Torchwood Four; Dublin, Ireland

Nessa Dove entered Trefor's suite and hoped she wasn't interrupting. He programmed the computer for her. Liam probably wouldn't appreciate an intrusion. The one complication with resolving the conflict with sex. Liam would likely want more from the arrangement than Trefor could give him. Another problem for another day.

They looked relaxed. Trefor looked like a sexy ad with a sheet covering him from the waist down. Liam slept face down next to him. He was definitely looking more relaxed. He'd been having trouble sleeping for days and wouldn't tell her why. She suspected it was a family problem.

She sat on the edge of Trefor's bed and ran her finger tips over his chest. "You could have joined us for the Yule feast."

"It was a family event." Trefor reached for her.

Everyone at Four was part of the family. She knew it was pointless to argue with him.

Trefor smiled. "Join me in the tub. We can relax."

Nessa leaned over Trefor and ran her hand over Liam's back.

"Nessa?" He asked quietly.

"Mind if I steal Trefor?"

Liam propped himself up and reached for Trefor. "Do I have to leave?"

"No." Trefor rolled over and lightly kissed Liam's temple. "Do you want to join us?"

Liam tilted his head and kissed Trefor. "I need sleep. I haven't slept much in days."

"Is everything okay?" Nessa asked.

"I don't know."

Admitting that much was progress. Nessa mused Liam's hair. "Sweet dreams."

General Trefor Williams settled into the tub. He wondered if he needed to renovate again, he'd chosen the tub for him and Nessa. There were a lot of things he had to figure out. Liam's question about leaving said they needed to talk. The general wasn't sure what to tell him.

Nessa stepped into the tub and slowly lowered herself into the water. She stretched out half on top of him, resting her head on his shoulder. "I like the new bathroom."

"Computer, play-list 1." Instrumental music filled the room.

Nessa laughed softly. "Nice."

Trefor ran a hand over her hair. "We needed a place to relax."

"What happened to the garden?"

"We'd scare the kids." Trefor laughed.

"Jeannette asked where Liam was at dinner. Keara started laughing. Malcolm turned bright red."

Trefor could picture it. "Is Jeannette okay?"

"Yeah. Liam's safe because he's not interested in her."

The situation was crazy. There were so many things that could go wrong having personal relationships with co-workers. The family connection made it work, but would be problematic down the road.

The music stopped. "Incoming message."

"Computer, play message."

"Trefor, this is Keara. Which at this point probably requires more explanation. We were friends once. I didn't intentionally fake my own death. Whether or not you'll believe me is for another time. There was a situation in Cardiff earlier today. I've since captured an alien ship with impressive concealment technology. The aliens are after John and we don't have a translator for their language. He knows I'm alive, but I don't know how he'll react to hearing from me. Could you be considerate? I need him to translate. I know you've always viewed John as a rabid dog, and couldn't understand why your sister loved him. But he made her happy."

"How many Kearas are there?" Nessa moved so they could get out of the tub. "The young one who stays here. The crazy one that screws with time."

"At least three." Trefor stood. "That one is from the original future."

Torchwood Three; Cardiff, Wales

From his office desk, Ianto Jones reviewed the scan readings on the secured cell they'd previously reserved for the Talbots. It wasn't a species in their database. The weapon technology was impressive. Repairing the mall damage was complicated because the weapon destroyed material rather than damage it.

Jack entered the office. "Anything?"

Ianto looked up from a tablet. "I have no idea what to feed him." He wasn't sure the atmosphere in the cell was correct. There was a possibility of respiratory issues.

"He's not in the database?" Jack crossed the room.

"No." Ianto held up his hands. "I recognize the language."

Jack sat on the edge of the desk. "How?"

"One of the languages Anwen picked up from being connected to John. Same swear words."

Jack nodded. "A port languages."

"Where's John? We need him to translate."

"He took Ken home."

Ianto sat back. "Kailen's called about CCTV. Two aliens went after Ken and Robert. Why isn't John here?"

"Ken didn't handle Maryn Tew's death. He was threatened, lost his job, and has a stressful roommate. Ken needs him more than we do right now."

"John grew a conscience." Ianto shook his head.

"That surprised Robert." Jack paused. "He let me scan his translator. Four will be able to replicate it."

"Where's the database?"

"His ship."

Ianto took a moment. "His inaccessible ship?"

"One more puzzle." Jack held out his hand. "What's wrong?"

"Christmas. Is it to much to want one day?" Ianto exhaled. "Dawn's sick. An alien attacked. Gordon-Glen."

"Come here."

Ianto stood. Torchwood affected every part of their lives. Any plans could be disrupted on no notice.

Jack slid off the desk, and hugged him. "We'll figure it out."

"Are we inviting Robert?"

Torchwood Nova Scotia; Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada

Luc Sarkisian reviewed the Alaska information. The readings were similar to Atmore, but reminded him of the Cardiff Dock situation when Tiarni Atmore arrived. Some type of alchemy elevator had been used to retrieve Tiarni from a version of Atmore in the past. Details she provided suggested her experiences in Atmore led to Rhys' group being able to survive there for two years. There was a lot they didn't know. That he couldn't understand.

If the same process was being used, it suggested more travelers from another time or universe would soon be arriving. The drone on-site was equipped to scan for people and deploy a modified ballistic shield around the base to protect them. The old science base was probably not built to be occupied during winter. It had no active power source. Temperatures that far north could be extremely cold in the winter time.

The ballistic shield could also be used to protect the newcomers from whoever was bringing them. From what he knew of Dmitri, Atmore, Tiarni and other Torchwood-related travelers, their arrival hadn't endangered their lives. Northern Alaska in the winter would be life-threatening if the people weren't prepared. The location had to mean something. Either it involved past research or was advantageous.

After the people were safe, the facility needed to be researched. Jack's CIA contact would hopefully cooperate. Any facility, or area, that made it possible to breach the universe or time had the potential for catastrophic consequences. It sounded insane. As Eryn said repeatedly, "if it happened, we know it's possible." He needed to figure out how.