(no subject)

[im_torchwood]

Jack raced after the blowfish and caught him in an aley behind, of all places, a fish and chip place.

"Give it up," Jack said.

"Pay me, fucker," the fish said clearly in English.

Jack reached into his pocket as if for a gun, but pulled out a thick stack of notes.

"Alright," he shrugged.

The blowfish came closer and took the money, then handed Jack a wrinkled paper sack. Then he ran off, keeping out of sight until he got his hood up.

Jack opened the bag, looked inside, and smiled.

"Well , hello beautiful."

Then he heard a scuff just down the way and he looked to see who it was.

"Oh. Hi there," he said.

Comments

[im_torchwood]

"You don't know him like I do," Jack said. "And I wouldn't call them strays. I mean, okay, some. Ianto adopted me, though, not the other way round..."

[quartermaster_q]

"If you say so.." Q shrugged, looking Jack over, then raising a bow. "You're understaffed tonight though, clearly- Perhaps I could be of assistance," he offered.

[im_torchwood]

"Do you have a gun?" Jack asked, brow arched. "Because if I need help at all, that's what'll come in handy."

[quartermaster_q]

"I don't usually carry a weapon- I was thinking I could help you catalogue- Office work," Q replied.

[im_torchwood]

At that Jack gave him a queer, skeptical once over.

"You want to have access to the files. But points for trying to be a pal," he replied. "But, really, Q...you're not getting into Torchwood."

[quartermaster_q]

"Don't be like that- Surely there's something I could offer you that's worth access. ...Supervised access even. I just want a chance to see some of those hard drives you've recovered," Q pressed.

[im_torchwood]

Jack gave some serious thought to the deal at hand. He had a device he was working on, a sort of improvement on the scope-surgical-extractor Owen had had. It had worked but not perfectly and Jack liked his tech to be perfect. He...could use some help. And he wasn't foolish enough to completely discount Q...

"If I give you the specs do you think you can help me build something out of alien tech?" he asked. "Strictly hush hush.

[quartermaster_q]

Q took a moment to consider that, then nodded his head.

"I could certainly make an attempt."

[im_torchwood]

"Then I think we have a deal," Jack said and offered to shake on it to show he was earnest.

[quartermaster_q]

"Really?" Q asked, offering Jack a suspicious look as he took the offered hand. "You're not going to let me do the work and then lock me up in a cage somewhere? ...Because, honestly, I'd be a bit cross if you did."

[im_torchwood]

"Nah, you'd like it too much anyway," Jack snorted. And there was always Retcon...he'd really have to be slick to get it in Q's system, though.

"Come on. I'll drive."

[quartermaster_q]

"I really wouldn't," Q muttered, though he followed along anyway, eager to see what Jack was building.

Pulling out his phone, he sent off a quick text to Bond- Just in case.

[im_torchwood]

Jack climbed in and drove them to Canary Wharf and descended the tube station nearby and passed through public doors, then hidden doors.

"There's an easier way in but they'd have my head if I showed it to you," he said.

[quartermaster_q]

"They don't have to know, do they? You've never been the 'by the book' sort after all- Not from what I've read," Q noted, glancing over at Jack and raising a brow.

[im_torchwood]

"I have to watch myself here in London. I don't have the freedom I had in Cardiff. And I've got things to lose," he said. He'd been increasingly nervous since he'd found the 'Harkness Contingency Plan" in the Torchwood files. That had been a wake up call- how they'd deal with him if they ever had to...

[quartermaster_q]

"They don't trust you fully," Q said, looking over and tilting his head. "That must bother you."

[im_torchwood]

"Of course they don't. I wouldn't if I was in their position, either," he replied. "Would you?"

[quartermaster_q]

Q considered that for a long moment, wetting his lips thoughtfully, then humming.

"I don't honestly know. I'd like to think I'd have the sense to get to know you, and not simply judge based on what the reports say."

[im_torchwood]

"The reports say different things over the years. Even if you read them all you don't get a clear picture," Jack said. "I'm sure the reports about you leave a lot out."

[quartermaster_q]

"The ones that still exist," Q replied with a pleased little smirk. "The person who hired me as Quartermaster didn't depend on my reports though- She came to me, spoke to me in person."

[im_torchwood]

"Em?" Jack asked and it was clear that for him it was a name and not a title of bearing deserving respect.

[quartermaster_q]

Q didn't respond to that- His silence both an answer, and a slight scolding for the lack of respect shown.

"So, this machine you'd like me to build- Explain it," he prompted.

[im_torchwood]

"It's part...flouroscope sort of x-ray and part...drain snake and plunger," he explained. "The basic model is built, but it could work better," Jack explained.

[quartermaster_q]

"And you use if for... What, exactly?" Q asked. "I find it's best to start with need- When you know what a tool is most desired for, it's easier to build that, then work you way out to other uses," he explained.

[im_torchwood]

"In theory it locates alien parasites and extracts them without major invasive surgery. It's got a teleportation unit on it that's....glitchy," Jack replied.