Ianto Lives
By: Tenshi-Chan

Chapter 1

Time had lost all meaning to the handsome man sitting alone on a barstool. He consumed drink after drink. Wishing, not for the first time, that he could drink himself into oblivion. He'd managed it once or twice, but was always dragged back to life.

"So you're still here. The TARDIS picked up your little hop a while ago, but I would have thought you'd have returned to Earth by now."

Captain Jack Harkness regarded the owner of the voice. The man hadn't changed. He still looked like an overgrown child with eyes that were older than the stars. "Doctor." He supposed he should have decked the Time Lord for failing to show when he needed the man the most, but just looked away. Punching the Doctor wouldn't change anything, and the satisfaction of causing him physical pain would be fleeting.

"The one and only." He sat down and looked around. "Nice place. You come here often?"

Jack sighed and swirled the drink in his hand. "That sounded like a lame pick-up line." He gave the Doctor the ghost of a smile. "Any other time, I might have said something. Now I just don't care anymore."

There was sorrow in the Doctor's voice when he spoke next. "You really loved that Welshman, didn't you?"

Jack put the glass down and clenched his fists. "Love doesn't come close to doing the feelings I still have for him justice. He was smart, brave, kind and wonderful in ways I can't even begin to describe. I close my eyes and see his frown, taste the way he made coffee, and smell him just after a shower. I could go into touch and hearing, but I'm going to be considerate since you probably don't want to hear it." He brought his fists up to his eyes to rub away the tears that threatened to spill out. "I feel as if my soul has been torn out and shredded into tiny pieces, and I never even told him how much he meant to me. He died thinking that I would forget him. As if I ever could." He shook his head. "I realized a while ago that I needed him a great deal and it scared me." He downed the rest of his drink and ordered another one.

There was silence from the Doctor a moment before he spoke again, sounding grave. "Ask me."

Two words from the Time Lord holding infinite terrible possibilities. For the briefest second, he was painfully tempted to do just that. Then common sense kicked in. "No. As much as I appreciate the offer, Doctor, I spent enough time as an agent to understand that there are things that must not be changed under any circumstances." He picked up his new drink and took a mouthful. He could feel a slight buzz starting, but it would never be enough to dull the pain. "You've said yourself that I'm a fixed point in time. Anything I do, therefore, becomes a fixed event. You can't change what happened with the 456 any more than you could change what happened in Pompeii."

"Well, no, I can't. I want to do something, though. I can't bear to see you in so much pain. Even the TARDIS reacted to it." The Doctor placed a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Come with me. Travel with me for a while. You need to heal. How long have you been sitting here?"

The bartender answered that question. "He's barely left that stool for six months." The violet-skinned creature motioned to the bar. "He's becoming a tourist attraction. He drinks himself to death and comes back. Scares me every time."

The Doctor let out a low whistle. "You aren't going to find any solace at the bottom of a glass, my friend. Travel with me. Help some people in need of helping. See some more of the wonders of the universe. What harm can it do?"

Jack looked around before tossing back the rest of his current drink. "What the hell?" He put his coat on and slapped down a credit chip. "That should cover it. Keep the rest for yourself." On the chip were all the funds he had saved ever since he was roped into joining Torchwood. The tip would probably set the bartender up for life. He shoved his hands into his pockets and followed the Doctor out, ignoring the excited whispers going around the bar. "Are you sure you don't mind?"

The Doctor stopped and regarded Jack. There was still a slight air of discomfort in his eyes as he took the ageless man from the 51st century in, but it was dampened by the greater urge to comfort those in pain. "I'm sure I'll manage. You're a friend, after all, and I know what it feels like to lose everything you love."

Jack sighed as he followed the Doctor to a very familiar blue box. Even when dealing with the Daleks, there had been a certain thrill at seeing the unassuming time machine. Now he was just apathetic to it.

The Doctor unlocked the door to the TARDIS and opened it to allow his immortal friend inside. He could feel his ship vibrate in reaction to Jack's presence and went over to the central column to stroke the control panel. He ached with the need to make something right for Captain Jack Harkness. The man had been through more than any other humanoid should be asked to go through. Surely he could do something to bring some joy of life back to Jack's expression. "Why don't you try to sleep? If nothing else, the TARDIS should be able to grant you a few hours free from dreams."

He watched sadly as Jack walked deeper into the TARDIS like he felt each one of his years. This was not the same man that had flirted with countless creatures. He never thought he would see Jack looking so defeated. He was pale and thin with dark bruises under his listless eyes. His hair had grown longer and was unkempt. It was obvious that the man no longer cared how he lived or even if he lived. Once he was gone, the Doctor sat down on the chair near the control panel. "Surely there's something we can do for him that wouldn't involve changing events." He was no stranger to unjust deaths, but there was only so much he could take and the psychic paper had been scrawled for weeks of someone pleading for everything to end. He pursed his lips and contemplated. Jack was right when he had said there was nothing that could be done to prevent the 456 from killing that kind-hearted young man.

He had actually met Ianto Jones before all the chaos at Canary Wharf started. It was a very brief meeting involving the best cup of tea the Doctor had ever had. He hadn't known that it was the same young man Martha had told him Jack was 'dabbling' with until that brief glimpse in the monitor after the defeat of Davros. He smirked at the memory. He had definitely heard the tinge of jealousy in his voice when that Gwen Cooper had mentioned that she had thought the Doctor would be older and Ianto had countered that he wasn't that young. That and Jack had visibly relaxed at the oh-so-brief glimpse in the moniter.

The TARDIS made a sound that could only be described as mournful and the Doctor looked up. With determination, he stood up and stroked the part of the panel that would open under certain circumstances. Only twice had it happened. Once, in reaction to the rift in Cardiff. The second time because a very stubborn young woman did not want to see the man she loved die. This time, the panel seemed to be opening with no physical prompting. A small tendril of golden light seeped out and moved deeper into the ship. The Doctor watched it in awe. He knew the TARDIS was alive, but he had never known her to be so empathic to the needs of her passengers. Right now, he had a companion in dire need of something that he hoped the TARDIS could give.

Seeing Jack so broken was beyond painful. Not even after the year that never was had he seen the man look so lost and bereft of hope. If he was to ask Jack whether or not he wanted to die, the Doctor had almost no doubt what answer he'd recieve.

There had been no need for anyone to ask. She had somewhat resented Rose for taking what was not willingly given, and Jack Harkness now suffered for the slight spitefulness on her part. Yes, she had fled to the end of time to get away from him, but not out of fear. She had run away out of guilt. It was that guilt that caused her to tune herself to the poor child's emotions. She had felt the countless times he grieved for friends or loved ones that he had outlived, the pain he felt every time he was dragged back to the land of the living, and she had accepted that as a terrible necessity. It was when the deep soul-wrenching sorrow hit her that she had to find out what had caused it. She had felt her Time Lord's hearts breaking enough to know that this was so much more. Only once had the Time Lord's pain come close to what Jack was feeling, and that was when the Master had died.

She had inadvertantly caused this pain, and she would do what she could to end it. Unfortunately, she could not undo what Rose had done. To do so would erase Captain Jack Harkness from reality itself, and that would have caused the end of the world a thousand times over. Her only problem now was to see what it was that she could do.

She found him in the nearest sleeping area. His face was a mask of sorrow and he curled around several pillows as if trying to simulate sleeping with another person. He held what the humans called a tie in his hand and the stains on it suggested he had spent many nights weeping into the piece of silk cloth.

She reached out to caress his mind and calmed him when he put up a barrier. He'd been hurt so many times, his body abused for the amusement of others, that tenderness was alien and frightening to the point that he often shoved the feelings away. In his mind, his soul was laid bare and it was a beaten thing that looked so fragile that she feared that it would shatter if a gentle breeze shifted it the wrong way. It was so very different from the shining thing it had been when he first arrived.

She concentrated and found herself in Jack's mindscape. To call it chaotic would have been an understatement. Countless faces filled the memories, and she knew she had her work cut out for her. She could force her way through, but she knew that doing that would cause irreparable harm to Jack's mind.

Instead, she moved slowly through the memories, soothing them when they became agitated at her presence, until she found what she was looking for. The very essence of Captain Jack Harkness was huddled down cradling the memory of a fallen man like a most treasured possesion. His eyes shot from the memory to her and his hold became protective.

"I swore! I swore to him I would never forget him! You can't take him from me. Leave me with his memory, at least." He narrowed his gaze and recognition flooded his eyes. "You're the soul of the TARDIS, aren't you?" He shook his head and gave her a half smile. "There is nothing you can do to fix this." He tilted his head. "Can't you speak?"

The TARDIS had never needed words, but she articulated her wishes. "Please. I wish to help you. Is there really nothing I can do?" She looked around at the memories. Hoping to see something, anything that would help her. "No one deserves to be this lonely."

Jack let out a shuddering sigh as he regarded the shining memory he held close. "Not a day has gone by this past year that doesn't have me asking if there was something that I could have done differently. It all boils down to hindsight." He shook his head and gazed lovingly at the memory. "Memories are a pale comparison to the real thing."

As she listened closely, she heard words of love echoing from the memory along with a plea to not be forgotten.

She looked around some more, hoping beyond hope that she could help. There were painful memories regarding this man as well as ones that were filled with joy and love. She searched until she found a curious memory that was in regards to Ianto Jones, but did not contain him. There was an odd desperation and grief associated with the memory. She looked closer and felt the inklings of a plan forming. She gently withdrew herself from Jack's mind, directing it towards a pleasant dream rather than a painful memory, and returned to the control room. With a great deal of concentration, she drew more of her essence together, solidifying it until she became first caporeal and then physical. She had never done this before, but the information had to be relayed quickly. She touched her face and felt as she smiled at the Doctor, who was now standing in awe. "We can help him."

The Doctor had been shocked as the swirling vortex started to form a column. It had never behaved like that before, and he wondered what such a phenomenon could mean. As it slowly solidified, he had to stand up. When the glow died down, there was a sylph-like woman standing beside the control panel. Her hair glittered the gold that the essence was and her eyes appeared to be blue, but he knew that looking into them would be like looking into the great vortex on Gallifrey. He didn't know if she was wearing a white dress, or only clad in pure light.

At her announcement, he shook himself. "How?"

She moved with all the grace of a proper Time Lady as she caused displays to flicker with a wave of her hand. "Jack refers to it as Day Four in his memories. I can gather the soul of Ianto Jones. You can retrieve his body on Day Five."

Normally, he would be all for the plan, but something disturbed him. "Won't the body be missed?" He blinked as he could see all the co-ordinates entering on their own.

The form of the TARDIS smiled at him and he felt her joy through the bond they had. "That is the beauty of it. One of Jack's memories gives me the impression that the body disappeared from Thames House." She tapped the moniter. "Someone took the body. Someone that was not the Government, U.N.I.T. or Torchwood. It pained him greatly when it couldn't be found. He had wanted to see Ianto one last time before bringing him to Torchwood 2 to be stored." Her form flickered a little. "Mind you, we must land someplace that is well hidden. This endevor will leave me drained for a few days. What do you think?"

The Doctor had to admit that it sounded like a good plan. The TARDIS had stated that Ianto's body disappeared before the proper authorities could collect it, and it was entirely possible for her to hold onto a human soul for a good amount of time. "So we bring him back. Then what?"

Before the physical form vanished completely, the TARDIS responded. "We give him a choice." Then the central column started moving.

To Be Continued ...