The Battle of Evermore: Chapter 2
Title: The Battle of Evermore: Day Two
Chapter: Two
Word Count: 3,554
Characters: Jack, John, Ianto, Owen, Gwen, Rhys, Stephen Carter, Agent Johnson
Pairings: Jack/Ianto
Summary: A sequel to my stories When the Levee Breaks and Hots on for Nowhere that continues on to Children of Earth.
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Violence, swearing, sex
Spoilers: Seasons 1, 2, & 3
Disclaimer: I do not own Torchwood or any of its characters
Chapter 1
Stephen Carter watched helplessly as his mother was murdered in front of his eyes. The scene was etched in his memory: the sound of the gunshot, the way her body went limp so easily, and the feel of bile rising in his throat. He couldn't move, couldn't cry. While his entire body had gone numb, beside him, Ianto was furious; he was screaming through his gag and ran toward the cruel woman who had pulled the trigger. It took four guards to subdue him and jab a needle into his neck sending him to torpid oblivion.
The executioner took off her black mask, snickering at Ianto's limp body before approaching Stephen. She leaned down, taking out his gag and waited for his reaction. However, young Stephan stared unyieldingly at her until she finally spoke, "When Ianto Jones wakes up, tell him to stay out of our way. He's only alive now because he survived Canary Warf, but if he interferes, I will not hesitate to do what needs to be done."
Stephen remained silent, seething with rage as he responded in a voice that was far too dark and resolute to come from a boy his age, "Killing my mother: was that what was needed to be done?"
Narrowing her eyes, she condescendingly told him, "Watch your mouth, young man, or you'll be next."
"Then do it." Stephen responded through gritted teeth.
A momentary flash of shock crossed Johnson's face but she instantly regained herself and called to her guards, "Put him under, too."
When Stephen woke, he was lying on an old sofa in a darkened room. He sat up, groaning as he looked around until his eyes fell on Ianto sitting on the other end of the sofa staring out at seemingly nothing with a heartrending expression. His handsome face was marred by a black eye, a cut lip, and a deep scrape across his cheek. Crawling across the rough fabric, Stephen latched onto the young man. In return, Ianto wrapped his arms around the boy and held him close. He had immediately liked Ianto and knew he had to be someone special because he had the love of Uncle Jack.
It was an odd thing to have a grandfather as young looking as Jack Harkness, but Stephen liked to think of him as a superhero. Neither Jack nor his mum were aware that he knew Jack was his grandpa and not his uncle. He had overheard them talking years ago but had been suspicious about it even before that. Uncle Jack was a mystery man that fought monsters and kept the world safe without getting old. He couldn't come round much because he was busy and a great superhero always kept his distance from those he loved.
However, it was different with Ianto. Stephen guessed that he must have started out a sidekick and then they fell in love, and that was why Uncle Jack was so protective of him. Now that his mother was gone, Stephen figured that Ianto would be the one taking care of him from then on, but he would also have to take care of Ianto. Uncle Jack needed him to be brave and run things until they could rescue him. The first thing they would have to do is defeat whoever was making him and the other children do things.
After several minutes of being held by Ianto, Stephen finally relaxed enough to let his tears fall. He would have been embarrassed to cry but he noticed Ianto had tears in his eyes as well. Stephen wept until his body seemed to run out of tears and he sat silently with his arms still wrapped around Ianto. Softly, he spoke, "Are you going to rescue Uncle Jack?"
Ianto replied just as softly, "Yes, I am. The bad people are taking him to London and we're going to go get him."
Stephen looked up into Ianto's eyes, "The people that are making me and the other children say things, are they aliens?"
Ianto supposed there was no hiding the truth since the boy was already in the Hub, "Yes, they are."
"Does Uncle Jack fight aliens?"
Ianto nodded, "Sometimes, but sometimes he helps them."
"But these are bad aliens; the ones that are making us say things."
"Very bad, but don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you." Ianto reassured him
"I know. If Uncle Jack loves you then you must be very special." Stephen finally let go of Ianto and began looking around the Hub. Ianto remained seated fighting the blush that was creeping onto his cheeks. Luckily, Owen came around to check on them.
"Good, you're both awake. How are you feeling?" Owen asked Stephen as he held up a small torch and checked the boy's eyes.
Ianto leaned forward, "What's the news?"
Owen spoke as he continued to check them both over, "Tosh has tracked them to a warehouse in London. They appear to be setting up a perimeter there and have prepared a holding cell. Rhys is already smuggling Gwen there as she thinks she has an informant in Frobisher's office. John, resourceful mercenary that he is, is currently preparing a cache of explosives and futuristic siege weapons. We should have Jack home by tea time."
Ianto stood up, "I'm coming with you."
Owen sighed, "Jack will kill me if anything happens to you."
Ianto put his hands on his hips in defiance and Owen shrugged his shoulders, "Good thing I'm already dead. Other than some cuts and bruises, you seem fine so see John to get armed." Owen then turned to Stephen, "Are you hungry? You've been sleeping all night so how about some breakfast?"
Stephen nodded and followed Owen to the kitchen.
Ianto found John busy at work on a number of weapons and explosives. Upon seeing him enter the room, John leapt to his feet and ran over, enveloping him in his arms. Burying his face in John's neck, Ianto held on tight as if he were the only other person left on Earth. After several long minutes, John spoke softly, "We're going to get him back and they are going to pay dearly for what they've done."
There was a darkness in John's threat that Ianto had never heard before. Ianto almost pitied those people who were dumb enough to cross him . . . almost.
Gwen had been able to contact Lois Habiba, a girl working for John Frobisher. She agreed to help and gave Gwen details on the current situation. Within an hour, the team had devised a plan to rescue Jack that would demonstrate they were not to be fooled with. Tosh decided to stay at the Hub to continue her research on the aliens. She had very little to go on and desperately wanted more information. Having Stephen and Clem at the Hub provided her with the opportunity to monitor the alien transmissions first hand but she needed to know what the government knew. Although Gwen was reluctant to put Lois in such a situation, she agreed to try to set up a meeting with her after they rescued Jack.
Stephen sat at one of the stations and carefully watched everyone preparing to rescue Uncle Jack. Ianto looked unusual dressed in combat fatigues and armed to the teeth. Upon first meeting him, Stephen thought Ianto was quite a proper gentleman, but now he was confident that the Welshman was a soldier as well. Before Ianto left, Stephen went up to him and hugged him once more, hoping it would not be the last time. Ianto knelt down and gazed into Stephen's eyes, amazed at the strength they held. The boy returned the gaze and stoically said, "Tell Uncle Jack that it's not his fault. He'll think it is, but you have to make him realize it isn't."
Ianto nodded and kissed Stephen's forehead before standing to join John and Owen.
When Jack woke he found himself strapped by his hands to a metal table in a crude holding cell. Immediately the image of Alice crumbling to the ground, dead repeated rapidly in his mind. Those images were intercut with his pacing the hospital corridor while her mother gave birth, her tiny body as he held her for the first time, and the doctor telling him it was a girl. He remembered braiding her fine brown hair, buying her new dresses, and teaching her how to walk. We watched from a distance as she left for her first day of school and he hung back in the crowd at her graduation.
There was the look of horror the first time she saw him die and resurrect. He remembered pleading to be able to see her new born son and promising that nothing would ever happen to him. His heart broke when she asked him not to attend Stephen's christening. He would sit up at nights, alone looking at her baby pictures while drinking Scotch. Something inside Jack finally snapped and barreled through him in a blood curdling scream that seemed to go on for hours.
When the screaming subsided, Jack began to shout. At the top of his lungs, he proclaimed every government secret he had ever been privy to concerning the 456. Just as he thought it would, that earned him some attention from his captors. A hatch opened in the top of his cell and he was mercifully smothered with wet concrete.
Rhys Williams, dressed in an uncomfortable black suit, accompanied the two corpses into the makeshift compound. Each body was being wheeled in by an armed guard and Rhys was escorted by a particularly nosey guard appearing to be of higher rank. He asked questions about the time and manner of death to which Rhys had rehearsed the answers he received from the real undertaker now retconned and sent back to Cardiff. Almost casually, the guard asked, "You're pretty young; how did you get into this business?"
Nervously, Rhys replied, "Family, my grandfather started it."
"You married?" The guard inquired.
"Yeah and a little one on the way."
The guard peered over at Rhys seeming to look for anything suspicious, "How was traffic?"
Sweat was beginning to trickle down the Welshman's face, "Not bad."
Just when the guard was beginning to relax, a slight movement came from one of the body bags. Swiftly, the guard opened one the bags as Rhys thought his heart would leap from his chest. However, after checking the body, the guard shrugged, "I thought I saw him move, but he's dead alright. What is that movement after death called again?"
"Postmortem spasm." Rhys answered quickly. The man never thought that his love of crime dramas would pay off in a life or death situation.
They continued down the corridor and just as they were passing the only cell door that was closed and locked, Rhys reached into his pocket and pressed the send button on his readied mobile. He then stopped walking and spoke, "Could you give me a moment? My shoelace is untied."
Before the guards could react, Rhys ducked as Gwen and Owen burst from the two body bags and opened fire, killing the three agents. Expertly timed explosions rocked the ground and the entire building shook as a forklift pulled away the concrete filled cell. Once Rhys, Owen, and Gwen had jumped onto the forklift and cleared the area, the entire building was leveled with an impressive fire display for added effect. John Hart was many things, but he could never be accused of being boring.
Rhys was surprised at how easily Ianto was managing to drive the large forklift and shouted, "You're not too bad with machinery. When this is over, you should come work for me."
He then turned to Owen and shouted, "You almost blew it back there, dead man!"
Gwen joined him, "I can't believe I made a more convincing corpse than you!"
Owen shrugged, "Excuse me; I thought I felt a bug in there. That would've been creepy."
At the precipice of a large quarry, Ianto let the large concrete block fall, shattering to pieces at the bottom. A disoriented, dirt covered Jack Harkness eventually stepped forth from the rubble. Jack looked around in confusion, wondering just how long he had been encased. As the dust around him began to clear, a car pulled up and Ianto came sprinting out of it. His broken heart began to beat again at the sight of his beloved, alive and well rushing into his arms.
He held the young man tightly against his body as tears of relief streamed down his face. Ianto threw his arms around Jack's held and drew him into a searing, passionate kiss that nearly sucked the life-force out of the older man. When he pulled away, Jack saw a satisfied looking John Hart leaning against the car. Jack recognized the look on his face as the one he had after he had just caused massive destruction. After giving the man a nod of thanks, he gazed at Ianto and asked, "Where to now?"
"It used to be a storage facility for Torchwood One. Tosh was able to access all the old monitoring equipment so it's secure. This will be our base of operations for the time being." Ianto announced as he led everyone into the once abandoned warehouse.
Inside was a table with computers, a makeshift kitchen, a sofa, several sleeping cots, crates with equipment, and a full arsenal. Owen let out a low whistled, "How the hell did you manage to put all this together in the span of a morning?"
Ianto replied nonchalantly, "It's amazing what you can achieve when you know the right shady people and have a ready supply of cash."
Gwen gave out a squeak of delight, "Is that a coffee machine?"
Ianto nodded, "It is. Would you like a cup?"
As the team settled in and planned their next move, John pulled Jack aside. "You missed my explosives display. Unfortunately, I think some of them made it out alive. Don't worry, they won't make it far."
Jack put his hand on John's shoulder, "I appreciate the rescue, but you don't need to kill every person involved. They're just following orders."
A murderous glint flashed through John's eyes, "I'm setting an example. If this government wants to declare war on us then I will show them just what war with Torchwood will cost. I have not travelled the galaxy to end up being intimidated by primitive pencil pushers! Grey was able to level half of Cardiff in a day and I will make that look like petty crime."
Jack was taken aback; he had never seen such righteous fury coming from the former conman. Knowing John's one weakness, Jack replied, "Please, just stay the night. I need you to take Ianto back to Cardiff tomorrow. You're the only person I trust to get him there safely. Once he's secure in the Hub, you go do what you feel is necessary."
John gazed longingly over at Ianto and relaxed his shoulders. "Fine, but he won't go willingly."
"He'll go if you ask." Jack answered as he patted John's arm.
After the team had settled down, Ianto went to find Jack. The captain was in the other end of the warehouse staring out through the grimy window. Walking up behind him, Ianto wrapped his arms around Jack's back and gently kissed the back of his neck. The man still tasted of dirt and cement but Ianto hardly cared. Jack sighed resignedly and wished he had the strength to let go of the young man. It was inevitable that one day he would end up just like Alice, and Jack knew he would never recover from the loss.
As if reading his thoughts, Ianto spoke, "I'm not leaving you."
Jack turned around to face him. "What?"
"I know what you're thinking, and you want to send me away. You're afraid I'll die and you'll just keep going."
Jack gazed into Ianto's eyes in disbelief at the young man's ability to understand him.
Ianto continued, "I talked to John and I will go back to Cardiff tomorrow only because I need to be with Stephen, but know that it will happen. Someday, I will die and you will move on because you have no choice. Hopefully, it'll be of old age and you'll be at my bedside holding my hand, but we both know that is unlikely. But until that happens, I'm going to stay with you. We're stuck with each other, remember?"
"Ianto, I'm too dangerous and you have your whole life ahead of you." Jack pleaded.
"A life without you is not worth living." Ianto answered then pulled Jack into an achingly sweet kiss.
Jack abruptly pulled away. "All of this is my fault. If I only would have been strong enough then those aliens wouldn't be threatening the world's children and Alice would still be alive."
Ianto smiled wryly, "That's exactly what he said you would say."
"Who?"
"Stephen. Right before I left, he told me to explain that it's not your fault. He said you would blame yourself. Jack, this wasn't because you did something wrong. This was an act of a cowardly and corrupt government trying to cover its tracks. The only thing you can do now is fight to do what they can't and we're all here to help you."
Jack turned away and looked out the window again, pondering Ianto's words. After several long minutes, Ianto spoke again, "I thought about what you said yesterday and you should know that I want to be your family as well."
Facing Ianto, Jack's eyes shown with a flicker of hope, "You mean you'll marry me?"
Closing the distance between them, Ianto put his hands on Jack's cheeks. "I love you too much not to and you love me too much to let me go."
Their mouths met in a kiss filled with love and life-affirming desire. Ianto pushed Jack backwards into the alcove and shucked off his dusty great coat. Making quick work of his braces, Ianto began on Jack's shirt buttons finishing with the fly of his pants. While sucking at his neck, Ianto grabbed Jack's hard cock and began jerking it to full hardness. Breathlessly, Jack asked, "Here? What about the others?"
Ianto purred in response, "We'll just have to be quiet."
He placed a seductive kiss to Jack's lips and then fell to his knees. Jack gasped as the young man immediately took him deeply into his mouth and began sucking with unprecedented enthusiasm. All Jack could do in response was grasp the back of Ianto's head and run his fingers through the tight dark hair. After almost bringing Jack to his breaking point, Ianto stood and reached into the cargo pocket of his trousers. Jack looked at him in shock when Ianto handed over a packet of lube.
"Are you sure?"
Ianto melted into Jack's arms and begged, "Please Jack, I need to feel you inside me."
Nearly coming at only Ianto's voice, Jack pressed him against the wall and unbuttoned his fly, sliding down his slacks. After slicking up his fingers, he pressed them against his lover's tight entrance. Jack slid in one finger eliciting a low moan from Ianto who was clinging desperately to Jack's muscular body. Soon Jack was able to insert another finger as Ianto licked and then playfully bit at his ear. As Ianto's moaning increased, Jack could hardly stand anymore delay and pushed his painfully hard cock inside. Ianto wrapped his arms around Jack's shoulders as Jack held him pinned between his body and the wall.
Ianto's sounds of pleasure were rising in volume and threatened to draw unwanted attention. Jack quieted him by shoving his tongue deep into the young man's wet mouth that welcomed him eagerly. Their rhythm increased rapidly until Jack pushed in flush against Ianto's prostate and came. Ianto rolled his hips as his own orgasm overtook him and he came onto Jack's stomach.
Collapsing into Jack's arms, Ianto nearly passed out then and there. Jack held him close and whispered in his ear, "You're right; I couldn't leave you if I tried."
Chapter 3
Chapter: Two
Word Count: 3,554
Characters: Jack, John, Ianto, Owen, Gwen, Rhys, Stephen Carter, Agent Johnson
Pairings: Jack/Ianto
Summary: A sequel to my stories When the Levee Breaks and Hots on for Nowhere that continues on to Children of Earth.
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Violence, swearing, sex
Spoilers: Seasons 1, 2, & 3
Disclaimer: I do not own Torchwood or any of its characters
Chapter 1
Stephen Carter watched helplessly as his mother was murdered in front of his eyes. The scene was etched in his memory: the sound of the gunshot, the way her body went limp so easily, and the feel of bile rising in his throat. He couldn't move, couldn't cry. While his entire body had gone numb, beside him, Ianto was furious; he was screaming through his gag and ran toward the cruel woman who had pulled the trigger. It took four guards to subdue him and jab a needle into his neck sending him to torpid oblivion.
The executioner took off her black mask, snickering at Ianto's limp body before approaching Stephen. She leaned down, taking out his gag and waited for his reaction. However, young Stephan stared unyieldingly at her until she finally spoke, "When Ianto Jones wakes up, tell him to stay out of our way. He's only alive now because he survived Canary Warf, but if he interferes, I will not hesitate to do what needs to be done."
Stephen remained silent, seething with rage as he responded in a voice that was far too dark and resolute to come from a boy his age, "Killing my mother: was that what was needed to be done?"
Narrowing her eyes, she condescendingly told him, "Watch your mouth, young man, or you'll be next."
"Then do it." Stephen responded through gritted teeth.
A momentary flash of shock crossed Johnson's face but she instantly regained herself and called to her guards, "Put him under, too."
When Stephen woke, he was lying on an old sofa in a darkened room. He sat up, groaning as he looked around until his eyes fell on Ianto sitting on the other end of the sofa staring out at seemingly nothing with a heartrending expression. His handsome face was marred by a black eye, a cut lip, and a deep scrape across his cheek. Crawling across the rough fabric, Stephen latched onto the young man. In return, Ianto wrapped his arms around the boy and held him close. He had immediately liked Ianto and knew he had to be someone special because he had the love of Uncle Jack.
It was an odd thing to have a grandfather as young looking as Jack Harkness, but Stephen liked to think of him as a superhero. Neither Jack nor his mum were aware that he knew Jack was his grandpa and not his uncle. He had overheard them talking years ago but had been suspicious about it even before that. Uncle Jack was a mystery man that fought monsters and kept the world safe without getting old. He couldn't come round much because he was busy and a great superhero always kept his distance from those he loved.
However, it was different with Ianto. Stephen guessed that he must have started out a sidekick and then they fell in love, and that was why Uncle Jack was so protective of him. Now that his mother was gone, Stephen figured that Ianto would be the one taking care of him from then on, but he would also have to take care of Ianto. Uncle Jack needed him to be brave and run things until they could rescue him. The first thing they would have to do is defeat whoever was making him and the other children do things.
After several minutes of being held by Ianto, Stephen finally relaxed enough to let his tears fall. He would have been embarrassed to cry but he noticed Ianto had tears in his eyes as well. Stephen wept until his body seemed to run out of tears and he sat silently with his arms still wrapped around Ianto. Softly, he spoke, "Are you going to rescue Uncle Jack?"
Ianto replied just as softly, "Yes, I am. The bad people are taking him to London and we're going to go get him."
Stephen looked up into Ianto's eyes, "The people that are making me and the other children say things, are they aliens?"
Ianto supposed there was no hiding the truth since the boy was already in the Hub, "Yes, they are."
"Does Uncle Jack fight aliens?"
Ianto nodded, "Sometimes, but sometimes he helps them."
"But these are bad aliens; the ones that are making us say things."
"Very bad, but don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you." Ianto reassured him
"I know. If Uncle Jack loves you then you must be very special." Stephen finally let go of Ianto and began looking around the Hub. Ianto remained seated fighting the blush that was creeping onto his cheeks. Luckily, Owen came around to check on them.
"Good, you're both awake. How are you feeling?" Owen asked Stephen as he held up a small torch and checked the boy's eyes.
Ianto leaned forward, "What's the news?"
Owen spoke as he continued to check them both over, "Tosh has tracked them to a warehouse in London. They appear to be setting up a perimeter there and have prepared a holding cell. Rhys is already smuggling Gwen there as she thinks she has an informant in Frobisher's office. John, resourceful mercenary that he is, is currently preparing a cache of explosives and futuristic siege weapons. We should have Jack home by tea time."
Ianto stood up, "I'm coming with you."
Owen sighed, "Jack will kill me if anything happens to you."
Ianto put his hands on his hips in defiance and Owen shrugged his shoulders, "Good thing I'm already dead. Other than some cuts and bruises, you seem fine so see John to get armed." Owen then turned to Stephen, "Are you hungry? You've been sleeping all night so how about some breakfast?"
Stephen nodded and followed Owen to the kitchen.
Ianto found John busy at work on a number of weapons and explosives. Upon seeing him enter the room, John leapt to his feet and ran over, enveloping him in his arms. Burying his face in John's neck, Ianto held on tight as if he were the only other person left on Earth. After several long minutes, John spoke softly, "We're going to get him back and they are going to pay dearly for what they've done."
There was a darkness in John's threat that Ianto had never heard before. Ianto almost pitied those people who were dumb enough to cross him . . . almost.
Gwen had been able to contact Lois Habiba, a girl working for John Frobisher. She agreed to help and gave Gwen details on the current situation. Within an hour, the team had devised a plan to rescue Jack that would demonstrate they were not to be fooled with. Tosh decided to stay at the Hub to continue her research on the aliens. She had very little to go on and desperately wanted more information. Having Stephen and Clem at the Hub provided her with the opportunity to monitor the alien transmissions first hand but she needed to know what the government knew. Although Gwen was reluctant to put Lois in such a situation, she agreed to try to set up a meeting with her after they rescued Jack.
Stephen sat at one of the stations and carefully watched everyone preparing to rescue Uncle Jack. Ianto looked unusual dressed in combat fatigues and armed to the teeth. Upon first meeting him, Stephen thought Ianto was quite a proper gentleman, but now he was confident that the Welshman was a soldier as well. Before Ianto left, Stephen went up to him and hugged him once more, hoping it would not be the last time. Ianto knelt down and gazed into Stephen's eyes, amazed at the strength they held. The boy returned the gaze and stoically said, "Tell Uncle Jack that it's not his fault. He'll think it is, but you have to make him realize it isn't."
Ianto nodded and kissed Stephen's forehead before standing to join John and Owen.
When Jack woke he found himself strapped by his hands to a metal table in a crude holding cell. Immediately the image of Alice crumbling to the ground, dead repeated rapidly in his mind. Those images were intercut with his pacing the hospital corridor while her mother gave birth, her tiny body as he held her for the first time, and the doctor telling him it was a girl. He remembered braiding her fine brown hair, buying her new dresses, and teaching her how to walk. We watched from a distance as she left for her first day of school and he hung back in the crowd at her graduation.
There was the look of horror the first time she saw him die and resurrect. He remembered pleading to be able to see her new born son and promising that nothing would ever happen to him. His heart broke when she asked him not to attend Stephen's christening. He would sit up at nights, alone looking at her baby pictures while drinking Scotch. Something inside Jack finally snapped and barreled through him in a blood curdling scream that seemed to go on for hours.
When the screaming subsided, Jack began to shout. At the top of his lungs, he proclaimed every government secret he had ever been privy to concerning the 456. Just as he thought it would, that earned him some attention from his captors. A hatch opened in the top of his cell and he was mercifully smothered with wet concrete.
Rhys Williams, dressed in an uncomfortable black suit, accompanied the two corpses into the makeshift compound. Each body was being wheeled in by an armed guard and Rhys was escorted by a particularly nosey guard appearing to be of higher rank. He asked questions about the time and manner of death to which Rhys had rehearsed the answers he received from the real undertaker now retconned and sent back to Cardiff. Almost casually, the guard asked, "You're pretty young; how did you get into this business?"
Nervously, Rhys replied, "Family, my grandfather started it."
"You married?" The guard inquired.
"Yeah and a little one on the way."
The guard peered over at Rhys seeming to look for anything suspicious, "How was traffic?"
Sweat was beginning to trickle down the Welshman's face, "Not bad."
Just when the guard was beginning to relax, a slight movement came from one of the body bags. Swiftly, the guard opened one the bags as Rhys thought his heart would leap from his chest. However, after checking the body, the guard shrugged, "I thought I saw him move, but he's dead alright. What is that movement after death called again?"
"Postmortem spasm." Rhys answered quickly. The man never thought that his love of crime dramas would pay off in a life or death situation.
They continued down the corridor and just as they were passing the only cell door that was closed and locked, Rhys reached into his pocket and pressed the send button on his readied mobile. He then stopped walking and spoke, "Could you give me a moment? My shoelace is untied."
Before the guards could react, Rhys ducked as Gwen and Owen burst from the two body bags and opened fire, killing the three agents. Expertly timed explosions rocked the ground and the entire building shook as a forklift pulled away the concrete filled cell. Once Rhys, Owen, and Gwen had jumped onto the forklift and cleared the area, the entire building was leveled with an impressive fire display for added effect. John Hart was many things, but he could never be accused of being boring.
Rhys was surprised at how easily Ianto was managing to drive the large forklift and shouted, "You're not too bad with machinery. When this is over, you should come work for me."
He then turned to Owen and shouted, "You almost blew it back there, dead man!"
Gwen joined him, "I can't believe I made a more convincing corpse than you!"
Owen shrugged, "Excuse me; I thought I felt a bug in there. That would've been creepy."
At the precipice of a large quarry, Ianto let the large concrete block fall, shattering to pieces at the bottom. A disoriented, dirt covered Jack Harkness eventually stepped forth from the rubble. Jack looked around in confusion, wondering just how long he had been encased. As the dust around him began to clear, a car pulled up and Ianto came sprinting out of it. His broken heart began to beat again at the sight of his beloved, alive and well rushing into his arms.
He held the young man tightly against his body as tears of relief streamed down his face. Ianto threw his arms around Jack's held and drew him into a searing, passionate kiss that nearly sucked the life-force out of the older man. When he pulled away, Jack saw a satisfied looking John Hart leaning against the car. Jack recognized the look on his face as the one he had after he had just caused massive destruction. After giving the man a nod of thanks, he gazed at Ianto and asked, "Where to now?"
"It used to be a storage facility for Torchwood One. Tosh was able to access all the old monitoring equipment so it's secure. This will be our base of operations for the time being." Ianto announced as he led everyone into the once abandoned warehouse.
Inside was a table with computers, a makeshift kitchen, a sofa, several sleeping cots, crates with equipment, and a full arsenal. Owen let out a low whistled, "How the hell did you manage to put all this together in the span of a morning?"
Ianto replied nonchalantly, "It's amazing what you can achieve when you know the right shady people and have a ready supply of cash."
Gwen gave out a squeak of delight, "Is that a coffee machine?"
Ianto nodded, "It is. Would you like a cup?"
As the team settled in and planned their next move, John pulled Jack aside. "You missed my explosives display. Unfortunately, I think some of them made it out alive. Don't worry, they won't make it far."
Jack put his hand on John's shoulder, "I appreciate the rescue, but you don't need to kill every person involved. They're just following orders."
A murderous glint flashed through John's eyes, "I'm setting an example. If this government wants to declare war on us then I will show them just what war with Torchwood will cost. I have not travelled the galaxy to end up being intimidated by primitive pencil pushers! Grey was able to level half of Cardiff in a day and I will make that look like petty crime."
Jack was taken aback; he had never seen such righteous fury coming from the former conman. Knowing John's one weakness, Jack replied, "Please, just stay the night. I need you to take Ianto back to Cardiff tomorrow. You're the only person I trust to get him there safely. Once he's secure in the Hub, you go do what you feel is necessary."
John gazed longingly over at Ianto and relaxed his shoulders. "Fine, but he won't go willingly."
"He'll go if you ask." Jack answered as he patted John's arm.
After the team had settled down, Ianto went to find Jack. The captain was in the other end of the warehouse staring out through the grimy window. Walking up behind him, Ianto wrapped his arms around Jack's back and gently kissed the back of his neck. The man still tasted of dirt and cement but Ianto hardly cared. Jack sighed resignedly and wished he had the strength to let go of the young man. It was inevitable that one day he would end up just like Alice, and Jack knew he would never recover from the loss.
As if reading his thoughts, Ianto spoke, "I'm not leaving you."
Jack turned around to face him. "What?"
"I know what you're thinking, and you want to send me away. You're afraid I'll die and you'll just keep going."
Jack gazed into Ianto's eyes in disbelief at the young man's ability to understand him.
Ianto continued, "I talked to John and I will go back to Cardiff tomorrow only because I need to be with Stephen, but know that it will happen. Someday, I will die and you will move on because you have no choice. Hopefully, it'll be of old age and you'll be at my bedside holding my hand, but we both know that is unlikely. But until that happens, I'm going to stay with you. We're stuck with each other, remember?"
"Ianto, I'm too dangerous and you have your whole life ahead of you." Jack pleaded.
"A life without you is not worth living." Ianto answered then pulled Jack into an achingly sweet kiss.
Jack abruptly pulled away. "All of this is my fault. If I only would have been strong enough then those aliens wouldn't be threatening the world's children and Alice would still be alive."
Ianto smiled wryly, "That's exactly what he said you would say."
"Who?"
"Stephen. Right before I left, he told me to explain that it's not your fault. He said you would blame yourself. Jack, this wasn't because you did something wrong. This was an act of a cowardly and corrupt government trying to cover its tracks. The only thing you can do now is fight to do what they can't and we're all here to help you."
Jack turned away and looked out the window again, pondering Ianto's words. After several long minutes, Ianto spoke again, "I thought about what you said yesterday and you should know that I want to be your family as well."
Facing Ianto, Jack's eyes shown with a flicker of hope, "You mean you'll marry me?"
Closing the distance between them, Ianto put his hands on Jack's cheeks. "I love you too much not to and you love me too much to let me go."
Their mouths met in a kiss filled with love and life-affirming desire. Ianto pushed Jack backwards into the alcove and shucked off his dusty great coat. Making quick work of his braces, Ianto began on Jack's shirt buttons finishing with the fly of his pants. While sucking at his neck, Ianto grabbed Jack's hard cock and began jerking it to full hardness. Breathlessly, Jack asked, "Here? What about the others?"
Ianto purred in response, "We'll just have to be quiet."
He placed a seductive kiss to Jack's lips and then fell to his knees. Jack gasped as the young man immediately took him deeply into his mouth and began sucking with unprecedented enthusiasm. All Jack could do in response was grasp the back of Ianto's head and run his fingers through the tight dark hair. After almost bringing Jack to his breaking point, Ianto stood and reached into the cargo pocket of his trousers. Jack looked at him in shock when Ianto handed over a packet of lube.
"Are you sure?"
Ianto melted into Jack's arms and begged, "Please Jack, I need to feel you inside me."
Nearly coming at only Ianto's voice, Jack pressed him against the wall and unbuttoned his fly, sliding down his slacks. After slicking up his fingers, he pressed them against his lover's tight entrance. Jack slid in one finger eliciting a low moan from Ianto who was clinging desperately to Jack's muscular body. Soon Jack was able to insert another finger as Ianto licked and then playfully bit at his ear. As Ianto's moaning increased, Jack could hardly stand anymore delay and pushed his painfully hard cock inside. Ianto wrapped his arms around Jack's shoulders as Jack held him pinned between his body and the wall.
Ianto's sounds of pleasure were rising in volume and threatened to draw unwanted attention. Jack quieted him by shoving his tongue deep into the young man's wet mouth that welcomed him eagerly. Their rhythm increased rapidly until Jack pushed in flush against Ianto's prostate and came. Ianto rolled his hips as his own orgasm overtook him and he came onto Jack's stomach.
Collapsing into Jack's arms, Ianto nearly passed out then and there. Jack held him close and whispered in his ear, "You're right; I couldn't leave you if I tried."
Chapter 3