Author's note: Sorry for the delay... again. I am back on my bike though. Thanks to Kitsa, who reminded me that there was supposed to be an update on this before she got back yesterday, to MissBob for being generally awesome, to Rainbow Stripes, for being equally awesome - get well soon hun! And to Roadrunner_Ger, McParrot, NotTheSilentType, Solsbury Girl, Candybree, Pippin Ionad, Labellie and AlienStar07, and to everyone who has encouraged me with reviews, prodded me, cheered me up and otherwise been fantastic.

Special kudos go to CJH4ever, for her guidance on Whitehall working hours.

And I'm still being evil.

Tosh laughed as Gordon steered her into his kitchen, pulled out a chair and pushed her into it gently. He set two wine glasses down on the table and got out two bottles of... grape juice. She gripped her stomach as the laughter started to hurt and his Jeeves facade slipped minutely, replaced almost instantly. "Miss Sato, can I interest you in one of these spectacular vintages?"

"Why thank you Mr Albion, I think the red..."

"An excellent choice." He poured two glasses of the red and pushed one closer to her, taking a sip of his own before bustling off around the kitchen, collecting ingredients and utensils from cupboards around the room.

She watched him with her head tilted on one side and resting on her open palm and a smile on her lips. As he closed a drawer with his hip and started humming, she couldn't hold back another giggle, causing him to look at her inquisitively and slightly sheepishly. Tosh smiled up at him. "I don't remember this being in your election campaign."

"Pardon?"

"Mature, sensible, intelligent, Cambridge graduate, surprisingly good fun."

He laughed and reached for a spatula. "Do you think I should put it on my CV?"

"I'd employ you." She grinned at his warm smile and raised her glass. "Cheers."

"Cheers, Toshiko." He clinked his glass with hers and turned back to his cooking, humming more loudly now. When he spoke again, she was taken by surprise. "Will you answer my questions about Ianto?"

She looked up at him, then considered her glass, turning it in her fingers. "That depends on what you ask, doesn't it?"

"Of course." He didn't turn. "Has he always been that efficient? He does the work his predecessor did in half the time."

"This is nothing, he kept us running, kept the Hub in working order, kept up to date with all the paperwork – his own, Jack's and Owen's most of the time – was a full time field agent and kept Jack..." She bit her lip and shook her head. "Kept Jack happy, all on his own. He could do the work here on his own, no problem."

"I almost wish he were staying here in the office." He signed.

She looked up sharply and frowned. "I never got a straight answer from him, what is his job here?"

"He's personal defence to the Prime Minister – me for the moment. Harriet Jones contacted him when she got lost in the bowels of Torchwood Tower on his first day in the job. He found her in the archives, provided her with coffee and led her back to safety an hour later after having told her nothing. Over the last few years, all my predecessors have used Ianto as their route to ignorance. And less of a headache than talking to Captain Harkness inevitably causes. He is also the Prime Minister's personal bodyguard. As of Monday, he will only work from this office when I am here too. The rest of the time, he accompanies me on my visits and to meetings as personal protection. It is my hope that I can also get him to take minutes for me." Tosh frowned, but said nothing; she would have words with Ianto later. "In addition to having someone who can protect us, we also need someone to protect the world from us. Do you know how many Prime Ministers of Great Britain have been aliens?"

"Three." Tosh frowned. "Harold Saxon, Joseph Green and John Smith."

He smiled. "And William Jenkins." He laughed at her look of shock. "Your Captain knew, but not many others. He was born in Chiswick, though."

"We never know whether to believe these things when Jack tells us them."

He set down two plates of spaghetti carbonara and sat down opposite her. "Tell me about him, and about Ianto. He won't tell be about either of them."

"Well Jack is..." She smiled as she thought about him. "He's the hero that every little boy wants to be when he grows up, and that every little girl wants to be with. He makes us feel like the best sidekick that ever kicked ass, and the most beautiful and magical princess in the world. When he looks at you, right at you, you feel like you're the only person in the world who matters. And he's so alone," her eyes went distant and sad. "Every person who touches him hurts him, I think."

"And Ianto." She scowled and set her fork down crossly. "Ianto is brilliant, professional, so good at what he does, and an absolute bastard."

He raised an eyebrow in shock. "Why do you say that?"

"Because I've seen what his leaving did to..." She stopped and looked away.

Gordon finished for her, "To Captain Harkness."

Tosh closed her eyes and sighed. "Yeah, they were involved. Heavily involved." She stopped and opened her eyes. "Why am I telling you this?"

"Ianto has been giving me lessons." He covered her hand with his own. "Don't be too hard on him, Toshiko; he is nursing his own broken heart."

She didn't answer, thinking of the haunted look in Jack's eyes now.

After lunch, Gordon had been hurried off to an afternoon of meetings and Tosh was guided gently but firmly back to Ianto's office. The aide with her gave Tybalt a withering glare – which worked about as well as it ever does on a cat – so she scooped the small form up before he could escape or cause the young woman's eyebrows to escape forever into her hair and closed the door in her face firmly. Ianto chuckled, but didn't look up from his paperwork, holding up a silencing finger as he finished his typing one-handed. "And... done." He smiled up at her and shut down his computer, coming over to take Tybalt from her. "That's me finished for today. How was lunch?"

"Lunch was extremely pleasant, and rather informative." She stroked Tybalt in a manner almost reminiscent of a James Bond nemesis – except that Tybalt was rather too small, ginger and fidgety – and fixed Ianto with a stare that worked much better on him than on a cat. "Gordon explained your job description to me."

Ianto, to his credit, didn't seem to be bothered by the fact. "Do I take it from your expression that you're not going to be after my job?"

"Ianto!" she cried, "You're supposed to be safer here!"

"No, Tosh, I'm here to do the job I'm good at and leave Jack in peace."

"You've left him in pieces! All that's holding him together is knowing that you're safer here than in Cardiff. If he finds out that you're in danger and he can't protect you, can't do anything... What do you think that would do to him?" She glared at him.

"I know, Tosh, I know. He said as much on the phone. But could you go back to the archives, to a life before Torchwood?" They both knew she couldn't, neither of them could. "There are worlds out there, and I get to taste just a bit of them. And I know the dangers that our world faces. I can't sit back and let someone else protect it when I know that I am capable of doing something worthwhile. Even if I just do this, it's something."

"You've had to choose between the world and Jack." She realised.

Ianto laughed without humour. "Tosh, if I had to choose between saving the universe and saving Jack, the universe could go to Hell; but whatever I do will hurt him. This method just has the maximum potential benefit."

She sagged and held Tybalt out to him. "I should get back to Cardiff."

"Yeah..." He took Tybalt from her and hugged him close, suddenly looking young, scared and alone.

'Ianto,' she thought at him, 'why are you doing this?'

Tosh tapped the steering wheel as she waited for Jack to answer the phone, watching the darkening miles of the M5 fly past. Finally, after four rings, he answered. "Tosh, sweetheart, tell me you're coming back to me?"

She smiled involuntarily. "Yes, Jack, I'm on the M5. Should be home in an hour or so."

"Good to hear, how was London?"

She frowned, "How did you know I was in London... Stupid question, sorry, Jack. London was fine. The Prime Minister's definitely an alien."

"Oh," he sounded worried, "what species?"

"I'm joking, Jack, he's human. Just seems too good to be true." She smiled. "I like him."

"Yeah, he seems pretty unflappable, I'll give him that. We've all headed home for the night, Tosh, so I'll see you in the morning?"

"Oh, I was going to see if you wanted a drink. Are you at the Hub?"

Jack paused, and then answered hesitantly, "No."

Tosh frowned. "Well then, where are you? Do you want a drink?"

"I'm... Yeah, I'd love a drink, where shall I meet you?"

Something was up; she didn't know Jack had an apartment, apart from Ianto's. The young man's departure had essentially left Jack homeless again, but Jack had mentioned something about getting his own place. "I'll pick up a bottle on my way in, don't worry." She answered, thinking fast. "Are you at your new apartment?"

Another hesitation. "Yeah."

"Well where is it? We can do a flat warming for you, even if it's just you and me."

She waited for him to answer, heard him moving around in the background. "I'm at Ianto's apartment. That's the apartment I bought."

"Jack..."

"What else could I do, Tosh? It's not like I have the time to find a flat and furnish it, and Ianto sold this place fully furnished. Besides, this is my home!" He sighed heavily down the phone and she heard his stand up. "Besides..."

"If you own that flat, he can still come back." She finished for him.

Tosh could see his fake grin in her mind's eye. "I live in hope."

She sighed. "Hope is in Derbyshire, Jack. It's not convenient for working at Torchwood."