Chapter One.

Ianto is having a normal day, as quiet as they come at Torchwood, and takes advantage of the situation to catch up on some tasks left undone far too long. After some tidying and filing he finally sits down to go through the mail. Torchwood doesn't get much mail itself from anyone but UNIT, the 'tourists office' gets some junk mail and bills, and he assumes the rest is probably redirected mail for Jack. He sifts through the mail, sorting by both importance and intended receivers.

It is not until one of the last items that he comes across a envelope addressed to him. Considering how rare and odd the occasion is he flips it over and reads a return address written in shaky cursive. 'Mousehole Cornwall England,' it reads. Despite his aching curiosity he decides to run it up to Tosh first, to make sure there is no poison or anything else strange within before he opens it.

He walks it up to the main station to see Tosh, Gwen, and Jack puttering about lost within light conversation with relaxed smiles. All of them easily enjoying a day without rift activity and not getting caught up in the many things they'd left untouched, how typical. He cannot though bring himself to interrupt the carefree moment he retreats back to archives and risks opening the envelope without scanning it fist. In any case it certainly doesn't seem harmful, with a handwritten return address, and bent corners: just another normal envelope.

Slipping the letter opener through the cheap paper and tears it open without incident and he waits a second before breathing a sigh of relief. He pulls out the single piece of folder paper and sets the envelope on the table. Unfolding it he sees a short handwritten letter, it is messy with a few ink spots where the writer had paused for a second too long. He begins reading a soon finds his throat closing and hands shaking. Swallowing thickly he lowers the paper and tries to forget the words he'd just read. This, this is not what he had been anticipating when he had began reading, he wants to throw it away and ignore it yet, yet he finds he cannot.

"Dear Ianto Jones,

I am not sure if you care about the information I'm going to offer you but, I'm afraid my conscious will not let me rest until I at the very least offer to share what I know. As I am sure you are aware of by now, you are adopted and though I do not know you or your parents I was very close with your biological mother. She has passed on now but, she was a lovely woman and it would be a great honor to me to meet her son and be able to regal you some tales of our time together.

Your mother and I were best friends throughout some of the best years of my life and if you would grant me the opportunity I would love to tell the story just this once. To tell her story to the only person other than myself with any connection to her left in this world, and let you get to know your mother. I will though respect any decision you make and if you decide not to come, write me back and let me know but, do not feel the need to explain yourself, I will understand.

If you do though decide to come, I'll have some tea ready and I'll make your trip worth it.

Sincerely, Helen Rogers"

"Are you alright there Ianto," asks Jack from the doorway, "you seemed a little." He walks forward with a twinkle in his eye, and leans over Ianto's shoulder, "spaced out there." he finishes. Ianto tries to smile reassuringly but, it appears a tad too sad as he hurriedly folds the letter and starts to jam it back into the envelope.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." Jack has already reached around him though and snatched the paper away. Flipping it over and around curiously in his hands Jack purses his lips.

"Mousehole? Who do you know there?" Ianto bites his lip and looks away. He wants to tell Jack but, it would be wrong to burden the already fragile balance of everything with this...

"It's nothing," he brushes it off as he grabs the paper back. "Just a letter."

"From who?.. If it's nothing why is it bothering you so much?" Jack pushes and Ianto finds himself not bothered as he normally would be but, touched. Jack so rarely digs for any information or well anything from him, the concern feels nice.

"From some woman claiming she knew my mother." Ianto sighs, willingly giving in to Jacks questioning. He supposes he kind of wanted to talk about it anyway, he was just going to go to Tosh instead. "She want's to tell me about her but, I don't know if I really see the point."

"Oh, come on this is a one time opportunity," Jack cocks his head a leans closer. "And maybe some free time to loosen up." Ianto's lips twitch into a smile, he really could use some time away from this job. Working for Torchwood means everything to him but, eventually it wears everyone down and if a short break to recoup and get in touch with his past is what it takes to push on a while longer maybe that's what he needs to do... And well sex with Jack is something he rarely finds himself able to turn down though-

"It's all the way in Mousehole, that's nearly a five hour drive from here," he drops the letter in the bin. "It could take days, you couldn't leave Tosh, Gwen, and Owen here alone that long." Jack stalks away a pulls on his great coat.

"Well, I think I'm do for a vacation and the rift has been pretty cooperative but, if you don't want to go," he looks back as he stalks out the door. "You don't need to make excuses." Ianto smirks back as he too pulls on his jacket and follows his- Jack out the door.

In the main cave, everyone including Owen has converged into a heated conversation about, air conditioning? Shaking his head Ianto meets Jacks eyes as they share a look of fond exsaperation for their team. Jack raises his brows in the perfect 'so?' position and Ianto nods affirmative.

"Well, me and Ianto are going to take a nice vacation down in Mousehole for some sight seeing this ahhh." Jack looks at Ianto for help.

"This Wednesday."

"Right, this Wednesday." The two men look back to their colleagues who are scowling at them disbelievingly. Tosh relaxes into a soft approving smile towards her friend while Owen and Gwen remain their usual emotion driven selves.

"Let me get this straight," starts Owen. "You're BOTH leaving for a vacation at the same time."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" agrees Gwen. "We barely seem to have enough staff as it is." she finishes with a nervous chuckle.

"Yeah, no kidding," Butts back in the doctor before Ianto or Jack can respond. "That'll leave only three of us and we all know Tosh doesn't go out on the feild!"

"Thank Owen but, I can count." Jack snaps offhandedly as he stuff his hands in his pockets and steps onto the lift with Ianto self consciously standing at his side. "The rift has barely been active all week, you'll be fine." The duo is gone before any more arguments can be shared tonight and Owen storms away to his med bay as the two girls share an annoyed glance.

Wednesday.

Ianto paces around his bedroom, clenching and unclenching his hands periodically. It still isn't time yet for Jack to pick him up but, his body is telling him he's late. Or forgetting something. Or their going to die in a horrible car accident. Well, he would... Shaking his head Ianto goes to plop back onto his comforter when there is a loud intrusive knock at the door, Jack. Jack who happens to be early for once.

Ianto answers the door to find the immortal man leaning against the frame with wide smile. He sweeps past him, he coast billowing behind him as he walks straight into the bedroom. He stands to the side though as he reenters the room.

"Need any help?" he asks suggestively as he looks at the suitcase on the bed.

"Nope," Ianto answers plainly, too stressed out about the whole situation to flirt right now, not that he's ever been the best at it, especially compared to Mr. Sex himself. Grabbing his bags Ianto follows Jack quietly out the door and down the steps as he chats about the car he rented for the trip, a more comfortable convertible for long drive. Only the best for his Ianto, he teases, and seems all too pleased when he gets a blush for his efforts.

They climb into the car and hit the road. Ianto lets Jack drive, per usual, as he leans against the vibrating window and stares out at the overcast sky. Random drops of rain patter against the window now and again and during a few special moments the sun breaks free but, most of the ride is filled with the continuing dullness of drab gray.

Finally a small homey hotel comes into view and Jack pulls right up to the door but, Ianto beats him out of the car.

"I'll get the rooms," he groans as he stretches out his neck.

"All right," Jack agrees as he watches shamelessly. "Get one with a comfy bed," he ignores Ianto's sigh as he continues, "you don't want to punish that neck more than you already have..." Ianto doesn't look back but, smiles at his genuine concern. "Unless of course, you want me to help you with that," Jack and Ianto both laugh before he disappears inside.

Ianto finds there to be only a single bed room available but, takes it anyway. He doesn't know what Jack is expecting but, somehow he doubts there will be any real objections unless he of course really has that kicking thing Lisa used to complain about. But, she liked to sleep lightly for nearly ten hours, Jacks the opposite, going comatose for only a few. Ianto clenches his hand around the keys angrily, he is not comparing his relationship between them, they're completely different, just thinking about sleeping habits is all. That's all.

They park the car and get the bags out of the trunk and lug them up to the second story room.

"Can we never just sleep on the first floor?" Jack whines. "It's not like we have to worry about robbers, I have a gun!"

"Keep your voice down," Ianto scolds tiredly, the monotonous trip taking more out of him then he had previously thought. "And yes, there's less bugs up there." He can almost hear Jacks expression behind him but, tries to ignore it as he sets down his bag and unlocks the door.

"Afraid of some bugs Ianto?" There it is. Ianto rolls his eyes and shuts the door loudly behind him. Jack drops his bag on the floor and flops back onto the bed carelessly. The younger man though puts the bag on top of the air conditioning unit instead and subtly checks the bed for bedbugs before falling down beside Jack. The captain looks over at him with a large yawn. "Only one bed, I like how you think Ianto! Looks like it'll have to wait though..." He finishes in a whisper as he sees Ianto has already passed out.

He gently runs his hand through his lovers soft hair before taking off his shoes and tucking him into the scratchy and cheap bed. Small towns and their mediocer hotels. He slings his old coat over a chair, and kicking off his shoes: he sits up against the head board and cracks open his laptop. Time to do some quick last minute research on Helen Rogers, cause no matter how much he and Tosh did he feels like he's missing something. All the information is just the same over and over though, American, 40's, lung cancer (severity unavailable), and has worked most of her life in an office. But, there's something missing, not just her connection with Ianto's mysterious unfindable mother but, more.

Ianto wakes to the smell of breakfast and the feeling of cheap sheets against his cheek. He slowly opens his still tired eyes and looks long at the still drawn curtains. Hoping and wanting to be immersed in the warm light of the sun he climbs to his feet and pads over to the window. Pulling the curtains open another overcast sky sits peacefully and he sighs in disappointment. Oh well, he had not expected any different.

Jack enters from the hallway, bouncing a bucket of ice in his hand, and smiles: pleased to see Ianto is up just in time.

"Got some breakfast and ice," he clunks the bucket onto the small corner table. "Looks like we'll be having water..." Ianto shrugs uncaringly as he finally notices he is still fully dressed from the day before, save his shoes. His clothes are wrinkly and dingy, and he immediately moves to his luggage to get another outfit. Jack watches from the side with a growing smile, he can't help it, his Ianto is so cute when he's tired and messy. He enjoys it as these moments are rare and far between.

Once Ianto has emerged from the bathroom after preparing for the day the sit across from each other and dig into their meals. Ianto stares into his eggs and wonders at why he's even here. He's tried but, can't blame Jack's pressuring for it, he's told Jack 'no' about many things plenty of times. He doesn't understand why his biological mother's life should matter to him, it's not as if she'd raised him, nor has he not had a mother. Yet here he is, taking time out of his life to learn about her's and for some reason it matters.

Before breakfast is even finished his fraying nerves get to him and he storms out to the balcony to call Helen and set up a time. She doesn't pick up until the third ring and sounds pretty winded when she greets him.

"Hello?"

"Hello, this is Ianto," he looks out at the misty scenery before him and gathers his emotions tightly inside before continuing. "You wrote me a letter... And I'm in town and was wondering when you would like me to come 'bout."

"Oh, that's wonderful," the woman cheers, "anytime hun. How about in time for some mid-day tea?"

"Sounds fine," he agrees politely. "I'll be there at noon."

"See you than Ianto," She hangs up the phone, not quite in time to hide her raspy cough. Ianto realizes the lung cancer Tosh had told him she had, was worse than he'd originally assumed. He probably should have met with her doctor and asked but, they'd just been too busy setting things up for their absence.

With one last long look out at the village he turns and reenters the hotel room. Jack is waiting with mostly false look of amusement, clearly concerned. Ianto walks straight past him and to his coat and shoes on the far side of the room.

"We need to get there by noon," he informs him casually, not wanting to be dragged into any sort of emotional conversation at the current moment. They always ended awkward and tense, with Jack anyway, with both of them trying too hard to lighten the atmosphere. Yeah, he definitely isn't in the mood for that right now.

"All right," Jack accepts easily, and that's the other reason Ianto doesn't want to say anything. He never knows if Jack really wants him to or not, when he accepts his obvious acting so easily. Is he just being thoughtful and giving him space or is he relieved? "I'll go pull the car around."

"No," Ianto looks up from tying his laces. "I don't mind walking," he adds with a small smile.

Together they climb into the car and hit the twisting city streets. After a few flinch worthy close calls with other drivers, Ianto is almost ready to ask to drive when they pull up to the front of a small house. The house has no driveway, only a small stone walkway through a abundantly colorful garden to a quaint little yellow house. The house seems so very out of place in the rows of multi-level grey stone apartments but, Ianto doesn't think too much on it for the moment.

It's hard to think about much of anything but, the fact he's finally- finally meeting someone who knew his mother. Admittedly he'd never searched that hard to find her, perhaps he had been afraid of what he would find but, now there's no turning back. Some part of him, the either hopeful or bitter part he isn't sure yet, tells him the lady's mistaken. That the nameless woman she knew was not in fact his biological mother, that he'd gone all the way down here for nothing and that his mother's identity would remain a mystery yet.

Logic though casts an undeniable doubt on that theory, no one would put the effort into getting a letter to Torchwood's mailbox if they weren't sure.

Jack's hand barely touches his back and he realizes he's hesitated at the street curb. Clenching his jaw, he steps forward and walks without faltering to Helen's front door step. He will not allow his anxiety and nervousness show or cripple him. With Jack by his side there is no wait from the time he reaches and he knocks on the door. And there is only seconds till it is answered.

Now I know this isn't very good yet but, my computer broke so I had to write this on a system without spell check... And it's my first story. Anyway this chapter is short but, they'll hopefully be getting longer from here on out. I hope you all come back to read some more when I update. Which will be soon as possible.

Thank you all for reading! - TheUniversesColors