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Chapter Four

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It was midnight, twenty hours since Ianto had come back and one hour since he had woken up. Jack had sent them all home, but they had refused.

Owen was playing Tetris, a game he'd taken up recently to avoid doing work, which wasn't very unusual. Tosh was beating her own records in Sudoku and Gwen just sort of sat there between the two of them, while keeping her gaze directed at the autopsy bay, a frown marring her face.

When Ianto... or not Ianto had woken up, they had rushed over, but Jack had waved them back, saying he had it under control. Owen had argued he had to look at his patient, but even that excuse wasn't accepted. They retreated back to their workstations and waited impatiently while Jack and Ianto (or not Ianto) spoke.

The last half hour had been silent, though, and Gwen was worried.

She'd seen how upset Jack had been after Ianto disappeared and now he was back just like that. At least Jack had refused them to pack away Ianto life just yet, so Ianto would have a home... if it was Ianto, of course.

'I think it is Ianto,' she said loudly.

Owen temporarily stopped his game and Tosh multitasked.

'What makes you so sure?' Owen said.

'That was Jack and John Hart down in the autopsy bay. I'm sure of it,' Gwen said stubbornly.

'What makes you so sure it was them? What evidence do you have that it was them?' Tosh said, still looking at her screen.

'Come on, this is Ianto. You know, loving and loyal Ianto. He'd follow Jack even in time.'

'She's got a point,' Owen said. 'This is the Teaboy we're talking about.'

'Ianto's more than just the bloody Teaboy, Owen,' Tosh said, sounding.

Just as her words rang across the Hub, Ianto appeared up the stairs with Jack walking behind him. He still looked worse for wear with blood smeared on his hands and jacket, waistcoat and shirt opened to reveal the wound Owen had stitched open, but he appeared calm enough and free of handcuffs.

'Thanks, Toshiko,' he said with his trademark little smile.

Tosh visibly froze and instantly turned around wide-eyed. She then stood up and ran towards him, but stopped right in front of him, possibly unsure if it actually was him.

'It's him,' Jack said softly and Tosh flung herself into Ianto's arms.

Gwen wasn't far behind.

Ianto hugged them back longer than she would have expected. He had never been one to seek physical touch, not like Gwen sought it out, and therefore it was strange behaviour for him. That was until he hissed in pain.

'Sorry,' he muttered. 'It's the wound. I really should get cleaned up.'

'Yeah, you sort of stink,' Tosh commented with a bright smile.

'I did spend the last four months in a warzone. Running water is a luxury,' he said with a shrug and limped away towards the showers underneath the main Hub.

'How long was he gone for?' Owen asked when Ianto had disappeared from view.

'He says six years,' Jack replied, crossing arms across his chest. 'He also said that he had become a Time Agent.'

'Like you and John Hart?' Tosh asked.

'Apparently yeah, except John and I aren't active agents,' he said.

'But Ianto is? Active that is?' Gwen asked.

Jack nodded. 'Ianto is following another timeline where the Agency hasn't disbanded and that worries me.'

'Why?' Tosh asked.

'You don't really leave the Time Agency, that's why.'

With that last statement, Jack stalked into his office and shut the door with a bang.

...

The blood flowed down into the drain, swirling around in a pink mesh, while he scrubbed away the evidence of the mortal Jack's wound. The door was closed behind him, closed and locked for any intrusion. The water was scalding, but that was as luxury he hadn't been able to enjoy for a while.

The years away hadn't changed his physical looks much, apart from the scars, but even he could recognise the change. His eyes were hard, hardened by bloodshed and years spent around misery. They resembled Jack's age-old blue eyes, but fortunately, for Ianto's mental health, even he hadn't reached the point of misery Jack kept hidden away.

It had been six years since he'd woken up, having come through the Rift and landed in an unfamiliar place. Six years spent trying to return to Torchwood and now that he was back... maybe he shouldn't have come back.

The clothes would have to go. He had promised to stay under the radar, but he'd worn roughly the same clothes for four years and it would be hard to depart from. He would have to be less armed too, something he felt less than thrilled about. They were a comfortable weight, strapped to his sides and under his arms. But Jack had certain rules about guns in the Hub (and since Ianto would spend a lot of time there in the future), the guns would go... or at least hidden with easy access.

The Vortex Manipulator would stay. Oh, it would stay. He'd never depart from that thing again!

...

It was early in the morning before anyone left the Hub. Ianto had converted back into his posh suits that had been kept hidden in Jack's office, something Gwen had decided not to dwell on for too long and had started the long and depressing (in her mind, he seemed to enjoy it) clean-up after the week in earth time he had been gone. He had even fussed over the coffee machine, but had failed to operate it to his own satisfactory standards. The others hadn't complained since Owen had started making the coffee while Ianto had been gone and it was absolutely terrible.

Jack had been oddly quiet, following Ianto with his eyes while Ianto had made his way around the Hub like he had never left.

'Jack?' Gwen said tentatively, standing in the doorway to his office. .

'Go home,' he said, sitting behind his desk.

She ignored him and sat down in front of him. 'I just wanted you to know...' she began. 'If you needed to talk...'

'There's nothing to talk about,' Jack interrupted her sternly.

Gwen sighed. 'I know...'

'Gwen!' he said and now he looked angry. 'Stay out of it!'

She threw her hands in the air. 'Fine, Jack. See you tomorrow then.'

Ianto was on his way up when she went down and he gave her a nod and a small smile. She gave him a nod and smile in return. She stopped, though, at the foot of the stairs and looked back up.

'Ianto,' she called.

He froze, hand on the doorknob to Jack's office, and turned around. 'Yes?'

'I'm glad you're back,' she told him.

He frowned at her. 'Yeah,' he said and disappeared inside Jack's office.

...

Joseph Hall. Joseph Hall. Joseph Hall. Joseph Hall. Joseph Hall...

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