Fic: The Oncoming Storm (Slash, AU, Janto 37/40 Act 5/9)
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: strong language, dark, angsty, disturbing imagery (a matter of reader's interpretation, though)
Notes For This Chapter: Note there are parallels to DW's "The Sound of Drums"
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, Ch 30, Ch 31, Ch 32, Ch 33, Ch 34, Ch 35, Ch 36, Ch 37 Act 1/9, Ch 37 Act 2/9, Ch 37 Act 3/9, Ch 37 Act 4/9
Master Fic List: here
Chapter 37 "The Sound of Drums"
Act V: "Nice to meet you, Martha Jones."
Somewhere in London
Present day…
…thrum-thrum…tap-tap…
The darkness was disconcerting. It made the rhythm louder when there was nothing else around.
Jack could feel himself moving his feet but couldn't see them. He could feel Ianto gently pushing his head down to duck into a car, but he couldn't see what kind of car it was. It was a tight fit. Ianto was plastered against him, arm around his shoulders, legs tucked next to his. Not that Jack was complaining; Ianto's presence was an anchor in the dark.
The comforting presence of someone familiar by him chased the beat away and its hollow silence wasn't too bad. Ianto's hand stayed in his, which was probably embarrassing for Ianto, and secured him in place in a roiling sea of silence and uncertainty.
Nevertheless, Jack still felt uneasy about being led around. He could sense the presence of two others, two others who were not Torchwood. And he knew something was wrong. Ianto's heartbeat, that lulled him in the car before, started hammering harder just now. He found himself jerking awake when Ianto's body, which was propping him up before, vanished abruptly and when he tried to follow, he recognized the tendrils of heat from an explosion flaring bright against his skin.
"Ianto?" Jack couldn't hear himself speak, but he couldn't care at this point if he was shouting or not. The hotter the blast felt, the more Ianto's absence was felt. Jack made his way out of the car. Jack staggered towards what felt like the source of the fire. He'd dive in there if he had to. Jack groped blindly towards what felt like the hottest point. "Ianto!"
A body collided into him, pushing him back before he could throw himself into the fiery throes to find him. The hand suddenly gripping his was a relief. Jack felt around until he could feel Ianto's face against his palm. Jack could feel the dampness of sweat, Ianto's hair plastered to his forehead. Jack could only imagine what Ianto must look like right now.
"You okay?" Jack tried to lower his voice but it was hard to tell. With the hand not holding Ianto's, Jack patted his shoulders, his arms, his chest. He ran his fingers through Ianto's hair, checking his scalp until Ianto swatted his hand away. Jack wasn't sure if he was glad he couldn't feel anything. "Are you hurt?"
The two squeezes around his fingers made him weak-kneed. Jack didn't care what it looked like; he gathered Ianto against him and hugged him hard. Ianto buried his face into his shoulder, his fists grabbing the back of Jack's shirt.
"Explosion?" Jack murmured. Jack hoped Ianto's newfound allies weren't caught in the blast.
Ianto nodded against him. His hand pressed Jack's hand once.
Jack exhaled. Fire was hard to forget. He remembered how Normandy felt on him, how the burning sands of Boeshane were hot on his skin. His nostrils flared with the acrid bite of heat and wanton destruction. He wasn't sure what was going on but Ianto alone with people he didn't know and explosions didn't add up to anything good.
"Next time, just use me as a shield," Jack whispered-or at least he hoped he did-into Ianto's ear. "At least I'm fireproof."
Ianto stiffened. Jack could feel him burrowing deeper into Jack, his head shaking fervently into the hollow of his shoulder.
Jack sighed, not surprised. He'll just have to make sure he was close enough to be one anyway.
It was frustrating, lost in the dark in so many ways. Jack could feel Ianto vibrating against him, his body stiff. Arguing, Jack realized. Ianto was arguing with someone.
Before Jack could ask, he felt himself prodded back towards the car and they were driving once again. This time, it was a lot faster with a lot more swerving and braking. Jack felt his stomach lurch at each sudden turn. There was urgency in the way the car shook that left him tense and he didn't know why.
Ianto was still close by, arm around Jack's middle and holding him like a child's toy. He was shaking, his other hand fumbling for something. When Jack reached up, he frowned when he thought he could feel the hard plastic curve of a mobile, Ianto's jaw moving rapidly as if he was talking into it. Ianto kept squeezing Jack's hand as if trying to reassure of himself of Jack's presence.
Jack sat patiently, letting Ianto clutch him with what felt almost like desperation. He couldn't do anything else right now.
"Ianto?" Jack murmured again, wishing he could at least figure out if he was shouting or whispering. He could feel other people around him and the odd sense of anger lingering heavy in the air. He didn't like it. There was this dark emotion clinging to his skin from all sides. Even if he couldn't hear it, Jack could feel them arguing, shouting, and Ianto's grip growing tighter and tighter until it started to hurt.
Then, the car stopped.
Jack wondered why no one was getting out of the car. The car hummed underneath him, the engine idle, waiting. He could feel Ianto breathe heavily against him, leaning forward as if looking at something up front. Jack leaned forward as well and was startled when he felt short, shallow thumps around him. The car jerked, then twisted around, sending him crashing into Ianto as he felt the car do a 180. Something sharp rained on his cheek. Glass. The car window. Gunfire.
Jack didn't hesitate. He grabbed Ianto and threw him down on the seat, covering him with his body. More glass rained from above. He could feel Ianto squirming frantically underneath him and Jack knew the young man probably didn't appreciate being smothered, his face squashed under Jack's arm, his legs spilled to the car floor.
The car was shaking. Ianto was shaking. Jack could once again feel the waves and waves of arguing above him. Ianto was still trying to get out from under him. Jack cleared his throat.
"If that was gunfire," Jack barked-it better be loud this time-towards the front of the car. "I think you better ditch this car. Now."
Ianto nodded against Jack in agreement and Jack felt the thrumming of him talking, muffled underneath him. Jack cautiously sat up. No more gunfire, but he could feel a breeze blowing against his hair. Huh, whoever they were, they shot out the rear window.
After a short while-it was hard to tell with no light or voices to gauge time-Jack felt the car stop again with a shudder.
The air was heavy with tension, and the anxiety was so taut, so acute, that Jack's skin prickled.
Ianto stroked his hand to catch his attention. When Jack turned towards his direction, Ianto tentatively touched something on the back of his head. A bolt of pain jolted Jack. He clamped his mouth shut in case it wasn't a good place to start yelling. Then again…
"Fuck!"
Ianto rubbed a knuckle across his jaw in apology.
Jack tentatively reached around and gingerly felt it. It felt like a square scab. It was still throbbing ever since Ianto touched it.
"I guess this is what's causing…" Jack pointed a finger and made a circle around his own face.
Ianto squeezed his hand yes.
The gesture was hesitant and Jack knew why.
"You think we need to take it out," Jack guessed.
Sure enough, there was a long pause before Ianto tightened his grip once more.
"I'm not going to like this, am I?" Jack's mouth twisted into a wry grin.
Ianto simply rubbed his knuckle over Jack's right knee.
Jack swallowed but he forced himself to smile towards where he hoped Ianto was.
"Well." Jack forced his hand to loosen before he broke Ianto's fingers.
"Let's get this over with then."
"No," Martha repeated. Her voice echoed in the tunnel under the bridge where they had hidden her poor bullet-riddled car.
"I won't do this. Doctor, this…this is barbaric! I can't-you're asking me to butcher him!" She turned towards Ianto with a plea, but to her shock, Ianto merely averted his gaze. Jack Harkness was moved to the passenger seat, his face far too calm for what they were talking about.
"Martha, we need him with us, but not like this," the Doctor tried to explain.
"You won't get him at all!" Martha was growing hysterical. She could feel bile rising up her throat. "This could kill him!" First Saxon's people arrested her parents. Ianto can't reach his family, she can't reach her prat of a brother Leo and now the Doctor wanted to cut open poor Jack Harkness!
"Fine," the Doctor snapped at her unexpectedly. "I'll do it." He pivoted on his heel and headed back towards the car.
Ianto's apprehensive eyes beseeched her from inside the car. They made her call the Doctor back. "Wait," she said, her voice cracking. "Better…better let me do it."
Martha's hand shook as she approached the car. Someone handed her a pocketknife, which she accepted with a numb nod. Ianto was in the driver's seat. He'd pulled the passenger seat down flat and the captain was facedown on his stomach.
The bloody shirt back made her pause when she opened the door. The Doctor was already situated in the backseat, his hands holding on to Harkness' head like a human clamp. Ianto, white lipped, had the captain's left hand sandwiched between both of his. The car light was on and shone on the crystal branded into the captain's skin. It twinkled up at her.
Martha straddled Harkness, the knife in her hand. She swallowed. Oh God, she can't do this!
"Martha, it'll be all right," the Doctor murmured.
"Easy for you to say," Martha whispered. She glanced over to Ianto but to her dismay, Ianto didn't look like he was going to change his mind. He stared up at her with a bleak, unhappy expression but he said nothing when his eyes drifted over to the tiny knife she held. Martha's breathing quickened. This can't be happening.
"You know," Harkness suddenly spoke up in an unusually bright voice, "while normally being in this position brings back fond and kinky memories, could you hurry?" The captain paused. "I need to scratch my nose."
Ianto choked out a laugh. The Doctor chuckled hoarsely and Martha giggled, although it came out a bit hysterical. Harkness raised up his right hand to give her a thumbs up before wrapping his right arm around the head of the passenger seat.
"It's all right," Harkness said calmly. "Just do what you have to do."
Martha gulped then leaned down, one hand splayed on the small of his back. She could feel muscles bunching, bracing. Gingerly, she felt the outline of the crystal with a finger before she made a cut just outside border of the tiny square.
Jack Harkness grunted but he remained still. He didn't make a sound at the second or third cut.
Martha relaxed. Maybe it was just stamped onto his skin, maybe just glued, and just peeling it off like so would be fin-
There was a jolt that sizzled up through the tip of Martha's knife to her arm. Martha screamed. Jack screamed. She fell out of the car when Jack convulsed.
"Hold him down!" the Doctor shouted as he reached for the back of the captain's neck for the crystal. "Martha?" he called out of the car. "Are you all right?"
"F-fine," Martha managed to say. Her entire arm tingled. Her body quivered as if a charge had rippled through her and in a way, maybe that's what happened. She watched, dazed, her vision fuzzy, as the Doctor pulled at something. Jack stopped screaming, but even through teary eyes, Martha could see his body thrashing, pinned in place by the Doctor's firm grip on his neck like a bug.
Martha tried to get up, reaching the passenger seat when she felt something splatter onto her face the moment she stuck her head in. It was something hot, only droplets but she was afraid she knew what it was when she saw the Doctor pull out what looked like a glistening red hair-thin wire attached to the square from the back of the captain's neck. A wire seven centimeters long glistened red and black.
"Vicious little thing," the Doctor declared when he pulled it completely out.
Ianto stumbled out of the car on the other side, fell to his knees, and threw up.
Jack shuddered then stilled.
"Oh no." Frantic, Martha climbed back into the car. She turned Harkness around on the blood soaked seat. She checked his pulse, placed her head on his chest. Nothing! Oh no, no, no, no…
Martha opened the captain's mouth, pinched his nose, and tilted his head back. One breath, two breaths. She moved to compressions next.
"Martha," the Doctor rasped. He sounded ragged. "Leave him. Stop."
"No, you have to let me try," Martha begged. She saw Ianto get back on his feet, a hand to his mouth. "I have to try." She shrugged away the Doctor's hand on her.
"Martha," Ianto rasped as he climbed back into the driver's seat. He looked absolutely wrecked.
Martha's lower lip trembled. "Why did you make me do it?" she whispered. Martha checked Jack's jaw again. "There's no pulse. No heartbeat. Oh, Ianto, oh god, I'm so sorry." Martha sniffed.
"He's dead."
Suddenly, the body beneath her heaved and Jack Harkness made a loud gasp.
Martha shrieked. "So much for me!" She scrambled off him, her hand patting him on the chest. "Easy! Easy! Deep breaths now!"
"W-was someone kissing me?" Harkness gasped as soon as his breathing calmed.
The bluest eyes she'd seen since Ianto's focused on her. Martha swallowed at the clarity of the gaze. It was like looking at a summer sky.
"Ca'tain Jack 'arkness," the captain said breathlessly, but in the same timbre as before. A shaky hand touched her chin with his fingertips. "And 'ho are you?"
Bloody hell, now that she got a real good look at him, the man was gorgeous. Martha got her stupid mouth working again. "M-martha Jones," she squeaked. Okay, sick man, he just had surgery, bugger, and shouldn't she be mopping his brow or something?
He cast a dazzling if somewhat weary smile on her.
"Nice to meet you, Martha Jones," Jack rasped.
"Oh, give me a break!" the Doctor exclaimed, sounding disgusted.
Jack frowned and it looked like it was automatic when he shot back without looking, "I was only saying hello, Do-"
Jack stilled and he looked past Martha's shoulder. He tensed.
"Captain," the Doctor rumbled, his gaze steady on him.
Harkness levered out of the car, staggering back a step. He looked surprisingly steady for a man who just had his head cut open.
"Doctor," Harkness returned in an even voice.
Ianto went around the car to him. He touched Jack's arm hesitantly. "Jack?"
Jack Harkness appeared to relax minutely at Ianto's voice. His eyes darted to Ianto and the hard line of his shoulders eased. "You okay?" he murmured as he gripped Ianto's arm tight. He pulled Ianto closer to him. Martha swallowed at the suspicious look he gave her now. "These guys were your help?"
Ianto tugged at the captain's sleeve. "Jack," Ianto whispered.
Jack kept his eyes on the Doctor.
"You regenerated…again," the captain said, his voice low and wary. "Getting to be a habit for you."
The Doctor never replied. He merely stared at him. Martha thought he looked a little sad.
Martha wondered why Harkness, however, acted like he was cornered, his back pressed to the car. She wondered why he was making sure Ianto was far away from them when it came to her.
"That's right!" Martha burst out. "You think he's the other Doctor!"
"Martha…" the Doctor started to warn.
"What other Doctor?" Jack hissed. He tensed and took a step back. Ianto looked very pale all of the sudden.
"The one you were with the whole time," Martha continued, eager to have everything sorted. "He's not the-"
"Martha!" the Doctor thundered.
Martha jumped. "What?" she stammered. She stared at the Doctor, hurt. "I just wanted to-"
"Damn!" the Doctor exploded, not looking at her now.
Martha whipped her head around to what he was looking at. She moaned.
Jack Harkness and Ianto Jones were gone.
If the ground didn't shake so much, Jack would have known where he was going. Instead, he made sure he held onto Ianto's hand and did something he hadn't done in a long time.
Jack ran.
"Wait!" Ianto yelped as he tried to catch up, but Jack dragged him. He would have thrown Ianto over his shoulder but he didn't think Ianto would have appreciated the manhandling and Jack still felt so…not here, that Jack doubted he had the strength.
Suddenly, Ianto's hand slipped out of his grasp.
"No!"
Sand and alien screaming and people running and so many bodies and Grey, where is he, oh God, he let go of his hand, he-
"Jack! Jack, I'm all right! I'm right here!"
"Grey?" Jack stuttered. He felt the world spinning, too much, his head hurt, his body, hands were on him, he couldn't move, dark, so dark, tearing into him mind and body and…
Somewhere, in the soup of screaming and pain and memories that couldn't be memories, Jack heard the soothing syllables of a voice he knew lulled him in the dark murmuring against his ear. Jack felt the pounding in his chest slow, the tight vise that choked the air out of him loosening and the golden, blood mottled sands of his childhood fade into concrete and a white face.
Jack exhaled.
"Jack?" Ianto sounded scared, terrified, really. His hands shook as they settled on both sides of his face. "Jack, look at me."
Blinking, Jack focused until Ianto's pale expression sharpened into view.
"Ianto," Jack managed. He found himself standing, propped up by a brick wall in some alley, away from prying eyes, Ianto pressed up against him. Jack moved his hands up to Ianto's shoulders and gripped tightly. "Ianto," he repeated, stronger.
The wild panic retreated from Ianto's expression. He sighed and closed his eyes for a brief moment. "Thank God," Ianto's voice trembled. "You stopped breathing. I-" Ianto moved his hands down to Jack's torso.
"We should keep moving," Jack said hoarsely. He straightened. He tried to gather his thoughts, but it was like wrapping his arms around running water. He needed to get Ianto away from the Time Lord first. "Where are we? We need to head back to Cardiff, find the others, get you as far away as we can from this Doctor-"
"Jack, the Doctor…"
Jack nodded, his arms moving up around Ianto's shoulders. Briefly, he wondered what happened to have made the Time Lord regenerate. "Gwen said you were with him. How did that happen? How did you end up getting me out of there with him?" Jack tensed. He shook Ianto a little.
"He didn't do anything…did he?"
A chill crawled up his back when Ianto gazed at him with suspiciously bright eyes. Jack felt cold.
"God, Ianto, I'll kill him."
Ianto shook his head and rested his forehead on Jack's chest. "No," Ianto rasped, his voice wobbly. "Jack…Listen. I'm fine."
Jack exhaled sharply. "Thank God. How did you end up with him? What's going on?"
"Listen." Ianto leveled his gaze at him. "Jack…that man before…he's the Doctor."
Jack stared back. He nodded wordlessly, not understanding.
For some reason, Ianto looked ill.
"The man you met in 1941…" Ianto swallowed. His voice dropped, so low, Jack had to lean forward.
"That wasn't the Doctor."
Jack's brow knitted. He shook his head. "No, you're confused. Remember? Time Lords regenerate-"
"Jack, he never regenerated to that face! That man in 1941 was Harold Saxon. He was never the Doctor. He wasn't your Doctor!"
The world shrank around him.
Ianto gripped his braces, his eyes wide. "I saw him. We were sent to the end of the universe. A hundred trillion years. I met him, spoke with him before he regenerated and stole the TARDIS-"
"He what?" Jack wondered if he was still under and was only dreaming. He gaped at Ianto. "The TARDIS?"
Ianto nodded miserably. "He's somehow infected the TARDIS when it was attached to the Hub-"
"Wait, wait, wait." Jack was suddenly feeling dizzy. "The TARDIS showed up in Torchwood? In Cardiff?" Jack slumped back against the wall. His mind reeled, too cluttered to sort out.
"The man you knew, the man who left you the first time, the one we just left back there…He was the Doctor you remembered." Ianto's voice steadied. "The man who came back…in 1941 with the TARDIS. The man I saw in Canary Wharf with you…"
Jack's throat hurt for some reason. His eyes blurred. "He wasn't the Doctor," Jack completed the sentence when it looked like Ianto couldn't. Jack shook his head. "No, something's not adding up. The Doctor called me, after Abbadon, he said he was…"
"That wasn't him," Ianto murmured. "The man who went back for you…The Doctor called him the Master."
"What's with those names?" Jack tried to joke but the laugh was strangled in his throat. "There should be some Time Lord badges or…or…" Jack couldn't remember what else he wanted to say.
"So, not the Doctor then," Jack mumbled. He wondered why he couldn't feel his limbs right now.
Ianto nodded, his eyes on Jack. "It was Harold Saxon, not…not…" He curled his hands around Jack's wrists. Jack recoiled and Ianto looked devastated. "Jack, God, I'm sorry."
Jack settled back against the wall. It felt like it was holding him up now. There should be something, Jack thought distantly. There should be something that he should feel. Jack searched Ianto's face. He couldn't find the lie in it. He wanted to. Anything would be better than the shattered look on Ianto's face. There was a cold lump returning in his gut, but it had been so long, that Jack didn't recognize it at first. All it was doing was sitting in his stomach. There was no pain. All Jack could feel was numb.
"Jack?" Ianto's face was a mirror of when he returned from the memorial service, fragile as glass, his eyes sharp with emotion he could barely curb.
Ianto squeezed the hands he held, refusing to let go when Jack tried to pull away. Jack's skin crawled; he felt clammy, oily, and he wanted to tell Ianto to stay back but Ianto held on painfully to his wrists.
"Jack," Ianto murmured again, almost pleading. And for a moment, Jack couldn't fathom why Ianto looked like he was about to cry.
"Just tell me," Jack rasped. Jack ran his tongue across his cracked lips. "All of it."
Act VI
Additional Notes: Many thanks to soullessminion for betaing this chapter. And trtmx for her magic trick that saved my sanity! LOL.
PS: To Walker and all you lot mining LJ, I have nothing here that would ever interest you. This is just a boring little LJ of a newbie TW writer wannabe. Nevertheless, the words are mine, meant lovingly for my friends out there, so BACK OFF! Please. :)
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: strong language, dark, angsty, disturbing imagery (a matter of reader's interpretation, though)
Notes For This Chapter: Note there are parallels to DW's "The Sound of Drums"
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, Ch 30, Ch 31, Ch 32, Ch 33, Ch 34, Ch 35, Ch 36, Ch 37 Act 1/9, Ch 37 Act 2/9, Ch 37 Act 3/9, Ch 37 Act 4/9
Master Fic List: here
Chapter 37 "The Sound of Drums"
Act V: "Nice to meet you, Martha Jones."
Somewhere in London
Present day…
…thrum-thrum…tap-tap…
The darkness was disconcerting. It made the rhythm louder when there was nothing else around.
Jack could feel himself moving his feet but couldn't see them. He could feel Ianto gently pushing his head down to duck into a car, but he couldn't see what kind of car it was. It was a tight fit. Ianto was plastered against him, arm around his shoulders, legs tucked next to his. Not that Jack was complaining; Ianto's presence was an anchor in the dark.
The comforting presence of someone familiar by him chased the beat away and its hollow silence wasn't too bad. Ianto's hand stayed in his, which was probably embarrassing for Ianto, and secured him in place in a roiling sea of silence and uncertainty.
Nevertheless, Jack still felt uneasy about being led around. He could sense the presence of two others, two others who were not Torchwood. And he knew something was wrong. Ianto's heartbeat, that lulled him in the car before, started hammering harder just now. He found himself jerking awake when Ianto's body, which was propping him up before, vanished abruptly and when he tried to follow, he recognized the tendrils of heat from an explosion flaring bright against his skin.
"Ianto?" Jack couldn't hear himself speak, but he couldn't care at this point if he was shouting or not. The hotter the blast felt, the more Ianto's absence was felt. Jack made his way out of the car. Jack staggered towards what felt like the source of the fire. He'd dive in there if he had to. Jack groped blindly towards what felt like the hottest point. "Ianto!"
A body collided into him, pushing him back before he could throw himself into the fiery throes to find him. The hand suddenly gripping his was a relief. Jack felt around until he could feel Ianto's face against his palm. Jack could feel the dampness of sweat, Ianto's hair plastered to his forehead. Jack could only imagine what Ianto must look like right now.
"You okay?" Jack tried to lower his voice but it was hard to tell. With the hand not holding Ianto's, Jack patted his shoulders, his arms, his chest. He ran his fingers through Ianto's hair, checking his scalp until Ianto swatted his hand away. Jack wasn't sure if he was glad he couldn't feel anything. "Are you hurt?"
The two squeezes around his fingers made him weak-kneed. Jack didn't care what it looked like; he gathered Ianto against him and hugged him hard. Ianto buried his face into his shoulder, his fists grabbing the back of Jack's shirt.
"Explosion?" Jack murmured. Jack hoped Ianto's newfound allies weren't caught in the blast.
Ianto nodded against him. His hand pressed Jack's hand once.
Jack exhaled. Fire was hard to forget. He remembered how Normandy felt on him, how the burning sands of Boeshane were hot on his skin. His nostrils flared with the acrid bite of heat and wanton destruction. He wasn't sure what was going on but Ianto alone with people he didn't know and explosions didn't add up to anything good.
"Next time, just use me as a shield," Jack whispered-or at least he hoped he did-into Ianto's ear. "At least I'm fireproof."
Ianto stiffened. Jack could feel him burrowing deeper into Jack, his head shaking fervently into the hollow of his shoulder.
Jack sighed, not surprised. He'll just have to make sure he was close enough to be one anyway.
It was frustrating, lost in the dark in so many ways. Jack could feel Ianto vibrating against him, his body stiff. Arguing, Jack realized. Ianto was arguing with someone.
Before Jack could ask, he felt himself prodded back towards the car and they were driving once again. This time, it was a lot faster with a lot more swerving and braking. Jack felt his stomach lurch at each sudden turn. There was urgency in the way the car shook that left him tense and he didn't know why.
Ianto was still close by, arm around Jack's middle and holding him like a child's toy. He was shaking, his other hand fumbling for something. When Jack reached up, he frowned when he thought he could feel the hard plastic curve of a mobile, Ianto's jaw moving rapidly as if he was talking into it. Ianto kept squeezing Jack's hand as if trying to reassure of himself of Jack's presence.
Jack sat patiently, letting Ianto clutch him with what felt almost like desperation. He couldn't do anything else right now.
"Ianto?" Jack murmured again, wishing he could at least figure out if he was shouting or whispering. He could feel other people around him and the odd sense of anger lingering heavy in the air. He didn't like it. There was this dark emotion clinging to his skin from all sides. Even if he couldn't hear it, Jack could feel them arguing, shouting, and Ianto's grip growing tighter and tighter until it started to hurt.
Then, the car stopped.
Jack wondered why no one was getting out of the car. The car hummed underneath him, the engine idle, waiting. He could feel Ianto breathe heavily against him, leaning forward as if looking at something up front. Jack leaned forward as well and was startled when he felt short, shallow thumps around him. The car jerked, then twisted around, sending him crashing into Ianto as he felt the car do a 180. Something sharp rained on his cheek. Glass. The car window. Gunfire.
Jack didn't hesitate. He grabbed Ianto and threw him down on the seat, covering him with his body. More glass rained from above. He could feel Ianto squirming frantically underneath him and Jack knew the young man probably didn't appreciate being smothered, his face squashed under Jack's arm, his legs spilled to the car floor.
The car was shaking. Ianto was shaking. Jack could once again feel the waves and waves of arguing above him. Ianto was still trying to get out from under him. Jack cleared his throat.
"If that was gunfire," Jack barked-it better be loud this time-towards the front of the car. "I think you better ditch this car. Now."
Ianto nodded against Jack in agreement and Jack felt the thrumming of him talking, muffled underneath him. Jack cautiously sat up. No more gunfire, but he could feel a breeze blowing against his hair. Huh, whoever they were, they shot out the rear window.
After a short while-it was hard to tell with no light or voices to gauge time-Jack felt the car stop again with a shudder.
The air was heavy with tension, and the anxiety was so taut, so acute, that Jack's skin prickled.
Ianto stroked his hand to catch his attention. When Jack turned towards his direction, Ianto tentatively touched something on the back of his head. A bolt of pain jolted Jack. He clamped his mouth shut in case it wasn't a good place to start yelling. Then again…
"Fuck!"
Ianto rubbed a knuckle across his jaw in apology.
Jack tentatively reached around and gingerly felt it. It felt like a square scab. It was still throbbing ever since Ianto touched it.
"I guess this is what's causing…" Jack pointed a finger and made a circle around his own face.
Ianto squeezed his hand yes.
The gesture was hesitant and Jack knew why.
"You think we need to take it out," Jack guessed.
Sure enough, there was a long pause before Ianto tightened his grip once more.
"I'm not going to like this, am I?" Jack's mouth twisted into a wry grin.
Ianto simply rubbed his knuckle over Jack's right knee.
Jack swallowed but he forced himself to smile towards where he hoped Ianto was.
"Well." Jack forced his hand to loosen before he broke Ianto's fingers.
"Let's get this over with then."
"No," Martha repeated. Her voice echoed in the tunnel under the bridge where they had hidden her poor bullet-riddled car.
"I won't do this. Doctor, this…this is barbaric! I can't-you're asking me to butcher him!" She turned towards Ianto with a plea, but to her shock, Ianto merely averted his gaze. Jack Harkness was moved to the passenger seat, his face far too calm for what they were talking about.
"Martha, we need him with us, but not like this," the Doctor tried to explain.
"You won't get him at all!" Martha was growing hysterical. She could feel bile rising up her throat. "This could kill him!" First Saxon's people arrested her parents. Ianto can't reach his family, she can't reach her prat of a brother Leo and now the Doctor wanted to cut open poor Jack Harkness!
"Fine," the Doctor snapped at her unexpectedly. "I'll do it." He pivoted on his heel and headed back towards the car.
Ianto's apprehensive eyes beseeched her from inside the car. They made her call the Doctor back. "Wait," she said, her voice cracking. "Better…better let me do it."
Martha's hand shook as she approached the car. Someone handed her a pocketknife, which she accepted with a numb nod. Ianto was in the driver's seat. He'd pulled the passenger seat down flat and the captain was facedown on his stomach.
The bloody shirt back made her pause when she opened the door. The Doctor was already situated in the backseat, his hands holding on to Harkness' head like a human clamp. Ianto, white lipped, had the captain's left hand sandwiched between both of his. The car light was on and shone on the crystal branded into the captain's skin. It twinkled up at her.
Martha straddled Harkness, the knife in her hand. She swallowed. Oh God, she can't do this!
"Martha, it'll be all right," the Doctor murmured.
"Easy for you to say," Martha whispered. She glanced over to Ianto but to her dismay, Ianto didn't look like he was going to change his mind. He stared up at her with a bleak, unhappy expression but he said nothing when his eyes drifted over to the tiny knife she held. Martha's breathing quickened. This can't be happening.
"You know," Harkness suddenly spoke up in an unusually bright voice, "while normally being in this position brings back fond and kinky memories, could you hurry?" The captain paused. "I need to scratch my nose."
Ianto choked out a laugh. The Doctor chuckled hoarsely and Martha giggled, although it came out a bit hysterical. Harkness raised up his right hand to give her a thumbs up before wrapping his right arm around the head of the passenger seat.
"It's all right," Harkness said calmly. "Just do what you have to do."
Martha gulped then leaned down, one hand splayed on the small of his back. She could feel muscles bunching, bracing. Gingerly, she felt the outline of the crystal with a finger before she made a cut just outside border of the tiny square.
Jack Harkness grunted but he remained still. He didn't make a sound at the second or third cut.
Martha relaxed. Maybe it was just stamped onto his skin, maybe just glued, and just peeling it off like so would be fin-
There was a jolt that sizzled up through the tip of Martha's knife to her arm. Martha screamed. Jack screamed. She fell out of the car when Jack convulsed.
"Hold him down!" the Doctor shouted as he reached for the back of the captain's neck for the crystal. "Martha?" he called out of the car. "Are you all right?"
"F-fine," Martha managed to say. Her entire arm tingled. Her body quivered as if a charge had rippled through her and in a way, maybe that's what happened. She watched, dazed, her vision fuzzy, as the Doctor pulled at something. Jack stopped screaming, but even through teary eyes, Martha could see his body thrashing, pinned in place by the Doctor's firm grip on his neck like a bug.
Martha tried to get up, reaching the passenger seat when she felt something splatter onto her face the moment she stuck her head in. It was something hot, only droplets but she was afraid she knew what it was when she saw the Doctor pull out what looked like a glistening red hair-thin wire attached to the square from the back of the captain's neck. A wire seven centimeters long glistened red and black.
"Vicious little thing," the Doctor declared when he pulled it completely out.
Ianto stumbled out of the car on the other side, fell to his knees, and threw up.
Jack shuddered then stilled.
"Oh no." Frantic, Martha climbed back into the car. She turned Harkness around on the blood soaked seat. She checked his pulse, placed her head on his chest. Nothing! Oh no, no, no, no…
Martha opened the captain's mouth, pinched his nose, and tilted his head back. One breath, two breaths. She moved to compressions next.
"Martha," the Doctor rasped. He sounded ragged. "Leave him. Stop."
"No, you have to let me try," Martha begged. She saw Ianto get back on his feet, a hand to his mouth. "I have to try." She shrugged away the Doctor's hand on her.
"Martha," Ianto rasped as he climbed back into the driver's seat. He looked absolutely wrecked.
Martha's lower lip trembled. "Why did you make me do it?" she whispered. Martha checked Jack's jaw again. "There's no pulse. No heartbeat. Oh, Ianto, oh god, I'm so sorry." Martha sniffed.
"He's dead."
Suddenly, the body beneath her heaved and Jack Harkness made a loud gasp.
Martha shrieked. "So much for me!" She scrambled off him, her hand patting him on the chest. "Easy! Easy! Deep breaths now!"
"W-was someone kissing me?" Harkness gasped as soon as his breathing calmed.
The bluest eyes she'd seen since Ianto's focused on her. Martha swallowed at the clarity of the gaze. It was like looking at a summer sky.
"Ca'tain Jack 'arkness," the captain said breathlessly, but in the same timbre as before. A shaky hand touched her chin with his fingertips. "And 'ho are you?"
Bloody hell, now that she got a real good look at him, the man was gorgeous. Martha got her stupid mouth working again. "M-martha Jones," she squeaked. Okay, sick man, he just had surgery, bugger, and shouldn't she be mopping his brow or something?
He cast a dazzling if somewhat weary smile on her.
"Nice to meet you, Martha Jones," Jack rasped.
"Oh, give me a break!" the Doctor exclaimed, sounding disgusted.
Jack frowned and it looked like it was automatic when he shot back without looking, "I was only saying hello, Do-"
Jack stilled and he looked past Martha's shoulder. He tensed.
"Captain," the Doctor rumbled, his gaze steady on him.
Harkness levered out of the car, staggering back a step. He looked surprisingly steady for a man who just had his head cut open.
"Doctor," Harkness returned in an even voice.
Ianto went around the car to him. He touched Jack's arm hesitantly. "Jack?"
Jack Harkness appeared to relax minutely at Ianto's voice. His eyes darted to Ianto and the hard line of his shoulders eased. "You okay?" he murmured as he gripped Ianto's arm tight. He pulled Ianto closer to him. Martha swallowed at the suspicious look he gave her now. "These guys were your help?"
Ianto tugged at the captain's sleeve. "Jack," Ianto whispered.
Jack kept his eyes on the Doctor.
"You regenerated…again," the captain said, his voice low and wary. "Getting to be a habit for you."
The Doctor never replied. He merely stared at him. Martha thought he looked a little sad.
Martha wondered why Harkness, however, acted like he was cornered, his back pressed to the car. She wondered why he was making sure Ianto was far away from them when it came to her.
"That's right!" Martha burst out. "You think he's the other Doctor!"
"Martha…" the Doctor started to warn.
"What other Doctor?" Jack hissed. He tensed and took a step back. Ianto looked very pale all of the sudden.
"The one you were with the whole time," Martha continued, eager to have everything sorted. "He's not the-"
"Martha!" the Doctor thundered.
Martha jumped. "What?" she stammered. She stared at the Doctor, hurt. "I just wanted to-"
"Damn!" the Doctor exploded, not looking at her now.
Martha whipped her head around to what he was looking at. She moaned.
Jack Harkness and Ianto Jones were gone.
If the ground didn't shake so much, Jack would have known where he was going. Instead, he made sure he held onto Ianto's hand and did something he hadn't done in a long time.
Jack ran.
"Wait!" Ianto yelped as he tried to catch up, but Jack dragged him. He would have thrown Ianto over his shoulder but he didn't think Ianto would have appreciated the manhandling and Jack still felt so…not here, that Jack doubted he had the strength.
Suddenly, Ianto's hand slipped out of his grasp.
"No!"
Sand and alien screaming and people running and so many bodies and Grey, where is he, oh God, he let go of his hand, he-
"Jack! Jack, I'm all right! I'm right here!"
"Grey?" Jack stuttered. He felt the world spinning, too much, his head hurt, his body, hands were on him, he couldn't move, dark, so dark, tearing into him mind and body and…
Somewhere, in the soup of screaming and pain and memories that couldn't be memories, Jack heard the soothing syllables of a voice he knew lulled him in the dark murmuring against his ear. Jack felt the pounding in his chest slow, the tight vise that choked the air out of him loosening and the golden, blood mottled sands of his childhood fade into concrete and a white face.
Jack exhaled.
"Jack?" Ianto sounded scared, terrified, really. His hands shook as they settled on both sides of his face. "Jack, look at me."
Blinking, Jack focused until Ianto's pale expression sharpened into view.
"Ianto," Jack managed. He found himself standing, propped up by a brick wall in some alley, away from prying eyes, Ianto pressed up against him. Jack moved his hands up to Ianto's shoulders and gripped tightly. "Ianto," he repeated, stronger.
The wild panic retreated from Ianto's expression. He sighed and closed his eyes for a brief moment. "Thank God," Ianto's voice trembled. "You stopped breathing. I-" Ianto moved his hands down to Jack's torso.
"We should keep moving," Jack said hoarsely. He straightened. He tried to gather his thoughts, but it was like wrapping his arms around running water. He needed to get Ianto away from the Time Lord first. "Where are we? We need to head back to Cardiff, find the others, get you as far away as we can from this Doctor-"
"Jack, the Doctor…"
Jack nodded, his arms moving up around Ianto's shoulders. Briefly, he wondered what happened to have made the Time Lord regenerate. "Gwen said you were with him. How did that happen? How did you end up getting me out of there with him?" Jack tensed. He shook Ianto a little.
"He didn't do anything…did he?"
A chill crawled up his back when Ianto gazed at him with suspiciously bright eyes. Jack felt cold.
"God, Ianto, I'll kill him."
Ianto shook his head and rested his forehead on Jack's chest. "No," Ianto rasped, his voice wobbly. "Jack…Listen. I'm fine."
Jack exhaled sharply. "Thank God. How did you end up with him? What's going on?"
"Listen." Ianto leveled his gaze at him. "Jack…that man before…he's the Doctor."
Jack stared back. He nodded wordlessly, not understanding.
For some reason, Ianto looked ill.
"The man you met in 1941…" Ianto swallowed. His voice dropped, so low, Jack had to lean forward.
"That wasn't the Doctor."
Jack's brow knitted. He shook his head. "No, you're confused. Remember? Time Lords regenerate-"
"Jack, he never regenerated to that face! That man in 1941 was Harold Saxon. He was never the Doctor. He wasn't your Doctor!"
The world shrank around him.
Ianto gripped his braces, his eyes wide. "I saw him. We were sent to the end of the universe. A hundred trillion years. I met him, spoke with him before he regenerated and stole the TARDIS-"
"He what?" Jack wondered if he was still under and was only dreaming. He gaped at Ianto. "The TARDIS?"
Ianto nodded miserably. "He's somehow infected the TARDIS when it was attached to the Hub-"
"Wait, wait, wait." Jack was suddenly feeling dizzy. "The TARDIS showed up in Torchwood? In Cardiff?" Jack slumped back against the wall. His mind reeled, too cluttered to sort out.
"The man you knew, the man who left you the first time, the one we just left back there…He was the Doctor you remembered." Ianto's voice steadied. "The man who came back…in 1941 with the TARDIS. The man I saw in Canary Wharf with you…"
Jack's throat hurt for some reason. His eyes blurred. "He wasn't the Doctor," Jack completed the sentence when it looked like Ianto couldn't. Jack shook his head. "No, something's not adding up. The Doctor called me, after Abbadon, he said he was…"
"That wasn't him," Ianto murmured. "The man who went back for you…The Doctor called him the Master."
"What's with those names?" Jack tried to joke but the laugh was strangled in his throat. "There should be some Time Lord badges or…or…" Jack couldn't remember what else he wanted to say.
"So, not the Doctor then," Jack mumbled. He wondered why he couldn't feel his limbs right now.
Ianto nodded, his eyes on Jack. "It was Harold Saxon, not…not…" He curled his hands around Jack's wrists. Jack recoiled and Ianto looked devastated. "Jack, God, I'm sorry."
Jack settled back against the wall. It felt like it was holding him up now. There should be something, Jack thought distantly. There should be something that he should feel. Jack searched Ianto's face. He couldn't find the lie in it. He wanted to. Anything would be better than the shattered look on Ianto's face. There was a cold lump returning in his gut, but it had been so long, that Jack didn't recognize it at first. All it was doing was sitting in his stomach. There was no pain. All Jack could feel was numb.
"Jack?" Ianto's face was a mirror of when he returned from the memorial service, fragile as glass, his eyes sharp with emotion he could barely curb.
Ianto squeezed the hands he held, refusing to let go when Jack tried to pull away. Jack's skin crawled; he felt clammy, oily, and he wanted to tell Ianto to stay back but Ianto held on painfully to his wrists.
"Jack," Ianto murmured again, almost pleading. And for a moment, Jack couldn't fathom why Ianto looked like he was about to cry.
"Just tell me," Jack rasped. Jack ran his tongue across his cracked lips. "All of it."
Act VI
Additional Notes: Many thanks to soullessminion for betaing this chapter. And trtmx for her magic trick that saved my sanity! LOL.
PS: To Walker and all you lot mining LJ, I have nothing here that would ever interest you. This is just a boring little LJ of a newbie TW writer wannabe. Nevertheless, the words are mine, meant lovingly for my friends out there, so BACK OFF! Please. :)