I have to be honest and say I've kind of neglected this story :/ I've had exams and I've been a bit preoccupied with something, so I haven't updated for ages... sorry. Also, this chapter is, tbh, a bit flaky, so I may be redoing it sometime soon. Hopefully! Anyway... thank you so much! gaia-x-goddess
Jack was uncomfortable. Algy was staring at him, at the Hub, exclaiming, asking questions, but being so damn trusting. He'd seemingly forgotten about his earlier panic, and he seemed comfortable with the fact that Jack was coming home, with him.
"Algy," Jack said softly. "My friend's going to take a look at you now, see if we can find out some way of getting you home, yeah?"
"And… and you, Jack." Algy reminded him. "Everyone knows about me now, and you, Royce told me, and I need you there-"
Once upon a time those words would have sent cruel, anticipating shivers up Jack's spine. Now they just made him sad.
"I don't belong there Algy."
"Yes you do!" he insisted. "You belong with me, and where is this place anyway?"
"It's the future," Jack snapped shortly. "Look, Algy, I'll explain later, but Owen's going to have a look at you now." Owen came up, obviously having been waiting to run his diagnostics. He lead Algy away, mouthing at Jack angrily "Ianto's gone."
Jack jumped, startled. He hadn't seen Ianto for ages, but he'd assumed-
He didn't know what he'd assumed. But what must Ianto have assumed? Jack thought he could guess; he had found Algy again, and preoccupied with his own thoughts and fears, and ignored Ianto.
Jack cursed himself again and again, not noticing that Tosh was watching him. Eventually she coughed.
"Jack, you've made a shit of this, haven't you." It was said as a statement, but Jack got the feeling that she was angry with him.
"I…"
"Of course Ianto thinks you loved Algy: more to the point, Algy does as well. But you don't act like it…"
"I don't love him." Jack said thickly. "I was a horrible person, and I never felt for him. But I can't explain that to Ianto, without…"
"Without revealing what you were like?"
Jack nodded. It wasn't exactly that simple…he felt sorry for Algy's predicament, and for his feelings. But he couldn't keep his mind away from remembering Ianto, and from worrying about him. Whatever it was, Jack knew it was always going to be more then what he'd had with Algy.
"What do I do?"
Tosh considered. "I think, whether you meant to or not, you helped Algy." She said at last. "You helped him accept who he was, didn't you? You taught him not to be ashamed? He's proud, Jack, even I can see that, and the cruel, heartless bastard that you were, you helped him achieve that?"
Jack nodded reluctantly. "I guess, but-"
"He loves you."
"Yeah, there's that, and I can't go back with him! I can't leave Ianto, and I don't know why!"
"Jack, leave Algy here. He'll be happier here, once he adapts. I'm sure of it: you saw him asking questions, didn't you? Learning." She smiled, pleased with her plan. "I don't mean that he should stay here with you: he needs to move on, of course. But you owe him, Jack, and his life here will be a lot better then if you send him back…"
"Well-"
"And then, of course, that also solves the problem of you and Ianto, hmm?"