Author's Note: 'Nother long gap, 'nother apology, 'nother lack of real excuse. I've had this written for a while but just forgot :( I can't believe we're in flippin' August already! Where's the year gone? Feels like only yesterday we were covered in snow... Anyway, this is as far as I've got for the time being. I have got the next few chapters started but need to find motivation to write them properly. Suffering from serious writers block (boo) so this time, I'm apologising in advance. Love, Kal x

A Chance in a Million

Chapter Fourteen

"So how are you, Ianto?" Jack's voice echoed through the speakers on the computer. It had been almost a month since Ianto's homemade communication device had first worked. He spoke to Jack on an irregular basis now. They had yet to work out a way for Jack to make the call so it was a case of trying to plan calls, which didn't always work as Ianto was still a Torchwood employee and aliens didn't stop to consider the social lives of Torchwood employees. But it was certainly better than nothing. Their calls were getting longer and longer and Jack, as a lowly janitor, was pissing off the captain of his ship. At first it had amused Ianto that the great Captain Jack Harkness was a cleaner but then it pulled at his heart the effort his lover was making in order to return home.

"I'm doing okay..." Ianto bit his tongue to refrain from adding 'sir' to the end of his reply. He found talking on the phone to Jack made him nervous because he couldn't see the other man's facial expressions or reactions. He toyed with a pen on his desk. It was one o'clock in the morning and everyone else had gone home for the night.

There was a hesitation in Jack's voice, "are you sure?"

"I'm sure," Ianto smiled at the speakers. "Just tired."

"What time is it?"

"1AM."

"Go to bed, Ianto," Jack's tone became firm, but gentle.

"I'm okay," Ianto insisted, covering his mouth and turning away from the microphone to stifle a yawn. He rubbed his eyes and removed the tie which was hanging loosely around his neck. "I'm just finishing up some paperwork."

"Liar," Jack commented with a laugh.

Ianto stuck his tongue out at the speakers.

Gwen was now taking maternity leave. It had taken some persuasion (and force from Rhys' end) initially, but she now claimed to be enjoying staying at home with baby Haydn. Ianto was more or less pushed into taking over the leadership of Torchwood as the longest standing member. He didn't mind. It kept him busy, gave him an excuse to stay in the office late and come in early, avoiding the empty loneliness of his flat. He found sleeping hard, often lying on the top of his bed, above the sheets, letting his mind wander until he was either ready to cry or so aroused it hurt, depending on the direction of his thoughts. Sometimes, when aliens seemed to be raining from the sky, the Rift spitting out all sorts of debris, Ianto wondered how Jack had survived so many years of leading the fight for the human race. Because he had to, was the answer his mind more often than not gave him.

Then he'd wonder how long it would be before Jack returned to Earth. But every time he asked his currently very long distance partner, he got a sigh and a sad sounding "I don't know" in response.

Ianto was becoming frustrated.

"Ianto?" Jack's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Sorry?" Ianto had completely missed what Jack had said.

"Are you okay?" Jack sounded concerned.

"Fine, just tired," Ianto repeated, smiling at the speakers. "I guess I should get to bed after all."

"You should," Jack paused. After a few seconds Ianto wondered if the connection had severed. "I miss you, Ianto."

"Me too," Ianto replied, sensing Jack wanted to say more but was holding back.

"Sleep well."

"You too."

Ianto typed "End." into the computer and the call was terminated. He sat back in his chair and sighed, folding his hands behind his head and closing his eyes. How long was Jack's return to Earth going to take? He opened his eyes again and fixed them on the ceiling above him. He wondered what Jack would say when he saw the new Torchwood base and a grin tugged at his lips. Well, he did have that strange office fetish.

A noise from the other room of the Torchwood office made him sit up straight. A second thud came through the wall. Ianto instinctively reached for the gun in the top drawer of his desk, sliding it out silently. He knocked off the safety and quietly and smoothly, rose from his chair. There were no other sounds from the autopsy room but he was on full alert now, his tiredness gone as adrenaline kicked in. He crept across the floor, avoiding the squeaky floorboard in the middle of the room. His shoes made no sound and he breathed carefully through his mouth. It was like he wasn't even there. He pressed his back up against the wall next to the connecting door and, holding his gun across his chest, aiming the barrel at the door, he used his free hand to slowly turn the handle.

He counted to three, then threw the door open and moved into the doorway, his gun straight out in front of him.

Mel screamed.

"Shit!" Ianto gasped, lowering his gun quickly at the sight of his friend's shocked face. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry, I tried to be quiet, I knew you were working and, well, talking to Jack and I didn't want to disturb you but I dropped my book. I hoped you hadn't heard but clearly you did and..." Mel's babbling faded when Ianto placed his gun on the desk and brought up his right index finger to cover his lips in the universal "shush" motion.

"You scared me to death," Ianto told her, "I thought someone had broken in."

"I'm sorry," Mel sighed, "I didn't want anyone to know."

Ianto swept his gaze over the room and saw a blanket and a pillow on the small sofa in the corner, a bag at the foot of it and Mel's less then official working attire. She was sitting on a stool in a dressing gown and pink pyjama's.

"You're sleeping here?"

"I got evicted," Mel didn't meet his gaze.

"What? Why?"

"Oh, it wasn't my fault. My landlord decided he wanted the flat for his daughter. He gave me notice but we've been so busy I forgot to find someplace new. So I put my stuff into storage and temporarily moved in here." She shrugged, embarrassed.

Ianto didn't need to think twice.

"Why don't you move in with me?" He proposed. "I've got a spare room and god knows I could do with the company."

"Oh, I couldn't!" Mel exclaimed, although the excitement in her eyes gave away her intent on accepting his invitation.

"You could," Ianto said. "Pick up your stuff and you can come with me now."

"Thank you," said Mel, her excitement spreading to a wide smile.

IIIII

High above the atmosphere of Earth, a space ship hovered, using invisibility shields to avoid being detected by the many satellites in orbit around the planet below. It was using the minimum power to stay in roughly one position, whilst it inhabitants began to plot. It had been following a signal through space, leading it to its destination when all of a sudden the signal had faulted and cut out, leaving them blind. Fortunately, for the owners of the ship, their sophisticated computer software was able to trace a rough path following the dead signal for a little while longer. It had planted them above the orb known as The Blue Planet and now they had to decide if this was where they needed to be, or if they needed to move a planet or two over.

In the centre of the ship was a huge room, what might be called a conference room on Earth, and in it sat a number of slimy, brown creatures with sloppy tails which trailed along the floor behind them when they moved. They had been following the signal for a reason and didn't want to make any mistakes now they were essentially flying blind.

Around the edges of the room patrolled several large dog like creatures, huge wings sprouting from their backs. They would push themselves off, fly the parameter before coming back down to run a few steps before doing it again. They were the pets of the aliens. They were restless. But the aliens had more pressing issues to contend with.

One of the flying dogs growled as the door to the room slid open. In strode the largest of the alien creatures. It was at least two feet taller and a foot wider than the others. It moved with purpose and determination. It's slimy, wet, skin was smoother, more sleek than the others.

This was the leader of The Fryre. And it was its job to work out what they were going to go about descending to Earth.