The consequences of what happened in Belial's Child are about to rear their head and two people are about to return, both with something very precious.
Jack was busy doing paperwork; god he hated paperwork.
It had been nearly ten months since the Doctor had gone. He was finally beginning to accept the fact, and was even thinking of having some sort of memorial service.
He hadn't yet gathered the courage to tell those that knew and loved the Doctor...well those that could remember. It seemed that time had snapped back into place after the Doctor had closed the barrier and Donna had suddenly disappeared from the TARIDS, back to her life of no memory of the Time Lord...he'd checked.
He also had to decide what to do about Seska. How long could he keep him hidden? Not just from UNIT but from the Shadow Proclamation.
How long before it became known that Earth's defender was gone? How long before the first alien race decided to try its luck?
He was glad of the sound of the Hub door opening and walked out onto the gantry to see who it was.
It was Ianto and what was he carrying...Was that a Moses Basket? What was he doing with one of his sister's kids; he knew the rules. He was about to rebuke him until he saw Ianto's face.
Gwen had arrived minutes after he'd called, Rhys following behind, his arms full.
"Where is?" she asked.
"Med bay," Jack replied.
She scowled. "Med-bay, dear god," she said and disappeared inside and reappeared a few minutes later.
"Really Jack," she said." It's not contagious, it's a baby."
She moved the blanket to reveal a small baby. It let out a snuffle and opened its eyes and stared at Gwen with huge brown eyes.
"Poor little mite, where's your mam?"
"Gwen," Jack said.
Gwen looked at him. "It's yours isn't it," she said, brushing a lock of blond hair from its forehead.
"It's not mine...look at him, really look at him."
She was quiet for a few moments whilst she studied the baby. Her eyes widened.
"Oh...oh, but that's...it can't be."
"That's why I've called Martha. I'm not an expert on DNA."
"It doesn't matter whose he is, he still needs feeding and changing. Rhys, bring the stuff and they disappeared back into the med-bay.
"So," Ianto said. "What do we do if he is?"
"I can't think about that at the moment Yan."
Martha Jones Milligan, UNIT's resident alien expert stepped out of the taxi. She looked out at the Plas; she never thought she'd be back here again.
Jack hadn't said much over the phone, something about a DNA test; oh well, she'd soon see.
It would be good to see Jack and the others again and perhaps the Doctor would turn up; there'd been no sightings of him for a while.
She took her time to walk across the Plas, taking in the hustle and bustle of Cardiff.
She approached the tourist information shop and stepped inside. Making sure that no-one had entered behind her she touched one of the books on the shelf and a door clicked open.
She stepped through and it closed behind her.
She walked to the end of a small corridor and placed her eye against a small pad.
There was a series of beeps and she tried not to blink as light placed across her eye.
"Recognise Martha Jones Milligan," Jack's voice said.
There was a hiss as the door began to roll back. She was greeted by an unexpected sound...a baby's cry.
Gwen must be in...but then she thought, he's a toddler now.
"Martha Jones Milligan," a welcome voice said and Jack appeared.
He was smiling but she could see the smile was forced.
"Looking good beautiful," Jack said.
But she wasn't fooled; something was up, and given that this was Torchwood, it was going to be something huge.
"You said something about a DNA test?" Is it to do with the baby I can hear crying? I can tell it's got a healthy set of lungs."
Jack's smile dropped. "I need to know something."
She knew that tone of voice. "Jack?" she said in her sternest Doctor's voice.
"The baby...I need to know...know who his parents are."
They walked into the med-bay and Martha stopped.
The baby may have had a shock of blond hair, but she would know those eyes anywhere...so like...stop it she told herself; be objective.
The baby let out a surprised squeak when she took a sample and looked at her with hurt eyes.
She did as she always did with every DNA test, but this time the results could mean be mind-shattering.
She read the results and she blinked and read them again...just to make sure. She left the small lab and took her time climbing the steps, letting it sink in.
They all looked up when she finally reached the top, so she thought, out with it.
"There's human DNA and..." she paused, knowing that what she said next would put the proverbial cat. "And there's Time Lord DNA."
She saw the expressions on their faces and continued before they could speak. "But the human DNA is dominant. He's ninety-percent human and only ten percent Time Lord."
Jack spoke first. "Do you know who the parents are?"
She hesitated then went on. "The human DNA belongs to someone on your records Jack. Someone only known as Ash. The Time Lord DNA...it's the Doctor's"
"He's alive," Jack breathed
There was silence and then Ianto said. "Jack, what are we going to do?"
Jack said nothing. He pushed past Ianto and up the steps and into his office; the closed door told the others they shouldn't follow.
"Who's Ash and what does he mean the Doctor's alive?" Martha asked.
Jack sat in his office, a thousand thoughts and feeling whirled in his mind. He'd been alive all this time, alive in whatever hell was behind that barrier. And now it seems he was back and had another child, and Ash was the father.
It wasn't the fact that he'd had the child or the fact that it was Ash.
It was the fact that he'd gone to Ianto and not to him; hadn't trusted him enough.
That was one problem, what to do with the baby was another and another was why had he abandoned it.
Then there was Ash; how to tell him he was a father and the ramification of that; another part human, part Time-Lord in existent; who knew what that would mean.
He needed space and time to think. He stepped out of his office and everyone looked up.
"Thank you everyone. Gwen, leave the stuff, I'll manage. Ianto, go home. I have things for you to do in the morning. Martha, you can use my apartment, and no buts...go."
He jogged down the steps and took the baby.
No-one argued; they could see he was not in the mood.
He waited until they had all gone before he let the facade drop. He placed the baby back into the Moses basket and took it into the office.
He turned off all the lights bar the small lamp on his desk; the hub was in shadows. He placed the basket on the desk and looked at the baby.
"Why did he leave you here?" he asked.
He almost fell off his chair when a voice came out of the shadows
"Because I had to."
He stared into the shadows; he could just about make out a shape...a shadow within the shadows.
"Doctor," he said and went to move towards the shadow.
"No," the Doctor said and he could no longer see even the shadow of the Doctor.
"Just promise you'll look after him."
"If you're in trouble, I can help," he said and moved again.
"Please Jack, no closer and I don't need any help...I'm fine."
Jack knew that was a lie.
"You've been missing inside another dimension for nearly ten months and have had a kid, and you're fine."
"Please Jack, just look after him."
Jack could hear the urgency and the desperation in his voice.
"Let me help."
"No...I have to go."
"Does he have a name?"
There was silence and Jack thought the Doctor had gone, then he spoke.
"Tell Ash...tell him I'm sorry."
Then there was silence and Jack knew the Doctor was gone, back to wherever he had come from; the shadow was just a shadow.
Jack looked at the baby, who stared at him with so familiar eyes. He picked up the phone, dialled and waited.
"Ash, its Jack. I need to see you."