Tosh jumped back as Daria's eyes flew open. The wolf tried to move but quickly gave up with a whimper and settled back onto the table. Her pupils were dilated in fear as she looked at each and every one of them. Her eyes stopped on Jack and she gave out a low whine, the tip of her tail wagging, a pathetic shadow of the normally happy motion.

"Well, she seems to remember you," Owen stated, moving around her body to make sure she wasn't bleeding after her attempt to stand. Once he was satisfied that she was as okay as she was going to be he went and checked her eyes, noting that the dilation had reduced and was glad to hear her breathing evenly.

"My finger scan woke her up... What does it take to get it off?" Tosh wondered aloud. Daria looked at her, clearly understanding the question. She kept looking from Tosh to a scalpel and back.

"I think she means blood." Owen picked up the scalpel and looked at the others. "Any volunteers?" Daria continued to stare at Tosh.

"I think I have to, since my print was what woke her up." Tosh gave her hand to Owen and looked away as he gently pricked her thumb. The implement was sharp enough that she barely felt it bite into her skin. There was hardly any pain until she had to press it to the scanner. A beep, a click, and then a slow hissing filled the room as the collar opened and fell off of her neck. Everyone stared for a moment. There was a strip of skin where the collar had worn away the fur and a small hole on her neck where a needle on the inside of the collar had been injecting the chemical into her blood. Owen was putting a small plaster over the hole when a sickening crack filled the room.

"What was that?" Gwen sounded distressed. Another crack sounded, this one longer, with a scraping sort of sound.

"She's shifting," Jack stated simply, staring at her in disbelief.

"That can't be good for her stitches," Owen muttered, but too concentrated on the amazing sight before him to really be upset. Disturbing pops, cracks, and occasional ripping sounds filled the hub for several minutes. Halfway through, a terrible howl filled the area, drowning out everything else, making everyone cover their ears. The howl was soon replaced by a human scream, which died to a quiet sobbing when the transformation was over.

A girl lay curled in the place where the wolf had previously been. Her tan was darker than Jack's, but her hair was a lighter brown. It was an interesting combination. Everyone stood dumbly staring at the naked sobbing girl in front of them until Ianto appeared with blankets and a pillow in hand. No one had even noticed he had slipped out.

"Where did you get those?" Jack managed to ask as Ianto worked on wrapping a blanket around her and nudging a pillow under her head. He also pulled a travel packet of tissues out of his trouser pocket and handed them to her. She took them with a shaky hand and started cleaning her face up a bit, only the occasional sob escaping from her. When she finally looked at them, there was a collective gasp from everyone but Jack. Her eyes as a wolf had been a golden green. Now her eyes were the brightest green any of them had seen. Jack had spent so much time looking into those eyes. Her eyes always stole people's breath away.

Ianto produced a small bottle of water and a straw from his other trouser pocket. He offered her a drink from the straw and she gratefully started to suck down the water. "Don't want you to get sick," he stated as he pulled the water away from her. She whined, the sound disturbingly canid coming from a human throat.

"Jack..." She croaked out. He wanted to run and comfort her. To hold her and make her better. He also wanted to curse and yell at her and ask her why she had left without a word. He chose what he considered the middle ground; he kept his distance and stared. Silence stretched as everyone stared at each other, not sure what to do. Owen finally snapped out of it and started lifting sections of the blanket at a time to check on the stitches. He was pleased to see that they had managed to not be ripped open in all of that.

"She needs something softer and warmer than this table to sleep on for a few nights. Do we have any beds in this place that are easily accessible?"

"No." Jack realized that his bunker did not count as easily accessible.

"As her acting physician, I'm taking her back to my flat and I'll be on call from there. She's stable, but she's still critically injured. I need to keep a 24 hour watch on her. Now if we could get her some clothes, we can get going."

"I think I might have something extra stashed around here." Gwen ran off in search of some clothes.

"Should fit," Ianto mumbled. "Sir, shall I use the Torchwood expenses account to buy some clothes for her?"

"Yeah. She's technically our ward now. She's not an alien threat, but she also isn't human, so we need to take care of her until she can care for herself."

"Of course, sir. I'll stop by your flat once I'm done shopping if that's acceptable." Ianto asked as he turned to Owen.

"Yeah, sure," he mumbled distractedly, packing up some medications and equipment for the next couple days.

Gwen came bounding in a few minutes later, clothes in hand. She shooed the boys out of the room as Tosh helped her get Daria dressed.

"Thank...you..."

"It's no bother sweetheart. Hope you get better soon," Gwen responded with her typical gap-toothed smile. Jack came down at the girls' okay and picked up Daria. She wanted to protest, but knew she would never be able to walk to the stairs, let alone go up them and to the car.

Jack went with Owen to help him get Daria settled in his flat. He placed her on the bed at Owen's directions. He and Daria said nothing to each other, not even goodbye as he left for the night.

"So... What do you eat?" She gave him a look that clearly said are you seriously asking that? So he started rummaging through his fridge, trying to find any decent food. There was a knock on the door as he was ransacking the cupboards. He went to the door and was relieved to see Ianto with not only clothes but some grocery bags and a box of Chinese takeout. "How...?"

"I know everything," Ianto said simply as he pushed past Owen and set the clothes on the couch and took the food and put it on the counter. "I trust you can do the rest," he said in way of goodbye.

Ianto did seem to know everything. He had bought food that would be both nutritious and easy to make. Owen set about cooking, eating his own food when he had the chance.

There was silence through dinner and clean up, even though he had to help her with the utensils to her chagrin. Owen didn't have anything to say and Daria seemed capable of little speech at the time. It was getting late. Normally Owen would have been out chatting up some bird, but he had a duty and he was going to fulfill it.

Owen started getting Daria ready for bed early. She need rest as a human, her body wasn't used to this. She seemed agitated at not being able to get dressed in pajamas by herself.

"Look, I know this sucks, but starting tomorrow we can do some basic physical therapy, get your muscles working properly again. You'll have you independence back in no time."

"I hope so," she rasped out, staring at the floor.

"Lay down. Time for bed. I'll be out on the couch."

"Please stay."

"Why?"

"Pack animal. Hate alone." Even in the broken, raspy speech he could here the loneliness and desperation in her voice. He stripped down to his pants and climbed into bed. She scooted closer to him. Not quite touching, but they could feel eachother's body heat. Sleep came easily with the comfort of another person so close. They temporarily banished their loneliness.