AN: From here on it goes AU... Mainly because I feel like it and mostly because Jack and Ianto deserve a chance even though there will be some major challenges ahead.

PART TWENTY FIVE

Jack wiped the water from his face and sighed. He was angry because Ianto had been hurt, angry at himself for not being able to protect him and angry at the house in which he now sat. There had been some happy times within these walls when Lucia and Mellissa were here, when he had a family. It hurt and Jack had promised himself never to let it happen again, never to fall in love... He didn't want these feelings, just Ianto with benefits. Of course, it never worked like that, even with his over evolutionised genes he couldn't choose who he would fall in love with. Ianto need never know, Jack would certainly not tell the younger man, but he couldn't deny it to himself and that frightened him to the core.

This was no passing infatuation like the Doctor had been, this was gut wrenching, painful love that would end badly. Jack knew he couldn't face that again. Ianto needed someone who could. Jack was sorely tempted to load the young man's next cup of coffee with Retcon. Ianto had wanted that once, to forget, but where did one draw the line in Ianto's life where there had been so much pain from so early on? When would Ianto lose what was essential to his personality? Jack sighed, sinking further back into the couch. He'd never do it, he was too selfish, he wanted Ianto in his life, only on his own terms and Ianto was practically a saint for putting up with it.

He thought of Gwen, off on her honeymoon and desperate to hold on to something of a normal life. He seriously wondered how long the marriage would last. How long before Gwen fell into someone else's bed? How long before it was his? Jack knew he wouldn't go there, if only for Ianto's sake. It would break his heart to be betrayed, but to be betrayed by both himself and Gwen would be too much, it would be cruel. If Jack were honest with himself, which he often wasn't, Gwen was no longer as appealing as she had once been, she had changed after Owen's death and focussed her efforts on Rhys, well up until the day she got married anyway. Jack found himself wondering why Tosh and Ianto had never got together, but despite them both being quiet perfectionists they were worlds apart. Tosh's knowledge was technically based and Jack half suspected she thought in binary, where as Ianto was most definitely a literary person, preferring books, languages, history and art. A sneaky peek at his diary one day had revealed a hidden talent for sketching and cartooning in the margins of his text. Jack had never been able to do things like that. And damn it to hell, why couldn't he have some degree of normality? Why couldn't he just share something with the man he loved? It wasn't fair and Jack found himself hating Rose for what she had done to him.

Jack got up and wandered through to the bedroom and stood there leaning against the door jamb watching Ianto as he slept. Anger welled up inside him yet again, he knew he'd tear apart the person who tried to murder the young man. Ianto had suffered enough and Jack wondered how he managed to even bother getting up some days, but then he realised that it was for him and him alone. Jack crept forwards and knelt down beside the edge of the bed. He gently touched Ianto's forehead trying to sooth away the deep frown on his brow. A Welsh murmur escaped Ianto's lips and Jack couldn't help but smile.

His phone rang and whispering a curse he pulled it out of his pocket and lurched out of the room. It was Owen.

"Hi Owen, what's up?"

"Yeah, boss sorry we have a multiple Hoix problem, I'm on my way to pick you up, be there in about 10 minutes."

"Ok, I'll be waiting."

He hung up and sighed. Jack really didn't want to wake to Ianto so soon after getting him to sleep so he opted for leaving a written message on the bedside cabinet in the hope that Ianto would see it before realising he was alone in the house.

" Ianto,

I've been called out, shouldn't be too long. There's loads of food and things in the kitchen, just make yourself at home. The security system is on so don't try to leave the house, it's linked to my wriststrap, but don't worry you are safe. Don't forget to take your meds.

CJH"

Ianto stared at the note that had clearly been hastily scrawled on the back of a 1970s phone directory. He rolled on to his back and looked at the ceiling, which was in serious need of repainting, the coughing started almost immediately forcing him to lurch upright.

It was some hours later before Jack and Owen returned to the house. They found Ianto curled up asleep on the couch, the house itself in darkness. Owen did a quick a cursory look over his patient and then went to find Jack who was making himself a cup of tea in the kitchen.

"He's ok Jack, just resting, which is what he needs to do. Make sure he eats in the morning and takes the meds. Stay here, I'll take the Rift alert, I don't seem to need sleep anymore and I've got plenty of notes to type up on the weevil studies."

Jack smiled at him and Owen noted the look of relief on his bosses face.

"Where'd you get to this afternoon anyway?"

Jack continued to smile and pulled out a small red velvet box from his pocket.

"I went to see a jeweller."

Owen arched an eyebrow. "For Tea Boy?"

"For Ianto." Jack corrected him.

Owen folded his arms and leaned against the counter. "Jack... are you sure, I mean Ianto... You're not just over sentimentalising because of Gwen's wedding?"

Jack visibly sagged and returned the box to the pocket of his great coat.

"I almost lost him Owen. One day I will lose him. You have no idea of the depth of his feelings, for all of us, not just me. I realised today that I cannot go through the rest of his life keeping him at arms length because I think it is for my own good. I don't want to get hurt again, I will be hurt that is inevitable, but I want to be with him on his terms as well as mine. It's hard enough... this life... I just want something precious to hold on to, even if it's only for a while." He turned away and went to the fridge, for something to do.

Owen watched as food arranged on the counter top.

"Do you love him Jack?"

Jack shucked off his coat and draped it over the dining chair, Owen was taken aback by the raw emotion in Jack's eyes, it blazed and it was painful to look, but Owen held his gaze.

"More than I ever thought myself capable of. It scares the shit out of me how much."

"What if he turns you down, what then?"

Jack sighed. "It won't change how I feel, but I guess we will just have to work around it."

"So, another wedding then?"

Jack shook his head. "I don't know, I shall let Ianto make that decision. He's still getting his head around the fact that I am a man. I just want him to know that I am his, no matter what. I owe him that much."

Owen grinned and stuck out his hand and Jack shook it.

"Well then, good luck and congratulations... welcome to the human race."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Thanks... I think."