Title: The Chronicles of an Affair

Author: enchanted nightingale

Beta Reader: pussycatadamah

Disclaimer:The characters do not belong to me. I only use them in my plot for fun.

Timeline: Before Ianto works for Torchwood One in London. I'm not sure about a timeline for Doctor Who, probably mid season 2?

Summary: The Doctor takes Rose home and decides to pop out for a bit. Enter Ianto Jones, the Doctor's companion for one hell of a trip that will change his life.

Pairs: Ianto Jones/10th Doctor (friendship), Ianto Jones/ Jack Harkness (later on)

Chapter 1

Ianto watched the stars. He was unable to sleep that night, even after all the running around he did that morning. His mind was working overtime; nothing new there. Since he was a child his parents had noticed how he only needed to see or hear something only once to remember. And he had learned some extraordinary things.

When he was barely 3 years old he had found a not so imaginary friend in the face of a huge, bat like and green creature that kept whispering in his mind whenever he went out in the family garden to play, unlike his own sister Rhiannon who only liked her dollies. Then that green friend brought others and he kept playing with them, listening to tales of how the earth was created and how heroes strove to save it but none could defy them. Then they had asked him to join them but little Ianto had loved his mother too much to make her cry, so he had waved them goodbye but never forgot about them. Even now he stopped and listened at the trees and sometimes he swore he could feel the earth turning, the winds changing. It was a very strange feeling that made Ianto feel even more alone and apart from his peers.

The twenty two year old had then focused at school mostly after that, learning all he could. Until his teens and a rebellious stage he had entered, a stage he tried to forget. It was full of pain, sadness and regrets, too many to count. He still wondered how he managed to get into University after all that. His mind was still miles away when the wind changed and a curious noise was heard. Ianto felt lazy, but his curiosity won out and he stood.

He never expected to find a Blue Police box not two feet away from him, a man leaning on the door.

The stranger wore a suit and a coat, with trainers. His hair was a right mess. The weird look was rather loopy but Ianto shrugged that thought off. He had met people with stranger and more horrid fashion sense. He was debating whether to talk to the man or just leave, go back to his room and sleep; he would need to be well rested in the morning.

Then the stranger talked to him.

Rose had missed her mother. That was enough for the Doctor to agree to take her home for a visit. He hated seeing the blonde woman morose when she was homesick. He had been invited to stay of course, but her mother did not like him, that Mickey guy either. And the Doctor wanted Rose to experience being a normal human. She was his most favourite companion yet, but soon she would grow older, too old to travel with him and all would be over again. He was doing this so she never lost touch with her true time.

That left him alone for that duration though and he hated travelling alone. The TARDIS was not meant for one person, never meant to be so empty.

"Right girl," the Doctor addressed the TARDIS. "What to do?"

The TARDIS gave a small pulse.

"Really?" the Doctor hummed. "That's not too far away, time wise or space wise," he agreed. "Let's see this then. Shall you do it or should I take control?"

The TARDIS gave another pulse and it jerked, making her Time Lord stumble a bit. It only took a few seconds before they reached their destination and the doors opened.

The alien with the two hearts jumped out without hesitation.

Here he was, the man the TARDIS had brought him to meet. He was star gazing too. A smile broke out on the Doctor's face. Then the human noticed him and the Doctor saw it: Potential.

"Hello," he said.

"Hello," the strange human replied. "Who are you?"

"Me? I'm the Doctor."

"Doctor?"

"Just Doctor. You?"

"Ianto. Ianto Jones."

"Do you like star gazing Ianto Jones?"

"I'm not just star gazing," the young man replied.

"Oh?"

"I feel the Earth move."

That was one answer the Doctor had not expected to come from a human. Then he caught some movement from the corner of his eye. There was something there, near the human, watching, protecting. The Time Lord had heard the old legends and now he decided he needed to revisit some of the old books he had.

"How does that feel? The Earth moving?" the Doctor asked.

"Alive."

The Doctor smiled. "How would you like to feel the Universe move?"

The movement at the corner of his eyes stopped. The air blew lightly.

"I think it's okay for me to do so."

"You don't think I'm crazy?" the Doctor asked.

"Do you think I am?" Ianto challenged.

"No. I think that's fantastic," the Doctor grinned.

End of chapter