So a quick note to explain my mindset before this chapter. I have an entire story arc for Jack in my head between COE and when we saw him at Lake Silencio. And in that arc he has to lose something pretty big when the 456 come back. Originally I still had plans to kill Ianto and show Jack in stages of grief. Including getting drunk with Rose and liberating planets, because it's how they grieve.

Anyway, I was begged not to kill Ianto because I had already killed off several main characters. And after a long discussion with my beta, the amazing lastincurableromantic, I relented and came up with a compromise. And in order for Jack's arc to continue mostly as planned and to keep Ianto alive, this is what I came up with. Please note that Stephen's death was never an option for me.

The golden glow that had been surrounding Rory and Rose dissipated, and the two of them collapsed. Rory slunk into the chair, and Rose fell onto his shoulder. Both appeared to be sleeping peacefully. No one on the TARDIS made an attempt to move towards them, nor did they make a sound. Even the normal background hum of the ship didn't seem to be there. Jenny, Jack, Amy and even the Doctor were stunned by what they had just witnessed.

Everything had been going as planned, and the Doctor had felt Rory begin to pull away from the telepathic link with the 456. Suddenly, he had been pushed forcefully out of Rory's mind. Well, not so much pushed as ejected, forcefully and painfully. And when he looked back he had seen something that had made his blood run cold. Both Rose and Rory had been bathed in a golden glow and were radiating the same power he thought he took from Rose on the Games Station.

This was the power of the Bad Wolf. His mind flashed back to what Idris had told him only a few days ago. "It is a great power, one always born out of love. The power to give and take life, to heal and to be so much more than they could ever thought possible."

Rory and Rose had torn the 456 apart atom by atom using a power born out of love: love for EJ and Jamie and all of the other innocent children of Earth. What would Rory be capable of once he found out his wife and unborn child had been kidnapped? That thought scared the Doctor immeasurably because he'd felt a similar pain when Rose had been ripped from him at Canary Wharf. And there had been moments when he had been ready to rip apart both Universes to get her back.

This moment of reflection was broken by the door of the TARDIS slamming open, Tony striding in and Amy, Jenny and Jack all finding their voices again, so that four people spoke at once.

"Is it over?"

"What the bloody hell was that?"

"Did you know that would happen?"

"Brilliant."

The Doctor was unsure of who said what, but a moment later Tony was running up to the platform towards his mum and brother. "Dad, I thought you said Rory would be fine, and what happened to Mum?"

"They're just a bit sleepy after what they did," the Doctor said evasively as he stalked towards the unconscious pair.

Tony had pulled Rose back so he could check her pulse and breathing, both of which appeared normal. "You don't mean… that howling thing was them?"

"What howling?" Jack asked.

"Let's get them to the med bay. I want to check something," the Doctor said, scooping up Rose into his arms. He listened to Tony's explanation along the way.

"Well," Tony began as he helped Jack carry Rory the short distance down the hall. "It started like Dad said it would, with the children screaming, and then it changed. They were howling, but it was more of a song, beautiful really." He heaved Rory onto the bed and turned to face the Doctor. "It was Bad Wolf, wasn't it? Mum and Rory? Did you know that this would happen?"

"Yes... and no," the Doctor replied, his voice barely above a whisper. His eyes were locked on Rose's face. "This was the Bad Wolf, but I didn't know this would happen. They don't know how to control it yet. But don't worry, they'll be fine." He turned away from Rose. "If it's like the Games Station or like the trip from Pete's World," he now had vivid memories of both, "then they should be up in a minute. Back to normal a few minutes after that." He then began busying himself at one of the monitors above Rory's head.

"Dad?" The soft, tired sounding voice came from Rory.

The Doctor looked down and took the young man's hand. "Nope, I'm just the Doctor. How are you feeling?"

Rory squeezed his hand and said, "No, you're Dad and I'm fine. Little woozy but fine. How's Mum?"

"Still sleeping after the two of you almost scared me into my next regeneration."

"Sorry about that." Rory half-smiled.

"Yeah, well, it did the job. Later I want to know exactly what happened, and I'll tell you a few things I've discovered about that power you and Rose share. But for now, just rest." The Doctor squeezed his hand again before he let go and stepped away. Amy immediately took his place by her husband's side.

"What now?" Jenny asked, looking between her mother and brother.

Pulling his daughter into a tight hug, the Doctor said, "The danger is over now, so we start taking people home. If you could take care of that for me, I'd be grateful. Just give me a minute alone with Jack first."

Jenny nodded and walked over to Rose while the Doctor pulled Jack into the corridor.

"What's up, Doc?" Jack smiled, but he couldn't hide the pain in his eyes. The last few days had been hard on the former Time Agent. Sins of the past had come back to haunt him in a rather large way and had almost cost him his team when the Hub exploded. His daughter and grandson had been in danger, and he had almost lost Ianto today.

The worst part was that Jack would never even know how close he had been to losing even more. The Doctor could see the other possible outcome, see the other timeline, the one that would have been if he hadn't come. It would have cost Jack too much, and the Doctor was just glad to have spared his friend that pain.

But he also needed to prepare Jack for what was to come with Amy. "I need to tell you something and you can't breathe a word of it to anyone."

Jack's back straightened. "Of course. You have my word."

"Right then," the Doctor said sadly. "It's about Amy. She's in danger and we are going to need your help very soon…"

"I'll see you tomorrow at the office then," Trisha said to her mother as they stood in the warehouse where Hannah had left her car. The purple TARDIS had materialized there a few minutes ago. Hannah had hugged her grandchildren, Jenny, Jack, Gwen, Rhys, Sabrina, Tony, Ianto, Alice and Stephen goodbye, the danger of the situation had made them fast friends.

This moment right now was a time for celebration, a well-earned celebration. However, Hannah knew that the hardest times were still to come for the Tyler family, and the heartache they would soon feel would be almost overwhelming. Oh, how she wished that she could warn them, but she couldn't mess with time.

Now, though, she and Trisha had a few moments alone. Hannah smiled with pride at her only daughter. "Of course, we have plenty of paper work to do now." She leaned over and hugged Trisha tightly. "I love you, Sweetheart, and you are the best thing that ever happened to me. I don't tell you that enough, and hopefully one day you can forgive me, for everything."

"I love you too, and I forgave you a long time ago, Mum. Come 'round for tea tomorrow. The kids will be glad to see you." Trisha let her go and Hannah's smile slipped.

"I'd like that, very much." Hannah pulled out her keys. "I need to get back and make sure that my house guest hasn't made a mess of things." Damn, she swore under her breath. After all this time she had almost let the cat out of the bag.

Trisha quirked an eyebrow. "House guest? You didn't mention that you had someone staying with you. Who is it?"

"It's no one really, just someone I helped out years ago with a sort of witness protection thing." Hannah was trying to spin this, and it wasn't coming out right. "Just someone who was in town and dropped in unexpectedly. Don't worry about it."

"If you have a man over, you don't need to be embarrassed," Trisha teased. "Have fun...I'll see you later." She pressed a quick kiss on her mum's cheek and walked back into the TARDIS.

Hannah let out a slow breath and unlocked her car. Fifteen years of protecting that girl and not once had she slipped, not once. It had almost cost her the relationship with her only child to keep Melody safe, yet she had never been so close to revealing her part in the Tyler family's future. And here they were, less than a month away from the tipping point, and she almost ruined everything. She prayed that Trisha wouldn't spare another thought to the house guest until after it had happened in her timeline. Otherwise, who knew what will happen.

Jack carried a half asleep Stephen while Alice opened the door to her house. Jenny was trailing behind them, twirling her sonic screwdriver in between her fingers.

"You don't have to stay here tonight if you don't feel safe. I mean people smashed in this door only a day ago to get to you and him," Jack whispered to his daughter.

"I'll be fine, Dad," Alice replied softly. "Besides, Jenny said she'd reinforce the doors and make the lock only open with a genetic match. We'll be fine, and if not, you're just a phone call away."

"Always," Jack grinned.

The buzz of Jenny's sonic filled the air as she began work on the door. "This will only a few minutes," the blonde said, waving her free hand towards the stairs. "But take your time. Alice, it was nice to meet you."

"You too, Jenny, you too." Alice gave the woman a quick hug, before trudging up the stairs behind Jack.

Once Stephen was settled into bed, Jack pressed a soft kiss into his forehead. The little boy mumbled, "Night, Granddad," before rolling over and falling into a deep sleep.

There was a catch in Jack's throat as he spoke. "Night, buddy. Love you." The only response he got was a light snore. Jack smiled and stepped back to the doorway where Alice was waiting.

"After everything that's happened the last few days," Alice began, "you being his grandfather doesn't even seem to faze him."

"But are you okay with him knowing? Because if not I'll stay away. I won't like it…" Jack shook his head and Alice laid a hand on his arm.

"I think you should come by more often, Dad. Anytime you like. Maybe even take Stephen on trips to the zoo or wherever." Alice smiled. "He'd like that. I'd like that."

Before she could speak again, Jack pulled her into a hug. "You have no idea how happy that makes me. I love you, both of you." With one hand he was stroking her hair; the other was pulling her tighter. In the past few days he'd lost Torchwood, had almost lost Gwen and Ianto but he had gained his daughter and grandson wanting him to be a bigger part of their lives. "And I promise to keep this part of my life, the part that you were dragged into, away from you. Well, to the best of my ability."

Torchwood and the things he had done in its name had cost him so much, but he was done with that particular aspect of his life for good.

Alice laughed. "I'm the daughter of two Torchwood agents, and even if I did spend a large portion of my life in hiding, I'm not surprised that I got caught up in those types of events. Honestly, I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner." She pulled back from the hug. "This weekend come by, we can do something together, as a family."

"I wouldn't miss it for anything." Jack kissed her cheek. "I'd better go. It's been a long day, and there's still so much to do." They shared another quick hug, and Jack had a bounce in his step as he bounded down the stairs. This goodbye had been easy, the next two wouldn't.

The grinding, metal on metal sound of the TARDIS filled the living room of Rhys and Gwen's flat. The ship landed in the same spot it had only a few days ago before the world was seemingly tipped on its axis and life had changed completely. Jack stood aside and let the parents step out first. Had it only been three days since they had discovered that Gwen was pregnant? Maybe it had been four days?

"Ah, home sweet home then," Rhys said with a relieved laugh. "I'm glad all that's sorted and life is back to normal. For now at least." Neither Gwen nor Jack said anything, so Rhys tried to fill the uncomfortable silence. "So, when do you start rebuilding your super-secret base of operations?" His smile was large and genuine.

Jack shook his head slightly. "We don't, or at least I won't." Rhys' face fell.

Gwen looked her soon-to-be former boss straight in the eye. "You don't have to run away, Jack."

"I think I do," Jack replied calmly. "All I've been for more than a thousand years is Torchwood. I've given them everything, sacrificed my integrity, put the people I love most in constant danger. You and Ianto both almost died because people were trying to get to me. People that we thought were on our side. I'm done losing people I care about." He closed his eyes briefly. "Look at what happened to those children because of me, at what happened to Clem. They knew how to exploit me and I let them."

Jack sighed. "I think it's time I strike out on my own, go a little more freelance. It's harder to hit a moving target, they say." A dry chuckle escaped his throat. "I just need some time to myself."

A tear slipped down her cheek. "So, this is it? I'll never see you again?"

"No, I'll be back. Anytime you need me and when the baby's born." Jack beamed at the thought of the baby, and he clapped a hand on Rhys' shoulder. "That little one can expect to be spoiled by Uncle Jack. In the meantime, if you need anything you let me know. Or you can get in touch with Tony or Trisha. There's nowhere in time or space I can hide from Rose."

"God help her, having to put up with you for all of eternity," Gwen joked.

"It's her fault really, shouldn't have turned me immortal if she ever wanted to get rid of me for good."

And then Gwen broke. With a sob she launched herself into Jack's arms. "I'm going to miss you, Jack."

"Hey," Jack said stroking her back, "this isn't goodbye forever."

"But what am I going to do now, without Torchwood?"

"That's the best part. Anything you want." Jack pulled apart from her. "You could go to work for UNIT. Trisha and Hannah would pull strings to get you in, or you could freelance, or maybe just take some time for you and Rhys and that baby." He hugged her again. "I'll miss you." Then he turned to Rhys and shook his hand, telling him to take care of his family.

"Take care of yourself too, mate," Rhys said, unsure of what else to say. He'd always been jealous of the other man, but he'd never really expected him to just walk out of their lives.

Jack walked towards the TARDIS, and just before he entered he turned and said, "See you both soon."

A moment later Rhys and Gwen stood hand in hand in their lounge watching the time and space ship disappear. When the noise and wind faded completely, Gwen squeezed her husband's hand. "Let's go for ice cream; the baby and I want ice cream."

With a soft thump the TARDIS landed in the back garden of Rhiannon Davies' house. A slightly confused Ianto turned to face Jack, and he saw the TARDIS disappear behind them.

"Jenny took Trisha, Tony and the kids back home," Jack said and, as a way of explanation, held up his wrist. "And she fixed my mode of transportation, so I'll catch up to them later. Much later, possibly."

"What now?" Ianto asked softly, though he was sure he already knew the answer. "Where do we go from here? Torchwood…?"

"I'm not rebuilding Torchwood." Jack almost snapped, but he took a deep calming breath before continuing. "I can't… no more, no more busting my ass just to be repaid the way I was over the last few days."

"Where will we go? We could freelance the way Mickey and Martha do. Or I'm sure we could go with the Doctor and Rose or Rory." Ianto looked up to meet Jack's eyes and saw the older man shake his head almost imperceptibly. "Oh…You're leaving. Just you."

Jack closed his eyes and took a small step back from Ianto. "I'm not meant to be here. Not in this time, never was." He held up his wrist. "Now, I can go anywhere, any when."

Stepping forward, Ianto placed a hand on his arm. "Stay? Please stay for me."

"It's better for you if I go." Jack's words were insistent.

"I love you." The Welshman tried to pull the other man in for a kiss.

Jack wrenched free and put several feet between us. "You shouldn't. I'm dangerous." This was hard enough as it was.

"I can handle myself just fine, thank you," Ianto protested.

"How many times in just the last few days have you almost died?" Jack spat, anger and pain mixing into his voice. "If you spend too much time around Torchwood, too much time around me, you start to think you're invincible too. You didn't want to leave me before that bomb exploded. Do you know what that did to me? Do you know what that would have done to you?"

"Jack…" Ianto stepped forward.

"No!" Jack stepped back; they were in some sort of dance now. "Yesterday, you insisted on going with us to see the 456. If the Doctor or the TARDIS hadn't been there…" his eyes flitted to the bruises the Doctor had left on Ianto's neck. "If it had just been us then your body would have been lying alongside everyone else who breathed in that virus."

"But the Doctor was there."

"And you shouldn't have been. I shouldn't have let you go, but you refused to listen and I caved. What happens the next time you don't listen or when someone gets the jump on us and you're dead? Torchwood agents don't tend to die of natural causes. I could name hundreds of people that I cared about that died because they weren't fast enough, or they made the wrong choice or were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Owen, Tosh…Lisa"

Ianto flinched at the sound of his late fiancée's name. "Then we stop. Slow down. We can still live a life together."

"I can't do that. I can't sit still that long. And I can't let you follow me headlong into danger."

Ianto's mood shifted now from hurt to angry. "So everyone else that travels through time and space fighting aliens, it's okay for them but not for me? From what you told me, the Doctor was constantly placing his companions in danger."

"His companions were never permanent, and never did they share the relationship that you and I have."

"He and Rose…"

"They weren't like that when they first traveled together."

"Rory and Amy…"

"Amy is not my responsibility, but you would be." Jack took in a ragged breath and he thought about what the Doctor had told him. Amy and her unborn child had been kidnapped. The two of them could die or be lost forever, and that's not what he wanted for Ianto. Jack couldn't let Ianto die. Never Ianto.

Jack stared directly into the warm eyes of the man that he loved and knew what he had to do. As hard as this was, Jack felt deep down that this was the right thing to do. "Look, normally I'm a seize the moment type of guy. Live life to the fullest and damn the consequences. But I have lost so many people, so many people that I loved over the years. I can't lose you. I can't have you die young, can't let your life snuffed out before it reaches its potential."

"But you're still going to be a part of other people's lives." Ianto was grasping at straws now. "You said that you're dangerous and yet you want to be a part of your daughter's life."

"It's different."

"How?"

"Alice understands how dangerous my life is. She'd never ask or want to be a part of that part of it. With her and Stephen it's visits, a day or two here and there. I could stretch their lives out over hundreds of years for me. Those visits would be enough for them. They wouldn't be enough for you."

A single tear slipped down Ianto's cheek. "It could be enough."

"Would it? A stolen weekend here and there? You want what I can't give you." Jack stepped forward this time and wrapped his arms around Ianto. "Promise me that you will have a great life, a fantastic life. Don't just sit and think about what could have been."

"I promise," Ianto whispered and Jack kissed him. Soft, sweet and tasting of goodbye.

Slowly Jack pulled away, stepped past Ianto and walked away. In a flash of blue light Jack was gone. For the longest time the Welshman stared at the spot where Jack had disappeared. If he turned away it made it real, and right now he didn't want to think about that. Didn't want to think about the fact that for the second time in his life he had lost the person that he loved. How many times had that happened to Jack? And how did he always keep going?

"Ianto?" Rhiannon called from near the back door.

Without turning around Ianto asked, "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to know what happened." She had moved closer and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, me too."

She moved her hand to his arm and tugged gently. "Come on, I'll make tea."

"You're so British," Ianto said dryly. "And I'll just bet you use bags."

"If you're going to complain, then you make it. Or worse, I'll send you down to the pub with Johnny," Rhiannon teased.

Ianto shuddered. "I'd rather have the tea bags." He stopped and pulled her into a hug. "Thank you."

"Not a problem, it's what family's for."