Just a quick chapter set when Jack is away with the Doctor, exploring Gwen & Ianto's friendship as I always like to think they'd start to get closer friends at some point


Gwen hadn't ever given Ianto very much thought, she realised. He'd fit Jack's introduction perfectly since she arrived, cleaning up after them and getting them everywhere on time. He seemed to move around the hub like a wraith, silent and swift, getting everything done while somehow fading into the background.

But then Jack had left them, and they all had to rely on each other. It had thrown light on the sheer amount of work Ianto actually did behind the scenes. And today there had been one hell of a mission, their first big threat since Jack disappeared, and Ianto was needed in the field. Gwen had been reluctant at first, but the situation had been desperate. And Ianto had proved her completely wrong. He had been a complete professional out there, taking down the threat with the efficiency he put into everything else.

Tosh had dislocated her shoulder in the mission and Owen had driven her home after dosing her up with some seriously heavy-duty painkillers, he'd practically had to carry her up to the car. Ianto had finished cleaning and storing the weapons and was now pottering round the hub. Gwen knew that with Jack gone Ianto had pretty much moved into the place, taking over the overnight monitoring. It was an unspoken arrangement, and they hadn't wanted to pry. But Gwen by nature was a prier. She hadn't noticed Ianto properly, even after the Lisa incident where she'd consciously tried to look out for him. And then suddenly Jack was kissing him in front of the whole team. She felt like that was something she really should have picked up on. Whether her and Jack had the kind of relationship where he'd share his love life with her remained to be seen, but surely something this close to home should've captured her attention at some point. There was something between them, clearly, and now Ianto had been left behind, maybe even more so than the rest of them. And Gwen wouldn't be the bleeding heart of Torchwood if she didn't try and help him now. As he stood organising files on Tosh's desk, she sidled over to him with a small cough,

"I was thinking I might stay for a bit. Rhys is out with banana boat anyway, no doubt he'll come staggering home in a couple of hours"

Ianto was silent for a moment, then nodded, "fancy a beer then?"

"I thought we didn't keep any here anymore"

"Ah that's just what Owen thinks" he headed into the kitchen, there was some clattering and Ianto miraculously emerged with two ice cold beers. He expertly popped the top off them and handed one to Gwen with a flourish,

"My hero" Gwen grinned, taking the offered bottle and taking a grateful sip.

"I do my best" he nodded with a polite smile. He perched neatly on Tosh's chair as Gwen settled across from him on the sofa, bringing her legs up underneath her as she sank into the worn out fabric. They drank with the casual kind of small talk they all engaged in, until Gwen worked up the courage to speak about more than just the weather or Owen's recent penchant for dissecting something more and more gross each day. She took a sip of her beer, cleared her throat and began,

"So today was … well it was rough wasn't it"

"Yeah" Ianto agreed, "you could say that. Still, it all worked out in the end"

"We were grateful to have you out there today, Ianto. You should be out in the field more often"

Ianto smiled politely "thank you for saying so"

"I mean it we need you out there, and not only because we're a man down since..." she paused, looking into Ianto's face. He remained impassive,

"Since Jack up and left us, yeah"

"Yeah. I never asked how you were doing with that" she said it casually, but she had been calculating this for a while now she thought about it,

"Its been an adjustment for all of us" Ianto said carefully, "Being without the leader and all that"

"That's not quite what I meant" she pressed on, "we're all confused by what happened, with him coming back to life like that, and then swanning off without a word. You must be even more so"

"Jack is a law unto himself" he said bitterly, draining his beer. Ianto could feel where she was going with this, but he honestly had no other answer for her. But Gwen's superpower was reading feelings and emotions, and she wasn't about to let this go. She was studying the younger man's face for any indication of how he was feeling about the whole thing.

"You love him" Gwen said quietly.

"No" Ianto shook his head, "at least, not in the way you're thinking. I love him the way we all do, as our Captain"

"The way he kissed you, there's far more to it than that"

"He went and left anyway" Ianto smiled sadly, "So no, there really isn't"

"I don't…how long?" Gwen whispered, "Were you like, together or?"

Ianto shrugged, "Who knows what it meant to either one of us. Sticking a label on it doesn't make it any easier without him now, does it"

"I suppose not" Gwen murmured. She stayed silent, watching Ianto. He opened his mouth, closed it again and took a deep breath before speaking,

"Owen called it a "part time shag". Maybe he was right. But I certainly wasn't broadcasting whatever it was. I was as shocked as the rest of you that he did that in front of you all. I was just so relieved that he was alive and then I was in his arms I didn't have time to register it until he'd let me go. And then it occurred to me it'd pretty much been announced to you all at that point. I didn't have a chance to talk to him about what that would mean before he…" he gestured around the place before rubbing the bridge of his nose wearily.

"What did you want it to mean?" Gwen asked quietly, putting her bottle down gently,

"I honestly don't know. I mean we both know Jack isn't the relationship type. Guess it doesn't really matter anymore, we don't even know if he'll be back. And even if he does I don't know if I...But the job will always come first, whatever was happening or could happen in the future, the team will always be the priority"

"I know that Ianto" Gwen nodded, "Listen I know we don't really...talk. But if you ever wanted to, I mean you know I'm here don't you"

"I'm not really much of a talker Gwen. At least not usually"

"I know, but still. Especially If you're willing to share your secret beer stash with me I'd love to make this a regular thing"

Ianto grinned "I'd like that. It's nice to be part of the team properly again"

"I think we've all been guilty of taking you for granted. I'm sorry"

"Comes with the job description I think. Easy to assume I'm only good for admin and clean up"

"You're much more than that, as you showed today, you have a hell of a shot on you."

She got up to leave, impulsively giving Ianto a soft kiss on the cheek. Ianto tensed almost imperceptibly, not expecting such close contact. But he smiled up at her, touched by the gesture.

"He'll be back. I don't know when, but he will"

Ianto nodded "yeah. Maybe"

She gave him a grateful grin before turning towards the door. She vowed to herself to look in on her teammate far more regularly from now on. They all needed to stick together to get through this, after all.