Tosh had the security camera montage playing on one of her computer screens and was cross referencing it against the scanned postcards Jack had sent her.

'As you can see team, we have a problem.'

John snorted. 'Someone else trying to play with your toys, Jack?'

'Thank you John.'

John muttered under his breath. 'You never liked to share.' As his eyes followed the tray of coffee.

Owen took his cup from Ianto. 'So what do you want us to do?'

'That's sort of the problem. If I want to go though the legal system and have her charged with theft as a servant or whatever your equivalent is, we can't go and bring her back.'

'That would be kidnapping.'

'Exactly, so we wait for her to come back.'

'But if we wait for her to come back we risk spooking her and having to go and get her anyway. Just because we know where she is now, doesn't mean we will be able to find her if she does run.'

'And that Owen is fairly much the problem.'

'Your taking a risk that none of us are in on it with her and will tip her off.'

'Because I'm going to hedge my bets and send someone to follow her and make sure she gets on that plane.'

'Trying to get rid of me before I make my move on the eye candy are you?'

'John, you may find this difficult to believe, but not everything is about you.'

John jumped to his feet. 'No Jack, but it is about you.'

'I hardly think this is the time or the place.'

'So when will be the right time?'

Jack pulled John to one side, his voice soft in the man's ear. 'There is no right time, we don't have a time, not any more.'

Tosh and Owen watched Jack and John, wondering what they were talking about, neither of them particularly keen to return to how it used to be.

Tosh's voice was soft. 'I think they still love each other.'

'Yeah, that's why Jack looks like he wants to shoot John.'

'Well if John hadn't been such a,' she looked at Owen. 'Well, I don't really know what the word is.'

'Loose with his charms? A well travelled path, a well boarded vessel, the town bike?'

'Thank you Owen, yes.'

'The problem with you my sweet Tosh, is you are a romantic. And what about the new guy, they both seem to be fighting over him like two dogs and the last bone.'

Ianto waded into their not so private conversation. 'Does it matter what the bone wants?'

Tosh blushed a furious scarlet. 'Oh god I'm so sorry Ianto, I didn't mean you to hear any of that.'

Owen shrugged. 'Now you bring it up, what do you want?'

'I want to do my job and I want to live my life. But what I really want I can never have back because he's gone, all I have is memories and a collection of artwork I can't bring myself to look at.'

'I'm sorry Ianto, I didn't know.' Tosh reached out to him, her heart breaking on his behalf.

'What happened?'

'Ever the doctor wanting the details. Myocardial infarction, while jogging.' Ianto turned away. 'Dylan was twenty three.' He walked away, not wanting to remember how it had felt to get that phone call, to make it to the hospital in time to say good bye. People weren't supposed to get heart attacks at twenty three, it wasn't supposed to happen. Now all he had were memories.

Jack looked from John to the rest of his team and watched Ianto walking away with his shoulders dropped. He sighed. 'John, I don't want to have this conversation, I needed something and you couldn't give it to me, that's why we didn't work out, that's why we never will. You have to let it go.' He turned and walked back towards Tosh and Owen. 'What did you say to Ianto?' He watched Tosh blush and try to avoid eye contact. Owen just shrugged.

'We didn't know his boyfriend died of a heart attack. I think you two fighting over him didn't help.'

'Nice try, we aren't fighting over him, we are having the same fight we've always had.'

Tosh looked up. 'You really like him don't you.'

'He works for me Tosh.' He looked over at John. 'We all know that doesn't always work out. Besides, I need Owen to go to France and follow Suzie.'

'What about Tosh?'

'I need her here to keep you focused on what your supposed to be doing in France. If you two want a holiday you can pay for it yourselves.'

'Fine, when do I leave?'

'As soon as you can, Tosh, you find Suzie, and Owen, don't get caught.'

'Where are you going?'

'To see if I still have a date for dinner tonight.'

Owen watched Jack moving off in the direction Ianto had taken before turning to Tosh. 'Well my love, we better make this count.' Pulling her into his arms as his lips found hers.

John stalked over and threw himself into his chair and banged his feet on the table. 'Don't mind me, no one else does.'

Tosh giggled as Owen brushed her hair back behind her ear before looking over at John. 'Maybe because you don't mind yourself.'

John spun his chair slowly towards her. 'What?'

'No one will respect you if you don't respect yourself first.'

'Thank you for that assessment Dr Tosh.'

She shrugged as she started looking though airport timetables.

Jack caught up with Ianto, washing his face in the bathroom. 'Hey.'

'Sir.'

He decided the consequences be damned as he pulled Ianto into his arms. 'Are you okay?'

Ianto sighed as he felt his arms settle around Jack and his head resting on the man's shoulder. 'Do you have any idea how many times I've been asked that in the last twelve months. That's why I moved here, where no one knew us, only me.'

'I'd like to get to know you, just you.'

Ianto risked looking at Jack, needing to see his eyes, to gage the honesty of his words.

Jack brushed the hair from Ianto's forehead and continued to hold him, as if aware his very soul was being measured and judged. He kept his voice soft. 'It's okay to still love him you know.'

'Like you and John?'

Jack chewed his bottom lip a moment as he thought about that. 'We've been together, as friends and partners and sometimes even lovers for a long time. It's a lot of history. And while suspect I will always carry the memory of who I wanted him to be, it wont change who he is. Nor will it change the fact that I'm not in love with him, haven't been for a long time.'

'What are you saying Jack?'

He grinned. 'You called me Jack.'

'It's your name isn't it? I hardly think this is a work related moment, do you?'

He shook his head. 'No, this doesn't have anything to do with that.'

'What does it have to do with, Jack?'

Jack reached up and straightened Ianto's tie. 'I want to get to know you better Ianto, outside of work, out there in the world.'

'Like dating.'

'Yeah, I'd like that. I don't know how to explain it, there is something about you I have to explore, but let's get though the rest of today, then I will take you out for dinner.'

'And John?'

'He can buy his own dinner, this is about me and you.'

'All due respect, Jack, but this isn't just you and me is it. It involves everyone out there too.'

'It's everyone in here I'm concerned with.'

'Alright, and if it doesn't work out?'

'I guess we cross that bridge, if we get to it.

Ianto sighed. 'You say that now.'

'It's just dinner Ianto, that's all.'

Ianto looked at him carefully. 'That's all?'

'Well, there is the small matter of a kiss, but dinner and a kiss, that's all.'

He decided Jack was telling the truth as he nodded.

'Good, come on then, before John decides to come looking for us.'

'Why do you keep him around?'

'Because he's not safe on his own, because we were friends long before we were lovers and because we've saved each other's lives too many times to count.'

'Okay.'

'So what do you want for dinner?' He held the bathroom door open for Ianto who shrugged.

'Surprise me.'

Jack headed back towards the others. 'Slight change of plans, Owen, John, bring Suzie home.'

'What happened to kidnapping being out?'

'Don't kidnap her Owen, persuade her.'

'How am I supposed to do that?'

'I don't know, improvise.'

'I see how it is, you run after him and now your trying to get rid of me, so you can seduce my eye candy behind my back.'

Jack looked at John. 'I'm not doing anything behind your back.'

'You don't even have the decency to deny it.' John stood toe to toe with Jack, his voice angry.

A Welsh voice rang out. 'Enough!' Ianto moved to stand before John. 'I'm not your eye candy. I'm not his eye candy either, not yet, maybe never. But it's up to me to decide that, not you and not him.' He looked between the two men and shook his head. 'I am not something to be fought over like children squabbling over a trinket.'

'Made your decision then eye candy?'

Ianto leaned into John, deliberately invading his personal space, his voice low. 'You don't get to call me that. I'm not your eye candy.'

Owen moved to stand slightly in front of Tosh as they watched Ianto staring John down. Jack stood back and watched, Ianto was taller than John and used his height to full effect.

'I hope we have an understanding.'

John nodded. 'All you had to do was say.'

Ianto stepped back and rolled his eyes.

'Well, if you two have finished sorting yourselves out, John, you and Owen need to pack for France, Tosh, book their tickets please and find them some accommodation. Ianto, coffee.'

'Sir.' He wasn't sad at the thought of John out of the way for a few days, not when he had dinner with Jack to contend with. Thinking about Dylan just hurt, leaving him guilty at the jolt of, something, he felt when Jack touched him. He moved into Jack's office, only two cups left on his tray as he handed one to Jack.

Jack looked up and invited Ianto to sit. 'I'm sorry about that, before, with John.'

Ianto shrugged. 'It must make it difficult for both of you, working together with so much history.'

'What about you, all you have is history.'

'I don't know what would have happened with us, we were so young.'

Jack snorted. 'You still are, you'll be what, twenty five soon, you still have a life to live. Speaking of which, any clues as to where I should take you for dinner tonight, or should I cook.'

'You can cook.'

'That sounds like a challenge Ianto Jones.'

'You just want to get me upstairs.'

Jack nodded. 'Maybe I do.'

'It's been a while for me.'

'Lets get though the rest of today first and we can worry about that later.' Jack looked at his watch. 'Look, it's close enough to home time, why don't you go and do whatever it is you do and be back here at six, and I'll cook us dinner.'

'And the dress code?'

Jack grinned. 'Casual would be fine, I'm assuming you don't just have suits in your closet.'

'I own jeans, I'll bring the wine.'

Ianto felt butterflies churning in his gut, his world had gone crazy. Jack confused him, as did his reaction to the man, his employer. He'd forgotten how to date and was as unsure of himself as of the social etiquette of dinner. Did it imply sex too? He wasn't ready for that. He also wasn't sure if Jack wanted him because John wanted him, or if John wanted him because Jack did. For all he knew this was some sick game the two men played and he was the door prize. He trusted Jack, but how well did he know him, and it wasn't really logical to trust the man. Perhaps he was nervous because it had been a while since he'd been intimate with anyone. He hadn't exactly lacked for attention since Dylan's death, but he hadn't wanted to return it before now.

So what did he think would happen with Jack. He felt guilty at feeling alive for the first time since watching his lover die. It had been like the world falling away from beneath his feet and now, a year later, a handful of bricks were being thrust back into place. Leaving him wondering if they were close enough that he dare step on them and take a chance at living again. Or were they too far apart that he might fall. His vibrating pocket cut though his thoughts as he pulled his phone out, caller ID a wonderful thing. 'Jack.'

'There's a door, to your left, I've buzzed you in.'

He wasn't sure why he should be surprised at the flat having it's own entrance, but how did Jack know where he was? He looked up and saw a balcony overhead, exchanging a friendly wave was all the answer he needed. He found Jack waiting for him at the top of the stairs, handing the wine over he crossed the threshold into Jack's domain. Reminding himself it was just dinner, and a kiss. 'I hope red's okay, I forgot to ask.'

'I'm cooking spaghetti so it'll be perfect.' He looked Ianto up and down and grinned, the man looked perfect. Faded jeans, a crisp blue shirt the colour of his eyes and his long black coat, which he hung on a hook in the hall as he followed Jack into the flat.