They were somewhere over the arctic in the middle of a mission debrief when the intruder alarm went off. Coulson held up a hand, stopping Ward's report and toggled the intercom. "May? What do you have for me?"

"The reading appeared in the bay seven seconds ago, the result of a temporal disturbance. Heat signatures show a single, human male. One weapon, a revolver."

"A Webley, no doubt." Coulson sighed. "He's sitting in Lola, isn't he?"

"It does appear that way."

"Cancel the alert," he ordered and the claxon ceased immediately. "Stay at the controls, May, after we take care of whatever business brought him here if he has any spare time I'll be sure to send him your way."

"Thank you, sir," May replied, signing off.

"What's going on, sir?" Ward asked. "Do you know our intruder?"

"I suppose it was just a matter of time before he arrived. Come on." Coulson led the way out of the conference room. Ward was right behind him, his weapon drawn. "Time to meet the head of the Torchwood 'If it's alien, it's ours' Institute."

"Now, that's not entirely fair, Phil," a voice called out from Lola once they'd entered the bay. "There's not much to Torchwood anymore and, besides, it's not as if the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, is interested in sharing their toys either."

"Hello, Jack. It's been a long time." Coulson approached Lola, admonishing Ward as he did so, "You can put that away."

"Sir?" Ward lowered his weapon, but did not holster it.

The man slipped out of the car, carefully shutting the door behind him so it didn't slam. He was tall, dark haired, perhaps middle aged and wearing a World War II era RAF coat for some reason. "Captain Jack Harkness, at your service," he said, offering his hand to Ward.

"Jack," Coulson warned.

"I was only saying hello." Jack smiled broadly. "You've seen your Agent Ward here, can you blame me?"

"How did you-" Ward began after they shook, but Jack just waved the question away and said,

"I do my homework. May's in the wheelhouse, I assume?" Coulson nodded. "We'll have to get reacquainted another time. I just dropped in to give you this." He pulled a data stick out of his pocket and passed it to Ward. "I don't have- you heard about what happened?"

"I did. I'm sorry for your loss, Jack."

Jack's perpetual smile faltered. "I don't have the manpower to deal with something like that anymore," he said, gesturing to the data stick. "But I can't let the information fall into the wrong hands, either."

"We'll take care of it," Coulson promised.

"I knew I could trust you." Jack stepped closer to Coulson and kissed him on the cheek. "It was good seeing you again, Phil. I'm glad you didn't die in New York."

"It was good seeing you too, Jack. I'm glad you didn't stay dead after Cardiff."

Jack turned to Ward. "Until next time, Grant. And don't worry, we'll have time to exchange stories - and so much more - another time." He pushed up his sleeve and unsnapped a leather band on his wrist. "Oh, and tell Simmons and Fitz not to examine the liquid in the blue vial then you find it. They're probably happier without gills." Then he pressed a few buttons and was gone.

"Vortex manipulator," Coulson commented. "I gotta get me one of those."

"That Harkness leaving, sir?" May's voice crackled out from Coulson's radio.

"Yes. Sending his regrets, of course."

"He'd better."

"Put it on autopilot and meet us in the conference room, it looks like we have a new assignment. And knowing Jack, it's going to be a doozy." He pocked the radio and held his hand out for the data stick. "Well, Agent Ward, let's go see what he's got for us."