Naming the Stars

Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis/Torchwood
Rating: T
Spoilers: Both seasons of Torchwood and at least Season Four and the very beginning of Season Five of Stargate: Atlantis. Mr. Woolsey is in charge and Teyla had her baby.
Pairing: pre-ship Ronon/Keller, Jack/Ianto
Disclaimer: Neither fandom belongs to me. The title and excerpts are taken from the poem Naming the Stars by Joyce Sutphen. Check her out!

Summary: "Well. This is annoyingly typical," Jennifer said as she stared at the very closed, very heavy, very locked, steel doors.

A/N: This is my first foray into SGA and Torchwood and I had way too much fun with this story. This will consist of three chapters that are more or less already written, so updates will be pretty quick. Please let me know what you think!

Chapter 1

This present tragedy will eventually
turn into myth, and in the mist
of that later telling the bell tolling
now will be a symbol, or, at least,
a sign of something long since lost.

"Well. This is annoyingly typical," Jennifer said as she stared at the very closed, very heavy, very locked, steel doors.

"Has this happened to you before?" the young man standing next to her asked.

"Yes," she said flatly. "Apparently Jen the Jinx can strike not only in a galaxy far, far away, but also in England."

"Wales," the young man corrected. And then when Jennifer looked at him added, "Actually."

"I beg your pardon," she said graciously. "Wales."

Cardiff, to be exact.

Due to SGC's new 'partnership' with the British government's top-secret alien division, Torchwood, there had been a series of goodwill gestures. Selective pieces of information were being shared between the organizations as well as personnel. Woolsey had approached Jennifer with Torchwood's request that a medical officer visit their offices to take a look at a 'specimen' that had fallen through their rift. The preliminary blood tests on the creature contained all the characteristics of a type of virus found in the Pegasus galaxy that Jennifer had researched and treated successfully.

Apparently the 'specimen' was actually a feline-like creature that was roughly the size of a Great Dane and it had already bitten someone by the time the Torchwood team managed to tranquilize and contain it.

Since Torchwood was still short a doctor who could adequately analyse viruses and SGC had one available, Jen was informed her presence and specialized medical expertise was requested on Earth. In other words, Jennifer had less than eight hours to report to the Gate Room for the trip to Earth.

So, here she was. In Cardiff. A city where it appeared that all the rain in the universe liked to spend it's free time. Not that she'd done any sight-seeing. Jennifer's main goal was to determine: a) if the virus was from Pegasus, b) if it was treatable, c) treat the infected and d) get back home to Atlantis. Back to... Well, back home to Atlantis was good enough, Jen figured.

As it turned out, the virus was not from Pegasus, which meant she and the rest of the Torchwood team had to analyze 'Moggy' (Ianto had a tendency to name things) and that meant Jennifer spent close to twelve hours in front of a microscope until she made a breakthrough. Luckily, the virus was very similar to the Pegasus one and Jennifer only had to make some minor modifications to her original vaccine.

The victim's prognosis was very optimistic and Torchwood, not to mention the British government, was very appreciative. So, since Jennifer's scheduled departure wasn't until the next day, she had happily accepted the grand tour of the Torchwood hub.

She was actually impressed with the Torchwood team. And despite the lingering sadness she seemed to glimpse from time to time, Captain Harkness was probably the most charming man she'd ever met and Gwen seemed very professional and always happy to assist. And of course Ianto was efficient and probably perceived a lot more than he let on and had some of the most wicked one-liners.

However, as much as she liked and respected the team, Jennifer was less than pleased to be locked in with Ianto. In their Archives. Their Archives located in the basement.

All she had done was follow Ianto into the labyrinthine area to just browse some of their more interesting artifacts and to maybe, possibly, identify some of them. They'd taken less than a few steps into the basement when klaxons went off and the large steel doors slammed shut and the locking mechanism clanked heavily into place.

After the requisite futile banging on the doors and yelling for help, they then stood side by side and examined the doors.

"As much as I like to take the blame for ridiculous situations, I really don't think this is me this time," Jennifer said. "Do you have any idea what may have happened?"

"In this place, it could be anything from an alien with a deity complex, a surge from the Rift that activated the emergency protocols, one of our former staff having risen from the dead to wreak havoc," Ianto told her. He titled his head thoughtfully. "Or perhaps the pterodactyl accidentally got tied up in wires somewhere."

Jennifer blinked once and took that all in and finally decided upon, "You have a pterodactyl?"

"Mmm hmm, Myfanwy," Ianto said as he stared at the doors. "I'll introduce you."

"'Kay, thanks," Jennifer said absently.

They stared at the door for a few moments. Ianto pulled his Blackberry out of his pocket and held it up over his head, then out to the side, titled his head and grimaced.

"No signal," he said.

He sighed. Jennifer remembered that SGC had allocated her one as well and fished it out of her pocket. She shook her head at Ianto's raised eyebrow.

"Right. Jack knows we're down here," Ianto said finally. "He'll get us out."

"Okay," Jennifer said. "If you're sure."

"I am. Mostly," Ianto said. "Well, definitely probably."

"I can live with definitely probably," Jennifer said with a smile. "If you'd said definitely maybe, I'd have worried."

Ianto looked over at her and returned her smile with a small grin.

Jen looked around the area at all the storage units packed neatly onto rows of shelves. The harsh fluorescent lights were reminiscent of the ones in dressing rooms that always made you cringe when you looked in the mirror and the floor was a light gray slate that looked far from soft.

"You know, all you need is a few throw pillows and it'd be pretty comfortable," she commented dryly.

"I'll remember to pick some up on my next trip to Ikea," Ianto replied. "I think there are some chairs or stools somewhere."

He walked down one of the aisles and Jennifer followed him, not terribly keen on being alone. They reached the end of the aisle and Ianto looked left and then right. He hesitated a little and then headed to the left.

"You have no idea which way to go do you?" Jennifer asked.

"No, not really," he said. "It's been awhile since I was down here for longer than a few minutes."

Jennifer nodded in understanding. She watched the letters change on the sides of the bookcases as they headed further into the alphabet.

"So, this type of thing happens to you often?" Ianto asked.

"Oh yeah," Jennifer said. "If anyone needs to be kidnapped, locked in somewhere or fall down a very large hole, I'm your girl."

"Sounds exciting," he said.

"Oh yes," Jennifer agreed. "Highly diverting. Although, it sounds like this isn't your first brush with a basement prison."

"Not by a long shot," Ianto said. Then he stopped and looked at Jennifer with a oddly blank face. "You aren't planning on eating me are you?"

"Ah, no? No, I'm not," Jennifer answered with wide eyes. Ianto sighed in relief and smiled.

"Ah right then," he said and continued walking. "Then this will go a sight better than the last time I was trapped in a basement."

They strolled through the Archives and then around the 'R's Ianto let out a triumphant "Ah ha!"

Two small fold-out chairs were smack in the middle of the row. Jennifer and Ianto exchanged a smile and sank down onto the chairs.

After a few moments of fidgeting and crossing and uncrossing of legs, Ianto let his feet land heavily on the floor and looked over at Jen.

"The floor is probably more comfortable," he said.

Jennifer could only laugh.

Thirty minutes later found the pair of them sitting on the floor, legs outstretched in front of them, chatting companionably.

"Captain Harkness?" Jennifer said with wide eyes. "Really? Actually wait. That totally doesn't surprise me."

"Really?" Ianto said. "Surprised the heck out of Gwen."

"You are a lucky, lucky man," Jennifer snickered.

"Yes, yes I am," Ianto said smugly.

Jennifer laughed outright.

"And yourself?" Ianto asked. "Met any strapping young aliens out there?"

Jennifer choked a little on her laugh. Ianto raised his eyes at her sudden coughing fit.

"I'll take that as a yes," he said with a smirk.

"No," she croaked out. She swallowed and tried again. "No, it's... Not like that. I mean, there isn't... It isn't... Not that he isn't strapping... It's just..."

Jennifer gave up and slumped against the bookcase.

"Ah. Like that is it?" Ianto said. Jennifer sighed heavily.

"He's not even in the same room, heck, the same freakin' galaxy as me and he manages to get me all flustered," she said.

"Does this promising young extra-terrestrial have a name?" he asked with a smirk.

Jennifer opened her mouth to tell Ianto all about ex-Runner, Specialist Ronon Dex, but then froze. She closed her mouth and bit her lip, completely unable to speak. It was seriously illogical, she knew, but a part of her believed that if she actually put voice to the desire, the wishing, the utter longing for him, that it would somehow seal her fate. However, if she kept it all inside... Well, then it remained less tangible and more like a simple crush than the all-consuming want that it truly was.

She looked at Ianto helplessly. He smiled back.

"I completely understand," he said.

Jennifer smiled weakly at him and then turned her head and stared at her shoes.

"However," Ianto continued after a few moments. "It's often the ones we can't describe that are worth the effort."

Jennifer turned her head to look at him sceptically. He shrugged a little.

"And the risk," he finished.

One hour later and Ianto was in the midst of giving Jennifer the previously promised tour of the Archives.

"And we have no idea what this is," he said indicating a complex metal structure made out of circles and squares. "My best guess is a truly complex Rubix cube."

He tilted his head and stared at the object.

"Or possibly a kitchen utensil," he said. Jennifer laughed and traced the shapes with a finger.

"You have a lot of stuff down here," she said. "All of this came through the Rift?'

"Yes," Ianto said with a sigh. "I actually find it kind of sad really."

"Really? Why?" Jennifer asked.

"Because it's all just here," he said with a wave indicating the rows of the bookcases. "And we have no idea what 95% of it is. All of these potential historical artifacts. Or potential tools. All of the possible use and knowledge we could gain from all of them and they're just sitting here. Unused. Forgotten."

"I thought you all tried to analyse them?" Jennifer asked.

"We do. Did," Ianto said with a sad smile. "We, ah, lost, our resident analyst. So that has unfortunately slid by the wayside."

Jennifer nodded and gave Ianto a small squeeze on the arm in understanding. He flashed her a grateful look. Then he set to placing the metal object back into it's case. Jennifer wandered a little ways down the aisle and came across a blank metal box slightly bigger than a shoebox labeled Sloper Road, 18 June 1999.

"What does it mean if it just has a street name and a date on it?" she asked.

"That generally means we truly have no idea what or where they came from," Ianto answered still occupied with the metal thing. "If our language database can't pick up anything, then we just label it with where and when we found it."

"Hmm," Jennifer said. "May I look in this one?"

"Suit yourself," was the response.

Jennifer pulled the metal box off the shelf and put it down on the floor and sat cross-legged in front of it. She undid the small metal clasp and opened it. She glanced briefly at the Torchwood form on the top and set it aside. Then she examined the contents and her jaw dropped.

"Oh my God," she whispered.

"Once again Dr. Keller," Captain Harkness said as they walked outside of the Millenium Centre towards the SUV that would transport Jennifer to her flight to Denver. "Please let me apologize for the unintentional lockdown."

"Really Captain," Jennifer reassured the man with a warm smile. "It was no problem. I'm just glad you managed to counteract the bug in the system and get the doors open before Ianto was forced to eat his tie."

Captain Harkness gave her one of his trademark smiles and Jennifer realized, and not for the first time, that this man's charm alone was a lethal weapon.

"Well, I'm very glad it didn't come to that," he agreed. "I like his ties way too much."

"Oh, I bet," Jennifer replied with a grin.

Captain Harkness laughed outright. "Oh, I like you Dr. Keller. Anytime you feel like returning to Earth for the long haul, please remember to look us up."

"You got it," she said. They shook hands and Jennifer turned to get inside the SUV.

"Dr. Keller!" Ianto called as he rushed towards them. He carried a bulky, black, messenger bag. Jennifer stopped and faced him with a smile.

"I already told you," Jennifer teased. "I can't take Moggy with me. She and Myfanwy are just going to have to get along."

"Funny," he said mock glare. "You forgot this."

He handed her the bag and Jennifer looked puzzled but took it, opened the flap and looked inside. Her head snapped up to Ianto; her mouth hung open in slight disbelief.

"But," Jen tried. "I thought... I mean... It's classified...?"

"They would be put to far better use where you're going than here," he said with a serious face.

Jennifer closed the satchel and placed it carefully in the SUV. Then she turned around and launched herself at Ianto and hugged him tightly. Ianto was taken aback for a second, but then smiled and hugged her back. Harkness just raised an eyebrow and looked amused.

Jennifer pulled back from the hug and kept her hands on Ianto's shoulders.

"Thank you," she said with barely concealed emotion.

"You are most welcome," Ianto said just as seriously.

Jennifer gave him a brilliant smile, nodded again to Captain Harkness and got into the SUV. She gave them one last wave and the SUV headed out of the Centre.

"Ianto," Jack asked casually as they watched the SUV drive away. "Did you just give away Rift artifacts?"

"Absolutely not, sir," Ianto replied impassively. "The logs indicate that we had a serious case of water damage and unfortunately some of the smaller storage units were damaged beyond repair."

"Water damage?" Jack repeated with a grin.

"Water damage," Ianto confirmed.

"Such a shame," Jack said with a rueful shake of his head.

"Oh yes, sir" Ianto agreed. "Terrible shame."


to be continued...