Note: Finally, I can update! Real life doesn't seem to take into consideration how important this is - at least to me! This chapter is what I refer to as plot progression - not good times for Jack & Ianto... but necessary to move the story along and get them to where they need to be. Bear with me, we are getting there. Thanks so much for reading & supporting this story. It is greatly appreciated!

Chapter 11

**** Following Afternoon ****

Ianto paced, back and forth on his Oriental carpet, his stomach a mass of quivering jelly. His experience of relationships extended from limited to none. His life had been all about working to make as much money as he could, his catatonic mother... and revenge. Never should he have pulled Lisa into this. Using her to get in the door with her family, allowing her to develop more tender feelings for him, went against everything his parents raised him to be... completely betrayed the man who had always been. Well, would have been without the treachery the elder Jack Harkness had wreaked upon his life.

Now, he had to hurt Lisa. But, what choice did he really have? He couldn't continue playing this game with her. Despite the pain she might feel in losing him now... it would be far less than letting this linger on; to later push her away, or have her discover exactly where his interest had been all along. Never about becoming close to her, although he had progressed into genuinely caring for her... but not as a lover. Friendship was all he had to offer Lisa, now or ever. Ianto had his doubts she would accept that. Lisa had the capacity to be very caring, while at the same time she had the tendency to be very self - centered as well.

Ianto chuckled with the thought, I wonder if that is an inbred trait.

His back tensed the moment he heard the soft knock at the door. Ianto had tossed and turned for hours last night, dreading this luncheon... and the reason he had requested it. Of course, if he was to be perfectly honest with himself, Lisa wasn't the only reason for his state of unrest. Nor could he lay the blame at his long campaign for revenge against Lisa's father. The true blame for his unrest in recent days could be attributed to one person alone.

Jack bloody Harkness... the man did things to him he couldn't begin to comprehend. The thought that truly kept him awake at night was that he didn't even think Jack had reached the tip of the iceberg yet regarding his mostly aggressive pursuit. For some inexplicable reason, he believed Jack hadn't even begun to pull out all the stops yet... not applied all the pressure that the skilled man could affect. Once he did that... how would he continue to be able to mount a defense against him? Recent history had already proven that defense to be hanging by a narrow thread. What happened if Jack really decided to push?

Ianto knew what his biggest fear truly was... and it wasn't Lisa's reaction nor the prospect of giving into Jack's desires. It was the look of contempt in Jack's eyes when he discovered Ianto's true agenda. The mere thought of Jack Harkness turning away from him in disgust wounded him in ways he didn't even want to think of analyzing... but he realized at some point it was a probable reality he could be forced to accept.

Opening the door Ianto greeted Lisa with a tentative smile as he ushered her inside, taking her coat before directing her towards the dining room. He gave her a light kiss on the cheek, that was over as quickly as it began, before saying, "I'm glad you could make it, Lisa."

"Ianto, I've been thinking about you... wondering how your first night went. I have to admit I kind of checked up on you last night," Lisa murmured with a slight flush.

"Checked up on me?"

"I stopped by the club. I talked to Owen for a few minutes... then I left," she admitted.

"I didn't see you. I wish you wouldn't do things like that. I'm trying to do a job... and that's just, ummmmm, well - strange," he said, more than a little irritated.

With a slight shrug, she answered, "What does it matter? I didn't interrupt your work... and Jack didn't see me. Speaking of the devil... how are you two getting along?"

"Fine. Your brother has been very helpful and encouraging," Ianto answered, not meeting Lisa's probing eyes, finding himself affected by Jack just in the speaking of him. "In fact, he gave me the head of security position my first night."

"Wow. I thought he was going to give you a trial run first. That's great, darling. Even my egocentric brother knows a good thing when he finds it," she cooed, moving forward to embrace him; immediately stiffening when Ianto took a step backwards.

Hedging for a moment, Ianto asked, "I have lunch prepared. Are you hungry?"

"Ummmm no, not really. I hope you didn't go to much trouble," she said, watching him closely. "Ianto, what's going on?"

"Let's have a seat on the couch, Lisa. We need to talk."

Warily she followed him, sitting beside him as she looked up at him inquiringly, before asking, "Have I done something, Ianto? Other than intruding at work."

"It's nothing about what you've done or not done, Lisa. Please don't ever blame yourself for what I'm about to say. This is all about me... and doing what's right - at long last," he began to explain.

"Just tell me, Ianto. You're beginning to alarm me," she demanded.

"I'm sorry. I know I'm going about this all wrong. I just don't want to hurt you," he answered with deep sadness. "I can't see you anymore, Lisa. It's not fair to you... and in all honesty it's just not going anywhere."

"How can you say that? I love you... and I thought you loved me too. I thought one day we might get married," she said, with her lip slightly trembling.

Running a weary hand through his hair, Ianto nodded, "I do love you, Lisa. But, it's not the same kind of love you are expressing. I think of you as a friend... a very good one, a sister even."

"Sister? You have got to be kidding me. This is some sort of sick joke, right? You are actually breaking up with me... with me?" she virtually ranted at him, implying that it to be ludicrous that he could want to end their relationship.

"It's something I should have done long ago, Lisa. Admit it... things have never been right between us. We have never had the chemistry two lovers should share."

Standing up, tears sliding down her cheeks, she angrily accused, "There's someone else, isn't there? You have been seeing another woman while you've been dating me."

"That's not true, Lisa... and I don't deserve that. I am trying to do what's right for both of us. You force me to blunt... and I don't wish to hurt you. This all started out as us being friends, you constantly pushed for more; and foolishly I went along trying to make you happy. It just won't work, Lisa. And, I think you know this."

"All I know is that you've used me... and I will never forgive you for this. Never, Ianto!" she hissed at him, her eyes shooting daggers at him before picking up her coat and purse, striding towards the door without a backward glance.

Ianto shook his head, watching as she left, wanting to say or do something to comfort her, but realizing any further contact at the present time would not be wise or well received. Clearing the dishes and untouched meal from the dining room table, Ianto made quick work of cleaning up, before movng onto his next task. One that he did with familiar regularity... but one that gutted him each and every time.

A visit to the mental facility to visit his catatonic mother. Always looking for a spark of awareness in her cold, lifeless eyes... any sign that she would someday come back to him. He thought maybe if she returned to the land of the living... to his life, maybe his need for revenge wouldn't be as urgent. Admittedly, to himself, Ianto began to realize ever since meeting Jack Harkness that need had been considerably dimished. Ianto closed his eyes, forcing himself to focus... to remember exactly why he had been methodically planning his revenge on the elder Harkness for years. Looking towards the mantel, his reasoning was very clear. He just couldn't let Jack continue to confuse him. Righting this wrong was all that mattered... and he would make certain to do just that.

Jack was bent over paperwork on his desk that had been long neglected; finally coming to the realization that he could procrastinate no longer. Picking up the stack, he shuddered to see he was only halfway through the pile. If there was one thing Jack Harkness truly despised it was paperwork. It was unending... and repetitive. Once it was finished it only began again. To his manner of thinking equating it to pointless.

"Come in," he shouted out to the sound that came unexpected to his office door, uncertain if he was relieved or annoyed by the interruption. Looking up in surprise... quickly turning to understanding of the timing of this visitor. He had meant to cancel this appointment, but had been distracted by what had been waiting on his desk. "Come in, Reynolds. Have a seat. Can I offer you coffee... or something from the cabinet?"

"Nothing for me, thanks all the same. I have another appointment. I have your report, Jack. I think we have covered all bases... everything you want to know about Ianto Jones should be contained in this file," the PI told him, extending his hand with the beckoning folder.

Jack frowned, knowing Owen would call him all kinds of a fool for what he was about to do... but it was just what he had to do. Lisa or not, there was something real beginning to build between him and Ianto. No matter if it may be standard procedure for a new hire... most especially the head of his security, Jack just didn't feel right about it.

Not with Ianto.

Regardless if he had initiated the investigation before he knew Ianto didn't matter to him. He knew him now. Intended to know him much better... but after last night he didn't want it to be this way. He wanted Ianto to come to him with whatever troubled him, knowing that he could trust him... and that they could find a solution. Jack knew Ianto was troubled about Lisa... and this thing that was progressively building between them... but there was so much more going on with Ianto and Jack just didn't want to discover his answers this way.

"Yes, about that - I changed my mind. I don't want the report. There really is no need. I appreciate the time you have given to the case... and rest assured I will pay your full fee, but I don't want the file. I would prefer you take it with you and destroy it," Jack said flatly, with an unflinching gaze.

"With all due respect, Sir... I really think you should reconsider. There is very volatile information in this file that you really need to be privy to," the investigator stuttered in his supreme shock.

Eyes narrowing seeing the PI wasn't going to make this easy... and grasping that there must be something damaging in the file to provoke such a reaction, Jack inquired, "Are you telling me that Ianto Jones has a criminal past?"

"Not at all, Jack. This young man comes from a fine family, upstanding through and through, all of them. Ianto suffered a horrible tragedy when he was only 12 years old. His father was gunned down in front of him. His mother has been catatonic and institutionalized ever since... " the investigator said, shaking his head sadly.

Jack's eyes widened, darkening with the pain and loss this poor young man had suffered, explicitly remembering the photographs on Ianto's mantel of his family. "Ianto witnessed all of this?"

"Yes, indeed. It was resolved as a gang attack... but it doesn't quite add up, if you ask me."

"What do you mean?" Jack asked.

"The boy was near his father's side, the mother came rushing out afterwards. They struck the father and fled. Odd they would leave the boy as a witness, masks or not," Reynolds surmised.

Nodding, Jack's hand slightly quivered with the thoughts of how close he may have come to never knowing Ianto. Such tragedy in the young boy's life... and the mother being incapable of caring for him, comforting him and each other, how devastated he must have been. With a sigh, Jack remarked, "It's a wonder he is such a stable young man... the inner strength he possesses is remarkable. You would never know he survived such a horrific childhood."

"I'm not sure that he has moved on from it. He visits his mother with regularity... sadly she remains unresponsive."

"Well, that he visits his mother is good. It's a way of knowing he survived this horrible ordeal... and if anything would ever bring her back to reality it would be the love of her son. Is there any positive prognosis for her at all?" Jack asked in concern.

Shaking his head in denial, the PI answered, "From what I've been able to gather - no. I suppose there is always hope... but after this much time has passed, a recovery seems much more unlikely."

"Thanks for bringing me up to speed there. It makes me understand Ianto much better."

"Ummmm, Jack. Look at the file... there's more and with Mr. Jones now in your employ I think you need to read it," Reynolds continued to urge.

Rolling his eyes, not wanting to do this... but quickly deriving the feeling he had no choice. Despite his personal feelings for Ianto... and they had undoubtedly grown over the past few days he knew he had to be responsible. "Okay, I'll have a look."

"Thank you, Jack. Most of it is basic information. Relationships which is closest to none, that is before he became involved with your sister; his credit file and police record are perfect... but look closely at the portion outlining his father... the connection he shares with your family. That could be extremely vital information."

"My family?" Jack frowned, as he began to flip through the pages.

Jack's eyes scanned, back and forth almost feverishly, his eyes beginning to bulge at what he was reading. Face reddening in shocked disbelief, he raised his gaze to meet the investigator. Shaking his head, he gasped, "This can't be. I don't understand."

"I'm sorry, Jack. It's all there in black and white. All is not what it seems with your Mr. Jones."

Eyes darkening, a mixture of rage and confusion, Jack effectively dismissed the PI, with a clipped out response, "Thank you for the thorough investigation. I will see that you are amply rewarded. I need to sort through this... and I will be in touch."

"Very good, Jack. Take care... and I hope it works out, for all of you," Reynolds said, giving Jack a compassionate glance, before exiting the room, leaving Jack to his thoughts.

Eyes glaring down at the file, as if willing the results to disappear, Jack stood taking the file with him as he left his office, locking the club as he proceeded to his car. Flipping his cell phone open, he gritted his teeth as the beautiful Welsh vowels came across the line, barely managing to maintain an even tone. "Ianto, I am on the way over. We need to talk - NOW!"

TBC