Ok guys, The team continue their efforts to save Jack. Will they be successful? How will the cope going to the 51st Century? That's in the next chapter, for now we have a rogue Weevil and planning. Good things come to those who wait! Don't forget to review and tell me what you're thinking!

Anja

Forgotten 3

Astra sat on the floor in her bedroom. A sketchbook to one side and two writing books on the other. A fourth book was sitting in her lap. She was flipping through the pages. Not finding what she was after, she put the book aside and picked up the next one. She continued flipping through pages till she found what she was after. A highly detailed plan of: she couldn't quite believe it, but a Sonic Screwdriver. She read through the notes and on a pad of paper started writing down the stuff she'd need to buy to build one. She stared at her list. It wouldn't be cheap, thank god for the Torchwood Credit Card. She ripped that page off, folded it and slipped it into a pocket in her jacket. On another page she started writing instructions, from what she could gather from her notes in the book. When she was done, she stuffed the book in her bag. Put the list of instructions with it, then headed out again.

She rode towards the center of Cardiff. There was a good electronics store there, that she knew of and she thought she'd be able to find most of what she needed there, if not all. Plus, if she couldn't find it all, there was a good chance she could find it at the hub. Traffic was relatively light. It was after the lunch break and before the evening rush home. She maneuvered her way through the streets and found a small parking spot for her bike. She put her helmet in the carry box and took her bag out. Slipping her keys into the bag, she made her way into the store. She picked up a carry basket and pulled the list from her jacket pocket. Walking through the lanes of the store she dropped things into the basket. Looking at the numbers on the list, she always put in a few extra in case she'd miscalculated. Transistors, diodes, wires, switches, a laser light, circuit boards and various other things. Eventually he basket was full. Due to the small size of the products, most of the basket was actually full of packaging. She gave a once over to her list as she flicked through the stuff in the basket. Nodding to herself she made her way to the counter.

The checkout clerk looked up and raised an eyebrow. Before him stood a young woman, definitely not ugly and definitely bordering on pretty holding a large carry basket almost over flowing with small parts. She was slipping a list into her pocket as she put the basket on the counter. His usual customers were the geeky kind of men probably building some strange science fiction toy. If he only knew what she was building. He straightened, then started taking things from the basket and scanning them. He deposited the scanned items into a bag. She was waiting patiently for him to get through everything. A smile flickered across her face as he scanned the last item. The clerk looked up at her, "That'll be two hundred and sixty-four pounds."

A surprised look crossed her face, but she dug her purse from her bag and pulled out a corporate business Credit card. The clerk wasn't familiar with 'Torchwood' but the card identified her as 'Astra.' He didn't consider that a name for a company IT geek.

He swiped the card and handed the card reader to her so she could input the pin number. She did so, then handed it back to him. He watched her sign the receipt and handed her the card and bag of electronic goods. She thanked him and headed out of the shop.

It had been nearly two hours since she'd left the hub, the second time. She parked in the car park and grabbed everything out of the carry box. She walked to the information center and dropped her helmet behind the bench. She pressed the big red button then headed down to the hub.

"Where did you go?" Gwen asked.

"Shopping," Astra replied, dropping her personal bag beside her desk and the shopping back on top of her desk.

Gwen's eyes widened, "For what?"

She smiled, "Well, it turns out I think I know how to build a Sonic Screwdriver."

John looked up at this, "Really?"

"I think. It won't happen overnight, well, maybe it could if I worked on it all night. Let me see how I go." Taye came in a short while after her, carrying several boxes of Pizza. Ianto came down from the kitchenette carrying a tray of coffee, "Oh how I've missed you, Ianto!" Astra said as she took a coffee from the tray. Gwen took one and waited at Ianto gave one to John, then carried one for himself and Taye to the board room. They all followed.

Taye dropped the Pizza on the table, "Someone told me a nasty rumor that there used to be a delivery girl," He looked straight at Astra.

"Oh?" She asked innocently, looking up from her coffee, "Who told you that?"

"I did," Ianto said, putting Taye's coffee down, "I was talking out things I remembered. I remembered you delivering Pizza... I told you that earlier..."

She nodded and smiled, "Just don't let Taye get any strange ideas."

After they'd eaten, Ianto went around the hub. He was still familiarizing himself with things. He watched as he others moved around the hub, doing various tasks, preparing for the upcoming rescue mission. Astra was hunched over her desk, working with the small parts as she worked on building something, she hadn't explained before she'd left and now only John seemed to understand what she was talking about.

Slowly, as the night wore on, the need for each of them to be their dissipated. Slowly, they started heading out home Rhys had left earlier. There hadn't been any need for him there. Gwen left, wishing everyone a good night. Taye slipped out, there was no need for a medic at the moment. Ianto stayed, intently watching John. Astra was too concerned with what she was doing to notice. Ianto put a coffee next to her. She looked up briefly and smiled, "Thank you." She extended her hand and took the coffee cup from her desk. She inhaled the aroma first, then took a sip, the repeated her sentiment to Ianto, "Thank you!"

"You're welcome," He said.

John looked around, "There's nothing much I can do. You know how to contact me when you're ready." With that, he made his way to the stone slab. Ianto pressed the activation button, sending John up towards the surface, leaving just Astra and Ianto.

"Good riddance!" Ianto commented, once John was gone, he turned back to Astra who was smiling at him, "You're not going to be at that all night are you?" He asked.

She shrugged, "The sooner I get it done, the sooner we can go get Jack."

Ianto sighed, "But you really can't stay and work all night."

She looked at him defiantly, "Yes I can."

Ianto glared at her, but she just turned back to the slowly forming gadget on her desk, "Fine, as long as you're here, I'll stay."

She didn't respond as she read over the hasty instructions she'd written earlier that afternoon. She looked back to the mess of components that scattered her desk and picked something out of the pile. She hunched back over and got back to work. Ianto sighed and went over to his desk. His memory was still fuzzy about Torchwood Three, he'd use the time to read through case files and do some paperwork.

It was a few hours later when Ianto stood up to stretch. He looked towards Astra. Her head was slumped over her desk and her hands formed a pillow under it. She must have fallen asleep. Ianto checked the time, it was just past one in the morning. He glanced at the rift monitors, nothing odd appeared, no warnings. He looked back at Astra, wondering if he should wake her. He decided against it, figuring she'd just go back to working instead of getting some sleep. He cleaned up the packaging scattered on the floor around her, then collapsed on the ratty old couch. Within minutes he was asleep himself.

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

Gwen turned over in bed and snuggled closer to Rhys. He wrapped his arms around her, "Morning." He whispered.

"Morning."

She took a deep breath and stayed where she was. She didn't want to face work without Jack there. The fear that they couldn't get him back was consuming her. She'd been in Torchwood without Jack before. It was heart breaking. The team as she knew it was dwindling slowly. With Tosh and Owen gone, that left only her, Ianto and Jack. But she'd only joined the team because they'd lost Suzie.

Rhys stroked her hair, "Well come on, we best be getting up."

Gwen sighed and nodded against his chest. Slowly, she pulled the covers away and dragged herself up. She looked down at him, "What are you doing today?"

He shrugged, sitting up, "Don't know, I can come and help if you like?"

"I don't know know if there's much you can do," She said, starting to pick out the clothes that she'd wear, "We don't have a plan, we don't know anything. No, you go to work as normal."

He nodded, "Ok then."

They went about their usual morning routines till they reached the front door. Rhys gave Gwen a kiss and then they headed out. Rhys dropped her by the hub and he continued on to work. Gwen went in via the Information Center. She hurried down the hidden stairway till she reached the cog door. It opened, revealing the dark interior of the hub. On the couch, she could see Ianto, sprawled out after falling asleep. Amongst the clutter on the desk in front of the mass of computer screens, she saw Astra, still asleep where Ianto had left her.

She made her way to Ianto and gently shook his shoulder. He groaned softly and muttered something incomprehensible. He opened his eyes, just a slit, then closed them again. He opened them slowly again to realise that Gwen was still standing over him. He shifted slightly and eventually sat up straight, "I'm up, you can leave me alone now."

Gwen nodded and did so, as she was making her way across to Astra's desk, the cog door opened, the reveal Taye bounding in, far too cheerful. He held up a steaming bag of something, "I brought breakfast."

"Great," Gwen said. Ianto took the bag from Taye as he made his way to the kitchenette. Gwen nudged Astra awake, she groaned something about needing five more minutes, but Gwen nudged her again, "Wake up sleepy head," She said.

Astra looked up at her. She blinked a few times and Gwen came into focus. Taye was standing next to her. He reached out and plucked something from her forehead, above her left eye, "Are they sporting a new fashion trend at the University?" He asked, holding up a transistor. Feeling her forehead, Astra could feel the dint in the skin, where the transistor had been.

She reached out and grabbed it from him, "No..." She grumbled.

"Ianto's got breakfast in the board room, let's go," Gwen said, intercepting before a fight could begin between the two.

Astra nodded. She got up, her body was stiff after spending most of the night hunched over her project and the rest of the night sleeping on her desk. She stretched and pain shot through her body, "Ahh..."

Taye glanced at her, "You Ok?"

She nodded, "Yeah..."

They followed Gwen to the board room. Ianto had found plates for the bagels Taye had brought in. He disappeared back to the kitchenette and returned with the coffee, making all of them smile. They sat, none of them taking the head of the table, Jack's seat. As they began to eat, Gwen asked for where they were on a plan.

"Well, I've looked at the maps that John gave us. The prison is two floors down from the main entrance and is protected from all sorts of time travel and the like. The only way in to the council hall is only assessable by council members or people on committees run out of the place," Taye explained, "I'm sure we can do something about that though..."

"Well, if we've got some things that I'm allowed to break," Astra said, "Then I can test the Sonic Screwdriver."

"You sound optimistic," Ianto said.

She glared at him, "I have no idea how it's supposed to work or if I did it right. I will most likely break a few things..."

"I'll find something you can break then," Ianto said.

She smiled at him. She looked at her PDA as it beeped, "If anyone has nothing to do, there is a Weevil sighting on the other side of the bay."

Gwen nodded, "Ianto and I will go."

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-

Ianto set the SUV's navigation system to track the Weevil via their rift activity program as Gwen started the car. They headed away from the hub as the peak hour traffic was dying off. The road along the bay was only semi crowded, so they made good time to the other side. Gwen tapped her fingers idly on the wheel as she drove. Ianto stared out of the window at the bay.

"Do you think we'll find him Gwen?" He asked suddenly.

Gwen looked over at Ianto briefly, "Of course we will."

Ianto looked at her as she turned to look at the road once more, "It's not like other times."

"I know Ianto, but he needs us."

Ianto returned to looking out of the window, "Do you trust John to help him?"

"I don't trust John at all, but he seems to hate this council that took Jack."

"I suppose."

Gwen pulled the car over as the navigation system claimed they were at their desired location. The Weevil hadn't moved much. They got out of the car, checked their weapons, and their supply of Weevil spray, "You ready?" She asked.

Ianto nodded. They carefully made their way into the abandoned shop. It was dark and smelt damp, as if it had rained inside and the wood had never dried. They cleared the first room, which had once been a large show room. There was a door behind the counter, which lead to a back store room. Ianto lead the way through the door. To the side was a staircase leading up, and just underneath the staircase was a trap door, leading to the basement. The trap door was open and Inato and Gwen could hear something moving around below.

Gwen shone her flash light down the hole left by the open trap door. The noise sounded as though what ever was down there had moved away from the light. Suddenly, as Gwen looked away from the hole to Ianto, something jumped out from the hole. Gwen screamed as the Weevil landed on her and pushed her to the ground. She clutched the Weevil spray in her hand and closed her eyes.

Ianto yelled her name as he fired at the Weevil. He noticed the Weevil slouch and collapse on top of Gwen. She still had her eyes tightly closed and was spraying as if there was no tomorrow. Ianto ran over to her and pushed the Weevil off of her, "Gwen!" He said, grabbing her hand to stop her from spraying him, "Gwen. It's me. Ianto!"

Her hand relaxed and the Weevil spray fell to the ground beside her. Slowly she opened her eyes, blinking a few times, before Ianto came into her vision, "What... What happened?"

"It jumped out at you."

She looked at it as Ianto offered his hand to help her up. She took it and as she got up, asked, "Is it dead?"

Ianto shrugged, "Don't know. You did hit it with almost a whole bottle of Weevil spray. Come on... Let's get it to the SUV."

-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-


Gwen and Ianto made their was up to the main hub from the vault. The Weevil was securely locked in a cell beside Janet and it was still out cold from the Weevil spray. The bullet wounds from Ianto's weapon hadn't been fatal. Upon reaching the main area, they couldn't find anyone. Upon Astra's desk, lay a smoking piece of electronics, which may have once been a digital clock. Ianto looked around. He heard a sound coming from the small medical bay which lead off from the main hub. He made his way there. Sitting on the table, usually reserved for dead aliens, was Astra. Taye was wrapping her left hand a gauze bandage and talking to her softly.

"What happened?" Ianto asked, Gwen coming up behind him.

"She tried to blow herself up with an alarm clock," Taye replied, casually as he clipped the gauze into place.

Astra turned to look at them "I didn't try to blow anything up. I said things would break..."

"You never said it would be you," Gwen commented, coming down the stairs.

Astra rolled her eyes, "It's just a small burn."

"Small?" Taye almost cried, "It's half of your hand!"

Ianto's eyes went wide, "Astra!"

"I'm fine!" She said, "And I'm going back to work."

"There's nothing left to break," Taye insisted.

She glared at him, "I wasn't going to break anything else. I think I know how to fix it!"

"That's what you said the first four times. After that I stopped asking," Taye replied, rolling his eyes.

Gwen looked at Ianto, "How long were we gone for?"

Ianto looked at his watch, "A little under three hours."