"

Gwen thought for a moment. She wasn’t used to seeing Jack distraught. He was trying his best to hide it in that slightly cocky, slightly old-fashioned way of his, but she still felt her heart aching for him. Immortality had its price. ‘Maybe,’ she said carefully, ‘you just need a break.’

‘There aren’t any holidays in this job. You know that.’

‘Everyone needs some downtime.’

‘The Rift never takes a break. Right now it’s busier than ever. And, yes, we’ve got the Undertaker’s Gift to deal with on top of that – maybe. We can’t afford to stop. I can’t afford to stop.’

‘We managed without you for a while before.’

‘That was different. And there were more of you then.’ Jack turned and let his gaze rest on the back of Ianto’s head as he worked at his station. ‘I just can’t bear the thought of losing you. Either of you.’

"

—Torchwood novel - The Undertaker’s Gift (Trevor Baxendale)

"

Jack noted the data scrolling across his computer and the pages and pages of information about the deranged women spread out across the table. He sighed, lamenting how much he missed his team, missed Owen and Tosh, missed the Hub and its battery of computers.

The kettle whistled on the counter behind him. He didn’t move, letting it build up its steam, missing Ianto most of all.

"

—Torchwood novel - Exodus Code (John and Carole E. Barrowman)

"

There was a pause, then Gwen suddenly spoke seriously. ‘Ianto, have you spoken to Jack? What’s with these days off? He’s not crashed out here, as far as I can tell.’

Ianto instinctively looked towards Jack’s office, where Jack spent his nights down in a small bunker. Where, frankly, there wasn’t room for two, whatever Jack said.

‘Hasn’t he? Oh. Well, I imagine he’s found a hotel or something.’

‘We wondered,’ Toshiko threw in, ‘if he was at your place?’

‘No,’ said Ianto, a fraction too quickly. ‘No, why would he be at mine? What’s at mine that Jack would want? I mean he could be anywhere, why my place?’

‘Blimey,’ said Owen from behind and above. ‘Someone’s a bit jumpy about jolly Jack Aitch tonight.’

"

—Torchwood novel - The Twilight Streets (Gary Russell)

"

I know that we have grown apart and that’s as it should be. We learn what we can from certain people, then we move on after we’ve taken what we need. When we learn nothing new about ourselves in a relationship that’s when the relationship is over. Or it’s over the moment when we’re afraid to learn something new about ourselves.

But what I have been learning about myself … whatever it was inside me that was sparked and challenged when I first met you … is deeply connected to this story. I’m an unfinished man, Doctor, like a suit of clothes hanging on a display rack waiting for the final touches that may never come; I need to tell this story to make a peace with those parts of me that were left unfinished. A healing.

Indulge me, if you will; I need you as a witness. A stitch in time… .

"

—Elim Garak (Andrew J. Robinson, A Stitch In Time). (via bisclavretlupinmccall)

"

Ianto’s worst ever birthday party had included a food fight.

Watching drunken, rowing parents throw trifle at each other in a screaming fury while he gathered his friends to him, shielding as many as possible from being hit by a stray pickled onion. He never ever wanted to see that much mess covering so many people again.

"

—Torchwood novel - Risk Assessment (James Goss)

"After we stopped those alien parasites from infecting everyone, when everything turned out OK, how relieved we were – then we all went and got totally rat-arsed. You were dancing on a table, and Tosh was shoving fivers in your belt. Me and Owen said she was paying too much, that you’d do it for a drink and a wink, and I spilt my drink all down Gwen’s cleavage. Laughing, just laughing like we’d never laughed before, in case we’d never get another chance.’"

—Ianto Jones trying to bring back a catatonic Jack Harkness with memories in the short story “Virus”, in the Torchwood novel Consequences

"

When Jack spoke, his voice was little more than a whisper. ‘If I count to ten and open my eyes, will that woman still be here?’

‘I’m afraid so,’ said Ianto quietly.

‘Lie to me.’

‘She will most certainly be gone, yes.’

‘I don’t pay you enough.’

"

—Torchwood novel - Risk Assessment (James Goss)

"‘That time we came into your office, and we’d all switched clothes just to make you laugh. Gwen was in my suit, Tosh was in scrubs, and me and Owen were wearing Gwen and Tosh’s clothes. You laughed so hard, the coffee came out of your nose. Then you made me wear…’ He glanced over at Gwen and Rhys, slightly self-conscious. ‘Made me wear it again the next night.’"

—Ianto Jones trying to bring back a catatonic Jack Harkness with memories in the short story “Virus”, in the Torchwood novel Consequences

"

He knelt down in front of Jack and Gwen. He turned to Gwen first.

‘I don’t know if either of you can hear me, but if I don’t make it back from this… Gwen, sometimes you drive me bloody mad, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. You’re brilliant, and gorgeous, and so brave, and we’re lucky to have you.’

He turned to Jack.

‘Jack. You know how I feel. I think I know how you feel. You brought me back from the brink, so many times, and made me feel so alive. I didn’t think I’d ever feel like that again. So thank you. In all the madness, you’re the one person I know I can rely on. And that counts for a hell of a lot.’ He hesitated, then grinned. ‘Also, you’ve got a great arse. But you already know that.’

Ianto stood up again and went to a computer screen. ‘If anything goes wrong, you’ll both be looked after. I mean, in the way you wanted.’

He recorded a video message for Rhys, explaining what had happened, and what to do. Then he recorded another one for Martha Jones at UNIT, telling her what to do with Jack if Ianto didn’t make it back. He knew he could rely on her to do what was necessary. Sure, she’d probably spend a few months trying to figure out another way to cure them – and who knows, maybe she’d even succeed – but if it came to it, she’d finish the job as Ianto had asked. He closed the messages, and set up the server to send them in twenty-four hours. If he didn’t come back, then at least things would be taken care of.

He turned back to Jack and Gwen.

‘Right, then. I’ll be off. Do some killing and maiming. Hopefully I’ll see you soon.’

Before he left, he gave Jack one last kiss. And he made sure it was a good one.

He looked at Gwen after kissing Jack. He shrugged, and gave her a long kiss too, one that was almost as good as the one he’d given Jack. He glanced over at Jack. ‘What? Not like you don’t get to snog everyone. And I think I deserve it.’

"

—Ianto Jones with infected Gwen and Jack in the short story “Virus”, in the Torchwood novel Consequences

"

The Savage interrupted him. ‘But isn’t it natural to feel there’s a God?’

'You might as well ask if it’s natural to do up one’s trousers with zippers,’ said the Controller sarcastically. 'You remind me of another of those old fellows called Bradley. He defined philosophy as the finding of bad reason for what one believes by instinct. As if one believed anything by instinct! One believes things because one has been conditioned to believe them. Finding bad reasons for what one believes for other bad reasons–that’s philosophy. People believe in God because they’ve been conditioned to.’

"

— Aldous Huxley - Brave New World