Three

Leaving breakfast, Ianto checked the time and mentally checked the long list of tasks he had to get through today. First, meet his students and then sit down and start to familiarise himself with the vast documentation Sandra had sent him.

Reaching the lift he got in and for a second he fought to remember which floor he needed. He smiled to himself 'It was not just the students getting lost.' Looking up then down the floor makers he saw the one he needed was clearly identified with a round circle which indicated the teaching suites.

Deep in thought it took a moment to realise that the lift had stopped at another floor. The doors had opened but the waiting passenger had not entered. He looked up and his eyes widened as he saw Harkness. His heart started to beat wildly and his mouth went dry as he stared at him.

'I'll take the next one,' he heard the man say over the rush of sound in his ears.

'Coward,' Ianto spat out as the lift door closed and he pressed the floor button again to hasten its departure.

Reaching the door of his teaching suite Ianto took a moment to calm himself and recall everything he had to tell his students. Running into Jack Harkness, curse the man, meant he had lost his focus. Flicking on his pad he double-checked the list he had prepared, took a breath, and entered. It was filled with a blur of faces. The only two people he knew were Steven Carter, who he had been assisting with his PhD, and Eugene Jones, who was working on the 'Transfiguration Project'. Smiling hesitantly he began to speak.

'My name is Commander Jones. I think some of you are aware but for those that don't, Sandra Zhang is unable to accompany you all on this voyage and I've been asked to take her place.' Ianto heard a gasp and mumbling.

A hand shot up. 'Are you just taking over in the short term? Will she be joining us later?'

Ianto shook his head. More faces looked unhappy.

'I know some of you will be sorely disappointed, because she is someone you were looking forward to working with more closely. Sandra is an incredibly experienced educator and I am honoured to take her place. I bring six years in the Deep Space Exploration experience as a sensor calibration, mapping specialist and acting science officer.'

Ianto looked around at their subdued faces and felt panic. First ten minutes and he had lost them all ready.

'You do know Steven and Eugene either directly or by their tutorship in the department. I have been assisting both of them with their work and some of you may have seen me around campus and during the few tutorials I have taken. Any more questions about my replacing Sandra?' he asked and the group went silent and shook their heads.

'For some of you this is your first time on-board a ship of the line. You are not just here as students; five of you are here as Space Command officers with the rank of acting ensign. As much as this is a training ship it is also a working vessel. There may be times when the ship may have to divert to assist or be assigned to a task not currently listed on the ship's itinerary. What this means is, as well as your course work you may be called on to complete an assignment just as if you were assigned to a ship.

'This voyage is a practicum.' He smiled as he gained more confidence. 'I challenge each one of you here to come to me with at least one idea no matter how wild and as long as you don't melt the array I am open to giving your ideas a go.'

Ianto heard a beep. 'On that note I think we had better move. First stop is the medical bay.'

'Yes sir,' he heard and they tumbled out the door.

Looking about Gwen searched the Hub; stretching her neck she checked every face. She was about to start looking if she could join another table when a waving hand caught her attention. Smiling with relief she made her way across the busy dining area.

'How did it all go my lovelies?' Gwen said wide eyed as she joined her friends.

'Grand. How was your tour?' Carys said moved aside so she could fit around the table.

'It was lovely, being shown around for real and getting to meet all the permanent officers. One in Engineering couldn't stop winking at me,' Gwen told them gleefully.

'Not that sleazy chief engineer.' Mary shuddered.

'No, this was a big bloke. I asked so many questions and he was ever so nice. Being in security, we need to know everything about the ship. And it was so exciting seeing everything for real rather than out of some old text book, I was fit to bursting.' Gwen bit into her sandwich and saw Bonnie had usual face on.

'What the matter Bonnie? You've got face like a wet weekend and it's only the second day.' Gwen chewed out the words as she ate.

Bonnie leaned towards Gwen. 'You know how important this time is for me. I have to pass this rotation and now it's all ruined.'

'What's happened?' Gwen asked.

''Instead of having the senior lecturer join us they send us a tutor.'

'They never!' Gwen burst out.

'Oh yes,' Bonnie huffed

'They wouldn't. This time is too important to send someone who doesn't know what they are doing.'

'Well they did.'

Daniella had listened to enough and interrupted. 'He told us he was a commander with six years' experience in Space Command; hardly a tutor. And I checked; he has two PhD's: one at the Academy and the other worked during his first posting,' she corrected Bonnie.

Bonnie laughed. 'Listen…the only experience he looks like he's had is with a large number of cream-filled donuts.'

'You could tell he was nervous. It was sort of sweet really. Like he had never done anything like this before. He had 'be gentle with me' written all over his face,' Mary added.

'I really need to pass this rotation. I was supposed to be getting some help and they send us him. Sandra knows us. It will be like starting all over again,' Bonnie grumbled.

'Look, the Academy wouldn't have sent anyone less than qualified. We all know just how hard it is to make the grade.' Mary began to stack the trays together.

Bonnie leaned over. 'If that's the case then what is he doing here? They are always going on about how few sensor specialist there are, if he was any good he would be in full service.'

Gwen gasped and Daniela Mary, Carys and Bonnie all looked in her direction. 'That man is drop-dead gorgeous.' Following her line of sight they saw Commander Harkness was heading towards the food slots.

Gwen looked across at Carys. 'If I had waited another five minutes I could have been standing up behind him in line.'

'Did I tell you he escorted me to my quarters?' Carys said and Gwen turned to her wide eyed.

'He never,' Gwen checked.

Carys smiled 'He did and he was ever so nice. Took me right there, even shook my hand.'

'The both watched as he moved along the line, filled his tray then headed to a table.

'I think I need find a way to get lost so he can rescue me,' Gwen told everyone.

Carys burst out laughing. 'Get lost.'

Gwen playfully punched her arm. 'He can get lost with me anytime he likes.'

'I know who he is,' Daniela said to Bonnie as they headed to return the stacked trays and dishes from their table to the return service slots.

'Who?' Bonnie put her tray into the return slot and pressed recycle, half listening.

'Ianto Jones, our Associate Specialist.'

'Associate useless you mean,' Bonnie said in disgust.

'I know who he is,' she repeated in a sing-song voice.

Bonnie turned to her. 'Really.'

'You are never going to guess.'

'Let me try,' Bonnie said crossing her arms. 'He really is a nobody who knows nothing.'

'If I'm right Ianto Jones was born with more than a silver spoon in his mouth,' Daniela added.

'Listen, the only spoon he was born with was a plastic one.'

Daniela smiled, her face revealing how hard it was to hang onto her secret. 'You will never guess.'

'Go on then as you are bursting to tell me. Shock me with your world shattering information,' Bonnie taunted.

'Who built this ship?' Daniela teased.

Bonnie glanced around, frowning.

'Who built this ship?' Daniela repeated.

A realisation came to Bonnie and she shook her head. 'You are just mixing up the names. How many Joneses are there?'

'I don't think he remembers but I've met him before. I was racing around the lake because it was a short cut to the sensor lab. Just as I turned the corner I nearly bowled over this older man. I ended up laid out on the path and Commander Jones who was with him helped me up. I was so embarrassed and they both very kind. More worried I might have hurt myself than they were for themselves.'

'Is there some point to all this?' Bonnie interrupted.

'It wasn't until the next day when we were having a lecture about all the recent changes in Space Command and how they affected us all. You remember there were several about all the regulations changes due to the scandal on that ship…you remember, the Diligence.'

Bonnie nodded. She recalled; they were compulsory and boring.

'They put up a picture of one of the people who had been the most instrumental in the process and it was the man I had run into.'

'And?'

'The man I ran into was Senator Jones, Chairman of the Space Command Oversight Committee.'

'So what's the connection with the ship?' Bonnie asked.

'Charles Jones, his brother, and Senator Jones hold the controlling interest in Space Industries.'

'So you put two together and made three thousand because you saw Senator Jones and Commander Jones together so somehow they are related,' Bonnie pointed out. A few moments passed and she laughed. 'You really had me going there for a moment!'

'I'm telling you Commander Jones is the son of Senator Jones. He is the splitting image of his Dad.'

'And what would someone with so much power and connections as a member of the Jones family be doing on this ship?'

'Teaching Sensor calibration by the looks of it,' Daniela replied.

'Right,' Bonnie snarked.

Both their wrist communicators beeped and they headed out of the Hub hurrying towards the lifts.

Tapping her pen on her desk Martha checked the time and for the 100th time checked Commander Jones had confirmed his records. Nothing. She wondered if he had received any of her reminders. A quick inspection confirmed he had received them and then deleted each and every one.

She sat back and let out a sigh. He of all people should know why this was so important… a realisation came to her. Of course he did. But this could possibly be the first time since the Diligence he was being directly faced with what he had lost and the devil's compromise he had taken to be on board. If he was going to ignore her reminders she really had only one option left.

Knocking softly on Commander Jones's office door she entered to see him studying an open file.

'Commander Jones, I like to introduce myself. I'm Martha Jones, Crew Resources.'

Ianto glanced up from his desk to see a young dark-skinned woman entering his small office. 'Can I help you?' Ianto returned to the schedule he was working on.

'The deadline for you to confirm your records is almost up,' Martha reminded him.

'I've been busy.' Ianto kept working.

'Not too busy to delete every one of my reminders but too busy to double-check everything is in order and send it back?'

Ianto paused for a moment. 'I'll get to it.'

'Look Ianto, I understand how hard this might be…'

Ianto's head snapped up and he glared at her. 'And just what might be hard?'

'Looking at reminders of where you came from and how you got to be here,' Martha answered gently.

'Is that all?' Ianto snapped at her insight

'I need it on my desk by twenty-two hundred hours.'

'Yes Ma'am.' Ianto crossed his arms and continued to glare at her.

'Don't 'yes Ma'am' me.'

'And since when did Crew Resources care they have the right people on board?'

'Since one of our number deliberately misled an entire crew over a mistaken identity which only ended when he nearly died.'

Closing his eyes Ianto took a moment to steady himself. 'It will be in your system by twenty-two hundred hours,' he announced.

'I'm not the enemy.'

'You look like the enemy to me,' Ianto retorted.

'I'm sad to hear that.'

'Well that's what happens when the head of Crew Resources on the ship you're stationed on uses their position to persecute you to the point of suicide.'

'You have no idea how ashamed and mortified everyone was that Susie…'

'If my confirmation is as important as you say it is then engaging me in pointless conversation is not helping,' Ianto snapped, interrupting what sounded like an attempt at an apology.

Martha stilled, the words she wanted to say about the pain he had suffered and the dishonour Suzie had brought down on all of them stopped. Sorry didn't seem a big enough word to apologise for what he had been put through, but sorry was all she had.

'Twenty two hundred hours,' she reminded him and left.

Ianto sat down at the desk in his quarters and huffed. Several seconds passed as he stared at the on button on the screen.

Standing he got himself a drink form the replicator. Taking small swallows he looked around the room. A towel caught his attention. Putting down his drink he folded it then placed it in the drying cabinet in the bathroom. It began to cycle as soon as the door clicked shut.

His bed was rumbled so he smoothed the cover and fluffed up the pillows, then straightened the double picture he had of Liselle and Craig. A mote of dust caught his eye and he brushed it away. Looking around he tried to find something else that needed his attention. Picking up his drink he realised it had gone cold so took a few more moments to refresh it.

Sitting down again his stomach felt like it was tying itself into so many knots he felt sick. Turning the screen on messages began to scroll down.

'Dad,' he said through his teeth in frustration as several, each one more seemingly urgent than the last, flowed down. Highlighting each he transferred them to a file marked personal.

Then he separated out those from the Owen and Tosh. Then he sorted several invites to a number of up and coming social events.

Half way through a message appeared and began to flash.

'Twenty-two hundred hours!'

Muttering he stood up as an intense feeling of rebellion overcame him. A second passed and realised he was being infantile and sat back down. The longer he fought this, the worst he felt. The only way through was to get this over with. Following the instructions he opened his records. Quickly he read through the introduction. There was now a tri-system to ensure records were accurate and had reached their correct destination. Any files going to Crew Resources were checked with the master copy in Space Command. However errors still crept in and so every newly assigned crew member needed to double check their records.

Gritting his teeth he scanned his eyes over the page.

To his relief the records were more a CV outline and meant it was possible to flick through each through each page quickly.

Ianto wiped his brow. He had realised he was sweating and he refreshed his drink. Sitting back down he turned to the section he called the 'Lying Page.'

He read the first citation and felt a wave of disgust. He had been so angry when they had told him he was receiving an award for saving Tish, and he had refused point blank to accept it. He was not a hero, not for a second. He was furious this had even been considered. In the end he had only relented due to the unfair emotional pressure brought to bear via a series of visitors.

Firstly Tish's parents had turned up at his bedside to thank him for saving her life. This was followed by Craig's mum and dad. Apparently Craig had communicated his growing attachment to them, amongst his last messages. They had told him about how proud they were of their son and that Ianto had tried to save his life. They knew of his refusal but argued Craig would have wanted Ianto to be recognised for the attempt. Lastly they wanted to see the man their son had held some affection for rewarded for his actions. Doing this they argued was as much for their son as for him and asked him to accept. It had all been too much and Ianto had given in much to the pleasure of his family who fussed around him making arrangements.

The shameful event had been held within the grounds of the hospital where he had been undergoing reconstructive surgery on his spine. A large marquee had been set up which made him feel overheated and he was sore. In a wheel chair he had been pushed around while people talked over him and took images. In pain, exhausted and revolted by the entire spectacle he had left early.

Searching down the page he looked for the section for his thumb print. A moment of confusion passed when realised there was a second page. Turning, he began to read.

'Gold Star with Oak Cluster and Silver leafs for going beyond and above the call of duty and saving all those aboard the Space Command Vessel Diligence.'

Confused he reread the citation again, then for a third and fourth time. This had to be a mistake.

As hard as he tried he couldn't remember any such action. What he did recall was a continual haze of pain with flashes of light. His only firm collection was someone holding his hand which had given him a lot of comfort. This simple action was something he could count on, like the very act was holding him steady regardless of his confusion and pain.

His first true memory was opening his eyes and he realising he was in a room filled with sunlight. Real sunlight, it warmed him, and a face swam into view and he heard his name. A moment passed as his hand was squeezed and he realised it was his Dad.

Surprised and relieved at seeing him he had called out. His voice so unused to speaking it came out as a croak.

This act had caused tears had run down his Dad's face as he shouted for the nursing staff to check Ianto really had come round. As the nurses fussed round him his Dad had kissed his hand and held it to his chest as if he was never going to let it go again.

From what he had been told, up until that point he had been unconscious. So if he had been unconscious until four months after the ship returned how in the name of all the stars in the universe had he saved the Diligence?

Looking through the page again he double-checked to see if there were any other feats he couldn't recall that he had been recognised for.

And just when had this been awarded to him? Was it that travesty of a day? It had to be unless it had happened just after he got back and everyone forgot to tell him.

He came back to the citation. Somehow he had saved the Diligence. Ianto snorted to himself. More likely this had been awarded to him out of guilt and considering who his dad and uncle were in an attempt to ingratiate themselves

The time winked the dead line. Ianto pressed his confirmation and forwarded the document to Crew Resources.

Sitting back he looked at the time. Too late to call Owen or Tosh. Checking he looked over Owen's roster he came on duty six pm. Leaning forward Ianto turned off the screen.

Entering the sick bay Ianto saw Owen was in his office. 'Can we talk?' Ianto said as he gently tapped the door.

'Of course.' Owen closed the file in front of him.

'Owen, I found this strange thing in my records.' Ianto sat down in the chair before Owen's desk.

'What sort of strange thing?' Owen looked startled.

'Nothing untoward like me being the wrong person. I found something about the Diligence and me.'

'Okay,' Owen said.

'I was looking though my records and I found I received a citation for saving everyone on board. I think I would remember something as dramatic as saving the ship. And secondly I can't recall ever receiving it.'

'It was during the garden party when you received the one for saving Tish. Tish and Craig's family came. There were lots people wearing chests full of medals, your Dad along with your family looking incredibly proud,' Owen reminded him.

'How could I forget? Everyone making a fuss, the cake, the speeches, the hypocrisy…'

'You being nice, when you wanted to strangle everyone,' Owen reminded him.

'The citation states I saved everyone on board,' Ianto said, confused.

'You did,' Owen told him.

'But how?' Ianto lent forward in surprise.

'You don't remember because you were out of it. As you know, for several weeks you were in an induced coma. Once back in Home Space you slipped in and out of consciousness. That skull fracture was bloody nasty and for a while there we thought you were never going to wake up,' Owen said.

'So how..?'

'We were stuck in an energy reflective anomaly. We were at the point of no return.' Owen recalled the fear of their dying and drifting as a wreck forever. 'We asked for your help and you gave it.'

'Just like that?'

'Not just like that, we had to bring you back to consciousness which wasn't easy. Had we any other choice Ianto we would have preferred not to have to ask you but…'

'But how did you know I would have the answer?' Ianto asked confused.

Owen thought quickly. The last thing he wanted was to tell Ianto Jack had listened to his entire journal, and then played his dead lover.

'We had found some sections of the ship's log from the Solaris in the main frame. They were corrupted and in fragments but they told us just enough to hint you had encountered some thing similar and might know the answer.'

'Yeah I did…do,' Ianto corrected himself.

Owen smiled. 'Turn everything electrical off.'

'Exactly.'

'You still look confused,' Owen told him.

'Telling someone how to solve a problem doesn't merit a citation on this level. It reserved for real heroes, people who have put themselves in harm's way to save others.'

'Ianto, two thirds of the crew had made your life a living hell and pushed you to the point of no return. Considering what happened you choosing to help was not just kind, it showed you to be a better human being. You didn't have to save us.'

'Not everyone was guilty, Owen. Why would I punish them?'

'Ianto, your knowledge allowed the ship to escape. Everyone got to come home, 300 plus souls including your own. That has to be worth a little recognition.'

'I guess,' Ianto said not completely convinced.

'Do you know you are one of the most unassuming people I know? Even when you do amazing things you don't seem to realise that to other people they are extraordinary. Look how hard you've tried to be like everyone else. Other people in your situation would be happy to live off your name and money. Instead you fight to be seen as just one of us.'

'I am just one of you. Having money it's just money.'

'See that's what I mean,' Owen told him, smiling.