7

Jack strode down to the Brig and entered to find some very sore looking stowaways and an equally annoyed FO.

"Excuse me Mister Kerna, why is my First Officer in there with them?" Jack asked as calmly as he could, the urge to scream bubbling in his gut.

"Ms Cooper sent instruction that they were all to be scooped into there except for Security" came the reply, "I asked about Mr Jones and was told that he was a suspect as he knew they were there or some shit. Er….Captain, Sir."

Jack turned to look at the approaching Gwen Cooper, "Ms Cooper? You said to place Ianto under hold?"

"Yes Captain, he knew they were there" she answered haughtily, "We all saw him directing the search that way."

"Gwen, if I was in on it and knew why would I give them away?" Ianto asked with confusion, his words still slightly slurred.

"Because whatever they paid you to get on board they can't get back now" she scoffed, "Clearly you want them caught and gone so you did this."

Ianto looked even more confused, his face screwing up in an unfamiliar way then he snorted softly as he shook his head, "She's mad she is!"

"Gwen" Jack said then took a deep breath, "He knew Mainframe's defences. Don't you think he might have worn rubber soled shoes?"

Gwen faltered blinking and then she pointed out "Yes but we would have noticed."

"More than me deliberately outing them?" Ianto sighed, "You know what sir, leave me in here. I feel I may be safer with bars between her and me."

"Gwen, you are aware that Mr Jones is Gorgan?" Jack asked with a growing dread, "You know, the humanoid species with a second sight? Inner eye? Why he was chosen as my second? His ability to smell danger? Top of his academy class? Gwen? Did you read his personnel file? Gwen? At all? They cannot lie? Let's also acknowledge that ALL his family are on board and we do not have currency? What might they had paid him that would be of worth up here?"

She blinked and then looked at Ianto, "You're an alien?"

"Well, actually you are the alien to me" Ianto replied, "But if you want to split hairs, we all are now. Right?"

Gwen blinked and looked at Jack with open horror, "Really? We have an alien in charge if you die from a heart attack or something? Do the others know?"

"For the love of coffee flavoured ice-cream" Ianto snorted, staggering back to a cell bed and the stowaway on it rose to block his way with a sneer. Ianto simply rabbit punched him in the throat and the man looked shocked as he fell to his knees clutching at his throat. "Fuck off, got a headache."

Ianto flopped onto the bed and sighed as Jack watched the other stowaways move away from him with newfound respect. Jack stifled a snort of amusement. Kitty has claws.

"Right" Jack said as he turned to Mr Kerna "Let's get him out of here and into the med bay for Owen to poke and prod. Those electrified floors can give you a real juice up and if I recall correctly Mr Jones hasn't eaten since breakfast either."

Ianto walked slowly with Jack beside him and after the third stumble Jack slid an arm around his waist to pull him close, anchoring him and Ianto hummed softly, "You smell good. Do you know that?"

Jack looked at him with surprise as the usually ramrod straight man appeared as it intoxicated, the electrical charge had fried him good. Jack realised he was seeing the real man, no walls, no masks and he saw a softer featured face with a gentle nature.

"Come on Ianto, I will soon have you horizontal" Jack whispered and he got a snort in return.

"Decidin' on that"

"Deciding what?" Jack asked with surprise.

"If that's harassment or I like it" Ianto replied haughtily, ruined by a soft chuff, "You know, maybe both. You have such a nice arse ya know."

Now Jack was stunned, his tongue suddenly slapping to the roof of his mouth and an electrical charge virtually exploding though his body as he felt a hand gently slide to his butt to squeeze before disappearing again and Ianto stepped away from him towards the med bay door, "Yeah. Lovely arse."

The door opened and Owen shot out, seizing Ianto and yanking him inside as Jack stood gobsmacked, then he saw the door closing and surged forward into the room where Owen was trying to get sense from the man who owlishly blinked back at him.

"Merdock on a hover board, you really got a good boot" Owen snorted, "Mainframe really disliked the intrusion didn't she."

"Always was tetchy" Ianto sighed, sitting and Owen barked a warning, grabbing him and propelling him to the bed he was too far away from.

"Oh. Ta Citizen Rat Man" Ianto said as he flopped back onto it and Own grinned as he swung his legs up.

"You are welcome Godzilla" Owen replied and Ianto laughed softly to himself then repeated the word.

"Godzilla?" Jack asked as he stepped over to the table where Owen was filling out a form.

"Yeah, I call him Godzilla and he calls me Citizen" Owen smiled softly, "When we were kids he was so big to my little brain, always taller than me even though younger. Our parentals found it weird that we got along so well but we like it. He could outwit anyone and if someone got nasty I punched them in the balls. Pow. Low blow. He joked that I was his Pocket Rocket. We were weird kids, what can I say. The settlement was all species and religions, we stuck together. To be together again is great, I knew when I saw his name on the crew list that I made the right decision to come. Come hell or high water he never let me down. I was always safer in his shadow."

Jack nodded as he found another side of his First Officer.

Damn if he wasn't getting more interesting by the day.