Story disclaimer: I own none of the following. Many of the references in this story are owed to the writers and the rest of the team(s) involved in the creation and production of Torchwood and Doctor Who. Without them, this story would not be possible. My character Teya owns me. I am making no money from this or any of my other fics posted on this site.

Author's Note: I like this chapter. It was a lot of fun. Enjoy!

Scene Eight – Cardiff, Present Day

The invisible lift lowered them slowly down into the Hub. Teya, once again clutching Jack's arm, gasped as she looked about her. Her eyes were drawn upward and above them by the great silver column in the Hub's centre and their downward motion. The Pterodactyl, disturbed by their entrance at such a strange hour of the morning, cried out from its roost but did not deign to move. Teya stared at the creature, unable to believe her eyes. Even on her world, she had never seen anything like the ancient flying reptile. As they reached the ground, she found herself staring around the Torchwood headquarters in appreciation. She smiled to herself just a little and said sarcastically "Jack Harkness, if I didn't know you better, I'd think you were compensating for something."

"But you do know me better, don't you?" He looked down at her, winking outrageously, as he always had. He stepped down from the lift first, steadying her as she followed him. She couldn't help but chuckle with him, at the same time angry at herself that he could still make her feel so at ease. She allowed him to help her across the Hub and down the stairs into the medical area. "You wanna lie down?"

"With you around? I don't think so." She laughed humourlessly, watching as he gathered a few things and admiring him despite herself. He hadn't changed an inch; save that his hair had grown a little longer his fringe swept to one side and spiked a little. It suited him. He must have sensed his gaze on her, for he turned to face her, eye brows raised in question.

"You still like what you see?" That was the Jack she remembered, always the flirt.

"Maybe." She couldn't lie to him, she'd never been able to, and something in her made her raise her head in challenge. "You?"

"Let's see."

Jack guided Teya to the gurney, letting her lean against it. She batted his hands away when he tried to lift her top, however reluctantly raising it herself and holding it below her breasts with one hand. She made to unravel the rough bandaging over her wound, but in his turn Jack pushed her hand away to do it himself. His touch was gentler than she remembered – and she had forgotten so much because of what he had done; his eyes contained more emotion than she would have believed. What, or who, had happened to Captain Jack Harkness that he should suddenly care so much for someone he had so underhandedly betrayed in the past? Gently, he lifted away the blood sodden gauze to reveal skin darkened by blood and a clawed gash across her stomach.

"Someone's put on a little weight." He teased softly as he cleaned the area, gently wiping swabs of gauze before placing them aside in a steel discard pan.

"You haven't changed a bit." She retorted softly, hissing as he began to clean the wound itself. "Arrogant as ever." She held the gash closed for him as he placed a series of steri-strips across it, and then allowed him to cover the wound with gauze and carefully wrap a bandage snugly about her belly. Then, without any preamble, he began to wipe her hands clean, his eyes never meeting hers, always focusing on the job at hand. Too tired to protest, and feeling warm and safe for the first time in days, she let him do so, watching him through half-lidded eyes. It was only when he placed his hands on her hips and leaned in to gently kiss her lips that she pushed him away, more viciously than was perhaps necessary. "You make a move on anyone you drag in off the streets, Jack?"

If he was disappointed in her rebuff, Jack showed no sign, simply smiling at her. "I don't drag just anyone in off the streets." His reply was gentler than she had expected. "I only brought you here because you know more than a little about Torchwood."

"And whose fault is that?" The barriers were back, a wall thrown between them. Both she and Jack wished that he had never mentioned it.

Jack made no reply to her question. He knew that her answer should have contained a lot more venom than it did. Instead, acidity had eroded her anger, a sign of her tiredness. Jack suspected that she was exhausted from both her evening out and from the amount of blood she had lost. Jack suspected that Teya had not eaten in some time. Past experience had taught him that a fully fed Everlarth healed within hours of sustaining even what would be a fatal wound for a human. Teya's wound showed little signs of healing. He had to smile as she sighed heavily, obviously more comfortable now that her injury was cleaned and bound, her eyelids drooping closed for a moment. She opened them again, wide, as if to deny her sleepiness.

"C'mon." Jack took her hand, gripping it all the tighter when she made to pull away. He lead her through the Hub once more, pleased to see her walking almost upright though her free hand still hugged her wound. He led her into his office, then down the ladder to his bunk. Without protest, she lay down and curled up, her back pressed against the wall. She looked at him with eyes wide open, half expecting him to lie beside her. But, knowing how such an act would be treated, all Jack did was to cover her with his blanket as he promised "I'll see to breakfast before you wake. Then we'll see where we go from there, okay?"

"Okay." It was not so much an agreement as Teya acquiescing to his suggestion. He made to stroke her cheek, but Teya jerked her head back, her skull meeting the wall with a distinct crack. She groaned, but snapped at Jack when he made to touch her again. "Don't!"

"Okay, okay." Jack held his hands up in a motion of surrender. There was silence between them for a while, Teya rubbing the back of her head with a slightly rueful look on her face. Slowly, her eyelids became heavy, though she tried to fight off the call of sleep, not trusting Jack an inch. Within moments, she was asleep. She gave a heavy sigh as she shifted into a deeper, healing sleep, her body finally relaxing from its defensive posture. Jack smiled to himself as he brushed her hair back gently, watching her sleep for a few minutes, pleased that the bed had a proper use for once. What the hell he was going to tell his team about her presence, though, he had no idea. He climbed the ladder into his office, and he made his way through the Hub and collected a neutralizer from the safe. Raiding a blood bank was probably easier than what he was about to do, but for Teya, he would take blood from a Weevil. He owed her that much.