Summary: After the events of "Cyberwoman" and "Countrycide", Ianto is left emotionally broken. Will Jack be able to put him back together?

Rating: M

Characters: Ianto Jones, Jack Harkness, Toshiko Sato, Owen Harper, Gwen Cooper

Pairings: Jack/Ianto, Owen/Tosh

Warnings: Swearing, angst, suicide attempt, Gwen bashing

Spoilers: Cyberwoman, Countrycide

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, I just like to play with them.

TWTWTWTWTW

(Author's note: Thank you for all of the comments, favorites and follows! I truly do appreciate them! I hope you will continue to enjoy the story as it progresses. I'm trying to make it as emotionally authentic as possible. I hope that I'm able to pull it off.)

"Ianto. Ianto, can you hear me?" Jack asked hopefully. His hand still holding Ianto's, he silently prayed for another squeeze from the comatose Welshman. But minutes passed and Jack's spirits fell as Ianto's hand once again felt limp and dead.

"I didn't imagine it," Jack insisted. "Ianto is still in there. I'm sure of it! A part of him must know I'm here."

"I don't doubt it," Owen said, looking at his young team mate. "A hand squeeze is a good sign. But tea boy here is in a bad state. We can't expect full blown miracles. He needs to come back to us in his own time."

Jack nodded in sad acknowledgment. Owen was right. In the meantime, Ianto still needed care. And unfortunately, Jack had to return to the Hub to deal with Gwen before Tosh did it for him.

"Ianto, I have to go now. But Owen's here, and he'll take care of you while I'm gone. I'll be back real soon, all right?"

Jack kissed Ianto's hand softly before letting it go, allowing his hold to linger a little longer than usual. There was no squeeze this time, but as he slowly pulled away, Jack felt Ianto's fingers brush against his hand.

Jack watched as Ianto's fingers slowly curled, like an infant learning to grip. Long, elegant digits seemed to search as a pleading whimper escaped the Welshman's lips.

Placing a hand back within Ianto's reach, Jack watched as the younger man latched on, seeming to find security and contentment in the contact.

"That's right, Ianto. I'm here," Jack cooed. "Do you want me to stay?"

Ianto turned his head in the direction of Jack's voice, though his eyes remained closed, and he appeared to still be sleeping. Ianto opened and closed his mouth soundlessly, once again reminding Jack of a newborn. He seemed to be seeking comfort; reaching out from a place of darkness; feeling safety in the touch of the one who had been at his side from the start.

"I can't leave him. Not now," Jack said firmly, looking up at Owen.

Owen couldn't help the smile that lit up his face at the touching sight. "All right. I'll go back to the Hub. No worries. But I need you to at least step away long enough for me to look Ianto over, all right?"

"You got it, doc," Jack winked, letting go of Ianto's hand; more than a little disappointed that he was no longer reaching or grasping. Ianto was once again limp and lifeless. But Jack wasn't discouraged. Even if Ianto's mind was not yet comprehending it, something deep within him longed for the loving warmth of Jack's touch. Jack only hoped that Ianto would continue to seek comfort in him when he eventually came into full awareness.

TWTWTWTWTW

After a call to Tosh confirmed that the Rift was being quiet, Jack told her that she and Gwen could go home. "No sense in leaving the two of them alone together", Jack thought, half wondering if Tosh had knocked Gwen unconscious and thrown her in a cell with an angry Weevil. He almost felt guilty when his mouth turned up into a smile at the thought. Almost.

Owen had recently stepped out, and Tosh was expected to arrive at any moment. But for now, Jack had Ianto all to himself. He stared with affection at the younger man, for the first time in months feeling optimistic. Owen had run the Bekaran Scanner and confirmed only the slightest flicker of brain activity. Just enough to recover a small amount of muscle memory. He told Jack that Ianto was likely recovering from what the pills had done to him, just very slowly. Now, it was all a matter of waiting.

Jack had no idea how long the whole process would take. He might face a long road to recovery. Or it c ould be very sudden. The only thing Jack knew for certain was that he would stay at Ianto's side, every step of the way.

"You're in love with him."

Jack looked up to see Tosh standing in the doorway, a knowing grin on her pretty face.

"Maybe I am," Jack shrugged, trying to look casual.

"It wasn't a question," Tosh smirked, stepping in and looking down with a sisterly concern at Ianto. "I see it in your eyes. We all do."

"Or maybe I just feel guilty," Jack said dismissively, standing up and walking out of the room.

With one last look at Ianto, Tosh followed Jack into the kitchen, where he was rummaging through the refridgerator.

"You want a sandwich?" he asked. "I'm thinking grilled cheese."

Tosh gently but firmly grabbed Jack's arm with one hand, closing the refridgerator with the other.

"Jack, why is it so hard for you to admit your feelings for Ianto?" she asked, both concerned and exasperated.

"Tosh, Ianto tried to kill himself. Because of me," Jack choked out thickly, looking in the direction of the bedroom. "He doesn't deserve to hurt anymore, and it seems I can't help but hurt him."

"It wasn't all you, Jack," Tosh reminded him. It was Canary Wharf. It was Lisa. It -"

"It was the way I reacted to Lisa," Jack interrupted. You were there. You remember. As far as I'm concerned, I may as well have fed Ianto those pills myself."

"It. Wasn't. All. You," Tosh repeated, placing a calming hand over Jack's.

Looking into Tosh's kind eyes - the ones which were filled with a fiery anger just months ago - Jack wondered how she could be so forgiving of him.

"If it wasn't for you, Tosh, I'd still be that monster," Jack almost whispered, looking at Tosh with admiration and gratitude.

"No." Tosh shook her head. "Your anger would have passed eventually, and you'd come to see that Ianto's intentions, while misguided, were well meaning."

"How can you be so sure?" Jack asked doubtfully.

"Because, I believe you've loved Ianto all along," Tosh answered warmly.

A faint smile ghosted Jack's feature's. He had to admit that Tosh just might be right.

TWTWTWTWTW

Owen let out an irritated sigh as he arrived home and saw Gwen sitting on the steps outside his building, looking up at him with a big, gap toothed grin.

"You know, Gwen, when a man comes home to find a woman waiting outside for him, it makes her look a bit unstable."

Gwen's face fell into a disappointed frown. "I thought you'd be happy to see me."

"I just saw you," Owen pointed out. "And I'm really not in the mood for surprise visits," he added, as he starting to step around her.

"Wait," Gwen pleaded, grabbing a leg as Owen took the first step up.

"Oi!" Owen swatted away the offending hand, stepping back down to face Gwen, who was now also standing. "Neediness is not an attractive look for you, Cooper."

Managing the sweetest smile she could, Gwen blinked up at Owen with a wide eyed, pitiful look. "Owen, love, what went wrong between us? Lately, it seems you want nothing to do with me." She reached out, giving Owen's arm a squeeze that bordered on desperate and clingy. "Is it because of Ianto?"

Owen gingerly removed Gwen's hand from his arm. From the look of disgust on his face, her hand may as well have been made of pure shit.

"No, Gwen. It's because of you," he informed her. "I'm just baffled that this attitude of yours has persisted. Not once have you asked how Ianto is, or offered to look after him. In fact, you act like what happened to him is an inconvenience to you. Honestly, woman! Are you even capable of looking at things beyond how they affect you?!"

"Of course I am. I'm thinking of what's best for Torchwood, not just me." Gwen was speaking in a mildly sing song voice, addressing Owen as if he were a child and she was trying to make him understand something. Owen doubted she realized she was doing it. This was probably her way of trying to sound sincere.

"Really? And how is that?" Owen asked, wondering what kind of twisted, delusional logic she was going to present him with.

"I just think it would be best if Ianto was taken someplace where he could get the help he so desperately needs. Surely Jack knows someone who can take him off our hands."

" 'Take him off our hands'? Do you hear yourself?!" Owen knew that Gwen had her issues with Ianto, but he couldn't believe she would ever say anything so callous.

"Hear me out, Owen." She once again started to reach for Owen's arm, but the angry scowl on his face made her think better of it. "Ianto is obviously a very disturbed man. People died because he was hiding his cyber girlfriend in the Hub. We nearly died! "

"Yeah? And how many people were killed by that sex crazed alien you let loose on the world?" Owen shot back.

"That was an accident!" Gwen whined defensively.

"Yeah? And you think Ianto meant for anyone to get killed? You really believe that?" Owen challenged.

"I believe he needs help! I think that Jack needs to send him off someplace where they can look after him until he wakes up. And if that happens, he needs to be rehabilitated. It's what's best for everyone."

Owen let out a disgusted huff, sickened by Gwen's words. "You and me, Gwen? We're through!" he declared, pushing past her and making his way up the stairs.

"What? Why? Because of the bloody tea boy?!" she asked shrilly, looking up at him from the sidewalk.

"I already told you, Gwen. This is all on you," Owen said, fighting the urge to punch Gwen in the face. "Now go on home to Rhys. He's probably waiting up for you. Poor bastard."

Before Gwen had a chance to respond, Owen had let himself into the building, leaving Gwen seething on the sidewalk.

Gwen stared in disbelief at the closed door in front of her. She was sure that Owen would eventually come around to her way of thinking. Why couldn't anybody see that she was only trying to do what was in Torchwood's best interest.

Her mind made up, she turned and briskly walked to where she had parked her car. First thing in the morning, she would go over to Ianto's flat to confront Jack. Surely she could talk some sense into him.

"I have to," she thought, determined. "It's for the good of Torchwood."