Author Note: Torchwood is owned by the BBC.

Chapter One

Jack handed out room keys to Tosh, Gwen and Owen but kept hold of the fourth key firmly in his hand. "Gwen, you can call Rhys if you like…meet him here or something."

Gwen grinned, "thanks … this is really posh he'll love it!" Gwen walked away, dialling Rhys' number.

Ianto looked at Jack for the first time in a while, "do I not get a room then?" he asked.

Jack gripped the key ever so slightly harder, "well….you see they only had four rooms…and we can't ask Tosh and Gwen to share 'cause Rhys is coming…"

"Oh so you assume that we can share right?" Ianto's heckles rose, he was not going to be Jack's part time shag again.

"No…" the cockiness left Jack's voice, "I just thought that we need to talk" he finished quietly.

"Oh yeah? And after we talk where do you sleep eh?" Ianto's voice rose slightly and Tosh and Owen began to feel uncomfortable.

"There's always the couch" Jack shrugged and Ianto snorted, "yeah like that's going to happen." He picked up his coat where he had draped it over one of the sofas in reception and said, "I'm going home."

"Ianto, timelines" warned Jack, "you can't cross-"

"I know!" Ianto interrupted harshly, "I won't cross, I'm never there. I'll see you two tomorrow" he directed at Tosh and Owen and left the hotel lobby.

Gwen walked towards them in confusion, hanging up her mobile, "where's Ianto going?"

"Captain here has fucked up already" Owen scowled.

Jack was confused, "what does he mean that he never goes home?"

"Somebody had to watch the rift Jack…Ianto's been living in the hub since you left." Tosh told him.

Owen looked to his left and saw that some people were staring, he scowled at them and then grabbed Jack by the arm. "Come on we can talk in my room and you're paying for the mini bar."

As soon as Owen's door was shut he rounded on Jack, "what the hell are you thinking Harkness?"

Jack frowned at him, "what?"

"Ianto was gutted when you left absolutely gutted!"

"He didn't tell us" Tosh added sadly, "but we could tell, he started acting like when he started Torchwood…when he was hiding Lisa. He withdrew into himself, took on all this extra work, barely slept really and even when he did it was on the couch in the hub…"

"He wouldn't let us stay too late, always telling me to get back to Rhys" Gwen added.

"We all worked hard when you left Jack but Ianto did the most, he's kept us going these last couple of months. He's taken over all your duties but not told any of those politicians or UNIT that you've left so it would be easier if you came back. Jesus, after your little display we knew that you two were close but he wouldn't tell us a damn thing about you! Always protecting your privacy even though you decided to out him and then run!" Owen snapped.

Jack thought back to his kissing of Ianto and how it must have seemed to the rest of the team after he ran after the Doctor. He could imagine Owen's scorn, Gwen's nosiness and jealousy… And then Ianto himself must have struggled with it, he was a private man, a twenty first century man and he'd been outed to his colleagues and friends and then abandoned.

"And then you come back cocky as ever and expect him to bend over for you immediately!" Owen continued ranting.

Jack scowled, "it's not like that."

"Really?" asked Tosh, "maybe you should be telling Ianto that 'cause that's what it sounded like to the rest of us."

Jack felt ashamed, he should have thought this through better, he'd honestly wanted to talk, he thought than after agreeing to the date Ianto was warming to him again. He should've booked five rooms and then gone to Ianto's later. He'd rushed along as usual and not thought about how his actions would seem.

Tosh saw the Captain's face and softened, "look why don't you give him an hour or two to cool down and then give him a ring? Explain that you didn't mean it like that and then have that conversation you wanted."

"Don't expect him to want to be with you though" said Owen, "I think you hurt Tea Boy more than any of us can realise. He's a proud bloke and you made him feel like shit."

"So do some serious apologising and begging if Ianto is what you really want" added Gwen.

Jack looked at her for a second thinking that that was an odd way to put it before Gwen's phone rang, announcing that Rhys was in the hotel lobby.

"Well I'm off to spend some time with Rhys; we haven't had much time for it lately."

Jack felt more guilt and smiled at Gwen, "why don't you take tomorrow off too?"

Gwen looked uncertain, "you sure?"

"Yep, I'll keep an eye on things in the hub, you guys deserve a break. I'll call if the world decides to end." The smile on Jack's face slipped away as for a second he was back on the Valiant, watching the world burn and scream. Gwen, however, did not notice his change in expression and bid everyone a goodnight before leaving.

Owen looked at Tosh, "fancy ordering some room service?" he asked. He kicked his shoes off and sat down on his bed, flicking through the menu.

"Sure" said Tosh, "it seems like ages since Ianto made breakfast."

Jack's thoughts went to Ianto; he had obviously taken on a hell of a lot of responsibility since he had been away and still looked after the team.

"Jack?" Owen interrupted Jack's thoughts, "me and Tosh are ordering, do you want anything?"

Jack shook his head, his mind was made up, he couldn't leave Ianto to cool off, he knew that the young man would just sit in his flat and stew. "I'm alright thanks guys, you two enjoy yourselves and take the day off tomorrow."

Jack left Tosh and Owen laying on Owen's bed, propped up by pillows and watching the television. He made his way to his room and used the phone there to dial a number that he knew off by heart, as he waited for Ianto's phone to ring he wondered what had happened to his own mobile phone. Saxon at one point had used it to try and contact his team when it was evident that they were still alive and certainly not in the Himalayas; but thankfully the team had had the foresight to destroy their phones to prevent them from being traced.

After what seemed like an age Ianto answered his phone, "hello?"

For a second Jack couldn't speak, he swallowed hurriedly and croaked, "it's me."

Ianto audibly sighed, "what do you want?"

"Can I come over? We got off on the wrong foot earlier...I never meant...I just want to talk Yan."

"I don't think there is anything to say sir."

Jack closed his eyes at the cool tone Ianto was using, "please Ianto, just give me a chance to explain."

"Will you leave me alone afterwards if I do?" asked Ianto suddenly.

Jack swallowed, "if that's what you want."

"Give me half an hour" said Ianto "I was showering when you called."

Jack closed his eyes at the idea of a wet, dripping Ianto and forced himself not to make an innuendo.

"Okay" he said "thank you."

"Just don't make me regret this Jack" said Ianto abruptly before hanging up.

Jack fell back onto his bed and kept an eye on the time, he needed to work out what he was going to tell Ianto and needed to work out how he was going to get him back.