PART TWO

The emotions that overwhelmed him were quite unexpected. Gwen pulled him into her arms and Ianto held on to her like his life depended on it. Rhys had stood back, baby in one arm and his other hand gently rubbing Ianto's shoulder. The younger man was looking like a shadow of his former self, but Rhys was pleased to see him. Gwen was over joyed. The two colleagues, friends, clung to each other in Martha's hallway and both of them were crying. Gwen eventually stepped back and surveyed Ianto with a maternal eye and Ianto had to admit that it looked good on her, the extra weight, the added brightness in her eyes.

"You look wonderful." He murmured. Rhys was nodding from behind. "She certainly does mate, come on and sit down we've someone we want you to meet."

Gwen huddled next to him on the couch, almost afraid she was dreaming his presence there and Rhys leant forwards and rested a wriggling bundle into Ianto's arms. Little hands reached up and wide green eyes gazed up at him. Ianto gazed down at the baby in his arms and smiled faintly before looking at Gwen.

"Wow, Gwen..... I don't know what to say. Thank God.... she's amazing, you are amazing." To his horror he was crying again and Gwen quickly wiped the water from his cheeks with her thumb in the same way that Jack had once done. "I have never been more grateful for the fact that it was me at Thames House and not you."

Gwen smiled back she was still at a loss for words. "Ianto.... It's just so good to see you."

Martha had joined them bearing a tray of snacks and mugs of tea. "You get this round for free. Ianto's going to make coffee later." She said with a smile and reached out her hand to pet the baby who was still looking up at Ianto. They all cooed round the baby for some minutes until Ianto began to yawn expansively.

"I'm sorry I am so tired."

Martha went straight into doctor mode. "Right, of course you are. Come one I'll show you where everything is and then you can take a nap."

Ianto carefully passed the infant to her dad and stood up gingerly, he was still a bit fragile.

"Thanks Martha." He turned to Gwen. "You'll be here when I wake up?" He needed the assurance and she beamed at him.

"Count on it, go on, Martha says you'll need your rest."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Gwen settled her daughter down into the porta cot and then joined Martha and Rhys in the lounge. Tom was in the kitchen cooking dinner as they talked over things that needed to be said. Gwen got straight in with the questions, riding highly on her emotions after the events of the day.

"Why wasn't I told? For that matter why wasn't his sister told?"

Martha could only shrug. "All I know is that he was the only one to survive the attack at Thames House. His body was in the morgue awaiting a post mortem examination. The night before the exam was carried out his body was brought out of the fridge and left in the lab, it was sometime during that night that he began to regain body function. They were literally about to start the PM when it was discovered he was alive. I don't know why the information wasn't released......"

Gwen clenched her hands in her lap. "You realise if Jack had've known that Ianto was alive he wouldn't have left."

Martha nodded. "I know. I only found out myself at 6am this morning when I had a call from Bridget Spears, she's been very busy assembling a new Torchwood team, getting the Hub rebuilt and I don't understand the reasoning behind the secrecy, but it is clear to me that now Torchwood is essentially public knowledge she felt she had to do something. Jack saved the world, maybe she recognised the sacrifice he made to do that. Ianto's the ideal choice, he'd die for Torchwood, for Earth..... did die. I don't know Gwen. I just have my instructions, which are get him fit and well as soon as possible."

Rhys was absently rubbing Gwen's knee to comfort her. "We saw all the building work going on at the Plas, never thought they'd be re building the Hub though, I mean why there?"

"The Rift is still there. I've seen some UNIT troops around Cardiff...."

"We've been monitoring and trying to deal with things that come through. We've also had a new hospital built on the mainland and had the patients at Flat Holm moved to better facilities."

Gwen's eyes widened. "How did you know about that?"

Once again Martha shrugged. "I think MI5 knew a lot more about Torchwood than they were given credit for, they'd been watching you all for a long time."

Gwen sighed feeling slightly indignant. "They were just waiting for an excuse to get rid of us, weren't they?"

Martha nodded. "Prime Minister Green and Frobisher had their own agendas, of course after the 456 Green was discredited and Frobisher.... well we all know what happened to him. I think he was put in an untenable position. Anyway after you leaked that Thames House footage to the press, Ianto became something of a hero, dying in Jack's arms, the press love a good romance and right now the PMs office are preparing a statement to explain why Ianto is in fact alive and well and preparing to take over as head of Torchwood."

Martha watched her friend closely. "I don't know quite where that leaves you as far as Torchwood is concerned, especially as no one has contacted you."

Gwen was wondering the same thing as well. "For now it leaves me still on maternity leave."

Rhys seemed pleased with that, Gwen wasn't entirely certain she could do Torchwood without Jack.

"Have you heard any word Martha?..... From the Doctor.... about Jack?"

Martha shook her head. "I haven't heard from the Doctor full stop. I'm sorry. If Jack is out there somewhere, he'll only come back when he's ready to, if he comes back at all. Ianto asked me the same thing on the way here. He's more upset that Jack's alone out there than he is about himself."

"Ianto loves him. They were just starting to really be.... well.... when all this started. Will Ianto take it on? Torchwood?"

Martha had no idea. "I think right now what he needs is to recover. He needs time to come to terms with has happened to him, especially if it turns out he's like Jack and really can't die."

"Is he?" Rhys asked.

"I don't know. I guess we'll find out the next time he dies. He certainly doesn't have the accelerated healing, he's been in rehab for months. I just think it would be awful for Jack not knowing that he is here waiting for him, Ianto could be waiting forever."

"Maybe he'll move on." Gwen shook her head as she said it. "What am I saying, this is Ianto, of course he won't. We have to find a way to reach Jack."

Rhys sighed. "I have a suggestion, but you won't like it."

Gwen arched her eyebrows at her husband. "What love?"

"You told me that John Hart bloke was still on Earth, he's got the same wrist thingy as Jack, maybe he could be persuaded to help?"

Martha frowned, wondering who John Hart was and Gwen obviously recognised the question in her look.

She grinned. "Don't ask, one of Jack's ex's with a fetish for poodles, but you're right Rhys. I think it's time we went looking for him."