Ianto wasn't listening to everything being said. All he could do was look at the face of their dead Captain, lying on one of the body tables. He vaguely registered Gwen and Owen having a half hearted argument about whether he was going to come back or not.

"I want to sit with him," Gwen's voice sounded tired now, but determined. Almost like she thought her mere presence would force Jack to awaken again.

"Gwen," Owen began knowing that it wasn't a good idea. She'd end up making herself ill, or worse, she'd just sit until she died as well.

"I want to sit with him," Gwen said more firmly, shooting Owen a look.

Owen just wandered off. There was no point arguing. He was going to sort out the Hub and then if Jack hadn't come back (even he had to admit there was a still a glimmer of hope within him) he would step up as captain himself and sort things out.

Toshiko too walked after Owen glancing back one last time at Jack's body as she tried hard not to cry again. Gwen had given up crying that morning. She had no more tears left to shed.

Ianto hadn't even started. He wanted to be the one to wait with Jack. He wanted to be the one who held out the hope that Jack might wake up. He wanted to be the first one Jack saw if he did wake up.

Anger surged through him. Who did Gwen think she was? She'd been here less than five months and already she thought she had priority over everyone else in Jack's eyes. Ianto knew for a fact that wasn't true.

He wanted to ask her to leave; he wanted to tell her that she was nothing in Jack's eyes. Nothing compared to himself. But he couldn't. He just couldn't. He didn't have the energy to do anything else but mourn.

Days passed and the others continued to watch the monitors as Gwen remained vigilant at Jack's bedside. Ianto didn't want to watch her. He couldn't bear to see her pacing about like she was waiting for Rhys of someone to phone.

Ianto stayed in Jack's office, straightening paper work and making sure it was clean and tidy. He even began bringing cups of coffee up through force of habit. Each day he'd put a fresh cup on there, just in case Jack came back.

On day six Ianto allowed himself to submerge in his emotions. Feeling particularly low he took Jack's great coat off the hook and bought it up to his face, breathing in the familiar scent and breaking down completely.

He collapsed onto the sofa in Jack's office, sobbing as he hugged the coat. How could he just abandon Ianto like this? Did Jack not realise how much he meant to Ianto, how much Ianto needed him?

Owen came looking for him, took one look at Ianto and almost started to cry himself. He wandered over and sat beside the other man not sure what to say, so instead he just handed Ianto the cup of tea he'd made.

Ianto took it gratefully. He might be awful at making coffee, but Owen could make the best cup of tea around. Owen rubbed his back for a moment before getting up and leaving Ianto to mourn in peace.

Ianto didn't leave the Hub now. He had an empty flat to return to, with no reminders of Jack, and it probably would've allowed him to calm down for a few hours before having to return to work and feel his heart twist painfully every time he caught sight of something Jack related. But he didn't like to leave. He didn't want Jack to be alone if he did by some miracle wake up.

The others drifted home occasionally though no one was keeping track of whether it was day or night, and they would return a few hours later.

It had been six days now. Or at least, Ianto thought that was how long it had been. It was quite possible that it had only been three, or that it had been as many as twelve. No one seemed to really care. The only thing that mattered was the fact that with each passing day, there was less chance of Jack waking up.

The whole team seemed to have forgotten how to cook and ordered take out most of the time, eating it in between cleaning up the Hub. Ianto didn't eat at all. He hadn't done for days. The pain of being so hungry distracted him from the pain of missing Jack.

He was pale, tired, hungry and exhausted. But somehow it just wasn't enough. There was a gap in his soul that nothing could fill. He hadn't felt nearly this bad when Lisa had died. He hated himself for thinking it, but somehow he'd known that they'd never be together forever. It was like a sixth sense. But with Jack… he hadn't even known what they'd had until it was taken away.

Exactly a week after they'd lost Jack, Toshiko went down to the basement to try and persuade Gwen to leave. There was no chance of him coming back now. They had to face facts, it was over.

Ianto didn't want to face facts. Why couldn't he go on mourning forever? It didn't seem like he had a choice. There was a Jack shaped void that nothing but Jack could heal.

Ianto wasn't even listening when Tosh was explaining how to rewire the computers. He was on automatic pilot; completely numb. He didn't hear Gwen coming up from the basement. He didn't hear the two sets of footsteps. He didn't hear Tosh gasp.

But the minute she uttered the word Jack, Ianto's head snapped up. It was like a dream. Stood there, looking like death warmed up (and even Ianto, the most respectful of people, almost burst out laughing at that thought) was Jack Harkness, clutching Gwen's hand.

A pang of jealousy shot through Ianto's chest as he watched Tosh run towards him and throw her arms round his neck. How Ianto wished he could do that too. But he didn't know how Jack would react. Or the others for that matter.

So instead he walked forward a little slower than Tosh had, holding out a hand, just wanting to touch Jack, to feel his skin on the other mans. As his eyes locked with Jack's though, the captain opened his arms, offering the hug Ianto so desperately needed.

It was the hug that set him off again. The thought of almost losing Jack was too much to bear. His emotions were flying all over the place and he didn't register that fact that Jack was pulling back, until the other man had cupped his cheek and was pressing his lips against Ianto's.

The sensation was one Ianto knew he would remember forever. Just on the off chance Jack decided to die on him again. Ianto needed something to hold onto. All too soon Jack was pulling back, intending to head towards Owen. He shot Ianto a quick look before he did though, a look hat said 'I need to forgive him; I'll come back to you later'.

Owen blinked hard as he saw Jack and headed towards the other man, nodding his sorry before breaking down in Jack's arms. Ianto watched and felt another pang of jealousy. Only this one hurt a lot more. He suddenly found he couldn't breath. That was the last thing Ianto remembered before he collapsed.