Title: Tears of the Weevil
Summary: Things grow harder for the team as Emmerich and the agents up the pressure on them.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Don't own Torchwood, the characters or anything related to the show.
After spending the night on Owen's sofa, staring at the ceiling and unable to close her eyes, Lacey crept out early, taking one of Owen's hooded sweatshirts to fight off the morning chill. She made her way to the bay, hoping to sit and watch the turbulent water before entering the hub. She found a ton of people and a few news crews gathered around three people by the Millennium Centre. Agent Emmerich stood with two other agents, addressing the people and the cameras.
"It is with great joy that I reveal to you all today that we are close to finding a cure to the weevil pandemic. Soon your families, your friends, your children…they can all be cured and released from Government holding facilities." The crowd around Emmerich erupted as she spoke. Lacey froze. Jack was supposed to have destroyed everything they had from her DNA. Scowling she pulled the hood of Owen's jacket up, letting it hang down over her face. Weaving through the crowd to hear better among the cheering she settled next to an old man who always bought the morning paper and read it by the bay before work.
"The cure should have been made within the week, but thanks to Torchwood it will takes another few weeks to complete." The mood of the crowd changed at the mention of Torchwood. "Last night the terrorist group known as Torchwood broke in to a government facility and destroyed some of the work that had already been carried out, but not all of it. We will still have our cure. We will heal this nation!" The crowd erupted again but a few people here and there did not cheer.
"One of the extremists tried to kill me last night and I had no other choice but to shoot them. Torchwood grows weaker by the day and I urge you not to support these dangerous anarchists-"
"Dangerous?" Lacey threw back the hood; her blonde locks instantly giving away her identity. "You don't know the half of it." She pulled her gun from the waistband of her jeans and pointed it at Emmerich.
The two agents beside her nervously fingered their own un-holstered guns. Emmerich simply grinned like the cat that got the cream. "See what I mean?" She addressed the crowd that had backed away from the young blonde. "Nothing more than lunatics playing with guns. They're a menace and a threat to our society. Which is why the government have released the identities of all four remaining Torchwood members and their affiliates. We urge members of the public to report their whereabouts to the police and not to harbour these maniacs." She barely even glanced at the gun pointed at her head. She knew she couldn't have the blonde shot, they still needed her, but equally the younger girl couldn't shoot her, at least not in public; it would prove her point about Torchwood.
The old man with the paper, a Mr Henson, if Lacey remembered correctly began to laugh, loudly and heartily. "Torchwood is the only protection this country has!" He patted Lacey on the back approvingly. "People like you are the menace!" Others around him began to mumble and some of the crowd began to call out in support of the supposed to be secret organization. Lacey grinned, the frustration on Emmerich's face evident.
With the cameras still rolling she began to shout. "Torchwood. Outside the government. Beyond the police! " Quickly over half the crowd began to join in, over twenty voices accompanying her in her chanting. She grinned as she pocketed her gun and addressed Emmerich. "Most of them don't even know what we are and they still support Torchwood. They know we're not the danger. You are. And I swear I'll personally end that threat."
"With a gun? Aren't you the big brave girl?" Emmerich wasn't one to be intimidated easily, but as manic looking grin spread slowly over the younger girl's face she had to stop herself from shuddering.
"That'd be too easy for you. You're gonna see how dangerous I can be Emmerich."
"What were you thinking?" Jack roared as she finally entered the Hub a few hours later. She ignored him and took a seat at Toshiko's desk, idly playing with computer component that had been left out, undoubtedly part of one of Toshiko's many computers or machines that littered her desk. She would never get the chance to finish it. "Lacey, hunny, I know you're suffering…but we can't threaten agents on national news. It makes people think we're the bad guys. We can't afford to pull any stunts, not after this morning. Our pictures are all over the news, the Internet, everywhere. Half our contacts have been arrested-"
"Are Rhys and Sarah ok?" Lacey finally put down the circuit board.
"They're fine. I went to see them as soon as I heard the news. They're all packed and they're leaving for America tonight."
"I want to see them." Both Lacey and Gwen declared at the same time. Jack nodded.
"Make it quick. We've got work to do."
"So I guess this is goodbye then." Rhys stood awkwardly beside Gwen, unsure of what to say or how to act. "Take care of yourself."
"You too." Gwen choked out, tears threatening to spill out. He was going to be completely out of her life. Although she'd chosen Owen she had no doubt that her future-self hadn't made the decision lightly. She still loved Rhys, but it wasn't how it used to be when they'd first got together, it was like they'd been best friends living together for years and occasionally sleeping together. She wasn't just giving up Rhys either.
She held baby Anne in her arms, watching her peacefully sleeping, unaware of the chaos of the world she lived in. Lacey emerged from the living room after saying goodbye to Sarah and her son. She hugged Rhys as he gave his condolences for Toshiko. Gwen remained silent, holding the baby. She hadn't even known Rhys and Lacey knew each other.
"Look after them." She ordered earning a smile from Rhys.
"You look after yourself. No stupid stunts." Lacey rolled her eyes as though it were Jack lecturing her but nodded.
"Do you want to hold her?" Gwen asked as Lacey looked down at the baby. Shaking her head she tucked her hands in to her pockets.
"I'm not really a baby person. I'll be in the car."
Sighing Gwen eventually handed Anne back over to Rhys, her adoptive father. "You're a great dad." She smiled, placing a kiss on his cheek. "She's lucky to have you."
"She'll be alright Gwen. I promise."
After leaving Rhys and her daughter for the last time Gwen made her way to the car parked outside where Lacey was waiting. Sitting in the front passenger seat she was close to breaking down in tears. "She'll be alright." Lacey surprised her by pulling her in for a quick hug. "You're doing the right thing."
"Am I?" She sobbed in to her shoulder. "Then why do I feel so guilty?"
Lacey shrugged. "You're a mom. Parents are supposed to feel guilty." Smiling Gwen nodded.
"I suppose…what are your parents like?" It was a small insignificant question, but the Welshwoman knew little about the blonde and in light of recent events she decided she wanted to know more. Lacey's gaze clouded over as she thought of how to answer.
"They were great. I had a happy childhood…I was spoilt rotten, my older brother hated that I got more attention than he did."
"Do you still see them much?"
"No." The blonde no longer sounded nostalgic, but bitter. "They're dead. My brother too. I lost them when I was seventeen. Spent a couple years on my own then Owen found me…he brought me in to Torchwood. They became my family. You, Ianto, Jack…all of you. I don't take kindly to people trying to hurt my family. That's why Emmerich has to pay."
"She will sweetheart. She will."