[Torchwood] "New Addition" (PG)
Feb. 16th, 2014 08:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mtxref_ficAuthor's Note: Written for < lj user="comment_fic">'s Torchwood, Team (S1 orS2), Taking care of a baby weevil
They had found the nest in the sub-basement of a power plant and on finding why the Weevils had chosen this place, the team knew immediately why the lot had gotten so riled up when a work crew had started poking around.
In the middle of a dry spot in the floor lay a pile of grotty towels and blankets, swathed around two leathery eggs the size of watermelons and one recent hatchling, chewing on the shell that had surrounded it.
"Bloody hell," Gwen murmured, taking a step to the side.
The wee critter raised its head, eyes still sealed closed, and opened its mouth, baring a jawful of tiny, needle-like teeth, letting out a tiny snarl.
"It'd almost be cute if it wasn't so ugly," Owen joked. "Not scarin' me with that little chirp."
"Coming from the King of the Weevils," Ianto twitted.
"Must've been the parents we saw dead in the tunnel," Jack said. "Let's bag this one and little brother or sister in the shell."
Gwen darted a look at Jack. "We're bringing them back?"
"Gonna need to take care of 'em till they're old enough to hunt on their own. Or be the guard dogs for the tunnels near the bay," Jack said. "Owen, you want to spray junior?"
"Team could use a new pet, if the dinosaur doesn't get jealous," Ianto noted.
"Right. Make the guy with the mind link with the beasts give the knock-out to the nipper," Owen said, moving in closer, the tranquilizer spray in hand. The Weevil-ling turned its head toward Owen, then sat very still before emitting a chirping yowl and hunkering down. "Makin' me feel bad, little bugger," he muttered, giving the critter a short blast. The Weevil-let sighed and sagged into its nest.
Jack shrugged out of his coat. "All right, off we go."
"Not the coat," Ianto muttered.
"Little one has to stay warm," Jack said, taking up the egg and the Weevil-let, setting them inside the coat, wool side toward its cargo.
"So what are we going to do with them now?" Gwen asked, as they drove back to the Hub.
"We get to babysit the little bugger," Owen said, sounding really excited at the prospect.
"Warm bottles and lullabyes?" Ianto asked. "What do they even eat?"
"Warm milk might work," Jack said. "Other than that, most anything."
"Wonderful, won't make it hard to feed 'em," Ianto noted.
"I think it's sweet," Gwen said, peeping into the rear at the critter nestled in the cage that occupied the cargo well.
"Says the gal who's been seein' her GP a few times more than usual," Owen cut in. Gwen glanced at Jack with a blush, but their chief only dropped a sly wink at her.
Next morning, Gwen arrived in the Hub to find Owen walking the floor, a baby bottle propped into the mouth of the Weevil-ling, the critter now wrapped in an infant onesie. "How's the new arrival?" she asked.
"Eatin' well, just need to make sure he doesn't bite through the nipple," Owen said. "Egg's a dud, unfortunately."
"How do you know that?" Gwen asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Mind-link," Owen replied. Then after a beat, "I ran a bio-scan, no signs of life in the egg."
"Awww, that's too bad: little one won't have a brother or sister," Gwen said. "Or what do they call them?"
"Nest-mates, for all I know," Owen said, with a shrug.
An all too familiar yowling rose from the holding cells. Gwen glanced in the direction of the noise.
"Someone care to enlighten me about Janet's chattiness today?" Jack called from the catwalk just outside his office.
"Been like that all morning, at least since I got in here with junior," Owen called back.
"It's gotten worse since then," Tosh said, her forehead in her palm as she leaned over her desktop.
"Here's a thought: what happens if we brought junior into Janet's cell?" Ianto suggested, taking a wad of cotton wool from one ear as he stood over the coffee station.
Jack looked to Owen. "Could tone her down if we tried it."
"What've I to lose, except a finger," Owen muttered, putting junior over the receiving blanket on his shoulder.
Owen and Jack found Janet crouching on the floor, muzzle raised to the ceiling, yowling. Once the infant came into her (?) line of sight, the older Weevil lunged at the door, pawing at it, the yowling dropping to a softer but still defensive snarl.
"Think it's Janet's kid?" Owen said.
"No, no, that's the sound of a family member protecting little relative," Jack said. Then to Owen's puzzled look, "I've been a dad, I know how family gets when the little ones are in trouble."
They unlocked the door and carefully handed the infant inside. Janet crooned, taking the infant, crouching over it. The infant snuffled, then replied with a similar, though higher-pitched croon.
"Someone's happy to see the new addition," Owen said.
"Bet Janet can't wait to start teaching junior all the Weevil tricks," Jack remarked, as they tiptoed away to let Janet and junior bond.
They had found the nest in the sub-basement of a power plant and on finding why the Weevils had chosen this place, the team knew immediately why the lot had gotten so riled up when a work crew had started poking around.
In the middle of a dry spot in the floor lay a pile of grotty towels and blankets, swathed around two leathery eggs the size of watermelons and one recent hatchling, chewing on the shell that had surrounded it.
"Bloody hell," Gwen murmured, taking a step to the side.
The wee critter raised its head, eyes still sealed closed, and opened its mouth, baring a jawful of tiny, needle-like teeth, letting out a tiny snarl.
"It'd almost be cute if it wasn't so ugly," Owen joked. "Not scarin' me with that little chirp."
"Coming from the King of the Weevils," Ianto twitted.
"Must've been the parents we saw dead in the tunnel," Jack said. "Let's bag this one and little brother or sister in the shell."
Gwen darted a look at Jack. "We're bringing them back?"
"Gonna need to take care of 'em till they're old enough to hunt on their own. Or be the guard dogs for the tunnels near the bay," Jack said. "Owen, you want to spray junior?"
"Team could use a new pet, if the dinosaur doesn't get jealous," Ianto noted.
"Right. Make the guy with the mind link with the beasts give the knock-out to the nipper," Owen said, moving in closer, the tranquilizer spray in hand. The Weevil-ling turned its head toward Owen, then sat very still before emitting a chirping yowl and hunkering down. "Makin' me feel bad, little bugger," he muttered, giving the critter a short blast. The Weevil-let sighed and sagged into its nest.
Jack shrugged out of his coat. "All right, off we go."
"Not the coat," Ianto muttered.
"Little one has to stay warm," Jack said, taking up the egg and the Weevil-let, setting them inside the coat, wool side toward its cargo.
"So what are we going to do with them now?" Gwen asked, as they drove back to the Hub.
"We get to babysit the little bugger," Owen said, sounding really excited at the prospect.
"Warm bottles and lullabyes?" Ianto asked. "What do they even eat?"
"Warm milk might work," Jack said. "Other than that, most anything."
"Wonderful, won't make it hard to feed 'em," Ianto noted.
"I think it's sweet," Gwen said, peeping into the rear at the critter nestled in the cage that occupied the cargo well.
"Says the gal who's been seein' her GP a few times more than usual," Owen cut in. Gwen glanced at Jack with a blush, but their chief only dropped a sly wink at her.
Next morning, Gwen arrived in the Hub to find Owen walking the floor, a baby bottle propped into the mouth of the Weevil-ling, the critter now wrapped in an infant onesie. "How's the new arrival?" she asked.
"Eatin' well, just need to make sure he doesn't bite through the nipple," Owen said. "Egg's a dud, unfortunately."
"How do you know that?" Gwen asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Mind-link," Owen replied. Then after a beat, "I ran a bio-scan, no signs of life in the egg."
"Awww, that's too bad: little one won't have a brother or sister," Gwen said. "Or what do they call them?"
"Nest-mates, for all I know," Owen said, with a shrug.
An all too familiar yowling rose from the holding cells. Gwen glanced in the direction of the noise.
"Someone care to enlighten me about Janet's chattiness today?" Jack called from the catwalk just outside his office.
"Been like that all morning, at least since I got in here with junior," Owen called back.
"It's gotten worse since then," Tosh said, her forehead in her palm as she leaned over her desktop.
"Here's a thought: what happens if we brought junior into Janet's cell?" Ianto suggested, taking a wad of cotton wool from one ear as he stood over the coffee station.
Jack looked to Owen. "Could tone her down if we tried it."
"What've I to lose, except a finger," Owen muttered, putting junior over the receiving blanket on his shoulder.
Owen and Jack found Janet crouching on the floor, muzzle raised to the ceiling, yowling. Once the infant came into her (?) line of sight, the older Weevil lunged at the door, pawing at it, the yowling dropping to a softer but still defensive snarl.
"Think it's Janet's kid?" Owen said.
"No, no, that's the sound of a family member protecting little relative," Jack said. Then to Owen's puzzled look, "I've been a dad, I know how family gets when the little ones are in trouble."
They unlocked the door and carefully handed the infant inside. Janet crooned, taking the infant, crouching over it. The infant snuffled, then replied with a similar, though higher-pitched croon.
"Someone's happy to see the new addition," Owen said.
"Bet Janet can't wait to start teaching junior all the Weevil tricks," Jack remarked, as they tiptoed away to let Janet and junior bond.
