(Originally posted 28/05/13)

-OOO-

Jack Harkness was not exactly known for his introspection. He could honestly count the amount of times he had examined his own navel on three hands. By nature he was a bold, brash up an' at 'em type of guy.

He expected life to go well for him and on the whole it did.

Saving the odd drama or two.

The odd cataclysmic war.

The odd alien evacuation.

Nothing he couldn't handle.

None of these dented his confidence in any way. None of them gave him a moment of self-doubt.

Yet here he was, in his (now clean) SUV speeding away from Cardiff, with what he could only describe as apprehension taking up space in his belly.

It was unusual for Jack to think outside of his own skin, but he now had good cause to.

His man was unhappy.

Ianto was unhappy.

-O-

Jack's first clue had been the non-date. Ianto and he had made firm plans to meet after their first official date, but Ianto had ran away, failing to return, after he had seen what he had seen.

It wasn't what it looked like.

Not really.

Only Jack hadn't had the chance to explain.

He had tried to reach out to Ianto, in every possible way; but his psyche had blocked him at every turn.

Jack was well aware of the fact, that this was Ianto's first forage into the world of same-sexiness. He knew it could be overwhelming; and Ianto was proving to be a bit of a fragile flower. He had to bear this in mind.

Still the distance, physical, emotional and psychological remained.

There had been no contact and only fleeting glances for over a week now.

Jack had always maintained that a problem wasn't really a problem, until it interrupted your sleep.

Jack hadn't slept for three nights.

Step forward: Operation Divulgence. The Let's Unravel Ianto Show.

Jack may not have been the most perceptive bunny in the hutch, but he knew when to ask for help.

He was asking now.

Loud and clear.

-O-

Being the boss had its advantages. He had access to information. Personal information. That morning Jack had gone straight to Ianto's personnel file, to glean as many details as he could. He had found Ianto's I.C.E. (in case of emergency) number. It belonged to his sister.

Ianto had a sister?

Jack had rung it and had arranged to meet, sooner rather than later.

He knew this plan of action was reckless, but the sense of urgency and dread that he felt was increasing. He needed to touch the core of Ianto and if he had to use insider knowledge to do it. He would.

-OOO-

Even if no-one had told Jack Harkness that the woman standing in front of him was Ianto Jones's sister, he'd had known. The likeness was uncanny. They both shared a fullness of cheek, that Jack would have recognised anywhere; even in the dark. The brightness of the eyes was the same too; only his sister's were smoky grey rather than a brilliant blue.

His first impression was that of like.

She seemed pleased to see him too.

She led him through the doorway of a modest semi-detached villa, in a homely residential street.

Her name was Davies. Rhiannon Davies (nee Jones).

Jack took a seat in the middle of the sofa (also a Chesterfield), while Rhiannon fussed around him good-naturedly, presenting tea, biscuits and scones before him.

They talked. Small talk. Everything was light and convivial. Rhiannon smiled a lot; but the smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

She was tense.

Worried.

Only Jack could answer the question held captive in her eyes.

For a while, the words continued to flow from her mouth; but suddenly mid-sentence Rhiannon stopped. She bowed her head and wrung her hands together. The picture of confidence - not.

"I'm sorry, but who did you say you were again?"

"I'm Captain Jack Harkness. Ianto's boss."

Rhiannon winced at the final word. Her voice dropped to a whisper.

"He's not in any trouble is he?"

"No, no. Nothing like that. This is more of a social call."

"A social call." Rhiannon echoed Jack, but there was mild incredulity in her equally beautiful vowels. "Do you visit the relatives of all your staff?"

Jack was taken aback, briefly. She was direct. Obviously this was a familial trait.

"Well no, not as a rule. Ianto is well…special. He's more of a friend. Definitely more than a colleague."

Jack wasn't sure how much he should reveal. Was he completely part of Ianto's other life or had some emotional leakage occurred throughout the years? It was difficult to tell.

Rhiannon was proving to be a hard book to read.

Like her brother.

"You're new you say?"

"Relatively. I've been at this particular branch of Torchwood, for a little under six months now.

Since my arrival, Ianto has been of great help bedding me in."

"He approached you?"

"In a manner of speaking. I like to meet all my staff personally and the last on my list was Ianto. That's where you find the best they say."

"You said you're friends…"

Jack was swift with his reply. "Yes."

"Is he still very …..hesitant?" Rhiannon felt uncomfortable mentioning this attribute, as though she was breaking a confidence; but she also felt as though she could trust this American, with the easy charm and matinee idol good looks.

Jack was wary with his response. "Professionally I cannot fault Ianto. He is the most knowledgeable person in the building. He is generous, articulate and commands respect. I don't mind telling you, he is the power behind the throne."

"So is he very different on a more personal level?"

She's sharp this one.

Jack swallowed. He felt he needed more than tea at this point.

"He's a little more reticent, closed-off. I wondered if you would know of any reason for that?"

"You'd need to know because you're …just friends? "

"Exactly. We're close." Jack swallowed once again, but this time his eyes didn't meet Rhiannon's. He couldn't let them. He knew they would talk too much.

Rhiannon's brow furrowed. Jack could almost hear the scales of her conscience, weighing up all the considerations, of what her lips were about to tell him.

"Ianto has always preferred his own company to that of anyone else's. He's always been a lone star. Mum used to say, that he shone in his own firmament and that it would take a very special space traveller, to find and love him. They were very close. Has he mentioned her to you?"

Jack cleared his increasingly dry throat, "not yet."

Rhiannon looked surprised at that. She debated whether to go on. How close was close?

"While he was close to mum, the same cannot be said for dad and him."

"They didn't get along?"

"You could say that. There was friction." Rhiannon sighed. "Things were always tense."

"Any particular reason?"

Rhiannon looked down. Jack noticed moisture glistening in the crevice of her inner eye. He outwardly gave her time to compose herself, but inwardly he was impatient to know more. To expedite matters Jack scanned her mind. He could only detect compassion, confusion, love and regret.

He left her thoughts.

Rhiannon shook her head, a tear fell. She seemed to have just experienced the quickest tension headache of all time.

Strange.

"My dad wasn't Ianto's dad. Ianto's dad (a master tailor), died when Yan was a year old. Mum re-married and had me. My dad and he never really gelled. Mum always said that Yan was very much like his own dad, fastidious and quiet in nature. I think my dad saw too much of his dad in him too.

They battled silently for years.

Yan wasn't the son he'd ordered. He wasn't one for Rugger and sports. He didn't want to be a soldier or a fireman. He liked outer space, aliens, other worlds and James Bond.

All things imaginary.

I think I benefited from this cold war. I was encouraged to run wild and be as loud as I liked.

I took advantage.

Only things got worse after mum died."

"I'm sorry to hear that, my condolences."

"Thank you. I was five; Yan must've been about eight. What had been covert became overt. Yan could barely stand to be in the same room as dad. I'd often run past him hidden away in the smallest nook of the house, reading Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. He wanted to become the smallest thing possible. I think he thought if he couldn't be seen, then dad would forget all about him.

He didn't."

"Did they ever resolve their differences?"

Another tear fell.

"No not at all. There was an almighty bust up."

"Oh?"

"I'm not sure of the details, but Yan went missing for three nights and when he returned he was livid. It was the only time I'd ever heard him raise his voice. He was screaming and swearing at dad and dad, this I remember because it was so strange, dad just took it. He didn't retaliate in any way."

"What happened?"

"I've no idea, but Yan left that very night. He just vanished. Dropped out of school. Everything. Just disappeared."

"Did he keep in touch with you?"

"Nope. The next time I heard from him was after my dad died. He returned and took charge; arranged the funeral and sorted out his affairs like a loving dutiful son. No-one knew the difference.

Except me."

"Typical Ianto." Jack gave a weak smile. He felt sad for the young man he never knew.

Rhiannon shifted in her seat.

"I think dad left him the house by way of an apology. He wasn't good with words, but I think he did regret his actions, in the end."

"So he died hoping for forgiveness?"

"I think so." Rhiannon curled a wisp of her hair between her finger and thumb. "I hope so."

Jack took in the whole tableau before him. Ianto's sister was like a post-modern Rubens' model. She had the same ripeness and sanguine appeal of "Woman with a mirror", (she had been called Margherita by the way, pleasant woman, but she lacked confidence) but now hope shone in Rhiannon's eyes. He could tell that she longed for a reconnection with her missing brother. To put the past behind them and to step out into the sunshine together.

"I'm sure Ianto got the message."

Rhiannon smiled. She reached forwards and squeezed Jack's hand. Her touch lingered.

"Captain Jack…" she searched his pupils wanting to leave a message, "next time you see Ianto," it was now her turn to swallow awkwardly "tell him I don't mind, really I don't. I'd never judge. Tell him, I just want him to be happy."

As a tack.

Jack could've kissed her on both cheeks.

He didn't.

"I will" he whispered, "you bet your bottom dollar I will."

As Rhiannon stood to see her guest out, crumbs and misunderstandings fell from her lap. She shook her skirt and her soul free.

As Jack hugged his host goodbye, he realigned her chakras to provide her with peace. It was the least he could do.

-OOO-

Toshiko Sato had dressed for the part. Not being entirely sure of what the cat-burglar du jour was wearing these days, Tosh had gone for an all-black ensemble. It was classic and understated she thought.

As the night marauder made her way through the maze of corridors that camouflaged Jack's office, she tried not to think about how scared she was, how this could end her current career and jeopardise any future one.

She had timed her mission to perfection. She had memorised the security guards timetable and knew that she had precisely seventeen minutes, before this floor would be of interest to them again.

Plenty of time to get what she needed.

Barring accidents.

As Tosh approached Jack's door, she thought she heard what can only be described as a lullaby, coming from within. A very soft sweet voice could be heard over the sound of gently lapping waves. Instantly Tosh was transported back to her childhood holidays; to ice creams and sandcastles on the sand. It was an effort for her to re-focus.

In hindsight Tosh realised that red flags had abounded aplenty.

The singing.

The waves.

The fact that Jack's door had been closed.

Upon opening the door, Tosh was struck by two things simultaneously.

One: Her feet and ankles were now soaking wet.

Two: Ianto was lying bleeding and unconscious on his side amongst the waves.

"IANTO! IANTO."

-OOO-

Jack took his time heading back to his vehicle, humans never ceased to amaze him. Here he was convinced that any member of Ianto's family would have an aneurysm, if they were aware of the path that Ianto now chose to walk and yet in reality there was nothing but robust good health, care and kindness waiting for him.

Ianto had to be made aware of this.

As the American climbed into the driving seat, every piece of equipment that he owned sprang to life.

His phone rang.

His wristband tweeted.

His tablet buzzed.

The sirens in the corners of his cab wailed.

The warning hazards running through his side panels whirled and flashed mercilessly.

Something was up.

Choosing his phone above all others, Jack was instantly presented with an image of Ianto.

A seemingly hurt Ianto.

In his office.

What the hell!?

He tried to dial his den, but the line was engaged.

If there had been less traffic, Jack would have used condensed time zones to reach his den. Unfortunately he was now bound by Neanderthal physics, which meant he had to drive back, as quickly as he could.

-OOO-

Tosh was on her knees in an instant.

"Ianto can you hear me? Can you hear me?"

Her first plan of action was to lift his face out of the water. Her second was to check on the bleeding. Her third was to call Owen Harper as not enough of her First Aid training was coming back to her.

After having secured Ianto's airway and tapped his face a few times to check for consciousness, Tosh got on the phone.

"Dr Harper's Out-of-Hours Service: How may I help you?"

"May I speak to the doctor please?"

"Is it an emergency?"

"Yes it is."

"Is that a minor emergency? A major emergency? Or a life or death situation?

"It's life or death. Put me through, he's dying here."

"You said he, so you're not the one in need of assistance. Could I take the name of the patient?"

Tosh changed colour at the other end of the line.

"No you may not! Put me through to Owen before I come down there and staple your tits together!"

There was a shocked silence.

"Putting you through now caller."

There was an audible click and then a tired but welcoming voice full of sleep, answered.

"Hello Dr Harper here."

"Owen. Help me."

"What's up buttercup?" The doc drawled lazily.

"It's Ianto. I think he's half drowned. I'm not sure he's still with us."

Tosh had Owen's undivided attention now. Alert he shifted into professional mode. He sat up.

"Is he breathing?"

"I think so."

"Check."

"Ok. Yes he is, but it's really shallow. What shall I do now?"

"Put him in the recovery position. I'm on my way with an Ambulance."

"Will do." Tosh was ever the Girl Guide.

"One last thing, do you know what happened this time?"

"Not really, but Tow has been a bit down for a few days now."

"I'm concerned so after A & E, I'm going to re-admit him. He needs monitoring."

Tosh winced at her end.

"I was afraid you'd say that."

Owen snorted. "Great minds hun, great minds. See you in a bit."

"Bye." Tosh was now speaking to a disconnected line. She hated to admit it but even under these circumstances, she was still thrilled to be able to see Owen.

Strange.

-OOO-

Jack Harkness eventually made it back to his office, far slower than he would have liked. The scene that met his eyes was one of mild carnage.

Everything was wet. His furniture was in disarray, although his papers were only slightly scruffier than usual.

And there was no Ianto.

Jack was just about to demand an explanation from his suspiciously quiet den, when Tosh (dressed like a mime artist) rushed up to him. Frantic.

"I've been trying to get hold of you. Ianto's had an accident."

"Where is he? Is he alright? Is he badly hurt?"

"He was at the emergency department, but now his doctor has moved him to his facility."

Jack swayed suddenly unsteady on his feet. He took out his handkerchief and wiped his brow, eyes and mouth. This was a lot to take in. He felt weak. Overcome.

"Is he ok?"

"He's what they call "stable" which is better than the alternative I'm told."

"Can I see him?"

"Not tonight, but I'm sure that tomorrow would probably be fine. I'll give you Dr Owen Harper's details. You can arrange things with him." If this career came to an end for Tosh, one in Customer Service surely beckoned.

"Thanks." Jack felt the need to lean against the wall for extra support. The den straightened up to offer up her best. It was the least she could do.

Regardless of what he had been told. Jack was determined to see Ianto tonight, as he took off to start yet another journey, he forgot about his handkerchief.

Tosh did not.

-OOO-

Weary but considerably calmer, Jack made his way to Providence Park.

He had heard about this facility before, but had never been there. He probably should've used a map, but he let his fear, trepidation and eighth sense lead him to the location.

It turned out to be a long journey to make.

Jack swept through the gates and up the impressive but still intimidating driveway, with a confidence that waned with each step. He tried to look ahead to the future, but unfortunately he could only deal in hours not minutes. He really should upgrade his package more frequently.

Locating the right wing, Jack found Ianto's floor, then room. He checked that the coast was clear. He closed the door and pulled the supposedly calming green curtains firmly around the bed.

Taking a deep breath Jack approached Ianto's bed slowly. He gazed down at him. Ianto looked so frail; so pale, as though his blood had already been transfused to a more deserving case. Jack stopped to contemplate his next action. This wouldn't be Hospital Visits 101, this would be complicated. Undeterred Jack leant over the comatose patient below him. He took a deep breath, dematerialised and entered Ianto's mind.

He entered his coma.

-OOO-

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