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Chapter Ten

Lily could hear voices around her and she felt weak and somewhat lightheaded. She couldn't bring herself to open her eyes and she needed a moment to pull herself together.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and she could hear the mumble of the team's voices around her. She frowned and slowly opened her eyes, and slowly she sat up, propping herself up on her elbows.

" Lily! " Owen said urgently, shifting closer to her. Owen and Ianto were sitting beside her, and Gwen, Tosh and Rhys were no-where to be seen. Presumably, Tosh and Rhys were still out there somewhere with the laptop of evidence against the government.

Lily looked around the room - bodies covered in cloth were laid out everywhere - the dead bodies of all of those people who'd been killed by the poisonous radiation. Tears filled up in her eyes and she couldn't believe what was happening - she had no idea what they could do next, and where they could go from here.

She knew Owen was talking to her, but she couldn't make any words out, and she scanned the room for Jack. She saw Gwen a few rows away, knelt next to a dead body.

" Jack," Lily mumbled, trying to get up and thinking only of going over to him. Instead, Owen kept his hand on her shoulder and pushed her back down.

" Hey! " she protested.

Both Ianto and Owen looked worried and Owen demanded, " You've soaked up all that radiation? " the tone of his voice was frantic, and he pressed a hand to her stomach, " do you have any idea what that could have done to you? We need to get you checked out. "

Lily looked back at him, and her eyes widened and she pressed her hand over his, resting on her flat stomach. She shook her head, " What if ... what if ... do you think I've lost it? "

" How does it feel? " Owen asked grimly, " does it hurt? Can you feel anything? "

Lily had warmed to the thought of having a child somewhat, even if she was still terrified of telling Jack, but she intended to tell him as soon as all of this was over with the children. She was confused but she knew she didn't want the baby to die - it was a part of her now. In fact, it was half her, and half Jack. It was a life and she wanted it to be ok - it would be a new challenge for them, but she felt sure that Jack would warm to the idea.

" No," she said, " it feels fine. "

Owen frowned - he felt certain that radiation should have some sort of effect on the baby, and he decided to keep an eye on her.

" You're sure? " he asked, " you're absolutely sure? And you'll let me know the moment anything's not alright? "

Lily sighed, her eyes filling up with tears, " Owen," she said, struggling to form a sentence, " I ... I can't afford to think about myself right now. "

" For god's sake," Owen said, rolling his eyes, " you're so self-bloody-sacrificing. This is your baby we're talking about. "

" And I'm telling you, I'm fine," Lily vowed, sitting up again. Her eyes still held the tears and she said, " really, it doesn't hurt - I'd tell you if anything was wrong. And ... Owen, this is huge. What the hell are we going to do - there's children about to be given away to aliens. If we don't stop this, it's the end of the world - I can't afford to think about myself right now. I mean ... just look around - all these people dead, and this is only the beginning. "

Owen nodded and got to his feet. He reached down and took hold of both of Lily's hands and pulled her to her feet. Lily looked between he and Ianto and asked,

" Did you get in touch with your sister, Ianto? Owen, how's Tosh? Where's Tosh? "

" Tosh is fine," Owen said, " she's with Rhys. "

" And I got hold of Rhiannon, told her not to let the kids out of her sight, but we got cut off," Ianto replied, " I'm worried about her. Mica and David go to some of the lowest achieving schools, and they'll be right in the firing line to be taken away. "

Lily bit her lip as she looked at him, " We'll fix it," she said, " we'll ... it's ok, Yan, we'll fix it. "

She was about to ask where Clem was, when she heard a loud gasp, which could only have come from Jack. She hurried across the room and threw herself onto her knees beside him as Gwen shifted aside to let her past.

Jack looked up at her and he gripped her arm as she got to his side.

" Lily," he said, scrabbling to sit up frantically, " you're alright! You're alright! "

She nodded and the tear sprang back into her eyes - she didn't know what they were going to do, but she felt so thrilled that Jack was fine, and they'd come through it. She was so relieved that he was awake and they were both alright.

" I'm fine, kitten, I'm fine," she said.

" And you didn't regenerate! " he said, reaching out for her and pulling her into a hug. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and pulled her in for a bone crushing hug, holding her as tightly as possible. With one hand, he smoothed down her hair as she buried her face against his chest.

" I didn't regenerate," she mumbled, " I promised you I wouldn't, didn't I? "

Jack sighed and kept his arms around her as he pulled away from her and quickly leaned in for a kiss. It was a deep, desperate kiss that poured out all of their emotion. Lily clung to his jacket as they kissed, and when they broke apart, he looked at her.

" Baby," he said, loosening his grip on her as he managed to get to his feet and pull her to his feet with him, " baby, you're ok. I've still got you. "

" Course you have," Lily said, gripping his arms as they stood together, " you've always got me - we're here, we're ok, and we just need to stop this. "

Jack nodded and released his hold on Lily, but kept on arm firmly around her waist.

He turned outwards to face Owen, Ianto and Gwen, who were all gathered around.

" What the hell do we do now? " Gwen asked.

Jack sighed, " That's a very good question. "

Lily looked at Gwen, Owen and Ianto, " How did things go on your end? " she asked, " with the government - the agent showed up, like you thought she would? And Clement? "

" Agent Johnson turned up," Gwen said, " but she had no idea about it all - she and her team were just roped in to get rid of us, they didn't know about the aliens, and when we showed her footage of the government scheming to give the children away, she was horrified. She had no idea. "

" And Clement? " Lily repeated, knowing from the looks on their faces that it was bad.

Ianto shook his head, " Gone. He shook, went into some kind of fit, started bleeding. He's dead. "

" Jesus," Lily breathed, shaking her head. She looked around the room - people dead all around them, and it wasn't even the end of it. It was just the beginning - she couldn't face the fact that millions and millions of children were going to be handed over, where the aliens would take them and use them. It was horrific - they were using the children for pleasure, and she didn't know what to do. She felt like they'd already lost - there was nothing they could do.

An officer approached them and told them that John Frobisher would be along shortly to meet with them. They were shown to a cafe on the ground floor of Thames House, and everywhere they went, there were dead bodies.

Lily shuddered as they walked, and even Jack's arm around her didn't provide much support. She'd never really seen Jack looking so downcast and as he looked around at all of the dead bodies she reliased the spirit was draining away from him. All the fight was leaving him, and it was as if he just didn't have the strength or the willpower to carry on.

They sat down in the cafe, and waited. Once Frobisher turned up, they were going to be in trouble, but there was no-where they could go, as several members of the government army were watching them, ensuring they didn't escape.

They sat around a round table. Lily sat between Owen and Jack, Gwen was on Jack's other side, and Ianto on Owen's other side. They sat in silence, and none of them knew what to do. All they could do was wait for Frobisher.

They sat in almost complete silence for two hours, waiting, but no-one had anything to say.

The thoughts were driving Lily wild, and every glance she threw in Jack's direction told her that he didn't know what to do - this was possibly their lowest point and none of them knew what to do.

" What happens when Frobisher gets here? " asked Gwen.

Lily looked at her - she knew what would happen, and she couldn't bear it. They were trapped, and once Frobisher came they'd be stuck.

" They'll arrest us," Jack replied simply.

" What? " Gwen demanded, " surely we can stop them? Surely we can ... "

" What? " Jack asked darkly, " how are we going to fix it? They'll lock us up. "

Lily shook her head, " Maybe ... oh, I dont know, but we've got to do something. Maybe we can bargain with them - maybe they'll let some of us go, and we could ... oh, I don't know. "

Jack didn't reply, but he started thinking about it.

Finally, Frobisher came to them. He sat down opposite them, his secretary Bridget Spears at his side.

Gwen explained to them about Clement's death, and told them they'd had a visit from Agent Johnson. Frobisher listened and then looked at them.

He said nothing, and Lily sighed and said, " The threat still stands. "

Frobisher frowned at her, " Haven't we gone past all that? "

Gwen took over, and Lily missed the first few words as thought she'd felt something. It was the slightest twinge at her stomach and she almost thought she'd imagined it. She felt fear building upinside her and she pushed it aside so she could listen to Gwen.

" My husband - " Gwen said.

" And my girlfriend - " Owen added quickly.

Gwen nodded and continued, " Are out there right now with everything you've done, recorded on a laptop. One word from us, and he will release that to the public. "

Frobisher shook his head, " What do you think Torchwood is now? " he scoffed, " do you really think you're still players? "

Lily narrowed her eyes at him, " Mr Frobisher, I'm tired," she said - one glance at her from anyone around the table would reveal that she looked rather terrible, " but I'm not giving up. We can still try. "

" We're at a tipping point right now," Frobisher argued cooly, " civilisation is about to fall into hell, Mrs Harkness. If you want to start the descent into hell, then go ahead. "

" He's right, Lils," Jack said, turning to look at her, " look what's happened to all of these people. They're all dead. Look at what we're up against. " He glanced at Gwen, " call Tosh and Rhys and tell them we've lost. "

" Jack! " Lily protested as she looked at him, " you can't give up! "

" Lily, please," Jack sighed, looking and sounding just as tired as he was. He'd just realised exactly was his mistake in 1965 had caused him and was turning in on himself and giving in, and Lily didn't understand that it was his guilt making his lose all hope in fixing this. He turned back to Frobisher, " what about Lois. "

Frobisher replied, " I'm afraid Miss Habiba is in police custody, charged with espinage. "

" And my daughter and grandson? " asked Jack, as a tense moment followed, everyone waiting to find out how Jack's family were. Lily looked at Jack nervously.

" Free to go," replied Frobisher.

Jack nodded and Lily could almost see the cogs whirring inside his head. Clearly, he was thinking about their next moves. After a moment of reflection, he looked at Frobisher, " Help me save my team," he said, " one of my team has family on South Wales - let him go back there. And Gwen - she's pregnant - she has to go too. And my wife. And ... let me save my team. "

" You can't send me home, Jack," Lily said, " you can't send us away - you need us. "

Jack sighed - he knew Lily would be difficult. She always was.

" Mr Frobisher," he said, " could I have a word with my friends? "

Frobisher nodded and Jack stood up, " Come on, you lot," he said. Gwen, Ianto and Owen followed him, and Lily stayed where she was - Jack turned back and when he realised that she wasn't following him, he grabbed her arm and pulled her up.

When they walked away from Frobisher and Bridget, Jack stopped them just out of earshot.

" You're all going home," he told them firmly.

" We're not," Lily said immediately, " or at least, I'm not. "

Jack sighed, and said, " Don't you think they should be allowed to choose for themselves? "

Lily shrugged and Jack turned to the others. Owen shook his head, " I'm not going either. I ... I don't have any family in Wales. The only family I've got, is you lot, as much as I hate to think of you as family, Jack, but you are. What would be the point of me going back there - I'm staying. "

" If you stay, you'll be thrown in prison," Jack said.

" I don't care," Owen said, " I'm Torchwood. My duty is to this country, and I'm damned well going to do it. "

Jack rolled his eyes and looked at Lily, " This is your fault," he told her, frustrated, " they're all as stubborn as you are. "

Lily sighed and spoke gently, " Jack, you can't force anyone to do anything. Owen's a grown man - he knows what's at stake here, and he's thought about it. If he decides to stay, then it's his choice, and we'll be supporting it, just as we'll support whatever Gwen and Ianto decide to do. Didn't you just say they should be allowed to choose for themselves? "

" Fine," Jack said to Owen, " if you're staying, fine, but I hope you know what you're facing here. "

Jack then looked at Gwen and Ianto, " I want you both to go," he said, " and I want you to think about it carefully - it's not backing out. You'd still be helping us. You go back to Wales and you save your niece and nephew, Ianto. "

Ianto clearly didn't want to leave either, but he was faced with the choice of staying or saving his family. After a moment's pause, he nodded, " I'll go," he said, trying to keep calm, " but I'll see you soon. We're going to fix this. "

Jack nodded, " Good man," he said, " Gwen? "

Gwen sighed and she rested her hand on her stomach, " Jack," she said softly, " I can't leave ... I can't abandon Torchwood. "

Jack nodded and his face was grim as he looked at Gwen. He stepped closer to her and he laid his hand over hers, on her stomach. Lily watched the moment between them carefully and her own eyes welled up with tears. Owen reached out and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, knowing she was struggling to keep herself pulled together.

Jack kept his hand on Gwen's belly as he said, " You're having a baby, Gwen. There's nothing more precious than a life, and you've got to look after that life - what good is staying here going to do? You're safer in Wales, and I'm sure Rhys will agree when he gets here. You've got to look after this baby, Gwen. It's precious. Go with Ianto - help him save his family. "

Owen leaned in and mumbled in Lily's ear, " Tell him you're pregnant, for God's sake. Look at him - he's trying to save Gwen. Imagine how he'd feel if he knew you were carrying his baby - you've got to tell him. "

" Shut up," Lily sighed, shaking her head, unable to cope with any of it.

She watched Gwen nod in agreement, and satisfied, Jack turned to Lily.

He walked towards her slowly and he reached out a hand for her. She stepped out from under Owen's arm, and stepped forwards too. As he came to stand in front of her, he laid both of his hands on her shoulders.

" Ok," he said calmly, " they've made their choices, and that's up to them. Gwen and Ianto will go back to Wales, and I'm certain Rhys will go with them. Owen stays with me, and I'd imagine Tosh will too. Which leaves you. "

" I'm staying," Lily said, looking into his eyes.

Jack smiled a little and kept his hands on her shoulders as he looked at her, " I know you're a stubborn sod, but I just wish you'd listen to me, baby. If you stay here, you get thrown in prison, it's not looking good for us. If you go back to Wales .. "

" No, you listen to me," Lily said, " If I stay here, I'm with you. We'll figure something out - we can do some good. If I go back to Wales, you'll worry about me, I'll worry about you, and I'll be no good to anyone, there's nothing I can do there. I married you Jack - for better, for worse, remember? So this is the worse. We face it. "

Jack looked back at her and then nodded, " There's really no point arguing with you, is there? " he asked, a sparkle in his eyes.

" No," she said, " You're stuck with me, Captain Harkness. "

Jack nodded in acceptance and he leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. Closing his eyes, he held her exactly where they were, and then after a moment, pulled away from her.

He looked at her, smiled briefly, and then started walking back towards Frobisher and Bridget. The others followed, and Lily was the last one to make the move and follow them back.

As the turned and followed the others, she suddenly felt a sharp stabbing pain at her stomach. She stopped and winced, laying a hand on her stomach, but the pain went almost as quickly as it had come.

Very worried, she supressed it, and carried on walking.