So… it's been exactly a month since the last update. Sorry about that. But life was all consuming. Also, this chapter was damn hard to write.

Enjoy!

Chapter 10

(19th May 2009)

University Hospital of Wales -01:00

Ianto's head was in his hands. His hands stank of blood, Owen's blood.

Jack's hands were heavy and hot on Ianto's shoulders. Toshiko's was cold on his knee.

The three of them sat on orange plastic seats in the University Hospital of Wales, waiting.

The paramedics had been able to stop Owen's bleeding, and had taken him straight to the hospital, going into emergency surgery as soon as they arrived. Ianto had gone in the ambulance, while Jack had been forced to wait until Archie arrived with Toshiko so they could go to the hospital, while Archie watched over Gwen and Michaela monitored from the Hub.

It was now six hours since they had arrived, for six hours Owen had been in surgery. It felt like a month.

'Please… please don't let him die. Please don't let him die…'

(18th May 2009)

The Hub –Five hours earlier

Michaela paced up and down from Toshiko's desk to the door to Jack's office, chewing on crackers to keep her nausea down. She knew well enough that Toshiko and Ianto were going to be about as useful as Gwen was at the moment while Owen was in surgery. Jack would probably be able to pull himself together if she really needed him, but Michaela decided to leave him for the moment, since Gwen's status was unchanged, and Archie hadn't seen a thing on the street, nor had Dubhtach sensed anything.

As it was though, she felt very alone. Owen was being looked after, thank God, but someone or something was still killing innocent people in Caerau, and it was Torchwood's job to stop it. And in truth, Archie wasn't in any shape to be hunting aliens, and she knew she would be risking her baby if she went out –much as she longed to meet the Bean Sídh she had grown up hearing about. This would never work. A overweight Scot, a pregnant Irish girl and a dog taking on a life-sucking alien and Bean Sídh. There was no way they would manage.

Owen's computer beeped and spat out some pages from the printer. Apparently he had been running tests on a strange substance found on the bodies and had set the computer to analyse it. But he had gotten distracted by Gwen. Michaela picked up the papers and scanned them, sighing when the conclusion was that the substance was unrecognised. That would normally mean Owen would investigate what it did, but Michaela had no idea where to start with something like that. So she put it in the small file Gwen had begun to build up before she had left the Hub with Ianto, for later examination by Jack.

She was reaching for the last cracker when she realised that there was, in fact, someone else who could help. And he probably knew what to do! With a little hop of excitement, Michaela grabbed her phone and pulled up the number.

"Hello?"

"Torin? It's Michaela, from Torchwood."

"Hiye, howareye?"

"Actually I could use your help. Have you ever dealt with a Bean Sídh?"

"… no more than moving her off if she starts hanging around a public spot, why?"

"We have a situation in Cardiff, and two of our agents are down. How'd you feel about starting work today?"

"… I can be on the next flight outta here."

"Good man! You got a laptop?"

"Indeed."

"I'll upload all the info we got to let you catch up."

"Ah grand! I'll see you in about three hours."

"Perfect. Cheers."

"No bother! Slán!

"Slán!"

Michaela hung up and dropped into her chair with a huff of relief. She debated continuing research on the possible aliens that could be killing people, or curling up on the couch and taking a nap until Torin got here. She had already scoured the Archives and pulled possible aliens they were dealing with. It felt wrong to nap while Owen was possibly fighting for his life. But if she was to help Archie run Torchwood until the news of Owen was given, she would need to be alert, and she was already feeling very run down.

"Bloody Monkey, making me sleepy." she mumbled, rubbing her stomach. A jaw cracking yawn made her decision for her. She set her phone on loud and curled up on the couch, childishly praying that Owen wouldn't die because she closed her eyes.

(19th May 2009)

The Hub -01:00

"That makes no sense."

"That's what I said! Jack didn't seem inclined to agree with me."

Torin shook his head, "The Bean Sídh doesn't kill people. She can't."

"So we're probably dealing with another alien killing people."

"Maybe… but that's dead weird about her screaming."

"Because she shouldn't be weeping over Welsh people?"

"Well, more that she only cries for traditional Irish families."

"The 'Mc's and 'O's of the old Irish culture."

"And the 'Fitz's and 'De's. The Hiberno-Norman families tried to make their presence acceptable by claiming she cries for them to."

Michaela nodded, leaning on Gwen's desk as Torin stood at ease, frowning thoughtfully. It felt wrong to have let him in without a proper introduction that Jack would have liked, with Myfanwy screeching overhead, and the team at work at their stations. But Jack liked the dramatics. Michaela could do without more of them right now.

"So… we should see if the victims have Irish ancestry." She began to turn to the computer, but Torin shook his head again.

"In that small an area, in Cardiff? Hardly likely."

"So… what is she doing here? I thought she was attached to the land, how'd she leave?"

"It's possible she followed an emigrating family, or an enslaved one."

"That's going back a long way." said Michaela, folding her arms. "Ok… what happens if a family dies out?"

"What'd you mean?"

"Like… say all the McCarthy's died off, what would happen to their Bean Sídh? Would she move on to another family?"

"I dunno. In fairness, we don't know if she's one or many."

"Only one has ever been seen at any time." Michaela said, sitting down in the chair.

"Yeah, but there's a theory that she's able to be in two places at once, or that she can teleport wherever she wants. So it might look like there's many, but there's only one. Which would mean you'd have to eradicate every Irish family to give her no one to mourn over, and unless you can bring back Oliver Cromwell, I don't think that's liable to happen."

"But if she was many, and if she came with a particular bloodline and that bloodline ended… what would happen to her?"

Torin shrugged, "Haven't a notion."

"What if the lack of Irish ancestry within her range frees her to mourn for anyone who dies? That might explain why she's screaming so much."

"Even if that's true, why would she give up the comb?"

"Maybe she's trying to do our job."

"Catch the killer you mean?"

Michaela nodded. "What if she's trying to do something about the killings, but the only way she could do that is by handing over some of her ability to Gwen."

"If that's true, then if we find her, we might be able to get your friend free."

Michaela grinned, feeling like she was getting somewhere. Torin stood up, "So, that's the game plan? Find the Bean Sídh?"

"Part of it. Only… I can't go anywhere."

"Why not? Can't this place not be left alone?"

"It can, but I think I'd be locked in a cell if I went after the Bean Sídh."

"How come?"

Michaela flushed and touched her stomach, "I'm pregnant."

Torin's face cleared at once, "Ah, and would I be right in guessing that Ianto is the dad?"

At Michaela's surprised face, he shrugged, "He seemed a bit… 'mine' about you."

Michaela laughed, "He is a bit. But he's getting better. We're not actually together. It's… ridiculously complicated, and we don't have time to discuss it now."

"Noted. So, you want me to head out and see what I can find?"

"Not yet. That's how Owen ended up…" Michaela shivered, unable to finish the sentence. Torin nodded, then gave her a scrutinising look,

"That wasn't the alien killing people, was it?"

"I don't think so. None of the others died of stabbing. Besides, Toshiko's computers haven't picked up any activity around the times they were killed, but there was a huge surge right where Owen was attacked, at the time."

"Something came through the Rift and stabbed him, then vanished. Does that mean we're dealing with a runaway Bean Sídh, a life sucking alien and an alien that's stab happy, all in one small suburb?"

"I think so."

"Well fuck that!" sighed Torin, pushing his hand over his hair. "Are you sure your other agent is safe then?"

Michaela shrugged, "Someone has to watch over Gwen."

"And there's no one else on this team to do the work?"

"Jack has to look after Toshiko and Ianto, while they wait for news about Owen."

Torin's disapproval was evident, but he said nothing about it. "We need more eyes on the area."

"Dubhtach is watching out."

"Who?"

"My dog."

"Your dog? What is this, the Scoobies?"

Michaela narrowed her eyes, "Hey! Dubhtach is a great help. You've never seen her on an alien retrieval."

Torin shrugged, "Ok, but is there anyone else we can count on?"

Michaela thought hard for a moment, then, "Meiriona!"

"The woman who brought this problem to you?"

Michaela nodded. Torin shook his head, "Bad idea. She's a civilian."

"But she's the one who saw what was going on. I bet she'd be willing to be our eyes where CCTV can't be."

"It's a bad idea. I should go."

Before Michaela could respond, her phone rang. Hoping it was Jack with news about Owen, she was concerned to see it was Archie.

"Archie?" she asked, then recoiled as a horrible scream nearly deafened her through the phone. "Archie?" she shouted over the scream. Archie said something but the scream drowned him out. It was horrid, pain filled, grief stricken, like a wounded animal. But under the noise, Michaela recognised the voice, Gwen's voice. Gwen was screaming.

Caerau -1:30

Archie covered his ear, almost dropping his phone as Michaela shouted down the phone, almost deafening him. He backed away from Gwen, who was standing still, hands buried in her hair and her mouth open in a silent scream. At least it was silent to him.

"Lass! Stop shouting." he barked down the phone. Dubhtach cowered behind his legs, "If you can hear a scream, I can't, only you shouting."

Abruptly Gwen's mouth snapped shut, and she sagged against the window, her whole body trembling like she was having a seizure. Dubhtach barked and rushed forward, pressing her side to Gwen's legs as if trying to stabilise her. The machines monitoring her were going haywire. Archie almost shouted for Owen, then remembered himself, and in the next instant, the machines quieted down and Gwen stopped shaking. Her face was pale and sweaty and her hands shook as she lifted up her hand to start combing her hair again. Dubhtach backed away and returned to Archie's side as Michaela called,

"Archie! Can you hear me? Is Gwen ok?"

"I… I think she's ok, as much as she can be anyway."

"She was screaming."

"If she was I didn't hear a thing."

"You didn't?"

"No. I just saw her standing like a goldfish." Archie looked the Welshwoman over again, "She had a bit of a fit, but I think she's in no danger now."

"If she screamed, and I heard it, then that might mean someone else has died. We'll need to find out who."

Archie sighed heavily, "Yeah."

"Are you sure Gwen's ok?"

Archie shifted closer to Gwen, studying her carefully. His ancient field-training kicked in and he noticed something was different.

"She's got grey hair."

"What?"

"Just a few strands but… she didn't have them before."

"What about her face, or her hands? Has she aged?"

Archie had to press close to the window to get a good look. He shook his head, even though Michaela couldn't see him. "She looked drained, but not older."

"Well, keep an eye out for it."

"Will do. How's Torin settling in?"

"He's rarin' to go."

Archie nodded to himself, pleased at her tone. "Ok, good." He paused and glanced down at the street. Houses that had been dark were lighting up and people were coming outside, looking up and down. Panic was stirring as people called to one another.

"Shit, the street's waking up –there's Mrs. Pugh. They heard the scream too. They know someone's died. What do you want to do?"

"Me?" squeaked Michaela, "You're the Head of Torchwood."

"And you and Torin know more about this thing than I do. So c'mon Murphy, whatcha got?"

Michaela took a deep calming breath, "We have at least two, maybe three aliens running around that area. One is the Bean Sídh, one is whatever is killing these people, and the other is whatever attacked Owen. Torin and I were thinking that the Bean Sídh might be trying to stop the alien from killing people."

"So you'll have to research aliens that drain life without leaving a visible mark."

"Already done, I have it narrowed down to six, but that's only aliens we've encountered before. For all we know this is something we haven't seen before –Hang on!"

Archie heard her talking quietly to Torin, who seemed to have a suggestion. He heard Michaela gasp, then she came back.

"Archie! Torin thinks he might know what's behind this. I'll call you back!"

University Hospital of Wales -01:47

Jack's voice buzzed insistently at his side, and he reluctantly pulled it out. Michaela's name flashed across the screen. He brought the phone to his ear.

"Micka, give me some good news."

"Jack! Torin thinks-"

"Who?"

"Torin Scully. Newest recruit, remember?"

"Oh… right."

"Anyway, he said he thinks he recognises what we're dealing with. A Lethifold."

"A whatnow?"

"It's a bit like a biological... cloak."

"… A cloak."

"That's just what it looks like." huffed Michaela impatiently, "The point is, Owen found some substance on the bodies that he was running through the system before… well, before. It spat out the results three hours ago and I put it into the file we have, but the computer didn't recognise it, and without Owen I didn't know what it was. But Torin says he recognises it from a series of strange deaths that happened in Tallaght two years ago. It's the only sign of a Lethifold's presence."

"So we know what we're dealing with?"

"Yeah. It's a flat, black… thing. Honestly it really does look like a cloak."

"How does it kill?"

"It covers the person's body, sorta suffocating them, while releasing a neuro-chemical which somehow allows it to suck out the electrical energy from the body, which is what keeps the brain functioning. That's why there're no marks on the body, this thing drains the brain like a battery and it's so quick it just shuts off. The whole body stops, it doesn't even know what's happened in time to fight back and cause a heart attack or a brain aneurism."

"Is there a way to stop it?"

"Projectiles don't hurt it, but Torin says we can set a trap. Once caught, it can be killed with high powered vibrations, which will cause it to fall apart."

"Do what you have to. I want that thing dead. What about Gwen?"

"We think the Bean Sídh is trying to catch the Lethifold. It's possible she's been damaged by a lack of connection to the land."

"Because she's not in Ireland anymore?"

"Yup. Torin said that he and the other Rangers found one floating in the ocean and she was half dead, but when they pulled her ashore she recovered almost at once."

"So?"

"Just… that's why she's doing what-"

"I don't care why that thing is doing what it's doing. I want it dead too! Let me be clear Michaela. I don't care what it is, I don't care if you feel connected to it. I want it dead, just like the Lethifold, is that understood?"

Michaela was quiet for a second, then said coolly, "Perfectly sir. I'll get right on that."

She hung up. Jack set his phone down and put his hand in Ianto's.

"Gwen?" asked Ianto shakily.

"Michaela's got her covered."

Ianto nodded, "Good. She'll save her."

Jack nodded too. No way was he losing two people today. No way!

… yeah, Owen's fate is yet to be determined.

Sorry! *hides under desk again*

Btw: Yes, the Lethifold is from Harry Potter. I always thought it was freaking terrifying in the description in 'Fantastic Beasts and where to find them' and was sad they never turned up in the main story. So, yeah I don't own that.

Night's Darkness