Author's Note: Wow, this has taken me a while. I'm really sorry for the long delay, it is definitely still ongoing. It's so ongoing that it's spawned a sequel and a prequel since I last posted (which is part of the reason it's taken so long), as well as possibly another two sequels (do you want to see their honeymoon? I think it'll be too mature for ). I've also been working on a story for the Reel_TW comm and that thing that I go to most days, and they talk at me about marketing and economics whilst I scribble ideas in notebooks... Oh, university, that's the one.

I'm not going to say that it's back on track, because I hate turning out to be wrong, but I'm past the sticky chapter.

Huge, enormous, massive thanks to everyone who has favourited this story or put it on alerts. I can't respond to you like I can to reviews, but I love you all just as much and you make me extremely happy.

Gordon got out of the car and ascended the wide stone steps to the entrance with Anthony and Ally a step behind him. The two UNIT soldiers by the door snapped to attention in synch with Major Sutkins' salute. "Prime Minister, it's an honour to have you here. Glad you could make it for today's talks."

"The president's delay is unfortunate, but he assures me he will make it in time for the opening dinner tomorrow," he squeezed Amanda's outstretched hand and allowed her to lead him inside. "I apologise for the short notice, but it is a matter of such import that I felt I had to attend, as I could."

"It's not an inconvenience, Prime Minister, we're most grateful that you could make it. Your input will be invaluable, I'm sure," she guided him through to a small sitting room. "Can I get you any refreshments?"

"Oh, a pot of tea, please. And could you let Mr Jones know that I'm here, please."

She smiled and passed the instruction on to a waiting soldier with a nod. "I believe that he's at breakfast at the moment, but I'm sure he'll join you once he's eaten."

"Thank you. I'm happy to wait in a quiet corner out of the way until the opportune moment to announce my arrival," when she bowed and left the room, he waved Ally and Anthony into chairs. "Do sit down, you two. You're making the place look dreadfully untidy."

Ally sank into an armchair with a smirk and relaxed to look around the room with open curiosity, whilst Anthony perched on the very edge of an overstuffed sofa. A waitress appeared with a pot of tea and three cups, and the message that Mr Jones would join them shortly. Ally's eyebrow quirked as she left. "I'm amazed they dare to send anyone to find Ianto, considering that he has a week with Jack."

Anthony sniffed. "I'm sure Captain Harkness can keep a sense of decorum at an event like this."

"Then you've clearly never met Captain Harkness," she told him coolly. "I bet they've christened every room in the house."

Gordon snorted and Anthony's back straightened even further. He opened a folder on his lap and turned his attention to the reports that they'd sent through for Gordon, tutting lightly as he read through them. Gordon's smile twitched at every tut, and Ally's eyebrows hitched ever higher. She tilted her head back to look at the ceiling, then got up to pace around the room and study the crowded bookshelves. The door opened on silent hinges and Anthony stood up rapidly; Ally turned and dropped her hand to her holster under her jacket, relaxing when the soldier stepped aside to let Ianto and Jack into the room. Gordon stood gracefully and invited them to sit. "Ianto, how is the conference going so far?"

"Very well, actually," he reached out for Jack. "You remember my fiancé Jack?"

"Of course," Gordon took Jack's hand and squeezed it. "How could I forget our gallant rescuer? Good to see you again, Jack. And many congratulations."

"Thank you, Prime Minister," he released Gordon's hand and sat next to Jack on the sofa that Ally had vacated. "It's good of you to join us today."

"I'm glad I could – Ianto's proposals are ambitious but, I think," he added to Ianto, "essential for the safety of the country. I hope that the talks go well today."

"Me too," he leaned forwards and clasped his hands in his lap. "London's getting ever more dangerous, we need a team stationed there permanently, and your office needs to be kept up to date with what we're facing. The day when we we can't hide any more is coming."

"How it hasn't come already, I don't know," he sighed. "People are so willing to believe the false, and yet the true is staring them in their faces and they simply can't see it."

"I was there on the Valiant when the Master introduced the world to aliens, I picked up the pieces after the Cybermen appeared in every home and the Daleks swarmed over the skies of London, I stood on the banks of the Thames when it was drained, and every time I listened to people lie to themselves about what they'd seen," Jack smiled dryly. "It'll end soon, though. And then we'll really be in the shit."

Ally leaned on the back of their sofa and nodded. "We need to be ready to move into the open, as well as able to increase our defences and react fast to threats. The sooner we can be open about it, the better."

"They day may come when we have to call on the population to help us – if Torchwood could have discovered Saxon and revealed him before he came to power, do you think he would have been stopped, Jack?" Gordon looked over to him.

Jack shrugged and shook his head. "Maybe, but we were so tangled up our own orifices at the time that we didn't see it. Didn't like him, but didn't see that coming."

"No one did, Jack. I worked with him and I didn't see it," Ianto told him gently.

Jack nodded and shrugged it off. "Had a breakdown on that one already this week, and that's quite enough of that. We should probably move and get ready for this discussion."

"Of course. Do I understand that you want to open the debate, Gordon?" Ianto asked.

"I do, I think that someone needs to speak for the British public," he mused. "They are paying the cost without knowing it."

"Rather you than me, that's all I have to think about for it to sound like a good idea. There's going to be a lot of opposition though."

"It's no one's business but ours, Ianto. We are offering them the chance to have an input, but the decision will be down to Her Majesty alone," Gordon put his teacup down and leaned back to study Ianto over his steepled fingers. "What do you think you owe them, Ianto?"

"A leader who can learn from other people's mistakes, rather than make my own. We can't afford to make them twice."

Jack stood up and went to the window. "We should go and find the room," he pointed out. "Before UNIT get all the good seats."

"Don't remind me," Ianto growled. "Alright, I'm coming."

Gordon watched their silent communication and stood when it reached the point where he felt like he was intruding on something personal. Ally got the door for them and stepped aside to let them out. The debate would be held in the former dining room, an elegant room which occupied the whole of the ground floor of the West Wing. A long oval table took up most of the length of the room between two huge fireplaces, and the room was lit by leaded picture windows along both long walls. Amanda and her staff were greeting people and shepherding them around the room, keeping the doorway clear for people to come in and keeping them circulating around the table. A few were already seated, talking in small groups and preparing their notes, with assistants being briefed by their superiors and briefing them in return. At their entrance, the quiet mutterings rose to a louder hubbub and Amanda moved smoothly through the crowd to distribute them around the room. "Prime Minister, Mr. Jones, Captain Harkness. Was everything to your satisfaction?"

"It was, thank you, Major Sutkins. How long do we have before we get under way?"

"Until everyone's here," she took his arm and led him away from Jack, Ianto and Ally, lamenting the late appearance – yet again – of the ubiquitous Archie. Anthony gave them a tight nod and followed him down the room, moving smoothly through the crowd and greeting the assistants even as Gordon was introduced to the leaders.

Ally caught Ianto's eye and shook her head. "Don't ask, really. Not until we're somewhere quiet and you can give me a large bottle of alcohol."

"Thanks for the warning," they reached their seats and he pulled Ally's out for her. "Have you met the Doctor yet?"

The Doctor's seat was next to Ally's, and Jack was on the other side of him, with Ianto between Ally and Gordon. Delilah was standing against the wall, looking torn between pride at being able to attend this meeting and utter aggravation, but she smiled at Ally's expression. "If you've heard of him, you'll cope."

"Oi, I am here," he protested, offering Ally his hand. "Nice to meet you, I'm the Doctor."

"So I understand," she shook his hand gingerly as if worried that it would explode, then sat down carefully. "Ianto's told me a lot about you."

The Doctor coughed and looked over to Ianto. "Should I be worried?"

Jack laughed, sitting down next to the Doctor. "Why? You never are usually."

"True, true," he agreed. "I've probably met scarier things than Ianto."

"I'll try harder then," he replied dryly. "Now, I don't want to worry anyone, but Archie has just arrived."

"Oh, now that does scare me," the Doctor looked around the room. "Who's Archie?"

"An experience not to be missed," Gordon clapped a hand on the Doctor's shoulder. "Doctor, it's an honour to meet you at long last."

He bounded to his feet and shook Gordon's hand fiercely. "Prime Minister Albion! Leader of the... no, wait, spoilers, can't tell you that. Steer clear of wasps, especially giant ones. Gordon..."

"Doctor," Gordon chided. "You're doing it again."

"I'm... again?"

"Spoilers, dear boy. Now do sit down; I think we're about to start."

The Doctor gaped at him, then grinned as he sat down again. "Brilliant, just... Brilliant."

Amanda clapped her hands from her place at the head of the table and everyone settled into their seats. "Thank you all for your attendance today. I'm sure that you're well aware of the implications of the proposals before us today, so I would like to introduce Prime Minister Gordon Albion, who we are very fortunate to have with us today, to introduce the proposals before Mr Jones goes through them in detail for us."

"Thank you, Ms Sutkins," he leaned forwards on the table and clasped his fingers together loosely. "You all know, far better than I, the dangers that we face from beyond our world. For over a hundred years now, Torchwood has provided a defence for this country and its territories by royal decree, and for forty two years UNIT has protected our world as a whole, yet another organisation of British foundation. What we have seen in recent years is that a global organisation on the scale of UNIT cannot respond quickly enough to crises on a local scale, and we have had to rely too often on the Doctor to save us and to see the small picture. Torchwood Cardiff is an example of an organisation which by focussing on the small scale, manages to keep the population of the city safe in a volatile environment.

"Whilst London is not as volatile as Cardiff, it is no less vital that we have a team stationed here and able to respond instantly to situations within the city and southern England. The draining of the Thames, the Slitheen takeover of Downing Street and the rise of the Master show us how vital this is. Since the fall of Torchwood One, we have relied on the sterling work of UNIT and occasional visits from the Doctor to resolve situations as they arise. Our proposals are to create a group which can respond to these situations when they start, not when they become dangerous.

"And now," he looked down to Ianto. "I would ask Ianto to lead you through the proposals in detail. Ianto?"

He nodded and swallowed back his nervousness. "Thank you, Prime Minister. As it has become clear that we need a permanent team in the capital, we have put together a proposed structure for a combined research and defence team to meet these needs. The team as it stands is made up of five people based at Downing Street primarily as a research team to inform the Prime Minister of extraterrestrial interactions, plus myself as a personal defence staff to the Prime Minister and inter-agency liaison. We propose a team of twelve stationed at the former Torchwood London base on the Embankment, divided into a team of six researchers and six defence personnel, led by Analyn Craig. The defence team would be an alert response team, employed by the day and on a rotational shift, ready to respond to any alerts at any time. The research team would be based during office hours except under exceptional circumstances.

"We have some proposals for staffing already, besides Ms. Craig as director," he smiled over at her and shifted his paper over, then launched into listing the people he'd sounded out for positions, the people who'd expressed interest and the offers of training and assistance he'd had. After that he went into funding proposals and guidelines, and finished with the proposed timetable for establishment, finishing with, "and we intend for the handover to be completed in the first week of June."

"Thank you, Ianto," Amanda cleared her throat and Ianto moved his hand to let Tybalt jump up into his lap, but kept him below the level of the tabletop. "Captain Harkness, have you anything to add before I open the floor?"

"Just my support for the idea. I remember the days back at the start of the last century when the much smaller teams were working at their optimum levels, and I would predict that we'll need smaller teams ready to respond and reassure the public on a very local scale when the day comes that we have to move into the open."

"Thank you, Captain, I think that's an excellent point," she offered, before turning back to look down the length of the table. "Before I open the floor, we're going to break for coffee. Please don't jump the gun, to save everyone asking the same questions over and over and over again, as will inevitably happen. Seventeen minutes, please."

Ianto smiled to himself and leaned back in his chair, turning to Gordon. "And if I never have to look at funding proposals again, I'll be extremely happy."

"You did well, Ianto," Gordon accepted a magically appearing cup of coffee and reached for a sugar lump. "This is the hard part now, though."

"I know," he sighed and sniffed suspiciously at the coffee he'd been handed. "Ally, are you ready to be cross-examined to death?"

"It won't be that bad," she protested, sliding her coffee onto the table and wiping her hands on her skirt. "I hope."

"You'll be fine," Jack told her. "You know the facts, any personal attacks will be on Ianto, who's really got nothing to do with it anyway."

"Thanks, Jack," he took another sip of the coffee and closed his eyes. "That makes me feel so much better."

"I'm trying to be reassuring, they'll just say that you shouldn't be in charge of it because of your Torchwood history and you can point out that you won't be in charge."

"And they'll start crying for my retirement instead," he sighed. "Although..."

"We'll think about it," Jack said softly. "Not yet, though."

"No, not yet," Ianto agreed, thinking that that probably meant 'not ever'.

Ianto's pessimism served him well, it turned out. The questions and comments were considerably less personal and direct than he'd had by email, the ones that not even Jack knew about. Apparently it really was harder to be vicious to someone's face. Without the personal questions to ask, it really was simple to give the information they requested, to clarify points of dispute and stand his ground when statements and requests became accusations and demands.

Gordon and Jack both watched him with quiet pride, adding their input when he requested it, but mostly content to stay quiet. He sank back into his seat gratefully when the questions stopped flowing, but he and Ally grinned at each other. As the delegates stood and the room started to clear, Gordon clapped him on the back. "A fine debate, Ianto. We'll make a politician of you yet."

"No, thank you," he laughed mirthlessly, turning slightly as Jack's hands came to rest on his waist. "Was that..."

"You were great," Jack kissed his cheek. "The ballot's this evening, isn't it?"

"Yes, after dinner," Ianto pulled Jack's arm up so that he could look at his watch. "Which is in half an hour."

"And the results are posted tomorrow," Jack laced his fingers through Ianto's before he dropped his arm and pulled Ianto's with it. "Do you want to change before dinner?"

"Just dump my jacket," he looked Jack up and down and smirked. "You're not changing, I take it?"

"No. Mind if I stay down here and schmooze whilst you run up there?"

"Of course not," he kissed the corner of Jack's mouth and patted his arse. "Play nice, and don't bring home any strays. Can I show you to your rooms?" he asked Gordon, Ally and Anthony.

Gordon shook his head. "I had better join Jack and share myself around."

"I'll come," Ally gathered her paperwork together and brushed her fringe back off her face. "I think I'll change into a skirt for the evening."

"Oh, yes?" Ianto slipped away from Jack and offered Ally his arm. "Are we going to be honoured with a view of your lovely legs?"

"You might, you know," she grinned over her shoulder. "Don't wait up for us."

Ianto bent to scoop Tybalt up and let Ally out of the room before him, then caught her up at the foot of the stairs. "We've got an entire wing to ourselves up here," he nudged her up the left hand sweep, trying to hold Tybalt away from his suit. "How have things been in London?"

"Oh, you know," she shrugged. "Archiving going well, Tiffany's contact in Japan has requested that she go and spend some time over there, and I dumped Anthony."

"I thought you might have done," he couldn't say he was surprised. "When did this happen?"

"Tuesday," she slipped her arm through his and leaned into him again. "He's an odious creature, why did you never tell me?"

"I seem to recall that I did, several times. And then you started dating him," he pointed out. "Let me guess, he's a prissy, egocentric, power hungry drama whore?"

"You forgot cheap," she added with a huff. "Do these stairs ever end?"

"Nearly there," he chuckled. "What room number have you got?"

"Seven."

"Oh goody," he steered her around the corner and opened the door onto the wing corridor. "You're right across from us, I do apologise for the screaming."

"Okay, leading comments," she pointed at his and Jack's room. "Dump your jacket, then come and spill the beans."

He laughed and cracked their door open just enough to throw his jacket onto the bed and nudge Tybalt through into the room, and turned back to her. "I'm all yours, gorgeous."

"Don't let Jack hear you say that," she pointed at the bed and moved her bag from where it had been left in the doorway. "Sit, talk."

"What do you want to know?"

"You and Jack," she waved her hands in a curving line. "I've been very good and not asked, but that was such a leading comment... who's the screamer?"

"Why don't I let you find out tonight?" he suggested with a leer. "You could even watch."

"No no no no no. Tell."

"Well, it depends," he laid back on the bed and grinned. "It really depends on who's in charge."

"He can make you scream?" she flopped on the bed next to him. "Does he move your world, is he..."

"Stop it, please stop it," he covered his face and winked at her. "He's... incredible."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," he propped himself up and rested his cheek on his hand. "Jack Harkness is fucking fantastic in bed. I've had massage therapists who didn't know what to do with their hands as well as he does, there's this thing and... And none of it matters, you know?"

"What!?"

"It doesn't," he shrugged. "Not really, not at the end of the day. It's nice, more than nice, but he's so... He's perfect, and he's with me. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night when he's still asleep, and even then he's smiling. He's just... he's gorgeous."

"And he loves you."

"Yeah," he smiled and flopped onto his back again. "He does, and I... You know, it was much easier talking about how good he is in bed and how gorgeous he is."

"You're... Ianto."

"Correct," he folded his hands behind his head. "Jack's the one who does emotions, not me."

"Then you're very boring, and I'm going to go and pester Jack for a while," she pushed herself upright and bent over to pull her bag open, then held up two dresses. "Gay man, which dress."

"Bisexual, I don't know."

"Look," she put her hands on her hips, still holding the dresses. "Either you're gay and fabulous or bi and I'm fabulous, surely you can at least tell which will make Anthony most jealous?"

"Oh, well if you'd said that instead of throwing idle stereotypes around," he propped himself up and waved. "Hold them up again?"

She did so and sighed. "It's basically boobs or legs."

"Yeah, I'd spotted that. I don't think I've ever seen your legs, though."

"That's a nice way of saying that it'd have to be something pretty special to make my boobs worth looking at, isn't it?" she dropped the longer dress back onto the bag and held the shorter one against he body. "Do you like the colour?"

"I do, it's..." he waves. "Purple. Purple's good."

"You're hopeless," she draped it over her arm and crouched down to rummage through her bag for her shoes. "Right, got them. I'll be two minutes."

"I could close my eyes?" he offered.

"Sure you would," she dropped her shoes on the bed and disappeared into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

When she emerged, Ianto was sitting on the bed, looking almost lost, and he didn't pull himself together fast enough. She sat next to him and dangled her shoes between her knees again. "Whether it comes off at the ballot tonight or not, Ianto, it'll go ahead. You'll go home."

"Yeah," he watched her shoes swinging slightly and nodded. "You know when you just can't believe that something will work?"

"Who doesn't? It doesn't mean that it won't, though."

"No, but it puts a dampner on the party mood," he pointed out with a smile. "Come on, Ms. Craig, you have an ex to impress."