"Ask her about her husband."

"What?"

"Just do it!"

After a few minutes Owen was able to relate the information he'd gathered back to Gwen.

"Don't make me do that again! She wouldn't stop talking! In short her husband was a soldier, spent most of his time away from home. When he got back he got a job at Debenhams – tried to fit in but was finding it tough to deal with. He's dead now by the way. Cancer."

"Thanks Owen."

"What did you want to know all that for anyways?"

"Just confirming my suspicions."

Gwen proceeded to the third and final room on the corridor. However once she laid eyes on the picture on the wall she no longer felt the need to search the room.

"Oh my god!" she gasped.

"Gwen what is it?"

"It's Ianto."

He was a lot younger and not wearing a suit yet his face was unreadable. It was definitely him. It appeared that he'd generated his emotional mask at a very young age. There he stood in a family picture.

"What's Teaboy done now?"

Ianto sat in the empty shop sipping his coffee. It was not as strong as he liked it but for the moment it would do. He absent mindedly rubbed his scars. They were still sore and he was only wiping blood onto them. Ianto sighed. He knew Jack was right about getting cleaned up but he wasn't in the mood for being productive.

Seeing such old scars reopened reminded Ianto of his very first. His father had always pushed too hard.

"Are you okay Sir?"

He glanced up. It was the pretty waitress who had served him earlier. He gave her a brief, fake smile.

"Fine."

She instantly saw through his mask.

"That bad huh?" She dragged up a seat. "Tell me everything." Ianto gazed at her doubtfully. "What? I don't like frowns." she said.

He gave her a genuine smile. Whoever she was she was far more perceptive and friendlier than the colleagues he'd known for years. Plus she was a stranger, which meant that there were no strings attached, he could walk away from their conversation with no repercussions and a load off his chest.

"It's a long story." he warned her.

"Cut to the chase, my break is only fifteen minutes long."

"I had an argument with my boss."

"Is that it?" the girl asked incredulously.

"No. He just doesn't understand. He doesn't know her – "

"Whoa there, who's her?"

"My mother. I went to see her today because of work and she didn't recognise me."

The waitress looked shocked at this news.

"Couldn't you jog her memory?"

"Didn't have time, she thought I was crazy – slammed the door in my face."

"I'm sorry."

"Me too."

"Are you going to see her again?"

"I don't know. I probably should."

"What's stopping you?"

Ianto paused, unsure of how to answer that question. He couldn't visit because the scars might start bleeding again but he didn't know why they bled in the first place. Eventually he settled for a simple, one word answer. It was partly the truth.

"Memories."

For a while the waitress contemplated this before finally replying.

"You don't say much do you?"

"This is more than usual." Ianto admitted. "Do you do this often?"

"What?"

"Talking to depressed customers?"

The waitress nodded.

"I like to help. People aren't aware how much listening helps." Ianto opened his mouth to thank her but her eyes widened in shock. "Why is your hand red?"

"It's just paint." Ianto said quickly, not wanting to scare her further.

"Liar."

Ianto stood up and made a beeline for the exit. If he stayed she would just jump to conclusions.

The young waitress followed him to the door and paused, smiling.

"He's coming." she whispered.

Gwen came back downstairs.

"Did you find it okay?" asked the old woman.

"Yes thanks but I couldn't help noticing three bedrooms, do you have kids?"

"Of course! They're all grown-up now. Rhiannon visits me occasionally but I see Sophie everyday at the coffee place in town."

"Two girls?" questioned Gwen.

It was like the woman didn't notice her own photographs.

"Yes. Sophie was a bit of tomboy when she was younger so in many ways it was like having a son." the lady chuckled.

At this point Owen entered the kitchen.

"Sorry lady but I'm just not equipped for your creepy boiler, we'll come back tomorrow."

Before the woman could protest Owen lead Gwen outside the house.

"Owen what's going on?"

"It's time to meet Jack at the SUV."

Gwen glanced at her watch. Owen was right. Time sure flew by when you were investigating.

Together they made it back to the car situated at the bottom of the hill. Tosh sat inside typing vigorously whilst Jack dangled his legs out of the open door next to her. On seeing the pair approach he got to his feet.

"What did you find out?"

"The old woman is Ianto's mother but she doesn't remember him. She seems to have replaced him with this girl called Sophie."

Owen, along with the rest of the team looked considerably startled at this news.

"The lady has also got some crazy heating problems." he added.

Whilst Jack absorbed the information about Ianto's family Tosh took over the questioning.

"Heating problems?" she piped up.

"Yeah, it was bloody freezing!" Owen moaned.

"The boiler made creepy noises too. Almost like it was – talking to us."

"Tosh what are we up against?"

She showed them the Aledor file on her palmtop and explained the situation to her friends.

"The strange thing is it's not normally hostile and has no psychic abilities."

"Could someone be manipulating it Jack?" Gwen asked. "Jack?"

The Captain drew himself out of his guilty reverie concerning how he'd treated Ianto.