Ianto looked up from his newspaper as he heard his name. 'Are you stalking me?'

'No.' Jack grinned. 'That would be John.' He stole one of Ianto's chips. 'He's barred from here.'

Jack watched as Ianto gave him a rare smile, the kind that melted the ice in his blue eyes.

'That just makes this my new favourite pub.'

Jack grinned. 'They have pretty good food here too.' He looked up from the plate that was placed in front of him as Ianto handed him the sauce. 'Thanks, don't you usually bring your lunch? What's inspired you to try this place?'

'John was lurking around the kitchen.'

'I could say something to him.'

Ianto snorted.

'What?'

'Flashback to my childhood.' Ianto sighed. 'I was always a bit, well, delicate, as a child. My sister's a few years older than me, she would look out for me and beat up the bullies.'

'Ah, and by delicate, you mean?'

'What do you think I mean Jack. I'm assuming you've worked out I'm gay.'

'So am I.' He shrugged. 'It's not a secret is it?'

Ianto shook his head. 'I don't think it's ever been a secret, except where my father was concerned. But that's a whole other story.'

'He died a few years back didn't he.'

Ianto nodded. 'Coming up on ten years soon.'

'And your mother?'

'She's remarried, Pete's a chemistry teacher, she's the school nurse.' Ianto sipped his lemonade, he wasn't sure when the last time he'd been this open was. It was just one more of many things he had kept locked up for perhaps long enough. 'What's your story?'

'I'm from a whole other world Ianto Jones.'

'Why do you say my name like that?'

'I like the way it feels when I say it.' He watched Ianto blush softly. 'I'm sorry, I probably should have thought about how that might sound before I said anything.'

Ianto surprised them both as he shook his head. 'I don't mind.'

'Careful, I might think you were flirting with me.'

'Maybe I am, but you are my boss.'

'Not here, here I'm just some guy who ate your chips.'

'And when we leave?' His voice quiet.

'You aren't getting your french fries back.'

Ianto returned Jack's smile.

They walked back to the warehouse in comfortable silence, hands in pockets, just enjoying their thoughts. Jack held the door open for Ianto.

'Now I'm your boss.'

'Coffee?'

Jack nodded. 'I'm going to watch though.'

'It's hardly interesting Sir.'

'I find you very interesting Ianto Jones.'

'You know, when John says things like that it just sounds creepy.'

'That's because it is. Actually I'm surprised he isn't sulking around somewhere.'

'He's probably hiding in the bushes, taking pictures of us with a telephoto lens.'

Jack laughed. 'Such a sense of humour.'

'I wasn't born wearing a suit, Sir.'

'Apparently not, now that I think of it, I've seen some of Nigel's art collection.' He watched as Ianto's expression moved to a mask of calm before he seemed to take a moment.

'That would be one of the side effects of life with an artist. One ends up immortalised in any number of different mediums.'

'Where you together long?'

Ianto closed his eyes as he turned, his back to Jack. 'Five years.' He focused on making coffee, glad to have something to do with his hands.

'I'm sorry-.'

Ianto cut him off. 'Thanks, but I'm sure you'd already worked that out by now, since background checks are par for the course around here.'

Jack nodded, even though Ianto couldn't see him. 'Yeah, I knew.'

'Good, then you don't need to ask me all the details.' He turned back to Jack and handed him a coffee. 'If you don't need anything further?'

Jack set the coffee cup down and looked at Ianto. 'Do you need anything?'

'It's been a year.'

Jack reached out and caught Ianto by the sleeve of his jacket. 'I know it can be hard to be the one to wake up, the one still here when we loose someone. Time, it does what it must.'

'Have you ever loved someone so much that you couldn't imagine your life without them?'

Jack shook his head.

'Then please spare me the platitudes about how I should feel and how to mourn.'

Jack let his hand drop and watched Ianto walking away. 'Fuck!' He looked up and saw Tosh standing there looking at him.

'Do I want to ask?'

He shook his head and frowned at her expression. 'That probably makes two of us, what did you find?' He watched her hesitate. 'Look, I know it sucks,' he paused. 'Forget what I think you think, what did you find?'

Tosh sighed. She felt awful telling Jack what he clearly already knew. 'Every one of those transactions was Suzie.'

'So much for wishful thinking that it was a bank error.'

'It's pretty specific for just a bank error.'

'I know.'

'What I don't get is why spend all that money on shoes, she never wore any of them around here.'

'I've never understood women and shoes Tosh.'

She shook her head. 'Not all of us are obsessed with shoes Jack.'

'It's not just women either, but it does leave me with the question of what to do now.' He watched as Tosh played him a montage of security camera stills and videos. Suzie had expensive preferences, even if she only ever wore steal-capped boots at work. 'I'm going to have to bring her back to explain.' Jack shoved his hands in his pockets as he began pacing behind Tosh. She spun her chair so she could watch him as he paced like a caged animal. Coiled energy waiting to strike while he ran though possible scenarios.

'Where are Owen and John?'

'John said something about lunch, Owen's in the shooting range.'

'Round them up, we are going to need to sit around the table in the conference room for this one.' He stopped. 'Damn, the paperwork is all over the table. Look, you get the guys, I'll talk to Ianto, we may just have to do it here.'

He found Ianto boxing folders and files, much of the room already neatly packed and stacked against a wall. 'They must miss you at the museum.'

'I expect so.'

Jack leaned against the wall, watching Ianto as he continued to sort, label and file. 'Either Tosh is a criminal mastermind who has framed Suzie, or that woman really has spent my money on shoes.'

Ianto stopped what he was doing and looked at Jack who continued speaking.

'We've had any number of cases like this, they never end well.'

'Has she packed her house?'

'What?' Jack's head snapped up. 'What did you say?'

'She's spent thousands of pounds on shoes alone, did she take them with her or is everything still at her home.'

'That's brilliant, I could kiss you Ianto.'

'You'd have to buy me dinner first.'

'That can be arranged, come on.'

'It's too early for dinner.'

He shook his head. 'We can work that out later, right now we have to break into a flat.'

Ianto looked after Jack who was clearly waiting for him, had he just been asked out?

Jack called out to Tosh. 'Change of plans, Ianto and I are going out for a bit, we'll talk about that other thing when we get back.' He looked around to see if Ianto was following him. 'Come on, I'm driving.'

John peered at Jack over his cup of tea. 'Where are you taking my eye candy?'

'Out. Don't wait up.'

Ianto walked up behind Jack and rolled his eyes. 'Will I need my coat Sir?'

Jack shook his head. 'If you want, it should be fine, weather hasn't changed since lunch.'

'Wait up, you two had lunch together and now your going out again?'

'Yes John.' Jack turned to Ianto. 'Shall we?'

Ianto sighed softly as he ignored the look on John's face, following Jack. They were silent as they made their way to the semi-detached house Suzie called home.

Jack pulled into the driveway and turned the engine off. He turned to Ianto. 'Well, time to see how many pairs of shoes the woman owns.'

'Jack, aren't we breaking and entering?'

'I have a key.'

'Oh.' Ianto stepped out of the car and looked around, the place didn't seem packed up as he peered in the window.

Jack leaned against his car watching his office manager. He was pretty sure he'd agreed to take the man out for dinner, in exchange for a kiss. He was grinning when Ianto turned to look at him. He pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and stepped up to the door.

'Ah Sir, I hate to rain on your parade, but won't she have some sort of security system?'

'Ianto Jones, is there a criminal mastermind hiding in that very sexy suit of yours?'

'Not that I'm aware of Sir.'

'You probably have a point though, I think most of us have alarms of sorts.'

'I don't.'

'You will.'

'Does everyone end up cynical working for you?'

'No but it helps.' He looked around the house as he pulled his cellphone out. 'Tosh, I'm at Suzie's, do you know what sort of alarm she has?'

Ianto watched Jack listen and his eyes grew darker as storm clouds formed in his classically handsome features. He tried to reconcile how he had gone from getting a job as the office manager, to standing outside one of his colleagues houses, checking to see if she had packed to leave the country. And flirting with his boss. Delicious banter exchanged and shared with Jack as he flirted back. He found himself watching the man's lips move as he spoke. Lips that caressed his name like it was something special. He wanted to touch those lips with his own, taste the smile and forget the pain of being alone and lonely. He walked around the property to give himself something to do rather than stare at Jack, exchanging a friendly wave with one of Suzie's neighbours. An older woman picking flowers.

'Hello dear, are you one of Suzie's friends?'

'Um, yes sort of, she asked Jack to look in on the place while she's away.'

'She's such a quiet thing dear, I'm Mrs Williams, lived here since I married Mr Williams, god rest.'

'You have a lovely garden Mrs Williams.' He watched her beam at him.

'Thank you, my grandson helps me with it now, my bones are too old to dig gardens.'

Ianto looked from Suzie's rather structural garden filled with rocks to the riot of colour next door. 'My man tells me god whispers in the ears of the bees to help her garden grow.'

Mrs Williams nodded. 'I think I like your mother already. Is Susan still coming back Saturday? I like to keep an eye on things for her.'

'Far as I know she is Mrs Williams, I haven't heard any different.'

'She does love to travel that girl, sends me postcards from all sorts of places.'

'Really, I'd love to see them, I haven't known Suzie as long as Jack has.'

'I could put the kettle on and get a pot of tea in.'

'Lovely, I'll just see if he's finished his call then.'

'Marvellous things these phones now, grandson has one with a camera in it, not like when I was your age.'

Jack frowned, Ianto was having a great conversation with that old woman, he wondered over to see what he was up to.

'Jack, Mrs Williams here has offered us a cup of tea, Suzie sends her postcards from all the places she visits. I asked to see them.' He looked back at Mrs Williams. 'We love postcards.'

Jack grinned, clever Ianto. 'That would be nice Mrs Williams.' He watched Ianto carry the flowers she'd been cutting and followed them inside. The man had a very cute arse as he climbed the steps.

'This one came today.' She handed Ianto a card showing fields of lavender. 'I never did travel Mr Williams didn't like the foreign food, and there doesn't seem any point going by myself.'

Jack read the message before handing the card to Ianto. 'Why don't you help with the tea while I look at these.' Accepting the shoebox he was handed as he watched Mrs Williams shuffle out of the room, his voice low. 'I'll scan these and send them to Tosh, you keep her in the kitchen. Oh and Ianto.' He grinned. 'I'd still like to kiss you.'

Ianto rolled his eyes. 'I wasn't aware that was in my job description Sir.'

'Ordinarily I'd agree, we usually just drink coffee.'

He rolled his eyes as he turned to follow after their host.

Jack could hear the murmur of voices as he sent Tosh pictures of the postcards, Mrs Williams grandson wasn't the only one with a phone capable of other tricks. Making it time to rescue Ianto, besides, he hated tea.

Ianto was on the verge of prayer when Jack popped into view, talking on his phone, giving him a quick wink.

'Sorry to interrupt Mrs Williams but I have to get back Ianto back to the office.'

'Oh, you can't stay then dears.'

'Sorry Mrs Williams.' Ianto spoke softly. 'My boss, he's quite something.'

'Especially when he wants Ianto in his office, he'd have him for dinner if he could. But thank you for showing me your postcards, it's given me all sorts of ideas.'

'Well then, that's nice, do feel free to pop over next time your both visiting Susan dears.'

'Will do Mrs Williams.' Jack ushered a relieved looking Ianto out the door as they both waved goodbye. Walking towards the car Jack looked sideways at Ianto. 'Your boss is quite something is he?'

'He'll have me for dinner?'

'I will you know, if you'll let me.' He backed the car onto the road, watching out the corner of his eyes as Ianto rolled his. 'I know what your thinking and I'm not really as bad as John.'

'I have no intention of finding out.'

'Oh.'

'About John.'

'So...' Jack shot a quick glance at Ianto. 'You'll have dinner with me then?'

'Um, ask me again when you aren't driving.'

'I happen to be a very good driver.'

'I've been though your bank statements and receipts, including the ones for your speeding tickets and running stop signs.'

Jack shrugged as he pulled into the warehouse garage and his parking spot. 'I think you did really well out there.' He killed the engine as he turned towards Ianto. 'You'd make a great agent.'

'And the paperwork would file itself?'

'Good point, now, dinner.' He reached for Ianto's hand, moving slowly and with deliberate intent, his thumb moving over Ianto's palm. 'I'd like very much for you to have dinner with me Ianto Jones.'

Ianto felt like he was falling. Jack's touch stirred feelings he'd forgotten, ignored for too long. A flash of guilt started to form at the edges of consciousness, this was his boss, he worked for him and it would be madness to say yes. But he nodded anyway.

Jack felt his elation short lived and his grin faded. 'Now what.' Muttered as he exited the car.

Ianto followed as he saw what had caused the shadow in Jack's eyes.

'Well, well, well. Go for a little joy ride did you Jack.' John looked between the two men. 'Not interrupting anything am I, did he show you his sights then?'

'What's gotten into you?'

'Not you Jack, you made that abundantly clear.'

'Sometimes I have no idea what your saying. And I stopped having to account for myself to you quite some time ago.' Jack turned to Ianto. 'I'd love a coffee, if you wouldn't mind.'

Ianto nodded before moving away, wondering what he'd walked himself into the middle of this time. And he'd agreed to have dinner with Jack. He considered what that might mean, he still loved Dylan and he'd never imagined what it might be like to be with anyone else. He'd known the first time they had kissed that the slightly geeky looking art student was the one for him, death had been the only thing to separate them. He sighed as he moved though the motions of making coffee for everyone, now wasn't the time for the ghost of his lost lover to haunt his thoughts. He'd grieved, he might always grieve in a corner of his soul for the man he'd given himself to so completely.

The idea of trying that again was terrifying and exciting and he hoped Dylan would understand, would approve. Of course he had no idea of Jack's intentions, just as he wasn't sure of his own. Jack was a very handsome man, classic features with blue eyes that flashed darker when he wasn't happy, thick dark hair and tall. He could feel his body reminding him that it had been a very long year absent of company. His hand still remembering Jack's touch, his skin still hungry for more.

He composed himself before loading his tray with coffee and heading out into the main office area. It was uncomfortable knowing both Jack and John were following his every move with their eyes. It was like synchronised stalking.