Fic: Vizzini's Rule (95/105)
Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter 95
Rating: R
Warnings: More bad language
Spoilers: Season One thru Captain Jack Harkness (1x12)
Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to Russell T. Davies and the Mighty Beeb. Just goofin' around! All ©’s to Catherine Tregenna for dialogue and situations borrowed from Captain Jack Harkness - no infringement, only worship intended.
Summary: In which Jack explains (badly)…
Notes: Okay, I need to confess something - I don’t have a good explanation, I don’t know why he would say “there’s no one” (other than this writer is NOT a shipper). So Jack’s “explanation” is kinda lame. Apologies!! :)
Previous Chapters
Vizzini's Rule: Chapter Ninety-Five
Previously on Vizzini’s Rule:
“It wasn’t like that,” Jack said with a pleading note in his voice. “You don’t know the whole story -”
Ianto crossed his arms and stared daggers at Jack. “So tell me.”
Jack ran a hand through his hair and blew out a long breath. “Can we at least get off this roof? Go back to the Hub? Or your place?” he suggested even as Ianto shook his head.
“No. I need you to make me understand, Jack. Right here, right now.”
“It’s hard to explain, especially to someone who’s never had to go to war,” Jack said slowly.
“Bollocks,” Ianto said succinctly. “Don’t give me that band of brothers crap. You weren’t in battle with any of those people.”
“I don’t know what Tosh told you, but I’ve been to 1941 before.”
“She said that. And, completely ignoring the ‘how is that possible’ question for now, what does it matter?”
“It matters because… because I knew what they were going to go through, because I’d been there. I knew he was going to die. I knew when. I knew… how. I knew it all when I stole his name.”
Ianto steeled himself against the sadness in Jack’s voice. “Why?” he asked in a harsh voice.
“Why what?”
“Why did you steal his name?”
Jack sighed. “When I was back in 1941 before, I wasn’t… a good person. I was… well, I was a… a conman. I was bitter and angry and out to make a buck. I’ve done a lot of things in my life that I’m not proud of, Ianto. Most of them happened during that time.”
“Why did you steal his name?” Ianto repeated slowly, emphasizing each word.
“I... I needed a cover, so I found someone with a decent rank who had just died and… and forged the records, I took his name, his honor, and I dragged it through the mud and I didn’t -even think twice. That’s the kind of person I was.”
Ianto made a dismissive gesture with his hand. “I don’t care about who you were then, I care about who you are now.”
“What do you mean?” Jack asked, confused.
“I mean,” Ianto said, crossing his arms protectively across his chest again. “Why did you say you had no one when he asked if you were with Tosh?”
“I...” Jack seemed to be at a loss.
“Come on, Jack. Why?” Ianto pressed. “Considering you kissed him in front of the entire room, it can’t be that you felt uncomfortable telling him you were with a man.”
“No, it wasn’t that,” Jack said, but he still didn’t explain.
“Then what? You thought you’d have a better chance of fucking him if he thought you were lonely?”
“No! I didn’t want -”
“You didn’t want to fuck him?” Ianto sneered. “Please, Jack, give me a little credit.”
“Okay, I did!” Jack yelled. “I wanted to fuck him! I wanted to take him and show him how good it can feel to be alive before he burned to death in his plane the next morning. Is that what you want to hear?”
“At least it’s the fucking truth!”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Jack asked, crossing his own arms.
“Who did you fuck last night, Jack? Hmm?” Ianto asked coldly.
Jack stared at Ianto, his lips pressed into a tight line, unspeaking.
“Who?” Ianto prodded. “Who!”
“You know it was you,” Jack replied sulkily.
Ianto shook his head slowly. “Do I? I’m not sure I do. If you were really fucking me, then what was the silent treatment all about?”
Jack rolled his eyes. “I’d had a long, difficult day, Ianto. Excuse me if I wasn’t feeling chatty.”
“Chatty?” Ianto ran a hand through his hair and turned away from Jack. “It was the first time we’ve ever… fucked,” he said with an ugly twist to his lips, “where you didn’t say my name once.” His voice was quiet but he knew Jack heard him. He saw Jack uncross his arms and drop his head.
“Ianto, I -”
“But we’ve gotten off track, Jack,” Ianto said. He turned back to face his Captain. “You still haven’t answered my question.”
Jack looked lost. “Question?”
“Why did you tell him there was no one?” Ianto noticed that neither of them wanted to say the Captain’s name aloud.
Once again, Jack didn’t reply. He stood there, silent, defeated.
“Why, Jack?” Ianto asked softly. He stepped closer to Jack and looked him in the eyes. “After all we’ve been through these last months, how could you deny my very existence?”
“Because you didn’t,” Jack said enigmatically.
“Didn’t?” Ianto asked, confused.
“It was 1941, Ianto. You didn’t exist.”
His eyes snapping with anger, Ianto balled his hand into a fist again. He restrained himself and ground out, “You’re giving me semantics?”
“It’s not semantics!” Jack scrubbed his face with both hands. “Ianto, I wasn’t just back in 1941. I was back in 1941.”
“You’re not making any sense.”
“Don’t I know it. Look, I thought we were stuck there. I was sure there was no way back without using the rift and I never thought you, the team, not you, would do it. I wasn’t just back in 1941, I was me from 1941, back. Understand? I had a chance to do it again. A chance to do it right this time.”
“Do what?”
“Everything!” Jack began to pace. “I knew I couldn’t change history, I couldn’t save… him. But I could see that he got the honors due to him. A chance to make sure people knew he died bravely, fighting for… God, not even his own country, but for what was right. A chance to show the world what a hero really is. Not a shabby imitation,” he said sadly.
Ianto cleared his throat. “So why did you come back?” he asked quietly. “Why not just stay?” Please say me, please make this all go away!
“I came back for… for a lot of reasons,” Jack said evasively and Ianto felt his chest tighten with disappointment. “This is where… when I belong. Here. Now. With you… and the rest of team.”
You’re just part of the team, said the little voice in Ianto’s head, nothing special at all. Ianto swallowed hard.
Jack stepped forward and put his hands on Ianto’s arms. “God, Ianto, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry I hurt you. I didn’t know Tosh would share everything like that or I would have told you myself. Tried to explain.”
Ianto made one last ditch effort. “Did you think of me at all?” he asked in a small voice.
“Oh, Yan,” Jack said soothingly as he drew him into his arms. He cradled Ianto against his body as he spoke in that same comforting tone. “When I got back and realized what you’d gone through, all of you, but you especially, all I wanted to do was hold you like this forever.”
Ianto allowed himself to melt into the embrace, trying to ignore that little voice which was pointing out that Jack hadn’t actually answered the question. Suddenly Ianto was very, very tired. He sighed deeply and wrapped his arms around Jack’s waist. “Take me to bed, Jack,” he said softly. After all, it’s the only thing we’re good at. No point in wishing for the moon, he thought sadly.
“Oh, Yan,” Jack said again. He cupped Ianto’s face between his hands and kissed him softly. “I’ll take you to bed and make sure you know beyond the shadow of a doubt that I’m there with you. Only you. Always.”
Always, Ianto thought as Jack guided him across the rooftop to the door. For now…
TBC in Chapter Ninety-Six
Rating: R
Warnings: More bad language
Spoilers: Season One thru Captain Jack Harkness (1x12)
Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to Russell T. Davies and the Mighty Beeb. Just goofin' around! All ©’s to Catherine Tregenna for dialogue and situations borrowed from Captain Jack Harkness - no infringement, only worship intended.
Summary: In which Jack explains (badly)…
Notes: Okay, I need to confess something - I don’t have a good explanation, I don’t know why he would say “there’s no one” (other than this writer is NOT a shipper). So Jack’s “explanation” is kinda lame. Apologies!! :)
Previous Chapters
Vizzini's Rule: Chapter Ninety-Five
Previously on Vizzini’s Rule:
“It wasn’t like that,” Jack said with a pleading note in his voice. “You don’t know the whole story -”
Ianto crossed his arms and stared daggers at Jack. “So tell me.”
Jack ran a hand through his hair and blew out a long breath. “Can we at least get off this roof? Go back to the Hub? Or your place?” he suggested even as Ianto shook his head.
“No. I need you to make me understand, Jack. Right here, right now.”
“It’s hard to explain, especially to someone who’s never had to go to war,” Jack said slowly.
“Bollocks,” Ianto said succinctly. “Don’t give me that band of brothers crap. You weren’t in battle with any of those people.”
“I don’t know what Tosh told you, but I’ve been to 1941 before.”
“She said that. And, completely ignoring the ‘how is that possible’ question for now, what does it matter?”
“It matters because… because I knew what they were going to go through, because I’d been there. I knew he was going to die. I knew when. I knew… how. I knew it all when I stole his name.”
Ianto steeled himself against the sadness in Jack’s voice. “Why?” he asked in a harsh voice.
“Why what?”
“Why did you steal his name?”
Jack sighed. “When I was back in 1941 before, I wasn’t… a good person. I was… well, I was a… a conman. I was bitter and angry and out to make a buck. I’ve done a lot of things in my life that I’m not proud of, Ianto. Most of them happened during that time.”
“Why did you steal his name?” Ianto repeated slowly, emphasizing each word.
“I... I needed a cover, so I found someone with a decent rank who had just died and… and forged the records, I took his name, his honor, and I dragged it through the mud and I didn’t -even think twice. That’s the kind of person I was.”
Ianto made a dismissive gesture with his hand. “I don’t care about who you were then, I care about who you are now.”
“What do you mean?” Jack asked, confused.
“I mean,” Ianto said, crossing his arms protectively across his chest again. “Why did you say you had no one when he asked if you were with Tosh?”
“I...” Jack seemed to be at a loss.
“Come on, Jack. Why?” Ianto pressed. “Considering you kissed him in front of the entire room, it can’t be that you felt uncomfortable telling him you were with a man.”
“No, it wasn’t that,” Jack said, but he still didn’t explain.
“Then what? You thought you’d have a better chance of fucking him if he thought you were lonely?”
“No! I didn’t want -”
“You didn’t want to fuck him?” Ianto sneered. “Please, Jack, give me a little credit.”
“Okay, I did!” Jack yelled. “I wanted to fuck him! I wanted to take him and show him how good it can feel to be alive before he burned to death in his plane the next morning. Is that what you want to hear?”
“At least it’s the fucking truth!”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Jack asked, crossing his own arms.
“Who did you fuck last night, Jack? Hmm?” Ianto asked coldly.
Jack stared at Ianto, his lips pressed into a tight line, unspeaking.
“Who?” Ianto prodded. “Who!”
“You know it was you,” Jack replied sulkily.
Ianto shook his head slowly. “Do I? I’m not sure I do. If you were really fucking me, then what was the silent treatment all about?”
Jack rolled his eyes. “I’d had a long, difficult day, Ianto. Excuse me if I wasn’t feeling chatty.”
“Chatty?” Ianto ran a hand through his hair and turned away from Jack. “It was the first time we’ve ever… fucked,” he said with an ugly twist to his lips, “where you didn’t say my name once.” His voice was quiet but he knew Jack heard him. He saw Jack uncross his arms and drop his head.
“Ianto, I -”
“But we’ve gotten off track, Jack,” Ianto said. He turned back to face his Captain. “You still haven’t answered my question.”
Jack looked lost. “Question?”
“Why did you tell him there was no one?” Ianto noticed that neither of them wanted to say the Captain’s name aloud.
Once again, Jack didn’t reply. He stood there, silent, defeated.
“Why, Jack?” Ianto asked softly. He stepped closer to Jack and looked him in the eyes. “After all we’ve been through these last months, how could you deny my very existence?”
“Because you didn’t,” Jack said enigmatically.
“Didn’t?” Ianto asked, confused.
“It was 1941, Ianto. You didn’t exist.”
His eyes snapping with anger, Ianto balled his hand into a fist again. He restrained himself and ground out, “You’re giving me semantics?”
“It’s not semantics!” Jack scrubbed his face with both hands. “Ianto, I wasn’t just back in 1941. I was back in 1941.”
“You’re not making any sense.”
“Don’t I know it. Look, I thought we were stuck there. I was sure there was no way back without using the rift and I never thought you, the team, not you, would do it. I wasn’t just back in 1941, I was me from 1941, back. Understand? I had a chance to do it again. A chance to do it right this time.”
“Do what?”
“Everything!” Jack began to pace. “I knew I couldn’t change history, I couldn’t save… him. But I could see that he got the honors due to him. A chance to make sure people knew he died bravely, fighting for… God, not even his own country, but for what was right. A chance to show the world what a hero really is. Not a shabby imitation,” he said sadly.
Ianto cleared his throat. “So why did you come back?” he asked quietly. “Why not just stay?” Please say me, please make this all go away!
“I came back for… for a lot of reasons,” Jack said evasively and Ianto felt his chest tighten with disappointment. “This is where… when I belong. Here. Now. With you… and the rest of team.”
You’re just part of the team, said the little voice in Ianto’s head, nothing special at all. Ianto swallowed hard.
Jack stepped forward and put his hands on Ianto’s arms. “God, Ianto, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry I hurt you. I didn’t know Tosh would share everything like that or I would have told you myself. Tried to explain.”
Ianto made one last ditch effort. “Did you think of me at all?” he asked in a small voice.
“Oh, Yan,” Jack said soothingly as he drew him into his arms. He cradled Ianto against his body as he spoke in that same comforting tone. “When I got back and realized what you’d gone through, all of you, but you especially, all I wanted to do was hold you like this forever.”
Ianto allowed himself to melt into the embrace, trying to ignore that little voice which was pointing out that Jack hadn’t actually answered the question. Suddenly Ianto was very, very tired. He sighed deeply and wrapped his arms around Jack’s waist. “Take me to bed, Jack,” he said softly. After all, it’s the only thing we’re good at. No point in wishing for the moon, he thought sadly.
“Oh, Yan,” Jack said again. He cupped Ianto’s face between his hands and kissed him softly. “I’ll take you to bed and make sure you know beyond the shadow of a doubt that I’m there with you. Only you. Always.”
Always, Ianto thought as Jack guided him across the rooftop to the door. For now…
TBC in Chapter Ninety-Six