Owen changed the poultices, he'd grudgingly had to admit Ianto's recipe seemed to be working. Gwen's wounds were no longer angry and raw and had stopped oozing orange pus. Between the poultice and the chemical cocktail of painkillers and antibiotics she was dozing fitfully.
Ianto poured fresh coffee. Jack lingered as his hand brushed Ianto's, watching him try to stifle a yawn.
'What time is it?'
'Just after midnight, Sir.'
Jack sighed. 'Go home Ianto, get some sleep. Owen and I will hold down the fort.'
Ianto shook his head. 'I don't really want to go home, I'd rather not fall asleep at the wheel.'
'Subtle Ianto.' Jack grinned. 'You could always take my bed and get some sleep.'
'And you?'
'Depends on how this goes, I might be able to join you latter although I'm not sure I wont just fall asleep myself.'
Ianto yawned again. 'I'm not sure I'd notice, I didn't exactly sleep well last night either.'
'Go, and Ianto.' Jack wrapped his arms around him. 'Thank you for staying.'
'Oh god Jack, you're not going to turn into one of those apologetic sad sacks that's going to please and thank you me to death are you.'
Jack kissed Ianto's forehead. 'I'm just not sure what you need from me.'
'Be yourself and don't run away again.'
Jack smiled as he let Ianto pull away. 'Go, get some sleep.'
'Well, don't you stay up all night either.'
Owen walked into the room and threw himself onto the sofa. 'Get a room you two.'
'Funny, I was just trying to talk Ianto into going to bed myself.'
Owen groaned. 'I asked for that didn't I. Both of you get some sleep, Gwen's on the other couch, she isn't waking up any time soon. If you promise not to make too much noise I can crash here.'
Jack looked at Ianto, he could see the younger man was practically dead on his feet. 'I don't think there's much risk of that right now.'
Owen rolled onto his side and looked back over his shoulder. 'Well you keep that in mind then.'
'Jack.'
'Come on Ianto, bed.'
'What about the shooting range.'
'I don't think any one wants to sleep there.'
Ianto shook his head. 'No, the cushions.'
'We can sort them out latter, right now I need you in my bed.' He directed Ianto towards the bunker entrance before he looked back at Owen who was trying to use his jacket as a pillow. He realised what Ianto was trying to tell him. 'Owen, there is a blanket and a pile of cushions in the shooting range, if you want them, might make that sofa more comfortable.'
'Thanks Jack, I might do that.' He looked at his watch. 'I'll probably be about twenty minutes, I should check on Gwen anyway.'
Jack looked down into his bunker, Ianto was already asleep. 'I wouldn't worry about it Owen, he needs sleep, we all do. But my bed is not big enough for three.' Jack grinned as Owen blanched at the very idea before wondering off to find a blanket.
Owen wasn't quite sure why there would be a blanket and pillows in the shooting range, he was however quite sure he didn't want to know.
Jack climbed down into the bunker and pulled the hatch shut behind him. He hadn't tested the soundproof nature of the bunker before, he'd never needed to. He kicked his shoes off as he eased himself down next to Ianto, he didn't want to wake the sleeping man as he started to undress him. It was a measure of how tired he had been to fall asleep on the bed fully dressed. Satisfied they were both undressed enough he pulled a blanket over them. Wrapping his arm around Ianto he finally felt home as he fell asleep.
Ianto woke from a dream filled with Jack, opening his eyes he wondered if he was still dreaming as Jack looked back at him. He brushed fingertips over Jack's face. 'I'm not dreaming this time am I.'
Jack shook his head before kissing Ianto good morning.
Ianto smiled. 'So which was the dream? You being gone or the gnome.'
Jack sighed. 'Neither. Come on, before Owen tries to make coffee.'
'Not unless he wants me to shoot him in the other shoulder.'
'I thought that might work, and much as I would prefer us to both stay here, we have to get up. I think I saw one of your shirts in the wardrobe.'
Ianto looked at the alarm and groaned. 'It's too early Jack.'
'I know.'
Ianto started getting dressed. 'And Gwen?'
Jack helped Ianto find his tie. 'She's sleeping, Owen's with her now.' He leaned against the wall of his bunker as he watched Ianto fix his tie. He liked seeing him a little rumpled like this.
'I'll make the coffee then.'
Jack followed Ianto out of the bunker and wondered if dinner tonight would have less interruptions. 'I'll check on the gnome while you sort out the coffee.' He hesitated, he wanted to pull Ianto into his arms and kiss him again but he still felt a wall between them. It wasn't as high as before but it was still there. 'Ianto.'
Ianto turned to look back. 'Yes?'
'Dinner tonight? Can we try again?'
Ianto smiled. 'Hopefully we won't be interrupted this time.'
Jack grinned as he headed to the cells, wondering if he should have grabbed the tongs.
Ianto handed Owen coffee, the man looked exhausted. 'It's the industrial strength stuff, you look like you need it. How is she?'
'I'm not too proud to say your mother's recipe worked, or it helped. She's asleep, the fever broke not long after you went to bed and there has been no orange goo since then.'
'Delightful, did you get any sleep?'
Owen shrugged. 'Not really, even with a pile of cushions and a blanket, turns out the sofa, not that comfortable.'
Ianto grinned, he could have told Owen that, but he hadn't asked.
Owen hesitated. 'You and Jack? Are you guys going to be okay? I wouldn't normally care mind, but you.' Owen sighed. 'Tosh should be having this conversation with you, not me.'
'Drink your coffee Owen, I'll call Tosh and ask her to bring in some pastries or something.'
They both looked up as Jack walked in with the cat cage.
He set it on the table. 'I think it's dead. It smells dead.' He looked at Ianto. 'Now you can put it in the freezer.'
Owen sipped his coffee. 'I'll autopsy it latter, I'm too shagged right now.' He rolled his shoulders to try and loosen them up.
'Now, I know I smell coffee, but did I hear something about pastries?'
Ianto handed Jack a coffee and pulled his cellphone out to call Tosh as he moved away to one side.
Jack looked over in Gwen's direction. 'What did she tell Rhys?'
Owen shook his head. 'Not a clue, and that sofa, not so comfortable.'
'I know. Try sharing it with him.' Jack grinned.
'I'd rather not.'
'Probably just as well. Look, once she's out of the woods and that gnome has been sliced and diced you should head home and get some sleep yourself.'
'Thanks Jack, and next time we see a gnome, can we just shoot it and be done with it.'
Jack nodded. 'Just make sure you identify your target.'
'I'm going to have nightmares about this for weeks, I can just tell.'
'With all the things we deal with every day, this is what will keep you awake at night?'
'That and this coffee, yes.' Owen looked over at Jack. 'Oi, Jack.'
'Owen?'
'You ever do that again, if you leave him like that, I will shoot you.'
'Haven't we already done that?'
'Yeah, but when you were gone, well, don't let those big blue Welsh eyes fool you Jack. He's got a mean streak in him that tea boy of yours.'
'Why do you think I tell you not to call him that.'
'No, it was more than that.' Owen shook his head as he muttered into his coffee. 'Much more than that.'
Jack moved like a man deep in thought, which he was. They had all said something to him now about how it had been for Ianto, while he'd been gone. Well, Gwen had mainly winged about how it had been for her with Ianto giving her decaf all the time. But even Owen was being extremely sensitive to Ianto, which he hadn't expected. He wondered what else he had missed and if that meant he and Ianto still had a few more things to work out between them. It occurred to him that if Ianto hadn't at least been willing to meet him somewhere in the middle then this angst would have started getting old. As it stood, he had a relationship to save.
Tosh walked into a very subdued Hub. She had gathered from her conversation with Ianto that the previous evenings events had not quite gone according to Jack's plan. She had thought it was an excellent plan and was disappointed on his behalf. She handed him brown paper bags from the bakery down the road from her flat. 'Where are the others?'
Ianto handed her a coffee. 'Probably in autopsy.'
'She didn't?'
'No, but the gnome did.' Ianto walked through the Hub with Tosh, finding Jack watching while Owen was indeed working on the gnome.
Owen looked up at Ianto. 'Go on then, say it.'
Ianto gave Owen the ghost of a smile. 'How's the gnortopsy going then?'
Owen rolled his eyes as Tosh giggled.
'I shouldn't have encouraged him, he was singing last night, it was awful.'
'I think Ianto has a lovely singing voice Owen.'
'You would Tosh, but you didn't hear what he was singing.'
'I think my favourite was.' Jack took a danish from Ianto as he waded into the conversation, singing softly. 'If you don't gnome me by now, you will never never never gnome me...'
Owen shook his head. 'Not, gnoming me, gnoming you then.'
'He's not an Abba fan.'
'Maybe another time. Are you finding anything Owen?'
'Waiting on some tests but I think where ever our vicious little friend was from they have slightly different air composition. It looks like he suffocated over night. I'll know more when the tests come back.'
'Right, after that, check on Gwen and go home. Unless anything else goes wrong your paperwork can wait until Monday.' Jack looked at Ianto who shrugged before he moved over to Gwen who was starting to wake up. Her voice groggy, disorientated.
'Is that coffee and what are you all doing in my flat.' She rubbed her eyes and looked around. 'I'm not in my flat.'
'How are you feeling Gwen?'
She winced as she straightened up. 'God, like someone took a blow torch to me.' She looked from Jack to Ianto as a coffee was put in her hands. 'Thanks, but why does the coffee smell like garlic?'
Owen pulled fresh gloves on as he walked over to Gwen. 'That's because Jamie Oliver here made a poultice to help draw out the gnome goo.' He checked her arm. 'It was surprisingly effective.'
'Maybe surprising to you.' Ianto muttered softly.
Gwen smiled. 'Well thank you, all of you.'
'I could have been helpful.'
Jack smiled at Tosh. 'No point all of us loosing sleep last night. In fact, we should all probably go back to bed and leave you in charge.'
Owen snapped the gloves off and yawned. 'I think that's a fantastic idea, although I'm going to find my own bed. I can drop you home if you like Gwen.'
She shook her head. 'I'd rather stay here.' She looked at four pairs of eyes staring at her in disbelief. 'It's my mother, she has this sixth sense for knowing then I'm home. She'll just call me about the wedding.'
Owen shrugged. 'Fine by me, if no one needs me?' He grinned as everyone shook their heads. 'See you all Monday then.'
Jack looked at Ianto. 'Come on, I'll buy you breakfast to go with the danish. I feel like bacon and eggs.'
Ianto looked at Tosh and shrugged. 'I've got my cellphone if you need us.'
She patted his arm and smiled at him. 'Go.'
