Lost inside of you Part 31/36 + epilogue
Sep. 30th, 2010 06:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
zazajbTitle: Lost inside of you Part 31/36+epilogue
Author: zazajb
Rating: NC-17 overall, adult concepts, occasional language, M/M
Pairings/Characters: Jack/Ianto, Gwen/Rhys, Martha/Tom, The Doctor [10] Lois/Peter
Spoilers - TW anything is possible - via memories, inc DW
Summary: Sequel to No place to hide. Sometimes I don't know where I end and he begins...
Previous chapters: http://zazajb.livejournal.com/6286.html
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters - just like to dabble with them from time to time
This is for the wonderful wise_n_witty
X-posted jackxianto, jantolution, TW_proper – apologies to those getting this numerous times!
A/N - sorry for the evil cliff-hanger last chapter...
Thanks to the awesome Wykling for the story banner *hugs*
Chapter 31
“Ianto..! No...no...no...no...no...Ianto..!” Jack sank to his knees, frantically tugging Ianto’s limp body onto his lap, the agonising memory of the identical action in front of the chamber and the 456 colliding with the panic and terror of the here and now... He reached up to his ear and cursed in a language he couldn’t have identified as he realised neither of them had put their comms in, instead having to fumble for his mobile one-handed as he clutched Ianto to him with the other...
“Peter...!” Jack’s voice was shrill, the panic radiating down the phone, causing the medic to leap to his feet before any other details had been given... “Ianto’s collapsed...I’m outside...” his eyes searched for the closest house number, “...number 34...hurry..!” as he dropped his phone and wrapped the unconscious Welshman to him, rocking him as he mumbled his name over and over...desperate to reach out with his thoughts but knowing that it was too dangerous...
Lois and Gwen had also risen to their feet in alarm, watching as Peter took the brief call... The doctor pulled them aside and whispered the news, urging them to stay and get the rest of the story from the two elderly residents – it was too vital...they needed every scrap of information if they were to get to the bottom of this...
Blinking the sudden tears away - tears of sorrow and anger that their gentle Welshman had been somehow stricken, the women sat down again as Peter excused himself and set off at a run towards the two men he could see on the ground a short distance away...
From his vantage point at the upstairs window, John Hart watched the scene below him...a ringside seat he purred with satisfaction, taking a long slug from the bottle beside him. This was turning out quite nicely... He smiled to himself...Jack Harkness would regret what he’d done...
Peter skidded to a halt and dropped to his knees, “what happened?” he leant in to take a closer look at the still form, peeling Jack’s hands away so he could do a quick examination, frowning when the Captain’s hands returned as if on elastic... “Jack...you need to let go so I can look at him...Jack!” he tipped Jack’s face up so he could make eye contact, shuddering at the completely broken look in those usually sparkling depths... “You have to let go of him...” he said slowly and carefully as Jack gazed unseeingly at him, but allowed his hands to be moved so they hung limply at his side.
Peter checked the unconscious Welshman over. No broken bones or outward signs of injury, pupils fixed and dilated...definitely some kind of mental trauma... He sat back on his haunches and surveyed his shattered Captain, wondering how to get through to him...shock tactics...
“He’s not dead...”
Jack’s head shot up at the word and his eyes filled with unshed tears, automatically gathering the Welshman to him once more.
“He seems to be in some kind of coma or trance, vitals appear stable and no other signs of injury...we need to get him back to the hub so I can run some tests...give me a hand...” He stood up and bent back down. Sliding a hand under Ianto’s shoulder, he helped the Captain lift the unconscious man into his arms as he dug into Jack’s pocket to retrieve the keys to the SUV. “Wait here, I’ll be a minute...” as he sprinted down the street to the car. He was pulling up beside Jack in less than two minutes, leaping out to open the back door. Between them they lay the Welshman on the back seat, Jack climbing into the back to cradle the young man’s head on his lap as he stroked his hair off the pale forehead...
Climbing back into the driver’s seat, Peter slammed the gears into reverse and headed back to the parking bay, turning the SUV round and flicked the blue lights on before heading back to the hub at high speed. He glanced in the mirror several times on the short journey, watching his boss carefully, noting the trembling hand as it traced the still features of his beloved partner’s face. This was going to be trickier than he thought – he had two traumatised patients here he mused...
It wasn’t long before they had Ianto on a trolley and were wheeling him into the hub from the underground car park, Peter bringing the girls up to date over his comm. unit... They were distressed to hear of Ianto’s state, but obviously relieved that he was alive... They were preparing to take their leave of the elderly couple and were heading back to number 33 where Andy was going to meet them with an enforced entry team...they were expecting to find Ted Llewellyn’s body... Promising to keep each other updated, Peter cut the call.
With Ianto safely on the table in autopsy, Peter ran an extensive battery of tests, working round a resolutely immoveable Jack who stood clutching the Welshman’s hand, his eyes following everything the medic was doing, finally breaking the silence he’d maintained since Peter had reached them in the street, the hoarse whisper sounding heartbreakingly unlike the upbeat Captain of old “...what’s wrong with him..? Is he...is he going to...to...”
Taking pity on him, Peter cut in, “...he’s in no immediate danger as far as I can tell, but he has sustained a violent mental assault causing bilateral damage to the reticular formation of the hindbrain...I have absolutely no idea at this stage how permanent or how severe it is... I know you can sense things we can’t...have you tried to reach him..? More to the point – did you feel anything before he was attacked? You said you felt the anger waves yesterday...was there anything like that today..?”
The questions, and the reassurance that Ianto was unlikely to leave them in the immediate future, seemed to shake Jack from his shocked state and he began to resemble Captain Jack Harkness, Leader of Torchwood Three once more, a purposeful glint appearing in his eyes, although he retained his grip on the Welshman’s hand...
“We had our shields up – I’ve insisted on that when we’re out of the hub in an effort to protect him, although that obviously wasn’t enough...his shields weren’t as strong as mine...” his voice dropped to an anguished whisper, “I should’ve protected him...I could’ve strengthened his shields...this is my fault..” the devastated partner persona breaking through his Captain role...
Peter patted his arm and said nothing, waiting for him to continue... The simple action had the desired effect, Jack resuming, his voice stronger...calmer...determined... “
“I didn’t dare try to reach him out in the open – in case whatever it was got me as well...I’ll try shortly, but I need to be sure that it won’t affect me or make him worse so I’ll need to do some prep first...
I didn’t feel anything today... I don’t know if that’s because my shields are stronger or if Ianto was targeted specifically...” he broke off to press his lips tenderly to the young man’s temple, the action coupled with a fleeting look of panic that was swiftly wrestled under control...
Peter tried to imagine how he would feel if that was Lois...concluding that Jack was being amazingly strong and resolving to propose to the woman he adored as soon as this was over...life was too short...Torchwood life even more so...as he refocused on his Captain...
Jack continued, squeezing Ianto’s hand tightly as he spoke, “...and I’m betting that this was a targeted attack – it’s personal...whatever...whoever...Ianto is a way to get to me... “He looked at Peter, a hard, set expression on his face. “Do you trust me?”
“Implicitly...always...” the medic’s eyebrows raising at the cryptic question.
“I need to know that you’ll do exactly what I say...I need your word...”
“You’ve got it...whatever it is...” Peter’s emphatic tone bringing a ghost of a smile to Jack’s lips...I love this team of mine...
“I’m going to try and reach him...if anything happens to me in there...” he tapped his temple, “...if I end up like Ianto, I need you to shoot me...in the head or through the heart – close range, a single shot...I can’t risk not coming out of it so the only way is to press the ‘reset’ button and for that to happen I have to die...” He looked searchingly at the doctor who nodded grimly...
“Let’s hope it won’t be needed... I want to monitor you...see if it gives us any clues...we might be able to get a signa...” he broke off as Gwen sounded in his ear... “Gwen? No, no change...we’re running tests... The old man’s dead? How long..? Ok...yea...tell them we’ll take the body...another one? Any idea who? Bring him as well...yea, I’ll come and get you...give me twenty minutes?” He glanced at Jack who nodded, “...yea, be with you shortly...out”
Cutting the call, Peter brought Jack up to date. “The house opposite the one you were outside of, they found the body of our missing pensioner and another one – a young man, say around twenty, possibly a burglar or maybe a student...no idea what he was doing there...the police ME thinks both bodies have been dead about two weeks...one in the kitchen and the old man at the bottom of the stairs...I’ll do the usual work ups when we get them back here... Are you ready?”
Jack nodded, waiting as Peter attached electrodes to his head to match those on Ianto’s and wheeled a second monitor into place. The medic nodded... “Good luck...” the words sounded pitifully inadequate but drew another ghost of a smile from his boss as he closed his eyes and partially lowered his shields, reaching out towards the mind of the man he loved...a frown crossing his face as he found nothing out of place...just all tidied up and put away...it was like someone...something...had been in and turned everything off...
He retreated briefly, opening his eyes to check with Peter who was watching both screens intently... “Pete..?”
“Nothing new yet...” the response calm and reassuring, the doctor not lifting his attention from the monitors...”
Jack closed his eyes again and went back into the Welshman’s mind space. It felt empty...like a house whose owners were away on holiday... He reached out, calling his partner’s name softly, feeling a jolt of recognition and then, suddenly, he was there...confused and dazed, but there...and he seemed unharmed... Hey sweetheart...you gave me quite a fright...you ready to come back with me now..?
Jack..?
I’m here...I’ll always be here...I thought I’d lost you... tears streamed down the Captain’s face as he struggled not to overwhelm the young man’s fragile mind with the strength of his emotions, restricting himself to a come back with me now..? as he wrapped his mind around Ianto’s and eased them both back to full consciousness.
Peter watched their brainwaves on his screens, fascinated as the two men’s patterns synchronised and they opened their eyes, blinking against the harsh lights... He swung round, intending to check Ianto’s condition, to see Jack leant over the Welshman, his hand cupping Ianto’s face tenderly as they gazed into each other’s eyes...the air was super-charged with emotion...intensely beautiful and powerful, bringing a lump to his throat and tears to his eyes... If I can have just a fraction of this with Lois I’ll count myself as the luckiest man on the planet, he thought as he averted his gaze...
Jack’s tears dripped onto Ianto’s face as he leant over him, the Welshman’s free hand reaching up to brush them aside before tugging his Captain down for a soft kiss, their minds entwining gently... Jack pulled back and helped Ianto into a sitting position, shushing his questions with a smile...in a minute...I think our doc wants to check you over first...
Peter was still following their brain waves on his monitors...it was amazing to see how totally in tune they were...every nuance and flicker in one was echoed in the other...he’d have to study the playbacks to map the moment of coalescence...he jumped as Jack called him, spinning round to the welcome sight of a slightly dazed, but seemingly unharmed Ianto Jones wrapped in the arms of a very relieved Jack Harkness, the still visible tear tracks bearing testament to the depth of their emotions.
“Good to have you back with us...how’re you feeling?”
“Er...fine...good...confused...why am on your autopsy table..? I didn’t d...no...”
Peter grinned and interrupted before Ianto could finish, “...you didn’t die!” he stated, “...but you did give us a bit of a scare...what’s the last thing you remember..?”
“We got out of the SUV and were walking down the street...then blackness, like...er...like someone had put a weevil hood over my head...and then Jack was calling me and I woke up here...”
Peter nodded as Jack continued to gaze lovingly at his partner, following the questioning through a soft haze...he blinked as Peter hit him lightly on the arm...”...hey...need my Captain here...Jack?”
Jack sighed and pressed a light kiss to the side of Ianto’s neck, releasing him regretfully and driving his hands deep into his coat pockets as he straightened up. “Sorry, full attention now...verdict..?”
Peter frowned as he examined Ianto’s motor reflexes, checked his coordination and ran the scanner over him, “...perfect health...nothing wrong anywhere that I can see...it’s like it never happened... which is great...but...”
“What did happen?” Ianto glanced from Jack to the medic as they both shook their heads minutely...
Peter pressed his earpiece, “Gwen..? Yeah, I’m leaving now...Ianto’s back with us...he’s fine...Jack’s going to check him over thoroughly while I come and get you...” he cut the call, grinning at her relieved and amused chuckle as he turned back to the two men. “I need you to examine him from head to toe...” he rolled his eyes as Jack reached for his young man, “...yes, that’s the response I expected, but I need you to keep your electrodes on so I can check out his brainwaves...and I need you to see if there’s anything amiss in his head...anything different...altered...I need to be sure...”
He grinned as he pressed a few buttons and detached the wires from the monitors.”...think something for me...” as he looked at the screens...”...ok, that’ll do nicely...and no! I don’t want to know what it was... They’re on remote recording...don’t get them wet! I’ll leave you to it...reckon I’ll be about an hour...” He started up the steps, glancing back at the top to see them already in each other’s arms, lips locked together as they threaded their hands through each other’s hair... “Oh, and none of that on my table!” chuckling as Jack lifted one hand to wave acknowledgement without breaking his kiss...
John Hart stood at his window, his teeth clenched hard together as he fought to keep his anger under control...sharing their intimacy was the downside to the link he’d planted in eye candy’s head, piggybacking the frequency of their wedding rings...he snarled and a surge of fury escaped, setting off next door’s dogs and a myriad of arguments in the immediate vicinity, before he was able to lock it down again...I was the wife...your wife...the only wife...a good wife...I’m going to destroy your life Harkness...
He refocused his mind, part blocking the love and tenderness, passion and want that flowed through the two men, concentrating on the ongoing operation opposite. It wouldn’t be long before they came back across here, no doubt they wouldn’t be content with an unanswered doorbell this time...especially once they worked out that the second body belonged here... he needed to move... He glanced around at the tattered room...he’d miss this place with its worn carpets and battered furniture...at least he wouldn’t need to pack!
He watched as the man he’d seen earlier attending to the unconscious Welshman, obviously the team medic, returned, entering the house opposite... It was unfortunate that he’d had to black out Ianto’s consciousness...for a pretty, twenty-first century boy, he had fair mind skills...his shields were good...no match of course, but not bad... He smiled...I’m going to enjoy taking him apart...
