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wanda1969Author: wanda1969
Rating: PG- I don't think there's anything dodgy in here
Summary: Torchwood characters shoehorned into a rather unexciting Charlie's Angels adventure! No Charlie's Angels characters in this though!
A/N: This fic is gwen-bashing.
I had never written any fiction (or, indeed, posted anything at all on the internet) until recently when I posted Jack's Angels for AGA. Some very, very overwhelmingly kind comments have resulted in this sequel! I meant to post this sooner, but, you know, real life ie work getsin the way......
This is completely unedited or corrected by anyone but me! So any mistakes are my own. PS despite working with (not part of) the police, I have no idea about UK police hierarchy, so I suspect I may have my ranks wrong! Hey ho! In 2 parts due to livejournal saying my post was too big!
Jack's Angels II: The Unfortunate Return of Gwen Williams.
Part 2
Ch6
It was 10 am on Saturday morning and Jack and the two Angels (and Ianto) were meeting at Torchwood Villa. Gwen had called and insisted she was ready to return to work after her miraculous recovery. Ianto had told her to call around at 11 am; he and Jack had decided that that would give them enough time to go over the Council case before she arrived.
“Hi there, Angels! What have you got for me?” Jack grinned sitting down on the empty Chesterfield sofa, giving Tosh and Johnson a wink as they sipped at their coffees.
Tosh was first. “Hart. All the files I downloaded point to the funds going missing whenever he’s been the one signing the monies off. And then the funds just disappear. And he’s been looking...shifty. The office went to the pub last night, and he spent quite a bit of the night on his mobile, and he looked far from happy. He got a text at about 8, 8.30 and his face looked like thunder, kept looking at me.”
She continued, “I walked home, but couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was following me. You know- footsteps and stuff. Every time I turned round I couldn’t see any sign of anyone. I’ve had the flat completely deadlocked all night. And I came here the long way round, checked I wasn’t being followed”
“Grey spent a lot of time on his ‘phone. Disappeared back to the office just before 8 and came back just after 8.30...” Johnson interrupted. “And we’ve already noticed he doesn’t let anyone else deal with Hart’s files....”
Jack smirked at Tosh, trying to make light of the situation, “What do you reckon, Toshiko? A secret admirer, or do you think someone, possibly Hart, is on to you?”
“Wouldn’t suprise me, Jack. Whoever deleted the files is good. Good enough to put in alerts, I think, in case anyone accessed the hard drive and the files...”
“So you could be under threat?” Jack paused, “And whether it’s Hart, or somebody else, I’m guessing that, because you’re not a permanent employee they think they could get to you and it wouldn’t be too noticeable. Hell! If they go for it this weekend, they can just say you didn’t turn up for the second week....frighten you off...”
“We need to keep you under surveillance this weekend, Tosh,” said Ianto as he glanced between Jack and Johnson.
“IF,” Johnson said, “they ARE on to Tosh, we’ll need to keep an eye on them both. I can’t see Hart being the heavy in this, though. He’s more likely to let Grey do the dirty work. I could keep an eye on Hart- I’m convinced that it’s Grey we have to worry about.”
“Well, that means that Ianto and me can do part of the surveillance and...” Jack started as the doorbell rang. “That’ll be Gwen.”
There were sharp intakes of breath around the library as Ianto stood and left the room to answer the door, and Johnson muttered out loud, “Hell!”
Moments later, Ianto showed Gwen into the room, opening the door and gesturing for her to walk through.
She glanced round the room exclaiming, “Ooh, Tosh, Johnson, Ianto- it’s so good to be back!” before her eyes, going wide, settled on Jack. “And it’s nice to see you again, Jack!”
Ianto rolled his eyes before perching on the back of Tosh and Johnson’s sofa. He noticed that Gwen had excelled herself; she was wearing tight black jeans and knee length, five inch heeled boots and possibly one of the lowest cut, figure hugging T-shirts that he’d ever seen her wear. She plonked herself down on the vacant seat next to Jack, just as she had a few days earlier.
“It’s just so great to be back, and now you all seem to be working so closely together...looks like things have got a lot...better since I left!” she turned herself towards Jack and grinned. Secretly, Ianto felt it was more like a grimace.
“Now Gwen, you’ve been out of the business for some time. I think it’s wise that you take things slowly. You know, less of the action part of the job...more of the planning and liaison.” Jack glanced at the Angels, who were gritting their teeth, much as Ianto had done when he’d found out a few days earlier that Mrs Williams’ memory had returned.
“Jack, I feel perfectly alright,” she purred, “I know, you’re worried about me but it feels like I’ve never been away.”
“Well, you’re going to have to take it easy. We’re going to have to see how you react to coming back.” He paused, “We’ve got a case at the moment- Ianto and I are keeping Tosh under surveillance this weekend. You could join us but we’re gonna have to keep an eye on you, just to make sure you’re OK.”
Ianto quickly interrupted. “Jack, why don’t Gwen and I pair up for the stakeout? We can help each other out.” From his point of view it was infinitely better for him to be paired with the policewoman. The way she was looking at Jack, he would be much happier if Gwen was with him, rather than Jack, whatever his feeling about spending a day confined in the Torchwood transit with her. Ianto saw the palpable disappointment on Gwen’s face.
There was something akin to relief on Jack’s face before he smiled and spoke. “Excellent idea, Yan! How was Rhys about you coming back? Because you could join us this afternoon- it could take the weekend, though, before we’re sure Tosh is safe.”
“No problem, Jack, I’ve spoken to Rhys. He’s happy for me to get back to work. To something I enjoy. That I’m good at!”
At least three people in the room took a sharp intake of breath...Gwen’s eyes hadn’t moved from Jack’s.
“’Phone him, Gwen. I’m not having Rhys worrying about you. If you do come back today, he’ll have no idea where you are!”
Gwen pouted slightly and removed her ‘phone from her back pocket as she left the room and made her way to the hall to call her husband.
“Well at least I’m watching Hart,” Johnson grinned, before she looked pityingly over at the Torchwood co-ordinator, “unlike poor Ianto...”
“Someone’s got to do it.....” he trailed off as Gwen re-entered the room.
“Well, that’s sorted,” she said brightly, and she placed herself back on the couch next to Jack.
***
Ch 7
Ianto had been sitting in the Transit van (emblazoned with the legend ‘Penarth Plumbing’) with Gwen since just before 1 o’clock that afternoon. It was now close to 10 o’clock. The nine hours had passed painfully slowly. The only respite had been when Ianto had had to quickly excuse himself to go to the nearby Starbucks to use the loo and buy their (rather substandard, in his view) coffee. They’d eaten a couple of sandwiches each, and he’d listened to Gwen explain how her skills just hadn’t been appreciated over at Bridgend. He’d also had to endure her constant texting to Rhys during which she took absolutely no notice of Tosh’s flat and the surrounding streets. To some extent, Ianto couldn’t complain. Every half hour or so, he himself had been receiving some rather suggestive texts from Jack, in addition to the bluetooth team communications from Jack who was stationed outside Grey’s house in what appeared to be (to the untutored eye) a clapped-out Cortina.
She eventually paused. “So, how long has Jack been back in Cardiff?”
“Not sure.....five months, maybe six...I think.”
Gwen looked thoughtful, before she smiled, “So he was probably just coming back over when I had my accident. Probably to get to meet m........us all?”
“Maybe,” he dissembled.
“He’s younger than I expected,” she said dreamily. “And more...dashing. Heck, he’s damned good looking!” There was another pause. “Bet he’s got loads of women after him. Has he got a girlfriend, do you know?”
Ianto wasn’t sure what to say, “Not really my place to say. I don’t know....”
Luckily, or unluckily, it was at that moment that Jack hissed through the headset. “Grey’s left the house and he’s driving off. I’ll follow him. If we’re right, I’ll be seeing you two shortly.”
They were right. Quarter of an hour later Grey pulled up in Tosh’s street, several buildings down from her block of flats. He locked his car and made his way to the main door and pulled some kind of master key from his pocket. He glanced around swiftly, before opening the door and slipping inside the building.
Ianto retrieved the security fob and spare keys for Tosh’s flat from his waistcoat pocket as he opened the transit’s back door. “Come on Gwen!” He looked back. Gwen was smoothing down her T-shirt and checking her liquid eye-liner in a compact mirror- ‘’Bloody hell’, he thought, ‘things are back to bloody normal then.”
“Come on- Tosh could be in danger!”
Jack joined them at the front door and whispered, “Right. If he is going to Tosh’s, and it’s far too much of a coincidence for him NOT to be, we need to get as much evidence as possible from the bugs in her flat, before we go in there. Just wait for my signal when we get up there.” Jack moved his hand to his earpiece, flicked a switch, connected a wire and pressed ‘record’ on his MP3 player, before relaying a last message to Tosh, and routing the signal from the mics in her flat to Gwen and Ianto.
“Tosh? Grey’s on his way up- remove your earpiece and get ready. We’re right behind him. Get him worried. We need him to confess.”
As the three of them made their way upstairs to Tosh’s floor, Jack could hear Tosh answering her door.
“Toshiko Sato?”
“Yes. Who are you? What do you want? It’s past 10 o’clock.”
“DI Grey, Cardiff police. Can I come in? I have a few routine questions to ask you about a case we’re working on at the moment?”
“Ooh...oh..yes. Come in,” Tosh said feigning surprise.
Jack could hear the door the door chain being undone and then the front door closing behind them as Tosh showed Grey into her flat.
***
“What can I do to help you... DI Grey, wasn’t it?”
“Well... Is it right you’ve been temping at Cardiff Town Hall in the accounts department, Miss Sato?”
“We’ve been investigating a case of fraud there, and I need to ask if you’ve noticed anything untoward while you’ve been there.”
Tosh tried to sound as nervous as possible as she replied, “Well, actually...yes. I...I think one of the senior officers’ accounts don’t...don’t look right.”
“And you have any idea about which officer this may be?”
“Yes, yes, I do. I think it may well be...well I think it could be Deputy Chief Executive...”
“I thought so,” Grey paused. “Well.....we can’t have that...”
“Oh no, DI Grey, I agree. It’s quite obviously embezzlement....”
“Oh yes, but that’s not quite what I meant.” There was another pause before he continued, “What I actually meant was that, I’m afraid, we can’t have this information out in the open...”
“What DO you mean?”
“Well, you see, I have a lot.... shall we say, invested ...in the Chief Exec’s...activities. And I’m not sure I can allow this information to get out.”
“Oh my God! You’re in on this! With Hart!” Tosh said trying to sound as surprised as she could, “But...but...why?”
“Exactly how much do you think Cardiff Police pay these days?” he laughed. “And, Christ, does it ever stop raining here?”
DI Grey reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew a pistol, pointing it at Toshiko
“Oh God...”
“I’m afraid, Toshiko Sato, you’re a very bright one...and I’m not sure I can have you around to spoil my plans. Come on you’re leaving with me....”
“Jack he’s got a gun!”
“That won’t work Miss Sato, I’ve been watching you...you’re alone in here....”
***
Out on the landing Jack and Ianto were ready on either side of Tosh’s door, weapons in hand. Jack had his favoured Webley, and Ianto held a stun gun (he wasn’t that keen on guns even though he was an excellent shot). Gwen, too, carried a stun gun; considering Gwen’s ‘amnesia’ it had been decided that she shouldn’t be fully armed (if ever, in Ianto’s opinion) until the team was sure she had fully recovered. Jones reflected that this was probably a good thing, as he looked over at Gwen. She was flat against the wall, as close as Ianto thought physically possible, seemingly oblivious to the conversation going on through her earpiece. Instead, she was gazing at Jack with undisguised admiration.
“Jack he’s got a gun..”
“That won’t work Miss Sato, I’ve been watching you...you’re alone in here....”
Jack was galvanised into action. “Right- we’re going in. Me and Ianto first. Usual drill, Ianto. Gwen bring up the rear,” he ordered under his breath as he shouldered the door open, weapon in front of him.
“Yeah, you’re right there, Grey. Miss Sato is alone in here.” Grey turned round to face Jack moving to point his pistol at Jack, “But she’s certainly not alone in this. Put the weapon down, Grey- you’re outnumbered.”
As Grey’s eyes flickered between the two armed men, and one armed woman, in front of him, the arm holding the pistol wavered between them all. Ianto saw his chance and quickly moved past Jack, and before the Detective Inspector could react, hit him against the temple with the butt of his stun gun, and wrestled the pistol out of Grey’s hand.
“Good work, Ianto!” Jack said admiringly. “Never underestimate Ianto!” he thought to himself, smiling.
Ianto handed the pistol to Gwen. At that moment, Gwen’s mobile rang. “Oh! It’s Rhys! I’d better tell him I won’t be long!” she said as she answered her ‘phone, placing the gun, and her own stun gun, on a nearby table.
“Hello, Rhys, love! No...everything’s OK.....,” she said and she turned away to take the call.
“What the fuck, Gwen...” seethed Ianto.
Grey saw his chance. He pushed Ianto off him, pulled himself up and reached for the pistol, muttering, “Shit! You lot really are a bunch of amateurs...”
Luckily the policeman was so pleased with himself that he didn’t notice Tosh grab Gwen’s stun gun, place it to the back of his head and pull the trigger. Grey drooped to the floor as Jack rushed forward and hand-cuffed him.
“...oh, I’d better go Rhys...see you later.” It had all happened so quickly that Gwen only caught the tail end of the action as she hung up.
“What the hell do you think you were doi....”
Ianto cut off Tosh as he brought a hand up and rubbed at his temples; he really didn’t need an argument right now. That could have been too close. “What say we discuss this later? Or in team brief?”
***
Johnson was watching John Hart’s house. The gardens were large and afforded the house a certain amount of privacy; it was situated in the kind of area where residents didn’t feel they had to draw the curtains. She had watched as in turn, the Chief Executive paced back and forth in his sitting room in between working on his laptop. He looked like he was waiting for something, for someone.
Her earpiece crackled- the last communication she’d had from the rest of the team had been from Jack telling her that Grey was on his way to Toshiko’s as he parked up in her street.
“Johnson we’re all sorted here. Gwen and Ianto are on their way to Cardiff Police station with Grey We’ve got him banged to rights with what we’ve recorded. How’s it going there?”
“Fine, fine. Hart seems agitated though.”
“I’ll be with you in about twenty minutes. You can approach him first...say Grey’s sent you. After all you’ve got the badge!! Then I’ll back you up. I can’t see that he’ll be armed so we shouldn’t have a problem.”
“Sounds like a plan, Jack. I’ll see you in twenty, then!”
***
Twenty five minutes later, Johnson stood at John Hart’s porch and rang the bell, one hand held forward holding her (admittedly fake) police badge. Jack was out of sight back pressed against the wall to the right of the front door, gun at the ready. Just in case.
Hart stepped out into the porch and scanned the police badge through the glass of the outer door, before opening up. As they’d suspected he wasn’t carrying a gun; after all, he was a white collar criminal.
“Can I help you?” he said.
“Detective Johnson, I work with DI Grey. He sent me to say that everything’s sorted...”
Jack moved into his sightline and spoke, “Hart, I’m sorry but we’re going to have to take you to the police station- we have Grey and he’s told us everything.”
John Hart looked as if he was about to run, but he didn’t know where to.
“It’s no use, Hart. We know everything.” He withdrew his Webley and gestured. “And you won’t get away. Don’t make me use this.”
For a moment the Deputy Chief Executive looked as if he was going to make a move, but then he sagged against the doorframe and sank to the floor, head in his hands.
***
Ch 8
It was noon the next day and Ianto Jones sat back leaning on several large pillows which were cushioning him against the large wooden bedstead, a copy of ‘The Sunday Times’ and a pen in his hands. He reached over to the bedside table and picked up his coffee.
Jack lay next to him, propped up on his right arm, staring intently at Ianto.
“And what I’d like to know, Ianto, is exactly why you’re sat there doing ‘The Sunday Times’ so-called ‘Fiendish’ Su Doku, instead of me?”
Ianto dragged his attention away from the puzzle, “It concentrates the mind, Jack,” he said indulgently and grinned, “Later.....perhaps....”
“Seriously though, what are we going to do about Gwen? She really is a liability...that phone call...it could have been so much worse...” he sighed and hauled himself up into a sitting position and grabbed his coffee from his bedside table.
“Team brief is tomorrow, Monday, and I’ve asked Johnson and Tosh to be here a couple of hours early...we really all need to talk about this.”
“I think you were right, Ianto. The best option is to keep Gwen on client liaison and research duties...but that leaves us one down in the field.”
“I know what you mean...but we were always one down when you weren’t involved. And I’m not always out there helping. I think we could do with someone else as well. We can keep Gwen doing the background work. She’s shown an extraordinary capacity for resisting the Retcon; I don’t think we can get rid of her. Johnson says it’s pretty unusual, and she’s seen it used umpteen times at UNIT.” He paused and snorted out a laugh, “At least we know it hasn’t done her any damage, though. She’s still as incompetent as she ever was!”
“Ianto Jones! I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, you can be remarkably bitchy when you want to be!...Anyway, let’s leave this ‘til tomorrow.” Jack put his empty cup back on the table before turning back to Ianto. “By the way, is it later yet?”
“Could be......” Ianto smiled, placing his own cup and the pen on the bedside table before rather carelessly throwing his copy of the Sunday Times onto the floor and turning to Jack.
***
Ch 9
Monday lunchtime, Torchwood Villa.
“I know, I know, Tosh. That ‘phone call of Gwen’s could have caused complete disaster...But it’s happened now and we need to make sure it doesn’t happen again. We’re in an almost Catch 22 situation...As Johnson has pointed out, Gwen seems to be able to resist Retcon...”
“Which is a miracle in itself...UNIT’s studies show it’s usually only those with a very high IQ who manage to do that!!” Johnson interrupted sarcastically.
Tosh laughed. “Obviously not the case here, then!”
Even Jack bit back a laugh.
“Well, back to the realities of this situation. Ianto has suggested that we put Gwen on Liaison and Research Duties with the excuse that we need to keep her under supervision and out of the line of fire... and we tell her that it’s the ideal job for her ‘people skills’.”
“And it keeps her away from causing complete mayhem...” Ianto chimed in.
“That may well be the case, Yan.” Ianto shuddered a little at the use of his pet name. “But I reckon we need an extra pair of hands to make up for Gwen’s ‘office job’. Whaddya think, guys? There are times that I won’t be able to be here to cover.”
“Could be a good idea...what do you have in mind?” Tosh asked. Johnson nodded in agreement.
“There are a few possibilities. PC Andy Davidson is well aware of our work. I was a bit worried at first, but Ianto has been chatting informally with him and, believe me he is NOT in awe of Gwen! In fact, he’s been more than a bit put out. He thinks, quite possibly rightly, that being partnered with Gwen has hampered his career with the police!”
Johnson started to mutter, “Quite understandable...”
“I’ve always thought he was very sweet, and more than discreet. And he’s pretty bright, too...” said Tosh. “...not to mention quite cute....”
“So, are we agreed on this? And we’ll at least look into Andy?”
Johnson, Tosh and Ianto all nodded in agreement as they heard the front door intercom buzz.
***
“Morning everyone!” Gwen enthused as she entered the room. “What a weekend! Mind you, it’s great to be back!”
Yet again, she spied a spare seat between Jack and Ianto who were sat at opposite ends of one of the Chesterfields. She squeezed herself into the space. “So what’s happening?”
“Well, Gwen, we’ve just started,” Jack lied and decided to cut straight to the chase. “But, of course we’re all worried about you after the amnesia.....Actually, since you just seem to relate to people, I was wondering if you would be interested in the role of Client Liaison and Research? It would really use your people skills, Gwen, You’d be really great at it and I think you’d excel...”
Gwen grinned at him, eyes almost popping out of her head at the compliment. “Jack...if you think I’m up to it...yes!”
“It would mean less field work, but I think you’re the right person for the job.”
Gwen, yet again was insensible to the underlying message behind Jack’s words. Jack also sensed that she was completely uninterested in any discussion about Saturday night’s events or exactly why she’d left her mobile on during an operation, never mind answered it. “Well,” he decided, “at least this way we get her away from any field work! After all, she’ll never comprehend how she compromised the operation....”
“Great! Now why don’t you go and tell Rhys the news! No pay rise though, I’m afraid!”
“Oh, thankyou!” she said shooting Jack a significant look before shaking herself back into reality and getting to her feet. “Yes, yes, I should go and tell Rhys the good news!”
With that she said “Goodbye, See you all!” with a cheery and self satisfied look at them all, before sweeping out through the library door.
“See you, Gwen!” They all spoke at more or less the same time before letting out a collective sigh as the door closed.
Tosh was the first to speak, “Well, then, Jack...looks like you pulled that one off!”
“It wasn’t exactly a surprise, Tosh. She’s never been the most perceptive of people!” Johnson said.
“Now that’s sorted, how about a celebratory lunch and a few drinks at ‘The Red Lion’, everyone?” Ianto asked with a smile.
“Yeah!” three voices chorused.
***
FIN
