Slow Dancing in a Burning Room

Summary- What lengths will you go to in order to bring the one you love back to you? Jack Harkness will do anything because he knows now just how much Ianto meant to him... Janto...

A/N- Thank you to the people who reviewed and faved, fourth chapter, hope you all enjoy and feel free to grab a cookie from the cookie jar, (bows)

Sorry that this took so long to get up, not sure why, works been a bit hectic and I have loads of Birthdays to deal with in July and August so busy couple of months, should be back to regular updating soon, and hugs to all those who are suffering with the death of Ianto as well,

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He knocks on the door with such trepidation that Jack wonders if any noise actually followed the gentle brush of the clenched fist against the wood of the door. There's yelling from inside, demands of 'get the fucking door' which gave Jack the clue that someone had noticed, the door handle wobbles and for some reason Captain Jack Harkness finds himself holding his breath, like a child that thinks it's done something wrong and is just waiting to be caught. The door opens slowly, Rhiannon stood on the threshold a cup of what Jack would guess was coffee clasped in her hands. Her eyes fall on her brother stood in front of her, the one that died in London so long ago. The cup slips from her grip, tumbles to the ground and shatters on impact, Ianto steps back from it as the boiling liquid leaps out.

"Oh my God, oh my God, this can't be you're... you're dead," she explains stuttering and yelling into the street, gesturing wildly as if it will help her to comprehend in some way, Ianto just smiles at her, steps forward and hugs her so tightly she thinks she'll lose conciseness if he holds on for too long.

"What's all the bloody fussing about," Johnny asks, she steps away from Ianto and gestures towards him, the large mans eyes widen comically and he's caught somewhere between complete shock and utter relief. Ianto just smiles up at him,

"Maybe we should come in and talk," Jack suggests and grabs hold of Ianto's hand as they force their way into the house.

Johnny stills looks like he's about to have kittens as he takes a seat with the other's at the table, Rhiannon's looking at Jack with that smirk she uses when she thinks she knows something no one else does. She leans into Ianto,

"Is he... you know?" She asks, her brother merely raises his eyebrows questioningly; Jack smirks to himself, "your boss, the man you... were seen with..." Ianto smiles and glances at the other male sat beside him.

"Yes, Rhi, this is Captain Jack Harkness... we're... together..." they're still not entirely sure what to class their relationship as they know it's something strong and needed, something they would do anything to keep hold of for as long as they could. He thinks his sister squeals a little under her breath but he can't be certain. Mischa runs into the room screaming about how David won't let her play on the XBOX, she stops dead when she sees her uncle sat at the kitchen table. She surveys him and the strange man with him suspiciously, David runs into her back, calls her stupid and pushes her before he too notices who is sat with their parents.

"Mam I thought you said Uncle Ianto was dead," Mischa points out bluntly, she's older now, different to how Ianto had seen her only three or four days ago for him.

"Yes well, he's not dead anymore is he," she says like it's the most logical thing in the world, Jack smiles,

"He certainly is not, brilliant isn't it, just a little time manipulation and everything is back to how it should be, not sure the Doctor would approve but he's a bit too much 'doom and gloom' sometimes," Jack explains, everyone bar Ianto doesn't have a clue what he is on about,

"Great Rhi your brother's shacked up with a nutter," Johnny bellows, she rolls her eyes at him, Jack smiles broadly at the remark,

"Shut up Johnny, now not that I'm not glad to see you Yan, cause I am but... how exactly are you here?" He goes to speak but he's not really sure what to say or if he should day anything,

"It's confidential I'm afraid," Jack says with a smile that wins hearts, Rhi just smiles back at him, and Ianto knows that she's thinking about how handsome he is. Ianto can't blame her, his hand finds Jack's beneath the table, fingers lace together, the heat of the younger's palm makes Jack's heart thunder within his chest. "Now I'm sorry to drop by and then run but we have somewhere else to be if you don't mind," no one ever does when Jack speaks like that, looks at you with those blue eyes, makes you feel like there's no one else in the whole world. Jack's enchanting and mesmerising, Ianto smiles wistfully when their eyes meet.

He hugs Rhiannon goodbye as they go to leave, promises that he'll be back to see her soon, that he'll come and see her a lot more. She just hugs him back tightly maybe knowing deep down that he never will because Ianto has always tried his hardest to stay as far away from his family as possible, she knows why, knows it's hard for him to look at her, that he see's their father in her. She smiles sorrowfully, kisses his cheek and opens the door, Jack hugs her perhaps seeing the way her heart breaks in her eyes over something he doesn't understand.

Tears fall from her eyes as the door closes, she leans against it heavily, she's sorry for never noticing never paying enough attention to her brother, she's sorry that he feels the need to run from his family to escape the memories of them.

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They don't talk much as they walk away from the house, Ianto seems lost inside his own mind and Jack is unsettled by something he doesn't yet understand it's like he's waiting for the weight of the world to come crashing down. His hand rests comfortably in the small of Ianto's back he feels the overwhelming urge to keep some sort of contact with the younger man as if to prove to himself that he's ok, that it's not all some brilliant dream. He stops in the middle of the street at the thought, his hand winding round Ianto's wrist and he pulls the younger male towards him Ianto crashes into his captain and before he can gather his bearings Jack is kissing him, he responds eagerly giving as good as he gets, their tongues brush and Ianto swears it sends a jolt of electricity straight through his spine, he grips to Jack as though for dear life, Jack holds back equally as tightly.

It's as though the world falls away around them, fading to black and holding them close to one another, Ianto doesn't think he would care if it had. He grips at Jack's arms, holding so tight he thinks that he might leave bruises, he likes this Jack, likes the way he can read how he feels for him a little easier, likes the way Jack seems more comfortable in it, more desperate for it. He likes the way he kisses, as though it's the last each and every day with everything that he possesses poured into it, as though he's trying to steal Ianto's breath from his lungs.

They part, slowly, those blue eyes burn into him, the elders hands grip his face and he presses a tender kiss to the younger's forehead, he feels guilty and grateful for the way those eyes stare at him, like if they moved from his form he would disappear, like he's wanted more than he can comprehend. Jack finds his hand, squeezes it gently in his own and Ianto smiles warmly at the other male, he's more affectionate this Jack, more touchy feely, Ianto loves it despite thinking that he wasn't one for romance or public displays of affection.

"Come on you, places to be," Jack says with a smile and a wink, gripping his hand a little tighter and heading in the direction of their rental car.

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They stand on the bay like shadows, people breeze past them going about their daily lives, for Jack he's stood in the place where everything started to fall apart. It steals the breath from his lungs tugs at his heartstrings sends shivers spiralling down his spine and he holds Ianto's hand a little tighter even if he doesn't realise it himself. They stand in the space where the explosion had forced its way out of the hub, leaving debris scattered over the pavement, there is not even a dent in a paving slab now, cleaned away like nothing had ever happened.

"What do you think happened to the hub?" There's a tremble in Ianto's voice and Jack realises that the truth of everything is catching up with the younger male; he smiles at him and pulls him close to his chest. Ianto folds into the embrace willingly, they make their way to the tourist information centre, unlock the door and slip inside silently, everything is as Ianto had left it, a little more dust lying atop the stacked papers, no evidence of the explosion below.

Jack presses the button concealed behind the desk, the door to the hub opens with a slight hiss, Jack steps through first, great coat billowing behind him as he heads down the stairs, Ianto follows some distance behind, the events of that day replaying over and over in his mind's eye. He remembers Jack forcing him towards the elevator the look of resignation on his face, Ianto can only imagine how much it would hurt to be blown up, how much more it would hurt to have your body reform from something like that. He bites back the tears that threaten to spill from his eyes and continues to follow his captain.

The cog door rolls backwards slowly, as if it's dragging itself away for them with the last slip of energy it can muster, it stops halfway and Jack and Ianto slip through, Ianto glances round at the destruction and closes his eyes to it all as his heart thunders to a halt in his chest. Jack just stares in silence, breathes a little deeper, it's an empty cavern of twisted metal and shattered glass, the workstations are demolished, Owen's autopsy bay is charred, splattered with blood and there's something sickening in the fact that it's his own.

Ianto's in front of him, heading past the workstations, the couch, making his way over large talon like metal spikes, he catches the bottom of his leg on one but if he notices then he doesn't give any evidence of it. He drops to the floor, reaches forward, Myfanwy lies before him, broken and burnt, he looks as though he's lost a pet and Jack supposes that he has. He sees the picture of Owen and Tosh lying beside him on the floor, smiles warmly at it as he lets his fingers dance across their faces. This place takes everyone that he loves from him one at a time in some hideous and cruel way, Jack, well he just has to keep going, keep coming back.

Ianto stands in front of him now, that stoic composure having fallen over him once again, a mask fitting into place so perfectly. Jack stares at him for a while, the way he's holding his jaw, fixed harshly against the emotion bubbling up within him, the way his eyes seem vacant of any and all emotion. He grips his shoulder and pulls him in close, breathes him in and clings on tightly; Ianto closes his eyes and accepts the embrace, wrapping his arms around the older male.

They stand there for what feels like hours, amongst the ruin of the hub, the glass crunching beneath their feet, the memories strewn across the floor. Jack closes his eyes against the sight of what had once been his home and holds his lover a little tighter.

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Found that chapter really hard so hope that it was ok, next chapter everything is going to kick off, and it's time for Jack to face up to his mistakes...

Thank you

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