Chapter 1

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a/n Fair warning: This story is one that will be updated infrequently. The set-up is an AU version of Torchwood. At the end of Season 2, Owen and Tosh survive, John Hart joins Torchwood 3, as does Martha Jones, and Rhys starts working with them more and more. Anyway, the team finds out that Ianto has a weekly performance gig at a local pub. They don't tell Jack, but decide to make a night of it and go, without telling Ianto. So, here ya go.

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"The first song I've chosen for tonight, is… Well, it's a bit depressing, but it fits how I've been feeling recently. So…"

He strummed softly at the guitar he held, letting the sad sound pull in the audience. Then he opened his mouth.

"Water grey, through the windows, up the stairs. Chilling rain like an ocean, everywhere."

Owen recognized the song, but was blown away at how hurt it sounded as an acoustic rendition. And the Teaboy- he was hitting every chord without trouble. How long had he played? As for who had made him feel this way, that was a no brainer. Owen flashed back to the shadow Ianto had become after Jack left the first time.

"Don't wanna reach for me, do you? I mean nothing to you. The little things give you away, and now there will be no mistaking. The levees are breaking."

To say Rhys was shocked was an understatement. Here was the polite, perfectly buttoned gentleman who was always understanding and quiet. The Ianto he was used to was always around, but had mastered the art of fading into the background. This Ianto, on the other hand, seemed to glow with ignored potential.

"All you've ever wanted was someone to truly look up to you. And six feet underwater, I do."

Tosh wanted to cry, listening to her friend pour out this pain. All she could hope was that Jack finally saw how he had been treating this amazing man. The tiny woman was not violent by nature, yet she had never been so tempted to shoot someone as she had lately with Jack and Gwen.

"Hope decays, generations disappear. Washed away as a nation simply stares."

Martha had not been with the team long, but she had known from the first moment that there was more to the contained Welshman than he let on. This was proof, and, as she thought back to time aboard the Doctor's vessel, wishing he could -for one moment!- see her, rather than the memory of Rose… Yes, she knew exactly what this song meant.

"Don't wanna reach for me, do you? I mean nothing to you. The little things give you away, but now there will be mistaking. The levees are breaking."

He hated this. John hated knowing that Eye-Candy felt exactly the way he always had about Jack. And now, thanks to this little ditty, he couldn't keep up the anger at the kid anymore. Instead, all he could do was feel his love for Jack twisting to feature disgust. Doing what he had done to John was one thing - John knew he was a psychotic asshole of the first degree. But this pretty boy was a good person. And who was the wanker using that against Eye-Candy? Jack, of course.

"All you've ever wanted was someone to truly look up to you. And six feet underwater, I do."

Gwen didn't want to feel guilty. It didn't stop the bad feeling from sinking in its claws and tearing its way up her throat. She had Rhys, the most wonderful man she'd ever met. She loved him, and had been overjoyed to marry him. But Gwen kept stringing along Jack. It was only when Rhys had started helping out with cases that she noticed his reactions when she and Jack would fight or laugh together. And that lead to keeping an eye on Ianto. And what she saw there nearly broke her heart. Ianto was her friend. How could she let herself wound him so badly?

"All you've ever wanted was someone to truly look up to you. And six feet underground, now I, now I do."

That was the line that sent shivers down the backs of every member of Torchwood.

Without a look up at the audience, Ianto kept plucking at the strings, fingers gentle.

None of that stopped the power of the music, as it hit the assemblage.

"O-oh-oh-oh, oh.

"O-oh-oh-oh, oh.

"The little things give you away. The little things give you away. The little things give you away. The little things give you away.

"All you've ever wanted was someone to truly look up to you. All you've ever wanted was someone to truly look up to you. All you've ever wanted was someone to truly look up to you.

"The little things give you away. The little things give you away. The little things give you away. The little things give you away. The little things give you away.

"All you've ever wanted was someone to truly look up to you."

The accompanying guitar strummed to a close, and, bright eyes closed, face a picture of mourning, Ianto let the last line travel softly through the room.

"And six feet underwater, I do."

As he finished the song, the team's eyes finally scanned the crowd and were no longer surprised at the reaction of the public who filled the bar.

tbc…