some strange planet that appeared to have blue grass waving gently in a hot breeze at their feet.
Owen looked Ianto in the eye and stated calmly, "John brought you back with that lookalike … Jones? You collapsed in Jack's arms. And to be frank, teaboy? You look like shit! But you're going to be fine. Your vitals are stabilising and we're going to get you properly rested and fed. How come the weight loss? Couldn't stomach the local cuisine?"
Ianto's eyes fluttered closed momentarily, his body tensing on the autopsy table, hands clenching into tight fists at his side. A flood of emotions and wild thoughts rose up in him as memories of his time away raged like a storm through his mind. John! Oh god … John!
He opened his eyes, a flat stare meeting Owen's concerned look. "I'm fine. Yeah … food was … hard to stomach. And it was rough … with John. Where is he?"
Owen frowned. "Perhaps you can explain to me what you mean by rough? Your body will recover soon and I'll get nutrients back into you by drip, if I have to! But you're definitely going to be on a special diet to build up what you've lost, teaboy! Doctor's orders! Oh … and Jack is just fine now that you're back! You do remember him, don't you? Your boyfriend, your lover who has been beside himself with worry since you left! He may not show it, but he's been an absolute mess during your absence! Thought you might like to know that."
Ianto turned his face away from Owen, feeling a hot flush rise up his neck and face, unable to hide his embarrassment. His thoughts had been solely focused on John. Why am I thinking only about John? I know our bond has broken. So why am I still feeling like its John I need … want … love? What's gone wrong?
A gentle thought intruded on his tortured thoughts. Hey, babe! I'm here, don't worry. I'll be down to see you soon … just up here getting a bollocking from Jack over your condition. Now, stop! No need to worry. You're feeling a sort of residue of our bond, as I am. That's why we can still communicate … and why we both still have strong feelings for each other. It will all go with time … maybe take a bit longer than I thought it would. I'll explain it to you later and do something to fix it.
A smile broke over his face at the touch of John in his mind … and reassurance in his heart. Maybe I don't want you to fix it? Maybe you don't want that either? Maybe we should tell Jack _
Stop it, Ianto! Jack's glaring even harder at me now. He suspects I'm linking with you even though I've slammed my barriers up against him … narrowed it so that only you can receive. Gotta go now, babe, before he ends up slamming me against his wall. And not in the fun way!
Ianto chuckled, then caught Owen's confused look. "So teaboy … what the hell was that all about then? And don't give me bullshit! I'm your medical officer and I need to know exactly what is going on with you? Because I don't think that glazed look is because you were having an erotic daydream, now is it?" Owen stared pointedly at Ianto's crotch to emphasise his words.
Ianto sighed heavily. "I'll explain later. I _ I need to see John first."
Owen glared at Ianto, watching the familiar face close up to him as Ianto's professional façade covered his features. "Alright teaboy!" he sneered at the young Welshman, "Have it your own way. And tell me … are you going to be needing Jack anytime soon? Because if you're not, then I guess you had better tell him pretty soon!"
The medic turned away from Ianto, scowling as he busied himself resetting some of the controls on the monitors. This is just fucked up … really fucked up. And I'm guessing it's just going to get worse. What the hell is it about teaboy that he has not one, not two … but three men gagging after him! And they're all drop dead gorgeous! What do they see in him? And what hell will break loose upon our heads because of this whole sorry fiasco?
"What the fuck was that all about John? And don't lie to me! You're still linked with Ianto, aren't you? Sending him little love messages were you?" Jack yelled, anger evident in his tone and his stiffened body.
"Jack, calm down, for fuck's sake! I explained a long time ago … you know … when we were together, what it's like with a bond? And how there's still a residue after it's been broken? It won't last that long and no, I wasn't sending Ianto love messages. I was trying to reassure him that it wouldn't last! And I can help him with it!"
"No, John!" Jack stated firmly, steely tone in his voice. "I will be the one helping Ianto get over his … his residue with you. You're going to be leaving, remember?"
John returned the angry glare, wondering for the umpteenth time, exactly why he was helping Ianto return to Jack … when he knew that he wanted the young Welshman as much as his former lover. "If you want Ianto to return to normal … in time … you're going to need me to help with that! If I were to leave now, Ianto would just cling to the residue, rather than let it go! I need to be here to help him through this, Jack! You do want him back, all for yourself, don't you? Or would you rather risk the residue strengthening in him because he can't let go?"
Jack snorted in frustration. He knew John was right … he had, in fact, explained everything about the bond a long, long time ago … when they were together … and John had wanted to bond with Jack. He remembered his strange reluctance to cement that relationship with John and he still couldn't quite understand why that was. But if the chance to bond with Ianto was available, Jack knew he would accept it without a moment's thought. Jack loved Ianto to the depths of his being, even though he knew the cost of losing Ianto to death … or to someone else … would be higher than he could bear.
It still didn't make him feel any better that John was willing to stay and help with the residue. His shoulders slumped in defeat and the depths of his feelings were evident to John as he was unable to hide how afraid he was of losing Ianto … to his former lover.
John felt an unexpected wave of sympathy pass through him for the handsome Captain sitting opposite him … and was just as surprised as Jack, when he realised the other man had felt it. He averted his gaze from Jack, realising both had been so caught up in their emotions, that their barriers had come sliding down.
Jack sighed softly and said quietly, "I _ I'm sorry, John. I haven't treated you well, considering the risk you took to take Ianto and then return. With a lookalike Ianto from an alternate reality, no less! Your plan was brilliant and you executed it well. I should be thanking you, not bawling you out because of a residue of your bond. And you're right, John, I know that. The bond will fade with time. And you will be returning to your own time … your own life."
John nodded in acknowledgement, hiding his surprise at Jack's about turn. Apologies did not come easily to Jack … or to himself! John also hid the guilt he felt at what he was going to do with the residue between himself and Ianto … and that tiny thread he had left intact when their bond had been broken on V-dale Sipora. He intended to work on it as he promised Jack, but not in the way the Immortal would want him to do it. Just as long as Ianto was willing …