Disclaimer: RTD and BBC (and all that it entails) owns them and all rights, if I owned them I would have fic writers doing the scripts, regardless of what RTD thinks (hmmm assassin!Ianto, Empath!Ianto, or vampire!Ianto or even all three as cannon, that'd be fun)

A/N This was also a fill for my 2012 BINGO, for the prompt Journeys and Quests

Also, the end is near...as there is only one more installment to go (I'm trying to plot it out but as it's COE and I never watched it it's slow going)

Journeys and Thanks

"EXTERMINATE!" was the repeated chant through the radio waves as Earth was invaded.

"No, no, it can't be," Jack said as he paled.

"Oh my God, no, not again," Ianto said in turn.

"What? What is it?" Gwen asked, Owen and Tosh sharing similar expressions of confusion.

"Daleks," Jack answered grimly.

"They were in the Tower; those that the Cybermen didn't convert, the Daleks exterminated," Ianto said. His eyes seemed hollow as he started into the distance, reliving the massacre.

Jack, putting professional distance aside for the time, engulfed Ianto in a hug. Ianto grasped at him, as if afraid Jack would disappear, in return.

A few minutes later Jack released Ianto, turning to the team.

"Either the Doctor shows up and we do everything in our arsenal to help, or we all die."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

After receiving the video conference with the Doctor and other companions, Jack knew what he had to do.

A Companion would always, as long as he or she was able, come to the Doctor's aid.

As Jack was making the necessary adjustments to his vortex manipulator and other preparations, Ianto came into his office.

"Off to the Doctor?" Ianto asked as he sat on Jack's desk.

Jack nodded solemnly before saying, "I will be back. I'll be back for you. But I have to go help."

Ianto nodded with a small smile as he said, "I know, but please be careful; I know these monsters haunt your nightmares as much as they haunt mine."

Jack nodded in agreement, pulling Ianto down for a kiss.

As they broke apart, Ianto said, "There's another reason I came to speak to you." At Jack's nod he continued, "I have received word from our network of Companions, they and even their families are resisting to the best of their ability, trying to inspire the people in their communities to not be afraid."

Jack smiled sadly as he said, "Once a Companion, always a Companion. I just hope we don't lose anyone to these monsters."

"Many have at least passing knowledge of Daleks; to my understanding they are exercising caution, but I did ask them all to be careful as well. I also received intel that indicates Sarah Jane plans to take more direct action."

Jack laughed, saying, "That's really no surprise, she did end up in our conference with the Doctor."

Jack hoped that after this, Sarah Jane would be willing to talk to him now; whenever he had tried to in the past she had shut him down, only noticing that he was Torchwood, and would not hear anything more.

She was a Companion, and he wanted to make sure she knew that the rest of them out there could be there for her if she wanted.

"I wonder if the Doctor realizes just how many of the people he's chosen are still fighting for him right now," Ianto said contemplatively.

Jack shook his head. "I doubt it, and I doubt he ever will."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Jack looked at his team as he was about to transport to the Doctor.

They were his team, and he was so proud of them.

"I'll be back, and I expect everyone to welcome me back," he said with a cheeky grin before sobering and continuing, "We're Torchwood and we don't give up."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Daleks will breach the Hub security in 3 minutes," Tosh declared from her station.

Owen marched to the armory, Ianto close behind. They opened the lock, pulling out the heavy artillery guns.

"I'll be damned if I go down without a fight," Owen said, tossing a gun, safety still on, to Gwen.

The team all nodded in solemn agreement.

"Two minutes!" Tosh stated, typing furiously, gun an inch away ready to begin fire.

Ianto, Owen and Gwen lined up, taking aim at the entrance. Ianto took the front; if there was an immediate shot he wanted it to hit him first and give the others some time.

"Thrity seconds!" Tosh was still typing at an unnatural pace.

"On my mark, fire at will!" Ianto called.

"Ten seconds!"

"FIRE!"

As he called out the order he heard Tosh stop typing.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

After a full minute of nonstop fire, Ianto realized that the Daleks were not moving. Even if by some miracle they had stopped one, others would have moved by now.

"HOLD YOUR FIRE!" he called.

As Owen and Gwen ceased their fire, the Daleks still did not continue their approach.

"What happened?" Gwen asked.

"A time lock," Tosh answered. "I've been working on it as a last line of defense, but I wasn't sure if it would work."

"Time lock?" Owen asked.

"A bubble of time is created around the Hub. On either side of the bubble, time is continuing as normal; however, within the bubble it is different—possibly stopped. Those within the bubble cannot leave it; they're essentially frozen in place."

Her face grew sad as she continued, "Unfortunately, because of the barrier we cannot communicate with the other side until it is shut down, even though we are moving at the same rate of time as before."

Ianto looked up at the distant ceiling of the Hub, looking beyond to where his lover and captain was fighting and helping the Doctor to save them all.

"Then all we can do is have faith in Jack," he said.

The others joined him in looking up in silent agreement.

They would believe in their Captain.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Jack looked up from his station where he was piloting the TARDIS to guide Earth back to where she belonged.

Rose had a distant look for a split second.

He looked back at the console in front of him.

Now, he realized—now was the exact moment the TARDIS made the Bad Wolf to send out the choice, the choice Ianto made.

This was the moment she gave him the most precious gift he could imagine, a gift he received a year ago.

He closed his eyes and tried to speak to her as she had to him oh, so long ago, when the year of torture was coming to an end.

She touched him back.

Yes, My Jack; I will not see you lose all that you love.

He smiled warmly; she had given him everything.

And all he could say to this oh-so-special being was, "Thank you."

"What was that, Jack?" asked the Doctor.

Jack beamed as he answered, "Nothing, Doctor, nothing at all; just a beginning."