Uncle Jack Harkness aka Let There Be Light, a torchwood fanfic

A/N: There are some flashbacks to Jack's past which have been written in italics.

Jack would never forget that July night twenty-six years ago. He remembered that because the sky was filled with storm clouds, most people who saw the tiny shuttle the size of a small airplane hurtling to the earth dismissed it as a bolt of lightning, but he knew better. And so did Bertie Templeton - Jack's co-worker and friend during that time. Both men arrived at the small patch of woods in Cardiff's outskirts, each of them armed with a flashlight and a pistol; however, only one of them was confident in using the latter item. The two men watched the craft for a moment, not knowing what to expect. Bertie tried hopelessly to think of a plan while Jack tried to classify the ship until the men heard crashing from inside and thumping on the door as though someone or something was trying to get out. Both men raised their pistols with Jack taking the lead position as Bertie – a middle-aged man still in his dressing gown – tried not to quiver in fear. As soon as the door was breached, a man dressed in what appeared to be a simple tunic and pair of slacks threw a suitcase out of the ship. He had a small cut just above the eye, and his arm was bleeding. The alien dizzily stumbled out of the spaceship, tripping over the threshold and onto the cold, damp grass. He was an average-sized man with dark hair and hazel eyes in his early 30's later to be known as Hector. Another alien man who seemed only slightly older sat in the pilot's seat. This man had a large gash on his head, and a piece of equipment was lodged in his leg. He was bleeding profusely and was barely conscious. Hector pulled out a small piece of equipment that resembled a stun-gun. Jack recognized it, but Bertie did not.

"Don't shoot," Jack yelled. "It's a translation device. He just wants to talk." The alien pointed the device to Jack's mouth. "My name is Captain Jack Harkness."

Hector pointed the device at his own throat and pushed a button. "Please," he said in an American accent. "The pilot lost control when we crossed the rift. We entered the atmosphere too fast. He is badly injured. My wife is about to give birth."

"Turn around," Jack ordered. The alien complied. Jack patted his clothing, looking for weapons. "He's unarmed. I'm going in."

Jack stepped into the ship and looked in the rear and saw the woman who he would later call Ana Lucia. She seemed to be the same age as Hector, and although she looked sweaty and exhausted, she was still quite a beautiful woman with the intense gaze of a Spanish dancer. Not only did she have a swollen belly from her pregnancy, but Jack also detected a light from underneath the woman's shirt which gave the woman a flattering and celestial glow which made her tanned skin seem golden. Jack helped her to the door and lowered her into Hector's arms. However, when he turned around to help the pilot, it was too late, and as the pilot died, his body glowed and sparks came out of his fingertips, causing the instrument panel to burn.

Jack jumped out of the ship, he and Hector helped Ana Lucia to safety. Seconds later the ship exploded with the dead pilot still inside. The alien couple watched with tears in their eyes as their craft was reduced to a burned out skeleton.

Hector and Ana Lucia were taken back to Bertram's home and placed in a large guest bedroom. Ana Lucia was on the bed with her husband sitting at her side holding her hand. She cried out in pain as she had a contraction. Imogene Templeton, a slender middle-aged woman with graying hair, sat at the end of the bed looking into the alien woman's cervix.

"It's time." Ana Lucia cried.

The light swirled and churned as if there was a star forming inside of the small woman, giving the miracle of birth an entirely new meaning. Soon the alien woman began to tremble as the light traveled though out her limbs following the paths of the nervous system, and when she cried out, the light poured out from between her legs from which the newborn emerged. The new father tossed off a watch he was wearing and touched the newborn on its chest, giving it the spark of life. His wife cried in relief as she heard her baby scream out its first breath.

"It's a girl," the alien female said as she held her child for the first time. "Her name is Aurora."

Aurora "Rory" Templeton hates family gatherings. In a sea of tall, blond, blue-eyed people with porcelain skin, she is the short, dark haired, hazel eyed, olive skinned orphan who someone at some point of the gathering would mistake for a servant. But it isn't just her appearance that set her apart from everyone else. Being a former child prodigy with a slightly quirky personality, she also carries the burden of being known as the family freak. As the adopted daughter of Bertram and Imogene Templeton, she had grown used to this and knew that it did no good to complain. She just smiled and appeared helpful, hoping to disappear. Now at the funeral of the woman whom she had come to know as her mother, she would not go unnoticed. She receives plenty of resentful looks as the news that she will inherit all of the Templeton fortune travels around a room. A line of mourners file out of a country home, each stopping to offer their frosty condolences to the mousy young woman dressed in a sleek black suit standing in the foyer. She nervously rolls her ankle as she dutifully shakes the hands and accepts the kind words of people who she either barely knows or does not want to know.

An Indian couple shyly approaches her. Rory wishes she could just run away and hide from her ex-boyfriend with his new wife. The young man hesitates before speaking, "I'm very sorry, Rory. I really am."

"Thank you," she replies.

"We'll try to take care of things at the lab while you sort things out here," he tells her. "Take as much time as you need."

"Thank you, Vikram. It's good of you to come, Amitra."

Vikram's wife awkwardly nods before dragging him away.

The last member of the mourning party gives Rory a small music box as he shakes her hand.

"What's this?" Rory asks.

"Your mother wanted you to have this," the gentleman replies. "It was her wish that you open it when you are alone."

"Why alone?"

"She didn't specify, but she was adamant, Miss Templeton. She said that you would understand once you have opened it."

Alone in the cavernous study, Rory sits at the desk and tosses away yet another used tissue in an overflowing trashcan. Now that she's alone and comfortable dressed, she allows herself a good cry for the woman who was the only reliable figure in her life after the loss of her adopted father.

She looks at the box and runs her fingers along the lid. She's never seen it before and wonders why she has been given it now. Was there perhaps a last wish the Imogene could not make in her life? Was it a last message? She picks up the box and walks to the fireplace where she sets it on the floor. She sits on the floor with her legs crossed, facing the box. She feels a bit like Pandora about to release evil into the world, but she shakes the thought from her head, knowing that Imogene would never do anything to hurt her.

When she finally does open it, she finds a photograph of the seven-year-old version of herself with her birth parents and her adoptive parents, but there is one man whom she doesn't recognize. He looks very much like a dashing movie star dressed in a 1940's costume. She finds another photograph of the unidentified man, and on the back, it bears the name Captain Jack Harkness and the address of a tourist center in Cardiff written in Imogene's handwriting. Underneath the photo, she finds a locket, which she picks up by the chain, noting that it must have belonged to a child given the length of the necklace. As soon as she touches the pendant, it begins to glow, giving Rory such a start that she drops the chain on the floor. However, curiosity overcomes her fear, and she reaches for it again, searching for an explanation to the glow. A ball of light shoots out of the locket once it is opened. The force of it knocks Rory flat on her back. The white light flies around the room like a drunken comet, rattling the photos and degrees that line the walls until it reaches its intended target: Rory's mouth which is open in her shock. The light enters the body, setting the young woman aglow and gasping for breath. Images flash through Rory's mind – images of her real parents, of an office in Cardiff, of a hand-drawn picture of a police call box, of broken electrical appliances, of circuit diagrams, and of a beam of light racing through a maze of wires. And in her head, Rory hears the hum of electricity muffling the sounds of indistinct voices. Only one name is clear: "Captain Jack. Captain Jack Harkness.

Rory paces in the tourist information center that disguises the Torchwood hub. She mutters to herself under her breath and is so lost in her thoughts that she doesn't notice that Ianto has stepped behind the counter. He clears his throat which causes her to freeze like a startled animal. They stare at each other for a moment, both waiting for the other person to speak first.

"May I help you?" Ianto asks before the moment becomes too uncomfortable.

"This is going to sound mad," Rory says, shaking her head. "But, did this building used to be a research facility?"

"Research? I'm not sure." Ianto appraises the woman, and it's his best guess that the woman is in her mid-twenties although her current demeanor makes her seem younger.

Her voice is shaky, but the words spew out of her mouth. "I thought that is where my parents used to work – my real parents. I just can't remember very well… I lost them when I was seven."

"So sorry to hear." From her accent, Ianto guesses that the woman is well-educated and grew up in privilege. And yet she is eccentrically dressed in a bright red hooded rain coat over a black skirt that fell just above the knee and was supported by crinoline. She also wears dark hose and black boots with pink laces. What really catches Ianto's eye is her leather wrist length gloves with lightening blots on the buttons.

She nervously taps on the counter as if she had just had seven shots of espresso in a row. "You see, I'm looking for Jack Harkness. He used to work with them… my parents."

Ianto pauses before speaking, careful not to betray any emotion. "You could try the directory."

"I tried them all. I can't find him. I wish I could find him. I desperately need to speak with him. You see, I know he worked here. Maybe he doesn't anymore, but maybe there's some forwarding address."

"I wish I knew what I could do to help." Ianto can't help but to feel sorry for the young woman, but he remains firm.

"All I have is this photograph taken when I was a child." Rory says as she hands him the group photograph. Ianto suppresses his surprise. Any reaction is a betrayal to Jack and a betrayal to the character he chose to display to the rest of the world.

Rory tries to smooth out her frizzy hair and to comport herself in a demeanor more fitting to her stature. Ianto wonders what must have brought her to this state and what is she doing with a picture of Jack.

Rory continues, "You just don't know what I've been through for the past few days. I think that this man may have the answers." She pauses to take a deep breath before looking Ianto in the eyes. "Have you ever felt alone? Very, very alone? That's why I need to find Jack."

"When was the last time you saw him?"

"I was seven years…" Rory's voice trails off as she notices the beaded curtain. "My mother – my birth mother – bought that curtain. I used to have a stool and sit at this counter and draw pictures."

"Are you all right?"

Rory takes off her glove and touches Ianto's hand. Her fingertips begin to glow as she begins to feel the electrical impulses that cause his heart to beat faster, his breath to become shallow and his spine to tingle. Ianto is momentarily stunned by her energy and emotions, which flow from her fingers into his hand. Rory pulls her hand away quickly before they both become overwhelmed.

"I believe I know someone who can help," Ianto says quietly.

Rory meets Ianto's eyes. "Thank you."

And something in her gaze that calls him towards her and pleads with him to open his heart, and the vulnerability of this feeling frightens him.

Jack sits in his office reading a typed report when Ianto enters. "Sir, there's something that I think you need to see."

"You look as if you've seen a ghost. What's wrong?" When Ianto hands him the photograph, Jack nearly jumps out of his skin. "Where did you get this?"

"There is a woman in the front office who claims to be the little girl in the photograph," Ianto answers.

Jack rushes to Tosh's station. "Get me the CCTV to the tourist office."

Tosh brings it up on the monitor and looks at Ianto for any clue as to what is happening. Ianto shrugs, trying to convey that he is as lost as she is. Jack's eyes widen as he sees a grown-up Aurora Templeton on the monitor. He knows immediately that this is the same little girl he used to call Rory.

"Let her in, Ianto," Jack orders.

"Are you certain, sir?"

"Let her in," Jack repeats.

Rory's heart feels as if were about to beat out of her chest when she entered the hub. It's as if all of the technology in the room causes her to forget her predicament momentarily and fills her with wonder and excitement as if she was a child in the greatest toy store of them all. Her hands itch to touch the equipment, but the gloves that she wears make her feel self-conscious. And besides that, she knows it would be rude towards the handsome man who is doing her a favor.

"It's beautiful," she whispers in reverence.

Jack replies, "I'm glad you approve. It means a lot coming from someone like you."

"Jack! Am I dreaming?" Rory asks, barely able to speak.

"I could ask myself the same thing." The captain watches her every move. He smiles at her, but is not completely happy to see her.

Rory runs into Jack's arms, and although she is much shorter and of a much smaller build, her burst in energy causes Jack to stumble a few steps backwards. But, he manages keep his balance.

"If you'll excuse us, I need to speak to her alone." Jack tells the team.

Once inside the office, Jack takes Rory's coat. She wears a t-shirt with a robot with a heart on its chest, which amuses Jack.

"It's my favorite shirt," she says with a small smile.

She stares at Jack's face in disbelief. Neither one of them speaks as they search for familiar features to confirm what they both know to be true.

Finally, Rory speaks. "You haven't changed."

"Can't say the same about you," Jack replies.

"I'm not human, am I?"

"No."

"I'm an alien?"

"Yes."

"And my memory was in a locket?"

"Yes."

Rory bites her lip to hold back the tears. "Imogene died a week ago."

"What happened?"

"Pancreatic cancer. When she was diagnosed six months ago, it was too late. In the end, it was so awful. She was in so much pain… Then, one day, she was just gone. I was there with her in the end; and I watched it happen; but I'm still getting used to the fact that she's gone."

"She was an amazing woman."

She speaks very quickly as is her custom when she's flustered. "Imogene's lawyer gave me the locket after her funeral. She wanted me to open it… There was a letter from her as well. She wrote that she felt that she was a coward for not telling me the truth about my identity. She was frightened that I would be upset at her."

"Are you?"

"No. I loved her. I wish that I could talk to her about what's happening with me now."

"It wasn't her fault. We did what your parents wanted us to do in case something happened to them. They wanted you to have a normal life."

"And my real parents are dead, aren't they?"

"Yes."

There is no hint of accusation in her voice, just sadness over time lost. "For nineteen years, I didn't know you existed. You were wiped from my memory, and I never saw you again until now."

Jack, however, is a bit defensive. "Bertram and Imogene thought that my presence was dangerous. You would have started to ask questions when you noticed that I didn't age quite like everyone else."

Rory asks. "Would I have remembered you?"

"We weren't sure how the procedure worked. Besides, you would have never had a future with me. I'm not cut out to be a father. Bertram and Imogene could offer you a stable home."

"They did. They were wonderful to me. I'm not here to make any accusations, Jack."

"What would you like to know?"

"To begin with… what I'd really like to know is… I think I'd like to know what to do with my hands."

"All right. We can help you with that."

Jack leads her outside to meet the team. "Rory, I'd like you to meet Gwen Cooper, Owen Harper and Toshiko Sato. And the handsome gentleman who showed you inside is Ianto Jones. Everyone, this is Aurora Templeton."

"Call me Rory. No one really calls me Aurora."

"Rory is a Light Keeper," Jack says.

Gwen asks, "What's a Light Keeper?"

"You're about to find out," Jack says. "Gwen, Owen, and Tosh, bring an electronic device to the boardroom. Ianto, see if you can rustle up a blindfold."

"Yes, sir," Ianto says, nodding at Rory before leaving the room.

Inside the boardroom, Rory sits in a chair wearing a sleep mask with Ianto at her side. Jack sits across from her with the rest of the team huddled around him. Jack holds Rory's hand for a moment and gives it an affectionate squeeze before removing her gloves.

"Item one," he says as he guides Rory's fingers to the plug of an electrical pencil sharpener.

Her fingers immediately glow upon contact. Gwen can barely breathe.

"Pencil sharpener," Rory says. For kicks, she makes it work causing Gwen to jump in fright.

"Item two," he says once Gwen has composed herself.

Rory holds a portable video game system and runs her luminescent fingers over the buttons, but after a while she pushes it aside and finds herself short of breath. Ianto holds her arm and rubs her back.

"It's that video game where you shoot the aliens," Rory says as she gasps for air and takes off the blindfold.

"Oh, God!" Tosh says. "Did I upset you?"

Rory shakes her head. "No, no, no. Not at all. I didn't mean it that way. It was just too much information running through my head. When I scan something, I can see the circuits in my head. And I get all of these images and sounds swirling in my head. Occasionally, it's overwhelming."

Ianto offers her a glass of water, which she gladly accepts. They lock eyes as she takes a sip, but neither of them are nervous. They both feel oddly comfortable.

Jack assures her, "With time and practice, you'll get used to it. Right now, just relax and don't try too hard. Deep breaths. This isn't a race." He takes the glass of water from her and places the game into her hands. "Visualize the circuits and only the circuits first. Can you see them? " She nods. "Now, focus on the sounds, just the sounds."

Rory tries to concentrate, but finds it difficult. "I keep getting all sorts of images all at once. It's hard to control the flow."

"That's okay. You can try again later," the captain recommends. "Item three."

Rory gingerly handles an I-pod.

"Can you see the menu? Now, what's the first artist and track on it?" Jack asks.

"AC/DC. 'Givin' The Dog A Bone'," Rory answers.

Owen nods.

"Nice," Gwen remarks sarcastically.

"Light Keepers are an alien race with a rare gift for scanning and reading technology through touch," Jack explains. "Circuits are basically another language to them. The more they study circuitry, the more they comprehend about the device they handle."

"I'm glad I became an engineer," Rory says cheerfully. "But when I touched Ianto, I could feel what he was feeling."

"And I could feel her emotions," Ianto adds.

"Energy flows both ways. Rory can give her energy to another device or person as well as receive it. The two of you were picking up on each other's involuntary neurological signals," Jack clarifies.

"The body reacts to emotions. Fight or flight being the classic example," Owen says. "Neurons are just another form of circuitry."

"Will I be able to read minds?" Rory asks.

"No. You'll only be able to pick up on involuntary signals, not conscious ones. Your brain processes those signals as emotions."

"Trust me, being able to read minds is not worth the trouble," Tosh tells her.

"So how did she get here?" Gwen asks.

Jack continues, "Rory's parents escaped the Sycorax invasion of their home planet."

"The same aliens that invaded London on Christmas?" Ianto asks.

"How do you think they got their toys?" Jack replies. "They were on route to a safe planet to meet with others of their kind when her mother began her labor. The pilot was trying to make an emergency detour when they entered the rift. Bertram Templeton and I found them that night. They willingly surrendered to us, but the pilot died from his injuries when they crashed. The family would have been captured and held prisoners if we hadn't devised a plan to conceal their identities. Of course, it didn't hurt that Light Keepers look human. As far as anyone was concerned, they were simply Hector and Ana Lucia Garcia, engineers who emigrated from America."

Tosh can barely believe her ears, "What about the glowing? They just didn't walk around wearing gloves, did they?"

"No," Jack replies. He turns to Rory and says, "Eventually, you'll learn to control it. Right now, your brain might be a little scrambled due to stress and the transition so for now you'll have to wear a special watch that will help control your energy. Sickness and extreme stress can sometimes cause energy leaks."

Jack takes a watch out of his pocket and clasps it on Rory's wrist.

"What do you mean by transition?" Tosh asks.

Jack explains, "Rory's parents built a device that converted Light Keepers into humans. It involved taking information and energy from the brain and placing it in a vessel. Hector and Ana Lucia hoped that they would never have to use it, but we did, when they died. After that, she retained her cognitive abilities, but she could only remember what Bertram and his wife told her. All of the lies we told everyone else about her parents became her truth."

"And I opened my vessel – my locket – and I knew who I was." Rory interjects.

"Owen," Jack commands, "I'd like you to give her a physical and brain scan. She's been through a lot, and I need to know if she's alright. I have a file in the safe about Light Keepers which includes physiological information. Ianto, look after Rory's needs. Tosh and Gwen, I'm sure you can find something to do." Jack reaches for Rory's hands and says tenderly, "I have some work to do and a few phone calls to make, but I promise you are in good hands."

Tosh and Gwen sit next to the alien on the sofa as Owen prepares the exam room for her; however, not one of them really knows what to say. Rory is the most uncomfortable of all and begins to roll around her ankle.

Ianto walks to them carrying a tray of coffee. "I'm afraid that no one has written self-help books about this sort of thing. Something like Our Alien Bodies, Ourselveswould be helpful," he says as he offers Rory a tray of biscuits.

"Or perhaps Discovering Your Inner Alien." Rory adds with a giggle. "It's just so odd. It's the same body; and I still have all my memories from when I was human; but it's as if something in my brain has switched on."

Gwen says, "It must have been pretty frightening the first time you…" She waves her fingers around.

"Scanned an electrical appliance?" Rory replies. "It was at first, but, well, now that I'm getting used to it, it's actually kind of fun. I think what was really frightening was feeling alone and dealing with the flood of memories of my birth parents and of Jack. To be honest, I didn't think I would find him."

"So you knew Jack when you were a little girl?" Gwen asks.

"I remember that he was like family, and I adored him," the alien replies. She smiles wistfully. "I absolutely adored him. He was always so kind to me. He would come over for dinner every week. He taught me to dance."

Tosh asks, "Are you upset with Jack?"

"No," she responds. "The thing about emotions is that they're just energy. Grief is absolutely draining. So is anger. Fear is overwhelming as if all circuits are going at once."

"Happiness?" Ianto inquires.

"When I first saw Jack, I thought I'd burst. Happiness is an extra shot of energy."

"We'll just have to try to keep you in a good mood, then," Ianto replies.

"Good job, so far," Rory says with a nod.

Jack closes the door to his office and closes his eyes overcome by feelings of joy, anxiety, and shame. For years, he had pushed her out of his mind, knowing that she was protected by the Templetons, but it felt so good to see her again that it frightened him. Everything has changed for the young woman, and it wasn't the first time Jack had to think about her future.

Ana Lucia sat on of the bed holding the baby with Hector by her side. Her fingers glowed as she caressed her child. Hector stroked the mother's hair and kissed her cheek.

Jack, Imogene and Bertram watched the family from across the room hovering around a fireplace.

"We can't turn them in," Jack insisted. "Do you have any idea what Torchwood would do to that baby?"

"What if they get caught?" Bertie shouted. "What if we get ourselves in enormous trouble for helping them? What about the project, my career, Imogene?"

Imogene spoke furiously at her husband, "Jack's right. We can't let them have this child."

"What's has gotten into you?" Bertie asked.

"Just hold that child, and tell me that you can send her into a prison cell where she will most likely be separated from her parents," Imogene hissed.

"Torchwood will have the space ship soon," Jack said. "It's been burnt up. No one has to know that there were surviving passengers."

"You're both mad," Bertie said in disbelief.

"This child is not meant to be locked up in a lab and studied like a common rat," Jack insists.

Imogene pleaded softly. "You know in your heart that this is the right thing to do. If you didn't think so, you would have turned them in by now."

"So we're stuck with them," Bertram sighed. "If anything happens, it's on your head, Jack."

Jack replied. "I can assure you that they are no threat to humans. It's us who are the threat to them."

Rory sits on the examination bed in the medical examination room. She is unsure of herself and looks over to Ianto who stands close by for reassurance. He smiles at her before Owen takes a look at her though an opthomoscope.

"Let's have a look at those big hazel eyes," Owen says as he leans into her.

For a moment, the exam appears routine, but suddenly, Owen stumbles backwards, falling down on his bottom.

"Holy fuck," he shouts.

"What happened?" Rory asks as she helps Owen rise to his feet.

Ianto scans the file and reads a section out loud, " 'The iris of a Light Keeper contains a golden ring around the pupil, the light of which is subtle and imperceptible during common interactions . Upon close, prolonged inspection of the eye, such as with the use of opthomalic equipment, this ring appears to move as if it were a circle of flames. However, to be on the safe side, extended eye contact with the general public is not recommended.' Did you look at the information that Jack has on file?"

Owen snatches the file from Ianto's hand. Ianto looks into Rory's eyes.

"Do you see anything?" Rory asks Ianto.

"Just a hint," Ianto replies.

"Try the magnified version." Owen says.

Ianto looks at Rory's eye through the device. "Amazing."

Owen scans Rory with a pen-like device. "Just relax," Owen reassures her. "Won't hurt a bit." He reads the information on a hand-held monitor.

She is positively itching to touch the machine, completely unconcerned for her own safety.

"May I?" Rory asks.

Owen shrugs and steps aside. Rory hops off the bed, unclasps her watch and looks over the machine with absolute giddiness. At first she applies a gentle touch, but she begins to press her into the metal. Her eyes close and her breathing becomes shallow as the glow from her touch grows more intense.

She gasps as she lets go. "That was different."

"You okay?" Owen asks. For the first time, he seems genuinely concerned.

"Yes." Rory's mind is racing. Her breathing is shallow, but there is an air of excitement and satisfaction about her.

"Too much?" the doctor asks.

"Yeah," she says. "Wow."

"From the looks of it, you'll never have to visit the sex shop again."

"Be good," Ianto hisses.

Owen pushes a button, causing the device to project an image of Rory's brain on the wall.

"There! Right alongside the amylgada. There's an entirely different part of the brain from a human's." He hands Rory his I-pod. "Scan it."

Rory complies, and it seems as if she's found a song that she likes. She begins to dance the robot.

"What are you listening to?" Ianto asks. Rory holds Ianto's wrist with her free hand. The Welshman gasps as the music passes from the alien into his brain. "It's 'Intergalactic' by the Beastie Boys. Owen, you've got to try this."

Owen takes Rory's hand, and his eyes widen as he hears the music. On the image from the brain scan, the area that Owen has identified glows, and the synapses fire in the other sections like a small electrical storm in her brain.

"Fucking amazing," Owen whispers to himself. He turns to Rory and reports, "There doesn't appear to be any spots or lesions. I don't know. Maybe when the shock wears out, you'll have better control of your powers."

"I hope so," Rory replies. "It's a little scary not being sure of when I'm going to glow."

Ianto gives her arm a gentle squeeze to comfort her. "You'll be fine. I promise."

While Owen completes his tests, Gwen barges in on Jack who is looking through a file marked confidential. He quickly places it in the safe and locks it inside.

"Did you want to say something to me?" he growls.

"She's a lovely girl – very sweet, polite, and charming in a funny sort of way. Ianto seems to be quite taken by her."

"What do you want to know?"

"She isn't a threat, is she?"

"No. Light Keepers find anger and resentment difficult to maintain. It kind of makes them lousy fighters which Hector admitted probably made them vulnerable to attack. She also had great parents – two sets of them – who I'm sure raised her to be a conscientious young woman."

"I was just curious…" Gwen begins.

"Yes?"

"How did you know Rory's parents?"

"I would have thought that you would have run a search on them in the database by now."

"I thought I'd ask you," Gwen says. Jack stares at her until she admits the truth. "All right. I did, but I didn't have much luck."

"I would have thought you would have tried harder."

"I asked Tosh to run her own search."

"I worked with them for seven years. I worked with Bertram Templeton when Hector and Ana Lucia joined our research team."

"Research what?"

"The rift."

Gwen's eyes widen in shock. "They worked for Torchwood?"

"Yes. In those days, Bertram funded some of the research himself so he had pick of whomever he wanted on his team, and Rory's parents were the best people for the job. When Rory's parents died, he left Torchwood. He used his money and influence to avoid being ret-conned and adopted Rory."

"Her parents were much more than colleagues to you."

Jack picks up the photograph and looks at it. He remembers setting the timer on the camera and running to his position in the picture. "I knew them well. They were a vibrant, intelligent, fun couple, but most of all, they were never a threat."

Tosh bursts into Jack's office. "Is Ianto the only one around here with an ounce of etiquette?" the captain sighs.

"There's a UFO sighting just outside of Cardiff. It looks like it's plummeting to the ground."

Jack hangs up the coat and reaches for his coat, "Come on, Gwen."

"You spend time with Rory. We'll take care of it," she replies.

Jack is grateful for a distraction from the Rory situation. "No. We're not sure what it is or what might happen. It's my duty to be there."

When Jack steps out of the office, Rory is waiting for him at the door with her face full of expectation which makes him wince.

"Ianto, take Rory back to her hotel," he commands, "Owen and Tosh, we have work to do." He cannot look the alien in the eye when he speaks to her. "I have to go. I'm not sure how long this will take."

"I understand," she says even though she is obviously crushed.

Ianto steps to her side and puts his arm around her. Rory looks back at Jack as she walks away, hoping that he would say something to her, perhaps to make plans to meet her when he is finished. He says nothing. He doesn't even look at her, and she tries not to cry. She's been doing too much of that lately.

The team – with the exception of Ianto – arrives at a field that has been blocked off by the military and enters a tent which has been set up to keep out prying eyes. Inside is a space fighter which looks as if it was a victim of a battle.

"Of all the days for this to happen," Jack sighs.

Tosh scans the machine. "It's clean. No radiation, toxic hazards or life forms detected."

Jack and Owen pry open the door with great difficulty.

"Good Lord," Gwen exclaims as she sees the charred corpse of what used to be an alien.

"It's alien jerky," Owen jokes. Tosh rolls her eyes.

Jack paces around the space ship, examining the damage, "It looks like the pilot took a heavy beating. He was probably dead by the time he entered the rift."

"So, it's open and shut, is it?" Owen asks.

"Looks like," the boss replies.

Jack steps inside for a better look inside. The rest of the team waits anxiously for Jack to emerge.

"There's not a whole lot left," Jack says as he steps outside, holding a metal box. "Except for this. Standard clean-up procedures are in order. Owen, let's bag up this crispy critter and get him back to the hub. Gwen, you speak to whoever is in command to coordinate all of this. Tosh, you hold onto this until we get to the hub and figure out what's inside."

"What about Rory?" Gwen interjects. "You may still make it back in time to take her to dinner."

"And that's not gonna happen with you standing about," he replies.

The job is done quickly and efficiently, and as it turned out, he did have time to Rory out for a nice meal. What he cannot admit to the others is that spending time alone with Rory frightens him. He's scared of answering the questions she might ask and of telling her the truth about her parents' deaths. For many nights afterwards, he tormented himself by thinking about what he could have done to prevent the tragedy.

When Hector and Ana Lucia arrived at Torchwood, even though they had extremely well-forged documents and had convincing backgrounds, they had the look of lambs to the slaughter about them. Both of them said very little, leaving with Bertram the burden of explaining their presence to Oliver and the rest of the staff.

"Hector, as many of you will find, is an excellent engineer with proven experience in aeronautics, and I believe Ana Lucia is just as qualified to assist us in the lab."

It bothered Jack that Ana Lucia had to take a position as an assistant even though she was as equally talented as Hector. However, Ana Lucia didn't complain since it gave her the freedom to spend more time with her little girl.

"Above all, we must never forget how important this research is. We have dedicated ourselves to study the rift that runs through Cardiff for the good not only of our country, but of the entire planet…"

"Bloody foreigners," hissed Oliver under his breath. "This is our rift. Our jobs."

Jack stood next to him and heard. "I didn't realize that you were so prejudiced."

"I didn't mean you, Jack," Oliver stammered. "It's just… how does this affect me?"

"Bertie thinks very highly of you."

"Yeah, I guess. I got my eye on them, though. If they want to compete, I'll give a good fight. A little competition never hurt anyone, right?"

Jack wasn't sure if he liked Oliver's tone. "So long as it's for the good of the project."

"Yeah, sure. Of course, Jack."

Jack paces around the room unable to rid himself of the guilt of having let the alien family down. He grabs his coat and heads for the door in search of comfort.

"Hold on!" Ianto yells as he heads down the small hallway to the door of his flat. He is out of his suit and wears a well-worn pair of jeans with a faded green t-shirt. Whoever it was insisted on pounding on the door which both annoyed and embarrassed Ianto as it damaged his reputation as a quiet, orderly neighbor. He peers through the eyehole for a few seconds and upon discovering the identity of his uninvited guest, he quickly opens the door.

Jack bursts into the room, slamming the door behind him and gives Ianto a hard kiss on the lips. Ianto tries to break free from the kiss, but Jack slams him into the door of the hall closet. The Welshman momentarily surrenders to the embrace until they are interrupted.

"Are you o…oh!" Rory has entered the room and now stands a few feet from the men. She smiles at them and waves awkwardly.

Jack releases Ianto and takes a step backwards to the exit. "I didn't realize that you were here."

"Why don't you stay?" Ianto offers. "We were just about to eat."

Jack freezes at the doorway unable to move. Rory's eyes beg him to stay. He takes a deep breath and says, "Ianto, can I speak to you for a moment?"

Ever the proper host, he replies, "Of course. Will you excuse us for a moment, Rory?"

Rory nods, "I'll set an extra plate." She practically skips to the kitchen.

Ianto leads his boss into the bedroom where he sits on the bed as Jack paces around the room.

Jack feels like yelling, but keeps his voice low. "You barely know her."

"I am only following your orders."

"When I said to take care of her needs, I meant…" Jack stammers.

"What exactly do you think is going on here?"

"Well…" Jack, who always finds something clever to say, finds himself barely able to complete a thought, let alone a sentence. "Well… I thought…you and she. You sort of looked like you were… flirting."

"It's only Monty Python movies and dinner, sir. I don't need to remind you that her entire life has changed, and she doesn't have anyone to turn to. I didn't want her to be alone in an anonymous hotel room."

"Why do you care?"

"With all due respect, why are you so determined to keep her at arm's length? You barely spent any time with her when she came to see you. She's alone, scared, and confused, and you may be the only person that can answer her questions."

"Why do you care?"

"She's special. Not special in a she's-an-alien sort of way, but she's special to you. I saw how you looked at her when she walked into the hub for the first time."

"Her father and I were friends – practically brothers. He and his wife knew who I was, and they accepted me. I helped raise her from the time she was an infant until her parents' deaths."

This revelation only fuels Ianto's conviction. "I'm looking after her for you. I care about what happens to her because I care about you. How can you question just how important you are to me?"

Jack leans on the dresser and picks up a picture frame. He sees that it is one of himself with his arm around Ianto. "Come here," he whispers.

Ianto walks over to him. Jack strokes his lover's face gently and kisses him. Ianto accepts this apology.

"Come on," the younger man whispers between kisses. "Rory's waiting out there with the food." Jack responds by nibbling on Ianto's ear. "The food is getting cold." Jack kisses him again. "Sir, if you are really in the mood, I can find some pornography and leave you alone for a while." The word "sir" has a naughty edge when Ianto says it, which the captain finds irresistible.

Jack begins to laugh and tightens his grip, "Is this what happens when the kids come along?"

The Welshman pushes his boss away. "Shut up, sir. Let's eat."

Jack follows him out the door. When they reach the dining area, Rory pulls the captain away and leads him to the head of the table. Rory flutters around the table, pouring the wine and serving the food, and Jack is mesmerized by her. He decides that tonight he will enjoy her company as he did so many years ago when she was an impish little girl.

In a darkened pub, Owen takes the pints to a secluded booth where Gwen and Toshiko are waiting for him.

Toshiko asks, excitedly, "So, other than the brain thing, what else did you find out about her?"

"She's very similar to us – similar structure, similar organs. The big differences are in her chemical make-up. She shows elevated levels of iron and copper."

"Makes sense," Tosh interjects. "They're both good conductors."

"What'd you find, Tosh?" Owen asks.

Tosh looks over her notes that she's written out. "Her birth certificate says she was born in Cardiff, but no hospital is mentioned. Her parents died in a house fire when she was seven years old. After that she was adopted by Bertram and Imogene Templeton. Bertram was a physics professor and heir to an electronics manufacturer, and Imogene was a medical doctor."

Owen adds, "Rory mentioned that Bertram died six years ago, and Imogene died recently. Is she the only heir?"

Tosh reads her notes one more time. "Yes."

"So how rich does that make her?" Owen asks. Tosh slides him a piece of paper, and Owen almost spits out his beer when he reads it. "I guess she doesn't have to work again."

"Except that she's brilliant." Tosh replies. "She attended the California Institute of Technology and received a Master's degree in physics at the age of twenty and a doctorate in engineering by the age of twenty-four. She's now developing a robot to help rescue workers navigate through rubble."

"Torchwood One tried to recruit her," Gwen reveals. "She was only twenty at the time, but she was approached because of her intelligence. The records state that she was interviewed and that she even toured the facilities."

"What happened?" Tosh asks.

"She refused the position." Gwen responds. "She excelled in all of the intelligence tests and showed plenty of ambition, but the records say she declined over philosophical differences. The phrase 'bleeding heart' is used to describe her."

Owen interrupts, "She wouldn't last at Torchwood. She's squeamish. You should have seen her around needles."

"She just lost her adoptive mother to cancer. It seems reasonable that she's squeamish," Tosh points out.

Gwen continues. "She was Ret-conned after that meeting, and she returned to America to earn her doctorate."

"That was six years ago." Owen says. "Before Canary Wharf. Ianto said that Torchwood was different before Jack took over after Canary Wharf. Before that anything that was alien automatically belonged to Torchwood. All alien life-forms were regarded as prisoners."

Gwen whispers, "Jack worked at Torchwood when Rory's parents were on Earth. They all worked for Torchwood until Hector and Ana Lucia died. That's the connection."

Tosh says thoughtfully. "The Templetons and Jack must have taken a big risk to allow Rory's family to live free as they did."

Gwen asks, "Where is Ianto anyway? He spent the most time with Rory."

"He had plans, I think," Tosh replies.

"With who?" Owen asks.

After dinner the three sit move into the living room. Jack sits with his arm around Rory on the sofa, while Ianto sits in his favorite leather chair with his feet propped up on the ottoman.

"I can't believe that you used to baby sit," says Ianto, shaking his head.

"She could be quite a handful," Jack replies. "I once took her to a toy store when she was five to pick out something for her birthday. I turn my back for two seconds, and she runs off by herself. I'm frantically looking for her in all of the aisles and when I find her, she's hiding behind a wall of stuffed animals, and she's taken five or six toys out of their boxes and using her alien powers to make them work."

"In my defense," Rory interjects, "Uncle Jack told me that I could choose only one toy, and I had to make an informed decision. He never took me to the toy store after that."

"Who could blame me?" Jack sighs. "Good thing no one saw you."

"Unlike the time you had to give my classmates and teacher that amnesia stuff," Rory says, laughing.

"She had show and tell so she showed the class that she could make her fingers glow and make a remote control toy car work without batteries." Jack explains. "Her teacher called Ana Lucia at work, and we rushed over there with Ret-con spiked punch for all the kids."

"They also had biscuits," Rory adds. "Chocolate ones. Of course, I didn't get any. I had to stand in the corner while the rest of the class napped for about an hour."

Ianto cannot stop laughing. "That is so awful."

Jack squeezes Rory's arm affectionately. "Oh, but she was worth it."

"More wine, Uncle Jack?" Ianto asks with a smirk on his face.

"He's never gonna let me live that down." Jack tells Rory.

She looks at Ianto and salutes him, "Good."

Jack twirls Rory around as they walk to her car in the parking lot to her car.

"This is me." she says as they arrive to her car. "I had a wonderful evening tonight."

"Me, too."

An impish grin appears on Rory's face. "Are you going back up?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well, you did come here to see Ianto – alone."

Jack laughs in embarrassment. He also realizes how much Rory has grown. "He might be tired."

"He didn't seem that tired. I don't think he'd mind."

"You don't"

"No." Rory unlocks her car door, but turns to Jack to ask him one more question. "Is it serious?"

For Jack, that's a delicate question – one that he tries not to think about. "I don't know."

"That's a shame. He seems like quite the catch."

"What about you?"

"There was someone for a while."

"And?"

"I wasn't good enough for his family so they found him a bride in India."

"Ouch."

"They even had the audacity to invite me to the wedding."

"Anyone that weak doesn't deserve to have you."

"Let's not talk about things that will make me upset. I am much too happy for that. Now go up there, and thank that man properly for a lovely evening."

"Yes, ma'am. Tomorrow, I'll take you out to eat at one of the Doctor's favorite places – just the two of us."

"Do you think that we can get a table where the Doctor sat?" And just like that, she is a little girl from Jack's memory all over again.

"I'll take care of it. I can't believe you remember the stories."

"He was my hero. I look forward to tomorrow. Tonight, you enjoy yourself."

"You know it's a little weird for me to hear these things from you. I used to change your diapers."

"I just want you to be happy. Good night, Uncle Jack."

"Good night."

Rory hugs him and kisses him on the cheek. Jack helps her into the car and watches her drive away.

As Ianto loads the last of the dishes into the dishwasher, he hears another knock at the door and smiles. He doesn't have to look through the peep hole. He knows who it is on the other side.

Jack smiles and says, "Thank you for tonight."

"It doesn't have to be over yet," Ianto replies as he leads the captain inside.

Rory decides to stop in a café before heading to her hotel. There, she orders a decaf soy latte with a walnut scone and sits in a corner table where she doodles circuit diagrams in a small notebook. Upon finishing the last bite, she checks her watch and realizes that she's spent three and a half hours completely immersed in a silly little design for a break dancing robot. She places the notebook in her purse as she heads for the door. In the car, she listens to Brian Ferry and Roxy Music and sings along. As she parks her car in the garage, "More Than This" is playing on her car's stereo which is one of her favorite songs. She waits for the song to finish before getting out.

She walks to the elevator, but she never makes it. For the rest of her life, she will remember that her attacker wore a soft gray sweatshirt and a pair of jeans. She tries to squirm away, but he is much stronger than she is. He drags her to a car and opens the trunk. At the time, she feels no pain as she tries to fight her way free. She twists her wrist in an attempt to escape breaking the clasp of her watch in the process, but he manages to push her into the trunk. When he struggles to place her legs in the trunk, Rory forgets that she is not human and pushes his face away with her free hand sending volts of her energy into his body. He screams as the electricity causes his body to spasm unable to break free from the current while Rory begins to glow and tremble. In the end, she is overloaded with electricity and emotion and passes out inside the open trunk with her legs hanging out.

Unable to sleep, Jack pulls on his boxers and heads into the kitchen where the pots and pans from the evening's meal have yet to be scrubbed clean. He finds a clean sponge and fills the sink with water while his mind drifts to a happier memory of the little family who loved him as one of their own.

As Ana Lucia cleared the table after just another ordinary meal, she discussed a reoccurring topic, "When are you going to find a nice man or woman and settle down for a bit?"

Hector rolled his eyes and took the dirty dishes into the kitchen. Rory was seven years old at the time but listened intently to the conversation as she finished a plate of fruit.

"What's the point?" Jack replied. "You know I will never find anyone as wonderful as you."

"That's sweet." Ana Lucia coos with a hint of sarcasm.

"If only I had met you before Hector snatched you up for himself, we would have made a formidable pair."

"I heard that!" Hector said as he re-entered the dining room. "You can't have her. I'm sorry, but you are one hundred and twelve years too late."

Jack chuckled. "That long? What do you see in him? I am so much better looking than he is."

Ana Lucia gave her husband a peck on the lips and purred, "He's good with his hands."

"What does that mean?" Rory asked.

"Finish your dessert, dear," her mother replied. Rory shrugged and sprinkled chili powder on her pineapple.

Jack leaned back in his chair looking smug, "No, I want to know what that means."

"I've got magic fingers." Hector smirked at Jack. "Face it, mate. You never stood a chance."

Hector ran his hand down his wife's back, but Ana Lucia, who turned beet red, playfully slapped it away. They looked at each other with such tenderness and love that it filled the house with a sense of warmth and security which Rory thrived on.

"Jack?" Rory said between bites. "Will you tell me a story before I go to sleep?"

"About the Doctor?"

Rory nodded.

"Of course," replied the captain.

Hector played a big band album on the stereo and swept away his wife into the living room. "But first, we dance!"

Jack winked at Rory, "Shall we?"

"Yes!"

He scooped the little girl into his arms and spun her around the living room as her parents danced cheek to cheek.

Jack recalls that he spent at least two or three evenings a week at their home – so many evenings filled with games, dancing and conversations about science. It was one place where he could just go and be himself. To the outside world, those evenings may have seemed mundane, but Jack relished the idea of being just like anyone else on Earth if only for a few hours a week.

The phone rings, bringing Jack back to present. He can hear Ianto groan a little as he drops the phone on the floor. Jack continues to wash dishes and tries to slip back into his daydream. When Ianto steps into the kitchen, he is in his boxer briefs, struggling to get dressed.

"There you are!" he says as he stumbles into his pants. "That was the police." His voice sounds hoarse which can only mean that something has gone terribly wrong.

"What happened?" Jack asks.

Ianto tries to be calm for Jack, but he's still shaken up by the news. "Rory's at the hospital."

Jack runs to the bedroom and picks up his clothing off the floor in order to get dressed.

Ianto follows him and continues, "Jack, she was attacked in the parking garage of the hotel. A security guard found her lying unconscious in the open boot of a car next to her attacker."

"Her attacker was still there?"

"He's dead."

Suddenly, Jack momentarily finds himself unable to move. "How did he die?"

"Initial examinations indicate that there was no trauma involved. That's all I know."

"I'll drive." Jack says as he runs to the door with Ianto at his heels. "You call Gwen and tell her to get to crime scene. Call Owen and tell him to meet us at the hospital. And then call Toshiko and tell her to go to the hub and look up the CCTV footage."

Rory sits on the hospital bed with her knees drawn up to her chest, staring off into space. She wears a pair of latex gloves as a means to create a barrier between her energy and other people. Jack and Ianto run frantically down the hallway to the room, but are intercepted Rory's doctor – the same one that Owen had so much trouble with during the outbreak of the plague. "May I help you?"

"I'm here to see Miss Templeton," Jack says.

"Are you family?" the doctor asks.

"I'm the only family she has left," Jack replies.

"She has some bruising and a sprained wrist from the attack. While she appears lucid and in good condition, there are some anomalies that I am concerned about. There's something wrong with her eyes. The paramedic who treated her at the scene almost fainted when he looked into them. He wasn't clear, but he said something about a circle of light. I think it may be copper overload also known as Wilson's disease. In addition to that, when we tried to hook her up to our monitors, they seemed to give her seizures. Maybe you can tell us a bit more about her."

"I want to see her."

"We have her under strict observation right now. When she was revived at the scene, she was terrified about anyone touching her and became hysterical. She only calmed down when we threatened to sedate her. Wilson's disease can cause schizophrenia. I did manage to get a blood sample…"

Jack grabs the doctor by the lapels of his coat and slams him into the wall. "She's the victim here. Don't forget that for a minute. Now let me in before I break that door down."

The doctor opens the door. Jack rushes inside and takes Rory in his arms. She begins to sob uncontrollably as if she had been holding it back and only now feels safe enough to let it out. In that moment, Owen walks down the hallway.

"You're Torchwood!" the doctor exclaims.

Owen ignores the doctor, but freezes when he looks into the room, stunned by the outpouring of grief. "Jesus," he whispers. He notices the doctor. "I've got it from here." The doctor does not move. "What I meant to say is fuck off."

The doctor takes a few tentative steps backwards before turning around and walking away as quickly as possible.

Ianto remains calm and professional even though he is dressed in jeans and a hoodie. "Get to the lab and get Rory's blood sample before it can be tested. After that, Jack needs you to examine Rory. I'll make arrangements with the coroner to transport the body of the attacker back to the hub for an autopsy."

Inside the room, Rory struggles to speak through the fear and remorse, "I didn't see him coming… He…he just…grabbed me. He meant to lock me in the trunk. And I lost my watch…Oh, Jack… I didn't mean to… I didn't mean to… do that. It just happened, I swear!"

Jack closes his eyes and rocks her gently. "I'm here, Rory. I'll take care of you. You're safe now."

Later that night, Gwen rushes down the hallway looking for Jack. Instead, she sees Ianto who is standing in the hallway across from the room. For a moment, she almost didn't recognize him since he's dressed so casually and has a bit of stubble. She's gotten used to seeing him as the efficient machine in a neatly pressed suit.

"Do you have it?" he asks.

"Yeah, sure," she says, taking the watch out of her pocket. "The clasp is broken."

Ianto examines the watch. "I think I can fix that. Fortunately, the watch seems to still work." Gwen is about to open the door to Rory's room. "I wouldn't go in there."

"I've been trained for situations like these."

"Jack's handling it well, I think. He has her complete trust."

Gwen nods and backs away from the door. "What can I do?"

"For the moment, stay here in case Jack needs you. I'm going to the hotel and check Rory out of her room. I don't think she should have to go back."

"Are you taking her back to the hub?"

"Absolutely not – not with her attacker stretched out on the slab. She'll stay with me."

"You've really taken an interest in her."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. I'm sorry. That was daft."

"When I looked in her eyes, there was so much good in them beyond the anxiety of our first encounter. Things were so clear in that moment. What I felt wasn't sexual or romantic – at least, not towards her."

"I'm not sure I follow."

Ianto looks through the window, and Jack meets his gaze for a few seconds before pouring Rory a glass of water. "I suppose, I just felt like I had to protect her. I can't explain it. Besides, I'm just wasting time. There's work to be done."

Ianto takes a few steps down the hall to the elevators when Jack steps out of the room.

The captain nods to Gwen before calling out, "Ianto, could you come here for a moment?"

Ianto complies. "Of course, sir."

"I think I should take the week off to stay with Rory. I want to be able to focus on her, just her. Gwen, I'm sure you can take care of things when I'm gone."

Gwen rubs Jack's arm reassuringly. "That's fine. She needs to be with you right now."

Jack turns back to Ianto. "I need you to make a reservation for me at a hotel."

"I was about to check Rory out of her room so she could stay with me. If you'd prefer it, she could stay in the extra bedroom, and you'd stay in my room."

"What about you? That would be a pretty big inconvenience for you."

"Not at all, sir." Ianto says. He looks over to Gwen, obviously uncomfortable about having this conversation in front of her. "I can sleep on the sofa."

Jack looks at Gwen and realizes that Ianto needs to be formal in front of the rest of the staff. "Thank you."

Ianto desperately wants to wrap his arms around the captain. "Then, it's settled."

"Yeah," Jack says softly. "I was about to sign the paperwork for Rory's discharge. If you just wait a bit, we can go handle those errands together. Gwen, can you take Rory over to Ianto's flat and stay with her until we get there?"

Gwen nods, "Yes."

"Thank you." Jack pats her arm and walks away.

The men arrive in the SUV at the hotel parking garage and park next to Rory's car. Jack sits in the passenger seat and pulls out Rory's keys. He notices that the key chain is a souvenir from Roswell, New Mexico. "Greetings from Area 51," he reads.

"Pardon?"

Jack shows Ianto the key chain and says, "In any other situation, this would be kind of funny."

The captain begins to sob quietly while Ianto holds his hand.

"Well, here we are, then!" Gwen says in a voice that is painfully cheerful, too cheerful. She feels like an idiot as soon as she says it.

Rory is eerily quiet. She heads to the sofa and sits.

"Can I get you something?" Gwen asks.

"Just some water," Rory replies without emotion.

"Right." Gwen has obviously never been inside Ianto's flat and finding the kitchen – let alone a glass – is difficult. She notices the unwashed pots are still in the sink. "I didn't realize that Ianto cooked," she says as she hands Rory the glass of water. She sits on the ottoman, watching Rory as she takes a few sips.

Gwen's attentiveness only makes Rory feel as if she were on display. She tries to place the glass of water on the coffee table, but knocks it over spilling the water on the carpet. Gwen jumps up and begins looking for the bathroom. When she finds it, she steps inside for the towel and pauses to collect herself before returning to Rory who is already blotting the carpet with a kitchen towel. Gwen kneels beside her and helps as Rory begins to cry again.

"It's okay." Gwen tells her. "It's over. You'll be okay."

Rory nods, still weeping.

"It's not your fault."

Rory dries her tears with the kitchen towel.

Gwen helps Rory back on the sofa. "One day, you'll move past this, and you'll be stronger for it."

"What if in some parallel universe, I never stopped for coffee and went straight to the hotel after I left this place last night. What if in that universe, I got up and had a lovely day with Jack, and I didn't have to move past anything and become stronger."

Gwen is not sure of what to say so she doesn't reply.

"But in this world, I took a life. I know it was an accident. I know that that man could have really hurt me if I didn't kill him. It's just that this… energy just got away from me. I felt so out of control."

"I don't know. But what happened is an extreme situation. And in this world, you have Jack. You have all of us on the team, and we're willing to help you."

"But it's more than just the attack. It's the way they all looked at me – the paramedics, the nurses, the doctors – as if I was wrong. They were frightened of me."

"There's nothing wrong with you." Gwen reaches for Rory's hand but upon contact receives a small shock. She lets out a small cry and quickly pulls back her hands.

"I'm sorry." Rory weeps.

"It's okay. I'm not hurt at all. I feel embarrassed for reacting that way."

"Why? It was a natural reaction."

Gwen can't think of anything that will make this situation better. "You look tired. Why don't you get some rest?"

"Do you think it's okay if I take a shower?"

"Of course. Ianto said that you could use his pajamas until he brings your luggage."

"Will you wait here until Jack and Ianto get back?"

"Absolutely," Gwen agrees. "If you need anything, I'll be here."

"Thank you."

When Jack enters the hub, Tosh runs to him, but when she reaches him, she realizes that she has no words to offer him. They stand in front of the steel bars for a moment in an awkward silence until Jack pulls her to him in an embrace.

"How is she?" Tosh asks as he lets her go.

"Better," he replies. "Where's Owen?"

"Completing the autopsy. I'm sure he'll be up here in a minute."

"I want to see that bastard." Jack says as he moves to the examination room.

"You don't have to. Owen will have the report done soon and when he completes the death certificate, he'll ship the corpse to the morgue."

"I want to see him."

Jack is resolute and marches down to the examination room. He derives some small satisfaction seeing the man's chest ripped open and his heart on a cold metal scale. Tosh stands on the staircase while Owen stands back allowing the captain to circle the cadaver. The attacker was a not a very tall man in his early forties of medium build which was probably why he chose someone of short and slim like Rory. What strikes Jack is how ordinary, almost insignificant, the man look even dead.

Owen tentatively gives Jack the report. "His name is Roger Hughes. He was a pharmaceutical rep from London making the rounds in Cardiff where he was staying in the same hotel as Rory. He lived alone, no police record. He was nothing special."

"Cause of death?" Jack asks.

Owen takes a deep breath. "Most likely a heart attack caused by arrhythmia."

"The kind caused by too many volts of electricity running through the body?"

"Maybe," but Owen wants to be diplomatic for once. "There are signs of heart disease. The cause of death on record will be a common heart attack. There's more." Owen says nervously. "Tosh?"

Tosh glares at Owen for asking her to deliver the news, but she makes her way down the stairs slowly.

"Out with it," Jack orders.

"Gwen suggested that I run his DNA through the police database, and when I did, it matched the DNA found on the bodies," her voice chokes as she says that word, "of six different murder victims."

"That bastard would have raped and killed Rory if she hadn't done him in." Owen tells him.

Tosh continues, "We've sent the DNA findings to the local police and over to London. I'm also working on altering the CCTV footage of the accident so it corroborates with the autopsy report. I highly doubt that any police officer will want any further investigation of this matter."

"I'm glad he's dead," Jack says quietly. "Get him out of my hub. Let him rot somewhere else."

Jack walks back up the stairs and to his office. He pours himself a drink and once he finishes it, he smashes his glass on the floor.

Ianto enters his flat carrying Rory's luggage and calls out, "Hello?" He enters the living room and sees Gwen asleep on the chair with her feet propped up on the ottoman. He sets the suitcase behind the sofa and walks to Gwen covering her with a throw.

She wakes up with a startled jump. "Jesus, you scared me."

"So sorry. How's Rory?" Ianto has a seat on the sofa.

"She's asleep in the spare room. You look like you could use some sleep."

"I'm managing."

"Well, you look like shit - hardly like yourself," she jokes.

"Thank you," he replies sarcastically.

Gwen folds the throw thoughtfully, "We talked for a bit. I'm afraid that I wasn't much help."

"I wouldn't take it personally. I don't think she's had any sleep since yesterday. She's too exhausted to process anything. It's Jack that I'm worried about. He seems to be taking this especially hard."

"Earlier today I got the impression that he feels guilty about something," Gwen says.

"You get that feeling too?"

"When we were investigating the crash, it seemed that something was on his mind."

"Any idea what it is?"

"No. I wish I knew." Gwen sighs. "I should go."

"Right. Rhys must be worried."

Gwen walks to the hallway as Ianto prepares to move the luggage into the spare room.

Before leaving she says, "I think you're doing an admirable job. Jack is lucky to have a friend like you."

"I'm the lucky one."

"Get some rest."

"You too."

Gwen gives him a small smile before leaving the flat.

As Owen cleans up the cadaver and Tosh cleans up the CCTV footage, Jack fires off some rounds at the targets on the shooting range. Gwen enters quietly and moves over to the table of guns. When Jack is finished with the clip, he puts the gun down and reaches for another, but finds Gwen's hand instead.

"How is she?" Jack asks.

"She's getting the sleep that she needs. How are you?"

"I'm okay."

"You don't look okay. Ianto's worried about you."

"Ianto's always worried about something. That's part of his charm."

"He cares about you. So do I. There's something that's been bothering you – something about Rory."

"Her life has changed. Why shouldn't I be worried?" Jack asks.

"If you need to talk, you know I'm willing to listen."

"I know. I appreciate that." The two fall into an awkward silence.

"That's fine," shy says with a reassuring smile on her face. "We'll talk when you're ready."

"Right." Jack picks up another fire arm and begins to shoot at the targets once again. He pauses and looks at Gwen.

"Right," she says before she walks out of the range.

At Ianto's flat, Jack looks in on Rory, who is sleeping peacefully, dwarfed by the size of Ianto's pajamas. He walks into the living room where Ianto is asleep on the sofa. Jack tenderly strokes the Welshman's hair carefully so that he doesn't wake him. The captain walks to the master bedroom where he finds that Ianto has made the bed with fresh linens. He lies on the bed staring at the ceiling, waiting for sleep that just won't come.

Gwen places Rhys's clothes back in the closet just as he comes out of the bathroom. He's just finished his shower and is still wrapped in a towel.

"Hey, what're you doin'?" he asks.

"You're calling in sick," she replies. "I have the day off."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"How'd it go last night?"

Gwen hesitates, but she cannot hold back the tears.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Rhys asks as he puts his arms around Gwen.

"We caught a serial killer last night."

"I thought that's good news."

"He died while attacking his latest victim. He didn't harm her physically, but he still managed to take a piece of her confidence."

"There, there, love. Look at you. You look like you need a day off. Come on. Let's get to bed. I'm here to take care of you."

"You really are a good man."

Rhys sighs and wonders why she doesn't always make him feel that way. "I know."

Gwen draws him in for a kiss.

Owen steps into the main room of the hub as Tosh is closing up shop.

"You done?" he asks.

"Yes. You?"

"Yeah." Owen stares at Tosh as she collects her things. He's tired, but after dissecting a serial killer, he cannot bear to be alone. As Tosh is about to head out, he asks, "You wouldn't want to go out to get breakfast, would you?"

Tosh is surprised. "Why?"

He rolls his eyes and stuffs his hands in his pocket. "Forget it."

"I meant to say that you've done a lot of work tonight. I thought that you would be eager to get home."

"I'd like to eat first."

Tosh isn't really in the mood to be alone either. "I could use some food."

"Er, good. My treat."

"Why don't we just go dutch?"

"Fine. Whatever." Owen says as the door rolls open.

Rory spends the next day in bed without the will to get up, which worries Jack. She barely speaks and eats very little. She doesn't even cry. Through all of this, Jack does not leave her side. The next day, Rory gets out of bed and finds her laptop. She opens up the files for her project and works for four hours without a break. Jack sits next to her as she works, and they talk strictly about her work. Then, she enters the kitchen and prepares a meal that they eat in silence.

When she is ready, Jack helps Rory get her powers under control through practice with the different electrical devices around Ianto's flat. Eventually, they work in hub in the mornings. Owen assists by measuring brain activity and the current that flows out of Rory's fingers. Most importantly, Jack teaches her to relax in order to have better control over her gift.

In the afternoons, the pair gets reacquainted. Rory shows Jack some of her photographs of her time as a human, including the pictures she took while taking a road trip through the United States which included a stop at Roswell, New Mexico. Jack tells her new stories about the Doctor and the year that never was. Jack is happy to learn that Rory was in America during the cybermen invasion and on holiday in Tahiti with Imogene when the Master shot the president of the United States.

When Ianto comes home, he is greeted with a home cooked meal prepared by Rory who has a love for spicy food. Day by day, bit by bit, Rory's sadness begins to lift.

Jack hands Rory a bottle of water after a jog through the park. They stop next to a playground filled with children and their mothers.

"You used to bring me here," Rory says as she watches a little girl slide into the arms of her father.

"I used to bring you here hoping that you would run around and tire yourself out. You didn't. The other mothers loved to see you because you wore all of the other children out."

"The other mothers loved to see you." A mother sitting at another bench smiles at Jack. "They still love you." When Jack smiles back at the woman, Rory rolls her eyes and raises her eyebrow at the woman. "I'm thinking about Ianto and am just keeping you honest." When the woman sighs and looks away, Rory says, "That's right. Read your magazine, lady."

"You know, you could always move to Cardiff. Ianto is willing to help find you a flat, unless you would prefer a house."

"That's an awfully big move."

"I don't want you to be in London all by yourself. If something should happen, my team would be too far away to help you in time."

"What about Torchwood One?"

"They're still re-organizing after Canary Wharf. Besides, they don't know you the way I do. They won't take care of you the way we can."

"What about work?"

"You can move your research here, can't you?"

"What about my team? What excuse am I to give them? I can't tell them that they have to move because I'm not really an Earthling."

"We can think of something."

"They have families, and I just can't replace them without a proper explanation. You should know how difficult it is to put together a good team."

"What if I move to London?"

"You don't want to do that, Jack. What you do is important, and nobody knows the rift better than you do. More importantly, you'd miss the excitement."

"You could join me."

"And cover up murders?"

"You didn't…" Jack sighs in exasperation. " It wasn't your fault."

"I'm grateful for what you and your staff did for me, but I guess it also gave me the creeps. I don't know if I have the stomach to do that."

"There is more to Torchwood that just covering up events that the general public isn't ready to deal with. You could study the rift like your parents did or help identify alien artifacts that come our way. You wouldn't have to do field work. You could just stay in the lab."

"I love my work, and I feel as though I'm close to making a breakthrough."

"So that's it? You don't want to come here, and you don't want me to join you."

"It's just so much to think about right now. Maybe, I'll feel differently in time."

"What do we do in the meantime?"

"We enjoy what we have right here, right now."

That evening, Ianto knocks on the bedroom door. "The bathroom is free," he tells Jack.

"You don't have to sleep on the sofa," Jack says.

"It's not a big deal."

"I want you to stay. It's not about sex…"

"Say no more," Ianto replies.

As Ianto sleeps, Jack lies on his side of the bed going over the conversation he had with Rory over and over. Just as Jack would like to scream in frustration, Ianto sleepily rolls over and places his arm on the captain's chest. Jack shifts a bit to make it easier for Ianto, who quickly settles in and falls into a deep sleep. This unconscious gesture makes the anxiety more bearable.

The next day at the hub, Jack gathers his team, minus Ianto, in the boardroom. He hands each member of the team a different folder. "Each of you will investigate a member of Rory's research team. I want to know about their families and their backgrounds. I want to see police and medical records, especially psychological records. If they've ever been to therapy or have been on medication or been committed, I want to know. Don't forget to scan their computers for anything suspicious."

"These are geeks, Jack. So we're going to find some pornography and fantasy websites after we get through the five hundred firewalls they've set up. What is that going to tell you?" Owen asks.

"Just do your job."

"Does Rory know that you're investigating her team?" Tosh asks.

"I just want to know about the people who work closely with her – the people who might discover who she is."

"All right, let's get to work." Gwen says.

"You don't have anything to add?" Jack asks.

Gwen shakes her head. "I think you're right."

Meanwhile, Ianto and Rory stand in the parking garage where she was attacked.

"It happened so fast that it's hard for me to remember specifics," she says. "I just remember that he was excited. It was as if he enjoyed the thrill of it all, as if I was some sort of sport and not really a person. Then, he felt fear when he discovered who I was. The pain was intolerable."

"Do you think he felt remorse?" Ianto asks.

She shakes her head, "I don't know. I don't think he had time."

"But he felt what you felt. Your fear passed into his body."

"The same fear that all of those girls must have felt."

"How are you holding up?"

"Better that I thought I would. Thank you for bringing me here, Ianto."

"To be honest, I didn't know if this was such a good idea."

"I needed to face this place before I left. It would have gnawed at me if I didn't."

Gwen waits for everyone else to leave before she made any moves. Fortunately, Jack left early to have dinner with Rory and Ianto. Tosh and Owen left soon after. That left Gwen most of the evening to investigate the research team of nineteen years ago. She needs to know the root of Jack's sudden paranoia regarding Rory's team and because something about the deaths of the alien's parents seems too convenient. She opens the safe looking for the file that Jack hid. It is full of formulas and charts complied by Ana Lucia, renderings of an airplane designed to fly though the rift drawn by Hector and measurements of rift activity done by someone by the name of Oliver Simmons. Gwen also finds Oliver's file, and when she sees the date of his death, she runs to her desk to check it against the date of the accident only to discover that they match. Gwen looks around the hub aware of the ghosts that linger in its walls.

Rory sits in Ianto's sofa with her laptop in front of her. Jack is in the dining area setting the table and keeping an eye on her. In the middle of typing an e-mail, the laptop gives a low battery warning. Rory starts to get up to retrieve the charger from the guest room, but decides to use her own energy instead. Her fingertips glow as she places them on the keyboard, and although she doesn't move her hands, she finishes composing her e-mail and sends it.

"You're getting lazy," Jack teases.

"I'm just practicing," Rory retorts.

"What are you up to?"

Rory walks to the dining area and helps Jack set the table. "Sending an e-mail to my team in London about the specs they sent me last night. They had some questions about the prototype that needed my attention. They also asked me when I was coming back."

Jack suddenly feels as though the wind has been knocked out of him. "They can't handle things without you?"

"It is my design. The first model was part of my doctoral dissertation," she argues. "I also have to meet with the financial planner about Imogene's estate next week."

"Next week? Are you going to be ready?"

"Don't know, but I can't put it off forever, Uncle Jack."

As the door swings open, Ianto calls out, "I'm home."

Rory walks to him and takes his jacket. She is delighted to see an extra guest. "Hello! It's Toshiko, isn't it?"

"Yes," Tosh replies. "How are you?"

"Good. You?"

"I'm fine. I brought wine," Tosh says as she hands Rory the bottle. "I wasn't sure what we were having for dinner so I got a red."

"It's Tex-Mex enchiladas, just like my mother used to make. It's part of my American heritage," she jokes.

"I've never had that before."

"Then, you're in for a treat!" Jack says. "Rory is an excellent cook."

She's a little embarrassed, "Thank you."

Ianto sets an extra place for Tosh and serves his guests. As they sit and eat, Jack remains quiet as Toshiko and Rory dominate the conversation like the kindred spirits they are. Only Ianto notices that Jack is a little put out.

After dinner, he says, "I think I'm in the mood for ice cream. Jack, will you join me? The shop is only a couple of blocks from here."

"Sure," he replies.

"And what would you ladies prefer?"

"Strawberry," they both say in unison. Rory giggles in delight.

As the two men walk down the street to the shop, Ianto asks, "Is there something wrong?"

"Rory has to go back to London."

"It's only London. It's not as if she lives in Indonesia."

"She's still figuring out how to use and control her powers. She's still dealing with her grief and the attack."

"Rory is a highly intelligent person. If she needs help, she asks for it. She'll have you to call if she needs to talk, and she'll also have me."

"I want her to be safe. I need her to be safe."

"There are no guarantees, Jack. You've said it yourself, everything that happens is random."

"Sometimes that's not such a comforting thought."

"I know that you think it's your duty to take care of her, but she's not a little girl anymore."

"I know you're right…"

"But you love her and care for her as if she were your own."

"I suppose that it'll be nice for you to have your flat to yourself again."

"Rory was no trouble at all. In fact, it's been a while since I've eaten so well. I'll miss her, too."

Jack stops and holds onto Ianto's arm. "I can't thank you enough for letting us stay with you. It's good to know that I have a friend like you."

Standing outside the ice cream shop, Ianto impulsively gives Jack a soft, lingering kiss.

"What was that for?" Jack asks in a daze.

"Because I wanted to. Because you let me."

"What are we doing here?"

Ianto knows that Jack is actually asking about their relationship, but he chooses to misinterpret the question. "Getting ice cream."

Jack follows him in the shop, and as Ianto waits in the queue, he sits in a booth watching the other customers. While most of the customers appear to be happy, or at the very least contented, one angry-looking man sits alone in a corner table muttering to himself, lost in his own head. Again, Jack thinks about Oliver.

"I don't know how much more I can take," Oliver once confessed to Jack. "I worked all night long on those formulas, and Ana Lucia takes one glance at them – one glance – and finds an error that is going to set me back for two more days."

"You've been working too hard," Jack advised. "Go out. Burn off some steam. Then, get some rest, and it'll all be clear in the morning."

"Maybe you're right. I haven't been shagged in months." Oliver looked at his reflection in a window. He looked at Jack for a moment. "You're a good-looking fellow…"

Jack smiled, "I'm flattered. I just didn't know you felt that way."

"No!" Oliver exclaimed. "What I meant is that you draw the birds in and I go in for the kill. Come on. Let's go out tonight. Point me in the right direction."

"Can't do it tonight,"

"You bastard!" Oliver yelled. "Your traitorous bastard. You're going to see little miss sunshine in that ballet recital of hers. That's all the human calculator can talk about."

"I promised Rory I'd go."

Oliver was livid. "Rory? Rory? Fucking hell! You've been whipped by a little girl. What about me, Jack? That's what's wrong with this operation. I put in two years of good, solid work before that bloody family moved in. Where did they come from? Where the fuck did they come from?"

"Calm down," Jack said, trying to keep his voice steady. "Look, I can meet you at the pub at ten. Is that all right?"

"You don't get it, Jack. You just don't get it," Oliver cried before walking away.

The next day Oliver behaved as though nothing had happened and dutifully returned to his work. While he regarded the alien couple in a cold manner, he remained a professional never letting on what was brewing inside. Jack tried spending more time with Oliver; however, he loved the comfort of Hector's home, the warmth of Ana Lucia's affection, and the joy of Aurora's presence. He was addicted to them and wanted to believe that he could be a part of their family, that he could be Uncle Jack.

Ianto walks to Jack holding the containers of ice cream. "Jack?... Hello?... Earth to Jack?"

Jack looks up at him, "Ready?"

"Yes. Come on before it melts."

Tosh sits at the dining room table and looks at the blueprints of Rory's project that are on her laptop. Rory sits next to her.

"Jack must be proud of you. Your parents would have been very proud."

"Thank you. Ever since, I got my memory back, the whole project looks different. Everything seems clearer. It's easier for me to visualize it. Sometimes, it's as if I can feel the circuits. It's kind of exciting."

"I can hardly imagine."

"My whole perspective about work has changed. I used to get so worked up about the competition. It's as if I've been a slave to ambition and success."

"And now?"

Rory laughs. "I have nothing to prove to anyone. It's liberating. You know, if I didn't have my work, I would have torn myself to pieces about what happened."

"You did nothing wrong."

"I can see that now. I also feel as though I'm getting a handle over my special ability. The day of the accident, I didn't feel as though I had that. I was just getting used to the idea of being who I was."

"I don't understand how you can feel sorry for that man. I would be angry at him if he attacked me."

"It's so exhausting to be angry, and I have so much work to do. It's not as if I don't think about it. I'll probably think about it for the rest of my life, but I have to forgive him in order to function for the sake of my team back in London, for Jack, for my own sake."

"I'm so honored to have met you." Tosh tells her.

"I'm just rationalizing, but thank you," Rory replies.

Tosh opens her bag and pulls out a blue spherical device the size of a Magic 8-ball. She hands places it on the table in front of Rory.

"What's this?" Rory asks.

"I don't know yet. We found it the day you arrived, but I haven't been able to figure out what it does or how it works."

"And you would like my help?"

"If you don't mind…"

Rory giggles with excitement. She places her fingertips on the object and focuses her eyes on it. Slowly, she allows her fingers to glow, displaying more skill than before. Her eyes dart back and forth as if she was speed reading text on a page, and finally the device itself begins to glow. The image it projects flickers at first and is difficult to see because of the lights of Ianto's flat. Toshiko runs over to the light switch and turns it off. The device projects a three dimensional star map that is labeled in an alien alphabet. Rory reaches up and touches a star. The map zooms in and reveals the planetary system attached to the star. The women look at each other and laugh.

At that moment, Jack and Ianto walk into the flat with the ice cream. "Don't be upset," Ianto whispers to the captain.

Seeing Rory in a state of bliss fills Jack with hope. "I couldn't be happier."

Out of the four members of Rory's staff, none of them have any history of violent behavior. And with the exception of a few traffic tickets, none of them have anything major on their police records. All of them currently donate time and money to various charitable organizations. However, all of them suffer from one personality disorder or another. All four currently take medication for depression; two are in therapy; one suffers from crippling panic attacks and the added burden of obsessive compulsive disorder. To make matters worse, the ex-boyfriend that Rory mentioned earlier is still on the staff as a computer programmer. He still keeps Rory's old e-mails on his computer although she stopped sending them weeks before his wedding, even the one in which she asked him to keep all correspondence work-related. Jack reads over the files over and over again, looking for the bad egg in the bunch. Perhaps, he should just trust Rory's judgment, but finds it difficult to let things go.

Ianto knocks on the door.

"Come in," Jack calls.

Ianto walks in the office and hands the captain a cup of coffee.

"Do you have a minute?" Jack asks him. "I need some advice."

Later that day, Gwen checks the address written on her notepad against the address of the abandoned airport hanger when she steps out of her car. She takes out a set of keys and tries several of them on a rusted lock before finding success. Once inside, she turns on her flashlight and looks around, but finds it mostly empty with some tools and a few odd pieces of furniture. On the ground she finds the remnant of a Torchwood sign, indicating that she must have found the right place. Gwen takes the ghost machine out of her purse and moves around the site looking for a hot spot.

At the same time in Ianto's flat, Jack enters the spare room and finds Rory sitting on the bed with tears in her eyes, holding a photograph.

"What's wrong?"

Rory dries her eyes and hands Jack a picture of herself with Bertram and Imogene. "I was just thinking of them. We had a good life together."

"You know, I look at you, and I see all of them in you. You have Hector's whimsical personality, Ana Lucia's warmth, Bertie's curiosity and Imogene's tenacity."

"Imogene was cantankerous to the end," Rory says affectionately. "What did I get from you?"

"I'm not sure yet."

"Perhaps one day, I'll have your strength of character."

"All of your parents had that." Jack sits on the bed next to Rory. He takes a deep breath and holds her hand. "There's something that I need to tell you. Something about your parents that I think you should know. Do you remember Oliver Simmons?"

"I think so. He used to work with all of you. He was a strange man – not very friendly."

"Oliver didn't get on with Hector and Ana Lucia. In fact, he was envious of both of them…"

Back at the abandoned hanger, while Jack is telling Rory about Oliver, Gwen walks inside an office with a drafting table and a desk still there. When the ghost machine lights up, Gwen hesitates for a moment, but decides to push the button anyway.

Ana Lucia appears before her, sitting at the drafting table. She's on the verge of discovering something important. Oliver opens the door and stares at her.

She glances up at him before turning back to her work. "Oliver, hi! Pull up a chair, will you?"

He watches her write down the formulas with a blank expression on his face. He closes the door and walks behind her. He pulls out a gun.

"I think I may have found a pattern…" She turns around to face him and sees the gun. "Hector!" she screams.

Oliver immediately shoots her in the head. As Ana Lucia falls to the ground, she begins to glow and sparks begins to fly out of her body before her light fades, leaving behind a cold blue corpse. Oliver trembles as he realizes that what he thought he knew about her was a lie.

"Ana!" Hector cries as he approaches the office. When he opens the door, Gwen is hit with an overwhelming sense of grief that she immediately recognizes from the day she thought she lost Rhys forever. He looks at Oliver and howls in desperation, "What did she ever do to you?"

Oliver's eyes widen as he shoots Hector in the stomach. Hector's body begins to glow as he sinks to the floor, shivering as he loses blood. He crawls over to Ana Lucia's body and reaches out to her.

Jack bursts into the room with his gun drawn and quickly assesses the situation. "Drop the gun, Oliver!"

"Did you know?" Oliver shouts. "Did you fucking know who these people were?"

"Drop the gun. Then, we'll talk."

Oliver tries to shoot, but Jack fires first and kills the petty, little man. Gwen wishes that she never asked any questions. Jack runs to Hector's side and assesses the wound. There is nothing to be done. He takes the alien in his arms and kisses him, hoping that some of his life will transfer into the dying man.

"Aurora," Hector gasps. "Promise me you'll take care of her."

"I will," Jack replies. "She'll be safe. I promise you."

Hector's light is extinguished soon after.

Tosh quickly knocks the ghost machine out of Gwen's hands, and Owen grabs her before she falls to the floor from exhaustion. Ianto takes the ghost machine and places it in a box. He looks at Gwen sadly, and from the look on his face, Gwen gathers that he knows the truth.

Back in Ianto's flat, Rory cries softly.

Jack can't look at her and continues, "I placed the bodies in the bedroom that night and created the gas leak. I set the house on fire. I made sure that there was nothing left of your parents that would give their true identities away."

"You did it for me, didn't you?" Rory asks. "It must have been awful for you."

"I should have seen it coming. I knew how angry Oliver was. I thought I was keeping an eye on him. I even tried to be Oliver's friend, but I failed him. I failed your parents."

"Please, Uncle Jack. Please, don't say that. You did so much for them and for me."

"I am so sorry, Aurora."

"There is no need to apologize."

Jack buries his head in her lap. "I am so sorry."

Rory gently strokes his hair. She touches his hand, allowing her fingers to glow. She takes in his guilt and sends a message from her brain, down her arm and into his nervous system and into his heart. She slows it down to a steady rhythm which allows him to breathe freely. As the anxiety passes, she whispers, "I forgive you." She does this even though she believes that there is nothing to forgive.

The next day at the hub, Ianto unpacks Jack's clothing, and places an extra change of clothing for himself in Jack's closet. Tosh and Rory stand in Suzie's old work area. The alien holds the portable jail cell in her hand and recharges it with her energy.

"Do you think it'll work?" Rory asks.

"Only one way to find out." Tosh takes it and holds it behind her back. "Could you come here, Owen?"

As Owen approaches, Tosh tosses the cell onto the ground, locking him inside.

"What the …?" Owen cries out.

"Woo-hoo!" Rory shouts victoriously. "Oh, but I am hungry. Using up my energy that way always makes me feel a bit peckish."

"Ladies?" Owen calls.

"Ianto always keeps snacks in the break room," Tosh replies.

"All right, you've had your laugh!" Owen says.

"Yay!" Rory cheers. "But what about Owen?"

Tosh leads Rory to the break room. "He'll be fine."

The prisoner yells, "This isn't funny!"

Gwen picks up the cell and releases Owen. "All right. No more mucking about. Don't you have work to do?"

Owen runs after Tosh and Rory. From the break room, Gwen can hear Rory's laughter.

Jack hangs up the phone in his office at the hub as Ianto places a picture of Rory on his desk.

Gwen walks into Jack's office and asks, "You busy?"

"Not at the moment," he tells Gwen.

"Anything else, sir?"

"That's all, Ianto, and don't call me sir."

"Oh, but you like it!" the Welshman replies saucily.

Once Ianto leaves the room, Jack confesses, "Actually, I do. The way he says it is a huge turn on, especially when he shouts it when we..."

"Yeah. I don't need to hear it." Gwen chuckles. "You're missing the fun out there."

"I just needed to take care of something."

"What could be more important than Rory's last day in Cardiff?"

"Her future in London. I have some friends who are willing to help if Rory should run into any trouble."

"Torchwood?"

"No. Just an ordinary family that I met under difficult circumstances. They're good people," Jack replies, knowing that Martha Jones, her mother and her sister will good friends to his adopted niece. "Now, how are you?"

"Still a bit shaken."

"I should have told you."

"You told Ianto," Gwen says. Try as she might, she can't hide the accusation in her tone. "Is it because you and he are..."

"Lovers? That actually made it harder, but I confided in him anyway because I thought that he would understand. He went through an enormous amount of guilt after what happened with Lisa."

"And he pulled through it."

"Oliver wasn't always a bad guy. He was passionate about his work. I think we just put him in an awful position in order to protect the family. I have to admit I was envious of Hector myself. He had this enormous capacity for joy and love and a beautiful family to share it with."

Gwen leans against Jack and puts her arms around him sympathetically. "And you have to settle for us?"

Jack manages to laugh. "Let's get something to eat before Rory gets it all."

When they walk out of the office, Owen is carrying Rory over his shoulder and twirling her around. When he puts her down, Rory stumbles from dizziness, but Ianto is there to catch her. She is laughing so hard, she can barely breathe.

The team gathers in the hub for the moment that Jack has been dreading. Rory is saying her good-byes.

She shakes Owen's hand first. "It's getting better," she says in reference to her wrist.

"Yeah, just be careful. It's not one hundred percent yet."

Next is Tosh. "I'm glad we met."

"So am I." Tosh replies. "Good luck with your project."

"Thank you." Rory says. Then, she tells Gwen. "You know something? I'm a very lucky girl. I almost forgot that."

Gwen hugs the alien. "Yes, you are."

Rory smiles at Ianto and gives him a big hug. "Thank you so much for letting me stay with you."

"It was my pleasure."

"Take care of Jack," she tells him.

"I will. Take care of yourself."

"I will." She hugs him again.

Jack and Rory walk slowly through the car park.

"I'll call you once a week; and I'll send e-mail and pictures. You'll probably get tired of me," she chuckles.

"Never."

"And I'll visit. Maybe you should get a proper flat instead of that hole in the ground you call your barracks."

"Never. It suits me just fine. Besides, it's hard to rent property when technically I don't exist." He pulls her in and tickles her, making her to squirm and giggle. "Maybe I'll just stick you in a cell where we keep the other aliens if you've misbehaved."

"And stand in a corner without chocolate biscuits?"

"Yes."

"I'll be good."

Jack stops kidding around. "You can't tell anyone."

"I know, but do you think I'll be able to come out as an alien one day?"

"The twenty-first century is when everything changes. You'll have a place in that world."

"Until then…" Rory mimes zipping up her mouth.

"Yes."

"I can't thank you enough. I don't know how I could have gotten through all of this without you. It's nice to know I have someone looking out for me."

"You don't have to thank me for anything. We're family, aren't we?"

"Absolutely, Uncle Jack."

Jack hugs her and kisses the top of her head. When he closes his eyes, he remembers the night she was born and the first time he held her in his arms. He remembers the fear he felt upon accepting the responsibility of being her family's guardian and the love he immediately felt for her and her parents. He wishes that she didn't have to go. "I love you."

"And I love you," she whispers. She stands on her toes and kisses Jack's cheek.

He lets go and gives her hand one last squeeze before she steps in the car. She waves before turning on her car's engine and drives home. She knows when she gets there everything will look different, but at least, she is not so scared.

THE END