Hi, I hope you'll enjoy some more Owen inquiries. Thanks to new subscribers, I appreciate when you push that button. If you put few words beside it that won't hurt :)

No spoilers

Beta-ed: TattooedLibrarian

On the main floor the others were preparing for departure. Gwen was going to be on duty for the night.

"Oh Ianto we've missed you at lunch" said Toshiko "you shouldn't isolate yourself like that."

"There is much work to do" said Ianto but was annoyed with his voice, it sounded to raw and broken.

"Ok mate" Owen stood up determined "that's enough, you're going with us to the pub and we will supervise you while you eat."

"I'm fine" Ianto looked at him steadily but Owen just shook his head.

"Then you won't mind company, we don't want you get another girlfriend and tie her up in the basement."

"Owen!" Tosh was appalled.

"What? It's not like he's not done it before. Except this time it could be a bloke as well." Owen raised his voice.

"Don't worry, it wouldn't be you." Ianto rolled his eyes somewhat relived by Owen's banter, that remained unchanged.

"What?" Owen was undisturbed "I'm not tall enough for you? That girlfriend of yours was freakishly tall too."

"Yeah, that's it." Ianto deadpanned. "Let's get it over with." He sighed.

In the Pub Toshiko and Owen sat across from Ianto. He ate without looking at them. He practically devoured the food. Partly to show there were no hidden depths of sorrow within him, and partly because he was hungry, he had skipped lunch today, and yesterday, maybe even the day before that.

"Glad to see you've built up an appetite" said Tosh fondly when he was done. "We wanted to talk to you about your duties."

"Duties? Was I forgetting something beside lunch?" He wasn't sure, he was so focused these days that things could just pass him by.

"No" Toshiko reassured him quickly "you're perfect like always." Owen snorted at that but didn't comment. "It's just that while Jack is gone our duties will be more demanding. I saw you subdue the Weevils when all went to hell" she giggled nervously on her play of words but she quickly turned back into her new serious demeanour "you were quite effective so I thought you could go out more, as field agent, we could give you some lessons."

"Well I did subdue more than few Weevils, I stopped counting on third sublevel and it wasn't all that hard. Maybe it will do me good to go out more."

"You were just lucky" smirk Owen.

"Owen, you promised you'll behave" Tosh tried to hush him.

"And what, let poor Tea Boy think I've been abducted too and he's surrounded by aliens that snatch bodies. Thinking of that it's time to get a round of beers, there's no point in being sober when Gwen calls for help and she will." He got up.

"Sorry" said Tosh apologetically.

"He is right you know" Ianto said with a smile "I would think he'd been snatched by aliens."

"We would all think that" Tosh chuckled and looked at him curiously "but you're ok, are you?"

"Yes" said Ianto steadily "why wouldn't I be?"

"You know Jack and all" she said with unease in her voice.

"It's Jack" Ianto gave her the look beneath his eyebrows "it's real wonder he did stick in one place for so long." He almost regretted his dismissive words, but he had to settle this down.

"Yeah, Jack" Tosh smiled tentatively "he is something else; I've always had a feeling that he belongs in a bigger picture than Cardiff."

Owen returned with pints for all and just as they took their first sip Toshiko's mobile phone rang.

"It's Gwen Rift alert" said Tosh and got up.

"No way in hell I'm leaving this drink to go chase behind Gwen to find a canister of alien tuna fish. She called you, you go." Tosh stood there for brief moment unsure should she argue with him, reclaim authority.

"I'll go..." Ianto started to get up.

"No" Owen pulled him down "Doctor's orders, you didn't convince me in anything by a few bites, anyone can fake an appetite. You don't want him running around out there emotionally unstable; you've seen him go crazy and aggressive" Owen said to Tosh.

"Unlike you" Ianto deadpanned but Toshiko nodded and went out.

"See I'm useful" Owen turned towards him "I just saved you a cold night out trying to be better than Jack, and that's just plain crazy to even try."

"Who would try that?" Ianto was confused.

"Those two" he waved dismissively towards the door.

"Why couldn't we be better than Jack?" Ianto was uncomfortable with a notion that no one could surpass Jack.

"Please" Owen shook his head with disdain "he can't die, that's advantage that we can't beat in a fight with aliens, who knows how old is he and he looks like hell, apparently he shagged birds back in World War Two, he fights the way he does because he has nothing to be afraid of, and he can shag anyone he set his mind on. Don't want to think about all things he knows and that we're clueless about." Owen concluded his speech with empting his glass "Another one?"

"No thanks" Ianto wasn't comfortable with an idea of losing his clarity in front of Owen.

"Suit yourself Tea Boy" Owen went for another drink.

Ianto was thinking, this time not of Jack, but of Owen. He'd never heard Owen say anything good about Jack, and now when Jack is gone he gives this admittance, turning Jack in an unobtainable deity that could do no wrong. Ianto had feelings towards Jack, the ones he didn't like dwell upon, but he was far from seeing him as flawless, and he highly doubted he could shag anyone he chose to. If Ianto hadn't so uncharacteristically shaken by losses and danger, Jack could never obtain him, in fact he hadn't that had been entirely Ianto's decision. That thought made him feel a bit better. He wasn't played by Jack who was waiting; he presented himself without any question about how deep that could go, he didn't think it could go much deeper, not with Jack.

Owen returned and Ianto watched him closely, the other man did look different now that Jack was gone, he was more relaxed than he ever was, and he was almost polite the whole day. When Jack was around Owen was on wires ready to fight and argue, to defy. Ianto remembered Owen's personal file and almost smile. Even if Owen didn't know how old Jack was, apparently he thought about Jack as father figure that was destined to betray, disappoint, and abandon, now that came true he could easily turn him into a perfect absent male figure like his father was. Ianto realized that it would be easier for Owen to listen Tosh, or even Gwen than he thinks; after all it's natural for him to have leading lady in his life. Diane should have shown that to Ianto, but Ianto wasn't really interested in the obnoxious doctor, maybe Ianto would be able to work with the irritating little twat, like Owen sometimes referred to himself.

"So Ianto" Owen started unaware of Ianto's inner musings "what's deal with you and Jack, will you cut your veins or save some dangerous world destroying alien to get it over with?"

Ianto gave him his 'please' ironic look.

"Over Jack? You said it yourself man can shag anything, you should know." He looked at Owen meaningfully and Owen squirmed under his gaze.

"Bloody Harkness" Owen grunted "you're right, who would cry over Jack, but they were all mental about it, so I had to step in. I'll keep them off your back."

Ianto was almost sorry he had to pull that card on Owen, but he had to get them off that case. He wasn't even sure what this would mean for him, and he wasn't going to have them scooping around it.

"So what do you say about night out, you could use a wingman getting back out there, you could use some bird to get yourself straighten up."

Ianto's eyebrows shoot up.

"But I've got my suit on." He couldn't picture himself out all suited up.

"No worries we'll go to yours and you can get changed, but without any funny business. This is one night offer I'm a solo flyer, birds can get scared off by a tall bodyguard thing you've got going on there." He got up not waiting for response.

Ianto sighed realizing that there wasn't any way out of this. Owen wanted to see him in action, he wasn't fooled by his appearance, and he wanted to test him out. Ianto followed him out thinking that he was good at taking tests; this shouldn't be all that hard.