No spilers

Beta-ed: GlassSplinter

Back at the Hub Gwen and Tosh came around and found out they'd been locked in and didn't remember how. Last thing they remembered was Owen shouting at them. Did he have them back, but what happened to him.

Both women were upset by the possibility that something happened to him; even worse the possibility that they caused it. So Tosh did what she did best, she got behind the computer and tried to unlock the Hub. Gwen got up and started to do what she did best, investigating what happened. She was looking for clues, things that didn't match; changes. Everything looked normal except that the mess was bigger than it usually was at this time of day. When they came back Ianto usually cleaned the place up. Did something happen to Ianto? And the coffee mugs were all around, he hated when they placed them on the curves of their tables, it was the safe way to get him to wash it instead of you. Jack's office was even worse than the rest of the Hub, it seemed like Ianto hadn't entered here the whole week. The table was a disaster, like a tornado had flushed through. Owen, Ianto and Jack were nowhere in sight. She descended to the lower levels and discovered ansmall pile of mushy thingies in the vaults. They were pulsing like they were trying to reach the holes on the glass doors. She had no desire to touch them, it was like she already knew how they'd feel like. On her way back she shook her head, nothing seemed to make any sense. Ianto hadn't gone with them. Or did he? Maybe they brought back some alien threat. That made her take out her gun. She slid beside the wall and stumbled on something crouched on the floor. It was a crumpled blanket and radio. It didn't make any sense, but she would crack it. She took the items with her to the main level. Tosh was typing and cursing to herself.

"Any luck?" Gwen shouted, leaving the blanket and radio on a surface in the kitchen. In the light it didn't look like much, just a soft gray blanket and black radio.

"Nothing, its freaking protected, and it claims that is from the highest authority. Were we taken over by UNIT?" She pounded on her keyboard. "It's like Suzie, but without the freaking poems, it could be anything."

"Look at the footage from the CCTV." Gwen had an idea running towards Tosh. "Maybe it's on tape."

"I must have gone loony." Tosh slapped herself on forehead. "How didn't I think of that before?"

First the images confused them. It was only the two of them sitting, staring and murmuring. They rewound it again and found videos of the vaults. They were surprised by Tosh pushing the little balls one by one through the hole on the glass door.

"Why didn't I just open the door?" Tosh murmured.

She skipped back and found Owen discussing something with Gwen and her shouting.

"Ok, that's freaky." Gwen was baffled.

"Look here!" Tosh pointed at a grey blur in a corner of the corridor screen.

"Is that our alien?" Gwen leaned closer.

"Ladies!" Jack's voice startled them. They lifted their heads and saw the three of them on the invisible lift. "You sober up quickly. Remind me not to have drinking competition with either of you."

"Where the hell were you?" Gwen yelled at them. "We were worried sick, you could've left a note. Sorry we locked you in, will be back soon, grey alien is on the loose."

"Worried?" Owen smiled. "That's nice."

"Grey alien?" He and Ianto exchanged a glance.

"Here, look." She pointed at the screen.

Jack leaned in close.

"That's just a smudge." Jack said knowingly.

"Yeah, our aliens were purple. Ianto got a whole bunch of them in a can." Owen confirmed. "Didn't you, Ianto?" They all turned towards Ianto who was already in the kitchen leaning in the cupboard. He straightened himself up.

"Anyone care for a coffee?" He lifted up the kettle.

"I would kill for a coffee. Thank you Ianto." Tosh answered quickly, she hadn't had one since the morning.

"The smudge disappears." She played the footage. "And the blanket in the vaults, and the radio." She pointed at the kitchen, but nothing was there.

"Did you put it away, Ianto?" Gwen was confused; it was there a moment ago.

"Put what away?" Ianto asked seriously, putting cups on the tray.

"Gwen, you're still hallucinating." Owen said with a soft voice. "You two have touched an alien with hallucinogenic skin, it will wear out soon."

"But the camera..." She pointed at the screen that was playing, showing Ianto dressed and straightening his tie as he went up.

"That explains it, see." Jack pointed at the screen. "Ianto was cleaning the camera lenses. Weren't you Ianto?"

"Oh, yes sir." Ianto was putting mugs on the table.

"That is just so anal." Owen snorted. "Camera lenses, no wonder you wouldn't tell me. Junk on the table has priority over super clean lenses."

"I'll keep that in mind," Ianto said drily. "What about the creatures? What do they eat, sir? Do they need air? Where should I put them?"

"Don't know." Jack raised his eyebrows. "Luckily we have a expert on alien fauna. Owen?"

"I was afraid you'd say that." He took his white medical gloves and put them on with a snap. "Show me the little buggers."

He took one Sticky Ball to the medical lab. Gwen and Jack leaned on the railing.

"Come on little buddy, show me your secrets."