Well, finally, an update! This chapter's for Kiki...:) Enjoy, and thanks to everyone who reviewed!
He had known the power of time. He had felt it before, just for a split second, swirling through the time vortex clinging to the TARDIS. And once before, when the power of the Bad Wolf had enveloped him.
He felt it now. The pain and the happiness that had ever existed, and would ever exist. He saw everyone's pain and he felt everyone's sadness. The names slipped from his lips as he fell to the ground. The other Jack watched him, mercilessly.
"You have this power, you know. Time created you. You created me…you always had this power. But you wouldn't use it, you would show-" the other Jack sneered, disgusted-"you would show mercy."
'Don't lose it,' something in Jack urged. 'Fight it.' Jack gasped, clinging on to the thought, still trying not to get carried away by the time…oh, right, that was funny, wasn't it? He'd made a joke?
Jack giggled feebly, suddenly breaking the deafening silence. The other Jack raised an eyebrow, suddenly cautious.
"Time made me," Jack spat out. "That doesn't mean it can control me." He breathed heavily, conscience that he would soon black out.
"It can control them though." His clone whispered, menacingly. "We'll take them over. Like we've done with your little friends…it all started with him."
"Ianto?" Jack croaked. "Owen…?"
"It's his fault. Ianto's." The clone told him, gleefully. It started running away; Jack couldn't tell where it was going because he was fading...and the last words on his lips were "not Ianto…"
"That will do." Owen said, slightly breathlessly. Ianto looked up, confused.
"What?"
"That'll do. To think about." Owen explained, smiling. "Ianto…"
"Yes?"
"Look…I'll admit I'm attracted to you. And you to me."
"Obviously."
"But…" Owen paused, not really sure what to say. "Well…"
"Fuck this." Ianto spat suddenly. "I know, I know. 'We can't have a relationship, this can't be anything,' whatever the fuck you want to say. Jack made that mistake too. I don't want a relationship, Owen, alright? Sex, yeah. But we're gonna die soon, what's the point? Why do you think I was shagging Jack? Because I love him? Don't be so naïve Owen, I don't want a fucking relationship anymore because with Torchwood they don't fucking work! I just want-" he stopped suddenly, embarrassed. Owen paused, embarrassed and angry at himself.
"Ianto?" he asked tentatively.
"Sorry. Look, don't mistake me for that, okay Owen? I can't do that relationship thing anymore. Seeing someone regularly, fine. I care for Jack, I care for you but I don't love you. I don't want to love you, I just-"
"Yeah. I know." Owen's tone held sympathy for Ianto as the younger man rubbed his face wearily, trying to disguise the tear marks. "Look-just come here. We don't want you getting cold, do we? We should…think of a plan or something…"
Tosh was getting uneasy, waiting for help. She hated being so powerless. The other Owen was wandering about the Hub. She couldn't physically tackle it…and when she had tried to shoot it, telling herself that it wasn't really Owen, it was alien it had looked at her, with Owen's eyes. And spoken with Owen's voice. And at the same time, as she was gathering up the courage to shoot something that looked so like him it had taken her gun.
She was waiting for the other Owen, the real one, but he was obviously still outside with Ianto. Poor Ianto, she thought. He must have been so scared, all this time, thinking it was him…
And Jack? What would a clone of Jack's be like? She'd asked Owen #2 but he'd just looked at her scornfully. Like Owen did sometimes, the real one. But this was the real one. It had his mind.
"All along," it was whispering, "all along, he never liked you. They didn't. Did you think you'd found friends, Tosh? Did you really? They just needed you, just like everyone has always needed your brains. It wasn't you they wanted."
"It was. We're friends. They don't hate me…"
"But they do, Tosh. Everyone does."
She turned away, trying not to let her eyes blur with tears again. But it kept on muttering, whispering to her what was surely the truth.
Jack remembered the future. He could recall the end of the universe and the day the human race came into contact with aliens, properly, not just trying to kill something. The first alien and human baby. The 51st century…
He'd never pretended to understand it. If you thought about that too much, it could drive you crazy. Even the Doctor didn't understand it, Jack thought.
But as he was walking, almost unsteadily through the streets of Cardiff, trying to wipe away the dizziness that came with being encased in time, he knew that the future he'd seen could change. Anytime, the people he knew he was yet to know could be wiped out. The future wasn't certain. It could change here. It could be wiped out know, with these alien clones…and it was all Ianto's fault?
His young lover? His friend, his employee? Ianto?
Jack let out a groan, earning him some odd looks from passers by. One young women came up to him, looking wary but sympathetic.
"Um…sorry but…are you okay…?" she asked, flinching slightly as Jack turned to study her.
"Yes. Thank you, yes I'm fine."
"Oh, alright then, sorry to have bothered you."
"No…it's okay. Please, don't worry. I'm Captain Jack Harkness, who are you?"
"I'm…" she hesitated.
"You don't have to say-" Jack said, already turning away. She thought he was trying to pick her up. Normally he might have considered it. She was pretty, very tall with long brown hair. But right now, he had more important things on his mind. And she was too young, anyway.
"I'm Kiki." She told him, eventually.
"Kiki?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks, for coming up. Most people wouldn't do that. But hey, are you okay?" he asked as he realised she wasn't even wearing a coat. "It's cold, y'know."
"I'm looking for my friend." She explained. "I think she's run away…" she sounded so miserable Jack felt genuinely sorry for her.
"Well, I'm Police. Sort of. If we can help, call me. But I'm sure she'll come back."
"She wasn't very happy." Kiki found herself explaining. "She never said anything. But I could see it, she wasn't very happy. I'll call if she doesn't turn up, then?" she took Jack's offered card. "Her names Joni Weller, please-"
"Joni?" he asked sharply. The girl Ianto had been talking too, in the park? Kiki nodded. Jack grinned.
"Don't worry. I think she was just going to sort things out in her head, then come on home. She was upset though, you're right. What she's going to do is very brave." He told her.
"How'd you know?" she asked, bewildered.
"Just do. Look after her."
"Thanks." She said, still confused.
"Nah, its okay. Thank you." He said, before running off again.
Kiki stared after him, confused. Her hands closed around his card, before she turned and walked away slowly.
Hope it was okay...please review! X