N'wr was running. He didn't know or care to where. He had been running since he had burst out of the dirty alleyway into the busy streets of the city. Ironically he knew he was running, not to his freedom but to his death, and he didn't care; better dead and at peace than alive and in hell he told himself. He hated this planet, it was cold and wet and dark and cruel. In the distance he could see lights and open space and he desperately tried to pick up his pace, his sensitive hearing told him that his captors were not far behind and were gaining on him. He would not let them take him again, he would not. He pressed a hand to his side, the wound they had inflicted during his escape was large and he was losing essential life fluid at a frightening rate. Without slowing his pace he managed to gasp a short prayer to the Keeper of Worlds, begging for clemency – without someone to sing the Passing Dirge of his people he would be consigned to the outer darkness, forever barred from Elysium and the comforting presence of his ancestors. Pushing through the indigenous inhabitants he struggled towards the park land, only to run into the broad chest of a tall man who grasped his upper arms in large warm hands. Instinctively N'wr struggled to get free only for the man to pull him closer into a comforting embrace.

'Whoa, easy, easy there, champ. I got you, you are safe now.'

Shocked, N'wr realised the man was speaking to him in Galactic Common, his exhausted legs gave way and he sank to the ground with a sob that was part terror and part relief. The big man went down with him, never once relinquishing his reassuring grasp and he ran a hand over N'wr's side, hissing in sympathy when his exploring fingers encountered his wound.

'Owen, I got a casualty, I need you here fast.' Once that order had been given, the man lapsed back into Galactic Common, 'Can you tell me your name?'

Communication was painfully difficult for N'wr but he managed to slur, 'N'wr of the Hive Hecartay.'

'Who did this to you?'

N'wr shook his head, not only did he not know, the simple act of sharing his name had taken caused agony he was no longer able to bear

His rescuer seemed to understand; gently the man turned N'wr so that he could look into his face and, using his smallest finger, he pressed carefully on N'wr's injured mouth causing him to open it so that he could look inside. The expression of fury and distress that crossed the man's face reassured N'wr that his death would not be forgotten or unavenged. The man pulled him closer, sharing the warmth of his big body with the shivering alien

'I'm Captain Jack Harkness,' he told N'wr. 'You are a Grammarian, am I right?'

Tiredly N'wr nodded, he was finally getting warm but the loss of life fluid coupled with his terrified escape attempt had taken him to the end of his reserves of strength and he knew he was dying. He grasped Jack's hand and mouthed, 'please, please.' Instinctively he felt that this wonderful man would know what he was asking of him; to sit with him whilst he died, if he was going to be alone for eternity he wanted to prolong contact with another life form for as long as possible. He felt his eyes closing and knew this was the end. He was not afraid to die although the thought of never seeing his parents or hive mates in Elysium gave him a sharp spasm of pain. Then to N'wr's astonishment he felt himself lowered to the ground, this man...Jack... settled beside him, one hand on his forehead, one resting on his heart and a low, sweet baritone began to sing;

Beyarath hasoon

Beyarath hasson

N'wr a Hecartay – massod a Grameria

Attra sa Ka

Attra sa pradoute

Evig mat'rat

Beyarath hasoon

Beyarath hasson

It was the Passing Dirge; N'wr could no longer feel Captain Harkness' hands on his body, instead he was wrapped in the arms of his parents, his body lightened, his pain dissolved and his soul was free.

Owen sprinted into the park, scanning the environment anxiously for Jack; he almost missed him as Jack was seated on the ground cradling a small body. Owen slowed and approached Jack at a slow and cautious pace.

'Jack?'

Jack looked up and Owen was shocked to see that the Captain was silently weeping. 'You're too late' he told Owen in a low choked voice, 'he's dead.'

Owen knelt down and gently rolled N'wr's body out of Jack's arms in order to get a closer look. He peeled back the tattered shirt and uncovered the wound as tenderly as if N'wr was still able to feel pain, 'Jeezus, who the fuck did this?'

Jack could not tear his eyes from the beaten and emaciated body that lay between the two men, 'I don't know, he was too far gone to tell me, but I sure as hell am gonna find out.'

Carefully, Owen wrapped the small body, 'We'll get him back to the Hub and I'll autopsy him.'

Jack shot out an hand and grasped Owen's wrist so hard Owen was sure he could hear the small bones in his wrist creak, 'No' said Jack harshly, 'we don't need an autopsy. This kid had been starved, beaten and sexually abused. We won't do anything else to him.'

Owen frowned, 'sexually abused? How do you figure that?' With a heavy sigh, Jack took a small penlight from his coat pocket and, easing N'wr's mouth open shone the light inside. Owen leant forward then recoiled from the sight of the blisters and ulcers that thickly lined the alien's buccal cavity and throat, 'fuck!'

Jack nodded, 'fuck is right. Human semen is caustic to the mucus membranes of any number of species, including Grammarians which is what N'wr was.'

Owen swallowed hard and screwed his eyes closed in empathy, 'so some bastard has come in this kid's mouth not realising...'

'Ha' Jack interrupted with a bitter laugh, 'many, many bastards have fucked this poor kid's mouth and they all realised what they were doing no doubt.'

'How do you know?' queried Owen.

Jack gave a shudder, 'I know, Owen. Let's just leave it at that.' The last thing he was going to do was share his experience of captivity at the hands of the Bo/ac Priesthood; these human descendants had developed an entire religion based upon the concept of excessive sexual practice using beings captured specifically for the purpose. A splinter group for the priesthood had once swept through a space port where Jack had been on leave from the Time Agency indiscriminately gathering up everybody they came across and he had spent agonising seven months as one the brotherhood's concubines before he made his escape. It still pained him that he had only been able to take 60% of the captives with him. The experience meant that Jack recognised depravity and abuse when he saw it. With an effort Jack composed himself, 'abuse on this scale is rarely confined to just one individual, I think we have an alien sex trafficking ring operating in the city.'

For once, Owen showed a degree of sensitivity, merely nodding and standing up. He watched as Jack carefully picked up the small emaciated body and together the two men walked across the grass to where Owen had abandoned the SUV.

Jack was uncomfortably aware that Owen was watching him closely as he gently placed N'wr's body into the back of the SUV but before he could challenge the medic on his scrutiny his comms unit beeped. Jack tapped his ear piece, 'what?'

'Jack?' it was Tosh. 'I've managed to back track your escapee's route via the CCTV system. I think I have identified where he might have been held. Gwen is on her way there now to scope it out.'

'Ok, thanks Tosh,' said Jack calmly, 'send to coordinates to my PDA.' once he was sure that Tosh could no longer hear him, he slammed the tailgate of the SUV, 'Shit!' he sprinted to the front of the car, 'C'mon Owen – move it.' He tapped his comms unit to contact Gwen.

'Cooper'

'Gwen'

'Jack! Tosh gave you my location?'

'Yeah, Gwen, on no account engage. Do you understand? Observe and report only. Am I making myself clear?

A heavy sigh echoed across the comms system, 'yes Jack'

Jack rolled his eyes, 'stay put, Gwen. We're...' he glanced at Owen who held up seven fingers, Jack nodded, '...seven minutes away from you. Just keep watch, OK?'

With a huff of annoyance Gwen closed the comms channel and glanced back towards the empty store front. She could see the shadow of two men on the blanked out windows, they seemed to be arguing quite vehemently. Gwen considered for a moment, she was sure that she could easily take down two bad guys without waiting for back up. Easing her SIG-Sauer P226 from the waistband of her jeans she strode confidently across the street.

Jack threw the SUV round the corner, tires smoking as the wheels locked. Owen let out a yelp of alarm, 'there she is! What does she think she is doing?'

'Disobeying my orders, as usual' said Jack through gritted teeth as he opened the door and hurled himself into the street; Gwen was carefully sidling up to the door of the shop. As she reached out to turn the door handle Jack rushed up behind and threw her into the street towards the SUV as the booby trapped entrance exploded into an enormous sheet of flame.

'Christ!' Owen pulled his phone out and dialled the emergency services, requesting the fire brigade mentioning the special Torchwood code that accelerated response but also kept the incident dark as possible. Once that was done he sprinted across to where Gwen was staggering to her feet. Furious, he grabbed her by her shoulders and shook her, hard. 'What the fuck, Cooper? He told you to stay put!'

'I thought I could handle it – it was just two guys!'

Owen had a lot more to say to her but his attention was attracted by a tall body lying at the edge of the burning building, moving feebly, one badly burned skeletal hand clutching desperately at the air. Keeping tight hold of the protesting Gwen, Owen strode over to his Captain. Owen had worked in Emergency Units so he had seen burn victims before but this...Jack had taken the full force of the explosion in the face. His handsome features were destroyed and he was clearly blind and suffering.

Serendipitously his groping hand brushed Owen's sleeve and grasped it urgently. Owen could hear Gwen retching at his side, Jack was making an effort to speak and Owen bent closer to try to hear his words.

'Kill...me'

Nearby, Owen could see Gwen's discarded SIG. He reached across, scooped it up and pressed into Gwen's nerveless hand. She started at the weapon as if she had never seen it before, 'wha...'

'You did this to him, Cooper.' Owen's voice was cold and hard, 'you did. You started this, you finish it.'

Gwen threw the gun down, 'No! I can't. I won't'

Owen pushed her away from him in disgust, and she landed heavily on her arse in the roadway 'so you are a coward as well as a self-cantered, arrogant bitch' he snarled, 'I knew it.'

As the tearful Gwen scrambled to her feet and ran back towards the SUV, a gunshot echoed around the deserted street.