Among the Rubble

Chapter Two

"Why is this our case again?" Gwen Cooper  asked as she swirled around in her chair. The circumstances were nowhere near their usual specialty, so she couldn't fathom why it was being handed off to them. After two days of meetings with multiple government agencies and the anti-terrorism task force, as well as going over all the preliminary reports that had flooded in, she was baffled.

"Because no one else wants to deal with this shit mess." Owen Harper  was in a foul mood over the whole mess as he came up to the platform from the autopsy bay, to where everyone else had gathered.

"I don't understand," Gwen said.

"Basically, every agency is sick of us shitting on them and taking their cases while leaving them jackshit, so they've decided to all wipe their hands clean of this colossal fuck and make us handle it," Owen said, as though that was meant to clear things up.

"Can they do that?" Gwen asked, shocked.

"Welcome to the wonderful world of working for the British government," Toshiko Sato said to her colleague with a shrug. "Apparently since we figure we can take cases, they figure they can give them."

Gwen looked back and forth between them, waiting for them to tell her they were pulling one over on her. But Owen just turned and walked towards the records room and Tosh shrugged again, turning back to her computer as it let out a beep.

"Yes, they can and they did," came a voice from up above, causing Gwen to jump a little, startled. He hadn't realized Jack had left the conference room and was listening to their exchange. She thought it was a little rude of him, listening to other people's conversations. But Jack was the boss, and they were at work.

Raising an eyebrow, Jack beckoned for her to follow him to his office. As he made his way over to his office, he gave a smile to Ianto Jones as he passed him. She wondered briefly about him. There had to be more to his job than what came across as personal assistant. It seemed like all he did was take care of the public façade, fetch them coffee, and manage their paperwork. But this was Torchwood, and she was learning nothing was as it seemed, so she figured there must be more to Ianto than meets the eye.

She thought back to a couple months ago, when they thought Jack had died, for real that time. After he defeated Abaddon, they had been sure he wouldn't be coming back to them. She remembered how devastated the Welshman seemed over the apparent permanent death of their immortal leader.

Then, there was the kiss Jack had given Ianto when they came face to face after his surprising recovery.

If she were honest with herself, she was a little jealous. She had been the one to stay with Jack and refused to believe he wasn't coming back again. Yet, it was Ianto's arms he sought.

She wondered if there was actually something between them, something more than a boss and employee relationship. No one else seemed to be picking up on it though, or if they were, no one was saying. And she was pretty sure if Owen knew, everyone would know. He wasn't the sort to be able to keep from taking the piss out of Ianto. 

Perhaps it just wasn't any of her business she supposed.

As she reached Jack's office, she noticed that Ianto must have been in there recently, as it was much neater than it had been upon her arrival that morning.

"Cooper, I need you to find out as much as you can about our patient at the hospital. I want everything about her family, friends, and her job. Leave no stone unturned." He stood at his desk, leaning forward with his palms flat on the surface.

That was not  happy look on his face, and she didn't like that it was directed at her.

She started to feel uncomfortable under the weight of his stare. It was as though he were staring through her, not really seeing her yet seeing everything. It was unnerving, the way he sat there not blinking.

"Earth to Jack," she said with the wave of her hand and a chuckle. "Are you back with us now?" She attempted  to laugh, but her smile faltered at Jack's unchanging expression.

"Jack?"

"This isn't the time for fun or games, or jokes, Gwen. This is serious," he said sternly.

"I know that Jack, I just-"

"We are paired up with the ATU on this case. So, no matter how much you think this case may be beneath you, it's not."

When Jack was done talking, he sat down at his desk and began to go through the stack of papers that needed his signature.

Gwen stood there, shocked. But before she could say anything in her defense, a shrill ring pierced though the thick uncomfortable silence.

"Captain Jack Harkness," he said, answering his phone as he looked up and just watched Gwen try to figure out what her next move with him was. He felt a pang of guilt, but trampled it down. He didn't have the luxury.

After a moment, he hung up the phone and stood.

"You're  with me, so you'll have to do your research on the go. It looks like our girl is finally able to talk."