Jack and Ianto's Foray Into Troy 4/11
Crossover: Torchwood/The Trojan War
Pairing: Jack/Ianto, Achilles/Patroclus, Hector/Andromache, others mentioned
Word Count: Oh, goodness knows.
Number of Parts: 10 plus an Epilogue
Summary: How will Jack and Ianto cope now that they are apart?
Part 4
The sun rose, bringing the rosy-fingered dawn with it. Stirring slightly, Achilles opened his eyes, blinking against the rising light. He cast an affectionate glance at the sleeping figure of Patroclus, stretched and sat up. Taking care not to rouse the other man, he clothed himself in a short tunic and stepped outside, to be greeted by a familiar sight.
Every day, for twelve days now, Achilles had stepped outside to be greeted by the sight of Jack standing on the beach. Usually, he was gazing out towards the sea, but this time he was staring inland - towards Troy.
Achilles had never known what to say to him before, but now, seeing where he was looking, it suddenly seemed obvious. Cautiously, he approached Jack and, as he came to stand beside him, he rested a hand on his shoulder.
“Don’t give up,” he said quietly.
Jack looked at him sharply. “He’s in there,” he said quietly. “I’ve been walking everywhere every night since he left, trying to find him. Last night, I saw him there. It was only a silhouette against a window, but I knew that it was him.”
Achilles bit his lip, frowning. He knew his reputation as a swift-footed and fierce warrior was no good here. He had grown closer to Jack since Ianto had disappeared, but he still didn’t know what to say to him about it, partially because he did not know exactly what had happened between them.
Jack shook his head. “When I found out he was alive, I just came and sat here, trying to decide what to do next. I want to see him, I really do, but…at the same time, he said some things I didn’t think he was capable of. It hurt so much; I know I’m not perfect and I know I’ve hurt him in the past but…it just felt like he didn’t know me at all any more.”
“You love him,” said Achilles quietly. “I know you do, and that’s why it hurts so much. I don’t know what happened between you two, but I know you will sort it out. I can see it in your eyes; you love him too much to lose him.”
Jack nodded. “I just,” he seemed to struggle with the words. “I don’t know where we stand any more. I want him back so badly, but…I just don’t know what to do.” He turned his head slightly. “I’m scared that when I do see him, I’ll say something I’ll regret.”
“Then don’t say anything at all just yet,” said Achilles simply. “Wait until you feel that you can -” he stopped suddenly and looked around, a frown crossing his handsome face.
Jack followed his eyes and saw Agamemnon and the other warriors congregating on the beach. He could see them being summoned by the heralds, but they were too far away for anything else to be made out clearly, except that Agamemnon seemed to be telling them something important, because everyone was watching him avidly, until he sat down. Then wise old Nestor took the stand and began to speak. Jack smiled at that - he liked Nestor; the man was intelligent and a great storyteller. His stories had been a great comfort to him in the first days after Ianto had left.
Suddenly, he felt Achilles stiffen beside him. Looking round, he saw that the godlike warrior’s eyes had turned as hard as stone and his face had tensed. Following his gaze, Jack saw Agamemnon had turned in their direction and his eyebrows were knitted slightly, but as soon as he realised that he was being watched, he turned away.
“Don’t let him get to you,” said Jack. “You did the right thing.”
“I’m not letting him get to me,” replied Achilles. He gave Jack a tense smile and then walked away, returning to his hut. He sat down with a small sigh, only to start slightly as he felt movement beside him. Turning, he saw Patroclus looking at him with wide eyes, still slightly shadowed with tiredness.
“Where were you?” he asked, sitting up slightly, his bare chest seeming to flush in the rosy light of dawn.
Achilles smiled. “I was just outside, talking to Jack,” he said, stroking his companion’s hair. “He’s been lonely recently.” He didn’t tell Patroclus what Jack had said about Ianto, thinking that the other man would want to keep that private for now.
For his part, Patroclus nodded. “I know. He thinks that no one sees it, but…one person did.” Reaching out, he touched Achilles’ face gently. “He saw him in the same way that I can see you…he saw him for who he really is.”
Achilles nodded. “He made the effort to look beneath the surface and see the man behind the hero,” he said quietly, “just as you did with me.” Brushing his hand over Patroclus’, he placed a soft kiss on his forehead. “That means more than anything to me.”
~*~
Ianto watched from a distance as Hector conversed with his wife, Andromache, holding her gently she wept in his arms, but still looking straight at her and talking earnestly.
He had seen that look before many times and he knew what it meant; Hector was not going to give up. He would not be seen as a coward. Ianto respected him for that, but he couldn’t help hating him for it as well, even though he knew it wasn’t fair; Hector wasn’t to know what his fate would be. And even if he did, he was an exceptional warrior and he would accept his death bravely. But that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt to think of it, especially seeing the man with his wife and son.
He stifled a chuckle when he saw Hector reach out for the baby then and the child screeched in fright at the sight of his father with the flashing helmet. Hector and Andromache laughed too and the Trojan warrior took off his helmet and kissed his boy. The scene was so tender and intimate…and suddenly, Ianto realised that he wasn’t laughing any more. What had initially been amusing was suddenly heartbreaking as he thought about what he had done less than two weeks ago.
When he watched Hector caress Andromache’s white hand and speak softly to her, he felt his stomach clench painfully as he remembered how Jack would do the same to him when he was upset. He held her gently for a few moments before taking his helmet up again. Ianto didn’t see him say anything to her, but she turned away instantly and walked off, looking backwards regularly, though her eyes seemed blinded by her tears. It seemed as though she thought that this would be the last time she would see her husband alive and it broke Ianto’s heart. He knew what would come soon and, while this would not be the fatal blow…there was not a lot of time left.
With a sigh, he turned away from the scene before him and made his way out of the palace, anticipating what was going to happen.
Outside, he listened to Hector addressing both armies and proposing that he duel one of the Greeks. His speech was rousing and his words were fair, but he received no response for a long time. It wasn’t until Menelaus, brother of Agamemnon, stepped forwards and was about to speak, that someone came forth to accept the challenge. Ianto looked up, expecting to see the great Ajax, son of Telamon, stepping up.
But his heart leapt into his throat at what he saw. It wasn’t Ajax approaching them, clad in shining armour. It was Jack. He flashed his trademark grin.
“No!” whispered Ianto, without thinking. One of the Trojan soldiers beside him frowned suspiciously, but then shrugged, clearly thinking it had been a cough.
Suddenly, Jack’s head turned in his direction - and their eyes met for a second. Ianto gasped slightly as he saw his partner’s eyes widen in shock as he saw him. But the look lasted for only a second, before he was being pulled away by Agamemnon, who was whispering to him, no doubt telling him not to fight Hector. Of course; the Greeks didn’t know that Jack had a small problem staying dead - and Ianto wasn’t about to tell anyone.
Jack was clearly a little surprised by the leader’s words, but he hid it well and conceded surprisingly quickly. Clearly, he didn’t want everyone to know about him. Ianto ignored the part of his brain that said it was because Jack didn’t want him to see him die again.
After the way I treated him, I don’t deserve that.
Eventually, it was Ajax who took up his place, smiling with joy as he came out to face the prince. Ianto smiled wryly as he saw a flicker of fear cross Hector’s face. He couldn’t say he blamed him; even Jack would probably have been scared.
He took a deep breath and waited, anticipating the duel.
~*~
In the three days since Ajax and Hector had duelled each other, with no result and had parted friends, Jack had barely been able to think straight. He had heard that the days since the duel had been violent and the balance had tilted regularly, until now it favoured the Trojans, to the extent that they were camped in front of the Greek lines of defence.
And yet…all he could think of was Ianto.
When Ianto had left him that night, Jack had been deeply hurt by the young man’s parting words to him. For a long time - until the day of that duel, in fact - he had actually found himself hurting so badly that even the thought of Ianto made him want to break something. But all that had changed when he had seen him in the Trojan ranks. Their eyes had met for only a second, but…that was enough. The minute he had seen him, he had realised that he hadn’t meant those words. They still hurt, and he knew that they would hurt for a long time - you didn’t just stop hurting like that, just because you realised that the person who said the words hadn’t really meant them. But knowing that Ianto had been angry and upset at the time helped a little.
Jack knew that three of the Greeks, among them Odysseus and Ajax, had come to speak with Achilles and appeal for his return. He was idly watching them, but he wasn’t really paying much attention to what was happening. Instead, his mind was on something else.
Watching Achilles and Patroclus interacting with each other, Jack realised that he was starting to see himself and Ianto when he looked at them. And then, he realised exactly why Ianto had wanted to change things; he didn’t want Achilles to go through the pain of losing the one person who truly understood him.
~*~
Later that night…
“Odysseus and Diomedes have gone off on a spying mission on the Trojans,” said Jack quietly once he had returned from the meeting. When Achilles nodded mutely, Jack sighed and walked away, sitting by the water and gazing at the stars. He wasn’t alone for long, though; after a few minutes, Patroclus came to join them.
“Can’t sleep?” he asked.
“No,” admitted Jack. “I’ve not been able to sleep for a few days, to be honest.”
Patroclus sighed. “Don’t mind Achilles too much, Jack. I know he can be stubborn at times, but he’s really vulnerable underneath. It’s just that no one ever sees it, because they never try to.”
Jack nodded. “I know. But I wasn’t thinking about Achilles. I was thinking about you.”
He turned round to look at him. “I’ve realised that I’m scared for you, Patroclus. You remind me of…of someone else. You look beneath the surface to see what’s inside and you take the time to understand people.” He didn’t need to mention names for them both to know that he was talking about Ianto.
“I can’t change what’s happened, Patroclus,” he said sadly, “and I don’t know what will come in the future. But I can say that it is people like you who give me hope.” He looked him straight in the eye. “Achilles needs you, just as much as I need…”
For some reason, he wasn’t even surprised to feel Patroclus’ lips on his own.
~*~
When Hector had proposed that they send one of the Trojans, a man called Dolon, to spy on the Greek camp, Ianto had offered to go with him as back-up. He had watched the scene play out and felt so guilty that he wouldn’t be able to stop him without revealing something he shouldn’t that he had just offered to go with him. Now, just as he knew they would be, they had been captured by Odysseus and Diomedes.
Looking up, Ianto saw that Diomedes was all ready to do what he did in the book…but suddenly, Odysseus stopped him, his eyes widening.
“You!” he exclaimed. He blinked for a few seconds and gasped slightly. “You…you came with…came with him…I saw you…heard you…”
Ianto instantly recognised the symptoms of Retconned memories being triggered. Not even stopping to think, he used it to try and escape from Diomedes in the hope that he and Dolon would be able to return safely to Troy.
Predictably, it didn’t work. In fact, it was only Odysseus’ silent warning that stopped Diomedes from killing him. He knew Jack well and was quite clearly aware that the other man would not be happy that his partner was dead.
“Go,” whispered the Ithacan, “go…now.”
But Ianto couldn’t go; Dolon was still in danger and he didn’t want to leave him behind. He may just be a common man, but, as far as Ianto was concerned, that didn’t matter.
“Go,” hissed Dolon, however. “Just go, now. Stop being selfless!” he demanded. “You’re only one man; one man can’t save everyone, you know that. Go back to Troy.”
As much as he hated the idea of leaving a comrade behind, Ianto knew that the other man was right; he couldn’t save everyone. “I’m sorry,” he whispered as he pulled himself to his feet and ran back to Troy, Dolon’s screams resonating in his ears.
When he returned, he was greeted by Aeneas, who looked at him in concern. Gasping, he collapsed against him and told him the whole story of what had happened. Aeneas grabbed him and pulled him upright, gripping his shoulders.
“Dolon was right,” he said firmly. “You couldn’t have saved him and there was no point in you getting yourself killed as well.” He kissed Ianto on the forehead. “You did the right thing.”
The right thing… Jack’s voice suddenly sounded in Ianto’s mind. Hadn’t he always told him about the choice they faced; making the right choice as opposed to the easy one?
~*~
Athena nodded her head in satisfaction as she watched Hector return to the fold. He was a brave man, she would not doubt it, but her favourite Odysseus, and Diomedes, were strong men and fought back well. “We may not be able to interfere,” she said wryly, “but at least we can watch from above.”
Hera nodded. “There goes Nestor with Machaon,” she remarked. Suddenly, she saw Patroclus being sent to find out what was happening. “Well - it appears that Achilles has decided to take notice of what is happening.”
Athena nodded as she watched the man sit with Nestor and listen to a long story. “He cannot stay detached for ever and he’s beginning to realise it,” she said.
“Will he come back to the fight, do you think?” asked Apollo.
Athena smiled. “He will do what is needed when it is needed,” she said.
Pairing: Jack/Ianto, Achilles/Patroclus, Hector/Andromache, others mentioned
Word Count: Oh, goodness knows.
Number of Parts: 10 plus an Epilogue
Summary: How will Jack and Ianto cope now that they are apart?
Part 4
The sun rose, bringing the rosy-fingered dawn with it. Stirring slightly, Achilles opened his eyes, blinking against the rising light. He cast an affectionate glance at the sleeping figure of Patroclus, stretched and sat up. Taking care not to rouse the other man, he clothed himself in a short tunic and stepped outside, to be greeted by a familiar sight.
Every day, for twelve days now, Achilles had stepped outside to be greeted by the sight of Jack standing on the beach. Usually, he was gazing out towards the sea, but this time he was staring inland - towards Troy.
Achilles had never known what to say to him before, but now, seeing where he was looking, it suddenly seemed obvious. Cautiously, he approached Jack and, as he came to stand beside him, he rested a hand on his shoulder.
“Don’t give up,” he said quietly.
Jack looked at him sharply. “He’s in there,” he said quietly. “I’ve been walking everywhere every night since he left, trying to find him. Last night, I saw him there. It was only a silhouette against a window, but I knew that it was him.”
Achilles bit his lip, frowning. He knew his reputation as a swift-footed and fierce warrior was no good here. He had grown closer to Jack since Ianto had disappeared, but he still didn’t know what to say to him about it, partially because he did not know exactly what had happened between them.
Jack shook his head. “When I found out he was alive, I just came and sat here, trying to decide what to do next. I want to see him, I really do, but…at the same time, he said some things I didn’t think he was capable of. It hurt so much; I know I’m not perfect and I know I’ve hurt him in the past but…it just felt like he didn’t know me at all any more.”
“You love him,” said Achilles quietly. “I know you do, and that’s why it hurts so much. I don’t know what happened between you two, but I know you will sort it out. I can see it in your eyes; you love him too much to lose him.”
Jack nodded. “I just,” he seemed to struggle with the words. “I don’t know where we stand any more. I want him back so badly, but…I just don’t know what to do.” He turned his head slightly. “I’m scared that when I do see him, I’ll say something I’ll regret.”
“Then don’t say anything at all just yet,” said Achilles simply. “Wait until you feel that you can -” he stopped suddenly and looked around, a frown crossing his handsome face.
Jack followed his eyes and saw Agamemnon and the other warriors congregating on the beach. He could see them being summoned by the heralds, but they were too far away for anything else to be made out clearly, except that Agamemnon seemed to be telling them something important, because everyone was watching him avidly, until he sat down. Then wise old Nestor took the stand and began to speak. Jack smiled at that - he liked Nestor; the man was intelligent and a great storyteller. His stories had been a great comfort to him in the first days after Ianto had left.
Suddenly, he felt Achilles stiffen beside him. Looking round, he saw that the godlike warrior’s eyes had turned as hard as stone and his face had tensed. Following his gaze, Jack saw Agamemnon had turned in their direction and his eyebrows were knitted slightly, but as soon as he realised that he was being watched, he turned away.
“Don’t let him get to you,” said Jack. “You did the right thing.”
“I’m not letting him get to me,” replied Achilles. He gave Jack a tense smile and then walked away, returning to his hut. He sat down with a small sigh, only to start slightly as he felt movement beside him. Turning, he saw Patroclus looking at him with wide eyes, still slightly shadowed with tiredness.
“Where were you?” he asked, sitting up slightly, his bare chest seeming to flush in the rosy light of dawn.
Achilles smiled. “I was just outside, talking to Jack,” he said, stroking his companion’s hair. “He’s been lonely recently.” He didn’t tell Patroclus what Jack had said about Ianto, thinking that the other man would want to keep that private for now.
For his part, Patroclus nodded. “I know. He thinks that no one sees it, but…one person did.” Reaching out, he touched Achilles’ face gently. “He saw him in the same way that I can see you…he saw him for who he really is.”
Achilles nodded. “He made the effort to look beneath the surface and see the man behind the hero,” he said quietly, “just as you did with me.” Brushing his hand over Patroclus’, he placed a soft kiss on his forehead. “That means more than anything to me.”
~*~
Ianto watched from a distance as Hector conversed with his wife, Andromache, holding her gently she wept in his arms, but still looking straight at her and talking earnestly.
He had seen that look before many times and he knew what it meant; Hector was not going to give up. He would not be seen as a coward. Ianto respected him for that, but he couldn’t help hating him for it as well, even though he knew it wasn’t fair; Hector wasn’t to know what his fate would be. And even if he did, he was an exceptional warrior and he would accept his death bravely. But that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt to think of it, especially seeing the man with his wife and son.
He stifled a chuckle when he saw Hector reach out for the baby then and the child screeched in fright at the sight of his father with the flashing helmet. Hector and Andromache laughed too and the Trojan warrior took off his helmet and kissed his boy. The scene was so tender and intimate…and suddenly, Ianto realised that he wasn’t laughing any more. What had initially been amusing was suddenly heartbreaking as he thought about what he had done less than two weeks ago.
When he watched Hector caress Andromache’s white hand and speak softly to her, he felt his stomach clench painfully as he remembered how Jack would do the same to him when he was upset. He held her gently for a few moments before taking his helmet up again. Ianto didn’t see him say anything to her, but she turned away instantly and walked off, looking backwards regularly, though her eyes seemed blinded by her tears. It seemed as though she thought that this would be the last time she would see her husband alive and it broke Ianto’s heart. He knew what would come soon and, while this would not be the fatal blow…there was not a lot of time left.
With a sigh, he turned away from the scene before him and made his way out of the palace, anticipating what was going to happen.
Outside, he listened to Hector addressing both armies and proposing that he duel one of the Greeks. His speech was rousing and his words were fair, but he received no response for a long time. It wasn’t until Menelaus, brother of Agamemnon, stepped forwards and was about to speak, that someone came forth to accept the challenge. Ianto looked up, expecting to see the great Ajax, son of Telamon, stepping up.
But his heart leapt into his throat at what he saw. It wasn’t Ajax approaching them, clad in shining armour. It was Jack. He flashed his trademark grin.
“No!” whispered Ianto, without thinking. One of the Trojan soldiers beside him frowned suspiciously, but then shrugged, clearly thinking it had been a cough.
Suddenly, Jack’s head turned in his direction - and their eyes met for a second. Ianto gasped slightly as he saw his partner’s eyes widen in shock as he saw him. But the look lasted for only a second, before he was being pulled away by Agamemnon, who was whispering to him, no doubt telling him not to fight Hector. Of course; the Greeks didn’t know that Jack had a small problem staying dead - and Ianto wasn’t about to tell anyone.
Jack was clearly a little surprised by the leader’s words, but he hid it well and conceded surprisingly quickly. Clearly, he didn’t want everyone to know about him. Ianto ignored the part of his brain that said it was because Jack didn’t want him to see him die again.
After the way I treated him, I don’t deserve that.
Eventually, it was Ajax who took up his place, smiling with joy as he came out to face the prince. Ianto smiled wryly as he saw a flicker of fear cross Hector’s face. He couldn’t say he blamed him; even Jack would probably have been scared.
He took a deep breath and waited, anticipating the duel.
~*~
In the three days since Ajax and Hector had duelled each other, with no result and had parted friends, Jack had barely been able to think straight. He had heard that the days since the duel had been violent and the balance had tilted regularly, until now it favoured the Trojans, to the extent that they were camped in front of the Greek lines of defence.
And yet…all he could think of was Ianto.
When Ianto had left him that night, Jack had been deeply hurt by the young man’s parting words to him. For a long time - until the day of that duel, in fact - he had actually found himself hurting so badly that even the thought of Ianto made him want to break something. But all that had changed when he had seen him in the Trojan ranks. Their eyes had met for only a second, but…that was enough. The minute he had seen him, he had realised that he hadn’t meant those words. They still hurt, and he knew that they would hurt for a long time - you didn’t just stop hurting like that, just because you realised that the person who said the words hadn’t really meant them. But knowing that Ianto had been angry and upset at the time helped a little.
Jack knew that three of the Greeks, among them Odysseus and Ajax, had come to speak with Achilles and appeal for his return. He was idly watching them, but he wasn’t really paying much attention to what was happening. Instead, his mind was on something else.
Watching Achilles and Patroclus interacting with each other, Jack realised that he was starting to see himself and Ianto when he looked at them. And then, he realised exactly why Ianto had wanted to change things; he didn’t want Achilles to go through the pain of losing the one person who truly understood him.
~*~
Later that night…
“Odysseus and Diomedes have gone off on a spying mission on the Trojans,” said Jack quietly once he had returned from the meeting. When Achilles nodded mutely, Jack sighed and walked away, sitting by the water and gazing at the stars. He wasn’t alone for long, though; after a few minutes, Patroclus came to join them.
“Can’t sleep?” he asked.
“No,” admitted Jack. “I’ve not been able to sleep for a few days, to be honest.”
Patroclus sighed. “Don’t mind Achilles too much, Jack. I know he can be stubborn at times, but he’s really vulnerable underneath. It’s just that no one ever sees it, because they never try to.”
Jack nodded. “I know. But I wasn’t thinking about Achilles. I was thinking about you.”
He turned round to look at him. “I’ve realised that I’m scared for you, Patroclus. You remind me of…of someone else. You look beneath the surface to see what’s inside and you take the time to understand people.” He didn’t need to mention names for them both to know that he was talking about Ianto.
“I can’t change what’s happened, Patroclus,” he said sadly, “and I don’t know what will come in the future. But I can say that it is people like you who give me hope.” He looked him straight in the eye. “Achilles needs you, just as much as I need…”
For some reason, he wasn’t even surprised to feel Patroclus’ lips on his own.
~*~
When Hector had proposed that they send one of the Trojans, a man called Dolon, to spy on the Greek camp, Ianto had offered to go with him as back-up. He had watched the scene play out and felt so guilty that he wouldn’t be able to stop him without revealing something he shouldn’t that he had just offered to go with him. Now, just as he knew they would be, they had been captured by Odysseus and Diomedes.
Looking up, Ianto saw that Diomedes was all ready to do what he did in the book…but suddenly, Odysseus stopped him, his eyes widening.
“You!” he exclaimed. He blinked for a few seconds and gasped slightly. “You…you came with…came with him…I saw you…heard you…”
Ianto instantly recognised the symptoms of Retconned memories being triggered. Not even stopping to think, he used it to try and escape from Diomedes in the hope that he and Dolon would be able to return safely to Troy.
Predictably, it didn’t work. In fact, it was only Odysseus’ silent warning that stopped Diomedes from killing him. He knew Jack well and was quite clearly aware that the other man would not be happy that his partner was dead.
“Go,” whispered the Ithacan, “go…now.”
But Ianto couldn’t go; Dolon was still in danger and he didn’t want to leave him behind. He may just be a common man, but, as far as Ianto was concerned, that didn’t matter.
“Go,” hissed Dolon, however. “Just go, now. Stop being selfless!” he demanded. “You’re only one man; one man can’t save everyone, you know that. Go back to Troy.”
As much as he hated the idea of leaving a comrade behind, Ianto knew that the other man was right; he couldn’t save everyone. “I’m sorry,” he whispered as he pulled himself to his feet and ran back to Troy, Dolon’s screams resonating in his ears.
When he returned, he was greeted by Aeneas, who looked at him in concern. Gasping, he collapsed against him and told him the whole story of what had happened. Aeneas grabbed him and pulled him upright, gripping his shoulders.
“Dolon was right,” he said firmly. “You couldn’t have saved him and there was no point in you getting yourself killed as well.” He kissed Ianto on the forehead. “You did the right thing.”
The right thing… Jack’s voice suddenly sounded in Ianto’s mind. Hadn’t he always told him about the choice they faced; making the right choice as opposed to the easy one?
~*~
Athena nodded her head in satisfaction as she watched Hector return to the fold. He was a brave man, she would not doubt it, but her favourite Odysseus, and Diomedes, were strong men and fought back well. “We may not be able to interfere,” she said wryly, “but at least we can watch from above.”
Hera nodded. “There goes Nestor with Machaon,” she remarked. Suddenly, she saw Patroclus being sent to find out what was happening. “Well - it appears that Achilles has decided to take notice of what is happening.”
Athena nodded as she watched the man sit with Nestor and listen to a long story. “He cannot stay detached for ever and he’s beginning to realise it,” she said.
“Will he come back to the fight, do you think?” asked Apollo.
Athena smiled. “He will do what is needed when it is needed,” she said.