20

"I knew all along that they were coming" Jack said with a look of disinterest as he tried to make out it was not a big deal, the beach swamped with expensive suits and dark framed glasses, clipped English voices and Ianto warily eyeballing him from the sidelines.

"you knew he was a Kingsman?" Owen asked with incredulity.

"No." Jack sighed as he looked at Owen like you would a small child asking about Santa Claus "I knew they were watching us. They are involved in this, clearly they decided to intervene when we got a little…ah…cornered."

Owen pointed at Ianto "HE IS ONE!"

"Owen. This is Ianto. He has worked here for… gods. Ianto? Two? Two years since the Tower fell?"Jack frowned.

"Yes sir, almost three now. I have been with Torchwood for approximately ten years all up … you lot pinched me from the classroom when I was 16. Worked in the archives ever since."

"Ah. See?" Jack said with triumph.

"He fudged his file…remember? That black woman in the lower chambers that was infected with that… whatever the fuck it ws that made her want to eat our faces off? Not in a good way?" Owen said.

"Owen! We agreed to NEVER mention Lisa. Ianto made a mistake, he thought she was still human. That virus was …well … it mutated her to a state that was no longer compatible with humanity. Ianto knew … he was merely caught up in something that was beyond his control … that outbreak took down an entire city block and we are just lucky that we managed to contain it." Jack bristled openly "And we agreed… like you trying to save your Katie when she had that bomb trapped to her … we would never mention it ….again."

"Katie?" Gwen blinked "Who's Katie?"

"Exactly" Jack pointed at her "We don't talk about our past mistakes here. Life it too short and this division filled with the 'what might happen' not 'what did' helps no one."

"The virus… look. I never bought that." Gwen said angrily "Some man-made virus that got loose on the bowels of the glass tower, turning those who came in contact with it into some sort of..of…of…"

"Zombie" Owen supplied "They turned into Zombies! Flesh eating, Zombies!"

"Right" Gwen rolled her eyes, "Zombies that rampaged through the place turning everyone they could and Ianto just happened to get the love of his life out of there before she turned and bring her here, hide her in the cell down there and then quietly feed her from road kill for all this time!"

"Maybe I fed her people that mocked me" Ianto added, her face changing as she took a step towards him and Jack grabbed her arm.

"Whoa there … that's enough. Gwen. You know as well as anyone the desire to save comes at a price. Now… that's an end to it!"

"I still say he is more than he lets on" she agreed with Owen "No way he is clever enough to be one of these here bastards but a bastard he is, all the same. I think he's Hoodlum."

"Well … maybe I ran with them occasionally in my youth" Ianto admitted truthfully, his eyes dancing with mirth now as Owen face palmed.

"See!" Gwen hissed, now shaking a finger at Ianto like an old woman trying to lay a curse on him or something.

"That's enough. I mean it. Come on, they are looking at us … Christ, we must look like amateurs bickering like this" Jack snarled straightening as the man who seemed to be in charge walked confidently toward them, the eye patch unnerving and as he came to a stop the walking one behind him kept walking as Jack blinked. "Eggsy?"

"Sir" Eggsy nodded politely as he slipped around him and reached out to Ianto, handing him something then walking of again as Jack focused in the older man who looked almost edible. Almost. He was a good looking man but he was no Ianto Jones, if ya get what I mean. Owen watched Ianto slip something into his pocket, then turn to Owen and wink. Gammy bastard!

"Captain, we can clean this mess up. Best you get your people home for a good hot toddy or something" the man said smoothly "Beastly thing. Bloody Blobs. Who would have thought, been a long time since the government spooks stuffed this one up, eh? Thank you for your help here .. we hope we didn't keep you from your other cases."

"Not at all" Jack reached out to shake the man's hand, his affection clear as he squeezed the hand and winked in such a quietly… familiar way… before turning to his team and ushering them toward the docks and the boat waiting to take them home "Come on kids. Home for some popcorn and a movie, eh?"

Ianto raised an eyebrow as he nodded to his uncle politely before he followed his team, looking back once with a soft sigh as those he once lived with, worked with, trained with got on with the business he had given up for the greater good.

And the punishment.

For not getting to the virus in time.

Gods, but that did chafe.