Go To Her.
The next morning was uncomfortable for all kinds of reasons for Phoenix. Before going to the hub, she had the private meeting with General Stanley, Captain Terry and Captain Matthews behind Jack's and Torchwoods back. She then met the pilots and showed them what she would look like in battle including Adina so they didn't shoot her out of the sky as that is where her battle was and then she met the sharp shooters and gave Jack's personal sharp shooter his own instructions. Phoenix then pulls Captain Matthews aside and gives him his own special orders. Phoenix then goes to the hub as usual.
"Why did you leave last night Phoenix?" Ianto asks her as she arrives.
"I had to Ianto. Nothing personal. I just have to prepare and it wasn't fair on you. You need your rest too Ianto. I am fine," Phoenix tell him and deep in his heart, he knew she was lying but he couldn't do anything.
As per Phoenix's instructions, General Stanley, Captain Terry and Captain Matthews each played their part and had false meetings with Torchwood, letting Jack think that he was still in charge, Phoenix not adding much to the meetings. Afterwards, Phoenix had the team training. She now made them train twice a day for 2 hours a time, sometimes making them stay at the hub after hours. Things that Torchwood usually dealt with were unusually quiet, even the Weevils were behaving themselves. Owen said that they knew what was coming, they could sense it.
The evacuation of the Cardiff was going to plan and was soon complete. As the days past and the time came closer, tension in the hub rose. They were the only ones that knew what was coming, how bad it could be and what had to be done. Phoenix was now more than confident in the teams ability to handle themselves in the battlefield but secretly knowing that she had arranged back up. Even the Doctor came back, Jack and Phoenix went into the TARDIS to discuss the plan that he had come up with. A way to attract The Devourer to Phoenix and then a way to help her release the energy that she would be taking away from The Devourer as he knew that she could only store so much before she burnt herself out. Despite his plans and trying to convince Phoenix of them, her agreeing but deep down, knowing what she was going to do.
Each day went like this until the last day, the day the Doctor had left and the day before The Devourer came. Phoenix went to the office, not bothering to knock on the door, just walking in.
"I want them to go home early Jack. I want them to go home and be with each other. Owen and Tosh, Gwen and Rhys because I know he is still in Cardiff and you and Ianto. You all need to go home, be together, make love to each other, whatever you need to do. I'm not asking Jack, I'm telling you," Phoenix tells him leaning over the desk.
"And what about you Phoenix? Who is going to be there for you? Hold you, kiss you, tell you that it is all going to work?" Jack asks her and she stands up straight.
"I don't need anyone Jack. Worry about your team. They are on the front lines tomorrow morning and they need to spend time with the people they love. They need to be in the right frame of mind Jack or this won't work. I am trained. I know what I need to do Jack. Worry about them," she tells him as she heads for the door.
"I worry about you Phoenix. I love you. I want to hold you tonight and tell you that you need to come back. You need to survive this and come back to us, come back to me," Jack tells her standing up behind the desk.
"I won't be coming back Jack. You know that," Phoenix tells him and leaves the office.
Phoenix goes over to Toshiko's computer and lays her hand on it. Before Toshiko can stop Phoenix, she has shut the computers down and then turns the computers off.
"I want you to go home. Go home now. Gwen, go home to Rhys. Owen and Tosh, go home. Ianto, take your Captain home. Go home and be together, enjoy each other, make love to each other, tell each other that you love each other. Do what ever you need to do just go home. Have some time for yourselves. You have a hard day ahead tomorrow. I will see you bright and early back here at 5am to get ready. If any of you are still here in 10 minutes, I will throw you out myself," Phoenix tells them as a tear runs down her cheek.
"What about you Phoenix? Where are you going?" Ianto asks her as tears fall down his face, knowing what she was going to do the next morning.
"I'm going back to the planet Ianto. I have some things to take care of there, some people to see. I'll be back in the morning," Phoenix tells him, tears now streaming down everyone's face, even Owen had a tear in his eye.
"You didn't fail her Phoenix. You didn't fail any of them," Jack tells her standing at the door of his office.
"Yes Jack. Yes I did fail them and now I take their revenge by killing it. Time is running out. Go home," she tells the team and she watches them getting their things together, each of them giving Phoenix a look that says goodbye and she knew it.
Jack joins Ianto at the workstations and they look at her.
"Don't look at me like that. You two have fun tonight," she tells them as she calls up a Vortex, turning from them, tears streaming down her face as she steps inside and disappears.
Jack and Ianto go into the office. Jack heads straight for the bottom drawers of the desk and pulls out the bottle stashed there, pouring himself a glass. Ianto goes to a drawer and opens it, pulling something out and putting it in his pocket.
"You want to be with Phoenix tonight don't you Jack?" Ianto asks Jack as he drinks.
"I'm right where I want to be," Jack tells him taking another sip.
"Don't lie Jack. You know that she needs you and you want to be with her, one last time," Ianto tells Jack and Jack turns to him.
"Where is all this coming from Ianto," Jack asks him.
"You told me that you loved her. I see it with my own two eyes. She loves you more than she cares to admit. She is going to die tomorrow Jack. She is going to die and tonight is her last night and you are really going to tell me that you don't want to be with her, make love to her on her last night?" Ianto asks him knowing all the answers already.
"I know that she is going to die tomorrow Ianto and no matter what I do, no matter how I try, I can't stop her from dying and it is killing me. I want her to survive but you know as much as I do that this isn't going to happen. This isn't fair. I have to choose between you and all of us will lose," Jack tells Ianto looking away from him.
"Yes Jack but Phoenix will lose the most. She loses the man she loves and her life forever. I think you should go to her, you need to go to her," Ianto tells Jack and his head snaps back to Ianto.
"What are you saying Yan? What are you telling me to do?" Jack asks him as Ianto smiles.
"I think you know what I am saying Jack," Ianto smiles at him.
"But why Yan? Why would you suggest this?" Jack asks him stepping closer to Ianto.
"I have my reasons," Ianto tells Jack looking down at the floor.
"And what are those reasons Yan? What could they possibly be?" Jack asks him lifting Ianto's gaze from the floor to his eyes.
"Give her a little happiness before she dies Jack. I think that she deserves that for all that she has done and will do. You are the only man she has ever loved Jack. She has travelled through time and space to come here and save you. She knows that if The Devourer gets it's hands on you, there is a good chance that it could kill you for good," Ianto tells him looking in his eyes.
"That's not all of it though is it Yan?" Jack asks him.
"No Jack. This isn't all of it. You love her and she loves you. She means a lot to you Jack and Gray meant nothing to me but it didn't stop me from sleeping with him and more than once. I'm not saying that this is a game of tit for tat Jack. I betrayed you, cheated on you. I want you, urge you to go to her. I'm not saying that this is going to be easy for me, it isn't but I want you to go. You won't forgive yourself if you don't go Jack," Ianto tells him looking deep into Jack's eyes.
"Why are you doing this Yan?" Jack asks him taking Ianto in his arms.
"Because I love you Jack. I know how Phoenix feels. To love someone so much but not be able to be with them. I have you, we are together but Phoenix, she is so alone. She has been alone for so long and now she has reached the end. We still have to be together Jack but she hasn't got anyone. I know you want to go to her and I know deep in my heart that you do, go to her before it is too late Jack. I will be waiting for you to come back to me," Ianto tells him as tears escape both of their eyes.
"I can't go to her Yan. She isn't on Earth. She's on that planet and I have no way of getting there Yan," Jack tells him and then Ianto smiles.
"You have got a way of getting there, you just haven't thought about it Jack," and Ianto pulls something out of his pocket and hands it to Jack.
"Where did you get this from? It's not Phoenix's and it isn't mine?" Jack asks him totally forgetting.
"I got it from the Vault. It's Gray's. Remember?" Ianto asks him as Jack takes the Vortex Manipulator and puts it on his other wrist.
"I don't feel right doing this, going to Phoenix when you are here," Jack tells him fitting the strap.
"You and Phoenix need to be with each other tonight Jack and we all know it and believe it or not, I'm ok with it Jack. You are my partner Jack, my man if you like and you always will be. Go to her, she needs you," Ianto tells him and he takes Jack by the arm and leads him out of the office into the main hub.
"Are you sure about this Yan?" Jack asks him knowing that it would be too late once he has gone through.
"I'm sure Jack. Just come back to me before tomorrow," Ianto tells him and Jack kisses Ianto and he kisses him back with the most gentle kiss.
Jack opens the Vortex Manipulator and looks at Ianto.
"Just activate it. I had Toshiko input the co-ordinates just don't ask me how she did it," Ianto tells Jack with a smile.
Jack activates it and a Vortex appears in front of him and as he walks into it, he turns and sees Ianto standing in the hub with his hands in his pockets. Jack looks forward and carries on through the Vortex.