The Resurrection Casket

Author input: I really shouldn`t be working on this. Have a deadline tomorrow. well. I hope you enjoy. ^^"

Chapter 3


Twisting and turning, Jack tossed around his bed. Beads of sweat on his naked body. He was obviously having a nightmare. Like so many times before, Jack could hear the screeching sound of the 456, his daughters helpless cry for her father to reason. As the dream continued, Jack could see the tear stained face of his lover as he died in Jack´s arms. The whisper of "I love you" echoing as Jack tore himself back to reality.

With a gasp Jack woke to find himself in the hotelroom he had rented for the night. He looked around, willing his heart to stop racing so fast. Sudden panic striked him and he looked over to his side. Ianto was sleeping peacefully, his hair almost covering his entire face. Jack had to cut that hair. With or without consent.
He took a deep breath and gazed over to the window, looking out at the bright sky with so many brilliant stars. Almost like earth, Jack mused.

" A penny for your thoughts."

Ianto moved up to a sitting position beside Jack and nestled his head against Jack`s shoulder. Jack had forgotten how good it felt to have someone that close. No, more how good it felt to know that it was Ianto. " I was just thinking about Earth. Your homeplanet."

Ianto sighed, his eyes twinkling like the stars outside. " Yeah? Can we go there?" A hopeful smile plastered on his face.

Jack shifted, laying an arm around Ianto´s shoulders.
"No, I don`t think it`s such a good idéa. I have a friend who would kill me after all these years I`ve been gone."

Ianto raised an eyebrow and turned to look at him. Jack had told Ianto a little about Gwen Cooper, but there was still much he didn`t know. Maybe it was good that way as Gwen had been craving for Jack a while back then.

"Please? Maybe I`ll remember if we go back."

" I SAID NO IANTO!" Jack hated himself instantly as the words left his mouth. It wasn`t meant to come out that way. The thought of going back to Earth scared him. He didn`t want to risk losing Ianto again. And Torchwood wouldn`t get it`s clutches at them either. They were free now. Free from that world.

Ianto flinched at Jack`s harsh tone of voice and moved away from Jack an inch. His eyes flickered to his lap, his gaze fixed on his hands. " Sorry. "

" No, I`m sorry. I just can`t face Earth yet. I promise you`ll get to see it some day soon. "

"I`m sorry about tad. " `Tad´ was the word Ianto had been calling Alonso all these years they`ve lived together. Now it felt foreign, odd. Out of it`s context.

Jack sighed, tracing his thumb over Ianto´s chin. " It`s not your fault. I would have ended it sooner or later. We weren`t meant to be."

Ianto closed his eyes, succumbing to the feeling of Jack´s touch on his skin. " But we are?"

Jack stopped rubbing his thumb over Ianto´s chin for a short second but enough for Ianto to notice and look up. Jack had never thought about it that way. Could it be why he was so keen on getting his Ianto back? That they were made for eachother? Jack grinned, foolish of him to think such thoughts. Jack of all people should know that he couldn`t let himself be happy. For him it lasted just a lifetime. And Jack had millions of them. And every lifetime took a shunk of his soul and heart out of him.

" Jack?"

" No. "

Ianto looked confused, tilting his head in a cute manner. " No? "

" We`re not meant to be. Quite frankly I don`t want you to remember us either. "

Despite what Jack tried to convince himself, that this was for Ianto`s own well being, it hurt. The pained expression on Ianto`s face didn`t help Jack`s situation for that matter either.

" Why not!?" Ianto shouted. Pushing Jack`s offending hand away from his face. "Why don`t you want me to remember?!" Jack remained quiet, avoiding eyecontact.

"Answer me Jack!"

When Jack didn`t respond, Ianto lept out of bed and quickly changed his clothes. Grabbing some stuff and threw them into a backpack. Ianto threw it over his shoulder and headed for the door.

"Where do you think you`re going?"

Jack had reached the door before Ianto and stood just in his boxers, hands on hips.
" Away from you. Step aside!" Ianto made a move to push Jack aside but found himself in a flash caught between Jack`s body and the wall, Ianto`s arms was pulled over his head and held in place by Jack`s strong hands. "Let me go!" Ianto tried to kick him, but had no chance at all to hit.

" I just wanted you to be happy. To be safe." Jack murmured under his breath, leaning in and resting his head against the nape of Ianto`s neck. " Everything I try to do, just turns out wrong. " Ianto squirmed but fell silent as he felt something damp on the front of his t-shirt. He looked down and gasped in horror. His shirt was stained red. Red with blood.

" Oh god. You`re bleeding Jack!"

" Snipers. I`m sorry for getting you involved in my dodgy buisness, Ianto. I promised to keep you safe. "

Jack`s voice was calm, despite knowing that his injury was deadly. Snipers of all things. Jack wanted to laugh, but couldn`t . He knew how close it had been that Ianto had been hit instead of him. Idiots.

If the people Jack had conned wanted him dead they should get better hitmen. Jack shuddered, his strength suddenly leaving him and he fell to the floor in a heap. Ianto let out a fearful cry and he rushed to Jack`s side, holding up Jack`s head to use his lap as a cushion.

" Don`t leave me Jack! I didn`t mean what I said. I don`t want to be alone. " Tears drippled down on Ianto`s cheeks, dripping to the floor in a steady flow.
Jack simply smiled back and closed his eyes. Taking small deep raggy breaths. " You`re not alone." Jack let out one last breath and stilled. Ianto`s own breath hitched and he let out a wail. kissing Jack`s forehead, he rocked back and forth, clutching Jack`s body tight to him.

It could have been minutes or even hours, Ianto didn`t know or care. But the sun had started to shine in through the window in the hotelroom. Ianto was still holding onto Jack. Afraid that if he let go, Jack would forever be lost to him. He couldn`t bring himself to leave him.
His tears had since long dried up, he must have used them all. And he couldn`t form words anymore as he had screamed for so long, If anyone had heard , they hadn`t cared. Help had not come for Jack.

Suddenly a hand grabbed Ianto`s arm and Jack gasped loudly as he trashed in Ianto`s arms.
" God it never get`s any better!" Jack gasped out between breaths of pain. Ianto yelled in surprise, his eyes going wide first in fear then relieve.
"You`re alive!" Ianto hugged Jack tightly whilst Jack hissed in pain, making Ianto stop himself in mid hug.Realisation dawned on him.

"How can you be...you died!"

Jack looked down at his chest were three bullets had found their way out of his body, now falling down with a metallic thud to the floor. Ianto just gaped at the sight.

" I can`t die. Or technically I can, but I always come back. A pain in the arse if you ask me."

Ianto eyed him for a moment trying to decide if Jack was telling the truth or not. Deciding that he was, Ianto touched Jack`s stomach were the bullets had been. Suprised to just feel smooth skin and dried blood he looked at Jack again.

" Did I know about this? "

"Yes. "

" You`re immortal. Does that mean you don`t age as well?"

Jack hesitated for a moment until he answered the question.
"...Yes."
"Oh." Ianto`s eyes were shadowed with sadness for a moment. No doubt thinking that he would age and die but Jack wouldn`t. To think they had to go through this conversation once more. " This me doesn`t care."

Jack smiled. "You didn`t care back then either." Jack lied, trying to smooth things over the fact he was immortal. Seeing that Ianto didn`t really buy it, Jack switched the subject quickly. " We have to get out of here. The hitmen may be back. "

" What have you done?"

Ianto didn`t know what Jack had to do to get food on the table for 17 years. Alonso had helped Jack to cover for him, saying that Jack was this big space captain on a cruiser. Jack had laughed at the story but Ianto had swallowed it hook and all.

" I`m not a captain. I`m a conman.

Before Ianto could open his mouth to respond, the door to the hotelroom flew open revealing a dishelved man. Jack had jumped up from Ianto`s embrace and drawn his webley, The same webley he had hid away for 17 years, telling himself he didn`t need it. But as he had left Alonso and Ianto was with Jack, he couldn`t risk going unarmed anymore.

"JACK MY BOY! Still have that awful gun I see."

The man reached inside his brown coat and held out a long metall pencil. The top began to glow blue and an awful buzzing sound radiated from it. The man began to pace the room, pointing the thing at everything, wall and nook.
Jack looked bereft. As if he had seen a ghost. "Doctor?" Jack`s webley was fast stashed away.

Ianto`s head shoot up. So that was the famous Doctor both Jack and Alonso had told him about? Ianto had thought he would be older. This man looked no more than 30, dressed in a brown pin striped suit and a long brown coat. A pair of red converse made the attire seem out of place.

"Oh yes, I am. Nice of you to notice Jack. " The Doctor retorted, smiling back at Jack, still clutching the strange device.
"But..you re-generated."

The Doctor stopped what he was doing and glanced at Jack with an open mouth, raising an eyebrow at him.
" I did? aah! you know not to tell me such things, it destroys the surprise!" The Doctor actually pouted for a minute, then as suddenly he piped up. " I still look good though?"

Jack laughed. " Young. Cute, but you really have to work on the attire. Bow tie? Really? "
The Doctor looked confused but shrugged his shoulders. " I had a selleri stuck to my suit once. What a fashion statement that was."

Ianto coughed, a bit bummed that he was ignored and forgotten.
" And who`s this?" The Doctor ´s eyes wandered over Ianto from top to bottom and up again.

"I`m Ianto. "

"No..you can`t be. " The Doctor stepped forward, fixing Ianto with his eyes. " Can you?"
Jack decided to step in, seeing how uncomfortable the Doctor made Ianto. " He is. You sav..uh. I can`t say how, but he is. He just doesn`t remember he is. "
The Doctor eyed Jack before looking back at Ianto once more. " Stay still. " He pointed his Sonic screwdriver at Ianto and the buzzing sound could be heard again. "Interesting...oh that`s brilliant!" The Doctor shouted, whilst Ianto jumped in surprise. " Born again! That you don`t see every day. Just brilliant!" The Doctor clasped Ianto`s hands and smiled.

" Why are you here Doctor? I presume it`s not a casual visit?"

The Doctor released Ianto and threw himself on the bed. Bouncing until the bed stilled. Jack`s stomach fluttered as he watched the Doctor, a strong urge of throwing himself at the Time lord getting the better of him.

" Oh no. I`m on vacation, no women with me and so on. "

" Really? Then why come rushing pointing your screwdriver everywhere?" Jack grinned a naughty smile.

Ianto stiffled a laugh, An innuendo wouldn`t be one without Jack.

" OI! Don`t diss the Sonic! "

" You`re avoiding the question, Doctor. "

" Well yes I am. Because you wouldn`t like me to tell you. "

Jack sighed, irritation clearly visible. The Doctor was truly incredible, but he was a pain in the arse most of the time. " Just tell me."

" This planet is dying. "


TBC....

Please RnR! ^_^