Secrets and Hope - 2/9
Title: Secrets and Hope - (2/9)
Characters/pairings: Ianto, Jack, Gwen, Rhys, Andy, various other characters introduced in CoE. Jack/Ianto and Gwen/Rhys
Rating: PG, maybe pg13ish in places.
Genre: Happy ended angst, hurt/comfort.
Summary: As Torchwood rebuilds following the events of CoE the government are still keeping secrets and it's up to Ianto to reveal the truth.
Spoilers: Children of Earth days 4 and 5.
Authors note: A CoE fix-it fic. I will try to update once a week, but a new baby means my posting schedule could be a bit erratic.
part one
As soon as the nurse has gone Ianto gets up. Unsteady on his feet after so long in bed, Ianto makes his way slowly around the room checking for anything that might tell him where he is.
There's nothing. Just a few pieces of utilitarian hospital furniture. There's not even a clock to let him know what time of day it is, although the bright sunlight that streams in through the window tells Ianto that it's probably early afternoon.
The window offers no hope of escape either, it only opens a few inches to allow fresh air into the room, and has thick metal bars across the outside. Even if it were not barred, Ianto isn't confident that he could make the twenty or so foot drop to the ground without injury, and falling and breaking an arm or leg would definitely not be a help in getting away.
The limited view from the window offers little in the way of information as to its location, except that the building, at least this side of it is surrounded by parkland. Probably an old sanitarium or mental institution that was now government controlled. Either way it would be secure.
Disheartened and tired from the effort of just walking around the room Ianto sits back down on the bed, the realisation that he's in no physical shape to try to make escape attempt for at least a few days, weighing heavily on his mind.
Picking at the bland food that the nurse has left for him, Ianto tries not to think too hard on why, yet again, he's survived when so many others have died. He knows that he'd only got through the aftermath of Canary Wharf because all his time had been taken up caring for Lisa, and that after Tosh's and Owen's deaths it was only focusing on making sure that Jack and Gwen were all right that had kept him sane.
Ianto supposes that he should be grateful that he's got an escape plan to work on as it's something to occupy his mind, but it’s cold comfort as he doesn’t know who will be alive to meet him when he does get out.
Everybody he hopes: Gwen, Rhys, their baby, his family; he can’t bare the thought of never seeing any of them again. Jack, he knows is alive, but it scares him to think what sort of state Jack will be in having had to sacrifice his own grandson.
He remembers how vulnerable Jack had been in the days following everything that had happened with Grey, how much Jack had blamed himself for not being able to save everyone.
Trying to eat, knowing that he needs to that he can recover enough to escape, Ianto has to stop frequently to wipe away tears, as he wonders if he’ll still have somebody resembling the Jack he fell in love with to go back to.
******************
“He used to love it here,” Rhiannon says, wiping tears from her eyes as the stiff breeze that blows across the cliff tops whips her hair about her face. “He’d spend hours up here with his mates after mam died, used to drive dad spare him coming back home at all hours.”
Jack nods, but says nothing, looking weary and drawn, a silver urn clutched tightly to his chest.
Johnny stands behind them with Gwen and Rhys, looking uncomfortable in the shirt and tie that he's been persuaded to wear.
“Rhi said his grandson died as well,” Johnny says quietly, looking over at Jack. “Can't imagine how bad it must be for him. If I lost my Rhi, or either of the kids...” He shakes his head, “I don’t know what I’d do.”
“I know what you mean,” Rhys says, holding on to Gwen's hand. “It doesn't seem right him losing everything.”
“I just wish I knew what I could do to help.” Gwen looks at Jack with tears in her eyes.
As the wind picks up and the rain starts to fall, Jack holds out the urn for Rhiannon to take. Sounding close to tears, he says, “He was your brother.”
“And he loved you.” Rhiannon says, putting her hand over Jack's, so that they are both holding the urn. “Anyone could see that.” She smiles tearfully, “You made him happy. He didn't used to tell us much, he loved his secrets, Ianto did. But what I do know is that when he came back from London he was miserable, wouldn't tell us what was wrong, then, after a while, he was happy again.”
Jack closes his eyes, tears escaping, as he takes a shaky breath, knowing that he can't tell Rhiannon the truth.
“I think that was when he met you,” Rhiannon continues. “It surprised me, knowing that he was going out with a man, but I wish he'd told us sooner, I only ever wanted him to be happy.” Her voice wavers, “I'm just glad he had somebody there who loved him.”
“He'd have been safer never knowing me,” Jack says hoarsely.
“Don't you dare apologise for making him happy or for loving him,” Rhiannon says crossly, “Don't you dare, not today.”
“But it's my fault, I should have kept him safe.”
Rhiannon gives Jack's hand a squeeze, “Then it's my fault as well, I gave him the laptop and car, that's why he knew to go to London.”
“But I failed him, I failed all of them.”
“Just listen to yourself, Ianto wouldn't want you to do this to yourself.” Rhiannon smiles tearfully, “He loved you far too much for that.”
Jack nods, although he doesn’t look like he believes it.
“Together then?”
“Together.”
They are both crying as they open the urn, and neither of them can find any words as the wind catches the fine grey ash, carrying it out over the ocean.
As soon as it's done Rhiannon turns away, starting to sob she clings to Johnny, who holds her tightly.
Standing alone, greatcoat flapping about him, tears running down his cheeks, Jack salutes as the last of the ashes drift out of sight.
part three
Characters/pairings: Ianto, Jack, Gwen, Rhys, Andy, various other characters introduced in CoE. Jack/Ianto and Gwen/Rhys
Rating: PG, maybe pg13ish in places.
Genre: Happy ended angst, hurt/comfort.
Summary: As Torchwood rebuilds following the events of CoE the government are still keeping secrets and it's up to Ianto to reveal the truth.
Spoilers: Children of Earth days 4 and 5.
Authors note: A CoE fix-it fic. I will try to update once a week, but a new baby means my posting schedule could be a bit erratic.
part one
As soon as the nurse has gone Ianto gets up. Unsteady on his feet after so long in bed, Ianto makes his way slowly around the room checking for anything that might tell him where he is.
There's nothing. Just a few pieces of utilitarian hospital furniture. There's not even a clock to let him know what time of day it is, although the bright sunlight that streams in through the window tells Ianto that it's probably early afternoon.
The window offers no hope of escape either, it only opens a few inches to allow fresh air into the room, and has thick metal bars across the outside. Even if it were not barred, Ianto isn't confident that he could make the twenty or so foot drop to the ground without injury, and falling and breaking an arm or leg would definitely not be a help in getting away.
The limited view from the window offers little in the way of information as to its location, except that the building, at least this side of it is surrounded by parkland. Probably an old sanitarium or mental institution that was now government controlled. Either way it would be secure.
Disheartened and tired from the effort of just walking around the room Ianto sits back down on the bed, the realisation that he's in no physical shape to try to make escape attempt for at least a few days, weighing heavily on his mind.
Picking at the bland food that the nurse has left for him, Ianto tries not to think too hard on why, yet again, he's survived when so many others have died. He knows that he'd only got through the aftermath of Canary Wharf because all his time had been taken up caring for Lisa, and that after Tosh's and Owen's deaths it was only focusing on making sure that Jack and Gwen were all right that had kept him sane.
Ianto supposes that he should be grateful that he's got an escape plan to work on as it's something to occupy his mind, but it’s cold comfort as he doesn’t know who will be alive to meet him when he does get out.
Everybody he hopes: Gwen, Rhys, their baby, his family; he can’t bare the thought of never seeing any of them again. Jack, he knows is alive, but it scares him to think what sort of state Jack will be in having had to sacrifice his own grandson.
He remembers how vulnerable Jack had been in the days following everything that had happened with Grey, how much Jack had blamed himself for not being able to save everyone.
Trying to eat, knowing that he needs to that he can recover enough to escape, Ianto has to stop frequently to wipe away tears, as he wonders if he’ll still have somebody resembling the Jack he fell in love with to go back to.
******************
“He used to love it here,” Rhiannon says, wiping tears from her eyes as the stiff breeze that blows across the cliff tops whips her hair about her face. “He’d spend hours up here with his mates after mam died, used to drive dad spare him coming back home at all hours.”
Jack nods, but says nothing, looking weary and drawn, a silver urn clutched tightly to his chest.
Johnny stands behind them with Gwen and Rhys, looking uncomfortable in the shirt and tie that he's been persuaded to wear.
“Rhi said his grandson died as well,” Johnny says quietly, looking over at Jack. “Can't imagine how bad it must be for him. If I lost my Rhi, or either of the kids...” He shakes his head, “I don’t know what I’d do.”
“I know what you mean,” Rhys says, holding on to Gwen's hand. “It doesn't seem right him losing everything.”
“I just wish I knew what I could do to help.” Gwen looks at Jack with tears in her eyes.
As the wind picks up and the rain starts to fall, Jack holds out the urn for Rhiannon to take. Sounding close to tears, he says, “He was your brother.”
“And he loved you.” Rhiannon says, putting her hand over Jack's, so that they are both holding the urn. “Anyone could see that.” She smiles tearfully, “You made him happy. He didn't used to tell us much, he loved his secrets, Ianto did. But what I do know is that when he came back from London he was miserable, wouldn't tell us what was wrong, then, after a while, he was happy again.”
Jack closes his eyes, tears escaping, as he takes a shaky breath, knowing that he can't tell Rhiannon the truth.
“I think that was when he met you,” Rhiannon continues. “It surprised me, knowing that he was going out with a man, but I wish he'd told us sooner, I only ever wanted him to be happy.” Her voice wavers, “I'm just glad he had somebody there who loved him.”
“He'd have been safer never knowing me,” Jack says hoarsely.
“Don't you dare apologise for making him happy or for loving him,” Rhiannon says crossly, “Don't you dare, not today.”
“But it's my fault, I should have kept him safe.”
Rhiannon gives Jack's hand a squeeze, “Then it's my fault as well, I gave him the laptop and car, that's why he knew to go to London.”
“But I failed him, I failed all of them.”
“Just listen to yourself, Ianto wouldn't want you to do this to yourself.” Rhiannon smiles tearfully, “He loved you far too much for that.”
Jack nods, although he doesn’t look like he believes it.
“Together then?”
“Together.”
They are both crying as they open the urn, and neither of them can find any words as the wind catches the fine grey ash, carrying it out over the ocean.
As soon as it's done Rhiannon turns away, starting to sob she clings to Johnny, who holds her tightly.
Standing alone, greatcoat flapping about him, tears running down his cheeks, Jack salutes as the last of the ashes drift out of sight.
part three