They spent another night waiting for the monster. Jack and Ianto had forgiven each other and John by then, almost thankful that the truth was out in the open. It was too tidy, this forgiveness, but it was something for the moment. The bridge in the gulf they had been trying to ignore. Jack came down to see him in the morning, Tosh reporting nothing spectacular happening in the night. The wait seemed to even be getting to John.
John sat, staring at the wall of his cell, noting that it was Jack but being inconsiderate, even for himself. Jack coughed and made the first move. "What do you see when you look at that wall?"
"Do you really want to know what I see?" Jack nodded slowly.
"I see a place, a different sort of time. I see a home somewhere. Where the sun never gets too warm and the rain is always cooling, but it never floods. Where the buildings are tall with white columns, but no one is ever denied access. Where there is no war, no demons, no homeless, nothing but good."
"Sounds perfect."
"It is perfect. It's dream-like. There is even a waterfall that flows through the town; white water cascading down into a gentle rainbow."
"Maybe it was real once."
"No, even Darius laughs at me when we bother to discuss it."
"Darius doesn't know what he's missing."
"Jack, can I be weak for just a moment?"
"That's such a strange thing to ask."
"Well, you almost always see me like this, like I never lose this fight. But I did. I almost lost it once for good and let him have control. And now, with everything, I do wonder if maybe he'd have a better chance of fighting the Gentleman."
Jack leapt forward, against the glass. "You can't think that."
"He's the stronger of the two. I am the light, he's the dark, but he's stronger physically. Oh Jack, you smell so much like home. And then Ianto. What would Ianto say?" Jack took John into a deep hug.
"Right now, I don't care." Okay, that wasn't completely true. "You are my number one priority."
"You flatter me, Capt. Harkness. You flatter me."
The alarms began to sound and the pair fled to the center of the Hub. All eyes pointed to the source of the alarms, and several forceful booms, many like the two that had proceeded Randall's death. John's breath went shallow and he closed his eyes, clutching an invisible cross necklace he never wore.
Jack grabbed his hand. "We're here. Team, get ready! Tosh, we need weapons. We don't know what we're fighting, but I can guarantee you this isn't an ordinary villain!"
The booms stopped. "I hate the quiet." Five minutes passed and the alarms still continued to sound.
"He's in the area."
"Don't lose your head. Everyone ready." The booms began again and were followed by a screech that sent John screaming to his knees. Tosh fell down to where he was and began to cradle him.
"Jack, do something!"
In a flash of dust and steel, the Gentleman came through the door. His body was a shade of sickly yellow, his head twice as large. Four thick arms reached down and pulsed in unforgiving rage. His thick green eyes targeted John.
"Fire!" Bullets bounced in every direction from his skin.
"I'm not afraid Jack. Just kill me."
"I won't let him kill you." John kissed Toshiko.
"No, this is the only way to stop him. Shoot me through the heart, Jack!" One of Ianto's bullets grazed the monster's bicep and split the air between Toshiko and John. Toshiko fell away and John leapt back toward the cells. "Come on, you brute! I'm the one you came for!"
"John! No!"
"I'm giving you a clear shot Jack! Bloody shoot me and save the Earth!" Jack hesitated and John brought his arm up as a claw sliced his forearm to the bone. Three deep gashes made him fall in brief agony and surprise.
Jack looked around quickly and whistled for Owen. "Owen, throw me the plasma torch!"
Jack took the torch and covered his eyes while he cut through the elevator leading to the "visitor's entrance". He used the torch to heat the metal and then through the cool part towards the monster while the rest of the team ducked. A crackling singe a few seconds later told Jack he had gotten his target. The monster's screech sent Toshiko to her knees this time.
The monster leapt forward menacingly, aiming for Jack. Owen ran towards John to check his cuts. He gave John a shot of adrenaline and John's eyes flew open, but his voice was angrier than any Owen had heard.
"Not Jack!" Darius flipped forward and looked around. A part of an electrical conduit lay sparking close to the water the "Gentleman" was walking through. Darius let his lip snarl and then he picked up the conduit. He jumped onto the back of the Gentleman and felt claws fly into his shoulders.
"Fine! You want emotion you bloody monster?! I'll give you emotion, all the way back to hell!" Darius shoved the conduit into the eyes of the beast and the power surged through them both. It took the Owen and Gwen to hold Jack and Toshiko back from the water as the electricity and pain surged through the beast and his prey.
"My entire life has been nothing but hell and now we'll finish this!" Darius yelled out into the night and both were engulfed in a sinister orange light, the faint embers of hell. The "Gentleman" would have screamed, but could no longer make a sound.
The water began to melt around the two and the beast began to sink into somewhere. John began to melt and Torchwood watched helplessly as the scene unfolded. One blinding bit of light later and John's body lay still, face down in a puddle of his own sweat and water. Jack was almost afraid to check whether he was dead or alive.
Toshiko reached him and turned him away from the water. She cradled him and checked for a pulse.
"It's faint!"
Epilogue
John's hair had returned and thank to a few dinners courtesy of take-out and Toshiko's brief stint with homemade meals, he was a bit healthier looking. Although, he mused as he looked in Jack's mirror, spiking his orange hair, anything is better than looking like a corpse. Two jagged edges ran down the sides of his face, giving him a little more character than he previously had.
They waited for him outside the office, all but Jack. He came first to Gwen.
"Thank you for the book, once again. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed reading novels. Every time I finish another chapter of some great classic, I'll think of you." Gwen nodded and walked away, brushing a tear from her cheek.
"You keep in touch, mate."
"I'm glad we got over the jealousy thing, Owen." John took Owen into a one-armed hug and they patted each other's backs.
"Toshiko."
"I, I made you a batch of cookies for the road. Sorry if the undersides are a bit burnt."
John smiled warmly and took Toshiko's hand. He kissed it and then reached forward and kissed her cheek. "I'm sure they'll be lovely. I appreciate everything you've done for me. Now, don't cry. You've got a good life here, good friends, good chances of getting everything you want and need. I'll be fine."
Toshiko sat on the couch, unsure of her ability to stand.
"And as for you..."
"I promise I'll send the recipe."
"That's a good coffee boy." John took him into a hug. "You're the luckiest bloke on earth, Ianto. You know that, right?"
"I'd say we fair about even," Ianto cracked a weak laugh. "You'll be missed."
John set his forehead against Ianto's. "Now don't start crying or I will."
"Thank you Ianto. And thank you all." John looked up at the lift and got on. He pressed a button and bowed as he began to rise to the surface. He even saluted Myfanway as she cawed her goodbyes.
Jack waited for him at the surface, signing something on a clipboard for a man riding a chopper.
"You didn't think I'd just let you slink off into the night, now did I?"
"I wouldn't have expected anything less." John smiled a half-smile in Jack's direction before looking down.
"What will you do now? The offer for staying here is..."
"Unnecessary, though appreciated." John raised his hand to stop Jack from offering again, no matter how much he wanted it. "I missed three years of my life Jack, a lifetime that I have to get back. I'll come and check on you, try and keep you out of trouble."
"Hey, you're the one headed for more trouble than me."
"We'll see, Jack. We'll see."
Seconds flew by as Jack inhaled deeply.
"If you start crying, I'll start crying, and then how would that look?" They hugged, and John buried his face in Jack's neck, allowing a small string of tears to fall. He could feel Jack's hand on the back of his head.
When they parted, John stroked part of his new chopper as he mounted.
"You've got good taste John Tripp." John allowed his sunglasses to flip down over his eyes as his other hand let go of Jack.
"I'll never forget you, Jack Harkness."
"Don't be a stranger."
John started up his chopper and rode with the sunset at his back, headed for his next adventure and Italy. He had always wanted to see Italy.