Thanks for all the lovely reviews! Glad you're sticking with me, even though I'm slow. And props as always to my cherished beta riftintime for endless help and support. Enjoy!

Chapter 37

Ianto and Jack left a trail of water as they made their way through the tourist office, beyond the hidden door, down the dank hallway, and onto the lift that descended into the Hub. Ianto tried to ignore the unpleasant squelching sound his leather shoes were making with every step. He shivered again as he swiped his key card to open the cogwheel door. The alarm that usually announced an arrival had not sounded, as it had been destroyed in a raucous basketball game between Owen and Jack earlier that week. He stopped suddenly and stiffened as the gate swung open, his senses on high alert. He instinctually knew that something was wrong. "There's someone here," he whispered.

He heard Jack pull his Webley from the holster and point it over his shoulder to his right. Ianto retrieved his side arm from under his suit coat and pointed it to his left. "On the count of three," he whispered, his body poised for action.

He held up his hand with three fingers, then two, then one. They both sprang through the door in the direction of their guns, adrenaline pumping. There was a rustling sound coming from behind the water tower. Ianto nodded at Jack and they made their way silently through the Hub, circling around on opposite sides until they met again near the silver monument. They caught each other's eyes, then moved as one, appearing around the statue, guns aimed at whatever might be lying in wait for them.

"Bloody hell!" Gwen's voice shouted, throwing her arms into the air instinctually. "You scared me half to death!"

Both men lowered their weapons. Jack holstered his gun and made a face at Ianto. "We could have shot you," Ianto scolded, his heart still pounding in his ears.

"Well who the bloody hell did you expect? Aliens?" Gwen demanded, stooping to pick up the papers that had scattered around her.

Both Ianto and Jack nodded seriously. "I thought you were still on holiday," Ianto said, holstering his gun. "I knew Owen and Tosh weren't here. We weren't expecting anyone."

Gwen's annoyance turned to amusement. "Hoping to have the Hub all to yourselves, were you?" she asked coyly. "Looking to have some shenanigans in the dark?"

Neither Jack nor Ianto were amused. They had come too close to shooting first and asking questions later. Gwen's smile faded, finally realizing that her teasing was not having its intended affect. "Just got back into town. Thought I'd come in and check on you lot, but no one was here."

"What were you doing skulking around in the dark?" Ianto asked.

"I wasn't skulking," Gwen explained quickly. "I was just trying to catch up on everything that happened while I was away." She suddenly felt very uncomfortable. "I wanted to be up to date for work tomorrow," she added uncertainly.

"Persistent," Jack said to Ianto, holding back a grin.

"Good sign," Ianto agreed, maintaining a straight face.

"Dogmatic," Jack added, enjoying her discomfort at their teasing.

"Always a plus," Ianto conceded, nodding in mock gravity.

"Oh, Christ, never work with a couple - you two talk like twins!" Gwen said irritably.

Ianto's face darkened, and Jack looked distinctly uncomfortable. "We're not a couple," Ianto said sternly.

Gwen frowned in confusion. "But I thought…"

"How was your holiday, Gwen?" Jack asked, hastily changing the subject.

"Lovely, thanks," Gwen replied automatically. She was still eyeing the two men curiously, finally noticing their sodden state. "What happened to you two? Chase some poor creature into the bay?"

"Just got caught in the rain," Ianto said as he turned away. "I'm going to take a shower."

Jack and Gwen watched as Ianto stalked into his office and slammed the door. "What's gotten into him?" Gwen asked.

"Don't know," Jack lied, peeling the wet wool from his shoulders and hanging it over the handrail.

"I thought you and Ianto…" Gwen trailed off.

"Not anymore," Jack said regretfully.

"What happened?" Gwen asked. "You two seemed so… suited somehow."

Jack raised his eyebrows. He was always under the impression that Gwen resented his relationship with Ianto, for reasons he never fully understood. He shrugged his shoulders. "I left."

"And he's afraid you'll leave again," Gwen continued with a startling moment of perception.

"Something like that," Jack agreed reluctantly.

"Are you going to leave again?" Gwen asked, a hint of accusation in her tone.

"I wasn't planning on it," Jack replied easily.

"Hmm. I don't know that I'd trust you either." She eyed Jack thoughtfully. "He's in love with you, you know. You broke his heart when you left."

"What?" Jack stared at her, dumbstruck.

"Oh, he'd never admit it. In fact, I don't think he knows it himself yet, but I could see it in his eyes. When you were gone, he was…" She searched for a word. "Empty."

Jack's mouth was still hanging open as he examined her features. Gwen had never struck him as particularly insightful or even very observant for that matter. Perhaps I've misjudged her. Ianto did choose her after all. He must have seen something in her… Nonetheless, he thought she was being fanciful. "I think you're wrong, Gwen," he said simply.

She shook her head. "Maybe that's the problem, Jack."

They stared at each other. Gwen looked like she was about to say more, but then changed her mind.

Jack excused himself and walked away, needing a moment to collect himself. He moved mechanically, unwilling to let Gwen's words register yet in his mind. He retrieved a towel from the kitchenette and wiped his face. Taking a glass from the cupboard, he filled it with water from the tap and drank it down in three large gulps. Then he washed the glass slowly, dried it, and replaced it in the cupboard. Still somewhat dazed, he shrugged out of his suspenders, letting them dangle down around his legs, and removed his soaked dress shirt. He wrung it out in the sink, then spread it over a chair. Finally, he wandered back over to Gwen, who had moved to her desk, organizing files.

Gwen looked up at Jack's approach. "Well, since there's nothing doing here, I'll go home to my fiancé," she declared with a smile.

"Your fiancé?" Jack was surprised.

"Yes. Rhys asked. When we were away."

Jack crossed his arms over his chest and grinned. "Wow! Gwen Cooper getting married. Down on one knee?"

"He tried to, and then he had a twinge in his back and had to lie on the settee, and that's when he popped the question."

"And you said yes," Jack said thoughtfully. He was happy for Gwen, but a part of him was envious that everyone at Torchwood seemed to be settling down and having a life that he could never hope to have.

"Well, no one else will have me," Gwen said, feigning disappointment.

"Good for you." Jack took Gwen into his arms and hugged her, then pulled away and kissed her on the cheek.

"Did I miss something?" Ianto asked. He was standing several feet away, dressed in a pair of faded jeans and a black t-shirt, rubbing his head with a towel.

"Gwen's getting married," Jack announced.

"Congratulations!" Ianto said, taking a few steps forward and kissing her on the cheek. "That's great news."

"Rhys asked when we were away," Gwen repeated.

"Down on one knee?" Ianto asked.

Jack grinned, amused that Ianto had asked the same question he'd asked. "Well, he tried, but then he got a twinge in his back and had to lie down on the settee. That's when he popped the question," Jack told him.

"Ah," Ianto said, stifling a smile.

"That's why we came home early. He's thrown his back out," Gwen explained.

Ianto nodded sympathetically. "I'll send Owen round in the morning to take a look at him."

"Thanks." Gwen smiled at him.

There was an awkward silence as they stood looking at each other. Gwen was the first to speak. "Right, well, seems like you two have everything under control. I'll get back to him now. I left him flat on his back, moaning and complaining."

Jack and Ianto smiled, congratulated her again, and watched her leave the Hub. Once the cogwheel door had closed behind her, Ianto turned to Jack. "Why don't you go get some dry clothing. I'll make some coffee."

Jack nodded gratefully and headed into Ianto's office, descending the ladder into the bunker below. He stripped off the remainder of his wet clothing and climbed into the shower. As the hot water cascaded over his body, Gwen's words played over and over again in his mind. "He's in love with you, you know… I don't think he knows it himself yet…" That can't be true, he reasoned. She's exaggerating… being dramatic, effusive. Typical Gwen… He leaned his head against the shower wall, trying to picture the recent events with the real Captain Jack Harkness from Ianto's point of view. His heart still ached when he thought about his namesake, now long dead. But he understood the experience for what it was. He just wasn't sure that Ianto would understand. He wasn't sure Ianto would forgive him. Have I just ruined whatever small chance I might have had with him? What have I done?

Ianto went through the motions of making coffee with a deft and experienced hand. The familiar routine brought some semblance of comfort to his reeling emotions. He tried to put himself in Jack's position and wondered how he would have reacted if their roles were reversed. He still couldn't believe that Jack had rejected the Doctor's offer of travelling the galaxy. And even less could he believe that Jack rejected that offer for him. He still cringed when he thought about Jack and the real Captain Jack Harkness, but somehow he began to see it from Jack's point of view.

The coffee finished brewing and he poured it into two mugs. Jack's voice broke into his thoughts. "Smells delicious."

"Were you in love with the real Captain Jack Harkness?" Ianto asked without turning around. He was surprised at himself, not expecting those words to come out of his mouth.

Jack sighed and shook his head. "It's not like that… me and Jack..." Jack's voice trailed off, uncertain of how to finish that sentence.

"Then what was it like? Why did you kiss him?" Ianto demanded, again surprised at his own directness.

Jack almost smiled at the irony. "I've been standing in the shower trying to figure out how to explain it to you."

Ianto turned around and met Jack's eyes. He held out a steaming mug and Jack took it gratefully. Ianto moved out of the kitchenette and across the Hub. He settled on the sofa and took his first sip, relishing the perfectly blended bitterness. Jack followed him, dropping into a chair opposite. He too took advantage of the silence to enjoy his first sip of coffee as well. "I've always had a sneaking suspicion that coffee maker of yours is of alien design."

"I'll never tell," Ianto deadpanned.

Jack smiled briefly, but his expression turned serious. "When I took the name Captain Jack Harkness, I wasn't a good person. I'd stolen tech and gone rogue from the Time Agency. I was a crook, a confidence trickster, a man with no moral compass, out to swindle my way across the universe. That's when I met the Doctor and Rose." His features were wistful as he remembered. "Everything changed after I met the two of them. I changed… I was ashamed of my past, the things I've done, the people I've hurt. I've spent decades trying to make up for it, trying to be someone the Doctor and Rose could be proud to call their friend."

Ianto nodded. Jack had explained some of this before to him. He waited silently for Jack to go on.

Jack took another sip of coffee before he continued. "Captain Jack Harkness was the embodiment of everything I admired, everything I wanted to be. Meeting him face to face like that… knowing he was attracted to me… knowing you weren't interested anymore… knowing he was going to die the next day… knowing I was going to carry his name for centuries to come… I got caught up in the moment. Here was this young, brave, loyal soldier, about to die in battle saving his men, who had probably harbored a secret attraction to men all his life and was never able to fulfill his desires. It was the last day of his life. I wanted to give him one thing before he died – one moment of passion before his life ended... I didn't consider your feelings, or if I did, I figured you didn't care." He looked into Ianto's eyes. "I'm sorry."

Ianto considered Jack's words. He thought he could understand Jack's feelings. Although he could never imagine what it would be like to live for centuries, he could empathize with Jack in some small way. "I'm sorry I punched you," he said. "That was… uncalled for."

Jack shrugged. "I've had worse. Although, this is becoming a bit of a habit with you."

"Well if you weren't so utterly exasperating," Ianto retorted with a hint of a smile.

"I have to admit, in a way, I was glad you hit me. At least I knew you cared."

Ianto shook his head. "Of course I care, Jack. I never stopped caring. That wasn't the issue."

"I know… or at least, I know that now. Earlier today, well, that's another matter."

"I should have…" But Ianto's words faded away. He wasn't sure what he should have done differently. Been less afraid? Been more honest? Admitted how I really feel? It seemed overwhelming, even now.

"Where do we go from here?" Jack asked, uncertain where they now stood with each other.

Ianto was silent for a few moments as he considered their situation. It was foolish to go on pretending that he didn't have feelings for Jack. If he'd learned anything from their experiences that day, he'd learned that much. But neither was he ready to pick up exactly where they'd left off. Things were different now. The stakes were so much higher. Coming to a decision, he raised an eyebrow. "About that date…"

A spark of hope ignited in Jack's chest. "Is that a yes?" he asked cautiously, afraid to have his hopes dashed yet again.

"Yes."