"The height of the London blitz and the nanobots were all around us. I caught Rose as she was falling from a zeppelin wearing a Union Jack t-shirt." Jack paused for a moment before stuffing a chip into his mouth.
Met a man on the street last night
Said his name was Jesus
Met a man on the street last night
"How?" Rhys leaned over his fish, which Ianto noted was indeed greasy enough to flood the table.
"Tractor beam."
"Jack! You're making this stuff up!" Gwen threw a chip in his direction.
"I am not. Look, the old Chula ship I had tethered to Big Ben just happened to be in the right spot."
"Bet you he stared at her ass first." Ianto sharped his eyes in Rhys' direction.
"Well, I did see her through binoculars." Jack shrugged as if it had meant nothing. After all, she had been the Doctor's companion more than his.
"And what about those nanobots, then?" Gwen crossed her arms, not really hungry and more interested in the story. Jack had really begun to open up ever since they'd witnessed Hart return, seemingly just showing up to each new case as they arrived.
Thought he was crazy
Til I watched him heal a blind man
I watched him heal a blind man
And now I see
"Here's where I admit I don't know everything." Jack seemed to sink into his chair a bit. "Seems those nanobots are how the Chula fix each other. So what I took as an empty ambulance wasn't exactly empty. I might have kind of almost ended up ending the human race. Anyone for dessert? Ianto?"
"What do you mean kind of ending the human race?"
"It was nothing. Just a bomb that almost obliterated us all. That's all. I swooped in at the last moment and almost died a dashing hero. Rose saved me." Jack tilted his beer as if toasting her. Ianto sensed there was more to the story.
Which there was. Jack had edited out the part about the man he'd been seeing in the British air force. Watching him transformed by the nanobots had frightened both Jack and the man. When Jack thought he was to die, he thought it a pity that Charles couldn't have been there. He was one of the more receptive humans Jack had ever met. And he could do this thing with his left leg that could make you spill your brandy.
There was a sharp beep that erupted from Ianto's phone. It was the internal alarm linked to the computer system alert. Ianto moved quickly and typed in a few numbers on the console to the left of the screen. Jack swiveled to meet the information and his eyes widened.
"What does that mean?" Rhys was pretty sure that rogue weather patters were nothing to be worried about. That is, until he watched Gwen drop a chip headed in the direction of her mouth and shudder.
"Jack."
"It can't be Gwen. They've not had Jasmine yet a year." Ianto's reasoning was calm, but Gwen's eyes were still the size of small moons.
Jack sighed. "We go to check this out. But at the first sign of fairies we regroup and move. I don't want anyone else dealing with them!"
Gwen spoke very quietly. "No Jack. No one wants to deal with them."
Met a girl in a chair with wheels
But no one else could see her
Met a girl in a chair with wheels
Rhys glanced at his wife. "Fairies? Like happy, glowing women fairies?"
Gwen took him by the arm as they went toward the armory. "I should explain a few things about them before we leave. You see..."
Ianto put his hand to Jack's shoulder. "It's nothing, Jack. They couldn't need another so soon. And this time I'm sure they'll be more forgiving if it is."
"I shouldn't have made that choice."
"Don't say that, Jack. You had to. If it makes you feel any better, you'll always have me." Jack kissed Ianto hard and swift.
"How was I ever not in love with you?"
"Minor lapse of judgment, sir. Shall we go?" Jack smiled and nodded, following Ianto out of the room.
Jack drove faster than even normal for his taste, gripping the wheel. No one deserved what happened to Estelle. Finding her in such a feeble state when she had always had so much life and wonder. Sure, she had gone looking for magic in the wrong places. And maybe she hadn't understood the depth of what she had found.
Everyone was so afraid
To even look down on her
She just spread her little wings
And flew away
But Estelle had always been beautiful, even in her last days. The scent of lilac and roses hung about her, Jack could still smell them some moments, and she had been so dedicated and feisty working as an Army nurse and then in several primary schools on the nursing staff. She had worn shoes than never made any noise and had always remained fashionable to some extent. How Jack had wanted to marry her. But immortals don't marry. There must have been a rule about that.
Gwen pointed from the back seat and Jack made a sharp turn to the right, following the information she was tracking on her screen. Rhys was keeping track of the roads up front with him. Ianto was making sure all technology was up to date and ready to use in the back. Although with fairies, which was hopefully not the case, it would not matter.
The clouds swooped dark and low around the SUV. They came to a power plant station erupting with electricity. It emanated in all directions, little stabs of it making the skin on the back of Gwen's neck shiver. They walked forth into the wind, ready for action. Torchwood Three version two point one found a young man with burning eyes looking for help.
Gwen approached the young man with outstretched hands first. She was the best at talking, one of her primary skills. The boy was young, like Eugene. She pushed the thought from her mind. "Hello. My name is Gwen Cooper and what's yours?"
"Stay back!" The young man jumped away a little and a fire to the right of the group lit far away.
Met a kid on a bridge last night
Contemplating freedom
Met a kid on a bridge last night
Ianto piped in. "We have an identification match. His name is Everett, Robbin Everett. Works at a used auto parts dealership."
"What am I?"
Jack approached gingerly, pushing Gwen back near Rhys. "It's okay, son. Robbin. That's a nice name. Can I call you Robbin?"
"Make the hurting stop. Please." His voice shivered in the night and something inside Gwen swore that he looked at Jack.
He said I'm tired of this maddening life
And I'm ready to go meet Jesus
And I said, "He's a friend of mine
Met him just last night
And it's alright."
"I'd love to. Can you tell us what happened?"
There was a gust of wind and Rhys grabbed Gwen before she went flying. "Jack!"
Gwen thought of Eugene and how in control people could not seem to be when fused with technology. The pendant Tosh received, Beth and the sleeper cell, those butchers with the space whale, and the list just became so long. Some days it was such a disaster. That's why Torchwood was so necessary. Otherwise the entire world would have offed itself already. Twice most likely.
I'll live this life until this life
Won't let me live here anymore
And I will walk, yes I will walk
With patience through that open door
Jack turned from Gwen back to young Robbin. "Robbin, can you focus? Tell us what happened?"
"I don't...I don't remember. Picked up a piece of odd scrap metal. Wrapped around my arm like a serpent. God, I thought it was foil. But it burns! It hurts! Help me!"
A bolt stepped from the sky and Ianto stood not ten centimeters from where it landed. His eyes grew wide as he tapped furiously away at his mobile computer.
"Mistorine weather bracelet. Robbin, can you tell me which arm it's on?"
"It wound around my left."
"Okay, Robbin. I'm going to come over to you and take the band from you. Ianto! Find me the code sequence for the Unit mainframe!"
"Jack! What are you going to do?"
"This is non-negotiable, Gwen! We're lucky this young man's contained it thus far!"
I have no fears
Angels follow me wherever I may go
Jack took several steps forwards. The air crackled around the boy and Jack managed a smile to try and comfort young Robbin. Unfortunately, Robbin's eyes were so blinded by lightning that he couldn't see. "How about that code, Ianto?"
"4-4-3, sir!"
"Jack!"
"Gwen, get ready to come over and catch him when he falls." Jack had met only one Mistorine. They were too wise and too in love with controlling everything on their planet. The weather bracelet was far too dangerous for them and even more so for a human. This boy must be remarkable, like so many that Jack had met along the way. Another momentary hero on an empty stage.
I'll live this life
Until this life won't let me live here anymore
Jack was able to input the code and felt his heart racing with all the electricity pounding in the connection between the young man and himself. He could feel the burning inching throughout his core as he finished the sequence. The Mistorine were known for their sense of humour in choosing codes as well. But, as he felt himself die, and revive two hours later in the autopsy bay, he figured it was worth it. The young man shivered next to him, drinking his hot cocoa and retcon.