"The one you lost," the priest said softly, staring intently at the man before him. "He too was Ianto?" Jack nodded and bit his lip. It explained how this man knew his name. "I see." He considered what he would say next. "Would it help if you said to me what you didn't get to say to your Ianto?"

Jack let out a sigh and shook his head. "No, I don't think it would help," he said. The fact that this man sitting before him was so understanding – so willing to assist him hurt more than he thought it would if the other man had just rejected him outright. "I told you it was complicated."

"Life is often complicated," the priest said with a slight smile. Jack had to look away. That same smile often meant something else to him, back in another time and place. "If you can't explain it to me, who can you explain it to?"

Jack rubbed his hand across his eyes. "Father, what would you say if I told you that in some ways the Ianto Jones I knew was the polar opposite of you?" He looked up when he heard the other man chuckle.

"I'd say I'd be intrigued," Father Ianto said, still smiling. "But I do have to wonder what my opposite would be like. The mental image I'm getting from that concept is a bit disturbing."

Jack could see where he could possibly come to the wrong conclusions. "Let me just say that the Ianto I knew was not an evil man. He was very much a man of principles. He had faith in what we did. And it was because of that faith in me that he… died when we confronted evil."

"Well then, he doesn't sound that different for me at all," the priest said.

"In some ways he was," Jack admitted as he ran his hand through his hair. He decided that since he was in for a penny, he might as well go all the way. "When I say that he was your opposite, let me just say that he wasn't celibate."

"Ah," Father Ianto murmured. He thought about what Jack had to say. "And I take it that perhaps he was not celibate with you?" It all began to make sense to him now. Why Jack was searching for another version of him. The man had been in love with his other self. He thought about a version of himself who might have been in a relationship with another man and found it not all that strange that it might have been the case.

"I'm sorry," Jack said softly, ashamed that he had pushed this man who was obviously innocent to the ways of the flesh in such a fashion. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable," he said.

"I'm not," the priest said. He reached across the tiny table and placed his hand on Jack's, making the other man flinch. "You loved him. And I presume that he loved you?"

"Yes," Jack whispered, closing his eyes as he felt tears sting his eyes. At another point in time he would wonder how he could even still cry after everything that had happened. But this enforced conversation with a man he considered untouchable had gotten under his skin. Had touched him in a way he hadn't expected to happen. His understanding had opened that crack in his armor that he had thought was sealed. "He did. But I never got to tell him that I loved him. I was there when he…." Jack swallowed. "He was in my arms, and I couldn't speak the words."

"Do you think he didn't know how you felt?" Jack looked up into the other man's eyes. They were sympathetic and held compassion within them. "Jack, when two people care for one another, it transcends words. It touches the soul. That speaks so much louder when hearts align with one another," Father Ianto said earnestly, trying to soothe the pain he saw in the other man.

"But I didn't say the words," Jack said, still feeling miserable. "And he needed to hear them in those moments. He thought I'd forget him. I could never do that."

"Jack, I don't know what your personal beliefs are, but do you believe that people have a soul?" Father Ianto asked. Jack looked startled for a moment.

"I believe they do, yes. An essence, something…" Jack said as he thought of Eugene, and how he had saved Gwen's life. He looked back up at the man so like his lover, yet so different. "Yes."

"Then would you not believe that you can communicate with that soul, even after death?" The priest asked. Jack looked startled for a moment as he considered what he was being told. "And when two souls connect, would you not assume that they are tied together in some way? That even now, your Ianto is with you, because of that love you have for him?"

"I…" Jack felt his throat close up as he thought about that. He looked down at his hands. "I just wanted another chance. A chance to make it right for him. To make it different."

"Even if it is a man from another reality who doesn't share that past history with you?" The man in front of him asked. "Would it be fair to that individual?"

"I guess not," Jack whispered. He closed his eyes again, feeling the hopelessness of not being able to achieve the dream that the tarot girl had promised him. "But what if I find a man with a similar background? Someone who knew me in that other reality? Who had a shared history of some kind?" He felt like his was clutching at straws, but he felt he had to keep on trying.

"Jack, how many other realities will you have to seek out to find that one you're searching for?" Father Ianto asked, trying to make the man before him see reason. "What you suggestion could take several lifetimes of searching. And in each you take the chance of getting hurt when you find someone who looks like your lost love, but isn't him. Can you accept all of that potential hurt, plus the harm you might unintentionally do to those other incarnations of your love?"

Jack bowed his head. He couldn't tell this man of his affliction, and that at this point, he had all the time in the universe to look for his soulmate. And he knew that despite this conversation, he would keep on looking.

Father Ianto Jones looked up, noting that the sun had passed the horizon in the time they had been talking and it was now heading onto evening. He stood up, the scrape of his chair startling Jack. He held out his hand to the other man.

"Come with me," he said. Jack stared at the proffered hand before taking it and standing up. "I want to show you something."

Jack stood and let himself be led out the back doorway and into a small garden. The man at his side led him through a gate and he realized that they were actually on the back side of the cathedral. Tall grass swayed in the early evening breeze as Jack followed the man in the cassock through the field. Without artificial lighting, the stars in the sky shone brightly and Jack looked up as they paused in the middle of the field.

"Please sit," Father Ianto said as he sat down on the ground and patted a space beside him. Jack sank down and sat, not sure what was going to happen next. "Lay back," the priest said and suited actions to words as he reclined backwards into the grass. He tugged on Jack's arm and Jack slowly complied. He was feeling really confused and not really sure what was going to happen next. There was part of him who wondered if perhaps priests had a different function in this universe and maybe he had been wrong about assuming that the other man was celibate. Another part of him berated that first half, saying that it was pretty obvious that this Ianto didn't think that way.

He found himself almost lost in a forest of greenery. Even though Father Ianto was right next to him, it almost felt like he was alone, lost in amongst the tall strands. He looked past the waving fronds. Above him, the sky was a deep indigo as the sun set, bringing nighttime to this world.

"Look above. What do you see?" Ianto's voice asked softly. The other man was close enough to touch, but the grass gave Jack the illusion he was on his own.

"Stars," Jack said. In a world without industry, there were no pollutants to haze the night sky, and he could see hundreds of lights twinkling above them. None of them formed any constellations he recognized, but that wasn't a surprise. "They're beautiful."

"Yes, they are, aren't they?" Ianto's voice drifted over to him. Jack inhaled the sweet smell of the grass, finding that it was very relaxing to just lay there and contemplate the heavens above them. Jack just drifted, enjoying the quiet. It wasn't until one listened to a world without technology that one realized just how noisy life could be. Jack thought back to the world he had left behind him. The cars, the lorries, buses, people rushing everywhere and how peaceful this was in contrast. Lying in the grass, Jack listened intently. In the early evening quiet he focused on little things. The sound of the grass swishing softly in the breeze. The whisper of the wind against the massive cathedral behind them. Something rooting in the underbrush somewhere off to the side. He felt himself relax into the sounds, letting them soothe him.

"Do you know what we are told as children?" That achingly familiar voice asked him. Jack swallowed. For a moment he forgot that this wasn't his Ianto. Wasn't the same man. He was someone very different, yet hauntingly similar. When Jack didn't respond, the other man continued. "That all these twinkling lights are past souls of ones who have lived before us. They ascend into the heavens to watch over and protect us. I always thought that curious, since this is such a small place that there are so many stars in the sky. But perhaps it's because these souls are not just from my world, but from all the others out there. And all those distant lights represent other people, on other worlds."

Jack stared up at the sky. Intellectually he knew that those twinkling lights were individual stars across the universe, and that they didn't contain the souls of past loved ones. But his heart could see where that might be a comfort to someone who had lost a loved one.

"So now you tell me that these are actually distant suns. Distant planets with other realities," Father Ianto laughed softly. "And if each of them has multiple realities in other universes, it must be a very crowded place in the heavens indeed. No wonder there are so many of them! And now I think about how many of them might have another version of me. A version that took a different path, and grew up under a different sun. Met different people. Loved others. And it makes me marvel that God in his infinite wisdom has created something that can play out all these possibilities. It's simply marvelous."

Jack heard the wonder in the other man's voice and it made him smile. For a moment there he had been concerned that he had shattered this other man's world and his vision of his place in it. But this Ianto had chosen to see the bigger picture. To see the endless possibilities. This man was so much like the man he had loved, yet so different. He jumped when he felt the brush of Ianto's hand against his own. When he turned his head to the side, he could see the other man's silhouette outlined against the grass.

"Jack, do you really plan to go out amongst each of those stars and all of their own realities as you search for a version of me that you can find to start again?" Jack pressed his lips together but said nothing. "Have you considered that what happened to your Ianto was meant to be in that reality and that God had a purpose in what happened?"

The priest looked at the man before him. He could see the pain in the other man. Had heard it in his voice. He wondered at what could make a man go through such extraordinary measures to find a lost love. To persevere time and time again, not finding the right version of the man he loved. Being hurt by that discovery, yet willing to do it again and again in the hopes of finding his soul mate again. He waited to see what Jack had to say.

Jack stared at the man before him before letting out an explosive sigh. "At first I did. I accepted what happened. Well, I didn't really accept it, but I thought I couldn't change it. But then something happened." He went on to explain what happened with tarot girl and how she had led him to believe he could find happiness again. To be with the man he loved, and hadn't been able to tell before. To make things right.

"And how long can you search?" The other man asked. "There is only so much time in one's life. Surely it would be better spent on other things?" Jack laughed at the irony of his comment.

"Father, I could search for eternity," he said after his laughter had subsided. He debated whether he should tell this man the truth about himself. He wondered if doing so would shake this man's belief in the universe more than he had already. The urge to unburden himself overcame him and he threw caution to the wind and began to speak.

As full night descended, the stars above them grew brighter. Jack could no longer see even the shadow of the man he spoke to. It made it easier to speak into the dark, not having to see the reaction as he told his tale. He left nothing out, telling about everything he had done and how he had ended up to be where he was at that moment. When he finally stopped, his companion was quiet for a long time as he considered what Jack had to say.

Jack felt nervous, wondering if what he had said had been too much for the other man. But he bided his time, letting the other man absorb it all. It was done and he couldn't take what he said back.

"Jack, what you've told me is truly incredible," the priest finally said. "You speak of things that are beyond my understanding. But I do believe them to be true, since you would have no reason to tell me otherwise. I can see that you think of what happened to you as a curse. And I can understand why you would feel that way, since eventually you lose those that are close to your heart. But have you also considered that it happened for a reason?"

"You mean that God wishes for me to suffer like this?" Jack gave a self depreciating laugh as he rolled onto his side, looking in the other man's direction though he couldn't see him through the grass in the dark. "What did I do to deserve that sort of punishment? Because whatever it is, I'm happy to go in front of him and apologize."

"Have you ever wondered whether it is a gift?" Father Ianto asked, his voice low, but they were close enough to hear one another. "That there is a reason in His plans for what has happened? That He needs you to do something?"

"If he does I wish he had asked first," Jack said. He rolled back onto his back and rested his head on his clasped hands. "I think I would have said thanks, but no thanks for the honor." A low chuckle was the priest's response to his comment.

"I believe we are seldom asked our opinion, because most often the answer would be no," he finally responded. "How many of us would say 'please, let this cup pass me by, let another partake of it?' In the long run, there would be more people refusing than those that would say yes." Jack was quiet as he thought about it.

"Okay, I get that. But could I at least know why?" He asked. He stared up into the night sky and watched the twinkling lights above him. "Would that be so wrong to let me know?"

"Perhaps if you knew, it would change the way you act," the man beside him mused. Jack sighed. In some ways this conversation was very reminiscent of the conversations he used to have with his Ianto at times. They had really clicked. Had been able to talk about anything but their own feelings. He felt the irony of knowing that now. That they could speak about anything but what mattered most.

"Maybe," he finally responded. He didn't know what to believe anymore. He was what he was. What happened to him was in the past. He couldn't change it, and so he would go on throughout eternity. "But if I'm truly stuck like this, can't he just throw me a bone once in a while? Let my friends live, and not take them from me like that? Is that so much to ask?" He felt the warm touch of the other man's hand as it reached out to hold him.

"Again, things happen for a reason. We don't always understand it, but there it is," the man beside him said. They were silent, linked only by their clasped hands as they lay in the dark. After a long moment of silence, Father Ianto continued. "Would it help if you could say what you didn't get to say before? To say goodbye? If so, I would be willing to help you with that."

Jack was startled by the offer. He thought about it for a minute before shaking his head. "Father, it's not so much as what I want to say as what I want to do. And I don't think that would be a good thing for you." Silence met his comment, though he had felt the twitch of the other man's hand in his own. He opened his hand, freeing the other man, but was surprised when the hand wasn't withdrawn.

"Do you think that would help?" The priest finally asked. "Would it give you closure?"

"No," Jack admitted. "I'll still go looking. Because I finally believe that he's out there somewhere, waiting for me." He gestured up at the stars with his free hand. "All those stars, Father. Surely one of them has the Ianto I'm looking for."

The man known as Father Ianto Jones smiled as he stared up at the sky above them. "So you have faith in your search?" He heard Jack inhale at his question. It was followed by a shaky laugh.

"Yeah, I guess I do. Fancy that," Jack said with a smile. "Maybe it's all part of a grander plan that I find him again."

"Maybe it is," the priest agreed. They lay in comfortable silence next to one another. Behind them the glass bells chimed in the cathedral, making the call for evening song. "Oh dear, I do believe that I'm going to be late." He sat up and tugged on Jack's hand so he too was upright. "Come to the service."

"I don't know, "Jack said. He reluctantly let the priest draw him up so that they were both standing.

"What else do you have to do this evening?" The man with Ianto's face asked with a smile. Jack had to acknowledge that fact and let the other man draw him back in through the door of the rectory and through the tiny apartment to the courtyard beyond. "I need to go get my boys. Please feel free to enjoy the service." With a smile he turned and went into another part of the chapterhouse, coming out a short while later in his vestments and herding the boys back over to the cathedral again.

Jack trailed behind them, musing on the strange fact that this would be the second time in a day that he had stepped inside of a church for a service. He, the man who had no beliefs. He was lost in thought as the mass started and just let the music wash over him. The words were just a murmur, a background to his reflections of the earlier conversation. In what seemed like no time at all the service was over and he trailed out after the small group of people who had attended. He paused and stood off to the side as he watched Father Ianto speak with a few parishioners before they drifted off to their homes. When the small square was empty, he turned towards Jack.

"Dinner?" He asked and gestured back towards the rectory.

"I should be going," Jack said with a sigh. He had found a measure of peace spending time with the other man this day, but he did feel like he was intruding at this point.

"Please, it isn't any trouble, and I would appreciate the company," the priest said with a smile. "Besides, you left your coat in my apartment." Jack's heart ached as he looked into the other man's smiling face.

"So I did," he murmured. "All right," he finally acquiesced and a moment later found himself back in the warm interior of the rectory and watching as the other man lit several lanterns. Taking one off of its hook, the priest ushered him into the kitchen where he brought out some grains and vegetables for them to eat. Jack watched with interest as the other man worked. In a world where there was no electricity it was interesting to see how they lived. The priest knelt down in front of a tiny hearth and started a fire. Once he had it going, he filled a pot of water and hung it over the flames. Then he went bustling around the room, chopping vegetables and preparing their evening meal. Jack relaxed, feeling at home there. There was something about the simple life that appealed to him. A place with no technology, no one ringing you up, calling you at any time of day, or interrupting whatever else it might be that you were doing. Here, people had to make an effort. To write notes. To knock on the door and he appreciated that as a contrast to his old life.

"You're thinking deep thoughts," the amused voice of his newfound friend came from behind him and he started as the other man leaned past him to pour him a drink. "I hope our conversation helped today."

"You know, I think it did," Jack said with a nod. He thanked the other man as a plate was put in front of him and he got a whiff of interesting spices. "Wow, that smells good." Father Ianto smiled as he placed another plate on the table and sat down opposite Jack.

"Thank you. I know it isn't much, but it is satisfying," he said. He took a bite and chewed as he watched Jack dig into his food. They didn't bother to talk while they ate. Jack found the whole thing oddly comfortable. This man knew everything that there was to know about him. Stuff he had never shared with anyone else. And he wasn't judged for what happened. He was accepted. It made him feel free that someone else knew these things and knew why he was searching and still didn't criticize him.

When they were done with the meal, Father Ianto placed a bowl of fruit on the table. Jack thanked him and scooped out some sliced melon onto his plate.

"You are welcome to stay the night if you so wish," the priest finally said when they sat back from the meal. "My sofa is more than comfortable for you to rest your head. Then you can start out in the morning, should you desire to continue your journey."

"Thank you, but I should probably go," Jack said with a sigh. He looked around the tiny kitchen that was lit by candlelight. He had found a measure of peace here, but knew that if he should stay, he would be tempted to not continue his journey. And while he had found some relief here, he knew that this wasn't a place for him to settle down. And that burning desire inside him would never go away. At least not until he had either exhausted all of the possible timelines or found a compatible version of the man he was looking for. "Thank you for your hospitality. It has been lovely talking with you."

"You've given me a lot of think about Jack," the man across the table said to him with a smile. "Opened my mind to the ideas of new worlds and other dimensions that exist in the heavens above. Thank you for that."

Jack laughed. "Not many people would thank me for turning their world upside down."

"But you didn't," Father Ianto said with a smile. "You opened a universe of possibilities. For me, that shows me how wonderful God is that He can create such different and diverse worlds. And that is amazing."

"I have to say that's the first time anyone's ever said that to me," Jack said with a grin. He found that he was feeling a lot better than he had when he had first arrived in this universe. "You are in any universe an amazing man, Ianto Jones."

"Thank you Jack," Ianto said with a smile of his own. "So you won't stay?"

"I think it's best if I didn't," Jack said with a sigh. He watched as Father Ianto stood up and put the dishes away, efficiently cleaning up after their meal. When he was finished, Jack stood up and pushed his chair back in against the table. "Thank you for your hospitality today. I'm sorry if I took you away from other things that you needed to be doing."

"It's not a problem," the priest said with a smile. "After all, that's why I'm here. To provide a listening ear and perhaps some insight to help you on your journey, wherever it make take you." He reached out and clasped Jack's hand. "I wish you well and hope that you find what you're looking for. But please think about when you do find him, to ask whether what you want to do is right for him as well as yourself."

"I will," Jack promised. And he knew that the other man was right. He couldn't just rip that Ianto from whatever life he had known without being honest with him. "But I still have to try and find him."

"Then I wish you luck in your endeavor," Father Ianto said. He stepped back and led the way to the next room where Jack had placed his greatcoat. Picking it up, he held it out for Jack to put on. Jack slipped his arms into it and swallowed when he felt that familiar touch as this Ianto smoothed out the material across his shoulders. He turned and found himself face to face with the other man.

"Thank you," he said, his eyes looking into those grey-blue eyes that smiled at him. The other man opened his arms and he stepped into their embrace.

Father Ianto felt Jack tremble beneath his hands as he hugged the other man close. When they separated he straightened the collar of Jack's coat for him. "You are welcome back any time, should you find your way here again. I enjoyed our time together."

"So did I," Jack said with a nod. "And if I do find a way back, I'll be sure to visit." He stepped back, giving himself some space. "I should probably do this outside. Not sure whether it may cause some problem with all the crystal here."

"Certainly," the priest said. "Perhaps the field behind the cathedral?"

"That's an idea," Jack said with a nod. He followed the other man out the kitchen door and through the gate to the field beyond. It was pitch black outside, but the priest walked surefooted down the path, Jack trailing behind him. When they reached the field he stopped and looked back the way they had come. While he hadn't found what he was looking for, his heart had found a form of healing here. It gave him a renewed hope that he might actually succeed in this, despite the myriad of possibilities in regards to finding the right Ianto. When he turned back, it was to see Father Ianto watching him. "Thank you again."

"You're welcome," the priest said, a smile on his lips. "Is it all right if I stay and watch?"

"Sure," Jack said. "Not sure what it looks like, actually. But you might want to stand back a bit. Wouldn't want you to accidentally fall through to another dimension."

"No, I suppose that wouldn't be a good idea," the younger man said. He took a couple of steps back towards the pathway. Jack pulled the rod out of his pocket and glanced down at it. Pointing it at the empty field, he pressed the two buttons which activated it. He heard a slight gasp as light poured out of the rod and formed the doorway. Once it was full size, he glanced over his shoulder. Wonder shone on the priest's face.

"Amazing. Is that the way you travel?" He asked. Jack nodded.

"Yes," he said. "Goodbye, Ianto Jones."

"Goodbye and godspeed, Jack Harkness," the other man said. He lifted a hand in farewell with Jack returned before he stepped through the glowing portal, heading to his next destination…

~Fin~