Author's Note: This is a sequel to my story When the Levee Breaks. I recommend reading that beforehand. This is an intermission story taking place during the Doctor Who episodes The Stolen Earth and Journey's End and will be followed by a Children of Earth based series called The Battle of Evermore.

Now I've got friends who will give me their shoulder,

Event I should happen to fall

Jack was overjoyed. He had been waiting for two months for Ianto to finally agree to move in with him and the young man had given the go ahead just two days before. Jack moved rapidly and since he had secretly been shopping real estate, he had a place already picked out. He had so much money saved up over his 100+ years in Cardiff that he was able to buy it flat out with no mortgage. The small house was beautiful with three bedrooms and a lovely garden out back. Since Jack had few possessions, the majority of items being moved belonged to Ianto. Rhys volunteered to do it and only needed one truck load as Ianto didn't have many possessions either.

When everything had been moved in, Jack thanked Rhys again and saw him to the door. Ianto was in the kitchen unpacking the dishes and Jack leaned in the doorway watching him. The young man had trouble sleeping and wouldn't eat much causing him to lose weight. Jack wanted him to see a therapist, but Ianto stubbornly refused. He worried all the time about his young lover but was relieved that at least he wasn't in danger from Torchwood. The team missed him dearly and the Hub looked like a tornado had swept through, but Ianto wanted nothing to do with the business of aliens.

"Are you going to stand there watching me or are you going to come help?" Ianto asked without looking away from his task.

Jack grinned, "Oh, I'm quite content with the view." Much to Jack's delight, Ianto had taken to wearing casual clothing and that day he was clad in jeans and a t-shirt. It reminded Jack of the day they first met when Ianto had first tempted him with his beautiful face and slender hips.

Ianto rolled his eyes and Jack approached him taking away the plate in his hand, "We can do that later. Why don't I show you the bedroom?" Jack purred as he placed a light kiss to Ianto's cheek. Ianto shuddered and pulled away causing Jack's face to fall. Ever since the events with Grey, Ianto was still uncomfortable with being touched and it broke Jack's heart. There would be days when Ianto would hold his hand and even kiss him but as soon as Jack tried anything more, Ianto would push him away. The guilt and sadness were sometimes unbearable, but Jack was ready to spend as long as it took to heal the man he loved.

Jack lightly clasped Ianto's hand, "I have a surprise for you."

After the horrific events, Ianto had quickly found out he hated sleeping on beds. Any prolonged time on a bed and his mind flashed to being tied to one while Grey violated him. When he did sleep, which wasn't often, he slept on the sofa. Although he was reluctant to see the bedroom Jack had set up, he could tell it was important so he reluctantly agreed.

Upon entering the master suite, Ianto gasped. There wasn't a bed but two Japanese futons side by side. In fact, the entire room was decorated in traditional Japanese style. Jack grinned widely at Ianto's reaction, "Do you like it?" He asked hopefully.

Ianto nodded in surprise, "It's . . . perfect."

Jack squeezed his hand, "Tosh helped design it. Why don't you try it out?"

Ianto tentatively approached the pristinely white futon and knelt down on it. There were no mattress springs squeaking or intimidating headboard to be strapped to. It was soft, simple, and inviting. Ianto laid down and placed his head on the pillow then looked up at Jack and motioned for him to join. Jack crawled onto the adjacent futon and rolled on his side to face Ianto. Following suit, Ianto turned over and faced Jack.

"Thank you." Ianto said softly then leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Soon, Ianto deepened the kiss and ran his fingers through Jack's hair. Feeling comfortable with the action, Ianto carefully opened his mouth and allowed Jack to slip in his tongue. Jack responded by placing his hand on Ianto's hip and drawing their bodies close together. When Ianto moaned, Jack moved his kisses across his face to his neck while his hand slid under Ianto's t-shirt.

Ianto rolled onto his back and took Jack's hand away from his stomach. Realizing what he was doing Jack started to apologize but was shocked when Ianto didn't let go of his hand and instead moved it from his to chest to his groin. Feeling his growing erection, Jack began unbuttoning his fly and pressing sweet kisses to his neck. Ianto moaned pleasantly and Jack lowered his head as he lifted Ianto's shirt and peppered his stomach with kisses. He moved his mouth lower still until he reached Ianto's erect cock and began licking the head. He then slid his tongue along the length while jerking with his hand. As he began to suck deeply, he felt Ianto spasm.

Jack looked up to see sweat dripping down Ianto's face and his eyes closed in terror. Scrambling, Jack sat up and took Ianto into his arms trying to calm him down, "Darling, look at me. It's Jack."

Ianto's eyes opened and upon seeing Jack he let out a sigh of relief relaxing his body. He gazed into Jack's eyes and spoke, "I'm so sorry, Cariad. I was enjoying it, but then I began to remember . . ."

Jack shushed him and held him, "Don't apologize; it's my fault. I shouldn't be so pushy. I'll always be here for you."

Ianto rested his head on Jack's chest, "It's not that I don't want you, Jack. I want you so bad sometimes my body aches, but once I actually touch you my mind imagines Grey. I don't even know how I feel about him. Sometimes I hate him for what he did to me and my city, but other times I pity him." Ianto said softly, "He told me I was his first. He was a grown man and yet he had never known the loving touch of another human."

Tears were forming in Jack's eyes. Ianto had never spoken about what exactly happened between him and Grey so it was difficult to hear the details. Ianto could feel Jack crying, but knew he needed to tell him the truth so he pressed on, "He hated himself and what he'd become. The reason he slept so little was because he couldn't close his eyes without seeing the faces of those he'd killed or the eyes of those who tortured him. Killing was all he knew, all he was trained for. He hated how much he enjoyed murder and the beauty he found in explosions. When he found out you were still alive and that you couldn't die, he decided it was his way out. He blew up Cardiff and hurt me to make you kill him in anger. He didn't want it to be suicide or a show of mercy; he wanted to be punished by the person he loved the most."

Jack took several minutes to soak in the implication of Ianto's words. Eventually he sighed and kissed the top of Ianto's head, "He knew . . . he knew who to hurt to make me do it. It was only when you were in danger that I could actually pull the trigger. How did he know that I loved you the most?"

Jack meant the question to be rhetorical but Ianto answered, "John told him."

"Huh?"

"John said he saw it in your eyes." Ianto replied tenderly. Jack knew John as a killer, a sex-fiend, a conman, and a liar, but never as an appreciator of true love making Jack wonder just what John had been telling Ianto.

Ianto felt himself calming in Jack's arms and knew he was on his way to recovery. It wasn't going to be easy, but he could finally feel the darkness in his mind fading. That night they ordered takeaway for dinner, unpacked their essentials, and slept wrapped in each others' arms in their new bedroom. The next day, the Earth was stolen right out from under them.

Since it was the first day in their new home, Jack had decided not to go in to work that day and planned to sleep in with Ianto. However, they were rudely awoken by a tremendous earthquake. After the rumbling subsided, Jack ran outside and looked up in shock. The sky was filled with planets. Unsurprisingly, Jack's mobile rang and to his disappointment Tosh was just as clueless to the situation as he was. Jack figured if the smartest woman in Whales was perplexed then they were in serious trouble.

Running back inside, Jack told Ianto to get dressed and that they were going to the Hub. However, Ianto ignored him and continued to sweep up a lamp that had fallen and smashed. Jack grabbed him by the shoulders and told him more forcefully than necessary, "We don't have time for this! I need you to stop fucking around and go with me to the Hub."

Ianto snarled, "Is that an order, Captain?"

Jack blinked realizing what he had said and scrambled, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it like that. Please just trust me; I wouldn't ask you to do this unless it was life or death." Ianto gazed into Jack's eyes seeing panic and contrition so he relaxed slightly before turning to change into some clothes.

Upon arriving at the Hub, there was visible panic among the team members. John was particularly upset shouting, "This is perfect! I decide to settle down on Earth and it's fucking stolen. Who steals a planet? They have very low retail value."

Gwen looked at him in surprise, "You think the Earth has been stolen?"

John pointed toward the sky, "We're obviously no longer in the same spot in space. We've been hijacked just like those other planets!"

Gwen looked at Jack in worry and the captain nodded, "I'm afraid he's probably right. If any knows about intergalactic theft, it's him."

John continued to pace and fret until he saw Ianto had quietly accompanied Jack, which made his entire demeanor shift. A warm smile spread across his face and he strode up to the young man attempting to place a hand on his cheek. Ianto recoiled nervously and John frowned softly inquiring, "Are you still nervous about contact? That's understandable. Don't worry, I'll keep you safe."

Jack growled and stepped between them to escort Ianto away. Owen intercepted and led Ianto down to the med bay telling him, "You're long overdue for a checkup anyway."

As Owen looked him over, he was not pleased, "You've lost weight. I know you don't feel like it, but you have to eat. Have you taken the anti-depressants I prescribed you?"

Ianto shook his head and Owen sighed, "I do wish you would see a therapist. I called Martha and she gave me the information on someone from UNIT that would be perfect. Are you sleeping?

Ianto shrugged, "A few hours a night. I actually did well last night, Jack installed some futons."

Owen smiled, "I know, Tosh told me. Is he treating you alright?"

"He's been very patient. I know it mustn't be easy for him. I don't mean to-"

Ianto stopped when he heard an all too familiar sound echoing through the Hub. It was a sound that had haunted his nightmares for years. It was the war cry of a Dalek calling to exterminate. Ianto ran up the stairs and was greeted by a terrified Jack who enveloped him in his arms and placed a kiss to his forehead.

While the Doctor's companions communicated bravely and made plans to save the world, the Torchwood team gathered information, prepared weapons, and waited for the next move. Ianto sat back and watched not wanting anything to do with the world ending fight. Somehow he knew what was coming next: Jack was going to leave. When the Doctor called for aid, Jack had to join him. Even though he knew it was coming, Ianto still held out hope that Jack wouldn't abandon him.

During his wait, Ianto looked around the Hub and sighed: it was a mess. There were coffee cups, take-away boxes, stacks of paper, and various gadgets littering the once pristine base. Deciding he had nothing better to do while the world ended, Ianto cleaned. It somehow felt comforting and actually took his mind off the impending doom they were all facing. While tidying the med bay, Ianto thought back to Canary Warf and decided that under no circumstance was he going to be killed by a Dalek.

Rummaging through Owen's cabinets, Ianto found the standard issue Torchwood cyanide capsules. They were intended for exactly the situation they were facing: the end of the world. Ianto slipped one pill into his pocket for when the aliens broke through the doors. Upon heading back up to the main Hub, Ianto was not surprised to hear the Doctor's voice on the transmission. However, he was surprised to hear the voice of the former Prime Minister, Harriet Jones. He sighed; he had always liked her and it was a shame the Daleks were going to hunt her down.

While preparing coffee, Ianto paused and wondered if tea would be more appropriate. He decided to brew both just in case. He had wanted to put out biscuits but was dismayed that they were out. His favorite silver tray was just where he had left it in the cupboard. However, he blanched when he noticed a cup from his favorite serving set had a chip in the brim. A chip anywhere else would be passable but on the brim, the person drinking ran the risk of a nasty cut on the lip. Ianto didn't want anyone to go through such an unpleasant event so he promptly smashed the cup on the tiled floor. Looking at the others, Ianto realized that with a cup missing, the set just wouldn't do. He then smashed the entire set in the same manner.

John was uneasy. He felt helpless and it was not a situation he liked. He knew there was absolutely nothing he could do against Daleks. In the past when he had encountered the metal ghouls, he had just fled as far as possible. Now he was stuck with no adequate weapons, no transporter, and a missing hand. In the background, he heard the sound of dishes breaking. No one else seemed to notice as engrossed in the proceedings on the screen as they were. John knew the sound had to be coming from the kitchen and that it must have been Ianto.

He found Ianto standing casually in the kitchen preparing drinks, but his feet were surrounded by bits of broken ceramic. Ianto noticed John and smiled politely, "Coffee'll be done in a minute but I'm afraid we're all out of biscuits. Shame, that."

John didn't know what to say or do so he just nodded dumbly. He knew Ianto was having trouble adjusting but the scene before him brought to light the deeply disturbed state the young man was in. Cautiously, John spoke, "Darling, how about you join us downstairs. Jack would like to see you."

Ianto continued to prepare coffee as he blandly replied, "I'm sure Jack is too occupied with the Doctor. I'll be down in a minute."

John continued to stand in the doorway watching Ianto warily. Reaching into the cupboard, Ianto took out the sugar dish. Upon discovering it empty, he threw it to the floor behind him. John jumped nervously as the small bowl shattered loudly, but Ianto paid no attention. Instead, he gathered the mugs onto a silver tray and sighed, "Suppose we'll just have to take it black."

Ianto calmly took the drinks into the main Hub and distributed them to the team members who took them without breaking their attention from the screen. John followed behind apprehensively and could hardly squeak out a thanks when Ianto handed him a mug. After the drinks were passed out, Ianto busied himself by scrubbing a stain on the floor. Soon the inevitable happened and Jack announced that he was leaving to help the Doctor. Ianto stood to bid him farewell. Jack wrapped his arms around his lover and kissed him deeply, whispering reassurances into his ear.

As he was entering the sequence into his vortex manipulator, John ran up to him and spoke in a low voice, "Jack, don't do this. You can't leave now."

Jack smiled back bravely, "I'll be fine and back before you know it."

John tried to interrupt with, "No, that's not what I-" However, Jack had finished entering the data and disappeared.

Deciding he needed to keep an eye on Ianto and since the rest of the team was busy with the possible Armageddon, John asked for Ianto's help. "I'm working on a project and I could sure use your input."

Ianto perked up at having a task to do and followed John over to a room he had converted to a living quarters and research laboratory. Looking at the drab surroundings, Ianto commented, "You know, I just left my flat and it's vacant now. Perhaps you'd like to move in. You can't possibly be comfortable here."

John looked around and shrugged, "With space travel you get used to small living quarters, but you make a good point. How about you take me there tomorrow and show me around?"

Ianto smiled and nodded his head, but his face fell when he saw what John was working on, "What is that?"

John walked over to the table and proudly announced, "This is my new hand, or at least it will be. I'm still working out the kinks." John pondered Ianto's reaction to it, "I'm building my old vortex manipulator into it, but I'm having trouble with some of the programming."

After a wary hesitation Ianto moved closer to inspect the metal limb. He was impressed with the progress John was making considering he had only been there a couple months and he only had one hand. "How do you plan to attach it?" Ianto asked with interest.

"Not a clue." John answered with a chuckle, "I asked Owen but he wasn't willing to help. Do you have any ideas?"

Ianto didn't like the fact that he knew exactly how to attach it; however, he supposed that the knowledge might as well be used for some good. He was surprised at first that John would even think to ask for his help, but he realized he had never told John about his knowledge of cybermen. Looking over the metal hand, he sized up the work that needed to be done to ensure a working compatibility.

John was surprised; he didn't actually expect Ianto to know anything about cybernetic limbs, but the young man seemed oddly competent with them. "How do you know so much about cybernetics?" John asked casually.

"My girlfriend was half converted by cybermen, but I kept her alive for several months . . . until she tried to take over the world." Ianto answered without looking away from the hand.

John laughed at first thinking he was joking, but Ianto raised an eyebrow that silenced him. Taking in the implications of what Ianto told him, he remembered hearing about Torchwood London being invaded by cybermen. Softly, John asked, "So you were-"

"one of twenty survivors." Ianto interrupted.

John also remembered hearing that the cybermen were accompanied by Daleks making him stammer out, "Wait, so then the Daleks . . ."

Ianto finally turned to face John and told him sternly, "I can tell you one thing and that is: I will never allow myself to be killed by Daleks."

John stood still, frozen in shock. Ianto turned back to the hand and continued analyzing it before speaking, "You know, I think I might be able to make this work. I have some items in the archives that I can use for the configuration." He then left the room with the hand in tow and headed toward the archives.

"Shit!" John swore loudly. He had intended to help the young man but he had probably just made things worse. Debating internally, he wondered if he should tell Owen, but he opted not to since the doctor hated him enough already.

However, he didn't have the luxury of keeping that secret when Owen burst into the room shouting, "Hart! Did I just see Ianto with your stupid metal hand?"

John threw up his arms in defense, "I didn't know, he just told me. Why didn't you warn me?"

"I told you to put that thing away and forget about it. Just pray that Jack never finds out." Owen snarled.

Gwen called over the com, "Owen, Tosh has the video link back up."

"Yeah, I'll be right there." Owen answered before turning one last time to John, "We are not finished talking about this." He then ran back up to the main Hub.

Soon after Ianto re-entered the room carrying a box of parts and gadgets. While John watched helplessly, Ianto set out the tools and equipment and began fiddling with the limb. His mind scrambled as he tried to think of something to say. When he was about to tell Ianto to put everything down and forget about it, the Hub shook violently as a loud explosion sounded.

John jumped, yelling, "What is that?"

Calmly and without looking away from his work, Ianto responded, "They're here."

John sprinted up to the main Hub just as the first Dalek was approaching. He picked up a weapon, prepared to fire futilely, but suddenly the creature froze. Tosh shouted in triumph, "It worked!"

Gwen ran over and grabbed her into a tight hug, "You're brilliant!"

John looked on, confused, "What just happened?"

Tosh beamed, "I installed a time lock on the Hub. I hadn't had a chance to test it yet so I wasn't sure it would work, but it did!"

Owen also hugged Tosh and placed a kiss on her cheek making the shy technician blush. John breathed out a sigh of relief and smiled, although his thoughts soon turned to Ianto and his words from earlier. The color drained from his face and he bolted back to his room hoping he wasn't too late. As he entered, Ianto was just about to put something into his mouth. John leapt at him and knocked away the pill in his hand.

Ianto yelled in frustration, "I'm not letting them take me!"

"They won't. We're safe now. Tosh has the Hub protected." John told him desperately.

Ianto couldn't seem to comprehend what he was saying so John took him by the hand and led him to the main Hub. When he saw the motionless Dalek, Ianto recoiled momentarily, but then walked toward it with caution. Silently, the team watched the young man, waiting tensely for any sudden movement from him. Suddenly, his thin figure began to waver and John ran to catch him as he fainted. Owen helped John move the unconscious Ianto to John's quarters and laid him down on the bed.

Owen checked over his vitals and was confident he would be alright. John looked over to the corner of the room and picked up the capsule Ianto had tried to swallow. When Owen saw him with it, he asked, "Where did you get that?"

"Ianto had it." John replied, "Just what is it?"

Owen took it from him and answered sadly, "Cyanide, voluntary death by Torchwood."

As Ianto woke, he felt gentle fingers running through his hair. He curled onto his side and ran his hand up the leg of the man sitting beside him. Sleepily, he mumbled, "Jack, I had the most awful dream."

John sighed, "Of all the fantasies I've had about you being in my bed that is the last thing I would've liked to have heard you say."

Ianto's eyes opened widely realizing that everything was all too real. After noticing he was lying on a bed he jumped to his feet. He wobbled slightly, causing John to rush to his side, "Careful, Darling, you're probably still a bit woozy."

Ianto moaned and spoke to himself, "So it was real."

John kept his hand on Ianto's back and told him gently, "Afraid so."

"What happened to the Daleks?" Ianto asked while looking around.

"They're gone and we're back between Venus and Mars. Whatever Jack did with the Doctor seemed to have worked." John reassuringly told him.

Ianto's eyes widened hopefully, "Is he back?"

John cast his face downward, "No, not yet."

Ianto sighed. The last time Jack left with the Doctor, he was gone for months making Ianto wonder just how long he now had to wait. John could see the sorrow in his face and wanted badly to beat Jack to a bloody pulp for putting it there. Carefully, he drew Ianto into a warm hug. The young man resisted at first but eventually relaxed into the embrace. Ianto whispered in his ear, "Thank you."

John whispered back, "For what?"

"Noticing me." Ianto pulled back and had tears in his eyes as he spoke, "If you had ignored me like everyone else, I would have gone through with it and lay dead for hours before someone thought to look around. I had Lisa hidden in the basement and they didn't notice until she tried to kill them. I don't think I can ever repay you."

John had seen humans and aliens across time and space, but he had never encountered a creature as beautiful as Ianto Jones was at that moment. Realizing he would probably never have the opportunity again, a small smirk crept onto John's face as he replied, "I think a kiss would do it."

Ianto raised an eyebrow at the mischievous look from John. Inwardly he wondered if he could go through with kissing him. Some days it was all he could do just to kiss Jack. However, after facing certain death just hours before, Ianto decided rewarding the man who saved his life was worth the discomfort. Gently, Ianto slid his hand behind John's head and met his lips sweetly. When he realized that the action didn't send shivers down his spine, Ianto deepened the kiss.

John couldn't help but moan at the contact as he slid his hand down Ianto's back. Feeling the young man's slender frame and lean muscles was even more intense than all his imagined dreams. When Ianto intensified the kiss, John pressed his body closer and opened his mouth. Tenderly, Ianto did the same allowing John to meet his tongue with his own. After several minutes, they parted, gazing into each others' eyes.

John spoke dreamily, "It's been a long time."

Ianto tilted his head, "Jack said he caught you snogging a bartender just last week."

John grinned at the memory, "No, not that. It's been a long time since I've had a real friend."

Ianto kissed his cheek and whispered, "Me too."

After a silent moment, Ianto turned toward the work station, "Well, let's finish up this hand of yours."

"You really don't have to do that." John told him sincerely, "If I had known, I never would've asked you."

Ianto smiled gently, "I want to do it. It feels nice being able to do some good with these skills."

Taking a seat at the table, Ianto went to work on the hand, and within an hour it was ready. He turned to John and asked, "Can you handle a lot of pain or should I have Owen administer some anesthesia?"

"You seem to forget that I was fully conscious when I cut the damned thing off in the first place." John replied cockily, "Do your worst."

Jack was practically sprinting across the Plass toward the Hub. As always, his time with the Doctor was exhilarating, suspenseful, and ultimately led to his temporary demise. Having worked through his latest fix of intergalactic adventuring, Jack wanted nothing more than to hold Ianto in his arms. Upon entering the Hub, Jack looked around expecting the young man run to him immediately. Instead he found Owen sitting alone playing a video game.

"Where is every one?" Jack asked in confusion.

Owen didn't bother to even press pause while he replied, "Gwen went home to see Rhys and Tosh is out celebrating with her boyfriend."

"Where's Ianto?" Jack asked not even realizing Tosh had a boyfriend.

This time, Owen did pause the game and face Jack, but he had a knowing grin on his face, "He's in John's room. They've been in there for hours."

Just as Owen knew he would, Jack rushed down the corridor. He stopped just outside the door when he heard the unmistakable sound of John moaning. Blood rushed to his face as he practically kicked the door of its hinges to get inside. To his surprise, the two men were sitting at John's table that was scattered with tools and gadgets. When Ianto turned to look at him, Jack saw a grotesque sight: John's metal hand was just newly attached to his arm, leaking blood and fluids.

Ianto smiled, "You're just in time. Hold him down while I finish this. I knew I should've put you under."

John tried to force a brave face, "It's not that bad."

Jack still couldn't move, glued to the same spot. However, Ianto made a few more adjustments and then announced, "It's finished! We just need to clean you up and fetch some antibiotics from Owen."

Before John could answer, Jack spoke absently, "He doesn't need them. We're evolved-"

"past the need for antibiotics. That's right; I forgot." Ianto interjected as he watched John with interest and eagerly told him, "Try moving your fingers."

With careful concentration, John lifted the index finger on the metal hand. Slowly, he was able to do the same with each finger eventually allowing him to close and open his fist. He looked up at Ianto in amazement and then Ianto jumped up grabbing Jack's arm exclaiming, "It worked! Did you see that?"

Jack took Ianto into his arms and kissed his cheek, "You're amazing! I never thought that thing would work."

Ianto responded by pulling Jack into a deep and loving kiss. John looked away feeling a slight pang of jealousy although he knew he never stood a chance. Ianto's love for Jack was unwavering despite everything that had happened to him. John only hoped that Jack would live up to that devotion and not let it consume Ianto entirely.

When they parted, Ianto looked over at John, "I'm going to fetch Owen and have him take a look at it just in case." He then turned and left toward the main Hub.

Jack stayed behind to speak with John, "Was he alright after I left?"

John replied bitterly, "Would it make a difference?"

"Look, I had to do it. I wish I could put Ianto ahead of all else, but I owe my allegiance to the Doctor and to Earth." Jack answered in defense.

John smirked, "See the problem is that when the soldier goes off to battle, his beloved is often heartbroken and sometimes turns to the person who provides comfort instead."

Jack's eyes turned dark as he spoke in a low voice, "If you ever so much as touch him, I'll rip that hand off and shove it down your throat."

John replied in an equally low voice, "And if you ever leave him again, I won't stop after just one kiss."

As Jack glared, contemplating whether John was bluffing or not, Owen and Ianto entered the room with Owen shouting, "Holy shit! You weren't joking; it actually works."

Owen then sat down next to John and began examining the metal prosthetic. As he set about cleaning the wounds, Jack put his arm around Ianto's waist and escorted him to the main Hub. Once they were alone, he held the young man close and gazed into his eyes. Ianto returned the gaze, searching for something. When he seemed to find it, his face dropped and he spoke softly, "You died today."

Jack could never understand how Ianto always knew when he had died and resurrected. In all his long life, no one had ever been able to distinguish the pain and misery it caused him. Then again, Ianto was unlike anyone he had ever met.

Ianto continued, "Does he know how much it hurts you?"

Ianto never hid his jealousy and dislike for the Doctor, which was solely based on how the Timelord had treated Jack. However, for some reason, whenever Ianto would criticize the Doctor, Jack always felt obliged to defend him. "He knows . . . he died as well. This was not a clean victory. It never is with the Daleks."

Seeing the sadness in Jack's face, Ianto pulled him into a warm hug. Jack returned the embrace suddenly realizing there was no hesitation in it, no fear. Ianto hadn't made prolonged contact with him in such loving earnest for over two months. Jack hoped that it was a sign of things to come, that Ianto was headed toward recovery.

Ianto also noticed the change within himself that allowed him to be held by Jack. He wasn't sure what it was. Maybe it was seeing that Dalek frozen, helpless in front of him or maybe it was John preventing his suicide. He even supposed it was having Jack returned to him so quickly. However it was happening, Ianto was relieved to finally feel some kind of peace in the cycle of agony that had plagued him since Grey had descended into his life.

Whispering gently, Ianto told Jack, "Let's go home."

Author's Note: This story will be continued in The Battle of Evermore. Please keep an eye out for it.