Title: Deliberation
Author: Lioness Black
Pairings: None, implied Suzie/Owen
Rating: PG
Genre: General
Summary: Jack and Suzie discuss Ianto Jones.
Special Thanks: allfireburns for beta :)
Spoilers: Fragments, Army of Ghosts/Doomsday
Warnings: N/A
Disclaimer: Not mine, just good fun.

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"Ianto Jones," Suzie said, handing over the file. "Worked for Torchwood London. He's probably looking for a job. Nowhere else to go now."

Jack took the file from her and flipped it open. "Junior researcher. That means no skills."

"He can probably alphabetize. That's more than Owen can do."

He looked up at her. "I really don't need your expertise on what Owen can and can't do."

"You're just jealous," Suzie said with a smirk. "What should we do about him? You know what he's after. Do we have a job for him?"

"No. And even if we did, I don't want anyone from Torchwood London working here. I don't care how good his ass looks in jeans."

"It's at least nice to know that your reputation precedes you, Jack. If he'd known any better, he would have come naked with a sign saying 'fuck me' around his neck."

Jack laughed. "While hunting a weevil?"

"I wouldn't put any fetish past you," she replied.

He smiled to himself, looking over the file again. "Well, if I run into him again, and I figure he'll make sure I do, I'll tell him to get out of here."

"Exactly how nice was his ass?" Suzie asked. "Are you sure we don't need-"

"What we don't need is you sleeping with more of the staff that I've slept with," Jack replied, still scanning the file.

"Too late."

He looked up at her, not moving his head. "Go away, Suzie."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, come off it, Jack. There are things that could be done around here and you know it. The archives are a wreck, they've been for years. It's harmless work. We could easily monitor him if he's actually a London spy and the destruction of Canary Wharf was all a hoax to mess with your head. And if it had been the other way around-"

"We wouldn't have been stupid enough to mess with holes in reality-"

"If we had been completely destroyed, and only one of us survived, wouldn't you want someone take us in?"

Jack looked at her, dropping the file onto his desk. "I wouldn't want it to be them. Why are you pushing this?"

"Why are you resisting? Junior researcher. He didn't have anything to do with the powers-that-be. No real power at all. He had an office job. Busy work. And god knows we've got plenty of that."

"There's no evidence that he's capable of doing anything here. Case closed."

Suzie crossed her arms and studied Jack. "You're being completely prejudiced against him because he worked for Torchwood One."

"So what if I am?"

"His job was completely destroyed. Ninety-nine percent of his co-workers are dead. He probably lost friends-"

"He wouldn't be the only one," Jack snapped.

Suzie cocked her head to one side. "Is the mighty Captain Jack feeling something? What would-"

Jack pointed a finger at her. "Do not patronize me, Suzie, so help me. Go before you get a retcon cocktail."

"Sorry if I hit a nerve, Jack," she said, not sounding sorry at all. She turned and walked out of the office.

Picking up the file again, Jack leaned back in his chair. He wasn't really reading it. There was nothing in that file that could convince him to hire Ianto Jones.

There were days when Jack could picture himself strangling Suzie. She always fought and questioned him, and he was fine with that. Hell, it's why he put her second-in-command. He needed that in his employees, but she always took it a step too far, a tone too condescending. She battled him simply to battle with him.

His eyes focused in on the words girlfriend, Lisa Hallett. Well, there you go. If looking at Ianto Jones and seeing the product of Torchwood's downfall, a random young man who lived while Rose Tyler was dead wasn't enough, a girlfriend was definitely not going to do.

Sometimes, Jack didn't need a solid excuse. 'Because I said so' would work just fine.