Spoilers: Fragments

Beta-ed: GlassSplinter

When they got near the exit of the main floor Ianto pulled Jack by the elbow.

"Wait," he hissed. "What if they're roaming this way? The only thing worse than them finding my clothes is finding me in a blanket jumping around trying to get into my pants."

"Well that would be a sight," grinned Jack, but it was obvious that Ianto wasn't amused. "Okay," Jack said seriously. "I'll get them distracted. They know me, and besides, I've got chocolate, preferably dark." He took out chocolate from the pile of things he was carrying. They both stared at each other for a moment and then laughed simultaneously.

"Was that Jack laughing?" Owen's voice distracted them. But it was only from the radio.

"In any case, I can buy you one minute twenty seven, more than you gave me."

"Pterodactyls are easily distracted, and you made noise," argued Ianto. Jack flashed him his trademark grin and jogged towards the main floor. He left the radio behind, so that Ianto would be able to hear their voices. Tosh was quiet, but that was usual. Ianto started running. First he picked up all the pieces of his suit and then he hid himself inside a slot in the pipes. It wasn't much of a shelter, but it was better than just standing in the middle of the hallway. He rushed his movements, even though he hated rushing. The others were too unpredictable for him to feel relaxed by Jack's distraction.

He had just tucked the last bit of his shirt in and slid his jacket on when he heard footsteps. He emerged from his hideout. It was better to be caught poorly dressed then crouching in some corner. He turned and crashed into Tosh.

"Sorry Ianto," She lifted his head up. "Didn't see you coming. Those creatures must have me freaked out."

He moved aside and she just went on, not even noticing that his tie was in his hands. He let out a sigh of relief. Of all of them, she was the best choice to have caught him, but it was better that she hadn't really looked at him. He should go after her, because the absence of coffee would be noticed.

When he emerged Jack was laughing at Gwen's description of the small sticky creatures that had gotten in her hair.

"Don't worry," said Jack, fixing his gaze on Ianto, "They're harmless; it'll wear off by tomorrow, or the day after that."

"Oi,Tea Boy!" yelled Owen when he approached coffee machine. "Cold coffee has welcomed us; that's not nice. Getting some last night's no excuse to sleep on the job." Ianto felt his spine tighten. At least he didn't say boss instead of job. He started the coffee machine without retort, and that gave Owen all the encouragement that he needed. "What the hell did you do while we were gone, this place looks like you didn't clean up the whole week." He started to pick up crumbled pieces of junk from his desk.

"You make a mess for a week in a day." Ianto said quietly, but Owen heard it.

"Some of us have proper work to do," he said in his cheerful manner. "Don't we Tosh?" He turned to her, finished with Ianto for a while. Tosh was still cleaning up her hands.

"Sticky bastards," she murmured, not lifting her gaze, "they just go on and on."

"Tosh?" Owen raised his eyebrows. "Are you with us?" She didn't reply. Jack stopped him when he got up to examine what was wrong with her.

"She picked them up with her bare hands," said Jack like that explained everything.

"So, they fell into Gwen's hair, I'm not the one to mess with combing hair." Owen sounded defensive. "And sticky balls didn't really look like a real threat."

Jack shook his head.

"I thought I told you. If its alien it may look like a little white rabbit, but it still can be poisonous to us." He lifted his hands to stop Owen's reply. "Sticky balls aren't poisonous but they have a low level of hallucinogen. Tosh and Gwen will be out for a day, so it's just the three of us today."

Owen looked at Gwen thoughtfully but she just ran her fingers through her hair and looked into the distance.

"Three?" Owen snaps out his thoughts. "We won't have to drag Tea Boy around, will we. Besides he's busy with all the cleaning up." He waved around at the crowded desks.

"Why, you'll make a mess tomorrow too, don't worry Ianto will still be here. And clean up, won't you Ianto?" He turned towards Ianto who had a tray of coffee in his hands.

"Of course I'll clean up, you would all be buried under a big pile of pizza boxes, plastic bottles and dirty mugs if I quit." He placed the mugs between Owen and Jack. He noticed that the chocolate was gone. His chocolate, he thought, but then again he did get some other treat.

"Okay," sighed Owen. "Tea Boy can drive."

"Drive?" Ianto turned around; he wasn't paying any attention to their conversation.

"Well we wouldn't want to get you overworked." Owen snorted. "Whole place would fall apart without you." Ianto felt blood flush to his cheeks.

"Enough you two, we have whole lot of sticky balls to collect." Jack jumped to his feet and Ianto reflexively backed out. He was way too close. "It seems that they procreated since I last seen them. Busy little buggers, you have to give them that."

"What about them?" Owen turned worried at the door. "Won't they make trouble?"

"Don't worry, they'll just seat there till it wears out. They came back only because you didn't touch neither of the balls. That's why children went missing, they would have just stayed there. Luckily `sticky balls` lose their interest very fast."

"They were sticky." Owen justified himself. "You go and touch them."

"Once is enough." Jack smiled.

"You bastard!" Owen shouted. "You sent us there deliberately! You shouldn't treat us like that, we're not children! You should prepare us."

"And miss all the fun." Jack climbed in the SUV in passenger seat. "And Owen you didn't touch them only because they were sticky, isn't that a bit childish?"

"Tea Boy!" Owen turned to Ianto that was adjusting mirrors. "Can you handle a big machine like that?"

Ianto put SUV into gear without replay, but his driving said it all. Jack raised his eyebrows questionable but didn't comment. He knew Ianto could handle big machinery.