A/N - Hello everyone, another short chapter (sorry) but I've been swamped recently. I don't own Torchwood. Enjoy!

It had been a month since the 'special' guests in the hub had departed.

Ianto's physical injuries had been healing well. All that remained as evidence of his traumatic experience was a broken arm, set in a cast as it mended, and when he 'stopped'. Or at least that was what everyone called it.

Every so often, usually about three times a day, Ianto would freeze and he would forget what he was doing, he would forget the world existed. He would slump to the floor and curl up, shutting out the world that, to him, didn't exist.

It broke Jack's heart to see his lover so vulnerable and upset. But he had to see it, because Jack was the only one who could 'start' Ianto again, even though it grew harder to wake him each time.

Jack sat in his office doing paperwork (that should have been completed months ago) when Gwen burst in. Jack was used to it as over the past month Gwen (or Martha when she'd temporarily visited from UNIT) had often run announcing that 'Ianto had stopped again'. Although, this time, the message was different.

'Jack, it's Ianto, He's stopped but it's different. Jack I'm scared.'

Jack jumped up 'Where is he?'

'In the kitchen.'

Jack ran out of his office towards the little kitchen in the hub. And froze, momentarily, in the doorway at the sight that greeted him.

Ianto was lying in the middle of the floor, moaning and shaking, tears running from his eyes that had become lifeless and staring.

When Jack had taken a moment to absorb the situation, he ran and knelt down next to the trembling form of his lover. He placed his arms around Ianto, enveloping him and drawing him in closer. Ianto reacted to Jacks touch, screaming and kicking out and Jack jumped back in alarm, stunned that the person he was so close to didn't seem to know him anymore.

In the end, after both Jack and Gwen had tried (and failed) to calm Ianto, all they could do was sit and wait for him to stop himself. And he did, after about half an hour (although it seemed like an age to Jack) Ianto fell into a peaceful sleep, the first peaceful sleep he'd had in weeks.

Between his attacks Ianto was perfectly normal. A little worse for wear but nevertheless alright. He and Jack had identified the artefact that Torchwood Four were so eager to get their hands on when Deena was there on her own so there was no need to find it now. Although Ianto had surprised everyone by announcing that he already knew what it did and he had done for some time.

'It's an invisibility device' He had stated 'It says in the files that you hold it in your hand and you reach out your mind to connect with it, and it…'

'Makes you invisible.' Jack had finished his sentence for him.

'Is that why you said it was like something from Lord of the Rings?' Asked Gwen, obviously wanting to be part of the conversation.

'Yes well, it is like the Ring in a way.'

'I wonder what Torchwood Four wanted it for.' Asked Jack suddenly as if the thought had only just occurred to him, although everyone was thinking it. 'They wanted it so much they were willing to kill for it.'

'Maybe Basham was just a bit mad.' Suggested Gwen though it didn't escape her notice when Ianto flinched at the name.

'Maybe…' said Jack breathing out heavily 'but I guess we'll never know.'

A/N - Sorry for the annoying ending. There will probably be only one more chapter to round things off.

Until next time... (reviews keep me going between chapters hint hint)