First part of this story

Jack gasped as he was rudely thrown back into life, pain briefly ripping through him as the air filled his lungs and the blood once again began pumping through his veins. Owen had once questioned why he didn't sustain brain damage, given that the brain couldn't survive without oxygen for a period of time without suffering from some sort of damage. Jack hadn't been able to answer him. He just didn't.

He became aware of arms tight around him, and glancing up he found Gwen cradling him against her, a look of relief on her face. She looked up. "He's back."

"Finally." John glanced back quickly from where he stood, gun pointed at the Carshy as they stalked back and forth, snarling. "I really wish I knew how you did that."

"What happened?" Jack asked.

"The second one was hiding in the shadows behind us," Gwen said. "It leapt on you, then tore your throat out before you could react."

Jack's hand unconsciously went to his throat, for the first time noticing the blood on the front of his shirt. "It left me once it had killed me?"

"No, John and I shot it. Then John dragged you over here, and now we're trying to wok out how to get out of here."

Jack looked at the creatures, frowning. "Doesn't look like you shot it."

"They don't seem to feel handguns," John said, eyes never leaving the Carshy. "Rifles, on the other hand..."

"Do you have one?" Gwen asked.

"In the boot of my Bentley."

Jack looked up sharply. "You have a Bentley?"

"Yeap." John smirked. "Buckingham Palace going sideways with the traction control off."

Jack blinked. "You've watched Top Gear?"

Gwen looked at him sharply. "You've watched Top Gear?"

A sharp howl returned their attention to the Carshy, and were surprised to find both Carshy standing at attention, facing in the direction they had stopped the three human's from going in. One let out another howl, the two taking off at a quick sprint and soon disappearing from view.

"What was that?" Gwen asked lowering her gun as Jack pushed himself up.

"Something got their attention," John said, lowering his own weapon, a mild look of concern on his face. "I just hope I'm wrong about what."

***

"This is incredible." Tosh set the last sheet down, shaking her head in disbelief. "How can she have acquired such detailed records in such a short time?"

"She probably found them while she was in London," Ianto said, leaning back against the wall and casting his gaze out the window onto the street. "She often plans ahead."

"Stopped to think she might have gotten them here?" Owen asked. "She's a killer, right? Who's to say she didn't seduce someone, then suck their blood."

Ianto shook his head. "No, she takes her time with seducing. Wins you over, then strikes while you're vulnerable."

"And how exactly do you know that?" Owen asked.

Ianto raised an eyebrow.

"Oh bloody hell." Owen scowled, glaring at him. "Exactly how many people have you slept with since you left?"

Ianto held his gaze. "Do you really want the answer to that?"

Owen continued to glare at him, before abruptly turning away. "You're getting worse than Harkness."

"Doubtful," Tosh said softly, sifting through more sheets of paper. "Besides, it's not like you're one to talk."

Owen turned to look at her. "Been faithful to you, haven't I?"

"As far as I know."

"Oh come on Tosh." Owen gave her a smile, crossing the room and tilting her chin up, planting a soft kiss on her lips. "How about a little trust, eh?"

Tosh returned the smile. "I trust you, because I'll do a Ianto and shoot you if you try anything."

Owen looked startled, then shot Ianto a glare. "Stop smirking."

Ianto stepped away from the window, tossing Tosh a wink before joining her at the table and scanning the plans, picking up one and pointing to the date. "This was printed two weeks ago, so she definitely acquired it in London." He frowned. "Before John and I shut down her project there."

"She always intended to come to Cardiff," Tosh observed.

"Apparently so." Ianto frowned, tilting his head to the wind. "Did you hear that?"

They fell silent, listening to the wind. Owen was just about to tell Ianto he had lost his mind and was hearing things when there came a distant, short, sharp howl. Tosh frowned, looking at Ianto.

"It's just a dog."

"That's not a dog," he breathed, glancing toward the window. "Get out."

Owen blinked. "What?"

"Get to the car." Ianto reached inside his jacket, retrieving his gun and flicking the safety off. "Go."

"It's a dog," Owen repeated.

"No," Ianto met his eye. "That's a Carshy."

Owen paled, reaching out and grabbing Tosh's hand, pulling her after him as he took off for the stairs. Ianto made a quick check to make sure everything was where it was when they entered, quickly rearranging some papers before following. He hurried out the front door, pausing to lock it and starting as the howl came again, closer.

He shot a wide eyed look down the street before sprinting for the car, diving into the rear seat and closing the door as Tosh planted her foot on the accelerator. Ianto spun, looking out the back window and spotting the creatures tearing up the street behind them.

"Oh my god," Owen breathed.

"They're so fast," Tosh agreed, hands gripping the wheel as the Carshy gained on them.

Ianto didn't say a word, tossing his gun down and snatching up the rifle he had tossed into the car as an afterthought before they had left. He reached out, hitting the button and lowering the left window, Tosh's eyes widening as she turned to throw him a panicked look.

"What are you doing?"

"Just keep driving," he ordered.

Ianto gripped the frame, rifle in one hand as he pulled himself out the window and balanced himself, wind tugging at him as he raised the rifle and took aim at the closest Carshy, firing. It let out a yelp, feet falling out from under it as it hit the ground. Ianto shifted his aim, reloading the weapon with a quick flick and sending the spent cartridge flying before firing a second time.

As the second Carshy stopped short, he pulled himself back into the car, glancing back and noting that the first had gotten up and was licking its wounds. Ianto set the rifle down, putting the window back up and bracing himself as Tosh took the corner at the end of the street onto the main road.

"Jesus," Owen breathed. "I can't believe you just did that."

"Should keep them from coming after us for the rest of the night," Ianto said, picking up his handgun and flicking the safety back on, tucking it back into his jacket.

"You mean they aren't dead?" Tosh asked.

"Bullets from a handgun sting them; a rifle will slow them down." Ianto ran a hand through his hair, brushing it back into place. "Interestingly enough they have a negative reaction to silver, so a silver bullet does a lot of damage. A carefully aimed shot to the eye with a silver bullet will kill them."

Tosh glanced at him in the rear view mirror. "How do you know that?"

"Trial and error," he answered. "Unfortunately silver bullets, especially silver bullets lace with gryonite, are hard to come by."

Owen frowned. "Gryonite?"

"It's a rare mineral that we discovered on a meteor three years ago," Tosh said. "Jack said it was harmless to humans, but could be deadly to some species."

"Including Carshy," Ianto finished.

"Where the hell did you get bullets laced with Gryonite," Owen asked, glancing back.

Ianto shrugged. "Archie."

"Archie? As in Torchwood Two Archie?"

Ianto nodded. "I helped him with a little matter a while back, and he gave me access to the bullets. Unfortunately I have since run out. I only managed to kill one of the Carshy before I did."

"We should have some gryonite at the Hub," Tosh said. "We'll go straight there and I'll make some."

"Ah... no." Ianto shifted, frowning. "Drop me back at your place on the way so I can pick up the car. I have a meeting with someone."

Owen set his jaw. "You're still not ready to see Jack, are you?"

Ianto sighed, gazing out the window at the quickly passing houses. "I will when we're both ready."

Jack had just finished changing his shirt when Tosh and Owen arrived, Jack grinning as he spotted them. "Toshiko Sato. Now there's a sight for sore eyes. Don't you still have a week of holiday left?"

"Which I intend to take." She shot him a bright smile, before looking around. "We still have some gryonite around, don't we?"

"Yeah." Jack frowned. "Why?"

"I need to work it into some silver bullets. Apparently it's poison to Carshy."

Jack narrowed his eyes, looking from Tosh to Owen and back suspiciously before pointing behind him. "Wooden box on my top shelf."

"Thanks."

Jack watched as she hurried into his office, before turning and giving Owen a pointed look. Owen smiled sheepishly, glancing up as Gwen stepped back into the room, a fresh shirt of her own on.

Owen glanced between them. "What you two been up to then?"

"Oh, nothing much," Jack said, leaning against his doorframe and watching as Tosh hurried out with the box, disappearing into the weapons room. "Just having my throat ripped out by a dog."

"The Carshy?"

"Who else?"

Owen looked toward Tosh, who was listening in and frowning as she programmed the machine to make the bullets. "We got attacked by them too."

"What?" Gwen looked toward Jack. "You don't think John knew, did you?"

Jack narrowed his eyes, then looked over at Tosh. "That set up yet?"

"Almost," Tosh looked up. "Why?"

"Team meeting." Jack glanced at his watch. "In five minutes in the board room. We need to go over what we have."

***

John closed the door behind him, having to react quickly to the package that was tossed at him. He shot Ianto a look before joining him at the table, unwrapping the parcel and taking a bite of the burger.

"Ooo, I like Earth food." He grinned. "Stuff this bad for you shouldn't taste this good."

"That's both the appeal and curse of it." Ianto sipped from his drink. "Did you find her?"

"Nope. Got intercepted by the Carshy. One of them took a chunk out of Jack."

Ianto sighed heavily. "Typical."

"That's gotta hurt," John said, frowning down at his food. "Anyway, they ran off and Jack and Gwen headed back to the Hub, so I took off and checked out the apartment. I don't think she's been there recently."

"I hacked into the police database. No recent murders as yet, so she must have had her fill in London when she went to that nightclub." Ianto frowned. "We did find her little hideout. And her plans."

John watched him. "That look on your face and the tone you’re using tells me I'm not going to like this."

Ianto set his drink down, sighing and beginning to explain.

***

Gwen's eyes widened as Tosh and Owen finished, shooting a sharp look at Jack. "But she can't do that, can she?"

"Right time, right place she could." Jack rubbed his jaw, frowning at a spot in front of him on the table. "John told me that she usually uses major events in a planets history to her advantage, but I can't recall any around now and I know pretty much all of Earths major disasters. Had to know them."

"Why?" Owen asked.

Jack pulled a face. "It doesn't matter. What does matter is I can’t see what disaster she's trying to align with. Unless..."

"What?" Gwen asked. "Unless what, Jack?"

"Unless she causes the disaster," Jack said, leaning back in his seat. "She knows when the major disasters are, and is actually the trigger of them."

"Which means you'd have no knowledge of them," Tosh said.

"No." Jack shook his head. "I would. If a major disaster happened in Cardiff that threatened to destroy the world, I'd know about it. But there isn't one. In fact, there is no major disaster in Wales or England or anywhere in the United Kingdom this year. I think she's here for personal reasons."

"Her friend got killed," Owen said, remembering what John had told them. "She blames Earth for that."

"Exactly. It happened here, so she blames us." Jack drummed his fingertips on the table. "But before we can get to her, we have to take out the Carshy."

"Hand held weapons don't work on them," Gwen said.

"We know. Ianto explained it to us." Tosh ignored the sharp look Jack shot her. "Hand held guns sting, rifles slow them down. He told us that silver has a negative reaction on them, especially if laced with gryonite."

"Which explains why you're making silver bullets laced with the stuff," Gwen said.

"He said best bet is to shoot them in the eye," Owen continued. "That's how he killed one before. He got the bullets off Archie."

Jack frowned. "Ianto was in contact with Torchwood Two?"

"Apparently."

"Ianto managed to slow them down when they came after us," Tosh explained. "He shot them while they were chasing us."

"Moving vehicle and all," Owen said, frowning. "He never used to do that sort of thing."

"Always had it in him though," Jack said. He sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Whether we want to believe it or not, Ianto's become a mercenary. He was always a con man, which is why he was so good at his job." He looked up, spotting Gwen's eye. "There was a lot you didn't know about. He always kept things to himself. He never even told me everything. Then again, I wasn't exactly forthcoming myself."

"He always had a dark side," Owen said softly. He spotted the looks Gwen and Tosh shot him. "Well he did."

"Owen's right." Jack shrugged. "After living through the destruction of Torchwood One, you had to expect it. He kept it in check most of the time, but occasionally it would sneak out."

"He's about as twisted as the rest of us," Owen agreed, stretching his back. "What's the next move, Captain?"

"The Carshy hunt best at night, so we sleep on it for now." Jack nodded, slapping his hands down on the table and pushing himself up. "Go home. Get some rest. By morning one of us should have come up with a plan, and by then the bullets should be ready."

As he headed for the door, Owen called after him.

"Ianto and John are sleeping together you know."

Jack stopped, Gwen and Tosh shooting Owen hard glares only to look slightly shocked when Jack looked back, a smirk on his lips.

"I know." He winked at Owen. "I wonder if I can talk them into a threesome."

Owen rolled his eyes as Tosh giggled. Only Gwen looked annoyed as Jack left the room.

***

"I say tomorrow we should head to the nuclear facility," John said, tossing the wrapper in the direction of the bin and scowling when it bounced off the edge and rolled to a stop beside the bar fridge. "Bluff our way in as officials."

"Unfortunately for you I'm already known there." Ianto drained the lasts of his drink. "Torchwood has been involved with them since they built the facility, and I become a liaison between them when I began to work here."

"So much the better." John clapped his hands together. "We'll tell them we've had word of a possible security threat and would like to upgrade their systems to prevent it from occurring."

Ianto considered this. "I suppose it could work. Depending entirely, of course, on what Torchwood has said to explain why I haven't been there all year."

"I doubt they would have said you're dead, if that's what you mean." John shrugged. "They probably just said you were sick or on holiday or something."

"Probably." Ianto sighed, pushing himself up and retrieving his jacket, pulling it on.

"Where you off too?" John asked. "Not thinking of going to hunt the Carshy by yourself, are you?"

"I'm not that stupid." Ianto glanced at his watch. "It should take them at least until morning to recover from their wounds meaning there's no chance of being hunted tonight, so I thought I might go for a walk."

John's eyebrows rose slightly before a smile flickered across his lips. "Good luck."

Ianto paused with his hand on the handle, looking back at John and returning the smile. "Thank you."

Jack sighed, resting his elbows on the handrail, gazing out across the bay. What a day. He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath and silently enjoying the sea breeze. There was something Cardiff had. While being a city, it still had the fresh sea breeze that he had enjoyed the first time he had come here. Well, would have enjoyed had it not been for a Slitheen female, the Rift, and being couped up in the TARDIS all day working.

John was right about it being cold though, especially in the winter months. It came with being so close to the sea, really. An icy sea breeze would blow up off the bay, and if you weren't rugged up you'd be in trouble. He'd been here long enough he'd climatised to it, and warmth was another benefit of his greatcoat.

Feeling the back of his neck prickle, Jack slowly straightened. He'd had that feeling once before, while they were leaving the park with John, and Owen had commented that he'd felt it too. Someone was watching him. Jack swallowed hard as he realised just who it was.

He turned slowly, almost afraid to discover that the feeling twisting his stomach was wrong, only to straighten as he spotted the other. He was leaning casually against a light post, watching Jack with faint interest, blue eyes sparkling as one eyebrow rose.

Jack let out a long breath as he finished his turn, watching the other man and wondering who would speak first. It had felt like forever since he had seen him, and there were so many things he wanted to say only he didn't know just where to start, or if the other man even wanted to speak to him, especially given their last conversation.

"John told me the Carshy killed you today."

Jack had to fight from closing his eyes so he could focus on that beautiful Welsh voice he had missed so much. He looked at the other man and nodded. "They did, yes. I let my guard down. It's been a long time since I had to deal with them." Jack looked him over before returning his eyes to his face. "It's good to see you, Ianto."

"It's good to see you too." Ianto gave him the once over as well, Jack noting that his mask of impassiveness was fixed firmly in place. "We found the Plasmavore’s base."

"I know. Tosh and Owen told us. Told us her plan, too." Jack nodded toward him. "I hear you're working with John."

"He's all right, once you learn how to handle him."

Jack chuckled. "Takes a little while to figure that out."

Ianto smirked. "I shot him, you know."

"Really?" Jack laughed. "When?"

"A few weeks ago. He got in the way of my shot." Ianto paused. "Of course, he had been pissing me off that day, so he deserved it."

Jack continued laughing, shaking his head. "Oh, if only I could have seen his face."

"It certainly was entertaining." Ianto raised a brow. "So, Tosh and Owen."

"Saw that one coming a mile away." Jack rolled his eyes. "I thought they were never going to get together, despite how many times I tried to set them up."

"Gwen and I did tell you they would in their own time."

"I know. It's just that ‘their own time’ was taking forever."

Ianto smiled faintly. "They ended up getting together by themselves, didn't they?"

Jack sighed. "Yes. And don't you dare say 'I told you so'."

Ianto chuckled, pushing himself off the post and moving toward him. "How's everything been?"

"Hard," Jack admitted. "We kinda... took a lot of what you did for granted."

"I figured as much." Ianto stopped in front of him. "Ever figure out the coffee machine?"

Jack set himself. "We've been drinking instant."

Ianto groaned, pulling a face.

"I know, I know. We didn't have much choice." Jack gave a defeated shrug, spreading his arms. "We tried, but we couldn't figure it out. We ended up giving into our need for caffeine and bought instant. At least it's not coffee in a can, right?"

"Sacrilege," Ianto growled.

"SUV ran out of fuel on us too."

Ianto blinked. "I knew none of you knew your way around a service station."

"Hey." Jack narrowed his eyes as he spotted the amused sparkle in Ianto's eye. "It was just the little things like that. You kept Torchwood running, and we never realised it. I'm sorry."

"I wanted to fade into the background," Ianto admitted. "Besides, I actually kind of enjoyed it. Being important without... being important."

"You're all important." Jack held out a hand. "You really have been missed, Ianto."

Ianto took the offered hand, allowing Jack to pull him into a tight hug, returning the embrace. Jack folded him in his arms, burying his face into Ianto's neck and closing his eyes, savouring the feel of just holding Ianto again, breathing in his scent and feeling Ianto's arms wrapped around him, the younger man's breath warm on his own shoulder.

Jack pulled back, smiling at him. "Want to go grab something to eat?"

"I've already had dinner."

"What?"

"Just a burger."

"You need more than that." Jack tugged on his arm. "Come on. My treat. We have a lot to catch up on."

Ianto fell into step beside him. "Indeed we do. Starting with why you're living at my place."

***

"I can't believe you said that to Jack," Tosh said, glaring at Owen.

"What?" Owen looked up at her from where he was cleaning his tools. "He's entitled to know."

"It's still not something you say to his face."

"Why not?" Owen looked back down at what he was doing. "When he spotted this girl I used to go with someone at one point, he let me know about it."

"Jack's still in love with Ianto," Tosh reminded him.

"I know that. And Ianto's still got a thing for him. It's obvious." Owen glanced up at her. "It's no big deal. So what if John and Ianto are shagging. You admitted yourself at one stage that you wouldn't mind shagging John."

"I wouldn't, but not while I'm with you."

"Look, it's not like Jack and Ianto are dating." Owen shrugged it off. "Whatever they had Ianto broke off, remember? I don't think he thought they had much to begin with."

"Jack only ever took him out on one date," Gwen said, speaking up from where she was sitting on the steps, watching Owen work. "Besides, Tosh, I would have appreciated it if you'd told me about Diane a lot sooner."

Owen looked up. "What? You didn't realise Diane and I were..."

Gwen shook her head.

"I didn't think it was important," Tosh said. "I mean, it's not like you and Owen were sleeping together anymore–"

"Exactly." Owen shot her a look. "It's not exactly like Jack and Ianto are sleeping together anymore either." He spotted Tosh's look. "Think about it. These last few years Ianto's love life has been what? Lisa, then Jack. Nothing in between. Who knows how many came before Lisa."

"So what you're saying is Ianto's sleeping around?" Gwen asked.

"Well, I wouldn't put it that way." Owen made a sweeping gesture with his hand. "Ianto's young, great looking, and single. He's got everything going for him. So why not spread his wings a bit. See what he's been missing while he's been in his two relationships. He's just being your average bachelor."

"And you'd know," Gwen asked.

"As a matter of fact, I do." Owen put the tools down, dropping into his chair and stretching his legs out in front of him. "I absolutely adored Katie. She was pretty much the only girl I'd ever loved, which is why I wanted to marry her. Then she died." He frowned. "I still miss her, still wonder what things could have been like, but I had to overcome that. Once I'd gotten over my grief enough, I did what Ianto’s doing – I spread my wings. Lived a little, just to remind myself I'm alive." He smiled up at Tosh. "And now I'm ready to give the commitment thing another try."

Tosh returned the smile.

"I could never do that," Gwen said, shaking her head.

"Sure you could." Owen pointed at her. "You do it anyway. You've been trying to get into Jack's pants since pretty much the minute Ianto walked out that door."

"Before, actually," Tosh said, earning herself a glare from the other woman.

"It's different," Gwen said.

"Aside from the fact Ianto isn't dead?" Owen asked.

"Jack hasn't slept around," Gwen reminded them. "He hasn't been with anyone since Ianto left. It's not fair on him."

"Jack is over a century old," Owen said. "And he's probably spent most of that time shagging anything with a hole."

"Owen!" Tosh hissed, trying not to giggle.

Owen held up his hands. "It's true; you've got to admit it."

"I can't believe you're both joking about this." Gwen pushed herself up, straightening her shirt. "I'm going to find Jack. I'm sure he's not taking it as well as he's making out he is."

As she disappeared out the door, Tosh and Owen exchanged a weary look.

Tosh sighed. "Here we go again."

***

"So you and Rhys are good friends now?"

"Even went to the football together once," Jack said. "He talked me into it. Wasn't that bad. Of course, Gwen thought I was off sulking somewhere and spent the whole night looking for me." He chuckled. "You should have seen the look on her face when I told her where I was."

"She has always been rather protective of you," Ianto pointed out, setting his spoon down into the empty bowl as Jack finished off his own dessert. "In fact, I'm surprised you two aren't..."

Jack rolled his eyes. "You honestly believe I would sleep with Gwen?"

"Given the amount of flirting you two have had in the past," Ianto pointed out, "it's really not that much of a stretch."

Jack conceded the point, setting his own spoon down and reaching for his drink. "I didn't."

"Tosh, Owen and Rhys told me."

"Rhys is one of the reasons why I haven't." Jack shook his head, sighing. "I like him. I'll admit I've become rather fond of Rhys, and I don't want to see him get hurt."

"He is quite likeable." Ianto smiled faintly. "Like a teddy bear. He just has that look that makes you want to cuddle him."

"Exactly." Jack finished his drink setting down the glass. "I don't know about you, but I'm full."

"Probably the most I've eaten in a while," Ianto agreed.

Jack ran his eye over him. "I'd thought you'd lost weight."

"Gained it, actually." Ianto shrugged. "I've had to become a lot fitter over recent months, given how much fighting and running I've had to do. So I've ended up putting on some weight."

"Really." Jack smirked. "Got a six pack now?"

"Not that much working out," Ianto clarified, giving him an amused look. "Just enough to stay one step ahead of the Carshy."

"Fair enough." Jack reached for his wallet, taking out enough money to cover both their meals plus a tip for the waiter, setting it down. "So... up for a walk? Try and work some of this meal off?"

"Sure, why not."

They stood, exiting the restaurant and making their way back toward the bay area where they had first run into each other. Jack sighed, closing his eyes and once again enjoying the night breeze, a slight feeling of contentment washing over him at the sense of Ianto beside him.

"So..." Jack turned his head slightly. "You and John are partners now?"

"While we're hunting the Plasmavore, yes." Ianto shrugged. "We were both hunting the same thing so we figured we might as well work together."

"He’s been training you to fight?"

Ianto looked at him. "Pardon?"

"Let's just say Tosh and Owen told us about your little move today with the rifle."

"Oh." Ianto gazed around them as they stepped out onto a boardwalk, stopping to rest against the railing. "You must admit I was never much of a fighter, Jack."

"I disagree. I think you're a very good fighter." He paused. "Against Weevils."

"Weevil's are one thing, humans and other aliens are another." Ianto shook his head. "John has taught me a lot. In exchange I've taught him the customs of the planet so he could fit into the 21st Century better." He frowned. "Although he is rather attached to that outfit."

"That's the thing about Time Agents," Jack said, smiling. "We're trained to blend into the local culture, but we always find one time and planet that we become rather fond of."

"Yours being 1940s Earth," Ianto said, raising a brow.

"Well." Jack shrugged it off. He looked at Ianto, eyeing his clothes. "I've missed the suits."

"I haven't." Ianto sighed, leaning against the railing. "The dry cleaning was expensive, they cost a lot to have tailored, half of them ended up ruined, and they weren't exactly designed to fight in."

"Nevertheless, you look good in them."

Ianto looked out over the bay, taking in where the clouds had parted to reveal the glittering of stars. He turned his head, watching as Jack leaned against the rail beside him. He reached out, tugging at Jack's sleeve and smiling faintly. "I've missed the coat."

Jack chuckled, leaning into him and meeting his eye. "I had a feeling that you might have."

Ianto smiled, closing the distance between them further until he could feel Jack's warm breaths across his face. "I've always been rather fond of the coat."

Jack brushed his lips against Ianto's, smiling. "I know."

"Jack!"

Jack growled as Ianto sighed heavily, the younger man turning to look back toward the restaurant, trying to see where Gwen had called from. The tone had definitely been a searching one, not one of discovery, meaning she hadn't spotted them yet. Turning back, Ianto was surprised to see Jack gone, only to hear his name. Peering over the railing, he found Jack on the other side.

"Come on," Jack said. "Unless you want her to find us."

Ianto raised his eyebrows, glancing once more in Gwen's direction before gripping the top of the railing and pulling himself up and over, allowing himself to drop down onto the sand below. He turned look at where Jack was straightening his coat. "Is leaping railings to escape Gwen common practice now?"

"Only for the last year or so," Jack admitted, smiling sheepishly only to look up sharply at the sound of footsteps above. He grabbed Ianto's arm, drawing him in under the boardwalk.

"Jack!"

They hid in the shadows, waiting quietly for Gwen to leave. Jack's arm threaded around Ianto's waist as they gazed upward. Seeing Gwen's shadow shift to lean over, they slunk back against the retaining wall, pressing together and letting their gazes drop.

Jack brought his other hand up, trailing a fingertip along Ianto's jaw line, eyes watching the younger man's reaction. Ianto didn't pull away, one hand twisting its way into the fabric of Jack's greatcoat while the other came up to smooth down Jack's windblown hair.

Jack smiled, hooking a finger under Ianto's chin and tilting it slightly, drawing him forward as Ianto's hand came down to rest behind his neck. The first touch of their lips was hesitant, judging each others reactions before the invited each other to go deeper.

The kiss was slow, not as rushed as either one had imagine it would be, nor charged with sexual energy that would lead them to doing it right there, probably on top of Jack's coat. Rather, it was about relearning something almost forgotten; remapping territory each had thought was lost.

Above them, Gwen called out to Jack once more before she stepped away from the edge, her footsteps echoing on the boards above. Jack and Ianto drew back to glance up, watching her shadow through the parts in the boards as it disappeared onto the concrete.

Jack returned his attention to Ianto, trailing his fingertips over his jaw. "I still love you."

Ianto met his eye, palm flat against Jack's chest. "I still don't believe you."

Rhys looked up as Gwen slammed the door, stalking into the apartment with a scowl on her features. He sighed, knowing she'd probably been out looking for Jack again.

"I made you a curry," he said, leaning back from where he sat at the computer. "I didn't know what time you'd be home so I put it in a microwave dish in the fridge."

"Thanks,' she said, opening the door and retrieving it.

Rhys returned to what he was doing, absently noticing the whirl of the microwave as the scent of the food began to waft through the living quarters of their flat. He heard the soft beep, then footsteps as Gwen came up behind him.

"What you up too?" She asked.

"Just keeping an eye on the news reports," he replied. "Seeing if there are any odd deaths in the area."

"We have software checking for that," Gwen said.

"I know. No harm in looking though." He looked up at her. "Did they ever find that thing’s house?"

"Yeah. And what it's planning to do." Gwen sighed, taking a bite of the curry and watching as he continued his search. "Rhys, I don't want you getting involved in this one."

"You never want me involved," he said, scowling.

"I know, but especially not this one. This thing is dangerous."

"I know, I know." He looked up at her quickly. "Ianto already explained it all to me, and I'm going to keep right away. Can't hurt to work on the Intel side of things, can it?"

Gwen looked at him sharply. "You saw Ianto?"

"At Owen's. Had a good chat, we did." Rhys smiled, hitting 'refresh' and bringing up the latest reports. "Been all over the country, he has. Seen a lot of the sights. Sounded like a good trip. We might have to do it one day."

"Ianto was still hunting aliens," Gwen said.

"Not originally he wasn't." Rhys opened another link, giving it a quick scan before hitting 'back'. "Stayed in Gloucester for a while with that Grant fellow from the crash, then headed off. Ended up getting caught up in an alien takeover in Harrogate. He sorted that, and just kept running into things until he met up with John in Edinburgh."

Gwen stared at him. "He told you all this?"

"He did."

"And you didn't have to pressure him into it?"

"All I had to do was ask." Rhys hit 'refresh' again, frowning as he spotted the words 'Two Dead', but disregarding the article when he read it was related to a car accident in Swansea. "He's not a bad bloke, you know. He's been through quite a lot this last year."

"Yes, I'm sure he has," Gwen muttered, taking another bite from her curry.

"Don't be too hard on him." Rhys looked up at her. "I think being away has done him some good. Smiles a lot more than he used too. I hardly ever used to see him smile."

"Yeah, well, it's just the way he is," Gwen said.

Rhys watched her as she began to pace the room. "Jack told me about him a while back. Told me about Canary Warf and how it was all real. Don't blame him for not smiling. I would have gone mad if it were me."

"Rhys, stop it." Gwen spun to look at him. "I can't believe you're taking Ianto's side in this."

"That argument ended a long time ago," he frowned. "Let them work it out between themselves. It's really none of our business."

"It is our business." Gwen taped her fork against the edge of the bowl. "Look what it did to Torchwood. They have a lovers tiff and Ianto storms off, leaving everything in shambles, and you think it's none of our business."

"Jack left too, didn't he?" Rhys pointed out. "No warning about it. Just abandoned you all, including Ianto, without so much as a goodbye. You all survived then, and you survived now."

Gwen scowled. "You have been spending far too much time with Tosh and Owen."

"And Jack," Rhys said. He turned back to the computer. "They're at least there when I want to talk to someone."

Gwen stared at him. "What?"

"You're never home, Gwen." Rhys glared at her. "You're always out looking for Jack to offer him help and advice he doesn't want. He only stays away from the Hub to avoid you, you know. He figures if you can't find him you'll come home. Shame how that didn't work out, since you spend all night driving the streets while I'm sitting here waiting for you. If anyone needs you Gwen, it's me."

Gwen turned and disappeared back into the kitchen, Rhys returning to his search. It seemed like a long while had past before two arms wrapped around his neck, Gwen kissing him gently on the side of the face. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well maybe you should start spending less time at work and more time at home."

"I promise." Gwen straightened, hands resting on his shoulders. "I don't know about you, but I'm tired. Let's go to bed, shall we."

Hearing the unspoken invitation, Rhys was in the process of switching off the computer before she had even finished speaking.

***

Jack sighed, resting his chin on top of Ianto's head, enjoying the feel of Ianto's weight lying against him. After making sure that Gwen had gone, they had snuck around to where Jack had parked the SUV and driven back to Ianto's place. After a coffee and more catching up, they had ended up in the bedroom, still clothed as they curled together simply enjoying each others company.

Jack pressed a kiss onto the top of Ianto's head, sighing.

"Something's on your mind," Ianto said, tilting his head to look up at Jack.

"Just what you said earlier." Jack frowned. "Why don't you believe me?"

"When you say you love me?"

"Yeah."

It was Ianto's turn to sigh, closing his eyes and tucking himself back in under Jack's chin, tightening his grip on Jack's shirt. "It's complicated."

"Then explain it to me."

There was a long silence, Jack beginning to think that Ianto wasn't going to speak when the other man shifted so that he could face him, Ianto gazing at Jack with a serious expression on his face.

"Jack, how old are you? Really?"

Jack frowned, running the math in his head. "About 176, give or take a year or two."

Ianto nodded. "And you're from the 51st Century?"

Sometimes Jack forgot that he had told Ianto his home time during their third meeting and first real hunt together, for Myfanwy no less. Ianto had commented on his scent, and Jack had told him it was natural for his century. "That's right."

"John told me what it's like in your time, Jack." Ianto sighed, gazing up toward the ceiling. "How your people roam across the galaxy, meeting new species and... well, getting to know them."

"We'd been doing that for a couple of centuries."

Ianto nodded, turning to look at him again. "Do you ever settle down, the humans from your time? Do you ever just... pick one mate?"

"Sure we do." Jack smiled faintly. "My parents were completely faithful to each other. I guess we just roam until we find the right person... well... right one. A few of us settled down with aliens."

"How about you?" Ianto watched his expression carefully. "Not only is it bad enough that you come from a time when sleeping with as many people as you can is accepted and expected, but you're so old. You watch people grow old and die around you. How can you possibly love anyone?"

"I have loved," Jack said softly. "I've fallen many times. I loved the Doctor and his companion at the time, Rose. I've since come to accept that I'll never have him and I'll never see her again." Jack sighed. "There was Estelle. I couldn't stay with her because of my immortality. And in some ways I still love John, but there was no way he was ever going to settle down. Besides," he chuckled, "with our chemistry, we'd end up killing each other."

"Exactly what he said," Ianto said with a faint smile, only for it to fade. "Everyone you've ever loved either leaves you or dies. You've been hurt far too many times, and have come to build strong shields around your heart. It's impossible that you could love."

Jack sighed, closing his eyes and nodding after a moment. "You're right. I have been hurt a lot, and I do come from a time where faithfulness isn't exactly... encouraged. But it's been around 140 years since I was in that time. I've been stuck on Earth since 1869, Ianto. I've come to live by the expectations of here and now."

"And yet all you ever do is talk like you're still living by your old values," Ianto said. "Every conversation you somehow manage to bring up an ex-lover to compare to the situation at hand. You openly flirt with anyone, and when given the chance..."

Jack knew Ianto had him there. Jack reached up to run a hand over his eyes, brushing away the weariness. No wonder Ianto didn't believe him. "Why didn't you ever say anything before?"

"It wasn't my place."

"Christ, Ianto." Jack sat up, staring down at him. "You were my boyfriend. If anyone had the right to say anything, it was you."

"But was I ever your boyfriend?" Ianto pushed himself up, leaning back against the headboard and watching Jack. "When we first were together it was just about the casual fuck whenever we felt like it, and then you left without any warning. When you came back you asked me out and I thought things had changed, but we only ever had one date before we went back to the way things were–"

"We never went back to the way things were," Jack cut in. He hung his head, letting out a long breath before looking back up at the other man. "I should have taken you out more, I know that. I know I should have taken you out more. But we weren't hiding it anymore, Ianto. I didn't want to hide it."

"Neither did I."

"Ianto..." Jack reached out, gently resting a hand on Ianto's knee and quietly pleased when Ianto neither stiffened at his touch nor pulled away. "I told you what happened that year I went away." Ianto nodded. "It was while I was away, chained up and being tortured, that I realised how much you meant to me. That I realised I love you."

Ianto watched the hand on his knee, eyes never shifting. "But you can see why I don't believe you."

"I can now." Jack sighed. "I'm from the 51st Century, Ianto. Romance, seduction... they're almost dead. Some people still believe in them, but I haven't got a clue." He shook his head. "I know the basics – music, dancing, champagne and roses... I just used them to get people into bed. I never did dates; I never did Valentines Day or Anniversaries.... I basically just... don't know anything about committed 21st Century relationships."

"Why didn't you ask?" Ianto said.

"I don't like showing weakness," Jack said simply. "If I asked somebody about something I don't know anything about, I'm showing something I'm not good at." He met Ianto's eye. "I've eh... actually since asked Rhys about it."

Ianto blinked. "Rhys?"

"Gwen always said he was a hopeless romantic at heart." Jack smiled faintly. "I just asked him what romance was to him, and he told me about it. I learnt quite a bit from him."

Ianto reached up, resting his hand on the one on his knee. "Jack."

Jack looked at him.

"I'm not a romantic."

Jack smiled faintly. "I know, but it can't hurt, can it?"

Ianto returned the smile. "I suppose not."

They sat in silence, Jack shifting so that he was sitting next to Ianto again, Ianto leaning against him and resting his head on Jack's shoulder. Jack found Ianto's hand, threading their fingers together and gently trailing his thumb over the smooth skin on the back.

"What will it take for you to believe me?" Jack said softly.

"I don't know. In a way I think I do but..." Ianto tilted his head, gazing up into Jack's eyes. "I can't read you."

Jack met his gaze, smiling sadly. "I guess that makes us even."

John sighed, resting his head back against the wall and looking down toward the nuclear facility. Hearing footsteps from the other direction, he looked back around and scowled, pushing himself off the wall and giving his watch a pointed look.

"I'm fully aware that I'm late," Ianto said, joining him. "Jack's right about you being the wife, you know."

John shot him a half-hearted glare. "Excuse me? Who does the cooking and cleaning?"

"Only because you don't know how to cook without a computer and wouldn't know one end of a broom from the other." Ianto paused. "Well, its correct use, anyway."

John sniggered. "Not my fault they design them so long and thick."

Ianto rolled his eyes. "You should talk to Jack about hockey sticks."

"Now there's an idea." John's eyes sparkled as they headed down toward the facility. "How about it, you: me, hockey stick..."

"I've already done the hockey stick thing, actually." Ianto gave him a meaningful look. "Jack knows his sports equipment."

"He's gotten a lot more inventive since I was with him," John admitted. "Although the things he could do with a hydrospanner..."

They entered the facility, following the long corridor toward the main office. John watched Ianto, taking in his posture and expression. "Went all right then."

"We talked." Ianto frowned slightly. "We've still got a lot we need to work out."

"So he has no hard feelings then."

"Not that I can see." Ianto shoved his hands into his pockets, looking down the corridor. "He wants to work things out."

John nodded, eyes never leaving the other man. "Question is, do you?"

Ianto sighed. "I think I do."

"Either you do or you don't, Eye Candy. No in between." John looked forward again as they reached the desk, the receptionists eyes lighting up as she spotted Ianto. "Show time."

***

"So where are we at?" Jack asked as he stepped into the Hub, greatcoat billowing out behind him as he swung up the stairs onto the main floor. "Tosh?"

"Bullets are finished," Tosh replied.

"I managed to find some high powered rifles," Owen added, stepping out of the weapons locker and holding one up. "Combined with the bullets this should stop them dead. Literally."

"The Plasmavore is definitely Christina Ryder," Gwen said, looking up from her computer. "She was reported missing four hours ago. Also, there were three unexplained deaths in the early hours of the morning. One mauling, and a couple found in the back room of a club. They'd been completely drained of their blood."

"She's starting to make herself known," Jack observed.

"Shouldn't we stop her?" Gwen asked. "We know where she lives."

Jack nodded. "That's what I'm thinking."

"What about the nuclear facility?" Tosh asked. "If we attack her, she might begin overloading it early."

"Already being taken care of." Jack looked toward her, all the while watching Gwen out the corner of his eye. "John and Ianto are there now sorting things out with security. I called ahead to let them know they were coming."

Owen frowned. "You talked to John today?"

Jack shook his head. "Ianto, actually."

Gwen's eyes widened. "Jack..."

"We just talked," he assured her, looking over at her. "That's it. We've got a lot of things we need to sort out." He raised a hand as she began to speak again. "We need to sort out. No outside interference. Just him and I."

"About bloody time," Owen muttered.

"They're going to call when they're on their way out," Jack said. "In the meantime, let’s see if we can find out where our friendly neighbourhood blood-sucking alien is located this morning. Gwen? See what you can find on CCTV."

"A little heads up about them knowing we were coming would have been nice," John said as they left the Head of Security’s office. "And since when did I become a member of Torchwood?"

"You honestly think they'd let a civilian into the facility?" Ianto asked, slipping the papers back into his inside jacket pocket. "Anyway, unless she can come up with a new plan, the Plasmavore shall have a few difficulties."

"It's so nice to be one step ahead of her for once," John said, stretching and folding his hands together behind his head. "Mind, her plan was flawless. If it weren't for the fact I hate the bitch and want to make her day hell, I would have borrowed it myself. It's be amusing to watch everyone running around in a panic– "

"Up until the point your body starts wasting away from the radiation," Ianto cut in, glaring at him.

"Not really." John brought his hands forward, tapping his wrist strap. "Built in shielding against radiation storms. I admit it only lasts a couple of hours, but that'd be all I need to catch a Rift storm and get out of here."

Ianto sighed, shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

"What?" John laughed, slinging an arm around Ianto's shoulders. "I never said I wouldn't take you with me. I've actually come to be rather fond of you."

"Flattered as I am, I would have shot you before you even had a chance to start the meltdown," Ianto said, crossing his arms as they exited the building. "Besides, Torchwood would have stopped you."

"They know anything about nuclear facilities?"

"Tosh does."

"Right, so what if I immobilised her, and found a way to take Jack out of the equation."

"Owen and Gwen would sort it out."

"Nah, I think Gwen would be thinking of that man of hers." John ran it through his head. "I reckon Owen would be the one to go in, try and fix things He has a hero streak in him."

"Something you'd be an expert on," Ianto muttered.

"I prefer to be the bad guy," John purred, moving to sneak a hand down the front of Ianto's pants, only to have Ianto swat it away. "Playing hard to get now, are we?"

"I've warned you about public places," Ianto shot him a firm look. "Don't make me punish you later."

John smirked. "Promises, promises."

He let Ianto go, fishing out his phone and punching in Jack's number.

***

Jack reached for his phone as it rang, spotting Gwen, Owen and Tosh looking at him through the window of his office. Seeing John's number, he hit receive. "How did it go?"

"Smooth, as always. You've got to admit I'm good."

"Ianto did all the work then."

"Oh, you wound me." John chuckled. "He explained the situation, and we spent the last hour helping them set up the new security measures. There's no way that little plan of hers will work."

Jack grinned, giving his team a thumbs up and seeing the collective look of relief. "That's what I want to hear. Now it's just a matter of dealing with her."

"It should take her a little while to realise things aren't working out," John said. "She usually spends at least a week establishing herself and having her own fun before bringing out the big guns. Should give us more than enough time to sneak up on her and..."

Jack leaned forward as John trailed off. "John?"

"We've got a slight problem," John said, Jack feeling his stomach twist as he picked up on the slight edge of fear to the other man's voice.

"What kind of problem? John?"

"The fury, black with shiny teeth kind." He heard John let out a steadying breath. "I think she knows we're here."

Jack pushed himself to his feet, setting his jaw. "We've got the weapons. The bullets with silver and gryonite. Find somewhere safe and we'll get them to you."

"'Somewhere safe' doesn't exist with these things, remember? Look, we're turning on the trackers on our phones. Find us. Get us the weapons. We'll try and stay one step ahead."

Jack swallowed hard. "Be careful."

The line disconnected, Jack swearing and stalking out of his office. "Grab the guns. We're going."

***

"Okay," Ianto said, staring down toward the two beasts standing between them and the Bentley. "Plan?"

John shot him a quick look. "Turn the tracker on your phone on. Aside from that, run like bloody buggery."

Ianto reached for his phone, hitting a couple of keys while staring at John. "That's your plan? Run?"

"Oh, and split up," John said. "One Carshy each. Makes it a bit more fair."

"In case you've forgotten, our guns are in the car," Ianto hissed. "We might have one each, but they have teeth while we're defenceless."

"Torchwood did what you wanted and made those bullets," John said as they inched their way toward a path, the Carshy watching their every move and slowly creeping toward them. "They're going to bring us the weapons."

"Which is why you want the tracker on," Ianto guessed.

"Bingo." John eyed the Carshy, glancing quickly at Ianto. "You watch your back, okay?"

"Always do," Ianto gave him a smile. "See you when it's over?"

"I better. And in one piece."

John caught Ianto's face in his hands, kissing him hard. Ianto returned it before they broke apart, giving each other one more look of encouragement before they went their separate ways, the Carshy hot on their heels.

"Wouldn't it be better for us to help Gwen and Tosh?" Owen asked, looking across at Jack as they drove through the city. "They could get the weapons to John, while we go after Ianto. Give them more of a chance."

"John and Ianto can take care of themselves," Jack said, taking the next corner. "The Carshy are under the direction of the Plasmavore. We take her out, they'll have more of a chance."

"Right. And what'll we do if she's still got one of them there?"

"John basically said they were both there." Jack drummed his fingers on the wheel, glaring at a lorry in front. "Come on. I swear they do it deliberate."

"That's one of Rhys' lorries, you realise," Owen said.

"Okay, then they are doing it deliberate. He probably told them, 'if you see a black SUV with flashing blue lights, go out of your way to get in their way'."

"Oh, I doubt that." Owen paused. "Then again, I wouldn't put it past him."

"That man and I are going to have words." Jack growled, finally spotting a break in the traffic going the other way and allowing him to swing around the lorry.

"Go easy." Owen gripped the armrest, the other hand tight on the dash as he shot Jack a look. "I'd like to get there in one piece, thanks. If I knew you were going to be like this, I would have driven."

"Would you shut up." Jack shot him a glare. 'Quit backseat driving, already. Now, where are we going?"

"Left at the next turnoff." Owen set himself for the turn, bracing his body as Jack threw them around the corner. "See, another reason why I should have driven: I actually know where we're going."

"Look, unless you want to walk..."

'Okay, okay, don't get your knickers in a knot." Owen paused. "You are wearing underwear, right?"

Jack just smirked.

"Oh god, not again." Owen winced, hoping they wouldn’t end up in a situation where they’d had to remove clothing like last time they’d gone out hunting together.

They navigated their way across the residential district of Cardiff, Jack pulling the SUV up outside the old rundown store.

"Okay," he said, switching off the car. "CCTV shows she's at the hospital, probably trying to get her hands on some more blood without killing anyone and drawing anymore attention to herself. So we'll go in, set up the trap, and get out of there. Clear?"

"Crystal." Owen climbed out of the SUV, looking up at the shop and sighing. "Why do I have a feeling this is going to go to shit?"

Jack gave him a meaningful look as he headed for the door. “Probably because it usually does.”

***

John slipped into the old building, taking in the decaying facade and broken glass. As he moved inside, he had to admire the architecture and curse those who had let it fall into this state. That was one thing he had yet to grasp about the residents of Sol 3 – how they could just let beautiful things decay.

In his time, beautiful things were cherished. Then again, anything that wasn't beautiful could easily be made to be. Not that he'd ever needed anything done, but if things kept going the way they were he would seriously consider it. Damn Jack and his immortality – it was like a fountain of youth, only with a bitch of a curse attached.

He carefully moved up the stairs, hand smoothing along the banister as he glared at the graffiti that covered the walls – a variety of different tags and slogans, although the 'Bad Wolf' one intrigued him. If he ever had to tag something, that was the sort of thing he'd use.

He followed the corridor, pulling back a sheet over a piece of furniture and noting the antique chair. He briefly contemplated how much he would get for it if he took it through the Rift to some dealer in the 46th Century when there had been a real fad to have 20th-21st Century antiques, but brushed the thought off as a noise came from downstairs.

He straightened, listening and hearing the soft footfalls combined with the click of nails on the marble floor. He frowned, shifting and moving quicker down the hall, opening the door on the end and silently thankful for good design when it swung open almost soundlessly. He carefully closed it behind him, turning to find himself in complete darkness.

He pressed a button on his wrist strap, a small light shining and casting long shadows around him. His eyebrows rose as he took in the rows of seating and the torn screen, covered in more tags and slogans. Evidently he had found one of the old cinemas Ianto had told him about.

He gazed around, taking in the dust and cobwebs, the ever so faint smell of mould and the stale smell of beer no doubt coming from the broken bottles scattered around. He looks down, noting the glass that lay underfoot, along with torn up newspaper and the occasional discarded condom. He scowls. Why the hell would anyone do it here? You get more of a thrill from doing it in a real cinema.

Shame Eye Candy had drawn the line there. Kissing? Sure. Blow jobs? Depended on numbers and how observant those around were. Actually doing it? Hell no. How dull.

He moved down the steps toward the screen, gazing up at it then turning to look up toward the dark holes on the back wall. Dreams had been shared here. John actually had a soft spot for the old fashioned movie houses. They just had a flare to them the 51st Century ones didn't. Probably because movie houses didn't exactly exist in the 51st Century. They were considered quant and boring.

He frowned at the rumble, stiffening as he recognised it as a growl. He felt his heart quicken, thumping against his chest as a flutter shot through him. That rumble had sounded a lot closer than it should have. He turned, eyes scanning his surroundings but seeing nothing but endless rows of torn and broken seating, the light glittering off the glass.

Hearing a rip, he swung around and gave a sharp cry as he was thrown backward. Sharp pain tore through him as he pushed himself up, racing for the ladder he could see out of the corner of his eye and throwing himself up it. He gasped as he felt teeth sink into this leg, John wrapping his arms around the ladder and looking down, finding the Carshy gripping the flesh, trying to tug him down.

John tightened his grip on the ladder, ignoring the pain from both his leg and the still healing bullet wound and kicking down at the Carshy's nose. After four firm kicks, the Carshy let go, John quickly scaling the ladder further and laughing as he realised the Carshy could no longer jump high enough to reach him. The laughter just as quickly died away, John resigning himself to being stuck there for some time as the Carshy sat at the base of the ladder, waiting.

"Go dig for a bone or something," John said, glaring down at the beast, fighting to ignore the throbbing pain in his body. "Or better yet, go find something to eat because you aren't getting anything here. Besides, I'm too... chewy." The Carshy didn't move. "Oh come on. Be a nice dog and go home."

Hearing the door burst open, he looked up and spotted Gwen and Tosh, a rifle tight in Gwen's grip. He raised a hand. "Stay there. Don't move."

The Carshy spun, laying back its ears as it gave a low growl, teeth snapping toward where the two women stood.

"It's not after you," John said, eyes scanning his surroundings and spotting a cable that had once been used to help hold the screen in place. Glancing down, he noted that the Carshy was still distracted. Setting himself on the ladder, he dove for the cable, his momentum swinging him back toward the audience seating. He let himself drop, hitting the ground between the rows of chairs and hissing through is teeth as pain shot through him.

"Gun!" He yelled as he raced toward Gwen, hearing the Carshy howl behind him.

Gwen tossed him the weapon, John spinning just as the Carshy pounced. John's raised the weapon and fired on impulse, the Carshy screaming as it hit the ground and began pawing at its face. John fired again as it spun, the bullet catching it on its back leg, causing it to shriek again as it ran, disappearing behind the screen.

John looked back, Gwen tossing him two more cartridges. John loaded the double barrels, limping down the aisles.

"I can't believe you missed it at that range," Gwen said, drawing her gun as she and Tosh followed him.

"Didn't miss,” he said, eyes scanning the long shadows as he carefully navigated his way around the screen. "Thick skin. It'll be hurting and will still possibly die, it'll just take time." He glanced back quickly. "You have to shoot them dead in the eye to kill them with one shot." He hefted the weapon. "Nice gun, by the way."

They continued moving through the back stage area of the cinema, checking every shadow until Tosh spotted the blood trail. As they followed it, John glanced at them again.

"Didn't take you long to find me."

"Since we knew your original location, it didn't take long to lock onto your tracker," Tosh explained. "And since you were closer, we followed the signal until we found you."

"Closer?" John looked at them. "You haven't found Ianto yet?"

"Not yet," Gwen replied, a dark look on her face.

John spotted it but chose to remain silent, following the blood trail until it ended at the back door, disappearing out into an alley. John lowered his weapon, scowling.

"It'll probably keep running," he said, looking at the two women. "Well then. Let's go save Eye Candy."

Jack and Owen broke down the front door of the shop, no longer worried about hiding their presence. Like before, they made a sweep of the building, guns drawn as they searched every part of the house, and like before finding nothing. Entering the top level, Owen pointed toward the table.

"There's the plans," Owen said, giving them the once over. "Looks like she's been watching the staff and taking notes on the appropriate time to get in."

"Shame that won't happen." Jack grinned, reaching inside his pocket and drawing out a device. "How about we set up a nice trap up here, right in the nerve centre of her lair."

"Why not."

It took them all of five minutes to lay down the traps, the two of them turning and heading down the stairs. Jack programmed in the frequency of the devices, so that when they were triggered he'd know about it. Owen paused at the bottom of the stairs as he heard a noise.

"Something's in the storeroom," he said softly.

"There wasn't a minute ago," Jack whispered back, reaching once more for his gun. "You go left, I'll go right."

Owen nodded his agreement, falling into step beside him as they took their positions as the door. Jack raised his hand, ticking off a count of three before kicking open the door, the two leaping through. There was a burst of light, the guns becoming hot in the hands and falling to the ground.

Blinking back their blindness, Owen swore as he realised he was in some sort of energy cage, not unlike the one he had used on Carys, and glancing to the side saw Jack in a similar situation. Hearing a woman's laughter, they looked around.

"So this is the infamous Torchwood."

The woman stepped into the light, and Owen had to admit she was beautiful. Not too tall, dark hair, large brown eyes on almost flawless skin. The Plasmavore certainly knew how to choose the lookers, that was for sure. She looked between them, smiling faintly.

"I know why you're here," she said, her voice smooth and controlled, not giving anything away yet filled with an almost seductive edge. "You were contacted by those other two and have been helping them. I'm sure they have been dealt with by now."

"Let us out now," Jack hissed. "We've already put a stop to your plans."

"I assumed as much." She turned her back on him, wandering across to Owen and gazing at him. "And who might you be, handsome?"

Owen glared at her. "Doctor Owen Harper."

"A doctor, hm?"

She pressed a button on a remote, the lights of the shielding vanishing. Owen took a step toward the door, only to have a well place foot hit behind his knees, sending him down onto them. The Plasmavore grabbed a fistful of his hair, twisting it and yanking his head back painfully.

"Human's are so unstable," she commented, bending down to whisper in his ear. "So much fun though. Now, Doctor Harper, you must know a good deal about blood."

"I've seen more than enough," he said, shooting a look toward where Jack was glaring daggers at the woman. "Now, how about just letting me go and–"

"Oh, there will be no letting anyone go." She reached into her pocket, drawing out a straw, Owen's eyes widening as he noted that one end had been shaped. "What sort of blood do you have, Doctor?"

Owen gasped as she pulled his head back, plunging the straw into his jugular, out of the corner of his eye watching as she bent down and started to suck. He breathed Jack's name, trying to tug free but finding she still had a firm grip on him.

He slowly felt his strength fading away with every suck she made on that straw, a nauseas feeling washing over him at the little noises she made. Abruptly she drew back, chuckling and smacking her lips together.

"Hm. You've had a beer within the last 24 hours, and seem to be lacking iron in your diet. As a doctor, you should know better." She tugged the straw free, Owen wincing slightly at the sharp pain. She caught his jaw, tilting his chin up and kissing him, Owen trying to jerk back as he tasted his own blood on her lips.

She laughed as he threw himself back, falling when she abruptly let him go. Owen pulled himself to his knees, glaring as he realised that she had turned his cell back on. He tested the walls, hissing as a mild electrical shock shot through him. He angrily wiped the blood from his mouth, looking up sharply as she spoke again.

"Look who it is." She stopped in front of Jack's cell, grinning up at him. "Your old partner has been causing me a lot of trouble. He goes by the name of John Hart these days. What name do you go by?"

"Captain Jack Harkness," he replied.

"Another Captain," she said, laughing. "You humans amuse me so."

"John and I stopped working together long before he was told to hunt you down," Jack said, glaring at her through the glowing shield. "I had nothing to do with you."

"But everyone knew you, Jack. The shining boy of the Time Agency. The one who could never do wrong." She eyed him. "What went wrong? Last I heard you had quit and began working freelance, trying to con the Agency out of every last credit."

"They should have never crossed me," he said. "Let us go. We're just protecting the city. Let us go and leave, and we won't bother you."

"Too late for that." She smiled at him. "He came here for your help, him and his cute new partner. You're involved, so I'm afraid that this is where it ends, although..." She smiled, pressing the button to switch off the cell and grabbing Jack in the same grip she had Owen, a quick move to the back of Jack's legs sending him to his knees. "I've heard the word, Captain, about your connections."

He glared at her. "What are you talking about?"

"The Time Lord." She twisted her fingers harder in his hair, causing him to hiss. "The Doctor. You're a friend of his." She brought her lips close to his, studying him. "You're the immortal one. The one killed by the Daleks and brought back to life."

Jack frowned. "How can you..."

"Word spreads quickly about the Doctor's companions." She yanked his head back, the straw plunging into his vein before he could react. "The Doctor and this planet were responsible for the death of my friend."

"I wasn't with him at the time," Jack pointed out.

"Maybe not," she said, leaning in, smiling as her lips touched the straw. "But I'm sure you'll make interesting bait. Not to mention a never ending food supply."

****

Last time he had been here was a year-and-a-half ago, when Torchwood had closed the factory down for manufacturing little robotic dolls with an alien twist that came to life and proceeded to rob the person who had bought them. He had taken a gamble that the old factory was still empty, and was relieved to find that it was.

Ianto scanned the interior, noting that most of the non-confiscated equipment still sat around covered in sheets and police tape. He pushed the door closed behind him, clicking the lock before moving further inside. If he recalled correctly, the shifty owner had a stash of weapons in his office that they had left, intending only to clear them out if the place ever sold.

He took the steps up into the office two at a time, pushing the door open and stepping inside. Giving the office a quick once over, he pushed the desk aside and knelt, flipping up the carpet and praying to himself that the others hadn't raided the stash while hunting Weevils. Tugging open the hidden door, he gazed inside and let out a sigh of relief.

Three of the handguns were gone and one of the rifles, but the rest of the stash was still there. He reached in, picking up a rifle and inspecting it. After confirming it was still in good working order, he picked up a box of rounds and flipped the trapdoor shut. He stood, setting himself down on the edge of the desk and loading the rifle, snapping it closed and smiling.

He looked up sharply at the sound of breaking glass, quickly pocketing the box of shells and crossing to the window, parting the venetian blinds and gazing out over the lot. He narrowed his eyes, scanning the dusty work floor and stopping when he spotted the dark shape following his trail.

He set his jaw, stepping toward the door and parting it. He raised the rifle, setting the Carshy in his sights and waiting for it to clear the machinery. His finger tightened on the trigger, squeezing the moment he had a clear shot.

The Carshy threw itself back with a sharp cry as it was hit, spinning toward him snarling. Ianto managed to fire off another shot before it could dart to the side, then ducked back into the room and closed the door. He quickly stepped around the desk and pushing it over and up against the door.

He moved to the window, glancing out it again, looking for the Carshy as he fished out two more bullets and reloaded the gun. He looked up sharply at the sound of pounding up the metal stairs, his eyes widening at the window crashed in and the Carshy landed on the desk, red eyes flashing toward him before it pounced.

The Carshy hit him full on the chest, sending Ianto hard into the window behind him. The glass managed to hold for a few seconds before cracking, Ianto finding himself falling backwards before he hit the concrete hard, the wind rushing out of his lungs. The Carshy let out a cry as it landed beside him, the rifle flying from his fingers to slide across the ground.

Ianto gasped at the air, struggling to breathe as he forced himself up. He shot a look at the Carshy as it staggered to its feet, clearly as stunned as he was by the fall. He scrambled to his feet, eyes landing on a nearby air duct and crawling toward it, glass falling from his person as he went. He quickly tugged off the cover, pulling himself in and sealing himself inside.

He carefully pulled himself further along, chasing back the memories of doing something similar at Canary Warf. He paused a little way in to carefully pry a shard of glass from his back, hissing as he tossed it aside and knowing there were probably more shards imbedded in him.

There was a loud bang as the Carshy slammed itself against the cover, bending it inward. Ianto closed his eyes, letting out a shaky breath and forcing back the pain before continuing to move. He followed the vent around the corner, eyes widening and glancing back as the banging stopped, a scampering sound now coming in its place accompanied by the grating of nails on metal.

"Oh god," he breathed, quickening his pace as the scampering came closer, and glancing back again he spotted the shining eyes of the Carshy as it squeezed its bulky frame through the vent behind him. Setting his eyes forward, he spotted the glow of another vent and quickly pulled himself toward it. Reaching it, his panic rose as he tried to shove it free, dragging himself up so he could knee it hard.

The cover burst off with a clatter, Ianto dragging himself out and staggering to his feet, eyes landing at once on the rifle. He rushed toward it, snatching it up off the ground before slowly approaching the vent, setting his jaw as the paws of the Carshy appeared.

As it began to pry itself out he pulled the trigger, catching it just to the side of its face. It instantly began to back-pedal, dragging itself back into the vent as he fired again just as it disappeared, the bullet ricocheting off the vent with a spark.

Ianto scowled, reaching for his pocket only to freeze as he found it empty. He swore, checking the other one and feeling his panic rising as he realised he'd lost the box of cartridges. He spun, trying to spot them and seeing nothing, freezing when he finally looked back at the grate. The Carshy was sitting, watching, its lips curling back in a snarl as it seemed to sense his fear.

Ianto tossed the useless weapon aside and broke into a run, knowing there was no way he would be able to make it to the office to retrieve another box in time. He sprinted for the door, hearing the Carshy's yowl as it sprang from the vent and began dashing after him.

Knowing he had to defend himself somehow, Ianto spotted a pile of scrap metal the workers had used to melt down for parts to build the inner workings of the dolls. He snatched up a long metal pole, most likely once part of a road sign and spun, facing the Carshy as it leapt up onto the machinery, closing the distance even faster.

Somewhere to his left the door burst open, Ianto hearing someone scream his name but he was focussed ahead, gripping the bar in two hands as the Carshy pounced. He slammed the pole backward into the rest of the scrap for support before dropping to his knees, angling the other end toward the beast before closing his eyes and waiting for the impact.

He felt the jolt in the metal, but when no other movement came he opened his eyes, looking up to find the Carshy hanging above him. It continued to snarl at him, slowing trying to force its way down the metal that had imbedded itself into its chest, only for the light to fade from its eyes.

As the beast slumped, Ianto let go of the pole and scrambled backward, clutching his chest as he continued to fight the air back into his still winded and panicked body. He heard running steps and looked up sharply, spotting Tosh racing toward him. She threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

"Oh my god," she breathed, sitting back as she realised he was bleeding. "You're hurt!"

"I'm fine," he said, patting her arm and giving her a small smile. "Been worse."

"You've certainly got balls, Eye Candy." John says, extending a hand.

Ianto took it, allowing the other man to pull him to his feet. Ianto frowned, having noticed John's limp. "You okay?"

John looked down at his bloodied leg. "Bastard got a grip on my leg. I shot it with a couple of those bullets, but it got away on me." He nodded toward him. "You?"

"Knocked me out the window." Ianto nodded up toward the office. "There's a stash of weapons up there. Anyway, that's another one down."

"Two to you, none to me." John smiled tightly. "I'm starting to think you're a natural at this. If the Time Agency still existed I'd be trying to talk you into joining up."

"I'd pass," Ianto said with a smile, patting Tosh's hand that still clutched his arm. He spotted a movement, finally seeing the other woman. "Gwen."

"Ianto," she said, a flare of anger in her voice.

He sighed, fighting to keep from rolling his eyes as he realised that she was probably still pissed off about Jack. He looked down at Tosh. "Where are Jack and Owen?"

"They went after the Plasmavore," she replied. "They were going to check her base and set up some booby traps if she wasn't there, then call us once they were done." She paused, frowning and looking at Gwen. "In fact, they should have called by now."

"Okay," Gwen said, taking out her phone and dialling Jack's number. There was a long pause, Gwen lowering the phone. "No answer. We need to get over there."

If Owen remembered correctly, the cells didn't last very long. Jack had finally come around a few minutes ago, a hand going straight to his throat only to swear as he accidentally touched the wall of the cell. The Plasmavore had chuckled, going back to her work at the table, no doubt continuing on with her plan for the nuclear facility.

Jack slowly eased himself up, Owen noting that having all the blood sucked out of him obviously took a lot out of him, but checked it off his mental list of ways Jack could die and still come back to life. At least, all the ways that Owen had heard about. If anything, Jack had been out of it for almost half-an-hour, just long enough for Owen to start thinking he wasn't coming back.

"You should just give it up, you know," Jack said, watching the Plasmavore. "There's no way any of your plans will work."

"And why's that?" She asked, not bothering to turn around.

"There's no way the Doctor would ever come running to save me," Jack said. "He never does come running. I'm immortal. He knows I'll be fine." He nodded toward her work. "As for your plans for causing a meltdown at the nuclear facility, that won't work either."

"Really." She turned to look at him. "And why, pray tell, is that?"

"Because we discovered your little plan yesterday," Jack said, smirking. "John and Ianto have already alerted the facility, who have taken al the necessary measures to make sure it fails."

She slammed her fists down on the table, standing. "Bastards. How could they have found out so fast?"

"That's Torchwood for you, Sweetheart," Owen said, grinning. "Always one step ahead of the bad guys."

She spun to look at him, mouth opening only to close as there came a whimper. She gaped as the Carshy staggered in, rushing over to inspect it as it fell at her feet. "What happened to you?" She frowned, looking closer. "Silver and gryonite." She growled. "I will kill them. This time I will suck every last drop of blood from the pair of them."

Owen frowned as he saw the cell flicker, and threw Jack a look and gestured. Jack nodded, giving him a quick thumbs up to say that he had noticed it as well. A second later the flicker came stronger, the Plasmavore looking up sharply, narrowing her eyes.

"So, it would appear that the power cells are expiring." She picked up the straw, moving toward Owen. "I guess that means I get to kill you now." She looked back at the Carshy, pointing toward Jack. "Watch him."

"Um.... can't we talk about this," Owen said, sliding as far back toward the rear of the cell as he could, wishing it would hurry up and die so he could make a break for the exit. "I mean, you said so yourself – lacking iron. Can't taste that good. Maybe throw me back. You know, wait for me to get some iron into me."

Jack sniggered.

"Or she could just surrender."

They turned to spot Gwen in the door, gun raised and pointed at the other woman. They watched as Tosh stepped in behind her, the Plasmavore growling as John and Ianto stepped in next, rifles in their hands. The Carshy stood, growling and shifting toward them.

"You want it?" John asked, glancing at Ianto.

"I got the last two," he replied. "Only fair you get the last one."

"Suit yourself."

John raised his rifle, aiming dead between the Carshy's eyes and firing. It slumped to the ground, the Plasmavore straightening. At that moment the shielding failed, Owen quickly dashing across to where the others stood. Jack was slower, still recovering as he stepped away, watching her.

"It's over," John said, grinning. "Been a nice hunt and all that, but I think it's time you admitted it was over."

"Oh, it's far from over." She pulled a device from her pocket, grinning. "You're not the only one who can manipulate the Rift, Hart."

Ianto looked at the device, then at John. "She can't, can she?"

"With that she can. Remember that Agent I told you she stole the wrist strap from? That’s what she did to it." John reached into his pocket and snagged his handgun, firing off a shot only to have her duck to the side, grabbing Jack.

"I'm leaving," she said, watching them. "And nobody is going to stop me, because despite him being immortal I doubt any of you have it in you to shoot him."

The Plasmavore hit the button, Gwen jumping as her PDA began to beep. She snagged it out, eyes widening as Tosh leaned over her shoulder. "There's Rift activity," Gwen said, looking up sharply. "She's activating the Rift!"

"Shoot her," Jack said, fighting to free himself. "Just shoot her."

All raised their weapons, aiming at the Plasmavore as the golden glow of the Rift began to thread its way through the room. Gwen let out a gasp, lowering her gun, Tosh soon following.

"I can't," Gwen said. "We can't."

"Like I said," the Plasmavore laughed. "None of you."

Jack fixed his gaze on one, setting his jaw. "Do it." He hissed through his teeth, fighting her grip and knowing he would fail. "Ianto!"

They jumped at the gunshot, the silence that followed deafening as Jack and the Plasmavore collapsed to the ground. Ianto gasped, the rifle falling from his hands as he stared wide-eyed at Jack. The others watched him as tears welled in his eyes, his jaw clenching.

"Bastard," he hissed. "Fucking bastard."

"Ianto, mate," Owen said, reaching for Ianto only for him to step out of reach, crossing the room to kneel beside Jack.

"He didn't give you much of a choice," John agreed.

Ianto pulled Jack up, cradling him against him and smoothing his coat, glaring down at him and tightening his hold when Jack gasped, flaying back into consciousness.

"Never make me do that again," Ianto hissed. "Never, ever, make me do that again."

Jack nodded, looking up at him. He frowned when he spotted the tears, reaching up to gently brush them away before returning Ianto's crushing embrace. "I'm sorry."

"So," Jack said, standing beside the Bentley and watching as John tossed the last of his things onto the back seat. "Where you off to now?"

"Contemplating getting off this rock, actually." John glanced up toward the clear night sky. "It's just wet, cold, and wet. I've never been to a place so dull."

"You could always try Australia," Ianto said as he joined them, holding out John's sword. "They're in a drought."

"No rain?" John asked, looking at him.

"Nope."

"Australia it is then." He grinned, looking Ianto over. "You're not coming with me, then."

Ianto shook his head. "I figure I've travelled enough for now. If I'm going to have to deal with aliens, I might as well do it where I have decent, reliable back up."

"Hey!"

Jack laughed, looking from one to the other. "You two get along pretty well now, don't you?"

"Good enough for a threesome?" John asked.

Ianto rolled his eyes.

"What?" Jack nudged him. "Don't tell me you haven't considered it."

"Can we at least work out our relationship before bringing in a third wheel?" Ianto said.

John shot him a look. "What, and suddenly I'm a third wheel?"

"Enough." Jack continued to chuckle, nodding toward John. "Are you going to be right with the leg?"

"It'll heal." John said. "Just a scratch. You know how quickly I heal from those." He spotted Ianto's raised eyebrow and shot him a glare. "Gun shot wounds don't count, Eye Candy. I still haven't forgiven you for that."

Jack smirked, "You probably deserved it."

"He did," Ianto confirmed.

John glared at him, before casting his gaze around. "So, rest of the team not going to see me off?"

"Tosh took Owen home," Jack said. "He needs a good rest after having almost half his blood drained out of him. Gwen is finalising the clean up and then going home to make sure Rhys isn't still surfing the internet for unexplained deaths that could be caused by the Plasmavore."

"Ah."

"So what are you going to do now?" Ianto asked. "I don't believe you're just going to travel."

"I'm more than capable of taking a holiday." He shot him a smile. "No promises about staying out of trouble though."

"Doubt that you could," Ianto deadpanned.

John laughed, nodding toward him. "So, you’re officially a member of Torchwood again?"

Ianto blinked, looking at Jack.

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Your call, Ianto. We simply set your status to 'inactive'. Say the word and you're a full time member on active duty again."

"I'd like that," Ianto said, then frowned. "But don't expect me to go back to cleaning up everyone's messes."

"I think we have that covered," Jack said. "Full roster system. We'll just add you onto it." He winked at him. "I fully expect to see the coffee machine back in action, though."

"Why was it out of action?" John asked. He pointed toward Ianto. "Don't tell me he was right in saying the rest of you lot are completely incompetent."

"He said what?" Jack asked.

Ianto shrugged it off.

"Well," John reached out, closing the boot. "I better hit the road. Can't stand to be in this place any longer than I have to." He looked up. "You two going to be okay?"

Jack looked at Ianto and smiled. "We'll work things out."

"As long as it takes," Ianto agreed, meeting Jack's eye and returning the smile. "I think he's learnt his lesson."

"If he hasn't, give me a call." John slapped him on the back. "I enjoy your company."

"Hey." Jack shot him a half-hearted glare. "Hands off. I had him first. You're always trying to steal my lovers."

"Yet somehow you always ended up stealing mine." John stepped closer, hugging Jack who returned him, John placing a quick kiss on his lips before stepping back and turning to Ianto. "Well, it's been fun."

"That's one way of putting it," Ianto agreed.

"I'm serious, you know." John gestured to Jack. "You ever want away from him again, call me. I'll always be there."

"I'll probably call you, but only to make sure you're not in too much trouble," Ianto said.

John shot him a grin, catching Ianto's face in his hands and kissing him deep. Ianto returned it, nibbling teasingly on John's lower lip and having his own nipped at in return. John pulled back, tossing a look to the side and smirking.

"Well then, that should make him jealous."

Ianto looked up and spotted the glare Jack was giving John and had to laugh. "I'd say so."

"Take care." John stepped back, moving toward the car and opening the door, pausing to look up once more. "Both of you. And stay out of trouble yourselves. Seems like every time I'm here the worlds trying to end."

"That's just you," Jack countered.

John tossed him a wink, climbing into the Bentley. They watched as he gunned the engine, planting the boot and jolting the car forward. He peeled it out of the car park, taking the corner sideways before disappearing down the street.

"Does he have the traction control off?" Jack asked.

"He never has it on," Ianto said, sighing.

"Sounds like him." Jack chuckled, offering Ianto his arm and grinning when Ianto accepted, hooking their elbows together. Jack twisted his hand, finding Ianto's and knitting their fingers together as they started back toward the Hub.

"Well," Jack said, smiling at Ianto. "We better get back to work."

• Main Torchwood slash page
• New stories page
• Jack/Ianto stories
• Ianto/Owen stories
• Other pairings stories - ie threesomes
• F/F stories
• Gen stories
• Amazon.com - Torchwood: Children of Earth
• Amazon.co.uk - Torchwood - Children of Earth [DVD] [2009]
• Amazon.ca link - Torchwood - The Complete First Season (7DVD)