Summary: Following orders always reminded Ianto of Torchwood 1. Occasionally, Jack has to remind him that he isn't like Yvonne Hartman. Five times Jack Harkness punished Ianto Jones and one time he didn't.

Disclaimer: Torchwood belongs to RTD and the BBC. And yes, that rhymes.

Orders Disobeyed

First time

Jack's eyes narrowed as he spotted the suited figure that stood on the far end of the corridor of the archives. He checked his watch. It was almost 10:30 pm. He'd sent everybody home hours ago. His youngest employee had seemingly left together with the others, had even had the audacity of wishing Jack a good night, after which he'd gone down to the archives again, secretly working into the night.

Jack approached Ianto quietly. The other man hadn't noticed his presence yet, so Jack had the advantage of surprise when he cleared his throat, making Ianto jump.

"Sir, sorry, I didn't see you." Ianto recovered quickly and indicated the file he'd been studying. "I was just putting this away." He nervously waited for Jack to speak.

"I told you to go home."

"I know, I'm sorry," Ianto spoke quickly and fidgeted with the papers he was holding, shuffling and re-shuffling them, anything to avoid looking his boss in the eye. "I wanted to finish what I'd been doing during the day."

"And that couldn't have waited until tomorrow?" Jack asked sternly.

Ianto shrugged. "Well, I suppose. But I had nothing else to do and I didn't mind."

"That's not the point. You've been working here for four weeks and this is the third time I catch you somewhere you aren't supposed to be." Jack advanced a little further, now invading Ianto's personal space. The younger man responded by backing away.

"It won't happen again, sir."

"That's what you told me the last time. And the time before." Jack held out his hand. "What's that file you're looking at?"

"Nothing. I was just archiving."

Jack jerked his outstretched hand upwards a bit, demanding that Ianto handed over the file. He did so with great reluctance. Jack took a moment to read through the information. "Cybermen?" He asked incredulously. "Why are you looking at data about cybermen? I thought you, of all people, would want to forget what happened at Canary Wharf."

Ianto gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. Jack was surprised at the effect that the mere words 'Canary Wharf' had on him. It was understandable, though. It had taken Jack years to stop flinching whenever the place where the battle would or had taken place, was mentioned. When it seemed unlikely that the young man was going to respond to his queries, Jack said, his voice a little softer: "Ianto, you might think that by studying these files and knowing all the facts, you're going to find it easier to cope with what happened that day. But the details won't make you understand it any better. They will just keep you awake at night."

Ianto responded with a curt nod and made an attempt to step past Jack towards the exit of the archives, escaping the conversation. Jack called him back.

"We're not done here."

Ianto halted and turned. Perfectly patient and perfectly composed. But his posture was just a little bit too stiff and too upright. Jack recognized that he was shaken.

"The first time I found you in the basement after hours, I simply sent you home. The second time, I gave you a warning. Apparently, that wasn't enough. This is the third time."

"It won't happen again," Ianto repeated, but there was a slight undertone of fear in his voice that Jack had no problem detecting.

"I'm going to make sure it won't. For the next seven days, you're going to leave exactly one hour before Owen, Tosh and Suzie do. And I'm going to show you to the door every single time. The next morning, you'll come in at the same time the others do, not a second earlier. Is that understood?"

Ianto's eyes flashed dangerously and his voice gained an edge. "You're punishing me for working late?"

"I'm punishing you for disobeying orders," Jack said sternly. "You haven't been working here for very long, but you should know by now that I expect obedience from my team." He waited to see if Ianto would protest again. His employee opened his mouth, closed it again and schooled his features into a neutral expression, closing himself off again. Jack had almost hoped for an angry reaction, any display of emotion at all, but he was disappointed.

"I understand, sir. Am I dismissed?"

"One more thing," Jack said. His tone was almost gentle. "When we met for the second time, you asked me what you were supposed to do with your memories of Canary Wharf. I'm telling you now that you should accept them and deal with them. You are always welcome to talk to me about them, if you feel comfortable to do so. But you shouldn't obsess. Try to get back your social life this next week. Go out, call your friends from Uni, get in touch with your family. You're twenty-four years old, Ianto. Act your age for once. Have a good time."

He nodded, but Jack wasn't sure his words were sinking in. Then Ianto said hesitantly. "But back then, you told me I wasn't your responsibility."

"That's right," Jack acknowledged. "However, that has changed. I hired you. You work for me now. You are my responsibility and I'll be damned if I let you hide yourself away in this place. Come along."

They were silent as they walked from the archives to the main part of the hub, Jack leading the way. He waited for his employee to put his coat on, then escorted him to the door of the tourist office. "Goodnight, Ianto."

"Goodnight, sir."

After he'd gone back inside, Jack made sure all their information on Canary Wharf and the cybermen came to be under lock and key. He hoped it was enough. The next week, he forced Ianto to leave an hour earlier than the rest of the team. The young man did so without protest. Jack had never caught him after hours again. For a while, he thought Ianto was dealing with his grief. That was, until he discovered Lisa in the basement.

TBC

A/N: Because of the length of this piece, I've decided to split it up in six chapters. Please let me know what you think!