Author's Notes: Happy New Year, everyone! (Well, everyone who celebrates January 1 as New Year, that is) Here's hoping that 2012 is mind-blowingly awesome for all. Here we have chapter two. . .yes, a slight delay while I finished up Rebirth in my Worlds Apart series. Besides, I had to figure out what I want to do with this particular chapter. I don't know if other writers have this problem, but I know where to start and I know where I'm going, but sometimes, I have to figure out how to get there.
Chapter Two
Open Possibilities
It ended up being another two hours before Jack, Natalie, Esther, and Lucas left for the site of what Jack believed to be the new Rift. There was the post-breakfast clean-up to do, Lucas needed time to firm up a location, Natalie tucked the sleeping Ailsa back into bed (and wrote a note for her little girl), while Jack and Esther sat on the sofa together, the young blonde listing against Jack. For his own part, Jack didn't seem to mind. At all. Right now, they were just cuddling, but Carlyon didn't imagine that would last much longer. Especially not with the way Esther was looking at Jack. Carlyon just hoped that Jack waited until the girl was a little more recovered. As it was, he didn't think that she should accompany him to the potential Rift, but it wasn't his call to make. Jack still didn't have an answer for him about the proposition, but he really wasn't expecting an answer yet.
More to the point, he knew better than to try to press Jack on the issue. His old friend would make up his mind when he was damn good and ready, and not a moment sooner. . .especially when it came to the possibility of returning to the UK. Carlyon had no interest in returning, as his entire life was here, but he understood things were different for Jack. In the meantime, he wanted to speak with Agent Matheson. Carlyon wasn't entirely sure if he could trust the man. . . one moment, he was CIA, then he was Torchwood, then he was CIA again. Perhaps the best position for him would be as a liaison between the two agencies, at least in the beginning. He knew that his middle daughter would be happy if Matheson remained in the general vicinity. The agent was the first man (or woman) his daughter expressed an interest in since her husband's death ten years earlier. For that alone, Carlyon would find a way to tolerate him.
"Grandfather, Mom, Aunt Pris, we're on our way. . .anything you want us to pick up while we're out?" Lucas called. A chorus of 'no' greeted him, and Lucas added, "M'kay, we're outta here, then. No, Captain, you don't get to drive, I've heard stories about your driving. You can sit up front or you can sit in the back and hold hands with Esther, but I'm driving." Carlyon heard Natalie laughing at that, and Jack protesting that he could do two things at once. Esther giggled and Lucas retorted, "Okay, that was a lot more information than I needed, Captain!" That drew another round of laughter from his companions, and Lucas grumbled under his breath.
The door closed behind them, and Carlyon smiled, returning his attention to the email he'd gotten from his closest neighbor, Matthew Halloran. His seventeen year old son Nicky was looking for additional work, which was a very encouraging sign. In the wake of the Miracle, Danny found himself busy while people put their lives back together again. True, it was just for their little community and there would be a need for help in nearby communities or larger communities, but Carlyon still considered this a very good sign. He sent back a quick note, telling his friend that he would look around and see if there was anything for Nicky to do. Normally, any repairs could be done by one of Carlyon's daughters or grandchildren, but it never hurt to be sure.
After hitting 'send,' Carlyon looked up from his laptop, to find Rex Matheson looked at him curiously. He put the laptop to one side, saying, "So. You realized that I wanted to speak with you. Did you come to this conclusion on your own, or did my daughters need to explain it to you?" The agent ducked his head and Carlyon hummed under his breath. He supposed it really didn't matter. Carlyon asked, "The question I have for you, Agent Matheson, is do you wish to join Torchwood, or do you wish to remain with the CIA? There's a third possibility, a liaison between our institute and your agency."
Rex started to answer, but Carlyon held his hand up, realizing that there was more that the agent needed to know. He told him, "If you join up with Torchwood, it will not be a lateral move. I respect that you worked with Jack in the past, but I have never worked with you. You will need to prove yourself to me. Are you prepared to do that, without whining about deserving more? I say again, I don't know you. And I'm not willing to risk the lives of my daughters or my grandchildren with someone I can't trust." Matheson looked at him for a long time, studying him intently. It was his first opportunity to talk with the agent since meeting him the previous day and he was aware that he was being evaluated, just as sure as he was evaluating Matheson.
"What kinda proving myself are we talking about here? Because I suck at making coffee unless it's for myself, and doing windows is something I never really got the hang of," Rex replied. Carlyon bit back a smile. He had a sense of humor that didn't necessarily involve making fun of others. That was good. Matheson added after a moment, "And what kind of duties would be part of my responsibility?" Carlyon tapped his lower lip thoughtfully, trying to decide where he would put this man.
"There would be some 'menial' tasks, in that you would need to accompany one of my daughters to do the shopping, or helping with the cars. But everyone does that, no one person does such things," Carlyon replied. The agent thought for a moment, before nodding slowly in acknowledgement. Carlyon went on, "In addition, you may be asked to sit with my wife while she comes out of the cryo-sleep. It would only be for fifteen minutes to an hour, while my daughters or I take breaks. But most importantly, if things work out as I wish, Jack will be team leader. I will be the figurehead, handling the diplomatic issues with UNIT and other individuals. You will answer to Jack, unless you create a diplomatic incident. In which case, as my daughter so elegantly puts it, your arse will be mine."
"Why?" Matheson asked. Carlyon raised his eyebrows and Matheson continued, "Why would Wo. . .why would Harkness be in charge in the field?" There was, Carlyon was pleased to note, no belligerence in his tone. Good. Carlyon allowed for no belligerence among the operatives under his purview. Two operatives/agents who spent more than seventy-five years in the service of Torchwood and their country had a better idea of how to do things than some rookie who just encountered the institute. Oh, Carlyon firmly believed that newer individuals had things to contribute, and new ideas were welcome, but they would be submitted in the proper way. He would not tolerate disrespectful operatives or agents.
"Jack has proven himself, when he protected me during the earthquake, when he served in two World Wars, when he took responsibility for the mistakes of others. He has always been there for me and for my family. He has proven himself, he has earned my trust, and he has worked for Torchwood in one form or another for over a hundred years. You have not," Carlyon answered simply. He paused, took a drink of his coffee, and then continued, "I will have another conversation with Miss Drummond when she returns with the others. But I want to know, are you willing to prove yourself worthy of my trust?"
To his credit, Matheson didn't answer immediately. He started to speak several times, before closing his mouth and thinking about it. And, instead of saying, 'yes' or 'no,' Matheson did something far better. He asked in the same tone he employed once a few minutes later, "What's in it for me? What can Torchwood do for me that the CIA can't? Way I hear it, Torchwood operatives don't have a long life expectancy. Hell, we saw that during the Miracle, when we thought Esther died!" Carlyon smirked to himself. Excellent. An agent with critical thinking. This was looking promising. He believed Matheson would be a good counter to Jack. They had certain strengths that balanced each other out, but both men were fiercely loyal once their trust was earned. Sometimes, that trust and loyalty was given to the wrong person, but Carlyon wasn't interested in changing anyone, least of all Jack.
"Torchwood is. . .well. What's that buzzword that's so popular right now? Oh yes, 'work-life balance.' That doesn't exist here. The hours are long and you're likely to receive a call while you're on a date. . .if you date. Now, we do have excellent benefits and equally enjoyable toys, as my daughters call them. We're funded by Her Majesty, which is one reason why I'm so eager to get Jack to rejoin me. Her Majesty has been quite concerned about him since his departure from the Earth," Carlyon explained. Both of Matheson's eyebrows climbed into his hair line, but he hadn't said 'no,' at least, not yet. This was looking more and more promising by the moment.
"I'm listening," Matheson said and Carlyon smiled. Good. Very good.
TWTWTWTWTW
The conversation in the pick-up truck heading toward Lucas' coordinates was far different. Jack Harkness was explaining, "If this is a Rift, and I'm hoping that's not the case, but if it is, my wrist comp will tell us. We won't be able to see it. . .that's part of the danger of the Rift. . .you could be crossing the street and the next thing you know, you're on another planet or in another time, past or future. In Cardiff, we sometimes had Cold War-era items showing up out of nowhere. It took things and it took people. Sometimes, it kept those people. . .sometimes, they returned. But they weren't the same. They were never the same."
"So, what causes the Rift to open? 'Cause I can't imagine just an earthquake opening up whatever this thing is," Lucas observed. In the back seat, Natalie and Esther were listening intently. The older woman was biting her lip thoughtfully. Uh-oh. He recognized that look. Captain Harkness smiled a little, although Lucas noticed that it never quite reached his eyes. Then again, the dark-haired man was a bit odd anyhow. He flirted with everyone and everything that moved, including Lucas' own grandfather, who was rapidly approaching ninety. And, it wasn't sleazy. That was the weird thing. Other people Lucas encountered who flirted with everything that moved were sleazy. But if flirting could be called 'matter of fact,' then this man's flirting was just that. It was just the way he was.
And then there was the whole matter of his age. According to the older set, Captain Harkness was far older than the thirties or forties he seemed to be. . .supposedly, he was well over a hundred. There was actually some confusion on that. . .his grandfather said that he was around a hundred seventy and Captain Harkness said that he was over two thousand years old. Oh yeah. It would be real interesting, having this guy around. Lucas already warned him that he would lay him out if he tried to kiss Lucas, and Harkness replied that he didn't take what wasn't offered. To which Natalie added, 'In other words, Luc, he's not a rapist.' Ow. Nat's mood hadn't improved noticeably, even with twelve hours of sleep.
Esther bristled at this implied insult, but Harkness said softly, "I'm only interested in people who are willing. You've made your position clear, Medic Martinelli." He paused, as if he was thinking about adding, and then shook his head. Lucas felt about two inches tall. No one called him 'medic,' and the use of his title was akin to a slap in the face, a distancing from the man who sat beside him. Harkness looked out the window, asking, "So, what exactly do you do for fun? I know that you worked to keep your community, such as it is, from falling apart during the Miracle, but I'm curious to know what you do when you're not helping to save your part of the world." This time, it was Natalie who bristled at the perceived insult to their area.
"We may not be Cardiff, Captain Harkness, but we do have a community. It isn't as large as the cities and we may be more spread out, but it's there. We look after each other and we take care of each other," she snapped. Harkness looked at her in the rearview mirror, expression reflecting his confusion at her reaction, and Natalie continued, "And we're resourceful about how we have fun. I know it's real hard to comprehend, but even people in rural areas can watch tv and even use the internet. It's just gonna take time before we remember how to have fun again."
"That wasn't how I meant it," Harkness replied, his tone very gentle. Natalie's expression was plainly disbelieving and he continued, "But you don't know me well enough to accept that, and you've just spent two months with people who thought you were less than they are, when the truth is, you're way above them. I wasn't dismissing your community." Lucas had the impression that this wasn't normal for Harkness, as if he was going through the motions of whom he used to be and trying to figure out whom he was now.
This was why he told the captain, "It depends on what you consider fun. There's a bar in town that Jason and I go sometimes when we want to unwind, throw darts, things like that. You probably didn't see this last night, but we have a stable and horses. Adriane rides, and Mom used to ride before she was hurt. I don't know what happened. . .I was only about four at the time, but from the way Grandfather has been talking, it sounds like Torchwood was involved. Nat reads and spends time with Ailsa and goes out to the shooting range." His cousin grinned broadly at that observation. Rather than look worried, Harkness looked intrigued.
"I noticed your shooting skill in the hospital. So you don't go to the bar, meet some guy or girl?" the man asked curiously. Natalie threw back her head and laughed. Lucas cringed. Not at the question or Nat's laughter, but at the response to the laughter that was destined to follow. Harkness, though, observed, "Okay, I'll take that as a 'no,' then." Lucas waited for the question that had to be asked, but Harkness looked out the window instead. The boy wondered briefly what he was seeing, before deciding that it didn't really matter.
"Uhm, no. No, I stay away from the bar. Guys don't find me attractive and the goobers who frequent the bar, aside from my cousins. . .well, they're goobers. I have better things to do with my time," Nat replied. Lucas stole a look at Harkness and blinked. The other man's face hardened, grew more determined. Oh. That was interesting. Nat added softly, "I was holding Ailsa's birth mother's hand as Ailsa was born and as Beatriz died. I told her that Ailsa would be my whole world. I've kept my word, too. And I wouldn't give Ailsa up for anything."
Harkness didn't respond to Natalie's statement, instead observing, "We're here. And I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it seems like we do have a new Rift here. Damn." Lucas braked, wondering what, if anything, this meant for them. And if the news of the new Rift would give his grandfather what he wanted. . .for Jack Harkness to remain with them. They would see soon enough. For now, Lucas had a job to do.
TWTWTWTWTWTW
A new Rift. Wonderful. Just what they needed. Just what he needed. In the back of his mind, Jack wondered if Carlyon knew about this new Rift when he asked Jack to rejoin him. However, he knew better than that. Esther commented softly, leaning against him a little, "I see what you mean about nothing being there. . .there's no way a person could protect himself or herself. But is there a way we can track the Rift? I mean, how do we protect people from something we can't see ourselves?" Jack smiled down at her, pressing a light kiss to her forehead.
"There are some things we can do, especially if Angelo managed to get some things from the Hub after we blew up," he replied. Natalie and Lucas both stared at him in shock and Esther shuddered, wrapping her arms around him protectively. He kissed the top of her head again, reminding her, "Hey, it's okay. . .I came back, remember? It wasn't one of my more pleasant deaths, but I came back." It was more than he could say for Ianto or Steven, but those memories were becoming easier for him to bear.
"Someone put a bomb inside you?" Natalie asked, sounding utterly horrified. Lucas was ashen, and Nat put her hand on her nephew's shoulder, continuing, "My God. No wonder Grandfather is so protective of you! I thought the Families behaved as if they were subhuman, but that's beyond despicable. I wouldn't even do that to the goober who got the bright idea to make humans immortal." Esther simply tightened her arms around Jack's waist, and Natalie told Lucas, "Damn, I'm sorry. I'll explain things to Lucas, Captain Harkness. C'mon, kidlet, back to the pick-up. . .you need to be sitting down when I tell you this." She steered him to the pick-up, Lucas looking over his shoulder at Jack in shock.
"Someone blew you up," Esther said, her voice very tightly controlled. Ah. . .right. That was one thing he never told her about after he was shot. Esther said again, "Someone blew you up. I never thought I'd say this about anyone who wasn't messing with Alys or Melanie, but for his sake, I hope I never see him." Her voice told him that she was quite willing to hurt someone very badly, and he opted not to mention that Agent Johnson was a woman. He had a feeling it really didn't matter to her. Esther turned in his arms and cupped his face in her hands, saying quietly, "The Families wanted to use me to hurt you. They benefitted from hurting you. I may not be able to do much, but I will do whatever I can."
Jack kissed the palm of her hand, whispering, "I know, Esther. I believe you. Am I to take it that you and Nat forgot to mention to the Martinelli boys that I don't stay dead?" He thought the entire Tregarth family knew about that particular quirk, but evidently not. He supposed he could remind her that she didn't need to protect him, but he had far too much respect for Esther to do that to her. She deserved better than that from him. They went through entirely too much together for him to do that to her.
And there was no time for him to say so, because a still-pale Lucas Martinelli returned from the pick-up with the aunt whom he still thought was his cousin. Natalie Tregarth said softly, "He knows now, Captain Harkness. You say that Mr. Colasanto had things from your Hub?" Jack nodded, remembering the null field chip he took with him when they fled from Angelo's compound, and Natalie continued, "Then you should know. . .once the CIA left the Colasanto place, we moved in and stripped it. So there's a pretty good chance that we have the equipment you need in one of the out-buildings. Maybe the old bunkhouse."
"When the hell did my life turn into something from Alice in Wonderland, anyhow?" Lucas asked and his aunt rolled her eyes, before bopping him on the back of his head. Jack debated for a few minutes about sharing a few of his vignettes of Lewis Carroll, and then decided against it. He wanted Lucas able to drive back to the Tregarth homestead, and he didn't think that was possible if Jack broke his brain too badly. Lucas scowled at Natalie, adding, "Okay, you really didn't have to do that, you know!"
"Considering how slow you are on the uptake right now, I was hoping to knock some of those brain cells loose. In case you haven't noticed it lately, cousin mine, our world turned into Bizarro-Land right around those metallic things showed up a few years ago. And given what I've learned about the Miracle from listening to those creeps among the Families, I'm thinking that we've been living in Bizarro-Land all along, and we just didn't know it," Natalie replied. Jack smirked, but didn't say anything. The brunette turned to face him more fully, adding, "Okay, so we know that there's a Rift. We can't see it, but we know it's there. What's the next step, and is there any way we can measure it? I mean, this is a pretty empty place, but based on what you and Grandfather have said, the Rift is like a fracture, and fractures can widen."
"Best thing to do is to head back, so I can tell Carlyon about what we found. Right now, I'm more concerned about things coming through the Rift than I am about things being sucked into it," Jack replied. The Tregarths exchanged a look and nodded. This time, Natalie Tregarth didn't mistake his comments as an attack on her home, for which Jack was grateful. She wasn't unpleasant earlier, but he preferred to stay on her good side, if only because she was Carlyon and Sophia's daughter. Besides, he kinda liked the girl.
"Then we'll head back. Lucas, are you all right to drive, or should I?" Natalie asked. Lucas shot her a dirty look, and Natalie shrugged, adding, "Hey, I nearly shot him again when he came back from the dead. And then I pretty much collapsed. I think it's a fair question. I'll meet you guys back at the car. . .I need to call Mom and make sure that Ailsa's still asleep. We'll be back before I was anticipating." Jack smiled at her and she offered him a half-smile in return, before walking back to the pick-up truck.
Jack glanced down at Esther, who nodded her agreement. But she kept her arms around Jack's waist as they headed back, as if trying to reassure herself that he really was all right. But that was fine, too, because yesterday was the first day she saw him die and come back to life. . .and she was holding him when he came back. He would have to thank her for that. Later. For now, he led her back to the pick-up truck and helped her up into the passenger cab, alongside Natalie Tregarth, who was talking to her oldest sister. Jack thought briefly about telling Esther the truth about her new friend, and then chose not to. It wasn't for him to tell Natalie about her parents, and it wasn't Esther's place, either. The brunette would need someone when the truth was finally told, and Jack believed Esther would be the best choice for that particular role. He wanted to make sure that someone was in place, because he didn't think Natalie would take the revelation nearly as well as the rest of her family did.
The Tregarths were once more reaching out to hold onto him, and Jack wasn't sure if he'd be able to escape. Even more frightening to him. . .he wasn't sure if he wanted to escape.
TBC
