The Torchwood team arrived quickly back at the Hub without any further interruptions from the trench coat wearing man. Moving the two men into the base however, was a different story; manoeuvring them out of the SUV, through the tourist office and into the concealed Torchwood Hub was an intricate and difficult task. What didn't help matters was the uneasy feeling that, whilst the unknown creature protecting the men was nowhere to be seen, there were eyes watching their every move, making sure that they were doing nothing wrong. Jack mused that it was almost as though God were watching them…but then he shook off this ridiculous thought. All of the terrible things he had seen, the vicious people he had met, the whole fact that he couldn't die; how could God possibly exist if they did?

Eventually though, the team crashed their way rather ungracefully into the Hub, much to the confusion of Dr Owen Harper.

"Hi gu-what the bloody hell is this?" he yelped, his voice raising several levels in pitch, nearly dropping the test tube in his hands. Owen had only intended to come out to greet the team and certainly wasn't expecting to see two unconscious men- well; he hoped they were unconscious- slumped over Jack and Ianto.

Jack, who had the taller man slung over his shoulder and was starting to go red from the weight, choked out, "Ask Tosh. Can't talk. Very heavy. Trench coat. Oi Vey…"

Tosh looked helplessly at her boss as he continued on his way to the cells, Ianto following him and Gwen looking nervously between Tosh and Jack. After a moment's hesitation and a cautious nod from Tosh, Gwen hastily followed Ianto, all the while watching for any sign that the two men were waking up. Owen and Tosh watched the trio disappear into the cells, Owen with varying degrees of confusion and perhaps a tad of admiration written on his face.

"Well Tosh? Would you care to explain why I just watched our boss and coffee boy drag a pair of cowboys into the cells? I thought we were looking for just the one shape shifter?" Owen rounded on Tosh the moment they were alone. She sighed and opened her mouth to begin to regale their resident doctor with the events of that evening.

"Ianto! For God's sake be careful!" Gwen hissed, watching as the Welshman dropped the shorter of the men rather unceremoniously into the cell. She had realised how the trench coat wearing man seemed to have more of an attachment to the shorter man, although if his watchful eyes were anything to go on, his bond with both of them men was impossibly strong. It was crucial that they didn't get as much as a scratch on these men. Jack had managed to put the taller man- whose hair was looking considerably like that of woman's Gwen mused- into the corner of the cell where he slumped against the wall. The other man was placed on the cot against one of the walls, his arm dangling off the edge and was that dribble she saw? Gwen smirked, before remembering that the team had no idea who or what these people were. It was kind of adorable though.

Jack, who was frowning as he stared at the man with shorter hair, was feeling an uneasy sense of familiarity. He was sure that he had seen both of these men before but for the life of him he could not place where. The men were American, so perhaps he had seen them on his travels to the States? But…no. That didn't seem right. For some reason, all he could think of when looking at them was…a pit. Screaming. Agony. The taller one in a cage. The shorter one yelling a name.

Sam.

Jack shook his head.

He couldn't think like that. No.

It was just a coincidence. He had never seen these people before. He didn't know their names.

Not at all.

Right?

Ianto placed a hand on his arm, shaking him out of his strange thoughts. "Jack?" the man asked softly, concern written over his features.

Jack blinked himself back to the present and grinned, reassuring him that he was fine. "Let's get outta here before they wake up. That is not a conversation I want to have unprepared," he chuckled but both Gwen and Ianto noticed the strain in his voice. They exchanged a look as they watched their leader stride out of the cell but chose to say nothing. This was Jack and it required a lot of work to get him to talk when he didn't want to. They would just have to wait.

Good job they were both pretty patient. (Well, Gwen liked to think she was but the reality was a little more skewed.)

The three shuffled back up the stairs and into the Hub, eager to stay away from the men until they knew exactly what they were. Tosh was sitting next to a rather dazed looking Owen who, after being told what had happened, had said that she should run a scan on the men. Tosh had grumbled that she was going to do that anyway and now the two were watching the scanner. The rest of the team huddled around the cell monitors, watching the men nervously. All five ignored the sound of fluttering wings, putting it down to the dodgy generators or Myfanwy making a nest again.

However, none of them could ignore what the sound heralded: the trench coat wearing man appearing in the cells, peering down at the men to see if they were ok, but not before shooting a glare at the cameras.

Dean awoke with a start, instantly feeling as though he was being watched and jumping- well, tripping- out of the cot he had found himself on to see if Sam was there, if he was okay. When he saw that his brother was unconscious and sprawled out on the floor, he breathed out a sigh of relief but the feeling was quickly replaced by a surge of anger. What the hell had happened?!

They weren't in the abandoned factory that was for sure. Instead, the Winchesters had found themselves in a small cell, with a glass wall on one side and yellow coloured rock surrounding the rest. Dean wrinkled his nose in disgust: it stank of sewage in here. He narrowed his eyes, squinting through the terrible lighting to see what was on the other side of the glass but couldn't make out anything in the gloom.

Groaning caused Dean to turn back around and to be nearly hit in the face by an angel. Cas was standing far too close again.

Dean coughed, gesturing for the angel to move out of his personal space. Cas took the hint and stepped back, allowing Dean to see that the source of the groaning had been Sam who was awake and rubbing his head.

"What happened Cas?" Dean asked, his voice sounding rougher than usual, looking towards the angel.

"After the two of you were knocked unconscious, the American and his team transported you to his base in one of those contraptions with wheels," Castiel replied, frowning as he tried to remember the name of the vehicle. Sam stood up slowly, leaning on the wall for support and staggered over to his brother.

"Great. Or, as Bobby would say: balls. They're gonna run tests on us or somethin'," Dean sighed, shaking his head and sitting down, seeing nothing better to do. He felt like kicking the wall but even that seemed pointless. Castiel looked at Dean, confusion glazing his eyes.

"I do not understand. What do testicles have to do with this situation? I hardly think that they will run tests on those. Will they?" the angel sounded alarmed.

(Up in the Hub raucous laughter could be heard and the pained grunt of Owen falling out of his chair in his hysteria.)

Dean groaned and put his head in his hands. "Mother of God."

Sam smiled slightly. "Just an expression Cas." The angel nodded in understanding, although his confusion at the human race was only deepened. "So what are we gonna do? Can you zap us outta here?"

Castiel opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted by Dean who jumped up from his seat on the cot. "NO...I mean, no. They'll probably come and get us when they realise that we're human and that you"-Dean motioned to Cas warningly- "probably won't harm them."

"You just don't wanna get zapped twice in the same day!" Sam complained.

"Shut up."

"Fine," Sam grumbled. "So what's the plan? We gonna lie or tell the truth?"

Dean looked affronted. "Why the hell would we tell the truth?"

Sam pointed behind him through the glass. "Cos there's a camera watching us and it's probably heard every word that we've said."

Dean whirled around and cursed his eyesight when he saw the blinking light from the camera that he had not seen earlier. "Ah crap."

"Plus, they seem like experienced hunters. I think they know what they're doin' Dean," Sam insisted.

"I do not think that we should tell them the truth. I suggest that we wipe their memories of us and go on our way. I do not think that they will cooperate," Castiel interjected, making the brothers turn around. Did he not hear about the cameras?

The Winchesters exchanged weary glances.

"Cas," Dean said slowly, watching the angel carefully. "What happened after we collapsed? What did you do?"

The angel looked nervous, fidgeting and looking everywhere but at the brothers. Dean felt a bad sense of foreboding.

"Cas," he warned. "Did you threaten them?"

"I may have threatened that should they injure either of you, that I would smite them. It is not of import," Castiel waved his hand, now seemingly interested in a spot behind Dean's head. "Although, I did not use the word smite," he added as an afterthought. "Perhaps kill?" Cas made a face, looking sheepish.

Dean threw up his hands, exasperated and Sam started to massage his temples, feeling a headache coming on.

"Well that is fantastic," Dean muttered sarcastically, sliding down the wall and sitting on the floor of the cell. Sam joined him, sliding his long legs so that they were scrunched up in front of him, and leaning his head against the wall. The two of them looked forlorn at best and Castiel was beginning to understand what feeling awkward was like.

Perhaps they shouldn't have come here.

AN: Thanks for reading this far! As per usual, reviews are much appreciated!