Floating, that was the sensation. It surprised Jack. He had never had sensations in death before. Then again he had come to the conclusion that this wasn't quite a death. Near-death, perhaps. Or maybe this is what it felt like to finally die. May this whole floating and screaming and tugging was hell finally dragging him underneath. But there was that thread, a thread of crimson in the black. It nearly glowed as it stretched out to the immortal. He wrenched his non0existance being towards it. More that shocked when he saw that he neared it. He grasped at it, claiming it with the sensation of a hand, and was shocked by the speed in which he was ripped forward, or backwards, or sideways. He was torn from his reality into the blinding light of another.
Ianto clung to the tendril of consciousness that was the nonsensical word. He wrapped himself around it, curling everything he could in the effort to stay grounded. The tendril burned suddenly, with a sort of cold heat. Suddenly Ianto was no longer holding onto an ephemeral red line, but a solid being. He felt the being shudder, felt it wrap it's arms around him with breathtaking ferocity. He looked down, and saw, with a wave of recognition, the man that he had grown to love, clinging to him for dear life, terror and thrill shocking open his eyes, and setting his mouth agape.
Jack couldn't believe it. Here he was, dead to all of his knowledge, and there was Ianto. Wrapped around him, holding him. He could feel the warmth of the Welshman, he could see his features clearly, yet there was a sort of emptiness. A kind of hollow echo in his eyes, that scared Jack. He attempted to speak, hoping that words could fill the gap in the Welshman's eyes.
"Ianto? Ianto, what's going on, where are we? Ianto, it's me, it's Jack." There was nothing. The Hollowness was still there, the empty stare. Jack screamed, and thrashed against Ianto, floating in the white nothingness. The form of Ianto wrapped around him tighter, stilling his movements but showing no sign of seeing him, of recognizing him. Jack let a tear slip down his cheek, as he nestled in against the Welshman. Placing one last kiss to his lover's lips. Suddenly the Whiteness exploded. And a searing pain burned through the Welshman and the immortal, they were wrenched apart, pulled back into their respective consciousness, and back to consciousness. Jack awoke, gasping for breath and shaking on a hospital bed, connected to a myriad of machines. He gazed around the room, only to see Ianto mirroring him, his body heaving for on a similar bed to his side. There gazes caught, and Jack noticed with some horror, the slightly off focused way that his Welshman looked at him.
"Ianto?" Jack whispered, and the Welshman smiled.
"Jack." He rasped, and Jack nearly wept with relief. The hollowness was gone. His Ianto was back, and they were both, apparently, in the hospital. A figure appeared from the edge of the room, a syringe in hand. It advanced on Ianto, it's hands held before it.
"Mr. Jones, it's good to have you back with us." That voice, Jack recognized it, and on any other occasion it would be welcomed. Ianto, however, was looking quite panicked, and squinting at the figure.
"Martha Jones? Is that you?" Jack was shocked by the level of fear in his lovers voice.
"Ianto, what's wrong." Ianto turned to him, his face pale and taught.
"I can't see." The bottom seemed to fall out of Jack's stomach. UNIT had blinded Ianto. His Ianto. The man would never see again. Yet with this revelation the other voice appeared, and attempted to sooth the distraught Welshman.
"Ianto, UNIT blinded you remember? But you guys managed to get that serum out of there. We fixed it." Ianto still looked panicked, and Jack could feel it burning in his gut.
Ianto was frantic, he couldn't see anything past a milky haze. He knew were Jack was, he could sense his presence, as well as two more in the room. The first one was moving steadily towards him the warm and kind presence that always surrounded Martha Jones. Ianto could sense no ill-will from her, and began to calm a bit. If she had fixed that serum, than he might just be able to see again. It was the other feeling in the room, the strong and caring being, that convinced Ianto that he was, for the moment, safe.
"Alright then. Just hurry. It's horrible not being able to see." Martha nodded, and then chided herself for doing so. She filled the syringe with the serum, sending a silent prayer to whatever higher power was out there, before injecting the Welshman with it.
Ianto hissed at the pinch and the slow spreading burn of the injection. He could feel Jack's worry flooding him in waves. Martha bit her lip, watching as the film over Ianto's eyes cleared slightly, and they came back into focus. He squinted around the room, his eyes finally resting on Jack, who was fidgeting with the sheets on his hospital bed.
"If you keep that up, they're going to tie you down, sir." Jack looked down at his hands, and then shot the Welshman his signature Harkness smile.
"Glad to see that you can see. How many fingers am I holding up." Ianto Laughed, and then squinted furiously at Jack.
"I'm not quite that well. This is not the sort of super sight I had from UNIT's version." Martha cleared her throat.
"No, it isn't. In fact this is quite a bit weaker than what they gave you." Jack sat up a little bit.
"Will this wear off?" Martha shook her head. From what Fall said, no. The effects should be permanent, but they aren't as strong. You'll probably need glasses." Ianto groaned and flopped back on the bed, while Jack simply grinned.
"Oh come on Yan, you would look great in glasses. And imagine all the different games we could play-" Ianto fixed the immortal with a glare, and glanced pointedly over at Martha.
"Oi, don't mind me. I have no qualms with hearing about your 'Dabbling'" She air quoted the last word, and Jack looked inquisitively at Ianto, who simply blushed. There was a slight cough from the corner of the room, and the three turned to it.
"While I, for one, am very keen to hear about your ideas, we have quite a lot to discuss. The others will be back any moment." Ianto looked down at himself, embarrassed to be in such a state. A quick look at the state the captain was in, and Ianto knew that he must look quite a bit worse. Jack shook his head, feeling Ianto's disgust and embarrassment.
"Martha, just how long have we been out? And what all has happened?" Martha looked over at Olivia, who fixed the immortal with a no nonsense look.
"Captain. A lot of shit has happened in the two days you've been out of action." Ianto looked at Jack, who grimaced back.
"How long until we can be discharged?" Jack stated, all business. Martha shook her head.
"As a doctor, I'd want you two here for a few more days for observation. But seeing as how you are going to order your release ASAP, and the fact that the hospital is crawling with UNIT, I'll get Owen up here to check you two out, and then you'll go home. And I do mean home, to your respective flats, to rest. For at least 24 hours." Another glance was shared between the two men, before Jack burst out laughing, and Ianto cracked a smile.
"We don't have respective flats." Martha looked at Ianto with wide eyes, and the Welshman just shrugged.
"Been living together. It's more practical that way." Martha shook her head, and saw the look Jack gave his lover.
"Practical indeed. I guess that sign outside wasn't too far off then." Olivia looked up, and saw the confusion on the two men's faces.
"You two are married. Your door says Mr. and Mr. Jones." The Welshman's eyes widened with horror, and even Jack looked quite alarmed.
"You have got to be joking," Ianto stated.
"Jones? I took on his name? I mean Mr. and Mr. Harkness, sure. Even a hyphenated thing, like Harkness-Jones, or Jones-Harkness. But Jack Jones? I don't think so." Ianto looked at Jack with a mixture of horror and awe.
"First off, we are not married. Second, UNIT has been causing trouble, we've been in a coma, something big has obviously happened for Gertrude and Olivia to be dragged in, I'm going to have to get gasses, and you are upset that they gave you my last name in a fictitious marriage." Ianto shook his head. "And for the record, it would not be Harkness. Ianto Harkness is a horrible name." Jack glared at Ianto playfully, leaving both Martha and Olivia in fits of laughter. The door burst open then, a very strained looking Owen, pushing a frightened Tosh into the room.
"You woke up." Owen stated flatly, and Ianto rolled his eyes.
"Yes, and thank you for having so much faith in me." Jack smiled and Tosh shook her head.
"Great, Tea-boy comes back, attitude intact." Jack smiled, and then looked pointedly at Tosh.
"Martha and Mrs. Mayweather here were just informing us of our apparent partnership. How was the ceremony, I don't seem to recall any of it." Tosh blushed and Owen snickered.
"It was the only way that I could get you two in a room together without having to pull any Torchwood strings. Plus it covers your tracks a bit. Jones is a very common name. You see Jones and you don't bat an eyelash. But Harkness, that'll attract attention." There was a silent nudge from Ianto to Jack, and the immortal just laughed.
"Fine, though next time I want to be awake for it, alright?" Tosh giggled, and both Ianto and Owen looked at the captain with shock. Ianto recovered himself enough to change the subject.
"Owen, if you would please come give as a once over so that we can get out of here, it would be greatly appreciated." Owen nodded.
"Alright then. Martha if you would please just make sure that Jack doesn't have any extra or missing parts, and I'll make sure Tea-boy is in one piece." Martha nodded, and looked at Tosh.
"Can you please call Gwen and have her bring the SUV to the front?" Tosh nodded, pulling out her phone. Jack and Ianto were checked over, and after a few remarks over the fading bruises on Ianto's body, as well as the awkward point were Ianto admitted that not all of them were from being captured and tortchered. Owen cleared them both for release.
"For being through as much hell as you have been. You've held together pretty well. A few days rest and some glasses, and you'll be good as knew." Ianto nodded. Gertrude arrived at the door with two sets of clothes in hand.
"Gwen gave these to me and told me to bring them too you. Said that you wouldn't want to go home in hospital robes." Ianto smiled, and Owen disconnected his I.V. as well as the monitor. Martha did the same for Jack, and both men stretched languidly. The Welshman swung his legs over the bed, and looked sheepishly at the crowd in the room.
"Are you guys just going to stand there and watch?" A mutual look passed around the room before Olivia spoke.
"Why not?" Gertrude nodded her agreement, and crossed arms and curious eyes greeted the Welshman. The only one who seemed to have any decency was Owen, who had the courtesy to turn his back. Ianto sighed, holding his hand out to Gertrude for his clothes.
"Come and get them. I'm old and infirm, I don't need to walk all the way over to you." Ianto hung his head in defeat. It was Jack who finally came to his rescue, as a distraction. The immortal hopped out of bed, the paper gown falling to the floor before him, he stretched again, before walking over to a very pink Gertrude, stark naked.
"Thank you ma'am, I'll just take these." Gertrude proffered the articles of clothing wordlessly, as all eyes in the room watched the captain. He grinned at Ianto, who simply rolled his eyes.
"What? I don't have anything to be ashamed of."
"No you certainly do not." Gertrude said across the room, and there was a smack as Olivia reprimanded her wife. Ianto held his gaze away from Jack, not trusting his reaction to the whole situation. The immortal handed him his clothes, before bending to put his own outfit on. Ianto could feel the lust pouring off everyone in the room, and he swore that the e=temperature had risen by at least ten degrees. The Welshman faced away from the crowd and dressed swiftly, hoping that all attention would still be on Jack. He was sorely disappointed to feel that all living eyes were on him, and Jack's more than anyone elses.
"You can all quit staring at the sick man now." He said, turning around and tugging on his shirt. He grimaced at the tightness of his muscles.
"You're not sick Tea-boy, not physically anyway. And quit squinting at everything, you're going to give yourself a headache." Ianto sighed, and he felt a sold weight wrap around him from behind. Despite his apprehension, he leaned into, thankful that Jack was well enough to take his weight.
"I say we all head home and call it a night. I'll handle UNIT in the morning." Jack stated, but Gertrude shook her head.
"Not possible Captain. Our home is a crime scene right now. I tell you this will really kill business." Jack 's grip tightened on Ianto slightly. The Welshman could feel his lovers anger at someone mistreating these women.
"What happened?" The immortal said through gritted teeth.
"UNIT. The broke in and threatened Olive. I put the three of them out of action. Disabled, not dead. However, we are now running from the law." Gertrude shrugged, and Jack simply nodded.
"We'll take them to the HUB." Tosh stated enthusiastically. Gwen and Martha shared a nervous glance, but Ianto and Jack smiled.
"Gertrude and Olivia Mayweather, How would you like to become members of Torchwood Cardiff?" The women laughed and then nodded.
"I've always wondered what you bunch did." Olivia nodded.
"it's settled then. Tosh, Owen, take them to the HUB give them the grand tour, make them feel welcome. Martha, thank you for filling in while we were out." The doctor smiled.
"You aren't getting rid of me that easily. Ianto still isn't completely well yet, and I only managed to get 10 of his post-it notes finished." The immortal looked at his lover, who was now a fair shade of pink.
"Post-it notes?" The Welshman cleared his throat.
"I'll explain later. Martha, really, you don't have to finish those, would you like to stay at our flat for the night?" Martha shook her head.
"No thanks. I'm not that tired, I'll probably stay at the HUB and keep Fall and Glib company." Gertrude and Olivia looked inquisitively at each other.
"Fall and Glib?" Ianto opened his mouth to answer, and then quickly shut it. The captain simply smirked.
"Well then let's get going. I for one am very tired, and would like some sleep." The crowd filed out of the room, Owen, Martha, Tosh, and the Mayweathers, all heading down to the parking garage. Ianto and Jack made their way to the front of the hospital, stopping to watch as Gwen chatted on her phone to someone.
"Yes they woke up. I know yo9u were just here. No I don't think that they will want any of your buttered pork bellies. Dear god Rhys they just got out of the hospital, you don't need to put them back in!" She caught sight of the two men, and smiled at them
"Yea, they're out. Yes, I'll call you when I head home. Get some rest hon." She pocketed the phone, and walked up to them.
"You too are looking better. Glad to see that you're back on your feet." Ianto felt a wave of relief as well as something else pouring from the Welshwoman, and reached a hand out to her. He saw, briefly through that touch, her pause and apology, as well as her work and Rhys's vigil.
"Thanks to all of you. Word is Rhys played relay. Tell him I said thanks, yea?" The Welshwoman blinked, and then nodded. She climbed into the driver's seat, and Jack helped Ianto into the back of the SUV, crawling in behind him.
"Where to?" Gwen stated cheerily.
"Just drop us off at our flat, and then head home. You need to sleep in your own bed tonight." The Welshwoman glanced back at Ianto, and even Jack looked slightly taken aback.
"are you sure that I don't need to watch the HUB?" Jack shook his head.
"No, it's covered, just go home to Rhys, and take the morning off. No sense in you comeing in all tired." Gwen nodded, choosing to stay silent as she drove them back to their flat. The two men got out, Ianto's movements still slowed, as Jack half carried him to the door.