What Hell Hath Fury Wrought

For the sixth day in a row, the atmosphere in the Hub was subdued, as though something tragic had happened, although no one on the main floor had a clue what. Things between Jack and Ianto were strange. Gone were all the indications that they were a 'couple' - no flirting, no innuendo, no private jokes, no little smiles, no brief touches. In fact, they barely spoke at all, unless it concerned Torchwood business. They didn't appear to be angry at one another; if it had to be labelled, the mood between them was sad, separate, almost as if they'd never been lovers at all.

The basic patterns of life in the Hub hadn't changed much; coffee still arrived on schedule, trash continued to disappear, Myfanwy and Janet remained well cared for. Ianto continued to order in their lunches for them, but now, they no longer all ate together in the conference room. Now, either Jack took his lunch to his office to eat alone, leaving the other four to eat as a group, or Ianto took his food down to the Archives, letting Jack eat with his team.

Each day when the Rift or the Weevils cooperated and a normal quitting time rolled around, Ianto would walk out to the car park with the others, power up his Audi, and drive away home, same as the others. Owen had been so sure that it was all a ruse, that Ianto was circling the Plass and coming back to the Hub, that he'd had Tosh pull up the CCTV coverage. Tosh had looked at each of the last six days, and not once did Ianto return to the Hub until the following morning. In fact, of the three times that Jack left, two were on Weevil hunts, and once was to go stand - alone - on the roof of the Millennium Centre - for five hours.

There weren't even any after-hours telephone calls between the two men. Tosh had pre-empted Owen's next suggestion of phone sex by checking the call logs for both of their mobiles. Finally they all had been forced to admit that the two once inseparable men were simply no longer together.

Deep in the belly of a strange blue creature that had died when its spacecraft crashed into the Bay, Owen could not have cared less about the goings-on between the two men. His brief curiosity had been satisfied, his coffee arrived hot and on time, and he no longer had to worry about walking in on some act of naked horror. All in all, he was a happy man.

Toshiko, always the quiet, observant one, worried about her friend in silence. Ianto had not come to her yet to talk, as he normally did when he and Jack had had a row. So she waited, tissues and whisky close to hand, for when the time came for her to listen.

Gwen, on the other hand, was having a very difficult time keeping her face smile-free. On the inside, she was dancing with joy. Finally - thank you, God - the insanity was over, and Jack had come to his senses. No more messing around with the Tea-Boy, the butler, the 'hired-help'. Oh sure, she'd be the first one to admit that Ianto was handy to have around, but he had never learned his place here in Torchwood. He was always acting above his station, mingling with his betters, thinking he was their equal. Gwen shook her head with fond exasperation; Jack should have been more of a boss and less of a friend to the servant staff.

Ianto had stood in the way of Gwen's happiness for far too long. Now that he had finally removed himself, 'been dumped is more like it' Gwen preferred to think, it was time for her make her move. She was the only one who belonged in Jack's arms, in Jack's heart, and in Jack's bed. 'That sad, sorry excuse for a man certainly doesn't!' Gwen's heart sang with victory.

She sat watching as Ianto emerged from the kitchen, coffee mugs steaming away on the tray in his hands. She didn't bother thanking Ianto for the caramel macchiato that he set on her desk; 'why thank the man for doing his job'. Her eyes followed the young man as he handed Tosh her cup of Japanese White tea, murmuring to the woman as she thanked him with a smile; 'Tosh, really; one doesn't thank servants'.

Ianto continued on down into the Autopsy bay, and she heard Owen's grunt of thanks followed by a loud slurp and a satisfied 'ahhh' sound. Finally, Ianto climbed the stairs to Jack's office. Gwen watched as he knocked on the door, waiting for permission to enter, her fingers twisting the rings on her finger. 'I won't have to wear these much longer', she told herself gleefully, looking down at her engagement and wedding rings. 'What a farce!'

'This,' she thought to herself, 'this is the test. Will he stay and have coffee with Jack, or leave immediately like earlier? Please, please let him leave!' As if he could read her mind, Ianto appeared seconds after entering. He closed the door quietly behind him, a stack of files now on his empty tray. Gwen literally bounced in her seat - so far, so good! She'd felt it this morning when she woke up; this was the day.

After five minutes had passed, and Ianto had not reappeared from the Archives, Gwen turned away from Toshiko's line of sight. She 'fluffed' her breasts so they were sort of mounded over the top of her bra, and pulled her already low-cut shirt down further so 'the girls' were more visible. She then gathered up a file folder and her coffee. Crossing the Hub, she retraced Ianto's earlier steps up to Jack's office, only she didn't bother knocking. She just walked right in, closing the door behind her.

Jack looked up wearily. "Gwen?"

Having Gwen Cooper-Williams in his office was the last thing Jack wanted at that moment. His head throbbed, his eyes were burned, and his whole body ached. What he really, really wanted was to lie down on his couch, or even better in his own bed, and sleep. Sleep for a long time. Instead…

"Gwen?"

"Thought you could do with some company, Jack." Gwen sat down, uninvited, in the chair opposite the desk. She pulled it forward so she could rest her arms on the desktop. Using the excuse of holding her coffee mug in both hands, she subtly pulled her upper arms together a little so that her breasts were pushed up and out. "You've seemed out of sorts the last few days."

"No, I'm fine. Just a little tired, I guess." If Jack noticed Gwen's bosoms ready to plop out onto his desk with the next deep breath, he didn't show it. He returned his gaze to the papers he'd been reading - or trying to read.

"You know, Jack, you can talk to me about anything. We've been friends long enough that there's no need for secrets between us any longer." Gwen lowered her voice a little, thinking it made her sound husky and sexy. "You know that anything we talk about stays right between us."

Jack nodded. "Thank you, Gwen, I appreciate that."

A brief frown crossed Gwen's face. This was going to be a little harder than she'd planned. Jack was supposed to break down. He was supposed to tell her what a mistake Ianto had been. He was supposed to express his regret for not turning to her sooner. He was supposed to fall into her arms seeking comfort. She tried again.

"Jack?"

"Hmmm?"

"Jack, please look at me for a moment."

Her voice was strident, and Jack couldn't help the wince that passed over his face .A deep sigh escaped as he set his pen down, folded his hands in front of him and looked up at Gwen. "What."

"Jack, you are miserable." Gwen plunged in. "I'm sorry that you and Ianto are no longer together, but you need to pull yourself together and look at the big picture."

Jack's eyes narrowed slightly at his employee's words. "The big picture," he repeated.

"Yes, Jack. Look around you. There are other options for you than a Welshman. Better options. Willing options." As she spoke Gwen had risen from her chair and gone around the desk. She perched her butt on its edge, next to Jack. Close enough to him that if she swung her leg just a little… 'Damn it, Jack! Sit still. You don't need to move away from me any longer!'

"Options."

Grew was growing frustrated by Jack's lack of comprehension and his monotone answers. She reached out and stroked her hand through Jack's hair. 'Oh God, it's so soft!'

"Yes, options, Jack, such as a Welshwoman." Now her hand moved softly down Jack's cheek to his jaw. The minute rasp of whiskers against her fingers sent an electric surge through her groin.

"Gwen, I'm not sure I understand what's going on here." Jack slid his chair back and stood up, stepping away from Gwen. The chair was now a physical barrier between the two of them.

Giggling, Gwen stood also, and went to move the chair out of her way. Fortunately for Jack, it was trapped between the desk and the wall. "You don't have to play coy with me, Jack Harkness. I think the time for games between us is over." She started walking - stalking - her way around the front of the desk. Each step closed the distance between her and Jack.

"It's about time you came to your senses and stopped seeing Ianto as your partner instead of your employee. Now you and I can finally be together, the way we should have been from the beginning. The way we would have been if Ianto hadn't managed to worm his way back into your good graces after the Lisa incident."

"Is that what you think he did, Gwen? You think he wormed his way into my heart?" Jack frowned. "And you think that if we're no longer lovers, you can just step up and take his place?"

"Well, of course! What did you think I was talking about? I've been more than patient during this whole Ianto mess? So, now it's my turn! Believe me when I say, I've certainly earned it." Gwen smiled her most beguiling smile. "You silly man, come here." She reached out her arms. "It's about time you kissed me, don't you think?"

Jack managed to elude Gwen's grasping arms, and opened his office door. "You know, you're right. It is about time. Let's go. Come with me."

Delighted that Jack was taking her somewhere they could finally, finally, be alone together, Gwen hurried after him. So caught up in her fantasy of their first time together, she didn't notice Jack key his earpiece or hear him speak quietly.

Jack walked out into the centre of the Hub. "Tosh, Owen? A moment of your time, please?" Gwen moved up to stand beside him. 'He's going to tell everyone. Oh my God! This is better than I expected. Now everyone will know that Jack loves me!' Gwen was so caught up in her inner dialogue that she didn't see Ianto step up to Jack's other side. She certainly didn't see Jack put his arm around Ianto's waist, drawing him in tightly.

Tosh watched as her two favourite men – she didn't count Owen, because that was a different kind of favourite - exchanged a deep and loving look. Her heart sang with joy. 'Thank you, Universe, they're still together.'

For his part, Owen just grunted with displeasure. "Jack, I've got alien intestines up to my elbows. Make this quick, will you?"

Captain Jack Harkness surveyed the people stood before him. They were his team, his friends. He smiled into the eyes of the man stood next to him. Ianto was his friend, his lover.

"I have a short announcement to make, regarding the relationship between Ianto and me."

Gwen squeezed her eyes shut, savouring the moment. 'Jack's going to tell them about us! They're all going to know that the Tea-Boy is finally out and I'm in!' She sniffed and then thought, 'Maybe I should go all weepy with happiness. I wonder how that would look.'

"I know you all know by now that Ianto and I have been seeing each other for a long time now…"

Owen rolled his eyes; it was a pretty good imitation of Ianto actually. "Yeah, like you were really trying to hide it," he snarked.

"… And we have reached a point we never, ever…"

"EVER," Ianto echoed quietly yet emphatically.

"…Thought we'd come to."

Gwen held her breath; the anticipation killing was her. 'Hurry up, Jack! I can't wait to kiss you! Oh God, I wonder what his lips feel like. Should I use tongue right away?' Her mind was a million miles away from the reality taking place in front of her.

"…And this past week has been a sort of sabbatical for us. Something has happened, something that is going to change life as we know it." Ianto rolled smiling eyes at Jack's dramatic words. "Ianto and I had to be very, very sure that this was something we both really wanted, so we took time completely away from one other as partners. We wanted to think and reflect on everything that was really important to us individually, and to us as a couple." Jack looked into Ianto's eyes and found himself warmed by the love he saw there.

"Jack, I'm dripping alien guts on the floor here!" Owen protested. "Just get on with it already!" He then gulped loudly; Ianto was glaring at him, having surveyed the mess Owen was leaving.

'Here it comes!' Gwen settled her shoulders and tossed her hair; she was ready to react the instant he said her name. She chomped down hard on the inside of her mouth, so that she could be suitably tearful when the moment came for her to step into Jack's arms.

"Thanks to 51st century DNA, and probably a small miracle, Ianto and I are going to have a baby." Jack beamed as he made his announcement, and a look of intense pride lit up Ianto's eyes.

It took a mere nano-second for the news to hit Tosh. She flew forward, wrapping her arms around them both. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed. "I am so happy for you both! A baby!"

Owen snorted. "I'd shake hands, mate, but uh…" He waved his gore-covered gloves at them, before turning around and heading towards Autopsy. "Jack, I'll see you in my office…" he smirked, "… as soon as I'm done with old Blue down here. We need to get some tests done."

Gwen stepped up next to Jack and put her arm around his waist. "I'm so glad you guys are okay with this. I just knew you'd be happy for us! And Ianto, no hard feelings, okay?" She grinned broadly. "I'm just so glad that you finally came to your senses and found some self-respect. You gotta admit, you really were making a fool of yourself over Jack." Her smile slipped a little. 'Why aren't they clapping or anything? Didn't they understand what Jack just said?'

"What? Why are you all staring at me?" Gwen looked at her colleagues. "Didn't you just hear what Jack said about us?"

"Weren't you listening, Gwen?" Tosh spoke first, her voice clearly relaying the puzzlement everyone was feeling. 'What on Earth is Gwen talking about?'

"Don't be stupid, Toshiko, of course I was. Jack just told you that he and I are together now." Her smile was ear-to-ear as she looked at her teammates. Owen stopped his progress towards Autopsy and turned to look back. He suddenly had a very bad feeling.

Jack pulled out of Gwen's tight grasp. Moving as one, he and Ianto turned to look at Gwen. Ianto dropped his hand down to cover Jack's abdomen, already protecting his child. His fingers moved in small reassuring circles. He himself was already being comforted by the tiny life he and Jack had created in a moment of exquisite love and happiness.

"Gwen, are you all right? Maybe you should sit down?" Jack asked, looking at her with worry in his eyes. "I never said that at all." He made sure his voice was soft and soothing. "I just told you all that Ianto and I are going to have a baby." His free hand moved down to his belly, covering Ianto's.

Ianto found himself wondering about what was going on in his teammate's mind; the look in her eyes was strangely vacant yet calculating. 'Maybe she's just having trouble processing the fact that Jack really is carrying a baby inside himself.'

"I'm pregnant, Gwen." A tremulous smile came upon Jack's lips as he leaned his head against Ianto's. "We're going to have a baby."

Incredulity crossed Gwen's face. "Don't be stupid, Jack. Men can't get pregnant," she hissed angrily. Jack didn't argue with her. Instead, he continued to press against Ianto's side. She ran her eyes down Jack's body, and when her gaze landed their fingers intertwined over his belly, an ugly, blotchy flush appeared on her face.

Gwen felt an overwhelming rage take control of her the instant true comprehension hit. Now she understood Jack's words. Her sight turned everything around her red. Her field of vision narrowed to only Ianto. Everyone and everything else was a blur. Her fury built like a white-hot inferno and without warning, she lunged towards Ianto, pushing him away from Jack. Her face was twisted into an ugly imitation of her former self and her lips were pulled back in a vicious snarl. Her forward momentum pulled him from Jack's arms and knocked him backwards. He hit the concrete with a bone-jarring thud, and Ianto felt his head smash on to the floor. For a few seconds, he literally saw stars dancing before his eyes

"You bastard!" Gwen screamed as she ploughed her fist into Ianto's face. "You've ruined everything!" She had followed him to the ground as he fell under her assault. Straddling his body, Gwen slammed her fists into his head again and again.

Momentarily frozen by Gwen's unexpected behaviour, the team sprang into action. They tried to grab her arms but she had the strength of a madwoman. She easily pulled free and continued to strike Ianto. The young Welshman was stunned by his fall - his head had impacted the concrete quite hard. He was having trouble focussing his eyes, and his arms wouldn't coordinate. He could neither protect himself nor stop Gwen from hitting him.

Finally, Jack grabbed her around the waist and literally threw her off of Ianto and as far across the floor as he could. He paid no attention to where she landed. All of his attention was now focused on his young lover. Toshiko immediately kept Gwen from regaining her feet. She forced the hysterical woman into a kneeling position and held her there by pushing down on her shoulders with all her weight. Owen yanked off his alien-guts-covered gloves and flung them away. He dropped down beside Ianto and quickly started his medical assessment.

"Jack, get out of the way!" The doctor had to forcibly push Jack to the side so that he could work. "Make yourself useful and go get my kit." He looked up as Jack continued to hover over Ianto's still body. "Go!" Jack stood and rushed away, not once looking at Gwen, not hearing a word she was saying.

"You've ruined everything!" Gwen was still screaming hysterically at Ianto. Tears streamed down her face, and spittle flew out of her mouth. "I'm going to kill you!" Gwen managed to wrench one arm free from Tosh's hold. She reached to the small of her back, where she normally kept her gun. It wasn't there. In her blind rage, she hadn't noticed that Tosh had removed the weapon and sent it sliding across the floor. It was now lying at the bottom of the water basin at the foot of the monument.

"Ianto? Can you hear me, mate? Open your eyes, Ianto." Owen raised each eyelid, looking into the man's blue eyes. He never stopped being amazed by the patterns created by the multiple shades of blue. A quick shake brought Owen back to the task at hand. Reaching out he opened the medical kit that Jack had just dropped by his side. Owen pulled out a syringe, already prepped; Jack thought it was a pain killer for Ianto. He tried to help by pushing Ianto's sleeve up, baring skin so that Owen could inject the injured man.

Gripping the syringe tightly, Owen suddenly spun around, shouting, "Will you please SHUT THE FUCK UP!" as he jabbed the needle into Gwen's shoulder. She was out within seconds. Tosh released her hold, letting Gwen fall to the floor with a small thud.

"Bless you, Owen!" Tosh let out a deep breath and crossed over to hug Jack; she could feel him shaking. The man stood, looking helplessly at Ianto, pain and worry clearly on his face. "It's going to be okay, Jack," she said, trying to reassure him.

Blinking slowly, Ianto managed to open his eyes. Almost instantly, he grimaced in pain and tried to sit up, but Owen pressed him back onto the floor. "Jack?" he looked around, trying to focus. Jack dropped to his knees and took Ianto's hand.

"Here, Ianto, I'm right here." Jack spoke softly as he stroked Ianto's hair. "It's okay." The tears that he'd been struggling to hold back started falling, and he bowed his head. "You're safe now."

Tosh laid her hand on Jack's shoulder; she also had tears in her eyes. She met and held Owen's gaze for a moment, then nodded her head toward Gwen. As if a silent message had passed between them, Owen nodded his head also, and then turned back to his patient.

"You probably have a concussion, from bouncing that hard head of yours off the floor." Owen packed up his kit and handed it to Tosh. "Jack, help me get him downstairs, yeah?"

"Owen, you've got an alien with his guts hanging out down there." Ianto's voice was soft but strong. "I'd really rather not share with it."

"Oh, yeah, right." Owen glanced behind Tosh. "Let's move him over to the sofa." Together, he and Jack helped Ianto to his feet and then guided him over to lie on the battered old sofa. Tosh slipped a pillow beneath his head before leaning down to kiss his forehead.

"Tosh, would you get the Bekkaran scanner for me? I don't think Gwen did any real damage, but let's be sure." He turned to watch her hurry away, and he called out, "it's on the second shelf to the left!" to her retreating back.

Once he'd done a thorough scan of Ianto's body, Owen spelled out Ianto's injuries. "How you managed it, I don't know, but you don't have a concussion, I'm happy to say. But you do have a goose egg on the back of your head that's gonna hurt for a while. You probably gonna notice some pretty good bruising on your butt and shoulders, from hitting the floor, as well as on your face and chest where Gwen punched you. You also have a badly split lip that's gonna need a couple of stitches to close, and you will have two spectacularly black eyes."

Ianto rolled his eyes, although it was hard to see through the swelling that was already quite noticeable. "Anything else?"

With an almost maniacal grin, it didn't take Owen long to tell his patient, "You'll live," which he immediately followed by a quick snort of laughter.

"Very funny," Ianto groused as he slowly sat up, wincing as the local rugby team thundered through his head. Jack sat down next to him and pulled the younger man into his arms. "It's okay, Jack. Shhhh," he comforted his lover, stroking Jack's arm even though his fingers were a little fumbley. He could feel Owen's Torchwood-strength painkillers starting to work in a big way.

"I was so scared," Jack whispered, tears falling again, and his fingers gripped Ianto's shirt tighter.

"I know, I know. But it's over now, and we're okay." Ianto moved so that he could tuck Jack's head under his chin. He continued to stroke the older man's back and arm. "The important thing is that you and our baby are okay." His words were beginning to slur, and Ianto could no longer feel his lips at all. "Nothing else matters." He kept his voice soft and low. He may have been the injured party, but he knew how much Jack needed to be held right now. Ianto was always more than happy to oblige. Holding Jack in his arms was quite high up on his list of favourite things to do.

"Tosh," Owen spoke softly, motioning with his head for the woman to follow him. "Let's leave them; we've got work to do." With one last glance back at the couple, clearly oblivious to anything but one another, Tosh followed Owen back to the main area of the Hub. For the first time she noticed that Myfanwy, high above in her nest, was crooning softly. For a moment, Tosh wondered what that was about.

'It almost sounds as if Myfanwy's singing.' Tosh thought. 'Maybe she knows that Jack and Ianto need to be soothed. Maybe it's like a lullaby. I wonder if she'll baby-sit for us when the Rift acts up?' Smiling and shaking her head at her own silliness, Tosh put the ancient bird out of her thoughts. Instead, she focused on the unpleasantness that lay ahead.

Owen and Toshiko walked over to Gwen's crumpled body, lying unconscious in a heap on the floor. Without speaking a word, they both grabbed an arm and unceremoniously dragged her across the floor and down to the cells. Leaving her lie on the cold floor of the cell next to Janet, Owen secured the door and they stood there, looking at her.

"What do you think happened to her?" Tosh was the first to speak.

"Honestly, I don't know. It all happened so fast." Owen shrugged. "One minute it's all happy baby news. The next, it's screaming bitch from hell!"

"I know she always fancied Jack, but did she really think he would leave Ianto for her?" Tosh shook her head. "I almost feel sorry for her; she must have been living in some kind of sick, twisted, fantasy world."

Owen nodded. "Yeah, well, I kinda feel sorry for Rhys right now. I can't imagine being the 'other man' in his own marriage."

"How did we not notice that she was so obsessed with Jack?" Tosh questioned, speaking to herself more than to Owen. "I mean, I sit next to her every single day. Why didn't I see that something was wrong? How could I not tell…"

"Don't beat yourself up…" Owen interrupted and then grimaced at his choice of words. "…over it. She never made any secret of the fact that she fancied Jack. I think that's why she was able to break through the Retcon in the first place. She acted like a love-sick school girl from the minute she walked through the door." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "It got to be so sickeningly routine that nobody noticed the behaviour anymore." Owen gave Tosh a brief hug. "It wasn't just your fault - we all pretty much ignored her. Let's face it, it was easier than listening to her or watching her moon over him."

Knowing they couldn't avoid the subject any longer, Tosh looked at Owen. "What are we going to do with her?"

"We certainly can't ever let her anywhere near Ianto again," Owen stated firmly. He sighed deeply. "We've only got two choices here."

"I'm listening." Tosh was fairly certain she knew where Owen was going with his thoughts. Still, she wanted to hear him speak the words she herself was thinking.

Gesturing towards the cell next to them, the doctor said, "We have Janet take care of her, let nature take its course, so to speak. Then we tell Rhys she died in the line of duty, an unfortunate Weevil victim. Or…"

Tosh's mind whipped through that scenario in an instant. "Too messy, too much clean-up. And the logistics of a good cover-up are just too hard to throw together quickly." She immediately ruled out the 'death by Weevil' option.

"So it's option number two, then." Owen agreed with his teammate. "I'll go get the dose."

"How long will she be out?" Tosh asked. "I'm just worried about how long it will take before we can give it to her." She shuddered. "How are we going to make her take it? She'll know instantly if we give her something to drink. She'll never take Retcon voluntarily."

Owen shook his head. "Not to worry. UNIT have worked up a liquid form of Retcon that can be administered by injection. When she does finally wake up, Torchwood will never be even a distant memory."

"Are you sure it'll work? I mean, she was able to break through the Retcon before." Tosh worried, and then it hit her. "Wait a minute. UNIT?" She felt a strong wave of fear flood through her. "How did you… how? Owen! Oh, God, what have you done?"

Raising his eyebrow and smirking broadly, Owen announced, "Torchwood One was working on the formula before Canary Wharf, but UNIT took the project over just before the battle. Ianto remembered it and hacked into their database and got me a copy of their formula." He wiggled his eyebrows proudly

The former UNIT prisoner gasped. "Do you know what will happen if they find out?" Tosh could feel a bead of sweat trickle down her back. "You'll disappear, Owen! We'll all disappear. I can't go…" The mere thought of the cold, dank cell she'd been held in was enough to make her knees go weak. She could feel her heart pounding madly, and there was a distant roaring in her ears. For a moment, Tosh thought she was going to pass out from the terror. She latched onto the sound of Owen's voice and forced herself back into the present.

Unaware of Tosh's near meltdown, Owen just prattled on. "Come on, Tosh. Ianto's a better hacker than you." He smirked, "there's no trace that we were ever in there. Besides, that was months and months ago. We're still here, aren't we?"

Forcing herself to calm down, Tosh looked at the doctor for several moments. She desperately wished he would take her in his arms, hold her tight, and stop her from shaking so badly. 'I need you, Owen; why can't you ever see me?' Finally, she managed to speak without a quaver in her voice. "We'd better hurry, then. I don't want her to wake up before we get her out of here."

"Done." Owen left the holding area, pausing next to Janet for quick look. "Sorry, old girl, no fun for you today," he grinned, before leaving.

Tosh stood outside Gwen's cell, memories of their times spent working together out in the field, watching each other's backs; going to the pub, getting drunk and singing Karaoke. She remembered bringing the new bridal gown that Ianto had chosen to her at the hotel, of saving her from the Nostrovite at her wedding.

"What happened to you, Gwen?" she whispered. "How did we not… I should have noticed… I'm sorry." Wiping tears from her eyes, Toshiko pressed her hand against the Perspex wall. "Good-bye, Gwen." She turned away and followed Owen out, closing the door behind her.

Upstairs in Jack's office, Ianto reached out and clicked off the volume, leaving the CCTV view of Gwen's cell on the monitor.

"Did you really do that?" Jack asked, his arms wrapped tightly around his lover. "Did you really help Owen?"

Ianto shook his head and smirked. "If I tell you, I'll have to kill you."

"Well, if you shag me to death, I guess I won't mind now, will I?" Keeping his arms locked around the other man, he walked them over to the entrance to his bedroom. "Let's go downstairs; you can tell me all about it, and then…" Jack gave Ianto one of his dirtiest grins. "…I look forward to a very slow, very hard, and very, very long execution."

Gingerly climbing down the ladder ahead of Jack, Ianto winced in pain. "The killing part's gonna have to wait a bit. I feel like I've been run over by a bus."

Chuckling, Jack followed Ianto down. "I know a way to make you feel much better."

"I'll just bet you do." Ianto grabbed onto Jack, pushed him back against the ladder and proceeded to devour his mouth in a steamy, demanding yet tender and loving kiss.

On the silent monitor, neither man saw Tosh and Owen return to the holding area. They didn't see Tosh open Gwen's cell, and they didn't see Owen use the syringe he held in his hand. In fact, once Tosh finished wiping the CCTV footage from Mainframe, it was as though former Cardiff police constable, and now former field agent, Gwen Cooper-Williams never existed in the world of Torchwood.

~~The End~~