...
It was warm. All around him it was warm and he felt equally covered and exposed. His eyes ached and burned when he attempted to open them. The bright, white light was just too much for him to handle. After a few moments he slowly opened them again and allowed himself to adjust to the brightness. When he could finally see straight all that was there was the clear blue sky. Not a single cloud over head. 'Where am I?' Ianto thought to himself. Something was prickling his shoulder and he made to get up. He was sitting in the grass of an open clearing in what looked like a park. Off in the distance past the scattered trees he could see a pond and people going about enjoying their day out. There was a little girl throwing bread at the ducks while still holding her mothers hand, and a pair of older gentle men with their lines cast looking to get some fish. Sitting up Ianto began to recognize the park. It was one he had come to many times as a child. Back before his life had taken a dramatic turn and his father would close the shop on Sundays first thing in the morning to bring him fishing.
"Wha' am I doinn here?" He whispered to himself, his high voice and lisp shocking him then looking down "… a' why am I nak'd!" He jumped up as quickly as he could; intent on hiding behind the closest tree, but failing miserably. His body not cooperating with him, he felt awkward and small. Looking down it was then that he realized that not only was he naked but if the lack of body hair, chubby fingers and smaller bits of himself were anything to go by then there was something horribly wrong with him. 'No, no, no, no... NO!'
The last thing he could recall he was in the archives going over file after file from Torchwood Two. Then Gwen had toppled over some of the boxes and starting going on and on about something. 'She did this!' He thought darkly 'and she probably did it on purpose.' He just couldn't help thinking that Gwen just didn't like him. Her hero worship for Jack was evident and it wouldn't surprise him if she confused it for love, but she had a boyfriend for crying out loud. Owen had already gotten into her pants, was she expecting for Jack to do the same as well? Even after everything that had happened with Lisa it had only served to bring him and Jack closer and make each other open up more. Maybe that was the problem; that even with the biggest skeleton in the closet Jack still chose him over pursuing anything with her. He knew that Jack cared for her, but it was his arms that Jack found comfort in. For all his bravado, deep into the hours of the night when Jack thought he was asleep he whispered words of love and devotion.
A cold hand grasped his shoulder bringing him out of his thoughts and making him jump and squeal in surprise.
"Hello, little one. Did you run away from your mam?"