The Universe's Mixer

As Gwen set the large bag of groceries she scanned the new hub for signs of Jack and Ianto. "Guess they must be out so now is my chance to take over the kitchen" since they had been taking turns with meals over the last little while. Tonight would be a very Welsh stew since between missing Rhys and her own still wild emotional state it would act as a small dose of solace. As she found needed supplies she for a split second felt like Owen was nearby, teasing her over something or another. While for a moment she felt like she could hear Tosh typing away on her keyboard while catching up on both paperwork and light hearted gossip.

She fought back a fresh round of tears and channeled her private pain into dinner. Beyond those moments she was doing pretty well: from trying to wean herself off her mirgaine meds (still hearing Owen in her head since he had been trying to get her off the meds before he died) to fitting in among the local police. But her guard was down now: if there was anyone she could really trust Jack and Ianto (along with Rhys) were at the top of the list. As she started a fresh pot of coffee she could hear someone at the doorway of the fake employee kitchen that acted as hub entryway.

Ianto slowly caressed the Retcon pill he'd always kept in his pocket for emergencies, carefully turning it around and rolling it between his fingertips. It had become more a token of small comfort than the convenient clean-up method it was intended for, and one of the only things he had brought with him from home.

Really, he ought to throw it away by now, and while he strode through one of the grassy areas, he absently wondered if the expiry date still held in a city's atmosphere which, for all he knew, was on the other side of the universe. That particular thought came to a trickling halt when he noticed a certain someone he'd seen around the city several times, and his hand holding the small pill slowed. Occasionally, he'd come close to talking to her, and had concluded that she lived, or at least worked around the same area. It was a logical guess, anyway.

Pacing over with his hands shoved into the confines of his smoothly-pressed pockets, he offered her a small smile. "Hi. Again."