Sorry it's taken me a while to update, I've had some computer troubles, but now I'm back at school so I can update from there! This is a wrap up to the Southerndown Ghosts story, next up the team take on a Killer Android.
Southerndown Ghosts 3
Jack and Astra entered through what appeared to be a service entry, that led into the kitchens. Astra stayed almost on top of Jack, like he'd ordered. He still wasn't happy that she'd insisted on coming, but she'd made an argument that none of them could compete with, even him. The kitchen appeared safe and Astra started to trail away from him, to explore on her own. Till she heard a noise, like there was someone else in the room with them, but after looking around, she realized that it was still just the two of them.
She heard the sound again, something was rattling the pots and it wasn't Jack. He was looking around too. Suddenly, he started running for her, "GET DOWN!" He ordered. He pulled her down as a pot went flying overhead. They heard it clatter against the wall on the other side of the room. Staring at each other while lying on the floor of the kitchen, Jack's expression of relief turned to anger, "I thought I told you not to leave me side!"
"I..." She couldn't come up with an answer as Jack got up, then offered her his hand to her. She took it, shyly.
"Don't do it again!" She just quickly nodded and followed him into the next room. Staying extremely close to him, she followed him through the dining room and some sort of class room.
"Do you hear that?" She asked softly.
He nodded, "It's probably the Gelth in the walls..."
"It's like they're talking to each other..."
He glanced back at her, she had an odd understanding of the aliens. She'd noticed how the Weevil was sad, "What do you think they're saying?" He asked, curious as to what her answer would be.
She looked around them, "I don't know... But I'd say they're angry..."
They stood there, standing in the classroom listening to the sounds around them. Till Jack heard footsteps. He spun around, his gun was pointed at the door. He lowered it when he saw Toshiko standing there.
"Tosh? Where's Ianto?" Jack asked.
She looked at him, as if she was herself, "I... uhh... lost him..."
As Jack turned his back to Toshiko to look around, he missed the gleam of blue in her eyes, but Astra didn't, "Jack..."
"Not now!"
Tosh looked at Astra as she spoke, Jack was looking at his watch, trying to determine where the rest of his team was. Toshiko, controlled by the Gelth within her raised her weapon to Jack, obviously perceiving Astra as no threat. As she fired Astra screamed his name and flung herself on Jack, pushing him to the ground. The bullet flew over both their heads as they landed with a thud on the floor.
"She's possessed!" Astra hissed in his ear, from her position on top of him.
Jack looked up at Toshiko to see the glaring blue that had once again taken over her eyes. Astra slid off him and onto the floor. He looked at the young woman beside him, she didn't know he was immortal. That he couldn't die. She'd risked her life for him. An innocent girl had risked her life for a guy she barely knew and probably didn't want to know the truth about. He looked at her and slid is gun into her hand, "Go, find Gwen and Owen."
She looked at him shocked, "What about Ianto?"
"We need help... Gwen and Owen are in the alter room, it's just down that hall," He cocked the weapon so that it was ready to fire if she needed it, "Be careful."
"What about you?"
"I'll hold Toshiko off, now GO!" He ordered. Jack and Astra got to their feet at the same time, "Tosh, let's talk about this," He said, walking away from Astra. She watched hesitantly as Toshiko's attention followed Jack.
When she was sure Jack had the woman's undivided attention, she made a run for it. Down the hall. Left like Jack had told her. Not more then five feet out of the room, she heard another gunshot. Jack didn't have a weapon anymore. Astra came to a sudden halt at the sound, she looked back towards the room she'd just left. Then glanced down the hall to where Jack had said the others were. Glancing one more time towards where she'd left she took off running to find Gwen and Owen.
As she neared the large central hall where the congregation would've normally met, she was met with the sound of several more gunshots, "Shit..." She muttered to herself. She opened the door to the room and glanced in, she spotted Owen, helping Gwen to her feet and she ran up to them, "Help... Jack's in trouble... Toshiko shot him!" She said it way too fast and she was panting from running and all the fear that was coursing through her right now.
"What?" Owen asked.
"Tosh... She's possessed... She shot Jack!"
"Take us there!" Gwen ordered. She didn't need to be told twice as she lead them full speed to the room she'd left Jack in. As Gwen and Owen followed her, they knew Jack would be fine. He had this bad habit of getting up again after dying. Gwen had figured that out when she'd first met him, when Suzie had shot him and he'd gotten back up. But Owen, hadn't found out till they'd mutinied again their Captain. He, himself had shot Jack and he'd gotten up again. Then, Jack had come back after Abaddon. It was Toshiko that they were worried about.
They made it to the classroom, where Jack had managed to pin Toshiko to the wall. Her gun had fallen to the floor. Owen moved in to grab it, "What happened Jack?"
"I don't know-" Jack was cut off by a sudden burst of strength from Toshiko's small body that sent him flying. Her eyes glowed blue, almost lighting the entire room. She stared right at Gwen.
"Must kill Gwyneth!" She screeched.
"Shit... Not again!" Gwen groaned as she jumped out of Toshiko's way.
"Again?" Jack yelled, as he jumped after Toshiko.
Owen moved to help him and together they managed to hold her down again, "One of them kept looking at Gwen... Saying she needed to die. Calling her Gwyneth."
Astra thought as she pulled Gwen to the side, "Gwyneth was the servant girl's name. The one that closed the rift and killed the Gelth."
"They think I'm her?" Gwen cried.
"They must. That's the second time one's tried to kill you!" Owen groaned as Toshiko struggled, "I don't remember Tosh being this strong..." He complained looking at Jack.
"It's not her, it's the Gelth!" He looked over to Gwen and Astra, "Go, find Ianto. She must've done something to him. We'll look after Tosh. And for heaven's sake, don't get killed!"
Gwen grabbed Astra's hand and they ran out of the room, "They went in via the back, that should be this way," Gwen said, pulling Astra in the opposite direction of where she'd gone previously.
As they ran down the hall, Astra could hear the Gelth in the walls. They were getting louder, "Gwen..."
"What?" She asked, looking back at the girl.
Astra looked at the walls, "They're getting louder... I think they're following you..."
"Great... Just fucking great..." Gwen mumbled as they looked for Ianto.
Ianto, had woken up, and had barely managed get himself standing when Gwen and Astra came into the hall that he'd been left in. He wobbled unsteadily and both women went to his side, to help him.
"Where... Where's Tosh?" He asked slowly.
"Being held down by Owen and Jack," Gwen said as they made their way back to the classroom slowly.
"After nearly trying to kill Gwen..." Astra added.
"It... It's in her..." Ianto muttered.
"We know," Gwen and Astra said at the same time.
About halfway back to the classroom, where Jack and Owen were fighting Tosh, the blue gas beings emerged from the walls again, "Not again..." Ianto complained as they started circling the group.
"What now?" Astra asked. She wasn't the Alien fighter, they were. This wasn't what she'd expected when she'd decided to stay and help. She was wondering if she should have stayed in the car, like Jack had told her to.
"Kill the girl! Kill the Girl!" The Gelth chanted as the circled.
"Great... make it three times," Gwen muttered.
Ianto, who was a bit more steady on his feet now, pulled both women close to him. Then held his gun out towards the Gelth. Gwen followed suite. Astra looked nervously down at Jack's revolver, then held it up like the others.
"Kill Gwyneth!" The Gelth chanted as the attempted to charge Gwen. All three opened fire on the Gelth. While the bullets made no effect on their gaseous form, the noise from the gunshots, sent them reeling in fear.
"RUN!" Ianto cried and the three of them made a run for it. Gwen lead the way back to the classroom where Jack and Owen were. Entering, they slammed the door closed behind them. Leaning back, they took deep breaths as if the air was going to run out. Jack and Owen looked up at them from beside the now unconscious Toshiko.
"What the hell happened to you three?" Jack asked.
"She knocked me out..." Ianto said.
"The Gelth tried to kill Gwen again," Astra added.
"We ran..." Gwen started, "What did you do to Tosh?"
"We had to stun her..." Owen said, "It was the only way. The Gelth left her body shortly afterwards."
"How do we get out?" Gwen asked.
Jack pointed towards the dining room, "The side door should be free." He picked up Toshiko's limp body, "Come on."
The group followed Jack out, through the dining room and into the kitchen, "Be wary.. flying pots..." Astra muttered.
Owen glanced at her, as if wanting to ask what she meant, but thought better of it and continued after Jack. Outside in the open air, they paused for a breath, they started towards the car. Jack put Toshiko in the back seat, then looked back at the others, "We need to attract them to the hotel and burn it..."
The others nodded in agreement, "It's old, so it should be easy," Ianto said, looking at the structure.
They got to work, making sure nothing in the hotel would fail them. Astra listened as she looked around, "They're coming..." She said. She looked towards Gwen who wasn't far from her.
"Tell us when they're loudest," Jack said.
Astra nodded, they all walked towards the door of the hotel, so that they could make an easy exit. Gwen, who was ultimately the target, looked surprisingly calm. Astra smiled as she saw, Owen take her hand, supportively in his. Ianto, was leaning on Jack. His headache must've come back. Blood was caked against his face, but he was holding up.
"NOW!" Astra yelled as she heard the Gelth at their loudest. In fact they were so loud, they could all hear them.
Jack, who had found a can of oil and emptied it out on the floor, threw a lighter towards where he'd emptied the oil. The fire spread quickly and the team made a run for it. They reached the SUV and climbed in. It was a tight fit because of Astra, but Jack took the driver's seat, while Ianto took the passenger side. Gwen, Owen and Astra got in the back, not such an easy task with Tosh already there. They sat there a while, watching the place burn in silence, then Jack started the engine and started driving.
"We're taking the long way back to Cardiff."
-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-
The SUV pulled up outside a roadside motel. They were all tired. There was no denying that. Toshiko had woken up and was now complaining of a headache. Which Ianto argued couldn't be worse then his. Eventually, Jack had ordered them both to be quiet because they were driving everyone crazy. Astra had been silent the entire trip. She'd seen a lot this vacation, if it could be called a vacation. More then she'd expected to, but knew she wouldn't have missed it for the world. Jack had taken his revolver back at a traffic light somewhere several hours back, which she was glad about. She'd fired the weapon at a living being and that was what scared her the most. That she'd actually done it.
Ianto was about to get out when Owen stopped him, "You look like shit man, I'll book us in."
Ianto nodded as Owen got out. He returned about ten minutes later, "Two rooms."
"It's fine," Jack said, "Which ones?"
"Eighteen and nineteen."
"Ok, let's get in and get some sleep guys," Jack said as they grabbed their bags from the car. The girls all trudged to one room while the guys took the other.
Despite being tired, Astra found she couldn't sleep. It was about an hour after they'd checked in, both Gwen and Tosh had collapsed in exhausted heaps on the large double bed. Neither of them had cared. Astra lay staring at the ceiling. There'd been one single bed and since the others had taken the double, she'd taken that one. She didn't care though. She slid quietly out from under the covers and went outside onto the balcony. Standing at the edge, she quietly contemplated what had occurred and what she'd seen.
In the other room, Jack was lying next to Ianto. Owen was mumbling something in his sleep, which was incomprehensible on the single bed. Jack ran his hand a few times through Ianto's hair. The other man stirred, but didn't wake. It had been one hell of a job and now he had an issue. They'd taken an ordinary person with them. He smiled to himself. She'd saved his life. Sure, he didn't die and he probably didn't deserve it, but it was nice to know someone cared. Since figuring out that he couldn't die, he'd pretty much become the team's sacrificial lamb. Gwen objected to it always, but then she'd always known and was always shocked when he died. He got up out of the bed and searched through his stuff. He found Astra's sketch book and opened it to the page where he'd seen the picture of him. He ran his hand gently over the face of the young woman in the picture.
"How does she know about you Romi?" He asked softly. He sighed and leaned back in the chair. Looking out, he saw someone on the balcony of the room next door. He put the book down and went out quietly. He shook his head slightly when he recognized the blond hair of their visitor. He walked up beside her, "Couldn't sleep either?"
She jumped, startled by his sudden appearance on the balcony next to hers, "Uhh... No..."
He smiled, "Sorry... Didn't mean to scare you."
Astra smiled back at him, "It's Ok."
It was early afternoon, but they'd been up since midnight. He'd expected everyone to sleep, "I would've thought you were exhausted like the others," Jack said.
"I am..." She said, "I just... Don't sleep much... What about you, aren't you tired?"
"Don't sleep much," He replied, copying her. He watched her as she stared out over the road and towards the small town that they were in. She had no idea where they were. Since moving to Wales two years prior, she hadn't really left Cardiff, "What's your excuse?"
She looked at him, confused.
"For not sleeping," He said.
She shrugged, "When I sleep... It's like I'm living someone else's life... And despite all the things that went wrong it it, I still wish I really was living that life. All the travel and the adventure. The friends... Love... Family..." She smiled sadly at Jack, "Though after today, I can honestly say I've had a taste of her life."
"And what do you think of it?"
"I don't know..." She looked at him properly, he was still wearing the same shirt from the Church and she could see the bullet hole and the blood, "She shot you..."
Jack reached over and took her hand. Placing it against his chest, he looked at her seriously, "See? Nothing wrong."
She shook her head in disbelief, "How?" There was no hole in his chest, no scarring, nothing to indicate he'd been shot, but the hole in his shirt.
Still holding her hand, he smiled, "Someone saved my life once and now I can't die..."
Astra nodded, it wasn't totally out of this world. Or maybe it was. She didn't know anymore. Jack released her hand, "Go. Get some sleep."
"You too," She replied before walking back to her room.
Jack smiled as she walked back inside. He leaned against the banister for a few minutes, then walked back in and crawled back into bed beside Ianto. Instinctively, Ianto's arm curled around him as he settled down.
-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-
After waking up and hearing Owen's stomach rumble (even the girls had heard it) they'd decided dinner would be a great idea before heading off again. They'd showered, changed and walked to the corner pub for dinner.
Sitting at a table, large enough for all six they ate, talked, joked and laughed as if they did this every day. They included Astra as if she was part of the team. Talking about everyday life outside of Torchwood, they felt like they were regular people, with regular jobs and regular friends. After they'd finished their meals a band had started on the stage and people were getting up to dance. Owen grabbed Gwen up and onto the dance floor.
Ianto looked longly at Jack, but everyone in the pub was already looking at them. It was obvious that six strangers didn't often walk in. So, he looked at Toshiko and asked her if she wanted to dance.
"And I thought you hated me," She whispered.
"Not at all. It wasn't your fault," he replied with a smile, then took her hand and lead her up, leaving Jack and Astra at the table.
Jack smiled, he liked seeing his team happy and it was rare when that happened. Especially after Suzie's betrayal, but there had been moments, like playing basket ball in the base before finding out about Lisa. He looked over at Astra. Getting up he rounded the table to where she was sitting. Gwen and Tosh had decided to protect her from him, Owen and Ianto during dinner and had sat either side of her. He smiled charmingly, "Come on, why should they get all the fun?" he asked, holding his hand out to her.
She shook her head, "I don't dance Jack."
"Oh, come on!" He reached out and took her hand, pulling her out of the chair.
She laughed as he pulled her up, "I have two left feet!"
"I don't care!"
She smiled and allowed him to lead her out into the crowd.
"You know, Ianto wanted to dance with you," She whispered in his ear.
Jack nodded, "I know," He whispered back. Looking her in the face he winked, "I'll make it up to him when we return to Cardiff." Astra laughed at that.
It was a fun upbeat song and he danced with her till he felt a pain in his foot. Astra jumped back, "Sorry..."
Jack looked up at her, "You stood on my foot!"
She held her hands up in surrender, "You're not getting any sympathy from me mister, I told you I couldn't dance!" Jack's playful grin suddenly turned to a depressed frown, which caused Astra to wonder what she'd done wrong, "Jack? What's wrong? What did I do?"
"It's not you Astra," He said softly, he tried to smile, but it didn't reach his eyes, "I had a friend who used to say that... I'd make her dance with me... After she'd said she couldn't. She'd hold up her hands up the same way and would tell me that I'd get no sympathy after she stood on my feet..."
"What happened to her?" Astra asked as they walked back to the table.
He sighed, "She died... A long time ago..."
"I'm sorry Jack..."
He sat down, "Don't be... It was another life..."
After more drinks and much more dancing, the group headed back to the hotel. They were still laughing and joking as they headed back. Jack had even gotten into the mood again. When they returned to their rooms, they fell into their beds, exhausted, but refreshed from a fun night out, with no strings attached. A rare event for the members of Torchwood.
In the morning, they started the drive back to Cardiff, properly this time. Like Jack had said, they were taking the long way back. After what had been only a few hours drive to get there, it took them most of the day to get home, arriving at the hub in the late afternoon.
-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-
Astra stood in reception. She wasn't quite sure what to do now, Jack had already ordered the whole team to go home. She walked out among them, but now, after everything that had happened, which was now finally starting to sink in, she didn't want to go home and explain to her friends why she'd stayed. She didn't even know really. Something in her had just told her to. She walked out into the evening air. She looked around. It was a clear evening and the streets were already deserted. She took a deep breath of air and started walking towards the main road. Her apartment wasn't actually that far from the Millennium Center. She stopped again and looked around. She couldn't do it. She couldn't go home in this frame of mind. She collapsed onto a seat near the Water Tower.
Jack wondered up, to make sure everyone was heading home. He knew some of his team liked to hang around then come back into the hub to work. Not today. He wouldn't allow it. Walking around up top, in the open air, he didn't see any of his team. Gwen, Owen, Toshiko, even Ianto had taken his advice and left. What he hadn't expected to see was their young intruder, Astra Lifrey sitting, staring idly into space. Her bag dumped haphazardly beside her. He disappeared into reception and came back out with her sketch book. He hadn't given it back yet. Owen had been right though, she knew a lot about what was out there. More then anyone he knew, well, not the Doctor, but she knew more then any other person on Earth. He walked up to her silently.
"I thought I told you to go home."
She didn't look at him, instead she just kept staring at the Water Tower and ignored his question, "So... Are you going to make me forget again?"
"No," Jack said sitting beside her, "I won't. It's too dangerous..." She looked at him, confusion etched all over her young face, "One of my team... A former member. She gave too much Retcon to someone. He went insane. He killed a lot of people and even managed to lock us in our own base... I won't give Retcon out more then once."
"So what now? Isn't that what you have Ianto do? Take care of people who remember?"
Jack sighed, "We're not going to do anything to you Astra. Ianto would never do it and the rest of the team would hate me."
She looked up at the darkening sky, "So?"
"So, you're going to go home. Hang out with your friends, go to work, go to school. Be an everyday University student. We'll be here if you ever need to talk. Just go to Reception and ask Ianto for us."
"I can't."
"Yes you can."
"All this, realizing it's all true. That the things in my dreams aren't my imagination, but real. I want to know who I am Jack. I want to know where I came from."
Jack wrapped his arm around her shoulders, "I don't know if we can help you there." He'd seen the pocket watch. He knew what it meant, but he'd also seen what had happened when they'd released the Master. The world may have forgotten, but he hadn't. He didn't think the team could handle it if she wound up to be evil, if she tried to destroy the world and if she, this kid that they'd grown attached to turned out to be their enemy. He wasn't going to risk it.
Astra leaned her head on his shoulder, "How do you do it Jack? How do any of them do it? How do the rest of us not see it?"
Jack laughed softly, "Which one do you want me to answer first?"
"I don't know."
"How do you not see it? Simple, people don't believe what they don't want to believe in. They simply block it from memory. Take Gwen and Rhys. Gwen knows the truth. She was willing to believe, but Rhys, he believes events like Canary Wharf were mass hallucinations. I think he's an idiot, but she won't hear it."
Astra laughed softly, "I believe it all happened... It's like... I'd seen Daleks before..."
"Ahh, Deja Vu."
Astra nodded, "Probably..."
"Which reminds me," he hands her, the sketch book, which he'd again forgotten about.
She took it from him, "Where'd you find it?"
"Owen found it in the hotel. I forgot about giving it back... Sorry."
She smiled at him, "It's Ok..." She looked up at him, "I suppose you looked and..."
"Saw the guy who looked like me?" She nodded, "I also saw the date on it."
"Ok..."
"Now, you had other questions, How do I do it?" Astra laughed at him and his sudden change of subject, "I do it because I have to. I know what's out there. I've seen it, when I was traveling and I started working with this branch of Torchwood to help me find a friend..."
"A friend not from Earth obviously."
"Exactly. And as for the others, they have their own ways of coping and their own reasons for not running in fear. It's a job that gets into your head, that's for sure. Now, what do you say, I drive you home?"