A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Here's the next bit, enjoy!

Jack wiped roughly at his eyes. "Who is it?"

"It's me, Jack," Ianto replied, as if summoned by his thoughts.

Jack stood slowly, pushing a button on his wrist strap unlocking the door. "C'mon in, it's unlocked." He turned to face the window, not wanting Ianto to see him like this.

Ianto stepped in, shutting the door behind him.

"Is there something you need, Yan?" Jack realized his mistake quickly, using his nickname for Ianto. "Sorry, I've probably lost the right to call you that…"

"Probably." Ianto paused. "I came to check on you."

"I'm fine," Jack lied, sticking his hands in his pockets.

"Right and you won't face me because you're too busy looking at that empty rooftop?"

"I'm good with roofs you said."

"I did, but since when would you rather stare at a roof than me?"

"Fair point. Nothing gets by you does it?" Jack said softly with a forced laugh.

"Nope. Look…I may be hurt and angry with you. And I honestly I can't tell you where we stand or if there is even an 'us'. But I'm your friend, Jack. And maybe the others can't see that fake smile or feigned confidence but I can. You're different and I'm guessing you're hurting. Am I right?"

Jack nodded, fresh tears spilling out making him unable to speak. Ianto had hit the nail on the head so to speak.

"Answer me something?"

"Anything," Jack replied.

"While you were away with the Doctor, it wasn't all good times, and you were hurt yes?"

"In more ways than you can ever imagine," Jack whispered, his voice cracking with the pain.

"Then as your friend, I'm here for you. If you need someone to sit with, someone to talk to, someone to hold you then I'm here; because as your friend it's killing me to see you like this. The rest we can figure out later, but for now I think you don't want be alone. Unless you want me to go then I will…whatever you want," Ianto said quietly.

"Stay, please," Jack pleaded, turning to face him. He noticed Ianto had changed; he was wearing a pair of trainers and a faded blue tee that fit him just right.

Ianto's heart broke at the sight of his Captain before him, he was a wreck. "Oh, Jack, what's happened to you?"

"So much, I don't want to be alone anymore," Jack said his voice breaking. He took a step towards Ianto. "I know I don't deserve this and shouldn't ask, but just for a moment can I hold you?"

Ianto nodded, wanting to fix this broken man in front of him. If Jack holding him would help then so be it. Truth be told, he had missed Jack so much that he wanted the same thing, but he also wanted things to be different between them. He wanted more from Jack and he knew Jack was capable of it if they did things right, gave a go at a proper relationship. He loved Jack there was no doubt of that which was why he was here now offering comfort. Jack had made no promises, but he had let him know of his secrets, and he had come back like he promised. Why after seeing the wonders of the universe he would come back, he was clueless. But what mattered was Jack was here, and that meant something. Jack had showed him in more than a few ways that he cared for him tonight especially offering that date.

"I missed you, Jack."

"I missed you too." Jack stepped forward, quickly wrapping his arms around Ianto and burying his face in his neck, inhaling his comforting scent. He suddenly felt at peace, safe even if it was just for a moment. Ianto melted into the embrace, holding Jack close to him.

"I'm here, Jack. It's okay now."

Jack began crying harder, clinging to him tightly. "I'm so sorry," he whispered over and over to Ianto who rubbed soothing circles in his back.

"What happened, Jack?" Ianto asked, fighting his own tears.

"I don't want to burden you with this; I don't want you to know how awful it was. I won't put you through that."

"Bugger that, I want to know. I want to help, please let me. You know I can handle burdens."

"I know that, but I don't want to risk that second chance you gave me. I can't do this right now…"

"Do you think I'd walk away just because of what you're about to tell me?" Jack said nothing just held him as if he was afraid to let go. "You've told me a great deal about yourself, and I didn't go running, remember? Unless it's something like: 'Ianto I slept with so and so, please don't be-"

"No! There was no one I swear," Jack took a deep breath, "I was held prisoner for a year…"

Ianto pulled back to look at Jack. "So for us it was three months but for you a whole year?" Jack nodded and things seemed to make a little more sense for Ianto though he figured as much it was time travelling after all.

Ianto steered him to the bed, both of them sitting down but not letting go of each other. "Who or what held you prisoner?"

"Saxon, he wasn't human. Doesn't matter what he was but he was a madman."

"Dammit, I told Gwen all that was no coincidence! Saxon disappears, the President was assassinated, and we get sent off on a goose chase to the Himalayas. I figured you and the Doctor were involved somehow."

Jack looked at him with admiration; he knew Ianto would be able to put things together as clever as he was. "We tried stopping him, things got out of control, we were taken prisoner and that madman destroyed the earth and murdered millions."

"Paradox, I'm guessing, since I don't remember that."

"Exactly, a temporal paradox. The Doctor, Martha and I managed to reverse time, stop Saxon and get rid of the Toclafane but it took a year."

"Martha?"

Jack smiled fondly. "Martha Jones, a companion of the Doctors'. She saved the world by managing to escape with my wrist strap which was a teleport for a bit."

"And this madman held you prisoner…" Ianto said quietly, already fearing what that meant, there was a reason Jack was this hurt and he dreaded to think why.

"He found out I couldn't die," Jack whispered. "Found it quite entertaining to see how many ways I could die and still come back…"

Ianto pulled Jack to him, wrapping him in a tight embrace. He felt sick, and it broke his heart to know that his lover, Captain, friend, hell all of those, had been tortured that way. He knew the cost and pain death brought Jack, and how he would repeatedly sacrifice himself to save others. To take that immortality and cruelly use it against Jack was heart wrenching. Jack had already suffered enough and would continue to because of it, but it should have never been used against him in that way. He kissed the top of Jack's head. "I'm so sorry; I can't believe someone would do that to you. That evil bastard, that is beyond cruel. I'm sorry, Jack. I really am," Ianto cried, hugging Jack tightly.

Jack reached up to brush away Ianto's tears. "It's over now, I'll get through this, don't worry, Yan."

Ianto took his hand. "No, we'll get through this. No way am I going to let you deal with this alone."

"Thank you," Jack said, and quickly pressed a kiss to Ianto's neck. "That wasn't the worse of it though…"

"Oh god," Ianto whispered not even wanting to think of what could be worse.

Jack gazed at him sadly. "He knew he couldn't get me physically, I wouldn't break. So he caught everyone I cared about, the team and he murdered all of you in front of me."

"I…we died?" Ianto felt like he had been hit by a ton of bricks. Now he understood why Jack was acting differently, why he was so broken. And just like that, Ianto knew he would now do whatever he could for Jack, to reassure him that they were all safe.

Jack looked down. "Because of me, it was all my fault."

Ianto titled Jack's chin up. "No, it wasn't. Don't you dare take blame for the actions of that madman." Ianto paused. "Is that why you didn't want to talk to me?"

"I couldn't save you. I couldn't save any of you…I failed." Jack was shaking now, tears falling again.

Ianto soothed him quietly. "No, that's not true either. If you failed, I wouldn't be here with you. I'm safe, we all are. It's all over now. You're home."

Jack twined their hands together, resting his head against Ianto's chest reassuring himself with the steady beat of his heart. "You're safe… please don't leave me, Ianto."

Ianto leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to Jack's lips, driving the point home. "I won't."

"Forgive me?" Jack asked, for getting him hurt in another time, another place. But Ianto was safe, time had reversed itself and Ianto would thankfully never know that pain and suffering.

"I did the moment I stepped into the room."

"I didn't mean-"

Ianto gazed at him. "I know, but there was nothing you could do, and for me it never happened so there's nothing to forgive regarding that."

"It happened for me though, and I'll never forget it. Or the realization that I came to when I lost you…"

"Which was?" Ianto dared to say.

TBC