Title: In the Darkest Hour
Author: Outside Edge
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Fandom: Torchwood
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters merely borrow them from time to time.
Summary: One thing eludes Jack on a regular basis.

***

Sleep ... the luxury of sleep.
Any sleep.
Children need 10 hours, the average adult 8 hours, Maggie Thatcher got by on 4 hours.
Jack would settle for 2 maybe 3.

Proper sleep, deep undisturbed sleep.

Not waking up bathed in cold sweat, heart pounding, and adrenalin pumping running from what? He couldn't put it into words, the fear and the desperation. Perhaps Suzie had come nearest.

"There's something moving in the darkness and it's coming, Jack Harkness, it's coming for you."

Oh how he wished his subconscious would leave 'it' alone. But it was like a dog with a bone, constantly worrying and returning. Nothing stopped it.

At first, alcohol dulled it for a while, but over the years the amount needed to achieve oblivion has increased to such an extent that he would have needed to install his own distillery to keep up with the demand.

Sex had done it for a while. Post coital slumber had taken the edge off, but had only delayed the inevitable and the explanations the next morning had got too difficult and retconning every encounter just wasn't an option.

So he had found the answer — don't sleep.

Easy really, it was a simple matter of convincing yourself that you were Rift-watching "You gotta be ready, night and day."

Working late, paperwork, target practice. Any excuse would do.

On clear nights, he would walk around the city; getting up high, if possible, to gain the best vantage point to watch over the city as it slept unaware of the Rift in the space-time continuum beneath it and awesome power that was waiting to be unleashed on the unsuspecting 21st Century.

Then suddenly, unexpectedly someone had come into his life.

Ianto.

Lying in each others arms, Jack found himself able to relax at last. Listening to the rhythmic breathing of sleeping companion, feeling the deep regular heartbeat close to his chest. Inhaling the scent of shower gel, shampoo and the musky aftermath of their lovemaking.

Lying in Ianto's arms, Jack had finally found what he was searching for.

Peace.

***