Ianto took the invisible lift back down to the main Hub. Jennifer had given him her mobile number along with the name of her hotel and the room number. Deciding her fate had had him twisted up, weighing and debating his options but she'd managed to make the decision for him. She didn't want any part of the Game. All she wanted to do was to go back to America, back to her old life and take her chances. If she died and joined the Game, then so be it. But if she could live out her life then she would.

He envied her the choice. Sometimes, when the mood struck him, Ianto wondered what he would've done, if he'd known the truth. He'd play out different scenarios in his head but he always arrived at the same conclusion. If he'd known the truth from the beginning, things would still have turned out as they had. Torchwood virtually guaranteed him an early death that would be both violent and unnatural. There was nothing that would've convinced Ianto to leave Torchwood. Though sometimes, he indulged in a little fantasy. He imagined that, after learning the truth, that he and Jack had left together, to live out the rest of his life in peace. Sometimes it was a long mortal life at a quiet seashore in Wales he imagined, and sometimes it was an eternity together among the stars, far away from Earth and the Game.

He shook off the flight of fancy and crossed his arms over his chest, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. He tried to think as the lift descended. He needed to formulate a plan to get him and Jennifer out of this. Of course, he still needed to be wary. Jennifer could just as easily go back to Kent and tell him everything. The only way for Ianto to know he could trust her was to do so. It was a gamble, and in the Game when you gambled, you did it with your life. Still, there was a niggling voice in his head and this deep feeling in his gut that said killing her wasn't the right thing to do yet. If she was immortal and conspiring with Kent, that would be a horse of a different colour. For now, she was a mortal whose only trespass against him was a bit of lying and to Ianto that wasn't a reason to kill her.

"Ianto! My office!"

Jack frequently bellowed across the Hub for Ianto's attention. Ianto winced at his tone. The snapped out command drew nervous looks from the others. It might sound like an every day shout but over time the team had learned the subtle variations in Jack's voice. They'd figured out which ones meant a quickie over Jack's desk and which ones meant a spectacular domestic was on the horizon. They all recognised this as the latter. Fish had flinched, awkwardly flicking his eyes from Jack's office to Ianto and back again. He turned back to his work, trying to disappear into the piece of tech in front of him. Gwen was also looking as if she wanted to crawl into the tile. Ianto took off his woolen coat, draping it over Fish's desk chair and took out his sword. At first, walking around with the weapon had also drawn stares that he'd ignored but the sword wasn't the reason they were staring this time. He straightened his tie and strode across the Hub with the blade in his hand, ignoring them. He opened Jack's door and stepped through, closing it behind him. After he'd become immortal, he'd hung a variety of hooks all over the Hub where he could hang his sword. One set of these hooks was next to Jack's office door. He hung the sword, settling it into the hooks harder than he needed to. Jack had his arms crossed over his chest and was staring out the office window.

"Jack…" he began.

"Don't," Jack interrupted. "You lied to me."

"Yes."

Jack didn't turn around, disappointed Ianto hadn't apologised for the dishonesty straight away. He tried to steady his voice but there was an uncertainty in it as he asked, "Is she after you?"

"Someone she's working for. She's mortal, caught in the crossfire," he answered. He took a few tentative steps further into the room but Jack still didn't turn around. "I'm taking care of it."

He finally turned around and the disappointment Ianto saw in his eyes broke his heart. "You don't need to lie to me, Ianto."

"If I told you the truth about who she was, you would've bombarded me with questions that I didn't have time to answer right then. I had to talk to her before she left," he insisted. He put his hands into his pockets. He still hadn't apologised for lying and it was dawning on Jack that he wasn't going to because he wasn't sorry. "You can ask me whatever you like now."

"Thanks for the permission," Jack said, sarcastically.

"Jack, I don't want to quarrel," he replied, calmly. He sat down on the edge of the desk, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "There's no way round this. Unless I want to hide away like a monk, there are going to be challenges."

Jack said bitterly, "If Will were here-"

"I've told you, I won't let Mandy step in for me anymore. This is my fight."

Jack walked around his desk and leaned against it next to his husband, their arms pressed together. "No more lies, Yan."

After a small sigh, Ianto told Jack all he knew about Jennifer and Kent. Jack sniffled, wiping his nose. As they talked, he crossed and uncrossed his legs at the ankle. It was a nervous fidget. Jack was a man of action. It wasn't in him to stand idly by and do nothing.

Ianto's inevitable demise was something Jack had never wanted to face. In fact, he'd never really dealt with it and Ianto's new immortality had provided an escape. It was easy for him to forget that Ianto's immortality was different than his own even with the sword Ianto carried with him everywhere as a constant reminder. Ianto was still on borrowed time. The Game was more of an extension on a loan that would come due eventually.

He'd already cocked things up when he'd helped kill Carl Brogen by throwing Ianto his sword after it'd been clear Brogen was about to kill him. Through a combination of cunning and personal sacrifice, Miranda had managed to keep that fact hidden from the Watchers but that organisation and its chronicles weren't the only sources of information. People talked and immortals all over the world were making their own assumptions about how a fledgling had managed to take a head so quickly after his first death. Some assumed Ianto had cheated and had come to police their own. Others had wished to test themselves against someone talented. Miranda had dealt with these challenges swiftly, interceding for her friend and student. She'd tried to hide it from them but they'd known. Ianto was certain her actions only added credibility to his label of cheat. If he didn't defeat someone on his own, legitimately, and soon, he would be in more danger. Jack had been grateful for the protection because he was guilty. He'd wondered how long it would be before someone showed up while Miranda was away. It wouldn't matter how much Ianto protested. Miranda would've intercepted the challenge and kept Ianto from harm. But the immortal woman wasn't here and no one had any idea when she would return. As Jack continued to listen, staring down at their feet, all he could think about was how he wished Miranda was still here.

This thing with Ianto? It was so new and he didn't just mean the Game. He'd been in love before and he'd made commitments before but Ianto was just different. He twisted Jack up inside in ways he never thought possible. When Ianto was in danger, Jack couldn't think straight and the more Ianto talked, the more Jack tried to fight back his instincts to protect him. It didn't help that Ianto wasn't holding back. He was telling Jack everything he'd learned and suspected. It did nothing to assuage Jack's worry, only intensifying it. Several times, Jack had to stop himself from interrupting him.

Jack had never told Miranda, but after they'd married in the twenties, he'd bought their house in Caernarfon to get her out of Cardiff. He didn't think she was safe in a city with an active rift. The separation and the lies that surrounded it had been a large part of their relationship's breakdown. He couldn't let that happen here. Ianto was already starting to feel like he needed to keep secrets from him and lie. And this was a path that led nowhere good. He reigned in his worry and panic. He fisted his protectiveness, trying to choke it into submission.

When Ianto had finished speaking, Jack said, "I'm not as obtuse as Will thinks I am, Yan. I get this is how it is. I don't like it but I never liked you being in the field either." He shifted again, crossing his legs at the ankles. "I like you lying to me the least."

"Jack…" Ianto groaned.

"You need to give me a chance, Yan. You need to talk to me and not shut me out."

"Jack…" Ianto groaned again. "Half a bloody century, you've dealt with Mandy and her challenges. When Adaf Terfel came after her, you stripped her field status. You nearly blew up an entire operation when you found out Carl Brogen was an immortal. She's just your friend. I'm your husband."

"I'm trying here, Ianto," Jack said, defensive.

He had a point there. Ianto did need to give him a chance. When he'd been in the alternate reality, he'd faced his challenges without having to think about anyone but himself. Shutting Jack out was easier. But that wasn't how marriage worked.

In a low his voice, Jack asked, "Do you think you can win?"

"I don't know," Ianto replied, truthfully. He rubbed at his neck and said, "I'm taking the fact that he's using Jennifer to mean that he's probably a poor swordsman. He might need the deception. It might not just be a convenient way to trap opponents."

"I wish I could help you," Jack said. His voice was soft but it was heavy with regret and frustration. He pushed off his desk, walking around it. His back was straight. He might not be able to help Ianto directly, but there were other ways he could help. "If you need time off, take it. We can manage."

"I can still do my job, Jack." Ianto stood up and whirled, defensive. "I don't need-"

Jack cut him off with a look. "What would Will say to you?"

Ianto pressed his lips together in a tight line. He recited, "'Pride can send your head rolling as easily as any blade.'" He took a breath in and then slowly let it out. He nodded. "I may shorten some of my days."

"Have Fish call Henry," Jack said. He sat down at the desk and started to flip through some of the paperwork in front of him.

Ianto took that to mean the discussion was over. He gave Jack a lot of credit for not overreacting or freaking out completely. He didn't want to push things, so he turned and left Jack to work.

The minute his office door was shut, Jack dropped the papers and scrubbed at his face, hard. He pushed back away from his desk and turned in his chair. He watched Ianto put his hand on Fish's shoulder. The two had a brief conversation and Fish picked up his mobile telephone. Jack twisted his wedding ring and then curled his left hand into a fist. He may have been able to ignore his overprotectiveness for a few minutes but there was one impulse he couldn't stop. He stood up, took his greatcoat off its hanger and headed for the roof.