Tales Of A Time Agency - 23/24
Title: Tales of A Time Agency - 23/24
Rating: 15 - NC-17
Pairings: Jack/Ianto but it’s the Time Agency so expect Jack/John, Tosh/Owen, Ianto/John, Tosh/Mary, John/ OFC, John/the consenting population of the universe……
Spoilers: Anything Torchwood could be hinted at.
Summary: Ianto Jones is thrown into the world of excess of the Time Agency Academy, but will he sink or swim? In this chapter, Ianto and Jack are stranded on Bryce - 7 with Jack seriously injured. But will Ianto be able to finally let go of his past and give Jack the help he needs?
Disclaimer: Regrettably I own nothing, none of the characters, zip. Wish I did though. I will take the credit for Telmaya though; I’m quite fond of her.
Author’s Notes: Ok, so here we are the penultimate chapter of TOATA. And I am terrified, but more on that later. As always I have to thank my two betas, who pretty much keep me going with this series! So thank you naddypants and thehubsitter! You are made of awesome. As are all the brilliant people who have stuck with me for so long with this series, I can’t believe we are finally getting near the end myself! :S
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five A
Chapter Five B
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight A
Chapter Eight B
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven A
Chapter Eleven B
Janto Interlude
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen A
Chapter Eighteen B
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty One
Chapter Twenty Two A
Chapter Twenty Two B
A special mention to, well who else? You know the drill by now. To naddypants, for correcting my really lame first aid, for battling against MSN’s useless file sharing thing and for generally just making me smile. To the hubsitter for being brilliant at spotting those pesky t’s I seem to struggle with when speed typing, for laughing along with me (Sometimes at me) and for of course, all our ownto conversations. And to morgia, who has been behind TOATA all along really, she’s supported me all the way!
A special dedication goes to the lovely 2nd_toshiko. I was in a panic about this chapter and she gave me the confidence I needed in my plot and characters. I know she avoids Torchwood now, so that really did mean a lot to me. :)
“There’s some things I can’t go without.
And one of them is him.
And you, with your newborn eyes,
Have you ever loved a man like I love him?
Do you hurt, but still feel alive like never before?”
Never had Ianto felt his blood run as cold as it did at that moment.
Darko’s body lay crumpled, already forgotten in front of him. His mind was a blur, his heart barely beating in the seconds that passed as he dropped to his knees, frantically reaching for Jack’s body, pulling it to him with all the might he had. Sickening flurries rose up from his stomach, bubbling at the back of his throat as he turned Jack’s body over in his arms, ignoring the warm spread of blood that was already beginning to ooze out onto his hands. In that pure, harrowing, single moment in time, all Ianto wanted to see was Jack, see his features still alive, still with him.
“Jack…” He found himself breathing, a soft smile spreading out across his features as his eyes finally met with his lover’s. His hands were cradling his face, reddened fingertips streaking across his skin. He waited with baited breath for Jack to blink, for his expression to change to tell him that life was still deeply manifested within him. Desperately waiting for any kind of affirmation to calm the panic now wrenching his mind. And sure enough it was there, a gratified sigh of joy leaving Ianto’s lips as Jack smiled weakly back up at him.
“He missed…” Jack smirked breathlessly, lifting his head to look down towards his abdomen, his face creasing in pain instantly. “It’s not so bad…”
“Let me take a look at it.”
“No…” Jack hissed, taking Ianto’s hand before it could reach his shirt. His grip was tight, deliberate. “It’s just a flesh wound.”
“I still need to take a look at it.” Ianto nodded quickly, opening up Jack’s shirt before he could complain, his hands batting Jack’s arms out of the way. Instantly he shuddered at the bloody mess, quickly realising that the bullet was still stuck in Jack’s abdomen, and yet at the same time noting that he did not possess the skill with which to remove it, the blood already beginning to pool grimly in the wound. Blinking hard, he swiftly replaced Jack’s shirt, his eyes warm and reassuring as he looked at Jack once more. “You’re going to be ok Jack.”
“I know.” The other cadet swallowed hard, wincing again as he tried to sit upwards. “I’m just in shock…It’ll pass, don’t worry about me.” He gave Ianto a soft smile. “This isn’t your fault.”
“He shot you to get to me.”
“I shouldn’t have turned my back on him.” Jack laughed gently. “My fault…I was too optimistic then, right?”
“No…”
“Yan…please….stop.” Jack attempted to roll his eyes, blinking instead as his grip upon Ianto’s arm tightened. “I told you…we were in this together right?”
“But…”
“No buts. Please…” He grimaced, looking up at Ianto with pleading eyes, his face unable to fully cover the cascades of pain shuddering through him. “Just help me get out of here…we have to get back to camp before it gets dark…” He paused, laughing softly as Ianto moved to support him. “It’ll take you twice as long carrying me…”
Ianto’s muscles groaned under the awkwardness of Jack’s weight, but he did not complain, staying silent as he hauled the man up to his feet. He could see the pain etched across Jack’s features, the tiny beads of sweat dampening his brow glittering in the soft firelight. And yet Ianto could not deny the warmth of relief that was now rushing through him. For a split second he had seen his world crash and burn around him, seen just what it would be like to actually lose Jack. The thought had been chilling; it had sent his heart into such a flurried anguish that it had almost felt as if it might stop under the strain. At least now he knew that Jack was ok, he’d get him out of this, get him help and against all the odds they would both live to tell their tale. His mind was not numbed to the danger still facing them, facing Jack but at least now hope was rekindled within his heart, the temporarily smouldering embers relit. With Jack still alive, still fighting, then there would always be that hope. They were going to make it through this, together, or not at all. Just like they had always planned.
Blinking at the harsh light outside, Ianto couldn’t help but stagger, his eyes still so accustomed to the gloom of the cave. Jack’s feet were also dragging under him, even during the short distance it had taken them to leave the cave, and so out of desperation Ianto was forced to stop, grunting slightly as he lowered the other cadet down onto one of the flatter rocks that scathed the mountainside. His muscles were aching, heavy from their long battle up the mountain, but Ianto was determined for them not to fail him now. Not when he had to support Jack, somehow find a way to carry him back to their campsite before nightfall, and then onwards in the morning to where the freighter would finally rescue them from Bryce - 7 as planned. And yet, even though he knew all this, Ianto still felt unable to leave the cave, not fully. Fears, doubts, Darko’s words were still bubbling their way along the very edges of his thoughts, slowly becoming more manifested as Ianto’s shock began to wear off. His past. It was still haunting him, now more so than ever. Although Darko was dead, his words lived on, burning their way through Ianto’s idyllic memories, causing them to reel back and beg for any glimmer of truth with which to salvage them. The more he thought, the more Ianto knew what he had to do, the one part of his journey that he would now be forced to do alone. Whilst he had the chance. And then it would be done, finished, freeing him to move on into his new future. Or at least, he hoped…
“Jack…” Kneeling beside him carefully, Ianto rested one hand on Jack’s shoulder, his voice soft yet determined. “I have to go back in there.”
“Yan…it’s done…” Jack hissed, a hand cradling his abdomen whilst the other rested on Ianto’s forearm. “He’s dead…”
“But he said so much.” Ianto sighed, shrugging off his back pack and rummaging through it until he found a small, metallic case. Opening it quickly he pulled out a small syringe gun and a capsule containing a clear gel like substance. “And you need this. You can’t move far in this kind of pain.” Slowly he lifted up Jack’s shirt, his eyes avoiding the site of the wound as he burst the clear capsule, rubbing the sterilising gel into Jack’s skin. One hand pulling the skin taught, he gently pressed the gun to the clean area, swiftly injecting Jack with a cocktail of pain killer whilst smiling to him reassuringly as his replaced his shirt and brought his eyes back up to meet his. “I only want five minutes…and you’re going to need to rest for that long at least until the painkillers kick in.”
“Ianto…” Jack groaned his grip on the other man still as tight as before. “What if you find the answers...that you don’t want?”
“Then at least I’ll know what to believe.” Ianto bit his lip softly before leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss to Jack’s lips. “Please…”
“Five minutes…” Jack nodded breathlessly, his eyes flickering over Ianto’s features as he leaned forwards, a weak hand pulling Ianto’s face into another, fuller kiss, as deep as the older cadet could manage. For the few moments Ianto’s lips were joined with Jack’s, Ianto found himself pressing as much as relief, as much love as he could into the single action, his hands unwittingly gripping Jack’s body that little bit more than he realised. He didn’t have the words with which to tell Jack how much he cared, or how thankful he was and therefore in his mind that made the kiss even more important. For it was a mere token of what they shared, what they still had and of what they could have, an intimate gesture that Ianto hoped would be worth more to Jack than a thousand of his finest words. After all, their relationship had always seemed to be based around actions, around gestures that simply hinted at the pure emotion that drove them.
“Promise me…five minutes. No more.” As he pulled away gently, Ianto found himself confronted once again with Jack’s warm eyes; although this time they held a flicker of worry deep within their blue colour, too prominent to be ignored.
“I promise.”
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It was funny how the stench of blood had now seemed to engulf the cave’s stale air. It was everywhere, rich and pungent, a deep iron assault to the nostrils with every inhalation, a sour reminder of the events that had barely ended. A cold shiver ran down the length of Ianto’s spine, numbing him momentarily as he stepped further into the dim light, his feet picking their way deliberately past Darko’s crumpled body. Glancing down at him momentarily, Ianto felt a grim stab of emotion hit him in the stomach as he took in Darko’s passive features, a single red line of blood running from the hole in his forehead, scoring against the pallor of his skin. His body was bent backwards, spine arching awkwardly where it had fallen; in his left hand there still lay the gun with which he had shot Jack. Quickly Ianto kicked it away in disgust. Darko was dead and yet an untrusting air still clung to his body, to Ianto’s very thoughts.
His attention was drawn to a small crate in the corner of the room, and stepping forwards towards it Ianto reached down, testing the lid. It wasn’t locked and with a corroded metallic creak it gently lifted, slithers of dried mud and soft metal dusting Ianto’s fingertips. Peering in, Ianto was unable to see the possessions clearly, a frustrated groan passing out from his lips as he dragged the heavy box towards the fire. In the orange light the items of the box all appeared mundane, a scattered collection of a life long since abandoned. There was Darko’s old Time Agency uniform, his wrist strap, an insane bundle of many different engine and machinery parts, their edges surprisingly well preserved within the crate. As his hands searching through each and every item, Ianto felt the doubts in his mind be that little more silenced. His frantic hands were searching for anything from his past, not Darko’s, anything that might show that his father had indeed had some sort of sordid relationship with the man he always introduced as his best friend. But with every ordinary and grotty item that Ianto swiftly threw from the crate, the smile across his features grew wider. Darko had lied, there was nothing.
It was only when Ianto’s eyes flickered back to Darko’s body that the smile left his features. His heart stammered in his chest, his eyes instantly squinting in the gloom for a better view. Kneeling slowly, he reached out towards Darko’s neck, to where there hung the ragged remains of the collar of his shirt. His fingers lifting up the fold of fabric, a shot of pure nausea pulsed through him, almost throwing his body off balance. There, amongst the grim remains sat a small, shining badge. It was just over the size of his thumbnail, a glinting silvery globe with the letters “I. J” daintily imprinted into the metal. His father’s badge made for him by his father before him. The same badge that Ieuan had once promised to his only son Ianto…
Ianto’s mind wasn’t his as he reached out, tearing the badge cleanly from the fabric in a single movement. The confusion in his mind burned his relief in tatters. He didn’t believe, couldn’t believe that his Dad would give away something so precious to Darko, and yet against all the odds he had taken it from Darko’s body. Ten years after the bodies of his parents had burned from all recognition, every trace of their life together lost in an instant and yet in his hand he held this badge, this relic from a past life, a past existence. A time where everything had always been so much brighter.
“Ianto!!” Jack’s faint yet distinctive yell was enough to awaken Ianto from his thoughts, the sand dunes of Salax 9 drained from his mind, and Darko’s cave suddenly homed back into view. He shuddered, suddenly realising that his father’s badge was pressing so tightly into his hand that a small trickle of blood was beginning to patter its way down his wrist. Opening his palm, Ianto glanced down at the small badge that now lay in his hand, the edges daubed in red, the silver no longer shining. He shook his head, blinking hard as he tossed the item forwards into the fire, watching as it landed amongst the wood, the metal slowly begin to turn a timid shade of red. He grimaced, tearing his eyes from the fire and for the second time turning his back on the cave. On his past. Leaving the only trinket he had of his childhood, or his father, to be swallowed by the flames.
It just didn’t mean as much as it used to anymore…
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It had felt like an endless struggle.
The painkillers might have given Jack some form of relief, but they made the task of moving him no easier. He was weak, and even with Ianto’s strength the older cadet found it difficult to support his weight for prolonged lengths of time, his feet stumbling, tripping, slipping on the rough shale beneath him. Both men knew that the hours of daylight were conspiring against them, threatening them, imposing upon them and yet Ianto still did not have the heart to push Jack onwards. And so their journey was a hesitant, stunted one, Ianto stopping every so often to let Jack rest, to wipe the sweat from his forehead and to at least beg him to drink a little of the purified water they brought with them. Sometimes Jack would comply, accept the chance to rest and merely sit there, his eyes closed, the only mask that he could sustain. More often than not Jack would fight Ianto though, frustration and exhaustion mixed equally in his voice as he desperately tried to persuade Ianto to carry on, to force him into pushing him. Though this was completely redundant, as when night fell around them, Ianto was as stubborn as always, keeping to the same pace until exhausted, dirty and drained, they finally made it back to the relative safety of their makeshift campsite.
“I’m supposed to be…the one taking care of you.” Jack rasped, a gentle laugh falling around them as Ianto knelt in front of him, his hands working the fire orb into life, a soft glow emanating out from it as the power began to surge through the device. Jack reached for the blanket Ianto had placed over him urgently, pulling it as he could with one hand, his fingertips feeling immeasurably cold already. “I’m sorry…”
“No…you’re supposed to be resting.” Ianto smiled, rolling his eyes as he did so. He glanced down at his wrist strap, quickly adding up the hours in his mind before continuing. “You need more painkillers too.”
“There’s none left.”
“There has to be-”
“There aren’t…” Jack grimaced, biting his lip as he shifted position. “We used it all just to get me here.” He managed another breathless laugh. “It’s not so bad…can barely feel it.”
“Very funny.” Ianto turned around quickly, his eyes tainted with concern. “What are we going to do Jack?”
“About…what?”
“The freighter.” The younger cadet shrugged quickly. “Do you think it would come closer…come find us, if we launched the homing beacon here.”
“If it comes at all…”
“It will Jack.” Ianto replied bluntly.
“Even if it does…they won’t.” Jack lifted his head weakly, craning it up in the direction of the mountains. “We’re too close here…the landing zone is too uneven. Besides…” He gave Ianto a gentle smile. “The mountain messes with their equipment.”
“But you can’t travel like this…”
“Just need r-rest Yan…” Jack nodded quickly, a small cough escaping his lips. He put on a brave face as Ianto moved to sit by his side, although his features were shaky, his body trembling beneath the blanket. “Just give me time…”
“Are you cold?” Ianto noticed the waver in Jack’s voice immediately, one hand darting out to touch his chilled skin. Quickly he shuffled closer, shrugging off his own blanket and wrapping it around Jack.
“You n-need that-”
“Not as much as you.” Ianto smiled softly, one hand flat against Jack’s chest as he manoeuvred him to lie down. Carefully he lay down beside, his arms pulling Jack’s wrapped up body into him, his hands aware of the wound at all times. Leaning in closer, his words gentle and hushed, Ianto whispered into Jack’s ear. “There’s not long now. They’ll be a doctor on the freighter; he’s going to fix you up. Just remember that ok?”
“I know…I know…” Jack repeated his words so soft that Ianto struggled to hear them. Tilting his head backwards Jack glanced upwards, his eyes fixed upon the starry sky visible amongst the canopy of leaves. When he spoke again his voice was stronger, if slightly forced. “I want to travel.”
“What?”
“I figure I’ve g-got a lot of dirt to… shake off my shoes.” He laughed weakly. “One planet is too small…there’s so much out there…to see. Nutrinium clusters, Vegas Galaxies….woman wept…”
“Then we should travel.” Ianto smiled, one hand rubbing circles over the blankets that covered Jack’s arm. “Just keep moving on. See it all. Just be free.”
“Oh yeah? A-and how are we going to pay for that?”
“I thought you said I was the one who thought about things too much?” Ianto smirked, warmth dancing across his features as he pressed his face closer into Jack’s. “We’ve got a few credits…worry about the rest later.”
“You’ve changed.”
“So have you.” Ianto smiled, his hand giving Jack’s arm a playful tap. “Complaining?”
“Never.” There was a short, awkward silence as Jack smiled, blinking hard as he felt a numb pain spread through his mid-section. When it eased he spoke out again, his voice floating out across the cold night air. “Yan?”
“Yeah?”
“I need you to promise me something.”
“Anything.”
“Your p-past…it’s finished now, right?”
“I want it to be.” Ianto sighed in reply, trying to ignore the thoughts of Darko, of the badge, of his father that flashed through his mind. After all, he had promised himself to never speak of them again, to forget, to finally move on, to abandon his old life completely. Instead he tried to focus his thoughts, focus them on his future, on Jack, on everything that he still had left to experience. “He’s dead, it should be over.”
“Don’t think that him being d-dead or…alive means anything.” Jack said slowly, biting his lip as another wave of pain pushed through him, followed again by the same numbing sensation that seemed to course right down into his fingertips. “This is about you…letting go.”
“But what Darko said, about my Dad, about him loving him…-”
“Was designed to drive you insane.” Jack groaned heavily, turning in Ianto’s arms to face him, his features grim as he fought to cover the agony he felt in doing so. “D-do you want to end up like him?”
“But I found proof Jack! He had something…something my Dad loved. And he had it…for all these years.”
“Means nothing Yan…”
“Of course it means something.”
“It d-doesn’t…people are complicated. You don’t know whether your Dad gave it to him… or whether he stole it…”
“But it makes no sense-”
“Answer me something…” Jack cut in again, his voice as authoritative as he could muster. “Do you believe…what he said?”
“I don’t know what to believe.”
“Y-yes you do…now tell me.” Jack forced a weak smile, although the edges of his mouth hardly moved. “You said you knew him better than anyone.”
“No.” Ianto sighed, his eyes closed as he did so. “I don’t think he could have done that.”
“Then that’s the truth.”
“But Darko-”
“He wanted y-you…to kill him. He was desperate Yan…” Jack risked a timid grin. “I’m living proof…right?”
“I’m sorry Jack.” The words flowed from Ianto’s mouth before he could stop them, his hand reaching out for Jack’s and gripping it tightly. “So sorry…”
“If you apologise again…” Jack began, swallowing hard and wishing more than anything that he could feel Ianto’s squeeze on his hand. “…I’ll shoot you myself…”
“I mean it…”
“So do I.” The swell of pain in his abdomen was so strong that Jack’s voice was uncomfortably weak, his eyes fluttering shut, feeling so heavy that they were barely under his control.
“Jack?! Are you ok?”
“Just…tired.” Jack nodded, prising his eyes open so that he could look at Ianto, taking in the soft glimmer of the blue that mirrored his own.
“Then go to sleep. I’ll stay awake - in case you need me.”
“No…” Jack’s voice was quick in reply, despite being a shallow murmur. “You need to sleep.”
“I don’t-”
“You have forever…to watch me sleep Yan.” The older cadet smiled weakly, his free hand stroking gently through Ianto’s hair. He looked at him pleadingly, swallowing hard as another wave of pain shot through him, sending his thoughts dizzying out of control. Desperately he smiled again, watching as Ianto slowly closed his eyes. “I’ll be fine…trust me…” He paused, his eyes scanning over Ianto’s, making sure that they remained closed. He whispered gently, his bloodied hand still messed in Ianto’s hair. “I’ll still be here…in the morning…”
Time passed by slowly that night. A calming darkness surrounded them both, the soft drone of the fire orb a constant melody against the occasional cry or shriek of an alien creature. The pallid light of the moon fell upon the forest, a soft silver light permeating through the canopy, shedding every little thing under a blanket of soft grey. And yet the darkness of the air was nothing compared to the darkness that was now beginning to creep across Jack’s vision. His eyes were open and yet the darkness was still there, gripping, wrenching, twisting at the life within his body. His fingers were like ice, numbed, his body shivering as he lay underneath his blankets, his muscles convulsing so desperately now. But Jack did not give up. He fought onwards, fought the immortal cold, battled with the imposing dark until he felt every fibre of his body burn with the strain. For he was waiting. Waiting for that moment when Ianto’s breathing would become heavier, when his mouth would drop open slightly as he tumbled into a deeper state of unconsciousness. It was only then when Jack used every ounce of strength in his weakened frame to lean forwards and the press the lightest of all kisses to Ianto’s mouth, his right hand moving down from his hair and cradling his left cheek. Only then, when the darkness grew too cold, did Jack finally pull away, finally letting the tears that had dwelt in his eyes for so long to fall, the rare, salty liquid streaking down his skin. His whispers were soft, out of both necessity and ability, his words shaking with emotion as he finally let his mouth utter the words he’d been holding back for what felt like so long.
“I would have stayed with you, Yan…always. Because I love you. More than anyone I have ever known. I just wish that…I’d…been able to tell you sooner…”
And then, the darkness was just too strong. It shook him, took him, heavy fingertips pushing his eyes shut so tightly as Jack Harkness finally succumbed to the darkness that had been stalking him ever since the bullet had struck his body.
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A yellow sun was hovering in the sky as Ianto awoke, the canopy projecting a soft, lime coloured light onto their bodies beneath it. There was a warmth in the air that the night had lacked, the gentle presence of the sun suddenly ridding the forest of its dark cloak, shining a new light across every thing that lay in its wake. There was no wind, no rain, the elements were purely at peace with each other, casting the perfect spectrum of weather down onto the rugged land that was Bryce - 7.
Smiling to himself as he sat up, Ianto looked round briefly, as if unsure to his surroundings. He checked the time on his wrist strap as he always did before looking to his right, his eyes taking in Jack’s peaceful form beside him. He was relieved to see that his lover was still sleeping, his features relaxed, showing no hint of pain through his slumber. With a careful hand Ianto reached out, stroking it through Jack’s hair, enjoying how the soft fibres almost seemed to bristles against his skin. But when his hand brushed against an icily cold forehead, Ianto’s heart suddenly jumped a beat, unsteady and imbalanced. As he lay his hand across Jack’s forehead more deliberately, time itself seemed to stop around him. The world stilled, froze, as if it barely even mattered anymore.
“Jack?” It started as a soft shake of his shoulders, Ianto’s grip kind and gentle. “Jack?!” The more urgent his voice became, the harder Ianto shook his lover’s body, his knuckles white as his grip magnified. He was calling out Jack’s name shamelessly now, his grief stricken face watching Jack’s head loll lifelessly to one side, his eyes still closed so peacefully that it almost felt unreal. “Jack! Please…please…listen to me!” Ianto’s voice was loud, his tone near breaking point, as if all Jack needed was his voice to bring him back from the darkness. “Please…Jack…you can’t leave me!” Ianto’s hands were moving frantically, still shaking Jack’s body, unsure of what else they could do. He couldn’t give up, not now, and so when the shaking didn’t revive Jack, Ianto resorted to pure unadulterated frustration. His fists moved of their own accord, hammering against Jack’s chest, unruly, uncontrollable, too desperate to even contemplate stopping. And still the body of his lover remained still, a fixed point in time, the mere shell of the man he had loved. The essence of Jack was long gone, along with all of his charm, his laughter and his love that Ianto had grown to be so dependent upon. In an instant, all that Ianto Jones cherished, loved and valued was lost. And for a second time, Darko Traven had taken it from him.
His tears were soon spilling across Jack’s reddened shirt, sobs echoing through Ianto’s empty soul as he pressed his face further into the fabric. A haunting cry left his mouth, hollow, a noise filled with pure agony, pure shock, a tormented scream. Ianto was breathing inwards in between sobs, desperate to inhale one last wisp of Jack’s scent, anything to comfort him, anything to make him feel as if in some small way Jack was still there, still with him. But it was hopeless. Instead another reek of iron assaulted his nostrils, forcing him to admit a truth too painful to bear. It didn’t matter how hard he clung to Jack’s shirt now, how tightly his fists bunched around the material, or how hard his every muscle convulsed with emotion. For Jack was lost, and there was nothing that he could do. And the very thought blanked out everything else completely.
“You have forever to watch me sleep, Yan.”
Jack had known all along. But he had lied, protected Ianto right until the very end. Because he loved him. But in doing so, Ianto was haunted by one realisation. Through taking care of him, Jack had died alone.
Ok, so I cried myself writing this it felt so evil. I should probably explain that TOATA was always going to end like this, and then bloody RTD went and beat me to it by killing a beloved character. The truth is I wanted to explore a mortal Jack and Ianto relationship, and so that is what I have tried to do here. I realise that a lot of people are still raw about Series 3 though, so if I upset anyone, I really am sorry. I very nearly chickened out, but I didn’t. Either way I hope that I wrote them a death scene (or chapter) that they deserved. And as always your comments really do mean a lot, so if you don’t yell at me *too* much then I would love to hear your thoughts. Thank you for reading this far though!
Just Being Me a.k.a Siany
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Click here for chapter 24!!