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Chapter Eleven: Picking Up the Pieces

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Despite having had a (relatively) quiet dinner with family and a not-at-all-quiet desert all by themselves, Jack found himself soothing his partner through several violent nightmares during the night. The young man's screams woke both Jason and Ella twice... the second time Jack got out of bed to try and convince his son that nothing was seriously the matter.

"Something happened at work today," was all he could say, keeping Jason out of their room even though Ianto had drifted back to sleep.

"How come bad stuff always happens at work?" the boy wanted to know.

The question hit Jack hard; he knelt down and drew his son into his arms, "It's what we do… sometimes bad stuff happens. But it's going to be all right." Nobody was going to die, not today. "I have to get back to Ianto… He'll be ok, I promise," he kissed the top of Jason's head. "Everything will be fine."

"You always say that."

"And everything is always fine, isn't it?"

Jason shrugged. "I guess."

"Well… see?" Jack asked, looking up to his mother for help.

She took Jason downstairs for some hot chocolate with the promise that he could stay home from school if he was too tired in the morning. Jack knew how Ianto would feel about that… hopefully under the circumstances he wouldn't accuse them of coddling Jason. He hadn't missed a day of school since that rough patch at the beginning.

Jack curled around his partner; he was shaking. Freezing. He pulled another blanket over him and hugged him close, holding on tight as Ianto drifted back into restive sleep… but at least he didn't have any more nightmares.

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"I'm fine," Ianto insisted when the alarm went off at six am.

Jack refused to let him up. "No you're not."

"Jack…" Ianto struggled to turn so he could face his partner. "I want to go into work today. No matter what happens."

"You really think I'm going to sack him, don't you?"

"I'm honestly not sure what you're going to do. But it's my responsibility, too. You're the one who promoted me to office manager, remember?"

He sighed. "Fine. But no matter what happens today, you stay in the Hub. I don't want you out in the field until we're sure you're back up to one hundred percent. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

"Good," Jack released his hold on the younger man so he could get out of bed. He reached out and caught his hand before he completely got away, though. "Ianto… you know any time you want to retire…"

He shook his head. "We've had this discussion."

"I know. I just… the thought of losing you…"

Ianto leant in and kissed him… it was longer and sweeter than their usual morning kisses. "I know. I do. I'm sorry…"

"Don't be sorry," he ran his fingers along his Welshman's cheek, pulling him back into the bed, but not trapping him there. "Part of what I love about you… what I've always loved about you… is how brave you are," he drew the younger man into another soft kiss. "Just promise me you'll always be careful."

"You have my word."

Despite not being trapped, Ianto didn't get back out of bed for almost another hour… neither did Jack.

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When Bobby entered the Hub, the only two people he saw were Gwen, at her computer, and Ianto making coffee.

He forced himself to go over to Gwen and give her a cheerful hello. He could tell by her expression she didn't know this might be his last day. Which didn't mean it wasn't. He knew Jack; the Captain tended to play things close to the chest.

"How's the morning sickness?" Bobby asked.

"Just promise me it really gets better the second trimester," was her dry response.

Bobby chuckled, "I promise." I just hope I'm here…

Ianto came up set a cup of tea on Gwen's desk.

"Oh, you're a saint," she crooned at him, picking it up with both hands and inhaling contentedly.

"I try my best. Bobby," Ianto handed him his cup.

The medic took it, but hesitated in drinking… he glanced at the other man; his only response to the subtlety displayed suspicion was a small smile. Bobby decided that even if Jack had ordered him to do it, the Welshman would at least have the decency to tell him it was drugged. "Feeling ok?" Bobby asked, sipping his coffee.

"I had nightmares all night… which could be the result of Jack's cooking as much anything else," he replied with an easy smile.

Gwen laughed, "Not Captain Jack Harkness' galaxy famous chilli again, I hope."

"No. We had my mother, sister and niece over. I couldn't in good conscience subject them to that again."

Even Bobby managed a laugh; they'd all had Jack's chilli a time or two. The only person it didn't seem to frighten was Abby, but she'd grown up Louisiana, presumably on spicy Creole cooking.

Gwen fixed Ianto with a serious look. "Honestly, Sweetheart, are you sure you're all right to be here, today? We can manage… "

He waved it aside, "I'm on desk duty," he told her, sipping his coffee. "I feel all right. I barely even remember the nightmares," he added truthfully. "I remember having them but not what they were about."

"It might be just be that the 'alien angel dust' dredged up a bunch of painful memories," Bobby opined. He wasn't sure if he was putting off seeing Jack or honestly getting in a last few minutes with Gwen and Ianto. Even though he knew he wouldn't remember any of this, he couldn't imagine his life without Torchwood, without his friends.

Last night he and Wendy had spent the whole night just being together. He read to her. Held her. Stayed up later than they usually did, talking. Making love. He wouldn't tell her what was wrong, but she was sure something was. He realized he was staring into his cup and Gwen was staring at him…

"Guess I'd better get this over with," Bobby flashed her a tight smile before heading to Jack's office.

"You've been here almost fifteen minutes," the Captain greeted him coldly without looking up from the paperwork on his desk.

"Sorry."

"Sit," Jack just barley nodded at the chair opposite his desk.

Bobby sat. He waited. Jack took his time.

Finally he looked up, took a deep breath and leant back, crossing his arms over his chest. "You broke at least half a dozen security protocols yesterday."

"I didn't realize it was that many," Bobby told him honestly, hoping he wasn't coming off as flippant.

"It was. We have the protocols we have for a reason."

"I know that. Not that it's going to matter. Is it?" he made it a question.

Jack took another deep breath and rose from his chair; he walked around his desk perched on the edge of it, looking down at the young medic. "It took me over two months to come to terms with the fact that I had to fill Owen Harper's slot on this team. My team. Owen had been with me for four years. You were the second name on my list… the first name couldn't… or maybe wouldn't… take the job. I knew that before I even asked her."

"So what you're saying is that I was your first choice and I screwed up and now you have to replace me and I should feel like shit about that. Which I do. But in a few hours I won't remember this conversation, ergo, I won't feel guilty for screwing up."

"You're not getting off that easy." Jack turned and grabbed a piece of paper off one of the piles on his desk. "Read this and sign it," he said, handing it over.

Bobby frowned. "What is it?"

"My understanding of office politics in this century is that when somebody screws up, I'm supposed to write them up and put it in their file. Not that anyone will ever call me for a reference." He picked up his empty coffee cup and turned a thoughtful gaze on the man sitting opposite him. "No, I take that back. It would be just my luck that if you ever did quit, you would put Torchwood on your resume."

Bobby only barely suppressed a chuckle… he wasn't sure it was at all appropriate, because it really sounded like Jack was giving him a second chance here… and that was not in Jack's nature.

"Need a pen?" the Captain asked.

"Erm… yeah… I…"

"Help yourself," he nodded to his desk. "And hurry it up. I promised Abby I'd come by the hospital to see her and Tim this morning. I'm assuming you'd like to catch a lift up with me..?"

"Yes… absolutely. I'll just be a minute."

"Good." Jack sauntered out of his office to get a refill on his coffee before they headed out.

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Tim couldn't help the feeling of dread that overtook him when Jack and Bobby came into his room. He'd screwed up. He'd gotten himself and another team mate high on alien drugs… God that sounds weird, he thought.

"How's the patient this morning?" Jack asked with a bright smile, dropping a bag of grapes on the table next to Tim's bed.

"He's doing just fine, Sir," Abby answered for him, grinning hugely at the Captain as she saluted him. "I even made him eat his breakfast. He didn't want to," she flashed a sour look down at Tim.

Jack chuckled and returned the salute. "Good work, Nurse Scuito. How about you two go get some coffee or something," he didn't make it a question.

For half a second Abby looked like she might argue… the she changed her mind and slid her arm into Bobby's as they made their exit.

Jack pulled a chair.

"I screwed up," Tim said, before he could speak.

"It could have been anybody. I screwed up by sending you out into the field on your first day."

Tim blinked… he couldn't remember a time when Gibbs had ever… but this wasn't Gibbs. "Do I still have a job?"

"Do you still want one?"

"I… don't want to quit. Or to get fired," he added quickly; Jack smiled. "I'm just not sure what I really bring to the team," Tim admitted.

"I guess we'll find out. I trust Abby's judgement."

He nodded. Then, "That… thing… what was it?"

"We may never know what it was or where it came from. It could have been some kind of chemical weapon… or it may have been recreational drugs. It may even have been medical supplies," he shrugged. "There was some writing on the outside of the sphere, but it's not like anything in the database and nothing I recognize."

"So… what do we do?"

"Catalogue it. Make sure that if we ever find another one, no one goes near it."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

Tim chewed that over a while. It wasn't a very satisifying conclusion, but he couldn't think of a better solution. He noticed Jack watching him... "You know… I mean… that stuff about you and Abby…"

The Captain waved it aside. "It was a bad drug trip. You're not responsible for anything you said or did."

"Thanks. There's just one other thing… when I was… high… I… I could have sworn I saw… this… thing… it… it looked like something out of… this is going to sound really crazy…" so crazy he hadn't even told Abby... but Jack was his boss... and his boss was... smirking?

"Big... teeth... claws...kinda sexy...?" Jack asked.

"Yeah. Except for the sexy part," he grimaced at the notion.

"You people...no sense of adventure.The good news is you didn't imagine her. That was Wendy Shutten, Bobby's girlfriend. She works for us."

Tim swallowed. He remembered… it looked like… werewolf… his brain only barely wanted to process the thought. "You've really got a pterodactyl, don't you?"

Jack just laughed, "Yep. Get some rest. I have the feeling you're going to need it."

- - - x x x - - -

A/N:

At this point, Ch 1 of More Short Stories could be considered the epilogue of this piece.

Thanks again for reading!