Title: Separate Ways
By: queenfluffernutter
Pairing: Jack/Ianto & Ianto/OFC
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Don't own, highly doubt I ever will own the characters. Except the ones based on the peeps I know. It should be clear who those are but, just in case, you'll need to know that I don't work for Torchwood. At least not Torchwood Three.
Summary: An AU Torchwood - deals with the split of Jack and Ianto and how they might move on.

***

Metal and Wood. Two things so unalike, yet so grounding. All the surfaces in the kitchen gleaming. The knives stuck in the wooden knife block. The aluminum kettle, canisters and even toaster showing his reflection as he moved around the small room.

It had been a long day and Ianto wanted nothing more than to have a cup of tea, a light snack and take the hottest shower he could stand before falling into his bed. But there had been Erin, the one bright spot in his day. He smiled thinking about her. Today wasn't the first day they had come across one another, oh no, they saw each other a lot. She worked at the bookstore-coffee bar Ianto would sneak out to during lunch most days. Because of her.

Over the course of the last three months, he had learned that she was American ... that much was clear from the moment she had asked him if she could help him. American, like Jack, but not quite. He winced a little at the thought of Jack. But that was behind him now, wasn't it? He brushed the thought away with another of this wonderful woman.

She had moved to Cardiff half a year ago, wanting something more. In the States, she was a certified CSI, but once she had gotten here, she found the job she was in now more rewarding. Besides, she and her roommates were trying to get their own capital together to open their own bookstore. He remembered her telling him that she regarded this as research. And then she had flipped her hair. Her beautiful, long, dark hair. Hair that smelled like citrus. But that was beside the point. She was sweet and that made him forget Jack. He needed to forget Jack. Especially since Jack himself had moved on. But again, Ianto pushed the thought from his mind and went to hang his coat.

Pulling a hanger from the closet, he thought. He thought that he was thinking too much, actually. Too much time on his hands now that Jack wasn't hanging around bugging him to watch a movie. Bugging him to go to dinner. Generally bugging him, come to think of it. He was sure then that Erin was not like that at all. She looked more the type to let Ianto decide. She laughed at all his jokes, and admitted to him, shyly, that she was learning Welsh and could do with a few lessons if he had the time. And then she had given him a wink. And her phone number on the napkin of the scone he had purchased. He still hadn't gotten the nerve to call her, even though that had been a week ago.

He looked at the clock. It was early. He had pulled an all-nighter with the crew ... investigating yet another Weevil uprising. Sodding Weevils. How he hated them with ever fiber of his being. Almost as much as Jack. The bitterness crept up again and Ianto glanced at the clock again before going to take a shower. Only two minutes had passed. He found himself wondering if Erin was at work yet. Or was this her day off? He found he wasn't sure, but went to take a shower, deciding to skip the tea and just go out and get it. Wasn't it always better when someone else made it, anyway?

He went into his bedroom and looked around. More wood ... the bureau, the ornately carved headboard, the armoire ... greeted him. On his bureau was a little silver change tray and a couple sets of gleaming cufflinks. He set the contents of his pockets beside them and started the shower.

His clothes went into the hamper ... he hated an unnecessary mess ... and, moving his towel from the towel bar to the shower bar, he got in and let the hot water run over him.

He smelled like the Hub, all musty and damp. Not the best smell in the world, and he made a mental note to see if it was beginning to seep into his suits. He soaped up and rinsed off, making sure to wash his hair as well, before finally turning off the spray.

He stepped out and dried, inspecting himself in the mirror for stubble before deciding that he could easily go another day. Since he and Jack had split, there was really no need to spiff himself up everyday. He could go back to his old habit of slacking off for a bit. And, he had to admit, it felt good.

Ianto walked back into the bedroom and opened the armoire, amazed that it was such a bleak selection. He had been wearing the suits for so long that he had all but phased out the other clothes he used to wear. Oh, there were the odd tees that he kept to pair with his pajama bottoms, but that was it. He searched for a bit more before remembering that he had stashed a pair of jeans in the armoire's bottom drawer the last time he had arranged. They would have to do until he could get something else.

He pulled them out and set them on the bed. Back to the bureau for a tee that was presentable enough. He settled on one that had Abercrombie and Fitch written on the chest. He definitely would need to do some shopping if he was going to start going casual. Brushing his teeth, he wondered why he was doing this at all. He should be getting sleep, not knowing if Jack would call him again tonight. But he wasn't, was he? He was getting ready to go to see if Erin was working. No, that was wrong. He was going out to get tea ... because it tasted better when somebody else made it. That's right, he told himself.

He found a pair of jogging shoes near the door ... left over from one of those spurts when he thought he could stand to get in shape. Slipping them on without socks was hard, but he managed. And added another item to his list. He reached in the closet where he had put his jacket earlier for the other one hanging and bumped the top shelf enough to cause things to fall out on top of him. He was picking them up and putting them back when he saw the ball cap. Shrugging, he put in on his head and continued to pick up before taking the coat. He pocketed his keys and went out the door, smiling.

***

Jack leaned back in his chair, hands laced behind his head. He looked around his office with a sigh. It had been a busy day and everyone had been gone for less than an hour. Jack was still there, agonizing over a stack of papers that Owen had tossed on his desk before bidding a hasty retreat. Upon inspection, they were requisition forms and he decided that these were more Ianto's area of expertise as he put them off to the side with a few other things the archivist would have to deal with in the morning. Well, to be fair, later that day. He had told them not to come in until later unless he called with an Emergency. Gwen had been grateful for the chance to go home, she hadn't been spending that much time with Rhys and he was starting to ask what was really going on at work. Owen and Tosh had both loitered until Jack practically hauled them over to the door by their lapels. But Ianto, he was a different story. He was always there after the others, only he and Jack.

Jack had turned to the young man and really looked at him for the first time since he had come back. Ianto looked the same, but there was something below the surface, something Jack could not quite put his finger on. He had always been a quiet man, but now he seemed more closed off than he had been when he first met the man in the woods. Jack supposed that Ianto was still mad, but what could he do? They had both moved on. Well, at least, Jack had. He wasn't sure about Ianto, actually. He thought briefly about talking to him to find out what was going on, but then realized if Ianto needed to talk to him, the Welshman would do just that.

His cell rang from the corner of his desk, snapping Jack out his thoughts. He looked at the display and smiled. It was Susan. He cleared his throat and answered, leaning his elbows on the desk as he did so. "Captain Jack Harkness."

There was a laugh from the other end. "Well, Captain Jack Harkness, I was wondering if you were going to be coming by today or if you were going to sulk around that tiny tourism office all day."

He relaxed more, laying his head on his arms, "I thought I'd come over. I was just going to call you actually."

"Liar," she joked. "That charming American accent may work on Cardiff girls, but you forget ... I am immune."

"No, really, I was," He insisted, a smile in his voice over being caught.

"Well, then, make it fast. I have to get Tallulah off to school, and then my day is empty." Jack could hear the sounds of her making lunches as she talked. "So hurry it up!"

Jack found himself laughing at the receiver. "Sure thing. Let me just get my coat and close up here."

He hung up the phone and looked around the room again. It was still his office, even after his absence. Gwen and Ianto had fought over whether they should have changed it around for him, but, in the end, Ianto had won. Gwen had appointed herself as the leader in that time and he supposed that she wanted the office. But now that was water under the bridge. All of it was. The life he had before he left was not the one that he had now. Not by any stretch. Not that he was complaining.

He had met her a couple months after he had come home from the year that never was. He and Ianto had tried, given it their best effort, but it just wasn't to be. They had both decided that their moment had moved on and that they should pursue something different. A week later, Jack had bumped into Susan. Literally.

She was coming out the grocery as he was coming in, baby on her hip and the other arm wrapped around a grocery bag. She hadn't been looking where she was going, as she was turned around talking to a scowling girl dressed in mostly black with heavy eyeliner. Jack's mind had been in the clouds thinking about Beth, the woman they had tried to help, only to have it go all wrong. They had collided with one another and her groceries had gone everywhere. Jack could still remember the look on her face at that very moment. They both started to pick up her things before they rolled too far and had bumped heads. Finally, she had thrust the baby in his arms without thinking and unzipped the large bag she had been carrying and began to shove loose oranges and canned goods into it, handing a loaf of bread and some bananas to the girl that was with her. When she had finished and noticed that Jack was now holding her son, she had apologized. Jack let his mind drift back…

"I am so sorry!" She took the boy back from the man in front of her. The very dashing man in front of her. The dashing man with the bright blue eyes.

"No problem. It was my fault for not looking." Jack reached to tickle the boy's chin. "He's cute."

"Thanks, I made him myself." A look of horror crossed her face when she realized what she had just said. "What I meant to say was…"

Jack cut her off with a chuckle. "That's fine, I knew what you meant. Do you need any help?"

She looked back at the girl again, who was now scowling and he was sure he had seen her roll her eyes. "No, Tallulah and I can get it. But thank you."

"No problem." He had watched as they walked down the street before going in himself.

And now, they had been dating for six months. Not that it had been easy to get her to go out with him, not by any means. That was another of Jack's favorite memories.

A few days later, he had been strolling in the plaza outside the Plass and noticed a woman sitting on a bench outside having lunch. She was peeling an orange. Or at least trying, but it looked like the orange was winning. Jack couldn't resist sitting next to her.

"Can I help you?" She asked, never looking from the fruit she was peeling.

He motioned to said fruit. "Having a bit of trouble?"

She sighed and turned to him, her shoulders falling. "Yes. Do you mind?"

"No problem." He took a pocket knife from his pocket and made a small nick before he began to peel it.

Her face froze in the smile that she held. She recognized the voice as the one of the man she had all but barreled into. She was horrified. She hoped he wouldn't remember. "Thanks."

He handed it back, sans peel. "My pleasure. How is your son doing?"

"He's fine. Listen, I'm sorry about the other day…" She was talking fast, not noticing that Jack was smiling at her.

He stopped her with a hand on her arm. "No big deal, really."

She ate a segment and offered him one, which he took. They sat in silence for a bit before Jack spoke again. "What brings you out here?"

She motioned to the Millennium Centre, "I work there. It's lunch."

"Ahhhh…that explains it." Jack rubbed at his eyebrow in thought. "Are you American?"

The woman smiled. "Yeah. What was the dead giveaway?" She laughed a little.

"Well, it was hard, but I think it was a subtle difference in your voice." He pulled out the Harkness smirk for her.

"You are too ... right?" He could hear the southern twang in her voice deepen a little.

"Uh, yeah, mostly." It was a good enough cover story, but he hated to tell lies, so he left it at that, hoping she wouldn't ask more. She didn't.

"Imagine that! All of Cardiff and here I sit talking to another American! What do you think the chances of that are?" Her shoulders relaxed and she found herself smiling.

They had talked for a while longer before she had looked at her watch and declared it time to go. Somehow, he had gotten her name and number before walking her to the door. Then he had walked back to the Hub and begun to plan just what he would say to her when he called.

His phone rang again and he picked it up, still staring. "Harkness."

"Harkness? You coming over?" The voice from earlier filled his ears.

"Yes, really am leaving now, honest." He reached for his coat and left the room, still on the phone.

"Good, Tallulah is gone and Joey is about to go down for his first nap." He could hear the smile in her voice.

"I would kill for a shower." He went out the tourist center door and locked it.

"We'll talk about it when you get here."

"Deal."

***

He was standing outside of the bookstore, wondering if he had completely lost his mind. Did he really need tea that badly? Of course he did! Taking a deep breath, he strode inside and up to the counter where she was working. It took her a moment to register who he was, but when she recognized him, her face lit up and she leaned on the counter.

"What do you want today, Mr. Jones?" There it was ... her charmingly clear American accent. Not a bit of a Welsh lilt. And the hair toss; can't forget the way she tosses that ponytail around.

"Uh…" Ianto looked up at the menu, but secretly knowing exactly what he was going to order. "I'll take a Hazelnut Latte, no, make that a steamed milk with a touch of peppermint. Yeah."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "What are you doing today, lounging?"

He put his hands in his back pockets and pushed down as he looked at the ground, the counter, anything but her. "Why d'ya ask?"

"The look." She motioned with the pen she had used to write down his order. "And the steamed milk ... Mr. Jones, you will fall right asleep!"

He looked up at her, but only saw a bit of her as the brim of his hat was in his way. Erin found this too cute and smiled warmly at him. "I'm not at work right now, doesn't matter."

How cute is it when he does that? And this new look? Improvement! Erin thought as she handed the paper over to the girl she was working for. "Hey, you know what? I get off in like fifteen minutes ... you wanna go do something?"

Ianto felt all the breath go out of him and tried to hide it with a cough. He nodded as he covered his mouth.

Erin grinned broadly at him. This was her chance to go out with the handsome banker that had stopped in for lunch, or at least a hot beverage, for the last three months. "Okay, tell you what ... I am going to go and clean up this espresso machine that April made a giant mess of, count my drawer, and then I'll meet you out here."

"Sure," Ianto answered automatically, trying not to think.

"Great! April is not really good with the machine. Sometimes, I wish she would just refrain from touching it!" She laughed as she picked up a cleaning rag and the man felt his heart jump a little.

"Right. Over there then?" He changed the subject, pointing to a row of couches near the window.

"Yeah, that's as good a place as any other." Erin looked at him for a minute, taking in his face, wondering what was different about it. "Here ... take this cookie. It will help keep you awake."

Ianto took the wrapped up napkin and went to sit on the designated couch, but not before thanking her with his eyes. The sofa was soft and yielding, just right for sitting in and reading a book while having a wonderful hazelnut espresso, double shot, light on the skim milk. He made a mental note to try that the next time and leaned his head on the back of the couch, never meaning to fall asleep.

At the feeling of someone watching him, his eyes popped open. "Whut?" he managed to croak out.

"Nothing, Sleeping Beauty. You must work long hours." Erin reached to adjust his cap without thinking. How cute is he?

Ianto straightened in his seat, embarrassed. Smooth move, Cassanova. Great way to start. "Yeah, uh, something like that."

"Are you ready?" Erin stood, draping her coat over her arm and offering her hand to the man who was sunken into the comfort of the couch.

Ianto took it and stood, noticing the height difference between them. She was just tall enough that, if he were to sweep her up in his arms, he could rest his chin on her head. Ianto shook his head of the thought, wondering just where it had come from. Sure, he and Jack had decided to end it, knowing that it would cause more pain the longer they let it go on. They had agreed that there was something there but that it wasn't fair for either of them to continue. And they had been doing just fine until Jack had met someone. A female someone. A female someone who was taking up all of his non-work time. He tried not to think about it as he looked at Erin, who was looking at him with what was either bemusement or pity, he really wasn't sure.

"Ianto?" Erin reached out for his shoulder. He could feel the heat as her hand rested there and it took everything he had in him not to turn to look at the hand itself, but rather, focus in her face. "You okay? We could do this another day if ya want."

He shook his head and felt a smile growing across his face. He hadn't smiled like that in a while and it felt good. "No, no, let's go get something to eat ... you hungry?"

She smiled warmly back. "Yeah, that sounds nice. Let's do that. I could murder some fries!"

A small chuckle was forming in Ianto's throat. "Ahhh…then you would be the infamous Chip-Murdering Barista that I have been hearing about so much in the news." He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Guilty. You aren't going to turn me in are you?" She raised her hands in surrender and played along.

"No, no, your secret is safe with me." Ianto smiled.

Erin let out an exaggerated sigh of relief and they both broke out in laughter. When it had subsided, Ianto offered her his arm and they left the bookstore, Ianto feeling better than he had in a long time.

***

It was after five when everyone started showing up ... just as Jack had told them. Tosh was the first, settling in and arranging things before she got started. Gwen was next, carrying a box of doughnuts. Ianto followed her in, and, nodding to all of then, went to go and start the coffee. Owen sauntered in a moment later, setting up for the autopsy he knew that he had to get to later this morning.

Once the coffee was finished, everyone adjourned to the conference room to share a spartan breakfast and a little gossip. Sitting around the table, they noticed that Jack wasn't there. Tosh looked, at Ianto, but he just shrugged.

"Anyone seen the Boss?" Owen asked, throwing his feet on the table.

"Not me," Ianto reiterated, wiping the corner of his mouth with a napkin. "Haven't seen him since last night."

Gwen leaned toward Ianto, "How are you doing?"

"I'm not sure what you mean." Everyone was waiting to see how he would answer.

"Come on, Ianto. We know that you and Jack had something, something that ended when he was gone and never really came back." Gwen dared him to say otherwise.

A smile broke out on Ianto's face. "Not that it's anybody's business but mine, but I met someone."

Tosh choked a bit on the coffee she was drinking. "When were you going to tell us?"

"Well, it's not even definite. We hung out today, but, you know…" Ianto felt himself beginning to blush.

"No, TeaBoy, we bloody well don't!" Owen was suddenly interested. "This is bound to be good, though."

"Owen, leave it." Tosh's warning was stern and cold.

"No, no, that's okay." Ianto admitted. And it was; it felt good to be able to say it. "Really. She's great!"

Owen gasped audibly. "A woman?! What the hell is going on with the world when he gets a woman to go out with him and I can't?"

"Must be your sparkling personality." Ianto sniped back.

"She's ugly," Owen hypothesized, taking his feet from the table and leaning in to listen better.

"She's not." He defended.

"Owen's just jealous," Gwen coaxed, kicking the doctor under the table as she spoke.

There was the sound of the cog rolling away and the four of them snapped their heads to see Jack coming in, pulling off his coat and heading for the conference room. "Everyone here?" He stopped when he reached the door. "What did I miss?"

Ianto smiled at the others and picked up the box of donuts. "Just these. Sit, I'll go get your coffee."

Jack arched an eyebrow and watched him leave the room before turning to the others who were mysteriously silent. "What is going on here? Hen party I wasn't invited to?"

"Jack," Gwen whispered loudly, "Ianto has a girlfriend."

They watched as his face went from amusement to rejection. "Good. Good for him." He swallowed hard and sat at his usual place at the head of the table with a doughnut.

Ianto came back to the silence and sat, aware that everyone was watching as he handed Jack the steaming mug. "What?"

"Nothing," Jack lied. "You look different is all."

"Different like how?" Ianto sat, a confused look on his face.

"Happy." Owen mumbled into his own mug before drinking deeply.

Jack felt the need to change the subject. He could discuss this with Ianto at a better time. "So, the Weevils we were tracking yesterday ... anything different about them?"

"Nothing on them that was new," Tosh answered.

"Haven't gotten around to autopsies, but nothing remarkable about their outward appearance," Owen added, tapping his pen on the clipboard in from of him.

"No one even really saw them at all, Jack," Gwen concluded.

Jack focused on Ianto. The air felt heavy, thick. "What? I was with Gwen ... we tracked them down. She was right when she said no one saw them ... no retcon was needed, none was used."

"And?" Jack never moved his eyes.

"And…uh…they take their tea with two lumps?" Ianto wasn't sure what the man was asking him.

"Right, good job." Jack laughed in spite of himself. "Now, let's get out there and wait for some excitement."

Owen grumbled and swiped another doughnut before going down to the autopsy room.

"That's unsanitary, you know that, right, Owen?" Tosh informed him as she followed.

"Thank you so much for that, Tosh. Being trained in sanitary conditions and containment methods, you would think I would realize that, wouldn't you?" Owen smirked.

Tosh shook her head at him and went to go and see if there was anything new going on in the city.

Gwen patted Ianto on the arm as she left and he looked up at her and smiled. "I'll call Andy and see if there has been anything going on around town."

"Thanks," Jack said, still looking at Ianto.

There was a moment after Gwen left that the two men stared at one another. Finally, Ianto spoke, "What?"

Jack was surprised by the abruptness of the question, not at all like the Ianto he knew. "I'm sorry?"

"What's going on, Jack?" Ianto stood and walked to where Jack sat.

"Yes, Ianto, what is going on?" Jack looked up at him.

"Nothing. Nothing at all." Ianto assured him.

"You know you can talk to me anytime, right?" Jack stood to face him.

"Yes, sir." He thought for a moment how Jack's new girlfriend would feel if he were to call while they were out. He briefly thought about doing it just to test him, but let the thought fall to the floor when he remembered Erin.

"Are you really okay?" He laid his hand on Ianto's shoulder. "You seem, well, off tonight."

Ianto looked at the floor and smiled again. "I met someone." He raised his eyes to look at Jack.

He feigned shock and then let a smile creep across his face. "I'm happy for you,Yan. I was worried about you."

"Thanks." He didn't know how to feel about Jack at that moment. He wanted to be mad at him, but he couldn't ... he was just too happy. "If you'll excuse me ... things to file…"

"Yeah," Jack watched him leave before taking another doughnut and closing the box. He really was happy for Ianto, why couldn't he just let it be?

He crammed the rest in his mouth and, taking his mug, went to his own office to go thru the pile of papers he had left there that morning. He stretched and sat down, looking over at a frame on his desk. It was the team, taken at the last Christmas party they had had. Ianto had set the timer and run into the frame to grab onto Jack as the flash went off. And there was Rhys, standing with his arms around Gwen, both of them beaming at the camera. Gwen's little sister Anwen was there as well and she was caught, forever in time, giving a little grin in Ianto's direction. Tosh had on antlers and looked positively smitten with Owen, who had had a few too many and was all but clinging to her.

"Those were the days," Jack said to himself, more than a little sad. But he was glad to hear that Ianto was doing well. Hell, how could he begrudge the man when he was in a relationship himself ... one he actually felt might be good for him. He sighed and started in on the pile of papers in front of him, making a mental note that if it was still dead at midnight, he was kicking everyone out.

***

Susan was putting the last of the dishes in the washer when Erin came in, putting her coat on the back of a chair before continuing into the kitchen.

"You're back late," Susan commented, "There's a plate for you in the microwave if you're hungry."

"Thanks," Erin said, opening the fridge for a coke before going to get the plate. "I'm starving!"

Wiping her hands, Susan sat with Erin. "So, tell me how it went! Did he come in today?" Susan was used to the daily updates on the mysterious banker who came in day after day without fail.

"Better," Erin answered, smiling, "He's the reason I'm late." She took a bite of the hamburger and smiled.

The older woman squealed and jumped up to dance around the kitchen. Erin smiled and, after a minute of watching her friend, joined her. They were dancing around and giggling when Tallulah came into the room, her hair up in a towel.

"Mom, what is goin' on?" She stumbled into the light and saw Erin. "Oh, hi, Erin."

"Hey, Lulu. Your mom and I were just talking about work." She went back to her chair and sat.

"I guess that's why I heard the word ‘banker'. Did that guy come in again?" She went to the fridge to get her own drink before sitting down.

"Yeah, he did, Lu." Erin was always patient with her roommate's kids, they were well-behaved and smart, very easy to deal with. "And we went out today after work."

Tallulah clapped her hands together quickly in excitement and leaned in to hear more of the story.

"Is that all?" Susan asked. "No plans for tomorrow?"

"I have to work, maybe he'll be in." Erin smiled. "Before we go on our first real date tomorrow night, that is!"

The girls in the kitchen all started excited squeals again, which is what the woman that threw the door open singing "Hey Big Spender" came into. All at once, everyone was joined in song, something that Taryn was famous for getting others to do.

Once the song was over, they collapsed back into the chairs and looked at one another. In the room were now four woman ranging in age from 12 to 34, and all of them shared the common bond of having come from America together to pursue their dreams. The oldest had brought her two children with her, one of them being the youngest one in the room now. The baby, the only boy in the house, was, by now, sleeping soundly in his crib, snuggled under his fuzzy blanket with the cars on it and clutching his prized possession ... a stuffed Nigel from the movie "The Wild". They were all acutely aware that something was changing for them. Something they had never expected.

"How's Jack?" Taryn asked, taking the drink that Tallulah had sitting in front of her and taking a sip.

Tallulah rolled her eyes at the mention of her mother's boyfriend ... it wasn't that she didn't like him, but she had seen a few men come and go in her mother's life since she was born, most notably Joey's father, and she was afraid to get too close to any of them now. But she did have to admit that there was something charming about this man. He was somehow different, if just the way he dressed. Her mother and he made quite the pair ... he dressed like pictures Tallulah had seen of men in the 1940's and her own mother was stuck in some odd hippie phase. She had already made a silent vow to burn every broomstick skirt in her mother's closet if they lasted another year.

"He's great. He was here until about 4:30. He had a day off work." Susan's voice went a bit dreamy thinking about the tall man with the dark hair and blue eyes. They were easy to get lost in, that much was true. But there was something else about him that she was drawn to ... and it wasn't the fact that he was an American ... it was something else she couldn't quite put her finger on.

"When are we going to get to meet Mystery Banker?" Tallulah changed the subject.

"You got to talk to Mystery Banker?!" Taryn turned to Erin.

"They went on a date!" Susan answered for her.

"Does he have a name?" Taryn was still looking at Erin.

"Ianto." Her eyes glazed over a little at the pronunciation. "Ianto Jones."

"Does he have one of those cute accents? Please tell me that he does!" Taryn was getting excited for her friend now. "And, oh! Better! Does he have single friends?"

Erin laughed, "You can ask him yourself. I invited him over for dinner this Sunday, if that's okay…"

"Of course it's okay!" Susan said. "You know we always have extra people here on Sunday ... the more the merrier!"

"So we get to meet him then?" Tallulah was eager to meet the person that Erin had described the drink order of everyday for the last three months.

"Yep." Erin blushed a little. "But right now, I need to go and get ready for work tomorrow. Thanks for dinner, Susan."

"No problem ... which reminds me, Taryn, yours is in the micro as well." Susan was trying to pull her daughter out of the chair and coax her towards her room.

"Thanks, I'm famished! I had auditions all day, and, let me tell you, that's rough! Tomorrow I have an appointment with my publisher and the theater that wants to produce the play ... did I tell you?" She was on her feet and punching buttons on the micro as she rattled off her news.

That was the thing about Taryn ... she was tireless. Already, she had talked the local theater to produce two of her plays and was in negotiations for the third. In addition to that, she was on the stage a lot and had had a novel published in the last year with talks of another. She was the one who wanted to own the bookstore the most ... she had the idea to only feature local artists to make it possible for really great writers that would normally go unnoticed to shine.

"Wow, how are you going to find time to sleep for the next week?" Susan had managed to get Tallulah up and was now pushing her towards the hall.

"I'll manage. I'm afraid if I stop to think about it now that I'll crumble." Taryn joked, testing the temperature of her food by pushing her finger into the middle of her french fries.

"Probably a good idea." Susan agreed, "Goodnight, Tallulah."

Tallulah smiled at her mom. "Geez, what am I, some kind of kid?"

"Uh, yeah, Lu. Goodnight!" Taryn was putting ketchup on her burger, "See ya in the morning."

With that, the pre-teen made her way down the hall to her room, leaving Taryn and Susan alone in the kitchen. Taryn waited until she heard her door shut before turning to her friend. "You're going to think I'm crazy, Sue."

"Come on, Taryn, how long have we been friends? And then, how many times have I thought you were crazy only to be proven wrong?" She smiled as she spoke.

"No really, you're going to think I'm a complete nutter, for real this time." Taryn put her burger down and turned to Susan. "I think that I'm being followed."

Susan became concerned. There was a man last year that had followed Taryn around claiming to be her boyfriend. It had started out innocent, but had turned into a fiasco by the time they caught up with the man. She was quick to hope that this was not another case of that.

"And before you say anything," Taryn continued, "this is not another ‘Matt'-type situation."

That was a big relief ... Susan let out the breath she had been holding. "Then what makes you think you are being followed?"

"Well, there is this man that I keep seeing everywhere. He's about six feet tall with brown hair that's always freshly mussed and brown eyes. Everytime I see him, he is going to make a phone call in a blue police box, so, I assume he has something to do with the police. Weird, huh?"

"It is." Susan agreed. "Listen, if you see him tomorrow, call me ... if he's still messing with you, I'll see if Jack can help, okay?"

"Sure thing, thanks."

"Not a problem ... what are friends for? I'm off to bed ... be sure and turn lights off when you go downstairs." Susan yawned and waved at her friend as she shuffled down the hall.

Taryn sat and finished her dinner. She hadn't told Susan the whole story. Not the part about how that same man had walked up to her earlier in the week and smiled warmly, as if he had always known her before handing her a note with one word on it. "Run." That's all it had said, and when she had read it, and followed the instructions on a lark, she had avoided being in the way of two cars who crashed up just moments later ... right where she had been standing. Not one to dwell on those things, she finished and washed her plate before turning off lights and humming to herself as she went to her room.

***

It was Sunday and the girls were doing their usual scramble to get ready before anyone came over. This week, they had decided on breaded pork chops, mashed potatoes with homemade gravy, corn on the cob, green beans and biscuits. The smells wafted through the house in a heady mixture, making anyone who left the house and came back in all but drool.

Jack was on time, as usual, and, giving Susan a quick kiss, leaned on the counter as she put everything into serving containers. "Where's Lulu?" Jack asked, looking around.

"I dunno ... probably seeing how much eyeliner she can get on," Susan hypothesized. "But you can help me here. Take that stack of plates and go set the table."

Jack flashed a grin at her. "What's the magic word?"

Susan merely stared at him. "Now. Thanks."

He mock-saluted her as he picked up the stack of plates and the silverware she had laid out. "Why are there six plates here?" He called from the table.

"We have someone new coming this week ... Erin invited her Mystery Banker." Susan walked the first of the bowls to the table.

"Hmmm." Jack thought for a moment. "So Joey and I won't be the only men here this week? He's going to be heartbroken that he won't be getting as much attention."

"I'm sorry, did you say Joey or Jack?" she teased him as she went back for the platter with the pork chops on it.

He mock hmphed as he finished setting the places. "That wasn't fair."

"I'll make it up to you later." There was a knock on the door. "ERIN!"

Erin appeared out of nowhere, dressed in a classic little black dress, her hair swept up in a clamp. "How do I look?" She did an experimental twirl.

Jack gave her a thumbs up as he reached down to sweep the little boy that was running by him up. "Whatcha think, Joe? Doesn't Auntie Erin look hot?"

The little boy smiled and, pointing with a finger wet from being chewed on, repeated, "Hot."

"See there? He's learning!" Jack laughed and kissed the boy in the forehead, holding him close, his hand on the back of his blonde head.

"Mom said not to teach him that," Tallulah came in and reminded the Captain.

"Your mom also told you not to wear so much eyeliner ... looks like neither one of us listens…" Jack was cheeky right back.

"Watch that," Taryn warned, swiping a chunk of biscuit from the basket. "I swear she has hidden ears."

Susan called from the hallway, "And an extra set of eyes. Please, everyone be on your best behavior!"

"You just got me in trouble, Lu," Jack accused playfully, putting the baby in his seat and breaking a biscuit in half to give to him.

"You got you in trouble, Jack," Tallulah answered, going into the front room to greet the guest.

Susan rolled her eyes at the two of them as she put glasses at the table. "Jack, can you bring the rest of the stuff over here?"

"Sure thing, sweetie." He was up and out of his seat before she had even finished asking.

Susan watched as he carried plates and bowls and little extras to the table. He was really starting to grow on her. And Tallulah liked him, no matter what she said nor how she acted. He was good for her and she loved that Joey had someone to roughhouse with. He was getting at the age where he wanted nothing more than to play with cars and balls and throw himself off things with wild abandon, secure in the knowledge that there would be someone to catch him.

Erin had finally reached the door and opened it, revealing her Mystery Banker. He smiled and waved at everyone who was standing there, and Susan noticed that Jack had busied himself with the task of fixing the baby's plate so that he wouldn't have to look the other man in the eyes too soon.

"Everyone, dinner's ready!" She called, taking her own seat.

Tallulah was the first to appear and take her seat, on the other side of Jack, who sat at the head of the table. She whispered to her mother, directly across from her. "He is cute!"

Jack pretended not to hear and pulled the high chair closer to give Joey his food. Taryn took her seat on the other side of Susan and Erin took hers next to Tallulah, leaving the only the other end of the table open for Ianto. As of this point, he had not been introduced, so Taryn stepped in.

"What's his name, Erin?" She asked, taking the plate of pork chops that was passed to her.

Erin smiled at him, letting him know that was his cue to answer. He had walked into the room and sat, a little nervous and, therefore, not looking around too much. "Ianto." Three syllables that made Jack's head whip his head from where he had been looking to right in front of him.

Their eyes locked for a brief moment before Jack spoke, "Nice to meet the guy that has been taking up our Erin's thoughts for a good three months."

Ianto played it cool as he let an embarrassed chuckle escape. "And it's nice to meet you as well, sir."

"Oh, for Pete's Sake, Ianto!" Tallulah spat out. "That's Jack! No need to call him ‘sir'!"

This earned looks from both Susan and Jack to the surly tween. "Watch it, young lady," was the warning issued in stereo.

"Tough crowd," she mumbled as she took a biscuit.

"I'm Taryn," she offered up with the plate of chops. "Nice to meet you."

Ianto took the plate and selected before passing to Erin. "Not regretting this are you?" She asked, watching him shift a bit in his seat.

"Not at all." He was looking at Erin for the moment, but when she turned to pass the plate to the young girl at the end, he chanced a look at Jack. And found him looking in his direction, blue eyes unreadable.

"And that's Susan, Tallulah ... she's Susan's daughter, and Joseph Danger ... his name is too fun not to use the whole thing. Meet my family, such as it is." Erin laughed, taking her own biscuit.

Ianto nodded shyly at them all before smiling at Erin again.

"I hope you like it." Susan said, putting green beans on her plate and passing the bowl to Taryn, who made a face before passing it to the Welshman.

"It looks good." He said, taking some and passing to Erin.

"Yeah, well, we do this every week." Erin told him. "Susan still cooks like she did when they lived in Texas."

"Texas?" Ianto asked. "You're from Texas?"

"I'm not." Erin answered. "That's where Taryn and Susan lived before here."

"But we aren't even from there." Taryn laughed.

"Where then?" Ianto asked, looking to Erin for answers.

"Susan is from Georgia," Jack answered, never looking up. "And I think Taryn is from California."

Ianto turned from Erin. Jack was looking up at him, stopped in mid-bite. There were five sets of eyes looking at him, and he was very aware of it. "Whut?"

Susan shot him a look that she usually reserved for the kids and kicked him under the table. "Nothing." She smiled at him sweetly.

Jack looked fully at Ianto, who was now trying to stifle a laugh. He tried to read the younger man's face, but found nothing. How was it that he was sitting here? How could he not have known that this was the man that Erin had been talking about? More importantly, how was this all going to play out in the end? Ianto seemed to be okay with it, but Jack felt like he could cut the air with a knife. Maybe it was just on his part.

"What's wrong, Jack?" Erin asked. "You're usually the entertainment around here."

"Nothing, Er. Just thinking." He looked over at Susan, who was still making that face. "Did you want a story?"

"Ianto? Do you want to hear one of Jack's famous stories?" Erin turned to him, placing her hand on his arm. "He has some of the most outrageous stories."

"Sure." Ianto was smiling warmly on the outside, but his voice hinted that he may not really want to. Jack ignored that and started.

"Well, you know how they put that mass hallucination in the water supply a few years ago? Recently, people they thought were dead are showing up." He looked only at Ianto as he spoke.

"Jack," Susan's warning voice, "Not the time nor place for this story…"

"No, go on, I would love to hear this," Ianto held his fork and set his mouth, blue eyes locked with the ones across the table. The girls half-expected them to slowly stand as they talked.

"Yeah, there has been talk of some of those on the list being not being dead but merely having amnesia. Wouldn't that be good news, Ianto? Did you lose somebody there? I did ... I lost some very good friends." Jack's look was hard as he didn't break eye contact.

"I lost someone too." Ianto's voice was a harsh whisper. "But you know that, don't you Captain Harkness?"

Tallulah looked at her mother, who was reaching for Jack's arm to calm him down. Erin was looking from Ianto to Jack, hoping that this would stop soon and wondering if she had made a mistake bringing him here. "Jack, please stop…"

His eyes still fixed on the man at the other end, he let a harsh chuckle escape. "That's right ... I think I read your girlfriend Lisa's name in the paper. They interviewed you on the news, didn't they?"

"JACK!" Susan hissed through her teeth now. "Ianto, I am sorry…"

Ianto balled his fists for a moment before taking a deep breath. Taryn was scooting closer to Susan, hoping she would be able to avoid any crossfire.

"Mom? Drinks?" Tallulah broke the tension, holding her empty glass as an example.

"That's what I forgot! Jack, do you wanna help me?" She put her hand on his arm and he could feel the warmth, even through his shirt sleeve.

The man was up on his feet almost instantly. "Lulu, you got Joe?"

"Yeah." She was spooning beans onto her plate by now.

Susan got up and Jack followed. When they were in the kitchen, he leaned into her neck as if to kiss her, but instead began a whisper. "I know him. Ianto."

She reached into the fridge for iced tea and bottled water. "How?"

"I…uh…well…can we go and talk about this in the other room for a bit?" He was reaching above her for one of the baby's cup to fill.

She looked into his eyes and, knowing it was serious, answered, "Sure. If you need to talk, I am here. Let me just put this at the table, okay?"

He did kiss her this time, then sighed, "Thanks." Handing her the sippee, he walked down the hall to her room.

"Excuse me one moment," Susan said, setting the drinks on the table and smiling at the guest. "I'll be right back."

Taryn and Erin started a lively conversation about things that went on in the house daily, trying to draw Ianto out of his shell, and from what Susan could hear by the time she reached the end of the hall was that it was working.

"Jack, what is it?" The sight of the man sitting on the edge of her bed with his head in his hands concerned her. She sat beside him.

"It's complicated," he admitted, but continued, "Do you remember how I said the relationship that I had before you was ended by agreement?" He touched her hand.

"Yeah, and?" He was scaring her a bit, and she was sure he could tell ... he was busy trying to pull her onto his lap.

"Well, that's him." There. It was out and he felt better. He hadn't said anything to her for fear it would ruin something good that they had going. He looked at her face for a sign of how she was going to react, but found the same face there that he had found since the day they had met.

She flung her arms around him. "Oh, Gods, Jack! You had me scared! I thought you were going to say he was a hired assassin that was after you and you only had time for one quick shag before he shot you and took your body in for the ransom that was rightfully his!"

"Been writing lately?" He half-smiled up at her, hugged her tight to him.

She bit her lip ... something she did whenever he could tell exactly where her weird moods were coming from. "I suppose so, yeah."

He found himself laughing at the thought of Ianto being a hired assassin. Now that was a picture! "But you aren't mad?"

"Look, we agreed that whoever we dated in the past would stay there. You can no more help that he's going out with one of my best friends than you can control time and space. Don't be silly!" She pulled herself out of his lap and stood. "Besides, that would be a bit like you getting angry at me for dating the men that I had kids with." She kissed him on the forehead before rejoining the others.

Jack sat on the bed for a moment, thinking. It was a bit like being jealous of the men in Susan's past, he decided. Only, he had had more time to be with far more people. That was another thing that he wondered about ... when the right time to tell her the truth about him. Not that he had been hiding it, she just never really asked. She took him at face value, which was rather nice. He looked at his watch and noticed he had been brooding for ten minutes ... nine longer than he had meant to. With a heavy sigh, he walked out to join everyone else.

***

Jack walked back into the room in time to hear his name being spoken with a Welsh accent. "So I say to Jack, we can't just leave him there! Jack swoops in and saves the day ... as always." And, suddenly, just like that, everything Jack had said before was forgotten, buried somewhere deep in Ianto.

The older man took his seat at the head of the table. "Are you talking about the time that we found that guy that had been mugged behind the tourist center?" He picked up his fork and knife to cut his meat.

"Yeah ... that's the time…" Ianto's eyes shone as he looked up at Jack.

"So you don't work for a bank?" Taryn was a little confused.

Ianto shook his head. "No, Jack and I work at the Tourist Office. He's my boss." He was a bit shy in meeting Erin's eyes. "I'm sorry if you thought different."

"No, but I am mad at you," She turned to Jack. "You knew he was working there and never introduced us. You let me go on and on about this mystery man that came into the bookstore and you never said a word! You should be ashamed, Jack Harkness!" Her tone was only slightly playful.

"Honestly, Erin, I had no clue this was the guy you were talking about ... he usually makes us coffee." He thought for a moment before continuing. "Actually, I am shocked to learn that you go out for it, Yan. Never would have thought anyone's coffee would satisfy you as much as yours."

"You mean this is that Ianto?" Susan sounded as if she was in awe. "You have to show me how you do it! It's because of you that he won't drink my coffee ... says it tastes like truck stop coffee to him."

Ianto nodded in a way that was purely him, causing Erin to blush for some reason. "I can do that after dinner if you want."

"Great! We can have coffee and play Monopoly!" Susan was excited as she reached for Jack's hand.

"Oh no," Taryn said, pointing her fork at Susan. "She cheats ... she always cheats!"

"Taryn, be real. How can you cheat at Monopoly?" Susan gave her a look. "I'm not even the banker, that's Lu's job."

"I don't know how you do it, but you do. Back me up on this Erin, please?" She was looking at the woman sitting across from her with a pitiful expression.

"She does seem to win a lot…" Erin mused while looking at her date.

"Hello, people, strategy! Jack, are you going to let them talk to me like that?" She turned to him.

He held his hands in defense. "I'm staying out of this."

"I dunno, might be fun." The man at the other end of the table said. "I have a rather good strategy myself."

"Then the game is on!" Susan rubbed her hands together and smiled.

"You see? She does that and you know she's cooking something up!" Taryn was accusing again.

"You're just jealous," Susan teased, turning to her friend and sticking out her tongue.

"I'll rip it out." Taryn threatened, holding a butter knife and growling.

Ianto shot a look at Erin, who just shook her head. "No, they do this all the time. It'll stop in a minute."

"You wouldn't dare!" Susan looked out of the corner of her eye at Jack, who was more than a little amused.

"I would!" Taryn answered smugly.

"Guys…" Jack started, but was cut off when both girls turned to face him.

They quick looked back at one another and smiled. Erin pulled Ianto towards her, trying to warn him, but by then, the other two women had loaded their spoons with mashed potatoes and flipped them at Jack. They squealed and gave one another high-fives as their ammo hit the intended target. Jack looked at the two of them and made a face that could only be described as disdain, mashed potatoes now covering his face and shirt. He set his jaw and reached for his own spoon.

"You think that's funny?" The women were now in a mad fit of giggles as he was loading his own ammo.

"It's quite funny, sir." Jack hears from the end of the table.

"You think so, Jones?" He nods toward him, taking his attention from the earlier snipers.

"Quite." He is smiling at Jack now, and all eyes are on what is going to happen next.

Jack, who now had a helping of green beans mixed with potatoes ... as he always mixed them, Susan noted ... was trying to decide whom to aim it at. He looked down his imaginary scope at, first Taryn, then Susan, before finally raising an eyebrow and smiling in that way that everyone found so charming. And flung the spoonful at Ianto.

Erin jumped away from her date and covered her mouth in shock. Everyone had thought that the women who had started it were going to be the targets. Ianto, not missing a beat, launched his spoonful at Susan, who was laughing. She wiped the mess from her face and glared at Jack. Tallulah was laughing at the mess that the adults were making. Susan fixed her laughter with a well-aimed shot between her daughter's eyes.

Dripping potatoes, she looked around the room. It was too much for Taryn to take and she started laughing. The baby even added in with his own laughter, hearing the adults giggle. Erin was the only one not wearing the meal they had sat down to, something that did not escape the notice of the others in the room. She felt all eyes on her and then five spoons launched, covering her as she tried to defend herself. She finally put her hands down from the assault and was splatted once more. Joey was delighted and clapped his hands, dropping his spoon as he did so.

"Thanks, kid," She said, picking up her napkin. "Ianto, I'm sorry. I guess I should have warned you."

"No, Erin, this is wonderful." He reached for her hand. "Now, if you could help me get this cleaned up, I'll be glad to make that coffee so we can play Monopoly."

"Sounds like an idea," Susan agreed. "I'll get the baby down and we can get set up."

"I'll clean up the baby ... I have to go and get this taken care of anyway," Jack offered, picking up Joey before she could stop him.

"Wonderful!" Taryn clapped her hands, "Let's meet back her in ten?"

"I call banker! And the thimble!" Tallulah shouted as she headed for her room. "Don't anyone take those!"

"All right, Lu!" Erin called, taking Ianto down the stairs to the smaller apartment that she and Taryn shared. "Hey, Tare ... can you grab one of the towels off the dryer?"

"Sure thing!" Taryn followed them, wiping her face on her shirt as she went.

***

Within a few minutes, Ianto and Jack were sitting in the living room facing one another, not a single word being spoken between them. Taryn came into the room with the Monopoly board and tried not to notice. But the air was so thick that she felt she had to say something, anything to lighten the mood.

"All right ... I am going to leave this here, do you guys think you could set it up while I go and get everyone else?" Her tone was brighter than she meant it to be and she worried that it sounded fake.

Ianto regarded Jack for a moment. "So this is where you go at night?" He was sitting on the edge of the couch cushion.

"Whenever I can, Yan." Jack answered leaning back comfortably.

"So you do this whole domestic thing?" He motioned to the room around him, which was scattered with toys here and there.

He looked for a moment at the younger man. "I guess I do." He nodded, smiling.

"You know, that's one of the reasons I thought that we shouldn't be together," Ianto said after a moment.

Jack looked at him. "What?"

Ianto scooted closer to him. "I got the impression that you didn't do want this." He indicated the room around him again.

Jack shook his head and sat up straight to look at him. "I never said that. Where would you…Why would you…" His brows were knit together in onfusion.

Ianto just looked at him, his eyebrow arched and lips pursed. "Or was it just that you wanted to have this with someone other than me?"

"Yan, I loved ... still love ... you. Why didn't you just ask?" He reached for the Welshman's face.

"Too late now." Ianto backed away from him.

Jack was visibly hurt, but hid it as Susan came back in the room and bent to give him a kiss before sitting at his feet to unpack the game. "What're you two jawin' about in here? Work?"

"Yeah," Jack answered. "Something like that."

"No more work talk!" Susan playfully slapped at his ankle. "Now what do you want to be?"

"The dog." Jack bet to pick it up. "Call me Captain Jack Barkness!"

Ianto rolled his eyes and picked up the iron. "I'll be the iron."

"Can someone hand me the wheelbarrow?" Taryn asked. "I'll need it to carry all my cash around…"

"You know, you say that every time. But we have yet to see this ‘buttload of money' you keep referring to," Susan tried to look confused as she inclined her head to the side.

Erin came into the room to find her roommates starting up again. Rolling her eyes, she sat on the floor near where Ianto sat on the couch. "That makes me the racecar ... right?"

"Yep!" Tallulah was wearing a pair of footie pajamas when she returned.

"Where on Earth did you find those?" Erin asked the girl as she got the place cards ready.

"Nana sent them ... aren't they the coolest?" She did a runway twirl before settling beside Taryn on the other side of the coffee table with the money so that she could sort it.

"Something like that." Taryn muttered, laughing a little to herself. "Now, house rules. You have to go around once before you can buy. All money you pay to the game goes in middle of the board and you get it if you land on Free Parking."

Susan put her token on the start square. "Any and all deals made between players and their properties are legal." She liked that one ... that is how she won most times.

"Did anyone want coffee?" Ianto remembered, looking around.

"That would be awesome!" Taryn admitted, "We can definitely wait a bit for that!"

Tallulah rolled her eyes at the grown-ups. They could be so confusing.

Erin got up to help Ianto and, when she had left the room, the other tow women huddled together. "Do you think she likes him?" Susan asked behind her hand. Jack was trying to listen.

"I think so yeah, and they look cute together." Taryn answered, pushing Jack off her shoulder a bit. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all," Jack answered, smiling at her. "And I am going to have to agree with you on this. I know him pretty well, and you seem to know Erin…"

"You know," A female voice came from the kitchen, "You guys are shit at whispering. They can hear everything you are saying."

"Ooops," the three of them chorused and went back to setting up the game.

By the time the coffee was done, everyone was anxious to get started. Ianto was the only one there who had never played with the group before, so he got to go first by vote.

The minutes turned into and hour, after which Tallulah lost all interest and they had to take a break so that Susan could walk her sleeping daughter to her room. Erin took over for her as the banker and they continued for another hour, but by then, the only two still playing were Ianto and Susan. Jack had made many bad decisions and now not only owed Susan the fake money he would get on his next go-around, but also a few things that were whispered between the two of them. Taryn had seen the look in Susan's eyes before, during another tournament they had had back when they were living in Texas. That had ended badly, to say the least. Erin was concerned that the two remaining contenders had had too much coffee and this was all some strange caffeine-fueled destruction match.

"Okay," Susan exclaimed when Ianto landed on one of her five properties. "You just landed on my North Carolina Avenue. With a hotel sitting there, you owe me 1275. Have you got that?" Her face was oddly serious as she tapped the table and glared at the Welshman.

Ianto handed the money over without a word. "Care to call it a tie?"

"A tie would mean that I didn't beat you. Why don't we count what we have and declare the one with the most a winner?" Susan leaned closer to him.

"Okay," he agreed carefully, counting the paper money he had in front of him and handing Erin the cards to add up.

Susan got to work tallying her own and in a minute looked up at him. "You first."

Jack thought the scene to be one straight out of a spaghetti western. He half expected the two to stand up and take thirty paces before turning to each others, pistols drawn. This was some serious gameplay, and Jack made a mental note not to play Monopoly with her again, unless he wanted to be in debt to her forever. The thought made him chuckle a bit as he looked between the two opponents.

"Well, I would say I have upwards of ten thousand here." Ianto slapped the play money in his hand as if it were real.

Susan hung her head. "Then you win. Congratulations, Ianto Jones, you have beat me."

There was a moment when the room was silent, then, the celebrating began. Ianto got up and did a small victory dance around the living room and high-fived everyone. Susan pretended to be angry, but smiled as she began to pick up.

"I'll help you take those into the kitchen," Erin offered, grabbing coffee mugs.

"Cool, thanks." Susan said, getting the ones that were left. "Least you can do, now that your friend has beat my ass at Monopoly!"

They laughed as they went into the kitchen. Taryn began to pack up the game right as the three remaining in the room made small talk.

"So, she's never been beat?" Ianto asked his boss.

Jack shrugged. "Dunno ... never played with her before. And won't do it again. I am up to my eyeballs in promises to wash dishes and bathe babies."

"Among other things," Taryn snortled. "I heard some of those whispers ... though, the goddess knows I tried not to!" She stood, holding the box. "Just going to go and hide this somewhere where it will never again see the light of day, excuse me."

"I think that's for the best," Jack agreed. "I'll distract her with my wonderful powers to seduce if she tries to find you."

"Right," Taryn rolled her eyes. "You do that." She disappeared down the stairs, leaving Ianto and Jack alone.

"So, about that thing…" Jack started.

Ianto cut him off. "No, really, it's fine. It just took me by surprise, that's all."

"How so?" He turned to face his friend.

"Well, I knew you were seeing someone else, but this is not at all what I pictured." Ianto laughed at the mental image he had created weeks before.

Jack smiled sideways, letting his own chuckle escape. "Really? How did you see it?"

The other man shrugged. "I dunno. I guess I thought you had moved on to what you were used to ... you know ... never in the same place twice. And now, here you are ... and you look, for lack of a better word, sir, domestic."

Jack rubbed the back of his neck in thought. "And this really shocks you? Ianto, you know that I had a family before ... more than once."

The younger man bowed his head. He had forgotten about the families that Jack had left behind, the ones he had either left behind out of pain or outright lost. Ianto forgot that when he looked in the man's eyes. Jack was never really one to hide emotions well ... that is, if you knew his moods ... which Ianto most certainly did. Right now, there was peace, but there was something else in there as well ... confusion. Ianto frowned for a bit.

"Something wrong, sir?" He found himself leaning closer to Jack involuntarily.

Jack let out a sigh and stared, unflinching at the man before him, his eyes searching deep in Ianto's for something, anything. And then he was on him, lips to lips, hands searching for something to cling to.

Taryn came up the stairs to find them that way. After taking in the scene for a bit, she continued to the kitchen muttering as she went. "Don't look now, but I think your boyfriends are making out…" No one heard.

***

Taryn came through the kitchen door muttering. Susan and Erin looked at her, but continued the joint effort of washing the dishes. "What's that?" Erin said after a moment of listening to her roommate grumble.

"Oh, nothing, just invisible Taryn talking again…" She went to the other side of the sink and picked up a towel and began to dry the dishes and put them away.

"Well," Susan looked at Erin, "I think he's nice."

Erin quit rinsing dishes and let a dreamy look cross her face. "I think I like him."

Taryn made a gagging noise. These two had someone ... why was it that she didn't? She was certainly the most interesting of the three of them ... wasn't she? Nevermind that her days were filled with auditions and rehearsals and what was left was saved for writing the great American novel (odd now that she was in Wales, she thought briefly) and simultaneously the perfect play. Yeah, that was why she hadn't hooked up yet ... at least that's what she chose to believe.

"Oh, don't you start," Susan flicked water at the woman drying dishes.

"I know you didn't just go there," Taryn popped the towel in her direction.

Erin stepped between them. "Wasn't the food fight at dinner enough? I want Ianto to think we are somewhat normal ... please?"

The two if them shrugged before donning identical looks that said they were sorry.

After a moment of only the sound of cleaning up, Erin turned to Susan again, "Thank you for letting him win."

Susan smiled at the other two women in the room. "Hey, I know the score. Nobody likes a winner."

"I knew it!" Taryn exclaimed, and then thought for a bit. "Does this mean if I bring someone here, you'll let them win too?"

"Well, we don't want it to look too fishy, but I'd consider it." They were back to laughing and that was all that the men in the other room could hear.

"Ianto, I…" Jack started but was cut off by the younger man.

"Jack, don't." His face had suddenly gone all serious. "That was a mistake."

Jack's look was incredulous. "Just now or the whole thing?"

Ianto ran his hand through his hair, ruffling it slightly. "I'm beginning to think the whole thing was. Jack, it could never work between you and me. Especially if this is what you were wanting."

"Why say that?" Jack wore a wounded expression. "We could have had this ... and more."

"No, we couldn't. I saw the way you looked at her, at her kids. She's stronger than me." He thought for a moment. "Oh, God, Jack, does she know the truth?"

He shook his head. "Can't tell her."

"She's going to notice. Or worse, Tallulah will." Another pause. "Are you going to tell her?"

Jack looked at his feet. "Hadn't thought about it. Never really planned on getting attached."

"But you did." His words were crisp and stung Jack's ears.

"But I did," he agreed, "How can you not fall for those kids?"

"So, it's the kids?" Ianto leaned back into the sofa now. "That's not fair to their mother."

"No, no, not like that at all. She's part of it. The biggest part." He recalled the discussion they had had during dinner. "She understands. I did tell her about us. She was okay with that ... she's open-minded. And bossy. Jesus, but that woman can tell people what to do! But you know what? When she tell me to ... I want to; I really do."

Ianto chuckled at he thought of Jack doing what someone else told him for a change. He really couldn't imagine Jack cow-towing to anyone. Wait until the others heard about this ... it would be wonderful fodder for the next two weeks or so.

Jack hadn't told anyone what was going on in his life, but had hinted that there was someone he had been seeing regularly. Never said that she had kids; hadn't even said it was a female at all. No one had asked either. Ianto certainly hadn't cared, not after Jack had left so abruptly. Gwen was starting to get over him, what with her wedding coming up. Tosh was always a friend, much like Owen was always the enemy. They all had their roles to fill, and Jack's had always been Boss. That was why this was going to be so much fun.

Ianto, however, had taken no great pains to hide anything about his private life. He had learned while Jack was gone that a person could not keep things in and waiting was not a good option, at least not for him. He had tried, but it was just too hard. There were dates here and there, but no real bites. Then he had met Erin. Shy Erin, as shy as he was. He thought for a moment and realized that that was one of the things he really liked about her. Just looking at her was enough ... he sure had done it a fair amount of times. And she made a hell of a cup of coffee. That alone was a trait that Ianto could admire.

He turned to look at Jack who was as lost in thought as he was. Jack sat, reclined, his brow furrowed, finger idly toying with his bottom lip as he wrapped his head around what was ... and was not ... being said.

She was a really great person. She had changed him for the better. Before, he had run ... so fast, so far ... when he had felt himself getting attached. But not her, not Susan. She was grounded in an odd sort of way. Not that she wasn't flighty; no that wasn't it at all. At times her boundless energy could rival the Doctor's ... hands down. And she was more than a little prone to arguments with her roommates, Taryn more so than Erin. But that was part of her charm, he supposed. She wasn't going to take shit from anyone. She had told Jack that already ... and he had believed her.

Ianto was lost in thought when Jack chanced a peek in his direction. He wondered how long this could go on. "Ianto, believe me, I didn't plan this."

"We never do, sir." The response was short, cut off, Jack supposed it was mostly due to the fact that the girls had come back in the room.

"I am cutting this short, guys," Taryn announced, stretching her arms above her head. "See ya'll on the flip!" With a wave, she went down the stairs to the living area she and Erin shared.

"And I have work early tomorrow," Ianto said, standing. "Care to walk me to my car, Erin?"

She blushed a bit and nodded, getting his coat for him and following the man out the door, leaving Jack and Susan alone. "Don't you have to work tomorrow?" She asked Jack, touching his arm.

He looked up at her. "I'm the boss," he reminded her.

She smiled back down at him. "Maybe there. Here, if you have to go to work early, you need to be ready. I need to know if you are staying or not."

"Staying." Jack repeated. "But I am the boss."

"You just keep thinking that." Susan laughed a little as he stood. He was at least a good head taller than her, but that didn't stop her. "You staying up for a bit?"

"You wanna watch a movie with me?" He asked, wrapping his arms around her.

"Can't. I have to get Joey off to the sitter's after getting Lu to school. Then, work for me." She shook her head sadly. "Can't understand how you can stay up so long and still be at work at time."

"Tell you what ... I'll take the kids before going in and you can stay up with me for a while." He looked at her face. "Deal?"

She couldn't say no to that face, and he knew it. "Fine. But you are getting the baby ready too." She upped the ante, sure he would say no.

"All right." His face lit up. "Sounds fair." He moved to turn out the lights.

Susan was shocked as she sat on the couch. "So, what are we going to watch? Your choice."

"Well, there's this movie on the late show that looks like it might be fun to laugh at," he sat beside her and handed her the blanket from the back of the couch, knowing she would ask for it if he didn't. "It's called Shark Attack 3 ... Megaladon."

"Sounds…interesting." She leaned against him. "Can't wait."

Jack turned on the television and they sat by the glow, laughing and shouting instructions at the man on screen. "That guy right there is going to get it!" Jack pointed at the screen.

"And that one? He's kinda cute ... I hope he survives." Susan pointed to another.

Jack frowned down at her. "Cuter than me?"

"Maybe." She poked him in the ribs.

They were scuffling around when Erin came in the door humming. She startled when she saw them on the couch. "Sorry. Thought you two had gone to bed. I'll just…" She went downstairs quickly.

Susan and Jack looked at each other questioningly before going back to the movie. "NO! Oh, that's not even a realistic shark!" Susan scolded the screen.

"Hold me," Jack joked, burrowing into her side. "I'm scared."

"Too much, Jack Harkness, too much." She patted him on the head.

***

Next part of Seperate Ways.