A/N:

Ok, I feel like a twit, I COMPLETELY forgot to point out for anyone who hasn't caught it yet, the marvelous Sidlerocks has written a follow up to Forget Not Me called Interlude, Tale of Kam Anders. It is a truly a must read ;-)

…………………………………………………

Chapter Two: On the Job Training

…………………………………………………………………..

If asked thirty minutes ago what was the most frightening half an hour he'd ever spend in a moving vehicle, Tim McGee would have immediately said driving with Ziva David for the first time. Ziva had learned to drive in Israel, not that Tim would hold that against the Israeli equivalent of the DMV. He was sure that most Israelis were conscientious and even courteous behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. Ziva was another story. She was skilled, most definitely, but call the first time he'd been a passenger when she was behind the wheel 'harrowing' would have been an understatement.

Her driving, however, paled by comparison to Jack's. Weaving in and out of rush hour traffic, Tim was certain he wasn't going to survive his first hour, let alone his first day at Torchwood. When Jack finally pulled the SUV to a halt in a no-parking zone (official vehicles only, the sign said), Tim was only too happy to get out.

"Where did he learn to drive?" He muttered at Ianto in a quiet tone. The Welshman seemed completely unflustered by his partner's driving… then again, he gave the impression that very little got to him.

"On this planet?" The Captain answered the question of his drivers' education for himself, having overheard – Tim looked embarrassed that he'd overheard. Jack flashed a good natured grin in the younger man's direction, joining him and Ianto on the curb. "Nineteen twenty something, I think. Didn't really trust those first cars all that much. Never trusted horses much, either," he shrugged. "Give me a good pair of boots, though…" he flipped open his wrist strap and began checking for residual rift energy.

"Is he… are you…?" Tim looked from one man to the other and then back again… he'd heard of hazing the new kid and he'd put up with an awful lot from Tony and Kate…

"Quite serious," Ianto replied as if he were, indeed, quite serious. "Here," he handed over a piece of equipment a little larger than an old PDA as Jack heading off down the street.

Tim paid careful attention to the Welshman's instructions on how the energy detector worked. He wished he had something to write it all down on… even thought here were just a couple of knobs, there seemed to be a lot that the one little piece of equipment could do.

Tim wondered again what he was doing there. Run of the mill criminals and psychopaths were one thing… But somewhere in between inter-dimensional aliens trying to take over the earth by stealing the bodies of the dead and how Torchwood London was more or less responsible for the Daleks continued existence in this reality… coupled with the fact that it was definitely neither the first nor last time Earth would see alien invasion... Tim had accepted a position he knew he was wholly unqualified for.

Abby was brilliant, he understood what she was doing here, but him…? He was a good investigator, he supposed, he had degrees in computer forensics and biochemical engineering from MIT and Johns Hopkins respectively. He knew he was smart... McGeek...

"Why… why do you do this?" the words tumbled out of Tim's mouth almost entirely on their own.

"Beg pardon?" Ianto queried.

"I mean... I understand why somebody has to do what you do, but why you... why him…?" he glanced in the direction Jack had taken off in. On second thought, he could see why Jack. He doubted Jack felt under qualified for anything. "You said you looked over my record…what in my college transcripts said 'qualified to fight aliens?"

Ianto smiled, seeming to understand. "There is no training course for something like this at University, Mr. McGee. No job that can truly prepare you for what we do. Before I came to work for Jack, I was a junior researcher for Torchwood London. Believe me, it was very 'junior'." He added. "What I learned about field work, tracking down aliens, handling alien technology, I learned from Jack. Nobody is expecting you or anyone else to come into this knowing everything there is to know about extraterresterial life. Just do your best."

"I guess I'm feeling a little overwhelmed," admitted Tim; he knew he couldn't be sure, but Ianto looked younger than he was… he looked like a kid… but he seemed so… calm. "You guys don't really have pet pterodactyl, do you?"

"Her name's Myfanwy," the Welshman answered in a smooth tone, "and she's taken quite a liking to Abby. Although I think that's because she spoils her worse than I do," he added with a wry grin. He had caught Abby sneaking Myfanwy chocolate bars at least once a day and she was starting to get chubby as a result. "Now… for right now, we're just looking for residual rift energy," his tone remained patient as he turned the other man's attention back to the energy detector. "Chances are it's nothing."

Tim felt dubious. "How often is it nothing?"

"Quite often, actually. We get a lot of random junk."

"Like curling irons?" he tried for a joke, hoping it would be well received.

Ianto's smile was heartening, "Like curling irons. Come on. I'll go around this way, you take the opposite direction. If you do find something call for back up." He'd already outfitted Tim with a com on the way downtown. "And remember, if anyone asks…"

"Torchwood," he replied with more confidence than he felt.

"Jack and I won't be far."

Tim nodded and headed down the street in the direction he'd been told to go.

Ianto waited until he was out of sight to contact Jack on a private channel, "Do you really think this was such a good idea? He seems a bit nervous."

"You saw that blip on the Mickey's computer. It's probably nothing more threatening than an intergalactic desk set," came Jack's reply.

"I don't know, Cariad. I've seen some pretty scary desk sets in my time," Ianto teased back, glancing at the energy detector. He had to admit, whatever it was, it wasn't giving off much energy. While that made him feel better about the possibility of the latest 'rift gift' not being anything dangerous, it made tracking it down on the busy street extremely difficult. He switched frequencies, "Tim?"

"I'm here. I'm heading around the building into the alley. Erm… over and out…" he added hesitantly.

Ianto just barely held back his chuckle. He was sure he'd been just as nervous on his first day, although for very different reasons, only half of which he wanted to think about now… the good half. Jack on top of him in that warehouse…him on top of Jack... how much he'd wanted to kiss him then and there… "It's not necessary to end with over and out," he said in a carefully neutral tone. "Just keep your eyes open."

"Coms, too," Jack added in a dry tone. "That means you, Mr. Jones."

"Are you ever going to let me live that down?"

"Not likely." Jack's smirk was audible.

With a sigh, Ianto went back to the task at hand…

……………………………………………………………………….

Tim took a quick little breath and let it out…and another, and another… quick short breaths were better for calming the nerves than big long breaths. At least that's what he'd read. He wasn't sure precisely what he was nervous about. Just because it was his first day on a new job, a job he hadn't come here looking for or, once it was brought up, that he'd intended to take. Just because, he realized, he was wearing his only suitable work outfit… not that he had any idea what the dress code really was…

Just because he hated uncertainty, even the mundane uncertainty of not knowing what he was supposed to wear…

"Just because I'm in some alleyway behind Cardiff city hall looking for something that could either be a pez dispenser from outer space or a pint sized atom bomb…" he checked the read out on the energy detector again and tapped his com, "I think I'm getting something." He quickened his pace down the alley as his heart beat louder in his ears.

Tim rounded the corner at the same time as Ianto did, on the other side of the alley. Tim saw it first, however, a battered sphere no bigger than a bowling ball. He felt himself let out the breath he hadn't even been aware he was holding. It was nothing. No flashing lights, no waving arms… no inhuman voice threatening to exterminate… Tim couldn't help but shudder at the memory of that day, several months long past, when the earth received the first concrete proof of extraterrestrial life… horrible, inhuman…

But this was nothing like that. It was just a battered metal ball… heck it might even be some child's toy. Somewhere on some strange planet, there might be some alien kid wondering why he couldn't find his ball.

Tim took a step closer to get a better look at it… he heard the loud 'popping' sound, but not in time to get clear...