Night Terrors
Title: When All the Stars Were Falling
Characters: James, Martha, Gwen, Ianto, Jack Jack/Ianto
Rated: PG-13 ANGST MPREG AU
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summary: Jack's been hiding something from Ianto.
Author's Note: This has nothing to do with Iefan or Knocked Up or their stories. Starts after Exit Wounds. This is a crossover with Pirates of the Caribbean. Okay, I admit it. This is a fix-it fic for Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Yay, Norrington!
Previous Chapter: Size Matters
Masterlist: http://ericadawn16.livejournal.com/140297.html
Night Terrors
“Should they not try harder at keeping it a secret?” James asked, confused at their behaviour. The women looked at each other; the glances looked perplexed and the strange young woman asked, “Why?”
“Because they could lose their positions or life depending on their superiors, is that not so anymore either?” he questioned when they shook their heads.
“No one cares; gay, straight, black, female, whatever, as long as the job gets done,” Martha shrugged and turned towards the dark haired woman, “Gwen, this is James in case you haven’t guessed (giggles) James, this is Gwen Williams. She’s a cop.”
“Gwen Cooper,” Gwen corrected, tapping her ring hand on the desk.
“Oi, that’s right, sorry,” Martha apologized, “Some women, like Gwen, keep their maiden names.” He tried to think on everything. Sodomy was allowed and women appeared to hold any job they wanted. This was bizarre. Elizabeth would have never believed this…Elizabeth. She was dead. She would have died hundreds of years ago.
“Not quite sure how they get anything done with the way they’re always at it though,” Gwen muttered, bringing him from his thoughts. The rest of the day was just as odd. He wasn’t allowed out of the building again until that night when Ianto told him that he was going home with him. This was when he saw what a car was and rode inside it although it was much more restrained than riding on horseback. Lights and sounds were overwhelming so he closed his eyes and the young man stopped naming things. Up a very, small stone pathway, they reached a small house which he opened with an odd metal key.
“Sorry about the mess, haven’t been here much…rough couple of weeks,” Ianto started and his mouth tried to form a smile like it was a joke, but it didn’t succeed. James decided to broach a subject he wasn’t sure about.
“Martha and Gwen mentioned two others: Owen and Tosh, where are they?” he questioned as the other man set the keys on a metal board with something written on it. He’d noticed during the car ride that Ianto was favoring his right arm, keeping the left still. There was a definite pause before the younger man admitted, “We…we lost them.”
“When?”
“It’s been thirteen days, 20 hours and 26 minutes…approximately,” he replied and his voice revealed how close to tears he was. Once again, he knew this man as he knew himself.
“And you still haven’t cried…”
“I have to be strong for them. You didn’t see what it was like…it had to be me! I was the only one who could,” the Welshman spat; balling his fists which resulted in a grimace from moving the left arm.
“And you’re injured,” James stated, stepping closer so he could investigate. He’d seen his share of injuries in the navy. Touching his arm caused no irritation, but his shoulder was soft and the man tried to bat him away while scowling.
“Your arm should be in a sling. Even the cabin boys had more sense than that. Martha must not know…”
Ianto shook his head. Although he did not know her well, she appeared to be a very competent doctor who knew better than letting him behave this way and he’d been right. If James knew some way of communicating with Jack, he would have but the modern ways eluded him like the device they kept in their pockets. He looked until he spied some cloth in what appeared to be the kitchen and made the younger man let him tie it into a sling.
“Moving will only hinder the healing,” he chastised and the other man just looked away. It made him wonder how long it had been like that. Crying would be good as well, but he would have felt like a hypocrite. So often had he kept his emotions bottled inside…maybe this would be a good chance to start over in all regards. Ianto picked up a black plastic rectangle and hit a button, making a picture appear on the monitor thing.
“This is a television. Use these arrows pointing up and down to go through the channels and this big button to turn it off,” he explained, handing him the small device. In the background, he could hear the sounds of water and drawers being opened and things he wasn’t sure about since his attention was focused on the picture box. Events used to take months to reach other places, but this television showed him live pictures of events that had happened that very day halfway around the world: elections in the former colonies, war in Basra and some problem about a torch that was being carried around. However, something extraordinary happened next. There was a performance of Macbeth so that anyone could watch. The actors were so close that he felt he could touch them unlike the seats he had the two times he’d been lucky enough to go in his own time.
“What hands are here? Hah! They pluck out mine eyes.
Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood
Clean from my hand? No; this my hand will rather
The multitudinous seas incarnadine,
Making the green one red.,” whispered James as the actress spoke the same. Then, he started hearing whimpering that wasn’t from the tv. He strode towards the sound coming from behind a closed door. With hesitation, he pushed on the knob and found that Ianto was making the noise himself. However, waving a hand in his face had no effect so he was asleep while whimpering. James had seen this before. Either a person learned to cope or they became careless and were killed. The cabin boys fared the best; they tended to pair up in mutual despair of what would come and missing their mums. No one questioned that they held each other in sleep because it was like they held a younger sibling. If only Jack was here… Ianto moaned again and thrashed in his sleep before mumbling, “No!!” There was only one thing to do. He crawled into bed and put his arms around the younger man. His sleep immediately improved and the whimpering stopped. At some point, James fell asleep as well.
***************************************************************
“James?” Ianto asked in the morning as he disentangled himself from the other. He couldn’t remember James being in his bed last night. Surely, they hadn’t done anything. He couldn’t imagine doing that to Jack. As he woke up, the older man stood as up as fast as he could.
“James?” he inquired again and the other man answered in a low voice, “You were having night terrors of some sort…I merely wanted to help you sleep.”
This explained why Jack was reluctant to have him go home alone with James. They usually slept together so his lover had known all along even though they thought it might be better for James not to have both of them together. Their new charge seemed to be understanding of their relationship, but he didn’t want to push it. He left for the loo where he continued to think. The last time he knew he had nightmares was when the Night Travelers had appeared, but what if Jack had been protecting him more than he realized? Was there anything else he was keeping from him? Ianto took his kit off and stepped into the shower, trying to escape the voice in his head.
***************************************************************
As soon as they arrived at the Hub, Ianto went off to do his duties and James went to find Jack in his office.
“What can I do for you?” asked the other man with a smirk until it disappeared upon James’ reply of, “I want to talk about Ianto.”
“What about Ianto?”
“His shoulder’s hurt and none of you even noticed? I think it must have been that way for days at least,” the taller man chastised and the leader of Torchwood was incredulous at first before sinking back in his chair. A hand rubbed the extent of his face and he stated, “I forgot…”
“I forgot,” he repeated in a horrid, defeated manner.
“It’s not just that…he hasn’t cried since those two mates of yours died…said he had to be strong for you and Gwen, but he had night terrors last night,” said James, deciding to leave out how he held him all night. Jack didn’t look at him.
“He could like as not get himself killed with that sort of behavior. You need to talk with him and have this sorted. Now, I…”
“You’ve known Ianto a day, just a day,” the other interrupted, standing up, “Don’t presume to know all there is know about that man. I’ll take care of it…I’ll take care of him.”
Day Off
Characters: James, Martha, Gwen, Ianto, Jack Jack/Ianto
Rated: PG-13 ANGST MPREG AU
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summary: Jack's been hiding something from Ianto.
Author's Note: This has nothing to do with Iefan or Knocked Up or their stories. Starts after Exit Wounds. This is a crossover with Pirates of the Caribbean. Okay, I admit it. This is a fix-it fic for Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Yay, Norrington!
Previous Chapter: Size Matters
Masterlist: http://ericadawn16.livejournal.com/140297.html
Night Terrors
“Should they not try harder at keeping it a secret?” James asked, confused at their behaviour. The women looked at each other; the glances looked perplexed and the strange young woman asked, “Why?”
“Because they could lose their positions or life depending on their superiors, is that not so anymore either?” he questioned when they shook their heads.
“No one cares; gay, straight, black, female, whatever, as long as the job gets done,” Martha shrugged and turned towards the dark haired woman, “Gwen, this is James in case you haven’t guessed (giggles) James, this is Gwen Williams. She’s a cop.”
“Gwen Cooper,” Gwen corrected, tapping her ring hand on the desk.
“Oi, that’s right, sorry,” Martha apologized, “Some women, like Gwen, keep their maiden names.” He tried to think on everything. Sodomy was allowed and women appeared to hold any job they wanted. This was bizarre. Elizabeth would have never believed this…Elizabeth. She was dead. She would have died hundreds of years ago.
“Not quite sure how they get anything done with the way they’re always at it though,” Gwen muttered, bringing him from his thoughts. The rest of the day was just as odd. He wasn’t allowed out of the building again until that night when Ianto told him that he was going home with him. This was when he saw what a car was and rode inside it although it was much more restrained than riding on horseback. Lights and sounds were overwhelming so he closed his eyes and the young man stopped naming things. Up a very, small stone pathway, they reached a small house which he opened with an odd metal key.
“Sorry about the mess, haven’t been here much…rough couple of weeks,” Ianto started and his mouth tried to form a smile like it was a joke, but it didn’t succeed. James decided to broach a subject he wasn’t sure about.
“Martha and Gwen mentioned two others: Owen and Tosh, where are they?” he questioned as the other man set the keys on a metal board with something written on it. He’d noticed during the car ride that Ianto was favoring his right arm, keeping the left still. There was a definite pause before the younger man admitted, “We…we lost them.”
“When?”
“It’s been thirteen days, 20 hours and 26 minutes…approximately,” he replied and his voice revealed how close to tears he was. Once again, he knew this man as he knew himself.
“And you still haven’t cried…”
“I have to be strong for them. You didn’t see what it was like…it had to be me! I was the only one who could,” the Welshman spat; balling his fists which resulted in a grimace from moving the left arm.
“And you’re injured,” James stated, stepping closer so he could investigate. He’d seen his share of injuries in the navy. Touching his arm caused no irritation, but his shoulder was soft and the man tried to bat him away while scowling.
“Your arm should be in a sling. Even the cabin boys had more sense than that. Martha must not know…”
Ianto shook his head. Although he did not know her well, she appeared to be a very competent doctor who knew better than letting him behave this way and he’d been right. If James knew some way of communicating with Jack, he would have but the modern ways eluded him like the device they kept in their pockets. He looked until he spied some cloth in what appeared to be the kitchen and made the younger man let him tie it into a sling.
“Moving will only hinder the healing,” he chastised and the other man just looked away. It made him wonder how long it had been like that. Crying would be good as well, but he would have felt like a hypocrite. So often had he kept his emotions bottled inside…maybe this would be a good chance to start over in all regards. Ianto picked up a black plastic rectangle and hit a button, making a picture appear on the monitor thing.
“This is a television. Use these arrows pointing up and down to go through the channels and this big button to turn it off,” he explained, handing him the small device. In the background, he could hear the sounds of water and drawers being opened and things he wasn’t sure about since his attention was focused on the picture box. Events used to take months to reach other places, but this television showed him live pictures of events that had happened that very day halfway around the world: elections in the former colonies, war in Basra and some problem about a torch that was being carried around. However, something extraordinary happened next. There was a performance of Macbeth so that anyone could watch. The actors were so close that he felt he could touch them unlike the seats he had the two times he’d been lucky enough to go in his own time.
“What hands are here? Hah! They pluck out mine eyes.
Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood
Clean from my hand? No; this my hand will rather
The multitudinous seas incarnadine,
Making the green one red.,” whispered James as the actress spoke the same. Then, he started hearing whimpering that wasn’t from the tv. He strode towards the sound coming from behind a closed door. With hesitation, he pushed on the knob and found that Ianto was making the noise himself. However, waving a hand in his face had no effect so he was asleep while whimpering. James had seen this before. Either a person learned to cope or they became careless and were killed. The cabin boys fared the best; they tended to pair up in mutual despair of what would come and missing their mums. No one questioned that they held each other in sleep because it was like they held a younger sibling. If only Jack was here… Ianto moaned again and thrashed in his sleep before mumbling, “No!!” There was only one thing to do. He crawled into bed and put his arms around the younger man. His sleep immediately improved and the whimpering stopped. At some point, James fell asleep as well.
***************************************************************
“James?” Ianto asked in the morning as he disentangled himself from the other. He couldn’t remember James being in his bed last night. Surely, they hadn’t done anything. He couldn’t imagine doing that to Jack. As he woke up, the older man stood as up as fast as he could.
“James?” he inquired again and the other man answered in a low voice, “You were having night terrors of some sort…I merely wanted to help you sleep.”
This explained why Jack was reluctant to have him go home alone with James. They usually slept together so his lover had known all along even though they thought it might be better for James not to have both of them together. Their new charge seemed to be understanding of their relationship, but he didn’t want to push it. He left for the loo where he continued to think. The last time he knew he had nightmares was when the Night Travelers had appeared, but what if Jack had been protecting him more than he realized? Was there anything else he was keeping from him? Ianto took his kit off and stepped into the shower, trying to escape the voice in his head.
***************************************************************
As soon as they arrived at the Hub, Ianto went off to do his duties and James went to find Jack in his office.
“What can I do for you?” asked the other man with a smirk until it disappeared upon James’ reply of, “I want to talk about Ianto.”
“What about Ianto?”
“His shoulder’s hurt and none of you even noticed? I think it must have been that way for days at least,” the taller man chastised and the leader of Torchwood was incredulous at first before sinking back in his chair. A hand rubbed the extent of his face and he stated, “I forgot…”
“I forgot,” he repeated in a horrid, defeated manner.
“It’s not just that…he hasn’t cried since those two mates of yours died…said he had to be strong for you and Gwen, but he had night terrors last night,” said James, deciding to leave out how he held him all night. Jack didn’t look at him.
“He could like as not get himself killed with that sort of behavior. You need to talk with him and have this sorted. Now, I…”
“You’ve known Ianto a day, just a day,” the other interrupted, standing up, “Don’t presume to know all there is know about that man. I’ll take care of it…I’ll take care of him.”
Day Off