The boys have come to the end of their holiday, time to pack the car ...

A Bump in the Night

Chapter Seven

Weak, watery sunshine was breaking through the clouds as Jack carried the packing case out of the hotel to the car. Ianto was already there with the suitcases and rucksacks and other paraphernalia the pair had brought with them.

"It won't fit."

"Sure it will," said Jack breezily, putting down the packing case gratefully.

"Go on then, prove it."

Ianto stepped back and stood, arms folded, looking on as Jack first placed the packing case in the boot. It just fitted when stood upright. Next he wedged one suitcase in beside it but after repeated attempts he could not get the other one in let alone the rucksacks and boot bag. He could feel Ianto's 'I told you so' gaze on him, so tried a different arrangement of bags; it was no better.

"Well … something will have to go on the back seat," he said finally, straightening up.

"Where it will be on view to every car thief who passes by. No thanks!"

"We can disguise it with coats and … and that blanket thing."

"Car rug," Ianto corrected. "And piling stuff on top will merely make it more obvious. There's only one solution, we won't be able to stop on the way back."

"But we agreed …" wailed Jack.

Over a hearty breakfast he had finally persuaded Ianto to stop at Portmeirion on their drive back to Cardiff, inadvertently aided by Gwen. She was in the process of a detailed investigation into unexplained appearances at the Holy Ghost church in Grangetown going back decades and wanted Ianto to pull out all the old Torchwood files. The last thing Ianto wanted to do after his holiday was wade through dusty files so the longer it took to get back to Cardiff was fine with him.

"Too bad. I'm going back up to check we haven't forgotten anything." The Welshman strode off, more disappointed than he wanted to admit.

It had been a lovely couple of days. A strenuous walk up Snowdon with lots of fresh air and exercise, a ride on a vintage train and a visit to a slate cavern. He had enjoyed it all, especially as he and Jack had got on so well. Their camaraderie had banished all doubts about Jack's feelings for Gwen. Only one more thing would make the break perfect, the visit to Portmeirion, somewhere Ianto had wanted to visit ever since watching repeats of The Prisoner as a kid. His six-year old self had been amazed to discover that this other-worldly location with its pink, white and yellow houses in various styles was an actual place, and in Wales too. He'd always vowed that he would visit and see it for himself but had never got round to it. And now, even though he was only a couple of dozen miles away, he was going to miss out again.

In the bedroom, Ianto checked the bathroom, wardrobe and chest of drawers one last time. His methodical process of packing usually meant he took back with him everything he brought but it never hurt to double check. He was about to leave the room when he spotted Jack's mobile on the side table, hiding among the dirty coffee mugs, and picked it up. The small black oblong had only shown up because the sun came out to shine on it. His decision to come back to the room had been justified which pleased Ianto and put him in a better mood to face Jack, the problem of loading the car and his disappointment. He went back downstairs and out into the sunshine where Caradoc came up to join him, wagging his tail delightedly.

"Hello, boy." With the dog trotting along beside him, Ianto walked up to the car. Jack was leaning on the closed boot, arms and ankles crossed and a big grin on his face. The space around the car was clear of bags and cases. "What have you done?" he asked suspiciously.

"Got it all in the boot." Jack's grin became very smug indeed.

"If you've tossed my suitcase out, I shall be very cross." Ianto was beside the car peering through the windows. The back seat contained only Jack's greatcoat – too bulky to ever be packed away – and his jacket. "Let's see." He indicated the boot on which Jack continued to lean. "Oh, and you forgot this." He handed over the mobile.

"Where was that?"

"On the side. Come on, shift." He waved his hand to encourage Jack to move which he did whilst checking the mobile for missed calls.

The open boot revealed both suitcases, the rucksacks, the boot bag and the double sealed containment box. The three emitters and their accompanying cables were wedged into corners. Jack had taken everything out of the packing case. Ianto mentally kicked himself for not thinking of this himself; it was such an obvious and simple solution.

"Believe me now?" asked Jack cockily, hands in his pockets standing beside Ianto.

"What have you done with the packing case?"

"Geraint took it. Said it would be useful for some stuff they want to store."

"I hope you didn't unpack it in front of him." He closed the boot. "Be a bit difficult to explain it all."

"'Cos I didn't. Hey, boy, come here."

For a moment, Ianto thought Jack was talking to him and even took a half step in his direction before realising he was addressing Caradoc. "I'll return the keys. Let's have yours."

Jack tossed them over then went back to playing with the dog; in his jeans and shirt, he looked much more in keeping with his surroundings than when he had arrived. Caradoc found an old and much-chewed tennis ball which he deposited at Jack's feet. The wagging tail and seeming grin informed Jack what to do with it. He obliged. They were still playing fetch on the lawn when Ianto came out of the hotel ten minutes later after paying the bill and chatting with Geraint. He stopped to watch Jack for a minute or two, smiling at the obvious fun he was having; the break had done him good too. But time was getting on and they couldn't hang around much longer.

"Jack, time to go!" he called.

Panting, Jack ran up to him and in an excess of high sprits swung Ianto off his feet and gave him a kiss on the lips. Caradoc jumped around them both, barking in excitement. It took another ten minutes to calm down both Jack and the dog which meant it was 9.48 when they finally drove out of the hotel grounds.

-ooOoo-

The car park at Portmeirion was large and well shaded by trees. There were quite a few cars and two coaches even at 10.20 on a Friday morning. Jack decided against taking his greatcoat but Ianto was wearing his jacket as the two men sauntered across to the Tollgate - twin squat towers painted light pink - following an elderly couple who seemed to know the way. Jack went forward to get the tickets and didn't grumble at the price; this was a special visit for Ianto and he didn't want to spoil it in any way. They walked on, along the tree-lined pathway, and stopped to peer through the window of a large shop on the right, full of the famous Portmeirion pottery.

"We'll stop and have a look round here on the way back," said Ianto, already considering what was needed back in the Hub. The team managed to break crockery on a regular basis, though slightly less since Owen no longer ate or drank, and Ianto liked to have replacements waiting. He also thought he might get one or two pieces for his flat.

"You like that stuff?" asked Jack as they strolled on. "You usually go for plain and simple." The pottery in the shop was decorated with fruit and vegetables, in greens mostly.

"Only because it's cheap. Asda's finest is good enough normally but it would be nice to have some decent stuff too. For when we have visitors."

"We never have visitors," retorted Jack.

"What about Martha?"

"Oh. Yeah, all right, we occasionally have visitors."

They headed down and admired the Gate House - a square building with a deep arch under which ran the path - which was painted a light lilac and reminded Ianto of similar buildings he had seen while on holiday with Lisa in France. Beyond here, the two men got their first glimpse of the whole village and stopped to admire the panorama spread out above, below and around them. Everywhere was very green. Lawns and trees and flowering shrubs were everywhere, growing in profusion on the hillside. Buildings in various pastel shades and a brilliant white were dotted about, reached by small pathways and steps. There was a sweeping sandy beach below. The sea in the natural cove was calm and very blue in the sunshine and everywhere looked fresh and clean after the overnight rain.

"What a super place," said Ianto, turning this way and that to take it all in. As well as the buildings there were classical statues and odd pieces of masonry, all coming together to make a unique whole.

"Hard to believe we're still in Wales."

"Let's go this way."

Ianto walked on to the left, head swivelling every which way to take in the various vistas. Everywhere he looked he saw something else different, odd or just plain quirky that he wanted to explore. It would take days to see it all properly and they had only a couple of hours at best. He increased his pace, striding towards the Bridge House which had a similar arch and was situated very near the sea. Left behind, Jack strolled along with a smile on his face. Ianto was clearly on a mission to see as much as he could and was not about to be sidetracked by anything or anyone. It made such a change for him to put his own desires and needs before those of others that Jack was more than happy to give him his head. He hastened his pace when he saw Ianto waiting impatiently for him.

"Look at that." Ianto gestured to the right where, part way up the hill, stood a tall white building surmounted by a dome. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"We could be in Italy," agreed Jack, leaning on the railing. "Why don't you go over there and I'll take a picture of you with it in the background." He dug in Ianto's jacket pocket for the camera.

"All right."

To see Ianto willingly standing still for a photograph was rare enough but when he smiled broadly Jack knew the man was happy, probably happier than Jack had ever seen him. He took the snap through slightly teary eyes. He took a few more as they walked on including one outside the small Tollhouse the ground floor of which was a coffee shop with a big bow window, the walls painted a deep turquoise. This house was one of twenty or so which stood around a green and the two men walked from one to the other, admiring some and not others. Outside the Prior's Lodging – which was a yellow and white cottage and nothing to do with religion – they got a fellow visitor to take a photograph of the two of them together with the sea and building behind them.

The walk continued, turning this way and that on small pathways and slightly broader tarmac access roads. There were plenty of other visitors but not enough to hinder them and they stopped where and when they pleased. After an hour they climbed up the hill to the Central Piazza, a glorious concoction of Gothic tower, a pool and flower beds.

"I remember this," enthused Ianto, stopping suddenly.

"Thought you hadn't been here before."

"From The Prisoner. There were loads of scenes shot round here." He was off again, striding around the pool to look up at the tower. "Yes, it was definitely here. Oh and that's where they played chess!" He hared off, jumping down steps and across flower beds towards a purple edifice with columns in front of it.

With a sigh, Jack trudged after him. It was like keeping up with a mountain goat, or an excitable child. But Ianto was enjoying himself and that was all that mattered. He readily agreed to take more pictures of Ianto leaning on one of the columns. Doubling back on themselves, they climbed a bit further, beyond the Piazza and came across the Caffi Glas where they stopped for coffee and a panini each, sitting outside in the continuing sunshine. Nearby was the Ship Shop which sold all manner of goods but, knowing time was passing quickly, Ianto did not allow Jack to linger and pressed him to continue as soon as possible. They continued exploring but were inexorably edging their way back to the car park. It was past midday and they still had a long drive ahead of them; they couldn't stay much longer.

"Thanks for making the time to come here," said Ianto as the pair of them stood looking down across the village to the sea beyond. He surreptitiously took Jack's hand and squeezed it. "I've really enjoyed it."

"I can see that. Anything else you want to look at before we wander back?"

"Let's go down there," he pointed, "and then back the way we came in. And I'd like to stop at the shop. Have we got time?"

"We'll make time. Come on."

They walked off, down the narrow path and joined the main 'street'. On the way Ianto found another building he remembered from the television and posed for yet another photograph before taking a couple of Jack. At the shop, Ianto happily routed around for bargains deciding a set of coffee mugs would go well with the slate coasters he had already bought. He also bought a small vase as a present for Toshiko's forthcoming birthday and a larger one for Rhiannon, it would do for Christmas. A set of six pizza bowls completed his shopping.

He wondered about buying a wedding present for Gwen but decided against it. When the subject of attending the wedding had come up Jack had volunteered to man the Hub and Ianto had immediately agreed to stay with him. Toshiko had accepted an invitation to attend believing Owen would go with her but now he was a walking dead man she would probably be going alone, IF they had a quiet day and she wasn't needed to work. It still left the question of a present unaddressed and Ianto made a mental note to talk to Toshiko about it when he got back; perhaps they should all club together for something.

Queuing to pay for his purchases, Ianto looked round for Jack and saw him standing outside the shop talking into his mobile. Checking in with the Hub, Ianto decided. So far they seemed to be having a quiet day. He hoped it wouldn't be a mad weekend and that they would have a chance to catch up on the paperwork. Unfortunately this reminded him of the files Gwen wanted and his spirits dipped; he was going to be in the archives for the rest of the day. After paying for everything, Ianto left the shop with four heavy carrier bags and joined Jack who was now off the phone.

"Everything all right?"

"Yeah, just a Weevil which Gwen and Owen saw off. Want me to take some of those?" He gestured to the bags.

"Thanks." Ianto handed over the two containing the mugs then they started walking back to the car park, passing a large group of older people walking the other way; another coach party had arrived.

"Gwen says it's been raining all morning in Cardiff."

"We have been so lucky. Just look at those dark clouds coming in off the sea."

"Wonder if we'll make it back before it starts?"

As they put the bags on the back seat of the car, the sun went in and the first raindrops began to fall.

-ooOoo-

Cardiff was dull, grey and depressing in the late afternoon. The rain was persistent, forcing people to scurry along pavements and get under cover as fast as they could. Tourists wandered the streets, under colourful umbrellas and wearing raincoats, but locals stayed inside as much as possible. The St David's Centre was doing great business as people headed into the covered shops. Ianto drove into the Hub's underground car park at 16.25 after an increasingly miserable journey which had required constant use of the windscreen wipers and demister. He was relieved to pull into a space and turn off the engine.

"We're back then," he said, staring at the familiar off-white concrete wall that was dripping with moisture.

"Yep." Jack tried to be upbeat. He glanced across at Ianto and saw the familiar features had lost the happy smile of the morning and resumed their slightly worried look. It was a pity but most people felt like that when they returned home after a holiday. "Best get in and see what the troops have been up to."

They took only the essentials out of the car but these amounted to quite a lot. Two bulging rucksacks full of heavy mementoes and gifts; three carrier bags of pottery (the one containing the vases was going home with Ianto); the emitters and cables; and, most importantly, the containment box. Loaded up and wearing their coats, they pushed through the red double doors and into the Hub.

"Hello," called Toshiko when they appeared by the steps beside her desk. "Welcome back."

"Thanks, Tosh. How are things?" Jack gratefully placed the containment box on the coffee table, took the two emitters from his coat pockets and dropped them on the couch before removing the heavy rucksack.

"Fine. You're loaded up," she commented as Ianto passed her and deposited the third emitter and cables on the couch with the three carrier bags. His rucksack followed. "Have a good time?"

"Super," replied Ianto with a genuine smile. He may be back to the old routine in the drab underground base but he had just spent three wonderful days alone with Jack and he was determined not to forget them quickly.

"Hey, guys!" Gwen appeared from the medical bay followed by Owen. "Have a good time?"

"Uh-huh," said Jack, shrugging off his greatcoat which Ianto caught and draped over his arm. "Even though I was forced to climb Snowdon! Did you know there's a train up to the top?"

"Of course there is." Gwen was baffled. How was it that Jack, who had been everywhere, everywhen and knew so much was so ignorant about Wales?

"Stop complaining, Jack, you know you enjoyed it." Ianto went off to the office and hung up the greatcoat. Walking back, he saw Jack standing with the others and realised that once again the man looked out of place. Jeans on him looked very wrong in the Hub. Ianto didn't realise that Gwen and Toshiko were thinking the same about him; he should be wearing a suit.

"Didn't get a lot of shagging though, did you?" commented Owen with a snigger. "Trust you two to find the only hotel in Wales with a resident alien. A sex-preventing alien at that!" The girls joined in the laughter while Ianto turned a little pink.

"It was a tad inconvenient but we got round the problem," said Jack with a self-satisfied smirk that had Ianto blushing even more. "There's a lot to be said for sex in the open air."

"Isn't it time you secured the ghost?" Ianto looked pointedly at Jack then at the containment box. "Wouldn't want it getting loose again."

"God no! Gotta have my regular dose of Ianto."

The next hour sped by. Toshiko and Owen took charge of the 'ghost' and placed it behind three layers of containment in a suitable cell, marvelling at the revealed alien. Monitoring equipment would tell them more about it before they decided on its fate. Gwen brought Jack up to date with the team's activities, going through the reports and other papers that had been dumped on his desk. It had been a busy few days but the three of them had coped admirably. Her private report on Owen was positive; he was beginning to settle into his new existence. Ianto put away the emitters and removed the worst of the rubbish around the work area. Pizza and Chinese seemed to have been the girls' main food choices, washed down by fizzy drinks and beer. The emails waiting for him were routine and he noted gratefully that Toshiko had removed the all too accurate posts about Torchwood on various websites. Only then did he make coffee, depositing the tray on the table and handing it round when the aroma drew Jack and Gwen out of the office. Owen sat at his desk, ignoring the drink as much as he could. It was at times like this that he felt his undead state the most.

Gwen sat on the couch and poked one of the rucksacks. "What's in here then?"

"Goodies!" exclaimed Jack, coming up alongside her. He swung one of the rucksacks round and undid the toggled top. "Look at this, a special present." He handed her a bottle of the Purple Moose beer.

"What's it like?" she asked suspiciously, reading the label.

"Excellent." Jack was handing bottles to Toshiko and Ianto. Only when he had the last two in his hand did he realise he had forgotten and bought one for Owen as well. Before he could put it back in the rucksack, the spare bottle was noticed by the one person he hoped had not seen it.

"Got one for me as well, did you?" drawled Owen. It bothered him he couldn't join them in a drink, of course it did, but being remembered at all, even with something he couldn't use, also pleased him though he would never say so.

"No, it's for Rhys." Jack could recover fast when he had to and he ceremoniously handed the bottle to Gwen who took it with mingled distrust, surprise and pleasure. "Not much we could get for you, you zombie," Jack continued with a smile.

Owen grinned ready to trade insults, it was the sole pleasure left to him. "Yeah, your gifts backfire. Don't need another one like that Glove you found."

"I bought us these," said Ianto having opened his own rucksack. "Coasters. I want you all to use them then I won't have to keep cleaning your desks." He held up the pack of six, red Welsh dragon uppermost.

"Something else I don't need."

"Oh yes, you do."

"Uh, no drinks, Teaboy, so no mugs to put on coasters." Owen pulled a face as if to say 'imbecile'.

"But lots of beakers full of disgusting liquids that make even worse marks," retorted Ianto in the same sarky tone. "Still takes me twice as long to clean up your mess than everyone else's."

Owen grinned again. He did have rather a lot of unspeakable substances on his desk most days, samples from his autopsies. He was delighted that he could continue to cause more mess than the others and thereby make Ianto's job harder. He would NOT be using the coaster.

"Are those sweets?" asked Gwen, peering at the many small paper bags Jack was removing from the rucksack. She grabbed at the nearest. "Aniseed balls, yummy." Before he could stop her, she had taken one and put it in her mouth.

"Oy!"

"What else have you got?" said Toshiko, coming over to look. "Oh, liquorice! May I?"

"Go on then," said Jack in a very resigned tone as she took a Pontefract cake. "These are for me, not you lot," he muttered, gathering the rest together possessively and taking them into his office to the sound of their laughter.

When they had finished their coffee, Jack sent the team home declaring he and Ianto would keep an eye on the Hub for the evening. Alone once again, the two men settled on the couch surrounded by carrier bags and half-empty rucksacks and looked round them.

"Bit different to that valley, the one we were in yesterday," remarked Ianto.

"Sure is. Why don't you get off home too? You can unpack while I hold the fort here."

Ianto turned his head to look at Jack. "I could pick up some supper and bring it back if you like."

"Good plan. A curry washed down with our Purple Moose."

"Just a typical Friday night then." With a quick kiss, Ianto rose to his feet. "I'll be a couple of hours. Call me if you need me."

"I will. And I always need you, Ianto."

Jack watched as Ianto took his jacket and left the Hub with a smile and a wave. The silence was punctuated only by the hum of machinery and Myfanwy's call as she circled overhead. He was home and much as he liked holidays, especially holidays with Ianto, there was no place like home. He was smiling as went into the office to change his clothes after which he was going to open that interesting parcel from Martha that he knew must contain the requested UNIT cap. It was going to be an interesting evening.

And that's the end of their holiday. Any suggestions about where they should go next? Many thanks to you all for reading and reviewing, I appreciate it - Jay.