AN: Follows immediately on from season two...... this will be much more fragmented as I am trying out a different style for this.. please let me know what you think.
DARKNESS FALLS..... PART ONE
Jack was pacing again. Ianto had woken up to hear the sounds of his footsteps going up and down the hallway, the young Welshman, feeling twice his age, sighed and rolled out of bed, pulling on a t-shirt and shorts in the darkness. As he expected he found Jack at the living room window, gazing out over the rows of terraces in Ianto's neighbourhood. He came and stood at Jack's back, circling his naked body with his arms and resting his chin on Jack's shoulder. Jack's hands were quickly secured over his, the fingers gently caressing his knuckles, an unconscious gesture with which to anchor himself.
"I'm sorry I woke you again."
"It's alright Jack, you know I don't mind."
The silence absorbed them, the night wrapping around their troubled souls like a shroud. Ianto closed his eyes and breathed deeply, tightening his hold and hoping that in some small way it would help ease Jack's suffering. He wished Owen were there to offer up some sarcastic barb to lighten the terrible, overwhelming darkness that seemed to have engulfed them.
"I've lived so long Ianto and none of this gets any easier. I feel the same rawness I felt when I lost my father and my mother sent me away to find Grey. You'd think after all this time I'd get used to it."
"If it helps Jack, I'm glad that you don't get used to it. It means you still care, that you haven't lost sight of your humanity."
"But it hurts Ianto. It hurts so much."
"I know it does Jack and nothing I say will change that, or make it better. I wish there was something I could do for you to make it tolerable, to give you some peace. I would do anything to make it better Jack."
Jack sighed and strengthened his hold on Ianto's hands, trying to ground his churning emotions
"You're a good man Ianto Jones."
"I have you to thank for that. You saved me Jack and I know I've said it before, but I think today you need to hear that. You saved Tosh, you saved Owen.... all three of us so broken and lonely and afraid and you fixed us."
"And you all die."
"Yes Jack, no matter what. When I am to die, I want my death to count for something. Owen and Tosh died stopping Turnmill going into meltdown....."
"It was my fault."
"No, Jack. Grey chose his own path. You were a child when he was taken from you, you didn't deliberately abandon him and you tried to find him. It is not your fault. Things happen that are beyond our control, we both know that. If you let this eat away at you, you will be lost. I need you Jack, Gwen needs you. You are our mentor and our friend and we love you. Tosh and Owen died doing something that they chose to do, to give their lives meaning. You gave them meaning. I saw Tosh's face when she died in your arms Jack. She was smiling at you, thanking you and giving you comfort. Remember that Jack."
"Ianto?"
"Yes, Jack."
"You could leave, start a new life, have a......"
"No, I couldn't. Owen told me the same thing a couple of months back. I've made my choice. I made it a long time ago. I will not and could not leave your side or Torchwood, knowing what's out there, knowing that I am keeping my sister and her family safe from the monsters. There's no choice for me. Now I am cold and I want to go back to bed and I want you to come with me."
"I won't sleep."
"Then lose yourself in me Jack, just don't stand out here alone."
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It played out like some cheap fifties b movie. None of it felt real until he was helping Jack into his famous coat and watching him disappear with that old light back in his eyes. Ianto half suspected he'd never see him again. Then the Dalek arrived and Ianto felt his bones freeze when he saw it, memories of another battle weakening his resolve. Tosh saved them.
The whole crazy adventure had lifted Jack's mood considerably. Somehow seeing the Doctor and realising that the world had to be saved was enough to bring the fire of life back into his eyes. Ianto didn't question it, he was just immensely pleased to see Martha again and meet Mickie Smith. The two of them helped put the Hub back to rights and it almost felt like home again. Gwen stopped crying into her lattes and Jack stopped brooding in his hallway. The two guests were waved off with cheery smiles and somehow it felt as if a new era was passing through the bowels of the Hub. The place didn't seem so threatening and dark anymore.
Ianto slid into Toshiko's role more easily than he thought himself capable, some things he learned as he went, other's he relied on Tosh's excellent instruction manuals. They muddled through. The only niggling worry was the lack of a medic. Gwen was brilliant with the odd band aid and a comforting cup of tea, but put a needle or scissors into her hands and she went to pieces. Ianto didn't blame her really.
After their brief relocation to the Medusa Cascade the Rift was surprisingly quiet, however the local weevil population had been seriously spooked and most nights saw Jack and Ianto out in the SUV chasing them back down into the sewers. Gwen manned the coms and phones and Rhys regularly came in with a hot meal for them all before taking his wife home to get some rest. Ianto marvelled at the man's patience and dedication, not only to his wife, but to them as a team and as time grew on Ianto found himself liking the amiable Welshman. Thoughts of Owen and Tosh only troubled his dreams along with all the other ones that cluttered his sleep. Ianto moved on. Gwen moved on and Jack followed, until eventually the three of them became a solid unit with Rhys' becoming a much relied upon foundation.
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Ianto rolled onto his side and groaned with the whole waking up feeling hot and miserable. He ran to the bathroom and was sick. Jack was at his side rubbing his back with a worried frown on his face.
"Hey, can I get you anything?"
Ianto clutched at his gut and grimaced. "I think an ambulance might be a good idea." His face was screwed up and bright red with the pain. Jack got straight to his feet and dialled 999.
Four hours later and Ianto was in theatre having his appendix removed. Jack paced about in AnE and drove the staff up the wall until Gwen arrived and took him away.
"So what was wrong with him?" Gwen demanded, mightily put out that she hadn't been called sooner.
"He has appendicitis, so he's having an operation. Ianto hates hospitals Gwen, I knew it was bad when he got me to phone for an ambulance."
"He'll be ok Jack, it's a pretty standard thing. They'll probably kick him out in a couple of days. He could probably do with the rest anyway. Don't worry."
"I'm not, I'm just mad because he's been feeling ill for days and he didn't say anything to me until last night."
Gwen pulled her car to a stop outside her flat and Jack did a double take.
"What are we doing here?"
"Having lunch before we both go back to the hospital to see how Ianto's doing. Tosh's predictor program says everything is quiet for the next couple of days, so today we are not going to work unless there's an emergency." Gwen told him firmly. "Rhys has made some lovely pizzas for us, which Ianto will be very upset about missing. Come on Harkness, worry all you like but not an empty stomach, Ianto will kill me otherwise."
Jack arched his eyebrows. "Yes ma'am."
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Ianto stared down at the 4 inch incision on his belly with utter disgust. If only he knew how to work the singularity scalpel. He looked at himself in the bathroom mirror, still too pale and a little bit thinner than he'd like, his dark hair stark against his milky skin. He trailed his fingertips over his abdomen and gently touched the almost healed surgical wound, oh well another battle scar to go with the cat and weevil scrapes. He twisted slightly to look at his arse, at least that was still pretty perfect, in fact his entire back was wound free. He faced front again and sighed deciding it was high time he got in the shower and made himself ready for work. He half contemplated what colour shirt he was going to wear as the water cascaded down on him. Today was a blue day, though for some reason he felt green. He didn't own a green shirt and wondered why not. Maybe it was time to buy one. Jack always seemed to prefer the dark reds and purples. It was weird how he'd subconsciously slotted into a habit of wearing colours for Jack and not for himself. Yes today would be a blue day with a nice bright striped tie. Thank God the new boiler was just bloody perfect and the new shower unit. It had been a bit of an extravagance, but the old one was just too small to accommodate two grown men who had a habit of fucking each other senseless against the tiles. Thinking of which. Ianto couldn't help but grin when the glass door glided open and Jack stepped in.
