Torchwood Three; Cardiff, Wales

Gwen Cooper entered the conference room. The latest crisis situation was hopefully over. After a brief conversation with Sal aka Gael Towler on one of the secured phones, Gwen had an idea. The question as always was how to prove it.

Jack sat at the head of the conference table looking angrier than he did earlier. Ianto arranged a coffee tray centered among the the seats the three of them always used. He looked as upset as Jack. The conference call with Rex must have ended badly.

"What happened?"

"Problems with the US." Jack motioned to the seat on his right. "Rex is talking to the prime minister. And will call back."

Gwen crossed the room. "Sal thinks someone is manipulating the Army to attack Torchwood."

"How?" Jack asked as she sat.

"Either a communication hack like the software uploaded the phone companies. Or the remains of a Torchwood black ops group that is still connected to the military."

Ianto claimed his seat. "Why is she telling us?"

"She was given permission, somehow, to talk to us." Gwen smiled. "The same person asked for Cheney back." She chuckled. "Sal claims she told them she wasn't done playing with him yet." Gwen wasn't sure why the former Army black ops vet rescued a man that previously investigated her for RMP, but it had something to do with Sal's loyalty to Great Britain.

"Nova Scotia reports the blackmail against CeCe came from an Internet cafe near the US embassy in London. But the information came from the British government."

Gwen leaned on the table, looking at Jack. "A Torchwood group risks exposure if the US and England talk to each other. After what was done to Ronald Beaupre and the Talbots, why would they risk it?"

"Russia, the EU," Ianto suggested. "Anyone else the US and Great Britain have angered."

"What does it accomplish?" Gwen wondered.

"The blackmail attempt against CeCe resulted in Rex looking for blackmail," Jack said. "Liam is in Nova Scotia helping review juvenile records Azrael stole."

"Is the general coping?" Ianto sounded concerned. "With Nessa pregnant, Liam gone, Rogan and the new government man, it has to be stressful."

"I can call." Gwen still wondered at times how she was supposed to deal with the future, adult version of her son. Or that she would be a grandmother in February.

The computer announced an incoming call from London. Jack accepted it. "Gwen joined us."

"Bransom reluctantly accepted there was a problem. All three men captured earlier are active duty Army men in good standing. They reportedly received questionable orders to detain Ms. Sato for withholding information about the destroyed alien ship."

Gwen provided the information she received from Sal.

"Could this be Other Keara?" Rex asked. "Her or the Keara on the station designed and decorated Torchwood London for someone else. An empty stable, horse art and paintings of Welsh castles and gave Langford strict instructions not to allow me to change anything."

Amused, Gwen set her hand in front of her mouth and fought the urge to laugh. Information from the general and John told them Anwen would one day be head of Torchwood. For whatever reason, the facility had been decorated with her in mind.

"It's maddening."

Jack doubted it. "Her manipulations were better planned."

"I'm skeptical that someone managed to do this," Rex said. "Unless the governments are somehow involved."

"Could it be a government whistle-blower?" Ianto asked. "Someone exposing covert government actions against Torchwood?" Pause. "While the government denied involvement, CCTV footage near my sister's daycare shows men involved in the attack. Multiple people leaked it to the media."

Something about his tone made Gwen wonder. What aren't you saying? Jack turned to look at Ianto also.

"We need more information," Rex said.

"I will talk to to the general and see if he has any idea. Tactics are his specialty."

The ended after pleasantries.

Jack set a hand on Ianto's knee. "What?"

"The description of London's decorations is a reminder of who will one day sit in Rex's office. The Kearas were not subtle. From what the general said of Rex's future behavior in the original time line, it could have been caused by living in Jack's shadow." Pause. "With John on the station or already transferred to Redemption, there is no one here with an ability motivated or capable of protecting Anwen."

"Could John have done it?" Gwen asked. Despite her concerns, he repeated showed his determination to protect her daughter.

"I doubt it." Jack took a moment. "John did something else. He went through Dmitri's files and boxes from the old alchemy lab. When I asked, he said he couldn't leave Ken defenseless." Pause. "John was hiding something. If he can protect Ken, John would protect Anwen."

Gwen realized another possibility. "Four could have done it." If the tactics weren't sound, that ruled out the general being involved but not Jeannette or Xiu.

Ianto set a hand on Jack's. "There were others involved in Other Keara's manipulations. The hacker that helped London. The Falklands' archivist." Pause. "Anwen, Nova Scotia and Nigeria have all received Torchwood notifications for offices we don't have access to. O'Malley might not be the only addition from different universes."

Torchwood Four; Dublin, Ireland

At least he was pretty, Jeannette Dove thought walking down the hall. With Trefor helping Cardiff with something, she needed someone else. She peaked her head into Jamie's office. It was in a back hallway next to Rogan's. And nowhere near Trefor's or Liam's offices. She figured that showed Trefor's opinion of the new guy.

"Hey office boy."

Jamie looked up from his desk. He wasn't amused. Not surprising since he was something like twenty years older than her.

"I need back-up." A ridiculous lie, she thought. But he didn't know better. "Coming?"

"To do what?" He stood.

"Follow-up on an angel-alien report."

Jamie crossed the room. "Seriously?"

Jeannette nodded. "It's an energy based entity. They're somehow connected to a local date rape drug." She stepped back as he reached the door. "They cause a person, men specifically, to reassess their views."

He didn't believe her. Until her experiences with CN, she wouldn't have believed it either.

She started walking. "Did you hear the angel report? The guy drugged a girl and tried to take her home. He told the police she glowed like an angel. And then confessed his sins."

"That was a drug."

"We thought so to at first," Jeannette said. "But Trefor talked to one of the aliens. Since he doesn't commit crimes against women, it just made him question himself for awhile."

"Is that what happened to Spaulding?"

"Yeah. Indirectly. The effects are contagious. With an ex-wife and two kids that hate him, it messed with his head." It sounded good. While Rogan passed judgment and betrayed secrets, she wouldn't. His sexuality crisis was not the government's business.

They walked toward the door in silence for a few minutes. "What do you need me for?"

"You're cute. Ciaran is more likely to give me information if he has someone to look at while I'm asking. Liam would have flirted with him. He likes his men Irish, but he would settled for Trefor. But the boss is busy."

Connally stopped walking. "No."

Jeannette groaned and stopped a few steps farther down the hall. "Ciaran's in his sixties and in poor health. He won't try to grab you." If you don't stand next to him.