The Hub was quiet. Too quiet. Gwen had drawn the short straw this time but they'd all had their turn at long, lonely nights recently and someone had to man the Hub. When she realised she wasn't going to make it home in time for her date with Rhys, she reached for her phone, praying he wouldn't be to be too angry with her. She heard his frustrated growl before she'd even had a chance to open her mouth.
"No," he yelled, "not this time. You promised."
"I know I did, sweetheart but something came up."
"Bloody hell, Gwen." He ranted, "Which murderous race of aliens is intent on murdering us now, or are you just restocking the stationery cupboard, have you ran out of paper clips again?"
"Don't be like that love, please."
"I'm sorry but I hate this. I suppose I should be glad someone is out there saving the World. I just wish it didn't have to be you. So, what is it this time? Do I need to worry?"
"No, it's nothing like that. Nothing to worry about anyway."
"Okay, what is it? What aren't you telling me?"
She sighed. "It's Jack. He's gone AWOL again."
"Damn it Gwen. This can't keep happening. You're all working double shifts to take up the slack as it is."
"Please don't be too hard on him, Rhys. It can't be easy for him."
"It's not always about him though is it? It's hard on all of you."
"I know, but it's harder for him. I think he really cared, more than he knew. Look, Rhys. I'll be home as soon as I can. You know I love you, right?"
"I know you do, I love you too."
Rhys scratched his head. 'Okay', he thought, 'this isn't going to be that easy after all.' He'd only been here once before and that was when he helped Jack move the stuff in. He hadn't really noticed then how similar all the units were, row upon row of identical up and over doors with only a number to tell one from the other. He thought about ringing Gwen to ask her if she knew the right one but he guessed there wouldn't be much point. There had to be a reason why Jack had asked him to help instead of Owen, and considering the history of thinly disguised animosity between them, Rhys could only assume it was because he didn't want the others knowing where to look for him.
He walked up and down the rows a few times and was about to give up and go home when he noticed a soft glow coming from one of the units. Hoping he wasn't about to walk in on a complete stranger, he lifted open the door and peered in.
"Ah Rhys, she's sent you to drag me back has she?"
He moved further into the unit and flopped down on the floor next to the other man, resting his back on a packing case.
"She doesn't even know I'm here. I haven't told her about this." He waved his hand around the room, taking in the too few boxes arranged haphazardly around the floor.
Jack grunted, "Not much to show for a life is it?"
"He never was one for possessions though was he, you know that."
"Was that his?" Rhys asked, indicating the black hoody the older man was clutching to his chest, "I don't think I ever saw him wearing anything casual."
"Yeah?" Jack hitched a laugh. "That's because you don't really know him, none of you do. Not even Tosh. I know you all picture him in a suit and tie; always smart and perfectly accessorised but the truth is he only ever dresses like that for work. At home or during his down time he can be practically scruffy."
Rhys winced inwardly at the use of the present tense but pretended not to notice.
"When I think of him," Jack went on, "I picture him snuggled up on his sofa, wearing a hoody and pyjama bottoms or jeans. He looks great in jeans, ya know. He's got a lovely ass."
Rhys coughed. "Erm, I'm sure he had," he spluttered, "but that's a bit too much information."
"Has." Jack intoned.
"Mmm?,"
"You said he said you're sure he had, you meant has."
Rhys was lost for words, uncertain now about the nature of the relationship between the Torchwood Leader and his young support officer. He'd once been convinced the older man had feelings for Gwen. Ianto had just been a willing distraction while Jack waited until she made herself available. Or so Rhys had thought; now he wasn't so sure. In the light of Jack's reluctance to let his young lover go, it seemed none of them had taken the relationship as seriously as it had warranted.
"I'm sorry," he said, eventually.
"His things shouldn't be here!" Jack growled, turning his watery gaze on the Welshman. "It's not right."
"Gwen told me it was regulations. She said I had to expect it when she......" he paused, "if she......" he left the sentence hanging.
"It is" Jack agreed, "Regulation 482, any and all possessions pertaining to dead Torchwood operatives are to be stored in a Torchwood storage facility indefinitely...."
"Well, there you are then."
"Except Ianto's not dead." Jack's tone brooked no arguments.
Rhys ran his hand through his hair and took in a breath before continuing.
"But it's been over a year," he said, "and there's been no trace. Tosh scanned for that tracker thingy you've all got implanted. It monitors life signs, yeah? And there's nothing. You have to face it, Jack. He can't be still alive. His sister needs closure."
Jack's expression turned sour. "His sister needs access to his bank account," he spat.
"Maybe. I don't know. I don't think that's it though. I think she just wants to say goodbye and move on."
Jack's face crumbled. "She didn't have to have him declared dead." he whimpered, his voice little more than a whisper.
Rhys placed a comforting hand on his back and the older man buried his face in the hoody. Forgetting any past transgressions between them and foregoing his natural British reserve, Rhys pressed Jack's head to his chest and rubbed comforting circles on his back.
Jack stiffened. He pulled away and stood up, his face betraying no signs of the emotions that had threatened to spill out a moment before.
"It's time to go;" he barked, "Gwen will be waiting."
He dropped the hoody on top of the nearest packing case and stalked out. Rhys watched his retreating back for a second or two then picked up the discarded item and shouted after the other man.
"Jack, wait up." He held out the hoody, "screw the regulations," he said.
Jack nodded once, took it back and left without another word.
"Jack you're back!" Gwen squeaked. She looked past him and frowned. "and you've brought Rhys with you, that's nice. Oh and you're erm, are you wearing a hoody?"
Jack walked past without acknowledging her and climbed the steps to his office.
"It was Ianto's" Rhys explained.
"Ah." She nodded, "Well come on, we could still make those dinner reservations if we hurry." She looked up at the office hesitantly.
He followed her gaze then turned back to her.
"You know what," he said, "I fancy Chinese. That restaurant's probably a bit ponsy anyway. Shall I go out and get us all something. I could get Jack something too. We could keep him company."
She felt tears spring up in her eyes and for a moment she couldn't speak.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing, it's just that I bloody love you, Rhys Williams."
Jack leaned forward and rested his upper body on the desk, trying to ignore the persistent pounding in his head. He heard a soft tap on the door but didn't bother to look up, knowing full well whoever it was would barge in anyway, even if he did scream at them to fuck off and leave him alone.
"It's not too late, you know Jack."
Jack groaned and sat up, throwing his head back against the chair back.
"Fuck it, Owen. I thought it would be Gwen or Tosh, but not you."
"Gwen wanted to come," Owen confessed, "but I managed to put her off."
"Good, thank you. I can't be dealing with her bumbling attempts at homespun psychology today."
"Yes well, don't thank me too soon, if I can't convince you to come she'll be straight up after me."
Jack sighed. Getting up from behind the desk he walked past the young doctor and out on to the gangway above the main hub.
"Right listen up all of you," he bawled, "I'm not going, because funerals are for dead people and for the last time, IANTO IS NOT DEAD!"
"It's not a funeral, Jack." Gwen yelled back, "It's a memorial service."
"Whatever, I'm not going anyway." He walked back into his office and slammed the door behind him.
Just before the cog wheel closed behind the three Torchwood Operatives, Jack opened his office door again.
"You do realise you're all going to look pretty foolish when he turns up alive and well!" he yelled.
Tosh pushed her glasses further up her nose and tapped on her keyboard, pausing to read the screen before taking a pencil from between her teeth and scribbling something on her pad. She looked up when Jack sat down on the edge of her desk.
"What's going on Tosh?" he asked.
"What do you mean?"
"I do know what day it is, I haven't forgotten, ya know. It's exactly two years today since Ianto went missing. I keep expecting one of you to come up and tell me we should do something. I've been sitting up there all day with a speech ready."
She took off her glasses, laid them on the desk in front of her and patted his knee.
"I think we finally understand now. It's not that you've forgotten, we just know you're not ready yet. When you are, you'll want to do something. We'll talk about it then."
"That doesn't sound like something Gwen would say."
"Well, no." She bobbed her head in a mannerism that was purely Tosh, "she took a bit of persuading."
Jack grinned. "Thanks, Tosh. Of all of you, I knew you'd be the one to understand."
The computer beeped and she turned it off without looking at the results. When she turned back Jack's eyes were watering. She took his hand and he brought it up to his lips and kissed it.
"Maybe next year," he croaked.
Jack pulled the SUV into the underground garage and turned off the engine. He put the handbrake on and looked out the windscreen, staring into the middle distance.
"Everything okay, Jack?" Gwen asked.
He turned in his seat to look at her
"He's not coming back is he?" he sighed.
She put her hand on his knee and squeezed.
"Come on," she said, "best get this weevil settled in before he wakes up and decides to start snacking on your jugular again."
"Right," Jack took his seat in the briefing room, "let's go over the shortlist again." He took a sip of his coffee and winced, "Gods that tastes like shit. Whoever we decide to take on they better be able to make decent coffee."
They were interrupted by a beeping noise from the workstation. Tosh rushed over to it and clicked a few keys.
"We've got intruders in the Hub." She barked.
Jack's head snapped up, "What, Where?"
"Hang on, I'm zoning in on the location now." She tapped on her keyboard again, "okay, got it. Oh that can't be right. They're in the vaults, Jack. One of the cells to be precise."
Jack relaxed.
"Get the CCTV up then, let's see what we've got."
Tosh turned back to the workstation and after a few seconds an image of one of the cells appeared on the big screen on the briefing room wall.
"Fuck, is that...." Owen said.
Jack growled. "What the hell is he doing here?"
"Come on, Jack. So my aim is a little off these days, but this is not funny. You can let me out now."
Jack leaned on the wall opposite the cell, "After the stunt you pulled last time you were here, John. I don't think so."
"Be fair. You know that wasn't my fault. I was coerced. Besides, things would have turned out much worse if I hadn't gone back to the year 1 and dug you up. Just imagine what might have happened if we hadn't got back in time to stop Gray shooting Tosh and there is no way anyone else could have talked Owen through venting the radiation in time for him to get out."
"He has got a point, Jack," Tosh agreed, "he saved both our lives in a way."
He glared at her and pushed himself off from the wall.
"Sorry, John. You're going to have to do better than that. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just leave you in there to rot."
John grinned. "I think you'll want to let me out when you hear what I have to say."
"Try me," the other man growled.
John placed his hands on the Perspex wall and looked at his former lover.
"I've found him, Jack. I've found Eye-Candy."