Wow! Thanks for all the reviews and alerts! Hope this chapter is okay; I got a bit stuck writing it.

If there was a worst feeling then someone projectile vomiting at your feet Ianto had yet to experience it.

Owen sat, the blanket pulled around him, sipping the water that Ianto had conjured up and watching him clean up his sick. It was amazing how Ianto just couldn't leave any mess…not that Owen cared, particularly, at this moment in time.

"You want a bowl?" Ianto asked practically.

"I…nah, I think I'm okay…thanks, mate."

"Well, Doctor Harper, what do you thinks the matter? Want me to wake Jack? Is it alien or-"

Owen smiled queasily. "God, Ianto you don't half fuss."

"Well, in this job, you never know. When I was at Torchwood One there was this outbreak of alien flu, Lisa caught it, she said-" he caught himself. "She said a lot of things."

Owen didn't press the point. "I'm okay though, thanks. I reckon it was that pizza…"

"Really? I reckon it was that pizza and a half…and the rest of Tosh's curry…and that half a tub of that sick coleslaw Jack insists on ordering…and that beer…"

Owen groaned. "God, I don't half feel miserable."

"Sure you don't want a bowl?"

"I'll skip…but I'll stay up for ten minutes, just in case."

"Why don't you lie back down?"

"I won't be able to sleep after this…straight away anyway. Sorry."

"Nah, you lie down and I'll just stay for a while, until you go back to sleep. Okay?"

"Okay, mum." Owen grumbled but did as he was told, lying back on the floor next to Tosh-who, Ianto was pleased to see, was now asleep again.

"Share her blanket." Ianto instructed. "Sure you're okay?"

"Listen, it's not the first time I've had to wake up in the night because I've eaten too much. Actually, it's usually mainly alcohol. But…same thing."

"Drowning your sorrows?" Normally he wouldn't have asked, but he was bored, and slightly annoyed at Owen for wrecking his floor.

"You don't know the half of it…"

"Tosh?"

"What?"

"Well…have you asked her out yet? Because I know Gwen was threatening too, for you…it's pretty annoying you know."

"What is? What?"

"For a doctor Owen, you can be really thick."

"Oy!"

Ianto smiled but decided to get his own back on Owen later. It wasn't fair for him to get revenge while the other man was ill.

"I mean you and Tosh, Owen."

"What about us? I mean…there's nothing there."

"Everyone else can see it, though. Just ask her out, it's making us all so fed up!"

"Well then…if it's annoying you I better stop it." Owen said sarcastically. Then he groaned.

"Owen? You okay?"

"Fine. Just…oh, god, I need sleep. My mum used to be good at this…"

"What? What was she good at?"

"When I was ill…and she wasn't too pissed, she would read to me. Otherwise I couldn't get too sleep…"Owen's voice was gradually growing fainter.

"You want me to…read to you?" Ianto said disbelievingly.

"Just…talk. Please? I'm going to kill myself for saying this but…I need you to do this. Otherwise I won't be able to sleep…and I'll be horrible tomorrow."

"Fine." Ianto began to talk, going over his life in such tiny detail, right up to when he met Lisa. Then he stopped, the rush of memories hitting him hard. Owen yawned in his sleep behind him. Ianto smiled and stood up. He went back downstairs again.

Staring at Jack he crouched down. "I can help Tosh, by listening." He whispered. "I can help Owen by talking. How can I help you? What do you want? What do you feel, really? Does it hurt…everyday, do the losses hurt? Can you bear to love again?" Then Ianto stood up, slightly annoyed with himself. Even if he can bear to love…why would he choose to love me? He wondered.

Gwen next chapter, then a chapter with Ianto thinking through the nights events, then two more chapters which will bring it all together! That's the plan so far, anyway...Thanks for reading!