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Jack stared down at the love of his life, the man he would have married, the man who had been dead for six months. Thoughts flew through his head, his team murmuring at his side. The glove. The rift.
None of that mattered, however, because Ianto Jones was in pain, and he was afraid. Ianto stared up at him, his eyes swimming. His mouth began to form words, with each attempt becoming clearer. “Jack…” He whispered.
His scream pierced the silence of the room, “Ianto!” Jack rushed to his side, cradling him. “Sshh, it’s okay, Ianto. I’m here, it’s okay.”
..
Ianto shuddered. Pain, so much pain. People, people he didn’t know, were asking him questions, looking down at him. Did he know where he was? Who he was? All he knew was pain and fire and darkness. Hell. And then so much light, light bright enough to burn that darkness away.
Ianto looked up at the people staring at him. “Who,” he cleared his throat, “Who… are you?
..
Jack shared a look with Owen, who had slipped into Doctor Mode.
“Are you in pain?” He asked Ianto. “Do you remember anything?”
Ianto was silent for a moment. “I… I don’t know. I know you are Jack,” he nodded at the captain, “But… Hell, it was Hell.”
“Okay,” Owen said slowly, as the others stared, “My name is Owen, this is Toshiko, and Gwen. We were friends, we worked together.”
“I’m sorry,” Ianto said, shaking his head, “I don’t remember you.”
He flinched, like expecting a blow. He’s scared of us.
“Owen.” Jack turned to the doctor, “That’s enough for now.”
He took off his coat and wrapped it around the shoulders of the now shivering Ianto. He was thinner than Jack had ever seen him, covered in scars that he didn’t have before. “Come, Ianto. Let’s get you cleaned up and fed.”
“I’d like that, sir.” He smiled shakily, and there was his Ianto.
..
Ianto let the hot water seep into his skin, washing away the filth that clung to him. He sank deeper into the bath, feeling his muscles relax. He felt out of place, his memories of half a century condensed into six months.
Jack had made him soup, helping him to eat when the shaking got too bad. He didn’t know why, but he trusted Jack. Enough to tell him a little of what happened to him, about the demons, about what he did.
For the first time in 60 years, he felt safe.
..
“What do you mean, Hell?” Gwen asked, “Hell Hell?”
“No, the one in Miami.” Owen said, sarcastically. “It wouldn’t be the weirdest thing we’ve seen.”
Gwen pulled a face at that. Toshiko looked at Owen, “Do we even know if it’s him?”
He nodded, “Definitely. It’s our Ianto… our amnesiac, maybe crazy, Welsh-speaking, Ianto”
“It’s our job to take care of him, until he remembers who he is,” Jack told them, “We’ll worry about the how later.”
Gwen placed a hand on Jack’s shoulder, “How are you doing, Jack? This… it can’t be easy for you. ” After Ianto’s death, Jack was heartbroken.
Jack smiled softly, “I’ve been given a second chance, and I plan on taking it.” He looked up, “I need Ianto as much as he needs me, he was, is, my everything.”
..
Ianto stood in front of the mirror, staring down a man he didn’t know. He was dressed in jeans and a hoodie that he had borrowed from Owen, but he felt odd in them. He remembered Hell as clearly as anything, torture, Dean, his own despair. He wished he could remember Jack and the others as clearly, he wished he could remember himself. Who was he? A madman? A killer? A demon?
Why was he being given a second chance?
..
Six weeks later Ianto is beginning to piece his life back together. He leaves Torchwood, instead turning his eye to Hunting monsters like those that had been haunting him. Sometimes Jack, and other members of the Torchwood team join him, bringing their own expertise to the field.
Ianto had even run into Crowley, one of the demons he knew in Hell. Crowley had given him Dean’s number, the soul who had fought by his side in Hell, and then tortured by his side.
Over the next few weeks Ianto considered calling, but what would he say? ‘Hey, it’s Ianto, your old Hell buddy. Remember we used to torture souls together?’
No. He did keep that number, however. You never know when you’ll need someone like Dean Winchester.
As for Jack. He and the Captain were enjoying their second chance, Ianto having fallen for him just as quickly as the first time.
They were in the motel that Ianto had rented for the night, talking and making out. Jack flashed him a grin and pulled his head back to murmur at his throat. “You’re gorgeous, do you know that?”
Ianto sighed happily. Jack's hair was mussed and wild, his eyes half open with pleasurable nervousness. "I love it when I've got you like this, Jack.” For all his confidence, Jack was always so wonderfully pliant. He’d always been so pliant in Ianto’s hands and, Oh. “I remember you. I remember you, Jack.”
Jack looked up at him, lidded eyes now open. “Ianto?” He was beautiful like this, flushed and needy and wanting.
Ianto moaned, “Jack.” He manoeuvred them so that he pressed Jack into the mattress, arms pinned above his head, and lined himself up where he knew his lover needed it.
"Ianto, please," Jack breathed out, clearly past the stage where he wanted to keep his dignity. "Please, I'll do anything, just-
"Shhh," Ianto soothed him. "Be patient, and I'll give you want."
When Jack just whimpered, Ianto smiled and ran his fingers through his hair. "Anything you want, I promise."
Jack gave a small, eager nod, eyes screwing closed in delight when Ianto slowly eased himself inside him. His hips flexed in yearning of something that Ianto’s hands stopped him from. Ianto buried his head in his lover's shoulder, trying to take deep enough breaths to keep himself in control. There were few other things in the world that he loved more than this. Thinking about it from his current point of view, he couldn't really blame the sex-energy-stealing alien. There was nothing that could beat having Jack splayed out for him.
On its own accord, one of Ianto's hands strayed up Jack's chest and towards his neck. He bit back a smile at the throaty moan he got in return and squeezed. He wasn't sure where the urge had come from, but it felt like he was feeding a hunger deep inside him; something that he couldn't really resist. He paid little mind to Jack's breathless pleas for more and his desperate writhing as he started thrusting harder, losing himself in the sensation completely.
"That's good, Jack," he groaned, voice breaking over the Captain's name. "That's amazing. You're wonderful, I-"
He was cut off as Jack gave one more chocked sob and came, come splattering over both their chests. The circle of Ianto's fingers around his throat tightened and, before he knew it, he followed him into the abyss.
Ianto smiled to himself as his heartbeat started to slow down. "That was- intense," he commented, looking up. "Jack?"
“Hmm” Jack blinked up at him, too thoroughly fucked to do any more.
“I remember.” Jack propped himself up on one elbow.
“You do? Really?”
Ianto nodded, “Yes. I remember everything: our first kiss, the first time you fucked me.”He punctuated each sentence with a kiss. “In the bathroom at the pub, in the showers.” Jack smiled around his lips. “On your desk. Gwen found us there, screwing like rabbits.”
He licked Jack’s chest, nibbling on his nipples. Jack groaned and pulled them together.
“Welcome back, Ianto.”
..
Later that day Ianto finally decided that it was time to call Dean Winchester.
“Hello?” He heard Dean answer.
“Dean.” Ianto said. He heard a sharp intake of breath.
“Ianto? You’re out?” Ianto smiled and nodded, although he knew that Dean couldn’t see him.
“How?”
“Not too sure, Dean, I’ve just got my memories back.”
A pause, “You lost your memories?”
“From before Hell. I’ve been piecing it together,” He stopped, “Dean, I'm sorry.”
“For what?” Ianto could practically see the Hunter frown.
“For everything I did with you, to you.”
A sound like a chair being pulled out, “Ianto, it’s Hell. It changes you, breaks you until all that’s left is that monster. You are like a brother to me, man.”
Ianto breathed, trying to control himself. “Thank you.”
Dean huffed through the phone. “Of course, Ianto. I don’t even remember much of it, anyway. So, what have you been up to man?”
Ianto told Dean about his time hunting, and Dean told Ianto about Amara and Lucifer.
“I’ve done a lot of bad, Ianto. You remember Castiel? The angel? Satan’s riding his ass and that’s on me. I fucked up.”
Ianto looked over to where Jack was half heartedly flirting with the motel attendant.
“Dean. I might have a way to stop the Darkness.”
“What? Ianto, are you serious?”
“Jack, my Jack, he has this friend he calls the Doctor. He could help.”
“Who is he?”
Ianto laughed, “Even you wouldn’t believe me. I’ll call him, we’ll see if he can do anything.”
“Thanks, Ianto.”
He bid him farewell. Back at the bunker, Dean smiled down at his phone. Maybe there was hope after all.