Jack was keeping his eyes on the road and his hands gripping the steering wheel, trying not to imagine running them both off the road just to shut up the woman badgering him from the passenger seat. His head was pounding, his shoulder throbbing, and Gwen had begun her usual line of questioning.

"Jack, I just don't like seeing you so down" Gwen whined, "Ianto can't be oblivious to the way you watch him around the hub. And just now when you… he was right there with you it looked almost… loving"

"We agreed on being friends Gwen, I wanted to respect that"

"And that's what you both wanted?"

Jack shrugged, "sometimes he looks at me and I'm convinced there's something there, other times I'm convinced I'm deluded"

"What is it between you? I mean this isn't just about him looking good in a suit anymore is it"

"I've fallen for him, everything about him, and now he's got her so I can't tell him" Jack groaned, "I want to like her, she seems really good for him, but that green eyed monster makes me hate her guts"

"She is good for him, Jack" Gwen nodded in understanding, "he's happy with her, and let's be fair if it comes down to a choice, she's by far the safer choice"

"I know" Jack turned to her, "But I still want him to choose me"

"It sounds like he doesn't even know that is a choice though Jack. What have you given him for him to believe that?"

"I was an idiot" Jack agreed, "but if he'd let me… love him, then nothing would stop me"

"Um, guys" Tosh's voice made them both jump, "remember we linked the built in Coms system of the SUV to the other coms?"

"yeah…" understanding dawned on Jack's face, looking at Gwen guiltily, "so you all heard that then?"

"Yes, Jack, all of us" she sighed, "he's turned his coms off and left"

"Shit" he groaned, "do you know where he's gone?"

"archives would be my best guess"

"We'll be back in 5 minutes"

Jack left a disgruntled Gwen to deal with the Weevils and headed immediately for the archives, finding Ianto leaning against the desk, a file in his hand that he didn't look up from as the footsteps approached, knowing without a doubt who it was,

"Just don't, Jack"

"please can we just talk?"

"No the time to talk would've been months ago, when we started whatever that was, which from my understanding was pretty much just you pinning me to walls a couple times and then cockblocking me at the last moment" Ianto laughed bitterly, "or better yet, you could've spoken up rather than fucking off to swan around the universe"

"Ianto…"

"Just why now? Why when I'm all moved on and on my way to happy would you bring it all up again, all I've ever gotten from you is confusion!"

"Are you?"

"Am I what?"

"Moved on"

"I…." Ianto faltered, "What have I got to move on from?! Whatever I feel for you…I mean I didn't…. I'm in a relationship"

"I know" Jack sighed, "Honestly I didn't want you to hear all that"

"Well I did, along with the rest of the team"

"I'm sorry for that, Ianto, that and so many other things"

Ianto just held up a hand, "I can't hear anymore, can I just get back to work?"

"of course, yeah" Jack turned to leave, "are we...?"

"I need time, Sir" Ianto didn't even turn his head, effortlessly slipping back into professional, heading up to help the others with the weevils. He ignored the quizzical looks from the others, focused completely on the task at hand. Tosh sidled up to him slowly,

"We've got this, Yan, get going"

"I'm fine" he said bluntly, keeping his eyes forward,

"Um.. do you maybe want to go check on Jenny?"

He closed his eyes in resignation "Shit, Jenny" he looked at her gratefully, "I guess I need to talk to her"

"What are you going to say?"

"I have no idea"

Jack's voice boomed from behind them making them all up jump, "If you love her and you trust her, tell her the truth. If not, you know where the Retcon is"

With that he stalked off to his office without another word. The others looked to Ianto expectantly, who glanced between each of their gazes in a panic.

"I don't... I can't handle this" he ran his hand back through his hair, his telltale sign of stress.

"Look, you don't have to make any decisions right now" Owen said tiredly, "take the Retcon with you, its an option even if its just to buy you some time to think"

"We don't mess with people's memories on a whim Owen"

"I know" Owen nodded, "but just think about what it is you want, and what the truth could do to your relationship"

Ianto took a deep breath and nodded before heading out, pausing at the medical bay before he left. He cursed to himself before grabbing some of the lower dose Retcon, enough to make a person forget the last 12 hours. As he did it so many thoughts were rushing through his head it was making him breathless. He had no idea what he was going to do, how she would react when he got back or what explanation he was going to give her. He had the distance between the hub and his flat to figure it all out...