Author's Note: How on Earth is it Friday again already? I'm sure we've skipped a day. I meant to update yesterday as usual and well... I have very little concept of what day it is anymore. I did have a little diary but I've lost it. (ARGH!) So now I have no idea what I'm meant to be doing. Anyway, thank you all for your lovely lovely comments. I must apologise for the fact this is only a short chapter. This was the last one I wrote before I took a 4/5 month gap in writing the story. So rather than try and pick it up from the end, I just started a whole new chapter (which will be chapter six) and continued from there. Hope you still like though :) Kal x

A Chance in a Million

Chapter Five

Ianto scrambled around in the dirt and at the last second his fingers enclosed on the metal pole he had dropped earlier. He grabbed hold of it and swung it as hard as he could at the drooling alien about to rip his head off. It connected with a sickening thwack and the alien dropped to the floor, blue blood oozing from its smashing skull.

"Ianto!" Jamie ran over, followed by Andy, "are you okay?"

Ianto groaned and sat up with a cough, "I think so." He moved his arms and legs and twisted his neck, feeling a satisfying crack from his spine. Everything seemed to be working. Andy offered out a hand and Ianto took him, accepting the help to his feet. He looked at his clothes is disgust. Why must he always return home covered in grass stains and mud?

"We need to take it back," Andy said, eyeing the dead alien with distaste. "I'll bring the van up and we'll put it in the back."

Ianto had been amused that Torchwood now operated from a black transit van. Until he had been forced to take a ride in it. The ride over had been rough to say the least. Gwen had told him that when they'd found the stolen SUV, it had been smashed to bits and was in no condition to be used for a car boot sale let alone anything like what Torchwood needed it for. They'd removed anything salvageable from it and had the remains crushed. Since they had nowhere to keep a vehicle, they'd decided to tone it down and go for a non-committal van which could be parked on the streets overnight. Ianto had already decided to find a rentable garage or something for them. He had liked the SUV.

Jamie and Ianto didn't really say much whilst they waited for Andy to back the van onto the field, something which was no doubt illegal but none of them cared at that moment. They'd rather use their Torchwood credentials to get out of a fine than try and drag the smelly, bleeding, heavy alien through the night.

Ianto kicked the ground as they waited. He didn't know what to say. He wasn't entirely sure what he role was anymore. Previously he had found himself taking on Tosh's role after her death along with his usual duties but after everything was destroyed there were few things to achieve, little computer work to do and no one seemed to drink coffee anymore. How on Earth Gwen had found the only group of people who didn't like coffee was beyond him. Andy had some in the mornings and if they were working late but aside from that he didn't seem too bothered. Gwen had purchased a lovely coffee machine for him to use but to be truthful, he missed his old one. A bittersweet smile touched his lips. That was a lie. He missed the way Jack would hover around the old one waiting impatiently for his caffeine shot. And the look of ecstasy on his face as he tasted Ianto's masterful coffee. The smile faded as light pierced the darkness and the sounds of a vehicle approaching removed the memory.

The three of them worked together to load the heavy and sticky alien into the back of the van which already looked like it had seen a lot of varied creatures in its short life. It was a quiet ride back into Cardiff. They packed the van in a convenient alley way which ran along the side of Torchwood HQ (as it was being called) and unloaded its cargo into the building, down the steps and onto a trolley in the basement. Ianto panted as they deposited the heavy body, relief clear on his face when he could let go of the weight.

"You okay, Ianto?" Andy inquired, wiping his hands on a nearby towel and offering it to his fellow Welshman, "you look very pale."

"I'm fine," Ianto said, taking the towel.

"No, Andy's right," Jamie intervened, "you look really bad. You shouldn't have come out with us tonight after... y'know. You should go home."

Home was now a small flat not too far away. Gwen had used some contacts to get it rent free for him for a couple of months whilst he got himself back on his feet. It wasn't much but it had hot and cold running water, a fridge to keep his food and somewhere he could sleep. It was enough.

"Maybe I should," Ianto admitted, depositing the towel on a nearby table, "it's been a long day."

"We'll see you tomorrow, Ianto," Andy reached out a hand and Ianto shook it. Jamie gave him a nod as he left.

Ianto paused for a moment in the alley, letting the night air cool the sweat on his forehead. If he was honest, he felt quite shaky, but the thought of going home to an empty flat didn't appeal to him. He missed the warmth of a body lying next to him. He slipped past the dark van and began the walk home. On the way he passed a noisy bar and resisted the urge to step inside. He wasn't feeling too hot and as much as he wanted company right now, company accompanied by a large amount of alcohol to remove the lonely ache inside, he knew he wasn't up to it. So he kept walking.

* * * * *

Jack was sitting on his bunk again. The Fryre had gotten confused with the apparent vanishing of the ship and eventually had left them alone. Cheers had rung throughout the ship and, as word spread, Jack got many thanks and pats and hi-fis from all sorts of limbs as he made his way back to his cabin. He didn't want any of the praise. He had just been doing his job. What he wanted was to think.

He pushed his hands through his dark hair and closed his eyes. He had heard the voice of his dead partner. Surely that was a sign that he was losing his mind. He had left Earth to escape the miserable memories and dreams which had plagued his mind. He didn't expect it to get worse the further away from the planet he was.