24
Ianto woke to the feeling of warmth and sighed softly into the well-lit room.
"Hey babe" Jack crooned, leaning over to kiss him.
"Jack!" Ianto blushed, looking furtively at the door.
"Ah, yeah. About that, do you remember after the attack? In the autopsy bay?" Jack asked gently.
"Can we not call it that? It sounds so …. OH MY GOD!"
Jack laughed softly as he stroked his cheek, "It's OK. Not like they didn't know what you mean to me."
"Stop it" Ianto blushed more, "That's harassment Sir!"
"Come on, you love it!" Jack snorted.
"Um, well I know what I do love" Ianto whispered as he leaned closer. Then reared back as Gwen blustered into the room.
"There you are Pet" she grinned, showing that gap for all the world to see, had one on her teeth too. Sorry. That was mean, she can't help having an empty head, Ianto chastised himself.
"Gwen" he frowned as he remembered Jack's growling at her for some reason.
"Well, we now have auxiliary power all raring to go, if we have a power surge, cut or otherwise intermission the auxiliary will kick in within seconds" she gushed.
"You did?" Ianto couldn't help it, watching her squirm.
"Well, Tosh, Owen and I" she amended with a flick of her hair.
Jack hid a grin as he caught Ianto's look of disbelief and asked Gwen to get some iced water for Ianto's throat.
"Thank you Cariad" Ianto sighed as she bustled off, leaving him in peace at least.
"Ianto?" Jack sat on the edge of the bed, "There was no reason for the lights to go out. The bulb was fine, the connections good and the switch was on."
"You know, that's not the first time it's happened like that" Ianto said sadly, "They watch me, like they are always right there, just beyond our vision."
"Ianto, tell me something I can do to help, tell me what we can do to protect you" Jack begged, "There must be something we can do."
"We need to get to mainframe, she'll be cranky without her tea" Ianto said and Jack frowned at the change of conversation.
"I'm safe in her room" Ianto explained, "They have never touched me there."
Owen had OK'd Ianto to walk and he gingerly made his way down stairs as Jack helped him, Tosh following with a tea pot and a confused Owen carrying a chair.
Gwen stayed topside to watch the monitors for any movement.
Ianto stopped at a set of doors and calmly reached out, knocking three times.
The doors swung open and Ianto stepped inside, cooing softly at the glowing blue walls.
Jack stood with a look of disbelief as Ianto babbled away at the coral and stroked it lovingly, reaching for the teapot.
"See darling? I didn't forget" Ianto crooned as he poured it over the base of the wall, it pulsed and then changed to a golden glow.
Ianto sat in the chair, pulled against a wall as he leaned against her.
Jack couldn't speak as he reached blindly for something to keep him upright.
"What is it?" Tosh whispered with awe.
"Mainframe" Ianto said as he stroked her, tendrils of golden light twirling around him.
"Oh my God!" Tosh enthused as she clasped her hands, "It's alive isn't it?"
"Her. She. I don't know what her name was originally, she didn't seem to remember. She's been down here for so long, rotting away. Unloved." Ianto sighed, "I call her Mama."
Jack slid down the wall and landed on the floor, his butt cushioning his fall.
"Ianto, you know what she is, same as I do," Jack huffed and Ianto looked down at him with surprise.
"Jack? Why are you down there?"
"Ianto." Jack scolded, "Stop playing. You know what this is."
"Of course I do" Ianto canted his head.
"She's a Tardis."