AN: This is AU set at the start of season two all TW characters remain the same... so it's not massively uncannon.

Dedicated to Lucy who isn't a fan fic person at all but she is one of my best buddies....

'A TASTE FOR DEATH' IS GOING TO BE RE WRITTEN DUE TO MASSIVE PLOT HOLES AND EXTREME CRAPPINESS ON THE PART OF MY WRITING.... SO I DECIDED TO START SOMETHING NEW AND HOPE I DO BETTER.........

NORTHERN LIGHTS: PART ONE

It was a beautiful night and Ianto could only marvel at the sight of the stars glistening above him in the black. He had to privately admit that he loved it up in Scotland away from his demons and his memories. He was glad that he had listened to Mel and stayed on after getting Torchwood Two back on its proverbial feet. He enjoyed running the show and no one from Cardiff interfered, trusting him to get on. It didn't matter that he was in fact the senior most member of the Torchwood institute now that Jack was gone. He had wanted to leave within days of Gwen taking charge. It wasn't that he objected to her taking the initiative, he just hated being in that Hub with Lisa's ghost and the pitying stares from Owen and Tosh as he went about his work in Jack's absence. Ianto was ready to move on. He had hoped, for the briefest of moments, that Jack's disappearance was not of his own free will, but Jack had fled and Ianto had foundered in the wake of it. He knew how pathetic that made him, but Jack had pulled him back from the brink of madness and become his anchor and Ianto was lost without his steady presence. Now he had this, his own branch of Torchwood, people who looked up to him, who respected him and people he liked to work with. Ianto missed Tosh and even Owen but he was glad to be away from Gwen, he had never really got along with her, didn't trust her. Still, she was proving to be effective in her running of Torchwood Three, he had to give her that.

He stood by the side of the road and gazed upwards for a moment before glancing at his watch. It was 21:56 hours so if the previous two nights were anything to go by then the light show would start in 4 minutes. Jordan his team mate was standing a short distance away, his young face illuminated by a pale yellow glow that came from his PDA. Ianto turned his gaze back to the heavens arching over them in the middle nowhere, well, not far from Loch Lomond in reality, though in this darkness it could have been anywhere. The only sounds being the occasional fox bark and the screeching of a distant owl. The air was bitter with chill, but still as glass and Ianto was quietly grateful because last night there had been a howling gale and he and Ben had been freezing their arses off, trying to take their readings from the inside of the SUV. Jordan's voice split the silence.

"Here they come."

Brilliant light burst into life above them and from out of nowhere three luminous spheres flitted across the black. They bobbed about the sky flitting around one another like silent fire flies. Ianto could feel the hairs on his neck tingle with the static that came with them and he watched in awe as they danced in the night sky. After a moment he raised his camcorder and began to record the display as Jordan took the readings.

"They're over the Loch again."

Ianto nodded. "I guess we need to go and follow them then."

Jordan led the way, a small flashlight aimed at the ground as they climbed a field gate and headed into the night.

Jack Harkness had to admit that he was sincerely glad to see the back of John Hart. He was happy to be home, for the most part but with the whole business of avoiding themselves for twelve hours came the time to ask some questions about what had been going on in his absence. Naturally he brushed aside all attempts from his team to find out what He had been doing as they sat in the hotel bar he looked at each member of team with affection. They were alive and apparently well and none the wiser as to the year that didn't happen, he was eternally grateful for that. Gwen had asked for answers and had yelled at him and when she had gone to bar to get a round in Owen had announced that the former police officer was going to marry Rhys. The engagement ring was nowhere in evidence and Owen knew damn well she'd slipped it off the moment Jack had stepped back into their lives. Jack had taken the news well and had congratulated Gwen the moment she had placed the tray of drinks on the table in front of them. She had glared at Owen with undisguised venom and Tosh and Owen exchanged grins at her expense. Jack was oblivious. He only had one overriding question for his team.

"So, is anyone going to tell me where Ianto is?"

Suddenly they were all looking in different directions and sipping their drinks, so Jack tried again because he was worried and disappointed in equal measure by the young man's absence.

"What happened to Ianto, where is he?"

It was Owen who finally spoke. "A few weeks after you left Archie Cavanagh had a fatal heart attack. Ianto now runs Torchwood Two. He went up there with the intention of closing it down, but he stayed. It's been very good up there actually, heaps better.... no disrespect to Archie but he was a drunken bumb and never got anything done. Ianto's turned the place around, recruited two staff and TW2..... well mate it's the dogs bollocks now." Owen was smiling uncomfortably.

Jack was glaring. "Why did he stay?"

Tosh then put down her vodka tonic and sighed. "He was..... he was devastated when you ran out on us Jack, all set to leave Torchwood and go to UNIT. They offered him a good job, but then Archie happened and Mel convinced him to go up there to help her sort things out. I think he just needed something."

Gwen rolled her eyes. "Don't be so maudlin Tosh, Ianto's having great time up there; he and Mel are really tight."

Owen picked up his pint. "Probably got something to do with the fact that he saved her life when the Cybermen were raging through Canary Wharf. The point is Glasgow is running at full tilt and the archive at Torchwood House is finally being fully catalogued and we have access to it and all the toys stored up there." He took a long deep draught of his beer and smacked his lips. "He's still miserable as sin, over neat and we are all suffering from massive coffee withdrawal and we want him back. We didn't realise how handy he was until he left."

Gwen baulked. "Rubbish, we're managing just fine. Simone is great, she runs the tourist office and does the stuff that Ianto did with no trouble." She enthused, smiling brightly at Jack.

Tosh winced. "She's a secretary with no brain."

"So was Ianto."

Three pairs of eyes turned to Gwen. "Whoa, that's a bit unkind." Owen responded, he had missed the quiet Welshman more than he cared to admit. "Ianto was bloody good and we were stupid to let him go, but he needed to leave, he was..... well he was pretty unhappy, still is as far as I can tell."

Jack sighed realising that it was probably his fault. He drank down his glass of water. "So how have the rest of you been?"

Owen smirked at the change of subject. "Yeah, we're good. Pissed at you for leaving but to be honest after what we did, who could blame you. We're ok Jack, really."

Tosh was nodding in agreement but also yawning. "Just glad you're home. You are staying aren't you?"

Jack smiled at her. "I can't promise that I won't disappear again, but next time you'll be told and I will come back as soon as I'm done."

Gwen leant against him and wrapped her arms around his. "Well just remember that we need you and we'd miss you if left us again."

Jack edged his arm out of her grip. "Tosh, do you have Ianto's phone number?"

She rummaged in her handbag and pulled out her mobile and passed it to Jack with a knowing smile.

"Go and call him and give it back in the morning." She encouraged.

Jack grinned at her and stood up. "I'm going to turn in, hopefully Ianto won't hang up on me." He turned in a swirl of coat tails and left for his room. Gwen watched him depart and then sighed, getting up herself.

"I'll see you two in the morning."

Owen narrowed his eyes at her departing back. "Subtlety never was her strong suit."

Tosh could only agree.

Melicia Singh was rather surprised when the phone rang in Ianto's office at 14:35am. Her boss was out investigating reports of strange lights in the sky not far from the city but she knew that he would not be back for at least another couple of hours. Clicking her tongue she trundled her wheelchair across the room and reached the door to the office just as the phone stopped ringing. The voice mail clicked in and her eyes turned saucer sized at sounds of Captain Harkness' voice.

"Hey Ianto, it's Jack. I'm home and you're not. Please pick up if you're there I really need to hear those beautiful Welsh vowels...... I've missed you so much..... I've got Tosh's phone for the night, please call....."

Mel reached into her pouch which was secured to the right arm of her wheelchair and pulled out her mobile. She dialled her boss' number and Ianto picked up straight away and she was greeted by his sombre tone.

"Hi Mel, everything ok?"

"Yes, boss. I thought you should know there's a message for you from Captain Jack Harkness. I'm guessing he's back in Cardiff."

She heard his breath hitch down the phone.

"I see. Well I will have to deal with it in the morning."

"You got pretty lights out there again?"

"Yes, three of them this time, Jordan and I are on our way back now, they stopped at 2am again so we should be with you in half an hour."

Mel smiled. "I'll get the coffee pot on then."

"Thank's Mel, you're a life saver."

She said good bye and hung up. With phone in her lap she gripped the wheels of her chair and made her way to the kitchenette behind her work station. The floor of 'Scot Hub' no longer the obstacle course it once was when Archie was alive, she missed the old bugger but Ianto was a far more considerate boss and he always looked after her.

Ianto hung up, his heart sinking to his stomach, just when he'd got his life back on track. Shit!