It was almost 3pm by the time Jack and Ianto emerged from their room, Ianto was still tired but insisted that he needed to get some fresh air. The sun was shining and it was quite warm outside so they decided to go downstairs and sit in the garden for a while. As they reached the bottom of the stairs Aggie came hurrying towards them
"Ianto you look much better," she said suddenly engulfing him in a hug
"Thank you Aggie I feel better," he said returning her hug
"You both must be starving you've missed breakfast and lunch, go and sit in the dining room and I'll get you both something to eat"
"We were going to sit outside for a bit Aggie, to get some fresh air"
"Good idea, I'll bring you something outside" she said and disappeared towards the kitchen.
"Come on Yan" said Jack putting his arm around his waist. He hadn't bothered with the sling today he was fed up with not being able to hold Ianto close to him. As long as he was careful not to use it he'd be all right.

Jack led Ianto to a table under a large oak tree; they'd barely sat down when Aggie came out carrying a tray.
"Eat up, there's plenty more coffee and tea in the kitchen just help yourselves when you're ready" she said and put the tray on the table then left them alone.
Ianto held onto Jacks hand, he felt safe as long as he was with him. His brain had almost recovered from the trauma it suffered the night before, with Jacks help as an anchor he'd been able to bring himself back. After Lisa he'd swore to himself that he would never permanently anchor to anyone again, it was like a death sentence if anything happened to them, the physic trauma that his brain suffered when Lisa died was uncontrollable it very nearly killed him but he knew with Jack it would be different. Jack was different, hadn't he promised him forever? Ianto knew that he would grow old and Jack wouldn't, Jack would never die although he tried to take his own life more times than Ianto knew. Jack told him things he had never told anyone else even the fabled Doctor. He knew that Jack had tried to kill himself when he realised something had happened on the game station but all to no avail. He just came back. Ever since he'd fallen for Captain Jack Harkness he'd dreamed of spending the rest of his life with him but never thought it would happen. It wasn't until a few months ago that Jack first told him that he loved him that had been the turn around in Iantos life he realised Jack wasn't going anywhere. He never dreamed though he'd be as happy as he was now though, he remembered the first time Jack had kissed him in front of the team after he'd come back from defeating Abarthon, that was a couple of days before he mysteriously disappeared for a year. He was in love with a man whom he knew loved him and had asked him to marry him.
"Penny for them" said Jacks voice
"Huh what?" said Ianto, the sound of Jacks voice bringing him back from his thoughts
"You've sat there for nearly an hour not saying thing"
"We only just sat down Jack," said Ianto turning to look at him
"Yan we've been here an hour, all you've done is hold on to my hand tighter than you ever have, you've had a glazed look in your eye and you never heard a single word I said did you"
"Sorry I was thinking"
"About us, Yan if you're having second thoughts"
"No its not that Jack" he paused then continued
"I was thinking about us, yes but also about Lisa and what happened when she died"
Jack never thought about what Yan might have been going through at the time, he sent him home.
"What happened Yan? I should never have sent you home that night"
"You did what you had to Jack"
"She was your anchor wasn't she? she was your anchor in the field that's why you refused field work after she was 'updated'"
The tears appeared in Iantos eyes as he nodded
"Oh god, then I killed her and sent you away you were fighting physic shock and I sent you away, I could have killed you"
"But you didn't Jack, I'm still here"
"Those first few days must have been terrible, I shot her and severed the link between you"
He nodded again as Jack grabbed him and pulled him close
"Why didn't you tell me Yan"?
"What could you have done, you'd still have had to kill her Jack, she murdered 2 people and I helped her"
"No Yan, you didn't you tried to stop her I know you, you wouldn't have let her live"
"I couldn't kill her Jack, even when you ordered me to I couldn't do it"
"I know and I should have realised then, it was the beginning of the physic shock the link was almost severed when she was turned and I completed it when I shot her"
"Its ok Jack, in a way it was the best thing you could have done for me"
"I nearly killed you Yan," he sobbed
"But you didn't Jack, I was learning to cope with the lessening of the link it wasn't as bad as it would have been"
"I could have killed you"
"Jack you didn't kill me, you saved me"
"How do you figure that?"
"I was slowly dying inside along with Lisa, she was suffering and I let her, you killed her and severed the link something I could never have done. You saved my life and gave me a reason to live again"
"I did," said Jack still holding him close and looking deeply into his eyes
"You gave me love Jack, after everything I did you loved me, it was you that me saved me those 3 days I spent at home on my own I tried to kill myself several times"
"You never told me that," he said kissing his forehead
"You want to know the reason I didn't do it"
Jack no longer trusted his voice he nodded
"You stopped me, remember when you kissed me after you'd come back from defeating Abarthon"
"I remember"
"It was that moment that stopped me, my heart kept telling me you were my future and you are" he dropped his head on Jacks shoulder and let the tears fall. He'd wanted to tell Jack everything for so long but couldn't find the right words.
"You saved me too Yan, you gave me a reason to live not just exist, that's all I've ever done until I took over Torchwood and met you and the rest of the team, you're my reason for staying and learning to live again"
"We'll be alright won't we Jack"
"You and me, of course we'll be alright we're together, that's where we are meant to be"
"You and me against the world" said Ianto smiling
"Forever Yan, we're forever"

Their lips met, the food and drinks sat on the table forgotten. Aggie looked out from the kitchen window and smiled, they reminded her of her two nephews, 2 men so in love they could face anything as long as they were together and she could tell these two were born to be together.