"Asking if she'd like a couple of asprin the next morning is not charming." Tosh said, exasperated at the conversation she was having with Owen.
"It's polite, and women like polite." Owen aruged.
"I think manners are rather pointless after a drunken one night stand. It might have been good manners to learn each others names first." Tosh replied. "Can we just drop this?" she asked. "It's pointless."
"You know what your problem is?" Owen asked as he leaned on the corner of Tosh's desk.
"No, but I have a feeling you're about to tell me." she sighed.
"You need to get laid." he said. "Oh, don't act all shocked." he added as she opened her mouth to argue. "You know it, you just don't want to admit it."
"You're disgusting." she said as she picked up the folder she'd been looking at and headed off to Jack's office. "Not everyone is obsessed with sex."
"Yeah, they are." he called after her. "Just most won't admit to it."
Tosh just shook her head as she walked off. She didn't even remember how they got onto the subject of one night stands or the etiquette that went along with them. Somehow though, Owen had sucked her into the topic and she had quickly become annoyed by it. What really annoyed her was the fact that he was right. She was lonely, and she didn't know how to change that. A part of her envied Owen, being able to go out and meet different women all the time, never really caring where it might lead, just so long as a good time was had.
She couldn't bring herself to do that. No, not her. She could barely get up the courage to speak to a man she fancied, much less invite him back to her place. And the man she truly liked, well, he didn't even know she existed unless he wanted to poke fun at her, or needed something done. She really did dislike him at times.
"Just got a call about some noises and smells coming from an old apartment building." Jack said as Tosh walked in and set the folder down. "I need you and Owen to go check it out."
"Why, what are you doing?" she asked, not relishing the idea of being alone with Owen at the moment.
"I need to go see a man about a spaceship." he answered as he slipped into his greatcoat. "Can you handle it?"
"Yes, of course." she nodded, secretly wanting to kick Jack for making her go anywhere with the arrogant little doctor.
"Okay then." he said. "I should be back in a few. If you need anything, just call."
"I know." she said as she followed him back downstairs. "Are you sure Ianto and Gwen can't..."
"They're in Swansea." Jack reminded her.
"Isn't that out of our jurisdiction?" she asked, eager to find a way to get out of going anywhere with Owen.
"Well, since there's not another Torchwood out there, at least, not that I know of." he said as his hand rested on the door handle. "No."
"What's going on?" Owen asked as he walked up, bits of muffin crumbs at the corners of his mouth.
"You, Tosh, building with funky smells." Jack quickly explained as he shut the door behind him. "Address is on my desk." he added as he popped his head back in before rushing off.
"Oh lovely." Owen said as he finished his muffin. "Gwen and Tea boy get a holiday, and we go inspect a dead cat rotting away in a flat."
"If Jack wants us to go check it out, then its probably more than a dead cat." Tosh said, heading upstairs to grab the address. "We can take my car."
"Oi, why not mine?" he asked.
"It smells." she replied as she came back down, grabbed her coat and headed out.
"We can roll down the windows." he said as he followed her out.
"It's the middle of January." she said. "I'm not going to freeze simply because you want to drive."
"You can let me drive your car then." he smiled.
"No."
"What now?" he asked, getting annoyed.
"I've seen you drive, and I rather like my car." she replied as she headed for the parking garage. "I'm not having you roll it, or crash it, or smash the oil pan again."
"One time." he said as he followed behind her. "And I paid for the bloody thing."
"Yes, you did." she acknowledged. "But, you're still not driving."
"I could take my car, and you can take yours." he said, thinking he'd hit on something with that thought.
"Don't be stupid, Owen." she said, patience quickly evaporating. "Just get in."
"I like my idea. That way I can drive my way, listen to my music..."
"Get in." she growled.
"Alright, alright." he said. "Damn, you really do need to get..."
"If you say it, I will hurt you." she warned as she started the engine.
"I've seen you in better moods." he replied as he fastened his seat belt. "This is a very ugly one right now."
"Don't speak anymore and it will improve." she said with a smile. "Let's just give it a try." she added, hoping that as long as he didn't say anything, he might not annoy her too badly.
"Fine." he said. "But don't complain because the drive is too quiet."
"I told you you wanted to take the left back there." Owen said smugly.
"Yes, I know." Tosh groaned. "You were right, I was wrong."
"I don't think that you really meant that." he said. "Try again?" he smiled.
"We're here." she said as she slammed on the brakes and got out.
"Guess you don't want to try again." he said as he followed.
They looked up at an old brick building, windows covered over by plywood, mortar missing from many spots, red bricks about to fall out. They looked up and down the street and saw no one, heard no one.
"Odd." Tosh said. "Middle of the afternoon, and no one is about."
"At work." Owen shrugged. "No one lives in this building surely."
"The piece of paper with the address say its about to be demolished." Tosh replied, handing the paper to Owen.
"We don't have any more people down in the freezer, do we?" he asked, chuckling a bit.
"Can we just go in and look it over so we can go home." Tosh replied coldly.
"Tosh, I'm sorry, I didn't think..." Owen began, remembering the hospital, and more importantly, Tommy.
"You have that problem a lot." Tosh said as she kept on walking.
"I didn't mean to be an ass right then..."
"Fine, no harm done." she said as she started up the stairs to the first floor, trying to find the flat the smell was supposed to be coming from.
"I'm sorry." he finished as he followed her up, deciding not to say a word.
"Jack said there were noises and smells." Tosh said as she followed the hall, heading towards the number she wanted. "He didn't say what kind though."
"Shhh." Owen said, tapping Tosh's arm. "Did you hear something?"
"No." she shook her head, straining her ears to listen.
"Listen, there." he said.
In the distance Tosh could just hear the sound of metal jingling and now and then, the sound of something being dragged.
"Its coming from down there." she said, nodding towards the end of the hall.
"That's what I thought." Owen said, moving down the hall slowly, gun drawn.
As they drew closer to the door, the sound grew louder. Both held their breath as they came to stand only inches from the door. They stopped and listened intently once again, but as they listened, the sounds stopped. It was replaced by the sound of heavy breathing. Heavy, raspy breaths could be heard just on the other side of the door, and an odor started to seep out under the door. At first it was faint, the smell Owen had encountered before when he'd left meat in his fridge just a bit too long.
As they stood there, the smell grew stronger, and soon it was to the point the pair of them were covering their mouths and noses with their hands, gagging at the stench. The only thing they could think of that matched it was driving past a dead animal on the side of the road in the middle of summer on one of the hottest days. Owen stretched out his hand to turn the handle, reluctant to see what was on the other side. As his hand hovered just centimeters above the handle, the door flew open.