Previous part of Faster The Chase.

***

"You okay?" Jack asked as he walked into the main area of the hub. He had covered Ianto in blankets and let him sleep. Luke had told him that he would probably be out for the rest of the day, his mind needed to shut down to mentally heal itself. Jack's question was directed at Chris who was trying to help any way possible, but with his lack of experience and his quiet fear he had settled for reading the report Gwen had come up with silently at the sofas.

"I'm fine," He answered with a slight nod of his head. "How's Ianto?" Jack knew it was stupid to be jealous. But he was trying to tell his mind to stop with the negative feelings.

"He's asleep," He answered lamely. "He'll be fine when he wakes up."

"Good. Do you need me to do anything?" Chris asked, trying to be useful once more.

"I'm meeting some empaths, the ones who haven't gone into hiding yet. I think it might be good if you explain to them what's going on." Luke said. It wasn't particularly needed, but he could sense the young man's eagerness to do something.

"Okay," Chris nodded.

"Isn't that a bit dangerous?" Gwen asked. She was still scared to be around Luke. She could still feel his hands on her head, and the throbbing in her skull. "I mean, getting a group of empaths together. "Wont it be like sitting ducks?"

"It's all we can do." Luke sighed. "They need to know what's going on, and if they choose to I can hide them."

"How?" Owen asked.

"There's something in the archives that can help. We were going to use it on Ianto, but we didn't." Jack replied. "I'm thinking we should use it on him now."

"It's not our decision." Luke said strongly.

"I'll talk to him about it." Jack sighed. He had to talk to him about it, had to persuade him to use it. It was only temporary, but hiding him from his parents would mean he wouldn't have to break his promise. Ianto will be Ianto without the abilities, he would feel like something was missing but he'd get it back sooner or later. Jack thought a list of pros and cons in his head, knowing Ianto would choose the con side more only irritated him.

"But does it cover them from Ianto's parents?" Toshiko asked.

"They'll still know whose an empath, who has powers. But with the shield on them, they wouldn't be able to find them." Luke answered.

"What do we do now?" Gwen asked. Even though they knew who was behind the attacks, they still had nothing to go on.

"Toshiko, I want you to find a way of tracking them." Jack said, "We wont know much about what happens until Ianto wakes up, but right now he needs to sleep. And I don't want any one going down there..."

"Why not?" Owen asked.

"Right now, he's not himself." Luke answered vaguely. "Hopefully the sleep will help."

"What do you mean he's not himself?" Chris asked. He had friended a nice Welsh man, and it hurt knowing that because of him he had changed. Luke sensing the guilt in Chris smiled reassuringly. He'd talk to him about it later.

"The details don't matter right now," Jack replied. He didn't want them to know what had happened, didn't want them to ever think that their Ianto could be evil.

"Right," Owen rolled his eyes. "Does he need any painkillers?"

"I'll ask when he wakes up." Jack smiled. He was glad that his team had pulled together and were more than team mates, they were friends. But it pained him as well, sooner or later one of them was going to die in the line of duty, leaving broken team members behind. Always leaving Jack behind.

Owen nodded. "So what should me and Gwen do?"

"I want you to go with Luke." Jack ordered. "Follow him, make sure nothing happens. If you sense something about to happen, let me know straight away and me and Toshiko will come."

"Right." Owen repeated. "What are you going to do?"

"Find a way to stop them." Jack said a determined look in his eye.

-x-

Jack had told Toshiko that he was going to sit in his bunker, if Ianto woke up he didn't want him to be alone. He had brought his laptop down as well, trying to find something that would stop them. Anything that could stop them.

"I need you to tell me what to do," Jack mumbled quietly. He was used to Ianto always helping him when things got too bad. Ianto was the only one in his team who had suitable plans, who thought things through before speaking.

"You're doing it again." Ianto mumbled as he turned around. Jack looked up at him and noticed that his eyes were wide awake. Wide and Grey. No red. He grinned, placing the laptop down on the floor he jumped on the bed and wrapped his arms around him kissing him tenderly.

"You okay?" Jack asked. He had never felt so relieved to see those beautiful eyes.

"You're giving me a headache." Ianto replied sleepily. He latched his body onto Jack's, like he had done when he first got his abilities. The simple touch making them both feel better.

"I haven't said two words." Jack laughed.

"You're thinking at like a million words a second, loudly." Ianto said, his fingers tracing lazy patterns on Jack's arms. "What happened?"

"You don't remember?" Jack asked, he was both pleased and scared at this.

"I remember talking to Chris, seeing what happened. But then everything else is a bit of a blur."

"You passed out. Exhaustion." Jack said, he knew the lie wasn't so much a lie, just a twisted version of the truth.

"Oh." Ianto sighed. "What are you thinking about?"

"I'm trying to think of how to stop them." Jack said. "But I don't know how."

"Jack, you know what you've got to do..."

"I can't. They're your parents."

"My parents are dead." Ianto said stubbornly. "If it comes to it Jack, you're going to have to kill them. You know it. Don't think of them as my parents. I'm not. My parents were a nice couple who adopted me, took me to the park and asked me about my day. These people are just murders okay?"

"Okay." Jack sighed. "Remember before this happened. We were talking about removing your abilities, I think we should do it now."

"What will that do?" Ianto asked. Jack groaned, he knew Ianto wasn't going to agree.

"It'll shield you from them, even if it's just for a little while." Jack took hold of Ianto's hand and squeezed it.

"Jack. We can't." Ianto said, his stubborn streak coming out once more. "We should use it on the other empaths. Then they'll have no choice but come for me, and then you can stop them."

"That sounds like a plan." Jack said. "The only plan we've got. But I don't like it."

"No other plan, Jack. You said it yourself."

"I know. But...it's dangerous."

"Jack we're Torchwood, what part of our job isn't dangerous?" Ianto asked.

"I know. But we'll have to find a way to stop them first. We've got to be ready."

"Thought you were always ready, always prepared..." Ianto teased. He placed a soft kiss on Jack's temple. "Least your not thinking so loud now." He smiled as he settled into Jack's arms.

***

Jack and Ianto sat at Jack's computer, they were both trying to form a plan. One that didn't use Ianto as the bait. Jack knew he was fighting a loosing game here, but he didn't want Ianto to risk anything.

"Jack!" Ianto said forcefully. It had startled Jack and he stared at Ianto with wide eyes. "Remember what happened when Owen was taking my blood?"

"You had a fit about needles..."

"No. This happened." Ianto grabbed the letter opener from Jack's desk and slid it across his hand, he hissed at the initial pain, and watched as the blood poured from his skin.

"Ianto what the fuck!" Jack shouted. But then the wound had cleared up, all that was left was a small puddle of blood.

"I can't get hurt, Jack. I don't want some one else to get hurt, because of me." Ianto sighed. He grabbed a tissue and wiped the blood away.

"It doesn't mean you can't get killed." Jack whispered as he wrapped Ianto in his arms.

"It's all we have, Jack." Ianto sighed. "If there was another way, I promise you I would do that. But there connected to me, they're going to come after me sooner or later and instead of fighting it, we need to think of a way to stop them."

"You're right." Jack sighed.

Always am Ianto thought, Jack grinned and kissed him softly. It had been a while since they spoke to each other in their mind, and once he heard Ianto's soft voice in his head he felt almost at peace.

"We should go down to the archives and get the device to take the abilities," Jack said.

"Jack!" Ianto grinned. "We need to use it on my parents."

"What?" Jack asked, sometimes he wondered if Ianto's mind was in synch with his lips.

"If they're like me, which I'm guessing they are but you know stronger. We wont be able to do anything to them if we go to hurt them they'll heal straight away. But without the abilities, they'll be human. Then we can stop them."

"But then they'll be fully human, no abilities, they'll be just like you and me..."

"No. They'll be murderers." Ianto corrected. "Come on." Ianto grabbed Jack's hand and they headed down to the archives.

-x-

"Is Ianto okay?" Leon asked, Luke and Chris had explained everything that had happened over the past couple of days.

"He's dealing, scared," Luke answered. "I can't protect you. But I can hide you for the mean time."

"Yeah hide me. I can't risk them coming for me, I've got a family, a girlfriend and a baby on the way." Leon smiled.

Luke thought back to his wife Mary and his children and sighed. He couldn't protect his own family, he was going to try and protect others. "Okay, you should come back to the hub."

"Have you managed to get hold of any more?" Leon asked as they walked out side. Chris following behind. They could make out Owen and Gwen in the SUV watching them in case anything happened. So far nothing had.

"I've only had contact with thirteen empaths, 8 of them had been taken to the hospital already. Not including you, we've got four of them some where, either their abilities taken or they're just ignoring my calls." Luke said. "But there were more on the list, there's no knowing how many have been hurt."

"What ever I can do to help, count me in." Leon smiled.

-x-

"What are you two doing?" Toshiko asked as she watched Ianto and Jack walk back from the archives.

"We found the device to take powers and hopefully we can use it on..." Ianto was cut off as he felt his mind being invaded. "Jack..." He croaked as he reached hold of his boyfriend.

Don't let them take me again, Jack. Hurts too much...

Concentrate on me Ianto. Look at me!

Ianto forced his eyes onto Jack. "That's it stay with me." Jack begged out loud.

"Hurts." Ianto sobbed. He was holding onto Jack, trying to be strong. "Don't let me hurt any one. You promised."

I love you, Jack.

Ianto's body fell cold onto the floor. Toshiko rushed over to him, she had no idea what had happened. She checked for a pulse, and looked up at Jack as her fingers failed to find one.

***

"You didn't do as we told you to!" His mother screamed at him. Ianto refused to listen. He could tell he had passed out again. He hated himself for being so weak. He could feel his body on the floor, he felt cold. But there was warmth, something was radiating warmth in his hand. He tried to move his fingers, but he was stiff and still.

"We told you to kill him!" His father barked. They were standing close to him. The dark red colour had formed their shape in his head. He looked a lot like his father. He tried not to notice it, when he was younger he had always tried to picture himself looking like his foster parents. But now, he didn't have to imagine it.

"You're useless!" His mother pushed him. His first thought was that they could touch him. They were in his head, but he felt the physical force as though it was made to his own body. His second thought was if they could push him, he could hurt them.

"You can't kill Jack Harkness!" Ianto shot back. "He's immortal."

"You could have tried. You're weak and useless." His mother laughed. Her laugh was truly evil, full of spite and he could feel her anger and it ached. He remembered when Gwen had aimed her hatred at him. The way he felt it for days after. This felt a hundred times worse, it was personal. His parents, the only family he had.

"I'm not." He said defiantly. But his parents pushed him again.

"You're corrupted by love." His father sounded disappointed in him. Even that hurt. Everything hurt. His parents were supposed to love him, not abandon him, hate him for loving. "Do you think he loves you?"

"I know he does," Ianto summoned as much confidence he could. He was alarmed at how little confidence he held. "He loves me. I know he does." He tried again and was pleased when he knew he sounded stronger then he felt.

"He loves everything that moves. Anything that could keep him company in the night. Open legs... free for all..."

"It's not like that!" Ianto shouted. Confidence flying high with anger. He tried to grip the thing in his hand, he felt it but he didn't know what to do with it.

"He isn't capable of love. Just like you shouldn't be!" His dad spat. Ianto saw red in his own eyes. Anger was in his blood and he pushed his father. He heard the pain before he felt it. But the pain felt good. He saw his mother square her shoulders.

"That's it son." She purred. He stared at her, the red growing darker in his vision as he pushed her too. He was surprised at how hard he had pushed her. It was in his mind, he felt her fall, felt her pain and it made him smile.

His fingers tried again, he felt the buttons. He didn't know what to do, what button to press so in haste he pressed them all. A blue light captured his body, it burnt. He felt the pain and heard his own screams. But then they were joined by his parents and he felt as though his body was on fire.

He knew this was what death felt like.

-x-

"He's dead, Jack." Toshiko spoke. Her eyes were watering. She tried again feeling for a pulse. Again, there was no pulse but his body wasn't cold it was burning up.

"He's burning up." Jack said, he could feel it in his own body. He could feel pain, and knew he should be screaming right now, but all he could concentrate on was Ianto. "He's in pain, he's feeling, he's not dead." He said trying to convince himself more than Toshiko. "He can't be."

"I don't know. He hasn't got... did you..."

"His hand moved." Jack grinned. It wasn't a large strenuous move. His fingers had clasped around the device they had brought back from the archives.

"But why?" Toshiko asked. "The device... what does it do?"

"Takes away their abilities." Jack said. He pushed the device into Ianto's hand, running his fingers along his pale fingers a little. He smiled when he felt them move again.

"Can he do it though, in his head?" Toshiko asked.

"I don't know, we were going to do some more research." Jack sighed.

"He's doing it again." Toshiko spoke loudly, her fear evident in his voice.

Jack watched his mind pleading for Ianto to wake up, he hated not being connected to him.

"Call Luke, get them all back now." Jack ordered. Ianto clutched the device now. "Come on, Yan. Come back to me now." Jack pleaded. He reached for Ianto's other hand, the skin burning instantly, but he kept a tight hold on him. "I need you to..."

Jack was pushed away by a bright light. His body had been flung over to water tower, his head hitting the floor with a loud bang. "Jack!" Toshiko cried once she threw her phone on the desk. She looked over at Ianto, whose body was captured by an intense light.

"Yan?" Jack sat up wearily, he felt his head and stared at the blood in his hand. "Shit."

A loud scream filled the hub and they both turned to Ianto. The light had burnt out, and his chest was breathing deeply. They both rushed over. Jack fell beside him, his own head feeling as though his mind was on fire as he got near him.

"Ianto, can you hear me?" Toshiko reached for his hand, she flinched back when she felt something like electricity run through him. "Jack needs you Yan, you got to wake up." Jack smiled at Toshiko, his head was aching and his body felt tired but he was trying to be strong for Ianto.

"Ja..." Ianto's voice was croaky but sharp. "I can't..."

"You can't what?" Jack asked, alarmed by the panic in his voice.

"See you." Ianto cried. "Everything is dark."

"Open your eyes." Jack whispered his voice desperate. "I need you to open your eyes..."

"I can't." Ianto said desperately. "It's too bright, Jack." Jack frowned in confusion.

"It's going to be okay, Yan." Jack clutched at his hand. He didn't care that his body was fighting to pull away from him. His physical contact was hurting him. Ianto was hurting him.

"I'm scared, Jack..."

"I know." Jack sighed. "But it'll be okay..."

"Too weak Jack. I want to let go."

"No. Please... I need you to hold on for me, please Yan."

"Sorry, Jack. I love you..."

***

"Ianto!" Owen shouted as he, Luke, Gwen, Chris and Leon walked into the main area of the hub. "What happened?"

"They were in his head again." Toshiko said quietly, her own eyes were watering as she watched Jack cradle Ianto's still body.

"But he'll wake up right?" Chris asked anxiously. He had grown to like Ianto in the past couple of days. He didn't want anything bad to happen to him.

"Luke!" Owen snapped. Luke was staring at Ianto, his own eyes watering. "Tell me you can feel him, please."

"I can't..." Luke mumbled. "He's..."

"I can feel him." Jack said abruptly. "He's not gone, he isn't." Luke prayed that Jack wasn't confusing his own feelings for Ianto's.

"The device took their abilities." Toshiko said as she wiped her eyes.

"They're in him." Luke said as he sat next to Jack on the floor. He pressed his forefingers to Ianto's temple and closed his eyes. "He's not strong enough to contain so much power at one time."

"So we use the device on him?" Jack asked reaching out for any way to help Ianto.

"It might need to be charged." Toshiko said as she held the cold object in her palms.

"Find a way to charge it." Jack ordered. Toshiko nodded and headed over to her computer system hoping to find something, anything that could help.

"Can you try and reach him?" Luke asked, he had been trying but he couldn't feel him at all. He was praying that the connection between the two would be able to wake him up. "Wait." Luke said suddenly, making them all look at him, all hoping he had a good idea. "Kiss him, like you did when I brought him back."

"Kiss him?" Gwen asked. "This isn't a fairy tale..."

"No but kisses are magical." Jack winked, he grinned at Owen who rolled his eyes. Jack stared back at Ianto, his skin was growing pale. He rested his hands on his cheeks and necks hoping, praying, wishing that this would work.

His lips were cold, and Jack prided them open with his warm tongue. He could feel his life energy flowing from his mouth into Ianto, the first time it had happened he didn't even realise. It felt weird to think that when Luke had brought him back here it was only two weeks ago. So much had happened, and he was scared at how much everything had changed.

"What's that?" Owen asked as he watched the kiss. He didn't like to admit it, but when ever he saw Jack and Ianto kiss, not like this, but properly kiss it always made him happy because it was the only time he saw either man look peaceful. He just hoped one day he'd be able to find that.

"Their connection." Leon spoke up for the first time. Around the two men was a white light, it was beautifully bright and had the onlookers squinting as they watched.

"It's stronger then last time." Luke commented. Last time the light had been bright but this was almost blinding.

The light died down, and even though it was beautiful the team and guests were grateful as they didn't feel the need to wear sunglasses any longer. They all watched as Jack pulled back, his lips red as were Ianto's.

"Come on, wake up." Jack begged. It took a minute and twenty seven seconds, not that Jack was counting, for Ianto to wake up. He breathed in deep and clutched desperately at his head. "You're okay..." Jack cooed as he pulled Ianto into his arms.

The young man wrapped his arms around him tightly, his eyes watering with emotion and pain. "That was too close." Jack said as he held onto him, scared that the minute he let go Ianto was going to leave him again.

"Thank you," Ianto whispered in his ear as he placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "Thank you for saving me."

"Always." Jack smiled.

"How do you feel?" Luke asked. Though he could feel everything that Ianto felt and knew it was Jack's doing that the young man hadn't broken down in pain.

"Head feels heavy." Ianto admitted. "And I feel like I have pins and needles all over."

"That's their abilities, we're working on a way to get them out of your system." Luke smiled.

"The device thing?" Ianto asked.

"We should give it a cool name." Owen muttered.

"You can name this one." Ianto smiled as he went to stand up, but almost fell again. Jack helped him into a standing position and for once Ianto didn't care that he had his arms around Jack waist as Jack held him tight.

"What ever I call it it'll be better then life knife." Owen smirked.

"I thought that was pretty cool." Toshiko said from her desk. Owen rolled his eyes and walked over to Toshiko. "It's charging at the moment, at least I think it is..."

"Okay, we'll give it a few minutes before using it again." Jack said. Ianto nodded as he was pulled along to the sofas. "You're like a little doll." Jack smirked. "Might have to have some fun with my new dolly later."

"We have guests." Ianto laughed and smiled over at Leon who grinned back.

"So?" Jack smiled he placed a soft kiss on Ianto's cheek. "Do you want a drink?"

"Water please." Ianto smiled. Jack let go of Ianto and headed over to the small kitchen, the minute the contact left Ianto his head started to ache.

"Jack get back here!" Luke shouted, he had felt the increase in pain immediately. Jack ran back and wrapped his arms around Ianto. "Don't leave his side until we get rid of the abilities." Luke warned.

"So what we tie them up together?" Gwen mumbled.

"I think they'd enjoy that too much." Toshiko said pointedly at Gwen who looked away. "I'll get you some water." She smiled at Ianto and headed over to the kitchen, Owen following.

"So, what do we do now?" Gwen asked.

"We wait half an hour for that to charge and get rid of the abilities in his head." Luke said. "Then we track down his... the people behind the attack and stop them."

"How do we do that then?" Gwen asked. "There humans aren't they?"

"They're murderers." Ianto pointed out.

"The abilities have corrupted their humanity." Jack added.

"So we kill them?" Gwen raised an eyebrow. "Two humans?"

"If we don't kill them, in a couple of months they'll do this again..." Luke said. He could understand where Gwen was coming from, killing people were wrong but these weren't people any more.

"They haven't killed." Gwen pointed out.

"They've driven people mad, they've killed innocent people for their powers. They're not human."

"If they're not human what does that make you then?" Gwen said without thinking.

"I don't know Gwen, I really don't know." Ianto sighed.

***

"You're not evil." Toshiko said as she sat next to him on the sofa, Jack's hand was wrapped around his tightly. He could feel the tension leaving his lovers body. "There's not an evil bone in your body." She wrapped an arm around him in a light hug careful not to add to his physical state. "I'm so glad you're okay." She kissed him softly on the forehead.

"Careful, you'll make someone jealous." Ianto smiled.

"I'm not jealous." Jack laughed next to him.

"Wasn't talking about you." Ianto smiled and looked over at Owen who was laughing his head off.

"Have I missed the joke?" Gwen asked looking from Ianto to Owen.

"Always, Gwen. Always." Ianto smirked. Gwen rolled her eyes at him and moved over to her work station.

"So. We should you know work out some plan?" Owen asked. He didn't particularly like the tension that had filled the hub, but at the same time he did find it particularly amusing when the tea boy had one over on Gwen.

"No point working out a plan." Luke said, he Chris and Leon had kept pretty much quiet whilst everything was blowing up around them. They all looked to him as he spoke. "Ianto has something they want, sooner or later they'll be here to collect."

"I'm thinking sooner than later," Ianto yawned.

"You two should go and get some sleep." Luke smiled.

"Fine, I'm fine." Ianto yawned again despite his words.

"Come on, we need you fighting fit." Jack said as he stood up pulling Ianto with him. "We'll be downstairs. Luke and Owen are in charge."

"He doesn't even work here." Gwen muttered.

"You wont either if you keep this up Mrs Cooper." Jack said back as he wrapped an arm around Ianto's waist and helped him up the stairs and down into the whole.

Jack had to leave Ianto's side to climb down and he felt the loss of contact instantly. Ianto scrambled to a corner as he felt the pain it him at once. Jack was back next to him a second later once he had jumped from his office onto the hard camping bed.

"What happens if the pain never stops?" Ianto asked as he buried his face in the crook of Jack's shoulder.

"Then we'll get some duck tape..." Jack smiled. "We'll figure it all out."

"Jack..." Ianto whispered in his neck.

"Mm?"

"Make love to me." Jack looked down at the request. Normally he wouldn't even have thought twice but now...

"You're in pain, Yan." Jack sighed as he ran his hand through Ianto's messy curls.

"I thought I was never going to see you again, Jack." Ianto cried, his tears were cold against Jack's skin. "When I fell, I just thought you were the last thing I would ever see and there were so many things I wanted to tell you and I didn't think I'd have the chance..."

"You have the chance now." Jack insisted.

"But I need you to make love to me Jack." Ianto pulled his tear stained face from Jack's neck and looked up at him pleadingly. "I want to feel you inside me because I know then everything will stop. I'll see stars and it'll just be you and me. Please."

"I don't want to hurt you." Jack sighed but he was already loosing the battle.

"You wont." Ianto promised. Jack nodded and kissed him softly. Ianto moved beneath him and Jack settled his weight across the bed and his partner. Their lips met in sloppy kisses as Jack undid Ianto's belt pushing his trousers and underwear down.

Jack lowered his body, he knew that this would have to be quick because any second now Ianto's parents could burst in and announce world war three has fallen on them. What a way to meet the parents, Jack thought as he took Ianto's begging cock into his mouth.

"Guh Jack..." Ianto moaned, he arched his back and started to fuck Jack's mouth relentlessly. Jack let him do as he wanted, he knew this would be over quick as despite what his lover was saying he was exhausted. Jack knew that once everything was over Ianto would sleep for at least twenty hours straight, and Jack was all willing to let him.

Ianto's cock fucked the back of Jack's mouth as he came hard. Jack sucked him dry greedily. Jack looked up and smiled when he saw Ianto nodding off.

"Did you see stars?" Jack asked as he pulled Ianto's trousers up.

"Always." Ianto whispered before falling asleep on Jack's chest. Jack held him tight, he had promised himself a long time ago that he wasn't going to fall in love again, he wasn't going to give his heart away. But holding Ianto as he slept, he knew that this was all worth it. Living forever without love wasn't living.

Two hours later, Ianto woke up screaming as a nightmare had tried to engulf him in his dreams. Jack held him tight as he cried it away. Jack knew Ianto hated nightmares but from what he could tell his lover had suffered from them since he was a child and it was rare that he got a nights sleep when he didn't wake up screaming. This was the reason for his insomnia and cafiene addiction. It wasn't that Ianto couldn't sleep, because given the chance he could sleep for hours on end it was just that he was scared. Scared to loose himself in his dangerous thoughts.

"It's okay." Jack whispered like he would every other night. "Just a dream, Yan."

"Yeah, I know..." Ianto sighed. "We should go upstairs see if we can do anything to help."

"How's your head?" Jack asked, side stepping Ianto's remark. He knew Ianto was looking for a subject change because for him talking about his nightmares made him feel weak and with jack all he ever wanted to be was strong.

"Still screwed on." Ianto smiled.

"Pain?" Jack laughed.

"A little. But being next to you helps." Ianto snuggled a little closer and stiffened a yawn in Jack's shirt.

"I promise when this is over, I'm going to fuck you so hard into the bed that you will fall asleep on the brink of orgasm and your dreams will be full of us and not monsters in the night."

"Promises promises," Ianto laughed.

They sat in silence for a little while, every so often sending thoughts to each other which were always dirty, though both knew that they were too tired to follow through any of their thoughts.

"Jack!" Luke's voice shouted through his office.

"Time to be the hero." Ianto smiled to Jack.

"Or just time to stand around and look dashing?"

"Yeah, you do that better." Ianto laughed.

***

"What's going on?" Jack asked as he helped Ianto out of the man whole. Luke smiled knowingly at them, and Ianto blushed as he subconsciously fiddled with his tie.

"Rift activity," Luke reported. "Directly outside of the tourist office, same rift patterns as..."

"My parents." Ianto mumbled. Jack took his hand in his and held it tightly. They didn't really have a plan for what to do now. Jack knew that Ianto's biological parents weren't going to get away with everything they had done to Ianto and fellow empaths. But he wasn't sure how he was going to stop them.

"So... what do we do?" Luke asked as they walked downstairs to the main area of the hub, where the rest of the team plus Chris and Leon were standing anxiously.

It seemed they all looked over at Ianto for the answer, they were after all his parents. Ianto headed over to the computer screen and pulled up the CCTV. There standing right outside of the tourist office was his parents.

"They're going to find a way in," Gwen said urgently. "They can't come in here."

"If they don't come in here, they'll cause mayhem up there!" Owen argued. "Down here we'll have the upper hand."

"We can use the hub to our advantage." Jack smiled at Owen.

"Are we going to kill them?" Gwen asked.

"We do what we have to." Jack sighed. He couldn't look at Ianto as he said that, he could feel his distress, he could feel his fear and his pain. But he couldn't face him.

Ianto felt his parents powers float around his head, he could feel the energy in his veins mixed with adrenaline and he knew what was going to happen. One way or another tonight everything was going to stop.

"Jack they're getting through the security codes," Toshiko said, her voice high with alarm. Ianto grabbed hold of Jack's arms as the powers inside his head seemed to get stronger.

"It's him, he's doing it..." Gwen said as he watched Ianto's eyes turn red. Jack shivered that colour was back in his eyes and he was trying to calm him, but his skin was hot to the touch. Too hot.

"Ianto, focus on me..." Jack ordered loudly.

"Too bright, Jack." Ianto whispered his nails digging into Jack's arms drawing blood.

"The device, we need to get rid of these powers now!" Jack barked at Luke who was holding the object in his hand.

"Not yet..." Ianto whispered in Jack's ear.

The colour in his eyes were still bright, but they weren't as dark, they weren't as evil. Jack nodded.

There was a loud explosion, and the cog door fell forward, shaking the floor in its demise. "That's made of fucking heavy steal," Owen muttered as two figures approached them.

Ianto clung to Jack as his parents walked into the hub. They looked around, the fact that they were out numbered didn't bother them at all.

Leon and Chris who were staring at each other and then back at the murderers nodded, and at the same time they pushed their minds towards Ianto's parents and watched as they staggered. Seeing what they were doing, Luke followed.

They staggered, but didn't fall.

"You wont stop us." Ianto's father screeched as he tried to push himself free but the bounds had a tight hold on him.

"Ianto," Jack whispered.

"He can't hear you." His mother laughed.

Ianto had fallen limp at Jack's side, being held up by Jack who had his arms tight around him. His eyes still red. "We've got him trapped until you give us what we want."

"How are you doing this?" Luke asked. He had met empaths who were powerful, but that was always down to their powers. Ianto held their powers in his mind and it was slowly killing him, his parents were powerless yet they still had control over them.

"When you have something long enough you know how to keep hold of it." His dad spat.

Leon and Chris pulled back as they felt a sharp pain shoot throughout their bodies. They flew back into the water tower, the sound of bodies falling to the floor could be heard throughout the hub as a brilliantly evil red light burst through the walls.

"Then there were three," His mum laughed.

Ianto stood in front of his parents, blood surrounding him.

This was it.

This was the end of everything.

***

They weren't dead. Ianto could feel them all, except for Jack. Jack was gone.

"What did you do?" Ianto shouted to his parents who were approaching him.

"This isn't between them. It's about us!" His dad snarled.

Ianto tried to reach for Jack. The pain was over bearing and all he wanted was to be held by Jack again. But Jack was gone.

"He's dead." His mum laughed.

Ianto knew that Jack would be up again in a matter of minutes but that thought couldn't stay in his head. Jack was gone, and his friends and team weren't there to help him.

He looked over at Gwen, Owen, Toshiko, Leon, Chris and Luke who all looked as though they were sleeping. Owen had a slight cut on his head from where he had fell.

"Please..." Ianto wasn't too sure what he was begging for.

"We want our powers back." His dad snapped.

"No!" Ianto said definitely.

He looked down at Jack again, he couldn't feel him, he felt lonely and cold. Anger was spilling through his veins and he could feel it in him. It was boiling to the point of explosion. He needed Jack.

"You're the same as us son." His dad said almost kindly, but there was still that patronising voice speaking to Ianto.

"I'm nothing like you!" Ianto shouted.

Please, Jack I need you to wake up

Nothing.

"He can't hear you. He's dead!" His mother said cruelly.

Ianto tried not to listen, tried not to believe it.

Jack was going to wake up.

Jack was going to save him

Jack was still gone.

"He's not!" Ianto screamed.

"You're all alone. Just like you'll always be..."

Ianto felt the change instantly.

He tried not to let the powers take him, but it was too late.

He wasn't in control of his body.

That red colour was back, and it was blinding him.

Red balls of what looked like fire was flying around the hub and Ianto was scared of what he was causing. He could feel the heat and his body felt like it was falling constantly.

He screamed loudly as the light got brighter and brighter.

This is what evil felt like.

-x-

"Ianto." Jack said sadly as he picked Ianto off the floor. His body was radiating heat. "Owen are they...?"

Owen looked over at the floor where Ianto's parents lay tangled together. "They're dead." Owen said.

"He did it... he killed them." Gwen said as she looked from the parents on the floor to Ianto who was now being picked up in Jack's arms.

"Is he...?" Chris asked, he was being helped up by Leon.

"No.. he's alive." Jack said, he could feel him but he felt too far away.

"Right bring him to the medical bay so I can make sure he isn't hurt. Tosh, Gwen you two okay?"

"We're good." Toshiko said.

"Any one remember what happened?" Luke asked.

"Nothing." They all said.

***

Owen checked Ianto over, he was fine all he had to do was wake up. Luke told them it might be a while, Ianto was worn out physically. What ever had happened was down to Ianto and it had used all of the power inside him.

"Why don't you all go home?" Jack suggested.

"I'll stay, I want to make sure he is okay." Owen smiled.

"Thank you two, for helping." Jack smiled over at Chris and Leon who were both a little weary standing near the over turned sofa. "Are you two okay to go home?"

"Yeah." They both said in unison.

"I'll give you both a lift." Toshiko smiled.

Gwen looked over at Jack, before turning and leaving.

"What do you think happened?" Owen asked. They were sat in the medical bay, Owen at his desk and Jack down next to Ianto. Leon had busied himself around the hub cleaning, even though Jack had told he didn't have to, the older empath just needed to be kept busy.

"I think Ianto saved our lives." Jack said simply.

"He'll be okay." Owen smiled comfortingly.

"I know," Jack sighed. "I just wish it was easier for him."

"It can't be easy," Owen commented. "Growing up thinking you were, well normal."

"No such thing as normal." Ianto's voice startled the two men. Jack looked down at him and smiled, his face was pale and his eyes tired and heavy. "Is it all over?"

"Yeah, it's all over now Ianto. You saved everyone."

"What happened?" Ianto asked. Owen came over to check on him.

"We don't know." Owen answered. "Can you sit up?"

Ianto did as he was told, but fell back. Jack caught him and helped him sit up. Using him to lean on. "What do you remember?" Jack asked as he held onto Ianto tight. Owen was doing various tests that he couldn't do when he was asleep and Luke was watching from the rails.

"I couldn't feel you." Ianto said quietly to Jack. "Then I remember everything was red."

Jack gulped, he knew what that meant and when Ianto stopped talking he knew he wasn't going to push him into telling him. He would when he was ready. Owen seemed to accept that as well.

"Why don't you take him down stairs to sleep?" Luke smiled when he noticed Ianto was falling asleep on Jack's shoulder.

"Owen you should go home, thanks for staying." Jack smiled. "Tell Toshiko and Gwen not to come in till late tomorrow. We'll call if we need anything."

"Alright, look after him." Owen said.

"Always."

-x-

Jack helped Ianto downstairs and sat him in his arms under the covers, they were both too tired to get undressed. "I was so scared I lost you." Jack whispered in his ear. He wondered if Ianto could hear him, probably not. Ianto moved closer to him in his sleep, his head resting on his shoulder arms around his waist. "I love you, Ianto." Jack placed a gentle kiss on his lips and sighed and let sleep take him as well.

-x-

Owen and Toshiko walked in at half twelve together hand in hand. Luke was sat on the sofas, the hub looked much better then it had last night. But they both felt guilty for letting Luke do all the cleaning.

"You shouldn't have." Toshiko said as she handed Luke a cup of coffee she had brought on the way in.

"It was a good distraction." Luke smiled honestly. "How are you two feeling?"

"Good." Owen smiled. "Is Ianto okay?"

"He's still asleep." Luke answered. "He'll probably be asleep for the rest of the day and night."

"What about Jack?" Toshiko asked.

"He's awake, but he needs to be close to Ianto. There connection splintered last night."

"What do you mean splintered?" Owen asked. He had hoped that he would be able to remember something whilst he slept, like he had amnesia, but he and Toshiko both woke up with no memory of what had happened.

"I'm not sure what happened, but some how their connection was broken. His parents did that. Now they need to stay together for a while, in contact just to rebuild their strength."

"Bet Jack will love that, having an actual reason for being physical." Owen laughed.

"Yeah. Any news on Gwen?"

"She probably wont be in till tomorrow." Toshiko sighed. "If she comes back at all."

"Oh she's definitely going to come back, to demand what the hell happened!" Owen laughed.

"Something to look forward to then." Toshiko laughed.

-x-

Jack could feel Ianto's fear and he knew just by the slight shaking of his body that his partner was having a nightmare. He wanted to wake him up, but Luke had said it might take some time for him to wake up. But he didn't want to watch him sleep for ages being plagued by the nightmares he was trapped in.

"It's okay, Yan. I'm here." Jack whispered.

"Jack!" Ianto cried in his sleep.

"It's okay, I'm here. You're safe, I'm safe..."

There was a muffled scream in his shoulder as Ianto pushed himself out of his sleep. He stared at Jack through hazy eyes.

"Hey, you're okay." Jack whispered as he wrapped his arms around him.

"I killed them, Jack." Ianto cried. "I let their power over take me."

"You had to, it's okay." Jack tried to reassure him but he could tell that it wasn't working.

"They were right, I am evil."

"No you're a hero." Jack kissed him hard on the lips. "Come on, you're exhausted let's get some more sleep."

"I'm sorry." Ianto sighed.

"Nothing to be sorry for." Jack smiled. Ianto nodded against his shoulder before falling asleep again.

***