Part Four

Ianto awoke in one of the rooms they kept for recovery. Most people did not enjoy waking up on a metal autopsy table, and so once upon a time a few cots had been thrown into an empty room nearby. Eventually some medical equipment had been added, along with blankets and pillows. Ianto had tried to keep it neat and organized, but it wasn't until Gwen had joined Torchwood and had her third stay in the room that she'd asked him to help her spruce it up: fresh paint, a table and plant, even a picture on the wall; an old cd player, a small refrigerator for snacks, a space heater for when it was too cold with even the new blankets to stay warm.

He didn't open his eyes right away; they felt heavy, like his arms and legs and even his fuzzy mind. He considered going back to sleep, but eventually decided against it. There was an IV drip in his arm, which meant Tosh and Owen had got into the Hub since Ianto did not remember inserting it himself. He needed to know what had happened. Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes and glanced around for Gwen, hoping she was all right, that Owen had got to her in time and saved her from the alien trying to take over.

She was not there.

Instead, Jack was sitting next to him, a blanket around his shoulders as he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. He looked tired and worn out and vulnerable. Fortunately, he was sitting on Ianto's right, so Ianto reached out with his good arm and touched Jack's hand, letting it rest on Jack's knee. Jack looked up in surprise.

"Are you all right?" Ianto asked him, his voice coming out in a croak. He noticed a bottle of water next to his bed and started to sit up so he could drink something. Jack helped, propping another pillow behind him. He handed him the water and let him drink, then took Ianto's hand, holding tight. It was strange, but nice.

"I should be asking you that question," Jack said.

"I wasn't shot, killed, and put in cryofreeze," Ianto pointed out.

"You were shot," Jack replied. "And knocked around quite a bit."

"You died," said Ianto. "You first."

"I'm fine," Jack said, sounding weary. "Really. Completely recovered. Only complaint is a bad case of the chills. Your turn."

Ianto shook his head, not wanting to think about it. "I'm fine, how's Gwen? Is she alive? Is she okay?" He couldn't imagine anything worse than losing a coworker at that moment. He cared about them, all of them, and the thought of losing Gwen to an alien invader because he hadn't been able to save her…he didn't think he'd be able to live with himself. Not again.

Jack nodded. "She's alive, and Owen says she'll be all right."

Ianto let go of Jack's hand and fell back with a sigh of relief that turned into a groan when he jostled his shoulder. "Thank god. What about the alien? Did Owen get it out yet?"

"Actually, you did," Jack said. "At least, that's what he thinks. There's no sign of any foreign presence. After you stunned her, there was a large burst of energy. Tosh and Owen think it was the alien consciousness."

"And it's gone?" Ianto asked. "Just like that?" His heart skipped a beat as a terrible thought occurred to him. "Wait, what if it's in me? How can you be sure it isn't?" A monitor above him beeped, no doubt reminding him to stay calm.

Jack took his hand again. "Calm down or Owen's going to want to knock you out again. We've done everything we can and we're ninety-nine percent sure the alien is gone. Both you and Gwen are safe."

"Ninety-nine percent?" Ianto asked. "That's not completely reassuring. That one percent could mean the end of the world around here."

"It's the best we've got. Tosh pulled up the footage from when Beth grabbed Gwen yesterday. You can see her stick Gwen in the arm, and Owen found traces of some unknown chemicals at the sight that are rapidly breaking down. We think that's how it transferred its consciousness, through some kind of chemical means. You haven't been stuck, and there's no trace of any of the same chemicals in you."

"But Gwen will be all right? How does Owen know?"

"I ran a few scans with my wrist strap when she came in this morning. She was acting too strange, even for Gwen. He compared them to her readings now, and everything's back to normal, matching what we have on file."

"But Beth produced a smokescreen, projected false readings. What if Gwen is doing that? What if I am?"

Jack blew out a frustrated breath. "Will you listen to me? You are not an alien, and neither is Gwen. Beth projected that image with the technology in her arm. There is no such technology in Gwen, anywhere, nor is there anything in you. If there was, it would have activated yesterday. All Beth did, near as we can tell, is transfer her consciousness. It's a damn good backup plan." He sat back. "We're already tracking down those closest to the other three cell members yesterday, to see if we might be dealing with another transfer of consciousness."

"And if there are others? What then?" The grim situation from the previous day had become worse: bad enough a cell of sleeper agents had been found in their midst, but an alien who could transfer its consciousness to a new body and continue the mission was practically unstoppable.

"We zap 'em," Jack said with a grin. "You were smart enough to find us the solution."

"But how do we know it worked?" Ianto pressed. "I have to be sure."

"Owen's run every test he can think of on Gwen and found nothing. Between that and the energy that was released when you stunned her, Tosh is pretty darn sure the alien got blown right out of Gwen and into subatomic pieces." He stopped and leaned forward again. "Now, enough about that. Answer the question this time. How are you? And don't say fine."

Ianto turned away and thought about it. "I'm tired and sore. I had to shoot a coworker—"

"She shot you first, you know."

"—again and I'm kind of sick of it. For once I'd like to be able to resolve things in a professional manner rather than fighting."

"Yeah, I can't tell if Tosh is feeling left out or terrified," Jack said.

Ianto's head flipped over too fast and he winced. "What? No, you're—"

"Kidding," Jack reassured him. "It was a bad joke. You did what you had to do today, Ianto. And trust me, when Gwen wakes up, she's probably going to feel worse."

"She wasn't herself," Ianto told him. "We can't hold it against her."

"I know," Jack said. "I could tell almost immediately something was wrong. Though the image of Gwen pumping bullets into me is not good one—and reviving in a cold coffin didn't help."

"You forgave me," Ianto said. "You can forgive her."

"I can," Jack agreed, watching him closely. "Can you?"

Ianto hesitated, then hated himself for hesitating. "Yes," he said. "I can."

"Good man," Jack murmured. His eyes slipped closed.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Ianto asked after a long moment of silence.

"Told you, I'm still cold. And I've had crap coffee all morning."

"All morning?" Ianto exclaimed. "What time is it?"

"A little after lunch, but we were hoping you and Gwen would be up soon and might want to eat something?"

Which was when Ianto realized he was starving, and said so. Jack laughed. "We've already got your favorite orders ready to go."

Ianto waited for Jack to say more, but he didn't. "What about tonight? Do I have to stay here?"

Jack looked hesitant. "It would probably be a good idea," he started, but Ianto interrupted him.

"I'd rather go home," he said. "Sleep in my own bed."

"Standard protocol is to stay for observation," Jack said. "In case something happens."

"You can come home with me."

Jack's head whipped up. "What?"

"Come home with me," Ianto said. "Tonight. You've had a hard day, you shouldn't have to stay here."

"Someone has to stay," Jack started. "Keep an eye on Gwen—"

Ianto rolled his eyes. "She's not going to stay either, you know that. She'll want to be home with her fiancé. And if not, Owen's the doctor, he can keep an eye on her."

Jack looked like he wanted to say yes, but he still shook his head. "I can't, I should be here. And we're not in that kind of place right now. We haven't even gone on that date yet!"

"How about Saturday? There's a new steakhouse in Pennarth we could try, and there are several decent movies playing at the cinema we could see after."

Jack stared at him in surprise. "Are you asking me on a date?"

"Interested?" Ianto asked, replaying their conversation from the office block.

"Yes." Jack grinned and leaned down to kiss him. It wasn't the first time they'd kissed since he'd been back, but it was the longest and most meaningful kiss they'd had in months. Ianto half wondered why he'd waited so long. It felt good, and right.

"So you'll come back to mine tonight?" Ianto asked. Jack stopped and studied him, as if trying to gage the sincerity of his words, but did not answer. "Don't stay here alone," Ianto said. "Not after what happened today."

Jack nodded and kissed him again. "Okay," he answered. "Thank you. No expectations, though."

"I've been shot," Ianto said dryly. "I have no expectations whatsoever." They kissed some more, and he smiled against Jack's lips. "Although, if you're still cold, you could use my bath, and I could watch."

Jack laughed, and they continued kissing, leisurely exploring and enjoying one another without any intent to take it further (gunshot wound aside), until there was a cough at the door. Ianto pulled back immediately, but Jack smiled and lingered, touching his face briefly before sitting back. Somehow, he was holding Ianto's hand again. Tosh stood in the doorway, looking anywhere but at them.

"Er, sorry," she said, meeting Jack's eyes, but not Ianto. "But Gwen is awake. She's…" She glanced apologetically at Ianto. "She's quite upset. Owen's given her something, but she's asking for you. I told her you were with Ianto, and then she got even more upset and wanted to come down and see Ianto, but I didn't know if you were awake…"

Jack sighed and squeezed Ianto's hand. "Are you okay? I should talk to her."

"I'm fine," Ianto replied, even though a part of him wanted Jack to stay. "Go ahead. I can't imagine how she must be feeling right now."

"I'll stay," Tosh said immediately. "Keep you company, if you're up for it."

Ianto smiled at her and nodded. "Absolutely. You can tell me more about what happened after I lost consciousness."

Jack kissed him on the forehead, looking concerned. "There's nothing to worry about. Don't wear him out with the details, Tosh. I'll be back with lunch in a little while."

He stood up to leave, but Ianto called him back. "Can we eat in the Hub? I don't want to stay in here all day. And tell Gwen…" He shook his head. "I don't even know what to tell her. Tell her I'm come see her when she's done crying on your shoulder."

Jack grinned. "So sometime tomorrow, then?"

Tosh snickered, then covered her mouth and apologized. Jack left and she took his seat, looking awkward. "How are you?" she asked. "How is your shoulder?"

"Hurts like hell," he shrugged. "But I'm fine, honestly. I'm glad it's over."

"Busy morning," she pointed out.

"You have no idea," he murmured with a smile. "I'm going to make sure I'm definitely the first one in every day."

She frowned. "You need to rest first. We can take care of things around here."

"Even the coffee?" he teased, but she did not smile.

"Even the coffee. You should take some time," she said. "I can't imagine what it was like, seeing Gwen like that, getting shot, finding Jack…"

Ianto sighed and reached out for her hand. "Tosh, it wasn't her. I know that, and you know that, and hopefully Gwen knows it too."

"I know," Tosh murmured, looking down. "We watched the CCTV footage, though, and it's awful. I don't know how you managed to stay calm."

"I faked it," Ianto told her, thinking back to how many times he almost panicked. "And lucked out at the end."

"Ianto!" she exclaimed. "You didn't luck out, you were amazing. You locked down the Hub, stopped her from opening the Rift, and saved Gwen."

"I got shot," he said. "I have scratches and bruises everywhere. My head hurts. And there's blood all over the place!"

She smiled. "Owen cleaned it all up."

"What?" Ianto exclaimed in mock surprise. "Maybe I should get shot more often."

She took his hand again. "Please don't."

"No plans," he murmured, and closed his eyes.

"So," she said after a moment, drawing it out. "Sorry I interrupted earlier, but what did I interrupt exactly?"

"Tosh…"

"Ianto," she parroted. She glanced at the door and leaned closer. "That was not a quick welcome back kiss, that was a something more kiss." He didn't say anything. "Fine, don't talk. I know what I saw."

"There's nothing to say," Ianto told her.

"Are you sleeping together?" she asked, surprisingly bold for Tosh, who tended not to nose around in other people's lives.

"No," Ianto answered honestly. She gave him a skeptical look and he shrugged. "Not since he came back."

"Then what was that? He's been so worried, sitting down here for hours, and then I walk in and he's kissing you like that!"

"We, er…" Ianto wasn't sure why he was struggling with it, other than it was something he didn't want the whole team to know about. Not right away, anyway. Maybe eventually, if it worked out. Or maybe not. Tosh might be thrilled, but what would Gwen think? Or Owen? The doctor was sure to give him a difficult time, he did about everything else. Ianto was perhaps too aware of his place on the team and what it meant to sleep with the boss. He didn't want it to complicate his relationship with the others, and yet, it hadn't before, had it? But that was when they'd kept it to themselves.

"It's okay, you know," Tosh said, as if reading his mind. "If you're together, and if you don't want to talk about it." The tone of her voice was understanding, but still curious.

"We have a date this weekend," Ianto finally told her. "So there really is nothing more to say, because I don't know what will happen, where it will go after that. We'll see." He met her eyes with a tentative smile, and she touched his hand.

"I'm happy for you," she said. "And I hope it's amazing!"

"Thanks, Tosh," he said. "I do too, to be honest."

"Oh, I think—" She was interrupted by Owen poking his head inside the room.

"Food's here. Think you can keep it down, teaboy?"

Ianto was tempted to stick his tongue out, but resisted because he was hungry. He was still sore and moved his legs slowly off the bed. Closing his eyes as his head exploded a little with the movement, he opened them to find Owen shining a light into his face.

"Get off," he grumbled. "I'm fine."

"You've got a slight concussion," Owen replied. "But Jack said you wanted to eat with the team. You sure you can make it?"

He stood up and gave the doctor a triumphant look, even though his head was still pounding. Lying in bed hungry was not the answer, though; he wanted to move, to be with the others, to see Gwen. He might even be persuaded to make some coffee.

"I'm tired of being in here," he said. "So yes, I can make it."

"It hasn't been that long," Owen said. "You only woke up a little while ago."

"And I'll probably sleep again when I'm done," Ianto replied. "But for now, it's the fresh air of the Hub. How's Gwen?"

"Less hysterical than she was half an hour ago," Owen replied. "She looks like hell, but so do you."

"Thanks," Ianto murmured.

"You look fine," Tosh said from behind him. "Like you took on an alien sleeper agent again and won."

Owen grunted. "You didn't die, and that's always a win in our book."

Ianto followed him from the room. "No one's told me what happened after I lost consciousness. When did you and Tosh get in?"

"Exactly an hour, like I told you. We got in and found you both in Jack's office. Tosh stayed with Gwen while I cleaned up your shoulder. You're welcome," he added over his shoulder. "And then we started looking over Gwen, who is completely alien free thanks to you and your stun gun."

"It took three tries," Ianto said quietly, remembering that horrifying moment. "It should have taken one shot."

Owen stopped and turned around. "I know, we saw the footage. You did what you had to do." He turned and left, but Ianto did not follow.

"Gwen is going to hate me," he whispered to Tosh, standing beside him. "I hit her and tied her up and knocked her out—"

"Ianto!" Tosh said, taking his hand and squeezing. "It's all right. She doesn't hate you, she's terrified you'll never talk to her again! Come on," she continued, pulling him gently into the main part of the Hub. "Let's go eat. It'll be fine."

Ianto actually took a step backward and shook his head. "No, I should stay. Let the rest of you be with her. I can eat in my room and—"

"No!" she said, pulling him forward. "You are not running away. You had to make terrible decisions today and you were amazing. You have nothing to be ashamed of and everything to be proud of, so come and eat with us." She smiled. "Please?"

His heart was racing, but he took a deep breath and followed her forward without a word. Gwen was sitting on the sofa by herself, wrapped in a blanket and staring at the table as Jack unpacked several bags of food. She heard them enter and looked up, standing wordlessly when she saw him. She did look awful, with a bruise growing darker on her face, her hair still in tangles, her eyes red from crying; he didn't want to know what he looked like, with his own scratches and bruises and left arm in a sling.

Jack turned and glanced behind him, then moved away with a slight tilt of his head toward Tosh. She squeezed Ianto's hand one more time before dropping it and walking away with Jack, leaving Ianto and Gwen alone.

He could see she was shattered, and all of his fears melted away. He only wanted it to be done, to move on. Stepping up next to her, he touched her face as a tear slid down her bruised cheek.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, because he had done that, and she shook her head, tears pouring from her eyes.

"Don't be," she said, then wiped ineffectively at her face. "I'm the one who—I'm so, so sorry, Ianto. I couldn't stop it—I tried so hard but I wasn't strong enough and I shot you and Jack and I don't know if—"

"Shh," he said, pulling her into a one-armed embrace with his good hand. "It wasn't you. I know that. Jack knows that. It'll be okay." He told himself that, but he wasn't sure he believed it, because while he could forgive Gwen, he wasn't sure if he could forgive himself for what he'd done to her.

Gwen sniffled and leaned her head against his chest. They stood like that for several moments, gently rocking, occasionally sniffling. Eventually Ianto heard a noise and glanced over Gwen to see Jack standing nearby, Tosh and Owen behind him. They were clearly giving him and Gwen time to talk, but there wasn't much else to say, not at that moment. Maybe there would be more, when it wasn't so recent. What had it felt like, to have another consciousness in her head? How long had she known, and how had she fought it off? And where did she learn to get out of restraints so fast?

He smiled to himself as he thought that last, recognizing it as his mind trying to make light of the horror. Catching Jack's eye, he nodded. They were ready. Jack nodded back and the three of them moved forward, quiet and slow. Gwen heard them and stepped away from Ianto's embrace.

"Sorry," she murmured, patting a wet spot on his chest.

"Shirt's already ruined," he said. Her face fell and he shook his head, realizing she might not be ready for jokes. "I didn't like this one anyway, too green."

She smiled. "Red's more your color," she said. "Like yesterday."

"Then I'll get another red shirt just for you," he said.

"I like red." Jack came up behind him, placed his hand on Ianto's good shoulder and squeezed a little, leaving his hand there. "Red's definitely your color."

Gwen frowned slightly, and Ianto rolled his eyes to forestall any comment about the touch or the comment. "Yes, well at least I wear more than six shades of blue."

"I have red suspenders," Jack pointed out, but dropped his hand and was grinning. "And tan, too."

Having successfully riled up Jack and deflected Gwen from any questions, Ianto exchanged a smile with her and they sat down on the sofa. Jack sat next to him, his hand immediately on Ianto's knee. He glanced down with an embarrassed frown, then looked up to find both Tosh and Owen smirking at him. Tosh actually hid a laugh when Jack leaned forward to help Ianto with his plate.

"I can manage, sir," he murmured. Owen snorted and Gwen smiled as she reached for her own food.

"I'd take him up on any help he offers," she said. "Since he offers so rarely."

"And Gwen is one hundred percent back to being Gwen!" Jack announced. He took a bite of his sandwich, wiped his mouth, and talked with his mouth full. "Picking on the boss like a normal day."

She smiled again but did not reply.

"Better than cryofreeze," Owen offered. The room went silent. "Sorry, too soon?" he asked sarcastically. "Because the sooner we can joke about it the better."

"I'm fine with it," Jack said after a moment. "Although I think I'd really like a thick scarf for Boss's Day this year."

Owen nodded in approval and Tosh shook her head fondly. But Gwen looked confused. Ianto patted her on the leg.

"Definitely not blue," he told her. "Something with color."

She leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed. "We can go shopping together sometime if you let me buy you lunch."

"Oh, he gets a scarf and I get fish and chips?" Ianto teased, and they laughed, and he knew that it would be okay. They would get through this—they already were. Gwen would feel guilty for what she'd done to him and Jack, and Ianto would feel guilty for what he'd done to Gwen, but in the end, they would joke about it and move on, and maybe, just maybe, they'd all grow a little closer from it.

He already felt closer to Jack, after all: they finally had plans for their date and had shared an amazing kiss earlier. And Jack had said he'd come back to Ianto's flat for the night. It had taken almost losing him again for Ianto to realize that he wanted to be with Jack and see where it might go. He was looking forward to spending time with Jack later that night, and already both nervous and excited about the weekend.

Gwen stayed close during lunch, as if seeking comfort, and Jack sat close to him as well, constantly touching him as if making sure he was all right. They soon talked and laughed as if the events of that morning had happened weeks ago. Looking around the Hub, Ianto decided that he had both the worst job in the world, and the best. It was only working for Torchwood that he had been forced to fight coworker possessed by an alien determined to destroy the world by opening the Rift. But it was by working for Torchwood that he had met the people who were now so important to him. It was how he had met Jack, and he wouldn't change it for the world.

Author's Note:
The End! I hope you enjoyed this short story. I would love to know what you thought. Comments are lifeblood for those of us who do this for free. Thank you!