Notes: Oops! Meant to upload this chapter a bit sooner (Monday), but things got in the way. Sorry about that...

But never mind that. This is edited and ready for reading, so please (hopefully) enjoy. :)

Chapter 3

Gwen arrived at the Hub a little later than usual; Rhys had coaxed her into staying for an actual breakfast for once. The massive door rolled open with a low groan and she stepped forward quickly, hoping to get by without being noticed. Perhaps nobody had realized she was late. Sometimes that happened at other jobs, right? An employee could sneak in a tad late without being caught? She had forgotten, however, other jobs were not Torchwood.

"Well, look who finally decided to show up," Owen announced loudly, looking up from his station with a smirk apparent on his face. "Jack," he called, leaning back in his chair, "Gwen's here." He sniggered in her direction and gave a smug grin. "You are in trou-ble," he sang, stretching out the words happily.

"You sound like a child," Gwen replied, though she hated to admit she had small bit of fear lingering in the back of her mind. She'd never been late before; in fact, no one was ever late. What did that say about the punishment? She tried not to let her expression give away her distress as the captain's voice sounded from his office.

"I don't care," he yelled, and Owen's mood seemed to visually plummet. "Somebody get me Ianto." Gwen smiled at Owen haughtily, receiving an exasperated grunt in response.

"Bollocks," he muttered, turning away in his seat. He waited a moment, then swung back around to face Gwen, pointing at her with a pencil. "The only reason you're in the clear is because he's horny. Any other time…" he trailed off with a frustrated gesticulation.

"I'll get him," Gwen called out to Jack, sending Owen one more snicker before she headed to the faux tourist center. When she got up there, the room was silent besides a small buzzing noise that emitted from a single lamp on the front desk. The top of the desk was littered with various pamphlets and papers suggesting local attractions and restaurants to visit. Beside it, a bulletin board was in a similar state, tacked with so many sheets and pictures you couldn't see the actual board behind them. At closer inspection, Gwen found that the papers were actually filled with accurate information, and she wondered how long it had taken Ianto to do all of this. He really did run this place, didn't he?

"Gwen?" She looked up in time to see Ianto come through the beaded entrance to the front desk, a steaming mug of coffee in his hand. The strings of beads swung behind him rhythmically, slowly coming to a halt as he sipped at his drink.

She opened her mouth to speak, then paused, smiling. "Is that all you do up here is make yourself coffee?" He didn't reply, but just smiled behind his mug. "Well, Jack's calling for you," she said, then she waited for Ianto to press the rustic red button behind his desk to open the wall behind her, and they went down to the Hub together.

Ianto walked into Jack's office, giving the place a small once-over while he walked through the door. His eyes skimmed over his desktop, and he inwardly groaned. Why Jack couldn't keep his papers in order, Ianto had no clue. The captain was such a well-dressed and proper-looking man, but he was a slob when it came to organization. There was a filing cabinet just to his left. Why weren't the folders in it?

"You wanted me, sir?" he piped up after coming to a halt at the front of the desk. It was even worse closer up. Ever so sneakily, he began to tidy up, stacking the papers and setting them into piles. He hated to think that he'd have to stay longer after everyone else left... again. Owen was hard enough to pick up after. Add Jack to that, and he'd be there for… Ianto sagged as he did the math.

"Yes, I did," Jack said, standing up from his chair and leaning forward on the desk. His hands landed on the newly created piles of paper, scattering some of them about. Ianto took a deep breath and tried not to let it get to him, and instead just looked at anything but the desk and Jack. He settled for the chair behind the desk with the iconic military-style coat draped over the back. Though, something was a little off about it. He squinted and looked closer, his eyes growing wide as he caught a glimpse of bite marks stained crimson on the arm.

"What happened?" he questioned worriedly, stepping around the desk and snatching the coat. At closer inspection, he located several other bite marks and gory stains, each of them making his heart thump nervously. His fingers picked at the frayed sleeves, and he dusted his thumb over dried blood.

"Some Weevils," Jack said calmly, taking the coat back and waving the problem off with his hand casually. He turned back to the nervous Welshman, excitement in his blue eyes. "That's not why I called you down here. Owen, Tosh, and Gwen are going out to lunch today. With them gone, we'll have the whole Hub to ourselves for a while," his eyebrows raised pointedly and he grinned. "Perhaps a game of naked hide-and-seek is in order?"

Ianto had to look away for a moment for two reasons. The first being that he could barely stand to look at his boss in fear he might aim a punch right at his cocky face. The Hub was empty, so he just expected Ianto to come running? He didn't even ask if he had any plans. The second reason for having to look away being he was afraid he might get coaxed to stay by those bright blue eyes. And if he did, he knew he'd never be able to live with himself.

"Actually," he said quietly, looking down, "I have lunch plans."

"Oh," Jack sounded disappointed and shocked, much to his annoyance. When Ianto glared at him, the captain tried to seem nonchalant. "I didn't, uh… I didn't know…"

"That I had a life outside of picking up after everyone and fetching you coffee?" Ianto felt his cheeks grow pink when he realized he had just snapped at his boss.

"No," Jack said sternly. "I meant I didn't know you had any plans today." The office was awkwardly quiet as neither of the men wanted to make eye contact or break the silence. Just when Ianto was about to leave the room to seek out something that didn't cause him to want to perform some act of violence, the captain spoke up again, calmer this time. "So what're your plans?" In other words, who are you seeing?

Ianto opened his mouth, about to say something like a friend when he paused, realizing he had no idea what to call the man. Stranger he met on the street who convinced him to go to lunch? Factory worker who gave him a ride home in the middle of the night? "Scott Walker," he muttered, figuring it was the best answer. "He gave me a ride home last night."

"Never heard of him," Jack replied a little too quickly, his voice slightly irritated.

"I'm sorry, Mother, I forgot to introduce you." Ianto's heart drummed heavily as he internally scolded himself. What the hell did he think he was doing? The Welshman could feel his face heating up and he hoped to any god that was listening that he wouldn't be fired on the spot.

The captain, fortunately, didn't get cross. He just looked at his friend with an unreadable expression, shoving his hands in his pockets. His chin tilted up slightly, like he was contemplating what to say, and his eyes never left the other man. "Are you okay?" Jack asked slowly, choosing his words with care. Ianto avoided looking in his direction, and stared down at his own tie.

"Excuse me," he said, then let himself out. When he was back in the safety of his lonely tourist center office, he let out a long breath, running his hands through his hair.

Jack Harkness wasn't usually the jealous type; and he wasn't one now, he reminded himself for the umpteenth time. Gwen, Owen, and Tosh had left a while ago for lunch, and Ianto had left shortly after them, exiting the tourist center with a goliath of a man. Not that the captain had been watching him on the CCTV or anything. That would mean he cared, which he did not.

Well, he corrected himself inwardly, he did care, but he certainly wasn't jealous. Ianto was a good employee and a trusted friend, so it was only natural that Jack cared about who he was hanging out with. Reassured that what he was doing was appropriate, the captain poked at the keyboard beneath his fingers, watching the name appear on the computer screen before him.

Scott Walker. He had no idea who this guy was; he hadn't even heard the name before. When his middle finger clicked the enter key, nearly ninety results for people with the name Scott Walker appeared before him. He let out an exhausted breath, figuring it was going to be a long lunch break.

Scott had a certain air about him, Ianto had noticed. From the moment he got into the man's sleek black car, he had been at ease and comfortable. The massive man oozed calm and contempt, and the Welshman found it impossible not to have a good time. He had planned on going out for a brief lunch then getting back to work as quickly as possible. He even intended on getting back to the Hub in time to have a quick round of hide-and-seek with Jack, though he hated to admit it. However, when Scott brought Ianto into a diner and offered to buy him a meal, his plans shifted and he forgot entirely about his and the captain's game.

Ianto made a mental note of the other man regarding his actions during their conversations. Scott was definitely a people-person; his social skills were flawless. The man didn't speak too much, yet he spoke when it was appropriate. He was neither too formal, nor too laid-back. He even had eye contact down pat. Ianto was stunned; he was the perfect gentleman.

It was different than hanging out with Jack, too, he noticed. Well, not that Jack had ever taken him out like this. Ianto even considered this instance to be a date; his meal was being paid for, he was certainly flirting, and Scott seemed to be flirting back. He had believed Jack to be the only other man he was attracted to, but his opinion was quickly changing as the lunch progressed. Scott wasn't subtle about his affection in public, either, unlike Jack. Sure, the captain was obvious about his… friendliness toward Ianto in the Hub in front of other Torchwood members, but when it came to the real world, Jack hardly even touched him when others were around. And here Scott was, reaching over the small table and grabbing Ianto's tie.

"What are you doing?" The Welshman grabbed the other man's wrist, subconsciously checking over his shoulder to see if anyone had been watching. His fingers didn't wrap all the way around his wrist, and were a good four centimeters apart at the nearest point.

"You need to relax," he said smoothly, his warm eyes surprisingly penetrating. Ianto, slightly hypnotized by the confident gaze, let his fingers slip off the wrist and down to the table. He focused on holding a cold fork in his right hand as Scott's fingers loosened his tie. His knuckles brushed up against his throat, and he hoped the tall man couldn't feel his erratic heartbeat through the artery by his collar. "There," he said, leaning back in his chair to revel in his work. "Do you have to wear suits every day at work?"

"Well, no," Ianto muttered, suddenly very aware of the loosened cloth around his neck. "I just do. I mean, I like to, I suppose." He grabbed a chip, not eating it, but just using it to push others around on his plate.

"You mean to tell me," he started, smiling crookedly, "you prefer to dress nicely even though you don't have to? There has to be a better explanation." Ianto snuck a glance up at his company, but instantly regretted it. His dark eyes caught his attention, and he found it impossible to look away, which made it hard to hide his embarrassed smile. "What is it?" Scott asked, grinning wider.

"Well, I…" he trailed off, feeling his face grow pink with a blush.

"What? Come on, tell me," the giant man insisted, leaning forward in his chair and resting his elbows on the table. Ianto looked up again, dropping the chip and lacing his fingers together nervously. As much as he didn't want to say it, he knew he was probably going to end up giving him the information. Scott seemed to have an irresistible persistence; hell, he'd convinced the Welshman to go to lunch with him and he didn't even know anything but his name.

"One time, a while ago," he hesitated, chuckling at his own ridiculousness, "my boss told me I looked good in a suit. From then on I just didn't stop wearing them." He looked over at Scott, who was smiling as if he was holding back laughter. "I know. It's silly."

"No, it's not," he insisted, though his tone gave away his amusement. Ianto tilted his head back and groaned, covering his face. Scott apologized and was silent until he got his bearings, then tried again. "Really, it's not that bad. He must be something special, though."

"Who?"

"Your boss. You must really like him," he said, calmer now.

Ianto was brought back to reality by this comment. He thought back to Jack, who was all alone at the Hub. He considered what they might be doing had he chosen to stay instead of go off to lunch, but decided it wasn't an appropriate thing to think about in public. "Yeah," he answered distantly, still contemplating their relationship status.

"Are you two…?" Scott trailed off, but he knew what he meant. The only problem was answering it.

"No," he offered quickly, then reconsidered. "Well, we… It's complicated." Ianto looked over to the other, staring pointedly and hoping he's drop the subject.

"In what way?" Scott was more serious now, and he was leaning forward, his eyes focused.

Ianto stuttered at first, unsure of how to respond. Usually the man was so perceptive of whether or not to change the subject; he had been that way all lunch, other than now. "It's a little personal," he muttered, moving his hands to his lap.

"So you two are in a," his arms gestured, as if he was grappling for the right words, "purely sexual relationship?" Ianto breathed deeply, trying to not look around him. He could almost feel the stares from the tables surrounding his own, and he didn't think he'd be able to bear eye contact.

"I think I'd like to go now." Ianto stood, pushing in his chair and jerking his tie tighter self-consciously. He waited for Scott to call the waitress and give her the money— he'd be damned if he paid after that conversation. The walk to the car was completely silent, and Ianto wondered where the man's wonderful social skills were now.

Jack had it narrowed down to three men by the name Scott Walker. All three of them lived in Cardiff, though he easily scratched one of them off the list. The man was paralyzed from the neck down due to a skiing accident, so the captain assumed he hadn't been driving recently. He pulled up information on one of the other two men, scanning the results quickly. He was forty-five, which seemed a little old for Ianto. But it wasn't a date, was it? He dismissed the thought, thinking it didn't matter if it was anyway, and continued reading. This Scott had recently worked at a nearby bank, though he was discharged for accusations of murder. He was currently in prison for that same murder, and would not be released for another seventeen years.

The captain nodded slowly and closed out of this person's file, hoping that Ianto wasn't out right now with an escaped killer. He opened the final Scott Walker profile, praying that this person was normal. When he clicked on the link, however, he received a blank profile. Someone had deleted the information.

Jack sat up straight, suddenly interested. He tried troubleshooting and checking the history of the file, but whoever had removed it knew what they were doing. That thought, in turn, made him very nervous. The thought of Ianto being out with someone he didn't know anything about was unsettling, to say the least.

He grabbed his cellphone and dialed a number, holding the phone between his ear and his shoulder as he continued to try to find the file. His lips stuck out slightly as he concentrated, and his brow furrowed firmly.

"Toshiko," he greeted, grabbing the phone. "I need your computer expertise."

"I'm sorry," Scott said… again. He'd been apologizing from the moment they got into the car, and his relentless regrets refused to end, no matter how much Ianto begged. "I hadn't realized you two were so close. I shouldn't have asked about your relationship."

"We're not…" Ianto sighed in resignation, hiding his face from the other man. He pressed his cheek up against the window, closing his eyes and wishing he was back in the Hub. He opened his eyes again, looking out at the city. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of something tall and silver. Ianto sat up slightly, turning in his seat so he could see out the back window. When his eyes focused he stared back at the Torchwood Tower, the silver plates on the exterior glinting in the sunlight.

"The H— tourist help center is back there," he said, pointing in its direction. Scott didn't acknowledge that he had spoken, and when he repeated himself, the large man gripped the steering wheel tighter, his knuckles turning white. Ianto stared forward at the road, feeling his heartbeat increase substantially. "So," he muttered, swallowing hard, "I'm guessing you're not taking me back then." He didn't have to look at Scott to know the answer.