AN: I managed to move my car today for the first time since Tuesday, so fingers crossed I will make it to work without reliance on trains tomorrow. That is assuming that the snow that is currently falling outside doesn't get any worse…
Thank you for continuing to read and review this. I am becoming moderately obsessed with the concept of Ianto and Owen together…
Please review x
"Good morning sir." Ianto said placing Jack's coffee mug on the desk.
"Morning Ianto." Jack smiled briefly up at him before returning his attention to the paperwork on his desk.
"Are you okay sir?" Ianto asked concerned by the uncommonly sedate and muted Captain.
Jack nodded as he looked up at him again. "I'm fine." He said unconvincingly. "You?"
"Fine." Ianto nodded.
"I know we've been in situations like this before, where one or both of us has done something that affects the trust and friendship that we usually share. I just want you to know that I hope we get back to normal soon because whilst I blame myself for this, I miss you and I miss your friendship." Jack said.
"I'm still your friend sir." Ianto reasoned.
Jack nodded. "Just not enough to talk to me last night?"
"With all due respect it was pretty late when you showed up." Ianto replied.
"Not for the first time though." Jack remarked with a brief wink.
"Yeah well things have changed a lot since then." Ianto commented. "Look sir we're friends and I hope too that we can get back to a civilised working relationship, but I think we need to draw the line somewhere. And you turning up uninvited at eleven o'clock at night isn't acceptable." He said with a calm tone.
"Are you seeing someone else?" Jack asked politely.
"Yes I am. So like I said, turning up in the middle of the night is hardly a good idea is it?" Ianto replied.
Jack looked suddenly disappointed. "Well I hope they make you happy." He said in a slightly forced voice. The sound of the cog door reopening echoed through the Hub. "Best get the team their coffees." Jack said before returning to his paperwork.
Ianto turned around without further reply and left the office. Looking to see who had just entered he was pleased to see that Owen had just turned up.
"Coffee?" He called, causing the Torchwood medic to look up.
"Please." Owen replied with a grin.
"I'll bring it down." Ianto said before wandering down to the kitchen to prepare Owen's drink as the medic descended the steps to his medical bay. A few moments later Ianto arrived with two mugs and handed one to Owen who took a drink and smiled.
"Incredible." He said softly, locking eyes with Ianto.
"Anytime." Ianto replied with a smirk as he took a drink from his own mug, the sound of the cog door and the arrival of the girls filling the air.
"Seen Jack this morning?" Owen asked quietly.
Ianto nodded. "I told him I was seeing someone else, and would therefore prefer it if he didn't turn up uninvited at night."
Owen's eyes widened. "And what did he say?" He asked.
"That he hopes I'm happy." Ianto replied.
"And are you happy Ianto?" Owen asked.
"Very." He said simply before climbing the stairs up to the main area of the Hub to make coffee for the rest of the team.
"So am I." Owen called after him before settling down to do some work.
"Good morning Gwen – how are you feeling today?" Ianto asked with a smile.
"Oh much better thanks Ianto. You seem cheerful – good night last night?" She asked as she slung her jacket on the back of her chair.
"Brilliant thank you. Ready for your coffee?" He asked.
"Please." She said settling down at her desk.
Ianto nodded and made his way to the kitchen, passing Jack who had emerged from his office.
"Morning team – Owen get up here." He called. The medic jogged up from his bay still clutching the drink Ianto had just delivered.
"Morning Jack. Where's the fire?" He asked as he hopped onto the chair by his desk.
"No fire. Not yet anyway." Jack began. "The rift has been uncommonly quiet for the last few days, since the snow began in fact. Tosh I want you to tap into the satellites and see if there is any unusual activity off planet. Gwen can you liase with the police and UNIT and see if there's anything they aren't telling us. We have never had this many days in a row without activity and its rather disconcerting. Ianto get down into the archives – I want you to pull up everything we have on snow and snow related incidents. Snow often falls as a result of something bigger somewhere else and I want to know what that is. Owen I need you to man the tourist office." He said.
"What?" Owen snapped as Gwen sniggered softly before picking up the coffee Ianto had just dropped on her desk.
"This isn't a medical problem yet, so I as the only spare member of the team I need someone up there manning the office." Jack reasoned.
"No offence Jack but from what you've just said it isn't a problem at all. In fact chances are it's an event that happened on another planet four days ago. Why are we wasting our time looking into something that might not even have happened, and doesn't seem to have affected Earth other than a bit of seasonal snow?" Owen asked angrily.
"Because I'm in charge and I told you to." Jack replied.
"But we don't open the office every day – can't I help Gwen talk to UNIT or Ianto in the archives?" Owen suggested.
"I don't think Ianto would really like the idea of you let lose in his archives do you? You will man the office and if anyone needs a hand they can always ask." Jack smirked.
"Brilliant." Owen said roughly before storming off to the cog door and disappearing through it.
"Okay team – get to it. Ianto I want you to bring the files up to my office once you've gathered them." Jack ordered.
Ianto nodded. "How specific do you want me to be? Being situated in South Wales we have rather a lot of data based around snow." He asked with a smirk.
"I want it all." Jack replied before stalking back to his office.
"Right." Ianto said softly.
"Is he okay?" Tosh asked Ianto quietly.
The Welshman shrugged. "I don't know."
"Anything happened this morning? You're in first – was he alright when you arrived?" Gwen asked.
"He seemed a bit quiet. He turned up at my place last night and I sent him away, but it was late and I wasn't…" His voice trailed off.
"You weren't what?" Tosh coaxed.
"I wasn't alone." Ianto sighed.
"Oh." Gwen grinned.
"Right I'll be in the archives." Ianto said heading down the walkway that led to the huge storeroom which housed the seemingly endless shelves of boxes and filing cabinets. Once inside he placed his mug down on the small desk before turning and slamming his fist angrily into the nearest filing cabinet, a loud metallic thud echoing around the room as he sighed in frustration.