Epilogue

"You sure you still want to do this?" asked Jack, standing across the street from a modern semi-detached home and gazing at the front door with a slightly unsure look on his face.

"We have an appointment and we're here, so we may as well," said Ianto. He offered Jack a shrug and a crooked smile. "Just to look—nothing more."

"What if we like it?" Jack asked, mirroring Ianto's smile and relaxing. "Do we sign on the dotted line?"

"Baby steps," Ianto murmured, looking away to hide his own sudden nerves. He was fine with looking at the house—it was practically perfect online, with an open floor plan, all the updates they could possibly want, and a large enough garden for the stray dog they'd rescued from the ruins of their former home—but he'd not thought past that part. Because that meant doing it rather than thinking about it and talking about it—actually moving in together. Again.

Still, they'd survived Serenity Plaza and that had been full of psychotic aliens aiming to take over the world. Surely they could survive a semi-detached in a nice part of town with a few human neighbors.

"Now who's nervous?" Jack murmured, bumping his arm with a teasing look.

"I'm not," Ianto protested. "And if I am, then I got it from you."

"Hey, this was your idea," Jack pointed out.

"Only because I brought it up first," Ianto returned. "You were already looking."

"If I'd thought there was a chance, I would have said something," Jack replied. "But Ifan hated Serenity Plaza, so I didn't."

"Yes, well Ken and Ifan blew up their last house and choked on the ashes, so let's go at this one."

Jack laughed as Ianto started across the street with a determination he did not quite feel. It was still strange to think that their time as Ken and Ifan had lead them here, to looking at a real home as Jack and Ianto. A week ago he'd been undercover preparing kebabs in a gourmet kitchen; now that house was destroyed, along with every other one in the neighborhood and all the alien neighbors.

Ianto had seen and experienced things with Torchwood he'd never imagined, from aliens and dinosaurs and fairies, to time travel, body swaps, and the end of the world. Yet a month living undercover as a normal couple had been one of the strangest and most challenging. And then the aftermath: dealing with the fallout from the government, returning home and adjusting to their real lives, realizing the continuing consequences of the Cell 114 plot—particularly the personal ones. Ianto still felt guilty for shooting Jack and hoped he never had to do anything like that again. And he still worried about his exposure to the satellite signal that had converted Jack. His arm felt better, yet sometimes he couldn't help but imagine the phantom pain of it bursting into a weapon and piercing his nearest coworker.

And of course, there were all the others who'd stayed at the estate for any amount of time and may have been exposed as well. He and Gwen had spent three days compiling a list of friends and relatives to look into and follow. They had even spoken to a few. Fortunately, no one else seemed to have the same issues as Victoria. And Victoria herself was doing well, all things considered. Ianto had checked in on her once, finding her new memories of their meeting still in place. She'd asked him out for coffee, but he'd said no and not mentioned it to Jack.

Tosh had entered all the names into the database she'd built to track them and alert the Hub to any changes in their medical records. Owen had not found any evidence of genetic mutations in the wildlife around Serenity Plaza, which was brilliant because the thought of tracking (or destroying) every cat, dog, and squirrel in the area was overwhelming.

Untitled, however, was another case. His tail had proved not to be broken, but in fact two tails. The vet could not explain it; neither could Owen, who rolled his eyes and pointed out that they already had a pet dinosaur, now they had a freaky two-tailed dog. Ianto was surprised Jack hadn't jumped on the dog's two tails for a new name, but Jack maintained that the dog was to be called Untitled. Ianto half wondered if Jack was afraid of committing to something as normal as having a pet, but suspected it was more likely something from his past. Maybe a strange translation from his native tongue.

Though Ianto referred to the dog as Untitled in public, in private he tried to teach him a second name, Andref. Adding a few other Welsh commands obscured it well enough, though someone was bound to realize it soon enough. Still, he didn't care, as it was a much better name for an animal. And the dog was smart enough to respond to both—when it chose to listen.

Untitled was a handful, to be sure. He'd had a few close calls with Myfanwy already, but had put up such a scene of barking and growling that the pteranadon was clearly more scared of the dog now. Which explained why the dinosaurs had died out, but Ianto still hoped they could be taught to play a few games together.

After a few days they took Untitled through some of the lower levels of the Hub, even letting him roam a bit on his own, and he brought them all kinds of gifts: dead rats, a large fish, a glowing stick of some sort, even an old military coat Jack estimated he'd lost fifty years earlier. Ianto suspected if anyone ever got lost in the bowels of the underground maze, at least Untitled stood a fair share of finding them and getting them out.

Stopping before the door and forcing himself to focus, Ianto gazed up at the brick building, then turned and looked out across the street, through the park toward the bay. It was an exceptional location, particularly for them, literally a few minutes from work. The view was flat but open, and would be even better from the balcony. The park was perfect for walking the dog and letting him run more, assuming they ever found the time. Maybe having a dog would force them to step back from work more—if the world wasn't ending.

"It's nice," Jack said, standing beside him. "And close to the Hub."

"Not too close?" Ianto asked. "I don't want to move out of my flat only to spend more time at work because my new one is so close."

"Nah," said Jack, shaking his head and sounding more optimistic than Ianto. "It means we can get away quicker. No excuses if we're too tired to go home, it's right down the street!"

"True," Ianto murmured. Taking a deep breath, he started up the stairs. "Well, let's see what it's like."

The estate agent greeted them at the door and spoke with them briefly about the house before letting them look around on their own. The entry hall was small but lead into a large open space, obviously reworked from an older, more closed floor plan. The front living area flowed into the dining room and kitchen, where bright windows across the back wall looked over the rear garden. It wasn't a large kitchen, but it wasn't as narrow as Ianto's kitchen either. And it was refitted with modern appliances; all it needed was fresh paint.

Stairs near the front went to the first floor with two bedrooms that shared a bathroom, and a small sitting area leading onto a balcony in front with a beautiful view of the bay. Another set of stairs took them to the second floor and the master suite with its own bathroom and sitting area. It was positively luxurious compared to Ianto's bedroom, with tall windows overlooking the water and a brand-new ensuite done in black and white tile.

Though it wasn't as posh and spacious as their home in Serenity Plaza, it was still much bigger than Ianto's flat and Jack's bunker. It was close to the Hub, it was open and updated, and most importantly, it felt like a place they where could spend time outside of work.

The practical part of Ianto's mind was already placing his belongings everywhere—the battered sofa, the coffee table he'd had from his grandmother, the ridiculous lamp Lisa had bought in London, even the recliner Jack wanted. Yet as he thought about all the other things they might need to fill up the space, or about packing what he did have, he felt his chest start to grow tight, as the nerves came back full force. It was a big step.

Returning to the ground floor while Jack continued to explore, Ianto stepped out into the back garden for some air, trying to imagine sitting outside on a summer night, or sipping coffee on a crisp fall morning. It needed some work—too much stone, not enough green space—but with some comfortable chairs, a few plants, and maybe even some lights, it could be nice. And there was enough space to throw a ball for Untitled to chase and bring back.

His eyes landed on an old tree stump in the back corner, surrounded by drooping daffodils. On top of the stump was a large box, wrapped in shiny blue paper. Curious, Ianto wondered why there was a package in the back, when the owners had moved out already. Had they forgotten something? Had someone left them a gift not realizing they'd already left? He walked over, wondering if there was a card and thinking he could at least bring it inside and out of the rain predicted for later.

There was tag with the box, and to his surprise, it had both his name and Jack's written across it in unfamiliar handwriting. Frowning, he stepped back and looked around, as if he might find and catch whomever had left the package; of course there was no one. Ianto went inside and called to Jack, wishing he had a scanner to run over the unexpected box.

It didn't make sense to leave them a package, dangerous or not, in the back garden of the townhouse they were looking at. Even the rest of the team didn't know they were looking at the place. Who would send them something? Why? What could it be? In spite of every logical argument against opening it, Ianto was curious. And his instincts told him it was safe, that there was a perfectly normal explanation, that—

Jack stepped outside then, looked around and nodded. "I like it. Could be perfect for the dog with a little work."

"That's what I thought," Ianto replied, motioning him over. "But there's something strange back here. Someone left us a package."

"What?" Jack frowned as he looked at the box and saw their names. "But why would someone leave us a package here? No one knew we were coming."

"The estate agent did," Ianto pointed out. "Do you suppose it's from her?"

"I don't see why she'd leave it back here for us to find," Jack replied. "What if we didn't come out and find it?"

"Exactly," Ianto murmured, his curiosity growing stronger. "Well, should we call Tosh and have her bring a scanner over?"

Jack was staring thoughtfully at the box. He held up his wrist and typed a few things into his vortex manipulator. "I can't scan for everything, but I'm not picking up anything dangerous."

"Should we open it then?"

"What do you think?"

Ianto studied the box once more. "I think it's odd there's a package for us, here of all days and places. It makes me suspicious."

"But?" asked Jack. "There's more to that sentence, I can tell."

"But I'm also curious. I don't think it's dangerous. I don't know why, but maybe we're supposed to be here to find it today." Or maybe he was telling himself that so he wasn't as nervous.

Jack grinned. "Does that mean you like the place? Because I'm thinking it's pretty perfect."

Ianto nodded in agreement, though he was reluctant to let himself feel too enthusiastic. "It's good, yes. It's a lot more than I wanted to spend—"

"Not a problem," Jack interrupted. "You've seen my financial records."

Ianto rolled his eyes. "You've had over a century to invest, so of course it's not a problem for you. But I'm not moving in with a sugar daddy."

Jack burst out laughing. "I am many things, but that is not one of them. We can work out the finances later. Do you like it?"

"Yes," said Ianto. He loved it, if he could feel strongly about a place to live. "So can we open the package now?" For some reason, he needed to know what was inside. If they were supposed to find it there, that day, then maybe it was something important—something that would help him commit to moving.

"What if—"

Ianto was already tearing the paper. The box wasn't much bigger than a shoe box and felt almost empty.

"—it explodes?" Jack finished dryly. "Well, what is it?"

Ianto handed him a large wad of tissue paper and reached into the box. "A leash!" he announced, trying to keep a straight face even though he was thoroughly puzzled.

Jack's face twisted in confusion as well. "For us or the dog?"

"Unless you want to wear it, I'm thinking the dog," Ianto replied. "Hopefully the note will tell us who sent it." He took out the card, scanned it quickly for a signature, and handed it to Jack with a roll of his eyes.

"It is for you," he said.

Jack read the card. He frowned, his eyes widened, he mouthed a few words to himself, then he grinned and looked up at Ianto.

"If you'd read it properly, you'd know it's for Untitled. Our new dog. So it's for both of us." He grinned again, as if waiting for Ianto to squirm, which he resolutely refused to do.

"I know it's from the Doctor," said Ianto. "Who somehow knew where we'd be on this day, at this time."

"He is a time traveler," Jack pointed out. He handed Ianto the card. "Read it. I'm not sure I get it."

Ianto sighed and took the note, this time reading it closely and trying not to get irritated.

Jack and Ianto – The house is a good place to start, love what you will do with it. Here's something for the dog. I found it on Sirius IV and remembered him wearing it the first time I met him. Will meet him. Whichever. Just give him a real name. And take lots of video of him, you might need it someday. Enjoy your walks in the park until then. The Doctor.

"How could he remember meeting the dog when he hasn't met him yet?" Ianto asked.

"His past, our future," Jack replied. "Simple closed time loop. What I don't get is the why we need to take video of Untitled. He's a dog."

Ianto read the note again and shrugged. "You did say he was eccentric." He took the leash and placed it back in the box with the tissue paper. "Well, that was not what I was expecting. And I'm not sure what to think about the Doctor spying on us either."

Jack laughed as he took the box and set it back down, then pulled Ianto close. "Don't think of it as spying. The way I see it, he just confirmed we move in together. So maybe we should get it. Today."

"Or maybe we should look at something else," Ianto hedged. He did like it, but it felt odd now, to know that someone from the future was watching them and telling them what to do because he knew they'd already done it. It felt less like a cool plotline on Star Trek and more like a heavy-handed episode of Location, Location, Location.

"You like it, right?" Jack asked again. Ianto nodded, and Jack leaned forward to kiss him. "Then let's get it, and not worry about how close it is to the Hub, or how much it is, or whether or not the Doctor said we live her. Let's do it, because we want to."

Ianto's mouth quirked up at the edges and Jack rolled his eyes. He threw caution and all his worries to the wind and nodded. "Okay. Let's do it."

"You sure?" Jack asked.

"You already asked me that," Ianto reminded him. "Before we came in."

"And you said we were here to just look," Jack threw back. "Baby steps. Ready to take a bigger step?"

Ianto glanced around the garden, back at the house, and thought about it. He'd probably regret saying no more than saying yes. It was perfect for them and he'd hate to lose such a place because he was too busy trying to figure out if he was ready for it. He didn't have forever, after all, not like Jack. Remembering the good times at Serenity Plaza, Ianto nodded.

"Yes," he said. "But I'm not doing all the washing up this time."

Jack laughed as they walked back inside. "Deal. And maybe I'll do some cooking, too."

An inelegant snort escaped Ianto's lips before he could stop it. Jack stopped in the middle of the kitchen, looked around, and nodded. "Challenge accepted, Mr. Jones."

"Phoning for take away is not the same as cooking, you know," Ianto pointed out, trying to keep a straight face and failing.

"I can cook, you know," Jack replied with a matching grin.

"At least it'll never be boring," Ianto mused.

"But maybe a little more normal," Jack replied.

He reached out to squeeze Ianto's hand before they went up front to talk to the estate agent. Ianto doubted their lives would ever be completely normal, not when they chased aliens for a living and came home to a dog with two tails. But it was a good place to start, and they would be together.

Author's Note:

The end! I hope this wrapped up several things in a satisfactory way. I have to admit I had so many ideas at times it was hard to decide which way to go! So many thanks once again to dinodina, cozsheep, avaantares, and fakingg_sanity for all your thoughts and opinions and general help and support! Thank you so much for reading!