4
"We don't meet with the others again until Friday" she said softly as she pushed peas around her plate of gravy, "Two more days."
"I am staying in town, Owen's old flat would you believe" he winced, "You?"
"Come on" she rose and held out her hand, "Let's get out of here and I'll show you what I have."
As they left, the guard smiled and held his hand out for the PDA, letting it through once again and Ianto spun to address him as he accepted it back "Sargeison is going to have a cow when I'm done with this."
The guard's laughter followed him as they walked out to Tish's car.
She drove sedately but he was impressed at her skills as she checked several times to see if they were followed, then stopped in an industrial estate, sliding the large door shut as the car ticked quietly in the warehouse.
Ianto knew it wasn't the same one but he remembered that night with Jack and the great Myfanwy hunt.
He stood looking at his feet as he saw them both rolling on the ground, laughing in the dirt.
When he looked up he was blinking back tears and Tish was climbing a set of stairs.
He followed silently, noting the chill receding as they neared the mezzanine level.
"Wow" he said as he stepped into the room, the warmth immediately lulling him and he felt fatigue for the first time as he realized he hadn't slept since he had woken.
Like he was afraid this was a dream and falling asleep might end it.
Tish was pulling open a closed room screen and Ianto saw the walls were plain white with her calculations and work so far in whiteboard pen.
He lifted the PDA and let Mainframe take some shots for her own calculations, then sat with a heavy thud on the sofa.
Not too bad.
Soft.
He woke as she maneuvered him onto his side and he grunted as he settled and let the darkness fold over him like the blanket she was pulling down from the back of the old, wonderfully soft sofa.
Tish sat looking at this strange turn of events and wondered what Jack was going to make of this.
.
.
.
,
Next morning and Ianto didn't feel the need to keep up the pretence, swinging by his place … god, weird to call it that now… and Tish stood watching Tosh talking on the window screen with her mouth open.
"There is an underlying issue that needs addressing," Tosh was explaining as she walked across the screen, "There does seem to be a power drain in the lower levels but the schematics don't go down to that level."
"Not on the original plans" Ianto agreed, "What about any supplemental? Did you not detect any plans?"
"No Ianto sorry" she pushed her glasses up her nose and he grinned as this was usually how she replied to him, then she turned to walk again and the glasses dissolved.
"So, it was done with stealth and speed" Ianto said slowly, "Can we assume there is Alien Technology at work here?"
"That would be my assessment Ianto" Tosh agreed and as she stopped walking the ornate gown she had chosen to wear swished.
"I know it is beside the point but you do look lovely today blossom" Ianto smiled and she grinned back in a way Tosh never did.
It made his heart hurt even more.
"So … we need to get down there somehow" Ianto frowned, "Toshi, what happened to those little beetle bug things Suzie was working on? Remember those? Owen had such a tantrum that we stopped."
She canted her head, "Still there in the remains."
"In the hub?" he asked with horror, "Are you telling me the hub is still there?"
"Unit closed it over and left it to rot" Tish said softly behind him, "Apparently they couldn't break the locks to the secure archives so they made sure it was closed to everyone."
"How" Ianto said with a soft frown, "Tosh, can you do an internal scan of the hub? Is there enough backup power down there?"
Tosh frowned and turned her head to one side as if listening to something, then smiled, "It's all still there Ianto. Please wait. Compiling."
He went to the kitchen and started the coffee machine he had purchased and Tosh hummed happily, her memory of his coffee still running strong.
"Complete" Tosh suddenly said, looking at Ianto intently.
"The harbor entrance, is that blocked?" he asked.
"No. They did not detect it." She smiled wider, "Am I to be expecting company?"
"Yes darling, I'll be along presently" Ianto said solemnly, bowing as she giggled then walked off the screen, allowing it to clear again.
"So … we going swimming?" Tish asked as she watched Ianto frowning.
"No, I know where we can get a boat" he said softly as he spun to face her, "I bet it's still there."
"So we go in, get the bugs and get out?" she asked.
"Yeah" Ianto answered, then looked at the city below.
"Time is running out."