Title: Blood Is Thicker Than Water
By: Jessie Blackwood
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Rating: M
Disclaimer: Don't own Torchwood or the characters, they are the BBCs domain. I just own the plot line. Any resemblance to any person living or dead is purely coincidental. Would you want to resemble any of this lot anyway?
Series: 1) Calling Dr Jones, 2) The Doctor Is In, 3) The Doctor In Action
Warnings: AU, ongoing series
Summary: AU where everyone is alive, (including Suzie), and Ianto is a doctor.

'Jack, I need to talk to you.'

'OK Ianto, shoot.'

'Er…I'd prefer not to do this at gun point, if you don't mind…'

Jack paused a fraction of second before laughing out loud. 'Funny guy, huh? OK, take a seat. What can I do for you?'

Ianto had taken his opportunity the last time Jack had 'died' to take some blood so he could do some tests. He felt it a priority under the circumstances. The Captain hadn't actually agreed to this but there was a deal about Jack Harkness that Ianto didn't know but he felt it his duty to find some of it out, especially the biological side of him. Jack healed incredibly quickly and he wasn't sure if that was the effects of the Vortex energy or what it had done to him. He was also trying to understand the mechanics of it all. While the quicker and cleaner the death, the faster he came back held true for most instances, there had been a couple of times where that equation hadn't proved true.

The Team might have non existent medical records but Ianto had managed to glean a lot from reading past mission reports. Somebody had maintained decently detailed records of all the team's missions and he was able to learn a lot from them, saving himself having to ask extensive questions about injuries and illnesses from the team themselves. He also managed to find out a lot about Jack from the early observations of the first Torchwood operatives, Emily Holdroyd and Alice Guppy. They had maintained a more objective air concerning Jack and his exploits. Their observations were detailed and impartial (well, at least, impartial considering they were obviously not affected by his charm).

Jack's blood seemed to be suffused with the same energy as the rest of him and Ianto wanted to understand if it retained any of those properties when it was removed. Ianto also wanted to understand whether the blood could impart its qualities to the receiver. Any one of them could suffer severe damage at any moment and he wanted to be ready. After all, Jack had said himself, they needed to be.

The operating theatre was good to go, a proper examination couch in one corner with screens that could be pulled round it, metal tables, a proper operating bed, with the brightest of overhead lights and state-of-the-art, top-of-the-range equipment. He had proper trauma equipment, anaesthesia and monitors. There was a suite of four rooms, including post op and intensive care, plus two bedrooms with ensuite shower rooms, complete with equipment to handle patient aftercare. The beds were adjustable to allow for any alien patients they might have to accommodate. Overall, he was impressed at the speed with which things had happened and said so. Jack merely smiled and expressed the hope non of them would need it any time soon.

Jack had to admit that having an ex-Torchwood medic with them was an advantage. He was no stranger to alien life and technology and he also had extensive Torchwood field training. Post Canary Wharf, he had worked in A&E for the better part of a year, and he had also, he told Jack, worked for the Red Cross in a war zone a few years previously. It had been his first post-qualification job as an eager idealistic young doctor out to make a difference. Ianto had quickly found he was getting shot at on a daily basis while predominantly treating gun shot wounds and knife injuries. His dreams of changing the world had dissipated fairly quickly. He was, however, a tenacious and conscientious researcher and Torchwood had been eager to draw him in and mould him to their needs on his return.

Ianto had to admit that Jack's blood intrigued him. Standard tests revealed it had neither blood group nor rhesus factor. It coagulated normally, although he knew Jack more often than not healed quickly enough not to require this factor. It displayed an ability to transfuse with all blood groups, even negative rhesus factors. He sat back from his test results feeling slightly stunned. It meant, quite simply, that their boss was a walking blood transfusion service.

'What can I do for you?' For a moment, Ianto just stood there, uncertain what Jack's reaction would be. After all, he hadn't asked his permission with regards to this.

'Your blood.' He said, succinctly.

'What about it?'

'I've been running some tests, I thought you'd like to hear the results.'

'OK, do I recall giving you permission?' Jack frowned.

'Er…no Sir. Not entirely. I believe you actually expressed slight reluctance.'

'I did, huh?' Jack sat back and put his feet on the desk. 'I see that didn't stop you though.' He smiled, amused. 'Might have known you'd not take no for an answer. So, what have you found?'

'A few interesting things. My problem is, I have no other 51st century subjects to use as control so I have no idea if the properties associated with your blood are due to your immortality or your origins as a 51st century human.'

'Right, so what have you found? I might be able to throw some light on it.'

'First, you have no Rhesus factor.'

'That's evolution.'

'So you knew about that?'

'Yes. Our previous medic pointed it out to me.'

Ianto ticked off a point on his clipboard. 'It doesn't seem to fit any established blood groups either. Although it seems not to cause a problem mixing with anything.'

'Hey, what can I say, its friendly.'

'Well, it is yours after all. Guess it comes with the territory.'

Ianto gazed at Jack until the man responded with a 'What?'

'You realise what this means?'

'That my blood flirts like I do?'

'You're a walking blood transfusion service Jack.'

'I believe I remember saying that I didn't think that was a good idea.'

'Yes, well, I made an executive decision based upon the fact that as your doctor I can't work with half a story and I need to know exactly what my resources are.'

'I'm a resource?'

'Well, that depends…'

'On what?'

'Whether you give your permission to be.' Ianto frowned. 'Jack, are you seriously going to tell me you'd deny someone a transfusion of your blood, any one of us, if we were bleeding to death?' Jack frowned. 'Because I can't understand how you could possibly do that, knowing what you know.' He reached over and took the Webley out of its holster where it lay on the desk. 'Here.' He said, handing it over. Frowning, Jack took it and Ianto turned his back. 'Shoot me.'

'Pardon?'

'Go on, back of the head. Quick and clean, please.' He folded his arms and waited.

'What are you doing, Ianto? This isn't funny. I have no intention of…'

'Too damn right it isn't funny, Jack!' Ianto whirled on him and glared into his eyes although his voice, when he spoke, was reasonable in tone. 'Too damn right it isn't funny. It isn't funny that you would stand there and deny your team something that could potentially save their lives! It isn't funny that you've got me working for you because you have no medic, but you won't let me do my job. It isn't funny that you can't let me go because I'm immune to retcon otherwise you'd have to shoot me. Its Torchwood Protocol. But if I want to resign, what do I do? If I want to leave because you won't allow me to do my job, what then? If you won't allow me to progress my researches so your team can receive the best possible care if bloody Torchwood manages to give them a near-death experience, then you'll have to do your duty, Harkness. Right now, I wonder why I let you talk me into this. I should have let you put a bullet in my head right there and then. I should have run and taken my chances.' Jack was staring at him, open mouthed.

'All this because I didn't give you my precious permission to experiment with my blood?'

'No Jack, because you won't use your own blood to save your own team mates.'

'Ianto, you're the scientist. Surely you know I have no idea what it could do to them. You have no idea…I wouldn't wish this on my own worst enemy.' Jack snarled. 'Do you have any conception of how it feels to watch loved ones die and to carry on, to wait over a century for someone that shows up only to tell you there's nothing can be done about you, that you're wrong, you are not meant to be?' He glowered at the younger man. 'I am immortal, not just immortal, I keep coming back, I snap back to the point I was just before I died. Prime of life, factory settings, perfection! Ianto, I have no idea if exposure to my blood could render someone else immortal too. Don't you see? I am not going to risk that, ever.' He grimaced. 'If you cannot live with that then I don't see a future for us, do you?'

'Us?' Ianto was puzzled. 'Us? What's this about 'us' exactly?'

'I thought we had something going here?' Jack smiled sadly 'You know, you and me?'

'We have something Jack, but we're not much more than fuck buddies…'

'You said you wanted more than that.'

'Yes I do, but I don't know if you can give me it. Look, this is nothing whatever to do with the point I'm trying to make.'

'I know, but it has everything to do with you leaving. I don't want you to leave Yan.'

'Then talk to me. Let me do some more tests at least.'

Jack sighed and sat down again. 'OK, OK, if only so you can confirm this as a bad idea. Mind you, I have no idea how you're going to test this. I do not want immortal lab rats running around because you gave them my blood, you got that?' he fixed Ianto with a forbidding look, then sighed. 'Look, I don't want to deny anybody my blood if they need it, but I don't want to pass my immortality on either. Nobody deserves that. Can't you understand?'

'Yes, I can. I just…I can't ignore a potential life saving resource, can I?' he turned sad eyes on Jack and sighed heavily. 'I couldn't save the victims of Canary Wharf and I'm not in a hurry to lose any more team mates, OK?'

'Ianto, I do understand. I appreciate what you've done so far. If push comes to shove, I'd do it rather than see anyone die, but I hope it doesn't come to that. Lets keep me in reserve, shall we?'

Ianto nodded. 'OK Sir. We'll see how things go, for now.'

'No more thoughts of resigning?'

'No Sir.'

'Good, would hate to have to write the report on that one…' unexpectedly, Jack leaned over and brushed Ianto's lips with his own. Ianto leaned in and kissed back. They broke apart for air and regarded each other from a few inches distant. 'How about tonight?' Jack asked. 'Your place, 7.30?' Ianto smiled.

'OK, my place, 7.30, shall I bring a bottle?'

'I'm always wary of asking doctors that one, you never know what's in it.'

Ianto rolled his eyes again and exited the office. Jack watched him go with a regretful glance. He hated arguing with the doctor but he was very wary about certain things and that was one of them. He already knew he could revive people with a kiss, well, a breath anyway but what was the fun in that? A kiss transferred the energy just as well and was more fun, for both parties. Jack shrugged, went back to his seat and applied himself to deciding what he was going to cook for Ianto.

Next story in series - Ianto Jones and the Last Crusade.