AN: The usual: Torchwood: don't own it; none of the characters are mine EXCEPT Eva. She's all mine and I'm not making any money off of any of it.
Well, everyone…this is it!!! My first Big Butt Story is FINISHED! Thank you to ALL OF YOU that stuck it out to the bitter end. To all of you that jumped every time when I posted a new chapter – you have no idea how my heart just did flips! And to my Brits, the ones that created a great guy (RTD) to make such a wonderful character (Captain Jack) and a fabulous series (Torchwood) that became food for thought for us Fan Fiction writers. Thanks also to those that are physically so far away, but with the help of the Internet, find my little stories…so readers in Australia, New Zealand, China, The Netherlands, India, Slovenia, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Brazil, Malaysia, Mauritius, Finland, to name a few …thank you so much! To all of you that left reviews, thank you for your comments and your praise…really helps when the Writer's Block has the texture and resiliency of cinderblock. And so…
Summary: The Past, Present, Future – and Distant Future.
Past – Eva visits her King one last time.
Present – Ianto thinks of those who have passed as Gwen is sworn in as PM.
Future – Jack – aka The Face of Boe. Eva and Ianto collect their beloved after 'Gridlock".
Distant Future – The End of All Things….
Torchwood: Archangel
Chapter 10: Angels – Past, Present, Future…and Distant Future
Past – Eva
I, Jathren of La-Ren, First Historian to The Captain and His Archangels, write these last lines as I am ready to pass this mantle of Historian To The Eternals to my First Born, Bathren. For one hundred and fifty years I have served The Three: Captain Jack Harkness, Ianto Jones aka The Metatron and Eva Tovar aka Charon. I have considered every day in their service a blessing direct from The Great One Himself. I, my mate and my many offspring are well and content.
But I digress…the reason for this entry is an extraordinary find Bathren has made while at the ruins of Nexain. He has sent vids – I am SO PROUD that his name will forever be tied to this discovery!
Before it was understood that the First Archangel, designated Charon and later named Eva Tovar, never went back to her own people's time. Time Paradoxes and such was the reason given. But Bathren's new evidence shows this to be false! I could barely contain my excitement when I presented my son's initial findings to the Three and The Doctor. The TimeLord and The Captain both had words with Charon – I believe she will make the attempt. The data Bathren uncovered said Eva Tovar, Archangel of Torchwood, appeared at the deathbed of her Prince, later The Great King Keln Tovar. She is never mentioned by name, but the word 'Torchwood' is written, as well as references to 'His Majesty's Dearest', 'The First' and 'The Great One's Eternal Servant'….
~~TWTWTW~~
The Great Hall of The House of Tovar was deserted when a pinprick of light grew until a figure dressed in black and red knobby silk robes appeared. Its cowl was over its head and a blue periwinkle sash held its robes in place. The figure looked around the great entry way as it marched towards the Royal Quarters, feeling the sorrow that permeated the place. A great man was passing…and the whole planet was in mourning.
Many were gathered outside the entry way to the main chamber – The King's Bedroom. The figure walked determinedly towards the great double doors, guarded by two of The King's Personal Detail. They crossed their spears in front of the doors and looked at the interloper.
'The Family alone has access,' The Captain of the Guard stated, then studied how the figure was dressed. 'There is a Priest in there with them already,' he added.
'I AM Family,' a female voice growled from under the cowl as she pushed it from her head. 'I am Archangel Eva Tovar of Torchwood – and I am here to see my King.' A loud, general gasp escaped those present in the outer chamber.
The two men instantly recognized the Archangel from the statue in front of The Great Hall of Learning they both had graduated from as boys. A thousand years later and renditions of the statue in miniature and holos of her visage could be bought every Celebration Day. They removed their spears as the silent guard opened the door.
'My Lady,' The Captain stammered. 'Princess Eva said you would come. She has been waiting for you…they all have, even the Majesties.' Eva simply nodded as she hesitantly entered a room she had never seen before this moment.
As the door closed, ten anxious faces looked up from their places around the room to see the newcomer. Queen Isabella let out a sob as she rose from her seat and engulfed the Archangel in a bear hug. Princesses Eva and Naiven followed suit – and the poor Archangel was overwhelmed for a few moments as she comforted the women.
'I am here, my Ladies,' she cooed gently. 'I am home, my Queen and Princesses.'
The Queen pulled back and kissed Eva on her forehead. 'But not for long. Praise be to The Great One for the time He has allowed you to be with us now,' she whispered, looking behind Eva towards the curtained area of the room. Beyond that the King lay. 'He has been asking for you every time he awakes.' The Queen then pulled Princess Eva into an impulsive hug. 'She kept saying you would find a way to come. I just…I didn't think…I didn't think you would be here in time,' she mumbled into the Archangel's hair.
'I had help,' Tovar said softly. 'My Lord Captain and the TimeLord found a way for me to be here…when I would be needed most,' she finished, putting a calming hand on the Queen's shoulder. She then gathered the Princesses Eva and Naiven to her, kissing them tenderly on their temples and foreheads. She then walked to the curtains, and, pulling them back found a bed similar to her own where her Prince of old lay quietly. The Princes Castor and Troy; tall, beautiful men, nearly tumbled over themselves in their rush to greet the Archangel.
'You came,' Castor breathed, holding her close.
'Eva said…Father has been waiting,' Troy finished. The Archangel held them the same way she held the Princesses and Queen.
'It is good to see you again, Great One's Eternal Servant,' the men said as one.
'Archangel,' a soft but commanding voice called from the bed. Eva released the Princes and walked to the side of the bed, grasping the frail hand held out to her.
'My Lord,' she said softly. Prince Castor returned with a chair for Eva and departed silently. She sat, looking into her King's expectant eyes.
'How long has it been for you, Dear One?' he asked.
'One Hundred and fifty years, my Lord,' she answered evenly. 'All of Torchwood is run from Cardiff now under the supervision of The Captain and His Archangels.'
'Ianto Jones?' he asked. Eva nodded. 'You chose well, Dear One,' he continued. 'And he and The Captain watch over you?'
'As we watch over each other, my King,' she answered.
'What of the others? Lord and Lady Williams? Mr. Mickey Smith? Ms. Martha Jones? Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart and The Doctor?'
'They were all true Kai, my Lord. The only one not to pass is the TimeLord…and he is more than content.'
'Ah…he found The Other,' Keln said, smiling softly.
'Yes, my Liege. He did.'
Once The Oberon was shrunk back down and everyone was in the Hub on Earth, Eva took The Doctor aside and told him where he could meet another of his kind. The female clone that he thought lost. She had a husband…and a daughter that she had named Susan. She told him that they had been present during The Gathering, as UNIT had code-worded the event, but she had wanted to get home to her husband and child and so could not meet them. A single tear escaped The Doctor's eye as he then grabbed The Archangel and spun her around, shocking the rest of the group into silence. I'm off to visit family! he yelled as he ran to the TARDIS, throwing his long coat behind him. They saw him often after that. And little Susan…
'They may be gone – but never forgotten. Their offspring know of us – and many work for us. Those that don't do a quick call-to-arms when the Earth is in trouble. You would be surprised how much danger such a small planet can find itself in,' Eva explained. Keln Tovar chuckled, but then the chuckle turned into a coughing fit that didn't stop until Eva lifted him up into a sitting position.
'Tell me more, Eva,' he said softly once she had accommodated him on the pillows anew.
'Martha Jones married her fiancé, Tom Milligan, and they became Doctor and Doctor Milligan. He became a pediatric physician for UNIT while Martha retained her position of Chief Medical Officer; kept it for more than forty years. They had three children: one son and two daughters. Mr. Mickey Smith found himself a beautiful UNIT lieutenant from the Ukraine. I was told often it was love at first sight for both. She was a gorgeous creature, completely besotted with him. They had quite a brood – six children. Three boys, three girls. Their home was filled with so much love and good will you could feel its presence every time they opened their front door. My Captain always said something different went on in that house. Ianto found out the reason about thirty years ago…still brings a chuckle to us. We were laughing over it for weeks with their great-great grandchildren. It appeared all of the great-great-great grandchildren had much higher than expected psi levels.' She leaned in conspiratorially and stage whispered: 'Dear Olga was descended from the Beings of Olympus.'
The King laughed at that.
'Lethbridge-Stewart passed a few months after The Gathering. He went peacefully, his dear wife passed a few weeks later. The Captain and Ianto took care of all the arrangements, making sure they were buried on the grounds of the Lethbridge-Stewart estate, as per the wishes of the Brigadier himself. The Doctor was beside himself for some time. Ianto was a comfort to him…at one time he hated the TimeLord so much…but thank The Great One, they are good friends now. This latest incarnation is quite young…the pair of them playing one-on-one basketball is a sight!
'The Lethbridge-Stewarts had no heirs, so they left their estate and worldly possessions to my Captain. He has since built a few UNIT facilities on the property as housing for retired UNIT members. The main house however, he kept for us.'
Too many memories to have just anyone traipsing through, he said in explanation. Ianto and Eva simply kissed him in understanding.
'Rhys and Gwen Williams,' Eva said sighing. 'Gwen became Prime Minister twenty five years after their first son, Edward, was born. And her party remained in power for more than twenty more. She was elected Prime Minister three consecutive times…the fourth time they attempted; she declined deciding the job was meant for someone else. And Rhys…my dear fiery Rhys. He lived into his nineties; passing one night six years after Gwen. They also had four children…two sons, two daughters. Their great-great-great grandson, Rhys Edward, is current Lord Mayor of Cardiff. Many wish for him to seek a Cabinet post. But rather then go to his advisors, he asks three Immortals that knew his great-great-great grandparents and bases his decisions on what we tell him.'
She stayed silent for a time then gripped her King's hand tightly. 'Thank you, my Lord, for the wonderful life that you gave me,' she said softly as tears ran down her face, kissing his hand. 'Thank you for removing the safeties within my mainframe so long ago. I understand now how that tore you apart, how hurt you were; how different things would have been had I stayed. But I thank you for letting me grow beyond the bonds of my programming, for letting me understand human frailty, to be a part of Kai fragility. It hurts beyond measure…and some days I want to howl at the heavens and curse Him that lets me feel it. But those days are nothing compared to the one that have given me joy beyond measure, that have allowed me to give and feel love; a true deep seated, all the way down to your soul love. And has allowed me to understand passion, and hate…envy and pity and a myriad of other human emotions. Thank you for giving me my two Lords, whom I love beyond measure, who I would give all that I am and more for. I thank you – and The Great One, who truly knows and understands all things.'
'You are always welcome, my Dear One,' he whispered, smiling mischievously. 'For, after all, I did see you first.' They both laughed appreciatively at that. 'How much longer can you stay?' he asked, his voice betraying his sorrow at her imminent departure.
'You have until the third moonrise, my Lord. By then, you will join your great forefathers…and I will go back to my Liege and my Mate,' she answered.
Keln Tovar chuckled at that, looking out his room's great windows to the second sun rising in the sky. 'Sixteen hours, give or take,' he mused softly. 'Well then, call in the rest of my family. I have much to say and do and too little time to do it in.' She rose from her seat and bowed to her King and made to leave when he stopped her. 'Two requests, Archangel,' he said softly.
'Anything, my Lord,' she answered.
'First – call me Keln. And second, if my children or my wife ever need you, be here for them.'
'Always…Keln,' she answered bowing to him, then left to collect the family. She remained in the background as the King made his last wishes known. With a nod from her Liege, Eva left and collected the Priest, telling him it was time to prepare the King for his voyage to the Other Side. She watched as his strength left him, she held his hand – and the hands of his wife and children in turn. Queen Isabella had taken to the bed as well, lying beside her partner and husband of almost 900 years.
As the planet tilted towards the third and final moon's rising, he turned to her, a smile on his face and tears in his eyes. 'My Dear Ones,' he rasped softly to both of his favorite women. 'Some would say life is a tragedy for those who feel and a comedy for those who think…but for you, Archangel, it will be an extraordinary adventure. Good Life, My Dear One. And at the end of all things…I will be waiting for you.' He then turned to his wife. 'Isa, I will see you again. I will be waiting for you…my beautiful Queen.'
'Fare thee well, my King, my Prince…my First Love. I will miss you…and I will see you again,' Eva said softly as the third moon's light shone across the planet, casting a pale veil over her Liege's face as he breathed his last. The Great King Keln Tovar, the first of the Great Tovars, passed from this Realm to The Next.
Queen Isabella put her head on his still chest and cried silent tears as The Archangel rose from her seat and put her hand on the Queen's head, comforting her as best she could. The children, who were gathered at the foot of the bed, were comforted by their own spouses and children.
Two days later when the state funeral was held, The Archangel, her Mate and Her Captain were all present. She gripped their hands tightly as she passed the sarcophagus that her King was interred in.
'I know that is just his body…I know his soul is free. But…still…it hurts,' she whispered brokenly. Jack and Ianto comforted her as they took their seats. As they were readying to take their leave, the Princess Eva stopped them.
'Thank you for being here,' she said softly. 'Father asked you to be here for us – and you have been a comfort.'
'He asked that I watch over you all,' Eva answered. 'And I will for as long as I can.'
The rest of the Royal Family gathered around them and the Queen took all of their hands in hers. 'Thank you, Dear Ones,' she said simply.
The Three nodded, and taking hold of each others' hands, in a flash of light, winked away.
Present – Ianto
In a cemetery on the outskirts of Cardiff on a beautiful day in May, a flash of light appeared, then disappeared, leaving behind a young man in a dark three piece pinstriped suit. In his hands he held two bouquets: one of white lilies, the other red roses. He found the double plot he was searching for soon enough; a simple double stone with the name JONES emblazoned across it. He smiled seeing their names, his mother and father laid together in their final rest. He laid the two bouquets on the respective sides: the lilies for his Mam; the roses for his Tad.
'Hello Mam,' he whispered. 'Hello Tad. It's been a while.' Looking up into the sky, he smiled again. Today was the day EVERYTHING changed for Great Britain. Gwen Williams, former Torchwood operative, was being sworn in as Prime Minister. While she was Lord Mayor of Cardiff (for 3 terms!), she brought Torchwood out of the shadows, established an Alien Incidents/Crime Division (AI/CD) within the Police Department and had the police trained in several workshops in conjunction with UNIT and Torchwood.
Ianto chuckled as he remembered Jack constantly muttering, 'But I didn't see this!' He and Eva had – and breathed a sigh of relief at how well it was received. For although they were immutable, the future was not. It was always changing; always in flux. It needed to be guarded…made sure that it did not deviate too much. And, so far, the Earth and its people remained intact.
'Give thanks to The Great One for small mercies,' he said with a slight bitterness.
For unlike the others, he still kept his edge; his quick temper. The reason for this was quite obvious…compared to the others around him…he was still rather young.
Gwen had all four of her children while Rhys juggled working for Harwood's, helping his wife's staff keep everything together and taking care of their brood. Their eldest, Edward, had finished university and was almost done the Masters – in History! The second, their son Rhys, was graduating next week. There were only the Three of them running Torchwood Cardiff now…and Ianto wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Eventually they would have to train new staff to take care of things – but both Ianto and Eva already confirmed that was at least another twenty years away…and the Three promised themselves they would take a LONG holiday to all the warm, sandy beaches of Earth before they'd venture out. A few centuries of exploring the general galaxies wouldn't be out of the realm of things…
He knew the reason they remained on Earth now was for their friends. To watch over Gwen, Rhys and the children. Martha and Tom…and Mickey and his girlfriend Olga. Ianto thanked The Great One everyday for the patience He bestowed upon Eva to not just flash away from them one day. But at the heart of it he knew she would never do that…she simply loved them too much.
And he loved her just as much for that. And he loved the fact that Jack loved her as well. At the heart of it – they Three were good for each other. They were the only beings in the Universe other than The Great One that would ever understand them…he was amazed at times how well they worked together. And how well they controlled anything coming in and out of the Rift. Any sentient being that came through the Rift that knew of the Three tried desperately to escape the planet as quickly as they arrived. He chuckled as he sat down on the patch of grass in front of his parents' plots.
He loved watching Eva sleep – as Jack did to him. As he knew she would sometimes do to them both. There were mornings when he would awake and she would be sleeping beside him dead to the world. The Sleep of the Just, she would call it. He would give her an indulgent smile and pat her on her head as he passed. She would then shoot him with a rubber band/paperclip combo aimed at his arse. Jack laughed at his yelp each time knowing that no matter how many times Ianto would try to outrun or block her aim, she would get her target all the time. She would then soothe it better later in the evening. After an evening like that, he had confessed time and again that she could shoot his arse anytime if it meant she would 'comfort' him afterwards. She would give him a smirk that was anything but saintly and kiss him until he was almost comatose with the oxygen depravation.
He thought back to Tosh and Owen. Even now, twenty-one years after their deaths, the wounds were as fresh as if he'd lost them yesterday. He sighed…knowing that they both were in a far better place waiting for them…he then looked up to the sky again.
'Sorry all, but it's going to be a long wait,' he mused quietly. He mused at what a small thing he had started out as. The Junior Archivist always overlooked at Torchwood London. Now whenever he strode into a government building after Jack as his PA, Lethbridge-Stewart's words would immediately come to mind. Walking sex on legs... He truly wondered if that was they way the Kai saw him as. He remembered one incident where the official they were going to see was an absolute bear on the phone, but when he saw Ianto and Eva in the flesh, as it were, he apologized profusely and invited them both to his flat for dinner later that evening. All unplesantries were forgotten after that. He was now using Eva's terminology for humanity…for mortals. He sighed contentedly.
He had no regrets for his long life, his youthful appearance and the power bestowed upon him. He knew now he truly served a greater purpose…and that comforted him beyond measure. And if it gave humans a thrill to look upon him…who was he to say no?
His mind then turned to Lisa…how different things would have been if she had survived. He would be a father now, his Lisa a beautiful and wonderfully doting mother…they would be in a large house where their own 4 to 6 sprogs would be happy and well loved. But…well. That was nothing more than a pipe dream now. He looked up again, his mind reaching…and he heard her. She was with the others that waited patiently for the Three to come Home.
'Praise be to The Great One, who knows all my prayers,' he said softly aloud. He turned back to the reason why he came here…it was his Mam and Tad's anniversary. He always brought flowers on this date. He remembered his childhood…the hard work his father did, the days of just figuring where he stood, what he was going to do next, of how he could change the world… As he waved his hand over the plot, the overgrown weeds and damaged edgings repaired themselves and withdrew. There was so much he wanted to say… But then he realized they really weren't there…they were free – and waiting.
Another flash of light appeared and disappeared and Eva's black and royal blue silk robes fluttered in the unusually warm May day's breezes as she strode up to Ianto. 'My love,' she said softly, wrapping her arms around his strong frame as she sat next to him on the grass. He leaned into her, resting his head against hers.
'Is it time?' he asked. Eva smiled at that.
'Of course, Dearest. Come…or else our Captain will be fit to be tied. He has secured a table for us at our favorite pub. The masses of Cardiff are already celebrating in the streets and she has yet to be sworn in,' she said, smiling even more as she stood, offering Ianto her hand. 'It is time to leave those who have passed before us behind and to be reminded why we chose these paths, my Dear One.'
Ianto took the offered hand and stood; then turned to the tombstone again proudly proclaiming the name of JONES. 'Time to go, Mam. Tad. I love you and Happy Anniversary. And I will see you again. Thank you, for everything.'
They flashed away from the cemetery and ran into the pub just as the camera scanned slowly over Rhys and the children; many had said she won the popularity vote because of him taking his 'power behind the scenes' approach very seriously. He made sure his wife's campaign ran without a hitch – and they won a landslide victory thanks to the grassroots movement he threw together. Then Gwen came into view…her black hair still past her shoulders, only now streaked with very stylish grey. She looked especially smart in the suit Ianto had picked out for her as she put her hand on the bible and took the oath of office of Prime Minister of Great Britain.
Ianto smiled as he thought over his life…he then looked up at the screen as everyone in the pub cheered. Gwen Elisabeth Williams was officially Prime Minister.
O, BRITAINIA, Ianto said across their PDT's. Jack and Eva raised their glasses and clinked them with Ianto's to that.
Future – Jack…aka The Face of Boe
'Blessed be The Great One, our Rock. Who has trained our hands for war – and our fingers for battle. He will show us the way – and when it is time for this universe to end – He will tell us when. We will follow His timetable, not our own.'- The Archangels' Battle cry
He was tired…so tired. His Archangels obeyed his wishes and stayed away. The virus had infected him slightly…he was terrified what it would do to his beloveds if they arrived while the Bliss Mood Virus was still airborne. Even after it had killed the surface population, it remained as an airborne virus for years. They would be beyond furious with him once they realized what he had done to save the people of New Earth and New New York. But as he saw his end nearing, he felt there was something he was missing…then he realized what it was.
The Bliss had affected his memories somewhat…he was forgetting his Archangels…how could he call them? Was he supposed to? Where was The Doctor? Would he bring Rose with him? Or was it Tosh…Toshiko? No…she was from Torchwood…Owen….who was he?
He was so tired…the Undercity and WalkWays were dependent on him now. He remembered days of feeling the weight of the universe on his shoulders…afraid of seeing all he desired, all whom he loved die before him… But wasn't he made a promise that he would never be alone? He remembered being human…then being made different…steeped in temporal energy. So that he could die, but never stay dead…until now. He could feel his energy bleed into the city-planet's mainframe. He powered auxiliary batteries…but it wasn't enough! The planet was clean now….if he could only open the Undercity and Motorway again…he could free all those trapped within…where was The Doctor? With the power of the TARDIS, it would be possible. Where are you?....
He must have slept, for he felt when the TARDIS land in the Undercity…he could not reach the TimeLord, but Nurse Haim could…it was close….his end was near. What a long life! He outlived an entire race that he created…The Boe Kind. Two had laughed when they first saw his changed visage…because of its beauty. You are the Vortex within you in physical form…you are an Impossible creature of unlike splendor. Who had said that to him? The Doctor? No…he called him An Impossible Thing.
What wonders he witnessed…but then he wasn't alone…who? His Archangels! Ianto! Eva! He called for them out in the universe…but he heard nothing in return. Had it been too long? Had they passed on without him? Had they left him behind? No…he felt them answer. We are coming….
The Doctor and Haim appeared, the TimeLord using the backup generators…that didn't have enough power…
I give you my last power, Doctor. Save them….
It was done…he would be joining his Angels soon…Ianto's soft lips…Eva's velvet skin…all he wanted was to be himself again…his first self…and bury himself within his two Archangels…within his two Immortal loves. But he had a final message for the TimeLord. It had been so long since he had seen the TimeLord! He was so young…so filled with pain, desolation and loneliness. And Martha; dear, sweet, beautiful Martha. Still so naïve, so undamaged by age, experience and time. How young! How…new. But wait! He'd see her again…and her husband…Tom! And their children…but he had something important to say to The Doctor, even as he begged Boe to not give up…but he wanted to go. His beloveds waited for him long enough. The Doctor…The Master! And that there was so much more waiting beyond the darkness! But he only had the strength for this:
I am tired, Doctor. I am the last of my kind as are you. It is time, TimeLord. You Are Not Alone.
And then The Face of Boe, the last of Boe Kind breathed his last.
~~TWTWTW~~
Novice, Nurse and now Governor Haim, as arranged by the New Earth, New New York Senate, had made the final arrangements for The Face of Boe's Memorial, she felt something wasn't quite right.
The people of New Earth came out in droves to the Memorial Service – it was televised all over the entire planet. But what she noticed were two mourners in black. One was in a three piece black pinstripe suit with a bowler hat, the other in black knobby silk robes, the kind that were scratchy against cat's skin, but they enjoyed rubbing against non the less. From time to time, she could almost imagine them close enough to claw them. And other times they felt like they were galaxies away. As she reviewed vids of the service, she only caught blurred images of them, nothing definite. She had to find about them. They were very interested in The Face of Boe. Too interested, in her opinion.
Fear suddenly gripped her furry bosom. What if they meant to do his body harm? To desecrate the corpse of the being that saved them all? She would not stand for it! She would protect him – just as he had protected her. Because of him, she was the most venerated cat on the planet! He had given her extended plans for planetary self-sufficiency. New Earth would still be under quarantine for another seventy-seven years. She would be damned before she'd allow anyone to touch The Face of Boe!
She ran through her quarters in her simple habit; the governor's robes were cumbersome and basically made for pomp and circumstance. She smiled grimly as she grabbed her trusty machine gun and teleporter, remembering stories Boe told her of all the dignitaries he met throughout his long life. The gaudiness of some of the clothing! He would make her laugh so….
When she teleported into the crematory where his body lay in state ready for cremation the next day, she was surprised to feel tears trickling through her whiskers! He would speak to her again…she would never hear the strange songs that he would sing to her from long ago…for people named Harry Connick Jr. or Jack Johnson or Glenn Miller. She would never feel the calm resolve of his mind within hers…he was gone!
It was then she also realized she was not alone. Two figures stood in front of the body, totally ignoring her presence. It was the two she had been watching on the vids!
'He is beautiful,' a beautiful male voice said softly. It made her think of her mother – a wonderful cat in her own right.
'Yes,' an equally melodic female voice answered. 'And it is time for him to come with us. He has given enough to the Kai…time for them to learn how to live on their own.'
Governor Haim became what she was: a cat defending what was hers. She hissed furiously, bearing her teeth as released the safety on her weapon.
'Step away from the body,' she growled, her anger barely contained. The two turned and looked at her and her weapon completely unflustered.
'Put the weapon down,' the man said softly. Haim could not fight; she simply gave in, smiling softly. It was when he looked at her face that the spell was broken and she gasped. His face was beautiful, young, and robust…but his eyes! They…were ancient…like The Face of Boe…she then gasped again.
'I…I have seen you,' she said, looking at the face of Ianto Jones. Eva Tovar lowered the cowl to her robes. When Haim saw her, she gasped again. 'I have seen you as well within the mind of The Face of Boe. He called you 'His Archangels'.
'Yes,' Eva answered. 'I am Eva and the fine gentleman is Ianto. We are his, as he is ours. We have come to take him home.'
'But…he is dead,' Haim began, but the two strangers turned as a pin-prick of light appeared above the body of The Face of Boe.
'He comes,' the man called Ianto intoned. The light grew larger and brighter in the gloom until Haim hissed, shielding her eyes from the light. The two on either side of her did not appear fazed by the light…they simply stared into it…waiting. A man wearing a grey blue woolen greatcoat, dark pants and shirt, braces and boots stood before them in front of where The Face of Boe lay. He smirked slightly, then taking a deep breath, opened his eyes and stretched his arms open wide. The woman and the man ran into his embrace; he then kissed the man deeply, then turned and did the same to the woman.
'I'm back,' he said softly.
'Yes, you are,' Ianto answered in return while Eva simply buried her face into the side of his neck, taking in his unique scent. Jack kissed the side of her face tenderly.
'I have missed you both so much,' Jack said, running his hand through Ianto's hair, then Eva's. She straightened herself and taking his hand to her lips, kissed his knuckles tenderly. He groaned.
'Eva,' he moaned, turning to Ianto and grabbing him possessively, kissed him hard without preamble. Ianto simply smiled into the kiss.
'We still have much to do, my Captain,' Ianto said once he broke away from the kiss. 'Wars to oversee, timelines to help keep straight and true. We must also make sure that the assorted Axions, Cybermen and Daleks stay dead once The Doctor deals with them.'
'A thousand trillion years yet,' Jack mused quietly. Ianto squeezed his other hand.
'Something like that, my Lord,' Eva said softly.
'But for now,' began Ianto. 'It is time to say goodbye to The Face of Boe…and this New Earth.'
The Three then turned to the body as Eva looked to Jack. 'Why this form?' she asked. Jack looked down at her and smiled.
'I think you all ready know,' he answered playfully.
'The temporal energy within you,' Ianto answered. Jack laughed out loud. He knew his Ianto would know…his Ianto.
'The time I lay in stasis with you and Eva…a being spoke to me…showed me many things. He looked like a face within a starburst…I fashioned a whole species of beings to be that image in this universe…to remind me of a promise made to me. That I would never be alone.' He then took Eva's and Ianto's hands and kissed them tenderly. 'A promise made to an insignificant spec like me…that is now fulfilled.' He looked up at the corpse before them. 'Now I keep my promise to Him – and serve Him until the day He calls us Home.'
'Amen,' Ianto and Eva intoned. Eva then turned to the silent cat.
'Thank you for being there for him when we could not, Governor Haim,' she said softly, holding out her hand. Haim took it immediately. 'You have many years ahead of you, dear, sweet, savage, wise Haim. You will move New Earth into a great era of prosperity. Keep contact with those outside galaxies. Call home any refugees – and tell your people to be welcoming, but vigilant. That is the code of any good cat.'
Haim blushed and smiled at this. She then turned to the man the others called Jack. 'You are him, aren't you? The Face of Boe?'
Jack nodded. 'A long time ago,' he said, taking her paw from Eva and holding it in his hand. 'You were my caretaker for more than thirty years. Thank you…so much.' He kissed her tenderly on her lips. Her whiskers froze as he kissed her; then twitched when he finally pulled away. 'Have a long and fruitful life, Haim.'
Ianto lastly took her paw in his. 'Thank you,' he said softly. 'And now, we leave you.'
And suddenly Haim was standing in the crematorium alone with the corpse of The Face of Boe. She whirled around suddenly, but she saw as well as felt that she was truly alone. She walked up to the body, arranging the shroud covering Boe. It needed to be perfect. As she turned to leave, a flash of metal caught her eye. On the edge of the shroud, a single perfect rose lay with a silver and gold shaped locket laying over it. When she opened it, a hologram of The Captain and His Archangels displayed itself with the words 'Thank You' inscribed within.
Haim looked up to the heavens. 'No,' she whispered. 'Thank you.'
~~TWTWTW~~
The Distant, Distant Future
Three humanoid figures stood on an asteroid, once part of a planet before its sun went supernova long before, floating silently in space. They watched dispassionately as the final stars within the universe winked out.
The smallest of the Three, a female, removed a veil that covered her face. The two taller ones, males, did the same. The tallest male smiled at the other two – extending his hands out to them. They took his hands without question and he pulled them close in his embrace.
IT IS OVER, the female said.
YES, the 1st male concurred. AS SOON AS THE LAST STAR GOES OUT, WE ASCEND FROM THIS UNIVERSE TO THE NEXT.
THIS UNIVERSE? NEXT? The 2nd male repeated. DOES THAT MEAN WE STILL HAVE MORE WORK?
The woman nodded, laughing softly as she took his hand in hers. YES, BUT WE WILL NO LONGER BE ALONE. WE ARE GOING…HOME. CAN YOU NOT HEAR THEIR SONG? THEY HAVE WAITED PATIENTLY…AND SO HAVE WE. She then stepped closer to the younger male. AND WE GET TO HAVE A VERY LONG HOLIDAY BEFOREHAND, she whispered seductively.
GREAT ONE, EVA! Ianto said, blushing slightly. AT TIMES YOU ARE AS BAD AS JACK…
The Three laughed as Jack turned them both to watch the flare of the last star in the universe…burn itself out.
IT IS DONE, Captain Jack Harkness said softly.
IT IS OVER, Archangel Ianto Jones said, his black robes flaring to a brilliant orange-red energy. His form changed slightly and a set of grey wings unfurled from his back.
ALL IN HIS TIME, Archangel Eva Tovar whispered, then leaned over and kissed Ianto on his lips. She turned and did the same to Jack. TIME TO GO HOME.
HOME, Jack whispered, changing as Ianto, only his wings were jet black.
HOME, Eva whispered, her own grey-black wings unfurling and with a downward thrust, the Three left the little asteroid, the last remnant of long ago Earth.
HOME, Ianto whispered as a dimensional gate opened above them. He then heard the song as did the others. He heard his mother's voice…his father's laugh…Owen and Tosh…Martha, Tom, Mickey and Olga…Rhys and Gwen…Gwen! The Doctor, Lethbridge-Stewart and Haim…dear Haim!
HOME, the Three intoned as their speed increased as they streaked towards that single white light on the dark horizon…that then winked out.
FINIS
AN: Well…as Jim Morrison sang 'This is the end, my friends'. I hope you've really enjoyed this. Since this started WAY before CoE, I decided not to include any of that information – so as far this was concerned, Ianto was an orphaned only child. Thank you so much for your support and you have humbled me no end. I may continue 'Dream's Memoirs' for another chapter or two. And then… I think it's time to deal with the shell shock of CoE. There have been way too many fix-it stories…and I think now it's time to let them go…and just write a better class of story. We're all way beyond ticked about this. I mean, honestly, Gareth is gorgeous…let's just hope he can really pull off that yellow outfit of Prince Charming's in the Panto this December! And to date, I have a total of 1,034 hits to my stories…525 to 'Archangel' alone. Thank you – and as Stan Lee would say… 'Excelsior!'