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“Secrets? I love secrets.” Jack grinned broadly. “Fill me in?” He watched Ianto and Donna exchange looks. Recruiting her had been a great idea. She had taken over the running of the Hub and the administrative side from Ianto, allowing him to be a full time field agent. Jack was all too aware of how Ianto had struggled with his new instincts after coming online as a Sentinel. He’d been tense whenever the team went out on a mission while he stayed behind. Letting Jack go on a mission without him had been unimaginable after they had first bonded. Jack had been surprised to find that he had not minded. If anything, he’d been just as reluctant to leave Ianto alone, especially when he was still learning to control his senses and someone might take advantage of that.
Granted, he was not completely certain if he had recruited Donna or if she had recruited herself. She’d been especially pleased when she’d learned that the Doctor might show up sometime because he used the Rift in Cardiff to kind of fuel the TARDIS. Jack couldn’t wait to see his reaction though he didn’t envy him having to deal with a – rightfully – furious Donna.
“It’s not a secret,” Ianto said.
“Just preparations for Tosh,” Donna added.
“For Tosh?” Jack mentally reviewed the calendar. He was certain that it wasn’t her birthday or any other kind of anniversary. The looks the two of them kept exchanging also told him that there was more to it, even without his bond with Ianto or his newly found abilities as a Guide. “And what exactly are you preparing for her?”
“An opportunity for her to talk and exchange ideas with people who can follow her thoughts, who enjoy the same thing,” Donna answered.
“This is about Stark, isn’t it?” Jack figured he should be angry that they were managing him on this topic but mostly he felt embarrassed. He had been extremely territorial about Ianto after they had first bonded and had been unable to abide any contact between Ianto and another Guide. It had taken him a while to admit, even to himself, that he had been worried because he was not completely human (no one was, by the 51st century, not compared to a most humans from the 21st century) and so their bond might not be as stable as between two full humans. As his new abilities and instincts had settled and their bond solidified, he’d slowly relaxed about bonded Guides but he’d still gone to frankly ridiculous length to prevent direct contact between Ianto and Tony Stark. All communication had gone through Tosh and Donna. Tosh hadn’t minded, of course. She’d enjoyed working with him, even if it was in preparation for an alien invasion, but Jack hadn’t been able to shake the instinct screaming at him that an unbonded Guide might try to move in on his Sentinel.
Fortunately for him Ianto had enjoyed the resulting passionate sex to stake his claim.
“We’ll be in the US for the next few weeks,” Ianto said. They were visiting the MiB Headquarter to discuss the future dealings with the Asgardians and who would be responsible for them, followed by a visit to the Xavier Institute to meet a few Sentinel/Guide pairs who had been bonded for years. “Stark could visit while we’re away. Donna will be here to keep an eye on things and make sure he doesn’t go where he isn’t supposed to.”
It made sense, Jack knew. With the existence of aliens now common knowledge, the governments on Earth had lifted the secrecy that had kept the public from knowing about the different programs all over the world that dealt with aliens on Earth. They would now be able to cooperate with other scientists. And Stark would be a good first step to establish a procedure for a cooperation like that. He got along well with Tosh, was well-known and used to collaborations with other scientists. And, from some of the rumours he’d heard, he was finally bonded.
“Don’t. We’ll be meeting Let’s see if we can’t bring him back with us, him and his Sentinel.”