Two weeks after the briefing
"What, again?" Jack groaned as another rift alarm sounded. The last few days had been hell, with multiple alarms going off. They had only just returned from the last one, and he had been in the act of taking his coat off in the hopes of having a few moments to sit down. With a sigh he shrugged it back onto his shoulders and only paused long enough to grab a fresh round of ammunition for his Webley.
Ianto was already holding a bag of supplies as they met in the entrance that would lead them back out to the car park.
"What is it this time?" Jack asked, still settling his supplies in his pockets.
"Weevil convention over in Penylan," Ianto reported, also handing over a container of spray that Jack tucked into a pocket of his greatcoat. Jack shook his head wearily, but didn't respond. He was tired enough that he let Ianto take the wheel. They sped along the roads in the early morning hours, neither of them having the energy to speak. Occasionally Ianto glanced at the rift monitor that he had mounted to the dash. They were running so lean these days that they seldom had the luxury of someone being able to sit in the backseat to check the computers. His jury-rigged modification would have to do until he found time to route the wiring and displays over to the front seat where the passenger could control it. Time, he thought to himself. Something they never seemed to have these days.
He pulled over to the side of the road. They were close. Getting out, they listened carefully before Jack nodded in the direction of an alley behind a rowhouse. A scuffling sound could be heard, so they moved quietly, tools ready.
"Damn," Jack swore softly, seeing the number of figures in front of them. "Weevils to the left of me, Weevils to the right."
"Here I am, stuck in the middle with you?" Ianto replied, a slight smile on his lips. Jack snorted in response. "Hold on a second." He moved back to the SUV and pulled a plastic bag out of the boot. Jack grimaced as Ianto returned, the smell wafting from the bag revealing the contents. "Dinner. Suitably prepared for the sensitive Weevil palette."
He wore rubber gloves and reached in for the rancid meat. Whistling, he got the attention of the five Weevils milling about and tossed pieces of meat in several directions. They descended upon the free food, fighting amongst themselves. Jack stood prepared with his spray in hand in case any of them decided that a moving meal was more appealing. They waited quietly, watching. Several of the Weevils started to stagger, affected by whatever Ianto had laced into the meat.
"Kinda takes all of the fun out of it this way." Jack sounded almost disappointed. Ianto rolled his eyes. They had been out at least four times this day alone on various rift alerts. Grappling with Weevils wasn't exactly at the top of his list at the moment. He leant against the wall, letting the drug do the work for him.
Eventually they all dropped, and the two men moved in to restrain them while they were still groggy. There was no guarantee the sedative would last long enough to make it back to the Hub, so they did their usual restraints and head sacks to keep them quiet.
"Two in the boot and three in the back?" Jack suggested. Ianto nodded, and together they lifted each body into position. Ianto tiredly pondered where the Weevils got their clothing. Did they come from a land where boiler suits were the height of fashion? Or perhaps the hole in the rift let them escape from a prison colony somewhere. He didn't mention his thoughts to Jack. He knew it was sleep deprivation and that talking about it just wouldn't make any sense.
Jack took the wheel for the ride home. "Don't suppose you thought to bring an air freshener?" He grumbled. While Ianto's idea had been effective, it wasn't the best smell to sit with in an enclosed space.
"Sorry," Ianto apologized. He opened the windows and let the cool night air into the SUV as Jack drove back home. Once they arrived at the Hub, they worked quickly to get their cargo into the cells down below.
"I'm going to have to open the next level," Ianto said as they stood watching the occupants revive. "That will be a first."
Jack sighed. He wasn't sure what to do with their newfound guests. Keeping them indefinitely wasn't a good option, but neither was freezing them. "We can double them up a bit more."
"Oh lovely, then we'll end up with a litter of little Weevils," Ianto said. He wasn't sure whether that would happen, but the last thing he wanted to deal with was a Weevil giving birth down here.
Jack thought about that for a moment and shrugged. "What do you think, Janet?" The Weevil stared at him mournfully before turning away from them. "Maybe not." He looked down at his watch and winced. "What do you say to a nice shower and bed?"
Ianto looked at him for a long moment, considering the suggestion. He sniffed cautiously to see if any smell lingered and was relieve to find that it didn't. "How about just bed?"
"Works for me," Jack said and pushed himself away from the wall. He draped his arm over Ianto's shoulders and together they walked up the stairs and off to bed…
~*~
