Okay this is purely self indulgent. It doesn't further the story in any way. It just popped into my head and I couldn't resist writing it.
Continued thanks to all the readers and reviewers. Hope you enjoy!
Dani sat in the bed, listening to the half whispered conversation going on outside her door.
"Jack, she's not going anywhere, she's work too hard to get back to the Hub for her to suddenly up and leave. Just come to bed." Ianto sounded annoyed. Dani wondered idly what Ianto had had planned when he'd invited Jack home; certainly not a cold bed.
"Look, I know you trust her; that everyone trusts her, but I can't yet. Besides, if she's as great as you all think she is, then she won't mind my guarding her door.
"I DON'T!" Dani called.
"See. I know she's probably everything you think she is, but I can't just leave you unprotected. It'll be fine. I don't sleep anyways."
Dani heard a door close with just a little too much force, and smiled sympathetically for Ianto. Cold bed it is. Jack better be ready to make it up to the young Welshman. She ghosted over to the bookshelf and selected a book at random. She went back to the bed, and settled in to enjoy.
Ianto stared at Jack lying prone on the floor. He thought about waking him, but a little devil left his lover sleeping. He wandered into the kitchen where Dani sat reading Lost in a Good Book, and eating toast.
"That's the second book in the series."
"I know. I read the first one last night." Dani responded without looking up.
Ianto stood for a moment, debating.
"Do you want to explain?"
This time Dani did look up, and the innocent expression didn't fool Ianto for a second.
"Explain?"
"Jack?" Ianto crossed his arms and tried to look stern.
"Well, he was expecting something bad to happen. I couldn't disappoint him." Her eyes twinkled, and she closed the book. "If you make coffee, I'll make pancakes?"
Ianto decided to let the matter drop for now. He'd have to remember to get pictures. They'd come in handy if he needed to influence Jack's decisions. Another thought occurred to him.
"One more question: where did you get the thread?"
Dani pointed to three empty spools sitting on the counter. "I never go anywhere without supplies. You never know when you might come across something that needs to be sewn down."
"What the…Ianto? Ianto answer me!" Jack's voice started to edge into panic.
"One moment, Sir." Ianto got up from the table, and came to stand in the hall. Dani watched discretely over his shoulder. Jack was trying to break the threads that crisscrossed every inch of him. Ianto had a flash of an illustration from his childhood book of Gulliver's Travels.
"Yes, Sir?" Ianto leaned against the wall and tried not to laugh at the sight of his boss, sewn to the carpet. A glance at Dani suggested that she was perfectly composed. It was only when Ianto looked more closely that he could see she was shaking with the effort of holding back laughter.
"Well, are you going to help me!" Jack was furious.
"There's a pair of scissors by your right hand, sir." Ianto was enjoying this. If Jack had come to bed last night like Ianto had asked him to…
Dani, prudently slipped back into the kitchen, as Jack cut through the multitude of threads.
"Where is she!" Jack looked ready to pull out his Webley, and shoot her
"Blood is very hard to get out of the carpet, Sir." Ianto eyes twinkled, but he'd managed to keep his polite mask.
"I asked you where she is." Jack's eyes were steely.
"I'm in the kitchen." Dani's voice sounded amazingly composed.
Jack charged into the kitchen and stood glaring at the young woman, who was standing in front of the stove, slipping three pancakes out of the pans she had been working with, and onto a plate. She turned, scooped a mound of mixed berries onto the pile, and added a generous dollop of whipped cream.
"Maple syrup?" Dani asked, her face a mask of innocence.
"You sewed me to the floor." Jack was proud of how calm he sounded.
"Yes."
"You sewed me to the floor!"
"You seemed like someone who likes to be tied down." Dani's lips twitched.
The moment was broken by a strangled chuckle from the door. Jack turned to see Ianto leaning against the kitchen door, trying to laugh without making any noise.
Jack thought he heard a giggle from behind him, but Dani continued to look innocent when he'd turned back. Finally, he snatched the plate from the young woman, and sat down at the table. Dani turned to the coffee maker, poured two cups of coffee and placed them in front of Jack's and Ianto's plates. She then sat down and continued with her own breakfast. Ianto wiped his eyes, sat down and took a sip from his coffee. The rest of the morning continued in silence, broken only by the occasional giggle, which always caused Jack to glare in outrage at the offender.
Jack crashed through the cog door, up to his office, and slammed into his office. Tosh jumped in alarm and stared at Jack's office. Dani and Ianto followed more slowly, looking a combination of strained and smug. They avoided each other's eyes. Ianto headed for the coffee machine, and Dani sat down on the couch. Owen and Tosh looked between Jack's office, Ianto's retreating back, and turned to Dani.
"I take it you had a fun evening." Owen sat down beside Dani.
"I did." Dani replied with a slight smirk.
"What happened?" Tosh asked, curiosity lighting her face.
"What did you do?" Owen's question was more demanding.
"…It's probably worth my life to tell you…literally. Owen you said you wanted to run some tests?" Owen nodded, preoccupied with finding a way to pry the information from the young woman "I think we should go do those, don't you?" She rose from the couch and walked briskly toward the autopsy bay. The cog door alarm signalled the arrival of the last team member. Gwen sauntered in, and stopped to take in the looks of her team mates.
"What did I miss?"