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Entry tags:
TW fic: A Companion's Companion 2 - The Further Adventures of Ianto Jones - Jack/Ianto - NC17 1/2
Title: Companion's Companion II – The further adventures of Ianto Jones
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Category: AU, Crossover, humour, adventure
Summary: Ianto should have known that things were too good to be true.
Notes: This story nearly killed me – and parts of it had to be deleted and completely rewritten... like the last two thirds of it *g*. This AU probably won't make all that much sense unless you read the first Companion's Companion story.
Thanks to:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
nora_charles for several thorough beta sessions and nicci_mac for general handholding and cheering.
Wordcount: appx 17.700 words
Maybe I have been here before,
I know this room; I have walked this floor,
I used to live alone before I knew you
I've seen your flag on the marble arch,
love is not a victory march,
it's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah
Ianto had gone through four mental stages within the past ten minutes. The first one had been confusion, the second panic, the third had been the cold feeling of crystal clarity and finally? Resignation.
Why? Because the bloody ship was gone. The ship that had been his home for the past four months. Ianto ran a hand through his hair, not even caring that by now it would have to be standing on end.
The planet he was stranded on looked a little like Earth, but it had two moons, and that was in broad daylight. Ianto couldn't remember if it had more during the night. He'd been... a little preoccupied the night before, which meant checking the number of moons had been very low on his list.
Unfortunately it looked like he'd be there to see for himself tonight, because he was obviously not going anywhere... unless he developed wings and an ability to breathe in the cold, dark void of space.
Ianto shook his head. He shouldn't sink into self pity, he couldn't afford to. Although this was a fairly friendly place from what he'd seen so far, there still was the little incident he and Jack had gotten into a few hours earlier.
If those people came looking for them and found him... well, he probably shouldn't hang about. Then again, if he left, what if Jack came back? No, what about when Jack came back for him? He couldn't allow himself to even consider that Jack would just up and leave him on a strange planet somewhere centuries and light years from the world where he'd been born.
The area he was in consisted mostly of forest and he stayed the shade and cover of the trees. He should wait a little longer. Maybe something had happened and Jack had had to move the ship.
Taking the chance of breaking radio silence, Ianto pulled out the modified mobile he always kept with him. He had to admit that knowing a Time Lord with a knack for tinkering with technology and a sonic screwdriver had its advantages.
There were very few numbers in the phone's memory and Ianto rarely used it. There were his family's numbers, of which he'd only used his mother's once so far, to check up on her. There was Rose's number, because she'd insisted and there was a number for Jack and the ship.
Ianto took a deep breath and let it out again, slowly, pushing the call button. Waiting for the connection, he shivered a little. He didn't know how far the temperature would go down and he wished he had the information the ship's computer could provide him with. Then again, if he had access, he wouldn't really need said information.
The change of tone told him that it was connecting and Ianto waited patiently for an answer. Then it was cut off, abruptly. Ianto pulled the phone from his ear and stared at the display. Call disconnected? What the hell was going on?
Shaking his head, he tried again. And again. With the same result. The signal went through, but was disconnected instead of being picked up. Something had to be wrong or Jack would answer. What if someone had kidnapped Jack? What if Jack had fled something or someone and had had to leave Ianto behind?
Ianto stood still for a moment, listening for anything that might be out of the ordinary. To only realize that he wouldn't know what was out of the ordinary. He was stranded on an unknown planet where he was the alien.
Night was falling fast and the temperature was dropping even faster. Ianto knew he'd have to find somewhere to spend the night, even if he was reluctant to leave the spot where he'd last seen the ship.
His short time with Jack had taught him to take risks, but he hadn't been on his own then. He'd had Jack right there next to him taking every insane chance with him... Ianto stared down at the mobile still in his hand and made a decision, scrolling through the contacts, stopping at 'R'.
Ianto leaned his head against the cool wall, waiting for the tea to finish steeping. There were times he thought the TARDIS felt almost alive, definitely organic. She, the Doctor had referred to the ship and the core as a 'she'. Ianto pulled the tea bags out of the cups and put them on a tray that he could have sworn hadn't been there a moment earlier. Unsure how the others liked their tea, he put a small bowl of sugar on the tray as well.
Normally he'd make himself a cup of coffee, but the last thing he needed was the caffeine keeping him awake – as per usual driving his mind into thinking too much about things he'd rather push away. A small voice in the back of his head kept wondering if his newfound aversion to coffee might be linked to the last time he'd a cup. Jack had loved his coffee kick and made the drinking of it almost obscenely sensual.
Ianto killed that thought as soon as it popped into his head and focused on the tea making. Too bad there was no... Ianto stared at the kitchen counter. There was a small creamer standing there. Ianto shook his head and put it on the tray as well.
Who was he to question what could or couldn't happen aboard the TARDIS? The ship seemed about as eccentric as the Doctor himself. Ianto had only been there for an hour, and the kitchen he'd found seemed almost welcoming. As had the Doctor and Rose, but he'd felt a bit overwhelmed by their attention and had asked if he could make them all some tea. He'd ignored the look that they had exchanged. He didn't want their pity.
"Ah, done hiding, are you?" Rose's voice startled him as he left the kitchen, but he managed to keep the tray level, spilling not a drop of tea.
Ianto gave her a small smile and turned to walk alongside her, hoping she was heading toward the bridge or whatever the Doctor would call his control room. He wasn't sure he could find his way back there since when Rose had shown him the kitchen they had walked through an almost maze like selection of hallways.
He could have sworn that the trip back felt a lot shorter and he'd always prided himself on a perfect memory. Either there were other ways to get through the ship or the hallways were changing from time to time.
"You know," Rose said conversationally. "I was a bit surprised when you called, asking to be picked up."
Ianto allowed himself a small smile. Straight to the point again. She had asked him earlier why, and he'd simply said that Jack had disappeared. He hadn't given her the play by play of what had happened before that, just that they'd gotten themselves into a spot of bother and split up.
"The Doctor is trying to track down Jack, get in touch with him," she continued, watching him curiously.
Ianto nodded. "I do appreciate this," he said quietly as he followed her into the control room of the TARDIS, where the Doctor was staring at a monitor with a pretty puzzled look on his face.
"Well," the Doctor said, running a hand through his already dishevelled hair. "I have just received the oddest message from our Captain Harkness," he said. "He seemed almost frantic about your whereabouts until I explained to him that you were safe and sound here with us, then he completely changed his tone, just said 'good for him' and well... hung up."
Ianto frowned. What on earth was going on with Jack? Here he'd hoped that when the Doctor did manage to get in contact with Jack, Ianto'd get his answers, but it seemed things were taking a turn for the weirder.
"Now, I'm a bit at a loss as to what we are to do with you, young Mr. Jones," The Doctor continued with a thoughtful expression on his face.
Ianto took a deep breath and held out the tray, opening his mouth to answer. They might as well take him back home, because it looked like Ianto's adventures were heading for a dead end.
"Ooh, tea!" the Doctor exclaimed, bouncing over to them, dumping two spoonfuls of sugar into one of the cups, pouring some cream in and taking a sip. An almost ecstatic look crossed his face. "If you don't mind, I would love for you to stay."
Ianto raised an eyebrow and turned his head to look at Rose, who was having a hard time not laughing. "The Doctor likes his tea," she confided in him, shaking her head. "And I'd love for you to stay as well," she continued, taking her own cup of tea, not putting in nearly as much sugar and cream. "Not just for the tea, of course," she added, shooting the Doctor a stern look.
"Oh!" the Doctor shook his head, smiling almost maniacally at him. "Not just for the tea of course, although... could you make more? Later I mean?"
Ianto couldn't bring himself to turn the man down. He looked so much like a little kid who'd just realized that he could have candy every morning for breakfast if he played his cards right.
"Just until we can find Jack and figure this out," Rose said, giving him a sweet smile.
Ianto looked from one to the other and felt his resolve weakening. What would be there for him if he asked them to take him back to Earth? There was nothing there but a family he rarely saw anyway, not to mention the problems with Torchwood and his rather abrupt leave. Compared to the possibility of travelling with the Doctor and Rose? Maybe while he was in the TARDIS they could track down Jack, because as much as Ianto was confused about being left behind like that, he was more than curious enough to want to know why and besides, he wasn't entirely sure he was ready to give up on Jack just yet. Should it turn out that Jack had dumped him on purpose, Ianto wasn't sure what he'd do, but he was going to make sure he had all the facts before making his choice.
The Doctor and Rose were both watching him with expectation and Ianto's annoyance and simmering anger with Jack was pushed into the background as he had to smile at them. Only Jack had ever made him cave this fast before. "Yes, I would love to travel with you, for as long as you'll have me."
Rose threw her arms around him, managing to not spill a drop of her tea, but almost making him drop the tray he was still holding. Ianto looked up, feeling his face heat a little but he met the Doctor's sparkling eyes with determination.
"Well," the Doctor said before draining his cup. "So, where'd you wanna go?" he asked. "Apollonia during its glory days or Auxileraetionialititia for the rainy season? It's got some brilliant rainbows, I can tell you." He stared into his empty cup, then backup at Ianto. "We'll keep trying to find Jack, but there's no reason we shouldn't have a bit of fun and take the scenic route – Jack can take care of himself, I'm sure."
Ianto nodded; unfortunately, yes. So if Jack didn't need him along, there was no reason why Ianto shouldn't enjoy a little adventure, Time Lord style.
Even if he would miss the sex.
"Come on, Ianto," Rose said with a grin. "I'll be the first one to admit that you look edible in a suit, but where we're going, according to the Doctor, a bit less formal would work better."
Ianto gave her a surprised look. He hadn't thought all that much about it. Since he'd started travelling with Jack, the man had made no secret of preferring Ianto in a suit and Ianto had sort of just... followed along that path. He liked the way Jack would look at him when he wore a suit.
"The TARDIS has this insane room with more clothes than any shops – I swear I keep finding new stuff in there every time I go looking," Rose said excitedly as she pulled at his arm, leading him down a hallway that Ianto knew hadn't been there a moment ago. He'd been travelling in the TARDIS for a week now and he was only slowly getting used to the ship and her quirks.
"Aren't we supposed to be arriving in a few minutes?" Ianto asked, not really wanting to go play dress-up. "We shouldn't keep the Doctor waiting."
"Are you kidding?" Rose said with a laugh. "He's already in the closet, if I know him right. He said even he would look out of place wearing one of his 20th century suits, so that means you have to change as well."
Ianto shook his head but willingly let her drag him along.
Rose hadn't been downplaying the amount of clothes in the room. It wasn't a walk in closet so much as a whole room full of everything from formal suits to psychedelic coloured attire over historical dresses and the like.
"There you are!" the Doctor said happily as he bounced over to them, holding up an obscure mixture of clothes, one more eye-watering in colour than the other. "How do you like these?" he asked, looking for all in the world like a little kid on Christmas morning.
"Those are... eh...," Ianto searched for any words that wouldn't be too rude.
"God, those are loud," Rose said, threading her arm through Ianto's. "Really Doctor, you haven't told us where we're going, how can we dress for the occasion?"
The Doctor pursed his lips, stared at the outfit, then at Rose, before turning his pleading eyes to Ianto.
"Oh no," Ianto said. "Look at the way I tend to dress, compared to Rose." He shook his head. "Unless it's a matter of life and death, I'm not wearing anything like that, and as pleasant as you are to look at normally, I have to admit those are going to hurt my eyes."
The Doctor stopped his pouting and lit up into a huge grin. "You hear that, Rose?" he asked. "I'm pleasant to look at."
Ianto felt heat rise in his face, wondering what the hell had prompted him to say that. Next to him, Rose was laughing so hard she had to lean on him for support.
"Don't let it go to your head, Doctor," Rose said, still giggling, a sound that Ianto found quite soothing. It sounded and felt so light hearted and it was just what he needed to take his mind off Jack for a little while.
"Oh, I won't," said the Doctor, waggling his eyebrows, throwing the clothes over his shoulder so they landed on top of another discarded mountain of mismatched clothes. "Now, let's see about finding something for our time travelling taffy."
The Doctor grabbed Ianto's right arm, Rose the other and Ianto found himself being dragged forward into the insanity of the Doctor's closet before he could call him on his choice of words.
"Try this one," Rose said, dumping a frilly, light blue shirt in his arms. Ianto stared at it, though Rose had already ducked back in between the hangers.
The shirt was removed from Ianto's grip before he could say anything. "Too subtle," the Doctor said, exchanging it with a vibrant dark red one instead. "It'll look good on you," he said, in answer to Ianto's raised eyebrow.
"So why the loud colours?" Ianto asked as he hung the shirt over a chair and began stripping off his suit jacket and shirt.
"Oh, didn't I tell you?" the Doctor asked with surprise, for a moment stopping his own weird strip show.
"No you didn't," came Rose's voice, muffled by the layers of clothes between her and the two men. Ianto shook his head, agreeing with her.
"Oh," the Doctor said, smiling widely again. "We're going to the year 23,200, to Richel, third moon of the planet Titiuan. They have the most magnificent harvest festivals you can imagine."
Ianto stared at the shirt. "And the colours?"
"The more the better," the Doctor said, pulling an almost neon green shirt down over his head. Ianto quite thought it clashed with the yellow trousers he's just put on, but who was he to guess at the clothes habits of the Richel inhabitants?
A pair of trousers hit him in the face, and when Ianto pulled them away, he found Rose grinning down at him. "Those should fit, eh?" Before Ianto could answer, she had ducked back into the rows of clothing.
The trousers were an egg-shell white colour. Ianto thought it could've been worse. It still hurt his eyes to look at the Doctor.
"Those aren't bright enough," the Doctor called after Rose before he tried to take them away from Ianto.
Ianto held them away from him, glad he more than equalled the Doctor in height. He was not going to let the Doctor find a pair for him. He wanted to preserve just a little bit of his dignity.
"Baby steps, Doctor, little steps, we don't want to damage the poor man, do we?" Rose called out, finally pushing the hangers with clothes aside, joining them. She was wearing a vibrantly purple dress with an equally loud pink shawl and matching shoes.
"I'm going to feel a bit underdressed compared to the two of you, aren't I?" Ianto asked dryly.
Rose laughed and nodded, twirling twice with the skirt billowing around her legs. Ianto didn't miss the almost wistful look on the Doctor's face. He had been wondering about their relationship, but he was too polite to even consider asking either of them. Ianto was pulled back to reality as Rose came over to him, pulling out a lime green silk scarf. Standing on her toes, she tied it around his neck. Ianto caught his own reflection in the mirror. He was still wearing his dark shirt and trousers and the scarf looked so strange on him he had to muffle a laugh behind his hand. Nodding, he looked from one to the other. "I'll get changed, shall I?"
Rose clapped her hands and nodded.
Ianto undid the first button of his shirt, stopping as he noticed he still had an audience. "I eh... are you going to stare at me while I change?" he asked incredulously.
"Do you mind?" the Doctor asked with a surprised expression.
"Of course!" Ianto exclaimed.
"You've been travelling with Jack for several months and you're shy about dropping your clothes in company?" Rose asked, looking even more surprised.
Ianto felt his face heat again. It wasn't the same, but how the heck was he supposed to explain that?
The Doctor seemed to take pity on him, putting his hand on the shoulder of a disappointed Rose, steering her out of the room. "Well, we have to get ready for the landing, Ianto, join us when you're ready."
Ianto took a deep breath, sending the Doctor a silent thank you. "I will, sir."
"And drop the sir," the Doctor called back as they left. "That will go to my head."
Ianto laughed and stared at the outfit he was supposed to wear. Oh hell, it could've been much, much worse.
Ianto closed the door of the TARDIS behind them, shaking his head as he watched the Doctor run straight for the console. How did the man manage to anger people who were supposedly renowned for being the nicest people in the galaxy?
"It's a gift," Rose said to him, as if she knew exactly what was going through his mind. "You'll get used to it and eventually, you'll realize it's all part of the fun."
"We did have fun, didn't we?" Ianto said, fighting the grin threatening to take over his face. He felt the, by now, familiar hum of the TARDIS as she powered up.
"Oh," said the Doctor, watching something on one of the monitors.
"Something wrong?" Rose called out, stopping on her way across the room.
Ianto was itching to get out of the brightly coloured clothes, but he hesitated as well. Not that he couldn't find his way to the dressing room, but he didn't really like the frown on the Doctor's face.
"There's a message," the Doctor began, then hmpf'ed. "From Jack," he finally said.
Ianto fought his urge to run over to the console to see what the message might be. He didn't want to seem eager, didn't want to look like he didn't enjoy his time with Rose and the Doctor. "What's it say?" he asked warily. What if Jack was in trouble? What if, even worse, Jack didn't want him back and had left on purpose? That would be a slap in the face.
"It doesn't say much," the Doctor admitted. "Just that he's a bit busy at the moment and glad that we're looking after you. That he would like for me to take you home if that's what you want."
Heart sinking, Ianto felt the joy and adrenaline from earlier seep out of him. "That's it? He expects me to just go home?"
The Doctor didn't do pity, but the look on his face was horrifyingly close to it. "I'm afraid so," he said quietly. He tried to turn his expression from a frown into a smile and although it was a bit wobbly, he did manage to pull one of his lightning mood changes... more or less. "I for one don't mind you staying on with us for a little longer, Ianto."
"Oh yes," Rose said, her delight wiping away her frown. Almost.
Ianto appreciated their attempt at levity, and thankfully he was good at hiding his own reaction. So, Jack was... busy. No explanation, no nothing, no thanks for the sex and have a nice life.
"So," he said, plastering on a smile. "Where are we going next? And is anyone else up for a cuppa?"
Ianto thought he'd never been in a better shape ever. He felt, that no matter where they went with the Doctor, they ended up, at some point, running away, or even worse, toward danger. The most scary thing, though? Ianto was beginning not only to get used to it, but he was almost enjoying the rush. It was almost as if the madness that seemed to on occasion take possession of Rose and the Doctor was... well, contagious.
Leaning against the console, trying to catch his breath, Ianto's eyes met Rose's and he couldn't help but matc her wide grin.
"So, Doctor," Ianto said, finally able to breathe normally again. "What's the next destination?" He focused completely on the next trip. If he didn't, he'd end up cleaning the TARDIS again – like he had a few days earlier. The Doctor had put a stop to that, horrified of the 'chaos' as he'd referred to it as. Obviously the Doctor preferred his own level of chaos and any change of that was unwelcome. Even if Ianto thought it wouldn't hurt cleaning the place every once in a while. Besides, the TARDIS had seemed to enjoy it.
"Hmm," the Doctor said, watching them both, his smile widening all of the sudden. "I know just the place. Spas, massage parlours, beautiful nature – just what we need to wind down. No running for a bit, eh?"
Before either of the companions could react, the Doctor was hopping madly around the console, hitting and kicking various levers.
Ianto shook his head but didn't manage to strangle the small chuckle that escaped him. There he was, feeling down because he'd allowed himself to get a little too attached to Jack and followed him to the stars. Why? He should be glad that he now had the opportunity to travel with the Doctor and Rose. For one thing, it would be even more insane and crazy than anything he'd been through with Jack.
It would be the adventure of a life time. Ianto squashed any feelings and longings for things that might've been and could've become. He was better off in the TARDIS where they seemed to appreciate his company.
Ianto blew out his breath as he dropped down on his bed. He was utterly knackered and needed rest. The past few days had been even more insane than he could have possibly imagined. The Doctor had promised Rose and him a trip to a lovely little planet where... well, it had sounded good at the time. The problem was that the TARDIS had materialized in the middle of a laboratory set up for a genetic experiment that, according to the Doctor, wasn't supposed to happen for another hundred years. Of course the Doctor had insisted on getting to the bottom of that little temporal mystery.
Even Rose had looked a little worse for wear when they had finally managed to set things right. As the Doctor had said, it wasn't up to them to solve the problems fully, but it would only be right to bring the timeline back on track and stop whatever it was interfering with it in the first place. Ianto had long since stopped trying to figure out when the Doctor deemed it right to interfere in the time stream. Sometimes he wondered if it was simply a choice the alien made when the TARDIS did a jump he hadn't planned on.
Ianto forced himself to his feet, undressed and slid under the covers. He could do with a shower, which he would get when he'd rested... just needed to close his eyes for a moment or two.
When Ianto opened his eyes again, they felt gritty and he was still tired. Checking his watch he had to laugh. It wasn't as if time was time as one would know it – not there aboard the TARDIS. Still, he'd slept for some five hours. His mouth tasted like sewer and it felt like he had fur on his teeth.
Thoroughly disgusted with himself, Ianto pushed his covers off, shivering a little in the chill air as the warmth of the bed was leeched out of him. "I wouldn't mind terribly if you cranked the heat up a bit," he mumbled to the room.
When he turned on the hot water of his shower, he smiled to himself. The air was already warming more than a little. "Thank you," he said, stepping in under the warm spray. It felt good washing the grit and sleep from his eyes. Also, the water seemed to be loosening muscles he hadn't even been aware of being tense.
It should be so bloody great aboard the TARDIS, and Ianto had to admit, it was fun, it was exciting and adventurous... but it wasn't all he wanted and no matter how much he told himself off for being greedy, he knew it would come to an end soon. He'd hoped that travelling with the Doctor and Rose would mean that he could forget Jack, that he'd eventually get used to the tight knot in his chest.
Ianto leaned his head against the cool tiles. "I mean no disrespect," he said quietly. "You are so much more than Jack's ship, but I miss him."
There, it was out, he'd admitted it, even if the only one to hear him was the ship. If she was even listening. Ianto quickly washed and turned off the shower. Any other time his body would be insisting he carry on his thoughts about Jack. Although, seriously, he hadn't even had a good wank in ages. Every time he tried, his thoughts would go to Jack, and Ianto was exactly stubborn enough to not give Jack the satisfaction of being the only thing that could bring Ianto off.
Never mind that Jack would never know. That wasn't the point.
Towelling off briskly, he brushed his teeth and went back into his bedroom to put on a pair of clean boxer shorts. The room was nice enough, big and airy, but... damn, here he was, having the adventure of a lifetime and he was feeling whiny and ... well, heartbroken might be the wrong term. Ianto still refused to admit to himself just how much Jack had come to mean to him. Really, he was simply still annoyed about being left behind on a strange planet.
Ianto put a hand on the wall above the head of his bed. "I'm not fooling anyone, am I?" he asked quietly, feeling the wall pulse under the palm of his hand. Letting go, he slipped back under the covers. It was still early morning and he really didn't feel like getting up and out of bed.
Unfortunately, sleep didn't seem to want to come back, and Ianto ended up on his stomach, face buried in his pillow, his thoughts going off in many directions, although they kept coming back to the same damned thing. Captain Jack Bloody Harkness, the bane of his sanity it seemed.
Ianto felt a little twitch of guilt. Rose had asked him last night, to go with her to the market on Trillius 5 where the Doctor had decided to take them next. Trust him to be the wet blanket, but he just couldn't drag himself up and out of the TARDIS, who seemed to have caught on to his mood, because he hadn't been the one who'd dimmed the light in the room. It wasn't dark, just... it fit his mood very well.
The door to his room slid open and he heard Rose clearing her throat. "Ianto, you can't stay in here all day."
Ianto didn't lift his head. "Why not?" he replied, words muffled by the pillow.
"Because sulking doesn't become you – it never becomes anyone," Rose said, jumping up on the bed, making it move under Ianto, who didn't feel like putting up a facade just to look at her. So he stayed face down, not caring that he was only wearing a pair of boxer briefs.
Ianto turned his head a little, but he still didn't look at her. He focused on the folds in his covers and sheets. Crinkled and messy, just like his life.
"God, you brood, don't you?" Rose said quietly. "He's not worth it, you know."
Ianto didn't have to ask her who she was talking about. "It's not his fault," Ianto said quietly. "I mean, yes, he stranded me, but he never promised me a set period for the trip, nor did he ever offer anything but sex and adventure."
Rose's fingers slid through his hair, and Ianto closed his eyes. He hadn't had anyone touch him since Jack. Not like that. "He can be sweet and he's a great guy most of the time," she admitted, "but he can be such a wanker sometimes."
Ianto laughed into the pillow. "In more ways than one," he croaked out.
"Oi," Rose said, slapping him playfully on the head. "I don't need to hear about Jack's sexcapades, thank you very much."
Ianto laughed again. Still, he kept his head down. Rose was good at lifting his spirit most days, but even she couldn't work miracles. "I'll be okay again," he said quietly. "I just need some time."
"No, it's not allowed to brood aboard the TARDIS."
Ianto stiffened and felt heat flush his face. Just what he needed. The bed bounced insanely as the Doctor joined them, landing heavily on the other side of Ianto. Maybe if Ianto stayed still, they'd grow tired of poking him and go away.
The Doctor shifted and moved around for a moment, then seemed to find a comfortable position. "Nice bouncy bed," he said conversationally. "I guess that means she likes you, you know... the TARDIS. She gives you a lot of lovely things, a spacious bedroom, a big bed..."
Still refusing to answer, Ianto stayed face down in the pillow.
"You clean and clean, she loves that you know. I can't say I do, because I prefer to have a bit of order in my chaos and your tidiness messes that up, but I'm not one to start arguing with the TARDIS... I can't say I've ever heard her purr before either." There was a moment of silence, then the Doctor bounced up and down again. "Come now," the Doctor continued. "It really doesn't suit you being so emu."
Rose's laugh broke the tension and Ianto closed his eyes. "It's 'emo' and I'm not." Finally putting his hands flat on the bed and lifting himself up from the safety of his pillow, Ianto yelped as something soft hit him over the head.
Slowly turning his head, Ianto looked at Rose, who sat there looking about as innocent as the devil, a pillow in her hand. With a disbelieving laugh, Ianto picked up his pillow and smacked her with it. Or tried to, because she let herself fall back, avoiding getting hit.
"Now, now, children," the Doctor chided them.
Ianto turned his head and found the Doctor sitting cross-legged on the bed. Looking back at Rose, he shared a grin with her. In unspoken agreement, they both hit the Doctor at the same time, making the Time Lord splutter with indignity.
Ianto pulled back to sit next to Rose, staring at the Doctor who was sitting in the middle of a small flurry of feathers. Ianto looked down at the one he was holding, noticing the torn edges. Oh. That would explain it.
The Doctor looked a little shell shocked. Then he blinked, once, twice... "You do know this means war, right?" he said quietly, reaching out for one of the pillows and much to Ianto's surprise, a moment later, the Doctor howled menacingly, brandishing a pillow over his head with which he hit Ianto squarely in the face a split second later.
War was a mild term for what unfolded a moment later. The Doctor forced him down on the bed, straddling his thighs, pummelling him with his pillow. All the while, Rose was trying to push him off, having a hard time both swinging her pillow as well as laughing.
Ianto felt too high from laughing and fighting back, that he didn't at first feel the embarrassment as the adrenaline soared through his body, making him hard. Tumbling about in his bed with two warm bodies, his own punishing him for not having been touched and pleasured in a while.
Eventually, Ianto found himself at the core of a very cosy pile of warm bodies and he couldn't keep fighting back, he was laughing far too hard to be of any use. Behind him, Rose was curling around his back, all warm and soft. Heaving for breath, Ianto closed his eyes, realizing that the fingers carding through his hair were the Doctor's, as was the chest under his head.
Ianto felt heat in his face and knew his cheeks would be flushing. How could he not react? He felt far too drained to be bothered by the fact that Rose had been more than flushed as well during the fight and even the Doctor had been hard against Ianto when they had fought for the upper hand, feathers flying through the air.
Sometimes he wondered if Rose and the Doctor would ever resolve their tension. If not, he wasn't sure he could handle staying with them much longer. His own frustration was more than enough for him to handle.
As they wound down, silence filling the room, Ianto closed his eyes and drifted as his breathing returned to normal. The soothing stroking of his hair was almost lulling him to sleep.
The Doctor's soft voice pulled Ianto back, enough to pay attention. "Stay with us for as long as you want to."
Ianto closed his eyes and fought the lump in his throat.
Ianto found it almost scary how much attention the Doctor paid him after the little impromptu pillow fight – he'd grown used to Rose worrying about him, but having a time travelling alien with sure signs of insanity watching him constantly... well, it was more than a little unnerving.
"Ianto!"
Nearly spilling the cup of tea he had been attempting to drink, Ianto rolled his eyes and turned around to find the Doctor leaning against the doorjamb to the small kitchen. Ianto had long since learned that those few times he wanted tea, he could kiss it goodbye if the Doctor came anywhere near him. The cup always ended up in alien hands instead.
"Yes, Doctor?" Ianto replied pleasantly, wondering what crazy ideas he was brewing up this time.
"Have you ever fenced?" the Doctor asked, eyes shining and a grin as wide as the Cheshire cat's. That Ianto could imagine the man with feline ears and tail only spoke of how much craziness he'd become accustomed to.
"Briefly, when I was at uni," Ianto admitted, wondering what exactly that admission would get him dragged into.
"Ah, even better," the Doctor said, pulling two epees out from nowhere Ianto could see, holding one of them, hilt first, for Ianto to take.
However it happened, before Ianto knew it, he was standing there, minus tea but with a weapon in his hand.
"Whoa, good cuppa!" The Doctor's voice drifted down the corridor outside and Ianto stared at the epee. "Don't dawdle, d'Artagnan. I'm expecting you in ten minutes in the exercise room."
Ianto stared at the epee, then at the ceiling. "I didn't know we had an exercise room," he said out loud. "I hope you can assist me in locating it."
Outside in the corridor the light dimmed to one side, while the other grew lighter. Ianto grinned as he left the kitchen and turned down the better lit part. Well, when he did leave the Doctor and Rose, he would most definitely miss the TARDIS and her quirks.
If anyone had told him, a year ago, that he'd find himself on the trip of his life, that he'd get dumped by the best looking arse in the universe and that he'd be having a fencing lesson with a Time Lord, all within the span of half a year? He'd have offered them the phone number of a well-respected psychologist.
Or possibly the number of the guy from uni with the stash of funny pills.
"Come now, Mr. Jones, you are better than that." The Doctor circled him, his own epee brandished before him.
Ianto grinned. They'd been at it for more than an hour and he felt like he was using muscles that he'd completely forgotten he had. Added to this, of course, was the Doctor's complete disregard of any rules. It was like a strange mixture of what Ianto remembered from university, coupled with something that had to be street rules in some distant galaxy. The outcome? Ianto was quickly learning to expect the unexpected and watch his arse.
The latter was more true than he'd like to admit. The Doctor's epee stung whenever it swiped at his arse, making Ianto jump out of harm's way, accompanied by laughter – both Rose's and the Doctor's.
Sitting on a chair by the wall, Rose cheered them on, obviously quite amused by the little game of fencing that the Doctor had instigated. Ianto was more than entertained himself. He was having fun, and it didn't involve running away from people who wanted to kill them.
"Is there any reason why you chose to fence all of a sudden?" Ianto asked as he kept his eyes on the Doctor.
"Nah, just thought you'd like the exercise and I had a hankering for flexing my fighting hand." The Doctor grinned maniacally as he launched at Ianto who caught and deflected the attack easily enough.
Ianto laughed and nodded. He wasn't going to complain. It did feel good, the exercise, the adrenaline rush. Although... his body seemed to be thrumming with something else, something he'd have pursued if his opponent had been Jack instead of the Doctor. The cheeky grin and occasional close bodily contact with the Doctor didn't exactly help and Ianto knew he was growing harder by the minute.
"Isn't one of you dashing gents going to finish the other off so we can have some dinner and discuss our next destination?" Rose called out to them.
The Doctor fell back for a moment, then moved toward Ianto again. "I figured we could do with a little trip back in time," the Doctor mused. "I have a need for some information that only the great library of Alexandria can provide."
Ianto's launch forward was broken at those words. The library of Alexandria? That was like... hell, alien colonies of the future was one thing, but going back to the Earth's past, to... Ianto realized his mistake at the same moment as the Doctor's blade twisted and Ianto's epee flew across the room to hit the floor.
"Don't let yourself be so easily distracted, Mr. Jones," the Doctor told him as he picked the epee up. "And what was that about dinner?" Turning on his heel, he almost seemed to bounce out of the room, Rose following him with a wide grin and Ianto shaking his head at the lightning change. If he knew them right, dinner would take some time, a little good natured bickering and that would give him plenty of time for a cold shower and change of clothes. Adjusting himself, Ianto exited the room as well.
Ianto smiled to himself and pretended he didn't know why he was being offered a trip that was so perfectly tailored for him. It was a bit funny, though. Yes, he'd been feeling down lately, yes, he missed Jack, even if he was having fun with Rose and the Doctor. What was so amusing was that the Doctor had decided that their next stop would be the Library of Alexandria. He had said he had some things he wanted to research but from his and Rose's whispered conversation, she was calling the Doctor on his choice of destination – obviously amused herself and quite convinced that the choice was done to lift Ianto's mood and not because they needed any sort of information.
It wasn't really all that bad that they were trying to cheer him up, and Ianto had to admit that visiting the library would be absolutely fantastic. Not that it would make him forget Jack, but at least they were trying and who knew? Maybe he could find some nice librarian and stay behind. It wasn't entirely impossible.
Someone nice and calm, and as unlike Jack Bloody Harkness as possible.
The TARDIS hummed as the Doctor finished his conversation with Rose and began twisting knobs and flicking levers. Rose ran over to Ianto and took his arm, giving him a broad smile.
Ianto watched the Doctor with a small smile, while the Time Lord ran around, banging this and that with a hammer. However, the Doctor's happy expression turned to a frown as the TARDIS began shaking and the Doctor stopped looking as if he was having a whole lot of fun. Then the TARDIS shook violently and the soft light of the interior turned alarmingly purple, the brightness almost blinding.
The whole world seemed to explode around them and for a moment, Ianto lost all sense of what was up or down, left or right. The grid under his feet disappeared and the whiteness turned black.
When he could finally see again, Ianto found himself on the floor with Rose clinging to him. They looked at each other and as one they struggled to their feet.
"Doctor!?" Rose called out as neither of them could see him.
There was a groan from somewhere on the other side of the console and they rushed over to find the Doctor flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling.
"Are you alright, Doctor?" Ianto asked, offering him a hand up.
The Doctor took his hand and stood, wobbling a little. "Yes, I'm quite sure I am."
"What happened?" Rose asked, turning from the Doctor to the console. Nothing looked out of place.
"I don't know," the Doctor replied as he joined her. "The TARDIS went off as she normally does, but something threw her off course."
"So when we open the door, we won't be at the Library of Alexandria," Ianto said drily. Somehow he shouldn't be so surprised.
"No, I doubt that," the Doctor muttered as he checked the monitors, trying to figure out where they were.
"So, what threw her off course?" Rose asked curiously. Ianto tried to get a look at the console, but even after his time aboard the TARDIS the readings might as well have been Russian, because he couldn't make heads nor tails of them.
The Doctor raised first one eyebrow, then the other followed suit. "Well, I'll be..." he muttered.
"Doctor?" Ianto watched him carefully. He was a bit confused as the Doctor's expression turned from a frown into a broad smile. "Looks like the old girl picked up on a very specific pattern," he said. "Looks like the TARDIS tracked down our good Captain Harkness."
Ianto took a deep breath. For a moment he wasn't sure what to think or how to feel. The TARDIS had found Jack, just like that. "Is he..." Ianto tried to ask, but his throat felt parched and it was almost impossible to get the words out.
"He's alive, but I'm not sure if everything is alright." The Doctor pulled a few levers, turned a few controls then nodded slowly. "I can't quite make out if this planet's timeline is changing because of Jack, but I wouldn't put it past him – he means well, but sometimes things just don't pan out."
"What's wrong with the timeline?" Rose asked, "and what are we going to do about it?"
Ianto hid a smile. He knew how this went, and although he wasn't unfamiliar with their methods, his own priorities had just changed.
"Mr. Jones, Miss Tyler," The Doctor said with a huge grin. "It looks to me like we have a presidential assassination to prevent."
Ianto nodded slowly. "I'd like to make a suggestion, Doctor, if I might."
On to Part 2/2
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Category: AU, Crossover, humour, adventure
Summary: Ianto should have known that things were too good to be true.
Notes: This story nearly killed me – and parts of it had to be deleted and completely rewritten... like the last two thirds of it *g*. This AU probably won't make all that much sense unless you read the first Companion's Companion story.
Thanks to:
nora_charles for several thorough beta sessions and nicci_mac for general handholding and cheering.Wordcount: appx 17.700 words
Maybe I have been here before,
I know this room; I have walked this floor,
I used to live alone before I knew you
I've seen your flag on the marble arch,
love is not a victory march,
it's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah
Ianto had gone through four mental stages within the past ten minutes. The first one had been confusion, the second panic, the third had been the cold feeling of crystal clarity and finally? Resignation.
Why? Because the bloody ship was gone. The ship that had been his home for the past four months. Ianto ran a hand through his hair, not even caring that by now it would have to be standing on end.
The planet he was stranded on looked a little like Earth, but it had two moons, and that was in broad daylight. Ianto couldn't remember if it had more during the night. He'd been... a little preoccupied the night before, which meant checking the number of moons had been very low on his list.
Unfortunately it looked like he'd be there to see for himself tonight, because he was obviously not going anywhere... unless he developed wings and an ability to breathe in the cold, dark void of space.
Ianto shook his head. He shouldn't sink into self pity, he couldn't afford to. Although this was a fairly friendly place from what he'd seen so far, there still was the little incident he and Jack had gotten into a few hours earlier.
If those people came looking for them and found him... well, he probably shouldn't hang about. Then again, if he left, what if Jack came back? No, what about when Jack came back for him? He couldn't allow himself to even consider that Jack would just up and leave him on a strange planet somewhere centuries and light years from the world where he'd been born.
The area he was in consisted mostly of forest and he stayed the shade and cover of the trees. He should wait a little longer. Maybe something had happened and Jack had had to move the ship.
Taking the chance of breaking radio silence, Ianto pulled out the modified mobile he always kept with him. He had to admit that knowing a Time Lord with a knack for tinkering with technology and a sonic screwdriver had its advantages.
There were very few numbers in the phone's memory and Ianto rarely used it. There were his family's numbers, of which he'd only used his mother's once so far, to check up on her. There was Rose's number, because she'd insisted and there was a number for Jack and the ship.
Ianto took a deep breath and let it out again, slowly, pushing the call button. Waiting for the connection, he shivered a little. He didn't know how far the temperature would go down and he wished he had the information the ship's computer could provide him with. Then again, if he had access, he wouldn't really need said information.
The change of tone told him that it was connecting and Ianto waited patiently for an answer. Then it was cut off, abruptly. Ianto pulled the phone from his ear and stared at the display. Call disconnected? What the hell was going on?
Shaking his head, he tried again. And again. With the same result. The signal went through, but was disconnected instead of being picked up. Something had to be wrong or Jack would answer. What if someone had kidnapped Jack? What if Jack had fled something or someone and had had to leave Ianto behind?
Ianto stood still for a moment, listening for anything that might be out of the ordinary. To only realize that he wouldn't know what was out of the ordinary. He was stranded on an unknown planet where he was the alien.
Night was falling fast and the temperature was dropping even faster. Ianto knew he'd have to find somewhere to spend the night, even if he was reluctant to leave the spot where he'd last seen the ship.
His short time with Jack had taught him to take risks, but he hadn't been on his own then. He'd had Jack right there next to him taking every insane chance with him... Ianto stared down at the mobile still in his hand and made a decision, scrolling through the contacts, stopping at 'R'.
Ianto leaned his head against the cool wall, waiting for the tea to finish steeping. There were times he thought the TARDIS felt almost alive, definitely organic. She, the Doctor had referred to the ship and the core as a 'she'. Ianto pulled the tea bags out of the cups and put them on a tray that he could have sworn hadn't been there a moment earlier. Unsure how the others liked their tea, he put a small bowl of sugar on the tray as well.
Normally he'd make himself a cup of coffee, but the last thing he needed was the caffeine keeping him awake – as per usual driving his mind into thinking too much about things he'd rather push away. A small voice in the back of his head kept wondering if his newfound aversion to coffee might be linked to the last time he'd a cup. Jack had loved his coffee kick and made the drinking of it almost obscenely sensual.
Ianto killed that thought as soon as it popped into his head and focused on the tea making. Too bad there was no... Ianto stared at the kitchen counter. There was a small creamer standing there. Ianto shook his head and put it on the tray as well.
Who was he to question what could or couldn't happen aboard the TARDIS? The ship seemed about as eccentric as the Doctor himself. Ianto had only been there for an hour, and the kitchen he'd found seemed almost welcoming. As had the Doctor and Rose, but he'd felt a bit overwhelmed by their attention and had asked if he could make them all some tea. He'd ignored the look that they had exchanged. He didn't want their pity.
"Ah, done hiding, are you?" Rose's voice startled him as he left the kitchen, but he managed to keep the tray level, spilling not a drop of tea.
Ianto gave her a small smile and turned to walk alongside her, hoping she was heading toward the bridge or whatever the Doctor would call his control room. He wasn't sure he could find his way back there since when Rose had shown him the kitchen they had walked through an almost maze like selection of hallways.
He could have sworn that the trip back felt a lot shorter and he'd always prided himself on a perfect memory. Either there were other ways to get through the ship or the hallways were changing from time to time.
"You know," Rose said conversationally. "I was a bit surprised when you called, asking to be picked up."
Ianto allowed himself a small smile. Straight to the point again. She had asked him earlier why, and he'd simply said that Jack had disappeared. He hadn't given her the play by play of what had happened before that, just that they'd gotten themselves into a spot of bother and split up.
"The Doctor is trying to track down Jack, get in touch with him," she continued, watching him curiously.
Ianto nodded. "I do appreciate this," he said quietly as he followed her into the control room of the TARDIS, where the Doctor was staring at a monitor with a pretty puzzled look on his face.
"Well," the Doctor said, running a hand through his already dishevelled hair. "I have just received the oddest message from our Captain Harkness," he said. "He seemed almost frantic about your whereabouts until I explained to him that you were safe and sound here with us, then he completely changed his tone, just said 'good for him' and well... hung up."
Ianto frowned. What on earth was going on with Jack? Here he'd hoped that when the Doctor did manage to get in contact with Jack, Ianto'd get his answers, but it seemed things were taking a turn for the weirder.
"Now, I'm a bit at a loss as to what we are to do with you, young Mr. Jones," The Doctor continued with a thoughtful expression on his face.
Ianto took a deep breath and held out the tray, opening his mouth to answer. They might as well take him back home, because it looked like Ianto's adventures were heading for a dead end.
"Ooh, tea!" the Doctor exclaimed, bouncing over to them, dumping two spoonfuls of sugar into one of the cups, pouring some cream in and taking a sip. An almost ecstatic look crossed his face. "If you don't mind, I would love for you to stay."
Ianto raised an eyebrow and turned his head to look at Rose, who was having a hard time not laughing. "The Doctor likes his tea," she confided in him, shaking her head. "And I'd love for you to stay as well," she continued, taking her own cup of tea, not putting in nearly as much sugar and cream. "Not just for the tea, of course," she added, shooting the Doctor a stern look.
"Oh!" the Doctor shook his head, smiling almost maniacally at him. "Not just for the tea of course, although... could you make more? Later I mean?"
Ianto couldn't bring himself to turn the man down. He looked so much like a little kid who'd just realized that he could have candy every morning for breakfast if he played his cards right.
"Just until we can find Jack and figure this out," Rose said, giving him a sweet smile.
Ianto looked from one to the other and felt his resolve weakening. What would be there for him if he asked them to take him back to Earth? There was nothing there but a family he rarely saw anyway, not to mention the problems with Torchwood and his rather abrupt leave. Compared to the possibility of travelling with the Doctor and Rose? Maybe while he was in the TARDIS they could track down Jack, because as much as Ianto was confused about being left behind like that, he was more than curious enough to want to know why and besides, he wasn't entirely sure he was ready to give up on Jack just yet. Should it turn out that Jack had dumped him on purpose, Ianto wasn't sure what he'd do, but he was going to make sure he had all the facts before making his choice.
The Doctor and Rose were both watching him with expectation and Ianto's annoyance and simmering anger with Jack was pushed into the background as he had to smile at them. Only Jack had ever made him cave this fast before. "Yes, I would love to travel with you, for as long as you'll have me."
Rose threw her arms around him, managing to not spill a drop of her tea, but almost making him drop the tray he was still holding. Ianto looked up, feeling his face heat a little but he met the Doctor's sparkling eyes with determination.
"Well," the Doctor said before draining his cup. "So, where'd you wanna go?" he asked. "Apollonia during its glory days or Auxileraetionialititia for the rainy season? It's got some brilliant rainbows, I can tell you." He stared into his empty cup, then backup at Ianto. "We'll keep trying to find Jack, but there's no reason we shouldn't have a bit of fun and take the scenic route – Jack can take care of himself, I'm sure."
Ianto nodded; unfortunately, yes. So if Jack didn't need him along, there was no reason why Ianto shouldn't enjoy a little adventure, Time Lord style.
Even if he would miss the sex.
"Come on, Ianto," Rose said with a grin. "I'll be the first one to admit that you look edible in a suit, but where we're going, according to the Doctor, a bit less formal would work better."
Ianto gave her a surprised look. He hadn't thought all that much about it. Since he'd started travelling with Jack, the man had made no secret of preferring Ianto in a suit and Ianto had sort of just... followed along that path. He liked the way Jack would look at him when he wore a suit.
"The TARDIS has this insane room with more clothes than any shops – I swear I keep finding new stuff in there every time I go looking," Rose said excitedly as she pulled at his arm, leading him down a hallway that Ianto knew hadn't been there a moment ago. He'd been travelling in the TARDIS for a week now and he was only slowly getting used to the ship and her quirks.
"Aren't we supposed to be arriving in a few minutes?" Ianto asked, not really wanting to go play dress-up. "We shouldn't keep the Doctor waiting."
"Are you kidding?" Rose said with a laugh. "He's already in the closet, if I know him right. He said even he would look out of place wearing one of his 20th century suits, so that means you have to change as well."
Ianto shook his head but willingly let her drag him along.
Rose hadn't been downplaying the amount of clothes in the room. It wasn't a walk in closet so much as a whole room full of everything from formal suits to psychedelic coloured attire over historical dresses and the like.
"There you are!" the Doctor said happily as he bounced over to them, holding up an obscure mixture of clothes, one more eye-watering in colour than the other. "How do you like these?" he asked, looking for all in the world like a little kid on Christmas morning.
"Those are... eh...," Ianto searched for any words that wouldn't be too rude.
"God, those are loud," Rose said, threading her arm through Ianto's. "Really Doctor, you haven't told us where we're going, how can we dress for the occasion?"
The Doctor pursed his lips, stared at the outfit, then at Rose, before turning his pleading eyes to Ianto.
"Oh no," Ianto said. "Look at the way I tend to dress, compared to Rose." He shook his head. "Unless it's a matter of life and death, I'm not wearing anything like that, and as pleasant as you are to look at normally, I have to admit those are going to hurt my eyes."
The Doctor stopped his pouting and lit up into a huge grin. "You hear that, Rose?" he asked. "I'm pleasant to look at."
Ianto felt heat rise in his face, wondering what the hell had prompted him to say that. Next to him, Rose was laughing so hard she had to lean on him for support.
"Don't let it go to your head, Doctor," Rose said, still giggling, a sound that Ianto found quite soothing. It sounded and felt so light hearted and it was just what he needed to take his mind off Jack for a little while.
"Oh, I won't," said the Doctor, waggling his eyebrows, throwing the clothes over his shoulder so they landed on top of another discarded mountain of mismatched clothes. "Now, let's see about finding something for our time travelling taffy."
The Doctor grabbed Ianto's right arm, Rose the other and Ianto found himself being dragged forward into the insanity of the Doctor's closet before he could call him on his choice of words.
"Try this one," Rose said, dumping a frilly, light blue shirt in his arms. Ianto stared at it, though Rose had already ducked back in between the hangers.
The shirt was removed from Ianto's grip before he could say anything. "Too subtle," the Doctor said, exchanging it with a vibrant dark red one instead. "It'll look good on you," he said, in answer to Ianto's raised eyebrow.
"So why the loud colours?" Ianto asked as he hung the shirt over a chair and began stripping off his suit jacket and shirt.
"Oh, didn't I tell you?" the Doctor asked with surprise, for a moment stopping his own weird strip show.
"No you didn't," came Rose's voice, muffled by the layers of clothes between her and the two men. Ianto shook his head, agreeing with her.
"Oh," the Doctor said, smiling widely again. "We're going to the year 23,200, to Richel, third moon of the planet Titiuan. They have the most magnificent harvest festivals you can imagine."
Ianto stared at the shirt. "And the colours?"
"The more the better," the Doctor said, pulling an almost neon green shirt down over his head. Ianto quite thought it clashed with the yellow trousers he's just put on, but who was he to guess at the clothes habits of the Richel inhabitants?
A pair of trousers hit him in the face, and when Ianto pulled them away, he found Rose grinning down at him. "Those should fit, eh?" Before Ianto could answer, she had ducked back into the rows of clothing.
The trousers were an egg-shell white colour. Ianto thought it could've been worse. It still hurt his eyes to look at the Doctor.
"Those aren't bright enough," the Doctor called after Rose before he tried to take them away from Ianto.
Ianto held them away from him, glad he more than equalled the Doctor in height. He was not going to let the Doctor find a pair for him. He wanted to preserve just a little bit of his dignity.
"Baby steps, Doctor, little steps, we don't want to damage the poor man, do we?" Rose called out, finally pushing the hangers with clothes aside, joining them. She was wearing a vibrantly purple dress with an equally loud pink shawl and matching shoes.
"I'm going to feel a bit underdressed compared to the two of you, aren't I?" Ianto asked dryly.
Rose laughed and nodded, twirling twice with the skirt billowing around her legs. Ianto didn't miss the almost wistful look on the Doctor's face. He had been wondering about their relationship, but he was too polite to even consider asking either of them. Ianto was pulled back to reality as Rose came over to him, pulling out a lime green silk scarf. Standing on her toes, she tied it around his neck. Ianto caught his own reflection in the mirror. He was still wearing his dark shirt and trousers and the scarf looked so strange on him he had to muffle a laugh behind his hand. Nodding, he looked from one to the other. "I'll get changed, shall I?"
Rose clapped her hands and nodded.
Ianto undid the first button of his shirt, stopping as he noticed he still had an audience. "I eh... are you going to stare at me while I change?" he asked incredulously.
"Do you mind?" the Doctor asked with a surprised expression.
"Of course!" Ianto exclaimed.
"You've been travelling with Jack for several months and you're shy about dropping your clothes in company?" Rose asked, looking even more surprised.
Ianto felt his face heat again. It wasn't the same, but how the heck was he supposed to explain that?
The Doctor seemed to take pity on him, putting his hand on the shoulder of a disappointed Rose, steering her out of the room. "Well, we have to get ready for the landing, Ianto, join us when you're ready."
Ianto took a deep breath, sending the Doctor a silent thank you. "I will, sir."
"And drop the sir," the Doctor called back as they left. "That will go to my head."
Ianto laughed and stared at the outfit he was supposed to wear. Oh hell, it could've been much, much worse.
Ianto closed the door of the TARDIS behind them, shaking his head as he watched the Doctor run straight for the console. How did the man manage to anger people who were supposedly renowned for being the nicest people in the galaxy?
"It's a gift," Rose said to him, as if she knew exactly what was going through his mind. "You'll get used to it and eventually, you'll realize it's all part of the fun."
"We did have fun, didn't we?" Ianto said, fighting the grin threatening to take over his face. He felt the, by now, familiar hum of the TARDIS as she powered up.
"Oh," said the Doctor, watching something on one of the monitors.
"Something wrong?" Rose called out, stopping on her way across the room.
Ianto was itching to get out of the brightly coloured clothes, but he hesitated as well. Not that he couldn't find his way to the dressing room, but he didn't really like the frown on the Doctor's face.
"There's a message," the Doctor began, then hmpf'ed. "From Jack," he finally said.
Ianto fought his urge to run over to the console to see what the message might be. He didn't want to seem eager, didn't want to look like he didn't enjoy his time with Rose and the Doctor. "What's it say?" he asked warily. What if Jack was in trouble? What if, even worse, Jack didn't want him back and had left on purpose? That would be a slap in the face.
"It doesn't say much," the Doctor admitted. "Just that he's a bit busy at the moment and glad that we're looking after you. That he would like for me to take you home if that's what you want."
Heart sinking, Ianto felt the joy and adrenaline from earlier seep out of him. "That's it? He expects me to just go home?"
The Doctor didn't do pity, but the look on his face was horrifyingly close to it. "I'm afraid so," he said quietly. He tried to turn his expression from a frown into a smile and although it was a bit wobbly, he did manage to pull one of his lightning mood changes... more or less. "I for one don't mind you staying on with us for a little longer, Ianto."
"Oh yes," Rose said, her delight wiping away her frown. Almost.
Ianto appreciated their attempt at levity, and thankfully he was good at hiding his own reaction. So, Jack was... busy. No explanation, no nothing, no thanks for the sex and have a nice life.
"So," he said, plastering on a smile. "Where are we going next? And is anyone else up for a cuppa?"
Ianto thought he'd never been in a better shape ever. He felt, that no matter where they went with the Doctor, they ended up, at some point, running away, or even worse, toward danger. The most scary thing, though? Ianto was beginning not only to get used to it, but he was almost enjoying the rush. It was almost as if the madness that seemed to on occasion take possession of Rose and the Doctor was... well, contagious.
Leaning against the console, trying to catch his breath, Ianto's eyes met Rose's and he couldn't help but matc her wide grin.
"So, Doctor," Ianto said, finally able to breathe normally again. "What's the next destination?" He focused completely on the next trip. If he didn't, he'd end up cleaning the TARDIS again – like he had a few days earlier. The Doctor had put a stop to that, horrified of the 'chaos' as he'd referred to it as. Obviously the Doctor preferred his own level of chaos and any change of that was unwelcome. Even if Ianto thought it wouldn't hurt cleaning the place every once in a while. Besides, the TARDIS had seemed to enjoy it.
"Hmm," the Doctor said, watching them both, his smile widening all of the sudden. "I know just the place. Spas, massage parlours, beautiful nature – just what we need to wind down. No running for a bit, eh?"
Before either of the companions could react, the Doctor was hopping madly around the console, hitting and kicking various levers.
Ianto shook his head but didn't manage to strangle the small chuckle that escaped him. There he was, feeling down because he'd allowed himself to get a little too attached to Jack and followed him to the stars. Why? He should be glad that he now had the opportunity to travel with the Doctor and Rose. For one thing, it would be even more insane and crazy than anything he'd been through with Jack.
It would be the adventure of a life time. Ianto squashed any feelings and longings for things that might've been and could've become. He was better off in the TARDIS where they seemed to appreciate his company.
Ianto blew out his breath as he dropped down on his bed. He was utterly knackered and needed rest. The past few days had been even more insane than he could have possibly imagined. The Doctor had promised Rose and him a trip to a lovely little planet where... well, it had sounded good at the time. The problem was that the TARDIS had materialized in the middle of a laboratory set up for a genetic experiment that, according to the Doctor, wasn't supposed to happen for another hundred years. Of course the Doctor had insisted on getting to the bottom of that little temporal mystery.
Even Rose had looked a little worse for wear when they had finally managed to set things right. As the Doctor had said, it wasn't up to them to solve the problems fully, but it would only be right to bring the timeline back on track and stop whatever it was interfering with it in the first place. Ianto had long since stopped trying to figure out when the Doctor deemed it right to interfere in the time stream. Sometimes he wondered if it was simply a choice the alien made when the TARDIS did a jump he hadn't planned on.
Ianto forced himself to his feet, undressed and slid under the covers. He could do with a shower, which he would get when he'd rested... just needed to close his eyes for a moment or two.
When Ianto opened his eyes again, they felt gritty and he was still tired. Checking his watch he had to laugh. It wasn't as if time was time as one would know it – not there aboard the TARDIS. Still, he'd slept for some five hours. His mouth tasted like sewer and it felt like he had fur on his teeth.
Thoroughly disgusted with himself, Ianto pushed his covers off, shivering a little in the chill air as the warmth of the bed was leeched out of him. "I wouldn't mind terribly if you cranked the heat up a bit," he mumbled to the room.
When he turned on the hot water of his shower, he smiled to himself. The air was already warming more than a little. "Thank you," he said, stepping in under the warm spray. It felt good washing the grit and sleep from his eyes. Also, the water seemed to be loosening muscles he hadn't even been aware of being tense.
It should be so bloody great aboard the TARDIS, and Ianto had to admit, it was fun, it was exciting and adventurous... but it wasn't all he wanted and no matter how much he told himself off for being greedy, he knew it would come to an end soon. He'd hoped that travelling with the Doctor and Rose would mean that he could forget Jack, that he'd eventually get used to the tight knot in his chest.
Ianto leaned his head against the cool tiles. "I mean no disrespect," he said quietly. "You are so much more than Jack's ship, but I miss him."
There, it was out, he'd admitted it, even if the only one to hear him was the ship. If she was even listening. Ianto quickly washed and turned off the shower. Any other time his body would be insisting he carry on his thoughts about Jack. Although, seriously, he hadn't even had a good wank in ages. Every time he tried, his thoughts would go to Jack, and Ianto was exactly stubborn enough to not give Jack the satisfaction of being the only thing that could bring Ianto off.
Never mind that Jack would never know. That wasn't the point.
Towelling off briskly, he brushed his teeth and went back into his bedroom to put on a pair of clean boxer shorts. The room was nice enough, big and airy, but... damn, here he was, having the adventure of a lifetime and he was feeling whiny and ... well, heartbroken might be the wrong term. Ianto still refused to admit to himself just how much Jack had come to mean to him. Really, he was simply still annoyed about being left behind on a strange planet.
Ianto put a hand on the wall above the head of his bed. "I'm not fooling anyone, am I?" he asked quietly, feeling the wall pulse under the palm of his hand. Letting go, he slipped back under the covers. It was still early morning and he really didn't feel like getting up and out of bed.
Unfortunately, sleep didn't seem to want to come back, and Ianto ended up on his stomach, face buried in his pillow, his thoughts going off in many directions, although they kept coming back to the same damned thing. Captain Jack Bloody Harkness, the bane of his sanity it seemed.
Ianto felt a little twitch of guilt. Rose had asked him last night, to go with her to the market on Trillius 5 where the Doctor had decided to take them next. Trust him to be the wet blanket, but he just couldn't drag himself up and out of the TARDIS, who seemed to have caught on to his mood, because he hadn't been the one who'd dimmed the light in the room. It wasn't dark, just... it fit his mood very well.
The door to his room slid open and he heard Rose clearing her throat. "Ianto, you can't stay in here all day."
Ianto didn't lift his head. "Why not?" he replied, words muffled by the pillow.
"Because sulking doesn't become you – it never becomes anyone," Rose said, jumping up on the bed, making it move under Ianto, who didn't feel like putting up a facade just to look at her. So he stayed face down, not caring that he was only wearing a pair of boxer briefs.
Ianto turned his head a little, but he still didn't look at her. He focused on the folds in his covers and sheets. Crinkled and messy, just like his life.
"God, you brood, don't you?" Rose said quietly. "He's not worth it, you know."
Ianto didn't have to ask her who she was talking about. "It's not his fault," Ianto said quietly. "I mean, yes, he stranded me, but he never promised me a set period for the trip, nor did he ever offer anything but sex and adventure."
Rose's fingers slid through his hair, and Ianto closed his eyes. He hadn't had anyone touch him since Jack. Not like that. "He can be sweet and he's a great guy most of the time," she admitted, "but he can be such a wanker sometimes."
Ianto laughed into the pillow. "In more ways than one," he croaked out.
"Oi," Rose said, slapping him playfully on the head. "I don't need to hear about Jack's sexcapades, thank you very much."
Ianto laughed again. Still, he kept his head down. Rose was good at lifting his spirit most days, but even she couldn't work miracles. "I'll be okay again," he said quietly. "I just need some time."
"No, it's not allowed to brood aboard the TARDIS."
Ianto stiffened and felt heat flush his face. Just what he needed. The bed bounced insanely as the Doctor joined them, landing heavily on the other side of Ianto. Maybe if Ianto stayed still, they'd grow tired of poking him and go away.
The Doctor shifted and moved around for a moment, then seemed to find a comfortable position. "Nice bouncy bed," he said conversationally. "I guess that means she likes you, you know... the TARDIS. She gives you a lot of lovely things, a spacious bedroom, a big bed..."
Still refusing to answer, Ianto stayed face down in the pillow.
"You clean and clean, she loves that you know. I can't say I do, because I prefer to have a bit of order in my chaos and your tidiness messes that up, but I'm not one to start arguing with the TARDIS... I can't say I've ever heard her purr before either." There was a moment of silence, then the Doctor bounced up and down again. "Come now," the Doctor continued. "It really doesn't suit you being so emu."
Rose's laugh broke the tension and Ianto closed his eyes. "It's 'emo' and I'm not." Finally putting his hands flat on the bed and lifting himself up from the safety of his pillow, Ianto yelped as something soft hit him over the head.
Slowly turning his head, Ianto looked at Rose, who sat there looking about as innocent as the devil, a pillow in her hand. With a disbelieving laugh, Ianto picked up his pillow and smacked her with it. Or tried to, because she let herself fall back, avoiding getting hit.
"Now, now, children," the Doctor chided them.
Ianto turned his head and found the Doctor sitting cross-legged on the bed. Looking back at Rose, he shared a grin with her. In unspoken agreement, they both hit the Doctor at the same time, making the Time Lord splutter with indignity.
Ianto pulled back to sit next to Rose, staring at the Doctor who was sitting in the middle of a small flurry of feathers. Ianto looked down at the one he was holding, noticing the torn edges. Oh. That would explain it.
The Doctor looked a little shell shocked. Then he blinked, once, twice... "You do know this means war, right?" he said quietly, reaching out for one of the pillows and much to Ianto's surprise, a moment later, the Doctor howled menacingly, brandishing a pillow over his head with which he hit Ianto squarely in the face a split second later.
War was a mild term for what unfolded a moment later. The Doctor forced him down on the bed, straddling his thighs, pummelling him with his pillow. All the while, Rose was trying to push him off, having a hard time both swinging her pillow as well as laughing.
Ianto felt too high from laughing and fighting back, that he didn't at first feel the embarrassment as the adrenaline soared through his body, making him hard. Tumbling about in his bed with two warm bodies, his own punishing him for not having been touched and pleasured in a while.
Eventually, Ianto found himself at the core of a very cosy pile of warm bodies and he couldn't keep fighting back, he was laughing far too hard to be of any use. Behind him, Rose was curling around his back, all warm and soft. Heaving for breath, Ianto closed his eyes, realizing that the fingers carding through his hair were the Doctor's, as was the chest under his head.
Ianto felt heat in his face and knew his cheeks would be flushing. How could he not react? He felt far too drained to be bothered by the fact that Rose had been more than flushed as well during the fight and even the Doctor had been hard against Ianto when they had fought for the upper hand, feathers flying through the air.
Sometimes he wondered if Rose and the Doctor would ever resolve their tension. If not, he wasn't sure he could handle staying with them much longer. His own frustration was more than enough for him to handle.
As they wound down, silence filling the room, Ianto closed his eyes and drifted as his breathing returned to normal. The soothing stroking of his hair was almost lulling him to sleep.
The Doctor's soft voice pulled Ianto back, enough to pay attention. "Stay with us for as long as you want to."
Ianto closed his eyes and fought the lump in his throat.
Ianto found it almost scary how much attention the Doctor paid him after the little impromptu pillow fight – he'd grown used to Rose worrying about him, but having a time travelling alien with sure signs of insanity watching him constantly... well, it was more than a little unnerving.
"Ianto!"
Nearly spilling the cup of tea he had been attempting to drink, Ianto rolled his eyes and turned around to find the Doctor leaning against the doorjamb to the small kitchen. Ianto had long since learned that those few times he wanted tea, he could kiss it goodbye if the Doctor came anywhere near him. The cup always ended up in alien hands instead.
"Yes, Doctor?" Ianto replied pleasantly, wondering what crazy ideas he was brewing up this time.
"Have you ever fenced?" the Doctor asked, eyes shining and a grin as wide as the Cheshire cat's. That Ianto could imagine the man with feline ears and tail only spoke of how much craziness he'd become accustomed to.
"Briefly, when I was at uni," Ianto admitted, wondering what exactly that admission would get him dragged into.
"Ah, even better," the Doctor said, pulling two epees out from nowhere Ianto could see, holding one of them, hilt first, for Ianto to take.
However it happened, before Ianto knew it, he was standing there, minus tea but with a weapon in his hand.
"Whoa, good cuppa!" The Doctor's voice drifted down the corridor outside and Ianto stared at the epee. "Don't dawdle, d'Artagnan. I'm expecting you in ten minutes in the exercise room."
Ianto stared at the epee, then at the ceiling. "I didn't know we had an exercise room," he said out loud. "I hope you can assist me in locating it."
Outside in the corridor the light dimmed to one side, while the other grew lighter. Ianto grinned as he left the kitchen and turned down the better lit part. Well, when he did leave the Doctor and Rose, he would most definitely miss the TARDIS and her quirks.
If anyone had told him, a year ago, that he'd find himself on the trip of his life, that he'd get dumped by the best looking arse in the universe and that he'd be having a fencing lesson with a Time Lord, all within the span of half a year? He'd have offered them the phone number of a well-respected psychologist.
Or possibly the number of the guy from uni with the stash of funny pills.
"Come now, Mr. Jones, you are better than that." The Doctor circled him, his own epee brandished before him.
Ianto grinned. They'd been at it for more than an hour and he felt like he was using muscles that he'd completely forgotten he had. Added to this, of course, was the Doctor's complete disregard of any rules. It was like a strange mixture of what Ianto remembered from university, coupled with something that had to be street rules in some distant galaxy. The outcome? Ianto was quickly learning to expect the unexpected and watch his arse.
The latter was more true than he'd like to admit. The Doctor's epee stung whenever it swiped at his arse, making Ianto jump out of harm's way, accompanied by laughter – both Rose's and the Doctor's.
Sitting on a chair by the wall, Rose cheered them on, obviously quite amused by the little game of fencing that the Doctor had instigated. Ianto was more than entertained himself. He was having fun, and it didn't involve running away from people who wanted to kill them.
"Is there any reason why you chose to fence all of a sudden?" Ianto asked as he kept his eyes on the Doctor.
"Nah, just thought you'd like the exercise and I had a hankering for flexing my fighting hand." The Doctor grinned maniacally as he launched at Ianto who caught and deflected the attack easily enough.
Ianto laughed and nodded. He wasn't going to complain. It did feel good, the exercise, the adrenaline rush. Although... his body seemed to be thrumming with something else, something he'd have pursued if his opponent had been Jack instead of the Doctor. The cheeky grin and occasional close bodily contact with the Doctor didn't exactly help and Ianto knew he was growing harder by the minute.
"Isn't one of you dashing gents going to finish the other off so we can have some dinner and discuss our next destination?" Rose called out to them.
The Doctor fell back for a moment, then moved toward Ianto again. "I figured we could do with a little trip back in time," the Doctor mused. "I have a need for some information that only the great library of Alexandria can provide."
Ianto's launch forward was broken at those words. The library of Alexandria? That was like... hell, alien colonies of the future was one thing, but going back to the Earth's past, to... Ianto realized his mistake at the same moment as the Doctor's blade twisted and Ianto's epee flew across the room to hit the floor.
"Don't let yourself be so easily distracted, Mr. Jones," the Doctor told him as he picked the epee up. "And what was that about dinner?" Turning on his heel, he almost seemed to bounce out of the room, Rose following him with a wide grin and Ianto shaking his head at the lightning change. If he knew them right, dinner would take some time, a little good natured bickering and that would give him plenty of time for a cold shower and change of clothes. Adjusting himself, Ianto exited the room as well.
Ianto smiled to himself and pretended he didn't know why he was being offered a trip that was so perfectly tailored for him. It was a bit funny, though. Yes, he'd been feeling down lately, yes, he missed Jack, even if he was having fun with Rose and the Doctor. What was so amusing was that the Doctor had decided that their next stop would be the Library of Alexandria. He had said he had some things he wanted to research but from his and Rose's whispered conversation, she was calling the Doctor on his choice of destination – obviously amused herself and quite convinced that the choice was done to lift Ianto's mood and not because they needed any sort of information.
It wasn't really all that bad that they were trying to cheer him up, and Ianto had to admit that visiting the library would be absolutely fantastic. Not that it would make him forget Jack, but at least they were trying and who knew? Maybe he could find some nice librarian and stay behind. It wasn't entirely impossible.
Someone nice and calm, and as unlike Jack Bloody Harkness as possible.
The TARDIS hummed as the Doctor finished his conversation with Rose and began twisting knobs and flicking levers. Rose ran over to Ianto and took his arm, giving him a broad smile.
Ianto watched the Doctor with a small smile, while the Time Lord ran around, banging this and that with a hammer. However, the Doctor's happy expression turned to a frown as the TARDIS began shaking and the Doctor stopped looking as if he was having a whole lot of fun. Then the TARDIS shook violently and the soft light of the interior turned alarmingly purple, the brightness almost blinding.
The whole world seemed to explode around them and for a moment, Ianto lost all sense of what was up or down, left or right. The grid under his feet disappeared and the whiteness turned black.
When he could finally see again, Ianto found himself on the floor with Rose clinging to him. They looked at each other and as one they struggled to their feet.
"Doctor!?" Rose called out as neither of them could see him.
There was a groan from somewhere on the other side of the console and they rushed over to find the Doctor flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling.
"Are you alright, Doctor?" Ianto asked, offering him a hand up.
The Doctor took his hand and stood, wobbling a little. "Yes, I'm quite sure I am."
"What happened?" Rose asked, turning from the Doctor to the console. Nothing looked out of place.
"I don't know," the Doctor replied as he joined her. "The TARDIS went off as she normally does, but something threw her off course."
"So when we open the door, we won't be at the Library of Alexandria," Ianto said drily. Somehow he shouldn't be so surprised.
"No, I doubt that," the Doctor muttered as he checked the monitors, trying to figure out where they were.
"So, what threw her off course?" Rose asked curiously. Ianto tried to get a look at the console, but even after his time aboard the TARDIS the readings might as well have been Russian, because he couldn't make heads nor tails of them.
The Doctor raised first one eyebrow, then the other followed suit. "Well, I'll be..." he muttered.
"Doctor?" Ianto watched him carefully. He was a bit confused as the Doctor's expression turned from a frown into a broad smile. "Looks like the old girl picked up on a very specific pattern," he said. "Looks like the TARDIS tracked down our good Captain Harkness."
Ianto took a deep breath. For a moment he wasn't sure what to think or how to feel. The TARDIS had found Jack, just like that. "Is he..." Ianto tried to ask, but his throat felt parched and it was almost impossible to get the words out.
"He's alive, but I'm not sure if everything is alright." The Doctor pulled a few levers, turned a few controls then nodded slowly. "I can't quite make out if this planet's timeline is changing because of Jack, but I wouldn't put it past him – he means well, but sometimes things just don't pan out."
"What's wrong with the timeline?" Rose asked, "and what are we going to do about it?"
Ianto hid a smile. He knew how this went, and although he wasn't unfamiliar with their methods, his own priorities had just changed.
"Mr. Jones, Miss Tyler," The Doctor said with a huge grin. "It looks to me like we have a presidential assassination to prevent."
Ianto nodded slowly. "I'd like to make a suggestion, Doctor, if I might."
On to Part 2/2
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I do think you evilly wait until I'm at work for posting time, though.
Will comment more later. :)