One week later

Ianto awoke to an empty room – Jack's bed was unoccupied. A weary smile filled Ianto's face as he hauled himself up off his mattress bed on the floor. He wasn't concerned with Jack's absence, though; he knew exactly where to find him.

Their very first night in Jackie Tyler's home had been a mixed experience. Whilst it was a relief to know they were finally able to stop running for a while, Jack nevertheless suffered a nightmare severe enough to leave him screaming in terror. Ianto had still been trying to calm him when Jackie rushed in. Before Ianto had been able to utter a word of apology for the disturbance, Jackie had bustled the sobbing Jack out of the bedroom.

By the time Ianto followed, she'd had Jack ensconced on the living room sofa with a cup of hot, sweet tea and her arms wrapped around him in a protective hug. She'd soon had him settled down, and eventually coaxed him back to bed, where she'd proceeded to sit with him until he fell asleep again. The rest of the night passed relatively peacefully, and Ianto had been torn between feeling relieved and jealous.

In the end, he went in favour of the former, and over the next few days found himself watching with interest as Jack gradually became enamoured with Rose's mother. She treated him like a son, and showed him a level of love and kindness that, until then, only Ianto had displayed towards him.

By the end of the first week, Ianto suspected there was little that Jack wouldn't do for Jackie Tyler. He loved her fiercely, and she gladly reciprocated.

Ianto took his time getting dressed, comfortable in the belief that Jack was being looked after by their formidable hostess. He eventually headed out to find the apartment's other two occupants in the kitchen. Jackie was cooking what looked and smelt to Ianto like a full fry-up, while Jack sat at the table with the morning newspaper. It was a peculiar image of domesticity, and Ianto had to make a concealed effort not to laugh. His amusement faded quickly, though, as he realised what was actually happening.

Far from it being simply for show, Jack was reading aloud from the newspaper, while Jackie listened. His efforts were stilted and Jackie frequently needed to help him, but he was reading.

Suddenly aware of Ianto's presence, Jack beamed up at him, and slapped a hand enthusiastically down onto the paper.

"I can read!"

Ianto couldn't help but be affected by Jack's innocent joy. He walked over to impart the obligatory morning hug, which Jack returned enthusiastically.

"Yes, you can," Ianto agreed. "And it sounds like you're doing brilliantly."

"'Course he can read," Jackie retorted. "He's always known, haven't you, sweetheart? Just needed a bit of a refresher, is all."

"Thankyou," Ianto told her sincerely, crossing over to hug her.

"Just doing what any mother would do for her boy," Jackie replied dismissively. "Since I never had a little boy of my own, and with Mickey gone and disappeared, you and Jack get the honour. And I know you have family of your own, but that doesn't mean I can't fuss over you. Now sit down. Breakfast is almost ready."

Ianto sat with a smile, but that smile quickly faded when he got a look at the expression on Jack's face.

"Jack? What is it? Do you remember something?"

The look on Jack's face was almost dazed. He stared blankly ahead, not acknowledging Ianto's query.

"Sweetheart?" Jackie asked gently, abandoning the oven to come over and see what was wrong. "What is it?"

"Mickey," Jack said abruptly, coming out of his reverie with a start. Jackie nodded, frowning slightly.

"Yes, Mickey Smith. He was Rose's boyfriend, before he came along. Why?"

"Mickey the idiot!" Jack suddenly burst out.

Ianto was sincerely grateful that he had nothing in his mouth at that moment – he was sure he would have spat it out across the table. As it was, the very air in his lungs caught and he had to struggle not to erupt into a coughing fit. Jackie, meanwhile, was staring open-mouthed at Jack, with an unreadable expression on her face.

"Jack!" Ianto said finally in shock. "Don't say that! That's very rude!"

Jack's reaction was predictable. At the admonishment, his lower lip took on a telltale tremble, and he cast his gaze downwards.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I'm bad, aren't I?"

All of a sudden, Jackie snapped out of her paralysis, and she leant down to hug Jack.

"No, you're not bad at all, sweetheart. It's fine, really. You just gave me a bit of a shock. That's what he always called Mickey. Mickey the idiot. What made you think to say that?"

Jack didn't seem to be able to answer, though. He frowned, as though trying to remember, but it only resulted in a familiar pain cutting through his skull. He shuddered violently, and sobbed in pain.

"Don't force yourself, Jack," Ianto told him. "It'll come to you when you're ready." And then, to Jackie, "Can we talk after breakfast?"

She didn't miss his tone, and quickly acquiesced.

"Sure."

Afterwards, Ianto made sure Jack was well occupied in the little living room, watching cartoons and munching on homemade biscuits. In the kitchen, Jackie and Ianto sat down to a long-awaited talk.

"I'm sorry," Ianto apologised. "I should have told you from the start. I'm fairly sure that Jack used to be a companion of the Doctor, and I think he travelled with him at the same time as your daughter. There's a photo in the Torchwood archives of Jack together with the Doctor and your daughter in Cardiff. It was taken about six to eight months ago."

"Six to eight months?" Jackie echoed with a frown. "How long as Jack been a prisoner, then?"

Ianto hesitated, wondering how much he could tell her without being thought insane. Jackie's expression hardened fractionally at the perceived reticence.

"Ianto Jones, you tell me right now!"

"Over a hundred years," Ianto admitted hoarsely. Jackie was silent for a good couple of minutes while she digested that, and Ianto could only wait in nervous silence.

"Is he human?" she asked finally, tonelessly.

"Yes, he is," Ianto answered quickly, and with fervour. "He is human, Jackie, I swear to you. But... he can't die. Not permanently. We don't know what happened to him, why or how, but it doesn't matter right now. He's basically just a little boy at the moment who needs to be protected and looked after. Whatever it is that's kept him alive for so long, it isn't his fault. Please believe me..."

"All right, hush now," Jackie told him gently. "It's all right. Wouldn't matter to me if you were both aliens, 'specially since my daughter's prancing around the universe with one. Anyway, I'd guessed that Jack must've travelled with them, at least for a little while. I knew they had someone else with them after Mickey came back from Cardiff... must've been nine or ten months back now. He was grumbling fit to die, moaning about some flash bloke. Couldn't get a name out of him, though. Then there was Christmas...."

"What happened at Christmas?" Ianto asked softly, thinking back to the terrifying experience with the thwarted Sycorax invasion. He had been one of those affected by the blood control, and he still shuddered at the memory of coming back to reality to find himself standing on the edge of the roof of the Torchwood Tower. Lisa had been clinging desperately to him, begging him to wake up.

He forced those thoughts away before he had a chance to feel any sort of guilt over Lisa. Jackie continued to talk, oblivious to his discomfort.

"Rose and the Doctor came back, and he was different. Different face, different personality, different everything. Anyway, I heard Mickey talking to Rose. He wanted to know what had happened to 'Captain Jack Flash', and Rose started to cry. Said the Doctor hadn't said so, but that she thought he was dead, that he'd been killed in their last battle. Mickey didn't ask again, and Rose never talked about him again. I decided not to ask, but now I reckon that it was Jack, and that they left him behind wherever because they thought he was dead."

"I hope that's what it was," Ianto said soberly, "because the alternative is unconscionable."

"The poor love," Jackie murmured. "Well, I just bet they'll be thrilled to see him again."

Ianto didn't share his doubts with her, but he couldn't help but wonder how it was in all the hundred and six years that Jack had been Torchwood's prisoner, that the apparently time travel-enabled Doctor had never found him. It didn't bode well at all in Ianto's way of thinking.

He shook himself out of his reverie and glanced into the living room. His heart nearly skipped a beat – Jack was no longer engrossed by the cartoons, but was instead standing at the window and peering out through the curtains.

"Jack!" Ianto burst out. "Get away from there, right now!"

Jack jumped in fright, startled by the unexpected reprimand. He stumbled back from the window as Ianto stormed over and pulled the curtains back across to shield them from any prying eyes. That done, he finally turned back to Jack with a frown.

"I told you, Jack, we have to stay out of sight! Do you want to go back?"

Jack hung his head in shame, but not before both Jack and Ianto saw tears welling up in his eyes.

"No," he mumbled miserably. "I just..."

"What?" Ianto pressed, making a concerted effort to control his frayed temper. "Go on, tell me."

"You'll yell at me again."

Ianto felt his stomach roll unpleasantly, realising that he had once again exploded verbally at Jack.

"No," he said finally after breathing in deeply to calm himself. "I promise not to yell. Now, cariad, tell me."

"I just want to see the sky," Jack choked out, and the tears finally overflowed and spilled down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry," Ianto whispered, pulling Jack into his arms and rubbing his back soothingly. "I am so sorry. I keep forgetting how hard this must be for you. We got you out of that place, but you're still not free."

"Just wanted to see the sun," Jack sobbed into Ianto's shoulder.

"I know," Ianto whispered. "I know you do. I promise you, Jack. When the Doctor comes, he'll take you away from here, and take you somewhere that you can be outside all the time, if that's what you want."

Abruptly, Jack tensed in his embrace.

"You'll come too, won't you?" he asked anxiously. "Yan? You'll come too."

"Come and sit down, love," Ianto murmured, leading Jack over to the couch. "Listen to me, now. Yes, I would love to come with you, but I can't."

"No..." Jack whimpered, but Ianto silenced him by pressing a finger to his lips.

"Listen. I have family here. This planet is my home. It's where I belong. You belong up there, in the stars. Do you understand?"

Large tears rolled down Jack's cheeks.

"No. Don't wanna leave you. I love you."

Ianto sighed and ruffled Jack's hair affectionately.

"I love you, too, Jack, but it doesn't change the fact that one day you're going to leave, and I can't come with you. Please try to understand."

Slowly, Jack rubbed at his eyes.

"It's not fair."

"No," Ianto agreed. "It's not. But whatever happens, don't ever forget that I do love you. Now, how about you try to be brave and give me a smile?"

With some effort, Jack managed a water smile, and Ianto chuckled softly at the sight.

"There, that's much better. Ah, Jack, you silly goose."

"Honk," Jack offered with a sheepish smile, and Ianto found himself laughing out loud in response.

"All right, you two," Jackie interjected finally. "I'm going out to get something for dinner. I expect you both to behave yourselves while I'm out."

"I think we can manage that," Ianto said with a smile, and Jack agreed. Once she'd gone, Ianto turned back to Jack.

"Tell me, Jack, do you remember anything more about the Doctor? About Rose?"

Jack's face scrunched up adorably.

"Rose... Pretty Rose likes to dance."

Ianto arched an eyebrow in curiosity.

"She does?"

Slowly, Jack let his breath out in one long hiss, and his face slackened, his pale blue eyes glazing over slightly.

"Glen Miller," he said in a voice that sounded like he was in some sort of a trance. Ianto felt his heart quicken.

"She liked Glen Miller?"

"Yes."

Jack's responses, although lucid enough, were still very simplistic. Ianto tried again, curious to see how far he could get.

"Did the Doctor dance too, Jack?"

"Not without a drink."

Ianto blinked, confused by the odd answer. He decided then against pressing for further information.

"Jack, are you still with me?"

He laid a hand lightly on the other man's shoulder, and then his cheek. Jack stirred, and his eyes blinked blearily at Ianto.

"Yan?"

"Do you remember what you just said?" Ianto asked. Confusion filled Jack's face, along with a healthy dose of fear.

"No... Was I being bad again?"

"No, love," Ianto assured him. "No, you weren't. You're being very good, and I'm very proud of you."

Jack's face literally glowed with pleasure, and he threw his arms around Ianto enthusiastically in a ferocious hug.

"I love you, Yan. Can I have another biscuit?"

Ianto laughed softly.

"Of course you can. Just one, though."

"No spoiling dinner," Jack said solemnly. Ianto ruffled his hair, drawing an undignified squawk from Jack.

"Do you want to watch some more TV? Or, if you like, I could read to you."

"I can read!" Jack insisted, and Ianto smiled indulgently.

"I know, Jack. I know you can."

to be continued...