I'm so, so sorry! That's a stupid length of time since I updated but I've been to Wales, had my birthday, been ill and I've been reading 'the Writers Tale.' I hope this is okay anyway!

Tosh was really panicking now. She was trapped. There was a copy of Owen trapped inside with her. Ianto and Owen were outside.

So, get Ianto and Owen to get help. And keep the copy of Owen away.

"TOSH!" Owen rattled on the outside again. "Let us in!"

"I can't, Owen!" she yelled back. "And you're in here with me!"

"Shut up, Tosh," the copy of Owen said, cruelly. It still sounded like him…it still was him, surely? No, no, no…it was a copy. Was Ianto a copy too? Oh, god, was Owen outside with a copy of Ianto?

"The flat…" Tosh said, beginning to piece it all together now. "There was something at the flat? It made you? And…a copy of Ianto, that's why he's been acting strange…"

"Always the clever one, aren't you? The geek. The outsider." The Owen-clone pressed its point home, Tosh trying hard to remember that this was not Owen.

"So…Ianto #2 came to work, here. It wasn't programmed for Jack, though, was it? Or…was that our Ianto? He didn't know what had happened, didn't want Jack to be infected or whatever…but he'd get help, Ianto, wouldn't he? So…it stopped him getting help…stopped him talking about it, a defence mechanism…Owen went. Ianto was horrified…because he knew Owen would be infected too, and he couldn't say anything. I'm right so far?" she said, working out loud as ideas came to her.

"But the copy of Ianto was at his flat or something? Learning from him? But Owen's copy had to follow him, it couldn't stay hidden?"

"Clever Tosh, clever." Owen #2 said, smirking. "Not for me, though, brains, is it? That's where you failed, Toshiko, that's where you always failed…"

"Shut up…" Tosh whispered. She knew she was stuck, she had figured out what must have happened but this Owen was telling her everything she hadn't wanted to hear.

"They're quiet aren't they? They've abandoned you Tosh…just like everyone did…"

Tosh broke down into tears. She was filled with resentment and fear because this Owen was exactly like Owen. The pain, the anger, the bitterness.

She didn't think that it might only have scratched the surface of what Owen was actually like. She just knew that, surely, this thing had Owen's mind? Was this what Owen thought of her? Oh, God…

"What does she mean?" Owen whispered to Ianto. "I'm in there, what the hell is that about?"

"It's…" Ianto tried to explain everything: the thing in his flat, the copy of him that had watched and mimicked him, getting ready, it assured him, to take his place. It had said it was a disease but Ianto had found, after trying to tell Jack, that it was pointless trying to talk about it. He couldn't. So, he'd avoided physical contact, in order not to pass it on. It was only when he'd realised it must actually be in his flat, that you had to enter the room that it was too late. People had noticed.

His clone had been going out. Getting laid, it had explained to Ianto. The mess in his flat was awful. Ianto's clone hadn't seemed to inherit his penchant for cleanliness or order.

Now his clone was gone, Owen's was in with Tosh, Jack possibly had a clone too-and he couldn't explain a thing to Owen.

And, he really needed to piss.

"It's what?" Owen found himself watching Ianto, waiting for an explanation. Well, he was watching Ianto's eyes. God, those eyes…

"I can't tell you." Ianto finally managed to stammer out. "Aliens. Clones. Flat."

"Okay…" Owen said, stringing Ianto's words together and coming out with a conclusion of shorts. "We can't…do anything?"

"No…block…" Ianto explained. The obvious strain of talking about it was showing-Ianto had gone pale and shaky. Owen made him lie down, worried.

"Okay, so we wait for Jack…or help, okay? Don't think about, y'know…" Owen suddenly found he couldn't say it either. "Well, that, okay?"

"What shall I think about then?"

"I don't know," Owen sighed. He didn't really sound grumpy, just sad. Tired and sad. "I've lost it, Ianto. I've lost my, my control. I've started to care too much to pretend I don't. I…Ianto, Torchwood's so painful…" he broke off on the start of a sob. "I don't know what to do…"

"Just…think about something else…"

"Like what?"

"Like this…" Ianto was murmuring, and before Owen knew it they were kissing again…

It wasn't, could never be, love. Because Owen didn't think he could love again. But he did care for Ianto, never mind Jack because Ianto was here, now and they couldn't help Tosh anyway…

Jack wondered if he should retcon himself away. He'd contemplated it, taking away all his memories of everything, and more. So he'd just…go back. He'd heard about it, back in his time. There was a scientist who had retconned himself past his lifespan, into the past, as it were. He'd gone back to basics, eating and drinking but nothing else. Nothing human. Jack could do it. Live out eternity as a primeval beast…

He wouldn't see the world evolve. He wouldn't meet people he had yet to meet. He wouldn't fall in love, and watch them die. He wouldn't see the Doctor again, and lose him again. He wouldn't care anymore.

So, Ianto had Owen now? Who gives a shit? Not me, I can have anyone. Straight many, gay woman, weevils…if one person slips through my net, why should it worry me?

Because it's Ianto Jones?

Jack knew he didn't love Ianto. He didn't love anyone at the moment…but he enjoyed Ianto's company. He made for a great night. As, he imagined, did Owen…

A plan began to form in his mind. He hadn't threesomed for a while. Never with Ianto…and knowing the tea-boy, knowing how good he was…

Jack could see many great nights. Once he'd told Ianto he knew why he had been acting strangely, that he was simply relieved it wasn't complicated. Then he could suggest that the three of them went out. Take it from there.

Oh, yeah.

The smile was wiped off Jack's face again when he saw the other Jack step out. Even without thinking Jack shot it three times. It fell down quite dead.

A minute later, while Jack was inspecting it for signs of alien identification, it got up again.

"Perfect copy," it said, grinning evilly. Way too evilly, it was actually kind of funny. Like a cartoon villain.

"I can't die." It said. "And I can control you. I'm stronger then my brothers, oh yes, because you made me Jack. And something else made you…"

Jack was confused and frightened when the creature reached out with its mind and enveloped Jack in time.

Trying not to lose his mind, Jack could only call out his team's names endlessly. "Ianto, Owen, Gwen, Tosh, Ianto, Owen, Gwen, Tosh, IantoOwenGwenToshiantoowengwentoshiantoowengwentoshiantooweniantoiantoianto…"

Thanks to everyone who's still actually reading! Reviewing would be even better (hint hint...)

Love and apologies, gaia-x-goddess