Chapter 3

Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart had been friends with Jack Harkness for a long time and had kept his eye on Torchwood Three he had never seen Jack look at anyone the way he looked at Ianto and he had a feeling that Jack was going to do something foolish in attempts at helping his bond mate. He didn't blame Jack, he knew how long Jack had longed for someone he could truly love without having to lose them but he was worried about Gwen Cooper, Jack had admitted to him that the woman had been immune to Retcon in the past and it played a role in why he hired her to keep an eye on her. From what he has seen and read Alistair wasn't at all impressed with Miss Cooper and he will be keeping a very close eye on her, if she turned out to be too problematic he would be dealing with her personally. It would be interesting to see if she could prove herself in the time he was there.

Morning came too soon for Gwen Cooper who cuddled deeper into the blankets that surrounded her. Letting out a sigh she stretched out her body, feeling delightfully sore in all the right places. Letting out a sigh she pouted as she realized that the other side of the bed was empty, sitting up in bed she wrapped the blankets around her as she called out, "Mary?" She really hoped that Mary hadn't just up and left her. It had been a long time since she had a woman's touch and she had forgotten how much she enjoyed it, she had been hoping for a repeat. 'With Jack busy off playing nursemaid for Ianto there is no reason for me to go in.' Gwen couldn't believe that Jack would rather be wasting his time looking after Ianto than being with her.

A pout appeared on Gwen's face she was not to be rejected! Not by Jack and certainly not by Mary! She was Gwen Cooper didn't they know how lucky they were that she chose them? A huff escaped Gwen as she crossed her arms over her chest and sulked.

"I'm here. I was just making us breakfast." Mary announced as she waltzed into the bedroom a sheepish look on her face as she took in the pouting form of Gwen on the bed and it took everything in her power not to roll her eyes at the woman. While she was a good lover Mary just wished that she could have gotten her hands on Toshiko Sato like she originally planned only to have those plans fall apart the moment she sensed the claim mark that rested on Tosh, she was the mate of someone powerful.

Mary wasn't a fool she had studied the group before she approached them and Gwen was the only one without a mate. She was the only way for her to get into Torchwood Three and she would use her however she had to.

Gwen's heart gave a little skip as all the times Rhys did the same thing flashed before her mind and she felt all the pain and heartbreak that she had been pushing back surged forward. 'No, Rhys is the past. Jack is my future.' She refused to reflect on the fact that Rhys had left her for Owen of all people. There was no way that was going to last. Rhys would be crawling back in no time. Until then she would enjoy her time with Mary and all she had to offer her. "Breakfast can wait." Gwen wrapped her arms around Mary and pulled the blond into a kiss.

Mary sank into the kiss her mind running away with thoughts of what doors Gwen would soon be opening up for her.

It was strange for Tosh coming into work knowing that neither Jack nor Ianto would be there, it was somewhat of a relief to know that Gwen wasn't going to be there, her negativity had done enough damage, poor Ianto had paid the biggest price and his mental shields had finally shattered under the combination of Gwen and reading those cannibals minds had finally broken him. She was grateful for the fact that Caden was with her, she wasn't sure she would have been able to walk into the Hub without him.

"It feels empty," Tosh admitted in a soft tone as Caden's arm wrapped around her pulling her back against his chest. With a sigh, she melted into his embrace.

"I know sweetheart. It doesn't feel the same; you can tell that Ianto and Jack are missing. Even Myfanwy seems down." Caden glanced up to the nest and he swears that he could hear her letting out sounds of mourning.

That had a small smile crossing Tosh's face as she followed Caden's gaze up. "She misses Ianto and Jack, probably a little bit." It was no secret that Ianto was Myfanwy's favorite, no one would beat him. Jack did pout a little - okay a lot – over the fact that Tosh is Myfanwy's second favorite him coming in a distant third. Owen was a little behind Jack and that was mainly due to him eating some of the dark chocolate Ianto had bought for her. Gwen was at the low end of the list made very clear when she dropped a piece of meat on to Gwen's desk after a day she spent ordering Ianto about not caring if he had other things to do. Myfanwy made it very clear that you did not treat Ianto as a servant.

That had a small smile crossing Tosh's face as she followed Caden's gaze up. "She misses Ianto and Jack, probably a little bit." It was no secret that Ianto was Myfanwy favourite, no one would beat him. Jack did pout a little - okay a lot – over the fact that Tosh is Myfanwy second favourite him coming in a distant third. Owen was a little behind Jack and that was mainly due to him eating some of the dark chocolate Ianto had bought for her. Gwen was at the low end of the list made very clear when she dropped a piece of meat on to Gwen's desk after a day she spent ordering Ianto about not caring if he had other things to do. Myfanwy made it very clear that you did not treat Ianto as a servant.

"It's tough guarding Ianto when he has her to protect him." Caden wasn't pouting no matter what Tosh thought but really could she blame him if he was? It wasn't every day that you found your guard duty - to an alien prince by the way - overtaken by a dinosaur. It just didn't happen!

The slight pout on Caden's face was too cute and a soft giggle escaped Tosh's lips. "Don't be jealous Ianto and especially me are very grateful for you protecting us." Tosh did her best to reassure her mate even though she found him to be utterly adorable like this.

Heat and lust flared in Caden's eyes as he glanced down at Tosh, "Really?" he purred out with pure sex in his voice, the voice that he knew made Tosh's toes curl up. "And how would you be repaying me for all my services?"

"Oh please save this for the bedroom or when I am not around," Owen grumbled out as he and Rhys entered the HUB, the two of them having decided to come in through the other entrance and were greeted to the sight of Tosh and Caden being all lovey-dovey over one another.

The pout that had faded from Caden's face returned in full force as he deprived of a lengthy make-out session with Tosh before Rhys and Owen arrived.

"Later," Tosh promised as she moved out of Caden's arms. She glanced around the Hub and she was hit with how much she missed Ianto and Jack, it was quiet and she didn't like it.

"It feels strange not having Ianto or Jack around." Owen voiced Tosh's silence and he had to admit – not out loud, never would he say it out loud – but he found himself missing them as well. "Still it is a little peaceful without Gwen around."

Tosh couldn't deny it and Rhys while he had loved her once he knew she wasn't perfect and she had changed since joining Torchwood, since she met Jack, she had become convinced that she was always right that her way of thinking was never wrong, she had more compassion for cannibals then her own teammates, she used those she found beneath her as her servants. It had hurt Rhys to know that the woman he loved, that he planned on spending his life with was not the woman he had fallen in love with. He didn't know where she went but she was no more. So Rhys could not blame Tosh or Owen for being a little thankful that she was not around not when he was feeling the same way.

Sensing the sadness beginning to build Caden decided to bring the focus back to a matter that he felt was of truly great importance. "So who is going to be in charge of the coffee while Ianto is gone?"

Looks of horror and dread appeared on Owen, Tosh and Rhys faces none of them had thought of that. There was no one who could make coffee anywhere as good as Ianto and after you had a taste of Ianto's none could compare. A long resigned sigh escaped Owen's lips. "Well, it looks like we will be making coffee runs, what is the coffee shop that at least makes coffee in the same league as Ianto?"

Pulling out her chair Tosh seated herself in front of her computer her fingers already flying across the keyboard as she started her mission of finding their temporary coffee shop. Her three teammates left her to it, they knew they would find somewhere to fulfill their coffee need.

Sleep hadn't been Jack's friend since he became immortal but since Ianto's shields had collapsed sleep had become non-existence to him. Not since the first time Ianto called out for him did Jack dare to give into the temptation of sleep.

There was no more putting it off Jack trusted his team to look after themselves and to watch over and protect the Rift, he also knew that Rhys, Caden, and Kathy would be there every step of the way.

Making sure that Ianto was comfortable in his arms Jack placed one hand on Ianto's temple as he slowly slid his eyes closed and began to slowly lower his mental shields reaching out his mind to Ianto's.

Ianto's mind was chaos.

"Ianto! Ianto can you hear me!" Jack shouted as he was bombarded with memories of Torchwood One's fall, the cannibals, and memories that he couldn't place but he had a feeling they had to do with Ianto's home world.

"Jack."

The voice was a near whisper but Jack would know it anywhere and there in the vortex of harmful memories and negative emotions were Ianto.

Jack wasted no time in heading for Ianto. The energy of the vortex felt like glass cutting him as it hit him but that wouldn't stop him all that matter to him was getting to Ianto.

"Ianto I'm coming! I know it's hard but you need to think happy thoughts, recall the good times. I know that those monsters thoughts damaged your shields but you are stronger than this. Do not let them win." Jack needed Ianto to keep fighting.

It hurt his mind was a mess but Ianto could hear... could feel Jack reaching out to him and he longed for his mate. Jack was his anchor and he needed him.

"Jack." Ianto held out his hand to his mate. His shields were a mess but he could do his best to make a path for Jack to join him.

Jack didn't waste time he wanted to have Ianto in his arms again, to feel his lips against his. "Ianto, oh Ianto," Jack whispered as he wrapped his arms around Ianto and Ianto he sunk into Jack's embrace. "I'm here and I'm going to help you Ianto," Jack vowed before he pressed his lips against Ianto's.

Out in the real world, a soft smile appeared on both Jack and Ianto's faces as the first step to Ianto's healing was started.

When the Hub alarms sounded Tosh, Owen and Caden were on guard it couldn't have been Rhys he had just left after Tosh's extensive coffee shop hunt to the coffee shop that seemed decent enough and there was no way it could be him returning or Jack and Ianto as well.

Toshiko Sato liked to think that normally she was a peaceful and rather level-headed person but not at that moment as she let her fist fly and connected with Gwen's jaw and it was well worth the throbbing of her hand as she knocked the other woman down on her ass.

"Bloody hell Tosh that was some hit," Owen couldn't help but comment as he whistled lowly.

Caden beamed with pure pride, "That's my mate."

"You have a lot of nerve showing up here after all the damage you have done." Tosh snarled. "In fact, if my memory didn't fail me Jack fired you and you should be at home waiting to be Retconned." Tosh couldn't believe that Gwen could think that she could just waltz into the Hub as if she was the Queen. It was because of her that Ianto's mental shields had shattered and they wouldn't know the true extent of the damage down until Ianto woke up if he woke up.

"It's not my fault that freak couldn't handle a few negative thoughts. For what he did he should be locked away. And you can't Retcon me, Jack tried that before remember and it didn't work," Gwen stated smugly as she got to her feet. Mary had convinced her that she goes into work show them that it would be harder than they thought to get rid of her.

"I'm not going anywhere." Gwen was sure that she could still get to Jack to see her way of thinking now that Ianto was disabled he could no longer exercise his control on Jack she was sure that once she could talk to him that Jack would see that she had been right all along about the dangers Ianto possessed.

Tosh could hardly believe what she was hearing and she took a dangerous step forward ready to once again attempt to knock some sense into Gwen. "You cocky bloody cow! You don't even see the damage you have done to Ianto and to this team. You're own blindness cost you your relationship with Rhys, a man that truly loved you because you were so sure that every man you meet is attracted to you. You gave up real love to chase a fantasy! You couldn't accept that Jack wanted Ianto and not you! You saw Ianto as someone who is beneath you and not worthy of love or Jack's attention. You were nothing but a jealous and vindictive little witch."

Tosh had never been so enraged in her life not even when her mother had been kidnapped, then Tosh had felt nothing but fear for her mother's safety. But Gwen's treatment of Ianto and how she walked all over the rest of them grated on Tosh's nerves like nothing else. She was tired of being Gwen's doormat or made to feel like she didn't matter to the other woman because she wasn't important enough to Gwen bloody Cooper.

Gwen could hardly believe that meek little Tosh had the guts to talk to her like that and what was worse that Owen wasn't doing anything about it to stop her. 'How dare Owen let her talk to me like that? Well, it's a good thing that I didn't actually sleep with him that's your lost Owen.' "Tosh, I'm sorry that you felt this way I never meant to make you feel like that. You are a very important part of the team."

"Can it Gwen, I noticed you didn't have anything to say about Ianto or are you still convinced that he has some kind of mind control over us? And that's why you don't feel the least bit guilty over your part in Ianto's shields breaking." Tosh snarled back.

Owen was pretty impressed with Tosh and made a mental note to send a copy of the CCTV footage to Jack he would get a hoot out of watching Tosh stand up to Gwen. 'Hell, I'm saving a copy for myself as well.' This was a moment that Owen would watch over and over again, he was glad that Tosh was finally coming out of her shell but he had a feeling that Gwen didn't share those feelings.

Caden had never been so turned on in his life; he needed to get Tosh alone so he could show her just what her assertive side did to him. But at the same time, he didn't want his mate to be charged with murder so he wrapped his arms around his mate and dragged her way. "Come on Tosh, you were so hot I need to show you what you did to me."

Owen could only shake his head as Caden dragged Tosh away. "Just make sure I don't see it or hear it!" He shot to the retreating couple. He wasn't at all reassured when Caden shot him a wink over his shoulder. "To bad Rhys is on the coffee run." Owen muttered under his breath as he transferred the alert to his mobile he grabbed his jacket and took off out of the Hub with one fleeting thought, 'Maybe I should call Rhys and see if he wants to have an early lunch?' The last thing Owen wanted was for Rhys to see Gwen he knew that the other man wasn't that ready yet.

Crossing his arms over his chest Owen could only glare at Gwen. "What are you doing here? Jack made it very clear that you are fired and never did answer Tosh do you still think that Ianto has us under mind control?"

"That is a very good set of questions one that I too would like to hear the answers to as well."

Owen will forever deny that he jumped at the sound of the new voice. "Who the hell are you?" After having worked with Torchwood for a while he had learned not to judge appearances and he knew that the elderly man was more than he appeared to be.

"I am Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart, Jack has placed me in charge of while he is gone helping to heal Ianto Jones."