We Love Meat!

CONTENT:
Rating: Teen
Flavor: Adventure/Drama
Language: maybe?
Violence: no
Nudity: none
Sex: none
Other: no no no, that was the other story. sorry!

Author's Note:

Zevran and/or Jack fans get your mind out of the gutter about the title... oh well, never mind ;P

Recap:

Some odd, unidentifiable meat splattered across the highway from a crashed delivery truck has brought Torchwood into investigate the potentially extraterrestrial origin of this... food substance?

We Love Meat!

==#==

"Ianto, help Owen get this sample to the med bay." Jack handed out orders back at the Hub. "Santa's Little Helpers, get the loading bay ready for a bigger, messier delivery. Tosh, contact the trucking company, see what you can find out from them. Look up 'Harwood's Haulage.'"

Gwen blinked. "That's Rhys' firm," she blurted. Everyone looked at her, and Gwen suddenly felt like the girl at the prom with something seriously wrong with her dress. Though Ianto kept his expression blank, she could feel the judgement behind his eyes. Jack's was more shuttered, which only made it worse.

Tosh looked away awkwardly, turning from her keyboard to pick up her phone. "What's the number, then?"

Gwen set her jaw. It wasn't as if Rhys had done anything. He lived in Cardiff; things in Cardiff affected him, just like anybody else. It was a coincidence, that's all. Not like Bilis targetting him to get to her. She shoved thoughts of the demon aside and fished her phone out to get Rhys' work number. "He only assigns the drivers," she said defensively in the heavy silence.

She handed the phone to Tosh, who punched the number in on her own mobile, then identified herself as a police officer on the line.

Gwen moved away to give her a bit of space to work. Jack listened in on it, in case he wanted to add anything. But Tosh knew her job.

Gwen focused on putting her phone back in her pocket. She felt she should be doing this job, but that was ridiculous. Rhys would know her voice. Besides, Tosh had been doing this long before Gwen had arrived on the team.

Tosh did a thorough impersonation of a competent officer. She'd jotted down some notes, then looked up at the captain and Gwen. "There wasn't a lot of useful information," she said slowly. Then added, "They seemed pretty evasive."

Jack thought a moment, then looked Gwen in the eye. "You may want to recuse yourself from this investigation."

"What? No. Whatever is going on, Rhys is innocent."

"You're sure you can remain objective?"

"I'm a highly-trained police officer. I can do my job." Gwen turned away and gathered up her things. "We don't know anything yet. I'll go home and check on Rhys at lunch." She slung her purse up onto her shoulder.

"Good," said Jack. "Check out his story."

"That's not what I meant," she bit out. She walked away, trying to quell her irritation. Jack was just doing his job. Being paranoid. She mustn't take it personally.

She would straighten everyone out.

==#==

"When's lunch?" Owen called from the entrance of the med bay.

Ianto cocked his head towards the tourist shop security monitor. "In... three... two... and pizza is here!" The delivery girl appeared on the screen and pressed the buzzer.

"You are Radar," Jack commented cryptically.

"Great," said Owen. "I'm starved! Whatcha get?"

"Meat feast!" said Ianto with a smile.

Which vanished about as fast as Owen's appetite.

==#==

"It's your standard, carbon-based meat. There's no reason why it can't be digestible by human beings." With a frown of distaste and annoyance, Owen picked scraps of 'meat' off his pizza slice. He tossed them into the lid of the box. "Tox came back negative. The DNA is off the charts, so no results on that. There's above-average salinity, which could indicate marine creatures. Can't really tell much more than that, without seeing a live one."

He stopped and stared at the two elves who, like a pair of seagulls, were snatching up all the meat bits he tossed aside and piling them on their own pizza. "You're not going to eat that?" he asked them incredulously.

"Why not?" Bannon said. "You just said it was fine."

"But... it's alien meat. Who in their right mind would-? Oh, what am I saying?" He threw his hands up in surrender.

Zevran popped a piece of meat into his mouth. "Mmm... delicious. It is much better than rat meat."

Bannon shoved a large meaty chunk of pizza into his mouth, and Owen tried not to lose his appetite. Again.

Tosh ventured, "You've probably already eaten some." Owen gave her a narrow look. "I mean, we all have. This wasn't the first delivery, so it's already been out there. In burgers, pasties..."

"Not helping, Tosh."

Ianto asked her, "Are you going to eat it?" He eyed the tech dubiously.

She frowned at her portion. "Perhaps not."

"We'll take it!" the elves volunteered.

Meanwhile, in a different part of the multiverse...

A slim woman with long midnight hair and gleaming yellow eyes stopped and tipped her head. With a sigh, she rolled her eyes and inexplicably said, "The Gravy Wardens strike again!"

==#==

That was a disaster, Gwen thought as she left their flat. Keeping things from Rhys had never been so hard. Why did he ask her so many pointed questions about the accident? Why couldn't she remember his friend and employee? She felt bad enough already.

It's the stress of this damned job. With no way to let off steam, no one to talk to about it all...

Then there was Jack. Why was he so quick to suspect Rhys? He didn't know Rhys! She knew him; had done for years. Rhys wouldn't do something shady. He was a good bloke.

She wished she could be a better partner for him.

Never mind her being 'too close' to the case. She didn't need to stand down or recuse herself. She'd face facts, and the facts right now did not say anything to make her believe Rhys was guilty. He couldn't be.

Not unless he'd changed - and hadn't Owen said he hadn't? He was her Rhys.

==#==

Back at the Hub, Gwen met Jack. With the scant information Rhys had been able to give Tosh over the phone about the mystery meat client, they'd traced the prior shipments and narrowed down the facility where the beasts were most likely kept. Ianto and Owen had gone on ahead to scout it out.

Gwen felt a great sense of relief. They could once and for all find out who was involved and stop them - and clear Rhys' name. She'd reported to Jack that he did not seem to know anything about the shipment contents. He had taken her at her word, relieving even more of her worry. This would be a job like any other, and they'd see it through as always.

Jack offered her his arm as if they were going to a fancy ball. A lighthearted laugh surprised her as she took it and leaned into him. He was always a constant in the universe.

Which reminded her. He was from a distant time and place. "Have you ever eaten alien meat?" she asked in curiosity.

"Yep."

"Was it all right?"

"Well, he seemed to enjoy it," Jack said with a devilish grin.

Gwen had to laugh, mostly at herself for walking into that one.

She didn't notice a familiar spy. Neither of them noticed the tail. Why would they? They were Torchwood - all but invisible. They hunted aliens, they were never the hunted.

==#==

Ianto talked them in to the side lot of the remote warehouse. Gwen and Jack got out and prepared to enter, but had to duck back as another car pulled in.

Gwen's heart froze when Rhys got out of the car.

==X==