A/N: Yeah I know....I'm bad! So sorry to take so long to finish this off, modern day life seems to be getting faster and faster!
Many thanks to those who are reading this and have stuck with the story through some erratic postings from the owner! I will try to be better next time!

Epilogue

It was a perfect day really, the sun shone like a beacon, bathing everything in its path with a warm glow that could be felt from the inside out.

Beginning the arduous task of drying out the ground after the wet winter, the sun was a welcome sign that the seasons had changed.

Captain Jack Harkness watched his team as they made their way through the park. It was strange to see them framed by lush greens for a change instead of the grey of the hub. It looked good on them.

But even in this new environment, they were still working.

Owen was lagging behind them, on the phone to the hospital checking on the mother they pulled from that house of horrors only a few days before. Tosh and Ianto were discussing the scan they had run and were still running on the area surrounding that house, trying to get some sort of idea about who had targeted the family and why. So far, to the extreme frustration of all of them, their search had yielded no results.

"That's great, yeah thanks for that…..yeah bloody oath she's lucky! Thanks for the update."

Owen shut his phone as he caught up with the rest of them.

"So I take it the mother pulled through?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, although god knows how."

"Well they needed a break. You do good work Dr Harper."

Jack smiled as his medic squirmed, shrugging off the compliment.

"So what have you two found?" Owen indicated to Tosh and Ianto, deflecting the attention.

"Nothing as yet," Tosh sighed, blowing out a sigh of exasperation.

"We're working on a deeper scan, widening the search for energy signals we haven't scanned for yet. Ianto thinks we could try modifying the Sontaran scanner we picked up a few weeks ago."

"Anything's worth a try Tosh."

They approached a clearing which was filled with dignitaries and commoners alike, all seated in chairs lined up before a small platform stage set up for the ceremony to follow.

The little group huddled under a tree on the outskirts of the ceremony perched like fringe dwellers, aliens to the event that was about to take place.

Jack turned his head back the way they had come to summon his last team member.

"Come on Gwen Cooper! It's about to start."

Gwen was still chatting to her fiancée but eager now to get him off the phone.

"Yes love I'm here, I told you I would be……….up on the west bank……yes that's us…..of course they are all here……ok talk to you after, it looks like it is starting. Love you."

She ended the call and took up position near Tosh.

"He's nervous."

She flashed a smirk to the group as a man in a police uniform rose to address the gathering.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, honored guests, welcome to today's proceedings. We are gathered here to pay homage to those people in our community who have acted above and beyond the parameters of human endurance. Today we will celebrate the bravest of our community from those in our emergency services to our police men and women, to everyday people. Without further ado, I would like to hand over to The Mayor to present the following awards."

They started with the police, their stories of bravery and survival awing the crowd. The Torchwood team momentarily stunned when a familiar face climbed the platform as PC Andy Davidson's tale of heroism drifted over the sound waves of the park. They clapped and cheered loudly when he shook the hand of the Mayor, the red glow of his cheeks visible even from where they were standing.

Next came the civilian awards and the reason the team had gathered there. Jack watched Gwen's face glow with pride as Rhys walked up to the stage, his glow almost matching Andy's as he was greeted with raucous cheers from the team , earning some stern glances from the more stitched up member s of the crowd.

If only you knew…… Jack thought. They are the reason you are all sitting there, safe.

It was hard to take credit when you were meant to be a secret organisation but sometimes it would be nice to have a little credit being pushed their way.

Jack felt a very familiar hand slip into his and he grinned, squeezing back just a little. A small voice whispered in his ear.

"We don't want nor need some ceremony Jack. "

Jack stared at Ianto amazed at his ability to know what he was thinking.

"Come on, ceremony is over and lunch is on Jack" Ianto offered on Jack's behalf, making sure everyone heard.

"Christ Jack! Twice in a few days, you are officially starting to freak me out."

"Shut up Owen and get back to the SUV before I make you finish all that paperwork."

"Lips are sealed, Jack. I swear."

He grabbed Tosh's hand and started the walk back.

"Gwen, go get your hero. Like Ianto said, lunch is on me."

Tugging on Ianto's hand, they started their own walk back. Bringing Ianto's hand to his lips, he kissed it gently. "Thank you."

"For volunteering your credit card?" Ianto asked, a smirk plastered on his face.

"No, and enough with the benevolent boss thing ok? Owen's gonna think I'm easy."

"You are, Jack."

"Only where you are concerned Yan."

The smirk grew wider and it was simply the most beautiful thing Jack had seen in quite a few days.

"Tell me, how did you know the team would come in that morning all together?"

"Ahh, I'll never reveal my sources, Jack." Ianto said, now grateful he had deleted Tosh's text message after he had replied to it.

Jack nodded, knowing it was useless to try and pry information out of his Welshman.

"Thank you Ianto. You're still here, willing to fight."

"Always. Now stop being a soppy sod." Jack gasped as Ianto wound his hands around his back, cupping his hand on Jack's arse.

"Sooner we get this lunch over, the sooner you can start thanking me properly."

"What did you have in mind?"

"I'm sure you can think of something."

Ianto squeezed Jack's ass and smirked cheekily before letting go breaking into a run for the SUV.

Jack threw his head back in laughter and chased after his hero.

The hero that had saved him more times than he cared to count.