Gwen stumped down at her desk, she was having an awful morning. Tensions were running high in the Hub, Jack had spent the morning yelling down the phone line, Tosh was going through all the police information on the crash, occasionally she would look up and frown at Gwen, Owen had spent the morning complaining about the lack of coffee available in the Hub, due to the fact Ianto hadn't arrived yet.
Everyone seemed to be suffering from caffeine withdrawal, Gwen even offered to go out and buy some before Jack reminded her she couldn't leave the Hub.
Gwen sighed, and tried to distract herself by flicking through local news reports, checking for anything that could be alien related. She jumped when the cog door swung open and Ianto strolled in.
"Ianto, your late!" Jack barked at him.
Ianto looked up surprised. Was he late? The creature wondered, this was the normal time Gwen arrived, he had assumed it would be the same for his new body. "Sorry Sir, I overslept." He shot Jack a smile, mentally kicking himself for the lame excuse.
Jack frowned at him. "Make sure it doesn't happen again."
"Yes Sir."
"Hey Tea boy! How bout some coffee?" Owen called over from his station looking hopeful.
Ianto hesitated for a second before answering, "Of course, right away."
He turned slowly towards the coffee machine and hurried off.
The creature found himself standing in front of the coffee machine, luckily there had been one back at the apartment for him to fiddle with, and he had found an instructions manual in one of the draws.
He had spent long enough with Gwen to figure out what she would want, and she had gone out for coffee with the Asian one, but he had no clue what the two men would want to drink. In the end he decided to make them all the same thing and claim they were out of everything else.
By the end of the coffee round the creature had managed to find out Jack and Owens usual order, feeling proud of himself he headed up to the tourist office.
Gwen sipped her coffee, studying Jack over the rim of her mug. He looked ready to murder whoever was on the other end of the phone, clearly his chat with the police station was not going well.
"No you may not take her in for questioning! Torchwood is dealing with it!" He bellowed down the line.
Gwen felt a sense of relief sweep over her, as much as she didn't like being stuck in the Hub it was better than jail, she really would owe Jack after this, after all it would have been easier on him if he had handed her over to the police.
Jack slammed down the phone, muttering to himself.
"Um Jack? Your probably going to want to see this." Tosh spoke, startling Gwen.
Jack walked over to Toshiko,
"What is it?"
She moved aside and motioned at the computer screen. Jack lent over and studied it for a few minutes, frowning. Finally he sighed and stepped back.
"What's going on?" Gwen asked, worried.
"A man named Craig Thomson was shot around eleven pm yesterday, he died before anyone found him."
Gwen sighed, "Poor guy, what's he got to do with us?"
"The bullet," Jack replied. "It's been identified as a kind only Torchwood use."
"Oh,"
Jack sighed again, "That's not all, dried blood was found near the victim, the shooters blood, your blood Gwen."
"Mine?!"
"Yours, same as with the car."
Gwen felt a chill in her bones, "I didn't do it Jack, I was at home all last night with Rhys."
Jack didn't reply, instead he turned away and grabbed the phone again.
Half an hour later Ianto returned baring more coffee.
"Thanks Ianto!" Gwen said smiling, then an idea hit her, "Hey, do you think I could take Jacks up to him?"
"Sure." Ianto said, handing her the extra cup. As Gwen watched him leave a strange feeling came over her, she couldn't help feeling something was wrong with Ianto, he had sounded almost relieved when she offered to take Jack's cup. She shook it off, she was just being paranoid she decided.
Gwen quickly headed up to Jack's office. Jack looked up in surprise when she entered, shooting her a forced smile.
"How's it looking?" She asked, placing the mug onto the desk.
"Not good." Jack sighed, "I talked to the police station, but the crash happened after you had left, so you don't have an alibi for that, and Rhys says he was sound asleep before you came home, and doesn't have a clue if you were home at 11 or not." He sighed and ran his fingers though his hair. "Right now it looks like you would have been able to commit both crimes, and the evidence is most definitely against you."
"I don't know how that is, I didn't do either of those things, and yet my blood and finger prints were found there, I truly don't understand how."
Jack patted her had reassuringly, "Don't worry Gwen, we will work this out."
The rest of the day passed without any new developments. When it reached home time Gwen shot up, happy to finally be free. But Jack shook his head, "No Gwen, you can't leave until this is sorted."
"But Jack, you can't really expect me to sleep here!"
Jack sighed, "Yes Gwen, I do. Don't worry, I'll stay to keep you company."
"But Rhys!"
"I've already let him know what's happening." Speaking loader he said "everyone else can go!" The other two who had been watching Gwen and Jack with interest instantly rushed towards the exit.
"Someone let Ianto he's free to leave!" Jack called after them.
Ianto was having a dreadful day. Whoever that thing was it knew how to tie bloody good knots, he had spent hours tugging at his restraints, but non of them gave. To make matters worse his headache had developed into a full out throbbing migraine, his muscles ached from being locked in the same position all day, his mouth was dry and tasted like something had died in it, and he really needed to go to the bathroom.
Once he had come to terms with the fact he couldn't get up the boredom had hit him. He had taken to staring at his alarm clock, watching the minutes of his life fly by.
The normal time he got home came and went, and a new wave of fear filled Ianto. What if it was never coming back? It had left him to starve, or it was lost, unable to find its way back, or, dread clutched his heart, it could be at the Hub, spending the night with Jack. No! Ianto told himself, Jack would realise it wasn't him, he would figure it out, wouldn't he?