Turning Point - 56/64
Title: Turning Point
Fandom: Torchwood
Pairings: budding Jack/Ianto, references to past Ianto/Lisa
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: If I was the one who owned Torchwood, you think I'd admit it now?
Spoilers: Some information and events from s1,2. NONE for s3.
Summary: In the aftermath of Lisa's death, Ianto is struggling to cope - and new surprises don't help matters much. Can his friends on the team at Torchwood help him carry on?
Author's Note: Sequel to Guilt.
Thanks to: My beta cazmalfoy, angelzbabe1989 for idea bouncing, and morbid_sparks for cheerleading even when she doesn'tdidn't know what happens.
Previous chapters at master list
Chapter Fifty-Six
Ianto had cleared all of the papers back down to the archives - leaving them in the correct places to be properly filed when he reached that section - and was waiting agitatedly for the others to return.
The disturbance had cleared shortly after they had arrived at the house, but other than a terse notice over the comm. from Owen that it was over and they were returning, he had no idea what was going on, or what had happened.
It was apparently over, but what did that mean? Had they ‘won’? ‘Lost’? Or - as was usually the case, and what he suspected was probably true here too - something in between?
When the door from the garage finally swung open, and the team traipsed in. The dark looks on their faces told him things definitely hadn’t gone as well as they might have optimistically hoped for.
Tosh, Owen and Gwen systematically dropped equipment in the proper locations on their way through the Hub, not even stopping to remove their jackets before they were heading for the cog door.
Ianto scurried up to stand next to the door before they reached it, looking questioningly at them.
Gwen paused next to him for just a moment, long enough to hiss, “He just let her go,” before continuing through the door after Tosh and Owen.
As the door rolled closed behind them, Ianto turned around. Jack was standing in the middle of the Hub, barely halfway from the garage to the office area. His shoulders were slumped and even at a distance, and with Jack’s head low, Ianto could see how utterly dejected he was.
He strode swiftly across the Hub to stand in front of him. “Jack?”
Jack raised his head and looked at him. “You may as well leave too; I know you must want to. I know the others will have told you what I did.”
Ianto stood his ground. “I suspect what they told me isn’t anywhere near the full story.”
“Perhaps not, but it doesn’t change the end result, doesn’t change what I did.” Jack’s eyes slid away to stare into space.
Ianto sighed, shifting around behind Jack and helping him off with his coat. He wasn’t sure Jack even noticed. He slung it over his arm and stepped directly into Jack’s line of sight.
“What actually happened out there, Jack?” he asked directly.
“I let her go,” Jack said softly. “Let them take her.”
“No.” Ianto fixed Jack with a stern look. “The whole story. I don’t believe you did that without a reason.”
Jack scrubbed a hand across his face. “She wanted to go,” he muttered painfully. “She really wanted to go, and not even the thought of her mother was enough to make her want to stay.”
Ianto couldn’t imagine what it must feel like when going away with the fairies seemed like a more attractive option than staying with your family. However self-destructive he had become in his teens, if he’d had one or both of his parents still there and able to care for him, loving him… everything would have been different. What had Jasmine’s life been like that she didn’t feel that?
“That’s still not the whole story, though, is it?” he prompted.
Jack shook his head slowly. “No. They said - no, they promised they’d destroy the world for her if we didn’t let her go with them.” His expression was bleak as he finally met Ianto’s eyes properly again. “You’ve seen what they can do. I have no doubts that if they wanted to do it, they could.”
“So, it was Jasmine or the whole world?” Ianto said, waiting for Jack’s nod of confirmation. “Doesn’t really sound like much of a choice.”
“I wish there had been another option, I really do,” Jack said, clearly frustrated. “I hate that I had to do what I did, but what else could I do?”
Ianto stepped forward, resting his free hand on Jack’s shoulder. “You did what you had to do. The others will see that, eventually.”
Jack shook his head, his lips pressed hard together. “I hope so, Ianto, I really do.”
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Comments and concrit are loved!
Fandom: Torchwood
Pairings: budding Jack/Ianto, references to past Ianto/Lisa
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: If I was the one who owned Torchwood, you think I'd admit it now?
Spoilers: Some information and events from s1,2. NONE for s3.
Summary: In the aftermath of Lisa's death, Ianto is struggling to cope - and new surprises don't help matters much. Can his friends on the team at Torchwood help him carry on?
Author's Note: Sequel to Guilt.
Thanks to: My beta cazmalfoy, angelzbabe1989 for idea bouncing, and morbid_sparks for cheerleading even when she doesn'tdidn't know what happens.
Previous chapters at master list
Chapter Fifty-Six
Ianto had cleared all of the papers back down to the archives - leaving them in the correct places to be properly filed when he reached that section - and was waiting agitatedly for the others to return.
The disturbance had cleared shortly after they had arrived at the house, but other than a terse notice over the comm. from Owen that it was over and they were returning, he had no idea what was going on, or what had happened.
It was apparently over, but what did that mean? Had they ‘won’? ‘Lost’? Or - as was usually the case, and what he suspected was probably true here too - something in between?
When the door from the garage finally swung open, and the team traipsed in. The dark looks on their faces told him things definitely hadn’t gone as well as they might have optimistically hoped for.
Tosh, Owen and Gwen systematically dropped equipment in the proper locations on their way through the Hub, not even stopping to remove their jackets before they were heading for the cog door.
Ianto scurried up to stand next to the door before they reached it, looking questioningly at them.
Gwen paused next to him for just a moment, long enough to hiss, “He just let her go,” before continuing through the door after Tosh and Owen.
As the door rolled closed behind them, Ianto turned around. Jack was standing in the middle of the Hub, barely halfway from the garage to the office area. His shoulders were slumped and even at a distance, and with Jack’s head low, Ianto could see how utterly dejected he was.
He strode swiftly across the Hub to stand in front of him. “Jack?”
Jack raised his head and looked at him. “You may as well leave too; I know you must want to. I know the others will have told you what I did.”
Ianto stood his ground. “I suspect what they told me isn’t anywhere near the full story.”
“Perhaps not, but it doesn’t change the end result, doesn’t change what I did.” Jack’s eyes slid away to stare into space.
Ianto sighed, shifting around behind Jack and helping him off with his coat. He wasn’t sure Jack even noticed. He slung it over his arm and stepped directly into Jack’s line of sight.
“What actually happened out there, Jack?” he asked directly.
“I let her go,” Jack said softly. “Let them take her.”
“No.” Ianto fixed Jack with a stern look. “The whole story. I don’t believe you did that without a reason.”
Jack scrubbed a hand across his face. “She wanted to go,” he muttered painfully. “She really wanted to go, and not even the thought of her mother was enough to make her want to stay.”
Ianto couldn’t imagine what it must feel like when going away with the fairies seemed like a more attractive option than staying with your family. However self-destructive he had become in his teens, if he’d had one or both of his parents still there and able to care for him, loving him… everything would have been different. What had Jasmine’s life been like that she didn’t feel that?
“That’s still not the whole story, though, is it?” he prompted.
Jack shook his head slowly. “No. They said - no, they promised they’d destroy the world for her if we didn’t let her go with them.” His expression was bleak as he finally met Ianto’s eyes properly again. “You’ve seen what they can do. I have no doubts that if they wanted to do it, they could.”
“So, it was Jasmine or the whole world?” Ianto said, waiting for Jack’s nod of confirmation. “Doesn’t really sound like much of a choice.”
“I wish there had been another option, I really do,” Jack said, clearly frustrated. “I hate that I had to do what I did, but what else could I do?”
Ianto stepped forward, resting his free hand on Jack’s shoulder. “You did what you had to do. The others will see that, eventually.”
Jack shook his head, his lips pressed hard together. “I hope so, Ianto, I really do.”
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Comments and concrit are loved!