I Called Him Cariad

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

When it was time for them to take their lunch break, Ianto found Jack at his desk. "Come with me," was all he said, leading the way to the conference room. It wasn't being used all day, so it'd be quiet and private. Jack didn't know why, but he followed.

As soon as they were both inside, Ianto shut the door and turned to Jack. "Neither of us are leaving this room until I've said what I need to."

"Fine."

Ianto explained everything - from what happened that night Jack returned from his research trip, to now. All his feelings, the mixed emotions. The fear that he'd lose Jack after the accident when he was in the hospital. That he might not see him again. Or get a chance to tell him how he really feels and have a future with Jack.

"Jack, even the first time I called you cariad, I meant it. I loved you then, and I love you now. I always will." He kissed Jack softly and left the room.

Jack was sitting there, trying to process everything Ianto had just admitted. He ran his fingers over his lips, still feeling Ianto's soft lips against his own. After thinking over everything, he decided he'd be a fool not to give Ianto a second chance. He ran after Ianto, finding him alone in the office, sitting at his desk with his head in his arms. It seemed as though the Welshman was crying.

"Ianto?" He put his hand on Ianto's shoulder.

Ianto didn't respond. Jack knelt next to him, wrapping his arm comfortingly around him. "I'm so sorry for not believing you, Yan. I was hurting from everything that had happened. I should've believed you, and I'm sorry for hurting you too. I love you, Yan. Always did, and always will, and if it's something you still want, then I want for us to try being together." He kissed Ianto's cheek, but didn't move his arm away.

Ianto looked up at him. "You actually mean that?"

Jack nodded. "I know it won't be easy in the beginning, we still need to make things right, and we have a long way to go. But it seems like it's something we both want, and I believe if we work for it, we will be okay."

"I do want that." He kissed Jack again, properly this time. Jack seemed to fit perfectly against him, and Ianto smiled. He was happy again, for the first time in a long time.

OOOOO

As the year went on, Jack and Ianto worked on their relationship, and were quite happy together. They had settled down, moved back in together.

And after celebrating their third anniversary together, Ianto was seriously considering asking Jack to marry him. He was on his way home, with a ring box in his pocket. Just then, he felt something tear through his chest. With a cry of pain, he fell to the ground, blood pooling under him.

Jack was waiting for Ianto to come home. It was taking way longer than it should've, and Jack was worried. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. He opened it to find two members of the Heddlu - police.

"Mr. Harkness?"

Jack nodded.

"I'm afraid we don't have good news. May we come in?"

Jack let them in, and they sat on the couch.

"We believe Mr. Jones was on his way home to you, when he was shot in his chest. The bullet grazed his heart. He's in critical condition in the hospital, but his chances of making it are very small. He's lost a significant amount of blood, and the wound is pretty serious. I'm so sorry."

Jack let out an anguished cry. His Ianto? He couldn't lose him! They were supposed to have forever together- have a future together!

The officers escorted him to the hospital, and as they were driving, a report came in over the radio that a Mr. Ianto Jones had passed away. The doctors had done everything they could, but he didn't make it.

Jack was in shock. He felt numb. He couldn't even cry when he heard that.

They pulled up to the hospital, and he was brought to the room where Ianto was. Jack rushed over, desperately hoping they were wrong about Ianto and that he was still alive. The still form on the operating table did nothing to quell his fears that they were right.

They were right. Ianto was dead. Jack kissed him softly one last time, tears slipping down his face. He sat next to Ianto, holding his hand, and sobbing. The tears came hard, and seemed endless. His heart had been shattered into pieces.

Out of the corner of his eye, something small and blue caught his attention. He went over to see what it was, and cried harder when he saw what it was. "I would have said yes, Ianto. And now we don't even have that." his voice broke, tears falling faster.

A few days later, Jack buried Ianto. He was too numb to cry anymore. "Goodbye my love. I'll see you soon." He kissed his fingers and pressed those to Ianto's headstone, and placed a rose on the top of his grave.

In the weeks after Ianto's funeral, Jack was not coping. He was allowed bereavement leave, but he didn't go back after. He wasn't taking care of himself. He hardly ate, never went anywhere.

He looked for something to take the pain away. He started by looking through the medicine cabinet. There was an orange bottle with lots of small, white pills - Ianto's migraine medication. He always got bad ones. Perfect.

Jack took one, then two, then three. He was starting to feel slightly sick. He took another three. Everything started going grey, and he could feel his consciousness slipping. 'Good. No one's going to miss me, and I'll finally be with Ianto again.' He managed to swallow one more pill, and everything went black. He never woke up.

John Smith came looking for Jack the following day, and found him on the kitchen floor, dead of an overdose.

Three days later, he buried Jack next to Ianto. "I hope you can find peace now, my friend. I'm sorry you had to go like this." a tear slid down his face and splashed with the rain that was falling onto his grave.