Ch4: The Fall of Janto Jones

If this parallel-world Torchwood could be anything but welcoming, it is guilt-inducing. Everyone's here, yes, but there's still one person that his heart (Yes, his heart. Don't look at him like that, please,) yearns to see, and that's Ianto Jones. And every second that he doesn't – he just wants to break down and scream profanities at everyone.

Even Janto Jones – by the odd manners he's exhibiting, is the closest parallel he's ever gonna get to Ianto Jones – is now avoiding him. But never mind that, because things felt even more final when he said that there is always gonna be one Ianto Jones for him; it was as if the parallel worlds had taken this statement seriously.

The silence is shattered by the rolling door opening and loud sigh from Owen. Jack looked up expectantly at the newcomer, only to be disappointed after a split second.

"It's about time, Janto. We needed your out-of-this-world coffee." Owen slumped in his seat, pretending at his best to look exhausted.

"Hello, Janto!" Anwen waved her unicorn toy frantically at Janto's direction, her cheeks getting redder. "Don't mind Owen!"

"Of course I won't, my little princess." Janto turned to Owen and retorted, "Perhaps a 'please' would sweeten things up."

The beautiful Welsh drawl in his speech lowered Jack's coffin a little bit more. He watched Janto's military coat flailing behind him while he walked upstairs, towards the coffee machine. Guilt started clawing at the pit of his stomach again. Jack buried his face in his hands.

Gwen sat beside him, rubbing his back soothingly. "Jack, coffee?"

There's a particular thing with coffees that calms him, that made him ready to finally talk and ask questions… Without guns blazing, of course.

"Gwen, where's Jack? The other Jack, I mean."

Gwen glanced briefly at Janto and sighed. "He's dead."

Jack didn't miss the meaningful eye contact between the two, and that's when he became a total douche with an incoherent mind.

"Did he kill him?" Jack asked, trying to contain his anger. "Janto. Your name's Janto, right? Is that why you can't look me in the eye? Is that why you're avoiding me all this time, flinching as I came near you? Is that why you looked shaken when I said my name?"

"Cap'n Jack, no!" Anwen warned.

Jack lashed out, and shouting like a madman. Janto flinched with every word he heard, taking a step back each time Jack walks a step towards him. Tosh hurried to where Anwen was playing and carried her to a room, while Owen and Rhys held each of Jack's hands, halting his advancing footsteps.

Then it all happened.

Janto tripped on a wire cable beside the detached railings and fell headfirst on the watery surface at the centre of the hub. The wire cable went wild, emitting live sparks and flailing off in different directions.

Jack watched in horror as he noticed the box that fell with Janto get drenched in water. He eyed the box then looked hurriedly at an unconscious Janto.

…safe unless they're submerged in water.

…activate and electrocute the nearest life form.

"Get off of me!" The two released him and he made a run for Janto, his guts suddenly determined to save the mysterious kid.

But it was too late. There was an odd consecutive popping sound and a second later, only a steady dripping sound of liquid echoed through the hub.

"He's gone." Gwen mused, holding a lifeless Janto in her arms, blood pouring out of his mouth. She caressed the face of the boy, now just looking not older than eighteen.

It's another death on your hands, Captain Jack Harkness.

"Chill, Gwen. He'll be okay." Owen said dismissively. Jack looked at him loathingly, as if he couldn't make this situation any worse.

Owen merely looked back at him as he spotted Tosh closing the room she had just come from. "Oi Tosh, get a glass of water."

Wondering what on earth is going to happen now that he messed up with the parallel world, he subconsciously knelt beside Janto and took him in his arms.

Ash-blonde hair, tastefully-defined jaw, steep nose, and a pair of lifeless almond-shaped blue eyes staring blankly at the ceiling… That beautiful Welsh voice Jack knew so well… Jack felt a surge of sudden loss at what had happened. He shuts the man's beautiful eyelids using his hand and pulled him for a hug. The gentle tang of apples and cinnamon assailed Jack's nose.

"I'm sorry, Janto. I barely even got the chance to know you." Jack whispered on his ear. "I'm really, really sorry."

Everyone watched him with pity on their eyes. He wiped Janto's blood spilling from his mouth and knelt there for a while, caressing his corpse.

After several minutes, Jack gently carried Janto's body in the autopsy table and after a last stroke at Janto's dishevelled hair, he planted a kiss on Janto's forehead then turned around to face Gwen.

Jack shook his head apologetically. "I'm so, so sorry."

"We should be the ones to apologise, Jack. Janto's your son."