A/N: Sooooooo… Amongst the furious process of sorting out another project this idea began to cook up in my head. There are several 'missing scenes' in my head, majorily Ianto and Jack centric, and I've just gotta let some of them out.

GENRES: ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING! From angst to fluff. REQUESTS VERY, VERY WELCOMED!

DISCLAIMER: Oh, please…! If I DID own something, Ianto, Owen and Tosh would've NEVER died. (growls, then clears throat) Er… Sorry 'bout that.

WARNINGS: SLASH, gore, adult themes, violence, some heartbreaking bits ahoy as well as a fluff that'll make your teeth ache… (glances around) WOAH! You sure can run fast…!

Awkay… It's go time, ain't it? I REALLY hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

SERIES 1, EPISODE 4 – Souls Lef Behind

It was a horrible day. True, it could've ended even worse. Hell a lot worse. But as Jack Harkness finished the process of having Ianto Jones officially suspended and downed an unhealthily sharp drink he couldn't find a shred of gratitude. The drink didn't manage to wash away the bitter taste sitting stubbornly in his mouth.

Ianto, the harmless invisible man who looked good in a suit and cleaned up their shit, had fooled them all. Fooled him. The coffee boy managed to hide something that should've belonged to nightmares into the hub, into Jack's only home. And Jack, who was supposed to be the leader of the team, didn't have a clue.

It was a blink of an eye from Suzie Costello and he hadn't learned a thing.

/ "When did you last ask me anything about my life?" /

Jack didn't have a clue that something so dangerous was happening. That Ianto was so in love that he was fighting a desperate war to keep her alive. So in love that the both of them suffering was better than losing her. How was Jack supposed to have seen any of that when he couldn't even remember the previous time he looked at Ianto properly?

If Jack was fully honest with himself he wasn't entirely sure if whe was more furious with Ianto or himself.

Jack sighed, feeling utterly drained all of a sudden. Around then he became acutely aware of the fact that it'd been nine hours from when the Cyberwoman went down.

Tosh had been the first to leave, unable to watch Ianto's agony. Gwen followed quickly, guilt shining loud and clear in her anguished, teary eyes. Somehow her remorse only succeeded in adding fuel to Jack's fury. Owen stood there for quite a while, never once looking away from the Welshman. A couple of times the Londoner's lips parted but in the end the doctor walked away without a word. Jack could've sworn that Owen's shoulders were just a little bit slumped as he went.

Jack himself refused to feel guilt. Whoever the woman Ianto fell in love with was died the second her transformation began. This was a massive mess that needed to be taken care of, by any means necessary. Instead of addressing the grieving archivist he took the other's gun from the floor, then turned and left as well, not looking over his shoulder. He stormed into his office.

That was where Jack remained. Seething, trying to understand, so angry and betrayed that it quite nearly took his breath away. Desperately trying to decide what the hell it was that he was supposed to do.

After nine hours of replaying every single moment he'd shared with Ianto Jack finally had the answer.

He ordered the rest of the team to go home. They protested at first, reasoning that there was a load of sorting out to do in far more ways than one, but had no other choice but to relent. Jack himself headed towards where he last saw Ianto. What he found certainly wasn't what he'd expected.

The place that hours ago was bathing in blood had been cleaned up meticulously. Jack couldn't spot even a single stray drop. Three bodies lay on the floor, each of them in a entirely too familiar black bag. In the middle of it all stood Ianto. No longer crying or screaming, instead staring at the bags with eyes that chilled Jack. They were as dead as those hidden by plastic. The archivist, who still wore blood soaked clothes and hadn't washed his hands, was unhealthily pale. The young man's whole body was shaking under a thunderstorm of shock but he refused to sit down. And that was when Jack noticed the fourth, still empty body bag. It made him want to vomit.

Ianto's changed breathing pattern gave away that he'd noticed Jack's entrance. The captain waited for a few moments until he came to the conclusion that he'd have to make the first move. "You cleaned up", he observed in a cool, emotionally detached voice.

"Yes." Ianto's tone was frosty, professional. Those lifeless eyes didn't turn towards him. "I clean up my own shit." The Welshman then took a deep breath, straightening his posture. "Why don't we just skip this chit-chat and get it over with? We both know what you came here for."

Another violent assault of nausea went through Jack. Get it over with? He didn't let the discomfort show, though. Instead he took his gun and pointed it yet again.

He'd been doing far too much of that today.

Ianto's gaze didn't sway from the bodies. Yet as soon as Jack made his move the man seemed to relax, just a little bit. "I knew from the start that I wouldn't make it out alive if I'd get caught. I accepted it. Lisa… She was all that mattered and now…" The younger man's voice broke and he cleared his throat, blinking quickly. "According to the protocol you had two options in your hands. I knew which one you picked when I heard the others leaving."

Jack's jaw tightened. He'd expected fury, more shouting. He hadn't anticipated this resigned, eerie calm. This lack of fight. "Do you imagine that I'm enjoying this?" he snarled, sounding far more bitter than he'd intended.

Ianto shrugged. "You've already held a gun to my head twice today. You didn't seem very reluctant, then." Finally, finally those blue eyes met his. All of a sudden they were full of plea. "Remember what you said about threats? Just finish it."

Jack's heart was hammering while he stared at Ianto, the gun still held high against the Welshman. He'd taken a lot of lives over the course of his seemingly endless life. But this… This was different. Far more horrible. And there, looking into those hollow blue twin pools, Jack made what might just be his cruelest decision of the day. He lowered his gun and holstered it, unused.

It took a few moments before Ianto seemed to comprehend what his boss did. The man was so exhausted that the betrayal and rage that appeared were nothing but ghosts. "So that's it? You'll make me live?"

Jack nodded, his face somehow remaining a mask of steel despite that emotions raging inside. "Yeah. I'll make you live." He nearly let it slip that he'd already pulled Ianto back to life once just hours ago, kicking and screaming. He wasn't going to just…

Ianto swallowed loudly. It was impossible to read those eyes because there was nothing in them. "I… I fought so long and hard, trying to save her. And now… Because of my decision two people are dead. Your entire team could've died. All for nothing. Lisa… Lisa's gone. I'll… I'll have to live with that for the rest of my life." There was a brief, agonized pause. "Why won't you just let me go?"

Jack lifted his chin. His heart was thundering so hard that it was aching. The stench of blood, death and tears in the room was sickening. "One day… You'll understand."

Jack summoned Owen to drive Ianto home a couple of hours later and ordered the doctor to stay with the shattered man until it'd be safe to leave him alone. Owen expressed loud displeasure over the assignment but eventually succumbed to his fate. None of the three would look at each other while the two took their silent leave and Jack returned to complete a monster of paperwork. Somehow, impossibly, feeling old and weary beyond his years

Three days passed by before Owen marched into Jack's office without bothering to knock. The doctor's pale, distraught face was a picture of fury. "The next fucking time you make me keep a suicide watch… I'll quit and take enough Retcon to send me back to puberty", the Londoner snarled. Then left, slamming the door.

Jack was still too consumed by his own, raw anger to understand why he wanted to cry.

Eventually, the suspension over and with nowhere else to go, Ianto returned. On that day his gaze met Jack's, locked and held. They exchanged grim nods, a signal that yes, Ianto understood, now.

Sometimes letting a person survive being left behind is the most bitter punishment of all.

It was much too soon, for both of them, to see it as a second chance.

End of scene.

A/N: Well… (takes a deep breath) THAT was dark. GOSH, that episode…! If we wouldn't already know what's up ahead…

Sooooooo… Thoughts? Comments? Requests? PLEASE, do let me know! I'm more than eager to hear.

In any case, thank you so much for the reading! And who knows. Perhaps we'll cross paths again?

Take care!