Drabble: Moving in the Dark
Prompt: 079.Safeguard
When Jack next dies, he feels Ianto near him.
“It’s all right,” Ianto tells him, softly into the darkness.
Jack believes him.
Ianto doesn’t always talk when Jack dies, but he’s always there. The thing in the dark-the monster creeping after him-is weary of Ianto. Many monsters were, Jack reasons. There are no more confessions of love. Ianto seems to know that his claim on Jack’s heart has past, but sometimes, even in death, he alludes to his feelings.
“Be safe, Captain,” he comforts, as life pours back into Jack. He feels Ianto’s kiss on his lips. It tingles.
Gwen has a new team and the Earth is so different than when Jack left. He plays his cards the way he always has-close to his chest with a bawdy smile and devil-may-care attitude. It annoys Gwen, but what does Jack care? The new team isn’t Jack’s and it shows.
After Rex’s death and the Williams-Cooper child is in school, Jack recruits Wes. It’s not hard to fall into the bed with the kid. It’s the same sort of part-paternal relationship, part-romance that he held with all of his first hand-selected team. It’s like Suzie all over again.
When a Weevil rips out Wes’s throat, Jack shoots it. Then turns then gun on himself.
Wes is sniveling, terrified, in the darkness. Ianto touched Jack on the shoulder.
“Go back,” he orders, gently, “I’ll look after him. He’ll cross over safely.”
Jack wonders at this as he surges back to life. All the same, when the darkness of death next engulfs him, Wes is gone and Ianto promises that he is safe.
“Cross over-“ Jack inquires, but Ianto lays tender fingertips on his lips.
“You can’t know about that yet, sir. I’m sorry.”
It’s like anytime Ianto set a form before him and was dismissive in Jack’s inquires to what it was for. “Tosh’s special project” or “Owen needs something medical” were the only answers he ever received.
And so it goes. When those that Jack cares for pass on, Ianto guides them. Jack expects him during the interim of death. Sometimes, when Jack is dead for days, Ianto will sit with him, fingers intertwined with his, and they will talk. Ianto remembers his life clearly, even as the details of Jack’s past becomes murky.
Gwen dies. Jack stands next to Rhys at the funeral. Honestly, he’s shocked that the other man is still alive. Gwen was always foolhardy with the lives of her family.
“Leaving then?” Rhys asks and Jack nods. He takes the next transport off planet.
Gwen is waiting with Ianto in the darkness and she squeals with delight when Jack arrives. She admits that they’ve been playing party games since she died. Jack winces in sympathy for Ianto. She is there during his next death, but she’s frustrated.
“You’re away for so long, Jack!”
“I’m living,” he replies, shortly.
Ianto clasps him on the shoulder. “Good. Life is beautiful and you deserve to see that.”
Gwen pouts.
Jack lives for years with his wife before he next dies. Gwen rails and screams.
“You married? But I’m here! I’m waiting for you!”
He is not surprised that Gwen is not there when he next waits in the darkness.
Over the centuries, Jack changes. As the Face of Boe gathers followers, Boe tells them about Ianto the guardian of the darkness who helps the newly dead to cross over into the mysterious next place. The devout pray to Ianto, but Jack does not see him much anymore. It’s hard to die and revive as a giant head in a glass jar. Therefore, Jack doesn’t know if Ianto hears these prayers.
And then, the Face dies.
The darkness swims around him, hugging him. It’s been such a long time since he last died, so he can’t be sure, but he thinks that it feels different this time.
“I’m glad that you’re here, sir,” Ianto says and he takes Boe’s hand.
Honestly, Boe’s memory is spotty at best, but as the darkness falls away and they cross into something warm and welcoming, Boe-no, Jack, remembers this man.
“Ianto,” he breathes, and there is a warm chuckle in response, “I should have told you. I should have told you then. I love you. I love you too.”
Ianto squeezes his hand and they leave the darkness for good.
When Jack next dies, he feels Ianto near him.
“It’s all right,” Ianto tells him, softly into the darkness.
Jack believes him.
Ianto doesn’t always talk when Jack dies, but he’s always there. The thing in the dark-the monster creeping after him-is weary of Ianto. Many monsters were, Jack reasons. There are no more confessions of love. Ianto seems to know that his claim on Jack’s heart has past, but sometimes, even in death, he alludes to his feelings.
“Be safe, Captain,” he comforts, as life pours back into Jack. He feels Ianto’s kiss on his lips. It tingles.
Gwen has a new team and the Earth is so different than when Jack left. He plays his cards the way he always has-close to his chest with a bawdy smile and devil-may-care attitude. It annoys Gwen, but what does Jack care? The new team isn’t Jack’s and it shows.
After Rex’s death and the Williams-Cooper child is in school, Jack recruits Wes. It’s not hard to fall into the bed with the kid. It’s the same sort of part-paternal relationship, part-romance that he held with all of his first hand-selected team. It’s like Suzie all over again.
When a Weevil rips out Wes’s throat, Jack shoots it. Then turns then gun on himself.
Wes is sniveling, terrified, in the darkness. Ianto touched Jack on the shoulder.
“Go back,” he orders, gently, “I’ll look after him. He’ll cross over safely.”
Jack wonders at this as he surges back to life. All the same, when the darkness of death next engulfs him, Wes is gone and Ianto promises that he is safe.
“Cross over-“ Jack inquires, but Ianto lays tender fingertips on his lips.
“You can’t know about that yet, sir. I’m sorry.”
It’s like anytime Ianto set a form before him and was dismissive in Jack’s inquires to what it was for. “Tosh’s special project” or “Owen needs something medical” were the only answers he ever received.
And so it goes. When those that Jack cares for pass on, Ianto guides them. Jack expects him during the interim of death. Sometimes, when Jack is dead for days, Ianto will sit with him, fingers intertwined with his, and they will talk. Ianto remembers his life clearly, even as the details of Jack’s past becomes murky.
Gwen dies. Jack stands next to Rhys at the funeral. Honestly, he’s shocked that the other man is still alive. Gwen was always foolhardy with the lives of her family.
“Leaving then?” Rhys asks and Jack nods. He takes the next transport off planet.
Gwen is waiting with Ianto in the darkness and she squeals with delight when Jack arrives. She admits that they’ve been playing party games since she died. Jack winces in sympathy for Ianto. She is there during his next death, but she’s frustrated.
“You’re away for so long, Jack!”
“I’m living,” he replies, shortly.
Ianto clasps him on the shoulder. “Good. Life is beautiful and you deserve to see that.”
Gwen pouts.
Jack lives for years with his wife before he next dies. Gwen rails and screams.
“You married? But I’m here! I’m waiting for you!”
He is not surprised that Gwen is not there when he next waits in the darkness.
Over the centuries, Jack changes. As the Face of Boe gathers followers, Boe tells them about Ianto the guardian of the darkness who helps the newly dead to cross over into the mysterious next place. The devout pray to Ianto, but Jack does not see him much anymore. It’s hard to die and revive as a giant head in a glass jar. Therefore, Jack doesn’t know if Ianto hears these prayers.
And then, the Face dies.
The darkness swims around him, hugging him. It’s been such a long time since he last died, so he can’t be sure, but he thinks that it feels different this time.
“I’m glad that you’re here, sir,” Ianto says and he takes Boe’s hand.
Honestly, Boe’s memory is spotty at best, but as the darkness falls away and they cross into something warm and welcoming, Boe-no, Jack, remembers this man.
“Ianto,” he breathes, and there is a warm chuckle in response, “I should have told you. I should have told you then. I love you. I love you too.”
Ianto squeezes his hand and they leave the darkness for good.