Paths
I wrote this in response to the latest FlashFiction challenge over on tw_flashfic, only to realise that it didn't fit! *rolls eyes* So, sorry, but you're getting it instead. Stop whimpering at the back!
Title: Paths
Rating: Open
Disclaimer: Not mine, they belong to the BBC and RTD
Spoilers: General for the series
Summary: Ianto's path crosses that of the Doctor.
The first time he saw the Doctor, Ianto was being carried away from his home by his mother. He wasn't too certain about what was happening but his mother had told him that there were bad people in the hills and forest behind his home and they had to leave for a while. It had annoyed him that someone was disturbing the wild places he loved so much, where he spent so much time seeking the silent wisdom that seeped in through the pores of your skin and the open windows of your mind. He had viewed the arrival of the soldiers with a mixture of unease and relief, but then he had seen the Doctor.
Ianto hadn't known who he was at the time. All he had known was that he was the oddest looking person he had ever seen in his life, and yet once seen, he could never be forgotten. Even though he was wearing baggy clothing that looked more suited to a vagrant than a leader, the military people who were surrounding him were listening to him respectfully and everyone was leaping to obey his commands. He had looked up as Ianto and his mother had passed and something had passed between Time Lord and child; some indefinable spark that forged a connection that would never be broken. The Doctor had winked, Ianto had smiled and then they had been swept apart.
OOO
The second time he saw the Doctor, Ianto was creeping through the darkened corridors of his school. He had convinced himself that there was something very wrong with three of the teachers at the school and he was determined to see if he could find something he could take to the headmaster to prove his suspicions. The corridors of the school looked very different at dead of night and Ianto had been grateful for the cat's eye night vision that allowed him to navigate them by the light of the moon pouring through the high windows. That didn't stop him from almost leaping out of his skin when he was suddenly grabbed and giving a small scream that was immediately muffled by a hand being placed over his mouth.
"Sssh, it's just us," came the cheerful voice in a stage whisper and he had looked up to see the Doctor grinning down at him, with the headmaster, Mr Chesterton, frowning behind him.
He'd changed, Ianto had noted with interest. The short dark-haired gypsy had been replaced by a tall, curly-haired and almost pop-eyed giant. The look in the eyes was the same, though, and he saw those eyes widen as he was recognised in turn.
"Well, well," the Doctor had said. "Fancy meeting you here."
Ianto had smiled up at him, then was distracted by Mr Chesterton making disapproving noises and saying that he should be in his dorm with the others. His annoyance was tempered by the Doctor's rumbling chuckle as his hair was ruffled.
"Nonsense! Boy knew there was something wrong and quite naturally wanted to see if he could find out what it was. He has his mother's curiosity and his father's inability to stay out of trouble."
"You know his parents?" Mr Chesterton looked surprised and a little worried.
"Oh yes," the Doctor said blithely. "Now, let's see about flushing out those Sontaran spies, eh?"
"Ianto should go back to bed," the headmaster insisted.
Ianto bristled but to his dismay the Doctor looked thoughtful before nodding in agreement. He crouched down to gaze directly into Ianto's eyes. "The time's not right, little one. Later on, now, it will be a different matter."
"Promise?" Ianto asked, feeling it was important to get that simple thing nailed down.
The Doctor paused, then nodded decisively. "I promise. Now, back to bed. We'll meet again but not this time."
Ianto went back to bed but was still awake when the fire alarm went off and the entire school was evacuated while the fire brigade battled in vain to save the West Wing before it mysteriously burned down. Ianto had an anxious few moments before he saw Mr Chesterton, a little singed but otherwise all right. The older man turned his head to look at Ianto as he was led away to the ambulance and gave Ianto a reassuring smile and a nod. Ianto smiled back and resolved to practice being patient.
OOO
The next time he saw the Doctor he was busy working on some cataloguing when the door burst open and a tall, slender blond man dressed in an Edwardian cricketing outfit burst in, closely followed by a beautiful young woman.
"I'm terribly sorry for intruding, but we seem to be being chased by some very unpleasant-" The Doctor skidded to a halt when he realised he was talking to Ianto. "It's you!" he exclaimed in unaffected delight.
Ianto had already got to his feet and was busy inputting the codes to open the door to the Secure Archives. "Yes, which is lucky for you. In here," he said, gesturing at the small room the open door revealed. "They won't be able to detect you in there."
The Doctor shepherded the young woman before him and gave Ianto another smile as the door closed. As soon as it was secure, Ianto engaged the security field and went to sit back down. When the security goons came charging in, he acted suitably confused and watched in silent amusement as they walked straight past the Secure Archives as they searched the room. After a while they gave up and left. Ianto waited until he was certain they had left completely, brewed a pot of tea and then let the Doctor and his Companion out and offered them a cup each.
"I see you haven't forgotten the civilised niceties of life," the Doctor said as he gratefully sipped at his cup and peered hopefully into the biscuit tin Ianto produced. "This is Nyssa, by the way. She comes from Traken."
"Came from," the girl corrected and gave Ianto a friendly smile that drew an answering one from him. She was very beautiful, he thought to himself, but knew they wouldn't be staying for much longer than it took to drink the tea. "It was destroyed by the Master."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Ianto said with quiet sympathy. Inwardly he tried to grasp the concept of losing your entire world, and felt his mind quail away from the very idea.
"We don't seem to be very welcome here," the Doctor said after a moment. "I think the sooner we find Adric and leave, the better."
"Is Adric a person?" Ianto asked. "And a prisoner?" he continued when the Doctor nodded. Another agreement sent him to the computer and it was the work of minutes to hack into the security files and find the relevant information. "He's in C Wing, currently being escorted to the laboratories for preliminary examination." He felt his lips press together as he realised what that was generally the first stage of. He sometimes detested the people he worked for. "Here, I'll print off a schematic for you. Make your way there and in-" he glanced at his watch, "-twenty minutes I'll arrange a distraction. After that you're on your own."
"Thank you," the Doctor said gratefully. Nyssa gave him a brilliant smile and a quick peck on the cheek. They turned to go but the Doctor hesitated and looked back over his shoulder. "Would you like to come?"
Ianto smiled wistfully. "Of course, but I have responsibilities. My mother..." His voice trailed away and the Doctor nodded sympathetically.
"Maybe next time," he said. Then he was gone with a wave of his hand.
OOO
He saw him when the Tower was falling down in ruins all around them. The Doctor was running in one direction while Ianto was going in another. They locked gazes for one endless moment in a corridor filled with smoke and debris. Then a woman's voice screamed the Doctor's name from further up the corridor and Ianto's headset crackled with the latest disastrous situation report and the instant passed and they went their separate ways.
OOO
He wasn't there when the Doctor came to claim Jack and for a while it was so very hard to remember that sense of connection as he burned with jealousy. Then he put the emotion to one side and got on with his job, the way he always did. Then the Doctor was back and before Ianto could say anything, Jack had swept him up in an embrace and was kissing him almost frantically and telling him how much he'd missed him. Ianto's eyes met the Doctor's across the length of the Hub and the Doctor had smiled understandingly before going back into the TARDIS and leaving them behind.
OOO
Time passed and Ianto didn't see the Doctor again, although he still collected the reports of his comings and goings, smiling wistfully as he dreamed of what might have been. He'd refused the Time Lord several times and he didn't think he would get another chance. He and Jack had finally come to understand one another. They still held their individual secrets safely close to themselves but what had once been sharply abrasive had softened and become gentler with time, pearls created out of the trust and love they had come to feel. There had been a hint of suspicion in Jack's eyes the last couple of years whenever he had looked at Ianto but he had refused to ask the question that Ianto could see was there. Ianto, in turn, had seen the growing restlessness in Jack and realised that Jack was beginning to chafe again at being in one place and time. What they did was important but they invariably saw only the ugly side of the Universe and he knew that Jack was beginning to dream of other skies, scents and people with increasing longing.
There was a certain inevitability to hearing the sound of the TARDIS materialising inside the Hub one night. Ianto finished shutting down the Archive computers and went up into the Main Hub, mildly taken aback to see that both Jack and the Doctor were still there. Neither of them were big on goodbyes. The Doctor was still in his Tenth Incarnation and Ianto was a little surprised at that.
"That's three times I've seen you with the same face," he commented with a smile. "It has to be some kind of record."
The Doctor smiled back. "I quite like this look, even if it isn't ginger," he said.
"Ianto..." Jack said hesitantly.
Ianto gave him an understanding smile. "I know, cariad. I've known for a while. It would be cruel to cage you. Come back if you can, but if you don't then I'll still have my memories." The tears that threatened were safely thrown back by the brilliant smile and grateful kiss he got from Jack before he tore off to do some packing.
"You could come with us, you know," the Doctor suggested.
Ianto gave him a wry smile. Another offer. Had anyone else had this much good fortune? "And who would keep this place running? Maybe next time."
The Doctor sighed. "You have so much of your mother in you but I sometimes wonder where your father's blood disappeared to."
Ianto gave a rueful smile. "Oh, it's there. You can tell from the amount of trouble I manage to attract without even trying!" He smiled as Jack returned, still trying to stuff things into his bag. "Try and stay out of the worst of the trouble, okay?"
Jack gave him another kiss. "I'll be back before you know it," he assured him.
OOO
He barely managed to send his Team to safety before he had to trigger the self-destruct and bring the Hub down around the invading Cybermen. He knew a savage satisfaction as the Rift's backlash fragmented them across space and time but the intense pain inside him told him that he had been too close and was about to pay the ultimate price. He lay in the dark and hoped that the others were all safe and would be able to activate the remote site in time to mop up the few Cybermen that were still wandering around. UNIT would be here soon and would be able to add their considerable experience to the battle.
He felt himself starting to weaken but he didn't really mind. He had finally avenged Lisa and saved the world, all at the same time. Not too shabby, he thought, then caught his breath at the familiar sound that tore through the darkened air. Your timing is off, Doctor, he thought muzzily. He saw the ghostly image of the TARDIS fade into existence and then disappear into the gloom as she phased completely into this reality. The door opened and Jack tore out, only to trip and nearly fall flat on his face on the rubble all around. Swearing from a mixture of rage and fear, he found a torch from somewhere and then started to search the Hub methodically. Ianto eventually took pity of him and called out, only to pay the price with a harsh coughing fit that brought up a small gush of blood. Not long now, he thought wearily.
Then Jack was beside him, as was the Doctor. Still the Tenth one. Jack's taken good care of him. He saw the look of intense grief on Jack's face and tried to pat his hand reassuringly, but his body was no longer obeying him and he could only manage a small smile which the Doctor returned, anxiety in his own eyes.
"You have to do something!" Jack was yelling at the Doctor. "There must be somewhere we can take him, someone who can help-"
"It's too late," the Doctor said sympathetically, placing a comforting hand on Jack's shoulder. "Once it gets this far, it can't be stopped." He returned his attention to Ianto. "I'll miss you."
Ianto managed one final smile, but the universe was starting to dissolve into the most beautiful shimmering mosaic of light and shadow and he lost sight of Jack and the Doctor as the glory overwhelmed him. It seemed like a long time before he heard a familiar voice that guided him in a specific direction. When he opened his eyes, he found himself looking at a stunned Jack and a mildly confused Doctor.
"Now that's odd," the Doctor said.
"What is?" Ianto was relieved to find that there was no longer any pain. He sat up and glanced down at his intact body, but reflected that his suit was definitely due for a burial.
"Well, take a look." The Doctor produced a small mirror from somewhere and handed it over to him.
Bracing himself, Ianto took a look and blinked in surprise when he saw his own face reflected back at him. "Oh. I see what you mean. Well, at least I'm not ginger," he said, grinning as he heard the Doctor's huff of indignation. Turning to Jack, he reached out to give the other man a reassuring hug. "It's okay, I'm fine."
"You're... like me?" Jack asked in surprise.
"No, not even close," Ianto said with a shake to his head. "If I get killed, I stay dead. If I get the chance to get nearly dead, though... well, that's a completely different matter. The information you gave me doesn't do it justice," he told the Doctor. "It's an awesome experience."
"Just don't make a habit of it, all right?" the Doctor said severely. "The very fact that you have the same body and personality means that you differ from the norm and I'd really prefer not to find out the hard way that it only works the once!" He shook himself and pushed himself to his feet. "Well I, for one, would prefer to leave this place and go somewhere a bit more pleasant. Into the TARDIS with you, Jack."
"But-"
"In. Now. I'll explain later."
Ianto sighed as he got to his feet. "I'd better get started with the clean-up as well," he said, then started as the Doctor seized him by the arm.
"You're coming with me," the Doctor said grimly. "No, I don't want to hear any more excuses," he continued when Ianto opened his mouth. "I listened to your mother when she said that it would be better for you to start life as a normal human. I listened to Ian when he said that it wouldn't be fair to uproot you from your life when you were a teenager. I listened to you when you said that you had to stay with your mother while she lived. I even listened to you when you put this benighted organisation ahead of your own happiness. I'm not listening any more. As far as this world is concerned, Ianto Jones, you are dead. If you walk out through that door without a scratch on you then you'll wind up getting tested to within an inch of your life. Enough is enough! Into the TARDIS with you and less of the backchat."
After a moment, Ianto relaxed and smiled ruefully. "Yes, father," he said obediently.
The Doctor sighed and shook his head as he took one last look around the Hub and then made for the TARDIS. He had God knew how many years of serious catching up to do with his son and there had better not be any nonsense from Ianto about his responsibilities until the Doctor had done just that. Although there was going to be some considerable amusement to be extracted from the look on Jack's face when he realised exactly what was going on! With a mischievous grin, the Doctor bounded off into the TARDIS.
OOOO
Title: Paths
Rating: Open
Disclaimer: Not mine, they belong to the BBC and RTD
Spoilers: General for the series
Summary: Ianto's path crosses that of the Doctor.
The first time he saw the Doctor, Ianto was being carried away from his home by his mother. He wasn't too certain about what was happening but his mother had told him that there were bad people in the hills and forest behind his home and they had to leave for a while. It had annoyed him that someone was disturbing the wild places he loved so much, where he spent so much time seeking the silent wisdom that seeped in through the pores of your skin and the open windows of your mind. He had viewed the arrival of the soldiers with a mixture of unease and relief, but then he had seen the Doctor.
Ianto hadn't known who he was at the time. All he had known was that he was the oddest looking person he had ever seen in his life, and yet once seen, he could never be forgotten. Even though he was wearing baggy clothing that looked more suited to a vagrant than a leader, the military people who were surrounding him were listening to him respectfully and everyone was leaping to obey his commands. He had looked up as Ianto and his mother had passed and something had passed between Time Lord and child; some indefinable spark that forged a connection that would never be broken. The Doctor had winked, Ianto had smiled and then they had been swept apart.
OOO
The second time he saw the Doctor, Ianto was creeping through the darkened corridors of his school. He had convinced himself that there was something very wrong with three of the teachers at the school and he was determined to see if he could find something he could take to the headmaster to prove his suspicions. The corridors of the school looked very different at dead of night and Ianto had been grateful for the cat's eye night vision that allowed him to navigate them by the light of the moon pouring through the high windows. That didn't stop him from almost leaping out of his skin when he was suddenly grabbed and giving a small scream that was immediately muffled by a hand being placed over his mouth.
"Sssh, it's just us," came the cheerful voice in a stage whisper and he had looked up to see the Doctor grinning down at him, with the headmaster, Mr Chesterton, frowning behind him.
He'd changed, Ianto had noted with interest. The short dark-haired gypsy had been replaced by a tall, curly-haired and almost pop-eyed giant. The look in the eyes was the same, though, and he saw those eyes widen as he was recognised in turn.
"Well, well," the Doctor had said. "Fancy meeting you here."
Ianto had smiled up at him, then was distracted by Mr Chesterton making disapproving noises and saying that he should be in his dorm with the others. His annoyance was tempered by the Doctor's rumbling chuckle as his hair was ruffled.
"Nonsense! Boy knew there was something wrong and quite naturally wanted to see if he could find out what it was. He has his mother's curiosity and his father's inability to stay out of trouble."
"You know his parents?" Mr Chesterton looked surprised and a little worried.
"Oh yes," the Doctor said blithely. "Now, let's see about flushing out those Sontaran spies, eh?"
"Ianto should go back to bed," the headmaster insisted.
Ianto bristled but to his dismay the Doctor looked thoughtful before nodding in agreement. He crouched down to gaze directly into Ianto's eyes. "The time's not right, little one. Later on, now, it will be a different matter."
"Promise?" Ianto asked, feeling it was important to get that simple thing nailed down.
The Doctor paused, then nodded decisively. "I promise. Now, back to bed. We'll meet again but not this time."
Ianto went back to bed but was still awake when the fire alarm went off and the entire school was evacuated while the fire brigade battled in vain to save the West Wing before it mysteriously burned down. Ianto had an anxious few moments before he saw Mr Chesterton, a little singed but otherwise all right. The older man turned his head to look at Ianto as he was led away to the ambulance and gave Ianto a reassuring smile and a nod. Ianto smiled back and resolved to practice being patient.
OOO
The next time he saw the Doctor he was busy working on some cataloguing when the door burst open and a tall, slender blond man dressed in an Edwardian cricketing outfit burst in, closely followed by a beautiful young woman.
"I'm terribly sorry for intruding, but we seem to be being chased by some very unpleasant-" The Doctor skidded to a halt when he realised he was talking to Ianto. "It's you!" he exclaimed in unaffected delight.
Ianto had already got to his feet and was busy inputting the codes to open the door to the Secure Archives. "Yes, which is lucky for you. In here," he said, gesturing at the small room the open door revealed. "They won't be able to detect you in there."
The Doctor shepherded the young woman before him and gave Ianto another smile as the door closed. As soon as it was secure, Ianto engaged the security field and went to sit back down. When the security goons came charging in, he acted suitably confused and watched in silent amusement as they walked straight past the Secure Archives as they searched the room. After a while they gave up and left. Ianto waited until he was certain they had left completely, brewed a pot of tea and then let the Doctor and his Companion out and offered them a cup each.
"I see you haven't forgotten the civilised niceties of life," the Doctor said as he gratefully sipped at his cup and peered hopefully into the biscuit tin Ianto produced. "This is Nyssa, by the way. She comes from Traken."
"Came from," the girl corrected and gave Ianto a friendly smile that drew an answering one from him. She was very beautiful, he thought to himself, but knew they wouldn't be staying for much longer than it took to drink the tea. "It was destroyed by the Master."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Ianto said with quiet sympathy. Inwardly he tried to grasp the concept of losing your entire world, and felt his mind quail away from the very idea.
"We don't seem to be very welcome here," the Doctor said after a moment. "I think the sooner we find Adric and leave, the better."
"Is Adric a person?" Ianto asked. "And a prisoner?" he continued when the Doctor nodded. Another agreement sent him to the computer and it was the work of minutes to hack into the security files and find the relevant information. "He's in C Wing, currently being escorted to the laboratories for preliminary examination." He felt his lips press together as he realised what that was generally the first stage of. He sometimes detested the people he worked for. "Here, I'll print off a schematic for you. Make your way there and in-" he glanced at his watch, "-twenty minutes I'll arrange a distraction. After that you're on your own."
"Thank you," the Doctor said gratefully. Nyssa gave him a brilliant smile and a quick peck on the cheek. They turned to go but the Doctor hesitated and looked back over his shoulder. "Would you like to come?"
Ianto smiled wistfully. "Of course, but I have responsibilities. My mother..." His voice trailed away and the Doctor nodded sympathetically.
"Maybe next time," he said. Then he was gone with a wave of his hand.
OOO
He saw him when the Tower was falling down in ruins all around them. The Doctor was running in one direction while Ianto was going in another. They locked gazes for one endless moment in a corridor filled with smoke and debris. Then a woman's voice screamed the Doctor's name from further up the corridor and Ianto's headset crackled with the latest disastrous situation report and the instant passed and they went their separate ways.
OOO
He wasn't there when the Doctor came to claim Jack and for a while it was so very hard to remember that sense of connection as he burned with jealousy. Then he put the emotion to one side and got on with his job, the way he always did. Then the Doctor was back and before Ianto could say anything, Jack had swept him up in an embrace and was kissing him almost frantically and telling him how much he'd missed him. Ianto's eyes met the Doctor's across the length of the Hub and the Doctor had smiled understandingly before going back into the TARDIS and leaving them behind.
OOO
Time passed and Ianto didn't see the Doctor again, although he still collected the reports of his comings and goings, smiling wistfully as he dreamed of what might have been. He'd refused the Time Lord several times and he didn't think he would get another chance. He and Jack had finally come to understand one another. They still held their individual secrets safely close to themselves but what had once been sharply abrasive had softened and become gentler with time, pearls created out of the trust and love they had come to feel. There had been a hint of suspicion in Jack's eyes the last couple of years whenever he had looked at Ianto but he had refused to ask the question that Ianto could see was there. Ianto, in turn, had seen the growing restlessness in Jack and realised that Jack was beginning to chafe again at being in one place and time. What they did was important but they invariably saw only the ugly side of the Universe and he knew that Jack was beginning to dream of other skies, scents and people with increasing longing.
There was a certain inevitability to hearing the sound of the TARDIS materialising inside the Hub one night. Ianto finished shutting down the Archive computers and went up into the Main Hub, mildly taken aback to see that both Jack and the Doctor were still there. Neither of them were big on goodbyes. The Doctor was still in his Tenth Incarnation and Ianto was a little surprised at that.
"That's three times I've seen you with the same face," he commented with a smile. "It has to be some kind of record."
The Doctor smiled back. "I quite like this look, even if it isn't ginger," he said.
"Ianto..." Jack said hesitantly.
Ianto gave him an understanding smile. "I know, cariad. I've known for a while. It would be cruel to cage you. Come back if you can, but if you don't then I'll still have my memories." The tears that threatened were safely thrown back by the brilliant smile and grateful kiss he got from Jack before he tore off to do some packing.
"You could come with us, you know," the Doctor suggested.
Ianto gave him a wry smile. Another offer. Had anyone else had this much good fortune? "And who would keep this place running? Maybe next time."
The Doctor sighed. "You have so much of your mother in you but I sometimes wonder where your father's blood disappeared to."
Ianto gave a rueful smile. "Oh, it's there. You can tell from the amount of trouble I manage to attract without even trying!" He smiled as Jack returned, still trying to stuff things into his bag. "Try and stay out of the worst of the trouble, okay?"
Jack gave him another kiss. "I'll be back before you know it," he assured him.
OOO
He barely managed to send his Team to safety before he had to trigger the self-destruct and bring the Hub down around the invading Cybermen. He knew a savage satisfaction as the Rift's backlash fragmented them across space and time but the intense pain inside him told him that he had been too close and was about to pay the ultimate price. He lay in the dark and hoped that the others were all safe and would be able to activate the remote site in time to mop up the few Cybermen that were still wandering around. UNIT would be here soon and would be able to add their considerable experience to the battle.
He felt himself starting to weaken but he didn't really mind. He had finally avenged Lisa and saved the world, all at the same time. Not too shabby, he thought, then caught his breath at the familiar sound that tore through the darkened air. Your timing is off, Doctor, he thought muzzily. He saw the ghostly image of the TARDIS fade into existence and then disappear into the gloom as she phased completely into this reality. The door opened and Jack tore out, only to trip and nearly fall flat on his face on the rubble all around. Swearing from a mixture of rage and fear, he found a torch from somewhere and then started to search the Hub methodically. Ianto eventually took pity of him and called out, only to pay the price with a harsh coughing fit that brought up a small gush of blood. Not long now, he thought wearily.
Then Jack was beside him, as was the Doctor. Still the Tenth one. Jack's taken good care of him. He saw the look of intense grief on Jack's face and tried to pat his hand reassuringly, but his body was no longer obeying him and he could only manage a small smile which the Doctor returned, anxiety in his own eyes.
"You have to do something!" Jack was yelling at the Doctor. "There must be somewhere we can take him, someone who can help-"
"It's too late," the Doctor said sympathetically, placing a comforting hand on Jack's shoulder. "Once it gets this far, it can't be stopped." He returned his attention to Ianto. "I'll miss you."
Ianto managed one final smile, but the universe was starting to dissolve into the most beautiful shimmering mosaic of light and shadow and he lost sight of Jack and the Doctor as the glory overwhelmed him. It seemed like a long time before he heard a familiar voice that guided him in a specific direction. When he opened his eyes, he found himself looking at a stunned Jack and a mildly confused Doctor.
"Now that's odd," the Doctor said.
"What is?" Ianto was relieved to find that there was no longer any pain. He sat up and glanced down at his intact body, but reflected that his suit was definitely due for a burial.
"Well, take a look." The Doctor produced a small mirror from somewhere and handed it over to him.
Bracing himself, Ianto took a look and blinked in surprise when he saw his own face reflected back at him. "Oh. I see what you mean. Well, at least I'm not ginger," he said, grinning as he heard the Doctor's huff of indignation. Turning to Jack, he reached out to give the other man a reassuring hug. "It's okay, I'm fine."
"You're... like me?" Jack asked in surprise.
"No, not even close," Ianto said with a shake to his head. "If I get killed, I stay dead. If I get the chance to get nearly dead, though... well, that's a completely different matter. The information you gave me doesn't do it justice," he told the Doctor. "It's an awesome experience."
"Just don't make a habit of it, all right?" the Doctor said severely. "The very fact that you have the same body and personality means that you differ from the norm and I'd really prefer not to find out the hard way that it only works the once!" He shook himself and pushed himself to his feet. "Well I, for one, would prefer to leave this place and go somewhere a bit more pleasant. Into the TARDIS with you, Jack."
"But-"
"In. Now. I'll explain later."
Ianto sighed as he got to his feet. "I'd better get started with the clean-up as well," he said, then started as the Doctor seized him by the arm.
"You're coming with me," the Doctor said grimly. "No, I don't want to hear any more excuses," he continued when Ianto opened his mouth. "I listened to your mother when she said that it would be better for you to start life as a normal human. I listened to Ian when he said that it wouldn't be fair to uproot you from your life when you were a teenager. I listened to you when you said that you had to stay with your mother while she lived. I even listened to you when you put this benighted organisation ahead of your own happiness. I'm not listening any more. As far as this world is concerned, Ianto Jones, you are dead. If you walk out through that door without a scratch on you then you'll wind up getting tested to within an inch of your life. Enough is enough! Into the TARDIS with you and less of the backchat."
After a moment, Ianto relaxed and smiled ruefully. "Yes, father," he said obediently.
The Doctor sighed and shook his head as he took one last look around the Hub and then made for the TARDIS. He had God knew how many years of serious catching up to do with his son and there had better not be any nonsense from Ianto about his responsibilities until the Doctor had done just that. Although there was going to be some considerable amusement to be extracted from the look on Jack's face when he realised exactly what was going on! With a mischievous grin, the Doctor bounded off into the TARDIS.
OOOO