AN: Thank you as ever for your wonderful reviews. I can't believe how popular this story has become – I thank you all for your support. Thanks also for your suggestions for how this story should develop – duly noted. Some of these ideas will be popping up at a later date. I know you're all keen to read the wedding chapter… trust me – it'll be worth the wait.
In other news, I have just filled in my beta-reader profile and it is now active, so if anyone wants to utilise my services – gimme a yell. I look forward to hearing from you.

Now… on with the show. And as ever, please review. Bit of fluff to get you started.

Jack walked proudly into the jewellers on Cardiff's main street, heading straight to the display of rings in the back corner and studying them intently, Ianto following slowly behind, still slightly embarrassed by the whole ring-buying thing, still convinced it was unnecessary.

"So what do you think?" Jack asked looking across at Ianto, ignoring the look on his face.

"Jack I'm serious… you don't need to do this." Ianto said again.

"Why?" Jack asked. "Give me one good reason – and I mean good – why I shouldn't buy you an engagement ring? Are you too ashamed of me to want people to know? Do you not think you're worth it? Cos you are Ianto… more than you know. I want to buy you a ring to show people that you are taken… that you are mine… this means a lot to me Ianto… you mean everything… why won't you let me show you off?" He asked, his voice almost pleading.

Ianto immediately felt guilty for his lack of enthusiasm for this trip. "Of course I'm not ashamed of you… would I have said yes if I were? I'm sorry." He said, leaning in and kissing Jack lovingly on the lips.

Jack grinned. "You've never done that before." He said softly.

"I do recall kissing you before Jack." Ianto said confused.

"Not in public." Jack commented.

Ianto immediately flushed, making Jack grin again, before kissing Ianto once more.

"Now," Jack said, taking hold of Ianto's hand. "Which rings do you like?" He asked.

TW

Jack and Ianto were walking hand in hand back towards the Hub when it happened. They should really have been expecting it. After the events of the 456 Jack was hopeful that they'd get a brief respite from the chaos, and he supposed the three weeks that had passed had been rest enough. A high pitched beeping noise emitted itself from his wrist strap.

"That is never a good sign." Ianto said as the two men stopped walking.

Jack sighed as he pressed a button on the strap. "Rift spike. After we lost most of our equipment in the blast I programmed this to notify us of rift spikes." He explained.

"That is some relief." Ianto said. "For one horrible moment I thought John was about to appear and cause a bit of chaos." He added.

Jack smiled. "That would cause an entirely different beeping noise. According to this," he said, looking at the small screen on his strap, "the spike occurred briefly… in the Hub?" He finished his tone confused.

"What? Are you sure?" Ianto asked as Jack started walking again, his pace quicker than before, as he practically jogged back down towards the Plass.

"That's what it says." Jack said as the two men reached the Plass and ran through the Tourist Office Door taking the stairs down to the Hub, thinking it would be more subtle than the lift if anyone or anything was in there.
As the cog door rolled silently open (now Jack was relieved they hadn't wired up the siren!) the two men pulled their guns from their holsters and crept inside. The new Hub had no real hiding places within its new open-plan design so they could both see all the way across it as they walked inside, guns raised.

"Are you really sure?" Ianto asked as they were faced with a silent and empty room.

Jack lowered his weapon, putting back in his holster as Ianto followed suit and they walked into the centre of the Hub. Looking all around there was no signs of anything unusual or out of place.

"Could we have picked up a rift spike and had nothing fall through?" Ianto asked.

Jack shook his head. "The point of the spikes is for something fall through. Or at least that's what I thought. But there is no signs of anything here… and nothing has left the Hub… we locked up before we went out." He said confused.

"Coffee?" Ianto asked, making his way across to the machine.

Jack nodded. "Please." He said, still looking around for anything unusual.

As Ianto stood waiting for the machine to warm up he pulled two mugs down from the shelf, spooning sugar in to them, before leaning back on the counter top watching Jack wander around the Hub still looking a little confused. Ianto smiled to himself as he raised his left hand and twisted the new ring around with the fingers on his right hand. It hadn't taken them long to pick one out. A solid platinum band. "It'll last forever. Just like my love for you." Jack had said as Ianto tried it on. It was a perfect fit. A fly swooped past Ianto as he stood in his little daydream and he swatted at it absentmindedly before turning to pour out the drinks. As he carried the two mugs back into the centre of the Hub where Jack was waiting he felt the fly land on his neck and nip him.

"Ouch." He winced, flinching as he was bitten.
"What?" Jack asked looking round.

"There's a fly in here and it just bit me." Ianto said passing a mug to Jack and rubbing his neck.

"A fly? Ianto they don't bite. And they don't generally survive underground. Let me see." Jack said. Ianto moved his hand out of the way as Jack looked at his neck.

"Well?" Ianto asked after Jack had been silent for a few moments.

"What did this fly look like?" The older man asked.

"It had wings." Ianto answered.

"Yeah thanks for that. Anything else? A colour?" Jack asked rolling his eyes at Ianto's traditionally obvious answer.

"Not really. Why?" Ianto asked.

"I think we just found what fell through the rift." Jack said.

AN2: Oooh drama! Somebody requested that something came through the rift… so here we have it. Keep your thoughts coming guys – you are the greatest people I've never met :D