It had been three years since the death of Ianto.

Jack had been wandering the universe, a lost and aimless soul without purpose.

He stole a small craft, nothing fancy. Something he could get around in, something basic and characterless.

His face was bleak with the misery of losing everyone, his soul weary and cold.

His wounded trek across space had left him little joy, his one night stands brief and trite - nothing really warming him in his isolation and despair.

Each sexual encounter reminded him of what he could never have again, the loss of something warm and beloved.

Ianto had Jack's soul. His heart. Everything that Jack was, Ianto had owned.

He had tried to kill himself, of course. Jack had taken his pistol to his own brain numerous times in the hope that it would end.

Ianto was in the dark. Alone.

Jack wanted to be with him. In the dark. Anywhere.

He wanted to feel Ianto's skin, see Ianto's smile, hear Ianto speak. The bitterness of losing so much had torn Jack apart.

"I need him." Jack had begged into the phone, leaving message after message for the Doctor. "I can't lose him."

However, the Doctor had never returned Jack's calls.

It seemed hopeless, that Jack was doomed to re-live his precious memories of Ianto and be alone forever.

He sometimes smiled at the thought that a mere coffee boy had managed to claim a hold over him that was so powerful. The truth was Ianto was never a mere anything. He was a light, something Jack could hold onto. In his absence, Jack felt as though he'd lost his own will to live.

Inside his craft, Jack felt the weight of centuries bearing down upon him. He felt the cold cruel hands of eternity digging into his heart and leaving him alone and fearful of intimacy.

He had phoned Gwen several times. Once immediately after the baby had been born. Secondly, when the baby reached its first year and thirdly to talk about Ianto. Gwen listened softly and gently, her words compassionate to Jack's plight. She agreed that Ianto should never have been in that damned building, but that it was not Jack's fault that Ianto had died.

Finally, after three years of begging, there was a message waiting for Jack. He listened intently to the Doctor's voice, hearing nothing beyond a curtain of pain.

"Jack, I've been busy. I need to meet with you straight away. I have your pod-signature, and I'll meet you at Orelaborne in two hours. I'm sorry to hear about Ianto."

Orelaborne was a planet in the Sequa System, and Jack could comfortably reach the planet within two hours. As he piloted his craft miserably, he imagined a fantasy in which the Doctor would help him get Ianto back somehow, then laughed mournfully at his own desperation.

He had promised Ianto he would never forget him. It was true, Jack couldn't forget him. He was part of Jack's identity, and Jack felt hopeless without him. Without Ianto, Jack had become a shell. Perhaps he had loved Ianto more strongly than any other lover, Ianto's hold over him was complete.

Docking in Orelaborne was an easy job, psychic paper was all that was needed to park. Jack left his craft, wandering to the rendevouz point.

He spotted the familiar blue box before he saw the Doctor. It was somehow comforting, that telephone box.

The Doctor took one look at Jack and opened his arms.

****

Chapter 2

After the embrace, Jack was led into the Tardis. The Doctor has been improving some of the controls, he loved Tardis DIY.

"It happened three years ago, and I haven't been able to think straight since. It's more than just missing someone, its as if he's left a hole in me."

The Doctor nodded, his voice warm and gentle. "We lose everyone, Jack. It's our curse."

Jack laughed without mirth. "It's definitely a curse, but I can't cope with this one. I always knew Ianto was going to die, but not like that. I couldn't help him, couldn't save him ..." Jack trailed off, his voice cracking. "Not like that. Not dying like that."

The Doctor brought a steaming cup of tea from somewhere. He handed the beverage to Jack, who accepted it gratefully. "That tea is from the Island of Louth in the Orpium System."

Jack sighed in appreciation as he remembered drinking the tea long before. "The best tea in the galaxy. I remember."

The Doctor sighed. "Torchwood operatives have a low life-span. They die young and frequently. Your feelings for this man, this Ianto, were very deep. What did you want me to do?"

Jack smiled sheepishly. "I was hoping for a temporal fold."

The Doctor frowned. "That's not something I use very often, Jack. It's been years since the incident, and that's a lot of time to fold."

"It wasn't just Ianto I lost. My grandson, he died too. I could stop the 456 now without any loss of life. I just need the frequency." Jack smiled sadly. "I need to do this. The personal cost was too high this time."

"If I do this, how will you extend the frequency? Use a child?" The Doctor frowned. "I can't let that happen, Jack. I have the energy signature of the 456, but I can't let an innocent child die as a result."

"Innocent children have already died." Jack said softly, looking away in memory of 1965 and of his grandchild. "The 456 were given 12 children in 1965. They used these children like a drug, shooting up on them."

"Then we need the temporal fold to go back even further." The Doctor smiled. "We should stop them before they got the original children."

"Can we do that?" Jack asked hopefully. "Stop all this in 1965?"

"We can try." The Doctor winked and moved to the Tardis controls. "Hold onto something. We're going back in time."

****

Chapter 3

Generally, folding time wasn't one of the Doctor's favourite activities. He knew the consequences of changing the past, but Jack was so torn he knew he wouldn't be able to talk him out of it.

Jack felt highly responsible for the fates of those twelve children. If they could stop the 456 in the past, before the disaster that led to Ianto's death, then Jack could atone for the damage he had caused.

"1965. Last stop." The Doctor pulled Jack to the door of the Tardis and stepped out into an earlier England. "Remember the rules, Jack. No meetings with yourself."

"How are we going to adapt the frequency to kill the 456?" Jack asked. "I'm not going to risk any more children."

"I'm working on an improvisation." The Doctor promised. "By the time we're ready to send the signal, children won't be necessary to send the signal."

Jack nodded. "I'd better get going. You cut it really close. Couldn't you have taken us back further? A couple of weeks?"

The Doctor shook his head. "We're pushing our luck as it is. I should never have brought you back this far."

Jack nodded grimly and exited the Tardis. He moved stealthily, acquiring a parked military vehicle and driving as rapidly as he could to the alien abduction point.

Although the Doctor had specified no meetings, there was little Jack could do to minimise contact. He would have to speak to his earlier-self in order to free the twelve children.

As he drove, Jack thought carefully about what he was going to say to himself. He had been a numb, emotionless void at that time in his existance. He hadn't much to care about, and the lives of twelve children hadn't been worth much to him.

The virus was as much a threat to the world, but Jack knew the Doctor would intervene before the aliens would have a chance to release it. At least, he hoped everything would work out this way.

As he saw the bus approaching with the children aboard, Jack swerved into the path and stopped his vehicle.

He watched his earlier self swearing blindly as he stamped on the brakes and stopped just in time to avoid hitting the side of the military vehicle.

"What the hell?" Jack's earlier self appeared agitated, opening the bus doors and getting out. "I haven't got time for this! Who is that?"

Jack smiled at the annoyance. He remained in the vehicle and shouted. "We need to talk."

"Who is that?" Earlier Jack strolled over to Jack's vehicle and peered in. He did a double-take.

"I'm from a point further along in your timeline." Jack announced. "I've come back to stop you from making the worst decision of your life."

****

Chapter 4

"This could be a trick." Earlier Jack seemed bored and weary.

"Inside, you know its not." Jack said softly, getting out of the vehicle and walking over to the numb man from his past. He walked straight up to earlier Jack and stroked his jaw with his right hand. "You know."

Earlier Jack nodded, his face flushed with heated desire. Both Jack's were thinking that this was an optimum opportunity to explore each other in ways that made both men shiver.

Now Jack realised that the Doctor was right. Meeting his former self was a distraction.

"So, what do we do?" Earlier Jack asked. The children aboard the bus were becoming fidgety, wondering what was happening.

"The Doctor is here. He'll sort this out, patch into a frequency before the 456 can release the virus." Jack explained with a sigh.

"A frequency?" Earlier Jack asked.

"Yes." Jack explained. "Turns out sound is the biggest weapon we have against the 456. Turn up the frequency, and the 456 will die."

"How is that going to work?" Earlier Jack asked.

"We'll find out soon enough." Jack promised. "Just keep that busload of children away for the moment. Remember what I said, you'll end up regretting it forever if you give them over."

Earlier Jack nodded. "Guess there's no chance of us meeting up later? This doesn't happen very often, and I'd like to explore you ... me ... further."

Jack smiled. "Not a chance. Only came back temporarily." He winked and got back into his vehicle. "Oh and Jack ...."

Earlier Jack had turned to get back on the bus. He turned and watched his future self curiously. "Yes?"

"Don't worry. Life will get better, its just a rough patch you're going through." Jack started the engine on his vehicle and drove away, heading back to the Tardis.

Jack stopped just short of the doors, and jumped inside excitedly. "We haven't got much time. Those aliens will be expecting their gifts soon."

The Doctor smiled. "I've re-routed the frequency so a child won't be necessary for sending the signal. Problem is, we still need someone to do it. Someone human."

"Me?" Jack smiled. "It's not as if it'll kill me."

"Exactly. Are you ready? We're running out of time."

Jack grinned and prepared himself.

"By the way Jack, you didn't tell me what the 456 was holding over the human race. Why did you give those children in the first place?"

"A virus. They had a virus that they claimed would kill the whole human race." Jack explained.

****

Chapter 5

The Doctor used Jack to relay the signal. It was harsh and violent, and Jack died again as a result.

Less than two minutes later Jack breathed heavily and awakened.

"It worked." The Doctor said. "The 456 embassadors are dead. Oh, and that virus they carry has a pretty simple antidote. I've forwarded a couple of vials to laboratories in the UK with instructions to reproduce it in case of further attempts by the 456 to gain a hold."

"There are more 456?" Jack asked wearily.

"A whole planet of them." The Doctor said. "They are known for bribery among the universe. Earth isn't the first planet they've targeted."

"It doesn't surprise me much, with their heavy-handed tactics" Jack sighed.

"Now that this matter has been resolved, it's time to get you back home."

"Ianto." Jack breathed. "I have to make sure he's okay."

The Doctor smiled and activated the Tardis. "I'm sure he'll be fine. The events that led to his death haven't happened."

"Jack nodded. "Then take me home."

****

Jack entered the hub wearily. No explosion had ripped apart Torchwood, and the pteradon was circling above his head as normal.

"Ianto?" Jack called into the seemingly empty space. Machines and computers whirred around him, everything was as it was before the explosion.

"Jack. Where have you been?" Ianto was walking down the steps leading to Jack's office. He was holding a watering can in his left hand.

"Ianto." Jack breathed.

He waited until the man was down the steps and then took him in his arms. He breathed Ianto's cologne deeply, moving his hand round to encircle his waist.

"What's this for?" Ianto asked, his speech muffled as his face was in Jack's shoulder.

"I missed you." Jack said simply and honestly. "I missed you like you wouldn't believe."

Ianto smiled radiantly, pleased to have such an effect on Jack. "I was just watering your potted mum. Do you want a coffee?"

Jack shook his head, smiling at Ianto's radiant expression. "I think we can leave the coffee for now. I have something else in mind."

Ianto raised an eyebrow. "Something kinky, I'll bet."

Jack winked and for the first time in years, he laughed. "You know me too well, Ianto Jones."

Ianto grinned and took Jack's hand, leading him back up to the office. Jack noted the thriving potted mum and wondered how he'd ever survived without his lover.

"Ianto, there's one thing I need to tell you." Jack stopped Ianto on the steps and held him at arm's length.

"What is it, Jack?" Ianto asked worriedly.

"I love you, Ianto Jones. I love you." Jack said the words without fear or doubt. He said them simply and honestly.

It was time Jack Harkness showed Ianto Jones how much he truly loved him.

Ianto gave another radiant smile. He was actually beaming with happiness. "I love you too, Jack."

Taking Ianto's hand, Jack led him to the office. Both men were smiling and happy.

Jack retained all the dark memories of losing Ianto, but that in turn helped him realise how precious Ianto was. How mortal.

As they made love in Jack's bed, Ianto realised something simple: they were meant to be together.

The End.