PART ELEVEN

Ianto huddled in the bed, still cold and achy from his immersion in the Loch. He had come close to drowning, he remembered that much clearly but he could not make sense of the memories of luminous fish and fireworks in the night sky and no one was telling him anything. He opened his eyes to the sight of a UNIT nurse busying herself with his drip and smiling down at him with big friendly dark eyes.

"Hello Mr Jones, how are you feeling?" Her Scottish accent rather ruined the effect. Ianto hadn't thought it possible that such a horrible noise could issue from such a pretty mouth.

Ianto blinked stupidly at her, he wasn't sure how he felt.

"Cold." He suddenly realised he was swathed in thick pyjamas and woollen mittens.

"You're warming up nicely, should be feeling it soon."

"How long have I been here?"

"A few hours." It was Ben, off to his left and Ianto turned his head to see his colleague looking relieved more than anything.

"What happened Ben, are you ok?"

Ben perched on the edge of the bed, Ianto's medical charts in his hands.

"I'm fine boss, I wasn't hurt. We're not sure what happened. To be honest I was hoping you could tell us."

Ianto rolled his eyes with exhausted frustration. "We were on the boat, I remember falling into the water. I....I dreamt about angel fish and fireworks and then I remember..... you and Jack, did you save me?"

Ben was frowning at him. "Boss you were in the water for a day, we couldn't find you and then the Cardiff team turned up. Jack and I went out on to the Loch and found you floating dead in the water. I don't know what it was that Harkness did..... While we were on the boat a ship flew out of the loch, it wasn't that big but as soon as it was up in the air the lights converged on it. I've never seen anything like it." He stopped when he heard Ianto sigh. "Boss?"

"Where's Jack?"

"He's still on sight helping UNIT with the clean up. I think his team are heading straight back to Cardiff."

"I need to speak to Jack, can you get him here?"

Ben got to his feet. "I'll go and call him, but you need to rest. Everything is under control."

Ianto nodded. "Thanks Ben." He closed his eyes and drifted off into the black for a while. Ben watched him with a faint smile on his face.

Jack had lost track of time but he was tired and cranky when the phone call through from Ben. He packed his team into the helicopter and told them he'd be back in Cardiff the following day. Gwen and Owen were both complaining bitterly about being sent home without him. The call came from Ben as he was being driven in the back of a UNIT truck to the base just the opposite of Glasgow. He couldn't help but heave out a sigh of relief when Ben told him that Ianto was asking for him. It was almost an hour later when Jack got there, tired and dirty from the ordeal.

Ianto was sleeping when Jack stepped into the room. Ben was at his side checking the various pieces of medical equipment attached to Ianto before looking up with a faint smile on his face. Jack was looking somewhat concerned.

"It looks a lot worse than it is. Really he's going to be fine, he'll just need a couple of weeks of decent rest."

Jack nodded numbly and took the chair at Ianto's bedside and resting his hand over Ianto's covered arm. Jack watched the younger man's pale face intently and then briefly glanced up at Ben who was now at the door.

"Thank you."

Ben nodded. "I'll organise some coffee you look shattered."

Jack was. "That would be good."

Jack returned his attention to Ianto as Ben left, quietly closing the door behind him. Ianto looked peaceful enough, though in sleep the Welshman generally had as far as Jack could recall, before the nightmares kicked in, that was. He leant back in the chair too vividly recalling the ordeal of a year he had no idea how to explain and a following six months recovering in the safety of the Tardis. The Doctor had done his level best with both him and Martha, but Jack knew that the ordeal would live him for a very long time to come. When it came down to it all he had wanted was to come home to his 'family'. To make sure Gwen got her dream wedding, to maybe see Owen and Tosh finally seeing each other, and making things right with Ianto. Jack clenched the fist that was resting on the bed covers. He knew that the Doctor had been disappointed when Jack left him, but he had never counted on Ianto not being there when he returned, it had simply not occur to him and it was a shock. Owen and Tosh were blinder than ever and Gwen, although engaged had somehow lost her way with Rhys. Torchwood had flourished at the cost of the people who ran it. Jack sighed realising that dreams simply never did come true. He'd spent years wanting his brother back and his dad alive and well. He wanted to be a family with Lucia and Melissa, be a good father....... Nothing ever worked. Now Ianto had become his own man, no longer needing him and maybe that was a good thing. What right did he have to take away Ianto's strength and independence? Jack looked at the man lying there, oblivious to his presence, his own longing almost overwhelming him. Eventually he stood up and briefly brushed his lip across Ianto's forehead.

"Good night Ianto." He stepped back and left the room and almost collided with Ben with coffee cups in hand. Jack smiled at him and took one of the paper cups.

"I'm heading back. There'll be debrief via video conference when Ianto is back on his feet." He hauled in a deep steadying breath. "Take care of him Ben."

Ben watched as Jack walked away, with shoulders slumped.

Jack out strode into the night and pulled out his mobile phone and dialled the Doctor's number.

FINIS....