A New Leash on Life

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TITLE:  A New Leash on Life
RATING:  G/PG
WARNING:  None
CHARACTERS:  Tosh, Jack, Ianto, Gwen, Owen, 10 & K9
DISCLAIMER:  Not mine; Aunty B's and RTD's
WORDS: ~ 1955
SUMMARY:  An unexpected visitor to the Hub changes one team member's life for the better.  And for once a certain immortal being gets kicked to the curb.

Written for redisourcolor Challenge 15 - Theme: Crossover with Dr. Who.  Words: dogma, incommodious, waltzing and a quote from Shakespeare. The quote I chose is:  "I would not wish any companion in the world but you" from The Tempest, Act 3, Scene 1

A/N:  Non-canon. TYTNW wasn't and CoE never happened.

 

It was a quiet day in the tourist office. April was a bit chilly for visitors, but occasionally someone would stop in and ask for information on the castle, or a bus tour, or a restaurant that had authentic Welsh food.

 

That suited Ianto Jones just fine. After all the office was merely a cover for Torchwood Three’s secret base and he could complete reports and requisitions as long as there weren’t any visitors.

 

But on this quiet Tuesday morning when the door swung open, Ianto was met with a bizarre sight.  A small mechanical dog was standing at the doorway. At least Ianto reckoned it was supposed to be a dog. He appeared to have a tag tied around his tail.

 

“Sorry to leave him on your doorstep, but I’ll be back for him soon.” It was signed, “the Doctor.”

 

Ianto sighed and picked up the phone. Wasn’t that just like the Doctor to come waltzing by the Hub and leaving something to their care without even asking?

 

‘Jack there’s a… visitor here for you. Don’t know, I’ll ask.”  He covered the phone.  “He wants to know who you are.”

 

“I’m K9, the Doctor is my master.”

 

“He’s says he’s K9, and belongs to the Doctor,” Ianto repeated into the phone.

 

“You’re in luck,” Ianto said as he hung up the phone, “he says to come in.” Ianto pressed the button under his desk revealing the entrance to a hallway. He ushered the dog into the hallway leading into the Hub.

 

They met Jack at the cog door. The metal dog began to speak. “I am K9, Mark III. I am the Doctor’s second best friend.”

 

“K9, is that your real name?”

 

“Affirmative.”

 

“Well, I was a companion to the Doctor, so how come I don’t know you,” Jack asked.

 

The dog made sad whine. “I was with the Doctor long ago. Then I lived with Leela, and later I went to live with my mistress. My mistress is gone now. The Doctor is finding me a new home.”

 

“There, there,” Ianto found himself saying, “who was your mistress?”

 

“Sarah Jane Smith.”

 

Jack remembered her from stories the Doctor had told.  He called Gwen over and asked her to check on the whereabouts of one Sarah Jane Smith. “Check the obits,” he whispered to her.

 

“Well, I reckon you’ll be our guest for a while. At least until the Doctor returns.  Let’s see if we can’t find a place to put you where you’ll be out of the way,” Ianto said looking around. “How about…”

 

Owen came up from the medical bay and interrupted. “What’s this tin can doing in here?”

 

“Not a tin can,” the tin can replied. “I am K9…”

 

“He’s a friend of the Doctor’s.”

 

“Yeah, how long is he going to be here,” Owen said not relishing the thought of having a motorized dog underfoot in the Hub.

 

“The Doctor said he’d be back for me ‘soon.’”

 

Gwen returned and whispered something into Jack’s ear. Jack planted a false smile on his face. “I’m sure the Doctor will be back before we even know it.  Time travel and all that.”

 

“Would days be too optimistic?” Gwen asked. She couldn’t explain it, but the little talking metal dog was giving her the creeps. 
 

K9 spoke. “Optimism. The belief that everything will work out well. Irrational,
bordering on insanity.”*

 

“Uh, thank you for your input, K9,” Ianto replied.

 

Tosh had wandered over during the discussion. “Do you have any special requirements?”

 

“A power source would be nice.”

 

Tosh motioned for K9 to follow her over to a small storage area at the end of the kitchen. There was a wall socket near to the floor. “We could plug you in here.”

 

“Negative. It is incommodious. I am not a kitchen appliance. I am a companion. I cannot be a companion in the back of a kitchen.”

 

Tosh found the little mechanical dog fascinating. “Alright, tell me what you do as a companion to the Doctor.’

 

“I look out for him, save him from danger, perform calculations, and play chess.”

 

Tosh’s interest had been peaked with the mention of K9’s last two abilities.  “You play chess, do you? Well, then you’re right, the back of the kitchen isn’t a good place for you. You come with me back to my work area. I have calculations for you and we can play chess.”

 

K9 perked up as Tosh spoke to him and obediently he followed her back to her desk. Tosh moved a small table over next to her desk and lifted K9 onto its surface.

 

“See K9, I’ve been working on these rift prediction calculations but they appear to be off a bit. Take a look and see what you make of them.”  She scrolled through several screens of equations.

 

“Again, Miss Tosh. Scroll again.” Tosh and K9 continued to converse as they studied the calculations.

 

“Well, looks like that’s sorted,” Ianto said smiling just a bit.

 

“Never saw Tosh as an animal lover. But then again, there’s never been a piece of tech that she didn’t fall in love with,” Jack added.

 

***

 

Days passed with no sign of the Doctor. Everyone soon became used to K9s presence.  Everyone, that is, but Myfanwy.  She was frightened of K9 and cautiously avoided him. Jack was pretty sure that K9 reminded her of cyber-Lisa, but was careful never to give voice to his thoughts. He and Ianto had finally resumed their relationship and he wasn't going to do anything to jeopardize that.

 

K9 spent most of the day at Tosh’s work station helping her with her rift programs and analyzing items that came through the rift. When there was a lull in rift activity, Tosh and K9 played chess. He and Tosh appeared to be almost evenly matched, but after watching a few games, Ianto was fairly certain that K9 was letting Tosh win every once in a while.

 

The only problem they faced was where K9 would stay at night. Initially, they left him at the Hub, but he complained bitterly.

 

“I am a companion; I am not to be left alone.”  When Gwen pointed out that Jack and Ianto stayed at the Hub almost half of the time, K9 replied, "I am left alone as I do not wish to play naked hide and seek.”

"Oi, have you never heard of TMI?"

"Affirmative, Mr. Owen. But it is an activity that you are apparently well acquainted with. You have many similar downloads on your computer."

Owen stomped away in disgust.

 

Tosh decided that K9 would come home with her. Her house seemed less empty and she felt less lonely once she began to bring him home. And if her neighbors heard her talking to ‘herself’, she really couldn’t be bothered with caring.

 

The Doctor returned four months later. Ianto was once again sitting in the tourist office entering reports into his computer.

 

The door swung open and in walked an exceptionally tall man, with a long coat, a suit and trainers. “Well I’m back.”

 

Ianto barely looked up from his work. “You must be the Doctor.”

 

“How did you…”

 

“Blue box, imperious attitude,” Ianto inspected him from head to toe, “bad choice in footwear.” Ianto couldn’t stop staring at the trainers with disbelieving eyes.

 

The Doctor started to open his mouth and then changed his mind.

 

“Go on in,” Ianto told him as he opened the entry in the wall. “Jack will be happy to see you.”

 

As the Doctor headed down the hallway, Ianto turned on his monitor for the Hub. “Oh this should be good. Too bad I don’t have any popcorn.”

 

The Doctor strode into the Hub like he owned the place. Jack was standing just inside the doorway.

 

“Captain Jack, it’s…”  He never got to finish his sentence as Jack decked him with a fast right hook.

 

The Doctor stood up rubbing his jaw.  “What was that for…?”

 

He went down for a second time as Jack kicked his legs out from under him. The others gathered round to watch.

 

“You bastard,” Jack growled. “The first one was for leaving me at Game Station.  The second was for dumping K9 here like he was a piece of junk without explaining to him what happened to Sarah Jane Smith. We ended up having to tell him…”

 

“And a mechanical dog howling day and night for a week is not a pleasant experience,” Gwen finished angrily.

 

“There was this war on Sirius VII, and they needed me,” the Doctor said, pleading for understanding.

 

“You don’t get it do you,” Owen added, “you’re not wanted here. Go on, get out.”

 

“But I think you all are forgetting a very important thing.”

 

“Oh here it comes, he’s going to cite some Time Lord dogma about who gets to make decisions about the wellbeing of mechanical creatures,” Gwen said in disgust.

 

“Well, there is Article Six of the Shadow Proclamation…”

 

“Oi, take your Shadow Proclamation and shove it…”

 

“Owen,” Tosh said interrupting, “I think we should let K9 decide.”  She looked down at the little metal dog at her side. “The Doctor has found you a new home apparently. It’s up to you to decide whether you want to go with him or stay here with us. With me, really.”

 

“I have found you a wonderful new home, K9. It’s at a laboratory complex on Arkon. Lots of experiments going on. Scientists to talk to. You’ll love it, I promise. It’s so much nicer than this place,” the Doctor said in disgust. “You won’t have to worry about dampness corroding your skin, and the Arkonides are far more intelligent than these apes.”

 

K9 looked at the Doctor and then his head swiveled to observe Tosh. Tosh had tears in her eyes but gave K9 a smile. “It’s your choice K9. I just want you to be happy.”

 

K9 looked back at the Doctor.  “It is your choice,” the Doctor conceded, “but whichever one you make, don’t come crying to me if it’s the wrong one.”

 

“Tosh, I would like to stay with you and Torchwood. I wish to be your companion.”

 

"And I would not wish any companion in the world but you," Tosh told K9 as she knelt to hug him.

 

“Humph. Don’t come crying to me when you find yourself bored silly,” the Doctor said not bothering to hide his displeasure.

 

“Well, looks like that’s decided,” Jack said. “You’ll excuse me; I have a call to make to the Prime Minister.” Jack turned and walked away.

 

The Doctor was speechless.

 

“I think you should be getting back to your blue box now,” Owen snarked with satisfaction.

 

The Doctor flipped his coat as he turned and walked back through the cog door muttering to himself all the while.

 

“And don’t let the door hit...uh…roll over you on the way out,” Gwen yelled after him.

 

Tosh turned to K9. “I think we should celebrate, don’t you K9?”

 

“Affirmative.  May I call you Mistress now?”  Tosh nodded her consent. They turned and began to walk back to Tosh’s work station.

 

“How about a nice game of chess,” Tosh suggested.

 

“Yes, Mistress.”

 

“And don’t keep letting me win. I can tell when you do that.”

 

“I never let you win, Mistress.”

 

“Where did you learn to lie like that K9?”

 

“From the Doctor, of course.”

 

The Doctor stormed back into the tourist office from the secret passageway. Ianto looked up from his computer. He had of course, switched off the monitor before the Doctor returned.

 

“Nice visit, then.”

 

The Doctor glared at him. “No it wasn’t.”

 

“Rotten luck, come again some time,” Ianto replied returning his attention to the computer.

 

The Doctor stormed out of the Tourist Office. Ianto looked up and listened with satisfaction to the sound of the Tardis dematerializing.

 

“Yes come again some time. Maybe in a few millennium.”

 

Ianto smiled as he closed up the tourist office and headed down into the Hub to join the others. 
***
 *My favorite K9 quote!