Heya! To be honest I didn't know how to start this chapter, there's been a lot going on in the real world these past few months. But I put my head down and worked through it because this is something very special to me and here we have the end result! I got about 3 chapters done at my grandparents so expect those two a bit later on. So I just want to say before we continue on...if you have found the news difficult these past couple of weeks then I hope it gets better from here on out. Let us stay safe and keep loving each other as much as we can if not harder. I send so many hugs and best wishes for our futures. Keep living our lives, keep getting stronger. Prove we're not going to let these people win. That's the best thing about us. Thank you as always for sticking with me.

The Squiglet. Xx

"I just can't believe it. All this time a different person. Someone who we thought we knew, we trusted. And now this? Kensi replied with her hands clasped in front of her leaning on her appointed desk answering to an empty question hanging in the air since two evenings ago when Eric revealed a new part of himself. Owen however had been looking for the perfect distraction from his studies of the body lying before him when he heard the rising voices but this wasn't the one he was wanting to overhear.

"I am quite in agreement with you Miss Blye. I don't know much like you all what to make of these new discoveries just yet. So let us quickly focus on what we do know so far. We know he can't say a lot about his old line of work but that it forced him to we believe quite ruthless however we do not know quite how far he took this. We also do not know whether he wants us to know or not seeing as he deflects at every turn. He is as we know him and yet not. A tricky balance to hit. Who's say to who he is, does he?"

"But you think he's testing us, see where his trust and certainty lies, right Hetty?"

"Not quite Mr Callen. Think a little deeper into what I said and what he has been saying since we met them all a week or so ago. He's despite deflecting and taking notice of what this Jack Harkness has said for him not to, does want to tell us. He's been giving us small tidbits of information"

"Wanting us to clue it together so he doesn't have to tell us. He's scared that if he tells us outright especially without Torchwood's express permission that we won't accept him as we ultimately do now. Must really be something big. Hetty, what happens from here on in? Do we keep tabs on him? Nell could keep GPS on him? At least til we're sure he's not in any mortal danger?" Callen asked finally seeing where Hetty was going.

"I don't know about you the rest of you, I'm worried that maybe seeing how Eric beneath our radar - " With that last little notion Owen had finally had enough.

"I'd be careful with what you say next" All of them jumped at Owen's presence now looking a little sheepish at having been caught out.

"Oh yeah how come?" Sam tension's flared up.

"He might be one of yours but he's still somehow one of ours"

"How'd you know?"

"I worked with the lad. I work with the lad. He means something to me and I'm not about to let stuck up toffs like yourselves work your way into thinking summat he's not even close to"

"Protecting him from us and all we are right?"

"Right. Take it or leave it, you all need to come to your senses that this is part of Eric, it just so happens to be a weak spot as well. In case you hadn't guessed either, we're keeping things back for your sanity. Don't think you could handle this to be honest. If you can't quite remember that is, we are joint lead on this case"

"We know nothing besides the fact my partner wants to live past 30 and that it's a dangerous game. I just want to be able to talk to him again. This past week has just thrown us"

"You're saying it wasn't for him? While I may have some reservations about 'im coming here I understand why, I finally got over myself and accepted it. A job like ours- as a feeling I'm always going to be repeating it, what's one more? - is not for the faint hearted. To be fair to him I'm glad that he still has part of a softer side. Not all completely gone with that shell of his"

"You uh, really like Eric then?" Came the fairly hesitant voice of Deeks trying not to give anything away of what he'd been thinking with Eric then. All Owen could do was roll his eyes at the blatant longing and jealously in the LAPD's voice. It took everything in the man not to laugh as he said the next bit. He winced a little as he sounded a bit too proud of his old tech friend.

"Good head on his shoulders, fairly level headed unlike some team leaders I could care to mention. Doesn't let his past affect him or at least from what I've seen. Knows what he can be, knew when to quit being behind the scenes and enter into the fray guns blazing becoming a man of action so they say. Think he got a bit lost before he came to us and certainly when deciding whether to leave us, knew how it would effect all of us not just him. He's proved himself time and time again so much so I trust him especially with my life. He's pushed himself sometimes too far. Sure. Good man with strong beliefs as I'm sure you know by now. He needs you more than he's able to say I'll bet. I'm not afraid to lose him. By the way you ever tell him I said any of this, I won't hesitate to rip anything off of you"

"Well aren't you a cheery one Mr Harper"

"I'm who I have to be. So's Jack, so's Gwen, so's Torchwood. We've all had something made of us. Speaking of our true and brave American hero, where is Jack? I need him for something important"

"Here, what you've got for me? Everything good here by the way?"

"Bloody fantastic, now if you don't mind I'd like to drag you away from your polite manners and focus on the findings of that body we have y'know before he gets frostbite?"

"He's not going to care especially Owen, he's dead" Came Ianto's strong Welsh voice with the sarcastic dryness carrying coffee's for everyone now handing them out. Eric ran down the steps two at a time having noted they were back, Nell trudging behind.

"Hey guys. Why are we standing like this, oh God, no one's fighting are they?"

"Nope, Owen's got some info for us apparently though he's yet to say what exactly what it is" Tosh guided him to finally say what it was linking arms with Eric to drag him properly over.

"Well not much, hopefully enough to be getting on with, few pieces to fit our never ending puzzle"

"So tell us already cos my feet are getting tired" Jack motioned.

"He was definitely pumped full of narcotics. I'm taking a stab in the dark and saying it was ecstasy. You know how it's risen to being deadly if you take too much of it in recent years and I could find no other alternative to fit the description of what I found. I don't know what it is here but it is very illegal in the UK. Not that that would stop the person who did this. He didn't do it to himself, I'm sure of it, if he'd taken it himself there'd be no signs of restraint but look at the marks on his arm. That's definitely fingernail marks dug into the skin from his attacker. I can try and get more DNA traced from it as a double check to make sure I 'ave got the right person involved here but it might take a little longer"

"Have it done. Rose can help you out again" Callen nodded as Nate made a call instantly to her.

"What else, you said something earlier about two things being wedged in him"

"Yes I spose' I did. Well, I'm not really sure you want to have a look but I know we need to. Think it'll give us an idea on Linda Foster-Jane's whereabouts as well"

"Think it's fair to say we know she wasn't taken as a random. Have a look at this Jack. Um, Callen"

You're next Linda. Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily merrily just hear the people scream

"Well that's horrific" started Deeks. Kensi and Nell had lifted their hands to their mouths in shock. It never got easier even if you saw things like this all the time. Turning to their neighboring team they noted they weren't even paying that much attention to it.

"What's the second one say Owen?"

"Why don't you read it yourself Gwen? I thought your humanitarian side would be out here right now. Has Andy actually got back in touch with you yet?"

"Oh haha, and what happened to your one night stand friend, how's she doing? I-"

"Oh she's fan-bloody-tastic. Why, looking for something you want but know you can't have. Rhys not enough as usual?"

"-"

"Alright, alright! I can only take so much of your bickering when I'm around you guys. Give it here, I'll read it" Owen was only so happy to do so. Where L.A had paled at the first one, they were waiting on Eric to do the same.

Not the first time there's been a runaway. Who'll be next, who, who, who? Could it be you? Could it be them? Could it be YOU? Here's hoping.

"Safe to say I think there's a vendetta or something against these two. And against us apparently. Clearly they expected us to find both notes as Owen said earlier but with no intended times. Do you think they know they've found it by now? Jack?"

"Hopefully we're just one step ahead right now"

"Jack, alright to butt back in here?"

"Sure, go for it Eric, you know we value your expertise here"

"Haha, very funny"

"Wasn't a joke Beale. Go ahead"

"Oh. Right, well who are they referring to when they ask who's next? Do you think it's, um, that or that. Jack they don't know, how do we tell them? Jack we need to, if"

PING

"That's your tablet and mine Eric. Uh-oh" Eric had wondered over towards her, then eyes widened as they both looked at it.

"Oh yeah, that's an uh-oh, that's a big uh-oh. As far as uh-oh's go that's a big one. How do we get rid of the uh-oh?"

"Think you could stop saying uh-oh for five minutes?" Nell asked from across the room. By this point Jack had joined them.

"Okay, I think we all are in agreement this brings trouble, it's not what we wanted to hear but we knew instantly the reason why we were appointed lead was because of this suspicion. Now, we know who the suspects are, let's figure out how to get to them"


"You explained to your group but not to us. We want answers. Now" Callen almost sneered at them.

"Very well. Our suspects are two people. One is a very auspicious character named Jack Desir, he's been in juvie for violent conduct before, I don't know how you missed it and guess what he just so happened to be in Linda Foster-Jane's PTSD books and apparently he and Danny were on good terms. I'll leave you to follow up on that potential. No doubt you'll come to the same conclusion as we did. The other...well that's a little trickier to explain. How long you got?"

"We got time"

"Well then, I'll gather them round - yours and mine - we'll explain who we are, what we do and what exactly has been going on. This could take a while"


"We've been sitting here for 2 hours? What exactly is going on?"

"We're waiting on Eric. For some reason no-one can decide on, he's been freaking out for this long" Owen said popping more chocolate into his mouth.

"And you're not helping him, thought you guys were best buds" Deeks glared at the lack of concern for his teammate's disappearance.

"Not 'alf Detective. Ah there's the boy 'imself. Come on heart attack Beale, let's get this show over with. Been waiting long enough in this chair, my arse is getting sore. You're not helping by being this late"

"Hello to you too Owen, how are you? Too late, I don't think I care" Eric waved his tablet towards the medic thankful for the distraction he had just given, it had given his freak out a chance to calm down, recollect his thoughts and focus on getting the proper words out., despite what he thought-and tended to project onto others - Owen wasn't that big a bastard - not enough to not care like this he supposed.

Ianto had entered slipping coffee into his hands which was his way of letting him know he'd be there ready for the fallout later. Tosh had given him a smile and Gwen a pat on the arm. Jack nodded for once entering with no coat just a waistcoat looking exhausted.

Clearly he'd been stressing about this as much as Eric had. Why couldn't things ever just be simple for him? For them? Time to bite the bullet.

"Um, hey guys. First off I'm really sorry in advance for everything you're about to learn. For the lies. For me. And that it's such a big reveal and that it's come around as a reveal so quickly but were running out of time, we've always been running out of time so I guess now's a good a time as any" Hetty had stood next to Nate again waiting for the outcome. Nothing was ever going to be the same again after this, was it?