DISCLAIMER: I don't own Torchwood, or any of the characters (sadly). No copyright infringement is intended and I am not making any profit from this story (again, sadly!)

SUMMARY: After the events of 'Adrift', Jack has to deal with Gwen and Ianto's lack of ability to follow orders.

NOTE: This is set directly after Torchwood episode 2x11, 'Adrift'. There are some small-ish spoilers for that episode. If you haven't seen it but would like to know the plot, just type 'Wikipedia Torchwood Adrift' into Google and it should pop right up!

WARNING: Discipline fic. Story contains M/F and probably M/M spanking, and mild references to canon slash. If you don't like this sort of thing, then please don't read. Recommended for adults only.

Gwen stood in the dim light of the archives room, filing yet another photograph of a smiling woman in the 'Missing' drawer. Two more left to do – an elderly man, gone for eleven months, and Jonah Bevan, who she had left until last. Finally, she slid Jonah's photo and paperwork under B, and found herself shaking slightly on her feet, her hands trembling as she pushed the drawer shut. She took a deep breath and told herself to forget about these people, some left in spaces and times she couldn't imagine, others found and yet still lost. She had to leave them down here, let go of them; if Jonah's case had taught her anything, it was that she couldn't put any other families through the horror of the truth. And also, maybe, that you should have listened to Jack in the first place, she thought guiltily.

Gwen sighed and turned, ready to go home, eager to get back to Rhys and see if she could repair the damage between them, see if she could get him to hold her and make the last few days go away. She didn't notice Jack studying her from the shadows as she left.

Jack watched Gwen silently. Part of him hoped that she would see him before she left, that she would come to him and discuss the day's events, but it didn't happen. She would go home to Rhys, he would comfort her, and meanwhile Jack would have to stay at the Hub, alone, feeling the weight of responsibility for all those who had come back through the rift heavy on his shoulders. People who he couldn't help, people who he was doing his best for but who he could never save. People who should have been left well alone by Gwen, if she could only follow simple orders. It wasn't his fault, but he still felt guilt over Nikki Bevan, and he still felt the sting of Gwen's resentment of him. Even though she understood his reasons now, he knew she was still struggling with the entire situation.

Jack also knew her trust in him had been shaken; would she be even more eager to dismiss his orders next time? And what about Ianto, so quick to betray his confidence, to share his secret with Gwen despite direct instructions to the contrary, and despite their recent growing closeness? Jack couldn't let his team act like this.

He retreated to his bedroom for another night of sleeplessness, grateful that at least he had fourteen hours to decide how to handle his wayward employees before they arrived for work tomorrow.

It was nearing the end of one of the slowest days at Torchwood since Gwen could remember. She had barely seen Jack. He'd given her and the rest of the team a few terse orders when they'd all arrived, but since then he'd stayed in his office as they all caught up on paperwork. The hub had been quiet, with Tosh engrossed in some new rift analysis software and Owen pretending to study online medical journals whilst actually listening to his Ipod and getting as much sleep as he could without anyone noticing.

At first Gwen had been fine with keeping her head down, writing reports and keeping a distance between herself and Jack, but as the day wore on she felt increasingly uncomfortable and started to wish for some mild rift activity, or hell, even a full on alien attack, if that was what it would take to get Jack to start working with her and talking to her again. She hated this distance between them, hated the coldness in his face as she'd arrived this morning.

Ianto seemed to be struggling with it too, bringing them all more cups of coffee than even the quicker drinkers amongst them could get through, and casting anxious looks up to Jack's office whenever he thought no one was watching.

'Tosh, Owen!' Jack's voice rang out and Gwen almost jumped out of her skin at the unexpectedness of it. She turned to see him coming down the stairs from his office quickly and determinedly.

Owen jerked in his seat and pulled out his earphones, whilst Tosh turned round from her screen with her usual expectant smile.

'Go home', said Jack as he neared them. 'There's nothing urgent that needs doing tonight.'

Owen was up and shrugging into his coat before Jack had finished his sentence. Tosh opened her mouth to protest, but a second look at Jack's face told her now was not the time. Jack nodded his thanks to her as she started to shut down the computer.

'Ianto!' Jack snapped, turning to look at him.

'Sir?' Ianto stood even straighter than normal, eager to please.

'Go home too, please' said Jack, noticing as Ianto's face fell almost imperceptibly. 'Come in an hour early tomorrow'.

Ianto nodded sharply, but felt his heart sink. He had hoped that perhaps tonight, after the others had left, he and Jack would talk, and then… well, he had hoped that by morning, all would be resolved. Evidently not. He turned to leave as Jack turned back to the others.

Gwen shifted uncomfortably in her seat and waited to hear her sentence.

'Gwen. With me.' There was a hint of a growl in Jack's voice as he gave his order, and Gwen found herself almost leaping from her chair to follow him as he headed back up to his office.

Gwen entered Jack's office and lingered uncomfortably in the doorway, watching him as he stood by the wide windows, waiting for the rest of the team to leave. When he was satisfied that they were alone, he went and sat behind his desk, motioning for Gwen to take a seat. She did so, nervously, her emotions flicking between guilt, defiance and the simple need for things to be ok between her and Jack again. She tried a small smile but Jack did not return it.

Jack leaned forward and put his elbows on the desk. 'Gwen…' he started. 'Torchwood is a team. But it's not a democracy. I am the leader and you need to accept that. I know you got used to leading during my… absence. But things are different now. And when I give you orders I need to know you'll obey them. I need –'

'Jack, you can't just expect me never to question you', Gwen burst out, leaning forward herself. 'I don't follow people blindly'.

Jack's countenance darkened and Gwen shrank back a little under the hardness of his stare.

'I'm not asking you to follow people Gwen, just me. And I don't ask you to do it blindly. I just needed you to trust me. Once.'

Gwen felt her stomach shift. She had thought she did trust Jack. But she had to admit, there had been moments, over the last few days, when she'd wondered if she'd been wrong about him, if he wasn't the man he appeared. He was right; she should never have wondered that. She knew better. She should have trusted that he had his reasons, and that they weren't the sinister ones she had been imagining. She bit down on her lip and looked away from him.

Jack watched her squirm. Part of him wanted to reach out, to touch her, to move her hair away from her face the way he had many times before and to feel their usual closeness. But his bitterness and disappointment from recent events wouldn't let him, and his commitment to making sure his team obeyed him in the future made him continue.

'This isn't the first time you've disobeyed orders, and it's not the first time it's ended badly', he stated, referring to Gwen's decision to help Owen open the rift a few months ago. 'I know things about the future that you can't know, that I can't tell you. So I have to make the rules. I can't have a team filled with people who don't respect my instructions. I can't have you working here if you can't follow me'.

'What?' Gwen's head jerked up and she felt like she'd been punched in the face. Was Jack sacking her? 'You can't fire me Jack, you – you can't. I won't let you.' She was suddenly on her feet, hands on the desk, her voice running away from her and rising to a volume that she didn't intend. 'You need me. You can't let me go just because I've made a couple of mistakes and haven't always done every single thing you –'

'Enough!' Jack snapped. 'I'm not firing you Gwen. Sit down.'

Gwen hesitated, then settled back down in the chair. Her heart was jumping all over the place; the idea of having to leave Torchwood had shaken her to the core.

Jack sighed and wiped his hand over his face.

'Now. I can suspend you, if that's what you think is best. Three weeks. But I don't think that'll solve much. If it was up to me, we'd take a more… unofficial approach.'

Gwen looked up at him hopefully. Unofficial sounded better. Jack wasn't exactly the type for being official anyway. And anything that meant she didn't have to stay at home for the next three weeks sitting on her hands whilst the rest of the team hunted aliens without her seemed like a good idea.

Jack looked into her eager eyes and felt his resolve weaken a little. He wasn't sure what her response to his question was going to be, and the idea that she might kick him to the curb was disconcerting at best. Still, he wasn't one for backing down.

'I've been told that it's not common practise for bosses to beat their staff, much as that idea has often appealed to me whenever I've looked at Owen. Still, I think in this situation, you'd benefit from a good spanking. I need to know that you can submit to me when it's necessary. So if you'd rather not take the suspension, there's your other option.' He leaned back in his chair and waited for Gwen's reaction.

Gwen just stared at him. And then she laughed. But it was a high pitched, nervous laugh that stuttered to a halt after a couple of seconds.

'You're having me on, right Jack?' Her head was swirling and she hadn't got a clue what to think. A spanking? This was a joke, surely?

'I'm not having you on. Let me know when you've decided'. Jack watched her steadily.

Gwen couldn't quite believe what had just happened. She opened her mouth to say that Jack was insane, that he couldn't spank her, that it was illegal and inappropriate and that she'd take the suspension and that… and that… She closed her mouth.

Gwen knew she wouldn't take the suspension. She'd have pretty much agreed to anything that Jack suggested as an alternative to it. And hey, she was pretty tough. And Jack would never hurt her, she knew that. She shifted in her chair. Was she seriously about to tell Jack he could do this? She forced herself to look at him, forced herself to swallow, forced herself to say…

'Um. I don't want to be suspended.'

Jack hid the rush of relief that swept through him. He didn't want her to be suspended either. And he really did think this was the right thing. But he wanted her to be certain. 'So…?'

Gwen flushed. Was he going to make her say it? The silence hung between them for a moment and she ducked her head, until she heard him get up from the desk and make his way round to her. She looked up into his eyes, and found them lighter than they had been all day. She gave him an embarrassed smile.

'You're sure about this?' Jack asked. Gwen nodded swiftly, not wanting to think about it too long.

Jack nodded and started to roll up his shirt sleeves. Gwen paled. She watched the muscles in his forearms flex and started to wonder what she'd gotten herself into.

'Get up.' Jack's voice was gentle but firm. It drew her attention away from his arms and she stumbled up out of her chair, ready to get this over with. He took her place in the chair, took hold of her wrist and tugged her to his right side. She blushed even more fiercely as she realised he meant for her to go over his lap. She'd figured maybe she'd bend over the desk or something, but this? This was humiliating. She'd always wanted Jack to see her as an equal, and this didn't really seem conducive to that. She considered arguing the point, but Jack's next words threw her completely.

'Take them down', Jack said, quietly, nodding at her jeans.

'What?' Gwen said, not for the first time that day. She yanked her hand away from Jack and stepped back, shaking her head. 'No way. I'm not stripping off for you just to fulfil some twisted fantasy of yours, Captain Harkness', she spat out indignantly.

Jack narrowed his mouth, reached out and pulled her back to him. 'Trust me Gwen, when I've fantasised about your pants being off, it's not been for this reason. Now haven't we just finished talking about you learning to follow orders?' Gwen started to speak again but he spoke over her. 'Take. Them. Down.'

Gwen stared down at Jack and felt her heart hammering against her chest. She was tempted to walk out, but much like Jack, she didn't like to leave things half done. And she did want to show him that she could follow orders, that she could still be part of his team. With slightly shaky hands, she unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans, and pushed them down to the tops of her knees, silently thanking every available higher power that she'd worn simple black underwear rather than any of the comedy cartoon-character knickers Rhys insisted on buying her.

Jack tore his eyes away from what was right in front of him. Normally he'd have relished the sight, but he didn't want to make Gwen any more uncomfortable than she was. He tugged her wrist again, pulling her forward over his lap until her stomach hit his thighs. He shifted her over slightly further until she was in the right position, wrapped his left arm around her waist, and then, for just a second, let himself admire the view. Right, now, back to business, Jack.

Gwen bit her lip hard, planted her hands on the floor and tried to imagine she was anywhere but here. But Jack's voice cut through to her.

'Next time I tell you to do something, are you going to do it?'

Gwen nodded fiercely. 'Yes, I'm going to do it', she said tersely. 'Can we just get on with this?'

Jack frowned and slapped his hand down hard on the left side of her butt, and Gwen hissed at the sudden sting. It spread across her butt and almost brought tears to her eyes. She regretted her last sentence; clearly now was not the time to be challenging Jack. And she was supposed to be learning from this. She was supposed to be making amends.

'Did you forget who's in charge here Gwen?' Jack asked, raising his hand for a second slap.

'I'm sorry.' Gwen's answer came surprisingly softly and Jack lowered his hand for a second.

'Good. Now. If I tell you to leave something alone because I'm handling it myself, will you do as I say?'

Gwen nodded again. 'I'll try'.

Jack sighed. 'Do more than try Gwen. And keep that in mind whilst we do this'. Jack raised his hand again, smacking it down on the other side of her butt, leaving a matching pink handprint emerging below each side of her underwear. He started in earnest, spanking her firmly, the slaps sounding like pistol shots in the small office.

Gwen couldn't believe how much it hurt. Wasn't this supposed to be a punishment for kids? Still, she guessed Jack was hitting her a lot harder than he would a kid. Every smack made her gasp with the force of the impact and the vicious sting it left behind. Her backside seemed to be turning into a burning, aching mass of heat and she couldn't stop herself squirming over his lap and drumming her toes into the floor. She wanted to take this well but she could feel tears pricking her eyes, more insistently with every new slap.

Jack looked at Gwen's rapidly reddening bottom and shifted his attention down to the crease where her butt met her thighs. He increased the impact of the slaps and felt Gwen buck across his lap, and heard the beginning of a sob come from her mouth, which she quickly stifled. He tightened his hold on her waist and pulled her closer to him, partly to keep her in place, partly because he could hardly bear to hear her cry.

Gwen felt Jack switch his attention to her sit spot and started to struggle against her will. The force of the slaps were sending her forward anyway, her legs involuntarily kicking up after each one, and now her hand seemed to fly back unbidden to protect herself after a particularly harsh slap. Jack gathered it quickly in his own hand and held it by her waist as he gripped her there.

Gwen felt herself start to shake and noticed the tears starting to fall down her face. She tried to stop them but Jack's hand kept on coming down and she found she could no longer halt her sobs. 'Jack, please! I'm sorry!'

Jack felt Gwen start to cry in earnest and almost stopped, his heart nearly breaking. But he knew he needed to make sure she didn't forget this for a long time. He needed to make it bad enough for her never to want to be back in this position. He didn't want to have to do this again and he didn't want a repeat of the last few days, ever. So he continued, aiming the slaps now at the tops of her thighs.

Gwen instantly started to struggle harder, trying to get off his lap, her sobs coming louder.

'Stay still', Jack ordered firmly, landing one slap lower down on her thigh and hating himself a little. Gwen gasped even harder and made a massive effort to still herself.

Jack landed more spanks on her sit spot and the tops of her thighs, turning them a bright, hot red. The final couple landed harder than the rest and he felt Gwen collapse against him, going limp as the pain and crying overtook her. Jack stopped. That was enough. He rested his hand gently on her thigh and let her cry.

Gwen cried her heart out. It was minutes later that she realised the spanking had stopped and that Jack had let go of her hand and was stroking small circles on her back. She drew in a few deep, shuddery breaths.

'We're done, Gwen, it's OK'. Jack felt her calming down and lifted her up by the waist until she was sitting almost on his lap, with him making sure her backside didn't quite touch his thighs.

Gwen buried her face in his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck, quietly crying the last few tears. Jack stroked her hair and held her tightly, needing the comfort as much as she did.

Eventually, Gwen seemed to come back to reality and stiffened a little. Jack loosened his grip and she stumbled up into a standing position, reaching immediately for her jeans and dragging them back up, breathing in sharply as they rubbed against her punished skin. Jack averted his eyes as she zipped herself back up, then returned his gaze to her, only to find her avoiding his eyes, her arms wrapped around herself.

He got up quickly and moved in front of her, using his fingers to tip her chin up towards him.

'Gwen. I'm so proud of you'.

Gwen looked up at him, her huge eyes startled. She'd been tense, embarrassed, awkward… and it was the last thing she expected him to say. But he honestly looked like he meant it, his eyes warm and his fingertips lightly caressing her chin. 'Jack…? she whispered.

'You took that so well. And I'm so glad I don't have to lose you…' Jack hesitated, '…for three weeks.'

Gwen gave him a teary smile. 'Me too.' Three weeks was far too long to be away from Torchwood…to be away from Jack. The fact that he thought so too made her feel strangely lighter. Suddenly a horrible thought came into her mind. 'Jack, you won't… you won't tell anyone what happened will you? If Owen knew… or Tosh…' She shuddered inwardly, the embarrassment of being spanked flowing back in full force.

Jack laughed and pulled her into a hug. 'It's just between you and me'. Gwen melted into him, relieved. She rested her head briefly on his shoulder and felt the anxiety she'd been carrying around since last night begin to ebb away.

The hug was on the verge of being too long, Jack knew. He pulled away. 'Another day tomorrow, right? Keep doing what we do?'

'Right', Gwen agreed, nodding, stepping back. 'See you then'. She gave Jack one last watery smile before leaving the office, walking somewhat awkwardly down the stairs, her backside still throbbing. She wasn't sure quite how to feel about what had happened, and was trying her best not to think about the undignified view of her that Jack must have had whilst she was over his knee. But she did know that the knot of guilt that had been twisting in her chest all day had loosened. She could never make things better for Jonah's mother, but she had at least made things right with her captain. Being unable to sit down for a while seemed like a pretty small price to pay for that. As she grabbed her coat and bag, she suddenly realised she was smiling slightly to herself.

Jack watched Gwen leave for the second night in a row. Part of him had, as usual, wanted her to stay. But as usual, he'd ignored it. Still, he was pleased with how the evening had turned out. It had been hard, but it had been necessary, and his closeness with Gwen seemed restored, and then some.

Besides, he knew he should get some rest. In the morning he had to deal with Ianto…

Reviews would be very much appreciated :)