Key to Memories

by SpecialFaiths

Ianto is not who he says he is. He has lied before and now he's claiming that he knows Jack from the Time Agency in the 51st century and he can give him his two missing years back. But what does Ianto's father have to do with it?

Key to Memories.

Author: SpecialFaiths Words: 16.853 Rating: if you watch Torchwood I'm sure you can handle this story. Warnings: Slash, OCs, TimeAgent! Ianto, mPreg, mMiscarriage, Spoilers: Cyberwoman (01x04), also Jack's background. Summary: Ianto is not who he says he is. He has lied before and now he's claiming that he knows Jack from the Time Agency in the 51st century and he can give him his two missing years back. But what has Ianto's Father got to do with it?

AN: I was in a cottage for a week on holiday with no internet, a TV with one station (which current programme consists of football, news, weather forecast and Lost) and John Barrowman's book Anything Goes (I didn't want to finish it quite yet). I had nothing to do so I started writing a Torchwood story on my mum's computer. This is the result.

Something was not right.

That was what he was thinking the whole time she was down in that basement. In fact, he was thinking that even as he was rescuing her from that convertion unit. Even as he was dragging her down the hallways of the burning and bloody Tower that once was the base of the mighty Torchwood One.

And now it all made sense.

Of course. She – no – it (that Cyber-thing was not Lisa) had gotten into his head. Mind control, of some sort.

It's weird because he truly is good at shielding his mind. Perhaps he let his guard down because he supposed there was no need for his strong mental walls when he was surrounded by 21st century apes. There was... will be (god! Time travel confuses your vocabulary) no need for strengthening an average human's mental defences until the 34th century.

It was stupid, really. One of the first rules they taught him at the Time Agency was 'never let your guard down'. But that was exactly what he had done. But he was always very careful to keep his mental walls strong and thick around Harkness. Ianto knew that Jack still believed Ianto's identity completely authentic. Otherwise there would have been a bullet lodged in his skull. He still needed time. Jack didn't trust him enough yet. When he did, he'd tell him.

Ianto liked sorting out the Torchwood Three Archives. It gave him time to process every bit of information his head had gathered over time. But he also liked seeing how the employees came to the wrong conclusions, misinterpreted alien words or locked completely harmless items, that could be found in every 45th century kitchen, in explosion-proof boxes (he once had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep himself from laughing when they locked a 50th century Gargolian toaster in one of these boxes). But, still, most of the time they knew exactly what an artefact did or what an alien species was called (sometimes he would even find a file about some alien species that contained the co-ordinates of the species in question's home planet). Having an ex-Time Agent probably did Torchwood a lot of good, Ianto thought as he put file #1201950102 in its correct place.

Ianto froze when he heard a familiar sound of a gun being cocked.

"Captain" he said and turned around. As he expected, Captain Jack Harkness stood about three meters away pointing his pistol at him.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough" Jack replied. His jaw was set and his eyes cold as dry ice. It was a look Ianto had seen before and had never wanted to see directed at him.

"I was Broadcasting, wasn't I?" Ianto grimaced. It was a bad habit. He often did it if he let his mind wander too much.

"Loud and clear."

"I see" Ianto said as if Jack had just told him about the weather was outside. He moved to sit at his desk, Jack's gun following him like the needle of a compass pointing North, and continued his work.

"Who the fuck are you and what are you doing here?" Jack asked in a hoarse voice after a while of silence. Jack had no idea how much that question hurt, the same ache settled in his chest as it had when Jack'd asked him who he was that time in the woods.

"Ianto Jones, Torchwood Three, Cardiff's Archivist and tea-boy—"

"Don't play dumb with me!" Jack shouted in a voice that would have made Ianto run crying for his Dad if he hadn't been shouted at like that his whole life, first by his Father and then later by his superiors at the Agency. So he calmly put down his pen and locked eyes with Jack. A blue ice storm meeting the blue depths of the ocean.

"Sorry, force of habit, Sir." He took a deep breath. "My name is Ianto Jones, Ianto Mecalyon Ta Jones, later known as Jason Hafborn when I was recruited by the Time Agency on the 3rd of October in 5059 at the age of seventeen. Later promoted and became Captain Jason Hafborn (Agent number: 106023449) at the 7th of September in 5062 at the age of twenty" Ianto paused before continuing. "I was born on Whiteacre Bay on 19th of August in 5042 at 8:46am.

Parents: Andriv Jones (before Andriv Kalley) (born June 15th, 5007, better known as Captain Jasper Henderson) and Shane Jones (born 12th of January, 5010, better known as Captain Jeffory Hames).

Youngest of three siblings; A sister named Christi (born July 1st in 5033 and died on the 5th of May 5050 during a protest against the destruction of the Planet Finitii when a fight broke out between two gangs, thirteen people died - see file ZA006739 on the Barstein riot) and one brother named Brin Ka (later known as Captain Jones Hann, born on 26th of January 5035, died while on a mission to stop a Tranaan-ship belonging to Hexxilies on its way to the Boeshane Peninsula with a plan of invasion on the 7th of December 5062. One of Brin's Fathers, Captain Jasper Henderson, was in charge of the operation. The mission was successful with the total loss of seven Agents- see file YF709821 on Titanic no. 71).

Childhood homes:

77943 Spears Valley, Whiteacre Bay 891 Forgegrove, Whiteacre Bay 3586 Glavermile, Armariver Hills 71 Natchiss, Whiteacre Bay 21 Icelake, Whiteacre Bay 1A Cranburrow, New New York 4778 Heathentdrive, New Rome 196 Heathentdrive, New Rome.

Currently owned properties:

7 Southverands, Whiteacre Bay (joint property) 97 Blue Hills, New New York" Ianto blurted out like he was reading his personal file that would be in the Time Agency's Database aloud to Jack. "Then of course, there's my flat here in Cardiff" he added.

Jack wasn't sure if Ianto was deliberately avoiding the latter question or not, although it seemed likely he was, but Jack was getting impatient and angry and his head felt like it would explode from the questions he was dying to ask.

"Yeah, but why are you here?" he spat.

Ianto let out an exasperated breath. He picked up a couple of files and started walking in the direction of the appropriate shelves. This was a topic he was hoping to avoid at all costs. Maybe he could somehow get himself out of it. Maybe Jack wouldn't ask the right questions.

Not bloody likely.

"Stop!" Jack shouted and Ianto did as he was told. "Talk!" Ianto turned around to face Jack.

"Can I do that whilst I do my job?"

Jack just looked at him expectantly. Ianto shut his eyes and sighed.

"I just... I'm..."

"What?"

"I'm on the run, okay?" Ianto shouted back at Jack.

He looked so vulnerable, Jack thought. Not the way he looked vulnerable when the whole Cyberwoman thing happened. Ianto looked scared -protective, not the way he was now; scared -frightened. Now he looked so young Jack almost lowered his gun. Almost. "What are you running from?" Jack asked even though he had a pretty good idea.

"The Agency" came the short but honest reply.

"Right, so what'd you do to piss them off?"

"It wasn't so much the Agency that I pissed off, it was more my Father, Captain Jasper Henderson, but there are not many people at the Agency that would say no to him if he asked for anything."

"No, you're right. They wouldn't. I remember your Father and, although my younger self would never admit it, he scared me shitless" Jack said flatly. "So, anyway, what'd you do to piss your father off then?"

A flicker of pain shot across Ianto's eyes.

"I fell in love with someone" Ianto almost whispered and looked away.

"Okay, and your Father didn't approve I take it?"

"Oh, no" Ianto chuckled bitterly.

"So, who'd you fall in love with?" Jack was becoming curious but was determined not to let it show.

Ianto swallowed audibly and looked intensely into Jack's eyes.

"You."

"...What?" Jack's voice was barely a whisper.

Ianto was slowly stepping closer to Jack. "I know it sounds crazy to you, but you're missing at least a year and... eight months of your life, am I right?"

Jack looked like someone had just murdered his favourite puppy. "Uh, two. T-two years" he stuttered.

Jack was now within reach. "Yeah, that's my Father's fault. My Dad was furious when he found out what he did and moved out of their house and came to live with me – so my Father's frustration was directed at me. He threatened me all sorts of stuff, could have been just empty threats but I'm not really willing to take that chance."

Ianto quickly grabbed Jack's gun and threw it on the floor as he threw himself into Jack's arms and clashed the mouths together.

The kiss felt oddly familiar to Jack and yet so far away. It was like a kiss one's lover would give had they been away from you for years. Perhaps it was like that to Ianto.

Only now did Jack realize that the smell that to him just screamed Ianto were pheromones. Jack would have mentally slapped himself if he had been thinking coherently. There were so many things that Ianto had done (and not done) that should have made Jack suspect something.

Jack's right hand was on Ianto's waist and the left one moving from Ianto's jaw to his neck. Jack kissed back trying to reach for that familiarity he felt but it still felt so out of reach. Their tongues were dancing tango but that wasn't the only thing that was wet about the kiss, Jack realized. There were tears streaming freely down Ianto's face.

When they broke apart for air, Ianto threw his arms around Jack and held him tight like his life depended on it. Maybe, in a way, it did. Jack returned the embrace with just as much strength. Ianto's shoulders were shaking.

"I've missed you so much, you have no idea..."Ianto said and realized "...you have no idea." Jack didn't remember so he wouldn't have any idea.

Ianto said it with so much emotion it broke Jack's heart.

"Well," Jack said and pulled out of the embrace and looked in Ianto's eyes. They took Jack's breath away. They were red from crying and the red highlighted Ianto's blue irises so they looked like they would glow if the lights went out. "There's not much to do about that since we don't have the device your Father used to remove my memories but I..." Jack stopped in mid-sentence when he saw the grin that was spreading across Ianto's face and the mischievous glint in his eyes.

"No..." Jack said incredulous but Ianto said nothing and grinned even wider and Jack found himself grinning along "no! Seriously?" Jack let out a bark of happy laughter and leaned in and kissed Ianto again passionately. Ianto chuckled into the kiss and pulled away. He was going to get his missing years back! No more trying to guess what the hell he had done to deserve years erased from his mind.

"C'mon, it's at my place" Ianto said and took Jack's hand, their fingers entwining somewhat automatically, and lead him out of the Archives.

Ianto's flat was not far away from the Hub and the ten minute drive was set in comfortable silence, both men smiling like madmen. Later Ianto quickly opened the door and let himself and Jack in. Ianto took his shoes off in two swift movements and walked into the hallway. Jack was about to follow when Ianto's voice called from the bedroom "Boots!"

Jack looked down at his feet and up again. "Are you serious?" he called back.

Ianto's head appeared in the doorway "the only reason I'm not going to castrate you for even asking is that, to you, I've never said that to you before but, yes, I am deadly serious, I just mopped the floor yesterday" he said and disappeared into the room again.

Jack chuckled and bent down to unlace his boots. This was a side he had never seen (but really liked) of Ianto. Well, perhaps he had but just didn't remember it. Jack wasn't sure if it was foolish of him to trust the man. After all he had lied to Jack big time, not once, but twice, now. So why did he feel so trusting of him? He frowned and jumped out of his boots and stalked into the room Ianto had disappeared into.

The sight that greeted him was a magnificent one; the bedside table had been moved from its place and Ianto was bent over removing a loose tile right next to the bed, giving Jack a fantastic view.

Ianto straightened up and turned to face Jack holding what looked like a 30cm x 10cm box made of mahogany with smooth white pearls carved into it and golden lines forming some sort of rose on top and smaller ones on each side. It looked very much like something from the 19th century.

Ianto stroked the box lovingly. "You gave this to me. You had just come home from a mission in the 19th century. You said it was the most beautiful thing you had seen there." Ianto blushed? "'Just like you' you said."

Jack smiled. It was a true smile that reached his eyes.

Ianto opened the box and Jack saw that the box was lined with red velvet but that was not what caught Jack's eye. No, it was a C60 Denniss KTM (Key to Memories), Jon Denniss' newest Memory Key. It was a small black cube with one side curved inwards and Denniss' logo on top, glowing blue – the same shade of blue Ianto's eyes had looked back at the Hub, Jack noted.

Ianto picked up the KTM and laid his box carefully on the bed. Ianto walked up to Jack. Jack's eyes were still on the cube, the tiny thing that, according to Ianto, contained the memories of his two missing years. It was because of those memories he had met the Doctor and the fantastic Rose Tyler, become a better person and died for the first time. It was because of these lost memories he became immortal.

"Do you trust me?"

Ianto's words shook Jack out of his reverie. Ianto was looking – really looking – into his eyes. His heart was hammering in his chest. That was a big question. Did he? Did he trust Ianto? The man who had hidden his Cyber-girlfriend in his basement, lied about who he was, and was now claiming to be his lover from his past in the future (god! Time travel confuses your vocabulary) and whose Father had stolen two years of his memory because he didn't approve of their relationship. For all Jack knew he could be a Time Agent who was sent out to kill him (not that it would be too devastating) or capture him because they found out that he was immortal.

But the thing was there was something in Jack's gut that told him to trust this boy (that half an hour ago had been nothing more than his hot employee) and that spoke volumes to Jack. He had learned to trust his instincts over time and the little voice in his heart and head was shouting 'Of course!' So his reply was simple. "Yes."

Ianto smiled the most beautiful smile Jack had ever seen. His eyes seemed to sparkle but whether that was the lighting in the room or the fact that Ianto's eyes were beginning to water he didn't know.

"Alright" he said and led Jack to the bed and sat him down. He took Jack's right hand in his left and held the cube in his right. He aligned the curved side of the cube at the back of Jack's neck and kissed him softly on the cheek. "Ready?"

"Yeah" Jack whispered in reply.

Ianto pressed the logo on top of the cube with his index and middle finger and the cube sent a jolt of electricity through Jack. He passed out into Ianto's arms who caught him and laid him in his lap and started stroking his hair. Funny, thought Ianto, seemed their roles were reversed.

Behind Jack's eyes, two years worth of memories were telling him a love story.

"Jean! Jean, for fuck's sake get your skinny little arse down here!" Jack called to his partner who had been standing on top of the alien's cargo ship trying to get a better shot. He had missed and now two, very angry Cuditarians were chasing Jack who was running for his life. One of the five meters high purple, eight-legged slimy caterpillar-like creatures had managed to knock his guns out of his hands. Twice! The thing had knocked him down to the ground and now towered over him with foul breath and huge black eyes and fangs as big as Jack himself! He couldn't fucking believe this! For years he had fought many of the most dangerous creatures out there and here he was, about to get killed by a purple herbivore with almost two meters long teeth and high on Blissfulness!

Just as he was taking a long and deep breath, preparing himself for the ultimate sleep and thinking of how terrible his last words had been, two shots rang out.

Jack cracked one eye open and the creatures were gone, blasted away into nothingness. Now, instead of the purple vegetarian stood a very handsome young man dressed in black leather pants and a black t-shirt and wearing fitted calf-length black coat lined with red silk. He was pale and had black hair and beautifully blue eyes. Forget handsome this man was hot–pretty-handsome-sexy-beautiful all in one word. Definitely something Jack would consider fucking right then and there.

He holstered his sonic blasters and smiled down at Jack. He reached down and helped him stand up.

When on his feet Jack extended his hand for the stranger to shake. "Thanks. 'M Captain Jack Harkness and you are?"

The stranger took the offered hand and shook it. Firm handshake, soft hands, warm. Jack couldn't help but imagine those hands all over-on top-around-inside his body.

"Captain Jason Hafborn."

They were still holding hands when a few seconds later Jean came bouncing towards them. "Holy fucking shit, Jack I am so sorry!" Hands were released.

"Oh, Jack, who's your friend?" Jean said and grinned the way Jack always said made him look like a hyena as he looked Jason appreciatively up and down.

"Uh, Jean, this is Captain Jason Hafborn. Captain Hafborn this is my idiotic partner and incredibly lousy shot Captain Jean Hindé" For the first time since their encounter did Jason look away from him. He shook Jean's hand and turned his head to look at Jack again.

"Oh, well I wouldn't call him idiotic –a lousy shot, sure, - but idiotic he's not. He's the one who sent out the signal for back-up. Luckily I was close by on a personal errand" Jason said and smiled.

"Then I s'pose he gets a plus and I should thank him and buy him a drink?" in the background Jack could hear Jean begin his usual cheer of 'Yahaay!' but before he could, Jack continued "but since he's the one who got us into this mess in the first place I'm pretty sure he gets a minus too, soooo by my calculations he gets nothing" again –in the background- Jack could hear Jean say something like 'are you fucking kidding me?'

Jack grinned at Jason who grinned back "but then I have an extra drink to give someone..." Jack knew it was a fucking lousy come-on but, ah, fuck it! "Care to join me for a drink, Captain Hafborn?"

"Well, I don't know. I did save your life, you know. I'd appreciate it if you repaid in some way?" Jason leered.

Oh, dear fog, he's hot!

"Oh, I'm sure we can work out some sort of an arrangement" Jack said and flashed Jason a full-Harkness-grin. - Jack was on his fourth glass of Doctor's Orders and Jason on his second of Hyper Vodka. They were on the topic of the new remake of the James Bond movies or something of the sort (memory's a bit fuzzy) when Jack decided he'd had enough of rubbing the inside of Jason's thigh with his knee and leaned in for a kiss. Jason kissed back. Jack couldn't remember details of the kiss (again, fuzzy memory) but he could remember it was oh, so goooood. Jason was the one who broke the kiss off. They were both panting and half-hard. Jason let his hand ghost over Jack's crotch and bit on his neck lightly. "See you around, Captain Harkness" he said and walked out of the bar. Jack was still in a bit of a haze and his eyes were closed but when he opened them (about 2 seconds after Jason had bid his farewell) there was no sign of the other man.

Two weeks later Captain Jack Harkness was walking along the corridors of the Time Agency's headquarters. Walking along beside him was Captain Jasper Henderson explaining to him what to do and what not to do and what to expect on his next mission in his deep velvety voice. The other Captain had black hair and thick eyebrows and under them rested a pair of heavy dark brown eyes. Everything about the man seemed to be either big or heavy. Even Jack felt small beside the man. Captain Jasper Henderson was a man Jack did not want as his enemy. Jack was trying his hardest not to make this mission a personal one (the Hexxilies were planning on invading Boeshane for crying out loud!) as they walked past Captain Jeffory Hames' office they could hear muffled yelling. Suddenly Captain Henderson stopped his lecture and sighed. "Excuse me, Captain. I'll have to go deal with this. I'll be back in a moment." When Captain Henderson opened the door, Jack thought he caught a glimpse of a very familiar hot–pretty-handsome-sexy-beautiful figure. Jack wasn't very keen on listening in on his superiors' conversations but when it included a certain hot–pretty-handsome-sexy-beautiful someone, his curiosity got the better of him.

"...Ianto, sweetheart, stop. You sound like you're five years old again holding a grudge because you had to go to bed before your brother and sister" a voice Jack recognized as Captain Jeffory Hames' explained calmly. Ianto? Jack thought. Was there someone else in the room?

"No, I am not backing down. If you are able to send Brin out there then you're perfectly capable of sending me out there too!" came Jason's escalated voice.

"Yeah, you're right, we are. But this mission is very dangerous! And your brother's been doing this for a lot longer than you, he's been a Captain for six years. You haven't even been a Captain for three months!" came Henderson's deep voice. It was a stern tone that said 'no arguments'. Definitely a tone Jack would never want to be directed at him.

"I don't. Fucking. Care!" Jason shouted emphasising his words. Jack was taken rather aback by the tone Jason was using with his superiors. He's got balls!

"Ianto Jones, watch your language!" Hames shouted. Was he talking to Jason? Or Ianto? Was that perhaps Jason's real name? Ianto Jones?

"Sorry! But you're the one who's always reminding me to fight for what I think is right, to stand my ground, Dad!" Oh, of course! Jack mentally slapped himself. It was a well known fact that Henderson and Hames were partners and had children of their own (Jack didn't know how many) and some of them worked for the Agency as well as their fathers. And now that Jack thought about it was obvious that Ianto was their son, he was the image of Hames but had dark hair and a deep voice (but not quite as deep) like Henderson. Jack hadn't met Hames as often as he had met Henderson but the man was very handsome and had the same blue eyes as Ianto (a little more the shade of gray, though), the same pale skin, that slightly upturned nose and that warm smile. Hames was just like an older blond version of Jason. Or Ianto – or whatever his name was.

Besides no one would have spoken to Henderson or Hames like that unless they were family or very close friends. Jack was shaken out of his reverie when Henderson's raised voice became even deeper (how that was even possible, Jack had no idea).

"Exactly! You should stand your ground and stay put, boy! This is dangerous!"

"Father, I know that it's dangerous. I just want to look out for my brother" Ianto's voice was now calmer and not as raised (which made it difficult for Jack to hear). "And besides, with more men out there it won't be as dangerous!"

"Ianto, you're twenty years old. You are inexperienced –don't try to deny it- and with you out there, there will be one more man to look after" said Hames. Jack had a feeling that he was the voice of reason in the relationship.

"Well, fine! Have it your way, then!" Ianto's voice was hoarse and bitter.

"Oh, and Ianto? One Captain Jack Harkness will be waiting outside the office. Tell him I've told him all he needs to know and I'll see him tomorrow" Henderson said.

The door was harshly pulled open and out of the room stepped a fuming Ianto.

"Need a drink?" Jack asked and sent Ianto a look of understanding.

"Yeah."

As they sat down Jack ordered two Purple Oranges. Ianto shot him a questioning look since that was exactly what he was going to order.

"You were Broadcasting" Jack explained.

"Ah" Ianto said and took a sip of his drink.

"So" Jack began after a moment of silence "Jasper Henderson and Jeffory Hames' son, huh?"

"Yup."

"Tough life.

"You have no idea" Ianto said bitterly over the rim of his glass before taking a sip. "So, you're going on this mission, how long have you been Captain?"

"Uh, now for about, erm... almost 12 years now" Jack said and his eyebrows shot up to his hairline. That made him sound very old.

"Wow. How old are you?" There was nothing but innocent curiosity behind the question.

"I'm thirty-three. And you?"

"Twenty-one" Ianto said as he swirled the purple liquid in his glass.

"You're so young" Jack watched as Ianto gulped down the rest of his drink and let out a tiny hiss as the liquor burned his throat.

"Why do people keep saying that?" he more stated than asked bitterly.

"Because it's true" Jack put his hand on Ianto's arm "and there's nothing wrong with being young" he smiled reassuringly. The smile he received in return was small but warmed his heart none the less.

"I just feel so useless, you know?"

"Yeah I understand that feeling- no, really, I do" he said when Ianto gave him an incredulous look "but it seems to me like you've got two options. One; you hang around bars and try to drown your misery or Two; you do your best and try your hardest during every single mission that's thrown at you and show your old man what you're made of and you'll be on missions with us old chaps before you know it! Come on, Captain!" Jack said and nudged Ianto with his shoulder. "And let me tell you, from my experience; the second option works a lot better than the first" he winked.

Ianto chuckled "yeah, you're right. Thank you. Oh, and you can call me Ianto by the way" Ianto smiled.

"You're totally welcome. And you can call me Jack then. It's my real name, you know? My parents named me Jack. And my last name is Harkness. I was lucky I didn't have to change my name when I was recruited, I'd never remember any of the aliases."

"Alrighty then, Jack. Well, I better get home and get some sleep. So should you. Big day tomorrow." Ianto pulled him in for a kiss. This time Jack could remember it all. Ianto's lips were soft and warm against his own. It felt heavenly when their tongues danced and fought for dominance. Ianto bit on Jack's lower lip and then pulled away. "Good luck" he said and exited the bar.

This was the second time that Ianto Jones left Jack Harkness behind in a bar, half-hard and dazed. When Jack got back home he had a nice wank in the shower with images of Ianto doing things to him floating in his mind.

The next day was tragic. Catastrophic, even.

When the team was inside the Tranaan-ship (26 Agents, including Jack and Jean) the crew of Titanic no. 71 decided not to be co-operative.

The Hexxilies put up one hell of a fight, he'd give them that. Using everything from guns and blasters to something like water-balloons filled with some sort of liquid chemical.

The Agents showed no mercy. All of the Hexxilies were killed (2 male commanders, 7 scientists – four female, three male-, 20 male guards, and 36 with unidentified titles – 8 female, 28 male).

Total loss of Agents: 7 (6 male, 1 female).

He lost Jean.

They had been partners for almost 3 years now and best friends for just as long.

Jack had been kneeling behind some sort of table next to another Captain; Captain Jones Hann. They were fighting against three Hexxilies with sonic blasters. Jean was across the room (about 15 meters away) having trouble fighting off one of the green-and-yellow humanoid creature. Hand-to-hand combat.

Jack stood up and ran across the room to help his best friend. He could hear Captain Henderson's shouts telling him to get his (pretty little) arse back and help Captain Hann. Jack ignored him, and when he was about 5 meters away from Jean he could hear a small explosion behind him and before him he could see another Hexxily approaching Jean and the other Hexxily. At this point there were not more than 6 Hexxilies left standing. The approaching Hexxily shot one shot with a weapon Jack couldn't name before Jack could even lift his gun.

Jean fell to the ground covered in blood.

Jack didn't hesitate and shot each Hexxily once. He ran to his best friend who was heaving in ragged breaths and bleeding out way too fast.

There was no way to save him now and Jack knew that.

Jack sat down on the floor and lifted his friend's body into his lap. He was only half-aware of the other Agents eliminate the rest of the Hexxilies as Jean grabbed his hand and said (hoarsely, like a man that had just spent five days in the desert of Carechan without any form of liquid) "I knew I should have fucked you when I had the chance".

Jack laughed lamely as a pair of tears fell down from his eyes.

"Maybe you can when I join you later."

Jean smiled.

It was the last thing he did.

Jean died with a smile on his face. Jack supposed that was something.

Jack wiped his eyes (smearing blood in his face while he did) and looked up.

Captain Henderson was kneeling beside the burnt body of the Agent Jack had fought beside just five minutes prior. Captain Jones Hann. Captain Henderson was whispering (but loudly enough for Jack to hear) 'no, no, no, no, no' over and over again and, if Jack wasn't mistaken, there were tears in his eyes.

Oh, sweet fog, no...

Shit!

This must be the Captain's son.

Ianto's brother.

And Jack had just abandoned him to fight on his own. Captain Henderson knew this and now Jack's life would become nothing more than pure misery.

Captain Henderson looked up at Jack with the most deadly glare Jack had ever seen.

It was around 2am when Jack walked the corridors of the Time Agency's headquarters. They were not deserted like most would be. There was always someone around, it seemed.

Jack had just been to New Rome (via Vortex Manipulator) to visit Jean's mother, Trisja. She was one of those women who simply looked beautiful despite her age. She was around 75 years old with the same tanned skin as Jean's but with white hair and eyes almost purple. She had sobbed like a baby in Jack's arms when he had told her her only son had passed away. He had answered honestly when she had asked how he died (when she asked of his last words and Jack told her she had said "Hah! That's my Khaan, a lot like his father, that boy" before sobbing some more).

Now Jack hung his head and walked along the hallways that right then seemed so haunted. When he walked past Jeffory Hames' office, the door opened to reveal the man himself. "Captain, can I talk to you for a moment?"

His eyes were red and puffy, as were Jack's, no doubt, and the blue colour seemed to glow. He nodded and stepped inside his office.

Jack was expecting Captain Henderson waiting for him in Hames' office, ready with a sonic blaster and ready to kill him. But there were no Captains with guns in Hames' office (well, none directed at Jack, that is). It was only Jack and Hames.

Jeffory stood behind his desk and took a deep breath.

"I know it may not look like it right now but Jasper doesn't really blame you, you know" Hames began. And he was absolutely correct, it definitely didn't look like Henderson didn't blame him. "It's just the way he is; if he gets angry he takes it out on anybody but himself. He would never admit it, but he would have done exactly the same thing if it was his partner fighting for his life across the room" Hames said and gave him a small smile, one he had seen on Ianto. "I think I speak for my whole family when I say that all of us are angry but none of us is angry at you."

"Right. Thank you." Jack said and smiled what was barely a smile, just a small upturn of his lips.

"Well, you deserved to know. We don't want unnecessary guilt eating up our best Agents" before Jack could begin to respond to that he was dismissed. "Now, go, deal with your loss."

"Yes, sir."

Jack exited the office and hurried outside. He needed air.

Once outside he slid down with his back against the wall and rested his head on his knees. He was feeling so much right now. Grief-sorrow-anger-frustration-guilt-loss.

Jack could sense that he was not alone and as he looked up he saw a puffy-eyed Ianto. His blue eyes looked even more breathtaking then Hames' did earlier. The grief was evident on his face and in his eyes. He reached out a hand to Jack.

Jack took the offered hand and let Ianto help him stand up. When he was their faces were mere centimetres apart.

Jack couldn't remember which one of them initiated the kiss (although he was pretty sure that it wasn't him) but they kissed just as passionately and hungrily as the other. Jack's tongue slid into Ianto's mouth exploring and mapping. Tasting.

Jack had Ianto pressed against the wall. He slid his knee between Ianto's legs pressing his thigh against Ianto's growing erection. Ianto moaned into the kiss and said something along the lines of "my place". Jack wasn't sure of the exact words but the message was clear.

Ianto's fingers clawing into his back, marking him.

Ianto's hot breath against his ear-neck-face-chest.

Ianto shuddering and shouting Jack's name as he came.

Waking up in the morning with Ianto was incredible. The boy was adorable when he slept. He looked even younger than he was in his sleep – or maybe he just looked older than he was in his wake?

They ate and talked over breakfast.

"I lost my little brother when I was a boy" Jack said. What the hell had possessed him to confess it he had no clue. He hadn't told many people this little information about his past. He had told John Hart and Jean, but no one else. He had heard of this sort of instant connection before but never in his life would he have thought that he would reveal his past to someone he had met three times and slept with the night before.

Ianto looked at him with eyes full of understanding.

"I lost my big sister when I was eight" he smiled sadly "my parents were devastated when Christi died. She was the oldest of the three of us. She was seventeen years old and quite the rebel. She refused to join the Agency no matter how much my Father pestered her." Ianto chuckled. "She was my idol. Of course there was Brin, but he was too much like my Father and always did what he said. Not Christi, she was the family's black sheep in my Father's eyes. I think my Dad found it quite amusing, though, how different they were." Ianto was smiling at a memory far away. "While my Father wanted to fight for justice with as much weapons as he could bear, Christi fought with her heart. That's what Dad used to say to me. With her heart." The smile on Ianto's face faded away and he looked in Jack's eyes – really looked – "She died when she and her boyfriend were protesting the destruction of Finitii. There was a fight" Ianto's voice cracked a little "uh, between two gangs, the Chameleons and Paradoxx. She was caught in the middle. Both her and her boyfriend were shot" a sob escaped Ianto's throat and Jack grabbed his hand in reassurance. "My parents were so devastated, and now Brin's gone too and there's nothing I can do." Ianto was now sobbing in Jack's arms.

"That's not true" Jack stroked Ianto's hair. "You can stay strong for your parents – and that does not mean to lock it all away somewhere and not deal with. Just try and be careful and watch out for yourself. This is dangerous business, though, and I'm sure your parents knew exactly what you kids were getting yourselves into when you signed up."

"I suppose it's true what they say" Ianto began "about the older the wiser."

"Are you calling me old?" Jack asked mocked-offended.

"I'm calling you wise but take it anyway you like it" Ianto deadpanned.

Jack chuckled. Moments passed in a companionable silence.

"What was his name, your brother?"

"Gray." Jack's voice was full of remorse.

Ianto took his hand and rubbed soothing circles at the back of it. Jack smiled up at him. "There are only two people I've told this. I'm not really one for pouring my heart out..."

When Ianto saw that Jack wasn't going to continue he said "In my experience it gets easier if you talk about it, but it has to be someone you trust." He sat up and looked - really looked - into Jack's eyes and put his hands on either side of Jack's face. He leaned into the touch. "And I'll be here, ready to listen, if you want me to" Ianto said and kissed him softly on the lips.

A week later found Jack in Ianto's arms as he told, in more detail than ever before, the story of Gray.

Four months later Jack emerged from the en-suite bathroom, naked as the day he was born looking a little sheepish.

"Can I borrow some clothes... again?" Jack asked. "Please?" He added when Ianto sent him a look.

"Jack, it'd be a lot easier if you just brought some spare clothes over here, you know" Ianto said as he tossed a t-shirt and baggy trousers at him. Probably the only thing that fitted Jack of Ianto's clothes.

"Yeah, I know, but it's... oh, bringin' them here and then taking them back, it's just..." he sighed.

"Alright, so move in then" Ianto said like it was the most natural thing in the world. Oblivious to the fact that Jack was looking at him wide-eyed, he didn't even look at him, as he picked out his clothes for the day.

"Uh... Okay" was the only thing Jack was able to utter. Ianto's proposal had taken Jack completely by surprise. They hadn't really talked about these sorts of things but apparently they hadn't really had to. Jack gave Ianto a sloppy kiss and got dressed.

"Shouldn't you have introduced me to your parents by now?" Jack asked as he watched Ianto. He was sat on the bed cleaning his (personal favourite) 32nd century revolver with a frown on his face. This was the one firearm in Ianto's possession Jack was not allowed to touch.

"You have been introduced to my parents" he said, still frowning and focusing on stroking the gun with a cloth with great care. If Jack could be jealous of an object (which he definitely wasn't) this would be it.

"Yeah, but not by you and not as your partner. I don't even know your parents' real name."

Ianto sighed "my Dad's name is Shane and my Father's name is Andriv" and continued his thorough cleaning process.

"Have you even told your parents that we're together?"

"My Dad knows" Ianto said. "I don't know if he's told my Father or not."

Jack sat beside Ianto on the bed. "We've been together for just under seven months now and you're telling me that your Father doesn't know?" He couldn't help the hurt that was evident in his voice. Was Ianto ashamed of their relationship?

Ianto sighed again and laid the revolver carefully in his lap.

"Jack, it's not that I'm embarrassed or ashamed or whatever it is you're thinking," he laid his hand over Jack's "it's just... my Father, well, you know what he's like. I'm just not sure he'd be so happy about this bec—"

"Because of what happened on Titanic no. 71" Jack finished for him. "I see" he said bitterly.

"Look, Jack," Ianto grabbed both of his hands "We both know that it wasn't your fault and you need to remember that. You were simply at the wrong place at the wrong time so to speak. He doesn't have any real reason for blaming you and everyone can see that except for him it seems."

Jack nodded.

"Just give me time. We'll tell him when the time is right, yeah?"

"Yeah."

Five weeks later found Jack and Ianto breathless with their weapons in the air, a dead alien on the ground. There had been an unsuspected attack on New New York and both men had come very close to receiving a fatal blow.

With adrenaline pumping through their veins Jack shouldn't have been so surprised when Ianto turned to him and said "I love you"- but he was. He just gaped at Ianto and Ianto continued "I'm not going to keep on waiting for you to say it first like I have for what feels like eternity. So here it is; I fucking love you Jack Harkness!"

Jack felt as if his heart was on fire and was going to jump to out of his body.

"I love you too. I've been waiting for you to say it first for months now!" He grabbed the lapels of Ianto's coat and dragged him in for a deep kiss.

All this right in front of about 40 other Time Agents.

"Ianto Mecalyon Ta Jones!"

Ianto cringed at his Father's harsh tone. He and Jack turned around to be greeted by the fuming face of Captain Jasper Henderson or, more likely, Andriv Jones.

"Inside. Now!" He said and disappeared into his office.

As they made their way towards the Captain's office Jack leaned towards Ianto and whispered "You think now would be a good time to tell him?"

"I have a feeling he already knows" Ianto said and swallowed.

When they entered the office the Captain had his back to them but turned around when the door closed and when he spotted Jack he yelled "Oh, no! You- get out!"

"No, Jack's not going anywhere" Ianto grabbed Jack's arm before he could even think about turning around and exiting the office "I have a feeling that whatever you were going to say to me concerns him to."

"Yeah, and you'd be absolutely right" Henderson glared at Jack. "Apparently you two have become the hottest topic of office-cafeteria-and-field-gossip. All in two hours! Care to enlighten me why?"

Ianto face was a portrait of pure mock-innocence. "I suppose it could have something to do with us declaring our love for each other and one very hot make-out session in front of 46 Time Agents and a dead alien."

Jack was pretty certain that the vein in Henderson's head was about to explode.

"How long has this been going on?" His voice dropped dangerously low.

"We were first together the night Brin died so... eight months now."

The silence that filled the room could've been sliced with a laser. Jasper said "And it never crossed your mind to tell us this, I may ask?"

"Well, may I ask you if it never crossed your mind to ask?" To Jack it was like looking at like two stubborn children in a staring contest. "Dad knows. I told him when he asked if I was seeing anybody when Jack and I had been together for barely a month. Apparently I looked happier."

"Why didn't Shane tell me this?" Jasper muttered to himself. "Why didn't you tell me this?"

"Because I knew you'd react... well, like you are now!" Ianto swatted his hand in his Father's direction.

"Maybe I wouldn't have if you'd told me earlier!"

"Oh, don't fool yourself!" This was becoming a verbal tennis match, Jack thought. "You would have been livid if I'd have told you that I was seeing the man that you unreasonably hold responsible for my brother's death mere weeks after he passed away!"

"Unreasonably?" Henson shouted.

"Yes, unreasonably!" Ianto shouted back. "You should be glad that Jack moved out of way because the Hexxilies would have thrown the explosion device anyway and you would have lost eight Agents instead of seven if he hadn't!"

"Well, Jack could have dragged my son across the room with him!"

"And Jack is standing right here and has an opinion!" Jack said. If his lover and his Father were going to be talking about him then he'd appreciate not being ignored. Both heads turned to look at him.

"First of all" Jack continued "if I had pulled Brin with me we'd have become an obvious target for the Hexxilies and they would have thrown the explosive device at us wherever we were" the hand that had rested against Jack's arm slid down and their fingers entwined "and secondly I had no idea that they had explosive devices." Jack was careful not to raise his voice… too much.

Ianto squeezed his hand. "What's done is done, Andriv, and I hope you're not stupid enough to go and try to change it." Ianto said and stormed out of the office leaving Jack alone with the other Captain.

"I'd have thought that you'd fight harder to keep the last of your children happy" Jack stated as he started to exit the office but stopped in the doorway as Andriv called his name.

"Jack." They locked eyes. "Don't hurt my boy. Like you said; there's only him left and gods help you if you hurt him I will come after you." The Captain's voice was rasp and threatening.

"I assure you I have no intention of hurting your son." The idea of him hurting Ianto caused a lump to form in his throat.

"Good. See that you don't."

"Happy anniversary!" Jack said in a sing-song voice as he dropped a present in front of Ianto who was sitting at his oak desk going over paperwork from a previous mission.

He looked up wide-eyed and Jack kissed him. He just simply looked too adorable not to do so. "Hi, welcome home."

"Thank you" Jack smiled and kissed Ianto again. "Open it" Jack nodded his head in the direction of the present.

Ianto ripped off the wrapping and held in his hand a box Jack had picked up on a mission in the 19th century. It was made out of mahogany and was decorated with gold lines and pearls that formed roses on each side and the top.

"Bought this in the 19th century. It was simply the most beautiful thing I saw there..." Jack paused. "Just like you." Ianto blushed.

"Wow. This is incredible, thank you." Ianto said and kissed him deeply. "I didn't get you anything, 'm sorry..."

"No need to be sorry. I've got the best thing in the world."

"A fine arse?" Ianto asked grinning and pinched said arse.

"You." Jack pulled Ianto into a hungry kiss. "So, should we celebrate my coming home and our one year anniversary properly?" Jack leered and wiggled his eyebrows.

"Definitely..." Ianto replied in a husky voice and dragged Jack by his collar towards the bedroom.

"Ouch!" Ianto yelped when he hit his head on the shelf below the mirror in the bathroom.

"The loose tile?" Jack's voice asked from the bedroom.

"No, the fucking shelf... Again!" Ianto complained as he stepped into the bedroom rubbing his head.

Over the last two months both men had been complaining about various things in various areas of the apartment.

"I've had enough of this shit" Ianto said as he sat down beside Jack who was dressed in nothing but trousers and one sock.

"Yeah, me too" Jack said. "Hey! Why what'd you say we buy a house together?" He smiled at Ianto in a way that made his heart swell.

"T-together? As in a joint property?" Ianto asked wide-eyed.

"Yeah, why not? We've been together for, what, a year and four months?" Ianto nodded. "I love you and you love me, right?"

"Yes, of course!" Ianto said quickly.

"Okay, so what's the problem, then?" Jack asked and took Ianto's hands.

"Nothing, I suppose" Ianto said and smiled a little shyly.

"Alright, then" Jack said and smiled back.

Jack and Ianto bought the third house they checked out two weeks later.

It took them another two weeks to finish moving in. Ianto had told his Dad about them buying a house together and asked him to pass the news along and tell his Father.

Shane had told them he was happy for them and even dropped by for a visit once. He had not told them how Andriv had taken the news but when Ianto asked he had just said "Oh, Ianto, sweetheart, your Father is just being as stubborn as ever."

Two months later.

Ianto was standing in front of the full-length mirror in their bedroom stark naked when Jack came home.

"Now, that's a way to greet a man after a long day at work!" Jack chuckled. He walked behind his lover and slid his hands around his waist kissing a trail from his shoulder and up to his jaw.

Jack couldn't decide what feelings were dancing across Ianto's eyes. It was something like a mix of joy, anticipation and fear.

"Everything alright?" Jack asked and their eyes met in the mirror.

"I think so, yeah" Ianto said and smiled. He turned around to face Jack and took his hands from his waist and held them in his own, entwining their fingers. Ianto's eyes looked like they were shining from happiness.

"Jack, I'm pregnant." Ianto said.

Jack's smile grew wider and wider and wider until the muscles in his face hurt. "You're serious?" Ianto nodded and Jack let out a bark of gleeful laughter. Jack took Ianto's face in his hands and pressed their lips together and hoped that all the happiness he was feeling was evident in that kiss. Ianto chuckled as well and yelped as Jack pushed him down on the bed. He straddled Ianto's hips and kissed butterfly kisses all over his face and neck as Ianto giggled.

When Jack had sobered up enough he rolled on his side and propped up on his elbow and rested his head in his hand facing Ianto who smiled happily up at him.

"So, how far along are you?"

"Not far. The doctor said sixteen days" Ianto's smile seemed to light up the whole room.

Jack reached for Ianto's face and stroked his cheek lovingly with his thumb. "Have I told you I love you more than life itself?"

"No, but I think my hormonal self will appreciate you saying it a lot in a few months time" Ianto chuckled.

"Alright, but I'm going to start early anyway" Jack said and let his hand slide from Ianto's face and down to rest on his stomach.

"You are happy about this, aren't you?" Ianto asked a little hesitantly.

"Of course I am!" Jack said and kissed his nose. "Although, I'm a little surprised that it hasn't happened sooner with the way we've been at it" he said with a frown on his face.

"I've been buying 'baby-proof' lube" Ianto's face turned into a mock-scowl "and it's always been in the top drawer of the bedside table until seventeen days ago. Do you remember who did the shopping then?"

Jack chuckled "No, but I'm assuming it was me?"

"Correct" Ianto chuckled.

Jack pushed Ianto onto his back once more and continued the kissing session but it was more heated than before.

He was happy.

Jack and Ianto were sat on a white 29th century couch in Shane and Andriv Jones' house. The latter was not at home (Ianto had contacted his Dad before they left the house just to make sure).

"So, what's it you wanted to tell me, then?" Shane asked as he sat down on a brown 19th century-styled armchair opposite them.

The couple was sat very close together – they almost looked like one person – and Jack was holding Ianto's hands in his and they were rested in the older man's lap.

They looked at each other and Jack smiled reassuringly at his lover.

"I'm pregnant, Dad" Ianto said and smiled happily.

"That's fantastic!" Shane stood up hurriedly and rushed to his son's side taking his face in his hands and kissing him three times on his cheeks (left-right-left). This was something Ianto had told Jack was his Dad's way of congratulating him, whether it was good grades in the Academy or being promoted to Captain.

Shane then shifted and kissed Jack once on the mouth. He then looked at Jack and frowned and looked at Ianto asking "It is Jack's, isn't it?"

"Yes!" He said looking incredulously at his Dad.

"Alright then!" He said and smiled and patted Jack on the cheek (rather harshly) "Good boy" ruffling Jack's hair. He felt like a dog.

Shane sat down on the table in front of the couch and gave his son a soft smile. "How far along are you?"

"Twenty days now" Ianto said and mirrored his Dad's smile.

"Almost three weeks then?"

"Yeah."

Shane's face suddenly turned serious. "So, I take it you want me to tell your Father?"

"Yes. If he can't take the news of me and Jack together like a decent human being then I don't know how the hell he'll take to me carrying his child" Ianto said sadly but determinately.

Jack squeezed Ianto's hands in what he hoped was a comforting way.

"So," Shane said after a moment of silence "have you discussed when you're going to get out of the field?"

"Yeah, but we've not reached a decision, though, because I want to stay in the field as long as I'm able—"

"And I want him to get out of there as soon as possible" Jack shot in quickly. They locked eyes. The fight had been terrible but the make-up sex had been incredible.

"Ianto, I have to tell you that I agree with Jack. Your job is dangerous at the best of times and you'd be risking a lot more than just your own life, sweetheart."

"I realize that, Dad, I really do. It's just I'd feel so useless sitting around a desk typing up files or sorting out the Archives or whatever" Ianto said and leaned into Jack who did the familiar gesture of rubbing circles with his thumb on the back of his hand.

"I understand, son. I felt the same way when I was pregnant with Christi and so I stayed in the field and I came so close to losing her I immediately quit doing fieldwork. And when I found out I was pregnant with Brin and then you I went back to doing a desk job as soon as I could. I won't lie to you, there were days when I thought it was the most boring thing I had ever done in my life but in return you were born in one piece" Shane said and smiled.

Ianto sighed in defeat. "You're right. The baby will be much safer if I leave the field but you" he said and pointed a finger at Jack "will have to tell me everything in as much detail as possible."

"Yes, sir!" Said Jack and brought his hand up in a salute and kissed Ianto on the forehead. "Thank you."

"So what's it like working at a desk then?" Jack whispered in his ear as he snuck up behind Ianto. He was sat in an office chair behind the desk that he had been assigned.

Ianto sighed. "I've been here three hours and I'm so bored I feel like dying!" He whined.

Jack chuckled. "I'm sure it's not that bad..."

"Well, if you're so sure why don't we reverse roles then?"

"If it were possible I would, in a heartbeat, if it'd make you happy" Jack said solemnly.

Ianto smiled at him, grabbed his chin between his thumb and index finger and pulled Jack in for a quick kiss. "I am happy" he said and smiled.

"Four weeks down, only 26 more to go."

Ianto gave Jack a so-not-amused look.

Ianto had applied for a temporary desk job since it was supposed to be safe for their child.

It wasn't.

When Ianto had been working at a desk for a week he was five weeks along.

The people who worked in the Documental Department (desk jobs and Archives) were situated in the West Wing of the Time Agency's headquarters in Whiteacre Bay, the Science and Medical Labs were in the North part of the building, the Technical Department in the South end while Agents and everyone who had anything to do with work in the fields were based in the East Wing.

Jack had just gotten back from a mission in New Rome. It had been a relatively easy one except for when the alien (who had been planning on going to Barcelona but had taken a wrong turn) exploded and the six Agents that had been sent out had been covered in Galvatorian entrails.

He had showered and gotten rid of most of the smell and was exiting the locker rooms when the building shook.

"What the fuck was that?" His partner Captain Johan Hidd exclaimed.

"D'no, Emmytt in Science probably blew up another Syink" Jack said and shrugged. He wasn't worried at all, it had happened before.

"Didn't sound like that last time" Johan said.

Jack frowned. "No, you're right."

"Jack!" Shane came running towards them looking terrified.

"What? What is it?"

He was panting. "The-" breath "the West Wing has just been attacked." Shane's voice broke.

Jack felt like someone had just stabbed him in the stomach. "Ianto."

Shane nodded and they started running in the direction of the West Wing.

The sight that greeted them was terrifying.

And this time it was Jack's heart that was stabbed.

The floor was covered in rubble and dust. Almost whole of the West wall was gone so the outside was visible and flames were licking the walls, reaching up towards the ceiling. Luckily there was not much fire but there was a lot of smoke.

Jack could see the doctors' white lab coats swarming around checking on people, dragging them from under pieces of rubble.

"Ianto?" Jack called out for his lover. "Ianto?" he called again when there was no reply. Ianto grabbed one of the doctors by the arm and asked him "Have you seen Captain Jason Hafborn anywhere?"

The doctor shook his head and hurried to help someone trapped under his desk.

Jack could hear Shane calling out for Ianto as well and he even thought he heard Andriv's deep voice calling for his son.

Jack kept calling out his lover's name but received no answer until he was at the small part of the West wall that had not been blown up.

"Jack?"

"Ianto!" Jack shouted as he spotted his partner sitting in the corner, one hand on the back of his head and the other one on his stomach.

Oh, gods, no.

He crouched down beside Ianto and rested his hand on the one was resting on Ianto's abdomen. "Are you okay, did you hit your head?" Jack asked afraid to ask anything concerning their child.

"Yeah, I was thrown across the room in the explosion and into the wall and hit my head, I think it knocked me out for a while" Ianto cringed.

"Okay, we'll get you checked out. Can you stand up?"

Ianto was shaking his head frantically and he looked up at Jack with tears in his eyes. "Jack, it hurts. My stomach, it hurts. It can't be... I mean she has to be okay, right?"

This was breaking Jack's heart. "She?"

"Yeah, the doctor told me at our last appointment. I didn't want to tell you 'cause I wanted it to be a surprise" Ianto said through his tears. "Jack, tell me... just promise me she's going to be alright?"

This was a position Jack did not want to be in. "Ianto, love, you know I can't promise you that..." Ianto resumed shaking his head and gasped in pain. "Can we get a doctor over here?" Jack voice rang across the room.

It wasn't long (although it seemed like eternity to Jack as his lover cried so helplessly on his shoulder) until a doctor appeared at their side.

"Where are you hurt, sir?"

When Ianto said nothing but just kept weeping on his shoulder Jack said "uh, he was, uh, thrown across the room in the explosion and hit his head and he, uh, thinks he might have passed out for a while."

The doctor nodded and was going to do a scan of Ianto's head with an x-ray laser when Jack grabbed his arm and said "He's pregnant. Please, can you make sure our daughter is alright?" He pleaded.

"How far along is he?" the doctor quickly scanned Ianto's head. "Head seems fine, just a small wound" he said mostly to himself.

"Uh, five weeks. Please tell me she's alright?" Jack's own eyes were starting to water.

"I'm sorry, sir. If your child was hurt in the explosion there's nothing I can do. I'm sorry, sir, but right now I want to make sure your partner's alright and I will do everything I can to save your child as well if there's something to be done." The doctor and Jack pulled Ianto onto his feet who whimpered in pain.

"Jack, I know she's gone. I just know it—" Ianto whispered into Jack's shoulder.

"Shh, shh, shh. No, no. Don't talk like that. But if she is gone then that is just something we'll have to get through together but don't give up on hope just yet, love" Jack whispered back.

Jack and the doctor carried Ianto between them into the Medical Labs where they laid him on an exam table. Ianto had stopped crying and was now staring blankly at the ceiling. His face showed no expression, portrayed no feelings. There was no hurt, no anger, not even any trace of grief and it hurt Jack to look at his young lover.

Because that's what he was. Young.

And now he looked so young and vulnerable. He was too young to have experienced the losses he had. Jack prayed to whatever god might have been listening that the loss of their unborn daughter wouldn't be added to that list.

Jack grabbed his lover's hand and felt so relieved when Ianto squeezed back as the doctor placed a Plubber (a thin layer of Palanitonian rubber) on Ianto's bare stomach.

The Plubber adjusted itself to every curve of Ianto's body until it was fully aligned with Ianto's abdomen.

The doctor then grabbed a PDA and read the readings with a frown on his face. He walked up to Ianto and removed the Plubber.

Jack helped his lover sit up on the table with his feet dangling off the edge. They were still holding hands and Ianto entwined their fingers.

"Your head is fine" the doctor began as he turned around to look at the couple. There was still a frown on his face. "You will probably experience some dizziness over the next couple of days."

"And what about our daughter?" Jack asked.

The doctor hesitated a little before continuing. "I'm very sorry."

This was when Jack's heart tore in two. He could feel Ianto go limp in his arms as a small whimper escaped his throat.

"Apparently the, uh, impact with the wall was too much and the foetus probably died almost instantly. I'm afraid there would have been no way to save your daughter."

Jack held Ianto and rocked him back and forth as he shook and silent tears slid down his face.

"You'll probably experience nausea, light headiness and exhaustion for one or perhaps two weeks. You will also experience a bad stomach ache but your body will repair itself and in two or three weeks there will be no trace of the foetus. I'll leave you two alone now and go help in the West Wing." The doctor turned and left the room.

Now Jack's own silent tears joined Ianto's in grief. Jack stroked his young lover's hair and whispered "it's going to be alright. I promise you we'll get through this, love. It's gonna be okay."

Once again they were sat in the white couch in Shane and Andriv's house. The same one that they had been sitting on when they told Shane that Ianto was pregnant. It physically hurt just to think about it.

Andriv was not at home (of course, they'd never have agreed to come otherwise), he had stayed at the Agency to try and find out who had attacked the Whiteacre headquarters.

"Here, drink this" Shane said as he put two cups of steaming liquid in front of them.

"What is it?" Jack asked.

"It's called Earl Grey. A friend of mine picked it up in the 22nd century for me shortly after Christi died" he said and gave them a watery smile as he took a sip from his own cup and sat down on the table in front of them. "It really does help."

"Thanks" Ianto whispered as Jack passed him one of the cups. Jack kissed his temple.

Jack took a sip. It was strange, but not unpleasant, sort of sweetened herbal taste. It warmed his insides and Shane was right, it truly did help ease some of the pain he was feeling inside.

"I..." Shane began after a while of silence "Ianto, I haven't told your father yet. About the pregnancy, I mean" Ianto looked up at that. "He hasn't been around much lately and we haven't really had the chance to sit down and talk." Shane put down his cup and reached out for one of Ianto's hands. He took his right hand, while Jack was holding his left, and held it between both of his own hands. "Sweetheart, I think you should talk to him about this yourself," Ianto was about to protest so Shane shushed him "no, Ianto, listen to me. Your Father would understand what you're feeling better than I. You see, I've never had miscarriage but your Father has" he smiled sadly at his son.

"When was this?" Ianto asked surprised.

"About five or six years after I had Brin. Your Father said that since I had carried both of our children he thought it was only fair that he carry the next" Shane smiled at a memory far away. "It was so selfless and it was so sweet" the smile faded "but about three weeks after we found out he was pregnant he had miscarriage. Just like that. The doctors said it was just Nature's way of telling us something wasn't quite right. Your Father felt that the doctor was telling him that he was not supposed to carry children and no matter how much I told him that was not what he had meant, he wouldn't listen." Jack was having trouble picturing that tough and scary Captain as the fragile creature Shane was describing. "He drowned himself in work and I thought I'd lost him until a few months later when you came into the picture. He looked over the moon when I told him I was pregnant once again and couldn't stop smiling for days." Shane smiled and chuckled. Jack was glad to see that Ianto's lips were also turned upwards.

"I don't think I can do it, Dad. I haven't had an actual conversation with my Father since I was twelve! Over the years it seems like we can't speak to each other without raising our voices" Ianto said sadly. The smile was gone.

"Well, it's time to try and fix that, then. Am I right?" Shane didn't wait for an answer just patted Ianto's hand and retreated into the kitchen taking with him his half-finished cup of Earl Grey.

"C'mon" Jack said as he lowered himself so he was lying on the couch with Ianto lying between his feet, on his chest. "So, are you going to talk to your Father?" He asked as he began stroking his partner's hair.

Ianto sighed and looked up at Jack who looked down. "I'm not sure. On one hand I think it'd do me good to talk to someone who has gone through the same thing but on the other I really really don't want to talk to him about it."

"I understand" Jack reached down to kiss the top of Ianto's head. "And I don't think you have to decide what you want to do right at this very moment. But just think about it, yeah?"

"Yeah" Ianto agreed as he curled up into Jack.

Jack wasn't sure how long he had been asleep or even when he had fallen asleep. Ianto was still sound asleep on his chest, snoring lightly. It made Jack smile.

Jack then just realized what had woken him up.

"Calm down, love. Don't wake them up" Shane spoke calmly.

"Calm down? I will ask again, what is that man doing in my house?" Andriv asked. Jack could hear that he was angry but he still had clearly listened to Shane and was keeping his voice down.

"That man happens to be your son's partner, Andriv!"

Ianto stirred a little so Jack covered his ear (the one that was not buried in his chest) with his hand. His partner was exhausted and Jack didn't want him to wake up to his parents fighting.

"I just want my son... safe" Andriv's voice reminded Jack of a contrabass.

"Do you want him safe or do you just want to keep him within arm's reach?" Andriv let out a puff of air but Shane continued. "Look, Ianto and Jack are going through something very difficult right now and I think you could possibly help them out. But that means you'll have to listen to them and you'll have to get that attitude of yours under control because if you don't then they'll never tell you what's wrong."

"Fine. But if that man does anything – I mean anything – that get's m' boy hurt then there is nothing keeping me from coming after 'im" Andriv growled and Jack could hear him go upstairs via the lift.

Shane walked back into the room where Jack and Ianto lay. He picked up Jack and Ianto's discarded cups before turning around and seeing Jack looking at him.

"Heard all that did you?"

Jack nodded.

"Yeah, sorry about that. But, don't worry. It's all just empty threats" he said and smiled. He suddenly looked at the sleeping form of his son with a concerned look "he didn't hear, did he?"

"No, I think he's so exhausted he could sleep through an invasion" Jack said and gave a soft laugh and let his lips brush the top of Ianto's head, burying his nose in his lover's hair and breathing in his unique scent.

"Yes, well, I wouldn't be surprised" Shane said and resumed his usual position of sitting on the table. He put down the cups and looked -really looked- into his eyes the way Ianto did. "Anyway, how are you holding up?"

"I..." Jack began "I've been better" he gave a sad smile and received an understanding smile in return.

"I know exactly how you feel. But this is just one of these things that you have to get through and perhaps, in the future, you can keep trying. Mind you I don't find the idea of your grandchildren appalling" Shane deadpanned.

Jack's chuckle was low. "My, my, Mister Jones, you are doing an excellent job inflating my ego."

"To be quite frank with you, Jack, I really don't think your ego needs any further inflation" he said with a serious expression.

"I'll take that as a compliment, thank you." Jack said and added "And anyway, we weren't trying for a baby. It was just my turn to do the grocery shopping."

Shane threw his head back in laughter. "And for that exact same reason is a creature asleep in your lap" he said, stood up and exited the room.

Ianto then woke up and stared blurry-eyed at Jack.

"And Sleeping Beauty awakes" Jack said softly as he kissed Ianto's nose. "Your Father was here earlier."

Ianto sat up. "Really? And?"

"Well, he doesn't know, if that's what you're asking. Your Dad is leaving that part to us" Jack smiled at his partner in what he hoped was a reassuring way.

Ianto sighed. "We will tell him together, won't we?"

Jack frowned at Ianto and sat up. "Are you afraid to tell your Father?"

"No, not afraid exactly... it's just I think I'd feel a lot better if you were there to hold my hand. But I totally understand if you think I should do it by my—"

"Oh, no, no, no. Ianto I won't let you do this all by yourself. I love you- more than life itself- and I will be damned if I were ever to leave you alone. You are stuck with me, mister" Jack said smiling, trying to lighten the mood.

"Well, I suppose we're stuck together then because if you were ever to leave I'd find you. You are so not getting rid of me" Ianto smiled back. That was a good sign, Jack thought, and if his own feelings were anything to go by, then the stab wound in his stomach and the cleft in his heart was already starting to heal. He pulled their lips together.

"So, you want to do this now or tomorrow or...?" Jack asked.

"Now. Let's do this band-aid style" Ianto said and smiled.

"Does anyone even know what a band-aid is anymore?" Jack chuckled.

"I do."

"Of course you do" Jack kissed butterfly kisses all over his face. "You know everything."

Ianto giggled. "Stop, or we'll never get this done."

"Yeah, you're right. You always are." Jack stood up and offered his hand to Ianto to take. He did and stood up

They held hands as the lift ascended up to the third floor of the building. Andriv's office was in the far left of the hallway.

The door was smooth, white (like every other door in the hallway), soundproof and had a handprint-reader and a ten-digit keypad at its right side. Beside the handprint-reader were three buttons, one green one blue and the other red. Ianto pressed the blue one.

"Yeah?" said Andriv's voice from a speaker above the door.

Ianto pressed the red button. "It's me, Pa."

Pa? Jack had heard Ianto refer to his father in various ways (most often 'Father', 'Andriv' or simply 'that bastard') but never had he heard 'Pa'.

There was a low buzz and Ianto pressed the green button. When he did, the door slid to the left.

Andriv Jones' office was large and 47th century-styled so it was mostly yellow or orange shades. The walls were bright yellow (how the man could work with such a vibrant colour surrounding him, Jack had no idea) and the floor was covered with an orange fuzzy carpet.

Large bookcases and shelves also brought an office-y feel to the office. The books were everything up to the latest encyclopaedias down to 27th century novels, from human crossword puzzles to Donnaterian dictionaries.

Andriv's desk was located at the far end of the room, facing the entrance. The man himself was sat behind it and looked not-so-happy with Jack being there.

But the look on Ianto's Father softened when his son spoke "Pa, we have something to tell you. It's bad news but Dad said you could probably help." Jack tightened his grip on Ianto's hand.

Andriv frowned. "What is it son?" His gaze flickered just for a moment over to Jack before resting on Ianto again.

"I...uh," Ianto swallowed the lump in his throat and Jack realized that this would be the first time Ianto would say the words out loud. He slid his hand out of his partner's grasp and put his arm around his shoulders and gave a squeeze, urging him to continue. "I uh... Nineteen days ago I found out I was sixteen days pregnant. I transferred to the Documental Department a week ago because we, uh, we thought it would be safe. Today, when the West wall exploded I was thrown into" gulp "a wall and the impact, um, it well" Ianto's voice broke and a sob escaped his throat "our daughter didn't survive it. I... I had miscarriage, Pa." Ianto was now sobbing into Jack's shoulder once more. Jack felt tears form in his own eyes.

"Oh, m'boy" Jack could hear the knowing pain in Andriv's voice. He looked at the man and could see him looking at him with the same despise as he did on the Titanic no. 71.

"You got him pregnant?" he asked flatly.

"Yes."

Next thing Jack knew he was lying dazed on the fuzzy orange carpet on Andriv's office floor with a terrible ache in his jaw. He could taste blood. Great. His lip was split.

"Oh, my gods! What the fuck is wrong with you?" Ianto shouted at his Father and crouched down at Jack's side.

Andriv ignored his son completely and spoke directly to Jack. "I warned you that if you ever hurt him I'd come after you and I am a man of my words." Jack was seeing stars. The man had an impressive right hook; Jack was on the brink of unconsciousness.

Through his eyelashes he could see Andriv walk to his desk and open up the top drawer. He rummaged for a while until he found what he was looking for. Jack couldn't see what it was, but he had a feeling it was not good.

Andriv grabbed his son's arms and dragged him away from Jack. "What are you doing? Let me go!" Jack would have done something about it had he physically been able to. Ianto would probably also have put up more of a fight had he not been exhausted, physically and mentally.

In the corner of his eye Jack saw Andriv fasten Ianto's hands with a DonPoRo (Donnaterian Police Rope). He was so not getting out of those. Experience told Jack that Ianto was a master at escaping any sort of enchainment. But even Ianto would not unfasten himself from this shit.

Now he could see Andriv walking towards him holding whatever it was he had gotten earlier (a box?).

"What are you doing?" Ianto yelled from across the room.

"Something I knew I should have done a lot sooner" his Father replied.

It wasn't until he was kneeling beside Jack that he could see what it was that he was holding. It was a C60 Denniss KTM.

"No, please, please don't" Jack pleaded lamely.

It was too late; Andriv had already made up his mind. Jack could feel the cold surface of the Memory Key on the back of his head.

The last thing he heard was his lover's shout of "Don't do this Pa, please, I will never forgive you for this!" as he cried. Jack mentally bid his partner his last farewell before he felt an electric jolt and everything went black.

Jack sucked in a breath as he woke. It was not as harsh as when he comes back to life but uncomfortable nonetheless.

He could feel strong arms grabbing him, grounding him.

"Ianto" he whispered.

"I'm here."

Jack looked up and could see his lover's eyes, blue as ever, looking down at him. Apparently he was lying in Ianto's lap. He sat up and almost fell back down again.

"Easy, there" Ianto said as he caught him. "Two years is a long time to take in, in such short time."

"How long have I been out?" Jack asked in a hoarse voice.

"Um, let's see. We came back here about 7.30 pm, so" Ianto checked his watch "fourteen hours."

"Woah."

"Yeah. And I used your mobile to text Toshiko that you were out on a personal errand and wouldn't come in until later. She texted asking when and I texted back saying that you weren't sure but probably not after noon and to call if they needed you in any way. I also said that I'd phoned you earlier requesting a day off because I thought it'd look suspicious if—"

Ianto had no chance to finish his speech when Jack suddenly attacked his mouth and pushed him until his back hit the bed.

"There's so much I have to ask you. And there's so much I need to tell you" Jack said when he came up for air.

"Later" Ianto said and pulled Jack in, clashing their mouths together and ripping open his shirt. -

Jack slid out of Ianto and rolled off him and tried to catch his breath. His hand was in Ianto's and their fingers entwined. "Oh my..." Jack couldn't finish.

"Yeah" Ianto agreed breathlessly.

They took a few minutes just catching their breaths.

"So," Jack began "what happened after your Father erased my memories?"

"Well, you were just lying there unconscious and I twisted my shoulder out of its socket trying to get out of the DonPoRo and my Father just ignored me like I wasn't even there and he opened the door of his office and disappeared with you using his wriststrap- I don't even know where he took you" Ianto looked at Jack questioningly.

"He took me back home to Boeshane Peninsula... don't worry, I'll tell you everything later" Jack smiled at the lover that he hadn't even had the chance to miss for over a hundred years.

"Alright, so I was there, in my Father's office, bound up and in pain – physical and mental – for I don't know how long but it seemed like forever" he took a deep breath "until I could hear someone in the house. I called out and my Dad appeared in the doorway and the look on his face- oh, his face- he was so hurt. But he set me free and fixed my shoulder and packed up his things and transported his things over to our place and told me to do the same- pack up, that is. So I did and we transported to my house in New New York- remember the one I told you about I bought when I was travelling?" Jack nodded. He did remember. "So, yeah, we transported there, but not before my Dad left my Father a message telling him that we both needed time away from him and that if he came even within 10 feet away from us he'd never see either of us again. And yeah, we lived in New New York for a while and I would receive messages from my father via wriststraps threatening me all sorts of stuff. I didn't tell my Dad about this because despite of what has happened I still want my parents together because they do love each other and my Dad was very kind to me, he was helping me get over the miscarriage" Ianto paused frowning. "Anyway, I told you the day you disappeared that you were not getting rid of me and so I decided to look for you. Then I figured it'd be no good if you didn't remember me so I sent out to find the KTM my Father had used. That wasn't too difficult, though and I got my hands on it fairly easily – a word of advice; if you're hiding something very important in a safe, do not use your own birthday as password." Jack looked rather sheepish. "Hah! No! Seriously? Well, okay, perhaps it's a bit different when no one knows your birthday except for me, but anyways. So I had the cube and I decided to look for you. And I decided that you couldn't be too far away but I decided to start with the 21st century. I joined Torchwood because I knew it had more power than the government and files that were easier to access. So I searched for your name in Torchwood One's Database but couldn't find anything so I was preparing to travel to the 22nd century when I heard your name come up in some conversation and after a more thorough research I found out that you were the head of Torchwood Cardiff. I requested a transfer to Cardiff every week but Hartman always said no. Apparently 'Our best looking employees should not be fed to the Shark-ness'."

Jack chuckled.

"What? You don't find that offensive?" Ianto asked surprised.

"No, not at all. I couldn't care less what Yvonne Hartman thought of me. Besides, I've called her far worse things."

"Well, alrighty then." Ianto rolled on his side "maybe I shouldn't have put laxatives in her coffee" he said innocently.

"Oh, my gods, you did not" Jack exclaimed and when Ianto said nothing he just burst out laughing. Ianto shut him up by sticking his tongue down his throat (not quite literally, though).

"So, any questions?" Ianto asked when they pulled apart. He was lying half on top of Jack.

"Yes, a few, actually." Jack sat up and Ianto did the same. "First of all..." Jack smacked Ianto hard on the back of his head.

"Ouch! What was that for?" He asked, rubbing the back of his head.

"For being at the Battle! You idiot, you could have gotten yourself killed! Didn't you do your research before coming here?" Jack asked truly upset. The thought of loosing Ianto...

"I did! I did do my research but believe it or not I made a mistake."

"What mistake?" Jack raised one eyebrow.

"I... didn't know what day it was that day."

Jack snorted. "I'm sorry it's not funny. It's just... it really sort of is." He laughed and Ianto joined a moment later.

"Yeah, well, I did escape though."

"Yeah, and speaking of escape. I know – we both know that you are the master of escaping being tied up. So what happened with the cannibals?" Jack saw Ianto shudder a little.

"I'm not really sure. I've been wondering that myself. Perhaps it was just because I'm out of practice..."

"Well, I can definitely think of a way to refreshing your memory" Jack leaned in closer and waggled his eyebrows at Ianto.

"Shut up" Ianto chuckled and pushed Jack down onto the mattress. He straddled his hips and leaned down for a kiss.

"I have. One more. Question. To ask." Jack said between kisses.

Ianto sat up "Okay, shoot."

"Lisa" Jack stated simply.

Ianto sighed, got off of Jack and rested on his side once again. He looked at his lover. "What do you want to know?"

"Did you really love her?" Jack couldn't keep the hurt from seeping a little into his question. Of course, he wasn't really one to talk, he had loved a few people over the years, but he guessed it wasn't really the same, though.

"I s'pose I did, in a way, love her but I was never in love with her. And I'm really sorry for acting the way I did when you found her but the thing is they get inside your head, those things. It's weird, 'cause I'm really good at blocking—"

"But you've not been as careful around the apes. Yeah, heard it before" Jack smiled softly. "Tell me everything. I know I wasn't the best boss during your suspension and I'm sorry. I know it helps to talk about stuff like that."

"Nah, it's okay. I've talked to Tosh about it, she and I have become pretty close since the cannibals and the whole Mary thing. She asked because she heard some very depressing thoughts – again with the whole shielding thing, I think I'll start to be more careful – and she thought I was brooding over Lisa when I was actually thinking about you. I didn't tell her that, though, of course."

"No, of course. So, how'd you meet?"

"Me and Tosh?"

"No, you and Lisa, stupid" Jack laughed.

"Oh, right. It was nothing spectacular like with us" they both chuckled at the memory "I was just getting coffee and she walked up to me and said 'hi, um, my friend here' she pointed at a girl I recognized as Melissa Grant from payroll and said 'and I were wondering... mind if I ask you a personal question?' and I said no so she just asked bluntly 'are you gay?'" Jack threw his head back in laughter "and I answered 'well I'm open to anything really, men, women, Marsians- preferably without the tentacles, though' and she was laughing her head off oblivious to the fact that I was deadly serious." Jack was wiping tears from his eyes. "So we went on a date and it went well and before I knew it she was telling people we were a couple. And so not long after there was the Battle. And when it was over I was walking past a hallway when I could hear someone call my name. I went to check and there was Lisa. This would be the part where I'd have whispered 'I'm sorry' and walked away had I been thinking straight, but there was something in my head that urged me to get her out and to take her to Torchwood Three and the whole time, though, there was always this little voice that was telling me that something was wrong. I didn't listen. It wasn't difficult though, you know, to move her. I just used my wriststrap. And the rest, as they say, is history." Ianto smiled. "Any more questions?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact." This one had been bugging him for a while. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Jack, you didn't trust me yet. You would have thought I had had some sort of a mental breakdown if I had waltzed up to you one day and said 'Hey, Jack, guess what? I'm your lover from your past in the future! Won't you let me point a Memory Key to your head and see how it goes?"

"Good point."

"Yeah." Ianto kissed Jack's chest. "So, are you out of questions?"

"For now, at least. Your turn."

"Alright." Ianto thought for a moment before asking "So, how long has it been for you?"

"What do you mean?" He knew exactly what he meant.

"I mean how long have you been here?"

"Ianto, please, don't freak out, okay?" Ianto gave him a very confused look. "Ianto, I've been here for almost one-hundred-and-forty years."

Ianto still looked very confused. "Excuse me?"

"Okay, you better sit up because this is gonna be a long story and I'll spare you most of the detail and tell you later." Ianto sat up and moved to sit up against the headboard of his bed. Jack sat opposite him and took Ianto's hands and kissed his knuckles before beginning to tell his lover the story of his new life. "When I woke up after your Father had removed my memories I was back home at the Boeshane Peninsula. Well, not home exactly, I was on the coast. My wriststrap's history of the last two years had been erased and I was certain that the Time Agency had stolen my memories. I really wanted those years back so I went to become a con-man." Ianto gave him a confused look. "I mean I took absolutely worthless things and sold at much higher price than they were worth. I was trying to get the Agency's attention and once I thought I had it. I took an alien ambulance and waved it in front of their faces. I dropped it in London in 1941, at the height of the London Blitz. I told a girl, who I thought was a Time Agent, that it was a warship and I planned to trade it for my memories of the two missing years. The ambulance was then to be hit by a bomb and I would take my memories while the Agents had nothing." Ianto was shocked that his partner would go so low, but he knew Jack and knew he would do anything to retrieve his memories. "Only, as it turned out, they weren't Time Agents at all. The girl, Rose was her name, was a normal human from the 21st century and the man who owned the spaceship was a Time Lord who called himself the Doctor." Ianto gasped.

"The same Doctor that's listed as Torchwood's no. 1 enemy?"

"The one and only." Jack chuckled. "Anyways, long story - that I will tell you later – made short, I almost wiped out the human race, the Doctor saved the day and my life. The Doctor is, as you know, a time traveller and I travelled with him for a while. However, since time in a time machine isn't linear I don't really know how long I travelled with him but my guess is a couple of months. But one time we ended up on a game station and got ourselves into a mess. Another long story – that I will tell you later – made short, we were up against Daleks and I had to go buy him some time if the Doctor was to save the day once more." Jack took a deep breath. "Anyway, I was facing three Daleks and one of them killed me. The next thing I know I'm waking up and these piles of dust all around me. And then I hear the sound of the engines of the TARDIS –that's the Doctor's spaceship. So I am running, 'cause if he leaves then I'd be all alone on an empty television game station. But as I enter the room the TARDIS was previously in, I can see it vanish." Jack took another deep breath and Ianto squeezed his hands. "But luckily I had my wriststrap. We had once stopped in 21st century Cardiff to refuel... the uh, TARDIS uses the Rift energy to refuel" Jack added at Ianto's confused look "- and so I knew that the Doctor would have to come back to refuel someday. So I set the coordinates for 21st century Cardiff but something was wrong, I don't know if it was because of me travelling on the TARDIS or not, because I didn't arrive at the 21st century, I arrived in 1869 and my wriststrap burned out. I couldn't use it and so I thought I was going to have to live a normal life in the 19th century. But then I found out I couldn't die."

Jack watched as Ianto's eyes visibly widened. "Wh—how... I mean, uh, what the fuck?"

"I have no idea. A man shot me in the chest, I died and then I just woke up. Then Torchwood Three found out. Apparently, I don't keep my mouth shut after a few drinks and so they tried to see if there was any way of killing me. Obviously there wasn't and so they offered me a job. I took it since I didn't really have any money and I had to wait for the Doctor to show up. Plus Torchwood seemed a perfect choice since if the Doctor showed up then they'd probably know better than anyone else. I've worked for them ever since. I became the leader of Torchwood Three just after midnight on January 1st in 2000. The current leader, Alex, had shot all of my team mates and then shot himself after he told me they were mercy-killings. Said he'd seen the future and the 21st century was when everything changed and we'd have to be ready." Jack found himself engulfed by Ianto's arms and he returned the embrace.

"That's when you put the team together, wasn't it?" Ianto asked into Jack's bare shoulder. "You selected the people who you thought would not end up like either Yvonne or Alex?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah."

Ianto pulled out of the embrace and kissed his partner, trying to comfort him. What he had gone through had been horrible.

That's when the Jack's mobile went off.

"Are you sure he's alright?" Gwen asked Toshiko for what it felt like the hundredth time.

"Look, Gwen, he texted me saying he was on a personal errand" Tosh explained for what felt like the billionth tine.

"Yeah, but texted? And he wouldn't leave us... I mean, with Ianto on a day off there's only the three of us." Gwen stated as she sat down in the chair beside Tosh.

"Well, if you're so concerned, why don't you call him?" She asked and swung the phone in Gwen's direction.

"Me? C-call him? Why can't you do it? I mean, he texted you after all!" She said defensively.

Tosh sighed and rolled her eyes. She dialled Jack's phone number and put it on speakerphone. The dialling tone echoed across the Hub and it wasn't long until Owen came jogging away from the autopsy bay.

"Who are we calling?" he asked when the dial tone had sounded four times.

"Jack" Tosh replied.

"Doesn't he always pick up on the second ring?" Gwen asked with a frown.

"Maybe he's getting laid and you are interrupting" Owen suggested.

"Shh!" Gwen shushed when the dialling tone sounded the seventh time.

Only one more ring and the phone was answered.

"Hello?"

"Ianto?" Tosh gasped. Gwen was staring wide-eyed and gaping at the phone and Owen just muttered "Told you."

"Fuck! This- this is your phone!" They could hear as the phone was tossed and landed on something. In the background they could hear Jack's deep laughter in the background getting louder and louder until,

"Yeah? Hello?" Neither of the girls could utter a word. "Hellooo?"

"Hi, Jack, this is Owen. I'm sure the girls would like to say hello, too, but I'm afraid they've turned into statues. Sorry that they were bothering you but I think they've got answers to whatever questions they were going to ask you. So, have a good day. Say 'hi' to Ianto for me?"

The girls just kept staring at the phone.

"Alrighty, then. And I will. Bye." Jack's voice in the background said "so, Owen says hi." They could also hear Ianto's low grunt.

"Personal errand, my arse!" whispered Gwen.

"No," Owen said "I believe the personal errand is Ianto's arse."

"So much for keeping it a secret, then?" Jack stated.

Ianto hmm-ed in agreement. "Speaking of- they are probably looking at the CCTV footage from the Archives as we speak. I know there's no audio down there but they'll still see you pointing a gun at me. What should we tell them?"

"Roleplay!" Jack growled playfully as he bit down on Ianto's shoulder who moaned.

"That could work."

"What? The roleplay or this?" Jack asked as he bit again down on Ianto's shoulder.

Ianto moaned again. "Tease" he said as he pushed Jack onto the mattress. He bit him lightly starting at his collarbone and working his way down his chest and stomach (while Jack's moans would have been enough to send a porn star running for the hills in shame) before stopping at his hips.

"Well, you're one to talk" Jack said panting. "Oh, just fuck me already!" He begged.

And so he did, both of them oblivious to the fact that they had forgotten to end the call.

Fin.