Disclaimer: RTD and BBC (and all that it entails) owns them and all rights, if I owned them I would have fic writers doing the scripts, regardless of what RTD thinks (hmmm assassin!Ianto, Empath!Ianto, or vampire!Ianto or even all three as cannon, that'd be fun)
A/N: NOT GWEN FRIENDLY! You have been warned
Everything Changes…No, Really It Does
One PC Gwen Elizabeth Cooper had been moved to Providence Park. It was not the most permanent solution, but hopefully it would do and if something else had to be done at a later time then they would cross that bridge when they came to it.
What was actually troubling Jack now was the police report in his hand. The police had created a composite of the knife used from the wounds in the victims' bodies-and it was a very familiar knife.
He had started to notice the strange behavior in Suzie after a few weeks of her working on the glove. It wasn't anything overly obvious, just something...off. If this police report was anything to go off of, then his decision last night to shut down the glove research was the correct one, but he was worried that it wouldn't be that easy to make Suzie stop.
"Ianto, you got a minute?"
"Always, sir." Ianto was already at his door, as if he had anticipated Jack's desire to talk to him.
"Have you seen this report?"
"Yes, I was just coming to talk to you about it, I take it you saw the same thing?" Ianto questioned as he sat down opposite Jack.
"Seems our Suzie has been a naughty girl. I thought something's been off, but I never saw this coming."
Ianto gave him a reassuring half-smile. "Neither did I; I sensed something…shifted around her not long after she started her research, but..." His expression saddened. "I never thought she'd be capable of cold blooded murder."
"The question is, what do we do? I've already told her to shut down the research, but I'm not sure she'll stop so easily."
"We'll just have to keep an eye on her for now; she's never not followed orders and we can't just assume she won't now, even if it's likely."
"I'm concerned the glove has affected her somehow. When was the last time Owen ran a full medical on her?"
"A few weeks before she started her research; for that matter, it's been a while since he's run medicals on all of us, even longer for you than anyone else. Although I'm sure he gives Tosh some sort of exam on regular basis," Ianto said with a twinkle in his eye. "We're all due. If we say that everyone needs to get it done, it won't seem like we're singling her out."
"Agreed, but we'll need to clue Owen in, so he knows what to look for just in case. Hopefully, if something is there it's reversible; otherwise, alternatives will likely have to be looked into."
"Yes, I'll let Owen know and issue a memo that everyone needs to have a medical including our Captain and give a schedule so that Suzie is first. I think the sooner the better."
"Definitely; make the schedule for the rest of the week starting tomorrow. I'll go ahead and talk to Owen."
"Yes, sir."
With the decision made Ianto stood and went to send out the schedule and memo while Jack clicked his comm.
"Owen, I need to speak to you as soon as you can."
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
It wasn't long after Ianto sent out the memo that Suzie came bursting into Jack's office. Thankfully, he was just finishing up with Owen and had already explained his and Ianto's concerns.
"What is this about, Jack?" Suzie demanded.
"We're all due for medicals, even me. Ianto and I were looking over the records and saw how long it had been since we all had medicals so we just figured we'd get them all done as quickly as possible."
"But why do I have to be first?"
"We drew lots," Jack lied smoothly with a smile; he wasn't a former conman for nothing.
"But…"
"And no buts. The schedule is final. You'll get your medical first thing in the morning and be done with it."
Suzie gave him a seething look before storming out.
Jack was becoming more and more concerned that they weren't going to find good news.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
Owen and Tosh had left for the night. As had, presumably, Suzie. Jack and Ianto, who had stayed late to finish up as they often did, had not seen her since before Owen and Tosh had gone home. They assumed she had left to get some rest.
They were just closing up the Hub when their PDA's went off with a message from Tosh. Just one word: "Plass".
They checked the CTV only to find their horror, their worst nightmare. There on the Plass, her eyes tear-filled and face crazed, was Suzie holding Tosh and Owen at gunpoint.
The pair rushed to the Plass, heading to the lift. Jack stood while Ianto crouched down, attempting to take down their teammate from above and below.
"Suzie, you don't have to do this," Owen said, trying to get in front of Tosh; but Tosh was having none of it, and kept stepping right back beside the doctor. Both were staring down their teammate.
"No. No, you don't understand. I have to do this." She gripped the gun more tightly. "They know and now I have to leave but you're standing in my way. I work so hard, while you do nothing. I do nothing but work I get inside the tech; that's why the perception filter won't work on me."
With that she took aim and shot Jack right between the eyes.
"Jack!" Tosh screamed.
Ianto had no time to feel shock at his mate's sudden death; Suzie was now officially a hostile. At this moment she was not a teammate anymore, not as she was. He reacted swiftly, transporting the few feet he was capable of and grabbing Suzie from behind just as Owen lunged forward. Together they wrestled her to the ground and restrained her.
"Got this?" Ianto asked Owen. At Owen's nod Ianto went to his lover's prone body beside Tosh.
"It's small caliber and clean; he'll be back soon," he said as he pulled Jack into his lap. Tosh and Owen looked shocked, and he had to remind himself that this is actually the first time their teammates have seen Jack die and soon come back.
As he thought this, Jack gasped back to life and sat up, looking around.
"Seems I missed the excitement."
"Yes, sir, but you made a very good distraction."
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
In the cold predawn light the remaining members of Torchwood gathered together in the conference room to hear Owen's findings from his examination of Suzie.
"There's been a definite change to her brain chemistry, which indicates an outside influence. We can assume that the influence was the glove."
"Is it reversible?" Jack asked.
"At this time, no. With time and research, maybe; but until it is reversed—if it even can be reversed—she'll not be our old Suzie," Owen said sadly.
Suzie was Torchwood and she was their friend, or at least, she was before the glove got her.
"So the question becomes what to do with her while we look for a cure," Ianto said.
"It doesn't seem fair to lock her up for some unknown time," Tosh pointed out.
"You're right," Jack agreed, "which leaves us with the options for leaving Torchwood. Owen, would using Retcon cause a reaction?"
Owen looked through his notes. "I'd have to run some tests to be sure, but it shouldn't. It actually might be the best option we have right now to restore her to herself. The altered brain chemistry could cause some new behaviors, but nothing like we've seen from her recently."
"Could we just retcon her to before her research?" Tosh asked.
"No, there'd be too much of a chance of her memories being triggered," Ianto answered. "It has to be all or none."
They all looked at Jack for his decision.
Jack thought a moment before ordering, "Owen, run those tests. Then, if everything checks out, Ianto, you and Tosh set up a cover. Suzie Costello is about to have amnesia of the last few years. Meanwhile, we'll research reversing the damage and if we can, we'll see if we can bring back our Suzie."
Jack's team nodded before going to complete their tasks. Ianto hung back, waiting for Owen and Tosh to leave before approaching his lover who was sitting with his head in his hands at the conference table.
"I know that was hard," Ianto said softly, coming up behind Jack and placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's been awhile since you've had to issue that kind of order."
Jack rubbed his chin and sagged in his chair, weary.
"I know it's stupid," he said, "but I'd hoped I wouldn't have to with this team. I wanted to build a team that could rely on each other, that could almost be...family."
"And you have; Suzie just got into something that was dangerous. You still have Tosh and Owen, and you'll always have me."
"Gods, I love you, what would I do without you?"
Ianto smiled. "Brood…a lot."