Chapter 2

Waking up in one of the Torchwood storage rooms was never pleasant, even if it was one with a bed. Ianto let out a groan as he took in the bright lights of the room that they had converted into a treatment room. Almost immediately he heard the buzzing of one of Owen's scanners doing a full body check of him. Looking up into Owen's eyes Ianto awaited his prognosis, knowing that if there was anything wrong with him that the man would tell him in a straightforward and most likely abrupt way.

"You'll live" Owen spoke, "at least until Jack kills you. What were you thinking Feathers?"

Ianto sighed, he knew that Jack wouldn't really kill him, but he would definitely be dragging him over some hot coals soon. He thought over Owen's question and realised that he hadn't been thinking; he couldn't have been. Unlike the others Ianto had learned Torchwood Protocal at Torchwood London were things were much more rigid and rule abiding than Jack's Torchwood. Ianto could follow Torchwiood protocol in his sleep, for him to disregard it was unthinkable, but he had. Instead of telling Owen this he just shrugged and shook his head, knowing that the other man would know what he meant.

Shaking his head was a bad idea, one that he realised immediately as he felt the pain in his head explode. Owen must have noticed his wince as he was being handed painkillers at almost the same time he noticed the pain. Noting that they were the really good pills he swallowed them, washing them down with water Owen gave him. He could feel the pain dimming to something more manageable and was immensely greatful for Owen's penchant for playing about with alien narcotics.

"Where is everyone?" Ianto asked, wondering why Jack wasn't there ready to yell at him for his stupidity.

Owen smirked and Ianto knew that the other man could tell what he was thinking. "Conference room. I've to bring you up once I'd made sure you were okay."

Ianto nodded, having expected it to be honest, and stood carefully. He refused Owen's help, and made his way to the conference room where everyone else was waiting. Sitting in his seat he looked around the table, both Toshiko and Gwen's worry could be read plainly on their faces, whilst Jack kept his hidden under his anger.

"Owen report." Jack barked at him, not even looking at Ianto, focussing solely on the doctor.

Checking his notes Owen spoke to the group as a whole, "Physically Ianto is fine there is nothing wrong with him. Mentally on the other hand, his shields collapsed Jack, how do you think he is. For now all I can say is he has a killer headache and he won't be able to repair his shields until he has done healing from them collapsing."

When Owen finished Jack looked straight at Toshiko who took over, explaining what she had worked out so far. "I think I know what it is, but until I can run some tests I don't really know anything. The box is like an envelope and the red box inside is the letter, it's a way of communicating through psychic thoughts, or that is what I presume it to be."

She looked around the room at the others taking in their reactions to what she was saying before speaking again. "What we do know though is that it sort of homed in on Ianto. None of us felt anything from the box at all with the exception of him. I can't explain that though, at least without knowing what Ianto felt at the time. There was also an image on the inner box on one side that I want Gwen to look into; it might help us figure out its origin."

Gwen nodded her head in acceptance of the task before they all turned to Jack to see what he wanted them to do next. They all watched in morbid fascination as he turned to Ianto for the first time since he had entered the room. "What the hell were you thinking?" Jack rounded on Ianto, fire in his eyes betraying the calm voice in which he spoke. He stared at Ianto wondering what he could possibly offer as an excuse for his actions.

"I don't know what I was thinking; I don't even think I was thinking." Ianto spoke up, looking straight at Jack. "I know that I was trying to reinforce my mental shields to keep the voice out, I remember the voice in my head that was coming from the box, it was talking about staying away from somewhere, not looking for them, and about a war. The next thing I really remember is waking up with Owen over me downstairs."

Ianto looked at the others, gauging their reactions to what he had told them, Owen he knew believed him already, and Toshiko had also known the trouble that he had been having with his shields when they had encountered the box. Gwen looked rather sceptical, probably about the idea of the box speaking in his head; he knew she hadn't had much exposure to any real telepaths or other species that had great control over the mind and its behaviours. Jack's reaction was the one that he was most anxious about however; he didn't want Jack to be angry with him, especially when he wasn't really aware of his actions. If he had done it deliberately then he would know that the other mans anger and actions were justified, but he couldn't even really remember touching the box that well, he just knew that he had.

Jack didn't say anything, but he did nod towards Toshiko who pulled on a pair of gloves before opening the containment box. Using a pair of tongs she removed the box, placing in it on a mat on the table. Ianto had expected to hear the voice again as soon as the box was removed from containment, but he heard no such thing. He looked at each of the others to see if they had heard the voice, but just like in the quarry it was obvious that Jack, Owen and Toshiko's shields had all held. Gwen on the other hand was definitely hearing something, the look on her face one of shock as the voice filled her mind.

The rest of the team watched in shock as a single tear made its way down Gwen's cheek. While she hadn't reached for the box like Ianto had it had certainly affected her in some way. "So beautiful, so sad." Gwen spoke quietly, but in the silence they all heard her. "Hills of diamonds destroyed, Arcadia fell."

Shock graced Jack's features as he repeated the word Acardia quietly to himself. "Hills of diamonds" he breathed out, "Gwen are you sure?" Jack asked as Gwen came out of the glazed state she had been in for the last few minutes.

"Yes, I'm sure. They were beautiful Jack, with the moons shining on them, even during their destruction." Gwen replied, her tone telling that there was no room for debate and that she was right.

"Arcadian Diamonds" Jack spoke, "the second most expensive in the universe."

"Wasn't that what Hart was after from that bird?" Owen questioned.

Jack nodded, "He's been looking to get a hold of either an Arcadian diamond or a white point star as soon as we heard about them. Arcadia is in a Time Lock so an Arcadian diamond is rare and worth more than you could imagine."

"But they were destroyed, a Time Lock wouldn't matter, whatever that is." Gwen stated.

"A time lock is when something, either a planet or an event or such has been locked in time. It means that you cannot travel to any time during the event or to the planet at all." Jack explained before continuing, "I can tell you though that whatever this box is it came out of the Last Great Time War."