Open The Box, Jack

The sun was just coming up as Jack Harkness arrived back at the Hub below Cardiff Bay. He often went out driving or walking at night. It had been a while since he'd slept through til morning and walking or driving made the night pass quickly.

He parked the black SUV and entered the Hub through the Tourist Information Centre. Going through the secret door, he walked down a lighted corridor to a lift. Going inside, it automatically dropped four levels, opening just outside a sliding door. There was a locked gate just beyond that opened as Jack approached it.

Walking into the Hub, Jack walked to the stairs leading up to the next floor. Taking them one at a time and very slowly, Jack made his way up to his office. Once inside, he took off his greatcoat, hanging it on a coat horse. Moving round his desk, he sat down, placing his hands on top of it.

Looking at his watch, Jack noted that it was still only 5.20am. It would be at least another couple of hours before Ianto Jones would arrive to start the coffee machine, filling the Hub with the glorious smell of coffee beans.

Jack sighed. Living at the Hub was lonely. No one to talk to.

Taking a folder from his top drawer, Jack started reading through the many pages in the file. His facial features changing as he read. First serious, changing to amusement, ending in deep thought.

Sitting back, Jack laced his fingers behind his head, closing his eyes. Sighing deeply, he wondered what the day would hold in store for him and the other members of Torchwood Three.

They'd caught two Weevils a Blowfish and sent a space ship away before it entered Earths atmosphere. In the 21st Century, everything changes and the people of Earth had to be ready.

They had also consumed three pizzas, a large garden salad, at least four pots of Ianto's divine coffee and a dozen or more donuts.

Well, life went on. They were:- Alien hunters. Savours of the Earth. Odd balls.

What a mixture they were, too.

Owen Harper. Doctor

Toshico Sarto. Computer wiz.

Gwen Copper. Ex-police officer.

Ianto Jones. Ex-member of Torchwood One, based at Canary Wharf in London. Destroyed by the Cybermen.

And Jack Harkness. That was the name he took, anyway. The real Jack Harkness died in 1941.

Before Jack knew it, he heard the sliding door open and the familiar sound of Ianto Jones walking to the small kitchen. Jack walked to his window, looking down over the kitchen and watched as Ianto started up the machine and made the first pot of the day. The smell permeated through the Hub. He had to admit that Ianto made the best coffee he had ever tasted….ever.

Going back to his desk, Jack sat down and waited for Ianto to bring him his first cup of the day.

"Morning, sir." Ianto, smiled as he entered the office.

"Morning, Ianto. How are we today?"

"Fine, thank you, sir. And you?"

"Ready for a brand new day." Jack replied.

"Mmm," began Ianto. "It was busy in the Centre yesterday."

"I….noticed you stayed late last night. Sorry about the mess. I'll get them to help clear up before they leave tonight."

"There's no need for that, sir. I really don't mind." Ianto smiled.

"But still, you shouldn't have to stay late just to clean up after us."

"That is part of my job description, sir."

"Still, we don't have to leave so much lying around."

Ianto noticed that he still held the cup of coffee in his hand. He carefully put it down on the desk.

"Arh," Jack took a deep breath in. "Smell good."

"A new blend. Three different coffee beans and dark chocolate."

Jack took a sip. "Wow, that is good."

Ianto bowed his head slightly. "Thank you, sir."

"You ought to patent this."

Ianto smiled his thanks, turned and went to leave the office.

"Ianto," Jack said.

"Sir?"

"How are you enjoying working here?"

"It's not quite what I expected. But I'm happy, sir." Then he left.

"Sure you are," Jack said, after he'd gone. "And I sleep like a baby every night."

Just as he finished his coffee, Gwen and Tosh arrived through the sliding door. Jack moved to his window as he listened to them talking and laughing together.

"Morning," he said to them.

"Morning, Jack," said Gwen.

Tosh just waved her greeting. "Owen is in the car park."

Jack nodded, and went back into his office.

Ianto took coffee to Gwen and Tosh, smiling as he put the cups on the workstation tops.

Jack appeared at his door again. "By the way, can we try and keep the place a little tidier. Ianto had to stay late last night and clean up after us."

"Sorry, Ianto," said Tosh.

Gwen just raised an eyebrow and looked at her feet.

Ianto blushed.

"No, no. Jack's right. We don't have to leave the place in such a mess," said Gwen.

Owen entered the Hub carrying a white plastic box. "Hey, Jack, this was outside the Information Centre." He put it on the couch.

"Anything written on it?"

"Just Torchwood."

Jack came down the stair and stood beside Owen.

"I wonder what's in it?" said Gwen, standing between them.

Jack looked at the box, then perched on the arm of the couch. "I'm not expecting anything."

"Shouldn't you open it?" said Tosh.

"Not yet. We need to scan it first."

"Right."

"Ianto." Called Jack.

"Sir?"

"Remember you said you had a few items from Torchwood One?"

Ianto nodded.

"Do you have a scanner? So we can see what's inside the box without opening it?"

"Er, yes. It's down in the archives. I'll go and get it."

Jack nodded.

Going down to the archives, Ianto retrieved the small hand held scanner and went back up to the Hub. As he entered the main area where the rest of the team, he noticed that they were no longer there.

"Gwen? Owen? Tosh?" Ianto looked around. The white box was gone, too. "Jack?"

Walking around the Hub, Ianto searched for the rest of the Torchwood team. He was sure that they wouldn't all just got off without first telling him. They hadn't done it before, why start now?

After all, it was Jack who'd sent him for the scanner. The box was gone, too. He stood in the middle of the Hub, hands on hips, looking around. He ran a hand through his hair, frowning. Going up to Jack's office, Ianto noticed that there was no coat stand.

He sighed, then went back down to the main Hub area and into the Tourist Information Centre to retrieve his coms devise. There was no devise there. It looked as if no one had been in there for quite sometime.

"Jack? Owen? Is anyone there?" Ianto waited a few minutes. "Gwen? Tosh? Anyone?"

The silence was deafening.

Ianto pushed open the Office door and went outside.

The Bay looked different somehow. No ducks on the water. No gulls in the sky. No noise at all.

Walking to the steps, Ianto took them two at a time until he reached the top. He looked in both directions. There wasn't a soul in sight. He ran to the end where he would be able to look up towards the Millennium Centre, still no one.

'Where is everyone?' he thought.

Walking back to the Information Centre, Ianto fired up his computer to see if there were any messages. There weren't any.

He was puzzled. Where was everyone?

Ianto walked back into the Hub and sat on the old battered couch. He sighed then leaned back and closed his eyes. He'd wait. Wait maybe an hour. Then what?

Thinking that he'd have time before they all reappeared, Ianto went down into the bowels of Torchwood. Down to where his deepest, darkest secret lay.

Opening the door with his key, Ianto pushed the heavy door open and entered. The room was empty.

"No! This can't be right! Lisa!"

Rushing around the room, Ianto looked for Lisa. The metal 'bed' was gone. The bowl of fruit was gone. The flower, the picture of both of them in happier times. All gone.

"This can't be right. You were here yesterday. What's happening?"

Ianto ran out of the room, not even closing the door behind him. He went to the level where the cells were. He went from one cell to another. They too, were all empty. Janet was gone, too. Rushing back up into the Hub, Ianto looked up. No Myfanwy, either.

"What the hell is going on?" Ianto said out loud.

Sitting down at Tosh's workstation, Ianto booted up the computer. Putting in his unique password, he checked for any activity in the last two hours. At first the computer wouldn't work, then he did it without his password, and it worked. When he finally got into the files, there was no work done on the computer at all. It was empty of files and downloads. Ianto knew it should be overflowing with Tosh's programs. He checked the various monitors dotted around the Hub. There was nothing on them. The tapes were blank.

Ianto ran a hand over his face. He was at a loss what to do next. Taking off his jacket, Ianto rolled up his sleeves. Taking the stairs two at a time, he went up to Jack's office. Sitting behind the desk, Ianto checked through Jack's paperwork. Everything was blank. He opened the top drawer. No whisky or glasses. He knew that Jack always kept a bottle in there. Standing up, he went down to the bunker style room below the office where Jack had his bed and personal belongings. There was no sign that Jack had ever been in the bunker. The wardrobe was empty. The bed stripped of bedding. Jack's many shirts were missing, too.

'I must be dreaming' thought Ianto.

Going back upstairs, Ianto decided to go back outside and check around the Bay. Go further towards the Millennium Centre. As he walked towards the Water Tower, Ianto looked at the building to his right. There were no tourists taking pictures. No buses at the bus stop. Everywhere was deserted. Walking to where the secret lift was, Ianto got on the step and looked towards the Bay.

Jack stood beside Owen, then looked at his watch. "What's keeping Ianto?"

"Give him a buzz," suggested Owen.

Jack pressed his coms devise. "Ianto, where the hell are you? I'm waiting for that scanner."

Silence.

"Ianto?"

Jack looked at Owen.

"I'll go and check, Jack," said Gwen.

Jack nodded.

"Jack, Ianto isn't down here."

"He has to be."

"He isn't."

Jack went back to his office. As he entered, something caught his eye.

In the picture he had of the area around the Water Tower, Jack saw something moving. He got closer.

"Ianto!"

Jack rushed back out of the office. "I've found Ianto!"

"Is he in the bunker?"

Ignoring the question, Jack went back into his office and stood before the picture. He was joined by Owen.

"So, where's Ianto, than?" He looked around.

Jack pointed to the picture.

Owen looked closer at the picture. "Shit!"

Tosh appeared at the door. "What's goin' on?"

Jack pointed to the picture again.

"Ianto!" Tosh looked at Jack. "How?"

Jack shook his head. "I have no idea."

A light started to flash from down on the Hub floor, drawing the teams attention away from the small figure of Ianto on the secret lift. When they turned around again, Ianto was gone.

"Where'd he go?" said Jack, scanning the whole picture.

"How the hell did he get in there?" said Owen.

"More to the point, how do we get him out?"

Gwen got back from the archives and Tosh explained what was going on.

"How did he get in there? He only went down to the archives. Shouldn't we all be in there."

Jack looked closer. "There isn't anything else in there. No people. No birds. Nothing."

"Like it was set up that way," Tosh said, under her breath.

"And now, no Ianto." Added Owen.

"Where was he then, when you saw him first?" asked Gwen.

"On the secret lift."

"Maybe he went down." said Tosh.

"No. I keep it locked. I need to be on it or punch in the code for it to move." Replied Jack.

"So where is he now?"

Jack faced Gwen. "I don't know." He took the picture off the wall. "But I need to keep this safe til he gets back."

The box forgotten, Tosh got onto her computer and found out all she could about the photograph. Gwen went back down to the archives with Owen to see if there was any clues down there as to why Ianto ended up in the picture.

Jack was sat at his desk watching the silver Water Tower in the photograph, hoping that Ianto would appear on the step again.

Finally, after twenty minutes, Jack went down to the Hub floor with the picture and placed it carefully on the old couch.

"I'm going into the Information Centre. I wanna check something."

Gwen and Tosh exchanged worried looks, as Jack went through the sliding door. Owen turned on the monitor, showing CCTV of the Information Centre and the lift leading up to it.

"This is bloody creepy," said Owen. "Why is it just Ianto in the picture?"

"How do we know it's just him?" asked Gwen.

"Cos we're here and he's there. If we were in the picture, we'd be with him."

Gwen looked at the picture again. "I can see Ianto." she hit her coms devise. "Jack! He's on the lift!"

"I'm on my way."

Owen watched as Ianto looked around him. He was clearly confused, not understanding what was going on.

Jack ran back through the sliding door. Ianto was still there, now sitting cross legged on the stone slab.

"That's it!" said Jack. "When we're on the stone, we're invisible, right?"

Owen and Gwen nodded.

"Well, in the picture it's reversed. We can only see him when he's on the stone."

"So, if he stays there, we'll be able to see him."

Jack nodded.

"Is Ianto stuck there forever, Jack?"

Jack closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. "I hope not."

Gwen and Owen looked at each other and then back at Jack.

"If we don't get him back soon, he'll die."

Ianto sat there, looking around. The sky was still blue and cloudless. It hadn't changed a bit. No birds, no people. Even the water had been turned off on the Water Tower. He felt panic building up in his chest.

'You have to stay calm. There has to be an explanation for all this.'

So, he sat there, looking at the Millennium Centre, for over an hour. He kept checking his watch. It had stopped about the time he went into the archives. He pushed his coms devise, but that had stopped working, too. But still he called their names. Jack's name, just in case.

"Jack? Owen?" he sighed. "Is anyone there? Can anyone hear me? Please, Jack, if you can hear me, answer."

Ianto stood up and turned to look up at the silver Water Tower. Without thinking, he lashed out with his right hand, punching the Tower. He regretted it, the moment his knuckles split open, trailing blood down the Tower's side. He sad down again and leaned back.

As Jack moved closer to the photograph, so the Water Tower became larger, zooming in on Ianto. Jack could see the blood on the Tower. He could almost feel the fear and frustration in the younger man.

He sighed.

"Hold on, Ianto. We'll find a way to get you back. I promise."

Ianto leaned forward, drew his knees up to his chest and began to rock back and forth. Tears streamed down his face.

Jack picked up the picture. It zoomed in on Ianto so that Jack could see his face clearly. His heart went out to Ianto, as he watched him crying. Jack touched the photograph, running his fingertip over Ianto's face.

"Hold on, Ianto," he whispered. "You have to hold on."

"Jack," said Toshico. "That picture was taken in 2006."

Jack nodded, remembering. "The photographer asked for the immediate area to be cleared, so he could take a picture. I couldn't quite make out how he got it passed by the locals, but he did. It was taken about 7 o'clock on a summers morning. Not a cloud in the sky. He air brushed the birds out, as I recall." He smiled. "I bought it at the Millennium Centre, there was an exhibition on for charity. It's all coming back. We never did see him again after he gave us the photograph."

Owen and Gwen came back up from the archives.

"There's nothing down there, Jack. But we did find Ianto's scanner." Gwen handed it to Jack.

"I'd forgotten all about the box." Jack got up and looked for it. "I could have sworn I left it on the couch. It wasn't there when I put the picture on it. Did any of you move it?"

"No," said Gwen.

Owen and Tosh shook their heads.

Jack took it off Owen's workstation.

Owen frowned. "It looks bigger."

Tosh laughed. "Right."

"No, look. It's bigger."

Jack ran the scanner over it. "Whatever it is inside is ver dense. I can't see through it."

"Gas, you think?"

Jack shook his head. "Why? If someone wanted to kill us, all they had to do was leave a bomb." He went back to the picture. Ianto was lying on the stone, sleeping.. "As long as he stays put, we can see him."

"But he doesn't know that, Jack," said Tosh, sadly.

Jack looked back at the box. "I want you all to go out through the Information Centre. Don't come back until I give you the all clear, you got that?"

"Jack?" this from Owen.

"I'm gonna open the box. It has something to do with all this. I'm sure of it."

"Jack, you can't." Gwen said.

"There has to be a connection. I want to find out what it is." Jack smiled weakly. "I have to do this. We can't leave Ianto like this."

"Jack's right," said Owen, moving towards the sliding door.

Gwen and Tosh followed him.

"Be careful," said Tosh.

Jack smiled. "Always. Now get ought of here."

Moving the box to the autopsy room and the photograph back to his office for safe keeping, Jack tentatively ran a finger around the edge of the box. Turning it long ways, he prised up the left hand corner, then stood back.

A scream almost deafened him.

"Ianto!"

Jack ran up the stairs to his office . He was sure that was where the scream came from.

Ianto was still lying on the stone, his hands covering his face.

"What's happening with you, Ianto Jones?"

Taking the photograph with him, Jack went back to the autopsy room and the box.

He carefully lifted the right hand corner.

Nothing happened.

Turning the box, Jack watched the picture as he prised open another corner, and then the last corner.

Ianto sat up as if hearing something, running his fingers through his hair. He was still crying.

"Jack! Help me, Jack!"

Jack could hear him.

A voice in his coms devise startled Jack.

"What's happening, Jack?" asked Owen.

"I'm just about to take the lid off."

"Good luck."

Jack slowly lifted the lid, while keeping an eye on Ianto. As the lid came off, the secret lift opened and started to descend.

Leaving the box, Jack went to see wheat was happening.

"Empty," he said aloud, as the lift came into view.

Going back to the box, Jack looked inside. There was a note addressed to him.

About this box a poem lies

And you must find it quick

For he who lies upon the stone

Is likely to become sick

A heart was lost that very night

Or maybe it was two

One heart belongs to another

One heart belongs to you

Save the one who loves you

You haven't very much time

To bring them back to safety

You must give them a sign

What was shared between you

Must be shared again

To keep them from more danger

And bring them safe within

Jack read it over and over again. A poem, surely he was reading a poem. Was there another one?

He searched through the box. Apart from this piece of paper, it was empty.

Jack looked at the photograph again.

A heart was lost that very night Which night? Was it about more than one person in Jack's life?

Turning the box over, Jack noticed some writing that had been covered by tape. He carefully removed the tape and tried to read what it said. It was so small, Jack had to get a magnifying glass to read it.

Put yourself upon the stone

For you must take their place

Descending into normality

With style and so much grace

For you may live forever

And they for such a short time

Sacrificing them

Would only be a crime

Look into the face so fair

The face you know you now love

You opened up the box, Jack

Now you must go above

Let the one now up there

Live to fight another day

Let them see the face of love

That will not go away

Jack looked at the photograph again. Ianto was looking straight at him. It was as if he was listening to Jack recite the poem.

Maybe he was. Maybe he could hear Jack, like Jack could now hear him.

"Ianto? Can you hear me? It's Jack."

"Why have you left me here? What did I do wrong?"

"Nothing," replied Jack. "Ianto? Can you hear me?"

Ianto didn't reply, he just lay there.

Looking at the lift, Jack walk over to it and got on the stone slab. Pushing a button on his wrist strap, the lift started to ascend. Jack watched the photograph, then closed his eyes.

"What if the stone opens and Ianto falls through?"

Jack looked up. He could see the blue sky, but no Ianto.

"I recited the poem. What more do I have to do?" he thought for a moment. "What did we share, Ianto? For you're the one I truly love."

Nearing the top of the lift, Jack spied Myfanwy.

"That's it. Myfanwy. Come on girl. Ianto needs us."

As if she knew, the Pterodactyl flew passed Jack and out into the blue sky.

What was going to be waiting for Jack when he reached the top? Was Ianto going to be there, or was it all just a trick?

As Jack neared the top of the lift, he could hear Myfanwy calling.

"Where is he, girl?" asked Jack, looking around. "I did what the poem said. Why can't I see him?"

Jack thought about the first poem, trying to remember what it said.

"What was shared between us….what was shared…."

Myfanwy swooped passed Jack.

"We shared catching Myfanwy. We shared….what? We shared….a moment. A look. How can I share a look with someone I can't even see?" Jack thought for a moment. "Maybe he's stood beside me, I just can't see him." Jack turned around in a circle slowly. "If you can hear me, Ianto, I love you. Have loved you from that first meeting. Will love you forever." Jack stood still. "I hope you can hear me, cos I've never had the guts to tell you before. Might not again. Ianto?"

No Ianto.

He stepped off the stone and sighed.

"I love, you, too."

Ianto's voice, from behind him. Jack turned to see Ianto on the invisible lift. He joined him, pulling him into a fierce hug.

"I was so worried about you." Jack said, kissing his forehead.

"I thought you'd all deserted me." He tried to smile. "Where am I?"

"You're not gonna believe this. In a photograph."

"Right now, I'll believe anything." He smiled at Jack.

They parted.

"How do we get out of here?"

Jack smiled sadly. "I don't think both of us do."

"What do you mean? You're here, so am I."

"I came up so you could go back down," explained Jack.

"I can't go without you. I won't go without you," protested Ianto.

Jack rubbed his back. "I think you have to."

Ianto shook his head. "No."

"Ianto, you can't survive here."

"Neither can you."

"I can survive anything."

"But there's nothing here, Jack, sir." corrected Ianto.

"Jack is fine." He smiled.

"I'm still not leaving."

"Don't make me force you, Ianto."

"You'll have to. I'm staying."

Jack sighed, then hit Ianto full in the face. Ianto went down like a sack of potatoes.

"Sorry, but you just wouldn't listen."

Jack pushed buttons on his wrist strap and the lift started to descend. When it was six feet down, Jack called to Myfanwy, who managed to get through to the Hub. As Jack watched, it gave him an idea. He jump down onto the lift, almost falling to the Hub floor.

Once they were both safely down, Jack carried Ianto to the couch and placed him on it.

Pressing his coms devise, Jack spoke to Owen. "It's safe to come back in. I have Ianto."

Minutes later, Owen, Gwen and Tosh came back into the Hub.

"What happened?" asked Owen.

"He wouldn't come back in, so I hit him."

"That'll work." answered Owen.

Jack went to check out the painting while Owen looked at Ianto.

"Has he gone, Jack?"

"Yeah, but there's someone else there now." Jack looked closer. "It's the photographer."

"How can that be? He took it."

"How could Ianto have been in it? It's all too weird."

Ianto started to come round. "Jack!"

Jack rushed to his side. "It's okay. I'm here."

Ianto smiled, throwing his arms around Jack's neck. "I love you," he whispered.

"Love you, too."

Owen wrinkled his brow, then smiled. "It had a happy ending after all, then?"

Jack smiled down at Ianto. "Yes, it did."