I am so sorry for this unforgivable amount of time between updates. I honestly don't have one main valid reason for not writing or posting this for however many months it's been since my last update, although I have had many little reasons which have pushed back my free time- meaning I rarely have time to sit and down and just write. Again I am so sorry and if there is still anyone reading this then I hope you enjoy. I can honestly say that I will try and make time to write and with it being half term this week I hope to write at least a couple of chapters. Anyway enough of my apologetic ramblings and on to this long overdue chapter.

The team were faster than Jack thought they would have been. They must have called a cab, Tosh, Owen and Gwen wouldn't have been so quick running and Ianto would have probably made it to the club before even Jack had.

"All right everybody out," John said, shooting at the two doors. Toshiko and Owen came through one door, whilst Gwen and Ianto through the other. Their guns were raised, ready to shoot if necessary. John openly mocked Jack about the team, although he did seem genuinely upset about the lack of a blonde.

"God he's worse than Jack," Owen groaned.

The man who was worse than Jack continued to pester Jack, asking about team names, not seeming impressed with Torchwood.

"Oh. Not Excalibur? Blizzard? Bikini Cops? No? Torchwood. Oh dear."

Jack simply rolled his eyes before introducing them to Captain John Hart.

"We go back," he explained, almost apologetically.

"Excuse me. We more than go back. We were partners." he said confirming Ianto's original fears.

But to be sure he asked the question on everyone's minds. "In what way?"

"In every way. And then some," John said, taking huge enjoyment out of Ianto's discomfort.

"It was two weeks," Jack said, trying to reassure Ianto more than anything.

"Except the two weeks was trapped in a time loop. So we were together for five years," John continued on, but Ianto had stopped listening. Five years? And if it was anything like John was painting it they were pretty domesticated. Something he and Jack had never been, and probably never would be, not if the presence of John was anything to go by.

John showed his wrist, indicating the presence of a wrist strap, much like Jack's. John mentioned something about Time Agents leaving everyone confused.

John seemed quite happy about Jack not telling them about his past. Something else he knew about Jack, that they didn't. Ianto couldn't help but think. Would he ever trust the team enough to tell them about his past, more importantly would he ever trust Ianto enough to tell him about his past. Sure Ianto knew more than the rest of the team, (one of the many joys of working in the archives.

You could find out information without having to pester anyone, and because of the lack of pestering everyone thought that their secrets were safe.) But there were many things that Ianto didn't know about Jack, many things that John obviously knew about him. After all they had spent five years together. Would Jack even want to have a relationship with Ianto any more, all John and Jack had pretty much done since he'd arrived was flirt.

John's cocky voice broke through his thoughts. "So I'm working with this woman," A hologram of a small cannister popped up from his wrist watch, similar to what had happened with Jack's earlier in the evening. "Beautiful, clever, sexy, yadda, yadda, yadda, and we both get shot. And as she's dying, she begs me. She tells me about these radiation cluster bombs- she's been working on. There are three canisters, contents beyond toxic swallowed up in a rift storm."

"And ended up here," Tosh guessed, to which John confirmed.

"If we leave those bombs, the toxic will break the cannisters and gradually start to infect the people and the planet. They need to be neutralised." John turned off his wristwatch and lowered his arm.

"What do you get out of this?" Jack asked, his voice wary. He seemed even more disbelieving when John said it was only a dying woman's wish.

The two started a stare off before John looked away, choosing instead to look each member of Torchwood in the eye and ask for help locating the cannisters. Well Torchwood always tried to be helpful.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

John didn't seem to be too impressed with the hub. Choosing instead to pick at little things, the location, the invisible lift, the general design etc. The team gathered around the lift, when Jack and John had got there, all armed. Ianto held a small tray in his arms, standing right behind Jack.

"Weapons," Jack uttered. John gave over a samurai sword and two guns, smiling over at the team. "And the rest," Jack said also smiling.

"Oh you know me, I'm a two weapon man." John wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Gwen looked at the scanner Tosh had given her and read out the information. "One pistol to each leg," At this John's face fell, but he gave over the weapons without protest. "Laser knife beneath the left elbow, 17 small explosive charges in the lining of his coat," she carried on in a similar manner until John was defenceless.

Jack had asked Owen and Tosh to look over John whilst Ianto was to put the weapons in a secure safe down in the archives. Ianto walked at human speed until he was out of John's sight, then ran down to the third floor underground in record timing. He opened the first door on his left and looked over the little room. It wasn't very big, but there was enough room for a couple of computers to be placed on a large desk.

One computer Ianto used to modernize the archives, uploading files and artefacts on the database so it would be easier for everybody to find what they needed. The second computer had CCTV up, at the moment the cameras were on by the entrance of the archives like they normally were, that way when Ianto was working he could see who entered and intercept them before they got too lost.

In her first days at Torchwood, Gwen had gotten lost in the archives, it took three hours to find her, Ianto at that point couldn't use his vampire abilities to use and because there was so much dust where Gwen had decided to wander it was harder to track her down.

Seeing there was nothing that needed to be brought to his attention, Ianto went to the furthest wall and opened up the safe. He dispatched John's weapons there and just as he was about to make his way back up to the main hub a movement on his screens caught his attention.

Jack and Gwen had walked through the main entrance, Ianto turned up the sound on the computer, whilst he had impeccable hearing and could her things from miles away the general whirring of machines and roars of weevils tended to make it harder for him to hear the others from a long distances away, especially as he was three floors under the pair.

"He's a compulsive liar. Why is he in the building?" Gwen asked. It didn't take a genius to figure out that they were talking about John.

"There's the tiniest one percent chance that he's breaking the habit of a lifetime and telling the truth." Jack said, and Ianto couldn't help but notice that he was sticking up for John. "Which mean this city is in danger."

"What did he mean by a Time Agent?" Gwen asked. "You've never mentioned it."

At this Jack looked away. "That was in the past." he said.

"Oh okay, here we go again." Gwen said, her words mirroring Ianto's thoughts. "You know everything about me Jack. Why do you keep shutting me out? Why do you keep shutting Ianto out, because apart from you he used to be the one with all the secrets and now we know all about him. But tell me Jack, does he know what a Time Agent is? Does he know where you went three months ago?" When Jack failed to answer she smirked and muttered. "Didn't think so."

"Here and now, that's what's important. The work we do, the person I am now, that's what I'm proud of. That's why I haven't told anyone about my past, including Ianto." Ianto couldn't help but shiver, the way they were so casually talking about him didn't do anything but slightly freak him out. "I used to be a terrible person Gwen-"

"Then why did you desert us?" Gwen seemed to explode, her voice full of anger. "Where did you go?" Jack opened his mouth as if he was going to say something before thinking better of it. "No, no, come on. Where did you go? Tell me. Talk to me." When Jack continued to stay silent Gwen said in a soft voice. "Ianto was the only one who believed you would come back. At first I thought you had been taken, but when we checked on the CCTV we saw you running towards a big blue box. Ianto said that you'd found the Doctor, and he was right wasn't he? That's what you said before in the hub. That you had found your Doctor.
When we were sure it was the Doctor we all thought you had left for good. You've always said that you're waiting for the Doctor to come, we all thought you were never coming back, except for Ianto. He said that you'd come back, one day, even if it was in a hundred years, you'd eventually return. I don't know if he ever gave up on you, we stopped wondering where you went about a month after you left. It was too painful, especially for Ianto. I mean he had his family supporting him, but their words of comfort weren't the best. They want to kill you by the way." At this Jack looked away, the guilt apparent on his face.

"I have died so many times," he started. "Been dragged back into life like being hauled over broken glass. I saw the end of the world."

"How?"

"It doesn't matter now. But it after it was all over I knew I belong here. What kept me fighting was the thought of coming home to you. To the team. To Ianto." He stroked up and down Gwen's arm comfortingly, before reaching her hand. His own hand touched the ring on her finger.

"What's this?" he asked curiously.

"That's an engagement ring," Gwen said looking at it fondly.

"You're getting married?" Jack asked like he couldn't believe it.

"Yes, Rhys asked whilst you were away."

"Wow Gwen Cooper getting married. Who would have ever of thought it?"

"Hey," Gwen said, lightly slapping Jack on the arm, both laughing now. As they continued to talk, Ianto left the room, his head slightly spinning. Trying to make sense of the information he had just learnt.

TWTWTWTWTWTW

The team and John had made their way to the boardroom. Tosh had turned the screen on, and was showing the team a minor surge of rift activity she had logged.

"Three locations, six people that's simple," John said almost absent-mindedly. "Two people per cannister."

"Excuse me, I give the orders." Jack said sharply.

"Well give some then, big boy."

"John's right," Gwen interrupted, before Jack could insult him further. "Sorry do you prefer John or Captain?"

"With eyes like yours, if you call me Vera I won't complain," John said, and it was hard to see how serious he was being. It didn't stop Ianto from rolling his eyes however. Tosh gave a small smile when she noticed.

"Tosh and Owen, take the North, Ianto and Jack, go West. Me and Vera will take the docks."

Jack seemingly unhappy how things were being dealt with, interrupted again. Although was quickly silenced by Gwen.

John gave one last warning about the dangers of the radioactive cannisters before the team left, Gwen and Jack staying behind to argue about John.

"Has he got to the no kissing rule, he only invented that because he wants to keep me all to himself." John said cockily. Just before Gwen left she muttered into Jack's ear.
"Think of it this way, you can spend the time looking for the cannister, grovelling for Ianto's forgiveness, we all know how long he can hold a grudge for."

TWTWTWTWTW

Jack and Ianto got to their spot within fifteen minutes. It was a large block of offices, all shut down for the night. The lock was easy enough to pick and the alarm system wasn't even puzzling for Jack. They got to the top floor and started to look around.

"Oh yeah," Jack started, trying to diffuse the tension that had been with him and Ianto since he had arrived. When had it gotten that difficult between the pair? Oh yeah when he had run off with the Doctor without a word of warning. What didn't help the situation however was the sudden appearance of his crazy ex. "Loving that officey feel. I always get excited in these places. To me, they're exotic. Office romances, photocopying your butt. Well maybe not your butt. Although as we're here why don't we photo-"

Dear Lord he had turned into a blabbering idiot! Forget diffusing the tension, more like scaring away the guy you want to have a relationship with. Luckily before he could continue saying awful dreadful things, Ianto interrupted.

"The rift was active at these coordinates approximately 200 feet above the ground. That means this floor or the roof."

It was like before and straight after Lisa all over again. Ianto was being strictly professional once more. The difference between then and now however was that now Jack was going to purposely try and make sure that Ianto didn't retreat back into his shell. Once Ianto had started being more open with him, Jack had seen how amazing he was. And not just the vampire thing, but what an amazing personality he had. He wanted another chance with Ianto, and he was going to try his best to get it.

"How are you Ianto?"

"All the better for having you back Sir," Great they were back with the Sir thing as well. He had really screwed up.

"Can we maybe drop the Sir now?" Jack asked hesitantly. "I mean while I was away, I was thinking maybe we could, you know when this is all done..." Great now he was stumbling and making a fool of himself. Ianto didn't seem to be too impressed, if the way he was still looking through desk drawers was anyway to go by. But Jack knew he had to carry on. "Dinner... a movie." At this Ianto turned around.

"Are you asking me out on a date?" Jack couldn't help but notice that Ianto seemed as nervous as he was.

"Interested?"

"Well as long as it's not in an office. Some fetishes should be kept to yourself." Jack couldn't help but smile at the sarcastic tone he had been missing for over a year.

"Looks like we're gonna have to go through every drawer, bin and plant pot," he said, finally turning the subject back to work.

"I'll do this floor, don't want you getting over-excited." Jack's face froze at Ianto's tone. "And you take the roof. You're good on roofs."

Jack turned away, knowing the quicker he finished checking the roof, the more time he had making it up to Ianto. And if they started making out on one of the desks so be it.

"Jack," Jack turned, hearing his name. "Why are we helping him?"

"He's a reminder of my past I want him gone. By the way, was that a yes?"

"Yes, yes." Jack turned to go onto the roof, missing the look of relief and small smile on Ianto's face.

TWTWTWTWTWTW

When Jack had left the office Ianto's face split into a grin. Whilst what he had overheard on the CCTV between Gwen and Jack had relieved him, he couldn't help but wonder if what Jack had said was simply to shut Gwen up. He had wondered if he had asked him something similar if Jack would have replied with a completely different answer.

And maybe he should have made Jack work for his forgiveness, but Ianto hadn't missed the fact that Jack's eyes were darker, how he seemed to be older and wiser than before. The Welsh Vampire wondered what he had seen to make him like this, but knew better than to ask. If Jack wanted to tell him then he would.

But until that moment, Ianto was perfectly happy simply getting Jack to start trusting him fully and gaining back his own trust for the immortal. The only thing he wanted to worry about now was getting rid of John and then preparing for his upcoming date.

He started to look through desk drawers, working his way through one side of the office to the other, one of the lifts dinging made him stop his search. He turned, got out his gun just in case, (if it was someone who was wandering who shouldn't be, it was normally better to show them the gun, if the gun would be ineffective on them, then he would use vampire skills on them. One of the two usually worked.)

The office door opened with a creak, and he aimed his gun at the lift doors, confused when he didn't see anything straight away. That when he saw the open lift door at the end of the corridor. Slowly making his way there, keeping his gun out and ready, Ianto couldn't help but be confused when he saw that the lift was empty.

A scent flowed past his nose, he recognised that scent, it was a bit like Jack's with the addicting smell but somehow different. He racked his mind until he figured out who's it was. And then he was filled with dread. Captain John Hart.

"Into the lift eye candy," John said, pressing a gun into Ianto's skull. He put his hands up, and allowed John to take his gun.

Rule one: Always let the enemy think they are winning at the start.

He turned around, letting his face mask in fear. "You're friends are bleeding and dying," John said, not removing the gun from Ianto's forehead. He tried to back him into the lift but Ianto didn't budge.

"That won't stop me," Ianto said motioning to the gun.

John gave a dry laugh. "Sweet, but please don't make me use this on you to prove a point."

Giving a shrug Ianto said. "Try it, nothings going to happen."

"Eye candy this isn't one of your crappy little 21st century guns. No this gun is from the year 4897 and is designed specifically to kill vampires."

"Vampires? I don't know what you mean," the Welshman tried to stay as cool as he could.

"Oh please don't insult me, I know a vampire when I see one. Slept with one as well, that's a night I'm never going to forget." John was silent for a second, lost in memories before snapping out of his daze. "Oh don't look so confused eye candy. In the distant future, once the human race have started to spread out through the stars, vampires reveal themselves. And of course there's a few who declare war on humankind, yada yada yada.

So people start to arm themselves. I shoot you in the right place with this gun then you die instantly. I don't and you'll still die. However you'll be in agony for days and no-one would be able to do a thing to help you. So do what I say and go find your friends. You barely have enough time to save them. But I'd suggest taking the SUV, you may be able to travel at a super sonic speed but your team can't. No point in calling them once you've gone either. Your comms system is some of the most primitive tech I've seen in a while. Off you go. Get to them as fast as you can, see if you get to them in time to save them. You come up here and I'll shoot you on sight."

John pressed the ground floor button on the lift, watching as the lift doors slowly closed. "Why are you doing this?" Ianto growled.

"We're a cosmic joke, eye candy. An accident of chemicals and evolution. The jokes, the sex, just cover the fact that nothing means anything. And the only consolation is money. So run Ianto Jones." John didn't lower his gun until the doors had fully closed.

TWTWTWTWTW

Ianto found the warehouse with Owen and Tosh quickly enough, a bruise was blooming on Tosh's face and Owen was stitching up a gun shot wound on his hip. By now, Ianto had got used to ignoring the scent of his colleagues blood and he quickly helped Owen up to the SUV, where he continued to treat his wound and check Tosh over. By the time he had finished they had reached the docks to find Gwen.

"She's here," Ianto said, smelling the air, once they had reached the docks.

"Do you know where?" Tosh asked anxiously.

"This way," Ianto cried, entering a light jog, Owen and Tosh close behind him. "She's around here, I can't tell where exactly, because of where her and John were before, her scents everywhere."

"Well then we keep looking," Tosh said, pulling on one of the doors.

"God I need more painkillers," Owen cried, opening a container.

"I'll try her phone again," Ianto reached out for his phone and hit Gwen's number. A mobile started ringing on the other side of the docks, so they started running in it's direction. But when they found the mobile, they didn't find Gwen.

"She must have dropped it," Owen groaned.

"Unless it's another one of John's tricks." Tosh said, pulling out a scanner from her bag. "If Gwen used her phone here, then I can use the network to triangulate the location where she made her last call. Got it," Tosh ran off, looking occasionally at her screen, Ianto and Owen at her heels. When Tosh stopped Ianto sniffed the air once more.

"Her scents stronger here. She's in one of these," He pointed to a row of containers, wrenching open the nearest one, Tosh and Owen doing the same on either side of him.
"She's here!" Owen cried out, rushing in into the container, kneeling down to where Gwen lay.

"What's wrong with her?" Tosh asked.

"Ianto take a swab, Tosh let's get this thing started." Owen said jumping into Doctor mode.

Once Tosh had got Gwen's results through her laptop she showed them to Owen, her face grim. "He's poisoned her."

"Anti- toxin kit now."

TWTWTWTWTW

Once Gwen was walking and talking again, the team piled into the SUV and relayed each of their stories to each other, making their way around Cardiff..
"He's in the hub," Tosh said. "What do we do?"

A knock on the window made them all jump, but when they saw who it was, Owen wound down his window. "I've got just the idea." A grinning Jack said.

TWTWTWTWTW

The team got to John just as he had finished putting together a jigsaw. It was a simple triangle, with the centre piece belonging to the blowfish. He turned and placed it down, away from the rest of the jigsaw.

"So you're pretty and resilient. Is that even fair?"

Gwen took over. "Maybe you didn't realise. You can beat, threaten and even poison us and we'll keep coming back, stronger every time."

"Well I think you ought to know that your boss is splayed out on the..." John's words died in his throat as Jack emerged, smiling as if nothing had happened. "Now that's impressive." It was obvious that finally something had unnerved John. He kept going on about how the trick was impressive, his ramblings getting the better of him. Jack made his way over to John.

"What's in the cannisters?" Gwen asked.

"Time to come clean Captain," Owen said.

"Fine," John said, finally seeming to admit defeat. "That woman I told you about earlier, had herself an Arcadian diamond. It's the rarest gem in the Damascene Cluster. And just when I get my hands on her, she only generates her own personal rift storm. God I hate technological geniuses." He handed over the centre triangle.

"You said that this was a dying woman's request." Tosh asked, not looking sure about whether she wanted to know the answer.

"Yeah she was dying. I shot her. I thought my luck had changed when I found it had ended up here." At this John looked only at Jack, and the nervousness and insecurity that Ianto had felt before came back in full force. Before Jack could say anything, John turned to the team. "So I'm thinking 50-50? Even split, good deal. Or if anyone fancies an orgy?" This bit was directed at Ianto. "I do love myself a good vampire."

TWTWTWTWTW

Once the whole débâcle with John and the bomb that had the power to destroy the whole of Cardiff in minutes was over there were mere seconds left before the rift would close itself up. Gwen was still looking slightly pale, having fully believed that she would have been blown to smithereens along with John because of his damn handcuffs.

Jack stepped forward, his arms crossed and his gaze fuming. "I want you gone," he growled.

"Well we've got to work out how to get these things off first," Gwen shook her arm violently, wincing slightly as her wrists rubbed raw against the cuff.

"Actually," John placed his fingers down his throat and picked out the key. "Old Artesian trick. Keep it in the lining of the throat. It has a lot of uses."

Gwen obviously not impressed by John using her a as 'passport to survival' punched him as soon as she was released.

John turned to the rift once he was released, however before he left he turned to the team once more. "Oh and by the way Jack, I meant to tell you I found Gray." Before Jack could get a proper answer from him, John had disappeared.

"Who's Gray." Gwen asked.

"It's nothing." Jack said, although no-one was convinced. "Let's get back to work," he turned towards the SUV, the team close behind.

This was Torchwood and Captain Jack Harkness was back where he belonged.