Spook_me 2020 - Haunted - Chapter 32

[m_findlow]

Title: Haunted
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Jack, Gwen, Ianto, OCs
Author: m_findlow
Rating: M
Length: 50,847 words
Content notes: none
Author notes: Written for spook_me 2020 Prompt - Ghost
Summary: The team investigate rumours of a haunted house in rural Wales.

Jack felt Ianto struggling against him as he continued to hold on tightly, but there was an unnatural strength from the Welshman that caught him by surprise. He let go and his hand flew to his webley, bringing it up so that he and Gwen had him covered from two angles. There wasn't time to be shocked or worried as his long years of experience kicked in, putting the safety of everyone else above that of one lone individual - even if that one person was the love of his life.

‘Ianto, hold it right there!’ Jack commanded.

Cornered by the two of them with their guns, Ianto seemed almost at ease as he turned to look Jack in the eye. That was when Jack knew for sure that something was very wrong. Those eyes. He always noticed the eyes and these were not those of his lover. They were ablaze with light, a bright electric blue that Jack had seen not an hour ago. They were someone else's eyes. The bottom fell out of his stomach as the realisation hit him.

‘What have you done?’

An unsettling smile tugged at the edge of Ianto's mouth as he looked back at Jack, unperturbed by the gun aimed at him. ‘What we had to do in order to finally escape this place. It's not easy to get inside someone. They have to be vulnerable, broken.’

Ianto's face broke into a beatific smile, his eyes lighting up with such gleeful joy. ‘He was perfect. You should have heard the screams. It took a lot to finally break him down but it was worth it. We enjoyed it. We almost wished we could have played with him a while longer. It’s been so long since we had anyone good to play with.’ He turned his gaze to Gwen. ‘We had fun with you, too. We wanted to watch you dig all night, trying to find his body. But he is dead, Gwen. Know that.’

‘You’re a monster!’ she cursed. ‘And he isn’t dead.’

Jack stepped in front of her, coming around so he was shielding both her and Father Michael. ‘Please. This isn't you, Gil. Remember who you are. You wouldn't do this.’

‘Gil?’ Ianto raised an eyebrow at him which was a disturbingly familiar gesture. ‘I'm not Gil. Gil lived here, yes, and we spent many years sharing our thoughts. Gil was the first, you see. The first who really understood the darkness that lives inside us all. He was the perfect vessel.’

‘You stole his body.’ Jack's words rang out sharp and accusing.

‘I became melded with Gil. He let me in. We eventually became one entity and it was glorious, finally having a physical form.’ A displeased expression warped Ianto's face transforming his smile into a snarl. ‘And then part of him knew it had made a terrible mistake. He killed himself to be rid of me, but a part of him lingered on within me as his soul was ripped from his living body.’

Some small relief washed over Jack. Gil had known. Gil had tried to undo his error before he did something terrible. That was the real Gil. Not this thing that boasted his memories, which had lured Jack into a false sense of security whilst it distracted him enough to take over his best friend.

‘There were a dozen people who came along afterwards. Why none of them?’

‘It's true. After my emancipation I knew I couldn't exist as I had anymore. I needed another body. And then you came along and I knew this one was perfect. So much darkness inside, and a part of Gil remains with me - the part that longs to be with you. It was almost too perfect. Old lovers and new lovers brought together.’

‘Jack…’ Gwen's voice was just a whisper as it vied for his attention. He practically sensed it before he saw it - those ghostly visions in the graveyard reappearing all around them as pale beacons of light.

Ianto noticed them too. He grinned as he turned to look at them all. ‘I see the Others have come to join us. The Others always knew we were wrong. The Others knew what we were. Look at them. Even now they shy away and stand there doing nothing. They are powerless against me.’

Jack looked around. The ghostly forms cast an ethereal glow, lingering by the lichen covered headstones and hovering in the windows of the house, looking out at them, but they didn't move. Jack thought he could make out the forlorn expressions on their faces. The ghosts of the people who'd lived here and had never been at peace because of the demon thing that dwelt here with them, powerless to do more than watch.

Jack scowled. ‘You can't live in that body. You know that.’

‘Why not? Your old lover, your new lover, and me. We’re all here, Jack.’ Ianto scowled at Father Michael. ‘You wouldn't have even known if the preacher wasn't here. He makes our skin crawl.’

‘I would have,' Jack replied. 'Because Gil’s not really in there, is he? Just a bunch of his memories and feelings that were projected onto you when his soul left his body. And as for Ianto…’ He didn't really want to think about it. ‘You’ve got him trapped in there like a prisoner, don't you?’

‘He doesn't need his body right now. I do.’

‘Listen to us,’ Gwen pleaded. ‘We can-’

‘No,’ Jack snapped, cutting her off. ‘We’re not negotiating with it. It knew what it was doing. It's always known, haven't you?’ Jack stepped forward. ‘Take me. Take my body instead.’

‘Jack, no!’

Jack snatched back his elbow from where Gwen had gripped it tightly. ‘You want to live forever, right? You want someone with plenty of darkness inside them. I'm a smorgasbord.’

‘We considered you but you are too strong. We never could have broken you enough.’

‘Well, now I'm letting you. The gates are wide open and ready to receive you. Just let him go.’

Ianto smiled and his expression was so beautiful Jack might have sobbed. ‘We have what we wanted. We're not going anywhere.’

Next chapter...