Chapter Note: Once again this is a split chapter due to content restrictions here.

After Henry and Fish had made use of their fifteen minutes, they settled into work more focused than before. Ianto hadn't found a single piece of paper to go with the device except for Jack's report detailing its retrieval, identification and storage. To Fish's annoyance, Jack had told him it was the thirtieth century equivalent of a whoopee cushion. The idea that this sophisticated piece of equipment was used to play practical jokes unnerved Fish mostly because it was past midnight and he was still tinkering with it.

Jack twisted in his chair, looking out his office window and saw Fish and Henry still bent over the piece of equipment. He saw Fish lean back and rub at one of his eyes. He twisted his neck back and forth, wincing. Henry stood up and began kneading at Fish's shoulders, the two of them talking back and forth. Jack watched as Fish's eyes began to close and his head started to droop. The Australian snapped his head back up and his eyes open and then set back to his work. That's it…

Jack pushed out of his desk chair and strode out of his office door. He bellowed, "Fish! Go home!"

"But Jack-"

"That's an order," Jack interrupted. "Both of you. Get out of here. I'll see you at nine."

"Jack… if the hospital staff follow the same course as the Wilson family then they're going to start dying soon. I need to keep working," Fish insisted.

Jack looked from Fish to Henry and then back again.

"Fine. Sleep for a few hours downstairs. Four hours, minimum," Jack said.

"Three."

"Four," Jack repeated. "Or sleep for three and use the other hour for sex."

Fish blushed scarlet but Henry saw his lover relent. He turned towards the east stairs.

Trying to head off the immortal man, Jack jogged across the Hub. He got in front of Henry, standing in his path. His hand was extended, pressed into Henry's chest. He repeated, "I mean it, Henry. Go get some rest."

The Duke shook his head. "I'm just going to check on Mao-Lin before-"

"I've got it," Jack said. He didn't want to give Fish any excuses to start tinkering with that EMP generator again. He flicked his gaze at Fish and the EMP generator. Fish was already leaning over the device again. Jack gave Henry a pointed look and said softly, "Go give him a reason to get away from his work. He needs to rest or at least relax."

Henry followed Jack's gaze and nodded. He walked over to Fish. Jack watched as Henry whispered something in Fish's ear. There was no mistaking the hungry look that came over Fish's face nor the darkening of his eyes. The two men took off towards the north stairs. Jack grinned at the lovers. Fish had become a changed man ever since Henry had walked into his life and it was a good change.

Jack had seen so many Torchwood agents adjust to the life over the past century and Fish had been no different. At first, the Australian had thrown himself into his work with a boyish glee, the idealism of being a part of something as big and grand as Torchwood bringing a greater sense of purpose to his life. Eventually, though, every Torchwood agent had what Fish had termed his 'Red Pill Moment.' The reliquary had dropped through the rift and Miranda had shot a ten year old boy dead right in front of his eyes. It had brought reality crashing down hard on the Australian. There were aliens and a future for the human race but it wasn't like a science fiction show. This wasn't an episode of Star Trek were Captain Kirk saves the day and only one bloke in a red shirt dies.

It had been one of the harsher reality checks and Miranda had given Jack a thorough dressing down about the trauma to her friend. Jack had stood his ground. Miranda might think that Fish was going to accept the retcon and leave but Jack knew better. The immortal woman may constantly call him 'woefully obtuse' but she could be just as bad. Show him the bottom of Pandora's Box… he'd ordered. It had been the solution and Fish had stayed. Fish had mourned the loss of his rose tinted shades, the same way every Torchwood agent did.

After that, Jack had seen the other Torchwood shoe drop - Fish's first close call. The technician had been fiddling with a piece of tech when something had short circuited, electrocuting him. His heart had stopped and, thankfully, Miranda had only been a few steps away. Once he was up and about, Fish had asked for the name of Miranda's solicitor and financial advisor so he could make all his final arrangements. He'd boxed up anything he hadn't wanted to end up in storage and sent it to his sister.

Shortly after being confronted with his Torchwood life expectancy, Fish had started going out every night and coming in hung over almost daily. Jack had worried about him, wondering if Joseph Fischer was their new Owen Harper but the self destructive behaviour had tapered off. The Australian continued to have the occasional one night stand, but never anything more steady. That didn't surprise Jack. Torchwood wasn't relationship friendly and Fish's background had showed that he hadn't had a serious relationship since his fiancée had left him.

Now, Fish had Henry and Jack couldn't be happier for the two of them. There was a lightness to Fish that there hadn't been before. Jack would often catch him staring off into space and smiling. The man was ridiculously in love. The only change to Fish's work was the reduction of his field time. Once Gwen and Ianto had gotten back on their feet after the alien plant spores, Fish had asked to speak with him. In no uncertain terms, he had said he was cutting back on his field time and that unless the spike absolutely required the whole team, he would only be backup from now on. Fish wasn't the first operative to spend most of his time in the Hub and Jack had been more than happy to comply as it would drastically improve Fish's life expectancy.

He and Miranda had stepped up their efforts to find a new team member. Cameron MacDonald showed a great deal of promise. Miranda had planted the seed and sent the young man off to see what grew. They'd performed a smaller background check than usual because of the current case taking up so much of their time. Ianto found out that he'd worked at the hospital for only a few years and that he'd earned his medical degree in England but that was all he'd dug into the young man for now.

Unfortunately, Ianto had informed Jack that the young Scot had purchased a train ticket to Glasgow so Jack wasn't holding much hope for that prospect. The process of finding new Torchwood operatives was a delicate one. Sometimes you plant the seed in their minds and it just doesn't take root and sometimes they impersonate pizza delivery girls and end up meeting Janet. It was all very hit or miss. Miranda still hadn't mentioned any immortals she thought suitable. Jack knew that was the biggest long shot. Frequent deaths made Miranda regularly vulnerable when she worked for Torchwood and Jack was certain there would be very few, if any, immortals of the Game she would trust with that. Though lately it wasn't just the deaths leaving Miranda vulnerable.

When Miranda had first fallen ill, Jack had been terrified. It was like the Nepanthians all over again. Now that a solution was in sight, Jack had relaxed. He turned and started to walk down the stairs towards the isolation cell. Four thousand years of health and well-being had removed Miranda's ability to cope with illness. The fatigue and other symptoms were hitting her hard. The immortal woman was miserable. When she wasn't sleeping, she would lay in bed, staring off.

Jack turned the corner to the containment cell and saw Ethan Donovan sitting next on the concrete floor next to Miranda's cot, arranging a cool cloth on her head. Jack rapped his knuckles on the glass, not noticing that Miranda was fast asleep. She didn't wake at the knocking.

"Hey! Get out of there!" he yelled.

Donovan shook his head and put his finger to his lips.

Angry, Jack circled around to the cell's outer room. He shut the outer door and then opened the inner one. He grabbed Donovan by the arm and yanked him to his feet.

"Out!" he barked.

"Shh! She's asleep!" Donovan hissed, shaking off Jack's arm. He walked out of the room after giving Miranda one more look. Once they were safely in the hallway, Jack shut the doors, sealing Miranda in the room alone.

"Henry and I are taking care of her, Ethan," Jack snapped, pointing his finger right in Donovan's face. "That's an order."

"Why, Jack? Cos I could get sick? Well that shit applies to you and Henry too," he said. Anger thickened his accent and ruined his grammar. "Me being in there ain't any more dangerous than the two-a you so if you think I'm leavin' her alone, you got another fuckin' thing comin'!"

Jack narrowed his eyes at the change in Donovan's tone. He'd hit a nerve and there was only one reason he would have hit this nerve. Donovan hadn't taken his warning seriously. "What did I tell you about her?"

"She's important to me but I'm not in love with her," Donovan insisted. He really didn't believe what he was saying and he could tell Jack didn't either. As if anyone can stop themself from falling in love… He sighed and shook his head. It was none of Jack's business but Torchwood's family-like atmosphere had been infecting him.

While the south Boston accent would never leave him, Donovan had worked hard to not sound like an Irish mobster but whenever he was really angry, things slipped. He blurted, "Fine. I admit it. I love her. Look, I'm a realist, Jack. I get that she's way the fuck outta my league. I get that there's no future here. This ain't gonna to lead to family dinners and her meeting my kids and wedding bells. I ain't fucking stupid. I married my high school sweetheart cos that was just the thing you did. And somewhere along the way we both realised that we'd never loved each other, not the way we should've but we stuck it out cos that was just the thing you did. I've been trapped in a fuckin' loveless, empty marriage my whole fuckin' life and I'd like to believe that it's possible for me to fall in love - that I even know how - and she's helping me with that. Is that fucking okay with you?"

Jack lifted his chin, defiantly. "No intimate contact. You don't so much as kiss her."

"We back to the fact that I'm schtupping your ex-wife, Jack?" Donovan said, rolling his eyes.

"As if," Jack snapped. He jammed his finger into Donovan's chest for emphasis. "You're an American citisen on British soil under our protection. Torchwood is not sending MiB's Director home in a glass jar."

"Yes, Captain," Donovan snapped out.

"Good, go get some sleep," Jack said, his voice kinder. "Downstairs, not in there."

Donovan went back into the isolation cell and Jack watched as he laid his hand on Miranda's forehead. Mindful that Jack was watching him, Donovan resisted the impulse to kiss her. He left the room to sleep in Miranda's rooms. "Good night, Jack."

"Night, Ethan."

Once Donovan was out of sight, Jack headed to his own office. He lifted the hatch and winced at the slight squeal. He'd forgotten to oil the hinge. Ianto was going to…

"Jack! Oil that tomorrow, I mean it!" Ianto called up from the bunker.

Jack winced as he descended the ladder, shutting the hatch behind him. "Tomorrow."

"I was asleep, Cariad," Ianto said, rolling over.

"Sorry," Jack said as he started getting undressed.

"What's wrong?" Ianto asked. He sat up, bending his knees and resting his arms on his legs.

He jerked his chin towards the north stairs. "Ethan and Will. I don't know what she sees in him."

Ianto smothered a grin. That had been asked of Ianto about Jack quite a few times. "I don't think she sees anything, tell you the truth."

"What do you mean?" Jack asked, sitting down on the bed.

Ianto winced as Jack took off his socks. He tossed them at the hamper. One sock landed in the hamper, the other hit the outside and fell to the floor. He rolled his eyes. That sock wouldn't be moving any time soon. "I mean, that he's not the sort of man I'd see her with. He's nothing like you."

"Why would he have to be like me, Yan?" Jack asked, confused. He started unbuttoning his shirt cuffs.

"Well, I only know two people she's had any sort of relationship with… you and Nora," Ianto said, shrugging. "Ethan isn't like either of you so I wouldn't classify him as being 'her type', if she even has a type."

Jack let out a snort. "It depends. If she's just looking for sex, all she wants is a pretty face and a decent body."

"Ah, that explains Donovan better," Ianto said and Jack nodded.

"When she's looking for something more? Will likes the brainiac sort of woman but she's got this weakness for the bad boy when it comes to men."

"Ah, I can see why she married you then," Ianto teased.

Jack cast him a glare as he stood up to take off his trousers. "It's a good thing he's leaving soon. They're a recipe for disaster."

"Owen said the same thing about us," Ianto said.

"Wait, what?" Jack said and froze to look at Ianto. It was quite comical, Jack half bent over with his trousers half off, staring at him with his mouth half open. "Owen?"

Ianto couldn't help the laugh. "After Abaddon, they all cornered me. First Gwen and then Tosh and then Owen."

"You never told me that," Jack said. He tossed his trousers and pants into the hamper. He turned off the lamp and slid into the bed. "Owen said we were a recipe for disaster?"

"Well, first he tested me for every sexually transmitted disease there was and then a few that I'm sure were alien," Ianto said with a laugh. He edged his way closer to Jack, putting his arms around him. "Then he told me that loving you was a recipe for disaster."

"What did you say?" Jack asked, honestly curious.

"I told him that I didn't love you, that we were just having a bit of fun," Ianto said with a shrug. He kissed the point of Jack's shoulder.

"Did you love me back then?"

Ianto leaned back to look at Jack, his eyes adjusting to the dim light. "I guess it's not the romantic thing for me to say but, no, I didn't."

Jack remembered when he knew he loved Ianto Jones. The Master had decided to see how long it would take for him to starve to death. Towards the end, he'd been delirious and too weak to move or speak. He had started to hallucinate and what his mind had chosen to hallucinate was Ianto Jones. It had been a pure fantasy, a dream that couldn't exist. He was living with Ianto on Boeshane. The two of them were laughing and talking as they prepared dinner. Jack had even been able to hear the ocean in the background. Ianto had come up behind him, put his arms around his waist and told Jack that he loved him and Jack had answered, I love you too, Ianto… Jack had revived on the Valiant and the first thing he'd uttered had been Ianto's name. It had dawned on Jack the moment he'd regained his wits. He was in love with Ianto Jones.

After that, the thought of returning to Ianto was all that kept Jack going. He'd thought about the rest of the team, of course but in the long, cold and lonely days ahead, it was Ianto who kept him warm. Jack had had a lot of time on his hands and he'd used it to think. He'd thought long and hard about his feelings and how he'd treated his Welshman. No, that had been wrong. Ianto wasn't his but Jack vowed that one day he would be. He'd work harder. He'd treat Ianto the way he deserved… and one day… one day Jack hoped he'd hear those words in beautiful Welsh vowels for real and not just in his dreams.

"When did you realise you loved me? Was it after Tommy?" Jack asked.

Ianto smiled. "No, it wasn't then."

At first, when Jack had returned to them after his disappearance, Ianto had been wary. He hadn't wanted to admit that it had been more than just sex, that he'd started to fancy Jack, but the truth was that he had. He'd seen the potential for him to fall in love with Jack and when Jack had been gone, Ianto had told himself all sorts of things to make dealing with the abandonment better. Jack needed his answers. Jack Harkness wasn't the falling in love sort. A nobody from Newport couldn't possibly compete with a Time Lord and all of time and space…

None of those things were really true and when Jack had come back, Ianto couldn't believe how relieved he was. He'd played it cool but he was still hurt and he'd made Jack work hard to get back into his good graces. What had surprised Ianto the most was that Jack had, in fact, wanted to do the work to get back into his good graces. Dinner? A movie? A date? What Jack had said to him before they'd sent Tommy back to 1918 were the final pieces that had earned Ianto's forgiveness. He'd let Jack back into his bed but it wasn't the moment love had entered the equation. The love, for Ianto, had built slowly over time.

"When was it?" Jack asked, smiling.

"It's not as simple as a single moment," Ianto said.

"Tell me anyway," Jack said, running his fingers through Ianto's hair. He smiled, kissing the top of his head.

"It started after the space whale," Ianto replied.

"The space whale?" That wasn't what Jack expected.

"Yup." Ianto nodded. He kissed the tip of Jack's nose. "You could have had her, you know. All you would have had to do was step up and take her."

"Ianto…" Jack said with a groan. They were past this. Past Gwen.

"No, listen to me, Jack," Ianto said. "After that whole scene with Gwen, Tosh and Owen both looked at it like I was your second choice. They looked at it like you were settling for me since you couldn't have Gwen. And yeah, that was how it looked-"

"I wasn't settling, Ianto," Jack said, angry.

"I know that, Jack. Let me finish," Ianto said, patiently. There were a lot of insecurities here that had taken Ianto a long time to move through and some he was still working on. "You took that bottle from me and I felt the way your fingers brushed against the back of my hand. That was when I knew you'd made a choice and that you'd chosen me. That was the moment I knew I could love you if I let myself. So I did. I spent that whole year falling in love with you."

"Yeah?" Jack asked.

"Yeah," Ianto said, blushing a bit. "That first night you stayed over-"

"After we lost those three days," Jack said, smiling. He'd made Ianto breakfast.

Ianto nodded. "We finally got that date, before Martha came…"

"That was some night," Jack said with a laugh. It had been dinner and a movie and so, so much more.

"Bordering on the avant-garde," Ianto chuckled. "We had that lovely dance at Gwen's wedding…"

"That was you marking your territory," Jack teased.

"A bit, but it was still nice," Ianto said, smiling. "We had that mini-holiday after the night travelers-"

"I wouldn't call spending all weekend in bed at your flat a mini-holiday, Ianto," Jack said with an eye roll.

"It was to me. It was romantic. We still had our fun though. Remember when Gwen caught us in the hothouse?" Ianto said with a laugh. He propped his chin up on Jack's chest so he could look him in the eyes. "But, if you really want to pin it down, the moment I knew for certain was when that bomb exploded. I closed my eyes and filled my heart and my mind with you."

And there it was again, the elephant in the room. Jack remembered when he revived and saw Gwen and Rhys standing over him. Toshiko had been closer to him but he'd had to find Ianto. He'd been relieved beyond words that Ianto had still been alive. Gwen had run off to find Owen and that was when the moment that Jack had hoped for and dreamed of for nearly a year had finally happened. Once Gwen was out of ear shot, Ianto had turned to him. There had been blood and dirt on his face, and tears on his cheeks but he'd looked Jack straight in the eyes and said the same thing he was saying now.

"I love you, Jack."

And, again, Jack response was the same.

"I love you, too, Ianto."

Unlike that day in the warehouse, Jack tugged Ianto on top of him thoroughly intent on showing him exactly how much.