The Ties That Bind (16/34 + epilogue)

[madbottoms]

Title: The Ties That Bind - Part 16
Beta: Blackcat1000
Characters/Pairings: Jack/Ianto, Donna, John Hart, Owen and James Harper, Mickey/Martha, Toshiko/Tommy, Claudia, Phillip, Saxon, Rhiannon, OCs
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 75K+
Warnings/Contains: Explicit sex (does that need a warning?), witchcraft, horror, supernatural themes, character death.

Summary: Ianto is a powerful magical warrior, one which Jack Harkness has never been able to resist. Once enemies, then almost lovers, he broke his heart. Years later, Jack must return to his hometown and seek help before it is too late. Jack and Ianto must now put aside their past and work together to defeat an evil threatening to overwhelm and take control of Jack because of his unique bloodline. Secrets and foretold prophecies will plague them and in this paranormal battle, they will need more than magic to survive.
A/N: Basically, good guys versus bad guys in a bloody fight.

Chapter Sixteen

 

Ianto understood exactly what John meant. They looked waxen, their skin sagging on their bones, as if their host bodies were already decomposing while they were still walking around inside them. “I don’t think the hosts are agreeing with them,” he murmured.

 

“They must be the shades who came through with the Master and a few of the Wraiths,” Jack scraped out, palming the hilt of the knife he’d taken from his calf sheath in one hand, still clasping the Lumtae with the other. Ianto had seen Jack put his gun in his bag earlier that day, and knew the weapon was still locked in the SUV. “None of the other host bodies have ever looked like that,” he added.

 

Reaching for his own knife, he said, “Maybe the Master’s having the same trouble.”

 

“If he is, that might explain why he was reluctant to come on his own,” John murmured.

 

“They’re getting ready to attack, so be ready.” Jack’s voice vibrated with rage, and Ianto had no doubt he was going to be deadly in the fight. “Try to take them down without killing them if you can. Then I can fry them with the amulet before they move to another host.”

 

Ianto was about to ask how easy a host body was to kill, when a familiar voice came from off to their right, farther down the grassy patch of land. “You know, for someone who claims he isn’t a Pharis, you keep some interesting company, boy.”

 

Oh, shit. Ianto had wondered why he hadn’t seen Mick and his pals on the way out of the bar, and this was obviously why. They’d been waiting to confront Jack in the car-park, where the bartender and his shotgun couldn’t interfere.

 

“This has nothing to do with you,” Jack growled, cutting a quick look toward the group. They must have added a few more shape-shifters to their numbers, because there looked to be six of them now, including Mick. “If you’re smart, you’ll all turn around and get the hell out of here.”

 

“That’s some good advice, Harkness. But I don’t think those shifters look all that clever,” John drawled, and in the next instant, they attacked. All of them. The Pharis and the shape-shifters, and it was a bloody mess. Ianto felt like he’d landed in the middle of a freaking war zone, but instead of guns and rockets, this was a battle being fought with claws and steel.

 

“Don’t let them kill him!” one of the Pharis shouted to his comrades, obviously worried about the shape-shifters going after Jack. “We’re meant to take him back alive!”

 

The battle was fast and violent, and Ianto cut and slashed as opponents came at him one after another, careful not to make any of the injuries fatal. The shape-shifters were wankers, but he didn’t want to be responsible for their deaths. And despite the Pharis’ strength, their flesh tore easily beneath his blade, the rotten stench of their blood making him want to gag. And he wasn’t the only one having a problem.

 

As John grabbed the arm of the Pharis he was fighting, it tore away from his body with a wet, sticky pop, and the demon looked like he might hurl. “Fucking hell,” he groaned, tossing the arm over his shoulder with a visible shudder of disgust. “Anyone else feel like we’re trapped in some d-grade zombie flick? This is just wrong.”

 

The Pharis snarled as he lunged, swiping his remaining hand at John’s face, and the demon had to lurch back to avoid the monster’s claws, tripping over the groaning body of one of the felled shifters. Ianto started forward to help him, ready to take on the one-armed shade before he could reach John, but another shade grabbed him from behind and pinned his arms behind his back, his low laugh rumbling in his ear. The one-armed shade gave an evil smile as he started toward him, his intention clear, and he shouted, knowing John would never get there in time to stop him.

 

And then everything seemed to happen in slow motion. From the corner of his eye, Ianto saw the look on Jack’s face as he whipped his head around at the sound of his shout. There was fury and fear, as well as the understanding that he couldn’t reach him in time to use the weapon on the approaching shade. Instead, Jack started running as he threw it to John, who caught it in one hand, while using his other hand to toss an unconscious shape-shifter out of his way.

 

“Put the pentagram against your palm!” Jack shouted. “Fry him!”

 

Just before the monster sliced through Ianto’s throat, Jack dove between them, blocking the blow and tearing what looked like a wicked set of claws across the shade’s chest. The guy reeled back, clutching his chest with his remaining arm, then dropped to his knees on the ground.

 

“Hurry!” Jack grunted, already back on his feet and delivering a crunching punch to the nose of the shade who held him. “Fry him before he dies!” he shouted at John, his fist flying over Ianto’s head as he punched the shade again.

 

This time, the guy went down, and took Ianto with him.

 

He landed on top of the shade, and Jack wrenched him out of the monster’s hold, tossing Ianto aside so that they could finish him off. Sitting up, he watched, stunned, as John moved behind the one-armed shade, his own arm glowing with molten, vibrant flames. The demon followed Jack’s earlier instructions, burying his burning arm of steel in the back of the monster’s neck and Ianto looked away just as a deafening explosion tore through the night, signalling the Pharis’ death.

 

When Jack returned his gaze to John, he was sprawled on his backside with a stunned look on his handsome face, his blond-and-red hair covered with falling ash as it floated on the wind. Looking around, he saw that the shape-shifters had gathered their wounded and finally run, obviously deciding this was a situation they didn’t want any part of. Ianto envied them that choice, since he knew he was stuck there to the end.

 

Jack was still fighting the other Pharis who had managed to get back on his feet, and the last one was standing by the trees, his face bloodied from his battle with the shifters. Ianto figured there was something clever he should be doing, but he was in shock, stunned by what Jack had done. By the way that he’d risked his life to save him. And he was still reeling from that bombshell, when he got slammed with another.

 

“Witch!” the Pharis shade shouted into the woods. “Get out here!”

 

As a gaunt figure walked out of the trees, Ianto couldn’t believe his eyes. Despite Jack’s warnings, bile rose in the back of his throat as he got a good look at the wasted, almost skeletal woman who barely resembled his beloved sister. A sister who was helping those trying to hurt Jack.

 

“Rhiannon?” he croaked, his eyes burning with the hot sting of tears. “How could you?”

 

His sister winced, her voice almost painfully hollow as she spoke. “I’m sorry, Ianto. I didn’t know you were going to be here.”

 

“And that makes it okay?” he shouted, surging to his feet. “These arseholes are trying to kidnap Jack! And you’re helping them!”

 

“I know… I know you’ll never be able to understand, but I don’t have any choice.”

 

“Like hell you don’t,” he argued, while Jack moved to his side, the Pharis he’d been fighting scrambling away to take shelter behind Rhiannon.

 

“These are killers, Rhiannon. Is that what you’ve become? A murderer?”

 

“You don’t understand,” she repeated, her dark, tangled hair moving over her shoulders as she shook his head. “You can’t possibly understand.”

 

Ianto’s throat constricted, but he managed to ask, “What would Johnny think of this? Do you think he’d want to know that this is what you’ve become?”

 

Rhiannon flinched so hard, it looked like she’d been slapped. “I’m sorry, Ianto.” The husky words were little more than a whisper. “But I made a deal and I have to keep my end of it. I have to let them take Jack.”

 

Ianto stepped in front of Jack, shielding him with his body, and made his voice hard. “I’m sorry, too, Rhiannon. But I can’t let you do that.”

 

Rhiannon’s frail body shook harder, the look on her thin face one of tormented agony. “Damn it, Ianto. I don’t want to fight you.” But even as she said the words, she lifted her hands, preparing to unleash some kind of spell.

 

Ianto’s heart broke.

 

“I don’t want to fight you, either,” he choked out, the words hoarse with pain. “But I’m not letting you have him.” Then he took a deep breath, dropped his knife and lifted his palms.

 

~*~

 

Jack couldn’t believe what he was seeing. John had moved in close to Ianto’s other side, and now a towering wall of fire surrounded the three of them, offering them protection, the violent flames licking the sky like the flick of a dragon’s tongue.

 

“How long can you keep this up?” Jack asked, hating the strain etched into his beautiful face.

 

Sweat misted his skin as he panted, “Not long enough.”

 

“We need a plan,” he growled, looking at the demon.

 

“What exactly is this thing made of?” John asked, bouncing the amulet on the palm of his hand.

 

“I don’t know,” Jack snapped, wondering why the demon even cared. “I think it’s some kind of material that can only be found in Hell, but I have no idea what the name is.”

 

John grinned. “That’s all I needed to know.”

 

“Why? What are you going to do?”

 

The demon’s cunning grin spread into a smile. “Trust me. This’ll be more fun if you just watch.”

 

Knowing Ianto was in pain, he snarled, “Whatever the hell it is, do it now!”

 

John rubbed his thumb over the dark metal of the ornate pentagram, and then looked at Ianto. “When I say the word, Eye Candy, you drop the flames. Okay?”

 

He nodded, and John closed his eyes, his brow creased with concentration as he muttered to himself in a strange, rasping dialect. The pentagram began to glow, burning a deep, dark red, and then the demon opened his eyes and growled, “Now!”

 

Ianto dropped his hands, extinguishing the wall of fire, and John shoved his arms forward, the glowing pentagram still trapped within his fingers. A thunderous blast of wind flew from the demon’s outstretched arms, slamming into Rhiannon and the two remaining Pharis, flinging them back toward the trees. And then they simply vanished, and John lowered his arms.

 

“What did you do?” Ianto rasped, appearing equal parts pleased and terrified, no doubt worried about his sister.

 

“I just sent them on a little trip.” John leaned against the side of Jack’s SUV, none too steady on his feet. “They won’t be far,” he explained, running a shaky hand back through his now strawberry blond hair, and Jack noticed that the red streak, as well as the symbol on the side of the demon’s neck, looked paler than before. “Maybe a country or two over.”

 

“Oh,” Ianto breathed out, the relief in his eyes easy to read.

 

As his claws retreated into his fingertips, Jack put a comforting hand on Ianto’s shoulder and offered the demon a gruff thank-you for his help.

 

“I see you’ve got a backseat in this thing,” John rumbled, patting the SUV. “You guys mind giving me a lift? I don’t know about you two, but I’m more than ready to get out of here.”

 

“Didn’t you drive here?” Ianto asked, picking up his knife and cleaning the blade on his jeans, which were already covered in blood. Thankfully, it didn’t look as if any of it was his.

 

The demon gave a tired sigh. “No, and before you ask why, it’s a long story.”

 

Ianto shook his head and almost managed a grin. “They always are with you.”

 

As Jack and Ianto climbed into the front of the SUV, John sprawled himself in the middle of the backseat. “While we drive, maybe the two of you could explain what it is you need me to do. But first—” he groaned, sounding as if he was in pain “—we need to find me some food. You guys got here before I could eat tonight, and pulling shit like that spell always zaps me. I’m down to nothing.”

 

“We’ll find you a drive-through,” Jack told him, turning his key in the ignition and cranking the engine.

 

John laughed. “How the hell am I supposed to do my thing in a drive-through? I’m flexible, but…damn, Harkness. I don’t think any man should be that limber.”

 

Jack looked over his shoulder. “What the hell are you talking about?”

 

With a smile twitching at the corner of his mouth, Ianto said, “I don’t think John means that kind of food, Jack.”

 

His eyes went wide. “You mean…?”

 

“Yep. He needs to find a person. One who’s willing and able.”

 

“Well, shit.” Jack was pretty damn sure they weren’t going to run across a drive-through for that. Then he thought about the strange interchange they’d just shared, and he started to laugh.

 

They were battered and bloody, had nearly lost their lives, and he’d discovered that in addition to fangs, he’d also managed to release some pretty deadly claws that they still hadn’t talked about. He should have been worrying about what it meant, or driving Ianto’s crazy little ass back home, where he’d be safe. But he wasn’t doing any of those things. Instead, he was going to make sure they got the demon somewhere he could get laid.

 

If he’d called his friends and tried to explain the situation to them, they wouldn’t have believed him. Hell, he hardly believed it himself. “Okay, then,” he finally said in a strange, kind-of-strangled voice as he adjusted the air conditioner and put the SUV in gear.

 

As they hit the open road again, Jack realised that in a world where nothing was making a lot of sense to him, there was one fact that he could be certain of, without any shadow of a doubt.

 

He might have managed to hold on to his body for another day, but he’d finally lost his mind.