m_findlow

Title: Adopted
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters/Pairings: Ianto, Gwen
Word Count: 500 words
Rating: PG
Notes: Written for Challenge 126 - Orphan at anythingdrabble
Summary: Ianto has a new member of the team for Gwen to meet.

'Morning Gwen,' Ianto chirped. 'How was your vacation?'

She was about to regale him with images of perfect beaches and hideously expensive cocktails when she caught sight of the creature perched on his desk, which he was feeding by hand. 'What on earth is that?' She was fairly sure she knew exactly what it was, but perhaps her eyes were playing tricks on her. 'Oh my God. Is that Myfanwy? How did she get so tiny?' She couldn't have been bigger than a soccer ball.

'Don't panic,' Ianto replied. 'Myf is fine. This is Hywel.'

Gwen gave him a sceptical look. 'Hywel? And where did Hywel come from?'

'He, ah, followed me home. Jack already said I could keep him.'

Of course he did. What Jack wouldn't do for him wasn't worth knowing about. Gwen shook her head at him. 'Seriously, Ianto? What is it with you bringing home stray dinosaurs?'

'I don't do it on purpose.' He couldn't very well admit that was exactly what he'd done. He and Jack had agreed unequivocally that Gwen was not going to find out about Jack being kidnapped by some rogue aliens who were using him as leverage to smoke out the real person they wanted. That the person they were after was John Hart and that Ianto had to team up with him to free Jack was something he definitely never wanted Gwen finding out about. She'd kill them both if she knew.

'I go away for two weeks and you two go and adopt something to replace me?'

Ianto wrapped a protective arm around the hatchling. 'Not replace. He's got no one. I couldn't very well leave him be orphaned and alone, could I?'

She folded her arms and gave him another one of her looks. 'And what does our existing resident think about this? I imagine she's not too happy about having to share your affections.'

'Oh, Myf is fine. She'll make a great mum.'

'Mum?'

'Well, I've done some research and although it doesn't seem that they're the exact same species, they're close enough that she can't tell the difference, or doesn't want to. I think we all remember how possessive she was when she had that ostrich egg.' She'd been determined to hatch it at all costs, even going so far as to tuck it away underneath the subetheric resonator to keep it warm. 'Just look at him, Gwen. Isn't he just the cutest?'

Gwen raised her eyebrows at him. It was a miniature lizard with wings. Kittens were cute. Rabbits with floppy ears were cute. A baby pteranodon was anything but cute. She gave a long-suffering sigh, knowing she'd already accepted her two best friends were more than a little on the crazy side. Torchwood had corrupted them completely. They were never going to be happy with a regular pet like a dog or a cat.

'If you say so, Ianto. But if he poops on my desk or in my handbag, you're cleaning it up.'