"It's okay," Jack whispered as he moved over to Ianto. The young man was in such a state that he hadn't even heard Jack enter the room, the only sign he showed of acknowledgement was when he flinched when Jack wrapped his arms around him. "You're okay."

"But I'm not, am I?"

"You will be." Ianto shook his head in Jack's chest.

"You don't understand," Ianto cried. "You can't understand."

"Help me understand," Jack said softly. He had a feeling that this wasn't about what happened with Gwen.

"Talk to Owen," Ianto mumbled. "I just want to take some painkillers and go to sleep."

"Okay," Jack said quietly. To say he was confused would be an understatement. He handed Ianto some pills silently, and watched as he dried swallowed them and climbed under the covers. Jack kissed him softly. "I'll be back in a bit," Jack said before walking out.

Toshiko, Luke and Owen looked up not expecting to see Jack right now, or for the rest of the day. "Owen, can we talk?" Jack asked quietly.

Owen noticed the desperation in the heroes voice and followed Jack to the kitchen area, he suspected that he didn't want to talk in his office because Ianto would be able to hear, or within ear shot of the others. The kitchen was out of the way, and much more private.

"There's something wrong with Ianto," Jack sighed. Owen tried to hold in his sarcastic comment, because they didn't need that right now. "I asked him what was wrong, and he said ask you."

"Shit," Owen muttered. "I didn't know he could read my thoughts, I just thought he could feel feelings."

"Owen! Tell me what's going on!"

"I've read a lot about empaths, mainly out of my own interest in University, they're not really that uncommon. But 95 of empaths don't live long, Jack."

"No, empaths live practically forever!" Jack argued.

"Human empaths, Jack. The pressure becomes too much on their brains and the headaches slowly form a tutor which will cause a lot of pain and then he'll die."

"But there's a 5 chance that he wont!" Jack continued to argue. He was clinging to hope that he knew was hanging by a string. A very, very thin string.

"The pain is still going to be there," Owen sighed. "But I don't know if it will happen to Ianto. Not with Luke looking out for him."

"Luke's never lost a patient," Jack sighed.

"Who exactly is he, Jack?"

"He's from my time," Jack smiled slightly. It was nice sharing memories, he normally shared them with Ianto, but Owen was there now and he needed to know just as much as everyone else. "I was part of the time agency. Luke worked with us, but he always resented the agency because of what they did to those who were different."

"Those with abilities?"

"Yeah."

"So he's like leader of the x-men in your time?"

"Something like that," Jack laughed. "He was a close friend of mine in school. Then he realised he had abilities and he confided in me, he was scared just like Ianto is now. Even though the 51st century didn't care what your orientation was, it still cared about powers. If you had abilities you were an outcast. Something to do with power struggles. The time agency had a sector who dealt with those who were special."

"You were in that sector wasn't you?" Owen asked nervously.

"Yeah. I didn't know it at the time, they covered it up so much I thought we were getting the bad guys, but then I saw Luke's name on the list. And just knew what I was doing was wrong. You can't leave the Time Agency, but I tried. I found him, and I ran."

"Then what?" Owen asked, he felt like a child at story time.

"We couldn't stay near each other, it would be too easy to track. So we split up. I didn't know what happened to him until about fifty years ago, at some Torchwood meeting. He told me he had found other people like him, and he wanted my help. Some empaths turned mad, especially before medicine that could help was invented. He set up a place for them to go, the same place that people who get taken by the rift go."

"Is that where Ianto is going to go?"

"No, because I'm not going to let him go mad."

"What if you can't stop it?" Owen asked, even though he didn't want to think about what could happen.

"There's devices in the archives that can stop the empath signal, not permanently but for now. If he chooses to use them, I wont stop him. But if he wants to keep what he has than it's up to him."

"I'll run some tests on him tomorrow, if he's up for it. Make sure everything is okay."

"Thanks."

"What are you going to do with Gwen?" Owen asked.

"Feed her to Janet?"

"Jack, seriously?"

"I don't know. I honestly don't know. I brought her on the team thinking she would make us all more compassionate you know, but turns out I was wrong."

"She's in love with you, that's the only reason she's like it."

"Because she loves me, she's hurting the man that I..."

"Jack we have weevils on the streets," Toshiko called from upstairs.

"Us three can go, if you're up for it Luke?"

"Always. I've missed the action," He grinned.

"Thanks. Call me if you need anything, and be careful!" Jack said before heading downstairs to hold Ianto. The man was curled in a corner, fast asleep.