Disclaimer: I own nothing - RTD and the BBC own the Torchwood playground, and happy-rea is kind enough to let Lucy join me while I play here.

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The door to the tourist office swung inwards, and Jack came through. Ianto raised an eyebrow - it wasn't the first time the boss had gone out from the hub another way before stepping in - at the front door, so to speak - to speak with him, but he didn't make a habit of it.

"Took the scenic route, then, sir?"

Jack flashed his trademark smile, but it didn't quite meet his eyes. Which told Ianto everything he needed to know.

"You're worried."

Jack sighed deeply.

"Yeah."

"You offered her a job. With us."

"What do you think, Ianto, should I have?"

Ianto shrugged. He was quite relieved that Jack had made that offer, but he could hardly share his own reasons as justification.

"Why did you offer her your spare room, anyway?"

"Well sir, they say that you should keep your friends close."

"And your enemies closer?"

"This situation is unprecedented, Sir. It seemed wisest to me."

"Right. Well. I guess there's always Retcon if it doesn't work out."

Jack was talking to himself now - Ianto saw no need to say anything. He turned and faced Ianto squarely.

"Tourist office closes in an hour and a half. When that's done, take Lucy home and get her settled in. Find some clothes for her, I'll give her some money for her own wardrobe - I don't think Tosh's would really suit her, and none of the rest of us are her size. I'll get Tosh to pull out a clean laptop with no connection to our software so she can browse the net to find differences between her time and ours."

Jack spit out orders rapid fire, The Captain once again - for the first time since the girl had woken on the Plass and known them all by name. Ianto nodded silently, and pushed the button that unlocked the door into the hub. Jack headed through.

(-) 0-0 (-)

"I hope you don't mind - I haven't been able to, er, clear out the spare room yet."

Ianto fumbled with the keys to the flat, trying to balance the bundles he was carrying without having to set them down on the grungy floor. The door opened, and he stepped aside to let Lucy go in first.

Unfortunately, the bundles got in the way, and for a second Ianto and Lucy were wedged together in the doorframe. Ianto stepped back, Lucy twisted forward, then both were free.

"I'm sure it's fine," Lucy set her bundled on the hall table. Ianto stepped in, deposited HIS bundles as well, and stepped through before her into the main room of the flat.

"Which room is it?"

Ianto reached over and opened a door. Lucy gasped. The room was done in soft colors, carefully arranged. Pictured lined the walls, family pictures - a beautiful family, a family that was clearly not Ianto's. Although he was in several of the pictures - frozen in a happier time, an innocent joy he'd nearly forgotten.

"Is...This room, was... it was supposed to be…" she trailed off.

"Lisa's. Yes."

"Oh." Lucy walked around the room, looking at each picture in turn. She paused a long time in front of a younger Lisa, and her younger sister Ellie - building a sandcastle together on the beach.

"This is her family."

"Yes. Her parents… died… before we met. Her sister was taken into care. These pictures are all she has left."

Lucy's eyes glistened. Ianto had to resist the urge to wipe away his own. For obvious reasons, this was the first time he'd spoken of Lisa or her family since the Battle… since coming to Cardiff. He pushed away images of carnage and fire and blood, and forced himself to remember his first view of the skyline of his home city - after years in London, coming home had been…

He'd always imagined bringing Lisa home with him, forever. But not like this. She was the strong one, he'd never wanted…

He turned away, closed his eyes. Took a deep breath to steady himself.

She must have heard him. Lucy, that is. He heard her draw a ragged breath herself, as she tore her gaze away from the photo.

"Oh Ianto, I can't take this."

The girl's voice was rough, worn with the strain of covering emotions no one else should ever know of. He knew that struggle too well - wasn't this the first time he'd even allowed himself to stop and feel anything about Lisa? Around her, he had to keep it buried or he'd never have the strength to care for her - to keep her life support system operating.

"You've got a sofa. I can, I can sleep there, we could get a suitcase or something to keep my things in. I don't have to take this, this room, I, I shouldn't take this from…"

She bit her lip and stopped.

"I mean, this - this is her room, not mine. These are her things. Mine don't belong here."

"No."

He surprised himself - he'd expected it to be hard, but he realized he knew what he had to do.

"No, your things do belong, wherever you belong. Her things belong where she is, not where I want her to be."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm sure. Tomorrow we can take her things to the Hub. I think perhaps you should... I think you need to meet her."

"Ok."

Lucy turned and left the room.

"Where are you going?"

She was folding a throw into a thick bundle as Ianto followed her into the living room.

"Do you have spare blankets anywhere?" She set the bundle at one end of the sofa and headed toward the entry table where her clothes bundles were. She pulled out a set of pyjamas and made a bee-line towards the bathroom.

"But, we said, I mean…"

"Just tonight. I'll move into her room once she's out. Just for tonight, I'd rather have the sofa, if that's ok."

She shut the bathroom door behind her - a second later Ianto heard the running of water in the shower.

"O-kay. If that's what you want."

He gathered the spare bedding from the entryway closet, and set about making the sofa into a reasonable facsimile of a bed. By the time he was finished, Lucy came out, clad in her jimjams, her long, damp hair already returned to its plait.

"If you would like to turn in," Ianto offered, "it's ready for you."

She slid under the covers, then looked back up at Ianto.

"Thanks. You didn't have to do that, I was going to."

"Well, I thought perhaps it might be a good idea to turn in early. If we're going to gather Lisa's things in the morning, it might be good to get an early start."

Lucy snuggled more deeply under the blankets.

"That sounds…" her words were interrupted by an enormous yawn - "that sounds like a plan."

"Until morning then."

He turned and headed towards his own room.

"Good night, Ianto."

He stopped. He'd forgotten what it was like, hearing those words again. He almost smiled.

"Good night."

"See you in the morning."

Ianto slid into his own bedroom, and shut the door behind him. He spoke softly, knowing the girl would never hear him.

"See you in the morning."