Notes: Glad you all, well at least those who did reviews, enjoyed Hatchling. Here's my latest, hope you enjoy this one as well. As always, reviews are more than welcome and any ways to improve I implore you to point out! Thanks and enjoy.
Flap, thud, flap, thud, flap...
"Damn." Ianto groaned. "We've got a flat." he said as he pulled the SUV over to the side of the road. "Sit tight and I'll change it." he told Tosh, who sat in the seat next to him trying to decipher some writing on a box they'd been sent out to pick up.
"Mmhmm." Tosh mumbled, paying no attention at all.
Ianto rolled his eyes and opened the door and got out. Sure enough, the driver side rear tire had gone flat. He could make out the heads of a couple of nails that were the cause of his troubles.
He took off his impecibly tailored jacket and tossed it in his seat, Tosh still typing away as she tried to translate the mysterious little box. Rolling up his sleeves, he fished out the spare, tire iron and jack and set to work.
The lugnuts were being particularly stubborn, forcing him to stand on the tire iron to break a few free. Of course that's when the rain would set in quickly just then and quickly soak him to the bone. Not only was he having to stand out in the pouring rain to change the tire, he was going to have to clean up the seats after having done so to boot. Wonderful, just wonderful. He'd have to remember to thank Jack for being the one to run Tosh out.
"Ah, damn it." he grumbled as his shoe slipped off the iron and he ended up banging his knee into the side of the vehicle, tearing his pant leg.
"Just like them, isn't it?" a soft voice said as he bent down to pick up the tire iron. "Sending you out as their personal errand boy, and then the little computer geek sitting safe and dry in the car while you do the grunt work." the voice added with a tisking noise. "And for you to ruin your nice trousers. What a shame."
He spun around but saw no one. Assuming he'd just been hearing things, he went back to what he was doing, only a little more quickly this time.
"They don't appreciate all you do for them, do they, Ianto?" the voice asked sympathetically.
"Tosh, did you say something?" Ianto asked as he opened the door and stuck his head in.
"Hmm?" Tosh said, slowly turning away from her laptop. "No, why?"
"No reason." he answered, "Guess I'm just hearing things."
"Don't let anyone hear you say that." Tosh joked. "The men in little white coats will come after you."
"If they're anything like our resident man in his little white coat, that's a truly frightening thought." he chuckled as he shut the door and finished his task.
"Poor Ianto." he heard the voice whisper as he climbed back into the SUV. Ignoring it, he did up his seatbelt and took off, eager for a nice cup of tea. Too bad he'd have to make it himself more than likely.
"So you finally decided to rejoin us?" Jack said as he watched two of his team enter the hub.
"Is it raining out?" Gwen asked as she looked at the two, Tosh having gotten almost as wet as Ianto as they were coming back in, the rain falling even heavier than before.
"No, Gwen." Ianto said sarcastically. "We decided to run under the fountain for a bit before coming in, just to throw you off." he added as he went off to put the kettle on.
"What's with him?" Gwen asked, completely taken aback.
"I don't know." Tosh answered as she put her laptop on her desk. "I've had no luck so far with this writing." she said as she took a towel that Jack was handing her.
"You'll get it, I don't doubt it at all." Jack said as he headed off towards the kitchen.
"Ask Ianto to make me a cup while you're up there!" Owen called from his station.
"Ianto?" Jack asked as he entered the kitchen. "Everything all right?"
"Just fine, why wouldn't it be?" Ianto answered as he filled five cups. "I assume you all want some while I'm about it." he said.
"Yeah, I know Owen did at least." Jack answered as he observed the other man. "You sure you're fine?" he asked again. "You're not usually so snarky."
"I've had a long day, it's put me in a rather black mood, I'm allowed one of those now and again aren't I?" Ianto asked as he placed four cups on a tray and handed it to Jack. "I assume you can manage to take these down."
"Sure." Jack said as he took the tray, not wanting to push the obviously moody Welshman too much.
"They could have at least offered to make you a cup of tea." that familiar voice said, making Ianto jump. "But as usual, it was you who did for others. It's really not fair."
He turned around to where Jack had been standing and found a woman, medium in height and weight, long black hair and gray eyes smiling fondly at him.
"You." he said. "You're the one I heard when I was changing the tire."
"You remember me!" the woman said happily. "It's nice to be remembered."
"Who are you?" he asked, "How did you get in here?"
"My name is Faith." she answered as she moved to stand directly in front of him. "I came in with you." she added.
"Nobody saw you." he said, "They would have."
"No, I can pick and choose who can see, hear and touch me." she explained with another smile. "You should be quite pleased with yourself. I'm quite picky. I don't do this for just anyone."
"Oh, good for me." Ianto said. "I've been chosen to sit here and have a conversation with an invisible stalker."
"Stalker is quite a harsh word." Faith said, pouting a bit. "I prefer admirer."
"Admirer of what?" Ianto asked as he looked out to see if anyone could see him chatting with himself.
"Of you, silly." Faith laughed.
"What do you want?" he asked as he moved away from her.
"I want to help you, Ianto Jones." Faith answered. "You feel lost and alone and you need my help."
"I've gone mad." Ianto said as he ran his hands through his hair.
"Don't do that, you're hair is all messed up now." Faith complained as she walked over to him and fixed his hair. "That's better." she smiled. "You're not mad, by the way."
"I'm sitting here talking to a woman who earlier was a disembodied voice, now she's telling me that she's here to help me because she thinks I'm pathetic." Ianto said, pointing out how one might think him to be mad. "What do you call it?"
"Lucky." Faith said as she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back against the counter. "You need help, and I'm here."
"What are you, my fairy godmother?" he scoffed.
"Of course not." Faith said sounding rather offended at the idea. "I'm simply here to help you. And in return, you help me."
"How?" Ianto asked.
"Everytime you do something that makes you feel better about yourself and whats going on around you, I get a certain, high from that." she explained.
"So you're like a good vibe vampire?" he asked, laughing at the thought.
"You could put it that way." Faith answered, the smile she gave leaving Ianto feeling cold all over.