Title: Never there
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 861 words
Content notes: None
Author notes: Written for Challenge 442 - Alibi
Summary: When Jack gets in trouble, he knows exactly who to turn to.


Ianto had become accustomed to Jack sneaking into his flat – and into his bed – late at night. What he hadn't quite adjusted to was Jack storming into his flat and making a ruckus, waking him from deep sleep and very nearly reaching for the gun in his bedside drawer as an instinctive protection measure.

He pushed back the duvet and rubbed his eyes, trying to get them to adjust to the darkness, making sure that it was in fact Jack that had burst into the room and not some intruder. ‘Jack, what are you doing?’ Jack was just standing there, not making any attempt to peel off clothes, grin coquettishly, or make any other suggestive gestures. Instead, in the pale moonlight coming through the window, he looked a little pale, out of breath and deeply anxious.

‘You gotta vouch for me, Ianto,’ he said, the words coming out in a rush. ‘I've been here all night. We had dinner, watched TV and then went to bed, okay?’

‘What did we watch?’ Ianto asked, sitting up in bed, half teasing, if only to try and get Jack to calm down. ‘Did we argue about “Love it or list it” again?’

‘I'm serious, Ianto!’ Here. All night. Nowhere else.’

‘Okay…’ he said slowly. ‘But why?’ What had Jack done that had him so flustered?

‘Cause the police are going to be hauling my arse in for questioning sometime between now and tomorrow morning.’

‘The police?’ Ianto’s fists gripped around the duvet hard. ‘What did you do?’

Jack turned away, staring out the window as if expecting to see the blue flashing lights approaching to take him away. ‘Nothing. Just met up with some people who then met with a less than pleasant end.’

That woke Ianto up properly. ‘Jesus, Jack! What did you do?’

Jack’s head twisted back. ‘Nothing! I told you.’ He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. ‘I swear I had nothing to do with it.’

Ianto got to his feet, padding across the room to come and stand by Jack’s side at the window. ‘Then if you had nothing to do with it why not just tell them you weren’t there?’

‘Because I was there.’

‘Jack!’

‘I know ! I know! But I promise you. They were all alive when I left.’

‘All?’

‘Four of them,’ Jack said matter of factly. ‘All dead. All because of me.’

‘I thought you just said it was nothing to do with you?’

‘I said I didn’t kill them. I didn’t say it wasn’t my fault.’ He ran a hand through his hair, greatcoat falling heavily back into place as he dropped his arm. ‘I shouldn’t have even gone back but I left something there that I shouldn't have. I wasn't meant to find them dead. I wasn't supposed to know until some blues and twos turned up to clap the handcuffs on me.’

Ianto pinched the bridge of his nose. God, but life with Jack Harkness was complicated! He really needed for them to sit down over a coffee to work through this. ‘Okay, so they’re dead, you didn’t kill them, but somehow you being involved is the reason they’ve ended up dead?’

‘That pretty much covers it.’

He squeezed the bridge of his nose again. Great. ‘You swear to me…’

Jack grabbed him by the arms. ‘On my mother’s grave.’

‘Your mother doesn’t have a grave yet.’ She wouldn't even be born for another three millennia.

‘Please, Ianto. I just need you to lie for me. Give me a rock solid alibi until I can figure out who did this and why. I've been set up. Ianto, someone is playing a very dangerous game here.’

‘If they find out I’m lying…’ He’d be in just as much shit as Jack, probably an accessory to murder.

‘I know you, Ianto Jones. You’re the best liar there is, apart from me.’

Ianto rolled his eyes in the dark, knowing Jack couldn’t see it but know doubt sensed it. ‘How very reassuring. Should I get that printed on a mug?’

‘Please. You know deep down I wouldn't kill. Not someone who didn't deserve it.’

Ianto considered just how long it was going to now only get their stories straight, but to ensure that every shred of evidence pinning Jack to somewhere else at the time of the crime was destroyed and replaced with fake data, or simply wiped completely. Before he went down that rabbit hole, he still had one more thing on his mind. ‘The question is, did they deserve it?’

Jack shook his head. ‘No. They were the good guys. Not strictly "by the books" good, but on our side.’

Ianto heaved a sigh. ‘This is why I shouldn't let you go prowling on your own at night. You always land up in trouble.’

Jack clutched his arms, pulling him close. ‘That's why I've got you. You're my one ticket out of this mess.’

‘Just so long as we both don't end up going down for this. I'm not sure I want to rock prison jumpsuit red.’ Not that he was terribly concerned about that. He’d do anything to save Jack.