An underground base didn't allow for much light to come in when the sun rose. Seven in the morning, Owen came into the Hub for work. He took one look at Ianto, curled up on the ground clutching a blanket half on top of him like he was a child, and decided not to wake him just yet. Not bothering to turn on the lights, Owen wandered down to the morgue and began some paperwork. He hated paperwork. Though not as much as he hated dissecting alien bodies, or, God forbid, treating an actual patient.

Why the hell am I a doctor? he asked himself. He had just wanted to save lives, but now he seemed to be taking them more often than saving them. He couldn't concentrate on his paperwork for some reason. It was too early for this, and with Ianto asleep, there was no one to bring him coffee. He'd never dare to touch Ianto's beloved coffee machine without the tea boy's permission. Owen sighed, placing the papers down on the autopsy table serving as a desk and gave up. He'd get to it later, after Ianto had made the coffee.

… … … … …

Jack decided that three hours of sleep was enough. It was more than he usually got, anyway. He rolled out of his bed and took enough time to pull on his long grey coat and tug his hair into place before leaving his office.

Owen is probably already here, Jack reflected. He couldn't help smiling when he saw Ianto lying on the floor next to the couch. He looked very young there. Jack felt bad waking him up, but they had work to do.

He knelt next to the Welshman and shook his shoulder gently. "Wake up, Yan."

Ianto opened his eyes. "Is it morning?"

"It's been morning since you went to sleep."

"Oh. Right." Ianto yawned, sitting up and throwing his blanket to the side. "Before you ask, Angela hasn't woken up again. I don't think that the sedative wore off completely when she did wake up."

"All right," Jack replied, taking Ianto's hand and pulling him up. Ianto yawned again. "How much sleep did you actually get?"

"Maybe an hour," Ianto said. "Maybe two. What time is it?"

"Seven thirty."

"What?!" Ianto exclaimed. "Has anyone else come in yet? I have to go make coffee."

"Slow down," Jack laughed. "Owen probably already came in, but I only just woke up, too. It's Gwen's day off, and Tosh isn't here yet. And if Owen gives you a hard time about not bringing the coffee on time, just tell me. That being said, you should go make the coffee."

Ianto rolled his eyes. "Yes, sir." He headed over to his kitchen equipped with his coffee machine. Jack leaned against the couch, looking at Angela. She had her face pressed into the side of the couch, her arms wrapped around herself protectively. She looked like she was hiding from the world. Jack knew the feeling.

"Hey, Angela," he said softly. She stirred a tiny bit. "Hey there. You want to wake up? You'll be okay, I promise." Angela turned her head towards him, blinking awake slowly. She looked disoriented and frightened, but then Ianto called out from the adjoined kitchen, and her expression relaxed a little as she recognized his voice.

"Jack? Did you say something?" Ianto said as he strode out, holding two steaming mugs of coffee. He noticed that Angela was awake. "Angela!" he said joyfully. "How are you feeling?" Ianto handed Jack his coffee, and the captain took a sip gratefully.

Angela sat up, her arms wrapped around herself still. "I'm…all right, I think," she said cautiously.

"That's great. We're going to figure everything out today, okay?"

"Yeah. Thank you, for helping me."

"It's what we do," Jack broke in. "Well, usually we help by saving the whole world. But we're pretty great at individual rescue, too."

Angela allowed herself a small smile at Jack's talk. "That's very modest."

Jack took another drink of his coffee. "Oh yeah. We're that, too." He smiled at her over his mug. Not one of his usual flirty grins, but a very genuine, kind smile.

"Would you like a cup of tea, Angela?" Ianto asked.

"Yes, please," Angela responded.

Ianto nudged Jack with his elbow. "Sir, would you take this to Owen so I can look after Angela, please?"

Jack took the other cup of coffee. "Sure thing, Ianto. I'll be right back."

Ianto held a hand out to Angela and helped her to stand up off the couch. She stood unsteadily for a moment before getting her balance back. "Come on then," he said gently. "Come with me."

… … … … …

"Owen, you here?" Jack called as he walked into the autopsy room. "Ianto made us coffee."

The medic looked up from his paperwork (which he still hadn't really started). "Ah, great, thanks. Has the girl woken up, too?"

"Yeah," Jack said. "Her name's Angela. She's homeless."

"Which is why we couldn't find her."

Jack nodded.

"Is Teaboy with her?"

"Yeah, Ianto's looking after her. You should stop calling him Teaboy," Jack added.

"Well, it's sort of what he is."

"He's a full member of the team, Owen."

"Still."

"'Still' nothing." A hint of anger was playing in Jack's words now. "Think about what he did with the cannibals. He let himself be beaten and tortured and almost killed to let Tosh escape."

"And failed to do just that."

"But he gave me enough time to come and rescue them. But he still thinks he failed, too, and ever since the cy—Lisa, he holds the mindset that we don't trust him."

Owen stayed silent for a moment. "Do we?"

"Yes," Jack replied decisively. "Maybe we didn't for a while, but he's proved himself many times over the past few months. And you need to forgive him."

"I've forgiven him. Doesn't mean I trust him."

"Well, I do." And with that, Jack left, leaving Owen behind, coffee in hand.


I really do love Owen, too! Even if it might not seem like it in this chapter. But this is how he acted in season one...