Fic: Putting It Back Together Again - Torchwood - PG 13 (3/7)
Author: Book_Junkie007
Pairing: Ianto/Gwen, Tosh/OMC, team
Rating: PG 13
Wordcount: 2624 words
Warnings: Set between End of Days and Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang.
Notes:
It took a village to write this fic, so thanks goes out to:
- karaokegal and veritas6.5 for being absolutely fabulous betas
- @kaddison_ on Twitter for sharing her experiences in Nepal and making sure I had Kathmandu accurate
- @CCTerry_ for listening to my rants and giving me feedback on scenes I wasn't sure about
- @AsphyxiaPallida for cheering me on
- @Miss_T2011 for reading things over, giving me feed back, and cheering me on
- My boyfriend for helping me figure out machinery, which I'm useless at
- Everyone on Twitter, LJ, and in real life who have put up with me babbling about this fic for the last six months. I love you all. <3
Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood as I am Canadian. I kind of live in the wrong country. :P
Summary: Sequel to It All Falls Apart
Set during the four months between End of Days and Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. The team is still coming to terms with Jack's abandonment, while Gwen, the new head of Torchwood, is also dealing with the fact that Rhys is truly gone. The Prime Minister's phone call to the remaining members of the team takes them, along with Benjamin Stratford, a new recruit, to the mysterious Himalaya to see if the Yeti is real, and if it needs their help getting home.
Master List
Ianto unlocked the door of his flat and allowed Gwen to enter first. She set down her bag, and he helped her take off her leather jacket. She had bought her first leather two and a half weeks after Rhys died. Ianto went with her to pick it out. She had insisted she had to toughen up if she was going to be the leader of Torchwood, and Ianto hadn’t disagreed. He thought she looked rather sexy in leather: more dangerous, like Jack. Gwen hadn’t quite reached the level of ruthlessness Jack had, and Ianto hoped she wouldn’t. She kept the balance in Torchwood, even if her ways of keeping the balance were unconventional at times.
Entering the bedroom, Ianto started to take off his tie, but Gwen stopped him.
“Let me,” she murmured, and began to undo it for him.
He closed his eyes and let his mind wander as Gwen undressed him. Jack had never been one for the gentle, slow build of easing into sex; he had been into ripping off every piece of clothing and shagging no matter where they were. Being with Gwen reminded him what it was like to have genuine intimacy beforehand.
Ianto had given much consideration to his relationship with Jack in the past few weeks. He was dissatisfied with how Jack had left, without a word to any of them. It made him feel like he, and the team, just weren’t enough to keep Jack in one place. And if he and the team weren’t enough, why had Jack stayed with Torchwood for as long as he had? Did they mean anything to him? Did Ianto? He was getting to the point where he wasn’t even sure if he would take Jack back if he ever returned.
He opened his eyes and started unbuttoning Gwen’s shirt. They never spoke during these moments. It was just a way to connect with someone else, after having been lonely or left behind. Gwen never rushed him, letting him take all the time he needed with every step. He felt relief from the pressure of holding it together for the benefit of the outside world, letting them see what they wanted to see. Gwen allowed him to just be the broken and bruised man who had fallen so many times it was a miracle he had the strength to get back up again. She was the same, which made what they did a bit more special. They were the comfort to each other that the outside world couldn’t give, because if the world saw their weakness they wouldn’t be seen in the same light or have the same respect.
Ianto offered his hand to Gwen. She took it, and together they made their way to the bed.
After they were done, Gwen curled into Ianto’s side. He put his arm around her, drawing her close, and they drifted off to sleep, two people alone in the world and deprived of what and whom they had had before. All they had in this moment was each other.
~TW~TW~TW~TW~TW~
Gwen woke to the insistent beeping of the alarm, nestled into Ianto’s side, his arm still around her. She gently nudged him awake.
“Huh?” he mumbled.
“Time to get up,” she whispered. “We have to be at the Hub for 5:30.”
“Right,” he said.
Gwen followed him into the bathroom, admiring the view of his shapely arse as they both prepared for the long day of travel ahead.
After a quick breakfast and cup of coffee they left for the Hub. Parking in the underground car park, and grabbing their backpacks, they walked up to the Millennium Centre, where the rest of the team was waiting. Gwen surveyed her team, luggage scattered around them, taking in Owen’s slight smirk, Toshiko being busy with her PDA, and Benjamin watching Toshiko.
Interesting, she thought. I’ll have to focus on the implications of that later. Good for Tosh, though. Aloud she said, “Has anyone called the taxis yet?”
“They’re coming in ten minutes,” Toshiko said, not looking up from her PDA.
“Excellent,” Gwen replied.
The taxis arrived, and everyone loaded their luggage in. Gwen watched as Benjamin offered to lift Toshiko’s bag into the cab for her and smiled to herself.
“Can I take your bag?” Ianto asked, suddenly appearing at her side.
“Yeah, sure. Thank you,” she said.
“It’s not a problem,” he said, allowing their hands to briefly touch.
It was a thirty-minute ride to Cardiff International Airport. The team disembarked from the taxis and retrieved their luggage.
“All right, let’s go,” Gwen said, leading the way, with Ianto walking closely beside her.
Check-in was fairly quick, as Torchwood had diplomatic status and special permission from the Prime Minister. After that it was the seemingly endless waiting in the departures lounge.
The 90-minute flight to Glasgow was followed by a four hour wait before their seven-and-a-half-hour flight to Dubai.
During the almost twelve-hour layover in Dubai, Gwen and the team checked into the Dubai International Hotel, located right in the airport, for some sleep. It was more luxurious than Gwen had expected to see in an airport, and she was in awe of the sleeping arrangements. In the morning, after a good breakfast, she and the rest of the team strolled through the airport, looking at the shops and food that was available. The terminal was much larger than she’d thought it would be, and she hoped they would be able to find their gate in time.
Finally, they just had the four-hour-and-fifteen-minute flight left, which took them to Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. After twenty-nine hours of traveling, Gwen was relieved to have arrived at their destination.
~TW~TW~TW~TW~TW~
Toshiko stood at the luggage carousel, waiting for her bag to be spit onto the belt so she could grab it. She felt someone come up beside her.
“How are you doing?” Benjamin asked.
“All right,” Toshiko said, shrugging. “There wasn’t much we could do about the flights. I had to work with what was available.”
“And you did well,” Benjamin said, grinning.
“Thanks,” she said, smiling shyly back. She liked Benjamin. He’d been her seat partner for the past twenty-nine hours, and the more she learned about him, the more she liked him. He was funny, and he looked at his work of running samples as an art form, much as she saw her programs as a chance to design something functional but still artistic.
“Oh, look, there’s mine!” Toshiko said, reaching to grab it.
“Let me,” Benjamin said, and lifted it off the carousel.
“Thanks,” she replied, and smiled at him again.
She looked over at where Ianto and Gwen were standing with Owen a little bit apart from them. They had risen to the challenge with the job Jack had left them with, and there had been relatively few mishaps (aside from that incident with the alien bits which had eaten through Toshiko’s shoes). Gwen being friendly with the police definitely helped, as they listened to her better than they had listened to Jack. Jack’s alpha posturing hadn’t made Torchwood a lot of friends with the Cardiff police department. Gwen was more polite with her requests, but she still got her way in the end.
“Let’s go,” Benjamin said, after grabbing his backpack.
“Okay,” Toshiko agreed, and pulled her backpack on.
Ianto had just handed Gwen’s bag to her when she spoke. “So, what would we like to do first? Go to the hotel and get some rest, or drop off our bags and get something to eat?”
“Get some rest,” Owen suggested. “I’m knackered.”
Gwen looked at Ianto who nodded then turned to Toshiko and Benjamin. “Tosh, Benjamin, that sound okay?” she asked.
“Sounds fine to me,” Toshiko said, nodding.
“Me too,” Benjamin added from beside her.
Gwen nodded.
Going through customs was a relatively slow process, and Toshiko was glad Benjamin had decided to follow her to her line. The wait didn’t feel as long with him there.
She went up to the man at the booth.
“Hello,” he said. “How are you?”
“I’m fine,” Toshiko replied.
“Why are you here?” he asked her, sounding friendly enough.
“My friends and I are going to Kanchenjunga. We want to see the summit.”
“Ah, I see,” he said as he stamped her passport. “Have you heard of the Rum Doodle Restaurant and Bar here in Kathmandu? It’s where all the mountaineers gather.”
“I’ve seen some information about it during my research,” Toshiko said. “I’ll be sure to visit.”
“Excellent,” he said, smiling at her. “I hope you have a good time, and be careful: the Yeti is around those parts.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, thank you,” she said, smiling back.
“Enjoy your stay in Nepal. Next,” he called.
Toshiko stepped away from the counter as Benjamin came up. She looked around and saw Gwen had already come through. She made her way to her.
“All right, Tosh?” Gwen said, smiling at her.
“Fine, thanks,” she replied, smiling back. “Just tired.”
“I think we all are. I can’t wait to get to the hotel, actually,” Gwen said.
Toshiko stood talking with Gwen until the others had gathered, then followed her out of the airport. Once they got outside, hot, humid air hit her in the face, and she and the others stopped and stood in shock. Chaos reigned.
There was noise and honking everywhere on the street. The sign that insisted on “No Honking” was a dusty, forlorn joke.
The road appeared to be in utter disrepair, making the sight of a whole family on one motorcycle even alarming, especially given the lack of helmets anywhere to be seen. It was hard to appreciate the brightly coloured saris when the driver of the motorcycle seemed to be taking the lives of himself, his kinfolk, and any potential pedestrians, in his hands with a certain cavalier attitude.
There were cyclers with rickshaws, and large piles of fruit, darting through the traffic. She turned back to the airport and was surprised to see monkeys climbing all over the roof. She couldn’t see the Himalaya from where she stood, though. This was definitely different from sleepy little Cardiff, or London, or even the intensity of Tokyo, where she had gone with her family over the years.
“There’s a cab,” Owen said, and walked forward to wave it down. The cab stopped, and Owen, Gwen, and Ianto moved to get in.
“You’ll be okay?” Gwen addressed Toshiko. “You know the address of the hotel and everything?”
“Yes, I do,” Toshiko replied.
“Okay, good,” Gwen said with a relieved smile. “We’ll wait for you in front of the hotel, and we’ll check in together.”
“Sounds good,” Toshiko said, smiling in agreement.
It took a bit of time, but Benjamin was finally able to flag down a cab. After talking with the driver and explaining exactly what they wanted, Toshiko and Benjamin got into the car. The drive through the city was slightly crazy, with people weaving in and out of the traffic, and everyone just barely missing each other, but they made it to the hotel without incident. Along the way, Toshiko noticed the children everywhere, the monks in the street and the prayer flags. The shop windows were filled with things that she didn’t see in Cardiff, making the city seem that much more exotic. Their driver chattered on about anything and everything, from his family to places to visit.
“Three hundred fifty rupees, please,” the driver said.
Toshiko watched as Benjamin pulled out four hundred fifty rupees and handed it to the driver.
“Thank you,” Benjamin said, before getting out.
Toshiko followed him out as he lifted their luggage out of the boot. Putting their backpacks on, they walked to the front door of the International Guest House. There were Oriental influences to the decor of the hotel, but it was still distinctly Nepali, or so she thought, given what she had seen of the buildings on the way to the hotel.
Gwen glanced up and waved them over.
“Oh, good, you made it. I wasn’t sure we would,” she said with a bit of a chuckle.
“I know what you mean,” Toshiko replied. “He was almost as bad a driver as Jack.”
Gwen laughed again. “Tosh, no one could be as bad a driver as Jack,” she said with a grin.
“That’s true,” Toshiko grinned back.
“All right, well, since we’re all here, let’s get checked in. Tosh, you did book good rooms, right?” Gwen asked jokingly.
“Yes, there’s a room for the men and a room for us. The men have to share a bed and there’s also going to be a cot in there,” Toshiko replied.
“Excellent,” Gwen said, and led the way to the counter.
The man walked over and looked at Ianto. “Namaste,” he said with a slight bow, his hands folded in front of his chest. “How can I help you?”
“Namaste,” Ianto replied, folding his hands in front of his chest and giving a slight bow. “We’re looking to check into our rooms, names under ... Torchwood?” Ianto asked, looking at Toshiko. She nodded so he continued. “Torchwood.”
“Right away, sir,” the man said, and went to get their keys. He handed them to Ianto and explained where their rooms were. Ianto nodded and turned back to the others.
“Okay,” he said, sorting through the keys. “Tosh, Gwen, here’s yours. Owen, Ben, yours. What’s the plan, Gwen?”
“Put our bags away, grab some supper, then get some sleep. I’m tired of aeroplane food,” she responded. “Meet back down here in a half hour.”
“All right,” Ianto replied. “See you in a bit.”
Toshiko led the way to their room, and used her key to open the door. “This is nice,” she said, stepping into the room. “Which side do you want?” she asked Gwen, who had followed her in.
“Right,” she decided.
“Okay, I’ll take left then.”
Toshiko dropped her bag to the floor. She went to the washroom and freshened up then sat on their bed, waiting for Gwen to finish in the loo.
“What do you think the trek will be like?” Toshiko asked when Gwen sat down next to her on the bed.
“Long, boring, slightly scary, but it will be amazing. What do you think?”
“I think it will be the experience of a lifetime.”
Toshiko and Gwen chatted a while longer about the upcoming trek and what they were expecting. Toshiko’s mind wandered to the days to come, and how they would find the Yeti, if it indeed existed. Her mind also wandered to how exhausted she was and how all she wanted was sleep. Food came first though, and she resigned herself to staying up for a bit longer.
Toshiko looked at her watch. “We should meet the others.”
“Right.”
Toshiko and Gwen made their way downstairs to the lobby where Benjamin, Owen, and Ianto were waiting.
“Where are we going for supper?” Ianto asked.
Toshiko took out her PDA. “There were some good reviews on the restaurants at the Yak and Yeti Hotel. Let’s try there.”
“Okay,” Gwen said. “Where do we go?”
Toshiko pulled the directions to the hotel on her phone, and the team set off. The team decided they would rather walk than attempt to deal with the craziness of the traffic again.
They were seated fairly quickly in the restaurant. The food and service was good and soon the team was heading back to their hotel.
Toshiko and Gwen entered their room and got ready for bed. Toshiko quickly fell into a deep sleep, dreaming about the next day and what it would bring.
Section 4
Pairing: Ianto/Gwen, Tosh/OMC, team
Rating: PG 13
Wordcount: 2624 words
Warnings: Set between End of Days and Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang.
Notes:
It took a village to write this fic, so thanks goes out to:
- karaokegal and veritas6.5 for being absolutely fabulous betas
- @kaddison_ on Twitter for sharing her experiences in Nepal and making sure I had Kathmandu accurate
- @CCTerry_ for listening to my rants and giving me feedback on scenes I wasn't sure about
- @AsphyxiaPallida for cheering me on
- @Miss_T2011 for reading things over, giving me feed back, and cheering me on
- My boyfriend for helping me figure out machinery, which I'm useless at
- Everyone on Twitter, LJ, and in real life who have put up with me babbling about this fic for the last six months. I love you all. <3
Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood as I am Canadian. I kind of live in the wrong country. :P
Summary: Sequel to It All Falls Apart
Set during the four months between End of Days and Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. The team is still coming to terms with Jack's abandonment, while Gwen, the new head of Torchwood, is also dealing with the fact that Rhys is truly gone. The Prime Minister's phone call to the remaining members of the team takes them, along with Benjamin Stratford, a new recruit, to the mysterious Himalaya to see if the Yeti is real, and if it needs their help getting home.
Master List
Ianto unlocked the door of his flat and allowed Gwen to enter first. She set down her bag, and he helped her take off her leather jacket. She had bought her first leather two and a half weeks after Rhys died. Ianto went with her to pick it out. She had insisted she had to toughen up if she was going to be the leader of Torchwood, and Ianto hadn’t disagreed. He thought she looked rather sexy in leather: more dangerous, like Jack. Gwen hadn’t quite reached the level of ruthlessness Jack had, and Ianto hoped she wouldn’t. She kept the balance in Torchwood, even if her ways of keeping the balance were unconventional at times.
Entering the bedroom, Ianto started to take off his tie, but Gwen stopped him.
“Let me,” she murmured, and began to undo it for him.
He closed his eyes and let his mind wander as Gwen undressed him. Jack had never been one for the gentle, slow build of easing into sex; he had been into ripping off every piece of clothing and shagging no matter where they were. Being with Gwen reminded him what it was like to have genuine intimacy beforehand.
Ianto had given much consideration to his relationship with Jack in the past few weeks. He was dissatisfied with how Jack had left, without a word to any of them. It made him feel like he, and the team, just weren’t enough to keep Jack in one place. And if he and the team weren’t enough, why had Jack stayed with Torchwood for as long as he had? Did they mean anything to him? Did Ianto? He was getting to the point where he wasn’t even sure if he would take Jack back if he ever returned.
He opened his eyes and started unbuttoning Gwen’s shirt. They never spoke during these moments. It was just a way to connect with someone else, after having been lonely or left behind. Gwen never rushed him, letting him take all the time he needed with every step. He felt relief from the pressure of holding it together for the benefit of the outside world, letting them see what they wanted to see. Gwen allowed him to just be the broken and bruised man who had fallen so many times it was a miracle he had the strength to get back up again. She was the same, which made what they did a bit more special. They were the comfort to each other that the outside world couldn’t give, because if the world saw their weakness they wouldn’t be seen in the same light or have the same respect.
Ianto offered his hand to Gwen. She took it, and together they made their way to the bed.
After they were done, Gwen curled into Ianto’s side. He put his arm around her, drawing her close, and they drifted off to sleep, two people alone in the world and deprived of what and whom they had had before. All they had in this moment was each other.
~TW~TW~TW~TW~TW~
Gwen woke to the insistent beeping of the alarm, nestled into Ianto’s side, his arm still around her. She gently nudged him awake.
“Huh?” he mumbled.
“Time to get up,” she whispered. “We have to be at the Hub for 5:30.”
“Right,” he said.
Gwen followed him into the bathroom, admiring the view of his shapely arse as they both prepared for the long day of travel ahead.
After a quick breakfast and cup of coffee they left for the Hub. Parking in the underground car park, and grabbing their backpacks, they walked up to the Millennium Centre, where the rest of the team was waiting. Gwen surveyed her team, luggage scattered around them, taking in Owen’s slight smirk, Toshiko being busy with her PDA, and Benjamin watching Toshiko.
Interesting, she thought. I’ll have to focus on the implications of that later. Good for Tosh, though. Aloud she said, “Has anyone called the taxis yet?”
“They’re coming in ten minutes,” Toshiko said, not looking up from her PDA.
“Excellent,” Gwen replied.
The taxis arrived, and everyone loaded their luggage in. Gwen watched as Benjamin offered to lift Toshiko’s bag into the cab for her and smiled to herself.
“Can I take your bag?” Ianto asked, suddenly appearing at her side.
“Yeah, sure. Thank you,” she said.
“It’s not a problem,” he said, allowing their hands to briefly touch.
It was a thirty-minute ride to Cardiff International Airport. The team disembarked from the taxis and retrieved their luggage.
“All right, let’s go,” Gwen said, leading the way, with Ianto walking closely beside her.
Check-in was fairly quick, as Torchwood had diplomatic status and special permission from the Prime Minister. After that it was the seemingly endless waiting in the departures lounge.
The 90-minute flight to Glasgow was followed by a four hour wait before their seven-and-a-half-hour flight to Dubai.
During the almost twelve-hour layover in Dubai, Gwen and the team checked into the Dubai International Hotel, located right in the airport, for some sleep. It was more luxurious than Gwen had expected to see in an airport, and she was in awe of the sleeping arrangements. In the morning, after a good breakfast, she and the rest of the team strolled through the airport, looking at the shops and food that was available. The terminal was much larger than she’d thought it would be, and she hoped they would be able to find their gate in time.
Finally, they just had the four-hour-and-fifteen-minute flight left, which took them to Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. After twenty-nine hours of traveling, Gwen was relieved to have arrived at their destination.
~TW~TW~TW~TW~TW~
Toshiko stood at the luggage carousel, waiting for her bag to be spit onto the belt so she could grab it. She felt someone come up beside her.
“How are you doing?” Benjamin asked.
“All right,” Toshiko said, shrugging. “There wasn’t much we could do about the flights. I had to work with what was available.”
“And you did well,” Benjamin said, grinning.
“Thanks,” she said, smiling shyly back. She liked Benjamin. He’d been her seat partner for the past twenty-nine hours, and the more she learned about him, the more she liked him. He was funny, and he looked at his work of running samples as an art form, much as she saw her programs as a chance to design something functional but still artistic.
“Oh, look, there’s mine!” Toshiko said, reaching to grab it.
“Let me,” Benjamin said, and lifted it off the carousel.
“Thanks,” she replied, and smiled at him again.
She looked over at where Ianto and Gwen were standing with Owen a little bit apart from them. They had risen to the challenge with the job Jack had left them with, and there had been relatively few mishaps (aside from that incident with the alien bits which had eaten through Toshiko’s shoes). Gwen being friendly with the police definitely helped, as they listened to her better than they had listened to Jack. Jack’s alpha posturing hadn’t made Torchwood a lot of friends with the Cardiff police department. Gwen was more polite with her requests, but she still got her way in the end.
“Let’s go,” Benjamin said, after grabbing his backpack.
“Okay,” Toshiko agreed, and pulled her backpack on.
Ianto had just handed Gwen’s bag to her when she spoke. “So, what would we like to do first? Go to the hotel and get some rest, or drop off our bags and get something to eat?”
“Get some rest,” Owen suggested. “I’m knackered.”
Gwen looked at Ianto who nodded then turned to Toshiko and Benjamin. “Tosh, Benjamin, that sound okay?” she asked.
“Sounds fine to me,” Toshiko said, nodding.
“Me too,” Benjamin added from beside her.
Gwen nodded.
Going through customs was a relatively slow process, and Toshiko was glad Benjamin had decided to follow her to her line. The wait didn’t feel as long with him there.
She went up to the man at the booth.
“Hello,” he said. “How are you?”
“I’m fine,” Toshiko replied.
“Why are you here?” he asked her, sounding friendly enough.
“My friends and I are going to Kanchenjunga. We want to see the summit.”
“Ah, I see,” he said as he stamped her passport. “Have you heard of the Rum Doodle Restaurant and Bar here in Kathmandu? It’s where all the mountaineers gather.”
“I’ve seen some information about it during my research,” Toshiko said. “I’ll be sure to visit.”
“Excellent,” he said, smiling at her. “I hope you have a good time, and be careful: the Yeti is around those parts.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, thank you,” she said, smiling back.
“Enjoy your stay in Nepal. Next,” he called.
Toshiko stepped away from the counter as Benjamin came up. She looked around and saw Gwen had already come through. She made her way to her.
“All right, Tosh?” Gwen said, smiling at her.
“Fine, thanks,” she replied, smiling back. “Just tired.”
“I think we all are. I can’t wait to get to the hotel, actually,” Gwen said.
Toshiko stood talking with Gwen until the others had gathered, then followed her out of the airport. Once they got outside, hot, humid air hit her in the face, and she and the others stopped and stood in shock. Chaos reigned.
There was noise and honking everywhere on the street. The sign that insisted on “No Honking” was a dusty, forlorn joke.
The road appeared to be in utter disrepair, making the sight of a whole family on one motorcycle even alarming, especially given the lack of helmets anywhere to be seen. It was hard to appreciate the brightly coloured saris when the driver of the motorcycle seemed to be taking the lives of himself, his kinfolk, and any potential pedestrians, in his hands with a certain cavalier attitude.
There were cyclers with rickshaws, and large piles of fruit, darting through the traffic. She turned back to the airport and was surprised to see monkeys climbing all over the roof. She couldn’t see the Himalaya from where she stood, though. This was definitely different from sleepy little Cardiff, or London, or even the intensity of Tokyo, where she had gone with her family over the years.
“There’s a cab,” Owen said, and walked forward to wave it down. The cab stopped, and Owen, Gwen, and Ianto moved to get in.
“You’ll be okay?” Gwen addressed Toshiko. “You know the address of the hotel and everything?”
“Yes, I do,” Toshiko replied.
“Okay, good,” Gwen said with a relieved smile. “We’ll wait for you in front of the hotel, and we’ll check in together.”
“Sounds good,” Toshiko said, smiling in agreement.
It took a bit of time, but Benjamin was finally able to flag down a cab. After talking with the driver and explaining exactly what they wanted, Toshiko and Benjamin got into the car. The drive through the city was slightly crazy, with people weaving in and out of the traffic, and everyone just barely missing each other, but they made it to the hotel without incident. Along the way, Toshiko noticed the children everywhere, the monks in the street and the prayer flags. The shop windows were filled with things that she didn’t see in Cardiff, making the city seem that much more exotic. Their driver chattered on about anything and everything, from his family to places to visit.
“Three hundred fifty rupees, please,” the driver said.
Toshiko watched as Benjamin pulled out four hundred fifty rupees and handed it to the driver.
“Thank you,” Benjamin said, before getting out.
Toshiko followed him out as he lifted their luggage out of the boot. Putting their backpacks on, they walked to the front door of the International Guest House. There were Oriental influences to the decor of the hotel, but it was still distinctly Nepali, or so she thought, given what she had seen of the buildings on the way to the hotel.
Gwen glanced up and waved them over.
“Oh, good, you made it. I wasn’t sure we would,” she said with a bit of a chuckle.
“I know what you mean,” Toshiko replied. “He was almost as bad a driver as Jack.”
Gwen laughed again. “Tosh, no one could be as bad a driver as Jack,” she said with a grin.
“That’s true,” Toshiko grinned back.
“All right, well, since we’re all here, let’s get checked in. Tosh, you did book good rooms, right?” Gwen asked jokingly.
“Yes, there’s a room for the men and a room for us. The men have to share a bed and there’s also going to be a cot in there,” Toshiko replied.
“Excellent,” Gwen said, and led the way to the counter.
The man walked over and looked at Ianto. “Namaste,” he said with a slight bow, his hands folded in front of his chest. “How can I help you?”
“Namaste,” Ianto replied, folding his hands in front of his chest and giving a slight bow. “We’re looking to check into our rooms, names under ... Torchwood?” Ianto asked, looking at Toshiko. She nodded so he continued. “Torchwood.”
“Right away, sir,” the man said, and went to get their keys. He handed them to Ianto and explained where their rooms were. Ianto nodded and turned back to the others.
“Okay,” he said, sorting through the keys. “Tosh, Gwen, here’s yours. Owen, Ben, yours. What’s the plan, Gwen?”
“Put our bags away, grab some supper, then get some sleep. I’m tired of aeroplane food,” she responded. “Meet back down here in a half hour.”
“All right,” Ianto replied. “See you in a bit.”
Toshiko led the way to their room, and used her key to open the door. “This is nice,” she said, stepping into the room. “Which side do you want?” she asked Gwen, who had followed her in.
“Right,” she decided.
“Okay, I’ll take left then.”
Toshiko dropped her bag to the floor. She went to the washroom and freshened up then sat on their bed, waiting for Gwen to finish in the loo.
“What do you think the trek will be like?” Toshiko asked when Gwen sat down next to her on the bed.
“Long, boring, slightly scary, but it will be amazing. What do you think?”
“I think it will be the experience of a lifetime.”
Toshiko and Gwen chatted a while longer about the upcoming trek and what they were expecting. Toshiko’s mind wandered to the days to come, and how they would find the Yeti, if it indeed existed. Her mind also wandered to how exhausted she was and how all she wanted was sleep. Food came first though, and she resigned herself to staying up for a bit longer.
Toshiko looked at her watch. “We should meet the others.”
“Right.”
Toshiko and Gwen made their way downstairs to the lobby where Benjamin, Owen, and Ianto were waiting.
“Where are we going for supper?” Ianto asked.
Toshiko took out her PDA. “There were some good reviews on the restaurants at the Yak and Yeti Hotel. Let’s try there.”
“Okay,” Gwen said. “Where do we go?”
Toshiko pulled the directions to the hotel on her phone, and the team set off. The team decided they would rather walk than attempt to deal with the craziness of the traffic again.
They were seated fairly quickly in the restaurant. The food and service was good and soon the team was heading back to their hotel.
Toshiko and Gwen entered their room and got ready for bed. Toshiko quickly fell into a deep sleep, dreaming about the next day and what it would bring.
Section 4