A/N: because I've been such a shocking poster this time around and haven't responded to all your lovely reviews and comments, it's a two chapter kind of day. This one is a bit shorter than usual as it is the last chapter in Like a Library Book.

Owen stood back as Pip set the containment box down. Arms folded across his chest and a scowl inscribed on his face as if carved in stone. It didn't take a mind reader to recognize he wasn't happy. The look in of itself wasn't all that uncommon, but the question on Ianto's lips was, why? What had given him a black aura this time.

'Oh laugh it up London boy, it was not fucking funny.'
Pip did laugh as he opened the containment box. 'It was a tennis ball Owen.'
Ianto gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head. 'No Pip, it's Doctor Owen, he doesn't like us to forget he went to medical school.'
Unfolding his arms Owen glared. 'No teaming up with him against me.'
Ignoring him Ianto flashed a smile. 'He calls me tea boy so I fear you are stuck with London boy until he works out something even catchier.'

Jack looked at Suzie and frowned. 'You found an alien tennis ball?'
Her head shook, curls dancing while trying not to laugh. 'Ah no, it was another one of those exploding orange snot rock things.'
'Oh.' He bounced on his feet as his thumbs slipped inside his braces. 'More alien silly putty. Wonder what colour this one is.'
'They come in different colours? Anyway, he recognized it and told Pip he could go ahead and pick it up.'

Pip laughed. 'His body language totally screamed Admiral Ackbar at me.'
'To be fair.' Suzie added. 'It was rather a trap so when this one threw something at Owen after picking the rock up, yelling catch.' She started laughing unable to finish speaking.
'I thought she was going to wet herself when he screamed. Although, to give him credit, he did catch the tennis ball I threw at him.'

'Bastards.' Owen muttered as he moved to put his medical kit away. 'That orange snot was impossible to get out of my leather jacket, I had to buy a new one. Even tea boy couldn't get it out.'
'That's true. My google search for how to remove alien silly putty from leather was, unremarkable in its unsuccessfulness. I did however cut the jacket into smaller pieces to test different cleaning methods, should we encounter it -.'
Owen interrupted with a shriek. 'What? That was an expensive Italian jacket.'

Jack tut tutted. 'Should have brought British made.'
'Oh like that would have made a difference.' Owen snapped. 'You lot are all wankers.'
Tosh looked out from behind her computer. 'I hope that doesn't include me Owen.'
'Well, I can make an exception for you Toshiko. But the rest of them?' He shook his head.

Putting the rock in a hazard bag Pip sealed it. 'Where do you want me to put this?'
'Perhaps the secure archives? Sir?' Ianto spoke quickly before Owen could. He moved to the desk he used when working in the Hub itself and began entering details into the database he'd worked on with Tosh. Cataloguing the retrieval and printing out a card for the bag he tucked the card in the front pocket. 'Or should I just file it in the general archives.'
'Very funny tea boy. What's for lunch?' Knowing he'd been cut off before he could contribute his suggestion for where the innocent looking rock could be stored.

With impeccable timing the cog door rolled back once more, alarm sounding around them as Lilah walked in carrying a box.
'Wasn't sure what everyone liked so I hope fish and chips are okay.' She looked around and wondered what she'd missed. The doctor looked like someone had put his stethoscope in the fridge and everyone else was either laughing or trying not to. Even Ianto had a faint ghost of a smile dancing on the edges of his lips.
Stepping into play Ianto nodded. 'To the conference room please Lilah, I take it Tosh dispatched you for lunch?' He moved towards her.
'Yeah, she said the others were on their way back, baring any emergencies she thought it might be a good idea.'

Tosh looked at Owen. 'Wasn't sure if anyone would be needing to make a mad dash to the showers and didn't think she needed to see that. She is only seventeen after all.'

With a sigh Owen shook his head. 'You surprise me Tosh.' Before turning on his heal to head after Ianto, Lilah and lunch. 'Hope you got cod and not some crappy frost fish or something.'
Her voice drifted back. 'I'm English, of course I got bloody cod.'
Pip frowned as he moved after his daughter. 'Language young lady.'
Jack looked from Suzie to Tosh and held his arms out. 'Looks like it's up to me to escort the two of you lovely ladies to the table.'
Suzie slapped his arm away and headed off on her own while Tosh gave a bow and accepted.

Lunch over Jack, about to broach the subject of a police liaison joining the team was trying to work out how to get Lilah out of the room when Pip jumped out of his seat.
Pulling his phone out he grinned. 'Sorry, it's the agent I have to take this.' Answering the phone he stepped out of the room, followed by Lilah.
Jack, never one to pass an opportunity looked around the room. 'Now the kid's not in the room I have to tell you something.'
'I know.' Owen snapped his fingers. 'You guys are getting married and you want all of us to be the flower girls.'
'Not this week Owen, but we do have a liaison officer joining us on Monday.'
'A fucking what now?' Owen pushed his empty plate aside. 'What the bleeding heck do we want one of them for?'
'Not my idea Owen, I tried putting the Police and UNIT off for as long as I could but until we work out what has the weevils boiler suits in a twist, I've got everyone and the Queen wanting answers.'
'Yeah but a liaison?'
'Apparently.'

Any further comments were cut off as they all heard Lilah shriek through the closed door.
'Should we be worried?' Tosh looked from Jack to Ianto who both looked just as confused.

The door opened and an excited teenager rushed into the room and threw her arms around Ianto.
Laughing Pip followed, prying his daughter off the archivist. 'Steady on love, apparently Jack has a strict rule about not getting flirty with Ianto. Which I can only assume extends to physical contact.'
'Shut up dad.' She let Ianto go and drew Jack in for the next hug. 'I'm happy.'
'Oh, well in that case.' He sat down and looked around at his team mates. 'I've brought a house. It needs some work, I mean, the wallpaper was ugly in the seventies. Nothing structural thankfully.'

Tosh grinned. 'When do you finalize it all?'
'Sign the papers tomorrow and pick the keys up, it's vacant now so I will be moved in as soon as I get my stuff out of storage in London.' Pip looked around the room and frowned. 'What did I miss? Owen doesn't have a part in a burlesque show and we're all expected to buy tickets I hope.'
'Oh very funny London boy.'

Tosh shook her head with a smile. 'We've all already seen Owen either naked or wrapped in just a towel. No need to buy tickets to that.'

Looking at Tosh, Owen wondered why he'd never really noticed her before. He also realized he needed to say something so he went with a dramatically timed. 'Oi.' And she just shot a sweet smile at him, all butter wouldn't melt and he seriously considered that if there was a god, he was currently being tortured by him/her. Or possibly just Tosh for his not catching up fast enough.

They were a small team, the emphasis on the past tense the way Jack kept dripping in new team members. He wasn't totally unaware of her crush, he just wasn't sure it was a good idea. With Suzie he always knew where he stood but Tosh, with her he risked breaking her heart. He couldn't do that to such a sweet person. He didn't want another relationship like the one he'd had with Katie, and Tosh was exactly the sort of girl you had that sort of relationship with. She deserved more than he could give her and he had to consider just how broken he was, that he wasn't able to be what she needed him to be. That he would likely never be what she needed him to be.

Jack looked around the room at his team. Suzie her face unreadable, looking though the file he'd given her, of their new liaison officer. Owen looked like he was having an epiphany and it seemed to sting. Tosh was clearly having fun, possibly teasing Owen if he recalled correctly what she'd said. Pip and Lilah were talking together, writing things down on the note pad Ianto always had with him in the conference room. Not that he needed to write anything down with his memory but that was just the ever prepared Ianto Jones. Who was currently looking at him across the table.

Sitting with Pip and Lilah rather than in his usual seat to his right. A single thought projected in his mind belying the innocence of his appearance. And all Jack could do was grin and nod. He'd never taken the time to christen every room in his house yet. But apparently it was exactly what Ianto planned to do once their house guests were firmly moved into their new home. His thoughts filled with exquisite detail that left Jack in no doubts as to just how firmly they were in this relationship together. Grinning he added one or two ideas of his own. Never had he been more glad than the day he finally decided to ask London for a borrowed archivist and having been sent the remarkable young man sharing not only his bed. But also perhaps his heart.

Across Cardiff in his private home, Superintendent Evens poured two glasses of port, handing one to his guest he settled back in his chair. 'A toast Alan, to hopefully solving both of our shared problems.'
Colonel Mace smiled. 'God I hope so. Between that infuriating Captain and those blasted aliens living in his sewers. You'd think I had nothing better to do.'
'Shall we drink to Captain Jack Harkness and his new liaison officer? May she do his head in just like she did mine.'

'Who exactly are you sending him? You just told me she'd be a complete pain in his posterior, and if she got herself killed in the process, or end up in Providence Park like the last one, it wouldn't be any great loss.'
'Oh it isn't anyone I'd regret losing that's for damned sure.' Finishing his glass he reached for the bottle. 'This is a rather nice port.'

'Thank you, I've always liked the seventy seven Taylor, some port just tastes like juiced raisins but this one never disappoints.'
'I couldn't agree more, top up?' Filling both glasses he sat back and raised his once more. 'To our new Torchwood liaison officer, Constable Gwen Cooper.'

A/N: And that is where we leave Like a Library Book... For now.