Fear 2
It was late. No one was around. Even Jack seemed to be gone. She looked around the hub and quickly made her way from the cog door entrance to her own desk. Anything in the hub could be done from her desk. She didn't bother sitting down as she activated the screens that surrounded her area. She glanced around to be sure no one else was around. The cog door always alerted anyone who was there. Why hadn't she taken the lift? The lift was silent. She accessed the computer's Rift Activation Program. She typed in her access codes.
--RIFT KEY REQUIRED--
She stared at the words. Where was the rift key kept? Jack's Office. How did she know that? They'd never discussed it. She left her desk and headed up to the office of her boss. She was quiet. Not wanting to alert him should he be there. She searched through the office, searching. He wouldn't be foolish enough to leave it just lying around and after Owen had gotten his hands on it, he'd of changed it's location. She stared towards the safe where Jack kept everything dangerous hidden. She smiled to herself knowingly. It was there.
She walked up to the safe. The key pad that only Jack and Ianto knew the password too... Or were they the only ones...? She raised her hand to the key pad and pressed "-3-6-1-8-6-7-" The numbers on a mobile phone could spell "Doctor." She held her breath. The door to the safe unlocked. She pulled the door open and started searching through the boxes. In a small one she found what she was after. The Rift Key.
She grabbed it and headed downstairs to the main hub again. Her wicked grin grew as she approched the central column. Everything was ready. All she needed to do was put the key in. She looked at the disk shaped key in her hand.
"Here comes the end of the world!" She said, then slammed the key into place. The central column came to life as the rift started to open. She laughed as she made her way to her desk to watch the news and CCTV footage.
The cog door opened behind her, "What have you done?" A voice cried. It was Jack.
-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-
Astra stared around her room. Everything seemed somewhat strange to her, as if she didn't know what any of it was. She blinked a few times, she was sweating and she couldn't seem to catch her breath. Slowly, her room started to become familiar again and her breathing returned to normal. She threw the covers off her bed and swung her legs out. As she stood, her legs were shaky and she reached out for the sideboard.
She walked around to the other side of the room and stared at herself in the mirror. Her hair was a mess, her eyes red and her cheeks blothy. She wiped her eyes and looked around the room again. Something was wrong in there. She quickly changed into the jeans and t-shirt she'd been wearing when she came home from the hub, then grabbed her work bag and left.
Cardiff was quiet at this time of night. The streets were empty and it didn't take her long to get to the hub. She parked her bike beside the SUV in the underground carpark and made her way into the hub through the vault. She stopped when she entered. This is where she had been. It had been here, in the hub... She'd opened the rift... She made her way to her desk and went to turn her computer system on, but stopped, suddenly feeling sick. She looked around. It was dark, there wasn't even any light from Jack's office... Maybe tonight he'd been able to sleep...
She stepped back from her desk and made her way to the old couch under the Torchwood sign. She sat down and curled her legs under herself and closed her eyes, but when she did, she saw herself standing by her desk, laughing as reports flew over her screens of world wide disasters. She pulled the blanket over herself. She fell into a restless and nightmarish sleep.
Ianto came up from Jack's room. Once in Jack's office, he straightened his suit and ran a hand through his hair. He left the office and bounded down the stairs to get everyting ready for when the team came in. He stopped suddenly when he noticed someone else there. He looked at the couch and the sleeping form of Astra. He made his way over slowly, but stopped as she stirred. She cried softly, "It wasn't me..."
Ianto started towards her again, but stopped as she sat up straight, her breathing rapid and tears rolling down her face. She blinked a few times, looked arund the hub. She didn't seem to notice him as she sat there.
"You Ok?" He asked, softly.
She looked at him, slightly dazed, "Ianto?" She looked at the clock, it ws only five in the morning. Ianto had been there with Jack. She got off the couch and nodded, "Yeah... fine... I'm going to grab a shower..." And with that headed towards the locker room.
Ianto watched her walk away and shook his head. She was a terrible liar. He picked up the blanket from the couch to fold it up and noticed it was wet. She'd been crying for a while.
Jack came down and wrapped his arms around Ianto's waist, "Thinking about what we can to with that?" He whispered in Ianto's ear.
Ianto shook his head, "No..." He stared in the direction of the locker room, "We're not alone."
Jack straightened up behind him, "Who's here already?"
"Astra. She was sleeping on the couch... When I caught her she went off to the showers."
Jack frowned behind Ianto, "I drove her home..."
"I know..." Ianto proceeded to fold the blanket and layed it across the back of the couch, "Jack, I should really do some work..."
Jack nodded against his back, "Ok... You sure you don't want to come back?"
"Not now Jack," Ianto replied, he moved, releasing himself from Jack's grasp and gave him an apologetic smile and a small chaste kiss as he walked off.
-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-
Taye came in around eight, Gwen a little later. Ianto came around with coffee for everyone as they sat around the board room table. Astra greatfully took hers and drank, ignoring the scalding heat as she drank. She needed coffee. She'd been up since five and had spent the time working on the data from the warehouse. Ianto glanced worriedly at her. He hadn't told Jack what he'd seen and he'd try to corner her later.
"What have we got?" Jack asked.
Astra held her hand up quickly, "I've got something for you," She said, before standing up, "The device you found is of a design from futuristic Earth I believe."
"How do you know?" Ianto asked.
She grinned, "Easy, "She put a picture up on the plasma. It showed a part of the device with odd characters written on it. Suddenly, Jack started to laugh. She looked at him, "You can read it?"
He nodded, "Oh yeah!"
Gwen, Ianto and Taye stared at him, "What?" Gwen finally asked.
He and Astra grinned at each other, then he said, "It says 'Made in China!'" He was still laughing.
"They're Chinese chracters?" Taye asked.
Astra nodded, "Yeah, I had to run them through a translator, but yeah, it's definitely made on Earth."
"Ok, what does it do?" Gwen asked.
"It's like a cloacking device. Actually, it's pretty bloody amazing. It will hide heat signitures, life signs. Block out hackers from accessing CCTV feeds, phone lines, computers, anything. It is the best protection device I've seen so far. It can also protect the source of hacking, like using it here in the hub then hacking into UNIT. They'd be unble to trace it. Of course, it does appear a little bit suspicious to people like us who are more awesome then regular cops who'd just think there was protective lining or something."
"We should keep that..." Ianto suggested.
Jack nodded, "I agree. Some cops are also on their way to pick up the guys who owned the warehouse."
After that, it was a pretty quiet day. Astra stayed out of any situations where Ianto could her alone. She knew he'd ask why she'd come back to the hub and what had happened. She didn't want to talk about it, in fact, she just wanted to forget the horrible nightmare. She drank as much coffee as she could to stay awake. When Jack dismissed everyone for the night. She didn't stick around, instead heading out with Gwen, just so Ianto couldn't talk to her.
-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-
Astra finished her hair as the door buzzer rang. She heard one of the girls open the door. It as Keely. She was talking animatedly to Danny in the front room. She grabbed her purse and headed out of her room. Danny smiled as she came up to them. He wrapped his arm around her, "You look beautiful," He said in her ear.
Keely was beaming from ear to ear, "Well, have a good time you two!"
"We will," Astra said. Danny lead her out of the apartment and down to his car. As they drove, Astra looked at him, "I want to apologize for the other night..."
"It's ok," He said, "What was the matter?"
"Work," She replied. She recognised the roads they were driving, "I work for a small security firm. They're all technologically inept there so the smallest thing goes wrong and they panic."
Danny laughed, "Ahh, so you're their lifeline."
"So to speak," She replied.
Danny stopped the car outside a small bar near the bay. They went in and spent the next few hours chatting, dancing and drinking. After that, Danny took Astra's hand and lead her along the bay through the Pass. Astra glanced at the CCTV cameras and noticed one following them. She shook her head and laughed softly to herself. Danny looked at her and smiled. He was glad she was happy too. They came to a stop by the waters edge and they looked out across the bay.
"The view isn't half as pretty as you are," Danny whispered in her ear.
She looked at him and smiled, "Thank you," She whispered back.
Danny leaned down and took her chin in his hand. Gently he placed a soft kiss on her lips. He pulled away afterwards and looked at her, "No, thank Keely," He said happily.
It took Astra a moment to come to her senses after the kiss. It hadn't really been anything special, but it had sent shivers through her body. She nodded, "Yes... Definatly thank Keely..."
He smiled and leaned in to kiss her again. This time he pushed gently for more before taking her passionatly. His tongue saught entrance into her mouth and she granted it. He moved his arms to hold her close. One hand rubbed her back and the held her around the hips. Her hands wer wrapped around his neck, gently pulling at his hair. When they came up for breath, Danny didn't let go of her, instead kissing softly along her jaw to her ear. She let out a soft moan as he suckled a sensitive spot.
He picked her up and spun her around happily, "You really are beautiful," He whispered agan. He took her hand and lead her back to his car. Where he drove back to his apartment. He lead her up the stairs, but in one of the junctions stopped and gently pushed her against the wall so he could kiss her again. They did eventually make it to his front door. He slipped the key in and lead her in, shutting the door firmly behind them. He reclaimed her mouth as she leaned against his door. Slowly he took her top and pulled it up over her head, breaking the contact only briefly. He tossed her shirt aside and started to kiss along her neck then down to her bra line. She moaned and arched her back. Ever so gently he picked her up and carried her to his bedroom...
-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-
Gwen came in at nine, not really suprised to find out she was the last one in. Until Taye asked if she'd seen Astra in the parking lot. She hadn't. That was a suprise. Their young tech was usually in before any of them. She dropped her bag by her desk and hung her jacket over her chair, then turned to Ianto who was carrying his heavenly coffee.
"She's really not here yet?" She asked.
Ianto nodded, "Correct. No one's heard from her either."
"Leave the girl alone," Jack insisted, "She had a date last night."
Taye looked up, "Oh really?"
Jack shrugged, "Yeah... They were walking along the bay..." He smirked, "She was very happy... Let's just say that."
Gwen laughed, "Go Astra!"
Ianto chuckled, "I'm guessing that blind date wet very well then!"
"Blind date? They met last night?" Taye asked.
"Nah, the other night when you and Gwen went missing. She's been on the phone to him non stop ever since," Jack said.
-T-O-R-C-H-W-O-O-D-
Astra awoke in an unfamiliar enviroment. She was laying on something hard and warm. Definatly not her bed. She opened her eyes to find herself staring at Danny's chest. She smiled contentedly and pressed a kiss agaist his chest. She was rewarded by his arms wrapping around her and pulling her ontop of him. She giggled as he tried to kiss her. She leaned her head into the crook of his neck as he ran his hands over her back.
"What time is it?" She mumbled.
He stretched out, still holding her close, "Hmm, just before nine."
She sat up, "Oh my god... It's that late?" She held the sheet around herself, "Damn it, I'm late for work... Jack's going to have my head."
Danny smiled lazily up at her, "You could skip work?"
She shook her head, "I can't... Especially not without telling them... She leaned down and kissed him, "I gotta go."
He pouted at her as she sat up again, "Really?"
"Really," She replied.
She ran into the hub half an hour later, her hair wet from a shower and still lose. She sat down at her desk and attempted to hide behind the bank of computers from Jack. But he was standing right behind her as she started on a report.
"Have a good night last night?" He asked.
"You'd know, Jack," She replied.
He frowned. What could she mean by that? Unless... "You saw..."
She nodded, "No need to spy on us Jack."
"Still, good night?" He asked. Without looking at him, she could tell he was grinning from ear to ear. Ianto came by with coffee from her. Just by smelling it, she could tell it was extra strong.
"Jack, that big mouth of yours is going to get you into trouble one day!" She replied, "Thanks Ianto!" She called to the retreating welshman.
Jack just laughed, "Take it easy today kiddo!"
The day went on with everyone making some sort of sexual innuendo as they walked by her desk. Of all of them, Jack was the worst. He seemed to be able to make anything look like a sexual play toy. She couldn't even look at him anymore without blushing a bright shade of red.
Gwen came up to her just before they were about to head out, "Ooooh, is that chocolate!"
Astra nodded, "A gift from Danny."
"So, are you and Danny serious?" Gwen asked leaning against Astra's desk.
Astra shrugged, "I don't know really... I think we could be, but I'm hesitant... How did you d it? Having Rhys on the outside before he found out?"
Gwen smiled sadly, "It didn't go well, we fought alot over work... But maybe it could work out better for you, hey?"
Astra nodded, "Yeah... Maybe, what am I talking about forever for anyway? I've only known him a week."
"Are the chocolate's any good?" Gwen asked.
Astra nodded, "They're beautiful! Oh, Gwen, you should have seen the bouqet of flowers he left for me at the aprtment the night I left him after our first date, they were gorgeous!"
Gwen smiled, "He sounds lovely Astra."
Taye came up from the medical bay, "You ladies coming to the pub with me and Ianto?"
Gwen looked up, "Sure."
"Yeah, why not," Astra said, switching off her computers for the night.