7

After dropping Gwen and Owen off at Owen's with the two of them saying it was so he could treat her in his flat Jack swung around to Tosh's place, helping her inside as Ianto sat in the back staring into space.

Jack then drove to the block where Ianto's flat was and he came to a stop, looking back in the rear-view as Ianto frowned with confusion.

"Sir?"

"Home Ianto."

"Yes please" Ianto sighed, "Sounds good. Let's go."

Jack sat there trying to work out what Ianto was talking about, then a soft snort sounded as Ianto leaned forward, "Tell me you know where I live sir."

"Well, embarrassingly I don't it would seem" Jack replied, "Hint? Am I warm at least?"

Another snort as Ianto's head lolled, then he sent Jack an image of the Hub. It was like a first person game that Owen played, sweeping down the steps from the main hub to the lower levels and they passed Janet's cell, the Weevil leaping up to grunt with surprise. Then to the end of the row and another turn to a cell sitting in the back behind a large metal door. A Perspex door swung open to allow entry to a large cavernous space.

Ianto showed Jack his room.

Jack sat and tried to remain calm.

"Ianto, do you live at the hub?"

"Hmmmmm"

Jack drove to the Hub, parked and watched Ianto struggle from the vehicle, then stagger his way down the levels just like in the dreamlike explanation, passing Janet who was standing pressed against the glass like something had already woken her. Jack thought back to the vision and wondered if that had just been a vision or something else as her clawed hand pressed against the glass where Ianto steadied himself for a moment before shuffling on around the corner to that huge metal door.

It was open and a more modern Perspex one was closed, Ianto pushing through it into the room that was his and he turned at the door to face Jack.

"Thank you sir, good night."

"Ianto, how long have you been down here?" Jack asked as he looked around the doorframe to see a large bed, bookcase and files scattered about where an old wooden desk sat.

"Since Owen put me here. Remember? Get rid of him, I don't want to look at him" Ianto gave a more than fair Captain Harness sneer as well as American drawl "Just don't put him on ice until we know what else he is hiding."

"I was pretty pissed at you" Jack admitted, "Sorry."

Ianto shrugged, "Ditto"

"You know, you can live off base ya know, this was Owen going overboard as usual" Jack said and Ianto smiled sadly, his eyes not meeting Jack's.

"Yeah, Owen said too. I just…I feel that I deserve this. I am not worthy to enjoy the world up top, not when I almost destroyed it for something as futile as love" Ianto turned to dismiss Jack so he stepped into the room.

"Ianto, wait I…"

The slam was instant, Jack feeling the power behind it as he was unceremoniously ejected and found himself standing in the main hub looking around with shock.

"What the fuck" he muttered, then headed down to enter again. This time Ianto tried a hand against his chest as he stepped over the threshold, "First time is a warning. Second tingles and third puts you down. You were not cleared for this room sir."

"A Barillian Chamber" Jack said with open awe, "Holy shit, you have a bloody Barillian Chamber. Where the hell did you find it?"

"A lot of things in the flotsam and jetsam of this place sir" Ianto canted his head, "This was in a containment box tagged as a child's toy. Obviously the person … er …. Alex something, was a little tired maybe? Quite a few things simply shoved into a back room."

"Alex Hopkins" Jack supplied the name "He killed the entire team on the Millennium, total breakdown. Shot himself in the head right in front of me. His teenage daughter dead at his feet."

Ianto blinked.

"I loved him." Jack sighed, "Clearly not enough. A total psychotic break as his fear of the millennium bug had him convinced it was the end of the world and he was saving them."

Ianto sat on the edge of the bed and frowned, "I wondered where they went. There was never a report filed."

"Ianto, I almost destroyed the world once" Jack said as he sat next to him and placed a hand gently in his knee, "I brought something to this planet that almost killed the entire human race. If not for the Doctor, I would have wiped this land clean."

Ianto turned to look at him and frowned, "But…that was a con-man with a Chula ambulance."

Jack snorted, "So you do see things lurking in the dark recesses don't you. Yes it was, a con-man trying to make a quick deal. Me."

Ianto sighed as he rubbed his face, "Well right now, as one ghost of a con-man to another, can I ask a huge favour?"

"Anything."

"Can you stay a while?" Ianto asked softly, "I usually go into the cell next to Janet when I can't sleep but she won't like me dreams tonight."

Jack was already toeing off his boots as Ianto looked at him gratefully, "I'll just go shower."

Jack nodded and settled on the bed, Ianto looked like a little boy as he stumbled from the room and through a side door that must lead to the bathroom.

Jack hadn't even known this was here.