Archive of Our Own

1. Andromache of Scythia/ 1893, London, England.

She didn’t like England. No since…the witch’s trails and Qyuhn. She felt angry and sad as she walked over this land. But she knew than her fury had no fundament as the ones that hurt her and her beloved were longer gone and under the soil. No even their blood relatives survived to time and guilt. And her sorrow was a known companion to her for it’d never abandoned her, it just increased in this piece of land.

However, this one was a stop in her journey, she was travelling to America where the boys were waiting for him, so she had to deal with her discomfort just for a pair of hours and, then, she would be out of the there. As a result, she decided to spend her time in the city in a pub and lost herself a little on alcohol. Booker would be proud of her.

Andy drank the cup of absinthe without thinking how much alcohol she had consumed at the moment. She knew the owner of the place had started looking her with worried eyes and some attendants were blown away by her alcohol’s intake. She would have to leave soon before she attracted unwanted attention.

“Hello”. A masculine voice said at her back, calling out her attention and made her turned around. “Captain Jack Harness,” The man introduce himself with a charming smile that even her couldn’t avoid answered it with one herself.

“My friends called Andy”, She said, feeling herself a little warm. That made her suspected of the man in front of him as she usually had a great control in her reactions. “What are you, Mr. Harkness?” She asked.

Might be the alcohol had made her a little more talkative than she normally was and a little less precarious. It wasn’t like this man could kill her anyways.  Even if that scenario wasn’t preferable. In the face of the peculiar question, Jack almost lost his smile and his look became cooler. The man of the 51^th century analysed the woman in front of him; she was beautiful with her bright blue eyes, black hair and mystic aura. She seemed dangerous and attractive. But something in her, in the way she looked and talked to him, made him warned of her. Both of them looked at each other suspiciously.

“It’s Captain, madame”, He replied with a little smile.

“Is it?” She asked with an arched brow and a predatory smile.

At that moment, a group of men broke violently into the pub. They looked as mercenaries and no one would want to provoke them. Jack Harkness looked at them for a second before recognized them. So, he gave a big apology smile to Andy and started to walk toward the back door when one of the men shout:

“There is that bastard!” He signed at Jack, making all the people to looked at the other one “You stole for me!” He accused Jack.

To that, Jack only gave them a winked before getting out of the place. The group of men ran after him and, in a blink, the pub returned to the normality as nothing had happened. Andy let out a snort and returned her attention to her drink. She was about to drink all the glass when she listened a man next to her said:

“That man should be alive,” His voice sounded terrifying. “I shot him three days ago”. She looked at him, noticed the honest disbelief and horror in his eyes, and let her glass in the bar. “He was flirting with my daughter and I shot him to scare him off but, accidently, I hit him in the chest”.

“You’re drunk, old man”, His companion replied. “Dead men don’t return from their graves looking that good”.

Andy didn’t stay to keep listening as she got up and ran after the man. It was impossible that other like her and her boys existed, Wasn’t it? The man should had been drunk and mistake Jack Harkness with the man he killed. Nonetheless, an instinct told her that it was true and there was another immortal in the world that she hadn’t known about. She ran a few streets when she listened five shots in the alley at her left that made her stop and took a look. The group of mercenaries were death on the ground. Captain Jack Harkness was anywhere to find, though.

“What the fuck?” She cursed to the night.

2. Nicolo di Genova/ 1943, Pacific Islands.

Nicolo hated cages with all his soul. The uncertainly of prison was frustrating and the desperation of being out of control made him angry. He cannot blame his keepers as they were following orders but, still, he would kill them for keep him for seeing Yusuf and check on his family. At least, he was not alone in his cell.

Jack Harkness was a bold american guy that he had met when he and his group were trying to reassemble and go to the extraction point after a rescue and medical mission went wrong. The man had lost his unit as others who had joined them in the run to get out of the jungle and overrun the Japanese’s forces. His charming smile and his positive attitude made him stood out for his pairs.

A week ago, they were ambushed by the enemy’s forces when they were so closed of the extract point. Nicolo himself had seen how the man was shot through the eye and he had thought the other one was dead. So, he fought alone against the soldiers, giving time to his men to escape, when Jack re-joined into the battle and tried to help him. No signs of the wound except for the blood in his face. At this battle, both of them were captured and taken prisoners for the enemy.

They had been tortured and interrogated by the enemy men. Nicolo had tried to be diplomatic but the general in charge didn’t like it and let him without food for three days. Luckily, Jack was kind and he shared anything he got in his hands with him. Both of them noticed that the other cured unnaturally quick but they didn’t say anything to not alert their keepers, who hadn’t picked up the detail.

“How much time are they gonna keep us?” Jack asked after a long period of silence. “We don’t have any tactical information and they are losing territory everyday”, he commented bored.

“They had discussed about it at the dinner time”, Nicolo said. “They are waiting for orders but some wanted to use us as example for the americans”.

“Do you speak Japanese?” The other questioned. Nicolo nodded with a smirk in his face. “How many languages do you speak?”

“Some”. He answered. “I understand more than I speak”. He looked at the other man with foxy eyes. “My Yusuf is the one who can speak a lot of languages”.

“Tell me more about him”, he requested softly, “We don’t have anything more to do”, he added.

“He is my soul”. Nicolo replied and Jack looked at him touched. “Every day I pass a day in his presence I know I am the luckiest man in the whole world”. Nicolo closed his eyes and thought of his beloved. “His eyes have the warmest tone of brown and his smile is the brighter”. He could recall the face of his Yusuf better than his. “His laugh is a caress and his touch is a delicacy”. He opened his eyes and looked at his companion. “He is my life and I am his".

“Your love for him sounds impossible”, Jack confessed stunned.

“Miracles happen every moment, you and I know it, and my love for him is one of them”. He responded. “I will love him until my last minute in this world and, even if my moment arrives, I’ll love him in whatever follows this existence”, He sworn.

Jack opened his mouth to speak when the general entered with a stern look in his face. The man looked at them before taking out his gun and pointing out at Nicolo. He looked at him without fear while Jack started screaming to him, trying to called the other one’s attention, but it was unsuccessful. The last thing the genovese heard was the gunshot.

When he woke up, he wasn’t in the cell anymore and Jack were next to him, sitting and keeping a bonfire alive. They were on the jungle again and the other one had blood over himself. Nicolo got up and looked worried at the american man.

“They had grown suspicious of us”, Jack said at the same time he offered him a bottle of water. “They killed you to prove it”, Nicolo took the bottle and drank of it. “I kill them”, he confessed.

“Thank you”, He said with a raspy voice. Nicolo realised the man had killed every man in the camp and brought him to safety. “Thank you so much”, Jack just smiled.

3. Yusuf Al-Kaysani/ 2001, New York, United States of America

Nicolo and Yusuf had taken a little vacation to visit the greats city of the west world in this new millennium when the 9/11 happened. Immediately, they forgot about their vacation and had volunteered to help in the rescue missions and cleanings labours. At first, all help was accepted so, they worked as hard as they could to save as many lives as they could.   

The problems begun two weeks after the attack. Yusuf could understand the necessity of the human to point out an enemy and blame it for their pain. He had seen it very different times in his long existence and, yet, he wasn’t ready for the hate he would receive for the people he was trying to save a few days ago.

For them, he was now the enemy, the one who was responsible for the attack, and they treated him like it. More than one looked with angry in their face, others were scared of him (he was heartbroken when mother hide their children of him or kids looked at him with fear in their eyes) and a few of them had spoken out his rage on him. He tried to keep himself untouched by the words as he knew that they were blind and hurt but his Nicolo were mad to this people.

Nicky remembered as well as him the crusades and this remaindered them of it. The hate speech, people turning against their neighbours, the believing barriers and the judgement of one belief system over other. He could see in Nicky’s eyes the fear of seeing the segregation and condemn of muslims that were innocents. His guilty since he remembered the first crusade and the teachings of hate he carried before he had met Yusuf.

To avoid fights between Nicky and this people, Yusuf decided stop helping and staying in their flat as much as possible. His beloved would not tolerate than someone insult him. For that, Yusuf, Joe, were alone, preparing dinner, when he noticed that he needed some groceries to finish the meal.

Looking at the clock, he decided he had time to go and return to the store and he did it. He went to the closet store, a little one that belong to a small immigrate family, and smiled when he saw the kids of the owner playing outside. He was choosing his groceries when he listened the kids screamed.

“Baba!” The boy cried out as he run into the store with his little sister behind him. Following them were two masked men with shotguns. The owner put the children behind him and his arms over his head.

“Bastard, gave me all the money!” One of the men said as he pointed his weapon to him. The man surrendered the money without thinking, He didn’t want to be harmed or put his children in danger

“You’re come into my country, kill my people and stole for us!” The other man yelled when his companion took the money. “I’m gonna kill you, bitch!” He exclaimed aggressively as he pointed his gun and took the safe of it.

Joe decided to intervene and disarmed the man. He was enraged with these fucking men were treating innocent people and children. They were cowards. They were using the general panic for their advantages. They hated people and wanted to be feel powerful over others.

But he was not the only one. At the same time, he disarmed one of them, other man entered in action and did likewise with the other. The man was tall and worn a blue navy long coat. He single-handed the man as an expert fighter and knock out the robber with a punch. Joe did the same, keeping the eyes in the unknow male.

The man, feeling the weight of the Joe’s eyes over him, turned over to see him and through him a charming smile. He was good looking with his square chin and shining blue eyes. Joe wasn’t a blind man and he could appreciate beauty when it was in front of him.

“Thank you”, the owner said to them and the man hugged his children, grateful to God for these two men.

“No problem”, The man said, his eyes were gentle as he looked at the kids, and shook the owner’s hand. “Don’t worry, the police are in his way”, he added, “they will take the garbage out of your store”, he looked with disdain to the men on the floor.

“They are gonna be back!” The boy screamed. “The police never do shit!” The father shushed his son and the girl seemed alarmed by the vocabulary of her brother.

“Don’t worry, son”. The man said, kneeing to be at his height and looking him in the eyes, and put his hands on his shoulders. “I would make sure they don’t hurt family, I promise you”.

The man was a military man or an intelligence agent for what Yusuf could see. He would probably make his promise true and put pression over the court to punish the criminals. Just his presences would be enough to help a lot as his testimony would be took seriously. It would have been different if the owner called the police and presented charge by himself; there’s was a big chance he would be ignored or treated to not continue the trait.

Joe felt how someone pulled his sleeve, trying to called his attention, and made him looked down. The little girl looked at him with her big brown eyes, her checks had rest of her dry tears. He smiled to her and was rewarded with a shy smile.

“Thank you, sir”, the girl said and hugged him. “God be with you”, she added as a blessing and appreciation in their mother tongue.

“And with you, too”, he answered in the same language, surprising the girl and making her shine with a happy expression. The owner had listed him too, as he smiled to Joe, and hugged him.

The boy gave him his groceries basket, now in a paper bag, and thanked him too. Joe tried to paid for it but the owner dismissed it. He had saved his family and he couldn’t accept his money for it. The white man looked at him with a founded expression in his face.

“I should go back”, Joe murmured as he saw the clock in the store, Nicky will be back soon, and the handsome man was the only one who heard him.

“I will stay until the police arrive”, he said, “so, you can go home if you need to”. he offered kindly. “Your wife would be waiting for the groceries”, he added when he noticed the bad in his arms.

“Husband”, he corrected friendly and looked to the family to said his farewells.

“Of course,” Joe heard the handsome man murmured as he walked out of the store. “All the pretty ones are taken”, and Joe had to contain a laugh.

It was a relief to see than even in a stress time there were good people in the world. The good-looking man was one of them and one of the reasons Nicolo and he continued fighting for…The only thing he regretted was not asking the man his name or number, Nicky would be delighted to meet him.

4. Sebastien le Livre/ 2009, Madrid, Spain.

Booker drank a sip of his beer as he watched the football match in the old tv of the shitty bar that he had found that night. Andy had travelled to Wales to meet with Nicky and Joe and tried to convince the new guy to join to their group. He had decided stayed behind and wait for them in the Hispanic country, no really exciting to meet the new guy and deal with him for the moment.

He regretted the decision as he hated being lonely. Seclusion always brought out the worst of him. He had passed the last few days drinking in their safe house until tiredness took him over. For that, in an effort to recovered a little of humanity, he had crawled out of his misery’s hole and ended here.

Nevertheless, his attempt was fruitless- He still felt like shit, the only difference was that he had people moving around him. Therefore, he decided to drink as much as he could, might be hook up with someone, until he forgot his own name. The next day, he would be felt worst but it didn’t matter for the moment.

“Una botella de whisky”, A man said to the barman at the same time he sat next to Booker.

The French man glanced at him. The man looked as miserable as him: his hair was uncombed, his clothes dirty and his eyes were cloud by a big sorrow. His Spanish pronunciation ratted him out as an english speaker and the way he dragged his world told on his drunken state.

“You should slow down, my friend”, Booker said sympathetic when the barman gave him the bottle, taking the money the man put on the bar, and the other man started drinking for it.

“Friend?” He said and looked at him. His blue eyes studied him a little before he gave him a sad smile. “Thanks for worry but it will be need more that this to knock me out”, He ensured and took a long shot of the bottle.

Booker shrugged and returned his attention to the tv. He nursed his drink slowly, drinking little sips, and watched the match. It would funnier if Joe were here too…The man next to him finished his second bottle at the very moment Booker ended his first beer and he didn’t seem satisfied. The French man felt bad for him.

“I’m sorry, Ianto”, the man murmured to himself. “I failed you…” He started to cried. “…and Alice…” His laments started to get louder and his body shook violently for it.

Booker looked at this man and decided to help him out. He could see himself in him and he would have wanted to be assist.  He put a bunch of bills in the bar and got up, calling out the barman and paying for both of them. Carefully, he carried the man out of the place. The other didn’t oppose or fight him, he just let himself go.

The french carried him all the way to a hostel. It was a small one and in the front desk was a small woman who looked worried at the sight of them. Booker paid for a room with a charming smile in his face. The little female gave him the keys, her eyes in the other man, and asked him to not let him puke in the common areas.

He entered into the room and let the man in the bed. This one was still cried but he was slowly falling into the oblivion. Booker freed him of his long coat and covered him with a blanket. He put the coat in a chair and looked around him without knowing if he should go or stay. Undecided, he explored the pockets of his coat.

In there were a wallet and a pocket watch. No cellphone or other trinkets. He checked the wallet an found nothing useful, just money and two photos. The first one was a young woman with a baby in her arms and other was…the new guy, the new immortal…Ianto Jones.

Booker looked at the sleeping man with a new perspective. This man was part of the past of the immortal Ianto Jones (friend or lover) and he was mourning him. He was devasted since he thought Ianto was death.  He was like Booker’s wife and sons after he became immortal.

Booker’s heart broke more than it was. This was the suffering that they caused to the ones they left behind. He wanted to help this man but he couldn’t. And it will be better if he didn’t. So, he left him in the hostel, getting out without alerting him or the workers, and took the picture of Ianto with him. It would be better if he forgets about Ianto soon…Booker knew that he would not tell anything to Ianto when he finally met him.

5. Nile Freeman/ 2019, Berlin, Germany.

Ianto was taking care of Andy’s injuries and the love birds, better known as Nicky and Joe, were busy in their room when Nile got bored of being inside their safe house. They had been in Berlin for two weeks and they hadn’t done anything else besides staying inside. The woman was getting nuts of seeing the same four walls all the time.

“You should go and tour the city”, Ianto said as he entered the living room with the dirty dishes of Andy’s lunch. The man seemed to be able to read her mind.

“The others…” She started saying.

“They are recovering for their wounds”, Ianto interrupted with kind eyes. “You are doing it too”. She bit her bottom lip. “And it will be the best for your mental health to distract yourself a little bit and breathe fresh air”, he recommended her and gave her a cellphone and a wallet.

“What...?” she tried to asked.

“Called me if you get lost, want company or its past dinner time”, he said. “It’s a secure line”, he promised with a smile and went into the kitchen to clean the dishes.

She looked at the objects for a second before she took her jacket and got out of the house.  The wallet was full euros and a false ID with her name. She didn’t know when or how Ianto did this but she couldn’t be more grateful. She had passed the last week moping for her blood family and she really had needed the distraction.

Nile visited every museum opened in the city. She spent a lot of time in them; admiring, taking notes and photos of every exposition. When she was obligated to leave the museums since it was time to closed, she decided to take a bite in a near coffee shop. She was sitting, waiting for her order, when a man cleared his throat and called her attention.

“Hello” he said in english and american accent. “Can I take a sit?” He asked. “All places are taken”, He clarified with a smile.

“Yes”, She accepted and the man sat in front of her.

He was handsome, Nile admitted. He worn vintage style clothes but it suited him. It gave him a mystery aura. And he smelled delicious. No, that Nile was actively trying to smelling, that would be creepy, but she was capable of smelling his aftershave. It wasn’t overpowering and it was really nice.

“Jack Harkness”, He introduced himself with a flirty tone.

“Nile Freeman”, She answered and offer her hand.

“Navy or Army?” He asked as he shook her hand.

“Army”, she responded, “How do you know?” She questioned curious.

“Your way of shaking hands”, He said. “I have always loved my people in uniforms”.

“Really?” She asked sceptic when their drinks came. Both of them took a sip of their drinks and shrink on disgusted. The coffee was tasteless in comparison with Ianto’s coffee. She noticed that the man disliked his drink too. “What?”

“It is the first time I drink coffee in a long time”, He explained, “But it tasted horrible”

“It’s not that bad”, She replied with an arched brow.

“No, it’s not bad”, He said. “It worst…” She laughed at his face. “My Ia…my ex did it better”, he completed with a nostalgic smile.

“Why did you break up then?” She questioned since she was curious naturally.

“We didn’t”, He answered and took a long sip of the beverage.

“I am sorry”, She apologised as she realised what he was implying.

“No worry”, he dismissed. “You didn’t know”, He drank of his coffee, “It happened ten years ago…that the reason I am here”.

“Ten years?” She asked touched by the fact he still was mourning him. “Did they were from here?”

“No, he was from Wales”, he answered. “He was a proud welsh man and I loved him…” The tears in his eyes were visible. “I still do”, he admitted.

“So, you’re returned to Europe”, she concluded and he nodded after a second of doubt. “Well, what was his…?” Her cell phone’s ringtone interrupted her. She sent him an apologised looked and answered, “Hello”.

“Are you gonna come to dinner?” Joe asked at the other side of the line. “Nicolo is cooking”.

“Oh!” She exclaimed and looked at the time; she hadn’t notice it was dinner time already, “Yes, he promises me the best focaccia in the world!” She took her coffee in her other hand and got up. “Don’t distract him, Joe!” The other man laughed. “I am serious!” She warned, “I will be there in ten minutes”, She said before hang up and looked at Jack.

“Have a good dinner with your family!” Jack wished her with a polite smile. She gave him a smile as a goodbye and ran out. Jack took a sip of the coffee and closed his eyes. It was nice being back in Earth after ten years of intergalactic travelling.

+1 2020, Cardiff, Wales.

Jack looked the sea and enjoyed the cold breeze after a long day in the city. He had returned to the planet six months ago but he hadn’t had the courage to return to Cardiff until three days ago. Travelling with a global pandemic was tedious but, at least, he was able to arrive to Wales in one piece. The face mask remaindered him of the Spanish flu but it didn’t bother him if it let him visit the place he had come to see.

He had visited the old torchwood hub, what it remained of it, and the cemetery. Ianto’s sister had put a gravestone in his honour, even if she hadn’t had a body to bury. Alice had had done the same for Steven. The immortal didn’t try to contact his daughter, he knew she hadn’t forgiven him and he didn’t hope for it.

“Jack?” He listened someone called for him, a man.

“Yes?” He turned around and found Nicky Smith in front of him. The genovese was impossible to confuse, even with the face mask.

 Jack smiled to him and hugged him. He hadn’t seen him since 1943 when they fought together in the pacific. The other man was an anomaly in human mortality but the doctor had said his affliction was different than his.

 They separated when they remember the current circumstance and the sanitary measures. Some people gave them a dirty look but they ignored. It was easy to forget the need of distance restrictions when you cannot die and you meet a fellow immortal who you haven’t seen in years.

“Where have you been?” Nicky asked happily.

“Travelling”, He answered simply. “Visit old friend”, he added as he though in Ianto’s gravestone.

A woman and a man walked toward them with groceries bags in their hands. The man looked familiar to Jack but he couldn’t point him out. On the other hand, he recognised the woman.

“Nile Freeman, is that you?” He asked with a flirty tone.

“You’re the guy for Berlin”, she said. “Jack”, She remembered his name, “did you come to visit your ex?” She asked empathic.

“Yes”, he said. “His gravestone at least”. He added and looked to Nicky who took the other man hand. “Do you all know each other?” He questioned while he looked at the three of them.

“Yes, Jack”, Nicky responded. Nile looked confused since she didn’t know that Nicky have met Jack before. “He is my Yusuf”, he introduced Joe with pride. “And this is my little sister, Nile”.

“Yusuf?” Jack repeated in disbelief. “But…” He didn’t know there were more immortals than he and Nicky. “Is he like you?” he asked.

“We are like you”, Joe answered and made the attempt of hug him but stop himself. “Thank you for bring my Nicolo safe to me in 1943”.

“It was my pleasure”, He replied automatically¸ he was still in shocked as well as Nile.

“Come with us”, Nicky invited him. “We were going to have dinner in our house and it will be nice to have you”.

“Yeah”, He accepted astonished and let himself be conducted to a car and got in. They were on the road when Jack broke his amazement and processed information. “All of you cannot die”, He said with a smile.

“No”, Nicky answered for the co-pilot sit, “Do you really believe that you and me were the only ones?”

“Yes, the Doctor said…” He answered and then he changed his way of thoughts; he had to accept that the Doctor doesn’t always have the answers. “I hadn’t met another one since you…” Nile looked at him with an arched brow. “I didn’t know you were immortal too”, He admitted. “Or you….” He said to Joe. “Did we meet in New York?”.

“Yes, we did”, Joe answered. “You called me pretty,” He added mockingly

“Did he?”  Nile asked amused. “Did you flirt with everyone?” she questioned him.

“He does”; Nicky replied for Jack and Jack let out an annoyed sound. “And, he was right, you’re are pretty.” The genovese said to his beloved. “The prettiest one in the world and at my eyes”, he flirted.

“I was just saying hello”, Jack defended himself and Nile laughed loudly, ignoring the cheesy pairing.

“How old are you?” She asked curious.

“It’s complicated”, He responded but, before he could explain more, they arrived to the old guard safe house and he shut up as he recognized the place.

It was an old house that Ianto had always been fondly of and had wished to buy it. It was big, with six bedrooms, a front garden and backyard, and located far of the urban zone of Cardiff. The last feature was the main reason that had stopped Ianto for buy it for he had to live near the hub. Life have never stopped surprising Jack as he followed the other three inside.

“We are home!” Joe shouted out and a familiar man ran down the stairs and stopped shocked to see Jack, “Did you finished talking with Copley, Booker?” Sebastien were asked but he didn’t answer.

Two women entered to the room with smiles in their faces. One had long black hair and the other one had a pixie haircut. They were dirty and sweating. Both of them worn sport clothes and carried wooden swords with them. The women looked at him too; the one with long hair gave him an analytic looked and the other one an amused looked. The silent dominated the place for seconds before it was broken by a male voice:

“Jack?” The man asked with a broken voice.

The person was coming for the kitchen, for the left for the group. Jack knew that voice and he thought he would never listen it again in his life. Jack had heard it enraged, bored, polite, flirted, unamused and hoarse after a night of sex. That beautiful vocals belonged to his Ianto.

Jack looked at his left and saw him. Ianto was there, breathing and so alive, with a dishrag in his hands. He was wearing a white shirt and jeans, which made him look more attractive or was it just Jack perception? He looked an him with tearful eyes.

Neither of them knew who moved first but it didn’t matter. They were kissed each other with the passion that time couldn’t kill. Ianto hugged him with forced, refusing to let him go. Jack did the same. The others in the room dispersed in the house, they would have a lot to discuss at dinner time, in attempt of gave them privacy. The lovers would have to talk soon but, at this moment, they just enjoyed the presence of the other.