Not bothering with a disclaimer. You all know I own nobody.

This chapter is for you, Stardiva. Sorry about the long wait, but here it is! Hope you have your camera with you! :D

Also, this is the second last chapter (I think...), so only 1 more to go after this. Enjoy!


Chapter Eleven: Limits

"No way, Jack." Ianto said, anger filling his voice.

"Ianto, it's for the best."

Ianto slowly shook his head, trying to calm himself down. How dare Jack think that relieving him of his duties would protect him better? It was completely irrational. He was being completely irrational.

"No, Jack." Ianto said flatly, standing up and towering over his Captain.

"Are you standing up to me, Ianto Jones?"

"I am. And I am not allowing you to fire me. You can't. You know full well that nothing will get done around here with me gone. No one else is going to do the filing. You won't be able to cope for one day without my coffee. I know you Captain Jack Harkness."

Jack sighed and looked up at Ianto. The man he loved. "Yan, please. I just want you safe. I don't want to argue with you."

"Ok, Jack. No arguing." Ianto replied simply, before storming out of Jack's office, shutting the door a little more forcefully that usual behind him.

Jack sighed and put his head in his hands. What had he done? Why couldn't Ianto see that it was all for the best?

* * * * *

Ianto walked steadily out of the Hub, ignoring the worried glances from his colleagues. He left the tourist shop and was suddenly hit with a sense of déjà vu. This is just a repeat of the other night, he thought.

This time, however it was early morning and Ianto ran. As he ran, he felt the anger which had built up inside him slowly leave. With every step he felt more calm and at peace.

Ianto ran down to the docks and out along a derelict pier, away from the early morning sailors. More tests Jack had said.

I'll give him testing. Ianto thought angrily, the thought of his Captain increasing his fury again.

With that thought imprinted in him mind, Ianto kept running; he had no plans of stopping at the end of the pier. Reaching the edge, Ianto leapt, propelling himself out and into the cold water of Cardiff Bay.

Not that Ianto felt the coolness. He felt nothing. Water filled his mouth and poured uncomfortably into his lungs. Not that it mattered. He was dead. And this was just a test. An escape.

I could stay under forever. Ianto thought, his suit billowing out around him, No one would ever know. Jack would never know.

Ianto dived down into the murky water, trying hard to remove the thought of his Captain from his mind. It didn't work.

Bloody Jack. Bloody Torchwood. They can't rule my life. My death. They don't understand. No one understands. I just want to be normal. But I'm not. They think I'm alright. But they are so wrong. I'm not.

Ianto glanced at his watch. He's been under for about 15 minutes already. Time was passing quickly. Did that mean he was enjoying himself? Ianto sighed, still underwater, causing no disturbance in the water around him.

Maybe I was too harsh on Jack. He was only trying to help. And deep down he probably does understand. He gets to live forever, after all. Oh God, I was too hard on him.

Ianto shut his eyes, not making much of a difference to the dark murkiness of the bay. Deciding to open them again, Ianto groped his way to the surface of the water again.

A normal person would have gasped for air when they reached the surface, Ianto merely expelled all the water out of his body, before paddling over to the pier, and pulling himself up.

For a few moments he lay on the edge of the pier shaking his water out of his hair, not noticing his Captain beside him, until he pulled himself up. His suit clung to him, showing off the shape of his body.

"Jack!" he said surprised, running a hair nervously through his damp hair.

"23 minutes and 47 seconds, not bad." He read off his returned vortex manipulator, before snapping it closed.

"You were watching?"

"A guy with an arse like yours in a tight suit runs into water?" he paused and flashed his trademark grin, "I was taking pictures."

Ianto rolled his eyes and ignoring Jack, started walking back along the jetty.

Jack had his eyes glued to the curve of Ianto's bum and had to mentally slap himself in order to follow the Welshman.

"Ianto, wait."

"What do you want Jack?" Ianto said, not kindly.

"To make a compromise."

Ianto stopped in his tracks. "You? Making a compromise?" The idea of it was hilarious.

"Yes, listen, I was thinking and you're right. I overreacted." He sighed.

Ianto smiled inwardly, keeping his face impassive.

"Plus, nothing would get done. Owen would complain even more than usual, without his coffee and the others would hate me for not allowing you to do anything, especially Gwen."

"So?"

"So, you can do everything you used to do, make coffee, front the tourist shop, file everything, even come on missions. Just be really careful, I don't want you hurting yourself, ok." He looked genuinely concerned.

"And what's the drawback." Ianto said, dreading whatever the answer was.

"You stay in my sight."

"What? At all times?"

"Most of the time."

"Jack, I have a flat." Ianto protested.

"You spend most of your time at the Hub anyway, even nights." Jack grinned, suggestively.

"That so called bed of yours is tiny. I couldn't sleep there on a permanent basis."

"I'll get a bigger one."

"Can I still have my flat, then?" Ianto asked, "For weekends, I need time to myself, Jack."

Jack didn't look convinced. "What if something happens?"

"It's my flat, Jack. Nothing is going to happen. We've been through this, remember."

"Ok, ok. Fine, only on weekends, though, and you'll have to phone me at regular intervals or I'll get worried and storm the place."

"Jack."

"Ok, I won't storm the place."

"Good." Ianto smiled at Jack, leaned forward and pressed a kissed against his lips.

"What was that for?" Jack said, "Not that I'm complaining."

"For understanding."

Jack smiled in return. "I always will, in the end."

"And I will always forgive you, in the end. I'm sorry." Ianto replied.

Jack simply took his hand and, just like before, they walked back to the Hub, hand in hand.