This final chapter is dedicated to my fabulous beta Milady_ dragon, for her encouragement, notes and editing skills.

Heart and Soul – Epilogue.

Standing at the on the end of the small jetty, Jack reached over and took of the mail bag from the outstretched hand of the young man.

"Extra mail today, transport just come in from the Centari, Earth run," he told Jack.

"Thank you Josh," Jack said as he quickly glanced inside and saw a satisfactory number of letters.

"My pleasure, Mr Harkness," the young man replied shyly as he received one of the Jack's famous dazzling smiles as he took off on his wave rider heading off to the next island.

Jack stood for a moment and watched as he headed out and he took in the view. He would never get tired of this. He loved every square inch of their slice of paradise. He ran his eyes along the beach, the white sands sparkling as the sun caught the fragments of quartz left over from when the colony was first created. The sands curved around to create a perfectly sheltered lagoon, complete with overhanging trees that hugged the shore line creating pockets of shade. He put his hand over his eyes as he squinted, he could just make out Josh as he crossed the deep water channels that carried the tides in and out.

Many the times he and Ianto had walked and swam across, Island hopping visiting neighbours. In fact over one week they had challenged themselves to visit every family on each Island. Their effort had culminated in a beach party on the Big Island to congratulate them on their round trip and everyone agreed it was a fun way and novel way to introduce themselves. Now it had become an annual group event where everyone joined in ending right here on this beach, where they had introduced the colony to the delights of a BBQ.

He loved the way the people here were so open to using every opportunity to have fun and create their own traditions. It made the wait to find this place so worthwhile. He picked up the bag and began to head back to the house which stood on the highest point so it took in every aspect of the landscape. He pushed out with his mind and received a gentle response. Ianto was in the garden picking vegetables, preparing a salad for lunch.

He put the bag down on the sand and went down to the sea to let the gentle waves wash over his feet. He looked down he could just make them out and saw his ankles were swollen again. That meant more rest this afternoon. Not that he really minded it was the warmest time of the year and he didn't want to move around much anyway.

He turned around and looked up at the house. Ianto had loved building it, they both had. It was a requirement for entry you had to build your own house. It made it more personal, somehow building something with your own hands. He chuckled at that and the rest of the community who wanted to help the 'boys' set up their home he recalled.

It was open, spacious, cool in summer, warm during the short cold spell that went for winter here. It took in the whole island and every room had a view. 'A view,' he smiled to himself; the best view as far as he was concerned was Ianto.

Ianto often berated him for what he called Ianto watching, and replied equally strongly that he was often Jack watching. In truth was they could not bear to be separated from each other; the furthest they ever got was the distance from the house to the jetty. He pondered on this and he knew why, they were still both healing. Ianto still had nightmares and the odd bad night, so did Jack for that matter and it was only each other's presence and reassurances that eased their night terrors. For himself he knew it was because he wanted to spend every waking and sleeping moment with the man he loved. He felt Ianto touch his mind telling him lunch was almost ready. Turning he picked up the bag and followed the path back up to the house.

Feeling Jack's response Ianto smiled as he saw Jack begin to make his way back up to the house. He busied himself in the kitchen pouring out juice and slicing bread. Taking the leafy greens he had picked from the garden he rinsed them under the tap, enjoying the view from the wild side of the Island he had placed the kitchen in just this angle to capture. He loved watching the waves roll in and hit the craggy rocks his love of storms undiminished.

It had taken the Doctor ten months to find somewhere that had fulfilled each requirement on their list. Not that he and Jack were complaining they had found the ideal place and were enjoying an extended honeymoon. They had started out at a popular planetary holiday resort but soon found neither of them had any tolerance for large crowds or noise and realised they needed almost complete solitude free of any stress. They called the Doctor and asked to be re-located; he had found them a wonderful place, an out of the way villa in a private and intimate resort. There they found the space where they could finally relax and began the long road to recovery.

Then the Doctor had located this colony. It was perfect; less than 5000 beings that lived in perfect harmony with the planet they had settled. Filled with a mix of artists, writers, scientists, inventors, and other creative beings all living together in artificially created group of small Islands, one for each family. It had taken them six months to prepare their application for membership and another four months before they had been accepted. It had included an exhaustive round of interviews and submissions. It had also meant complete disclosure of Jack's immortality plus their personal histories. The committee had welcomed them saying they believed that Jack and Ianto would add something truly special to their community. It had been with a sense of relief when they had heard; both knew how privileged they were to be accepted, because they were the first for over two hundred years.

Ianto felt Jack was nearing the bottom deck and went to meet him. He looked hot and out of breath, so he went down the steps and held out his hand. Taking the mail bag he pulled Jack up to the steps to the main deck that ran around the house. "Steps... my nemesis," Jack puffed out as they reached the top.

"Lunch is ready and I see your ankles are swollen again," Ianto told him. "I'll check your blood pressure after lunch," he added as he guided Jack to the outdoor double recliner seat and handed him a plate and laughed as he balanced it on his tummy. He placed a cushion under Jack's feet raising them.

"You know you better watch it one kick and the lot will be on the floor again," he said as he watched the plate wobble as took his own lunch joining him.

"I reckon there's co-ordination going in there," Ianto said as he took a bite of his salad.

"What, ganging up, little rascals?" Jack said laughing

"You two," Ianto leant over to Jacks tummy and started talking, "stop kicking your dad's food on the floor he needs it." Jack pulled him across and kissed him.

Putting his salad down Ianto now took the mail bag and emptied it between his legs and began to sort through the different sized envelopes.

He was always amused at the colony's love of actual mail. It was delivered every other day and meant for a lot of interaction between each colony family. Receiving and sending mail was a colony highlight that everyone indulged in including them.

"You know that Josh has a crush on you," Ianto told him as he took a sip of juice.

"I noticed, it gives me a good reason to keep up my flirting," Jack told him.

"You should know I caught him snogging Alia's eldest Manly outside during the last social," Ianto added.

"Manly has lovely tentacles, such a prefect shade of green" Jack commented taking a sip of juice.

"Well he had his tentacles all over Josh," Ianto advised as he took now empty plate from Jack.

Jack opened the first envelope. "Colony celebration coming up, 400 glorious years, organising committee wants to know if you would like to give speech."

"Hell no," Ianto replied.

"Some one's got to do it," Jack told him, "and you are now the colony's historian."

"Not doing it," Ianto told him as Jack smiled.

"But they loved the last one," Jack added a few moments later.

"All I said was 'it was great everyone could come and hoped they had good time," he said.

"Yes it was all of twelve words and took less than 30 seconds," Jack told him. "That's why they loved it. Are you sure?"

"I'll think about it," Ianto told him as Jack opened another envelope.

"Oh there's a message from the Doctor," Jack said in delight as he read it out. "'Please ask the Henge beings to stop using me as message service.' "Oh and he sends his congratulations."

Jack opened another message. "The Henge beings send their best wishes and thank us for the message crystal of the solstice gathering 'we really enjoyed it, send more, we are sending a surprise, we are excited. '"

"What do they mean by that?" Ianto said looking slightly concerned

Jack laughed. "If they were human they would be knitting baby booties."

"I sense another angry note coming from the Doctor," Ianto told him.

"Yeah well it's what happens when you're on your own for 400.000 years and make friends,"

Jack told him.

"You know I have my suspicions that the Tardis and the beings are you know," Ianto said raising his eyebrows.

"You sure?" Jack asked him as Ianto winked at him.

"What the hell are they going to send" Ianto said worry creasing his face.

"God knows" Jack replied as he opened another letter, "I just hope it's not a mini henge,"

He handed a photograph to Ianto who read the back. "Me 8 months gone" It was Gwen heavily pregnant with Rhys, his arms around her.

"You know that woman is amazing, head of Torchwood, training up new a new team and pregnant. I don't know how she does it," Ianto said as he viewed the photograph.

Jack nodded in agreement unfolded the letter and began to read.

Ianto reached over and opened a buff envelope, "Oh Jack, Jack they like the new title, and are going to publish Rodderick Brice, Captain of the Guard: Story of an Unknown Hero," he burst out in excitement as Jack leaned in and kissed him.

"I am so proud of you," Jack told him as he saw Ianto beam with delight. He was so thrilled for him thinking of the hours he had spent working on the manuscript and the struggle to find a publisher.

" Print run starting in three weeks, should be on the shelves in two months," Ianto said his eyes glowing as he grinned and stretched up alongside Jack who put his arm around him and kissed him as they admired the book cover, which had a handsome man in a green jacket holding a sword with andlean engraved down its face. Jack started to nuzzle his neck as Ianto reached up for a long deep kiss.

When they drew back Ianto snuggled up against him as Jack continue to read Gwen's letter.

"Gwen writes that Owen sends his regards, says he is sorry he couldn't write he's just finishing his training as an emergency trauma specialist. He says under no circumstances are we to burden either of the babies with the name Owen."

Jack and Ianto looked each other for a moment as the mulled over the name. "Agreed," they said almost simultaneously as Jack returned to Gwen's letter.

A few moments later Jack threw his head back in laughter. "John has run off again. He left Tosh stranded on Sigma 85 apparently with a dodgy cargo of samlimi he had won in some card game."

Ianto rolled his eyes before speaking. "That's the fourth time he's run off. I think they enjoy it, he gets her angry and she vows to track him down, and chases him half way across the quadrant, he runs hoping to be caught."

"And he gets caught every time," Jack added.

"So he can't be running all that fast then can he?" Ianto replied as Jack looked into his eyes.

"You gonna tell me?" Jack asked as Ianto gave him a shy grin., They were open to each other at all times, except when they were working on a surprise for each other and he had sensed for days that Ianto was hidden that part of his mind he preserved for such occasions.

"I've been thinking, of names, and I was thinking of Sarah, Esme for our little girl," he said softly as he saw the look of surprise on Jack's face as a tear began to flow down Jack's cheek. Ianto reached up and used his thumb to wipe the tear away. Ianto knew Jack would get emotional because Jack had never fully recovered from the loss of his first wife Sarah and their baby Esme and wanted something in honour of their memory.

"Oh Ianto," he said as he buried his head in Ianto's shoulder.

"I thought it would be perfect because it would mean Sarah and Esme would be here with us somehow," Ianto explained as he reached over and kissed Jack's swollen belly.

"I think Sarah would have liked that very much," Jack told him softly.

"Two more months and they will be here," Ianto said with a sigh.

"Two more months and we will have a family at last," Jack said looking down at his lover.

"Two more months" they thought together as they interlinked their left hands.