Ianto liked snow, he decided, after waking up to a very excited Jack on an early January morning.

"Ianto! Look! It has to be at least eight inches thick!"

Ianto blinked the gritty sleep out of his eyes and trudged to the window. Jack was right, the snow was thick, beautiful, and untouched.

Jack was practically bouncing off the walls. "Let's get to the Hub early, and ambush Gwen!"

Ianto rolled his eyes. "How, exactly, do you plan on getting the car through that snow?"

"We can walk! Come on, hurry up and get dressed!"

"That coming from the man who undressed me…" Ianto grumbled as he pulled on a charcoal grey suit.

As soon he was dressed, Ianto was dragged out the door by a very excited Jack. They talked as they walked, discussing the scene around them, and their plans to ambush Gwen.

"Oh, that's odd." Ianto pointed to three odd figures in the snow. "Kind of beautiful, though."

Jack froze as his eyes locked on the stone angels. "Ianto?"

"Yes?"

"Don't. Even. Blink."

"Why, might I ask?"

"They're alien."

"Oh, great. What're that called?"

"Nobody really knows. They used to be called the 'Lonely Assassins.' Whenever you look at them, they turn to stone."

"And when you don't look at them?"

"Then they kill you. They're fast, so fast that if you blink, they kill you instantly, and painfully."

Ianto's eyes suddenly began to twitch. "So how do we get out of here alive?"

"We don't."

"Jack, what exactly do you mean by that?"

"WE don't. You see, the angels only switch targets when they're positive their prey is dead."

"No. I'm not letting you do this." Ianto's eyes betrayed him and moved from the statues to the Captain's face.

"Ianto. When I say, I need you to run, as fast as possible, to the Hub. We're not that far."

"But then what? Even if I did, how're Gwen and I supposed to kill them?"

"Ianto."

"Jack-"

"Ianto. Don't look back."

"Jack…"

"Ianto.." Jack whispered, closing his eyes, "RUN!"

Jack felt nothing but immense pain as the angels ripped at his flesh, futilely attempting to confirm his death. He could only hope that Ianto would make it to the Hub while the angels were still distracted by their target.

Ianto sprinted through the snow-covered streets of Cardiff to the Hub. He burst into the central room, startling a rather exhausted-looking Gwen.

"Ianto! What the hell's going on?"

"Gwen! No time! Just-" Ianto ran to his desk and pulled up the CCTV footage of the empty lot where he had left Jack. The angels were still from the eyes locked on the screen, and Jack lay still, obviously dead.

No, Ianto realized, he did not like snow, especially when it was dyed red with Jack's blood.

"What the hell?"

"I don't know. They're these aliens, Jack said, that freeze to stone whenever you look at them. When you blink, or turn your back, they kill you. Except, the only lock on one target at a time, and don't switch 'till they kill whatever it is they're killing, so they got distracted by Jack."

"And you just left him?"

"Well, he didn't exactly give me a choice!"

"Of course. Always has to be the bloody hero. That's just great, what the hell are we supposed to do?"

"Well, I don't know!"

"Well, CHECK THE ARCHIVES THEN, and find out!"

Ianto ran to the lower levels of the Hub, grabbing the file. He ran back up the stairs, and began skimming the information. "It says here that the Doctor faced them once, with a girl named Sally Sparrow, but outsmarted them by dematerializing the TARDIS while they were around it, so they were always looking at each other."

"Well, that's clever, but how are we supposed to recreate that?"

Ianto looked at the monitor at the disgustingly beautiful creatures, frozen in a circle around- "Jack." Ianto whispered. "He knew this would happen. Look."

Gwen stared at the monitor for a moment before realization crept onto her face. "He tricked them!"

I have done too much running today already, Ianto thought as he ran back to where he had left Jack. He dragged the older man out from between the angels. He cradled Jack's head in his arms, trying to soothe the Captain back into life. "You did it, Jack." He muttered. "You saved us." He ran his fingers through Jack's dark hair. The immortal suddenly flung himself forwards, gasping for air. Ianto held him down as he regained his breath.

"Ianto?"

"Jack."

"Hi."

"Hi."

"…"

"Come on, Jack." Ianto helped the American up. "Let's get back to the Hub."

"Not even half an hour, and I've already died a few dozen times. I think that's a new record."

I realize that was rushed. I realize it was anticlimactic. It's 11:45. I don't have time to edit. Caz, btdubs.