Hi Folks, This one is a little shorter than normal as I have decided to split the chapter, or you get one long one.
Glad to know lots of you are still enjoying this one. The reader count tool is really interesting!
As the next one is half written it shouldn't be too long in coming.
"Do I have to remind you all of the dangers lurking in those?" asked Owen pointing at the heaving bags of chips held in the hands of the rest of the team.
"You don't but it sounds like you are going to." Said Jack cramming in another fat oily and actually rather delicious chip, smothered in salt and vinegar as promised.
"I can remember days when you wouldn't eat anything else, you would complain about the lacklustre cabbage in the coleslaw like it gave you licence to eat anything bad for you." Said Tosh nibbling on a small piece of fish she had removed most of the batter from.
"Yer thanks for that reminder there Tosh, just what I needed to bring me back to earth." Said Owen suddenly grabbing a chip and throwing it at the sea gulls and watching them fight over it.
"Children this is supposed to be a fun day out, a release from the bonds of the rift and time to chill." Said Jack all reasonable "So the last one to the shooting gallery is a rotten egg." And bounded off to win whatever the showman was offering.
The rest of the team watched him as he ran away from them then Gwen wrapped up the small amount she had left and half ran half walked after him followed by Ianto, who took the much more reasonable step of eating and walking. Owen dropped down onto the bench next to Tosh and threw another chip at the squawking gulls.
They sat in companionable silence for a few seconds before something made an electronic noise in her bag. She went to open it but Owen stopped her.
"Leave it, have some fun, the world isn't about to fall apart."
"How do you know that, it could be the rift monitor telling us Cardiff has been split apart." She said in a reasonable voice.
"Somehow I don't think even you would have the message tone for the end of the world as a mewing kitten." He said holding his hand over hers. "Why so tense, you can trust me I'm a doctor." He left go because he didn't want her to get the wrong idea.
"The last time I was here was with Tommy and the rift alert did go off and the world nearly did end, it did for Tommy." She said in one short breathy sentence
Owen would have whistled a breath between his teeth if he was able, he still felt himself going through the motions. Tommy seemed so long ago but it wasn't really, no one had really wanted to talk to Tosh about it she seemed to cope get on with things like it never happened and that made it easier for them. Of course not long after Owen had problems of his own, that he also didn't want to talk about, and the Hub had kept going as normal.
Owen finally let Tosh go in her bag and check on the signal, only to find it was an email to tell the tourist centre that a parcel had been delivered and left with the box office of the Millennium Centre. Owen laughed as the tension left her face,
"Look I know Tommy was a good laugh and he meant something to you, but that was because he was safe, it wasn't going anywhere, he could never be real. You deserve someone more than one day a year girl." He took her hand and squeezed it as a tear escaped from her eye and she quickly wiped it away with the back of her hand. "My new mission is to find you a bloke – a live one" He added quickly. "I mean look at that specimen of manhood over there, the beer tin finely balanced on that wonderful gut. South Wales finest."
Tosh had to laugh, it had been a long time since she had even been the places you would find a man, work, home, sleep. Since the Mary incident she had even stayed away from the pub by herself mainly looking for the special offers on booze in the supermarket instead. Gwen had Rhys and the bloody wedding, Owen had always had his one night benders which suited him and now even Ianto that had been in love with a half woman half machine had Jack. Now she didn't even have one day next year to look forward to.
"Perhaps I should nobble all the dating websites to send me the details of all the eligible bachelors in the area?"
"That's more like it. Now did Jack mention shooting ranges? I think we should get there before he clears out all the oversize stuffed slightly sinister looking animals and show him who is the best shot." He squeezed her shoulders and then snatched her bag running off down the path shouting at her to hurry up.
"What exactly are we going to do with seven three foot furry gorillas and a blow up sheep?" asked Gwen through a mouthful of ice cream.
It could have been eight but Owen had surprised them all by giving one of his prizes to a little boy who had looked up in wonder at the walking jungle that was Cardiffs finest alien hunting team.
"Myfanwy likes soft stuff for her nest and I am sick of loosing the tea towels to her, so I think we might have a winner there." Said Ianto
"Could give them to the Childrens Hospital." Said Owen, glaring at Gwen as part of the red goo on her ice cream dribbled on his jacket.
"Awwh Owen I never knew you cared." Said Gwen rubbing the stain further into the jacket.
"Well I just thought after the carnage of my little dance with death a while ago they might need some cheering up."
"My God, if I had known death would give you a conscience I would have killed you years ago." Said Jack laughing as he started up the SUV.
"I had a conscience before you came along Harkness thank you very much and can I point out it isn't death that did this too me but you and that bloody resurrection glove."
The air suddenly chilled in the SUV and it wasn't anything to do with the air conditioning. Gwen cleared her throat and looked at the road speeding past.
"So do you do seaside like this in Japan Tosh?" she said to fill the void and break the icy rime forming in the air.
"I didn't know that was going to happen, I just wanted to give you a little time to prepare I know what you go through in the seconds after you die and I thought I was helping you with that."
"Yes well now I get to live, sorry exist, in the knowledge of what is coming to me. Big thanks for that one."
It was like everyone else in the SUV had disappeared and unfortunately as the two protagonists were sat on the same side they were unable to even look at each other, though if they had together they could have stopped the City Hall clock.
"Great so now I get to be like the Great and wonderful Jack Harkness, can I make the same mistakes with impunity like you do?"
The car swerved slightly as Jack turned to look at Owen and there was a collective intake of breath before Iantos hand steadied the wheel from the passenger seat.
"I wouldn't wish my existence on my worst enemy Owen and your case is slightly different."
"I get to die forever you get to live forever. You get to bugger off round the galaxy I get to stay in Cardiff too scared to go anywhere in case I break."
"On the bright side Owen you are unique." Said Tosh brightly. Owen fixed her with his sardonic death stare.
"Well no one else I know has managed to regenerate themselves." She said quietly in explanation
Jack kept his eyes on the road but couldn't suppress his little snort as he thought of a certain time traveller he knew. Neat trick, Jack mused on the fact that if he got better looking every time that happened he would soon have a rival on the looks stake.
"Harkness is off again, hiding his dirty little secrets behind his greatcoat of knowing." Owen looked like a petulant teenager.
The rest of the team kept ignoring Owen while Ianto stole a glance at Jack. He knew he should have insisted on driving, why couldn't Owen keep his mouth shut?
"We all have secrets Owen." Said Jack "Somethings are just too different to go shouting about, it doesn't make them dirty." He paused and then decided to drive the knife in further "Just some of us are better at keeping them then others."
Owen squirmed in his seat, Jack had plenty of ammunition, he seemed to know everything about his past while of course his was shrouded in mystery. Gwen dug a fingernail into his jeans and while the sensation was dull it reminded him of that secret, Tosh saw the small exchange and knew exactly what it meant, she looked out the window.
"Yer till they explode in your face like yesterday. Tell me what was all that about? You really don't like it when someone knows more than you."
Jack turned again but was brought back to the wheel by a collective scream by the living members of Torchwood.
"Bloody leave it Owen, I don't want to die as well." Said Gwen "Get over yourself it never bothered you before so why take it to the extreme now?"
Owen creeped about in his seat again.
"Owen liked her and Jack scared her off" said Tosh still looking out the window.
"No I thought I could work with her, like minds and all that." Said Owen glad that he couldn't blush anymore or he would be scarlet.
"Oh My God, Owen you didn't fancy her did you?" Asked Gwen knowing full well that Owen was deep down a shy man who had used one night stands as a cloak for his reluctance to get into a deep relationship, only Jack knew why that was.
"No she was just interesting, physiology, she was really good on the history of medicine too." He sounded as if he was making it up on the spot and he knew it.
"Well it sounds as if she has lived through most of it" said Ianto without looking back.
"Pretty good on the history of Torchwood too." Said Gwen cryptically.
Owen was spared any more interrogation by the fact they were coasting in the garage and everyone wanted out of the boiling pot as quickly as possible.
"Well does everyone feel more like a team now?" asked Ianto quietly when he thought he was out of Jacks hearing range Gwen and Tosh just giggled and went back to the Hub while Jack called out to Owen.
"Save the lecture Jack, I'm a naughty boy questioning the greatness of Captain Jack Harkness and I will spend the evening beating myself with birch twigs." He stood with one hand on his hip in an insolent pose that really should have rubbed Jack up the wrong way but all he really felt was pity.
"I've asked you before and I will ask you again, how long is this going to go on Owen?" he paused for an answer that never came, Jack started to walk away leaving Owen stood looking at the Porsche he had driven to work one day some weeks ago and was never going to drive again. "When you are ready come and talk, I'll be there." He said simply.
Of course a day off was never a day off for Torchwood and Toshs screen flashed with the activity that the Rift had bandied about in the past six hours. Nothing of note apart from a small amount of meson energy hanging round a small allotment in the north of the city. Probably an artefact spewed forth and dropped so far out of its time and place that it would never be used again.
"I'm on it." Shouted Ianto and grabbed the SUV keys from Jacks hand and running straight back to the vehicle before he could suggest doubling up.
Owen slunk back in like a scolded cat and looked for Gwen.
"You get to take me home tonight" he said as he passed her. She was on her mobile and waved at him to keep quiet while she listened to her messages. Hissing as she got to the third message from Andy begging her to come to the Police Station she checked her watch and found it was only a few minutes old.
"Can't you walk?" she asked as the honest truth was she didn't want to be in a confined space with him, not after what just happened.
"Look it's raining and I live five miles away, it'll only take you a few minutes, please Gwen I don't like begging."
"But still you do. Fine but I have to go via the police station Andy wants something."
"If ever a man was made for one of those pointy helmets." Said Owen quietly
"Oi I heard that, Andy is my friend and if you want a lift you like it or lump it."
Owen kept his peace and waited while Gwen repacked her bag and checked that there was nothing else doing. She waved at Jack who was just watching over the barrier – one of those moods she thought hoping Rhys fancied a good night in to forget today and went back to her car, leaving Owen to trail behind.