Song of the Lost: Epilogue
Title: Song of the Lost
Author: moonfirefic
Beta: milady_dragon
Art: cjharknessgirl
Word Count: 30,400
Rating: PG-13 to R
Characters: Ianto, Jack, River, Eleven, Ten, Four, Romana II, Sexy, Amy, Rory, Gwen, Rhys, Martha, Mickey, Others
Synopsis: After being pulled from the rift, Ianto is reunited with his birth parents and travels with them in the TARDIS. Along the way he meets his feisty Scottish Grandmother, encounters a paradox and two previous Doctor at Woodstock, evades an intergalactic warlord, and finds himself in a difficult position after a chance encounter with a young and very mortal Jack Harkness. With timelines shifting in every direction and a prophecy nipping at his heels, Ianto finds refuge amongst old friends, and finds his long lost brother in the most unlikely of places.
Epilogue
Nine months later…
Ianto had introduced Jartingi to the rest of the Drakkini and they had welcomed him with open arms. He had found a new mate amongst the pride and was currently awaiting the arrival of a hatchling of his own, already promising Ianto that he would be considered the hatchling’s guard-father when he arrived.
Jack had returned with them to Fangratil, leaving Gwen and Rex in charge alongside a UNIT captain that Martha had recommended to balance them out. Gwen had treated his abandonment of the team with disdain and Jack realized that the naïve policewoman, whom he had once hired and once called his friend, had changed far too much to know the truth behind his departure. He’d managed to stay in touch with Rhys via the network Mickey and Ianto had devised, and wasn’t surprised to hear that the two of them had divorced soon after Rhys returned from Nix Prime.
Rhys had tried to tell Gwen about the baby, but she hadn’t believed him and asked for a divorce. He was still living with the Ponds, and the Doctor had stopped by to make their house a bit bigger on the inside to allow room for the new residents. Martha had brought Rhys, Anwen, and baby Eoin to visit the month before and Aneira had taken great delight in showing them the lake and the rest of their mountain home.
All was peaceful and Ianto felt content. But lately he had a lingering feeling that there was something missing; that there was something he was forgetting to do. As he lay on one of the large boulders beside the waterfall looking up at the stars with Jack nestled against his chest, he realized that the wanderlust that had plagued his kind from the dawn of time was calling out to him. Looking down to where Jack and Aneira held hands as he pointed out the constellations above, he smiled and decided to focus on his family first - for now.
The following morning, while Jack was entertaining them with a story about a blowfish that couldn’t swim over breakfast, the stars came calling.
A gentle wind blew through the small cottage and the three of them ran outside as the sound of a TARDIS dematerializing echoed across the empty courtyard.
But the TARDIS that landed was one they had never seen before.
Instead of the familiar blue police box, the TARDIS before them resembled an old fashioned gentleman's wardrobe with deep burgundy panels and black accents.
They watched in wonder as the door opened and a boy of seven or eight with a mop of brown curls stepped outside.
“Uncle Ianto! Uncle Jack!” he said as he ran out and gave them a hug.
The two men exchanged a look as Aneira grinned.
“Hi Eoin!” she said with a grin before hugging him tight. “Did you steal a TARDIS just for us?”
“Well…” the boy said as a blush colored his cheeks. “I didn’t exactly steal it.”
“You didn’t exactly ask either,” chastised a familiar voice as River materialized beside him. “Honestly, first you send a hologram to Ten and now this? It was supposed to be a surprise for Griffin’s birthday.”
The boy looked sheepish and River shook her head as she ruffled his hair fondly.
“Who’s Griffin?” Jack asked confused.
“Spoilers Uncle Jack,” Eoin answered looking pointedly at his belly.
“Well it’s a bit early for you to know, but no harm done,” River said with a smile as she patted a stunned Jack’s arm.
“Oh it’s good to see you sweetheart,” she added giving Ianto a hug. “I have missed this regeneration; the next one is far too cheeky.”
Ianto raised an eyebrow at the comment and River shrugged.
“Well we must be off,” she said placing Eoin’s hand on her wrist strap. “Need to get this one back before he causes any more trouble," she continued givng the boy a pointed look as he tried to appear innocent. "She’s all primed and ready to go,” she added nodding her head toward the TARDIS.
“Wait!” said Ianto as she was about to press the button. “How can this be ours? A TARDIS needs to bond to her Time Lord for years before she’ll accept him properly.”
River smirked. “Well let’s just say this one had a front row seat to your and Jack’s version of bonding for several years, and can’t wait to see you again,” she said with a wink. Eoin waved, and the two of them were gone.
Jack and Ianto exchanged a glance and with Aneira in tow made their way inside.
The interior had a very Victorian feel to it with brass fittings and dark wood panels lining the console room walls. The comfy armchair to the right of the console reminded ianto a lot of the one that used to sit in Jack’s office, and a circular file cabinet made up the bottom of the time rotor, adding to the feeling of familiarity. Jack slid open a drawer and found the tin he used to keep his photos in back at the Torchwood Hub inside, looking the same as it had before the blast had destroyed it.
Ianto looked up at the majestic column of swirling crystals and placed his palm against the glass. Instantly he felt the same sentient laughter and warmth that he had felt from the coral atop Jack’s desk.
“It’s you,” he said in wonder as he realized that this TARDIS was the little coral all grown up. Jack placed his palm alongside his and the two of them shared a grin.
Laughter filled the TARDIS as Aneira ran up the ramp to look at the dragon on the upper wall, that looked exactly like the one Toshiko had painted so long ago.
“Can we go for a trip Tadda? Can we?” she asked turning around and bouncing in place as she held on to the railing.
Ianto grinned as he turned on the monitors and started the TARDIS up proper.
“Where to first?” he asked as Jack swung Aneira off the railing and tossed her into the air.
“Let’s see where she takes us,” Jack answered as he moved forward and gathered Ianto into his arms.
The TARDIS shut her doors and sighed in contentment, happy to have her Time Lord and his family together at last.