A thousand apologies for the length between updates! I have no excuse that would even account for the time I've kept you waiting all I can say is here you are…finally!

'What do you mean you have a new job?' Lisa pouted, 'You can't have a new job that was my line!'

Ianto frowned, 'What do you mean?'

Lisa grinned, 'I just got offered a fancy office job up in London. I was gonna tell you and Tom today.' She pouted again, 'Way to steal my thunder, Jones.'

'Lisa that's amazing,' Ianto bundled her up into a hug. 'I didn't even know you were looking for another job.'

'Nor me to tell you the truth. But my friend up in London works for this place called- oh no wait, I'm not supposed to give information about it out. It's some top secret government thing,' she tapped her nose.

Ianto frowned again, it sounded eerily similar to his own situation. He had been told that Torchwood had other bases, the main one being in London, but surely Lisa couldn't be going to work for the same organisation as him in the same week. It had to be a coincidence, yet Ianto had decided that the universe was rarely so lazy. 'What so like MI5 or something like that?' he half teased.

She laughed, 'That would awesome! Can you imagine me with a gun?' she brought her hands together in the shape of a gun, 'I would totally rock that look.'

'You definitely would,' he grinned, 'with a matching super-tight bodysuit to match. Downright sexy if you ask me.'

'Am I hearing this right?' Tom poked his head out from the kitchen, 'Not only are you two flirting on the job, but I'm going to have to hire new people?' He sighed. 'You know how I feel about people...' he retreated back into the kitchen mumbling something incoherent while Ianto and Lisa grinned at each other.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWWTWT

The morning of his first day at Torchwood came all too quickly for Ianto's liking. His nerves bubbled over in his stomach, something he wasn't accustomed too. The only thing he could equate it too was the fact he would get to see Captain Jack Harkness again, and that was definitely worth getting butterflies over. Straightening out his maroon tie he gave himself another once over in the mirror. He knew that the suit was probably overkill, seeing as none of the other team members seemed to follow a particular dress code, but he wanted to make an impression on Jack – a train of thought he still hadn't analysed in too much detail as of yet. Besides, Ianto loved that he finally had an excuse to wear a suit. He felt like he'd actually managed to get somewhere in the world, that the years of drudgery and abuse weren't for nothing. He nearly felt proud of himself. Nearly.

'That looks good on you,' Rhi mumbled through her toast. 'Dressing to impress someone?'

'What makes you think that?'

She shrugged, 'That's your favourite suit. You only wear it on special occasions.'

'First day of work isn't a special occasion?'

'I guess.'

Ianto sighed. Rhiannon still hadn't told anybody about her pregnancy – including the father. He was growing accustomed to the idea that he would be an uncle; he would even go as far as to say he was looking forward to it. He had no doubt that once Rhiannon had decided to keep the baby she would follow through. She'd always stuck to her word and never had she once broken a promise to anybody that Ianto knew of. He supposed that was a character strength gained from seeing all the false promises their mother had made and broken to each of them.

'Rhi, you really have to tell Johnny today.' Ianto folded his arms, 'You can't keep putting it off like this.'

'I know...but it's difficult. What if he leaves me? What if he wants to get rid of it...or is disgusted with me?'

Ianto wrapped his arms around his sister, 'But what if he's delighted? Cariad, you know how people feel better than anyone I know. Surely you can guess what his reaction will be; you've been with him for a long time now.'

Rhiannon sighed, 'I really need to tell him.'

'Yes, you do. I'll be with you every step of the way, Rhi. Don't let yourself worry.'

She nodded, 'Okay. I'll call him over tonight for dinner.'

'I should be back by 7pm latest.' He gave her one last squeeze, 'Now finish your breakfast and get to your lectures.'

'Good luck with your first day, Ianto.'

Ianto smiled, 'I'm going to need it.'

TWTWTTWWTWTWTWTWTTWTW

Captain Jack Harkness practically bounced out of his office, sweeping Toshiko into an impromptu dip and he passed her in the main hub.

'Jack!' she quickly righted herself, 'Be careful of my laptop!'

He grinned, removed the laptop from her hands, and swept her into a twirl that was dizzying for any and all involved in the sight of the act. 'C'mon Toshiko, show me what you got!'

Tosh blushed furiously, snatched her laptop from the desk where it had been placed and mumbled a train of Japanese obscenities under her breath as she walked away.

Jack shrugged, 'some people just don't want to have fun I swear.'

'Someone's in a good mood,' mused Suzie. She was distracted but she couldn't let anybody know. It was business as usual as far as Jack was concerned; she didn't want to draw attention to her increasing obsession and hunger for the power of the glove. She was scared of it but she was in love with the fear. She exalted in it. 'This wouldn't have anything to do with the new boy starting today would it?'

Jack shrugged, 'Is there someone starting today? I had no idea...'

'Don't play that card with me, Harkness,' Suzie laughed. 'You're dying to sink your claws into that poor unsuspecting boy.'

Jack smirked, 'Never had a complaint yet.'

Suzie rolled her eyes, smirking when the proximity alarms sounded to announce the arrival of Ianto Jones in the above ground tourist office. 'Better get up there, Harkness. Don't want to keep the office boy waiting.'

Jack wiggled his eyebrows in a seductive manner, striding definitively towards the lift, grabbing his coat on the way. Everybody loved the coat.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTW

Ianto checked his watch again. He was two minutes early. He would have been twenty minutes early but he had hesitated for a long time in the train station. He would have waited on the plass but he knew that Jack could see him from there. It definitely wouldn't do to seem too keen; he didn't want to give Jack the satisfaction or that kind of power over him. Even if Ianto was already well and truly under the spell of that man. Or maybe it was just the coat. God, that coat.

Ianto had carefully arranged his features into a passive mask of subtle curiosity as he had left the train station, his stomach still trying to form knots in his intestines. He wondered idly what sort of meal would accompany Rhi's big announcement to Johnny tonight on his way to the tourist office. When he reached the front door he'd immediately let himself in, he pretended he was more confident and calm than he was – he'd got a lot of practise doing that when he was younger. He could already feel the eyes behind the camera on him as he stood at the desk, casting sidelong glances at the mouldy and out-of-date brochures in the rack, the dust was downright terrifying.

Ianto nearly jumped at the sight of the east wall of the tourist office swinging out of place, revealing the man he'd been dying to see since the moment he woke up. Not that he'd ever admit that, he wasn't even sure he'd admitted it to himself yet.

'Ianto Jones. Are you intentionally trying to turn me on?'

Ianto blinked slowly, he hadn't even said anything yet and already Jack had completely thrown him. 'I…what?' Smooth.

'That suit.' Jack moved closer to Ianto, 'It looks absolutely phenomenal on you…the only way it could look even better would be on the floor…'

Ianto rolled his eyes, secretly pleased and vowing to go and buy a dozen suits immediately. 'Well, I thought the coat might appreciate having a little friendly competition in the office.'

Jack smirked, 'They might appreciate a little time on the floor together…'

'You realise we can all hear you down here, right?' Owen's disgusted voice filled the room, 'If you're going to flirt you might consider turning your comm. off first, some of us like to keep our breakfast's down.'

Jack chuckled, 'Owen you continue to be such a charmer.' Smiling at Ianto, Jack gestured to the doorway, 'Shall we?'

Ianto nodded and followed Jack down to the bowels of the hub, listening as Jack told him his personal access codes for the hub. He felt his heart leap into his mouth once again when he walked out from behind the rolling cog door, taking in the magnificence and sheer magnitude of the space that dominated the underground of the plass. He followed Jack as he was given a secondary tour of the hub and a reintroduction to the rest of the team.

They finished where they had started, at the entrance to the hub. Jack turned to Ianto, 'You think you can handle everything?'

Ianto raised his eyebrows, 'I think I'm incredibly capable of handling anything you want me too.'

Jack laughed a beautiful sound that bounced off of the metallic walls causing Ianto to smile, pleased he was the one that had caused it. 'Oh yeah. I'm not gonna regret this decision in a hurry.'

Owen sighed, 'When you two are done verbally fucking each other…'

'Can't a man flirt in peace without judgement?' Jack threw his hands in an overly dramatic gesture. 'You guys are so 21st Century; where I'm from it would be considered rude not to outrageously flirt every chance you got.'

'You'd flirt with a table if you got the chance,' Owen rolled his eyes. 'I thought you'd like to know that we have a fairly large rift alert, pretty sure it spat something out.'

Jack growled, 'Get the SUV ready for pick-up,' he swept through the hub, coat tails flying behind him. 'Tosh any idea what came through?'

Toshiko was typing furiously, her eyes never moving from the monitor, 'Not sure. If the system was up-to-date I might be able to produce a more accurate guess.'

'If that's another subtle way of telling me the database sucks, then you really don't know what the word subtle means…'

A quick smile passed over Tosh's features gone as quickly as it came, 'Cyborg…maybe. It's an organic life-form integrated with cybernetics…not entirely humanoid…' she shrugged. 'That's the best I have to offer.'

'Fair enough.' Jack practically ran through the hub, 'Suzie! Owen! Let's get a move on. Tosh you stay here and coordinate – teach Ianto while you're at it, he'll take over as hub body.' Jack grinned salaciously, 'I'm sure he'll pick up the system in no time…he's a quick learner.'

Ianto rolled his eyes as Jack winked at him. Shaking his head in mock disapproval as he made his way over to Toshiko's desk.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

Ianto had indeed all but mastered the system by the time the team had returned. Tosh had been an excellent teacher—mainly because Ianto was an excellent learner. She'd hooked up his own station using the spare desktop she had rebuilt a few days before, and he explored the system thoroughly. He knew the ins and the outs of it and was confident enough that he felt sure that he would be able to coordinate the team and track the rift readings, something that Tosh had spared no detail in explaining. He had liked listening to her as she showed him how the system worked; she seemed to light up when she was walking him through the technology database and the information programme that she had designed. She also spared no detail in explaining exactly how she had revamped Torchwood's OS, liberating the network from the simple system it once was.

Ianto had wasted no time and had already straightened up the obvious parts of the hub that were in disarray. He'd wanted to tackle a few of the work stations but until he knew exactly what was important to who and why he decided he'd back off. Instead he'd wandered around the archives for a bit trying to sense a feel of how it was organised. Ianto promptly decided that it wasn't in any order of any kind that he knew of and so he set about trying to figure out exactly how he should do it. Alphabetical would be problematic as he didn't know the rules of the alien alphabets he was sure to stumble upon…yet. He'd decided to organise it by date collected as everything came with its own personal pick-up date. He felt oddly contented as he'd wandered about gathering as many files as he could to take back up to the main hub with him. He knew that his made-up position wasn't the most glamorous part of being a member of the Torchwood team, but he still couldn't help but feel as though he was doing something that actually mattered for a change. Even if only a little.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTW

The proximity alarm squealed as the team walked through the cog door. Ianto looked up from the file he'd been reading to see a strange looking creature held between Jack and Owen. Suzie was following close behind then and simply returned to her work station. Ianto frowned as they tussled with the creature, taking it down to the cells where he had once been placed.

'What are they going to do with…it?' Ianto asked.

Tosh barely looked up from her screen, 'If it was hostile then it'll stay in the cells until we can return it to wherever it came from. If it was passive then Jack relocates them until we can send them back.'

Ianto nodded, nearly smiling as Jack came back into the main hub.

'Can you believe it! A Chelonian of all things. Can't even remember the last time I saw one of those guys. Part humanoid, part cybernetic, and part tortoise. Tortoise! Who looks at a tortoise and says "Hey. You know what would make a great warrior race? Tortoises!".' Jack chuckled. 'I tell ya, it's worse than making a screwdriver sonic.'

Ianto suppressed a confused frown, 'Can I get you anything, Sir?'

'Sir? I definitely like the sound of that.' Jack smirked, 'I wouldn't say no to a hot cup of full bodied coffee.' Seduction dripped off of every word.

'I believe that's harassment, Sir.'

Jack grinned, 'You know what else? Chelonians are fantastic florists.'

TWTWWTWTWTWTW

The rest of the day had passed with varying degrees of excitement. Ianto had found himself running between the archives to the main hub more frequently than he had expected. The team had been running around the city for the better part of the afternoon, with Ianto having to coordinate Tosh and Owen to retrieve an extraordinarily loud device that resembled a can opener, and directing Suzie and Jack to take down a rogue Weevil. It had been challenging. As he tapped off the comm. link in his ear he leant back in his chair, smiling and satisfied at the progression of his first day. He reached forward and grabbed a device that he had brought up from the archives to log into the system. The file that came with it didn't give much indication of what the device did, there was a scrawl that could have been the devices name but it was too messy to make out. Was that a "G" or an "R"? The object fit comfortably in the palm of his hand. It resembled a ball but was deceptively heavy, made of some sort of alien alloy. Rolling the device in his hand, Ianto pressed his finger into the small indentation on the surface. The surface opened suddenly making Ianto jump and drop the device which, instead of hitting the ground, hovered in the air. Frowning at the object Ianto went to grab it again to find that it moved just out of his reach. Tutting, he tried to move closer realising a fraction of a moment later that the object wasn't moving he was. Fighting the rising hysteria of being unable to control his body, he grabbed at his work station, his legs rising further into the air. He tapped on the comm. link in his ear, 'Uhm just out of curiosity, Jack. There's nothing in the archives that could kill me, right?'

'Ianto, what exactly are you doing to my archives?'

Ianto stifled a squeal as the table began to slide across the floor, 'Nothing, nothing. It was just…idle curiosity.'

Jack huffed, 'As long as people are doing their job, then no. Nothing could outright kill you.' Then after a moment, 'But I guess some things could potentially maim…'

'Oh good. Just what I want to hear.'

'We're pulling in now. You can show me whatever device you want to log onto Tosh's pretty little programme.'

Ianto heard the comm. link go dead and groaned. This was going to be downright humiliating. Jack was going to take one look at him, wonder why he had even bothered with such a pathetic excuse of a person and send him packing off to…wherever it was he would have had to have gone originally. Ianto wondered whether Rhi would be able to go with him and whether Johnny would still be in the picture.

As the proximity alarm sounded, Jack strode into the hub. As his gaze alighted on Ianto struggling to hold onto a desk as his feet were pointed definitively at the ceiling. Stifling a giggle he casually walked up to the Welshman, eyes appreciatively taking in the sight of his flushed face and the contours of the body beneath the shirt.

'Having trouble, Jones?' Jack laughed, 'didn't your mother ever warn you not to touch another man's ball so carelessly?'

'Hilarious.' Ianto grunted, 'My mother probably didn't foresee the need to warn me about your balls.' The desk began to lift off of the floor, 'If you feel the inclination to help that would be excellent, by the way.'

Jack chuckled, 'Would if I could, kiddo. That delightful object there is a grav globe, perfectly harmless…unless you're too high when the effects wear off. Good thinking grabbing to the desk.'

Ianto groaned, 'Are you telling me that I activated some sort of anti-gravity device?'

'I knew I hired you for a reason.'

'And here I was thinking you'd hired me for my pretty face.'

Jack winked, 'Oh, trust me. Your face isn't the only thing I'd hire you for don't even get me started on your fabulous-'

Tosh interrupted Jack by letting out an uncharacteristic shriek. 'Oh my God. Ianto! Are you okay?'

Ianto tried his best to grin, 'I think if someone could tie me down I'd fare better.'

'I volunteer as tribute!' Jack shrugged at the blank expressions, 'What? You haven't seen that movie yet? Absolute classic.'

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

Rhiannon paced in the flat nervously, flitting from the oven to the window. Ianto should be back by now and Johnny would be here any minute. There was no way she could do this without Ianto. What if Johnny really didn't want to have anything to do with her after she told him?

She jumped when she heard the key in the lock, rushing over to the door, 'Ianto where have you bee-'

Ianto was pushed through the door by a ridiculously good –looking man in a coat that could only be described as overkill. He reached out his hand, 'Nice to meet ya. Captain Jack Harkness.'

She took his hand and shook it slowly, 'Uh huh. Right,' his lilting American voice masking something just beneath the surface, 'I'm Rhiannon, Ianto's sister. Pleasure to meet you. Ianto, you've never brought anyone home before.'

Ianto smiled tightly, 'This is my boss, Rhi. He was uhh making sure I got in okay.'

They all stood awkwardly in the doorway, the Captain's grip on Ianto's arm not gone unnoticed by Rhiannon. 'I see…uhm would you like to stay for dinner?'

Ianto cut off whatever Jack was about to say, 'No, no he wouldn't. I mean maybe he would,' he turned and looked gracelessly at Jack, 'but he can't. Not today I mean. This dinner is a huge deal for you and you're always too nice to people. Not that you're not welcome, Sir- Jack-'

Rhiannon giggled, rarely had she seen her brother so flustered, 'That is true. I'm really sorry, Captain-'

'Jack, please,' he flashed her a wicked grin.

'Jack. But it is true that this is an important dinner for me. Of course you are welcome to come back any time you like; I make a truly delicious hot pot.'

'Ah don't worry about me; I've got some things to take care of anyway. I'm, err, just gonna help your brother to his bedroom.'

Ianto scowled at him, 'Not like that. I had a…slight accident at work and am having difficulty walking is all.'

Rhiannon rolled her eyes, 'You know you'd make better liars if you weren't so nervy.'

Ianto nodded, 'Ah yes. My sister is incredibly gifted at picking up on other people's emotions.'

'Really,' Jack leant forward, closing the gap between him and Rhiannon, 'Low level empaths are rare in this time.' Jack stared at Rhiannon with a quiet intensity, 'Looks like both of the Jones' are talented.'

'And exactly which of my brother's talents are you referring to?' This man was dangerous, not psychopath dangerous, but there was something she couldn't quite figure out. And that worried her. She was able to pick up on every emotional shift in another person. She'd been honing the ability since she realised she had it. No one had been able to shield themselves as well as this man.

'Rhiannon!' Ianto snapped, 'That's enough. I'm going to change...' Ianto shifted awkwardly and quickly clung onto Jack's coat, 'If you'd help me, Jack.' Jack grinned at him. 'Help me to my room. Room.'

Rhiannon watched them as they made their way to Ianto's room. Mentally shrugging herself back into worrying about Johnny's impending arrival. Captain Jack Harkness was mysterious, but he wasn't threatening enough to make her worry that much. The sexual tension between him and Ianto could be cut with a knife. Although she decided that that particular man could probably create sexual tension with a dining-room chair.

TWTWTWWTWTWTW

Jack started giggling the moment they got into Ianto's room.

'Would you shut up?' Ianto closed the door, hovering slightly above the floor when Jack let him go. 'This is not funny! I've got to have one of the most serious dinners of my life and I'm still air borne!'

Jack put his hands on Ianto's waist, shutting the Welshman up and bringing his feet back to the floor, 'I could always stick around and keep you on the ground.'

Ianto tried not to notice how nice the feel of Jack's hands on his waist felt, not to mention how clothes just felt like a hindrance. 'While I appreciate the offer, I feel as though my sister might begin to wonder why you couldn't keep your hands off me.'

Jack laughed, 'Trust me. There's no way that girl is wondering anything about you and me. She knows exactly where we stand.'

'Face to face?' Ianto wriggled out of Jack's grip floating towards his dresser in an attempt to grab a change of clothes.

Jack came up behind Ianto, guiding him closer to the dresser, 'More like ass to-'

'Let's just get me some clothes before we even think of finishing that sentence,' Ianto felt his face flush, almost thankful that they were arse to…well.

'When did you become such a prude?'

'Since you became my boss?'

Jack tutted, 'Don't pull that crap with me, Jones. You've been flirting outrageously with me all day. You can't lead me up the field and not let me score a touchdown.'

'Sports metaphors? Really? Could you be any more American right now?' Ianto eyed up his free weights in the corner of his room, 'You think that would work?'

'The sports metaphor?'

Ianto sighed, 'No the weights to weigh me to the floor.'

'We are definitely not on the same page, are we?' Jack flopped onto the bed, 'C'mon I bet we have at least ten minutes before your sister comes looking for you. Imagine what I could do to you in ten minutes.'

Ianto moaned internally, subtly adjusting the front of his trousers, 'I'm more than aware of what you could do in ten minutes. I've had you for a whole night before, remember?'

'How could I forget?'

Ianto turned to look at Jack, unable to assess the feeling that confession had provoked. He drank in the sight of the American sprawled out on his bed, as though he'd been there a million times before. Although he'd thought that working for Jack would be a wet-dream come true, he hadn't thought about the way it might affect him. He and Jack had had one night together years ago and he'd been unable to get the man out of his head for months and months after. Just what was working with him in close proximity, every day of his life do to him? Ianto was scared. He knew he'd fall in love with Jack if he let himself indulge in the man day after day, night after night. And he didn't actually know what kind of man Jack Harkness really was. What if Ianto would only be another notch in the belt? Just another lover in a string of many? Ianto wasn't sure if his soul could take it. He couldn't love another person only to have them betray his trust like his parents had all those years ago. What if this job had been a mistake?

'Could you- could you pass me those ankle weights?'

A quizzical look passed over Jack's face before he got up to retrieve the weights, 'Is this some weird 21st Century guilt about having a mind-blowing orgasm while someone is in the next room?'

Ianto snorted, 'Yeah, something like that,' he bent down to affix the weights to his ankles, smiling when the added weight kept his feet in contact with the floor. 'Not to mention the fact that this room doesn't have a lock. I'd like to avoid an extremely awkward conversation with my sister if you don't mind.' The excuse wasn't too shabby; Jack had almost provided him with it himself. Besides it was basically true. He'd explain himself properly to Jack another time.

Jack smiled and nodded, 'Until tomorrow then?'

'Bright and early.'

Again my darlings terribly sorry about the inexcusable absence. I'll try harder! Lovelovelove.