Unfortunately, neither Torchwood nor any of the characters in it belong to me. i own only the unknown.

"How bad is it, Tosh?"

Gwen peered over Toshiko's shoulder, trying to make sense of all the numbers and symbols on her computer screen

"These readings are off the scale, I haven't seen such a big spike in rift energy before. Probably why Jack wants more than one person to go look."

"What are we waiting for then?" asked Owen, emerging from the autopsy room with his gun, "Lets go check it out. Mind you, last time Jack wanted us to check out unusual rift activity it was just an excuse to get us out of the Hub…" He glanced meaningfully at Ianto, who flushed slightly.

"Yes, well, I'm coming with you this time aren't I?" Owen just stared at him, grinning to himself as the flush on the young Welshman's face deepened. It was one of his favourite pastimes these days, winding Ianto up about his relationship with Jack. Probably, he realised, because he no longer had a life of his own. Being dead did that to a person.

"Why are you lot still here?" Owen glanced up to see Jack hanging out of his office door glaring at them, "If something is coming through that rift, I need you guys to go pick it up! I do NOT want a repeat of what happened last time!"

"Last time?" Gwen asked, looking round at the others, "what happened last time? And where the hell was I?"

All three flinched. "You were still on your honeymoon," Ianto explained, "and lets just say it involved two tennis rackets, a large net, and a hell of a lot of retcon."

Wondering just exactly what did come through the rift last time, Gwen climbed into the front of the SUV. Whatever this thing was, she hoped it was half as much fun as the other thing sounded.

"There's nothing here, Tosh" Ianto reported "better tell Jack we're heading back to base"

"He says not to. That rift spike was huge; there is no way nothing came through. Maybe you're just in the wrong place?"

"Easy for you to say" grumbled Owen "You're not in the middle of bloody no-where are you?"

Toshiko smiled. Owen really hated the country. Not that she could blame him after what had happened...

"Ok Tosh, tell that git Jack we'll look for a bit longer, but…"

"Ianto! Owen! What is that?" the two men turned to where Gwen was pointing. About 30 metres away, at the foot of a high wall, was a huddled shape.

"That can't be it, surely?" demanded Owen "it's much too small!"

"Which, as I keep pointing out to Ianto, is no indication of what it can do," came Jack's voice over the headset, "so be careful"

The figure sat up suddenly, staring at them. It appeared to be a human girl, couldn't be more than about 20. She looked tired and scared. As she looked from one person to the other, confusion grew on her face.

"Are you ok, sweetheart?" called Gwen.

"Where am I?" the girl asked, as if Gwen had not spoken. English. Definitely human, surely? "who are you?"

"It's alright; we're not going to hurt you."
"Sure." Her eyes focused on them, "I suppose you just felt like taking those guns for a walk?" now that she was fully awake, all the fear seemed gone from her face to be replaced with bravado. But Gwen noticed that her eyes still darted nervously, seeking escape. "You do not want to shoot me. You have no idea what I can do."

"No-ones going to shoot you. Just tell us who you are. What are you doing out here by yourself?"

"My name's Rachel Fielding. I…." she trailed off, looked around her wildly. "…by myself!? But…where is he?" she looked frantic now; "I have to get back to him!"

"Who?" asked Owen, his gun still drawn. His certainty that this girl – Rachel – was a harmless human was fading fast. Ianto seemed to be thinking along the same lines. Gun still drawn, he was slowly inching to the girl's left, blocking escape. Gwen, however, did not seem so sceptical, as she had lowered hers. "We can help you find your friend. Come with us, we can help." But Rachel's eyes seemed drawn to the lowered gun. Before any of them had a chance to react, she leapt into the air, pushed off from the wall and was suddenly, somehow, behind Gwen. Holding Gwen's gun. If it hadn't been for the severity of the situation, Owen felt he would have been impressed with this display of acrobatics. Staring at Gwen's pale face, he suddenly became aware that Rachel was talking,

".…so just let me go, ok? I will kill all of you if I have to. I need to get back to the…to my friend." Owen nodded and lowered his gun a fraction, and she began to back away, the gun still pointed squarely at Gwen's head. Then, suddenly, she jerked and collapsed to the floor. Ianto stood above her holding a stun gun. "Ianto" Owen breathed "I have honestly never been so happy to see you use your weapon."

"That's what Jack usually says" replied the Welshman, straight faced. "Now, can you give me a hand getting her to the SUV?"

"How's our guest?" Jack asked as Ianto emerged from the cells 8 days later.

"I don't know" Ianto admitted. He seemed concerned, so Jack went over to him and pulled him into a hug. "She seems fine. It was her that came through the rift anyway. Seemed rather shaken up to find she was on 21st century Earth. She assures me she's human though. Seems like a nice girl, very friendly."

"Ianto, you are not supposed to be making friends with unknown captives!"

Ianto flushed "I am not 'making friends'! but is it really necessary to still have her chained up?"

Jack sighed. "I guess not. I'll have Owen take them off her. And you've already been down to see her 3 times today!"

"So? She's nice to talk to. We get on well. Its like we … click." "Not like that!" He added hurriedly as Jack raised his eyebrows.

"Ianto Jones, you are lucky I am not the jealous type!"

"As if you could ever be jealous" Ianto teased, pulling Jack closer and kissing him softly on the lips.

"True" smirked Jack "I know I'm enough to keep you satisfied…"

Ianto smiled slightly. Jack was always so self confidant. When Ianto was in a bad mood he could almost think of him as arrogant. Jack pulled him in for another kiss. He responded for a second, then remembered something and pulled away.

"Oh – and she keeps asking for you."

"For me?" Jack frowned "Why? Do I know her?"

"How should I know? I told her where she was and she started asking for you to see her."

"Not a good idea captain" Owen walked up to the two men, who instantly jumped apart. Shaking his head slightly, Owen handed Jack a piece of paper, "Just finished her latest blood work and the results are … strange."

"Strange how?" asked Jack gazing at the piece of paper.

"Strange like, she seems human right? But her white blood cell count is off the chart, and there are several proteins I've never seen before, and…" he trailed off.

"And what?"

"Well – it could be nothing- but her muscles are seriously, um, enhanced"

Jack stared at him. "Enhanced?"

"Yeah – this girl is fucking powerful. Definitely not a normal human body. Who knows what she could do to you."

Mind you, Owen thought as he watched her sleep later that night, She really does seem kinda harmless. He jumped about a foot in the air when she sat up sharply.

Realising her chains were no longer on her, she stood up and went over to the door. Running her hands over it.

"There's no point" Owen told her, smirking in satisfaction when he made her jump. She hadn't realized he was there. "These doors are alien. Unbreakable"

"Nothing is unbreakable" she murmured, still examining the door. "At least, I can break anything." She looked at him, in a way which made him feel very uncomfortable. Was that a threat? Or just a statement? She was certainly strong enough to break anything… "Except those doors" he said to himself. "Anyway" he raised his voice so she could hear him "yes, um … night"

"Yeah" she said vaguely. He turned back as he reached the exit. She was still intently examining something in the top corner of the plastic. Owen felt a chill run down his spine, but he had no idea why.