1 skin deep by danse macabre

Teaspoon :: Skin Deep by Danse Macabre

Skin Deep by Danse Macabre

Summary: Two weeks after Lisa's death, Ianto finds himself faced with another betrayal. Rating: Teen Categories: TorchwoodCharacters: Gwen Cooper, Ianto Jones, Jack Harkness, Owen Harper, Toshiko SatoGenres: Angst, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Missing SceneWarnings: SwearingChallenges: NoneSeries: The Psychotherapy Diaries, Mind GamesPublished: 2008.04.27Updated: 2008.05.13

Index

Chapter 1: Chapter 1Chapter 2: Chapter 2Chapter 3: Chapter 3Chapter 4: Chapter 4Chapter 5: Chapter 5Chapter 6: Chapter 6Chapter 7: Chapter 7

http://www.whofic.com/viewstory.php?action=printable&textsize=0&sid=21190&chapter=all (1 of 43)26/03/2010 10:04:31 PM

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http://www.whofic.com/series.php?seriesid=1185


Chapter 1: Chapter 1

No one said anything. No one dared. Ianto was back by Jack’s say so, but as Owen had snapped, none of them had to actually like it. He had come into the briefing room to distribute the fresh coffees and remove the old mugs. Owen had stopped talking, giving his update on the latest victim of some kind of alien killer. Something that ate brains, they thought. A trace of odd mucus left around the site.

Although to Owen at that point in time, it wasn’t important. All he wanted to do for a moment was impress the lack of trust he had in Ianto. Ianto said and did nothing, other than to put the drinks down, clear up and then retreat. Something he did in less than a minute. Jack watched carefully. There wasn’t anything else he could do. He felt the same lack of trust. It wasn’t like Ianto could betray them any further, his vehicle for that was locked down, dead in the vaults. But still… they were all a little nervous.

Ianto walked to the door. He accepted the feelings of everyone in the room. He deserved to be punished for it. For betraying them, for being unable to help Lisa, for every failing he could think of. He would just carry on, until Jack told him to stop, until he wiped his memory, until he killed him. Ianto didn’t know the true consequences of his actions. For the moment he just had reactions.

He paused at the door as his headache started to throb. It had started at the base of his skull days ago and spread across his brain. He had started taking something to ease migraine pain, although this was his first migraine if it was that. But nothing seemed to shift it. In the end he just thought it was guilt, lack of food — he had no appetite — or just the hard stares of the people around him. This time however the pain clamped down across the nape of his neck. He flinched and wavered. Then he yelped in shock. He tried to keep the tray of used coffee mugs steady but he couldn’t as he clutched one hand, then another to the back of his head.

The sound of the metal tray falling and the breaking crockery was shattering in the otherwise quiet room. Jack had tried to distract them from Ianto’s exit by bringing their conversation to the subject in hand but as Ianto yelped, screaming out as he clutched the back of his head, the subject matter was forgotten.

Bracing his feet and legs he tried to stay standing as he bent forward, trying to find something, anything that would ease the pain. It shot to his head and simultaneously flamed down his spine.

He tried to say something. To explain what he felt but he couldn’t. His throat almost closed up and all he could do was whimper in panic. Desperately trying to make sure he could still breathe.



“Ianto!” Jack voice was urgent, demanding attention. Ianto looked up to see Jack was next to him, trying to keep him steady. Gwen was on the other side, not sure if she should prop him up or let him fall, cushioning him as he went. A blur shot in front of him and he realised Owen was running out of the room. Not wanting to have anything to do with him, Ianto assumed.

He couldn’t help it, his knees buckled and he went down. Jack and Gwen helped him. As he was laid down on the floor of the conference room he saw Toshiko trying to run a scan. Then the door crashed open again and Owen ran back in carrying his medical kit. He hadn’t left him; he had gone for what he needed to help. Owen was a doctor through and through.

Ianto’s stomach lurched and he felt his muscles convulse so he brought up a thin trace of bile as Owen and Jack, yelling at each other, pulled him up into a sitting position. Ianto’s right hand flailed out, Gwen caught it. She came close to him, wiping his mouth with a cloth.

“It’s all right, sweetheart,” he heard her say, somewhere in his consciousness. “Owen and Jack are going to help you; okay.”

As he felt his stomach lurch again Gwen pressed the cloth to his lips. He didn’t have much to bring up, he hadn’t eaten. Actually he couldn’t really remember when he had eaten. There was nothing he could do to stop wave after wave of cramps that brought up bile.

“Jack?” Gwen said. Ianto tried to focus but he couldn’t see what was causing so much concern. He screamed again as he felt a surge of fire from his neck up into his mind.

“Tosh!” he heard Jack roar.

“I can’t see what it is!” Tosh shouted back. “When I scan it…”

Ianto felt his head forced forward slightly and a set of competent fingers moved over the back of his head. It was still burning like he had been set alight but it wasn’t as excruciating as what Tosh had done.

Owen looked at Jack, over Ianto’s bent head. Both of them had checked and could feel the device moving under his skin. They looked at each other and knew; it was attached to his spine.

“I need to do this now, Jack!”

Ianto screamed again, as another wave of pain hit him. Gwen stroked the top of his head and held his hand.

“It’s all right sweetie, come on, just stay with us,” she begged, looking up at the two men. Jack and Owen shared a very steady look and Jack slowly nodded. Owen reached into his kit and



produced a scalpel.

This was not the perfect time and place to do this job. But neither Jack or Owen wanted to waste time moving him.

“Owen!” Gwen yelled at him.

“It’s the only way to get it out!” Owen snapped back. Ianto whimpered. Jack moved his fingers and as he touched the device trapped under Ianto’s skin, he screamed and in front of his eyes Jack saw it press itself down further into what he knew was Ianto’s spine.

“Jack!” Gwen roared as she saw the look on his face. “He should go to hospital.”

“And what the hell is the hospital going to do! He has a piece of technology, which we can only assume is Cyber-Technology burying itself into his spine! Owen has to do something!”

“Owen is trying!” Owen yelled. He was trying to steady the scalpel but Ianto was struggling too much to make a clean cut possible. Jack tried to hold him still, without touching his neck. He pulled Ianto to him, feeling him trembling, the smell of sweat, sickly sweet, radiating off his skin. He pulled Ianto close, making Gwen relinquish some of her hold on him. He didn’t dare touch the back of Ianto’s head but he let Ianto press his face into his chest and he put an arm around Ianto’s waist.

“It’s all right, it’s okay, but you need to stay still. Gwen hold him!”

Jack voice went from calm the first sentence to stern and loud the second. Gwen tensed at the order but she moved back to hold Ianto as steady as she could. Again she tried at least to control the continual stream of bile that was now trailing out of his mouth. The strong smells also told her that Ianto had lost control of his bladder as the sharp tang of urine came into the air.

“Okay.”

She took a tight grip of him. A little tentative at first, frightened of hurting him, but Jack levelled a glare at her to actually get on and do as he had told her to do.

“Shit!” Owen swore, hesitating as he looked down. “Tosh, you’re going to have to scan it to give me a clear look at where I’m going.”

Ianto whimpered and Tosh hesitated. He had howled in pain as the thing in his spine had reacted to the other technology, pressing itself further into him. They all watched it rise to the surface again. Jack looked up at Tosh and nodded, then his gaze slid to Gwen, the hint obvious. She had to hold him still. The technology was fighting the scan.



Tosh winced as she started and Ianto almost howled his throat raw as she tried to get something off the device. Jack and Gwen’s grips clamped around Ianto trying to keep him still. After twenty seconds or so Tosh pulled back and looked at the image of the scan. Jack looked up at the screen on the wall and saw what he was looking at. As he looked back down, and Ianto panted breathlessly from the pain, he saw the thing move again. Carefully he ran his fingers through Ianto’s hair and watched the screen and the back of Ianto’s neck getting a hint of what was going on.

It was reacting to his emotions, and as he felt the pain it was causing him it drew the piece of technology deeper into him. Owen raised his eyebrows at Jack, ready to attempt to remove it. Jack for a moment shook his head, and then glared at Gwen to get her to release her grip.

He pulled Ianto a little closer, he felt Ianto press his face into his chest and Jack in response stroked a hand through Ianto’s hair, trying to get him to calm down. After a moment his breathing steadied slightly, Jack hugged him gently.

“All right, Ianto it’s all right.”

Owen glowered at him, how the hell was it all right. Gwen and Toshiko looked baffled. Toshiko kept her eyes on the scanner, trying to find something useful that would help get the thing out of Ianto.

“Jack!” Gwen snapped. Ianto whimpered, and the pain flared again.

“Shut up, Gwen,” Jack said, not raising his voice, he kept it level and calm. Ianto panicking was quite clearly making it worse. He carried on stroking his hair gently, avoiding the nape of his neck, where the minute piece of technology was moving under his skin. Owen winced, his face screwing up in revulsion as he watched it.

“All right Ianto, it’s going to be fine,” Jack said soothingly. “Every time you panic it’s tightening up on you.”

“What is it?” Ianto gasped, his voice a little muffled. His check was pressed against Jack’s chest, Gwen could see his eyes rolling in their sockets as he tried to comprehend what had happened to him.

“I don’t know,” Jack said truthfully. “But every time you panic, the emotion makes it clamp down. What I need to you do is stay calm, try and just imagine whatever it is being pushed out, away from the back of your neck. You need to be calm.”

Ianto gave an involuntary gasp, but the movement under the skin became more pronounced. Jack



rocked him gently, rubbing a hand up and down his back. Gwen reached and took his hand again, holding it firmly.

“Steady breaths now,” Jack said to him. Ianto closed his eyes. With his head pressed against Jack’s chest he could hear the steady thudding of his heart. He followed that, relaxing into the inevitable, and he felt the pain ease a little, but he could still feel a dull throbbing from the nape of his neck up into his head.

“Okay, Owen’s just going to try and cut it out,” Jack said, his voice still calm, still soothing, warning Ianto of what was happening. If they didn’t he might react again and they could lose the thing inside him.

Owen, wearing surgical gloves and wielding the scalpel gently started to cut around the lump moving on Ianto’s neck. If he felt the scalpel slice through his skin he gave no indication, Jack ran a hand through his hair, while the other stayed on Ianto’s back.

“That’s good, Ianto, almost done,” Jack told him. He grimaced as Owen carefully lifted up the flap of skin that he had cut free, slicing it expertly with the razor sharp blade. Blood was flowing freely down the wound staining his shirt collar and soaking the material.

All four people wore the same sickened expression as they looked at the dull silver disc, looking out of place against the red blood and pink flesh.

“Oh my God,” Owen said, voicing the shock that all of them were feeling. The thing was tiny, a little under the size of a 5pence piece, Gwen thought. She recoiled as a tiny silver tentacle waved about. It was as thin as cotton thread, moving delicately in the air. Owen gritted his teeth, slid the scalpel under the disk and flicked it out of the wound. It flew through the air, Toshiko yelped as Owen accidentally flicked it in her direction. Ianto jumped and Gwen felt his hand tighten around hers.

“All done, Ianto, its out,” Jack said. Owen carefully put the flap of flesh he had cut back into place and reached for a dressing. He paused as his hands were covered in blood. Toshiko moved swiftly, reaching for one and ripping it open for him.

“Thanks,” Owen said, pressing it down against the wound. He tried not to turn around and look at the thing lying on the carpet of the conference room. But in the end he couldn’t help himself. It lay on the dull coloured carpet, flickering in the lights, but Owen thought the thing’s polished sheen was something it was giving off from the inside, not a reflection of the lights around them. The tentacles moved, probing around, pressing against the surface of the carpet and then wafting in the air, trying to find what they were looking for.

“Ianto?”



He heard Gwen’s voice, low and worried as she crouched further to try and look at his face. Jack moved him slightly, Owen’s hand stayed on the back of his neck, keeping the dressing in place. He pulled Ianto upwards a little. Owen glanced down, seeing the damp patch on his trousers. Gwen caught his eye; he wasn’t quite sure what she was trying to hint at. Probably something along the lines of not making a smart comment about it. Owen snorted and shook his head in response.

As his head was lifted Ianto gave no reaction. His eyes were closed. Owen put a hand up to his neck. “His pulse is steady, and he’s breathing.”

“He’s passed out,” Jack said, still holding Ianto carefully, cradling him gently while Owen continued to press the dressing to the wound.

“What the hell was that thing?” Owen asked Jack. Jack gazed at him over Ianto’s head.

“I don’t know.” He looked in another direction for an answer. “Tosh?”

Toshiko stared at the cotton thin tentacles, they moved around as if they were trying to find what they had been connected to. Ianto’s mind. She wondered what they had done to him. It had obviously hurt him badly.

She picked up the technology with her scanner. Most definitely Cyber-Technology, she could tell that. It was compatible with the stuff that Jack had allowed her to analyse, from Lisa. Deep within the circular disc was a tiny micro-chip from which the invasive tentacles had grown.

Her face screwed up with a look of horror and anger and without even thinking about what she was doing she lifted her foot, encased in her new high-heeled boot, and slammed it down on the device, crushing it to pieces.

Back to index




He hadn’t been drinking, Ianto was sure of that fact. Over the last two weeks he had slowly made his way through a few bottles, but not last night. The headache had stopped him and forced him into an early night.

So why did he feel so bad now?

He shifted a little, lifting his head slightly. It was resting on a pillow, but where he was lying wasn’t comfortable. What he lay on was hard, the rough material scraping his hands as he struggled to get up. When he slowly started to struggle onto his hands and knees he felt the dampness of his trousers, and at the back of his neck, and reality crashed down on him.

As he started to scramble up, realising he was on the floor of the conference room, he dimly wondered where everyone else was. The room was quiet. Then he felt a hand on his back. It was warm; he could feel that even through the material of his shirt. He felt panic and relief all at the same time. Panic, because he couldn’t quite remember what had happened and relief because he hadn’t been left alone. He probably would have deserved that, but they had been around him. So where had they gone now.

“Easy,” Jack’s voice said gently. “Don’t get up too quickly.”

The pressure of Jack’s hand backed up the order. He wasn’t letting Ianto move quickly, he was so weakened that the hand kept him down on the floor for a moment while he tried to recover his addled wits. Instead of trying to get up he went for a different tack, he rolled over. From the angle he was at, it was easier to turn away from Jack and then complete a 180 degree turn to end up on his back. That also meant he rolled towards Jack, rather than away from him, ending up almost in his lap.

Ianto flinched a little as his shoulder connected with Jack’s knee. It did hurt slightly, sending an odd burning sensation over his skin. But that wasn’t what made him flinch. It was the physical contact. For the last two weeks he had studiously avoided coming into contact with anyone, especially Jack. Fear and guilt had made him nervous of getting too close to any of them. Ianto hadn’t wanted to let out the feeling that was welling up in him over that time, of wanting to cling to someone and beg for forgiveness. And only because he was frightened of the rejection he would probably get.

If Jack noticed his behaviour he didn’t pay any heed to it. Ianto raised himself slowly up, trying to move away from Jack propping himself up on his elbows first. However Jack took matters into his own hands. As Ianto tried to sit up Jack’s hand returned to the middle of his back, supporting



him and he reached over for his furthest arm, taking it just above his elbow to help him up. As he slowly sat up Ianto winced and put his hand to the back of his neck, hissing in pain. As he touched it he felt the thick padded dressing covering the wound.

“All right,” Jack soothed. The hand he had on Ianto’s back moved to his wrist to take his hand away. “Owen had to cut quite deep, it’s bled quite badly.”

Ianto winced again. Jack shuffled closer so he could put more of an effort into holding Ianto up in a sitting position.

“How do you feel?” Jack asked gently. Ianto blinked as he felt the tears prickle behind his eyes.

“Sore and…” he paused. As he shifted he felt the dampness of his trousers, and the stickiness of his shirt as it clung to his back. There were stains on his shirt from where he had vomited. Ianto closed his eyes as the embarrassment surged up in him in a crashing wave.

On the flipside he realised his agonising headache had gone. There was only the throb of the wound now. His head was as clear as a bell.

He didn’t finish the sentence; he didn’t want to tell Jack how he felt at that moment in time.

“What was it?” he asked Jack. His voice wavered, sounding incredibly weak. Jack’s far hand moved from his arm to grip his torso. His fingers moved slightly and Ianto knew he was feeling how prominent his ribs were through his shirt and skin. He had lost a little weight, almost half a stone the last time he looked, and he hadn’t dared check over the last few days.

“We’re not sure,” Jack said. The truth would hopefully set them all free here. “Tosh is looking at what’s left of it.”

Ianto frowned and looked up. Jack gave a wry grin.

“Tosh had a strop and stamped on it. I didn’t realise she had a temper, never mind that she could lose it.”

There was a very uncomfortable pause. Jack took a deep breath. Ianto held his.

“We know it has Cybernetic components compatible with… Lisa. Do you remember any time that…”

“NO!” Ianto snapped. He tried to pull away from Jack but Jack held on to hard and Ianto couldn’t fight, he felt too tired to do so. “No, I don’t.”

Jack nodded, accepting the answer. He didn’t want to push it, and he believed Ianto as he spoke.



There wouldn’t be any point in him trying to lie.

“Was it converting me?” Ianto asked in a tiny terrified voice. Jack suddenly didn’t need to stop Ianto fighting to get away, instead he was clinging close to him.

“No, it didn’t have the power for that. Tosh tried cross-referencing with some previous data. It reminded her of something and, the technology was similar to the Energy Converter we found a while ago.”

Ianto gasped in horror. Jack felt the urge to carry on talking.

“It was powered by emotion. I think yours gave a level of emotional control; over you.”

“Oh, that would explain it then.”

“Not quite,” Jack said flatly. He held Ianto a little closer. He understood what Ianto was thinking. He was very emotional at the moment so Ianto thought the thing had gone haywire. Jack had a very different opinion.

“There wasn’t anyone regulating it anymore. Have you felt more emotional recently?”

“Jack?!” Ianto did try to struggle away at that point. Jack held him firm, gripping onto Ianto tightly.

“What! Has there been anything wrong with you? Recently?”

Jack lost his temper at that point. He rounded on Ianto, took him by his upper arms and shook him. Not violently but just enough to make the point. Ianto whimpered and cowered, struggling to pull away from him and failing miserably.

“My head was killing me, until now!” Ianto couldn’t take it. His head was so clear, he felt so good. Was that wrong, was something else going on with him. “It’s all out isn’t it?”

“Yes, it’s fine!”

“Jack, there could be anything!”

“Tosh ran a full scan several times, through the hub's monitors. Now the only trace of that kind of technology is in drawer 347, in the vaults.”

That was where Lisa was housed. Ianto stopped fighting and sagged down.

“Tosh has run a bio-scan thought the entire hub, twice. Owen had helped her check what’s left of



the device over six ways till Sunday and Gwen has made very bad coffee. Everything is fine. We checked it all out. And now… you are going home.”

Ianto tensed as Jack gripped him around the waist, he tried to pull him up but Ianto brought his legs up very painfully aware of his ruined clothes. He had thrown up, wet himself and bled down his back. His collar flapped around. Ianto reached up to close it at the neck to fine the buttons already done up and his tie hanging.

“Sorry, I ripped the collar of your shirt, and your tie.”

Jack pulled the tie and collar in panic trying to see what was wrong with Ianto. No one had realised he had torn it until after the incident. The tie had been yanked apart, violently, threads trailing. Ianto looked at it and felt a shiver of fear. The ties he bought were built to last. They were strong and the fact that Jack had yanked one apart in a panic attack said something. But Ianto wasn’t quite sure what.

“Come on,” Jack suddenly insisted. “Time to go home. Ianto?”

“What?”

“You have no memory of this being done to you?”

“NO! I said no!”

It was not the time to lie. If Ianto had to confess something like that it would have been now. But he didn’t remember it. He was now frantically thinking of something, but in the wrong way. He wanted to try and find a way to absolve Lisa. But that was never going to happen.

“Okay,” Jack said hugging him close. “Now we need to take you home.”

“Where’s everyone else?”

“Gone out for dinner, I sent them out.”

Ianto flinched, sighed and almost started to cry. Jack moved to slowly bring Ianto onto his feet, treating him like he was liable to break. Ianto sighed heavily and looked around and then stopped.

Jack’s feeble attempt to preserve his dignity was well meant but it felt almost hopeless. Jack had done it by a silent command, alerting them to the fact that Ianto was rousing and it was a hint for them to leave. While he dealt with Ianto alone.

None of them had liked it. Toshiko hadn’t wanted to be separated from the source of the new technology, Owen had cited worry abort his patient, he didn’t want Ianto dying on Jack, and



Gwen… Gwen had been just concerned.

As soon as Jack had sensed Ianto waking up he had sent out the signal. Jack sensed that if they had been fussing around, with Ianto in the condition he was in, it would just make everything worse. And Jack would have a hell of a time getting him out of the hub.

For a moment they were both silent and then Ianto looked around the room. It was now a complete tip. The carpet stained with blood and urine.

“Sorry about the mess.”

Jack steadied Ianto as he stood up. “You body was trying to reject it. All it wanted to do was get it out of you the quickest way possible. It’s fine. I’ve done worse.”

Ianto paused. “I meant the tray and cups.”

The tray lay discarded by the side of the door, the shattered crockery scattered around. Some of it had been trampled to powder with them running back and forth. Coffee stains were working their way into the carpet. Ianto looked at them very pointedly.

“Don’t worry. I’ll let Gwen clean up,” Jack said. “Let’s take you home.”

Back to index




Ianto stood in the shower. Trying to think and trying to force some sense of normality into his life. He spent a lot of time in the shower, thinking. Last week he had stood under the gush of hot water for almost an hour, without realising. He had just been staring into space as his mind again ran over the events of that night. When Lisa died.

Was there something he could have done? To prevent her death, and the deaths of her two victims. The implant had probably had something to do with the way he reacted. He could try and use that now to justify some of the things he had done but he wasn’t sure that he should. It had felt like he was in complete control of himself.

This time he couldn’t stay too long in the shower. Jack was waiting. He had refused to leave; first wanting to get Ianto settled in bed, so he could rest, and then Jack was determined to make sure he ate something. And Ianto got the feeling there was going to be some level of interrogation, while Jack tried to work out what had happened.

Ianto didn’t know and possibly didn’t care. He closed his eyes, he’d take five more minutes before he’d go and find Jack.

Downstairs in the flat, Jack was rummaging around Ianto’s kitchen cupboards. They were well stocked, he obviously organised his home life as competently as his work life. The shower was still running, Ianto had been in there ten minutes, five more minutes and he’d go and knock on the door and then break it down if he got no reply. Ianto insisted he was fine, but Jack didn’t want to leave until Owen got there to double check.

It seemed rather ridiculous, to have sent Owen out and then expect him to come over to Ianto’s. He could have just checked him in the hub, when he had regained consciousness. But seeing the state Ianto was in, Jack didn’t want to do that. It would have been nothing short of cruel.

Peering into another cupboard Jack sighed and reached for his phone and dialled.

It was answered almost immediately.

“Jack, what’s the matter? Is Ianto all right?”

“Fine, I just…” Jack paused and sighed. “What’s a good thing for someone to eat when they haven’t eaten properly for… two weeks?”

There was another pause. He could hear Gwen’s breathing as she took in what Jack was saying, and he heard Owen’s voice in the background demanding to know what was going on. Gwen told



him and he went into a round of swearing.

“Guys?” Jack prompted.

“Sorry,” Gwen said. “Soup, I suppose. It’s a good one for when you’re ill.”

Jack opened the cupboard where he had seen the tins and started to rummage for a can of soup.

“Or scrambled eggs,” Gwen added. “My aunt used to give that to her cat when it was sick.”

“That hardly compares,” Jack said. He glanced to his right, Brad the cat was staring at him. His green eyes filled with malice. Jack had fed him to stop Ianto from worrying but Brad had stared at the food with distain and refused to eat it. Instead he had sat down and glared at Jack, silently demanding to know what Jack was doing there.

“Well, it’s light, and eggs are good for you. Does he have eggs?”

Jack went to the fridge and opened it. He peered in at the shelves for what he was looking for. He couldn’t see an egg box.

“I don’t think so… oh hang on!” As he had pulled back fromthe fridge he had glanced at the shelves on the inside of door. Neatly placed in the egg rack at the top, all round end up, sat six eggs. “Yep, six, should I use all of them?”

“No, he won’t eat all that. Two should do.”

“Okay, so now what do I do?” Jack asked. There was a pause from the other end. He could just hear Gwen’s faint breathing, so he knew the connection was still fine.

“You don’t know how to make scrambled eggs?” Gwen asked.

“Pillock!” Jack heard Owen distinctly over the phone and Gwen snorted.

“You can tell Owen I heard that,” Jack said. “And no I don’t. Why would I need to know how to make scrambled eggs?”

“You need milk as well.”

“Okay.” Jack took two eggs, picking them up and cradling them in one hand. He tilted his head to tuck the phone between his jaw and shoulder so he could use his other hand to pick out the bottle of milk. He looked at it uncertainly. “How much milk?”

“Just a splash.”



Jack raised his eyebrows. “A splash? How much is that? And what, do I mix that with the eggs then?”

“Yes. A splash, you know….” He could tell Gwen was getting exasperated with him. “A splash, just like a…. Oh for Gods sake Jack! I am not explaining how to make scrambled eggs over the phone, just heat him up some soup. You know how to do that right?”

“Yes,” Jack said slightly offended. He had never had a need to make scrambled eggs. Had he ever eaten them, he wondered? He’d have to find that out. While he considered that he put the eggs and milk back in the fridge and shut the door.

As he turned he almost tripped up. He caught the edge of the kitchen table to keep himself upright and Brad shot out into the hallway. He sat down, just so he was caught in the light of the kitchen.

“Fucking Hell!” Jack snapped at him. Brad started to clean one of his paws and then turned to lick his back.

“Jack, are you all right?” Gwen said, on hearing the clatter, and having Jack yell in her ear.

“I’m fine. Ianto’s cat is just trying to kill me!”

“Ianto’s got a cat?” Gwen said in an aawww voice.

“A psychotic ginger tom. It survived Canary Wharf,” Jack paused and than added. “Unfortunately.”

Brad looked up and glared at him. Going back to the cupboard Jack opened it and looked at the contents again.

“Which soup should I give him?”

“Jack, it doesn’t matter!” she shouted down the phone at him. “Just get him to eat something!”

Jack’s eyes flickered upwards as he heard the sound of the shower shutting off. There was a light creak of floorboards as Ianto moved around in the bathroom. Jack tried to ignore the mental image of Ianto dripping wet from the shower that popped into his mind. It didn’t help when he added himself to the same scene. It was hardly an appropriate time to be having thoughts like that.

“Gotta go,” Jack said to her.



“Jack….”

Jack cut Gwen off before she could say anything further. He knew she was concerned but now and again she could take her concerns just a little too far. In the end he pulled out the first tin of soup he could find. Some kind of thick broth thing. He opened the can and up ended it into a bowl. It sploged in as a greyish circular mass that slowly lost its shape without the tin to support it. Jack stirred it with a spoon and hoped it looked better when it was cooked. He could spot traces of meat and vegetables in it. It looked substantial enough.

As he heard the bathroom door open he dumped it in the microwave and set it for the time it said on the tin. Then he rushed out of the kitchen and went into the hallway to the stairs. Ianto was on the landing wearing a pair of loose cotton pyjamas and holding his ruined clothes in his arm, bundled up so the blood and urine wouldn’t get on his pyjama top.

“Hey! I was getting worried.” Jack took the stairs two at a time.

“I’m okay, I’m just going to put this stuff in a bin bag.”

“I’ll do that,” Jack said. He put his arms around the bundle to take it off Ianto. For a second Ianto clung onto it.

“It’s fine. Jack, I can do it!”

Jack went still. Ianto’s blue eyes watched him warily.

“I know you can,” Jack said very calmly, which belied the aura of rage that seemed to come off him. “But you’re not going to. I can go down and throw it out, when you are in bed. Now, Ianto.”

Ianto relinquished the bundle and Jack put it down, carefully propping it up in one corner of the landing. Then as he stood up he took Ianto’s arm and guided him into the bedroom. As they reached the threshold of the door there was the ping of the microwave. Ianto jumped and turned.

“What was that?”

“Your microwave, I’m heating some soup, and you are going to eat it.”

Ianto looked less than thrilled at that idea. Then he frowned.

“Did you cover the bowl?”

“No.”

“Jack, it’s going to go everywhere!”



Ianto tried to push his way back past Jack to go downstairs. Jack resisted him, pushing him into the bedroom.

“Don’t you dare. You are getting something to eat, getting some rest and doing nothing but that. Don’t argue with me.”

He got Ianto as far as the bed and sat him down. Ianto looked up, his eyes wide and slightly tearful. Jack smiled gently.

“You don’t want to ruin my reputation by not letting me get you into bed.”

Ianto managed a weak smile at that and Jack took advantage. He pulled the duvet down and waited patiently. Ianto clambered in realising he was going to be given no choice in the matter. He just worried about the level of mess Jack would make in the kitchen. It was bound to be something that would take forever to clean.

He drew his legs up and put his head down on his knees. There was still no way he could process what had gone on tonight. All he could feel was sheer gratitude that he wasn’t about to be converted. He had seen the Cybermen in full battle protocol. He had seen Lisa behave in the same way. Being such an idiot and refusing to connect the two had nearly killed everyone that… well it appeared… really cared about him.

Ianto had tried to refute the fact that he cared about them. But he did. He had agonised over hiding Lisa, until it became a safe habit. No one had seemed to notice that. They were all to involved in hiding their own secrets.

Now he just sat in the bed. Jack had put a pillow against the headboard so Ianto could rest against it and eat the soup off his lap.

“There’s a tray in the cupboard over the cooker,” Ianto said helpfully. Jack nodded.

“Okay, I won’t be a minute.” He went to the door, almost disappeared and then put his head round. “Don’t move.”

Ianto did as he was told. He sat in the bed and waited. Downstairs Jack moved around, clattering something as the microwave pinged again. Ianto winced hoping he hadn’t made that much of a mess. Although it was hardly something that Ianto could complain about, considering. He had made more than enough mess tonight. Again he reached up and touched the back of his neck. The dressing was still in place, wet now, after his shower but it was holding. Owen would probably change it when he finally turned up.



Jack moved around downstairs, clattering plates, pulling the tray out of the cupboard as directed by Ianto. Ianto stayed sat up in bed where Jack had put him. He rubbed down his pyjama bottoms a little, under the duvet, feeling the cotton tingling against his skin.

He did wonder how much of a mess Jack was making but on the flip side he was glad of his company. Ianto had felt so alone of the last two weeks. He didn’t really have much company to begin with. Most of the time they hardly even noticed he was there. All of them, including Jack, could walk past him without even glancing in his direction. Ianto was invisible, as he was meant to be in his job. Perhaps he had just taken it a little too far.

Jack broke his train of thought as he came back into the room. He steaming bowl of soup was on the tray. Ianto lowered his legs under the duvet so Jack could give him the soup.

It didn’t look too bad to Jack now that he had heated it. The sloppy greyness had gone, to be replaced with a liquid brown look. He put it down in front of Ianto, who took the spoon and stirred it. Jack sat down at the end of the bed. He didn’t need to say anything to hint that he was expecting Ianto to eat it all. Ianto looked up at him and saw Jack’s steady blue eyes.

Ianto made an effort to take an unenthusiastic mouthful. He swallowed it carefully, feeling his throat constrict and his stomach tensed. It was unused to the attention. Jack turned his head and glowered as Brad sauntered into the room. He ignored Jack, sat at the near corner. Instead he scooted under the bed and then appeared, launching himself up onto the bed. He looked at Ianto while his paws idly clawed the duvet.

“Did you feed him?” Ianto asked.

“Yeah, although he turned his nose up at it.”

Brad glared at him and moved closer to Ianto, his nose twitched as he stretched forward sniffing the soup. Ianto scooped out a sliver of meat with his finger and held it out. Brad licked it up, his tail twitching from side to side, the sound of his purring the loudest sound in the room. Until Jack took over.

“You are meant to be eating that,” he said. Ianto scooped up another spoonful and ate it. His stomach eased a little so he could start to really eat. Brad continued to purr and he sat down. “He’s got his own food.”

“He probably won’t eat it until you’re gone. He was the same with Mrs Reynolds.”

Jack raised his eyebrows. Ianto looked up, the warm soup burnt his tongue as he took another mouthful and he swallowed it heavily. It took another moment to recover his voice.



“My neighbour, she comes in and feeds him and cleans out the litter tray if I can’t get home. He ignored her for the first few weeks. I think he tolerates her a bit more now.”

“And he hates me.”

Ianto shrugged and took another mouthful of soup. Once he had swallowed it he said. “He hates everyone.”

“He doesn’t hate you,” Jack said. He watched as the cat pushed his paws into Ianto’s leg and clawed him through the duvet. He pushed his nose in as well, clawing, licking and purring at him. Ianto stirred the remains of the soup and tipped the bowl to clear the last spoonful.

“Makes a change.”

Jack frowned. “No one hates you.”

“Could have fooled me,” Ianto swallowed the last bit of soup. If nothing else it could stop him talking for a moment. He knew he shouldn’t have said it but he couldn’t help himself. Jack sat forward, Brad’s head came up and he hissed at Jack, his claws fixed into the duvet and his tail and hindquarters rose looking ready to pounce.

“Pull yourself out of your self pity and you might find out you have been fooled.”

Ianto winced, he put his head down and the back of his neck throbbed, so he straightened up again. He didn’t say anything, instead he looked at Brad and reached out to stroke his head. Brad pushed against him and purred, closing his eyes in ecstasy. The purring cat gave Ianto an excuse not to say anything.

For a moment neither man looked at each other. In the same room they suddenly felt entirely separate. Jack reached out and took the tray of Ianto’s lap. He put it down on the floor and then lifted the duvet. Brad hissed again.

“Oh quit it,” Jack said. “Come on, you need to get some rest.”

Ianto slid down in the bed doing as he was told, as he lay down he felt Brad press against his back as he settled down and Jack tucked him in, pulling the duvet up to his neck. Before Jack could say anything he heard his phone ring.

“What?” he demanded as he pulled it out. He listened, his eyes moved and he looked back at Ianto. “Okay, I’ll be right there.”

The phone snapped shut. Ianto felt a sudden lurch of panic. Jack reached out and took Ianto’s



hand.

“They’ve cornered the alien. Sounds pretty nasty so I’d better help. We’re not too far away. I’ll come straight back, I promise.”

Ianto nodded. Brad leapt over Ianto and curled up into his stomach, still purring and clawing but as he turned and looked at Jack he hissed. It unnerved Jack slightly, the cat was inches away from him, the aggression coming off the small mammal in waves. But beyond that, Jack got the feeling that the cat was working to the same end as he was. Keeping Ianto in the bed.

“Okay.”

Jack, reluctantly, let go of Ianto’s hand. He picked up the tray.

“When I come back, I’ll clean up. Do not get up and to it yourself.”

“Yes Sir,” Ianto said. Jack gave a wry grin.

“Promise?”

Ianto’s hand gripped the duvet, pulling it around him closer. Brad clung on, still purring and still glaring at Jack.

“I promise.”

Jack smiled. “I won’t be long.” Jack stood up and turned away, then turned back. He pulled the duvet a little more and then leant down. Ianto tensed in shock and then relaxed as Jack planted a light, gentle but lingering kiss on his temple. Then he straightened up and was gone.

Ianto closed his eyes as he heard Jack move downstairs and the through the hall out of the door. He didn’t slam it, he closed it gently, with a final hint that he would be back. Whatever Ianto thought to the contrary.

Back to index




Much to Brad’s annoyance, Jack came back mob handed. After they had killed the alien and stored it in the back of the SUV, everyone had gone to Ianto’s house. Owen wanted to see him to check him over. Toshiko had narrowed down the scan to be able to check for a specific frequency and she wanted to test everyone. Gwen… well… Gwen didn’t seem to trust Jack with Ianto’s well being.

Brad, hissed, pounced and scratched at everyone as they invaded Ianto’s bedroom. However in the end Jack had picked him up and getting his arm, wrist and hand savaged hoicked him off to the bathroom and shut him in there. Until Ianto protested enough that Brad was allowed back in. At that point he took vigil on Ianto’s pillow, glaring at everyone, but behaving himself somewhat.

Owen was fiddling with Ianto’s dressing as Toshiko scanned Jack. Jack looked at the ceiling of Ianto’s bedroom with his arms spread so he could be checked over.

“I am fine,” Jack said. “Other than the psychotic mammal incident.” He looked at his right hand covered in scratches and bites.

“Sorry,” Ianto said.

“Don’t be sorry, Jack deserved it,” Toshiko said. Jack looked furious. “Arms up!” Toshiko yelled as Jack started to lower them. He stood back to attention, glaring at Brad, who glared back but purred and pawed the pillow. Owen moved away, having looked at the wound, and changed the dressing. It was Torchwood supplied, a healing analgesic worked into the gauze. Owen looked up at Jack.

“The wound is healing fine,” he said. “No infection by the look of it, but you know we can’t rule that out. Under the circumstances.”

Jack and Owen shared an embarrassed look. Ianto looked down at the duvet.

“No you can’t,” he said softly.

Gwen moved swiftly to his side. She had started downstairs, cleaning the kitchen, where Jack had made a mess. Ianto felt grateful for that, she was likely to do a better job than Jack ever could. Then she had just lingered upstairs, wanting to be useful. Now she was, she moved close and sat down as Owen moved away. She took his hand, holding his right tightly between both her own. Brad hissed at her from the other side of the bed.

“Not very friendly is he?”



“No, he never was. The girls at Torchwood tried to get him out from behind the bin. He just reached in a grabbed him. I don’t think he liked it very much but ever since them I’m the only person who…” Ianto stopped talking.

Gwen squeezed his hand. She looked up at Jack. Jack shrugged and looked at Owen.

“Have you felt anything unusual over the last few days? Certain parts of your brain’s outer membrane are inflamed.”

“I’ve had a headache,” Ianto said.

“For how long?”

“Well, it started the day after… it happened and then just got worst. I just thought it was a migraine.”

“Have you ever suffered from migraines before?” Owen asked. He was started to sound very pissed off.

“No,” Ianto said.

“So at what point did you think to diagnose yourself as having a migraine!” Owen yelled. “So? When?”

“I just thought that, I wasn’t very hungry and I….” Ianto stopped trying to make it better, realising he was making it very much worse. Brad purred next to him but as the cat sat there clawing the pillow he could feel the anger in the animal. Not directed at him but at the people in the room. Ianto reached out and put his hand on Brad’s head. Brad pushed against him.

“So, starve yourself, don’t tell us that. Have a headache, don’t tell us that and you aren’t thinking there is anything wrong at that point.”

“I think my girlfriend dying was wrong enough at the time,” Ianto said quietly. Owen snorted.

“As well as her trying to kill Gwen, and me, and Toshiko and actually killing Jack. Twice!”

Gwen’s hands tensed around Ianto’s. He didn’t notice instead he looked up in horror, at Jack. Toshiko’s scanning had slowed and this time she didn’t complain as Jack’s arms lowered slightly.

“What?!” Ianto demanded in shock.

Jack sent a furious glare in Owen’s direction. There were times he couldn’t exactly be subtle



about the fact he couldn’t die, or rather that he couldn’t stay dead, but Owen was pushing it. Ianto hadn’t seen any of that incident and Jack had opted to keep it from him. Although, he hadn’t thought to warn Owen not to put his foot in his mouth.

Now, Owen looked away from Jack’s burning gaze and instead he fiddled around in his bag and pulled out the blood pressure monitor.

“Just in case, I’ll check the basics to make sure nothing’s wrong.”

Gwen let go of his hand and sat back slightly to allow Owen to take Ianto’s arm and roll his sleeve up. Brad watched carefully, still purring as Ianto’s other hand stayed in his fur, rubbing him along his spine.

Ianto noticed none of this, even what he was doing as a comfort gesture. Instead he just stared at Jack in horror. Jack winced inwardly; he was going to have to say something, without it sounding too horrific.

“She just tried to hit me with an electrical blast. It obviously wasn’t strong enough.”

Ianto looked at him wide eyed. Jack’s eyes flickered slightly, aiming in Gwen’s direction briefly. It could be possibly believable. The only person that truly knew the truth was Gwen. He didn’t leave his gaze on her; it was only a split second. Instead he looked back to Ianto. There was complete disbelief in his eyes.

“Yes, it was, she was fully functional on all her electrical synapses,” he announced flatly. Then he blinked and shook his head. Jack’s eyes narrowed.

“Tosh, scan him again.”

Toshiko frowned up at Jack.

“I am fine,” he said, abruptly ending his own scan. “Just check him again.” There was something very disturbing about the sudden, clear knowledge that Ianto had. He had spoken without hesitation, as if it was something he just knew, without having to be told. Jack started to get a sneaking suspicion of something.

“How did you know that?” Jack asked. Ianto flinched as the scanner beam moved up and down him. He put a hand on Brad’s head to stop him from attacking Toshiko as she moved up that side of the bed. Owen and Gwen were cluttering up the other side; a third person wouldn’t fit there. The scanner beeped happily, signalling everything was clear, but Toshiko moved carefully, being a thorough as possible.



“Ianto?” Jack moved to the end of the bed, folding is arms across his chest and looking down at him. He wasn’t exactly glaring but he was definitely hinting that he wanted an answer. Ianto shrugged.

“I don’t know, I know I just know.”

“She didn’t tell you that, not as a threat or anything like that.”

“No! She didn’t threaten me.”

“She just did that to the rest of us,” Owen muttered loudly, concentrating on what he was doing.

“Shut up Owen!” Jack and Gwen said simultaneously. Owen looked up at Gwen and they glared at each other. Jack ignored them, he looked at Ianto, who put his head down and looked at the duvet. Gwen’s hand reached to take his again. Jack watched it, feeling gratitude and jealousy. Gratitude, simply because somebody was thinking of at least trying to offer some comfort and jealousy because at this moment in time he couldn’t be the one to do it. He still needed to work out what had happened.

“Ianto, how did you know?” Jack asked. Ianto glanced up, then down, then to Brad. Brad purred, pushing his paws into Ianto’s side and lowering himself also pushed his nose in. Slowly Ianto looked back up, the look in his eyes told Jack that the same thought was dawning on him.

“I just did. She told me some things, but most of it was… instinct.”

Owen, Gwen and Toshiko shared frantic looks between each other. Neither Jack nor Ianto noticed; they were too busy looking at each other.

“You followed your own instincts on keeping a half converted Cyberman alive?” Jack asked, not making it much of a question. “Or the instinct was not instinct.”

No one said anything. Jack quite clearly was still thinking it through. It was a point in his thought pattern that everyone knew to not interrupt.

“And you have no memory of this thing being fitted into you?”

“No,” Ianto said. That was the third time Jack had asked him that. It wasn’t because he didn’t want to face the fact that Lisa had betrayed him, he simply could not remember. Jack nodded.

“It could have been smaller when it was fitted,” Toshiko said. “From what I could tell the tentacles had grown out from the main circuit over a course of time, plus it was mobile so there’s no reason to assume that it was put in the neck originally.”



Ianto noticed as she spoke that she stared at Jack, looking directly at him and not daring, as she usually would, to look around at anyone else. She kept her gaze off Owen and Gwen, next to him, for fear of catching his eye. Ianto helped, he looked down at Brad curled up against his thigh, green eyes narrowed with pleasure as Ianto touched him.

Jack said nothing for a moment.

“So there is an entire possibility that this thing could have been implanted during the battle, which means we need to do a check on the rest of the survivors.”

“At least that won’t take too long,” Owen said.

“Shut up, Owen,” Jack and Gwen said again. Then Gwen frowned and added.

“But only one of them would have been in contact with a Cyberman… woman… person.”

“Good point, we’ll check anyway.”

“I need a blood sample,” Owen said. He got a syringe and needle out of his bag. “I didn’t get a chance earlier. I’ll take a swab from the wound as well just to be on the safe side.”

Without being asked Ianto held out his arm again. Gwen had to let go of his hand again but she didn’t move away. Almost like Brad she refused to be shifted from his side, as she tried in some way to protect him from something she couldn’t see.

Ianto winced as the needle went into his vein and Owen filled the syringe up.

“I’ll take another one, just in case,” he said, glancing up.

In case of what, Ianto was tempted to ask, but didn’t. At this moment in time he didn’t want to know.

“In case of what?” Jack asked, taking that decision entirely away from him.

“In case I need extra to run more tests,” Owen said. He held up one of the syringes. “When it comes to Torchwood testing, it doesn’t go a very long way.”

“All right, sorry.”

Owen scowled at him and then looked at Ianto. As he did so one hand delved into his bag and he pulled out a small vial of liquid and then another sterile syringe and needle.



“And I’m going to give you a sedative. You need to get some rest; a couple of mils of this should be enough to knock you out for at least twelve hours.”

Ianto nodded, but his eyes flickered up to Jack, briefly. But it was long enough for Jack to give a slight nod of agreement. Sleep was probably the best thing for him.

“Give me your other arm.”

Ianto obeyed. He paused from stroking Brad and let Owen role up his sleeve. He again swabbed it with a cool feeling sterile liquid and slowly inserted the needle. Ianto watched with rather morbid fascination as Owen depressed the plunger, and there was a slight stinging sensation as the liquid entered his vein. After a moment or to he started to slump against Gwen.

Toshiko stepped back as Jack moved to the other side of the bed. Brad hissed at him, but he moved to the end of the bed as between them Owen and Jack got the now sedated Ianto settled in the bed. He ended up lying on his side while Owen pulled the dressing slightly to take the swab he wanted. Ianto didn’t stir. Brad came back up the bed and curled up against him, pressing into his stomach. He lay so he could keep his angry green eyes on Jack.

“Right,” Jack said looking at the rest of them. “Owen…”

“Yeah, check out the samples; make sure there is nothing out of the ordinary. I’ve also got some of the sensor bio-scans from around the hub to look at; I skimmed off some of Ianto’s to check for anything out of the ordinary.”

Jack nodded, “and just sweep everyone else’s. Let’s be safe about this.”

Owen nodded and carefully put the sample away before equally carefully putting the dressing back of the wound. It had clotted well, the scalpel cuts scabbing over. The analgesic cream was doing its job. As far as Owen could tell it wouldn’t take long to heal.

“Tosh, recheck the readings you’ve taken, work with Owen on the bio-scans.”

Toshiko nodded and smiled. “Okay.” She turned to look at Owen and smiled. Owen gave her a vague look back before carrying on packing up his stuff. He moved to the door with Toshiko in tow. Gwen looked down at Ianto, fast asleep.

“What about…?”

“I’ll stay with him,” Jack said.

“He’s not going to wake up, trust me, Jack,” Owen said. Jack nodded.



“All the same, until we are certain that nothing is wrong with him, or any of us, he doesn’t get left alone. Gwen, check on all the survivors of Canary Wharf. There are regular updates to the Torchwood files. Read though, have a look for anything that seems odd, any sign of migraines, strange behaviour… anything.”

“Shouldn’t you do that? I don’t know any of those people.”

“Neither do I. You’re the police officer and way fresher eyes,” Jack reasoned. Gwen looked back, her eyes wide as she stared at him. Jack looked back trying to keep his gaze steady, hoping he wasn’t blushing.

“Come on, Gwen,” Owen said putting his head back round the bedroom door. “We’ll pick some pizza up on the way.”

“Order one for me will you. I don’t think I should mess round in Ianto’s kitchen again.”

“Not if the state of that microwave was anything to go by,” Gwen added, smiling slightly.

Owen raised his eyebrows, in what Jack hoped was an affirmative gesture and then disappeared, with Toshiko in tow. Gwen looked at him.

“Will you be all right?”

There was an odd emphasis to her words. Something about it made his hackles rise, but he swallowed that feeling down and looked at her calmly.

“It’s fine, Gwen. I’ll look after him.”

Back to index




Ianto hadn’t stirred as the others had left, or when Jack moved the clothes on the chair to the floor so he could occupy it. And he hadn’t roused when the pizza had been delivered, or when Jack had eaten it in the bedroom, with his stocking feet propped up on the edge of the bed. Or when Brad had got up and left the room and gone downstairs. Or even five minutes later when he had come back licking his whiskers.

All he had done was lay still and slept. And Jack watched him. He looked so peaceful, his face utterly relaxed. None of the pain and tension of the last few weeks were visible now.

He looked so young, and innocent. It reminded Jack of the fact that he was young. Ianto was only in his mid twenties. Compared to Jack he was a child, everyone was if Jack really thought of it like that. But it was hard to always tell with Ianto, so quiet and formal when he was working in the hub he always seemed much older. Jack thought he ought to remind himself more often how young Ianto was and he often forgot as well he had been through one of the worst battles in history.

Canary Wharf. Ianto was one of the few that survived intact. Most of them had died and those that survived were desperately trying to keep some level of hold on reality. A good number of them were in psychiatric wards, so badly traumatised they would never come back to the real world. Jack thought Ianto had really pulled through it, now he had to think otherwise.

On the flip side, he couldn’t think of a single thing to do that would really help.

Jack jumped, Brad’s head rose up turning to look at Jack and Ianto didn’t react as Jack’s phone began to ring. He scrabbled into the pocket of his coat where it was hanging on the part open wardrobe door. Owen was right, nothing was going to wake Ianto Jack realised as he finally found the phone and answered it. He knew it was one of three people, he just didn’t know who.

“Hello.”

“Hi Jack,” Gwen said. “Is Ianto all right?”

“Asleep, he hasn’t even stirred, so I presume he’s okay. Thanks for the pizza by the way.” Jack glanced at the box at his feet. He had better make sure it was down in the kitchen when Ianto woke up. Jack got the feeling that he wouldn’t appreciate pizza boxes left lying around his bedroom.

“No problem,” Gwen said.



“So, what’s going on your end?”

“It’s first me, then Tosh, then Owen, we all know what each other has been doing but we are better off telling you separately.”

“Okay,” Jack said. He got the hint in those words. He was being told so he could tell Ianto.

“I checked out as many of the victims as I could but nothing came up, for most of them I spoke to their carers, a few I spoke to directly but basically the same story; nothing. No migraines, strange behaviour or anything of the sort.”

“So we can safely assume that Lisa was the one that did this.”

“I think so,” Gwen said. “But tell Ianto he needs to phone Sophie asap.”

“Sophie?” Jack asked. He frowned, the name rang a slight bell but he couldn’t work out why. It came a little clearer as he watched Brad turn around to look at him as he moved against Ianto’s hip. That stirred a memory of Ianto scrabbling under the coffee table to get the cat while a horde of office girls gathered in the doorway. The aftermath of the battle.

“Sophie Winters,” Gwen confirmed. “I tried to be as subtle as possible but she twigged I was Torchwood, so she asked about Ianto. She said something about a gorgeous American bloke as well.”

Jack laughed, “I’m memorable. What else did she say?”

“Yeah, you are,” Gwen said. “I had a bit of a talk with her; she used to be a friend of Lisa’s.” Gwen paused. “Well, a friend of Ianto’s then Lisa joined the admin team with her and when she started dating Ianto Sophie kind of adopted her as a friend. She felt a bit sorry for her I think.”

“Why?” Jack asked. He settled back down in the chair and replaced his feet on the bed. Brad glared at him with a ‘what the hell do you think you are doing?’ expression. Jack stuck his tongue out at him. Brad’s eyes narrowed and he turned his back on Jack, rubbing against Ianto.

“Lisa came in for a bit of flack for dating Ianto.”

“Whatever for?” Jack asked.

“Apparently before Lisa started working there the admin section did a poll on who they all most wanted to date and Ianto won.”

Jack smiled looking at Ianto’s calm face, “I’d agree with that.” He could almost hear Gwen rolling her eyes.



“Not the point.”

“Yes, Gwen, the point! Get to it!” Jack heard Owen shout down the phone.

“Anyway, that aside, nothing strange going on with anyone else, we can probably assume that Lisa…” Gwen paused slightly. “Did this to him.”

“Yes,” Jack said slowly. It was what he thought all along but at least checking out other possibilities might make Ianto feel better. He didn’t know how it would, but Jack just thought it might.

“Okay, I’ll put Tosh on now.”

“Thanks, Gwen.”

“Jack?” Tosh’s voice was a little more subdued, but oddly clearer.

“Go ahead, Tosh.”

“We’re all definitely clear, so that’s okay. I had a look at the device again. It was definitely smaller when it was inserted but there were never enough components to make it convert anyone, nor…” she paused and Jack heard her take a breath. “Nor did it have that much control, or at least, it wasn’t designed to totally control the person, it was more of a light influence.”

“To make him instinctively know what to do.”

“There was a tiny transmitter in there. It’s completely destroyed now but it was part of what controlled the main part of the device. The signals must have been coming directly from her and going into his brain.”

“Logical, but why did it never occur to him to wonder how he knew?” Jack mused. “If it didn’t have that much control.”

“Owen’s got a theory for that; it ties in with the bio-scans from the hub’s monitors. I checked it with the CCTV footage of his movement, and it makes sense.”

“What does?”

“Owen will tell you that, I haven’t quite finished.”

“Okay.”



“I had a scan of one of the blood samples. It wouldn’t be picked up from a normal scan but…”

Jack sat up and tensed at that ‘but’.

“There was something in his bloodstream, components of that device. They are completely inert now and they are breaking down so it’s fine.”

“Are you sure about that?” Jack asked slightly alarmed. He got up off the chair and moved over to the bed. He went on the far side, away from Brad. Jack sat on the side of the bed, looking at Ianto, who lay with his back to Jack. Jack reached out and touched Ianto’s hair, stroking it lightly. Again he wasn’t surprised where there was no reaction.

“Absolutely. I’ve put one under the microscope and magnified by times a million.” There was a slight trace of humour to her voice and Jack smiled, running his hand down to the dressing on Ianto’s neck. “There is no chance that any one of them is active. I estimate that they will all be gone in about four days, they needed the device to stay active.”

“And when it was taken out they probably shut down.”

“No, I think when I destroyed it,” Toshiko said. Jack smiled.

“Good call, Tosh and her kinky boots.”

He heard her cough a little embarrassed and he smiled; his fingers ran back up into Ianto’s hair. Something told him that he shouldn’t be taking advantage of Ianto in this way, but Jack couldn’t help himself. Like Ianto had he needed some tactile contact to soothe him Jack felt the same and there was no way Brad was going to allow himself to be petted by Jack.

The cat had sat up and was looking at him from the other side of the bed, green eyes wide and teeth slightly bared.

“What were they doing though?” he asked Tosh.

“That’s Owen’s bit, I’ll just…”

There were sounds as the phone changed hands again.

“Jack?” Owen’s voice was harsher, more business like. Without even thinking about it Jack found himself straightening up and putting his shoulders back, the way his body language often responded to Owen.

“Okay, so…?”



“So we have the stuff that Tosh found in his blood.”

Jack always noticed Owen was so vague about everyone else’s research and then usually so technical on his own. Typical Medic, Jack thought to himself.

“Yep, and that links to what?”

“I had a look at the bio-scans through the hub and there is a pattern that follows his visits to Lisa.”

Jack said nothing. He waited for Owen to continue.

“Every time he comes back, he shows a high level of adrenaline, or endorphins. He’s either worked up or settled down, and his behaviour after and what he does… follows that. One time he worked for 39 hours straight. You weren’t around, you were busy so you didn’t notice, none of us did. She was affecting him physically; it was probably why everything went haywire now.”

“She wasn’t there to control it,” Jack said.

“NO!” Owen roared at him.

“You mean she wasn’t controlling it.”

“Yes, she was,” Owen said. “That is not what I am saying no to. Don’t you dare Jack.”

“What?”

“Tell yourself and us that it wasn’t Ianto’s fault.”

“What?” Jack asked, trying to sound innocent.

“I heard you and that dismissive tone won’t work this time. It was a very low level of control; he gave into it, which is not in question here. But do not just suddenly think that he had no means to stop it.”

“I don’t think that!” Jack objected. His hand was twined into Ianto’s hair, even thought he felt nothing. Ianto wasn’t able to feel anything he was so well sedated.

“Despite your popular belief I know you. I know you, here and now. You can hide everything else but I happen to be an expert in psychology.”

“How?” Jack snapped.



“Never you mind. Just accept the fact that he should be responsible for his actions and if he wanted to he could have fought the control she had.”

“And he didn’t.”

“Not as far as I can tell. There were obvious moments…” Owen tailed off and paused, he took a breath and carried on, somewhat reluctantly Jack thought. “He didn’t want anyone else to get hurt, she obviously didn’t care about that.”

Jack winced as he thought back to the doctor and pizza girl that got caught in the crossfire. The main part of the sympathy lay with the girl, she seriously had no idea what she had got herself into. Jack had tried to tell himself the doctor was asking for it messing with a Cyberman but in the end the thought didn’t stick.

“No, not even Ianto in the end.”

“She needed him alive though. And to a point that was probably what the device was also there to do. Until she no longer had a need for him.”

“Okay Owen.” Jack looked at his watch. He was surprised to find that it was only half past seven in the evening. The day had run away from them. It occurred to Jack it was early afternoon when Ianto had suffered his attack. In just over five hours they had closed the case they were working on and saved the life of one of their team. Jack exhaled heavily.

“If you’re all done, and sure everything is fine then shut down and go home.”

“What are you going to do?” Owen demanded.

“I’ll stay here, just in case.”

“I just told you… we just told you everything’s fine.”

“I know but I’m not leaving him… if he wakes up I…” Jack paused. He couldn’t say anything more because he didn’t know what to say. There was no way to vocalise the feelings that he was feeling. He was concerned and shocked and because of that something in him didn’t want Ianto waking up on his own. After what had happened and the shock he had been through he deserved to have someone with him.

And, a tiny voice in Jack piped up, why the hell are you trying to justify it to Owen. You’re the boss, just do what you want. Jack knew why he was doing it. The fact was his feelings were conflicting with his morality. Owen was helping back up the morality a little, but Jack wasn’t about to move.



“I think he needs to know as soon as possible,” Jack said flatly. “And he may feel better if he finds out that someone was here with him.”

“Jack?” Gwen’s voice asked. Jack jerked in shock, his hand slid from Ianto’s hair onto the pillow.

“Sorry, I thought I was still talking to Owen,” Jack said in a slightly flustered fashion.

“No, I thought that…” Gwen paused. “I was going to offer to come over and swap shifts with you but…”

“No Gwen, just go home. Lock down and go home, all of you. I’ll stay here and when Ianto wakes up…” Jack paused again looking down at Ianto’s peaceful face. “I’ll tell him.”

“Are you sure Jack?”

Jack took a deep breath. “I’m the boss.”

He hung up. They would go home. His wrist strap would tell him of the cool down in the hub and then he would wait. Barring an alien invasion, he would wait until Ianto woke up and he would explain the situation. And in the time while he waited Jack knew he had to curb every emotion he had. But they all boiled down to one thing.

He had Ianto. The loyalty, lostness, reality and fear. He had Ianto and Jack wasn’t letting go.

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Owen had sedated Ianto at 4:18 in the afternoon and had said he would be under for at least twelve hours. He slept a little past that, stirring slowly as the birds outside erupted into song. Jack was listening to it, rather enjoying it. He wasn’t an expert on British birds so he had no idea what bird was singing what tune, nor did he really care.

Neither did Brad, as he heard the song and looked out of the window — Jack hadn’t bothered to draw the curtains — he gave a strange, hissing meow as he looked at them. But he didn’t leave Ianto’s side. He hadn’t moved much all night, now and again he’d gone downstairs for something to eat, and once to use the litter tray. Jack had gone downstairs to put the pizza box away and find a book.

He had tried not to look around Ianto’s flat. It was rather an invasion of privacy but in the end he had succumbed to a slight temptation, looking at his book collection, CDs and very quickly through a photo album. Then he had felt guilty at the invasion of privacy so Jack had found several books, gone back upstairs and stayed put. He got up for water, the bathroom and to stretch his legs. The chair was probably comfortable enough for short periods but for an overnight vigil it was lacking a little. On one stroll he had picked up a pillow from the bedroom opposite and used it to wedge against his back.

But he had stayed, comfort wasn’t an issue. Jack stayed, waited and thought everything through. He knew, deep down, that Owen was right. He would use this as an excuse to forgive Ianto for everything he had done. Jack felt utter relief at finding something; however traumatic it had been for Ianto to go though, that could do that. But he still had to face Ianto with the information.

Slowly he watched Ianto stir. Brad forgot the birds and instead rubbed himself against Ianto, trying to get his attention. His pawed at Ianto’s arm gently, and then up over his hip. Ianto rolled in the bed and put out a hand, sliding it into Brad’s fur, stroking him along his back and up to his face. Brad started to purr licking Ianto’s cheek until Ianto pushed him away slightly. Brad pushed back, rubbing his face against Ianto’s.

“Stop that you daft moggy,” Ianto murmured. Jack watched with a smile of his face. For those few moments Ianto moved utterly unconsciously. Still half under the veil of sleep he didn’t remember the day’s previous events. He would remain there for a few minutes and then come fully awake. Jack stayed still, savouring the intimate moment as Ianto roused, already regretting the second it would end.

Ianto felt sick, groggy and oddly calm as he woke up. There had been no dreams. There was nothing of the terror that usually plagued him. Perhaps that was because the thing had been



removed from him. Ianto turned his head and felt the drag of the sedative try and pull him back. Brad, as usual, stuck his nose right into Ianto’s face, and as usual he pushed him away. Brad persisted and Ianto ran his hands through the thick ginger fur.

He was a bit confused as to why he felt so tired. Then he remembered and he lurched up in bed. Brad took the gesture badly; he spun around, shot out from under Ianto’s hand, jumped off the bed and ran out of the room. Ianto didn’t bother about that; it was the way Brad usually behaved in the morning, but it was usually when Ianto got up and Brad knew he would get more food. Ianto instead looked up, looked around and met Jack’s calm blue eyes.

“Oh!” Ianto said. He sat up and he wiped the sleep out of the corner of his left eye rubbing hard. So hard that Jack wanted to tell him to stop in case he hurt himself. “You’re still here?” Ianto made that a question.

“Yes,” Jack said. “I stayed all night, just in case.”

Ianto’s eyes goggled and then he frowned and chewed on his lower lip. He shifted uncomfortably but he kept his gaze level with Jack’s. Over the last two weeks he had avoided eye contact with everyone. Jack took that as a good sign and he smiled, just slightly.

“Do you feel all right?”

Ianto tentatively returned the smile. “A little groggy but… okay.” He looked down, then back up again. “Did they check the readings and samples? What did they find?”

Jack got up. He put the book he was reading aside. Ianto looked and registered it. Jack had almost finished Ianto’s copy of Rose Madder. His father had a spate of buying him Stephen King books after he had seen him reading one. So over his teenage years Ianto had managed to acquire a lot of them. He had read them all, some of them several times. But not recently. He didn’t need fiction to delve into horror anymore.

He also noticed Carrie on the table near the chair and a couple of books he had bought relating to Cardiff’s history. Jack now discarded and ignored the books. He got up from the chair and moved to the bed. He sat down and Ianto brought his legs up, so his knees were close to his chest and he wrapped his arms around himself. Jack reached out and gripped one of his forearms.

Then he started to talk.

Jack didn’t leave anything out. Over the last few hours while he had waited for Ianto to wake he had mulled everything over in his mind. He could have cut parts out, but as he had thought about it that would have made what he would have said all the more complicated. There was the option of saying nothing, of keeping all the information classified from Ianto. Jack guessed that Ianto



would have accepted that but it did nothing to help him heal over the incident two weeks ago, nor did it help with what had just happened.

So Jack, in the end, had just told the truth.

He was flat, straight to the point and shirked nothing. And fortunately Owen’s objection stuck. Jack couldn’t make it better for Ianto. Not immediately anyway, so he didn’t try. He played down no ones part in the events. The fact that he didn’t even realise that Ianto had worked for so long was brought up. Not just the 39 hour stint, often it had been 24 hours and again Jack hadn’t noticed. Lisa was keeping him alert in the hub and he had been up and down to see her in that time.

Ianto listened, his eyes wide, nodding on occasion but he didn’t interrupt. He let Jack talk; he let the information run its course and when Jack stopped talking Ianto stayed silent for a moment.

“I always knew I could stop… should stop,” Ianto said, correcting himself slightly. “Or tell you. I’m sorry, I could have fought it.”

“Perhaps it’s best you didn’t.”

Ianto looked up from examining his duvet at close quarters. His knees were still drawn up to his chest and his arms firmly wrapped around them.

There was nothing much he could really add. He got the hint of that last comment. What would Lisa have done if he fought her and tried to stop her? The implant had nearly killed him. Ianto didn’t know if she could have activated it in such a way to cold-bloodedly murder him.

One question arose in him, however, when he felt the familiar cold vibration against his ankle as the cuff set. He tensed and jumped as it touched his skin, so suddenly shocking since he had forgotten all about it. And he realised he had been out of the hub for too long.

“What’s the matter?” Jack asked. Ianto looked frightened and puzzled. Jack wasn’t sure if his silence throughout had been a good or bad thing.

“If Tosh was scanning for alien tech why didn’t she pick up the…” Ianto flushed slightly and looked down. “… electronic tag.” That was the best description he eventually came up with. Jack paused and took a deep breath.

“Because its energy is set to avoid detection by any of the scanners in Torchwood. It was to make sure it wasn’t picked up when you were walking around the place but its good on any of them. I didn’t want to have to start explaining it.” Jack spoke calmly, unembarrassed about what he had done. It made it easier for Ianto, although Jack didn’t realise that, and he understood exactly what



Jack meant.

Jack could certainly imagine Gwen’s reaction if he knew what he had done. She would probably consider it a violation of Ianto’s human rights, or something of the kind. Jack, however, had his reasons and from the look on his face, Ianto understood them, which was all that mattered.

Then Ianto frowned. “I’ve been out of the hub for longer than 12 hours. What will happen when I try and get back in?”

Jack flipped open his wrist strap and pressed a couple of buttons. Ianto felt the vibration again, just a faint tingle that caused the hairs on his ankle to rise in shock. Some kind of static electricity he supposed.

“That will keep it inert for now. I’ll set it to reactivate back to the usual pattern when you re-enter the hub.” Jack looked up at him. “Tomorrow morning and not before 7o’clock.”

“Okay.”

“I mean it Ianto, get some rest today and look after yourself, eat something decent.”

Ianto nodded. Jack pressed some buttons on the wrist strap and then snapped it shut. The feel of the metal lifted around his ankle and Ianto knew it was inert.

“I’m not going to take it off,” Jack said calmly. “I think more than ever we want to keep you on the radar.”

“Does that mean that something might… go wrong with me?” Ianto asked. Jack took a deep breath.

“I doubt it, but I’m not leaving it to chance. I think we just need to make sure… you’re close to hand… easy to find.”

Jack spoke and faltered, it wasn’t really what he wanted to say. He hadn’t really put the tag on him because he truly distrusted Ianto. They had no reason now to worry about what he might do. Lisa lay dead in the vaults. There was nothing left of her really. That was the only reason for Ianto’s betrayal. Jack’s ‘electronic tag’ had other purposes.

It was nothing more than a slight piece of psychology. Ianto had betrayed everyone and Jack felt the fact that Ianto thought he should be punished for it. So Jack provided that means. He knew there was something humiliating in Ianto having to report to him and sign the form that he had rigged up and printed out. It looked official enough but Jack had done it on the spur of the moment. And the tentative asking for access to certain things, after Jack had idly announced that



was what he wanted Ianto to cover that day. And Jack had made it seem that he spoke without thinking about the limit to Ianto’s access.

Like he forgot it, and Ianto had to bring it up, almost every day.

Ianto felt he should be punished, and if Jack didn’t pander to that, then Ianto… well, Ianto would do it himself and Jack wasn’t leaving anything to chance. He had too many people go mad, waste lives. Suzie was a clear example, a killer, a slightly wayward killer. There was no going back for her, but Jack could have done something to help her — but in the end he failed. There were so many that tried and failed and it destroyed those around them.

Jack wasn’t playing that game again. He was old enough, wise enough and strong enough to fight back. So he had done what he did to Ianto; tagged him, a humiliation that kept bringing him back to Jack like an obedient dog. There would be a time when it could be taken off, but now was certainly not it. It might have shown a little of Jack’s humanity and compassion. He felt those two things keenly. However he needed to keep Ianto on a level field and make him feel somehow secure by knowing that he was watched over.

Ianto nodded. There was no objection, he probably wanted to be easy to find in case something happened. Jack didn’t comment on that.

“But I don’t want you wandering about, stay in the flat.”

“Yes, Sir,” Ianto said. Jack glanced at his watch.

“I had better get to work; check on the hub; feed the pterodactyl; sort the workers.”

Ianto gave a flash of a smile and then straightened up. “Would you like breakfast before you go? It’s the least I can do.”

Jack stood up and he moved to pull Ianto up as well. He was stood close to Jack, only inches away from him. But for the first time in a long time, Ianto didn’t find that unnerving. He moved carefully around Jack and walked to the door. Brad came up the stairs and sat down looking at Ianto. The green eyes narrowed as Jack followed along behind.

“I’d better see what I’ve got before I offer breakfast.”

“Your cupboards seemed full enough.”

“That doesn’t necessarily mean anything. Have I got any milk?” Ianto mused.

“Yes.”



Ianto wandered down the stairs mentally trying to work out what else he had. If there was anything he could make. Considering the amount Jack ate he would have to produce something fairly substantial. He wondered if he had some bacon, he could cook bacon and eggs and he was bound to have a tin of beans in the cupboard.

“Is scrambled eggs something you have for breakfast?” Jack asked.

Ianto turned and looked up as he reached the bottom of the stairs. “I guess, and I may have some bacon to go with it.”

Jack grinned, “Good, I can find out if I know how to make it.”

“Make what?”

“Scrambled eggs.”

“You don’t know how to make scrambled eggs?” Ianto asked.

“I don’t know, that’s why I want to find out.”

“How can you not know if you know or not?”

“I might know, I just don’t know if I know… or not.”

Ianto rolled his eyes; this was starting to get rather surreal.

“I think we should stop this conversation.”

“Yes,” Jack said. “That’s a good idea, now breakfast.”

“Right,” Ianto said wandering into his kitchen. Jack noticed, as he leant against the door frame that the first thing Ianto did was start to make coffee.

Some things, Jack thought to himself, never changed.

Back to index




Ianto felt a little nervous when he returned to work. Nothing to do with Jack or the rest of them; he felt strong enough to face them; but it was simply the fact he had got so much rest the day before he was awake and ready for work, arriving before six o’clock. When Jack had specified to not arrive before seven.

He didn’t really think that Jack would make much of an issue of it. For the first time in two weeks Ianto wanted to be at work. He had taken the dressing off to find the cream had done its job. There was still a slight scab but the skin was healing, quicker than it would naturally do, the cream having alien ingredients which sped up the healing process.

As he stepped over the threshold he felt the cuff vibrate again. He worried for a fraction of a second in case the alarms went off, Jack might had programmed it for after his set arrival time. But nothing happened, other than the familiar locking of the metal band on his ankle. He was used to it after two weeks. And it didn’t worry him that it was there. It was now more comforting than anything else.

Yesterday he had pottered about the flat, tidying up, cleaning out cupboards and tentatively ringing Sophie to let her know that he was all right. He assured her of that after he had listened to a half an hour long lecture in her strident East End tone. It never occurred to him that he had really missed her, but he did. Part of a life he had hoped to leave behind, but certain pieces he couldn’t. And ones like Sophie he probably shouldn’t.

It was just something he had hoped to leave behind, everything to do with London. But running away from it hadn’t solved anything. He had only managed to get her to calm down after he assured her he would visit one weekend. He figured it was better than her racing up to Cardiff. Her and Jack would be a rather volatile combination, and God only knew what she would say to Gwen after that phone call.

As he entered the main area of the hub he looked around. The lights had been dimmed and everything was quiet. No one else would be in yet and Jack didn’t look to be around either. He wasn’t about to get a lecture for turning up early.

The first thing he did, as always, was put the coffee machine on. When Jack appeared he would probably want a cup, and Ianto liked the machine up and running before everyone else arrived. Then, as that was busy warming up, he started sorting out the filing that he had planned to do yesterday. Which obviously fell by the wayside, no one else would think to do it. And for some reason in a 24 hour absence the hub had managed to turn itself into a complete tip. Mainly, Ianto noted, around Owen’s desk.



He became so absorbed in what he was doing, tidying, filing and checking out a few odd readings on the computer, that he didn’t notice Jack had appeared in his office. He turned as he heard Ianto.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

Ianto jumped at Jack’s calm tone and he stopped dead. For a moment he just stood and looked at him. His mind shot back over the conversation, the last part of the conversation they had yesterday. When at the very end Ianto had developed the confidence to question Jack.

“Owen said Lisa killed you.”

“Obviously she didn’t,” Jack replied with a gentle smile. Ianto frowned.

“But, if she electrocuted you then… that was lethal, I saw it happen to people and I know she was fully functional. Jack, I know she was.”

Jack nodded. He didn’t say anything. Ianto continued to frown at him, his eyes searching Jack for some kind of answer. Jack eventually gave him one.

“I can’t die.”

Ianto’s eyes widened. “But Owen said you did die.”

Jack sighed, “Okay, I die but I can’t stay dead, I just… wake up.”

“That’s not possible.”

“Obviously it is.”

“Have you always been like that?” Ianto asked, his face serious but curious. Jack shook his head. The hand he had on Ianto’s arm had tightened slightly.

“No, not always. Something happened to me, I don’t know what. I have to wait for someone who can explain it to me.”

“Who?” Ianto asked curiously.

“The right kind of Doctor,” Jack had said, rather mysteriously. The way he said it told Ianto that he wasn’t going to get any more information than that. At least for now. He didn’t know if it was Jack just being his usual secretive self or if he really didn’t know any more.



Ianto looked at him now, guessing immediately that Jack didn’t mind his early appearance in the hub.

“Neither should you,” he replied.

He tensed and flinched, thinking he shouldn’t have said that, but the conversation of yesterday had been at the forefront of his mind. Ianto took a breath and hurried over to the computer to check the odd reading again. He sensed rather than saw Jack follow him, strolling out of the office to see what he was doing and he jumped as Jack put a gentle hand on his back, just by his shoulder. Ianto turned as he felt the slight pull of Jack’s hand. The pressure was light as the heel of Jack’s hand pulled the material of his jacket and shirt, pulling it down far enough to expose the wound on the back of his neck. Ianto hadn’t bothered with another dressing it had healed so well. Ianto turned his head back, looking at the screen, obliging Jack’s subtle observation.

“So what have we got?” Jack asked casually, looking at the slightly anomalous readings on the computer before glancing at the damage on Ianto’s neck.

Jack noticed the same thing. The specially medicated dressing had done the job; the neat cut was nothing more than a red line. It was healing perfectly. As Ianto glanced at him again, his eyes slightly wide but utterly trusting of Jack’s close physical presence, which was a big improvement from the previous two weeks, Jack hoped the same could be said for Ianto’s mind.

And Ianto’s mind was firmly fixed on his job. He turned back to Jack.

“Funny sort of weather patterns.”

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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.

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1 skin deep by danse macabre

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