Okay, this is a sequel to "Carry Me On," but can be read on it's own, you just won't know any of the specific details, but the plot will make sense.
READ THIS BEFORE THE STORY:
Random vague spoilers for pretty much all of TW (except Miracle Day) because I'm using my own timeline, not the realistic one. Major spoilers for Cyberwoman (though in this fic its my own Cyberwoman alternate universe/ it didn't take place so early on in Iantos employment at TW 3. doesn't exist, and Lisa wasn't set free in the hub, its my own version of the episode, lol. Don't let the fact that it's a post-cyber woman fic throw you, its still a sequel to the first story, just with added angst!) The whole cast is alive, and will continue to be. Enjoy.
And as always, I don't own Torchwood. =(
"We survived through the turbulent highs
And the struggles down below.
I give myself to you now….
On this day as we stand face to face
With the ocean in your eyes.
And you say 'This is love, no more pain.'
It's a reflection of our lives…
And even if we lived
For a thousand years,
Nothing, no one, would come between us.
When the waters rise, we will sail away
To some place and start again."
-Alex Band "Forever Yours"
It had, quite possibly, been the longest week of Jacks life. Which was really saying something, considering just how long his life has actually been. He had forgotten just how demanding a kid could be, along with the already out of the ordinary demands his job entailed. Gwen lost her head at the knowledge of Jack having a son, as expected. She fawned all over him and thought he was the cutest thing in the world. Tosh was similarly inclined, though in a more reserved way. What he hadn't seen coming, and couldn't have predicted in a million years, was Iantos betrayal. Which is why, at just after midnight, he was still in his office staring across the dark of the hub. Leander was asleep on Jacks bed in the bunk beneath his office. He reached out for his coffee, only then noticing that his hand was shaking. He put it down halfway to the mug. He sighed.
Just an hour earlier, everyone had been crammed into his office, talking at once. Owen demanding he either kill Ianto or retcon him immediately and dump him somewhere. Gwen and Tosh arguing that killing him seemed counter-productive when the very thing they were so angry about was Ianto putting them in danger.
Two hours prior to *that* exchange he had walked into the Hub with Owen, Gwen and Tosh, having chased down a potential Weevil sighting, expecting to find Ianto and Leander. What he found however was Leander sitting by himself on the sofa, watching cartoons off of one of the computer monitors.
"Hey, buddy." Jack walked over and ran his hand through Leanders messy hair. "Where's Ianto?"
"Don't know," he replied, looking around Jack to see his show. "He said he'd be right back."
Jack hit the comms unit in his ear to turn it on. "Ianto?"
"Yes, sir?" came Iantos reply almost immediately. Jack rolled his eyes at the formality.
"Where are you?"
There was a brief hesitation, but then he answered, "Archives, just had to file something. I'm on my way up."
Jack went to hang up his coat in his office and the others puttered around doing some last minute things getting ready to go home. A few minutes later, Jack had sat next to his son, and he tapped the comms again, "Ianto? You okay down there?"
"Yes! Fine, Jack. I'm coming," he replied more abruptly then he intended. Jack even flinched at the retort. After another five minutes in which Ianto didn't return, Jack was too curious not to investigate.
"Gwen, watch Leander for a few minutes? I'm gonna see what Iantos up to."
"Of course," she replied, more than happy to spend time with the little boy.
Jack headed to the stairs and went straight down to the archives. They were in complete darkness. He tapped his comms.
"Ianto, sorry if I'm annoying you, but where are you again?"
"Archives."
"Funny. Me too. Where exactly would you be in this maze of darkness?" He didn't mean to sound accusatory, he had no reason to believe Ianto was up to anything, but clearly something wasn't adding up. For a long while Ianto didn't answer, Jack would have thought he disconnected except he could hear the faint sound of the other mans breathing. So he repeated his first question. "Where are you?"
Ianto sighed. "Go down one more level, I'll meet you at the stairs," he replied quietly.
"Okay…" Jack turned and headed down one more level. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd ventured this far into the depths of the hub. Ianto, as promised, met him on the stairs. "What are you playing at?" Jack asked seriously.
Ianto looked sad. And tired. "There's something you need to know, something I've been keeping from you." Jack remained silent, watching him. Ianto fidgeted where he stood in front of Jack, clearly uncomfortable. "I should've told you, but I - I just thought-" he couldn't finish his sentence. It took all his strength to not break down right there in front of Jack. "I don't want to lose you," he said so quietly that Jack thought he must have imagined it. But then, he noticed that Ianto was trembling.
"What? Why would you lose me? Hey, look at me…I'm not going anywhere, Ianto. After everything we've been through, and the last week alone, why would you say that?" Jack waited for his response, when he got none he stepped forward and put his hands on Iantos shoulders. "I love you. You know that. Whatever this is about, just tell me."
Ianto fell into Jack and began sobbing into his shoulder. "I'm sorry Jack, I'm so sorry..please, you have to believe that if nothing else, I am truly sorry…"
Jack held him, but was thoroughly confused. "I can't really reply unless I know what you're so sorry about."
Ianto straightened and tried to stop crying, then without a word turned and walked down the dark hallway. Jack followed, and found that he was actually nervous about whatever this revelation might be. They stopped outside a door, and Jack could see there was a light on inside. Ianto paused with his hand on the doorknob. "I love you too, I really do," he said sadly.
"I know," Jack nodded.
Ianto opened the door and walked in with Jack right behind him. It was safe to say that Jack was not easily flustered but he didn't respond for a good 3 minutes. Ianto didn't push it. They stood side by side staring at the machinery in front of them. At some point Jack recovered enough to look at the younger man beside him, but he still had no words. It took a lot of effort, after a few more minutes to finally choke out, "Explain."
Ianto looked at Jack, and then stepped away from him, towards the other end of the room.
"This is Lisa," he said, as if remembering a fond memory. But it only lasted a second and his features instantly darkened at the realization that nothing in front of him was much like the Lisa he knew.
"Lisa?" Jack practically growled the name. Iantos eyes flicked to him for a second, then back to her.
"You read my file when you hired me, Lisa Hallett."
"Yeah, funny thing about your file is that it said something along the lines of 'deceased,' and nothing along the lines of 'turned into a cyber man but still out there somewhere.'"
Ianto nodded. "I rescued her from Canary wharf, that's why I needed to work here. For Torchwood. So I could keep her alive," his voice shook as he spoke.
"She doesn't look very lifelike to me. More metallic than anything," Jacks voice had taken on a deadly edge and Ianto actually found himself a little scared.
"She's not dead though," he tried to say through his tears. "The conversion wasn't completed so she's not fully cyber man!"
"And not fully human." Jack said bluntly.
Ianto looked back down at her. "I should've told you, I should've asked for help, I know. But I just…I don't want to let her go. I mean, I know she's not my girlfriend anymore, but she's not dead, and what option did I have? Either this, or pull the plug on her. I just couldn't Jack, I can't." He was crying a lot now and it seemed the more he tried to calm down the worse he got.
"So she's been down here for two years, hidden away, while you work with us everyday and pretend to be part of the team?" Jack asked coldly.
"I wasn't pretending," Ianto replied, sounding hurt.
"You lied to us everyday by hiding something this huge, this deadly, right underneath us!" Jacks voice rose to a shout. A movement from the conversion unit Lisa was laying on caught Jacks eye, momentarily distracting him from yelling at Ianto. Her fingers had moved.
"Is she conscious?"
"Not really, she sort of floats in and out. She wakes sometimes, but she's not entirely aware of everything."
Jack was shaking his head and he had begun to pace back and forth. "I can't believe this. I can't believe you would do this."
"Jack, I didn't want to keep this from you, but what harm is she doing just lying here-"
"What harm?" Jack yelled back , cutting him off. "You were at Canary Wharf Ianto, you know what harm can be done! You brought this into our Hub, putting everyone here in danger!"
"She's not-" Ianto tried to interject.
"No! Don't you dare even try to excuse what you have done. I don't want to hear it." Jack pulled the gun out of his holster. Ianto watched him.
"Unplug the life support."
"What?" Ianto asked surprised.
"Now. I take it that's what is keeping her alive? So unplug it. Shut the whole thing down."
"Jack, please-"
"Shut up." Jack said angrily. He tapped his comms. "Owen, Gwen get down here, second level. Tosh stay with Leander." He turned the comms off, not waiting for a reply. "Which brings me to another point," he turned his attention back to Ianto. "Not only have you put the entire team in danger this whole time, but the past week you also put my son in danger." Jack raised the gun, sort of vaguely in the direction of Ianto, but covering Lisa as well. "Unplug it now."
Ianto collapsed into the chair he'd had next to the machinery, sobbing. Owen and Gwen arrived then, shocked at the scene before them.
"Jack," Gwen said slowly, "what is this? What's going on?"
"Bloody hell," Owen said at nearly the same time, instantly realizing what it was. Jack didn't respond to either of them. He put his gun in his holster and moved quickly to Ianto, grabbing him roughly by his lapels and dragging him to the far wall. He pushed him against it and stood inches away from him. Ianto was still crying. "You stand here, you don't move and you don't say a word. Do you understand?" Jack said quietly and very angrily.
"I love you," Ianto mumbled pathetically. Jack, still holding Ianto by his suit coat, shook him roughly.
"Don't! Not a word." And he walked back to Owen and Gwen. "Owen, we have to dismantle this. It's keeping her alive, take a look see what we need to do to rectify that." Owen nodded and went over to examine the equipment. Ianto whimpered from his side of the room, Jack ignored him. "Gwen, gun out, cover Ianto."
"What? What happened here Jack?"
"He hid this here. For two years we've been in danger, you can thank him for that," he nodded toward Ianto, pointing for her to go over there. She did, somewhat reluctantly, with her gun pulled. Ianto had sunk to his knees and she's never seen anyone cry so hard in her life.
Jack watched Owen work, and finally Owen looked up at him. "It's the remnants of a conversion unit, but modified to keep her alive and nothing else. It's a bit anti-climactic but we should be able to just unplug it," he spared a look toward Ianto, eyeing him angrily.
Still looking at Owen, Jack startled everyone in the room by shouting, "Ianto! Up."
Ianto dragged himself to his feet and walked slowly over to Jack.
"Do it. Now," he said so low, it was barely a whisper, but there was no mistaking the tone.
"Jack!" Gwen started to protest but Jack put a hand up to stop her. She fell silent.
"You did this, you'll end it. And you'll do it now. Then I'll decide what to do with you."
Ianto chanced a look up at Jack, but he wished he hadn't. Nothing of what he saw now was familiar to anything he'd seen lately. They'd said they loved each other, but Ianto was pretty sure he was the only one who still felt that. Still crying, he walked toward Owen who had spun around the piece of the machine with all the wires connected to it in order to get to the wall. Ianto reached out but the closer his hand got to the plug, the more it shook, until finally his legs gave out and he ended up in a crumpled ball at Owens feet.
Owen rolled his eyes. "Look, Jack, he was never my favorite person even before this, but this is ridiculous, just let me unplug it. Trust me there will be no love lost if I'm the one who does it."
Jack shook his head. "No."
"What's the point in making him-" Owen started.
"If I wanted your opinion, I would have asked for it!" Jack said furiously. "You know what, both of you, back upstairs!"
Gwen and Owen both opened their mouths to argue but Jack was one step ahead of them and continued talking. "Fill Tosh in on what happened, make sure Leander doesn't hear. And stay up there until I come back." He turned his back on them effectively ending the conversation. Gwen spared Ianto with a somewhat sympathetic look, and then her and Owen left.
Meanwhile, Ianto was trying very hard to remember how to breathe. It didn't seem as easy as usual. He gulped in large amounts of air at once and tried to slow down but just couldn't. Jack stood by, hands on his hips, watching. Somewhere peripherally in his mind he wondered if Jack was going to get out of this easy, and Ianto was going to asphyxiate himself and die, while he just had to stand there and wait.
Jack didn't move for ages. Ianto eventually got his breathing under control, albeit barely.
"I'm sorry...so sorry. Please, Jack? Just let me - let me talk to you, please?" Staring down at him, Jack gave a small nod of his head.
"I know you hate me now," Ianto said, standing up. "But everything we've been through together has been real. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone in the world. And it's killing me knowing that you'll always hate me for this, and that I ruined everything! If you need to make me do this, I'll do it for you," his voice broke on the last few words as he got more upset. He decided to stop talking because he didn't think he could handle anymore. Shaking, he turned around again and leaned over the tangle of wires, the only thing keeping Lisa alive.
"Shit," Jack muttered to himself. He reached out quickly, grabbing Iantos shoulder and turning him around. "I'd like to make you do it. I really would, because I *am* that mad at you right now. But one day I won't be, and I don't want this on my conscience." He sighed, running his hand back through his hair. For a long time they just stood there, neither of them knowing what to do or say. Ianto was still crying, wiping at his eyes every few seconds.
"You do realize there's no way to help her?" Jack said, sounding kinder then, than he had all night. Ianto nodded. "This is it Ianto, for her. Forever. And I just can't keep her here, in case one day the cyber part takes over completely. It's too much of a risk."
"I know. I'm sorry," he repeated.
"You know what? I know you are. I do, I believe you. But it doesn't change this," he said gesturing around them. "Go upstairs to my office. Wait for me there." Ianto glanced up at him, confused for a second until he realized Jack was giving him an out.
"I should be here. Please? I know you don't owe me any favors, but-"
"Fine." It didn't much matter if Ianto stood there or not. Jack stepped around Ianto and very unceremoniously unplugged the machine. As Owen had said, it was certainly anti-climactic. The only evidence that anything in that room had changed was Iantos reaction. She didn't move, open her eyes, convulse. Nothing. The machines just stopped beeping.
Ianto turned away and continued sobbing. He jumped as a hand was placed on his back.
"Come on," Jack said letting his hand fall back to his side. "Let's go upstairs, Owen and I will take care of this later." As they walked out of the room Jack pulled the door closed behind him. "You have a key?" Ianto searched in his pocket then handed it to Jack, who locked the door and then kept it.
They walked into the central area of the hub, Ianto still trying to regain control of himself, and failing miserably. Gwen and Tosh were talking to Leander on the sofa, while Owen sat staring at his computer screen. Out of a kindness to give Ianto some kind of dignity, or just plain hatred, no one even looked his way as he and Jack crossed the hub to his office. Except Leander.
"Daddy?" He sounded worried.
"Go." Jack said to Ianto, motioning for him to continue into his office. Then he turned to his son.
"What happened to Ianto?"
"Iantos upset, that's all. He's okay. Don't worry." Leander looked unsure of whether to believe that or not. "I need you to be good and stay here for a bit while we all go in my office okay?"
And so that's where they all ended up, Owen wanting Ianto out of Torchwood for good, and Gwen and Tosh being a little more forgiving, and Jack not saying much of anything. Ianto sat in the chair in front of Jacks desk sadly. All the arguing was doing Jacks head in so finally he told them all to go home.
"Everything can be dealt with tomorrow," he said with a finality that left no room for discussion. Owen, Tosh and Gwen left but Ianto wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. Jack studied Ianto for awhile, deciding what to say. He realized, after what happened in the last hour, he wasn't likely to come up with anything very nice. So he didn't.
"You go home too."
Iantos head jerked up. "What about you? Leander?" Every night since the Doctor brought Leander to him, they'd stayed with Ianto.
"We'll stay here tonight."
Ianto put his head in his hands as he began crying again. Jack actually felt guilty, which made him mad because Ianto was the one who did something horribly wrong.
"Hey, we'll talk tomorrow okay?" Jack added, meant as a sort of comfort. He'd never seen Ianto so upset and he didn't want him doing anything stupid. Ianto nodded into his hands.
He walked around his desk and practically lifted Ianto out of his chair. "Time to go." They walked out of the office and Leander was instantly off the sofa and running to stand in front of him and Ianto.
"Ianto?" he said shyly, putting out his arms in the offer of a hug.
Ianto turned back slightly to look at Jack, he looked so utterly sad that Jack couldn't deny him this. He nodded. Ianto knelt down and opened his arms for Leander. Leander buried his face in Iantos neck, Ianto in turn began sobbing even harder.
"Are you okay?" Jack heard Leanders muffled voice.
"Yeah," Ianto could barely say.
"Ander, let Ianto go now, he's going home."
"Us too?" he asked expectantly.
"Not tonight, we're staying here. Ianto, come on." Ianto stood and followed Jack to the lift. He stepped on the cement and turned back toward Jack.
"I'll come by in the morning Ianto, all right? We'll talk, I promise."
"I know you won't say it back, you probably don't anymore...but, I love you. "
Jack nodded but looked down and didn't reply as the lift rose up and finally out of sight.
All of which brought him to where he was now, alone in his office, and unable to think of anything but Ianto. After a long internal monologue about the pros and cons of calling Ianto at this hour, he decided to do it. He picked up the phone and dialed, holding his breath waiting for the other line to connect.
"Hello?" Ianto sounded awful and Jack mentally kicked himself for sending him home alone.
"Ianto? You doing alright?" Jack realized he didn't sound much better himself.
"Jack? Um, yeah. Fine. I mean, I don't know," he rambled. Jack couldn't help but smile.
"I just wanted to make sure you got home."
"I did, yeah. Well, obviously. Jack, look," he started.
Jack cut him off before he could finish, "Don't apologize again, Ianto. You don't have to."
"But I do. I was wrong-"
"I know," Jack said, "but I also know you didn't want to get anyone hurt, and no one was actually hurt, so no harm done. Well, no harm physically. What I'm most upset about is the fact you lied to me for two years." Jack heard Ianto sniffling and figured he'd probably started crying again, assuming he ever stopped.
"You're the last person in the world I wanted to lie to. I swear that's true. I shouldn't have -" he took a deep breath and didn't seem to be able to continue.
"I know," Jack repeated again quietly. They stayed on the phone in silence for a few minutes, neither knowing what to say next.
"Do you still love me?" Ianto asked finally, afraid of what the answer might be.
Jack paused before answering but he didn't even need to, he knew the answer instantly. "Yes." He heard Ianto gasp, presumably in shock.
"But, you can't trust me." It wasn't even a question Jack realized.
"You know what…I actually do, still. I know if I needed you right now, you'd be here. And in the past week, everything you've done to help me with Leander.." Jack shook his head even though Ianto couldn't see. He sighed. "You made a mistake, a really bad one that lasted two years," he laughed a little. "But I'm not ready to give up on you yet." Jack could practically see Iantos shocked face through the silence. "So, I'm not saying this is perfect, but I don't want to lose you. What about you?"
"What? I don't want to lose you either," Ianto replied quickly. Jack smiled.
"I mean, can you get past what I did? To Lisa."
"Oh," he said sadly, as if he'd forgotten for just a second.
"For what it's worth, I am sorry. Because I know it hurt you."
"You wouldn't have been in that situation if I hadn't brought her there in the first place, so that brings it back to being my fault again."
"Still…" Jack said.
"I love you, Jack. Nothing about tonight changed my feelings. I just thought you'd never want to see me again, or you'd kill me or retcon me."
Jacks eyes narrowed at the thought of Ianto thinking Jack would shoot him. "That may have been what Owen wanted, but he doesn't make the rules, much as he'd like to. I would never do that to you. I couldn't."
"I'm glad for that." Jack could hear the smile in Iantos voice now.
"It's late," Jack said, changing the subject. "Get some rest, I'm going to be over there bright and early so please have coffee."
"Always," Ianto replied, not missing a beat.
"Good night."
"Good night, sir."
"Knock it off," Jack said lightly. Ianto laughed, a little.
"Sorry again. Good night, Jack."
"Hey, Ianto?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you," Jack said and then hung up the phone.
Bright and early, as promised, Jack rang Iantos doorbell. It opened almost immediately, Jack assumed Ianto was waiting for them. Leander said hi and ran right in to the flat, hopping onto the sofa to watch the TV that was already on. Jack stayed standing in the doorway a little awkwardly.
"Morning," he finally said.
"Hey," Ianto said nervously. "You can come in," he said stepping off to the side.
Jack took a step in, but stopped in front of Ianto. Jack noticed him tense up and he wondered what Ianto thought he was going to do. He noted that Ianto looked as if he hadn't slept at all since they got off the phone. Without a word Jack put his arms around Ianto and hugged him. He felt Ianto practically collapse against him, grabbing on tight and squeezing Jack to himself. He heard Ianto start breathing heavier as he tried not to cry. "Sshh, it's okay now," Jack said soothingly, running his hand up and down Iantos back. Ianto started trembling as he began to cry. "Come on, let's go in the other room."
He had to practically peel Ianto off him, but took his hand and led him to the bedroom, to leave Leander with the TV.
"Come here now," he said once the door was closed behind them. Ianto holding on tightly once again.
"We can get past this Ianto, everything's going to be okay," he continued mumbling words of comfort. He felt Ianto nod against his shoulder. "I'm sorry I sent you home last night, I should have talked to you. I was just so angry at the time, I couldn't-" Ianto had pulled back a little to look at Jack. He shook his head.
"It's okay. I certainly didn't expect you not to be angry, in fact I'm still surprised you're here, even now."
"Well, get over it," Jack said jokingly. Ianto smiled. "Do you want to stay home from work today? Owen and I are going to have some work to do, Gwen and Tosh can handle anything else." The unsaid definition of what 'work' he and Owen would have to do, didn't go unnoticed by Ianto. He flinched when Jack said it.
"No. I should go in and apologize. I'm sure they all still hate me, even if you've gotten past it." He looked nervous.
"Gwen and Tosh don't hate you, they didn't want me to hurt you last night. Owen's another story, but you were never close anyway," Jack shrugged.
"Yeah, still. I owe them an apology, and an explanation. Did you eat breakfast yet?"
"Please. I barely dragged myself here without your coffee to wake me up," Jack made a face like he was pouting. Ianto laughed.
"There's coffee in the kitchen, help yourself. And I'll make us some breakfast. I'll be out in a second."
Ianto went into the bathroom and splashed some water on his face. He dried himself with a towel and looked in the mirror. His eyes were still red from crying, but it wasn't too bad. He walked into the living room and over to Leander, still on the sofa.
"Hey you, didn't get to say hi properly before." He sat next to him, and patted the top of his head. Leander looked at him, quite seriously for his age, then seemed to make up his mind. He crawled into Iantos lap, turning himself so his legs hung over the side of Iantos then wrapped his little arms around his waist.
"Are you still sad?" he asked quietly. Ianto kissed the top of his head.
"I'm doing better now, sweetheart." They sat there for a few minutes, Ianto liked the comfort even if it was from a three year old. But finally he broke the silence, knowing Jack was watching them from the kitchen.
"Your dad wants breakfast, we shouldn't keep him waiting," Ianto said with a smile. Leander giggled. He picked him up and carried him to one of the stools at the kitchen counter. Jack sat next to him.
"So, waffles sound good?" Leander nodded happily.
"Waffles sound great," Jack added with a smile. "Need any help?"
"From you? I don't think so." Ianto said seriously.
"That's nice," Jack said sarcastically.
And so they ate in companionable silence, like nothing was so out of the ordinary about their lives.
Since Jack had arrived at such an ungodly early hour at Iantos, when the three of them arrived at the Hub, they were still the first ones there. Ianto had carried Leander in from the car and was still holding him as Jack hung up his coat and flicked some computers on. They both glanced up as the alarm went off announcing the arrival of a team member. Unfortunately, thought Ianto, it was Owen.
"Oh you have got to be kidding me," Owen stated, eyeing Ianto with Jacks son.
"Don't." Jack said to him very seriously.
Owen laughed, in a way that showed that he found absolutely no humor in this situation. "Don't. Yeah, right. Of course. Kissed and made up did ya?"
"Owen -" Jack started but Ianto cut him off. He passed Leander to Jack and turned back to Owen.
"You're right to be mad Owen. I'm here to apologize to everyone, it was stupid, what I did. I'm sorry. Really. I never wanted to put anyone in danger, I just didn't know what else to do, but…I don't know. I'm just really sorry."
"Yeah, fine. Whatever." Owen said as he brushed past them and down to the autopsy bay. Ianto looked at Jack.
"Could have gone worse," Jack pointed out.
"I suppose," Ianto replied. He left Jack and his son standing there and went about his morning routine making the coffee.
"Can I go with Ianto?" Leander asked.
"Yeah, go on," Jack said as he put him down. Owen walked up behind him then.
"Really? Still trust him completely don't you?"
Jack turned. "Yes I do. I don't like what he did anymore than anyone else. But he wasn't actively trying to sabotage us. You could give him a break, you know."
"Not likely," Owen said.
"Yeah well, be civil at least. We're all teammates, whether you like it or not," Jack said in serious 'captain' mode. Owens only response was a slight nod of his head as he sat down.
Leander came back then, walking very slowly with a mug in his hands. He stood in front of Owen, all his concentration on the hot liquid, and not spilling. He waited for Owen to take it off him. Once it was safely out of his hands he was able to put concentration elsewhere. "It's from Ianto!" he said happily.
"Cheers, mate." Owen managed a smile for Leander at least.
"It's hot."
"Right, I'll be careful." Leander nodded, content that he did his job well.
"What? I don't get one?" Jack said sadly.
"Iantos making more!" Leander said as he ran to Jack with his arms up. Jack scooped him up and swung him around a bit, which got him a giggle.
As if on cue, Ianto came by with a tray placing a mug on Tosh and Gwens stations, then handing Jack his. Tosh and Gwen came in then and walked up to where Owen, Jack, Ianto and Leander were. To their credit, they hid their surprise at Ianto being there much better than Owen did. They shot questioning looks to Jack, who ignored them, said good morning and went about their usual morning rituals.
Ianto stood there awkwardly, aware that the tension in the room was his doing.
"Gwen? Tosh? Can I talk to you a minute?" he tried to say without his voice quavering.
Gwen spun her chair slightly so she was facing him, and Tosh, who was still standing, turned to him.
"Sure Ianto." Gwen said politely.
Ianto proceeded to give them the same apology spiel he gave Owen, this time gaining a bit more sympathy. Owen was still rolling his eyes as Ianto finished.
"The Captain here has forgiven him completely, in case you wondered," Owen mentioned with a tone of disgust. Gwen glanced at Jack who nodded his head, then she looked back at Ianto. He looked so utterly sad and depressed standing there she really did feel bad for him. And if she were being honest, she wasn't even that mad anymore. She took a step to stand in front of him and put her hand comfortingly on his arm.
"Apology accepted," she said kindly. He looked like he was going to faint in his relief so she gave him a hug as well. When she had stepped away Tosh also walked forward and smiled at him.
"It's okay Ianto, I think we all understand why you did what you did. We've all made mistakes." Ianto nodded and swallowed hard, trying not to cry.
"Thank you. Both of you, thanks," he managed.
"All right, glad that's all sorted," Jack had stepped into the middle of them. "Ianto, you're on Leander duty for a little while if you don't mind."
"'Course not," he replied reaching out and taking Leander from Jacks arms.
"Tosh, Gwen, check up on any rift alerts that may have gone off in the middle of the night while I was ignoring them." They all laughed a little at his honesty. "Owen, me and you, downstairs, come on." Ianto stiffened at the mention. Owen started down the stairs straight away, while the girls began checking the computers. Jack put a hand on Iantos back.
"Sorry, didn't mean to just throw that out there like that."
"It's okay. It's okay," he repeated, not filling Jack with confidence.
"I've changed my mind about Leander duty," Jack said seriously. Ianto frowned and was about to argue that Jack said he trusted him, but Jack put his hand up to stop him.
"Ander, your job is to look after Ianto while I'm downstairs. Think you can do that? Your on Ianto duty." Leander nodded eagerly. Ianto smirked. "Great," Jack continued. He smiled at the pair of them as he walked off to the depths of the Hub.