Fic: Carnival Of Sins Chapter 3 (Torchwood Jack/Ianto Time Verse Ianto Big Bang)
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Chapter 3
As Ianto made his way down the darkened hallway of what he knew were mirrors, thanks to the flashing lights overhead, he found himself looking around. He couldn't see anything except a hallway of mirrors.
He didn't know what compelled him to stop in front of the mirror; only that he had. He heard Gwen calling his name, and asking if he went left or right.
“I went left. There doesn't seem to be anything here other than-” He felt the warm hot sting as his face glowed and changed to match the reflection in the glass he was looking into. When it was done, he fell to the ground, hitting his head on the floor.
It was pitch black when Ianto regained consciousness on the cold ground and for a split second he thought he was back on Havaasana again, lost in the dark and alone. Fear had gripped him as he flailed in the dark and reached out for the man he loved, calling for him.
“Jack...”
It was Ianto's instinct, when he woke without the warmth of Jack's arms around him and the comforting scent of Jack's pheromones bathing him, to immediately assume he was back on Havaasana. Fear held him in its grasp until he heard Gwen's voice and knew he was not, as he feared, on Havaasana but safe - relatively - on Earth. He relaxed a little, knowing he was not back in his own personal hell, until her voice brought back the memories of what had happened. He'd walked ahead in the dark. Stupid really; such a rookie mistake! Jack would have his balls for it. He should have known better. He did know better! This is exactly why they were in here in pairs!
“Ianto! Ianto, love, it's Gwen. I'm here okay? I'm here, and Jack's on his way, okay? I promise.” Jack was on his way. He couldn't hear his team in his ear anymore. It must have fallen out as I hit the ground. His heart rate slowed and he winced when the light reached his eyes. “Oh! Oh my God! Ianto!” The light hurt. He rolled his head to get away from the light. His head hit the ear piece. It did fall out and hit the ground. Probably useless now anyway.
“G-gwen?” he mumbled, and moved his head, trying to open his eyes. “G-gwen.”
“I'm here, love, I'm here.” Gwen grabbed his hand and squeezed hard.
“Don't... let... Jack...” he started, and then stopped. It was harder to breath. Why was it harder to breath? He opened his mouth wider and gasped a breath.
“Easy now, don't panic. Don't let Jack what, love?” She lifted his hand and held it against her chest.
“Shoot... people,” he finished, and closed his eyes again. It was better in the dark; not as painful.
He knew Gwen was crying. He could hear it in her voice. “Aw, now Ianto, you know I can't make that promise. When Jack finds us, he's going to shoot something, you know he is.”
“Don't... let...him.” Ianto squeezed her hand. Jack was going to go insane.
“Oh Ianto... I don't know what to do. Tell me what to do!” she whispered to him.
Ianto swallowed hard and tried to focus. He was the superior officer, even if he was effectively injured. Gwen was relying on him. He didn't want to leave her sitting there when Jack came in and fell to pieces, or worse, started tearing the place apart. Gwen had to find the alien technology. It was around the mirror he'd been standing in front of before he'd collapsed.
“Gwen,” Ianto dragged in a deep breath. “Find... the tech. The mirror. By my feet.”
Gwen stared down at him. “You think the alien tech is here?” she asked, then shook her head. “Of course it's here. Look at you! No, don't look at you! Oh God, when Jack sees you, he's going to kill me!”
“Gwen! Focus!” Ianto demanded, and tried to lick his lips. His mouth didn't work like it used to. His eyes welled with tears. “Find. The. Tech.”
“But.” She swallowed and shook her head when Ianto squeezed her hand once more. “Find the tech. Right.” She let his hand go. “I'll just be here, okay? I'm not going anywhere.”
“Stay low,” Ianto warned. Gwen nodded and got to her feet in a crouched position.
“Gwen! Why am I going to shoot people?” Jack asked in her ear. “Why isn't he responding?”
“He-his ear piece fell out,” Gwen said, as she turned her flashlight around to look at the mirror. “Now, Jack, when you get 'round here, just stay calm.” She took a breath. “Where is this bloody thing?”
“Calm? Why do I need to stay calm?” Jack asked her. “Ianto's alright, isn't he?” Gwen didn't even get a chance to answer. “Oh god, he's been hurt! He's been changed, hasn't he?”
“Jack, I'm sorry!” Gwen bit her lip. “He walked away from me!”
While Ianto listened to Gwen's side of the conversation with Jack as she looked around with the torch, he felt around for his sidearm. They hadn't had to test the theory of him coming back to life, yet, but the Doctor had been 99.9% certain that he was exactly like Jack, and if that were the case, then if he died, he would resurrect exactly the way he should - and that would mean Jack wouldn't need to see his elongated and disfigured face. Ianto yanked the firearm from his holster and flicked off the safety in the dark.
“What was that?” Gwen asked, turning around. “Ianto, did you hear something?” she asked.
“No,” he lied, laying still. “Nothing.” She turned back to the wall of mirrors. “Find anything?” he asked, trying to lick his lips. He groaned in frustration when he couldn't get his tongue out to moisten his skin. He felt as if his face was numb, like he'd been to the dentist for a tooth extraction and had no control over his features.
“Nothing.”
“Maybe it's... behind it?” Ianto suggested.
“I'll have to break it! Oh, what's seven years of bad luck, eh?” Gwen pulled out her firearm and took aim at the mirror. Ianto held the gun to his head and at the same time that Gwen aimed at the mirror, Ianto pulled his own trigger, an apology on his lips.
“Gwen?” Jack roared. “What the hell was that?”
Mirror shards were shattered everywhere, and as Gwen turned to block herself from the blast of glass fragments, she realised that Ianto was no longer moving.
“I shot out the mirr... Ianto?” She moved over to him, flashlight in hand. “Ianto? Ianto! No! Oh God! Oh my God! Jack! Jack! Oh Ianto, no! No, no, no, no!” Gwen started to panic as she hovered over Ianto and felt for a pulse. That's when she saw the blood and the gun that had fallen out of his hand. “Ianto! No! What have you done, love? No!”
Jack came running up behind her. “Gwen! Ianto!” Jack slid to his knees as he reached them. “Owen, Martha, one of you get in here! Now! Ianto's hurt!” Jack yelled into the comm unit before focusing on Gwen as he scanned Ianto's body with his wrist strap. Ianto was definitely dead. “How long has he been out?” he asked. Gwen stared at him. “How long has he been out, Gwen?”
“I-I dunno! A minute!? Maybe less?” Gwen shouted, wiping at her tears. She was bleeding from where the mirror fragments had cut her. “Jack... he's gone.”
“Oh Baby, what have you done?” Jack cried out as he carefully picked Ianto's limp and bloody body up and cradled him against his chest, cupping his cheek with his hand, stroking the skin. “C'mon Ianto! Come back to me. Come back to me dammit!” Jack started rocking him back and forth.
Owen was swearing obscenities in their ears as he told Martha he would come inside and check on Ianto. Gwen tried to give Owen directions on where they were, but she kept getting confused. It didn't help that Owen was yelling at her.
Jack looked back down at Ianto, and pressed his lips to his forehead. “Baby, come back to me,” he whispered, crying. “Ianto, come back to me, please, Baby come back to me! I can't do this without you.” Jack forced himself to lift his head and look at Ianto's wound. “It's healing! Gwen, give me some light!” Gwen held her flashlight over the wound to let Jack see it. “Yes! That's it, Baby! C'mon! Come back to me!”
“Hey, wot's that?” Mickey asked, his flashlight beam landing on something behind Gwen, but neither Gwen nor Jack were listening. Mickey crouched down and moved over to look at the small item that had taken his attention. It wasn't that he wasn't concerned about Ianto, he was. But Gwen and Jack were fussing enough for all of them, Owen was on his way in, and he was sure that Ianto would come back. That Doctor friend of theirs had said he would - that's what they told him. So there was no point in getting all emotional, now was there, right?
While Mickey's attention was on the now shattered hole on the wall of mirrors, Ianto gasped back to life just as Owen came into the corridor they were in, his eyes bulging open as wide as they could go. He flailed, panicking in the darkness and being restrained until his senses recognised Jack's pheromones, and his body immediately relaxed.
“Ianto, breathe! Breathe, I got you. I got you, easy now, just breathe,” Jack said soothingly, his fingers lovingly tracing the contours of Ianto's face.
“Jack,” he gasped, his hands reaching up to grab at Jack's arm and clutching at it as hard as he could. “Did it work?”
Jack gave a short, hysterical laugh. “Well, you came back to me, so I'd say yes!”
Ianto shook his head. “No. My face. Did it work?” he asked hopefully.
Jack's confusion was clear when his eyes drew together, a frown appearing. “I... What do you... You shot yourself because of your face?” Jack asked. Ianto closed his eyes, a tear sliding out. Jacks reaction told him everything he needed to know. His attempt was in vain. He was still deformed. “Why, Ianto?” Ianto shook his head. “Tell me!”
Ianto swallowed. “Can we...” he shook his head a little. “Later Jack.”
“Ianto-” Jack started but Gwen put her hand on his arm.
“Jack, I know how upsetting this is but we... we need to find the alien tech that's done this to Ianto and the others!” Gwen reasoned with him. “If we don't find it, what hope do we have of changing them back?”
“Hey, guys, I fink I found som'fin',” Mickey said over his shoulder. Gwen turned and looked at Mickey.
Jack looked at Ianto.
“Go,” Ianto said, “See what Mickey found.”
“No! You just came back, I-” Jack protested.
“Put the Tea Boy down, Harkness. I need to check him over,” Owen ordered. “I can't do my job with you clinging to him like an octopus now can I?”
Jack looked torn but Ianto offered a small smile. “I... Jack, I need you... to be the hero. Please,” his voice dropped to a whisper on his plea. “I'm sorry.”
“We'll figure this out, I promise.” Jack went to kiss him, but Ianto turned his head. The hurt that clenched his heart was unbearable. “Ianto, don't do that. Don't turn away from me.”
“Please, Jack. Just go,” Ianto begged, his eyes closed as his heart broke in his chest. He hated hurting Jack but he didn't want him looking at him like he was. He didn't want him kissing him like he was. He didn't want... He didn't want to be like he was. “Find the tech. Please.”
Jack pressed a kiss to Ianto's hair, and eased him down to the ground. “I'll just be over there, okay?” Ianto nodded.
Owen put a hand on Jack's shoulder. “I'll watch over him.”
“I'm not dying. I'm just disfigured,” Ianto growled.
“Don't start, Lazarus,” Owen warned, then pushed Jack over to Gwen and Mickey. “Go Harkness. Do your job. Let me do mine.” Owen pulled a headlamp out of the med kit and plonked it on his head, switching the light on. “Right. Let's get a look at you.”
While Owen gave Ianto a once over; Mickey, Gwen and Jack (reluctantly) looked at the item on the floor.
“It looks like a torch,” Gwen commented with a sniffle as a frown appeared between her eyes.
“Careful,” Jack said as they got closer to it. “I don't want any more casualties.” Gwen was right in her comment; it did look like a slender torch. Jack frowned. “I've seen something like this before. Where the hell have I seen it before?” He reached out to pick it up. Both Mickey and Gwen made noises of protest. “Hey, it's okay! I know what I'm doing,” Jack growled as he carefully picked up the technology by what seemed to be the handle. It was buzzing slightly, and had a slight blue glow around one end. It was lightweight, and was definitely alien technology. Nothing as advanced as 51st century sonic technology, but at least a couple of centuries ahead of where they were now. Maybe Ianto knew? He rolled it over and noted there were two switches on the side - on and off. It was locked onto the On button. Jack hit the off button and the emanating buzzing sound it made stopped, the light disappearing. “Well. I turned it off, so I don't think we'll have any further unfortunate accidental face changes,” Jack said, relaxing a little.
“What do you think it is?” Gwen asked, as she looked it from Jack's hand and looked it over.
“I'm not sure, but I know I've seen it before. I just can't place where.” Jack turned back to Ianto. “How's he doing?” He asked Owen.
“He is right here, you know,” Ianto griped, having pushed himself into a seated position now that Owen was taking his blood pressure.
“Oh pipe down,” Owen reprimanded, as he listened to his heartbeat. “Everything seems to be checking out okay, other than his obvious...”
“Deformity?” Ianto offered icily.
“I was going to say affliction, but if you'd rather that, then knock yourself out. Just don't do it with bullets again. It makes a bloody big mess. Literally.” Owen packed up his kit. “Jack, you wanna, you know,” Owen waved his hand over Ianto and gestured towards Jack's wrist, “just to be sure?”
Jack flicked open his wrist strap and pressed the combination of buttons needed to do a full body scan on Ianto again. “You're vitals are good,” Jack announced with a sigh of relief.
“Hey, I've been meaning to ask,” Owen looked between the two of them. “You were at the Time Agency Academy, yeah?” he asked Ianto, who nodded. “How come you don't have one of those wrist strappy things?”
“If you pass the midterm in your third year, you're assigned to your Handler and granted a modified wrist strap and certain privileges that come with it. The ability to time travel, etcetera is granted upon graduation,” Ianto explained. “We left Daelynea at the end of my second year at the Academy.”
“You mean you could have had one of those space age gadgets?” Mickey asked, frowning. Ianto shrugged. “Man, why didn't you stay just for that?”
Ianto looked at Jack. “I have my reasons.” He looked at Gwen. “What do you have there?” Gwen held out the technology to Ianto, who reached up and accepted it. He stared at it. “Owen, look down at me, if you wouldn't mind please?”
“Huh?” Owen looked down.
“Thank you,” Ianto said as he got a good look at the technology in his hand. “Oh. Of course. Well. How the hell did you get stuck under a mirror in a Haunted House on Earth?” Ianto asked as he turned the torch-like device over in his hands. Ianto looked up at Jack and blushed. “Well, now I feel like a complete bollocking fool. On the positive side, Jack, we must remember, I've proved the Doctor's theory correct.”
Jack's eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”
Ianto held up the alien technology in his hand. “This is an identity changer. I believe the technology was from the Karathian planetary systems. It looks to be one of the second generation models.” Ianto turned it around to aim it at himself, and flicked the switch, which had everyone, including Jack, throwing themselves at him.
“No!” Gwen screamed, diving at him.
“Ianto, no!” Jack panicked, and flung himself at Ianto.
But it was too late, the technology had already started its work on Ianto's face, and a force field surrounded him, bouncing everyone else back to protect him from being interrupted while the technology did its thing.
“Everyone okay?” Jack asked as he rubbed his head from where he hit the mirrored wall behind him. He was lucky he hadn't gone through it. Come to think of it, they all were.
“Ow!” Gwen complained, looking at her left arm and the shards of mirror that were sticking in her forearm. “I just got them out!” she whined.
Owen got to his feet and made his way over to her. “Here, let me help.” He opened his kit up and started to work on pulling out the shards of mirror from Gwen's arm.
“Mickey Mouse, you okay?” Jack asked, standing up.
Mickey got to his feet, rubbing his head. “Yeah. Wicked headache from where I hit my head, but I'll be fine, yeah.”
Jack leaned down to pick up Gwen's discarded torch and shined it over onto his lover. He watched in amazement as Ianto's face returned to his original state before his eyes. Ianto sat still for a moment and then slumped against the wall, his eyes closed.
“Not again! Ianto!” Jack called out, and flipped his wrist strap open, his fingers flying over the combination of buttons to activate the full body scan over Ianto's body. His vitals were stable. He was alive. Jack knelt down beside him and felt for his pulse. It was strong against his fingers. “Ianto? Ianto, c'mon, baby, come back to me!” Jack pulled Ianto into his arms again and rested his head against his lover's. “Don't do this to me! C'mon!”
Ianto opened his eyes and took a deep breath. “Jack.”
Jack was able to breathe again. He'd let his anger take over later, but for now, he was thankful to have Ianto alive and breathing, holding him in his arms again. “I've got you. You're safe.”
Ianto shuddered and nodded. “Yup.” He looked up at Jack. “It worked this time?”
Jack cupped his cheek and stroked the skin with his thumb. “Back to normal.” Ianto nodded, a smile of relief crossing his face. “Don't think we won't be having words later.”
“I know, Jack,” Ianto said softly. “When the case is over. For now, let's get these kids back to the way they should be.” Jack leaned down and covered his mouth over Ianto's, briefly kissing him. Ianto kissed him back, his fingers reaching out to grasp Jack's shirt and cling to him. When Jack pulled back, Ianto saw the grief in them. “I'm sorry. Jack, I'm sorry.”
Jack's features schooled themselves into a blank look that terrified Ianto. “C'mon. Work to do.” Jack pulled back and got to his feet, holding out his hand for Ianto and helped him to his feet. Ianto's hand found his ear piece on the floor when he placed his palm down on the ground to use it as leverage to stand up. Picking it up, he placed it into his pocket, then accepted the help Jack offered before dusting himself off. “Gwen, you alright?”
“I'm fine,” she replied, and hissed in pain.
“There. That should do it. Now. I'll give you another pain killer when we get back to the Hub. You alright for now?” Owen asked, packing up his kit.
“Yeah. Thanks.” She gave Owen a smile and looked over at Ianto. “Hey. Look at you! Back to normal.” She sniffled. “All that blood and brains for no reason, eh?”
Ianto blushed and shook his head. “Not as such, no. Still, fortuitous all the same.” He took in Gwen. “Are you alright?” Gwen stared at him for a moment, then flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Ianto stood still for a moment, then wrapped his arms around her when he felt her trembling and realised that she was crying. “Gwen. It's okay.”
She nodded into his neck and breathed deeply, then pulled back. She straightened his lapels and smiled as she slapped his chest. “Don't you ever do that to me again, Ianto Jones,” she said, wagging a finger in his face. She smiled and laughed a little at herself as she wiped the tears from her face.
“Believe me, lesson well learned.” He looked up to see everyone staring at them.
“Well, as charming as this lovey-dovey moment is, wot do ya say we get these kids back to normal and get the hell out of this nightmare?” Mickey asked, frowning. “I'm sure there's other jobs we could be doing besides this.”
“Mickey's right,” Jack said, stepping forward. “We need to get these kids back to normal and back to their parents. Martha, Donna, you hear me?”
“Yes, Jack,” Martha said in Jack's ear.
“We've got the technology, and we'll be able to reverse the deformity. Tell those kids to hang tight. We're on our way.” Jack stepped over the mess on the ground and made his way towards the exit.
“Ah, Ianto, I still don't understand,” Owen said as Ianto turned and started to follow Jack out.
“What, exactly, has escaped your comprehension?” Ianto asked over his shoulder as he walked down the hallway. He turned and saw everyone back in the middle of the hall of mirrors. “Well? Are you waiting for an engraved invitation?”
Mickey, Gwen and Owen looked at each other and then hurried after their second-in-command.
“How'd you know about this piece of tech, eh? Even Jack didn't know about it, and he usually knows most of the tech that comes through the rift,” Owen asked as they rushed to catch up with Ianto.
“Oh.” Ianto stopped and turned back, waiting for his teammates. When they reached him, he waved the image changer in the air. “This is standard issue at the Time Agency.” He looked at it, able to now see it with the light was shining through the doorway at the end of the hallway they were in. “They're given to Agent Handlers when they're assigned to their Agent. It changes the target's identity to the set look, and then when it's aimed at the target again, it returns them back to their original DNA state. Excellent tool for undercover work, but dangerous when agents go rogue, which is why they don't issue them to the Agent, just to the Handler. It must have fallen through the rift.” Ianto contemplated it for a moment, and then turned and headed out of the Haunted House, leaving Mickey, Gwen and Owen in his wake.
“You know, I really hate it when they go all contemplative on us,” Owen snarked. “It always spells trouble in the bedroom.”
Gwen looked at Owen. “What does that have to do with you?”
Owen looked back at Gwen. “Think abou' it. When was the last time Jack didn't get laid for a long time, Gwen?” While he let his words sink in, Owen headed over to Martha and Donna.
Mickey shook his head. “I reckon he's just jealous,” he said quietly to Gwen.
“Of who? Jack or Ianto?” Gwen asked, crossing her arms over her chest, and then regretting it when a searing stab of pain travelled up her arm from the cuts under the bandages.
“Both of them. It's like this, see, they have this amazin' relationship, we see it everyday, yeah? Sometimes it's like they can read each other's minds. Who wouldn't want a partner who knew 'em that well, who understood 'em that well? It's an amazin' fing, Gwen. Precious. They're lucky to have found each other.” Mickey nodded. “I can only hope to have somethin' as wonderful as they do, 'specially in our line of work.”
Gwen looked at Mickey for a moment and then out at Ianto and Jack who were busy restoring the teenagers back to their original state and giving them retcon in bottles of water.
“Yeah, well. You keep hoping on that Sunshine, because those two? They're not perfect. Far from it. Oh, they may be good for each other, but they will tear each other apart and put each other back together again, mark my words.” Gwen looked back at Mickey. “You think they understand each other? Jack will never understand why Ianto would shoot himself in the head before waiting for him to arrive to help.” She shook her head and looked back out at them. “Hell, I was there, and I don't understand it.” Gwen closed her eyes but all she could see when she closed them was Ianto's lifeless body, blood everywhere. She could even smell the blood.
“Gwen. Gwen!” She started at Mickey's voice and his hand on her arm. She looked up at him. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah,” she nodded. “Yeah I'm fine.” She smacked him on the arm lightly. “C'mon. We better go help before we get accused of slacking off.”
Ianto patted the back of the last dazed teenager and smiled as they walked away with their friend, who was just as dazed as she was. He sighed. That would be another ten names to add to the register in the end, eleven if they included the caretaker when they told him what happened. Reaching into his pocket, he felt around for his ear piece and carefully placed it back in his ear, then changed the frequency to what he hoped was the right private channel.
“Tosh?” he asked hopefully.
“Ianto!” she said, and he heard the hint of worry in her voice. “I... I was concerned for a moment there.”
“I thought you might be. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare everyone.” He rubbed at the side of his head where he shot himself. There was no scarring, nothing to show for the damage. The scent of blood lingered in the air from his clothing being soaked in it, however, so he shrugged out of his jacket and slung it over one arm. “Jack's...”
“Pissed as hell?” Tosh offered.
“Exceedingly calm, and that's what worries me.” He looked at the others who were all starting to walk towards him. “Anyway, I just thought I'd let you know we're on our way back now.”
“Roger that. I'll get you on the comms if there's anything else on the predictor.”
Ianto smiled. “Thanks Tosh. Excellent work today, even if you were stuck back in the Hub.”
“Thanks. Over and out.”
Ianto tapped his ear piece to change it to the public frequency with the team and fell into step with them as they headed to the exit.
Jack turned to everyone when they reached the cars. He looked at Ianto and said, “Ianto give Gwen your keys.” Ianto's eyes started to narrow until he realized that he'd driven the Torchwood SUV down. He reached into his pants pocket and extracted the keys, tossing them to Gwen who caught them. “Gwen, Donna and Martha, take the Torchwood SUV back. Mickey, Owen, you're in the van.” He looked at Ianto. “Ianto, you're with me. Time we had a chat.”
“Ah, Jack, go easy on him, love,” Gwen said as she patted him on the shoulder on her way to the Torchwood SUV. “He's had a rough day.”
“You're in charge until we get back,” Jack called out, pulling his comm unit out of his ear.
Gwen stopped and turned. She looked at Jack, who stared back with a blank face, willing her to heed his instruction, then at Ianto who also wore a blank face. They were both internalising their emotions. This had disaster written all over it.
“Whatever you say, Jack,” she said, not fighting back. She looked at Ianto once more and offered him a small smile. He inclined his head, a tiny twitch to his mouth, before he turned and moved over to the black SUV he owned with Jack and silently slid into the passenger seat. “C'mon girls. Let's head home.”
As Ianto sat in the vehicle, waiting for Jack, he watched as the others climbed into the other two Torchwood vehicles and peeled out of the parking lot. When Jack finally turned and faced him, the sheer grief and disappointement that showed on his face now that they were alone made Ianto swallowed hard as his heart sank into his stomach.
He did that. He put that look there. Now he had to work out a way to make up for it. Ianto Jones, the man who supposedly knew everything... had no answer to this one.
Chapter 4
Chapter 3
As Ianto made his way down the darkened hallway of what he knew were mirrors, thanks to the flashing lights overhead, he found himself looking around. He couldn't see anything except a hallway of mirrors.
He didn't know what compelled him to stop in front of the mirror; only that he had. He heard Gwen calling his name, and asking if he went left or right.
“I went left. There doesn't seem to be anything here other than-” He felt the warm hot sting as his face glowed and changed to match the reflection in the glass he was looking into. When it was done, he fell to the ground, hitting his head on the floor.
It was pitch black when Ianto regained consciousness on the cold ground and for a split second he thought he was back on Havaasana again, lost in the dark and alone. Fear had gripped him as he flailed in the dark and reached out for the man he loved, calling for him.
“Jack...”
It was Ianto's instinct, when he woke without the warmth of Jack's arms around him and the comforting scent of Jack's pheromones bathing him, to immediately assume he was back on Havaasana. Fear held him in its grasp until he heard Gwen's voice and knew he was not, as he feared, on Havaasana but safe - relatively - on Earth. He relaxed a little, knowing he was not back in his own personal hell, until her voice brought back the memories of what had happened. He'd walked ahead in the dark. Stupid really; such a rookie mistake! Jack would have his balls for it. He should have known better. He did know better! This is exactly why they were in here in pairs!
“Ianto! Ianto, love, it's Gwen. I'm here okay? I'm here, and Jack's on his way, okay? I promise.” Jack was on his way. He couldn't hear his team in his ear anymore. It must have fallen out as I hit the ground. His heart rate slowed and he winced when the light reached his eyes. “Oh! Oh my God! Ianto!” The light hurt. He rolled his head to get away from the light. His head hit the ear piece. It did fall out and hit the ground. Probably useless now anyway.
“G-gwen?” he mumbled, and moved his head, trying to open his eyes. “G-gwen.”
“I'm here, love, I'm here.” Gwen grabbed his hand and squeezed hard.
“Don't... let... Jack...” he started, and then stopped. It was harder to breath. Why was it harder to breath? He opened his mouth wider and gasped a breath.
“Easy now, don't panic. Don't let Jack what, love?” She lifted his hand and held it against her chest.
“Shoot... people,” he finished, and closed his eyes again. It was better in the dark; not as painful.
He knew Gwen was crying. He could hear it in her voice. “Aw, now Ianto, you know I can't make that promise. When Jack finds us, he's going to shoot something, you know he is.”
“Don't... let...him.” Ianto squeezed her hand. Jack was going to go insane.
“Oh Ianto... I don't know what to do. Tell me what to do!” she whispered to him.
Ianto swallowed hard and tried to focus. He was the superior officer, even if he was effectively injured. Gwen was relying on him. He didn't want to leave her sitting there when Jack came in and fell to pieces, or worse, started tearing the place apart. Gwen had to find the alien technology. It was around the mirror he'd been standing in front of before he'd collapsed.
“Gwen,” Ianto dragged in a deep breath. “Find... the tech. The mirror. By my feet.”
Gwen stared down at him. “You think the alien tech is here?” she asked, then shook her head. “Of course it's here. Look at you! No, don't look at you! Oh God, when Jack sees you, he's going to kill me!”
“Gwen! Focus!” Ianto demanded, and tried to lick his lips. His mouth didn't work like it used to. His eyes welled with tears. “Find. The. Tech.”
“But.” She swallowed and shook her head when Ianto squeezed her hand once more. “Find the tech. Right.” She let his hand go. “I'll just be here, okay? I'm not going anywhere.”
“Stay low,” Ianto warned. Gwen nodded and got to her feet in a crouched position.
“Gwen! Why am I going to shoot people?” Jack asked in her ear. “Why isn't he responding?”
“He-his ear piece fell out,” Gwen said, as she turned her flashlight around to look at the mirror. “Now, Jack, when you get 'round here, just stay calm.” She took a breath. “Where is this bloody thing?”
“Calm? Why do I need to stay calm?” Jack asked her. “Ianto's alright, isn't he?” Gwen didn't even get a chance to answer. “Oh god, he's been hurt! He's been changed, hasn't he?”
“Jack, I'm sorry!” Gwen bit her lip. “He walked away from me!”
While Ianto listened to Gwen's side of the conversation with Jack as she looked around with the torch, he felt around for his sidearm. They hadn't had to test the theory of him coming back to life, yet, but the Doctor had been 99.9% certain that he was exactly like Jack, and if that were the case, then if he died, he would resurrect exactly the way he should - and that would mean Jack wouldn't need to see his elongated and disfigured face. Ianto yanked the firearm from his holster and flicked off the safety in the dark.
“What was that?” Gwen asked, turning around. “Ianto, did you hear something?” she asked.
“No,” he lied, laying still. “Nothing.” She turned back to the wall of mirrors. “Find anything?” he asked, trying to lick his lips. He groaned in frustration when he couldn't get his tongue out to moisten his skin. He felt as if his face was numb, like he'd been to the dentist for a tooth extraction and had no control over his features.
“Nothing.”
“Maybe it's... behind it?” Ianto suggested.
“I'll have to break it! Oh, what's seven years of bad luck, eh?” Gwen pulled out her firearm and took aim at the mirror. Ianto held the gun to his head and at the same time that Gwen aimed at the mirror, Ianto pulled his own trigger, an apology on his lips.
“Gwen?” Jack roared. “What the hell was that?”
Mirror shards were shattered everywhere, and as Gwen turned to block herself from the blast of glass fragments, she realised that Ianto was no longer moving.
“I shot out the mirr... Ianto?” She moved over to him, flashlight in hand. “Ianto? Ianto! No! Oh God! Oh my God! Jack! Jack! Oh Ianto, no! No, no, no, no!” Gwen started to panic as she hovered over Ianto and felt for a pulse. That's when she saw the blood and the gun that had fallen out of his hand. “Ianto! No! What have you done, love? No!”
Jack came running up behind her. “Gwen! Ianto!” Jack slid to his knees as he reached them. “Owen, Martha, one of you get in here! Now! Ianto's hurt!” Jack yelled into the comm unit before focusing on Gwen as he scanned Ianto's body with his wrist strap. Ianto was definitely dead. “How long has he been out?” he asked. Gwen stared at him. “How long has he been out, Gwen?”
“I-I dunno! A minute!? Maybe less?” Gwen shouted, wiping at her tears. She was bleeding from where the mirror fragments had cut her. “Jack... he's gone.”
“Oh Baby, what have you done?” Jack cried out as he carefully picked Ianto's limp and bloody body up and cradled him against his chest, cupping his cheek with his hand, stroking the skin. “C'mon Ianto! Come back to me. Come back to me dammit!” Jack started rocking him back and forth.
Owen was swearing obscenities in their ears as he told Martha he would come inside and check on Ianto. Gwen tried to give Owen directions on where they were, but she kept getting confused. It didn't help that Owen was yelling at her.
Jack looked back down at Ianto, and pressed his lips to his forehead. “Baby, come back to me,” he whispered, crying. “Ianto, come back to me, please, Baby come back to me! I can't do this without you.” Jack forced himself to lift his head and look at Ianto's wound. “It's healing! Gwen, give me some light!” Gwen held her flashlight over the wound to let Jack see it. “Yes! That's it, Baby! C'mon! Come back to me!”
“Hey, wot's that?” Mickey asked, his flashlight beam landing on something behind Gwen, but neither Gwen nor Jack were listening. Mickey crouched down and moved over to look at the small item that had taken his attention. It wasn't that he wasn't concerned about Ianto, he was. But Gwen and Jack were fussing enough for all of them, Owen was on his way in, and he was sure that Ianto would come back. That Doctor friend of theirs had said he would - that's what they told him. So there was no point in getting all emotional, now was there, right?
While Mickey's attention was on the now shattered hole on the wall of mirrors, Ianto gasped back to life just as Owen came into the corridor they were in, his eyes bulging open as wide as they could go. He flailed, panicking in the darkness and being restrained until his senses recognised Jack's pheromones, and his body immediately relaxed.
“Ianto, breathe! Breathe, I got you. I got you, easy now, just breathe,” Jack said soothingly, his fingers lovingly tracing the contours of Ianto's face.
“Jack,” he gasped, his hands reaching up to grab at Jack's arm and clutching at it as hard as he could. “Did it work?”
Jack gave a short, hysterical laugh. “Well, you came back to me, so I'd say yes!”
Ianto shook his head. “No. My face. Did it work?” he asked hopefully.
Jack's confusion was clear when his eyes drew together, a frown appearing. “I... What do you... You shot yourself because of your face?” Jack asked. Ianto closed his eyes, a tear sliding out. Jacks reaction told him everything he needed to know. His attempt was in vain. He was still deformed. “Why, Ianto?” Ianto shook his head. “Tell me!”
Ianto swallowed. “Can we...” he shook his head a little. “Later Jack.”
“Ianto-” Jack started but Gwen put her hand on his arm.
“Jack, I know how upsetting this is but we... we need to find the alien tech that's done this to Ianto and the others!” Gwen reasoned with him. “If we don't find it, what hope do we have of changing them back?”
“Hey, guys, I fink I found som'fin',” Mickey said over his shoulder. Gwen turned and looked at Mickey.
Jack looked at Ianto.
“Go,” Ianto said, “See what Mickey found.”
“No! You just came back, I-” Jack protested.
“Put the Tea Boy down, Harkness. I need to check him over,” Owen ordered. “I can't do my job with you clinging to him like an octopus now can I?”
Jack looked torn but Ianto offered a small smile. “I... Jack, I need you... to be the hero. Please,” his voice dropped to a whisper on his plea. “I'm sorry.”
“We'll figure this out, I promise.” Jack went to kiss him, but Ianto turned his head. The hurt that clenched his heart was unbearable. “Ianto, don't do that. Don't turn away from me.”
“Please, Jack. Just go,” Ianto begged, his eyes closed as his heart broke in his chest. He hated hurting Jack but he didn't want him looking at him like he was. He didn't want him kissing him like he was. He didn't want... He didn't want to be like he was. “Find the tech. Please.”
Jack pressed a kiss to Ianto's hair, and eased him down to the ground. “I'll just be over there, okay?” Ianto nodded.
Owen put a hand on Jack's shoulder. “I'll watch over him.”
“I'm not dying. I'm just disfigured,” Ianto growled.
“Don't start, Lazarus,” Owen warned, then pushed Jack over to Gwen and Mickey. “Go Harkness. Do your job. Let me do mine.” Owen pulled a headlamp out of the med kit and plonked it on his head, switching the light on. “Right. Let's get a look at you.”
While Owen gave Ianto a once over; Mickey, Gwen and Jack (reluctantly) looked at the item on the floor.
“It looks like a torch,” Gwen commented with a sniffle as a frown appeared between her eyes.
“Careful,” Jack said as they got closer to it. “I don't want any more casualties.” Gwen was right in her comment; it did look like a slender torch. Jack frowned. “I've seen something like this before. Where the hell have I seen it before?” He reached out to pick it up. Both Mickey and Gwen made noises of protest. “Hey, it's okay! I know what I'm doing,” Jack growled as he carefully picked up the technology by what seemed to be the handle. It was buzzing slightly, and had a slight blue glow around one end. It was lightweight, and was definitely alien technology. Nothing as advanced as 51st century sonic technology, but at least a couple of centuries ahead of where they were now. Maybe Ianto knew? He rolled it over and noted there were two switches on the side - on and off. It was locked onto the On button. Jack hit the off button and the emanating buzzing sound it made stopped, the light disappearing. “Well. I turned it off, so I don't think we'll have any further unfortunate accidental face changes,” Jack said, relaxing a little.
“What do you think it is?” Gwen asked, as she looked it from Jack's hand and looked it over.
“I'm not sure, but I know I've seen it before. I just can't place where.” Jack turned back to Ianto. “How's he doing?” He asked Owen.
“He is right here, you know,” Ianto griped, having pushed himself into a seated position now that Owen was taking his blood pressure.
“Oh pipe down,” Owen reprimanded, as he listened to his heartbeat. “Everything seems to be checking out okay, other than his obvious...”
“Deformity?” Ianto offered icily.
“I was going to say affliction, but if you'd rather that, then knock yourself out. Just don't do it with bullets again. It makes a bloody big mess. Literally.” Owen packed up his kit. “Jack, you wanna, you know,” Owen waved his hand over Ianto and gestured towards Jack's wrist, “just to be sure?”
Jack flicked open his wrist strap and pressed the combination of buttons needed to do a full body scan on Ianto again. “You're vitals are good,” Jack announced with a sigh of relief.
“Hey, I've been meaning to ask,” Owen looked between the two of them. “You were at the Time Agency Academy, yeah?” he asked Ianto, who nodded. “How come you don't have one of those wrist strappy things?”
“If you pass the midterm in your third year, you're assigned to your Handler and granted a modified wrist strap and certain privileges that come with it. The ability to time travel, etcetera is granted upon graduation,” Ianto explained. “We left Daelynea at the end of my second year at the Academy.”
“You mean you could have had one of those space age gadgets?” Mickey asked, frowning. Ianto shrugged. “Man, why didn't you stay just for that?”
Ianto looked at Jack. “I have my reasons.” He looked at Gwen. “What do you have there?” Gwen held out the technology to Ianto, who reached up and accepted it. He stared at it. “Owen, look down at me, if you wouldn't mind please?”
“Huh?” Owen looked down.
“Thank you,” Ianto said as he got a good look at the technology in his hand. “Oh. Of course. Well. How the hell did you get stuck under a mirror in a Haunted House on Earth?” Ianto asked as he turned the torch-like device over in his hands. Ianto looked up at Jack and blushed. “Well, now I feel like a complete bollocking fool. On the positive side, Jack, we must remember, I've proved the Doctor's theory correct.”
Jack's eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”
Ianto held up the alien technology in his hand. “This is an identity changer. I believe the technology was from the Karathian planetary systems. It looks to be one of the second generation models.” Ianto turned it around to aim it at himself, and flicked the switch, which had everyone, including Jack, throwing themselves at him.
“No!” Gwen screamed, diving at him.
“Ianto, no!” Jack panicked, and flung himself at Ianto.
But it was too late, the technology had already started its work on Ianto's face, and a force field surrounded him, bouncing everyone else back to protect him from being interrupted while the technology did its thing.
“Everyone okay?” Jack asked as he rubbed his head from where he hit the mirrored wall behind him. He was lucky he hadn't gone through it. Come to think of it, they all were.
“Ow!” Gwen complained, looking at her left arm and the shards of mirror that were sticking in her forearm. “I just got them out!” she whined.
Owen got to his feet and made his way over to her. “Here, let me help.” He opened his kit up and started to work on pulling out the shards of mirror from Gwen's arm.
“Mickey Mouse, you okay?” Jack asked, standing up.
Mickey got to his feet, rubbing his head. “Yeah. Wicked headache from where I hit my head, but I'll be fine, yeah.”
Jack leaned down to pick up Gwen's discarded torch and shined it over onto his lover. He watched in amazement as Ianto's face returned to his original state before his eyes. Ianto sat still for a moment and then slumped against the wall, his eyes closed.
“Not again! Ianto!” Jack called out, and flipped his wrist strap open, his fingers flying over the combination of buttons to activate the full body scan over Ianto's body. His vitals were stable. He was alive. Jack knelt down beside him and felt for his pulse. It was strong against his fingers. “Ianto? Ianto, c'mon, baby, come back to me!” Jack pulled Ianto into his arms again and rested his head against his lover's. “Don't do this to me! C'mon!”
Ianto opened his eyes and took a deep breath. “Jack.”
Jack was able to breathe again. He'd let his anger take over later, but for now, he was thankful to have Ianto alive and breathing, holding him in his arms again. “I've got you. You're safe.”
Ianto shuddered and nodded. “Yup.” He looked up at Jack. “It worked this time?”
Jack cupped his cheek and stroked the skin with his thumb. “Back to normal.” Ianto nodded, a smile of relief crossing his face. “Don't think we won't be having words later.”
“I know, Jack,” Ianto said softly. “When the case is over. For now, let's get these kids back to the way they should be.” Jack leaned down and covered his mouth over Ianto's, briefly kissing him. Ianto kissed him back, his fingers reaching out to grasp Jack's shirt and cling to him. When Jack pulled back, Ianto saw the grief in them. “I'm sorry. Jack, I'm sorry.”
Jack's features schooled themselves into a blank look that terrified Ianto. “C'mon. Work to do.” Jack pulled back and got to his feet, holding out his hand for Ianto and helped him to his feet. Ianto's hand found his ear piece on the floor when he placed his palm down on the ground to use it as leverage to stand up. Picking it up, he placed it into his pocket, then accepted the help Jack offered before dusting himself off. “Gwen, you alright?”
“I'm fine,” she replied, and hissed in pain.
“There. That should do it. Now. I'll give you another pain killer when we get back to the Hub. You alright for now?” Owen asked, packing up his kit.
“Yeah. Thanks.” She gave Owen a smile and looked over at Ianto. “Hey. Look at you! Back to normal.” She sniffled. “All that blood and brains for no reason, eh?”
Ianto blushed and shook his head. “Not as such, no. Still, fortuitous all the same.” He took in Gwen. “Are you alright?” Gwen stared at him for a moment, then flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Ianto stood still for a moment, then wrapped his arms around her when he felt her trembling and realised that she was crying. “Gwen. It's okay.”
She nodded into his neck and breathed deeply, then pulled back. She straightened his lapels and smiled as she slapped his chest. “Don't you ever do that to me again, Ianto Jones,” she said, wagging a finger in his face. She smiled and laughed a little at herself as she wiped the tears from her face.
“Believe me, lesson well learned.” He looked up to see everyone staring at them.
“Well, as charming as this lovey-dovey moment is, wot do ya say we get these kids back to normal and get the hell out of this nightmare?” Mickey asked, frowning. “I'm sure there's other jobs we could be doing besides this.”
“Mickey's right,” Jack said, stepping forward. “We need to get these kids back to normal and back to their parents. Martha, Donna, you hear me?”
“Yes, Jack,” Martha said in Jack's ear.
“We've got the technology, and we'll be able to reverse the deformity. Tell those kids to hang tight. We're on our way.” Jack stepped over the mess on the ground and made his way towards the exit.
“Ah, Ianto, I still don't understand,” Owen said as Ianto turned and started to follow Jack out.
“What, exactly, has escaped your comprehension?” Ianto asked over his shoulder as he walked down the hallway. He turned and saw everyone back in the middle of the hall of mirrors. “Well? Are you waiting for an engraved invitation?”
Mickey, Gwen and Owen looked at each other and then hurried after their second-in-command.
“How'd you know about this piece of tech, eh? Even Jack didn't know about it, and he usually knows most of the tech that comes through the rift,” Owen asked as they rushed to catch up with Ianto.
“Oh.” Ianto stopped and turned back, waiting for his teammates. When they reached him, he waved the image changer in the air. “This is standard issue at the Time Agency.” He looked at it, able to now see it with the light was shining through the doorway at the end of the hallway they were in. “They're given to Agent Handlers when they're assigned to their Agent. It changes the target's identity to the set look, and then when it's aimed at the target again, it returns them back to their original DNA state. Excellent tool for undercover work, but dangerous when agents go rogue, which is why they don't issue them to the Agent, just to the Handler. It must have fallen through the rift.” Ianto contemplated it for a moment, and then turned and headed out of the Haunted House, leaving Mickey, Gwen and Owen in his wake.
“You know, I really hate it when they go all contemplative on us,” Owen snarked. “It always spells trouble in the bedroom.”
Gwen looked at Owen. “What does that have to do with you?”
Owen looked back at Gwen. “Think abou' it. When was the last time Jack didn't get laid for a long time, Gwen?” While he let his words sink in, Owen headed over to Martha and Donna.
Mickey shook his head. “I reckon he's just jealous,” he said quietly to Gwen.
“Of who? Jack or Ianto?” Gwen asked, crossing her arms over her chest, and then regretting it when a searing stab of pain travelled up her arm from the cuts under the bandages.
“Both of them. It's like this, see, they have this amazin' relationship, we see it everyday, yeah? Sometimes it's like they can read each other's minds. Who wouldn't want a partner who knew 'em that well, who understood 'em that well? It's an amazin' fing, Gwen. Precious. They're lucky to have found each other.” Mickey nodded. “I can only hope to have somethin' as wonderful as they do, 'specially in our line of work.”
Gwen looked at Mickey for a moment and then out at Ianto and Jack who were busy restoring the teenagers back to their original state and giving them retcon in bottles of water.
“Yeah, well. You keep hoping on that Sunshine, because those two? They're not perfect. Far from it. Oh, they may be good for each other, but they will tear each other apart and put each other back together again, mark my words.” Gwen looked back at Mickey. “You think they understand each other? Jack will never understand why Ianto would shoot himself in the head before waiting for him to arrive to help.” She shook her head and looked back out at them. “Hell, I was there, and I don't understand it.” Gwen closed her eyes but all she could see when she closed them was Ianto's lifeless body, blood everywhere. She could even smell the blood.
“Gwen. Gwen!” She started at Mickey's voice and his hand on her arm. She looked up at him. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah,” she nodded. “Yeah I'm fine.” She smacked him on the arm lightly. “C'mon. We better go help before we get accused of slacking off.”
Ianto patted the back of the last dazed teenager and smiled as they walked away with their friend, who was just as dazed as she was. He sighed. That would be another ten names to add to the register in the end, eleven if they included the caretaker when they told him what happened. Reaching into his pocket, he felt around for his ear piece and carefully placed it back in his ear, then changed the frequency to what he hoped was the right private channel.
“Tosh?” he asked hopefully.
“Ianto!” she said, and he heard the hint of worry in her voice. “I... I was concerned for a moment there.”
“I thought you might be. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare everyone.” He rubbed at the side of his head where he shot himself. There was no scarring, nothing to show for the damage. The scent of blood lingered in the air from his clothing being soaked in it, however, so he shrugged out of his jacket and slung it over one arm. “Jack's...”
“Pissed as hell?” Tosh offered.
“Exceedingly calm, and that's what worries me.” He looked at the others who were all starting to walk towards him. “Anyway, I just thought I'd let you know we're on our way back now.”
“Roger that. I'll get you on the comms if there's anything else on the predictor.”
Ianto smiled. “Thanks Tosh. Excellent work today, even if you were stuck back in the Hub.”
“Thanks. Over and out.”
Ianto tapped his ear piece to change it to the public frequency with the team and fell into step with them as they headed to the exit.
Jack turned to everyone when they reached the cars. He looked at Ianto and said, “Ianto give Gwen your keys.” Ianto's eyes started to narrow until he realized that he'd driven the Torchwood SUV down. He reached into his pants pocket and extracted the keys, tossing them to Gwen who caught them. “Gwen, Donna and Martha, take the Torchwood SUV back. Mickey, Owen, you're in the van.” He looked at Ianto. “Ianto, you're with me. Time we had a chat.”
“Ah, Jack, go easy on him, love,” Gwen said as she patted him on the shoulder on her way to the Torchwood SUV. “He's had a rough day.”
“You're in charge until we get back,” Jack called out, pulling his comm unit out of his ear.
Gwen stopped and turned. She looked at Jack, who stared back with a blank face, willing her to heed his instruction, then at Ianto who also wore a blank face. They were both internalising their emotions. This had disaster written all over it.
“Whatever you say, Jack,” she said, not fighting back. She looked at Ianto once more and offered him a small smile. He inclined his head, a tiny twitch to his mouth, before he turned and moved over to the black SUV he owned with Jack and silently slid into the passenger seat. “C'mon girls. Let's head home.”
As Ianto sat in the vehicle, waiting for Jack, he watched as the others climbed into the other two Torchwood vehicles and peeled out of the parking lot. When Jack finally turned and faced him, the sheer grief and disappointement that showed on his face now that they were alone made Ianto swallowed hard as his heart sank into his stomach.
He did that. He put that look there. Now he had to work out a way to make up for it. Ianto Jones, the man who supposedly knew everything... had no answer to this one.
Chapter 4