We Could Be Heroes 29/30
Title: We Could Be Heroes 29/30
Pairings: Jack/Ianto, John/Nick, Gwen/Rhys
Characters: Jack, Ianto, Gwen, Rhys, John Hart and a cast of (probably!) thousands.
Spoilers: Set after Exit Wounds. Sequel to 'Will My Arms Be Strong Enough?'
Rating: Adult - it's going to get very dark in some places.
Warnings: Slash, language, angst, dark themes. Oh, and spoilers for Children of Earth (but don't worry, it goes slightly differently!)
Summary: Nick finds out if John's memories have returned
Disclaimer: I'm a student. I don't own Torchwood.
The Master List (as it stands) is here: anduria-trianys.livejournal.com/27610.html#cutid1
Chapter 29
“Nick!” Ianto had been leaning against the railings on the board-walk but he turned round and rushed over when he saw his cousin coming out of the tourist office, looking visibly upset. “Are you okay?” he asked, reaching out to hug him. “What happened?”
Nick didn't say anything; instead, he simply leaned on Ianto and held him, burrowing his nose into his hair as he trembled. He didn't want to believe what he'd just witnessed, but it had all been there in full colour, playing like a gruesome film.
“Hey, hey, what's the matter?” asked Ianto, growing more and more concerned as he rubbed Nick's back gently. He couldn't remember ever having seen him in such a state; he looked as if his entire world had just been ripped out from underneath his feet, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake.
“Come on,” he said, leading his cousin to the grass near the white Norwegian church and sitting him down on it. “Tell me what happened.”
It was several moments before Nick had managed to control his breathing enough to speak, but when he had, all he could do at first was gasp out his cousin's name, his eyes wild and shocked. Without a word, Ianto rushed back to the Hub and came back with Nick's jacket which he draped over his shoulders.
“Now,” he said, holding him gently and rubbing his back. “Take several deep breaths and then tell me what happened with Jack. He told me last night that he was going to try and find out something of what had happened to John.” Nick nodded. “Did he find anything?”
“Yeah,” croaked Nick. “He's got this...this thing called a Memory Collector...think of it like a Pensieve, but from the future, and...and he used it to show me John's memories.”
“Wow, so apparently future technology not only copies of modern day fiction, but also has some incredibly boring names,” said Ianto, trying to inject some lightness into the conversation. However, when Nick didn't even smile, he realised that something was really wrong. “What did you see?”
Nick rubbed his hands over his eyes. “Jack extracted three memories from John,” he said. “We both knew that he'd been through something terrible, but...I never expected to see what I saw.”
He leaned back on the grass. “Well, actually...the first one had a happier ending, I guess; he was on a slave ship...chained up and...and beaten, but...there was some hope at the end, I guess.”
“Go on,” prompted Ianto.
“Jack was there.” Nick smiled slightly. “Well, a future version of Jack, obviously. He must have known what would happen after seeing that memory today and...and he made sure he was there for him. He told John that he'd do what he had to do and...and that everything was going to be okay...”
“Wow,” Ianto said again. “Well, it's good that he did have at least one person there who cared about him. And it does also explain how John knew to trust Jack, even though he lost all of those other memories - did Jack actually tell you how that happened, by the way?”
“No,” said Nick. “All I know is that John's had dreams of him pushing me out of the way of an attack. I think that something happened before we dropped out of the Rift. But I don't know if I want to know any more than that - seeing those other memories were bad enough. No,” he added when Ianto opened his mouth, “I'm not going to tell you what happened. John said that he trusted me and Jack and that was why he didn't mind us knowing some of what happened to him. But I won't betray that trust. If he wants to tell you anything, he will.” He sank back, biting his lip.
“Are you okay?” asked Ianto, noting that the subject of what had happened to John was closed, but that there was also something else bothering his cousin.
“Yeah,” said Nick. “Just stuff that happened yesterday starting to hit home, really.”
“You mean shooting Orion?” Ianto nodded sympathetically. “You did the right thing there, Nick. Jack told me what was in that gun and, frankly, after hearing him talk about wiping his and John's memories, I'm starting to think that shooting was too good for him.”
“It isn't that,” said Nick. “Well, not really. It's just,” he bit his lip, “I saw Dan at Dad's grave yesterday and...we exchanged a few words.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. Ianto, I didn't realise he knew about Torchwood.”
Ianto laughed quietly. “Neither did I for a while. In fact, I didn't find out that he knew until the incident at the barracks when we hired Matt and Garrett. Apparently, Jack's had Dan on hand as a medical liaison officer at St. David's Hospital since before I came here. But he had no idea that you and Dan had ever been together.”
“And we might still be together if it hadn't been for Dan's father,” said Nick a bit bitterly. “You remember I told you that one of the lecturers warned us that we could get blacklisted if we carried on seeing each other? Well, he only got involved because Dan's father blackmailed and threatened him to make sure we split up.”
Ianto's jaw dropped. “You're kidding!”
“No, I'm not.” Nick picked a few blades of grass. “Apparently, Dan confronted his father, who told him everything - he was proud of what he did.” He laughed and tossed the bits of grass away. “We both wondered why he hadn't done anything after he went nuts after finding us in bed together that Christmas. Now, it seems as if he was just lulling us into a false sense of security.”
“What happened then?” asked Ianto. But when Nick bent his head and stared at his hands, he gasped. “Oh, no,” he whispered. “He wanted you two to get back together, didn't he?”
Nick nodded. “I had to tell him that we couldn't be together again - that I was with someone else, who needed me. But I also told him that I wanted us to stay friends. He accepted that, but...” he shook his head and sighed. “Well, anyway...he went off to the hospital and left me there. And guess who showed up then?”
“Who?” asked Ianto.
“None other than my mother and our dearly beloved great-aunt Philippa.”
“Oh, no.”
“Oh yes,” said Nick with a humourless laugh. “They'd both overheard Dan and I talking and...well, you can take an educated guess about how that went down.”
Ianto thought for a moment. “Like a lead balloon.”
“Worse. Philippa just stood there without saying a word, but you could just see her lips pursing further and further - and then she started ranting about how I was a disgrace to the Jones name and how she'd never been so embarrassed in her entire life.”
“If that was the case every time that woman said that, she'd have melted like the Wicked Witch of the West from sheer humiliation,” said Ianto with a chuckle. “What did your mum say?”
Nick snorted. “That was a fun one,” he said. “She said that she'd never call me her son again and asked what sort of a man I was. Actually, I think she called me,” he made quote marks in the air, “a filthy sodomite and a worthless excuse for a Catholic.”
“But you're not Catholic.”
“Exactly. But, as you know, she is.” Nick sighed. “Even though she got divorced and shacked up with that young lad of hers. Anyway, when she said that people like me will be going to Hell, I just lost it.” Slowly, he picked at the hem of his jeans. “I asked her,” and again, he made the quote marks, “'If I'm going to Hell for loving another man, then where are you going for committing adultery? Because, last time I checked, Catholics didn't allow divorce.'” He laughed at the stunned expression on Ianto's face. “Yeah, she didn't take that one too well.”
Ianto frowned, suddenly remembering the red handprint on Nick's face when he'd returned to the Hub the previous day. “Did she hit you?” When his cousin squirmed, but didn't reply, he knew he had his answer. “She did, didn't she? Oh, God...”
“I got a bit of a slap from Catrin as well,” said Nick, trying to keep things light. “She wasn't exactly happy that I just upped and left like that. Apparently, you had a memorial service for me.”
“Yeah, just a small do at my flat,” said Ianto. “It was just all of us getting together and sharing our most treasured memories of you. And, believe me, Nicky, there were quite a lot of them.”
“Ianto!” Jack's voice suddenly cut over the comm, making both the young men jump. “Where are you? You and Nick are both needed at the tourist office.”
Ianto jumped up. “We're on our way, Jack,” he said. “Come on, Nick.”
They sprinted back across the road to the entrance of the tourist office, where Jack was waiting and looking rather serious. “Jack?” asked Nick, his heart pounding. “What's going on?”
“Ianto,” Jack said slowly. “I need your help with collaborating some figures, please, and everyone down there is clamouring for coffee. Can you oblige us?”
Ianto frowned, surprised, but nodded. “Sure,” he said and, after giving Nick a pat on the shoulder, he made his way back inside.
“Was there anything you needed -“ began Nick, but before he could finish, Jack followed Ianto. Shrugging, he started to turn back, only to start as John came outside, blinking slightly in the cold sunlight.
Without a word, he reached out a hand and beckoned to Nick over to the small bench by the door. Then, smiling slightly, he sat them both down and kissed him tenderly on the lips, wrapping their hands together and linking their fingers.
“Just like the first time,” he whispered when they finally broke apart. “You remember?”
For a moment, Nick was stunned into silence. “Of course I remember,” he said in a husky voice. “How...how could I ever forget?”
“Come here,” said John and tugged Nick over to the railings overlooking the water. “Do you remember this?” he asked before he kissed him again, only this time it was much deeper and more passionate than before.
That was all Nick could take. His knees buckled and he slumped into his partner's arms, trembling. “You remember,” he gasped, his voice cracking. “You remember...don't you?”
“Yes.” John cradled Nick's face in his hands. “Yes, Nick; I can remember everything - the places I saw, the things I did and the people I met. But the memories of us were the ones that came back to me first. It was like a waterfall breaking down a dam in my head until there were no defences left.” He smiled. “And I had never felt so alive as I did in that moment.”
Nick smiled as well, but he could still see the haunted look in John's eyes and he knew that, regardless of what had just happened, it would take a very long time for him to get over what he'd been through. But at the same time, he knew that he would do everything he could to help him through this.
“It's so good to have you back,” he said, stroking John's shoulder. “Even if you are now immortal and -“ but then he stopped and frowned.
“Nick?” John had picked up on the hesitation and it worried him. “What's the matter?”
“Are you sure you want to do this?” asked Nick. “I mean…you know, us,” he added as John looked puzzled. “I mean, one day, I’m going to die, whether we like it or not. But you’re just…” but he trailed off and sighed. “Well, you know.”
John laughed. “Oh, Nick,” he breathed out, reaching across the railing to clasp Nick’s hand. “I know we haven’t got forever; I know we may not even have five years. But I would rather share one lifetime with you than face all the ages of this world alone.” He blinked. “Did I just quote from Lord of the Rings?”
“Yes, you did.”
“Yeah, I thought I did.” John chuckled and shook himself. “But Nick, in all seriousness, I know we don’t have forever, but I’m not going to let that stop us enjoying every minute of our time together. For one thing, do you want that? And for another thing, do you think that Jack and Ianto would want us to do that?”
“No,” said Nick. “In fact, Ianto told me once that he doesn't want me to make the same mistakes that he made. He doesn't want me to waste any time like he did with Jack. And he's right. I don't want to waste any time with you, either.” He stepped up and took John's hands. “So, I'm yours...for as long as you'll have me.”
John smiled. “I'd say 'Then that's for ever,' but that would probably sound too soppy, wouldn't it?” he said with a laugh. “Besides, there's more to your original question than just us, isn't there?”
“What do you...” but Nick realised that he couldn't lie to his partner and sighed. “Yeah, there's more. I just...” he paused, chewing over the best way to explain how he felt. “After seeing what happened to you,” he stammered, “I just...I don't want you to feel like I'm expecting too much of you. I always worry that I'll end up hurting you or pushing you into doing something you don't want to do and...” but he was cut off when John came over and wrapped his arms around him.
“You could never hurt me, Nick Jones,” he insisted. “And you certainly couldn't push me into doing something I didn't want to do. Quite aside from the fact that I can defend myself, you're not the kind of man who would do that. And no, I'm not saying you're a pushover, I'm just -”
“John,” interrupted Nick, laughing, “I know what you mean. Now, stop digging yourself into a hole, shut up and just kiss me.”
“With pleasure,” said John laughing and he wrapped his hand around the back of Nick's neck and pulled him close for a long kiss, their bodies melting together.
Unfortunately, in that moment, Nick was transported to when Orion had tried to take advantage of him on R'nessa's ship and in that moment, the smell of those familiar 51st century pheromones made his heart race in terror as he forgot who it was holding him.
“Nick?” John's concerned voice suddenly cut through his fear and his scent suddenly drifted away slightly as he moved back. “Nick, are you okay?”
“What?” asked Nick, blinking slightly.
“You're shaking.” John gently stroked his shoulders and sat him down on one of the benches. “What's wrong? I just kissed you and you started trembling.”
“It's nothing.” Nick closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down. After everything he had been through, the last thing John needed was for him to start getting upset over something that hadn't even happened.
But John wasn't fooled. “Something happened while you were away, didn't it? Something that...” suddenly he stopped and frowned. “Nick, what did Orion do to you?”
“Nothing!” said Nick quickly, but when John fixed him with an intent look, he sighed. “It's more what he didn't do...what he tried to do...”
John looked at Nick in confusion for a bit, but then he saw a look of fear in his eyes that reminded him of the fear he had felt so often himself while he had been...
“Oh my God,” he whispered. “Nick, he didn't...”
“No.” Nick turned away quickly. “He didn't, but...”
“But he tried to.” John's voice was hard as the thought burst through his brain with horrifying clarity. That vile man, someone he was ashamed to once call a colleague, had attempted to assault the man he loved...
“I'd kill him if he wasn't already dead,” he growled, clenching his fists together. “No one hurts the people I love and gets away with it.”
“Don't,” said Nick quickly. “John, he's dead. There's nothing more any of us can do now. He got what he deserved.” Gently, he stroked John's face. “Please - don't make the same mistake you made last time. Leave the past where it belongs - in the past.”
“Okay.” John knew Nick was right. “I'll let it go.”
Nick smiled and lightly kissed his partner's forehead. “We're going to get through this, John,” he promised him. “We'll get through this together.”
~*~
Two weeks later...
“I can't believe Jack's doing this,” Ianto admitted with a slightly embarrassed smile. “After all that man's done, it seems so wrong to give him a proper funeral.” He didn't voice his opinion that Jack should have just tossed Orion's body on a compost heap rather than treating him with the respect normally due to the dead.
Nick smiled ruefully, the flames from the funeral pyre flickering over his face. “Yeah, but by doing this, Jack's proving that he's a better man than Orion could ever be,” he said. “He's a better man than I could be as well.”
At that moment, Jack was walking around the pyre, chanting the strange sounds of the traditional Time Agency death mantras in his deep melodic voice. He had one arm raised over the pyre and closed his eyes as a shaft of multicoloured light streamed out of his wrist strap, enveloping the corpse and dowsing the flames as his voice rose and fell as the colours faded and strengthened.
Nick frowned slightly. “What's he doing?” he asked John.
“The,” John paused for a moment as he seemed to struggle for a moment before he nodded. “The last rites of a Time Agent. He's cleansing his body and his soul, so to speak.” He chuckled slightly at Nick's baffled expression. “Don't ask.”
“I think it would take quite a bit more than some fancy lights to cleanse that git's soul,” Ianto whispered.
John snorted. “That it will, Eye Candy,” he said. “That it will.”
Jack smiled as he walked past his friends and heard the exchange. He never thought that he would be happy to hear his former partner call Ianto by that nickname, but now the words made his heart soar a little bit with hope that John would be all right after all. Then, very slowly, he withdrew his arm so that the lights faded, leaving nothing more than a mass of black ash on top of a small pile of what looked like charred paper. Then he bent down and scooped the ashes into a small cardboard box, before turning around and facing his friends.
“Commit this warrior to the earth where he may continue the cycle of life, death and rebirth,” he intoned. Then, without changing his expression even once, he walked away from the remains of the pyre and calmly tossed Orion's ashes into a nearby dustbin.
John blinked in surprise. “Er, Jack? I thought a Time Agent's ashes were supposed to be cast into water.”
“Usually, they are. However,” and here, Jack's mouth twitched with suppressed laughter, “in this case, I think an exception could be made. He'd probably give the poor fish indigestion.”
Ianto snorted. “Ah, so that's why you didn't just feed him to Myfanwy,” he said and slung his arm around Jack's shoulders. “So, am I cooking tonight then?”
Nick chuckled as he watched his friend and cousin leave before wrapping his arm around John's shoulders. “Well, we've said goodbye to him,” he said, nodding towards the smouldering pyre. “And good riddance.”
“I agree,” said John with a smile. “Home now?”
“Just a minute, before we go,” said Nick, who had suddenly remembered a rather disconcerting conversation. “There's something I need to know.”
“Ask away.”
“Okay.” Nick looked at his partner with his best raised eyebrow - the 'Jones look of doom', as Jack put it. “Jack the Ripper? Seriously?”
“Hey, it was a long time ago!” protested John. “And my taste in men has improved since then!”
Nick laughed. “I know, I know.” He snuggled up closer to his lover. “So, who was he?”
“What?”
“Jack the Ripper - which suspect was he?”
“Oh! Druitt - John Druitt,” answered John.
Nick blinked several times. “Ah,” he said. “So, it looks as if science fiction did get something right then.” He patted John's arm, smiling at his confused expression. “Let's get home and I'll show you.”
~*~
John's eyes flickered between the television and his partner. “What...what just happened there?”
“Well, the gist of it, to quote the next line of the episode,” answered Nick. “The guy who invented radio just dissed Jack the Ripper.”
“Yes, I thought that's what it was.” John laughed and threw his arm around Nick's shoulders. “You know, it's good to be home,” he said and leaned over to give Nick a kiss.
“Yes, it is,” said Nick. He curled up on the sofa and tucked his feet under his knees with a yawn.
John smiled softly. “Get some rest - it's been a hell of a day.”
“Hell of a week more like,” murmured Nick as his eyes slowly closed. “Been a hell of a week...”
John's smile broadened as he watched his partner sleeping. God, he looks so beautiful curled up like that - so young and innocent. He sighed quietly. He's so young...but he's seen so much...too much.
“And now it's time for me to do something I should have done a long time ago,” he muttered and picked up the phone, dialling a number. “Jack? Hi, it's me. Listen, I've got a plan, but I need you to check that you've got something of mine.”
***
Next Time: Well, we're coming up to the finale and while John's back, what's his new plan?
Oh and bonus points to anyone who:
1. Can point the reference to Sanctuary. (1 point)
2. Can name the episode. (2 points)
3. Can name the character who says the line. (3 points - and an extra one if you can name the character who it's said to!)
Pairings: Jack/Ianto, John/Nick, Gwen/Rhys
Characters: Jack, Ianto, Gwen, Rhys, John Hart and a cast of (probably!) thousands.
Spoilers: Set after Exit Wounds. Sequel to 'Will My Arms Be Strong Enough?'
Rating: Adult - it's going to get very dark in some places.
Warnings: Slash, language, angst, dark themes. Oh, and spoilers for Children of Earth (but don't worry, it goes slightly differently!)
Summary: Nick finds out if John's memories have returned
Disclaimer: I'm a student. I don't own Torchwood.
The Master List (as it stands) is here: anduria-trianys.livejournal.com/27610.html#cutid1
Chapter 29
“Nick!” Ianto had been leaning against the railings on the board-walk but he turned round and rushed over when he saw his cousin coming out of the tourist office, looking visibly upset. “Are you okay?” he asked, reaching out to hug him. “What happened?”
Nick didn't say anything; instead, he simply leaned on Ianto and held him, burrowing his nose into his hair as he trembled. He didn't want to believe what he'd just witnessed, but it had all been there in full colour, playing like a gruesome film.
“Hey, hey, what's the matter?” asked Ianto, growing more and more concerned as he rubbed Nick's back gently. He couldn't remember ever having seen him in such a state; he looked as if his entire world had just been ripped out from underneath his feet, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake.
“Come on,” he said, leading his cousin to the grass near the white Norwegian church and sitting him down on it. “Tell me what happened.”
It was several moments before Nick had managed to control his breathing enough to speak, but when he had, all he could do at first was gasp out his cousin's name, his eyes wild and shocked. Without a word, Ianto rushed back to the Hub and came back with Nick's jacket which he draped over his shoulders.
“Now,” he said, holding him gently and rubbing his back. “Take several deep breaths and then tell me what happened with Jack. He told me last night that he was going to try and find out something of what had happened to John.” Nick nodded. “Did he find anything?”
“Yeah,” croaked Nick. “He's got this...this thing called a Memory Collector...think of it like a Pensieve, but from the future, and...and he used it to show me John's memories.”
“Wow, so apparently future technology not only copies of modern day fiction, but also has some incredibly boring names,” said Ianto, trying to inject some lightness into the conversation. However, when Nick didn't even smile, he realised that something was really wrong. “What did you see?”
Nick rubbed his hands over his eyes. “Jack extracted three memories from John,” he said. “We both knew that he'd been through something terrible, but...I never expected to see what I saw.”
He leaned back on the grass. “Well, actually...the first one had a happier ending, I guess; he was on a slave ship...chained up and...and beaten, but...there was some hope at the end, I guess.”
“Go on,” prompted Ianto.
“Jack was there.” Nick smiled slightly. “Well, a future version of Jack, obviously. He must have known what would happen after seeing that memory today and...and he made sure he was there for him. He told John that he'd do what he had to do and...and that everything was going to be okay...”
“Wow,” Ianto said again. “Well, it's good that he did have at least one person there who cared about him. And it does also explain how John knew to trust Jack, even though he lost all of those other memories - did Jack actually tell you how that happened, by the way?”
“No,” said Nick. “All I know is that John's had dreams of him pushing me out of the way of an attack. I think that something happened before we dropped out of the Rift. But I don't know if I want to know any more than that - seeing those other memories were bad enough. No,” he added when Ianto opened his mouth, “I'm not going to tell you what happened. John said that he trusted me and Jack and that was why he didn't mind us knowing some of what happened to him. But I won't betray that trust. If he wants to tell you anything, he will.” He sank back, biting his lip.
“Are you okay?” asked Ianto, noting that the subject of what had happened to John was closed, but that there was also something else bothering his cousin.
“Yeah,” said Nick. “Just stuff that happened yesterday starting to hit home, really.”
“You mean shooting Orion?” Ianto nodded sympathetically. “You did the right thing there, Nick. Jack told me what was in that gun and, frankly, after hearing him talk about wiping his and John's memories, I'm starting to think that shooting was too good for him.”
“It isn't that,” said Nick. “Well, not really. It's just,” he bit his lip, “I saw Dan at Dad's grave yesterday and...we exchanged a few words.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. Ianto, I didn't realise he knew about Torchwood.”
Ianto laughed quietly. “Neither did I for a while. In fact, I didn't find out that he knew until the incident at the barracks when we hired Matt and Garrett. Apparently, Jack's had Dan on hand as a medical liaison officer at St. David's Hospital since before I came here. But he had no idea that you and Dan had ever been together.”
“And we might still be together if it hadn't been for Dan's father,” said Nick a bit bitterly. “You remember I told you that one of the lecturers warned us that we could get blacklisted if we carried on seeing each other? Well, he only got involved because Dan's father blackmailed and threatened him to make sure we split up.”
Ianto's jaw dropped. “You're kidding!”
“No, I'm not.” Nick picked a few blades of grass. “Apparently, Dan confronted his father, who told him everything - he was proud of what he did.” He laughed and tossed the bits of grass away. “We both wondered why he hadn't done anything after he went nuts after finding us in bed together that Christmas. Now, it seems as if he was just lulling us into a false sense of security.”
“What happened then?” asked Ianto. But when Nick bent his head and stared at his hands, he gasped. “Oh, no,” he whispered. “He wanted you two to get back together, didn't he?”
Nick nodded. “I had to tell him that we couldn't be together again - that I was with someone else, who needed me. But I also told him that I wanted us to stay friends. He accepted that, but...” he shook his head and sighed. “Well, anyway...he went off to the hospital and left me there. And guess who showed up then?”
“Who?” asked Ianto.
“None other than my mother and our dearly beloved great-aunt Philippa.”
“Oh, no.”
“Oh yes,” said Nick with a humourless laugh. “They'd both overheard Dan and I talking and...well, you can take an educated guess about how that went down.”
Ianto thought for a moment. “Like a lead balloon.”
“Worse. Philippa just stood there without saying a word, but you could just see her lips pursing further and further - and then she started ranting about how I was a disgrace to the Jones name and how she'd never been so embarrassed in her entire life.”
“If that was the case every time that woman said that, she'd have melted like the Wicked Witch of the West from sheer humiliation,” said Ianto with a chuckle. “What did your mum say?”
Nick snorted. “That was a fun one,” he said. “She said that she'd never call me her son again and asked what sort of a man I was. Actually, I think she called me,” he made quote marks in the air, “a filthy sodomite and a worthless excuse for a Catholic.”
“But you're not Catholic.”
“Exactly. But, as you know, she is.” Nick sighed. “Even though she got divorced and shacked up with that young lad of hers. Anyway, when she said that people like me will be going to Hell, I just lost it.” Slowly, he picked at the hem of his jeans. “I asked her,” and again, he made the quote marks, “'If I'm going to Hell for loving another man, then where are you going for committing adultery? Because, last time I checked, Catholics didn't allow divorce.'” He laughed at the stunned expression on Ianto's face. “Yeah, she didn't take that one too well.”
Ianto frowned, suddenly remembering the red handprint on Nick's face when he'd returned to the Hub the previous day. “Did she hit you?” When his cousin squirmed, but didn't reply, he knew he had his answer. “She did, didn't she? Oh, God...”
“I got a bit of a slap from Catrin as well,” said Nick, trying to keep things light. “She wasn't exactly happy that I just upped and left like that. Apparently, you had a memorial service for me.”
“Yeah, just a small do at my flat,” said Ianto. “It was just all of us getting together and sharing our most treasured memories of you. And, believe me, Nicky, there were quite a lot of them.”
“Ianto!” Jack's voice suddenly cut over the comm, making both the young men jump. “Where are you? You and Nick are both needed at the tourist office.”
Ianto jumped up. “We're on our way, Jack,” he said. “Come on, Nick.”
They sprinted back across the road to the entrance of the tourist office, where Jack was waiting and looking rather serious. “Jack?” asked Nick, his heart pounding. “What's going on?”
“Ianto,” Jack said slowly. “I need your help with collaborating some figures, please, and everyone down there is clamouring for coffee. Can you oblige us?”
Ianto frowned, surprised, but nodded. “Sure,” he said and, after giving Nick a pat on the shoulder, he made his way back inside.
“Was there anything you needed -“ began Nick, but before he could finish, Jack followed Ianto. Shrugging, he started to turn back, only to start as John came outside, blinking slightly in the cold sunlight.
Without a word, he reached out a hand and beckoned to Nick over to the small bench by the door. Then, smiling slightly, he sat them both down and kissed him tenderly on the lips, wrapping their hands together and linking their fingers.
“Just like the first time,” he whispered when they finally broke apart. “You remember?”
For a moment, Nick was stunned into silence. “Of course I remember,” he said in a husky voice. “How...how could I ever forget?”
“Come here,” said John and tugged Nick over to the railings overlooking the water. “Do you remember this?” he asked before he kissed him again, only this time it was much deeper and more passionate than before.
That was all Nick could take. His knees buckled and he slumped into his partner's arms, trembling. “You remember,” he gasped, his voice cracking. “You remember...don't you?”
“Yes.” John cradled Nick's face in his hands. “Yes, Nick; I can remember everything - the places I saw, the things I did and the people I met. But the memories of us were the ones that came back to me first. It was like a waterfall breaking down a dam in my head until there were no defences left.” He smiled. “And I had never felt so alive as I did in that moment.”
Nick smiled as well, but he could still see the haunted look in John's eyes and he knew that, regardless of what had just happened, it would take a very long time for him to get over what he'd been through. But at the same time, he knew that he would do everything he could to help him through this.
“It's so good to have you back,” he said, stroking John's shoulder. “Even if you are now immortal and -“ but then he stopped and frowned.
“Nick?” John had picked up on the hesitation and it worried him. “What's the matter?”
“Are you sure you want to do this?” asked Nick. “I mean…you know, us,” he added as John looked puzzled. “I mean, one day, I’m going to die, whether we like it or not. But you’re just…” but he trailed off and sighed. “Well, you know.”
John laughed. “Oh, Nick,” he breathed out, reaching across the railing to clasp Nick’s hand. “I know we haven’t got forever; I know we may not even have five years. But I would rather share one lifetime with you than face all the ages of this world alone.” He blinked. “Did I just quote from Lord of the Rings?”
“Yes, you did.”
“Yeah, I thought I did.” John chuckled and shook himself. “But Nick, in all seriousness, I know we don’t have forever, but I’m not going to let that stop us enjoying every minute of our time together. For one thing, do you want that? And for another thing, do you think that Jack and Ianto would want us to do that?”
“No,” said Nick. “In fact, Ianto told me once that he doesn't want me to make the same mistakes that he made. He doesn't want me to waste any time like he did with Jack. And he's right. I don't want to waste any time with you, either.” He stepped up and took John's hands. “So, I'm yours...for as long as you'll have me.”
John smiled. “I'd say 'Then that's for ever,' but that would probably sound too soppy, wouldn't it?” he said with a laugh. “Besides, there's more to your original question than just us, isn't there?”
“What do you...” but Nick realised that he couldn't lie to his partner and sighed. “Yeah, there's more. I just...” he paused, chewing over the best way to explain how he felt. “After seeing what happened to you,” he stammered, “I just...I don't want you to feel like I'm expecting too much of you. I always worry that I'll end up hurting you or pushing you into doing something you don't want to do and...” but he was cut off when John came over and wrapped his arms around him.
“You could never hurt me, Nick Jones,” he insisted. “And you certainly couldn't push me into doing something I didn't want to do. Quite aside from the fact that I can defend myself, you're not the kind of man who would do that. And no, I'm not saying you're a pushover, I'm just -”
“John,” interrupted Nick, laughing, “I know what you mean. Now, stop digging yourself into a hole, shut up and just kiss me.”
“With pleasure,” said John laughing and he wrapped his hand around the back of Nick's neck and pulled him close for a long kiss, their bodies melting together.
Unfortunately, in that moment, Nick was transported to when Orion had tried to take advantage of him on R'nessa's ship and in that moment, the smell of those familiar 51st century pheromones made his heart race in terror as he forgot who it was holding him.
“Nick?” John's concerned voice suddenly cut through his fear and his scent suddenly drifted away slightly as he moved back. “Nick, are you okay?”
“What?” asked Nick, blinking slightly.
“You're shaking.” John gently stroked his shoulders and sat him down on one of the benches. “What's wrong? I just kissed you and you started trembling.”
“It's nothing.” Nick closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down. After everything he had been through, the last thing John needed was for him to start getting upset over something that hadn't even happened.
But John wasn't fooled. “Something happened while you were away, didn't it? Something that...” suddenly he stopped and frowned. “Nick, what did Orion do to you?”
“Nothing!” said Nick quickly, but when John fixed him with an intent look, he sighed. “It's more what he didn't do...what he tried to do...”
John looked at Nick in confusion for a bit, but then he saw a look of fear in his eyes that reminded him of the fear he had felt so often himself while he had been...
“Oh my God,” he whispered. “Nick, he didn't...”
“No.” Nick turned away quickly. “He didn't, but...”
“But he tried to.” John's voice was hard as the thought burst through his brain with horrifying clarity. That vile man, someone he was ashamed to once call a colleague, had attempted to assault the man he loved...
“I'd kill him if he wasn't already dead,” he growled, clenching his fists together. “No one hurts the people I love and gets away with it.”
“Don't,” said Nick quickly. “John, he's dead. There's nothing more any of us can do now. He got what he deserved.” Gently, he stroked John's face. “Please - don't make the same mistake you made last time. Leave the past where it belongs - in the past.”
“Okay.” John knew Nick was right. “I'll let it go.”
Nick smiled and lightly kissed his partner's forehead. “We're going to get through this, John,” he promised him. “We'll get through this together.”
~*~
Two weeks later...
“I can't believe Jack's doing this,” Ianto admitted with a slightly embarrassed smile. “After all that man's done, it seems so wrong to give him a proper funeral.” He didn't voice his opinion that Jack should have just tossed Orion's body on a compost heap rather than treating him with the respect normally due to the dead.
Nick smiled ruefully, the flames from the funeral pyre flickering over his face. “Yeah, but by doing this, Jack's proving that he's a better man than Orion could ever be,” he said. “He's a better man than I could be as well.”
At that moment, Jack was walking around the pyre, chanting the strange sounds of the traditional Time Agency death mantras in his deep melodic voice. He had one arm raised over the pyre and closed his eyes as a shaft of multicoloured light streamed out of his wrist strap, enveloping the corpse and dowsing the flames as his voice rose and fell as the colours faded and strengthened.
Nick frowned slightly. “What's he doing?” he asked John.
“The,” John paused for a moment as he seemed to struggle for a moment before he nodded. “The last rites of a Time Agent. He's cleansing his body and his soul, so to speak.” He chuckled slightly at Nick's baffled expression. “Don't ask.”
“I think it would take quite a bit more than some fancy lights to cleanse that git's soul,” Ianto whispered.
John snorted. “That it will, Eye Candy,” he said. “That it will.”
Jack smiled as he walked past his friends and heard the exchange. He never thought that he would be happy to hear his former partner call Ianto by that nickname, but now the words made his heart soar a little bit with hope that John would be all right after all. Then, very slowly, he withdrew his arm so that the lights faded, leaving nothing more than a mass of black ash on top of a small pile of what looked like charred paper. Then he bent down and scooped the ashes into a small cardboard box, before turning around and facing his friends.
“Commit this warrior to the earth where he may continue the cycle of life, death and rebirth,” he intoned. Then, without changing his expression even once, he walked away from the remains of the pyre and calmly tossed Orion's ashes into a nearby dustbin.
John blinked in surprise. “Er, Jack? I thought a Time Agent's ashes were supposed to be cast into water.”
“Usually, they are. However,” and here, Jack's mouth twitched with suppressed laughter, “in this case, I think an exception could be made. He'd probably give the poor fish indigestion.”
Ianto snorted. “Ah, so that's why you didn't just feed him to Myfanwy,” he said and slung his arm around Jack's shoulders. “So, am I cooking tonight then?”
Nick chuckled as he watched his friend and cousin leave before wrapping his arm around John's shoulders. “Well, we've said goodbye to him,” he said, nodding towards the smouldering pyre. “And good riddance.”
“I agree,” said John with a smile. “Home now?”
“Just a minute, before we go,” said Nick, who had suddenly remembered a rather disconcerting conversation. “There's something I need to know.”
“Ask away.”
“Okay.” Nick looked at his partner with his best raised eyebrow - the 'Jones look of doom', as Jack put it. “Jack the Ripper? Seriously?”
“Hey, it was a long time ago!” protested John. “And my taste in men has improved since then!”
Nick laughed. “I know, I know.” He snuggled up closer to his lover. “So, who was he?”
“What?”
“Jack the Ripper - which suspect was he?”
“Oh! Druitt - John Druitt,” answered John.
Nick blinked several times. “Ah,” he said. “So, it looks as if science fiction did get something right then.” He patted John's arm, smiling at his confused expression. “Let's get home and I'll show you.”
~*~
John's eyes flickered between the television and his partner. “What...what just happened there?”
“Well, the gist of it, to quote the next line of the episode,” answered Nick. “The guy who invented radio just dissed Jack the Ripper.”
“Yes, I thought that's what it was.” John laughed and threw his arm around Nick's shoulders. “You know, it's good to be home,” he said and leaned over to give Nick a kiss.
“Yes, it is,” said Nick. He curled up on the sofa and tucked his feet under his knees with a yawn.
John smiled softly. “Get some rest - it's been a hell of a day.”
“Hell of a week more like,” murmured Nick as his eyes slowly closed. “Been a hell of a week...”
John's smile broadened as he watched his partner sleeping. God, he looks so beautiful curled up like that - so young and innocent. He sighed quietly. He's so young...but he's seen so much...too much.
“And now it's time for me to do something I should have done a long time ago,” he muttered and picked up the phone, dialling a number. “Jack? Hi, it's me. Listen, I've got a plan, but I need you to check that you've got something of mine.”
***
Next Time: Well, we're coming up to the finale and while John's back, what's his new plan?
Oh and bonus points to anyone who:
1. Can point the reference to Sanctuary. (1 point)
2. Can name the episode. (2 points)
3. Can name the character who says the line. (3 points - and an extra one if you can name the character who it's said to!)