At the end of the week, the team bid Mickey and Martha farewell. Jack was still working on finding a technician and Miranda was still working to fit into the team. The work load had increased considerably once Mickey and Martha had left but having Miranda living in the Hub made a huge difference. She didn't feel inconvenienced covering the rift for the night since she was going to be there anyway and Jack didn't have to worry that she'd end up getting killed by a Weevil. He also trusted Miranda's experience. She knew when to call one of them if she was in over her head. Her being able to cover some nights meant that Jack and Ianto were able to have some time out together and Gwen was able to spend more evenings at home with Rhys. Sure nights still got interrupted, but everyone now managed to have one full day off a week or at the very least, one evening.
After two months had passed, she considered finding herself a flat but realised she was quite happy with the arrangement despite, or perhaps because of occasionally catching Ianto and Jack in flagrante delicto in various parts of the Hub. The two men's nighttime activities aside, she enjoyed quiet evenings chatting with Jack or Ianto or both and the Hub's nearly impenetrable security meant that she was safe from other immortals while within its walls. Miranda also found herself fitting into the team better. Somehow her and Jack had managed to put the past behind them and settle back into their friendship. After a somewhat rocky beginning, her and Gwen had struck up an unlikely friendship as well, the two women sharing the universal female love of shopping, fashion and shoes.
She also found herself forming a close friendship with Ianto. Her and the young Welshman shared the same tastes in films and the two had a standing movie night. It was over those movie nights that the two of them had grown quite close. Sometimes the movie sat unwatched, as the two talked late into the night on Miranda's sofa.
It had been on that movie night that she'd been playfully tossing popcorn at Ianto as they had watched the latest James Bond film when it had hit her. She was happy. For the first time in how long Miranda couldn't remember, she was happy. She was surrounded by friends. She had fulfilling work. She seemed to be spending more time smiling and less time brooding over the past. The next morning she'd marched into Jack's office and told him to stop looking for a permanent doctor because she would be staying long term. The smile on his face had been priceless. He still insisted she remain his second in command. She highly suspected it was so that he could dump the politicians on her.
That had been a week ago, and Miranda was in the midst of a Weevil xenopsy, wondering what movie Ianto would chose for tonight. It was his turn.
"Boardroom everyone!" Jack's voice bellowed across the Hub.
"Inside voice, Jack," she shouted back, teasing.
She stripped off her gloves and covered the Weevil's body with a drape before removing her gown and washing her hands. She walked down to the boardroom and took her usual seat at the foot of the table. Gwen was already seated at Jack's left. Ianto appeared not two seconds later with a tray, three coffees and a soft drink for Miranda. He distributed the coffee to Jack and Gwen and then placed the can of cola and an empty glass in front of her with a flourish.
"Since my coffee isn't good enough for you," he said with mock indignation.
"Ifan, your coffee is the best I've tasted in centuries. But refined sugar is one of mankind's greatest innovations," she said in the now familiar exchange.
"Not that we've landed on the moon or eradicated small pox…" he said jokingly.
She smiled, saluted him with the can and drank deeply from it.
"That is so unsanitary," he said, rolling his eyes, as he always did, they both knew the empty glass he always brought would go unused.
"Immortal remember?" She winked at him.
Jack interrupted them by clearing his throat loudly. His tone stern but his usual thousand watt smile was on his face. "Okay, quiet down you two. Gwen? Why don't you get started?"
"Right, thanks Jack. So Andy's brought something to our attention. He didn't know if it was one of our 'spooky-dos' but he gave me a call anyway." She pressed a key on the laptop in front of her. "Drug over dose deaths from Cardiff to Newport have skyrocketed in the past month."
"Something new on the street?" Ianto asked.
"That's what the narcotics task force thinks but they're stumped. The bodies are clearly those of drug addicts. They all have prior arrest records… track marks… meth mouth… But their tests are all coming back clean," Gwen explained.
"An alien substance? Marketed on the street?" Miranda asked rhetorically.
"That's what we're going to find out," Jack said. "Gwen, continue your work with the locals. Ianto do some digging. Miranda, what do you need?"
"I'd like four bodies… err no five. One male and one female from when all this started and then the same from more recently. I'd also like a body that hasn't been autopsied yet, either gender."
"Gwen?"
"I'll arrange it, Jack," she replied.
"Good. Let's go to work people."