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"Nows the Time For Change" by LiteratureWriter

He could hear his name being spoken. The voice whispered... For those who aren't familiar with Torchwood or Doctor Who, here's a short summary: Jack Harkness (he's immortal) (and Gwen Cooper) work for an organization called 'Torchwood'. Just recently, three of their team members died: Ianto (Yan-to) Jones, Owen Harper, Toshiko Sato. The Doctor is a TimeLord (and the last of them).. NOTE: This story is a work in progress. Also, ' and ' can & are used as quotations in most British literature.

Category: Short Story

Tags: Fiction, Fan Fiction, Science Fiction, Torchwood, Doctor Who, The Lovely Bones

You can do an inline review of this work in the review tab.

 Prequel: I Cannot Live Without You



‘Let me be with him!’ Jack retorted, briefly tearing his eyes away from his lover’s limp body.


‘No, let me stay with you,’ Gwen prodded softly, placing a hand on his back.


‘Just leave me be. I want some time alone with him,’ Jack said, pulling away from her touch.


‘He wouldn’t have wanted it this way,’ she argued mildly, crossing her arms over her stomach.


What is he thinking? It’s not like he can bring him back! Maybe he thinks his Doctor will come and put things right. As if! I shouldn’t leave him alone though, who knows what he’ll attempt to achieve. But, if he wants a final goodbye with his lover, then so be it. I should at least give him some time alone with Ianto’s body.  Jack really does love him, doesn’t he?


~


When is she going to learn and who does she think she is? Ordering me around like that! Can’t she see I need some time alone with my deceased lover?



---Somewhere in the Darkness---



It’s so dark, and so cold, so very cold. There’s nothing here, just darkness. So alone, so dark. It stretches on forever, nowhere to go, nowhere to hide. I’m so alone, so dark, so cold.


~


‘Yes. Ianto would have wanted it this way. Let me be alone with him, I need this, please,’ Jack pleaded, his eyes filling with tears once again.


‘I want to stay with you. You need me, and I can help you through this,’ Gwen prompted, her eyes softening with empathy.


‘I don’t need you!’


‘I understand, I can help. Remember when Rhys died?’ Gwen answered softly.


‘Gwen, listen to me, I need him; when he died my soul died as well,’ I loved him, Gwen; I still do, and I couldn’t even say it to him once...


She doesn’t understand, she can’t! She may have Rhys, but she cheated on him. I may have come from a time of many partners, but I never had anyone other than Ianto. How can you possibly understand?


‘Ianto…’

    



---Somewhere in the Darkness---


He could hear his name being spoken. The voice whispered and yet was so loud, all at once. They came from the darkness, from somewhere out there, and yet nowhere at all. And the words, the voice; completely familiar, but also so different.


~


‘Just go! There’s no more need of you here!’ the immortal retorted, his eyes revealing anger through all of the pain and sorrow.


‘Jack…’


‘Just go,’ he interrupted.


Without another word, Gwen turned on her heel and strode out of the room. With Gwen gone, Jack glanced back down at his fallen lover.



---In the Mind of a Supreme Being---



He, her master, had programmed her to stay here for awhile, while he took the time to recover. But, her thoughts were elsewhere. She was drawn towards the small planet, Earth, to the well-known city of London.  Someone there needed her help, her master’s help. She could feel it, the energy drawing her closer, the feelings of sorrow, guilt and anger, and the hope of a certain someone to put things right.


~

 

Jack cradled Ianto’s lifeless head in his arms, burying his face in the Welshman’s clad chest. He sobbed violently as feelings of grief and sorrow washed over him, tormenting his mind with those horrible memories.



---Somewhere in the Darkness---



He could feel it, just for a second; a feeling of warmth. It was only there for a second, barely noticeable; nothing more than a candle flickering in the night.  Just for that brief period, he felt safe, protected, like Jack was there, comforting him, calming him, helping him.


~


‘Ianto…’ the broken lover sobbed, once again burying his face in his lover’s suit. You loved me, and I let you down. ‘I let them take you away from me,’ he murmured, not actually knowing what he meant by ‘them’.  


I let them take you, and it’s all my fault. I need you Ianto, I may have never said it before, but I do.  I never admitted it until now, but I truly need you, Ianto Jones, my lover.



---Somewhere in the Darkness---


The warmth enveloped him, and he felt safe. And, despite the everlasting darkness, the cold, the lonely silence, he felt warm-- but only for a second-- because, just like before, it disappeared as quickly as it had come. But, just as everything was fading to darkness once again, he realized that someone was coming for him-- he was going to be saved.



---Back With the Mourning Captain---


He had let them down. The famous Captain Jack Harkness who’d saved so many lives couldn’t save theirs. Not Suzie, or Lisa, not Tosh or Owen, not Grey or Estelle.  He couldn’t even save Ianto; his beloved Ianto, who he had cared for so much, but could never bring himself to say those three words.


‘’Just a blip in time’, did you really think that?’ Jack asked sadly, trying to refrain from weeping once again.   You were so much more, you are so much more.

‘You’re so beautiful, Yan,’ absolutely gorgeous. And, just for a second, he could almost believe his lover was sleeping. Almost.


I have absolutely no idea whether you can hear me, Jack. But I’ll talk to you now, on the off chance that it helps.


I’m here, Ianto. I can hear you now.


I’ve watched you in your sleep. Did you know that? So many times.


I’ve watched you as well, Ianto, my beautiful Welshman.


With that memory flowing through his mind, Jack thought back to a night a few months ago.


    


Jack woke up suddenly. He was panicked, and frightened, and his mind was reverting back to the incident with his brother, Gray. He looked around the room, frantically trying to calm down, before his eyes settled on Ianto.


His lover was sleeping with his head on Jack’s chest, and was breathing deeply. He looked so beautiful; so innocent; so young. Even in the complete darkness, he could see him perfectly. His lips slightly curved up into a wonderful smile-- only one Jack got to see. His cheeks were partially flustered from the depths of sleep.


Jack missed him. He missed his Ianto. All of him. Even his tiny flaws. And, after all of it, he knew that he took everything for granted.


He’d lost everything-- almost everything. He did have the Doctor.  But even he had betrayed him. The wondrous Time Lord who could fix anything had failed him. The one time the immortal desperately needed the Time Lord’s help, he didn’t show.  He had called him wrong--a fixed point in time and space.


Jack knew he should be strong-- he should hold on, but he just couldn’t. After everything that had happened, he was left a broken man. He was an immortal, broken man, left to drown in his sorrows for eternity. For, he--Jack Harkness-- was finally broken beyond repair.




Even as he heard the familiar whooshing sound fill the makeshift-morgue, Jack knew he would set things right. He had to. Everything was going to be fine. More than fine. Brilliant. For he knew he was going to bring Ianto back-- and this time, for good.




Interlude #1: Nightmares of the Future


He was having a nightmare, but his eyes were open. He could hear his coworkers; smell the coffee, and yet he could sense the desperation, and see the pain in his lover’s eyes.


He was there--in his office--but he wasn’t. This was happening, but it wasn’t. He wasn’t dreaming, this wasn’t a dream, it was a living nightmare.


His chest hurt but he knew it wasn’t the poison causing his broken breaths. Although he might wish it to be true, or try to convince himself, it wasn’t the lack of air that had caused his pain… or what was causing it now. It wasn’t physical. Not for him; not yet anyways.


He almost wished it were--he could deal with that any day. And he wanted the darkness to overwhelm him; and finally, it did. But not for long. The darkness never lasted long enough… never lasted…


Absently, he thought he felt his chest implode psychically as everything rushed back again, in and out, and over his head. Just like before. Then, the darkness came.


As he regained consciousness, he realized what he would do. He knew how he’d stop this; it. He knew who he needed. Who he longed for--the right kind of doctor. And he would do anything it took to get his help--to change the future.




Chapter 1: You Were Blind But Now You See  

Let me, the TARDIS hummed as if nothing was wrong.

Do what? The Doctor kept his feet on the console and his hands behind his head as he hummed an old Gallifreyan melody. 

Let me help him. The TARDIS shook slightly as she began to take flight. Which was still unnoticed by the oblivious Time Lord. 

'Wait, what?' he said aloud, finally snapping from his jolly trance and noticing the hum of engines that he'd absentmindedly ignored.

The Time Lord's feet slipped from the console as his concentration snapped to confusion. He struggled to regain balance, bracing his hands on the chair's sides. He briefly managed to maintain his balance before tumbling to the grated floor below.


Consequently, the ancient alien in the brown suit sat up and glanced around at his ship.    

I'm fine, slight loss of dignity though. He'd said it with great confidence yet he wondered why he'd mentioned it. It wasn't his voice alone that he heard in his head. There was another; familiar, yet the Time Lord couldn't recall where from.

'What was that for, girl? Are you trying to tell me something?' the Time Lord muttered. The TARDIS didn't answer. It made the witty alien humanoid feel like the daft sod he was as a youngster. 

The Time Lord was acting on muttering yet another insecurity but he never got the chance. Just as he made the decision, the world around him began to shake; followed by a strident bang. And then an excruciating agony spread through his skull as darkness surrounded the world.

~

As his mind returned from nothingness and his senses began to return, the Time Lord became aware of the grates directly beneath him. Shortly following; as the numbness subsided, the agonizing throbbing returned.  Unwillingly putting aside the pain, the suit-clad man gradually shifted himself to a sitting position. 

'Oi! What was that for?' he erupted, ignoring his burning skull. His ship just hummed in response. 

'It's like talking to a bloody coffee machine,' he muttered. The Doctor never swore. Ever. It just wasn't him.

'What's happening to me?' the two-hearted man murmured. Wait, the TARDIS voiced. 

'Wait? What? For what purpose?' the Time Lord raged, becoming frustrated with the TARDIS' slight smugness. And yet, through all of this, he was altered by his sudden caprice. 

You were blind, but now you shall see she sung. The Doctor managed to rise himself into a sitting position. But not for long.

 

Nearly blindingly vivid images poured into the his mind. His body hit the grates and he felt his body go limp. 

If I was blind, then what 'shall I see'? was one of the Time Lord's last thoughts before he succumbed to the bright, blinding images--memories--he thought; finally letting go.


A voice rang out in the silence. The flashes began to transform, solidifying, their moving parts locking in on one particular image; scene--familiar but quite vague around the edges.

The scene evolves, vivifies; his senses are rapidly heightened. It was as if he was-for now-- a small, small part of a lucid dream--a vivid memory of the past--for that's what it was; he knew, somehow he knew.


'...And this is Ianto Jones, Ianto cleans up after us and gets us everywhere on time,' a much-too-familiar voice introduced, although clearly not to him.

'I try my best,' a Welsh-toned voice remarked; and that from a remarkably immaculate man, a young one. A man that seemed vaguely familiar. 

'And he looks good in a suit.'

Typical Jack; the grin, tone of voice, facial expressions--all there.But there was something else in Jack, something he'd only seen in him once.

'Careful that's harassment, sir,' said Welshman responded.


The captain, obviously the hero of the story by now, put up a good display, but the Doctor --was-- the Doctor, after all; he knew when something was wrong.

Said voice faded and the surroundings dissolved into a dark, black void of emptiness.


A second scene began to appear; tension; rage; anger; pain-everything. It was all there.

Said scene was different from the previous. The light-hearted mood was gone. It was a separate moment; a different time--filled with hatred and betrayal.

'You may think you're the hero, but you're the biggest monster of all,' it was that Welsh voice again.

His mind raced through the possibilities--concentrating--determined to remember where he'd seen this man before.

Outer space Facebook! Of course. The screen. He was on the screen!

That hasn't happened yet. Not for him, a voice called out from the approaching darkness. 

But what happened?

The Cybermen.

 

The picture appeared as quickly as the last; as did the mood. Except this time, someone new was with him; a co-worker perhaps.

'Jack needs me!' the young man raged. Yet again anger was there, but this time it was accompanied with frustration--doubt. 

'Maybe in your sad wet dreams, when you're his part time shag!' his co-worker retorted before turning back to the odd machine and placing a circular piece into place.

A gunshot rang out--evidently from the Welshmen with the gun--as the familiar shadow took over. 

'Let's be honest, Jack. I'm nothing more than a blip in time for you,' the familiar voice echoed in the pitch-black void. 

Merely seconds passed before the second voice answered. 

'You're not just a blip in time Ianto Jones, not to me.' 


There was a brief silence--a comforting silence--before a new memory emerged from the cold emptiness.

 

'It's weird. It's just different. It's not...men. It's... it's just him. It's only him. And I don't even know what it is, really. So... so I'm not broadcasting it.' the well-known Welshman admitted. 

'Oh, no, honest, I won't say. If you want it kept quiet, I swear, I won't say a word, I promise,' the woman across from him said.

Sister.

'Aye aye, gay boy, she says you're taking it up the *****.' the newly arrived man blurted.

Brother-in-law.

Once again the scene evolved into a new one--this one with a much darker theme.

 

'No, no no no... Ianto, No,' the captain held his lover and dropped to his knees '-it's all my fault.'

'No it's not...'

'Don't speak, save breath.'

'I love you...' his lover said, knowing that he was going to die.  

'Don't... Ianto, Ianto, Stay with me Ianto, Stay with me please...' 

Both men broke then; lover pleaded with lover.

'It was good, yeah?'

'Yeah.'

'Don't forget me.'

'Never could.'

'1000 years time? You won't remember me,' the Welshman sobbed.

'Yes I will. I promise I will... Ianto, Ianto don't go, Don't leave me please. Please don't.' 

Jack's own sobs broke as he tried to keep his lover alive.

For the last time, the scene faded; leaving the two men in fragments, different pieces of the same life as the memory began to unravel and the consciousness of the watcher was dragged back to reality.



Interlude #2: Out of Place




Something was wrong. You knew as soon as it happened. It flowed through your veins and penetrated your soul. It broke the sacred vaults to your mind and snuck its way into your thoughts.


All the ideas; thoughts; places to go - gone from you. That mind so recently filled with excitement and joy was once again reminded of times of grey. But despite being overwhelmed with sorrow -or even anxiety- you know; feel, that something has changed. Something was out of place.


You look deeper into your mind, weaving through passages and vaults. You still do not find the lost memory - the blip in time, so little yet so important. You still cannot find the link.


It is after you have searched and searched that you realize that there is no link. Time itself has been altered with, changed; in a way even you believed impossible.


You realize that time is now running a course that wasn’t pre-planned.


Worlds, universes, whole galaxies were going to collapse. Time was running an unpredictable course, and all because one man had died.


You would’ve never realized his life to be so delicate, so fragile, so important to humankind. One life, just as important as Donna’s. Just his life… and the end of it… meant a plethora of destruction. You’d never thought it’d come down to this, but it has. But to save the whole of time from collapsing, he’d have to bring him back. He was going to give the immortal his miracle.




Chapter 2: I Will Save Thee From Thy Darkness Within



Muffled footsteps echo through the make-shift morgue and grow louder as they draw closer. The lone man already knew the said figure approaching from behind.

The captain didn't turn. He didn't need to - he couldn't - what with the bundle mournfully held in his arms; he was waiting for the inevitable, the pro-claimed. 

 

A hand lay on said man's shoulder as a calming voice began to sing. 

 

 

‘I will save thee from thy darkness within.  

Let me carry thy burden  

of thy soul; 

until it has been cleansed -  

once I've taken  

thy darkness  

that lies within.’ 

 

 

 

'I can help you; let me help you,' the quiet, calming voice brushes the back of his neck.  

 

'No, you can't. No one can,' I'm not worth it. I'm wrong - the man who can never die.

 

'I know,' his ex-companion, now kneeling before the broken captain, leaves the rest unsaid, as he softly--and ever so gently--raises his counterpart's chin, and gazes into his sorrow-filled eyes. 

 

He isn't surprised by what he finds - sorrow, grief, pain. And each - at some point in his 900 years - have been his own. 

 

He knows those depths, knows them like a lover knows madness; 'Emotion, it's our greatest weakness,' For a second, the Time Lord became lost in the deep blue sea of despair, before he realized his motive once more. 

 

An uneasy silence fell between the two men; both silently reminiscing on the chaos the recent days had caused. For the Time Lord; came nostalgia of the fallen, lost, taken; a wrecked bus parked in dunes of sand; water that had caused the death of half a dozen innocent souls. Following, were words - that, since they’d been spoken - had been on a never-ending loop inside his head:  

 

Your song is ending soon… he will knock four times. 

 

The captain, however different he may seem from his ex-companion, recalls similar memories; all poignantly similar, save the details. He was reminded of times of black, of white, of those little grey moments of calm, as well as the casualties he’d encountered and all the betrayal he’d been through. Then came the words of his recently late lover, Ianto Jones: 

 

I’ve watched you in your sleep. Did you know that? So many times… 

 

I’ve only just scratched the surface, haven’t I? 

 

In a thousand years time, you won’t remember me… 

 

I love you. 

  

It was the Time Lord that eventually broke the uneasy tension between them.  

 

'At the very least, come into the TARDIS for a while. She - we - can help you; heal you,' the impossibly skinny man leaned closer, softening his tone of voice. 

 

'What about Gwen?' In truth, the immortal couldn't care less about the Welshwoman at the moment. He only briefly brought her up as an attempt to change the subject.  

 

'I'll deal with her... later. But for now, we both need some rest. It's been a long past few days.’ 

 

The kneeling humanoid pauses, briefly, his posture unmoving - still as stone. Then said figure stands, leaving the stubborn Captain to brood in silence.  

 

~ 

 

If said scene was one of an unseen play, one’s groping eyes would open on a mourning Captain, nearly sat on the cold stone floor of this grim necropolis. The invisible audience would shed silent tears for the unmoving man in his arms.        

                                                                                        

Perhaps then, would their gaze fall upon the wooden police call box parked in the corner. Most would wonder its purpose. Those select few would ken the appearance of said little blue box, knowing from experience that it announced the presence of one specific individual: The Doctor.  

 

Of course, the scene arranged in the pitiful makeshift morgue was indeed, not a pre-rehearsed act in a play. It was more complicated than that. Quite a bit more. And as much as the captain yearned for this all to be a horrible mistake - a misplaced page in the script - a dream, he knew this was complete and utter reality.          

 

The Captain breathed out a deep sigh; defeated, and decided to take up The Doctor’s offer. While the immortal could admit it might not be the best thought out proposal, it was the optimum one - especially to help push away the effects of superfluous amounts of pain and loss. Perhaps he could become accustom to travelling with the Time Lord once more; perhaps he could try and live again.  

 

Even as those words were mentally reminisced, the immortal felt a tugging sensation reach his heart. He’d been content; working at Torchwood - content with being able to love someone again. And Ianto Jones was the man who’d made that possible.       

 

And so, not even five minutes later, a decision had been made: the Captain, accompanied by his late lover, limp in his arms, would reside in the TARDIS with the Doctor, for a while, until all was well  - or so the Captain thought.


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Category Name: My Thoughts

I did not enjoy this story. I am not even sure what problem the protagonist faced. This story was okay. The story would have been better if the author had introduced the problem differently and made it feel more pressing. I really enjoyed this story. The author did a good job pulling me into the story by introducing an immediate and important problem for the protagonist.

This section is for overall comments and general ideas. The score should reflect how much you enjoyed the story.

Category Name: Character Development

The characters were not dynamic, credible, interesting, memorable or unique. I don’t care about or understand the characters because they were poorly developed. The characters were somewhat dynamic, credible, interesting, memorable and unique. I partially understood the thoughts, feelings, and actions of the characters. I somewhat connected with and care about the characters. The characters were very dynamic, credible, interesting, memorable and unique. I thoroughly understood their thoughts, feelings and actions. I felt connected with and cared about the characters.

This is act of bringing a character to life on the page. It is a combination of the author’s description of the character and the character’s dialog, action, and thoughts. Though all characters should be believable, the protagonist and antagonist are usually the most developed characters.

Category Name: Plot

I finished reading the story so the plot must have unfolded, but I am not sure what the plot was. The characters did not achieve or grow by solving the problems they faced in this story. There were definite wrinkles in the way the plot unfolded leading to the final conflict. The plot was loosely tied to the achievement and growth of the characters. The way the protagonist overcame some of the problems flowed unnaturally with the story. I could see the plot unfolding through a series of escalating problems that lead to the final conflict. The plot helped me understand the achievements and growth of the characters. The way the protagonist overcame the problems flowed naturally with the st

In fiction a plot is all the events in a story, particularly rendered towards the achievement of some particular artistic or emotional effect. In other words it's what mostly happened in the story. The plot draws the reader into the character's lives and helps the reader understand the choices that the characters make.

Category Name: Dialog

The dialog seemed like cold words on paper. I had a hard time following it. I didn’t learn very much about the characters through the dialog. Through the dialog I could sometimes see the characters learn and grow while occasionally discovering new facets of their personalities. The dialog was generally consistent with the character. Through the dialog I could see the characters learn and grow while simultaneously discovering new facets of their personalities. The dialog was true to the character and it helped me understand the characters emotions.

Category Name: Setting

The setting created a haze in my mind that detracted from the story. I am lost in time and space because I don’t know when or where this story takes place. The setting was described adequately, but not well enough to bring it to life in my mind. The setting did not add to or detract from the story. I am pretty sure I know when and where the story takes place. The author engaged all of my senses while vividly describing the setting. The setting helped me better understand the setting and plot. I know when and where this story takes place.

The setting is where a story takes place. The choice of setting and its description helps the story come alive in the mind of the reader. Appropriate setting contributes to the plot and mood of the story.

Category Name: Mechanics

The story contained so many mechanical errors that it was hard to follow the plot or understand certain sentences or paragraphs. Occasional mechanical errors were distracting, but these errors did not inhibit me from being able to understand the plot or connect with characters in the story. I rarely if ever noticed mechanical errors. As far as I could tell, the writing was clear and correct.

Mechanics includes sentence structure, verb agreement, grammar, spelling, voice, punctuation and aspects of basic style.

Note: The purpose of ReviewFuse reviews is NOT to provide comprehensive copy editing, but rather to "ignite creativity." Reviewers should not feel obliged to point out every grammar or spelling error (though they certainly can if they wish), but should focus on this area only to the degree that errors make a story hard to follow or understand.

Inline comments are the most helpful and important aspects of your review.

Click on a paragraph or highlight text from the paragraph to provide inline comments. While detailed grammar correction is welcome, the purpose of inline commenting is to spark the author's creativity. This is best done by expressing feelings, questions, and concerns you have about the story while you are reading.

1.  Prequel: I Cannot Live Without You

2.

3.

4. ‘Let me be with him!’ Jack retorted, briefly tearing his eyes away from his lover’s limp body.

5.

6. ‘No, let me stay with you,’ Gwen prodded softly, placing a hand on his back.

7.

8. ‘Just leave me be. I want some time alone with him,’ Jack said, pulling away from her touch.

9.

10. ‘He wouldn’t have wanted it this way,’ she argued mildly, crossing her arms over her stomach.

11.

12. What is he thinking? It’s not like he can bring him back! Maybe he thinks his Doctor will come and put things right. As if! I shouldn’t leave him alone though, who knows what he’ll attempt to achieve. But, if he wants a final goodbye with his lover, then so be it. I should at least give him some time alone with Ianto’s body.  Jack really does love him, doesn’t he?

13.

14. ~

15.

16. When is she going to learn and who does she think she is? Ordering me around like that! Can’t she see I need some time alone with my deceased lover?

17.

18.

19. ---Somewhere in the Darkness---

20.

21.

22. It’s so dark, and so cold, so very cold. There’s nothing here, just darkness. So alone, so dark. It stretches on forever, nowhere to go, nowhere to hide. I’m so alone, so dark, so cold.

23.

24. ~

25.

26. ‘Yes. Ianto would have wanted it this way. Let me be alone with him, I need this, please,’ Jack pleaded, his eyes filling with tears once again.

27.

28. ‘I want to stay with you. You need me, and I can help you through this,’ Gwen prompted, her eyes softening with empathy.

29.

30. ‘I don’t need you!’

31.

32. ‘I understand, I can help. Remember when Rhys died?’ Gwen answered softly.

33.

34. ‘Gwen, listen to me, I need him; when he died my soul died as well,’ I loved him, Gwen; I still do, and I couldn’t even say it to him once...

35.

36. She doesn’t understand, she can’t! She may have Rhys, but she cheated on him. I may have come from a time of many partners, but I never had anyone other than Ianto. How can you possibly understand?

37.

38. ‘Ianto…’

39.     

40.

41.

42. ---Somewhere in the Darkness---

43.

44. He could hear his name being spoken. The voice whispered and yet was so loud, all at once. They came from the darkness, from somewhere out there, and yet nowhere at all. And the words, the voice; completely familiar, but also so different.

45.

46. ~

47.

48. ‘Just go! There’s no more need of you here!’ the immortal retorted, his eyes revealing anger through all of the pain and sorrow.

49.

50. ‘Jack…’

51.

52. ‘Just go,’ he interrupted.

53.

54. Without another word, Gwen turned on her heel and strode out of the room. With Gwen gone, Jack glanced back down at his fallen lover.

55.

56.

57. ---In the Mind of a Supreme Being---

58.

59.

60. He, her master, had programmed her to stay here for awhile, while he took the time to recover. But, her thoughts were elsewhere. She was drawn towards the small planet, Earth, to the well-known city of London.  Someone there needed her help, her master’s help. She could feel it, the energy drawing her closer, the feelings of sorrow, guilt and anger, and the hope of a certain someone to put things right.

61.

62. ~

63.  

64. Jack cradled Ianto’s lifeless head in his arms, burying his face in the Welshman’s clad chest. He sobbed violently as feelings of grief and sorrow washed over him, tormenting his mind with those horrible memories.

65.

66.

67. ---Somewhere in the Darkness---

68.

69.

70. He could feel it, just for a second; a feeling of warmth. It was only there for a second, barely noticeable; nothing more than a candle flickering in the night.  Just for that brief period, he felt safe, protected, like Jack was there, comforting him, calming him, helping him.

71.

72. ~

73.

74. ‘Ianto…’ the broken lover sobbed, once again burying his face in his lover’s suit. You loved me, and I let you down. ‘I let them take you away from me,’ he murmured, not actually knowing what he meant by ‘them’.  

75.

76. I let them take you, and it’s all my fault. I need you Ianto, I may have never said it before, but I do.  I never admitted it until now, but I truly need you, Ianto Jones, my lover.

77.

78.

79. ---Somewhere in the Darkness---

80.

81. The warmth enveloped him, and he felt safe. And, despite the everlasting darkness, the cold, the lonely silence, he felt warm-- but only for a second-- because, just like before, it disappeared as quickly as it had come. But, just as everything was fading to darkness once again, he realized that someone was coming for him-- he was going to be saved.

82.

83.

84. ---Back With the Mourning Captain---

85.

86. He had let them down. The famous Captain Jack Harkness who’d saved so many lives couldn’t save theirs. Not Suzie, or Lisa, not Tosh or Owen, not Grey or Estelle.  He couldn’t even save Ianto; his beloved Ianto, who he had cared for so much, but could never bring himself to say those three words.

87.

88. ‘’Just a blip in time’, did you really think that?’ Jack asked sadly, trying to refrain from weeping once again.   You were so much more, you are so much more.

89. ‘You’re so beautiful, Yan,’ absolutely gorgeous. And, just for a second, he could almost believe his lover was sleeping. Almost.

90.

91. I have absolutely no idea whether you can hear me, Jack. But I’ll talk to you now, on the off chance that it helps.

92.

93. I’m here, Ianto. I can hear you now.

94.

95. I’ve watched you in your sleep. Did you know that? So many times.

96.

97. I’ve watched you as well, Ianto, my beautiful Welshman.

98.

99. With that memory flowing through his mind, Jack thought back to a night a few months ago.

100.

101.     

102.

103. Jack woke up suddenly. He was panicked, and frightened, and his mind was reverting back to the incident with his brother, Gray. He looked around the room, frantically trying to calm down, before his eyes settled on Ianto.

104.

105. His lover was sleeping with his head on Jack’s chest, and was breathing deeply. He looked so beautiful; so innocent; so young. Even in the complete darkness, he could see him perfectly. His lips slightly curved up into a wonderful smile-- only one Jack got to see. His cheeks were partially flustered from the depths of sleep.

106.

107. Jack missed him. He missed his Ianto. All of him. Even his tiny flaws. And, after all of it, he knew that he took everything for granted.

108.

109. He’d lost everything-- almost everything. He did have the Doctor.  But even he had betrayed him. The wondrous Time Lord who could fix anything had failed him. The one time the immortal desperately needed the Time Lord’s help, he didn’t show.  He had called him wrong--a fixed point in time and space.

110.

111. Jack knew he should be strong-- he should hold on, but he just couldn’t. After everything that had happened, he was left a broken man. He was an immortal, broken man, left to drown in his sorrows for eternity. For, he--Jack Harkness-- was finally broken beyond repair.

112.

113.

114.

115. Even as he heard the familiar whooshing sound fill the makeshift-morgue, Jack knew he would set things right. He had to. Everything was going to be fine. More than fine. Brilliant. For he knew he was going to bring Ianto back-- and this time, for good.

116.

117.

118.

119. Interlude #1: Nightmares of the Future

120.

121. He was having a nightmare, but his eyes were open. He could hear his coworkers; smell the coffee, and yet he could sense the desperation, and see the pain in his lover’s eyes.

122.

123. He was there--in his office--but he wasn’t. This was happening, but it wasn’t. He wasn’t dreaming, this wasn’t a dream, it was a living nightmare.

124.

125. His chest hurt but he knew it wasn’t the poison causing his broken breaths. Although he might wish it to be true, or try to convince himself, it wasn’t the lack of air that had caused his pain… or what was causing it now. It wasn’t physical. Not for him; not yet anyways.

126.

127. He almost wished it were--he could deal with that any day. And he wanted the darkness to overwhelm him; and finally, it did. But not for long. The darkness never lasted long enough… never lasted…

128.

129. Absently, he thought he felt his chest implode psychically as everything rushed back again, in and out, and over his head. Just like before. Then, the darkness came.

130.

131. As he regained consciousness, he realized what he would do. He knew how he’d stop this; it. He knew who he needed. Who he longed for--the right kind of doctor. And he would do anything it took to get his help--to change the future.

132.

133.

134.

135. Chapter 1: You Were Blind But Now You See  

136. Let me, the TARDIS hummed as if nothing was wrong.

137. Do what? The Doctor kept his feet on the console and his hands behind his head as he hummed an old Gallifreyan melody. 

138. Let me help him. The TARDIS shook slightly as she began to take flight. Which was still unnoticed by the oblivious Time Lord. 

139. 'Wait, what?' he said aloud, finally snapping from his jolly trance and noticing the hum of engines that he'd absentmindedly ignored.

140. The Time Lord's feet slipped from the console as his concentration snapped to confusion. He struggled to regain balance, bracing his hands on the chair's sides. He briefly managed to maintain his balance before tumbling to the grated floor below.

141.

142. Consequently, the ancient alien in the brown suit sat up and glanced around at his ship.    

143. I'm fine, slight loss of dignity though. He'd said it with great confidence yet he wondered why he'd mentioned it. It wasn't his voice alone that he heard in his head. There was another; familiar, yet the Time Lord couldn't recall where from.

144. 'What was that for, girl? Are you trying to tell me something?' the Time Lord muttered. The TARDIS didn't answer. It made the witty alien humanoid feel like the daft sod he was as a youngster. 

145. The Time Lord was acting on muttering yet another insecurity but he never got the chance. Just as he made the decision, the world around him began to shake; followed by a strident bang. And then an excruciating agony spread through his skull as darkness surrounded the world.

146. ~

147. As his mind returned from nothingness and his senses began to return, the Time Lord became aware of the grates directly beneath him. Shortly following; as the numbness subsided, the agonizing throbbing returned.  Unwillingly putting aside the pain, the suit-clad man gradually shifted himself to a sitting position. 

148. 'Oi! What was that for?' he erupted, ignoring his burning skull. His ship just hummed in response. 

149. 'It's like talking to a bloody coffee machine,' he muttered. The Doctor never swore. Ever. It just wasn't him.

150. 'What's happening to me?' the two-hearted man murmured. Wait, the TARDIS voiced. 

151. 'Wait? What? For what purpose?' the Time Lord raged, becoming frustrated with the TARDIS' slight smugness. And yet, through all of this, he was altered by his sudden caprice. 

152. You were blind, but now you shall see she sung. The Doctor managed to rise himself into a sitting position. But not for long.

153.  

154. Nearly blindingly vivid images poured into the his mind. His body hit the grates and he felt his body go limp. 

155. If I was blind, then what 'shall I see'? was one of the Time Lord's last thoughts before he succumbed to the bright, blinding images--memories--he thought; finally letting go.

156.

157. A voice rang out in the silence. The flashes began to transform, solidifying, their moving parts locking in on one particular image; scene--familiar but quite vague around the edges.

158. The scene evolves, vivifies; his senses are rapidly heightened. It was as if he was-for now-- a small, small part of a lucid dream--a vivid memory of the past--for that's what it was; he knew, somehow he knew.

159.

160. '...And this is Ianto Jones, Ianto cleans up after us and gets us everywhere on time,' a much-too-familiar voice introduced, although clearly not to him.

161. 'I try my best,' a Welsh-toned voice remarked; and that from a remarkably immaculate man, a young one. A man that seemed vaguely familiar. 

162. 'And he looks good in a suit.'

163. Typical Jack; the grin, tone of voice, facial expressions--all there.But there was something else in Jack, something he'd only seen in him once.

164. 'Careful that's harassment, sir,' said Welshman responded.

165.

166. The captain, obviously the hero of the story by now, put up a good display, but the Doctor --was-- the Doctor, after all; he knew when something was wrong.

167. Said voice faded and the surroundings dissolved into a dark, black void of emptiness.

168.

169. A second scene began to appear; tension; rage; anger; pain-everything. It was all there.

170. Said scene was different from the previous. The light-hearted mood was gone. It was a separate moment; a different time--filled with hatred and betrayal.

171. 'You may think you're the hero, but you're the biggest monster of all,' it was that Welsh voice again.

172. His mind raced through the possibilities--concentrating--determined to remember where he'd seen this man before.

173. Outer space Facebook! Of course. The screen. He was on the screen!

174. That hasn't happened yet. Not for him, a voice called out from the approaching darkness. 

175. But what happened?

176. The Cybermen.

177.  

178. The picture appeared as quickly as the last; as did the mood. Except this time, someone new was with him; a co-worker perhaps.

179. 'Jack needs me!' the young man raged. Yet again anger was there, but this time it was accompanied with frustration--doubt. 

180. 'Maybe in your sad wet dreams, when you're his part time shag!' his co-worker retorted before turning back to the odd machine and placing a circular piece into place.

181. A gunshot rang out--evidently from the Welshmen with the gun--as the familiar shadow took over. 

182. 'Let's be honest, Jack. I'm nothing more than a blip in time for you,' the familiar voice echoed in the pitch-black void. 

183. Merely seconds passed before the second voice answered. 

184. 'You're not just a blip in time Ianto Jones, not to me.' 

185.

186. There was a brief silence--a comforting silence--before a new memory emerged from the cold emptiness.

187.  

188. 'It's weird. It's just different. It's not...men. It's... it's just him. It's only him. And I don't even know what it is, really. So... so I'm not broadcasting it.' the well-known Welshman admitted. 

189. 'Oh, no, honest, I won't say. If you want it kept quiet, I swear, I won't say a word, I promise,' the woman across from him said.

190. Sister.

191. 'Aye aye, gay boy, she says you're taking it up the *****.' the newly arrived man blurted.

192. Brother-in-law.

193. Once again the scene evolved into a new one--this one with a much darker theme.

194.  

195. 'No, no no no... Ianto, No,' the captain held his lover and dropped to his knees '-it's all my fault.'

196. 'No it's not...'

197. 'Don't speak, save breath.'

198. 'I love you...' his lover said, knowing that he was going to die.  

199. 'Don't... Ianto, Ianto, Stay with me Ianto, Stay with me please...' 

200. Both men broke then; lover pleaded with lover.

201. 'It was good, yeah?'

202. 'Yeah.'

203. 'Don't forget me.'

204. 'Never could.'

205. '1000 years time? You won't remember me,' the Welshman sobbed.

206. 'Yes I will. I promise I will... Ianto, Ianto don't go, Don't leave me please. Please don't.' 

207. Jack's own sobs broke as he tried to keep his lover alive.

208. For the last time, the scene faded; leaving the two men in fragments, different pieces of the same life as the memory began to unravel and the consciousness of the watcher was dragged back to reality.

209.

210.

211. Interlude #2: Out of Place

212.

213.

214.

215. Something was wrong. You knew as soon as it happened. It flowed through your veins and penetrated your soul. It broke the sacred vaults to your mind and snuck its way into your thoughts.

216.

217. All the ideas; thoughts; places to go - gone from you. That mind so recently filled with excitement and joy was once again reminded of times of grey. But despite being overwhelmed with sorrow -or even anxiety- you know; feel, that something has changed. Something was out of place.

218.

219. You look deeper into your mind, weaving through passages and vaults. You still do not find the lost memory - the blip in time, so little yet so important. You still cannot find the link.

220.

221. It is after you have searched and searched that you realize that there is no link. Time itself has been altered with, changed; in a way even you believed impossible.

222.

223. You realize that time is now running a course that wasn’t pre-planned.

224.

225. Worlds, universes, whole galaxies were going to collapse. Time was running an unpredictable course, and all because one man had died.

226.

227. You would’ve never realized his life to be so delicate, so fragile, so important to humankind. One life, just as important as Donna’s. Just his life… and the end of it… meant a plethora of destruction. You’d never thought it’d come down to this, but it has. But to save the whole of time from collapsing, he’d have to bring him back. He was going to give the immortal his miracle.

228.

229.

230.

231. Chapter 2: I Will Save Thee From Thy Darkness Within

232.

233.

234. Muffled footsteps echo through the make-shift morgue and grow louder as they draw closer. The lone man already knew the said figure approaching from behind.

235. The captain didn't turn. He didn't need to - he couldn't - what with the bundle mournfully held in his arms; he was waiting for the inevitable, the pro-claimed. 

236.  

237. A hand lay on said man's shoulder as a calming voice began to sing. 

238.  

239.  

240. ‘I will save thee from thy darkness within.  

241. Let me carry thy burden  

242. of thy soul; 

243. until it has been cleansed -  

244. once I've taken  

245. thy darkness  

246. that lies within.’ 

247.  

248.  

249.  

250. 'I can help you; let me help you,' the quiet, calming voice brushes the back of his neck.  

251.  

252. 'No, you can't. No one can,' I'm not worth it. I'm wrong - the man who can never die.

253.  

254. 'I know,' his ex-companion, now kneeling before the broken captain, leaves the rest unsaid, as he softly--and ever so gently--raises his counterpart's chin, and gazes into his sorrow-filled eyes. 

255.  

256. He isn't surprised by what he finds - sorrow, grief, pain. And each - at some point in his 900 years - have been his own. 

257.  

258. He knows those depths, knows them like a lover knows madness; 'Emotion, it's our greatest weakness,' For a second, the Time Lord became lost in the deep blue sea of despair, before he realized his motive once more. 

259.  

260. An uneasy silence fell between the two men; both silently reminiscing on the chaos the recent days had caused. For the Time Lord; came nostalgia of the fallen, lost, taken; a wrecked bus parked in dunes of sand; water that had caused the death of half a dozen innocent souls. Following, were words - that, since they’d been spoken - had been on a never-ending loop inside his head:  

261.  

262. Your song is ending soon… he will knock four times. 

263.  

264. The captain, however different he may seem from his ex-companion, recalls similar memories; all poignantly similar, save the details. He was reminded of times of black, of white, of those little grey moments of calm, as well as the casualties he’d encountered and all the betrayal he’d been through. Then came the words of his recently late lover, Ianto Jones: 

265.  

266. I’ve watched you in your sleep. Did you know that? So many times… 

267.  

268. I’ve only just scratched the surface, haven’t I? 

269.  

270. In a thousand years time, you won’t remember me… 

271.  

272. I love you. 

273.   

274. It was the Time Lord that eventually broke the uneasy tension between them.  

275.  

276. 'At the very least, come into the TARDIS for a while. She - we - can help you; heal you,' the impossibly skinny man leaned closer, softening his tone of voice. 

277.  

278. 'What about Gwen?' In truth, the immortal couldn't care less about the Welshwoman at the moment. He only briefly brought her up as an attempt to change the subject.  

279.  

280. 'I'll deal with her... later. But for now, we both need some rest. It's been a long past few days.’ 

281.  

282. The kneeling humanoid pauses, briefly, his posture unmoving - still as stone. Then said figure stands, leaving the stubborn Captain to brood in silence.  

283.  

284. ~ 

285.  

286. If said scene was one of an unseen play, one’s groping eyes would open on a mourning Captain, nearly sat on the cold stone floor of this grim necropolis. The invisible audience would shed silent tears for the unmoving man in his arms.        

287.                                                                                         

288. Perhaps then, would their gaze fall upon the wooden police call box parked in the corner. Most would wonder its purpose. Those select few would ken the appearance of said little blue box, knowing from experience that it announced the presence of one specific individual: The Doctor.  

289.  

290. Of course, the scene arranged in the pitiful makeshift morgue was indeed, not a pre-rehearsed act in a play. It was more complicated than that. Quite a bit more. And as much as the captain yearned for this all to be a horrible mistake - a misplaced page in the script - a dream, he knew this was complete and utter reality.          

291.  

292. The Captain breathed out a deep sigh; defeated, and decided to take up The Doctor’s offer. While the immortal could admit it might not be the best thought out proposal, it was the optimum one - especially to help push away the effects of superfluous amounts of pain and loss. Perhaps he could become accustom to travelling with the Time Lord once more; perhaps he could try and live again.  

293.  

294. Even as those words were mentally reminisced, the immortal felt a tugging sensation reach his heart. He’d been content; working at Torchwood - content with being able to love someone again. And Ianto Jones was the man who’d made that possible.       

295.  

296. And so, not even five minutes later, a decision had been made: the Captain, accompanied by his late lover, limp in his arms, would reside in the TARDIS with the Doctor, for a while, until all was well  - or so the Captain thought.

297.

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