Hucking Harkness

Chapter 10

A/n Martha Smith is sitting beside me being a slave driver. She's chained me to the desk. No sign of the whip. Yet. Is this a good thing? Is it bad? I just don't know! Anyway- On with the show...

Chapter 10

The Hub, Monday pm

"Owen, how's it going with that antidote?" asked Jack, as he crossed Owen coming up from the autopsy bay as he was headed towards it. Owen held up a finger in Jack's direction in his sign language for hold on a sec. Jack fell silent, watching as Owen adjusted one of the ingredients he was working with before setting the virtual experiment running. "It's a working progress, Jack, but I think we're getting there. You said that stuff is addictive yeah?" At Jack's nod, Owen indicated a second screen beside the one he had just been using, his mouse disappearing off the right of the first screen and reappearing on the left one.

"I've managed to cancel out the effects of three out of four of the addictive agents, but the fourth is proving tricky. You see, I could cancel it out with Tyaselium but that causes the other effects to flare up again. I'm working on a possible delayed reaction or self replication effect-" Gwen interrupted Owen's sermon mid flow as she as she headed for the Archives, several files in her arms. She paused at his desk. "D'you think you could stop with the gobbledegook and try a little English?" She took a file off his desk as she left the main part of the hub, tossing final words over her shoulder; "even Welsh would be easier."

"Hey! Sometimes a little techno babble is good for the soul!" Jack retorted loudly. "Thanks Owen," He replied more quietly, with a pat to the Doctor's back. A move he would never attempt were the others able to see the pair of them. He left the Doctor to his work and went to check on Tosh. An alien cleaning agent in a special containment bottle had come through this morning, so she was helping with Owen's work load attempting to open and test the ingredients and Gwen was doing Ianto's work, filling and attempting to keep the place tidy. Jack just had to keep the diplomats and weevils happy and out of trouble and the troops on task without coffee. It was a tough ask.

- T -

Later that night, after yet another board meeting before the team left for the night, Jack was optimistic. Owen had achieved his task for the day- he'd consummated a working formula to act as an anti-dote and would work one up tomorrow. Tosh had managed to safely attain a sample of the cleaning agent, which she was now running a battery of tests on, having left it to work overnight. Jack glanced around before going up to his office- the hub was even quite tidy. It wasn't as immaculate as Ianto always managed to make it, but it was tidy, no teetering piles of files or take-away cartons lying around. Jack sat behind his desk and faced the computer, glancing at the clock before accessing the program he wanted.

Ianto? U awake?

Ianto started blinking blearily at the ceiling, he must have drifted off for a bit. He sat up with a grunt, staring round his tiny bedroom.

Ianto?

"Mmm?"

Heat is on 2morrow.
PM racing Thurs.
Have antidote

Ianto blinked dimly a few times, the words obscuring his vision slightly, before reaching the ensuite bathroom. "Couldn't you just text me Jack?" he asked staring into the mirror and feeling like a little bit of an idiot.

& miss C-ing u?

"You're not missing much, I haven't even showered yet."

Waiting for me? ;)

Ianto rolled his eyes, but Jack could see the smile building at the edges of the young man's lips. "Maybe..." Ianto considered it, he could have some fun with this...

- T -

Next morning, Owen, who was nursing a celebratory hangover and a few tender spots from the night before, decided that Jack was far too chipper for the time of day and therefore it was his turn to get the coffee. Jack was willing to get out for a bit and he'd even have the chance to flirt with one of Ianto's admirers in the coffee shop. He jogged up the stairs and was just in time to hold the door open for Gwen, who was on her way in.

"Chivalry get's you everywhere Jack." Gwen said with a smile, before leaning over the desk to press the button hidden there. Jack took a moment to appreciate the view.

"Excellent bottom." He winked, before leaving, Gwen rolling her eyes at his retreating back before ducking through the secret door. Both were smiling.

TBC

Hey folks. It's me. I haven't died- unless exhaustion counts? This jumps around a little, but I'm trying to reach a conclusion here so I can do coursework & uni stuff without feeling so bloomin' guilty. :s My creative writing teacher says abandoning you for a bit is better than writing rubbish and just posting it, so I hope you don't mind the wait. If there are bits you're not sure about PM me & I'll try to get back to you soon.