Fic: The Maltese Pterodactyl 1/1 Torchwood
Title: The Maltese Pterodactyl. Author: Lopaka Tanu Disclaimer: I do not own Torchwood or Buffy. Characters: Ianto, Owen, Jack. Words: 2245 Prompt: Torchwood Crossover of Buffy/Angel Fandom: Torchwood/Buffy Pairing: Ianto/Owen Rating: Teen Warnings: Language, Innuendo, Over Acting. Summary: Working for Torchwood Council is the stuff dreams are made of. Author's Note: Barest hint of a crossover. ______________________________________
She sat shivering, alone in Jack's office, his jacket the only thing protecting her from the elements. She had known it was a mistake letting Gwen come along for the ride, but Jack had insisted. It should have been only a routine pickup. Then again, nothing was ever routine when dealing with witches. She just had to admit it, she was forever cursed.
Sitting up, she looked around for a blanket or something more substantial. She judged, by the chattering of her teeth, that the coat wasn't cutting it any longer. Unfortunately, the only clothes she knew of were down in Jack's hole. If she were to climb down the rungs, she would have to take off the coat for safety reasons. A knock on the doorway reminded her of why that was a bad idea.
Holding a steaming mug, Owen had a strange look on his face. "Hello."
Ianto froze. Casting a look to Jack's hole, she decided there would be no help coming. Clearing her throat, Ianto raised her eyes to meet Owen's. "Hello."
Taking that as an invitation, Owen walked all the way in to the office. He held up the mug. "I've brought you something warm."
"That's nice, thank you." Without thinking about it, Ianto reached up to take the mug as Owen handed it out. A chill ran up her front, causing her chest to tighten.
"Oh, it's no trouble." Unable to meet Ianto's face, Owen stared down at the bare strip of flesh exposed by the jacket opening. He took a shuddering breath. "You looked cold."
"I was..." When she noticed Owen wasn't meeting her gaze, Ianto sighed. She should have known to expect this from the doctor. "My eyes are up here." She tried to gesture to her head and close the jacket at the same time.
"I know, but the view is much better down there." Finally breaking off when Ianto closed the jacket, Owen exhaled and met the woman's stare. His cheeks colored and he glanced quickly over Ianto's shoulder. "Sorry bout that. You're a lovely woman, and I really can't help myself in the face of such beauty."
"That's quite all right, it's been happening a lot lately." And it had. At least a dozen men had propositioned her like horny animals before Gwen had gotten her back to the car. A woman couldn't walk down the street naked without a bunch of perverts staring at her breasts! "Oh, god, I think I'm going insane." Putting a hand to her forehead, she tried to massage the cliched thoughts from her brain.
"No, you're not. I'm a Doctor, and I can assure you, you are quite sane." Sitting on the edge of Jack's desk, Owen pried Ianto's hand from her forehead. "You're not alone in this." Owen started rubbing Ianto's palm between his own.
Ianto wanted to say something, but all that came out was a very unmanly whimper.
"Shh. It's all right." Owen's stroking increased in strength, attempting to sooth her fears away. "There are some pretty fantastic beings out there. Whatever happened to you, I've got a dozen tales that could rival it. I once met an Ogre, very friendly bloke. We were called in because of complaints of him supposedly terrorizing the locals. It ended up him being the victim because of their prejudice. As the saying goes, books and covers." He smiled at her.
"I know that. This is just so much, it's all very overwhelming." Taking a sip from the tea, Ianto found to her surprise, that it was very good actually. She made a sound of pleasure. The combination of the hot tea and Owen's ministrations started to ease her discomfort. "This is very good."
Owen's smile grew from comforting to flattered. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Thank you. I can make it on occasion. Just keep this between you and me." He looked around in an over exaggerated attempt at being sly. "If the others knew, I would never hear the end of it."
Ianto found herself inexplicably laughing at the terrible joke. "I promise." Crossing her chest, she closed her lips.
Warming up to her, Owen slid off the desk. Slowly, he knelt down beside her. There was a moment of pause in his actions. He felt unsure of himself. Half frowning, he smiled. They were now almost touching. "You have the most enchanting smile, so warm and full of heart. It makes me feel like I can tell you anything."
"That's lovely." Drawing an unneeded breath, Ianto tried to cover her face with her hand. Eyes wide, she realized what she was doing and forced her hands back to the coat. She was not going to flirt with Owen!
Too late, the doctor was already leaning in closer. "I am going to ask you something, and you have every right to deny it. It's just, if I don't do it right this second, I will lose my nerve and forever feel the fool." He tilted his chin up as his breath hitched. "May I have a kiss? Just one, nothing more."
Ianto wanted to tell him no. She absolutely did not intend to put her hand on his cheek. Unable to stop herself, she watched with sick fascination as her fingers caressed the skin of his cheek. "Doctor Harper, you are flatterer and a flirt."
"Is that a no?" He didn't wait for her to respond. Crossing the small distance, he pressed his lips to her own. Eyes closed, he deepened the kiss, drawing a hand up in her long hair. Trailing his fingers along her scalp, he tilted his head to the side.
For several heart beats, Ianto thought her eyes might pop out of her head. This was seriously wrong. Finally, when she was finally released, she nervously licked her lips. It was then she felt it. Glancing down she found Owen's other arm disappeared under her coat. Her reaction this time was not dictated by whatever had been effecting her.
Owen fell back, his face smarting where the right cross had landed. He reached up to gingerly rub at the sore area, grinning. "I take it that's a no?"
Standing up, Ianto put her hands on her bare hips. "If you ever try something like that again, I will put several bullets in you!"
His eyes took in the full effect of her spreading open the jacket. Eyebrows drawn in, he kinked his head to the side. "Nicely built. Thanks for the show."
"Jack!" Ianto snatched the coat closed. There was no end to her mortification it seemed. If she had to spend another minute more as a woman, she was going to kill someone. Preferably that bitch who did this to her. "Jack if you don't get up here right now I'm going to kill Owen."
"All right," Jack's exasperated reply came from the hole. A short time later, Jack's head appeared. "What is the problem, Ianto?" He did a quick survey about his office. His eyes landed on Owen and narrowed. "What have you done?"
"Ianto?" Owen glanced from Jack to the female Ianto. "Oh, dear god. Please, tell me I didn't kiss the help."
"You kissed him?" Climbing out of his hole, Jack looked ready to kill.
He wasn't sticking around to see if Jack would. Rolling to his knees, Owen shot for the door.
Still standing with her hands around her waist, securing the coat closed, Ianto scoffed. She wasn't just the help! If Owen thought he was ever going to get good service again... Ianto hung her head. She was the help. A warm hand settled on her shoulder.
"Don't let him get you down." Jack chucked her under the chin. "You are very good at what you do and we wouldn't know what to do without you."
Ianto found herself pinking. Looking away, she tried to will the blush away. "Damn it. Jack, tell me how long this thing is supposed to last. Please tell me it isn't for much longer. If I start to swoon, I'm going to shoot myself." Looking up, her she shook out her banana curls and licked her pouty lips.
Jack swallowed. "Do you have any idea how good you would look in Dior and Ermine? Black, silk stockings and lace gloves, oh sweet heaven." He shivered, picturing Ianto in something other than his coat. Then again, Ianto was only in his coat. "Though, what you're wearing is good too."
Face crumbling, Ianto turned away. "Oh, Jack."
Jack grabbed her by the shoulders, bringing her back flush against him. He pressed his lips to the top of her head. "Shh, don't cry. It will be all right."
"Jack." She sniffed. This was already out of hand. Ianto needed to get a grip on herself, or this curse was going to take complete control. "How long am I going to look like a pinup?"
"Hmm?" Blinking, he realized she had said something. He had to replay it in his mind to figure it out. "Oh. The coven said another four weeks, the next full moon. The spell is tied to the woman's cycle." Jack found himself sniffing Ianto's hair. Burying his face in those locks, he moaned. "They can use their magic to remove the curse, but it's safer to let it run its course."
Letting out a sob, Ianto hung her head. "This is not how a woman truly reacts, Jack. I'm a sop, a caricature." Her chest heaved. A whole month of this and she would be batty. "If I start screaming hysterically, promise me you'll end it."
"Don't talk like that!" Jack spun Ianto around to face him, shaking her. "Pull yourself together!" Pulling her back, he stared directly in her eyes. "I won't let anything happen to you, do you hear me? I promise we will get through this, you just have to trust me." He shook her again.
Hair having fallen in her face, Ianto had to tilt her head to swing it clear. When she looked up at Jack's face, her eyes were watery. "I really am going to kill Gwen. Truly, I am, Jack."
"This isn't her fault." Releasing her upper arm, Jack slid his hand up to cup her cheek. He stared at her, letting his eyes wander over her face. "Hey." His thumb caressed her cheekbone. "I've never lied to you when it meant something. Have faith that I am telling you the truth now. She didn't do this."
Ianto reached up to pat his hand. Then with a vicious snarl, she grabbed his thumb and twisted it.
Jack let her go with a cry.
There was a moment where wild fury seemed to fill her eyes. Glaring at him, Ianto pointed at his chest. "You have no idea. She teased that vile witch, that cruel animal of a woman. And for it, that demon in flesh spit out a curse. Gwen tripped and it struck me instead. So she did this to me and I will have my revenge!"
The lights above them flickered.
"Sorry about that. I'm just messing with some wires!" Tosh's voice echoed from the speaker phone on Jack's desk.
"Okay." Pursing his lips, Jack glanced about his office. Obviously the spell was going to make Ianto act unreasonable for a while. "So, where is this Amy you were supposed to pick up? I am assuming you at least met her at the airport."
"Oh yes, we met her." Now hiding behind her hair, Ianto turned away from him. She stalked over to his desk and flicked through a few papers. With a frown, she rearranged them in their proper order. "The illustrious Amy is unconscious in a holding cell. Right next to Gwen's!" Her head shot up and the lights above her flickered again.
"Me again." Tosh was less contrite this time.
Jack took a step back. He subtlety checked to make sure his gun was still in the holster with his elbow. "I think you need to go home. Take the next few days off, get acquainted with your new body."
Ianto seemed about to protest, then she chose to pout instead. Her half lidded eyes lingered on him. "Very well." Tossing her hair, she stalked passed him to the door. At the entrance, she paused and turned to look over her shoulder. Her eyes flicked over him, clearly finding him wanting. "You'll come crawling, begging me to return, and I may consider it. Until then, Jack."
Ignoring his snort, Ianto decided to just let it happen. If she was going to be a femme fatale, she was going to own it. Crossing the catwalk to the entrance, she caught Owen watching her from Tosh's work station. Ianto put a little more sway in her hips, causing them to rock.
The door started to roll back, the gate swinging open before she even reached it. Making her way to it, she felt a power in her step. She knew Jack and Owen were both staring. Ianto stopped in the doorway. Spinning on one heel, she faced Owen. One look was all it took. At his swallow, she smirked.
Her hair fanned out as she spun back to the door. She continued out with a confident stride. Behind, she could hear the unmistakable sound of shoes following her.
Damn, she was good. That thought wiped the smirk from Ianto's lips. It was going to be one long month.