AN: No idea why, this just happened. It's a bit odd, but I was in writers block, and this slipped into my brain.

Set: Just after Countrycide.

Summary: Jack is feeling terrible about taking Ianto out on field.

Jack laid Ianto down on his Bed and kissed his forehead fondly.

" I'm fine now Jack. It was nothing." He insisted against Jacks' arms as he tried to sit up.

" No. You're badly hurt. You've broken a few ribs and taken a fair few cuts and bruises. Let alone the trauma and shock. You've not eaten since then and refuse to go in the kitchen or near the fridge."

" I know. But I can cope without frozen food."

" You're staying here. And Owen is staying with you."

" Owen should go home, we've never really got along, especially since..." He trailed of, leaving Lisa's name hanging silently in the air. " What about Tosh?"

" Spending the night with Gwen, they need to be near each other, or anyone that's been though this. And Rhys wouldn't approve of Gwen bringing a man home."

" And you?"

" I can look after myself."

" I meant, can't you stay here?"

" No." Owen answered for them both. " Now Harkness, go back to the Hub. Ianto, you gotta rest. That won't happen if Jack stays here."

Ianto finally admitted to himself that he was tired, and settled back into the bed, relaxing and hissing as the muscles moved and relaxed. He was quietly aware of Owen sat next to him, and preparing to spend the night there to keep his friend safe, even if he'd screwed up before.

|TW

Jack decided he would walk back to the Hub; it would give him time to think the day over. It was a late Friday night, so there were no cars; everyone was at the pub relaxing. And that form of relaxing meant they couldn't drive home afterwards. The streets were empty.

He'd let everyone down. Gwen had been shot, Tosh had been strangled, and Ianto was traumatised and battered. Owen had the stress of looking after everyone, and really testing his medical skills to the limits.

Why did he have to send Ianto and Tosh – The least experienced of their team – together to look for the SUV that they all knew had been stolen by something, or someone apparently.

He'd failed them. He'd failed Ianto. This was his first piece of fieldwork, and the first time he'd tried to get them all working with him since…well, since Lisa. Although they weren't really co-operating before that, Ianto kept to himself and away from main subjects.

Yet today, he'd broken them further apart. Now Ianto had been hurt, he'd withdraw into himself even more, because he didn't like the attention.

Jack had been trusted to be the Boss at the exact end of 1999, and his first act as Boss was to clear up the corpses of his team and ex-boss. If he'd handled that, why couldn't he do a simple bonding-activity?

So worked up in his own thoughts was Jack, that he accidentally walked into the middle of the road.

…And straight into the path of a Lorry. A Harwood's lorry to be precise.

'Aw Crap.' Jack thought. 'How am I going to explain this?' But he needn't have worried any more, because the Lorry smashed into him, sending his limp body 10 meters back.

" Bloody Hell." Rhys Williams climbed out of the seat and ran over. Jack had forced his eyes closed on impact so he wasn't just staring out. Rhys checked his pulse.

" Shit." He picked up the phone and got half way through dialling the police number. Then he had an idea. His shaking fingers flicked through the contacts.

'Hello?'

" Thank God. Gwen?"

'Yes Rhys? What is it?'

" I've killed a man. Ran him over. He was just in the middle of the road, didn't even move. I was only taking the lorry back, you know?"

' Hold on Rhys. Is he breathing?'

" No."

' Have you called the police?'

" I thought, because you're with the Police, like a Special Ops, you could help?"

' What does he look like?'

" Um…blue coat. Almost military. Bloody handsome bugger, he is as well."

Gwen laughed. She actually laughed, and Tosh could be heard laughing slightly too. ' I'll send one of my workers over. He's a Doctor.'

" Okay. Hurry, yea?"

|TW|

Owen stood up slowly. He'd gotten a text from Gwen:

' Jacks' been run over by Rhys. He thinks Jack is dead. I need you to go down and tell Rhys it's worse than it looks, and Jack will be fine. He knows you work with me. Thanks Owen. X'

Owen laughed quietly at how the two main men in Gwen's life just happened to meet each other, and picked up his jacket.

He looked back at Ianto, whose face was smoothed out but with a layer of fear still etched on it. He reached over, affectionately smoothing out Iantos' fringe. It wasn't the boy's fault. He would have done the same for Katie. And this just showed how the kid would hurt himself for his workers, even if they didn't trust him. It was as if he felt he had something to prove.

Just as he got to the door, Ianto spoke up.

" Is Jack hurt?"

" No, mate. I've just got to see him."

" You're lying. Let me go with you?"

" You can't. You have to stay here."

" No way. Hold on." He sat up.

" Ianto, you can't. Jack said to stay here."

" And then he got hurt. Since when did any of us ever really listen to him anyway?" Ianto sat up, pulling a pair of faded blue jeans on with a studded belt and a dark shirt covered by a denim jacket.

Owen pretended he didn't see the pain in Iantos' face or hear him hissing in agony.

" Let's go." Ianto stood up gingerly, leading the way out of his perfectly clean flat with a surprising amount of dignity.

|TW

Owens' Boxter car skidded to a halt by Rhys's lorry and Owen jumped out of the driver seat, running over to Jack as if Jack's life depended on it.

" I didn't even see him, no warning or anything. He just walked out, looked at me, but didn't really see it." Rhys insisted.

" Don't worry. There's a pulse." Owen lied brilliantly. There wasn't yet, but there would be.

" I checked, it was gone." Rhys wasn't stupid, this was different, and he knew it.

" It's weak, getting stronger all the time."

He got up to go and talk to Rhys and ring Gwen, giving Ianto some time alone with Jack.

Ianto crashed gracefully to the floor, tucking his feet under him so he could cradle Jacks' head on his thighs.

" I'm sorry about today." He whispered. " And Lisa. I should have told everyone that it was you, you were the last person I kissed. I didn't believe it myself. Couldn't. But now I do. I'm sorry. Just wake up."

He'd known about Jack's immortality before the rest of them, he'd been reading through Jacks' files in his own filing cabinet once, and this fact kept popping up.

Ianto kept repeating sweet things into Jacks ear, occasionally in Welsh, even if the older man would never understand it, and it was a fair few minutes until there was any sign of life.

Suddenly Jack gasped as if he'd been drowning and clutched onto Iantos' shoulder as if his life depended on it, which it really did in this case. Ianto tried not to yell at the pain, his shoulder had been a bit beaten back at the Brecon beacons, but he wasn't okay with telling Jack that.

" Ianto?" Jack asked slowly, as if he was really shocked.

" It's okay Jack. I've got you." Ianto paused before kissing Jacks forehead, forgetting that Rhys and Owen were nearby.

" Bloody Hell!" Rhys muttered. Owen wasn't sure weather that was to the display of affection, or Jack waking up. Possibly both.

|TW

Rhys went back to his place a few minutes later, with a loosely retcon drugged bottle of water, it would be okay until he got back to the house – didn't want anyone else run over – and Owen helped Ianto and Jack up.

" I think you'd better come back with us tonight." Owen told Jack. " Doctors' orders."

Jack nodded and about 20 minutes later, he and Ianto were tucked up in bed, with Owen crashin on the sofa in the living room.

Jack let Ianto relax his head against Jacks chest, and carded his hand through the younger mans hair.

" You shouldn't have done that." Ianto muttered sleepily.

" I know. I'm sorry." Jack whispered. " But you should rest. Don't worry; all the people in the Countryside are locked up. They can't get you."

" Not with you around." Ianto murmured before finally drifting into a peaceful sleep.

A/N: Ta-daaa!