Wow, okay, sorry for how long this is, but I just couldn't get each little section any shorter, and I didn't want to embark on a ten part (of relatively short chapters) fic... So this is how it turned out. I hope you don't mind trawling through it -dies- There's a nice mox of serious and angst and funny and cute though, so not too heavy really. It tracks the relationship from start to KKBB

This is at the suggestion of Lyra the Badwolf, who replied to my request about ideas for another '10 Things...' fic. I'd like to say that I'm still looking for suggestions! I want to write a whole series of them!

Please enjoy and comment, reviews are like oxygen!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything below. Torchwood and it's employees are property of Russel T. Davies

10 Times Jack Harkness Apologised to Ianto Jones

1. On Ianto's first day of work.

On the day that Ianto was supposed to start work, Jack found himself increasingly bored with waiting in the hour or so before he'd told the young man to show up. So, instead of being professional and sitting in his office, a list of instructions and duties in front of him, he headed out of the hub to grab himself a Starbucks. None of the team could make coffee well enough to sustain him that early in the morning, but that was irrelevant as none of them were every in before about nine.

When he returned from his jaunt, there was still a while left until Ianto was supposed to arrive, so he just waited outside the Tourist Office, vaguely wishing the coffee he was drinking had been made by the attractive young Welshman that he'd just hired.

When he finally glanced down at his watch, he found there was still half an hour left. Sighing, he pulled his coat around him and resigned himself to the wait. Less than five minutes later though, he found Ianto standing in front of him, looking a little worse for wear, and seemingly in the same suit as the night before.

"Same suit?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Washed and dried, but they're never the same after catching a dinosaur." The welsh voice swum in Jack's ears for a moment as he suppressed his natural urge to try and get the young man into bed. That could wait for a few days at least.

"That's my fault, I'm sorry." He grinned roguishly, receiving a dry smile from Ianto. "I'll bear that in mind though, next time we go rolling around on the floor together."

Ianto rolled his eyes and shook his head, not at all phased by the obvious and slightly inappropriate flirting. Jack just smirked. Some opportunities were too tempting to pass up on.

2. A few days after killing the remnants of Lisa, paying Ianto a visit at his flat.

Jack had been knocking for several minutes, all of which were answered with complete silence. Finally, reaching his last resort, Jack pulled out his copy of the front door key and opened it, slipping inside quickly. He took a moment to look around the small flat, finding himself standing in the corner of an open plan living and kitchen area.

He found the source of his visit lying crumpled on the sofa, across the room from him. He felt a pang of guilt flash through him at the sight of the young man, so broken and defeated. He didn't think he had anything left to live for and for all he knew, Jack was there to steal the past few years of his life away. Luckily, the captain was still too taken with Ianto to retcon him into oblivion, as he'd threatened to do earlier that week.

"Ianto?" Jack's voice floated through the semi darkness that shrouded the flat, making the young man raise his head a little off the sofa and look over at him in confusion before lying it back down and curling in on himself a little more for protection. Jack just padded over to the sofa and sat down next to him. "Ianto, you need to get up."

"Why, Jack?" His voice was hoarse, as if it hadn't been used for the past few days. Jack silently cursed himself for not having checked on the young man sooner.

"You can't go on just lying on the sofa. You need to keep yourself in shape." Jack's voice was soft, trying to be encouraging. After the initial shock of betrayal and the anger that had followed, he'd realised that Ianto had simply been too scared to live without Lisa, to give up on the body that had once been her. He didn't blame him anymore. The blame had dissipated almost the second Ianto stepped out of the hub three days earlier.

"I don't want to, Jack. I just want it to stop hurting." He righted himself on the sofa and pulled his knees tight to his chest, burying his face so that his boss wouldn't see him cry. Jack felt the sudden need to comfort him, but all he could do was rub his back gently until the sobs subsided.

Eventually, Ianto dragged his head up and met Jack's eyes, searching for a sign he could trust him. Very gently, Jack placed his hands on either side of Ianto's face and pulled him into a soft, caring kiss. His heart skipped a beat as Ianto began to kiss him back, a trace of desperation in the way his lips searched for comfort in his own. After several long, blissful minutes, Jack pulled back and looked into Ianto's eyes. They seemed to have a little more life in them now, at least.

"Ianto, I'm so sorry for what I did, for how I treated you." He leaned in and kissed him softly again. "I'm so sorry."

Ianto shook his head mutely for a moment, fighting back tears before pulling Jack into a kiss once more; a fierce, clear kiss that gave Jack no doubts about what the young man wanted at that current moment in time.

3. The morning after.

Jack stood, fully dressed, in Ianto's kitchen, the morning sunlight streaming in through the window that overlooked the city. He stood thoughtfully, a cup of tea cradled between his hands. Last night had been something to remember. He'd wanted to sleep with Ianto for a while before Lisa was discovered, but he'd never dared to make the first move.

Now of course, he was starting to wonder whether it was such a good idea. Ianto had been distraught, broken and grieving. Jack had taken advantage of him. But he was the one that started it, one part of his mind reasoned.

-Yes, but that doesn't mean he knew what he was doing. He just needed to feel human, the other part replied.

-And that's exactly what I did, I made him feel better, like someone needed him, the first part countered, slightly smug.

-But what's false hope to someone as badly damaged as Ianto? The second part snapped back.

-Who's saying it was false hope? That was a third, older and wiser part to his sub conscious, something which gave Jack an internal jerk. It was a voice of reason that he hadn't heard for a long time. The consequences of it surfacing again could be complicated. Jack promptly buried it beneath his mental list of work tasks.

"Still here then?" Jack looked up at that, surprised to see Ianto sitting at the breakfast bar, watching him with amusement. He already seemed more aware of his surroundings, more like his usual self.

"Yeah." He smiled as he finished his drink and put the mug in the sink.

"I would say tell the others I say hi, but I doubt they want to hear it." The young man sighed and pulled himself up, heading round to turn the kettle on and make himself a cup of coffee. He looks amazing like that, Jack mused, appreciating the baggy pyjamas Ianto had put on and the way his hair was just a little dishevelled, sticking out a little in places.

"Look, I'm sorry, Ianto," He said as he shrugged his greatcoat on, heading to the door. The young man looked over at him in concern, worrying etched into his face, "but I'll be checking up on you every day until you come back… Just to make sure you don't slip into a coma or something. I don't want to see you like you were yesterday again, understand?"

Ianto frowned slightly, then looked embarrassed as he remembered the stupor he'd been in when Jack had turned up the night before. Then he smiled in appreciation and nodded as Jack flashed him a grin and left the flat.

4. After rescuing the team from the cannibals in Brecon Beacons.

As soon as Gwen had dealt with her ridiculous need to know why the cannibals did what they did, Jack went to find Ianto. He'd heard from Owen and Tosh what the young man had done, how the leader had been about to slice his throat open and bleed him. Jack had to swallow down the urge to completely mother the young man as he found Ianto sitting quietly on the edge of the SUV's open boot.

Without speaking, he sat down next to him and drew him into a firm, yet cautious embrace. He felt tired arms wrap around his waist as Ianto rested his head on Jack's shoulder, sighing wearily as he closed his eyes against the horror replaying through his mind. Jack kissed the top of his head gently and closed his eyes, trying not to remember that the reason the young man was in this state was because he'd insisted on him tagging along.

"Ianto, I promise you will never have to come on a trip again unless you want to. I won't force you to do any more of this stuff until you want to, okay?" He pulled away slightly and tilted Ianto's chin up to look at him. The blue eyes were sleepy, yet still shining with grim amusement, a satisfied expression on his bruised features. "I'm sorry for all of this, Yan."

The young man chuckled and let himself get drawn into another tight embrace.

"You can make it up to me some other time, Jack." He nuzzled his head wearily into the crook of Jack's neck and shoulder, his words muffling a little. Jack just smiled and made a mental note to do so.

5. For breaking his stopwatch, the morning after they filed Suzie away for the final time.

"Yeah, I'll get it mended, I promise." Jack was sitting behind his desk, inspecting the stopwatch in his hand. There was a crack running along the middle of the glass front, spidering off to form a web of pale lines that distorted the face below.

"And how do you intend to pay for it?" Ianto was lounging in the chair opposite, eyes closed with a serene expression on his face, a smile quirking at his lips. Both of them were dressed in t-shirts and boxers, still a little sleepy after the night's escapades and only an hour or so of sleep after them.

"Well, I'll just tell the truth." Ianto cracked an eye open and regarded the captain who had a mischievous grin on his face.

"How so? I don't think you can authorize the repairs for an antique stopwatch by putting 'broken by falling off the table whilst shagging the owner senseless'. Somehow, I think that'll raise suspicion." Ianto opened his other eye and sat up, watching Jack closely as a mysterious glint flickered into his eyes.

"That's too much information. I think 'broken whilst moving the desk' works just as well." Ianto snorted at that and pushed himself up out of his chair, heading to the door to go make them both a cup of coffee. "Ianto, I really am sorry though. I promise I'll get it back as good as new!"

"You better not!" Ianto looked at him seriously before his expression softened. "The age is part of the appeal for me. I love it when things are unique like that."

They looked steadily into each other's eyes, all humour vanished from the room, replaced by something more meaningful. After several long moments, Ianto's lips quirked up into another smile and he headed out of the door.

6. For the state of his car after John killed himself in it.

Jack had trudged back into the hub at around midnight. Ianto had immediately smelt the petrol fumes on him, seen the pale sheen to his skin and the deadened look in his eyes. John had killed himself. He'd stolen Ianto's car and killed himself with it. Jack must've found him sitting there, in the driver's seat, head lolled lifelessly to one side… Shut up, he thought viciously. The last thing either of them needed was Ianto being preoccupied with death again.

Just as he was about to ask what had happened, Jack's indifferent expression crumpled as he stood before the young man, hands coming up to clutch at his face, his shoulders heaving with half choked sobs. All words died in Ianto's mouth as he pulled Jack into his arms, unsure of what comfort he could possibly provide for him. Comfort enough… his thoughts echoed again, causing him to shove them away in an attempt to stop his mind from wandering.

Finally, after what felt like hours, Jack stilled, snuffling slightly as he rubbed his eyes before moving his arms around Ianto's waist and pulling him close, burying his face into the young man's neck, inhaling the soft scent of coffee beans, aftershave and Ianto. It seemed to do the trick, the last of his pain fading away as he simply breathed.

Without another word, he pulled his nose away from the soft skin of Ianto's neck and kissed him furiously, passionately, in a way that showed the young man just how much he needed him, how much he cared. He let himself just enjoy the taste of Ianto's mouth, the sensation of their tongues grazing each other as, exploring. The emotions morphed to a gentle, peaceful feeling that was so affectionate, it was almost the step beyond into unchartered waters.

It was the mixing of these new emotions that made Jack pull back with a soft sigh, smiling slightly to himself as he looked at the young man in front of him.

"I'm sorry about your car, Yan… I'll make sure all work to it's paid for out of the budget." For a split second, Jack thought he saw something in Ianto's eyes, but when he looked again, he found they were only filled with his usual humour and understanding.

"It's okay, I've been meaning to do more walking anyway. I'll go get you some coffee." He smiled and stepped back, heading towards the kitchen area.

"Yan?" Jack turned and frowned as the young man stopped and looked over his shoulder. "It's almost midnight, don't you think coffee at this time will keep you awake?"

"That was the plan, sir." There was a moment's pause before Jack realised with a sheepish grin what he'd meant. Ianto waited for the meaning to sink in before watching him head back into his office with his hands in his pockets.

7. For kissing the real Captain Jack Harkness.

Jack looked around the hub, a cyclone of emotions and thoughts twisting his insides to shreds. His mind was buzzing with memories and thoughts and now a fear gripped at him. The Rift had been opened, it was unstable and only the Gods knew what would fall through.

It was times like this when he needed Ianto around, to soothe and clam the burning adrenaline that still coursed through his body. Of course, it had been several hours since he and Tosh had returned, and the first thing that he'd had to deal with was the Rift. He'd handed the tasks out to the team and hidden in his office, calling in a couple of his thousands of favours from the local UNIT cell.

With a heavy, disgruntled sigh, Jack decided to do something about the distracting state of his head. In the main area of the hub, he could see that Gwen and Owen had already gone home for the night, but Tosh and Ianto were sitting at Tosh's workstation, discussing something over coffee. Taking a moment to judge the situation, Jack headed over to the pair, pulling a smile onto his face as Tosh looked round and beamed at him.

"How're you doing, Tosh?" He asked, smiling warmly at the woman's expression. He kept forgetting just how lonely the incredibly talented and beautiful woman was.

"I'm fine now, I think I just need a good night's sleep." She turned away and deposited her coffee mug on her desk, glancing at Ianto briefly before collecting her things and heading out of the hub.

"If it's okay with you, sir, I'm going to head home… I need to have a shower and get some sleep before I face Owen tomorrow." Jack looked over at Ianto and chuckled as the young man grimaced. He knew how averse to firing a gun Ianto was since the episode with Lisa.

"Ianto, I'm sorry…" Jack felt his heart contract as he realised that Tosh would've told him everything. Ianto just smiled before looking around, briefly assessing the state of the hub for cleaning tomorrow.

"Don't be, Jack. It's not like I own you or anything." He looked away as he muttered that last sentence before turning back, his expression fixed back into the mask he applied for work. "I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning, sir."

Jack could only stand and watch as the young man walked away. Oh, but you do… his heart thudded in time to the thought, pumping with each syllable as it throbbed through his mind, twisting painfully at the end to emphasise its point.

8. Leaving with Gwen to go to challenge Abaddon.

The earth shook beneath his feet as he gripped Ianto's shoulders for the dual purpose of remaining standing and not wanting to risk losing the young man. He looked up into the sky and saw the huge, hulking beast that was Abaddon. I can feel it… I can feel all those people dying… his mind raced as he heard the gargantuan snarl echoing through the scream filled air, setting his teeth on edge. He was barely listening to the conversation raging between Billis and Gwen.

He looked around him, analysing every opportunity, every plan, every escape he could think of. Nothing. At least, nothing for him. The only way he could possibly think of to save Cardiff, to keep the planet from certain destruction, was to face off with the monster. But Ianto. I don't want to leave him, I can't! his heart screamed at him

-You have to! You have to go. Ianto will die if you don't leave, his mind countered, logic trying to win out against the deep rooted emotions he harboured for the young man.

-You'll have peace if you go… All those years will be over, you'll never have to watch a loved one die again, a third part of him crooned, trying to convince his logical mind to see it's point of view.

-NO! I don't want to die, I want to live, I want to live with Ianto, I want to be with him, his heart continued to protest, railing against the thought of having to leave the man he was currently clinging to.

-The only way to save Ianto is to go. Now. Wait any longer and that monster will get him. Take someone else, get to an open space, go! Get as far away from Ianto as you can, he'll be safe. He'll be safe, he thought, logic winning the battle, the final three words echoing through his mind as he made his decision. The entire conversation inside of him lasted only a split second.

"How do we stop it? Tell me what to do, Jack." Gwen stormed, her face set defiantly. Well, at least that's that decision made… I don't have to worry about Ianto being the one to take me, he thought grudgingly, looking at the woman with something akin to annoyance. So now she wanted to save the world, after being the one to almost destroy it.

He glanced over at Ianto, so briefly that it almost hurt him not to take one last, complete look at the young man. Ignoring the warmth of his shoulder beneath his own hand, Jack flickered his gaze to Owen and Tosh too, before finally looking back at Gwen. It was now or never. Be safe, Ianto… I'm so sorry, he thought, his mind yelling until the words almost blinded his vision, unable to say it out loud for fear of losing his resolve.

"Just you… Get me to an open space." He forced himself to let go of Ianto, every fibre of him resisting his orders. Hooking his arm around Gwen's neck, they walked away, only one thought echoing in his mind as he blocked out the pain and grief that bombarded his senses.

He'll be safe…

9. For leaving him behind without any warning.

Ianto sat down heavily of his large, comfortable leather sofa, sinking into the deep cushions with a heartfelt sigh. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back, stretching his neck a little to each side. After a few moments, he opened his eyes to find Jack and saw him standing awkwardly by the door, looking extremely shy and for all the world like he was lost. Ianto raised his eyebrows as Jack met his gaze bashfully.

"Jack, kick your shoes off and sit down, you're making me nervous." Closing his eyes again he started to hum softly to himself, ignoring the shuffling sound as Jack pulled his boots and coat off. After a few minutes, he felt the other half of the sofa sink a little, maing him open his eyes again.

What he saw sent a pang of sadness through him and something stronger than affection. Jack was sitting carefully, his hands together and trapped tightly between his knees as his shoulders slumped down and he stared off into space. His expression could have only been described as frightened. Without a second thought to the hurt and anger that still seethed in his stomach at the captain's disappearance, Ianto reached over and pulled Jack into his arms, resting his chin on the older man's head and rubbing his arm absently, waiting for him to respond, to do something, anything.

A few tense moments later, Jack's hands moved to grip onto the young man, to hold him tight and close his eyes against the memories flashing through his mind.

…Ianto was kneeling in front of him, bound and gagged, staring at the floor sullenly. They were in the board room upon the Valiant, the Master standing over Ianto with a maniacal grin on his face. Jack was being held in place by two armed, burly guards, his hands cuffed behind his back to stop an attempt at freeing the young man.

The Master squatted down and grabbed Ianto's chin, forcing him to meet his eyes. Ianto, being the loyal and noble man that he was, just looked on with a cool amusement, a dry sarcasm glittering behind his eyes. Saxon raised his hand and brought it down hard on Ianto's cheek, sending his head snapping around with a resounding crack of skin meeting skin.

Jack suppressed, with huge difficulty, the urge to dive at the Master. The young man noticed Jack's shoulders twitch and his jaw clench out of the corner of his eye. Without a word, Ianto shook his head, stretched his neck a little and steadied himself, turning to look at Saxon with the same, amused look in his eyes. That seemed to push him over the edge.

Whirling round, he grabbed a handgun out of the holster at the waist of one of Jack's guards and placed the barrel on Ianto's head, pressing down on the cold metal hard. Ianto looked up at Jack, knowing that he was all but over now. Apology glowed in the blue depths for a split second before they hollowed, devoid of life as the Teflon tipped bullet tore through his head and ripped his brain and skull to pieces.

Jack yelled and cried out in rage as he watched Ianto's lifeless body, still gagged and bound, slump sideways, sprawling across the floor where the blood and grey matter began to pool, soaking into the pale carpet…

"Oh God… Ianto, I'm sorry I left you, I'm so, so sorry…" His voice was muffled as he drew a shuddering breath, inhaling the comforting scent of the young man that he'd longed for more than anything whilst he'd been imprisoned.

"It's okay, Jack… You're back now, it's okay." Jack pulled back and looked hard at Ianto, trying to replace the image of his dead body with the image before him: the strong young man who was willing to put aside all Jack's wrong doings towards him to make sure he was okay.

"I love you, Ianto Jones…" he whispered as he leaned forwards, lips brushing gently against Ianto's, breath ghosting over skin, hovering as he ran his nose gently across the soft, pale cheekbone, fighting something inside him that told him it wasn't real, that he didn't deserve Ianto. Without a word, the young man captured his lips and pulled him into an intensely emotional kiss. Who cared if Jack had just vanished? To be returned in this state, he must've already suffered enough.

10. The morning after.

Jack stood in the middle of the living area, dressed in his t-shirt and boxers, rubbing the back of his head as he looked around him. It looked like the Rift had split open in the flat, scattering Ianto's possessions all over the room, the throws and cushions lying precariously, half dragged off the sofa.

Padding across the room, he started to tidy up the mess they'd made the night before. As far as he was aware, Ianto was still sleeping in the nest of bedcovers they'd ended up winding around themselves. Jack smiled to himself at the memory of them both collapsing in exhaustion. Yes, Jack Harkness had been worn out. He soon slipped into the more erotic memories of breathing in time with his lover, the scent of the young man as the air heated up, the feel of skin on skin and the electricity that sparked through him at Ianto's touch.

It's good to be back, he thought with a smile. Since his return, the three separate voices of reason in him had merged together, all advocating the same message now: Be with Ianto, be with him and never let go. He was more than willing to comply.

As he straightened up from folding the throw over the back of the sofa, he felt something rest on his shoulder, followed by arms wrapping loosely around his middle. He chuckled as he heard a stifled yawn and sounds issuing from the young man that suggested he would much rather be back in bed.

"My, my. We really did make a mess in here, didn't we?" Somehow, Jack could tell that Ianto was smiling.

"Yeah…" Jack twisted in Ianto's arms and looked at him. He was squinting a little, his lids heavy with sleep, his hair sticking out at odd angles and a crumpled t-shirt and pair of pyjama trousers thrown on, looking pretty much the same as he had the morning after their first night together. "I'm sorry for this, I shouldn't-"

"Will you please stop apologising to me?" Ianto managed to blink his eyes open a little more, pulling off a reasonably good expression of annoyance.

"But-" Jack frowned a little, suddenly worried that maybe things weren't settled between them.

"Jack! Honestly, if you insist on apologising every time we get into something as amazing as last night, then there won't be any more of them." Ianto leaned his head back on Jack's shoulder and sighed happily. "Thank you for coming back home, Jack."

Jack smiled as he tightened his grip on the young man, enjoying the feeling of security and comfort his presence provided. "It's good to be back home."