A/N: things settled down... sort of

Beta-ed: TattooedLibrarian


"Silly, like humans are" said Trianca when Mark 7 came aboard.

"What?" he frowned, "did I do something?"

"You?" she jumped from surprise. "Already? Comforting that other you didn't last that long after all" she rubbed her forearm "I thought you'd take a swim to wash all those tears away."

"Excuse me" he tried to make sense of what she was saying "I'm not good at your… habits here, was that meant to insult me, or it was just a mean joke that missed its mark, because I can teach you mean."

"Mean?" she looked at him confused. "You, mean? You're just a puppy child, how could you be mean? All those who came before you just cried and yelled a lot. Disturbing sight even without tears."

"What's your problem with tears?" he followed her to the bridge, he wasn't in the mood to be alone right now.

"You're kidding me?" she looked at him in disbelief. "Don't you know that insects hate water, even in your time you had insects, although it's appalling to learn how you treated them."

"An insect?" he tilted his head taking in her antennae and her black eyes, her skin was dry and rough. "Is that what you identify yourself with?"

"What else?" she blinked and now he could see that her eyelids were solid like her skin was. "On my planet all mammals had the decency to stay small and stick to the polar caps where they could find water. Rest of Klatlah was nicely dry and hot."

"So why did your leave?" he was now interested in her story but she got defensive.

"Why anyone leaves their home? Why did you leave yours?"

"I was taken actually, and made… somewhere, so technically I don't have a home" he said thoughtfully sitting in the chair to give her some room. She seemed quite upset by the topic.

"Well" she rubbed her forearm one more time and with a clack the whole segment of her skin, or should he call it shell, just came off revealing a deep purple scale underneath. "That's a relief, it was due to come off in a day or two but all that moist outside made it itchy, I had to remove it right away. I would die if I had to live somewhere so moist."

"Oh, that's why the ship's air is so dry, I can feel it in my nose. I thought it was ship's flaw, I considered suggesting moisturizers" he pondered it a bit.

"Yes, the Captain is kind that way, Vren is constantly complaining about it but you lot don't get itchy scales because of it."

"Actually we do" he rubbed his palm "we have to moisturize, without humidity our skin dries out, but I guess that's not as distracting as scales that are falling from you as you walk."

"I could only wish so" she sighed "the moisture is too high for that, I have to rub it off every time."

"But don't insects need water to reproduce? Or some of them do, on Earth at least. I know dragon flies are born under water as larva and then they have to break the surface to come out and fly" he said just to keep her talking.

"Don't ever speak of that again" she jumped up and threw her scale over the bridge. "That's blasphemy."

"Blasphemy?" Jack spoke up crouching and taking her scale from the floor. "Blasphemy is that you throw this around so carelessly. I told you to treat it carefully, I'll put this one with others, we can get decent money for it on Piotr Lane."

"I fear you'll sell me there as well to be their pet that makes emerald pieces for their mosaics" she shivered.

"I would never do that" he smiled at her gently and Mark 7 lowered himself in his chair hoping he wouldn't be seen. Jack knew his face too well, even if he wasn't the first one to wear it.

Mercifully he looked above him and walked away. Mark 7 breathed out slowly when he was gone. He could understand that his previous versions would do little else but yell and cry in frustration. Now that everything had settled and he got used to his new surroundings he could see how well Jack had matured. In first encounter, with his stern face and harsh talk, Mark 7 could think of him as old, as strange and unlike his Jack. He wished that Jack stayed stern and harsh, he wished that he didn't smile anymore. Because that smile…

"Are you gonna cry now?" Trianca interrupted his train of thoughts. "Because if you do I'll go to my quarters, and I do have them, although I don't know what to use it for, maybe to hide from that salty water you keep pouring around."

"What?" Mark 7 kept his gaze down. "You're afraid that you're just the Wicked Witch of the West?"

"Excuse me?" her voice got alarmed.

He looked at her and smiled tightly.

"You know, the one that melts away with a drop of water" he skewed it a bit.

She looked at him thoughtfully but then she smiled on a side.

"You're okay" she said. "No I won't melt away, but it does leave smears on my outer shell and I hate that so be careful where you spill your liquids, I don't forgive so easily."

"Noted" he nodded his head. "Where are we off to now?"

"The Captain still hasn't decided" she tapped her console "I'm awaiting for orders and directions. I'm guessing he'll ask you…"

"I'm not asking anyone's permission" Jack strode in suddenly and Ianto jumped out of his chair to avoid him. "I already loaded coordinates, you can go."

"Why there? I doubt they would hide a Hive there, we would have detected it last time around" she hesitated with her hand hovering over the console.

"Just hit that button" Jack leaned over her and started the engines instead of her. "I wasn't aware I had to answer to you now" he glared at her but Mark 7 was distracted from their conversation by Jack's posture. He leaned just right too…

Mark 7 found himself backing away slowly. It wasn't fair Jack was bigger than before, his back was wider, his hands stronger, and his behind was now nicely shown in his gray shiny trousers. Mark 7 had to admit he wasn't missing tweed trousers as much as other things. He collided with the wall behind him. Jack threw short glance at him because of the noise, Mark 7 offered a polite smile.

Jack turned away showing off his profile and the line of his neck. Yep, Mark 7 could understand what all the yelling was about. It must have been frustrating to be near Jack in such a small space and not be able to… The bridge was too small. Where was that cabin they gave him? He slipped into the corridor hurrying to find shelter.


Sooo, I wonder what comes next...