'I'll take 'im now,' Owen said to the medic who was inspecting Ianto's wounds. The medic frowned, but moved awawy from the vehicle anyway, going to talk to another medic who had been bandaging Gwen's injury, and administering pain killers. Tosh was standing next to Gwen, looking shaken, her eyes not seeing what was going on around her, but with a hand placed comfortingly on Gwen's shoulder. Jack was standing away from them all, arms crossed, looking grimly about him, eyes moving from one group of his team to another. Owen began to gently press around Ianto's ribcage, then stopped abruptly with a grunt.

'I'm going to have to take this off,' he said, tugging at Ianto's shirt. Ianto vaguely nodded, and then leant back against the side of the car. Owen began to unbutton the shirt, and then tugged it open. Ianto's gaze drifted over to Jack, who met his gaze with a frowning look, he was intently staring at Ianto. Ianto's attention was drawn back to Owen when he let out a barely disguised gasp, having drawn open Ianto's shirt. His chest was mottled with bruises, and there were several small areas where the skin had been broken, and trails of blood had dried around them. 'Alright?,' Owen asked. Ianto nodded, although even the small movements made his head swim, and stars flash before his eyes. Owen began gently pressing around his ribcage, feeling for fractures. Ianto screwed his eyes shut, breathing in sharply. Owen persistently poked the same place, and Ianto finally had to push his hand away.

'Sorry,' Owen said. 'Think you've broken it. Not much I can do about it I'm afraid.' He turned away and rummaged around in his bag for a minute, before takng out a tube of ointment. As he turned back to Ianto, he was looking at Gwen, who did not notice, as she was talking quietly to one of the medics who stood about her and Tosh. He undid the cap of the cream, and dragged his eyes back to Ianto, beginning to gently rub cream on Ianto's bruises. Ianto took his wrist, and stopped him, taking the cream in the other hand.

'Go to her, I can manage this.'

'No you can't, you shouldn't be moving at all yet,' Owen said, reaching for the cream, but another hand got there first.

'I can do it Owen, you go see to Gwen.' Jack had strode over, and took the cream from Ianto's hand, giving Owen a light, comforting slap on the back. Owen nodded thanks, and then walked off towards Gwen and Tosh. Jack looked at Ianto, and sighed. He moved closer, his leg brushing against the inside of Ianto's, which were spread to support his fragile body. He didn't speak as he squeezed some of the ointment onto his fingers, and then began slowly rubbing it across Ianto's bruises. Ianto sighed deeply, shutting his eyes.

'I can do it sir, it's fine.' He pushed Jack's hand away, but Jack took his hand.

'Ianto, you're not. You..' Jack trailed off. Ianto felt a lump in his throat that was nothing to do with his beating, and found he had to blink all to often to keep his eyes clear. Jack sat down abruptly next to Ianto, and took him in his arms. Ianto let the tears overcome him, and put an arm around Jack, sobbing into his shoulder. Jack moved one hand to the back of Ianto's head, burrying his hand in Ianto's soft brown hair. 'Oh, Ianto,' he said, kissing him on the forehead. As Ianto's breath shook, piercing pain ran through him from his broken rib, but he couldn't stop, he tried to control himself, but it made no difference. A hideous montage ran through his mind, shots of Lisa screaming, dying, the cannibals, freezers full of legs and feet, and then, to his surprise, a wash of relief went through him when he remembered Jack's 'CPR', despite the events that followed. He put his other arm round Jack, and held onto him tight, even though the pressure hurt him.

'I'm sorry sir, so sorry.' Jack moved his hands to Ianto's waist, and pushed him away, staring into his eyes.

'Don't be. Please don't be. You don't need to think about that anymore.' Ianto knew 'that' meant Lisa, and his betrayal. He sighed, and Jack put a hand to his cheek. 'Please let me help you, please let me in.' He leant in and put his lips to Ianto's, gently kissing him. Ianto sat straighter, pressing back into Jack's lips, and brushed his tongue along them. Jack gently pushed him back again. 'We need to get you home, and I need to get your wounds sorted.' He gave Ianto one last kiss, and then returned to rubbing him.

They arrived back at the hub hours later, after myriad forms had been filled in, statements taken, and painkillers administered. Gwen was laid down on one of the camp beds in the back of the SUV, and Jack drove, with Owen next to him, and Tosh and Ianto in the middle. Tosh was beginning to break out of her daze, and kept a close eye on Ianto, who was drifting in and out of consciousness, occasionally whispering in his sleep. Tosh was unsettled by it, the main word she could recognise being 'Lisa'. She glanced at Jack every now and then, his expression stern, seeming to neither see or hear what was going on in the car. Ianto's breathing was irregular at times, and at one point he dug in fingers into the seat of the car, his eyes tightly screwed shut. Tosh edged towards him slightly, and stroked the top of his hand, before gently taking it in her own and stroking it with her thumb. He seemed to settle after this, and fell into quiet unconsciousness. As they went inside, Owen and Tosh helped Gwen, and Jack supported Ianto. No-one spoke as they went inside, and without anyone giving any orders, they assembled in the board room. Jack gently placed Ianto in a chair on one side, and sat next to him, the other three sat at the other.

'I need to get home, Rhys will be worried,' Gwen said, first to speak a word.

'Is she all right to go?,' Jack asked Owen.

'Should be, just needs to take it easy, and not drive.'

'What about you Tosh, feeling okay?,' Jack asked, turning to face her. She turned away from Ianto, who was sitting opposite, and who she could not tell was conscious.

'Yes, I'm fine. A little dazed that's all. And confused,' she added, by way of a joke. One that only Jack seemed to get. Jack looked to Owen.

'I'm fine, jesus, nothing much happened to me. I can give lifts,' he said. 'He can't go anywhere,' he added, pointing at Ianto.

'I figured that. Okay then, Ianto can stay here, Owen, give the girls lifts, all of you take tomorrow off. Feel free to take more time off Gwen, just let me know. See you two in the morning,' he said to Owen and Tosh. Tosh offered her hand to Gwen, who pulled herself up, and they slowly made their way down the spiral staircase. Jack sat down and watched the three of them as they left the hub. His earpiece bleeped, and then Owen's voice came through it.

'I presume I don't need to tell you to make sure he rests?'

'Owen, bad though I may be, I'm not that bad.'

'Okay, make sure he stays still, you can give him some more painkillers in about two hours if he needs them. Try to make him sleep, and don't give him any food. If he wants something to drink, give him only very small sips. Keep his temperature constant, he's probably concussed and in shock.'

'Now you're just teaching me to suck eggs, Owen.'

'Okay, see you in the morning, Cap'n,' Owen said, the joker back in his voice. Jack sighed and took out his earpiece, placing it on the table. He turned to Ianto, who he found was looking at him.

'Come on. We need to get you to bed.'

'Sir,' Ianto began.

'It's outside office hours Ianto. My name's Jack.' Ianto sighed, summing up his energy, and sitting straight.

'Jack, I want to let you in. I really do. But I don't trust myself.' Jack leant forward, taking Ianto's jaw between his finger and thumb, and pulling him into a kiss.

'Let's not talk now, you're too tired. And drugged, don't forget that!,' he said jokingly. He took Ianto's hand, and pulled him up, before wrapping Ianto's arm around his own shoulders, and putting his other arm round Ianto's waist, slowly moving through to his own room. He sat him on the bed, and knelt in front of him. He took each of Ianto's hands in his own, and kissed them.

'Ianto, I love you. I've never felt more terrified in all my life as I did when I saw them with a knife at your throat. I've never felt such anger. How could I ever let your past get in the way?' He moved forward, wrapping his arms around Ianto, and resting his head on his lap. Ianto pulled him back up, and kissed him, tears in his eyes, before he let Jack slip back to his lap. After he doesn't know how long, Jack kissed his legs, and stood up.

'Lie down, I'll get you something clean to wear.'

'Can I not shower?'

'I don't think it'd be a good idea, no. Sorry.'

'It's fine.' Ianto carefully bent over, untying his shoelaces. Jack came back into the room, carrying a crisp white shirt, maybe one of his own, maybe one of the spares Ianto kept stored in his cubby hole upstairs. He walked quickly over to Ianto, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

'Leave it to me,' he said. He took Ianto's shoes off, and gently lifted his legs onto the bed. Ianto lay his head on the pillow, and his eyes shut almost straight away. After a moment, he heard Jack's footsteps leaving the room.

'Stay!,' he called, and opened his eyes, seeing Jack standing in the doorway.

'I was hoping you'd say that.' Jack walked over, sat on the edge of the bed removing his own shoes, undid his braces, and took his trousers off, undoing his shirt. He pulled the duvet up, and gently settled in beside Ianto, wrapping an arm round him and giving him a final kiss on the forehead, before he drifted into the most blissful sleep he'd known.