The Repercussions of Lies

Chapter 2

A/N- from here on Jack is a little out of character, not completely, only in his love struck-ness with Ianto, as this is a new direction in their relationship.

Ianto woke the next day in a hospital bed, dazed and confused. He couldn't remember why he would be in hospital and feeling the cast on his leg, with a broken leg. The last thing he remembered he was at a café preparing to go to a job interview for a research job at some government facility that he couldn't remember the name of, that was recommended by his university advisor. He remembered feeling quite excited about the prospect of this job opportunity after months of drifting from job to job after moving out of his family home. Ianto called a nurse over and asked why or how did he come to be in hospital with a broken leg, the nurse explained that he was brought in the night before unconscious, but there didn't appear to be any brain injury so she wasn't sure why he couldn't remember anything of the road accident. Well that's something Ianto thought; it was a road accident although he didn't remember stepping onto the road or any accident. The nurse said that the doctor would be around soon and he could shed more light on his injuries.

Over the next couple of days Jack would check with the hospital where Ianto was recuperating to check on his progress, why, he didn't really know other than he ran him over, so he felt partly responsible for him being in the hospital, but partly because this man intrigued him. Ianto's persistence in gaining Jack's acceptance in getting a job with Torchwood Cardiff and the fact that Jack found him to be easy on the eye, but he wanted to know that he was able to move on now that his memory of Canary Wharf was gone, what would Ianto do now, now that he didn't have those awful memories to deal with, what would he do with his life.

On the third day Jack went to visit Ianto at the hospital with the pretence that he was the one that found him laying on the road after the driver of the car left him after hitting him, well that is the story that Tosh had concocted to cover Jack and Torchwood's tracks, as well as placing some money in Ianto's account to cover his expenses. Jack looked at a sleeping Ianto before entering the room that Ianto occupied, he couldn't look away, Ianto was the face of innocence and so beautiful that Jack felt a stirring in his groin and an ache in his stomach for what he did to him.

As Jack stepped into the room Ianto's eyes fluttered open and blinked, his heart started to race, then he wondered why this feeling spread throughout his body at the sight of this handsome man entering the room that he was in.

"Sorry didn't mean to wake you" Jack said quietly.

"No that's okay, I sleep on and off, hard to sleep for any length of time in this hospital, there is always some nurse taking my vitals" and then he added because he thought that maybe this man was another doctor checking on him and didn't want to appear to be complaining, "I know that they are just doing their job but….."

"Yeah they do that, don't they?" Jack said laughing, "How are you feeling? Ianto isn't it?" pretending that he was meeting for the first time.

"Yes, feeling fine. Sorry, do I know you? You're not a doctor, are you?" Ianto said quizzically, somehow knowing that this man was not a doctor, he just didn't come across that way, he never seen a doctor wear an old style military army long coat.

"I'm Jack, I'm the one that found you on the road, I rang the ambulance, but I didn't stick around after they arrived" Jack explained.

"Oh thank you…..Jack" Ianto said, the name seemed so familiar but he thought it's just a name, he thought he would remember someone this handsome, and boy was he handsome, that megawatt smile, his self-assurance and air around him just radiated confidence and warmth.

"You're most welcome" Jack said whilst pulling up a chair close to Ianto. For the next couple of hours Jack and Ianto chatted about anything and nothing in particular. When the dinner cart came around Jack excused himself and said that he would leave him to eat in peace.

Jack left so abruptly that Ianto didn't have the chance to tell Jack to stay that he enjoyed his company as he had no visitors, as his family, although they were informed, did not come to visit him as yet. Ianto didn't think this odd, just accepted this as part of his family life, he did walk away from the family several years ago, not making any contact as he wanted to distance himself from his family.

Outside the hospital Jack shook himself, he didn't mean to stay with Ianto at the hospital for so long but he found himself talking very easy with Ianto. He only meant to check on his progress but the conversation between them flowed, they laughed and discussed what had been happening in the world in the past 2 years as the doctors told Ianto that they didn't know why he had lost 2 years of memories but their only explanation was that the accident must have caused it even though there was no head injury. Jack had Tosh set up an apartment in Ianto's name near Cardiff that would explain why he had a road accident in Cardiff and some money in his account, it was the least that Jack could do as Torchwood London had ruined his life. Just then Jack's blue tooth beeped in his ear, "Jack there's a rift alert 2 miles south of where you are, Owen and Susie are heading there now, do you want to meet us there?"

"Yeah, right you are. Be there soon" Jack ran to SUV, he didn't have to run, he would get there before the others but he liked running, it always made his day.

"What the fuck Jack" Owen exploded, "you retcon that Torchwood London guy and now you're visiting him in hospital"

"Just checking that he was okay, I did run him over" Jack tried to explain, he didn't know himself why he visited him, other than he was somewhat attracted to him.

"He could have recognised you, brought his memories back" Owen was still yelling at Jack, "the retcon is not an exact science, sometimes people break through the retcon"

"It didn't, okay" Jack shouted back.

"Hey what's going on?" Tosh came in to the board room when she heard the two yelling.

"Captain Fantastic here thinks it's okay to visit someone who he's retconned" Owen snapped.

"That someone is from Torchwood One, I needed to see if he was affected by the retcon" Jack explained, "I don't know how he was dealt with after Canary Wharf"

"Sure Jack, I saw a photo of him" Owen spat, "wasn't because you wanted to get in his pants"

"Fuck off Owen" Jack spat back.

"He was one of the few survivors, they were all dealt with adequately" Owen said, "you didn't need to check"

"Actually Owen, I did some checking, he didn't get any counselling, he disappeared….until now" Tosh said quietly.

"All the more reasoning why I needed to check" Jack said.

"Yeah whatever Jack" Owen said shaking his head as he walked out of the board room.

"Tosh" Jack said quietly to his quietly spoken and brilliant staff, "did you set up what I asked you to do?"

"Yes Jack, an apartment has been found for him, and I made it look as if he has been there for some months, paperwork all done and it will stand up for scrutiny"

"Did you find where he was staying before?" Jack asked

"No, he was very good at covering his tracks, there is no record of him, if he wanted not to be found he has done as good a job as I would have" Tosh said marvelling at the ingenuity of this young man.

Jack knowing Tosh well, and how clever she was as making up stories to cover people that they retconned was amazed that this Ianto was as smart as his ingenious Tosh. Maybe the school reports that he found didn't reveal the true person that Ianto was.

"Thanks Tosh" Jack said gratefully.

"Jack?" Tosh replied tentatively, "why are you helping him?"

"There weren't many survivors from Canary Wharf, some very good people were killed or lost" Jack thinking of Rose, "I don't owe him anything, but sometimes a helping hand is what is needed, this Ianto lost everything, his girlfriend, his innocence, he is so young, if I can help get his life back on track….it's the least I can do" Jack said sadly.

Tosh reached out to Jack and took hold of his hand, "Anything you need me to do, just let me know, Owen is just being Owen, he does mean well"

"Yeah I know" Jack said smiling, "Thanks again Tosh. Now how's that's research into the cubes we found at the rift site?"