Surprise! New early chapter! You be welcome ;)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

When Ianto had taken the train back to Cardiff on the Monday morning after he had told Jack to leave Gwen, he was exhausted, emotionally and physically. He hadn't slept well that night, he had a busy day of work ahead of him and to top it off Gwen kept messaging him asking why he was acting weird, why was Tosh and Jack acting weird etc.

When he got home late after work he collapsed onto his couch and cried himself to sleep. The next day he called in sick. Which he later decided was a big mistake, as he couldn't find anything to do that would distract him from his pure embarrassment. Why did I turn around and go back to him? Why did I decide to tell him to leave her? Of course he wasn't going to leave Gwen...for me! Why would he?, when he's got Gwen. Maybe I was just a phase he was going through.

More than two weeks went by and Ianto didn't speak to Tosh or Jack. Gwen, not thinking anything was wrong and still getting ready for her wedding continued to speak to Ianto. But through these two weeks Ianto dived himself into his work. Taking case after case, anything to just keep him busy, and anything to stop him from looking at his phone where several 'I'm sorry' messages from Jack sat waiting. What made Ianto feel even worse was he hadn't even made up with Tosh. She had moved to London a week ago, and he hadn't even called her to apologize or even to say bye.

Sitting as his desk on a Wednesday afternoon he looked over at his calendar. Two weeks till Gwen and Jack's wedding. If he could skip it, he would, but he was Gwen's best friend. Nothing he could do. Thinking about them together started making him feel sick. Pulling down his tie and unbuttoning his first few buttons of his shirt he skulled down some water before looking back at the calendar. He felt like he couldn't breathe. Standing up and looking out of his office window down to the busy street, he wondered how he would continue on his life, being friends with Gwen and dealing with Jack and their happy married life. How can I do this? How can I deal with knowing about Gwen's meaningless sex with her work colleague and not even tell Jack!? If I told him it would seem like I was trying to break them up...god Gwen wouldn't forgive me...but what would Jack do? If he found out would he end it with her? Would he leave her for me? Ianto slapped his face. Dangerous thinking Jones! Dangerous. He looked down at the photo frames propped up across the windowsill. Most were Gwen and him through the years, one was of him and Tosh and another, now faced down so you couldn't see, was a photo of him and Jack in university. He picked up the one of him and Tosh and brushed off some of the dust that had accumulated. I wonder if Yvonne would be fine with me taking some time off in London to see her? After all I have been working my arse off for the past two weeks. I need to apologize.

Placing down the frame, he walked into Yvonne's office and after some negotiation and agreement that he would see check his emails and answer calls, his normally strict boss gave him the nod of approval to go off and visit Tosh for just over a week.

After leaving a message on Tosh's answering machine and finishing his week of work, Ianto boarded the train from Cardiff to London on Friday night. Hopping off the train in London he surprised to see Tosh waiting for him.

"I'm sorry Tosh." He said as he walked up to her.

"Me too Ianto. I shouldn't have called you a prick."

"I shouldn't have called you a bitch."

"Well anyway all is forgiven. I'm glad you're here. I missed you." She pulled him into a big hug before linking their arms and walking out of the station towards her car.

"I took you're advice." Ianto began, placing his bag down in Tosh's apartment, before lying down on the couch.

"Oh? YOU? Take MY advice?" She feigned surprise and giggled as Ianto swatted her.

"Yeah." He replied, his face turning to utter seriousness. "I told him. I told Jack to leave Gwen, cancel the wedding and...oh god..." He placed his head in his hands.

"What?" She questioned, sitting next to him.

"I told him I loved him and that I wanted to live my life with him."

"Oh Ianto..." Placing an arm around him, Tosh rested her head on Ianto's shoulder. "I'm sorry. You shouldn't have listened to me."

"No Tosh, no you were right. In an annoying way, I'm glad I did tell him that. He needed to hear it and I needed to...I needed to give him the ultimatum. I guess he made his decision though..."

"I'm sorry." Ianto laughed slightly.

"It's ok. I'll get over it at some point. Your task is to distract me." She laughed again.

"Done and done Jones!"

After a night of movies and popcorn, the next day Tosh took Ianto around London to distract him from the upcoming wedding. At lunch he felt the need to message Gwen and tell her he was in London, but not two minutes had passed since he pressed send and he was met by a call from the Welshwoman herself.

"Gwen..."

"WHAT THE HELL YAN? Why are you in London? Come back, I need you!"

"Gwen, I'm only like two or three hours away by train..."

"That's not the point! It's a week and a half till my wedding! There are all these things to do and I need you here now! I'm having trouble with the caterer..."

"I needed time Gwen."

"You are my best friend Yan, we've been dreaming about my wedding for years and years, I need you come back and help me! Get the next train back now and you'll be in Cardiff by the end of the day. Get back here NOW!"

"Gwen..."

"RIGHT NOW!"

"Gwen...No." Eyes wide in shock from his own actions, he quickly hung up and looked at Tosh, who was equally surprised.

"Wow." She laughed, "Did you really just say no to Gwen!?"

"Yes. Shit."

"Come on Yanny," She winked, "Lets go buy you some pretty things." It was Ianto's turn to laugh and roll his eyes, allowing himself to be pulled up by Tosh and dragged through the streets of London.

A week went by in Tosh's company and by this time Ianto was feeling at home. He had been ignoring messages and calls from Gwen and few from Jack, he had been answering any emails from work while lazing on Tosh's couch and most importantly he had been distracted from the upcoming nuptials.

Flicking through one of Tosh's old photo albums he found pictures of himself and Gwen. As his eyes flicked from photo to photo, he wondered how and when things had gotten so complicated.

"Gwen's right. I have been dreaming about her wedding day as much as she has for years and years. But I really don't know how I'm going to stand there at the alter next to Gwen and Jack for Christ sake!"

"That is a strange set up..."

"What?"

"Well you know...you being the maid of honor as it were AND the best man to Jack."

"Yes well we organized that ages ago. Jack doesn't have many other mates, besides his work colleagues and I am Gwen's best friend, we had to come to some kind of agreement. Luckily I got to split all the maid of honor duties with the other bridesmaids. But anyway, that's not the point. I just...I don't think I can do it and if I don't, Gwen will freak out and Jack will not know what to say. I can't stand there and listen to them promise to live their lives together and have Gwen say MY words...MY vows."

"Well, I think you still should have told Jack that she was cheating on him."

"No. I thought about it and, I didn't want him to pick me by default. I don't know if he would do that actually. But anyway I want to be someone's first choice. I want to be Jack's first choice..."

"Well Ianto, funnily enough you were once my first choice."

"What?"

"After we first met at school, I...well I had a crush on you. You were and still are, sweet, handsome, caring, and intelligent and you can make a wonderful cup of coffee."

"...For how long?"

"Oh not too long. The most part of a year I suppose, not for long. I soon got my first boyfriend and never thought of you in that way again."

"I never had any clue..."

"I know. Believe me I know. You were always off with Gwen anyway, didn't have time for any other girls in your life really."

"Sorry." Tosh laughed.

"Oh don't you start apologising. I think we've done enough over the past week to last a lifetime."

Come Saturday Ianto was seen lazing on Tosh's couch, holding a hot cup of coffee whilst Tosh leaned on her kitchen bench.

"I have to go back today." Ianto sighed. Tosh nodded sympathetically.

"Yeah. You and I both knew you wouldn't be able to miss that wedding. Plus I guess you're going to need a few days back so Gwen doesn't murder you and I guess you have work commitments."

"I'm not going back for her." Tosh looked up from her coffee in shock. "This is not who I am Tosh. This whole thing with Jack..." He got up and moved to the windowsill, staring down to the street. "It's not who I am. I've never been able to do anything without worrying if I would hurt someone else. Besides..." He looked up at her, "Gwen didn't do anything wrong. I did."

"She slept with her work colleague Ianto! Ianto come on..."

"Look this is not me being pathetic anymore! I've realised something!"

"Pray tell." She moved around the bench, and walked across the room, sitting next to him on the windowsill.

"I've always thought that it was Gwen who took things from me, but it was really just me who was giving up everything for her."

"Yeah." Tosh knowingly agreed.

"Ok, ok, you don't need to be a smart arse about this. Look Gwen...is Gwen and no matter what she IS my best friend, and I promised all those years ago that I would be there for her so I'm going to the wedding." Tosh sighed and smiled before walking over and enveloping Ianto is a big hug.

"I'm proud of you Ianto."

"Thanks Tosh."

Just after noon Ianto found himself saying goodbye to Tosh at the train station and reluctantly made the trip make to Cardiff. On his arrival back to his apartment in climbed out of the cab and began walking across the road. He did not, however, expect to see someone blocking his pathway up the stairs to his door.