DAY ONE

The roar from the upper gantry was enough to tell everyone that Jack hadn't been able to figure out the coffee machine. This was despite carefully reading and re-reading the instructions left by Ianto. The team tried hard to ignore the banging and swearing, but it wasn't easy. Not long after, Jack came stomping down the stairs clutching what looked like part of the coffee machine. He retrieved his coat and headed for the exit.

'I'm going to Starbucks!' He yelled. 'Does anyone want anything?'

DAY TWO

'Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! The bloody Satnav and computers have gone offline.'

'Calm down, Owen.' Gwen soothed from the back seat of the SUV. 'I'll just get the map out of the boot.'

While Gwen fetched the map, Owen repeatedly thumped the steering wheel. Jack and Tosh simply sat in silence, smiling to themselves.

'If Ianto hadn't decided to have a holiday, he would be in the hub giving us remote directions.'

DAY THREE

'I'm sorry.' Owen called to an extremely pissed-off Jack Harkness. 'The body slipped out of my hands.'

'My coat is now half covered in blood and brain tissue and Ianto isn't here to get it cleaned.'

He threw the offending garment onto the couch. 'It'll stain badly before he returns.'

'Can't you clean it yourself?' Gwen asked, with false innocence.

Jack shot her a look of pure venom.

DAY FOUR

'Crap!'

Jack peered out of his office.

'You okay Tosh?'

Toshiko sighed deeply and pointed to the pile of papers on the floor.

'I haven't had a chance to file this lot yet and now they're all mixed up. Ianto normally does it for me.'

Jack helped Tosh to pick up her papers before going back to his office and his own teetering pile of paperwork.

DAY FIVE

A loud screech greeted the team as they entered the hub. Suddenly, Torchwood's pet pterodactyl swooped down at them. She screeched again at the team as she flew close to them

'Has anyone fed Myfanwy this week?' asked Jack.

'Bollocks,' replied Gwen, staring guiltily after the dinosaur. 'I knew there was something.'

DAY SIX

Everyone had gone home, leaving Jack alone. He realised that he was feeling more alone than usual. Jack was missing Ianto badly. It shocked him further to realise that all he really wanted was just to hold the younger man. Just to have him in his arms where he could breathe in his sent. He simply needed his presence.

DAY SEVEN

Owen arrived at the hub to find Gwen, Tosh and Jack cleaning.

'What are you doing? Ianto will be back tomorrow, leave it for him.'

Gwen glared at the medic.

'There's a week's worth of rubbish here, which we should having been tidying up as we went. But, because we're so used to someone else clearing up for us, we just left it.' She handed Owen a black plastic sack. 'Let's at least give Ianto a fighting chance.'

DAY EIGHT

Ianto arrived back at work looking tanned and relaxed. It surprised him to find the hub clean and tidy. Obviously not to his standard but it wasn't bad, considering. Nobody else was in yet, but they would be soon, so he went up to start the coffee. There was a note taped to the coffeemaker. On the front was written "Welcome Back Ianto". When he opened it up though, he found,

"DON'T EVER TAKE ANY TIME OFF AGAIN! Ps. Something snapped off but I think I put it back right. Jack x"

Ianto laughed and set the coffeemaker away.