A/N: new chappie! enjoy!

Chapter 9: Dodging the Past

"Ready Gwen?" Jack asked, patting her back as he passed behind her the next morning, heading for the stairs leading to the interrogation room where he'd put William.

"Ready," Gwen nodded, lifting the file to follow him, but she stopped from following him when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

She turned with a frown to see Olivia behind her with a smile as she nodded toward the file she held. Communicating without words, Gwen nodded and handed the file to her, knowing she wanted to take part in the interrogation of the man that used her lover's face.

"Go get 'im," Gwen smirked as Olivia stepped around her, holding the file at her side and smiling in return.

"Oh, I plan to do more than just 'get him'," Olivia smirked before hurrying down the stairs and rushing after Jack.

He didn't seem to notice who was behind him until they stepped to the door and he turned to open it for, who he thought was Gwen, but his eyes widened when he realized Olivia was trying to pass him. He gripped her arm to stop her from heading down the stairs, making her frown as she looked up at his stern gaze.

"What are you doing here?" he questioned. "Where's Gwen?"

"At her desk," she replied. "And I'm gonna help you with the interrogation this time."

"No you're not," he argued. "You're too involved."

"And you're not?" she smirked.

"Olivia, I'm serious."

"So am I."

Olivia pulled her arm from his grasp and stepped down the stairs, calmly as Jack gritted his teeth, shutting the door and following her. She slapped the file onto the table in front of William…or rather the purple-scaled green-eyed creature sitting at the table. She leaned on the table in front of him, glaring at him, and Jack guessed she was taking the lead on this one as he leaned on the far wall near the stairs, crossing his arms over his chest as he too glared at the creature.

"I think you owe us a few explanations," Olivia began. "Your real name, what you are, where you come from, why you're here…just to name a few."

"Your real name would be a good place to start," Jack chimed in, making Olivia nod, but she didn't look away from the creature as he glanced between the two, looking nervous. "Oh, and, fair warning…you've already pissed her off enough, so I'd suggest you tell the truth or I can't tell you what she might do."

The stranger glanced between them again before swallowing, nervously and Olivia realized why the Doctor's eyes had been green in the dream she'd had the night before. They were the same shade of green she was seeing now, still darting between herself and Jack until they settled on her.

"My name really is William," he finally replied, his Scottish accent lost so that his voice was deep, changed dramatically from the voice he'd had before.

"How convenient," Jack snapped.

"He's telling the truth," Olivia assured Jack, making both males look to her with wide eyes but she only stared at William. "Next question: What species are you?"

"Skarran," he replied without hesitation.

"Now you're lying," Olivia shot back. "I know Skarrans…I've met Skarrans while back. You're not Skarran."

"I am!" William insisted. "I'm a hybrid. My mother wasn't Skarran, but I was raised Skarran."

"Oh, goody. You're a regular Mr. Spock then, aren't you?" Olivia shot back.

"Who?" William frowned in wonder, and Jack couldn't help but snicker as Olivia gave William a bored expression.

"An alien not knowing Star Trek," Jack chuckled. "That's priceless."

"Alright, Skarran," Olivia nodded along, ignoring Jack for the moment. "What was your mother?"

"Aurorian," he replied, and Olivia's gaze fell slightly as she recognized that name as well.

"Aurorians have that same skin tone," Jack informed her. "It fits."

"Alright then," Olivia nodded, she hadn't once taken her gaze from William as she continued, "So you were raised Skarran, does that mean you're from…wherever the Skarrans come from?"

"Skarrinium," William nodded. "Yes."

"Now the good part," Jack smirked, finally shoving from the wall to stride toward the table and lean on its surface next to William as Olivia stood tall but didn't move from her spot and Jack asked, "Why are you here?"

"On Earth or in Torchwood?" William asked, sincerely.

"Both," Olivia blurted, still glaring at him.

They stared William down as he took in a deep breath, letting it out in a long sigh before lifting a hand to scratch at the back of his neck. He lowered his hand and his gaze to the surface of the table as he sat forward and began his story.

"I used to be a soldier," he confessed. "Three years ago, my superiors sent me here to infiltrate this institute to find your weaknesses. At the time, the Skarrans were using the Earth's gravity to pull in some Carnak ships passing by and use a Beta wave to take them out. I was sent to Torchwood Two in case they located the base and went after it. But something happened and I wasn't getting any information and the intelligence I was sending to the base wasn't getting through. I was forgotten about so I decided I'd just lay low until they came to get me or I could find a way home."

"How convenient," Olivia ground out, drawing both males' attentions to her as she marched toward the table again to slam her hands down onto it, making William jump as Jack didn't budge and she glared down at William. "You took that from my memories, you son of a bitch!"

"I didn't!" William insisted, desperately. "When I read your mind I only found your memories of the Doctor just to find out your history with him since I looked like him! I didn't see anything about the Skarrans! I swear!"

Olivia glared at William, seething as he stared back at her with wide eyes, pleading with her to believe him. Something in his eyes told her he was telling the truth and she took in a breath through her nose before nodding and he sighed in relief.

"That was when I met him," Olivia began, drawing his attention back to her as Jack frowned at her in wonder. "We were the ones that found the base and stopped them from using the Beta wave. If we hadn't, my hometown would've been destroyed."

"I was just—"

"You finish that sentence and I'll deck you," Olivia cut in, knowing exactly what he was about to say. He was just 'following orders' or 'doing his job.'

"Easy, Olivia," Jack called, warningly.

"I'm fine, Jack," she assured him, not looking away from William. "I just have one more question and I'll be off. William, if you know what's good for you, you'll answer this question honestly like you've been doing, alright?"

He nodded, staring at her with wide eyes.

"Good," she smiled sardonically, leaning a bit more forward on the table's surface. "What made you choose this face to disguise yourself with?"

William frowned, glancing at Jack but he only nodded and William looked back to Olivia to reply, "I thought you knew how a Shimmer worked."

"Enlighten me," she ground out.

"I can't choose the face I want," he explained quickly. "It only disguises me as a human, it doesn't change my face."

Olivia stared wide eyes at him in surprise as she stood tall.

"So I was right," Jack chimed in. "It's just a coincidence."

"Maybe…" Olivia murmured, but leaned sideways, still staring at William, making both males frown at her as she amended, "…maybe not."

Jack watched her carefully as she stepped slowly around the table, closer to William who still frowned at her but she was no longer glaring at him so he allowed her to approach.

"What are you doing?" Jack questioned, standing tall to head toward her but stopped when she raised a hand to him.

"Just a little examination, Jack," she assured him stepping next to William and seemed to be staring at his ear. "Nothing to worry about. Will, I'm not gonna hurt you, just hold still."

William only obeyed as Olivia leaned forward and gently moved the shell of his ear forward to get a better look at what she immediately saw behind it. There was a scar separating the scales behind his ear that seemed to run up and down behind his ear and stopped at his jaw.

"Have you had surgery recently?" she wondered, making both males frown at her again as she stood tall and looked to William as he looked to her.

"Before I was sent on my mission," he confirmed.

"And when were you sent on your mission?"

"I told you…three years ago."

"What month?"

William frowned in wonder before looking to the table in thought and Jack's frown deepened at Olivia in absolute confusion before William looked back at her.

"Some time humans call…July."

Olivia nodded before turning to run toward the stairs, making Jack and William both frown at her before Jack shot after her.

"Olivia—?!"

"He's a distraction!" she shouted in explanation as he ran after her but they both froze when the lights immediately shut off. "Shit!"

Jack tapped his com and called, "Ianto? Can you hear me? Ianto?!"

"It's no use," Olivia told him, both trying to see through the dark. "They'll have taken out the coms, too."

"Alright, Olivia, time for an explanation," Jack ordered firmly, reaching through the dark and finding her hand to stop her in the hall they had reached, turning her toward him. "What do you mean, 'He's a distraction'?"

"He wasn't sent here for the mission he says he was," she explained. "The Doctor and I stopped that Beta wave before William was sent here. I met the Doctor on my prom night in June. That's a whole month before he was sent here."

"So you're saying the Skarrans sent him as a distraction to let our guard down," Jack realized. "But…why?"

"I'm taking a stab in the dark here, but I'm guessing it's Skell coming after me," Olivia replied. "Why else would William be told he's being sent on that particular mission? He's sending me a message."

"Revenge?" Jack guessed. "That's what you're going with?"

"You're gonna question this now?!" Olivia snapped, yanking her hand from Jack's grasp just as the emergency lights finally blasted on and they glanced around before she turned a glare at him. "They're either attacking or getting ready to attack and you're gonna nit-pick about my theories?!"

"Fine," Jack shot back as Olivia turned and ran down the hall to head toward the main hub and he shot after her. "But why wait this long for revenge?!"

"Skarrans are patient!" Olivia replied, both still hurrying down the hall. "They'll wait for ages till the perfect opportunity to come along to take out their enemy!"

"Jack!" Gwen shouted, she and Ianto standing at their computers as Jack and Olivia rushed toward them. "What's going on?! The CCTV went dead!"

"Along with everything else," Ianto added as Jack and Olivia stopped in front of them, Olivia instantly typing at her computer. "Olivia, what are you doing? Everything's down."

"Are we in lockdown?" Jack wondered to him as he stepped closer to Olivia to see what she was doing.

"No, but the power's down," Ianto replied, both he and Gwen frowning at Olivia when she didn't move.

"Olivia, what are you doing?" Jack questioned this time, but she didn't stop typing.

"They're controlling the power," she explained. "Even if the computer's down, they'll read the membrane on the bottom and get the signal for my message."

"What message?" Gwen questioned, stepping up to the other side of Olivia and glancing between her and Jack. "Who are 'they'?"

"Skarrans," Olivia answered her question, still typing.

"Her past has apparently come back to haunt her," Jack explained of Olivia before she finally hit enter and stopped typing, catching everyone's attention.

"They're coming in through the Invisible Block," Olivia explained, heading around the three who were now stunned as they glanced at each before hurrying after her. "Small landing party. No bigger than three…maybe four."

"What the hell are you doing?!" Jack snarled, marching after her as she stopped where the Invisible Lift would lower and he gripped her arm to pull her to face him, glaring down at her as she stared back up at him, unsurprised. "You're letting them in?!"

"Just Skell and two or three of his men," she nodded. "They want me, Jack, and they'll have me. Ianto, be a dear and go get William. Hafta make this look real."

"Make what look real?" Jack snapped, seeing Ianto start to head toward the interrogation room out of the corner of his eye. "Ianto, don't you dare take another step."

"I have a plan, and I can't explain right now, but I need William right here, with me and the rest of you need to make yourselves scarce," Olivia ordered, looking to the watch on her wrist. "They're gonna be here any minute, now hurry up!"

Jack glared down at her before turning to nod to Ianto and let go of her arm as they still stared at each other.

"You better know what you're doing," he warned, lowly. "This smacks of the Doctor, ya know? And he always said he had a plan that usually went to shit."

"But he always gets out somehow, doesn't he?" she smirked, giving a wink before she noticed Ianto returning to a very confused William. "Alright, Will! Right next to me. Your Commander Skell will be here any minute."

"You know who my Commander is?!" William nearly shrieked as Ianto let him go and Olivia took his wrist to hold it up and examine the Shimmer wrist watch.

"A human can use this to look Skarran, right?" she asked, not looking at him as she tried pulling the Shimmer off.

"You have to set it," William explained as she lowered his wrist and she pulled the Shimmer onto her own wrist, making him frown at her. "But why would you want to look Skarran?"

"That's for me to know and for you to find out," she replied, holding her wrist out to him. "Set it."

He did so without argument and showed her how to turn it on then off.

"Olivia, seriously, what are you doing?" Jack demanded, making her look to her three colleagues with wide eyes.

"What are you guys still doing here?!" she snapped, waving them away toward nowhere in particular. "Get outta here before he sees you!"

When they didn't move she rolled her eyes with a growl of a sigh and explained, "Look, they made William look like the Doctor and sent him here to get to me and now, I'm about to pull off an extremely clever plan that involves you not being here. So, be a bunch of dears and go hide in Jack's office until I tell you it's safe to come out!"

"Since when are you in charge, Felton?" Jack snapped.

"Since I've dealt with these guys before, Harkness," Olivia shot back. "Now get outta here, and if I need help, I'll call you in. Something to the effect of, 'Jack, get your ass in here, something's gone wrong!'"

Jack glared at her for a moment before turning and marching past Ianto and Gwen who hurriedly followed him and Olivia turned to William to take his hand and place it on her arm.

"Hold tight to me," she instructed. "I'm gonna struggle and you need to make it look real. Don't worry about hurting me."

"But…I was just supposed to provide intel!" William insisted, staring at her with wide eyes.

"And I'm about to boost your points," she replied, pulling her com from her pocket and putting it in her ear, arranging her hair so that no one would see it. She tapped it and asked, "Can anybody hear me? Jack? Ianto? Gwen? Any of you?"

"Loud and clear, Olivia," Ianto replied, and she guessed Jack was still angry with her and not speaking to her.

"Alright," she nodded. "Like I said, don't make a move unless I tell you. William, let me do the talking. You just play along, got it?"

William nodded, but still stared at her in confusion, gripping her arm semi-tightly before his fingers tightened when the lift moved. They both looked to the Invisible Block as it descended and Olivia instantly began pretending to struggle, causing William's hold on her to tighten even more. He stared ahead at the lift with a stoic expression as she struggled and growled when the lift stopped, revealing a familiar face to her in bright royal purple armor, his silver eyes glaring at her as she glared back, baring her teeth. Two of his men stood on either side of him in red armor like his.

"Olivia Felton," the Skarran Commander growled in a deep tone. "How wonderful to see you again."

"Skell! You moron! What do you think you're doing?!" Olivia spat, making all of them, even William frown at her in confusion. "You're gonna ruin everything!"

"And what exactly would I be ruining?" Skell asked, stepping down from the block, his two men behind him and she continued glaring at him as he stepped up to her, glaring down at her.

"My mission, Sir," Olivia growled, mockingly and making the Skarrans around her frown even deeper in even more confusion.

"Your mission?" Skell echoed.

"I was here waiting for the Doctor!" she growled, yanking her arm from William's loosened grip and pressing a button on the Shimmer to activate it. Her appearance changed to give her scaled skin, silver eyes, and similar tattooed markings to match a Skarran's. "I was made to look like Olivia Felton so that he would find me here and I would have revenge for our people!"

"I was never informed of such a mission," Skell shot back. "My orders were to send William here to gain Olivia Felton's trust—"

"And find out everything about the Doctor so that you could make a move against him, disposing of her in the process," Olivia cut in, making Skell's eyes shoot wide at her in disbelief. "You're too late, Skell. I've already killed Olivia Felton. She's been dead for months."

Skell stared down at Olivia in evaluation and she felt her heart start to thump in her chest in panic. If he questioned her on anything else she had nothing…not even a fake name to give him. She'd have to call in Jack and the others to help her, and she didn't want to do that. She recalled that though Skarrans were brilliant strategists, they were thick, as the Doctor had told her. She held Skell's gaze in anger, anger she channeled through the fact that they'd used the Doctor's face on one of their men.

"Then we shall leave you to your mission," Skell nodded, making Olivia give an inward sigh of relief as the Skarran Commander gestured to William, asking, "Would you like William to remain for assistance?"

"No offense, Will, but you'll just get in the way," Olivia replied, giving him a subtle wink before turning to Skell again and nodded, "Thank you, though, Commander."

"Very well," Skell nodded before turning to head up to the block and stand on it with his men, waving toward William to follow him.

"I'll…just…resume my disguise now, Commander," Olivia announced, and Skell nodded to her. She quickly deactivated the Shimmer on her wrist as William stepped forward but gripped his arm to pull him toward her when she looked like herself again. "William, I just wanted to say there're no hard feelings. You couldn't have known I was here. You were just…following orders."

She pulled the Shimmer from her wrist and pressed it into William's hand as she pretended to shake it and he gave a small frown before nodding at what she said but handed the thing back to her, making her frown up at him.

"Keep it," he whispered with a smile. "I won't need it anymore."

Olivia nodded with another smile before he turned and headed back toward Skell and his men to stand with them. She watched the lift head up and as soon as it had sealed the lights came back on and she turned to bolt toward the computers, taping her com.

"Guys, they're on the street, everything's back up," she reported, rushing toward her computer to start typing at it to find out where their ship was, if there was a ship, and make sure it left without a hitch.

"We in the clear?" Jack asked, the three suddenly around her and staring at her screen as she had a linear image of the orbit of Earth, the Skarran ship in the image as well.

"Well they certainly bought it," she replied optimistically, none of them looking from the screen. "Now if they just leave orbit… Come on, come on, come on…"

The linear image of the Skarran suddenly disappeared and Olivia typed at her computer to make sure it hadn't hidden itself somehow and after a moment she slumped in her chair with a sigh.

"They're gone," she sighed again, making the other three sigh as well in relief.

Gwen leaned over and hugged her tightly as Ianto came up behind Olivia to squeeze her shoulders.

"We can all use some tea now, I think," he thought aloud before patting Olivia's shoulders and turning to head toward the kitchen as Gwen stood tall and patted Olivia's cheeks gently, once before she turned to head after Ianto to help him.

Olivia didn't move as she stared at the computer screen and Jack stood on her left, crossing his arms over his chest again as he kept his gaze on her. She brought a shaking hand to her face from her keyboard and set it over her mouth, not taking her gaze from the computer screen.

"I never thought my past would catch up with me like that," she whispered, making Jack lower his arms as he still stared at her. "The Doctor said they wouldn't come back. If they'd found me at home instead of here…what would've happened to mom and Aaron?"

"No need to worry about that now," Jack assured her. "They probably won't be coming back now."

"You can't know that," she argued, unmoving. "None of us can."

Jack gave a silent nod, knowing she was right. He stepped behind her and placed his hands on her arms to rub them from elbow to shoulder, unable to keep himself from smiling as he brought his hands to rest on her shoulders.

"That plan of yours was brilliant, Nova," he smiled, proudly as he rubbed her shoulders. "I never would've thought of that."

"Yeah, you'd have gone in guns blazing, huh?" she chuckled.

"You know me too well already," he smirked, leaning forward to press a kiss to her cheek then murmured, "Speaking of guns blazing…"

"Funny, Harkness," she shot back, knowing he was being suggestive and playfully slapped his hands from her shoulders before standing to turn to him, meeting his charming smirk with her sarcastic one as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "I'm sorry about earlier, Jack, but I didn't really have time to explain. Sometimes you just have to trust that I know what I'm doing, ya know?"

"Yeah, last time I left you to your own devices, you got yourself paralyzed, remember?" he shot back, making her give a narrow glare before she stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed, genuinely before sighing, "Well, I guess I'd better contact Torchwood Two. Tell 'em their techy was an alien."

"What are we doing with his stuff?" Olivia asked, nodding to the piles next to her desk and Jack frowned at it as well before shrugging and turning back to her.

"You want it?" he asked, sincerely.

Olivia frowned deeply at him before looking to the pile in thought then shrugged as he had done and looked back at him.

"Aaron might want it," she nodded. "He's getting more into the technological sciences. He might like it."

"I thought he was trying to be a mechanic," Jack frowned in wonder and she shrugged again.

"He wanted to be my technical support," she explained. "The mechanics is more of a hobby. He told me he should have a manly hobby to off-set his gayness. His words, not mine."

Jack couldn't help but laugh heartily, making her smile in amusement as well before they both looked to the piles again.

"I'll take it all with me when I go up for my visit," she reported. "End of this month, maybe."

"Oh, good," Jack nodded. "Be sure to tell him it's a present from me."

"Easy, tiger," she smirked. "I already told him you've got Ianto. For all intents and purposes to him, you're taken."

"Aw, now why do you have to spoil my fun?"

A/N: getting to see how Olivia can solve a problem on her own. reviews?