Animal, Mineral or Vegetable (Andy)

[Jared Baker]

"Okay, fine, just get my nuts roasted for breaking protocol..." Jared grumbled with more than a touch of admiration for the PC who had backed him into the corner first.

"Do you remember when UNIT was rationing eggs?" That was relatively close to the beginning of Jared's extraterrestrial liaisons. "They were after the insurgents hiding aliens, yes, but they also wanted to clear the Millennium Plass of Gwen's friends. They wanted access to Torchwood's hub."

[PC 186 Andy Davidson]

"How exactly do you know so much about Torchwood?" Andy asked, this man seemed to have an in depth knowledge of everything going on in Cardiff at the moment, more so than even Andy himself and that unsettled him slightly.

[Jared Baker]

"I have to," Jared answered with a shrug. "I'm their medical officer."

He needed to tell enough of the truth to quell the questions. Deflecting was only going to make PC Davidson more curious and determined to get to the bottom of things. "Shit, Jack's gonna hand me my ass for telling you that."

[PC 186 Andy Davidson]

"Torchwood's back?" Andy queried, but waved a hand flippantly at Jared when he mentioned Jack, "He left, Gwen said he's never coming back...." Andy stated, "I used to think he was a right arrogant sod, but, I can't blame him for running after everyone turned against him like that, and Ianto..." Andy didn't finish that sentence. He knew them but had spent most time with Gwen and Ianto, he was shocked to hear that the other one of the Welsh trio had lost their life, it never got easier.

[Jared Baker]

"Everyone's been turning on everyone else right and left." Jack wasn't the only victim in that regard. "What about Ianto?" Gwen had said the name a few times and it always made her teary.

"If I'm working for a ticking bomb, I'd rather know it up front."

[PC 186 Andy Davidson]

"Who's a ticking time bomb? Who's running Torchwood now?" Andy would have heard from Gwen if she were back but she hadn't said anything.

As for Ianto, he took a deep breath, "Ianto Jones was a good bloke. Worked with Gwen and Jack... He and Jack were a couple from what Gwen told me. He died in Jacks arms, some sort of chemical attack..." Andy shuddered, he didn't like talking about the dead.

[Jared Baker]

"Harkness left because of Ianto," Jared realized. He didn't understand why the government had gone to so much trouble to hurt Jack Harkness but only killed those close to him and not the man himself. They had certainly had plenty of chances.

"Andy, Jack Harkness is back. I don't think he'd planned to stay until he saw what had happened in the power vacuum left by Torchwood's collapse. We're back even if he's keeping the team extremely small."

[PC 186 Andy Davidson]

"Torchwood... Jack.... you? You're Torchwood?"

Everything was slowly falling into place, the sightings, the decrease in Weevil activity. UNIT running around with a look of thunder.

"Bloody Gwen doesn't tell me anything. Am I not Torchwood material? I've been dealing with all the bloody spooky do's while Torchwood crumbled and now it's back I don't get so much as a bloody text message." Andy crossed his arms petulantly in front of his chest and pulled of a pout no fully grown man should be able to.

[Jared Baker]

Jared looked up sharply at the pout, surprised.

"I'm not convinced that Jack has spoken to Gwen since returning," Jared shared. "I'm not a shrink by any means, but I think he's trying to distance himself from those memories. If you want in, you could always... I don't know... ask?"

[PC 186 Andy Davidson]

"I don't blame him really..." Andy admitted. "But there's no way I could work for Captain fantastic, he'd do my head in and I'd have to stop myself from wanting to slap him every chance I got. The man's about as modest as a bloody palace."

"But you work for him then?"

[Jared Baker]

Jared chuckled softly. Jack was larger than life. There was no arguing with that.

"I didn't actually agree right off. I wasn't sure he would stay and he didn't seem to be making any promises either. Thing is, I think the world is a better place with Torchwood in it, and so I'm doing my part to keep it going."

[PC 186 Andy Davidson]

"Captain Andy..." he whispered to himself before giving his attention back to Jared with a blush.

"So, you're Torchwood then... what's it like, I mean really like?" he asked. Andy had made no secret of being jealous about Gwen working there but he hadn't really got a straight answer from her about being a part of it.

HE had seen first hand some of what they did with the 456, but he would bet that was just the tip of a bloody big, Titanic sinking size iceberg.

[Jared Baker]

"Well, we start each morning by climbing three buildings, they have to be taller than seven floors, then we practice sharpshooting with lazer pointers. I usually fill the middle of my day searching for honey bees and at night we dress up in costume convincing the public they've seen hob-gobblins."

Jared said it softly as though he was sharing a real secret.

"Seriously, I've already said far too much and I'm putting my ass on the line as it is."

[PC 186 Andy Davidson]

"Oh aye, I'm waiting until you slip one of those memory pills into my tea when im not looking." He cradled the now empty cup closer to himself and eyed the other man with suspicion.

"Why did you tell me any of it then?"

[Jared Baker]

"I can hardly drug your tea," Jared grumbled. "I need you to remember what happened with young Mister Jackson. And I told you for two reasons, I'm still wanted by UNIT, and I needed to know what side you are on with what you already know."