A/N: I know this is my first update in a while, but it's NaNoWriMo, and I've been focused on that. The good news is that I've achieved 50,000 words, and now have the leisure of returning to my other unfinished fics. And yes, my NaNo fic is a Torchwood story, which will be posted here in due course. In the meantime, rest assured knowing I haven't abandoned this story, or "Ashes".

The day that Jack and Ianto spent in Sarah Jane's home was possibly the happiest and most relaxing that Ianto could remember having for a long time. For just a little while, it was almost possible to forget that they were on the run, and just enjoy the sanctuary that had been provided to them.

Jack, for his part, had struck up quite a friendship with Luke. Ianto didn't know what the boy's story was, and he had no intention of pressing Sarah Jane on the subject. All he knew was that the boy spoke with the sort of high level techno-babble that he would have expected from someone with a doctorate in astrophysics. Whether Jack really understood much of what Luke was saying to him, Ianto had no idea. By lunch, though, Jack was tagging along after Luke like an awe-struck little brother.

Sarah Jane, in particular, had been especially amused to catch sight of Jack wrapping Luke up in a huge hug. The bemused teen had simply taken it in his stride, not reacting even when Jack planted a loud, wet kiss on his cheek.

"He tends to be extremely affectionate with the people he likes," Ianto explained, somewhat nervously. Sarah Jane smiled wryly.

"So I see. He appears to be a very tactile person."

"Yes, and that's a big change in itself. When I first started taking care of him, he wouldn't let anyone touch him. Now, he craved the contact, and I don't like depriving him. I just hope he doesn't frustrate your son."

"Oh, don't you worry about Luke. I think you'll find he finds Jack just as fascinating as Jack finds him. He won't mind Jack following him around at all."

Ianto looked through the archway just in time to see Luke seat himself next to Jack on the couch and begin to read from what looked like a copy of Tolkien's "The Hobbit". Curious, Ianto ventured into the room for a closer look.

"Gage had started reading that one to Jack just a few days ago," he mused. "Did you pick it, Luke?"

"No, it wasn't my choice," Luke answered with a smile. "Jack's the one who picked it."

"He knew what book it was?" Ianto asked in surprise, and in answer to the question Jack took the book from Luke's hands and pointed to the title on the cover.

"Hobbit. Hob. Bit."

"I suspect your friend Gage may have been helping Jack to relearn how to read," Sarah Jane mused as Luke started to read again. Ianto felt his stomach knot up unpleasantly, and he hurried back into the kitchen before Jack could pick up on his sudden distress.

"God, I pray that Gage and Tomas are all right. They risked everything. I'm not sure what I'll do if something's happened to them."

"What you'll do is carry on," Sarah Jane told him sternly. "They would have understood the risks. If the worst has happened, then the best way you can honour them is to fight for yours and Jack's freedom. Especially Jack's."

Ianto nodded slowly in agreement.

"You're right. I know you're right. It's just so hard. You know, if someone had told me twelve months ago that one day I'd be on the run from Torchwood, I would have thought they were crazy. I used to think that Torchwood was the be-all and end-all. God, I was so blind."

"Be thankful that you've had your eyes opened," Sarah Jane said, and Ianto sighed softly.

"I am. Believe me, I am."

Evening fell, and Ianto found himself readying Jack to move again. The urgency and sense of panic was gone, though, giving Ianto a chance to think everything through carefully and methodically and ensuring they left nothing behind.

"Right," he murmured, after having packed the supplies that Sarah Jane had provided them with into a bag with the clothes she'd bought for them earlier that day. "I think that's everything."

He felt a tap on his arm, and looked questioningly at Jack.

"Mm? What is it?"

"Bubbles?"

Ianto chuckled, and pulled out a new bottle of bubble bath formula for him to see.

"Don't worry, Jack. Sarah Jane made sure we're well stocked. I just hope that there's a bath where we're going." He paused, eyeing the formula in his hand. "I suppose there must be, otherwise she wouldn't have given us the bottles to take with us. Now, have you got your dog and blanket?"

Jack held one up in each hand for Ianto to see before tucking them back in against his chest.

"Good," Ianto murmured. "I think we're ready to go, then."

He lifted the bag off the bed, and led Jack downstairs, to where Sarah Jane waited with Luke.

"All set?" she asked.

"More or less," Ianto answered ruefully. Sarah Jane smiled affectionately at him.

"It's going to be fine, Ianto. As long as you're both careful, and you stick together, you'll be fine."

"Where are we going?" Jack asked softly. Sarah Jane walked over to him and took his hands gently in her own.

"You're going to stay with someone else until the Doctor comes back. When he does, he'll be able to take you away to a place where Torchwood won't be able to reach you. Where you'll be safe. Until then, though, you need to be good and do as Ianto says. Can you do that?"

Jack nodded, his eyes watering very slightly as he tried to put up a brave front. Sarah Jane smiled warmly at him, and drew him into a warm hug.

"You'll be all right, sweetheart. I'm sure of it."

Jack hugged her back clumsily, snuffling a little as he tried hard to control his emotions. When Sarah Jane finally drew back, Luke came forward and hugged Jack without hesitation.

"I'm not saying goodbye," Luke told him. "I'm just going to say see you later. So, see you later, Jack. You take care of yourself and Ianto, okay?"

"Okay," Jack answered, his voice muffled as he buried his face in Luke's shoulder. When they parted, Jack's eyes were not the only red ones in the room.

"All right, then," Sarah Jane said decisively. "Time to go."

They were in the car for at least forty-five minutes. Ianto deliberately ignored both the time and the route. It would do him no good to know where they were going, or how to get there, because once there both he and Jack would be safe only for as long as they remained inside and out of sight.

Ianto sat in the backseat with Jack, holding him in an effort to keep him calm. The upheaval of the last twenty-four hours had finally begun to take its toll. Jack had burst into a flood of tears as the car pulled out of Sarah Jane's driveway, wailing that he wanted to stay with Luke.

He'd settled down only when Sarah Jane had promised to bring Luke to visit him at their new location. Whether she intended to honour that promise, Ianto had no idea. It calmed Jack sufficiently so that they could continue on their way without attracting undue attention, though, and that was all that mattered.

After his outburst, Jack sat in relative silence, clinging to Ianto and staring out the window at the passing scenery. It was well and truly dark by the time Sarah Jane stopped the car.

"This is it. Welcome to the Powell Estate, gentlemen."

Ianto opened the car door onto a rather bleak looking housing estate that was done no favours by the dark of night. The building was bland, at best, with many dark, unlit alcoves and shadowy spots. Perhaps it looked different during the day, but Ianto much doubted it. He had no complaints, though. His greatest hope was that Hartman believed he'd left London with Jack – maybe even attempted to flee the country altogether. He hoped and prayed that she didn't suspect they were still basically in central London.

In this respect, Ianto was grateful for the utter ordinariness of the Estate. Surely a place like this was one of the last places that Torchwood would expect them to be.

"Come with me," Sarah Jane told them in a low, urgent voice. "Quickly now, don't dawdle."

Realising that Jack had yet to vacate the car, Ianto turned and took his hand to try and urge him out. The older man resisted, a fleeting look of fear and panic on his face.

"C'mon, Jack," Ianto said, making a real effort to keep any hint of impatience out of his voice. The last thing he needed was for Jack to dig his heels in like an obstinate child, and refuse to move. Jack moved, if extremely reluctantly and, with bags in hand, they followed Sarah Jane into the Estate.

Up three or four flights of concrete stairs, Sarah Jane led them along a balconied area until she finally halted in front of one of the few doors that hadn't been defaced by graffiti, and rapped once on the wood. It was answered by a middle-aged woman with bleach blond hair, and just a fraction too much make-up.

She looked Sarah Jane up and down critically before speaking in a gruff voice that masked a softer attitude.

"Well, where are they, then?"

Ianto stepped forward into the light that spilled out from within the apartment, pulling a reluctant Jack along with him.

"Jackie, this is Ianto and Jack," Sarah Jane made the introductions. "Boys, this is Jackie. She's kindly agreed to let you stay with her until the Doctor comes back."

"And it had better be soon, believe me," Jackie growled in genuine anger. "He'd better not have my Rose away from home for too much longer, or I'll give him a right slap." Abruptly, she stepped aside. "Well, you'd best come in, then."

Sarah Jane hurried in and Ianto started to follow her, only to be pulled back by Jack.

"What's wrong?" Ianto asked worriedly. He was increasingly anxious to get out of the open, and away from any potential prying eyes. The longer Jack stalled outside, the more exposed they were and the greater the danger of being caught. Jack looked past Ianto into the apartment, fear in his pale blue eyes.

"Angry lady," he whimpered, and Ianto sighed wearily.

"She's not angry at you, I promise. Now please, come inside, Jack. It's not safe out here for us."

Reluctant as ever, Jack nonetheless allowed Ianto to lead him into the apartment.

Despite his apprehensions about the Estate, Ianto was pleasantly surprised to find themselves in a warm and homely space, brightly lit but not in the same sterile way that the Torchwood building was perpetually lit. They were led through to a small lounge room, that was furnished with comfortable looking armchairs, and lots of pictures. Pictures, Ianto realised with a start, that were of the same Rose in the photo with the Doctor…

"You're Rose's mother?" Ianto blurted out, startled. Jackie raised an eyebrow at him questioningly, and Ianto felt his face heat up a little. "Sorry."

Shaking off the apparently odd comment, Jackie eyed the two of them up and down.

"All right. Let's take a good look at you. Mm, not bad. Not bad at all. 'Course, I only have one spare bed. One of you will have to make do with the lounge, because I'm not giving up my bed."

"We would never expect you to, Ma'am," Ianto said quickly, anxious to defuse her aggravation before it began to affect Jack. He was skittish enough as it was, and the last thing Ianto needed was for him to panic and bolt… or even just panic. "Let Jack have the bed. I can sleep on the floor beside him."

Jackie turned her critical gaze on Jack, staring at him piercingly. He returned it for all of two seconds before dropping his gaze to the floor and clutching anxiously at Ianto's hand. The younger man took it without hesitation, squeezing gently.

"Is he all right?" she asked, puzzled. Ianto looked over questioningly at Sarah Jane, who looked apologetically back at him.

"I wasn't able to tell her anything about Jack. There just wasn't the time."

Ianto swallowed an urge to sigh. It wasn't Sarah Jane's fault, and he knew he should have been prepared to give explanations.

"Jack's been a prisoner for a long time. He was abused and experimented on, and basically tortured. No, he's not in his right mind, thanks to what was done to him. He needs care, and a lot of love and understanding. He's frightened, confused, and I promised to keep him safe. I need your help to do that. Please, help me?"

Jackie walked over to stand in front of Jack, and gently encouraged him to look at her.

"I'm a mum, and if there's anything that I've got in spades, it's love and understanding. So don't you worry, sweetheart. I'm going to help take care of you. All right? You're safe here, and I won't let anyone or anything hurt you."

She reached out and gently drew him into a warm and comforting embrace. For a split second, Ianto thought Jack was going to reject her, but even as he watched, Jack literally crumbled against her, and his arms went around her in a clumsy but heartfelt hug.

"Thankyou," Jack whispered tearfully.

tbc...