I know it's been over three months! Well, another chapter, another apology.

Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood.

"Aliens?" Hadley asked, her head tilted in confusion.

"Yeah, I swear!" Scott cried. "I saw one today!"

"Don't be ridiculous. Aliens don't exist," Robbie yawned.

The three teens were in Scott's house, alone. His parents were both at work. It was a lazy Saturday afternoon, and Scott called his two friends with the excited tone telling them that he'd found something worth sharing. They didn't think it would be aliens.

"You don't believe me?" Scott pouted, as if that sort of a thing was impossible. "Then I won't show you the pictures!" he said, procuring an envelope filled with self-printed photos.

"Pictures?" Robbie jumped from his seat immediately interested. Secretly, he did have an interest in aliens.

"Oh, now you believe me!" Scott snickered mischievously, holding the packet away from Robbie's curious grasp.

Hadley glanced at the envelope with big eyes. She was kind girl, a little simple, but she could always settle her two male friends with one of her innocent remarks. "Can I see them, Scott?"

"Aaawww," Scott cooed. "Hadley, you're so cute! I just could never refuse you! Unlike bloody-ugly America boy over there." Hadley blushed, accepting the pictures. Robbie huffed, waiting his turn.

Tentatively, Hadley pulled out the photos, her eyes widening with surprise. For a few moments, she stared at the first picture, unmoving. Then she began to flip through the dozen or so photos, her face lighting up with amazement at every new one.

"Amazing, huh?" Scott said, grinning at his achievement.

"Yeah," Hadley breathed, handing the packet to Robbie. "I- I can't believe it!"

Robbie sifted through the pictures, garnering a similar response to Hadley's. "No, no, you gotta be making this up, Scott!"

"No way!"

"But they're so… blue… and alien… Oh my God! Aliens exist! This is awesome!" Robbie laughed.

"Now what do we do?" Hadley asked, poking the carpet with her toe.

Scott shook his head, stuffing the envelope in his bag. "I don't know…"

"Let's make a club," Robbie declared.

The SUV was silent as it was driven along the country road. Each of the three inside it had grave expressions on their faces, disheartening thoughts in their minds. Owen drove carefully, yet faster than he should've been. They were going to find Tosh. Alive. No question.

Ianto and Gwen were in the back, working with Tosh's computers to find her. Nothing but the weak signal. They sat facing each other, eyes glued to the floor. Ianto kept clenching and unclenching his fists nervously. He still couldn't get it out of his mind that it was his fault Tosh could be dead. They could have responded sooner. He could have dissuaded her from going. He'd gone over it a hundred times. Every scenario he imagined was better than their current one: the one where their friend was in danger.

"Ianto? Are you alright?" Gwen asked, noticing Ianto's skittishness. He looked up, surprised. "You look pale."

Ianto turned his head from Gwen. "This is all my fault." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Owen's grip around the steering wheel tighten.

"What? No, Ianto. You can't blame yourself!" Gwen put her hand on Ianto's shoulder.

"But it is," he protested. "If I'd-"

"Shut up, tea-boy!" Owen snapped from the front. "You're ridiculous. There was nothing you could do, so stop moping and making now even more depressing!"

Ianto shut his mouth, a slight pink coming to his cheeks. Owen was right. Despite that small nagging, Ianto knew Owen was right. In his own, slightly biting way, Owen made Ianto feel better. He had a tendency to hang on to guilt and such. Sometimes he couldn't help it. Still, he realized, he had to be positive. For Tosh.

Across from him, Gwen let out a small sigh of relief, silently thanking Owen for stopping things before they started. She could understand why Ianto though the way he did, but she wasn't in the mood to talk about that. She was too focused on their rescue mission. She was taking into account all the possibilities and variables that might arise. In all the time Jack had been gone, Gwen transformed herself into a leader, trying to fill the position as best she could. She began to think more rationally, tactically, and unfortunately, more coldly. She now knew why Jack was the way he was sometimes. It was hard. This moment- this event in time- proved that more than anything. Things can go wrong: you're friend could go off on a personal errand. Things will go wrong: that friend never returns. You have to think clearly. And as soon as Ianto cried out- as soon as he said they were close- Gwen's mind sharpened, readying itself for anything.

Owen pulled over to the side of the road. Immediately, he noticed Tosh's parked, undisturbed car. "Look," he said, pointing it out.

"She must still be around here," Gwen muttered, gathering her things.

Outside, the sun was bright and the sky was clear, as if it was mocking the Torchwood team and their overcast moods. It was slightly windy and cool; a perfect day. When the team exited, feeling the good weather upon them, they could feel their dispositions sinking. How could everything be so perfect in nature, when everything in their lives was going wrong?

"Damn weather," Owen grumbled bitterly. The other two nodded in silent agreement.

Gwen made sure everything was in order. "Let's go."

Tosh stumbled around her cell. How many times had she circled the enclosed space already? Five times? Ten? Fifteen? He mind was blurry with sleep, but she refused to give in to it. She wrapped her arms around her chest protectively, trying her hardest to stave off the biting cold that filled the cell. Judging by the thick fur covering the aliens, Tosh figured they didn't mind.

The whole time she'd been there, all the while she was thinking, Tosh couldn't fathom why the aliens had captured her. They seemed to know her; blame her for something. The only thing was she had no idea what they could possibly have in mind.

"I've got to get out," she muttered. "I've got to get out… I've got… to…" In a panic, Tosh threw herself against the force field. She felt pain. Electricity shot through her body as she was sent flying the other way. For a few moments, her thoughts were jumbled and her vision was blurry. The clothes that came in contact with the force field were singed, and Tosh's skin was inflamed and in pain.

When she could think coherently again, something struck her. The force field… It almost seemed to fluctuate. It moved along with her, like a membrane. What if, just like a membrane, the wall could be broken, or at least breached? Maybe Tosh could escape!

"IIV!"

"Beloved, calm yourself! What makes you so upset?"

"I see more! They have come for our prisoner! They have brought weapons!"

"How many?"

"Three… They… are new."

"Arm yourself. We must fight."

Tosh waited, suspense chilling her blood. Had the monitor given anything away? Were the aliens going to come for her? Minutes passes in the drawn out silence. It didn't seem like they were coming. Toshiko was in the clear. Now, she had to put her plan into action. There were so many worrisome variables: Tosh wouldn't know where to go, there could be more than two aboard, she could get caught immediately, the plan might not even work…

Toshiko prayed. She prayed to God- to anyone who was listening- that this would go in her favor. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and braced herself.

There. Well, I guess now that school's out, things for this fic might look up. Maybe not. I really don't want to have to discontinue it… Please review. I need your support to keep this going!