"Right in we went, with soul intent, On Death and Dread and Doom: The hangman with his little bag, Went shuffling through the gloom."

(The Ballad of Reading Gaol: Oscar Wilde.)

CONCRETE COLOURED SKY cont…..

PC Andy Davidson was rather disappointed to discover the tray of untouched food in the young man's cell. The station grub wasn't that bad, after all he ate it everyday and he was still alive and kicking wasn't he? He bent down and retrieved the tray from the floor by the door and took a long hard look at the man lying on the bench under the barred window. The boy was lying flat on his back, hands resting on his chest. The jacket had been removed revealing a dark red silk shirt and silver cufflinks. For all the power dressing he looked strangely vulnerable. Andy couldn't imagine one of 'Mulder's' team being so young for a start, he always thought that the Torchwood bunch were a load of hard cases, the way Gwen had changed was enough to convince him of that. He hadn't come across this lad before in his dealings with 'that group'. Apparently he was Harkness' boyfriend, boy being the operative word and Andy half wondered if they could have the Captain up on 'indecency with a minor' charges. Andy wondered where Harkness was; surely he'd be here looking out for his teammate? Bloody Torchwood; walk all over everyone including one of their own.

Andy ventured to speak.

"Sure you don't want any of this?"

"No thank you."

At least this one had some manners.

Ianto waited for the cell door to be closed before he sat up, he went to adjust his tie and then remembered it wasn't there anymore because the custody officer had taken it away along with his belt and shoe laces. That felt weird. Why the hell did they take my bloody shoelaces? Ianto sighed leaning forward so his head was almost between his knees, elbows resting on his thighs. God he was tired. He wondered when they would turn out the lights so that he could sleep. He'd lost track of time and of course they'd taken his watch and his mobile phone, should've have asked the constable who took the tray really. Ianto hadn't even glanced at the food; the smell was enough to deter him from going near it. He sat there thinking on what Jack had said to him earlier. Ianto had never believed that Jack could love him. It always seemed to Ianto that Jack just wanted him around for the sex and the flirtatious banter. He had always assumed that once Jack had gotten bored that he'd be replaced, possibly even by Gwen. He was quietly pleased that Jack thought more of him than just 'the part time shag' but he was also scared of the whole idea. It was easy to love Jack, with the overly huge personality and stunning good looks and natural heroism. All qualities Ianto completely lacked. How could Jack possibly love him? That was just silly. Maybe he'd said it to make him feel better or because he loved Ianto in the same way he loved the entire team? That was probably it. Ianto wasn't exactly anything special, no one even noticed him most of the time. Maybe that's how it had been so easy to kill those girls and get away with it, he was a master at hiding himself and wasn't that his job; clean up? The police would have one hell of a job finding evidence, either way he was guilty he was certain of it, why would he feel this bad about something that hadn't happened?

He heard the key turn in the door and looked up to see Jack striding into the room an overnight bag in his hand. The door was closed and locked behind him.

"I brought a change of clothes for you." Jack offered a wry grin as he sat down at Ianto's side dropping the bag at his feet.

"Thanks Jack." Ianto pulled open the zip and removed the clean clothes. "Did you feed Moses?"

"Yeah, he was very pleased to see me, but I think he's missing you, one of the curtains in your bedroom is pretty ripped."

Ianto smiled. "He likes to swing on it. If you ever want to see a cat swing come round to mine at about 2am, he does it almost every night."

"How are you feeling Yan?"

"I'm OK Jack." He replied somewhat evasively as he began to unbutton his shirt. "How's the investigation going?"

"DI Swanson says it'll be a few days, but they're going to interview you again tomorrow. I'll be there for that."

Ianto hesitated and turned to look at Jack. "She's allowing that?"

"You're Torchwood, she doesn't get a choice and quite frankly I need answers as much as you do, there could be a wider issue here regarding the use of Retcon." Well that was his excuse anyway.

Ianto resumed his undressing.

"Ianto we had a decent look into your back ground. I'm sorry but it was…..required. There's a lot of stuff in your past you've never mentioned, it didn't make for very nice reading."

The red silk shirt was neatly folded into the bag, and then Ianto gingerly pulled the grey long sleeved T over his head mindful of his stitches.

"Do the others know?"

"They do now, Tosh had quite a job piecing it all together, and you're not an easy man to trace."

A black hooded top was pulled over the T- shirt.

"What did you tell them?"

"I said that you'd already talked to me about your past doings. Truth is they were all a little shocked. I know I was. There's 18 months we can't even account for. What were you doing?"

Ianto pulled off his socks. "I was circulating between Kings Cross, St Pancras and Euston train stations, picking pockets and dealing drugs to the local night workers. I was living in a squat in Brixton with a couple of guys from New Zealand and a girl from South Africa." He tried to maintain a matter of fact tone to his voice.

Jack was silent for a moment as he took it in. "Why didn't any one help when your parents died?"

"Jack would you do me a favour?"

"Anything provided you don't avoid any more of my questions."

"Can you just hold your coat up so I can change, there's a camera up there, I'd rather they didn't see me ….if you get my…."

Jack shook his head and gave Ianto an affectionate kiss on the cheek.

"Sure." He pulled off his coat and held it up to act as a screen, even now in the situation he was in Ianto could not over come his shyness, Jack couldn't help but think how cute that was.

"So, why didn't any one help you?"

Ianto changed swiftly into clean underwear and jeans before sitting back down. Jack put his coat back on as Ianto bundled his used clothes in the bag.

"They did. The social worker tried her level best. I just didn't want to be helped. All I wanted was my Mam and Tad back. I was horrid to the foster carers, I just hated them and looking back they were all nice people who really cared. I guess I just fell through the system after a while and when I ran away there was no one interested enough to chase it up. I learnt to survive."

"By doing drugs and selling yourself?"

Ianto frowned. "I never did either of those things, well not much. I did coke a few times but I never rented myself out. I think I would've died rather than do that. Actually I got lucky. Sean Taylor picked me up. He'd been watching me at the stations, said he needed someone with my amazing ability to be invisible. He gave me a job. Paid me cash, lots of it and never asked me for any dodgy sexual favours."

Ianto settled back on the bunk and drew his knees up to his chest, the pain that it brought to his stitches making him hiss. Jack rested his hand on his left knee gently rubbing circles with his thumb.

"So, who was your first lover then? Not Sean Taylor I gather."

"Why are you asking?"

"Because you are my partner and you've never talked about any of this and I want to know you."

"That may not be such a good idea Jack. I could be spending the next 20 years in prison."

Jack heaved out a sigh. "Ianto Jones will you stop talking like that? I do not believe you have done these things, why can't you believe that of yourself?"

"I'm no angel Jack."

"You're not the devil either. I just wish you'd see yourself with better eyes. You are a good man Ianto. I would've fallen apart so many times if you hadn't been there for me. You're like my moral compass or some such damn thing. You make sense of my madness. I just don't get why you have such a low opinion of yourself."

"Lisa."

"What?"

"Lisa, she was my first. You were my second."

"Really?"

"Yes Jack, really. Lisa asked me out about a year after I started at Torchwood. It took her months to get me in bed. I just didn't know what to do. Stupid really, she found it endearing, my shyness."

Jack was smiling at that. "It is endearing, I love it when you blush, makes me tingle."

"Jack there is a CCTV camera in here."

Jack didn't much care and promptly nuzzled Ianto's neck and bit his earlobe.

"Jack, not here." Ianto hissed flushing scarlet.

"Well I'm in the right place to get arrested for indecent exposure." Jack was grinning like an errant schoolboy now.

Ianto could not help but smile for the first time in days he actually felt a degree of happiness.

"Thank you Jack."

"For what?" was mumbled into his ear with a kiss.

"For this, being here."

Jack pulled away and carefully guided Ianto's chin so they were looking at each other. "Where else would I be?"

AN: May not be able to update for about 10 days as I am working away…….

Thank you to those who have read so far. xx