Chapter 1

The Rift alarm trilled through the Hub, startling everyone. The team rushed out to the SUV, Ianto included. Jack slid into the driver's seat with a smug smile. Tires squealed against the tarmac as the car peeled out of the garage.

Ianto hung on grimly to the passenger seat, praying for light traffic. Jack would probably kill someone with his driving.

"Tosh, where are we going?" Jack asked.

Tosh was tapping away methodically on her laptop, and barely glanced up as she replied, "I'm sending the information to your wrist strap."

Jack nodded before glancing at his wrist and driving toward the park.

They stepped out of the parked car and looked around at the shadowy, damp grass. It was the beginning hours of the night, and they were all tense and alert. The shadows loomed from the surrounding trees.

"Whatever it is must be on the perimeter. Stay on guard." Jack said.

Suddenly, a whistle rang out. The team all jumped, guns out, looking around frantically. Ianto relaxed, grinning.

"Ianto?" Jack questioned. "What is it?"

Ianto glanced at Jack before stepping forward. "Come on out, sweetheart. They're safe."

A short girl with short, curly red hair slunk out of the shadows, shooting Ianto an amused look. Her black catsuit clung to her curves, making it difficult for the straying eyes of Owen and Jack stay fixed on her face. Her American accent rang out across the park. "Okay, hon. I'll take your word for it."

"Ianto, who's this?" Jack questioned.

Ianto grinned, turning back to the shocked team. "This is Natasha, one of my best friends. Nat, this is Jack, Tosh, Owen, and Gwen."

Natasha waved hello to the team before turning back to Ianto. "Yan, this is a business trip. I didn't just come to say hello. Coulson wants you on an assignment."

Ianto froze for a moment. "No. I'm not going to leave Torchwood. You know that Nat, why-"

"Because this involves aliens. None of us have experience dealing with aliens, except you and Thor, and he's… well, he's not here. You can bring your little team if you want."

"Hold on. I'm just the teaboy here. Their not my little anything."

At this Natasha looked like she was about to explode. "They downgraded you to a teaboy? They took you and made you serve them after all you've done?"

Ianto sighed and rubbed his face, then turned to Jack with a pleading look. "Can this be continued back at the Hub? She knows about Torchwood.

Jack hesitated, unsure. Ianto's blue eyes fixed him with a pleading look and he could feel his resolve weaken. "You have very strange friends, Ianto.

Jack turned back to the SUV. "Tosh, get a reading on her." He muttered as he passed. Natasha shot him an amused look, almost as if she could hear him. Impossible.

Later, when Tosh, Owen and Gwen had gone home, albeit reluctantly, Ianto, Jack and Natasha sat around the conference table.

"So Natasha, where are you from?"

Natasha absentmindedly replied, "New York. I have abilities that are needed there."

"Where?" Jack questioned, determined to know what the hell was going on.

Natasha sighed and glanced at Ianto, who nodded slightly. She leaned back, brushing her hair out of her face.

"I work for a top secret organization called SHIELD that harbors some of Earth's most dangerous people as a first line of defense."

Jack blinked. Okay, not what he'd thought. "How is Ianto involved?"

"He's the son of Director Fury's right hand man. He's been trained in combat since age two and has many people who would be very upset if he died. God help the person who killed him."

Jack stared at Ianto. Ianto smirked slightly. "It's true, sir."

"Why are you calling him sir?" Natasha asked sharply.

Ianto shrugged. He leaned back in his chair and let out a deep sigh. "I'll come if the team comes too."

Natasha stared at Jack with eerie blue eyes. "Well?"

Jack looked thoughtful for a moment and then said, "All right. We'll go tomorrow, but only to look at the situation. Deal?"

Natasha nodded. "Deal. C'mon Yan, let's get you home and packed."

With that she grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the Hub.

As soon as they got to Ianto's flat, Natasha collapsed on the couch. She sighed, relaxing for the first time since she'd met the team.

"Yan, was that a good idea? Bringing them out to see the team? Who knows what they'll do to each other."

Ianto sank down beside her, offering a beer. "They have a lot of contact experience with aliens, Nat. We both know this will probably end with blood, so we might as well prepare for the worst."

Natasha sighed, accepting the beer. "Fine. But if Tony tries to experiment on Jack, you are responsible for getting him out."

She tilted her head back and closed her eyes.

Ianto scoffed dryly, taking a sip from his bottle. "If Tony can catch Jack, I'll be surprised. He's a tricky little bastard. How is the team? I haven't seen them in ages."

Natasha smirked. "They miss you, Yan. They wouldn't admit it, but they all need your presence in the Tower. Especially Tony. I had to watch him and Clint go through caffeine withdrawal without you. That was not fun. There were arrows. And they had to go back to Starbucks."

Ianto shuddered, envisioning explosions and terror. "Oh dear. I'm sorry. I'll save a canteen for the next time I leave."

She opened one eye and glared at him halfheartedly. "You'd better. You know, Tony is convinced that you're trying to take over the world with your coffee."

"Like he'd have any complaints. He'd have my coffee."

"He was threatening to hunt you down before I came for you."

"I knew it wasn't aliens."

They snickered quietly before falling silent. Ianto looked at Natasha then, really looked at her. He could see the slight tension in her shoulders, the way her fingers seemed to by poised to strike, even though she seemed relaxed.

"How bad is it this time, Nat?"

Natasha sighed. "It's pretty bad, Yan. I just… we were just getting some vacation time, finally. Then we find out that Loki's back, and he's brought a whole lot of ugly with him."

Ianto sat up. "Loki? I thought he was on Asgard?"

Natasha shook her head. "He's a slippery son of a bitch, we all knew he'd get away."

"Why is Thor still on Asgard?"

"He was responsible for Loki. He's getting his sentence for letting his prisoner escape."

"Shit. We've got to go then. Now. I'll get the team ready in three hours, you get the flight prepped."

Natasha didn't move. "Ianto, we have some time, we have insight-"

Ianto looked up, his blue eyes raw. "He killed my dad, Nat. I know he's okay now, but he was dead and those were the worst weeks of my life."

Nat stood up. "Three hours, then."

Ianto nodded and pulled out his phone.