Making Memories

[missthingsplace]

Title: Making Memories
Author: missthingsplace
Parings/characters: Ianto, Jack
Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood or any of the characters ... unfortunately.
Summary: Ianto gives Jack some advice
Spoilers: None
Warnings: A little sad ...
Rating: pg

Written for day twenty eight of the redismycolour Winter Challenge

The SUV screeched to a halt at the zebra crossing, Jack watched as an elderly lady pushed an elderly gentlemen across slowly in a wheelchair while Ianto watched the strange look on his face.

“You okay Jack?” He asked as the light turned green and they proceeded down the road again.

“Yeah.” Jack replied, a little distantly, gazing out the side window of the SUV as Ianto drove.

Later walking across the Plass Jack raced across it without any heed to the slippery snow beneath his feet and caught another elderly lady as she fell before Ianto even realised what was happening, he caught them up as Jack brushed the snow from her coat and handed her the walking stick she had dropped.

“Thank you young man.” She smiled.

“You're welcome ma'am, sure you're not hurt?” Jack asked concerned.

“Not in the slightest, must be going.” She told him and carefully began to walk across the Plass again.

“Good deed for the day?” Ianto asked smiling.

“One day we all might need a stranger to come to our rescue, help us.” Jack told him, frowning slightly as the retreating woman's back.

Ianto took Jack's hand. “Come on, lets get out of the cold.”

“Mmmm.” Jack mumbled and allowed Ianto lead him towards the invisible lift.

Once they touched down at the bottom Jack left Ianto standing as he rushed off to his office, Ianto knew something was troubling him but decided to let him be for a while. Heading down to cells he checked on Janet, gave her her lunch and then went back up to the main hub to do the same for Myfanwy.

“What's up with Jack Tea-boy, had a tiff?” Owen snarked.

“No idea what you're on about.” Ianto told him blandly.

“He's sat up there like he lost a million and found a fiver.”

Ianto sighed. “He's been a bit quiet all day, no idea what's going on in his head.”

“Ever thought of asking him?”

“Why me?”

“'Cos, well ... it's what you do.” Shrugged Owen.

“I'll make coffee.” Ianto turned on his heal and headed for the kitchenette before Owen could say another word.

When he arrived in Jack office a short time later Owen had left for the night and Jack was leaning back in his chair, feet up on his desk and a look of contemplation on his face. Ianto placed the mugs on the desk, sat in the chair opposite but didn't seem to have noticed him having entered the room.

“Jack?” He said softly, not wanting to startle him.

No response.

“Jack.” He repeated, a little louder.

Jack moved his head, finally focusing on Ianto and looking a little sad.

“What up Jack?”

“Doesn't matter.” Jack replied, lowering his feet and picking up his mug.

“You've been quiet all day, not like you at all. Even Owen's noticed.”

“Just thinking.”

“Bloody hell Jack, just talk to me!” Ianto exclaimed.

“Have you ..” Jack paused, trying to collect his words. “Do you ever think about getting old? Do you want to get old? What if you lost all your facilities and only had your memories to keep you going?”

“I've never really thought about it, in fact with this job it's likely I'll die young and won't even have the option.”

“But if you didn't suffer death by Torchwood?”

“Then I hope I have enough memories, good memories to carry me through my final years. Jack, what is this really about?”

“I get scared of getting old, if I really can't die I could be old for a very long time. For thousands of years, millions.”

“How old are you now Jack?”

“Heading for 2140 years.”

“And when we met?”

“About 135.”

Okay, you've aged over 2000 years since we met and you don't look any older.”

“So you think I could go on for thousands of years before I even begin to look like I'm ageing?”

“Yep.”

“But it's not just about ageing in that sense, in how I look.”

“I guessed that, you're worried about becoming old, infirm ... incapable of taking care of yourself.”

“Yeah.”

“Jack, it comes to us all eventually. Yes, it will take you a much much longer time to reach that point than anyone else on this planet and yes, you may end up like you describe but life is for living. The here and now, relishing in everything around you and collecting those good memories for when the time comes so you know your life was worth it, worth living and letting someone take care of you for a change when need be.”

“Good memories eh?”

Ianto nodded.

“I have quite a few already, you want to help me make more?” Jack lent across his desk and took Ianto's hand, his thumb rubbing in circles over Ianto's wrist.

“As many as possible.” Ianto smiled, lifting Jack's hand with his and kissing his knuckles.

Jack stood and moved around the desk, pulling Ianto close he kissed him tenderly before leading him down to the room below his office.

*

The Face Of Boe liked to be left alone, it gave him time to think. If he thought really hard he could remember the young man who told him to make lots of  good memories, the young man who seemed to feature in rather a lot of them. The ones that made him the happiest.

The End.