Title – Second in command Summary – Who really is Jack's second in command.

Spoilers up to kiss kiss bang bang.

Warning – Slash and Gwen bashing

Beta'd by Owensheart

It had been over a week since Jack had left Torchwood. It had taken a couple of days as well as plenty of CCTV footage for proof for the team to believe that Jack would leave them all willingly. Not that any of the team could blame him, they had all just betrayed him which ended up causing him to die twice in the same day. The second time was a much more painful death than usual and took Jack a while to come back from. Their betrayal also could have ended in the destruction of all of time and space.

Whilst both Gwen and Owen betrayed Jack for selfish reasons it was different for Tosh and Ianto. They betrayed Jack because they thought that opening the rift would fix everything and that loads of innocent people would be killed if they didn't. Now all they wished was that they had believed in Jack and had followed his orders instead of helping Gwen and Owen with their rebellion. Maybe then Jack wouldn't have left them all.

Ianto had recognised the sound on the CCTV footage as he heard it at the Battle of Canary Wharf. Jack had left with the Doctor, suddenly all of Jack's remarks about finding the right doctor made sense now.

The rest of the team was having a meeting in the boardroom, not much had happened during the first week since Jack's disappearance. Unfortunately UNIT seemed to have noticed Jack's absence and decided that since Jack was no longer there, they could try and take control. That was why they were having a meeting, they needed to choose a new leader before Unit tried to butt in. Jack wouldn't like strangers in his hub when he gets back.

"I think that I should be the leader" Gwen stated surprising everyone "before Jack left therefore making me the most obvious choice. Plus I think that I have something extra to offer as the leader."

Gwen started to feel uncomfortable as the rest of the team continued to stare at her. They must be amazed that I'm willing to sacrifice a lot of my time to take charge Gwen thought to herself.

"I know that it will be hard without Jack but I think we can pull though" Gwen told the team before turning to Ianto. "I know that you don't like fieldwork but we don't have enough people so you have to go out with the rest of the team. So field work will be added to your current duties. Also I don't know anything about how the leader's paperwork should go so you will have to deal with that as well. I always do my paperwork wrong and I will need to have some time to spend with Rhys. It's not like you have anyone to go and see is it Ianto."

"I don't mind having to go out into the field" Ianto started. "But shouldn't you do your own paperwork. I have enough to do as it is and that isn't even including the paperwork.

"Yeah, well we all have to make sacrifices" Gwen snapped at Ianto pissed off that he was questioning her already. "You'll have to work much harder now that you're e not shagging the boss in order to keep your job."

"I can't believe you Gwen" Ianto yelled at her. "I got to keep my job because I am a valued member of the team. We all are."

"We are" Gwen stated pointing towards Tosh, Owen and herself. "All you are is our Teaboy."

"Just a Teaboy" Ianto ranted. "I do the maintenance of the hub and SUV; I feed and clean up after our inmates including Myfanwy as well as the team. I also keep our cover up believable; do the archives and admin as well as handling the budgeting. I also have to go to the meetings with Jack and make sure that he doesn't do anything stupid. Then after all that I still need to clean up after everyone else and make coffee so you don't go into caffeine withdrawal. How dare you say that I am not useful to this team?"

"Wait" Owen interrupted as he noticed that Gwen was about to snap back at Ianto." Firstly, Ianto well done for finally sticking up for yourself and secondary, Gwen what made you think that you were second in command?"

"I was hired to replace Suzie" Gwen explained. "Suzie was second in charge making me it when I took her place."

"Gwen you were hired to fill in the gap that Suzie had left" Tosh spoke up. "You weren't hired to actually fill in the exact position that Suzie had."

"Let's face it Gwen" Owen started before Gwen had the chance to butt in. "You're the least qualified out of the whole team including Teaboy. As to you being Suzie's replacement, it just isn't true. Suzie was the weapons expect and you couldn't even fire a gun before Jack trained you. How do you expect us to follow you when we all have more experience and knowledge than you?"

"Did Jack ever tell you who was the new second in command after Suzie died for the first time" Ianto asked Tosh and Owen.

"Yeah he did" Tosh replied. "It was going to be me at first as I have been here the longest apart from him and Suzie. But I didn't want the position and managed to get him to change his mind so Owen is our leader until Jack returns."

"I guess that I'm in charge then" Owen muttered." Ianto, I'm sorry but I agree with Gwen, we do need you out in the field. However I will do my own paperwork and we will all take turns in feeding and cleaning out the inmates as well as the cleaning the hub and feeding the team."

"That fine with me" Ianto replied. "I'm the only one who is allowed to touch the coffee machine though."

"Ok, then" Owen started before turning to the girls. "Do you have anything to add?"

Tosh just shook her head, she was fine with Owen being the leader until Jack returned, and he would be more tolerable than Gwen. She also didn't mind helping Ianto with some of his jobs, it wasn't as if most of what he did was in his job description and Tosh sometimes worried that he was doing too much. They had all realised how much Ianto really did during his 4 week suspension and couldn't believe that Gwen implied that his only use was to make coffee and to have sex with Jack.

"Fine then" Gwen snapped at the rest of the team. "Owen can be in charge for all I care, we will just have to see what Jack says about your choice of leader when he gets back."

Four months later.

When Jack returned he was happy to see that the team had run smoothly in his absence. They had all worked together and Owen had proved himself to be a great leader.

After John had been sent home the team headed towards a spa for the night so that they could avoid bumping into their past selves. The next morning Jack was looking though the paperwork so that he would have a basic idea of what had happened when he was away.

Jack stopped looking though the files when he had heard the cog door alarm go off. Jack looked up to see Gwen come into his office, once again without knocking. One of these days she is going to enter a room without knocking and see something she'd rather not.

"Yes, Gwen" Jack said as she stopped in front of his desk.

"I was wondering" Gwen started. "When I was hired it was to replace Suzie wasn't it?"

"It was to fill in the space that she left behind" Jack answered. "Why?"

"Because if I was hired to replace Suzie, shouldn't I be the second in command and not Owen."

"No" Jack replied. "Owen is much more qualified than you and he has been a part of the team longer than you making him more suitable to be the leader.

"But..." Gwen started before she was interrupted by Jack.

"But nothing Gwen. You have been a part of this team for the shortest amount of time and have the least experience as well. So you are not second in command, Owen is."

"Oh, ok then" Gwen replied as she turned to leave.

"Before you go Gwen, I saw the board meeting when you decided who would become the leader" Jack started." If I ever hear you say something like that to anyone on this team again you will be in serious trouble. It was uncalled for and Ianto didn't deserve it."

"But he wouldn't obey me" Gwen argued

"You're not the second in command, he doesn't have to obey you. "Jack snapped at her. "He also shouldn't have to do your paperwork. It's your responsibility and you shouldn't try to pile up most of the jobs on Ianto. He did enough before even without the fieldwork. Also what happens between me and Ianto is nothing to do with work or you. The fact we have a relationship is not why Ianto has kept his job. He is a valued member of this team and nothing you can say about it can change that. Now go home to your fiancé and leave me in peace."

Gwen stormed out of the hub and headed home. She couldn't believe that Jack would choose Ianto's side over her. Maybe she wasn't as important to Jack as she thought.

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