AN: O.k , so this is chapter 2, I hope you guys like it, totally not betaed, but always looking for willing victims! Thank you so much for the reviews and alerts!!

Chapter 2

"Jack, something odd's happening, people are taking the gondola to the top of the mountain, wandering around, getting back in to come down, but when the pods arrive back at the bottom they are empty. It's not everyone – I mean there doesn't seem to be any pattern for it, I've checked cctv and I can't see anything, it goes fuzzy and then they're gone. According to local officers it's been happening on and off for about a month now, though why no one thought to look into it I can't think! Can you have a look for any widespread rift activity or any unusual weather patterns?" Gwen rambled.

"Sure I'll get right on it, how was the vacation going?" he asked with a slight smile audible in his voice. "Oh you know it was fine, but now Rhys thinks the yeti is running around kidnapping tourists." She said, slight annoyance creeping through.

Jack could imagine her pacing around as she always did when she was on the phone, rolling her eyes as she said it and it made him smile to himself. Ianto handed him some papers and his smile disappeared. "Gwen, there are some strange readings for that area over the past couple of months, I'm going to have to come out there, take a look-see what's going on, I'll email you the details." Jack hung up the phone and looked at Ianto, "I'll book you a flight then sir." Ianto said and made his way to the computer, knowing he would be staying behind.

///

Gwen made her way back to the hotel with all the reports she could gather. Surprisingly the local force hadn't heard of Torchwood but after she spoke with Jack; he must have called the right people because she was given her own officer, a car, and full access to all of their research systems.

Arriving back to her hotel room, Rhys was sat on the sofa, bottle of beer in hand with the TV on in the background.

He looked in her direction when she entered the room then turned back to the TV and downed the remainder of his beer. "Hey, how's your day been?" Gwen asked, sitting down on the sofa next to him. He stood up and walked over to the fridge to get another beer.

"Gwen, " he paused, "Why the bloody hell does it feel like we're back in Cardiff and you're at work all bloody day? You're supposed to be taking a break, with me, not throwing yourself into this pile of shit!" he said, gesturing to the files she had put on the coffee table in front of where she was sat. "Rhys, I thought you were alright with this, I can't just ignore people disappearing can I?!" she yelled at him.

He slammed his beer down onto the table, "I've had it up to here with this Gwen, I've tried Christ I have, but it's doing my head in. Look, I've called the airline and booked myself on a flight late tonight. I can't stay here Gwen, we're going to shit."

He breathed heavily staring at her, expecting some sort of response. She let out the breath she had been unconsciously holding "Well that's great Rhys, that's what you think of us is it? To piss off and leave me to deal with it?" she screamed. "I'm not bloody Torchwood Gwen, don't you get it? I feel like I've married Torchwood not you!" he screamed back. He closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down, "I'm sorry Gwen I really am." He took one last look at her, grabbed his bag that was already packed, and left.

Gwen couldn't believe Rhys had actually gone. He had left, left her, left everything behind. She was too numb to even think about it and she sure as hell couldn't concentrate on the reports so she crawled fully dressed into bed and cried herself slowly to sleep.

///

Knock, knock, knock – "GWEN, YOU THERE? RHYS?! IT'S JACK!" Gwen stumbled down the stairs of the loft apartment to the front door.

"Alright alright, hang on!" she mumbled sleepily. Opening the door she saw Jack standing there, all billowing coat and teeth.

"Good morning people," Jack shouted in a sing song voice as he walked into the room and dumped his bag on the counter. Gwen made two coffees and gave one to Jack without saying anything and sat on the sofa with hers."

"Hey Rhys, ready to go yeti hunting?" he shouted up to the bedroom area whilst smirking at Gwen.

"He's not here Jack." She sighed "Oh? He's gone to get breakfast, I'm starved, they gave us these tiny breakfast boxes on the flight and the coffee was awful." He babbled on until he noticed Gwen's face.

"Gwen, what happened?" he sat next to her, angling his body towards hers. "He just thinks my job is more important than he is." She looked down at the cup of coffee in her hands like it held all the answers. "Why? Because of this? Most likely it'll be sorted in a couple of days and you can get back to your vacation. Gwen you promised me you would keep it together, what's changed?" he asked. "I have I think Jack. With everything that's happened, I can't seem to focus on anyone apart from myself, I can't give Rhys the attention he needs, or deserves." A tear ran down her cheek. Jack moved his hand to wipe the tear away. "Gwen, if you wanna fly home to sort this out I'm sure I can cope. I'll book you on the next flight."

"No," she replied instantly "No, Jack. I'm staying here. He can't dictate my life like this. I'm not going to go running after him every time he goes off on one. Maybe that says more about our relationship than I want to think about at the moment." She concluded. "Well I'm not going to argue with you, it sounds like you have had enough arguments for a while. Now, I'm gonna go check in and when I get back I'll take you to breakfast, my treat."

"Jack, stay here, there are two king size beds upstairs, plus there's another one in this cupboard, I'll be rattling around on my own , and..." she said in a smaller, and much less confident voice, "it would be nice to have the company." Jack noticed she avoided making eye contact with him, and thought to himself how much she had changed recently. It was almost as if she had receded into herself, lost her fight, and her confidence was decimated.

Jack didn't want to invade her personal space too much, but at the same time she had asked him to stay. He wandered upstairs and saw the king-size beds side by side. He looked over the mezzanine down to the lounge where Gwen was still stood.

"Hey," He waved slightly. She couldn't help but smile and wave back. "So I guess I'm staying roomie." He laughed and bounded down the stairs to grab his bag and unpack.

Once Jack was settled they went down into town, to the local sheriffs' office. "We'll just swing by so I can introduce myself and brighten up their day, then breakfast."

Gwen smiled at him but it didn't reach her eyes, he gripped her hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

After making the necessary introductions, several enemies and quite possibly one or two new friends all on Jack's part they ended up in a restaurant for breakfast.

They sat eating together, Jack trying to break through Gwen's malaise, "You know, Banff is one of my favourite places on this planet, especially with all the snow. Hey, d'you ski? We should go! I dated this ski instructor once, boy, some of the things he could do with..." "JACK!" Gwen interrupted, "leave it yeah?" she asked. He smiled at her, but frowned when he noticed he gaze was fixed on a point just over his left shoulder and they finished their breakfast in silence.

///

After a long day of investigating and trying to find out what exactly was happening on Sulphur Mountain Jack and Gwen returned to the hotel, cold, tired and hungry.

Jack sat in the lounge to call Ianto as Gwen made her way for a hot shower.

"Ianto, its Jack. How are you getting on?" He asked quietly. He listened as Ianto gave him the run down on the last few days. Thankfully everything was relatively quiet. "I'm sorry I had to leave you Ianto, it's just..."

"Gwen needs you more than I do at the moment Jack, its ok, just look after her for me; she's all we have left." He said a hint of sorrow in his voice.

"I will, I'm sorry Yan."

"Its OK Jack, we both know things have changed, I'm grateful for the time we had together, and just because we're going down a different path, I'm glad I have both of you with me. Mostly I'm glad Gwen has Rhys, she needs the support he gives her." "Yeah about that, he walked out on her, he's back in Cardiff. Didn't take it too well that torchwood was eating into their holiday time. I've been trying to talk to Gwen about it but she's extremely guarded. I'm not sure they are going to work through this one. Anyway, she's in the shower so I had better go, you know she would slap me if she knew we were talking about her like this." He grinned slightly at the thought.

"I'm sure she would be glad that we cared Jack. Give me a call if you or Gwen needs anything. Take care Jack." Jack put down his phone and leaned against the glass doors that lead out to their balcony, the glass cool against his forehead.

He closed his eyes, he didn't want to lose Ianto, but he couldn't keep going with the way things were between them. He was just grateful Ianto had helped him feel less guilty about it all, he didn't deserve friends like that, he thought to himself. He straightened up and turned around, he saw a flash of towel and bare legs as Gwen made her way up the stairs from the shower.

"So," Jack started, trying to shift the image of Gwen's legs from his mind, "what do you want to do tonight?"

"I don't know Jack, I'm exhausted, and with Rhys, why don't you go out. I'll be ok here on my own. I don't much feel like being around a lot of people." Her voice floated down from upstairs. Jack moved to the kitchen to make some coffee for them both, "Gwen I don't want to leave you here, come out, have some fun."

He grinned to himself. Gwen appeared at the bottom of the stairs in some grey tracksuit bottoms and a white singlet. "No Jack. I'm staying here, but you go." He turned around and smiled at her, handing her a cup of coffee, looking at her clothes he knew she would not be convinced. "Ok, but I'll see you later ok?" he asked. "Sure," she replied "but I'm probably just going to get knot bed and get some sleep." She sighed. Jack nodded and touched her arm gently, before finishing his coffee and grabbing his coat and leaving the apartment with a wave.