Just Like A Jones 31/33(ish)
Just Like A Jones
Chapter: 31
Rating: NC-17 for series
Pairing/Characters: Jack/Ianto. Mica. David. Martha. Gwen/Rhys. Lois. Johnny/Rhiannon.
Synopsis: Mica may be a Davies, but sometimes she acts like a Jones. Set 13 years in the future. The world is a very different place, and Torchwood is a world that Jack doesn't want to know, but a promise made a long time ago brings him back to their door whether he likes it or not. Mica is in awe of a past she didn't know and a man she barely remembers, but her passion for his world takes her on a journey she never expected.
Spoilers: Aftermath of COE.
Disclaimer: Not mine, if it was this woul not need to be written.
A/N - Sorry for the mamoth delay. combination of university, ill health, computer problems and severe case of writers blockage.
Thanks. Thanks to everyone who has replied so far XD. As i have said before it was lack of feedbak that made me give up before, but the comment i got for ch8 made me so happy and confident and determined to keep going for this fandom. ) Please remember to comment and this took so much to get out and im terrified nobody will read it after all the effort. Confidence is all-time low atm too :(
PART 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
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Mica sat down beside Ianto and turned to face him; she held her coffee between her hands and looked into the depths of the dark sweet liquid. She took a drink. It wasn't as good as Ianto's of course, in fact she was pretty sure that he was just being kind when he said it wasn't bad. She could see his face as he drank it and although he showed no signs of spitting it out, keeling over or wincing at the taste, she was pretty sure he wasn't enjoying it as much as he claimed. She warmed her hands on the cup and took another drink, then watched Ianto as he put his down on the table.
“I know it's not as good as yours,” she said.
“It's fine.”
“Mam only really drinks Nescafe”
“Still?”
“Yeah. It's like a tradition thing. I keep telling her to get a coffee maker at home, but she's never keen on it. She says we don't need one because there's a Costa in town and three Starbucks. Dad just likes beer.” Mica smiled to herself a little and wiped the rim of her cup with her finger. “I start every day with a coffee, I think it's a good way to start the day.”
Ianto sighed, then took the cup from her hand and put it on the table. “On my list of important things we need to talk about Coffee is pretty near the bottom.”
She gave him a light smile. “I just don't know what to say exactly.”
“Try the first thing that comes into your head.”
Mica looked at him. “I like your eyes,” she said, “they're kind. Mam and Dad and Jack, they always said you were kind.”
“That's nice, maybe a little irrelevant, but nice.”
“But it's not. They told me all the time about how nice you were, and warm and that you had moments of pure quiet comic genius.” Mica moved a little closer to him, but not too close. “They talked about you a lot. They told me so many stories about you. Mam told me about you as a kid and Jack told me about you as a man. It was kind of like you were a fictional character and they were making up stories to make me go to sleep.” She sighed. “You were my fairytale and I had you down as a Prince, y'know? You were perfect.”
“Nobody's perfect, Mica.”
“But you were to me.” Mica looked at her hands, and watched her fingers as she picked at her nails. “It was okay when you were dead. You were the past tense, immortalised in stories and perfection. You weren't real.”
Ianto frowned, setting deep creases into his forehead. “I couldn't possibly live up to that.”
“You would if you had stayed dead, it was the whole coming back from the dead thing that fucked it up. I lost that fairytale the moment you started to breathe in this world again.”
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to ignore the heat that burned behind his eyes; he could feel his emotions lying between the two lids, a watery barrier ready to break and roll down his cheeks. So, he kept his eyes closed and hoped for the best. “And now you regret bringing me back.” It wasn't phrased as a question and he opened his eyes to look at her and the moment he did the barrier broke.
“Oh no!” Mica shook her head and moved closer to him, taking his hand from his lap. “I don't mean that, I would never mean that.” She wiped the tear away from his cheek, and felt a little guilty that she had caused it. “You're not perfect, but nobody is and I would rather have you alive and flawed as fuck than I would dead.”
Ianto moved away embarrassed and wiped his tears away before they could make another appearance. “I wish I could be perfect for you, but that's never going to happen. Even if I hadn't done what I did there would have been something else.”
“I know.”
“And that image in your head isn't me. You don't know who I am.”
“But I want to.”
“Do you?” Ianto looked her straight in the eye. “Because this is just a scratch in the surface if my imperfection. There's a lot about me that you don't know, and so much that you might not want to know.”
“You can be as flawed as you like as long as you're here.”
Ianto took a deep breath. “You need to forget everything you read about me and everything that people have told you. You have to start thinking of me as a person now.”
“I can't do that,” she said, “they're such a big part of me now.”
“Well they shouldn't be.”
“All I ever wanted was to be like you,” Mica said, “you were all I ever wanted to be.”
“But you don't know who I am, so how could I be?” Ianto sighed heavily and took her hand. “You have to be your own person. Find your own identity, your own life and stop trying to replicate mine, because I promise you it's not all it makes out to be.” He touched the side of her cheek. “Don't idolise me when I can't live up to your expectations.”
“Uncle Ianto, you're family.” Mica smiled a little and wrapped her arms around his neck, then rested her head on his shoulder. “I'll love you no matter what you do or how many times you fuck things up.”
Ianto accepted the embrace, pulling her into him a little tighter. He had never really been a hugger, it all seemed a little too up close and personal for his taste, but this was nice. “Should we watch some more Ugly Betty then?”
“Brilliant idea.” She smiled and pulled away from him. “But I think before we do you should do something.”
“Do what?”
“Go outside, smack one on Uncle Jack's lips, tell him you love him and that everything's going to be okay.” She stood up. “I'll get the popcorn."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Andy Davison ducked underneath the police tape and leaned on the SUV beside Gwen. It was a far cry from the original vehicle had been. It was more discreet for a start, without the little man on top screaming “seekrit alien fighters coming through” into a megaphone. It was still black of course, and still bigger than average, but the roof no longer had 'Torchwood' engraved in weird yellow paint. It had always baffled Andy why Torchwood, a secret organisation, would roll around town in a big black tank with their name on the top; whoever had designed it was clearly standing behind the door when God gave out common sense. It was a little more secure now too, with a quadrupole lock to save it from mooning hijackers, flame retardant wheels and a bulletproof windscreen; it was a little bit sci-fi, but when you dealt with aliens on a daily bases that was to be expected. Gwen never let Andy sit inside it, so he had to admire it from the outside. It was shiny.
“God, it's bloody freezing out here,” he said, blowing into his hands to keep himself warm, “Jack frost is a right bastard.”
“We're in Wales,” Gwen said flatly, “you want warmth, you move.”
“What's wrong with your miserable face?” Andy nudged her to the side a little. “You usually love a good spooky doo.” He pointed to the crime scene; a man had disintegrated, leaving behind only the remains of his clothing, his wallet and a human-shaped mass of metallic dust. “See! It's a mystery, you love those!”
“No really.” Gwen frowned. “There's been a few if these. Unusual energy forms creating a magnetic pull that somehow makes all the metallic qualities of the atmosphere blend with your own atoms, resulting in this--.” Gwen gestured to the body, if you could even call it that, and frowned. “--Mess.”
“Shit.”
“We're working on a way to stop it. We have a few ideas, unfortunately it wont bring this poor sod, or the six others back.”
“Any Idea who he was?”
“Yeah.” She handed Andy a file. “ Peter Hughes, 31 year old security worker from Penarth. He's got a wife and two kids waiting at home. Do you feel like coming with me to tell them?”
“Not really, but I will,” he said, “we've not done one of these together for a while.” Andy sighed and turned to face her, watching her hair as it feathered out in the cold wind. “Are you okay, you seem a little under the weather.”
“I just have some things on my mind.”
“Want to talk about it?”
Gwen shook her head. “I can't.”
“Bloody classified is it?” he said. “Years and years of service and you're still throwing red tape at me?”
“It's not classified, it's just complicated.” She smiled tightly. “You wouldn't understand.”
“Is it about aliens?”
“No.”
“Is it about weird alieny weapony things?”
“No.”
“Is it about--”He took a moment to think, then smiled as though a light bulb has just switched on inside his head. “weird spooky kooky hieroglyphicy things?”
“No.” Gwen sighed. “It's just-- Ianto.”
“Is he getting bullied at school again?” Andy asked. “I can go and scare them a bit if you like. Show them the long arm of the law and all that.”
“Wrong Ianto.”
“What?” Andy looked a little confused. “Ianto number one?”
“Yeah. The original product.”
“Wow, not heard his name in a bit.”
“Come on. We've got a family to go and destroy.” Gwen opened the door to the SUV and gestured for Andy to get inside. “Hop in.” She walked around the other side and got into the divers seat, then waited for her friend to join her. “Come on!”
“You're letting me inside?”
“You said you were coming with me.”
Andy got in and shut the door. It was nice inside, with leather seats and a lot of blue lights. He reached out towards the radio, but before his finger could get there he could feel Gwen's eyes burning through him and her hand slapped his fingers away.
“Ow! Gwen!”
She switched on the ignition, then turned towards him and spoke slowly, as if she were talking to a child. It was exactly the same tone she used when Ianto(Jr.) and Rhys came in from playing Rugby muddy and she had just mopped the floor in the kitchen. “Don't touch anything!”
Andy opened his mouth to speak.
“A-ny-thing!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ianto stood at the door and looked out at the back garden. It was a right state. The grass was overgrown and the paving stones, that presumably used to be dotted around a neatly cut garden were broken and could barely be seen. He watched Jack as he stood at the end of the garden and looked up at the sky, moving his gaze from one star to another; he walked towards him, hopping from one broken paving stone to the next. The cold wet stone made his feet feel as though they were going to fall off but it was worth it to get to him. He tried to stay off the sodden grass; mud and bare feet just did not match. He stood behind Jack.
“It's freezing out here,” he said, “you should come inside.”
“I'll survive.” Jack turned around. “How did it go?”
Ianto stepped towards him, being careful to avoid the mud, and put his hands on Jack's cheeks. “I love you.” He kissed him so softly that their lips barely even met, then hovered his lips a breath away from Jack's mouth. His hand moved from his cheek to the back of his head and let his fingers play idly with his hair; he kept his eyes shut and concentrated on the heat that radiated from Jack's slightly parted lips. “I'm not one to say it often but it doesn't make it any less true.”
“And why do you feel the need to tell me now?”
“Truthfully?” Ianto opened his eyes and smiled a little. “Mica told me to.”
“And do you do everything she tells you to?”
“No. She told me to kiss you and I haven't done that yet.”
“Yes you did.”
“Not the way I intended.”
“And what way did you intend?”
He kissed him again, this time pulling Jack towards him to deepen it; he tasted Jack's lips and wrapped his arms around him, drawing his bottom lip into his mouth. The older man held onto him tightly, pulling him in as close as he could get him. The heat of the kiss warmed them in the night and for a moment they almost forgot where they were; It was a kiss that almost knocked Jack off his feet.
Ianto broke the kiss, but only for the sake of breathing, then opened his eyes to look at Jack who stood with parted lips and bated breath. “Everything's going to be okay,” he said, “We'll get through it.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The house in Penarth was just like all the others in the street; semi-detached with low bay windows and half glass doors. The garden was neat with flowers and hedges and a single tree just beside the window with rusty leaves all around it raked to the trunk. Gwen looked at the house from the SUV and frowned. The lights were off in the front room but she could see the flash of the television through the small gap in the curtains; Inside would be his wife waiting for him to come home. It was another one of those things, another of the drawback of the job; Gwen Cooper was going to ruin another family forever.
She looked out the window and frowned. “I hate this.”
“Well, I don't think it's something that you're meant to enjoy Gwen.” Andy put his hand on her shoulder. “You know you were thinking about Ianto?”
“Yeah?”
“Were you thinking about the time we had to go and see his family?”
“No.” She leaned back against the seat and stared ahead, her hands still at a ten-to-two position on the wheel. “I wish I could tell you, but I can't.”
“Why not?”
“I just can't”
“I thought I was your friend,” he said, “I used to be your best friend.”
“Don't be stupid.” Gwen opened her eyes and turned her head to face him. “You just-- you wouldn't believe me if I told you.”
“Gwen. I have seen big monsters over Cardiff, Weevils, Roman Soldiers, Government conspiracy, men turning to dust and so many other things that I could mention. What makes you think that I wouldn't believe this?”
“Because I didn't at first.” Gwen sighed and looked up at the ceiling. “Ianto's alive.”
“No he's not. Is he?”
“Yeah.”
“But he died,” Andy said, “I remember.”
“He was dead,” Gwen explained, “and now he's alive.”
“How did that happen?”
“I don't understand it myself and it's really not important how it happened. The important thing is--” Gwen returned her gaze to the house. “His family. I told them he was dead.”
“And he was!”
“They've mourned him and now he's back. I know I feel scared and confused and don't really believe it. He's just going to turn up on his sisters' doorstep and it's going to break her heart because her pain will be for nothing.”
“But she'll have him back.”
“She'll feel like she's gone mad,” Gwen said, “like she's seeing things that don't exist. She'll be so confused.”
“And what's this got to do with you?”
Gwen sighed. “I'm going to go and tell his sister that he's alive and I want you to come with me.”
“Isn't that called sticking your oar in?” Andy asked. “Because I'm pretty sure that theres a picture of you beside interfering bat in the dictionary.”
“So, you don't think I should do it?”
“Of course I don't think you should do it!”
“Then what am I supposed to do, not warn them?”
“Yes!” Andy picked up his hat from the dashboard. “You need to come in here with me and then go home and forget about it, Gwen. Nobody will thank you for it.”
"I just don't want them to be shocked!"
"And you turning up on their doorstep in the middle of the night isn't going to shock them?" Andy said "I can see it now. 'Oh ello there, I'm Gwen, I'm from Torchwood. I just came to tell you that your brother isn't dead.' yeah, that's going to go down brilliantly!
NEXT PART IS HERE
Chapter: 31
Rating: NC-17 for series
Pairing/Characters: Jack/Ianto. Mica. David. Martha. Gwen/Rhys. Lois. Johnny/Rhiannon.
Synopsis: Mica may be a Davies, but sometimes she acts like a Jones. Set 13 years in the future. The world is a very different place, and Torchwood is a world that Jack doesn't want to know, but a promise made a long time ago brings him back to their door whether he likes it or not. Mica is in awe of a past she didn't know and a man she barely remembers, but her passion for his world takes her on a journey she never expected.
Spoilers: Aftermath of COE.
Disclaimer: Not mine, if it was this woul not need to be written.
A/N - Sorry for the mamoth delay. combination of university, ill health, computer problems and severe case of writers blockage.
Thanks. Thanks to everyone who has replied so far XD. As i have said before it was lack of feedbak that made me give up before, but the comment i got for ch8 made me so happy and confident and determined to keep going for this fandom. ) Please remember to comment and this took so much to get out and im terrified nobody will read it after all the effort. Confidence is all-time low atm too :(
PART 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mica sat down beside Ianto and turned to face him; she held her coffee between her hands and looked into the depths of the dark sweet liquid. She took a drink. It wasn't as good as Ianto's of course, in fact she was pretty sure that he was just being kind when he said it wasn't bad. She could see his face as he drank it and although he showed no signs of spitting it out, keeling over or wincing at the taste, she was pretty sure he wasn't enjoying it as much as he claimed. She warmed her hands on the cup and took another drink, then watched Ianto as he put his down on the table.
“I know it's not as good as yours,” she said.
“It's fine.”
“Mam only really drinks Nescafe”
“Still?”
“Yeah. It's like a tradition thing. I keep telling her to get a coffee maker at home, but she's never keen on it. She says we don't need one because there's a Costa in town and three Starbucks. Dad just likes beer.” Mica smiled to herself a little and wiped the rim of her cup with her finger. “I start every day with a coffee, I think it's a good way to start the day.”
Ianto sighed, then took the cup from her hand and put it on the table. “On my list of important things we need to talk about Coffee is pretty near the bottom.”
She gave him a light smile. “I just don't know what to say exactly.”
“Try the first thing that comes into your head.”
Mica looked at him. “I like your eyes,” she said, “they're kind. Mam and Dad and Jack, they always said you were kind.”
“That's nice, maybe a little irrelevant, but nice.”
“But it's not. They told me all the time about how nice you were, and warm and that you had moments of pure quiet comic genius.” Mica moved a little closer to him, but not too close. “They talked about you a lot. They told me so many stories about you. Mam told me about you as a kid and Jack told me about you as a man. It was kind of like you were a fictional character and they were making up stories to make me go to sleep.” She sighed. “You were my fairytale and I had you down as a Prince, y'know? You were perfect.”
“Nobody's perfect, Mica.”
“But you were to me.” Mica looked at her hands, and watched her fingers as she picked at her nails. “It was okay when you were dead. You were the past tense, immortalised in stories and perfection. You weren't real.”
Ianto frowned, setting deep creases into his forehead. “I couldn't possibly live up to that.”
“You would if you had stayed dead, it was the whole coming back from the dead thing that fucked it up. I lost that fairytale the moment you started to breathe in this world again.”
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to ignore the heat that burned behind his eyes; he could feel his emotions lying between the two lids, a watery barrier ready to break and roll down his cheeks. So, he kept his eyes closed and hoped for the best. “And now you regret bringing me back.” It wasn't phrased as a question and he opened his eyes to look at her and the moment he did the barrier broke.
“Oh no!” Mica shook her head and moved closer to him, taking his hand from his lap. “I don't mean that, I would never mean that.” She wiped the tear away from his cheek, and felt a little guilty that she had caused it. “You're not perfect, but nobody is and I would rather have you alive and flawed as fuck than I would dead.”
Ianto moved away embarrassed and wiped his tears away before they could make another appearance. “I wish I could be perfect for you, but that's never going to happen. Even if I hadn't done what I did there would have been something else.”
“I know.”
“And that image in your head isn't me. You don't know who I am.”
“But I want to.”
“Do you?” Ianto looked her straight in the eye. “Because this is just a scratch in the surface if my imperfection. There's a lot about me that you don't know, and so much that you might not want to know.”
“You can be as flawed as you like as long as you're here.”
Ianto took a deep breath. “You need to forget everything you read about me and everything that people have told you. You have to start thinking of me as a person now.”
“I can't do that,” she said, “they're such a big part of me now.”
“Well they shouldn't be.”
“All I ever wanted was to be like you,” Mica said, “you were all I ever wanted to be.”
“But you don't know who I am, so how could I be?” Ianto sighed heavily and took her hand. “You have to be your own person. Find your own identity, your own life and stop trying to replicate mine, because I promise you it's not all it makes out to be.” He touched the side of her cheek. “Don't idolise me when I can't live up to your expectations.”
“Uncle Ianto, you're family.” Mica smiled a little and wrapped her arms around his neck, then rested her head on his shoulder. “I'll love you no matter what you do or how many times you fuck things up.”
Ianto accepted the embrace, pulling her into him a little tighter. He had never really been a hugger, it all seemed a little too up close and personal for his taste, but this was nice. “Should we watch some more Ugly Betty then?”
“Brilliant idea.” She smiled and pulled away from him. “But I think before we do you should do something.”
“Do what?”
“Go outside, smack one on Uncle Jack's lips, tell him you love him and that everything's going to be okay.” She stood up. “I'll get the popcorn."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Andy Davison ducked underneath the police tape and leaned on the SUV beside Gwen. It was a far cry from the original vehicle had been. It was more discreet for a start, without the little man on top screaming “seekrit alien fighters coming through” into a megaphone. It was still black of course, and still bigger than average, but the roof no longer had 'Torchwood' engraved in weird yellow paint. It had always baffled Andy why Torchwood, a secret organisation, would roll around town in a big black tank with their name on the top; whoever had designed it was clearly standing behind the door when God gave out common sense. It was a little more secure now too, with a quadrupole lock to save it from mooning hijackers, flame retardant wheels and a bulletproof windscreen; it was a little bit sci-fi, but when you dealt with aliens on a daily bases that was to be expected. Gwen never let Andy sit inside it, so he had to admire it from the outside. It was shiny.
“God, it's bloody freezing out here,” he said, blowing into his hands to keep himself warm, “Jack frost is a right bastard.”
“We're in Wales,” Gwen said flatly, “you want warmth, you move.”
“What's wrong with your miserable face?” Andy nudged her to the side a little. “You usually love a good spooky doo.” He pointed to the crime scene; a man had disintegrated, leaving behind only the remains of his clothing, his wallet and a human-shaped mass of metallic dust. “See! It's a mystery, you love those!”
“No really.” Gwen frowned. “There's been a few if these. Unusual energy forms creating a magnetic pull that somehow makes all the metallic qualities of the atmosphere blend with your own atoms, resulting in this--.” Gwen gestured to the body, if you could even call it that, and frowned. “--Mess.”
“Shit.”
“We're working on a way to stop it. We have a few ideas, unfortunately it wont bring this poor sod, or the six others back.”
“Any Idea who he was?”
“Yeah.” She handed Andy a file. “ Peter Hughes, 31 year old security worker from Penarth. He's got a wife and two kids waiting at home. Do you feel like coming with me to tell them?”
“Not really, but I will,” he said, “we've not done one of these together for a while.” Andy sighed and turned to face her, watching her hair as it feathered out in the cold wind. “Are you okay, you seem a little under the weather.”
“I just have some things on my mind.”
“Want to talk about it?”
Gwen shook her head. “I can't.”
“Bloody classified is it?” he said. “Years and years of service and you're still throwing red tape at me?”
“It's not classified, it's just complicated.” She smiled tightly. “You wouldn't understand.”
“Is it about aliens?”
“No.”
“Is it about weird alieny weapony things?”
“No.”
“Is it about--”He took a moment to think, then smiled as though a light bulb has just switched on inside his head. “weird spooky kooky hieroglyphicy things?”
“No.” Gwen sighed. “It's just-- Ianto.”
“Is he getting bullied at school again?” Andy asked. “I can go and scare them a bit if you like. Show them the long arm of the law and all that.”
“Wrong Ianto.”
“What?” Andy looked a little confused. “Ianto number one?”
“Yeah. The original product.”
“Wow, not heard his name in a bit.”
“Come on. We've got a family to go and destroy.” Gwen opened the door to the SUV and gestured for Andy to get inside. “Hop in.” She walked around the other side and got into the divers seat, then waited for her friend to join her. “Come on!”
“You're letting me inside?”
“You said you were coming with me.”
Andy got in and shut the door. It was nice inside, with leather seats and a lot of blue lights. He reached out towards the radio, but before his finger could get there he could feel Gwen's eyes burning through him and her hand slapped his fingers away.
“Ow! Gwen!”
She switched on the ignition, then turned towards him and spoke slowly, as if she were talking to a child. It was exactly the same tone she used when Ianto(Jr.) and Rhys came in from playing Rugby muddy and she had just mopped the floor in the kitchen. “Don't touch anything!”
Andy opened his mouth to speak.
“A-ny-thing!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ianto stood at the door and looked out at the back garden. It was a right state. The grass was overgrown and the paving stones, that presumably used to be dotted around a neatly cut garden were broken and could barely be seen. He watched Jack as he stood at the end of the garden and looked up at the sky, moving his gaze from one star to another; he walked towards him, hopping from one broken paving stone to the next. The cold wet stone made his feet feel as though they were going to fall off but it was worth it to get to him. He tried to stay off the sodden grass; mud and bare feet just did not match. He stood behind Jack.
“It's freezing out here,” he said, “you should come inside.”
“I'll survive.” Jack turned around. “How did it go?”
Ianto stepped towards him, being careful to avoid the mud, and put his hands on Jack's cheeks. “I love you.” He kissed him so softly that their lips barely even met, then hovered his lips a breath away from Jack's mouth. His hand moved from his cheek to the back of his head and let his fingers play idly with his hair; he kept his eyes shut and concentrated on the heat that radiated from Jack's slightly parted lips. “I'm not one to say it often but it doesn't make it any less true.”
“And why do you feel the need to tell me now?”
“Truthfully?” Ianto opened his eyes and smiled a little. “Mica told me to.”
“And do you do everything she tells you to?”
“No. She told me to kiss you and I haven't done that yet.”
“Yes you did.”
“Not the way I intended.”
“And what way did you intend?”
He kissed him again, this time pulling Jack towards him to deepen it; he tasted Jack's lips and wrapped his arms around him, drawing his bottom lip into his mouth. The older man held onto him tightly, pulling him in as close as he could get him. The heat of the kiss warmed them in the night and for a moment they almost forgot where they were; It was a kiss that almost knocked Jack off his feet.
Ianto broke the kiss, but only for the sake of breathing, then opened his eyes to look at Jack who stood with parted lips and bated breath. “Everything's going to be okay,” he said, “We'll get through it.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The house in Penarth was just like all the others in the street; semi-detached with low bay windows and half glass doors. The garden was neat with flowers and hedges and a single tree just beside the window with rusty leaves all around it raked to the trunk. Gwen looked at the house from the SUV and frowned. The lights were off in the front room but she could see the flash of the television through the small gap in the curtains; Inside would be his wife waiting for him to come home. It was another one of those things, another of the drawback of the job; Gwen Cooper was going to ruin another family forever.
She looked out the window and frowned. “I hate this.”
“Well, I don't think it's something that you're meant to enjoy Gwen.” Andy put his hand on her shoulder. “You know you were thinking about Ianto?”
“Yeah?”
“Were you thinking about the time we had to go and see his family?”
“No.” She leaned back against the seat and stared ahead, her hands still at a ten-to-two position on the wheel. “I wish I could tell you, but I can't.”
“Why not?”
“I just can't”
“I thought I was your friend,” he said, “I used to be your best friend.”
“Don't be stupid.” Gwen opened her eyes and turned her head to face him. “You just-- you wouldn't believe me if I told you.”
“Gwen. I have seen big monsters over Cardiff, Weevils, Roman Soldiers, Government conspiracy, men turning to dust and so many other things that I could mention. What makes you think that I wouldn't believe this?”
“Because I didn't at first.” Gwen sighed and looked up at the ceiling. “Ianto's alive.”
“No he's not. Is he?”
“Yeah.”
“But he died,” Andy said, “I remember.”
“He was dead,” Gwen explained, “and now he's alive.”
“How did that happen?”
“I don't understand it myself and it's really not important how it happened. The important thing is--” Gwen returned her gaze to the house. “His family. I told them he was dead.”
“And he was!”
“They've mourned him and now he's back. I know I feel scared and confused and don't really believe it. He's just going to turn up on his sisters' doorstep and it's going to break her heart because her pain will be for nothing.”
“But she'll have him back.”
“She'll feel like she's gone mad,” Gwen said, “like she's seeing things that don't exist. She'll be so confused.”
“And what's this got to do with you?”
Gwen sighed. “I'm going to go and tell his sister that he's alive and I want you to come with me.”
“Isn't that called sticking your oar in?” Andy asked. “Because I'm pretty sure that theres a picture of you beside interfering bat in the dictionary.”
“So, you don't think I should do it?”
“Of course I don't think you should do it!”
“Then what am I supposed to do, not warn them?”
“Yes!” Andy picked up his hat from the dashboard. “You need to come in here with me and then go home and forget about it, Gwen. Nobody will thank you for it.”
"I just don't want them to be shocked!"
"And you turning up on their doorstep in the middle of the night isn't going to shock them?" Andy said "I can see it now. 'Oh ello there, I'm Gwen, I'm from Torchwood. I just came to tell you that your brother isn't dead.' yeah, that's going to go down brilliantly!
NEXT PART IS HERE