Cyberwomen:

Chapter one -

It started like every other day started. That's the worst part, there were no signs at all that suggested this might happen. Everything seemed to be perfectly fine. Ianto came in at the same time he did everyday, just after 6 o'clock. Came up to my office asked if I wanted some coffee, looking as sharp and stunning as ever. He always wore a suit to work, it wasn't like he was going anywhere or like we'd complain if he was in jeans and t-shirt. I can't help but to wonder he wears a suit because I told him how much I liked the suit when I gave him the job.
"Coffee, sir?" he says poking his head around the door, not quite entering the room but not quite outside the room either.
"Do you come with the coffee?" I asked, winking at him mischievously.
"I'll take that as a yes"
And then he disappeared. His footsteps fading as he got further and further from the office and closer and closer to the kitchen. I smile after him. You wouldn't think that just a day ago I had him bent over my desk moaning and groaning in pleasure. I was looking forward to having a good day. I looked back at the papers in my hands, they were about the repairs needed at Flat Holm. Apparently there was a crack in the ceiling of one of the patients rooms that needed fixing, a broken tap in the staff bathroom and they were running out of toilet paper.

When Ianto came back, he had two mugs of coffee and he sat it down on my desk. We usually had chats over coffee in the morning and he always seemed keen to start them. They weren't about anything interesting, usually just what had happened in the week so far and whether it would my place or his place. Usually mine, then he'd go home, catch what few hours of sleep he had left, if any and then came back several hours later, looking as fresh and ready to go as ever. Ianto Jones, he seemed so simple and shy maybe a little mysterious but the secrets he was hiding, no one could have guessed. He didn't seem like he wanted to have a morning chat over coffee that day. Almost as if he had other things to do. Now I know what he was keen to get down too. His half converted cyber-girlfriend who he was hiding in my store room on the bottom floor. Despite his obvious wanting to get away, he came in and sat down. Sipping his coffee and humming at his perfection of the brew. How did this man make such perfect coffee? In all my years I'd never had coffee like it and I'm sure in many years to come, Ianto coffee, will still be my favorite coffee. I looked across at him, my feet now on the desk as I lean back in my chair, taking in the blissfulness around me, savoring it because I knew it wouldn't last long.
"Ianto" I said, he was staring off into space. But I got his attention by saying his name. "You look distant, got any plans for tonight?"
"I don't know yet sir, we'll just have to wait and see" there was that smirk. The smirk that I thought I knew. I thought it meant, 'Only plans with you, Jack' but now, I look back and I think maybe it meant 'I might be getting my girlfriend back'.

If everything had of gone according to his plan, would he have quit Torchwood? Gone back to London and forgotten all about me? Started a new life with Lisa, get a normal job, have kids. I don't want to think about that, I don't want to think about him leaving. Although I wouldn't blame him if he did.
"Anything I should be concerned about?" I took my feet off the desk and lent forward, my face towards him, my elbows on the table. It was quick, very quick but there was panic in his eyes for a second. A very quick second. As if he thought I was on to him, then he relaxed, his smirk returning. He knew his preparation was too well thought out, to well organized, too well planned. He thought he'd was ready for everything.
"Have I ever given you a reason to worry before, sir?"
Yes. Even before that day I had worried about him. He always seemed so young, like he had so much life left in him and here he was, working for Torchwood, his life automatically limited. He was going to be lucky to pass 40. 40 might be pushing it, 30 sounds more fitting. He still is young, he still has so much life left in him. He had a chance to be normal and he still does and I'm keeping him here because I can't seem to let him go.

Selfish, maybe, but if he asked to go, I'd let him. I wouldn't say no. If it was what he really wanted, I'd hold my hands up in defeat and watch him leave. Hell, I'd drive him home and watch him take the retcon myself.
"Sir, I have some work to be getting on with, do you mind if I..." he didn't finish, although he didn't need to. I nodded at him presently.
"Sure. Thanks for the coffee, Ianto."
"No problem sir, let me know if you need anything."
"Will do"
Sir. I'd told him many times he could call me Jack, I guess he knows I secretly like it when he uses Sir. He only calls me Jack when we're having sex... Which, I realized at this point, we weren't doing often enough. I took it slow with Ianto because he'd never been with a guy before and I didn't want to suddenly bombard him by inviting him to have sex every night. The first time it happened it was unexpected and perfect. I wanted it to be up to him when we did it and where. This time round, I was going to do it right. He deserved that much and he still deserves it. I presumed he went to the archives. Maybe he went down to Lisa, telling her about his plans. I wonder if she knew about what we did. Whether he told her, whether she guessed. If she was convinced it was the only way, if she was as angry as I was when I found out about her. Now, I'll never know. He emerged 55 minutes later, making more coffee, making some for Gwen, Tosh and Owen as well, they were meant to be arriving soon.

It was a fairly quiet day. Two weevil attacks, easily taken care of. Then in the late afternoon there was even worse rift activity. We sat out to go and see what it was, I won't go into to much detail about it because it's not the issue I want to talk about. We ended up driving back to the Hub with blood all over the inside of the SUV. I tapped my comm, getting in contact with Ianto who sounded startled when he answered but relaxed a few seconds into the conversation. I told him we were on our way back and made a mess in the SUV.
"Don't worry about it sir, I can clean it up, good as new" He replied, his welsh accent thick.
"Will you have a cup of your amazing coffee ready for me when we get back?" I begged, pouting and pleading with puppy eyes that I know he couldn't see but hear in my voice.
"Of corse I will, sir. Is there anything else?"
"No thank you Ianto. See you soon"
"Goodbye sir."

I'd barley seen him all day, only emerging when giving out coffee and then disappearing again. I guessed he had a lot of work to do, it is Ianto who keeps us all on our feet. He keeps it clean and organized, if he didn't we wouldn't be able to find anything and Torchwood would be a mess. He is the heart and soul of Torchwood, keeps everything together. We got back to the Hub,
"Coffee's on your desk sir" he said before walking out the door and into the Torchwood carpark. Good old Ianto, never asks questions just does as he is told. If only every member of the team could be like that. Gwen's always challenging my orders, I'm lucky if Owen is even listening to the orders I give him, let alone ready to follow them. Tosh usually does what she's told, occasionally there are questions and usually a questioning glint in her eyes. We don't get that from Ianto, his face is always hard to read and he always does as I tell him to do, so he can't have any problems with his orders. Although his only orders are coffee and get this file from the archives and archive this will ya. It's hard to have issues with any of those.