Title: Broken Touch
By: VelvetFire
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Rating: AO
Spoilers: Cyberwoman, Countrycide, Fragments
Warning: child abuse/molestation (not graphic), violence, language, slash, WiP
Summary: Ianto Jones is a broken man, and has been broken since long before Lisa, and long before Canary Wharf. Who will save him before he disappears into the shadows completely?

***

No one at Torchwood One ever seemed to notice the quiet young man. His coworkers knew only his name, his work ethic, and his preference for fine suites. His supervisors knew only that he was a fine worker who never did anything to stand out. And so he didn't stand out to anyone. Until Lisa.

Lisa Hallett took note of Ianto Jones from the moment he first didn't bump into her. If he had run into her, she might not have noticed him. Instead, it was the rush of air that touched on her skin as he avoided her that caught her attention and made her look up. She had been just about to leave her office to go down the hall for a coffee when it happened. There was something about the way he moved without a sound, skirting around people effortlessly while handling stacks of files and a box full of unknown artifacts. She stood frozen at the entrance to the hallway, entranced by the dance being performed by this tall, thin, beautiful boy. Her eyes skimmed over his face, trying to catch his gaze as he performed yet another turn and narrowly missed an unsuspecting couple, but his head stayed down, eyes firmly planted to the floor. As she stood there watching, she realized he was moving away from her through the crowded hallway. She quickly tried to follow after him, but found her way blocked by all the people he seemed to have fluently avoided. When she asked around, no one could tell her anything about him. It took several rounds through the various break-rooms on her floor to even find a person who recognized who she was describing.

"Do ya mean the new boy?" Bill poured himself a coffee before adding enough cream and sugar to make her cringe.

"I don't know if he's a new boy. That's what I'm trying to find out." Half an hour ago, she'd been working on paperwork concerning the appearance of a weevil outside a small London estate. Now, all paperwork forgotten, Lisa could think of nothing but the graceful young man who hadn't even spoken a word. "Do you know who I'm talking about? He was wearing a blue suite and was carrying folders and a box of artifacts..." She could hear the slight edge of desperation enter into her voice, and instantly she took a deep breath while massaging her temples. This was ridiculous: she was a grown woman acting like a bloody teenager.

"Oh, yeah. I know the one you're talkin' about." His words sent all thoughts of being childish directly into the bin as her head jerked back up. "He started about a month ago. Jones, I think his name is. Works in research or something like that."

"Perfect! Thank you, Bill. You're a life saver, honestly!" Lisa grabbed his face with both hands and kissed the top of his head, much to the older man's delight.

"Aww, away with ya," he said, laughing as she all but ran out of the room. "Kids these days."

It took two more days before Lisa was able to actually make it down to the floor the research department was on. She had been stopped from instantly running down to search for him when her boss had spotted her. Working at Torchwood meant that anything could happen at any time, and everyone was expected to be available to deal with it when it happened. It was a lesson learned by all employees early on. So when reports of an explosion at a school came in-along with the possible presence of an alien species known as Krillitanes-everyone jumped into action. Lisa spent the next day and a half talking with school children and trying to piece together all that had happened. Several students mentioned a new teacher by the name of "John Smith" as having some kind of hand in all the events. Running the photo id the school provided and his name through a database only served to bring the entire investigation to a halt as the man was identified as "The Doctor" by the Torchwood computers.

Lisa was relieved when she was taken off the project. The Doctor was high enough up on the Torchwood "Most Wanted" list to qualify for his own elite taskforce. Which let Lisa be free to continue her own personal investigation of the boy she now thought of as "the dancer," even though she knew his name was (probably) Jones. She waited until the next day for things in her department to settle down before making her way down to research.

The Research Department personnel always struck Lisa as being the geeks of Torchwood. Which wasn't too awfully fair, considering they all pretty much registered on the geek-scale somewhere-except for the soldiers and fighters-but there was just something about this section that screamed "pocket protectors and taped glasses" to Lisa. Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door and quickly looked around for her obsession.

The room was filled with rows of tables covered in unknown objects. Men and women in lab coats stood by the objects, testing them and making note of any characteristics and purpose they observe. Lisa's eyes scanned the room, but didn't see anyone who remotely resembled the man from the hallway, and she doubted his body-type could be hidden behind a lab coat. Suddenly, a door from the back opened, and he was there.

He still danced. Carrying a tray full of mugs, she silently watched as he went up and down the rows, handing out coffees and teas to oblivious researchers. She frowned; not one person had looked up, or said "thank-you," or even acknowledged his presence with a nod. When he ran out of mugs, he quickly made his way back to the door and disappeared before she could even contemplate what she was going to say to him. And then he was back, carrying another tray full of steaming liquids, before she even had a chance to panic. As he neared her, she was able to get a closer look at the body and face of the person who had set up camp in her mind-and she was not disappointed.

His face was just as she remembered it, although she could now make out a slight frown which crinkled his eyebrow in a way she suspected had become permanent. It made her want to run her fingers over his temple and forehead and gently ease the tension away. Her gaze traveled down from his frown, noted the set in his jaw-he must grind his teeth-and the way his shoulders and back looked to be fused to a pole. Up close, she was bewildered at the prospect that someone so tense could be so graceful.

She watched as he set down his final cup. He was standing less than five feet from her, and she wondered if it was a requirement for all researchers to have an intense level of concentration: not a single person had looked up since she had entered the room. He turned to leave again, but froze, and she realized he must have noticed her. She watched in amazement as his tense muscles seemed to become tighter and she wondered if it hurt. He slowly turned toward her, and after a few seconds his gaze slowly made its way to somewhere just over her left shoulder.

"May I help you, miss?" His quiet tone did nothing to contain the thick Welsh accent, and Lisa thought she might pass out from his voice alone. For a moment, she couldn't answer, but continued to stare at him, breathless. "Miss?"

"What? Oh, um..." Lisa shook herself, and then proceeded to violently mentally kick herself as she realized that she had brought no excuse with her. "Sorry, no, yeah, I wanted to know if you..." Her voice trailed off when she couldn't quite remember what it is she really wanted to know.

"Yes, miss?" The slight increase to his frown and the overwhelming urge to soothe it away was what settled it all for her. He still wasn't quite looking her in the eye, but she figured he was probably tired; it had been an incredibly stressful couple of days for all departments.

"I wanted to know if you were doing anything for lunch?" Her boldness made him jerk slightly, and then he seemed to relax and take a step toward her.

"Miss, are you delivering a message for someone?" He was smiling slightly, in a way that made Lisa feel like he was humoring her. His response to her request was confusing, and not exactly the reply she had expected.

"No," she answered, bluntly.

He stopped moving forward, frowning again. "Oh. And...who exactly were you looking to ask to lunch?"

Lisa simply raised her eyebrows and looked pointedly at him. His frown deepened and his gaze went to the floor before coming back to her shoulder. She nodded once in his direction again, a smile turning up the corners of her mouth and invading her eyes. His face scrunched up almost comically and he couldn't resist looking quickly over his shoulder to see if someone was standing behind him, waiting for him to realize that there was no possible way this gorgeous dark girl was speaking to a lowly junior researcher such as himself. Seeing no one there, he looked back toward Lisa, and opened his mouth as though to say something, but nothing came out. Lisa sighed, and coughed slightly to cover the giggle which was threatening to escape.

"You, ya silly bean. I am looking to ask YOU to lunch. Are you going to come, or no?"

"I...you...I mean," he was quickly becoming flustered and flushed, "You want me to go to lunch with you?" It was as though she had just informed him that she was having his baby-a clear impossibility seeing as they had never spoken to each other before this moment.

"Yeah, I do." Lisa gave him a gentle smile which she hoped would ease any doubts he had as to the seriousness of her offer.

"Oh. Um, no. No, I can't." Lisa's smile started to slide from her face. "We've got a lot of work backed up from the last few days. Everyone's been digging through old files about the Doctor, and what can be used against him. There's no way they'll let me go to lunch...they haven't even let me leave to go home at night. Sorry." He shrugged, looking lost with his hands in his pockets. His eyes had made their way back to the floor during the explanation (which Lisa suspected contained more words than he was used to saying in one sitting).

"Right. No problem." She said cheerily. He nodded, pressing his lips together in a resigned way. "I'll just come back tomorrow, then," her eyes glanced at his nametag, "Ianto...Jones, isn't it? Ianto Jones?" Confusion rolled off her dancer in waves even as he jerked his head in an affirmative. "Well then, Ianto Jones, I'll come back same time tomorrow and see if they haven't released that chain they have tied to your ankle." She turned to walk out the door, not waiting for a response. "And if you're not free tomorrow, don't worry," she shot him a look over her shoulder as she opened the door, "I'll keep coming back ‘till you're available." And with that, she walked out into the hallway.

Practically skipping down the hall, Lisa felt like she was shaking with energy. Gods, she had never done that before! Her stomach twisted in excitement at the prospect of seeing his face again tomorrow...and the next day, and the next day...

"Miss?" She stopped short at the sound of his voice ringing through the empty hall and turned to face him. She could only see his head as he leaned out the door. He still looked confused, but not quite as panicked as before. She raised an brow and crossed her arms, smiling at him. He cleared his throat and asked hesitantly, "Who are you?"

She dropped her arms and stunned him with a smile that lit up everything around them. "Lisa. Lisa Hallett."

"Lisa. Right." He disappeared behind the door as quickly and as silently as he had opened it. And as Lisa walked back to her department, she whistled the entire way because just before Ianto Jones's face had left her sight, she had caught a glimpse of the tiniest smile.

*****

True to her word, Lisa did indeed stop by Ianto's department the next day. And when he softly apologized for still being busy, she came back the next day...and the next. She started bringing him food, knowing instinctively that while he cared for his entire department's needs, it was clear that no one cared for him. Besides, he was skinny enough in her eyes; he couldn't stand to loose any more weight. This continued for nine days. On the tenth, Lisa sensed the change the moment she opened the door. Everyone was relaxed. Instead of objects being spread out everywhere with people frantically gathered around them taking notes, the tables were clear. People were milling around in groups, talking and laughing while shuffling boxes back into storage containers built into the wall.

She looked out over the room, not seeing Ianto until he came from the back room with the ever-present tray of mugs. He spotted her immediately and his lips curled into the almost-smile she seemed to draw from him more and more. She waited patiently for him to finish passing out beverages and then watched him as he slowly and nervously made his way to her.

"So, Mr. Ianto Jones," she began as she had for the past eight days, "would you like to come to lunch with me?" And for the first time, he said yes.

*****

Lunch time quickly became Lisa's favorite time of day. Her and Ianto had fallen into a routine: she would come and get him just before noon, they would go to this little coffee shop across the street from the Torchwood tower, they would eat lunch (correction: Lisa would eat lunch while Ianto would pick at his until Lisa made him eat at least some of it), talk about meaningless things, and then she would walk him back to his department before heading back to her own office.

This kept up for two months before frustration started settling over Lisa. At no time in those eight-odd weeks did Ianto once take the lead in anything. They never went out after work or on weekends. They never talked on the phone or online in the evenings. They had never so much as held hands, let alone kissed. And Lisa was getting frustrated.

Ianto had been sensing the building storm in Lisa for well over a week now. As stoic as he appeared to others, he had scored extremely high on the empathy tests Torchwood required of its employees. Besides that, his entire life had been centered on what other people were feeling and he had learned early on how to de-escalate negative emotions. This was usually done by simply making himself invisible, or catering to a need. But Lisa was different. She wouldn't let him be invisible. He'd tried, and she had tracked him down. She cared about him, and he couldn't quite adjust to the feelings of concern that constantly came from her. And as far as her needs went, he wasn't sure if he was capable of catering to them.

Her feelings continued to brew until one day at lunch, neither spoke for twenty minutes. Lisa sat in silence, consumed by her own doubts and frustrations, not tasting her food. She had grown to care deeply for Ianto, but she wasn't sure why. She knew almost nothing about him. Yet there was something about him, something that cried out for attention no matter how hard he tried to bury it, that she couldn't ignore. She was drawn to him even as he reciprocated next to nothing.

Ianto sat there, not even picking at his food, staring at Lisa's hands as she ate. Her hands were so small and delicate, so gentle when they lifted her take away cup or dabbed at her mouth with a napkin. Whenever she told an outrageous story, instead of flinging her arms about like most other people, she would keep them calmly folded in front of her and let her facial expressions and voice portray the craziness of a situation. She enthralled Ianto. He craved her presence and attention even through his instincts shouted at him to shy away. Something was turned on inside of him-something that had been switched off since before he could remember-and he was desperate to keep it.

Lisa's sigh broke him out of his thoughts, and he chanced a look at her face. She was frowning at her sandwich. He looked down at his own untouched plate. "I'm sorry." His voice was so quiet, she almost missed it. When she looked at him, however, there was no mistaking his despair at their situation. And then he looked at her-really looked her in the eye for the first time-and she found herself as breathless as that day in the hallway. "I'm sorry I'm rubbish at this. I've never been with any...I don't know what to do. But I know that I'm ruining any chance I might have by doing whatever it is I'm doing right now." He seemed to run out of steam quickly, and his eyes fell back to the table as he finished, whispering one last, "I'm sorry."

Lisa sighed again, only this time it wasn't out of frustration but relief. Very slowly, keeping her eyes on him the entire time, she cautiously slid her hand across the table to cover his. His entire body froze before gradually relaxing piece by piece. Touching, any form of physical contact really, had been virtually non-existent between them. He never initiated it, and she sensed his hesitance. But now, she needed him to feel what she was going to say, or else they would never work.
"Ianto," she whispered, slightly squeezing his hand, "do you want to be with me?" Her voice contained no accusation, only open curiosity. He nodded, not taking his eyes off their joined hands. "Good. I've...I needed to know that. Because I love having you as a friend, Ianto. But we should be more than that. Can't you feel it?"

Ianto took a deep breath and let his eyes meet hers once again. Unable to say anything, he simply nodded again and let his eyes speak for him. She smiled brightly at him, trying to ease the tension from the moment. Giving his hand one last squeeze, she slowly drew her hand back to her coffee. "Then how about you come round my flat after work and maybe we'll catch a film? There's this old movie cinema near my place that shows all the classics: black and white, silent, you name it. How's that sound, yeah?"

For a moment, he said nothing. She patiently waited for him to process the suggestion. If there was one thing she knew about her dancer, it was that he never made any decision without some amount of though. Finally, he nodded. Taking a gulp of his tea as though it was whisky, he said, "That...that sounds...good. Is seven alright? I usually fancy a shower after work. Artifact dust and all." His slight smile made her heart melt, and she knew he was trying for her.

"Of course. Seven it is. Don't you be late." She giggled at the look of utter disbelief he gave her. Ianto had what could be considered an obsession with time: he was never late.

After lunch, they walked back to the tower. She tentatively slipped her hand into his which almost made him walk into a lamp post. Her thumb slowly drew circles on the back of his hand and she could feel his muscles slowly relax into her hold. Both of them were smiling by the time they returned to work.

***

After their first official ‘date,' Lisa and Ianto developed a new routine. Everyday they would go to lunch, but instead of discussing meaningless drivel, they would debate the aspects of the latest film they had seen the night before, or who would be cooking who dinner that night, or what exactly they would be doing together for the upcoming weekend. Ianto's plans usually consisted of going to a film or event in town (book reading, coffee shop open-mic); anything that would keep them out in public and away from a bedroom. Lisa's plans always seemed to include pushing some kind of boundary.

"How about camping? Have you ever gone camping, Ianto?" Her smile was devious, and her eyes flirtatious.

"Um, no and yes. Didn't like it. Next idea?"

Lisa threw her head back and laughed. "Yes and yes! Come on, camping this time of year would be gorgeous! There's barely anyone at the sites, and the air has cooled down enough to make the bugs stay away. Please?" She drew out the vowels of her last word, begging him with her voice and eyes.

He could never resist her when she looked at him that way. Or when she begged in that voice. Or basically when she asked anything of him at all. "Fine," he sighed. He tried not to think about what all "camping" implied: like sharing a tent and sleeping in an enclosed space...together...for the first time, and what had happened the last time he had been forced into a situation like that. Of course, Lisa was different. She was safe, and soft, and so utterly female. All the things his prior tent-mate had not been.

A squeal startled him out of his thoughts, and he almost fell over when she threw her arms around his neck.

"No!" The words left his mouth before he could stop them and his eyes clamped shut in an effort to brace himself against whatever was coming at him. He felt the arms stiffen before slowly being drawn away. Hands came to rest on the back of his head and neck, and he could feel the brush of thumbs at the top of his jaw line where the tension from clenching his teeth was causing a stabbing pain to form. Vaguely, he could hear words but couldn't make out what they were saying the first few times they spoke until...

"Ianto. Look at me, Ianto." His eyes relaxed, but didn't open. "That's it, Ianto. It's just me, Lisa. Open your eyes and look at me, sweetheart. Come on." One hand left the back of his head only to return at his temple. Fingers stroked his brow, easing the anxiety from the muscles. His eyes fluttered open of their own accord, and her face filled his view, calming him instantly. "There you are. Hello." She gave him a reassuring smile before releasing his face and leaning back in her chair.

Ianto realized just then that they were still at the coffee shop. Luckily, they were seated at one of the secluded outdoor tables, and no one was looking their way. Giving her a dramatic sigh because he knew it would make her smile even more and set her at ease, Ianto performed his exaggerated eye roll and looked at her with a mock-stern expression. "Next time, give a man some warning before squealing and jumping on him." He sat back, fixing his tie. "Thought we were under attack or something. Nearly gave me heart attack."

She giggled a little, and snorted into her coffee. Then, she went quiet. Ianto could feel her concern rise to an almost overwhelming pitch, and saw her eyes become serious. This wasn't the first time she had startled him, and this wasn't the worst of his reactions. She had quickly learned how to move and act around him so as not to upset him. And she had also learned how to bring him out of the state of panic he would recede into when he was set off.

"One of these days, we're going to have to talk about this." Her voice was hushed and soothing.

"Why?" Ianto felt his voice start to crack, and pushed the panic back down. He had never talked about it. He didn't even know how.

"Because, it can get better."

"What can?" His words came out in a whisper as the panic tried to wring tears from him.

"Life."

*****

They didn't talk about it, but they did go camping. Instead of the woods, Ianto found himself on a beautiful and serene beach. The twisting in his gut loosened only slightly at the calming sight. Lisa's playful flirting and crackling humor helped to settle him a great deal more as they set up camp. He was surprised to find she had brought an extremely large tent-big enough to fit at least five adults. When he looked questioningly at her, she shrugged. "I know you don't like tight spaces, and, well, we've got a lot of stuff, so I borrowed my parent's tent. They go camping a lot, and they like the extra space."

Her explanation moved him. She had gone out of her way to make sure he was comfortable. She was always doing that, always thinking of him. With a determined look on his face he moved to her, so quickly and quietly that for once he startled her. Cradling her face between his hands, he pressed his lips to hers softly before hastily retreating. "Thank you." It was all he could say.

She stared after him as he moved away to go gather more supplies from the back of her car. For Ianto to initiate physical contact of any sort was rare, although he had been improving. Brief touches to her shoulder or her back or her hand when they were out were becoming more frequent. But they had never kissed. Until now. She licked her lips, trying to see if she could taste him there, but the contact had been too brief and soft. All she could taste was the salt from the ocean air. Smiling, she resumed pitching the tent, resolved to find out what exactly Ianto Jones tasted like before the weekend was over.

Over the next several hours, the couple finished setting up camp and cooked dinner. Ianto's eating habits had started becoming healthier over the weeks he had known Lisa, although a great deal of that was due to her constant support and gentle pushing. She often wondered how long ago he had developed such unhealthy food issues, and why no one had bothered to notice before her. Of course, such topics were still filed under the "not yet discussed" category of their conversations, much like Ianto's panic attacks and his obsession of time and order.

As the evening wore on, the air went from being cool and crisp to downright bitter. Ianto built a fire, coaxing it into near-bonfire status, while Lisa broke out the whisky. She took a swig from the bottle before passing it to Ianto. He took a swig without looking at the bottle and pulled an awful face which sent Lisa into hysterics.

"Whisky, eh? I always pictured you as a girly drink...drinker." He took another swig, careful this time of his reaction. "You know, something with vanilla or coconut, with swirly straws and umbrellas."

Lisa giggled and shook her head. "Nope. I like whisky. It warms you up faster, and is much more convenient and appropriate for camping. It's not like you can bring a blender and make a pina colada or a daiquiri while on the beach, now is it?" She reached for the bottle and took a long draw. "Mmm, that warms me up almost as much as this fire you so skillfully created."

He grabbed the liquor from her with one hand while pounding his fist on his chest with the other. "Ugh, me man. Me make fire." His face turned bright red at his own actions, but Lisa was proud when he didn't retreat back into himself.

Ianto's humor had only started emerging a month or so ago, slowly at first and then gradually with growing confidence. In those early days, when he felt himself becoming embarrassed, he would almost panic or simply shut down. She had spent countless hours in those first few weeks having to coax him back out of his shell and reassure him that she did indeed still want to talk to him. As time went on, he relaxed and she found his humor to be dark and witty and utterly delicious. With a single clever phrase, often said when she least expected it, he could leave her gasping and crying with laughter. He always looked surprised by her reactions, as though he was simply saying out loud for the first time what he was usually thinking, and he never believed that another person would find it so amusing.

They sat around the campfire as the last of the sun's light bled from the sky, and they watched as the stars gradually came out one by one. They made s'mores while Lisa entertained them both by telling stories of her time at Torchwood, her exploits at uni, and growing up with her family. Ianto sat quietly and listened, occasionally sipping from the shared bottle. He loved her stories and the way her eyes would light up as she told them and the way she would laugh at his occasional witty comments. He loved everything about her.

The realization crept up on him as he sat there until it slammed into him full-force: He loved Lisa. For the first time in his life, he loved someone.

She must have noticed the change in him, because she suddenly went silent and was staring at him worriedly. "Ianto? Are you okay? What's wrong, sweetheart? Was it something I said?"

"I love you." He was still staring into the fire.

"Sorry?"

He turned and looked at her. "I love you, Lisa." She became unfocused, and he couldn't figure out why until he realized he was crying.

"Oh," her voice came out as a gasp. Her hand reached up and brushed a dark curl from his forehead before settling on his cheek. She leaned in close until their noses were touching. "I love you too, Ianto." Then, she was kissing him.

Her lips met his gently, questioning. She changed the angle, slightly turning her head to the side to capture his mouth more fully. After a moment, she felt him respond, and she was delighted by his tentative answering kisses. She leaned back just enough to look at him, to make sure he was okay with what they were doing. His face was flushed and his eyes were glazed with the whisky and the moment, but the tears were gone.

She grinned and leaned back in for a more impassioned kiss. Again, he responded and brought his hands up to hold onto her arms. She deepened the kiss, dipping her tongue into his mouth to finally, finally taste him. She sighed as she found the sharp tang of whisky mixed with the sweetness of sugar and chocolate. She tasted further to find pure Ianto: a combination of bitter and sweet with a hint of coffee. Smiling, she pulled back all the way to back against the log they were leaning on and looked at Ianto.

His breath was heavy and his eyes were still half-closed, but he was still relaxed. They didn't speak for the longest time, content to simply soak up the heat from the fire and each other. When the flames started to die down, Lisa stood up and stretched before holding her hand out to Ianto. He took it and she pulled him to his feet.

"Bedtime, I should think." She said, but Ianto was already yawning. "Yup, definitely past someone's bedtime, in fact. Come on, you. Into the tent." She led him over to the tent and unzipped it. The sound seemed to pull Ianto's mind out of its sleepy haze and back into reality. He stopped moving at the entrance, staring at the sleeping bags. Instead of being two separate sleep spaces, Lisa had opened them both and laid them on top of each other to form one large bed. His mind raced at the implications, and he felt is body try to move back. It was only the feel of Lisa's hand on his back, gentle but persistent, which propelled his feet forward into the enclosure.

He stood, hunched over and not sure what to do or where to go. Lisa followed behind him and he heard her zip the tent back up, sealing them in. He wondered if she could hear his heart in the deafening silence that followed.

Looking at him from head to foot, Lisa sighed. Something was starting to spook him, and at the moment she was too drunk to try and figure it out. "Okay, boots off and into bed." She toed her own boots off and climbed under sleeping bag fully clothed. Ianto took a deep breath and followed, climbing into the other side and staying huddled as far as physically possible from Lisa while still staying under the covers.

He laid there, stiff and barely breathing, counting the minutes as they passed. It took less than ten for Lisa's breath to even out as she fell asleep. It was only then that he allowed himself to relax just enough to nod off.

*****

The following morning was calm and peasant. Ianto was surprised to find he had slept through the night without having the nightmares he constantly experienced. Maybe chocolate, whisky, and Lisa were the cure to bad dreams. If that were the case, then he was going to recommend camping again sometime soon. He could stand to have more fright-free nights in his life.

They returned to work as normal, but their relationship had changed. They were closer, both physically and emotionally. Ianto had taken to holding her hand and giving her soft kisses whenever they saw each other, which left Lisa bursting with happiness.

Others began to notice the change in Ianto, too. His coworkers were stunned speechless one day when Ianto accidentally let loose what of his witty comments in reply to something someone had said. For a second, everyone stopped talking as they stared at the furiously red-faced young man. Ianto thought he was going to have a full-out panic attack, but then everyone broke out laughing. Someone clapped him on the back, which sent the panic spiraling again. But the moment passed. Since then, people in the research department played a secret game which consisted of seeing who would be the one to get Ianto to talk each day. Gradually, the shy boy opened up and began to form budding friendships with those around him.

Months passed, and Ianto experienced yet another first in his life: he felt contentment on almost a constant basis. The panic and sadness never went away, but they faded and became less invasive. He and Lisa had still never talked about "it" in depth, but he had hesitantly told her a little about his life before Torchwood.

She knew that he had been adopted at a young age, only to be returned to the orphanage when something happened. Later, he was adopted again when he was twelve by the Joneses. They both died when he was sixteen in a car accident, and he had been on his own since then. Most of the details of his life were skimmed over or flat-out ignored. When pressed, Ianto would change the subject or clam up and refuse to speak.

One time Lisa was desperate for him to open up and kept insisting he tell her more. The more she pushed, the more she expected him to give in and talk or yell at her or get upset...something, anything. Instead, he shut down; his mouth shut and his face went blank. When she went to touch his arm, he stood up and walked out of the room, not seeing her. Walking with his usual graceful and silent steps, he moved to his bedroom where he shut and locked the door. He stayed there for the entire weekend; a day and a half. Lisa never pushed again.

*****

Ianto never knew that bliss was possible. Here he was, almost 24 years old: he worked with an organization that dealt with aliens, with friends who liked him, and he was engaged to the most wonderful woman on the planet.

He had asked her one day during their lunch break. They had gone to the same coffee shop they had frequented since they had met, sat at what had been deemed "their" table (by both themselves and the staff), and ordered their usual food. Ianto loved it-the routine, the comfort of knowing he would meet her here everyday for as long as he was alive-and he never wanted it to end.

So, when they finished eating, he nervously wiped his mouth and put his hand in his jacket pocket, palming the small box hidden there.

"Lisa?"

"Hmm?" She wasn't paying too close attention to him. He knew her mind was running over the millions of things going on at work. With the formation of the "ghost shift," there had suddenly seemed much less time for everyone to spend on life outside of Torchwood. She shook her head and looked at him sheepishly. "Sorry, sweat, what were you saying? My mind's a million miles off, which is exactly where I wish we were...a million miles from here. Where would that put us exactly do you think?" Her eyes were playful and loving; a look Ianto had grown to crave having directed at him.

"Will you marry me?" He felt nervous and clumsy as he realized he still had the ring in his pocket and he was doing it all wrong. "Shit, wait, wait, wait, sorry."

He jumped up quickly, not giving her time to respond, knocking over his chair in the process. He moved to right it, but then changed his mind in mid-action. Instead, he waved it off, turned to face her, and fell to one knee with enough force to cause pain.

Pulling the tiny velvet black box out of his pocket, he opened it with shaking hands. He took a deep breath, then: "Lisa Hallett; will you marry me?"

She was staring at him with enormously expressive eyes. Seconds passed and Ianto thought he might faint from lack of air before she spoke. Then, her face split into a stunning smile and there were tears pouring down her face. She laughed and cried, unable to speak for a moment. Ianto still held his breath, not quite sure of her reaction.

Lisa looked at him and saw his fear and unease. Still smiling, she leaned forward and plucked the ring from the box without even looking at it and slipped it onto her finger. "Of course I will, silly bean. Come here!" And with that, she kissed him. Her heart fluttered and she found that she couldn't stop crying when she felt him kiss her back with equal passion.

Returning to work, word spread quickly and soon everyone was congratulating them on their engagement. Even Yvonne Hartman came down from on high to offer her best wishes. Torchwood was, after all (as Yvonne was frequently heard saying), a modern day operation...full of people-skills and first-name-basis bosses.

Then, the Cybermen and Daleks came. And it all went to hell.

***

Today is a good day.
This had been Ianto's first thought to each day since Lisa had accepted his proposal over a month ago. It had been 41 days of pure joy and giddy ecstasy for the shy junior researcher.

At work, his coworkers noticed the change and approved. Since emerging gradually from his shell, Ianto had quickly become a favorite within the department. The previously invisible young man was now seen as somewhat of a pet among the older researchers; several had taken him under their wings to teach him more about computers and artifacts and past finds.

One white haired old man, Dr. Bran Kinsey, took special interest in not only Ianto's work and education, but in his life. He would give the boy advice on relationships and what gifts to buy Lisa or suggest what kind of wine would go nicely with a specific meal. It was like having a father-no, a grandfather-there to guide him. He even went to lunch with Ianto when Lisa called in sick with a stomach bug for two days. Of course, this was after a stern scolding; it had taken a day and a half for Dr. Bran to realize that Ianto had not been eating simply because Lisa was not there, which broke his routine.

Everyone was delighted to discover Ianto's brilliant mind and his ability to pick up things quickly. In turn, Ianto found himself soaking in each piece of information given to him and absolutely loving every single moment of his new life. Never before had knowledge and ideas been so fascinating to him; it was like a drug, and each day he craved more.

Once he was granted permission and access to their archives (both physical and digital), he swiftly went about re-organizing the entire system and making it much more efficient. Like an artist given the right tools at last, Ianto seemed to instinctually know what to do-like he could see something the others could not.

This earned him not only a pay raise, but recognition from other departments who begged Research to loan them Ianto to overhaul their own files. At first, his supervisors-turned-mentors refused on the grounds that they didn't want Ianto overworked or overwhelmed. The other department heads had to come and speak with Dr. Bran directly to assure the protective man that they would not push Ianto, that they would give him lots of breaks, and that they would certainly make sure he stopped working the second Lisa arrived for their lunch break. A red faced Ianto finally had to step in and reassure Dr. Bran (if only to stop his ever-increasingly embarrassing list of demands) that he would be fine working for a few days in other departments. The older man grudgingly agreed, giving the visiting department heads one last threatening look before nodding his dismissal to Ianto.

From there, Ianto found his world opened impossibly more. Working in files and archives for the various departments allowed him access to information never discussed in a break rooms. He learned about the history of Torchwood, and the current status's of the other branches (most fairly sketchy in his opinion). He discovered the vast numbers of species Torchwood had interacted with on and off for well over a century. Weapons, procedures, incident accounts...they were all at his fingertips. And no one seemed to care or take note of how long he took to organize the files. Of course, he wasn't working with anything deemed highly classified; those were stored in a completely different area under very secure conditions.

When he was finished with his organizational magic and returned to his own department, Ianto practically gushed all over Dr. Bran and Lisa with stories of his findings, much to their amusement. The good doctor would simply shake his head with a tolerant but pleased smile. On occasion, Ianto's eagerness to share would leave him bouncing all around the older man like an excited puppy.

"Did you know that in 1599, there was an incident at The Globe Theatre that was said to involve witches? I found this really old document stuck to the back of another piece of paper. It must have been misplaced ages ago."
Dr. Bran half listened as his young protégé followed on his heels. They were working on an ancient piece of alien tech, and Ianto was handing tools to the doctor as he motioned for them.
"It was a handwritten account by someone in the queen's guard," Ianto continued without pausing for a breath, "Apparently, the Doctor made an appearance during one of Shakespeare's plays-a lost play at that!-and then he and his companion made a run for it. Can you imagine? Being at the Globe, watching a lost play of Shakespeare, when-BAM-alien witches!?"

During the tirade, Dr. Bran gently put down his tools and turned to Ianto, watching him carefully as he finished speaking. His young face was flushed with excitement and the exertion of having been so hyper for the past hour or so. His eyes were bright but focused when they turned to meet Dr. Bran's own intense gaze. Ianto's flush went deeper, this time from embarrassment, when he realized he had been babbling.

"I...um, I'm sorry, sir. I guess I just got carried away," he gulped, "again. I..I just, I mean...I'll be quiet, sir. Sorry." His eyes went down to the floor as they so often did when he felt unsure of himself.

Dr. Bran did not sigh, but he wanted to. Looking over the suddenly insecure young man, he felt sad and concerned for him, but also an intense anger at whatever was done to make him this way. He mentally walled in the white-hot emotion, holding it back so Ianto didn't pick up on it. Embarrassment he could deal with-fear, he couldn't. At least not today, when everyone was over-worked to the brink of exhaustion. Besides, since getting closer to Ianto, the doctor had seen what other people's unchecked emotions did to the young empathy. It was enough to inspire Dr. Bran to dredge up his own psychic shield training and put it to good use. All Torchwood employees were trained in such matters, and he could only wonder why someone as sensitive as Ianto couldn't (or didn't) shield himself better against others.

He cleared his throat and did his best to look stern as Ianto lifted his head and settled his gaze somewhere to the left of the doctor. He cleared his throat again and waited until the gaze met his own, wavered slightly, and then held. Eye contact was something the doctor was silently working on with Ianto, and the boy was doing him proud. These days, it was only during moments like this when he had trouble meeting his mentor's eyes, but the doctor was patient and Ianto trusted him as much as Lisa.

Once he was sure he held the boy's full attention, he held his hand out expectantly and said, "Mug."

Confusion filled Ianto's face as he broke his gaze to look down at the table where their coffee mugs were sitting. The doctor's mug was easily within the man's reach. "Sir?"

The man just raised his eyebrow in mock impatience and kept his hand held out. Bewildered, Ianto simply picked up the man's cup and handed it to him, but the doctor wouldn't take it.

"Sir, I don't know..."

"Your mug." He interrupted, and was pleased to note that complete and utter change of topic had broken through the embarrassment as he could see Ianto's mind trying to work out what exactly was going on. With a slight frown, Ianto handed over his own coffee much which was half empty and slightly cold. Dr. Bran sniffed it before taking a sip. Making a slight face at the amount of sweetness that had been added, he placed the mug back on the table. Only this time, it was behind him and out of Ianto's reach.

"Hey! Sir, that's my..."

"No more coffee until after lunch for you." He stepped up the mock-seriousness by crossing his arms over his chest and doing his best impression of a bouncer who would stop at nothing to keep Ianto away from his mug. The effect was slightly ruined by the man's wild white hair, and half moon glasses which he used to peer down through at Ianto.

"What?" It came out as an exasperated squeak. "Why can't I have..."

"Because you are hyper enough without it. And your bouncing is making me dizzy." Ianto opened his mouth to apologize, but Dr. Bran kept going. "If you really desire the taste-although, how you can taste any of the coffee through the sugar is beyond me-then you may have decaf." This was said with what could only be described as a small evil smile and a look that challenged Ianto to protest.

Any traces of embarrassment that may have been clinging to Ianto disappeared as his face scrunched up in outrage and disgust at the very though of drinking such a lower form of his favorite beverage. Grumbling slightly, but not in the least bit upset, Ianto went to retrieve a bottled water from the break room and returned to continue working with the doctor. It was moments like this that made waking up so easy now for him.

As they stripped away the grime and what both assumed was rust from the ancient unknown piece of tech (serve them both right if it turned out to be a hair dryer or something else ridiculously un-useful), they were startled out of their work by flood of flashing yellow lights.

"What's that?" Ianto asked. The room around them had fallen silent. He looked back to the doctor who's face had drained of color. Fear was coming off the man in waves and Ianto felt himself powerless against it.

In fact, he started feeling it trickle in from everyone...everywhere. Terror, anger, pain...over 800 people packed tightly into a single building, and they were all feeling the same emotions.

"What d-do those flashing lights mean?" He felt himself gasping, trying to breathe around the tightness forming in his chest and the clench of panic in his gut. Everyone in the room moved at once, grabbing what they were working on and throwing them back into their respective cubbies and storage bins. Several people went to a closet Ianto had never had access to. When they emerged, they were holding a small arsenal of weaponry.

"What's going on? Dr. Bran? Doctor!" He tentatively reached out a hand to the man's arm. The touch was enough to break the man out of his fog, and he grabbed Ianto's hand in a bone-crushing grasp.

"Ianto, listen to me. We're under attack. Not just London or England, but Torchwood. Us, this building, right now has enemies of the crown inside it and they are attacking. That's what the lights mean. That's why there aren't any alarms yet...they're too distracting during mobilization...especially to bookkeepers and researchers, eh?" His smile was an attempt at reassurance, but its emptiness froze Ianto to the core.

"I have to find Lisa!" Ianto turned to run for the door, but the grip on his hand held tight.

"Listen to me: there is nothing you can do for her right now. Her department has their own protocols, and you barging in could make her situation much less safe. You could be followed, or killed in the halls." The fire in his gruff voice died down slightly. "Besides, one of them blokes with a gun will shoot you before you even open the door." He felt Ianto sag in defeat.

"What do we do?" He asked in a shaky, but determined voice.

"We are researchers," he released his painful grip on Ianto's fingers and moved his hand to settle on the back of the boy's neck. "We hide while the soldiers fight. We lock everything away, engage security protocols that will destroy everything in storage or on file if they are breached without the proper pass code. Come on." Ianto felt him gently squeeze his neck before letting him go. They hastily emulated what the rest of the room was doing and put away everything they were working on, locking it back in its storage bin.

Without a word, everyone made for the break room. The men who had retrieved the guns locked them inside and stood guard over their colleagues. Once inside, Ianto saw someone open a second door-one that had been inconspicuously build to blend into the wall. Everyone again moved through the opening to make their way into what looked like a good-sized vault. People started sitting on the ground with their backs against the wall. When Dr. Bran sat in the far corner, Ianto followed.

It was eerily silent, with only the ever-present flashing yellow lights telling of the ongoing danger. No one spoke except in hushed whispers. There were about 15 people from research who worked in this particular office of the department, and that many people in such a small room made for cramped conditions. It also did nothing to help Ianto's poor overwhelmed brain; so many minds feeling so many emotions.

Dr. Bran saw a look of pain cross the boy's face and settle into his eyes. Shifting slightly so that he was turned toward Ianto, he lifted his hands to grace the impossibly young face. There was a slight flinch, almost imperceptible, and then it was gone. "Ianto," he whispered, "you need to block it out."

"Can't." Was the chocked reply.

"You have to. I'll help you, ya? Can you let me do that, Ianto? Let me help you block out what isn't yours to feel?" The old man rubbed soothing circles with his thumbs over his temples. Ianto gave a tiny nod, but it was enough. "Okay. Now, I haven't done this in a very long time, but I think I remember the basics. I need you to relax and listen only to me. Can you do that?" Another nod.

Are you listening? The voice was soft, and yet it managed to slice through all the other noise with the efficiency of a gun shot. The presence behind the voice grew in his mind, bringing with it a pleasantly warm buzzing sensation.

Yes.

Good. Now, we need to push all this out before anything else. Imagine yourself at the center of it all.

Ianto did, and suddenly he found himself overwhelmed with panic as everything seemed to surround him, pushing into him from all sides.

Breathe boy! Listen to me, and ONLY to me! Now, surround yourself in solid white light, like you're in an egg. See it? Good, make it stronger, blinding. Very good, Ianto. Now, I want you to expand your egg outward. Only your mind exists inside it...your mind and whatever YOU wish to allow through. Keep going, keep going, almost...there.

Ianto felt like he was floating in some sensory deprivation chamber. He had never had such peace inside his own head. His eyes flew open fearing the possibility that something else may have happened to silence so many voices at once. He found himself face to face with tired, old eyes.

"You did good, boy. Did good." His voice was barely a whisper, betraying how much his role in assisting Ianto had taken out of him.

The moment was broken by a shudder that could be felt through the walls and floor. A few people gasped.
Then, a second shudder, this time accompanied by a dull thud.
A third shudder, the thud louder and more distinct.
And then silence.

No one dared to breathe. But their silence couldn't stop the inevitable. The door exploded inward, and suddenly the noise was deafening. People were screaming, injured and frightened from the blast. Chaos had erupted inside the tiny vault, and there were odd machine-like clanging growing louder by the second. Words drifted over the noise: "delete" and "compatible" and "upgrade" were all that could be made out in the confusion.

Dr. Bran turned to frantically to Ianto and saw the absolute terror written on his face. "Ianto, lad, you have to listen to me one last time, you hear?" Ianto could do nothing but nod. "I think I know what is about to come through that door. Despite what you may believe, I have in fact read a great deal of Torchwood history, and if I'm right in what I think is out there...well, for the sake of the Earth, let's hope I'm wrong." His words were coming out almost faster than Ianto could absorb, and the clanging was almost loud enough to overpower everything else.
"Ianto, you have to play dead." He had to scream to be heard even though he was inches from Ianto's face.

"What?"

You have to play dead. There's no other way. If they find you, they will kill you or convert you.

"NO!" No! I'm not leaving you!

You're right, you're not leaving me. I have to leave you.

NO! I won't, you can't make...

Ianto! Even in his mind, the viciousness with which his name was spoken stung. You must think of Lisa. If you ever want to see her again, you will do as I say NOW!

People were screaming at the door. A silver arm could be seen grabbing the closest person who shrieked and shook violently in the grasp. The words "delete" echoed in the small chamber.

Ianto still shook his head. Everything was happening at once-too fast, too fast!

I'm sorry. I love you, Ianto. Always remember that there are people who love you.

There was no time to even flinch before Dr. Bran's fist came over him.

His head was propelled backwards into the wall, and then there was nothing.

*****

Am I in Hell?
Hell was the only explanation Ianto's brain could come up with. There were waves of heat pouring in from every direction making breathing very difficult.

With a groan, he tried to sit up, only to panic when he found he couldn't move. Opening his eyes, he tried to look around. Plaster dust and sweat coated his face and eyes and nose and mouth, making everything he was trying to do nearly impossible. Shifting slightly, he managed to turn his body under the weight...

And found himself staring into the open, dead eyes of his doctor.

There was blood congealed around a cut on his temple, caused by his now-shattered half moon glasses which hung limply from his nose. There were singe marks on his neck and his body was covered in black soot.

Ianto screamed, kicking and pushing and straining against the weight of the dead body. He managed to roll the doctor off of him and sat up, staring at the broken man in shock. He didn't realize that he was still screaming until he paused for a breath, only to violently start coughing when he found his lungs filled with smoke and dust. The coughing served as a shock to his system, and through his watering eyes, he saw the rest of the room.

There were several bodies littering the floor, mostly by the door. Ianto took note of the number and vaguely wondered where the majority of his coworkers had ended up. His wide eyes moved back to the doctor, and his breath hitched, causing him to cough again. Forcing himself to breathe slowly through his nose, he gently rolled Dr. Bran onto his back and crossed the man's arms over his chest. He couldn't think straight, and didn't know what to do. It took his mind a moment to re-sort the events in the minutes before he was knocked unconscious. And when it fell into place...

Lisa.

He glanced at the doctor and ran his hand over the now grey and black hair, smoothing it down.

"I'm sorry," he croaked in a whisper, "I love you, but I have to go. I have to find Lisa. I'm sorry I couldn't...oh, god." He held his breath, determined not to cry; there would be time for that later. "Good-bye. I'll come back for you. I promise."

With that, he stood shakily and made his way through the debris and bodies to go find the only woman he ever loved.

The break room was almost silent; only the sounds of distant blasts could be heard from this point. He looked down to see the bodies of the soldiers who had died trying to protect them. Their guns lay on the ground beside them, and Ianto bent to pick up the rifle and two handguns. He had received only minimal training in firearms, but it was enough. Instincts kicked in; he went into auto-pilot searching the bodies for extra ammo and taking all he could carry.

Now armed, he moved carefully into the research office room. It was a disaster zone: tables were overturned and smoldering, the safety programs for the archived artifacts had clearly self-destructed as black smoke billowed out of the storage spaces in the wall, and several bodies had fallen in piles and the distinct smell of burnt flesh filled the air. But whatever had caused this had gone, moved on to another section.

Lisa.

The thought that the invaders could have found her moved Ianto through the destruction and into the hall. It was only slightly better out here. No bodies could be seen, and the air was cool and fresh. Ianto took a deep, cautious breath and let it out slowly, trying not to cough and draw the attention of anything lurking around the corner.

He moved quietly and quickly, without any thought except...Lisa.
The journey to the stairwell was uninterrupted, and before he knew it, he found himself standing just outside her floor. At least, he thought this was her floor.

Peering through the small safety window, he didn't recognize the scene on the other side. The entire floor was glowing red, as though it was on fire. He could hear the sounds of screeching metal and hysterical voices crying out in pain and terror. Great metal men were stomping around, herding people into makeshift stalls covered in plastic. A metal head passed by the window and Ianto fell to the floor to avoid being seen. He pulled himself up to his knees slowly and leaned his back against the wall. Thoughts ran through his head, each scenario of how he could get to Lisa became more and more ridiculous as they were dismissed.
He was still sitting there when something happened.

It was like an explosion, only continuous. The floor and ceiling and walls visibly shook and it sounded like something was ripping through the building. Ianto found himself crawling to huddle in the corner of the stairwell, praying Lisa wasn't caught in whatever was happening. And then it was over.

He pushed himself up on shaky legs and looked again through the safety glass. The metal men were gone. Some of the people who had been standing in groups had fallen to the ground, unmoving; dead or unconscious from whatever had caused the metal men to disappear and the building to shake. Those still standing were screaming hysterically and were running toward every available exit, including...

Ianto found his body plastered to the wall behind the door as herds of people ran past him. Some tripped and fell in their haste to get down the stairs only to be trampled by those behind them. Ianto watched through the window of the door that pinned him, desperately looking to make sure Lisa wasn't one of the fallen ones. A second later, the stampede stopped, and Ianto found himself free. Not allowing himself to look back, he forced his body to continue its search for the one person who gave him meaning.

He walked into glowing hall. He could hear broken sobs and muffled screams coming from behind the plastic barriers. So many screams.
He didn't want to look, but he found he had no choice. Lisa wasn't one of the people who had fallen to the ground. He had to eliminate every place, every body...because for every body that wasn't Lisa, there was still a chance she was safely hidden or had escaped or had been out on an errand. Dear God, let her have been out of the building.

Bracing himself, he cautiously entered into the first plastic enclosure-and promptly vomited what little was in his stomach. His mind couldn't comprehend what he was seeing: there was what looked to be a person, or what used to be a person, strapped into a metal table. There was some kind of overhanging contraption filled with tools, and it seemed to have been stopped in mid...whatever it was doing. Ianto's eyes looked at where the blades had stopped, halfway through the poor man's skull-like some sick, futuristic procedure for scalping. Ianto turned and ran.

He ran to the next stall. This one had a woman, also dead. Ianto's stomach clenched violently again as he finally realized what the stalls were for-the destiny that had been in store for the people lined up in the hall earlier. There were metal plates half fused to her legs and arms, and there was some kind of helmet attached to her scalp.

Not Lisa.

He ran again.
This one had a black man, dead.
This one had another woman, dead.
This one had a man, dead. He recognized him. Bob? Bill? One of Lisa's friends.
He ran. His mind stopped seeing individual features. Stopped seeing the carnage.
This one had a man...not dead. The hand, covered in metal, was moving slightly. He was groaning, then coughed. Blood poured from his mouth, and he was still.
Ianto blinked. He had to hurry. If some had survived...
Lisa

He raced through several more stalls. A few were alive, but close to death. One, a young woman no older than himself, looked him in the eye and gasped out, "Please, help me." Her voice sounded raspy, robotic.

"Oh god, I'm sorry. I'll try and get help," was all Ianto managed before he raced out. There was no one to help. He didn't know why he said it. He couldn't think about it.

His search became more desperate. The offices on this floor seemed to contain endless stalls, but the further he went the more people he found who were still hanging on to life. The more voices he could hear screaming and begging for help.

One voice cut through the rest-Lisa-and he was sprinting toward her cries. Bursting through the plastic curtain, he stopped short-staring.
She was covered in blood and metal, sobbing nonsense words between screams. His beautiful girl, cut to pieces, fused with armor, the ring of tools hanging precariously close to her face...

His feet moved slowly toward her, disobeying his brain's command to run.
"Lisa? Lisa, it's me, Ianto." Her head rolled in his direction, too heavy for her to control with the rods and plates embedded in her scalp.

"Ianto?" Her voice was weak, but he was relieved beyond measure to hear no trace of machine in her soft tones.

"Shhh, It's me, I'm here," he almost broke as he stood by her side, not knowing where to touch here. He'd spent so much of his life shying away from contact, and now it was all he wanted.

"It...hurts...pain...so much..." She could barely focus, her eyes were looking at him, but he could tell that she wasn't seeing him.

"I know love, I know. I'm going to get you out of here, alright?" He settled for lightly running a single finger over her cheek, just to reassure himself that she was there and real and alive.

"How...where are..." He didn't know if she was asking where she was or where the metal men were, but neither answer mattered at this point.

"We've just got to figure out how to unhook you from this, yes? Okay, let's have a look." He started to explore how her body was intertwined with the table and found that it was mostly clamps keeping her still. However, there were a few wires that ran from the metal exoskeleton to the table, and he had no idea what would happen if he disconnected them.

He didn't see the change come over Lisa's face, but when he heard her speak he saw that her eyes had suddenly become focused on something only she could see, and both her voice and eyes had a cold tone to them. She began to tell him, step by step, how to detach her from the machine and still keep her alive.

"How...how do you know this won't kill you?" He asked astonished.

"The knowledge is in me." Was all she would say, so he followed her instructions. He worked swiftly, but carefully, blocking out the sounds of screaming and running feet from outside their stall. Within minutes he had her free, but she couldn't move on her own; he'd have to carry her to safety.

Holding her in his arms, he tried to gently pull her from the table, but she was too heavy. In the end, he had to roughly yank her free which caused her to scream and snap out of whatever calm state had come over her whilst dictating to Ianto. He seized her tightly around the waist as he began to drag her out into the hall.

It was a return to pure chaos. Workers who had remained safely hidden were emerging into the hellish landscape of corpses and the dying. People ran around, trying to help friends and strangers alike, but no one had any idea what to do. Fights and frustrations were breaking out as panic began to set in for good.

Ianto dragged Lisa, step by agonizing step, past the plastic stalls, past the corpses, past the panicked people. Fires were breaking out all around them, coming from the floors below. A wave of screams broke out behind them, and when Ianto looked over Lisa's shoulder he saw one almost fully converted person standing in the midst of a crowd. He paused long enough to see it reach out and electrocute the nearest person.

Tightening his grasp on Lisa, Ianto picked up the pace, desperately trying to get her to some safe place. Her screams filled his ears and broke through his barriers piece by piece, and her pain slowly became his pain. Arms shaking, body exhausted, he continued for what seemed like hours. He found himself lost in a maze of red and flames. The corridors had all been converted by the infiltrators and Ianto soon realized he had no idea where he was in the building.

"Help! Anybody? Is there anyone that can help me?" His voice rang out, desperate, but there was no answer. So he kept going, pushing past Lisa's screams and his own burning muscles to get them both to safety.

In the end, all he remembered were snapshots: the smell of blood and burning flesh, the sounds of continuous screaming, a lifeless face covered in soot and ash, a pile of rubble with a woman's shoe peeking through the bottom, a broken coffee mug laying on the ground...

It took hours to make it down the flights of steps and through the endless corridors. Halfway through, Lisa passed out from the pain and blood loss, and he felt guilty for feeling relieved when she fell silent. He remained careful, though. On one floor, he spotted a group of armed soldiers and was about to call for help when he saw them begin to open fire into a set of plastic stalls. The dying wail of those still strapped to the units made Ianto's mouth snap shut as he realized that no one could see him with Lisa. A new fear settled over him: where could they go for help? Who was safe to turn to? He carried on, resolute in his mission.

The next thing he knew, he was trying to get Lisa into the back of his compact car. He had to force her legs to bend which caused her to wake up sobbing again. Apologies poured from his mouth even as the tears streaked down his face and he brushed a kiss to her cheek.

The drive home was hazy and surreal. It was dark outside; night had fallen and it was relatively quiet compared to the past several hours inside the Torchwood tower. He didn't notice the people in the streets or those lying dead on the sides of the road. He barely noticed the other cars. And then they were home.

Lisa had passed out again, and it was much easier to move her unnoticed when there was no screaming. Once he had her settled on his bed, he realized he had no idea what to do. Staring at her deceptively peaceful face, he opened his mind back up and tried to feel her. There was nothing.

His breath caught in a panic as the first thought was she's dead. He leapt to the bed and shook her gently. "Lisa? Wake up, darling! Lisa!"

Her eyes snapped open and she looked straight at him with no emotion. He still felt nothing there. "Ianto?" Her voice was void of feeling.

"Lisa? I thought...you weren't..." He didn't know what was happening-what HAD happened-to them. "I don't know what to do, Lisa. I can't fix you, and I can't take you back. They'll just...they killed...I can't." His breath ended in a sob and he cursed himself for breaking.

"I know what to do." Her words cut through his storm of thoughts and he quieted.

"You do? How?" A tiny spark of hope, too dim to be completely recognizable, lit in the pit of Ianto's stomach.

"It is irrelevant. I will tell you." And she did. She told him to return to the tower and gave him a specific list of equipment and drugs to retrieve. It would take several trips to get it all back in his tiny car, but it could-and would-be done. He left as soon as she finished speaking, rushing back to the tower to get as much as possible before people noticed him.

Ianto worked through the entire night, and most of the following morning, carrying metal frames and boxes of wire and bags of medical equipment. And when everything was gathered, Lisa talked him through assembly.

When he had detached her from the machines the previous day, Lisa knew she would last for less than twenty-four hours before the cybernetics failed to operate as life support, and she had told Ianto so. Now, he worked frantically to get it all done and to grant Lisa an extension on life until they could find real help. Under her careful eye, he finished by early afternoon-less than a full day since the attack began. He helped guide her onto the newly built life support system and hooked her in. As the pain medicine hit her system, he felt something stir in the back of his mind and realized it was her. Gasping in relief, he held her hand and stroked her face, whispering nonsense to her until she fell into a drug-induced sleep.

It was much later when Ianto released her and stepped back. Every muscle in his body suddenly ached, and he could feel bruises and burns and cuts and strains he hadn't even realized were there. Silently, he moved into his bedroom and stripped out of his blood-soaked clothes and threw them into the bin. The physical pain was starting to worsen, and yet he felt detached from it, like it was a mere memory of pain.
He stepped into the shower, not knowing or caring if the water was scalding hot or ice cold...only caring that he was clean enough to sleep so he could wake up and figure out the next step.

Numbly, he finished and dried off. Dressing mechanically, he moved back into the living room, laid down on the couch, and stared at Lisa. He would have to move quickly. People here would suspect the sudden power drain, and he needed to get a better facility for her besides an apartment living room. Staying in London meant dealing with memories gained over the past two days.

Ianto felt his eyes close and he finally fell asleep to the steady beeps of Lisa's life support.

***

The next several weeks were a blur of activity and adrenaline.
Ianto had to return to the tower the following day. There were still medical supplies he needed to stock up on; the measly handful of needles and bottles of morphine would only last through the end of the week at the rate Lisa was needing them.

That first moment back in the building, seeing it with eyes not coated in dust and sweat and tears, affected Ianto almost as much as the actual hours he had spent fighting his way out.

There were teams from every military and government branch performing triage and cleanup and assessing the anyone and anything that survived. Large-scale incinerators had been brought in to deal with the cyber-units and any bodies that had undergone any degree of conversion. Others were burning large pieces of debris that were still being pulled from the building. Medics had set up tents around the block from the still-smoking tower to treat survivors.

Ianto didn't know where to go or what to do when he arrived. He knew what he needed to do-Lisa had once again provided him with a list-but with so many people everywhere he knew the job wouldn't be easy.

As he walked around aimlessly, just staring at the devastation and trying to form a plan, he felt a tickle on the back of his neck. He shook his head and then gave the spot a quick scratch. The tickle only increased, and Ianto started to feel something...more. A quick look around the room revealed nothing, but when he slowed his gaze he found himself staring at a man...who was staring right back at him. He was tall and wore a greatcoat that would have looked out of place on anyone except him.

The look in the man's eye was dark and intense and completely trained on Ianto from across the large room. As soon as their eyes met, Ianto felt himself take a physical step backwards, almost tripping on an toppled chair, and dropped his gaze instantly. This man exuded danger and command-two qualities Ianto prided himself in avoiding when found in others. Looking quickly around him, he tried to find the nearest escape whilst trying to look nonchalant. He silently cursed himself when he realized that the only entrance that wasn't blocked off was the one he came in at...and it was on the other side of this man.

Taking a deep breath, Ianto started to walk toward the doorway by way of circling around the man, but as he grew closer he could feel the tickle increase to a level of discomfort. Giving a slight gasp, he felt his mental shield shudder and start to slip and he realized that what he was feeling was another mind brushing his.

Only, this was different from anything Ianto had ever experienced; instead of him picking up others' emotions, this was another person deliberately probing him.
Anger and alarm melded together, and he soon felt his feet rushing toward the doors.

"Hey!" The voice was American, and for that reason it sliced through Ianto's thoughts. There was enough of an order in that single word to stop his retreat against his will.

Ianto stood there, stock still and breathing harshly. He gave one last longing look at the door only 10 feet away before his eyes fell to their accustomed place on the ground. Hurried footsteps crunched through debris behind him. From the corner of his vision, he could see people giving him a brief, uninterested glance before returning to their work.

The footsteps stopped behind him and he felt his shoulders tense enough to make breathing difficult.

"Hey," the western voice said in a much gentler tone. "Have you been checked out yet?"

"Sorry, sir?" He pleaded with his voice to stay steady.

"You're a survivor, right? Have you gone to the medic tent yet? To be checked out?" The man was close, but not touching, as he slowly walked around Ianto. He stopped when he got directly in front of the tense young man.

"I'm fine, sir. No injuries." His voice sounded odd to his own ears, slightly cold and distant.

The strange man sighed heavily as though this wasn't the first time he'd had this conversation with people. "Doesn't matter if you're injured. Everyone who was here during the battle is required to be checked out by a medic."

"I was checked, sir, and cleared." The lie came so quickly, Ianto was almost unaware of thinking it.

The man's face leaned closer, but Ianto was so intent on looking at the ground that he didn't see him move. "You're lying." The words, said so close to Ianto's ear, sent him jerking back a step. He would have kept going had it not been for the hand that shot out and grasped his upper arm tightly. "Woah, there. Steady now. Steady." As he regained his footing, the grip on his arm eased and the man's hand moved down the suit sleeve in what was supposed to be a soothing motion. Ianto pulled his arm away again and the man brought his hands up in surrender. "Okay, I get it."

"I'm not lying." Ianto lied, wanting to do nothing more than run past this stranger and curl up in a corner-preferably one in his own flat.

The man rubbed his eyes to soothe his own stress before speaking again. "If you had been seen, you would be wearing an id card that lets us know you're okay to return to work in here."

Oh. Ianto looked around; sure enough, everyone there was indeed wearing id's pinned to their shirts or hung around their necks on laminates. He looked back to the man. "You're not wearing one."

"Yes, I..." The man looked down, frowned, then reached back behind him to pull a laminate around to his chest. "Ah ha! Sucker's tried to strangle me all day."

Ianto got a close look at the man's card: Captain Jack Harkness, leader of Torchwood Three in Cardiff. He sucked in a breath as he realized he was likely talking to the head of the entire Torchwood Institute.

"You alright there?"

Ianto ignored the question. "Why would you just assume that I'm a ...that I was here?" He couldn't say the word survivor; it made everything too real. "Why not think that I'm like you, from the outside, here to help?"

"Because after 15 hours of working here, you learn to distinguish between outside help and those who were here when it happened. You are pale, your arms and legs keep having minute tremors, and there are cuts on your face as well as a good sized bruise near your eye." Jack said nothing about the fact that so far, only 21 survivors had returned or been found. 21 survivors so far-out of the 823 people who worked in the Tower.

"Oh." There was nothing left for Ianto to argue, and he felt the fight drain from his body. The man-Jack-sensed this and gently ushered him out of the room. The journey to the medic stations was quick and silent. Jack didn't ask him his name, or what he did at Torchwood, for which Ianto was grateful.

Stepping outside, Ianto's eyes felt assaulted by the sunlight. He continued following Jack's billowing coat until they came to a stop outside one of the tents. The set up reminded Ianto a little too much of the plastic covered conversion units (as he'd learned was their real name).

"Owen, I've got another one for you." Jack yelled through the tent opening.

"I thought you said I'd be here to help you and Tosh go through stuff?" The cranky London-voice that answered reminded Ianto of a child whining when he didn't get his way. Jack rolled his eyes at Ianto, as if to say ‘what can I do?' before retorting back, "Yeah, well, you're needed more out here for now, okay? In the meantime, why don't you come take care of this young man?"

A hand suddenly held the entrance to the tent open from the inside, and Ianto could hear a voice mumbling, "Yeah, yeah, come on."

"And be nice!" Jack yelled into the tent as he nodded to Ianto in an attempt to reassure him that it would be alright. And then he left without a glance behind him, great coat billowing in his wake.

"Come on, then, get in here so I can have a look at you." The voice tried to be snappy, but came across as more tired than anything else. When Ianto entered the tent, his impression was confirmed by the sight of the young haggard doctor who looked like he hadn't slept in two days. He motioned for Ianto to sit on the cot, and he did so. "Right, shirt off."

"Excuse me?"

"Take your shirt off so I can check you for injuries, yeah? Otherwise, it's kind of hard to check for contusions and such through the material. Actually, I'm gonna need you to strip down to your pants. Of course, if I were psychic, then it would all be much easier. Sadly, my mental powers are limited to just being a genius."

At first, Ianto found the doctor's tirade to have a calming effect and he began to slowly unbutton his shirt. It was only when Owen had finished speaking did Ianto's brain finish interpreting all that had been said. "Why do I need to strip all the way, exactly?" He asked through slightly gritted teeth.

"I just explained that: I need to see your lack of injuries before sending you back into danger." Seeing the look on his patient's face, Owen interpreted the panic as a reaction to what he'd just said. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say it that way. I'm just...it...the past two days have been like some new level of hell, which I'm sure you understand. I'm just tired, which makes me bitchy and a twat. So: sorry." He waved his hand around the general tent area, as though to apologize for anything occurring inside the tent.

Ianto simply nodded, at a loss of words, and quickly finished unbuttoning his shirt. Shrugging it off and folding it neatly on the cot, he shed his trousers as well and added them to the pile. When he was finished, he sat on the cot, arms wrapped around his torso and shivering slightly despite the heat radiating off the multiple fires burning nearby.

"Right, are we ready?" Owen seemed to regain a portion of his cockiness as he spun in his chair round to the silent figure behind him. He began by asking Ianto a series of questions, which he then noted down on a form: his name, address, position at Torchwood, id number, where he was when the battle took place, etc. Ianto answered them as quickly as possible, his voice void of emotion.

"Did you sustain any injuries during or after the battle?"

"No." Ianto answered automatically. He'd been able to walk out on his own, not to mention carry Lisa out as well.

Owen's eyes narrowed. "Then how do you explain the bruises and cuts on your face? Not to mention the burns on your arms?"

Ianto brought his hand up to his face and touched the spot where Dr. Bran had knocked him out and winced. "I was punched. My...boss...he knocked me out so the Cybermen would think I was dead and leave me alone. It worked" He heard Owen mumble to himself as he furiously marked down notes.

"And the burns?"

"I...I don't remember." He couldn't say that Lisa's metal frame was searing when he first released her.

Owen finished writing his notes before tuning to his patient. He'd hoped that talking first would put the young man at better ease, but the shaking was still there as was the lifeless tone. "I know it's hard, but I need you to relax a bit and let your arms hang by your side so I can check your ribs and listen to your heart and lungs, okay?"

Ianto nodded and did his best to comply. His hands fell to the cot and he forced himself to stay completely still when Owen's hands came up to feel along his rib cage. He couldn't stop himself from jumping, though, when the doctor found several sore spots.

"Not cracked, but probably bruised. Turn a bit so I can see your back."

Biting his lip, Ianto turned and readied himself for whatever reaction he might get. Surprisingly, all he heard was a sharp intake of breath and then felt Owen's hand, swift and professional, along his back and ribs.

"All good so far. Let's check the heart and lungs, and then you should be good to go. This might be a little cold." Owen pulled his stethoscope out of his pocket and began listening to the sounds of Ianto's body. He had felt shock when the boy had turned; there were no bruises or cuts or burns, but instead he found numerous thin scars crisscrossing the otherwise flawless skin. They weren't even that noticeable except to a trained eye or if someone were close-of which Owen was both.

The physical was finished quickly. As Ianto hurried to put his clothes back on, Owen made some final notations to the form. When both were finished, the young doctor handed Ianto a tag with a laminate as well as a business card with a phone number listed on it for a psychiatrist. "Just in case, you know?" Ianto nodded his thanks and exited the tent without a word.

Armed now with his "hall pass" he quickly made his way back into the building. This time he didn't bother looking around at the damage. He made walked with a purpose and confidence he didn't feel to retrieve what Lisa needed. This time, no one stopped him, although he did keep an eye out for the man in the military coat-Jack Harkness, that was his name. Leader of Torchwood Three, and possibly the Torchwood Institution as a whole.

Jack Harkness-yes, Ianto would definitely remember that man's name.

*****

Ianto worked for just over a month in the Tower after the battle. He stood side by side with a dozen Torchwood One employees and countless members of other organizations to clear the rubble and the bodies. In the end, there had been only 27 survivors. Most were dead, many were missing. In his spare moments, he would grab additional supplies and secret them away to his flat, trying to shake the feeling that he was stealing from the dead or looting during a disaster.

It was one of the hardest months in Ianto's life. He couldn't figure out the right dosage of pain medicine for Lisa, which would result in her sobbing all night. He also lived in constant fear of being discovered. Most of the partial conversions had been executed on the spot, but he had heard rumors of several that had been spared only to be taken away for testing and experimentation. Ianto had vowed to let neither happen to the beautiful, bright, kind woman who was now suspended in metal.

It had been touch-and-go with Lisa those first several weeks. And it hadn't helped that Ianto could only feel her presence about half the time. Some nights, he would lay awake for hours just waiting for that spark of her presence to light up in the corner of his mind so he could sleep in peace, knowing she was still alive. He soon realized that there was somewhat of a pattern behind when he could feel her and when she was simply absent; it seemed that Lisa's presence was strongest when her pain was at its worst and in those first few minutes of being administered pain killers. As soon as the drugs hit their stride, however, she would slip away and leave a void in her place.

Ianto chalked it up to the drugs doing their job, although he had never completely lost touch with a person due to medicine before. But what else could it be?

He also began noticing a difference in Lisa's personality. When he could sense her, she was the Lisa he knew and loved; they would talk about the past and then make plans for their future, trying to remain hopeful for each other's sakes. But when he felt nothing from her, she was often cool, emotionless. It was during these times when she would give Ianto instructions on what to get or do. And she was always right.

*****

"We can't stay here much longer." Ianto was pacing in front of the conversion unit. "I...the landlord has started noticing the massive power use from my apartment. I think he thinks I'm growing or making drugs...or something like that. I don't know, but it won't be long before he demands an explanation or searches this place." He paused and looked at Lisa's cold eyes. "And I can't exactly hide you. Not...not that I want to hide you, of course," he stammered, "but, you know why you can't be found."

"Agreed. We must find a more suitable location." Her voice was so expressionless, it reminded Ianto of those old episodes of Star Trek when Spock would explain things with clear, cold logic.

Ianto sighed and sank down into his couch. He rested his head in his hands, massaging his scalp through his short hair. "Problem is, I don't exactly have a place in mind. I mean, where can we go where the electrical drain won't be an issue? Even if I made enough money to cover the bills, people will notice. And I don't even know if I still technically work for Torchwood..."

"Cardiff." Lisa interrupted.

"Sorry?" Ianto was so wrapped up in his own rant, he barely heard her, although it sounded strangely enough like she had said...

"Cardiff. We must go there."

"Why, exactly? What's in Cardiff?" Thinking about his home city was not a favorite pastime of Ianto's.

"Torchwood Three's facilities will serve our needs well. You can get a job there, have access to their technology and power. It is perfect."
Old Lisa would have been excited to deliver such an idea. Her eyes would have sparkled mischievously and she would have lowered her voice to an thrilled conspiring whisper.
But this Lisa-drugged Lisa, Ianto told himself-sounded just so...empty.

Their conversation was short. No matter what Ianto said about potential risks and moving issues, Lisa had an answer. In the end, he resigned himself to the task of readying them both for the trip to Cardiff. As he worked out in his mind how he could go about getting hired at the sister office, all he could think about was Captain Jack Harkness and the dangers he represented.

*****

It took longer than expected to prepare for the move and secure a place in Cardiff. Ianto owned very little, having been a drifter the two years before joining Torchwood, but to move Lisa took strategizing and detailed planning. He sold his compact car for an SUV large enough to fit Lisa comfortably in the back. Attaching a rental trailer to the back meant he could move everything in one trip and Lisa would never have to be left alone in either Cardiff or London. With Lisa's instructions, he was able to jury-rig a system that provided her with life support for the three hour journey.

As soon as they were set up in the small house he had bought with the survivors' severance check from Torchwood, and Lisa comfortably back in her conversion/life support unit, Ianto began focusing on how he was going to get into Torchwood Three.

He had the location of their "secret base" thanks to the files he'd managed to get a hold of in London. Now, it was just a matter of making contact and getting accepted.

Easier said than done, Ianto mused to himself as he walked around the Plass trying to look nonchalant.

As he stared off into the bay, he ran over what he knew of Torchwood Three in his head.
Toshiko Sato-genius technician and former felon. Her picture revealed a soft face and eyes full of shy longing.
Dr. Owen Harper-Ianto had already met the young sarcastic man and was left with the impression that Dr. Harper was person who knew how to use attitude to keep others at a distance. A tactic Ianto was familiar with, although he preferred to keep attention away from himself to begin with instead of repelling others away with negativity.
Suzie Costello was second in command and had a reputation for being a hardass. There was something about her eyes that made Ianto nervous, but he couldn't quite place it.
Which left just one other member: Captain Jack Harkness. Their meeting at the Tower the day after the battle had left Ianto off-balance. He was certain the man had intentionally touched his mind...or tried to anyway. And besides that, Captain Harkness paid attention to things with an intensity Ianto had never experienced before; he had instantly picked up on Ianto's presence and the fact that the young man was lying. Ianto prided himself on his ability to evade others' attentions, and the fact that it hadn't worked on Harkness was worrying.

With a sigh, Ianto turned away from the bay and stared up the towering water cascade. He knew that right now, at that very moment, the place he wanted-no, needed-to be was directly under his feet. He had done his research, he knew the people and the place-now, he just had to take the next step and make contact.

*****

It took two more weeks for Ianto to find a reason to "run into" a member of the Torchwood Three team.

During that time, Ianto developed a routine. Every morning, he would get up before dawn and check on Lisa, adjusting her medication to suit her needs. Then, he would go out into the city dressed in sweats and a t-shirt and jog for three or so hours. If nothing happened (of the Torchwood variety), he would return to Lisa by 10am and tell her stories of what he had seen.

This was Ianto's favorite and saddest part of the day. Lisa's pain medication usually started to wear off at this time, and it left Ianto with a good two hours to spend with the woman he loved and knew and felt before her second dose of drugs for the day kicked in and silenced her mind. So he would spend it telling her about the crazy woman in the park who walked her dog while wearing her bathrobe, the two old men who would bicker constantly while playing chess every morning at his favorite coffee shop, and the blind girl who played her guitar on the corner with the grace of a musical genius. Lisa would smile and laugh at his stories, and for those two hours, life was bearable.

Then, when he would feel Lisa's mind slip away from his, he would shower, dress in either a suit or business-casual, and spend his time back on the streets for a few more hours. He would force his mind away from the excruciating fear that he was loosing Lisa. Instead, he would pretend that he was an average citizen out on a break from work. The suits helped him to feel normal, as did the routine. He would walk around, paying close attention to alley's and the park. Sometimes, he would go to the Plass and stare out over the bay while keeping an eye out for any action behind him.

By 4:30pm, he would again return to Lisa. If she was awake, he would talk to her some more and regale her with even more stories as he felt her mind emerge from wherever it went. Oftentimes, though, she was asleep and didn't rouse when he administered more pain meds.

Later in the evenings, Ianto would return to the city in comfortable street clothes.
It was during these hours he was usually on guard the most; it always seemed like nighttime attracted the darkest of creatures and the most violent of crimes.

Maybe that was what made Canary Wharf especially horrendous, Ianto thought. The attack had started in the early afternoon hours when the day was bright and sunny. Such a contrast to the thousands of deaths that occurred world wide in those few hours.

He was dragged out of his musings by the familiar sounds of people fighting. Taking a deep breath and trying to fight off the wave of dizziness caused by his pounding heart, Ianto grabbed a fallen branch and forced himself to approach. As he drew nearer, he could see what looked to be a weevil in bad 80's clothes fighting a man who could only be Jack Harkness.

Why do the bad guys always stand out because of their clothing? Ianto thought. He vaguely remembered some moment in Buffy when a character was pointing out a vampire based solely on the creature's clothing style. The absurd association between the teen show and his own precarious situation (so they weren't in a graveyard...they were still in a park) helped him as he raced forward to help the fallen captain.

Ianto hated violence more than anything, so when the first hesitant hit did nothing to distract the creature it took a moment for Ianto to try again. This time, he got a reaction. The weevil abandoned Jack in favor of attacking Ianto.

The whole thing seemed to happen in a second, but it left him shaking on the inside as he watched Jack sedate the bagged weevil. He leaned against a tree for support.

"Thanks." He said, careful to keep his voice steady.

"No, thank you." Jack looked at him with a slight frown, as though he were trying to figure out something about the gorgeous young man standing before him. "And you are?"

"Jones. Ianto Jones." Could I sound more like an idiot? Ianto thought to himself, inwardly cringing. His self-berating quickly ended as he realized the leader of Torchwood Three didn't recognize him. As he shook Jack's hand he sensed an energy about the other man that was physically palpable when their hands met. It excited and calmed him at the same time in a way he had never experienced before; it spoke of danger and safety wrapped up in one package.

"Nice to meet you Jones, Ianto Jones." The beaming smile took Ianto by surprise. The Jack he had met was all authority and weariness; this Jack was playful and energetic, yet still full of control. "Captain Jack Harkness."

Is he flirting with me? Oh, god, he is...this wasn't in the file! I'm no good at flirting...shit, I have to say something. Say something! "Lucky escape." Stupid! Good job-tell him he's incapable of handling himself. Ianto's mind was franticly searching for something to fix what he felt was a lost situation.

"I had it under control."

"You think so?" Yes, keep insulting him, Ianto. That's a surefire way to get hired! But the look Jack gave him was friendly, and lacked any anger. Regardless, he changed the direction of their conversation. "Looked pretty vicious. You're...um...uh..." He was sure he'd seen the weevil bite Jack's neck-there was even a large amount of blood to prove it-but there was no wound that he could see anymore and Jack pulled away before he could get a closer look. "You were bleeding."

"Had worse shaving." There was a challenge in the older man's words and eyes. Ianto quickly dropped the subject; he had a more important challenge to focus on and it didn't concern the Captain's secrets.

"Looked like a weevil to me." He felt the playfulness that seemed to exude out of Jack drop off to be replaced by suspicion and the same intense awareness Ianto had felt in London.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Jack's statement made Ianto look up. The look they shared spoke more than their words. "I'll take it from here. Thanks for the assistance." He hoisted the unconscious weevil over his shoulder and walked away without giving Ianto a second look.

"Anytime!" Ianto called to his retreating back. "By the way...love the coat!"

*****

Love the coat?! Ianto thought as he made his way back to the house via the long route. He knew he was already a little late getting back to Lisa, but there was no way he could let her see him like this right now. His hands were cold and shaky, his skin was pale, and the cut on his temple was starting to throb. Using the cuff off his black jacket, he wiped as much of the blood away as he could.

The encounter with Jack had not played out like any of Ianto's imagined scenarios. He'd expected the suspicion, but he hadn't predicted that Jack would just walk away from him. Dropping Jack the hint that he knew more than the average citizen had been Ianto's "secret weapon" for getting Jack's attention. He thought it would lead to a long talk about how he knew that, and who he was, and where he was from, and ‘oh, would you like to come work for us now that your last job's been destroyed?'

God, I'm so stupid! Why had he ever thought that this would work? He had been one of the lowliest employees at Torchwood London-who was he kidding? What exactly had he proved to Jack tonight? That he had the ability to hit a weevil with a stick exactly three times before it turned around and almost killed him? Great fighter-Ianto Jones indeed.

But what really bothered him about the entire episode was the flirting; more specifically, his own response to it. It wasn't that Ianto had never had people flirt with him-guys and girls alike had occasionally approached him in the past, but had always been turned away by his lack of response. The only exception had been Lisa. And now Jack.

His train of thought ended as he realized he'd reached their house. Filing the entire night away into the "analyze later" section, he went inside and drugged his sleeping girlfriend.

*****

Ianto did not sleep at all that night. Instead, he paced back and forth in his bedroom and analyzed his encounter with Jack Harkness.
Of all the tactics he had considered when approaching the leader of Torchwood Three-and he had considered and practiced all of them-flirting had never really come to mind. Sex was not something he ever used when dealing with other people; he didn't laugh at unfunny jokes to flatter a cute girl just like he didn't smile coyly at the man at the coffee shop to get an extra shot of espresso for free.
That kind of behavior insinuated that further intimacy would be desired, and Ianto had spent most of his life keeping people at a distance. Very few had ever succeeded at penetrating his thick shell-and only Lisa, Dr. Bran, and Mrs. Jones had tried to remain with him after seeing the man behind the armor. And all three were dead.
Except...Lisa's not dead. Ianto stopped pacing, breathing harshly as he snapped out of that train of thought. She's just...not completely alive. And I'll be damned if I'm going to let her die too!
Walking softly, he went barefoot from his bedroom to the living room. He didn't enter, but instead stood in the doorway and just stared at Lisa. He had grown so accustomed to seeing her in the metal frame that it there was almost no shock in the sight unless he decided to look-really look-and absorb what it was he was seeing and remembered how exactly they both got to this point.
Ianto sighed and pushed down the memories of fire and screams and walked silently back to his bedroom. Sitting on the side of his bed, he leaned down and held his aching head in his hands.
He would do anything for the broken woman in the next room. Anything. Even if it meant going against every fiber of his being to flirt with a man he knew to be dangerous-if the end result was Lisa getting moved into a better facility that would stave off her death until a time came for her to be healed then so be it.
Standing back up, Ianto looked down at his dirt and blood covered clothes. If he was going to worm his way into Torchwood via Jack Harkness, then he was going to have to rethink his entire strategy. And his first action would have to be a shower.
He stripped off his grimy clothes and dumped them into the laundry bin. Stepping into the shower, he thanked whatever deities were out there for the excessively hot water his new house produced. The scalding spray eased the aches and tensions formed by the weevil fight and allowed his mind to form a plan.

*****

Dawn found Ianto standing outside a small rundown tourist shop. He knew from his research and spying that Jack liked to leave through the office to go get coffee at around 7am every morning. That left him with a half hour wait with only a thermos of coffee and a stunning sunrise to keep him company.
As the minutes ticked by, he fought the urge to run and tried desperately to empty his mind of all the terrible things that could come of this venture. He concentrated instead on The Plan.
Parts of it were already accomplished; the clothes he wore exuded a confidence and sexuality he never felt. Lisa had bought the shirt and necklace for him, and wearing them almost felt like a betrayal until he reminded himself that he was wearing them for her. His coffee was safely in its container after being made with every perfected technique Ianto possessed.
When the sun was beginning to blaze brightly over the bay, he quickly poured a cup into the mug he had carried with him and moved to stand along the walkway. Sure enough, less than five minutes later Jack Harkness stepped out of the tourist information office and started walking toward the younger man without seeing or recognizing him until he spoke.

"Morning!" Ianto called, cringing at his own enthusiasm. It immediately stopped Jack in his tracks, though, and covered his face in suspicion. "Coffee?" He continued in a meeker voice, holding out his offering. He held his breath when Jack took the cup and was almost surprised when the man drank-the look he gave Ianto as he took a swig was almost a challenge.
Oh god, does he think I poisoned him? Ianto thought for a split second. He dismissed the idea as somewhat absurd; after all, who in their right mind would drink what they even suspected could be life-threatening?
He watched as Jack seemed to hold the liquid in his mouth for a second before swallowing. There was an instant reaction-Jack's entire body relaxed and he gave a slightly astonished smile before placing the coffee cup back into Ianto's waiting hand.

"Wow." Jack said, breathlessly.

"I want to work for you." Ianto blurted out before he lost the courage to do so. However, it seemed to jar Jack out of whatever magic spell the coffee had worked on him.

"Sorry, no vacancies."

"Look, let me tell you about myself..." He tried to plow on as though Jack hadn't almost stopped his heart with those three simple words.

"Ianto Jones, born August 19, 1983. Able student but not exceptional. One minor conviction for shoplifting in your teens." Ianto was stunned speechless by Jack's words. He was saying all the things that Ianto had planned to tell him. He certainly hadn't expected to hear the details of his life that were coming out of Jack's mouth. Then, the older man began to walk around Ianto as though he had better things to do with his time than waste it here with him. "Number of temporary jobs, mainly a drifter until two years ago you joined the Torchwood Institute in London. Junior researcher. Girlfriend, Lisa Hallett..."

The mention of Lisa was enough to break through his bewildered silence. "Deceased." At least, she's considered deceased on the official list.

"Sorry." Jack didn't sound sorry.

"Look," Ianto ran around Jack and forced him to stop, "you checked me out..."

"You knew what a weevil was. Thought I'd have to come...deal with you." His tone sent a shiver through Ianto's insides.

"But instead you can see that I have the right qualifications for the job." Everything inside Ianto was screaming for Jack to accept him and not make him beg anymore. Making himself the object of attention-especially attention that was quickly becoming negative if the emotions rolling of Jack Harkness were any indication-went against every fiber in his being.

"There is no job. We're nothing to do with Torchwood London. I severed all links." Jack began to walk away again, and again Ianto ran after him. He could sense that his chances were dwindling with each passing second.

"Yet when it burned, two members of your team scavenged the ruins." He used only his fingertips to stop Jack, trying to minimize his threat whilst still getting the older man to do what he wanted.

"I don't want the equipment getting into the wrong hands." Jack replied, using two of his own fingers to remove Ianto's hand.

"And you're the right hands, are you?" The moment of silence let Ianto know that this was probably not the route to take to get on Jack's good side. Oh well, back to begging. "Trial period, three months."

"No."

"Three weeks. Three days. Let me prove myself to you. I'll work for nothing." He hated the desperation that seeped into his voice, but there was nothing he could do about it. He was desperate. Lisa was desperate. This was their only option.

"No." For the third time, Jack tried to walk away only to be stopped.

"I saw what they did at Canary Wharf." His desperation was clear now, his voice filled with anxiety and hopelessness. " What am I supposed to do with those memories?"

"You are not my responsibility. And we're not hiring!" Jack's words were cold and his tone was painful to Ianto. When he walked away this time, Ianto did nothing to stop him.

"Same time tomorrow then?" He was barely able to hold back the tears that threatened to overpower him as his hope for salvation walked away, uncaring.

"There is no job for you here, and there never will be."

As he watched the sway of the retreating greatcoat, Ianto forced himself to calm down. Idiot! You didn't flirt once with him...just threw yourself at him like some street kid in need of a job. "I really like that coat!" He yelled, wincing slightly at his own absurd actions. But when he felt amusement pour off the fast-walking man, he knew it was probably worth it.

*****

True to his word, Ianto went back each and every morning for the next two weeks. However, no one ever stepped foot out of the tourist office again while he stood waiting outside.

He developed a new routine. Instead of jogging, he stood guard with coffee waiting for Jack (or any member of Torchwood Three). If no one showed, he returned to Lisa. In place of stories concerning absurd members of Cardiff, he now talked with her about their plans for the future. When she felt well enough, she would join him in spinning extravagant tales about what they would do together in their years to come.

Some days they would talk about the practical: what they would do if they were found by Torchwood or UNIT, who in the world had the experience and knowledge to help Lisa recover, whether to reconnect with people who knew her from before (parents, friends, etc), or if it would be safer going underground with a new identity.

Other days they would focus on dreams and goals: what to do with the house they now owned, how many children they fancied having, and when they wanted to have the wedding.

Ianto liked to be ready for the good days. He always had a variety of flowers around the room so she could smell and see them, and there was usually music playing so she would never feel alone if she happened to wake up and Ianto was not there. All of her nutrition was taken in through a special feeding tube (set up per Lisa's instructions) since her digestive system was partially destroyed by the conversion. Still, she seemed to be able to handle very small amounts of non-solid foods. In the event that she felt adventurous, the fridge and freezer were packed with ice creams and ice lollies, yogurts, and fruits. And for very special days (which was any day in Ianto's mind) there was chocolate. Ianto would break off very small pieces of it and let it melt on her tongue, reveling in the waves of pleasure that rolled off her.

He experimented a few times with using these types of sensory stimulation to try and keep Lisa's mind where he could still feel it, but he gave up when no amount of chocolate could keep her with him.

His afternoons and evenings were basically the same as they had been before his encounter with Jack. He would still wonder the streets of Cardiff, only now he was armed with the Rift activity locator he had stolen from the London tower. And instead of looking for the Torchwood team, he was looking for something he could take to the Torchwood team-specifically Jack. Something he could use to prove that he would be a valuable asset to the rogue Cardiff group.

Which is how Ianto found himself standing outside of an abandoned warehouse on a Tuesday evening. The Rift activity locator, which had been largely silent for the past week, had started going wild an hour prior to his pulling up in the parking lot. With no time to really prepare, Ianto had jumped into his car still dressed in his suit from that afternoon. Now, as he stood with his ear to the door, he wished he'd taken the time to change his clothes-suits just weren't made for any heavy physical activity.

A high-pitched squawk reverberated from the other side of the door, startling Ianto. Whatever was trapped inside was not happy. When he could hear the source of the sound moving away from where he stood, Ianto chanced a quick peek inside...and was stunned.

The enormous bird-like creature was soaring around the open building. Ianto would have been captivated by the gracefulness of the movements had it not been for the sheer panic that came off the creature in waves. He gasped, drawing the creature's attention to him.

He stood frozen as the creature immediately turned in mid-flight and began to dive toward him. Oh god, Ianto thought, I'm going to be eaten by...is that a...a dinosaur? Good lord, it's a pterodactyl!

As the creature drew nearer, Ianto reacted by instinctively reaching out with his mind even as he physically cowered against the wall. Mentally, he sent soothing waves to calm the other's anxiety while simultaneously making himself appear unimportant to the creature-like trying to create a blind spot and putting himself in it.

Shh. Calm. Relax. Calm. Peace. No threat here. Calm. Relax. Shh.

He didn't understand what he had done until several minutes had passed. Uncurling from the ball he'd wrapped himself into, Ianto hesitantly looked around to discover the creature-the pterodactyl-standing calmly on the cement floor and staring at him.

The prehistoric bird's anxiety had been replaced with curiosity...and it was now aimed at Ianto. She let out a chirp and hopped forward a couple of steps toward him. He tried to back up, only to find the wall immediately behind him. She stopped, and cocked her head as though in amusement.

It wasn't until Ianto started to feel a twinge of pain in the front of his head did he realize his mind was still connected to the creature's; a feat he had never really done before, and certainly never for this long. Sure, he could sense others' emotions, and he knew that he subconsciously projected certain things to people (usually to keep them away), but never on this level.

Can you hear me? He asked. When the creature shuffled her wings and squawked in surprise, he kicked himself for thinking she would know and understand English. He quickly switched to projecting what he hoped were images of friendship-or at least some kind of mutual understanding. Immediately, he was rewarded with a few quick chirps and a bobbing, excited dance. His mind was graced with images of several pterodactyls flying together in harmony. He relaxed, and sent back warm, affirmative feelings.
The images continued, changing this time to a scene in a nest. Ianto saw it from the point of view of a chick gazing up at its mother.

Looking at the enormous creature, Ianto could almost sense her question.

You chick?

Ianto almost laughed out loud when he realized how small he must look to the pterodactyl...and how bizarre it was that she thought him to be a chick. On the other hand, if she saw him as a non-threatening entity, who was he to argue? Again, he sent a warm affirmative piled high with affection and peace. He was rewarded with another series of chirps quickly followed by the creature hopping forward another several feet, landing close enough to Ianto for him to feel her breath on his face.

All the calm Ianto was trying to project to the creature was quickly cut off as his own fear rose up inside him. He spared a brief thought as to what this might do to his prehistoric companion before that too was driven out of his mind by his panic. "No! No, no, no..." He crouched down again and covered his head with his hands, trying to make himself as small and invisible as possible.

Miraculously, the creature seemed to understand what was happening. Her great big head swung down to gently nudge Ianto's side, almost caressing him. Her chirps and squawks turned into some kind of cooing that sounded somewhere between purring and a series of rapid clicks.

Ianto tensed further when she physically touched him. But then he felt her reach out with her mind, soothing him in much the same manner as he had soothed her earlier. He felt his muscles start to relax on their own accord when a part of his mind realized it was safe (even when other parts were screaming "danger!"). When he looked back up at her, she hopped back a few feet to give him some space but continued her odd cooing. He gave her a brief smile and sent back reassurances that he was fine.

As he eased himself back toward the exit, he sent her images of himself returning with help and friends and begged her not to leave this place without him. She sent back the feeling of hunger and he realized that there was nothing in this place for her to eat.

"You can't leave here to hunt yet, okay? You have to wait for me. I'll take you somewhere where there's lots of good, yummy food, yeah? Mmm..." He backed up his words with images and she unfurled her wings without taking flight. In a moment of inspiration, Ianto reached into his pocket and pulled out one of the candy bars he was going to bring home for Lisa. Unwrapping it, he took a small bite before throwing it to her. He briefly entertained the thought that maybe chocolate was not the best thing to be feeding pterodactyls-that it could make them sick like dogs-but the thought faded quickly when the creature leapt forward and snatched it before it hit the ground. Just as quickly she shot into the air and started circling again.

"You'll stay here, right?" Ianto sent the question vocally and mentally. He received a grudging affirmative before he quickly slipped out of the building and back into his car. Taking a moment before he moved, he rubbed furiously at his forehead. It was like there was a spot right behind his eyebrows where an intense pressure was building from his mental contact with the creature. It left him drained.

Pushing past the pain, he pulled out his computer and opened the program he had started a month ago. Technically, Lisa was the one who had started it-she had yet again talked him through a series of complex steps which, in the end, allowed him to tap into the Torchwood communications system undetected.

I guess it's a busy night for everyone, Ianto thought as he listened to Jack rattle off instructions to his team. It didn't take him long to figure out where the Torchwood leader was headed...and it wasn't far from the warehouse.

Ianto quickly threw his car into gear and tore out of the parking lot. Still listening in, he calculated the possible streets Jack would have to turn down to get from where he was to his destination. Using back roads, he was able to beat Jack to the general area. He slammed the car into park, jumped out, ran across to the median, and waited.

In the end, he didn't have to wait long. He could hear the sounds of a car being driven at dangerously fast speeds...toward him. This is it, thought Ianto as he calmly stepped out into the road in front of the speeding vehicle. This is probably my last chance to make this work.

After weeks of work, he finally had something he could bring to Jack-besides his less than glowing resume. Question was, was a pterodactyl with obvious mental abilities enough to get him into Torchwood Three?

I wonder if all dinosaurs were psychic. Or was it just the pterodactyls? Or maybe it's just this particular pterodactyl...
His train of thought was cut off by the sound of squealing tires and the image of Jack barreling out of the SUV.

*****

"Okay, this has to stop!" Jack came at him like an angry storm.

"No, listen to m..." Now that he was standing there, in the middle of the road, being blinded by the SUV lights and Jack's fury, all Ianto could suddenly feel was weariness. He was drained from his encounter with the pterodactyl, and he knew it had to show.

"I don't have time for this. Look, I don't care what your problem is, I want you out of the city by sunrise. There is no place for you here. Go back to London, find yourself another life. Keep stalking me, I'll wipe your memory."

"No, but the thing is..." Ianto's voice was emotionless. I just want this to be over. The threat of Jack's special memory pill was almost welcome. Only the knowledge that Lisa would be alone in the house to die a slow and painful death without him there to administer IV's and drugs kept him from turning himself over to Jack's intimidation.

"Look, any conversation between us, no matter what the subject, is over, finished, done, forever. I'm getting back behind the wheel of that car. If you're still standing in the road, I'm gonna drive through you." Still half blinded by the headlights, Ianto could barely make Jack out as the furious man turned to do just as he said.

In one last-ditch effort, he put all his energy into one more try: "So, you're not going to help me catch this pterodactyl then?"

*****

Jack stopped and turned in his tracks to stare at Ianto.

This boy had been stalking him for weeks now. After that night in the park, he'd done his research into Mr. "Jones-Ianto Jones." The things he'd rattled off the following morning had indeed been in the boy's file-but he hadn't listed everything that had been there.

For example, he hadn't mentioned to Ianto his previous supervisor's notes-a Dr. Bran Kinsey. There was enough in there about Ianto's "potential" and "progress" to make Jack curious. He had to admit that the boy's apparent genius with archiving and filing certainly struck a chord with him (Ye gods, but their archives could use some work!). But when Ianto had persisted in his attempts to get in contact with Jack via coffee and stalking, Jack had decided he wanted nothing to do with the overeager former-Torchwood One employee.

It was people with attitudes like his that destroyed Torchwood London...and almost the entire world, Jack had fumed.

Now, here he was yet again. Persistent as ever.

First, he'd offered assistance. Then, he'd offered coffee. Now, he was giving Jack a dinosaur. It was every little-boy-trapped-in-a-time-traveler's-body's wet dream.

And damn does he look good in a suit!

Jack's intense glare shifted from scrutinizing to something a little bit more lustful and playful. His gaze traveled down the lithe body before returning to the younger man's face. He saw the trepidation build behind those weary eyes, but pushed any concern he felt away. Right now, they had a dinosaur to catch. Nevertheless, he gave the boy a small, genuine smile which seemed to ease him slightly. Turning back to the car, he waved for Ianto to get into the front passenger seat. He grinned to see his stalker scramble to do so a second later.

Tapping his earpiece, Jack spoke while he put the SUV back into gear. "Okay team, change of plans." Choruses of what's and why's were loud enough that Jack was sure even Ianto could hear from the seat next to him. "I'll tell you kids later. Right now, I've got something a little more pressing to take care of." Protests sounded out again, but Jack quickly cut them off. "I can't take a look at it until the reservoir is drained anyway, right Suzie? Right, so that will take at least a good two hours. I can still be there in time. The rest of you know what to do in the meantime. Jack out."

Turning to look at his silent passenger, Jack took in the tense frame and painfully tight frown. "You alright there?"

Ianto started, having been lost in his own thoughts. "Wha...oh, yes sir. Fine." He managed a tight smile that failed to go anywhere near his eyes. "Just a bit of a headache is all."

Jack smirked. "Yes, stalking can be quite stressful and draining at times." He managed to drag a slightly more genuine smile from the boy this time, but it quickly disappeared. Sighing, Jack moved onto business. "So, where is this dinosaur exactly? Or did you just say that to get me to talk to you more?"

Ianto straightened up at the slight jab and ran a hand over his suit front. "There is indeed a dinosaur-a pterodactyl to be specific. Not too far from here in a warehouse."

"Okay, Jones-Ianto Jones. Let's see if your dinosaur-catching skills are any better than your weevil-fighting skills." He saw the young man blush furiously before turning his head to look away. Jack couldn't help but think that the flush did wonders for the pale boy's skin-made him look alive and positively edible. "Although I seriously doubt that either skill set could compete with you coffee-making ability. You, my dear man, are a culinary genius!" The flush deepened, but Jack was sure he detected a subtle shift from humiliation to pride.

Jack took a moment to try and sense deeper, using his own slightly rusty mental abilities to probe the boy in front of him. He rarely had the need to use his psychic abilities these days; there was hardly anyone around in the 21st century to interact on that plane with. He usually ended up using them in very short bursts for moments like this when he needed to quickly assess a person or situation. It made him look like he had extremely good instincts.

However, when he reached out, the slight feeling of embarrassed pride shut down, leaving him with nothing. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Ianto tense up slightly, but it was enough for him to understand that his passenger had felt the probe.

Hmm, interesting. I'll have to file that away for later thought...Ah, hell, now I'm considering giving him a later thought. Well, who knows...we'll see how dino-hunting goes.

Jack followed Ianto's precise directions to the warehouse without trying to probe him again.

*****

When they pulled into the parking, Ianto was still trying to get his panic under control. He knew he'd felt Jack's mind against his; it had been the same sensation he'd experienced back in Canary Wharf during his first encounter with the man. It was one of the most unsettling feelings he'd ever had, and he was already on edge enough without anything added on.
He barely registered that Jack had jumped out of the SUV until he felt the door slam shut and heard a mumbled, "Let's go!" from the man.
Taking a deep breath, Ianto followed Jack to the boot of the SUV. He watched, fascinated, as Jack dug through an ancient-looking kit and assembled what looked to be the largest syringe in the world. Honestly, were there elephants roaming the streets of Cardiff that they had this type of needle on hand but nothing else?

"Okay, that is the only special equipment you've got?"

"Yeah, ‘cause I keep dinosaur nets in the back of the SUV.

"Torchwood London would have..." The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. Let's see, I insulted his kit, put down Torchwood Cardiff, and reminded him I'm from the hated London-branch all in one go. Excellent. But there was no time to apologize or fix what he'd said because Jack was already moving to the warehouse door and barging inside. Ianto followed right behind him.

Inside, he saw the creature flying around. She gave a startled squawk at the intruders, then started to swoop down to them. There was no time for Ianto to try and ‘introduce' Jack to her. Besides, that would take some explaining. "Nope!" he yelled, quickly fleeing back out the door and shutting it just in time.

Standing in such close proximity to Jack combined with the adrenaline rush of the whole "dinosaur adventure" was starting to do something to Ianto. He found the older man's attitude drawing the witty banter out of him. The utter joy and playfulness with which he was approaching everything left Ianto dizzy. Especially when he realized that it reminded him of how he felt after his first few encounters with Lisa.

"How did you find it?" Jack asked, breathing harshly.

"Rift activity locator." He answered, equally breathless. Adventure had never been his thing, but after months of constant terror and anxiety and loneliness Ianto found this to be a break from all three-and he felt himself wishing it to never end so he would not have to return to the misery.

"Torchwood London?" Jack's voice was lighthearted with no malice at the reference.

"See? Quality kit." His quick barb made Jack smile before turning his attention back to the screeching creature behind the door.

"Hm, it's quite excitable."

"Must be your aftershave." Being in such close proximity to the man, Ianto had started to notice a strong scent emanating off of him-sort of earthy and spicy and musky all at once. It certainly wasn't doing anything to help relieve Ianto's dizziness. It was almost like a drug and it left Ianto's brain buzzing pleasantly.

"Never wear any."

Ianto turned in surprise. "You smell like that naturally?"

Jack just grinned and got a slightly wistful look on his face. "51st Century pheromones. You people have no idea. Ready for another go?"

Ianto rolled his eyes before looking at Jack, not quite sure what to make of the Captain's statement. "I'm game if you are."

"Three, two, one..." Both men burst back through the door, immediately splitting up. Ianto started screaming, drawing his bird's attention away from Jack. They ran a loop and met back up on the other side of the warehouse. Jack quickly hushed Ianto, keeping his attention on the excited pterodactyl now standing in front of them. "We're not gonna harm you. You can't stay here. Come back with me, I've got somewhere nice and big where you can fly around."

"Okay, so you'll let the pterodactyl in and not me?" Ianto whispered.

"We need a guard dog."

"I can be that! Like a receptionist, building maintenance, food and drink, dry cleaning even. That coat of yours must take a battering. Like a butler, I could be a butler!" What'll it be next, Ianto? Offer to be a rentboy? He shuddered inwardly at the very thought.

"We don't need a butler."

"Excuse me?" He kept whispering although it did nothing to hide the outrage in his voice. "Dried egg on your collar."

"It was a busy week."

"What exactly is your plan?" he asked, stopping Jack's advancement on the creature.

"I'm going to be the decoy..." Jack started to explain, but Ianto quickly interrupted him, growing bolder by the minute.

"And it will rip you to shreds."

"Dinosaurs? Had ‘em for breakfast. Had to; the only source of pre-killed food protein after the asteroid crashed." Jack stopped his ramble at Ianto's confused look. "Long story. Here you go: one injection to the central nervous cortex. I'll keep it occupied. Move." Ianto looked precariously at the obscenely large needle.

"No."

"What?" Jack did a double take before realizing Ianto was handing him back the syringe.

"It knows me. I'll be a better decoy."

"No! Way to dangerous."

"No, I've got a secret weapon." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the candy bar he'd snagged from his car before abandoning it by the wayside. "Chocolate, preferably dark..." With that, he started moving toward the agitated pterodactyl, whistling softly and touching her mind to let her know who he was. "I've got your favorite, yeah." He could feel her calming down with recognition, but Jack's presence still had her riled up enough to make Ianto remain cautious. He threw the chocolate to her and she stared from it to him before attacking it with gusto. "It's good for your serotonin levels...if you've got serotonin levels..."

The calm he had lulled her into was broken when she suddenly turned and attacked Jack. Ianto was suddenly given flashes of feelings: danger, protect chick, stranger. Then, he heard Jack's exhilarated scream as he latched onto her leg and flew through the air with her.

Ianto followed them with his eyes and saw Jack finally inject whatever was in the syringe into the flying dinosaur before letting go. Acting on instinct, Ianto reached up to catch the falling man. Jack landed on top hard enough to knock the wind out of Ianto and almost crack his head open on the cement floor. He barely heard Jack's whispered apology before he caught sight of the quickly falling pterodactyl. Again, without thinking, he quickly pushed Jack over and they both rolled several times, narrowly missing being crushed.

A thrill went through Ianto and he started laughing, breathing in the sharp smell emanating off the man under him. Jack was laughing too, and by the time they both realized what position they were in the laughter had stopped.

They were so close-faces almost touching, lips close enough that they could feel each other's breath inside their mouths. For a second, Ianto froze, not quite sure what to do. He had only been this close with Lisa a handful of times, and never had it been this intense. What the hell are those pheromones doing to me? When he felt Jack's body start to respond underneath him, he quickly pulled back.

"I should go."

He got up swiftly and gracefully, using every ounce of muscle control to not press down against Jack anymore in the process. He walked away, his mind a jumble of thoughts and emotions. All he knew was that he had to get away from the man still lying on the ground.
"Hey!" Jack's voice stopped him in his tracks, and he was again reminded of their first encounter in London. He paused, turning his head slightly toward Jack to let him know he was listening but not all the way so the man couldn't see the emotional turmoil he knew was written all over his face. "Report for work first thing tomorrow."

Work? Oh god, work...as in ‘the entire reason why I did this.' Lisa. I wish I could hold her...just one more time, hold her in my arms and feel warm flesh instead of cold metal...

"Like the suit by the way!"

Ianto kept walking, struggling not to cry until he was at least far enough away from Jack where the older man couldn't witness his break down.

***

At 6:30am, Ianto found himself standing outside the locked tourist office. He had not slept at all the night before. His encounter with both the pterodactyl and Jack had left him nervous, wired, and confused. But he was also filled with a new excited: He had a job at Torchwood Three.

Everything he had done since that fateful day at Canary Wharf was beginning to pay off. Now, all he had to do was establish himself in Jack's Torchwood, sneak Lisa into an unused area of the Hub, and keep her hidden until she could be fixed.

Ianto exhaled sharply. No problem. Piece of cake. Can do it blindfolded. He exhaled slowly out his mouth, trying to push down the sudden nausea.

The sun was resting just over the water on the horizon, pausing before it continued its climb in the sky. The air was crisp and biting, but promised to warm with the sun's presence. Ianto stared out over the water for a moment, relishing the dawn and hoping it held promises to his liking. Finally, after the sun rose high enough to no longer be touching the water, Ianto turned back toward the tourist office.

Jack hadn't specified when or where Ianto was to report, only that it was to be first thing in the morning. As the minutes ticked past 7am, Ianto found himself getting more nervous and frustrated than when he'd arrived. He began pacing, hoping to work out his nerves. Maybe he wanted me to meet him at the other entrance. Does he even know that I know about the ‘secret lift?'

At 7:15, Ianto could take it no longer. He paused for a moment, staring hard at the door, then turned on his heels and headed for the Plass. He made if five steps before hearing the sound of a door opening. The noise stopped him in his tracks. Slowly, he turned back to the door.

Jack stood there smiling like he had a schoolyard secret. "And where do you think you're going?"

Ianto blinked, his face revealing no trace of the frustration, confusion, or fear he was currently feeling. "I was going to the other entrance." He shrugged and looked casually out over the bay. "Thought perhaps you'd be expecting me at the lift."

His eyes darted back to Jack to see his reaction. The smile fell from the older man's face, and for a second Ianto feared him being angry for knowing their secret. Instead, Jack's face transformed into a pout no adult had any business being able to produce. "That," he said dramatically, "was supposed to be a surprise."

Ianto wasn't sure how he was supposed to respond, and before he could come up with a reply, Jack's mood had already changed. His blue eyes sparkled as they locked onto Ianto's and his mouth shifted into lopsided grin. "Well, I guess I'll just have to find some other way to surprise you, hm?" He raised an eyebrow and waited, obviously expecting Ianto to answer.

"Of course, sir." It was Ianto's automatic response when dealing with confusing superiors. He found that placating them in the heat of the moment and working out everything they meant and needed later was an amazingly successful tactic.

Jack chuckled softly before stepping back and motioning Ianto through the door. "Welcome to Torchwood Three. Well, welcome to the tourist office which is the front for Torchwood Three."

Ianto slowly entered. The room was a disaster. File boxes lined the walls behind the dust-covered counter. A few pamphlets were strewn about advertising an event from a year ago. The room smelled like dust with a touch of mold. Ianto struggled to keep his face from showing his disgust. Hands on his hips, he turned in a slow circle, taking in everything the tiny space contained.
"Do you ever get any actual tourists here, sir?"

Jack had the grace to look embarrassed. "Um, well, we might get a few...every day or so."

Ianto nodded, but kept his mouth shut in silent disapproval.

Jack seemed to sense his judgment. "Anyway, this will be part of your job actually. You said you wanted to be my...what was it now...guard dog, receptionist, and butler? It all starts in here. You'll man this office, keeping civilians happy, ignorant, and away. And since you won't be spending huge amounts of time dealing with actual tourists, you'll also be working on paperwork and any other odds-and-ends we throw your way. There's only the four of us-which you probably know if you're already aware of the lift-and there's only so much we can do. But I'll explain more of that later. For now," he leaned over the desk to press something and Ianto cringed when the greatcoat touched the dirty countertop, "let's continue the tour, shall we?"

*****

Jack watched Ianto as they walked through the stone hallway that led to the elevator. He had been watching the boy since he'd shown up outside the tourist office before dawn. So much was going on behind that mask of stoicism, and Jack wanted to see him without that cover almost as much as he wanted to see him without the suit-almost.

He had wanted to see how long Ianto would wait, and what he would do in the meantime. The pacing was predictable, although took longer than expected to reach that stage. The long period of soulful staring into the bay would have been boring had it not provided Jack time to admire Ianto's looks. That Ianto had waited less than an hour before leaving the office entrance would have disappointed Jack had that fact not been trumped by Ianto's intentions and knowledge of the lift.

If Jack had learned anything from his observations and short interactions with Ianto it was that the younger man was patient, persistent, and knowledgeable; qualities he liked in his employees.

He was careful not to push his mind toward Ianto's, knowing that that would instantly alert the other to his spying presence. He did, however, keep his mind open in case Ianto let anything slip past. All he'd gotten so far was the building frustration while being forced to wait outside and a spike of disgust that accompanied Ianto's first impression of the office interior.

The elevator ride down began with silence. Ianto's face betrayed none of his feelings. His posture, however, was stiff, and his eyes stayed glued forward never straying from the door. There was nothing in his attitude that reflected their experience the night before. Jack loved puzzles and challenges-and Ianto was definitely turning out to be both.

"So, was last night your first time?" He saw Ianto jump slightly.

Jack smiled as the boy, clearly startled out of his thoughts, took a second to try and figure out the question.

"Sir?" The confusion on his face was adorable, but Jack quickly decided he didn't like seeing Ianto frown. It had settled so easily between his eyebrows and on his mouth-like the muscles were used to it.

Jack suddenly wanted to see him smile and hear that laugh from last night. Of course, he wouldn't mind having Ianto stretched out on top of him again either.

"Catching dinosaurs." Jack shifted to face Ianto fully and leaned back against the wall. "Are you a veteran dino-wrangler or was last night your first time?" There was a slight upturn to Ianto's mouth that made Jack want to punch the air with glee.

Ianto softly cleared his throat which was starting to turn pink around his collar. "I assure you, my experience with dinosaurs is limited to last night."

"Ooo, a blush." Jack straightened from the wall and leaned forward toward Ianto with a flirty smile. "What did you think I was talking about, hmm?" Jack felt a tiny flare of panic burn through his mind before it suddenly disappeared.

Ianto hadn't moved, but Jack was sure the feeling had come from the other man. Before he had time to analyze it though, Ianto answered with a hesitant smile. "I'm sure I wouldn't know, sir."

Jack rewarded him with a smile that could have powered Cardiff. Tension melted from the air, taking some of the tightness in Ianto's shoulders as it went. Okay; nervous, slightly terrified, but still playing the game. A game I always win. Although, to be honest, doesn't everybody win when I win?

"She's going to be happy, you know," said Jack, leaning back on the wall again.

"What?" Ianto glanced toward him looking bewildered.

"Your dinosaur. I think she's been waiting for you ever since she woke up from that sedative. She threw such a fuss! Let me tell you. And she does not like the rest of the team-not yet, anyway. She squawked and dive-bombed all of them last night. Then again, she did go after Owen more than the rest of us, so I can't find fault with her tastes." Jack watched the anxiety ease slowly from Ianto's body as he rambled on. He kept his voice smooth and easy.

By the time the elevator doors opened, Jack had managed to wring a more genuine and heart-felt smile from Ianto when he told the part about the pterodactyl almost pooping on him.

"Welcome to the actual Torchwood Three," Jack made a sweeping motion with his arm and took a small step back, allowing Ianto out of the lift first. He had wanted to see Ianto's immediate reaction to seeing the hub, but he figured the boy probably needed some space at the moment. Once he felt more comfortable and less jumpy, then Jack would resume his flirtatious pursuit.
Jack liked challenges-not conquests. Besides, allowing Ianto out first meant Jack had a clear view from behind; a win-win situation if ever there was one in Jack's mind.

He watched Ianto exit swiftly out of the elevator and stop at the cog door. Jack quickly followed and with a tap of his wrist strap, the door began to roll back. It was accompanied by flashing yellow lights and loud alarm.

Jack barely had time to react as Ianto's body crashed backwards away from the door and into him. He grabbed the boy's arms to steady them both and quickly looked around for the danger.
"What? Are you okay? Is there some..." Jack didn't finish when he realized Ianto was staring at the flashing lights above them. "Oh. Right. Sorry, I should have...that's just the signal letting us know someone's entering..." He trailed off again when Ianto took a step out of his grasp and gave a tug to his suit jacket.

Pale and slightly shaky, Jack was nevertheless impressed with Ianto's clear and composed voice. "Sorry, sir. Took me by surprise is all. Reminded me...never mind. Please, continue," he gave a smile that was more of a grimace, but Jack gave him points for trying, "I'm assuming these will shut off once the door is closed?"

"Umm, yes, they do." He worked his wrist strap again and the door rolled closed, shutting down the flashing lights and alarm. His eyes never left Ianto. "Are you..."

"Fine, sir." His voice left no room for further questioning. Instead, he squared his shoulders and turned slowly in a circle. "So, this is Torchwood Three."

"Yup. This is what we call the hub," Jack flashed his smile, looking for all the world like a proud parent. "It's great, isn't it?"

***

If the tourist office had been a disaster, the hub was a catastrophe. Food boxes and cartons (some still containing organic material that was once food) were stacked precariously on any surface that would hold them. Paperwork seemed to be accumulating in piles on top of the stacks and on the floor near desks. Ianto had a hard time even counting the number of individual workstations because the mess seemed to permeate everything.

Before he had a chance to comment on the mess, however, his gaze was forced up toward the gaping cavern by an ear-piercing squawk. He could barely make out the shape of the pterodactyl crouched on a beam. Suddenly, he saw her wings spread and in the next moment she was soaring above him. The hub filled with the sounds of her wings and indignant chirps.

Ianto saw in his mind flashes of people he recognized from their Torchwood file-Owen seemed to have made quite a negative impression on the displaced animal. The images involved the animal grabbing an old, half-filled pizza box from the doctor's desk and dropping it on him from above.

Ianto chuckled softly at the image. He hadn't realized how much he would enjoy seeing the creature again. Now, he would be able to see her everyday and even see if he could figure out the extent of her mental abilities. His eyes followed her as she gracefully came to land on the ground near him-the only open, non-cluttered floor space he could see. She chirped softly and made the same cooing sound from the night before.

"I think she really likes you." Jack's voice cut through the moment, reminding Ianto that he wasn't alone. Looking over his shoulder, Ianto saw that his new boss was looking at him with curiosity and wonderment.

"It's the chocolate, sir. It always works when trying to get in the good graces of a lady." Ianto turned back to his new friend and asked, "Are you going to keep her here?" Are you going to experiment on her? Are you going to kill her? Will she be safe and unharmed? There were many questions hidden within his spoken words.

Jack seemed to hear the other questions. He straightened up and walked until he was next to Ianto instead of behind. "She has to stay here. I can't let her out until I know she won't attack animals or people. But we will do all we can to make sure she's happy." He gestured around the hub's expansive ceiling. "She'll have plenty of room to fly, and we'll feed her all she wants."

Ianto felt Jack turn toward him and knew he was waiting for Ianto to turn and face him too. As he did, he was surprised to see a look of gentle seriousness on the captain's face. "I promise, she won't be hurt or mistreated in any way. We don't do that here."

Ianto searched the man's face before settling on his eyes. The emotion within the blue depths assured Ianto of the man's honesty. He quickly nodded and looked away. He didn't want to get lost in those eyes-that it was even a possibility was terrifying.

"Right." Ianto glanced back at the bird, who was busy picking at some uneaten food laying about. "Well, we'll have to figure out something better for her to eat. As convenient as it might be to have her eating all the leftovers, I doubt that a moldy curry is the best option."

"Sounds like you're volunteering. Good. We've all got some kind of pet projects that we work on, and I'm sure the others will be very relieved to know that they will not have to work on this one!" Jack laughed. "So, how about a tour?"

***

Jack spent an hour showing Ianto around the rest of the hub. He observed the young man as they made their way from the main hub to the vaults and archives. He was quiet and graceful. He moved without a sound. He listened attentively to Jack's explanations and instructions for each area. And he never looked directly at Jack.

Jack filed that away for further contemplation. Of course, he knew not everyone was outgoing as himself. Owen was arrogant and aggressive at times, and Suzie commanded attention with a fierceness that rivaled Jack at times. Tosh was a quiet soul, but could hold her own when the need arose. And now there was Ianto. How's this incredibly shy creature going to fit in with the team?

Then again, Jack mused to himself, this is the boy who hunted me down for weeks and tried every trick in the book to get himself hired...and was successful. Needless to say, Ianto Jones would need to be watched-if for no other reason than to satisfy Jack's curiosity.

When the tour was over, they made their way back up to the main hub. Jack had explained what he expected from Ianto and what his duties would be.

"...and in addition to cleaning and watching the tourist office, we also have one more very, very important task for you." Jack's voice took on a serious tone again. He hoped his face was as schooled as his voice when Ianto's head shot up at the change of tone.

"Yes, sir?" His voice held only polite curiosity, but Jack could feel the depth of his swirling emotion just under the surface.

Instead of answering, he turned and made his way up the steps leaving Ianto no other choice but to follow. He barely heard the younger man's footsteps a few seconds later when he moved to do just that. He smirked, knowing Ianto couldn't see him. A moment later, he wiped his face of the joyful expression and stopped at a table.

It was covered in grit and what looked like sugar grains. Jack winced at the mess, knowing that Ianto would again see where they had failed in basic upkeep of the hub. Not that we have much time for cleaning, Jack justified to himself. Besides, that's why I've hired him. Now this stuff can get done AND the world can be saved.

He turned and watched as Ianto slowly joined him by the crusty table. The boy looked at it frowning, then looked at Jack with a raised eyebrow that clearly asked "now what?" Jack pointed underneath the table to something covered in some cloth.

Ianto knelt down and, with the gentleness of a researcher used to working with volatile unknown artifacts, carefully peeled back the cloth. Underneath, was a state of the art coffee machine-only a few years old. Jack saw as understanding flooded the young man as he relaxed and spared a look of exasperation for the man standing over him. Jack grinned.

"Do you know how long it's been since we've had real coffee down here? That wasn't bought by someone at some corner store? Even then it's not that great, and it's expensive, and it takes time out of our busy day when we could be working..." Jack trailed off when Ianto straightened back up. "You can work it, right? I mean, that coffee you brought me was fantastic, and I was just thinking..." He trailed off when he saw Ianto give a tiny eye roll. It was so small, he almost missed it.

"Yes, sir, I know how to use this. It just needs cleaning and a place that isn't the floor or covered in...what exactly is this?" He was peering closely at the table.

"Umm," Jack squinted, trying to see and remember what the grit might be, "I think it's sugar and old coffee grounds. Some of it might be instant coffee that Owen keeps buying. He tends to be kind of messy and spills stuff a lot."

Ianto shuddered, and muttered under his breath too low for Jack to hear. "Well, there's no need for instant now. I'll just get started then. Quite a lot to be done. If you would just show me where the cleaning supplies are, I can have you a fresh cup in no time." He ended with what Jack was starting to think of as Ianto's ‘brave smile.' Like he didn't like or wanted to say something but was resigned to grinning and bearing it.

Jack's grin fell as he showed Ianto the cleaning supplies-a bucket with an almost-empty bottle of cleaner and a filthy rag. Ianto's ‘brave smile' became strained, but didn't go away.

"I'll just make a list as I go of things you're...lacking. I can pick them up at lunch time." And with that, the young man grabbed the bucket and went in search of hot water and a cleaner rag.

Jack went to his office and sat down. The team should start showing up within the next half hour. That gave his newest employee 30 minutes to settle in alone-and without the snark and stares that would come with the arrival of the team. And it gave him further opportunity to observe him unobtrusively.

He watched out his window and via the camera views currently brought up on his computer screen. As the minutes ticked by, he could see Ianto slowly relax into his work. He attacked the table with a fierceness rarely found outside a mother's actions. Making quick work of the grime, he then maneuvered the coffee machine out from its storage space and lifted it gingerly to the table. He didn't strain under the weight as Jack thought he might, showing a hidden store of strength.

A new bucket of suds and further scrubbing, and the machine soon shone as it had when Jack had first bought it on a whim. Jack watched as Ianto went to retrieve the bag he'd brought with him and discarded by the cog door. Curious, he watched as Ianto reached in and withdrew a bag of high-quality coffee beans. He then grinned and turned away from the screen for the first time since entering his office. Paperwork from the past month had build up on his desk, and now that they had an honest-to-god-archivist, he knew he'd have to tackle the pile before Ianto had had the chance to give him that same disappointed look he'd had upon seeing the state of the hub.

***

Ianto knew Jack was watching him. At first, it was very unnerving knowing that his every move was being observed closely. As he began to work, however, he lost himself in the familiarity of the action. This was something he could do without worry. He focused his energies into cleaning and scrubbing.

The hub really was a disaster. Ianto wondered how it was that the world could be saved on such a regularity when people had to work in such conditions. They didn't have to, though. Ianto thought. They could have cleaned their own mess at any time. He pushed that thought aside as he rescued the coffee machine from its deplorable position and gently placed it on the now-gleaming table. After all, if they had been cleaning up after themselves then Ianto would have no job and there'd be no reason to hire him.

Once the coffee maker was lovingly resurrected, Ianto went to retrieve his bag. He'd dropped it when the alarms had sounded. I'll have to get used to that sound if I don't want to constantly draw attention to myself every single time someone arrives or departs.

He pulled out his bag of coffee-it was the same kind he'd prepared for Jack when he'd been stalking him. Fifteen minutes later, he had a perfectly brewed cup of coffee for himself and Jack, as well as a full pot for when the rest of the team showed up. Speaking of...when exactly do these people start work? It's almost half past 8 already! Shaking his head in wonder, he placed Jack's mug on a tray that had been buried behind the machine.

As he turned to go to Jack's office, the alarms rang and the lights flashed. It took an act of pure determination on Ianto's part to not throw the tray and duck under the table. Instead, he gripped the tray hard enough to cause his hands to shake and bit the inside of his cheek. The pain gave him a focus outside the noise, and it was enough for him to pull himself together.

Drawing a breath, he started walking toward Jack's office again. Ianto was careful to steady his hands and school his expression. He could do nothing for his pale skin or the fine sheen of sweat that had broken out on his forehead.

Ianto had just turned the corner on the catwalk when he saw two people enter into the hub. One had long brown curly hair which fell to frame the sharp features of her face. Ianto recognized her as Suzie. The dark haired man by her side was laughing, although is came out more like a bark. Owen, the doctor.

They were talking about something, but Ianto could not hear the words. From the motions of Suzie, however, he deduced that they were reliving their experience with the pterodactyl from the night before. Owen's eyes shot upward in search of the creature, but instead found Ianto.

They stared at each other for a moment, and Suzie's eyes followed the doctor's when she realized he had quit talking. Ianto glanced her way and almost flinched at the power behind her gaze. He dropped his eyes quickly and was about to continue on his errand when Jack stepped out of his office.

"So, I guess this is the new teaboy you hired in the middle of the night." Owen's gaze raked over his body in a way that made Ianto shiver slightly and actually back away a step. "I can see why you wanted him first thing." Owen's snicker was joined by a muffled giggle.

"Stop it." Jack's voice drawled the words out like a scolding mother might. He turned, blushing to Ianto, and gave an apologetic grin. "Ignore them. It's been a while since we've had a new face around here. I think the isolation has not helped them retain any manners." On the last part of his statement, Jack's voice got louder and was clearly directed at his chastised team members.

Suzie gave a sort of half smile and nodded to Ianto before moving to her desk. Owen frowned, but muttered a "yeah, yeah, whatever" and gave a half-wave. Ianto looked to Jack.

The captain was still grinning, and Ianto realized that the man's gaze was fixed on the steaming coffee mug sitting on the tray in Ianto's hands. Handing the tray out to Jack, Ianto said, "Your coffee, sir." He could hear Owen snicker.

With exaggerated movements, Jack reached out and slowly took the cup into his hands. When the cup reached his lips, Jack suddenly locked eyes with Ianto and took his first sip. Ianto felt his breath catch in his throat, but managed to not look away. He'd never seen such playful lust in a person's eyes before. Lisa had always looked at him with gentle love or mischievous affection, but had always been careful with the intensity of her gaze when she became aware of his skittish nature.

Now, he felt enraptured in Jack's stare. He watched as Jack savored the liquid, and finally closed his eyes. When they opened again, he was amused to see the look of pure bliss. "Perfect," Jack whispered. "You are a true miracle worker, Ianto Jones."

"I try, sir."

"Now, here's what you should do," Jack leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, "You pour a couple more cups of this magical potion and take it to those two, and they will love you like a long lost brother. Suzie likes hers black, but load Owen's with cream and sugar. He needs the added kick for mornings...and evenings. Well, pretty much anytime of day when he has to be sober and conscious." With a wink, Jack took his cup of coffee and went back into his office.

Ianto watched him for a second before turning back to the new coffee station and began to prepare the drinks as Jack ordered. He knew that Torchwood 3 wasn't anything like the London branch had been, but it was still a slight shock to realize how very small this operation was.

Only four people in one place, working side by side for months and years. This was no office building with hundreds of people and dozens of departments. He wouldn't be able to blend and be ignored from the get-go. He'd have to establish his place here first instead of fade instantly to the background.

Ianto placed the two mugs onto the tray and walked gracefully down the stairs to deliver them. He reached Owen's desk first, and silently placed the dark green mug next to the man's hand. Owen looked up, still scowling, grabbed the cup and took a gulp. His face froze as the coffee hit his tongue, then he relaxed and looked at Ianto with an expression he couldn't interpret.

"This isn't instant," Owen stated with a hint of challenge.

"No. I refuse to make something I do not consider to be palatable."

"Hmm," Owen hummed speculatively, "maybe having a teaboy isn't such a bad idea. Just make sure you keep it coming. And more sugar!" His voice growled, but Ianto could see that it was more of a show than actual emotion.

Acknowledging the instructions with a nod, Ianto moved to where Suzie sat hunched over her desk, already deep into her work. When he stood next to her, she suddenly stopped and sat up. She gave the alien item in her hand a slight toss onto a pile of papers, causing Ianto to wince at such careless handling.

Suzie turned toward him fully in her chair and sat back. After a moment's appraisal, she removed her glasses and let them hang around her neck. "So, you're Jack's stalker." She paused, and Ianto didn't know exactly how to respond. Instead, he simply held the tray out to her in the same way he had to Jack. After another moment, Suzie took the coffee and set it on her desk without looking at it. "Has Jack told you what your duties here are?"

Ianto nodded, but she looked at him like she expected him to speak, so he repeated what Jack had told him earlier. "I'm to man the tourist office and keep up the cover. I will also perform cleaning and errand duties-fetch meals and necessities. On quiet days and when there aren't too many actual tourists stopping in, I'm to organize and maintain the upkeep of the archives. And above all, I'm to make and deliver the coffee at regular intervals."

Suzie smiled like he'd passed some kind of test, and said, "We'll see. You've managed to appease Owen to some extent, which means your coffee is indeed excellent-otherwise, he'd still be growling and possibly even yelling at you. But more importantly, you have gotten to Jack." Ianto's back seemed to straighten impossibly more, but he didn't reply. His brain was still catching up to her words and couldn't deny what she said. "That take skill. So while I'm sure you'll make an excellent receptionist and janitor and teaboy, I wonder what it is that you want here."

Ianto opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. He could see Owen turn his head slightly, listening to them but not looking away from his computer. Ianto closed his mouth, turned back to Suzie, and decided to try a little honesty. "It's true, I could have gotten a job doing this almost anywhere. But Torchwood is all I know. My archival experience is centered on alien artifacts. I doubt I can list that on a resume. Besides," he looked down, uncomfortable with the conversation and the attention he was being paid, "it's not like I can explain to others why it is I left my old job." With that, he turned the ball back over to Suzie.

She looked surprised at his candor, and after a moment of thought gave him a nod of dismissal and understanding. He started to turn around when the alarms blared again, signaling Tosh. The tray slipped from his fingers, and crashed to the floor. Breathing heavily, he bent quickly and retrieved it. He could see Suzie and Owen looking at him out of the corner of his eye, and he cursed his reaction.

Surely I will get used to this ‘doorbell' soon. Acting as though nothing had happened, Ianto walked swiftly back up the stairs to prepare a drink for Tosh.

"Morning! Sorry I'm late, traffic was murder. Everything was re-directed because of us draining the bay last night." Tosh rushed into the hub in full work-mode. "So, is he here yet? It'll be nice to have someone new, don't you think?"

"The teaboy's up there," Owen pointed in Ianto's direction, "and he was the first in. Well, after Jack, that is."

Ianto could see Tosh's head crane to the side, trying to see him. He placed her drink on the tray along with a small canister of cream and some sugar. He didn't know how she took her drinks yet. Unlike the other team members, Tosh didn't ignore him as he approached. Instead, she walked toward him, meeting him half way. "Coffee, miss?"

Tosh blushed and shyly took her coffee mug from him. Holding it in her left hand, she thrust her right one out and said in a friendly voice, "Hi. I'm Toshiko Sato, but everyone just calls me Tosh. Welcome to Torchwood."

He took her hand and gave her a small smile. "Ianto Jones, miss. And thank you."

She laughed-not a giggle like Suzie, but a flustered little breathy sound. "Please call me Tosh, Ianto. No one calls me ‘miss' and it'll just make Owen intolerable."

"Of course, Tosh." He gave her a small bow, and took the tray back to the coffee station.

"Well, he's certainly polite," he heard Tosh say in a quiet voice to Owen.

"Oh, yeah, he's a regular butler. Calls Jack ‘sir' and everything." Owen's voice wasn't as quiet.

Grabbing the sudsy bucket and the few garbage bags he could find, Ianto went around the hub picking up the vast amounts of garbage lying about. He ignored the glances and whispers as he filled the five garbage bags. Stacking them by the cog door, he made his way back to Jack's office.

Knocking on the open door, Ianto waited for Jack's "come in" before stepping over the threshold. Standing just inside the office, Ianto looked just past Jack as he said, "I've finished cleaning what I could down here. I was going to go back to the tourist office with the trash and try to organize some up there." He paused, but Jack didn't say anything so he kept going. "If that's alright with you, sir."

Finally, Jack nodded. "So, how's it going so far? I take it they haven't been giving you too hard a time."

"No, sir. As you predicted, Owen was easily appeased by actual coffee. And Tosh is a very sweet girl."

Jack grinned. "And Suzie?"

"Understandably cautious."

"Yeah. She's not the most trusting of people. It's why she's my second. Just give her some time-and more coffee. She likes it more than chocolate," he said, referring to Ianto's comment earlier, and winked at Ianto.

"And what time shall I collect lunch orders?"

"Actually, as long as nothing comes up, I thought we'd all go out together. As a kind of ‘welcome to Torchwood.' We'll leave at 12:30. How's that sound?"

"Of course." He paused, then added, "Thank you."

Jack waved him out, and told him not to think about it.

***

Lunch came too quickly for Ianto. He'd spent the past few hours going through the file boxes and piles of junk lying about the tourist office. His first order of business had been to clear the counters and scrub them down. At least if people came by now the place didn't look like a disease-infested shit hole.

When the team came through the hidden door, it gave Ianto a start. He'd lost track of time while absorbed in his task. Jack led the way, grinning widely at the improved and better smelling office. "Wow! You've certainly been keeping yourself busy. Do you have a secret hoard of maids tucked behind the counter?" He looked lewdly around the counter and pretended to be disappointed when there was nothing but now-neatly stacked boxes.

The team piled in behind him, and there was a moment of awkwardness as everyone stood in a huddle in the tiny office.

"Lunch, Harkness. You can ogle the new kid at a restaurant...where there's food." Owen was scowling again, and Ianto wondered if the doctor suffered from hypoglycemia-his moods seemed dictated by sugar intake.

"Right! Follow us, Jones, Ianto Jones. How do you feel about Tai?" Jack didn't wait for an answer, and Ianto was forced to file in behind the rest of the team as they made their way past the bay to where the SUV was parked. Jack got behind the wheel, and Suzie rode shotgun. Ianto found himself in the back squeezed in between a mumbling Owen and an apologetically smiling Tosh.

Ianto wasn't a fan of small, crowded places. He never had been, but the feeling had increased since Canary Wharf. It reminded him too much of the hiding room and his last moments with Dr. Bran. Ianto swallowed down the lump that always formed when he thought of his deceased mentor. He hated when things like this would make him remember something from that day. There were enough things in life that already caused him flashbacks-now he had a whole new set of memories to haunt him.

Tosh seemed to sense his need for distraction and engaged him in a conversation involving computers. Jack had apparently informed them of his work in archival systems at Torchwood London and she was seriously interested in combining his skills with her computer abilities to create a comprehensive filing system for their archives.

Ianto tuned out Suzie and Owen's flirtatious bickering and tried to ignore Jack's glances at him through the rearview mirror. He found Tosh to be highly intelligent and had no problem following her ideas. By the time they reached the Tai restaurant, he was surprised to realize that he had forgotten all about the closeness of the small space.

The restaurant was small, but pleasant. There were enough windows to make it feel larger and the layout made it feel very open. They ordered with the ease of regular customers. When they all turned an looked at him, he quickly ordered the cheapest thing listed in the vegetarian menu. Meat didn't always settle with him nowadays.

Talk around the table was stilted at first. Everyone seemed to be waiting for him to lead the conversation, but Ianto didn't know what to say. He had always failed in social areas. The only people he had ever felt comfortable talking with were now dead or dying. When it became apparent that Ianto wasn't going to regale them with any new stories, they turned to each other and resumed the conversations from the ride over.

Ianto wondered if Jack had told them anything about him. No one asked him personal questions about girlfriends or Torchwood London. If Jack had spoken with them, Ianto was grateful. Instead, he resumed his conversation with Tosh about the archives. From the brief glimpse he'd had of their archives, he knew he had his work cut out for him. The place looked more like a dumping ground and haphazard storage locker than a government archive.

Food came, and Ianto stayed focused on his conversation, only occasionally picking at his food. He missed Jack's glances and Owen's calculating look.

As they began to wrap up the meal, Ianto realized he'd only eaten about a quarter of his food. He sheepishly asked for a doggy bag and tried to wave off his lack of appetite as being due to first-day nerves. The fact was he'd barely been eating since Lisa wasn't there to prod him. And he didn't have Dr. Bram there as her back-up.

"So, Ianto, do you have that list you promised me? There's a grocery near here and we can run by there on our way back." Jack waved the expense card around like a teen who had nicked his parent's wallet.

Ianto drew a piece of paper out of his suit pocket and handed it to him. Jack unfolded it and his eyebrows rose comically as he took in the rather lengthy list of supplies. "That's quite a list of demands."

Ianto scoffed. "I hardly think trash bags and proper cleaning supplies count as demands, sir." Owen snickered again, and Ianto frowned at the sound but ignored him. "Also, you need proper filing supplies if I'm to even approach the archive-and that means you need actual files."

Jack laughed. "That's me told. Alright, change of plans. I'm going to drop you three off at the hub while Ianto and I go shopping." They all made their way out of the restaurant and took their seats in the SUV. "Suzie, I want you and Tosh to keep working on that glove we recovered last night. Owen, run tests on the knife. I want to know if there's any organic material on it-and find out if it's human or alien. For all we know, some kid chucked it out into the water on their way home from some Renaissance faire."

Ianto didn't know what mission they had been on last night when he'd interrupted Jack, but he guessed they'd been successful after the capture of the pterodactyl. When they reached the hub, the others got out and Ianto took Suzie's place in the passenger seat.

"I'd have taken them with us, but we'd have come back with half the candy aisle and there'd be no room for anything practical." Jack never seemed to tire of smiling. Ianto wondered how he did it. A short regular smile tired him out, let alone this beaming grin that Jack displayed constantly.

"Well, then I thank you for leaving them behind."

Jack chuckled, and Ianto again wondered how the leader of Torchwood could be this easy going. "We'll have to pick some anyway, just to appease them."

"Of course, sir." Ianto took the list Jack had handed back to him and neatly wrote ‘candy' at the bottom of the page.

"You always this organized?" Jack asked curiously.

"I'm an archivist," Ianto answered with a shrug.

"What's the difference between ‘archivist' and ‘junior researcher'?"

Ianto bristled, wondering if this was Jack's way of calling him a liar. But a glance at the man driving told Ianto that Jack was still just curious. "Not a lot, actually. I assisted the other researchers, and a lot of my duties included retrieving items or cataloging them for later filing. It wasn't until my last couple months that I became the unofficial head of the research archives." Ianto looked out the side window, not wanting to look at Jack-or let Jack see how the conversation was affecting him.

***

Jack saw Ianto turn away from him, and knew that he was fighting to put on a brave face for his new boss. Sighing, Jack began to realize just how damaged the quiet boy was and wondered not for the first time whether he'd made the right decision. Instead of pursuing the issue, Jack started telling him about the mission from the night before. "Which you so rudely interrupted." He sent Ianto a mock scowl, and was rewarded with a delicate blush.

"Did everything go well after I left?" His voice sounded like it wanted to stutter, but wasn't able to break through Ianto's control.

"With me in charge? Always." Jack pulled the car into the parking lot of some mega mart. "Just as I predicted, by the time we had our new ‘office pet' under control, I had plenty of time to get to the reservoir and retrieve the artifacts that Tosh had picked up on her scans." He grabbed a cart with the same enthusiasm and authority he gave a mission. He felt rather than heard Ianto move into step behind him. A glance over his shoulder gave him the picture of Ianto trying to keep the quick pace whilst reviewing the list, head down and determined.

Inside the store, Jack headed straight for the cleaning supplies which made up the majority of Ianto's list. Jack had memorized what Ianto had written in the few moments he'd had it in the restaurant. But then, being alive for well over 100 years will teach you how to do things efficiently and effectively.

In the aisle, Jack started to grab items and throw them in the cart haphazardly. It took him a few minutes to realize that most of the things he'd grabbed had been replaced by Ianto, who was silently following him. Jack stopped and watched as the younger man took the box of 25 garbage bags and switched it out for a box of 80, unaware of his observer. When he looked up, Jack saw the blush return and brilliant blue eyes fall to the floor as though chastised.

"Maybe I should just push the cart and stay out of the decision making?" His voice held no malice or lecture, drawing the blue eyes back to the vicinity of Jack's chest. The tight nod drew a concerned frown from Jack. As they went to the next aisle, Jack tried to draw Ianto back out of his shell-he wanted to see the young man from last night, not this timid little thing.

So, as Ianto scrutinized the different mops, Jack began to lament loudly and dramatically about how he was only good for his money, and how he was used to the other team members taking advantage of his expense account but how he had hoped Ianto would be different.

"Do you know that Suzie actually made me go out and buy tampons one day? I mean, really, what am I? Their captain and leader? No, I'm just the whipped parent." Jack thought he saw Ianto's lip twitch, but he wasn't sure. So he kept up a steady stream of dialogue, commenting on the various items on the shelves or people in the store. He pushed boundaries, curious to see how Ianto would react.

Not surprisingly, he ignored most of Jack's comments, although there were a few times when Jack was able to get a health flush to fuse his pale cheeks. Most of that was due to lewd comments would make concerning the various uses for saran wrap.

By the time they left the store an hour and a half later, they had almost two full cartloads. Jack cringed at the receipt total, but knew that this trip had been long-time overdue. Besides, he had managed a real smile out of Ianto by the end of it.

***

Ianto spent the entire afternoon and evening working on sorting out the tourist office and cleaning the hub. He scrubbed the bathrooms, locker room, and showers down. Crusty, broken bars of soap were replaced by shower gel and fresh towels were placed on the dusted shelves. The dirty laundry on the floor (and throughout the hub) went into brand new baskets so he could take it home tonight and do the wash. He knew the hub had laundry facilities, but he wouldn't have time to inspect them until later.

As he worked his way back to the tourist office, he considered his first day at Torchwood 3 and reviewed his plans. Jack confused him. The man had been welcoming and enthusiastic all day toward him. He laughed and smiled and winked and flirted. Ianto tried to reconcile this new image with the man he'd encountered over the past few weeks and the file he'd poured over every free moment. He was so different from every person he'd ever met-except Lisa.

Lisa had had that same kind of enthusiasm about life, but hadn't been so expressive about it. And they both seemed to be able to put him at ease. True, Lisa had worked for weeks learning Ianto's needs and how to draw him out. Jack seemed to be able to do that naturally. Like he knew Ianto.

And that scared him to death. Because people just didn't know Ianto. It was something he'd worked very hard to ensure. So how could this man know so much about him? And how was Ianto supposed to hide his actions from someone like that?

Ianto began to label new manila folders and transferring files from their outdated holdings.

***

The day formed a sort of routine for Ianto. He'd work in the office, then go make fresh coffee for everyone, clean up any new messes, and return to the office. There was only been one incident with a weevil that called for people to mobilize. Jack, Owen, and Suzie left Tosh in charge of the hub and monitoring the mission. They barely spared Ianto a glance as they sprinted out the office door.

Ianto shot out of his chair and ran back down in the hub to find out what was going on. The last time he'd seen people rush out of a building...well.

Ianto found Tosh sitting calmly at her desk, muttering to herself as she followed reports and the SUV on her screens. Seeing that she was safe and not bothered, he moved up the stairs to the coffee machine.

"Everything alright, Tosh?" he called while measuring the beans.

"What?" she answered, distracted.

"The team just ran through the office upstairs. Is everything alright?" he took care to speak in a steady voice and still his shaking hands with the familiar actions of brewing.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. There's a weevil citing downtown. They've gone to do damage control and bring it back if it's dangerous." She looked up at him as he approached her desk with a fresh cup. Her face broke out in concern and Ianto wondered how he must look. The sudden flurry of action had taken him by surprise-just one more to add to the day.

"Really, it's all perfectly normal and routine. They didn't even all need to go, but Owen started bitching about being bored and Jack can't say no to Suzie to save his life." She smiled reassuringly at him. "Must have been a shock. Sorry I didn't think to send warning your way. I kinda forgot you were up there."

"Understandable." He watched her eyebrows raise at his statement. "I'm beginning to think that there's some artifact tucked away in that office that inspires people to forget it exists. I swear there are brochures up there before I was born."

Tosh had the good graces to blush. "Well, we don't have much time to devote to the tourist office. When things get really slow, one of us might go up there to break the monotony. Other than that, it's full time down here."

"I can see that." Looking around, he disparaged to note new piles of trash had already formed. Sighing, he grabbed a new bag-And Jack thought 25 would be enough-and moved to pick up the garbage.

"Oh! Sorry, you don't have to do that! We can pick that up."

Ianto raised an eyebrow. "On the contrary, I do have to do this. It's my job. Besides, I've really doubt Owen or Jack will clean this up." It was Owen's desk he was cleaning, and he recognized one of the candy bar wrapper as the one Jack had picked out for himself at the store.

Tosh gave a snort, but nodded. Then her attention snapped back to her screens and began giving directions. Ianto figured she was responding to one of the others through her headset. With a nod in her direction, which earned him a smile, he returned to the office above.

As he continued his work, Ianto thought through his plans for Lisa. Now that he'd seen the actual inside of the hub and had access to the lower levels where the archives were, he began to mentally work out how he could get her in. Part of the tour had included an obscure loading dock no where near the tourist office or lift. It was normally used when the team had to retrieve larger alien tech, but it would work perfectly in Ianto's favor. There was no way he could load her in through the other two entrances and escape notice. Sure, he could doctor the CCTV records, but it would be obvious at a glance if anyone looked. And he didn't trust Tosh or Jack not to look at some point.

He'd give himself a week to work out the routine of the team within the hub. It would also give him the chance to scout out a suitable room and get it arranged. He knew that he could work fast enough in the archives to give himself the hours he'd need to do what was needed and no one would be the wiser.

Then he could focus on getting Lisa the help she required. Ianto's chest tightened with fear and hope. Everything was working so far. Now, he just needed to stay strong for the helpless woman currently resting at his house.

By the time the rest team had returned, without a weevil, it was well past sun down. Ianto's pocket watch told him it was almost nine. Almost time for Lisa to get her next round of pain meds. He followed silently behind the others as they rejoined Tosh and headed to the conference room to debrief. Ianto wasn't invited, so he made a round of coffee and handed it out.

As he turned to leave, Jack spoke up. "Ianto. Meet me in my office in 15 minutes and we'll talk about how your first day."

Ianto nodded and shut the door behind him. He went back to the office and tidied up for the end of the day. The room was no where near done, but it was at least to a manageable state and he no longer feared contracting some deadly virus.

Fifteen minutes later found him standing outside Jack's office with yet another fresh cup of coffee. The man drank more coffee than any other human being. Ianto was sure it was the source of his seemingly endless enthusiasm.

Jack waved him in. Ianto noticed the others packing up and shutting down their stations. He took a seat across from Jack's desk and waited. Jack finished reading and signing the paper in front of him and shut the folder with a flair.

"There! All done!" he smiled his 1000 watt beam. "So, Jones, Ianto Jones, how did it go? Was it everything you expected?"

Ianto clasped his hands in his lap and sat straight in his chair. "Yes, sir. It went well, I think. The team didn't seem to have any problems with me and I had no trouble with any of the tasks you gave me."

Jack sat back in his chair and studied him. Ianto tried not to fidget under his gaze. After a while, he sprang forward, startling Ianto. "Well, I have to say you did splendidly. I've never seen the hub this clean, and I don't even recognize the office upstairs. And the coffee...oh, the coffee. I just don't have words." His smile was easy now, instead of overpowering. "What time do you plan on being in tomorrow? You don't have to come in so early, if you prefer. You've seen how things run around here now. We work long hours, and there's only four of us-sorry, five now. There's no need for early mornings when we're often here late at night."

"I can start whenever you wish, sir." He kept his gaze just over Jack's left shoulder.

Ianto saw Jack lean back again slightly. "Fine. Meet me at the tourist office at 8:30 tomorrow." He paused. "You did very well today. I know there were a few hard moments for you, but you handled it very well." He stopped again, and Ianto realized he was waiting for some kind of response.

He licked his lips, and said, "Thank you, sir. I predict I will soon grow quite accustomed to the door alarm." It was true-it went off every single time he passed through the hub, which was frequently.

"Yeah, that thing can be a nuisance." He looked down at his desk and opened a file. Ianto recognized his picture. "I wanted to talk a bit about your role at Torchwood One."

Ianto stiffened.

***

"Yes?" The boy's voice had a forced calmness.

Jack watched him carefully. He knew he was treading on sketchy ground, but it needed to be done. There had been no time in the job interview to do it. "It's very sparse. I mean, it gives me your basic title and some background info, and it does have some researchers notes about your changing the filing system," he looked down at his notes, "a Dr. Bran Kinsey."

The shock of pain flooded Jack's senses causing him look up in alarm. Ianto didn't look any different; nothing gave away the deep agony Jack was so clearly sensing. Jack quickly had to raise a few mental shields to block the enormity of what he was feeling. He didn't know if he should say something to Ianto or not. Before he had the chance to, Ianto himself spoke.

"What would you like to know, sir?" His voice betrayed nothing.

"What kind of research did you work in? Did it involve alien experiments or medicine..."

"No," Ianto's voice cut him off. "Nothing like that. My department worked with unknown artifacts. Pieces of space junk that had washed up on our shores. We would document them and try to work out what they were. It was more like archeology. Occasionally, departments that worked out in the fields would need us to retrieve items for which we knew the purpose and they would use them. We worked with alien cameras, communication devices, hair dryers, and photo albums. We had the rare weapon, but those were always immediately shipped to a different department." He took a shaky breath-the first outward sign that this was costing him anything that Jack could see. "I worked mostly with elderly scientists. The men and women who had worked for Torchwood for years and survived to their later years. They get moved to this department as a gesture, because they've seen too much to work in normal labs but they don't want to deal with the danger or they've burnt out."

"So why were you there?" Jack had no idea how Torchwood London had run. He had limited his exposure to them as much as possible. There were too many things they had disagreed on for Jack to feel comfortable even being in the Tower.

Ianto gave a humorless grin. "They would put the new members there first, to ease us into the institute. See how they handled the stuff there. Some washed out quickly and were let go with a vague memory of a job they hated. Others showed an aptitude toward the risky experiments and objects and were moved to rougher departments. I stayed because I didn't seek danger, and they let me because I'd worked out a new archiving system that they wanted implemented in other areas. So I was loaned out, but I always came back to them."

Jack realized that this was the most he'd ever heard Ianto say in one sitting, and knew it wasn't easy for the quiet man. He wished he had some water to offer him, but he didn't keep a pitcher in his office. "Did you ever do any work in the field?"

"No." The look on his face said the suggestion was ridiculous. "I didn't even go out to retrieve objects. I stayed in the office."

Jack nodded and closed the file, signaling the coming end of the painful discussion. "I just needed to know. It's good that you've had experience with unknown artifacts. You'll be able to help Tosh and Suzie on that front. And your archival experience will be a great asset to our humble operation here." He stood with his smile firmly in place. Carefully, he opened his mind back up. Ianto's emotions were no longer broadcasting as strongly. Jack reasoned he had gotten himself under control during the conversation. He forgot to ask about psi training, but he felt reluctant to bring it up now when the young man was clearly exhausted. He held his hand out, and watched as Ianto hesitated before he rose and tentatively reaching out and taking it. "See you in the morning, Ianto. Welcome to the team."

Ianto gave a soft breathy "Thank you" before turning and leaving the office. Jack sat back down, and stared after the young man. Ianto was a puzzle, and he liked nothing more than a challenge.

***

Ianto returned to his house that night, drained but feeling like he'd successfully crossed over a major hurdle in his plan. He had made it into Torchwood and completed his first full day. Setting down his bag and hanging his coat on the hook, Ianto crept into the living room to check on Lisa.

The conversion unit-mock-life support unit sat amidst boxes. Soft beeping and the hiss of the ventilator filled the silence of the darkened room.

"Ianto?" Lisa's weak pain-filled voice broke the stillness.

Turning on the lamp threw the room into a warm light that contrasted with the cold metal. Lisa's figure was exactly as it had been for the past several weeks-laid out unmoving in the metal frame. Ianto quickly moved to her side, checking on her monitors.

"How are you? Are you in pain?" He readied the pain medication. They had worked out a schedule, but today's work had delayed her evening dose by over thirty minutes. He knew that she had to be feeling the holdup.

"It's not too bad." Her words were in conflict with the agony Ianto could feel coming off of her in waves.

"Liar." He gave her a small, tired smile as he injected the syringe into her I.V. line. The overwhelming feelings rolling off Lisa slowly ebbed to a manageable level-for both of them. She sighed with relief as the drugs flowed through her system.

Ianto stroked her forehead with the back of his fingertips. This was his favorite time of day, which he acknowledged as some kind of sick irony. He knew he would have at least an hour with ‘his' Lisa. An hour until he would feel her slip away and again become an empty shell.

"How was your first day?" Her voice broke through his thoughts.

"It was...interesting." He traced his fingers over her brow and down to her cheek. "The team is very, well, unique doesn't begin to describe it. And the hub," he laughed, "is a wreck. It will take me months to clean it. And the archives look like it was ransacked by children with finger paints."

Lisa smiled up at him as he continued describing the day. Eventually, the meds took over and her eyes closed in sleep.

Ianto sighed as he made his way to the bedroom and the shower. Each day that passed seemed to give him less and less time with her. He didn't understand what was happening with Lisa. What did these switches in mental states mean? Whatever it was was making him even more anxious about The Plan. The stress threatened to overwhelm him at every turn.

***

A week later found Ianto sitting on his bed, file folders spread out across his comforter. Schematics stolen from the hub outlined the lower levels while printouts sketched out the basic routine for the team. Now that he had access to the information and the hub in general, he could begin to map out the next steps to be taken.

Firstly, he had to get Lisa out of the house and into the hub. He simply couldn't continue providing for her when he would be spending so much time away from the house. Jack had made it very clear that the hours would be late and long, and this week had confirmed that fact. There was no way he would be able to give Lisa the pain meds she needed when they were needed. And the sheer energy cost-he just didn't make enough money to pay to keep the cyber unit functioning.

Once he had her situated, he would need to look to the future. Sure, he could keep her relatively comfortable and possibly even safe within the hub. But he couldn't keep it up indefinitely. At some point, an outsider with the expertise and knowledge would have to be brought in.

Lisa had known how to fix the short-term problems like her immediate life support, and she'd been a great help in getting both of them to this point. Her knowledge of Torchwood-specifically Torchwood 3-had proved essential to Ianto's infiltration. But she wasn't providing anything beyond that.

Ianto had tried, time and time again, to enlist her help in finding a more permanent solution to her situation. In her more lucid moments, she seemed to agree with Ianto on the need to bring in outside help. She would encourage and support him, but beyond that she could provide no input. And when she was distant, when she seemed to move beyond Ianto's mental grasp, she was argumentative. She'd shoot down his ideas. When he listed certain scientists or procedures, she would refuse them.

She scares me, Ianto thought as he set down one file and moved to the next. He was exhausted. Between work, caring for Lisa, and trying to plan his next move, Ianto found little time for rest. And when he allowed himself even a moment to really consider Lisa's behavior...

NO! Stop it. He closed his eyes, as though that single action would keep the overwhelming terror at bay. The fear that she was wrong-beyond the physical sense of the word. She's still Lisa. She's still the woman I love...the only woman I have ever loved. And she's counting on me to fix her. He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly.

Opening his eyes, he glanced at the clock on his nightstand. It was after 5 in the morning. That gave him two hours for sleep before he'd have to get ready for work again. He sighed. It'll all be over soon, he thought as he swept the files into a neat pile and set them on top of a stack of boxes. In three days, Lisa will be in the hub and I won't have to stay up planning as much every night.

No, said another voice in Ianto's head. Then you'll just have to worry about keeping her hidden from the four people who know their own workplace inside out and are still suspicious of you.

Great, now I'm arguing with myself. Ianto groaned and crawled onto the bed, not bothering with the covers. Three more days, and then I can sleep.

Fatigue overcame him just as the sun's light peaked through the curtains.

***

"Morning Ianto! Sleep well?" Jack's voice was like a laser piercing through Ianto's cloudy mind as he was let into the tourist office that morning. A bright, shiny, happy laser.

"Yes, thank you sir." Ianto managed, failing to reach Jack's level of enthusiasm. The smile fell from Jack's face, replaced by a worried frown.

"You alright? God, you look like shit. Were you out weevil hunting without me?" The attempt at humor could not hide Jack's concern, but it did raise a small reassuring smile from the tired man.

"No, I leave the heroics to you and the others. You save the day, and I'll make the coffee." Ianto set his bag down behind the counter and switched on the computer. "Shall I make you some, sir?" He looked back up at Jack to find the man leaning on the counter toward him. Smiling.

"Do I look like a man who would ever say no to your coffee?"

"No, stupid question. Let me just get started here and I'll be right down to start a pot, shall I?" Ianto graced Jack with a tiny smile when the man nodded.

It was several seconds later when Ianto realized that Jack had not moved. Glancing upwards, he found Jack still staring at him.

"Sir?"

"That suit," Jack started, leaning even further over the counter, "looks particularly stunning on you. You may have to limit your time in the hub, or I may just find myself too distracted to work."

Ianto blushed furiously as his brain scrambled for something to say. This man seemed to have taken a liking to finding ways of flustering Ianto at every turn. A comment here, a look there. It was all so bewildering and new to Ianto, and it muddled his thinking.

"That's harassment, sir." The words popped out before he could stop them. Bracing himself for Jack's retort, he was startled by the booming laughter that came instead.

"Harassment!" Jack laughed, "This coming from the man who stalked and pestered and harassed his way into a job?" The amusement shone through his voice and eyes, and Ianto was powerless against it.

"Well, when you put it that way...I guess I'll just have to be careful and time the coffee trips to moments when it will not interfere with your work."

Jack gasped dramatically and stood straight, clutching his chest. "Did...did you just make a joke?"

Ianto's lip twitched. "I'm sure I wouldn't know."

"You did, you made a joke. My god, the others won't believe me when I tell them..."

"So you won't be wanting any coffee at all today, sir?" Ianto kept his normal stoic mask in place-hard work when faced with Jack's animation.

"You're bluffing." Jack narrowed his eyes in mock-seriousness. He leaned forward slowly, like a predator closing in on its cornered prey.

Ianto held still, reminding himself that this was a game and that Jack wasn't going to do anything. Right?

Jack's arm reached around the counter, almost brushing against Ianto's knee.

Ianto sucked in a breath, watching Jack's hand as it moved past him...and hit the red button, opening the secret door to the passageway. The noise of the door broke the tension and Ianto forced himself to relax.

"Well," Jack said, with a serious pout, "if that's the way you're going to be, I guess I'll just do as I'm told. You're just lucky I can't survive without caffeine. You may have me under your control for now...but remember," he moved through the door as it started to close, "I always win."

Ianto was left breathless. The man was always doing this to him-saying and doing things that left him in such a state. The past week had been a string of innuendo and outright flirting. And it always left Ianto feeling like the inexperienced schoolboy he was.

As long as he doesn't act on anything, I'll be fine. Ianto thought as he pulled himself together. But a part of him knew that Jack wasn't the slow and subtle type. And what am I going to do then? He didn't have an answer.

***

The day had been a quiet one. No weevils. No rift activity. It gave the team a chance to catch up on paperwork and devote time to individual projects.

When Ianto came down to make the post-lunchtime coffee, Owen was already busy working on the autopsy of the alien they had found the previous night. The doctor was trying to determine the cause of death for the creature they had discovered floating in a ditch. It had been found by a group of backpackers outside the city, and it had taken the team hours to cover up.

Tosh was typing furiously at her computer, mumbling to herself. And Suzie was staring at the glove that had been found the night Ianto had joined the team. Everyone had tried to speculate as to the purpose of the strange metal armor, but so far no one had come up with any real theories. If it hadn't been for the strange readings Tosh had picked up on her scanners, they would have written the object off as being of Earth-origin.

Ianto stared at it as he went by. He hated it. It reminded him too much of the Cybermen. Plus, he could feel something whenever he got too close-a tug at his chest and whispers in his ear. He made a point of never touching it.

Working the coffee machine, he felt the tickle on the back of his neck that told him Jack was watching him. True to his word, every time Ianto had entered the hub Jack had quit working to stare at him. Ianto didn't know if it annoyed him or not. Rolling his eyes at his own conflicting feelings, he handed out the cups to the rest of the team before making his way to Jack's office.

There was no need to knock-he already had Jack's undivided attention. "Coffee, sir?"

"I've been good, haven't I?" Jack gave him a pleading, oh-so-innocent look.

Ianto gave a nod and placed the cup on one of the new coasters he had bought. He had placed them throughout the hub in hopes of saving the furniture. So far, Tosh was the only one who actually used it. Suzie didn't pay attention enough to remember its presence, Owen outright refused, and Jack...Jack liked to make a show of ‘forgetting' so it would give Ianto an excuse to come wipe the ring off his desk.

"If it's alright with you sir, I'd like to spend the afternoon in the archives." He tried to keep his nervousness hidden. So far, Jack had let him into the lower levels for short amounts of time-to grab a file or take an item to storage. And while Ianto had begun working with Tosh on compiling an actual archive, he had always been accompanied.

Jack sipped his coffee, moaning obscenely. "You know just how to butter me up so I'll bend to your every whim, don't you? Alright, go hide from me down in the depths. At least with you down there, you can't be here to rub it in our noses how sloppy we all are." He smirked.

Ianto thanked him and turned to leave.

"Ianto, wait a sec." Turning around, he saw Jack rummaging through his desk drawer. Pulling something out, he stood up and came around to Ianto's side. Standing inches away-always too close-he held his hand up and dropped something into Ianto's palm. "You'll need this."

It was two somethings, actually. Ianto stared dumbly down at the Bluetooth earpiece and...several keys attached to a key chain of a little green man. He looked back up at Jack, not quite sure what to say.

"The earpiece will keep you in touch with us up here. If we need you, or if you need us, just press the button and speak. And you'll need the keys to access certain parts of the archives. They're labeled according to what they open."

Ianto looked closer at the keys. Each one had a different colored top with a printed label: ARC 1, ARC 2, ARC 7, DOCK, T.O.

"Only those three sections of the archives are locked...and you'll need to be able to access the loading dock when storing the big stuff."

"T.O.?"

"Tourist office."

Ianto's head snapped up. Jack was giving him the key to the hub?

"I know, I know. I almost didn't give you that one. I was kinda getting used to the idea that I was the first thing you saw each morning," he smiled sheepishly and shrugged, "but you really should have your own key. There may come a time when you're needed here and there isn't someone to let you in. Besides, everyone else has one. And you've certainly proven yourself this week."

Ianto gaped at him before realizing that he should say something. "Thank you. I..." he gulped, suddenly overwhelmed by Jack's trust. "I like the keychain." He winced at his own lameness.

Jack grinned. "They were Suzie's idea of a joke. She bought a bunch of them and gave us each one. There were a couple left over."

Ianto realized just how close they were standing and took a step back toward the door. "Well, I guess I'd better..."

"Go on, go on. Go make the rest of us look bad. I'm sure you'll have that entire dungeon sparkling by the end of the day." Jack moved back to his seat as he gave a wave.

"Hardly." Ianto scoffed, and hurried out of the office.

It was more than he had hoped for. He had all the access he needed to get Lisa to her new home. As he silently made his way past the others, he clutched the keys in his fist until he felt them dig into his skin. He needed to keep moving and not think. Because in all his preparation and planning, this was the one thing he hadn't counted on dealing with-guilt.

***

The next two days went by in a blur. Ianto spent most of his time in the archives, going back and forth between his work on the files and preparing Lisa's room. It had taken almost no time to find the perfect place to house her-it was in a secluded part of the lower levels. The lighting was dim, and absolutely nothing was stored in that area.

That second afternoon, he opened the dock doors to see if any type of alarm went off. If caught, he would simply say he was trying to bring some fresh air and sunlight to the stuffy halls. But nothing happened. No one said anything about it to him when he reemerged three hours later for another round of coffee, and Ianto counted it a successful test.

At home, he had everything ready to move. A rental van sat in his drive already packed with extra medical supplies, tools, and equipment. Lisa's instructions for taking apart the unit for transport and reassembly, as well as how to keep her alive for the journey, were printed out.

Each night, he would return home, take care of Lisa, open his laptop, and wait. He had tapped into the internal hub cameras and sensors within his first couple days inside Torchwood 3. Now that he had access, all he was waiting for was the right moment.

From his observations, he knew that Jack almost never left the hub which meant he probably lived there. And while there may not be alarms on the loading dock, Ianto didn't want to chance moving Lisa in when Jack was anywhere near the hub. So instead, he waited.

It took three more days of almost sleepless nights before the chance came. He had taken to napping for 30 minute intervals, an alarm waking him to check the cameras that let him know Jack was still there. Finally, on day three Ianto was awakened by an alarm that came through the computer instead of his clock. He saw that there was a police call for strange activity in the same park Ianto had first come across Jack. It looked to be another weevil, and Ianto watched with baited breath as Jack quickly gathered weevil spray and his webley before rushing out of the hub.

Ianto moved quickly. He knew that the park was far a good 40 minutes from the hub-30 the way Jack drove. Even if Jack reached the park to discover nothing, Ianto still had an hour to move.

Rushing into the living room, he got to work. Hours of mental and physical preparation paid off as he had everything dismantled and moved to the van in just under 20 minutes. Lisa had enough drugs in her system to remain unconscious for the duration, but Ianto gave her just a bit extra to be sure. He didn't want her waking up and panicking before he had her settled.

He had to force himself to watch his speed for the short commute. It was just now 3 in the morning, and he was not going to let something as stupid as a speeding ticket thwart his plan. Even so, he only lived 10 minutes from the hub, and it took him almost half that time with no traffic.

Backing the van to the loading dock, Ianto had to steady his hands to unlock the doors. The metal clang of them sliding upwards seemed to echo into the silent night, and he quickly glanced around to make sure it hadn't drawn anyone's attention. It was silent.

Breathing heavily, he grabbed the dolly that sat just inside, and began to unload Lisa's unit. It wasn't easy to maneuver, but eventually he had her and the section she had remained connected to strapped on and wheeled to her new room. Setting her down carefully, he rushed back to get the remaining loads. It took five more trips to get the rest of the unit and the tools he would need. The whole unit could be broken into sections quite easily and he quickly had it reassembled and running. He returned to the van for the remaining medical supplies. That done, he closed the doors and drove the van to a nearby lot.

Adrenaline made him shake now that he had stopped moving. It took several attempts before he could open his laptop and bring up the hub cameras again. He forced himself to look closely at each one, careful not to rush or pass over anything. There was nothing. Jack was still out, and no sensors had been tripped. Ianto checked each camera three times before he felt safe enough to breathe.

Slowly, he put the van into gear and drove home. There would be time enough later to fix up the room to make it comfortable. There was also other equipment that needed to be installed for a long-term set up. Lisa had already given him the directions for a more efficient control panel. He didn't understand the details, but she had assured him that it was necessary.

When he walked into his living room, he was startled by its emptiness. The silence was eerie without all the machines. It was that moment that it hit him-he had done it. Lisa was in the hub.

Ianto's legs went weak and he fell to his knees in the middle of the room. His fingers traced the dark silhouette Lisa's unit had created in the carpet-little fabric tufts smashed flat. Suddenly, he was struck by a wave of loneliness, stronger than ever before. He curled up in the shadow left by Lisa, and let exhaustion pull him to sleep.

***

The sunlight pouring through a crack in the curtains woke Ianto the next morning. It took him a moment to figure out why he was laying on the living room floor instead of his bed, but the memories from the previous night flooded back when he realized Lisa's absence.

Intense joy and excitement gave him energy far exceeding that of coffee, but it was the flash of panic and worry that brought him to his feet and straight to his computer. He took note of the time-7:30 in the morning-and realized he'd overslept. Impatient for his computer to finish starting up, he suffered through images of Lisa being discovered during the night. When the screen popped up, he was relieved to see it was still connected to the hub. A quick check revealed no activity within the hub.

Ianto quickly switched to the camera he had set up within Lisa's new room which would allow him 24 hour personal surveillance. The sight of her peacefully sleeping eased the knots in his stomach and chest. Taking a moment to just look at her, he allowed his initial excitement to return.

She's there. Right there! I'm going to go to work, and she'll be there. I don't have to worry about power, or being away from her for too long. I can check on her throughout the day. Oh God, I did it! The thought of seeing her at the hub spurred him into action. He had time for a quick shower and was even able to stomach some toast.

He arrived at the hub in record time and let himself into the tourist office. Fighting against the urge to rush to the basement, he was careful to follow his normal routine. Set down bags, turn on computer, check for messages, go down to main hub, make coffee...

For the first time since Canary Wharf, Ianto found himself fighting against revealing his excitement and elation. Energy seemed to race through his body, just below the skin. It tingled and buzzed in his head. He knew he was even closer to detection now, but for the moment that worry had nothing against the sheer happiness he felt. The loneliness of the night before was being rapidly replaced by hope. It was a feeling Ianto had little experience with-but could soon get used to.

Walking up the steps to the coffee station, he was startled by the loud squawk that rang overhead. The pterodactyl soared over his head, apparently reacting to his broadcasted feelings. He stared as she continued chirping happily above him. A laugh surprised him-especially when he realized that he himself had done it. He quickly stopped, embarrassed by his own outburst, but indulged in a relaxed smile for the unique creature...and himself.

As the coffee brewed, Ianto's thoughts came to a complete standstill when he felt a foreign nudge within his mind. It was one he was becoming increasingly aware of-Jack. The man had taken to softly probing his mind at odd times, although he seemed to consistently do it each morning. It always stood as a reminder for Ianto to tighten his mental walls. Jack had never pushed to the point of intrusion, but Ianto was now cautious. He was getting still getting used to being around someone else with similar mental abilities-no one had ever purposefully tried to go into his mind before Dr. Bran.

Ianto never felt aggression behind the nudges, though. They gave him the impression that Jack was merely reaching out to reassure himself of Ianto's presence. As always, the prod was quickly followed by Jack's physical appearance.

"Morning Ianto!" Jack smiled and stretched as he stood in the doorway of his office.

For the first time, Ianto felt an answering smile come easily. "Morning. Having a lie-in, sir?"

Jack's smile turned into a beam as he joined Ianto by the table. "Late night. You certainly seem...chipper this morning. What's got you so happy? New suit? New tie? Oooh, did you get new coffee beans?" He made a grab for the bag of beans, but Ianto's reflexes were quicker and he snatched it out of reach. No one touched the coffee-it was the rule.

"Nope. It's just...a very good day so far. Don't touch." He scolded with a stern frown while moving the bag out of the captain's reach.

Jack's pout threatened to ruin the effect and he had to fight the tug at the corner of his mouth.

"No fun, Ianto." Jack moved a fraction of an inch closer, invading Ianto's space. Spice and musk overpowered the scent of coffee and Ianto's head spun. "I like to touch." His tone was suggestive, but his eyes were questioning.

Ianto's heart threatened to pound through his chest. The spinning grew worse, joined by a roaring in his ears. Too close! Too close! But he couldn't make himself move away. At least he didn't have to worry about avoiding Jack's eyes-he couldn't focus on anything. He felt himself gasp in a breath, making the smell of Jack strong enough to taste. "H-har-harassment, s-sir." He stuttered out in a voice he barely recognized.

Jack didn't move. "Ianto," he said softly.

Ianto could feel Jack trying to get him to look at him, but it was too hard to even try. Jack was filling his senses, leaving him no escape. He forgot about the coffee.

"Ianto." Jack's voice was louder, but still gentle. Out of the corner of his eye, Ianto could make out Jack's arm reaching up slowly, oh so slowly, as though trying to give Ianto time to react. He closed his eyes as Jack's fingers brushed against his clenched jaw and lightly traced the line up to just below his left ear before reaching around and coming to rest on the back of his neck. Only Jack's fingertips made contact as they tenderly played with the short wisps of hair-caressing without holding.

Ianto kept his eyes tightly shut, too afraid to open them and too confused to move. Without sight, all he could do was feel Jack's careful fingers and smell Jack's unique aroma and hear Jack's deep breathing. The world was reduced to sensation.

The fingers tapped lightly on his nape, bringing a fraction of sense back to Ianto's mind. But he still wouldn't open his eyes. Jack's voice suddenly surrounded him so that Ianto couldn't tell if he'd heard from without or within.

"Ianto, am I going to have to get our pretty beastie to drop me into your arms again? Hmm, is that what it's going to take for me to be allowed to feel you under me one more time?" Jack's tone dropped to a whisper and Ianto could feel his breath tickle his ear. "Because I'm not above bribing her with chocolate if she's willing to help a guy out."

Ianto let out a laugh, but it came out more like a sob. He still couldn't respond, couldn't move. After an eternity and a soft sigh from Jack, Ianto felt the fingers softly rest fully on his neck for a beat before they withdrew.

Eyes still closed, he could feel Jack's presence move away. Footsteps softly faded back toward the office. Ianto drew several more breaths and then slowly blinked as though just waking up. He was alone.

The seconds dragged on as Ianto tried to regain control of his mind and senses. The hub gradually came back into focus and the first thing he noticed was Jack's missing coffee mug. Well, that saved him from having to take it to him. Grabbing a cup for himself, he took it on shaky legs back to the tourist office and didn't dare look back to see if Jack was watching him.

There were no confusing thoughts to try and work out. His mind remained blessedly blank until he found himself seated behind the office counter. Once there, thoughts began to resurface one at a time in no particular order.

This coffee is too strong...

Did I order those new brochures, or did I just only think of it...

Jack smells like something, but what...

Where's the rest of the team...

What time is it?

Did I wipe the crumbs from the toast off the...

I don't like being touched unless Lisa is the one...

LISA.

For a second time, things came into focus again, only this time he had the complete picture. Lisa was here. In the hub. Lisa. Oh God, what is happening? He made me forget, made me want to forget! His breath left his lungs again, but it wasn't as pleasant as before...with Jack.

Ianto stayed frozen, staring without seeing at his computer monitor. He didn't move again until the tourist office door opened with a slam, revealing a very hung over Owen.

"I fucking hate mornings. There better be coffee down there, or you can tell Jack I quit. Fuck."

Ianto pressed the button to let Owen into the lower hub, mumbling something assuring about being right there with the coffee. Numbly, he got up a second later and followed the scowling doctor. He avoided looking at Jack's office as he made Owen's coffee. While he was there, Suzie and Tosh came in within minutes of each other and he went ahead and readied their first round of caffeine as well.

Once everyone was taken care of, and not daring to check if Jack needed anything more, he told Tosh he'd be in the archives and that she could reach him on the comlink. The alien key chain felt hot clenched in his sweaty hand. He knew he couldn't just rush to Lisa's room straight away. There were a few cameras in the archive, and he didn't know if Jack would be watching him. So, he made sure to work his way gradually through the lower levels.

He gave himself 20 minutes in one section, then moved with what he hoped looked like purpose to any outside eyes to a section closer to his goal. It took him almost an hour to convince himself that he was safe to finally move out of the camera's view. He held a file open and pretended to read it as he walked, trying to seem like he was deeply absorbed in his work.

As soon as he was free of all cameras, he nearly sprinted the last dozen yards to his Lisa. He had been able to feel her begin to wake over 15 minutes ago, and he didn't want her to come to full consciousness whilst alone. Fingers fumbled on the door handle-need to install a lock-before easing it open and peeking inside.

Lisa was exactly as he'd left her-relaxed, eyes closed, unmoving. The air was cold and clammy, but it was better suited for Lisa's comfort. He had never been able to keep the house cold enough for her. Walking up to her, he waited for her to open her eyes. He could feel her mind grow stronger and louder and more solid inside his own.

"Lisa?" Ianto's voice was soft, but persistent. "Lisa, come on love, open your eyes. I have a surprise." He tried not to think about how much his voice mirrored Jack's from earlier.

Lisa's eyes fluttered opened, and he stayed quiet-but in sight-to give her time to take in her surroundings. He could almost feel the wheels in her head turning, and when she turned to look in his eyes it was obvious she knew.

"You did it." There was no question in her weak, scratchy voice.

"I promised, didn't I?" He gave her his most honest and open smile. This was his girl, and he missed her in such a fundamental way that it hurt. Like being without oxygen or food.

"And you always keep your promises." It was their little ritual-they would use it to reassure each other and remind themselves of their love and devotion. She looked at him and for just a moment, he could forget that he was in the despicable hub and that Lisa was welded into a metal frame and that Jack Harkness even existed. Because in that instant, all he saw were her eyes radiating warmth and strength too potent for a mere mortal woman.

Then she gave a soft groan of pain, and the moment was over. He moved automatically to the mini-fridge that held her pain meds, and quickly administered a dose he knew would get her through till he returned later that evening.

"There, is that better? Hmm?" He stroked her face, tracing a familiar pattern he'd developed in the recent months. Before Canary Wharf, she was the one who would do it to him when he was panicked or stressed. Their role-reversal left Ianto feeling inadequate. He still relied on her for his strength most days, and she gave it to him in soft encouraging words and adoring looks.

"Much, thanks. So, home sweet home, eh?" She chuckled, despite the pain that still lingered. "Not quite what I thought of when we discussed getting a place together."

Ianto laughed, knowing it would make her happy, and because she could still be so damn cheerful in the face of utter anguish. "I'm sure I can spruce it up a bit. Fresh coat of paint, reupholster the furniture...I hear the back garden's enormous." Playful humor mixed with empty words. The stone walls we clammy from the humidity, the floor stayed damp with puddles. He doubted he'd even be able to hang a picture anywhere...although...

Going over to one of the boxes he'd brought with Lisa he shuffled through various items before pulling out a picture frame. It held a photograph of the couple-relaxed, in love, and full of life. Ianto could barely look at it. He didn't recognize himself in it, and Lisa metal-free body seemed to serve as a cruel reminder of what she'd lost. But she loved it, and she loved looking at it when she was awake. So he tolerated it...for her.

He set it gingerly on a rickety table he'd found abandoned in the corner of the archives and made sure she could see it. Her smile was worth it.

Ianto stayed for ten more minutes, but he didn't dare risk any longer. So, with a quick kiss, he left her to her photo and returned to work.

***

By 6 o'clock that evening, Ianto decided he couldn't avoid Jack any longer. He had to get the team dinner and coffee. With dread in his steps, he trudged up to the main hub only to find it empty of all except Suzie. She sat at her desk, stroking the dreaded glove as though it coax the secrets out of it.

"Where is everyone?" he asked as he started on the coffee.

"Jack and Owen are chasing after some blowfish-don't ask. And Tosh wasn't feeling well, so Jack sent her home." She didn't even spare him a glance.

"Oh." He hated how uncomfortable Suzie made him. And now he was stuck alone in the hub with her for the first time. "Do you know if they'll be wanting dinner then?"

"I dunno. Why don't you call and ask them yourself? Or are you and Jack already having a lovers tiff?"

"What?!" Ianto almost dropped the mug he was filling.

"He's been pouting all day, you know." Finally, she set the glove aside and turned her gaze on Ianto. "Never seen him in such a mood."

"He was angry?" He hadn't thought he'd made Jack mad, but then again, he had been too flustered to remember Lisa at the time.

Suzie's eyes narrowed, like she detected his fear and was zeroing in on it. "Did you do something to make him angry?"

"No! I mean, I don't think so." He could feel himself babbling-an embarrassing habit he seemed to reserve for the worst possible moments. Determined to not further humiliate himself, he shut his mouth, grabbed their coffees, and made his way to her desk.

"So what is it?" She took the cup from him, invading his space the same way Jack had done that morning. Only this time, there was nothing pleasant or confusing about it. "You not putting out for Jackie-boy?"

A switch went off in Ianto's mind, a survival instinct that had protected him his entire life. He became the pre-Lisa Ianto Jones. Mental barriers dropped allowing everything Suzie was feeling to flood into his mind. Darkness twisted like a disease from her mind to his. Ianto's mind reacted by sending soothing waves back, much like he had with the pterodactyl. His body shrunk in on itself in a defensive yet submissive posture, eyes low enough to stay away from her piercing gaze but high enough to watch for any attacks.

"The captain and I are not...together, miss." His voice stayed soft, but emotionless.

Suzie laughed, mocking. "Is that right?" She moved closer, crowding him against the wall. "So, you think you can stick by your story that you were hired for your secretarial skills?"

Ianto nodded but remained silent. Their close proximity allowed Ianto to notice something he hadn't realized before-the sour smell of alcohol. A glance toward her desk revealed a small bottle of spiced rum, mostly empty.

"Let me free you from any delusions you may be harboring," her voice dropped to a fierce whisper, "You are a play toy. Jack hired you because your ass is tight and you have a pretty face. He couldn't give a flying fuck if this place were clean or not, and he certainly doesn't need someone hounding him about paperwork. So why don't you just stop."

She stopped speaking, waiting for a response. Ianto's harsh breathing was the only sound for a time. When he failed to speak again, her hand reached out to grab his arm.

In an instant, Ianto's body spun away from the wall and backed up toward Owen and Tosh's desks. The coffee in his hand threatened to spill over, but he steadied it and managed to set it down before he scalded himself. Beyond that, he had no other great plan for escape.

Suddenly, a screech filled the hub just as the shape of the great flying creature dove from the upper level of the hub and flew straight for Suzie. Ianto received a brief flash of anger and outrage...but not from his co-worker. It seemed that the dinosaur had truly taken to Ianto as her ‘chick' and was furious at whatever caused him pain.

Alcohol slowed Suzie's reactions, or Ianto was sure she would have shot his defender. Instead, she ducked down and narrowly missed having her head busted open by talons. Not making the same mistake twice, she grabbed for her gun and let off a shot straight up.

"No!" Ianto choked, finally finding his voice. He sent as many mental pictures containing the message "fly away, stay away" as he could, frantic to get his protector away from the madwoman. She got the message, and fled to the safety of her nest.

Ianto looked back at Suzie, wide eyed and terrified. She was still staring straight up, failing to get find a good shot to take at her attacker. Before she could refocus on her initial human target, and sooner than Ianto could get his mind to think straight, the cog door alarms went off and in rushed Jack and Owen.

Both men had their guns drawn and ready. Ianto froze when Jack's eyes met his. He was overwhelmed by the severe, calculating look that seemed to be evaluating Ianto's threat level. Apparently, he didn't rank as a source of danger, and Jack's eyes quickly focused on Suzie who was still holding her gun and trembling with fury.

"Drop it, Suzie." Jack's voice was cold and commanding.

"What the fuck is going on..." came Owen's exasperated voice, only to be cut off by Jack.

"I said drop it, Suzie. On the desk." His voice calmed and became more encouraging as she slowly complied. It was like she was coming out of a trance.

Finally, her hand left the gun completely. Jack rushed forward and swept it into his pocket. He spied the alcohol, and it was like someone had deflated him.

"Jesus, Suzie, have you been drinking?" he said with a sigh, running his hands over his face.

"Oh, fuck off Jackie-boy. Your little tart's bird tried to kill me!" Her anger turned to tears which she scrubbed away furiously.

"Right." Jack's voice was tired. "Suzie, go home. Take tomorrow to cool off and think about this. Then, come back ready to work. I can't be a man down." She opened her mouth to protest, but Jack cut her off. "Just...go."

Tears streaming down her face, Suzie nodded defeated. She grabbed her bag with shaky hands, turned, and left with slow weak steps.

Ianto stood frozen throughout the exchange. He felt as though he was having an out of body experience-like he was watching it happen. He watched Jack shake his head and rub his face with his hands. He watched as Owen began to pace, stopping occasionally as though to say something but change his mind and continue moving. Finally, Jack's hands slid off his face as he let out a frustrated growl.

Steel blue eyes snapped to Ianto's face, suddenly remembering his presence. "What happened? We heard gunshots! Owen, get over here." Jack marched to Ianto's side, all authority and command.

"What?" Owen snarled in frustration.

Jack grabbed Ianto's arm, trying to turn him around. "Get over here! I want to make sure she didn't injure him. I don't think she shot him."

Jack's touch brought Ianto back to himself with a rush. The freeze brought on by panic broke and fueled movement. With a tug, he pulled his arm from Jack's grip and backed away in fast, light steps. "No, I'm fine, really, don't..." His words spilled out in breathless gasps. Owen realized there was a problem and came forward in full doctor-mode.

"Alright, teaboy, let me see." As he neared, Ianto scrambled away a few feet and stopped when Owen paused. Realizing he needed to switch tactics, Owen raised his hands in reassurance and spoke gently. "Whoa, hey, hey, it's alright. Ianto, you're safe. I just need to see if your hurt, okay? Ianto? Can you look at me, mate? Come on..." He kept on a litany of words, soothing and calm. After a minute, Owen slowly started moving closer, keeping his movements smooth.

He made no sudden movements which allowed Ianto to follow his gestures. As he got closer, Ianto could see the doctor's eyes looking him up and down for injuries. He felt exposed so he crossed his arms over his chest and shifted from foot to foot.

"Ianto, why don't we sit on the sofa over here, yea? Let's sit, come on." Owen's arm slowly came up behind Ianto's back as he started ushering them both to the Torchwood couch. Ianto moved to keep from letting the doctor's arm touch him, but this meant allowing Owen steer his direction. When they reached the sofa, Owen sat down with Ianto and sent Jack a look. Whatever it said had Jack slowly move closer to sit and watch quietly.

Owen looked back to Ianto. "Okay, can you show me your arms?" He held out his hand expectantly.

Ianto slowly relaxed his arms' hold on his torso as his mind started to calm and regain control. The threat had left, and while Owen and Jack weren't particularly his "safe" people, they weren't presenting as a danger. Taking a deep breath, Ianto answered, "I'm fine, Owen, thanks. She didn't shoot me, she was aiming for the pterodactyl."

"That's good, good, can I just see your arm there? There you go." Owen reached forward and gently but firmly stretched Ianto's left arm down. Ianto started to fight, but quickly gave up and allowed the contact. "So can you tell us what happened? What happened to make your birdie so angry? Hmm?" As he talked, he held Ianto's wrist with one hand while moving the other over Ianto's whole arm.

"N-nothing," Ianto's teeth started to chatter as the panic and adrenaline faded, leaving him feeling cold. "Suzie was t-telling me how I c-could im-mprove my w-work, she got-t upset and then the pterod-dactal screamed and swooped d-down." They weren't giving him enough time to collect himself. The fight with Suzie had unnerved him too quickly-if he could just have a minute alone, he would be able to rebuild his shields before Jack prodded his mind.

Owen rolled up Ianto's jacket sleeve and unbuttoned the shirt cuff. Fingers on the pulse point, Owen looked at his watch and silently counted. Fast but weak. Skin cool.

Ianto his eyes, blocking out distractions. He focused on shutting out all the emotion pouring out of Owen and Jack. As the feeling ebbed, he opened his eyes much more prepared to face the doctor. Jack, not so much.

"What, did she want you to make more coffee? What specifically did she want?" Owen moved on to Ianto's other arm, keeping them connected.

"It doesn't mat-ter." Ianto looked away from the doctor.

"Yes, it does. She was drinking, mate, and I know how she is when she's drinking. Trust me. What did she say?" He tugged lightly on Ianto's arm, turning him back to face him.

"She wanted me to stop trying to change so much around the office, because," he took a breath, "because that wasn't why I was hired."

"Why were you hired, Ianto?" Jack's voice drew the focus of both them.

"Sir?"

"Why does she think you were hired? What did she tell you?" His voice was steady.

"For...decoration."

"Ah. And if I know our girl, I imagine she got pretty graphic and nasty." He sighed. "I'm sorry, Ianto. Suzie has some...issues with men. And she can get vicious when drunk, even with strangers."

Ianto nodded, wanting to crawl home and forget the whole thing. "Understandable."

Jack scoffed, "Yeah, well, understandable or not, she knows better to drink at work."

"Considering last time she did she punched you, you'd think." Owen said.

"You'd think," Jack agreed. "So, you okay? You're looking a little pale still. Owen?" he asked the doctor's opinion.

"Did she hit you anywhere?" Owen's attention switched back to Ianto.

"No." Ianto said quickly. Her words caused more damage than a physical blow. "I'm fine, really."

"Right," Owen said with a nod, "then why don't we get some dinner because you look like you could use something to eat."

"Okay," Ianto agreed despite his lack of appetite, "what would you like?"

"No." Jack put a hand up to stop Ianto from standing. "we'll just order a pizza. They deliver. You're in no shape to go get take-out. Why don't you let Owen check you over a bit more and I'll go order a cheese and meat-feast." His frown showed his disbelief at Ianto's claim that Suzie hadn't hurt him. His words didn't allow for disagreement.

Jack turned and retreated to his office, leaving Ianto with a reluctant Owen. The doctor shook his head, but stood and pulled Ianto along with him. "You heard the man, teaboy. Why don't you step into my office." He led a protesting Ianto to the autopsy room and onto a table.

"Owen, I'm fine, honestly. This isn't necessary. I promise."

"Yeah, and I promise I'm not going to be the one to tell Jack we didn't do as he said. Off with you shirt so I can tell him you aren't bleeding internally and we can eat pizza." Owen turned away to pull on some gloves and give Ianto a bit of privacy.

Ianto sat there, making no move to obey. Owen turned back and frowned.

"Now, Ianto. Take off the shirt or I'll take it off of you."

After a battle of wills, Ianto lost. Resigned, he shrugged out of his jacket and unbuttoned the dress shirt and unknotted the tie. When they were both neatly set aside, Owen began pressing on his ribs. Remembering their first meeting, Ianto thought he caught a whiff of the incinerators outside Canary Wharf. He wondered if Owen remembered him.

The lighting wasn't the best, but Ianto knew that Owen could tell something was out of place by the way his fingers began tracing the thin scars as he moved around the table to Ianto's back. His fingers stilled.

"You were there." Owen's words drew Ianto's mind away from death and chaos.

But the words perplexed him. "You know I came from Torchwood London."

"I know...but I hadn't realized you were there, that you were one of the few who actually came back." He turned the overhead lamp on and Ianto could feel the heat from the brilliant light infuse his chilled skin. He closed his eyes in relief. Owen continued. "You were brought to my tent. I remember you now." Finding no new damage, Owen straightened back up. He motioned for Ianto to redress and averted his eyes. "Did you ever call that therapist?"

Ianto looked straight forward as he buttoned his shirt back up. "No," he said flatly.

Owen nodded. "Yeah, didn't think so." He opened a drawer and shuffled through it. Then he pulled out a card and set it next to Ianto on the table. "Here's another one, works here in Cardiff. She's worked for Torchwood before, and can handle the kind of stuff we deal with here."

Ianto picked up the card, swallowing. "Is this mandatory?"

"Not yet." Owen waited for him hop down and join him at the steps.

They fell silent as Ianto followed Owen up the steps to see if the pizza had arrived yet.

***

Jack hung up the phone after placing his order and sat back in his chair. What was he going to do with Suzie Costello? And for that matter, what was he going to do with Ianto Jones?

Leadership had never been Jack's strong point, although he thought he was doing fine so far. It had been several years since Alex, previous leader of Torchwood 3, had committed suicide after killing the everyone and leaving Jack alone. In that time, Jack had been forced to scrounge up a team. Suzie had come first, quickly followed by Tosh. He'd stumbled on Owen through a case, but realized they could use a doctor...and another man. And now he had Ianto-the damaged boy who wouldn't take "no."

Suzie had been with him for five years-she was his closest friend in some ways. He knew she had problems, but by now they had been through hell together and he knew why she did what she did. He couldn't blame her for drinking. Hell, he'd have joined her if he wasn't waiting for the Doctor.

They were all damaged in their own ways. Tosh seemed the least affected, but Jack had seen her in that UNIT cell. He knew that kind of experience left marks unseen. Owen had been a shell when he joined. Since then, he'd filled the void with sarcasm and insults. Once in a while, like this evening, he would show his human side which gave Jack hope. And their newest member was one of the very few on a very short list of survivors. He had lost everything-his work, his friends, his lover, and a good deal of innocence.

Jack did what he could to keep them all together. But some days it felt like band aids over bullet wounds. Short-term fixes were his specialty. He avoided thinking about anything long-term. Life flowed like a mission-improvisation as each situation arose.

He knew that Suzie would go home, sleep off a hang over, then wake up angry at herself for performing such a display. She'd go out shopping early afternoon and work out all evening. Come Thursday morning she would arrive early, entirely professional, and act as though nothing had happened. And Jack would never mention it again. Again.

But Ianto...

Jack couldn't put his finger on Ianto. There were so many faces, too many to be reconciled into one person. The flirting had been good. Jack wasn't used to needing restraint, but he loved a challenge. He saw the hesitance in Ianto, and so toned down his normal act. Sometimes he got results, drawing out a smile and blush or even a laugh. There was definitely something there.

The incident at the coffee machine had been a new reaction. Ianto had been so happy that morning that Jack had felt the beaming emotion before Ianto had even entered the hub. And the tension when they had stood close enough to feel each other's breath had been delicious. Jack had wanted to kiss him, but something held him back. A voice saying it wasn't the right time. So he'd walked away and committed the memory of how Ianto's skin had felt under his fingertips. It was the boy's turn to make a move in this game.

Hearing that gunshot when they'd returned to the hub, not knowing the cause, had terrified him. It had taken all his resolve to block the pure panic pouring out of Ianto as he'd focused on Suzie. The boy had been a powerhouse of feeling. Jack's head still hurt, even after he'd felt his shaken employee regain control.

A buzzer sounded the arrival of the pizza, so Jack made his way up to the tourist office. A glance toward the autopsy bay showed Ianto buttoning up his shirt. Owen was too far away for Jack to make out what he was saying.

He returned with the pizza to find the two other men waiting for him in the conference room. Ianto wouldn't look at him when he set the pizza on the table in front of him. "Here we go; one cheese and one meat-feast. I'll grab plates and drinks."

When he came back Owen was already devouring a meat-feast. Ianto gave a whispered "thank you" when Jack handed him a plate and reached for a slice of cheese. Jack sat down across from them and started eating as well. They sat in silence for a while, each lost in his own thoughts. After Owen and Jack moved on to their second slice, Jack decided to break the silence.

"So, doctor, everything okay?" Jack saw Ianto glance over at Owen before returning his eyes to his plate.

Owen nodded, but kept eating. "Yeah," he said around a mouthful of pizza, "no physical injuries." Jack noted the doctor's choice of words-they didn't necessarily mean the boy was fine. Jack didn't push the topic. He knew that if there was cause for worry Owen would come talk to him in private.

"Good." Jack accepted. "What do you two have left to do today?"

"I still have to get the corpse out of the boot and on ice. I'll do the autopsy tomorrow." Owen didn't even pause as he moved on to his third slice.

Ianto picked at his half-eaten first slice. "I've gotten started on something in the archive I'd like to finish tonight. Shouldn't take too long." He still wouldn't meet Jack's gaze.

The captain nodded anyway. "Okay. I'll help Owen get the body situated. Is an hour enough time? I want an early night tonight."

Ianto gave a quick nod, and took another bite.

They finished, and separated. Jack and Owen made their way up to the parking lot.

"Is he really alright?" Jack knew Owen would be honest.

"She didn't hurt him, but," Owen paused as he searched carefully for the right words, "he's dealing with issues beyond just Canary Wharf. Or not dealing, possibly. Anyway, there are issues there. We can keep an eye on him, but I can't make any real verdict right now. We'll just have to wait and see."

"I didn't hire him for sex." Jack saw that he'd surprised Owen with the change of subject.

"So you really did hire him for his secretarial and cleaning abilities?"

"No. Yes. I don't know." They arranged the corpse onto a trolley Owen had grabbed on their way out. Jack helped him steer it back toward the hub. "There's something about him. It intrigues me. I want to know what's there. It's just a feeling, you know?"

Owen laughed. "Yeah, I think I know what you mean." They reached the passage that led to the lift. "Well, as long as he keeps making coffee like he does, he can stay in my book."

Jack smiled at how little it took to please Owen sometimes. Of course, Owen didn't see his caffeine source as being a small thing. Chuckling, he helped to again lift the alien and wrestled it onto an autopsy slab. Owen slid the table into the wall and shut the door to seal it in the refrigeration unit.

Ianto was just reemerging from the lower levels as Jack and Owen left the autopsy bay. The boy still had a haunted look to him, but now he looked more exhausted than panicked. Jack took it as an improvement.

"All done?" Jack asked.

"Yes, sir."

"Okay, you guys get out of here. Go home, go to the pub, I don't care. Just go unwind and get some rest. See you back in the morning."

Owen left like a bat out of hell, grabbing his keys and jacket in a blink and was gone. Ianto followed at a much slower pace, moving in a tired trance.

"Ianto," Jack started. But when he saw those shoulders tense, he stopped. "Never mind. Good night."

"Good night, sir." Ianto didn't turn around, but his voice sounded relieved. He left Jack standing in the middle of the hub alone with just his thoughts.

***

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