Thanks to JonesIantoJones for once again betaing this so quickly and as she is away at the weekend there won't be any updates till she is back and I'm hopefully meeting her for coffee on Sun. Looking forward to it.

Disclaimer: Not mine

Returning to London part 14

Jack watched them leave wondering when they would admit their feelings for each other. Then he turned back to the paperwork he had been doing when they had come back up from the archives. Just as he picked his pen up Gwen entered his office. "See you still haven't found the art of knocking before you come in." He said without looking up.

"Jack I just wanted... " Gwen began sighing. "I just wanted to say sorry."

Jack looked up then and said "It's not me you should be apologizing too is it? Could you not see how you asking all those questions was upsetting Ianto?"

"I just thought...." Started Gwen.

"No Gwen you didn't think. You thought you were on to some gossip and to hell with the consequences. You didn't take any notice when Owen or I tried to change the subject. Look I know you like to know what's going on with everyone but sometimes you have to learn when to back off. I just hope for your sake Ianto can put this behind him he's been through a lot recently." Jack told her.

Gwen thought for a minute before asking. "Do you know what happened in London to make him have nightmares?"

"No but Owen does and that is why he's helping Ianto. When he's ready I hope he will tell me but until then I trust Owen to do what's best for him and to tell me if it gets out of hand. Look they're not keeping secrets that are going to affect the running of the team. All we can do is be there for him if he asks for our help. Ok?" Jack said hoping Gwen would now drop the matter.

"Ok." Gwen said deflated. "So where have they gone then?"

Jack sighed. "They asked for some time off. I gave it to them. I didn't ask what they were going to do and as long as they keep their phones on I haven't got a problem with it so neither should you. Now have you got some work you could be doing or would you like me to give you some."

"No it's ok I've got some thanks." She replied as she headed out the door.

******TORCHWOOD******

As they reached Owens car he turned to Ianto and asked. "So what do you want to do?"

"First I want to go home and change then there's a place I want to take you to. It's not far so we can be back if we are needed." Ianto replied

"Ok. You gonna tell me where we're going or do I have to guess." He laughed.

Ianto grinned. "I might tell you or you can figure it out while I'm driving us there."

"Who said you were driving. It's my car." Owen spluttered.

"I did I've always wanted to drive your car, to feel the speed of her." Ianto said running his hands over the leather seats.

Owen visibly swallowed at the action tyring not to think about those hands running over his body. He blinked rapidly trying to clear his head of the image Ianto had obviously been talking to him. "Sorry miles away. What did you say?"

Ianto smirked knowingly and then repeated what he'd said. "Thanks for trying to get Gwen off my back earlier."

Owen stopped the car outside Ianto's building. "That's what I'm here for to rescue you from the nosy Gwen's of this world." They were both laughing as they got out the car and headed for Ianto's flat. Once inside Ianto headed for his bedroom to change while Owen went into the lounge. He went over to the window stood looking out. His thoughts quickly turned to the Welshman down the hall. "Oh shit." He thought. "I am heading for trouble if Ianto doesn't feel the same way about me as I do him." The other side of his brain answered the unasked question. "Of course he does are you blind or what? Have you seen the way he looks at you and the way he didn't freak when you held his hand."

A small cough brought him back to reality and he turned round to see Ianto stood there watching him with an amused grin on his face.

Owens jaw droppwd. Ianto was wearing black jeans and a deep purple jumper.

"Wow." He whispered. "Um sorry. It's...you um." Owen cleared his throat and blushing slightly stated. "You look good."

"Thanks." Ianto said also blushing. "So, what were you thinking about? You were miles away again."

"Nothing important." Owen lied turning back to the window so Ianto couldn't see it was a lie. "So where do you want to go?"

"Thought maybe we could go to Swanbridge and take a walk along the coast or something I find walking helps distract me from what's going on." Ianto said not quite believing Owen.

"I've got a better idea you might like - it's somewhere I go when I want peace and quiet but don't want to be too far from the Hub." He said nervously.

"Ok where?" Ianto asked hesitantly.

"Fforest Uchaf Farm." Owen told him looking a little uncertain.

"The Pit Pony Sanctuary." Ianto said increduously. "I never took you for an animal lover Owen."

"Yeah well....just don't tell the others." He stuttered. "Got an image to uphold."

Laughing Ianto said. "And that image is being shattered as we speak. Can I still drive - I know where it is?"

"Yeah sure." Owen said handing over his keys.

On the drive to the farm they discussed the CD that Owen put on, as it was one of Ianto's favourite bands. It turned out they had quite a few bands in commonthat they liked, which surprised them both. Before long Ianto was parking Owen's car at The Sanctuary. After paying the entrance fee they decided to take a walk up to the pastures to see some of the ponies grazing. They had been given a leaflet explaining what the farm was about and where all the ponies had come from. When they reached the ponies they leant on the fence just watching.

"They look content. Not a care in the world. I wish it was like that for me." Reflected Ianto stroking the head of one of the ponies who had come over to them.

"We work for Torchwood. We've both seen and done things no one should. It's what's made us who we are. Losing Katie is what brought me to Jack, just like Lisa brought you here." Owen said wistfully.

Ianto turned and quietly asked. "Tell me about her?"

Owen stared at him before turning and walking away.

"Owen." Ianto called softly.

Owen turned back and Ianto could see the tears in his eyes. "Look if it's too painful you don't have to tell me. I just thought..well talking helped me last night it might help you."

"You're right. It's just I've never talked about what happened with Katie with anyone other than Jack. I'm scared." Owen admitted.

"I'm a good listener." Ianto said joining Owen. "Let's go for a walk and if you want to talk I'll be here and if you don't....well I'll still be here."

They walked for a bit neither one saying anything, both lost in their own thoughts. They came to the top of a small hill overlooking the farm. Owen plonked himself down and Ianto sat down next to him. Owen stared straight ahead of him then in a quiet voice began talking. "We met when I was doing my training at the hospital she worked at. She was a junior doctor. She was beautiful, so alive. That was until she was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimers, youngest case ever recorded." Ianto moved closer and put his arm around Owen's shoulders in silent support. He didn't say anything just waited for Owen to continue. "I promised her a summer wedding. We'd got everything organised invitations colour scheme, we were even working on the seating plan. Katie couldn't even make a cup of tea by herself. One day she would be the old Katie the next she couldn't even remember my name let alone we were getting married." Owen stopped for a while lost in his thoughts.

"It must have been hard on you being a doctor and not being able to help." Ianto said carefully.

"Yes it was. I kept pushing for more tests to be done. Eventually they did and they found that it wasn't Alzheimers but a tumor. A tumor that hadn't been there the week before when they did a scan. They operated and that's when it all went to hell and Jack turned up." Owen laughed bitterly at the memory. "He told me it was an alien life form attached to her brain and that when threatened it released a toxic gas killing the whole surgery did something to me as the next thing I knew I woke up in a hospital bed being told Katie had died from the tumor. No one would listen when I mentioned aliens or Jack. Instead they gave me three months off and left me to it."

"So how did you meet Jack again?" Ianto questioned.

"He turned up at the gravesite one day. I beat the shit out of him. He told me what really happened to Katie, brought me to Cardiff and asked me to join as his medic and here I am, sat on a Welsh hillside baring my soul and freezing my balls off."

"Baring your soul once in a while is good for you. Well so I've been told." Ianto chuckled.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while both absorbing what Owen had said. At some point Owen had leant his head against Ianto's shoulder and Ianto was running his hand through Owen's hair.

"Did you mean what you said last night when I was having my nightmare?" Ianto whispered.

Owen tensed. "I didn't think you would remember that." He said clearly embarrassed.

"But did you mean it?" Ianto persisted.

Owen turned slightly and brought his hand up to cup Ianto's cheek and looked him in the eye. "Yes I meant it. I will always be here for you, keeping you safe and secure in my arms. If you want me to." He added a little unsure of Ianto's reaction.

Ianto mirrored Owens hand and leant in. He brushed his lips against Owen's briefly and whispered, "Yes I want you to," before bringing their lips together again in a soft kiss.

Both their phones ringing broke the moment. They took a calming breath before Ianto answered his to Tosh and Owen answered his to Jack. They were told the same thing; they were needed back in Cardiff. There had been several weevil sightings and it needed the whole team to deal with it. Ianto stood up after telling Tosh they'd be back within thirty minutes as Owen hung up on Jack. He held his hand out and as Owen took it he pulled him up. As they stood there Owen shakily asked. "Ianto I'm not misreading the signals am I?"

Ianto looked at him then kissing him gently whispered. "No you're not."