Chapter One
Running through the alleyways Gwen yells behind her, "Rhys keep up!"
"Right behind you both!" pants out Rhys.
"Mam he went into the alleyway just there."
Cocking her gun Gwen replies, "Thanks Molly. Rhys keep behind me. We don't want a repeat of last time."
Mumbling to himself he grudgingly falls behind.
As they enter the alley darkness surrounds them, "Bloody hell I can't see a thing."
"Thanks for stating the obvious Rhys. Molly light please."
"Just a minute mam it doesn't want to go… there we are."
The light went on and the team spotted the Weevil straight ahead.
Moving ahead Rhys shouted "Look gals it's trapped. We'll get him now!"
"No Rhys stay back!"
The weevil turned and set his sights on Rhys.
Turning around Rhys gave Gwen a cheeky grin and said, "I think he's surrendering."
Just as Rhys spoke the weevil went on the attack. Gwen screamed just as there was a flash of light and Jack.
Turning to the weevil Jack didn't miss a beat, "You know a good man always comes prepared," he exclaims while throwing weevil spray to Rhys, "Quickly now!"
In short order Jack and Rhys have the weevil unconscious. Ignoring the now captured specimen he turns to Gwen, "Did you miss me?" The last thing he hears is a gun shoot.
Coming back was never pleasant, but then again neither was dieing no matter how it happened. Coming around Jack realized he was on a couch. At least they had placed him somewhere comfortable. She could have just left him there. Looking around Jack came to the conclusion that he was in an office, a rarely used office at that. For while it was incredibly clean it looked completely untouched. Stretching out he tested his muscles. Yep he was back. Sitting up he walked to the door, where was he?
Once out the door he was in a long corridor that had only two other doors. It looked new compared to the office. The office had looked new but still had a lived in feel, like someone had put a lot into the décor. The hall however was new plaster, pained white. The first door he tried was locked; the second lead him to what looked like an upper level loft of the warehouse.
"You feel alright?" asked a voice from behind him.
Turning he spies Rhys sitting in what appeared to be some sort of library. "No ill effects."
"Don't take it too personally. You did leave after all. She has every right to be mad at you. She always said you would come back though. I doubted it but I guess she was right in the end."
"I'll try and remember that. Where are we?"
"Temporary Torchwood headquarters, in other words the Hub 3."
"Temporary?"
"Gwen and Molly are having the old one rebuilt in a way."
"Huh?"
"They are building in the same place but I believe they have totally gutted it."
"Why?"
"When Gwen was sorting the rubble she discovered the lift still worked and when Molly joined us well lets just say she was very vocal about it. So basically it's being rebuilt because two hormonal women want it. Feel free to object, but give me a warning before you do."
"Your up," said Gwen from behind him.
"Yes."
"Are you back for good or are you just here for some other reason?"
"For good."
"Are you sure? You have been gone a year."
"It hasn't been a year."
"It has been a year and a half total."
"I would tread lightly Jack she's getting a tone. I really don't feel like have to carry your carcass back to your office," piped in Rhys.
"What tone? I don't have a tone! And we don't need you back if you don't want to stay."
"You don't need me. Despite the fact that I want to be here it is clearly evident that I need to be."
"We are doing just fine!"
"Gwen how are you just fine it's just you and Rhys and he well I mean really!"
"We are not just me and Rhys we have Molly."
"Molly?"
"Coffee anyone?" asked Molly walking up the stairs as if on cue.
"Yes please," said Rhys taking one, "This is Molly she was in the alley with us. Remember I mentioned her before as well."
"Ah, and thank you for the coffee," said Jack taking a cup. Jack Watched as she sat down on the sofa next to Rhys. He remembered her now. She was holding the flashlight on the weevil. She had seemed unimportant and so he had let her out of his mind. But now, well now she was apart of Torchwood. Someone Gwen obviously choose so he studied her. She was short and plain with mousy brown hair, pudgy and altogether forgettable. She wore nondescript plain clothing and she did not look like any kind of asset. "Molly?"
"Yes sir, Molly Roberts," she said standing back up, "Can I get you anything else?"
Turning away from her he returned his attention back to Gwen, "A replacement for Ianto!"
"She's not a replacement for anyone. She's helpful and she knows a lot. To be frank she kind of a jack of all trades!"
"Sure," replied Jack sarcastically.
"I think that I will go finish logging in that weevil," interrupted Molly as she headed down the stairs.
"I think that I will go help," said Rhys as he kissed Gwen cheek, "Don't shoot him please."
They just stood and looked at each other for a good two minutes before saying anything.
"Where'd you find her?"
"She helped us catch a weevil about four months ago. When we got back here by the time Rhys and I had him in our make shift holding cell she had updated our security and had a contracter out here giving estimates. All that you see here was done by her and much more. She is quick on her feet, a computer genius and she makes excellent coffee. She's a great help. She works sun up to sun down. She monitors the crews working on the Hub and she is able to explain everything away."
"Gwen she's just…"
"Don't! you don't get to judge. You left. You left me pregnant and alone to deal with all of this. Yes I had Rhys but I also had a newborn. I needed help and Molly has been a huge help in every way. She has never complained and she and Rosalyn get alone famously. You weren't here so you don't get to say anything."
"Rosalyn?"
"My baby, Rosalyn Toshiko Williams," handing Jack a photo she continues, "Here, she was born 9 months ago. Isn't she beautiful?"
Looking at the baby Jack couldn't believe how much he had missed he handed back the photo and turned away. "I had to leave Gwen I am sorry but I…"
"Jack I know. Believe me I get it and I am glad you found your way back. Truly I am. I always knew that you would so Molly has compiled a list of everything that has occurred here in the last year. Recent captures, rift activity, anything we've found. If you have any questions I would ask her. It's all in your office."
"My office?"
"The room you woke up in."
"Ah…"
"Like I said, we knew that you would come back."
Turning back to hallway he had come from earlier Jack paused, "Gwen?"
"Yes?"
"What's behind the locked door?"
"The morgue," And with that she walked down the stairs.
Walking to the stairs Jack looked out past the loft. It was a warehouse. Big open space with what looked like a kitchen and a conference table. There was cubicle like spaces with dozens of computer monitors. To right and down it looked there were interview rooms and maybe a garage. To the left and down it looked like maybe that's were the holding cells were. Watching he saw Molly coming out of the door with Rhys on her heels.
Molly, he'd have to give her a chance. Gwen was a smart girl he would trust her judgment. Sitting down behind his desk he had to admit it was her looks that put him off. She was over weight and there was just nothing striking about her. She didn't look like a Torchwood operative. But perhaps that was because the only operatives he new were the ones he hired and they all looked gorgeous because he liked nice things to look at. She did however make very excellent coffee and the paperwork in front of him was very detailed like Ianto.
Ianto Jones. Leaning back in his chair Jack wondered what had become of his body. He hadn't asked when he had come back for his thing. Had Gwen recovered it? Did she give it to Ianto's sister? Had she buried him or stuck him in a freezer? He hoped that she had given the body to Ianto's family and that they had placed in the ground under a tree somewhere. The idea of him anywhere dead disturbed him still though. It may have been a year and a half but it still stung. He should probably thank her for taking care of it. He knew that she had. He should tell her but he wouldn't.
"Jack? Jack?" asked Molly.
"Oh, can I help you?" asked Jack who was startled by the fact that he hadn't heard her enter.
"I just thought that you might be hungry."
"I am. What are we having?"
"Beef tenderloin on a bed of baby arugula in a simple vinaigrette sauce with roasted vegetables."
"Wow, who delivers?"
"No one sir. We have a fully stocked and functional kitchen."
"You made this!"
"Yes, but if you would prefer the top left drawer of your desk has a list and menus of places that will deliver."
Opening the drawer Jack saw that it was filled with menus all organized by the type of food that they offered. "Oh, no this is fine and very tasty."
"Gwen mentioned to me that you spend a lot of time in the Hub and that while you were dashing in many things she doubted your cooking ability."
"She said I was dashing?"
"Yes. Do you require anything else?"
"No. Thank you."
He watched her pick up a few things and just as she was about to leave he remembered, "The morgue is locked and Gwen told me to talk to you."
"I just finished inputting your current data into the system. It should recognize your hand now. Make sure however that you grip the door tightly."
"The door will recognize my hand?"
"Most up to date working security system I could find. Reads your fingerprints and your palm print right there in the handle. New technology mixed with older fashioned dress. I thought it fit. I'm having similar things installed in the Hub so if you don't like it let me know."
"What if someone cuts my hand off…"
"Not to worry sir. There has to be perfusion for it to work."
"Oh I am sure it will be fine."
Closing the door behind her Molly walked across the hall to the morgue and opened the door. The morgue was actually two rooms, the autopsy/recovery room and the cold storage. Currently there were three bodies in the cold storage. An all time low as far as she knew. Walking into the cold storage Molly pulled out an unlabeled drawer and looked down at the body that was not in the records. Molly had placed the body here the minute that she was hired here. Opening the bag she looked down into a pair of beautiful blue eyes. She had never had the heart to keep them closed. For over a year now she had looked at this body everyday. Suddenly she felt a tug; she saw a flash of white and heard 'I wish…'
"Jack you had better come down here and take a look… no Rhys track it. There is some strong rift activity."
"On my way."
Reaching the loft he hollered as went down the stairs, "Can you tell what it is?"
"No but it's a strong reading and it appears to be happening right on top of us."
Jack pulled up to a computer station his thoughts racing. She was right it was a large spike and it was continuing. The area it was localized to was right on top of them but nothing was happening. Closing his eyes he thought if only Tosh and Ianto were here. He wished so bad that he could go back and change things.
There was a loud bang, he heard Rhys yelling and he thought Gwen had shot him again as he fell in to oblivion.
