"So, Tosh any rift spikes lately?" Owen asked.
"Nope," she replied, tapping into the mainframe. "Nothing."
"Any new aliens?" he continued.
"Nope," she shrugged.
"Any old aliens? Any explosions, any weevils any god damn anything?" he pummeled the desk with his hand to emphasise the last three words.
"No," she replied lightly, beginning to look concerned.
"Bummer," he sighed, "seems like there's nothing going on in Cardiff whatsoever." he shrugged. "Whenever I want a break there's a billion and one things to do and whenever I don't... well. Nothing, nada, zip, zilch."
His face twisted in annoyance.
"See ya Tosh, I'm outta here."
He gave the desk one farewell punch before shambling down the steps looking very annoyed with the world.
"God, what's up with him?" asked Gwen, clattering up the opposite set of steps.
"No idea," Tosh sighed, "but I wish I could help."
"You always do," Gwen smiled, placing her elbows on the desk. "Anyway, I need a favour."
"Uh-huh?" Tosh looked dubious.
"It's nothing bad, I promise!" Gwen laughed, "I just wanted to ask you if you'd come grab some coffee with me? It's kind of boring when Cardiff hits a dry spot... and I still don't know how to use the filter," Gwen admitted ashamedly.
"Did anyone say coffee?" Ianto asked, emerging as if from nowhere with a tray of steaming hot coffee.
"Ianto, you're a star," Gwen beamed as she reached over and took a cup.
"Mmm. I second that," Tosh laughed as she sipped the coffee. "So, what are we going to do now to occupy ourselves?"
"How about a game of scrabble," Ianto suggested, a playful grin emblazoned across his face.
"Ianto," Gwen rolled her eyes.
"Or I could teach you to use the "damn coffee filter"?"
"I think I'm alright," Gwen laughed, "I've got Tosh with her genius and you with your coffee making skills to fall back on."
"Ahhh, but you never know Gwen, I could get eaten by Myfanwy."
"Oh totally," she remarked, rolling her eyes for the second time, "and there's a giant alien downstairs messing with the pipework."
"Could be," Owen appeared back into their line of sight, humming as he approached where they were stood.
"I thought you were going home...?" Tosh asked, bemused at his sudden change of attitude.
"I was. I just thought I heard something so I came back. If you want trouble, come to torchwood, I always say."
Clang.
"How's that for a harbinger?" Owen laughed.
And there it was again, that strange clang resounding through the hub.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
For days now, Torchwood had been having trouble with its pipes. They seemed to be getting a little cranky, rumbling and grumbling all day and all night. It was enough to drive you crazy!
"Hey Gwen, must be that giant alien!" Ianto laughed.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
The sound got louder and louder, as if there were something jumping up and down on metal, making a tremendous boom everytime their feet hit the ground.
Gwen folded her arms.
"I don't know about you," she spoke nervously ,"but I'm beginning to get a little creeped out."
"Ha," Ianto laughed, "And here's from the woman who reckons she'd be better at Most Haunted than the, I quote "wusses on that show?"
"Yes well, Gwen replied "At least then I'd know I was dealing with something real."
"Oh look, here comes Jack," Ianto tried to look nonplussed, but completely failed, resigning himself to a not-so-secret smile
Jack worked his way around the catastrophe that was the hub, oblivious to Ianto and his good intentions.
"Hang on a minute" Jack spoke, jumping up the last couple of steps to the main part of the hub. "Gwen, you've seen aliens, witnessed someone come back to life about a gazillion times and seen a real life pterodactyl and you still don't believe in ghosts?"
"Gwenny here, believe in ghosts?" Owen asked playfully, putting one of his arms around her shoulder and reaching out with his over to squeeze her cheek, "Don't be daft!"
Gwen stamped the three inch heels of her best boots down on Owen's foot.
"Ouch! What was that for?," Owen asked, groaning as he lifted up his foot to rub the sore spot.
"That's for treating me like an idiot," she remarked, head held up high.
"I think I better step in here" Ianto spoke, edging inbetween the couple, "we have enough problems with alien bites let alone what I suspect Gwen could do with her teeth."
"Don't be daft, I wouldn't bite him, I could do far worse damage than that," she smiled, tapping her temple knowingly, a glint of mischief in her eyes.
"Anyway, before you two lovebirds kill each other, how's about we go investigate this mysterious clanging?" Jack asked, "I'm sure it's just the whirling and swirling of the wonderful excrement of this species, but hey, better safe than sorry!"
The team brightened at the prospect of something to do.
"Sure", they unanimously replied.
"I just hope it's not one of your ghosts Gwen," Ianto laughed, "because then we might have something to contend with!"
Gwen scowled. "What are we waiting for? Let's get to it!"
She grabbed a gun from the desk, shoved it in her back pocket and leaped the stairs.
"Come on you lazy gits!" she turned back, taunting them but beaming all the same.
The team grabbed their weapons and started the journey down to the basement.