AN Thanks to my wonderful beta JonesIantoJones hope you like the ending. There won't be any updates for a few days as I'm away, but I will be writing.

Disclaimer: The boys are not mine.

Returning to London part 22

When they got to Roath Park the team had a better picture of what they were dealing with. It seemed that a member of the public had seen someting fall out of the sky and land in the Lake and called it into the police at the same time that Tosh had got the weird rift readings.

"Great." Grumbled Owen. "So whatever we are dealing with is at the bottom of the lake. So who's up for a swim?"

"Well Owen, I can't go as I need to co-ordinate and it wouldn't be very gentlemanly to send in Tosh or Gwen, so looks like it's down to you." Jack said grinning.

"Oh just keeps getting better." Snarked Owen. "We got a wetsuit in the SUV?"

Ianto's voice came over the comm. "Sorry Owen looks like you will have to go in in your boxers and t-shirt. There's a towel in the car and I'll make sure there's plenty of hot water for you to have a shower to warm you up when you get back."

"Great." Owen grumbled as he heard Ianto laugh.

Gwen and Tosh had walked over to the edge of the lake and were taking readings "Whatever came down definately ended up in the lake. The reading is very faint, probably due to it being submerged." Stated Tosh. "Looks like it might be about the size of a small suitcase. Are you going to be able to manage to bring it up?" She asked Owen who was stripping out of his jeans and jacket.

"Should be able to, depends how heavy it is. If not we've got some rope in the SUV I can wrap that around it and you lot can pull it up. Do we know how deep this lake is?"

Before Tosh could answer Ianto said. "At it's deepest about twenty foot."

"Hey Jack where's a torch or I won't be able to see a damn thing." Owen called to Jack who had wandered off.

"Should be one in the glove compartment of the SUV." He called back. "You ready to go in?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Owen sulked.

All three of them walked to the edge of the lake and Owen stuck his foot in. "Shit that's freezing."

"Well the sooner you get in the sooner we can get you back to the Hub." Gwen pointed out.

"Ok ok I'm getting in." Said Owen sliding in then swimming towards the center of the lake. Tosh who was looking at her PDA tracking the signal called out. "Owen should be about there."

Owen took a big breath, switched the torch on and then dived down into the murky water. He dove four more times. "Think I've found it. Just need to catch my breath before I try and pull it up." He shouted to Tosh. He dove back down but came up empty handed. "Throw me the rope and I'll tie it round then you lot can pull it up."

Twenty minutes later and the box was sat on the path with a very cold Owen wrapped in a blanket. Jack had come back from wherever he had wandered just as Tosh was scanning it. "What've we got Tosh?"

"Not sure. The box itself seems to be harmless but until we get it back to base and open it I won't know about the rest."

"Right ok. I've been looking around and there doesn't seem to be anything else out here for us to worry about. So let's get this into the SUV and get back to base. Ianto we're heading back and I think Owen could do with something to warm him up." He smirked.

"Right I'll put some coffee on then." Ianto replied dryly.

"Not sure that's quite what he had in mind." Jack laughed.

******TORCHWOOD******

Ianto met them in the garage with a trolley for the box. As Owen emerged from the car it took all of Ianto's willpower not to wrap him in a big hug when he saw how cold he was. "There's coffee waiting in the boardroom for you, but I think Owen needs a hot shower to warm up before he has his."

Jack took charge of the trolley while Gwen and Tosh made their way into the Hub and up to the boardroom. Once Ianto could see they were out the way he pulled Owen to him and kissed him. They broke apart after several minutes. "God you're freezing. Go on go have that shower. I put a towel on the radiator to warm up for you and the spare stuff from your locker."

"Thanks." Owen said grabbing Ianto's hand and heading for the shower room. "You gonna scrub my back?" He leered.

Ianto leant in and whispered. "Maybe later if you're good. I'll see you upstairs." He then turned and walked away knowing Owen was watching him.

As Ianto got to the main area the other three were stood around the box with their mugs of coffee. Pouring himself a mug then joining them he asked. "So do we know what's inside?"

"Not yet. Thought we'd wait for you and Owen and open it together. That way we all get to enjoy the excitement." Jack said grinning.

They stood around chatting waiting for Owen, and as he appeared he looked at them "You didn't have to wait for me."

"Well as you put all that effort in to retrieve it we thought you should be the one to open it and see what's inside. Could be filled with diamonds and gold. There again could be filled with someones dirty washing." Laughed Jack.

Taking the mug from Ianto. "Well if it's diamonds and gold I'm keeping them if it's anything else you can have it." Owen snarked back before taking a mouthful of coffee. "Mmm gorgeous as ever."

"Are we talking about Ianto or the coffee?" Tosh smirked.

Owen nearly choked. "The coffee although...."

"Right the box." Interrupted Jack.

It took them ages to get it open and when they did they were all disappointed to find it full of clothes. As Gwen went to pull some of them out Owen stopped her. "What?" She demanded.

Owen looked at her with a look that said 'Are you really that stupid' but only said. "They might be contaminated. We don't know where there from or even if the are from this time, they could be carrying all sorts of diseases or bacteria. I'll get some gloves and run some tests on them."

It was getting on for seven and apart from a couple of weevil sightings - which Tosh and Jack had dealt with - it had been a quiet afternoon. Gwen had caught up with her paperwork and Owen had been running test after test on the clothes from the box, but so far had found nothing harmful on them. Tosh was also trying to figure out when the clothes were from - as they definately weren't from this time - and Ianto had been down in the archives trying to sort out the mess the other's had made during his time off. He was so engrossed in what he was doing he didn't hear Jack come down until he spoke. "Hey Ianto should you be doing that? What if Owen finds out?"

Ianto looked up from the files he had in front of him. "Yes it's my job and Owen said I could do some light work as long as it didn't involve lifting or reaching for anything. I think a little filing is ok."

"So how you coping with things? Are they any better?" Jank inquired.

Ianto thought for a bit before answering. "Things are getting better it helps that Owen's been there for me. He's letting me talk which is helping with the nightmares. So yeah things are getting better in more ways than one." He smiled thinking of Owen.

"You and Owen?" Jack queried

"Yeah me and Owen." Ianto agreed. "Look Jack I'm sorry that things didn't work between us. I will always care about you and a part of me will always love you but... I couldn't be with you. You would've broken my heart again and I couldn't let that happen. I hope you understand."

Jack pulled Ianto into a hug and whispered. "I'm sorry I couldn't give you what you wanted. And a part of me will always love and care for you, but Owen can give you so much more. Just promise me that you're happy - that he makes you happy."

Ianto returned the hug. "He makes me very happy."

They pulled apart. "Right time for that medic to take you home."

"Thanks Jack." Ianto said placing a small kiss to Jack's cheek.

When they got upstairs Ianto called. "Owen Jack says it's time for you to take me home."

"Does that mean you're going to scrub my back?" Owen shouted back.

Ianto rolled his eyes at the girls. "If you're good and get up here now."

Owen put the clothes back in the box to keep them safe. As he picked up one of the items he felt something prick his finger, but as all the tests he'd done had come back negative he didn't worry about it - he just wanted to go home with Ianto. Once the box was safely stored away he went and found Ianto. "Right then Jones your chaffeur awaits."

Ianto laughed as he picked up his coat and followed Owen out. Jack watched them leave with a wistful look on his face.

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