Sorry for the delay. Life caught up to me for a while. A continued and heartfelt thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing. It makes me feel all warm and tingly. Not so sure of this one. Let me know, if things start getting off track.
"I'm to stay to the public areas, and not touch anything." Dani thumped down the stairs, and dropped onto the couch.
Ianto, Tosh, and Owen glanced at each other. Owen mouthed "public areas?" Ianto shrugged, Tosh's eyebrows rose, and she shook her head.
"What did Jack say?" Tosh asked.
"Exactly what I told you. Oh and he needs to think about it." Dani looked at the three people standing in front of her. "So, where does that leave me?"
"Just…stay in sight of one of us." Ianto said, quickly improvising a solution.
"There are no public areas, are there?" Dani smiled slightly.
"Come on Cat," Owen tapped Dani's shoulder. "You can help me clean up the autopsy bay."
Ianto's eyes rolled. "Which means you can clean up the autopsy bay, and Owen can complain."
"If Toshiko doesn't mind, I thought I'd just sit here and take things in a little." Dani smiled. "It's been a crazy few days."
"I'll get you a cup of coffee." Ianto headed to the kitchen.
"I'd like to check that head wound of yours at some point. Make sure it's healing properly. For now, I'm going to finish cataloguing the specimens in the lab." Owen sighed.
Tosh smiled at Dani, before ducking her head shyly, and turning back to her computer.
By the time Ianto returned with the coffee, Dani was stretched out on the couch sleeping. Ianto grabbed a blanket from a storage bin under the couch, and spread it over the sleeping woman.
"Funny, that she feels safe enough to sleep here. We're essentially strangers to her." Tosh whispered quietly.
"I'd guess she hasn't been sleeping all that well lately, despite all the retconning. It looks like she's going to be out for a while." Ianto turned and smiled at Tosh. "I'm going to work in the Archives. The 'S' section needs a thorough overhaul."
Tosh glanced at the girl, and turned back to her computer.
"What are you working on?" a voice at her shoulder had Tosh turning gun in hand. Dani jerked back hands up. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. Especially now that I know you have a gun."
"Sorry, I'd forgotten you were there." Tosh quickly put the gun away. Dani slowly dropped her hands.
"So, what were you working on before I, so rudely, interrupted you?" Dani smiled slightly.
"I'm using a specialized translation program to decode a piece of writing that came through the rift about a week ago."
"The rift?"
"Cardiff is sitting on a temporal spatial rift. Every so often, things come through, and it's our job to investigate those events and protect this world from anything dangerous." Tosh suddenly looked stricken, "I shouldn't have told you that. We're supposed to be completely secret."
"Well, the last couple of times this happened I told Owen, and Ianto that I wouldn't remember it. But as Retcon doesn't work, I'll probably be dead before I can pass anything on."
"Don't even joke about that!" Tosh exclaimed, "We've all lost people to Torchwood, and the rift. If Jack thinks you're a threat, then he won't hesitate."
"I know that, but I have two choices: I can hope for the best, and be happy; or I can worry about it what's going to happen, and be upset." Dani shrugged. "I'd rather be happy than upset. I know it sounds like I'm not being realistic, but it makes my life easier."
Tosh simply stared at the young woman in front of her.
"So what are you translating?" Dani turned back to the monitors around Tosh's work station.
Jack spent the rest of the day closeted in his office. Ianto had taken coffee in a few times, but otherwise the team had left their boss alone. Owen had disappeared back to the autopsy bay, and only the occasional "Oi. Tea-Boy! Coffee!" was the only evidence that he was still in the Hub. Dani and Tosh were sitting at her workstation chatting, and giggling, over something that sounded suspiciously like an intergalactic pub quiz. Ianto smirked at the comments being passed back and forth, as he set two cups of coffee down by the women: "I don't know what a Fargarbin is, let alone how many of them can fit into a Griblet!" "Well, I'd guess that Zugreb is buried in the Zugreb's tomb." "When was Tleeson's classic song "I've got a Hesblat in my Zarf" written!? That almost sounds pornographic."
"Tosh, Owen, Ianto finish up whatever you're doing and head out. See you bright and early tomorrow." Jack's voice called out over the comms.
Tosh looked uncertain. Dani just smiled
"It's okay. It'll be fine."
"What are we going to do with you?" Tosh asked, "I can't just leave you here on your own."
"I seem to be hearing that question a lot lately." Dani grinned
"So Cat, you're still causing problems, are you?" Owen's smile didn't reach his eyes.
"I can't stay here by myself, apparently." Dani teased gently. She smiled at Tosh to take the sting out of her words.
"Well no, of course not. You'd probably push all the buttons that you're not supposed to touch, especially the big ,red ones, then feed Mafanwy maple sugar, and then let the weevils, teach them to juggle, and take them on a tour of the Lake districts." Ianto tried to sound teasing, but his eyes showed his anxiousness.
"At least!" Dani chuckled. She sobered slightly "You really should go. I'll be fine, or if I'm not I'll be dead and I won't notice it."
"Still not funny. I'll miss you if you aren't here." Tosh said, but she grabbed her coat, and turned to Owen. "Well, Owen. I think I need a drink. Would you care to join me?"
"Sure why not? I could do with getting off my face tonight. Good night Cat, I hope you, and the Hub, are still here in the morning."
With that, the two walked out the cog door.
"See you tomorrow, Ianto." Dani said quietly.
"Actually, I'm not finished with what I'm doing, and so I can't leave yet. If you like, you can help me with resorting the 'T' section?"
"Ianto, I believe you're trying to guard me." Dani looked at the young man suspiciously.
"Not at all. I trust Jack to make the appropriate decision. I'll be up in a little while, and I'll give you a lift to your hotel." Ianto stated firmly. He turned and headed back to his archives, leaving Dani alone by Tosh's workstation.
"What is she doing?" Jack had come out of his office, and found Ianto on the stairs watching the young woman.
"I believe she's dancing with Mafanwy." Ianto replied. The Pterodactyl stood over the girl as she swayed and twirled. Dani had her arms spread out, mimicking Mafanwy's wings, and she waved them to a song neither of the men could hear. Slowly the girl turned, and the Pterodactyl followed her move.
"Did you know she could do that?" Jack couldn't pull his eyes from the scene in front of him.
"Did I know who could do what? That Mafanwy could mimick, or that Dani could make that kind of connection with our Pterodactyl?"
"Yes"
"No" Ianto smirked at the look on Jack's face, "to either question."
"She's really amazing isn't she?" Jack continued to watching.
"Yes, Sir, she really is. Have you decided what you're going to do with her, yet?" Ianto turned away from the remarkable sight, and looked at Jack.
"I don't know. It would be a crime to take her out of the world, but I can't leave her like this. If I could find the doctor, I'd be tempted to tell him I'd found his new companion."
The girl caught sight of the two men, and stopped suddenly, blushing. She pulled the ipod's ear buds from her ears. She stared at the men, and waited.
"You're going to stay in the Hub for the next while. I'll make sure you get the chance to do some touristy things, but I need you where we can keep an eye on you."
"Alright. Do you have somewhere for me to sleep, here? And can someone get my clothes, and things?"
"I think we can set up a fairly reasonable guest room here, but for now, I think Dani will be more comfortable in the guest room in my apartment." Ianto spoke firmly
"No, I've got somewhere where she can sleep." Jack worked to keep the leer off his face, but from the look on his companions' faces, he hadn't succeeded. Jack added a look of injured innocence. "I'll sleep on the couch, she can sleep downstairs. We can work out something more permanent tomorrow." Jack turned to Ianto, "I know you say I can trust her, and I think you're probably right. But I don't trust her enough to leave her with only you as guard."
"So you can guard her on your own, but I can't? What, I haven't proved my competence to you?" Ianto glared a Jack.
"No, it's just that you and I both know that I'm…" Jack glanced at Dani,"uniquely qualified to deal with threats."
Dani quietly climbed the stairs to stand before the two arguing men.
"Jack don't be ridiculous! I'm perfectly capable of looking after one human threat for one night!"
"Ianto! It's not up for negotiation! I will guard our guest! Now go home!"
"I hate to interrupt, but I think I have a solution." Dani broke in "Look, all I need is a bed, and all that you seem to need is a secure room for me to sleep in. This shouldn't be that hard." Dani glanced between the two men before her, "Do you have cells?"
"I'm NOT having you sleep in a cell!" Ianto stared at the girl as if she'd turned blue.
"Why not? It means your safe and I'm safe. Just the ticket."
"Jack, this is foolish. Dani won't hurt me, but if you're so worried about it, then transfer the rift alert to your wrist strap, and come with us. Either way, she is sleeping in my guest room." Ianto glared at the two chastened people in front of him. He turned to head for the cog door, muttering, "In a cell!?"
Jack and Dani glanced at each other. Jack gestured, and the two silently followed Ianto out the door, through the tourist office and out to Ianto's car.