Pitch Black

Ianto Jones opened his eyes in the darkness. His head hurt and he rubbed his temple with a little moan.

He looked around, but couldn't see anything but darkness. Anything could be here with him, attacking him every second.

"Hello?", he asked nevertheless.

"Ianto?!"

That voice... "Jack! Where are you?!"

"I don't really know. I can't see a thing."

"Me too." Ianto tried to locate Jack's voice but didn't dare to take a step.

"I'll try to find you, keep talking." Ianto heard footsteps.

"Be careful. We don't know where we are and maybe the floor has holes or there're monsters in here."

The footsteps were coming closer. "Seems solid."

"If you say so."

Jack had now reached him, bumping into his back suddenly. "Ugh... found you!"

Ianto turned around, reaching for Jacks hand to create a little safe-spot in the darkness.

"Hey." Jack squeezed his hand lightly. "Are you scared?"

"Of course not." It was an obvious lie. Ianto didn't have many fears but being stuck in a pitch-black space with no idea what was happening was one of them.

"You don't have to act strong." Jack pulled him into a tight hug.

"I don't remember what happened... how did we get here?"

Jacks hands were groping his head, cupping it with light strokes. With a broken voice he said: "I have to go."

"Jack?" His hands were gone. He didn't respond anymore.

"Jack?!" Ianto grabbed into the darkness. There was no one there.

"Please don't leave me here!" He felt tears pouring down his cheeks.

The he noticed something. It wasn't breathing but it was moving. Coming for him.

Ianto started running. He ran and ran but it felt like he couldn't move forward. Cold fingers were embracing him and now he knew where he was, knew what happened.

"Death!", he screamed as loud as he could. "Please release me!"

"Too late." It was a cold, icy voice that no mortal could ever hear.

"No, please! I can't die! I... I've finally got a reason to live again!"

"You've also got a reason to stay", Death whispered. "So many reasons to stay. Mummy. Daddy. Lisa."

Ianto felt more tears on his cheeks. "But Jack..."

"Jack Harkness is not the type for long grieving. You know that, right?"

"But..." Ianto lowered his head. "You're right. He probably already forgot me."

"He did. Let me show you." Death touched Iantos face with his bone-hand and suddenly there were images in his head. Images of Jack drinking in a bar and then hitting on a stranger, going to a room with him...

"Please stop. I've seen enough." It hurt. More that he would have ever imagined.

"You knew that it would end like this. And yet you decided to fall in love. The mortal race is so fascinating."

"I didn't decide to fall in love! I... I just... it just happened!" Ianto lowered his head. "What are you gonna do now?"

"Take you to the next level. Are you ready?"

Ianto closed his eyes with a smile. "No. Not at all."