Fic: The Oncoming Storm (Slash, AU, Janto 29/40 Conclusion 1/2)
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: Very dark, suicide/ self harm themes.
Notes For This Chapter: Note there are parallels to TW's "Out of Time"
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, Ch 27, Ch 28, Ch 29 Act 1/6, Ch 29 Act 2/6, Ch 29 Act 3/6 & 4/6, Ch 29 Act 5/6
Master Fic List: here
Chapter 29 "Out of Time"
Conclusion 1/2: "It's just bearable. It has to be. I don't have a choice."
December 23
The call, when it finally came in, didn't sound like Jack.
Ianto had been waiting by his desk, absently straightening, waiting to hear back about his car, his keys, and John Ellis. Time crawled since Jack had bolted out and Ianto was about to dash out for a cab when his mobile beeped.
"Jack?" Ianto didn't check to see who it was.
"John's dead." Jack sounded weary, defeated. "I was too late. Sorry about your car."
Ianto closed his eyes briefly. "Never mind the car," Ianto murmured. "You alright?"
"Me?" Jack gave a short laugh. "John killed himself, not me."
"I know, but-"
"I'm already in the garage with the body. I'm coming down with it." The line cut off.
Ianto took a deep breath and braced himself for Jack's return.
Jack stood there in the medical bay, by the railing, his arms folded in front of him. He watched, with a sense of detachment and lingering lightheadedness from the fumes, while Ianto filled out the clipboard.
John's body was zipped up and laid out on the gurney for the temporary cold storage. Owen would perform an autopsy after the holidays. It was a waste of time though. Jack could tell Owen how Ellis died.
He was there.
"You smell like exhaust." Ianto was tentative, his eyes barely staying on Jack for too long. Ianto glanced over at the white body bag.
"Garage," Jack offered. He stared at the profile and couldn't help but feel a little betrayed. He fought, he stayed, why couldn't John? "He stuck a hose into your car from the exhaust pipe. I uh…the entire garage was filled." It was technically the truth.
"You tried," Ianto just said quietly. "You all did."
"Last I checked, Emma was going to London and Owen insists Diane was looking for a job. Neither of them was going to get in a car and asphyxiate themselves."
It first came out as a sigh, but ended in a hiss before Jack realized it. When he saw Ianto flinch, Jack's head dropped.
"Sorry," Jack rasped. "That…that wasn't about you. I…this just was not how I wanted it to end for him."
Ianto glanced over at the body bag and nodded, his mouth crinkled downward. "I don't think it was how he imagined his life would be either." He looked at Jack steadily.
"I don't think anyone can guess where their life would be going."
Jack's mouth soured. "And some can be so blind as to where they're heading," Jack seethed. "Sometimes someone has to step in for their own good."
"You tried that, Jack."
Startled, Jack's eyes flew up to Ianto, who stared back unblinking.
"It was John's choice to die. Nothing you said or did would have changed his mind."
Jack broke eye contact and shrugged.
"It was his choice, Jack. A tragic one, but it was his choice."
At least he had a choice, Jack thought bitterly. Unbidden, his eyes burned. He thought about what John said. He did everything expected of life, yet missed out on the most important part of all and never saw his efforts grow and prosper. Would Alan have been this alone had John been there? Would there have been a different path for him had John remained? What life could John have now, knowing about Alan? Would he have had more children? Jack knew it was a fruitless question but one that had haunted John. Whatever answer Ellis came up with wasn't enough to keep him here. Trapped in another time, John Ellis found the one thing Jack Harkness didn't have to escape.
Jack was once again jealous of the dead.
A shadow crossed his and Jack blinked at the floor before lifting his heavy head. Ianto stood in front of him, his brow furrowed.
"I've been calling," Ianto said gently, his young eyes looking so much older than they should.
Jack's mouth twisted to something of a smile. "I was thinking."
"Uh oh," Ianto teased lightly. "That can't be good. I wouldn't recommend it. Don't think." He sobered. "Really. Don't."
Conclusion 2/2
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: Very dark, suicide/ self harm themes.
Notes For This Chapter: Note there are parallels to TW's "Out of Time"
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, Ch 27, Ch 28, Ch 29 Act 1/6, Ch 29 Act 2/6, Ch 29 Act 3/6 & 4/6, Ch 29 Act 5/6
Master Fic List: here
Chapter 29 "Out of Time"
Conclusion 1/2: "It's just bearable. It has to be. I don't have a choice."
December 23
The call, when it finally came in, didn't sound like Jack.
Ianto had been waiting by his desk, absently straightening, waiting to hear back about his car, his keys, and John Ellis. Time crawled since Jack had bolted out and Ianto was about to dash out for a cab when his mobile beeped.
"Jack?" Ianto didn't check to see who it was.
"John's dead." Jack sounded weary, defeated. "I was too late. Sorry about your car."
Ianto closed his eyes briefly. "Never mind the car," Ianto murmured. "You alright?"
"Me?" Jack gave a short laugh. "John killed himself, not me."
"I know, but-"
"I'm already in the garage with the body. I'm coming down with it." The line cut off.
Ianto took a deep breath and braced himself for Jack's return.
Jack stood there in the medical bay, by the railing, his arms folded in front of him. He watched, with a sense of detachment and lingering lightheadedness from the fumes, while Ianto filled out the clipboard.
John's body was zipped up and laid out on the gurney for the temporary cold storage. Owen would perform an autopsy after the holidays. It was a waste of time though. Jack could tell Owen how Ellis died.
He was there.
"You smell like exhaust." Ianto was tentative, his eyes barely staying on Jack for too long. Ianto glanced over at the white body bag.
"Garage," Jack offered. He stared at the profile and couldn't help but feel a little betrayed. He fought, he stayed, why couldn't John? "He stuck a hose into your car from the exhaust pipe. I uh…the entire garage was filled." It was technically the truth.
"You tried," Ianto just said quietly. "You all did."
"Last I checked, Emma was going to London and Owen insists Diane was looking for a job. Neither of them was going to get in a car and asphyxiate themselves."
It first came out as a sigh, but ended in a hiss before Jack realized it. When he saw Ianto flinch, Jack's head dropped.
"Sorry," Jack rasped. "That…that wasn't about you. I…this just was not how I wanted it to end for him."
Ianto glanced over at the body bag and nodded, his mouth crinkled downward. "I don't think it was how he imagined his life would be either." He looked at Jack steadily.
"I don't think anyone can guess where their life would be going."
Jack's mouth soured. "And some can be so blind as to where they're heading," Jack seethed. "Sometimes someone has to step in for their own good."
"You tried that, Jack."
Startled, Jack's eyes flew up to Ianto, who stared back unblinking.
"It was John's choice to die. Nothing you said or did would have changed his mind."
Jack broke eye contact and shrugged.
"It was his choice, Jack. A tragic one, but it was his choice."
At least he had a choice, Jack thought bitterly. Unbidden, his eyes burned. He thought about what John said. He did everything expected of life, yet missed out on the most important part of all and never saw his efforts grow and prosper. Would Alan have been this alone had John been there? Would there have been a different path for him had John remained? What life could John have now, knowing about Alan? Would he have had more children? Jack knew it was a fruitless question but one that had haunted John. Whatever answer Ellis came up with wasn't enough to keep him here. Trapped in another time, John Ellis found the one thing Jack Harkness didn't have to escape.
Jack was once again jealous of the dead.
A shadow crossed his and Jack blinked at the floor before lifting his heavy head. Ianto stood in front of him, his brow furrowed.
"I've been calling," Ianto said gently, his young eyes looking so much older than they should.
Jack's mouth twisted to something of a smile. "I was thinking."
"Uh oh," Ianto teased lightly. "That can't be good. I wouldn't recommend it. Don't think." He sobered. "Really. Don't."
Conclusion 2/2
Additional Notes: Many thanks to soullessminion for betaing this chapter. And trtmx for her magic trick that saved my sanity! LOL.