5
Tosh was against the wall of the main hub, her hands in front of her as she gasped for breath.
Jack flew into the middle of the hub and swung around, finding her and rushing over to hold her as she wept into his chest.
"Fuck!" Owen swore as he saw the torn clothing and scratches to her arms.
"Defensive wounds" Gwen pointed out as he moved to her workstation and withdrew her gun.
Ianto had followed them and came through the entranceway to the archives to find Gwen waiting with her gun drawn as she snarled at him.
"You've bloody done it now!" Owen shouted, "Why Tosh? What did she ever do to you?"
Ianto looked horrified and turned to help Tosh but Gwen stepped forward and levelled the gun in his face, "Don't fucking move!"
Ianto stared at her with a look of confusion, then it slowly morphed into indifference as he leaned back with a soft huff.
"Gwen put the gun away" Jack ordered, "Don't' be so bloody stupid. He followed us up and out, there was no way for him to get past us which clearly shows he didn't do this!"
Gwen blinked, then coloured as she recognised the truth in Jack's words. She lowered the gun as Ianto stepped back into the hallway, intending to leave again
"Please don't go" Jack called out, "Please. What did you see?"
Ianto stepped into the hub and warily past Gwen as he looked over at Jack.
"It was … well, like the shadows were moving. Solid, somehow." Ianto shrugged, "I've been going through the archives trying to find an explanation, been thinking it might be attached to a piece of tech but I've found nothing in there that suggests …"
"Told ya!" Owen snarled as he checked Tosh's arms were not too deeply scratched, "Virgin nerd!"
Tosh pulled back her arm he was examining and slapped him as hard as she could.
"It's OK Tosh" Ianto sighed softly, "He still means me."
Tosh looked down with dismay as Owen gaped at her, the impact of her reaction was a shock to him, as he had never considered her a virgin.
"Owen, you know this is not mass hysteria or everyone else would be suffering, including you!" Ianto pointed out, "I am not insane, looking for attention or self-harming. There is something in the hub trying to hurt me and I think it attacked Tosh to get at me because she is my only friend."
"Tosh isn't your only friend" Jack said as he stepped towards Ianto but Ianto laughed hollowly as he stepped away.
"You hate me. You all hate me, except for Tosh and she just pities me" Ianto snorted, "Look at me. A gawky, ugly nerd. God, at least I have contact lenses now, can you imagine when I had to wear glasses?"
Ianto sighed as he slumped into a chair, "Even Lisa pitied me. I don't think she was really going to marry me. Not exactly a catch, am I!"
"That's not true" Jack said as he knelt and placed a hand on his knee, "You mean something to me. I see you Ianto!"
"Yeah? What do you see? A nerd? A stupid office boy? Or just someone to push about" Ianto said in a dull voice as he rose from the chair, "Me Da always called me a useless piece of shite, guess he was right. You know what I thought in the Tower it all went to hell?"
"Ianto" Jack said softly as he stepped towards him some more, getting close enough to reach out and touch his arm.
"I thought … gonna die a virgin. Nobody will even miss me" he whispered, looking into Jack's eyes, "Only the thought of finding Lisa spurred me on. I should have just laid down and stayed with my companions. At least they pretended to like me."
Jack slid his hand down and took Ianto's, linking their fingers.
"You are important" Jack said softly as he stepped into Ianto's personal space, their faces close enough for Jack to feel Ianto's soft breath on his cheek.
"Yeah, no one else can sort that bloody mess called the archives!" Owen snorted without looking up to see the unstable, silent argument going on.
It broke the spell and Ianto stepped back, his eyes widening as he swallowed compulsively and Jack kept a tight hold of his hand, stopping him from running again.
"Easy" Jack soothed, rubbing his thumb over Ianto's knuckles, like calming a spooked horse.
"Owen?" Jack said without taking his eyes off Ianto, "If you can't be serious you should bugger off to the autopsy bay and find something to do that does not involve bullying your teammate!"
"Teammate!" Owen scoffed, "He's not part of the bloody team!"
Ianto flinched and tugged at his hand but Jack still wouldn't let go.
"Owen, I will not say it again" Jack snarled, "I will place my boot up your arse if you insist on acting like a spoilt child at finishing school picking on the kid in hand me down clothes!"
Owen straightened up with temper, then deflated.
"Sorry" he muttered, "You know I was never that kid!"
"No. I seem to remember you being the one who stuck up for that kid, once upon a time" Jack turned to finally look at him, "Pity you lost the ability to care."
Owen looked at his feet and Jack refocused on Ianto.
"Tell me more about this … thing."
"I don't know. A Djinn? A spirit? A Poltergeist? An alien?" I don't know" Ianto sighed, "All I know is that we are not supposed to look it in the eye, or speak directly to it as it only gives it more power over you."
"Tosh?" Jack asked now he could see that she had calmed down, "What did you see chickadee?"
She smiled softly at the term of endearment, one he had only used a few times before when he had first saved her from Unit.
"I was working at my terminal, looking for Ianto through the CCTV" she explained, "I felt something beside me and thought it was Gwen so I turned to ask why she was back when it … I mean, something black like wet material or …"
"Smoke. Thick smoke" Ianto muttered.
"Yes! Thick black smoke, like moving tar. It seemed to rush at me and I threw my arms up as it hit me. It was like a thresher machine or something. I heard this … whooshing noise." Tosh frowned.
"What else?" Jack prompted.
"It smelt." She looked to Ianto who grimaced.
"Like spoilt meat" he agreed.
"Yes, rotten!"