A/N: Jack the damsel.

Beta-ed: TattoedLibrarian (thank you for this one)

"You know, you play rescuing hero rather poorly." Jack continued to talk in his best seductive low voice and Ianto almost gasped forgetting where they were "You have here a damsel in distress, strapped down and have a plan to leave her without so much as a kiss."

"A kiss" Ianto couldn't quite wrap his mind around that concept, had he ever even kissed Jack? He couldn't remember.

"Yeah, a kiss, if I counted it correctly" Jack clarified his mulled memories "you owe me two kisses, or I'm in the lead by two kisses, can't decide how to look at it" Jack lifted his head exposing his neck in his flirty manner pretending to think hard while in fact he's just displaying his features, stretching his jaw line.

"You've counted" Ianto managed to voice out realizing what that meant, Jack cared enough to notice the lack of contact. Ianto felt his body become heavy and warm and pulled like there was a gravity centre somewhere in Jack. He let himself be drawn by that line towards him. As he approached, he enjoyed Jack's roaming eyes that had taken him in inviting and with desire that mirrored the one in Ianto's belly.

Ianto stood still when he reached Jack, breathing him in, collecting lines on his face from up-close.

"You were always such a tease" Jack grunted and his breath ghosted against Ianto's lips. Ianto smiled suddenly feeling soft, wanting to be tender towards him. Ianto stepped closer pressing himself against the familiar firmness, feeling how his body relaxes into Jack calm and content at the contact.

"Who would say you were the one to wait" Ianto was in awe on Jack's unmoving posture, he could lean in, but he waited. Ianto would never say that, he always assumed Jack simply took what he needed without further thought. Realization that he wanted something as simple as a kiss was an even better revelation.

"Well, you always were the boss of this" Jack's voice was low like he didn't want to scare him off. Ianto chuckled aware that it would take a lot to change his train of thoughts.

"Guess I was" he admitted, knowing it to be true, if anything he always felt powerful with Jack. That's why he reached out and pulled gently Jack's hips closer to his, just to steady himself, then he leaned in and just tasted Jack's lips briefly before he could lose himself. "That's one" he said lightly breathing in Jack's scent that lured him from the beginning. Jack seemed lost, paralyzed unable to move and Ianto smiled to himself as he reached up and placed his palm on that mesmerizing jaw, he stroked his face thinking how it was a pity he didn't give in sooner.

"It's not bad really to have you fixed like this; I would always know where to find you" Ianto said thinking of those missing times when he worried about this man not knowing, feeling silly for fearing. Now that he faced him and knew his fears were justified, he had no desire to smack him, just to protect him. But he couldn't do that, not this time, so he did what he could, he kissed him. In that moment he dropped all his shields and poured all his lust in it, all his aching for Jack and Jack matched his attack pressing himself into Ianto. Stubbles were brushing hard against each other, heat was building between them and there was a taste of Jack, just as he remembered it from a life time ago when he came back from the dead, only sweeter. He almost forgot everything because of that taste that promised more, but the clock inside his head kept ticking and he let go giving himself time to convince his body to move away. For now he moved his face to look at Jack who was trying to catch his breath. He looked beautiful like this, wanting and open.

"And now we're even" Ianto couldn't help himself from keeping score, it kept him sane, helped to brace himself for the separation that came in closer. His hands were still glued to Jack, hungry for skin so he brushed his back to convince them to let go, but then his hand stumble upon bare skin and Jack gasped in surprise. When Jack closed his eyes Ianto could see him so clearly, his solitude and hunger that were even greater than Ianto's so Ianto gave his hands a little more time and his palm roamed against Jack's back, his stretched muscles. Jack enjoyed it without restraint and Ianto enjoyed watching his features relaxed but he kept the contact light, feeling that glue that could weaken his will.

It was most seductive to have Jack like this at his disposal, to have his trust like this with his eyes closed in surrender. It was like Ianto had won their little game of keeping score. That's why he decided to risk it, to pry into something in which he clearly wasn't invited.

"Jack?" he kept his voice low and soft.

"Yeah?" he didn't even open his eyes obviously concentrated on the hand rather than on the voice.

"It's not your fault, any of this, it's just not" Ianto knew his voice was pleading, not really believing he would achieve anything, but he carried on when Jack opened his eyes and showed the depth of his sorrow. "You were just looking for the answers you deserve" in that Ianto was sure, Jack did deserve answers. "If you stumbled upon a monster and woke him up, we know they are all around" they had stumbled upon more than a fair share of those in their time "it doesn't make you guilty for what he does. You could never be like that, ever." Ianto rested his palm on Jack's chest feeling his heart pound heavily under his fingers. "You have too much of a heart for it." There was a fight on Jack's face too deep to comprehend so Ianto leaned in and placed a short kiss on Jack's lips to snap him out of it, it couldn't be resolved anyway, not today.

"And now I'm in the lead" Ianto smiled at Jack knowing it would frustrate him and he did involuntary try to move closer.

"You cocky bastard" Jack was in awe, Ianto found that expression delightful.

"I do try sir" he pronounced that sir thick and teasing but then the clock in his head entered the red zone, so he took a deep breath to brace himself for separation. His hands obeyed him reluctantly and he stepped backwards not able to turn around taking sight of Jack in.

"Right then, time to go" he pointed out the obvious nodding in goodbye. Jack clenched his jaw; muscles underneath his skin were dancing. Ianto turned around now moving robotically on his autopilot but there were a few seconds left on his inner watch so he stopped at exit. He felt the need to give Jack a reason to leave if everything went to shit and the Doctor died. They all could die but Jack would live on.

"And Jack" he said not looking back at him.

"Mhm?" Jack was listening

"If you're wrong and end up stuck here forever I will come back" he warned him just to know he was not out of Ianto's reach just because he complied this time.

"And what kill me?" Jack mocked him showing how he was truly oblivious on how well Ianto got to know him.

"No Jack, I'll let him kill me" he threw one last look at him just to catch a surprise, and there it was, Ianto smiled knowing he had reached him.

"Ianto I will come back for you." Jack promised somewhat desperately and Ianto smiled at that fake promise at the end, like that would shake Ianto's will.

"Sure you will Jack" Ianto's countdown watch in his head reached zero and he walked away once again moving without hesitation like he had every right to be here.

He moved in perfect timing with cameras that were turning on behind him not missing single turn. But he'd done it automatically; his mind was still dazed by recent events. Jack's aroma was stuck in his mouth, and his voice in his ears. He felt better than he expect he would, there was a hope that all of this will be repaired, but greater part of his feeling was that Jack responded to him, that he cared, that Ianto was able to do something for him. Even that last lie was nice, although Ianto didn't believe for a split of a second that he would leave his Doctor and space and time for him, it was nice that he was willing to lie, that he wanted to give Ianto something in the end. Ianto looked around the faces of his team and he knew it would be a good thing that they would forget, even the fact that Ianto would forget what Jack had said and done was good, because if he didn't he would still expect him to show up against all senses.

They went back to the Hub in silence. During that time Ianto recalled all that Jack had said and all the footage that he'd seen about the Master, the Doctor, and that short glimpse of Martha Jones that was caught on camera, just a dark silhouette in the background crouched by Jack's side that wasn't seen on screen, just his palm entwined with hers. Ianto moved that scene in his mind; he watched it many times and finally realized what he saw. Jack had given her his wrist strap, which was missing from his wrist when he tried to release his left hand. He hadn't lied about that, her mission was important, they had heard about her during their journey, but they thought she was just an imaginary hope with no weapons or backup.

"What was all that about?" Owen demanded angrily when the cog doors rolled behind them.

"Jack has a mission" Gwen said calmly like everything was said by that.

"Great" Owen scorned "big chief and his secrets again, and we should just sit here like good kiddies and take shit until he makes up his mind and does something."

"Ianto" Tosh said quietly standing behind his shoulder "you could have moved a second faster, I almost lost it watching your shadow on cameras."

"Did I show up?" he asked unconcerned.

"No, but still" the question hung in the air but she was unwilling to ask it.

"Look at him" Owen stormed towards him "he's a fucking robot, not even this will move you?" he shouted in his face. "I thought for a second you actually cared about Jack, I guess you died with your precious Lisa, no one matters anymore, not even Tosh's nerves, I thought she would faint while we waited for your scrawny ass. What did you do, shag your boss one more time?" Ianto frowned.

"Owen" Gwen whispered placing a hand on his elbow "calm down, it's just Ianto, he's not our enemy, and he just has more control than rest of us."

"Control my ass" Owen backed up one step "he just has no heart." He turned his back on Ianto and went to the medical bay. Ianto knew by his nervous movements he went in search for a bottle he hid down there. Gwen stood there looking after him pale and absent unaware of her maid's uniform. Tosh sighed and started to unpack their gear. Ianto realized that they were screwed, without a cause they wouldn't last to see the end of this. To them it wouldn't be important that Jack was there with a purpose, or even that all would be erased, here and now they had no meaning.

"Meet me in briefing room in five" said Ianto loudly enough so Owen could hear him, he stopped and looked at him with doubt, but he responded to an order, they all did. Ianto made decision that he would take care of them, and now they needed a purpose.