Thanks again to everyone who is reading, reviewing, and everyone who's put this story on their favourites and alerts lists. I feel all warm and tingly.
Sorry, another short chapter, more of a continuation of the last one. I'll try to get a longer chapter out soon.
"What's this?" Jack's voice cracked through the quiet conversation. The girl jumped away from the computer she was working on, as if it had burned her. She stared, shocked, up to where Jack stood with his team. Owen spun to look up at Jack as well.
"What, Dani asked if there was anything she could do?" Owen defended, looking both guilty and defiant.
"So you LET her on the COMPUTERS!" Jack appeared to be heading for an apoplectic fit. He raced down the stairs to stand within inches of the doctor.
Tosh was right on Jack's heels. She shouldered the tourist out of the way and began checking the computer for signs of tampering.
"What was she doing?" Toshiko asked sharply, searching her precious computers for tampering.
Now Owen looked sheepish. "She was writing my reports."
"She what!?" Jack
"I don't mind. I like writing." The tourist said.
"That's not the point!" Jack snapped. He turned back to Owen," You let a complete stranger onto the hub's computer. Who knows what she's gotten into in there? She could've downloaded a virus. You've compromised our security."
"There's nothing wrong with the computer, Jack." Tosh spoke quickly, trying to placate their leader, "She was…just writing a report." Tosh glanced at Owen, smiling slightly "You'd never have passed this off as yours, Owen."
"What? Why?"
"It's well organized and makes sense."
"Well, I was planning on just slipping it into the file, without anyone noticing." Owen muttered.
"I can't believe you sometimes!" Jack had started pacing.
"I was right here the whole time, watching. I would've caught her if she tried anything." Owen was still trying to defend himself.
"You're feeding the Weevils!"
"What!"
"For a month!
"WHAT!"
"Go now Owen! Before I decide to give you what you deserve!" Jack had gone from yelling to a sudden menacing quiet. Owen beat a hasty retreat to the autopsy room, and Ianto appeared with coffee. No one had even seen him leave. Jack snagged his cup without appearing to look. He took a long swallow, and seemed to physically take hold of his temper. Ianto quietly passed out mugs until everyone had a cup of coffee.
He leaned over to the young woman
"Take Owen's. He'll be too busy for coffee for a while."
"I wasn't trying to get anyone in trouble. I'm just not used to sitting and waiting." The young woman glanced at Jack, "Is he going to be okay?"
"He'll be fine. He's always fine. Hopefully, he'll take a few minutes to calm down before--." Ianto sent a gently amused look at Jack's back.
Jack turned, and pointed at the girl. "You, retcon, now!"
Ianto gave her a sympathetic look.
Jack continued to glare at her. "I mean it. I want you out of here before you corrupt any more of my staff!"
"Alright, but just so you know. I never drink red wine, it gives me migraines. And you should probably take this back" The young woman smiled slightly as she held out the address for Joe Coffey's, and took the pill Jack held out to her.
"Duly noted." Okay so the Cab Sav wasn't the best choice. Jack filed it away for the next set up.
"Try martinis, my friends and I tend to enjoy trying out the martini menu. It's possible that I'd do that by myself, barely. So, are we flying or taking the stairs?" She grinned.
"I'm not showing you any more of this place than I need to." Jack grumbled. This girl was too smart for her own good.
Jack made a final check around the hotel room, The girl was asleep on the bed, curled up in the blankets. A bill from the bar downstairs showed a night of martini tasting, and Ianto was making sure the bartender would remember her as the young woman sitting at the bar, trying out the martini menu. Tosh was putting the martinis on the girl's credit card. She had most of her clothes on, and the few that Jack had removed for comfort were scattered in a ragged line from the door to the bed, as though carelessly thrown off. Jack slipped out of the room, and picked up Ianto by the bar entrance. With any luck, Torchwood would never see this girl again.