Detachment
First off, this isn't actually a real fic, just my attempt to get over writer's block so that I can continue with "They Come in Pairs" before people hunt me down and kill me. That said, this story basically sucks, has no real plot, and no actual ending. Not beta'd either. It's just an exercise in aimlessly writing. You all have been warned.

Second off, this came about because while I was trying to convince my brain that, yes, it does still want to write (I finally decided to treat my ADHD because it's interfering with my job, and now I've completely lost my flow), my muse reminded me that I'd told somebody once upon a time that I was game for some Jack/Ianto chair fic. I'm sure this is NOT what they had in mind. I also had a friend complaining that while she read a lot of stories that mention safe words, she's never come across a fic where one was actually used. I'm sure this is also NOT what she meant either.


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Detachment

one-shot
PG-13/perhaps R (because of Jack and Ianto in an office building)
spoilers through "Something Borrowed"
Jack/Ianto


LJ cut:



"Wait," Ianto called as Jack was entering the building, causing him to pause. "We should probably take precautions."

He turned to face Ianto and raised an eyebrow in question. There'd been rift activity early that morning, and while Toshiko hadn't been able to pin down a location before it had closed, she had picked up five sudden energy spikes from various locations around the city several hours later. They'd found five devices, clearly alien but built of materials found on earth, and they were building up to a timed discharge that would take out all of Cardiff twelve minutes after midnight. They couldn't be moved and they couldn't be stopped without a 17-digit code. At least according to Toshiko who'd attempted dissecting one.

Luckily for them, they'd been able to video ID four of the people who'd set the devices. The fifth had somehow managed to stay in CCTV blind spots. Ianto had gotten back from running errands right as they'd been heading out to bring in the four for questioning. They'd all split up, and Ianto had accompanied Jack, getting briefed on the details during the drive since his headset battery had gone dead and nobody had been able to contact him all morning.

Jack and Ianto were both armed, so Jack wasn't sure what more precautions Ianto wanted. True, they didn't know what they were dealing with, but they were up against a ticking clock, literally.

"It is an office," Ianto stated. The man they were tracking had apparently gone to work as usual after rigging the device. "You could lose control and try to ravage me over the copy machine."

Jack grinned at Ianto's completely dry delivery of the statement. He held the door open wide and motioned for Ianto to enter. "Guess you'll just have to take your chances."

Ianto brushed against Jack as he entered the building. "I might be requiring a safe word," he continued. "Perhaps 'carbon paper' -- no, that's two words, might come up in conversation, and would likely only excite you further... Any suggestions?"

"Ianto," Jack said, putting a hint of warning into his voice. He was doing his best to wind Jack up, and Jack was going to make him pay for it later. Probably by bending him over a copy machine. Although they always used the computer printer for making copies at the Hub, so Jack didn't think Torchwood even had a copy machine. Well, he might have to buy one.

A hint of a grin flicked across Ianto's face as he strolled over to the reception desk. Jack followed and made a show of flirting with the nice young lady who greeted them. And he knew it would be Ianto making him pay for that. He kept his most charming smile plastered across his face, deliberately catching Ianto's eye.

They were directed to the second floor, room 24. As soon as the lift doors slid shut, Jack had Ianto pinned against the wall and was shoving his tongue into his mouth and his hand into his trousers. Anticipation was fun, but he didn't feel like waiting until he found a copy machine. "You ever done it in an elevator?" Jack asked when they broke apart for air. He slid down Ianto's body.

Ianto threaded his fingers in Jack's hair and yanked him back up off his knees. The last time Jack had asked him that, he hadn't been able to answer before Jack had started groping him in the middle of the Plass while they stood concealed on the lift. They'd been interrupted by Owen actually wanting to use the lift to go down. And not in the way Jack had been about to.

"It's only one story."

"I'll make it fast," Jack protested, latching his thumbs in Ianto's belt. Ianto might always be the voice of reason, but Jack was always up for a challenge. "You have your stopwatch?"

"My god, my boyfriend is filthy," Ianto groaned, leaning his head back against the wall. But his fingers were still in Jack's hair and quickly drawing him into another kiss.

They were interrupted by the ding that signaled their arrival at the desired floor, and Jack didn't have time to dwell on the fact that Ianto had just called Jack his boyfriend. That was a first, and Jack kinda liked the way it sounded. He was determined to shag his boyfriend right here, right now. He reached over with the intention of slapping the emergency stop button.

Ianto grabbed his arm, preventing the action. "We might want to save the world first, sir."

Jack let out an overly dramatic sigh. "Why can't we ever have sex first and then protect the planet?"

"I believe we did that yesterday."

Jack smirked rather smugly. "Oh yeah." He leaned in toward Ianto's ear and whispered, "Encore?"

But then the lift door finished sliding open and they were both somehow perfectly composed when an elderly woman entered. Ianto did his best to slip by her without drawing attention to himself other than a polite nod. Jack however asked which direction it was to Mr. Parker's office, despite them knowing it was number 24, and had her flushed and grinning like a schoolgirl with a crush by the time they finished chatting.

He and Ianto then proceeded to the correct office, and Mr. Parked seemed confused at a visit by Torchwood, but he didn't act like he had anything to hide. He also paid more attention to Ianto than Jack. Jack took an instant dislike to the man.

"You mind telling us where you were this morning?" Jack asked.

"I needed a suit for a meeting this afternoon, so I stopped by the drycleaner." He paused and stared at Ianto. "I thought I recognized you from somewhere. You were there."

"You must be mistaken," Ianto replied.

Jack frowned. Ianto had been out half the day and hadn't picked up the cleaning? He knew Gwen's favorite sweater had gotten slime on it the other day. Ianto always handled things like that. So why hadn't he come back with Gwen's precious sweater in hand? Or with their usual lunch orders, or the computer cable Toshiko had requested?

"Where's the suit?" Jack inquired, glancing around the office.

Parker also looked around, frowning. "That's odd, I could have sworn I--"

He stopped abruptly as blood splattered across the wall. There was a small red spot on the back of his head. He collapsed, falling so that Jack could see his face. Half of it was missing where the bullet had exited.

Jack spun instantly toward Ianto. He had his gun drawn and had clearly just taken the shot. Jack's heart was suddenly beating way too fast. Ianto turned the weapon on him next. He ducked out of instinct, and a bullet went into the wall. Then he lunged for the gun. He had Ianto tackled against the desk before he could get another shot off.

"Who are you?" Jack demanded while wrestling for the gun. Because this wasn't Ianto. Couldn't be. Although he hadn't noticed any difference when they'd been kissing. Either he'd completely failed to distinguish the real Ianto from an imposter, or Jack had somehow been brilliantly conned twice by the same man, thoughts of Lisa flickering through his mind. But Jack knew how to con, and nobody was that good. He also thought he now knew Ianto. He wasn't a killer, at least not unless absolutely necessary. "What are you?"

"Ianto Jones." He kneed Jack in the crotch then yanked off his headset. "And you won't be telling your team otherwise."

Jack used his body weight and position to shove the man harder against the desk, fighting back the urge to cry like a little girl. "Tell me who you are, and what you've done with Ianto," he threatened. "Or I'll find a way of making you talk."

"He's not been harmed... yet."

Jack was supposed to be the one making all the threats here. "Hurt him, and I'll kill you."

"You're the one attempting to cause this body damage. Several of my people were pulled here against our will. We only wish to leave. The others have all abandoned their hosts already, but this one is surprisingly useful, knows everything. Knows you're trying to stop us. But we need the signal, need to set it off so our ship will come. We can't stay here, your atmosphere is killing us."

"And your signal is going to kill a lot of my people. Let's help each other, find another way." A way that didn't involve this thing taking up residence in Ianto's body and killing everybody in Cardiff.

"You won't help. We can only take one host, only control them for so long. This one didn't remember I was here. I could let him have control while I merely watched. No need to act unless you found a way to stop us, which you won't. But now you're aware and I don't have much time. When I leave this one, we won't be able to communicate. Better to stop you now, use this body while I still can to eliminate your team. There's no other way."

The thing controlling Ianto tried to do exactly that, managed to grab the letter opener from the desk and stab it deeply into Jack's stomach.

"You can't kill me," Jack hissed.

"He knows," the alien replied, obviously accessing Ianto's knowledge. "But I can do enough damage that you won't wake up until we're gone. I will leave this body unharmed."

Jack fought against the pain and held firm to the hand that still struggled for control of the gun. Even if it kept it's word and spared Ianto, he wasn't going to let it kill the rest of his team. He pressed hard against the edge of the desk until the wrist snapped, the bone breaking. He captured the gun and aimed it at Ianto's head as Ianto wailed an almost inhuman cry. Maybe not normally having a body meant the being wasn't accustomed to pain. "Unless you want more of that, let him go." Jack did not want to be forced to fire.

"You cannot stop us," Ianto spat before collapsing against the desk, his eyes rolling back.

Jack slightly lowered the gun. "Ianto?" If the alien was still inside him, there was no way for Jack to tell.

"Jack?" Ianto asked, blinking open his eyes and grimacing. "What happened?"

A partial relief flooded Jack and he smiled. "Welcome back."

"Where'd I go?" Ianto's expression was completely bewildered.

"Long story," Jack answered softly, "but it's my turn now. Should be back in a few minutes."

He leaned over Ianto and kissed him gently. It was brief and chaste, but familiar. He saw the fear flicker in Ianto's eyes as he pulled back. Then he reached down between them and wrapped his hand around Ianto's that was still holding loosely to the letter opener. Jack slowly pulled the blade from his stomach, and blood began to flow freely over their hands.

"Jack?" There was panic in Ianto's voice, and he was quickly shoving himself out of their awkward lean on the desk and dropping the knife in order to clutch at Jack, flinching when he moved his broken wrist but still wrapping his arm securely around Jack.

He started talking quickly, something about calling Owen, about needing Jack to hold on. The alien had known exactly where to stab, and now that Jack had removed the blade, he'd bleed out quickly. There wasn't anything Owen could do. The frightened reassurances blurred out as Jack sunk into Ianto's embrace and let the world go black.

When he awoke, gasping, he was on the floor but still in Ianto's arms. Ianto's face was tear-streaked and he was yelling at whomever had entered the office to get the fuck out, that this was Torchwood business. They obeyed and left, but they'd be back.

Jack attempted to sit and Ianto braced him with only one hand, helping him up. "How long?" Jack asked.

Ianto reached for the stopwatch that was beside them on the floor. He winced and released his grip on Jack, freeing his left hand and using it to scoop up the watch. "Eight minutes." He slid the stopwatch into his pocket and pulled out Jack's headset. "I've already called the others, warned them to be careful... and told them I'm not to be trusted."

He took the earpiece from Ianto's trembling grip. He literally had Jack's blood on his hands. "Ianto..."

"Don't." He shook his head at Jack. "I'm the fifth. That's why we didn't have anything on CCTV. I knew to avoid the cameras."

"You were being controlled," Jack said firmly.

"I killed you." Something in Ianto's voice broke. "I killed him also, didn't I? You wouldn't have shot him in the back."

The body of Mr. Parker was still lying on the floor. Jack gripped Ianto's chin and turned his face away. "It wasn't you."

"It could still be inside me, Jack." A fresh tear rolled down his cheek and Jack thumbed it away. "It was riding shotgun ever since I returned to the Hub, and I didn't know it. If it's still there, you need to make sure I don't do anything else. I don't want to hurt you again. Or anybody else."

The door opened again and this time Owen entered, instructing the people outside to stay the bloody hell back. He took a quick look at the room, at the body, the blood splatter on the wall, and at Jack, then he yanked Ianto roughly to his feet and proceeded to slap cuffs on him, securing his hands behind his back. Ianto bit his lip but didn't quite hold in his sharp cry.

"What happened to your wrist?" Owen asked.

"Don't unlock me," was Ianto's only answer.

Owen turned to Jack, and he hated himself as he agreed with Ianto. They had no idea if Ianto was actually alone inside his body, and Jack knew Ianto would never forgive himself if he hurt anybody else. He'd never forgive Jack for letting him. "The cuffs stay on." They'd be escorting Ianto back to the Hub as their prisoner.

-----

They got the body of Mr. Parker - Jack had already forgotten his first name, and didn't want to ask Ianto - into the back of Owen's SUV with the help of Detective Swanson's team. Luckily, Owen's pick-up had gone smoothly and he'd already dropped him at the Hub, so that SUV was empty.

Jack didn't flirt with or yell at Swanson the entire time. Torchwood had jurisdiction, and he wasn't in the mood to get into anything. She saw that it was Ianto who'd ended up in cuffs, and while that would undoubtedly come back to bite Jack later, she wisely didn't comment at the moment.

Ianto was sitting under guard in Jack's SUV, face leaning against the window, blank eyes watching as the body bag was loaded.

Jack ran his hands through his already disheveled hair, nearly jumped when somebody tapped him on the shoulder. He took the t-shirt that was being held out to him with a mumbled, "Thanks." His shirts were pretty thoroughly covered in blood. Ianto was a mess as well, but the dark color of his clothing hid the stains better. Jack stripped off his coat and shirts in the middle of the parking garage, then chucked them into the back of his SUV, pulling the fresh one over his head.

Owen walked over to Jack, giving his shirt a questioning look before speaking. "Right then, PC Harkness, we're all set to head back to the Hub."

"So let's go," Jack snapped, not amused.

Owen nodded and fished his keys from his pocket. Jack turned to his own vehicle and dismissed the guards. He slid into the driver's seat. Ianto had the front passenger seat, and Jack reached over to fasten his seatbelt for him.

"Jack..." He was sitting at an awkward angle, keeping his wrist from being trapped between his back and the car seat. He also looked fairly pale and shaky.

Jack searched his pockets before remembering that it was Owen who had the handcuff key. "Fuck."

"There's a spare in the glovebox," Ianto commented.

Jack flicked it open and found another set of cuffs, complete with identical key. Ianto had been sitting right next to it the entire time. There was also a small container of aspirin. He grabbed that first and shook two pills out into his hand. Noticing the slight sheen of perspiration of Ianto's forehead, he dumped out another two. "Here, take these."

Ianto obediently opened his mouth. Jack dropped the pills onto his tongue, then uncapped the bottle of water that was in the cup holder and held it to Ianto's lips, tilting it so that he could drink. He spilled a fair amount down Ianto's chin and onto his suit. "Sorry about that."

"Ruined already anyway, sir," Ianto stated.

Jack ignored the remark and grabbed the key for the handcuffs. He unlocked them and carefully freed Ianto's right wrist from the restraint. He moved the hand into his lap while Jack pulled his seatbelt across. The handcuffs still dangled from his left hand, and Ianto reached up and slapped the second cuff around the handle above his window.

"Look, Ian--"

"I know, Jack," he interrupted simply. "It's alright."

Jack leaned back in his seat and sighed. "What happened?" he asked softly before starting the engine.

Ianto was silent until they were out on the main street. "You were asking questions, and then it was like I was sleepwalking, not really there. I suppose I blacked out after that, and when I woke up... you were bleeding and I was holding the knife."

"Death by decorative letter opener." Jack flicked on his turn signal. "It's a new one for the list."

"It isn't funny," Ianto said angrily in response to Jack's passive tone. "Unless that thing read a book on human anatomy, it knew where to stab because of me, because I knew. It pulled that knowledge from my head and I didn't even fight. I killed you, Jack."

"You weren't in control," Jack repeated. "And we'll sort it. It's going to be--"

"No it won't." He refused to be placated, and Jack wasn't the only person that had been killed. The other wouldn't be getting back up.

They fell into silence for the rest of the drive.

-----

When they got back to the Hub, Owen splinted Ianto's wrist, then Jack escorted him to the holding cell which contained their other prisoners. Gwen followed along looking rather uncomfortable about locking up one of their own.

"Oh, you're kidding me," Ianto muttered when he saw the others in the cell. And old man, a boy, and a woman who appeared to be about the same age as Ianto. They all seemed to know Ianto, and he clearly knew them and quickly fell into Welsh, speaking rapidly to them.

Jack cleared his throat loudly. "Little reunion here?"

"Sorry." Ianto turned back toward Jack, meeting his gaze through the clear wall that divided them. "Steffan only speaks broken English. I was just telling them that--"

"That he's okay, he isn't hurt, and we're not going to hurt them," Gwen said.

Jack nodded. He knew. He'd been living in Cardiff longer than either of them. "You all seem like friends."

"Steffan owns the drycleaning shop," Ianto explained. He then motioned to the others. "His grandson, Vaughn. And Enid - she picks up her cleaning every Thursday morning."

Today, of course, was Thursday.

"So, did you get my sweater?" Gwen asked.

Jack looked at her sharply. "Have Owen and Tosh meet us in my office."

"It was a gift from Rhys," she justified, ducking away from Jack's glare and scurrying up the stairs.

"No charge!" Steffan called after her.

"These are good people," Ianto stated as Jack locked the cell.

"So are you," he added simply. Ianto shouldn't doubt that.

"Lock me in a different cell." Jack tensed at the request. "Please, Jack."

None of the others had shown any signs of still being controlled. Whereas Ianto had killed what should have been the fifth occupant of the cell. Jack shook his head. "We'll be watching on CCTV if anything happens."

Instead of arguing further, Ianto sat down and leaned against the wall, staring at Jack. "Go." He motioned in the direction Gwen had gone with his left hand. "Figure this out."

He met Ianto's gaze for a moment longer before doing exactly that.

-----

Jack sat at his desk while the others all stood. He didn't want them comfortable, sitting down, or getting coffee. Definitely didn't want any of them actually making the coffee. He'd had enough bad experiences to leave drink preparations Ianto's domain. What he did want were solutions, and he wanted them before Cardiff replaced the Grand Canyon as the biggest hole in the world.

Toshiko perched her laptop on the edge of his desk, going over her earlier scans. "It's a good thing we didn't try entering any override codes. From what I can tell, we only get one chance. So a brute force crack is out of the question."

"Work on another way of bypassing the combination, or come up with a way of containing the blast if they do go off." He turned to Owen. "Any way of detecting if those things are inside somebody?"

"If you're asking me if Ianto's still got a bug in his brain, I don't know. From all my scans, he's showing up clean. They all are."

"Start the autopsy on Parker," Jack instructed. "Find me a way of identifying these aliens."

"That doesn't involve slicing somebody's head open, I'm assuming."

Jack didn't dignify that with a response.

"Shouldn't we start evacuating people?" Gwen asked.

"No time, darling," Owen replied. "We'd just start a panic."

Jack glared at him. "Aren't you supposed to be elbow deep in a corpse?"

He flipped Jack off as he left.

"We have to do something," Gwen insisted.

"Call Rhys," Jack relented. "Tell him I've given you Friday off and you've planned a weekend trip. Pick somewhere and have him start driving. Tell him you'll meet him there, and don't tell him anything else. Nothing else, Gwen. Understood?"

She nodded and pulled out her cell phone as Owen reentered the room.

"Have you developed a new way of performing autopsies in under twenty seconds?" Jack asked.

"You want that code," he said, ignoring Jack's question, "and I'm not being funny, but why don't we ask the people who set it?"

"I doubt the aliens shared that information," Jack retorted.

"For all we know, we've still got four aliens locked in that cell. Even if not, those people were physically there," Owen argued. "Some part of them knows."

"Are you suggesting hypnotism?" Toshiko asked incredulously. Owen wasn't normally the type to buy into that sort of thing.

"More like interrogation," Jack guessed. And it was a valid plan. Ianto might be acting like Ianto again, but he'd been doing so all afternoon before suddenly drawing his gun on Jack. They had no way of knowing whether he was alone inside his body.

Owen kept his gaze on Jack. "I was actually suggesting we use the mind probe."

-----

It wasn't an easy decision, but they were running out of time and no other options had presented themselves. Jack marched down the stairs to the holding cells.

Ianto quickly stood. "Jack, what's going on?"

He met Ianto's gaze squarely. "We're using the mind probe."

"But we're human." His eyes searched Jack's. "Or do you not believe that?"

Jack dodged the question. "Tosh will keep the level down, and Owen will make sure it's safe." He wasn't going to tell Ianto that it would still be incredibly dangerous, but he already knew. He unlocked the cell.

Ianto moved closer to Jack, lowered his voice. He was obviously trying to keep from upsetting the others. "And what about Parker's code?"

He hadn't even considered the option that it would be a different combination to deactivate each device. But what one knew, Jack was hoping they all did. "They might all have the same code. If not, at least we'll know what we're dealing with." He raised his voice and motioned to Steffan. "Come with me, please."

"Where are you going to take him?" asked Vaughn, not letting Ianto continue to do all the talking.

"To ask him a few questions," Jack answered, trying not to make that sound ominous. "We have a machine that will help him remember what you all did this morning."

Ianto looked genuinely surprised. "No, Jack, you're taking me."

There was no way he was risking Ianto. "Age before beauty," he justified, keeping his manner calm. No need to cause a panic. No need for anybody but Ianto to know that a few questions could be an interrogation that might come with a death sentence.

Since the door was open, Ianto grabbed Jack's arm with his uninjured hand. He leaned into his ear. "I'm more likely to survive it, Jack. We both know that."

"He's almost three times your age; he's had a full life," Jack argued back, taking the role of devil's advocate. He was not going to change his mind about this, and their whispered conversion was causing troubled looks from Steffan, Vaughn, and Enid.

"I have seen more things than most people can even dream of," Ianto insisted, but his voice was gentle. He was trying to protect Jack from making a mistake. "I also signed up for this, he didn't. If something happens to him, Jack, you might regret this."

"Not as much as I'd regret it being you." He stepped passed Ianto. "My decision is final."

He escorted Steffan out of the cell then relocked it behind them.

-----

Steffan died in the chair from a brain aneurysm.

Gwen blamed Jack, told him he'd had no right, told him the old man hadn't understood the risk. Tosh made excuses, said he was very old, said he might have died soon anyway, might have already been sick, might have still had an unwanted guest inside his head and it had killed him rather than the probe. Owen hadn't said anything at all other than, "Who's next?"

-----

When Jack returned to the holding cells, he had trouble meeting Ianto's eyes. He shook his head in answer to the unspoken question. A brief flicker of understanding, of pain, shown in Ianto's gaze before he looked away.

"Where's my grandpa?" Vaughn asked.

Jack didn't think he was the right person to answer that question. "Gwen is going to come down here in a little while and talk to you, explain things."

"Explain what?" he persisted, getting angry. Enid wrapped her arm around him while casting an accusing look toward Jack.

"Was it worth it?" Ianto's voice was calm on the surface, but there was tension in his posture.

Jack tried to believe that Ianto was asking whether they'd gotten any information. "They all use the same code." He paused. "We got six digits."

Ianto drew in a sharp breath, and Jack knew the math wasn't hard. Six out of seventeen. Ianto nodded slowly and stood, determined. Jaw set, shoulders squared. He knew that they had to keep going, and he was expecting Jack to put him in the chair next. The boy, barely in his teens, was standing in the corner now, crying but trying not to look like he was. Jack shifted his gaze to the woman.

"How old are you?" Jack requested of her. He wasn't putting the kid in the chair, but he also wasn't giving the woman a free pass. She looked about Ianto's age, but if she was so much as a day older, an hour, he was taking her next.

Ianto shook his head. "You can't."

"I asked her a question." Jack had already decided the rules. No exceptions. "How old are you?" he repeated.

Ianto stepped between her and Jack. "Enid, do not answer that."

Jack entered the cell and tried to move around Ianto. He got right back in his path. "I can have Tosh tell me."

"You aren't using the probe on her." Ianto was firm.

"You know," Jack realized, anger flaring up. Ianto knew and he was protecting her. "You know her name, age, laundry schedule... What, are you screwing her on the side?"

Ianto's left fist connected squarely with his jaw. Owen appeared a moment later with a gun trained on Ianto. He backed down, but stayed in front of Enid who was pleading for them not to shoot, saying they hadn't done anything, didn't know anything. Vaughn was openly sobbing.

"I know because I actually care about people," Ianto said when the room quieted. "I care that Vaughn just lost his grandfather. I care that Mathew, Enid's husband, will be worried when he gets home tonight and she isn't there. And I care that if she dies while you're interrogating her, Owen's going to discover during the autopsy that she's pregnant."

Jack looked around Ianto to the terrified woman. "That true?"

She bobbed her head hastily, and Jack saw the ring on her finger. "Second trimester," she confirmed.

"Rebecca if it's a girl. Either Charles or Jonathan for a boy," Ianto said. "She asked my opinion. Personally, both names are fine, but you have to consider the nicknames. Charlie is alright, but Chuck, well, never cared much for Chuck myself. Jonathan got my vote. Jon's a good name... So is Jack. Not exactly a strong Welsh name, but I think it has a certain ring to it."

Crap. Jack motioned for Owen to open the cell door again, then he placed his hand on Ianto's shoulder to guide him out. Ianto walked willingly beside him. "And, no, Jack, I'm not," he added quietly, so that only Jack could hear it. "Since Lisa, there's only been you."

That was when it truly hit Jack. He was putting his lover in the chair next.

-----

There was a wince of pain as Jack pulled the strap tight around Ianto's broken wrist. Jack almost winced as well. Everything inside him was screaming for him to not do this, to find some other way. But they didn't have time for another way. Just like Jack didn't have time for second guessing himself. This couldn't be personal. It was his fucking job, nothing more. He needed to get that information.

The hand beneath Jack's was trembling slightly, and there were unshed tears in Ianto's eyes. Jack forced himself to look away. He hoped Ianto understood. He couldn't offer comfort right now, not and be able to properly do what needed to be done.

"You think it's still inside me." It wasn't a question, so Jack didn't answer. The alien had told him all the others had left their hosts, but Jack had no way to check if it had done so as well. If there was still a threat, odds were it would come from Ianto, forcing Jack to treat him as hostile. The restraints were too secure to be slipped, and there'd be no stopping due to pain.

Gwen gave Ianto some water through a straw. He took a sip and then shook his head when she offered more. "We don't have a lot of time, best get started."

Jack secured the cap to his head. "The first digits of the code are 4-5-7-3-2-6. We already have them, so keep them loose in your mind. We don't want to force the same information twice."

Ianto took several deep breaths, clearly trying to calm himself.

"Ianto, you don't have to do this," Gwen started to say.

"Gwen," Jack warned. They were doing this either way, with or without consent. If Ianto was willing and relaxed, they stood a chance at succeeding. If he fought it... Jack interrupted his own thoughts. "Toshiko, turn it on."

"Right then," Owen said, more to Ianto than Jack, walking over to his station. "This is going to hurt, probably the worst headache you've had in your life and a drawing sensation down your spine. Try not to tense up, stay relaxed."

Ianto closed his eyes and nodded.

Toshiko turned on the probe. Ianto immediately tensed. Then he screamed, only for a moment before choking it back.

Gwen started pacing, shaking her head. Toshiko stayed quiet. Owen glanced from his screen to Jack. "He's already spiking, but his levels are still safe."

Jack moved to stand directly in front of the chair. This was nothing special, same as any other interrogation. "What's the code?"

Ianto rolled his head from side to side, fighting the pain and trying to relax his body. "Four... five, seven... three... two, six."

"We know that. What's the next number?" Jack demanded. The sooner they got this over with, the better.

"It's gone. It isn't here anymore." Ianto's hands were clenched into tight fists, his knuckles white. He was already sweating.

Jack was almost relieved, but if the creature were still inside Ianto, now would be a good time to lie. "What's the code?"

"I don't know."

"You were there, you set it."

Ianto kept shaking his head. "I don't remember."

"Try." Jack's tone made it clear that was an order.

"I'm not lying to you. It's gone." A tear streaked down Ianto's cheek. "I don't know the code. If it's inside my mind, you're going to have to go deeper."

Part of him wanted to take Ianto at his word that he didn't know and call it quits, get him out of the chair. But the old man had been able to recall part of his blanked memories. "Tosh, do as he says, go deeper."

She cast Jack a worried look, but Owen nodded, making the call for him. "It's still safe."

Ianto jerked, crying out. His breaths were harsh gasps. "Oh god... Three. The next digit is three."

"Keep going," Jack encouraged.

"Two." His back arched up from the chair, face contorted in sheer pain. "Six."

"Shit." Toshiko looked from her computer screen to Jack. "Was that the next part, or a repeat?"

"Does the code repeat?" Jack shouted around Ianto's cries. "Are those new numbers?"

Ianto writhed, fighting the restraints. "Yes." The word was gasped, barely there.

Jack nodded to Tosh. "They're new." She hurriedly typed them on another screen.

"Nine. Eight. Nine."

"What's next?" Jack asked when no more numbers followed. He couldn't help but notice that Ianto had already provided six new digits, the same amount Steffan had given before he'd died.

"I don't know!"

"You do know." Jack was firm, insistent.

"I can't..." Ianto was struggling to keep breathing against the pain. "There isn't any more. I can't."

"You can do this. We need those other numbers. Think." Jack hated what he had to do next. "Tosh, probe deeper."

Gwen grabbed Jack's arm. "You're hurting him!"

"Toshiko," Jack repeated. "Do it."

She did as ordered, but Owen gave Jack a look that didn't require explanation. Ianto was no longer in a range that was safe. He needed to get the rest of those numbers, fast. He grabbed Ianto's shoulder and shook. Ianto's body spasmed under his hand.

"Jack..." His name was nothing more than a whimper. It was also the last thing Jack wanted to hear, and it almost rattled him. This couldn't be personal, it couldn't.

He refused to use Ianto's name, but goddamn it, he was torturing his lover. This was fucking personal. "We need that code."

"Seventeen."

Two digits at once. Jack almost smiled. They were getting close. Three more to go.

Then Ianto whispered, "Stop."

Jack's heart broke. "No."

"Not safe," Owen called. "We can't keep this up much longer."

Ianto opened his eyes, found Jack with an unfocused gaze. "Jack... stop."

"Three more," Jack persisted. "What are they?"

Ianto's nose began to bleed. "Zero." Then his eyes rolled back and closed, and he started to spasm violently.

Owen swore, instructing Tosh to shut down the machine before Jack could react. He was instantly at Jack's side. Turning off the mind probe hadn't stopped Ianto's fit. "What's happening?" Jack demanded.

"We triggered a fucking seizure!" Owen began yanking at the strap on Ianto's wrist. "We've got to get him on his side or he'll choke on his own vomit."

Jack pulled out his pocketknife and sliced the restraint. Ianto's wrist was raw from his struggles, and Jack felt sick. He helped Owen roll Ianto onto his side.

"Hold him still," Owen ordered.

Jack clutched Ianto tightly, bracing him as best he was able. Gwen and Tosh both rushed to help. The seizing didn't lessen. Owen darted away from their side and ran down to the autopsy bay where he kept his medical supplies. He returned quickly and stabbed a syringe into Ianto's arm.

Jack clung desperately to Ianto for several more unbearably long seconds before the drug kicked in and the seizure finally spasmed out. Ianto went completely limp in his grasp. Owen tossed aside the syringe and instantly had his fingers pressed to Ianto's throat, checking his pulse.

"How long until he wakes up?" Jack managed to ask, hearing the worry in his own voice.

The doctor shook his head. "I don't know the extent of the damage yet. We might be dealing with an if, not a when. You probably need to find another way to get those last two numbers."

"Owen..." Jack stared down at the unconscious body lying in his arms, feeling helpless. "Tell me he's going to be okay."

Owen didn't reply.

-----

Jack interrupted his pacing to look over Toshiko's shoulder yet again. "Any progress?"

"No." She turned from her computer screen to look up at him. "And your breathing down my neck isn't helping."

"How about I run out and buy us some coffees?" Gwen suggested, clearly trying to make herself useful.

All the offer served to do was make Jack worry about Ianto. They'd carried him to the autopsy bay, and Owen was still examining him. Jack thought that perhaps he needed to get Owen set up with an actual medical lab, somewhere separate from where he did the autopsies. It was too disconcerting when he worked on live patients down there.

As if on cue, Owen came up the steps.

"Well?" Jack snapped.

"He's still out," Owen answered. "There are several minor internal bleeds, and he managed to trash his wrist again. I won't know if there's been any damage from the seizure until he wakes. But he likely will wake up, although I still can't tell you when. We might want to get him to hospital."

Gwen started to say something but hesitated, finally blurting, "But what if that thing's still inside him?" They currently had his uninjured wrist cuffed to the railing of the exam table.

Jack looked to Owen. "If we keep him here?"

"He should be alright for tonight, assuming the bleeding doesn't get worse."

Nodding, Jack ran a hand through his hair. "So it's either the woman or the boy."

Gwen looked stricken. "Their names are Enid and Vaughn."

"I know their names," Jack stated. "We're down to only two digits. Unless somebody can give me a better option, one of them has to use the probe."

"I don't need a better option to know yours is rubbish!" Gwen retorted.

Jack ignored her. He couldn't afford to embrace her humanity and compassion when so many lives were at risk. He had to focus on the good of the many. "Owen, pick one. Tosh, reset for another go."

"The kid is 14, his brain isn't even fully developed. If you stick him in that machine, he'll likely spend the rest of his life drooling on himself and going to special schools," Owen replied.

"And Enid?" Jack asked, deliberately using her name to appease Gwen.

"She'll miscarry," Owen informed him with no uncertainty. "We'd be aborting the fetus."

Jack closed his eyes. Was it better to kill an unborn child or permanently brain damage a 14-year-old? He was never going to forgive himself for making that call. Either way. He'd also be putting the weight of carrying out the decision on Tosh and Owen's shoulders. He slowly opened his eyes. His team for waiting for him. Toshiko appeared to actually be holding her breath.

"Owen, prepare whatever you're going to need," he finally said. "We're terminating the pregnancy."

Jack then turned and went to his office without looking back. It wasn't long before Gwen followed.

She knocked gently on his door before entering without invitation. "Whatever you're going to say, don't."

Gwen pulled over a chair and sat down across from his desk. "You just ordered Owen to perform an abortion without the mother's consent." There wasn't accusation in her voice, just concern.

"I know."

"That isn't fair to him, Jack. It also isn't right. Do you know what losing a child can do to a person?"

Jack wiped at his face. "I've a fairly good idea." His voice broke.

Gwen fell silent.

Jack didn't say anything further either. He merely sat there, waiting. Perhaps praying for divine intervention, because he couldn't find any forgivable solution.

Owen tapped on the doorframe. He gave Jack and Gwen a rare moment to both compose themselves and acknowledge his presence before speaking. He said the thing Jack needed to hear the most. It was also the last thing he wanted.

"Ianto's awake."

-----

"I assume I'm going to be *volunteering* to use the probe again," Ianto said, glancing over at Jack as he walked down the stairs. "Tosh briefly filled me in on the situation."

"How are you feeling?" Jack asking, redirecting the conversation. Ianto was sitting up and looked somewhat pale, uninjured wrist still chained securely. Jack slid his hand into his pocket and fingered the cuff key.

"Frightened," Ianto answered honestly.

"I didn't mean--"

"I know. Other than the headache and feeling like I've been trampled by a stampede of horses, I'm alright. I suppose I got off rather lucky." He paused. "Or not, considering."

Jack gently touched his arm, offering small comfort. "We need only two numbers. You did nine last time, so this should be a cake walk."

"The effects will be cumulative."

Owen had already told Jack. Ianto hadn't had enough time to recover; he'd be hit as though they'd never stopped. There was 60% chance this would kill Ianto, and a 50% chance of them successfully getting the remaining part of the combination. When he'd raised an eyebrow at Owen's math, he'd simply stated that there was some overlap. Jack hadn't needed further explanation. His odds clearly included the option of them both retrieving the code and also losing Ianto.

"Can I have a few minutes first?" Ianto requested when Jack stayed quiet. "Perhaps a notepad and pen. There are some things that..."

He trailed off, but Jack knew what he meant. "We don't really have enough time."

"It's important, Jack. I'll be quick. I just... I want to write a few things down." He gave Jack an imploring look.

Jack reached down and touched the cuff chain. Ianto sighed deeply. With his right wrist broken and his left locked down, he wouldn't be writing anything. He leaned into Jack's body and Jack could feel him ever so slightly shaking. Jack removed the key from his pocket and freed Ianto's hand. "There, now you don't need to take apart my pen."

"I wasn't going to pick the lock."

"Bad joke, sorry." Although there was a part of Jack that wanted the alien to still be controlling him. In some ways, it would make this easier.

Ianto stood and almost fell, leaning heavily on Jack until he recovered his balance. Once he was steady on his feet, he used his now free hand to cup Jack's face and draw him into a kiss. As he softly pressed his lips to Jack's, Jack pulled back. He couldn't. He might very well be ordering Ianto to his death, and he couldn't do that if he actually thought about whose life he was trading for those of everybody else in Cardiff.

Anguish showed in Ianto's eyes. "I only want a minute, Jack, then you can put the walls back up."

He couldn't give him that. "I'm sorry."

"I know you can't be my lover when I'm in that chair, but we aren't there yet. Please, Jack. I don't think I can do this if you're detached right now. I know we're only dabbling, and while normally I can accept that and not ask anything more of you, right now I need you to kiss me like you're afraid of losing me. Because otherwise I'm scared that I won't be able to do what you're asking me to. You need distance, but I need something to hold onto."

Ianto was speaking quickly, falling apart, and Jack grabbed his left hand and squeezed it tightly, as though that small gesture could hold him together. Jack prayed that it could, because he couldn't offer more. Ianto brought Jack's hand up to his lips and kissed his wrist at the pulse point.

"There wasn't anything beyond the pain, Jack. All the lives that will be lost if you don't get that code, they didn't matter. It all fell away, and the only thing - the only thing - I cared about was making the pain stop. It's agony." He met Jack's eyes with desperation. "Except I could hear your voice."

"If there was any other way, anything..." He trailed off. There wasn't another way. And he wasn't just ordering Ianto to be willing to give up his life; he was asking him to die horribly. What right did he have to order that? Except that the other options were worse. "Owen will be monitoring you. If it comes to it, we'll pull you out."

"I wasn't asking for you to make empty promises." Ianto took a deep breath, not letting go of Jack's hand. "You can't stop, and I can't fail. You can't allow me to fail. There's too much at stake."

Toshiko appeared at the railing. "We're ready," she called down to them.

A glance at his watch showed that it was slightly past 11. Ianto hesitantly let go of Jack's hand and walked up the stairs. Toshiko all but pounced on him with her hug, then was just as quickly rushing over to her computer station.

Jack followed Ianto to the chair, watching as his step faltered when he noticed the crash cart that Owen had set up. "Well, that's encouraging," he muttered.

"It's only a precaution," Gwen quickly reassured him.

"You got any last words or anything?" Owen asked. Gwen smacked his arm. Apparently rather hard from the nasty look he shot her.

Ianto kept his gaze on Jack. "I love you." He then shifted his view to include the others and quickly added, "All of you."

Jack swallowed hard, his throat suddenly feeling tight.

"Except for you, Owen," Ianto continued. "You're a twat."

Owen merely shrugged and seemed to accept the comment.

Jack moved to stand beside the doctor. "How should we do this? Keep the level low, or..."

"No, we shouldn't prolong things. Poking around his surface thoughts is time consuming and not very effective. He'd probably hemorrhage before we got any information. My suggestion would be deep and fast, try to get the rest of the code as quickly as possible."

Ianto laughed. "Deep and fast. Think you're up for it, Jack?" He was sitting in the chair now, but had clearly overheard his conversation with Owen. Gwen made a startled coughing sound.

Jack wanted to snap at Ianto that this was a very inappropriate time for gallows humor. But Toshiko was blushing, Owen smirking, and Gwen flustered instead of panicked. He'd rather successfully lightened the mood. Other than Jack's.

Jack walked over to the chair and fastened the new straps. He slid his fingers to Ianto's wrist and counted his pulse as he did so. His heart was racing. Jack carefully met Ianto's eyes. Beneath the jokes, Ianto was clearly terrified. "You need to relax. This will all be over before you know it."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

Jack couldn't think of anything to say to calm him other than simply, "It'll be alright."

"Jack..." Ianto said slowly. "I don't blame you. This is my choice, but in case at some point you need to hear it, I forgive you. Do what you have to do. You're already forgiven."

He didn't want it now, but if this ended badly, Jack might need that absolution later. He gave a quick tilt of his head, acknowledging the words with a sharp nod. Then he broke eye contact. "Owen?"

"Yeah, we're ready." Toshiko also nodded, then obediently turned on the probe. Ianto only lasted a few seconds before he started screaming.

"Jack, you'll only have a couple minutes before we start boxing internal organs," Owen called to him. "Get him to focus."

Jack shielded himself behind well-practiced detachment and started asking for the code. He tried to block out the fact that it was Ianto whom they were hurting.

Ianto eventually whimpered, "Four." It was way too hard earned.

All that followed was unintelligible wailing, followed by random convulsions.

Gwen was pacing nervously. "Jack, you're going to kill him."

"Gwen, shut up," Owen snapped at her. "He knows."

When Ianto's cries became a pleading chorus of "stop, stop, stop," Tosh nearly started crying.

Jack stooped to where he was only an inch from Ianto's face, attempting to break him out of the endless cycle. "There's no stopping, remember? If you fail, a lot of people die. You'll be one of them. You'll die. I need that number."

"This is crazy, Jack," Gwen insisted. "He needs a break. Tosh, turn it off."

Jack spun around and grabbed her. "No. Tosh, go deeper."

Gwen hit him, shoving away his grip. "I will not be an accomplice to murder! Owen, tell him to stop this."

"Gwen!" Jack drew his gun and pointed it at her before she could interfere with the computers. "I do not have time for another mutiny. Toshiko, if your system is stable, please escort PC Cooper to a holding cell."

"It's Mrs. Williams," she corrected him. But she did back down, throwing her hands in the air in a gesture of defeat and then plopping down on the couch, staring daggers into Jack from across the room.

Toshiko hesitated, looking to Jack for orders.

"Leave her, I need you monitoring the probe," he said. "But if she gets off that couch, shoot her."

"Jack!" Owen interrupted. "We're losing him!"

Jack immediately forgot about Gwen and returned to Ianto's side. His thrashing was no longer as violent, and there was now a small amount of blood running from his nose and ears. Jack cupped Ianto's cheek in his palm, caressing the skin beneath the helmet. He didn't know if he was supposed to touch him or not, but he didn't care. Jack couldn't be hurt. At least not physically. "Hey, stay with me."

"Jack..." Ianto blinked open his eyes for a moment before letting them slip tightly shut against the pain once more. "Carbon paper."

"Fuck..." Suddenly all those lives didn't seem that important. They were strangers; they didn't matter. Ianto did. Jack wanted to be selfish and refuse to give him up. This wasn't some alien threat that he was torturing. He was killing his lover, and Ianto had just safe-worded him. It was Jack who broke.

"Hold on." He instantly had his lips to Ianto's, kissing him deeply and tasting blood before pulling back. "Because I am afraid of losing you."

"He's gone into abnormal heart rhythm," Owen called over to him. "His body's shutting down."

"Shut off the probe!" Jack yelled back. "Tosh, turn it off!"

He undid the straps on Ianto's wrists. "Ianto... We're done, it's over. It's over." He pulled off the helmet and tossed it aside, gently stroking Ianto's sweat-damp hair.

"Sev..." Ianto gasped between labored breaths which turned into a whimpered "uhnnnn" of pain.

"Tosh, it's seven," Jack shouted. They'd done it, they had the full code.

His elation was short-lived as Ianto writhed slightly, fighting for breaths he couldn't seem to draw before losing consciousness. Owen shoved Jack aside, charging the crash cart. He shook his head at Jack. "He's in v-fib."

Jack wasn't sure what that meant, but Owen's actions made it pretty clear. They were facing his predicted 10% overlap. They had the code but were still losing Ianto. "Save him. We... We need five. Save him."

"I'm trying!" Owen tossed back, tearing open Ianto's shirt then lifting the paddles. "But I can't shock him while you're holding his bloody hand!"

Jack quickly let go, being pulled back by Gwen who'd apparently gotten off the couch without getting a bullet in her kneecap. Jack all but collapsed into her embrace, his earlier composure gone. "I should have listened to you. I should have stopped."

As Owen touched the paddles to Ianto's chest, Jack felt Gwen's flinch. Ianto's body had jerked from the charge then fallen still once more. Owen was already checking his pulse before preparing another charge. "It could take me a while to get him stabilized," he told Jack. "I can't leave. So I'd suggest you run."

Gwen checked her watch. "Shit!"

Their team was down to three and they had five devices to disable. And they were out of time. He absently accepted the printout Tosh handed him. The sheet of paper contained a 17-digit code and driving directions. She was also passing a page to Gwen.

Jack stared at Owen as he shocked Ianto for the second time. He couldn't go, not now. He couldn't abandon Ianto.

"If you don't make it on time, he's dead anyway, Harkness," Owen reminded him.

This couldn't have been for nothing. Jack finally forced himself to turn. Then he started running.

-----

Jack made it to his first stop and keyed in the code without a problem. There was a momentary fear that Ianto had lied, had still been being controlled, but then the device went dark. Jack could only hope the build-up was actually stopped. He didn't have time to do a scan.

He climbed back into his SUV and slammed the gas petal. He had just enough time to make it to his second location, the farthest one away.

His luck ran out as he blew through the final light. It was red, but he'd made all the others. There was nobody out driving at this hour. Except for the lone truck that happened to sideswipe Jack in the intersection.

He almost managed to miss it, but between the angle of the collision and Jack's swerve, the SUV flipped onto its side and skidded across the asphalt in a shower of sparks. Jack was knocked out briefly and roused to the sound of a steady beeping from his wrist computer. He'd run out of time.

There was no explosion and he crawled out of the SUV. Had Tosh gotten the time wrong? Maybe there was still a chance he could make it. But his vehicle was on its side and the truck that had hit him was wrapped around the light post.

The other driver, at least, seemed to be okay. He was out of the truck and staring at Jack. "Hey, buddy, you okay?"

Jack didn't answer. He ran, ignoring the shouts of the man. He made it half a block before he was intercepted by a police car pulling up beside him and a shout of "Harkness" out the window.

"Andy?" Jack squinted to see properly through the open window. "I need your car."

"To deactivate that strange little gizmo two blocks down?" He smiled at Jack's utterly baffled expression. "Gwen called me, it's taken care of. Now, what the hell happened to you?"

-----

"Is this supposed to be taking this long?" Jack asked nervously, trying to hold still while Gwen dabbed at the cut on his forehead with a napkin. He'd shooed away the concerned nurses.

He, Gwen, and Toshiko were sitting in uncomfortable chairs in the hospital waiting room. Owen was assisting or monitoring or something while the doctors worked on Ianto. Jack shoved away Gwen's hand and took a sip of his dreadful coffee. He frowned at the little styrofoam cup.

"I'm sure everything's fine," Toshiko insisted. "Owen would have come out here and told us if something went wrong."

Proving his uncanny ability to have the worst timing possible, Owen appeared in the hallway. He was wearing surgical scrubs over his clothes, but at least they weren't blood-stained. He pulled them off while walking over to Jack. "He's going to be in surgery for a few more hours. Nothing more I can do."

Jack stood. "How is he?"

Owen looked around. "We should probably find somewhere quiet to talk."

-----

The four of them settled around a table in the closed cafeteria. All eyes were on Owen.

"Start talking," Jack ordered.

"It isn't good," Owen stated, absently picking up a fork and playing with it. Toshiko reached over and took it away from him. "There's serious internal bleeding which is hopefully all repairable, but the main problem is his heart. It's already stopped twice. We managed to restart it both times, but it's failing. Long story short, he needs a new one."

"But isn't there a list for that?" Gwen asked.

"Yeah, and he's on it," Owen answered. "Luckily critical patients get first dibs, but we're likely still looking at a fairly long wait. He also might be a bit too critical."

"How long does Ianto have?" Jack got straight to the point.

Owen sighed. "A few days, tops. I'm sorry."

"What are his chances?" The question came from Toshiko this time.

"Not good."

"Can we see him?" Gwen reached over and squeezed her hand.

"Once they get him stable," Owen confirmed. "He'll probably be sedated, but you might want to say your goodbyes anyway."

"He isn't going to die," Jack stated firmly.

"I'm not going to sugarcoat this for you," Owen replied. "And Ianto probably wouldn't appreciate you doing anything... drastic. It might be best for him if you sign a DNR, Jack."

Do Not Resuscitate. Owen had gone over those kinds of forms with Jack when he'd found out about Jack's immortality. Just in case Jack himself ever wound up in a hospital. "No. If he needs a heart, we'll find him one."

"What are you going to do?" Owen insisted. "Start shooting people and slicing out their hearts?"

"I could," Jack argued back. "Ianto just saved everybody in this entire city. They owe him."

"He also set the damn bomb to start with!" Owen ran a hand through his hair. "Look, I'll make sure the next available heart goes to him. I'll pull whatever strings we can. But beyond that, our hands are tied. At least they should be."

"Right then." Jack pushed his chair back and stood up. He flicked the snap on his holster open and pulled out his gun. "Does a head shot work for you?"

Owen, Gwen, and Toshiko were all instantly standing as well.

"Jack, be reasonable, you don't want to hurt anybody!"

"I really don't think you've properly thought this through..."

"Are you fucking out of your bloody mind?!"

Jack held up his hand to silence them. "I'm not going to do anything crazy, alright. Ianto needs a heart. He can have mine."

"I think you need to reevaluate your definition of 'crazy,'" Owen suggested.

Gwen's expression softened to one of sadness. "If that weren't so disturbing in a literal sense, you offering Ianto your heart has got to be the most romantic thing I have ever..." She stopped talking in order to blink away tears.

Toshiko and Owen both stared dumbfounded at her. "Don't encourage him!"

"I can't die," Jack reminded them. He raised his gun to his temple. "So will a head shot work? Yes or no?"

"No," Owen shouted at him before Jack could pull the trigger. "No, Jack, it won't work."

"Then tell me where?" Jack demanded. "Obviously can't shoot myself in the heart."

"You aren't a match!" Owen yelled before lowering his voice. "You and Ianto, you're different blood types. Even if I agreed to cut out your heart, Ianto's body would reject it. God, I am fucking sorry, Jack. It won't work. It won't work."

Jack actually let Owen take the gun from his hand.

-----

Avoiding the "no cell phones" signs, Jack slipped into the hospital chapel. He was ready to ask for help. The figure of Jesus on the cross gazed accusingly at him as he slipped his phone from his pocket and scrolled through his contact list. Jack stared just accusingly back as he hit dial on the second entry for Jones.

He waited impatiently as the line rang several times. Finally a sleepy voice answered. "You have a reason for dialing me up at this hour, Jack, or are you just trying to make my boyfriend jealous?"

"Do you have a way to reach him, Martha?"

"Why? What's wrong?" Her voice now sounded awake and concerned. "Is it Owen?"

"Saved the world again today," Jack sighed. "Or at least a piece of it."

"Flashbacks?" Martha asked gently.

Jack absently rubbed at his wrist that was holding the phone. "No. I did the torturing this time."

"So that's why you're on the line with me instead of having a borderline avant-garde celebration with another certain Jones I know?" she pried. "I'm sure whatever you did was necessary, Jack."

Borderline avant-garde? Had she been talking to Ianto about their sex life? Jack supposed he'd opened the door on that when he'd asked her to supply the props.

"I think I killed him," Jack confessed.

"Killed who?" The kind voice was both confused and worried. "Jack, what exactly did you do?"

"Ianto's dying," Jack stated. "It's my fault."

"Oh god, Jack, I'm sorry... I can call the Doctor, if you think he can help."

"I keep expecting him to be able to fix everything," Jack said bitterly. "And here I am, living proof that he can't."

"You want him to take you back, undo what happened?"

"He can't. I know he can't, and I've no right to ask. But maybe he can take me forward."

"Forward? They'll be a way to save Ianto in the future?"

Jack shifted his phone from one ear to the other. "He needs a new heart, and he can't afford to wait for one."

"I can't freeze time for you, but I might be able to call in some favors, see if I can move him up the list. Probably no more than Owen's influence can, but I'll try."

Jack couldn't believe he hadn't thought of that. He was so focussed on the jumping through time that he'd never considered freezing it. "UNIT can't, but Torchwood can."

"Can what?"

"Freeze him." He hung up on Martha and went to find Owen. They were going to put Ianto into stasis and take the slow road.

Jack had all the time in the world to wait.

-----
-----
-----


The end, I guess. Not the best stopping point, admittedly, but I'm all out of my allotted free-writing time for today. Hopefully that will have put a dent in my writer's block and it'll be back to our regularly scheduled program... Thanks for baring with me. Oh, and if anybody for some reason wants to continue this, consider the bunny up for adoption and feel free to take it.