A JB Story

Jack and Ianto weren't speaking to one another. Consequently, Owen was actually considering being nice to Ianto - Tea Boy was in a decaf mood.

Tosh was steering clear of Jack in his office, despite needing to speak to him about the alien translation. Even Myfanwy was staying in her den, such was the mood in the air of the Hub.

Jack looked out of his office door, wondering why it was so quiet in the Hub. Ianto was nowhere in sight and the coffee machine was off and Jack wondered where the errant Welshman had gone to in order to sulk, because he was absolutely certain that Ianto was in a mood.

Because everyone was lying low, Jack decided that he had two choices - indulge his curiosity and find Ianto, or stand and sulk on a roof. Deciding to go and brood on a roof, he collected his mobile and headed out of the Hub, alarms blaring.

Jack couldn't believe how loud car alarms were these days, and was grateful it was too domestic for him to consider.

Standing on the roof overlooking Cardiff Train Station, Jack spied Ianto waiting on platform 3.

Ianto gazed up the length of the railway track, his shoulders slumped in defeat; he'd had enough, not just of Torchwood, but of his crappy life as well. He barely heard the tinny voice of the announcer say: 'The 15.08 First Great Western service to London Paddington is delayed by approximately 20 minutes - we apologise for any inconvenience caused; an announcement which made the other passengers on platform 3 exclaim in annoyance.

Ianto sighed and headed out of the station, running into Jack, who was just walking through the station doors.

"Oh, hello," said Jack.

Ianto closed his eyes for a second and then looked past Jack. "Why are you here?"

"I was kinda hoping we could talk, you know, like normal people do?"

"Normal people, Jack? How the fuck are we in anyway normal?" Ianto glared at him as he spoke, awaiting a sarcastic reply. Ianto wasn't disappointed.

"Well, let me see - you've been ignoring me all morning because I accidentally let one of your ties get into the washing machine . Or don't normal people fight over stupid little household things?"

Ianto quirked his eyebrow. "I wouldn't know, I haven't been normal for a long time." He smiled. "And plus it's not the tie, it's the fact that you don't….Oh, God, we are domestic…." Ianto paled.

Through the earpieces of both men came Tosh's voice.

"Sorry to interrupted your so called 'domestic', but the alarms are going crazy and Owen has gone missing," Tosh took a breath. "We need you, Jack."

Ianto rolled his eyes. "Honestly, I thought my day couldn't get any worse." He muttered, sharing a long suffering look with Jack.

"Tosh, we're heading back to the Hub now." Jack turned to walk away.

Ianto hesitated a moment, not really wanting to follow.

"Ianto, come on!"

Tempted though he was to tell Jack to make his own bloody coffee and return to the platform, Ianto realised that if the Captain murdered the coffee machine on the same day it's master died, the damn machine would stalk him through hell.

Perhaps it was the influence of the Hub, but Ianto could swear that the coffee machine was sentient.

Jack was worried, despite the fact that Ianto was running alongside him. He could tell something wasn't right. He had a funny feeling that he had been incredibly lucky to find Ianto, but he shoved it to the back of his mind when he burst through the cog door and Myfanwy was screeching and there was a distinct iron tang in the air.

Jack stopped dead in his tracks, looked towards the silver water tower and then turned to Ianto. "I can taste blood!"