Different Sort of Science -- Patience Is A Virtue
Title: Different Sort of Science
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Patience Is A Virtue
Date Written: 10/27/08
Rating: PG/K+
Word Count: 1,273
Fandom: Torchwood/Doctor Who
Characters/Pairings: Ianto/Jack, Gwen/Rhys, John Hart, Tosh, Doctor/Rose, mentioned Owen, Martha and Donna
Spoilers: Doctor Who up through Season 04, Torchwood up through 02
Warnings: AU like whoa, character death.
Author's Notes: Thanks so much to my gorgeous betas totally4ryo and katestamps, who are my sounding boards, my muses, and betas dedicated enough to call me about fic. So totally a bribe for teachwriteslash. Two chapters left! And yes, I did have an issue with EoD, whatever gave that away?
Previous chapters found here.
Book cover by cjharknessgirl
"It's never too late, as a wise person once said; Kylie, I think."
-- The Doctor, The Idiot's Lantern
Ianto left Jack's side briefly when his family came to see him, but flat-out refused to leave the infirmary. The Doctor and Donna quickly erected a sheet screen to hide Jack's body from the Joneses, and set Ianto up in a bed next to Jack's.
His mother hugged him so tight he actually winced and patted his cheek. "I want you to come home, Ianto."
The younger man shook his head. "I can't, Mam. I still have things to do here."
"Nonsense," she said, waving a hand. "You were just injured. Come home so I can take care of you."
"Owen and Martha -- " Ianto protested.
"Love, he just sustained an injury," his father said, putting a hand on his wife's shoulder. "Let him heal a bit more -- and take care of what he has to do here -- and then he'll come and stay with us."
"Of course, Tad," Ianto agreed, nodding. "As long as you want. When Owen clears me."
"Well," his Mam said, standing. "I am going to go have a talk with him." She leaned in and kissed his forehead. "I want you home safe with me."
Both Jones men watched her walk off to find Owen, and his Tad smiled and ruffled his hair like he was a child again. "You're a hero, you know that?" he said softly. "I'm so proud of you, son, and I'm glad you're with us."
Ianto blinked at his father for a moment before he realized that his father knew what had happened. He ducked his head a little bit. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," he replied. "Your Mam would have gone spare if we'd told her. Mr. Smith told me the truth before we left."
"He gave his life for me," Ianto said. "I have to stay with him."
"I know." The older man kissed his son's forehead again before looking over at his wife, who was having a discussion with Martha and Owen. "Trust me, I know."
-----
"Let one of us sit with him for a bit, love," Gwen was saying in his ear for what seemed to be the millionth time. "You need a break."
"Gwen," Rhys said, tugging her away by her elbow. He pulled her down by where Hart and Toshiko were standing and spoke in in low tones, just low enough that Ianto had to strain to hear his words. "Let him be. If he wants to sit with Jack, he can."
"He's been there all day," Tosh said just as quietly. "It can't be healthy."
"Harper and Martha said it's fine," Hart argued. "He's grieving. Like Rhys said, let him be."
"But -- "
"I can hear you," Ianto finally said, stroking the back of Jack's hand with one of his own. "And the only way you're getting me to move is by dragging my dead body over to another bed."
Stunned silence met his announcement. "Well, that's that sorted," Hart replied. "Drinks anyone?"
-----
"Any change?"
Ianto looked up at the Queen, blinking tiredly. It was late, the final rays of daylight long faded away into the inky black. "He's getting a touch of color," he said. "I think. There's a very high probability that I'm deluding myself," he admitted.
Rose had obviously been unable to sleep, a robe thrown over her long nightgown, with her hair back in a loose plait. She wrapped her robe tighter around her body and pulled a chair up next to him. "He'll come back, right?" she asked, looking over at Ianto.
The young Mage nodded, shifting back a little as the Queen pulled her chair closer to her son. "How's the Doctor?"
"Stunned, mostly," she told him, taking the same hand Ianto had been holding off and on all day. "Proud of his son for doing something so selfless, upset that he hasn't come back to us yet, swamped with the aftermath of the battle."
"I heard Curbishley turned Harold over to you for final judgment," Ianto said. At Rose's murmur of assertion, he looked over at the Queen. "What are you going to do, ma'am?"
"I don't know," she admitted. "I, quite literally, hold his life in my hands." She looked over at him. "What would you do?"
Ianto was quiet for a moment before he finally said, "If I may be frank? I'd kill him. As much as I know the Doctor would disapprove."
"That he would," she agreed. "But why would you do it?"
"He's too dangerous to be kept alive," Ianto said. "Even if you lock him up and throw away the key, someone loyal to him and not to you will find it and free him."
"I don't know if I have the strength to do that," she admitted.
"Then give him back to Curbishley," Ianto told her. "He'll be able to do it."
Rose sighed. "How do I turn a man over to his executioner?"
Ianto smiled a little. He could see now why the Doctor fell for this woman sitting next to him, a gentle and kind person that the world would surely trample if she wasn't protected. She'd be able to heal the country after Harold was gone.
"You think about what he did," he told her. "About the sons he stole from you. About all the innocent people he killed. About all the people he will kill if he's allowed to go free ever again." He turned and met her brown eyes with an intense blue gaze. "For the good of your people, you have to do this. It's a hard decision, and there's no clear right one, but it's the best option."
She took a deep breath, but was interrupted by a voice behind them. "You've changed since you've been here," the Doctor said, sounding a little sad. "But I don't know if you've changed for the better."
"Torchwood House does not breed murderers or soldiers, Doctor," he said, turning in his seat to look at him properly. "We're just taught to think bigger than our own insular lives, to look at the entire picture. Sometimes the answer is not the one that is desired, but it is the one that is necessary."
"And my John taught you that?" Rose asked, a small smile tugging her lips.
Ianto nodded. "And Jack. And Donna, and everyone I've met here."
She nodded as well and stood, straightening her robe. "He chose well, my son." She pressed a kiss to Ianto's forehead, a blessing. "Good night, Ianto."
"Sleep well, Your Majesty, Doctor," Ianto said, taking Jack's hand again.
"We will," she said, smiling a little. "We're leaving our Jack in excellent hands."
-----
It was so late that Ianto could see the first streaks of dawn across the night sky outside the window. Ianto had let the candle burn out a long time before, watching Jack lie still in the moonlight. He'd found himself dozing off a few times during the night, and he finally just admitted defeat and leaned forward, lying his head on Jack's chest. Someone would be in soon enough to check on them.
In the faint light, it did look like Jack was getting a bit more color; his face didn't look quite as washed out, and he even fancied he could see the man's chest rise and fall. A part of him knew it was wishful thinking, but he so wanted Jack back with him he ached.
Carefully, cautiously, and feeling just a little bit naughty, he carefully pressed his mouth against Jack's cold, still lips. "Wake up," he begged, moving to rest his head on his chest again. "Please, wake up soon."
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Patience Is A Virtue
Date Written: 10/27/08
Rating: PG/K+
Word Count: 1,273
Fandom: Torchwood/Doctor Who
Characters/Pairings: Ianto/Jack, Gwen/Rhys, John Hart, Tosh, Doctor/Rose, mentioned Owen, Martha and Donna
Spoilers: Doctor Who up through Season 04, Torchwood up through 02
Warnings: AU like whoa, character death.
Author's Notes: Thanks so much to my gorgeous betas totally4ryo and katestamps, who are my sounding boards, my muses, and betas dedicated enough to call me about fic. So totally a bribe for teachwriteslash. Two chapters left! And yes, I did have an issue with EoD, whatever gave that away?
Previous chapters found here.
Book cover by cjharknessgirl
"It's never too late, as a wise person once said; Kylie, I think."
-- The Doctor, The Idiot's Lantern
Ianto left Jack's side briefly when his family came to see him, but flat-out refused to leave the infirmary. The Doctor and Donna quickly erected a sheet screen to hide Jack's body from the Joneses, and set Ianto up in a bed next to Jack's.
His mother hugged him so tight he actually winced and patted his cheek. "I want you to come home, Ianto."
The younger man shook his head. "I can't, Mam. I still have things to do here."
"Nonsense," she said, waving a hand. "You were just injured. Come home so I can take care of you."
"Owen and Martha -- " Ianto protested.
"Love, he just sustained an injury," his father said, putting a hand on his wife's shoulder. "Let him heal a bit more -- and take care of what he has to do here -- and then he'll come and stay with us."
"Of course, Tad," Ianto agreed, nodding. "As long as you want. When Owen clears me."
"Well," his Mam said, standing. "I am going to go have a talk with him." She leaned in and kissed his forehead. "I want you home safe with me."
Both Jones men watched her walk off to find Owen, and his Tad smiled and ruffled his hair like he was a child again. "You're a hero, you know that?" he said softly. "I'm so proud of you, son, and I'm glad you're with us."
Ianto blinked at his father for a moment before he realized that his father knew what had happened. He ducked his head a little bit. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," he replied. "Your Mam would have gone spare if we'd told her. Mr. Smith told me the truth before we left."
"He gave his life for me," Ianto said. "I have to stay with him."
"I know." The older man kissed his son's forehead again before looking over at his wife, who was having a discussion with Martha and Owen. "Trust me, I know."
-----
"Let one of us sit with him for a bit, love," Gwen was saying in his ear for what seemed to be the millionth time. "You need a break."
"Gwen," Rhys said, tugging her away by her elbow. He pulled her down by where Hart and Toshiko were standing and spoke in in low tones, just low enough that Ianto had to strain to hear his words. "Let him be. If he wants to sit with Jack, he can."
"He's been there all day," Tosh said just as quietly. "It can't be healthy."
"Harper and Martha said it's fine," Hart argued. "He's grieving. Like Rhys said, let him be."
"But -- "
"I can hear you," Ianto finally said, stroking the back of Jack's hand with one of his own. "And the only way you're getting me to move is by dragging my dead body over to another bed."
Stunned silence met his announcement. "Well, that's that sorted," Hart replied. "Drinks anyone?"
-----
"Any change?"
Ianto looked up at the Queen, blinking tiredly. It was late, the final rays of daylight long faded away into the inky black. "He's getting a touch of color," he said. "I think. There's a very high probability that I'm deluding myself," he admitted.
Rose had obviously been unable to sleep, a robe thrown over her long nightgown, with her hair back in a loose plait. She wrapped her robe tighter around her body and pulled a chair up next to him. "He'll come back, right?" she asked, looking over at Ianto.
The young Mage nodded, shifting back a little as the Queen pulled her chair closer to her son. "How's the Doctor?"
"Stunned, mostly," she told him, taking the same hand Ianto had been holding off and on all day. "Proud of his son for doing something so selfless, upset that he hasn't come back to us yet, swamped with the aftermath of the battle."
"I heard Curbishley turned Harold over to you for final judgment," Ianto said. At Rose's murmur of assertion, he looked over at the Queen. "What are you going to do, ma'am?"
"I don't know," she admitted. "I, quite literally, hold his life in my hands." She looked over at him. "What would you do?"
Ianto was quiet for a moment before he finally said, "If I may be frank? I'd kill him. As much as I know the Doctor would disapprove."
"That he would," she agreed. "But why would you do it?"
"He's too dangerous to be kept alive," Ianto said. "Even if you lock him up and throw away the key, someone loyal to him and not to you will find it and free him."
"I don't know if I have the strength to do that," she admitted.
"Then give him back to Curbishley," Ianto told her. "He'll be able to do it."
Rose sighed. "How do I turn a man over to his executioner?"
Ianto smiled a little. He could see now why the Doctor fell for this woman sitting next to him, a gentle and kind person that the world would surely trample if she wasn't protected. She'd be able to heal the country after Harold was gone.
"You think about what he did," he told her. "About the sons he stole from you. About all the innocent people he killed. About all the people he will kill if he's allowed to go free ever again." He turned and met her brown eyes with an intense blue gaze. "For the good of your people, you have to do this. It's a hard decision, and there's no clear right one, but it's the best option."
She took a deep breath, but was interrupted by a voice behind them. "You've changed since you've been here," the Doctor said, sounding a little sad. "But I don't know if you've changed for the better."
"Torchwood House does not breed murderers or soldiers, Doctor," he said, turning in his seat to look at him properly. "We're just taught to think bigger than our own insular lives, to look at the entire picture. Sometimes the answer is not the one that is desired, but it is the one that is necessary."
"And my John taught you that?" Rose asked, a small smile tugging her lips.
Ianto nodded. "And Jack. And Donna, and everyone I've met here."
She nodded as well and stood, straightening her robe. "He chose well, my son." She pressed a kiss to Ianto's forehead, a blessing. "Good night, Ianto."
"Sleep well, Your Majesty, Doctor," Ianto said, taking Jack's hand again.
"We will," she said, smiling a little. "We're leaving our Jack in excellent hands."
-----
It was so late that Ianto could see the first streaks of dawn across the night sky outside the window. Ianto had let the candle burn out a long time before, watching Jack lie still in the moonlight. He'd found himself dozing off a few times during the night, and he finally just admitted defeat and leaned forward, lying his head on Jack's chest. Someone would be in soon enough to check on them.
In the faint light, it did look like Jack was getting a bit more color; his face didn't look quite as washed out, and he even fancied he could see the man's chest rise and fall. A part of him knew it was wishful thinking, but he so wanted Jack back with him he ached.
Carefully, cautiously, and feeling just a little bit naughty, he carefully pressed his mouth against Jack's cold, still lips. "Wake up," he begged, moving to rest his head on his chest again. "Please, wake up soon."