Author's Notes: And here is the official first chapter of The Hidden Child. It'll take some time for the title to make sense, but I'll get there. I'm still mulling over what would happen if one of the Gelfth tried to get their airy paws on Jack, since he doesn't stay dead. I don't think I'll end up doing that … poor Jack suffers enough without throwing that into the mix. A quick note: camellias indicate excellence and steadfastness according to and I think 'steadfastness' sums up Esther very well. In this chapter, we have the aftermath of another argument between Natalie and Jack; while Toni Weber begins to realize something unpleasant is coming through the Rift. But a beautiful young Japanese woman with an English accent reassures her that she isn't alone.

Chapter One

Context is Everything

Tregarth Homestead, Oklahoma

Early April, 2012

"It really must suck to be you right now, mate … wouldn't want her mad at me."

Jack Harkness rolled his eyes as he headed into the en suite to strip and shower, Owen's words still ringing in his head. The worst part of it was, he was absolutely right. No sane person wanted Natalie Tregarth angry with him (or her, come to that), and worse yet, he couldn't put this down to anything other than engaging his mouth before his brain. He hadn't meant to hurt her, much less anger her, but he'd done both, and now he was trying to figure out the best way to put things to rights. If it was Esther whom he'd hurt, it would have been much easier. He learned that when he gave her a half-dozen pink camellias for taking care of him (admittedly, several months after the fact), that she loved flowers of any kind. She was especially thrilled that he avoided the obvious.

However, it wasn't Esther whom he upset, it was Natalie … and, by extension, Ailsa. Ailsa would be soothed once he had things with her mother worked out, and he had feeling that half-a-dozen flowers of any kind wouldn't work. Worse yet, he wasn't even sure why he'd said it. Natalie was quiet about what she believed, never treating him as anything less than a human being … albeit one who would live a very long time and had a hard time staying dead. He wasn't surprised that she was upset with him … what surprised him was that she didn't haul off and slap him. Maybe it shouldn't have … she didn't start hitting people until they put her child in danger, as a particular ex-teacher found out the hard way.

None of which helped him now. His main concern right now was how exactly he managed to make things right with a teammate, who was obviously avoiding him. On the plus side, they were finished for the day at the former safe house, which would soon be a home for veterans, and everyone was assembled back at the house. That would make it easier for him to physically approach Nat and apologize. That didn't mean it would be easy to smooth things over. But it was generally easier to apologize to someone if they couldn't avoid you.

The opening and closing of the shower door alerted him that he was no longer alone, and a pair of small hands gliding down his ribcage told him who joined him. Esther murmured, kissing the back of his neck, "She isn't even angry with you, Jack. Hurt, yes … but I think that the larger part of her right now is angry with herself. She's exhausted and frustrated … under normal circumstances, she wouldn't have reacted like that, no matter how little she appreciated your comment." Jack was on the verge of answering, but Esther's fingertip began circling his navel, stroking the unmarked skin where he was shot, months earlier. Oh. Oh. She always did that, always managed to find it, even without a scar.

Esther kissed his shoulder, whispering against his skin, "Give her time to calm down. I already heard her telling Ailsa to be nice to you. Just give her time to calm down and remember that your comments have nothing to do with your respect for her, or rather lack thereof. Her hands dropped considerably lower and … oh, she was getting so good at this. She held onto him as he slowly regained control of his limbs, kissing along his shoulder blades and down his spine. And when he turned, lifting her into his arms, she welcomed him, fingers curling around the back of his neck, running her fingers through his wet hair. He had her pinned against the wall of the shower, her legs wrapped around his waist, and at least one thing felt right.

"Did I ever thank you for Liam?" he breathed against her neck, and felt her body tremble against his, a heady combination of desire and laughter. She moved a certain way against him, and his knees came terribly close to turning to jelly. He gasped, "Oh. Oh, I think we need to move this to a flat surface. The floor … the bed … oh." Jack wasn't entirely sure how they managed it, but a few minutes later, still dripping wet (he'd clean that up after a bit), they were on the bed. And Owen was nowhere to be found … Jack's mind stuttered to a stop when Esther's teeth found a nipple, a new trick she just learned and was thoroughly enjoying.

Once they were both capable of coherency, Esther sprawled across his body, she kissed the hollow of his throat, replying, "Did I ever tell you it wasn't necessary to thank me? 'Cause I'm pretty sure that I said that at least once … maybe even four or five times. Jack, I lo … I like you for whom you are. We aren't exclusive, I told you when this first started that I wasn't looking for exclusivity … and unfortunately for me, you're a tough act to follow. And from what I've heard, you didn't initiate that … he did." How did she know that? Esther added, sliding to curl against his side, "Nat may have mentioned a particularly nasty nightmare she had, hearing noises from your room, and something she really didn't want to see." Oh yes. Jack almost forgot about that particular incident on the first day they were at the Colasanto compound. Esther continued, her tone very serious, "Either way. I'm glad your second trip to Nevada began and ended far better than your first one did. I still crack up laughing when I think about what you did to that one Danes bodyguard. He beats you up, and you kiss him. That must have screwed with his mind something fierce."

"Don't forget the part where he was actually employed by Angelo to prevent the Families from getting a hold of me," Jack reminded her. Esther grumbled under her breath, something to the effect of 'that didn't prevent him from hurting you.' Ianto was never happy about him dying, but Esther tended to take it personally when someone hurt him, even if he survived it. Her attitude toward those who wanted to do him harm didn't surprise Sophia … as she put it, 'Esther spent two months taking care of you and nursing you back to health. It stands to reason that someone who would undo all of that work would be someone she has little use for. She's already protective of you, simply because she cares for you. Things like that make her even more protective.' Well … yes. And then, Esther was touching him once more … which was a lot more fun to think about and respond to.

TWTWTWTWTWTW

"You know, I really wish she'd either snog him or shag him … whatever will work!"

Sophia Tregarth bit back a smile at her middle daughter's declaration … even though she more or less agreed with Octavia. Like her two older daughters, Sophia came to realize that most of these blow-ups on the part of her youngest daughter resulted from her extremely intense, and ever-growing, attraction to one Captain Jack Harkness. While she wouldn't have been pleased with his comments about her church community, if she wasn't so attracted to him, she wouldn't have tore a strip out of his hide. It seemed like things were more or less settled between them, after their return from Nevada, and after Octavia and Adriane made their trip to Scotland, but during the last few weeks, even before Jack upset her, Natalie was jittery. She even admitted that she was jittery and restless, but didn't know why.

Priscilla snorted, drawing Sophia's attention back to the daughters present, "You do realize this is our baby sister you're talking about, don't you, Tavia? Natalie, who actively encouraged Esther to pursue Jack? It doesn't matter that Esther is genuinely okay with Jack being Jack, Natalie still feels as if she's betraying Esther with the way she feels about him. I just wish that she would confront him and get it over with. Then again, that's the way I raised her … calm down so you don't end up hurting someone." There was exasperation and resignation in her first-born's voice, but underneath it all was a very real concern.

The three women were working in the kitchen after the daily visit to help in the renovation of the new home for veterans. As expected, Jack was assisting with the work when he wasn't on Rift-runs … what they hadn't expected (but probably should have) was that Jack donated a significant amount of money to help with the renovation and hiring staff. Carlyon refused to tell the rest of the family, but it was enough to rock him back on his heels. Then again, in the lingo of the present, Sophia understood that Jack could be classified a multi-billionaire. That was even before the revelation that Angelo Colasanto left his stock and assets to the immortal.

Sophia still wasn't sure what happened, but evidently, Jack made a comment when Natalie returned home from church that morning with Ailsa … and all hell broke loose. Sophia knew Jack well enough to realize he was only teasing Natalie, but her youngest daughter was too furious to care … much less to allow Jack the chance to apologize or make amends. And, like Octavia realized, a significant part of Natalie's anger was the result of her attraction to their friend. However, there was more to it than that, and Sophia was worried for her child.

Priscilla said softly, "I may enlist Esther's help tomorrow if Natalie is still shutting Jack out … maybe if we lock them in the bunkhouse, that'll force Natalie to talk to Jack." Sophia gave her daughter a 'no, you will do no such thing' glower that, much to her surprise, worked even better now than when Priscilla was twelve and wanting to do something that was weapon grade stupidity. Hmm. She would have to think about employing that glower more often. But later. Much later. The blonde said a bit weakly, "Well, it was just a thought. I hate seeing Natalie in pain, and Jack hates being helpless."

"You are not locking your sister anywhere, Priscilla Jeanne. You know better than that. Octavia Brigitte, stop laughing! Now, if Natalie is still shutting Jack in the morning, after she's had some sleep, then I'll talk to her. But there will be no more talk of locking her anywhere, even with Jack. Understood?" Sophia asked, looking from one daughter to the other. There was a part of her which was vaguely aware she was using what her younger granddaughter called her 'mommy' voice on Priscilla and Octavia, but that really didn't matter. She looked from one daughter to the other, making sure that her wishes would be respected.

"Of course, Mama. We just want to make things right between them, and Natalie won't talk to Jack," Octavia agreed, sounding more than a little plaintive. Sophia arched her eyebrows as her daughter, who admitted, sounding somewhat sheepish, "All right, so I had plans with Rex for this weekend, and he's threatening to cancel them if there's still dissension in the ranks. Oh, put a cork in it, Prissy!" Sophia rolled her eyes. Really? Octavia was over fifty, with two grown sons, and she was behaving like an eight year old?

Priscilla evidently agreed with her, saying, "You put a sock in it, Octavia! For crying out loud, how old are you, five? No, that's an insult to Ailsa! Now, I'm gonna put this in terms you'll understand. She's our sister, but I raised her. It isn't just the most recent row with Jack that bothers me, it's Natalie acting so out of character. This wasn't the first time Jack has said something like that, so why is she coming unglued the way she did? What's bothering her so much, aside from wanting a man she thinks she can't have, that she's trying to drive him away?"

Bingo. That was the money question, right there, and everything shifted for Sophia as she listened to her oldest daughter's worries. That was it, that was the root cause she was looking for. Sophia murmured, "That's it. No, she's not trying to push him away, but it's something similar. Things were settled when we got back from Nevada. She was even fine after you and Dree got back from Scotland, Octavia. But about six weeks after our return, that's when Natalie started getting jumpy and restless and even a bit irritable. She was like that when she woke up on our first day, and knew Jack was in danger. So where's the common link, aside from Jack?"

"Let me worry about that, Soph … once Natalie's calmed down enough to talk, I'll sort this out myself. I'm field team leader, that's part of my job," Jack said calmly, entering the kitchen with Esther at his side. He changed into his customary outfit and his hair was still wet from his shower. Sophia, however, shook her head. Yes, that was part of Jack's task as the team leader, but her job as Natalie's mother trumped that. Natalie lashing out at Jack was just a symptom of a larger problem, and she meant to find out what that larger problem was. She said as much to Jack, who replied, "And I wouldn't have it any other way. But you work on the situation in your way and I'll work on it in mine."

"Stubborn," Priscilla said in a stage-whisper to her younger sister, who nodded with a smug grin and added in an equally stagey-whisper, 'and sexy.' Priscilla smirked at that, and Jack only grinned, looking a trifle smug himself. Sophia rolled her eyes, exchanging a look with Esther. The young blonde woman was only smiling at her lover, brown eyes warm with affection and something deeper. Sophia hoped the girl hadn't told Jack that she loved him, even though it was obviously true … she didn't think Esther was ready to say the words, and she was quite certain that Jack wasn't ready to hear them.

"And a pain in the ass … is there anything you need me to do, Sophia, aside from getting Ailsa washed up? I had a call on my cell from an old high school friend … haven't spoken to him for years, and I was hoping I could do that while Ailsa is taking her bath?" Natalie asked, breezing into the kitchen. She smiled at Esther, rolled her eyes at her two sisters, and … simply behaved as if Jack wasn't even there. There was no sniff and unpleasant look, she breezed past as if she didn't even see him there. Sophia noticed Jack's smile falter, and then a look of resignation appeared on his face. She also saw the strain in her daughter's eyes as she made a very gallant attempt at ignoring Jack. Not an easy thing to do, under any circumstances.

"We're fine … Quinn called you today? I thought I heard you say something about him, sweetheart!" Priscilla exclaimed. Natalie nodded, beaming, and Priscilla continued, "That's wonderful … I know you were worried about him, after not hearing from him for so long. No, we're fine, go call him and let him know everything that's been going on around here." Natalie offered her older sister another beaming smile, before bouncing out of the kitchen. Priscilla said, still smiling, "Quinn was probably Natalie's best friend in high school, ever since she stood up to some bullies to protect him, and then he returned the favor by beating the hell out of Ethan when he found out that sordid tale. They lost touch about eight or nine years ago, so he doesn't know about Ailsa. Knowing Quinn, he'll ask what took her so long to adopt. He always thought she'd make a fantastic mother."

"I remember that … the day they met, Natalie came home with a black eye, but Dad was so proud of her for standing up to bullies," Octavia reminisced with a small smile. She continued, obviously aware of Sophia's desire to hear anything about Natalie's childhood, "She was … oh Lord, I imagine she was no more than thirteen. No, she wasn't in high school yet … but that's how they met. They were picking on Quinn, giving him a hard time, and here comes this tiny thirteen year old demanding that they leave him alone. One of the bullies … there were three or four of them, I think … shoved her away. Natalie shoved him right back, and he backhanded her across the face. Quinn went absolutely bat-guano insane. No one ever bothered either of them after that, and Quinn became her protector. I'm glad he got in contact with her."

"Well, I'm very glad to hear that … I need to go to the bunkhouse and do some wash. Coming, Jack?" Esther observed. The required double-entendre was made and Esther rolled her eyes, grabbed one of his suspenders, and dragged him out of the kitchen. But Sophia knew her friend far better, and she knew that he was scrambling to come up with the best way to mend bridges with Natalie. The worst part of it was, she wasn't even sure what that way was.

TWTWTWTWTWTW

Something terrible was coming. Ever since that night, months earlier when Tegan and Annis disappeared, Toni Weber developed a … well, at the risk of sounding totally clichéd, she developed something of a sixth sense when danger was in the air. There was a night, about four or five months ago, when that instinct almost left her catatonic with sheer terror. She found out a short time later that something happened and a man was beaten nearly to death at a bar. Somehow, Nicky Halloran's dad was involved … for days after the incident, Nicky looked pinched and worried. He wouldn't talk about it, but she could tell he was worried.

She and Nicky grew closer over the last few months, and yes, if her mother pressed her, she would have admitted that she had something of a crush on him. That was the spin her mother would have put on it, at least. But the truth was, Toni was sure that she was falling in love with Nicky. Unfortunately, she was also aware that he was in love with Adriane Tregarth, even if she barely knew he existed. Her mother would have laughed and told her that she was too young to know what love was … but Toni knew how she felt about Nicky.

The girl also knew that something was coming, the same kind of something that was coming when that poor man was hurt so badly, the same kind of something that resulted in the disappearance of Tegan and Annis. The trouble was, she wasn't entirely sure about what she should do about it. Her first instinct was to call Nicky and let him know … but she was afraid of stirring up bad memories for him. Talking to her parents was not an option, especially if she brought up the incident involving Tegan and Annis.

Toni was fretting about this when an unfamiliar voice asked tentatively, "Jack? Owen? Is there someone there?" The teen froze … why was there a woman speaking in an English accent in her room? She turned in the direction of the voice, to find a very pretty woman looking around in shock. That was one shock … the next shock came when Toni realized the pretty lady was transparent. She kinda reminded Toni of Obi-Wan Kenobi in the first three Star Wars movies. Or, in the second set of movies, when people communicated by way of the hologram-thingy. The lady looked directly at Toni, asking, "Hello?"

"Uhm … hi?" Toni asked a bit weakly, because really, what else could be said in this case? Hi, how are you, are you a ghost, how did you die? Uhm, no. Toni continued, forging ahead bravely, "I'm Toni … who are you? Do you need help getting to the other side?" She could have face-palmed. Really, Toni? Really? Did you just ask a ghost if she needed help in getting to the other side? That was even worse than the things Toni told herself not to say.

The ghost lady looked amused, but to her credit, she didn't laugh aloud. Instead, she replied, "No, I believe I already was on the other side, such as it is. Something drew me back. As to whom I'm looking for … first, I need to know where I am. I'm guessing that I'm not in the United Kingdom, much less in Cardiff." Toni blinked. Well, that stood to reason … the lady spoke with an English accent, so of course she would be from the UK. The ghost added helpfully, "Cardiff is in Wales."

"Oh, I know that. One of my neighbors used to live in Cardiff. In fact, his two older daughters were born there. You're in Oklahoma now, in the Southwestern part of the United States," Toni replied. The woman's eyes widened in shock, mouthing 'Oklahoma? I'm in Oklahoma?' The teenager continued, finally remembering her manners, "By the way, my name is 'Antoinette Weber,' but everyone calls me 'Toni' for short. This is my bedroom. I would shake your hand, but I'm not sure what would happen to me if I did that."

"I'm not sure, either, so let's not tempt fate. I don't want to run the risk of hurting you. My name is 'Toshiko,' it's a pleasure to meet you, Toni. I … the chances are against you answering 'yes,' but I'll ask it anyhow. Do you know a Captain Jack Harkness?" the woman said. Toni needed only a moment to run the name through her memory, and then nodded. Toshiko exclaimed, "You do?" Toni bobbed her head as she focused on the context. That was something that Miss Ava told her once … context was everything.

"Yeah, my friend Nicky … he's friends with Captain Harkness, I mean, he and his family are friends with him. I've never actually met him, but I do know of him. He lives with the Tregarths … they are kinda my neighbors, too. Hey, are you okay?" Toni asked as the woman actually looked like she was about to cry. Toshiko managed a wobbly smile, and Toni continued, feeling more than a little worried, "And do you know what's coming? You're a ghost, I'd figure that you would know better than I would what's coming. I always know when something bad is going to happen, but I don't know what that something bad is."

"I wish I knew. The Tregarths … what can you tell me about them, Toni? It could be very important. The last I knew, Jack was in Cardiff, along with Ianto and Gwen," Tosh requested. Toni thought for a minute about whether she actually should, but reminded herself that Tosh had no physical form. She bobbed her head in agreement, and Tosh continued, sounding more than relieved, "Thank you. Thank you so much. I don't know why I was called back, but I have a feeling it has to do with this 'something bad' you mentioned."

"Okay. Uhm. Well, Captain Harkness works with the Tregarth family. They do something to protect the community … it's Captain Harkness, Mr. and Mrs. Tregarth, their daughters Priscilla, Octavia and Natalie, Rex Matheson-he used to be a CIA agent-and Esther Drummond. Oh, and there's a new member … I think his name is Owen? He's younger than Captain Harkness, and shorter, too. He's dark-haired and has kind of a thin face. And then there's … hey, are you all right?" Toni asked anxiously, seeing the way the woman seemed to sway. Was it possible for a ghost to faint? She didn't think so, since Toshiko didn't have a physical body, but she'd never met a ghost before. Maybe it was possible for a ghost to faint.

"Owen? Owen is here? How is that … no. No, I need to focus. Toni … hold up, how old are you? And can you leave the house after dark? Is it safe for you?" Toshiko asked. Toni made a face, because her parents were still unwilling to let her leave the house while the sun was down, unless she was with them. Toshiko added, "Never mind … I'll figure something else out. The most important thing is your safety."

"I'm fifteen. And does it matter if it's after dark or not?" Toni asked. Toshiko thought about that for a minute, and then shook her head with a small smile. Toni continued bravely, "Well, I can talk to Nicky at school tomorrow and see if he can't get a meeting set up." Toshiko's smile could have turned the night to day, and the youngster continued, "I'll do that, then. I know Nicky thinks an awful lot of Captain Harkness. I asked him why once, and he said that he saved Nicky's life … literally, that Nicky would have died if it weren't for Captain Harkness."

Toshiko's smile turned a bit sad as she murmured, "Jack has a habit of doing that … saving people. He saved me, and if I know him, it took him a long time to forgive himself for being unable to save me a second time. Toni, what year is it? I know that's a strange question to be asking, but …" Actually, Toni didn't find it a strange question at all. She wasn't sure how long it took someone to become a ghost after they died, but it totally made sense to her that Toshiko was asking what year it was.

"Sure, it's 2012! The beginning of April, actually … my dad is getting antsy with tax time coming up. He always gets antsy when tax time comes around, though. Oooh, are you all right?" she asked as, for the second time, Toshiko seemed to stagger. Her new friend actually seemed pale and Toni looked around for a place for Toshiko to sit down, and then remembered that she couldn't. Toshiko was mouthing something that Toni couldn't quite read, and the girl said without really thinking about it, "Pretend as if you're sitting down, Toshiko!" To her astonishment, not only did Toshiko take her advice … it actually worked, and the teenager breathed, "Whoa. No … way!"

"Four years. It's been four years. What else can you tell me, Toni? I know that you don't … I know that you've never met Captain Harkness, but what can you tell me about what you've heard? Is he all right?" Toshiko asked, looking a little calmer now that she was in a seated position. Whether that was the actual reason … well, anything was possible. Toni dumped herself into the chair at her computer desk and folded her legs up against her chest, resting her chin atop her knees. The girl smiled when Toshiko copied her own pose, because it made her unexpected companion look no older than Toni herself.

"Well, like I said, I've never met him. But Nicky talks about him ever so often … says that something terrible happened to him, so terrible that his life in Wales is over. I guess his best friend died, someone named 'Ianto,' and he lost someone else he loved," Toni replied. Toshiko closed her eyes, mouthing, 'not Ianto,' and Toni asked softly, "You knew Ianto, too? He was your friend, too?" Toshiko nodded sadly, and it appeared as though tears were slipping down her face. Once more, Toni wished she could touch the woman, could comfort her somehow. Instead, she whispered, "I'm so sorry."

"Thank you. He … I … what else can you tell me?" Toshiko asked, wiping at her face. Toni wondered a bit if she should say anything more. Her news obviously upset Toshiko, but the woman urged, "It's all right, Toni. We in T … we in our organization don't tend to live long lives. And that's something all of us know. It's like being a police officer or a soldier. The work we do is very dangerous, but I believe it's worth it in the end. No. No, I *know* it's worth in the end, because the Earth is still here. What else can you tell me about Jack? The Tregarths whom you mentioned, do they take good care of him?"

"The Tregarths and Esther … she used to be in the CIA, too. Nicky said that Captain Harkness was really sick during Miracle Day, and Esther took care of him then. Oh. Oh, you don't know about Miracle Day, do you? That was when nobody died … nobody at all," Toni explained. The woman's eyes widened, and Toni continued, "It ended up lasting about two and a half months. It was awful, Toshiko, just awful. Nicky never really talks about how Captain Harkness was involved, but I can tell he's angry. It's as if Captain Harkness could have died during Miracle Day, even though no one else was. Do you want to hear more?" This time, there was a furious glint in Toshiko's eyes, but Toni *knew* without question the anger wasn't directed at her. She nodded once, very quickly, and Toni began to explain what she knew … what little it was.

TWTWTWTWTWTW

Two and a half months where no one died. The first thing that occurred to Toshiko Sato was that someone made a mockery out of Jack's immortality. The second thing that occurred to her was a terrible thought, and she was ashamed of it. Next, she wondered how that was even possible … if it was possible, without all of the elements that turned him immortal in the first place. And then, finally, she thought about how this so-called immortality among the rest of the world must have affected Jack. The girl Toni's words rang through her mind, how Nicky behaved as if Jack could have died during Miracle Day. Was it possible that Jack was the only mortal man during Miracle Day? For obvious reasons, Jack was never inclined to let Owen do much when it came to his immortality, and Tosh shuddered to think about the experimentation that was done when people learned of that immortality.

Humanity, as a whole, was an incredibly curious species. Humans wanted to know how and why things worked, from car engines to their own bodies. That was why humans advanced … one reason at least … but there was a dark side to human curiosity. Jack was the subject of that darker side, as Tosh learned. She had only to think of his nightmares after he returned from his three months away. There were times when it was only she and Jack in the main part of the Hub, and Jack was tormented with nightmares. Tosh never spoke of those nightmares, of course. Jack was hurting enough as it was at the time, even if he seemed more at peace with himself. There were times when she braved climbing down into his bunker under his office to try to quiet his memories, and what she heard was enough to make her sick. Whatever happened to Jack … it was more than three months for him, and it was no pleasure cruise.

Tosh wasn't Ianto, but she knew Jack loved her … maybe as a daughter, maybe as a little sister, but he loved her. And so, when the nightmares became particularly bad, she would kneel beside him and stroke his temples and hair until he quieted. During those times, Tosh swore that so long as she drew breath, no one would hurt Jack again. Of course, she couldn't keep her oath, especially not after Tommy had to return to 1918. But she protected him however she could, and when Ianto told her about their proper date, lamenting at the end how Jack ruined his declaration that he came back for him by adding, 'all of you,' Tosh asked him tartly how he thought she would feel if Jack told her that he only came back for Ianto, as if Tosh didn't count. Ianto actually looked as if she slapped him. Tosh nodded once and walked away, still furious.

About twenty minutes later, Ianto came over with Tosh's favorite blend … with all the toppings. It was an apology, with the young man eyeing her nervously, an apology she accepted. She could understand why he would get upset that he wasn't the only reason Jack returned, but Tosh needed at least one other adult to talk to and Jack wasn't always available. Owen still acted as if she didn't exist half the time, and Gwen … well, Gwen was Gwen. And now, Gwen and Owen were the only ones left, aside from Jack. Tosh wasn't sure how that was possible, but the description Toni gave her fit the team doctor.

And she would worry about that later. Right now, her main concern was with the teenager who was providing her with this information, and her certainty that something bad was coming. Tosh was fairly certain that she was right … why else would she have been brought back? She remembered being shot, she remembered talking Owen through things on the other side, and of course, she remembered dying in Jack's arms. And, she had no way of knowing it, but her reaction when Toni told her about Miracle Day was almost the exact same as Owen's … cold rage. She had no idea who was behind this Miracle Day, but Tosh hoped with all of her being that the individuals responsible would spend eternity in agony. She didn't want to believe that she was a vindictive person, but given Toni's report of those awful ten weeks, she was willing to make an exception for these monsters.

Monster. How many times did she or the others apply that term to Jack? Every time he did something they didn't approve of, and each time, they'd been wrong. Oh, usually they attacked him for being a monster when emotions were running high and they regretted it, most of the time. But the true monsters were the ones behind this Miracle Day … assuming it wasn't an accident. Maybe someone doing an experiment, trying to save someone they loved, and things got out of hand? Tosh's instincts, however, said otherwise. Based on what Toni was saying, it seemed likely that it was very deliberate, and Tosh wondered what Jack did to put an end to it.

At last, Toni was finished with her story, and watching Tosh warily. The tech gave the teenager a gentle smile, trying to reassure her that everything was fine. Nothing was fine, but the girl seemed nervous. Maybe that was the problem … she seemed nervous, and not scared. Why wasn't she afraid? Tosh began to scrutinize the girl, wishing for her equipment … because there was something about young Toni, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. Tosh asked once the girl fell silent, "Toni … what happened to you? There's something recent that happened to you, isn't there?" The girl ducked her head, and Tosh added with infinite gentleness, "I'm not going to judge you, honey. But there's a reason I'm here, and there's a reason you're sensing that something's about to happen, and I think those reasons are related."

The girl took a deep breath, and then released it, staring at Tosh. At last, she said softly, "It was about seven months ago." Tosh listened as the girl told her about an initiation by two girls … Tosh was familiar with the type … and how those girls disappeared. Oh. She thought she could see where this was going. Toni added once she finished telling about that horrifying night, "Strange things have been happening ever since. Like, a few months ago, just after Thanksgiving, a teacher disappeared. She was a kindergarten teacher, who kidnapped one of her students in broad daylight. Ailsa is Mr. Tregarth's granddaughter, and there are rumors about why her teacher did it. The story I heard from Nicky was that the teacher was trying to force Natalie Tregarth, Ailsa's mom, to turn against Captain Harkness."

Tosh's blood ran cold … or would have, if she had a physical form. That ran terribly, painfully true. She had only to think of Abaddon and that devastating betrayal, as well as the three months that followed. Toni went on, unaware of Tosh's reaction, "Nicky said that Natalie wouldn't do it, and when they caught up with the teacher, beat her up. Oh, she waited until Ailsa was safe and with one of the others, but she did, she beat up that woman. Nicky didn't see it, but his mom and dad did, and said that she was like a demon. Captain Harkness was the only one who could stop her, and he had to pick her up to do it. Not everyone believes that, 'cause Natalie's real nice and real quiet. Mom doesn't believe it, but Dad does. He says if anyone's capable of opening up a giant-sized can of whoop-ass, it's Natalie, 'cause she is quiet."

Tosh reflected that Toni's father was probably an extremely wise man. However, she wasn't sure if she would have the chance to meet anyone, much less Toni's father, so she would reserve judgment on him and on the Tregarth family. But … if Toni was right, and if Natalie managed to figure out a way to save her daughter without turning against Jack … then the entire family would be formidable allies, to say nothing of one helluva team. Tosh hoped that Toni was right. She hoped so much for that. But there was something else that was troubling her, and it went back to Toni's account of the night that Tegan and Annis disappeared.

As Toni fell silent, Tosh said gently, "Toni, thank you for telling me all this. But I think I'm starting to figure out what happened. When I was alive, I helped to guard a gateway. I know it sounds like I'm making up stories, but I helped to guard a gateway between worlds. We called it a Rift, and it sounds to me like you have a Rift here. I think that's what happened to Annis and Tegan, I think a Rift was opened and they fell through. I don't know why it happened, or how it happened, but you mentioned that strange things started occurring around the time they disappeared." Toni stared at her in horror.

"You mean I did this?" the girl asked, horrified, and Tosh immediately shook her head. No, that wasn't possible. The Rift didn't work that way. They weren't entirely sure how the Rift worked and why it worked, but Tosh knew for a fact it was impossible for Toni to have opened the Rift. However, the youngster wasn't paying attention. Toni continued, rising to her feet to pace in front of Tosh, "But what if I opened it? I mean, I know these things, and I don't know how I know them, so what if I opened it?" Tosh again shook her head, wishing that she could take the girl's hands to calm her down. Not for the first time, she wondered why the girl's parents hadn't come to the room to investigate the voices they had to be hearing. Later. She would worry about that later.

"No, Antoinette," she said firmly, and the use of her full name got the girl's attention. Toni stopped pacing and stood in front of Tosh, who continued, "You didn't open the Rift. What may have happened … okay, you know how volcanoes release pressure within the Earth?" Toni nodded a bit anxiously and Tosh went on, "The Rift is something like that." She stopped and shook her head. That wasn't one of the theories that she and Jack came up with while she was at Torchwood, so why would she think of it now? It made no sense. And right now, it didn't matter. She told Toni, "You didn't open it. Something happened that night, but I don't think you caused it. So, what we need to do now is focus on what's coming through the Rift, to make sure it doesn't hurt the people we love."

Toni needed only a minute to think about that, and then her eyes steeled with determination. The spirit smiled at the girl, saying, "Good. Do you have a pad of paper and a pen?" Normally, she would have run tests with her tech and worked with her programs, but that wasn't open to her at the moment. She would use the options open to her and maybe if the gods were truly kind to her, she would have a chance to see Jack again … and see if the Owen whom Toni mentioned was her Owen, their Owen.

TBC