Disclaimer: As chapter one, so please take it as read I mean no harm and make no money from this!

WARNING: SOME BAD LANGUAGE AND VIOLENCE SO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!

All reviews, and constructive criticism, gratefully received – but no flaming please; and I will try to update regularly.

'Thoughts'

"Speech"

Summary: Jack's finally realized what he'd been waiting for, now all he has to do is make Nia realize the same thing. Easy, right? Not with Nia it isn't. So Jack's after Nia and Gwen's with Owen - where does that leave poor old Ianto and Tosh? JxOC GxO

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waiting

Chapter Twelve – Realisations

They spilled into the pub not long after the Doctor and Martha had gone. The Doctor's parting words to the former time agent had been "remember what I said – don't make the same mistake I did with Rose. I don't want any friend of mine to go through that pain, Jack." Jack had nodded, a lump in his throat at the raw pain in the other man's eyes.

Nia had hugged him "I'm getting used to it." She waved a hand at the 'new' Doctor.

"You're doing it quicker than….." he stopped, the smile fading.

She held his face in both her hands, her eyes looking slightly beyond him "she'll find you" she whispered "she'll come back, you'll see….Rose loves you, she won't leave you for long."

She let him go, leaving him frowning – he'd expected Nia to have changed, grown up. But this was more than a child becoming an adult; there were things about her now that made him wonder exactly what had happened to her in the intervening years she'd been alone. He made up his mind to come back soon.

For now though he was taking the alien dead back to their home worlds, well the one's that would accept them. Jack was making arrangements to have the unclaimed humanoids getting a life, of sorts, on earth. As Nia had argued, successfully, to the higher ups at Torchwood – it wasn't their fault they were resurrected was it? Surely they had a right to exist now they'd been brought back. She'd personally keep an eye on them if necessary….

She was told it was necessary, they would be settled in and around her home area – she would be given the responsibility of ensuring they adapted to their new existence. If they didn't, they would be….dealt with. She knew what that meant, and was adamant it wasn't going to happen; not on her watch.

0-0-0-0

For now they were all trying to sort out what was wanted to drink. However, Nia couldn't shift the feeling that Ianto was upset about more than he'd told her on the way to the pub. After all, his fiancée had been dead for quite a while from what she knew, so why would he be sad about that now – even if, as he said, Owen's 'death' had brought it all back?

Before she could probe further though, Jack yanked her to her feet and told her she was helping with the drinks. "Only got two hands Nia; I'm very adept at most things" he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, earning him an eye roll from all gathered "but carrying all those glasses of booze is too difficult even for me."

She'd rolled her eyes but gone with him to, as she told a grinning Gwen "just to shut him up, or he'll only go on moaning until we stuff something in his mouth."

Jack had grinned and asked if that was promise; Nia had slapped his arm. Tosh giggled and asked her "do you think Jack's a homosexual?"

Her best friend had deadpanned "I think he's a trisexual."

Tosh's eyebrows has risen "a trisexual? Wow....how does that work?"

"He'll try anything once!" Nia had chuckled as she'd been towed away by Jack, who was rolling his eyes at the bad joke. Tosh copied him and then laughed, Nia was certainly quick to bounce back. To see her at the warehouse with Owen and then now you wouldn't believe it was the same woman. But then when you thought about all what she'd gone through up to now, you kind of understood it. To Nia at least Owen was still with them, beyond that she didn't care.

0-0-0-0

Nia and Jack had managed to get to the bar reasonably easily, but it had taken forever to be served; finally though the drinks were being lined up before them.

While they were waiting she leaned on the bar to watch the others. Gwen was fooling around with Owen; just so glad to have him with her, when she knew she'd come thisclose to losing him forever. Ianto and Tosh were laughing at something the young doctor had said – whatever it was had Gwen blushing and slapping his shoulder.

Once they'd left here they were going to collect her stuff from the flat she'd shared with Rhys. She'd told him over the phone it was over as they drove here from the warehouse; he was devastated, but she was adamant. She'd told him she loved Owen and she couldn't pretend anymore.

Nia knew the other man would try to persuade her different when she got back; and, at any other time, it might have worked. But not after today; and with Owen going with her, Nia knew Gwen would have the strength to leave this time.

When she turned back to help with the drinks, Jack had already put the money on the counter. "Thanks," the barmaid mumbled as she went off to serve another customer.

Nia put her arm out to help with the glasses, just as Jack's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, making her spill some of Owen's pint over her fingers.

Alarmed, Nia let go of the glass, but could not pull her hand back as Jack retained his grip on it. She stared at his long fingers enveloping her tiny wrist and lifted her dark blue eyes to his.

However he'd kept his head slightly bowed, his eyes only on her hand, his thumb now caressing the pulse point on her wrist. There was something so intimate about it, that Nia had rather he'd look her in the eye and told her what the hell he wanted in plain English.

This was hardly fair; her skin tingled under his touch. "Jack…" she breathed "please…..don't."

"Alright," he nodded almost imperceptibly, but his thumb still never ceased its gentle caress.

Nia was unable to pull her hand back, it didn't seem to respond to her brain telling it get far away from those mesmerizing fingers of his; her breath felt like it was catching in her throat – she couldn't help but watch when his thumb slid to her palm and gripped her hand gently. "I……." she whispered "I want….."

Jack finally looked up "what?" he breathed, so low she wondered if she imagined it "what do you want, Nia?"

The sounds of the pub were all around them, reminding them that they were in a public place. Goosebumps prickled her skin when Nia read in Jack's stormy blue/grey eyes that this was the only thing stopping him from progressing a lot further with his caresses.

She realised he'd allowed her to know this; he wanted her to know this. She gasped and finally jerked her hand back, shaking all over. She was shaking because she knew she wanted him to take it further. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Owen yelled over "Oi! What's happening with our bloody beer – you brewing it yourselves or what?"

The spell was broken, the moment gone – and with a feeling she didn't want to analyse, lest it was more disappointment than relief, Nia quickly snatched up the glasses nearest to her and marched over to the table…….she ignored the exasperated sigh behind her as she left.

"God! Impatient much?!" she asked Owen in exasperation "see all them people over there? What did you think they were after, directions?"

He took in her deep blush and the daggers look he was getting from Jack and grinned innocently "sorry – was I interrupting something?"

"NO!" "YES!" Nia and Jack spoke together – she in instant denial and he trying to finally get his feelings out in the open; uncaring if it was in front of the others.

"No……nothing, it was nothing. You interrupted nothing." Nia muttered, deliberately not looking at Jack "we…..we were just…" she cast about for some excuse, no matter how pathetic "chatting."

"Sound like you're trying to convince yourself more than me, love" Owen continued to grin at her "It certainly didn't look like there was much actual 'chatting' going on over there."

Jack merely grumbled under his breath and muttered about using the bathroom.

As he left, Nia glared at Owen; ignoring the slightly confused looks she was getting from Tosh and Gwen "I'm going home!"

"Am I stopping you?" Owen couldn't help but enjoy her discomfiture – Nia knew she deserved it after ribbing him in her own quiet way about Gwen.

She smiled a little shamefacedly "No, you're not; so I am – tell Jack I've gone home when he gets back, yeah?"

"Sure" Owen still smiled like a Cheshire cat "think he'll mind much?"

Nia rolled her eyes "I'm not rattled, you sod – so stop enjoying winding me up; if he minds, why should I care anyway?"

"I could give you a few reasons – but I won't spell it out for those of our number who seem a bit slower on the uptake than me."

He winked and she slapped his shoulder "oh shut up, sod features!"

She grabbed her stuff to make a quick exit; but stopped to hug him again "I'm glad you're still here….."

Even as he felt a lump in his throat at the usually reticent Nia being so demonstrative; he laughed "see, now I know there's something up – you're usually happy to just lob insults at me!"

Nia just grumbled about "know it all doctors and their stupid jokes" as she dived for the door.

0-0-0-0

"So?" Gwen demanded as soon as she was gone "what was that all about?"

"Yeah" Tosh jumped in "you seem to know more than us two put together."

Owen basked in the glory "not telling – I want all the "I told you so's" to myself when they're due."

Gwen grinned "not likely – I've got one surefire way to get it out of you……"

Owen shook his head "not even then, babe".

Tosh shook her own head "all men are idiots."

Gwen nodded "sadly yes – but then we have to stay with them to ensure they don't hurt themselves don't we?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Owen bristled.

"Have you ever seen him iron a shirt?" Gwen ignored him and spoke to Tosh.

"No, but I remember him trying to put that tent up……" they rolled around laughing as Owen decided to head Jack off at the pass; thereby escaping the two women's uncalled for mickey taking, and also ensuring he still kept dibs on the juicy gossip as they wouldn't be able to pump their leader for info.

"She's gone" he said briefly as he reached Jack.

"I can see that – when? I've only been away a couple of minutes!"

"She left about oh…." Owen pretended to check his watch as Jack glared irritably at him "the same time you went to the loo." He glanced at his boss, trying to keep the glee of his face "had a bit of a tiff have you?"

Jack just glared harder "I'm going……"

"Yeah, if you hurry you might catch her – she always parks near here." he walked away, chuckling, before Jack could belt him; he certainly looked in the right mood to do it.

0-0-0-0-0

Gwen watched Jack fling open the pub door so hard it rocked back on its hinges "where's he going in such a mood?"

"I think he just remembered he had a previous pressing appointment." Owen nodded.

"I see – got anything to do with Nia then?" she and Tosh shared a look before leveling female gazes at Owen.

He fell for it "I don't bloody believe it!!! You knew all along you bloody cows!"

"Nope, we didn't darlin' – but we do now!" Gwen crowed with laughter at how easy it was to fool him "come on then – spill! What do you know?"

Ianto got up and went to the bar; Tosh followed "you alright Ianto?"

"Yeah" but he sounded far from it.

"Sure?" Tosh liked the man before her; she saw that he was keen to please, keen to be part of the group – she knew how hard Nia worked to include him. The way she was almost apologetic around him lately.

Ianto knew Tosh was concerned and smiled sadly "I knew he wouldn't stay with the likes of me – she's sorry for it, even though she's not sure why; but it's not her fault is it?"

"Who are we talking about?" Tosh was genuinely lost for a minute.

"Nia and Jack – he likes her; no" the young man corrected himself "he more than likes her; he was never like this with me, never."

"Oh….oh!" Tosh finally felt the penny drop. She'd assumed that he and Jack had been winding the rest of them up with their flirting, snogging and such. After all, there'd been Ianto's cyborg ex; oh how stupid could she be? Apparently they hadn't been mucking about, and Ianto was now left with the aftermath.

"I feel like such a cretin!" she exclaimed out loud "I never realized that…well, you and Jack…that…..well, it was….real…" she shut up.

"Yeah well…it doesn't matter now, does it? He loves her and I'm out in the cold." Ianto sighed.

"Lonely out here isn't it?" Tosh sympathized, nodding over at Gwen and Owen who were laughing together "they've got themselves together at last; funny how she can accept him dead, but not her normal every day boyfriend."

She shook her head "Love's a funny thing; and now Jack's after Nia and you and me are on our own." She sighed "life is very far from fair – even the bloody weevils at the Hub have each other!"

Ianto chuckled "fancy going for a pizza? There's a really nice Italian place just up the road."

"Why not? I doubt anyone would even notice we're not there!" Tosh didn't mean to sound bitter, but she really believed it.

"Nia would…..she notices everything." Ianto nodded with a small smile.

"Do you hate her?" Tosh hoped he didn't, as Nia was her best friend and she hated being piggy in the middle.

"No, how can I? The heart can't help who it wants – there's a whole back story with those two; I'm never going to be able to compete with that, how could I?" he smiled a little sadly "grab your coat and we'll go."

As they left arm in arm Tosh was right; no one even noticed.