A/N A little more story though it is mostly background. Hopefully the next bit will start the action. Thanks again to my beta Peregrin_Ionad and to all those who read and review, please keep them coming, it keeps me inspired.

"Jack?" Ianto said softly, trying not to startle his lover as he leaned on the railing over the medical suite. John was alive, the monitor softly beeping but he hadn't come around yet. "Food is here, you should eat. I will watch him," he volunteered, more out of concern for Jack than John. Not that he expected Jack to listen to him. Jack had a protective streak as wide as the Bristol channel, whether it was him, or one of the team or even his psychotic ex-partner. John was hardly someone to get warm and fuzzy over, or at least he didn't think that the other time agent was but at the moment he was injured and that made him Jack's responsibility.

"Where is…"

"Tarleton is gone, fortunately. Patrick is still monitoring the Rift, but so far there is nothing coming through. The new predictor program caught two negative spikes, Gwen and Andy got the areas cordoned off in time. They have knocked off for the night. That leaves you and I, and Chris who would tell you to get something to eat as well. In fact, if you don't, I will tell her and you will have to endure the lecture. Go, I will watch," he said, giving him a gentle kiss.

"I just wish I knew what this was all about. Did he say anything before?"

"Yes, I didn't think of it before," he said, thoughtfully.

"Too busy helping keep him alive, I am sure he will understand," Jack said smiling.

"He said to tell you there were only five now, he was insistent that I understand that."

"Five, five what and why come here?"

"He wanted you to know, so it must mean something. Maybe something you did when you were together before? Something or someone you…er…maybe a case for the Time Agency?" he asked awkwardly. Jack didn't talk about that place or what or how they did, well, whatever it was they did, though presumably it had something to do with time. He had told Ianto before that he could say little about it, not because he didn't want him to know but because he had to be careful to preserve the timelines. Apparently time itself was a fragile thing. Ianto did know that some things about it haunted him though. Sometimes, on those rare occasions that he was awake while Jack slept, the older man had nightmares, ones that didn't involve the Doctor or Torchwood.

"I don't know, really. It could be something to do with the Agency, hell, it could be something to do with a lot of things. After I left…listen Ianto, there are things I haven't told you, some of them because I couldn't, and some just because I didn't want you to think any less of me. I joined the Time Agency when I was relatively young, a boy soldier running away from a war that I thought I could handle. I was wrong. The Agency picked up the pieces, gave me a purpose again and I was happy, started putting myself back together. I met John, among others, worked, had friends, everything. It was almost like having a family again." Jack sighed.

"Jack, you don't have to explain it to me if you don't want to," Ianto told him, resting his hand on his arm. "Your past is past, and it doesn't change anything between us." The younger man hoped he was right. Jack had some pretty dark secrets but considering his own shady doings, he didn't think that he could or would hold it against the man who stood by him though after Lisa.

"I think maybe now I do, especially if it is going come back to haunt us, again." This time there was a grimace and a quick glimpse of pain quickly hidden and Ianto knew that he was thinking of his brother. "Anyway, the heart of the matter is this, I woke up one morning after I had been with the Agency for more than a decade and found that I couldn't remember anything for the past two years. I was scared, frantic even. I reported in, afraid that something had happened, that a mission had gone wrong. Turns out they not only knew about the missing memories but they were responsible, though no one would tell me who or why, just that the files were sealed at the highest level."

Ianto just stared at him, not sure what to say to his lover. The pain was still deep, that much he could see but what was there to do? He continued to rest his hand on the immortal's shoulder, stroking his arm softly, it was all he could think of. He started to say something, he wasn't sure what, but Jack waved him to stop.

"I went from frightened to angry fairly quickly thereafter. I tried everything I knew, called in every favor. Most of my old friends weren't aware of what had happened or so they said, which was not surprising. Time Agents don't talk about their cases much for obvious reasons, mostly we got together and let off steam, drank, shagged, did anything to remind ourselves we were still alive. After a while, I left, told them to sod off and dropped off the radar. For a while, I did some things, I…I was a conman, selling bits of space/time junk to Time Agents trying to get something important enough or expensive enough that I could bribe them into giving me my memories back. I felt like I didn't know who I was for a while. Then I met the Doctor, and he reminded me, made me want to be not just a good person but a better person than I had ever been. The rest you know."

Ianto knew, yes, he also knew there was more to the story than Jack was saying but that was neither here or there, now that it was out in the open, he could get the rest from him later when they were away from the hub and the possibility that anyone else would hear. He made a mental note to wipe the CCTV. Jack wouldn't want his past to become common knowledge even here, and was probably to distracted to remember himself. All was quiet for a moment, except the beeping of machines and the ambient sound of equipment that was part of the background noise of the hub. The older man wasn't looking at him, probably concerned about what he would see. Ianto slid the hand from his shoulder, and pulled him into an embrace, holding on as tight as he could, letting him know through contact that nothing had changed. Right now it was all he could do. There were no words, not at the moment anyway.

"So," Jack said, pulling away just a little, shields up, back to business. "It could be just about anything, and I just don't know."

"Eat something, relax for a few minutes. We can stay here tonight in case he wakes up." Jack nodded with the expression of a man who knows that objections were not going to get him anywhere. Refusing to go and get food would get him a lecture, telling him he didn't have to stay would get him a look. Ianto crossed him arms firmly and waited while Jack retreated graciously before turning to look at the man on the table below. "What is it you know, John Hart? And why did you bring it here?"