Fic: The Oncoming Storm (Slash, AU, Janto 26/40 Conclusion)
Author: d8rkmessngr
Pairing: Jack/OMC, Jack/?, Jack/Ianto eventually, het and slash
Rating: NC-17 (betaed)
Summary: He left Jack on the game station. Abandoned. But then…he came back…different. An AU look on what happens if things happened differently. Doctor Who 'verse with Torchwood later on. Be sure to read the warnings.
Warnings: Please read each chapter's individual warnings. Some parts down the road may briefly mention non-con, abuse, and/or violence. Dark in the beginning. Please note there are some dark thoughts as my boys are broken…for now. Each chapter will be labeled for your convenience.
Author's Notes: Please note this is an AU that will cross over DW to TW season one. I'm probably spoiling my own story, but it will eventually be Janto. There's a bit of a journey first. I hope you enjoy. I'm working on this and intend to post regularly every other day. And again, I always believe in happy endings. So without further ado…
Disclaimer: RTD and BBC owns them. I'm just borrowing them for a while.
Warning For This Chapter: dark, evil Suzie, strong language
Notes For This Chapter: Note there are parallels to "They Keep Killing Suzie"
Prologue + Ch , Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 5, Ch 6, Ch 7, Ch 8, Ch 9, Ch 10, Ch 11, Ch 12, Ch 13, Ch 14, Ch 15, Ch 16, Ch 17, Ch 18. Ch 19, Ch 20, Ch 21, Ch 22, Ch 23, Ch 24, Ch 25, Ch 26 Act 1/4, Ch 26 Acts 2/4 & 3/4
Master Fic List: here
Chapter 26 - "They Keep Killing Suzie"
Act IV: "What about the Risen Mitten? I think it's catchy."
The first victim, Alex Arwyn, merely looked like he was sleeping.
Jack doubted he knew anything, most abrupt deaths don't; a mercy since they wouldn't see the end coming.
The glove felt cool in his hands and he wondered if it was due to its connection to death.
"…so you've never tried it?" Gwen didn't go near the glove. Jack can’t blame her. He looked over to Ianto, tossing his pocket watch across the room, which Ianto caught easily as if he was waiting for it.
Owen grunted, his arms folded in front of him. He grimaced as he watched Jack tentatively slip it on. "We all tried it, Alex too. Said it gave him the willies. Only worked for Suzie."
"By the time I came in," Jack picked up after Owen, "Suzie pretty much didn't want anyone near it." Now he knew why. Jack stared at Arwyn. He wondered where Arwyn was.
"Jack, you okay?"
Jack gave a curt nod before he positioned himself by Arwyn's head.
"Don't forget, the maximum resurrection time was two minutes. That's only 'cause Suzie had practice," Jack reminded them. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Ianto poised and ready. The corner of Jack's mouth quirked. He sobered. "The most we're likely to get is 30 seconds, okay?"
At their nods and Tosh chiming in she was ready and recording, Jack exhaled sharply, steadying himself, and settled the glove over Arwyn's head. He closed his eyes.
Gwen was asking questions, for which Jack was grateful as he wandered in a darkness he could see in his mind. Jack searched the vast nothing for Arwyn. Searching…
Something lurked…
Something…followed…
A heartbeat thudded and Jack thought he found Alex Arwyn.
Then, he realized it was his own.
…thrum-thrum…
No…Not his…
…tap-tap…
"…Jack?"
…thrum-thrum-tap-tap…
It wasn't his. Wasn't his, either. It…it was something else. Something else in the dark with him.
"Christ, Gwen, get his hand off!"
"Jack!"
Something…waiting. With a bloody-toothed feral smile.
"Jack! Let go! Let go of him!"
Oh God…
The dead were all around him and it approached from the darkness. This was wrong. He didn't belong here. He could feel himself disintegrating like sand, the vortex in him sucked away.
He's not supposed to be here…
…under the Rift, he will come…
God, someone help him…
…thrum-thrum-tap-tap…thrum-thrum-tap-tap…thrum-thrum-tap-tap…thrum-thrum-tap-tap…
THRUMTHRUMTAPTAPTHRUMTHRUMTAPTAP..
"JACK!"
Jack gasped like he was brought back to life. His body jerked and his limbs spasmed.
"You're alright. Deep breaths. Just take deep breaths. Shh…"
Ianto's voice soothed over him. His body braced Jack’s back like a wall, his hands on Jack's shoulders from behind, his chin pressed lightly to the back of his head. The pocket watch ticked away forgotten in Ianto's pocket.
It felt like his skin was scoured. Jack blinked blearily at the three white faces peering down at him like he was in the bottom of a well.
They all looked like they were waiting for him to say something.
"I don't think the glove likes me," Jack rasped, thinking quickly. Everyone relaxed.
"Okay, that never happened before," Owen announced, letting go of Jack's wrist, satisfied with whatever he heard. He rose to his feet. "Guess not everyone falls for the Harkness charm, Jack."
"I knew this thing was evil," Jack joked as he got up. He was surprised to feel Ianto's hand on his elbow.
"Steady," Ianto murmured, close to his ear. His brow was furrowed as Jack leaned back against a tiled wall.
"I'm okay," Jack whispered, quirking a smile which Ianto returned tentatively.
"If you're trying to show off to Gwen," Ianto muttered, "I think you could have done without the fainting, sir."
"I didn't faint," Jack bristled.
"No, of course, you didn't," Gwen assured too quickly.
"You just did a swoon into Ianto's arms there," Owen drawled as he studied the readings Tosh made. He snickered. "I've never seen Jonesy run that fast before."
Ianto looked vaguely embarrassed. "This floor is too filthy to lie on," he muttered to Jack. "Owen keeps a pigsty."
"Oi!"
Jack rubbed his head wearily. "Okay, that didn't work. Owen, you want to give it a try?"
"Never worked for me. Only Suzie. We all tried it."
"I haven't," Gwen spoke up. "Let me try."
Act V: "You seem to be stuck."
"Who took my place?" Suzie rasped, her head rolling as if it was disconnected from her body.
It was morbid staring at Suzie, even just through the CCTV. The view of her skull was bad despite the blue hue CCTV generally gave everything. Fleshy pulp that reminded Ianto of the bloody stumps of bodies he had passed trying to get to the tenth floor and Lisa.
The moment Suzie revealed where the next victim would be, everyone had bolted to find weapons, make calls, and left Ianto staring at the back of Suzie Costello's head.
Jack paused from gathering up the crime photos.
"Gwen Cooper," Jack said slowly, skeptically, unsure what Suzie was getting at. "You left quite a vacancy."
Suzie's laugh rippled goose flesh up Ianto's arms.
"Get out of there, Jack," Ianto murmured, not sure why he felt uneasy about Jack in there. Suzie was a living corpse, harmless.
"Did she take my place in everything?"
Ianto, without giving it a thought, shut off the CCTV.
Jack, to his credit, went back to clearing the photos off the table. "Tosh is going to set you up with a headset. You're going to ID him."
"Whatever you say, my Captain."
Jack ignored her as he gathered up the folders.
"Don't you want to know?" Suzie said softly.
"Know what?" Jack asked evenly.
"If it was all real?"
Don't answer her, Ianto pleaded silently.
"Don't worry, Captain. I'm sure your wonderful, faithful Ianto Jones had turned off the CCTV for you. No need to be shy." Suzie sat up, suddenly having no sign of the boneless slump from before. She turned her colorless face towards that camera above them. "Isn't that right, Jones? The cameras all turned off?" Her smile was too twisted, too knowing.
"Leave him out of it," Jack said flatly.
Suzie turned back towards Jack, who stood by the stairs with the folders but made no sign of leaving or coming closer. She made a tiny gasp of delight.
"I see…Gwen Cooper didn't replace everything, did she?" Suzie whispered. She made as if to stand. Ianto tensed but she weakly dropped back into her wheelchair. She laughed; a breathless bark that sounded wispy and gravelly.
"Christ, you really are the Doctor's companion after all."
Ianto thumped the desk. "Jack," he breathed.
"Now you know why the sex was good," Jack returned coldly, his shoulders stiff, his face hard. His grin was feral, his teeth tinged blue in the CCTV.
"And yet here you are; camera shy. You weren't before in Torchwood London. I thought Alex was mad for insisting we leave this to a man he had never met. But after seeing you and Hartman-"
Ianto twisted around and bolted for the interrogation room.
"…very impressive. No wonder they let you have Torchwood Three." Ianto caught the last scathing words as he burst into the room. The door swung open with a startling crash.
Jack twisted around, looking up, his face pinched but then it melted to worry when Ianto burst through, gasping.
"Ah, my successor," Suzie hushed, her voice a snake whisper. "Mr. Jones."
Ianto froze. Her dark eyes zeroed in on him, just like when she had pointed the gun to his temple, Jack bleeding on the ground, Gwen stunned behind him. He fought to ignore her, his gaze fixed on Jack instead.
"They're almost ready, sir." Ianto steadied his voice as he descended the stairs in a calmer pace and took the folders from Jack's cold hands. He wished he could give them a squeeze but he dared only to brush a finger across Jack's knuckles as he grabbed the folders.
Something in Jack's eyes eased a fraction. The tight, thin line of his mouth twitched.
"Tell me, Jones. Has he told you that he loves you?" Suzie laughed that breathless harsh sound again. "He never told me. Did he tell you? Or are you just a part-time shag like everyone else?"
Jack frowned, his look darkening to the point that Ianto took a step back. Jack turned around, stalked over to Suzie. He bent over to her ear.
Suzie took a sharp intake of breath. She swallowed, nodded, and then shut up. Jack looked down at her, his expression unreadable, his eyes hard, and walked away. Ianto mutely followed, casting a look over his shoulder. Suzie sat there, a trembling hand to her mouth, mute, her eyes wide with fear.
Stepping out of the room was like taking a breath of fresh air. They climbed up the steps back to Jack's office. Ianto grabbed Jack's greatcoat, opening it. Jack stared at it for a moment before slipping his arms through. He nodded curtly to Ianto.
"Set up communications for Suzie next to Tosh, but make sure she has no other access," Jack said as he took one last look into the interrogation room through the window that stood above it. Something flitted across his face. He started to leave.
"What did you tell her?" Ianto blurted out.
Jack stopped. He hesitated before he looked at Ianto with defeated eyes. He faced forward again.
"Don't ask," Jack said emotionlessly and left Ianto standing in his office alone.
Ianto turned back to the window and peered into the room below.
Suzie still sat there, her fingers to her mouth, her other hand worrying the hem of her borrowed shirt. She sensed Ianto's scrutiny and looked up.
And sneered.
Ianto matched her gaze unflinchingly, his jaw set. Suzie broke off contact, but it was Ianto who shivered.
Chapter 27: "They Keep Killing Suzie 2.0"
Additional Notes: Many thanks to soullessminion for betaing this chapter. And trtmx for her magic trick that saved my sanity! LOL.
Pairing: Jack/OMC, Jack/?, Jack/Ianto eventually, het and slash
Rating: NC-17 (betaed)
Summary: He left Jack on the game station. Abandoned. But then…he came back…different. An AU look on what happens if things happened differently. Doctor Who 'verse with Torchwood later on. Be sure to read the warnings.
Warnings: Please read each chapter's individual warnings. Some parts down the road may briefly mention non-con, abuse, and/or violence. Dark in the beginning. Please note there are some dark thoughts as my boys are broken…for now. Each chapter will be labeled for your convenience.
Author's Notes: Please note this is an AU that will cross over DW to TW season one. I'm probably spoiling my own story, but it will eventually be Janto. There's a bit of a journey first. I hope you enjoy. I'm working on this and intend to post regularly every other day. And again, I always believe in happy endings. So without further ado…
Disclaimer: RTD and BBC owns them. I'm just borrowing them for a while.
Warning For This Chapter: dark, evil Suzie, strong language
Notes For This Chapter: Note there are parallels to "They Keep Killing Suzie"
Prologue + Ch , Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 5, Ch 6, Ch 7, Ch 8, Ch 9, Ch 10, Ch 11, Ch 12, Ch 13, Ch 14, Ch 15, Ch 16, Ch 17, Ch 18. Ch 19, Ch 20, Ch 21, Ch 22, Ch 23, Ch 24, Ch 25, Ch 26 Act 1/4, Ch 26 Acts 2/4 & 3/4
Master Fic List: here
Chapter 26 - "They Keep Killing Suzie"
Act IV: "What about the Risen Mitten? I think it's catchy."
The first victim, Alex Arwyn, merely looked like he was sleeping.
Jack doubted he knew anything, most abrupt deaths don't; a mercy since they wouldn't see the end coming.
The glove felt cool in his hands and he wondered if it was due to its connection to death.
"…so you've never tried it?" Gwen didn't go near the glove. Jack can’t blame her. He looked over to Ianto, tossing his pocket watch across the room, which Ianto caught easily as if he was waiting for it.
Owen grunted, his arms folded in front of him. He grimaced as he watched Jack tentatively slip it on. "We all tried it, Alex too. Said it gave him the willies. Only worked for Suzie."
"By the time I came in," Jack picked up after Owen, "Suzie pretty much didn't want anyone near it." Now he knew why. Jack stared at Arwyn. He wondered where Arwyn was.
"Jack, you okay?"
Jack gave a curt nod before he positioned himself by Arwyn's head.
"Don't forget, the maximum resurrection time was two minutes. That's only 'cause Suzie had practice," Jack reminded them. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Ianto poised and ready. The corner of Jack's mouth quirked. He sobered. "The most we're likely to get is 30 seconds, okay?"
At their nods and Tosh chiming in she was ready and recording, Jack exhaled sharply, steadying himself, and settled the glove over Arwyn's head. He closed his eyes.
Gwen was asking questions, for which Jack was grateful as he wandered in a darkness he could see in his mind. Jack searched the vast nothing for Arwyn. Searching…
Something lurked…
Something…followed…
A heartbeat thudded and Jack thought he found Alex Arwyn.
Then, he realized it was his own.
…thrum-thrum…
No…Not his…
…tap-tap…
"…Jack?"
…thrum-thrum-tap-tap…
It wasn't his. Wasn't his, either. It…it was something else. Something else in the dark with him.
"Christ, Gwen, get his hand off!"
"Jack!"
Something…waiting. With a bloody-toothed feral smile.
"Jack! Let go! Let go of him!"
Oh God…
The dead were all around him and it approached from the darkness. This was wrong. He didn't belong here. He could feel himself disintegrating like sand, the vortex in him sucked away.
He's not supposed to be here…
…under the Rift, he will come…
God, someone help him…
…thrum-thrum-tap-tap…thrum-thrum-tap-tap…thrum-thrum-tap-tap…thrum-thrum-tap-tap…
THRUMTHRUMTAPTAPTHRUMTHRUMTAPTAP..
"JACK!"
Jack gasped like he was brought back to life. His body jerked and his limbs spasmed.
"You're alright. Deep breaths. Just take deep breaths. Shh…"
Ianto's voice soothed over him. His body braced Jack’s back like a wall, his hands on Jack's shoulders from behind, his chin pressed lightly to the back of his head. The pocket watch ticked away forgotten in Ianto's pocket.
It felt like his skin was scoured. Jack blinked blearily at the three white faces peering down at him like he was in the bottom of a well.
They all looked like they were waiting for him to say something.
"I don't think the glove likes me," Jack rasped, thinking quickly. Everyone relaxed.
"Okay, that never happened before," Owen announced, letting go of Jack's wrist, satisfied with whatever he heard. He rose to his feet. "Guess not everyone falls for the Harkness charm, Jack."
"I knew this thing was evil," Jack joked as he got up. He was surprised to feel Ianto's hand on his elbow.
"Steady," Ianto murmured, close to his ear. His brow was furrowed as Jack leaned back against a tiled wall.
"I'm okay," Jack whispered, quirking a smile which Ianto returned tentatively.
"If you're trying to show off to Gwen," Ianto muttered, "I think you could have done without the fainting, sir."
"I didn't faint," Jack bristled.
"No, of course, you didn't," Gwen assured too quickly.
"You just did a swoon into Ianto's arms there," Owen drawled as he studied the readings Tosh made. He snickered. "I've never seen Jonesy run that fast before."
Ianto looked vaguely embarrassed. "This floor is too filthy to lie on," he muttered to Jack. "Owen keeps a pigsty."
"Oi!"
Jack rubbed his head wearily. "Okay, that didn't work. Owen, you want to give it a try?"
"Never worked for me. Only Suzie. We all tried it."
"I haven't," Gwen spoke up. "Let me try."
Act V: "You seem to be stuck."
"Who took my place?" Suzie rasped, her head rolling as if it was disconnected from her body.
It was morbid staring at Suzie, even just through the CCTV. The view of her skull was bad despite the blue hue CCTV generally gave everything. Fleshy pulp that reminded Ianto of the bloody stumps of bodies he had passed trying to get to the tenth floor and Lisa.
The moment Suzie revealed where the next victim would be, everyone had bolted to find weapons, make calls, and left Ianto staring at the back of Suzie Costello's head.
Jack paused from gathering up the crime photos.
"Gwen Cooper," Jack said slowly, skeptically, unsure what Suzie was getting at. "You left quite a vacancy."
Suzie's laugh rippled goose flesh up Ianto's arms.
"Get out of there, Jack," Ianto murmured, not sure why he felt uneasy about Jack in there. Suzie was a living corpse, harmless.
"Did she take my place in everything?"
Ianto, without giving it a thought, shut off the CCTV.
Jack, to his credit, went back to clearing the photos off the table. "Tosh is going to set you up with a headset. You're going to ID him."
"Whatever you say, my Captain."
Jack ignored her as he gathered up the folders.
"Don't you want to know?" Suzie said softly.
"Know what?" Jack asked evenly.
"If it was all real?"
Don't answer her, Ianto pleaded silently.
"Don't worry, Captain. I'm sure your wonderful, faithful Ianto Jones had turned off the CCTV for you. No need to be shy." Suzie sat up, suddenly having no sign of the boneless slump from before. She turned her colorless face towards that camera above them. "Isn't that right, Jones? The cameras all turned off?" Her smile was too twisted, too knowing.
"Leave him out of it," Jack said flatly.
Suzie turned back towards Jack, who stood by the stairs with the folders but made no sign of leaving or coming closer. She made a tiny gasp of delight.
"I see…Gwen Cooper didn't replace everything, did she?" Suzie whispered. She made as if to stand. Ianto tensed but she weakly dropped back into her wheelchair. She laughed; a breathless bark that sounded wispy and gravelly.
"Christ, you really are the Doctor's companion after all."
Ianto thumped the desk. "Jack," he breathed.
"Now you know why the sex was good," Jack returned coldly, his shoulders stiff, his face hard. His grin was feral, his teeth tinged blue in the CCTV.
"And yet here you are; camera shy. You weren't before in Torchwood London. I thought Alex was mad for insisting we leave this to a man he had never met. But after seeing you and Hartman-"
Ianto twisted around and bolted for the interrogation room.
"…very impressive. No wonder they let you have Torchwood Three." Ianto caught the last scathing words as he burst into the room. The door swung open with a startling crash.
Jack twisted around, looking up, his face pinched but then it melted to worry when Ianto burst through, gasping.
"Ah, my successor," Suzie hushed, her voice a snake whisper. "Mr. Jones."
Ianto froze. Her dark eyes zeroed in on him, just like when she had pointed the gun to his temple, Jack bleeding on the ground, Gwen stunned behind him. He fought to ignore her, his gaze fixed on Jack instead.
"They're almost ready, sir." Ianto steadied his voice as he descended the stairs in a calmer pace and took the folders from Jack's cold hands. He wished he could give them a squeeze but he dared only to brush a finger across Jack's knuckles as he grabbed the folders.
Something in Jack's eyes eased a fraction. The tight, thin line of his mouth twitched.
"Tell me, Jones. Has he told you that he loves you?" Suzie laughed that breathless harsh sound again. "He never told me. Did he tell you? Or are you just a part-time shag like everyone else?"
Jack frowned, his look darkening to the point that Ianto took a step back. Jack turned around, stalked over to Suzie. He bent over to her ear.
Suzie took a sharp intake of breath. She swallowed, nodded, and then shut up. Jack looked down at her, his expression unreadable, his eyes hard, and walked away. Ianto mutely followed, casting a look over his shoulder. Suzie sat there, a trembling hand to her mouth, mute, her eyes wide with fear.
Stepping out of the room was like taking a breath of fresh air. They climbed up the steps back to Jack's office. Ianto grabbed Jack's greatcoat, opening it. Jack stared at it for a moment before slipping his arms through. He nodded curtly to Ianto.
"Set up communications for Suzie next to Tosh, but make sure she has no other access," Jack said as he took one last look into the interrogation room through the window that stood above it. Something flitted across his face. He started to leave.
"What did you tell her?" Ianto blurted out.
Jack stopped. He hesitated before he looked at Ianto with defeated eyes. He faced forward again.
"Don't ask," Jack said emotionlessly and left Ianto standing in his office alone.
Ianto turned back to the window and peered into the room below.
Suzie still sat there, her fingers to her mouth, her other hand worrying the hem of her borrowed shirt. She sensed Ianto's scrutiny and looked up.
And sneered.
Ianto matched her gaze unflinchingly, his jaw set. Suzie broke off contact, but it was Ianto who shivered.
Chapter 27: "They Keep Killing Suzie 2.0"
Additional Notes: Many thanks to soullessminion for betaing this chapter. And trtmx for her magic trick that saved my sanity! LOL.