(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

[quartermaster_q]

"Try twenty four, minimum," Q replied, looking unamused. "I may be brilliant, but I'm not magic, Jack."

[im_torchwood]

"Isn't your double o guard dog going to have fits if you go missing for twenty four?" he asked.

[quartermaster_q]

"Absolutely," Q smirked. "I'll have to check in with him every few hours- He'll not be pleased that I'm here. ...I did text him that I was leaving with you though, I expect he'll be texting back his disapproval shortly."

[im_torchwood]

As if on cue, Q's phone buzzed lightly. It was, as he'd guess, some choice words from Bond along with some vague threats of violence. Posturing, mostly.

"It'll be fine. I should text Logan, too. Let him know I'll be working late."

He didn't sound too terribly happy with the prospect.

[quartermaster_q]

"You live with Mr. Echolls?" Q asked, texting Bond back a kissy face emoji, and nothing more.

[im_torchwood]

"He's my husband," Jack said. "That's not for show..."

He paused.

"He's my whole universe."

[quartermaster_q]

Q seemed to consider that for a moment, his head tilted slightly as he nodded.

"Strange, you don't seem the committed sort, and Mr. Echolls- Well, he's not been lucky in love, has he? How odd- The pair of you, that is. It's a strange pairing."

[im_torchwood]

"It's epic. Spanning lives and continents...and dimensions. Of course, you have to believe in destiny. Do you?" Jack asked.

[quartermaster_q]

"Destiny is just a word people use to make their ambitions and desires sound less selfish or more grand," Q replied. "...So no, not really Jack. For whatever it's worth though, I do believe in love."

[im_torchwood]

It wasn't a battle he was prepared to fight nor a hill he wanted to die on so Jack simply conceded.

"Love makes everything better," he said. "And I love Logan with the full force of everything that keeps me alive."

[quartermaster_q]

"That doesn't sound very healthy, but alright," Q replied, texting Bond again as he spoke, picking the rudest emojis he had and hitting send.

[im_torchwood]

"When you've been around as long as I have, Q, Epic has a different meaning," Jack said lightly.

Q was treated to broken hearts, guns, bombs, poo, and skulls. And then a row of hearts and a kissy face. There was little rhyme or reason to it. Bond, skilled as he was, didn't quite grasp the language of emojis.

[quartermaster_q]

"Hmm, and you are very old- Aren't you, captain?" Q replied, texting Bond back only one emoji this time- An eggplant.

"He's very young though."

[im_torchwood]

"He's not as young as you think. Well, here...but in the vortex of time and space things are wibbly-wobbley and it gets...you don't care, I'm sure. You just want the tech, Hmm?"

Jack lead the way in and opened the heavy blast door to the abandoned underground station that was on no map. It was well appointed with tech, cheerfully lit, but sterile. This was no one's home the way Cardiff had been.

"This way to the operating theater..."

[quartermaster_q]

Q had been here before, briefly, but he still took it all in, absorbing every detail as they walked.

"I'll need a pot of tea," he noted. "I work better caffeinated."

[im_torchwood]

"I have a Keurig, will that do?" he asked. Jack appreciated a proper pot as much as anyone, but he was all about speed and convenience.

[quartermaster_q]

Q wrinkled his nose, his silence speaking volumes.

[im_torchwood]

"It's that or an energy drink," Jack said. "Logan's got some sort of neon orange guarana taurine caffeine explosions down here. You can have one of those," he offered.

[quartermaster_q]

"...I'll just have a coffee, Jack," he decided, wondering if he could text Bond and have some of his tea bags delivered- Though that was likely pushing it.

[im_torchwood]

"The machine's in there and there's a dozen types of coffee. You get yourself set and I'll go get the device and pull up the specs for you."

He sauntered off then, whistling a light tune with his hands in his pocket. This was his world, and he had a feeling Q had no idea just how dangerous it was to be in the very heart of Torchwood with a man like Jack.

[quartermaster_q]

Q did pick out a coffee, leaving the cup to brew before starting to wander- Pulling out his phone and stealthily snapping photos of every odd thing he saw.

This was a rare opportunity, and he intended to take full advantage.

[im_torchwood]

Jack was well aware of the risks of letting a spy in but there wasn't much out and about that was particularly damning...and nothing that wouldn't be integrated into the new tech for next year.

""All right, here we go," he said. "If we can get it wrking there's a weevil down in the cells. They always have parasites..."

[quartermaster_q]

Humming, Q took his coffee and sat down, taking everything from Jack as he set to work.

"No need to linger- I work better alone," he said, already sounding distracted by the task at hand. "I'll call for you if I need you, Jack."

[im_torchwood]

"I'll stay close if it's all the same. I need to run the tech specs from previous experiments for you anyway," he said, then settled into something that was, for him, a comfortable, companionable silence as he worked side by side with Q.

[quartermaster_q]

Q frowned, but didn't argue.

Silently he set to work, reading every bit of documentation before starting to take apart the device. ...It took hours, but soon he was rebuilding it, adjusting it as he went.

"The power source is strong, but it's inconsistent," he noted. "Do you have anything more stable? Something that could be adapted to work with the existing power system?"