Owen had never really noticed them. They were just something that faded into the background the same way that rubbish on the street corners and cracked paving stones did. After all they were only tattered old posters advertising some has-been politician that went crazy on live TV. Nothing to worry about and certainly nothing to notice.

But Jack did.

It was just him and Jack when he saw it. It had been a long night Weevil hunting and it was fucking freezing. Owen pulled his coat around himself tighter and glared reproachfully at the man beside him who seemed perfectly at ease despite the chilling temperature.

If he hadn't been called out tonight he could be at some bar getting absolutely pissed, but no. He had to have been called out tonight, and to make it worse there hadn't even been any Weevils. He still hadn't completely forgiven Jack for the whole disappearing for months on end thing, but this was the icing on the cake. Jack had only been back for two days and already Owen was wishing he'd stayed away for just a little bit longer.

"Oh, come on!" Said Jack sounding annoyingly cheery for someone had to be cold even if he didn't show it, "It's not that bad! We could have actually found a Weevil, that would've been worse!"

Owen looked at Jack long enough to level him a scathing look, "This was a bloody waste of time! I could've been doing something useful you know! I've got all sorts of experiments and tests to be getting on with, not that you would know seeing as you cleared off-"

Owen turned to Jack ready to see the expression on his face that told him that subject was off limits, and was surprised when he found he'd been talking to thin air. Jack had stopped a good few paces back and in the darkening evening Owen could only assume that he was staring at the wall of the building they were walking past.

Giving a exasperated sigh Owen retraced his steps so he was standing by Jack's side once more. He was surprised when he saw what it was that had captured Jack's attention; on the side of the brick building they'd just walked past almost a dozen posters had been plastered to the brickwork. He squinted to read the print on the paper and was left even more confused when he had done so.

There was nothing special about this campaign flyer; there were hundreds more like it, papered along almost any surface Cardiff had to offer, all looking bedraggled and forgotten. He looked at Jacks face and his brow crinkled with shock. He had never seen such an expression on Jack's face. Anger, sadness and, if Owen wasn't mistaken, a hint of fear.

Without a word to Owen, Jack reached out a hand that hesitated just shy of the paper stuck to the wall. Visibly steeling himself Jack set to work ripping every last flyer from the bricks and stacking them in his hands.

Owen didn't say anything. He had the curious feeling that Jack had forgotten he was there and if he were to say or do anything Jack would suddenly realise.

He hadn't seen him like this before. Normally Jack was the one with the jokes and the innuendos, the one who took the edge off the mood.

Not this time.

Of course Owen had seen him angry before, in fact it was something of a regular occurrence. But this was different. This time Jack wasn't just angry, he looked too conflicted for such a simple emotion. No, if Owen had to pick one word for it he would have described him as… vulnerable. Somehow the word didn't seem to fit Jack. But there was no mistaking that at that moment Jack looked like anything but the leader he normally was.

Owen watched as he slowly and methodically gathered all the papers in his arms. He wondered what he was going to do with them, he had never shown an interest in any of the posters before.

The answer didn't take long. With a quickness that took him by surprise Jack ripped the posters in two. Then quarters. Then once more before he threw them all over his shoulder where the wind caught them and played with them about their feet. Most of the shreds of paper stuck to the slightly damp concrete of the ground but some of them danced about the air and into the road. Jack watched after them with cold eyes.

Finally he looked back at Owen and Owen could see none of the good humour that had been there minutes before.

With a swift nod Jack continued walking at a faster pace as if in intent to get back to the SUV before something else could distract him. Owen stared after him unable to make sense of what he had just seen. He knew that something had happened to Jack when he had been away, he was jumpier that the team had ever seen him and even though he had only been back two days Owen could tell that something was amiss. He seemed more serious that usual, less flamboyant.

He had never seen such an obvious display of emotion from Jack, he usually hid it so well. It unnerved him slightly to think that perhaps he had just witnessed the real Jack opposed to the one he allowed everyone else to see.

He was just about to head off after Jack when something caught his eye. Hurriedly, he crossed the street to where more of the flyers littered the walls and scrutinised them. After a few seconds he could get nothing more from them and so with the tightening of his coat around him he set off once more down the street from which he had came still pondering on what he had seen.

He couldn't figure it out, it wasn't like the posters had said anything out of the ordinary.

Had they?

VOTE SAXON

[X]

…

A/N- Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! Reviews would be wonderful, all the best- VE x