Torchwood: Fanfic: Rocky start

[m_findlow]

Title: Rocky start
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Jack, Torchwood team
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 620 words
Content notes: Spoilers for Episode 2.1 - Kiss Kisss Bang Bang
Author notes: Written for juliet316's prompt "Any, any, welcome back" at fic_promptly
Summary: Jack's return to Cardiff isn't quite as well received as he expected.

'Did ya miss me?' Jack chuckled. As entrances went, this was definitely an eleven on a scale of one to ten. He couldn't have planned it better if he'd tried, and he really did hate blowfish. One less in his city wasn't going to make him lose any sleep.

Gwen blinked at him, like she'd been momentarily distracted by the flash of a camera bulb. He waited for her to drop the gun and come rushing over to wrap him up in a bear hug. He loved big reunions and happy endings. Instead she blinked again, as if she'd only imagined him standing there and then turned to Owen. 'How's he doing?' she asked, Owen's hands pressed deep into the bullet wound.

His focus was so intense as he did what he could to help the wounded man. He was in his element, undaunted and single-minded. On a bad day Owen could be lazy, foul-mouthed and have a bad attitude, but when it came to being a doctor in an emergency, he was a first class professional. 'We need to get him to hospital.'

'I'm on it,' Ianto replied, deftly switching his gun for his phone in a way that had always boggled Jack's mind. The man was like a magician the way he used his hands. He probably could have pulled a rabbit out of his suit pocket if you asked him. He disappeared down the hall to make the call to emergency services.

Gwen watched in satisfaction as he left, phone already to his ear. 'Tosh, can you look after the rest of the family?'

Tosh nodded and gave a reassuring smile, turning back towards the elder of the two women. 'Your husband is going to be fine. Paramedics are on their way. Why don't we go into the kitchen and I'll make us some tea.' Tea with a generous helping of retcon of course, but Tosh was so persuasive and gentle they'd never even know as they slumped over the kitchen table falling into a deep sleep. Tosh always claimed she was rubbish at dealing with people and that she couldn't understand them the way computers and mathematics made perfect sense to her. The way she calmly lead both women to kitchen after having been held hostage at gunpoint by an alien was a skill few had mastered.

With the rest of the team tasked to their duties, Gwen stepped over and studied the bloody of the dead blowfish. She nudged it with the toe of her shoe to make sure it was definitely dead, before returning her gaze to the man standing a few feet away, taking it all in. 'You're back,' she stated plainly.

Jack smiled and winked at her, knowing it would break down whatever was left of her calm defences. He'd known she'd make a good leader and tonight was no exception. Albeit she'd seemingly left Ianto in charge of taking down the alien, but that was okay. He was one hell of a marksman and wouldn't have missed. It was just too tempting to steal his thunder anyway. And it was kind of nice to be back surrounded by people who didn't have a problem with guns. 'I'm back,' he affirmed.

She pursed her lips, her intense gaze never leaving his. 'Right. Well, don't just stand there, then. Help me get the body into the SUV. Paramedics will be here any minute. I'd prefer if we didn't have to retcon them as well.'

'Oh. Okay.' It wasn't quite the welcome back he'd been expecting. Then again, maybe they were just waiting until they got back to the hub to celebrate his return properly. That had to be the only explanation for it.

Comments

[bk_forever]

Poor Jack, so completely wrong-footed by everyone's reaction to his return. He'll get over it.