Louise’s regular shifts were Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 4pm until close. It suited her, they fitted in around her studies and she could still go out with her mates on a Friday night, or go home for the weekend if she wanted to. If she wanted some extra cash, Nick could usually offer her another shift at the weekend, if somebody was off sick or on holiday, or if the Rugby was on and he needed an extra pair of hands.

 “Your friends are in.” Nick stuck his head into the back room, where Louise was taking her break.

“Which ones?” Louise looked up from the magazine she’d been flicking through.

“Torchwood.” Nick stuck his head round the door. “The Captain’s back.”

Louise grinned.

“Brilliant!”

The guys from Torchwood had been coming in to The Crown for ages. Louise had been working at the pub for almost two years, and they’d been established regulars before she started. It wasn’t quite the same team – there had been a tall woman with curly hair who came in with them when Louise first started, but she’d died. Louise couldn’t remember her name, but she did remember how shaken they’d all been.

She practically bounced out of the back room, still tying her apron around her waist as she walked.

“You’re in a good mood all of a sudden!”

“Yeah, I had some good news!” Louise stepped carefully around her colleague as Katy lined up some bottled beer on the bottom shelf of the fridge. Katy snorted.

“Yeah, I bet I know what that is!”

“Evening guys, how’s things?” Louise went to clear empty glasses from the table next to where Tosh and Ianto were sitting, each with a drink in front of them. From the glasses on their table, Louise worked out that at least one more member of the team was with them.

“Pretty good, actually.” Tosh smiled. “Jack’s back!”

“So I hear!” Louise looked around the pub. “So, what have you done with him?”

“Can’t a man go to the bathroom without a permission slip these days?”

Louise turned round. “Hello, Captain!” He grinned and gave her a hug.

“How’s my favourite barmaid?”

The first time that Louise had met the Captain was on her very first shift at The Crown. He’d come up to the bar to get a round in and had teased her slightly because she didn’t know where everything was yet.

“When do they give you a name-tag thing, then?” He’d asked, waving his hand in the general direction of her left breast. “Do you have to pass a test first?”

Louise had laughed. “I think they want to be sure I’m worth the investment.”

“So, what do I call you until then?”

“My name’s Louise.”

He’d reached over the bar to shake her hand. “Captain Jack Harkness.”

She’d called him “Captain” ever since.

He’d disappeared a few months ago. The team had been missing from The Crown for a week or so, and when they came back to the pub they were tired, irritable, and one short.

They didn’t seem to want to talk about it, but Louise found out bit by bit that the Captain had just run out on them one afternoon with no explanation. As the weeks went by, the rest of the team gradually got over his absence, and started to smile again.

“Where have you been, Captain?” Louise asked as he released her from the hug. “You’ve been missed!”

He smiled that knee-wobbling smile.

“I’ve been travelling.”

If Louise said that she didn’t fancy the Captain, she would have been lying. The man was gorgeous. A little too old for her, perhaps, but it still made for a much brighter evening if he came in and flirted with her.

The Captain might be back from his mysterious travels, but Louise had a job to do and the glasses weren’t going to wash themselves, so she left them to their drinks and went back to work.

The Captain sat down with Tosh and Ianto, and they picked up whatever conversation they’d been having before. Louise picked up the ice bucket and went into the kitchen for a refill.

Owen and Gwen came in about half an hour later. The Captain came straight up to the bar.

“What can I get you?”

“Same again for Tosh, Ianto and myself…” Louise started pouring drinks. “A vodka and lemonade for Gwen, and a pint for Owen.”

Owen came over to help carry the drinks back to the table. As they made eye contact, Louise felt herself blush. She didn’t know what it was about Owen that made her feel vaguely embarrassed. Maybe it was the way he looked at her, like he knew more about her than he was letting on.

“I don’t know how you’re so cool with him.” Katy said, squeezing past to get to the glass washer. “I’d be a right state if it was me.”

“What do you mean?”

“If I see somebody I had a one-night stand with, I always feel so awkward. But you and Owen, you carry on like it never happened.”

“What? I’ve never slept with him!”

“Oh, sure you haven’t!” Katy laughed. “You’ve never slept with him. We didn’t meet him in a club on Jen’s birthday, you weren’t all over each other like a rash and you didn’t go home together. Silly me, must be mistaken. Come on, Lou, no point in pretending to me!”

“Pretending what?” The Captain was back at the bar. “Packet of salt and vinegar crisps for the lady, please.”

Katy ignored Louise’s warning look.

“Louise went home with Owen from a club the other week, and she’s denying it ever happened.”

“You and Owen?” The Captain grinned. “I can see I’ve got a lot of gossip to catch up on!”

“I…” Louise shook her head. “That didn’t happen…” She felt frightened all of a sudden. “Jen’s birthday?” She asked Katy. Katy nodded. “I don’t remember…. I remember getting to the club, but after that…” she frowned. “Nothing.”

Katy laughed again. “You didn’t look that drunk. Well, it definitely happened. You were all over each other, and he took you home, and let’s just say it didn’t look like he was just going to walk you to your door…”

“I really don’t remember…”

The Captain looked angry as he gave her the money for Gwen’s crisps and went back to his table without waiting for change. Louise took a deep breath.

“I’m going out the back for a minute.”

In the back room, she sank into a chair, her hands shaking. She hadn’t been that drunk at Jen’s birthday, she was sure she hadn’t. She hadn’t been hungover or anything, and she’d woken up in her own bed…

“Hey!” Nick put his head round the door. “You okay?” Louise nodded. “You’ve missed all the fun – the Captain’s just dragged Owen outside and socked him one. He looked really pissed off – any idea what’s going on?”

Louise shook her head.

“Tell you one thing, though,” Nick continued, “Torchwood don’t half liven things up round here!”