Author Note: Thank you to everyone who is continuing to enjoy this story and I hope that you enjoy this chapter too! Torchwood is owned by the BBC.

Chapter Twenty Six

Tosh bit her lip worriedly as she watched Ianto anxiously pacing around.

"Ianto have you actually explained everything to Jack?" she asked.

Ianto looked over pausing in his movements, his whole posture was slumped, "how can I when he won't answer the phone, or reply to a text or email?" he said. "I've tried Tosh; I even went down to the park on my day off to see if he'd taken Jonah after school but they weren't there!"

"Ianto..." Tosh began.

"For god's sake Tosh don't say that I should have told him sooner, I know that but it's too late now, he thinks that I've lied to him... well I did but I didn't mean to! I know he has trust issues since his marriage and now he must think that I've been... I dunno... dabbling with him whilst still being with Lisa or something!" Ianto flung himself into his chair, next to Toshiko, and buried his head in his hands.

Normally Tosh would want to laugh at Ianto for his use of the word 'dabbling' but she couldn't, not when he looked and felt as he did. The dark smudges under his eyes made it clear that he wasn't sleeping and his usually immaculate clothes were crumpled. His hair was constantly standing on one end, where he'd run his hands through it over and over again and it was clear that he wasn't eating properly. If anything, he looked like he did when he and Lisa had finally decided to end it.

Tosh put a hand on Ianto's shirt and rubbed his back soothingly, "it's only been a week, give Jack some time. You never know he might bring Jonah in for Story Time; if he does you take him to Harriet's and explain everything properly, I'll cover everything here."

Ianto looked over and gave Tosh a wobbly smile "thanks Tosh."

Tosh hesitated and then said "you really care about him don't you?"

Ianto sighed heavily and whispered, "more than I realised."

-LaL-

"Dad are we going to the library?" Jonah asked eagerly, as Jack buckled his seat belt. "I want to see Ianto!"

Jack winced and wished that he'd never introduced Jonah to Ianto, now he could see why it was difficult dating as a single parent. "Not today son" he said brightly, turning on some false cheer, "today we are going to the zoo!"

"Yay!" said Jonah excitedly.

Jack was pleased to see that he had successfully diverted his son from asking about Ianto but the smile fell from his face as Jonah said, "is Ianto coming?"

"Not today Jonah" Jack said as he switched on the radio and pulled away from the curb; the smile on his face wearing thin – he desperately did not want to think about Ianto anymore.

"Why?" Jonah asked.

Jack grit his teeth and tried not to take his annoyance out on Jonah, "he has work today."

"Why?" Jonah asked again.

"Jonah" Jack said calmly "we're not playing this game okay?"

Jack ignored Jonah as he began to sulk but his son soon snapped out of it as he started to ask Jack what animals they were going to see.

-LaL-

Ianto couldn't help but watch the clock as it crept closer to Story Time, every minute passed by agonisingly slowly and he found it hard to muster up smiles and hellos for the other children as they arrived.

Eleven o'clock came and went and Ianto's eyes stayed glued to the entrance to the library, a copy of Peter Pan held loosely in one hand.

At ten past eleven some of the parents began to mutter to one another and look at their watches, so Toshiko walked over to Ianto where he was stood frozen.

"Ianto... Ianto I'm sorry but I don't think that they are coming today" Tosh said quietly. "Do you want me to read to the children?"

For a few seconds Ianto didn't speak but then he straightened his shoulders and said "no it's fine Tosh, I'll do it."

Toshiko watched Ianto worriedly as he sat down, apologising for starting a little later than usual to the parents, and gave all the children a big fake smile before beginning to read. It frightened her to see Ianto retreat behind his usual mask; he hadn't been excited about anybody since Lisa, other than Jack, and now it seemed like he was just going to carry on alone, without fighting for what he really wanted.

"Damn it Jack" she muttered, "you'll just have to talk to me!"

-LaL-

Jack laughed as Jonah squealed in delight whilst they watched the chimpanzees play with each other but at the back of his mind he couldn't help but think that Ianto should be reading to the children about now; he shivered as he thought of those beautiful Welsh vowels whispering in his ear and made the decision to firmly put those thoughts out of his mind.

For the past week every time he thought about Ianto he felt angry, he hadn't realised how much Ianto had gotten under his skin, and it made Ianto's lies and betrayal worse.

Jack mentally shook himself and took Jonah's photograph next to the monkey enclosure. It was his last day with his son before Gwen got back and he was determined to enjoy it.

He was not going to spend all his time moping over Ianto bloody Jones.