gracie_musica | Different Kind of Magic -- We All Fall Down

Title: Different Kind of Magic
Chapter Eleven: We All Fall Down
Date Written: 5/16/09
Rating: PG/K+
Word Count: 1,552
Fandom: Torchwood/Doctor Who
Characters/Pairings: Ianto/Jack, Doctor/Rose, Bilis (TW), Owen, Martha, John Lumic (DW)
Spoilers: Doctor Who up through Season 04, Torchwood up through 02, Different Sort of Science and To Days To Come.
Warnings: AU like whoa
Author's Notes: Thanks so much to my gorgeous betas

totally4ryo and

katestamps, who are my sounding boards, my muses, and all-around fantastic girls. Okay. I know it's been a while and I'm sorry; but finals are over and the muses are alive again! Also? I was far too happy to write this chapter. I scared people.

And, because I can:

wrianojune. We'd be ecstatic to have you!

Previous chapters found here.

Book cover by

et_muse

"Something in the air. Something's coming. A storm's approaching..."
-- The Doctor, Fear Her

After about four months, the kingdom finally managed to come to some sort of even keel. There was still a certain level of newness about, but Ianto knew it would fade eventually.

Ianto had more on his plate to worry about than the new royals, anyway. He still had to do his own magic studies with his peers, which now included mental exercises with the others, but he also taught basic Magic Theory to students who were newly-triggered or who had magic in their family lines in addition to his work as Torchwood House's second. Jack's idea to include more students had resulted in an influx of children who lived in close proximity. A good portion of the time he spent with his lover involved them interviewing and placing students and dealing with the day-to-day operations of the House.

Ianto, who'd spent most of his life keeping up with customer ledgers and measurements and making sure fabric was flawless, took to the record-keeping part instantly. Jack often got frustrated with the hassle of looking at the little details and putting together new student papers. To compensate and to save everyone's sanity, Ianto often did more than his fair share, but there were some things that just needed Jack's signature on them.

The skittering sound of something hard skimming over wood and paper didn't surprise Ianto. Neither did the sound of his nephew's voice drifting into his office from Jack's.

"Uncle Ianto! Uncle Jack's throwing fits again!"

"Am not, tattle tell!" came Jack's reply, followed by the lilting sound of little boy laughter. It wasn't unusual for Ross to be in either of their offices in the evenings doing his schoolwork under his uncles' watchful eyes. Most of Ross' mates were locals who went home at the end of the day, while the little boy opted to stay in the House with Ianto.

Jack and Ross both enjoyed distracting each other from their work. Ianto never could deny either of them when they were laughing.

There was a faint knock at the door to Jack's office, and Ianto pushed away from his desk. He was in the doorway between their offices when the door swung open to reveal the house manager, Bilis Manger, holding a tray bearing a sealed letter. Ianto recognized the wax seal as Rose's crest. "Is that mine or Jack's?" he asked.

"This is for Mister Harkness," Bilis said, looking at Jack, who had Ross swept up off the floor and was tickling the squirming boy. "The rider just came in not ten minutes ago," he continued, watching as Jack set Ross down on the floor.

Ianto looked at his nephew and smiled. "Go do the rest of your work in your own room," he told the boy, ruffling his hair. Ross did as he was bid, and Ianto turned his attention to his lover, watching Jack roughly break the seal with his finger. Both Ianto and Bilis watched Jack read the letter, the aging house manager with what Ianto recognized as practiced disinterest. It was a look he'd seen his father wear many times, and Ianto appreciated the quiet professionalism.

Deep down, he was glad that Bilis hadn't gone with the Doctor to Capitol. He'd been an invaluable resource in helping things tick over smoothly during the switchover.

Jack folded the letter back up along its creases, signaling that he was through reading. He handed the note over to Ianto for the Mage to read while looking directly at Bilis. "Please tell Owen to pack a bag with a few days' worth of clothing, and have the stables make sure our horses are ready for travel within the hour."

Bilis nodded and backed away, off to do what had been asked of him. Jack swept by Ianto without another word, making the younger man take long strides to catch -- and keep -- up with him as they walked the familiar path to their quarters. "What happened?"

"It's a letter from Capitol," Jack said.

"I know, I recognized the seal." Ianto walked a touch faster, turning to walk backwards and look at Jack when he was talking. "Is everything all right?"

"The Queen and the Doctor and Donna are fine, if that's what you mean," the Time Lord reassured him. "But there was an accident earlier today... A palace guard fell down a flight of stairs."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Ianto replied honestly, "but don't they have Healers closer to Capitol than us?"

"It's a special case," Jack explained. "When he fell, he Triggered. The magic is probably what saved his life, initially."

"So that means once he's well enough, he'll be coming here to learn how to control his discipline," Ianto concluded. Jack nodded, but still seemed troubled. There was more to this story, Ianto could feel it. "Who is he?"

"His name's Lumic," Jack informed him. "John Lumic."

"That's not what I asked," Ianto pointed out. They stopped at the door to their rooms and Ianto put a hand on Jack's chest, forcing the man to look at him. "Who is he, Jack?"

Jack took a deep breath. "According to Rose, he's also the guard who beheaded Harold."

-----

Jack's head turned when Ianto opened the heavy oak doors at the entrance of the House. The Mage gave him a smile and a small wave, laughing when Jack took off from the carriage he'd been helping unpack, coat flying out behind him like wings. Ianto found himself swept up in a tight hug, literally lifted off his feet for half a second as he embraced his lover.

"Missed you," Jack said before leaning in for a sweet hello kiss. Then another and another, each one deeper and a bit more passionate than the last.

Ianto pulled his head back, laughing a little bit before shaking his head fondly. "You weren't even gone a fortnight."

"Too long." He cupped Ianto's face in his hands, smiling at him.

He made a show of rolling his eyes. "You have no restraint," he deadpanned, the rebuke hollow without the sting behind it.

"With such a gorgeous man in my bed? Can you blame me?" Jack countered.

"Not particularly," Ianto said, poking Jack in the side. "Guest first."

With one final kiss to Ianto's nose, Jack reluctantly stepped away and the two of them walked back to the carriage. Martha had seen the group at the gate and hurried down, and was helping the drivers take down an ungainly thing. It looked like a wicker chair with gigantic wheels on each side.

Jack noticed Ianto's frown as he tried to figure out what he was looking at. "The Doctor made it for Lumic," Jack explained. "A wheeled chair, so he can move about the House a bit easier."

"He's lame?" Ianto asked.

"For now," Jack agreed. "He injured something in his back when he fell, and now his legs refuse to listen to his body."

"But the Healers..."

Jack took a deep breath, watching as Owen stuck his head out of the little window to check the unloading progress. "Healing's a tricky thing; you need the cooperation of both the Healer and the injured party. If one or the other doesn't have their heart in it, it'll fail every single time." He looked over at Ianto. "A lot of health is mental, even normal Humans know that; if you're sad and mopey and stay hidden away from the rest of the world, you feel weak and tired and sore. But if you go out and meet people, or even just open a window and get a bit of sun every now and then, you feel better."

Ianto watched as Owen carefully climbed out of the carriage, carefully cradling a body in his arms. A driver was waiting at the door and took Lumic from Owen, the two of them settling the man into his chair.

John Lumic was a rather tall and slightly gangly, his face gaunt and pinched in pain. He looked like he'd lost quite a bit of weight in the past two weeks, his skin awkwardly hanging off his frame. He nervously ran a hand over his super-short hair; Jack had mentioned a head injury, so Ianto assumed they'd shaved his head and it was growing back slowly.

Jack introduced him and Ianto shook a very cold, very bony hand. Ianto gave a friendly, comforting smile. "You must be worn out from your trip," he said. "The trip is tedious enough when you're uninjured."

Lumic gave him a tight, tired smile. "You're right. Thank you Mr. Jones."

"Oh Goddess, no, call me Ianto." The Mage smiled. "We've got a room ready and waiting, and I know Martha and Owen are anxious to fuss over you."

Another tired smile flashed at him, but this time there was a hint of sincerity behind it. "Thank you."

Owen nodded as he passed, even too tired to give Ianto a friendly little verbal sparring match. Jack looped his arm through Ianto's, grinning at him. "Y'know, I could use a nap too," he drawled. "I'm knackered."

Ianto smiled and tugged at the lapels of Jack's coat. "Well, we should make sure you sleep. Work piled up while you were gone, you'll need your strength."

Jack complained all the way up to their quarters.