The attempts to reattach the knob were not going well, and Ianto was beginning to feel frustrated. Jack had tried talking him through reattaching it by imagining the two pieces melding together again, but that had just resulted in headaches all around. Ianto was just glad that Jack hadn't been elected guide in this partnership. his "guide voice" inevitably became his "seduction voice" and made it impossible to concentrate.

Owen had started in on more literal solutions. The duct tape wouldn't stick to the bark, the nails and hammer wouldn't go though the hard plastic, and the super glue bottle was glued shut.

Ianto pulled a bar of soap from thin air and tried using that to reattach the knob as a latch ditch effort. All he got was strange looks from Jack and Owen. "It didn't work for Mary Martin either." Ianto mumbled

"You watch too many musicals mate."

Ianto opened his mouth to respond to Owen, when a feeling of dread washed over him. He turned his head sharply, away from the clearing, towards the woods. "Did you hear that?!"

Jack blinked and looked where Ianto was looking, tilting his head and focusing in on his senses. "I don't hear-" Jack was cut off when a twig snapped audibly, followed by the crunching of fallen leaves. "Okay yeah, I hear something."

Ianto shrank back. A loud crack of thunder boomed though the woods and a torrential downpour started, like someone had upended a huge bucket of cold water over their heads.

Owen cursed loudly, uselessly throwing his hands over his head. "What the fuck?! Where the fucking hell did this rain come from?!"

Ianto stood frozen, staring in horror at the now suddenly dark woods. "....it's here...." he turned. "Jack, it's here."

Jack's hands wrapped around both his lovers arms and pulled them into the safety of the mausoleum. "Well that was unexpected. Ianto, you alright?"

Ianto shivered, staring out the door, then suddenly looked around sharply, counting heads. Wolverine was at the entrance, snarling at the edge of the woods. Darting forward, Ianto snatched the small animal up by its back legs, clutching it tightly, and mostly upside down, against his chest.

With one hand he slammed the gate closed, locking it with the large bolts that suddenly appeared. Ianto's breath started to hitch, his breaths coming in smaller and smaller gasps as he fought not to panic.

Jack carefully righted the wolverine then wrapped his arms around Ianto and hugged him, whispering soothingly. "It's okay, it's okay, it's just a storm. Nothing to worry about."

Owen pushed his hair back, scowling. "Great. Now we're soaking wet, cold and in a big, freezing, dark, stone tomb!"

Ianto's mood suddenly changed again and he moved over to Owen's side to fret over him, casting glances back towards the gate "Owen you should get out of those wet clothes before you get sick!" As he spoke several lit sconces appeared along the walls, brightening the crypt.

"I'm fine. Just...wet. And cold."

Ianto was already pulling Owen clothes off and handing them to the lion to hang up over a radiator that appeared under the memorial plaque. "Come on, sit down while your things dry." Ianto ordered pushing Owen towards the pile of straw, and wrapping him in a blanket that had materialized in his hand.

Owen dug his heels in. "I have hay fever!"

Ianto frowned and looked from the straw to Owen and back. "Not even with sheets?"

Owen shook his head.

"...oh. That won't work then."

"Why straw anyway?" Jack nudged the bedding with his foot.

"It was for Dog, but then he started making me sleep too." Ianto shrugged.

Owen snorted and then scowled as he looked around the mausoleum again.

"You're too fucking morbid, Yan. A crypt? Seriously? I feel like I'm living in Buffy The bloody Vampire Slayer!"

"No Spike here though...that would perk this place up." Jack said in amusement while he pulled his own sodden clothes off and hung them up.

Ianto swatted Jack on the arm and looked around. It had been fine when it was just him. He thought briefly of replacing the stone boxes with a bed, bout couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead he walked over between the coffins, pushing the pile of straw aside, to reveal a trap door.

He pulled the door open. "Come on, come downstairs."

Owen and Jack exchanged looks, then followed Ianto down the stairs, the spirit guides at their heels.

---

They found them selves in a large gothic bedroom, to match the crypt. Candles flickered around the edges of the room and the stone floor was warm under their feet. A fire crackled in a deep set fireplace alongside one wall.

In the center of the room sat a richly carved, enormous, bed covered in white silk sheets.

....complete with rose petals.

"...has Ianto been reading romance novels or something?" Owen whispered to Jack.

Ianto snorted and nudged Dog. "The flowers weren't my idea." Dog looked up at Ianto innocently.

Jack shrugged and moved forward, wrapping his arms around Ianto from behind, resting his chin on his shoulder. "Much, much, much better. But I feel a urge to pout that I had to sleep on straw last night."

"That was days ago."

"Days?" Jack felt his stomach sink.

"Mmm." Ianto hummed, before changing the subject. "And you don't have allergies."

Jack gave Owen a look over Ianto's shoulder, and Owen looked back at him angelically.

"So you like it?" Ianto seemed a bit anxious, looking at Owen and Jack.

Owen joined Jack, sandwiching Ianto between them. "It's great, Luv." Owen gave him a playful grin. "You know...I'm noticing all of a sudden, we're all lacking in the clothes department."

Owen shifted, "What-" he pulled as Jack pushed and Ianto landed sprawled on the bed. "do you think we should do about it?"

Ianto grinned.

Jack gave Owen a slight push, and then followed him down on to the soft mattress.

Next chapter is PWP and found on my Live Journal. http : // dru-evilista dot livejournal dot com / 94706 dot html # cutid1