Hart. That name seemed familiar. Imogene knew she had heard it before but she couldn't place where. Hart… Hang on… when Ianto got shot back in September, 'We'll get Hart back for you.'
'I should've realised it was Hart.'
Oh crap.
"Just my luck I'm alone in the hub with a trigger-happy maniac. Still, it beats being alone with Gwen," Imogene muttered under her breath. "What do you want?"
"Well I was here to try and snag that lovely bit of Eyecandy that was here the last time I made a visit, sure I put him in hospital but nobody can resist Captain John Hart." John replied.
"By 'Eyecandy', I'm guessing you mean Ianto," Imogene stated. "Sorry to tell you mate but he's taken."
John scoffed. "By who? By Harkness? That would never last. Jack's not one for exclusive relationships, take it from someone who knows."
"Let me see if I've got this right. You've turned up from nowhere to try and steal the guy whom you shot in the chest the last time you met and despite the fact he got married to your ex today?" Imogene quirked an eyebrow.
"Jack was never one to share his candy so it's more fun to steal it." John said.
"Yeah if you'll excuse me I need to ring the local whacky shack to tell them one of their patients has escaped." Imogene said.
"So funny, I forgot to laugh." John retorted.
"Oh please people have been saying that since the 90s." Imogene said.
"Clever young thing aren't you? Pretty too, in fact I would say you're like a female version of the Eyecandy." John said moving closer.
"No duh, I'm his twin." Imogene replied. John looked confused. "I fell through the rift when I was 15 and wound up here. And I'd appreciate it if you very nicely and politely pissed off somewhere else." Imogene explained.
"And I suppose a little kid like you is going to make me?" John scoffed.
Imogene flung a book at him and ran to find a weapon. John aimed his gun at her but Imogene seen him at the last second and dodged out of the way. The dangerous game of cat and mouse continued until John got a shot into Imogene's leg and she fell to the floor whimpering and trying to hold back tears. She never dried. It was something Imogene Jones never did. She NEVER cried. John caught up with her as Imogene tried to stem the blood gushing from her leg.
"Seriously what the hell was that for? Every time you turn up you cause havoc and hurt at least one of us! What have we ever done to piss you off?" Imogene shouted her pain fuelling her anger.
John actually seemed at a loss for words. What did he actually have against Torchwood? Sure there was that business with the diamond but they didn't know that woman had made it a bomb. And he'd shot Eyecandy because… well he was aiming for Jack wasn't he? Besides Harkness had forgotten what the Agency had taught them about stealing and conning and rehabs never worked so there was no point going down that road again. He didn't even know why he came back other than to try and have a bit of fun. Bloody twenty first century was making him soft! John did the most un-John thing he'd ever done in his life. He showed mercy on someone who was hurt.
"Here this'll help stop the bleeding," John said as he removed his jacket pressing it onto wound as he rummaged in the jacket pocket for what he was looking for.
Imogene was pale and drawing her breath in through clenched teeth. "What is that?" she asked.
John let what looked like gold flecks of dust flow around the wound and Imogene felt the strangest sensation. The pain was ebbing away and the bullet was forcing itself out of her leg. When the gold things faded, the wound was gone. The only evidence of any injury was an angry red mark on her leg which would most likely bruise and a round bloody hole in her favourite jeans. John helped Imogene to her feet and she walked shakily back to the main part of the hub.
"What were those things?" she asked.
"Nanogenes, they repair most injuries but if the wound's fatal there's nothing you can do. They're basically robotic doctors." John explained.
"Thanks I guess. Considering you shot me. What is it with you shooting us Joneses?" Imogene asked.
John laughed bitterly. "I have no idea. Rehab's never worked."
"Rehab? What is there a group of you in a circle and you all stand up going 'My name is John. And I'm a murder-aholic!'"
John laughed at that idea. "You're not that far off. I guess I should say sorry for what I said about Jack and Eye-Ianto, but there's one thing I never do and that is apologise. I have a reputation to uphold you know. You're strangely forgiving for someone who got shot in the leg."
"I'm just a good actress. I'm killing you repeatedly in my head. Over and over again. But seriously if I was you, I'd be getting out of here before Jack finds out you've been here. Ever since you shot Ianto he's wanted your arse on a silver platter and not in the way you'd like it. I think they're both worried you'll steal the other away from them." Imogene mused.
"Oh you can't make me choose between them!" John exclaimed.
Imogene cackled and clapped her hands together. However the laughter was cut short when the cog door rolled back and Tosh and Owen entered the hub.
"Gen, are you here? Are you alright?" Tosh called as she and Owen walked over and pulled out their guns at the sight of Hart.
"What the fuck are you doing here? Trying to kill another member of our team?" Owen snarled.
"Owen, Tosh chill. When he came here I was weapon less against one of the Weevils which had gotten loose. Gwen must've forgotten to shut the cages after she fed them earlier. It'd have killed me if he wasn't here." Imogene lied smoothly.
"That explains the blood then." Tosh said dubiously but Owen looked unconvinced.
"How come you are here?" John asked.
"Jack got a rift spike coming from the hub and guessed it might've been you so got Tosh and me down to check it out." Owen explained.
"What are you doing here?" Tosh asked.
"Just popping in, seeing old friends all that jazz." John replied. "And I must say, that top looks very good on you Miss Toshiko." John practically purred at her. Tosh's cheeks coloured the same shade of pink as her top and Owen tightened his grip on his gun. Christ, first Jack then Ianto now Tosh. He was definitely worse than Jack.
"Trust me, look take my weapons. Then you'll be able to trust me. I just figured I'd stay for a while. Take a holiday in the backwaters of the twenty first century if you please." John said.
"It'll be your ass on the line if Jack finds you here." Tosh warned.
"Yeah Mini-Eyecandy told me that too." John said and got to his feet. "Well, it's been fun and I'll see you lot again hopefully."
"Let's hope not!" Owen snapped back as John suddenly grabbed Imogene and pulled her into a kiss before letting her go and pressing on his Vortex Manipulator and vanishing.
Imogene pressed her fingers to her mouth in shock. Did that really just happen? Tosh went to her computer and deleted the past hour of CCTV footage and the three of them decided to say nothing had come through the rift and it was just a false alarm. Imogene shook her head and looked at Tosh and Owen.
"Sorry I must've ruined your date." Imogene said.
"It's Ok; we were just having a drink." Tosh replied.
"It's still early, you guys could still get hammered enough to miss work tomorrow." Imogene suggested.
"Now that is what I call a good idea." Owen said and put his arm around Tosh leading her out of the hub. As they walked across the Plass, Owen's phone buzzed with a message from Imogene.
'Don't mess this up Owen. We both know what you're like so treat her properly.'
Owen rolled his eyes and led Tosh to the nearest bar. Imogene watched them on the CCTV and flung herself on the sofa after swiping a blanket and pillow from Jack's bunker. She deserved a good night's sleep and a lie-in.
But she kept a loaded gun under her pillow just in case anymore of Jack's manic exes decided to show up.
AN: sorry for making John so OCC. But I think he was like Jack and only that way because of the way the Time Agency trained him. However John has always been my favourite Torchwood baddie because he was so wonderfully badass! :D