"Well this is exciting." Marth exclaimed as they drove to Gwen's.
"Yeah, thrilling." Ianto said mildly confused and pulling an equally confused face.
"Don't look like that," Martha said. "I think its exciting."
"Do you think he's serious about the bomb?"
"I think he considers it a serious possibility," she stuck out her lower lip while she thought, "but to be completely honest, and I'm not an expert, but from what Mickey said it sounds more likely to be just more hub stuff don't you think?"
"True." Ianto said, though he didn't sound convinced.
"Cheer up, this thing is bomb proof right?"
"I think that is the least of our problems; can you image two Jacks?"
A cheeky grin spread across Martha's face. "Could be fun." She said winking at him.
Ianto rolled his eyes, and breathed out. That wasn't what he meant.
Gwen was equally eager, she came dashing out the house and lept into the back of the SUV.
"All set?" She asked.
"All set." Said Martha, raising her shoulder as she turned to exchange smiles with Gwen.
Ianto negotiated the residential streets back to the main road before making full use of the powerful engine.
They sat, and they waited.
And then they waited a bit more.
"Well this is definitely what I call exciting." Ianto said to Martha.
Martha raised her eyebrows, "our company not stimulating enough for you?"
Ianto smiled. "You're company is excellent as always."
Martha's smiled widened.
"Oh! This is it." Said Gwen, showing them the screen on Tosh's PDA which now showed a spike of rift activity.
"Well, no explosion at least." Said Ianto reaching for his door handle.
Martha grabbed his other elbow and pulled him back. "Don't you think we should wait a bit? Just in case." She said.
The three of them sat there. Waiting. Again.
A minute passed, but it felt like an hour.
"Ok, thats enough." Said Gwen and she climbed down out of the SUV.
"Cold feet?" Said Ianto
"Not a chance," said Martha and she too lept out of the SUV.
"You do realise that we have no idea the exact location it's been dumping things." Ianto pointed out.
"Well you were there weren't you?" Martha said.
Ianto looked at her. "Precise location of where I was, wasn't the first thing on my mind."
"Oi!" Gwen interupted, "Andy got it fenced off, its not a huge area so it won't take long, if people out walking can come across it by accident, I'm sure between three of us actually looking for it we'll be ok."
Of course, she was right. After ducking under the police tap the pile of glass and brick lying beneath the trees stood out like a sore thumb even in the dark.
"Bingo!" Said Gwen, lighting the pile with her torch and smiling proudly.
Three full boxes later, the glass and bricks where neatly stored in the boot of the SUV.
"Job done." Gwen said, as they all settled back into the SUV.
"Job done." Said Ianto in agreement.
"Next stop, the hub." Martha announced and turned up the radio.
A selection of love songs filled the air.
"Why do they always play these at this time of night?" Gwen asked.
"Only the lonely listen to the radio at this time of night?" Martha suggested.
"Do we count as lonely?" Ianto asked.
"Well I have Rhys." Said Gwen, "and Carys, so I don't think I count."
Neither Ianto or Martha said anything.
Gwen pursed her lips and looked cautiously from one to the other in the front. Both looked straight ahead, choosing to ignore the previous comment.
"Maybe we should make some CD's mixes," Gwen suggested, "then we wouldn't have to listen to the radio."
"I like the local station though," Ianto said, "get some interesting tip offs in the late night shows."
"I find the news helps to bring me back in with real life." Martha said.
"Right well, it was just a suggestion." Gwen said and slumped back into her seat.
Jack and Mickey were waiting for them as they pulled up at the warehouse.
"All go ok?" Jack asked as Ianto stepped out the drivers side.
"Yeah, its in the boot."
"You ok?" He said as both girls appeared.
"Nothing to it." Martha said.
"Great, lets get it inside and then I think we call it a night."
Ianto and Gwen already had the boot open and were carrying a large box across to the door. Mickey and Martha grabbed the next one and followed them in. The remaining box had a few panes of glass, but nothing else. Jack careful removed the last box from the boot and locked the SUV.
"Mickey reckons the next lot is due about 10am." Jack announced. "In the meantime I suggest we all get some sleep. Lets drop Mickey and Martha at their Hotel and then we'll head back to yours Gwen."
"And tomorrow?" Martha said.
"Tomorrow." Jack said smiling that smile that said I have a secret I'm going to let you in on. "Tomorrow," he continued, "we should see the last of this little outburst."
"Oh?" Ianto said.
"Yeah," Jack said, "Mickey's been busying look at the locations for things that have come through and he thinks we're due for a complete replication of the sphere, but just the things that were present on the surface. So no bombs."
Gwen smiled and nodded in approval.
"Hopefully." Jack said, shrugging his shoulders.
"Hopefully?" Said Gwen, "judging by your more relaxed state I'd say you're pretty confident."
"I trust my team." Said Jack. "Come on now, home time. It's not often I get to say that."
The next morning Ianto woke to sun streaming in the bedroom window. Someone had opened the curtains and the bright light was nearly blinding. Eyes screwed up in an attempt to able to make out his surrounding he rolled over and peered across the bed. There was a definite lack of Jack. That man really didn't seem to need to sleep. He negotiated the shopping, collected his towel and clothes from the chair, then headed for the shower.
A washed and dressed Ianto appeared in the Kitchen about 8.30am. Rhys sat finishing a bowl of cereal and leaving for work. Jack was sat studying the paper and Gwen appeared to be brewing tea.
"Morning Ianto." Rhys said as he got up from table.
"Morning Rhys." Ianto said holding open the door.
"Ah good to see you're up." Jack said.
"Morning hun." Gwen added.
"We've got a plan." Jack said, beaming across the table at him.
"Oh yeah?" Ianto asked.
"We pack up our stuff, head over to the house, drop it and you off. You wait in for the bed. I'll collect Mickey and Martha to go get the next rift collection. And Gwen will come and pick you up once the bed arrives."
"Sounds like a plan." Ianto said, nodding appreciatively, and tucking into a bowl of cornflakes.
Gwen placed a cup of tea in front of Jack. "So if I take Carys shopping with me, and see how much of this list I can get today, and just order the rest?"
"Enjoy yourself, it'll be like a really big shopping spree." Jack said.
"You've never been shopping with a baby have you?"
"I've taken many a babe shopping." Jack said returning to his paper.
Gwen and Ianto exchanged looks.
"I'll go throw that lot in the car, while you finish your drink" Ianto said as he stoof up from table. He placed his empty bowl in the dishwasher and left to collected the previous afternoon's shopping from the bedroom floor.
Jack took another sip of water.
Gwen stared into her tea cup until she heard the Yale lock on the front door click back into place.
"Are you sure about this Jack?"
Jack looked slightly puzzled, "what do you mean? Sure about what?"
"Ianto" Gwen held his eyes, "it's a really big thing moving in with someone."
"You sound like someone's mother" Jack retorted.
"Well, someone has to look out for him." Gwen's concerned tone was developing an angry edge. "He's so excited, you, you, the two of you it just always seems so one sided, him adoring you, and you, you, you just soaking it up, you can't just go stringing him along. Especially after all he's been through."
"After all he's been through!" Jack had stood up and moved towards her end of the table, "Gwen!" Jack was shouting now. "Yes, in the past, it may have seemed one sided, but that doesn't mean it was, doesn't mean it is. I have loved people before Gwen, and every time I lose them. When I do, it hurts. So I'm sorry if I seem cold at times, but I try to avoid going through that pain more times than I have too." He breathed in, attempting to damn back the tears, and take in enough air for the next bit. "I tried so hard you might never be able to imagine how I tried, not to get involved, just keep it light, bit of fun, easier that way. But he is an amazing man Gwen Cooper, and my feelings for him run so much deeper than you'll ever know."
"Maybe you should tell him that." Gwen sounded bitter.
There was little point trying to damn the tears now they just flowed down his face. "Those days prior to the 456 are some of my happiest on memory; but he died, you remember? I travelled a whole world and more than one galaxy to ease the pain, but it still cut me; everyday." He took another breath. "Now, for whatever the reason, I seem to have a second chance. At some point I'll lose him again, and that will hurt all over again, but it will hurt whatever I do. So this time." His voice rose again. "This time, I am going to do it properly."
Gwen bit her lip and lowered her eyes, "sorry" she mumbled.
Ianto heard shouting in the kitchen as he closed the front door behind him; it sounded like Jack shouting, though why he couldn't quite make out. When he reached the kitchen door, there was silence, he opened it a little and stepped over the draught excluder. You could have cut the air with a knife. Jack had one hand on his hip, the other round his neck and was gazing at a point on the ceiling. Gwen had both hand wrapped round her empty cup and was concentrating on the bottom.
"Everything ok?"
Jack smiled, gratefully at him, "Yeah, course, we all set?"
"All ready when you are, Jack." Ianto tried to sound up beat. He looked into Jack's blood shot eyes and noticed the tear stains down his cheek, but decided it was best not to mention it right now.
"Well, best come wave you both off then." Gwen stood up from the table, "I expect an invite to the house warming once you're both settled." She grinned at Ianto, but avoided Jack.