Torchwood Fic: Mythology (9/10)
Title: Mythology (9/10)
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Rating: R/NC17
Warning: None
Spoilers: Set after 2.13. Spoilers for both series 1 and 2, and a bit of DW: Last of the Time Lords and The Shakespeare Code
Summary: With mythical beasts turning up all over Scotland, Torchwood Two thought they were in charge; however, so did Torchwood Four. Unfortunately for both parties their main suspect was refusing to talk to anyone other than Torchwood Three’s Ianto Jones.
Beta: rakina
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em - unfortunately. And I ain’t Shakespeare!
A/N: Set after my stories Lynchpin and Constant. Okay folks... time to investigate the other side of Ianto’s family tree! This one is lighter in tone to Constant - time to have a bit of fun!
Previous stories here:
Lynchpin here: http://hel-bee.livejournal.com/21730.html
Constant here: http://hel-bee.livejournal.com/23390.html
Mythology chapter 1 here: http://hel-bee.livejournal.com/25464.html
Mythology chapter 2 here: http://hel-bee.livejournal.com/25667.html
Mythology chapter 3 here: http://hel-bee.livejournal.com/25892.html
Mythology chapter 4 here: http://hel-bee.livejournal.com/26608.html
Mythology chapter 5 here: http://hel-bee.livejournal.com/26851.html
Mythology chapter 6 here: http://hel-bee.livejournal.com/27087.html
Mythology chapter 7 here: http://hel-bee.livejournal.com/27245.html
Mythology chapter 8 here: http://hel-bee.livejournal.com/27778.html
Chapter Nine
Snippet:
“Right,” said Ianto, hands on his hips, “what are we going to do about it? I take it that it’s not going to be a case of simply turning the bloody thing off.”
The Doctor crouched down, his fingers running over the surface of a cylindrical metal object about the size of an average bath tub and his sonic screwdriver clenched between his teeth. Jack and Ianto were at his side, while the members of Torchwood Two and Four were in the immediate surrounds, ensuring that the other visitors to Queen’s Park were being kept at a safe distance.
“Clever,” the Doctor finally said, removing his screwdriver from his mouth and wiping its damp end on his jacket.
“Just what are we looking at? All I can see is a patch of mud,” asked Jack tersely.
The Doctor looked to Ianto. “Can you see it?”
“Yes. It’s rather like a large tin can with lots of flashy lights.”
“An accurate and fair description,” the Doctor said with a grin. “Although its physical appearance belies its capabilities.”
Ianto got the impression the Doctor wasn’t just talking about the artefact and cleared his throat to cover his embarrassment. “So it’s a psychic bomb. Meaning what exactly?”
“Not just any old psychic bomb,” the Doctor said, standing up.
“Of course not,” muttered Ianto darkly. “When do we ever get anything that’s standard issue? Is it designed differently, or are we just lucky and it’s malfunctioning?”
The Doctor rubbed the back of his head with his hand and grimaced. “Bit of both, I’m afraid. On the surface it looks like a Perigalic 21-100, but there’s definitely been some modifications to the basic model. Then to make matters worse those changes have caused some peculiar interactions with the energy from the pan-dimensional doorway Kelis used.”
Ianto held up a hand to stop the Doctor continuing. “Not wanting to sound rude, but that came across as a load of old gobbledegook. Please say that again, slower and in English this time.”
“Basically, Ianto, this here bomb isn’t doing what it’s designed to do. Or rather it is, but it’s doing it too well.”
“Doctor…” Ianto warned, raising an eyebrow.
“The device works on basic psychic projection,” the Doctor said with a wave of his hand. “It’s meant to act on a localised area - affecting anyone in a radius of, oh, say about five meters. It’s supposed to be used as a distraction in combat situations - not to bamboozle innocent Scottish civilians.”
“So what happened to make it act contrary to how it was designed?”
The Doctor shrugged. “Well, they’re not the most reliably built devices in the galaxy, but I don’t think it was solely due to shoddy assembly. Most likely it overloaded, looking at the charring to the circuitry, and sent out one big burst of energy, probably hitting some unsuspecting tourist and causing good old Nessie to appear in the canal from their imagination. Then when Kelis arrived, the additional energy leached from the doorway allowed the bomb to continue operating.”
“I knew it had something to do with her, even if it was unintentional.” Ianto sighed heavily.
“To be fair, Ianto, as well as Kelis, the presence of Siobhan and Philip when it happened only made things worse. Their initial assessment of Floxy as Cerberus cemented the idea of mythological beasts, especially as there was already a canal-bathing plesiosaur in the vicinity. Their psychic ability acted as an additional carrier wave.”
“Right,” said Ianto, hands on his hips, “what are we going to do about it? I take it that it’s not going to be a case of simply turning the bloody thing off.”
“’Fraid not,” said the Doctor with a sympathetic smile. “Even if the isolator circuits weren’t frazzled beyond recognition, the additional energy this thing is using means the off switch wouldn’t work.”
“Typical!” Ianto scowled. “I don’t suppose you have any idea about what might work?”
The Doctor rubbed his chin contemplatively, looking between Ianto and the bomb in a calculating manner. He spun around on his heel to watch the other Torchwood employees bicker between themselves and to see Kelis staring straight back at him, her expression unbearably smug.
Kelis joined Ianto at his side and beckoned Henshaw to join them. “Come on, Doctor,” she purred. “Put it all together in that lovely big brain of yours.”
The Doctor frowned and then his expression morphed into a huge infectious grin. “Oh, it’s easy-peasy when you really think about it. Ianto, with his Carrionite heritage, can act as a conduit between Torchwood Four and Kelis, and between them they’d be able to siphon away the additional energy. We’ll be done in no time.”
“It won’t work,” said Ianto flatly. “I know the capabilities of Torchwood Four, and I now think I have a good idea about what Kelis can do - they’re not compatible.”
“You’re forgetting something, darling,” said Kelis, taking hold of Ianto’s hand. “Your physiology.”
“I have already taken that into account,” he ground out, his exasperation clear in his voice. “There’s not enough Carrionite in me to bridge between you and the circle members. I’m not built to do what the Doctor is suggesting.”
“Rubbish!” she snapped. “When Torchwood ensnared you they didn’t have enough understanding with what they were dealing with. You have been unnaturally limited by their lack of comprehension.”
“No,” said Ianto firmly. “I have no desire to be any more abnormal than I already am.”
“Abnormal,” Kelis seethed. “You are unique - a marvel. I won’t stand here and listen to you belittle yourself based on your inferior human conditioning. I knew, Ianto Jones, when I first held you as a baby, that you would be astonishing. You’re more than capable of carrying out the Doctor’s request.”
“You can’t know that,” he replied, tight-lipped and uncertain. “I have no idea…”
Before he could finish, Kelis grabbed him, her hands either side of his head and staring pointedly into his eyes. “The mind I sway by, and the heart I bear, shall never sag with doubt, nor shake with fear.”*
Ianto gasped as what felt like a sea of ice washed across his mind. The world around him bled away, colours and shapes merging in front of his eyes and he was carried away on a rollercoaster ride of optical illusion and misdirection. A buzzing noise distracted him, an incessant whine that was getting louder and louder, like an angry wasp trapped in an empty jam jar. A blinding flash of white assaulted Ianto, and slowly the world around him righted itself. But now his body was alive and thrumming with a type of energy he’d never felt before.
“What have you done?” he croaked at Kelis.
“Something that should have been done years before,” she replied. “But I’m not sure if this is a temporary or a permanent change - we must act now in case you begin to revert.”
Ianto grabbed her shoulders. “I meant it, Kelis, what have you done to me?” he demanded more forcefully this time.
She smiled softly. “All I have done is opened your mind to your potential, Ianto. You’ve advanced synapses from your Carrionite biology that you aren’t utilising fully. For now all it will mean is that you can link me to your Torchwood friends, but it is an indication of what you might be able to do in the future - with the right training.”
Ianto nodded, barely, and turned to look at the Doctor. “Whatever you have in mind we’d better do it fast. I’m still not sure what Kelis has done to me, but I do know I can bridge between her and Torchwood Four - I just don’t know for how long.”
The Doctor rubbed his hands together enthusiastically. “Your great-aunt is right, Ianto. You’re a marvel!”
Gently, the Doctor manoeuvred Ianto to stand at the edge of the bomb, whilst calling out to the members of Torchwood Four to take their place in a circle around him. “I’m assuming this is how this works,” he said to Ianto, “since you’ve been calling them circle members.”
“You’re very perceptive,” drawled Ianto in reply.
Kelis didn’t need the Doctor to position her. She walked straight up to Ianto and slid her arms around his waist, her head tucking under his chin due their height difference.
The Doctor began to walk around the perimeter of the circle. “Right, listen up. You Torchwood guys, I want you to start draining the energy out of the bomb-”
“What bomb?” asked Henshaw, nonplussed. “All I can see is Ianto and Kelis.”
“If I’m right, once you link to Ianto the device at his feet will become visible to you and your team. Surely you can feel the energy?”
“There's definitely something,” conceded Henshaw, although he didn’t look particularly happy.
The Doctor continued, seemingly undeterred by the interruption. “Okay, like I was saying. You will channel the energy from the bomb to Ianto who will in turn act as a bridge so Kelis can… actually, Kelis, what will you be doing?”
She craned her neck to look at the Doctor but didn’t let go of Ianto. “The pan-dimensional doorway is very much like the Rift in many respects, although a little more controlled. The problem is that the energy powering the bomb is leaking in under the door, so I intend to block it out - like a draft excluder. While I start Torchwood can begin to siphon away from the bomb. Between us all we can return the energy from whence it came and in the same state.”
Jack frowned, in part annoyed that he felt he had been sidelined in the operation. “And if it’s not in the same state?”
“There’s going to be an Earth-sized hole in this solar system,” replied Kelis with a smile.
“No pressure then,” joked Siobhan, which garnered a snort of amusement from the twins.
“Just be grateful young Ianto can link us together. I can’t do this on my own, and you wouldn’t stand a chance of stopping this without me.”
The Doctor clapped his hands together to get everyone’s attention, and Jack retreated a few steps to stand between Dunston and Mary. “When you’re ready...” the Doctor called.
Ianto closed his eyes, apprehensive. This wasn’t like the other times he’d joined with the circle. Kelis’s presence was new and vaguely unsettling in a way he couldn’t describe. The circle was connecting - he didn’t need to see the prongs of lightning-like power that were racing between them to know it was happening. He didn’t need to hear the humming of their collective energies to know in that in mere seconds they would be one.
When the first bolt of energy hit Ianto knew it was Philip, the sensation was warm and rich, very much like the man himself. But unlike previously he could feel more, a depth of understanding that he’d never witnessed before. An unbidden knowledge of the man, from the trivial to the fundamental, ensconced him and Ianto couldn’t believe just how many layers made up Philip Henshaw. He thought he had known his ex-lover, but now Ianto knew he had only the seen the surface of Torchwood Four’s leader.
A second stream of energy hit, this one unmistakably Siobhan. He sensed her worry for him, her concern that everything had to go right, and yet a belief they could succeed. He recognised her tenacity and then was surprised to feel an undercurrent of divine femininity that he would never have associated with Siobhan. Yes, she was a mother hen, but no earth goddess, yet her powers were undoubtedly linked to something deeper than mere mental aberrations could explain.
One by one the circle formed, and each new member gave Ianto a new insight about them. The twins, so similar on the surface, were so different underneath; Maria hid her uncertainty about her place in Torchwood Four with dark humour, Ianto recognised that he did exactly the same on a daily basis in the Hub. And finally, the new girl, Rosaline, a pillar of strength and wrought-iron willpower that would hold the team together and keep them strong for years to come.
Outside of this was Kelis, the great-aunt who he remembered as a child. She’d bought him sweets and helped him chase pigeons, and in her next breath she’d be having stand-up rows with his grandfather, his mother trying to appease them both. Her physical warmth was matched by her Carrionite powers. Often he thought he’d sense his grandfather’s Gallifreyan heritage but now, as the energy from the bomb began to flow through him into Kelis, he knew that it was actually the proportion of him that was Carrionite that had given him these abilities. He didn’t know exactly she was doing, but as the energy flowed through him and into her it danced behind his eyelids in a merry stream of refracted light, a rainbow of colours jumping erratically in a mismatch of shapes.
“You’re doing wonderfully, darling,” she whispered. “Won’t take much longer, we’re nearly there.”
There was a final surge, and a jolt of energy barrelled into his chest, winding him momentarily. Through the link he felt Siobhan and Philip’s concern and Kelis’s soothing thoughts. Stars burst behind his eyes, the static charge coated his tongue making it feel too large for his mouth and his limbs began to tremble. He held tightly onto Kelis as she whispered words of encouragement, telling him that he was special, wonderful and deserving of everything the universe had to offer.
Then, thankfully, the energy began to subside. The flow through him slowing, until there was no more being channelled by the circle and the final vestiges where spirited away by Kelis. A loud beep emitted from the bomb and Ianto slowly opened his eyes, just in time to see the last of its lights extinguished.
Swaying slightly, Ianto stood unsupported as Kelis let go of him. The wide-eyed looks from the other circle members told him that they too had felt something more from him than his usual involvement. He shook away the woozy feeling in his head and took a few steadying breaths.
The insistent buzzing returned, his fingers began to tingle and his veins began to fill with a liquid fire that spread through his body in an electrifying sensation that was more erotic than painful. Suddenly he felt very weak and he sank to his knees, breathing in shallow pants as he was surrounded by the others. He heard Jack barge past them all and his lover’s hand grabbed his chin.
“Ianto, are you all right?”
TBC
*Kelis quotes: Macbeth Act 5 scene 3
A/N: If there's anyone out there still reading, I'm really sorry for the delay. I hope it was worth it.
Chap 9 here: http://hel-bee.livejournal.com/29658.html
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Rating: R/NC17
Warning: None
Spoilers: Set after 2.13. Spoilers for both series 1 and 2, and a bit of DW: Last of the Time Lords and The Shakespeare Code
Summary: With mythical beasts turning up all over Scotland, Torchwood Two thought they were in charge; however, so did Torchwood Four. Unfortunately for both parties their main suspect was refusing to talk to anyone other than Torchwood Three’s Ianto Jones.
Beta: rakina
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em - unfortunately. And I ain’t Shakespeare!
A/N: Set after my stories Lynchpin and Constant. Okay folks... time to investigate the other side of Ianto’s family tree! This one is lighter in tone to Constant - time to have a bit of fun!
Previous stories here:
Lynchpin here: http://hel-bee.livejournal.com/21730.html
Constant here: http://hel-bee.livejournal.com/23390.html
Mythology chapter 1 here: http://hel-bee.livejournal.com/25464.html
Mythology chapter 2 here: http://hel-bee.livejournal.com/25667.html
Mythology chapter 3 here: http://hel-bee.livejournal.com/25892.html
Mythology chapter 4 here: http://hel-bee.livejournal.com/26608.html
Mythology chapter 5 here: http://hel-bee.livejournal.com/26851.html
Mythology chapter 6 here: http://hel-bee.livejournal.com/27087.html
Mythology chapter 7 here: http://hel-bee.livejournal.com/27245.html
Mythology chapter 8 here: http://hel-bee.livejournal.com/27778.html
Chapter Nine
Snippet:
“Right,” said Ianto, hands on his hips, “what are we going to do about it? I take it that it’s not going to be a case of simply turning the bloody thing off.”
The Doctor crouched down, his fingers running over the surface of a cylindrical metal object about the size of an average bath tub and his sonic screwdriver clenched between his teeth. Jack and Ianto were at his side, while the members of Torchwood Two and Four were in the immediate surrounds, ensuring that the other visitors to Queen’s Park were being kept at a safe distance.
“Clever,” the Doctor finally said, removing his screwdriver from his mouth and wiping its damp end on his jacket.
“Just what are we looking at? All I can see is a patch of mud,” asked Jack tersely.
The Doctor looked to Ianto. “Can you see it?”
“Yes. It’s rather like a large tin can with lots of flashy lights.”
“An accurate and fair description,” the Doctor said with a grin. “Although its physical appearance belies its capabilities.”
Ianto got the impression the Doctor wasn’t just talking about the artefact and cleared his throat to cover his embarrassment. “So it’s a psychic bomb. Meaning what exactly?”
“Not just any old psychic bomb,” the Doctor said, standing up.
“Of course not,” muttered Ianto darkly. “When do we ever get anything that’s standard issue? Is it designed differently, or are we just lucky and it’s malfunctioning?”
The Doctor rubbed the back of his head with his hand and grimaced. “Bit of both, I’m afraid. On the surface it looks like a Perigalic 21-100, but there’s definitely been some modifications to the basic model. Then to make matters worse those changes have caused some peculiar interactions with the energy from the pan-dimensional doorway Kelis used.”
Ianto held up a hand to stop the Doctor continuing. “Not wanting to sound rude, but that came across as a load of old gobbledegook. Please say that again, slower and in English this time.”
“Basically, Ianto, this here bomb isn’t doing what it’s designed to do. Or rather it is, but it’s doing it too well.”
“Doctor…” Ianto warned, raising an eyebrow.
“The device works on basic psychic projection,” the Doctor said with a wave of his hand. “It’s meant to act on a localised area - affecting anyone in a radius of, oh, say about five meters. It’s supposed to be used as a distraction in combat situations - not to bamboozle innocent Scottish civilians.”
“So what happened to make it act contrary to how it was designed?”
The Doctor shrugged. “Well, they’re not the most reliably built devices in the galaxy, but I don’t think it was solely due to shoddy assembly. Most likely it overloaded, looking at the charring to the circuitry, and sent out one big burst of energy, probably hitting some unsuspecting tourist and causing good old Nessie to appear in the canal from their imagination. Then when Kelis arrived, the additional energy leached from the doorway allowed the bomb to continue operating.”
“I knew it had something to do with her, even if it was unintentional.” Ianto sighed heavily.
“To be fair, Ianto, as well as Kelis, the presence of Siobhan and Philip when it happened only made things worse. Their initial assessment of Floxy as Cerberus cemented the idea of mythological beasts, especially as there was already a canal-bathing plesiosaur in the vicinity. Their psychic ability acted as an additional carrier wave.”
“Right,” said Ianto, hands on his hips, “what are we going to do about it? I take it that it’s not going to be a case of simply turning the bloody thing off.”
“’Fraid not,” said the Doctor with a sympathetic smile. “Even if the isolator circuits weren’t frazzled beyond recognition, the additional energy this thing is using means the off switch wouldn’t work.”
“Typical!” Ianto scowled. “I don’t suppose you have any idea about what might work?”
The Doctor rubbed his chin contemplatively, looking between Ianto and the bomb in a calculating manner. He spun around on his heel to watch the other Torchwood employees bicker between themselves and to see Kelis staring straight back at him, her expression unbearably smug.
Kelis joined Ianto at his side and beckoned Henshaw to join them. “Come on, Doctor,” she purred. “Put it all together in that lovely big brain of yours.”
The Doctor frowned and then his expression morphed into a huge infectious grin. “Oh, it’s easy-peasy when you really think about it. Ianto, with his Carrionite heritage, can act as a conduit between Torchwood Four and Kelis, and between them they’d be able to siphon away the additional energy. We’ll be done in no time.”
“It won’t work,” said Ianto flatly. “I know the capabilities of Torchwood Four, and I now think I have a good idea about what Kelis can do - they’re not compatible.”
“You’re forgetting something, darling,” said Kelis, taking hold of Ianto’s hand. “Your physiology.”
“I have already taken that into account,” he ground out, his exasperation clear in his voice. “There’s not enough Carrionite in me to bridge between you and the circle members. I’m not built to do what the Doctor is suggesting.”
“Rubbish!” she snapped. “When Torchwood ensnared you they didn’t have enough understanding with what they were dealing with. You have been unnaturally limited by their lack of comprehension.”
“No,” said Ianto firmly. “I have no desire to be any more abnormal than I already am.”
“Abnormal,” Kelis seethed. “You are unique - a marvel. I won’t stand here and listen to you belittle yourself based on your inferior human conditioning. I knew, Ianto Jones, when I first held you as a baby, that you would be astonishing. You’re more than capable of carrying out the Doctor’s request.”
“You can’t know that,” he replied, tight-lipped and uncertain. “I have no idea…”
Before he could finish, Kelis grabbed him, her hands either side of his head and staring pointedly into his eyes. “The mind I sway by, and the heart I bear, shall never sag with doubt, nor shake with fear.”*
Ianto gasped as what felt like a sea of ice washed across his mind. The world around him bled away, colours and shapes merging in front of his eyes and he was carried away on a rollercoaster ride of optical illusion and misdirection. A buzzing noise distracted him, an incessant whine that was getting louder and louder, like an angry wasp trapped in an empty jam jar. A blinding flash of white assaulted Ianto, and slowly the world around him righted itself. But now his body was alive and thrumming with a type of energy he’d never felt before.
“What have you done?” he croaked at Kelis.
“Something that should have been done years before,” she replied. “But I’m not sure if this is a temporary or a permanent change - we must act now in case you begin to revert.”
Ianto grabbed her shoulders. “I meant it, Kelis, what have you done to me?” he demanded more forcefully this time.
She smiled softly. “All I have done is opened your mind to your potential, Ianto. You’ve advanced synapses from your Carrionite biology that you aren’t utilising fully. For now all it will mean is that you can link me to your Torchwood friends, but it is an indication of what you might be able to do in the future - with the right training.”
Ianto nodded, barely, and turned to look at the Doctor. “Whatever you have in mind we’d better do it fast. I’m still not sure what Kelis has done to me, but I do know I can bridge between her and Torchwood Four - I just don’t know for how long.”
The Doctor rubbed his hands together enthusiastically. “Your great-aunt is right, Ianto. You’re a marvel!”
Gently, the Doctor manoeuvred Ianto to stand at the edge of the bomb, whilst calling out to the members of Torchwood Four to take their place in a circle around him. “I’m assuming this is how this works,” he said to Ianto, “since you’ve been calling them circle members.”
“You’re very perceptive,” drawled Ianto in reply.
Kelis didn’t need the Doctor to position her. She walked straight up to Ianto and slid her arms around his waist, her head tucking under his chin due their height difference.
The Doctor began to walk around the perimeter of the circle. “Right, listen up. You Torchwood guys, I want you to start draining the energy out of the bomb-”
“What bomb?” asked Henshaw, nonplussed. “All I can see is Ianto and Kelis.”
“If I’m right, once you link to Ianto the device at his feet will become visible to you and your team. Surely you can feel the energy?”
“There's definitely something,” conceded Henshaw, although he didn’t look particularly happy.
The Doctor continued, seemingly undeterred by the interruption. “Okay, like I was saying. You will channel the energy from the bomb to Ianto who will in turn act as a bridge so Kelis can… actually, Kelis, what will you be doing?”
She craned her neck to look at the Doctor but didn’t let go of Ianto. “The pan-dimensional doorway is very much like the Rift in many respects, although a little more controlled. The problem is that the energy powering the bomb is leaking in under the door, so I intend to block it out - like a draft excluder. While I start Torchwood can begin to siphon away from the bomb. Between us all we can return the energy from whence it came and in the same state.”
Jack frowned, in part annoyed that he felt he had been sidelined in the operation. “And if it’s not in the same state?”
“There’s going to be an Earth-sized hole in this solar system,” replied Kelis with a smile.
“No pressure then,” joked Siobhan, which garnered a snort of amusement from the twins.
“Just be grateful young Ianto can link us together. I can’t do this on my own, and you wouldn’t stand a chance of stopping this without me.”
The Doctor clapped his hands together to get everyone’s attention, and Jack retreated a few steps to stand between Dunston and Mary. “When you’re ready...” the Doctor called.
Ianto closed his eyes, apprehensive. This wasn’t like the other times he’d joined with the circle. Kelis’s presence was new and vaguely unsettling in a way he couldn’t describe. The circle was connecting - he didn’t need to see the prongs of lightning-like power that were racing between them to know it was happening. He didn’t need to hear the humming of their collective energies to know in that in mere seconds they would be one.
When the first bolt of energy hit Ianto knew it was Philip, the sensation was warm and rich, very much like the man himself. But unlike previously he could feel more, a depth of understanding that he’d never witnessed before. An unbidden knowledge of the man, from the trivial to the fundamental, ensconced him and Ianto couldn’t believe just how many layers made up Philip Henshaw. He thought he had known his ex-lover, but now Ianto knew he had only the seen the surface of Torchwood Four’s leader.
A second stream of energy hit, this one unmistakably Siobhan. He sensed her worry for him, her concern that everything had to go right, and yet a belief they could succeed. He recognised her tenacity and then was surprised to feel an undercurrent of divine femininity that he would never have associated with Siobhan. Yes, she was a mother hen, but no earth goddess, yet her powers were undoubtedly linked to something deeper than mere mental aberrations could explain.
One by one the circle formed, and each new member gave Ianto a new insight about them. The twins, so similar on the surface, were so different underneath; Maria hid her uncertainty about her place in Torchwood Four with dark humour, Ianto recognised that he did exactly the same on a daily basis in the Hub. And finally, the new girl, Rosaline, a pillar of strength and wrought-iron willpower that would hold the team together and keep them strong for years to come.
Outside of this was Kelis, the great-aunt who he remembered as a child. She’d bought him sweets and helped him chase pigeons, and in her next breath she’d be having stand-up rows with his grandfather, his mother trying to appease them both. Her physical warmth was matched by her Carrionite powers. Often he thought he’d sense his grandfather’s Gallifreyan heritage but now, as the energy from the bomb began to flow through him into Kelis, he knew that it was actually the proportion of him that was Carrionite that had given him these abilities. He didn’t know exactly she was doing, but as the energy flowed through him and into her it danced behind his eyelids in a merry stream of refracted light, a rainbow of colours jumping erratically in a mismatch of shapes.
“You’re doing wonderfully, darling,” she whispered. “Won’t take much longer, we’re nearly there.”
There was a final surge, and a jolt of energy barrelled into his chest, winding him momentarily. Through the link he felt Siobhan and Philip’s concern and Kelis’s soothing thoughts. Stars burst behind his eyes, the static charge coated his tongue making it feel too large for his mouth and his limbs began to tremble. He held tightly onto Kelis as she whispered words of encouragement, telling him that he was special, wonderful and deserving of everything the universe had to offer.
Then, thankfully, the energy began to subside. The flow through him slowing, until there was no more being channelled by the circle and the final vestiges where spirited away by Kelis. A loud beep emitted from the bomb and Ianto slowly opened his eyes, just in time to see the last of its lights extinguished.
Swaying slightly, Ianto stood unsupported as Kelis let go of him. The wide-eyed looks from the other circle members told him that they too had felt something more from him than his usual involvement. He shook away the woozy feeling in his head and took a few steadying breaths.
The insistent buzzing returned, his fingers began to tingle and his veins began to fill with a liquid fire that spread through his body in an electrifying sensation that was more erotic than painful. Suddenly he felt very weak and he sank to his knees, breathing in shallow pants as he was surrounded by the others. He heard Jack barge past them all and his lover’s hand grabbed his chin.
“Ianto, are you all right?”
TBC
*Kelis quotes: Macbeth Act 5 scene 3
A/N: If there's anyone out there still reading, I'm really sorry for the delay. I hope it was worth it.
Chap 9 here: http://hel-bee.livejournal.com/29658.html