Fic: Rain Rainbow
Title: Rain Rainbow
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Owen, Ianto, Jack, Tosh, Gwen.
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2624
Summary: Owen hates the countryside at the best of times, but this is pure hell.
Spoilers: Nada.
Written For: Challenge 428: Rain at fan_flashworks. Also for cozy_coffee’s prompt ‘Any, any, "It’s raining and sunny, at the same time. What fresh hell is this?!",’ at comment_fic.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood or any of the characters.
Even on a good day, not that he had many days that could be described that way, moody bastard that he was, Owen hated being out in the countryside. He was a city boy through and through, only feeling at home when surrounded by buildings, traffic, and the rich aroma of air pollution.
Unfortunately for Dr Harper, the Rift that ran through the centre of Cardiff liked to keep things interesting, so on random occasions, it would deposit one of its largely unwanted and unappreciated gifts beyond the city limits. Under normal circumstances, the Rift’s outer extremities didn’t extend far beyond the suburbs, probably no more than half a mile, so most of the time the team didn’t have to go far to retrieve items. It did tend to fluctuate on occasion though, and to complicate matters further, this time, according to the readings collected by Tosh’s Rift monitor software, the arrival was of a living creature, which had been dumped just beyond the M4 motorway, out past Pontprennau. Unsurprisingly, by the time Torchwood got to its arrival point, it was already gone.
“Great,” Owen grumbled. “I suppose that means we ‘ave to go looking for it.”
“It’s an alien,” Ianto said mildly. “Of course we have to find it. Can’t just leave it wandering around out here; anything could happen to it.”
“Or to anyone who finds it and doesn’t know what they’re looking at,” Jack added, sounding ridiculously cheerful. “It might be vicious, or venomous, or sentient.”
“Or all three.” Ianto smirked at Owen. “You wouldn’t want innocent people to die, would you?”
Owen’s scowl deepened. “Why couldn’t this alien, whatever it is, just run across the motorway and get itself flattened? Would save us a lot of time and effort. Nobody pays much attention to roadkill.”
Tosh turned a disbelieving glare on her colleague. “I can’t believe you could be so callous! And you call yourself a doctor!”
“Exactly! I’m a doctor; I treat people, not animals.”
“We don’t know for sure that it is an animal,” Ianto reminded the medic.
“And we’ll never find out if we stand around talking all day.” Jack folded his arms across his chest. “If you’ve quite finished complaining, Owen, I suggest we start looking for our visitor before it gets any further away.”
Tosh was already using a scanner to locate traces of Rift energy and determine which direction the creature had gone. “I think it’s heading for Cefn Mabley Woods.”
Ianto nodded. “That makes sense; plenty of shelter there where it can keep out of sight. Sentient or not, it won’t want to stay out in the open any longer than it has to.” He had his own scanner out. “We should try to catch up before it gets there though; our job will be a lot easier if we don’t have to search under every bush and behind every tree.”
“Or up the trees, if it’s something that can climb,” Jack added.
“How big is this thing?” Gwen asked.
“About the size of a cat, maybe a bit smaller.” Tosh smiled. “Should fit in a carrying cage. We did bring one, right?” She turned to Ianto.
He nodded. “Of course. It’s in the back of the SUV.”
“Owen.” Jack turned to the medic. “You can bring the carrier, and grab your medical bag too, just in case it’s needed. Make sure you lock up; if the SUV’s not here when we get back, there’ll be trouble. You remember what happened last time.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Owen stomped around to the rear of the vehicle, which Ianto had already opened, pulling out his medical kit and the cage, dumping both on the ground. “How come I’m expected to carry everything?”
“Someone’s got to, and I wouldn’t want you to run out of things to complain about.” Jack clapped his hands together. “Right, kids, let’s get moving!”
Muttering curses under his breath, Owen slung the strap of his field medical kit over his shoulder, slammed the boot closed, and checked the doors were locked before pocketing the keys. By the time he’d done that and picked the sturdy cage up by the handle on top, the rest of the team were already halfway across the field, Gwen carrying a rolled-up net under one arm, and Ianto wearing a rucksack loaded with other equipment on his back. Owen hurried after them, having to jog to catch up.
He consoled himself that at least the weather was okay for once. It was pleasantly warm without being too hot, and the sun was shining. It had rained the night before though, so the grass was still wet, and before long his trainers and the bottoms of his jeans were soaked. He really hated grass!
They’d covered barely half the distance between the roadside where they’d parked and the wide expanse of the woods, when something hit Owen on the head and trickled down towards his left eyebrow. Swiping at it with the back of his hand, hoping it wasn’t from a passing bird, he found it was just water; when he looked up at the blue sky, with its scattering of fluffy white clouds, another droplet hit his face, then another…
“Shit! What the fuck is this? The sun’s shining and it’s raining!”
Ianto half turned to glance back at him, raising an eyebrow. “It’s called a summer shower, Owen. I don’t know why you’re making such a fuss; a few raindrops won’t hurt you. If we’re lucky, we might even get a rainbow.”
The rain continued to fall, pattering gently around them as they walked, the sun continued to shine brightly, and Owen tried to pull his jacket up over his head, hampered by the carrying cage in one hand and the strap of his medical kit over his shoulder.
“I’m in hell!”
“Oh, stop moaning,” Gwen snapped. “We’re all getting wet, but you don’t hear the rest of us complaining about it!”
“Look! Rainbow!” Jack was walking backwards, pointing behind the rest of the team, who all stopped and turned around, except for Owen.
“So pretty! Oh, it’s a double!” Tosh’s face lit up. “I love rainbows. They’re so bright and cheerful.”
“When I was little, I always wanted to try and find the end of one,” Gwen admitted.
“You know Leprechauns aren’t real, right?” Jack teased. “You wouldn’t find a pot of gold.”
“I know that!” Gwen swatted at him, grinning. “I just wanted to stand right where the rainbow touches down, with all those colours around me. Never managed it though. No matter how fast I ran, I never got any closer.”
“Oi!” Owen interrupted. “Why’re you just standing around here getting soaked to the skin?”
Ianto rolled his eyes. “It’s not that bad, Owen; hardly more than a light drizzle. You’re not going to shrink, if that’s what’s worrying you. I’m sure you’ve been out in worse.”
“Not by choice.” Stomping past the others, Owen continued walking. “We’ll never find this stupid thing if you lot just stand around gawking like a bunch of idiots.”
“We’re not gawking, we’re appreciating the beauty of the natural world; you just have no soul,” Ianto said.
“Don’t need that crap, I’ve got common sense,” Owen called back over his shoulder.
“Since when?” Ianto watched his colleague for a few more moments before adding, “You do know you’re going the wrong way, right?”
“What?” Owen looked back.
“The woods are that way.” Ianto informed him, pointing helpfully in the direction the rest of the team were going, with Tosh and her scanner once again taking the lead.
“Why the fuck didn’t anyone tell me?”
“I thought I just did.” Ianto was already striding along after the others, his long legs eating up the distance, and once again Owen found himself bringing up the rear. He was tempted to turn back and leave them to it, since he had the keys to the SUV, but looking back he could no longer see the road where they’d parked, and the last thing he needed was to get lost. If he did that, there was a fair chance the others might decide to head back to Cardiff without him. He wouldn’t put it past them; they’d probably think it was funny.
Muttering an endless stream of curses, he hurried after them, wishing the rain would stop, and moments later, it did. Not that it improved Owen’s mood much; he trudged across the uneven ground, his trainers slipping on the wet grass so that he twisted one ankle or the other every few steps, steaming gently in the warm sunlight, and feeling thoroughly fed up. Why anyone would want to spend time in the countryside if they didn’t have to, he couldn’t begin to imagine. It was smelly, dirty, and disgusting! At least in the city you could see what you were stepping in.
He was so deep in gloomy thoughts and trying to watch where he put his feet, even though by now his trainers were probably ruined, he didn’t even notice that the rest of the team had stopped again until he piled into Jack’s back, rebounded, and wound up sitting on the wet grass, soaking the seat of his jeans.
“Fuck it! Why didn’t you warn me you were stopping?”
“Why weren’t you watching where you were going?” Jack shot back.
“I was!”
“Not very well, apparently.” Ianto sounded amused, but Owen still accepted the hand the other man held out, letting Ianto help him up. He probably should’ve said thank you, but he couldn’t be arsed.
“Is there another rainbow or something?” He looked up at the sky.
“You don’t get rainbows when it isn’t raining,” Ianto explained patiently.
Owen ignored him. “So why’d everyone stop?”
“Because according to Tosh’s scanner, whatever we’re looking for is only about twenty metres ahead of us,” Jack said, keeping his voice low. “Ianto and I are gonna circle around it; the rest of you, spread out.”
Ianto headed left while Jack went right, keeping well clear of where Tosh’s scanner indicated their as yet unseen quarry was hiding in the longer grass around a scrubby bush. Once everyone was in position, they closed in around the bush, walking slowly and quietly, hoping not to startle the new arrival.
Gwen had the net ready to throw over the alien if it tried to escape, but in the end it wasn’t needed. The vaguely fox-like creature was huddled disconsolately halfway under the bush, where it had obviously been trying to shelter from the rain, its shaggy blue fur wet and bedraggled.
“Oh, the poor thing!” Tosh gasped.
Jack smirked at Owen. “Looks like it’s not enjoying the weather any more than you are.”
Owen silently agreed; the creature looked as miserable as he felt. That didn’t mean he had any sympathy for it though, not when its arrival was the reason behind his discomfort.
“Bring the carrier over here,” Jack said.
Stomping over, Owen dumped the cage on the grass. “Someone else can carry it back; I’ve done more than my share.”
“Fine by me.” Ianto stooped to open the door. “I’ll just make one less coffee when we get back to the Hub.”
Owen opened his mouth to protest, then thought better of it; calling Ianto’s bluff was never a wise move. “On second thoughts, doesn’t look like it weighs much. I’m not putting it in the carrier though. Last thing I need is to get bitten.”
“Looks like none of us will have to do that.”
As soon as the door was open, the alien, spotting the thick towel that lined the bottom of the carrier, crept inside, and snuggled down gratefully.
“There, that wasn’t so difficult, was it?” Jack beamed happily as Ianto closed the door again.
“Do we know what our friend here is?” Ianto asked, straightening up.
“We do. It’s a Vervex,” Jack replied. “Very popular house pets in the Delvus Sector, affectionate and easy to train.” He glanced at Owen. “I’ve never heard of a tame one biting.”
“Doesn’t mean it won’t.” Owen preferred not to trust anything with teeth; there were fewer nasty surprises that way.
“It’s a fair point,” Ianto said. “After what it’s been through, snatched by the Rift and dumped in a strange place only to get rained on, it would be understandable if it was a bit upset.”
“Oh, great, let’s all fuss over the alien! How come no one bothers to be understanding when I’m upset about being rained on? All I get is a bunch of insults.”
“You’re human, and more or less waterproof,” Jack pointed out. “Vervex aren’t. Their native planet is mostly desert, not much in the way of rainfall. That’s why they’re bred as house pets; they need warmth and shelter.”
Owen smirked at Ianto. “Looks like you’ll be getting lumbered with yet another alien to take care of. Sucks to be you.”
“I was thinking we could keep it as a team pet,” Jack said. “Set up a rota for feeding and cleaning up after it. Vervex are low maintenance pets, one of the reasons they’re so popular. Food, water, a comfy bed, and occasional grooming, that’s all they need. This one’s an adult, so it’s probably already housebroken. We’ll get it a collar with a bell on it.”
“Oh, great. Something else to trip over.” Owen looked up at the sky. “Why’re we still standing around? I want to get back to the Hub, where it’s dry.”
“You’re right.” Jack nodded. “We need to get the Vervex dry and warmed up as soon as possible. Don’t want it catching a chill.” He picked up the carrier himself.
“I thought I was supposed to be carryin’ that.” Owen wasn’t sure why he was complaining, he was just annoyed with the world and everything any of the team did seemed to be rubbing him the wrong way.
Ianto looked at the medic. “I thought you didn’t want to carry it.”
“I don’t, but you said I wouldn’t get any coffee if I didn’t.”
“That was before Jack volunteered his services.”
“Oh. I suppose that’s alright then.”
“I doubt the Vervex would want you bouncing it about,” Jack said, grinning. “How many times did you fall over?”
“Only once, and that was your fault for stopping right in front of me.” Owen spun on his heel and set of across the field. “Well, come on!”
“You’re going the wrong way again, Owen. Unless you want to walk back to the Hub, but you might have a bit of trouble crossing the motorway.”
“Up yours!”
“In your dreams.” Ianto strode off with the rest of the team following, and Owen had to jog to catch up. Again. Naturally, before they were halfway back to the road it started raining again.
“Shit! Just when I thought today couldn’t get any worse.” Owen hunched his shoulders and turned his collar up. “Next time we have to go out in the country, you can just leave me behind where it’s dry.”
“But there’s another rainbow!” Tosh said from up ahead.
“I don’t care about the sodding rainbow! I’m wet, my trainers are soaked, and I’m fed up.”
“Don’t mind him, that’s just our little ray of gloomshine!” Jack told the Vervex cheerfully. “Never happy unless he’s got something to complain about.”
“I heard that!”
“Good.” Jack glanced back over his shoulder. “Don’t dawdle, or we’ll leave you behind.”
“Hah! No you won’t; I’ve got the keys.”
“I’ve got a spare set.” Ianto’s voice floated back to Owen, who picked up the pace, slipping in the mud and just managing to keep from falling flat on his face. The rain was getting heavier.
“Knew I should’ve just stayed in bed this morning.”
The End
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Owen, Ianto, Jack, Tosh, Gwen.
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2624
Summary: Owen hates the countryside at the best of times, but this is pure hell.
Spoilers: Nada.
Written For: Challenge 428: Rain at fan_flashworks. Also for cozy_coffee’s prompt ‘Any, any, "It’s raining and sunny, at the same time. What fresh hell is this?!",’ at comment_fic.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood or any of the characters.
Even on a good day, not that he had many days that could be described that way, moody bastard that he was, Owen hated being out in the countryside. He was a city boy through and through, only feeling at home when surrounded by buildings, traffic, and the rich aroma of air pollution.
Unfortunately for Dr Harper, the Rift that ran through the centre of Cardiff liked to keep things interesting, so on random occasions, it would deposit one of its largely unwanted and unappreciated gifts beyond the city limits. Under normal circumstances, the Rift’s outer extremities didn’t extend far beyond the suburbs, probably no more than half a mile, so most of the time the team didn’t have to go far to retrieve items. It did tend to fluctuate on occasion though, and to complicate matters further, this time, according to the readings collected by Tosh’s Rift monitor software, the arrival was of a living creature, which had been dumped just beyond the M4 motorway, out past Pontprennau. Unsurprisingly, by the time Torchwood got to its arrival point, it was already gone.
“Great,” Owen grumbled. “I suppose that means we ‘ave to go looking for it.”
“It’s an alien,” Ianto said mildly. “Of course we have to find it. Can’t just leave it wandering around out here; anything could happen to it.”
“Or to anyone who finds it and doesn’t know what they’re looking at,” Jack added, sounding ridiculously cheerful. “It might be vicious, or venomous, or sentient.”
“Or all three.” Ianto smirked at Owen. “You wouldn’t want innocent people to die, would you?”
Owen’s scowl deepened. “Why couldn’t this alien, whatever it is, just run across the motorway and get itself flattened? Would save us a lot of time and effort. Nobody pays much attention to roadkill.”
Tosh turned a disbelieving glare on her colleague. “I can’t believe you could be so callous! And you call yourself a doctor!”
“Exactly! I’m a doctor; I treat people, not animals.”
“We don’t know for sure that it is an animal,” Ianto reminded the medic.
“And we’ll never find out if we stand around talking all day.” Jack folded his arms across his chest. “If you’ve quite finished complaining, Owen, I suggest we start looking for our visitor before it gets any further away.”
Tosh was already using a scanner to locate traces of Rift energy and determine which direction the creature had gone. “I think it’s heading for Cefn Mabley Woods.”
Ianto nodded. “That makes sense; plenty of shelter there where it can keep out of sight. Sentient or not, it won’t want to stay out in the open any longer than it has to.” He had his own scanner out. “We should try to catch up before it gets there though; our job will be a lot easier if we don’t have to search under every bush and behind every tree.”
“Or up the trees, if it’s something that can climb,” Jack added.
“How big is this thing?” Gwen asked.
“About the size of a cat, maybe a bit smaller.” Tosh smiled. “Should fit in a carrying cage. We did bring one, right?” She turned to Ianto.
He nodded. “Of course. It’s in the back of the SUV.”
“Owen.” Jack turned to the medic. “You can bring the carrier, and grab your medical bag too, just in case it’s needed. Make sure you lock up; if the SUV’s not here when we get back, there’ll be trouble. You remember what happened last time.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Owen stomped around to the rear of the vehicle, which Ianto had already opened, pulling out his medical kit and the cage, dumping both on the ground. “How come I’m expected to carry everything?”
“Someone’s got to, and I wouldn’t want you to run out of things to complain about.” Jack clapped his hands together. “Right, kids, let’s get moving!”
Muttering curses under his breath, Owen slung the strap of his field medical kit over his shoulder, slammed the boot closed, and checked the doors were locked before pocketing the keys. By the time he’d done that and picked the sturdy cage up by the handle on top, the rest of the team were already halfway across the field, Gwen carrying a rolled-up net under one arm, and Ianto wearing a rucksack loaded with other equipment on his back. Owen hurried after them, having to jog to catch up.
He consoled himself that at least the weather was okay for once. It was pleasantly warm without being too hot, and the sun was shining. It had rained the night before though, so the grass was still wet, and before long his trainers and the bottoms of his jeans were soaked. He really hated grass!
They’d covered barely half the distance between the roadside where they’d parked and the wide expanse of the woods, when something hit Owen on the head and trickled down towards his left eyebrow. Swiping at it with the back of his hand, hoping it wasn’t from a passing bird, he found it was just water; when he looked up at the blue sky, with its scattering of fluffy white clouds, another droplet hit his face, then another…
“Shit! What the fuck is this? The sun’s shining and it’s raining!”
Ianto half turned to glance back at him, raising an eyebrow. “It’s called a summer shower, Owen. I don’t know why you’re making such a fuss; a few raindrops won’t hurt you. If we’re lucky, we might even get a rainbow.”
The rain continued to fall, pattering gently around them as they walked, the sun continued to shine brightly, and Owen tried to pull his jacket up over his head, hampered by the carrying cage in one hand and the strap of his medical kit over his shoulder.
“I’m in hell!”
“Oh, stop moaning,” Gwen snapped. “We’re all getting wet, but you don’t hear the rest of us complaining about it!”
“Look! Rainbow!” Jack was walking backwards, pointing behind the rest of the team, who all stopped and turned around, except for Owen.
“So pretty! Oh, it’s a double!” Tosh’s face lit up. “I love rainbows. They’re so bright and cheerful.”
“When I was little, I always wanted to try and find the end of one,” Gwen admitted.
“You know Leprechauns aren’t real, right?” Jack teased. “You wouldn’t find a pot of gold.”
“I know that!” Gwen swatted at him, grinning. “I just wanted to stand right where the rainbow touches down, with all those colours around me. Never managed it though. No matter how fast I ran, I never got any closer.”
“Oi!” Owen interrupted. “Why’re you just standing around here getting soaked to the skin?”
Ianto rolled his eyes. “It’s not that bad, Owen; hardly more than a light drizzle. You’re not going to shrink, if that’s what’s worrying you. I’m sure you’ve been out in worse.”
“Not by choice.” Stomping past the others, Owen continued walking. “We’ll never find this stupid thing if you lot just stand around gawking like a bunch of idiots.”
“We’re not gawking, we’re appreciating the beauty of the natural world; you just have no soul,” Ianto said.
“Don’t need that crap, I’ve got common sense,” Owen called back over his shoulder.
“Since when?” Ianto watched his colleague for a few more moments before adding, “You do know you’re going the wrong way, right?”
“What?” Owen looked back.
“The woods are that way.” Ianto informed him, pointing helpfully in the direction the rest of the team were going, with Tosh and her scanner once again taking the lead.
“Why the fuck didn’t anyone tell me?”
“I thought I just did.” Ianto was already striding along after the others, his long legs eating up the distance, and once again Owen found himself bringing up the rear. He was tempted to turn back and leave them to it, since he had the keys to the SUV, but looking back he could no longer see the road where they’d parked, and the last thing he needed was to get lost. If he did that, there was a fair chance the others might decide to head back to Cardiff without him. He wouldn’t put it past them; they’d probably think it was funny.
Muttering an endless stream of curses, he hurried after them, wishing the rain would stop, and moments later, it did. Not that it improved Owen’s mood much; he trudged across the uneven ground, his trainers slipping on the wet grass so that he twisted one ankle or the other every few steps, steaming gently in the warm sunlight, and feeling thoroughly fed up. Why anyone would want to spend time in the countryside if they didn’t have to, he couldn’t begin to imagine. It was smelly, dirty, and disgusting! At least in the city you could see what you were stepping in.
He was so deep in gloomy thoughts and trying to watch where he put his feet, even though by now his trainers were probably ruined, he didn’t even notice that the rest of the team had stopped again until he piled into Jack’s back, rebounded, and wound up sitting on the wet grass, soaking the seat of his jeans.
“Fuck it! Why didn’t you warn me you were stopping?”
“Why weren’t you watching where you were going?” Jack shot back.
“I was!”
“Not very well, apparently.” Ianto sounded amused, but Owen still accepted the hand the other man held out, letting Ianto help him up. He probably should’ve said thank you, but he couldn’t be arsed.
“Is there another rainbow or something?” He looked up at the sky.
“You don’t get rainbows when it isn’t raining,” Ianto explained patiently.
Owen ignored him. “So why’d everyone stop?”
“Because according to Tosh’s scanner, whatever we’re looking for is only about twenty metres ahead of us,” Jack said, keeping his voice low. “Ianto and I are gonna circle around it; the rest of you, spread out.”
Ianto headed left while Jack went right, keeping well clear of where Tosh’s scanner indicated their as yet unseen quarry was hiding in the longer grass around a scrubby bush. Once everyone was in position, they closed in around the bush, walking slowly and quietly, hoping not to startle the new arrival.
Gwen had the net ready to throw over the alien if it tried to escape, but in the end it wasn’t needed. The vaguely fox-like creature was huddled disconsolately halfway under the bush, where it had obviously been trying to shelter from the rain, its shaggy blue fur wet and bedraggled.
“Oh, the poor thing!” Tosh gasped.
Jack smirked at Owen. “Looks like it’s not enjoying the weather any more than you are.”
Owen silently agreed; the creature looked as miserable as he felt. That didn’t mean he had any sympathy for it though, not when its arrival was the reason behind his discomfort.
“Bring the carrier over here,” Jack said.
Stomping over, Owen dumped the cage on the grass. “Someone else can carry it back; I’ve done more than my share.”
“Fine by me.” Ianto stooped to open the door. “I’ll just make one less coffee when we get back to the Hub.”
Owen opened his mouth to protest, then thought better of it; calling Ianto’s bluff was never a wise move. “On second thoughts, doesn’t look like it weighs much. I’m not putting it in the carrier though. Last thing I need is to get bitten.”
“Looks like none of us will have to do that.”
As soon as the door was open, the alien, spotting the thick towel that lined the bottom of the carrier, crept inside, and snuggled down gratefully.
“There, that wasn’t so difficult, was it?” Jack beamed happily as Ianto closed the door again.
“Do we know what our friend here is?” Ianto asked, straightening up.
“We do. It’s a Vervex,” Jack replied. “Very popular house pets in the Delvus Sector, affectionate and easy to train.” He glanced at Owen. “I’ve never heard of a tame one biting.”
“Doesn’t mean it won’t.” Owen preferred not to trust anything with teeth; there were fewer nasty surprises that way.
“It’s a fair point,” Ianto said. “After what it’s been through, snatched by the Rift and dumped in a strange place only to get rained on, it would be understandable if it was a bit upset.”
“Oh, great, let’s all fuss over the alien! How come no one bothers to be understanding when I’m upset about being rained on? All I get is a bunch of insults.”
“You’re human, and more or less waterproof,” Jack pointed out. “Vervex aren’t. Their native planet is mostly desert, not much in the way of rainfall. That’s why they’re bred as house pets; they need warmth and shelter.”
Owen smirked at Ianto. “Looks like you’ll be getting lumbered with yet another alien to take care of. Sucks to be you.”
“I was thinking we could keep it as a team pet,” Jack said. “Set up a rota for feeding and cleaning up after it. Vervex are low maintenance pets, one of the reasons they’re so popular. Food, water, a comfy bed, and occasional grooming, that’s all they need. This one’s an adult, so it’s probably already housebroken. We’ll get it a collar with a bell on it.”
“Oh, great. Something else to trip over.” Owen looked up at the sky. “Why’re we still standing around? I want to get back to the Hub, where it’s dry.”
“You’re right.” Jack nodded. “We need to get the Vervex dry and warmed up as soon as possible. Don’t want it catching a chill.” He picked up the carrier himself.
“I thought I was supposed to be carryin’ that.” Owen wasn’t sure why he was complaining, he was just annoyed with the world and everything any of the team did seemed to be rubbing him the wrong way.
Ianto looked at the medic. “I thought you didn’t want to carry it.”
“I don’t, but you said I wouldn’t get any coffee if I didn’t.”
“That was before Jack volunteered his services.”
“Oh. I suppose that’s alright then.”
“I doubt the Vervex would want you bouncing it about,” Jack said, grinning. “How many times did you fall over?”
“Only once, and that was your fault for stopping right in front of me.” Owen spun on his heel and set of across the field. “Well, come on!”
“You’re going the wrong way again, Owen. Unless you want to walk back to the Hub, but you might have a bit of trouble crossing the motorway.”
“Up yours!”
“In your dreams.” Ianto strode off with the rest of the team following, and Owen had to jog to catch up. Again. Naturally, before they were halfway back to the road it started raining again.
“Shit! Just when I thought today couldn’t get any worse.” Owen hunched his shoulders and turned his collar up. “Next time we have to go out in the country, you can just leave me behind where it’s dry.”
“But there’s another rainbow!” Tosh said from up ahead.
“I don’t care about the sodding rainbow! I’m wet, my trainers are soaked, and I’m fed up.”
“Don’t mind him, that’s just our little ray of gloomshine!” Jack told the Vervex cheerfully. “Never happy unless he’s got something to complain about.”
“I heard that!”
“Good.” Jack glanced back over his shoulder. “Don’t dawdle, or we’ll leave you behind.”
“Hah! No you won’t; I’ve got the keys.”
“I’ve got a spare set.” Ianto’s voice floated back to Owen, who picked up the pace, slipping in the mud and just managing to keep from falling flat on his face. The rain was getting heavier.
“Knew I should’ve just stayed in bed this morning.”
The End