Hucking Harkness

Chapter 4

Upon arrival at the hub, Jack was immediately dispatched after a weevil which had been picked up on CCTV wondering an abandoned warehouse. Gwen, who had been stuck in the Hub all day and was itching to get out, accompanied him. "What's the plan?" asked Gwen, as they neared the docks. Jack described a split up and search plan, he and Ianto had perfected, before telling Gwen to alert him should she see or hear anything.

They split up at the large loading doors to the warehouse. The place looked like it had once been a freezing facility, as now the blacked out space was filled with tall walk-in freezers, the doors on some ajar and the plastic curtains designed to keep the cold in fluttering restlessly. Catching on the breeze that was coming through the now open door where the pair stood. Eyes adjusting to the dark interior. After about forty-five seconds the pair moved off, Jack going right and Gwen left, carefully stalking through the darkness, torches low, checking each of the large fridges as they went.

Nearing a particularly long, narrow one, Gwen thought she heard a slight rustle, followed by the scratching of too-long claws on a metal surface. She paused to listen, before raising her gun and, senses attuned to the slightest disturbance, approached the opening of the chamber, her heart rate increasing until Gwen was sure it would interfere with her hearing. She was straining to see across the dark expanse so hard that she missed the slight step up into the fridge, her foot catching the lip instead.

With a surprised yelp, Gwen tripped and flew forward, whacking her chin hard, on the cold metal floor. Her finger, already on the sensitive trigger of her firearm, accidentally squeezed off a bullet, which hit one side of the metal walls and shot loudly round the crate, before finally lodging itself into the flesh of the weevil. The impact of her fall caused Gwen to split her lip and blood dripped in her mouth and dribbled down her chin as she lay dazed and gasping, trying to collect herself.

The sound of a gunshot, a bullet hitting metal and bouncing around an enclosed space reached Jack's ears, followed by a weevil howling, from the direction Gwen had gone. Jack tapped the coms open, calling to Gwen. He could hear her breathing across the line but she didn't respond. Jack took off across the warehouse, following the sound of the injured weevil and hoping it didn't find Gwen before he could.

He was wrong. By the time he reached the relevant freezer, the weevil had latched onto Gwen's arm and she was weakly trying to fend it off in her dazed and bloodied state. Jack took careful aim and fired, his Webley shot echoing loudly in the confined space, but the bullet staying lodged in the now dead body of the Weevil.

Jack knelt down beside Gwen, gently rolling her onto her back, noting the way she had one bloody arm gripped to her chest and her face covered in blood, just beginning to clot. "Gwen? Come on, speak to me sweetheart." Jack brushed dark hair off her face so he could see it more clearly. As he did so Gwen moaned and rolled her head to the side, spitting blood from her mouth and groaning. "Gwen honey, what happened?" asked Jack, keeping his voice level and calm, "I heard your gun go off."

"Tribbed" came Gwen's voice with a burble.

"You tripped?"

"Mmm."

Jack tapped his coms, "Owen!" he called, continuing as soon as he had a response from the medic, "We're on our way back. Gwen's split her lip or something, maybe a nose bleed and she's got a nasty bite on her arm. I'll try stem the flow before we get in. Call Rhys to come pick her up will you? I don't think she should drive."

Jack returned to the hub less than 15 minutes later, leading a still groggy Gwen Cooper, arm round her shoulders. As soon as Gwen had been stitched and bandaged up, and he returned from sorting the dead weevil, Jack sent her home. "Owen, send me your initial report on the alien gas, and go home now. You too Tosh. Save the test results for the boardroom tomorrow. Ianto called earlier, I'm just gonna go pick him up."

"Not looking like that you're not!" Retorted Owen. It was only when he looked pointedly at Jack's attire, that the Captain realised there was blood spattered on his collar and across his shirt. "Damn and I didn't even injure myself this time!" Jack headed up to his office, stripping off his shirt and the white tee beneath along the way, so that by the time he reached the bin in his office, both ruined garments could be disposed of. Heading down into his bunker, Jack quickly changed into a clean, dark blue shirt before he set the rift to remote alert and left in the SUV, heading for Ianto's location.

He arrived just in time to see the young man swing into the saddle of a pretty looking horse, wearing an old pair of jeans and a helmet- a far cry from the suit and tie he'd left the office wearing that morning. He approached quietly watching Ianto, who looked right at home in the saddle. The young man was yet to notice Jack, who remained stationary, watching.

A sudden gust of wind caught Jack's greatcoat, causing it to flap out behind him. Ianto noticed his mount's ears flicker at the sound and glancing up, spotted Jack. Jack stopped where he was, wrapping the coat tightly round himself to stop it flapping so much, before joining Ianto and his friend at the fence. Ianto presented the reins back to a stable hand before coming over and introducing his friend as Dafydd Brace.

"I'll… just go get changed, sir."

"Take you're time-" Jack shrugged "you're off duty. I sent the others home." As Ianto walked away, he turned back to watch the golden filly in the ring who was rolling happily in the sand, having been untacked for the day. Her three pale hooves and single dark one floundered towards the sky, before she stood, shaking the dust from her golden hide. Jack made small talk with Dafydd until Ianto returned, dressed in his pristine suit and tie once more.

"Shall we go, Cariad?" asked Ianto softly, subconsciously touching Jack's arm. He had noticed the shirt was different. He turned back to his friend, raising his voice a little, "Dafydd, thank you, your information will be most useful and I've had a wonderful day." Ianto gave him a genuine smile, extending his hand. Dafydd shook his hand, before pulling Ianto into a brief hug, patting his back.

"Anytime Ianto Jones, and the job offer still stands, though I probably have less perks," smiled Dafydd, having noticed their now clasped hands and watched the soft looks the two men had exchanged between them, as well as Ianto's quiet endearment. He chuckled as Ianto flushed prettily once more.

TBC

Okay folks, so that's the kind of 'second half' to chapter three. Please do take the time to review if you would? I love to hear from you all, and any con-crit is welcome! Carrie; )