OTA

[im_torchwood]

After John Hart, after Gray, Jack couldn't be in Cardiff. He was Torchwood now, not just what he did but who he was, and he had a small crisis and had to get away. Although he'd broken with London's Torchwood after the incidents at Canary Wharf (which it seemed the population had either forgotten or written off) Jack found himself in England's jewel. He was ready to make a new start. And, he reckoned, the Doctor would probably visit London before Cardiff if truth be told.

He'd settled into the subterranean Hub that Alice and Emily had worked in. It had been long forgotten in favor of the building of steel and glass that had been built atop it. Bloody Torchwood...they were supposed to be secret. He'd made his contacts and had put himself to work. But even Jack needed to eat.

He had all of the city to choose from and rather than just go to a pub Jack stood on the sidewalk looking at his mobile reading Yelp reviews. There was a place just down the block and around the corner. Yelp was good and all but he kind of wanted a real opinion so he looked up from his screen and he smiled at the first person whose eye he caught.

"Excuse me...do you know if this place is any good?" he asked, showing the screen. His American accent immediately marked him as a tourist, even though he wasn't.

Comments

[quartermaster_q]

Q watched, but he kept his distance, not wanting to be caught off guard.

"Bugging my cat was uncalled for- That was an attack, not a precaution," he said after a moment. "I didn't tell Bond to shoot you, if that's what you were cross about."

[im_torchwood]

"I didn't hurt him. All I did was reprogram his lo-jack chip to make it more useful," Jack said. The program ran, a status bar popping up to show progress.

Jack spun in his chair to look at Q.

"Do you really think I care that your boyfriend shot me in the heart? That's just...foreplay. He's good looking, by the way. A little old for you but I doubt anyone your own age can keep up with you."

[quartermaster_q]

"Fiancée," Q corrected coolly. "James is my fiancée."

[im_torchwood]

"You're going to marry a double-o?" Jack asked incredulously...then he started to laugh. e laughed deep and hard for a long moment, then he shook his head.

"Why don't you just tear your heart out and get it over with?"

[quartermaster_q]

Q had heard it all before. Though usually in kinder words. It didn't even make him blink- However, it did open up a new path for the young quartermaster to try and take.

"Why do you care, Jack?" he asked, his tone pleasant and crisp. "Were you hoping tonight might end with me being very grateful, and your bed a little less empty than it has been recently? That doesn't have to be off the table completely you know. James and I have an understanding."

That understanding didn't exactly apply to this situation, but Q had an eye for strategic moves, and this could prove to be a good one.

[im_torchwood]

Jack smirked at that and moved to stand chest to chest with Q. He caught hold of his face and looked into his eyes. Fifty first century pheromones clouded the air as Jack caressed him. It was...dizzying. And his touch was electric.

There was no way Jack was human. Of course not. But it quickly became clear there was much more to him than just being immortal.

"If I'd wanted you in my bed I would have been much more direct, Q," he said.

[quartermaster_q]

It was sudden and overwhelming, and while his body was certainly enthusiastic about it, Q honestly wasn't sure he liked it. ...For someone so willing and eager to dabble in submission, he really disliked not feeling as though he had full control.

"What do you want then? You drugged me, it could have ended there. The trojan I get, but the bug was obnoxious. You were needling me, you wanted me to come here."

[im_torchwood]

"Ah, but I'm not an amateur, Q. The dose I gave you should have wiped everything away. You shouldn't have any memory of me, you shouldn't have caught onto the trojan so fast, you should have never suspected your cat. What did you do, text yourself?" he asked, his fingers smoothing over Q's cheek. He knew what power he had and he wasn't going to relinquish it just yet.

[quartermaster_q]

Q swallowed hard, and though common sense told him to pull away, his body refused. It liked the attention- it liked the buzz.

"I created an antidote when I first caught wind of the possibility of you turning up in London- An imperfect one, but strong enough to weaken the retcon. Two texts, an email, and some information uploaded to a private cloud I maintain helped fill in some blanks."

[im_torchwood]

"That's cheating, Q," he said. "But smart. I like smart."

He leaned in, very nearly kissing Q. He could almost taste the man's desire. It made him smile.

Jack backed away to check on the status of the drives.

"You're going to be a pain in my ass, aren't you?"

[quartermaster_q]

Q's heart was pounding, and his mouth was dry- And then suddenly Jack was miles away it seemed, and Q was letting out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"I've no interest in stepping on your toes, or getting involved with your work. ...I'd just like a peek in your toy box," he said, rather than answer the question directly.

[im_torchwood]

"Absolutely not," Jack said. "And you know why. You know, Q. These things can't get out. They're not for us, not yet. Some of it? Not ever."

[quartermaster_q]

"I'm not asking to see anything dangerous," Q argued, daring to move closer to get a better look at the computer Jack had been working on.

[im_torchwood]

"Yes, you are," Jack said. "Torchwood was created for the specific purpose of keeping the world safe. We're not talking about velcro or touch screens, Q. Some of this technology...there's a reason I archive it," Jack said.

[quartermaster_q]

"Item 3xt6779," Q said. "Digital downloads of human memories. It's not marked as dangerous in your archives, just as having possible unknown risks. ...I just want to look at it. ...Try it out. If I can figure out what makes it tick, just think of how many uses something like that could have. ...From allowing field agents to upload what they were viewing in real time, to helping people with alzheimer's download and archive their memories."

As he spoke he invited himself to sit at the computer, taking in the odd text, then curiously examining an open file folder.

[im_torchwood]

"No, Q. Absolutely not. Humanity isn't ready for wet works and you know it and I'm not letting you play with it just because you think it's cool," he said. As soon as the status bar hit 100 Jack reached past Q, tapped a couple keys, and the computer shut down.

He pulled the drives free.

"Here. Now get out before I dose you again."

[quartermaster_q]

"Don't be rude. You drugged me, bugged my cat, upset my lover- Least you can do is offer me tea. ...Unspiked tea," he added, slipping the drives back into his bag as he remained seated and looked up at Jack.

Q was no double-o, but he'd spent enough time around them all that he'd picked up a few tricks. As he looked up at Jack, he did his very best to appear sweet and innocent- Like a lost child or pup. It was a trick 19 had taught him- An agent who hardly looked old enough to be in the field already, and seemed able to make just about anyone melt.

[im_torchwood]

Jack was not so easily charmed. In fact, looking at the show of youth only served to make him feel his age.

"The least I can do in not actually kick you out," he said. "Get up and go."

[quartermaster_q]

Q huffed, reaching for his bag, and discreetly planting a tiny bug under Jack's chair.

"Yes, fine, alright. ...Rude," he accused again, as he slung his bag over his shoulder and headed for the door.

"I'll see you soon, Jack."

[im_torchwood]

"Not if I see you first," he quipped.

[quartermaster_q]

Q only waved at that, before heading back out and setting off home. Hopefully he'd beat Bond back.