Title: Loyalty, with extra anchovies
By: lower-case-me
Pairing: None, except hints of Ianto/Jack. You could read Ianto/Myfanwy as well, but you'd have to be trying for it.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Call it up to Greeks Bearing Gifts
Summary: Inspired by the recent and lovely Myfanwy fics.

***

'Poisoned meat is probably easiest' Owen said, not turning around as Ianto placed his coffee on the table.
'You got enough of anything to take out a pteradactyl?' Jack asked, sitting back and putting his feet up on the conference room table.
'Might do. I'd have to check the inventory. Ianto, what have we got lots of that's toxic?'

Ianto resisted the urge to point out that he wasn't the inventory, and he only updated the medical supply list because Owen never bothered.
'For what purpose? We have quite a variety of toxic substances.'
'Killing the pteradactyl' Owen said casually, taking a sip.
'What?'

Jack noticed the way Ianto stopped short and made a mental note to introduce the subject of tact to Owen at some point, possibly with a baseball bat if necessary.
'She attacked Gwen. I'm sorry Ianto, but if she's a risk to staff she has to go.'
'What do you mean she attacked Gwen? She never goes for anything that isn't covered in the special sauce.'
'Gwen was trying to feed her. She thought, after what you went through in the Brecons, you wouldn't want to be handling raw meat.' Jack was surprised- of all the staff except Owen, he would have thought Ianto would be the most glad to see the back of the dinosaur after what she'd done to Lisa. It was him who had to feed and clean up after her too, both messy jobs.
'She shouldn't have been' Ianto said coldly. 'That is my job, Sir, and I'm more than capable of doing it. And it isn't the pteradactyl's fault. She's been neglected since Suzie died. It's no wonder her training's been slipping.'
'Don't worry, mate, we'll send her to a nice farm in the country were she can run around and chase rabbits all day' Owen joked, winking. Ianto didn't smile. He looked miserable and angry, and for a second Jack wondered if the shell of professionalism was going to crack. If it did, he didn't rate the doctor's chances of leaving the room without a black eye. Ianto had never shown any sign of hating Owen, but after they found Lisa Jack had realised that he remembered every word, every joke and every thankyou left unsaid. Somewhere deep down, they hurt. It didn't help that Owen was being a complete bastard lately, maybe out of some childish impulse to impress Gwen. Either Ianto was spitting in Owen's coffee- or doing something more creative along the same lines, because above all else Ianto was about quality in everything he did- or there was some kind of smackdown on the way.

'Is that what we do, then, when someone becomes an inconvenience.' Ianto said quietly. An undertone must have got through to Owen, because he hesitated.
'Look, Ianto, I'll slip something in her dinner. She won't feel a thing.'
'You'll do no such thing. If anyone is going to... put her down, it'll be me. In case you didn't notice she gets upset if someone she doesn't know tries to feed her.'
'Jesus. It's not like you're even all that attached to her' Owen rolled his eyes. 'Enough with the drama.'

Ianto turned and left the room without a word. Jack called after him, but he showed no sign of having heard.
'Hey. Ianto. I'm ta-' The door closed and cut off his words, but Jack was already up and out of his chair. He caught up with Ianto halfway down the corridor.
'Hey. I don't appreciate being ignored, Ianto.'

Somehow, Ianto managed to convey the words Neither do I without saying anything at all.
'You want to keep the pteradactyl?' Jack asked, wondering if he wanted to sound friendly or angry. Ianto nodded.
'Okay. You teach her not to peck people. I want her eating chicken drumsticks out of my hand by the end of the month. Clear?'
'Sir.'
'I take that to mean 'yes'. And Ianto?'
'Yes.'
'If you want something, ask. I'm not a monster.'

Casual words, but Ianto remembered.

+

'Bad pterodactyl.' Ianto smacked her lightly on the end of the beak. He took off the heavy leather glove, bandaged the wound underneath, and put it back on again. After she'd ruined the first shirt, he'd taken to putting on an old green flannel one. It was also thicker and more bite-resistant. 'Now' he said sternly. 'Are you sorry?'
'Kerrrumph?' the dinosaur cooed.
'I'm pretty sure that was 'anchovy', not 'sorry'. But it'll do for the moment.' He took another little fish out of the can, holding it with clumsy gloved fingers, and held it out. 'Pysgod? Yes?'

Carefully and slowly, the long beak crept out. By the look in her eyes, she expected a beak smacking any moment. Ianto stayed perfectly still. At the last second, the pterodactyl gave a tiny lunge and grabbed the fish.
'Llongyfarchiadau. Well done. I'm not even bleeding this time. Iawn. We try the fish, unwaith eto.'

Ianto took another one from the can and the process started again. When they'd finished the last one, he offered the can full of oil instead, with just a little sauce mixed in.
'Sssccchhlurrp. Ahhh.'
'Your breath will smell terrible in the morning you know.'
'Hrrrum. Erp.'
'Come to that, your breath smells terrible now, but I don't suppose you mind, do you?' Ianto sighed.
'Hrrrum?'

She pushed Ianto with her head, knocking him over.
'Oi. Peidiwch gwthiwch. It's rude. Gentle, os gwelwch yn dda.' The pterodactyl gave him another, softer shove.
'Oh, alright. But you needn't be so unsubtle. Anyone'd think you've been watching Jack.' Ianto took off the gloves and scratched behind the bony protrusion on her head.
'Hrrererrrrrrumm' she purred, leaning into his hand.
'You like that, lovely, hmmm? The sad thing is, babi, you get more attention than I do.'
'Hrum hrum. Hrrrrrm.' The pterodactyl's beak reached down delicately and nuzzled Ianto's collar.
'Ouch' Ianto said, quietly and without inflection. Sudden moves and loud noises were not a good idea with dinosaur teeth at your neck. 'Mae hwnna'n brifo. That hurts, but I don't think I mind. Dwi dim gwahaniaeth.'

The pterodactyl gave Ianto's neck a thorough grooming nibble and moved on to his hair. Ianto hummed and started to sing under his breath.
'Paham mae dicter, o Myfanwy, yn llenwi'th lygaid duon di, mind the ears, please, I like them where they are, a'th ruddiau tirion, o Myfanwy...'

Downstairs, Ianto heard the hub door slam and Jack, in mid-story.
'... this weird shade of orange, I swear.'
'Mae'n ddrwg 'da fi. I'm sorry pretty girl. They'll be wanting coffee. And someone will have to wipe the mud off the stairs. Wrth gwrs.' Ianto sighed and gently extricated himself from her beak.
'Oooooouuu?' she called after him, starting to follow.
'Stopiwch. Stay, Myfanwy.'

+

Ianto was aware he was replacing looking after Lisa with looking after a giant lizard. It wounded him, in a dull way, but so much less than grief and loneliness. Ianto spent so much of his day cleaning up shit, another little dent in what was left of his pride didn't make much of a difference. Whenever the others we out and the hub, computers, accounts, reports, and every other detail were in good order, he climbed up to the pterodactyl's lair with a bottle of high-protein sauce, a couple of kippers or the leftover donuts. On the worst days, when he felt nothing but cold weight inside, he stayed there til he had to either come down or neglect his duties. Sometimes, those times, he'd sneak up there even when Jack and the rest of the crew were in the hub. Sound carried well in the hub shell and he could hear if he was wanted.

The pterodactyl- Myfanwy- was always pleased to see him. Especially on occasions when he brought something sweet or fishy. But Ianto was a busy man, and some days she had to wait hours for anything more than a big hunk of meat and a quick scratch on the wingtip.

Today, it was past time for Ianto's own dinner when the rest of the crew headed out for the pub. He hadn't finished updating the archives for the month, but as soon as he did, Ianto rounded up the kitchen scraps as a little treat for her.
'Noswaith dda, Myf.' Before feeding her, he kept up the routine of taking off his good shirt and retrieving his old one from where Myfanwy always hid it in her nest.
'Hoooo. Krumpf. Kerrumph.' The pterodactyl hopped from foot to foot and flapped her wings a little.
'Calm down, pretty. Arhoswch amdana i, os gwelwch yn dda.'
'Kerrumph!'
'Would you like a cherry Danish, Myffie? Mae hwn yn rhagorol, you'll like it. Owen ate a bit, but he left it on the conference table and that's his loss, eh?'

She delicately took the pastry from his bare fingers and gobbled it down.
'Urp.'
'Urp indeed.' Ianto paused, for a second longer. 'I could leave, you know. I could go somewhere new and start again. Get a job where I'd never have to make coffee ever again. Never have to clean pizza cheese out of a carpet. One with shorter hours. I could have a life outside of work.'
'Yerrup. Herrerrummmm?'

Ianto laughed sadly.
'Yes, I know. It's not going to happen. And if it did I wouldn't cope. Want a scratch, lovely? Hmmmm?'
The humming was a sign, Ianto's imitation of Myfanwy's grooming call. She shuffled closer and destroyed Ianto's neat hair style with a couple of gentle passes of the beak. He scratched absently at the back of her head, where she couldn't reach. Ianto had a thought- nobody except Myfanwy had touched him all week. He needed this contact, and that was a devastating thought. What was worse, he couldn't stop the tears bubbling up. Pathetic, Ianto thought, but he long since given up fighting the pain when he was alone.

Suddenly businesslike, Myfanwy broke off the grooming routine and wrapped her neck around Ianto, herding him into the nest and tucking him neatly under one wing.
'Myfanwy, I'm not your chick.'
'Kerp kerp. Kerp. Herrrummmm.'

Ianto tried to ease his way out from under her heavy, leathery wing, and was perfunctorily rebuffed like a disobedient hatchling. She was a very big animal.
'Myffie. Behave.'
'Kerp kerp.'

He tried reasoning with her in English and in Welsh, to no good effect. He tried reaching a hand out and scratching her neck, only to find his hand gently but firmly seized and replaced under her wing. She really was getting good at the not-drawing blood thing, but she was well and truly capable of snapping his arm bones if she felt like it. Myfanwy sat her self down and settled, nearly squashing Ianto but keeping him firmly in place.

This wasn't funny, although Owen would no doubt beg to differ. Ianto was half sitting, half lying under the pterodactyl's wing, quite trapped. What's more, he was tired and miserable. Still, Torchwood had caused him to spend stranger nights than this. Ianto lay down, curling up in the old rags and blankets of the nest and giving up. Myfanwy tutted and cooed in satisfaction. Eventually, she poked her head under her wing and rested it on Ianto's shoulder, and slept.

Ianto woke up early in the morning, at the usual time. He slowly and painstakingly crept out from under Myfanwy's wing and snuck out of the den. A few minutes later, he reappeared for long enough to leave a slice of lightly-protein-sauced jam roll by the nest as a little gift, and leave silently again.

+

Two days later, he came back from a trip to the post office carrying a new basketball and rugby ball under one arm. Jack raised an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair as Ianto passed.
'Taking up sports, Ianto?'
'The basketball is a replacement for the old one, sir.'
'You killed the basketball?'
'It looked at me funny, Sir' Ianto said, totally deadpan. Jack laughed. 'Actually, I'm afraid Myfanwy had an accident with it. We were playing and she got a little... excited. I thought a leather rugby ball might be more tooth and claw resistant, and easier to hold. I only hope it's still too big to swallow whole.'
'Ooookay. One question: who's this Myfanwy character?'
'The pterodactyl Sir. Although research indicates she's more accurately a pterandon.'
'Our pterad- pterandon plays ball sports?' Jack asked, amused.
'In a limited sense, yes. She does prefer her rubber cube with the bell inside and the squeaky rubber bone.'
'Our pterandon has a squeaky rubber bone?'
'They keep her from becoming bored and pecking the furniture. I bought a box in bulk, Sir, in the interest of economy. She keeps accidentally eating them, but it doesn't seem to produce any ill-effects and she is very apologetic afterwards.'
'Last question. Our pterandon does apologetic looks now?'
'And noises, Sir.'

+

Ianto stopped short and stared. His eyes locked onto the trousers hanging casually over the railing outside the conference room. Jeans. Not Jack's trousers. Finding Jack's trousers in odd places was not a surprise, it was (alright, should have been, in a truly accurate world) about item three on the list of duties in the job description. They were, unless Ianto was mistaken and he very rarely was, Owen's jeans, and Owen's boxer black boxer shorts with little red racing cars on them still inside.

He looked at the drawn blinds of the glass-fronted conference room and noted the suspicious quiet. Then, his gaze flicked momentarily upwards to the entrance of Myfanwy's den. An big shiny happy smile stole across his face as Ianto dipped into his pocket and pulled out a can of anchovies. He pried up the ring and pulled the lid back just a little. As he walked past the jeans, one hand shot out and slipped it smoothly into the pocket.

When Gwen made her was out of the conference room, blushing and slightly sticky, Ianto waved her a very cheery goodbye, delighted that they were following the usual pattern of Gwen leaving the room five minutes before Owen. It fooled no-one.

He took care to make a lot of noise, turning on his monitor so it beeped, generally clattering metal things about, and singing the Welsh National Anthem too loudly. The noise level wasn't so high that he didn't hear the conference room door open for just long enough, for example, for someone to poke their head out, find an absence of trousers, and then close it again. It was greatly lifted by Jack and Tosh coming back into the hub. Ianto's grin lifted by a notch, too.

'Hey Ianto. You're looking... Happy. Suspiciously happy.' Jack grinned, with a large scoop of curiousity and a faint sprinkle of nervousness.
'All of a sudden I'm having a rather lovely day, Sir. If you look up, you might find the reason.'

Both Jack and Tosh peered into the dim ceiling space.
'Is that the pterodactyl?' Tosh asked, keen to know the joke and join in Ianto's fun.
'Pterandon' Jack said. 'What's it eating?'
'I believe it's more gnawing at than eating, Sir. And there is reason to suspect that what she is gnawing at may be Owen's trousers.'
'Reason to suspect, huh?' Jack raised an eyebrow, mock serious. Tosh giggled.
'Oh, yes. Fairly strong reason. If he must leave them lying about, for example over the railing outside the conference room, I can't be responsible for anything happens to them, or any cans of delicious salted fish that might accidentally gotten tangled up in them. For example.'

'And the singing? Not that I'm complaining about that gorgeous Welsh voice' Jack asked, still trying to look severe.
'I wouldn't want Owen, if he was, for instance, bailed up in the conference room, to think no-one was here, Sir. That might be embarrassing for him.'
'Ah. We couldn't have that' Jack said, finally breaking into a grin. Tosh giggled again. She looked up at the conference room door and had to bite her lip to stop.

Ten minutes of Ianto rattling plates, Jack demanding to know where that report he needed from Owen was at the top of his voice, and Tosh's computer emitting a variety of loud beeps and clicks, had them all grinning like idiots.
'COFFEE SIR?' Ianto yelled.
'YES. COFFEE. AND A COUPLE OF THOSE COOKIES WITH THE PINK ICING AND THE COCONUT ON TOP, THANKS' Jack yelled back.
'WHAT ABOUT YOU TOSH?'
'I'D LOVE A COFFEE, IANTO. COULD I HAVE A BISCUIT TOO?' bawled Tosh, obviously having the time of her life.
'OF COURSE. I'LL FETCH IT DIRECTLY.'
'Alright, you lot. That'll do. Where's my bloody jeans then?'

Owen stood on the walkway outside the conference room in a t-shirt, a strategically placed sheaf of papers, and a grumpy face.
'Hey, there's the report I'm looking for' Jack said cheerfully.
'Very funny.' Owen didn't look amused. 'Now where's my trousers? Ianto, what've you done with them?'
'Me?' said Ianto, putting on a heartbreaking display of injured innocence. 'I didn't do anything with them. But why don't you just put on your spares? I believe it's Torchwood policy to keep at least one change of clothing in your locker, isn't it.'

He knew Owen hadn't bothered to replace the clothes he used last time he needed to change.
'Yeah, well' Owen said.
'Violation of company directives is a very serious offence' Jack said, almost with a straight face. Tosh had to bite her lip again.
'Just give me my frigging jeans back, Ianto.'
'I told you, Owen. I don't have them. But I might be able to get them back if you asked nicely.'

There was a pause. Owen glared and Ianto smiled pleasantly. After a moment, Owen broke, because Ianto wasn't going to. He still had trousers on.
'Fine. Get my trousers back. Please.'
'Certainly.' Ianto whistled. 'Myfanwy! Dinner time!'

A harsh cry floated down from the rafters followed by a falling pair of well-chewed jeans and, a second later, a large prehistoric flying animal, circling down in a tight spiral. She landed a few metres away from Ianto and skidded to a clumsy halt.
'There's a good girl. I'll feed you in a moment.'
'Oooooo, kerumph?'

Ianto retrieved the battered anchovy tin from Owen's pocket by a neat act of sleight of hand, balled them up and threw them to him. The wet splat they made hitting his chest was quite gratifying, and made Tosh snort in a very unladylike way.
'Thanks a million, mate' Owen said sarcastically, retreating into the conference room. Jack, Tosh and Ianto stayed where they were, waiting. Myfanwy shuffled over to Ianto and gave him a gentle nudge that only threw him a yard or so.
'Arhoswch. Behave yourself, Myfanwy.'
'Kerrrrumph?'
'Very well. Because you've been such a good girl.' Ianto opened the anchovy can all the way and tossed one to her. Myfanwy's beak closed with an audible snap and she swallowed the tiny fish greedily.

Owen came back out onto the walkway, and Tosh clapped a hand over her mouth.
'Ripped jeans' Jack said, grinning his head off. 'Very stylish.'
'I hear dinosaur slobber is also very fashionable this season' Ianto added, and Tosh dissolved into outright laughter.
'I smell like a week-dead fish.'
'I'm sure I did mention the dinosaur slobber, didn't I?' Ianto said smoothly, discreetly hiding the anchovy can behind a pot-plant.
'Bastards, the lot of you' Owen muttered and stomped off to sulk in the autopsy bay.

Tosh went back to work, still chortling, but Jack stayed and watched Ianto feed Myfanwy the rest of the anchovies one at a time. She took them delicately from his fingers, using a beak half a metre long with infinite care.
'I could have her take a chicken wing if you like, but I'd have to cover it in sauce' Ianto said, not turning to look at him.
'What about the anchovies?'
'She just has a thing for strong fish.' Ianto held out a hand for the pterandon. 'Hmmmm?'
'Herrrrrum' said Myfanwy, shuffling closer and presenting the back of her head for a scratch. 'Hrrm.'
'That's my pretty girl. Jack, have you got a moment?'
'For you, sure' Jack said lightly. He hadn't moved since the first anchovy had disappeared. Ianto could feel tension radiating off him. He was thinking, it was obvious, of Ianto's threat to watch him die horribly and possible ulterior motives for training Myfanwy. It would have been funny if it wasn't so sad. The vanity of that idea- Ianto grieved, and he was angry, but the world didn't revolve around Jack and neither did Ianto's pain. It's not you I think about in the dark hours, Captain Harkness.

Jack took a step forward, and Ianto took his hand and placed it on the back of Myfanwy's neck.
'Scratch. The harder the better. It might help if you hummed, as well.'
'Hummed?'
'It's how she asks for grooming. Oh, and don't move your head, no matter how close she comes to your ears.'
'Okay, I guess. Kinda' Jack said, warily, as Ianto withdrew his hand and stepped back.
'Ooooo?' said Myfanwy, pivoting her head so she could look at him without breaking contact with Jack's nails.
'Good girl. Hum, Jack.'
'HmmmM oh my ahhhh is that normal?' Jack gasped.

Myfanwy groomed Jack's hair and ears gently and attentively. With inch-long teeth.
'She likes you. If you'd permit me to make a suggestion, Sir, everyone on the team should spend a couple of minutes every day playing with her. Judging by her behaviour, it's likely that her species lived in social flocks. Grooming is a bonding activity. If she recognises all of us as part of her family, it's likely that she'll act protectively when provoked by external stimuli. I could be covered in protein sauce and she won't touch me.'
'You've tried?'
'No, but I'm confident.'

+

A day later, Jack poked his head through the entrance to Myfanwy's den.
'Jack. Can I get you something?' Ianto was sitting serenely cross-legged in his old shirt. Myfanwy was crouched in front of him. Her eyes were locked onto the can of sardines resting on Ianto's knee, but she didn't snatch.
'Just following orders, Ianto. I've come for the bonding thing. Gwen and Tosh'll be up later. Not sure Owen's ready to forgive, though.' Jack grinned.
'Oh. Sit down, if you like Sir.'

They sat in silence for a while, Jack feeding the pterandon one fish at a time. Ianto sat back and watched. Every so often, Myfanwy would give him a look- a question- and he'd nod.
'You spend a lot of time up here.'
'It takes time to build trust and understanding. She needs patience. And the company is welcome. For a reptile, she's very affectionate, and she understands Welsh exactly as well as English.'
'Did I mention how sexy you are when you speak Welsh?'
'Dydd Mawrth diwetha', Sir.'

Jack laughed, and the conversation subsided again.
'Urp' said Myfanwy, content.

'Why did you want to save her so much?' Jack said straight out, jarring in the quiet. Ianto shrugged.
'She owed us nothing, Sir. Not respect or tolerance or keeping her beak to herself, if we didn't give her something to begin with. She was kind enough to give me a chance. Loyalty is supposed to be earned.'
'Ouch' Jack said softly.
'There's antiseptic in the box by the door if you want it. She's not perfect.'
'She didn't bite me. Ianto...'
'Sir?'
'Nothing.' Jack stood up. 'You coming down?'
'I should start the accounts for the month' Ianto sighed and nodded. He took the hand Jack offered and was pulled to his feet with more strength than he expected. To his surprise, his hand wasn't released.
'Ianto...'
'Sir?'
'Your loyalty. It's worth a hell of a lot more than a can of anchovies. Some day I'll figure out what.'

***