AN: Thank you for your comments I was very uncertain about this piece.... anyway I have just done part two, a bit shorter because i wrote part one this morning and my left wrist is killing me.

SUSPENSION 2

ONE WEEK LATER

Ianto sighed dragging the box toward his place where he was perched on the edge of his sofa. He had packed very little in his hurried departure from London all those months ago. Not that his possessions meant that much to him, most of things he had packed had belonged to Lisa. He had wanted to make sure she had them when she was finally able to come home, the only thing he had kept of his own were a few family photos and his diaries, amounting to half a box. Ianto ripped aside the packing tape and lifted the flaps. Lisa's dressing table nik nacs, her jewellery box, her perfumes and ornaments. Ianto couldn't face them as the familiar scents seeped up from the box making his eyes water with renewed regret. He closed it up and re taped the lid, another box to take back to London to Lisa's parents when he finally plucked up the courage to face them again. Pushing the box away he got to his feet and went to the kitchen and poured himself another glass of water. He drank it down. He hadn't been out to re-supply on groceries and the food and tea had run out two days ago. He knew he wouldn't cope with shopping and didn't want to do a food order on-line because he hated people knowing where he lived. So he allowed the hunger to gnaw at his gut and drank water. Ianto was well aware of the need to eat, even the want, but he just couldn't..... Lisa, or what was left her, was lying in ashes in the bottom of the Torchwood 3 incinerator. Why Jack had felt the need to inform him of this? A little dig no doubt, another twist of the knife and any excuse to show who was boss. Ianto didn't give a stuff. He had a debt to pay for the lives lost as a result of his mistake. He'd pay willingly but he'd be damned if Captain Harkness was going to get any value out of it.

Ianto left the empty glass in the sink and went back to his boxes. After some searching he found his own things and the only two packets of photos of the times he and Lisa had shared together. He suddenly decided to purge everything else. He loaded his car with everything else including the things from their bedroom and drove to London.

Four hours later and he had unloaded everything and left it with a note of apology on the Hallet's back doorstep. Something else he couldn't face. 11pm found him sitting in McDonalds in Wimbledon eating a cheeseburger and fries and reading the Telegraph.

He arrived back in Cardiff at 5am dismayed to find Jack Harkness sitting on his couch watching a TV show on his lap top.

Ianto dumped his keys and went to the kitchen to get more water. Someone had been shopping again. There was a packet of decent coffee on the counter. Ianto picked it up and came back into the lounge holding up the bag of Kenyan beans.

"I take it you brought this?"

Jack abandoned the lap top. "Peace offering." He replied getting up.

Ianto rolled his eyes in annoyance. "How much do I owe for the shopping?"

Jack shook his head. "Like I said."

He followed as Ianto went back to his kitchen. "I do not need your charity."

"I was trying to be a friend."

A glare was thrown Jack's way. "Don't bother, you're wasting your time."

"Is that because you think so little of me, or of yourself?" Jack was leaning against the door frame and looking far too at home for Ianto's liking.

"I don't appreciate you letting yourself into my flat as if you own the place."

"Torchwood regulations give me that right whilst you're under suspension."

Ianto nodded knowing full well. "Maybe, but if you do it after I come back to work I won't be held responsible for my actions."

"Duly noted."

"Good, just so long as we are clear on that and for the record, I really can't stand you, you're arrogant and selfish." Ianto set about making coffee, charity or no, he needed a decent cup. Jack watched him, his arms folded across his chest in a relaxed posture, his gaze ghosting over the beautiful young body in front of him. He couldn't help it; Ianto really was one of those rare finds.

"Stop staring at my arse or leave."

Jack sighed. "Sorry, but it is a nice arse."

"Fuck off Jack, I don't need your crap, I've had a shit day." Ianto snapped.

"Your boxes are all gone."

Ianto stopped for a moment, recognising the sympathetic tone. "Yes. I took Lisa's things to her family in London, left them on the doorstep and ran away like the coward that I am. So right about now I feel like dog shit on some one's shoe so unless you have something constructive to say shut up because I don't want to hear it."

Jack kept quiet and went back to watching the ritual that was coffee. He closed his eyes and relished the scent that rose from where Ianto was working. It evoked something in him he couldn't quite put his finger on, some sense of calm.

"I'd like Owen to be able to check you over this week, will you let him?"

"Is that an order, or a request?"

Jack huffed a little. "I'd prefer to make it a request. You don't look well. Please, Ianto just humour me on this, believe it or not I do care."

Ianto sucked in a deep breath as he turned to his coffee machine and switched it on checking the water levels, he recalled his own words of a couple of weeks ago.....'when did you ask me about my life?'. Jack was trying and Ianto had to meet him half way, if only to escape hypocrisy.

"Fine, I'll come into the Hub tomorrow." He went to the fridge to get the milk, the fridge was jammed full of food. "There's enough stuff in here to feed an army."

Jack nodded. "You look like you need it."

Ianto couldn't argue the point. "Thank you for doing it, your concern over my health is appreciated."

Jack's eyebrows climbed into his hairline and he half wondered whether Ianto was being sarcastic or not. It was damned hard to tell sometimes. Another thing he loved abo...... what? Wait a minute, did he just think that? No way. Jack straightened himself up.

"I should go. Things to do." He turned and fled in as dignified a manner as he could manage.

Ianto was left standing there feeling relieved and confused at the same time. He shrugged his shoulders and went back to making one of his special brews.

Ianto perched himself on the edge of Owen's autopsy table and quietly put up with being poked, prodded, stabbed and blinded in no particular order. He waited for Owen to finish writing up his notes before speaking.

"Are you done?"

Owen nodded rolling across the floor in his chair. "You need to eat more, your BP is too low and you're anaemic. I'll print off a diet sheet for you, I expect you to follow it and lay off the caffeine."

Ianto nodded pulling his hoodie back on.

"Are you sleeping ok?"

Ianto shook his head. "I never do Owen, even before all this started. Every time I close my eyes I see Cybermen, blades and.... well quite frankly you don't want to know."

"I was there for the clean-up, I've got an idea."

Ianto slid off the bench.

"No, you haven't."

He left the autopsy bay and by passing Tosh and Gwen without a word he went up to Jack's office tapping on the door frame before entering.

"Owen has completed his examination, sir, was there anything else before I leave?"

Jack looked up with a smile and he gestured to the chair in front of his desk.

"Sit."

Reluctantly Ianto complied. Jack got up and closed the door before parking himself on the corner of his desk too close for comfort.

"We need to discuss how things are going to be for you when you get back."

"Of course, sir."

Jack narrowed his eyes at the resentful tone. "I'm reducing your security clearance. You will also be put on field ops training. I think you will benefit from some front line experience and hopefully it will help rebuild the lost trust with the rest of the team."

Ianto nodded, aware that he deserved whatever punishment was coming, his reduced status now dropped him to the same ranking as Gwen, which would mean lower pay. Fine, it was only money.

"Yes, sir." He responded obediently but without an atom of respect. He could feel Jack studying him intently and refused to meet his gaze.

"If you and I are going to keeping up this underlying venom then this is never going to work. We're going to have to work together."

Ianto tried not to laugh at the sudden surge of bitterness that rose in his chest. He finally looked into Jack's eyes and his breath caught momentarily when he saw the hurt there.

"I have no problem with following your orders Jack. Don't expect me to start liking you as well. So often you reminded me how this isn't Torchwood One, how you are not like Yvonne Hartman and the first thing you do is kill Lisa, and the gas alien, and those Amoreks a couple of months back. You say that you try to do things better here, but only when it suits you."

Jack nodded. "Good, remind me next time before I pull the trigger then, if you feel so strongly about it." He heaved in a frustrated sigh and made a sudden decision he was certain he'd regret later.

"How good are you on boats?"

Ianto frowned. "I'm fine, why?"

"Because we are going on a little trip. I have something to show you."

Jack got up and grabbed his beloved coat.

"What is it you want me to see?"

Jack faced him with a look that made Ianto feel slightly sick. "That I am not the monster you think I am."