Jack hardly allowed himself to love, but then there was Ianto Jones, the man that managed to break all the barriers, to make him truly care for someone for the first time since Estelle. Sass was his shield, the one thing that he hid the fact he was simply a scared child in a grown man's body. Tears fell from the immortal man's eyes as he wiped at them vigorously. His team couldn't see him this way. Gwen, Vera, Esther, Jilly, Oswald, Rex and Rhys, none of them could see him this way. He only broke after they had all gone home - Gwen and Rhys to their baby girl, the rest of the team to their flats ow wherever they wanted to go. Jack, however had condemned himself to stay in the newly rebuilt hub, Myfanwy swooping overhead.

He was in tears yet again, in a fit of drunken depression. All he wanted was to see Ianto, to hold him securely against his chest. He wanted to hear those familiar and beautiful Welsh vowels and kiss his Welshman's warm lips, so unlike the last time he kissed him, Ianto's lips cold from the chill of his ragged last breath. Jack was broken and had been since Ianto's death. He wanted more than anything for the man he so dearly loved to be there.

"Ianto!" He called out at last, sobs wracking his body.

Vera had been experimenting with the nanogens and he remembered the incident where just for once, everyone lived and just that once, he decided to try some attempt at bringing his Welshman back to life. He couldn't survive without Ianto an longer. Slowly, he pushed himself out of his desk chair and grabbed a canister of nanogens from the shelf before heading to the morgue, pulling Ianto's body from storage, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"Yan..." He whispered the Welshman's rarely used pet name, unzipping the body bag to reveal Ianto's youthful face.

Ianto's body lay cold and stiff as Jack opened the body bag all the way. Slowly, he opened the canister of nanogens, watching as they swarmed Ianto's figure. He couldn't tear his eyes away from him. He wiped at his eyes once again, his very heart and soul aching to see his Welshman breathing again. Carefully, he brushed a hand through Ianto's hair.

"Please be alright..." He whispered softly, going up the stairs as the microscopic healers began to work.

Jack sat at the desk not too far away, taking another swig of whiskey. He was aboslutely exhausted and fell into a fitful sleep. It was always Gwen and Vera who came in first. Gwen, having all the humanity in the universe, draped a blanket over Jack's sleeping form.

Vera placed a hand on the slab to push Ianto's body into the cooler, only to feel his hand move against her's and she jumped, screaming in surprise. Gwen ran over, immediately concerned for Vera's safety and mental wellbeing.

"Gwen, get a gourney." Vera ordered.

"Why?"Gwen raised an eyebrow.

"Do as I say!"

"But he's dead."

"Not anymore."

Gwen ran to get a gourney as Vera worked on stabilizing Ianto, bringing the gourney parallel to the slab as they transferred Ianto's body over.

"We've got to get him warmed up." Vera said quickly.

Gwen started grabbing blankets, tucking them around Ianto, feeling him drawing in slow breaths as his eyes fluttered open.

"Ianto!" Gwen greeted him and patted his shoulder before heading off to make some tea.

"Welcome back to the land of the living." Vera chided.

"Jack, where's Jack?" Ianto asked without thinking.

"He's asleep." Vera explained simply.

Ianto glanced around for Jack, hearing him wake with a slight scream. Gwen helped Jack up, watching as Vera moved Ianto towards the medbay.

"Leave him." Gwen mouthed.

Vera shook her head quickly, moving Ianto towards the medbay, starting him on warm fluids. Ianto didn't say a word as Vera did what was needed. Gwen held Jack as he cried, rubbing his back gently. The alcohol still weighed heavily on the immortal man's breath.

"C'mon, to medbay to sleep this off." She said softly.

Gwen carefully led him to the medbay, offering her support as he stumbled along. Ianto shifted on the bed in order to make room for Jack, very careful not to injure himself in the process. Gwen gently made Jack sit down on the bed, making him lay back. Ianto wrapped his arms around Jack in a comfortable embrace, frowning when Jack scrambled away from him.

"I love you Jack." Ianto whispered, Welsh accent thick.

"I love you too...Ianto Jones." Jack whimpered softly.

Ianto tilted Jack's chin upwards and gnetly captured the older man's lips with his own, not seeming to mind the whiskey on his breath.

"Sleep, Jack. I'm right here and not going anywhere." He whispered.

Jack curled close to Ianto, clinging to his Welshman as he buried his face in the man's chest, his eyes fluttering shut.