Disclaimer: I own nothing - RTD and the BBC own the Torchwood playground, and happy-rea is kind enough to let Lucy come play with me.

"Lucy, can you…"

He had asked her to leave - not to hurt her, but to give her the freedom to get away from the hurt, from the accusations, from the verbal attacks he'd never expected to come from his Lisa.

She'd left, running away without pause, fleeing - and only after she was gone did he realize she probably didn't know where she was even going. This was her first day on the job - her first time ever in a part of the Hub that even Jack never visited. He had to find her, before someone else missed her and started looking, and maybe found him and Lisa instead.

A few quick words, taking leave… He felt sickened, horrified that he had thought bringing Lucy into the situation could ever have been a good idea. Of course Lisa would lash out - she's in a world of constant pain, for gods' sakes. Of course she'd be upset that someone was "replacing her," even though there was no other choice right now. Lucy had nowhere to go, and Ianto was paying for a room that wasn't being used - was hoarding Lisa's things instead of giving them to her, to help her fight.

As soon as the door was bolted again, Ianto headed in the direction the footsteps had first disappeared - but all too soon he realized he had no idea which direction she would have gone from there. Of course she could have retraced their steps, gone back up to the main Hub, but he didn't think she had.

He was stood at a junction, wondering which way he should take, when he heard the gunshot. The report reverberated up and down the tunnels, echoing off the tile and the stone. Ianto froze, his chest gripped by what felt like a fist of fear.

"Lucy?"

Whether it was the echo of the shot, or something else, he barely even heard himself breathe the name. His new flatmate, the one person who knew his secret - and instead of condemning him, offered her help - he'd told Lisa she was a friend, and then Lisa had attacked her, lashing out with all her pain as if the stranger were the cause. If anything had happened to her…

He was torn, and ashamed as he hesitated. He remembered the shock of finding Lisa - even though Lucy was a near stranger, he still dreaded what he might find. And yet, this was his responsibility - he had to be sure, no matter how he dreaded it.

He forced himself to move, to turn towards the sound, instead of running away to hide. And he ran. And as he ran, another shot rang out. And another, and another. He turned the final corner, gasping for breath, and forced himself to look.

Oh thank all the gods there ever were. She'd found the shooting range. Well obviously she'd found the shooting range - he should have realized, but he'd never come from this direction, he hadn't quite put the tunnels he'd rushed through together with the map in his head, though he always did - but that was all. She'd been the one firing, but at targets. At targets. He bent over, forcing himself to catch his breath. She'd found the shooting range, and was firing the weapons at targets.

Although it must be her first time - she'd only managed to nick the very edge of one target, the rest were untouched. Of course it was her first time - she was English, not American. She set down the gun she'd been using, and picked up another. Ianto quickly turned and grabbed a headset - the last time he'd forgotten hearing protection down here, it had been days before the ringing stopped.

He turned just in time to see her pull the trigger.

"Oh shit. Oh SHIT!"

Apparently the microphone was on. And equally apparently, she hadn't been prepared for the recoil. Her free hand raised quickly to her face, as she quickly set the gun back on the table - still pointed, he noticed, towards the backstop instead of in some other, more dangerous direction.

"Lucy, are you ok?"

Was his mic on? He didn't know, but he did turn at his words. She lowered her hands. She met his eyes, then looked down - blood poured from her nose.

"Oh my god." She laughed, shook her hand. Droplets splattered all over Ianto.

"Oh shit! Sorry!"

She reached as if to wipe it away, but stopped before she could get more blood on his suit.

"Oh god, I'm sorry!"

"Don't mention it, I have an excellent dry cleaner"

She grinned.

"I guess you'd have to, working around here."

She reached gingerly for her nose again.

"FUCK that hurts!"

"I take it you're not used to the recoil?"

Ianto pulled a chair out and guided Lucy to sit down. She leaned forward and pinched her nostrils shut. Clearly this wasn't her first nosebleed.

"The other one wasn't so bad"

Ianto carefully removed her hearing protection.

"Not all guns are alike."

"No, they're not."

They hadn't heard Jack come in.

"Ianto, since when are you cleared to train anyone on the shooting range?"

"I'm sorry, sir. It won't happen again."

"Damn right it won't!"

Jack knelt next to Lucy. He took her hand, gently pulling it away to take a look at the damage. At least the bleeding was stopped.

"It's not Ianto's fault, Jack. I just got cocky."

"You got cocky?"

"Yeah. The first one was easy - well, I mean I couldn't hit the target, but, you know - so, I just kept going, and…"

She gestured the blood puddled on the floor, sprayed down the front of her hoodie and jeans.

Jack sighed and shook his head, half rolling his eyes at her nonchalance.

"Come on, new girl, let's get you up to the autopsy room. I want to make sure that nose isn't broken, and Owen's not going to be in for another hour at least."

Lucy stood, but before heading out the door she took one more look down the shooting range.

"I can come here again, can't I, Jack?"

Though there was definitely beginnings of more than one bruise, Lucy's eyes sparkled.

"Please?"

Jack sighed.

"All right. After lunch, you'll come down here with me, and I'll show you how to fire these things PROPERLY. Got it?"

She grinned.

"Thanks!"

Jack shook his head.

"Oh, and Ianto?"

"Yes sir?

"You might want to find some time today to visit the dry cleaners"

"Of course, sir."