Torchwood-fic: Collateral (11/11)
Title: Collateral
Author: Silver (silver@glasscases.net)
Website: http://silver.glasscases.net
Pairing: Jack/Ianto, Ianto/OMC
Rating: FRAO (adult only) for graphic descriptions of sex
Word count: 76,169
Disclaimer: The characters were created by Russell T. Davies. No profits are being made from this story.
Summary: After returning from his travels with the Doctor, Jack discovers that not all things are the way he left them. Used to having no problems with change, he finds that this time it's not so easy to change things back in his favor.
Notes: See Part 1 for the disclaimer. Now that the story is complete I'd like to take a moment to thank fairyd123 once more for her excellent beta. This really wasn't what she signed up for when she agreed to take a look at my half-finished fic, yet she never complained. Thank you so much! And of course, much love to kribban who shared my enthusiasm for this story and invested countless hours brainstorming and bouncing ideas. Without her, there wouldn't be Collateral.
And thanks to all of you who read along and gave me so many nice comments. It was a true pleasure! ^^
Crossposted to torch_wood ( here), torchwoodslash ( here), torchwood_fic ( here) and jackxianto ( here).
Previous parts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10
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Jack barged through the hospital door, his coat swinging behind him. He had to fend off several nurses who came rushing to his assistance, seeing the splatters of blood on his shirt. After the third one, he finally fastened the front of his coat to stop them from following him to the elevators. It probably would have been a wise decision to change shirts before coming here, but he hadn't wanted to lose any time.
Gwen's call had shaken him to the core. They had been so focused on working on this, on solving the mystery that they had almost, for a brief moment, forgotten what exactly was at stake. The call had brought it all back with brutal force.
Now he was rushing towards the hospital room, his heart thumping in his chest, and he could feel his palms getting wet. He stopped in front of the door, his hand hesitating against the cool surface. What was he going to see? Gritting his teeth, Jack forced himself not to dwell on the subject. There was only one way to find out. He pushed the door open.
Whatever it was he'd been expecting, the scene in front of him still hit him like a punch in the guts. At first, he could hardly see Ianto among the many machines and wires. An oxygen mask covered most of his face and the regular beep of a monitor was surprisingly reassuring.
Gwen turned to him as soon as she heard him come in. Her face was streaked with tears. "Thank God you're here!" she exclaimed as she threw herself into his arms.
Jack hugged her back with equal desperation, his eyes never leaving the man lying on the bed. "How is he?" he finally managed to ask when his throat unclenched enough to allow him to speak.
"He's slipping in and out of consciousness all the time. He was doing okay until just an hour ago. The pain meds were working and they were controlling his vomiting. But then suddenly…" She sobbed, pressing her face into his shoulder. "The meds stopped working and there was nothing they could do to stop the pain. It was awful, Jack!"
She pushed herself out of Jack's embrace and looked at him, her large eyes brimming with tears. "Dr. Bennell came in and wanted to put Ianto into an artificial coma. I said I can't decide that." She rubbed her face angrily with the back of her hand. "I mean, I had no idea if you needed to ask him anything, and I didn't want to take that kind of a decision. But, Jack… I feel so bad, letting him suffer like that."
Jack closed his eyes for a second. He knew how she felt, but at the same time he was grateful that he still got a chance to talk to Ianto. "No, you did well, Gwen," he said softly, squeezing her arms. His eyes wandered back to the man lying there. Gently, he released her and walked over to the bed.
Ianto appeared to be sleeping, but as soon as Jack sat down next to him, his lids fluttered open. An expression of relief seemed to wash across Ianto's face when his hazy eyes locked with Jack's.
"Hey," Jack said softly, putting his hand on the other man's.
Ianto blinked at him slowly, acknowledging that he'd heard. Then he motioned towards his oxygen mask weakly with the other hand.
"You want me to take it off for you?" Jack asked. He cast Gwen a questioning look. "Is it okay?" Gwen shrugged, twirling her hair nervously.
When Jack hesitated further, Ianto reached up and pulled the mask off himself. He licked his dry lips.
Jack felt his heart clench in his chest. "I thought we had agreed on you not dying while I was away," he joked, a bittersweet smile on his lips.
A dry laugh rattled in the other man's chest. "I don't… recall saying that." His voice sounded hoarse.
Tracing his hand through the other man's moist hair, Jack said tenderly, "I'm pretty sure there's a clause in your work contract covering that."
"I'll have to reread that." Ianto drew a labored breath and Jack lifted the oxygen to his mouth to help him.
"We haven't made any progress finding a cure," Jack finally said softly when Ianto dropped his head back on the pillow heavily.
Understanding dawned in the other man's eyes and he nodded slowly. "Do you need to leave again?"
Jack knew his smile was shaky. "No… I'll be staying with you for a while, if that's okay." He lifted Ianto's hand to his lips and pressed a kiss against the lax fingers. "How are you feeling?"
"Been better." Ianto's handsome features twisted for a moment and he drew in a hissing breath, seemingly fighting off the pain. Then he closed his eyes tiredly.
Jack thought Ianto had fallen asleep again. He replaced the oxygen mask and just let him rest, rubbing his hand gently. He felt the sting of tears crawling up his nose and gritted his teeth. He needed to be strong for Ianto now. Yet, a small sob escaped his throat before he could hold it in check.
He felt Gwen's hand on his shoulder. "Is there anything I can do, Jack?" she said softly, sounding so much stronger now.
He didn't look at her, just touched her hand with his across his shoulder, never taking his eyes off Ianto.
"Want me to get you a cup of coffee?" she asked when he didn't say anything.
"Yes, that'd be nice," he said, knowing that she'd only offered to give them some time alone.
She squeezed his shoulder once before letting go. The door clicked shut.
For a while, Jack just sat there, listening to the monitors giving off beeps at regular intervals. His eyes were fixed on Ianto's lying form. He didn't see the stark whiteness, the wires and cables and tubes, the pale complexion and dark shadows. All he saw was the constant rise and fall of Ianto's chest, signaling that at least for now everything was still okay.
Jack wasn't sure how long he'd been sitting there, lost in thoughts, when Ianto stirred and opened his eyes again.
"What is it?" he asked, his voice not much more than a raspy indication, once Jack had removed the mask. He must have noticed the wistful smile on Jack's face.
"I was just thinking about our romantic picnic on top of the Millennium Centre," Jack replied, brushing his knuckles across the other man's cheek.
Ianto frowned. "But that never happened."
Jack smiled sadly. "No, but I wish it had."
The laugh sounded more like a cough, but for a moment it made the deep lines around Ianto's mouth disappear. "Maudlin doesn't suit you."
Jack affected surprise. "I thought that was a timeless look."
"You must know," Ianto replied softly.
The hint of playful banter between them was too much for Jack and he leaned over, pressing his lips against Ianto's in silent desperation. The lips felt dry and cold, the tubes got in the way and the pungent smell of disinfectant assaulted his nose. Tears stung Jack's eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Ianto," he whispered hoarsely against the other man's temple.
"It's okay. It really is." Ianto's hand on his neck was gentler than Jack felt he deserved.
"Not, it's not!" he said angrily, pulling back to look at Ianto. "I've already resigned myself to the fact that I'm going to have to watch you die one day. But does it have to be so soon? You're cheating me out of a good fifty years here!"
Ianto looked at him silently for a long while and Jack could see the tell-tale moistness glistening in the other man's eyes. "This might actually work better if you didn't invoke my mortality every five minutes," Ianto croaked.
"Like you'd ever forget."
Ianto's brittle lips stretched to a tired smile. "You're right… the tube sticking out of my neck somewhat gives it away."
Jack tried to laugh, but he realized that it sounded more like a sob. He reached out and grabbed Ianto's hand, weaving their finger together. "Please… hold on just a little longer," he pleaded softly.
"I'm trying."
"Owen is going to find a cure."
Ianto unlinked their fingers and put his hand on top of Jack's, his touch radiating warmth in spite of everything. "Even if he doesn't, it's fine. I always knew that Torchwood would be the death of me one day."
The words made Jack's throat become unbelievably tight and he dropped his chin to his chest, drawing a strangled breath. For a moment, the pain was physical.
"Well, at least it didn't work out," Ianto said when Jack stayed silent.
"What didn't?" Jack asked in a strained voice, forcing down the anguish.
"Varot's plan." Ianto drew another labored breath. Then he continued softly, "He really must have loved her."
Jack had to blink a few times to clear his vision and refocus. "What?"
"I understand what it's like to be driven by love… But he didn't think it through. I'm not the same to you as Liana was to him."
"What do you mean?" Jack asked with a frown.
Ianto smiled softly. "It really doesn't matter whether you love me or not. As long as you're here…" He trailed off.
Jack still didn't quite understand. "But Ianto… of course I love you," he said, genuinely surprised.
They both fell into a stunned silence. "Really?" Ianto finally whispered.
Now that he had said it, Jack felt liberated. "Yes!" he confirmed and laughed softly, stroking Ianto's hair.
Ianto looked at him quietly, his eyes glittering in the stark light of the hospital room. "Guess it worked out after all then… I'm glad," he mumbled softly. "At least now I know I wasn't completely fooling myself."
"I was the one who was fooling myself." Jack picked up Ianto's hand again and pressed it against his lips, kissing each finger separately. "Aren't you going to say anything back?" he asked, his breath brushing across Ianto's fingers.
A shudder went through Ianto. "No. That'd be a bit soppy, don't you think?" He put his hand against Jack's cheek. "I'll tell you later."
Jack rubbed his face into the other man's palm. "Promise?"
"Yes."
Content for now, Jack put his head on the mattress, close to Ianto's shoulder. He felt Ianto's hand in his hair and closed his eyes. At some point, the stroking stopped and Jack knew Ianto had fallen asleep again. He felt the reassuring rise and fall under his hand across the other man's stomach.
It occurred to him that Gwen was taking inordinately long. She was probably waiting outside. For a moment he wondered whether he should ask her back in, but he decided against it.
Suddenly, Ianto jerked and he inhaled with a gasp. Jack immediately sat up and reached for the oxygen mask, but Ianto shook his head desperately when he tried to put it over his mouth and nose again.
"What is it, Ianto?" Jack asked, panic rising.
"Pain… my heart…" Ianto wheezed, his fingers cramping into the fabric of Jack's shirt.
"Oh no…" Jack whispered as he got up. "I'm going to get a doctor!"
Ianto clasped his arm so tightly that it hurt. "Please, don't leave," he said, his eyes wide. "I don't want to die alone."
The whispered plea floored Jack. "You're not going to die!" he shouted.
"You don't know that!"
Jack leaned down and grabbed Ianto's shoulders, making him look at him. "I'd say I'm an expert in dying." The monitors started giving off a panicked staccato of beeps and shrieks.
The fear in Ianto's eyes was unbearable for Jack. He wished he could say something to comfort the other man, but he knew too well what he was experiencing right now and what came afterwards. "Just hang in there, you hear," he implored, touching Ianto's damp cheek with shaking hands.
"The pain…"
"It'll stop, Ianto."
Before the other man had a chance to reply, the agitated beeping ceased and was replaced by a constant alarm that cut right into Jack's soul. Ianto's eyes rolled back in his head and all tension left his body.
"No!" Jack cried, feeling Ianto slacken under his hands.
The door was kicked open and Dr. Bennell rushed in together with three nurses pushing a crash cart. "Step away from him, we need to resuscitate!" she shouted as she pushed past Jack. He let it happen, staring at Ianto in speechless dread.
He watched them yank open Ianto's shirt and put the paddles to his chest. He saw the way Ianto's body spasmed with every jolt that was put through him, heard the agonizing sounds the shocks made against his naked skin and the way the beep refused to resume its pace.
Gwen appeared behind him, hands clasped over her mouth. "Please no…" she sobbed.
Jack couldn't talk, couldn't look away. Tears ran down his cheeks and dripped off his chin unchecked. Dr. Bennell stepped away from Ianto and shook her head sadly.
"Why are you stopping?" he exclaimed, waking from his paralysis.
"It's no use…" She replied, her eyes dark with compassion. "Even if I managed to get his heart going again, his other organs would fail eventually."
"No!" Jack said angrily, stepping up to the doctor. "You're not going to give up on him!"
"Captain Harkness," Dr. Bennell said politely but firmly. "If I shock his heart any more, it's going to sustain lasting damage. You'd be doing your friend no favors to force him back into such a life."
Jack wanted to continue arguing. He wanted to insist, persevere, fight. But deep down he knew the doctor was right. Overwhelmed with grief, he sank onto the stool next to the bed and picked up Ianto's limp hand, squeezing it. Tears welled up in his eyes again.
"Oh Ianto…" he whispered, looking at the other man's peaceful face. He ran his hand through Ianto's hair, putting it back in place. Then he buried his head in the bend of the other man's neck and cried quietly. After a while, he pulled back and covered Ianto's mouth gently with his. One last time he wanted to feel the touch of those lips.
Jack kissed him in quiet despair. Feeling no response cut deeper than any physical injury. He squeezed his eyes shut against the onslaught of emotion. Suddenly, he could feel the surge of energy rushing through him, making him dizzy.
At first, he barely realized when the beep cut through the silence of the room. It was the commotion behind him that alerted him to the fact that the monitors had started working again, irregularly at first but then with increasing rhythm, registering a heartbeat.
He pulled away, stunned for a moment.
"My God…" Dr. Bennell breathed as she watched the readings on the monitor stabilize. She lifted Ianto's eyelids and shone her penlight into his eyes a couple of times. "He's still unconscious, but…" She shook her head in disbelief. "This is impossible."
Jack barely heard what she said. Relief washed over him like a tidal wave. He moved his fingers up Ianto's hand and felt the pulse there himself as if he couldn't believe it.
The door behind him opened. "Dr. Bennell," he heard Owen's voice and turned around reluctantly.
"Dr. Harper," the other physician replied with equal aversion.
"Could you please leave us alone? We've got some confidential business to discuss," Owen said cockily as he stepped inside, carrying a bag. Tosh followed him close behind. Jack jumped to his feet.
"But…"
"We will alert you as soon as we require your assistance," Jack cut in before Owen had a chance to say anything.
Dr. Bennell pressed her lips together in icy disapproval. Then she nodded curtly and motioned the nurses to leave behind her.
Once they were alone, Owen turned to Jack. "Okay, what happened here?"
"Ianto died and Jack brought him back," Gwen replied, still sounding shaken.
"What?" Owen whipped out his own penlight and shone it into Ianto's eyes the same way Dr. Bennell had before. He checked the readings and looked at the print-out hanging from the tray. "One would think you'd be content with being the only one who defies natural laws," he said, cutting Jack a sidelong glance. "No improvement…" he mumbled as he consulted the clipboard on top of the monitors.
"Did you find anything?" Jack asked impatiently.
"Yes and no. I would have greatly enjoyed bursting in here with a dramatic fanfare, holding up the cure. Unfortunately, Varot hasn't made it that easy for us. I was hoping to be able to ask Ianto a couple of things, but looks like he's out of the game."
Jack felt so disappointed that he wanted to hit something. "Then why the hell are you here?" he snapped at the other man.
Owen was unfazed by his anger and held up a syringe. "Because of this."
Jack froze and stared at it. "What is it?"
"After you left, I analyzed your blood after the ingestion of the last unknown substance and compared it to a sample previously taken."
"And?" Jack could barely stand the tension.
"I noticed the presence of the substance. But it was in an altered state. Quite possibly your… immortal metabolism, or whatever, reacted to it. I'm not sure what it means, but I distilled it and here it is."
"And you don't know what it does?"
"No. It won't make him immortal, but I'm hoping that whatever it does, a touch of your sped-up regeneration will help repair any damage already sustained."
Jack's heart lurched in his chest with tentative hope. But then a thought struck him. "But this was the stuff that didn't have any effect on me, wasn't it? How could this help Ianto now?"
"Well," Owen said. "What happens if you take an aspirin and you don't have any pain?"
"Absolutely nothing."
"Exactly."
Jack looked at Ianto and swallowed thickly. "You call that nothing?
Owen groaned. "He was in pain, but he didn't know it! Remember you said that some of the substances might be what Varot used to make antidotes out of?" He sounded excited now, but Jack found it hard to join in. "What if we've had the wrong approach all along? We thought if we found the poison we'd find the cure. But what if the cure was under our noses the whole time?"
Making a swooping gesture, Owen continued, "While you were sitting here, holding Ianto's hand, I studied the various poisons once more. None of them matched the symptoms. Then I returned to the coffee cup. The thought struck me that maybe Ianto has been fed a poison in small doses for months. I know, I said earlier that we were looking for a fast-acting substance, but hey, grasping for straws, remember?"
Jack frowned. He found it hard to follow the other man's excited rambling. "So you're saying that he's been gradually poisoning Ianto over months? Why would it hurt Ianto now then?"
"No!" Owen groaned in frustration. "Listen to me. I returned to the substance, but I couldn't find any matches in the literature and it didn't seem to be harmful at all, as tested on you. So I thought to myself: what if I've been going at this from the wrong angle?"
"Get to the point already!" Jack ground out impatiently.
"So I got to wondering," Owen carried on, completely ignoring Jack's unease, "could it be possible to create a disease in a person through DNA modification that could be moderated and controlled via medication indefinitely? The answer is yes, you can!"
Finally, realization dawned on Jack. "So what you're saying is… Varot did something to Ianto months ago and was actually giving him medication for it every day?"
"Yes!" Owen threw up his hands. "That's what I wanted Ianto to confirm. I was going to ask him whether he got sick when he first met Jay. A cold, stomach flu, fever…"
"He came down with the flu shortly after they started dating," Gwen said, having listened to them attentively the entire time. "I remember because Jay, I mean Varot was the perfect boyfriend, bringing him soup, little presents… all sorts of things." She smiled sadly. "I was actually quite jealous."
Owen looked at Jack triumphantly. "There you have it!"
Somehow Jack couldn't share Owen's excitement. It all seemed so vague, so unsure, but he had to agree this would explain how Ianto had gotten sick only after Varot had gotten caught. He took a deep breath. "All right. Let's give it to him then and see what happens." He reached out for the syringe, but Owen pulled it back.
"There's a catch." Suddenly, Owen was completely serious. "I told you before that the substance aids metabolic processes in some way. It works as an accelerator, pretty much like the one I gave you during our tests. So there's a very good chance that if this isn't the cure it's going to give whatever is working inside of Ianto right now a boost and it will very likely kill him instantly."
Jack felt as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over his head. "So we might help him, or we might kill him?"
"Pretty much, yeah."
Jack groaned and covered his face with his hands, inhaling deeply. For a moment, fear for Ianto seemed to squeeze his stomach into an incredibly tight ball and he felt like throwing up. He forced himself to calm down. "What do you suggest?" he asked, dropping his hands.
"I can't decide this, Jack," Owen said, looking surprisingly sympathetic. "You have to."
"Why me?"
"You're his boss. You're his…" Owen shrugged. "His lover. You have to live with the outcome of this."
Before Jack had a chance to react, the monitors started beeping erratically again. He was at Ianto's side in an instance.
"Fuck! We're running out of time!" Owen shouted. "Gwen! Make sure that blasted doctor doesn't come in with her team again!"
Gwen nodded and rushed outside.
"This is it, Jack!"
Jack looked at Ianto, still unconscious, then at the monitor where the ECG curve showed the same rhythmic anomalies it had before. It was only a matter of seconds before his heart would give out again. He'd never felt so helpless in his entire life. "Aren't there any tests we can do to confirm this?"
Owen shook his head impatiently. "We haven't got the time. Sure, we can bank on your kiss thing to work a second time, but are you really willing to take that risk?"
Jack bit his lip. He'd already seen Ianto die once. He wasn't keen on repeating the experience. But what if Owen was wrong? What if they ended up making everything worse? How would he be able to live with himself then?
"I don't know what to do!" he exclaimed, running his shaking fingers through his hair.
"Well, you'd better make up your mind soon or there won't be anything to decide anymore!"
The constant beeping was beginning to get on Jack's nerves. He couldn't think, couldn't breathe.
Owen cursed under his breath and started thumping on Ianto's chest. "Goddammit, Harkness! Do something!"
Ianto's words came to his mind. Jack laughed nervously. "Ianto said he'd always expected Torchwood to be the death of him. I bet he didn't expect it to be me!"
"What are you talking about?" Owen yelled as he continued the cardiac massage.
The image struck him all of a sudden. Varot standing on the rooftop, smiling coldly. I always had a feeling that breaking up with me would kill him. Suddenly Jack saw it with startling clarity. "Do it," he said.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes!"
Owen uncapped the syringe with his teeth and rammed the needle into the tube in Ianto's neck. Jack watched breathlessly. The monitor continued screeching… and then it stopped. For one terrible second, Jack thought the worst, but then a regular steady beep filled the room.
They both released their breath at the same time. Then they watched as the readings on the monitor slowly stabilized. Owen turned towards one of the machines and let it print out another analysis. He studied it with rapt attention
The door opened and Gwen slipped inside. Her face was tense as she searched for an answer in Jack's eyes. He opened his arms in a wordless invitation and embraced her gently, never taking his eyes off Ianto.
It took a while until Jack dared to speak. "Did it work?" he whispered, barely audible.
Owen grabbed his stethoscope and moved it across Ianto's chest. Gradually, the frown on his forehead smoothed out. Then he turned to Jack with a winning smile. "I think it did."
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Six months later
The mobile phone on the low table rang. Ianto put aside the magazine he'd been reading and picked it up. "Hello."
"Just calling to make sure that you haven't forgotten to take your medication."
A soft smile flitted across Ianto's face. "I appreciate the concern, Jack, but I really am quite capable of looking after myself. Even on weekends."
"I know that, but I just love the way you answer the phone."
Ianto laughed. "How was the banquet?"
"Hideously boring. My only source of amusement were the stares I got."
"Serves you right for not dressing properly for an official function."
Jack chuckled softly.
"When will you be home then?"
"Very soon." Jack closed the tiny screen on which he had been watching Ianto and used his key to open the door. As he stepped inside he met the other man's amused look.
"Ah." Ianto closed the phone and put it on the table. He got up and walked towards Jack, a satisfying confidence in his stride.
"You promised you wouldn't spy on me, Jack," he said in a chiding voice
Jack shrugged. "I'm not watching you, I'm watching over you."
"What are you doing here? You've got your own apartment," Ianto murmured as he leaned in to brush a kiss to Jack's lips.
Jack caught him around the waist before he could pull back again and deepened the kiss. "I was missing you," he confessed once their lips had parted.
"But you see me every day," Ianto pointed out, one eyebrow arched.
"I'm not concerned with logic. Go fix me a whiskey." Jack laughed out loud when the full force of Ianto's glare hit him.
"You know where it is," Ianto said smoothly as he helped Jack out of his coat and put it onto a hanger.
Still chuckling, Jack went to the kitchen to grab the bottle from the shelf. As he poured himself a good amount, his glance fell on the small container of pills next to the coffeemaker. He picked it up with a sigh and turned it in his hand. It served as a constant reminder of Varot.
He sensed Ianto's presence in the kitchen before he felt the other man's arms wrap around his hips from behind.
"You don't have to worry about me all the time," Ianto mumbled against his neck. "As long as I take my pills every day I won't have any problems."
"Forever," Jack said, more bitterly than he meant to.
"I really don’t mind. I've got a doctor who is more than happy to prescribe them for me."
"And happy to use it in his salary negotiations." Jack sighed, turning to face the other man. "But the thought still scares me… to think that we almost figured it out too late and…" He stopped, not wanting to finish the thought.
"Well, you didn't." Ianto plucked the container out of Jack's hand and put it back on the counter. He too lingered then, looking at it just a moment longer. "I just wish there was a way to share Owen's research with the world. There are so many people who have this problem."
"That their body is rejecting its own organs?"
"Well no. But it could help people who've received organ transplants, who have histocompatibility issues. I'm sure this drug could prevent acute transplant rejection and…"
"The world isn't ready for this kind of advancement yet," Jack pointed out gently, pulling Ianto into an embrace.
"I suppose…" They stood there for a moment, arms wrapped around each other while the clock on the wall was ticking away the seconds.
"You know, there actually was another amusement at the banquet," Jack said, his chin resting on Ianto's shoulder.
"Oh? Was the catering service made up of cute waiters?"
"Well, that too, but the mayor's personal assistant was making a rather unrefined pass at me."
Ianto felt completely relaxed in his arms. "I see. And did you go for it?"
"No, I didn't feel like a quick romp in the broom closet, but he did give me his number."
"That's good."
Jack nipped at Ianto's ear. "And you're sure you're okay with that?"
Ianto sighed. "Do we have to go through this every time you land a date?"
"I just like making sure you're okay."
"You like making sure way too much," Ianto said, grinding against Jack.
"Let's go to bed…" Jack mumbled against his temple.
"It's not even ten," Ianto replied with a soft laugh.
"I have no intention of sleeping." He led Ianto out of the kitchen and into the bedroom. The select spotlights highlighted the warm earthy colors of the room, the result of a weekend's worth of redecorating efforts. Jack let his eyes roam the room for a moment and a smile crept onto his face when he thought of the lighthearted arguments they'd had over where to put Jack's vintage jazz posters.
His eyes rested on the little corner they had created for him. A comfortable chair with an unobtrusive reading light next to an overloaded bookshelf permitted Jack to pass away the hours of the night when he found himself unable to find rest whenever he stayed over. Often he just enjoyed sitting there, looking at Ianto's sleeping form. Of course he'd never admit that to the other man.
On the other wall pictures of Lisa smiled at him. Next to them was a washed-out photograph of Estelle and lots of others showing him and Ianto. Once Jack had gotten over his initial dislike of Ianto's new digital camera, he'd soon found that he rather enjoyed taking many pictures of them, recording their life together. He chuckled when he thought about the photos Ianto had refused to put up despite Jack's insistence that they were perfectly natural.
Jack turned to look at Ianto and his heart was so full of love that for a moment he felt unable to speak. What was he supposed to say anyway? Instead, he expressed himself as best he could by pulling Ianto close and kissing his neck gently.
Ianto sighed softly and rolled back his head, pressing himself against Jack's body.
Slowly, Jack ran his hand up the other man's side, moving across the small of his back. His fingers brushed past the familiar outline of a gun tucked into the holster at his waistband. "When will you stop wearing that gun?" he murmured against Ianto's throat as he loosened the belt.
"Never," Ianto replied simply as he took a step back to pull Jack's shirt out. "I still feel threatened by Varot," he continued, slowly opening one button after the other. "He might make another attempt. I'll be ready when he does."
"He won't." Jack lifted his arms to shrug out of his shirt. "He got what he wanted," he said, grabbing Ianto around the waist.
"What? Us living happily ever after?"
"I doubt that's what he had in mind. But I'm not complaining." With that, Jack let himself fall backwards on the bed, pulling Ianto with him.
Ianto laughed and crawled on top of him, straddling his hips. They kissed languidly. "I love you," Ianto murmured and Jack sighed contentedly.
Fabric rustled as it was pushed aside, the sounds of tender kisses being pressed to naked skin mingled with quickened breaths and soft sighs.
"Oh, before I forget…" Ianto panted, his lips glistening from Jack's kisses.
Jack didn't stop slowly undressing the other man. "Hm?"
"My cousins are coming over for dinner tomorrow."
Jack froze mid-motion. Then he put his forehead against Ianto's collarbone and groaned.
"Don't worry. It will be fine." Ianto said with a smile. "And hopefully Iorwerth and Gwilym won't be too offended when you get their names all wrong again."
Jack lifted his head, his eyebrows raised in mock offense. "Well, I just so happen to think that there are better ways to use your tongue." He silenced Ianto's laugh with another kiss.
As his mouth explored the other man's slowly, hands running across his body in searching caresses, Jack couldn't help but think that perhaps Varot had indeed gotten what he wanted. Involuntarily, his fingers tightened over Ianto's back.
He too would have to watch a loved one die and in a way it would hurt even more later. In the past, Jack had always tried his best to move on before that happened. But now…
Determined not to let his dark thoughts show, Jack put everything into the kiss, all his love, his despair and eventual grief. That future was still far away, he comforted himself. And once it came he'd meet it with the memories of an entire lifetime shared with Ianto.
~ The End ~
Author: Silver (silver@glasscases.net)
Website: http://silver.glasscases.net
Pairing: Jack/Ianto, Ianto/OMC
Rating: FRAO (adult only) for graphic descriptions of sex
Word count: 76,169
Disclaimer: The characters were created by Russell T. Davies. No profits are being made from this story.
Summary: After returning from his travels with the Doctor, Jack discovers that not all things are the way he left them. Used to having no problems with change, he finds that this time it's not so easy to change things back in his favor.
Notes: See Part 1 for the disclaimer. Now that the story is complete I'd like to take a moment to thank fairyd123 once more for her excellent beta. This really wasn't what she signed up for when she agreed to take a look at my half-finished fic, yet she never complained. Thank you so much! And of course, much love to kribban who shared my enthusiasm for this story and invested countless hours brainstorming and bouncing ideas. Without her, there wouldn't be Collateral.
And thanks to all of you who read along and gave me so many nice comments. It was a true pleasure! ^^
Crossposted to torch_wood ( here), torchwoodslash ( here), torchwood_fic ( here) and jackxianto ( here).
Previous parts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10
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Jack barged through the hospital door, his coat swinging behind him. He had to fend off several nurses who came rushing to his assistance, seeing the splatters of blood on his shirt. After the third one, he finally fastened the front of his coat to stop them from following him to the elevators. It probably would have been a wise decision to change shirts before coming here, but he hadn't wanted to lose any time.
Gwen's call had shaken him to the core. They had been so focused on working on this, on solving the mystery that they had almost, for a brief moment, forgotten what exactly was at stake. The call had brought it all back with brutal force.
Now he was rushing towards the hospital room, his heart thumping in his chest, and he could feel his palms getting wet. He stopped in front of the door, his hand hesitating against the cool surface. What was he going to see? Gritting his teeth, Jack forced himself not to dwell on the subject. There was only one way to find out. He pushed the door open.
Whatever it was he'd been expecting, the scene in front of him still hit him like a punch in the guts. At first, he could hardly see Ianto among the many machines and wires. An oxygen mask covered most of his face and the regular beep of a monitor was surprisingly reassuring.
Gwen turned to him as soon as she heard him come in. Her face was streaked with tears. "Thank God you're here!" she exclaimed as she threw herself into his arms.
Jack hugged her back with equal desperation, his eyes never leaving the man lying on the bed. "How is he?" he finally managed to ask when his throat unclenched enough to allow him to speak.
"He's slipping in and out of consciousness all the time. He was doing okay until just an hour ago. The pain meds were working and they were controlling his vomiting. But then suddenly…" She sobbed, pressing her face into his shoulder. "The meds stopped working and there was nothing they could do to stop the pain. It was awful, Jack!"
She pushed herself out of Jack's embrace and looked at him, her large eyes brimming with tears. "Dr. Bennell came in and wanted to put Ianto into an artificial coma. I said I can't decide that." She rubbed her face angrily with the back of her hand. "I mean, I had no idea if you needed to ask him anything, and I didn't want to take that kind of a decision. But, Jack… I feel so bad, letting him suffer like that."
Jack closed his eyes for a second. He knew how she felt, but at the same time he was grateful that he still got a chance to talk to Ianto. "No, you did well, Gwen," he said softly, squeezing her arms. His eyes wandered back to the man lying there. Gently, he released her and walked over to the bed.
Ianto appeared to be sleeping, but as soon as Jack sat down next to him, his lids fluttered open. An expression of relief seemed to wash across Ianto's face when his hazy eyes locked with Jack's.
"Hey," Jack said softly, putting his hand on the other man's.
Ianto blinked at him slowly, acknowledging that he'd heard. Then he motioned towards his oxygen mask weakly with the other hand.
"You want me to take it off for you?" Jack asked. He cast Gwen a questioning look. "Is it okay?" Gwen shrugged, twirling her hair nervously.
When Jack hesitated further, Ianto reached up and pulled the mask off himself. He licked his dry lips.
Jack felt his heart clench in his chest. "I thought we had agreed on you not dying while I was away," he joked, a bittersweet smile on his lips.
A dry laugh rattled in the other man's chest. "I don't… recall saying that." His voice sounded hoarse.
Tracing his hand through the other man's moist hair, Jack said tenderly, "I'm pretty sure there's a clause in your work contract covering that."
"I'll have to reread that." Ianto drew a labored breath and Jack lifted the oxygen to his mouth to help him.
"We haven't made any progress finding a cure," Jack finally said softly when Ianto dropped his head back on the pillow heavily.
Understanding dawned in the other man's eyes and he nodded slowly. "Do you need to leave again?"
Jack knew his smile was shaky. "No… I'll be staying with you for a while, if that's okay." He lifted Ianto's hand to his lips and pressed a kiss against the lax fingers. "How are you feeling?"
"Been better." Ianto's handsome features twisted for a moment and he drew in a hissing breath, seemingly fighting off the pain. Then he closed his eyes tiredly.
Jack thought Ianto had fallen asleep again. He replaced the oxygen mask and just let him rest, rubbing his hand gently. He felt the sting of tears crawling up his nose and gritted his teeth. He needed to be strong for Ianto now. Yet, a small sob escaped his throat before he could hold it in check.
He felt Gwen's hand on his shoulder. "Is there anything I can do, Jack?" she said softly, sounding so much stronger now.
He didn't look at her, just touched her hand with his across his shoulder, never taking his eyes off Ianto.
"Want me to get you a cup of coffee?" she asked when he didn't say anything.
"Yes, that'd be nice," he said, knowing that she'd only offered to give them some time alone.
She squeezed his shoulder once before letting go. The door clicked shut.
For a while, Jack just sat there, listening to the monitors giving off beeps at regular intervals. His eyes were fixed on Ianto's lying form. He didn't see the stark whiteness, the wires and cables and tubes, the pale complexion and dark shadows. All he saw was the constant rise and fall of Ianto's chest, signaling that at least for now everything was still okay.
Jack wasn't sure how long he'd been sitting there, lost in thoughts, when Ianto stirred and opened his eyes again.
"What is it?" he asked, his voice not much more than a raspy indication, once Jack had removed the mask. He must have noticed the wistful smile on Jack's face.
"I was just thinking about our romantic picnic on top of the Millennium Centre," Jack replied, brushing his knuckles across the other man's cheek.
Ianto frowned. "But that never happened."
Jack smiled sadly. "No, but I wish it had."
The laugh sounded more like a cough, but for a moment it made the deep lines around Ianto's mouth disappear. "Maudlin doesn't suit you."
Jack affected surprise. "I thought that was a timeless look."
"You must know," Ianto replied softly.
The hint of playful banter between them was too much for Jack and he leaned over, pressing his lips against Ianto's in silent desperation. The lips felt dry and cold, the tubes got in the way and the pungent smell of disinfectant assaulted his nose. Tears stung Jack's eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Ianto," he whispered hoarsely against the other man's temple.
"It's okay. It really is." Ianto's hand on his neck was gentler than Jack felt he deserved.
"Not, it's not!" he said angrily, pulling back to look at Ianto. "I've already resigned myself to the fact that I'm going to have to watch you die one day. But does it have to be so soon? You're cheating me out of a good fifty years here!"
Ianto looked at him silently for a long while and Jack could see the tell-tale moistness glistening in the other man's eyes. "This might actually work better if you didn't invoke my mortality every five minutes," Ianto croaked.
"Like you'd ever forget."
Ianto's brittle lips stretched to a tired smile. "You're right… the tube sticking out of my neck somewhat gives it away."
Jack tried to laugh, but he realized that it sounded more like a sob. He reached out and grabbed Ianto's hand, weaving their finger together. "Please… hold on just a little longer," he pleaded softly.
"I'm trying."
"Owen is going to find a cure."
Ianto unlinked their fingers and put his hand on top of Jack's, his touch radiating warmth in spite of everything. "Even if he doesn't, it's fine. I always knew that Torchwood would be the death of me one day."
The words made Jack's throat become unbelievably tight and he dropped his chin to his chest, drawing a strangled breath. For a moment, the pain was physical.
"Well, at least it didn't work out," Ianto said when Jack stayed silent.
"What didn't?" Jack asked in a strained voice, forcing down the anguish.
"Varot's plan." Ianto drew another labored breath. Then he continued softly, "He really must have loved her."
Jack had to blink a few times to clear his vision and refocus. "What?"
"I understand what it's like to be driven by love… But he didn't think it through. I'm not the same to you as Liana was to him."
"What do you mean?" Jack asked with a frown.
Ianto smiled softly. "It really doesn't matter whether you love me or not. As long as you're here…" He trailed off.
Jack still didn't quite understand. "But Ianto… of course I love you," he said, genuinely surprised.
They both fell into a stunned silence. "Really?" Ianto finally whispered.
Now that he had said it, Jack felt liberated. "Yes!" he confirmed and laughed softly, stroking Ianto's hair.
Ianto looked at him quietly, his eyes glittering in the stark light of the hospital room. "Guess it worked out after all then… I'm glad," he mumbled softly. "At least now I know I wasn't completely fooling myself."
"I was the one who was fooling myself." Jack picked up Ianto's hand again and pressed it against his lips, kissing each finger separately. "Aren't you going to say anything back?" he asked, his breath brushing across Ianto's fingers.
A shudder went through Ianto. "No. That'd be a bit soppy, don't you think?" He put his hand against Jack's cheek. "I'll tell you later."
Jack rubbed his face into the other man's palm. "Promise?"
"Yes."
Content for now, Jack put his head on the mattress, close to Ianto's shoulder. He felt Ianto's hand in his hair and closed his eyes. At some point, the stroking stopped and Jack knew Ianto had fallen asleep again. He felt the reassuring rise and fall under his hand across the other man's stomach.
It occurred to him that Gwen was taking inordinately long. She was probably waiting outside. For a moment he wondered whether he should ask her back in, but he decided against it.
Suddenly, Ianto jerked and he inhaled with a gasp. Jack immediately sat up and reached for the oxygen mask, but Ianto shook his head desperately when he tried to put it over his mouth and nose again.
"What is it, Ianto?" Jack asked, panic rising.
"Pain… my heart…" Ianto wheezed, his fingers cramping into the fabric of Jack's shirt.
"Oh no…" Jack whispered as he got up. "I'm going to get a doctor!"
Ianto clasped his arm so tightly that it hurt. "Please, don't leave," he said, his eyes wide. "I don't want to die alone."
The whispered plea floored Jack. "You're not going to die!" he shouted.
"You don't know that!"
Jack leaned down and grabbed Ianto's shoulders, making him look at him. "I'd say I'm an expert in dying." The monitors started giving off a panicked staccato of beeps and shrieks.
The fear in Ianto's eyes was unbearable for Jack. He wished he could say something to comfort the other man, but he knew too well what he was experiencing right now and what came afterwards. "Just hang in there, you hear," he implored, touching Ianto's damp cheek with shaking hands.
"The pain…"
"It'll stop, Ianto."
Before the other man had a chance to reply, the agitated beeping ceased and was replaced by a constant alarm that cut right into Jack's soul. Ianto's eyes rolled back in his head and all tension left his body.
"No!" Jack cried, feeling Ianto slacken under his hands.
The door was kicked open and Dr. Bennell rushed in together with three nurses pushing a crash cart. "Step away from him, we need to resuscitate!" she shouted as she pushed past Jack. He let it happen, staring at Ianto in speechless dread.
He watched them yank open Ianto's shirt and put the paddles to his chest. He saw the way Ianto's body spasmed with every jolt that was put through him, heard the agonizing sounds the shocks made against his naked skin and the way the beep refused to resume its pace.
Gwen appeared behind him, hands clasped over her mouth. "Please no…" she sobbed.
Jack couldn't talk, couldn't look away. Tears ran down his cheeks and dripped off his chin unchecked. Dr. Bennell stepped away from Ianto and shook her head sadly.
"Why are you stopping?" he exclaimed, waking from his paralysis.
"It's no use…" She replied, her eyes dark with compassion. "Even if I managed to get his heart going again, his other organs would fail eventually."
"No!" Jack said angrily, stepping up to the doctor. "You're not going to give up on him!"
"Captain Harkness," Dr. Bennell said politely but firmly. "If I shock his heart any more, it's going to sustain lasting damage. You'd be doing your friend no favors to force him back into such a life."
Jack wanted to continue arguing. He wanted to insist, persevere, fight. But deep down he knew the doctor was right. Overwhelmed with grief, he sank onto the stool next to the bed and picked up Ianto's limp hand, squeezing it. Tears welled up in his eyes again.
"Oh Ianto…" he whispered, looking at the other man's peaceful face. He ran his hand through Ianto's hair, putting it back in place. Then he buried his head in the bend of the other man's neck and cried quietly. After a while, he pulled back and covered Ianto's mouth gently with his. One last time he wanted to feel the touch of those lips.
Jack kissed him in quiet despair. Feeling no response cut deeper than any physical injury. He squeezed his eyes shut against the onslaught of emotion. Suddenly, he could feel the surge of energy rushing through him, making him dizzy.
At first, he barely realized when the beep cut through the silence of the room. It was the commotion behind him that alerted him to the fact that the monitors had started working again, irregularly at first but then with increasing rhythm, registering a heartbeat.
He pulled away, stunned for a moment.
"My God…" Dr. Bennell breathed as she watched the readings on the monitor stabilize. She lifted Ianto's eyelids and shone her penlight into his eyes a couple of times. "He's still unconscious, but…" She shook her head in disbelief. "This is impossible."
Jack barely heard what she said. Relief washed over him like a tidal wave. He moved his fingers up Ianto's hand and felt the pulse there himself as if he couldn't believe it.
The door behind him opened. "Dr. Bennell," he heard Owen's voice and turned around reluctantly.
"Dr. Harper," the other physician replied with equal aversion.
"Could you please leave us alone? We've got some confidential business to discuss," Owen said cockily as he stepped inside, carrying a bag. Tosh followed him close behind. Jack jumped to his feet.
"But…"
"We will alert you as soon as we require your assistance," Jack cut in before Owen had a chance to say anything.
Dr. Bennell pressed her lips together in icy disapproval. Then she nodded curtly and motioned the nurses to leave behind her.
Once they were alone, Owen turned to Jack. "Okay, what happened here?"
"Ianto died and Jack brought him back," Gwen replied, still sounding shaken.
"What?" Owen whipped out his own penlight and shone it into Ianto's eyes the same way Dr. Bennell had before. He checked the readings and looked at the print-out hanging from the tray. "One would think you'd be content with being the only one who defies natural laws," he said, cutting Jack a sidelong glance. "No improvement…" he mumbled as he consulted the clipboard on top of the monitors.
"Did you find anything?" Jack asked impatiently.
"Yes and no. I would have greatly enjoyed bursting in here with a dramatic fanfare, holding up the cure. Unfortunately, Varot hasn't made it that easy for us. I was hoping to be able to ask Ianto a couple of things, but looks like he's out of the game."
Jack felt so disappointed that he wanted to hit something. "Then why the hell are you here?" he snapped at the other man.
Owen was unfazed by his anger and held up a syringe. "Because of this."
Jack froze and stared at it. "What is it?"
"After you left, I analyzed your blood after the ingestion of the last unknown substance and compared it to a sample previously taken."
"And?" Jack could barely stand the tension.
"I noticed the presence of the substance. But it was in an altered state. Quite possibly your… immortal metabolism, or whatever, reacted to it. I'm not sure what it means, but I distilled it and here it is."
"And you don't know what it does?"
"No. It won't make him immortal, but I'm hoping that whatever it does, a touch of your sped-up regeneration will help repair any damage already sustained."
Jack's heart lurched in his chest with tentative hope. But then a thought struck him. "But this was the stuff that didn't have any effect on me, wasn't it? How could this help Ianto now?"
"Well," Owen said. "What happens if you take an aspirin and you don't have any pain?"
"Absolutely nothing."
"Exactly."
Jack looked at Ianto and swallowed thickly. "You call that nothing?
Owen groaned. "He was in pain, but he didn't know it! Remember you said that some of the substances might be what Varot used to make antidotes out of?" He sounded excited now, but Jack found it hard to join in. "What if we've had the wrong approach all along? We thought if we found the poison we'd find the cure. But what if the cure was under our noses the whole time?"
Making a swooping gesture, Owen continued, "While you were sitting here, holding Ianto's hand, I studied the various poisons once more. None of them matched the symptoms. Then I returned to the coffee cup. The thought struck me that maybe Ianto has been fed a poison in small doses for months. I know, I said earlier that we were looking for a fast-acting substance, but hey, grasping for straws, remember?"
Jack frowned. He found it hard to follow the other man's excited rambling. "So you're saying that he's been gradually poisoning Ianto over months? Why would it hurt Ianto now then?"
"No!" Owen groaned in frustration. "Listen to me. I returned to the substance, but I couldn't find any matches in the literature and it didn't seem to be harmful at all, as tested on you. So I thought to myself: what if I've been going at this from the wrong angle?"
"Get to the point already!" Jack ground out impatiently.
"So I got to wondering," Owen carried on, completely ignoring Jack's unease, "could it be possible to create a disease in a person through DNA modification that could be moderated and controlled via medication indefinitely? The answer is yes, you can!"
Finally, realization dawned on Jack. "So what you're saying is… Varot did something to Ianto months ago and was actually giving him medication for it every day?"
"Yes!" Owen threw up his hands. "That's what I wanted Ianto to confirm. I was going to ask him whether he got sick when he first met Jay. A cold, stomach flu, fever…"
"He came down with the flu shortly after they started dating," Gwen said, having listened to them attentively the entire time. "I remember because Jay, I mean Varot was the perfect boyfriend, bringing him soup, little presents… all sorts of things." She smiled sadly. "I was actually quite jealous."
Owen looked at Jack triumphantly. "There you have it!"
Somehow Jack couldn't share Owen's excitement. It all seemed so vague, so unsure, but he had to agree this would explain how Ianto had gotten sick only after Varot had gotten caught. He took a deep breath. "All right. Let's give it to him then and see what happens." He reached out for the syringe, but Owen pulled it back.
"There's a catch." Suddenly, Owen was completely serious. "I told you before that the substance aids metabolic processes in some way. It works as an accelerator, pretty much like the one I gave you during our tests. So there's a very good chance that if this isn't the cure it's going to give whatever is working inside of Ianto right now a boost and it will very likely kill him instantly."
Jack felt as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over his head. "So we might help him, or we might kill him?"
"Pretty much, yeah."
Jack groaned and covered his face with his hands, inhaling deeply. For a moment, fear for Ianto seemed to squeeze his stomach into an incredibly tight ball and he felt like throwing up. He forced himself to calm down. "What do you suggest?" he asked, dropping his hands.
"I can't decide this, Jack," Owen said, looking surprisingly sympathetic. "You have to."
"Why me?"
"You're his boss. You're his…" Owen shrugged. "His lover. You have to live with the outcome of this."
Before Jack had a chance to react, the monitors started beeping erratically again. He was at Ianto's side in an instance.
"Fuck! We're running out of time!" Owen shouted. "Gwen! Make sure that blasted doctor doesn't come in with her team again!"
Gwen nodded and rushed outside.
"This is it, Jack!"
Jack looked at Ianto, still unconscious, then at the monitor where the ECG curve showed the same rhythmic anomalies it had before. It was only a matter of seconds before his heart would give out again. He'd never felt so helpless in his entire life. "Aren't there any tests we can do to confirm this?"
Owen shook his head impatiently. "We haven't got the time. Sure, we can bank on your kiss thing to work a second time, but are you really willing to take that risk?"
Jack bit his lip. He'd already seen Ianto die once. He wasn't keen on repeating the experience. But what if Owen was wrong? What if they ended up making everything worse? How would he be able to live with himself then?
"I don't know what to do!" he exclaimed, running his shaking fingers through his hair.
"Well, you'd better make up your mind soon or there won't be anything to decide anymore!"
The constant beeping was beginning to get on Jack's nerves. He couldn't think, couldn't breathe.
Owen cursed under his breath and started thumping on Ianto's chest. "Goddammit, Harkness! Do something!"
Ianto's words came to his mind. Jack laughed nervously. "Ianto said he'd always expected Torchwood to be the death of him. I bet he didn't expect it to be me!"
"What are you talking about?" Owen yelled as he continued the cardiac massage.
The image struck him all of a sudden. Varot standing on the rooftop, smiling coldly. I always had a feeling that breaking up with me would kill him. Suddenly Jack saw it with startling clarity. "Do it," he said.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes!"
Owen uncapped the syringe with his teeth and rammed the needle into the tube in Ianto's neck. Jack watched breathlessly. The monitor continued screeching… and then it stopped. For one terrible second, Jack thought the worst, but then a regular steady beep filled the room.
They both released their breath at the same time. Then they watched as the readings on the monitor slowly stabilized. Owen turned towards one of the machines and let it print out another analysis. He studied it with rapt attention
The door opened and Gwen slipped inside. Her face was tense as she searched for an answer in Jack's eyes. He opened his arms in a wordless invitation and embraced her gently, never taking his eyes off Ianto.
It took a while until Jack dared to speak. "Did it work?" he whispered, barely audible.
Owen grabbed his stethoscope and moved it across Ianto's chest. Gradually, the frown on his forehead smoothed out. Then he turned to Jack with a winning smile. "I think it did."
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Six months later
The mobile phone on the low table rang. Ianto put aside the magazine he'd been reading and picked it up. "Hello."
"Just calling to make sure that you haven't forgotten to take your medication."
A soft smile flitted across Ianto's face. "I appreciate the concern, Jack, but I really am quite capable of looking after myself. Even on weekends."
"I know that, but I just love the way you answer the phone."
Ianto laughed. "How was the banquet?"
"Hideously boring. My only source of amusement were the stares I got."
"Serves you right for not dressing properly for an official function."
Jack chuckled softly.
"When will you be home then?"
"Very soon." Jack closed the tiny screen on which he had been watching Ianto and used his key to open the door. As he stepped inside he met the other man's amused look.
"Ah." Ianto closed the phone and put it on the table. He got up and walked towards Jack, a satisfying confidence in his stride.
"You promised you wouldn't spy on me, Jack," he said in a chiding voice
Jack shrugged. "I'm not watching you, I'm watching over you."
"What are you doing here? You've got your own apartment," Ianto murmured as he leaned in to brush a kiss to Jack's lips.
Jack caught him around the waist before he could pull back again and deepened the kiss. "I was missing you," he confessed once their lips had parted.
"But you see me every day," Ianto pointed out, one eyebrow arched.
"I'm not concerned with logic. Go fix me a whiskey." Jack laughed out loud when the full force of Ianto's glare hit him.
"You know where it is," Ianto said smoothly as he helped Jack out of his coat and put it onto a hanger.
Still chuckling, Jack went to the kitchen to grab the bottle from the shelf. As he poured himself a good amount, his glance fell on the small container of pills next to the coffeemaker. He picked it up with a sigh and turned it in his hand. It served as a constant reminder of Varot.
He sensed Ianto's presence in the kitchen before he felt the other man's arms wrap around his hips from behind.
"You don't have to worry about me all the time," Ianto mumbled against his neck. "As long as I take my pills every day I won't have any problems."
"Forever," Jack said, more bitterly than he meant to.
"I really don’t mind. I've got a doctor who is more than happy to prescribe them for me."
"And happy to use it in his salary negotiations." Jack sighed, turning to face the other man. "But the thought still scares me… to think that we almost figured it out too late and…" He stopped, not wanting to finish the thought.
"Well, you didn't." Ianto plucked the container out of Jack's hand and put it back on the counter. He too lingered then, looking at it just a moment longer. "I just wish there was a way to share Owen's research with the world. There are so many people who have this problem."
"That their body is rejecting its own organs?"
"Well no. But it could help people who've received organ transplants, who have histocompatibility issues. I'm sure this drug could prevent acute transplant rejection and…"
"The world isn't ready for this kind of advancement yet," Jack pointed out gently, pulling Ianto into an embrace.
"I suppose…" They stood there for a moment, arms wrapped around each other while the clock on the wall was ticking away the seconds.
"You know, there actually was another amusement at the banquet," Jack said, his chin resting on Ianto's shoulder.
"Oh? Was the catering service made up of cute waiters?"
"Well, that too, but the mayor's personal assistant was making a rather unrefined pass at me."
Ianto felt completely relaxed in his arms. "I see. And did you go for it?"
"No, I didn't feel like a quick romp in the broom closet, but he did give me his number."
"That's good."
Jack nipped at Ianto's ear. "And you're sure you're okay with that?"
Ianto sighed. "Do we have to go through this every time you land a date?"
"I just like making sure you're okay."
"You like making sure way too much," Ianto said, grinding against Jack.
"Let's go to bed…" Jack mumbled against his temple.
"It's not even ten," Ianto replied with a soft laugh.
"I have no intention of sleeping." He led Ianto out of the kitchen and into the bedroom. The select spotlights highlighted the warm earthy colors of the room, the result of a weekend's worth of redecorating efforts. Jack let his eyes roam the room for a moment and a smile crept onto his face when he thought of the lighthearted arguments they'd had over where to put Jack's vintage jazz posters.
His eyes rested on the little corner they had created for him. A comfortable chair with an unobtrusive reading light next to an overloaded bookshelf permitted Jack to pass away the hours of the night when he found himself unable to find rest whenever he stayed over. Often he just enjoyed sitting there, looking at Ianto's sleeping form. Of course he'd never admit that to the other man.
On the other wall pictures of Lisa smiled at him. Next to them was a washed-out photograph of Estelle and lots of others showing him and Ianto. Once Jack had gotten over his initial dislike of Ianto's new digital camera, he'd soon found that he rather enjoyed taking many pictures of them, recording their life together. He chuckled when he thought about the photos Ianto had refused to put up despite Jack's insistence that they were perfectly natural.
Jack turned to look at Ianto and his heart was so full of love that for a moment he felt unable to speak. What was he supposed to say anyway? Instead, he expressed himself as best he could by pulling Ianto close and kissing his neck gently.
Ianto sighed softly and rolled back his head, pressing himself against Jack's body.
Slowly, Jack ran his hand up the other man's side, moving across the small of his back. His fingers brushed past the familiar outline of a gun tucked into the holster at his waistband. "When will you stop wearing that gun?" he murmured against Ianto's throat as he loosened the belt.
"Never," Ianto replied simply as he took a step back to pull Jack's shirt out. "I still feel threatened by Varot," he continued, slowly opening one button after the other. "He might make another attempt. I'll be ready when he does."
"He won't." Jack lifted his arms to shrug out of his shirt. "He got what he wanted," he said, grabbing Ianto around the waist.
"What? Us living happily ever after?"
"I doubt that's what he had in mind. But I'm not complaining." With that, Jack let himself fall backwards on the bed, pulling Ianto with him.
Ianto laughed and crawled on top of him, straddling his hips. They kissed languidly. "I love you," Ianto murmured and Jack sighed contentedly.
Fabric rustled as it was pushed aside, the sounds of tender kisses being pressed to naked skin mingled with quickened breaths and soft sighs.
"Oh, before I forget…" Ianto panted, his lips glistening from Jack's kisses.
Jack didn't stop slowly undressing the other man. "Hm?"
"My cousins are coming over for dinner tomorrow."
Jack froze mid-motion. Then he put his forehead against Ianto's collarbone and groaned.
"Don't worry. It will be fine." Ianto said with a smile. "And hopefully Iorwerth and Gwilym won't be too offended when you get their names all wrong again."
Jack lifted his head, his eyebrows raised in mock offense. "Well, I just so happen to think that there are better ways to use your tongue." He silenced Ianto's laugh with another kiss.
As his mouth explored the other man's slowly, hands running across his body in searching caresses, Jack couldn't help but think that perhaps Varot had indeed gotten what he wanted. Involuntarily, his fingers tightened over Ianto's back.
He too would have to watch a loved one die and in a way it would hurt even more later. In the past, Jack had always tried his best to move on before that happened. But now…
Determined not to let his dark thoughts show, Jack put everything into the kiss, all his love, his despair and eventual grief. That future was still far away, he comforted himself. And once it came he'd meet it with the memories of an entire lifetime shared with Ianto.
~ The End ~