Chapter 13

A/N - Thank you to all who reviewed; and to those who are now following, welcome aboard! Sorry, I'm so tired right now! Classes started back this past week, so life is crazy again. This chapter is not as fluffy as the last few, but I hope you enjoy it none the less. Please post a review and let me know what you think!

Firsts and Firearms

Cardiff, Wales, Earth, 2008 - Torchwood, Monday morning

Today was Siani's first official day with Torchwood. She wasn't nervous per say, but rather apprehensive about what might happen.

The trip to London went well. Jack managed to behave himself, mostly; and Ianto was by her side the entire time, making sure that she was comfortable and not making any major faux pas. Meeting Her Majesty was fantastic and nerve-wracking. She was someone Siani only knew of from history lessons, so to actually have the opportunity to meet such a legendary woman was beyond thrilling. After laying out their request, and assuring Her Majesty that they were actually serious, things went surprisingly well.

They were officially granted permission to wed, and their marriage would be considered legally binding no matter where they might go. The Queen also granted Siani British citizenship (legally, Jack had planned to use other means), and instated her as a servant to the Crown (a designation up and until then only held by Jack and Ianto within Torchwood).

Siani had then done something that she initially feared to be a major misstep. Explaining that she knew that Her Majesty had a very busy schedule, but that the next time she visited Cardiff she had a standing invitation to dine at their home, and an offer to tour Torchwood's facilities at her leisure. She was truly afraid for a moment that she had offended the Queen and embarrassed Jack and Ianto; but it seemed that Her Majesty was "delighted by the invitation," and looked forward to taking them up on it.

After they left the palace, Ianto reassured Siani repeatedly that she did well in issuing the invitation. Jack grumbled about the offer to tour Torchwood until Ianto reminded him that the Queen was losing patience with his reluctance to divulge the actions of his branch, and that this might be just the way to calm the waters.

They had returned to Cardiff early Sunday morning and went straight to Torchwood. It was largely an uneventful day; Owen gave her another check-up and was pleased that her healing seemed to be accelerating. Thankfully the rift was calm and the Weevils seemed to have decided to have a lie-in, which Owen complained about repeatedly as they had been overly active the day before.

Tosh set Siani up with her security codes and passwords. They were holding off on installing a desk as Jack had decided to remodel a bit to give them more room, and to make space for Siani and Ianto to have desks in the main hub.

They shared what they had learned about Gwen's activities with the others, which went as well as could be expected. Tosh immediately began upgrading security and surveillance measures, installing monitoring software on Gwen's computer. Owen ranted for about an hour, and the Doctor played the disinterested observer, all the while taking it all in, curious about how this "new" Jack ran his team.

The only truly eventful occurrence happened when Ianto, Jack, and Siani revealed their bond and their trip to London to the other three. The Doctor took it all in stride, obviously already knowing about the bond, but pleasantly surprised by the Queen's assistance.

Tosh and Owen were much more expressive in their reactions. Owen sat silent for several moments with his mouth hanging open. Tosh immediately jumped up to hug Ianto, followed by Jack, and finally Siani.

"I knew it!" She said happily. "I just knew it had to be Ianto you were talking about when you told us about your third mate. This is bloody fantastic! It's a bit out of the ordinary today but, who the hell cares! I'm so happy for you all!"

Owen finally came around, saying, "You lucky bastard! Harkness, I swear that you- Shit! Well, congratulations you three."

Owen nodded awkwardly to Ianto and Jack, dodging Jack's hug, before he let Siani hug him.

He grinned at both men as he hugged Siani while saying, "Yep definitely the two luckiest bastards in Britain!"

Jack and Ianto were not amused. Siani simply laughed and jokingly smacked his chest as she pulled away.

Ianto reached over and pulled her into a side hug, moving her in between him and Jack. Siani rolled her eyes and Tosh laughed at his possessive behavior.

Not much work got done after that, so they all decided to call it an early night and go out to the pub to celebrate. They all agreed to keep quiet about their triad, and especially the upcoming bonding and wedding.

Now it was Monday morning, and Siani was currently sitting in the boardroom where she had been placed in the chair to the left of Jack's seat (Jack practically carried her there) after Owen had drawn blood again. Tosh was seated across the table and over one seat where she was engrossed in researching on her PDA for the new security measures Siani had suggested. The others filtered in, Owen sitting next to her and the Doctor next to Tosh at the far end of the table. Ianto came in shortly after, carrying coffee and juice (for her, Ianto refused to give her coffee until at least an hour after her blood was drawn), before taking his seat across from her on Jack's right side. Finally Jack arrived, laying down a pile of papers and binders at his place and smiling as Ianto handed him his coffee.

Jack had locked himself in his office as soon as the trio arrived around 7 that morning in addition to spending most of the day prior in there as well. Neither Siani nor Ianto knew what he was doing, but they thought it best to leave him to it. He had not discussed anything with them at home, but had clearly been preoccupied.

Ianto spent the rest of the time before the others arrived showing Siani the rest of the Hub, and making sure that she knew where to find his desk within the archives. There may have been a few brief stops in the hidden alcoves on the lower levels.

Now the time was upon them, it was a few minutes before 9 and Gwen was due at any moment.

"Alright people," Jack said. "We're going to have a team meeting, obviously. I'll say this again once Gwen arrives, but this will be a professional meeting. Tosh has the system set up to record and dictate everything said and done here for our records."

They all simply nodded in agreement, each determined to keep their respective tempers in check.

Jack continued, "Like we talked about yesterday, we will not bring up Gwen's little stake-out, that will be addressed at a later time. I'm counting on each of you to set an example of professionalism; gods know we're going to need it. Lots of things are about to change, I hope for the better. Let's-"

Jack was interrupted by the proximity alarm which announced Gwen's arrival. She looked around the Hub, wondering where everyone was at when she heard Jack's voice.

"Boardroom, Gwen."

She quickly moved to her desk to put away her things before making her way up to the boardroom. She had hoped to talk to Jack alone, but saw that it would have to wait.

Upon entering the room Gwen took note of the seating arrangements, they remained mostly the same except for the fact that she and Owen were down the table further due to Jack's wife being seated next to him. She took her seat without comment and waited along with the others for Jack to begin. She had decided yesterday that her best move at this point was to appear to be contrite and cooperative.

"Right, let's get started. If each of you will take one of these," Jack said as he began to pass the binders down the table. "Doctor I included one for you, obviously it's not mandatory for you, but since you're here, you might as well be able to follow along."

The Doctor smiled at Jack and began to peruse the information within the binder.

"All meetings from here on out will be recorded and stored to the database; this is something I should have instituted long ago when Tosh first suggested it. In these meetings we discuss official Torchwood business and there needs to be record of it. That being said, we will all conduct ourselves as professionals. All of us. We will get to changes in workplace behavior in a bit. Does everyone understand?"

They all nodded.

"As some of you have already noted," Jack said, acknowledging Ianto's confused frown. "There have been changes made to the Torchwood manual. The first of which was to the mission statement. Her Majesty approved that change just this morning, so congratulations Doctor, you're no longer considered an enemy of the Crown."

Jack and the Doctor grinned at one another, while the others looked on in amusement (and in one person's case confusion).

"What do you mean Jack?" Asked Gwen. "Why has he been allowed to be here if he's an enemy of the Crown?"

The others, save Owen, all stifled the urge to roll their eyes, and remained silent.

Jack sighed inwardly, and once again berated himself. He had seriously screwed up where Gwen was concerned.

"Well Gwen, if you remember from the introductory information you were given by Ianto along with your employment paperwork, the Doctor here is the reason this institution was founded."

Her confused look was enough to confirm his suspicions that she had indeed never read the information, just as Ianto said.

Continuing, Jack said, "However, I have a better understanding of who the Doctor is and what he has done for this planet. He is not the threat that Queen Victoria thought him to be. Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth agrees, and would like to have the opportunity to meet you Doctor."

"Thank you Jack, that's quite lovely. I would love to have a spot of tea with Her Majesty. It's nice to no longer be banished from the realm in which I am a knight. Did I ever tell you-"

"Doctor."

"Right, sorry. Continue."

"Anyway, before we go any further I want you all to be aware that this is the beginning of many changes for Torchwood. I realize that I have not been the best leader, and I intend to do something about that, starting today."

Jack looked around the room, making sure to make eye contact with each person, saving Ianto for last.

But before we go into the details, I need to introduce a couple of people officially."

Jack moved to stand behind Siani and placed his hands on her chair.

"Firstly, my wife, Siani Harkness, has agreed to join us. She will be our weapons and hand-to-hand combat expert, and as such is in charge of the armory and all artifacts that are found to be weaponry. Ianto will work with you on that Siani. Also, she is a trained combat medic and will assist Owen as he needs." Siani and Owen looked at each other before fist bumping, which Owen had taught her earlier in the med bay. "Her role will most likely grow over time as she acclimates to her new situation."

Tosh and Ianto smiled while Owen looked satisfied. He was glad to finally have another person on the team that had some formal medical training. Gwen continued to look at the manual, not acknowledging Jack's comments or Siani's introduction.

Jack then moved to the other side of the table to stand behind Ianto.

"Secondly, I have put a great deal of thought into this. I should have done this some time ago, especially considering recent issues."

Though no one turned to look at her, Gwen clearly felt the hostility in the room.

"I am officially naming Ianto Jones as my second in command, effective immediately. I say officially, because he has been such for quite some time unofficially."

Ianto was shocked, so was Gwen. She had planned on convincing Jack to name her as his second as soon as possible. She just knew that everything he said the other day was just a show, he needed her. It was all she could do to keep the rage from showing on her face. She did not realize though, that she had an observer; Siani was surreptitiously watching her reflection in the window, and noted her struggle.

"Jack, are you sure?" Ianto asked.

"I'm absolutely sure." He said as he moved from behind Ianto to once again take his seat.

Jack looked Ianto in the eye and said, "You have served Torchwood longer than anyone else, save me. You know everyone's positions, and can step in to any of them as needed. You are the god of all administration, and Her Majesty has expressed her wish to see you in the position. Ianto, you are the best person for the job, and I have every confidence in your abilities."

Ianto nodded his head in acceptance after a few moments, and Siani smiled. She was determined to help Ianto see himself more clearly, it seemed that Jack was as well.

"Okay, now, confession time. I screwed up; I did not ensure that you all were trained as you should have been. I was so intent on distancing myself from One, that I refused to incorporate anything that vaguely resembled their way of doing things. While I hold that we will never become another One, there were a few things they actually had right."

At this Owen raised a brow and leaned back in his chair. He was a little leery of what might be coming, but also a bit excited that Jack really seemed to be growing a pair.

"I'm not sure I like the sound of that. I hate all that bureaucracy, Jack, that's the biggest thing I hated at the hospital. Tell me we're not going to become a bunch of stuffed shirt, pencil pushers." Owen said.

Jack frowned, "I think you know me better than that Owen. No, these changes are not meant to complicate our lives with a bunch of red tape; rather they are meant to simplify things so that we can better do our real jobs."

Owen nodded without comment, deciding to suspend judgment for the moment.

"Alright, now everyone will undergo training, or retraining in most cases. Ianto, I apologize now, most of this will simply be review for you."

Ianto merely shrugged, and gestured for Jack to continue.

"You will each be trained in Torchwood history and policy, safety procedures, archiving, firearms, hand-to-hand combat, first aid, computer systems, and protocol for interacting with non-terrestrial species and each other. Ianto, Siani, Owen, and Tosh, you will each be conducting training in your respective areas of expertise; and Doctor, if you don't mind helping while you're here, we could use your knowledge of alien species."

"Of course, I'm happy to help." The Doctor said, his respect for Jack inching upwards.

"Great! Now-"

"Jack?" Gwen interrupted. "Would you like for me to train everyone in investigations and liaising?"

Jack turned to Gwen and said, "No, that won't be necessary. Ianto has been handling the liaising as of late, and no offense Gwen, but everyone at this table has been conducting investigations longer than you have."

"But with the police I-"

"With the police," Tosh interrupted. "You were a constable, not a Detective Inspector."

"Alright," Jack continued before an argument could start. "Thank you ladies, training will be handled as I laid out a few moments ago. This is all new to us, and obviously there will need to be a few revisions as we work through everything. I'm hoping that this training, and the new policies I'm instituting will help us to do our jobs better, and to ensure everyone's safety. Torchwood operatives have a notoriously short lifespan; I'd like to change that. I'll gladly wrangle for additional funds for retirement if this works."

Glancing around the table, Jack observed them all, trying to gage their reactions. Tosh, Owen, and Ianto all seemed to be accepting, the Doctor was bouncing in his chair as he continued to read through the manual, Gwen was obviously unhappy but trying to appear unaffected. Siani, he noted, was grinning at him.

What?

You are so hot right now.

Arg! Not now!

Siani just smiled innocently.

"Now, here's how this is going to work; history and policy, safety procedures, and office conduct will be independent study. However, you will be tested to ensure that you have learned and can apply your knowledge. You all have one week to complete your individual assignments and tests. Every other area will be covered as per the schedule inside your binders. As you can see there are no set dates and times; this will all be covered over the next two weeks, but it will be done as the rift permits, be prepared to stay late as necessary. Also, Ianto and I will be going over everyone's job descriptions and ensuring that everything is up to date, and that your security level is set correctly as well as your pay scale."

"That's done then, alright. For the future, this will become standard procedure for any new Torchwood hire, regardless of where they come to us from and what their prior training might have entailed."

At this point most of the table looked a little shocked.

"Yes, I know, I've always said that I didn't want a big team. I still don't to be honest, but it's not about what I want. We need a bigger team in order to do our jobs. The hours that we work and the stress we put on our bodies is not healthy, as I'm sure Owen could tell us in detail; so, in time we will be adding to our team. Someday I hope to have a Rota where everyone will have a set schedule and time off; we might even be able to swing something called a vacation." Jack said with a grin.

"Yes!" Owen exclaimed. Finally, everyone looked pleased.

"Finally, you all will see this in your office conduct section, but just to be clear. If you have a problem with a co-worker you will follow the procedures to set up a time to discuss the issue. Any such meetings will be held with me and one other person, in most cases that will be Ianto. You can read the rest from there. I will not listen to bickering or tattling, yes I am your friend, but when it comes to matters concerning Torchwood, I am your boss, and only your boss. Ianto, you will be happy to note the section on harassment in the workplace." Jack winked at him.

"I will address this once, and only once, if it happens again there will be disciplinary action taken. I never, and I mean never, want to see or hear a spectacle like the one that occurred last week ever again. You will treat each other with respect, I don't care if you like each other or not, but you will behave as professionals. Are we clear?"

Jack looked at each member of his team one by one, until each nodded in understanding.

"To wrap up, we'll take a ten minute break and then meet up in the firing range. Siani will be taking us through our paces, if she feels up to it." Jack looked to Siani and received a nod in the affirmative. "Perfect, she's forgotten more about weapons than any of you have ever learned, so you're in for a treat, trust me. So, let's take a break, and then we'll go shoot stuff." Jack said and then began to gather up his notes.

They all started to file out and began to chat about the changes. Gwen took this opportunity to make her way over to Jack.

"Jack?" She said, standing inches away from him. "Can we talk?"

Jack sighed internally and thought. Here we go.

"What about Gwen?" He said as he took a step back from her.

She glanced toward the door, and seeing that everyone else had left she continued, "It's about everything that happened. I don't want this misunderstanding to hurt our relationship Jack." She stepped toward him again and placed a hand on his arm.

"This has already been discussed Gwen, I just finished discussing it. Or were you not listening?" Jack said, moving away and picking up his notes from the table.

"Of course I was listening, and I've learned my lesson, I promise. But you and I have something that I don't want to jeopardize Jack. I know things are complicated for you right now, and I want you to know that I'm here for you if you need me. Any time, day or night." She smiled up at him in what she believed to be a beguiling manner.

Gods, how could I have not seen what she was up to all this time? Was I that big of a jackass that I let this go on for the sake of my ego? Well that's an obvious 'yes.'

Jack sighed and stepped back from her again. She moved to close the distance, but Jack stopped her.

"Stop, Gwen! This stops now. Listen to me, there has never been anything between us beyond friendship. Did I flirt with you? Yes. I flirt with everyone, in case you haven't noticed. I'll be perfectly honest with you though, right now I'm only your boss. Your attitude and actions lately are not those of someone I want to call my friend. So I suggest that you stop all of this now."

"But Jack-" She tried to interrupt.

Continuing as if she hadn't spoken, Jack said, "I believe you have a fiancée Gwen; a fiancé, who is a good man that loves you and wants to spend his life with you. Be happy Gwen; don't throw that away on some fantasy that doesn't exist. I'm happy, ecstatically happy. My wife is home; my wife Gwen, the woman I chose to spend my life with, I finally have her back. I'll not lose her again, not for anything or anyone. Are we clear?"

"Of course Jack." Gwen ground out before stomping away, down the stairs to her desk. She inwardly seethed at his treatment of her. It was obvious to her that he was only doing this because his wife had just shown up; she would wait, he would soon return to normal and he would miss her. After all, he needed her.

Torchwood Firing Range

Everyone gathered in the firing range. The Doctor and Tosh were engaged in an in-depth discussion of thermonuclear physics; Owen was lounging in a chair, waiting as patiently as Owen can wait, and Gwen leaned against the back wall, silently watching Jack and the others.

Siani and Ianto were looking over the weapons that would be used; and Jack watched Siani intently as she expertly checked each one. He was still trying to process how much his life had changed in just a few days. His emotions were all over the place, though he worked very hard to conceal them.

He knew that Siani, and probably Ianto to an extent, could pick up on the tumult inside of him. This was the main reason he had locked himself in his office the day before and that morning. He worked on all the changes he wanted to make to his branch, but mostly he spent time trying to figure out how to keep his family happy, and most importantly, safe.

More than any other emotion, he felt blissfully, ecstatically, stupidly happy; but he was also worried, and most of all, completely terrified. His life for the past 150 plus years consisted of one disappointment or heartbreak after another. Every time things started going well, it all seemed to come quickly crashing to the ground.

This is why he was terrified; because this time the stakes were the highest they had ever been. It wasn't just his life that could go to crap any more, it was their life. He remembered what he had been like after those years of fruitlessly searching for his wife. Out of control didn't come close to describing it; Jack was pretty sure that he had truly lost his mind for a time. He was shattered, and didn't understand why he hadn't died as well. If it weren't for Carad quite literally knocking some sense into him, there is no telling what he would have done.

Jack knew that he was a dangerous man during his days at the Time Agency; he was trained to be so. However now, he knew that he could potentially be the most dangerous being in existence. If he were to lose them now, there would be no stopping him, no comfort, and no brotherly wake-up call that could bring him back from the brink. He would tear the universe apart to find them, and he had an eternity to do it. That's what terrified Jack, there would be no limits, no restraints; he knew that he would do anything, to anyone, in order to ensure their safety. So while he wanted to focus on the joy of their upcoming bonding, and to simply enjoy their time together, he couldn't help but fear that it would all be over before it could really begin. That seemed to be his lot in life.

Shae, leave the shadows in the past where they belong. Jack heard Siani say through their link.

Picking up the particle gun on the table, Siani examined it before huffing and turning to Jack, snapping him out of his brooding.

"What?" Jack asked, and then grinned when she gave him an exasperated look.

"Let me guess. The pulse doesn't work, right?"

This caught Tosh's attention as she had spent many hours trying to fix that very feature.

"That's right," she said. "Neither Jack nor I have been able to get it to work. It tends to overheat as well; nothing I've tried has been able to fix it."

"Well Tosh, that's not your fault. That is because the person who taught you about particle guns is complete pants at them. He never paid attention when we were instructed on their repair and maintenance; which is why the pulse doesn't work. I bet you still run down the battery too, Jack! I'll go over it with you later Tosh." She said dryly.

The Doctor grinned, remembering the incident during which he first met Jack.

"Okay, thanks." Tosh said uncomfortably, not quite sure how to respond.

Jack just looked at his exasperated wife sheepishly before grinning and slipping his arm around her waist, pulling her against his side.

"Now see," he said. "This is yet another reason why we need you. You were always better at taking instruction than I was."

Jack leaned down and whispered something in her ear which caused Siani to blush and Jack to laugh.

"Besides, Ianto really needs your help; I'm more than a hand-full I understand." Jack turned so that only Ianto and Siani could see his face while waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Ianto couldn't help but laugh, which set Owen off, him clearly having caught the double entendre. It took the Doctor and Tosh a moment longer before they each joined in until Gwen was the only one not joining in the gaiety.

"Oh Jack dear, I'll be focusing on helping Yan alright, which is a big job; you can handle yourself." Siani said innocently, patting his shoulder before turning back to work on the particle gun.

By this point Owen was struggling to breathe from laughing so hard while Tosh continued to giggle, even the Doctor seemed to be struggling to contain his mirth as the husband and wife quipped back and forth.

Ianto just smiled at his two mates.

"Hum, we'll see about that!" Jack responded with a pout.

Siani ignored him while she continued to check the rest of the weapons.

Gwen observed the interactions between Jack, his wife, and Ianto, and was left feeling very confused. When she had gone to Ianto's apartment the other night, she fully expected him to return home, crushed because of the return of Jack's wife.

Watching them now though, no one would be able to tell that there was any tension at all. They seemed happy and friendly with each other, joking and playing together as though they were the best of friends.

Clearly there was something more going on here, and Gwen was determined to figure out what it was.

"Okay, let's get started." Jack said. "Now, the utterly luscious Siani here is our resident goddess of war."

Jack continued with his usual exuberance while Ianto and Siani rolled their eyes.

"She is going to retrain us all and help us to keep ourselves and each other safe in the field. So, Mrs. Harkness, the floor is yours." Jack gave an exaggerated bow before stepping over to stand next to Ianto.

"Thank you Jack, I think. The first thing I would like to do is just observe each of you firing upon a stationary target. How many of you had weapons training prior to joining Torchwood Cardiff?" Siani asked.

Only Ianto indicated that he had.

Siani looked at Jack with a raised brow.

"Alright, so Jack trained the rest of you. Tosh and Gwen, we will most likely be making some changes to the way you shoot."

"I don't think-" Gwen interrupted.

"Clearly." Siani said, turning to look at Gwen who had her hands on her hips. "Jack is a good teacher, but he sometimes forgets that there are some subtle differences in how men and women handle weapons. Don't!" She said, stopping Jack before he could make a dirty comment.

"Also, I'm sure you all enjoy his teaching method, some of you a little too much, Owen." Siani said, grinning.

"Oi! Bloody Harkness the octopus!"

They all laughed save Gwen and the Doctor. Gwen was surprised that Jack trained everyone like he did her; and the Doctor simply had no clue what they were talking about.

"Well, it has its uses." Siani continued. "Which is why I taught it to him."

"You mean..." Tosh started. Jack laughed at the looks on their faces. They would soon learn that his wife was quite naughty when she wanted to be.

"He had to pick it up somewhere." Siani said with a wink. "In case any of you were confused as to his, and by extension my intent in using that method, it is a tool to gauge how you react under pressure, how you handle distractions, and to assess your weaknesses."

"Now let's get started. One at a time you will approach the table and select your preferred weapon, step up to the line, and when instructed you will open fire on the hostile targets. Simple, easy, no pressure. After that, you will reload and I will give you some direction if needed, and assess your abilities in a more dynamic situation. Ianto, we'll start with you."

Ianto smiled at Siani and stepped up to the table, picking up the Sig Sauer P226 MK25. He checked it over before approaching the firing line where he loaded and readied the pistol.

After double checking that they were all wearing the appropriate protective gear, even the stubborn Time Lord, she gave the okay to fire.

As she expected, Ianto was a crack shot; he hit dead center on every target, and quickly emptied the magazine.

Ianto secured his weapon and stepped back from the line before looking over to Siani for her assessment.

Both she and Jack smiled at him with pride, causing him to blush profusely.

"Fantastic!" Siani exclaimed. "That is what I want to see. Did you see his stance? Balanced, leaning slightly toward the target, and completely relaxed. Perfect Yan! Now, again."

This time as Ianto loaded his weapon Siani joined him in the firing lane. Instead of plastering herself to his backside as Jack normally did, Siani stepped in front of Ianto as he stood sideways to the target. This position afforded her more freedom than she would have had otherwise as her hands were shielded by Ianto's body.

"Okay Yan," Siani said so that only he could hear, and began to play with the buttons on his shirt, lightly caressing his chest at the same time. "I want you to show them how it's done. You look so damn sexy right now, you have no idea how much I want you to take me right here on this floor."

Ianto gulped audibly, struggling to focus and not allow her to distract him. This became increasingly difficult as she softly cupped him through his slacks, and slipped the tips of her fingers inside the waistband. He wasn't alone in his struggle though; unknown to Ianto, Siani had fully opened her link to Jack, allowing him to hear and feel how she touched him.

Tugging him tightly against her, Siani said, "Now Yan, fire."

Amazingly, he managed to do just as well as the first time, though he had to take his time securing the weapon. Both he and Jack shifted uncomfortably.

"Excellent! Alright, Tosh. You're next." Siani said happily, as if she had not just caused major discomfort for both of her men.

Tosh made her selection and moved to the line, firing when instructed. She hit the center of mass on all but one of her targets, and dead center on two.

"Nicely done, Tosh. We can work on a couple of things that will help you with consistency though."

Siani moved to stand behind Tosh and placed her hands on Tosh's hips. This of course caught the attention of all the men in the room, and if she were honest about it, Gwen as well.

"Now Tosh, you need to adjust your stance just slightly, like this." Siani guided her. "As women, our center of mass is lower to the ground than a man's."

"Yeah it is." Owen said, earning himself a frown from Siani, Tosh, and Gwen, as well as a huge grin from Jack.

"Anyway. Yes, just like that. Loosen your grip just slightly and remember to squeeze, not pull."

Siani and Tosh ignored the snickering. Tosh made the adjustments and fired her first four shots perfectly. Then Siani did something that caused her to miss her target by a few inches on the next two shots before she corrected herself and finished perfectly.

Siani knew of Tosh's imprisonment with U.N.I.T., and as much as she hated to do so, she had to test Tosh's ability to fight her fears. She crowded Tosh, deliberately boxing her into the small space. Though she was startled at first, she was able to continue and finished well, though she was a little shaky when her time was up.

Siani squeezed her shoulder gently and smiled. "Well done, Tosh. Just continue to work on your adjusted stance and you'll be giving Ianto a run for his money soon."

Tosh smiled and thanked Siani before standing back to allow Owen to go next.

And so Siani instructed Owen, "Quit leaning into my chest Owen"; and Jack, "I will not do that to you in the middle of a firing exercise, if you keep it up I'll never do that again"; and the reluctant Doctor, "Really Doctor, don't pretend that you've never used a weapon before, and quit trying to turn them into fruit!" Finally it was Gwen's turn.

She stepped up and selected her weapon, and immediately loaded it.

"Woah!" Siani said, keeping her voice even and pleasant. "Hold up a minute Gwen, you forgot a couple things."

"What?" Gwen said testily.

"First of all, you didn't check the weapon."

"You already checked it. Why should I waste my time checking it if you and the Te- Ianto already did?"

The previously jovial atmosphere became tense quickly.

Losing her patience with the woman, Siani took a deep breath before beginning.

"Rule number one, never fire a weapon that you have not personally inspected beforehand. It's lazy and it's reckless. Secondly, this is a controlled environment with safety procedures in place for a reason. Those procedures are posted on the wall just there, and if you were watching, no one else loaded their weapon prior to entering the shooting lane. Thirdly, if you cannot follow basic safety procedures with firearms, you will not be authorized to carry one. I won't endanger the rest of this team because you can't be bothered to do things correctly."

Gwen was absolutely fuming, and she repeatedly glanced at Jack, hoping that he would step in and rebuke his wife. Jack however, was watching calming as Gwen was given a much-needed dressing down.

"And finally," Siani said, drawing Gwen's attention back to her. "I don't know, nor do I care what your attitude is about, though I can easily take a guess; but you had better stow it now if you don't want yourself removed from field duty pending retraining."

Gwen looked at her sharply. "You can't do that! You have no authority over me, I-"

"Gwen," Jack interrupted sharply. "She has every right, and the responsibility to pull you off of field duty or take your weapon should she believe that you are a danger to the team. As I said earlier, she is in charge of weaponry and hand-to-hand combat, and by extension, field operations. She does have authority over you."

Stomping her foot Gwen cried, "Jack that's not fair! She just got here. I've been here longer, so I should be over her!"

Jack reached up and squeezed the bridge of his nose, hoping to stave off the headache he felt forming.

"Enough!" Jack yelled, startling them all except for Siani. "Authority is given to those who earn it, and who possess the necessary skills. Siani is more highly trained than any of you, and she has commanded units far larger than this. She is more than qualified, and actually, she outranks me! Isn't that right Major?"

Siani simply nodded in return.

"If you can't deal with that, then you know the options."

Gwen stared at Jack in shock. This act of his was really getting out of hand; he was going to have to beg for her forgiveness before they could be together.

The room was tense and silent until Siani spoke.

"I think that's enough for today. Let's secure the weapons."

"No," Gwen interjected. "I haven't gone yet. I want to go."

"Secure the weapon Cooper, you had your chance. You'll get another in a few days before we begin combat training."

Siani had been watching Gwen the entire time, especially wary because of the loaded weapon in her hand. She noticed the moment Gwen twitched, obviously considering using the weapon. Siani had her disarmed and slammed against the nearest wall before Gwen could raise the gun an inch.

Everyone jumped, and moved to assist Siani, to which she shook her head. She had one arm against the back of Gwen's neck and the other securing her arm at a painful looking angle behind her back. Ianto immediately picked up the weapon and unloaded it.

"Listen to me very carefully Gwen Cooper." Siani said in a cold voice that none of them but Jack had ever heard. "I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt that you merely twitched, and that you weren't actually contemplating using that weapon. Remember this though, if you ever do try something like that, I will kill you. No questions, no excuses, you will die. Are we clear?"

Gwen tried to struggle, only to be pressed more firmly into the wall.

"I asked you if we are clear."

"Yes." Gwen choked out.

"Good." Siani stepped back, releasing Gwen from her hold a subtly placing herself in between Gwen and Ianto. "Well, as fun as all of this has been, I'm hungry. Should we have lunch now?"

Gwen rubbed her shoulder and watched Siani warily.

"I think that's for the best." Jack said in a strained voice. "Owen, take Gwen up to the med bay and look her over. Tosh if you could place a lunch order for us I would appreciate it. Doc, come show me that upgrade you were talking about. Siani, Ianto, you two finish up down here."

Jack led the way out of the firing range, and was quickly followed by the others. Siani was startled when Ianto gently, yet firmly pressed her against the table and claimed her mouth. The kiss was forceful and intense, and he gripped her by her hips.

When they finally came up for air they both laughed at how flushed a disheveled they were.

Breathing heavily Ianto said, "I'm a little worried about myself. It shouldn't turn me on so much when you threaten to kill someone!"

Siani laughed, "Don't worry; I doubt you're becoming a sociopath just yet. I just can't believe she was stupid enough to consider using that weapon."

"I doubt she really would have, not yet at least. Most people wouldn't have noticed her move like you did. I think she will definitely be wary of you now though." Ianto said as he moved next to Siani to lean against the table.

Siani slipped an arm through Ianto's and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"That's good. Maybe now she'll think twice about doing something equally stupid."

"We can only hope. Let's get these secure. Hopefully Tosh will order Thai since its Monday. You've not had Thai yet, I think you'll like it."

"Whatever you say my sexy Welsh marksman." Siani winked at him.

While Ianto and Siani secured the weapons in the armory, Jack managed to finally convince the Doctor that the upgrade he wanted to perform was simple not possible on 21st Century Earth. The materials needed wouldn't be discovered for another 400 years on the other side of the galaxy. Reluctantly, the Doctor agreed not to attempt the upgrade, and went to see what project Tosh had going at the moment.

He made his way up to his office after checking in with Owen and sending Gwen to her desk to begin her training. Once there he locked the door and made his way down into his bunker.

Jack had a call to make, and it was best made in private. He opened his vortex manipulator and keyed in the contact code for his wayward brother-in-law.

"Jack! I knew you couldn't do without me! Eye Candy not doing it for you anymore?" The man with 19th Century fashion sense and a bone structure even more stunning than his sister's greeted with a leer.

"I'm alone John, and this is secure." Jack replied.

"Give me a minute." John Hart replied while affixing some type of device to the wall of the room he was currently standing inside.

"Alright, we're secure now. What's going on Shae? You haven't contacted me like this in years."

"Carad, I need you to come back, here to Cardiff. She's here Carad." Jack said earnestly.

"That's not funny Shae," John said angrily. "You know she's gone, it's been years."

"No Carad, I'm serious. The moonlight shines on the water."

Upon hearing Jack's reply, John fell to his knees.

"How? How is that possible? She died, you felt the bond break!" John said frantically.

"I know. It's a long story. We'll tell you all about it once you're here. There's more though."

John laughed. "More? How can you possibly top this?"

"We found our telanan."

John looked shocked before smiling widely. "It's Eye Candy isn't it?"

"How could you possibly know that?" Jack exclaimed.

"It's kind of obvious if you think about it. Besides, he just seems to fit. It just seems right." John said wistfully.

"It will happen for you one day brother. Don't give up hope."

"I'm running out of placed and times to look Shae. Maybe they're gone; maybe I've missed them after all."

Jack shook his head vehemently. "No, I don't believe that. They're out there, and you're going to find them. Whether or not they'll be able to stand you once you find them, well that's a long shot!"

"Wanker!" John said without venom.

"When can you get here, I want to surprise Siani."

"Siani? Is that the name she's going by now?"

Jack nodded.

"I can be there in a few days. I need to wrap things up here and then I'll be free of this contract. Who knows, maybe I'll settle down, on Earth, in Wales. Goddess, that's something I never thought I'd say!"

Jack grinned. "Trust me when I say that it grows on you. So we'll see you soon then. You'll be staying with us at Ianto's house. You've got you work cut out for you there. Word of advice, drop the Eye Candy."

"Fine, fine. I only said it because he blushes so prettily!"

"Oi! That's my Welshman, find your own!"

"Maybe I will! I've got to go; this signal blocker only has so much power. I'll be there in a few days. And Shae?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"We'll see you in a few days." He smiled at his brother-in-law and terminated the call before making his way back up to the Hub.

They were able to have a delicious, if tense, lunch of pad Thai before a call came in from the local authorities. There had been a lorry accident, and the cargo seemed to be a little out of the ordinary. And so continued Siani's first official day at Torchwood . . .