7

"There you are" Ianto said as he found Jack standing near blast doors.

"Hey… they want me to walk dirt while we are on the dark side… therapy of sorts" Jack replied.

"They did the same with me after… something bad happened and I was told to face it. Sounded stupid but I did it and it did feel better" Ianto assured him then smiled "But you can't go without this."

Ianto held up a stilton, similar to his own but with some little pips marking around the crown of it. Jack gaped as it was also the greyish blue of his Great Coat. "I didn't know you could get them uniform colour!"

"Can't, I had it made" Ianto laughed "I know you like mine and believe me… the shade across your eyes does help cut the view to panoramic… makes it not seem so… vast. I figured they would make you walk and once I had my hat I could face those walks more."

Jack accepted the hat and placed it on, then asked "How do I look?"

"Handsome, roguish… maybe a little like a cowboy but also a little like a villain" Ianto said, then grinned "A really sexy one of course."

Jack grinned back as Ianto looked a little embarrassed, turning to look out the glass "Come on. I will walk with you, I have to go over there anyway."

"I thought white shirt day was a no walking day?" Jack laughed then Ianto pointed to one of the admin buildings and Jack nodded "Bosses don't care. Right. I will come with."

They began the trek. The dust greeting them, rising to waft about knee height as they walked. Something that was weird and alluring was the way it swirled, like a sentient creature. Fucking stuff.

They entered the building and Jack looked around with interest as Ianto raised a hand to the receptionist who nodded politely and hit a button then nodded at Jack. Ianto didn't pause or falter as he threw at her "He's with me."

They entered a room with many chairs, tables and a large viewing platform. Jack looked around with interest as Ianto approached someone and then Jack saw someone he didn't think he would see here "Johnty?"

John turned to smile at his old friend, glad to see him in person and so... alive "Nice hat there cowboy!"

"Hey" Jack let his hand slap into John's elbow as the two men shook hands the traditional Boeshanninan way. Ianto turned from his conversation to see the two men together and paled slightly as he recognized the man Jack was talking to with open delight in their body language.

"Is that Hart?" he hissed

"Yes, he is here for the investigation into the… sir?"

Ianto was already stalking away, determined to place space between himself and the man he knew would only needle and upset. Hart. Well… fuck. He entered a side room and his companion followed. "sir?"

"Sorry. Look… the intel looks solid… run it up the flag pole with HQ… see if we get the go ahead for the surveillance" Ianto tried to focus on his task "This is good work Gordon. Good work indeed."

"Thanks Boss!"

Ianto clapped him on the shoulder and then with a grimace he returned to the main room where the two men still stood, walking towards them calmly as John turned to look at him.

"Hey, here he is. Ianto... this is…"

"John Hart. We've met" Ianto said evenly, not offering his hand in welcome.

John stared at him then leaned back with surprise "A tail. A Meatstick with a tail… I should have known it was you Jonesey."

"You are a long way from home Hart" Ianto warned "what are doing you here?"

"I might be, but I am here by choice, not as punishment. And I don't have to tell you anything Meatstick!" John snapped back.

"Hey!" Jack said with shock at the open animosity between the two men "Let's calm down here."

Ianto stared at John long and hard then turned to walk away snarling "I am calm."

"I will talk to you later… I have work to do" John whispered to Jack, turning to watch him hurry after Ianto with open concern.

.

.

The evening meal was in relative silence, Ianto seemingly away with the clouds as Jack played with his daughter instead and after the nanny and child were gone, just the two of them remained along with the pregnant silence.

"How do you know John?"

"Captain Hart assisted the man who led the investigation into the failure of the Radiant's shields" Ianto said as he plucked at the food he had not consumed.

"Yes. That's right. My brother was on that vessel. Gray. That is how he died. Fucking arseholes sending a vessel into battle that did not have working shields… they didn't stand a chance" Jack replied angrily.

"It had shields… they were disengaged" Ianto corrected as he sat back "There was someone who wanted to see what the hull integrity was but the self shielding always kicked in. The Reliant was due an overhaul six months prior, one of the issues was the shielding ability to be altered. They knew this… rejected the overhaul bill and go it sent back out so they could have their data. It was supposed to be skeleton crew who knew the odds and would use the escape pods… well… this was the official stance of the Agency."

Except it didn't happen.. it was sent into a battle zone at full capacity and … well… all were lost" Jack canted his head "How do you know the real sorry, not the official one?"

"I was there. I was on the Formidable, I heard the orders and … when the report came back on an open channel that the ship was not supposed to be there… we all knew. We tried to help them, sent them messages but.. Meatsticks on board that took those messages… I think did not pass them on… we think they did not relay the warnings to those in charge… they were good loyalists who did as they were told and died for the cause."

"How do you know all this?" Jack asked again.

"Because… I am an Agent for the Agency.. not just military. I was trained as a sniffer."

Jack stared with surprise at him as he admitted to being one of the seekers of justice who was sent to a site to get a real story out of those who lied to cover their arses. Like an assassin, but with words. Scarier than legals.

"Shitty job, sent here" Jack finally said.

"Punishment… for what I found. Reported back. Not a team player. Can you imagine that? I found the cause was one of their pets and got punished for it. I was dropped a rank, officially named as one of those giving orders and wound up here." Ianto waved a hand around dismissively "But… for the record Captain… I still maintain that your brother and his crew were murdered as sure as that bastard had lined them up and blown their brains out one by one, all for his data."

Jack shook his head as he rose from his chair, heading to his room to sit an ponder the conversation. Grey had died … needlessly… on purpose?

How the hell did Ianto know this when everyone else did not?

Was this the truth?