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

One Time He Didn't

"Mr Jones?"

Ianto looked up at the nurse standing at his bedside. He tried to sit up a little more against the propped up pillows and winced as his body protested.

"Visiting hours are almost over. You still haven't found anyone who is able to take you home?"

"No," Ianto said sadly, but then added quickly: "But I can go home by myself. Really, I'll be fine."

The nurse looked at him regretfully. "I'm sorry, but if you have no-one to take care of you, it would be very unwise to release you. I'm afraid you'll have to stay the night."

Ianto glanced at the clock. "There are still a few minutes left, right? Perhaps one of my colleagues will come. I mean, they're quite busy, but I'd expected them to come by." He trailed off.

"They still might, Mr Jones." The pity in the nurse's voice was evident. She clearly believed he was a sad case.

Ianto sighed. He'd really expected them to come. Alright, maybe not Owen. He wasn't the concerned type. But perhaps Tosh and Gwen. And Jack. He was fairly sure Jack was angry with him, though. Maybe he didn't want to see him anymore. Or maybe he just forgot, a small voice in the back of Ianto's mind whispered. Maybe he didn't care.

The nurse returned ten minutes later. "Visiting hours are over, Mr Jones," she informed him sympathetically. "We better make you comfortable for the night."

"That won't be necessary," a voice suddenly came from the door. "He'll be coming with me."

"Jack!" Ianto was both worried and relieved. He eyed the man in the doorway nervously.

The nurse looked at Ianto, then at Jack. "You want to go with this man?"

"Yes," Ianto said decisively, but faltered slightly when he took in Jack's stern demeanour. "Yes, I do."

"Alright," she told him cheerfully. "I'll get a wheelchair for you and you'll be out of here in no time at all."

"I don't need a wheelchair," Ianto protested. "I'm fine. I can walk." He decided to prove the point by throwing off the covers, twisting his body with a painful grimace and placing both his feet on the cold floor.

"Mr Jones, I really think it would be wiser-"

"Don't mind him," Jack interrupted the nurse. He strode to Ianto's bedside in just a few steps and loomed after the younger man. He then glared down at Ianto, who, after a second of deliberation, moved his legs back into the bed. "We'd appreciate a wheelchair."

Ianto sighed in an almost petulant manner, but thought it wise not to comment. The nurse left the ward and a tense silence remained. Jack threw the covers back over Ianto, making it clear that they weren't leaving just yet. While waited for him to speak, Ianto nervously smoothed down the covers and avoided eye contact.

"Ianto, do you know what happens when I die?"

"Yes," The young man replied hesitantly and confused. "Of course I do." He was waiting for the yelling to start, but Jack's voice was eerily calm.

"Tell me."

"Well, you come back to life."

Jack nodded. "And what happens when I get hurt?"

"You heal."

"That's right. What happens if you die?"

Ianto saw where Jack was going with this. "I didn't die. It wasn't that dangerous! I'm fine."

Jack's eyes flashed dangerously. He repeated his question, laying emphasis on every word: "What happens if you die?"

"I won't come back." Ianto replied reluctantly.

"What happens when you get hurt?"

"I end up here," Ianto spat out. "Do you really think I don't know that?"

"Apparently you don't!" Jack retaliated angrily, finally letting his calm façade drop. "You threw yourself in front of me! I should have been the one that was attacked by that alien, but you deliberately put yourself in the line of fire!"

Ianto let the rage wash over him. "Can you imagine what it would feel like if I died?" He asked the older man suddenly.

Jack appeared thrown by the question. "Why do you say that?"

"Every time I watch you die, I'm afraid you won't come back," Ianto explained softly. "Every time you die, it feels like you're really gone. And when that thing went for you, I didn't even think about what I did. I know you're always in pain after your resurrections. I guess I just didn't want to see you hurt again."

Jack sank down on an empty bed next to Ianto's. All the anger seemed to have left him. He only seemed weary. "Ianto, you can't protect me."

"I know."

Jack waited, sensing that Ianto was holding something back. The silence didn't last long.

"I couldn't protect Lisa either."

Jack sighed and moved to Ianto's bed, placed a careful arm around the younger man's shoulders and pulled him against his chest, taking care not to hurt him. Ianto's head rested against Jack's shoulder, while Jack's fingers started threading softly through his hair. "You have done the best you possibly could for both of us. And I'm sorry. I should have visited you early. I was just so afraid I'd lost you this afternoon and I guess it was easier to be pissed off than worried."

"'s okay," Ianto said, leaning against Jack. Normally, he'd have shied away from the comfort, but after fearing that his boss would leave him in the hospital, he welcomed the closeness. "I'm sorry too. You were right. What I did, was stupid. And I'm glad you still came to get me."

"Always."

They sat together, neither of them saying a word, until the nurse returned with the wheelchair. Jack helped Ianto put some clothes on, before lifting him gently into the chair, not minding the younger man's protest that he was perfectly capable of doing it himself. Jack also insisted that Ianto wore his military greatcoat over his clothes. Ianto argued that it was too big for him and that it made him feel like a child who'd raided his father's closet, but again, his remarks were pointedly ignored.

As Jack wheeled him through the hospital corridors towards the exit, Ianto asked him: "Am I in trouble, sir?" He placed a slight emphasis on the last word, making it clear to Jack that he was once more addressing him as his boss.

"What, for almost killing yourself and giving me my first grey hairs?"

"Yes, for that."

"No, you're not in trouble," Jack decided. He knew Ianto sometimes had difficulty following orders. He also knew he hadn't exactly ordered Ianto not to put himself in harm's way, but that if he'd done so, Ianto wouldn't have stepped aside today. That thought worried him, but it touched him too. He liked the idea that there was one person who didn't take his immortality for granted and was still willing to try his best to avoid his deaths.

"Really?" Ianto asked, surprised. "Not that I'm complaining or anything, but why not? You seemed pretty angry."

Jack pressed a kiss on top of Ianto's head. "Life's too short to be angry at each other."

Ianto wanted to point out that Jack's life was going to be far from short, but something in his boss' tone kept him from speaking.

"Besides," Jack continued lightly. "I'm going to spend the next week taking extremely good care of you. And for reasons I still can't fathom, you always seem to think my cooking is punishment enough."

Ianto laughed.

The End

A/N: That was it. Hope the end wasn't too sappy and still a bit in character. I must thank you for all the fantastic reviews you've left over the past chapters. It was a fantastic encouragement and I truly appreciated it!

A/N2: Gareth David-Lloyd in concert was brilliant. Me and my friends walked towards the entrance of the café and suddenly saw him standing there in front of the door! We came to a dead stop and didn't dare to go in for at least ten minutes. Finally, we gathered courage and for over an hour, stood right next to him while he was talking to his friends/band (and we to each other, trying not to seem like stalkers. Which we so were.) Anyway, enough about that, thanks again for reading the story!