Captain Jack and Captain Jack [for slayers_desire]

[fractured_agent]

It's been a few months since the team got their first lessons in psychic shielding, and once again, the Hub is open to April's expertise. Though he knows they're having guests, Jack doesn't push anyone to clean up the clutter so it looks better. The Hub is still a work space, and a chaotically changing one at that. They're all used to it by now, and Jack knows April won't mind.

Ianto is manning the tourist information office upstairs, as usual, and he knows that April is coming.

Comments

[slayers_desire]

"Yes. And how you handled it, so I can advise the best way to strengthen your shields."

[fractured_agent]

"Fine." He's not happy about it, but the sooner he gets to go home and take some painkillers, the better. So he'll cooperate for now.

The Rift monitors went off about half an hour after Jack left with the ladies. Ianto attempted to reach them via comms, with no response, so they sent in Gwen while the two men in the Hub went through Tosh's files for clues.

Owen came across Tosh's files on when Diane came through, and the spike when she left, flying away in her antique airplane to face her next adventure without him. It started him thinking...

Then Ianto found the photos, taken in the dance hall the night of January 20th, 2941. Jack, Tosh, and April are in the background. As well as Bilis Manger.

Without the other half of the equations, Owen begins setting up the Rift manipulator, hoping it can work it out on its own, and that the lack of coordinates might reach out and grab Diane instead. But there's a piece missing, to Ianto's relief. And he sends Owen to help Gwen find any clues left behind.

[slayers_desire]

April thinks that Owen coming across Diane's files is not as coincidental as he may believe. "You wanted to find her again..."

She wonders if she could discern Diane's fate. If it would do any good, and projects out so that her voices could guide her.

[fractured_agent]

"Of course I bloody do." Owen only knew her for a few days but he thinks he loves her. He thought she'd felt the same way, and then she left him.

Diane is a free spirit, always looking for her next adventure. Going through the Rift didn't faze her as much as the others, looking at 2006 like another exciting trip to a faraway land, and she didn't want to stay tied down to one place. So she flew back into the Rift and let it take her wherever it wanted.

She's been in several times and places since then, some past, some future. She never stays for long, just a few days to explore and experience something new. She only occasionally thinks of Owen, though fondly when she does, like a favorite fling.

[slayers_desire]

"I can sense her." April replies softly. "She is a free spirit, always looking for adventure."

"She has traveled to several times and places since leaving. She has experienced many new exciting things, and continues to chase the next adventure on the horizon."

"She does think of you. Very fondly."

[fractured_agent]

That strikes him to the heart, although he'd hate to admit it. Not enough to stick around... "You know that for sure?"

[slayers_desire]

"Yes. I do."

"Her adventure doesn't lead her back here, Owen."

[fractured_agent]

"I don't believe that." He's in denial and he knows it. But Owen doesn't want to admit that someone he thought he loved didn't love him enough to stay, no matter how selfish his desires are.

[slayers_desire]

"I know..."

"And unfortunately, I believe someone is using her memory to deceive you. The scratched-out equations... the found piece of the machine... it was all pieces of the puzzle."

[fractured_agent]

"Well there's nothin' we can do about it now, isn't there?" Owen doesn't like being played, and he feels like he's being jerked around by everyone lately. Bilis, Diane... even Jack and his secrets.

[slayers_desire]

"Only you can change your own destiny. This isn't over, and you need to decide what is best for your own life."

[fractured_agent]

"Yeah, yeah. How's this relate to the mental shielding thing again?" Owen's a bit short with her, but mostly because he's trying to hide his feelings of vulnerability.

[slayers_desire]

"My guess is someone knows about your connection to Diane because they have looked into your mind."

"I know that my recommendations are not scientific, or researchable. But you have to find a way to trust in your mental shielding to make it stronger."

"Last time, you had a sloppy effort... have you improved your methods?"

[fractured_agent]

"Been kind of busy," Owen mutters. He's made a token effort towards improvement, but he's also had his mind on a lot of other things, and it didn't seem as important at the time.

[slayers_desire]

"You need to make it more of a priority, or else you won't have the strength you could have..."

[fractured_agent]

"Not gonna have the chance if there's some big Rift disaster coming, am I?" He's still a bit skeptical that anything's going to happen. He'd always gotten the impression that opening the Rift had immediate consequences.

[slayers_desire]

"You have the rest of the day... use it wisely."

[fractured_agent]

Owen's not sure how much work he's going to get done once the painkillers kick in. One of the privileges about being a doctor and working for Torchwood is that he can prescribe himself the good stuff. "Fine. Any other helpful tips?"

[slayers_desire]

She can sense his underlying anger. And knows she can't really help him, if he doesn't want it.

"No."

She is not really sure she can do anything for him.

[fractured_agent]

"All right, thanks for your help." Owen heads back towards his work station to grab his jacket so he can get out of here.

Jack has been trying not to listen in on the evaluations, but Owen has always been the loudest on the team. And Jack is worried about him a bit, underneath his anger at Owen breaking Torchwood regulations. Something big is going to have to happen before Owen takes this seriously. And unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, that's going to happen soon.

[slayers_desire]

There were a few conflicting moments during the reviews with the staff. April feels a little wound herself, not sure how best to provide solutions, or even if it is something that can be changed.

She heads out of the room to find Jack.

[fractured_agent]

Jack is in his office, waiting for her. Ianto and Gwen are still in the Hub, but they're at their own workstations, keeping an eye on the Rift.

Jack has a glass of brandy on his desk, breaking his usual rule of no alcohol. He really needs something today. There's a mug in front of the chair on the other side of the desk, hidden from sight from the others, waiting for April.

[slayers_desire]

April slides into the chair, finding her mug with a small smile. Jack does know her well. And she needed a hit of blood.

"Tough day..."

[fractured_agent]

"For everyone," Jack agrees. "You all right?"

[slayers_desire]

"Emotional drained..."

"And I hate... hiding myself from them."