A/N: Okay, I've rewritten this about four times trying to get the emotions and ending just right. So sorry it took so long and I hope you all think it's a fitting conclusion for this. Thanks everyone for reading, reviewing and favouriteing Enjoy.

Ianto looked over the table at Jack. He just knew this had been a bad idea.

"Are you asking me out on a date?"

"Interested."

"Well," Ianto was so confused 'Jack' and 'date' didn't mix, "as long as it's not in an office. Some fetishes should be kept to yourself."

There they were in an office, discussing a date. Ianto couldn't think straight, he was sure something wasn't right. He'd thought he'd distracted Jack, hoped he'd drop it if he didn't answer. But no…

"By the way, is that a yes?"

"Yes. Yes"

This was a mistake, a huge mistake. He knew as soon as he'd said it.

He wasn't sure if he'd said it just to shut Jack up or because he actually wanted it. So there he sat with Jack, the man whom he'd once loved. The man who betrayed you. A small voice reminded him. Ianto still knew he couldn't trust Jack but he also knew something had changed.

The first day back, Jack was his usual self. Perhaps a little more protective, but nothing obvious had changed. It was the day John had arrived, a day he'd quite like to forget. He didn't want to think about the way Jack spoke when he returned. He didn't want to even consider that Jack might have returned for him. He really, really, wanted to ignore his infantile reaction to the idea of Jack and John being partners.

Despite how quiet the rift was, it was a week before Jack brought up the date again. One week of watching, one week of trying to understand the change. He flirted less, well, he didn't flirt at all. He threw the odd loving look at Ianto but no one else. There were more touchs, he seemed to crave human contact. There was nothing sensual about the contact, just a friendly hug, holding their shoulders as they spoke. It was like he was reminding himself they were all alive. His eyes looked so old, older than usual, like he'd aged decades in those three months. He shuddered and tensed almost in fear at the slightest things.

Tosh had been drumming a rhythm on the desk, Jack nearly jumped out of his chair at the sound. He had practically run to her and threatened Tosh rather violently. Owen was very near killing Jack again.

They had been eating lunch, watching some politician explain how everything wasn't his fault.

"What ever happened to that bloke?" Owen asked shovelling chicken into his mouth.

"Real helpful Owen" Gwen rolled her eyes.

"Shut up Gwen, you know, his name was Saxon or something."

"Harold Saxon" Ianto filled in, watching Jack tense, just a bit.

"Yeah, him, what ever happened to him?"

Tosh was about to answer but Jack had quickly changed the subject, almost visibly shaking in his seat.

So Ianto watched Jack, and he watched Ianto. A little voice in his mind kept screaming, "He's changed! He's changed" but Ianto refused to listen to it.

"Ianto" Jack asked cautiously.

"Yes Jack."

"Thankyou."

"What, why?" Ianto was confused, Jack didn't thank people.

"For agreeing to see me."

"Right" Ianto was seriously confused now.

"Ianto, I…uh…I want you back." Jack held his breath, he knew he was bound for rejection.

Ianto couldn't help but laugh, the absurdity of the whole situation, "Do you captain?" he asked a little sarcastically.

"Yes, please Ianto, I've changed."

"You've changed?" he asked quietly considering the words. The little voice returned to pester him with its chant. Ianto blocked it out.

"While I was away, I," he paused as if looking for words "I, found myself. I realised how much I need you."

"You found yourself?" Ianto felt a little stupid for simply repeating what Jack said. Then he felt irrefutably angry. What kind of game was Jack playing with him?

"Jack! It wasn't that long! How could you find yourself in THREE MONTHS!" Ianto was quite prepared to continue when Jack corrected him with a tiny voice.

"A year." For a moment Ianto thought the tiny voice came from his head. One of the voices he was desperately trying to repress. Then he looked at Jack, small, weak and a little like a lost puppy. Ianto was scared, this man before him, was supposed to be a leader. He was meant to be a loud mouthed, obnoxious, self centred captain.

"What?" was all Ianto could manage.

"A year, for me it was a year" he clarified staring down at his empty plate, not daring to make eye contact.

Ianto mentally slapped himself; Jack had been with the doctor. He'd been with a time traveller.

"Sorry" Ianto said, awkwardly.

"No," Jack looked up but still avoided Ianto's gaze, "It's me who should be sorry. I just ran. I left you all, I left you without so much as a good bye."

"You came back, that's all that matters" Ianto reached over to hold Jack's hand on the table. He felt the inexplicable need to comfort him. Why did everything have to be so…difficult? Why couldn't he just say no?

Ianto was so confused. Hewas comforting Jack! Why on earth would he be comforting Jack? The bastard had treated him like dirt. He'd torn Gwen apart, had torn him apart. So why did he care so much? Not long ago, support would never have entered his mind. He would have reminded himself, it was exactly what Jack deserved. But things had changed.

There was that bloody word again 'Changed.'

Jack had changed.

He had changed.

The world had changed.

Everything had changed.

"Please Ianto, take me back" Jack begged.

"No" Ianto replied simply knowing it was best, and hoping this would all be over soon.

"What? Please, Ianto, I want you. I need you! I was wrong, so, so wrong."

"Jack, what happened to you?" Ianto had to understand. He needed to know what did this to his arrogant Captain.

"I…I" Jack stalled as if considering what to censor from his story, "It doesn't matter," he finally said. Ianto really wanted to slap Jack. If it had changed Jack so much, why the hell didn't it matter.

"All that matters is I've changed Ianto." Jack was squeezing Ianto's hands and begging him. Ianto had to compose himself, remind himself it was for the best.

"Jack, it won't work. Don't even bother."

"What?" Jack seemed genuinely shocked.

"You're not blind Jack" He said impatiently, "You know I've moved on. You know I'd moved on a long time ago. So don't bother."

"But, I…Ianto I love you."

Ianto let out a short humourless laugh, "Really Jack? You love me, do you?" What was this sick game Jack felt the need to play with him?

"Yes, please it's true" he begged staring at the table again.

"You're serious."

A wave of clarity swept over him. Jack had been professing his love to him, and he wasn't kidding. Part of him felt like Jack was telling the truth. For a brief second he wanted to throw himself into Jack's arms. For that moment he felt like he could trust Jack, that Jack wouldn't hurt him again. He ignored the feeling, he knew there was no way it could be true. No matter how much he wished it was.

Jack looked a little hurt by Ianto's revelation.

"Ianto, this is real, truly. I want to spend every moment with you. I want you! I made a mistake and I want to fix it."

"You know, it's odd. It wasn't long ago that if you'd said that to me, I'd jump you. I'd stand in this restaurant and kiss you until someone threw us out."

Jack's eyes brightened and he said seductively.

"Well why don't you?"

Ianto bit his lip. He reminded himself this was the right thing to do. If he wanted to stay sane, he needed to keep Jack off his back. The only way to do that was to make it clear to Jack he wasn't interested.

"I don't trust you anymore."

Jack laughed wholeheartedly.

"Trust?" It was genuinely hilarious to him, even if it was a little confusing. He knew he'd have to work to get Ianto's forgiveness, but a lack of trust was not something he'd considered.

"Ianto, you entrust your life to me everyday. Trust is not an issue" he said firmly.

Ianto couldn't help but feel angry and a little betrayed. Jack was blurring the lines between work and personal life. Not only that but he'd made it pretty clear that he wasn't trust worthy in either realm.

"Trust is an issue Jack!" Ianto raised his voice without even being aware. A few people from around the restaurant were staring at them. A waiter was scurrying around nervously, waiting for the argument bound to follow. Ianto reined his emotions back in. He took a moment to calm before speaking again, "Jack, I trust you with my life because, I still believe you are a worthy leader. However, I can't and won't trust you with my heart. You've broken it too many times, I don't trust you as a lover and I don't think I ever will."

"Ianto," there was a hint of warning in his tone, "don't do this to me."

With those words Ianto snapped. Jack hadn't changed, not one bit. He was still looking out for himself and only himself.

Ianto stood up, completely ignoring the fact he was in a public place and began to yell. "Don't do this to you! TO YOU! What about me! Did you ever stop to consider the man you supposedly love! How much did you change Jack? In that year, how much did you change?"

"A lot Ianto," Jack really wasn't doing well, "I saw and felt so much. God Ianto, it made me see how much I need you."

Ianto was feeling self-conscious again, and sat down. The volume of his voice had receded to speaking level but the anger and intensity had not faltered.

"And yet you still follow Gwen around like a love sick puppy."

"She follows me!" Jack replied indignantly.

"Potentially," he rolled his eyes, "but I saw your face when you found Gwen's engagement ring."

"Ianto" Jack whined.

"No Jack! If you need me so much, what the hell are you doing with Gwen?"

"When I came back, she, she threw herself at me…" Jack tried to explain.

"Anger, Jack, she was ANGRY! We 21st century humans can feel things other than lust."

"But why? She'd moved on." Jack was really confused. Did Ianto feel threatened by Gwen? Was Ianto angry that he'd left them? Damn 21st century human, why do all relationships have so much emotional baggage?

"Had she?" he snapped. "She spent a week with your corpse. A week! Didn't spare a thought for Rhys, did she? She wouldn't even talk to him, when he called to see if she was alright. He was so worried; I had to deal with him! He'd died not a few days before, she was so relived he came out of it alive, only to abandon him, to stare at your bloody corpse. She clearly still has feeling for you."

Jack was still processing the information, when Ianto stood up calmly. Ianto checked his watch, he had twenty minuets to deal with Jack, before he really had to leave. He wanted to be on time for his date, he was always punctual, never wanting to miss a moment with her. He took a deep breath composing himself. He needed to be ready for the next onslaught of questions that his next statement was bound to produce.

"Now, if you'll excuse me. I have a date with my girlfriend, so I'd better get going."

Jack sat stunned for a moment, and then stood up to stare him in the eye.

"Hang on! A date? Girlfriend?" People were staring again, so Ianto sat and Jack followed his lead.

"Yes Jack, a date. I've moved on. I'd done that long before you'd even left."

"Moved on?" Jack didn't believe what he was hearing "You kissed me."

Ianto sighed and rolled his eyes again.

"I don't hate you Jack." No you love him a voice in his head unhelpfully added, "I don't wish you dead. The concept that you died and came back to life several times, shocked me. Okay Jack, my mind was all over the place, I was grieving, then you appear alive and well, as if nothing had happened."

"Fine." Jack dropped the subject, though it was clear he wasn't satisfied with Ianto's answer. Instead he retuned to Ianto's date.

"You planned it, on the same night."

Jack stared at the younger man, the irritation in his voice was clear. Ianto really was over this stupid argument. Despite part of him begging to be loved by the captain, the more logical side disagreed. It was clear Jack had not changed, or they wouldn't be having this argument. Ianto didn't doubt something had happened, but whatever it was it didn't affect him. Jack still believed he was the centre of the universe and it was some scandalous horror that he was not worshipped every moment of everyone's time. Ianto really only had one reply to Jack's statement.

"Well, I was hardly going to cancel it. Just to re-affirm to a stupid boss that HE IS MY EX!" Ianto punctuated every word, with a slight nod of his head, and intensifying his glare.

Jack wasn't one to panic, but he was now. He needed Ianto back anyway possible. He needed the younger man back. He didn't lie to himself, it was partly for his ego, but Ianto had a hold on him. Ianto completed him in a way no one had before. Jack had to convince him he'd changed. He decided that could wait. All he had to do now was turn Ianto away from his girl and back towards himself. There was only one way, it wasn't the best method he conceded but it was all he had. Blackmail, it never failed him. Never.

"Mmm" He placed his elbows on the table and pushed his fingers together under his chin, "Does she know about you're past?" he asked letting the menacing undertones sink in. Ianto appeared taken aback, and then composed himself again, before replying.

Ianto nearly dry retched at Jack's words. His stomach began to churn. Jack was suggesting blackmail. Ianto hoped that he was just reading too much into it, but the expectant glare on Jack's face confirmed his fear. After recovering from the disgust he was very tempted to laugh. Jack really was just a child, it was ridiculous.

"Yes, actually, she does" he tried to keep his voice even. Then decided he may as well stick the boot in.

"It's one of those quaint 21st century rituals. Kind of like monogamy." That statement hit Jack hard, the cold stare that followed only made it hurt more. There where two reasons why the statement had hit a nerve within him. The first proposed a 'what if?' situation. If he'd kept his hands to himself, and actually given Ianto the attention he deserved, maybe they'd still be together. The second reminded him that Ianto wasn't the sort to cheat. There was no hope of getting to Ianto now he had girlfriend. Ianto would be as cold as possible to him, just to stay loyal to his girlfriend.

"I trust her, Jack" Ianto said earnestly.

Jack was bitter about all this, the return of trust to their conversation flared something inside of him.

"Trust? Well, are you going to try and hire her for Torchwood or just hide her in the basement!"

With the introduction of Lisa into the argument, Ianto's passion receded and the mask returned.

"Jack our life is none of you're concern" he replied curtly.

"It damn well is my business, I'm your boss!" Jack was yelling again.

Two waiters were standing in the corner nervously considering whether to throw the pair out. They had been causing quiet a disturbance, but both were usually good customers. They decided to wait for the manager to give them directions. Fortunately, they wouldn't need any.

"No! It's not Jack. Work and personal life don't mix!"

"Really? What about Tosh and Owen? What about US?"

"They are never together at work. NEVER!" Ianto stood again, Jack joining him as not to lose height in their argument, "AND despite my best efforts, you still tried to mix the two. Maybe we failed because of that. Or maybe, it was because you were a self-centred, Egotistical, BASTARD!" Ianto yelled, then as if the fight had gone out of him he said in a smaller voice, but still clearly audibly to most of the restaurant, which had gone silent "Maybe, because you still are" and with that he stormed from the restaurant. The waiters let out a small sigh of relief.

Jack suddenly realised where he was. With Ianto gone, his focus was on the people all around him. Jack saw them, they looked at him, disgust written across their faces. They'd taken Ianto's side! They barely knew anything about the argument, and they still took Ianto's side. Ianto he blinked remembering that he'd run out. Jack dropped a few notes on the table and ran after him.

He saw Ianto's receding figure in the night.

He chased after it calling out, "Ianto, please." He'd finally caught up, Jack held Ianto's shoulders at arms length. Jack didn't say anything, merely let his eyes beg. Ianto looked into those eyes and the internal battle started again. He wanted to forgive him and take off into the night. He knew that he couldn't trust the immortal. The evening had proved it, one moment he was faced with the new, caring Jack. The next he was face to face with the arse he'd dumped months before.

"I want to give you everything I have to give" Jack pleaded not releasing Ianto.

"No Jack, I don't want it anymore."

"Please, Ianto. What about work?" Jack knew he was grasping at straws now.

"I'll arrive; I'll greet you along with the others. I'll make coffee, go down to the archives. And generally continue with my life."

"As if nothing happened?"

"As if nothing happened. Now, I really have to go."

Ianto extricated himself from Jack's grip and continued on his way. He was pleased he'd left the extra time to deal with Jack.

Jack persisted, chasing after Ianto again, "Ianto" he whispered just loud enough for Ianto register. Ianto really was sick of all this, he turned swiftly, shoulders slightly raised like a cat, a new venom in his voice.

"Jack! I'm happy without you! Despite what Gwen may think, she's happy without you! We are all better off without you! Without you destroying the thumbnail of a personal life we manage to maintain. Goodnight!" Ianto made to walk off again but Jack caught his shoulder.

"Is there still hope for us?" Jack asked, he'd wait if he had to. He'd be there when Ianto was ready, "even a glimpse?" His eyes filled with hope.

"No," he retorted simply, "See you in the morning sir."

Ianto left and Jack didn't try to stop him. Jack walked in the opposite direction, he'd head to the Millennium Centre, or some other rooftop to brood, and like Ianto he'd continue as if nothing had happened.

Ianto hunched forward against the wind his mind a buzz. He knew he'd been lying to Jack. There was hope for them yet, given time. Ianto wanted so badly to believe Jack had changed. There wasn't any proof, of this new Jack, except a slight glimmer here and there.

Back at the hub, he watched. He sat back and watched Jack change. The new Jack coming through becoming more and more prominent, the old Jack receding until there was only the odd flash of the bastard he'd once been. There was hope and maybe one day they'd get back together. Maybe.

And now 'Tis Done

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