Title: Tears of the Weevil

Summary:

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: Don't own Torchwood, the characters or anything related to the show.

"Here's what they don't want you to know." Jack slammed a large file down on the boardroom table. "Twenty three people, who up until a few days ago were weevils, have committed suicide." Owen barely listened to the others as they discussed the problem. Lacey looked as distracted as he was.

"I'm going out for a bit. Things to do and all that." Jack tried to object but Owen silenced him, he needed some time away from Torchwood. "You coming Lacey?" She looked up from her pink Converse trainers to face him.

"Whatever." She mumbled, pulling herself to her feet. They took the lift up to the bay and silently made their way to the water's edge. Lacey laughed softly to herself as she looked down at the soothing water lapping against the edge.

"Remember when Tosh pushed me in?" She smiled but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "She didn't know I couldn't swim." Owen nodded, still able to feel the cold water slamming against his body after he'd dived in to save her. He'd spent the rest of the week teaching her how to swim.

Sitting by the water's edge the young blonde tucked her knees in to her chest and sighed. "We'll never have those days again." Her gaze travelled to the sun that was setting far off in the distance.

"No." Owen admitted, making no attempt to sugar coat the truth. "We're still a family. We can deal with this-"
"No." Lacey got to her feet, frowning. "You and Gwen are going to leave. You'll start a family and forget all about me!" Owen laughed, taking hold of her hand and giving it a tight squeeze.

"Forget you?" He scoffed. "Not bloody likely."

"What will you do? If Owen and I do leave?" Gwen asked, catching Jack by surprise.

"I've got Lacey. She's a one woman Torchwood." The Welshwoman looked puzzled by his answer so he elaborated.

"I taught Lacey everything she knows about aliens, and trust me that's a lot. Tosh taught her everything she knew about technology, human and alien. She's in her third year of univeristy studying medicine…hell her coffee's almost as good as Ianto's." He laughed heartily.

"So she's the Torchwood prodigy then? How did she join?"

"Long story. Let's save it for another day, 'k?" Gwen rolled her eyes. She was about to object to the continuing secrecy when Lacey and Owen returned.

"Hey Gwen, can you give me a hand getting some stuff from the apartment?" Gwen agreed knowing the blonde couldn't face her and Toshiko's apartment on her own, but she also knew the blonde was the most likely person to answer her questions.

The apartment was on one of the lower level of the hub, a self-sustained home with two bedrooms. There were computer parts and various hi-tech gadgets, including games consoles, all over the living room. "Tosh hated me leaving stuff around the place…I just love taking things apart to learn how it works." Gwen smiled reassuringly, following her to the bedroom to gather some things. Looking in the spare bedroom she noticed a ton of computers, machinery and alien technology. Stepping in to the bedroom she found Lacey frozen to the spot. The blonde was staring down at the unmade bed.

"You'd think she was just in the shower or making coffee…"

"Get your things sweetheart." Gwen ordered softly, trying to get her out of her dazed state. Nodding the blonde opened the wardrobe and pulled out a holdall that she began to fill. Leaving her to it Gwen entered the living room. She noticed a photo of the team framed on the coffee table. She guessed it was almost a year old as she was pregnant and Ianto was still present. What struck her the most was her hair, long shoulder length chocolate coloured locks framed her face. She looked strikingly familiar.

"Guess I was a little different back then." Lacey took hold of the frame and sat it back down. "Nineteen, almost twenty…I was completely alone until I met you lot. My family." The pride in her words reflected her expression.

"It must have been hard being so young and on your own." Gwen sympathised. "I'm terrified Anne will be on her own. She's going to grow up never knowing me or Owen… she won't even know why we named her or how hard it was to give her up."

Lacey laughed involuntarily. "I remember you two arguing over what to call her. You wanted to name her after your mother and he wanted to name her after his gran."

"Guess I won." Gwen laughed. "What's his gran's name anyway?" Lacey looked around nervously and shrugged.

"I can't remember." She brushed off the question and fled to the bathroom to get her toothbrush. When she returned she found Gwen holding something else. Her Torchwood I.D.

"What does the A.H stand for? Your middle name?"

"Anne." Lacey mumbled dropping her bag, "I was named after my gran." Gwen froze, looking from the young blonde to the teenage brunette in the photo frame.
"I never noticed how much you look like Owen." She finally found her voice. "So that's why you're so close?"

"You're related. Are you his sister? Or his cousin or something?"

"Or something." Lacey mumbled, sinking on to the couch with Gwen following. "Everyone always says I've got his nose and his smile…but I've got my mother's eyes and her hair. I'm not Owen's sister and my name's not Lacey Cassidy either. It's Lacey Anne Harper."