Author's Notes: This is my first Torchwood fanfic, I only just recently got into the show and have been obsessing over it like crazy. So, this is the result, I hope I do it justice, and this is a no-smut zone, because I can't write it very well. So, enjoy and please, review. So this takes place before Season Two starts, Jack's gone off with the Doctor and it's about how the team copes without him. I don't mean to intentionally bash Gwen, I don't really mind her that much but, Ianto isn't her biggest fan.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Torchwood, and thank god for that because I've been reading too much fanfiction and, who knows what would happen as a result?

Ianto Jones got in that morning at ten minutes to seven as usual. He tidied up the tourist office, readjusted the pamphlets and swept up the front. Then he went downstairs and put the coffee on, cleaning up Owen's desk with rubber gloves (he had learnt that lesson) and then moved on to the rest. He wasn't wearing his typical suit but the jeans and t-shirt he never let his colleagues see him in. Really, only Jack, the only one there early enough, saw him in his casual clothing and he would watch Ianto and make some remark about "call boys" and "painted on jeans" which Ianto would roll his eyes at, or at least give him "The Sexual Harassment in the Workplace" booklet.

But as Ianto mopped up the Hub, which took an hour usually, he didn't hear Jack's snide remarks or see Jack's suggestive glances, a waggling of his eyebrows. When he looked up at Jack's office there was no silhouette of his boss with his arms crossed over his chest. It took three minutes after Ianto woke up this morning to remember that Jack had disappeared, and left them all alone; he went to find his "doctor." And it was when Ianto was brushing his teeth that he got a sinking feeling in his chest that Jack was never coming back. The pain had been great, and he had quickly reassured himself that Jack would be back. He would come back for him.

It had only been a week after all, a week of chasing down Weevils and alien artifacts. There had been one that made everyone you touched fall madly in love with you, and it had kept the team distracted. Killing time, Ianto thought. Just until Jack came back. Then things would go back to normal. So, Ianto made the coffee, three times a day, and he always kept Jack's mug nearby, in case he came back that day, and he battled with Owen, and spoke to Gwen and helped Tosh with whatever assignment she was working on, and he kept a pile of reports for Jack when he got back.

Ianto put the mop back in the bucket and wheeled it back into the supply cupboard and then emptied it. He glanced down at his watch and then headed off to the team's change rooms where he would shower and change. As soon as his suit went on, Ianto became the calm, cool and collected Torchwood employee. He would appear upstairs just as the rest of them came in at eight-thirty, and no one would be the wiser. Only Jack ever saw Ianto in the mornings, and they would sit down with tea and have breakfast. It was simple, and it was quiet, and it was everything to Ianto.

Tosh was the first to arrive, sending a quiet smile Ianto's way when he placed her floral cup of coffee on her desk. She turned back to whatever she was doing on the computer, after offering him half her apple and caramel pastry. He declined as usual but, the thought was nice. Something she had been doing ever since the Lisa incident, which he had at first shied away from. Things were easier before Lisa was discovered, and everything had gone to shit. And then the team were constantly checking up on him (Gwen) or wouldn't look him in the eye (Toshiko) or were hostile to him, more so than ever before (Owen.) The only one who hadn't changed was Jack. He was still flirting with Ianto but, during his four-week probation, Jack had checked up on him, and had dinner with him almost every night. It had been nice, if a bit bruising to Ianto's pride.

Gwen was next to arrive, all bright red cheeks and smiles as she pulled off her coat and took her 'Dogs' mug with a grateful tone.

"Sorry, I'm a bit late, Rhys spent half-hour in the bath this morning, then he cooked this lovely breakfast, and I couldn't just let it go to waste." Gwen grinned at Ianto as she logged on to her computer.

"Sounds lovely," he mustered with his usual smile.

"Don't suppose Owen's in yet?" She asked.

Ianto shook his head, "I expect he'll be dropping in around ten-thirty as usual."

"Alright," Gwen nodded, and Ianto took that as a dismissal. He made his own cup of coffee, and drank it as he made a list of office supplies and a grocery list for the Hub. He'd go out this afternoon, after his four hour stint in the Tourist office. It was only open three times a week: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and only from eleven to three. It felt nice to get into the outside world after being cooped up in the underground area, and he got to talk to the costumers, few that they were.

Owen came in at a quarter past ten-thirty, grumbling and looking hung over. Probably spent the night at the pub; Ianto could tell because he was wearing the same clothes as yesterday and he smelled like he hadn't washed. Ianto wrinkled his nose as he brought Owen his coffee, who drank the scalding liquid down in two gulps and immediately turned away from Ianto, without a thank you. Ianto huffed annoyed and turned on his heel and back to his list.

"Ianto!" Gwen called and he put down his pen and went over to see what she wanted.

"You hollered?" He asked, putting more annoyance in his tone than he normally would. She smiled at him, "meeting, love, in ten minutes."

'Fancy yourself the boss now? Jack's only been gone a week!' Ianto shouted angrily in his mind.

"Of course," he said, inclining his head. She pecked him on the cheek, "you're a doll." She then turned and started walking towards the autopsy bay, "OWEN!"

"Uh, emails might be more effective," Ianto offered. Tosh stood up, her skirt swishing against her legs.

"I think Gwen likes doing things the hard way," Tosh said to Ianto as she came beside him. Ianto glanced down at her, "yes, I suppose so."

Ianto took his usual spot, closest to the door after he handed out the second round of coffee. He noticed that Gwen had taken the seat at the very end of the table; Jack's seat. Why was she in Jack's seat? God, was she trying to replace Jack, like she did Suzie? Owen gave her a bored look and leaned back in his seat, while Tosh crossed her legs and sat forward, obviously curious. Ianto hid his annoyance and prepared to listen.

"Alright, so, I'm sure by now we've all realized that Jack's…" Gwen shot a look at Ianto, "an extended leave of absence. And after the mistake that was last night, I think we need a leader. A replacement." She said, looking at them all.

Tosh shifted uncomfortably in her chair and Owen snorted.

"We weren't…er, that bad, it was just a bit of trouble." Toshiko said, looking up at Gwen.

Owen glanced at her, "really, Tosh, because I think cleaning alien guts off a group of old church ladies and then shooting the priest in the arm, is a spectacular shit case."

"Not that you did any cleaning, Owen, just griped and moaned," Ianto said.

"That's the job of Teaboys, teaboy."

"Very intelligent, Owen, I expect you came up with that sometime last night and then waited for the opportune moment to use it," Ianto said with a bored tone. Owen scowled, "bit busy last night."

"Oh, really? Drinking yourself into a drunken stupor? How productive."

"Boys, we need to figure this out, we can't just run around with our heads cut off, Torchwood needs to get it together." Gwen said, firmly.

Seems like Gwen's taking over, Ianto thought, annoyed.

"Really, did you have someone in mind?" He asked aloud. Gwen looked taken aback, "oh, no-hadn't really thought about it, well-who was Jack's second-in-command?" She asked the room.

Owen snorted, "Suzie."

"Bit out of luck then," Ianto pointed out, enjoying the brief pain on Gwen's face.

"Well, who was after?" She recovered and then asked.

"Owen, he was the next in line." Tosh spoke up, glancing at the doctor. Owen waved his hand in the air, "eh-I don't want it. Too much bloody paperwork for me."

"Which you don't even complete in the first place," Ianto said, locking his fingers together in his lap. Owen flipped him off lazily.

"Right, then, I guess-I'll take it, that alright?" Gwen bit her lip as she glanced at them.

Tosh nodded, obviously not wanting the job and Ianto simply inclined his head, fixing Gwen with a look. She interpreted this as a yes and smiled in delight. It was wonderful that he and Tosh were still ignored when it came to decisions.

"I know, this is going to just be fine, until Jack comes back of course," she hurriedly put in.

"Of course," Ianto said. He stood up and waited for the others to leave before he went back to the archives. His haven, away from PC's that think they can run Torchwood, and quiet Japanese women, and arsehole doctors. God, he really wished Jack were here.

Right, so there's the first chapter, tell me what you think in a review.