Chapter eight

Aftershock

Tosh was sitting in her living room, the lights were off as she looked over the TV. She didn't really care what was on, but her mind wouldn't let her sleep. The thought that she couldn't save him, couldn't change anything. Her hand played with a blanket wrapped around herself, and she knew some point she had to try and sleep listening to the front door knocking.

Getting to her feet Tosh moved to the door to see who would come here, she looked through the peephole to see that it was Natalie. "Why are you here?"

"I thought you needed a distraction." Natalie held up a bottle of wine, "And some friendly ears..." She moved to show that Gwen was with her.

Tosh felt herself smile, she opening the door them in starting to remember that she may not have had the most of her free time, but she did have people who cared for her.

"I suggested the wine," Gwen gave Tosh a kiss on the cheek as she entered the flat.

Natalie rolled her eyes, "I was going to suggest a video game." She felt herself studying over Tosh's flat, her attention going to a cabinet. "A kick arse CD collection." She chuckled more to herself than anyone.

"I'll get some glasses," Tosh headed to the kitchen as she see Gwen turn the living room light on, she sat down on the sofa also studying over the place. "So you live all alone?"

"Yea," Tosh brought three odd wine glasses into the living room placing them on the coffee table. "I don't even spend enough time here." Her eyes going around to her home, and then started to open the wine bottle.

Natalie sat on the floor by the coffee table, her eyes going over the wine glass. "I know the feeling..." She took a glass that Tosh pushed towards her, "Never thought I'd ever be," She tried to think of the right words. "I'd work so much..."

Gwen laughed, "I know, but then for me it's just hard enough keeping Rhys in the dark." Her drink in hand taking a sip. "I get all this money, and can barely think what to spend it on."

"We earn the money, then struggle to have a life to spend it." Tosh laughed, "We don't have much of a life, or my case a love life that would last..." She drank a large portion of her wine. "I sometimes think I am doomed to fall in love with men that are unattainable, or damaged, or alien woman..." She finished her glass off. "So I have come to the conclusion that I will end up dying alone, possibly with cats."

Gwen topped up Tosh's glass, "You won't die a cat lady..."

"You have to have free time to look after cats," Natalie laughed feeling Tosh playfully push her with her foot.

Tosh pulled a face, "That's not funny..." She tried to keep a straight face, "Stop laughing..."She tried to keep herself from letting her own giggle slip.

"It's a little bit funny." Gwen drank more of her wine watching Tosh breaking into a smile. "See, I knew we could cheer you up."

"I just can't help it, I wish we could of saved him, but he had to..." Her hand came to her mouth trying to ignore the pain in her heart. "He died, and he died because of a stupid reason." Her eyes going to Natalie. "It's not fair."

"Time isn't fair, and sometimes we have to think of the good." Natalie played with her wine glass. "He saved the time line, and as much as we all wished we can change his fate, we just can't."

"You know, I think we need something fun..." Gwen got to her feet, "I think a slumber party, I think of music." She went over to Tosh's CD collection.

Tosh was sat polishing off her second glass of wine, "Do you think about it?" Her question to Natalie.

"Think of what?" Natalie felt nervous, she could hear Gwen going through CDs, but she didn't know what to say as Tosh kept her focus on her.

Tosh poured more wine into her own glass, topping up Gwen's as well as Natalie's. She kept her focus on Natalie's face to try and get an honest answer. "About Owen?"

Natalie was taken back, her hands played over the mouth of the wine glass, she knew of Tosh's crush on Owen, but she didn't really know what to say in this moment. "Owen." Her voice was dazed, her fingers still running around the lip of the glass. "He's kind to me, and we do talk a lot..." Her eyes going over to Gwen to find she was too busy putting music on. "I guess I never thought about it that way."

"I see how he looks at you." Tosh smiled, and she really meant the smile, as it was hard to admit it to herself, but her feelings for Owen were changing. "I think he likes you more than friendly."

Gwen re-joined them, "More than friendly?" she picked her glass back up taking a drink, she had put on music playing in the background. "Office gossip without me?"

"Not gossip," Tosh spoke swiftly. "Just that I think that Owen might be falling for Natalie..." She waved her wine glass playfully before drinking some of the wine.

Gwen raised an eyebrow, "And would you say you are falling too?"

"No!" Natalie felt shocked, "I mean, I can't. It's complicated..."

Gwen raised her eyebrow, "If you are falling for him, why don't you tell him?" She asked drinking more.

Natalie shook her head side to side, "It's complicated, because I am complicated, and I can't."

"You are saying that you are scared to be in love?" Tosh lent forward, "In our line of work, we can't run and hide from our emotions, we need to embrace every moment we can." She nodded, "And what Tommy taught me, is that I can't waste any of it."


Owen rubbed a hand against his shoulder, he'd been typing out this report for Tommy, he didn't really see the point, but Jack was serious when it came to keeping a record of everything they did.

He'd always make sure everything was done by the book, but a part of him would still feel bad for what had to happen. He felt his hand wasn't helping the tension in his shoulder. "You know if you're going to watch over me, you could at least help me out." Owen turned his head to see Natalie standing at the top of the stairs.

"I can say I am not that stealthy." She walked the rest of the way down the stairs. "What's got you so busy?" She asked stopping behind his chair.

Owen's eyes went back to his computer, "Jack likes everything on record, from big to tiny, he likes to be able to know everything we've done." He placed his hands over the keyboard. "I know it's important, but sometimes I don't think we need to know every detail..." He stopped talking turning his head to see Natalie reading over his report.

Natalie snapped out of her train of thoughts, "Sorry..." She could see how he sat on the chair, "You really that tense?" She asked moving so she could start to rub his shoulders.

Owen felt the pressure pushed onto his sore muscles, he closed his eyes feeling relief within minutes starting to feel the tension leaving his body. "It comes with the job description." He whispered feeling better. "So what brings you to my cubby hole?"

"Do I need a reason to see you?" Natalie kept rubbing his shoulders. Her eyes kept forward before seeing he was watching her, "But I might have a reason."

Owen placed his hands on hers to stop, "You look like you've got something on your mind."

Natalie found a seat sitting beside Owen, "Well you said about helping Tosh." She spoke, but stopped seeing Owen paying close attention to her, and she couldn't help but know that he was giving her his full attention. "It's nothing..." She went to stand up and leave, but froze feeling Owen's hand touching her arm to stop her.

"If you've come down here to just start something and leave," Owen's eyes locked on hers. "I might have to pull rank."

Natalie rolled her eyes before sitting down again, "She and I were talking, and the subject of you came up."

Owen turned to where the computer station was, a part of him didn't want to go straight to negative thoughts. "And what did you and Tosh talk about?" He felt his voice strained to keep neutral.

"Owen," Natalie placed a hand on the top of his arm, "Nothing you need to worry about." She started, but could feel his eyes were still glaring towards the computer station. "Owen!" Her voice stressed on his name to get his attention back. "She made me think of something, and I..." She stopped hearing something going on. Getting to her feet she rushed to see Tosh was typing crazy at the computer.

"I have a spike in rift activity." Tosh shouted to Jack, "It's covering a ground of twenty feet around Llandaff cathedral." Her voice was serious. "I can't pick up what is happening, but it's big." Her eyes going up to see Jack rushing over to the computer to see what it could be.

"Right, we need to go check this out." Jack turned to see Natalie and Owen standing by the medical bay. "Owen, I want you with me." He turned to Tosh, "Grab what you can. We're leaving." He rushed away to grab supplies before leaving.

Natalie turned to Owen, she couldn't stop feeling nervous. "Be safe," She whispered, her hand brushed over his for a second before trying to figure what she could do to help.

Tosh watched, she could see Owen's normal snarl, but stopped feeling scared as Natalie joined her. "Nat, I need you to start a record from this end." She was grabbing her field kit. "Anything that seems important, I need you to transfer it to me." Her voice was holding authority and it felt good. Her hand placed on Natalie's shoulder. "Make sure these figures don't change too erratic, that means that the rift is destabilising." Tosh could see Natalie taking in what she was saying. "You remember what I told you?"

Natalie nodded, "Yes, I remember." She watched Jack return, and she knew they were going to have to see what was coming into Cardiff from the rift, and she knew with readings this big, and that it wasn't going to be easy to ignore.


Natalie wasn't used to sitting at this computer, and while part of her wasn't sure how she was handling herself, she felt a piece of achievement in keeping the rift stable.

"Coffee," Ianto placed the mug down on the desk, "You're pretty good at this." He glanced over what Natalie had been doing.

Natalie smiled, "Tosh is a good teacher." She replied taking the coffee and drinking some. "I guess I'm good with computers."

Ianto stood by watching her, "Maybe you're more aware of your abilities, a lot more confident." He didn't stand too close. "Not many people are like you."

"No, I guess not." Natalie's eyes shifted from the computer screen to Ianto, "But I have been keeping a journal of my dreams, my thoughts." Her hand went to her neck to remember her locket was no longer with her. "The memories were stronger when I had my locket, but as I told Jack to keep it safe." She shook the thoughts away. "I guess they are like echoes."

"But you are smart," Ianto placed a hand to her shoulder, "And that's nothing to do with anything but you, and you know your mind." He tapped before hearing the cogs rolling open.

Natalie felt herself smiling, she watched Ianto walking away from her towards the kitchen, and she giggled to herself.

Owen entered the hub, "For once I am grateful for not dealing with an alien." He headed towards the medical bay. "Anyone needs me, I'll be going through my reports."

Tosh laughed, but it was a nervous kind, and she headed towards the computer station seeing Natalie still at the computer. "It's tech..." She gave an exciting grin. "I know it's going to be a lot of work for us, but it's beautiful tech." She glanced from the computer to Natalie. "you mind?"

Natalie got off the desk chair, but then stopped to look over what Tosh had in her hand, and then felt something. "This isn't good..." Her hand went to her head, she felt something, but she couldn't figure what was happening.

"Nat!" Tosh turned to the sound of Natalie hitting the ground, she felt lost. "Owen!" She called watching Owen was already out of the medical bay rushing to Natalie on the ground. "I don't know what happened, she took a look at the tech, and then she fainted."

"Something must of happened!" Owen was checking her vitals, he could tell she was just passed out. "People don't just faint for no reason." He hissed at Tosh, but his eyes going to the Tech in her hand.

Tosh placed the tech on the desk, "We checked it, and we knew it wasn't harmful to us..."

"It isn't harmful to us, but to her." Owen pointed out, "Tosh how can you be so stupid!"

Tosh felt her eyes shifting from Natalie, but then stuck on Owen. "She's human Owen, she is not alien, and last I checked our database doesn't hold anything on Time Lords or their technology." She pushed herself away from the desk, she took the tech with her feeling annoyed.

Jack couldn't understand, but he could see Owen with Natalie. "What is going on?" He watched Owen lifting Natalie up. "Can someone explain to me?"

Owen didn't mean to ignore Jack, but he was already on his way to the medical bay, he placed Natalie on the examining table. He could tell Jack was behind him. He spun around to see the look on Jack's face. "I can't explain, because I don't know what the fuck is going on."

Taking a deep breath Jack stood beside Natalie, he couldn't understand. "What can you tell me?" He felt nervous about this, but he didn't want to show weakness in front of his team.

Owen felt her pulse, he kept trying to find something. "Medically speaking she is human, blood, tissue samples. Even down to reproduction," Owen sighed, "But we don't know the full extent of how the biodata module works..." He was flashing a light to check Natalie's pupils.

Jack didn't move, "How do you know all this?"

"Me and Natalie ran tests," Owen could see the look on Jack's face. "We've been trying to see how she is human, and like Tosh said, we don't have anything on how this is, so medically speaking I don't know a sodding thing to help." He placed the flash light down trying to understand what to do.

Jack placed a hand to his mouth, "I think I might have an idea..." He turned to see Tosh standing at the top of the stairs. "I've taken the tech to the vaults," Her eyes going to Owen, "And I managed to figure out how to turn it off." Her attention going to Natalie. "I don't know if that would of helped." Her eyes kept on Natalie lying as if sleeping.

Jack nodded, "We can only wait..." He brushed a piece of hair from Natalie's face. "But for now we need to find out what that tech is, and why it's dangerous to Natalie." He moved away from Natalie feeling like he was letting The Doctor down.


Owen didn't want to keep track of time, but he was trying to get himself to find a way to wake Natalie up. Making sure her vital signs stayed normal, he was debating on attaching an IV drip to keep her fluids up, but he wasn't sure if it would make her condition better, or worse.

Jumping to his feet Owen see Natalie's eyes flutter, it didn't take him long to be at her side holding her hand. "Hey..." Owen whispered seeing the look of confusion on her face. "Easy now..." He was soothing to try and stop her from panicking.

"What happened?" Natalie slowly sat up, her head felt light, and her stomach hurt, but she knew she wasn't too badly hurt. "I just remember seeing that thing." She stopped trying to think of the fear. "Then I am here." She felt a hand into her hair feeling as if her head had been smashed with a hammer.

Owen picked up his flash light, "Do you mind?" He asked first.

"Go ahead Doc..." Natalie felt his hand holding onto her face, he moved in closer to her, Owen flashed the light in her eyes.

Owen could feel his heart beating, he knew the emotions, he wished for everything he could turn it off, but he exhaled. "Just follow my finger." He let go of her face, moving his hand holding up his index finger. "How you feeling?"

"Worse than the time we did all them tequila shots." Natalie followed Owen's finger. "But I'll live." She added swinging her legs around to be sitting on the edge of the table.

Owen place the Flash light down, "Do you have any idea what could of happened?" He asked watching her getting off the table.

Natalie felt woozy on her feet, her hands reached out to take hold of Owen to stop herself falling. For a heartbeat her eyes connected onto Owen's. "I'm as lost as you are..." Her voice dropped feeling his hands holding her upright. "All I know is that device must be something made by someone who doesn't like Time Lords." Natalie kept still in Owen's arms, her eyes couldn't look away from his.

"You're finally awake!" Jack broke the tension apart, he walked down watching Owen and Natalie stepping away from each other. "I'm lucky enough to know an insider for UNIT." He nodded, "And I've found that the tech that came through the rift is very interesting tech..." He stopped seeing the look on Owen and Natalie's.

"A thing that knocks me out..." Natalie kept a poker face. "I guess there is something every girl needs."

Jack rocked on his feet, "That's the thing, we have to hand it over to UNIT." He knew he didn't want to, but he had to do it. "According to them, it's a weapon against Time Lords." He said quickly.

Owen took a step forward, "You're saying that there is a weapon that can harm Time Lords, that someone made something designed to."

"It was made to seek Time Lords, while they were hidden by a chameleon arch," Jack started, he knew as he'd been speaking to Martha Jones on the phone. "The device is designed to pick up on the altered DNA, and kill it." His tone serious, as he didn't even know how to take it.

"Someone made a thing to kill a Time Lord?" Natalie bit her lip, her eyes going to the ceiling trying to stop herself from feeling scared. "And you think these Time people are good, when weapons were made to kill them!"

"How do you know that it's design to kill, Natalie is fine." Owen asked trying to understand this.

Jack took a step forward, "It was damaged in the rift, but my source wouldn't reveal too much, but enough to say that the reason they knew it was made to kill Time Lords, as a full working one, wouldn't just kill, it would stop any chance of regeneration."

Natalie didn't know what to think, she was thinking how Jack could admire the Doctor, if there was races of other aliens trying to kill them. She needed to get away, she didn't look back walking up the stairs. Ignoring as Gwen called her name, she couldn't even start to think where she was going, but she knew she had to get out.