Title: In the pain there is healing

Fandom's: Torchwood/Doctor Who

Characters/Pairings: Jack/Ianto, Rhys/Gwen, Rhys/Donna, Andy/Kathy, John/Tosh, Doctor/Isabella, James/Jenny, Tom/Martha and Mickey/Jake

Summary: How long can one person takes been the second choice before they break? And have Ianto and Rhys reached that point?

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: Gwen bashing

Spoilers: Torchwood S2 'Meat' and 'Something Borrowed'

Disclaimer: I do not own Torchwood, I am willing to take ownership of Ianto and Jack since RTD can not take care of them. I do own James and Isabella and all other original characters.

Chapter 1

How much more of this was he meant to take? How much more can he take that pretending that it's not slowly killing him to always been the after thought, because he was tired, so very tired of everything.

Tired of all the looks, tried of the lingering touches between the two of them, and tried of the jealousy his lover carried over her.

But most of all he was tried of been second best, of been the second choice.

He deserves to be much more than Jack Harkness second choice.

He tried so hard to let this be enough, but the incident with the space whale and now this, their dance, in front of him and the real groom acting like they are the newly wed couple. Not giving a damn about who they hurt. It was too much.

He was slowly dying inside and his so called lover didn't even notice.

Tonight it ends.

To save what is left of his heart, before there is nothing left to save.

That's why he found the courage to dance with Jack, one last time to feel those strong arms wrapped around him, one last time to breathe in his scent, one last time to be with Jack.

Because even if Jack doesn't see it, this is Ianto way of saying goodbye.

She must think him a fool. That he doesn't know that if Jack never left we would have never gotten married.

He's not blind to the looks, the touches or the way her eyes shine with love when she looks at him or talks about him.

He thought everything would change the moment she said yes. How stupid was he.

Ever since she met that bloody Captain Jack Harkness, he has become her second choice.

And now he has gone and married a woman who doesn't love him. If Jack gave her the word she would be gone, leaving him in the dust with a broken heart.

He thought he loved her enough to deal with Jack's presence in their lives, to be able to live with the feelings that exist between the two.

But he can't a person can only handle been second best before breaking under the hurt and pain.

Rhys realized he thought wrong, because sometimes love isn't enough something he has learned too late.

Something has changed in Ianto. Something was off as they danced. Ianto was distant, like he was distancing himself from Jack. That thought chilled Jack deep within his soul.

He can't lose Ianto.

It was the idea of coming back to his beautiful Welshman that kept him going during that year of hell. It was Ianto alone that gave him the strength to endure what the Master put him threw.

But lately he has been noticing the sparkle was slowly beginning to die out in those blue eyes of Ianto that he loves so much, and it killed Jack to think that it was him who killed that sparkle. He knows he hasn't been the world's most caring lover, but that would change. He will show Ianto how much he needs him; he will prove to Ianto that he loves him.

Jack just prays it's not too late, that he hasn't destroyed whatever hope Ianto had left for him.

She knows she let herself get carried away dancing in Jack's arms. But it felt so good to finally be held by the handsome immortal that she hadn't thought about what everyone was thinking.

She didn't think about Ianto, who she knows has fallen for Jack.

And most importantly she didn't think about how this would look towards her new husband, the man not hours ago she pledged her undying love to.

How badly she must have hurt Rhys, something she never wanted to do. But she can't help but wonder what could have been with Jack, how good it felt to be held in his strong arms.

How it would have felt marry Jack today instead of Rhys? And she nearly cried as she thought how much happier she would have been if that were true.

Owen and Tosh were not blind; they witness first hand how Jack and Gwen careless behaviour hurt Ianto and Rhys.

They along with everyone had watched as Jack and Gwen acted like it was their wedding, and they had seen the hope die in both Ianto and Rhys.

Tosh's heart broke completely for the two men, and angry filled her that Jack and Gwen could hurt these two amazing men like that.

Owen make not act like it but he does care for Ianto and he has watch as Jack has torn him apart time and time again. Rhys, he will never be that close of friends with, his affair with Gwen forever tarnishing that chance, but still he did not deserver to be treated second best on his own wedding day. It would sever Jack and Gwen right if Ianto and Rhys dumped their arses.

Because it is clear that Gwen and Jack have no idea just how badly they have hurt the two men and that is going to cost them when Ianto and Rhys finally grow tired of been second best.

'Not good.' For so long she has wanted her lonely captain to be happy and now the one she knew was destined to be his greatest of love was slipping away.

Jack Harkness and Ianto Jones are entwined together in ways not yet known to them. And Rhys Williams the beautiful soul is destined to help another one of her children. She will not let some silly girl ruin a loves that are destined to last for eternity.

Someone needs to fix this and she knows just the right people to do so.

TBC…