Chapter One.

Racing up to the floor in the Hub that held the Archives, Ianto risked a glance at his watch and cursed. Everything since he had gotten here in the early hours of the morning had gone wrong and now he was running seriously behind.

First was the SUV which had been in a worse state than normal. The back was covered in blood (Weevil); mud was all over the seats. Owen had stuck gum under the dashboard again and spilt coffee all over the floor. The blood had dried in patches and he had debated with himself if he should leave it to later but if the SUV was needed Gwen would put up merry hell.

With a final once over he had moved onto the main Hub area. Collecting all the rubbish into a sack he left the rest. It never looked really clean regardless of effort but at least the desks were clear

Arriving to feed the residents he found two more had been added to the menagerie. To his dismay the floor was inches deep in water so it looked like the pump system had failed again. This failure meant he had to move the Weevils to new quarters a floor up.

He grimaced as he recalled the struggle. While moving the big male the sedation had begun to wear off and there had been a scuffle. 'Scuffle...more like full out fight," he said to himself.

He had added finding the source of the flooding and fixing it to the already long list of tasks Gwen had assigned him the day before.

Taking the stairs now two at a time he reached his alcove just as his watch began to beep. It was eight twenty seven. His stomach churned as he calculated how much time he needed to change out of his ruined clothes and get back to the main Hub area.

Pulling off his tee-shirt and jeans he threw them to join the others he needed to take home and wash. He pulled out clean clothes and stated to change. Even after all this time it still didn't feel right. Gwen had made it very clear that wearing a suit was ridiculous and not in keeping with his status here. He grimaced as he recalled her comments. No amount of explanation would suffice or his assurances that wearing a suit was not just an attempt to make the rest of them look bad. He sighed; that had never been his intention, he just loved looking his best.

Dressing like a slob at home was one thing but outside the front door he just felt it respectful to look his best…what was the point in thinking like this, he berated himself.

Pulling the tee shirt over his head and throwing on hoodie he grabbed the files Jack had requested the previous night and headed up to the main Hub area. God he hoped Jack didn't notice he was late getting them to him. After the day's bad start the last thing he needed was a public dressing down from Gwen in front of everybody for failing in his duties. She would delight in listing every possible infraction he had ever committed while Owen made snarky comments, Tosh looked awkward and Jack ignored him.

"Oi tea boy you're late. Where's the coffee?" Owen shouted at him as Ianto quickly ducked into Jack's office and placed the files on his desk.

"I'm just getting that now," Ianto moved quickly to the coffee machine.

"And did you get the artefact I requested yesterday?" Owen added.

Ianto cursed under his breath as he recalled the request.

"You know the protocol. I can't access the Secure Archives without permission from Gwen," he called out from the coffee machine.

"That's right I forgot." Owen looked at Ianto, confused as if this didn't make sense then after a few seconds passed added, "Well as soon as they get here make sure you do."

Ianto concentrated on his task when he heard the main door roll back. He glanced up briefly to see it was Jack and Gwen. He felt a breath catch in his throat as saw the pair enter holding hands.

"Everybody we have an announcement," Gwen said as soon as she stepped up to the main area. "It's huge; we're engaged." She stuck her hand forward exposing a gold band sporting a large diamond cluster. Jack moved beside her and placed his arm around her waist.

"About bloody time," Owen said moving forward and took Jack's hand as Tosh squealed in delight and moved to take a look at the ring.

"Congratulations," Ianto heard himself mutter as he began to deliver a mug to each desk, trying to avoid looking at the happy couple. Berating himself, he had worked on this. Jack was with Gwen. That was the reality of this situation.

Jack was with Gwen he repeated as if to convince himself. They had dated, moved in with each other, and this was just the next logical step in the progression. He knew this was coming, there had been enough indications Jack was going to ask Gwen to marry him. He risked a look at Jack who was looking bemused but happy.

His eyes lingered on the man. He should be happy that Jack had found someone. If there was anyone who deserved to be happy it was Jack. So why was this so painful to see Jack moving on? He asked himself.

"Your turn next," Gwen squealed and winked at Tosh. Tosh took Gwen's hand and was examining it in more detail.

"Don't! I'm still working on that," Tosh said under her breath, looking across at Owen hoping he hadn't heard.

"Never saw you as the marrying kind," Owen pointed out as he took Jack's hand.

"Yes but when you find the woman of your dreams..." Jack added.

"Have you set a date?" Tosh said, moving back.

"Four weeks," Gwen said her eyes widening and her face breaking into a huge smile. "And we have a lot to do, so excuse us; people to invite, cakes to order, venues to book." She linked arms with Jack and guided him towards his office.

Taking a deep breath Ianto entered Jack's office to deliver their coffees. He put his eyes to the floor, acutely uncomfortable to find Gwen on Jack's lap, both wrapped around each other whispering sweet nothings. Gwen gave Jack a last quick kiss, whispered into his ear, and went to her work station.

"Why are these late?" Jack said, picking up the files and glaring at Ianto as he placed a coffee on Jack's desk.

"I apologise Sir, when I was moving the new resident I found the level was flooded."

"Ianto, it's your job to maintain the Hub. If there's a leak it would suggest negligence on your part."

"The lower levels are the oldest, Sir," Ianto said in his defence but dropped his eyes under Jack's intense glare.

"Are you going to argue with me?" Ianto shook his head. "Get it fixed. Your position here is tenuous at best, Jones; you are here at my sufferance. It is your job to ensure we can do ours. If we fail it's because you've failed in your duties. Have I made myself clear?"

Ianto took a breath to ease the tight band across his chest. "Yes, I understand, Sir."

"Second chances are hard, Jones. Trust and respect have to earned, doubly so in your case." Jack looked at the man.

"Yes sir," Ianto replied keeping his eyes to the floor.

"Back to work," Jack said dismissing him and putting his attentions on the files Ianto had delivered. Turning Ianto left and moved to Gwen's desk.

"What is it Ianto?" Gwen demanded as Ianto placed a mug on her desk not looking away from her screen.

"I need to access the artefact Archives. Owen has requested one of the objects." He handed over a form.

Taking the form she took several moments to examine it, trying to fault it. Handing it back she gave him the key.

"I noticed that the staff locker room really needs a good clean, I want all the lockers pulled out, showers given a scrub, toilets cleaned." She saw his face stiffen.

"There's a leak in the lower levels…." Ianto tried to explain.

"Well you're going to have a very busy day then," she threw back at him.

"Yes ma'am," Ianto said with a tilt of his head and hurried off. Gwen felt a deep thrill of satisfaction as she watched his retreating back.

"If the lower levels are flooded the residents come first," Tosh said after Ianto had left.

"Time on his hands is the last thing he needs. It is nothing less than he deserves. He could have had us all killed," Gwen snapped back.

"Little poser getting nothing less than he deserves," Owen piped up in response to Gwen's outburst.

"I know but Ianto works very hard," Tosh said in his defence. "He's first here and last to leave, we always have everything we need in fact he does a marvellous job."

"That's his role: a tea boy, janitor, cleaner. All I'm doing is making sure he never forgets his place in the rightful order of things," Gwen said spitting out the words between her teeth.

"Bloody got that right," Owen added as he caught a look from Tosh. "Oh don't give me that bleeding heart look."

"All I 'm saying is you should let up on him, he always does his best," Tosh started to say as Gwen rounded on her.

"He is in his rightful place: tea boy, janitor, cleaner, a nobody, cleaning up after us doing the worst dirtiest jobs."

Tosh drew back at her vehemence as she saw Gwen relax and smile.

"Ianto is where he belongs. He could have gotten us all killed. Jack gave him a choice. He does a good job and that is all he is good for. It's been hard but for all our best interests Ianto needs to know his place in the order of things," she said in an almost sing-song voice.

"Of course," Tosh replied. What had she been thinking? Of course Gwen was right.

Tapping his pen on the pile of files Jack pulled at his lower lip. The last week had been monumental. He felt a flutter of excitement then took a breath…. He looked across at Gwen and smiled to himself. He stood up; he needed to walk, stretch his legs.

No, that was not it. He sat down again. What the hell was wrong with him? Every day was perfect...waking up as always with Gwen in his arms, all the wedding plans...three weeks to go and they would be married. It was just inside he felt this wrongness. It was the only word he could to describe it. Part of him was so happy he had found the woman of his dreams…he heard a squawk as Myfanwy called out. Before he could stop himself he made his way across his office and found himself leaning against the frame to watch as Jones made his way to the feeding platform and began coaxing her with some fish heads.

She launched herself from her nest, flying across the small space and landing on the rail next to Jones. He scratched her behind her eyelids and she pushed her face into his chest and rubbed it up and down. He petted her and then she rubbed her beak against him in an almost affectionate manner as she leaned into him.

"You can set your watch by the man," Jack caught himself thinking as he looked at his watch and smiled to himself. Ianto was the only one she responded to. Myfanwy launched herself as a fish head was thrown, catching it with a snap and making her way back to the platform. Ianto had such patience with her. She now followed a whole raft of commands making their lives a lot easier. It has all started when Ianto had some inspiration after he had watched an episode on the 'Discovery Channel'. It had been about how a zoo had applied animal behaviourism to reptiles and decided if you could train crocodiles why not try it with a pteranodon? And it worked, months of hard effort had paid off and she was a thousand times more manageable.

Jack stopped struggling to recall the conversation. When had Ianto told him that? He shook his head. Strange he had no recall but they must have, as he struggled to recall, the feeling of wrongness grew.

Ianto threw another fish head, swinging his arm to give the fish head more height. Had Ianto been working out? Jack thought to himself as he viewed the well contoured muscles in his upper arms and chest under the tee-shirt. Ianto threw another fish head and his tee-shirt rose up exposing a small area of well-defined abdomen. Ianto had been definitely been working out, Jack agreed to himself.

"Jack! What are you doing?" Gwen interrupted his thoughts glaring at him as she came towards him. Startled Jack shook his head and pulled back into his office.

"He's just the janitor and it's me you love," Gwen told him as Jack drew her to him as he felt the energy that have been so strong just a moment ago disappear in an instance.

"Of course my darling," he said giving her a kiss as he pulled his attention back to her.

"Oh God enough, woman," Owen shouted across the board room. "If I have to listen to another bloody detail I am going to scream."

"I'm only planning on getting married once in my life time, so it has to be perfect," Gwen said as she sat as close as she could to Jack who smiled at her comment indulgently. A coffee was placed before him and he found his eyes drawn to the long elegant fingers wrapped around the mug which he traced with his eyes. His gaze then followed Ianto making his way around the board room table placing a mug of coffee before everyone.

"I have the man of my dreams, he's mine and I am his. Three weeks from now and we will be on our honeymoon and we are going to have a whole week of the three 'S's' sun, sand and s..."

"Enough!" Owen interrupted loudly

"Sangrias," Gwen finished her sentence.

Ianto passed behind her and she snapped as he placed a coffee in front of her "Oh for god's sake smile, Ianto. Your face won't crack you know. Why can't you be happy? Weddings are happy events, two people sharing their love and devotion to each other and the world." She turned to Jack sharply. To her dismay Jack was staring at Ianto, seemingly transfixed. "Have you written yours yet?"

"Jack! Jack," she repeated, forcing his face towards hers. "Me, I'm here, remember?" she pointed at herself.

"Of course," Jack replied bringing his attention back. "What were you saying?"

"I was telling everyone I am organising the best fairy tale wedding in the universe and I was asking if you have composed your vows." Jack fought to keep his attention on Gwen and not to follow Ianto with his gaze as he left the room or follow him as headed back down the main Hub.

"Vows, Jack. I've written mine already, words that tell the whole world why I love you so much."

"Oh God I feel ill," Owen groaned.

"I think it's romantic," Tosh enthused. "Craig v Nos Castle, beautiful white wedding dress, Cinderella horse and carriage, sharing your commitment to each other, banquet, wedding cake, champagne, doves..." She took a breath as something came to her. "This is all a bit over the top," she burst out before she could stop herself. Then looked at Jack then Gwen, then back at Jack and then the door Ianto had just exited.

She shook her head as if seeing something for the first time. She sat back, her arms crossed as something echoed in her mind. She creased her face in thought, it was on the tip of her tongue, and she looked up and found Gwen glaring at her.

"Jack and me, we're in love see, meant to be together, him and me. Jack is the man of my dreams and we're going to have a fairy tale wedding and have a wonderful honeymoon, have a baby then live happily ever after," she repeated as Tosh looked between Jack and Gwen.

"But..." she tried to formulate her thoughts

"Look how happy you are Owen are, all that strife...you can't tell me you are unhappy?" Gwen repeated slowly as Tosh smiled shyly then looked at Owen. 'I'm happy for you, be happy for me?"

Tosh let out a breath. Of course Gwen was right. How could she think any differently?

Standing Jack broke up the meeting.

"Alright my love?" Gwen asked seeing a furrow appear on Jack's face as if he was trying to figure something out.

"Yes, I just need to get some air."

"Not getting cold feet are you?" Gwen said a slight edge of panic to her voice.

Jack pulled her into his arms. "Of course not. I've just need some air."

"Air?" she double-checked.

"I just need some air," he said sharply and headed out towards the garage.

Jack walked back into the Hub. He was feeling slightly better. He was not sure why but he felt he just had to escape but he had to admit it has been happening more over the past few days. It was a feeling that built up in his chest and he just had to get out. He had felt it building up during the board room meeting, it felt like he was suffocating accompanied with a desperate urge to get outside into the fresh air. He wished he could put a name to it. It was a feeling of…he tried to put his finger on it…energy, it centred in his chest feeling like a hole, like he was missing something...very important. Perhaps it was …he stopped, thinking back. When did it start, he asked himself. It started around a week...ten days ago. He recalled something; he would check with Owen later. Perhaps that group of gaseous aliens they had encountered around that time had not been as benign as they appeared. Maybe that was it and he made his way to Owen's bay.

"Owen got a moment?" Jack said and Owen looked up.

"You look like a man having serious doubts," Owen joked as Jack explained the feeling of wrongness he couldn't put his finger on.

"With Gwen, no," Jack said as if to convince himself. "Could it be that encounter with the aliens that came through the Rift? Since then it's like…I have this hole here inside; an ache." Jack pointed at his heart area.

Owen listened to his heart. "As I said at the time they were harmless. Every test confirmed they were harmless." Owen picked a vial and a syringe. "I'll take some blood, double check"

"And I don't have doubts," Jack said as Owen worked the tourniquet.

"That's good because as your best man I need to know if you are going to do a runner."

"I assure you running is not on my mind. It takes me a lot to commit but when I do it's 100%."

"Glad to hear it mate," Owen said as Jack pulled down his shirt sleeve. "I'll let you know if I come up with anything."

Back at his desk Jack picked up the sheet of paper in front of him and let out a sigh. Maybe he was just feeling pre-wedding nerves. He had to admit as weddings went he had had little input. When he thought of all the hard work Gwen was putting into this the least he could do was write his vows. So why was this so difficult? He felt the feeling in the pit of his stomach. Sitting down with a heavy thump he picked up his pen, to see Ianto standing in front of him with a mug of coffee.

"You looked like you could use some inspiration," he said kindly as he handed over the mug.

"I can't think why I am finding this so hard. I mean it's Gwen, Gwen," Jack repeated.

"There's always poetry. What about a Shakespeare's Sonnet 116?"

"Shakespeare?"

"Shakespeare's Sonnet 116 is very popular for weddings." Ianto saw Jack shake his head.

"Maybe, how does it go?" Jack asked then sat back as Ianto began to recite the words and found it impossible to tear his eyes away from Ianto's lips as he formed each word.

"Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Admit impediments. Love is not love

Which alters when it alteration finds,

Or bends with the remover to remove:

O no! it is an ever-fixed mark

That looks on tempests and is never shaken;

It is the star to every wandering bark,

Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.

Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks

Within his bending sickle's compass come:

Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,

But bears it out even to the edge of doom.

If this be error and upon me proved,

I never writ, nor no man ever loved"

Jack swallowed, captivated as the words rolled over him, causing an involuntary shiver. He looked up to see Ianto was deeply affected.

"Ianto that's beautiful," Jack found himself stuttering.

"I printed out a copy." Ianto handed out a sheet. Jack reached out to take it and briefly they held on as if they were both reluctant to let it go.

"Thank you, but Gwen has insisted it be personal," Jack added with a sigh after a few seconds and he picked up his pen again.

Staring at the page, his mind a blank, Jack threw his pen on the desk. "I just can't think of anything." He looked up to see Ianto readying the files Jack had asked him to return to the archives.

"What have you said in the past?" Ianto checked each files as he sat back to think

"Good point, both times were more traditional 'till death do us part, in sickness and health." He saw Ianto look sad.

"Time must be a strange quality for you, to have such a wealth of time. I imagine it's important to make sure that once you find love you don't waste a single precious moment…" Ianto tapered off.

"I'm not sure wealth is the right word. Living forever is not the great gift people see it as. To remain unchanging while those you love grow older...I feel like I'm not part of life." He looked up to see Ianto observing him. "I feel disconnected, ungrounded, like something very important is missing…I can't explain."

"Sounds more like grief than love." Jack jerked, startled at Ianto's words and caught himself in his gaze when a discordant noise broke the moment.

"What are you two talking about in there? Vows Jack! I want vows," Gwen called out from her work station "I want to be wowed, left in no doubt how much you love me."

"On that note I had better let you get on," Ianto said. He turned and left as Jack forced himself back to his task, but Ianto's words making it impossible to concentrate. Standing he pushed back the chair, grabbed his coat and left.

"That is the fourth time tonight you've gone all quiet. Are you actually paying attention to anything I'm saying?" Gwen demanded.

"Of course," Jack said pushing the food around his plate.

"I was saying that I have ordered some very sexy tempting naughties to get you all excited for our wedding night," she said as she took bite of the meal she had prepared but saw his attention was gone again. "So tell me what is so important the thought of me all sexed up can't keep your attention," she said with a scowl as she pushed her plate away with force.

"I was just thinking of something Ianto said to me today."

"So you were thinking of Ianto instead of me all dressed up getting ready to have the greatest night of sex with me," she ground her teeth in frustration.

"It was just something he said, I can't get it out of my mind."

"Look at me Jack," she commanded he looked at her.

"It's me you love Jack, me. I'm the love of your life, he's just the janitor who makes the coffee and looks after the Hub that's all. He means nothing to you. I am everything."

"He was trying to help me write my vows," he saw Gwen smile at him and he felt the terrible tight band in his chest start to loosen and took a deep breath.

"He's a nobody, someone who is there because of your goodwill and sufferance. He's lucky he's not a UNIT prisoner after what he did. It's me you love Jack, me," she reiterated.

Jack looked into her eyes and took her hand. "Of course I love you." He now dug into his food with real hunger as Gwen sat back, relieved.

Gwen looked across at Jack as she watched him eat "Yes it's me you love Jack, me, not him, I'm the love of your life, I'm the one you're meant to be with. It will be me making you happy for the rest of your life, me, me, me and don't you damn well forget it."