Chapter 13

"What are you going to tell the others?"

Ianto sat on the edge of the bed as Jack helped him into a pair of loose fitting jeans. Although he'd tried to insist that he could manage on his own, as soon as he'd reached down, the muscles in his shoulder had gone into spasm. However, weird it felt having Jack getting him into his pants rather than trying to get in them, he was grateful.

"Nothing. It stays between us. For now." Jack stood up and held out one hand to help Ianto to his feet as he used the other to stop the jeans falling down. "Up you get and lean on me, your ankle's still swollen so don't give me any crap about being able to stand on your own two feet without falling over."

"They won't understand why you've changed your mind about letting me go back to work." Ianto grumbled as he reluctantly clung onto Jack as the older man pulled his jeans up over his hips.

"What? Not accept an abrupt u-turn in policy from me?" Jack looked incredulous. "Of course they will. I do it all the time."

"Well there is that I guess." Ianto pressed his lips together thoughtfully as he pondered the capricious leadership style that epitomised Jack Harkness. "Never thought I'd witness the time that your inconsistency was a good thing, but there you go."

"And I want Owen to give you a full body scan, just in case there's anything else he missed," Jack stated emphatically.

"I'll be fine, Jack," Ianto protested. "No broken bones after all."

"Says the man who kept waking up begging for painkillers," Jack sighed. He'd stayed awake all night listening to Ianto murmur in his sleep, his nightmares breaking through the surface enough times to give Jack a vivid picture of what fears were plaguing his lover. He'd not wanted to give him too many strong painkillers and end up trapping him in his nightmares.

"That's only because you wouldn't let me take two at once."

"Much as the idea of having you drugged up to the eyeballs and unable to resist my advances is an appealing one, there's a time and a place, Ianto. And you're right about the bed – it does smell."

"So you're going to let me go back to my place later?" Ianto asked hopefully.

"That's not what I said. And, no, you're not going back there by yourself. We need to make sure that anyone watching is under the impression that I don't know who attacked us and kidnapped you. The best way to do that is if I don't let you out of my sight."

"Jack- I've been thinking." Ianto frowned, wondering how he was going to persuade Jack to go along with his idea.

"What is it?"

"Perhaps you should use the mind probe on me."

"NO!" Jack bellowed. "Why on earth would you suggest that?"

"Because …well, it occurred to me that maybe there's more to this whole matter than meets the eye." Ianto rubbed his face worriedly. "Perhaps I was brainwashed after all – maybe… she… maybe she did do something to me and it gets triggered off when I get inside the Hub."

"Not happening, Ianto." Jack gently pushed Ianto back down onto the bed and crouched down between his knees and gave him a stern look. "Do you think I'm gonna be able to keep Tosh, Gwen – or even Owen for that matter – from hovering over you? I wasn't the only one worried sick about you. Besides, have you any idea what Tosh would do to me if I so much as put you in the same room as that damn mind probe?"

"Ah, I see, this is all about self preservation isn't it, sir?"

"Too damn right, Ianto – have you seen what she can do with those heels?"

When they turned up in the Hub, Gwen wasn't there, apparently she'd headed straight for the police station to ask after the policeman who'd accompanied Ianto to the hospital. After depositing Ianto in the autopsy bay for Owen to examine, Jack called Tosh to his office.

"What have you got for me, Tosh? I need some good news." Jack looked up from the pile of paper work that had accumulated on his desk since he'd left work the previous day.

"How's Ianto? I see he's still using a crutch. Why couldn't you have got Owen to visit him in the safe house? What made you drag him in? Did you make him walk? What about I thought you said he posed a security risk?"

"Whoa there!" Jack held up his hands, shocked at the onslaught he'd come to associate with Gwen rather than Tosh. "I was hoping for answers, not the third degree. What's with you?"

"You." Tosh took a seat opposite Jack without releasing him from her glare. She crossed her legs at the knee, and began to count off her reasons to challenge Jack on her fingers. "First of all you set Ianto up in that crappy flat and then you don't let any of us come around to see him. You've been with him since yesterday afternoon and he comes in looking like death warmed over. What the hell have you done to him, Jack?"

"What?" Jack frowned in disbelief. "You think I'd do anything to hurt Ianto? What do you take me for?"

"No, it's not that … it's just that you've been keeping things from us again."

"Oh Tosh – I should've guessed you'd be too damn smart not to see through me." Jack smiled indulgently and then slowly breathed out as he rested his elbows on his desk propping his chin on folded hands. "I can't tell you anything, not yet."

"Why not?"

"You care about Ianto don't you?" Jack spoke slowly, putting extra emphasis on the word 'care'.

"Of course I do – he's my friend. Oh-" Tosh paused as she took on board the implication of Jack's words. "You're doing this to protect him?"

"If only I could," Jack sighed. "Put it this way, I'm doing my best at damage limitation."

"Is Ianto still in danger?" Tosh narrowed her eyes.

"This is Torchwood, Tosh, you know the answer to that question." Jack said bitterly. "Meanwhile, what have you got for me? Anyone around on the barrage when Ianto was found, apart from that dodgy copper? Have you found the mystery couple yet?"

"A few kids on bikes, but they were wearing hoodies, impossible to identify them. But no sign of any couples, drunk or otherwise. The policeman was there, seemed to be listening to an incoming message on his radio before heading for the place where Ianto was left. That much rings true. But you were right, Jack – he knew where Ianto was going to be."

"There are times when I hate being right. Damn."

"Gwen's hoping to track him down at the station, according to her contact he's on duty later this morning."

"Fine." Jack idly stroked the piece of coral on his desk, finding it soothing when he was verging on taking out his impatience on his team. "I don't suppose you've got any further with finding how those bastards managed to fire a missile at the side of the Tourist Office in broad daylight without anyone seeing a thing?"

Tosh frowned and absently brushed her fringe back from her eyes as she tried to gauge how Jack would take her suggestion.

"Jack – we've checked the forensic evidence, satellite images of the shipping in the Bay preceding the attack and there's no sign of anything… but what if the missile was launched from underwater?"

"What are you suggesting? Submarines in the Bay?" Jack wondered if she'd found out about Torchwood sub. Ianto had discovered it several months ago, after finding records in the archives concerning its regular maintenance schedule.

"It's the only possible explanation."

"That would explain how they grabbed Ianto from under our noses." Jack glanced out of the glass window across the Hub, trying to catch sight of Ianto. It didn't escape him that if Tosh's speculation proved true, it would mean that there was nothing idle about the threat made to the carousel in the Plass.

Any further discussion was halted as the alarms sounded on the cog wheel entrance. The doors swung open to reveal Gwen, looking despondent until she caught sight of Owen helping Ianto up the stairs from the autopsy bay.

"Ianto! Oh my god – how are you, pet?" Gwen dashed over to take the arm that wasn't slung over Owen's shoulder and helped Ianto to the sofa. "Can I get you anything, love? Tea, coffee? Are you hungry? Have you had breakfast yet?"

"Fine. No thank you. Owen says I can't. I'm not hungry and yes, Jack made me scrambled eggs this morning." Ianto responded to each of Gwen's questions with only a ghost of an eye roll. "Anything else?"

"Don't you dare, Gwen." Owen pointed a finger at Gwen, warning her off. "Give him a break, for fuck's sake."

"Gwen, wasn't expecting you back so soon." Jack scowled as he clattered down the metal steps from his office, Tosh following behind him.

"He wasn't there, Jack – apparently a family emergency cropped up and he sent in a message asking for compassionate leave for the rest of the week."

"Bullshit." Owen opined loudly.

"I've gotta agree with Owen – sounds like a lame story. I take it you checked out his home address?"

"Of course I did, Jack." Gwen snapped. "I'm not stupid. I got his address from the desk sergeant and called by there on the way back. Neighbours haven't seen him since yesterday morning."

"Great. There goes that lead." Jack rubbed his hand through his hair in frustration.

"Hang on – there was something." Gwen reached into the pocket of her leather jacket and pulled out a mobile phone. "It's yours, Ianto. Got handed in by the ambulance crew – probably slipped out of your pocket."

Ianto took the phone cautiously and inspected it carefully. It looked like his. He switched it on and shrugged as it came to life.

"Yep – it's mine. But …" he frowned, trying to remember when he'd last had it on him. He thought that Clytemnestra had taken it from him. Maybe it had been put back into his jacket pocket before they'd dumped him? It didn't make sense.

Then the screen lit up informing him of several missed messages. Scrolling through those sent by his sister, he suddenly stopped and swore under his breath.

"Ianto, what is it?" Jack asked, looking concerned.

"Message here from my mam apparently – wants me to get in touch." Ianto looked paler than usual and was biting his lower lip.

"But-"

"Yeah, she's dead. Has been since before I went to London."