AN: Must say the number of Favs and Alerts this story got in the few hours the Prologue has been up surprised me. This is the third story I'm writing for Torchwood and has almost equal following as the others.

To Deemamaa66, I wont give spoilers but I'll let you know I do lean towards the happy endings. Especially with TW, RTD created enough sad endings for us. Curses to him for created such interesting characters and then taking them away.

Chapter 1

Gwen sat on the couch biting back tears. One of her team members had died not three hours ago and she wanted nothing more than to go home and curl up into Rhys arms and have the man comfort her. But Jack would need her to be strong for him. He would need her now more than ever, so she would be there for him.

Toshiko absent-mindedly worked at her station. She needed to keep busy. Ianto was gone and though the two of them hadn't talked much with one another they had a silent bond. A bond between the quiet ones. They would often sit together saying absolutely nothing comforting each other during hard times. Times when team members were injured. During Gwen and Owen's affair. Ianto was always there for a shoulder to lean on and a coffee at hand. She would miss him greatly.

Owen and Martha sat opposite each other in the autopsy room, the cold metal of the table lay between them. Upon the table lay the lifeless form of one Ianto Jones, 25 years old. Bloody teaboy, Owen thought. Pulling the hero and leaving him to do the autopsy. There was nothing more detestable than to be the one to autopsy the man who had just saved your life. 25. Almost 10 years younger than any other member on the team, it wasn't right. Bloody Jack. Owen desperately wanted to blame Jack. Ianto was meant to be safely back at the Hub making sure there was coffee ready for their return.

And where was their fearless leader. He had taken off over three hours ago with saying nothing beyond, "Nobody touches him till I get back, is that clear?" So they waited. Each of them wanting nothing more than to go home and sleep, cry, or get wasted. Not sit and stare at their dead ally feeling guilty because it was meant to be them. Survivors guilt was a bitch.

The alert went off signalling the arrival of a team mate, Jack by matter of elimination. The large door rolled to the side with a groan and Jack breezed through making a B-line straight for the autopsy bay. He was his cloths were ripped and bloody and he was carrying a large wooden box. The team all followed suit and looked on to see what Jack had dragged in with him. Jack set the box down on a counter, popped open the lid and slowly reached inside pulling out yet another resurrection gauntlet.

"Oh, my God," Tosh exclaimed.

"Jack, you can't use it. Not after Suzie," Gwen pleaded.

"I'm using the glove. I'm bringing Ianto back," Jack said as though it were a fact as he slid his hand into it.

"Jack, at best it can give us two minutes and at worst, who knows what will happen," Gwen said desperately trying to dissuade Jack from potentially causing another Suzie incident. "Besides, last time the glove didn't work for you," she pointed out now grasping at straws.

"I'll make it work! Different glove different circumstances. And its not up for discussion," Jack stated his voice full of determination. "If you have anything, anything at all you need to say to Ianto, now's your chance."

The team looked on as Jack mumbled words of endearment to Ianto's still form as if trying to coax the young man back to life.

"Ianto, please hear my voice. Come back to me," Jack whispered quietly as he tried to force the glove to work through sheer willpower.

There were no screams or even any sign of panic in the young man as his vitals flared up on the monitors and his eyes flickered open. He simply took a quick look around the room and after a quick assessment understood what was going on. He looked up into Jack's gaze and said, "told you they came in pairs."

Jack smiled and quickly turned to his team and told them, "two minutes, hurry and say your goodbyes."

"I'm so sorry," Gwen said teary eyed to the doomed member.

"Be brave, Ianto you'll be missed," Martha said not really sure what to say to someone you just met while on their deathbed.

"I'll miss you, Ianto," Tosh whispered as Ianto gave her a silent nod. Even as his life was ticking away she felt as though he was still silently comforting her.

"Bloody prat, I wont feel guilty for this, it was your idiot move. But thanks, mate," Owen whispered the last part.

"Please, please don't leave me, Ianto," Jack begged the start of tears threatening to fall.

"I'm sorry, sir. Don't think its my choice anymore," Ianto pointed out sadly.

"Cause you're a bloody fool. A brave fool, but blood stupid," Jack scolded, heart not really in it. He was proud that Ianto did what he did, but he would miss his young lover greatly.

Ianto paused for only a moment before he made his decision, only seconds to live and its not like Jack would dump him in his final moments.

"I love you, Jack."

"Don't leave me," Jack begged again as he leaned in to kiss the dying man. He kissed him in hopes all the feelings he would never be able to say aloud would be expressed through his kiss.

The kiss, however, was short lived, so to speak. No sooner had their lips met did the constant beep of the heart monitor flat lining filled the room. Jack still hadn't noticed the sound, was far to caught up in the kiss to care.

"Jack, he's gone," Owen said dejectedly.

"Mmmsvsh," inaudible murmurs were heard coming from the two lovers.

Jack pulled away and looked down at Ianto, no just realizing the sound of the flat lining echoing about the room.

"No I'm not," Ianto repeated after being freed from his and Jack's lip lock.

"Ianto?" Jack asked while staring at his glove platted hand clearly not touching Ianto any longer. "But I'm not using the glove!"

"Yet, I'm still here. Oh well, here we go again," Ianto deadpanned.

"Owen, Martha I want to know what the hell is going on," Jack demanded as kept a firm hold on Ianto's hand. His thoughts burdened with a rambling onslaught of what this could mean. Ianto had no vitals, that much they knew, which would imply he was dead. Living dead to be more accurate. If he was truly dead his cells would no longer age. On the flip side they also wouldn't regenerate, and judging by the gun shot wound to his heart still being there any damages would be permanent. But if he no longer aged, if Jack could just keep him safe from harm could he finally have a companion that wouldn't leave him, even in death? As guilty as he felt for pushing this upon someone Jack couldn't help but feel a flicker of hope and excitement at the idea.

The two medics spent the next couple of hours looking Ianto over running whatever tests they could to try and figure out what was happening.

"No heart beat, means no blood flow, no need to breathe," Owen mumbled in quick succession.

"Actually can't breathe, not even an option it seems," Ianto added.

"His body is still dying Jack, everything is shutting down," Martha added.

"What do you mean shutting down? I thought being dead meant it was already shut down?" Jack asked.

"When you die the cells die off slowly after the fact. He might be able to combat rigor mortis by maintaining mobile, but the rest of his life functions, within a few days, will be gone. Likely within a few hours they'd be extremely limited," Martha responded.

"Specifics, please. What exactly can he expect," Jack demanded.

Martha and Owen gave each other a glance hoping the other would jump in and give the explanation, not wanting to be the one to break the news. It was Owen who finally caved and began.

"His senses are diminishing, Jack. I predict within eight hours his sense of touch will be all but gone and if I'm correct…" he started as he looked at Ianto, "since Ianto can no longer breathe his sense of smell is already gone."

"It is," Ianto replied.

Jack stared at his young lover in horror, realization of what being the living dead fully implied for the man.

"Can we treat it?" Jack asked fearing the answer.

"No." Both Martha and Owen replied in unison.

"There's more Jack, there is an unidentified energy building up inside Ianto. It might be wise to quarantine him for the time being. At least until we know what it is and what its doing to him," Martha suggested.

"I won't lock him in a cell, but Ianto, for now you're confined to the Hub."

"Understood, sir."

There was something about the way Ianto said the normally welcomed endearment that made Jack feel like he just got punched in the jaw. There was none of the usual love or flintiness laced within. It was simply a confirmation of the command.

"Everyone go home, its been a long day. I expect you all back here early tomorrow, we have a lot of stuff to sort out."

The team reluctantly made their way to the exit, but Jack kept his gaze planted firmly on Ianto, studying him. He sat on the autopsy bay table flapping his legs to-and-throw as a child would when sitting upon something in which their feet could not touch the ground. Ianto had never looked younger, but his eyes looked as though they had aged an eternity and concealed all the burdens of the world there in.

His Ianto was no longer there, all that remained was this shell. And it broke Jack's heart.

AN: As someone who doesn't write often it's an odd experience when you have several idea's bombarding your brain all at once that want out. Got three stories going now, hoping I can finish those before any more pop up wanting to be told. Hope you're all enjoying them as much as I have been writing them.