Baby Troubles

The bombshell, when it came, was timed to perfection. Owen emerged from the medical bay as Gwen powered down her PC and Toshiko was putting her spectacles in their case, both women ready to go home after a long day. Ianto was in the office chivving Jack to do some overdue paperwork though both men were too tired to do the exchange justice.

"Jack," announced Owen loudly, "we have a problem." He dumped a file on his desk and waited.

He had everyone's attention. Jack got up from his desk and walked round it and out of the office, past Ianto who stepped to one side before following his boss out into the work area. Gwen suppressed a groan of frustration and looked across. Toshiko placed the spectacles case on her desk and looked up with tired interest.

"What is it?" asked Jack, recognising Owen's expression. The doctor was not messing about – for once – this was serious.

"It just gave birth."

"It had a baby?" queried Gwen, rising from her desk and coming to join them.

"I just said that!" Owen scowled at her then turned back to Jack. "It's definite."

"How long ago? I mean, since it came through the Rift?" Jack had his arms folded across his chest. He was thinking of the consequences, for the child and for anyone who found it, dozens of options being assessed and either accepted or rejected. A plan was forming in his mind even as he waited for Owen to answer.

"Yeah. More than twelve hours ago but less than forty eight. I should be able to narrow that down a bit when some of the test results come through." He knew that this meant trouble. It had taken them two days to find the Quentor and it was an adult; finding the much smaller offspring would be even more difficult.

"How many?"

"Far as I can tell, this was a first pregnancy so," Owen shrugged, "probably three."

"She had more than one baby?" asked Gwen, now standing beside Ianto outside the office.

"Christ, you're a bleeding Einstein today! That's what I just said." Owen scowled at her again. "And Quentors aren't male and female. It's an it."

"They reproduduce asexually," explained Jack, smiling at Gwen. His mind was still tossing around the the various courses of action open to them but a moment or two explaining the situation would help all the team, not just Gwen. "No one's sure exactly what triggers it, but buds form on their side and make their way into a pouch where they grow until mature enough to live separately from the parent."

"I thought they were closer to human than that," put in Ianto. The Quentor looked human which is why it had been so difficult to locate, even their scans had been unable to distinguish it from the rest of the population until the trail of assaults had led them to it.

"They look like us physically but there are some bloody enormous differences," replied Owen. "The point is, what are we going to do about it?"

"Find them before they need to eat. Tosh, we need to track the Quentor from where we found it in Gabalfa back to the Rift opening that brought it here." Jack looked across at her, waiting for her reaction.

"I can try but there are so many possibilities." Toshiko was looking thoughtful and concerned. "Every junction gives so many options, checking them all will take a while. And the CCTV round there isn't good at the best of times but with all the vandalism ..." her voice tailed off.

"I know, Tosh, but it's the only way. With the solar flares mucking up our Rift alerts we can't do it from the other end." The solar activity had been intense and had blotted out a number of Rift alerts leaving the Torchwood team to chase their tails as they charged round Cardiff mopping up incidents they would normally have been on the spot to prevent.

"I'm on it." She smiled and reached for her spectacles again. Her eyes were tired after working for fifteen hours at her screens but that was not going to stop her getting on with the job.

"Gwen, we need to know of any infants found in the last few days. Go back seventy two hours from the time we found the Quentor just to be sure and check hospitals, orphanages, police reports. You know what to do." Jack smiled at her warmly; she was an excellent investigator. "Call your buddies on the police too, in case anything has yet to be reported."

"Would it … they have survived this long?" asked Ianto. "It's pretty cold out there for a newborn."

"They're bigger than newborn humans," replied Jack. "Owen, how big do you think?"

"In human terms? You're looking for two to four year olds. Something like that."

"They grow that fast?" Gwen was astounded.

"They're born that way. And they won't necessarily be together. Could well have crawled out of the pouch independently after the parent was injured coming through the Rift." Owen rubbed his face and tried to keep himself awake. "They'll be able to walk but not talk, not English anyway."

Gwen considered carrying a child of two or three years old, more than one. How did the Quentor manage? Wouldn't she … it find the load too heavy? Babies were a subject Gwen had been researching for a while, ever since she and Rhys had talked about having a family. That was still a long way off, not to be decided until after the wedding, the planning of which was taking up all her spare time, but that had not stopped Gwen imagining what it would feel like to be pregnant. She had even spoken to Susy, Big Dave's wife, about it when she'd been carrying her last one not that she got a lot of sense from her. Never did from Rhys' friends.

"Will it speak ... Quentor?" asked Ianto. He had his hands in his pockets and made an effort to straighten his shoulders which had slumped with tiredness.

"Possibly. No idea what that sounds like though," said Owen. "I'll carry on with the post-mortem and hurry up the test results. If I find anything else, I'll let you know." He went back into the medical bay.

"It'd sound a bit like Chinese," said Jack, answering Ianto's question and smiling at him. He knew how tired his team were but three young Quentor couldn't be left to their own devices. As they gained in strength they'd need to drink and would attack anyone who was close by to take their blood in the same way as their parent had. "Ianto, you help Gwen. Tosh, can I do anything for you?"

"Not with the CCTV. You could try and clean up the Rift stuff, might give us a lead." Toshiko turned to her keyboard and screens and got on with her work.

"If all else fails, there is the paperwork," said Ianto dryly as he and Gwen went to her desk to decide how to split up their research.

Jack grinned wryly and went back to his own desk and the Rift programs. The five team members worked solidly for the next two hours at their alloted tasks and it was close to nine o'clock when Jack called a meeting to discuss findings. Ianto made coffee and produced fried chicken and chips for those that wanted food, placing everything on the boardroom table.

"Okay, let's make this short as we can. Owen, any more?" asked Jack before biting into his chicken leg.

"The deterioration of the Quentor's tissue began fifty two hours ago. Most of that was caused by the Rift, travelling through it and being dumped here. So, best guess, it arrived around teatime on Sunday." He reached for a couple of chips and stuffed them into his mouth. He was as tired as the rest, and hungry.

"After the solar flares started," confirmed Jack grimly. He hated being in the dark about the Rift. It was bad enough not knowing precisely when it would open or what would fall through but being unaware of an opening even after the fact was worse. He checked his notes. "I think, I stress think, that the Rift opened three times late Sunday afternoon. At fiveish in Canton, an hour later in Penarth and after that in Tremorfa."

"Wouldn't the Canton one have been the eggs?" asked Gwen, remembering the slimy things that had hatched into pink lizards and set up home in St David's Hospital's A&E.

"Probably but we can't be sure."

Toshiko was tapping away at the keyboard in front of her. "I'm bringing up the CCTV for the area of the possible opening in Canton and … not the lizards." The grainy black and white picture on the large screen showed a brilliant flash of light which dissolved into the form of a Levantuk warrior.

"Shit! Where did that go!?" exclaimed Owen. They had not known the alien was loose in Cardiff.

"I can track it," said Toshiko continuing with the task. "It was down near the railway line then moved - "

Jack stopped her. "You carry on with that, Tosh, while we get on with finding the Quentor kids." Now they needed to locate the warrior AND the Quentor's offspring. "Gwen, any joy?" He stuffed more chicken in his mouth and began to chew.

Looking away from her boss – his table manners were appalling – she glanced at her notes. "One toddler, thought to be three, was found in Grangetown, by the station, at four yesterday afternoon. It was taken to the Royal Infirmary. The hospital is calling her – they reckon it's a girl – Matilda." Gwen passed copies of a photograph of the child around the table. "Is that a Quentor?"

"Could be," said Owen, wiping his mouth with a napkin before picking up the photo. "At that age the only sure way to tell is to locate the spinal growth, not something a hospital would look for or recognise if it did."

"Okay, you get over there and check. If it's one of ours, bring it back with you." Jack looked back at Gwen. "Any more?"

"Not found by the police or hospitals. Could be they were found by someone who didn't want to get involved. We're checking Social Services and churches now, they're good dumping places, but the records are slow to be updated."

"Okay. You keep on that, Gwen. Tosh, did you get anything from the CCTV?"

"It appears the Quentor crossed the river by the Western Avenue bridge. I've got it there at midnight on Monday. But what about the Levantuk? Those things are dangerous."

"Have you located it?"

"Last seen on a derelict industrial estate in Broad Street. That was twelve hours ago. I've also found police reports of a spate of attacks on civilians between there and the site of the opening. Police thought they were muggings but it looks more like the Levantuk." Toshiko removed her spectacles and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "The estate is the sort of place it would choose to hole up."

"Right." Jack thought through the demands on his team again and decided how to best utilise the available manpower. "Here's what we do. Owen, the hospital. Gwen, carry on with the research. Ianto, Tosh, you're with me. We'll get the Levantuk."

"I should come with you," protested Gwen. She didn't like staying in the Hub when there was action to be had. "Ianto can do the research, he's good at that."

Like the others, Ianto got the inference: he was good at research and not so good out in the field. He thought that was unfair coming from Gwen who had been the one to encourage him to take on more fieldwork when Jack had been missing with The Doctor. Seemed that now Jack was back she was ready to relegate Ianto to the background again. There was a tense silence as Jack looked at her closely then at Ianto. He caught the latter's imperceptible nod and small smile. The others were oblivious of the exchange; Owen and Toshiko were looking at their papers and Gwen was watching Jack's face. But Jack felt a small rush of pleasure at this evidence that his and Ianto's relationship was stronger than it had been before he'd left.

"If that's okay with you, Ianto?" Jack asked for form's sake. He wanted the others to realise he was not swayed solely by Gwen's plea.

"Fine with me. I'll get the Newok blasters, you'll need them for a Levantuk."

Ianto stood up and the others followed suit. Ten minutes later, the Welshman was alone in the Hub. He sat at Gwen's desk to continue the research, using her notes as reference for searching the less obvious organisations that might have been the recipient of an abandoned child. After half an hour's painstaking work he had a lead on another child. A girl had been found in St John's Street, Penarth outside the old National Children's Home, on Monday just after midday. It had been taken in by Cardiff's Social Services – who were only now updating their records - and was in emergency foster care with Dot and Harry Roberts. Ianto called Owen with the details and the doctor agreed to head that way when he was finished at the hospital.

After another half an hour's searching, Ianto was beginning to run out of places to look. It was possible that there had only been two Quentor children but Owen had said three and he was usually reliable on medical matters. Ianto was about to check on reported deaths when the main Hub phone rang. This happened so seldom he sat motionless for a few moments before answering it.

"Hello?"

"Ah, now that would be Ianto. I recognise your lovely accent."

Ianto recognised the woman's Irish brogue too. It was Sister Marie Therese, the nun with an alien symbiont inside her who – in another life, kind of – had known Jack. Had known him very well indeed. In the weeks since she had met the rest of the Torchwood team, she had visited and had a tour of the Hub and, Ianto knew, had lunch with Jack on a couple of occasions. It was an odd relationship for Ianto to get his head around but he liked the woman and believed, he hoped correctly, that she was just a friend to Jack.

"Sister Marie Therese, isn't this a bit late for you to call?" Ianto could see the time displayed on the phone: 10.26.

"Well, it is and it isn't. Normally I'd be fast asleep in my little bed dreaming of Jesus but I'm busy with a visitor. One I think might be for you."

"What kind of visitor?" Ianto grabbed a pen and piece of paper, ready to make notes and hoping it wasn't going to delay his sleep for too much longer.

"A young one. Now, I didn't think anything of it when we found her this morning but now she's warm and comfortable she's starting to talk. In Quentor, if I'm not mistaken."

Ianto smiled, number three had been found. "We are looking for one. Well, three actually but we think we have the other two. When did you find this one?"

"At Matins, which we have at sunrise, thank and bless the Lord. It used to be two am in my old convent! She was very cold and it's only now she's talking."

Ianto thought quickly. Owen had his hands full with two Quentor children, if that's what they proved to be, and this one was already identified. Jack and the others were still trying to track down the Levantuk in an old factory; they wouldn't want to be bothered with this. A quick trip to Ely seemed to be in order. He – Ianto – could pick the child up and bring it back while the others were out.

"You're sure it's talking Quentor?"

"Revenal is and I trust him to know." Marie Therese was talking of her symbiont, a Symollazine that lived in her chest and shared its memories with the young nun.

"I'll come and take a look. Be about half an hour."

"I'll wait up for you." Even over the phoneline, Ianto could hear the amusement in her voice.

The Torchwood team, all out of the Hub, communicated via their comms system. Owen confirmed that the first child was one of the Quentor babies and requested urgent help in looking after it; childcare had never been his strong suit. Jack reported that the Levantuk warrior had been subdued. When Ianto told them he was headed to the convent it was agreed he should continue while Jack, Toshiko and Gwen drove to the Roberts' home to meet Owen and help him.

At the convent, the portress admitted Ianto and he waited in a large and airy hallway. He looked around with interest, surprised by the ordinariness of the building. It looked like a normal home, larger than most, of course, but with that air of lived-in shabbiness that he recognised from his own family home. The only indication that this was a religious house was the large crucifix on the wall and the Madonna and child on a side table.

"Welcome to our House," said Marie Therese, having come through a door soundlessly. She smiled when Ianto started in surprise. "I suppose you want to see the child, little Mary."

"Is that what you've called it?" smiled Ianto.

"We're traditional here and the name seemed fitting. I call it 'her' so as not to frighten the others," she added confidentially. Her eyes were dancing with supressed amusement as they always did when she met Ianto. During the lunches she and Jack had shared, he had spoken of the Welshman a lot, without discretion or regard to a nun's sensibilities. As a result, Marie Therese knew a lot about the two men's relationship, emotional and physical, which would have appalled Ianto if he had known. "This way."

"How was it you found her?" he asked, falling into step beside her.

"You'll be disappointed, it was all very ordinary. She was on the step when Sister Marie Joseph brought the milk in."

Ianto smiled at this additional evidence of domesticity. He had always assumed nuns spent all their time praying or perhaps nursing. Finding they brought in the milk like everyone else and lived in such ordinary surroundings was making him revise his expectations.

"Poor wee thing was wet and cold," went on the nun, leading them up a curving staircase, "so we brought her in and cared for her. She's very cute."

"You didn't report finding her," ventured Ianto, raising an eyebrow.

"Umm." She sighed. "The Sisters rather took to her. It's been a long time since we've had a child to care for and, well, they all wanted the opportunity to nurse her."

Ianto said nothing. He could imagine this community of women becoming totally gaga over the child and who could blame them delaying a notification for a few hours. He followed the nun up the stairs and down a short passage to a door which she opened quietly. Inside, a child lay in a narrow bed sleeping peacefully. An older nun was sitting in a chair by the window and stood up when the newcomers came into the room.

"Mother Superior, this is Mr Ianto Jones from Torchwood," said Marie Therese. She then stepped aside and went to the bed, looking down at the child.

"Thank you for coming. Sister Marie Therese has explained to us about this little girl." She saw the questioning look that Ianto flashed to Marie Therese. "That she's an alien," the Mother Superior added with a smile.

"I have no secrets from the Reverent Mother," explained Marie Therese.

"I see." Ianto relaxed and smiled at the older nun. "May I examine the child? I need to check if she really is an alien." Owen had told him what to look for.

"Of course." The older nun's cultured English accent made the words sound like the bestowal of a great favour.

He moved to the side of the bed and gently pulled down the covers, reaching to turn the small body onto its side, facing away from him. He ran his hand over her lower spine and soon found the spiky growth that identified her as a Quentor. The child slept through the examination.

"Is she … what you expected?" asked the Mother Superior.

"Yes, ma'am, she's a Quentor. We'll take her off your hands."

"She's not bothering us, Ianto!" protested Marie Therese. "To hear you talk, anyone would think we wanted to be rid of her."

"Sister," said the older nun in quiet admonishment. "Mr Jones, what will become of the child?"

Ianto looked at her and met the penetrating gaze of serene grey eyes. He had not thought about the next step. Quentors needed human blood to survive. They drank only a little however; the adult Quentor had taken barely half a pint from each of its three victims and all had survived. Ianto did not know what Jack would do with the three youngsters. He couldn't imagine them living in the community but they couldn't stay in the Hub either.

"I'm not sure, ma'am," he said finally. "The important thing is to keep them safe and -"

"Them?" she said sharply. "There's more than one?"

"Yes. There are three children. But you should know, ma'am," he went on quickly, "that they drink human blood. It's not safe to leave them loose in the community."

"It's also not safe to have them in your base!" retorted Sister Marie Therese. She turned to the Mother Superior. "Reverent Mother, with your permission, I'd like to go with this young man and make sure Mary and her sisters are properly cared for. I know Captain Harkness and I know exactly what he might do to these poor innocents!" She stroked a hand over the child's hair, a caring counterpoint to her strident tone. "I think someone should be there to speak for the children."

The older nun considered for a moment, head bowed as if in prayer. "Very well, Sister, you have my leave. Keep me informed of your findings and make no judgements until you have all the facts."

Sister Marie Therese smiled broadly. "I'll do that, Reverent Mother."

Ten minutes later, Ianto was driving through Cardiff's streets back to the Hub with Marie Therese and the child in the back seat of his car. He had told Gwen, who with Toshiko had taken the first child, Matilda, back at the base, merely that he was coming in with the third child. Owen and Jack had indentified the other child, named Joy, as Quentor but Social Services were being uncooperative and not allowing them to take it. The two men were currently delayed at the foster parents' house arguing with the social workers.

-ooOoo-

"And aren't they the cutest you've ever seen?" said Marie Therese, looking down at the two Quentor children, asleep on the sofa. A blanket covered them and one, the nun thought it was Mary but couldn't be sure as they were almost identical, had her arm around the other.

"They're adorable," agreed Gwen who was getting more and more broody. She had been back in the Hub for two hours and had hardly left their side.

Marie Therese was sat on the end of the sofa and looked at Gwen with calculating eyes. If she needed an ally in ensuring a happy future for these alien waifs she had one in the Welshwoman. Ianto would not be much help – he would follow Jack no matter what – and Toshiko was not interested in the children as such, they were merely work to her. The nun expected Owen to be clinical and indifferent. And Jack? Marie Therese paused and considered the man who had been a good friend – a very good friend! – to Bert Challenor, Revenal's previous host. It was impossible to predict what Jack would do. He might want to look after the little aliens or … dispose of them. Marie Therese was determined to ensure it was the former.

"What do you know about the Quentor?" asked Gwen from where she was kneeling beside the sofa. It was ridiculous to feel so protective of the aliens, she knew that, and it was ridiculous to want children of her own – impossible while she was working for Torchwood – but these two had touched her heart. They looked entirely human and were indistinguishable from humans on the surface. If only they didn't drink blood.

"I know nothing, dear, but Revenal … he's met them before and liked them. Their world is similar to ours which is why we look like them. But they're a peaceful people; no wars for them! They're artists and musicians."

"Why do they drink blood?"

The nun sighed. "It's like milk to them." She too regretted they needed blood to survive, it would complicate her dealings with Jack.

The cog door rolled back, the alarms sounded and Jack strode into the base his expression stern. Behind him, Owen walked more slowly, keeping a wary eye on the wide-awake young Quentor in his arms.

"These the other two?" Jack asked, looking down on the sleeping children. He was in a bad mood having had an almighty row with the authorities in order to get custody of the third child to top off a busy and frustrating day.

"Yes." Gwen was on her feet reaching for the newcomer. "Hello, little one, come to Auntie Gwen."

"Don't let it get near a vein," warned Owen, pleased to be rid of his charge. "It tried for one of mine on the way down." He nodded at Marie Therese. "Had a feeling you might be here."

"I was knowing you were pining for me," she replied with a smile. They got on well but loved making sarky comments to one another.

"What are you doing here, Bert?" demanded Jack, shrugging off his greatcoat which Ianto took without a word. Jack still thought of the host and symbiont as Bert Challenor and often referred to the nun by that name. "Don't remember inviting you."

"Nice to see you too!" she retorted tartly. "I came with Mary. Mother Superior wants to know what you'll being with her and her sisters." Marie Therese was on her feet, squaring up for a fight.

"They're not female!" protested Owen. He was sick and tired of telling everyone that the lack of external genitals did not make them so.

Marie Therese ignored him, looking at Jack and trying to work out how his mind was working and how best to persuade him to do what she wanted. She decided that he looked tired, as tired as the rest of the team. Gwen had told her how they'd been run off their feet for the past few days chasing down the obscured Rift openings and it showed on all their faces; they were drawn and most had dark shadows under their eyes. Tiredness had made Jack irritable and that was not good. In her experience he was more amenable when he was relaxed. Now, at one fifteen in the morning, he was not going to be easy to convince that her plan – worked out over the past two hours but not yet shared with anyone else – was the best.

"That has nothing to do with you or your blessed Mother Superior!" said Jack, also ignoring Owen. "This is Torchwood business." He turned to Ianto. "Could you make some coffee?"

"Argh!" exclaimed Gwen suddenly, drowning out Ianto's agreement. She was still holding Joy but at arm's-length. "She tried to bite me!"

"I told you to be careful," stormed Owen, already at her side and checking Gwen's arm where small teeth marks had made an impression but not broken the skin.

Toshiko had turned in her chair and was watching with interest. "That's amazing. They just bite into a vein."

Gwen glared at her, not yet over the shock. "Not so amazing from where I'm standing!"

"Give me the child," said Marie Therese, stepping in to take Joy. "If she needs to drink, let's be giving her something."

"She drinks blood," explained Toshiko, thinking the nun had not grasped the implication. If she had been more awake, Toshiko would probably not have made this mistake but she was very tired and wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and sleep.

"I know! Owen, you must be having some in there," she nodded towards the medical bay. "Get it and put it in a mug."

With Jack's nod of agreement, Owen retrieved a bag of blood kept for transfusions and transferred some to a mug supplied by Ianto. The others watched in dread fascination as Marie Therese gave the mug to Joy who clasped it in both hands and drank, a satisfied smile on its lips. When it had drunk a couple of mouthfuls, it snuggled against the nun and closed its eyes, yawning. Marie Therese put it on the sofa with its siblings and it was soon asleep.

"Tosh, stick a containment field around the sofa. Ianto, bring the coffee to the Boardroom; we need to decide what to do with them," indicating the Quentors. "I suppose you'd better come too," he told the nun, resigned to her interference.

Ten minutes later they were gathered round the table drinking coffee, the only thing keeping them awake, and Owen was outlining the life-cycle of Quentors.

"They're shortlived by our standards, five years maximum. Year one, they grow from their present size to the equivalent of a ten year old," he illustrated this with an image on the plasma screen. "Next year, they grow to be adult sized and then have three more years before dying. They look like humans and will pass for them unless examined closely … and no one sees 'em drinking blood."

"Why do they do that?" asked Gwen, looking at the images.

"They need the polymorphonucleocytes."

Gwen looked at Owen not understanding a word. "What?"

"Polymorphonucleocytes. They're found in blood, in the leucocytes. White blood cells to you." The doctor rubbed at tired eyes and drank some more coffee to keep himself awake. "Makes up less than one percent of our blood and they're not found anywhere else."

"Could they be manufactured?" asked Toshiko. "I mean, there's artificial blood."

"That's red blood cells, the oxygen carriers. Not white."

"How much would they be needing?" asked Marie Therese from her seat beside Ianto at the other end of the table to Jack. She had her coffee mug cradled in her hands and looked thoughtful.

"Hard to say. They drink half a pint or so of blood every day but like I said, the polymorphonucleocytes are less than one percent of that."

"But surely these poly-whatsits could be extracted. I can't believe that you can't be doing that, not a clever man like you."

"Yeah, it's possible," answered Owen wearily, draining his coffee.

"I know where you're going with this, Sister," said Jack from the head of the table, his tone stern. His use of her title showed clearly that he was not in a mood to be trifled with. "But it's not going to work. We have three Quentor now. In two years' time they'll be budding and there'll be nine more, with another fifteen for the next two years by which time the first brood will be joining in so we'll have sixty nine of them! They breed like rabbits!" He shook his head. "No, they have to be neutralised now."

"Neutralised! Is that what you're calling murder these days!?" The nun was sitting forward, glaring at Jack. "Those three innocents out there have little enough life ahead of them and you want to take little they've got away from them. They didn't ask to be brought to this world. Show some compassion!"

"How can I!? I have to protect the people of this world!" He brought his fist down on the table and the mugs and papers jumped in reponse. "Don't make this any harder."

Marie Therese took a deep, calming breath and spoke quietly. "I'm not wanting to make it harder, I'm wanting to help. We'll take them into the convent - Lord knows it's big enough and empty enough! We'll be looking after them for you."

Jack was shaking his head. "You'll be overrun. No, it won't work."

"I don't understand that," put in Gwen, confused. "What was that about sixty nine of them?"

Owen answered. "The first pregancy will come in their second year and they'll have three kids each. Following year it'll be five and the same the next year. That's thirteen kids each in five years by which time the first lot'll be producing too." He looked at the nun with sympathy but shaking his head. "You can't look after that many."

"They won't bud. It'll only be the three of them," she answered, keeping her eyes trained on Jack. She felt that she might have a chance of convincing him – he never liked taking life when there was an alternative - she just had to chose her words with care.

"How you planning on stopping 'em?" asked Owen, disbelieving but curious.

"They've not got the right nutrients here. They only ever bud on their homeworld." She continued to watch Jack. "You know that, Jack."

"We can't be sure. There's always a first time and Quentors have never been on Earth for any period of time. If we keep them, they could find a way." Jack shook his head. "No, it's too much of a risk."

"Give me a chance, Jack. Trust me to know what I'm talking about." He rolled his eyes in disbelief but she carried on anyway, speaking with force and passion. "If you don't trust me, trust Bert Challenor. When did he ever let you down? You trained him, you considered him one of Torchwood's best operatives. Trust him again now. And trust Revenal, he's lived with Quentors and knows them. Forget the young nun you see when you look at me and remember them because I'm them and they're me. I promise you won't have cause to regret it."

The silence grew as Jack considered what she had said. Bert had been a good operative and Revenal's knowledge and experience was at least as good as Jack's own. With their knowledge and with the power of the Church behind her, this nun probably could do all she promised. But the risk was still there. If one of the Quentors left the convent or started to produce young the citizens of Cardiff would be put in danger, a danger he could erradicate once and for all right now. He looked round at his team; this wasn't a committee but he wanted their views.

Owen shook his head. "I don't think it'll work," he said, with regret.

After a moment of reflection, Toshiko met Jack's gaze and said, "It's too great a risk."

Gwen's expression reflected her caring nature. "Oh, for God's sake!" she exclaimed. "Why do we always have to destroy everything!? These are children and they should be given a chance. Please, Jack, let her try."

In contrast, Ianto's face revealed nothing of his feelings. "Everyone deserves a second chance," said the Welshman quietly.

He met and held Jack's gaze and something passed between them that the others did not understand. Jack understood. Ianto had been devastated by Jack's departure to travel with The Doctor but he had given the Torchwood leader a second chance at rekindling their relationship. Now he was asking Jack to do the same for the Quentor children who had been orphaned by the Rift, to allow them a second chance at life.

After several moments, Jack spoke. "All right. We'll try it." Gwen grinned broadly and Ianto allowed himself a small smile. "But," Jack held up a finger and pointed at the nun, "you answer to me about their care. You do nothing without my say-so. Understood?"

"Understood." Marie Therese smiled at him. "Thank you."

Epilogue

All fifteen nuns of the Sisters of Charity Convent were in tears at the Service for Matilda, Mary and Joy who had died within hours of one another five years after arriving on Earth. The three Quentor had provided invaluable lay support to the Sisters and were well loved. As Father Peter spoke the familiar words of the Service, Sister Marie Therese added a prayer of her own for the members of the Torchwood team who had died before their time and for Jack Harkness who, while still alive somewhere, had had the courage to let these three aliens live a full and happy life. She wished the same for him, with all her heart.