Title : Flame beneath ashes - Chapter 7 : Moonlight in Bute Park
Summary : AU. After the events of Countrycide, Ianto was retconned and allowed to start a new life in London. Intervening accidentally in a burning building, it's a very different man Jack meets four years later. But can Ianto really escape his own destiny?
Rating : T
Characters: Ianto Jones, Jack Harkness, Gwen Cooper, Owen Harper, Toshiko Sato, Myfanwy, Original characters.
Pairing : Jack/Ianto, Owen/Tosh, Gwen/Rhys (mentioned), Ianto/Lisa (past)
Genres: Alternate universe/action/romance.
Warnings: Violence, swearing, sexual situation (nothing graphic), character's death (temporary)
Spoilers: Spoilers for seasons 1 and 2. Exit wounds and Children of Earth are only mentioned as incidents and Miracle Day, of course, never happened
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Notes : A thousand thanks to the lovely badly_knitted who agreed to become my beta at short notice. You are my saviour.
Chapter 7 : Moonlight in Bute Park
Cardiff, the same day, early evening
Jack parked as close as possible to the latest coordinates of his target and checked that no one was in the vicinity. The last thing he needed was to come across a horny couple of teenagers making out in the woods or an old lady walking her dog right in the middle of a Weevil hunt.
After having retrieved his standard equipment from the SUV's boot, he once again checked the coordinates on the screen of his wrist-strap. His target hadn't moved a lot since he had left the Hub and he started to jog in its direction.
It took him only a few minutes to reach the place, a small clearing, away from the path and surrounded by birches and oaks. He slowed his pace at the sight of a stooped figure, standing perfectly still in the middle of the clearing. He had been right, it was a Weevil.
As he approached, he saw the creature smelling the air, groaning and slowly turning its ugly muzzle towards him. Jack stopped only few feet from the beast and spread his arms with a large smile on his lips.
"Hi, boy, or girl, or whatever you are," he greeted it.
The creature sniffed once again and let out a low growl. Jack sighed and shook his head.
"Ok, mate. You know what? Today has been a really really shitty day for me. So, why couldn't we do it nicely?"
The Weevil growled louder, curling its chops and showing his sharp teeth. Out of the corner of his eye, Jack caught the glimpse of a movement on his right, accompanied by a similar growl. Keeping an eye on the alien in front of him, he shifted minutely, whilst a second Weevil came to stand beside the first one and his hand went instinctively for the Webley holstered at his side.
Certainly due to the influence the Doctor had had on him, Jack always tried his best to capture his targets alive, whilst minimizing the risks to the population as much as possible. Capturing only one Weevil was something he was used to and that he could almost do with his eyes shut, only using a stun gun and a spray canister. Dealing with two individuals, clearly hostile, was another matter and as much as he didn't like it, required him to consider a more radical method.
That was exactly the kind of situation where Owen and his magic Weevil hissing would be useful.
He sighed and unbuckled the strap of his holster. He was only putting his hand on the butt of the gun, when a foul smell coming from behind him, assaulted his nostrils. Before he could do anything, it was too late. A violent shove made him lose his balance. Just before he touched the ground, he managed somehow to roll over himself and landed in a crouching position, one knee on the grass. Fumbling to grab his weapon whilst turning around to face his new attacker, Jack realized with dismay that the Webley had fallen from his holster and was lying a few feet away, just between the feet of the biggest Weevil he had ever seen.
Before he had time to react and grab his stun gun, the huge beast, a big male, Jack assumed, fell on him with a roar, claws out. In a split second, Jack found himself pinned against the trunk of a tree and gasped as the bark painfully cut his scalp. He grabbed the forearms of the Weevil and struggled to loosen the vicious grip of the monster, which was trying, at the same time, to sink his sharp fangs into his throat.
Gathering all his strength, Jack tried to give him a knee in the groin, but the beast dodged and tightened the grip of his clawed hands around his neck even more.
Failing to outweigh the strength of his assailant, Jack shoved a shaking hand into the pocket of his coat and tried to reach the spray that was there. Unfortunately, his numb fingers were refusing to obey him and, in spite of all his efforts, the canister remained unreachable .
Through the blur due to the lack of oxygen, he saw the two other Weevils, likely females, moving slowly towards them and he redoubled his efforts to reach his weapon. Being shredded by a bunch of Weevils wasn't exactly his idea of how to spend a pleasant evening.
Suddenly, through the noise of the blood pounding in his ears, he thought he heard the sound of an engine in the background and a wave of hope washed over him. Maybe, if their attention was diverted for a moment, he could have a chance.
As his strength abandoned him and he was on the verge of passing out, he had a glimpse of a huge black motorbike, reared up on its back wheel and springing from a copse, just in front of the two Weevils. The driver made a controlled skid that sent a spray of soil and stones onto the creatures, who retreated with an angry growl, whilst the motorbike started to make circles around them in order to keep them at bay.
The male uttered an angry roar. Turning to his companions, he suddenly grabbed the lapels of Jack's coat and literally lifted him from the ground before throwing him towards his new assailant.
Helplessly flapping arms in the air and greedily sucking a breath of oxygen, Jack landed heavily on the grass, only a few feet from the other two weevils and almost under the wheels of the motorbike, forcing the driver to swerve to avoid him. The machine slipped on the wet grass and landed on its side, taking its driver along with it.
Coughing violently and shaking his head to try to clear his vision, Jack hastened to stand upright, as fast as his unsteady legs allowed him and hopefully before the Weevils could go back to the attack. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his companion in misfortune jump to his feet and undo the buckle of his helmet. The face he discovered wasn't really a surprise, but he'd have preferred if it had been someone else.
Oh, Ianto. What are you doing here, for God sake? This isn't your fight. Why can't you stay safe in London?
One of the females launched herself towards the young Welshman, aiming for his throat, but before she reached her goal, he hit her muzzle with his helmet, sending her backward next to her companion.
"Nice shot," Jack managed to say despite his sore throat, a surge of pride washing over him.
Ianto glared at him with a shrug. He was about to respond when the second female launched another attack. Ianto threw his helmet at her, but the creature ducked it at the last second. Nevertheless, it was enough to make her retreat.
"Fucking hell," muttered Ianto, as he joined the Captain in two strides. "What are those things?"
Jack shook his head and sighed.
"Too long to explain. Let's just say that they're very unfriendly."
"No, really?"
It was Jack's turn to shrug. Instinctively, the two men positioned themselves back-to-back, to leave no opening to the enemy. They were surrounded by the grunting beasts and there wasn't any escape in sight.
"Okay," Jack said in a more serious tone, whilst detaching the stun gun on his belt. "I'll take the big one and you take the other two."
"What?" Ianto exclaimed, looking at him over his shoulder with wide eyes. "Are you kidding?"
"You'd prefer to deal with 'big daddy', instead?" Jack asked, grabbing Ianto's hand and clapping the item into it.
The young man glanced at the huge grimacing monster and pulled a face. Jack couldn't help chuckling.
"That's what I thought."
"And you?"
"Talent and improvisation," said the immortal with a wink, finally extracting his Weevil spray from his pocket.
Before Ianto could make a move to stop him, Jack darted headlong towards the Weevil in a run-up worthy of a rugby player and launched all his weight at the abdomen of the beast, knocking him back. The two of them landed on the ground with a heavy thud. Without allowing time for his adversary to recover, Jack gave it a hefty dose of spray right in its ugly face and clambered off him, reaching out for his gun still on the grass.
Unfortunately, the Weevil was faster at recovering than he had excepted and before he could grab his Webley, the beast was once again at him. Managing somehow to turn over on his back before the monster crashed onto him, Jack found himself pinned to the ground and struggling to keep the creature's fangs away from his throat.
Seeing it, Ianto's first reaction was to go and try to help Jack, but before he could try to do something, a sudden blow to his back sent him stumbling and reminded him he had his own problems to deal with. One of his Weevils pounced on him with a roar and shoved him backward.
Fighting to keep his balance, he kicked out with one leg and his heavy boot collided right with the chest of the creature. As the second female dashed in his direction, he suddenly remembered the stun-gun still in his hand, aimed it at the monster the moment she reached him, and pressed the trigger. A small flash of blue light escaped from the barrel and the Weevil shuddered before going limp on the ground with a silent cry.
At that sight, the other one froze on the spot and immediately beat a retreat towards the trees, groaning and hissing angrily. For a second, Ianto considered the idea of pursuing her, but dropped the idea as he heard the harsh sounds of wrestling coming from behind him.
He turned his head to watch Jack and the alien creature fighting on the ground. One of Jack's hands was pushing the muzzle of the monster away from his neck, whilst the second one was hidden between them.
Ianto took a step in their direction in order to help Jack, when a detonation resounded through the night and startled him. The huge beast lying on top of Jack suddenly stopped thrashing and went limp. Grunting and puffing, Jack undertook with great difficulty to roll him to the side and free himself from his weight.
"Thanks for the assist," he said with a large smile as he got awkwardly to his feet, his smoking gun still in hand.
Ianto nodded and was about to return the smile when his eyes caught sight of a strange reflection on Jack's trousers and his features flattened. Following the young man's gaze, Jack lowered his eyes and winced.
Shit.
His trousers were drenched with blood. His own blood. Somewhere during the fight and without being aware of it, the Weevil had succeeded in planting his claws into his leg, deep enough to reach the femoral artery and cause massive bleeding. Jack felt his legs buckle under him and he collapsed to his knees onto the wet grass.
In a second, Ianto was at his side, instantaneously taking the measure of the damage and firmly pressing his hand onto the wound at Jack's crotch to try to stop the haemorrhage. Through the haze of his mind, Jack couldn't help feeling a very inappropriate jolt of electricity go through his lower body at the touch of Ianto's hand on him.
You're really hopeless, Harkness, he scolded himself.
"Don't move. Don't move," urged Ianto, promptly extracting his mobile from his pocket and starting to dial for rescue.
Jack's bloody hand grasped his wrist in a vice grip.
"Don't…" His voice was barely a murmur, but full of determination. Ianto tried to free his arm.
"Captain, please. You need help." He knew it was probably too late, but he couldn't bring himself to let this poor guy die without trying everything to save him. He cast a quick glance at the pool of blood that was spreading quickly under Jack's body and that the damp ground had trouble absorbing. Of the seven to eight litres of blood that a man of his stature could hold, he had already lost much.
Jack shook his head stubbornly.
"Don't… Please, don't call anyone, ok?" he panted, his voice becoming husky from exhaustion. "Trust me."
"Jack, I have to…"
Jack's grip on his wrist tightened.
"Please. Just… Promise me to wait... No matter how long."
It was Ianto's turn to shake his head.
"Wait for what?"
"Please…" There was so much distress in his blue eyes that it was heartbreaking.
"Ok," Ianto sighed, and Jack nodded with relief.
"Thanks. Trust me… Wait… You'll see…"
"See what?" asked Ianto once again, but Jack was no longer able to reply.
Taking Jack's hand into his, Ianto lifted his head onto his lap and gently pushed a strand of hair away from his damp forehead. At least the man wouldn't die alone.
A few seconds later, Jack's chest ceased to rise and fall and Ianto closed his eyes. For the first time in a long time, he prayed, for Jack's soul to rest in peace.
TW TW TW TW TW
Ianto did as he had been told. He waited.
For almost twenty long minutes, in a creepy clearing only lit by the moonlight, covered in blood and all alone with an unconscious non-human creature and two corpses at his side, he waited patiently.
He didn't have a clue as to why he had agreed to it. If he was honest, he couldn't explain half of the things he had done, since the moment he had met the mysterious Captain Harkness, two weeks ago. He had reached the point where he began to wonder if he hadn't crossed a sort of invisible border, and was now in a kind of fourth dimension where no logic remained anymore. He used to be a rational man. And none of what happened to him was rational nor natural.
The fight in the park with those creatures, for example. It should have been scary, even terrifying. Instead of which, he had found it... thrilling. To his amazement, the mere presence of the Captain at his side had been enough to do away with any trace of fear and make him feel calm and detached. As if he had done it all his life.
Jack Harkness. This man was quite a piece of work.
Despite Jack's denials on the dock, Ianto was still convinced that this man was the key to his missing past.
He was like nothing Ianto had ever seen before and the way he made him feel was like nothing he had ever experienced. Cocky, irritating, but also charismatic and intriguing. He seemed to be as slippery as an eel and as dangerous as a cobra. And yet, something told him that he could trust him, that he should trust him.
Ianto sighed and opened his mobile for the hundredth time before finally putting it back into his pocket.
Wait. But wait for what, damnit?
He looked around him and shook his head with dismay.
God. If someone ever comes right now, I'll surely spend the rest of my life in prison for murder. There's no way I could explain all this mess.
He looked at the face of the dead man laid on his lap and gently rubbed his thumb along his temple. Jack looked like he was sleeping and his beautiful features were utterly peaceful.
Ianto cringed inwardly. God, had he just thought that Jack Harkness was beautiful? It sounded so weird. And yet...
Ianto frowned. He had never felt attracted to men. At least, not that he remembered. Not that the idea was repulsive or disturbing. Some of his friends were gay and like most people, he had already been led to question his sexual orientation. But, in the end, it had always seemed that he was only attracted to women.
No, he thought after some reflection. It's not about men. It's just... him.
Lost in thoughts, he missed the slight fluttering of Jack's eyelids, announcing his upcoming return to the world of the living.
When Jack suddenly arched under the effect of a violent convulsion and he gasped like a drowning man, Ianto's heart skipped a beat and he couldn't suppress a cry. He immediately pushed the older man away and jumped to his feet, rushing to put as much distance as possible between himself and the aberration he had under his eyes.
Rolling over, Jack clambered painfully to his feet and turned to face him with an outstretched hand, as if to calm a panicked animal.
"Don't freak out," he said with a hoarse voice, as he was trying to keep his balance on his shaking legs.
"Don't freak out?" stuttered Ianto with disbelief, his eyes as wide as plates.
"I can explain…" started Jack, but Ianto didn't let him carry on.
"Don't freak out!" he shouted, taking a step back, as Jack was moving forward. "Fuck! You were dead!"
Jack dropped his hand and sighed. It was time to change tactics. The poor boy was obviously not ready to hear the truth. Better to opt for a less traumatic middle way.
"I wasn't," claimed Jack calmly.
Ianto looked daggers at him and scowled, a cold anger taking precedence over the fright.
"Stop taking me for a fool. It's been long enough."
"It's not what…"
Ianto cut him off.
"I'm paid to know if people are dead or not. You. Were. Dead."
Jack waited a second then nodded slowly.
"Ok, you're right. I was."
Ianto shook his head with disbelief and looked around him, almost expecting to see a TV crew emerge from a bush and tell him that he had been caught by a hidden camera.
"You… What the hell are you? Lazarus' little brother?"
Jack sighed.
"It's complicated."
Ianto cocked an eyebrow.
"No, really."
Jack rubbed a weary hand over his face and tried to clear his head. Death by exsanguination was a plague. It always left him weak and dizzy and took him longer to recover. Breathing deeply, he tried to gather his thoughts. He needed to give Ianto the most clear and concise explanation, or he would never see the end of it.
"Ok. There was a time I was like everyone else, then something happened and I died. A friend of mine, well, she meant well. She tried to bring me back to life and… Let's just say that she overacted a little and instead of just bringing me back to life, she brought me back forever."
"Are you telling me you're immortal?" asked Ianto sceptically.
"Not exactly. I die, but the fact is I don't stay dead."
Ianto made another step backward and leant against a trunk, carding his fingers through his hair.
"God, it's official. I'm going insane."
Jack lowered his eyes and tried to find the right words.
"Ianto, listen. I know I owe you a lot of explanation, but I don't think this is the best place nor the best moment to do it." He paused and nodded at the unconscious Weevil between them and her dead companion. "Is there somewhere where we could talk after I take care of these two?"
Ianto lifted his head and nodded.
"My hotel room? I haven't given the key back yet."
"Fine, fine. So do me a favour. Go back to your hotel and wait for me. I'll get there as soon as I've put our friends somewhere safe."
Ianto couldn't help snorting, not the least bit convinced.
"I swear," assured Jack.
Ianto chuckled and shifted his long frame off the tree. He felt too worn out and numb to fight.
"Ok. But you'd better keep your word," he sighed, bending to pick up his discarded helmet.
He walked slowly towards his motorbike lying on its side and began to put it upright. Jack followed him and gave him a hand.
"Can I ask you something?"
Ianto shrugged.
"You can try."
"What are you doing here? I mean, you were supposed to go back to London."
Ianto was about to ask him how he had heard of his intentions, but decided it was far from the weirdest thing of the evening and dropped it. He took a deep breath and absently scratched the soil that stained the body of his motorbike.
"I was coming back from my sister's. She lives nearby. I was returning to my hotel to get my stuff, before going back to London. I don't know ... I suppose I must have been lost in my thoughts…Anyway, I didn't really pay attention to the speed limits. At least until a police car signalled for me to pull over."
He paused and looked up at Jack who gazed at him expectantly. Clearing his throat and absently rubbing his shoulder where the Weevil had hit him, the young Welshman went on.
"When the first cop got out of the car, I knew I was done. He came to me and asked me if I knew how fast I was driving. I admitted I hadn't a clue. He was already fining me, when another cop got out of the car and told him to drop it."
"What did he look like?" Jack wanted to know.
"Almost my height, blond hair, blue eyes. I read the name on his badge. Davidson."
Jack tightened his jaws. Davidson, of course. The PC knew that Ianto had worked for Torchwood and had just assumed that it was still the case.
"It was really weird. He seemed to expect me to understand why he did it and he even apologized, saying he hadn't recognized me without my suit. Damn. I never wear a suit. Never, not even for funerals. But this man knew me, I could have sworn."
"Is that why you turned around?"
"Yes and no. Rather something he mumbled to his colleague before getting into his car."
"What was it?" asked Jack, though he had some idea.
"'Bloody Torchwood.' He said it as if it was a private joke between them. How… How did he knew that I had worked in the Torchwood Tower?"
Jack took a moment before answering. It was time to put the cards on the table.
"Because you were a part of it. Torchwood wasn't just an office building. It's an organisation. A secret organisation."
Ianto gaped at him.
"What kind of organisation? Like the CIA, MI6 ?"
Jack shook his head and smirked.
"More than that. Compared to us, those guys are nothing more than some boy-scouts. We're outside the government and beyond the police."
"Wh... what are you doing exactly? Those creatures, they're not an isolated case, are they? Are they aliens?"
Jack's smile widened. Ianto, always so clever and perspicacious.
"No and yes. It can sound clichéd, but we're not alone. There are plenty of things like them all around us and it's our job to make sure that nobody notices. We deal with them and the technology they leave behind, in order to arm the human race for the future. The twenty-first century is when everything changes, and you've got to be ready."
Ianto stared at him and Jack wondered if it had finally triggered something.
"Does it remind you of something?"
"No. Nothing specific. It's always the same. Just a vague feeling of déjà vu. Like these... things. "
"Weevils. They're called Weevils. Does it sound familiar to you?"
Ianto pondered for a second, then shook his head sadly. Jack frowned, puzzled. Having crossed the path of a Weevil should have broken the effects of retcon, even if Ianto had received a massive dose. It had needed less than that for Gwen to regain her memories. Moreover, Ianto had an eidetic memory that should have made him even more resistant to the effects of the drug.
Momentarily pushing his worries aside, Jack glanced at the unconscious alien on the ground. Taking care of it became more and more urgent.
"Why is it that I don't remember?" asked Ianto bluntly. "What happened to me?"
Jack decided to stick with blunt honesty.
"I wiped your memory."
Ianto stopped scratching the mud from his motorbike and stared at Jack, his face a mask of shock and pain.
"What! Why?"
"Because…You asked me to." Jack stalled and tried to find a good way to tell the truth, but Ianto cut the ground from under his feet.
"I did something. That's it? Something wrong. What did I do? Tell me," he pleaded.
Jack pressed his lips together. You tried to save the love of your life, endangered the world and finally got two people killed.
He took a deep breath. Too bad for the honesty.
"You did nothing wrong. There was just a moment where enough was enough and you decided you could take no more and wanted to leave." He sighed. "Ianto, I know you need answers, but…"
Ianto lifted his hand and shook his head wearily.
"I know, I know. Time and place." He straddled his motorbike and donned his helmet. He raised the visor and started the engine.
"Hotel of the Shore. Room 217. I'm counting on you."
"Thanks," nodded Jack.
A few seconds later, he watched the taillights disappear into the night., then returned to the centre of the clearing to deal with the two abandoned bodies.
He shook his head as he lifted the deadweight of one of them up and into the back of the SUV. Damn, what would he do now?
To be continued