Anythingdrabble Challenge 170 - To each his own

[m_findlow]

Title: To each his own
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters/Pairings: Torchwood team
Word Count: 500 words
Rating: PG
Notes: Written for Challenge 170 - Release at anythingdrabble
Summary: After a tough day, everyone has their own way of finding release.

‘I want all those reports on my desk by the end of tomorrow,’ Jack boomed across the hub so that they all heard him. He didn't have to say it, strictly speaking. He knew that by five o'clock tomorrow, he'd have four files in his inbox, ready for review and sign off before they became a permanent record I. Torchwood's ever growing database.

He paused and leaned against his doorway for a moment, watching his team. They'd been run ragged across the city all day but they still had energy enough to find an extra hour or two of work before throwing it in for the day. And, after a day like today, they'd earned it. It had been stressful and dangerous and difficult, but they'd come through it in one piece. The buzz from the job would still take some time to wear off, and so he watched as they went about their own unique ways of releasing all that pent up adrenaline.

Owen bustled around his medical bay, getting everything ready for tomorrow's autopsy of one of the aliens they'd taken down. Cause of death was pretty obvious, but they could still learn a lot about the species so that they'd be better prepared for next time. After that, Owen would kick back at the pub for a few drinks and head home.

Tosh was back at her work station, looking like she'd never left it, except for the tear in the sleeve of her blouse. With her glasses perched high up on her nose, she was deep into concentration mode, eager to work on other projects whilst her brain was still surging with chemicals that unwound even the most complex problems.

Gwen had her phone pressed to her ear and was smiling at whatever was being said on the other end of the line. She'd be telling Rhys she was okay and that she'd even be home for dinner tonight. He was probably telling her she'd just ruined his big plans to go out on the lash and pick up five blondes to take back to theirs for a mass orgy whilst she worked overtime at the hub.

Ianto pottered around, tidying up mugs from this morning, neatening stacks of files, dusting around computers and employing his mini vacuum on keyboards. Nothing made him happier than having the hub all neat and orderly after a long day, knowing he'd come back tomorrow to start afresh.

As for Jack, on a bad day he might have gone to brood up on one of his favourite rooftops, trying to fathom out what he could have done better. But today was not a bad day. Today they'd done their jobs in exemplary fashion. The only release he needed was to stand there and admire his team, knowing that they'd all go home tonight, safe and sound, with barely a scratch or scrape on them. Nobody knew what tomorrow might bring, but for today it was enough just to be alive.