A/N: Im sooooo sorry this has taken so long to get out. My nan passed away from lung cancer and brain tumours recently and my mother is obviously heartbroken, add to that my family fighting over anything and everything and then add to that baby sitting my nephew and dealing with my younger cousin who wants to top herself because my nan is dead, you can see why there was a delay....But never fear, chapter is up and i should have another story for you all in a few days or so!

Ianto scrubbed compulsively at the surfaces in the hub kitchen. The smell of bleach and cleaning products filled the air around him, stinging his eyes. He sprayed an excessive amount of surface cleaner before continuing to scrub away the non-existent dirt.

His thoughts swirled around him. Each one a tiny speck of light that crashed into each other before spiralling out into the recesses of his mind, leaving him even more confused. His head was filled with images of the events of the evening, watching Jack being driven away from him. The gleam of the moonlight on at least twenty guns, all of them pointed in their direction.

He had broken every speed limit in his haste to get back to the hub. When he had arrived he had simply stood in the middle of all the cables and computers and random alien tech and just breathed. Breathing in and out, feeling the emptiness that was usually filled with the overwhelming presence of Jack Harkness. He'd looked from Tosh's computer station to Owen's autopsy bay, to Jacks office, not knowing what to do with himself.

He settled for doing what he knew best.

The mop he grabbed left a wet trail behind it that Ianto tried to avoid stepping in. The water in the bucket was a deep muddy brown even though he had changed the water three times. Who knew the floor could get so dirty seeing as the rest of the team seemed to think that the kitchen doorway lead into a black hole, and therefore would never dare to venture through it. A thought began to uncurl itself within his mind, Jack could be dead. It wouldn't be a permanent death but the discovery of a man who couldn't die might encourage the more sadistic side of a person.

It was then that he noticed he had moped himself into a corner, literally. He had been so lost in his own emotional quandary that he hadn't noticed he had been mopping away from the doorway and subsequently was trapped on the only dirty part left. The image of Ianto tip toeing across the wet floor, wobbling and grabbing onto the edges of the counters would be a close guarded secret, no matter the method of torture.

Once again he stood in the centre of the hub, looking at but not really seeing anything around him. Just as he was above to give into the compulsion to spin on the spot until he felt sick, just for something to do, the proximity alarms sounded and the cog door began to roll back.

Ianto spun around so fast he swore he heard something snap, and then his blue-grey eyes were locked with a deeper set of blue eyes. Ianto had expected Jack to come stumbling into the hub, all pain and blood and bruises, not be standing there as if he was just wandering in from a midnight stroll. There wasn't a hair out of place on the man. Jack had frozen when he had noticed Ianto, as if he hadn't expected him to be there. For a long time the only movement from either of them was the gentle rising and falling of their chests. Then as though brought to life Jack stepped towards Ianto's still figure. Ianto took a step back. Jack stepped forward again. Ianto took a step back again.

'Ianto. Stop.'

He was reward with another step backwards. Jack sighed in frustration; He wished that he had gone to the Millennium Centre and taken some time to remind himself why he was doing this. Ianto and the situation they found themselves in would all still be here in a few hours. Immediatly he rejected the idea, annoyed at his own frivolity. Ianto didn't deserve to wait a few hours. He had been so confused and terrified when they were in the woods. The way he had clung to the back of Jack's coat as if it were his only anchor. After keeping the secret from Ianto for so long, he couldn't help the overwhelming sense of relief that shot through him at the thought that he wouldn't have to do this anymore.

Ianto stance was firm when he finally spoke. 'Are you going to tell me what the hell happened tonight?'

'Yes, yes of course. But you have to understand that none of this was meant to hurt you. It was meant to be a simple arrangement that only lasted a few months but as with everything else I got screwed over. But it isn't your fault,' Jack stated empathically.

Ianto had been willing to listen to Jack, had been willing to talk things through, try to understand.

'What the fuck do you mean it isn't my fault!?! I never even considered this to be my fault! It's your fault!' Ianto yelled at him, his face going slightly red as his body thrummed with angry energy.

Jack had taken a quick step back when Ianto had started screaming, a look of blatant shock on his features. Ianto continued.

'If you hadn't been sneaking around none of this would be happening! I know being honest with people is often a foreign concept to you but it would have been useful in this situation! I mean what the hell is wrong with you? How could you…' he trailed off as Jack wrapped his arms around him, pulling his head to rest on Jack's shoulder. A hand trailed up and down his back in a soothing manner as Jack's breath caressed his ear.

'You were worried about me weren't you?' Jacks other hand caressed his hair.

Ianto could only nod in affirmation, his hands reaching up to clutch at the back of Jack's great coat. Small tremors ran through his body as Jack held him flush against his body.

Jack pulled away and started to pull him over to the sofa. 'Come on, I'll explain everything.' He sat him down, standing above him,'Do you want a drink?'

'No!'

'Hey! Calm down ok? It's ok' Jack went to push a hand through his hair but Ianto knocked it roughly away, a frustrated frown on his face.

'I worked out what you did the last time you offered me a drink. Never try and kid a kidder Jack.' His eyes were cold as they observed his Captain. Jack's eyes had widened before looking away from Ianto. He shifted from foot to foot, uncomfortable with the observation.

'Sit down Jack,' Ianto commanded.

Jack quickly sat. He avoided looking at Ianto, staring at the water rushing down the side of the water tower.

Taking a deep breath, Jack began to speak.

'I'm sorry.' Ianto snorted 'No, I really am. You can't understand how hard it has been for me to do this to you. I know I've hurt you and I know that you might never trust me again. I accept that completely but I'm not sorry for what I've done. I'll never be sorry for that'

Ianto face blanched, 'You bastard.'

'No! No I'm not. You're not listening to me Ianto. You're not letting me explain!'

'FINE! Explain Jack. You sit there and explain to me what the hell this is all about. You explain to me why you retconned me. You explain to me why you made me think you were having an affair and who the bloody hell those people were tonight!! Ianto roared, pushing his face close to Jack's.

Jack didn't pull back and easily matched Ianto's fury with his own. 'It was fucking Unit ok? Are you happy now?'

A disgusted look passed over Ianto's features before he stood up and walked away tossing a 'Fuck you, Jack' over his shoulder as he went.

Before he could even descend into the autopsy bay, intending to continue his cleaning binge, Jack was on him, grabbing him by the arm and spinning him around. Strong hands clamped down on his shoulder, squeezing painfully and Ianto reached up and tried to push away, digging his nails into Jack's chest.

'You think I'm going to be believe that bunch of shit Jack? Unit won't deal with us at the worst of times, never mind on a regular basis.' If this was the explanation that Jack was going to give him then it was being made painfully apparent that Jack thought he was an idiot. It took all of Ianto's gentlemanly manners and powers of persuasion to even get Jack to even call Unit.

Jack was breathing hard, the sound rough in his throat. His hair was starting to fall into his eyes and Ianto had to resist the urge to reach up and brush it back.

'Ianto.' Jack spoke quietly, 'You know Unit basically do exactly the same thing we do. They contain threats to the earth. Alien and human alike. Unit were here because of a threat. A very human threat.' His eyes were trying to tell Ianto something but he couldnt quiet get a hold of it, slipping through his fingers like water.

'A threat? If there was a threat wouldn't they just come barging with their evidence and guns blazing?'

'Normally yes, but not if Torchwood was concealing it.'

Ianto pulled back in alarm 'Concealing? You mean you've been covering up alien activity? Jack, are you crazy? You know what Unit do to people who try and get clever with them!'

Jack pulled his hands away from Ianto, running one through his hair in a typically frustrated manner. He let out a long breath before turning his gaze directly on Ianto.

'Not alien activity. Human activity. Your activity Ianto.'

'My? What are you talking about? I haven't done anything!'

The silence that settled over them was like a blanket of winter snow, it was cold and seeping into the bones. Ianto stood staring at Jack, waiting for some kind of explanation but Jack simply stood with his arms limp at his side, all the fight gone out of him.

Then softly Jack answered softly, 'Lisa. They found out about Lisa, Ianto.'