Jack prowled nervously in his office. What on earth had possessed him to say ten minutes? Well, he knew why he had said it; he wanted Ianto to think about the first time they had been together, when Ianto had initiated stopwatch fun and games, he wanted Ianto to be thinking about how they had been together as he walked in. But now he was impatient, he wanted to see Ianto now and each minute he was kept waiting felt like an hour.

There was a soft tap on the door and Jack felt his pulse rate accelerate. Striving for calm he leant back against his desk crossed his legs at the ankles and purred, 'come in' before feeling the pose was too false and hastily standing up. His world tilted as a slim and well dressed figure entered the room and advanced towards him, hand outstretched. Jack knew he was staring, mouth open but he couldn't help himself

The tall, dark skinned woman paused in confusion, 'Captain Harkness? Is everything alright?'

Jack made a massive effort to pull himself together; he pasted a flirtatious smile on his face and moved forward to take the woman's hand.

'Director Jones, I assume?'

The women smiled, 'please, call me Lisa.'

Jack waved Lisa to a chair, 'I apologise for staring, Baxter said "Director Jones" and I was...kinda expecting someone else.'

Lisa sat with a cool elegance that seemed a characteristic mannerism of hers, 'it's not exactly an uncommon name in Wales,' she pointed out

Jack gave a self-conscious smile, 'no, huh, guess not.'

Lisa laughed and leant towards Jack in a confiding fashion, 'I'll let you in on a secret,' she lowered her voice to a whisper, 'I'm not a natural Jones. When we decided to get married we tried double-barrelling our names but Hallet-Jones, Jones-Hallett didn't feel right so we went old school and I became plain old Mrs. Ianto. Jones.' She leant back in her seat, her eyes fixed on Jack's face

Jack felt as though his heart was being ripped out through his chest, 'you...you're married to Ianto Jones?' he stammered

'Yeah,' Lisa raised a confused eyebrow, 'did nobody tell you?'

Jack dropped his gaze, 'I didn't think to ask' he said sadly

'Well, um, we have been together just over three years' said Lisa, 'and we got married just after Tosh and Owen.'

Jack straightened up, 'Irrelevant and not really my business' he said briskly, 'we need to discuss the future'

'Indeed' Lisa agreed smoothly, 'I assume you plan to resume the Directorship of Torchwood Three.'

Jack looked at her challengingly, 'I do' he asserted, 'is that a problem for you?'

'Not at all' said Lisa, 'it was made clear to me that this was only a temporary assignment when I took the secondment from my UNIT posting, although I didn't expect temporary to mean nearly four years. However, meeting up with Ianto again was an unexpected bonus – we knew each other when we both worked at Torchwood One, we even went on a couple of dates back then. He looked after me when I moved here, we picked up from where we left off in London and then...' she gave a tinkling laugh,'...well, here we are as you say'

Jack had never wanted to hit a woman so much in his entire life. He was sure that she was aware of his history with Ianto and was taunting him with her relationship. Underneath the desktop he clenched his fists, using the pain as he dug his fingernails into the soft skin of his palms to attempt to control his more violent emotions. He took a deep breath, 'must have been difficult for you though?' he enquired, 'new job, being the big boss and married to one of your staff.'

'Tosh and Owen manage alright,' pointed out Lisa, 'why would you assume that Ianto and I would struggle.'

'Tosh and Owen are colleagues' said Jack, 'neither is responsible for managing the other.'

Lisa's icy facade began to crack, 'how did you manage, Captain Harkness,' she asked spitefully, 'weren't you fucking him on a regular basis before your disappearance.'

'That's none of your business' snapped Jack

'And how Ianto and I conduct our relationship is none of yours,' shot back Lisa.

'You're right' said Jack stiffly.

'Anyway,' continued Lisa, 'not long after we got together, Ianto decided to take up a liaison post in the City Council offices.'

Jack felt sick, 'So, Ianto doesn't work here in the Hub anymore?'

'Not for three years or more' said Lisa smugly, 'one of us had to have regular hours to be available for Carwyn and it made sense for it to be Ianto.'

'Carwyn?'

'Our little boy'

'A child, I see. Congratulations' Jack schooled his face into a neutral expression, hiding the gut wrenching agony that Lisa's careless revelation had incurred in him. One of the fantasies that he had used to sustain himself between torture sessions on The Valiant was of settling down with Ianto and maybe having a family with him. The thought that Ianto had started a family with someone other than him tore him up inside. 'Anyway' he continued, 'let's focus on how we are going to manage the transition of authority.' He turned away to seat himself behind his desk but his didn't miss the small smile of triumph that flitted across Lisa's smooth features.

Some hours later, Lisa was taking her leave of Jack. Over breakfast provide by a sullen Gwen, they had drawn up a transition schedule and filed the appropriate paperwork reinstating Jack as official leader and Lisa had squirmed uncomfortably whilst Jack had an innuendo strewn twenty-minute conversation with the Queen. Tosh had formally restored Jack's computer privileges. The atmosphere in Jack's office had remained frosty and unfriendly; both were relieved when Lisa stood up to head back to her own office to start collating the reports required to bring Jack up to speed. Their attention was caught by the sound of the klaxon announcing the opening of the cog wheel door and Jack felt his breathing hitch as Ianto Jones walked into the Hub.

Jack moved to the window his eyes glued to Ianto, I had almost forgotten how graceful he is thought Jack as he watched the young man negotiate his way across the Hub, ignoring the greetings of his co-workers, as he headed towards the stairs leading to Jack's office. Lisa pushed past Jack and walked out of the office to meet her husband.

'Darling' she trilled, as she slid her arms round Ianto's waist and pulled him into a passionate kiss. Jack swallowed the bile that rose in his throat; get your fucking hands off him, he shrieked silently he's mine, he should be with me. With burning eyes, Jack watched as Ianto gently disentangled himself from Lisa's embrace, said a few words to her in low voice and then moved around her to continue up to where Jack was waiting for him.

Ianto walked straight into Jack's office without knocking, his resolve almost failed him when he was confronted by a broken looking Jack Harkness standing helplessly him the middle of the room but then he thought of how miserable and scared and confused and broken he had been when Jack had disappeared and a torrent of cold fury ran through him. He stopped a few feet away from Jack and surveyed him with bitter eyes.

'So, you're back then?' he enquired

Jack took a step towards him, 'yeah...Ianto, I...'

'And you were going to tell me, when?'

'I...I..'

'Four years, Jack' Ianto suddenly shouted making Jack take a startled step backwards, 'four years of worrying if you were OK. Four years of feeling like fucking shit because I wasn't good enough to keep you here, four years of so much pain in here,' he thumped himself, hard, in the chest, 'because when you ran away from me you broke my fucking heart Jack, you left me in pieces, you destroyed me and left me less of a man.' Jack looked devastated and tried to take Ianto into his arms, but Ianto was having none of it. He stepped backwards and shoved Jack away. 'And then, when you do decide to swan back in to our lives' Ianto continued, 'I'm not even on the list people that you want to tell. I had to hear that you were back from Gwen bloody Cooper. You know how insecure I used to be about you and her and you can imagine just how delighted she was to be the bearer of the glad tidings.' He gave a harsh laugh and ran his fingers through his hair, 'God, I used to drive myself mad agonising over what you thought of me, wondering if I meant anything to you, whether you loved me even a little bit and now I know don't I? I was nothing to you, you left me without a word and you couldn't even be bothered to tell me when you returned. I was just a nameless fuck hole, one of thousands, unworthy of even the smallest consideration.' Ianto sniffed and rolled his red rimmed eyes, 'God, all that wasted time' and he turned to walk away.

For a split second Jack stood, stunned at the vehement vitriol Ianto had spewed at him then, with a vicious surge of joy he became angry. After a whole year of pain and terror he did not think he would ever feel empowered enough to get angry again; first lust and now anger, all because of Ianto Jones. He surged forward and grabbed Ianto by the upper arm swinging the surprised man round to face him. 'Oh no you don't' snapped Jack, 'you don't get to take all the moral high ground, here. You don't get to lay all that guilt inducing crap on me – I know about Carwyn.

Ianto paled and became very still. 'How...how did you find out about him?' he whispered

'Your lovely wife told me,' snarled Jack, 'she took great pleasure in telling me that you decided to work as liaison with the City Council so that you could be there for your son. She also told me he was just turned three so I guess all this heartbreak you described so eloquently lasted...what...three, four months?'

Ianto seemed to be having difficulty getting his words out, 'Carwyn is almost three and a half'

Jack managed to snort a sarcastic laugh, 'didn't take you long to start fucking your ex-girlfriend, did it? All that pain, all that angst – ploughing into that fertile wet cunt helped take your mind of things, did it?

Ianto's face became blank and mask like, he shook himself free of Jack's bruising grip, 'Stay away from my son,' he said fiercely, 'in fact stay away from all of us. I've had four years without you in my life and I'm not the needy little fucktoy you remember. Carwyn is a very special little boy and I have had to find strength for him. So I'm only gonna say this once, stay out of my life; I don't care if I never see your face again.' He turned his back on Jack and began stalking out of the office.

Jack's gut spasmed with terror, 'I was gone for a year' he said so quietly that Ianto had to stop ti hear him, 'I was tortured to death day after day. The Doctor bought me back and messed up by bringing me back four years late.'

Ianto kept his back to Jack but repeated 'Tortured?'

'Yeah' said Jack softly, 'whatever bad things you wished on me for deserting you probably happened to me and I can see that I deserved them'

Ianto turned to face Jack, tears were pouring down his face, 'I never wanted bad things to happen to you...I just wanted you to come back to me.'

Jack gave a repressed sob, 'in your arms was the only place in the universe I wanted to be.' And then they were in each other's arms, their combined tears fizzing on Jack's tongue like the finest champagne

'I love you' whispered Jack

'And I love you' said Ianto, 'but I have responsibilities now Jack, everything has changed. I will love you as long as there is breath in my body but I can never see you again.'

'Yan'

'No, it hurts too much, Jack. Please, if you love me as you say, stay away from me and my family'

With one last desperate kiss, Ianto thrust Jack from him and almost ran from his office. Trying to control his emotions Jack watched as Ianto strode through the Hub, pausing at Gwen's desk to snarl something inaudible but clearly vicious before leaving.

Jack rested his head in the cool glass of the window and watched his reason for living walk away from him forever.