AN: Aaaaaand the first chapter in part II! This is a couple of months later. Hope you enjoy.
Chapter 7: Splott, Again
It had been quiet for the last month or so. All things considered it had been a nice change after the thing that had attacked them in their minds and tried to break them. Tosh and Owen were a lot closer, but Jack... Jack seemed a little distant. He'd told Ianto about seeing his brother and parents, and how he kept losing everyone, and Ianto could tell that Jack was worried about the day he'd lose him.
It was a normal morning in the Hub, Owen going over some medical records, Tosh doing some sort of experiment, and Jack in the office doing paperwork because Ianto had told him too. Ianto was in the small kitchen making the next round of drinks, when the Rift alarm went off. He went over to Tosh's station as the others gathered there. "Something's coming through, something powerful, it's messing with my readings, but it doesn't seem that big physically." She reported.
Jack had come down out of his office at the sound of the alarm and had clapped his hands. "Where is it Toshiko?" He asked, nervous tension radiating off him in almost palpable waves. The Japanese woman glanced at him, concern in her eyes. "Splott, where else?"
Jack nodded and turned, not meeting Ianto's gaze as he strode past them all. "Well then boys and girls," Jack forced false cheer into his voice, "Let's get going shall we?" He turned and strode from the Hub, heading towards the garage, expecting them to follow. Gwen appeared confused as the others exchanged concerned glanced behind their leader's back.
Ianto looked at the readings, listening to Jack and Tosh talk, then stood up straight and looked at Jack, only Jack didn't look at him. Ianto's heart went a little cold. Had jack decided being with him was too much of a risk? He followed with the others, wondering what was going on, but pushing it to one side as there was work to be done.
If this was like the last "weird reading" they'd had then Jack needed to detach... to remain the Leader of Torchwood Three not a snivelling mess. He'd almost caved at the expression that had crossed Ianto's face when Jack had refused to meet his eyes. He wanted to turn around, to say something but he... he couldn't. If he went to face this thing thinking of Ianto, whatever it was might hurt his lover to get to him and Jack didn't think he could stand that.
Ianto let Gwen sit in the front this time, choosing to sit in the back with Owen and Tosh. They knew something was going on, but Gwen was oblivious as always, just happy to be riding up front with Jack. They made their way to Splott, where they all got out and headed towards the co-ordinates of the Rift alert.
Jack caught Tosh's arm on the way past. "Keep an eye on him for me. Please?" His voice was calm but his eyes were pools of conflicting emotions. The computer genius nodded and murmured that she would and laid a gentle, understanding hand briefly on her boss' arm before hastening to catch up to her best friend. Smiling up at Ianto, Tosh linked her arm through his and squeezed, whispering, "Don't give up on him Yan, he just wants you safe." Sympathy shone clear in her gaze.
Owen paused beside his boss but didn't say anything. His eyes flicked over to the pair ahead of them and back to Jack. He nodded once, offering a grimace which was the closest he could come to a reassuring smile at this time before collaring Gwen who was headed over to bother Jack. "C'mere Cooper, I need a word." He dragged the protesting Welshwoman away, giving their Captain time to compose himself.
Taking a deep breath, Jack strengthened his mental defences and steeled his heart. For the first time since they'd discovered that Ianto could talk to him with his mind, the Welshman's presence had been a quiet, unassuming spark of awareness inside his head. Heightening his defences, Jack found the younger man pushed out and that drove home to him just how much Ianto Jones had come to be entwined with him, body and soul. He missed that quiet, soft presence in his head with a fierceness that surprised him. He wanted to call it back but he wasn't sure how.
Ianto nodded at Tosh and walked with her, he felt Jack close himself off from him completely and it felt like a part of him had just vanished, leaving a huge gaping hole in his soul. He stopped with a gasp, clutching his heart. Tosh looked alarmed. "Ianto?" She asked, about to yell for Owen and Jack but Ianto grabbed her arm and shook his head, regaining his composure. "It's ok. Jack just shut himself off from me, I wasn't expecting it." His voice sounded as hollow as he felt. "You're sure?" Tosh asked, still ready to call them, but he nodded. "I'm sure, come on."
They made their way deeper into the building, when they came across a small cube which was glowing a little. "Is that it?" He asked Tosh. She scanned it and nodded calling the others to let them know they'd found it. Cautiously they walked over. Ianto could feel warmth coming from it, and a faint pressure on his mind, as if it was trying to reach out to him. "Can you feel that?" He asked Tosh. "Feel what?" Ianto frowned. "The warmth coming from it?" She shook her head. "It's not giving off any heat source Ianto." He looked at the device closer, wondering what it was. With the mental pressure he could feel loneliness and fear. Somehow he knew that this thing wasn't a danger to them. Tentatively he reached forward. "IANTO!" Tosh cried in alarm as the device flashed, light reaching out to touch Ianto's hand.
Jack had been heading back at the Japanese woman's call. He and Owen had been heading in the opposite direction. He had turned to say something over his shoulder to the medic, when he heard Tosh's worried cry and spun around. A glance between Ianto and a small glowing cube pulsing with... golden light... Memory sparked. Jack was back on that space station in the year 200 100. He'd been dead and then... Golden light had spilled around him in the darkness, dragging him back. God, it had hurt... Like being pulled over broken glass. He was too far away to do anything.
Jack railed in his mind as the golden light engulfed his Ianto. In a heartbeat, he had lowered his mental defences, reaching out, trying to find him. No, he begged silently. Please don't curse him like this too. He felt... something... brush across his mind. It wasn't Ianto though. I give you this gift Captain Harkness, to right the wrong my poor sister made, through no fault of her own. The Valiant Child did what she thought was right but she did not know what she was doing. The voice, distinctly female, was echoing with loneliness and sorrow. Take care of your Ianto Jones, Captain. He is a good man.
I know, Jack responded softly. With a sound through him mind like grass rustling in high wind, the light shut off and the cube was dark. The last remnants of a TARDIS had just died. And Time itself stood still in mourning.
Ianto stood still as if frozen as the light engulfed him. A small spark of fear lit in his mind, what had he done this time, had he been tricked? But the light was warm and something touched that fear extinguishing it. Worry not brave heart, for you shall never lose your captain, and he shall never lose you. And with that the light faded and the cube was just a cube. Ianto blinked and stooped down, scooping up the now cold cube and cradling it close, sorrow at its passing filled his heart along with hope. Something had changed, but what he didn't know.
He looked up to see Tosh, Owen and Gwen standing there with shocked looks on their faces and he turned to look at Jack only to see pure horror in his eyes as he gazed at Ianto. The fear returned full force now, catching him in an icy grip.
"Oh God Yan, I'm so sorry." Jack whispered, loudly enough for them to hear in the sudden, ringing silence. "I'm so, so sorry." The horror in his eyes rang through his voice as well. "So very sorry." And without another word, Captain Jack Harkness, turned away from them and fled the building. Once outside, he buried his face in his hands and sobbed. Ianto had seen him break down before but the others hadn't and Jack had to keep it that way.
He leant against the wall, sliding down it until he could wrap his arms around his knees. His mind was wide open and instinctively he sought out his lover... He needed that comforting presence despite... Jack shook his head. Tentatively, he brushed against Ianto's mental barrier, the equivalent of knocking on a door. Please, I need you right now. Jack begged silently not to Ianto, just to himself. Please.
Ianto watched shocked as Jack apologised then fled. The others looked at him then back the way Jack had gone. Gwen had gone to go after him but Ianto stopped her with a single word. "NO!" he yelled at her.
He heard Jack's mental plea even though the Captain hadn't actually sent it to him, Ianto had picked up on it, and it broke him out of his stupor. He looked at Tosh and Owen who nodded, handed the cube to Tosh. "Look after it, it's precious." He said. Tosh frowned in confusion but nodded. Ianto sent her a thankful smile and went after Jack. He was confused and hurt, but Jack was in pain and needed him. I'm comingcariad. He thought and headed quickly out to where he could feel Jack's roiling emotions.
He found Jack just outside and was kneeling next to him in an instant. "Jack?" he said softly, not touching him just yet.
Jack looked up at Ianto and reached out a hand. "I'm so sorry," he rasped, tears still trickling down his cheeks. "I'm sorry about what's happened to you... I didn't ask her to, I really didn't." He was babbling now and had grabbed Ianto's hand, clutching it tightly. "So sorry," he whispered one last time.
Jack clambered to his feet and simply stared at his Welshman, eyes tracing his features, taking in the very subtle change. Something clicked. The Vortex swirling within him rose and responded to the new Vortex now present within Ianto. Clearly like recognised like. It felt odd. A small part of him was relieved. That meant it actually had happened and... He would have Ianto with him forever... A smile twitched his lips and suddenly he couldn't help himself... Jack threw himself at Ianto and pressed his lips across the younger man's.
Golden light rose behind his closed eyelids as he kissed Ianto with all the pent up love and fear he'd been holding back for months. Emotions swirled like the light behind his eyelids, spilling out of him in scattered bursts. The light passed through his lips, just as it had the first time he'd kissed the Welshman, bringing him back to life. This time, it met the light within Ianto and... Fireworks exploded between them. This... This was so much more intense than anything he'd ever felt.
Ianto reached out and took Jack's hand, still not understanding why he was apologising. "Jack... What...?" he started to ask but Jack stood up brining Ianto with him. He frowned as Jack looked at him, really looked and for a moment he thought that Jack was going to leave him, for good this time, when a smile twitched on Jacks lips and suddenly he was being kissed.
What happened next, Ianto couldn't really explain, and didn't really want too, so intense was what happened, so deeply personal. It was if golden liquid, so warm and rich flooded through Ianto from inside himself, not from Jack and rose to meet the same warmth, the same light and life that was in Jack and they connected in a way too deep to describe, and suddenly he understood what had happened.
He deepened the kiss, pushing his life force against Jack's, the two intertwining, soul mates that could never be separated, that would be able to find each other across light-years. He would always know what Jack was feeling, if Jack was hurt, and Jack would know the same about him no matter how far apart they were.
Jack felt their life-forces, their very souls entwine and his heart sang. He moved closer, arms twined around the younger man, mouth's fused together as if he were trying to make them one being. But... in some way, they were one... in soul if not body.
"Oi Harkne... Fucking hell! Did not need to see that. Get your tongue outta the Tea Boy's throat and tell us what the hell happened!" Owen. Of course.
Jack kissed Ianto one last time. This kiss was so sweet and tender it had Jack's eyes watering. He pulled back from Ianto, golden light dissipating slowly, being reabsorbed back into the separate bodies.
"Well... that sort of answers that question..." Owen muttered. Jack rolled his eyes in a distinctly Ianto-like gesture. Tosh giggled, covering her mouth quickly to stifle the sound. Gwen, for her part, looked distinctly stunned. She's always assumed that Ianto was just a distraction for the Captain, to stop him pining after her. But that... this... Her mouth flapped open and she made a strangled squeak. Everyone ignored her.
Jack straightened his clothes slightly. "That light was the last, the dying gift from a broken TARDIS. She must have been already been fatally damaged for the trip through the Rift to have drained the last of her life energy. Ianto is..." Jack paused, amending his statement, not sure if the Welshman wanted the others to know. "Fine. More than fine." He smiled lovingly across at his partner.
Owen frowned and gazed at the Tea Boy. He didn't look injured but there was something... different about him. And it wasn't the fact that he was appearing thoroughly snogged, that was normal. "I'd still like to run some tests to be sure." The medic responded dourly.
Ianto broke reluctantly from Jack, feeling the energy fading back into his body. If Jack hadn't have still held onto him, he would have stumbled. Wow, he said to Jack, knowing that the others couldn't hear them, not anymore. He blinked and looked at the others, trying not to laugh at Gwen's reaction. He listened as Jack sort of explained what had happened and smiled back with just as much love and warmth.
He caught Owen looking at him and straightened himself out as well and rolled his eyes much like Jack had just done. "Fine, you can check me over, but Jack is right, I'm alright." He said with a smile, still holding Jack's hand in his.
Owen shot the Welshman a look that stated clearly, 'I'll be the judge of that thanks'. Jack rolled his eyes again and squeezed Ianto's hand lightly. "I think you'll find Owen, that Ianto has never been in better health. Ever." He was being subtle for Ianto's sake and hoped the medic got the hint.
Owen had found out about Jack's inability to die quite by accident one evening when the Captain had staggered back to Hub, drenched in blood. The medic had been working later than normal and Jack had been too far gone to remember that Owen didn't know. It was a wonder he'd managed to get there at all. He'd lurched over to the medic and gasped out, "Weevil," before collapsing in a boneless heap. The Englishman had cursed and hurried to his boss' side. There hadn't been a pulse. Owen was cursing even more loudly. What on Earth was he going to tell Ianto? The medic had been turning to go find... something... anything when there had been a huge lungful of air sucked in behind him. He spun around, eyes wide to find a very alive Captain Jack Harkness staring at him in dismay. "I died didn't I?" He'd asked, completely casually as if it happened every day. Owen had stammered out an affirmation and Jack had mumbled a curse and dragged himself slowly to his feet. "Ianto's going to kill me again," he muttered. "He hates it when I die." Suddenly, the Captain's gaze had snapped back to Owen, pinning him in place. "You can't tell anyone." The medic had nodded, slightly afraid, although he'd never admit it.
After that, Owen had run as many tests on Jack as the Captain would let him. Everything about Jack was perfect. Too perfect. His blood work was too clean. He was physically too fit. He was too healthy. And that freaked Owen out just a little. Again, he'd never admit that.
Owen's eyes widened in surprise, glancing between the immortal Captain and the... now immortal Tea Boy? Was that what had happened? Jack nodded slightly in response to the medic's expression. "I see."
Tosh glanced at the Englishman in surprise. He never backed down that easily. Her eyes narrowed in thought as she took in the rather secretive expressions on the three men's faces. They all knew something and there was nothing Toshiko Sato disliked more than not knowing something.
Ianto looked at Owen and saw that he got it now. Of course Owen would still want to run tests on him, just to make sure, but Ianto truly felt better than he had in a long time. he still had the faint scar of Gray's name on his chest, the last little bit they couldn't get rid of, as well as some old scars, and he would have thought that they would have gone too, but maybe he had to die first. Oh god, he wasn't looking forward to that. He knew how much it hurt Jack, plus Jack would now find himself in the same position of wondering if this time it's permanent.
He saw Tosh's confusion, as well then a small light of understanding coming to her eyes. Ianto winked at her, just leaving Gwen thoroughly confused. He'd tell her later... a lot later. "Come on then, let's head back."
Jack kissed him one last time before agreeing. "Sure, let's head back." He agreed with Ianto, brushing lightly across his mind, sending a wave of love and reassurance, because he could and because Ianto was looking worried about something. Owen glanced at them curiously, certain something was going on, but he could no longer hear either the Captain or the Tea Boy unless they chose to let him. It was a relief. No more leaking emotions.
"I call shot gun!" He shouted, to break the silence and to aggravate the Tea Boy, one of his favourite past-times. Tosh rolled her eyes at the medic's back, but of course he didn't see. Gwen trailed behind them all, still looking confused and a little put out.
Ianto smiled and sent the wave back, deliberately letting Owen feel it as he called shot gun. He had more than one way to get back at the medic. They went back to the SUV and Ianto let Owen sit in the front, but sat behind Jack. With their new bond, it didn't matter where they were, they could feel each other as if they were next to each other.