A/N: yey, 100 th review breached, thnx to jeanie17, paulaloveremus and others for that achievement. Thx others too for reading.

Spoilers: Sleeper

Beta-ed: TattoedLibrarian

For all the damn side effects of dying he would at least get out clean, un-bruised, and restored. It was a horrible experience from every angle, from dying to reviving, but when it was over nothing would ache. He didn't die from that stab wound, it bypassed his heart, it was only the pain and hard breathing, but he survived. His damn body did repair itself when it was done, at least it repaired that stab wound; he still felt bruised around the missing wound. His cock was better, but all and all he was far from perfect condition. He hadn't even realized how used to he'd gotten to his perfect factory settings because they were restored often enough.

Jack decided he had no right to complain. The cell was neutralized, invasion postponed, and the threat that they are already might just a plain desperate seeding of fear. And they still didn't know about Jack and Torchwood. It was a good win after all. Even the agent Beth was on their side, they could use her later.

Preparations for Beth's freezing were underway. Jack thought about the talk he should have with Ianto, but he forgot what it was about. As adrenalin and fear left him so did his serious attitude that demanded obedience. Still it bugged him, their defiance. It was the very thing that brought rebellion on their part upon him. That's why he insisted on making Tosh obey his order. It wasn't easy one, but he knew it was important one. Beth would agree, so he didn't see why Tosh had a problem with it. Beth was strong enough to know she should be shot down if she turned; and observant enough to know he would do it for her and for the others. That's why he couldn't get close to understand Tosh's defiance in his order to install safety protocols that would kill Beth in her sleep if her transmitter started to wake up. She argued that it could be triggered by mistake; and earthquake, a fluctuation in her temperature, she knew a lot about cryo-freezing. Jack listened to her as he changed his t-shirt that was strangely grey. Why was it grey? He couldn't pinpoint it, he was preoccupied by Tosh.

"Stop thinking" he said irritated "and do it, it's an order."

"Ok" she turned to leave "I'll do it but I'm not happy about it."

Jack shook his head towards her back, puzzled by her thought. His concern wasn't to keep them happy; it was enough for them to do what they were told. Then he lifted his head just in time to see new trouble approaching in the form of Ianto. He was carrying tape and an antenna in his hands and his lips tightened in an angry line. Through Jack's head went list of things that could follow the simple disapproval of his handling that mirror and he turned to leave. No thank you, he wouldn't have that talk, not on Ianto's terms with him holding upper hand and he especially wouldn't have it here in front of everybody. That's why he turned into the corridor towards the board room but he didn't get far, Ianto followed him.

"Jack" he called out and Jack stopped, deciding against running. He was a fighter after all, and he had some things of his own he could reproach Ianto in return. He'd be fine; he just had to keep it all business and away from personal.

Ianto stopped, looked him in the eye, and then Jack could almost see how he closed the lids putting his anger inside.

"Never mind" he said taking a breath, not smiling at him "I'll just clean it." He turned to leave, but then looked back over his shoulder. "You do know radio waves go through walls." He turned around and actually waited for an answer. Cheeky bastard, Jack smiled.

"Unlike you, I don't know everything" Jack told him and Ianto just shot one eyebrow up, still without a smile. Jack stepped one step closer as Ianto didn't go away. He thought now how adorable Ianto looked in the board room when he got angry, maybe it wouldn't be a bad thing to let him have that space where he could be angry and reprimand for him things. It wasn't too fun to be Serious Captain all the time and power could even go to his head. Giving away power... that gave Jack some ideas, so he smiled. To his surprise Ianto didn't smile back.

"There is a place and time for some things" Ianto said coldly "and this is not that time, I must ask you to step one step back and restrain yourself." Jack's eyebrows went up in surprise, if nothing that should be his line, to keep things civil.

Jack stepped back raising his arms in surrender.

"You're the boss Mister Jones" he said and earned deathly glare. "Uh" Jack pursed his lips "if that should be a cold shower you're failing miserably." He explained crossing his arms around his chest, which showed his upper body nicely. If it was possible, Ianto looked even colder now and it looked hot as hell on him. Jack couldn't help but curving his smile back up, he loved a challenge. Maybe he was too skittish today in fear that Ianto would get all mushy on him. Ianto just diverted his gaze towards the wall.

"If that is all..." he left out his usual 'sir' or at least Jack and turned to leave. Now Jack started to worry, maybe he pushed him too far.

"Ianto" Jack called out quietly; confused but there were no reply so he did what he wasn't used to, he followed him. But Ianto was a cunning bastard; he turned into the sick bay and started to clean up around Owen who was in the middle of preparations. There was nothing Jack could say or do in front of Owen, not because of shame, but because the good doctor would mock him and shoot down any effort on his part. So he just leaned on the rail looking down at them thinking what would be smartest move; to let him cool down, or initiate the talk. It was obvious that Ianto wouldn't pull out the talk card himself, he decided to be silent. It was in character, Jack thought. If he thought earlier that he would be fine with silent treatment, he was wrong; his nerves became too thin for silence.

Beth's voice dragged him from his musings, straight into full alert mode. He tried to reason with her, but that was in vain, he could see it in her desperate expression. When she gave a cue he shot not hesitating, he wasn't willing to risk anything, and he sure wasn't the one to ruin her sacrifice and force her to live on knowing that she was just a fake, waiting to be overthrown by her opposite.

"She wanted you to shoot her" Gwen cried out all upset, unwilling to accept Beth's last gift to them.

"She wanted to make it easier on us" Jack explained it to her knowing she could never appreciate that. He did appreciate it although it made it harder on him; he knew others would cope easier.