Torchwood: Fanfic: Hit and run

[m_findlow]

Title: Hit and run
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Jack, Ianto, Rex Matheson
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 712 words
Content notes: none
Author notes: Written for juliet316's prompt "Any, any, officer down" at fic_promptly
Summary: Rex is having a hard time transitioning into Torchwood.

"Officer down. I repeat, officer down."

Jack's mind automatically flooded with panic as the words reached his ears over the comms unit. That wasn't possible. Shouldn't be possible. It was just a training exercise. The only guns they had were either stun guns, or filled with blanks. He immediately left his position and skipped down the stairs, coming out on to the street, before turning the corner to where the report had come from.

The young female Torchwood operative was hunched over the body. Even from a distance Jack could tell which member of the team had taken a hit. It was a relief just knowing who. He hadn't bothered to ask which agent, pressed for time as he was. He rested a hand on her shoulder. 'I've got this,' he said. 'You go and rejoin the exercise.'

'But what about Agent Matheson?'

'All part of the exercise,' he assured her. She frowned at him before leaving, albeit reluctantly.

Jack knelt down on one knee and sighed. 'Don't do anything by halves, do you?' He checked the body for obvious signs of trauma while he waited. No blood except for a cut on his head, already healing. No gunshot wounds, no serious bleeds, just his body sprawled there on the street.

There was a sudden gasping inhalation. It caught Jack a little off guard. Was this what it felt like being Ianto?

'Welcome back, Rex,' Jack grinned, watching his breathing return to normal and slowly regaining his senses. 'Taken out in your first tactical Torchwood exercise. What kind of example are you trying to set?'

'Bite me, World War Two,' he said, grimacing and sitting up. 'I told you we should have done this back in DC.'

Jack laughed at that. 'Too many crazy people with real guns there already. How would you be able to tell? Besides, its winter in DC, and Ianto isn't a fan of the cold.'

Rex scoffed. 'You live in Wales. It's always fricking cold, here.'

'Exactly. We take what little summer we can get. Now if you'd suggested LA...'

'So, get that boss of yours to have me reassigned. You think I like the cold any better?'

Jack rolled his eyes. 'One step at a time, Rex. Let's get Washington up and running before we think about picking office space based on climate.' Jack reached out a hand and helping Rex to his feet. 'So, what happened?'

'I got hit by a car,' he replied. 'Goddamn things drive down the wrong side of the road around here,' he complained. 'I didn't even see it.'

'And apparently it didn't see you, either.'

'Don't you start making jokes about black people in the dark.'

Jack threw his hands up in mock surrender. 'Wouldn't dream of it.'

There was the sound of footsteps rushing towards them. Jack knew those expensive shoes anywhere. 'Is Rex okay?' Ianto asked, still clutching his gun.

'Fine,' Jack replied. 'He's not a big fan of the UK, though.'

'You people need to learn how to drive,' Rex said.

Ianto frowned. 'What's that got to do with anything?'

Jack smiled at his husband. 'Rex just experienced his first right-hand drive hit and run.'

Ianto rolled his eyes. 'You'd think you'd be old enough to know should always look both ways.' He looked at Jack. 'Are you sure we're putting the right person in charge of our first US office?'

Jack chuckled. 'Either that, or we have some pain in the ass at the CIA going around messing up with our investigations. And you know how much I hate bureaucracy.'

'That's a good point,' Ianto replied, his expression thoughtful. He glanced at Rex. 'Think you can stay alive long enough to finish the training exercise, Rex? It's bad enough me having to worry about Jack.'

'Hey,' Jack said. 'Red Team has never been beaten.'

Ianto smirked. 'You should know. You're usually in charge of Blue Team.'

Jack grinned. 'Not tonight. You and me back together. We're unstoppable. Let's show these Yanks how Torchwood gets the job done.'

Rex huffed and pushed past the pair of them, hating their smug expressions. He tapped his comms unit. 'This is Blue Team Leader. Report your positions. We're taking out these Red Team sons of bitches if it kills us.'