A/N: Set after Season 8 of House,MD while Wilson and House are traveling. Wilson has five months to live and House gave up his very existence to spend that time with Wilson. Torchwood timeline is after Season 2 but Ianto is very much alive. Of course, he's always been alive for me because I've been cruising that river in Egypt since 2009. This is a multi-chapter fic but is, for the most part, complete. Please note that the year that these two fandoms meet up in this story don't follow cannon. It's AU in the sense that I'm manipulating the two timelines for my own purpose.

House, MD/Torchwood crossover

Title: Gift of Life

Rated T

Characters: House, Wilson, Jack, Ianto

Pairings: Jack/Ianto slash, House/Wilson friendship/pre-slash

Chapter 5 word count- 1700+

Warnings: spoilers for all seasons of House- primarily season 8. Possible spoilers for S1 and 2 of Torchwood.

Disclaimer: House, MD created by David Shore and Torchwood by Russell T Davies. I have no money, so seriously, don't bother.

Summary: Sometimes fate intervenes when you least expect. Sometimes you can actually get what you want.

Chapter 5

He'd been sitting there for nearly three hours just watching Ianto, waiting for some sign that he would wake up and give Jack a quirk of that perfect eyebrow, call him 'sir', and order him to get off his arse and get to work. Sometimes, Jack thought that his young lover just didn't get what Jack felt at all. He wanted Ianto to know that he was here because he needed him, needed him in his employment, in his bed; in his heart!

Not that he could really blame Ianto for being skeptical of the Captain's intentions. He was an unapologetic flirt, runs roughshod over anyone who gets too close to his secrets. He takes everyone around him for granted. It's just who he is. A product of his very long life but, what Jack realized, is that Ianto accepts him anyway, with all his flaws, for better or for worse. Ianto nearly dying, again, has shown Jack just how precious a gift that is. How precious Ianto is.

It had been a rough go. Ianto had seized just as the two doctors were starting treatment. After the seizure ended, just for good measure on Jack's already frayed nerves, Ianto coded. Afraid this was it, that Jack was going to lose Ianto too, Doctors' House and Wilson managed to perform a small miracle, not that he believed in them, and gotten Ianto breathing again. At that point, Jack was kicked out of his own medical bay, told that if he couldn't stop interfering, he could graciously go fuck himself. Under any other circumstances, he would have turned to his darker side to teach that ass of a doctor not to speak to him in that tone; in his own base, his own home no less!

As Jack continued his vigil over Ianto, he thought back to the two men that were now occupying his base. The two doctors that had worked tirelessly to save the man that he could no longer picture himself without. He weighed each man in his mind, what seemed to make them tick.

He realized within a relatively short period of time that the younger of the two, Doctor Wilson, was the more level headed. He spoke in practicalities but had a softness to him that made Jack feel just that bit more confident about Ianto's chances. He observed him after Ianto was stable and noticed a physical weakness about him, as if ill in some way, something that the older doctor seemed to pick up on, but remained silent to.

The older doctor, Doctor House was a character in of himself. He was brash, arrogant, and pretty damn nasty. Jack noticed however that he was extremely intelligent too. Of course, one would think any doctor just by fact of chosen profession would be, but there was something almost kin like about him. Doctor House bore a weary countenance that draped over him like the Captain's own greatcoat, an invisible shield of misery. Maybe the secret was in the way he seemed to study his friend; not with a clinical eye as one would expect, but of a drowning man who's contemplating his last drink.

Yes, Jack thought, there was a story there. One he was interested in hearing about. First however, his main concern was Ianto; wanting Ianto to wake up so he could curse Jack out with all his fiery Welsh passion.

"He's going to be alright. It's just a waiting game at this point for him to regain consciousness. Most likely he's still under due to the anesthesia we used while repairing his deeper wounds."

Jack had been so lost in thought that he hadn't heard Doctor Wilson come down the stairs to the med bay. The Captain stroked Ianto's hair as he spoke, his eyes never leaving his young lover's face.

"Thank you"

"No need for…"

Jack turned to pin Wilson with a solemn look. "Yes, there is! Doctor House and you had no reason to help Ianto. He wasn't your responsibility but you helped anyway in spite of my rather un-hospitable demeanor."

Jack gave a self deprecating smile. "Ianto always tells me that if I'm not flirting, I'm needlessly scaring the crap out of people."

Wilson couldn't help but chuckle quietly at that.

"When he wakes up and finds out how I treated you and your friend, he's going to point his deadly eyebrow at me and put me on decaf for a week. He can be really scary when he wants to be. Hopefully he won't withhold sex along with the caffeine though. Don't know if I'll survive that again!"

Wilson wasn't sure if he should take the Captain seriously regarding his comments about the seemingly harmless young man on the table. As if reading his mind, "Oh trust me; he can be evil when he wants me to behave…not that I mind his methods on occasion…if you know what I mean."

Jack gave Wilson what only could be described as a salacious grin and waggled his eyebrows for good measure. Wilson just shook his head and proceeded to check his patient's vitals. After all, he was used to dealing with his very own outrageous friend.

"Well, give Ianto a bit more time and he'll be whipping you into shape in now time."

"I'm counting on it"

Wilson finished charting vitals and turned to leave the Captain alone. "We'll just be up stairs if you need us. I would say we won't touch anything but I can't really vouch for House. He's somewhat of a wayward child at times."

As the doctor approached the stairs, he was stopped by Jack's voice. "Can I ask you something Doctor Wilson?"

Wilson turned to face the Captain, giving him his undivided attention. "Of course"

"Are you and Doctor House together?"

Whatever question Wilson was expecting, that one had not even registered as a possibility! If Wilson were honest with himself, not one of his strong points admittedly, he would say there had been passing interest over the years but if he wasn't willing to admit that to himself, he sure as hell wasn't going to admit it to a stranger.

"Uh no, we're just friends. Best friends actually." A hand shot to the back of his neck to rub at the sudden tension, a sure sign of his discomfort.

Jack eyed him speculatively but dropped the subject. "So what's his story anyway? He doesn't seem like a very nice guy and I would think that would be a needed quality in a doctor.

Wilson let the tension drain away, feeling better about the change in topic. This was something that he was well versed in.

"He's a miserable ass; in pain most of the time, and a very difficult person to get along with in the best of circumstances."

Jack interrupted at that "doesn't sound like Best Friend material to me. Why do you put up with him?"

Jack noticed the fond look that crossed his companion's face.

"Because he's also brilliant, one of the smartest people I've ever known. He's never boring and in his own back handed immature way, he's so very loyal. He gave up everything for me."

The last bit was spoken so quietly that Jack wondered if it was even meant for his ears. Looking at Doctor Wilson's face, he would go so far to say that the thought actually startled the younger man. Just as he was about to inquire to the story behind that comment, Doctor House bellowed from above.

"Hey Wilson, come check out this…, well I don't know what it is, but it's so cool!"

"Did I mention that he's also very childish?"

Jack snorted at that but spoke a word of warning none the less.

"Please make sure he doesn't touch anything. You two have no idea what anything in this base is capable of and for your safety, I will lock the both of you up if he can't behave."

"Lock us up?" Wilson wasn't sure if he was joking or not.

"I'm sorry, but yes. At least until we have time for explanations after Ianto comes around. I don't want to, but if he makes me, I will."

Wilson decided that as congenial as the Captain had been during this little visit, he had no doubt that he would follow through on his threats if House didn't behave.

"I'll go see to House then, shall I?"

With that Wilson took his leave to go wrangle a dangerously curious House into submission.

Jack watched him until he rounded the top of the stairs, satisfied that Doctor Wilson would keep the ornery doctor under control until he could meet with them and to determine their fate.

Another hour passed with Jack sitting by Ianto's side, waiting for the younger man to awaken. He believed Doctor Wilson when he said Ianto would be okay, but he had to see it for himself. Just as he was about to get up to stretch his legs, he felt a stirring from the hand he held. Jack looked down to see Ianto's eyes fluttering as they started to open.

Jack stood and placed one hand on ianto's head in attempt to ground the younger man as he awoke while he held onto his other hand.

"Doctors', get down here!"

He could here movement from above, no doubt both of his guests making their way toward his call.

"What is it?"

Jack looked up with a hopeful expression, "he's waking up"

TBC

A/N: I wanted to thank everyone who put this story on alert and who has commented. I apologize if I've not responded yet to them but have no fear, I will. Just an FYI, I will be going on vacation this weekend so it may be a week before the next update. I will try however to put up one more before leaving. Thank you so much for reading. It means a lot to me!