UNCLEAN SPIRIT PART SIX

Owen looked up from the file he was reading on hearing his front door bell; he took a moment to pause on the wonders of his undead state and being able to hear when he couldn't breathe before lurching to his feet to answer the door. He was more than a little stunned to see one Ianto Jones standing there in jeans and hoodie. Owen gestured him in.

"What's up Ianto?"

The Welshman closed the door behind him and followed Owen to his lounge.

"I was wondering if I could ask a favour actually."

Owen sat on his couch. "Park your arse and spit it out."

Ianto cautiously took a seat on one of the dining chairs and fidgeted for a moment before speaking.

"I spoke to George's wife this afternoon and she told me about his illness. The doctors are a bit baffled so they've diagnosed a cancerous tumour in his skull." Ianto pointed to his nose. "It's in the sinuses or something and they reckon it's very rare. I was wondering if you could take a look, I mean with the experience you have with .....well more unusual things."

Owen looked thoughtful. "It wouldn't be my first choice Ianto, I'm sure the doctors in London know what they are doing."

Ianto nodded. "I know, I wouldn't normally ask, but he saved my life back at Canary Wharf. He saved me from being killed by a Cyberman. He's my friend Owen, the only one I have aside from you lot, everyone else I knew from T1 is dead."

"Shit mate, I'm sorry." Owen scrubbed his hand over his face. "Of course, I'll look at the scans and stuff and talk to his oncologist, leave the details on my desk."

Ianto got to his feet. "Thank you Owen." He turned to leave. "Are you coming out with us for.... well, we're going to the pub. It'd be good if you came."

"Nah mate. Get Jack to divert the rift alert to my phone. To be honest sitting around listening to Lammy chops all night doesn't hold much appeal."

Ianto nodded. "He's a bit... forward.... isn't he."

"You noticed then?" Owen saw the young man blush slightly.

"It's weird, he looks at me in the same way that Jack does, but with him I feel like I am being..... it just makes me uncomfortable, where as with Jack it's flattering."

Owen really wasn't that interested in the details he was just glad someone had finally noticed how, he couldn't even find the right word; slimey perhaps, Lam was.

"It's flattering because you love Jack. Lam is just plain creepy. I hope Tosh is careful with him."

Ianto silently agreed. "She's a big girl Owen. Anyway, I'd best get going. Thanks."

Owen saw him to the door. "Night Ianto."

Ianto met the rest of the team at 'Draco's', the new goth bar that Lam had insisted they try out. He, Tosh, Gwen, Rhys and Jack were already sequestered away in a cosy booth when Ianto arrived. There was a drink already waiting for him on the table beside Jack. Ianto sat down beside him and the two of them automatically linked hands under the table.

"No Owen?" Gwen asked.

Ianto shook his head. "He's got the alert relay. Think he wanted to get on with the reports I gave him."

Gwen could tell he was lying, but let it drop as Ianto and Rhys got to talking about the Rugby; Jack only joining in when it came to discussing the various physical attributes of the players on the Welsh team. Lam appeared to be listening with interest his arm draped casually over Tosh's shoulder and his eyes not leaving Ianto for a second. No one seemed to notice as collectively they exchanged jokes and generally had a bit of a laugh. Only Ianto began to feel slightly uneasy with Lam's eyes boring into him and he half wondered if Jack had noticed. Eventually the conversation turned to the task that Lam had come to Torchwood to complete.

"So, the re wiring?" Jack asked over his pint of water.

Lam lowered his glass of cider and smiled, squeezing Tosh's shoulder. "We'll be done in a couple of days and then Ianto and I can get to work on the new containment room.... should take a couple of weeks, maybe three. Then I'll be out of your hair and back in sunny London."

Tosh was looking disappointed. "You'll have to come and visit us."

Lam looked down at her. "Certainly will, you guys are great fun. I love it here, heaps better than UNIT."

"That's not difficult." Jack quipped. "It'd be good to see you. Tosh is right."

Gwen was nodding in agreement as she snuggled into Rhys' side. Ianto refrained from commenting, but he did smile, after all he actually liked Lam even if he was bit.... Ianto like Owen struggled to find the word in his mind.

"I'm starved, whose for Indian?" Rhys piped up downing his pint.

Everyone agreed.

Jack shoved open Ianto's front door as he helped the young man over the threshold. It had obviously been a while since Ianto's last major drinking spree. The young man had never handled alcohol well and a mere four pints had sent him into orbit for almost an hour before he passed out in the cab on the way home. Jack easily lifted him off his feet and carried him to bed and Ianto barely seemed to notice as he sang rather loudly in Welsh in Jack's left ear. Jack was smiling affectionately as he carefully undressed his extremely pissed lover and covered him with the duvet. When he awoke the following morning it was to the sound of Ianto puking up in the bathroom and then screaming Jack's name in pain. Jack leapt out of bed and ran into the bathroom, there was blood and vomit all over the floor and Ianto was doubled over clutching at his stomach.

"Oh, shit! I'll call Owen. Hang on."