AN: We are approaching the end of our story… just a few more chapters to go. I have other stories planned, so do not fear. There will be a lot more from me yet. A bit more angst here, but things will get better for our boys – I promise. Please review x

"Do you want me to do an autopsy? I mean we know how he died." Owen said as he stood in the autopsy bay with Jack, John led on the table before them, his body bag opened sufficiently that his face was showing.

Jack shook his head. "Just run a blood test. See if he had any of the cocaine in his system. There's no doubt he was behind it, but if we had some proof it might justify events better." He said.

Owen nodded and Jack smiled briefly in thanks before looking down at John's face. "Sleep tight." He whispered, planting a gentle kiss on his former lovers' forehead, before walking up the staircase that returned him to the main Hub. He glanced at Ianto who was still curled on the sofa, breathing softly before walking over to Tosh.

"Any movement?" He asked.

She shook her head. "Not a sound." She said.

Jack nodded. "Okay you can go home Tosh. Thanks for today." He said.

She rose slowly from her seat and wrapped her arms around Jack in a moment of support for her beloved leader. "Take care of him, and yourself." She said before releasing him from her hold and pulling on her coat. "Night Jack." She said with a soft smile as she picked up her handbag and walked out through the cog door, calling "Goodnight" to Owen as she went.

Owen walked out his autopsy bay and over to Jack. "I've taken a sample of blood and we should get the results by morning. I've transferred his body down to the morgue." He explained gently.

Jack nodded. "Thanks Owen. You can go home too. In fact if you leave now, you shouldn't keep Tosh waiting too long." He said.

Owen looked up at Jack with a smirk. "How did you know?" He asked.

"I know everything." Jack replied with a grin. "Look after each other yeah?" He said softly as his grin faded.

"We will." Owen said with a nod. "Night Jack." He said as he left.

The Hub fell silent, save from the gentle breathing of Ianto and hum from the computers. Jack walked over to the sofa and sat himself down on the coffee table in front of it, reaching out a hand and stroking it down Ianto's cheek delicately.

"What happened down there Ianto, hmm? What happened to make you shoot him?" He whispered. Ianto didn't stir and so Jack rose to his feet again and walked into the kitchen, taking a bottle of beer out of the fridge, opening it and swigging from the neck. He leant back against the bench top as he savoured the contents of the bottle, downing it in five deep mouthfuls, feeling it warm his body and settle him slightly. Placing the empty bottle on to the bench with a soft clink he pushed back off the bench and walked back out to the Hub. As he glanced at the sofa he saw that Ianto was beginning to move slightly, and after a few moments his eyes crept open and the Welshman sat up slowly, yawning widely as he stretched before his gaze settled on Jack, and his eyes clouded over with fear.

TW

"How are you feeling?" Jack asked calmly as he walked over to Ianto.

"I've had better days." Ianto admitted softly.

Jack nodded lightly but didn't speak.

"Is he…" Ianto started.

"John's dead Ianto. Do you remember what happened?" Jack asked as he lowered himself onto the coffee table again directly in front of Ianto.

"I was down in the lower levels… I was just wandering around… hiding from the chaos that was going on up here. I felt tired so I sat down in one of the rooms… I was just sitting there… and I closed my eyes… and I was thinking… thinking about you actually… about us… when I heard the siren. I opened my eyes and he was stood in front of me." Ianto said.

Jack nodded. "He had a telepathic transporter… it would take him wherever he wanted to go, he just had to think it. We assume he thought of you, and the transporter took him direct." He explained.

Ianto nodded.

"What happened next… what did he say?" Jack asked.

"He told me… he told me that he loved you… that you would be better off with him… with someone who knows you better than I do... who understands you. He told me you were just using me whilst you waited for him to come back… and now he was back… you were going to leave with him and go back home. He told me you'd talked on the roof and you'd realised that you need him more than you need me. He told me you didn't love me… that you'd never loved me… that you loved him. He told me you'd both had a good laugh at my expense… and that you were upstairs packing." Ianto said solemnly.

"And did you believe that?" Jack asked gently.

Ianto shrugged.

"What happened next? Why did you shoot him?" Jack asked.

"He said you'd asked him to get rid of me." Ianto said weakly, his voice small and barely audible. "So I had to get in there first… I had to shoot him before he shot me. I couldn't let you leave me… I couldn't let you go with him." He whimpered.

"Where did you get the gun from?" Jack asked.

"The armoury. I picked one up whilst I was walking around. I don't know what I was planning on using it for… maybe I wanted to feel safe… like I could protect myself. I'd never fired a gun before… I'd never even seen one till I met you." He replied softly. "I am sorry." He added.

Jack nodded. "It's okay Ianto." He said taking hold of Ianto's hands in his own. "What John said, what he told you, it wasn't true. You do know that don't you? I was never leaving; I would never leave you. I didn't ask him to get rid of you, I didn't even realise he had the transporter on him. I'd taken his wrist strap away and assumed he was secure." He explained. "John was someone from my past who I used to love very much, and I am sad that he's dead, and I am sorry that you were the one that killed him. But you have to believe that I didn't love him anymore. Nobody in my life knows me or understands me better than you do Ianto, nobody has ever got this close to me before. And I need you in my life, and I hope you need me in yours." He said.

Ianto nodded. "You're not angry with me?" He whispered. "I thought you'd be angry. I thought you'd hate me."

Jack shook his head. "I'm not angry Ianto. Not with you. I'm angry with John for making you do that. I could never hate you." He said softly as he pulled Ianto into his arms. "I love you." He murmured.

"I love you too." Ianto said softly as he began to cry.

TW

Ianto had succumbed to sleep once again as he'd sobbed in Jack's hold, so the immortal man had scooped him up in his arms and carried him up to his office settling him onto the sofa in there. Jack moved over to his desk and sat down behind it to write a report on the days turbulent events. As he took a deep breath and picked up his pen he noticed his hand was trembling. Only then did he realise that he was crying. He brought his hands up to his face as he wept and mourned the death of his oldest friend and former love. It shattered him that John was dead, and it almost broke his heart to think that it had been Ianto that had pulled the trigger. As he wiped his eyes and tear stained cheeks his gaze drifted instinctively to Ianto who was led peacefully sleeping on his sofa. Tomorrow morning Owen would have to do a psychiatric evaluation on him. Jack didn't want to be the cause of Ianto sinking into a downward spiral, and whilst his previous mental health problems weren't severe, Jack knew enough to realise that the Welshman would be at risk of other issues if he wasn't dealt with soon. Rising from his seat Jack walked back over to Ianto and crouched at the edge of the sofa.

"Ianto?" He said gently as he placed a hand on Ianto's shoulder.

"Mmm Jack?" Ianto croaked as he began to stir, his eyes remaining closed.

"Come on – let's get you to bed. You can't sleep here." Jack said gently.

Ianto opened his eyes and looked up at Jack. "Will you come with me?" He asked.

Jack nodded. "Of course I will." He said softly.

Ianto sat up slowly before rising unsteadily to his feet. Jack took hold of one of his hands lightly and tugged him over to the hatch in his office floor before descending the ladder, Ianto following slowly. The two men stripped down to their boxer shorts quickly and Jack pulled the covers back on his single bed and slipped inside.

"Come on." He said holding his arms open for Ianto who slid in beside him, his back pressed up against Jack's chest as the immortal man pulled him close, wrapping his arms protectively and lovingly around him.

"You need to get a bigger bed." Ianto murmured sleepily.

"You don't like my cosy little bed?" Jack asked with a smile as he rested his chin on Ianto's shoulder.

Ianto smiled as his eyes slid shut again. "It has its positives." He whispered as sleep began to take him again.

Jack smiled widely. "It does. You being one of them. Now get some sleep Ianto, and I will be here with you. I'll always be with you. I promise." He whispered as a combination of his gentle voice and his relaxing scent settled Ianto into a deep sleep. As Jack felt the younger man sink in his arms and heard his breathing change he removed his head from Ianto's shoulder and laid it down on the pillow, his nose nestled in Ianto's hair as he shut his own eyes. Good days and bad days were endless in Torchwood, and the extremes were far and wide. Today had been a bad day, one of the worst in recent memory for Jack, he just hoped tomorrow would be a good day. He needed it to be almost as much as Ianto did.