Gwen took a long, long drink of her beer, Ruby and Jack exchanging a glance, before she set the glass down. Jack set down his water glass, meeting her eyes. "The thing is, I don't understand-" she started, when Jack interrupted.
"I tell you what I don't understand. You're gonna rattle on with that 'how can this be true' kind of shtick." Ruby sighed softly, sipping her own water as Jack continued on, looking at Gwen. "What's it gonna take for you people? If you want evidence of aliens, how about that great spaceship hovering over London on Christmas Day? What about the battle of Canary Wharf? A Cyberman in every home?"
"My boyfriend says it's like a sort of terrorism," Gwen replied. "Like they put drugs in the water supplies. Psychotropic drugs, causing mass hallucinations and stuff."
Ruby set down her glass. "Well...your boyfriend could be smarter."
"Oh, you've met him?" Gwen responded, making Jack laugh and Ruby smile. Gwen smiled softly, letting out a soft laugh, before looking back to her glass.
After a moment, she looked back up. "So...you catch aliens?"
"Yep," Jack replied.
"You catch aliens for a living," Gwen repeated.
"Yes, we do," Ruby responded.
"You're alien catchers?" Gwen continued.
"Yes, we are," Jack answered.
"Caught any good aliens?" Gwen asked.
"Tons of them," Ruby stated.
"That's a hell of a job," Gwen replied then.
"Sure is," Jack agreed, chuckling. Gwen smiled, rubbing her mouth as Jack, then Ruby, took a drink of their waters.
"This is so weird," Gwen muttered.
"You could say that," Ruby agreed, smiling.
"And...who are you two then?"
Jack folded his arms, watching Gwen. "Captain Jack Harkness."
"I did some research," Gwen commented. "And there's only one Captain Jack Harkness on record. And he disappeared in 1941."
"Well, that couldn't be me, could it?" Jack responded, his face neutral.
Gwen met his gaze for a moment, before turning to Ruby. "And you? You're…" Gwen had searched for Ruby, then added that she had had bright red eyes, that her eye color was actually red. She had figured some results would come up, but nothing at all.
Ruby met Gwen's eyes, and Gwen realized who Ruby reminded her of- someone who had seen too much. Whether grandparents, veterans, or others from older generations, they had a look in their eyes, a knowing look, as if they had seen so much, and yet at the same time too much.
"I'm no one," Ruby stated softly.
Jack spoke then, turning Gwen's attention back to him and effectively changing the conversation. "We don't just catch aliens. We scavenge the stuff they leave behind. Find ways of using it. Arming the human race for the future." Ruby looked to Jack then, putting one of her hands over his. Jack met her eyes, turned his hand to hold hers, before looking back to Gwen. "The twenty-first century's when it all changes, and you gotta be ready."
"But who's in charge of you?" Gwen asked, making ruby look back to her. "Is it the government, or what?"
Jack shook his head. "We're separate from the government, outside the police, beyond the United Nations."
Ruby spoke then, softly but almost...authoritative. "Because if one power got hold of this stuff, they could use it for their own purposes."
"But…" Gwen hesitated a moment form the look in Ruby's eyes. Ruby looked so...insistent then, as if she knew what would happen if someone else got those things. "So could you."
Ruby just shook her head, another knowing look in her eyes. A look as if to say, "Never."
Jack glanced at Ruby, before meeting Gwen's eyes. "All alien technology stays on the base. No one's allowed to take anything outside."
There was a pause, before Gwen asked, "So go on then, how the hell did you end up in Cardiff?"
"This is Torchwood Three," Ruby stated.
Jack nodded, continuing, "Torchwood One was London, destroyed in the battle. Torchwood Two is an office in Glasgow."
"A very strange man," Ruby added, nodding as Gwen took another drink of her beer, the glass almost empty now.
"Torchwood three, Cardiff," Jack continued, nodding. "Torchwood Four's kinda gone missing, but we'll find it one day." Jack and Ruby met each other's gazes, smiling as if they were sharing an inside joke, before turning back to Gwen.
"So you just fancied Cardiff?" Gwen responded.
"There's a rift in space and time running right through the city," Ruby explained. "The Weevils didn't come in a spaceship. They kinda just...slipped through."
Jack nodded. "All sorts of things get washed up here. Creatures, timeshifts, space junk, debris." He shrugged. "Flotsam and jetsam."
Gwen nodded, joking, "Sounds like Cardiff."
"Hey, hey hey, don't knock it," Jack replied, smiling. "We're citizen's."
Gwen didn't laugh or smile though, looking between the pair. "But...where are you from?"
Jack paused, looking down. Ruby though, without a second to think and without looking away from Gwen replied, "Everywhere."
Jack nodded, looking back to the officer. "All sorts of places."
Gwen sighed, but accepted the answer, leaning forward then. "Thing is, we could liaise on this. The serial killer. I could be like your liaison with the police."
Jack's smile fell, and he nodded. "Right, I can see the mistake. You think because we showed up at the scene of crime, we're out to catch the killer." Gwen nodded. "Sorry, Nothing to do with us."
"Then what were you doing there?" Gwen asked, furrowing her eyebrows.
"Testing the glove," Ruby answered. "We need murder victims, simple as that. The glove only works on the recently deceased, and the more violent the trauma, the stronger the resurrection."
Jack nodded, glancing at Ruby, but looking back to Gwen. "All we need it fresh meat."
"No, you were asking that man, John Tucker. I saw you," Gwen replied. "You were asking him about his killer."
"He'd just been murdered, what else are you gonna ask?" Ruby responded.
"You could get an ID," she answered. "You could help."
"We're busy," Jack stated in response.
"And your work is more important," Gwen stated.
Jack nodded. "Now you got it."
"Well, that's tough shit. Cos if you let me go, then I have a duty. I can tell them what you've got, cos that glove could help us," Gwen explained, nodding slowly.
"If you remember," Ruby replied then, making Gwen's gaze snap to her.
"What'ch you mean?" Gwen asked.
"How's your drink?" Jack asked, shrugging.
Gwen looked from her glass to Jack, then to Ruby. "Have you poisoned me?"
"Don't be so dramatic," Jack responded.
"It's an amnesia pill," Ruby stated. "My own recipe, with a touch of denial and a dash of Retcon. When you wake up tomorrow morning, you'll have forgotten everything about Torchwood."
"Worse still, you'll have forgotten us," Jack added, shrugging. "Which is kinda tragic."
Gwen stood up quickly, darting out of the bar.
Sighing, Ruby and Jack stood, grabbing their jackets and following her.
"Don't think you can fight it by staying awake," Ruby called. "I mixed in a little bit of sedative too."
"Then I'll tell someone," Gwen stated.
"Do you want to do that?" Jack questioned. "Do you really want us to come and find them too?"
"You bastards," Gwen cursed.
"Language," Ruby replied.
"Nice knowing you, Gwen Cooper," Jack called, as she ran down the street.
Jack and Ruby turned and walked the opposite direction, Ruby sliding her arm through his. "I do like this mix though- I think it'll work like a charm."
"Can't wait to see," Jack replied, smiling.
Jack rested his hands on his hips, standing on the edge as he looked out over the horizon.
"You wanted to talk up here?"
He glanced back, smiling as he saw Ruby as the edge of the structure. "There you are. Come on."
Ruby rolled her eyes but carefully moved out to him, sliding her hands into her pockets. "Why here, Jack?"
Jack sighed, glancing over the city. "...That murder from the other night…"
"John tucker?" Ruby asked. "What about him?"
"...I found something," Jack said softly. "And up here...no CTVs to listen in or watch."
Ruby sighed. "...you found it too?"
Jack's eyes flashed to Ruby's. "You too?"
She nodded, his face grim. "What do you want to do?"
Ruby stood from looking at the camera footage, meeting Jack's eyes and nodding. Jack nodded in return, glancing at Suzie as she walked out, everyone else still working.
As the door shut, Jack moved to Ruby, closing their office door behind him. "Sound?"
"Working," she replied, sitting back down. "Recording for our records too."
"Good," he muttered, moving behind Ruby and leaning down, watching with her, neither uncomfortable by the proximity.
Jack and Ruby watched Gwen and Suzie move towards each other. Feeling her gut twist as Suzie pulled the murder weapon from her purse, Ruby grabbed her jacket. "Jack…"
Jack had his jacket in hand as well. "I see it."
"If I can get enough practice, then think what the glove could do," Suzie said, the gun still in her hand. "If I could get it work all the time, on anything, beyond the two minutes, if it could work permanently, it could resurrect." Jack slowly rose from the ground on the invisible lift, his eyes on Suzie as she continued. "Resurrection on demand for the whole world, isn't that good? Isn't it, though? Well, that's what I've been working for, all day and all night. The rest of them go swanning about, but I'm working."
Gwen, not seeing Jack, kept her eyes on Suzie, her hands up. "You've got to get inside this stuff. Surrender yourself to it," Suzie continued. "I did, with the knife and the glove, and that's why the perception filter isn't gonna work on me."
Turning her gun, Suzie shot Jack in the head, his body falling to the floor.
Gwen gasped, stepping back. "What? Who is he? Where did he come from? What have you done?"
Suzie turned the gun back to Gwen, cocking the gun, neither of them noticing a figure behind Suzie.
"Please, don't," Gwen begged.
"I can't let you go," Suzie replied, shaking slightly.
"Please," Gwen tried.
"I've got to," Suzie replied, making Gwen start to sob. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I've got to. I've got to. I've got to."
Gwen looked up as another gun cocked, only to see Ruby standing behind Suzie, a gun in her hand and her face black. Beside Ruby, Jack stood up, the bullet wound still in his head.
"Put down the gun, Suzie," Ruby stated.
Suzie froze for a moment, before turning around, her eyes wide. She hadn't heard Ruby at all, and now Jack was standing beside her...the bullet wound in his forehead healing in front of Suzie and Gwen's eyes.
"Suzie, it's over," Jack said then. "Now, come with us." He held out his hand for her gun, Ruby's own gun still trained on her.
Suzie looked back to Gwen, who sighed in relief at the thought of being safe. Suzie though, straightened her shoulders. Ruby noticed instantly, about to move forward when Suzie held her own fun to her chin, pulling the trigger.
Gwen gasped, Jack's hand falling in regret as Ruby closed her eyes, her arm falling to her side.
Jack looked down at Suzie just as Gwen muttered, "I...remember."
Ruby and Jack both looked to Gwen. A tear fell down her cheek as she looked to Ruby and Jack, the woman repeating, "I remember…"
Ruby slid the glove and the knife into the metal box, closing it and locking it, before stepping aside. Ianto took the box and slid it into the Archives, before looking to Ruby and Jack.
Jack looked to Owen and Tosh, who both stepped forward and put their alien technology on the desk, solemn looks on their faces.
Jack slid the body bag closed over Suzie, before pushing the tray into the freezer. He paused as it slid into place, glancing at Ruby. She nodded solemnly, shutting the door as Jack stepped back.
She stepped back then as well, glancing over the wall. Jack, knowing what she was thinking, slid his arm around her waist. Ruby leaned against him, her arm wrapping around his back as they both turned and walked out of the basement.
The sun started to rise over Cardiff, Gwen on the roof with Ruby and Jack, who had only been there the previous day.
"Owen and Toshiko," Gwen said softly, looking at Jack. "You didn't tell them that you were shot in the head and survived."
"You didn't tell them either," Jack replied. "Followed my lead. Keep doing that and you might just get through this"
Gwen shook her head and sighed. "But she killed you," she insisted, looking to Jack, who was on her right. Ruby was on the other side of Jack, watching the sunrise.
"I can't die," Jack replied.
"Okay," Gwen responded, as if she knew what she was hearing was a lie.
"But I can't," Jack insisted, looking back over the horizon as well, feeling Ruby take his hand as he started to explain. "Something happened to me a while back. Long story and far away. But I was killed…" Jack squeezed Ruby's hand, looking back to Gwen. "And then I was brought back to life. And ever since then...I can't die."
"But how-" Gwen started
"I don't know," Jack interrupted. "One day I'll find a doctor, the right sort of doctor." Ruby cracked a smile, Jack squeezing her hand again. "...and maybe he can explain it, but until then…"
"Nothing kills you?" Gwen finished.
"Well, it kind of freaks people out, so…" He looked to the woman again. "Best if you don't say anything."
Gwen sighed, before glancing at Ruby. "You though, you…"
Ruby met Gwen's eyes then, nodding. "I've known for a long time."
"How long?" Gwen asked, curious.
"Long," Ruby replied softly.
"Us two...we have secrets, Gwen," Jack stated, looking at the woman. "You've just touched the tip of the iceberg."
"Think you can handle that?" Ruby questioned.
Gwen opened her mouth, but closed it, looking away. She then replied, "It doesn't matter anyway. You'll only wipe my memory again."
"Why would we do that?" Ruby asked.
Gwen's gaze turned to them in an instant.
"Torchwood's got a vacancy. Job going spare. Do you want it?" Jack asked.
"But...what do you need me for?" Gwen questioned.
"Cause maybe you were right," Ruby stated. "We could do more to help."
Jack smiled slightly. "What do you think? Do you want to join up?"
Gwen paused a moment, before replying, "Yeah." Jack and Ruby smiled, Gwen looking over the horizon again. "I do, yes."
Ruby stood from cleaning Suzie's desk, looking around slowly.
Jack and Ruby had told Tosh, Owen, Ianto, and now Gwen, to take the day off. And since it was Friday, they would have a three day weekend. Time for Gwen to take care of her old job, time for Owen and Tosh to...sort a few things out, and time for Ianto to relax.
Jack had told Ruby to give the radio a break for a few days, the woman being burned, singed, and almost electrocuted. So, Ruby had decided to clean out Suzie's space fully, not just the alien items the woman had been working on.
It was bittersweet, packing away what Suzie had been working on, packing away the woman's hobbies, and even life. But it...needed to be done. Suzie had made a mistake, a big one. Yes, Ruby knew humans did make mistakes, everyone did. But...killing people had crossed that line for her. So while Ruby would miss the old Suzie, she would not miss the Suzie that had been killing for months.
Turning slowly, Ruby looked over the now empty space.
Jack, who had been keeping an eye on Ruby from their office, moved closer to her and asked, "What?"
"This would make a good work area," she replied.
Jack furrowed his eyebrows. "Work area? You have an office already."
"I know that," she replied. "I mean…" Sighing, she met Jack's eyes. "I'm fine sharing an office, really. I just...feel bad that my tinkering takes up so much space. If I moved my projects and tinkering over here, it would become our office rather than 'Jack but mostly Ruby's' office."
Chuckling, Jack smiled. "You know your 'tinkering' has never bothered me."
"I know, but...I still feel bad," Ruby muttered
"Well, if you really feel that bad...go ahead," he responded. "It is a good space, good vantage point. Move your tinkering and projects over there, paperwork in the office."
Smiling, Ruby nodded and jogged up to him. "Sounds brilliant." Kissing his cheek, she moved to the office, gathering up projects and tools, making Jack chuckle and rub the cheek she had kissed.
A/N: And we have part three! The final part of episode one, and we're getting more of a grasp on Ruby. ;) Who is she exactly? What's her connection to Jack? What do you guys think?
Notes on Reviews:
Chapter 1:
Purplestan- This was really good but I just have one question. Why do some of the characters keep saying "ya" instead of yeah or yes. It just sounds odd to me I'm glad you liked it! The "ya" is from the script I'm using, sorry. I'll try to get better with that. I might also use it in different senarios, depending on what I think the person is saying. To me, "ya", "yeah," and "Yes", all have different sounds and different meaning in context. But I'll keep an eye out for it!
scripturient3201- ok...im curious. I hope you are! We have a lot of fun coming. ;)
Chapter 2:
Purplestan- Another great chapter. And honestly I have no idea who Ruby is but those eyes ? Like the only reason a human would have red eyes is because their albino. So she's either a albino or a alien. Thank you! I'm so glad you liked the chapter! :) And those are definitely not a human trait...and she's not albino...so who is she? ;)
scripturient3201- the wait was kinda worth it. glad you're updating again! cant wait to find out more! Thank you for your patience! I'm gonna tyr to keep updating as much as I can, depending on how fast I can write parts. :) I can't wait to post more! It's going to get very exciting. ;)