Based on the TW audio-book In the Shadows. For those who haven't read/listened to it, I'll summarize. Jack gets sucked into a personal hell forced to encounter past associates like Suzie and current ones like this team. In the real world, Jack disappears, leaving Gwen in charge and Ianto just utterly stunned. In Jack's hell, Ianto taunts him and tells him that he only used Jack. So yeah, basically all you need to know for this fic.
Vulnerable. That was the word Gwen Cooper was looking for. Vulnerable. That was what described stoic Ianto Jones as they gathered around the boardroom table when Jack disappeared. That face was obvious a kilometer away. That young man, the coffee-boy, the archivist… Jack's lover. He looked so broken, so hopeless. He looked terrified and Gwen knew. She knew he saw his heart shatter. She saw him give up. She saw the fear in his eyes that came from the love he never voiced.
And she shattered too. But she didn't show it of course. She had to be strong. She had to be the leader. She had to be Jack, because Jack was gone. As she and Ianto made their way down to the vaults, she stopped and studied him. Placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder, she smiled. "We're getting him back."
The days that followed Jack's return were dark and tense. Jack barely exited his office. He didn't let anyone in either, unless it was absolutely necessary. And whenever Ianto went in to give him coffee, Jack would stare blankly at him. When the immortal did show emotion, it seemed to Gwen that the captain was scared of Ianto.
Then one day Jack came out of his office. Ianto had been coming in with a tray of coffee when Jack intercepted it. Setting the tray down on a nearby workstation, he whispered, "I'm sorry." The whole team was taken aback, but not as much as Ianto, who visibly froze. Jack reached his hand up to stroke Ianto's cheek. Giving a smile, Jack continued with, "Thank you."
And then he slowly leaned in to kiss the man he loved. Jack forgot about time, forgot about space. Forgot about the curse of his immortality. He forgot that his team was staring. Jack pulled away for breath and then kissed Ianto again.
Gwen smiled and met Toshiko's gaze. The Japanese woman was smiling as well. Owen showed no facial expression, but for once he didn't pretend to retch or roll his eyes. They'd all be through a hell of a lot the past days. Hm, hell of a lot. What new meaning did that engender? Hell of a lot. One thing was certain to Gwen Cooper though. While Jack was in Hell, Ianto must have been the guardian angel.