Author's Notes: Thanks again to everyone who have so generously reviewed and added alerts so far. And special thanks to Prothrombintime for fantastic feedback and encouragement.

Chapter Three

October 13th, 2003 (continued)

"Coffee, sir?"

Ianto stood at the doorway of the Captain's office and waited for permission to enter. He held two steaming mugs of his favourite, finest coffee blend, a blue and white stripped mug for the older man, and a plain white one for himself.

He glanced around the office with interest, noting the strange and cluttered assortment of furniture and technology scattered almost haphazardly around the area. Jack's large, curved, wooden desk dominated the space and its central position provided the Captain with a view directly out through the glass doors, over the work area platform and beyond. Another room was visible through a second sets of doors to the right, just beyond Jack's desk, and in the far left corner was a set of stairs leading downwards, which Ianto assumed provided another means of access to the Hub's lower levels. A sealed circular hatch in the floor between Jack's desk and the stairs caught his attention, and he wondered what was beneath. The maze like geography of platforms, balconies, walkways, stairs, and assorted rooms in the Hub's main level alone was enough to confuse even the most astute of minds, but he was quickly familiarising himself with the basic overall layout.

The more he thought about it, the more convinced he was that he could find a purpose for himself at Torchwood Three. At Torchwood London, he'd been insignificant and expendable, but here in Cardiff he could be useful. He was a hard worker, and while he was young and inexperienced, he was also determined. He just needed Captain Harkness to give him a chance.

Jack turned towards him, a surprised look on his face. He nodded and Ianto stepped forward, carefully depositing the stripped mug on the desk, beside the Captain's elbow. He gestured with his now free hand at the empty chair opposite the desk. "May I?"

Jack nodded again, more tersely this time, a slight frown wrinkling his brow.

Ianto smiled at him gratefully and settled himself into the chair. Raising his mug to his lips, he breathed in the aromatic smell appreciatively before taking a sip and savouring the intense, rich flavour. "Mmm. Fresh and strong," he murmured, letting out a soft contented sigh.

Looking up, he found Jack staring at him with a strange, puzzled expression. Ianto nodded towards the other man's mug and watched as he finally picked it up and took a tentative sip.

"Wow!" Jack said a moment later, his eyes growing wide before he greedily took another sip.

Ianto couldn't quite hide a smirk from pulling at the corners of his mouth. "It's my secret weapon. Guess you didn't find out about that when you checked up on me?"

"Guess not," Jack replied, and Ianto was surprised to see a glimmer of amusement in the other man's features for the first time. "I've tried to use that damn coffee machine, but the stupid thing hates me."

Ianto smiled knowingly. He'd had to give the machine a thorough cleaning, but once that was done, it had performed admirably. Coffee making was his speciality, he enjoyed the process and precision required to create the perfect blend. The routine calmed his mind, allowing him to focus his thoughts on a task with which he had absolute control over the outcome.

Returning his attention to his drink, he continued to surreptitiously observe the other man. He was amused when Jack let out an almost obscene moan after taking another mouthful.

"May I speak frankly, sir?" Ianto asked a few moments later, steeling himself and deciding to take the initiative.

"Go ahead," Jack replied, looking at him with what appeared to be a mixture of suspicion and curiously.

Ianto drew in a deep breath. "Look, I didn't choose this assignment. I didn't ask for it. I was happy with my life in London." He paused for a moment. That statement wasn't entirely truthful, but it was close enough. At the least, he'd certainly had no intention of returning to Cardiff. "I probably want to be here even less than you want me to be."

Jack shrugged, looking nonchalant. "Then go back to London. I won't stop you."

"I can't," Ianto said plaintively. "We both know that. Besides, if I go back, they'll just send someone else in my place."

Jack continued to look unperturbed. "Well, that wouldn't be your problem, would it?"

"It might be a problem for both of us," Ianto retorted.

He searched the other man's features, trying to get some indication of what he might be thinking. Ianto was usually quite adept at observing and reading other people, but the Captain was proving to be frustratingly inscrutable.

Ianto wondered if he'd perhaps made a bad first impression, despite his best efforts. "Perhaps you'd prefer someone else?" he asked cautiously.

Jack didn't immediately respond. Then he slumped forward, letting out a deep sigh. "Ianto, look, you seem like a good kid–"

Ianto narrowed his eyes, glaring at the older man. "Please don't patronise me, Captain," he said coldly, cutting him off.

Jack put down his coffee mug and raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Okay. I didn't mean to be condescending. You just seem so young to me. And that's how it should be. You're only twenty-one... you've got your whole life ahead of you." He paused and a look of intense sadness passed over his handsome features. "I've seen Torchwood destroy so many lives, Ianto... lives of good, innocent people like you. So here's some advice, and I suggest that you seriously consider taking it. It's very simple. Get out of Torchwood while you still can."

"No," Ianto said determinedly, shaking his head. "I'm not leaving. If you force me to go, I'll return to London, but I'm not leaving Torchwood." He looked at the other man curiously. "If Torchwood is so terrible, why are you here?"

"I have my reasons," Jack replied vaguely. "I believe in Torchwood's mandate, I just don't trust the people in charge... people like Yvonne Hartman. I don't trust their methods or their motives."

That at least was something they could agree on, Ianto thought. "Then I'm better off here with you. Give me a chance. I can help you. Archives, paperwork, building maintenance, food and drink... dry cleaning even." He glanced over to his left where Jack's greatcoat was hanging from a wooden coat stand near the wall behind the desk. "That coat of yours must take a battering."

Jack's eyes narrowed. "I don't need your help."

"Excuse me, look at the state of this place." Ianto gestured at Jack's coat. "And is that dried egg on your collar?"

Jack shrugged again. "It was a busy week."

"I want to stay," Ianto said, trying to keep the anxiety from his voice.

He didn't relish the thought of having to report back to Torchwood One and admit that he'd completely failed in carrying out his orders. He certainly didn't want to be on the receiving end of Yvonne Hartman's ire.

"Look, I'll make you a deal," he continued. "Ms. Hartman wants me to send back a weekly written report. She also wants a complete inventory of all the alien tech and artifacts you have here. I won't submit any reports without letting you read them first. If there's anything you don't like, I'll listen to your reasons, and I'll consider removing it." He leaned forward and looked at the other man earnestly. "I know you probably don't believe me, but I'm not here to undermine you or cause problems. I really do want to help."

Jack stared hard at him for a long moment, and once again Ianto found himself struggling not to squirm under the steely, impenetrable gaze. "Think you can make fantastic coffee like this for me every day?" he eventually asked.

"Absolutely," Ianto agreed quickly, hopeful that the man's resolve was weakening. "As much as you can drink."

Jack looked at him searchingly again, finally breathing out a long sigh. He gave Ianto a terse nod. "All right. Three month trial period. I don't want to see you here before eight a.m. each morning, and by six p.m. every evening, I want you out of here. You get one day off a week. Nominally Sunday, but if want a different day at any stage, let me know in advance, and that should be fine. If you need any other time off, let me know, and I'll try to accommodate you. You won't be doing field work, but I still want you to have weapons training along with basic self-defence and hand-to-hand combat. Think you're up for that?"

Ianto nodded. "Yes. We were given basic weapons training during the induction process at Torchwood London."

"Well, it's a start. I'll see how good you are and we'll go from there." Jack pushed a pad and pen across the desk. "Write down your current mobile number. Keep your phone with you and turned on at all times."

Ianto nodded again and neatly wrote down his number, pushing the pad and pen back towards the other man.

Jack opened a drawer in his desk, extracted a plastic card and an unexceptional looking key, and slid them across to Ianto. "Security pass for the main entrance and the parking garage, and a key for the outside door of the tourist office. Your biometric data is already in the system from when you entered the Hub earlier." He paused and wrote on a small white card, then passed it across too. "My mobile number. I'll set up an account for you on the mainframe. You'll have restricted access for the time being. We can work out anything else as we go along."

Feeling an unexpected surge of relief, Ianto picked up the items and placed them carefully in the inside pocket of his jacket. "Thank you."

Jack stood up. "Welcome to Torchwood Three, Ianto Jones."

"I'll do my best not to let you down, sir," Ianto said solemnly as he also stood up, squaring his shoulders and holding his arms stiffly at his sides.

"I expect your loyalty, Ianto." Jack took a step closer. "If you betray me or do anything behind my back, I'll have you retconned and on your way back to London before you know what hit you. Understood?"

Ianto nodded, swallowing hard. "Understood, sir."

Jack's stern expression softened slightly. "You don't have to call me 'sir', you know. Jack's fine."

"I know, sir," Ianto replied evenly.

Jack glared at him but seemed to be struggling to hold back the hint of a smile. "You're a cheeky bastard, aren't you?"

"Oh, you have no idea, Captain." Ianto gave the older man an impish grin, and realising their conversation was at an end, he turned and moved towards the doorway.

He felt some of the tension he'd been carrying begin to ease. Although he wasn't entirely sure what he'd gotten himself into, he had the chance he wanted. Now he had to prove to the Captain that he hadn't made a mistake in giving it to him.

Just as he reached the threshold, he looked over his shoulder. Jack was staring back at him with a bewildered expression.

Ianto met the other man's eyes again. "By the way, I really like that coat."