AN: I PULLED TERRA FIRMA BECAUSE I WASN'T HAPPY WITH IT AND WILL REVISIT IT LATER.... MAYBE . SORRY BUT I JUST COULDN'T MAKE IT WORK...

THIS PIECE IS ENTIRELY EXPERIMENTAL......SET SEASON ONE POST 'FAIRES'

STOMACH FULL OF RATS

Ianto sighed heavily as he reversed himself off the back seat of the SUV, cleaning spray and cloth in hand. At least the smell of Weevil was gone even if the stains weren't. It would have to do; he was not a miracle worker. The others wouldn't notice anyway and he wondered why he was bothering at all and then he remembered.... well difficult not to really.... it was his job. They were going camping, though in reality they were tripping off to Brecon to investigate.... well.... whatever it was. Ianto found he didn't much care; he didn't much care about anything. He slammed the door shut and leaned against the cool metal of the car, sucking in long slow breaths. His stomach was aching again. Truth was he could not remember a time when it hadn't ached. He gathered his resolve, physically morphing himself into the rigidly upright butler they had come to expect him to be.

The Hub was quiet for once, even with all of the team at their respective desks. The only sound was the whooshing of Myfanwy's wings as she swooped low before arching up back into the heights. Ianto froze for a moment looking up at her, unable to resist the boyish urge to watch as she soared away. The moment didn't last; Jack had tainted her beauty by turning her against Lisa. Ianto moved on past Tosh's desk and toward his coffee machine.

He needed coffee. Well he needed caffeine anyway. He wanted to anchor himself to the familiar motions of preparing beverages. He lost himself in the task unaware that he had gained an audience.....

Jack leaned back in his chair and stretched the kinks out of tired shoulder muscles. He glanced briefly out of the window of his office and saw the suited figure of one Ianto Jones standing motionless, his face tilted up to the roof. Jack almost did a double take when he saw the barely perceptible smile grace his lips for the tiniest of moments. Part of him wondered if he had imagined it. Just as suddenly the blank mask was in place and Ianto was striding to coffee heaven. Jack decided to follow. He needed a break anyway. He still felt incredibly uneasy in Ianto's presence. Ianto had been quiet before the 'Lisa Incident' and now he moved about the hub like a detached shadow. It was as if Ianto had lost the fight with his will to stay alive and now he was just going through the motions because instinct alone prevented him from putting a bullet in his brain. What made Jack more uncomfortable was the fact that he understood only too well where Ianto was coming from.

Grief for Jack was something he wore on his sleeve, tears, anger and doing something..... anything, to take away the pain. Ianto just walled himself in an unbreakable space, a void written on his face that simply read 'no feeling here'. Jack was reminded of the Pink Floyd song, Comfortably Numb, he wondered just how comfortable Ianto was. In spite of everything, his betrayal, his loss and the anger of his colleagues, Ianto had come back to work..... faced the music.... and somehow functioned. Jack hesitated at his door' his hand resting on the handle. They were due to head out to Brecon, he was hoping to fix things a little, get Ianto out of that self imposed cage......

He could smell the aroma of dark Java and decided to venture out to talk to his team, casually and calmly as a boss should. He made his first target Gwen. She was always so easy to approach. The moment his presence was felt her face lit up and the smile was open and heartfelt. Jack loved that smile, the brightness of her eyes, the refreshing undamaged human in the Hub. It didn't hurt that she was hot to look at as well. Owen had clearly noticed and Jack was fairly sure he had taken advantage too, but he didn't like to ask. What his team did in their off hours...... well actually that wasn't strictly true given Ianto's track record. There it was again..... Ianto.... like a pain in the gut or an itch you just couldn't scratch. Jack hitched his best smile to match Gwen's.

"How's it going?" His hand drifted to rest on her shoulder, her warmth seeping up his arm like positive radiation.

"I've collated allthe reports for the briefing." Her eyes met his and Jack tried not to hitch a breath and Gwen tried not to blush, they both failed.

"Good, I'll round everyone up and we may as well get started."

Their gazes lingered for a moment too long and then Jack just suddenly moved away. Gwen sagged at his departure and gathered up her papers.

Jack halted a few paces away from where Ianto was engrossed in his coffee magic. Jack loved the coffee, Ianto was just pure genius as far as coffee was concerned. He folded his arms across his chest and just watched for a moment.

Ianto could feel his skin crawling all of a sudden and he caught sight of Jack standing there, eyeing him up as he worked.

"Is there something wanted, sir?" No point in being rude.

Jack smiled. "Could you bring the coffee to the boardroom?"

There was never any please. "Yes, sir."

Jack nodded and swung away reluctantly. All he wanted to do was to shake some life back into the youngest member of his team. At this point Jack realised how little he knew of Ianto Jones. He wanted to make the boy laugh. Ianto used to laugh before they all found out about Lisa and Jack realised just how blatantly fake it had been. He'd just been too busy admiring the pert arse to notice. Jack was good at detachment, of burying his head and that had lead to Suzie's monumental breakdown into murder and suicide and Ianto taking him for the fool that he was. There was a lot to make up for. He'd missed all the signs with Alex a few years back too. Was he really that dense? Jack was starting to think so, or maybe he just didn't care enough.

Ianto carefully arranged the four mugs and plate of biscuits on the tray. He carried swiftly it and silently to the boardroom, glided into the room and distributed the drinks. He turned to leave, tray tucked neatly under his arm.

"Ianto take a seat."

He froze.

"Ianto?"

He swung round a polite indifference on his face, hiding his irritation. The last place he wanted to be was in here where they could all look at him with their anger and feelings of betrayal. Jack was gesturing to the vacant chair to his left.

"Of course, sir."

Ianto slid into the seat and placed the tray on the table in front of him. He focussed his gaze at the space between Owen and Tosh.

"Right as I was saying. We have a number of unexplained disappearances in the area over quite a lengthy period of time, so be prepared for a few days away."

Owen was imagining a nice hotel, Tosh dreamily pictured a quaint BnB overlooking the Welsh Hills and Ianto tried to remember where the tents were stowed.....

"Ianto can you oversee getting everything into the SUV ready for an early departure tomorrow morning. You will be joining us so I just something more pratical to wear. Tosh can you set the remote alert and advise UNIT we'll be out of town for a few days."

Tosh nodded.

"Of course..... Lovely coffee Ianto, aren't you having one?"

Ianto was startled out his reverie. "Oh..er no... I had one a little while ago up in the tourist office." He lied, his was still by the machine, getting cold. He kept his gaze away and clasped his hands on the table to stop himself from figeting.

Jack recognised the lie straight away, but said nothing.

"OK, everyone lets get things finished up for the day and Owen, Gwen and Tosh go home be back here at 6am."

Owen shot up from his seat and took his mug off to the autopsy bay. Tosh followed him out of the room a moment later and then Gwen her research in her arm, she offered up a quick glance at Jack before she left, but Jack was looking at Ianto who was gathering up the empty biscuit plate.

"Jack, I'll leave these on your desk?"

Jack turned his head catching Gwen's infectious smile and unsubtle fluttering of eyelashes.

"Please, go home catch up with your boyfriend, we could be away for a couple of days."

She left sorely disappointed, but she hid it well. The door was closed at her back.

"Ianto sit down."

It was a blatant order.

Ianto sat mechanically on command and stared at his hands again. His stomach griped painfully and he felt himself shiver.

Jack watched the young man closely, wondering why he looked so damned uncomfortable. It was stupid to wonder.... really stupid.... lets face it.

"How are you, Ianto?"

Ianto's head shot up, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. It was some seconds before he opened his mouth to speak as he realised Jack was clearly out of his depth for even asking.

"I'm fine sir, thank you."

Jack scrubbed a hand over his face in frustration.

"Really?"

Then Ianto looked at him, really looked at him, straight in the eyes and right down into the well of his soul and Jack just felt sick at the emptiness he saw in the younger man's beautiful blues. They were beautiful, those eyes, not ones you could easily forget because they really did look right down inside of you.

"No." Ianto replied. "How can I be?"

Jack sighed. "I don't have that answer, but I thank you for not lying to me this time."

All Ianto could feel was the rats at the moment, rodents that incessantly gnawed at his innards.

"Is that all, sir?"

Jack huffed out a breath.

"Yes. Can you start on finding the gear for the SUV, I'll come down and give you hand shortly."

Ianto nodded and rose to his feet. He strode smartly out of the room.