A/N: Hi, I can imagine that you are surprised to see an update to this story as it has been 16 months since i last updated. I can not apologise enough, but i am really sorry. The latter half of 2011 was not good for me and it has taken a while to get real life back on track. Anyway you don't want to know about all my problems so i'll get on with it. The good news is i am now in a good place and writing again. This story will be finished and hopefully quite soon as there aren't too many chapters to go. I hope that people are still interested in reading how this story turns out and i appreciate your patience in waiting for this. Please review even if it's just to let me know you are still with me. Thank you Kat :)

Chapter 9.

Ianto slowly made his way up to the boardroom. When he reached the doorway he took in the sight of Lexie sat against the wall, knees pulled up to her chest and her face buried in her arms. From the way her shoulders were shaking he could tell she was crying. He knocked on the door lightly to alert her to his presence. Lexie looked up with red rimmed eyes and then looked away towards the window as Ianto entered the room. He offered her a tissue which she took with a small smile. "Seems all I've done in the last few hours is cry," she said wiping her face.

"I think you have a good reason," replied Ianto. "May I sit here?" he asked pointing to the space next to her.

"Sure", said Lexie as she stretched her legs out in front of her. "He's angry with me isn't he? Lexie questioned as Ianto sat next to her. It took Ianto a second to understand what she was asking, but then it clicked that she was referring to Jack and what had happened downstairs.

"Jack is angry, yes, but not at you". He held up a hand to forestall the retort on Lexies lips. "I realise you could feel Jacks emotions and that they were very strong. I also sense that you were channelling them somewhat." Ianto knew he was right by the blush that appeared on Lexies cheeks. "I think he may be a little upset that you never trusted him enough to tell him about your past completely, but he'll get over that. If things were as bad as you say then it's no wonder you kept it to yourself".

"I never saw the need to tell anyone I hated my father and when I realised I was safe from him I was so happy. It took time, I mean I didn't have the best time when I first got here and then I was convinced he'd find me somehow. I eventually told Jack a little about my family life, enough that he knew it was hard, but by then it was literally a whole different life and I pushed it out of my mind. I knew Jack had travelled through space and there was a fear he would know my father and I couldn't risk it. Turns out I was right", she added bitterly.

"Jack knows you are nothing like your father and once he gets over the shock of finding out nothing will change".

"You can't be sure of that".

"Believe me, I can be very persuasive."

Lexie laughed at that. "I bet, but please spare me the details." Ianto smiled and gently bumped his shoulder against Lexies. She sighed and asked, "What's going to happen now?"

"Well Tosh is working on how these guys have been getting about, Gwen has been looking through your dad's diary and Jack has gone to talk to our guests."

Lexie groaned at that last statement. "That won't go well, Byron has the uncanny ability of rubbing people up the wrong way and with the mood Jack was in…" she trailed off.

"Its okay, Owen is keeping an eye on the cells in case intervention is needed." Ianto paused; broaching the subject of what was in the diary again wasn't going to be easy. Tosh had asked him on the way up here to ask her about people who could be suspects. Lexie obviously picked up on his nervousness.

"What else?" she asked.

Ianto smiled, "I keep forgetting I can't hide anything from you. In one of the diaries it mentions someone who has been watching you for some time. It seems they were tasked with keeping tabs on you until the others could come through."

"This just keeps on getting better and better," muttered Lexie. "Any clues as to who it might be?"

"Going on what we can from the diary, it's a male and he has been here for around six years."

Lexie looked thoughtful at this. "I don't have a lot of friends as I find it difficult to trust people, and hiding my empathic abilities is hard too. It can't be someone I'm too close to as I can count them on one hand and I've known them all for longer than six years." Lexie leaned her head back against the wall as she continued to think on the problem. "I really don't know, sorry."

"That's okay; whoever it is could have been watching from a distance, you may never have even spoken to them. I have a feeling though that with the way things have been escalating today they will show themselves soon enough."

Lexie took a deep breath and stood up. "Right, I'm done with hiding up here, I need to help find out what's going on and to prepare myself for the possibility of having to deal with my father. I need to look at dad's diaries to see if I can get anything from them."

Ianto stood up too. "You sure you're up for it?"

"No not really but I want to put a stop to whatever's going on as soon as possible."

Ianto nodded, "We'll be with you every step of the way." With that they left the boardroom and headed down to the main hub.

XX

While Ianto had gone up to the boardroom to talk to Lexie, Jack had made his way down to the cells to talk to Byron. He was still upset about what had transpired between him and Lexie. Jack hadn't meant to give Lexie the impression that he was angry with her. He was the last person to judge someone for keeping their past a secret. He couldn't blame her for keeping the fact Thomas Hopkins was her father a secret, the guy was a bastard. There was one thing that Jack was certain of though and that was no matter what Hopkins tried he was not getting Lexie back, he would protect her with his life. Jack reached the cells and turned to the one Byron was in, "I want to know what your plan was and who else is here?"

"Straight to the point I see," sneered Byron. "I appreciate that. Plan was simple really, bring Lexie home."

"Not going to happen, Lexie lives here now and she's not going anywhere."

"So protective, but it won't matter Mr Hopkins always gets his way."

Jack moved closer to the glass of the cell, "Well Mr Hopkins will have to get used to the taste of failure."

Byron laughed, "Whatever you say. The plan to return Lexie to where she belongs has been a long time in the making."

"Help me understand something, why does Hopkins want Lexie back so badly, I mean the effort and expense he must have gone to so that he could send people back in time through the Rift to get her must have been immense."

"He has the means to do all this and as to why it's so important, you would have to take it up with him. I am but a loyal servant, who will do whatever is asked of him."

Jack rolled his eyes in a very Ianto like manner at this. He wasn't going to get anywhere with this guy. "Who else is here?" he repeated his earlier question.

"Someone who has been very useful to our cause. At home his name was Mac, but I do not know what he goes by here."

Jack moved away from the glass and turned to walk back up to the main up, coming down to the cells had been a waste of time, but at least he had calmed down. As he walked away, he turned and said, "Make yourself comfortable because you are going to be there long time." He then strode out of the cell area and up the stairs back to the main hub. When he got there he spotted Lexie and walked over to her. "I'm sorry for earlier, I wasn't mad at you."

"I know and I'm sorry for storming off." Lexie moved closer and gave Jack a hug. As she was pulling away her phone started to ring. "Hello".

"Hello Lexie", came a deep voice on the other end, one she had hoped to never hear again. It was her fathers, he had found her.