Author's Notes: Before I go any further, I wanted to mention the tornadoes that have swept through Oklahoma during the last few weeks. To those in the affected area … you're in my thoughts and prayers. In this chapter, Esther receives disturbing news from Carlyon; Toni's father makes his voice heard; while Tosh and Jack are reunited. After a fashion. Do you really expect anything else from Torchwood? I would hope not! I'd like to promise that the next chapter(s) will be up in a timely fashion, but I know better than to promise anything of the sort. Things have been exceptionally busy on this end, between work (my contract was extended and I had an interview for a full time job with them), dealing with some twit who hacked my email account, and getting a new laptop and getting things transferred over to the new machine. I'll just say that I'll do my best to make sure you won't have to wait for another two months for the next chapter, especially since we're heading into the home stretch. On with the story!

Chapter Eight

At a Loss for Words

Tregarth Homestead

Same Day

It took very little time to find her copy of 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit?' while the boys washed up. After she was rescued and Jack made his decision to remain with Torchwood America, he and Rex returned to her apartment in DC to retrieve her belongings. Esther smiled a little sadly as she carried her DVD downstairs … she remembered how badly she wanted to kiss Jack for that. Instead, she settled for a fierce hug that nearly broke his ribs. Or so Rex groused as Jack returned the hug with embrace with interest. Octavia stepped on his foot for that.

Looking back now, Esther wasn't sure why she was so hesitant about kissing Jack … why it had taken him being beaten to death for her to make her move, or even why it took almost losing him for good (because if the Pharma had taken him, Esther was quite certain he would have ended up in the hands of the Families) to take things further. She was just grateful she finally stopped wasting time. Jack would live forever. She wouldn't. And if there was one thing that her 'death' and her time as a captive taught her … life was entirely too short to waste.

When she rejoined the boys at the bottom of the stairs, Esther was more than a little surprised when, instead of going into the den (where they usually had movie night, Rift permitting), she found herself escorted into that Holiest of Holies for the Tregarth men: their so-called 'man cave.' She bit back her observation that this was the first time a woman had been allowed into their private room and instead, focused on the room itself. Esther felt a bit like a teen-aged girl who'd been invited into the private tree-house or clubhouse of a pair of ten year olds.

However, the room was anything but that of a ten year old boy (or, at least the ten year olds she babysat as a teenager). There were old arcade games (which Lucas cheerfully informed her that Jack helped to carry down … which, of course, that Esther began thinking of Jack's muscles flexing under his t-shirt. Mrrow), a collection of John Deere memorabilia ('Lucas used to collect those when he was a kid. So obviously, he's still collecting them,' Jason told her, grinning impishly at the insults with which Lucas responded), and a replica of the tall ship, the 'Constitution.' It belonged to their late father, and Esther's throat ached with unshed tears. She offered the boys a smile before looking around more.

Not surprisingly, there was a microwave off to one side of the room, with an entire basket full of popcorn packets. Someone with forethought (probably Carlyon) ever so kindly put a large bowl on the other side of the microwave. Lucas turned a hopeful smile toward her, and Esther realized that she would be asked to make popcorn. That was fine. She already intended to do that. The last time Jason or Lucas made popcorn, it was burned. Badly. They thought it was fine, but the rest of the family didn't consider it fit for human consumption. Octavia face-palmed and moaned about where she went wrong. Of course, it was at that point that Rex decided to start an argument by bringing up her brother-in-law (again). Esther stepped on his foot at that point. Octavia did nothing wrong … she had no way of knowing that her brother-in-law was working for the Families, so she didn't keep the identity of her brother-in-law a secret.

Esther honestly wasn't sure what Rex was so upset about. Jack was the one who was hurt most out of their new team, and he wasn't angry or even upset with Octavia. For that matter, even his reprimand to Esther herself when they all were safe was actually pretty gentle. Maybe it would have been a different story if it was Octavia's husband who was the assassin, but he wasn't. He was a cop who died saving others. Honestly, she had far more sympathy for Octavia on this subject than she did for Rex. But that was between them, and they would either work it out or they didn't. It was between them. Esther handed the movie off to Jason as they reached the 'man-cave' (honestly, that was such a silly name for a room), allowing him to set it up. She'd seen it nearly thirty times and could practically recite the lines herself.

Besides, she needed to focus on the popcorn. Maybe if Jason noticed that she checked the seconds between pops, he'd learn how to make it properly himself. Esther smirked to herself. Not real likely, as Jason's attention was likely to be on the movie, but it was a nice thought. A quick glance into the refrigerator that sat on the other side of the microwave revealed that yes, there was cold soda in there, not just cold beer. Thank God. She snagged three cans, lobbing two of them to her companions before returning her attention to the popping popcorn. There was soft swearing behind her and the distinct sound of spraying. Ooops. Someone didn't let the soda settle before opening it.

Jason snickered as his younger brother tore out of the room, "He knows better than that. At least you're down here, instead of upstairs in the bunkhouse with Jack." Esther glanced over her shoulder and smirked at her companion, who reddened. Esther didn't know why. She didn't say anything. Jason continued, "So, you and Nat … you're good now?" Good now … oh. Oh. So many things happened since this morning and Nat's blow-up at Jack, Esther lost track of what he was talking about. She had to stop and think about her answer. On the face of it, things were fine, because it was Jack whom Natalie hurt … and yet … and yet, she wasn't sure. While Nat didn't appreciate some of the comments made in the past, this time … it was different.

"I don't know. I may need to talk to her when this is all over. I just … technically, it isn't any of my business, but at the same time …" Esther finally answered. This was uncharted territory for her, in so many ways. She'd dated in the past, of course … had friends who didn't react too well to being in the same general area … but this was different. According to Owen, Nat wasn't entirely herself at the time … something else that made Esther uncomfortable. They were all as careful as possible with Rift raff (as Lucas had taken to calling it), but it wasn't Rift-raff that altered Natalie's personality (however briefly), that altered her brain waves. Maybe that was the real problem, Esther thought, there's no way to guard against what happened to Natalie. Esther said softly, "We need to talk, just the two of us, get things settled."

Jason nodded before returning his attention back to the DVD player. Esther was pleased to note the utter lack of burned popcorn as she pulled the bag from the microwave (to say nothing of the absence of the smell of burned popcorn). As Lucas returned, Jason's next question was with regards to Torchwood, observing, "If that earthquake this morning was Rift-related, which it probably was, what do you think came through?" Esther shrugged, careful to keep the actual motion to a minimum. The last thing she wanted to do was to be cleaning up the popcorn from the rug. That would be a mess and a half.

"It's hard to say. I'm still making my way through the old archives that Carlyon copied before he left Cardiff, all those years ago. My first instinct is to say that it was big … extremely big. Not quite as big as Abaddon, of course, but still big," Esther replied as she settled the bowl of popcorn down on the end table, right between the brothers' respective sets of feet. She hit each boy with a Glare, adding, "And don't even think about eating that until I get some bowls." The brothers responded with pouts and Esther retorted, "Don't try that with me, either. Your cousin is a hundred times better at it." She turned away with a swish of her hair as the brothers looked at each in chagrin, smiling to herself as she heard Lucas muttering under his breath about her spoiling all of his fun. Honestly. They were just overgrown little kids. On her way back to the stand with the microwave, she added, "Which reminds me. Speaking of Abaddon, how did that go with you two?"

She meant, of course, a briefing that Owen conducted about why opening the Rift was a Bad Thing. It was something they did while Jack was in Nevada with Sophia, Natalie and Ailsa. There were actually several, because everyone's schedule was different … not unlike their physicals. Jason answered a bit reluctantly, "Ours was delayed until everyone came back and Mom and Dree left for Scotland. It went a bit as you'd expect … Jack tried to call it on account of darkness a few times, but Owen reminded him that people died when the Rift was open and Abaddon was released." Esther flinched at the reminder. Her briefing went differently. She already learned that it was far wiser to listen to Jack than to ignore what he was telling you. Of course, Jack wasn't there at her briefing. That probably made a difference as well.

"Yeah, and the movie's starting, so put a cork in it, goof-ball. Ah, Esther, you goddess among women. If I didn't like my working parts where they were, I might be tempted to make a move on you," Lucas said as she handed out the bowls. She thought briefly about pointing out that Jack would likely invite him to join in, but opted not to. Both boys got a bit antsy when she (or Jack) said things like that. She took her place between the two boys and began to lose herself in the movie, which she found (much to her delight) amused her as much now as it did when she was a little girl. So, of course, it couldn't last.

Her cell began to ring insistently and the ringtone informed her that it was Carlyon on the other end of the line. Esther grimaced a little, because this was a caller she wouldn't dream of ignoring. She rose to her feet and headed away from the TV, so she didn't disturb the boys, saying softly into the receiver, "What can I do for you, Carlyon?" He'd gone with his wife, Jack, Nat, and Sheriff Espinosa, and she wasn't anticipating hearing from any of them for a while.

There was a quiet sigh on the other end of the line, but it wasn't until Carlyon said in an impossibly gentle voice, "Esther, my dear, you should sit down … there's something you must know, and something that will be hard for you to hear." Esther swallowed hard and slowly lowered herself, sliding down the wall until she was sitting on the floor. She learned the hard way that when Carlyon Tregarth told her that she should sit down, he meant it. That lesson was true once more as he imparted what he discovered at the scene of the accident.

TWTWTWTWTTWTW

He grew up loving movies. When he was a boy, Dupres was a lot smaller than it was now. In fact, one of the few attractions in town was a drive-in theatre that his parents would take him to once a week. There was a time when he briefly entertained the idea of being an actor, but life didn't quite work out that way. But as the years went by, his love for movies didn't lessen. Most of the time, if they had the money now, they would go to the cinema in town … the drive-in theatre was closed years earlier. That closure nearly broke his heart, but he had to admit that it was long past time … by the time it closed, it was running X-rated movies. Talk about ruining his childhood!

In more recent years, one of Gideon Weber's favorite movies was The Mummy Returns. Not just because Rachel Weisz and Patricia Velazquez were lookers (although they were … especially Velazquez. Damn, that woman was gorgeous), but because of a particular scene near the end of the movie when Rick O'Connell told his little boy that it wasn't easy to be a dad (actually, he didn't really say the words … more like, wheezed them out). Gideon laughed aloud at that the first time they watched it, much to his wife's amusement (and he didn't care what she said … he might have watched it for Anck-su-namun and Evy, but she watched it for Ardeth). O'Connell was right … being a dad, being a parent, wasn't easy at all, Gideon found while he and his wife were raising their daughter. And some days, it was less easy than others.

Ordinarily, Toni … or Antoinette, as her mother preferred to call her … was generally a gentle, soft-spoken girl: honest and hard-working in school. She was more Gideon's daughter in that respect than Sabine's … her good grades were the result of hard work, rather than any great intelligence. And up until she drifted into the sphere of those two girls, Tegan and Annis, the elder Webers never had major issues with her. Oh, she misbehaved sometimes, as children do, but there was never anything big. That all changed a few months earlier, when the aforementioned girls disappeared.

More to the point, Toni herself changed. She became quieter, more withdrawn, and only during or after her visits with the sheriff did she show signs of the girl she was. Unfortunately, Sabine didn't help with her dismissal of Toni's growing feelings for Nicky. While Gideon well knew that a teenager's feelings changed often, he also knew that sometimes, childhood (or high school) sweethearts could become lovers and even spouses; so dismissing their daughter's emotions would only lead to her shutting them out even more.

That only got worse in the last few days. Something was wrong with his little girl, and Gideon had no idea of what that something was. But his instincts told him that either he was about to find out … or get more bad news … when the sheriff's Cherokee pulled up in front of the Weber split-level ranch home and two members of the Tregarth family spilled out of the Jeep, along with the sheriff herself and someone Gideon never met before. He honestly didn't have an opinion about the Tregarth family. They seemed like decent enough people, and he certainly couldn't deny what they did for the community as a whole during the mess with the kids and later with the Miracle. They were a bit on the strange side, but aside from that, they were decent. Even so, it was more than a little disconcerting to have Sheriff Espinosa pulling into his driveway with the Tregarths in tow.

So was a tall, dark-haired man whom even the one-hundred-fifty percent straight Gideon had to admit was quite handsome. This, no doubt, was the Captain Jack Harkness who made such an impact at the Christmas dance a few months earlier. They were in the way Gideon heard it, Will Delacourt was just about turning purple when Captain Harkness danced with Will's former lady friend, Priscilla Tregarth. Not that Gideon had much use for Will under any circumstances … but after hearing the story behind his break-up with Priscilla Tregarth, he regarded the other man as even more useless. Gideon returned his attention to the small group getting out of the car. So, it was Sheriff Espinosa, Captain Harkness, along with two Tregarth females. Curiouser and curiouser. That, of course, was when he noticed that one Tregarth was Natalie … not exactly what he would have expected, although even as a teenager, Nat was capable of surprising him. She and Pilar … Lari … were a few years behind him in high school, as was Quinn. Neither girl was part of his circle, as such, but he was aware of them. Of course he was. Dupres was a small town, after all.

He was aware enough not to be surprised when Pilar left town to join the Marines … aware enough not to be surprised when Natalie turned out to be far more dangerous than anyone could have guessed. Whether it was protecting her daughter during Miracle Day or avenging her oldest sister Priscilla (Gideon nearly laughed himself into a coma when he heard what Natalie did to that idiot Will. She must have learned that trick from Quinn), it didn't matter. What mattered right now was why she, her parents (he could see Carlyon Tregarth in the front seat, on the phone), Captain Harkness, and Pilar were here. The dark-haired sheriff nodded to him, saying, "Hi, Gideon. Is Toni available to talk to us?" Oh hell. He was afraid she would ask him that.

However, he inclined his head, answering, "She is. Can I ask what this is about?" Gideon watched the posture of his visitors very carefully, trying to learn as much as he could from what was unsaid. Natalie, as ever, fidgeted when she was uncomfortable. Oh, it wasn't the same way his daughter fidgeted …. with Natalie, it was changing her position. First her hands were on her hips, then they were folded over her chest … first most of her weight settled on one leg, and then the other. He might not have known her as well as Quinn did … but he did know that about her.

Her mother Sophia was serene … running her hand up and down her daughter's back ever so often, trying to soothe the younger woman's nerves. Sophia Tregarth was Natalie's mother. Even now, months after that particular revelation, Gideon had a hard time wrapping his mind around it. He could only imagine how Natalie must have taken it. Her grandmother was actually her mother and she looked like she was about the same age as Natalie. On the other hand, it couldn't be easy for Octavia or Priscilla to see this young woman as their mother.

Sheriff Espinosa was no different than the times she picked up Toni for what she called their rounds together: relaxed and alert, her expression a pleasant mask. It occurred to him that out of them all, he knew her the best, and he barely knew her. Nice, he thought, real nice. He'd told Toni about having good neighbors, but he hadn't been a good neighbor since they moved here. Maybe it was time to change that. Lord knew that enough things were changing around here. And that brought him to the final member of the group … Captain Jack Harkness.

He knew from Charles Havelock, an occasional drinking buddy, that Captain Harkness was a lot more dangerous than his demeanor would have you believe. Looking at the man now, he could believe that. His expression was playful, mischievous, even flirtatious … but if you looked at the way he carried himself, if you looked into his eyes, then you'd see just how stupid it would be to underestimate this man. Gideon had his share of faults, but stupidity didn't top that list. Even before the sheriff answered his question, Gideon knew what his own answer had to be. But when Sheriff Espinosa told him, "We think that some bad types are trying to use Toni. Gideon. You know she's an unusual girl, you know that she knows things that a girl her age shouldn't know," any objections Gideon might have had were wiped away.

Because she was right. His baby girl was unusual, she was special. He'd known about that for months, but hoped that he was wrong. He'd hoped that … well, it wasn't important what he'd hoped. He had to focus on what the truth was. Which was why he said now, "I know. And yes. Yes, you can talk to Toni. C'mon in." He paused, noticing that Carlyon was still inside the Cherokee and asked, "What about Mr. Tregarth? Will he be joining us?" He was still inside the Jeep and he was still on the phone. A look passed between the three people who weren't the sheriff and Gideon had the sudden sense that he'd dropped into the Twilight Zone.

"My father is … handling a particularly sensitive call. He'll join us when he's able, Gid," Natalie responded, speaking for the first time since the beginning of the conversation. Curiously, that put him at ease, hearing that old nickname. He gestured for them to follow him inside the house. Gideon thought briefly about what he would tell Sabine, who continued to insist that her dalliance with those two girls hadn't changed Toni, but decided to worry about that later. Right now, his little girl's well-being was the most important thing.

TWTWTWTWTW

"He's here."

Well, that was a bit on the dramatic side. Or, it would have been if Toshiko tended toward melodrama. Instead, it was matter of fact, with only the tiniest hitch in Tosh's voice. Toni looked up from the book she was reading, and her own heart almost stopped at the look on her unexpected friend's face. Tosh smiled, a smile that lit up her whole face and had all of her heart in it, repeating, "He's here. Jack's here. I don't know how I know it, but he's here." Toni bit her lip, because things were moving far faster than she was now comfortable with.

It was about to get worse. Her father called, "Antoinette … we have guests." Tosh offered her a gentle, supportive smile, and Toni barely managed to smile in return. She opened the door of her room, feeling as if she was going to her own execution. The girl was only slightly reassured by her father's expression. He didn't look angry … more like worried. That was bad enough. He'd been so worried about her since the mess with Tegan and Annis, and disappointment went hand-in-hand with worry. She'd never wanted to see that look in her father's eyes again. Toni was used to disappointing her mother … disappointing her father hurt far more.

And then she saw Sheriff Pilar just beyond her father. The sheriff smiled at her warmly, saying, "Hi, Toni. We need to talk to you about what you told Nicky." Toni stole a glance at her father. His expression hadn't changed at all. That was … well. She didn't know what to think about that. Sheriff Pilar continued, "You know the Tregarth ladies: Sophia and Natalie." The teen nodded respectfully to the two women. This was the first time she'd ever actually seen Sophia Tregarth. Oh, she heard about her in town, especially after her granddaughter Ailsa was kidnapped, but that was the funny thing. She didn't look like any grandmother Toni'd ever seen.

And Miss Natalie … well, she was Miss Natalie. She was always kind to Toni when they encountered each other in town, although sometimes distracted by trying to keep up with her little girl Ailsa. Thus, it was the tall, dark-haired man just past Sheriff Pilar who captured and held Toni's attention. While he wasn't Nicky, he was still the most handsome man she'd ever seen. And Toni'd never thought that she'd apply this term to any man, but she would even venture to say that he was beautiful. To her right, she heard Tosh said, sounding more than a little smug, "That is Jack."

At the same time, Sheriff Pilar observed, "And this gentleman is Captain Jack Harkness, an associate of theirs. Captain, this is Antoinette Weber, or Toni, as she prefers to be called." A warm smile lit his handsome face, and Toni found herself blushing as she shook the proffered hand … which absolutely engulfed her own. Sheriff Pilar added, "And don't complain, Jack, I was calling you a gentleman out of respect." That prompted a laugh from both Mrs. and Miss Tregarth, and the captain's smile broadened further. Toni could hear Tosh laughing softly from beside her. So, of course, that was when she made a world-class idiot out of herself.

With Tosh's laughter ringing in her ears, she blurted out, "Tosh didn't mention how handsome you were." Actually, she probably did, but Toni wasn't paying attention at the time. And her words wiped that smile immediately from the captain's face. She shuddered, feeling the change in the room. It was as if everything was sucked from the room … warmth, air, everything. And the worst part was the captain's expression. There was actually hurt in those amazing blue eyes. Toni didn't need Tosh's indignant cursing to tell her that she just screwed up badly.

Captain Harkness said in a very quiet, terrifyingly even voice, "How do you know about Toshiko? Did you know her before she was killed?" Toni had the distinct impression that if Tosh had a corporeal body, she would have been face-palming right about then. The captain swallowed hard, closed his eyes, and then when he opened them, his entire focus was on her. It occurred to Toni that whoever came up with Ms. Ramsey's screensaver, 'the last thing you want is my complete and undivided attention' must have known Captain Harkness. He said in a very gentle voice, "I'm not angry, Toni. I know I must have frightened you just now, but I'm not angry with you. I just need to know how you even knew Tosh."

Toni licked her lips and Tosh said softly, "We need to be very careful from here on out, Toni. Tell him the truth. Don't try to lie to him, he'll know it, and you'll only upset him further. Don't apologize, either. He's not interested in how sorry you are. Just tell him what's happened. And when you're done, I'll tell you something to tell him, something that'll convince him that I'm really here. Do not deviate in any way from what I tell you … this is very important, Toni. Promise me that you'll do exactly what I tell you to do."

It really made Toni nervous when Tosh talked like that, but she inclined her head. Raising her eyes to meet the captain's, she did exactly what Tosh advised her to do. She told him everything, keeping her eyes on his at all times. She told him about what happened the night Tegan and Annis disappeared … and about the earthquake this morning … about the Gelfth (something that made him pale and his eyes narrow, but he didn't interrupt) … and finally about Tosh. His lips pursed at that, and Toni remembered what Tosh told her. But it was only at the end that Toni balked. As Captain Harkness turned to look at Mrs. Tregarth, who put her hand on his forearm, Toni blurted out (again), "You wanted me to say what? Tosh, that doesn't even make any sense!" She was painfully aware of how everyone was looking at her (everyone, in this case, meaning her father), but wouldn't take the words back, even if she could have.

"Do it! It's the only way he'll believe you! Toni, please … you've trusted me this far. I need you to keep trusting me. Say it," Tosh all but begged. For a brief moment, Toni thought of a movie she watched when she was twelve or so, a movie with that man who died around the same time as Michael Jackson, Patrick something or other. (It would take several hours, but eventually, she would remember what it was called … appropriately enough, it was titled, 'Ghost'). It had Whoopi Goldberg in it, and during a key scene, she demanded to know what 'ditto' meant. That was how Toni felt right now. But she had the sense that Captain Harkness was turning away from her, and that her time was running out for him to believe them.

Thus, she said, "Don't ask me to explain what she means by this, but she said to tell you, 'baby, you're good.' And something about not being afraid of danger." Captain Harkness literally froze in place. But now, rather than forbidding, his expression was almost hopeful. Afraid and hopeful at the same time. It wasn't quite the same as his expression a few minutes earlier, but it was enough of a thawing to make her relax, just a little bit.

Tosh whispered new directions to her, and growing more confident with the change in the captain's demeanor, Toni went on, "She wants you to know that you aren't responsible for her death, and while she wasn't happy to die, at least she was lucky enough to die in the arms of someone whom she loved and who loved her. She also said to tell you that if she even thinks you blame yourself for her death, she'll figure out a way to make herself and kick your arse clear into the next decade. Sorry, Daddy. But that's what she said, and she said that you know if anyone could figure out a way to do it, Captain, it would be her."

A wild laugh seemed to be torn from the captain's throat as he replied, "She would, too. She … she's here, then? With you?" Toni nodded, now breathing a little easier. There was still the matter of her parents, but for some reason, the girl wasn't especially worried. She'd trusted Tosh this far, and the ghost promised her that she wouldn't abandon Toni. The Captain went on, looking around, "Where is she? I'm not stepping on her, am I?" He sounded so young in that moment, younger than Toni, and so very earnest, that she wanted to laugh. But she didn't. Her rational mind was telling her that there was no way it should be this easy, but the strongest part of her didn't care. She wasn't alone anymore, and that was all that mattered.

"She's … well, she's right in front of you. Right now, she's reaching up, like she would touch your cheek if she could. She's … she's smiling, and she has tears in her eyes. I'm sorry, that didn't come out right. She was smiling when she moved toward you, and she had tears in her eyes then. She's probably still close to crying. I … while we were waiting, she told me about you and about Owen," Toni replied. The captain closed his eyes briefly, and a tear rolled down his cheek. Once again, Tosh tried to brush it away … once again, she failed, and her frustration could be seen in her face.

When the captain opened his eyes once again, there was no grief, no sadness … only determination. He looked first at Toni, and then at her father, and then finally at the Sheriff. He said in a voice that informed everyone present that this would happen, and he wasn't entirely picky about how they made it happen, "Toni is coming back with us to the homestead. Mr. Weber. You're more than welcome to join us … in fact, I think Toni would be more comfortable if you did. But she's been spending time with Toshiko since the Gelfth's arrival awoke Tosh. We'll need her help if we want to deal with them."

"My daughter is going nowhere without me," Toni's father responded, putting a protective arm around her shoulders, something that made the girl straighten up, ever so slightly. There was a pause, and then he continued, sounding about as bewildered as Toni was still feeling, "And just who in the Hell are you people? You talk about these things, these Gelfth, as though they're aliens or something. Who are you?" A smile quirked the corners of the captain's mouth, and it was all Toni could do to keep from laughing when he and Tosh said the exact same thing at the exact same moment.

"We're Torchwood."

TBC