Chapter 3

Jack put Arabella down only to have her grab his head and pull him into a short passionate kiss.

"What dragged your sorry ass out of Cardiff? Did you miss me that much?" Arabella teased as they parted

"For your information Ari, I'm here for Ianto," Jack said with a wink as he moved passed her and perched himself on the side of the bed next to a confused Ianto.

"How are you feeling?" Jack asked pressing his hand to Ianto's forehead his smile growing a little as he realised Ianto's temperature was back to normal. A quick look over showed that all of his injuries from the cannibal incident were completely healed too.

"Better sir," Ianto replied his eyes flickering to the pair, standing in the doorway watching them, in silent question.

Jack saw where his eyes were and knew what he wanted.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here when you came, to Dexter and I were out dealing with Helen Sherman," Jack apologised

"The Cannibal woman?" Ianto asked instantly tensing.

"Yeah... Ok this is Dexter Syrah and Arabella White, they're old friends of mine..." Jack began and chose to ignore the amused snort that came from Arabella after that comment. "... They're both Pirask that's why I brought you here, they can teach you and help you adjust to the changes. When I got here Dexter was out so I took care of you for a day. You won't remember since you spent most of the time unconscious and when you did come to you were delirious. I managed to feed you but that was about it." Jack said not quite meeting his eyes, he'd felt pretty bloody useless not being able to help Ianto more that day but he simply didn't know what he was dealing with.

Pirask may have been more common and accepted in his time but that didn't mean he knew how they performed any of their rituals or whatever they wanted to call them.

Dexter came over to stand closer to the bed and speak with Ianto and Jack his arms tucked around Arabella's waist as she lent into his side comfortably.

Dexter was handsome as well, Ianto noticed and standing with Arabella they made quite a striking pair. So this was Arabella's mate, whatever that meant Ianto wasn't quite sure especially since she'd snogged Jack right in font of him.

Dexter was around Jack's height with a bigger built making him give the impression of being a rugby player or nightclub bouncer. He had short blonde hair and piercing green eyes baring the same gold tinge around his eyes as Arabella.

"When I got home I had one hell of a shock to find my front door broken from a forced entry..."

"I had to get in somehow and I forgot my key," Jack muttered and Ianto tossed him and amused smirk.

"He did a good job taking care of you. I was about to send one of the Coven hunters to take care of the CrimPar who turned you by force, when Jack mentioned it took four days for the turn to take hold. And that it only did because he coaxed you to drink his blood to save you from the pain of the organism's attacking your body. Since they had enough blood they then began the turn." Dexter explained picking up where Jack left off.

"Wait a minute the turn didn't take hold for four days?! That's impossible!" Arabella said shocked pulling back so she could see Dexter's face to make sure he wasn't trying to trick her.

Jack glared at Arabella as a worried look passed over Ianto's face.

"Bell come help me make coffee, I'm sure you remember how Jack likes it. Ianto would you like one?" Dexter asked grabbing Arabella's arm and dragging her towards the door.

"I think I'd be better off with a Tea if you have any sir," Ianto replied

"Of course, Earl Grey ok?"

"That will be fine thank you sir," Ianto nodded and the pair disappeared out the door.

There was a short silence and Jack and Ianto listened to Arabella growling at Dexter for dragging her away.

Jack went over to the wardrobe and pulled out a set of clean clothes, Ianto now realising that he was covered in blood.

"Is that yours Sir?" Ianto asked

"Hmm?" Jack asked confused before looking down at himself where Ianto's eyes were fixed on his bloody shirt.

"Oh, no, no, not mine or Dexter's, don't worry." Jack said popping into the bathroom but leaving the door partly open so he could still talk to Ianto.

"Who's is it Sir?" Ianto asked but got no reply except for the tap being turned on.

After a few minutes of silence Ianto finally asked what was bothering him.

"Is there something wrong with me sir?"

The bathroom door flew open to reveal Jack standing there in his boxers with a soapy flannel in his hand.

"What do you mean?" Jack asked snapping Ianto's attention away from where it was beginning to stare at his boss's chest.

"What Dexter said," Ianto asked wondering what the hell was wrong with him, he shouldn't think of Jack like that, he couldn't, could he?

"No of course not!" Jack said quick to reassure him. "Just let me put some clothes on, unless of course, you're enjoying the view, coz I can always loose the boxers as well if you'd like." Jack teased lightening the mood.

"That's beyond harassment sir," Ianto replied fighting to hold back a full face blush.

Jack just laughed and ducked back into the bathroom, reappearing a short time later dressed in old comfortable jeans, a white T-shirt and blue button up shirt open and over the top.

This time Ianto couldn't help but stare.

"What? I know I haven't worn these for a while but they're not that bad are they?" Jack asked looking down at himself.

"No Sir you look good," Ianto muttered and Jack looked up with a grin before Ianto corrected himself. "Fine, you look fine Sir. I've just never seen you in casual clothes before."

"See that's the thing about being the Boss of Torchwood. I'm never off duty when I'm in Cardiff, here I can relax," Jack said sitting on the other side of the bed mirroring Ianto's position propped up by pillows against the headboard.

"Ok..." Jack sighed gathering his thoughts before continuing "Dexter is head of what's called the Coven, it's pretty much the Governing body of the Pirask. There was all sorts of laws and rules, that I'm sure Dex will teach you, but forcing a turn is one of them. A certain amount of organisms must be inserted right into the bloodstream, it can't be through digestion or by blood to blood contact, unless it's some pretty massive injuries. So it's a pretty much guarantee that there are no accidental turns."

"So someone did this to me on purpose... Helen Sherman. She did this but why?" Ianto asked

Jack was quiet for a moment as if he was unwilling to continue.

"Sir?" Ianto prompted

"What was unusual about your turn was that it took so long to start. It only takes and hour for a human being to begin the change once they're injected. That's why Dex and I went to deal with her instead on just sending the hunter, which are like the Pirask police they respond to the commands of the Coven, and deal with the CrimPars."

"CrimPar?" Ianto wondered recognising the term that had come up a few times that day.

"Criminal Pirask. It took us a while to figure out which of the Cannibals it was then we took her away and ┘ questioned her."

"So the blood on your clothes was her's then. Is she still alive?"

"No she's dead. Her crime's were severe enough for the Coven to execute her. She injected all of their victims with a mixture of her Organisms and silver, which didn't let the turn begin but changed your blood work and DNA a little. She said she did it because it made the meat taste better." Jack said practically whispering the last bit.

Ianto stiffened next to him as images of meat and blood, a butcher cleaver and maggot infested corpses flashing though his mind.

With a sudden burst of strength Ianto threw back the covers and dashed into the private bathroom before emptying his stomach into the toilet.

Ianto felt a hand gently begin to rub his back as Jack knelt beside him.

"Sorry," Ianto muttered not lifting his head,

"I'm sorry, but I knew you'd ask why if I didn't tell you," Jack said

"You're right I would have," Ianto said lifting his head and Jack reached up to flush the toilet.

Climbing to his feet Jack helped Ianto up and turned him towards the sink. Grabbing a glass off the shelf he filled it and handed it to Ianto to rinse his mouth out, which he did gratefully.

Jack rummaged through the cupboard next to the sink producing a toothbrush still in its wrapper.

"Here it's a spare, there's toothpaste and mouthwash in the cupboard behind the mirror," Jack said handing Ianto the new toothbrush and ducking out of the bathroom to give Ianto some privacy as he cleaned up.

Ianto brushed his teeth and rinsed glancing around the bathroom, it was set up neatly with products that were obviously for a bloke, so it wasn't Arabella's room he'd been placed in. Was it Dexter's then?

He spotted Jack's bloody clothes screwed up and kicked into the corner, screwing up his nose in distaste as he fought down the urge to pick them up and stepped out of the bathroom into the main bedroom where Jack sat at the desk going through one of the draws looking for something.

"Why silver?" Ianto asked

"Silver what?" Jack asked not looking up and frowning as he obviously couldn't find what he was looking for in the draw.

"Helen mixed the Organisms with Silver why?"

"Like all living things the Organisms have one thing that is their ultimate poison. Their's is silver. So by mixing a certain amount of Organisms with the right amount of silver she didn't kill them but sent them into a sort of status as they worked to heal themselves rather than adapt your body."

"Oh, so when you say adapt my body?..."

"Ok think of it this way you look after your house right." Jack said leaning on the desk with one elbow as he spoke to Ianto.

"Yeah,"

"Why?"

"Because it means it's more liveable, it works better as a shelter and is more comfortable to live in," Ianto said not sure if that was the answer Jack was looking for or not.

"Precisely. The Organisms live within your body they heal your injuries like you'd fix a break or damage on your house. They keep you from aging so you don't ever wear out and they give you the little 'perks' you'll find out about as a way to help you protect yourself by making you the top of the food chain, as a manner of speaking."

"I guess that makes sense," Ianto nodded moving from the bathroom doorway he'd been leaning against to wander around the room looking at all the things on the dresser before moving to the photos on top of the chest of draws.

"A lot of these have got you in them," Ianto said in surprise scanning the photos that ranged from colour to black and white in all shapes and sizes.

"Yes that would be because they're mine. This is my room Ianto," Jack said with a small smile as Ianto's eyes widen in surprise.