S T O R M E Y E

Owen's Unlucky Love

Doctor Owen Harper entered through the cog door, the alarm sounded to warn everyone of a person entering the Hub, Owen always though it pointless.

"Good morning Owen." Said Tosh to his right as he sat down to his desk.

"Morning, Tosh." He said almost too quiet, but Tosh's elf like features picked up the sound.

"Ianto Cariad, can you confirm these readings? Im sending them now." Said Larka, Larka today seemed very tired, she had been calling Ianto Cariad all morning, and Ianto's eyes were slightly pink and puffy, probably from crying, also Ianto has been avoiding Jack, connection? I think so. Another late night antic with Jack lead to tears again, and Larka's involvement, ever since she moved in, Ianto has had 24/7 access to her, the two are practically inseparable now.

"Sure." Was all he could say, he knew Jack was on the balcony staring at him, he also knew that if he said anything more he would breakdown into tears. He hated himself for being so weak. Larka knew Ianto was holding on to threads here, she didn't need to, but she walked as quickly to Ianto as the screen sent the e-mail. They both needed each other, damn it they both just lost their loved ones, and now the only thing to keep them talking was strange weather patterns, great.

"Alien?" Asked Ianto, pushing his luck with a 3 syllable word and almost crying.

"Yeah, I thought something felt strange in the cities psychic network." Ianto froze.

"Psychic Network?"

"The city, is built up of people, and people build up psychic energy, like electricity, there is a main network where you can 'tune in'"

"Oh."

Larka laughed and Ianto coughed trying to still seem professional even though he was on the brink of tears again, and Larka knew. Jack's gaze was still burning into Ianto, the ever growing silence was interrupted by Owen, accidentally or purposely, smashed his coffee cup to the floor, the boiling hot brown liquid running down the Hub's metallic flooring. Ianto sprung into action, his job in Stormeye. He grabbed a cloth and was there in a flash. Owen didn't say anything.

Owen lately, has been almost oblivious to everything and everyone, well more than he usually is. He comes in late and leaves as early as he can, as if Owen Harper has to be somewhere, and if so, since when was Owen ever early?

Ianto went back to the kitchen area, and threw the damp cloth in the bin. He walked the few paces to his desk, looking over his right shoulder he passed a smile at Larka, but the smile faltered when he caught Jack's gaze and flicked his head round. Holding back tears. Larka shot Jack a look, she knew exactly what happened last night, she was reading in bed when Ianto burst through the door and straight into her arms, she easily got the story out of him, and any details she read his mind. God, she thought Jack was such a bastard sometimes, sure she has known him all her life and would always side with him, but not when Ianto is involved, no way.

Owen kept quiet about the strange readings coming from by the bay. Tosh had no CCTV footage of the area either. Owen didn't help a lot of the time, but to Tosh this was too much, he wouldn't be this detached from a case, not ever, it wasn't like him, not at all.

Jack and Larka stared at each other for a while, Larka thought back to the night before. She broke the staring contest first, by turning her head in disgust. She stood up and walked the few paces to Ianto's desk, just to her left. Partly because she cared and partly because she wanted to show Jack what an idiot he is, she lifted up the sleeve on Ianto's right arm, the pale pink shirt lifted with ease to show an array of bandages directly pointing at Jack so he could see. Larka began to undo them, the bandages stuck to the sticky blood below making Ianto flinch in pain as Larka peeled it off, to reveal the stitches underneath, the 15cm long gash ran from his wrist upwards. Jack clenched his teeth.

Owen was packing his things, what use was he today? What use had he been for the past month? Owen left through the cog-door and wondered through the tourist office and down to the bay. He looked at his watch. 9:15PM. He kept walking. Once at the right spot, he looked out into the shimmering water, when the dim light began to appear, his somber 'I Want To Go Home' face grew into a wide grin of pure bliss.

"Il change them?" Asked Larka, Ianto nodded, his eyes never leaving Larka's face, as, to him, it was the safest place to look at the moment. Replacing the bandage, again, was an easy task for Larka, as she knew medicine from Lescu, Earth and many other planets the Doctor had taken them too, them as in her and Jack. Her lips curled back at the thought of his name, and partly because the smell of blood was thick in the air around her, and she felt the twinge of hunger from her stomach.

Owen's face lit up when the humanoid figure appeared, her body made of a thousand oceans and rivers. She was a stunning figure, her hair like writhing branches and snakes. She was a twisted parody of Medusa, only, she was beautiful, stunning even. Owen, bundled up to stop the cold air biting at him, hardly helped as her icy touch chilled the air around her, Owen flinched as her ice-cold hand came in contact with his cheek.

Larka gulped down the scent of fresh blood in the air. It had been too long since her Lycan form had eaten anything.

"You should go hunting then." Said Ianto reading her mind. Larka passed him a glance.

"I know that look, and your not coming while Im hunting Ianto."

"Why? And really Larks what's to eat 'round here?" "Stray dogs, stray cats, pigeons, squirrels, mice and rats."

"Ok-Good rhyme by the way-so why can't I come?"

"If you were living on a diet of pigeons and rats, and while your sitting there, reeking of blood, while Im in 'hunting mode', how do you think your gunna fare against me?" Said Larka, gesturing to his arm when she was talking about the smell she was practically choking on.

"Ah." He said realizing, Larka laughed.

"Ok your prep and ready for action." She smiled. And just for a moment Ianto thought how perfect it looked with her ginger hair and strangely blue eyes. Larka bent down to hug him, as her was sitting and her standing. After Ianto realized that Jack was still staring, he awkwardly ended the hug.

"You'll be alright now Cariad." Jack saw Ianto respond eagerly to the Welsh. Jack remembered last night, too well, it wasn't his fault, after it happened he tried to help him, but Ianto pushed him away, the clearest part of that night was him seeing Ianto's back as he ran to Larka's room trailing blood on the way.

Owen looked up with such admiration for the water spirit.

"What are you?" He whispered.

"Cynthia." She replied, her lips hardly moving.

"No, I mean what are you in general?"

"I am nothing and no one, but one this is for sure."

"And what's that then?" Said Owen, the strange being, twice his size, stood on the water while over stood on shore.

"Im in love with you." Owen felt his footing slip as he fell silently into the water.

Jack knew Ianto had spent the night in Larka's room, for one thing, he was wearing same clothes as yesterday. When ever he tried to come close to Ianto he had to dodge anything from coffee cups to staplers being thrown. At first he thought the aim was random, but he was quick to realize that they were all specifically aimed for his head, though Larka's aim and timing were better and usually hit him.

Owen looked around him, the dark brown murky water of the bay was swarmed around him & strangely clear. They light was in front of him, he smiled like a drunk cat, and swished his way through the water, he was several feet deep, he didn't know how he was alive, or breathing, he just knew he was, then he was wrapped in the light in a cold embrace, he was numb all over, the only really clear thing was the pressure he felt on his lips.

Larka, sitting at her desk, was writing out her latest field mission on her file, when she was done she put the file in the 'done' box of her 'in & out' trays she has, then she logged into her Stormeye account. Type box. Title. It was another cover story for a recent death of alien cause, Stormeye dealt with the incident like they always would, though they didn't get there in time to save Charlie Brown. Like most cases they said it was a car accident, and the number of 'car accidents' have risen since Stormeye have gotten involved with everything to the ever bothering newspapers. Then the Lycan-girl stood up and walked to her left, swiftly walking past Ianto Jones's desk, with him at it. In the kitchen area, Larka began setting up the coffee machine, but was interrupted by Ianto saying that she should get back to work and not busy herself with petty kitchen duty. Defeated, Larka retreated to her desk. Jack came from his office onto the balcony and called a team meeting in the boardroom, Larka sent a copy of the strange readings to the plasma TV screen in the boardroom.

Owen looked around into the thick water, the light, the soft light, was dancing around him, he could barely make out the shape of his lover, she danced around him, making loops and spirals, Owen's mind went blank soon after that, he was so confused, he thought of something, something important, but he couldn't quiet remember, all he could think about was the here and now.

Jack, Gwen, Tosh, Ianto & Larka sat in their usual places. They were all working over-time and Owen-being typically himself- had already gone home.

"Weird." Mumbled Tosh.

"Ok." Began Jack.

"Ianto and Tosh, you two go down to the bay, the main source."

Tosh nodded, she looked over expectantly to see Ianto smiling at her as he usually would, but he wasn't.

"Larka, with me." Jack got up to leave.

"And what about me?" Asked Gwen.

"Go home. See Rhys. Eat lasagna. Go to bed-" Ianto coughed seeing where Jack was leading up to.

At the bay there was no-one but the two of them, and to make matters worse it was raining. Ianto checked his watch. 3:30AM. Ianto groaned, rubbing his eyes.

"Aw c'mon Ianto, three thirty, bloody freezing, what could be better?" Ianto ignored Tosh's sarcasm but whispered to himself.

"I could think of quite a few good things."

"Im picking up strange readings from the water." Ianto hadn't noticed the devise with the flashing blue light in her hands.

"-...Il send them to our files, Ianto? Ianto?"

"Ah, sorry, yes, send them." Ianto's mind trailed off again.

"God your useless without sleep." Said Tosh, she briskly walked past him to sit on a bench. Ianto then realized she was tired too but hiding it well, thats Tosh, married to the job she says.

Larka and Jack were in the SUV, Jack was driving, Larka was glad he wasn't riding. They were quiet for the majority of the journey, but then Jack couldn't stop himself from singing along to the radio, after he finished the last few bars of the Harwoods theme, Larka couldn't help but laugh, annoyed at herself, she ceased the laughing.

"Who Can You Trust To Transport Your Goods? HARWOODS! You Won't Be Sorry With A Harwoods Lorry! YEAH!" Sang Jack.

Owen woke up to the sound of waves echoing through his clogged ears.

"Ah, shit." He groaned as he stood up. He was standing in the shallows of the bay, he felt like something the cat dragged in, that awkward feeling of being watched flushed over him, he looked to his right and saw the unmistakable crystal blue eyes staring at him. Larka-as a Lycan-stood on the port, Jack stood firmly to her left.

"Even shitier." He mumbled.

"Owen slik vertu klick ke unei ke han let ajay." *Owen is a idiot he thinks he can get away.* Said Larka's husky voice, low and hoarse from some previous vocal command.

"Agreed." Said Jack, but Larka took no notice.

"Fan klick oue kind oue han let ajay, oue lad gether link fether." *And if you think you can get away, you have another thing coming.* Her commanding voice echoed through Owen's throbbing ears.

"Look at you, I just can't-"

"Calant Jack." *Enough Jack* Jack huffed away from the edge of the port, Larka's words rang through him, second in command granted, but, she can't give him commands, despite their history. Owen looked around the blurry scene, a drink, he needed a drink, that was what was going through his mind.

"Can I go to a bar now?"

"No." Said Jack loudly yet firmly. Larka huffed at his side, and slumped down onto her haunches, resting for a moment, waiting for one of the men to do something that would spike her interest, as she knew that Jack just liked her around because she looked cool as a Lycan and she had a rare weapon from the TARDIS, it was so obvious.

Ianto walked down the street, he had left Toshiko and was now wondering aimlessly, his arm throbbing, and suddenly the rhythm changed to a twinge of pain and then resumed the throbbing. The rain was beginning to clear and his mood began to lift, his flat was in sight, at the door he fumbled with his keys, and then inside, up the stairs and then into his flat, he sighed silently as he slumped into bed, he didn't care that he was dripping wet.

He woke to the fact that he couldn't sleep any longer, he glanced at his clock, 6:00AM, he thought the time was reasonable and 2 hours of sleep should get him to work and be able to chase a weevil or two so he was satisfied, a cold shower should help too, he wondered how Jack and Larka were doing, he dreamt last night, that Owen was asleep on Larka's back as she ran, Jack was driving on the nearest road and they were both heading for the Hub, he didn't need telling that this is what really happened, he was used to this whole psychic business and accepted it as everyday life, though Tosh had a completely different view on the idea, ever since Mary, and the pendant, but that was a long way back, it had been almost a year now. The shower did help, woke him up a bit, he looked at the date, it was a Thursday, which made him laugh because Thursday meant that he wore his red shirt and black and red tie with his black suit, or how Jack calls it, 'Cute Suit Thursday' which to Ianto is just amusing.

Ianto walked into the Hub, he heard Larka through the mind, which was strangely hard to reach, a wall, she must have made one. He looked around and couldn't see anyone, he briskly walked around the tower over the platforms to get a full view of the Hub, he saw Jack and Larka in the Autopsy-Bay, someone was strapped to the table, when he saw it was Owen his heart sank, he thought this whole rift activity was another false alarm, or a weevil or something like that, its always Owen.

"Yan." Larka said. "Didn't expect to see you here." Larka Black refused to meet Ianto's eyes though she knew he was searching for hers.

"Ianto, you should go." Came Jack's voice this time, also avoiding his gaze. Ianto dismissed Jack, though he had forgotten what happened two days ago, until now.

"You never tell me anything." He muttered. And even though he couldn't see Larka's eyes he could sense her eye roll.

"Yan, please, you should just go." She repeated.

"Yeah Yan, you should just go!" Came Owen's persistent London accent, the twinge of sarcasm, as always, was there.

"Shut up." growled Jack under his breath.

"Ianto, please we'll tell you and the team, at 9:00am like every morning." Her soothing voice and use of saying the usual agenda, for Ianto was comforting. Larka knew Ianto couldn't just go home now, he would have to stay in the Hub, one could not just walk away after seeing this.

"Yan, why don't you go to the Hot-House, Im sure the Neuroraft needs spraying." Said Larka, faking a smile, badly. Ianto began to walk away with a nod.

"Jack, are you?" "yeah." He replied quickly, Larka nodded. "Il set it up then." Then Larka walked down to the interrogation room with the same persistent walk as Ianto when he entered the Hub.