Chapter 7.

Owen was picking at the corpse with some disgust, and no one had felt any particular inclination to move it from its place in the back of the car. Jack was busy trying to piece together the clues, to Gwen it seemed obvious that this was something to do with John, but Jack wasn't so sure.

"Why send a note if you'd already sent one?" Was Jack's reasoning as he gestured to the body.

"But John's the only one, that for some reason, can get into the hub!" Gwen's annoyance rose as Jack went over to check the coordinates with the man's tattoo. Yep, definitely matched.

"Tosh, bring up the CCTV for when we get back, and have you got result for the coordinates yet?" Jack, ignoring Gwen's protest spoke into his own headset.

"Yes, they come out on a road not far from here, sending you directions now. The CCTV is proving hard to find, I can't find anyone entering the room, the hub, or the SUV since it was last used,"

Jack hurumped then replied "Good work, Tosh, keep me updated," Jack clicked off his headset and turned back round to his team. "Owen, keep working on the body, me and Ianto will visit the street,"

"Hang on, what about me?" asked Gwen slightly offended.

"You're staying here. You're biased." Jack stared down at her, and Gwen quietened.

"Here, you can make us some coffee for when we get back!" Ianto acted far too proud of himself. He hardly ever got to do any field work, so when he did he was always sure to get some coffee from whoever was left behind. Not that it was as nice as Ianto's. Ianto and Jack walked in parallel, each with a huge grin on their face, as they made their way to Gwen's car out in the car park along the quay.

After a while, and when the pair had reached the outside of the hub, Ianto's bit of fun had faded, and he started to become more dubious over Jack's radiant smile. Ianto wasn't that funny.

"Jack?.."

"Yer?"

"Are you happy we're investigating something that John sent us?"

Jack's smile dropped suddenly and his eyes changed too.

"Ianto..."

"John meant something to you, it's obvious. And sometimes feelings like that don't just go away..."

"What? Like you and Lisa?"

Ianto stopped. Jack looked back at Ianto and raised his hands in the air. "What can I say, Ianto?" he said in mocking tones.

"Don't. Don't talk about Lisa. You didn't know her. You didn't know what she was really like! You just saw her as some sort of monster!"

"Isn't that how you all see John? C'mon. We have somewhere to be, Ianto," The pair continued walking again, though Ianto kept a little behind his boss. Why would he mention Lisa?! Lisa was in the past, something that Ianto was trying to put behind him. And it had been working if it hadn't been for Jack. Now it looked like Ianto was still stuck on Lisa. Like Ianto wouldn't let go of his past. Was that why Jack was questioning him?

They'd just gotten to Gwen's car, and Jack unlocked the door, and started to fit his tall, brooding frame inside. Ianto moved round the other side and slipped into the car seat easily. Another awkward moment started as Jack had to shuffle back and forward in the chair to try and adjust it.

"Are you sure you don't want me to drive?" Ianto asked, leaning over to touch Jack's shoulder.

"No. I'm fine." Jack reshuffled one final time and the seat dropped back dramatically. "Let's go, have you got the address?"

Ianto felt in his jacket pocket and retrieved his small phone and pulled up the address.

"Webley Road, there's a small alleyway that the coordinates seem to be pointed to, about half way up the road. You know I think I know the road quite well. Estate Agents say it's meant to be peaceful,"

"Lovely." Jack turned the key in the ignition, the small fluffy keyring dangling in Jack's hand. The car chunked into life, and slowly started to stutter along the road.

"Why did you mention Lisa?" Ianto asked finally.

Jack smiled and sat forward in the seat, baring down on the road, "Just a silly little co..."

"Don't you ever compare Lisa to John. They are not the same." Ianto crossed his arms and turned to look out the window.

"Look, Ianto I'm sorry. Can't we just... What happened at the restaurant? Why is John affecting you this much? It's… your changing Ianto, I don't want you to change. You're... you're my Ianto, and you always will be. " Jack's eyes remained firmly on the road.

"Jack... "

"We're here." Jack pulled the car up outside an alleyway and slipped out into the cold street. He started buttoning up his great coat and pulled the collar up around his neck. Something Ianto thought Jack only did to look cool. Ianto was far colder, his suit jacket not the best for protecting against the recent cold weather of the whole Cardiff area.

The street was indeed quiet and peaceful, red brick houses with small green gardens were lined up along the entire street. All quaint and neat. The sun was shining still, despite the biting frost.

"Right. So... this alley," Jack looked around, judging his options, but soon realising that investigating the alleyway was the first logical step. His heavy boots thumping and cracking along the dry pavement. The alleyway was quite wide, with leaves scattered all across it. Tall red brick walls made up the sides, and great trees hung over them. Light still managed to find it's way through, and you could see all the way up the alley.

Ianto and Jack peered up the alley, expecting to see the worst. They were surprised to see a woman come walking in from the other end of the alley. She seemed to be looking behind her, but when she spotted the two men staring at her she stopped in her tracks. Ianto started walking towards, and spoke as calmly as he could to her. The woman looked as if she'd seen a ghost, and could run at any time.

"Don't worry, we're just having a look around the area, making sure there's no crime, making sure everything's still... peaceful. Researchers you see." The woman did not seem convinced, but seemed to relax a bit more as Ianto kept talking. "Have you seen any "suspicious" activity in the area recently?"

"Don't worry Madam. My college can get a bit over-excited at times. Feel free to keep walking, just completely ignore us," Ianto looked back at Jack who was slowly making his way up to Ianto. He tried to whisper something under his breath to Jack, but just as he was doing so a small child, not much older than 7 or 8 came running round the corner.

"Mum, Mum!" the boy shouted, and spotting Jack and Ianto started to run towards Jack with open arms, "Uncle Jack! What are you doing here?" Ianto turned and looked at Jack fully, shocked and angry at what this child was saying.

"Uncle Jack?!" He exclaimed.

"Come on, Ste. We have to get going now," The woman reached out her arm and tried to grab the child's, but he ran round Jack's legs.

Jack looked down at the child and then back at Ianto. He looked hopeless, lost, like he'd broken a promise.

"Ianto, I can explain, just..." Jack giggled, "Ste?!" The child – Ste – was still running around Jack's legs much to the annoyance of his mother, and Jack bent down and caught Ste round his waist and lifted him high in the air, swinging him in circles.

"Uncle Jack! Uncle Jack!" Ste squealed in delight as Jack finally placed him back on the ground, and led him back into the arms of his mother. The two compared looks, the mum wide-eyed and extremely annoyed.

"This is gonna need some explaining... could we?" Jack stood up and straightened his back, and gestured to somewhere up the street.

The woman sighed and replied with her eyes closed in exasperation "Sure, why not? There's not much we can do now, is there? C'mon Ste," The woman took Ste by the hand and walked off towards the other end of the alleyway. She turned to see the others still stood there "You coming?" It had been a long day for her, Ianto guessed.