Former Mission; Recreational Forest Bukit Lagong, Malaysia
Living at the Fellowship, then the Refuge and finally Torchwood Nigeria taught the youngest Keara Montfert about psychics. She started with no ability and found out she was one of the most powerful on the planet. Different psychics talked about the price of seeing the future and she didn't understand. She couldn't. Until she did.
Standing in the first rays of sunlight filtering through the rain forest and the glass-less window, listening to the maintenance bot rumble behind her, she knew beyond a doubt she had to stay. Jerard was vulnerable if she left. Not only from his father's group but the soldier version of herself and Torchwood. She didn't need to be a psychic to know how much it would hurt.
Her inability to have sex meant sooner or later, he would find companionship. Somehow she had to accept that. Knowing it would end badly at some point meant working through her issues was unlikely. She wondered for the first time if her ability caused the problem.
The images flickered through her mind. Somehow she knew the soldier wasn't manipulating her. Previous Keara hadn't been sure. But now she was. Her ability was strengthened by emotion. She suspected she'd fallen in love with him. An impossible situation. Protecting him meant keeping secrets knowing he probably wouldn't forgive her for when he found out.
"Are you staying?" Jerard walked up behind her and set a hand on the small of her back.
"Yeah." Unable to fake a smile, she allowed her exhaustion to show. She was mentally and physically tired.
"I won't expect anything you're uncomfortable with."
Keara was grateful for that. She turned and leaned against him. He loosely wrapped an arm around her. She pressed her face to his shoulder and hugged him. The contact increased the connection. He knew something was wrong but didn't know what to ask.
"After we're settled," and the facility is under control, "We can explore Kuala Lampur."
She focused on a happy future image. "There's a restaurant with really good French food." They would enjoy it. Hopefully by then she would lose herself in the good and forget the bad.
"More visions?"
"Yeah. It's a blur."
Jerard didn't know what to say that either. He kissed the top of her head. "Time to sleep, Fraulein Igor. We have another long day ahead of us."
Keara nodded.
Torchwood London; London, England
Jack Harkness lay on the sofa, staring at the ceiling, in Rex's flat. After the long, stressful day, he expected to sleep. Crazy situations and different timezones often meant he and Ianto sometimes slept different hours. But it the first time they'd been apart, for reasons other than Bacchus, in more than two-and-a-half years.
I hope you were able to sleep, Jack thought. He raised his hand, running his thumb over the ring fused to his ring finger.
His mobile rang on the coffee table. He reached over and grabbed it. "Miss me?"
"Always." Ianto sounded tired. "Bobby had a rough night." He explained what happened on the rifle range.
Jack sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the sofa. "What set him off?"
"Feeling left out. John patched the kid up in the infirmary and then talked maintenance bots. They fell asleep in the maintenance section."
Jack figured Anwen set that up. "How's Celeste?"
"Self-absorbed." Pause. "She likes being a spoiled princess." Ianto sighed. "I needed to hear your voice."
Jack smiled. "The hub's not the same without me." He could picture Ianto rolling his eyes.
"It's too quiet."
"And boring. You have to shower alone." Jack expected Ianto to groan.
Instead he switched the phone to speaker. "Michael's asking for you."
"Jack. Home."
The baby had a new word. It was hard to believe he was over a year-old. "Soon," he hoped.
"Gwen's not sounding good. I spoke to Rhys briefly about logistics. He's getting more belligerent." Ianto gave it a moment. "I don't know how much longer she's got before I have to call Bree." He hesitated. "Did she have PTSD while she was pregnant with Trefor?"
"Not exactly. It was guilt and shame." Jack went through something similar himself. Rationally, he knew he had no control. They were both drugged. But it didn't matter.
"If she's regressing, she needs to go back to her therapist. Or call Lacene if it needs to stay in-house. Bree can't handle anything Torchwood-related."
"Lacene?" Ianto obviously disagreed. "Jack, we need you here. Not just me and Michael."
Jack nodded, wondering if he could commute. "Once the situation in the US is resolved, I will come home. I don't know how long I can stay." London was a full-time job.
"Keara on the station is talking about recruiting people that worked for future Torchwood. Applications might work for clerical. But how many core people right now were hired for reasons outside of Torchwood situations? Even in London, Langford is at least second generation. CeCe was recommended by Lacene. Nigeria is full of psychics. Four, Atmore, Tangled Briers. Now Malaysia."
Psychics, ancient abilities and time travel. Jack realized, "Azrael could help recruit." He established the Fellowship before it was Torchwood Nigeria and coordinated management of Tangled Briers. Rather than ask more from Nigeria, Jack needed to ask for a stable psychic with recruitment experience. The criteria was different but it required the same skills.
That idea stayed with Jack as he prepared for the day. When Ianto called him back and ask if he had fresh clothes and then sent them by maintenance bot with a port device, Jack knew the situation was ridiculous. Unfortunately, even with recruitment, he and the general had to manage London. That probably meant asking his son to impersonate him. Not the best approach.
The computer clicked as Jack stood in the kitchen drinking coffee. "Are we expecting someone from Nigeria?" Langford sounded confused. Anyone who didn't know his parents might believe the dutiful butler routine.
Thanks to Bacchus, Jack remembered Derrian in detail. Both the good and bad. "Possibly." Keara on the station might have anticipated the request or seen it. There was a joke in needing to request a psychic and having one show up instead.
"I will show him to the office."