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[personal profile] m_findlow

Title: Turning point 
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Ianto, Jack, OCs 
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 1,000 words
Content notes: none 
Author notes: Written for Bingo Card Prompt 68 - Family at [livejournal.com profile] fffc
Summary: Ianto is anxious about the unfolding of his riskiest project yet. 

'What if this was a mistake?' Ianto said, wringing his hands as he paced around the tiny kitchen. 

The blonde woman who sat by the counter sipped her tea as if nothing at all was happening. 'You need to stop worrying,' Angie told him in no uncertain terms. 

He stopped and set his hands on his hips. 'Right. Okay. Nothing to worry about. Only sitting Jack in a room with his long lost brother who's been shacked up here for nearly a year getting psychiatric help. No chance at all that seeing Jack after all this time won't undo all that good work, and that Jack isn't already lying dead on the floor in there. Oh God, he's not dead on the floor in there, do you think? Should we check?' 

' Ianto, would you please sit the hell down,' came the terse command. She got up and flipped the kettle back on, making another cup of tea.' If you don't stop fretting I'm going to sit you down for a couple of psychiatric sessions.' 

He swallowed the lump in his throat and did as she said. It was easy to forget that she could analyse his thoughts and manipulate him into confronting his troubles. If she could spend a year breaking down Gray and building him back up again, she'd no doubt make short work of Ianto. 

She set the tea down in front of him, still steaming and lacking any milk or sugar. For once he wasn't fussed, drinking it straight black and shuddering as he set it back down, feeling its restorative effects already working on him. She leaned over the counter and looked directly at him. He could tell she was going to start probing him with questions. It was what she did best. It was the whole reason he'd hired her in the first place - just not to do it to him. 

'This means a lot to you, doesn't it? Having Jack and his brother reconcile.' 

'What it means to Jack is what's important,' he replied, avoiding the question. 

'Tell me a little bit about that.' 

Ianto nodded. Jack had refused to have any sort of interview with Angie before coming face to face with Gray. It wasn't defensiveness or distrust that made him say no. It was the fact that he'd had longer than anyone to think about it and understand how he felt about what had happened nearly two centuries ago. No psychologist was going to be able to unpack those feelings in anything less than the time he'd already had to deal with them himself. 

'Jack has lived with the guilt of having lost his brother as a child for two hundred years. He doesn't blame his father for leaving the two of them alone to go back for their mother; he doesn't blame those aliens for terrorising their whole community; and he doesn't blame his brother for not sticking by his side as they ran. He just blames himself and forgets that he was this scared little boy who had no right to be brave or be a hero or to save his family from a terrible creature.' 

'Do you think he projects that guilt and the need to suffer onto other aspects of his life?'

'I don't think so, I know so. For Jack there will never be enough redemption.' 

'What about now? Gray is alive. Gray is here. How has Jack taken that news in the time since you told him about our work?' 

'I think he's still in denial. It's easier to consider that Gray is never coming back.' 

'I don't think that's true,' she countered. 'If it was, he wouldn't be in there now.' 

Ianto chewed his lip. He'd sanctioned this, bringing Gray out of stasis, treating him to a point where he could deal with what had happened to him, to try and tear away those hateful thoughts about Jack. This couldn't all be for nothing. Ianto had lost too many friends because of the enmity between Jack and his brother. 

The door creaked open and Ianto's hands began to tremble involuntarily at the sight of Jack standing there. His face was streaked with tears and all the colour drained from his face. It was too soon, Ianto knew. They'd been together less than an hour. It had all gone terribly wrong, Ianto just knew it. He'd destroyed Jack. 

'Jack, is everything okay?' Angie asked with a patient, understanding tone of voice. 

Jack swallowed visibly. 'I need Ianto.' 

Ianto stood on wobbly legs, closing the gap between them. 'I'm so sorry,' he apologised, touching Jack's face and wrapping him up in a hug. 

Jack held him for a moment and then pulled away. 'I need you to come inside.' Ianto frowned but Jack took him by the and led him into the room where Gray was standing by the sofa. 'Gray, this is Ianto.' 

Ianto had seen him before, a year ago when he'd first been brought out of stasis. He looked the same but different. 

'I remember you,' Gray said. 'You were there when they woke me. You did this.' 

Ianto nodded feebly, no longer feeling like the powerful director of Torchwood's global operations. 

'Ianto is my soul bond,' Jack explained. 'So I want him here.' 

'Jack, this isn't about me,' Ianto argued. 

Ianto, you're my family, too. You did this so we could all be together. 'We have so much to talk about, but I need to share this with the two people I love most in this world, otherwise we'll never be healed.' 

Gray held out a hand towards him. 'John saved my body, but you saved my soul. That is a debt only a true brother would pay. Javic is my blood brother, but you are my soul brother.' 

Ianto took the hand and gently shook it, speechless. He looked up at Jack. 'Javic?' 

Jack smiled. 'Jack. Just call me Jack. It's who I am now. It's who we are. As a family.' 

July 2025

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