Title: The Life and Death of Vampires

Author: Caz251

Summary: How the Torchwood team died. Prequal to CCTV.

Characters: Jack and OC!Aiden - Team Torchwood, Janto and Towen

Spoilers: Spoilers for S2 E10 From Out Of The Rain

The Life and Death of Vampires

The date was the 21st of November 1931, Jack Harkness was strolling casually around the circus before his time to perform, talking to the other that travelled with the group. Inside he was cursing the name Torchwood with everything he had, if only they hadn't sent him on this stupid assignment. 'The Man Who Can't Die' what a bloody title, the constant death and resurrection that was needed to keep his cover at this freak show or the preferred term circus.

Now Jack in his time as an immortal understood death and resurrection when it was necessary, his time with the Doctor had instilled in him a sense of heroicism, he now had a people saving thing. If a death of his saved the life of another then it was worth something, senseless death though annoyed him, just because he didn't stay dead doesn't mean that his death doesn't hurt. And that is what this assignment was, senseless death, he was dying purely for the amusement of the patrons, this wasn't saving any lives and he was no closer to finding out what Torchwood wanted to know about the 'Night Travellers'.

There wasn't much Jack to do but soldier on through these stupid performances until the circus left town or Torchwood redrafted him for another assignment. Carrying on with his conversation with the acrobatic twins he scanned the crowd for anyone or anything interesting. As he was about to start his act he spotted someone in the crowd that looked out of place amongst the upper-class and middleclass families. A tall gentleman wearing Fine clothing and a dark cloak wandered around the circus perusing the different attractions on show.

Keeping the man in sight for a while he carried on with his act and he must have died and resurrected about twenty times before the man came over to his little stage. After watching his act the man made a gesture that Jack could interpret to mean that he wanted to speak to him. This in itself was unusual, however what the man did next shocked him completely he gestured to him again using a sign that is used only between freelance members of the Torchwood Institute. Relief filled him in many ways, maybe he was being called back for another job or something, he nodded his acceptance and tilted his head towards a grove of trees a short walk from the fairground. The gentleman nodded and took of in that direction, Jack following after the circus closed for the evening.

Entering the grove he expected to see the man waiting for him, however he was nowhere to be seen, this unsettled him as he didn't know who the man was but as finely dressed as he was he must be high up in the Institute. Many thoughts ran through his head as to who and where the man was, he could just imagine the elegantly dressed man being a member of the hierarchy, but if that was the case why would he have come to inform him of a new assignment.

While he was lost in thought he never noticed the man reappear behind him. The next thing he knew was the feeling of pain in his neck and his life force draining away, startled he tried to struggle away from whoever held him but he couldn't gather enough strength to break free. Before he knew it all he could see was blackness, however instead of a painful resurrection he would normally have after death he came around as if he'd been unconscious with none of the pain he usually felt. His mouth pressed closely into the wrist of his captor, he could feel the liquid flow down his throat and he couldn't help but moan at the sensation.

The feeling of coming back to life with no pain and the wonderful sensations he was feeling did not last long before pain over came him as his body started changing. There was no real outwardly physical change, with exception of his teeth his incisors becoming more pointed not that this was that noticeable either.

The pain seemed to be due to the internal changes, his new condition, even through the pain he was of sound mind enough to realise the man was a vampire, was warring with his immortality. The pain began to fade as the internal forces stopped their fight, unaware of what had won out Jack used the respite of pain to try and catch his breath.

The man was now sitting a little away from him on a fallen tree, looking at him curiously an internal debate seemed to be running through his head. Sitting up slowly Jack stared at the man who stood up and began towards him, for some reason even though the man had attacked him he was for some reason comfortable in the mans presence. He didn't know why but he felt some connection to the man, however that didn't stop his need for answers.

"What the hell have you done to me? Why?", He cried out looking at the man to gauge his reaction to the question and the truthfulness of the action.

The man stared back at him emotionlessly, "I turned you into one of us otherkin. As for why there was a need for you to be brought under control, we couldn't have a walking corpse going around without being held accountable to someone. The council didn't like it, we had no idea why you won't die but you were still fundamentally alive, even though it should be impossible. However, you're constant resurrection was seen to be something along the lines of zombification although you function as a human."

"So, because I was a zombificied human you had to turn me into a vampire?" Jack asked, disbelief in his voice.

"In a way yes. You had to be held accountable to someone but you were being classified as both human and zombie who that someone would be was in debate. The easiest option therefore was to turn you into a vampire as they are also immortal and living dead." , the vampire replied.

Jack's thoughts were spiralling, he was now a vampire, did he need to drink blood? Who was this vampire who turned him? How did he know the Torchwood gestures? What would happen to him now? What obligations to the other vampires would he have? Would he have to turn other people and would they be like him? Deciding that the only way to get the answers would be to ask the questions he did so.

"My name is Aiden, I am technically what is termed as your sire, you will need to drink blood, but due to your previous immortality you shouldn't need to drink as often as other vampires. You will be allowed to carry on with your life as you have been, the only obligation you have to us is to look out for the general welfare of the vampiric nation as we all have to. Anyone you turn will have the same strain of vampirism as you, or at least that is was we hypothesise anyway, we have never had a case such as yours." He answered, "And as to how I knew the gestures of your Institute, I read them from your mind, most vampires have low level telepathic abilities. Mine on the other hand are stronger than most."

Jack nodded, thinking about all the information he had accumulated in the last while, he was a vampire now and anyone who he turned would be like him, he didn't have to be alone for eternity now. He wouldn't have to lose everyone he loved, the thought seemed strange to him or rather the creature he became. Not the idea of loving someone, even intergalactic playboys can settle down, but the idea of there being more than one person he loved, it was then he realised that the creature he had became, while it would tolerate others in his life loved only one person. The vampires mate.