"Right, pleasantries over with; Suzie, Owen I need you to go and check out a potential Weevil sighting, located between zones 2 and 3. Hopefully it's still earlier enough for it not to have encountered any humans, but just in case takes these." I found myself saying as I thrust a bottle of retcon and a medical kit at them. I don't know why I always get like this when someone new joins the team, or someone comes for a 'visit' to the hub. I suppose I'm just always trying to impress, to live up to the reputation I have built for myself.

"Tosh, I need you to get to work fixing the rift activity detector, a pterodactyl has managed to cross through in the last few days without us being alerted. And Ianto, with me, office." I continued. The poor boy looked a little startled by my snappy commands, but Tosh gently grabbed his arm and said something which seemed to reassure him before he quickly followed me up to my office.

I had quite firmly made up my mind the other evening that I was going to restrict his role to managing paperwork, just for now, until he found his feet and hoped that he didn't take too much offense as I broke it to him.

"So Ianto" I began, "After what I saw of you in action last night, I think you could make an excellent field agent. But I don't want to push you, after the awful things you must have experienced at Torchwood one, I can understand that you would be hesitant. So for now, it might be mainly paperwork if that's alright with you?"

Thankfully, he actually looked relieved at that. I guess what happened at Torchwood one has messed him up more than he'd like to let on.

"Certainly Sir" he replied "I wasn't joking when I offered to be a butler, I'm just grateful for the opportunity." Bless him. I had thought at first that the etiquette might have been an act to win my approval; whilst looking through the research Tosh found on him, I noticed that he had grown up on a council estate on the rougher side of the city. I couldn't help wondering where he had learnt such polite manners from, but perhaps that was me just wanting to stereotype the kind of person that came from one of those estates. Perhaps many people from his childhood home wore sharp suits daily, and called their bosses Sir.

"Ah, yes, I had forgotten about the butler offer…" I mused, allowing a wicked, flirtatious gleam to shine through my eyes. "You'd better not keep reminding me or I might take you up on that. But today I'd like you to go down to the archives and gather up the files we have on the Gelth if you'd be so kind?" I continued.

I felt guilty as hell for sending him down to that god forsaken mess that we like to refer to as 'the archives' on his first day. But UNIT were on our case again for those stupid records on the Gelth, and they still won't explain why. It sounds terrible, but not only do I not have the patience to spend hours trawling through the chaos down there, I don't have the time either. The rift just doesn't want to leave us alone at the moment, to add to the Weevil case that I've just sent Suzie and Owen out to; there's now the worry that there might be even more going on, after all, the pterodactyl Ianto and I brought back to the hub last night managed to slip through unnoticed – how much more rift activity was going on when our backs are turned? Hopefully Tosh will fix the problems with the activity detector ASAP.

"My pleasure Sir" was all he replied, as he left my office to head to the archives obediently. Which only made me feel guiltier; he was actually genuinely willing to do such a mundane task. I hope I don't start to take his enthusiastic attitude for granted, I imagine it would be very easy to.

He started heading up the stairs to my office at only 3.45, was he done already? Move over superman, we have Ianto Jones the filing ninja to take your place!

"You were quick, I was expecting not to see you until home time - the state those archives are in" I said, accompanied by a large grin despite the slight lingering feelings of guilt.

"Yes, I couldn't quite get the hang of the old filing system … so I started re-organising it all, well I say all, but I've just finished G". He replied and I felt my grin widening. Yes, I could so very easily learn to take this magnificent Welshman for granted. I really can't believe I had reservations about hiring someone who would actively take it upon themselves to reorganise the filing system!

"You re-organised the files?" I couldn't help asking, just to check I'd understood him correctly.

"Yes, I hope that was ok Sir?" Remarkably, he seemed rather nervous all of a sudden, like perhaps he'd done the wrong thing by being helpful.

"Oh that is so more than ok, remind me why I was unsure of hiring you in the first place Ianto? How about coming to help Owen and I catch some form of Cnidarian that has fallen through the rift?" I asked, hoping he would say yes, he deserved some excitement after this boring drag of a first day.

"I think, if it's quite alright Sir, then I'd like to finish off this filing, if you don't mind?" He replied, ever so politely.

"Of course, whatever you like, I just don't want you to feel like you're stuck down there with the paperwork missing out on the action." I was quite surprised that he declined; hopefully I didn't let it show.

"Don't worry I am quite content down there Sir"

"If you're sure, and stop calling me Sir!" I replied as giving him a friendly elbow dig in the arm. I still liked the idea of him calling me Sir though… sometimes I like being reminding that I'm in authority here, and besides that every time he says it I can't help but picture him in a Butler's uniform ready and willing at my side… Snap out of it Harkness!

"Owen lets go" I called as we headed off to find this new child of the rift.

In the end our alien turned out to be nothing too threatening, in fact after Owen carried out several tests and scans on the creature, it appeared to be nothing no more harmful than a common jellyfish, despite its otherworldly DNA complex. When Tosh said that from the scans she'd picked up it was apparently some form of Cnidarian, I hadn't really put two and two together… We settled for releasing it into the sea and heading back to the hub.

Whilst we've been out, Tosh has got the rift alert programme up and running in full working order once again, and within almost two minutes of firing it up the equipment began signalling that there was rift activity occurring nearby the city's drama school. Luckily it's not quite term time yet so whatever was out there wasn't slaughtering the entire student population, I decided to take this one by myself, seeing as it was nearly five and I didn't want to risk sending the team home from work late – again.

It turned out to be an Ood, one with red eye as well. I spent a while chasing it frantically around the buildings, breaking many windows as I went along. It's alright though; Torchwood's budget has an extremely large amount dedicated to accidents and reparations.

Despite knowing how dangerous the creature was, I couldn't bring myself to kill it when I eventually tracked it down to backstage in the school's theatre. I couldn't do it because, although I knew that if it got lose, the whole of Cardiff could be in danger, deep down I can't help seeing the poor helpless, eager to serve Ood who has been infected with this terrible disease through no fault of its own. So I put my gun down and drew a sedative out from my pocket instead.

When approaching, I remained calm and quiet, trying not to startle it into attack. Not that it did me much good in the end, as I clumsily dropped the sedative. Leaning over to grab it back gave the Ood the opportunity to strike, I should have seen it coming but I didn't, and I wasn't quite quick enough to avoid its translation device which secured itself to my forehead, electrocuting me to death.

Several hours later I woke up, gasping for air. There was no sign of the Ood anywhere, it had got away. That's probably the most frustrating part about bouncing back to life every time an enemy kills you; you are reminded that you let it get away. Never mind the pain I may have suffered through dying for the 'I've-lost-count-it's-been-so-damn-many-time', it's the irritation and bitterness at having allowed a harmful creature to escape that always gets to me. I am supposed to; expected to, save the world, not die trying.

It was dark when I left the theatre, I glanced at my wristwatch – it was nearly 11.00 pm. everyone would have left for home already. That suited me just fine, all I wanted to do was go back to the hub and pour myself a glass of scotch. It's funny how people always say that alcohol doesn't help anything, as for me that really is the case. I can't drink away my sorrow or anger because I can't get drunk, damned immortality and all. I never usually drink in front of the others, but sometimes when I'm by myself, just being able to taste it is good enough to remind me of the effect it used to hold.

So that's exactly what I did. I lazily made the climb up the stair to my office, sank down heavily into the chair and pulled out the bottle from my desk draw.

I was just thinking of retiring to my bunker below, to lie on my bed and contemplate the day's events when I noticed something on the CCTV. Something in the archives. Ianto was still here!

Now I've seen dedication, I'd like to think that I myself was a dedicated individual, but that boy really takes it to the extreme. He had arrived here earlier than I expected and now was here way later than I would ever like to keep a member of staff. I felt terrible, I'd given him the worst job to do, and neglected him throughout his first day, yet he was still so eager to impress, to earn his place. I sighed; I'd better go and relive him.

"Ianto!" I started, feigning slight anger in my voice, I was trying to act as if I had just caught him still working here and not let him in on the fact that technically I had been spying on him. "What on earth are you still doing here, it's gone 11.30!"

"Oh I'm sorry Sir, I just wanted to finish" He said, much to my amazement.

I looked at him incredulously for just a moment before replying "Sorry? Why are you sorry? I should have checked back in with you hours ago.", sighing as I finished.

"It's fine, honestly. Don't worry about me; I've only got Z left to go now" - Still he was trying to prove that he had been worth hiring!

"It's late Ianto, just go home, you can finish it tomorrow. Not that I have anything against you staying here with me tonight" I finished with a wink, and he with that beautiful blush I had been waiting all day to see again.

"Goodnight Sir" he managed to get out, just.

"See you tomorrow, bright and early" I replied with a hearty laugh. With the mention of Sir I just couldn't help picturing the butler's uniform again…