A/N: 'Cara 'ch, anwylyd asgre' roughly translates as 'I love you, dear heart'. If that's wrong, blame the free online translator.
Kathy Swanson smiled warmly as she walked into the room where the parents were waiting with their son. The boy was a ghastly white colour and looked utterly terrified, and he damn near jumped three feet out of his chair when she walked in.
"Hello, Thomas," she greeted the boy warmly, before turning to his parents. "Mr and Mrs Carr, thankyou both for bringing Thomas in to talk to us."
"We're just sorry it took him until now to speak up," Edward Carr said gravely. "If he'd told us what he'd seen right from the start…"
"Please, Mr Carr. Don't think like that. There's no point, and I give Thomas full credit for speaking up now. Thomas?"
The boy looked up, his eyes reflecting the fear he was feeling. She smiled at him again, anxious to reassure him.
"You're not in any trouble, Thomas. You do know that, don't you? You're just here to talk about what you saw."
He nodded, and pushed a thick shock of curly hair out of his eyes so that he could look at her properly.
"Start at the beginning, Thomas," Kathy encouraged him. "Tell me everything you can remember. Even if it doesn't seem, very important to you, it is important to us."
The boy considered her words for a moment before speaking.
"I was with a mate. It was Christmas Eve…. It was kinda late."
"How late?" Kathy asked, and the boy glanced nervously at his parents before answering.
"About nine-thirty."
There was an odd noise from Mrs Carr, but she said nothing.
"Go on, Thomas," Kathy urged him.
"Well, me and Alex were hanging out at that estate in Bute Park. You know, 'cause it's empty, and there's never anyone to tell us to get lost, and we can do whatever we want. We were…"
Again, he trailed off, his eyes darting fearfully to his parents. Seeing the need to get his son to keep talking, Mr Carr decided it was time to offer a proverbial olive branch.
"Thomas, I'll make you a deal. You be totally honest and tell Detective Swanson everything, and this time we'll overlook whatever you were doing. Clean slate, okay? Just tell her what happened."
Thomas sighed, and nodded. He didn't look entirely convinced over the clean slate part, but continued talking regardless.
"We were sharing a cigarette that Alex nicked from his big sister. We'd never done it before, honest! We just wanted to know what it was like."
Kathy smiled, quietly amused.
"And?"
Thomas pulled a face.
"It was gross. Don't know why adults like it so much. I wanted to be sick, and Alex was sick."
She fought the urge to laugh, and noted his parents were doing the same.
"All right, Thomas. You and your mate were having a cigarette in the Bute Park Estate at nine-thirty on Christmas Eve night. What happened then?"
"Well, we were just getting ready to go when this car pulled up. Alex panicked and took off, but I hung around."
"What sort of car was it?"
"This big, black SUV, really big. It had 'Torchwood ' on the door. That's kind of why I hung around. I thought that it was that Torchwood lot. I thought they'd come to look at something weird... 'cause that's what they do. They check out all the freaky weird shi... I mean, stuff. Anyway, the doors opened, and these men got out... five or six of 'em, altogether, and they weren't Torchwood. I've seen Torchwood around, and they weren't them. Anyway, they all got out and they opened up the back and pulled this bloke out. He was tied up, I guess, so he couldn't fight back."
"Did you recognise him?" Kathy asked softly.
"Yeah," Thomas confirmed, looking sick with guilt. "It was him, you know? The American. The Captain."
She'd come prepared, and slid a photo across the table to Thomas.
"Is this the man you saw tied up, Thomas?"
Thomas took one look at the photo, and nodded anxiously.
"Yes, Miss. That's him. The Captain of Torchwood."
Kathy took the photo back.
"Okay, Thomas. You're doing really well, sweetheart. Now, what happened next?"
"Well, I don't know if he was awake when they stuffed him in the back there, but he was when they pulled him out. He was fighting like he wanted to kill 'em. They had a gun, though... Not a normal gun, but one of them stun gun things. They used it on him, and he went all limp. Then they lay him out on the back seat of the car, and one of 'em had this big knife... They took his clothes off, Miss. Used the knife to cut his clothes off, so they didn't have to untie him, I guess. When they pulled him out again, he didn't have any clothes on, and he was bleeding from all these cuts that they made when they were cuttin' his clothes off."
"Thomas, did you hear them say anything?" Kathy asked. "Even if it didn't make any sense to you?"
Thomas looked up at her tearfully.
"Our priest says it's a bad thing. He called it a mortal sin... but what those men did was worse. I can't believe he deserved to get hurt like that, even if it was true."
"What are you talking about, Thomas?" his mother asked in growing concern.
"They were calling him names," Thomas explained haltingly.
"Poof... Homo... Fag... All those sorts of names. One of 'em said he was an af... aff... affront to God, and he didn't have a right to live. They were saying that they were gonna show him how his sort deserved to be treated, and then they were gonna send him to Hell, where he belonged."
Tears were rolling freely down Thomas' face by that time.
"Those men are the ones who sinned! They didn't have any right to do what they did!"
Kathy smiled at him, feeling sick but at the same time feeling gratified that a young boy had the courage and wisdom to differentiate between right and wrong in a situation like this.
"Okay, Thomas. If that's all..."
"No, Miss. I saw more than that. I wanted to run away, but I didn't. They dragged him into one of the ground floor flats. I snuck around, and watched through the window, They dumped him on this bed, and one of them had this barbed wire. They wrapped it around his wrists and ankles and tied him to the bed with it. Then they wrapped more of it around his head... you know, like a gag." Thomas hesitated, drawing in a shaky breath before speaking again. "Then they started takin' their own clothes off, Miss. I heard one of 'em say something else..."
"What did he say, Thomas?" Kathy asked quietly. Thomas spoke in barely a whisper.
"He said if the... the effin' poof really wants cock, then that's what he's gonna get." Thomas rubbed a hand fiercely over his eyes. "That's when I took off. I know I should'a called the police, but I didn't think. I was just so scared that I wanted to get home. I figured I could tell Mum and Dad, and they'd know what to do. 'Cept I got home, and they went off on me for being late. Said we had to hurry to get to church. I'm in the choir, see, and I had to go to rehearsal. Anyway, I tried to tell them, but I guess I didn't try hard enough. Then... I just forgot... with Christmas and all... It wasn't until we saw that news story earlier that I thought of it again, and I told Mum and Dad, and they brought me here."
Kathy swallowed a desire to sigh. What's done was done, and there was no way to change it.
"Thankyou, Thomas," she told him. "Now, another officer is going to come and talk to you, and see if you can help us work out what those men look like, so we can hopefully catch them. You've done really well, all right?"
She left him with his parents, then, and headed out of the interview room to find her Superintendent waiting for her.
"It's true, then?" he queried. "We have a witness?"
She nodded in confirmation.
"Yes, sir. He witnessed the offenders bringing Captain Harkness to the estate, and he saw them tie him to the bed with the barbed wire. He... also overheard what they were saying, sir."
"And? Was it Torchwood-related?"
"No, sir. Basically, it was a hate crime. They did it because they pegged him as being gay."
The Superintendent considered that for a long moment.
"And is he?"
Kathy shot him a frown.
"Would it matter if he was, sir?"
"Of course not, but you know what defence lawyers are like. Everything is relevant. If he is, and he was behaving accordingly in the bar, it'll probably be argued that they were simply reacting to beliefs that were instilled in them from childhood... You know, that sort of rubbish."
She had to concede that point.
"In my experience, sir, I would say no. But then, I don't know him well enough to be able to say one way or another."
"Mm. Well, as you say, it doesn't matter."
"I've left the boy to give a description to our artist," she said. "We'll need to be careful, though, and not publicise the fact that we have a witness. Otherwise, Torchwood will be all over us like a rash."
He nodded approvingly.
"Do what you have to do, and keep me in the loop."
It was nearly an hour before Ianto was finally game enough to suggest they get off the cold floor and head back down into the Hub. He thought for a while that Jack had fallen asleep, but the soft, barely audible sobs that escaped the older man told Ianto otherwise.
It was a strange and discomforting position that Ianto found himself in, to be the one now offering the comfort and reassurance. Before, he had only caught split second glimpses of any sign of vulnerability in his Captain. Now, it was there for all to see, and it was an unnerving experience.
"Jack. Jack, are you awake?"
If nothing else, he decided it was time to move because his shoulder was starting to ache. Gradually, he felt Jack shifting and then pulling away from him.
"How long have we been up here?" Jack asked in a voice that was more than a little on the hoarse side. Ianto barely glanced at his watch before answering.
"Nearly an hour, now. Perhaps we should make our way back downstairs, where it's somewhat warmer? Tosh should have gotten the door open again by now."
"The all-purpose key," Jack murmured. "You never came up with a cool name for that."
"I'll think on it, and let you know," Ianto answered dryly. He got awkwardly to his feet, grimacing as various muscles protested at the movement. "My arse is numb."
He half-expected a typical cheap shot from Jack at his remark, and felt surprisingly disappointed when none were forthcoming. Before this, he thought miserably, Jack would never have passed up such an opportunity. It spoke volumes to his state of mind that he hadn't jumped at the chance.
Ianto helped Jack up from the floor, and for just a moment they stood eye to eye. Jack's eyes, once so alive, were now dulled by what he'd been through. His own heart breaking, Ianto gently took Jack's hand in his own.
"C'mon. Let's head back downstairs. You need to rest."
"It won't help," Jack said softly as he allowed Ianto to lead him back down the stairs. "I need to be able to get back to work... put this behind me. Just like I did with..."
He cut himself off abruptly, drawing a quizzical look from Ianto.
"Just like you did with what, Jack?"
"Nothing," Jack whispered. "It doesn't matter."
"And yet, the way you're suddenly squeezing my hand suggests otherwise."
Jack flinched as though he'd been struck, and tried to jerk his hand back. Ianto refused to let go, though, and continued holding tightly until Jack ceased struggling.
"It's all right, anwylyd," Ianto told him softly. "Hold on to my hand as tightly as you need to."
Nevertheless, Ianto felt the pressure on his hand loosen significantly as Jack made a conscious effort to relax his grip.
They made it back down to the main level of the Hub to find the cog door had, indeed, been opened. Tosh and Owen were making an effort to immerse themselves in their work, but Gwen didn't hesitate to hurry over.
"Jack, are you all right, love?"
She stopped just short of reaching out to touch him, acutely aware of the way he shrank back from her.
"Fine," he mumbled, sounding anything but. An awkward silence reigned, and the Owen spoke up, attempting with some success to sound nonchalant.
"Jack, remember those reports you said you wanted done? The ones from last week?"
Jack carefully detached himself from Ianto's grip, and walked across to where Owen sat. He seemed to regain some of his usual stride, and when he spoke his voice sounded less hesitant.
"I remember telling you I'd stick you on weevil duty for the next month if you didn't have them finished in a week."
Owen turned a smug grin in Jack's direction.
"They're on your desk, ready and waiting."
Jack rolled his eyes at Owen's self-satisfied smirk, and then turned to Tosh.
"All quiet with the rift, Toshiko?"
She nodded, quickly catching on.
"Barely a peep. No disturbances, no spikes, not even a weevil alert. It's all good."
The last word nearly caught in her throat, but she managed somehow to keep her voice even. If Jack noticed her discomfort, it didn't show. He looked around, and there was just the faintest spark of light back in his eyes.
"Okay, then. Finish up what you're doing, and you can all go home. Owen, I'm going to be reading those reports very carefully, and if there's so much as a letter out of place..."
"I know, I know. You'll feed me to Myfanwy."
Jack snorted as he headed back to his office.
"Are you kidding? You'd just give her indigestion. No, I was going to say you'll be cleaning out the weevil cells for the rest of the year."
Owen shook his head as Jack disappeared into his office.
"Bastard'd do it, too." He swung around in his chair to see similar expressions on the faces of all three of his colleagues. "What?"
"Do you think that's wise?" Gwen wondered. "To just act like there's nothing wrong?"
Owen couldn't help but scowl at her.
"As opposed to what, Gwen? Running at him like a fucking loon and asking him how he is every five minutes? Bloody hell, treating him like a fucking mental invalid isn't gonna do anything except piss him off."
"Owen's got a point," Ianto conceded. "Jack is already hating the fact that we've seen him so vulnerable. He hates that we're the ones looking after him. He needs a little bit of normality to give him some balance."
"So we just ignore everything?" Tosh wondered incredulously. "Until when? Until he has another breakdown?"
"No," Owen said quietly. "We don't ignore anything. Look, it's up to us right now to keep everything together. All we can do is take it one day at a time, and be ready for it when things get bad for Jack. It's our turn to look after him for a change, yeah? Can we at least agree on that?"
A murmur of agreement swept through the group, and the women went quietly back to their own tasks, leaving Ianto and Owen alone.
"You get your issues sorted, then, Tea boy?" Owen asked.
"Not completely, but we're getting there," Ianto answered quietly. Owen nodded.
"I hope so, because you're the one he's going to be turning to when things get bad, and you'd better be ready for it."
Ianto watched as Owen headed back towards autopsy and, after a moment's thought, followed him.
"How do you know?"
Owen looked back at Ianto, his expression giving nothing away.
"How do I know what?"
"What to expect? With Jack, I mean. You're not just talking about A&E experience, are you?"
For a long minute, it seemed as though Owen was going to answer. Ianto was just steeling himself to be yelled at when Owen finally spoke in a subdued tone that was distinctly un-Owen-like.
"When I was sixteen, a cousin of mine was raped. It devastated her, and her parents. They didn't know how to help her, and they went from one extreme to the other. One minute they were smothering her with concern, and the next they'd practically ignore her, trying to pretend like nothing had happened. In the end, Sarah ended up killing herself, because she couldn't cope."
Ianto stared at Owen with a shielded gaze.
"I'm sorry, Owen... but Jack... He can't die..."
Owen thumped the autopsy table in frustration.
"Don't you get it? That's what I'm trying to say! Yes, we know that Jack can't die. That's the point I'm trying to make! There's no way out for him, so even if he tries to act now like there's nothing wrong, sooner or later the volcano's gonna erupt. We all need to be ready for it, but you most of all. That's why it's important that you get your issues sorted out properly. Jack is going to need at least one person that he trusts completely when the shit hits the fan. And if you ask why you, I'm going to fucking brain you with that tin of instant coffee you keep hidden away for when you're pissed at one of us."
Ianto flushed red, before regaining his composure and shaking his head.
"No, I won't ask that. I'm not an idiot, Owen."
Owen stared back at him with a cool, unsympathetic gaze.
"No? Well, you sure as hell have been working hard to prove differently."
Ianto frowned, but said nothing in reaction. He instead turned and headed silently back to Jack's office.
"Have they left yet?" Jack asked as Ianto stepped into the office.
"Not yet."
Jack looked up at him critically.
"Why not? I told them they could go. Why are they still here?"
Ianto paused, gathering his thoughts so as to avoid saying the wrong thing.
"Well, there is the small matter of the lockdown, if you recall. None of us can leave for another..." He paused again to glance at his watch. "Another five hours, Jack."
Jack appeared momentarily flustered, only to then tear off a piece of paper and scribble something down before folding it over and handing it to Ianto.
"Give this to Toshiko. It'll reverse the lockdown."
Ianto was unable to completely conceal his surprise, much to Jack's quiet amusement.
"You have a code to reverse a complete lockdown?"
Jack smiled, but there was no humour in his eyes.
"After what happened with Suzie? Yes. Couldn't ever take the chance again of someone else shutting us in. That's a complete override code, and I'm the only one who can change it. Now go, get her to reverse it. Please, Ianto."
Ianto, however, paused in the doorway, watching Jack with open worry.
"They're also concerned about leaving you alone."
The smile that had been fixed onto Jack's face faltered minutely.
"But I won't be alone... will I?"
The unspoken question was as clear as if Jack had actually spoken the words aloud. Ianto offered him a soft smile that was tentatively returned – more genuine than before.
"No," Ianto confirmed. "You won't be alone."
"Send them home, Ianto?" Jack begged softly. "Please... I... I want to go and lie down for a while."
Ianto raised an eyebrow.
"Jack, you don't need to wait until they've gone before you do that."
Jack's gaze flickered uneasily to the manhole that led down into his private quarters.
"Not down there. I don't want to go back down there."
And then Ianto understood. Jack was willing to go and rest, as Owen had begged him to do, but not in the claustrophobic environment of his private quarters. At the same time, neither did he care to advertise this particular vulnerability to the others. Nor did Ianto blame him for that, either.
"I'll get them to go home," Ianto promised, and slipped out of the office. Jack sat back slowly, and listened. He could hear protests from his team – most predominantly from Owen and Gwen, and a small part of him glowed at the knowledge that they were honestly concerned for his wellbeing. It didn't change the fact, however, that he vehemently hated knowing that his vulnerabilities were broadcast for them all to see. He was meant to look after them – not the other way around.
Minutes passed, and then he heard the grinding sound of the cog door rolling open and then closed, signalling someone's exit from the Hub. Before he had a chance to stand up to see for himself, the door of his office was opening and Ianto was walking back in.
"They've gone. It's just you and me now."
Jack didn't respond immediately, but rather turned his attention to the CCTV monitor. Ianto said nothing, un-offended by Jack's apparent lack of trust, and instead waited patiently while Jack reassured himself that they were, indeed, alone.
"Where are they going?" Jack asked suddenly, and Ianto leaned in to look. The monitor showed a slightly grainy image of Owen, Gwen and Tosh walking across the Plas together, away from the Hub.
"I believe they're going to get lunch," Ianto answered, and Jack blinked in mild disconcertment.
"It's only midday?"
Ianto didn't bother to ask what time of day Jack had thought it was. Instead, he reached across and flicked the monitor off, and then held a hand out to Jack. After a moment's consideration, Jack accepted and allowed Ianto to lead him from the office.
A not so small part of Ianto half expected Jack to baulk at the room, given that it was the bed where he'd lain in such agony. If it bothered Jack at all, though, he didn't let it show. He walked in and sat down quietly on the edge of the bed, his arms wrapped tightly around his own torso. Ianto stood observing him for a minute before speaking gently.
"You're going to be awfully hot in that coat, cariad. Why don't you let me hang it up for you?"
Unease flickered across Jack's face, but he nevertheless began to unbutton the greatcoat.
There was a sad sort of symbolism there, Ianto thought. In removing the coat, Jack was effectively stripping off his own defences, leaving himself even more vulnerable to Ianto. The young Welshman was a little in awe of the level of trust that Jack was placing in him. It was a new, fragile trust that Ianto was determined not to break again.
Walking around, Ianto gently drew the coat down off Jack's shoulders. As he removed it, he saw a blackened spot on the collar. That had to be where the stun gun had been used on him, Ianto thought, and had to make a conscious effort to tamp down on a flare of anger at the thought of Jack being treated so callously. He would have to get that repaired, or it would be a reminder to Jack of his ordeal every time he saw it… but not now. Now, Jack needed the comfort and protection that he obviously saw the coat as providing.
He hung the coat up in clear view, and then turned back to Jack. The Captain had made no further attempt to disrobe – yet another thing that told him that Jack was far from being okay.
"Will you let me take your boots off, Jack?"
Jack conceded with a single nod, and sat passively while Ianto removed his boots. The young man then took off the braces, and gently removed Jack's button-down shirt. Then he stepped back and observed Jack critically.
The older man sat stiffly, arms still folded tightly across his chest, and he was very nearly folding in on himself. Even though Ianto doubted how comfortable Jack would be, he decided against trying to divest him of his trousers. Instead, he reached over and pulled back the blanket.
"Lie down, anwylyd."
Jack lay down, and promptly pulled the blankets up to his neck. Keeping his movements slow, deliberate and as non-threatening as possible, Ianto took of his suit jacket, waistcoat and tie. He sat to remove his shoes before shifting around to look at his lover. Jack looked defensive at best, watching Ianto warily and making no effort to let go of his grip on the blankets. Ianto spoke, keeping his voice low and calm.
"Do you want to hold me?"
He was careful with his wording, wanting to give Jack every chance to feel safe and un-pressured. With some reluctance, Jack started to push back the blankets, only to stop.
"What is it?" Ianto wondered, thinking something was wrong.
"I…"
"What is it, Jack? Talk to me, please."
"Coffee," Jack said suddenly, and Ianto's eyebrows shot up.
"Coffee?"
"You said you'd get me coffee," Jack pointed out, sounding both hopeful and embarrassed at the same time. "I never got any coffee."
It took a huge effort not to simply burst out laughing, and as it was he couldn't keep himself from cracking a tiny grin.
"You want coffee?"
Jack stared up at him with a look that Ianto suspected was not entirely innocent.
"Please, Yan?"
Ianto couldn't help it. Even in this state of mind, Jack knew how exactly which buttons to push to get what he wanted. That tone, with that look, and he folded like a briefcase.
"All right, I'll go and fill a thermos," he conceded with a mock roll of his eyes. "Will you be all right here on your own?"
Jack smiled a not entirely convincing smile.
"Sure."
"All right," Ianto murmured. "I'll be right back, I promise."
He paused, and then leaned in slowly and brushed his lips softly over Jack's forehead. Jack tensed a little, but didn't attempt to pull away from the tender touch.
"Cara 'ch , anwylyd asgre," Ianto whispered, and then hurried out before Jack had a chance to say another word.
He made the coffee exactly the way Jack best liked it, anxious to do anything he could to make things better for his Captain. Although, he wasn't entirely certain that caffeine was the best thing for Jack right then, neither did he have the willpower to deny him.
A soft, plaintive cry overhead drew his attention, and he looked up to see Myfanwy circling. She knew there was something wrong, Ianto mused sadly. For a prehistoric creature with a supposedly tiny brain, she was surprisingly attuned to what was going on in the Hub. She was also fiercely loyal to and affectionate with Jack. Oh, she seemed to like him well enough, but with Jack it was as if she was a completely different pterodactyl. Often he'd come up from Archives late in the evening, after the others had gone, to find Myfanwy perched on the railing of the upper gantry and squawking happily while Jack petted her and cooed nonsense to her.
She didn't understand why her favourite human had paid her little to no attention over the last several days, and it wasn't as though he had any way of explaining it to her, either. Shaking his head and making up his mind to pay her some special attention later on, Ianto poured steaming hot coffee into a thermos and turned to head back, only to freeze in horror as his gaze fell on the monitor that was linked to the CCTV camera in the little room.
It seemed that Jack had dozed off in the short time that he'd been away from the room and sleep had, in turn, opened the doorway to nightmares. Jack was thrashing around in the bed, his mouth open in a wail that Ianto couldn't hear, but could well imagine.
Abandoning the thermos, he took off at a run, desperate to reach Jack before the Captain injured himself.
Ianto ran into the room and, in his panic to reach Jack, he thoughtlessly leaned in and grabbed him to stop his struggles. The sudden contact awoke Jack abruptly from his distressed sleep, but the Captain reacted blindly before his conscious mind had a chance to recognise that it had only been a nightmare and that he was, indeed, safe. Jack flailed wildly, and his fist struck Ianto hard in the face, sending the younger man tumbling off the bed and onto his backside on the floor.
Jack sat bolt upright, his breath coming in laboured gasps as he struggled to comprehend where he was and what was happening.
"Jack, it's okay," Ianto gasped, trying to coordinate himself to get up off the floor. His right cheek was smarting badly from the blow he'd taken, but he didn't think there was any real damage done beyond it being bruised. "It's all right. You're safe. Jack, are you hearing me? You're safe."
Slowly, Jack's breathing began to even out and the panic faded from his eyes as he recognised his surroundings. Ianto pulled himself unsteadily to his feet and sat carefully on the edge of the bed. Jack's eyes flickered towards him, only to widen in horror a moment later when he saw the developing bruise on Ianto's cheek.
"Oh god, Ianto… I hit you…"
Ianto reached out and cupped Jack's face tenderly, rubbing his thumb soothingly along Jack's jaw line.
"Hush, love. It's all right. Really, you didn't hurt me."
Unshed tears glistened brightly in Jack's eyes, and it was painfully obvious that he didn't believe Ianto's reassurances. Anxious to comfort Jack, Ianto took hold of one trembling hand and pressed it firmly to his now bruised cheek. It was an effort not to flinch at the spark of pain that came with the contact, but it was worth it to see the distress beginning to fade from Jack's eyes.
"I really didn't hurt you?" Jack asked shakily, and Ianto smiled lovingly at him.
"No, you really didn't. Lie down now, cariad."
At Ianto's gentle insistence, Jack lay back down, and Ianto couldn't miss the relief in his eyes as he joined him on the bed.
Ianto said and did nothing, but simply lay beside Jack and waited for him to do as he would. Nearly a minute passed before Jack reached out tentatively and slipped his arms around Ianto. Ianto mirrored Jack's movements and gradually the two men wrapped themselves around each other, finishing with Jack resting his head in against Ianto's shoulder. Ianto placed a soft kiss on the top of Jack's head, grateful to hear Jack's breathing slow down, and feel the tension start to seep from his body.
"That's it," Ianto whispered. "You're safe. I've got you. Go to sleep, cariad. It's all right, you're safe with me."
Jack shifted slightly, hugging Ianto against him like a life-sized teddy bear as sleep began to claim him once more. Jack was almost asleep when he spoke in a distant mumble.
"Never got my coffee…"
And then he was out, sleeping comfortably and securely in Ianto's embrace. Ianto, however, lay awake for a long time afterwards, shedding bitter tears in the silence of the Hub.
tbc...