So, this is some more Ianto time. Hope you'll enjoy it. Thank you paulaloveremus for being my 30. review. It's a nice round number.
No spoilers.
Beta-ed: TattooedLibrarian (thank you for support)
In the morning the Hub was empty. Tosh and Gwen had gone home as soon as Ianto entered. Apparently they had spent whole night hunting down a multi-part alien around town. Ianto had no desire to go down to the vaults to look at the creature divided into five cells. Tosh had feared that they could reintegrate into one and she thought it might be a vicious creature, but she couldn't say for sure. Of course Owen hadn't returned her calls so everything was on hold until he showed up. On account of the rich brunette Owen took home last night Ianto wasn't expecting him back soon.
He wasn't far from truth because he managed to get a few workers through the Hub before Owen appeared and they had repaired all the windows and even the stairs. It was convenient really that the Hub was empty. The workers seemed uninterested in their surroundings. Without people it seemed like an abandoned warehouse, Ianto mused, an obscure basement of some kind. It was really easy to Retcon people without emotional memories; it took just a hint of substance. They didn't have to fall asleep, it was closer to a blur from drinking than the erasing drug, and he could use those people again, they would vaguely remember him but without some special meaning to it. People had those kinds of memories from all sorts of places.
He would have to schedule reconstruction while the others are away. They have too memorable faces to blend into an unsuspected blur. Gwen with her big eyes, Owen with his cynicism that pours from him even when he's still, Tosh with her razor sharp smartness, those kinds of things would just pop out of the fog itching in the back of the mind, and they would have to scratch it and find those unusual people. Ianto believed that Gwen would have never defeated the Retcon if Ianto had been the one to contact her, there is no way she could have singled him out from all the faces she dealt with every day; his face, or his name. Of course she would remember Jack and his name; it just beacons out 'remember me'. Ianto on the other hand had an ability to blend in. In fact he was rather fond of that quality that he possesses.
The only one that was able to differentiate between him and the wall behind him was Jack. It wasn't strange really, because he was different with Jack than with anyone. He had to force Jack to see him, to accept him, and after he succeeded at that, Jack never stopped looking. It was strange really, on how he impacted Jack; on how much attention Jack sent his way. It wasn't anything pushy or obvious, but the compliments were always there, acknowledgements of his contributions to the team, and he never took his coffee for granted. Even through his terror and sorrow that he went through with Lisa in the months of her being in the basement; it was comforting to be appreciated, to be seen even if he was trying to hide himself completely. Maybe it was because Jack was lonely and, considering how old he was; he could surely see Ianto's solitude.
Owen entered main floor cursing and interrupted Ianto's train of thoughts. Ianto straighten himself up thankful for the entry, he drifted away too easily.
"Oi, where are everybody?" he shouted trying to erase emptiness that was heavily felt inside of the Hub. It was almost like the Hub itself missed Jack, there had simply been a space that wasn't filled; no one was on look out.
"They went home to rest" Ianto emerged and spoke with his normal voice; he wouldn't be intimidated by that void, like any void it would fill out in time. "Apparently they had hunted down some alien parts all night long." There was a hint of accusation in Ianto's voice, he couldn't help it, he would rather be out there helping them with something that unusual and disturbing; than hanging out like he cared about all those people in the club he will never meet again.
"Where it is, it's not on my examination table." He made his way towards the morgue.
"It's still alive, they had to store it into cells, I didn't have a chance to look at it yet."
"What? You were too busy with cleaning and washing."
Ianto opened his mouth to disagree but he changed his mind, it wasn't necessary for Owen to be up to date with his chores, besides it would take out all the fun for the little doctor if he had to start to respect Ianto. Ianto had gotten accustomed to the doctor's banter, he could do the same in return, and it worked. Maybe Ianto wasn't all that straight but he was straight enough not to spill his emotions and thoughts all over the place. That's why he followed that prick Owen to the vaults.
Down there were five occupied cells, in each one part, limb, whatever, that didn't seem fit to function on its own, but somehow it did. For Ianto the most disturbing part was the fact that it had fur. It looked just like a disassembled bear, or something. It was one thing is to see something like it in a cartoon, but this was just wrong. They could even see where the joints should go together.
"Where's the head?" Owen yelled annoyed.
"What makes you certain there should be a head, or that some of these things don't function as a head..." Ianto stopped talking when Owen looked him with his `don't give me that shit' look.
"Where did they found it?" Owen made his way towards main area.
"There weren't any report, guess they'll write it later."
"Figures" Owen mumbled and flipped his phone open. "You call Gwen; I don't want to deal with her drowsy." He said to Ianto while he waited for Tosh. "Come down here now!" was all he said, and just hung up.
Ianto dialed Gwen's number hesitantly.
"Sorry to wake you" he started apologetically when Gwen answered with a barely understandable `what´. "Owen needs you because of that alien thing you've captured." Owen looked him with sneer.
"Too many words Ianto" Gwen mumbled with a sigh "don't worry sweetheart I'll be right there. You won't be alone with him long."
They arrived in record time. Ianto prepared a coffee for them to ease off the sleepiness. Gwen smiled with relief, but Tosh was too preoccupied in withstanding Owen's challenging attitude.
"Yes Owen, what couldn't be said over the phone" Tosh spoke first when they'd gathered in the boardroom. "We've captured a multi-part alien, what bothers you?"
"Where is his head?" Owen started with forced patience.
"You tell me, you're the alien fauna expert, not me." Tosh held her ground, uncharacteristically determined.
"You're no expert, but surely you can tell the difference between a head and a tail" said Owen mockingly.
"What's the difference? Even if we did miss the head, we have its legs here, and what can it do without them." Tosh was angry; she didn't like it when she was caught outside of her expertise.
Owen smiled satisfied and took a moment to enjoy this moment, she was right where he wanted her to be.
"You don't know what it is, do you? Actually it was one of the first things we caught together, but as soon it was in, you lost interest, there were far more important things to do then understand a captured alien." His voice was cheerful.
Tosh tapped her finger on table surface.
"Will you tell us, or not. I know it is the same creature, that's why I called you, our expert, if I was in need of muscles I would call Ianto, not you, and he would answer. Stop gloating and tell us, if you know."
Owen smirked.
"You girls didn't catch anything last night, just spare body parts. Its head is the main part, it has a horn and with it he can turn anything the right size and composition into new limb. Judging by the size of parts down there some of them were people, some maybe dogs, it disassembled when you charged in all blaze and glory. Now we have head on the loose, and if it gets assembled it would be bigger than a grizzly bear, and deadly like a shark, so I don't think you did such a good job, girls."
Tosh looked like she would explode any minute, but when she spoke her voice remained soft and controlled.
"And why are we sitting here chatting, and not chasing after it?"
"Because you girls, didn't leave any note, stick it, or text about where this creature was found, where did you spot it, and most important how did you find it?" His voice was sweet and slow, Tosh looked like she would strangle him. "I wouldn't dare dream to demand a full report like our Ianto here, he actually looked for it; he's pure optimist, isn't he?"
"We'll fill you on the way" Tosh jumped up.
"No" Owen slowly got up.
"What?" Tosh stopped and Ianto feared she would smack him.
"It's a two man job, remember, and don't want to gross you out girls, but given the time since you took its parts, new parts are in the middle of changing process, and it isn't pretty sight, the previous alien found some rats in basement. It was just yucky. And like you said, Ianto is our muscles now, even if I can smack him down with one swing, but he can clean like hell."
"Leave him be Owen" Gwen stepped in finally awake.
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about him so much Gwen, don't be fooled by his innocent face, he's a player. Last night he could have taken the whole club home with him for an orgy. For all I know our fierce leader could have run off because `sweetheart´ tossed him aside. Tosh you'll fill us in on the way, and we will take our ear-pieces so you can see us."
Ianto took his gear, containers, bucket and a mop. He wasn't ashamed of his ability to clean things up. Owen took a wheel.
"I told you that I'd take them off your back" said Owen and ignited engine.
"Yeah, thanks" said Ianto leering at him "that is so much better." Owen laughed.
"Now you'll pretend to be all decent and good, ok, but messing around with Jack took you off of Santa's good list."
They found the alien head in warehouse in Splott, it was surrounded by sticky piles of red flesh, stripes of white of substance, and wet fur that hadn't grown yet. Worst thing was that they could see the shape of things that was converted into alien parts. One small woman, one grown man, a cat and a bird.
"Is the process reversible?" Ianto whispered looking around.
"Only for first twenty minutes, it's too late for them, it's been hours now. Spread out, and watch out for a moving head."