A/N: Um surprise?

I was procrastinating from trying to write Miracle Day and ended up with this... Enjoy

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Lucy stood at the back of the queue. She was desperate to run away but found herself unable to move. It was like her feet had been superglued to the floor and it was only the volunteer reminding her to move that meant she took another couple of stumbled steps forward.

This way a bad idea. A universally bad idea. The last time she saw this face she had been promising him she'd return; that they'd get on a plane and get married. The last time she saw him she'd lied to his face and now she was queuing to get a photo with his double. With Becky.

It had been agreed that Becky would get to come home for two weeks over the summer to see how it went and to begin to introduce the idea of it finally happening full time again. And the convention was something that they both wanted to go to although Becky had been pushing for it for a while. Lucy hadn't been sure as she had seen that Gareth David Llyod was going to be there. But here they were, queueing for a professional photo with the body double of the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. Of the man who gave her the ring that lived on her ring finger of her left hand.

"Come on!" Becky said tugging at her sister's arm as the queue moved again. She had paid for the photo with her pocket money as a surprise and present for her sister, knowing how much of a fan Lucy was of the show and Ianto in particular. Lucy didn't have the heart to tell Becky she hadn't watched Torchwood for a year and that the photo of the hub and the team on her laptop wasn't a print screen from the TV but instead one she had taken from just outside Jack's office soon after she had arrived. She found herself staring at it more often than not, remembering that moment and the sounds that went with it as well. How was she supposed to explain that her tales of Torchwood weren't the same? That she agreed that the Cyberwoman didn't look great and on TV it was clear that she had been designed like that for sex appeal and to make it clear that she was a woman. When all she thought she when she saw the image was of the fear when she was strapped to that table and she could hear the whirring of the machine above her. The smell of the BBQ sauce and the sight of Myfanwy swooping down for dinner. The despair on Ianto's face and the look on her team mates as she locked the door behind her and ran down the corridor to deal wit hthe problem alone. The stain of the blood on her hands that would never be cleaned and the weight of the body bag as she tried to hide it before Ianto found out. The image that haunted her dreams. The first moment she had killed someone and the joy of Torchwood vanished with the harsh reality of existance. And that was just one episode. One hour length tale to the rest of the world that was something to lovingly mock and take apart and discuss the same way academics did Shakespeare.

But Becky had been so excited when she told Lucy what she had baught, that there was no way Lucy could back out of it, she would do anything to make Becky happy. So here she was. Queueing for a photo with not-Ianto. He was wearing the kind of clothes that normally only Lucy saw, normal clothes for when he wasn't Ianto Jones, Torchwood. For when he was just Ianto, a normal bloke in his 20s going out with his girlfriend to the cinema or lounging around the house. For when he didn't need the shield of professionality around him. She loved those moments with him, when they got back to the house and he threw is suit jacket over the back of the sofa and allowed her shirt to get wrinkled before he finally decalred himself home and put on a pair of jeans while she got on with the cooking.

He looked over and smiled at her, or at least it looked like he was smiling at her. He was probably just smiling at the sight of the queue shortening and the day nearly being over. It was then that the difference between him and Ianto was clear. His eyes didn't hold the weight of the world or secrets, let alone any love for her. This was just a man who played a part, the suit wasn't a way of keeping himself seperate from the danger it was a costume. He didn't know that what it meant to have that shield, or to need that shield.

This wasn't right, she shouldn't be here. But the queue was moving again and they were even closer to the front. Becky excitedly handed the two tickets over to the volunteer.

There was only four people ahead of them now; bags were placed down on the table

Three people; "Do you want one photo together or two seperate?"
Two people; "Together." Becky replied when it was clear that Lucy wasn't going to.

One person; oh god this was it. She wanted to grab him and never let go. A thousand apologies were on her lips.

"Hi." Becky said bounding up to him as soon as the previous person was clear, not giving Lucy any more time to work out what to say or do. Becky wasn't shy or scared about the world in any way shape or form.

"Hiya." He replied.

"You're in Lucy's favourite TV show. She has your picture on her computer."

"I have a photo of the hub on my laptop." Lucy replied quickly, this man might not be Ianto but there was no need to make a bad impression.

"It's got him in it." Becky replied rolling her eyes, clearly saying that she didn't see the difference.

"It's not the same besides, he doesn't want to know that. I'm sure he wants to go to lunch. So let's just get our photo."

"I don't mind. I've got some more signing to do before lunch anyway." Gareth replied. "So how do you want the photo?"
"Together. It's Lucy's birthday present. I saved up for ages."

"Happy Birthday." He said with a smile as Becky moved over to one side of him and Lucy stayed on the other. "No particular pose?"

"No thanks." Lucy said finding her voice as she tried not to think of her birthday. Of Ianto taking her away for the weekend to the french alps and it pissing down with rain the entire time, of him joking that they may as well as have stayed in Wales. But they just threw on rain coats and went out walking anyway. Of how gorgeous he looked in that moment, hair plastered to his face and in a yellow anarak. How she knew it that one moment that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him but was also aware of the limited time that was left before the 456 and how she could never let him walk into that building. Ianto had just grinned at her and gave up on reading the map. They had managed to find a small cafe and they had left with a new blend of coffee running as quickly as they could in the break in the weather.

"Can I have a hug?" Becky asked and Gareth nodded.

"Course you can." He offered and pulled her into his side. Lucy couldn't help but smile at them and said to the volunteer who was standing at the side in a blue t-shirt.

"I'll give you money for another photo of just the two of them." It wouldn't be the same of course but it would be something, something with both of the two most important people in her world in. The volunteer looked over at the team leader, in red, and she nodded at the photographer. Lucy pulled to the side quickly and the photo was taken. Not-Ianto smiled at her and gestured for her to join them for the photo of the group.

Before she knew it she was in Ianto's arms again, if she didn't look directly at him she would imagine that she was back home and that nothing had changed. Except it was over in an instant and they were being gestured away, back to pick up their bags and the prints and for Lucy to pay for that extra photo.

It was bitter sweet and she didn't know how she'd managed it but it was over. Becky grinned up at her holding both photos and Lucy couldn't help but smile back. This would all come back to haunt her that night but for that moment she was ok.

A/N: So yeah, this was a thing. For the record I am trying to write Miracle Day but it's fighting me (mostly because I don't like it I reckon) but I do have ideas for how to make it work...
HOWEVER I am working on a different AU Lucy story. I would say expect it soon but I've signed up to Camp NaNo to work on my own original stuff. Maybe expect the first chapter in May. I'll put the first chapter on here as well as making it its own story.

As always I love all of you, the amount of love I had for this story and for Lucy was immense. I would recommend you all go and search for 'Crouching SunRose' as she's written a story called 'Love From Outside' which is this story but from Ianto's point of view. I really enjoy it and although she hasn't updated it for a while I talk to her regularly and know that she IS still working on it.

Please review and let me know what you think of this little one shot

Rea