Chapter 2

Monday:

Gwen's PoV:

I hate hospitals. All the sick people, the awful smell of disinfectant and bleach that always seems to linger long after you've left and worse no one ever seems to have time for me.

I've been here for hours and no news yet on that kid. That Dr. Simmons character, who was rushing around earlier, promised to give me an update and let me know when I can talk to the child but I haven't seen him yet. Doesn't he know how bloody inconvenient it is to be waiting around here?

Why is it that they always seem to give us what we need when Owen is about but never seems to be in any hurry when it's just me, even when I pull the Torchwood card?

I should have been able to leave hours ago. Maybe I could have checked in at the hub, make Ianto make me a coffee, and see Jack for a bit then head home. Rhys would have calmed down from our fight by now. He'd see how stressed I am with this case, I could even tell him about the children being killed, and he would be all over me. Trying to make sure I'm all right, might even pour me a glass of red wine and cook me something nice. I might have even had sex with him, he'd like that, poor sod is so in love with me it would kill him if he knew I don't think of his flabby arse during sex.

Well no chance of that now. It's already pass eight in the morning, he'll be at work now.

Finally the doctor shows up.

"Sorry to keep you waiting Ms. Cooper. The patient is being moved to the children's ward from recovery. He should be waking up soon. I'll take you to him." Dr. Simmons told me.

I just nodded, stood and trailed after him. Why the hell is he just getting me if the kid has been to recovery all along. How incompetent can one guy be?

He leads me to the children's ward and leaves me there to watch the kid sleep. Twenty minutes before he starts to stir.

"Hello," I said giving him one of my most endearing smiles, "I'm Gwen. Can you tell me your name?"

The kid looks around like he's stupid, "Wh...where am I? Where's my mum and dad? Are you the police?" she asked me his voice cracking.

Why can't people ever just answer questions.

"Yes I am. You're in hospital. You were attacked." I told him, "I need to know your name so I can call your parents."

"Ca..can I ha..have some water?" he asked.

What's with this kid. Can he answer simple questions. I pass him a cup of water trying to be patient. He gulps it down then hands me then empty cup. Who does this kid think I am?

"Can you tell me your name?"

He nods, "Kian Powell." he said, "My parents are Alwin and Lucy Powell."

I smiled at him, "Thank you Kian, I'll have someone call them. Now can you remember what happened?"

He nodded, "A Wookiee attacked me and my mates," he said matter of factly. "it was like a normal Wookiee though," he pointed out causing me to have to fight the urge to roll my eyes, "it was big, it had four eyes and it was black not brown."

"How big was he? Can you give an example?"

"I don't...I don't know," he said trembling, "bigger than my dad."

I tried to get more from the kid but he was useless, he didn't even know which way the thing took off. Finally the doctor came in and asked me to leave. Claimed I was upsetting his patient. I gathered my things and called Jack as I head out of the hospital. He answered on the first ring, he must have been waiting for me to call. That made me smile.

"Took you long enough! What have you got? Did the kid make it?" he asked.

The others must be nearby, otherwise Jack would never talk to me like that.

"He's fine," I told him, "said his name is Kian Powell. Parents are Alwin and Lucy Powell. He could give me more than what he gave the police when they found him."

"Did you find out the names of the other two?" Jack asked.

"He was too frightened when I asked. He couldn't give me their names." I lied. I'd completely forgotten to ask for the other kids names.

"Good job Gwen," Jack told me, I love it when he praises me, "head on home and rest up for a few hours. I need you back here at noon."

I thanked him and smiled happily all the way to my car.

Jack needs me.

I drove to my flat in record time, thanks to no traffic, and made my way up still smiling. The smile was gone as soon as I got to the door of my flat. There was an envelope taped to the door with my name written on it and three black garbage bags packed on top of each other in the hallway.

I took the envelope off the door, wondering what the hell was going on. Inside the envelope was a note written in Rhys' barely legible handwriting.

Gwen,

Your stuff are in the bags. I don't want to see you around when I get home. Banana is going to help me move the rest of your belongings when you get a place or to Owen's if you prefer. Yes! Surprise! I remember that you shagged him and you drugged me. Just text me where to send your stuff when you know where and if you haven't figured it out has yet, this means we are through.

Rhys

P.S.- I do your taxes so I know how much you make.

I felt faint. What the hell! How could he have broken the Retcon. Rhys just wasn't smart enough to do that on his own. I tried my key and it wouldn't open the door. Oh hell, looks like he's serious.

I didn't want tot lose Rhys. He's stable, I can depend on him to be there when I get home, to dote on me and love me regardless. Where am I suppose to live now? I'll have to pay rent and bills! How can Rhys do this to me? At least now Jack will be able to be with me without having to think about Rhys' feelings.

Jack's PoV:

It's been eating at me since we found those bodies yesterday, only kids no older than eight or nine Owen says. I wanted something to keep me busy while Ianto is in London but I never wanted anything like this.

Owen stayed all night to finish up the autopsies and ended up crashing on the couch in the main hub. Tosh went home but not without me making it an order. She was all over the place trying to figure out who the kids were (unsuccessfully, she had even checked the police reports for children recently reported as missing but it proved unhelpful) ) and where the "Wookiee" went, and even after making it an order she would leave until she had set two programmes to run in her absence.

The kids were truly mauled making their faces unrecognisable. Our only hope of identifying them is the third child.

Finally Gwen called. Thankfully the third child survived and she was able to get his name and the name of his parents but nothing else.

I decided to give her until noon to come in and to let Owen sleep some more, so I ran a search on the names, got an address and called Tosh to meet me there.

Turned out the kid lived in a bedsit in Adamsdown. What the hell is a kid from Adamsdown doing on the other side of the river on Cathedral Road on a Sunday?

I got there just before Tosh's taxi and we walked up to the house together and asked for the Powells. According to another bedsitter they were in Canton at Mrs. Powell's sister.

Tosh looked up the address on her PDA and I drove us there. On the way Tosh tried to make small talk but I just wasn't feeling it.

A police cruiser was already at the house when we got there, I made quick work of getting rid of them and Tosh and I approached the house. A man I recognised to be Alwin Powell let us in and we entered the living room to find six other people. Lucy Powell, her sister Ann-Marie Richards, the sister's husband Len Richards, their teenage daughter Morgan and two women who where introduced as Linda Parry and Vanessa Anasetti.

"We called the police as soon as we noticed they were missing," Mrs. Richards told us, "they said they could do anything so soon after a disappearance. They wouldn't even come to us. We only got them to agree to send someone over because Len's friend works for the police."

I felt bad having to deliver the news I was about to.

"What are the names of the missing children?" Tosh asked.

"Kian Powell, Alexander Anasetti and Michael Brace." Alwin Powell provided, hugging his tearful wife.

I inhaled deeply dreading their reactions, "How old are they?" I asked.

"Kian is eight in a month and Alex and Michael are both already eight." Ann-Marie Powell supplied.

So young.

"Where were they last seen?"

"The Beverly Hotel on Cathedral Road." Linda Parry said.

"Why were they there?" Tosh asked.

"We work there, Vanessa, Ann-Marie and I," Linda again, "Vanessa and I got called in at the last minute and couldn't get babysitters..."

"And Kian usually goes in to work with me whenever he stays with us." Ann-Marie finished.

"I lost my job months ago," Alwin added, "Ann-Marie and keeps Kian for us every other week to help us out a bit."

I nodded. Time to deliver the bad news. No doubt the two dead bodies were Michael Brace and Alexander Anasetti.

"I'm afraid we have some bad news," I began, everyone suddenly became eerily quiet, "police officers found Kian Powell wandering along Sofia Walk yesterday,"

"So he's all right!" Lucy exclaimed cutting me off.

I fought the urge to sigh, "He was bleeding and he told them that he and his friends were attacked." I said.

There were gasps of shock.

"One officer stayed with Kian and accompanied him with the ambulance to St. David's while the other officer tracked his movements." I told them.

"Did he find the other two?" Len Richards asked.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you this but the officer found the bodies of two small boys in a construction site just up the road from The Beverly Hotel, next door to the Church Guest House."

There was an agonising scream which came from then general direction of Ms. Parry and Anasetti. I was too upset to try and figure out exactly who made the sound.

"My baby is dead?" Linda Parry asked, her voice shaking.

"I'm sorry Ms. Parry." Tosh said softly.

"How did it happen? Who killed my baby? Did they suffer?" Linda asked sounding numb.

"No," I reassured her, which was the truth. Owen had discovered that their necks were snapped before they were mauled. "but their bodies were mutilated after death. It is not a pretty sight." I told them.

"Mutilated?" Vanessa asked, "So you can't know for sure it's them! It might not be them!" she was hysterical. "It might not be our boys!"

Everyone was in tears and I just wanted to get out of there. Tosh seemed to noticed how I was feeling.

"We'll need you come down to the morgue to identify the bodies and their belongings." she said, "I'm sorry but we really have to go. Ask for Dr. Curtis when you get there, he'll be expecting you."

With that we left and I more determined than ever to catch the alien before it killed again. I hate telling the families the bad news.

I drove us back to the Bay, the air in the SUV was thick with tension and I even tried to break it with a joke but Tosh knew as well as I did that my heart really wasn't into it.

It was pass ten in the morning when we got back to the Hub, I knew Owen would have gone with the bodies to the morgue by now and Gwen would still be at home resting and Ianto was in London so I was surprised to hear crying when we entered the Hub.

We found Gwen curled up on the couch sobbing with three garbage bags surrounding her. Tosh quickly excused herself saying she had to check on her programmes and I approached Gwen reluctantly.

This week looks to me like it will be what finally does me off for good. Can't wait for Ianto to get back.

Tosh's PoV:

Bloody Gwen Cooper! Doesn't she notice how hard Jack is taking this case? No, she has to turn up bawling her eyes out and probably over some little tiff she had with Rhys.

I leave them to it and head over to my station. The programmes were still running, no luck yet but I had a new idea so I made myself comfortable and started on that. The funny thing though is that it almost looked as if the programmes I'd left over night had just started running. No use over thinking that so I pushed the thought aside.

I was really getting into writing the programme for my idea when I started to hear Gwen's raised voice.

"He kicked me out!" she sobbed, "I got home and my key didn't work! He left a note on the door saying that my stuff was in these bags!"

I couldn't help myself, I chuckled under my breath. This was too good to be true. Maybe Rhys finally figured out that she was sleeping around on him.

"How could he do this to me Jack?" Gwen was demanding, "Why would he hurt me like this?"

Of course it's all about her. What else could possibly matter? Not Rhys' feelings by any chance.

I could hear Jack mumbling reassuring to her.

"What am I going to do now? Where am I suppose to sleep tonight?" Gwen asked Jack still sobbing outrageously.

How can Jack not realise that she's play acting, trying to gain sympathy.

Jack was mumbling something to her. I couldn't hear what he was saying but whatever it was it stopped Gwen's sobbing.

"Where would you sleep?" Gwen asked.

Oh Jack must have told her she could sleep in the Hub for the night.

"You can leave me here alone!" Gwen said sounding outraged, "I can't sleep here on my own."

Jack mumbling again.

"You're a man! It's creepy here after dark! You can't leave me here alone with the dinosaur and the weevils!"

I rolled my eyes. Bloody Gwen Cooper.

Jack mumbled again.

"Thank you! Thank you!" Gwen exclaimed, sounding like she wasn't just now completely beside herself with grief over the ending of her relationship.

Maybe Jack had offered to pay for a fancy hotel room for her to spend a few days. I don't know but thankfully what ever her told her shut her up.

They were talking about the case now, at a lower pitch thankfully, so I was able to get back to my programme.

Gwen's PoV:

I tried to find Rhys, after discovering his note and the bags, but I had no luck. I even so much as drove out to Harwood's but he wasn't there, he was out on a run apparently.

I still couldn't believe he could do this to me. He's suppose to love me!

I drove back to the flat, collected the bags from the hallway and drove to the Hub. Jack would know how to sort this out, or better yet he'd tell me he loved me and wants to be with me now that Rhys is out of the picture.

I got to the Hub and no one's there. No Jack, no Owen or Tosh, or even Ianto. Where the hell could Ianto be?

So there I am having to waiting around in the Hub, by myself, until someone decides they want to show up and what do you know? The stupid Pterodactyl swoops down on me all threatening like. What's it's problem?

It doesn't seem like anyone will be back any time soon so I decided to poke around a bit see what I can find out. I went to check out Tosh's computers and I accidentally cancelled the programmes she's running. No big deal. It's not like it's of any importance, she's always running some programme or other. I just restarted it.

They weren't anywhere in the case yet. Too bad there's no information laying about that I could use to impress Jack later.

I had to wait over a hour before I saw the SUV pull up in the Bay on the CCTV footage I'd pulled up on my work station. I made quick work of getting rid of the footage, made my way over to the couch where I'd dumped my bags and started to cry. Tears were a woman's secret weapon after all, a man just simply see a woman in tears and not try to comfort her, and Jack wouldn't be an exception to that rule.

I was proven right when he and Tosh walked in to the Hub. Jack was beside me immediately.

"Gwen? What's wrong sweetheart?" He asked in a comforting tone.

"It's Rhys," I told him between sobs.

"What's the matter with Rhys?" Jack asked, worry evident in his voice, "Is he hurt?"

I shook my head, sometimes it really surprises me how caring Jack can be.

"He kicked me out!" I sobbed, "I got home and my key didn't work! He left a note on the door saying that my stuff was in these bags!"

"Oh Gwen what happened?" he asked, his voice low and comforting. "Was it because of Torchwood?"

I shrugged, "How could he do this to me Jack?" I asked, "Why would he hurt me like this?"

Jack put his arm around me comfortingly, "It'll be okay Gwen." He told me softly, "I'm certain of it."

I sobbed harder, "What am I going to do now? Where am I suppose to sleep tonight?" I asked.

Jack hugged me tighter to him, "We'll figure this out." he promised, "You can sleep here at the hub tonight. You don't have to sleep on the couch, you can have my camp bed."

"Where would you sleep?" I asked him all the time crossing my fingers, hoping he'd say we can share.

"I'll sleep at Ianto's." he told me.

"You can leave me here alone!" I said outraged, "I can't sleep here on my own."

How could he think of leaving me here over night on my own while he goes of to bed Ianto, while I'm vulnerable and hurting?

"It's not so bad here," he said, "I spend the night here all the time by myself."

How could he not see that I need him to stay with me? It's not the same for him.

"You're a man! It's creepy here after dark! You can't leave me here alone with the dinosaur and the weevils!"

Jack sighed and paused for a moment as if in thought.

"I guess you can come back to Ianto's with me." he said, "Ianto is in London for the week and there is a spare room you could use. I'm sure he won't mind. I'll call him and make sure though."

Oh, so that's were Ianto is. Why the hell is he in London though? I guess it doesn't matter as long as I'm alone with Jack.

"Thank you! Thank you!" I exclaimed happily, giving Jack a big hug.

Who cares about Rhys when I've got Jack.

"Did you find out anything new with the case?" I asked him after the hug.

He gave me a sad smile and started to update me. I listened half heartedly while my mind wondered already planning out how Jack and I will end up together. Sometime later Owen showed up, gave us an update on the boy in the hospital and the kids families.

Hours passed and guess who had to order meals, go on coffee runs and spend hours searching the archives for dead leads? I ordered in pizza around six in the evening and not long after that Tosh's computer beeped and she claimed to have solved how to track the alien. So left Jack, Owen and I to grab our gear and off back to the construction site while Tosh "coordinated" from the Hub.

We ran around Cardiff, in the bloody rain, for hours with no luck before Jack called it a night saying that it did seem like the thing was nocturnal. He sent Tosh and Owen home, and then helped me to my car with my bags and gave me directions to drive us back to Ianto's.

When we got there I was surprised to say the least, not only was Ianto's place two streets over from the crime scene, it was in one of the best neighbourhoods in Cardiff and it was bloody gorgeous, and expensive looking. Bloody brute must be robbing Torchwood blind.

At first I thought maybe he just rented a floor of the town house but when we enter I noticed it was a single residence. How could he be better off than me? He's just an office boy after all and a traitorous one at that, and I've seen his records, I checked them out myself after the Cyberwoman incident, so I know he's not from money or anything like that.

Jack helped me with the bags and showed me to a guest room. Then asked me if I needed anything. How sweet is he.

Jack's PoV:

Rhys as left Gwen, I didn't see that one coming. They seemed so happy together and I've always tried to emphasize to Gwen the importance of not letting her outside life slip. I blame myself, I shouldn't have called her away so often from her time together with him. Now I have to make it up to her, make sure she's all right and if there is anyway to fix this.

I offer my camp bed for her to sleep in for the night and she's all put out about where I'll be sleeping. I can't exactly tell her: oh yeah I secretly moved in with Ianto months ago. He doesn't want anyone to know but I'll be sleeping over at his, well technically ours. So instead I just simply said I'd just sleep over at his place.

Of course that upset her apparently the Hub is no place for a lady to spend the night alone. So before I know what I'm doing I'm inviting her over to spend the night. Of course I'll have to run it pass Ianto but I'm sure he won't mind.

After my conversation with Gwen I headed up to my office and got Ianto on the phone.

"Hey gorgeous!" I said when he answered.

"Hey Jack," he answered.

I would almost hear the smile in his words.

"Did I catch you at a bad time?" I asked.

"No I was just double checking what's on the agenda for the first meeting this afternoon." he told me. "What's up?"

"Nothing but a very happy mini-Captain," I told him, relaxing in my chair and putting my legs up, "he loves your vowels as much as I do."

Ianto chuckled, how I loved that sound, "Jack behave!" He playfully chastised. "Seriously though, did you just call me for phone sex?" he asked.

I sighed dramatically, "Well we did get a case yesterday after you left." I told him.

"Hard one?"

"Yep," I sighed once more, "alien attacked three kids on Cathedral Road," I told him.

"They all right?"

"No, two were killed the other is in bad shape at St. David's." I paused, he said nothing, "We don't even know where to start on getting this thing."

"Is it something we've seen before?" he asked.

"I don't think so. Kid said it looked like a Wookiee."

"Might be something in the archives," Ianto pointed out, "maybe it's a type of yeti or something. I know I've seen mention of aliens resembling a Wookiee while I was organising the archives."

"Great idea! Why didn't I think about checking the archives?" I asked with a smile.

"You just aren't as clever as I am." he teased.

"I'll give you that one," I told him, "Any idea where to start the search?"

"I don't know," he said, "maybe under 'H'." he suggested.

"Why?" I asked him confused.

"For hairy!" he said with a chuckle.

I laughed, "Oh, Ianto Jones you are something else." I told him.

After that we talked for a while about the case and what to expect at the meeting. I completely forgot about Gwen. We were saying goodbye when I remembered.

"Oh! Ianto, I almost forgot. Is it all right if Gwen sleeps over for a few nights?" I asked.

"Why?" he asked suspiciously.

"Rhys kicked her out," I told him, "she needs somewhere to crash for a few days for her to get herself in order."

Ianto exhaled sharply in to the phone.

"Ianto Jones you aren't jealous by any chance are you?" I asked jokingly.

"No! Of course not!" he proclaimed, "It's just..."

"What?"

He sighed, "Nothing. It's your home too. You can have guests over if you want." he told me.

"It's still your house Yan. If you don't want her there I'll find another solution." I told him.

"Don't be silly. I mean it, you can have over who you want. Just be careful okay." he told me.

Be careful? What does he mean by that? Still..., "I will," I assured him.

We said our goodbyes and promised to call each other when we had a chance and I sent Gwen down in the archives.

She didn't find anything. Doubt she even knew where to start in the first place.

Finally Tosh figured out how to track the alien and off we were, roaming the streets searching for it with no luck. Eventually I figured it's not nocturnal so I gave everyone instructions to head home and be back at the Hub bright and early to start again.

I gave Gwen directions to our place, we took her car and left the SUV at the Hub. She seemed surprised at where Ianto lived. I wonder if she knows that he got compensated by Queen and Country for Canary Wharf?

I asked her if she needed anything and she said she was all right so I left her to it and went in search of the good scotch.

I really needed it and this really seemed to be turning into a long night.