Thank you too everyone who has reviewed so far, it provide so much encouragement that here is the 2nd chapter in less than 2 days!
Although probably obvious to everyone I thought I ought to say it just incase...
...I don't own torchwood or its characters, they were the fabulous creation of Russell T Davies and the BBC.
Enjoy.
Gwen placed the key in the lock and opened the front door, trying carefully not to make too much noise as she did so. Rhys followed her in, babbling away to Carys, something about what mummy had managed to get involved in now.
"Rhys" Gwen hissed at him, and placed her finger across her lips in a silent shhh.
"Oh yeah" Rhys grumped "Better not wake the dead!"
Gwen looked at him, sighed, raised her eyebrows and moved through to the living room.
Rhys popped Carys to bed for some sleep and then stood in the door way, leaning on the frame.
"So? "
"So what?" Gwen replied.
"Don't say what like you've no idea what I'm talking about."
"Well I can guess who you're talking about, but I don't know what it is you want to talk about."
"There is a man in our guest room who is supposed to be dead Gwen. What are we supposed to do with him?" Rhys looked like he was about to pause, but didn't. "Does his sister know? Will he be able to get a job? What sort of effect is this going to have on Carys? Have you even thought about her!?"
Gwen looked up at him from the sofa. Rhys the rant, the wonderful Welsh man she'd fallen in love with, married and was now raising a family with. Rhys the long suffering other half to a member of torchwood dealing with life as he always does.
"We're going to cross one bridge at time Rhys." She said calmly and more confidently than she actually felt about what they were going to do. "Carys is very young and never knew him before so it's nothing strange to her. I haven't told Rhiannon yet but I thought we'd invite her over for tea tonight. I don't know what happens after that, but I've sent a message to Jack just incase he wants to know. We can sort tomorrow out, tomorrow."
Rhys smiled, and joined her on the sofa, placed his arm around her, kissed her forehead and leaned his head on hers. He was still taking it all in, and it occurred to him that Gwen probably had a lot to take in too, but here she was, doing what does best, being practical and organised and carrying on. He loved her. If that meant he had to love torchwood too, then so be it, though he had enjoyed its absence the last few months.
"I'm going to phone Rhiannon, will you be able to go and get her if she wants to come over?"
"Yeah don't see why not, what I do best, get stuff from A to B at the required time." Rhy grinned.
"Thanks hun," Gwen smiled, and dialled Rhiannon.
Ringring, ringring, ringr The phone on the other end was answered, there was the noise of kids playing and a television in the background. The voice on the other end yelled away from the phone and the noise cut out.
"Hi Rhiannon, its Gwen." Well that was the easy bit out of the way...
"Carys is very well, what about yourself?" Gwen wondered if perhaps she ought to miss the chat and get to the point.
"Great. I'm actually phoning with some very odd news, I'm afraid. You might want to be sitting down."
"It's not bad news as such, it's about Ianto." There wasn't an audible response from on the other end.
"Well, we found him alive this afternoon. Actually I think he more found us, but he appears to be alive and well, thought he doesn't remember any of the last year."
"That's the bit I just don't know, I'm sorry. I think it's got something to do with the Rift, the same think that we used to work with before the 456."
"No, we haven't heard from Jack, we sent him a message but his replies are never usually very prompt."
"Yeah, I don't know he would know anything about it. I've got all the gear from work so I'm going to try and investigate it. Do you want to pop round? He's asleep at the moment but I'm sure he'll be up in a bit."
"Thats ok, Rhys and I are probably going to grab some pizza for tea so as long as you're ok stopping at the shop on the way back he can come and get you just now."
"Do you happen to have kept any of his clothes? He was wearing his suit when we found him, but it's very dusty."
"Great, we'll see you soon."
"That me on taxi and delivery duty then?" Rhys already had his coat on and his keys in his hand. He lobbed the baby monitor at Gwen and searched through his pockets for change. "You got a tenner? I'm a bit short."
Gwen dug a twenty pound note out of her back jeans pocket, and held it up for him to take.
"Cheers hun, see you soon."
"See you soon, drive safe."
The door clattered behind him.
Remembering her conversation with Rhiannon, Gwen clipped the baby monitor to her belt and dashed into the study to see if there was indeed any reply from Jack. Not that she expected one, but more just in case, surely Ianto's retun was big enough news to deserve a reply. As expected, nothing. The Rift was fluctuating, although this had been unusual recently it was still less activity than they would ever have been concerned about a few years ago. Whatever had happened this afternoon appeared to be pretty focal and isolated.
The smell of pizza drifted up Ianto's nose. Was he dreaming? Which bit was a dream? His head felt heavy, his memories confused. The hub, a bomb blast, a forest, Gwen, had he died? Was he dead? Where was he? Surely Gwen and Jack would have woken him if they'd decided to get pizza? He hoped beyond all hope to open his eyes and see the tiled walls of the hub, discover his confusion was just a dream. No such luck. His eyelids peeled away from each other to reveal plain walls
and a large pair of curtains covering an enormous window. Apparently his confusion was still real, or maybe he was still dreaming? He tried screwing up his eyes and opening them again. Same scene. Same scene, and same smell, that was definately pizza.
Changing quickly into his battered suit Ianto stepped cautiously across the thick carpet and out into the hall. There were voices in the living room, he recognised Gwen's and maybe Rhys and one that
sounded like his sister. As he opened the door the smell of hot pizza filled his sinuses and made his stomach rumble.
"How you feeling?" Gwen beamed across the room at him.
Rhys sat with one arm round her shoulders a slice of hawaiian pizza in his other hand. "Hi" he mumbled through a mouthful of pineapple.
"Much better thanks Gwen." It wasn't a complete lie, he did feel much better, he just wished he understood what had just happened to him and why the world thought he was dead.
"Well come on then" Rhiannon's voice broke the silence, "Tuck in you must be starving, and its good pizza."
"Hi," he said, "Sorry I believe I'm supposed to be dead."
His sister just smiled, she seemed to be taking it all very well. But then she'd put up with a lot from him over the years, perhaps this was just another thing her brother did. He sat down on the other end of the sofa from Gwen and Rhys and helped himself to a slice of meat feast.
"I assume Gwen has filled you in?" Ianto didn't look up as he said this.
"Yeah, she did, though by the sounds of things it's you that needs filling in on what's been happening."
"A whole year apparently."
"Yeah, full of surprises you are, never tell your family either, we always have to find out from someone else."
"Ianto Jones!" There a loud proud booming voice from over by the door.
Everyone turned their head. No one said a word.
In the corner of the Gwen and Rhys' living room, as if this sort of sudden appearance was the norm, stood Captain Jack Harkness, complete with great coat and that unmistakable grin.
"You've exceeded expectation a number of times, but this, this Ianto Jones, is most unexpected." There was a slight approving shake of his head as he beamed at Ianto.
Ianto remain in the sofa corner. "Jack" he said as if the two had just met in the street.
"How the hell did he get in?" Rhys mouthed at Gwen, while doing his best combination of surprised, annoyed and confused faces.
Gwen shrugged, and resumed staring at Jack.
"I should have called" he said, "but well your message took me somewhat by surprise and we were passing so I thought I'd just drop in."
He might have been out in the galaxies running from his past, but in that moment there was no mistaking this for anyone other than Jack.