Ianto was staring at the dark stain on Jack's office floor. Blood. Most probably blood.

"Owen?"

The medic turned up in the door a moment later.

"What?"

"Can you check the DNA please?"

Owen followed Ianto's gaze.

"Oh. OK, sure."

Ianto followed him on his heels. He knew Owen hated it when someone was looking over his shoulder, but surprisingly he didn't even snort. He just got to work, checking the sample against the most obvious candidate. Match.

"It's Jack's."

Ianto thought back to that very scary moment in Jack's office. That stain hadn't been there. Jack had left the hub less than an hour after he had. What had happened in that hour? He set to work getting the stain out of the floor, his mind fixed on Jack's strange behavior that night. He'd scared the hell out of him...

"By all means - stay put!"

Ianto closed his eyes. Relief, insecurity, panic rushing through him. He fought to get himself under control before getting to his feet.

"Didn't I tell you to stay put?"

Jack's voice was soft and he was smiling, but Ianto just didn't know what to do with himself. Just like when Jack had come back from the dead. And just like back then Jack pulled him close and kissed him.

"Please forgive me."

"For what exactly?"

He needed to hear him say it - balm to the wounds Jack had inflicted on him.

"For what I said to you. It's not true that I don't want you."

"You said I wasn't what you wanted. And in that moment that was very true, wasn't it?"

"I can't say I didn't mean to hurt you, because I did. But I'm sorry I had to do it."

"You had to?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"To protect you."

"You broke my heart to protect me? Sorry but that's a little hard to believe."

"Still it's true."

"So what were you protecting me from?"

Jack moved around his desk and brought up the video footage of that night. Turning the screen towards Ianto he said:

"This."

Ianto's eyes went wide. He covered his mouth with his hand and after a few moments he turned away from the screen.

"Stop it. Please."

There was silence. Ianto stood close to Jack, looking at him, waiting. When Jack finally took the last step towards him Ianto pulled him close and held him until he felt him relax. A little at least. He let go and gently touched his face.

"Talk to me. What happened to you?"

"You don't wanna know."

"Yes I do. I love you. It kills me to see you like this, so please. Talk to me."

Ianto could see the struggle, and the moment Jack gave in. His shoulders sagged.

"It's the Doctor. A few days ago he was here, in Cardiff. I was – God it felt great to see him. But he wouldn't – he said he just stopped by to tell me."

"What? Tell you what?"

"That we were done. He said he didn't want me anywhere near him ever again."

Ianto didn't know what to say to that. Jack smiled, but it was cold and bitter.

"I guess that's good for you. With him out of the picture."

Ianto couldn't believe it. He turned away wide eyed and open mouthed, only to whip back a moment later.

"You really think that's how my mind works? You really think I'm happy about this? You think I can't imagine what you're feeling like?"

For a long moment neither of them said anything. It was Ianto who finally did.

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"What, he tells you to stay away and you just do as you're told? Since when?"

"It's the Doctor, Ianto."

"But why would he say that?"

"He said it before. That I was...wrong. Shouldn't exist. That he could...hardly look at me. Maybe he just decided to get it over with. Once and for all. Remove me from his reality."

"But you love him."

Ianto could hardly bear the pain on Jack's face, and he was almost sure he wouldn't get an answer. But he did. Low and spent.

"Yes. Yes I do. He's the only one I thought I couldn't lose."

Ianto straightened.

"Then get to the bottom of this."