Title: We Need a Miracle
Author: M. E. McCombs
Rating: G
Summary: To get Ianto back, Jack needed a miracle.
Spoilers: Torchwood: Children of Earth Day Four.
Disclaimer: Torchwood is ©2006-2009 British Broadcasting Service Wales (BBC Wales). The Princess Bride is ©1987 Rob Riener & William Goldman. Copyrighted material is used without permission with no intention of profit from the works contained herein.
Authors Notes: This is a somewhat cracky crossover fixit story. The more I thought about it, the less I could resist. Especially when my daughter decided to watch The Princess Bride.
Original Publication/Copywrite: 11 July 2009
We Need a Miracle
“He’s gone.” Gwen’s voice was choked with tears. Her fingers stroked Ianto’s vest and straightened his tie, repeating the action in an endless cycle. “There’s nothing we can do.”
“I know.” Jack kept his arm around Gwen, attempting to comfort her even as his heart was splintering like glass within him, and sighed softly. He had so many regrets. So many things left unsaid. How could he go on without his heart, his very soul? So much of his present life was tangled up in Ianto Jones. He would do anything; give anything, to have Ianto back again. “Getting him back,” his voice broke for a moment. “It would take a miracle.”
“Good thing he’s only mostly dead then.” Jack whipped his head about to stare at a wizened old man dressed in the tattiest mismatched clothes he’d ever seen. He was accompanied by an equally tatty white-haired woman. “All dead? Well, if he was all dead, all you could do is kill everyone you love and run away afterwards."
“What?” Jack just blinked and blinked again at the strange man. This was surreal. Everything was surreal now that Ianto was gone. “They killed him. There’s nothing we can do to change that.”
“You wanted a miracle.” The man held up a pill. It was dark, lumpy, and didn’t look like much of anything. “I’ve got your miracle right here.” The man came closer, knelt down and proceeded to force Ianto’s jaw open, stuff the pill in and stroke his throat to get him to swallow. “Chocolate coated… makes it go down easier.”
“So how long will this take?” Jack demanded from the stranger. How dare he desecrate Ianto like this? He rose to his feet, grabbed the bastard who was dangling hope in front of him and shook him hard. “Assuming it…” A gasp from behind him interrupted his developing rant. “… works.”
He dropped the old man, uncaring that the man fell into the arms of the woman with him and both tumbled momentarily to the floor. Jack fell to his knees and grabbed Ianto. He pulled him up into his arms and kissed him. Hard, deep, hungry... trying to convey everything he felt in that single kiss. He ignored Gwen’s demands for an explanation, just cupped Ianto’s face in his hands and stared deep into those beautiful blue eyes. For one moment, he could forget everything – the chaos outside, the demands of the 456, everything but the man he held – and say the most important words of his life.
“I. Love. You.” Each word was punctuated by a quick kiss. The tremulous smile he received in return said more than any verbal response Ianto could have made. They stared at each other for a moment. Ianto pulled away slightly. Jack let him. It was clear the other man was processing everything that had happened, was happening, but he wasn’t expecting the raw anger in Ianto’s eyes when he turned back to Jack. It took a moment for him to realize that the anger wasn’t directed at him but their enemy, the 456. Ianto’s first words confirmed it.
“We have work to do.”