Fic: Tumbling Through The Vortex Part 2 (Torchwood Jack/Ianto NC17 Time Verse)
Part 1
Once they were clean, sated and reconnected, Ianto and Jack redressed again before walking calmly downstairs. They found the Doctor, Amy and Rory huddled together, whispering amongst themselves in worried tones.
“So, we worked out where we're going next yet?” Jack asked as they reached the bottom of the stairs.
The Doctor whirled around, looking slightly guilty. “Uh. Well. No, actually.”
“Too busy gossiping like school children?” Ianto asked, raising an eyebrow. Amy blushed, Rory looked at his feet. The Doctor ruffled his own hair.
“Yes, alright, okay, we were discussing what was said outside. You have to admit, it is rather curious that twice now we've tried to get you back to your own reality and twice we've gone to a different reality where something has gone wrong and you've ended up apart.”
Ianto and Jack looked at each other.
“So we try again, Doc,” Jack said, not taking his eyes off Ianto, extending his hand out to his lover, smiling only when Ianto's hand curled around his, squeezing in comfort.
The Doctor sighed. “Yes. Right. Okay then.” He moved over to the computer and started tapping once more. “Places everyone.” They all stepped into position. “Hold on!”
The TARDIS once more faded from view of the reality she was in as she launched into time and space once more and hurtled into the atmosphere. It didn't take long before she once again spun around, causing her passengers to cling to the console for dear life and battle to hit buttons and pull leavers and handles when required in order to fly her. Once again, when she landed with a thud, everyone was on the floor, bruised and dishevelled.
Ianto looked over at Jack. “If we ever get our own time machine,” he started, and Jack looked over at him, “we're getting safety harnesses installed.” Jack threw his head back and laughed. The TARDIS shook in protest. “No offence meant, TARDIS,” Ianto said, patting the floor beside him. The ship settled down.
Jack grinned. “She really does love you.”
Getting to their feet, they all made sure each other were okay before they ventured outside the door. They were once more on Roald Dahl Plass, but it was no longer a comfort. The Hub was seemingly in one piece, and there were no Torchwood members waiting with guns, so that was a positive. The group moved out of the TARDIS cautiously and the Doctor closed and locked the door.
“Right. Amy, Jack, have you got your keys?” he asked. They each pulled out a key from underneath their clothes. “Good.” the Doctor pulled out two more from his pocket and handed them to Ianto and Rory. “Perception filters,” he said and then waved his hands a little, “and they'll get you back into the TARDIS should you get separated from each other and back here.” He looked back at the Plass. “I don't think we should assume that we're in the right reality until we have absolute confirmation. Okay?”
“Got it, Doc,” Jack said. The others nodded.
“Right. Amy, Rory, you're with me. Jack, Ianto... good luck.”
Jack saluted, Ianto rolled his eyes fondly at Jack but held out his hand to the Doctor. The Doctor looked at him for a moment, and Ianto smiled. The Doctor smiled back and shook his hand before pulling a startled Ianto in for a hug.
“Look after him,” the Doctor said in Ianto's ear.
“It's my job, Doctor,” Ianto replied primly, blushing.
“You're a good man, Ianto Jones,” the Doctor smiled and released him, stepping back. “Right! Adventure! Exploration!“
“I'd avoid Splott,” Ianto suggested evenly. Everyone, including Jack looked at him. He shrugged. “Weevils like it for some reason.”
Jack grinned. “C'mon, let's see what this Hub has for us.”
The Doctor, Amy and Rory headed off in the direction of downtown, while Ianto and Jack walked side by side back towards the Tourist Entrance of the Hub. The door to the Tourist Office has an OPEN sign on it. Jack looks at Ianto who shrugs. Jack pulls the door open, and expects to come face to face with another Ianto. He doesn't. He meets Mickey, leaning on the counter and flicking through a magazine, obviously bored.
“Captain Cheesecake? Shouldn't you be wallowing on a rooftop somewhere?” Mickey looked at his watch. “It's barely harf nine.” Ianto came in after Jack and Mickey stood upright, no longer bored and reaching for his sidearm with one hand and pressing his comm with the other. “Owen, Tosh, you read? Bogey in the water, repeat, bogey in the water. Casper the friendly ghost is here, 'n' he brough' a friend.”
~*~
The Doctor left Amy and Rory exploring the shops and wandered down the streets of Cardiff, making his way to Bute Park. That was where he found a lone figure in a familiar military jacket, different colour to the Jack he saw a couple of hours earlier. It was how he knew it was the Jack of this universe and not of his companions.
“Hello Jack,” the Doctor said, wandering over to stand beside him. He looked down at what Jack was standing over.
Ianto Ifan Jones
28 August 1981 - 29 July 2008
Greatly missed by all who knew him
Loved dearly unknowingly
“Oh Jack. What happened?” The Doctor asked, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder.
Jack turned his head, and the Doctor could see the anguish in his friend's eyes. “I chose the wrong person,” was all he said.
~*~
Jack and Ianto put their hands in the air slowly.
“I'm really getting tired of getting held up at gun point,” Jack sighed.
“You're gettin'- I'm tired of ending up bloody well dead in each of these fucking nightmares,” Ianto griped, as Mickey stared at them, his weapon aimed both of them as footsteps were heard scurrying up the cement stairwell that led to the Hub below. “Just please tell me you're not fucking Gwen in this one,” he muttered under his breath. Jack looked at him sideways, and offered him a sorrowful glance. “Oh stop with the puppy eyes already. I know it's not you. But the other you's all leave a lot to be desired. Why I keep falling in love with you is anyone's guess.”
“I'm great in the sack?” Jack offered hopefully.
“Okay shut it you lot, that's more than I ever needed to know about Captain Cheesecake. Harkness. Whoever you are,” Mickey complained as the door slid open to their right and Owen and Tosh came in, guns aimed.
“Well fuck me. If I hadn't performed the autopsy myself I wouldn't have believed it. Right, who are you and what the fuck do you want?” Owen demanded.
Jack lowered his arms in a huff. “Look, this is fucking ridiculous. Owen, put the gun down. You shoot me, I'm just going to bounce right back to life again.”
“What's he talkin' 'bout?” Mickey asked, glancing at his colleagues.
“He doesn't know? Interesting,” Jack mused, before his face turned to stone. “Your boss can't die,” he said, looking at Mickey. “Try it some time. Great party trick. Used to make a killing as a freakshow in the circus back in the '20s and '30s. You kill me, I do the same thing. Can't die. Trust me, I tried. Repeatedly. Every way imaginable. Nothing sticks. So go ahead, shoot me. I'll just come back to life more pissed off.”
Tosh moved to lower her weapon only to turn it on Ianto. “True. But he can.”
Ianto offered a small smile. “Ah, could. Before. Yes. Once.” He sighed. “You're right in that we're clearly not your Jack and Ianto-“
“Yeah, we got that part the second we realised you have a pulse,” Owen sneered.
“Well, nice to see he remained his charming self in all realities,” Ianto muttered before clearing his throat. “Look, we don't know why we're here. We're travelling with the Doctor. We're trying to get home to our reality.”
“Not much point in shooting him either,” Jack sighed tiredly.
“And why not?” Mickey asked, gun still aimed at both of them.
“Because the rift opened up and took me on July 28, 2008 in our reality. Jack tracked me down... Well... we found each other in the end. Anyway, I ended up on the cloning planet of Havaasana. The cloning process changes one's DNA and makes them immortal.” Ianto looked at Jack, extending out his hand which Jack immediately took. “I'm just like Jack now. A fixed point in time and space. Never aging, never dying. An eternity to share together.” Jack smiled shakily at him. Ianto squeezed his hand. “So you see, we just want to go home, to our reality, to see our friends and family. To show them that we found each other. But we can't seem to get there.”
Owen, Tosh and Mickey all lowered their weapons.
“I say we put them in the cells,” Mickey said. “You don't know if they're telling the truf or not.”
“Jack has the best lie detector in the archives,” Ianto supplied helpfully. “We'd be happy to wait until he gets back.”
Jack frowned. “I don't think I should come face to face with the Jack of here. Timelines, wibbly wobbly stuff.”
Ianto sighed. “Yes, I suppose not. Maybe we should just go back to the TARDIS and wait?”
“You're not going anywhere until Jack comes back,” Tosh demanded. She rounded on Ianto and aimed the gun at his back. “You might not stay dead, but I'm sure you don't want to make this Jack watch you die repeatedly, so move.”
Owen did the same with Jack and they marched them down to the cells. Ianto said hello to Janet as they passed her cell. Once they were locked in the lone spare cell together - Ianto had been right about the abundance of weevils in Splott apparently - Ianto sat down calmly while Jack paced. Their captors had left them alone.
“Why are you just sitting there?” Jack asked, frustrated.
“Well, three reasons. One, big brother is watching us,” he looked up pointedly at the CCTV camera in the corner. Jack stopped, looked and started to undo his pants. “Jack, don't you dare moon that camera!“
Jack pouted. “You're no fun.”
“I don't want you showing off what's mine, how is that not any fun?”
Jack thought about it. “Okay. I'll give you that. What's two?”
“No doubt the Doctor will be here as soon as he gets the SOS I sent via your mobile,” he smirked.
Jack immediately patted himself down and looked at Ianto in pleased shock when Ianto removed the discussed item from his pocket and waved it. “I didn't know you had such nimble fingers?”
“Picked a lot of pockets when I was a wayward youth on the streets of London,” he said as he pocketed the item once more.
“On the lamb from your latest CD heist?”
Ianto gave him a sad smile. “More like scoffing down the proceeds at McDonald's,” he replied as he looked up at the ceiling. The place could do with a good scrub. Clearly he wasn't here any longer. He shuddered.
Jack leaned back against the wall. “And the third?”
Ianto looked back at Jack and spread his legs a little. “If you're going to give them something to watch, may as well make it worth recording.”
Jack stared for all of two seconds before he crossed the room and climbed onto Ianto's lap, kissing him deeply.
~*~
“Do you think he would be able to get the coffee machine to work?” Owen asked Tosh while leaning over her shoulder as she stared at the monitor, watching them make out in the cells. “It's been nearly a year since Ianto died. Eleven months without decent coffee.”
“He might be a little too busy to make you coffee, Owen,” Tosh said dryly, smiling a little as Owen looked at the monitor and groaned.
“What's going on?” Gwen said coming down from Jack's office.
“We have guests,” Tosh said, gesturing to the monitor. “I wish I had popcorn.”
Gwen looked at the screen. “Is that... is that Jack in there? What's Jack doing in the cells? And who's he with?”
“That, Gwen, is Jack and Ianto Jones from a different reality,” Owen told her, pointing at the screen. “They're trying to get home. Scratch that, actually right now, I think Jack is trying to perform a tonsillectomy with his own tongue.”
“Ianto?” Gwen whispered. “Ianto's here?” Gwen started to pace. “Does our Jack know?”
Owen shrugged. “Dunno. We haven't seen him.” He looked at his watch. “It's brooding hour, remember?”
“Jack can't see him!” Gwen bit her thumbnail. “They can't stay here.”
“They have to!” Tosh said. “We can't let them loose on the streets of Cardiff!”
“Looks like we're not getting much choice in the matter,” Owen said, motioning to the monitor. They watched on the screen as the back door to the cell block opened and a scrawny, mussed up brown haired man in a tight fitting suit and a bowtie came through the door, exchanged a few pleasantries with the couple who didn't seem to be too upset with him interrupting their makeout session as he pulled something out of his jacket and aimed it at the door. The cell door just popped open. Jack climbed off Ianto, pulling him to his feet and the two of them scurried out, following the scrawny man out the door he came through.
“Well, what are you doing standing there?” Gwen yelled. “After them!”
But by the time they got down there, they were gone.
~*~
“Only you would spend time incarcerated having intimate relations, Jack,” the Doctor half-heartedly bemoaned, as ran through the sewers to Torchwood's emergency exit.
“Nothing wrong with a little sex, Doc, you should try it sometime,” Jack suggested, amused at the Doctor's indignation at having caught them about to de-robe.
“Not in that cell though,” Ianto added, “it was filthy.”
“Didn't stop you, I noticed,” the Doctor grinned, as they came to a stop. “Ah, here we are.” He climbed up the manhole first.
Ianto glared at Jack. “Don't say a word.”
Jack grinned, “I wouldn't dream of it, baby.” He motioned for Ianto to go first and waited until his lover was out of range before he mumbled, “I'm just that irresistible,” with a grin to himself.
“I heard that Jack,” Ianto called down, and Jack laughed as he scrambled up the ladder, hearing footsteps echoing down the sewers.
“We got company!” He called upwards.
The Doctor pushed open the manhole and climbed out, Ianto next, and Jack behind him. Ianto and Jack replaced the manhole cover while the Doctor called Amy and told her and Rory to get back to the TARDIS - they had to get out of there.
“Let's get going ourselves,” Jack suggested and his companions agreed, taking off running towards the Plass for the TARDIS.
Ianto breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the blue police box come into view but skidded to a halt when he saw someone standing in front of it, looking at it forlornly.
“Oh fuck,” Ianto's lover grumbled, reaching for his hand to hold him back.
The Jack of the reality they were in looked over at them and froze. “Ianto? Is that really you?”
Ianto's lover tried to hold him back, but Ianto turned and smiled at him, squeezed his hand and let go. “It's okay cariad,” he said softly, before he looked at the sad man in front of him. He walked closer carefully. “Jack?”
The sadder, more haggard version of Ianto's lover closed the gap fast, grabbing Ianto's arms. “Ianto? But, how?”
“Jack... I'm not... I am, but I'm not from your time.”
Jack cupped his face, his thumbs smoothing over Ianto's cheekbones. “Still so beautiful,” Jack whispered, drinking him in, his eyes darting everywhere over Ianto. “I miss you so much. I'm so sorry, Ianto, I'm so sorry.”
Ianto covered Jack's hands in his and pulled them gently off his face, and held them. “Jack. I'm sure that whatever caused... my death here, it was worth the price.”
Tears welled in Jack's eyes. “I chose Gwen. When I came back from my time with the Doctor... I chose Gwen. And you... John showed up. You were so hurt that I picked Gwen, you wouldn't come near me. I never dreamed that would be the last time I would ever see you. I never thought ... you were so hurt. First Gwen, then John... When that bomb attached itself to John's chest in my office, and he grabbed the closest person to use as a bargaining chip, you, locking himself to you, making us rush to think of a way to get the bomb off him...” Jack wiped at his eyes. “Owen's idea didn't work, to disrupt his DNA...I thought it would. I honestly thought it would but you were blown into so many pieces...”
Ianto pulled him into a hug and Jack clung to him. “Was anyone else hurt?” Jack shook his head. “Then I died exactly how I wanted. Death by Torchwood, young, protecting the earth.”
Jack pulled back. “I never told you I loved you. I didn't realise until I'd lost you. Until it was too late.”
Ianto smiled and looked back over his shoulder at his own Jack. “Its a trait you all tend to share,” he said.
Jack looked over and saw Ianto's Jack glaring at him. “Oh.” He stepped back. “You really aren't my Ianto, are you?”
“No, he's not,” Jack said, stalking over to stand behind Ianto.
“Cariad,” Ianto said softly in warning. Jack sighed but said nothing further. Ianto looked at the other Jack. “Your Ianto wouldn't want you still grieving over him, over what ifs and never was.”
“But-”
Ianto laughed softly. “You chose Gwen. What are you doing sobbing over a man you cast aside? What about her?”
“I-I was wrong. It didn't work out.”
“Perhaps it's time to try again. I was going to die eventually, Jack. Now, later, it was bound to happen. It wasn't your fault. And now, its time to let me go.” Ianto stepped forward and kissed his cheek. “But know that I did love you.”
Ianto turned and walked back to his own Jack. Together, they went to the TARDIS and Jack unlocked the door, pushing it open. Ianto looked at the other Jack one last time before he walked inside. His lover followed without a backwards glance. The Doctor waited outside for Amy and Rory.
When they came running inside, Amy rested back against the console of the TARDIS, put her hands on her hips and asked, “So... What'd we miss?”
~*~
“Did you have to kiss him?” Jack grumbled as he hugged Ianto from behind while Ianto made another batch of coffee. The Doctor had set the TARDIS to fly to a known refuelling stop he'd used numerous times. Rory and Amy were out exploring with the Doctor, but Ianto and Jack had opted to stay on board the TARDIS.
“It was on the cheek, Jack. For fuck's sake, stop making it sound like I had my tongue down his throat,” Ianto sighed as he poured the delicious black liquid into mugs.
“Your lips touched someone else's skin,” he mumbled. “I think I'm entitled to be upset!”
Ianto smiled as he turned around and handed the blue and white striped mug to its owner. “Even if it was you I was kissing, however innocently?”
Jack took a large mouthful. “Mmm kissing me is never innocent.” Ianto lifted his own mug and inhaled the aroma before drinking a mouthful and moaning. “Watching you drink coffee is obscene.”
“You think everything about me is obscene,” Ianto pointed out. Jack didn't dispute him. Ianto wandered over to the bench seat and sat down with his coffee. Jack sat down beside him, carefully pulling Ianto into his embrace. Ever since they had been back on board, Jack had been even more clingy than normal, constantly touching and hugging Ianto, never letting him out of his sight. Not that Ianto was bothered by it. “Happy now?” he asked once Ianto's back was pressed against Jack's chest.
“Yes,” Jack said, drinking his coffee.
Ianto sighed. “Do you think Jack will be able to let Ianto go?” he wondered, his fingers lightly dancing over Jack's that rested against his stomach.
“I couldn't,” Jack said softly.
Ianto leaned back against his lover. “Neither could I,” he admitted. “Thankfully, neither of us ever have to.” Ianto stared down into his coffee. “Did it really bother you that I kissed his cheek?”
Jack sighed. “A little.”
Ianto sat forward and turned to face him. “Jack... Why?”
Jack shrugged. “I just didn't like it.”
Ianto took his hand and kissed it. “I'm yours cariad. Always.”
Jack nodded. “And I'm yours.”
Ianto smiled. “I know Jack.”
~*~
By the time Amy, Rory and the Doctor returned, Jack and Ianto had finished their coffees and were enthusiastically making out on the bench seat. While Amy and the Doctor enjoyed the display, Rory openly made his displeasure known, causing the two men to spring apart. Ianto flushed with embarrassment, while Jack grinned lothariously.
The Doctor checked the next set of calibrations they were going to try and set them up in the computer. The TARDIS was fully refuelled and ready to go. Everyone took their places at the console, as a sense of deja vu washed over Ianto. Fourth time was the charm, it had to be! He sighed as the TARDIS took off yet again into time and space, hurtling through the atmosphere and tumbling through the vortex. Like a well rehearsed dance, everyone knew when to press their buttons or leavers in order to get the TARDIS to land when it needed to. Once again they landed on the floor of the TARDIS with a thud.
“Honestly, we need to get some sort of padding for the floor if this keeps up,” Amy griped, looking over her arms. “I've got bruises on my bruises!”
“I got to admit, I'm getting tired of landing on my backside too,” Rory added, climbing to his feet and rubbing his head where he'd knocked it on the console. Jack, Ianto and the Doctor all groaned as they got to their feet.
“Well then,” the Doctor said with a sigh. “Shall we see if we got it right this time?”
The group once again headed out the door of the TARDIS, with the Doctor leading the way, and Amy and Rory bringing up the rear. When they exited, they found themselves once more on Roald Dahl Plass, opposite the perception filter entrance to the Hub of Torchwood. It was a lovely sunny day, from what Ianto could tell it was an early weekend morning.
Ianto looked around. His heart sank when he saw another step out of the perception filter, followed by Tosh. “Oh for fuck's sake.”
“What?” Jack asked before he saw it. “Oh.” He reached for Ianto's hand. “Guess we're still on the yellow brick road.”
“Should we follow them?” Ianto asked, watching as the pair walked towards downtown where the cafes and shops were located.
“May as well,” the Doctor said, and the the group followed the Torchwood agents.
Jack and Tosh walked quickly to a small coffee shop just off the Plass called Caffeine Addiction. The group watched as Jack took a seat at a table outside with a direct view inside at the counter, that he watched avidly. Tosh tried to talk to Jack about something, which Ianto thought was about him going inside, but obviously he ignored her. Throwing her hands up in the air, she went inside and stood in line.
Jack and Ianto moved closer to the store and Ianto looked inside. He saw his doppelganger behind the counter, smiling politely at Tosh as she placed her order. He looked outside and saw Jack seated at the table. He smiled wider for a moment, then flushed when he realised Jack could see him and went back to his conversation with Tosh. When she came back out, she was carrying a cardboard carry holder with four coffees and a large bag.
“He says hello, by the way,” Tosh said as she dumped the bag on the table. “And he said you looked sad today. The jelly donuts are to cheer you up.”
Jack looked into the bag, and then smiled. He folded the bag up again and looked into the store. Longing was clear in his eyes as he smiled at Ianto inside the store. The Ianto behind the counter raised a hand to wave. Jack lifted the bag in acknowledgment as he rose to his feet.
“I don't know why you won't talk to him, Jack,” Tosh muttered, frustratedly. “He likes you.”
“He's better off without me in his life,” Jack said forlornly. “He's out of Torchwood, Tosh. He doesn't need a boyfriend running out on him in the middle of the night, or working weird hours and won't tell him why.”
“You should never have retconned him,” she said as they passed by Jack, Ianto, the Doctor, Amy and Rory, unaware that their conversation was being listened to.
“It was for the best.”
“For whom? Him? Or you?” she asked, their voices fading away as they walked away.
Ianto turned his head to look at his lover. He frowned when he saw his lover was clearly upset.
“Jack?” He pulled him into his arms. “Hey! Hey, what's wrong?” he asked as he moved back to look at Jack.
Jack shuddered a breath as he clutched at Ianto's hoodie, “I can't help but think maybe I got it wrong. Maybe in every universe, I got it wrong and I lose you.”
“You found me, Jack!” Ianto reminded him, resting his forehead against Jack's. “You came and found me. It took a long time but you found me and nothing will ever break us apart again.”
“Promise?” Jack whispered. He hated feeling vulnerable, but he still did when it came to Ianto.
“Promise.” Ianto closed his eyes. “I think it's time we had a talk to the one being none of us have thought to talk to yet.”
“And who would that be?” the Doctor asked, frowning.
“Your TARDIS,” Ianto growled out, pulling out of Jack's arms. “It can hardly be a co-incidence that we keep ending up in the same place every time yet it's always a different reality that we land in.” Ianto turned and headed back to the Plass.
“Now wait just a minute!” the Doctor called out as he chased after Ianto.
“No, Doc, I think Ianto has a point,” Jack said, taking up the chase. Amy and Rory looked at each other and followed.
Ianto shoved his key in the lock of the TARDIS and opened the door. Huffily, he walked inside. “Right then, TARDIS, you and I need to have a talk, man to... time machine.” Ianto walked over to the console closest to the vent that had the heart of the vortex thrumming through her and rubbed the edge of the console. “Have you been preventing us from returning to Earth in our own reality?”
The Doctor and Jack came into the TARDIS just has Ianto asked the question. The ship shook and shuddered. Ianto turned to lean against the console. “I think you've been taking us to these realities to send Jack and I a message.” Jack walked slowly over to Ianto, who held a hand out to him. Jack took it, threading his fingers through Ianto's and squeezed. “I think you wanted us to see what would happen if we didn't stay together, am I right?”
The ship once again shuddered and shook, causing the Doctor, Amy and Rory - who had now arrived and run inside - to look around at the ship in wonder.
“TARDIS, you don't have to worry about Jack being alone anymore.” Ianto pushed off the console and stood in front of Jack, reaching for his other hand. “I am Jack's, for a long as he wants me. If that is for eternity, then I shall be with him for eternity.” Lights flickered. Ianto smiled at Jack. “I think she wants you to say something,” Ianto mock whispered to Jack.
“Oh.” Jack swallowed hard. “I... I've never been a one-person man before. But then I met you, Ianto. I lost you once. I know what it's like to live without you. I can't do it again. I want you with me for eternity. You and only you.”
“Did they just get married?” Rory asked, leaning down to Amy.
“By the power vested in the TARDIS maybe?” Amy replied.
Ianto pulled Jack to him and kissed him long and deeply. The TARDIS shook and shimmered, and suddenly took off. The Doctor scrambled to the console, barking orders at Amy, Rory, Ianto and Jack - who he told to stop kissing and start helping. Just as suddenly as they took off, they landed with a thud, all of them once more landing on the floor. Once again, the five travellers got to their feet, dusted themselves off and walked to the door.
When they opened it, they hadn't landed on the Plass. Instead, they were on the front yard of a familiar housing development. Ianto and Jack stepped outside, hand in hand, followed by the Doctor, Amy and Rory. The front door of the house of the yard they'd landed on opened and a light brown haired woman came outside, ready to start yelling abuse.
“Oi! What the hell do you- Jack? ... Yan? Ianto? Is that you? Is that really you?”
“Rhi,” Ianto whispered, and when she started running towards him, he dropped Jack's hand and took off running to his sister, catching her as she jumped onto him, and whirled her around. “Rhi, I'm so sorry. I'm here. I'm back. I'm home.”
“He found ya! He found ya! I can't believe he fucking found ya!” Rhiannon yelled happily as she hugged her brother. Ianto put her on the ground and she reached up and squeezed his cheeks. “Are ya alrigh'? Are ya okay?”
“I'm fine,” he said, “I'm okay. Now. It's been... Rhi, you wouldn't believe me if I tried to tell you. But I'm okay. Jack found me, I found him. We found each other. Eventually.” She slapped his arm and shoulder repeatedly. “Ow, ow! Hey! What was that for?”
“You deserve a bollocking you do! Scarin' us all like that! Christ almighty! Two years, Yan! Two fucking years you been gone!” she screeched.
“That all?” he asked, with a sigh of relief.
“That all he says.” she mimicked. “And you!” she whirled on Jack. “Get over here!” she demanded. Jack froze, complete with deer-in-headlights look on his face. Then he moved, walking over to Rhiannon and Ianto. She immediately threw her arms around him. “Thank you. Thank you for keeping your promise and bringing him home.”
“I'm only sorry I took so long,” he said softly, as he pulled back from the hug.
She looked at them both. “Right then. When's the wedding?”
Ianto choked. Jack threw his head back and laughed. It was good to be home.
Next story in the Time Verse: Returning To Torchwood Three
Once they were clean, sated and reconnected, Ianto and Jack redressed again before walking calmly downstairs. They found the Doctor, Amy and Rory huddled together, whispering amongst themselves in worried tones.
“So, we worked out where we're going next yet?” Jack asked as they reached the bottom of the stairs.
The Doctor whirled around, looking slightly guilty. “Uh. Well. No, actually.”
“Too busy gossiping like school children?” Ianto asked, raising an eyebrow. Amy blushed, Rory looked at his feet. The Doctor ruffled his own hair.
“Yes, alright, okay, we were discussing what was said outside. You have to admit, it is rather curious that twice now we've tried to get you back to your own reality and twice we've gone to a different reality where something has gone wrong and you've ended up apart.”
Ianto and Jack looked at each other.
“So we try again, Doc,” Jack said, not taking his eyes off Ianto, extending his hand out to his lover, smiling only when Ianto's hand curled around his, squeezing in comfort.
The Doctor sighed. “Yes. Right. Okay then.” He moved over to the computer and started tapping once more. “Places everyone.” They all stepped into position. “Hold on!”
The TARDIS once more faded from view of the reality she was in as she launched into time and space once more and hurtled into the atmosphere. It didn't take long before she once again spun around, causing her passengers to cling to the console for dear life and battle to hit buttons and pull leavers and handles when required in order to fly her. Once again, when she landed with a thud, everyone was on the floor, bruised and dishevelled.
Ianto looked over at Jack. “If we ever get our own time machine,” he started, and Jack looked over at him, “we're getting safety harnesses installed.” Jack threw his head back and laughed. The TARDIS shook in protest. “No offence meant, TARDIS,” Ianto said, patting the floor beside him. The ship settled down.
Jack grinned. “She really does love you.”
Getting to their feet, they all made sure each other were okay before they ventured outside the door. They were once more on Roald Dahl Plass, but it was no longer a comfort. The Hub was seemingly in one piece, and there were no Torchwood members waiting with guns, so that was a positive. The group moved out of the TARDIS cautiously and the Doctor closed and locked the door.
“Right. Amy, Jack, have you got your keys?” he asked. They each pulled out a key from underneath their clothes. “Good.” the Doctor pulled out two more from his pocket and handed them to Ianto and Rory. “Perception filters,” he said and then waved his hands a little, “and they'll get you back into the TARDIS should you get separated from each other and back here.” He looked back at the Plass. “I don't think we should assume that we're in the right reality until we have absolute confirmation. Okay?”
“Got it, Doc,” Jack said. The others nodded.
“Right. Amy, Rory, you're with me. Jack, Ianto... good luck.”
Jack saluted, Ianto rolled his eyes fondly at Jack but held out his hand to the Doctor. The Doctor looked at him for a moment, and Ianto smiled. The Doctor smiled back and shook his hand before pulling a startled Ianto in for a hug.
“Look after him,” the Doctor said in Ianto's ear.
“It's my job, Doctor,” Ianto replied primly, blushing.
“You're a good man, Ianto Jones,” the Doctor smiled and released him, stepping back. “Right! Adventure! Exploration!“
“I'd avoid Splott,” Ianto suggested evenly. Everyone, including Jack looked at him. He shrugged. “Weevils like it for some reason.”
Jack grinned. “C'mon, let's see what this Hub has for us.”
The Doctor, Amy and Rory headed off in the direction of downtown, while Ianto and Jack walked side by side back towards the Tourist Entrance of the Hub. The door to the Tourist Office has an OPEN sign on it. Jack looks at Ianto who shrugs. Jack pulls the door open, and expects to come face to face with another Ianto. He doesn't. He meets Mickey, leaning on the counter and flicking through a magazine, obviously bored.
“Captain Cheesecake? Shouldn't you be wallowing on a rooftop somewhere?” Mickey looked at his watch. “It's barely harf nine.” Ianto came in after Jack and Mickey stood upright, no longer bored and reaching for his sidearm with one hand and pressing his comm with the other. “Owen, Tosh, you read? Bogey in the water, repeat, bogey in the water. Casper the friendly ghost is here, 'n' he brough' a friend.”
~*~
The Doctor left Amy and Rory exploring the shops and wandered down the streets of Cardiff, making his way to Bute Park. That was where he found a lone figure in a familiar military jacket, different colour to the Jack he saw a couple of hours earlier. It was how he knew it was the Jack of this universe and not of his companions.
“Hello Jack,” the Doctor said, wandering over to stand beside him. He looked down at what Jack was standing over.
Ianto Ifan Jones
28 August 1981 - 29 July 2008
Greatly missed by all who knew him
Loved dearly unknowingly
“Oh Jack. What happened?” The Doctor asked, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder.
Jack turned his head, and the Doctor could see the anguish in his friend's eyes. “I chose the wrong person,” was all he said.
~*~
Jack and Ianto put their hands in the air slowly.
“I'm really getting tired of getting held up at gun point,” Jack sighed.
“You're gettin'- I'm tired of ending up bloody well dead in each of these fucking nightmares,” Ianto griped, as Mickey stared at them, his weapon aimed both of them as footsteps were heard scurrying up the cement stairwell that led to the Hub below. “Just please tell me you're not fucking Gwen in this one,” he muttered under his breath. Jack looked at him sideways, and offered him a sorrowful glance. “Oh stop with the puppy eyes already. I know it's not you. But the other you's all leave a lot to be desired. Why I keep falling in love with you is anyone's guess.”
“I'm great in the sack?” Jack offered hopefully.
“Okay shut it you lot, that's more than I ever needed to know about Captain Cheesecake. Harkness. Whoever you are,” Mickey complained as the door slid open to their right and Owen and Tosh came in, guns aimed.
“Well fuck me. If I hadn't performed the autopsy myself I wouldn't have believed it. Right, who are you and what the fuck do you want?” Owen demanded.
Jack lowered his arms in a huff. “Look, this is fucking ridiculous. Owen, put the gun down. You shoot me, I'm just going to bounce right back to life again.”
“What's he talkin' 'bout?” Mickey asked, glancing at his colleagues.
“He doesn't know? Interesting,” Jack mused, before his face turned to stone. “Your boss can't die,” he said, looking at Mickey. “Try it some time. Great party trick. Used to make a killing as a freakshow in the circus back in the '20s and '30s. You kill me, I do the same thing. Can't die. Trust me, I tried. Repeatedly. Every way imaginable. Nothing sticks. So go ahead, shoot me. I'll just come back to life more pissed off.”
Tosh moved to lower her weapon only to turn it on Ianto. “True. But he can.”
Ianto offered a small smile. “Ah, could. Before. Yes. Once.” He sighed. “You're right in that we're clearly not your Jack and Ianto-“
“Yeah, we got that part the second we realised you have a pulse,” Owen sneered.
“Well, nice to see he remained his charming self in all realities,” Ianto muttered before clearing his throat. “Look, we don't know why we're here. We're travelling with the Doctor. We're trying to get home to our reality.”
“Not much point in shooting him either,” Jack sighed tiredly.
“And why not?” Mickey asked, gun still aimed at both of them.
“Because the rift opened up and took me on July 28, 2008 in our reality. Jack tracked me down... Well... we found each other in the end. Anyway, I ended up on the cloning planet of Havaasana. The cloning process changes one's DNA and makes them immortal.” Ianto looked at Jack, extending out his hand which Jack immediately took. “I'm just like Jack now. A fixed point in time and space. Never aging, never dying. An eternity to share together.” Jack smiled shakily at him. Ianto squeezed his hand. “So you see, we just want to go home, to our reality, to see our friends and family. To show them that we found each other. But we can't seem to get there.”
Owen, Tosh and Mickey all lowered their weapons.
“I say we put them in the cells,” Mickey said. “You don't know if they're telling the truf or not.”
“Jack has the best lie detector in the archives,” Ianto supplied helpfully. “We'd be happy to wait until he gets back.”
Jack frowned. “I don't think I should come face to face with the Jack of here. Timelines, wibbly wobbly stuff.”
Ianto sighed. “Yes, I suppose not. Maybe we should just go back to the TARDIS and wait?”
“You're not going anywhere until Jack comes back,” Tosh demanded. She rounded on Ianto and aimed the gun at his back. “You might not stay dead, but I'm sure you don't want to make this Jack watch you die repeatedly, so move.”
Owen did the same with Jack and they marched them down to the cells. Ianto said hello to Janet as they passed her cell. Once they were locked in the lone spare cell together - Ianto had been right about the abundance of weevils in Splott apparently - Ianto sat down calmly while Jack paced. Their captors had left them alone.
“Why are you just sitting there?” Jack asked, frustrated.
“Well, three reasons. One, big brother is watching us,” he looked up pointedly at the CCTV camera in the corner. Jack stopped, looked and started to undo his pants. “Jack, don't you dare moon that camera!“
Jack pouted. “You're no fun.”
“I don't want you showing off what's mine, how is that not any fun?”
Jack thought about it. “Okay. I'll give you that. What's two?”
“No doubt the Doctor will be here as soon as he gets the SOS I sent via your mobile,” he smirked.
Jack immediately patted himself down and looked at Ianto in pleased shock when Ianto removed the discussed item from his pocket and waved it. “I didn't know you had such nimble fingers?”
“Picked a lot of pockets when I was a wayward youth on the streets of London,” he said as he pocketed the item once more.
“On the lamb from your latest CD heist?”
Ianto gave him a sad smile. “More like scoffing down the proceeds at McDonald's,” he replied as he looked up at the ceiling. The place could do with a good scrub. Clearly he wasn't here any longer. He shuddered.
Jack leaned back against the wall. “And the third?”
Ianto looked back at Jack and spread his legs a little. “If you're going to give them something to watch, may as well make it worth recording.”
Jack stared for all of two seconds before he crossed the room and climbed onto Ianto's lap, kissing him deeply.
~*~
“Do you think he would be able to get the coffee machine to work?” Owen asked Tosh while leaning over her shoulder as she stared at the monitor, watching them make out in the cells. “It's been nearly a year since Ianto died. Eleven months without decent coffee.”
“He might be a little too busy to make you coffee, Owen,” Tosh said dryly, smiling a little as Owen looked at the monitor and groaned.
“What's going on?” Gwen said coming down from Jack's office.
“We have guests,” Tosh said, gesturing to the monitor. “I wish I had popcorn.”
Gwen looked at the screen. “Is that... is that Jack in there? What's Jack doing in the cells? And who's he with?”
“That, Gwen, is Jack and Ianto Jones from a different reality,” Owen told her, pointing at the screen. “They're trying to get home. Scratch that, actually right now, I think Jack is trying to perform a tonsillectomy with his own tongue.”
“Ianto?” Gwen whispered. “Ianto's here?” Gwen started to pace. “Does our Jack know?”
Owen shrugged. “Dunno. We haven't seen him.” He looked at his watch. “It's brooding hour, remember?”
“Jack can't see him!” Gwen bit her thumbnail. “They can't stay here.”
“They have to!” Tosh said. “We can't let them loose on the streets of Cardiff!”
“Looks like we're not getting much choice in the matter,” Owen said, motioning to the monitor. They watched on the screen as the back door to the cell block opened and a scrawny, mussed up brown haired man in a tight fitting suit and a bowtie came through the door, exchanged a few pleasantries with the couple who didn't seem to be too upset with him interrupting their makeout session as he pulled something out of his jacket and aimed it at the door. The cell door just popped open. Jack climbed off Ianto, pulling him to his feet and the two of them scurried out, following the scrawny man out the door he came through.
“Well, what are you doing standing there?” Gwen yelled. “After them!”
But by the time they got down there, they were gone.
~*~
“Only you would spend time incarcerated having intimate relations, Jack,” the Doctor half-heartedly bemoaned, as ran through the sewers to Torchwood's emergency exit.
“Nothing wrong with a little sex, Doc, you should try it sometime,” Jack suggested, amused at the Doctor's indignation at having caught them about to de-robe.
“Not in that cell though,” Ianto added, “it was filthy.”
“Didn't stop you, I noticed,” the Doctor grinned, as they came to a stop. “Ah, here we are.” He climbed up the manhole first.
Ianto glared at Jack. “Don't say a word.”
Jack grinned, “I wouldn't dream of it, baby.” He motioned for Ianto to go first and waited until his lover was out of range before he mumbled, “I'm just that irresistible,” with a grin to himself.
“I heard that Jack,” Ianto called down, and Jack laughed as he scrambled up the ladder, hearing footsteps echoing down the sewers.
“We got company!” He called upwards.
The Doctor pushed open the manhole and climbed out, Ianto next, and Jack behind him. Ianto and Jack replaced the manhole cover while the Doctor called Amy and told her and Rory to get back to the TARDIS - they had to get out of there.
“Let's get going ourselves,” Jack suggested and his companions agreed, taking off running towards the Plass for the TARDIS.
Ianto breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the blue police box come into view but skidded to a halt when he saw someone standing in front of it, looking at it forlornly.
“Oh fuck,” Ianto's lover grumbled, reaching for his hand to hold him back.
The Jack of the reality they were in looked over at them and froze. “Ianto? Is that really you?”
Ianto's lover tried to hold him back, but Ianto turned and smiled at him, squeezed his hand and let go. “It's okay cariad,” he said softly, before he looked at the sad man in front of him. He walked closer carefully. “Jack?”
The sadder, more haggard version of Ianto's lover closed the gap fast, grabbing Ianto's arms. “Ianto? But, how?”
“Jack... I'm not... I am, but I'm not from your time.”
Jack cupped his face, his thumbs smoothing over Ianto's cheekbones. “Still so beautiful,” Jack whispered, drinking him in, his eyes darting everywhere over Ianto. “I miss you so much. I'm so sorry, Ianto, I'm so sorry.”
Ianto covered Jack's hands in his and pulled them gently off his face, and held them. “Jack. I'm sure that whatever caused... my death here, it was worth the price.”
Tears welled in Jack's eyes. “I chose Gwen. When I came back from my time with the Doctor... I chose Gwen. And you... John showed up. You were so hurt that I picked Gwen, you wouldn't come near me. I never dreamed that would be the last time I would ever see you. I never thought ... you were so hurt. First Gwen, then John... When that bomb attached itself to John's chest in my office, and he grabbed the closest person to use as a bargaining chip, you, locking himself to you, making us rush to think of a way to get the bomb off him...” Jack wiped at his eyes. “Owen's idea didn't work, to disrupt his DNA...I thought it would. I honestly thought it would but you were blown into so many pieces...”
Ianto pulled him into a hug and Jack clung to him. “Was anyone else hurt?” Jack shook his head. “Then I died exactly how I wanted. Death by Torchwood, young, protecting the earth.”
Jack pulled back. “I never told you I loved you. I didn't realise until I'd lost you. Until it was too late.”
Ianto smiled and looked back over his shoulder at his own Jack. “Its a trait you all tend to share,” he said.
Jack looked over and saw Ianto's Jack glaring at him. “Oh.” He stepped back. “You really aren't my Ianto, are you?”
“No, he's not,” Jack said, stalking over to stand behind Ianto.
“Cariad,” Ianto said softly in warning. Jack sighed but said nothing further. Ianto looked at the other Jack. “Your Ianto wouldn't want you still grieving over him, over what ifs and never was.”
“But-”
Ianto laughed softly. “You chose Gwen. What are you doing sobbing over a man you cast aside? What about her?”
“I-I was wrong. It didn't work out.”
“Perhaps it's time to try again. I was going to die eventually, Jack. Now, later, it was bound to happen. It wasn't your fault. And now, its time to let me go.” Ianto stepped forward and kissed his cheek. “But know that I did love you.”
Ianto turned and walked back to his own Jack. Together, they went to the TARDIS and Jack unlocked the door, pushing it open. Ianto looked at the other Jack one last time before he walked inside. His lover followed without a backwards glance. The Doctor waited outside for Amy and Rory.
When they came running inside, Amy rested back against the console of the TARDIS, put her hands on her hips and asked, “So... What'd we miss?”
~*~
“Did you have to kiss him?” Jack grumbled as he hugged Ianto from behind while Ianto made another batch of coffee. The Doctor had set the TARDIS to fly to a known refuelling stop he'd used numerous times. Rory and Amy were out exploring with the Doctor, but Ianto and Jack had opted to stay on board the TARDIS.
“It was on the cheek, Jack. For fuck's sake, stop making it sound like I had my tongue down his throat,” Ianto sighed as he poured the delicious black liquid into mugs.
“Your lips touched someone else's skin,” he mumbled. “I think I'm entitled to be upset!”
Ianto smiled as he turned around and handed the blue and white striped mug to its owner. “Even if it was you I was kissing, however innocently?”
Jack took a large mouthful. “Mmm kissing me is never innocent.” Ianto lifted his own mug and inhaled the aroma before drinking a mouthful and moaning. “Watching you drink coffee is obscene.”
“You think everything about me is obscene,” Ianto pointed out. Jack didn't dispute him. Ianto wandered over to the bench seat and sat down with his coffee. Jack sat down beside him, carefully pulling Ianto into his embrace. Ever since they had been back on board, Jack had been even more clingy than normal, constantly touching and hugging Ianto, never letting him out of his sight. Not that Ianto was bothered by it. “Happy now?” he asked once Ianto's back was pressed against Jack's chest.
“Yes,” Jack said, drinking his coffee.
Ianto sighed. “Do you think Jack will be able to let Ianto go?” he wondered, his fingers lightly dancing over Jack's that rested against his stomach.
“I couldn't,” Jack said softly.
Ianto leaned back against his lover. “Neither could I,” he admitted. “Thankfully, neither of us ever have to.” Ianto stared down into his coffee. “Did it really bother you that I kissed his cheek?”
Jack sighed. “A little.”
Ianto sat forward and turned to face him. “Jack... Why?”
Jack shrugged. “I just didn't like it.”
Ianto took his hand and kissed it. “I'm yours cariad. Always.”
Jack nodded. “And I'm yours.”
Ianto smiled. “I know Jack.”
~*~
By the time Amy, Rory and the Doctor returned, Jack and Ianto had finished their coffees and were enthusiastically making out on the bench seat. While Amy and the Doctor enjoyed the display, Rory openly made his displeasure known, causing the two men to spring apart. Ianto flushed with embarrassment, while Jack grinned lothariously.
The Doctor checked the next set of calibrations they were going to try and set them up in the computer. The TARDIS was fully refuelled and ready to go. Everyone took their places at the console, as a sense of deja vu washed over Ianto. Fourth time was the charm, it had to be! He sighed as the TARDIS took off yet again into time and space, hurtling through the atmosphere and tumbling through the vortex. Like a well rehearsed dance, everyone knew when to press their buttons or leavers in order to get the TARDIS to land when it needed to. Once again they landed on the floor of the TARDIS with a thud.
“Honestly, we need to get some sort of padding for the floor if this keeps up,” Amy griped, looking over her arms. “I've got bruises on my bruises!”
“I got to admit, I'm getting tired of landing on my backside too,” Rory added, climbing to his feet and rubbing his head where he'd knocked it on the console. Jack, Ianto and the Doctor all groaned as they got to their feet.
“Well then,” the Doctor said with a sigh. “Shall we see if we got it right this time?”
The group once again headed out the door of the TARDIS, with the Doctor leading the way, and Amy and Rory bringing up the rear. When they exited, they found themselves once more on Roald Dahl Plass, opposite the perception filter entrance to the Hub of Torchwood. It was a lovely sunny day, from what Ianto could tell it was an early weekend morning.
Ianto looked around. His heart sank when he saw another step out of the perception filter, followed by Tosh. “Oh for fuck's sake.”
“What?” Jack asked before he saw it. “Oh.” He reached for Ianto's hand. “Guess we're still on the yellow brick road.”
“Should we follow them?” Ianto asked, watching as the pair walked towards downtown where the cafes and shops were located.
“May as well,” the Doctor said, and the the group followed the Torchwood agents.
Jack and Tosh walked quickly to a small coffee shop just off the Plass called Caffeine Addiction. The group watched as Jack took a seat at a table outside with a direct view inside at the counter, that he watched avidly. Tosh tried to talk to Jack about something, which Ianto thought was about him going inside, but obviously he ignored her. Throwing her hands up in the air, she went inside and stood in line.
Jack and Ianto moved closer to the store and Ianto looked inside. He saw his doppelganger behind the counter, smiling politely at Tosh as she placed her order. He looked outside and saw Jack seated at the table. He smiled wider for a moment, then flushed when he realised Jack could see him and went back to his conversation with Tosh. When she came back out, she was carrying a cardboard carry holder with four coffees and a large bag.
“He says hello, by the way,” Tosh said as she dumped the bag on the table. “And he said you looked sad today. The jelly donuts are to cheer you up.”
Jack looked into the bag, and then smiled. He folded the bag up again and looked into the store. Longing was clear in his eyes as he smiled at Ianto inside the store. The Ianto behind the counter raised a hand to wave. Jack lifted the bag in acknowledgment as he rose to his feet.
“I don't know why you won't talk to him, Jack,” Tosh muttered, frustratedly. “He likes you.”
“He's better off without me in his life,” Jack said forlornly. “He's out of Torchwood, Tosh. He doesn't need a boyfriend running out on him in the middle of the night, or working weird hours and won't tell him why.”
“You should never have retconned him,” she said as they passed by Jack, Ianto, the Doctor, Amy and Rory, unaware that their conversation was being listened to.
“It was for the best.”
“For whom? Him? Or you?” she asked, their voices fading away as they walked away.
Ianto turned his head to look at his lover. He frowned when he saw his lover was clearly upset.
“Jack?” He pulled him into his arms. “Hey! Hey, what's wrong?” he asked as he moved back to look at Jack.
Jack shuddered a breath as he clutched at Ianto's hoodie, “I can't help but think maybe I got it wrong. Maybe in every universe, I got it wrong and I lose you.”
“You found me, Jack!” Ianto reminded him, resting his forehead against Jack's. “You came and found me. It took a long time but you found me and nothing will ever break us apart again.”
“Promise?” Jack whispered. He hated feeling vulnerable, but he still did when it came to Ianto.
“Promise.” Ianto closed his eyes. “I think it's time we had a talk to the one being none of us have thought to talk to yet.”
“And who would that be?” the Doctor asked, frowning.
“Your TARDIS,” Ianto growled out, pulling out of Jack's arms. “It can hardly be a co-incidence that we keep ending up in the same place every time yet it's always a different reality that we land in.” Ianto turned and headed back to the Plass.
“Now wait just a minute!” the Doctor called out as he chased after Ianto.
“No, Doc, I think Ianto has a point,” Jack said, taking up the chase. Amy and Rory looked at each other and followed.
Ianto shoved his key in the lock of the TARDIS and opened the door. Huffily, he walked inside. “Right then, TARDIS, you and I need to have a talk, man to... time machine.” Ianto walked over to the console closest to the vent that had the heart of the vortex thrumming through her and rubbed the edge of the console. “Have you been preventing us from returning to Earth in our own reality?”
The Doctor and Jack came into the TARDIS just has Ianto asked the question. The ship shook and shuddered. Ianto turned to lean against the console. “I think you've been taking us to these realities to send Jack and I a message.” Jack walked slowly over to Ianto, who held a hand out to him. Jack took it, threading his fingers through Ianto's and squeezed. “I think you wanted us to see what would happen if we didn't stay together, am I right?”
The ship once again shuddered and shook, causing the Doctor, Amy and Rory - who had now arrived and run inside - to look around at the ship in wonder.
“TARDIS, you don't have to worry about Jack being alone anymore.” Ianto pushed off the console and stood in front of Jack, reaching for his other hand. “I am Jack's, for a long as he wants me. If that is for eternity, then I shall be with him for eternity.” Lights flickered. Ianto smiled at Jack. “I think she wants you to say something,” Ianto mock whispered to Jack.
“Oh.” Jack swallowed hard. “I... I've never been a one-person man before. But then I met you, Ianto. I lost you once. I know what it's like to live without you. I can't do it again. I want you with me for eternity. You and only you.”
“Did they just get married?” Rory asked, leaning down to Amy.
“By the power vested in the TARDIS maybe?” Amy replied.
Ianto pulled Jack to him and kissed him long and deeply. The TARDIS shook and shimmered, and suddenly took off. The Doctor scrambled to the console, barking orders at Amy, Rory, Ianto and Jack - who he told to stop kissing and start helping. Just as suddenly as they took off, they landed with a thud, all of them once more landing on the floor. Once again, the five travellers got to their feet, dusted themselves off and walked to the door.
When they opened it, they hadn't landed on the Plass. Instead, they were on the front yard of a familiar housing development. Ianto and Jack stepped outside, hand in hand, followed by the Doctor, Amy and Rory. The front door of the house of the yard they'd landed on opened and a light brown haired woman came outside, ready to start yelling abuse.
“Oi! What the hell do you- Jack? ... Yan? Ianto? Is that you? Is that really you?”
“Rhi,” Ianto whispered, and when she started running towards him, he dropped Jack's hand and took off running to his sister, catching her as she jumped onto him, and whirled her around. “Rhi, I'm so sorry. I'm here. I'm back. I'm home.”
“He found ya! He found ya! I can't believe he fucking found ya!” Rhiannon yelled happily as she hugged her brother. Ianto put her on the ground and she reached up and squeezed his cheeks. “Are ya alrigh'? Are ya okay?”
“I'm fine,” he said, “I'm okay. Now. It's been... Rhi, you wouldn't believe me if I tried to tell you. But I'm okay. Jack found me, I found him. We found each other. Eventually.” She slapped his arm and shoulder repeatedly. “Ow, ow! Hey! What was that for?”
“You deserve a bollocking you do! Scarin' us all like that! Christ almighty! Two years, Yan! Two fucking years you been gone!” she screeched.
“That all?” he asked, with a sigh of relief.
“That all he says.” she mimicked. “And you!” she whirled on Jack. “Get over here!” she demanded. Jack froze, complete with deer-in-headlights look on his face. Then he moved, walking over to Rhiannon and Ianto. She immediately threw her arms around him. “Thank you. Thank you for keeping your promise and bringing him home.”
“I'm only sorry I took so long,” he said softly, as he pulled back from the hug.
She looked at them both. “Right then. When's the wedding?”
Ianto choked. Jack threw his head back and laughed. It was good to be home.
Next story in the Time Verse: Returning To Torchwood Three