This is where we start to meet the other team members - Owen first! Thanks for the reviews.

We entered the Hub through the red garage doors which for some reason are rarely used. We were both carrying bags of shopping; Jack's were dragging on the ground and he had to keep hitching them up. We were laughing. He had said something or other that was quite incongruous for a 10 year old and that had set us off. I laugh a lot with Jack, which I guess the rest of the team would find hard to believe. To them, I am still reserved – coolly sardonic, I hoped – but with Jack I revert to how I had been with Lisa, before Canary Wharf. It must be love that does that to me.

"Who the bleeding hell is that?" Owen stood in front of us looking at Jack as if he was something the cat had dragged in. "Is it bring a kid to work day or did you just drag him in off the street?"

I stopped, my impersonal mask back in place. Owen had the ability to cow me with his sarcasm even after all this time. Usually I could respond with some ironic comment or a quip but he had caught me off guard and I just stood there like a dummy. Dumb and just a little scared. I also normally let Jack deal with him but then I caught sight of his young form and wondered if that was wise this time.

"No, it's help your boss out of his predicament day," countered Jack, his laughter gone as he bustled past Owen.

"Oy, where do you think you're going, boy?" said Owen, grabbing hold of the hood of Jack's jacket and swinging him round. "Does Jack know about this?" he said to me. He then yelped as Jack kicked him forcing him to release his hold.

"He has a fairly accurate picture of the situation," I said formally, catching Jack's eye. He was mad and at the same time looking to me for help: I felt strangely protective. "This is Jack."

Owen, rubbing his leg, looked from one to another of us as if waiting for the punch line. We stared him out. "What are you talking about?" he demanded.

"I've been de-aged," said Jack, shrugging and climbing the steps to the work area. He dumped the bags on the sofa and turned to face Owen. "When Tosh gets in she can see what she can make of the CCTV footage. In the meantime, deal with it!"

I admired him. He stood solidly, feet planted and stared at Owen, daring him to take it any further. I had followed a few paces behind Owen and now put my bags on the sofa too so I was standing behind Jack. I admired his determination to act as normal. He was issuing orders and refusing to be put off by anyone. I was reminded of a TV drama I'd seen recently in which a young king was striding round his palace impotently giving orders to which the adults only complied if it suited them. Like that boy-king, Jack had the power to lead us in theory but whether he did in practice depended on us. I looked over his head at Owen, willing him to accept the situation; I knew that Jack was far from confident right then.

"I'll call Tosh," I said, hoping my willingness to accept the situation would help. Owen sighed, rubbing his head. I wondered if he had a hangover.

"What's going on?" he said. I relaxed a bit, relieved that the stand-off had been resolved, at least for now.

"I was knocked out," said Jack, also relaxing and taking off his outer clothes. "Woke up like this." He paused, looking up at Owen. "What are you doing in so early?"

"The Weevil autopsy. Jack said he wanted it first thing." Owen was still far from convinced.

"That's right, I do!" He walked into his office and made to hang up his jacket – wonders will never cease! – but half way there he realised he couldn't reach. Even from my position, I could see him stiffen with the humiliation. I moved in front of Owen, blocking his view. "Owen, we need to know Jack's status."

The doctor looked at me. "You're serious, you're really serious. That's Jack?"

"He has all his memories and has convinced me. But why don't you make sure. Examine him, find us something to get him back to normal." I almost pushed him into the Medical Bay but as I had never willingly laid hands on him I resisted the urge. He wasn't the kind of person to accept manhandling. He took the hint and went of his own accord.

I turned to see Jack standing behind me, the jacket draped over a chair. He gave me an old-fashioned look and smiled tightly – he knew what I'd done. He nodded and went off to the Medical Bay too. I sighed, this was going to be a difficult day. A quick call to Tosh and she agreed to come in straight away; it wasn't far off her normal time anyway. I texted Gwen and suggested she might like to come in. It was officially her day off but I had the feeling we were going to need her input. I put all the clothes we'd bought in Jack's quarters. I looked at the jacket and left it where it was; better he should be able to get it when he next needed it.

Sorry this is so short but it'll make sense when the next chapter (or it may be two!) goes up. Please review.