At it again :) This time if from Jack's POV. Please let me know what you think?

Fury couldn't even come close to describing it.

The SUV wove in and out of traffic on the M4, breaking both speed and safety limits. The driver hardly paid attention to the other angry motorists, singularly concerned with his mission. He even took the vehicle onto the shoulder when necessary, refusing the slow down for others who couldn't be bothered to move over to the slower side, or heck, even pull over themselves when he chose to flash the lights. The interior was quiet, filled only with the sounds of breathing and the occasional groans coming from the backseat. Jack took a moment to glance in the rearview mirror, looking in on the occupants as Owen assessed their injuries. Beside him, Tosh stared blankly out the window, clearly shell shocked, but not tired enough to pass out for the duration of the drive. Jack felt the tires take another bump as he pulled around another car in his path, and he heard some rustling in the back.

"Jack, take it easy on the bumps, eh!"

"I thought you said you wanted them back in the hub sooner than later," he replied tersely. He could feel his teeth grinding as he spoke the words. Too much time had been wasted dealing with the local police; they should have been back long before now.

"Yes, but I would like two conscious non-puking patients when we get there."

Jack inhaled through his teeth before raising his foot off the gas pedal slightly. He would keep the SUV on the road, but that would be about all he was willing to concede. The quiet words of comfort coming from Owen in the back only heightened his desire to get back to the city as soon as possible. The doctor was about as comforting as a cactus most of the time, so if he was being gentle, Jack took it as a sign that things were about as bad as he feared.

He chanced another glance in the back and saw that Owen had turned his attention to Gwen. Her injuries had mostly been treated on site, but he still was monitoring her pain level. They had nicked some supplies from the paramedics at the scene, but both of them would feel better once everyone had been checked out in the familiarity of the medical bay. Ianto was slumped against the door and barley moving. Jack hoped the young man would be able to get a little sleep, something that would hopefully take his pain away temporarily. The way Ianto held his side was an indication of some bruised and possibly broken ribs, and there was a stiffness in his movements earlier that Jack hoped belonged to having spent most of the night on a rough surface.

It was nearing early evening by the time they made it back into the city. Jack slowed his speed some more, merging into the general flow as he navigated his way towards the waterfront. Ianto was out the door the second they stopped in the garage, and Owen followed more slowly, helping Gwen down to be checked out. Jack looked over to Tosh, putting his hand on her shoulder lightly. "Hey, we're back."

The woman blinked, confusing marring her features, "Have we been driving this whole time? I must've spaced out."

Jack nodded, not sure what to say. Tosh had always been somewhat of an enigma concerning her emotions. She tended to hide herself when dealing with stress or trauma of any kind. He decided to focus on what he could do for her, which was make sure she was not injured, "Owen is down with Gwen already. Go and have him check you out before you leave."

"I'm fi-"

"I'm sure you are," he cut her off. "But we've all been though a lot today, and I would feel better if we made sure." He waited until she met his eyes, asserting his authority in a quiet way that he knew would win her over. "Please."

Tosh pursed her lips before nodding, unbuckling her seat belt exiting the SUV.

Jack sighed, rubbing his eyes before leaving his own seat. He walked around the rear of the vehicle to see Ianto leaned against the back door, slightly bent. He seemed to be trying to breathe deeply, but only managing short gasps. "Ianto?" he asked softly. The Welshman's eyes met his, his expression one of pain. Jack stepped closer, closing his arm around the man's waist and walking them slowly into the hub. He tried to be careful, allowing the injured man set the pace of their descent. Ianto must have been feeling very poorly, as Jack was sure his help would not be welcomed so easily under other circumstances.

By the time they reached the bay, Owen was busying himself checking over the girls. He helped Ianto onto the table next to them, and took a place just behind, ready to be of assistance. He crossed his arms over his chest, his expression grim as he surveyed his team. While concerned, he was immensely grateful they all came back from this adventure. Things should have ended so much worse than they did. Jack couldn't help but feel guilty at the outcome. He had really screwed things up. Even looking back, he wasn't sure what course of action would have avoided this completely, but he took it upon himself to ensure the well being of his team. In that, this mission had been a spectacular failure. Two of his team members had significant injuries, and all of them almost became the victims of a truly twisted and sickening practice.

It would have been so much easier if the culprits really had been aliens. The fallout from this could be much, much worse. In all his time on Earth, he had seen the human race do despicable things to each other, but his team had so far been sheltered from that. That protection; the assurance that whatever else is fucked with the galaxy could be forgotten with their fellow man, was shattered now.

Jack brought his hands back up to Ianto's shoulders, keeping the man steady after Owen injected something in his arm. He could feel Ianto's body rise as he was finally able to take a deeper breath, relaxing more into his touch. The slight trembling under his fingers was worrisome, potentially an sign of shock. He watched Owen complete his exam of the girls, sending them out of the bay so they could lay Ianto out to be looked at. Jack could see Ianto's eyes go slightly out of focus before closing, and the captain cupped the side of his face lightly before stepping back for Owen to bring the scanner to the table.

Jack should have killed those bastards when he had a chance. He could feel the anger that had finally begun to dissipate creep back into his muscles as Owen listed off the injuries the man in front of them received. He shared an almost disbelieving look with the doctor when they learned what exactly the cannibals had used to "tenderize" Ianto, and he could feel his eyes prickle in sympathy at the thought of what torture they had subjected his archivist to. Their attention was drawn back down to the table, and he could see Ianto was beginning to relive the events in his own mind. His breath shortened again, and pained whimpers started coming out with each exhale.

"Ianto," he said softly, unable to keep away. He pulled the man's left hand into his own, feeling the answering squeeze, and caressed the stubbled cheek he held before. "Ianto, stay with me," he pleaded. Jack searched the face under his hand, hoping he could get through the fear rolling off the man in waves. Blue eyes finally opened in response, and Jack smiled with relief. "That's good. Focus on here, you're safe here."

"Jack," Owen said, bringing his focus into the rest of the bay. Tosh was leaning against the railing above, watching the scene unfold with barely concealed concern. Gwen was sitting not far behind on one of the office chairs, holding her side lightly. "I can treat some of his scrapes and give him something for the pain, but there's only so much I will be able to do at this point. A lot of this will have to heal on its own." Owen began preparing a tray of antiseptic, along with a syringe of what looked like a sedative.

"Is there anything more you can do Owen?" Tosh asked in a pleading tone. "He wouldn't be this badly injured if we had been faster getting to him."

"What happened out there Toshiko?" Jack asked, leaving his hand in Ianto's grip, but otherwise straightening his body to face the woman directly. He listened intently as Tosh described what happened, beginning in the basement. Ianto had been so brave, making the decision to sacrifice himself so Tosh could attempt to get help for the both of them. He felt his fingers tighten as she described the house, the smell, and Evan's expression at their preparations.

It made the man happy. Gwen wasn't the only person who would be haunted by those words.

Owen also seemed shaken at hearing the events, uncharacteristically silent as he finished the preparations. Jack turned back to Ianto and focused his attention on the doctor as the treatment was described. He quickly volunteered to keep watch over the young man, knowing that Ianto would likely insist on going home alone. If Jack was being completely honest, it was also because he wasn't ready to let the man out of his sight. Owen rounded the table and gave him further care instructions before going to his medicine cabinet and giving him a bag of pain medication. The sedative was already having an effect on Ianto, but Owen assured him it was mild, flipping the lights lower in the bay as he ascended the stairs. Jack quickly shed his overcoat, covering Ianto in its warmth and joining the others.

The group talked for a short while, continuing to decompress after the events of the day. Jack made the girls promise to let Owen drive them home, and told each of them they were not to come in for the next few days, Gwen especially. Owen promised he would return the next day for a quick follow up with Ianto, but other than that, everything would be put on hold so to speak, rift permitting. He saw them out, taking the time to make sure the nightly duties were completed and the hub powered down. By the time he returned to the bay, Ianto was sitting up, holding his head stiffly. Jack rushed down the stairs to brace the young man before he tipped over.

"Careful," he encouraged, helping Ianto to dangle his legs and sit more upright. He answered Ianto's question about where the others were as he hopped on the table. Ianto leaned into him, and Jack grasped his side gently. "How are you feeling?"

Ianto's mumble was hard to hear, but sounded about right considering the medication he was already on. He was lucid enough to answer the question about moving to the bunker, and Jack made to get up and help before Ianto stopped him, meeting his eyes with a slightly hazy blue gaze. "Thank you." When Jack pressed, he was given "Coming for us," in reply.

The look in Ianto's eyes told more to this statement than he was actually saying. Jack knew he had been holding back with some of his attention in recent weeks, preferring to allow their relationship begin anew. Events in the last day were making him realize that he couldn't wait forever, and if there was ever going to be anything between them, he needed to make some strides. Caring for Ianto and making him feel safe would be a good place to start.

Jack stood, bringing his body in front of Ianto's, pushing his way in between the man's knees. He framed Ianto's face between his tanned fingers and brushed a kiss over the forehead, followed by one on the lips. He felt his heart stutter slightly at even this barest intimacy, and rested his head against Ianto's. "I will always come back for you," he promised.

After ensuring his jacket was wrapped securely around his charge, Jack navigated them through the hud and down the ladder into his bunker. He led Ianto by the hand into his private bathroom, turning to seek his permission to continue. He was thankful to realize that Ianto not only trusted him in this state, but apparently had been sharing similar thoughts regarding their potential encounters. Jack could feel the grin on his face as he stripped to his boxers and approached Ianto, kissing his temple.

Jack tried to help shed Ianto's clothing carefully, well aware that the movements were causing additional pain across sore and abused muscles. He dropped to his knees once the actual picture of the damage was finally exposed, tears once again in his eyes. He couldn't help himself and reached out to repeatedly caress and kiss the bruises across Ianto's ribs and chest. What those monsters did to this man was unforgivable, and he once again wished he had finished what he started when bursting in the house. He continued to stroke the injuries gently, until he felt Ianto grasp his shoulders. Once again on his feet, he pulled Ianto into his own body, seeking to cradle and protect the young man, and ran his fingers through the short black hair.

The shower was slow, filled with steam and soap, and comfort. Jack had Ianto hold onto his hips as he took the time to wash the filth off of Ianto's body. He kept his touch firm, using his fingers to massage and soothe away the wears of the mission. He lightened the pressure around the visibly injured areas, and focused on letting Ianto relax into the heat. When he was sure Ianto was clean, he wrapped the man in his arms again. Jack murmured along Ianto's hairline, not really speaking, but just allowing his lips to brush small caresses until the head was so heavy with exhaustion it rested along his shoulder.

After shutting the water off, Jack helped Ianto out and tenderly dried his body. Knowing how painful the shirt was to remove, Jack settled for putting on a pair of boxers, doing the same to himself, before helping Ianto into his bed. He crouched next to the edge, pulling the covers up and tucking them around the man's shoulders. He noticed Ianto gazing at him, and he leaned forward to kiss the soft lips one more time. "Sleep."

"Stay?"

He didn't need to be asked twice. They both needed this. Jack allowed Ianto to shift backwards slightly before joining him, pulling the body close again. Ianto kissed him and settled into his chest, falling asleep almost instantly.

Rest didn't come so easily for Jack. He had been awake as long as the others, but his body was still tense and ready for action. He breathed in the clean smell of Ianto's body against his and relaxed his hold, rubbing up and down the pale skin of his back with his palm. He kept his movements light, not wanting to disturb the sleeping form, but needing the physical reassurance that everything was going to be alright.

The rest could be dealt with in the morning.