Chapter 5: Ho Ho Hollow

The radio sang Christmas Carols and snow blanketed the city. Nearly ten months had passed and Ianto was feeling despair settling in his heart. Jack was nowhere to be found and the Rift hadn't been active. All their leads were going cold. Torchwood was beginning to move on and Ianto was beginning to think he should actually star over in New York. Actually find a flat for him and Luna. Actually open a travel agency and let go of Torchwood and Jack. He would feel guilty now if he made Luna go back to Cardiff. She'd begun to settle down in New York and developed a brotherly relationship with the Slippery boys, especially Rory. Her room had finally been completed with a bed and posters on the wall.

The house around him was decorated with wreathes and cinnamon smells. The family tree stood proud and tall in the living room, coated delicately with glass icicles and fairy lights. Presents strategically placed around the tree really made it seem like it came straight out of a magazine.

Ianto's ringing mobile got him out of his trance. He answered it with a dull, "Ianto Jones."

"Merry Christmas to you too mate," Owen sarcastically answered back.

"Sorry."

"Listen, I know it's been three months but, I've got what thing took Jack."

Ianto automatically perked up, "Seriously!?"

"You didn't think I was going to give up did you? He's my captain too, you know." Ianto could hear the smirk in Owen's voice.

"What is it? Tell me!"

"It's called a Hollowcall. It took me a lot of digging through Jack's personal files, and it comes from the 50th century. These things are mutated forms of Time Agents. The ones who's wrist strap malfunctioned and screwed them up. They began eating other people's life energy as food. Similar to the Weeping Angels, but they don't send them back in time. They keep them in a comatose until their life runs out."

"But Jack's immortal," Ianto realized, "he's an infinite food supply!"

"Precisely, that's why the Rift hasn't had an extreme spike since Jack disappeared."

"But who is the Hollowcall?"

"Sorry, Ianto, no clue."

"How do we kill it?"

"You have to cut off the food supply, in this case, Jack."

"I'm not killing Jack."

"I didn't say you had to," Owen snorted, "You have to contain the Hollowcall until it dies."

"How long does that take?"

"Until Jack wakes up."

"Thanks Owen. Merry Christmas." Ianto hung up the phone. A smile spread to his face, hope once again filling his chest. They had a chance; Jack could be found and saved.

"I'm not playing Cludo with you." Luna insisted.

"Why not?" Daniel and Edwin had poured the pieces all over Luna's bedroom floor. She lay on the right side of bed, arms and head drooped over the edge, with Rory on the left, mimicking her position.

"Because you cheat!"

Daniel gasped, faking offense, "I'm hurt. You don't trust me?"

"Of course not!" Rory interjected, "You always find a way to cheat, no matter what."

"What about me?" Edwin feigned innocence.

"You are perhaps the cleverest at cheating. And that's not a compliment." Luna said pointing at him.

"What about Twister?" He winked.

"No." Rory and Luna firmly stated.

Ianto stepped into his daughter's bedroom. Luna ginned and waved, "Hi, Ada."

"Time for dinner." Ianto smiled; glad to see his daughter no longer sulking about the move.

Dinner ensued and was promptly followed with the opening of gifts and bedtimes.

"Are you still awake?" Rory whispered into Luna's room. The red haired girl turned in her bed and sat up, patting the bed as her answer. Rory shut the door behind him. "Sorry," He whispered, "If you were still sleeping and I woke you."

Luna shook her head, "I couldn't sleep."

"You too?"

"Yeah," She leaned her head against his shoulder, and he put an arm around her, "I was just watching the stars. Reminds me of home."

"Does it?"

"Because no matter where you are, there's always someone looking up at the exact same sky. The exact same sky I would see outside my window in Cardiff."

Rory smiled, gently resting his head on top of Luna's. "Look!" He whispered excitedly. They both moved to the window, prying it open and poking their head outside breathing in the cold winter air.

"Wow…" Luna breathed. The sky above them was lit with golden lights. It lasted a few moments, and then disappeared, leaving behind a starlight sky and miraculous wonder. Rory and Luna pulled their heads in, closed the window, and relished the first few moments of warmth and the last moments of the golden lights. Rory leaned in, his left hand over Luna's. His lips hovered over hers, hesitant and unsure. She tiptoed slightly and closed the gap between them.

In another part of New York City, a pale, cold hand stroked the cheek of a comatose Jack Harkness.