Summary: Following orders always reminded Ianto of Torchwood 1. Occasionally, Jack has to remind him that he isn't like Yvonne Hartman. Five times Jack Harkness punished Ianto Jones and one time he didn't.

Disclaimer: Torchwood belongs to RTD and the BBC. And yes, that rhymes.

Orders Disobeyed

Second Time

When Jack knocked on Ianto's door that morning, he wasn't sure what sight would greet him behind it. He remembered in what state he had dropped the young man off the night before and what had happened to get him there.

The moment the sound of their shots had died down and the cyberwoman's body had dropped to the ground, it seemed as if no-one dared to move. The silence was deafening. Ianto was sobbing without sound on the floor and his sudden outpouring of grief seemed to temporarily freeze everyone's motion. Jack eventually broke the spell.

"I need you to take the bodies upstairs. Autopsy and clean-up can wait until tomorrow. Just get them to the morgue and we'll deal with it in the morning."

"What about …" Gwen's voice trailed off and she indicated Ianto with her head.

"I'll take care of him," Jack replied grimly. He stepped forward and grabbed Ianto's upper arm, hauling him up from the floor. It was like lifting a dead weight. He barely gave Ianto a chance to stand on his own, before dragging him forcefully towards the door.

"Jack, you're hurting him!" Tosh protested.

Jack silenced her with a look and continued on his way. They left the lower levels and entered the main hub. Jack headed for his office and once there, threw Ianto unceremoniously into the chair in front of his desk. He then positioned himself behind his employee and drew his Webley, placing it against the back of the young man's neck.

"You hid a cyberman in the basement. You lied to me. You put the whole team in danger. You disobeyed my orders. You held a gun to your colleagues. I told you to finish the job and you didn't. Give me one reason why I shouldn't follow protocol and execute you right now."

Ianto flinched as the cold metal was pressed against his skin, but didn't react otherwise. When Jack was finished, he stayed quiet a long time. When he felt the gun being pressed even harder against his neck, he finally replied, in a whisper that was so soft that Jack had to strain his ears to hear it. "I loved her."

The Webley dropped from Jack's grip. It hit the ground with a loud clang. Jack wasn't worried about it going off accidentally. He had, after all, emptied the entire magazine into the cyberwoman downstairs. Ianto didn't respond to the sudden absence of the gun. Lisa's death had pushed away all other emotions, leaving only room for uncontrolled grief. Even his rage seemed to have completely dissipated.

"Why didn't you tell me? I could have helped."

Ianto's voice was flat, emotionless. He stared at the floor. "You would have killed her."

"Maybe that would have been the right thing to do. She wasn't Lisa anymore, Ianto. You do see that now?"

Ianto's nod was small, almost imperceptible. Jack noticed it anyway. They were silent for a long time after that. Eventually, they heard the others leave.

"Not long after you started working here," Jack began, "I told you that you were my responsibility now. I'm not going back on my word. You are still my responsibility. And yes, I'm angry right now. And yes, you're actions will have consequences. But I believe we can get past this."

Ianto carefully looked up from the floor. There was something akin to relief in his voice. "No retcon?"

"No. But you are suspended from active duty for a month. Come on, I'm taking you home."

When he'd driven them to Ianto's apartment, he took the young man inside and sat him down on the couch. He told Ianto he'd stop by the following morning at ten and that he expected Ianto to be dressed and ready then. When Jack left, his employee was still sitting on the couch, staring blankly ahead of him.

A night had passed since then. Jack knew it was unlikely Ianto was still devoid of emotion. It was more plausible that he was either consumed by grief or rage. Jack was about to knock a second time when the door opened.

Ianto's eyes were red from crying and sleep deprivation, but his hair and clothes were immaculate as always, perhaps even more so. He was wearing a black suit and a black tie. Upon seeing his boss, he nodded his head in a formal greeting. "Sir." His voice didn't betray how drastically their relationship had changed compared to just two days ago.

Jack didn't bother asking him how he felt. He knew Ianto would probably reply with a stiff 'Fine, sir' and refuse to share anything else. Instead, he beckoned Ianto to follow him and led him to the SUV. They got in and Jack drove off with neither of them speaking a word. Their journey continued for twenty minutes, until Jack parked the car in front of a row of houses in the heart of Cardiff.

Ianto finally spoke. "Where are we?" He glanced at Jack and then at the house before which they'd stopped.

"We're at the house of Annie Morgan and her parents." He looked over at Ianto and saw the young man grew a little paler. He clearly recognized the name. "When she didn't come home from her job of delivering pizza's yesterday evening, her parents called the police. I've had contact with the officers on the case this morning and have agreed with them that we'll tell the family that Annie has died in a car crash yesterday evening."

Jack opened the car door and when he saw that Ianto hadn't followed him, he walked to the other side of the car and opened Ianto's door. The younger man looked at him with a combination of desperation and fear. "Sir, I can't do this!"

"Yes, you can." Jack told him firmly. "And you will. Come on."

He had to wait another minute before Ianto came out of the car at his own volition. Together, they walked up to the front door of the Morgan's. When Jack knocked, the door opened almost immediately.

"Mr and Mrs Morgan?"

Two people were standing on the doorstep. They were in their fifties and it was clear that they hadn't gone to sleep that night. It was almost if they expected bad news.

"I'm Captain Jack Harkness and I'm with the police," Jack began, holding up an official police badge he was allowed to use in emergencies. He motioned to the man standing half a step behind him. "This is my colleague, Ianto Jones. I'm afraid I have bad news for you."

Mrs Morgan tightened her grip on her husband's arm. "It's about Annie, isn't it? Is she okay? Is she hurt?"

Jack was silent for a moment and before he had a chance to speak again, Mr Morgan said softly: "She's dead, isn't she?"

Jack nodded, secretly glad about just having to confirm the suspicions, rather than introduce the subject himself. "Annie was involved in a car crash yesterday. She died on impact. I'm sorry."

As Mrs Morgan collapsed against her husband, Jack felt like an intruder on their grief. They waited on the doorstep, until the family had gathered themselves a bit. Then, after Mr Morgan had invited them in, they moved to the living room. Jack sat down on a chair, while Mr and Mrs Morgan took the couch. Ianto preferred to stand.

"Can we see her?" Mrs Morgan asked, her voice still thick with tears, "I mean, can we see her body?"

Jack sighed. "I'm afraid that that is impossible. During the crash, both cars involved caught fire."

"But how can you be sure it's her?" Mr Morgan asked desperately. "Maybe she wasn't the one driving! She could still be alive!"

"We were able to identify her vehicle and personal belongings. The dental records also matched." Jack explained. "I'm sorry, but we're sure."

Mrs Morgan shuddered and took a shaky breath. "I don't want to hear this. I can't hear this." She got up. "I'm going to make some tea, okay? I can't hear the details. I really can't. I'm sorry."

"I'll help you," Ianto volunteered. Jack nodded his consent and Ianto followed Annie's mother into the kitchen.

As Ianto set about boiling water, Mrs Morgan spoke again: "Annie was only working in that pizza place in order to earn enough money to go to college, you know. She was a smart girl."

"I met her," Ianto blurted out. "She delivered a pizza to me a few times. She was nice, always took the time to chat."

Mrs Morgan managed a watery smile. "That's kind of you to say so."

Ianto's heart broke a little as she said it. He was suddenly painfully aware that Annie's mother was talking to her killer. A wave of guilt hit him so forcefully that he swayed on the spot. He tried to recover quickly.

"Are you okay?" Mrs Morgan asked him. She gave him one of those looks only a mother could give, scrutinizing and concerned at the same time. "You look a little pale. Have you eaten already?"

"I'm fine, ma'am."

"Nonsense." She sat him down at the kitchen table and pressed a biscuit into his hand. Then she joined him at the table and as they waited for the water to boil, she told him about Annie. She told him about her daughter's hobbies, her dreams and her ambitions. Ianto simply listened, occasionally offering a word of comfort that felt like betrayal. Eventually, they rejoined Jack and Mr Morgan, who seemed to have discussed all they needed to discuss. Jack gave them the final details, before politely excusing himself and Ianto.

At the door, Mrs Morgan told them: "Thank you. For telling us, I mean."

"It's our job," Jack said firmly. "Again, we're really sorry for your loss, Mr and Mrs Morgan."

"Thank you, Mr Harkness," Mr Morgan replied. "And you, Mr Jones."

They shook hands a final time and got back in the SUV. Jack drove off and as the car sped away from the house, Ianto started crying in the seat next to him. It happened so suddenly that it startled Jack. The young man on the passenger side simply dropped his head in his hands and began to sob. Jack decided not to stop the car.

"You didn't kill Annie," he told Ianto. He kept his eyes on the road, careful not to dispense any other form of comfort. He wanted Ianto to listen. "A cyberman killed her. The fact that that cyberman resided in our basement, is something for which the both of us are to blame. You didn't tell me about it, but I didn't look hard enough. Today, I chose to show you the consequences that actions can have and how I always have to consider those consequences." He glanced at Ianto for a moment. "I didn't want to kill her, Ianto. I don't wish to kill alien species. I'm not like that. But in this case, I needed to consider the bigger picture. I couldn't take the chance that she escaped." Ianto didn't even look at him. "I know you don't want to think about that right now, but before you come back, you need to realize that."

Ianto didn't react. Jack didn't expect him to. He briefly touched the younger man's shoulder, stroking his back for just a second, before grabbing the wheel again. He dropped Ianto off at his apartment, but decided not to go in. Instead, he called Toshiko.

"Tosh? Yeah, it's Jack. Could you go round to Ianto's this afternoon?" He waited for a moment while she asked a question. "No, he's fine. He just needs a friend right now."

TBC

A/N: Thanks to all the kind people who reviewed! I appreciate it a lot. I hope you like this chapter as well.