I'm sorry for not updating for so long! So, here it is: the final chapter. Hope you enjoy! Please review, gaia-x-goddess
Kiki froze suddenly as she heard the knocks on the door. Was it him again? Please no…please.
"Oy!" shouted a warning voice outside, and she relaxed. It was help, it honestly was…she was saved…oh, thank God, she was saved...the tears started to flow again, but this time she was crying with relief. She was saved.
The door flew open. "Sorry Ianto, mate…" laughed the voice, a little nervously.
"It's okay." Said another voice…Ianto, did he say? But no, that was him again…
Kiki gasped, relief turning to desperation as quickly as it had come. She shut her eyes frantically as the two men turned the corner and looked at her quizzically.
She looked young and tired. Ianto felt sick as he saw the fear and hatred with which she looked at him. "Shit…" he heard, and he could feel Owen watching him out of the corner of his eye, seeing how he was taking it.
"It's not me." He found himself saying to the girl, as Owen went to rescue her. "I swear, it's not me who's done…whatever he's done to you. I swear."
The girl, now freed from her bindings and able to talk, curled up on her chair. "Kill me. Please. Just kill me," she begged.
Ianto tried to control himself. "I swear…it was my…my…twin. He's bloody goddamn evil. But I'm the…police…I swear, we've got you. You're safe."
"The police?" she whispered.
"Yes. I swear…"
"Then you know…Mr Harkness?" she gambled, testing him. He looked shocked for a minute.
"You know Jack?"
Sighing with relief, she nodded. "You got his name right…" she mumbled, before falling into the arms of the other man. Owen gently laid her down.
"You alright?" he asked Ianto carefully. Ianto looked pale and was shaking.
"I…I did that to her…"
"No, you didn't." Owen promised. "Just like I didn't do those things to Tosh, eh?" He found himself holding Ianto stiffly as the younger man shook in his arms. "You know it wasn't you, don't you-"
"It's not that…" Ianto explained softly. "Jack's not coming back…is he?"
"No." Owen said.
"He left us…"
"He left us a job to do, Ianto." Owen tried to be firm. "He…we can mourn him later…"
"Owen?" Ianto whispered softly. Owen ran his hand into Ianto's hair and ruffled it absentmindedly.
"Yes?"
"I…I don't think…with Torchwood…"
"Spit it out…" Owen teased Ianto, thinking he knew what was coming.
"Will you stay with me Owen? After all this, will you stay with me?" Ianto asked softly, obviously recalling his earlier words.
Owen looked at Ianto thoughtfully for a while. He knew exactly what he should say…oh, to hell with common sense. "I-" he began.
Kiki woke up behind them. Ianto looked away, still unable to face her. Owen helped her up.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm good." She said shakily. "Look-Ianto-I believe you. It wasn't you."
"I'm sorry." He said, turning to face her. She managed to steel herself to look at him directly, although he could see that it hurt.
"You didn't do anything. That wasn't your twin, anyway…that was a…a clone." She stated, hoping for them to deny it. The two men looked at each other sharply, confirming her suspicions.
"They've got one of you?"
The girl swallowed, and nodded. "It went with…with, you know…"
"Me?" Ianto asked quietly.
"Yeah."
"Okay!" Owen decided. "This is where whatever doing this is, so they'll come back here. My one's dead, Jack's…gone after his, so it's just yours, Ianto, and yours…"
"Kiki." They girl said. "I…I was looking for my friend…" she started to cry again, Owen standing helplessly, Ianto still unwilling to look at her. "And Jack said she's gonna talk to me, and I have to tell her I know anyway…I thought I was gonna die…"
Owen shrugged helplessly. "It's okay, you're safe now. You can find your friend…we can help you get counselling and stuff, if you want…" his tone made Ianto look up sharply.
"No retcon, Owen." Ianto said firmly.
"But Ianto, look at what she's been through. She can just forget-"
"Ask her, we…I owe her that, at least." Ianto pleaded. Owen looked at him and relented.
"Fine, but later. I promise." He said reluctantly. Kiki looked between the two of them, confused but too tired to even ask what was going on.
"Can we go?" she asked. "I need to find Joni-"
"Joni?" Ianto questioned quickly.
"Yes…my friend, she ran away…"
"I know her." Ianto said, regarding Kiki speculatively. He was about to say something else when Owen put his finger against his lips gently.
"Shush. Listen."
There was the definite sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. Ianto gripped Owen's arm tensely as his clone walked in, followed by Kiki's. Owen looked at him anxiously-he supposed it was about right that Ianto should be the most affected by this but it was worrying him.
"You bastards." Snarled the Ianto clone. Ianto shivered.
"Owen-"
"NO." Owen shouted. "Fuck off, you bloody shits!" he almost howled as he shot the two aliens. Their bodies collapsed to the ground in an almost comical manner but no-one was laughing.
Ianto and Kiki were both staring at the bodies. Owen glanced at them both, still fuming.
"You okay?"
Ianto gave a little nod and buried his head in his hands. Owen put an arm around him hesitantly. "Sure?"
"Guys…" said Kiki, behind them. She had kicked the door open and was ready to go.
"One last thing." Owen said. "Ianto, mate…you know we have to do this don't you?"
Ianto shrugged. He seemed unable to talk right now.
"Do you need anything?"
Ianto looked around the bare flat. He got up slowly and stumbled towards a framed photograph-himself and Lisa. He picked it up, gazed at it…and put it back down.
"I'll get some clothes." He said flatly, and walked off.
They only just escaped the blast. They had evacuated everyone- "Health and safety, we need you to get out…" but they had only just escaped themselves.
Ianto looked at his burning flat grimly. He turned around to see Owen watching him anxiously.
"I'm fine…" he started to protest, before bursting into tears. Owen held him gently.
"Jack…and…and the flat…and the…the clones…and what I did…" Ianto gulped. He steadied himself. "Kiki…do you…do you want to forget all of this? Because…we can make you…"
She shook her head. "I'll never forget…" she said simply. "I don't want to. I just want…to find Joni…and to go home."
"Kiki?" asked a small voice behind them. They all turned. Joni was standing there, tears running down her face.
"Joni…" Kiki replied, too tired to say anymore. The two girls walked towards each other silently and Kiki hugged Joni. "I thought I'd never see you again…come on. We need to talk…Bye, guys…" she waved to them. Joni waved as well, seemingly only noticing Ianto standing there now.
Owen and Ianto watched them go, wondering at Kiki. She seemed so strong…
"We could use her sometime." Owen commented.
"Maybe, when she's older."
"So…you've got no place to go now. Want to…you know…come stay at mine for a bit?"
"Sure." Ianto replied, thoughtfully. "What's going to happen Owen? No Jack…what about Torchwood?"
"No Jack? Who says?" came a familiar voice behind them. Ianto frowned.
"J…Jack…"
"I need to talk to you." Jack agreed. "And it's me….don't worry. Turns out you saved me after all. My clone just…imploded…" he noticed Ianto's flat on fire, in the background. "Yeah, guess that's it. So, come on then kids…work to do. Busy busy busy."
They walked off. And Owen and Ianto and Jack went to Owen's house, and fell asleep. They'd sort it tomorrow. Things to do. Aliens. Fires. Relationships.
"Damn Torchwood." Owen muttered sleepily. "Nothing ever works out normal."
"We've got a chance then." Ianto said casually.
They turned to look at him curiously. He shrugged defensively. "Hey, I've got no house. And despite what I said…I think perhaps we all need…more…" he blushed. "Oh, I don't know-"
"No" Jack interrupted. "I agree-"
"Shu'up." Owen told them. "Talk later."
They fell asleep in each others arms.
gaia-x-goddess