Fic- His Captain and His Angel 6/22

[branwen_blaidd]

Title: His Captain and His Angel 6/22

Pairing: Jack/Ianto, Ianto/John

Rating: Adult
Spoilers: Mild for COE (background information)

Summary: Captain John Hart always gets what he wants.

Disclaimers: I own nothing.

Notes: This is the third in the series of stories about Ianto’s past. It follows Blue Moon’s Child and The Lost Son. I’ll be posting this once a day until it is finished. Special thanks go to czarina_kitty for being such a wonderful Beta. Also thanks to rowanheart24 for helping me brainstorm the original idea. Comments please!

 

 

“Jack, Ianto’s not himself,” Tosh said. It was late morning. The day had been quiet so far and there had been nothing to distract Jack from worrying about Ianto.

Tosh had edged into his office, nervous but determined to talk.

Jack sighed. “I know.” He inclined his head towards the chair in front of the desk. “Take a seat.”

Tosh sat. Her hands clasped in her lap and her thumbs rubbed together. “He’s quiet and…edgy. It’s…it’s like he’s sleep walking.”

Jack looked down at his desk, studying the familiar lines of grain in the wood. “He…he told me this morning he doesn’t remember who I am, that I don’t feel real to him.” He glanced back up at Tosh to see her reaction.

Tosh’s eyes widened. “Then something’s changed him.”

Jack nodded. “I know. That’s what I think.” He glanced out of his window at Ianto, who was making coffee and not looking in their direction. “Listen, a few days ago…Ianto had a visitor. John Hart.”

Tosh swallowed. “What did he do?”

“Ianto said he threatened him, that he promised he was going to take Ianto away.”

“Then…maybe this is how he’s doing it, by changing Ianto.”

Jack nodded. “Yeah. Tosh, what do I do?”

“You have to find out exactly how he’s doing it. He’s not been anywhere near Ianto. I’ve had him under surveillance.”

“He must be getting to him somehow.” He banged his fists on the desk. “I’m gonna find out how dammit.”

Tosh reached out and put her hand on his. “Don’t get worked up. You need to stay calm for Ianto.”

“Yeah,” Jack said through gritted teeth. “Ideas?”

“Maybe we should have a team meeting, get the others in on this.”

“And Ianto?”

“You need to talk to him. Would you like me to get the others together?”

Jack nodded. “Yeah. Give me five minutes with Ianto and we’ll join you in the meeting room. Thanks, Tosh.”

She gave him a smile and a nod and headed out. Jack followed her and his eyes found Ianto.

“Ianto, can I see you in my office for a moment?”

Ianto looked over at him, nodded and made his way over. “Yes, Sir,” he said.

Jack withdrew into his office and waited for Ianto to join him.

Ianto entered looking nervous. “Yes, Sir?”

“Come and sit down,” said Jack gently.

Ianto sat down in front of Jack’s desk. His hands clasped in his lap tightly.

Jack leaned forwards. Again, he itched to touch Ianto but he held himself back. “Ianto, I’m worried. I think John’s doing something to you.”

Ianto blinked at him. “John would never hurt me. He’s here to save me. He’s my guardian angel.”

Jack stared at him. “What?”

Ianto shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut. “I…I can’t…” He looked at Jack. “He came to see me, is that right?”

“Yes. A few days ago. He threatened you.”

“I remember.” Ianto smiled. “I shot him in the knee.”

Jack grinned. “Yeah.” He took a deep breath, then reached out and touched Ianto’s elbow. “He’s doing something to you, Ianto. I don’t know what but…Ianto, you’re different. You know that, don’t you?”

Ianto didn’t reply. He frowned and glanced away from Jack. Jack frowned and found himself looking at Ianto’s ear. He was wearing a diamond earring in his lobe.

“Ianto, when did you get your ear pierced?”

Ianto’s hand flew up to his earlobe. He fingered the sparkly stone and smiled. “I got it for John when I was nineteen. He was so proud of me…” He stopped and stared at Jack. “Why do I remember that, Jack? It didn’t happen. I never knew John when I was nineteen. And I definitely didn’t get my ear pierced. My da would have done his nut.”

“So, why have you got a hole in your ear?” Jack asked, calmly.

Ianto stared at him. “I…I don’t know.”

Jack pushed himself to his feet, strode around to Ianto’s side of the desk and took his hand. “Come on. We’re going to sort this out.”

The team were waiting for them in the meeting room. Before entering the room, Jack looked at Ianto. The young man held himself stiffly, keeping his face impassive and his emotions hidden. But Jack could see the fear flickering in his eyes. He squeezed Ianto’s hand. “We’re going to make it all okay, Ianto.”

Ianto nodded, then pulled his hand away and straightened his tie. Jack smiled, then turned and opened the door to the meeting room.

Behind him, Ianto hesitated, then took out his earring and put it in his pocket.

                                                      * * * 

It was late when Ianto left John and walked home. He walked as if in a dream. He felt confused. He’d felt confused since he’d been five years old and his mam had changed and he’d felt lost since she’d gone away. He’d felt confused when he’d become a teenager. A million feelings all mixing up together inside him. And now, he still felt confused, except when he was with John. John made him feel like he knew exactly what to do. It was easy when he was with John. All he had to do was to obey.

Ianto frowned. But why did he like that? Ianto had never been one for obedience, just ask his da. But when he was with John, all he wanted to do, all that mattered was to obey John. That was it.

He put his finger up to his ear, felt the tender flesh there. The earring sat securely through the hole, marking him as John’s. He liked it. He was going to wear it always, to show he belonged to John.

But what was his da going to say? He would hate it. Ianto took a deep breath. No, he decided. He didn’t care about that. Da could ground him, yell at him, belt him, it didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was that he belonged to John.

He got home. Da, as usual, was in the living room watching the telly. Ianto’s tea was in the oven. Ianto didn’t go into the living room and neither did his da call out to him. They’d barely been speaking to each other lately. Ianto didn’t mind. If they didn’t speak, Da couldn’t tell him off.

He took his plate out of the oven and considered it. Sausage and mash with gravy. The mash had gone crusty in the oven, the gravy had grown a skin and the sausages seemed to swell with fat. He felt sick.

He left the plate on the worktop and turned and went upstairs. He wasn’t going to eat tonight. He didn’t need food. He had John.

He lay on his bed, one hand on his tummy and looked at his picture of John. It was a good drawing but he wished he had a photograph instead. His insides seemed to swirl as he looked into John’s face. He wanted John here with him. He wanted to be with him always. John was his guardian angel. He was going to look after Ianto always.

                                                   * * *

Ianto sat at the meeting room table and looked around at his colleagues. They were all gazing at him worriedly. He knew there was something different about him. He felt different and now they’d noticed. He gripped his golden cross tightly.

“What’s going to happen?” he asked, glancing at Jack.

Jack hand twitched, as if he wanted to reach out and touch Ianto. But he didn’t. Ianto wished he would.

“We’re going to sort this out.” He spoke to the team but his eyes never left Ianto. “Ideas?”

“We need to run scans on him to see whether some alien influence has got to him,” said Owen.

Jack nodded. “Look specifically for anything related to the rift. If John’s got to him, that’ll be how.”

They all accompanied Ianto and Owen to the medical bay. Owen began his scans and Ianto sat silently on the trolley and let things happen around him.

Jack stood close to him. “Ianto, when exactly did you get your ear pierced? Can you remember?”

Ianto shook his head. “I know I didn’t. But…”

“Yes?”

“I…I remember going into a piercing studio in Newport. There…there was somebody with me. I got it done for him.”

“How old were you?”

Ianto glanced at him. “Nineteen.” He frowned. “But I never got a piercing. I didn’t.”

Jack squeezed his hand. “Try not to worry.”

Ianto frowned, gripped his golden cross and fell silent. 

Owen came up to them.

“Have you found anything?” Jack asked.

“There’s no sign of rift energy on him, no alien presences. He’s not been possessed. He’s not a clone. He’s just Ianto.”

“There must be something!”

“There is one thing,” Owen said, frowning. He brought up a screen with pictures of Ianto’s brain on it. “Look,” he pointed to a section which was lit up. “This is the memory centre of Ianto’s brain and…well there’s extraordinary activity there.”

“What kind of activity?”

“It’s…overactive.”

“That must have something to do with why he seems to have extra memories. He can remember things happening two different ways.”

“Jack,” said Gwen. “Does Captain John still have access to time travel?”

Jack nodded. “I would guess so. He’s still got his wrist strap after all…” He stopped. “Wait. Do you think he’s…gone back in time to get hold of Ianto.” He glanced at Ianto who was staring at him, open mouthed and with tears welling up in his eyes.

“Back to when he was nineteen.”

Ianto closed his mouth. He looked down at the cross he was gripping and blinked hard. Tears dripped down his cheeks.

“My guardian angel,” he whispered.