Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters find themselves in. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think!

Nap And Question Time

Three hours after they'd retrieved Chester King Jr's remains and escorted them back to Kingsman Harry strolled as quickly as he could down the currently deserted hallway he was in. Technically he had no reason to hurry, it wasn't like the body was going anywhere now that they had it, but there was also the fact that Eggsy would be there to spurn him on, and as disconcerting as it was Harry could admit, at least to himself, that he didn't like being separated from the boy. For some reason he couldn't shake the feeling that the boy would just up and disappear on him if he didn't stay close, an idea he would have scoffed at if not for the fact that they honestly didn't know what would happen if the woman they hunted changed the future too much. Eggsy might just fade away or disappear in front of him, and there would be nothing he could do to stop it.

Or Eggsy could just decide that he needed to leave, Harry's mind unhelpfully pointed out, since the boy was a Kingsman agent. This facility wasn't designed to trap its agents inside of it after all, and Eggsy would know all the hidden passageways and special exits. Harry didn't think the boy would just up and leave without telling him by choice, but the truth of the matter was that not only was he just getting to learn who Eggsy Unwin had grown up to be, but regardless of what he wanted Eggsy would be leaving one way or another in the near future. Even if they couldn't identify the woman they were after it would be too dangerous for the man who would adopt his mantle of Galahad to stick around for too much longer, the odds of Eggsy changing the future rising with every day he stayed here.

It was with that thought that Harry opened the door that led into the room reserved for observation during autopsies, his heartrate kicking up when he noted that Eggsy was gone, seeing after a moment that Kay was gone too. Only Arthur remained, a large amount of paperwork piled on the empty seat beside him for company.

"The pill he took to keep himself awake finally wore off an hour ago. He went to nap." Looking up from his work Arthur met Harry's gaze with a knowing look. "He said he won't be wake able for a good four hours at the very least. Apparently we'll be able to wake him up then if necessary, though it will be a couple hours after that before he'll be fully with us."

Inclining his head in understanding, Harry asked about Kay's status.

"Oh you know Kay. He said he was fine. The whole he doesn't consider our dead suspect to be his son, is perfectly capable of helping out on this case, and that we'll need him when we question Ector later about what his grandson might have told him about his plans."Arthur shook his head. "I sent him home for a few hours to reflect on what utter bullshit that is. I'm a father too, after all."

Seeing the far off look that had come into his boss's eyes, Harry knew without asking that the man was thinking about Merlin and most likely all the bad things that parents worried could befall their children, no matter how old those children were. Though at least Merlin's father knew now that his son and family would have a good life ahead, provided the woman they were hunting didn't screw that up.

"He'll just bleed at home." Harry commented as he stepped over to take one of the empty seats. "When it comes to work he's always reminded me of the Black Knight from 'Monty Python and The Holy Grail'."

"It's just a flesh wound." The two men said in perfect tandem.

"That's always been Kay's greatest weakness." Arthur breathed out like with a sigh. "He always refuses to acknowledge how deep the wounds go, and how much he bleeds inside."

"Hopefully his future wife and son will be able to help with that."

"That would be good." A sidelong look. "We all need someone to keep us anchored, living so often in a world full of deceit and lies."

"Maybe I should get another dog then."

A bark of laughter, Arthur's eyes shone with amusement when they met his. "Just don't stuff this one if you do."

Silently acknowledging the point, he'd lost more than a few dates after they caught sight of Mr. Pickles, Harry turned his attention back to the window in front of them, not flinching away from the sight of the dissected body. "Have they found anything interesting that might help us?"

"Other than confirming that what we already know, no. And so far it appears that the names we were able to generate yesterday won't be of any use to us. The data coming in seems to suggest we don't have her name after all. I've asked Merlin to start looking into female agents from other agencies who fit both the physical parameters and have the skills we're looking for. At this point we don't even know if she's British though, so widening the search outside your country…"

"Our best bet is Ector knowing something."

"Exactly. I took a pass at him earlier, while you boys were retrieving the body. He says he knows nothing, and at the moment I'm inclined to believe that he's only half lying about that. He knows more than he's saying, but my gut says that he either doesn't know that he knows something, or he's useless to us."

"I've always thought he was rather useless myself."

"As a person, yes. As an agent he has done great things, Galahad, and that must be respected regardless of his elitist views and general snobbery. Thus far Eggsy is reluctant to tell me details of what Ector does in the future that led to his death, but Eggsy's asked to take a stab at interviewing him tonight, so we will try that if Kay fails to get through to him."

A pause to let that sink in and then Arthur asked him if Tristian was all set to make contact with one of Harry's informants in South America, which was why Harry had had to leave the observation room earlier.

"He should be able to wrap things up and return on schedule now."

"Good. Now go get some food into you and find something to do until your boy wakes up."

"Yes, Sir."

)

As planned Kay came back to headquarters a few hours later to try and get information out of his father while all the knights in house observed the interview. None of them were surprised that Ector gave them very little new information, though their fellow agent was willing to admit that the young man they'd captured and who'd claimed to be Chester King Jr had in fact introduced himself to Ector as his grandson at the wedding, and had revealed information that only his namesake should know. He had also been told that Eggsy had murdered him shortly after the future Galahad had failed his final Kingsman test, and that according to his grandson the murder had been covered up and written off as self defense. Apparently he'd intended to inform them all of what he'd learned once he'd gotten more information out of the time traveler, but those listening, including the man's son, agreed that that was most likely bullshit. That was all they'd gotten out of him though, and talks soon turned to letting King have a break and then siccing Eggsy on him to see if the man's future murderer couldn't nudge the infamous King temper enough to get them more information. Just because Ector said he knew nothing of a girl working with his grandson meant nothing at this point.

Not to mention they were holding back the boy's death for the time being.

"I'll go retrieve him from the trainee quarters." Harry volunteered when it was decided that Eggsy should be filled in about what they'd learned while the boy was sleeping. He hadn't seen his protégé for hours now, and he more than anyone in the room knew the boy well enough to know that he probably needed constant supervision.

"He's sleeping in my office."

All eyes turned to Gawain.

"He likes my couch, apparently. Fell asleep so quick and hard I checked his pulse a couple of times to make sure he wasn't dead." A slight quirking of lips. "He mentioned before he conked that the sleep is so deep that if I'd been ordered to torture information out of him, he'd have slept through some of it regardless of what I did."

Percival whistled. "Now that's a deep sleep."

"I tested it out with my knife a little, he didn't flinch."

Harry couldn't manage a death glare nearly as lethal as Gawain's, but he gave it his best shot.

"Easy, Boy. Or I'll have to remind you of your manners."

Gawain's lessons usually involved a lot of bloodshed and bones breaking, which was why, after the first time he'd been called in to teach some of the previous trainees, he'd never been asked again. And while Harry liked to believe that he could take the man in a fight…he'd end up in the hospital for quite a while afterwards. Which would definitely play hell with Harry's plans he had for Eggsy later, on top of the fact that he hated hospitals and was a terrible patient besides. They hated him in the med wing.

"Boys." Arthur's voice was dry. "Why don't you both go and get him. And remember how to share."

Merlin snickered, while Percival bit down on his bottom lip.

Both men received dark looks from Harry and Gawain before the two headed out of the room to do as ordered, walking side by side since neither was about to show the other his back or acknowledge the fact that yes, they were feeling a little territorial where Eggsy was concerned.

Though that being the case... "He managed to grow on you already?"

A pause that was long enough to make Harry think the older man wouldn't answer, and then he did. "I've figured out part of the reason I can stand him. Apparently there are three reasons in total."

"What's the first part?"

"None of your fucking business."

Okay then. Understood.

Thankfully their walk together was a short one, the silence noticeably uncomfortable until Gawain pulled ahead when they reached his office. Letting himself in without bothering to hold the door open for Harry, who just barely caught the door before it hit him, Gawain marched into the room and then gave Harry a dark look for daring to enter.

Harry rarely had cause to enter Gawain's office, no one save Arthur ever actively sought the man out unless it was work related, but apparently Eggsy was also the exception to that rule. Or at least the boy felt safe enough to basically slip into a temporary coma there, even with the most bloodthirsty and dangerous Kingsman in the room with him. Because as promised there Eggsy was, wrapped up in a blanket and dead to the world on Gawain's surprisingly comfortable looking couch. The boy had removed his socks and jacket, Harry could see them sitting off to the side, and while only Eggsy's head was visible, it was adorable how his hair was all tousled and sticking up.

Walking over to the couch Harry crouched down, his touch gentle as he lightly shook Eggsy's shoulder.

A nose crinkle, a sound of displeasure, and then Eggsy was turning around to give Harry his back, making it clear that he was in normal sleep at least, and not so drugged that he couldn't be woken up provided more force was employed.

So Harry slid his arms under the bundled up body and lifted, smirking when suddenly Eggsy was all motion as the other man twisted around to face him, arm pulled back with a hand fisted and ready to deliver what probably would have been an excellent punch if the boy hadn't locked eye with him first.

"A'rry. Livin dangerous, hmm?"

Loving the sleep thickened accent, it was sexy as hell, Harry had to consciously remind himself that they weren't alone in the room. "Time to get up."

"Never had that problem yet, Old Man."

Cocking an eyebrow Harry was about to respond when Gawain interrupted by way of telling Eggsy to get his ass in gear and get dressed. They had things to do.

"Yes, Sir."

And just that quickly Eggsy was extracting himself from the blanket and Harry's arms, donning his jacket and shoes quickly and efficiently before asking where they were going, his full attention on Gawain like Harry wasn't even in the room. Which did not please Harry one little bit as they left the office and started down the hallway together.

"Arthur wants to give you a shot at talking to King."

"Probably won't do any good, especially since back in my time we've spent years discussing all the way we wished he'd died instead of a quick one by poison. Bastard's got any instincts he'll know how much I want him dead. Does he know about Junior yet?"

"No."

"He might not care about that either, but I'll use it if Arthur gives the okay." A small smirk crossed Eggsy's lips. "Maybe I'll finally find out who was right about him."

"What do you mean, right about him?" Harry asked, wanting back in on the conversation.

"Whether he's evil or not. You can do evil without being evil, right? And Arthur, my Arthur, not yours, says that his father wasn't; that his belief that he knew what was best for the world warped his thinking to the point where he didn't understand right and wrong no more. The agents he didn't kill or get killed tend to see him as evil, which I agree with. But we're all biased to one degree or another, and I didn't know him as well as them."

"He's a gobshite is what he is."

"You tend to use stronger words than that in my time." The grin Eggsy sent Gawain's way spoke of deep affection and comradery.

"He killed agents?" Harry interjected. He'd guess he was one of them, but how many others had Ector seen executed before Eggsy had ended him?

"Classified. You all know too much already at this point. Sorry."

And they all knew that all the information they could want to know was in the device currently making a sizable bulge in Eggsy's jacket pocket, and wasn't that tempting as hell.

)

The room they were using for the questioning looked like a very upscale interrogation room with fine art on the walls and furniture that definitely hadn't been made in the past couple centuries. In Eggsy's own time it looked much more utilitarian, but he recognized some of the furniture and there was some comfort in that. And comfort was definitely in short supply as Eggsy took his seat across from the man he hated almost as much as Valentine. Some days he even hated King more. Mostly when he saw how the agents who'd gone on killing rampages under the influence of Valentine's chips and lived to have all those deaths on their consciences suffered. Not to mention the fact that Eggsy believed, would always believe, that if they'd had Harry V-day would have turned out so very differently. But the man before him had stolen Harry from them. Had sent Harry to his death.

God he wanted to reach over and snap the bastard's neck with his own two hands.

Sitting comfortably in his seat while looking like the average businessman faced with a boring, monotonous meeting, the younger version of Chester King Sr watched him with unreadable eyes while Eggsy did his best not to portray his desire to kill him. Not that the both weren't aware of their future history, but appearances had to be kept up.

"I hate you and you hate me. I think we can agree on that much, yes?"

"I don't know you."

"Oh I bet Junior played your death for you at the very least."

Those cold blue eyes narrowed slightly. "I already told Kay and Arthur everything I know. I have nothing to tell you, and I'm baffled, frankly, as to why any of them think anything can be gained, bringing you in here to talk to me."

"Personally I don't think you'll tell me shit either. I don't think you know anything important either. You never do."

"Attempting to play on my ego will get you nowhere, Boy."

"I'm no playing on your ego, Old Man. We both know yours is so over fucking inflated that the whole of London couldn't hold it if you didn't keep it packed down so well. I'm saying you know fuck all because you're a fuck up, just like your grandson. You see the world the way you want it to be and everything else that doesn't line up all straight and proper ain't worth your time and attention. I figure Junior was so convinced he had this in the bag that he told ya very little, not letting ya near Archimedes cause then you'd have found out all his dirty little secrets and he couldn't have that. So he probably showed ya the recording ofy our death on a laptop from a recording he stole, and kept Archimedes to himself. Covering his ass first, just like you would have in his shoes. So whoever the woman is we're hunting, she probably drilled it into his head ahead of time not to tell you about her, not wanting to risk you fucking things up by coming after her once she got rid of her messenger boy."

"Still haven't found him then?"

"Oh we found him alright. She just got to him first." And reaching into his pocket Eggsy pulled out the crime scene photos they'd gotten their hands on and tossed them down on the table to fan out in front of the other man.

With only the slightest hint of a tremor Ector leaned forward and gathered up the photographs, flipping through them one after another without a single change in expression. But when he spoke his words were clipped and hard, a hint of the predator Chester King hid so very well from the world.

"She killed him?"

"She did."