Note: I don't own anything related to Torchwood (unless you count the books I have)...Enjoy...this is the last chapter of Ria and the Torchwood team...

It was later that night when we heard the boom. It was coming from the Bay so Tosh checked the CCTV and we found the water tower gone, a small crater surrounding it but not deep into the Hub. At least we hoped not.

"Now every member of this team is a fugitive. That's why I had you grab the cash. For now, we can only wait. Tomorrow the tank for the 456 should be done and then we will deal with them."

Around 9pm, I headed out to grab everyone dinner. I dawdled so I didn't have to go back so quickly. Unfortunately in not heading back straight away, I ran into David, who looked like he was on a date. I apologized and stepped out of their way. He didn't say anything as he motioned the woman around me, his hand on her lower back. I watched as they walked away with him not even acknowledging me. I made one more stop before heading back to the warehouse.

I dropped off the food and headed further into the warehouse to find Myfanwy. As I fed it chunks of chocolate, I sipped from a small whiskey bottle. I fiddled with the chain that rested against my chest, under my top. On the end was the engagement ring that David had given me. While it might not be on my finger any longer, I had never taken it off.

"Ria, are you OK? You seemed distant when you came back," the petite Asian asked as she came up behind me.

"Remember the feeling you'd get watching Owen with Diane or other women? I have it tenfold. I ran into David and some woman while I was out. He didn't say anything but I caught a snippet of a thought. He's glad that he's not marrying a lying bitch," I reiterated before taking a gulp of the burning liquid.

"You promised you wouldn't drink again."

"Well, I didn't think I'd ever hear David think that. Now with this 456, I don't know how it's going to play out. I was supposed to have a year to figure out what I was going to do. How to keep Ianto from going with Jack into Thames House and getting himself killed. How to keep Jack from losing it completely and leaving Gwen behind while he went off into the stars to forget everything."

"We can only take it one day at a time."

"I just wish we could end it now, before the 456 ever landed but it wouldn't destroy them. They need to be here on Earth before it works."

"What works?" Tosh asked, sitting beside me on the floor.

"When the 456 appear in the tank at Thames House, they will feel a connection to the boy who escaped in 1965. They will send out a signal to kill him and we use that signal to create a constructive wave to send back. The wave will destroy the entire race and we will save the planet's children."

"Oh. Why do they want the children?"

"For a fix. They're sucking the children dry to get high, something about a certain chemical that only prepubescent children have."

Tosh reached over and took the bottle from my hands. She helped herself to a mouthful before handing it back. She looked pale at the thought of using children as drugs.

"I'll scan the different frequencies and watch for any signal. Then we'll create that constructive wave quickly and end this."

"Thanks, Tosh."

Everyone managed a few hours of sleep except for me. I kept watch, the different readings popping up on Tosh's computer. With the activity from the 456, the Rift was unsettling but nothing was coming out of it. At least we didn't have to deal with anything on top of the drugged up aliens. I changed out of my clothes into a pair of loose cargo pants, a black tank top, and a dark red mesh top over it.

I watched the sunrise, feeling the sun heating up my skin. I knew what needed to be done so I marched back into the warehouse.

"Jack, you and I are going to London. Tosh, keep an eye on the frequencies. Call us when you have it. Everyone is staying here."

"But I can help. I'm coming to London with you," Gwen protested.

"If you're not there, you won't be hurt. You'll be safe here," I tried.

"Jack, you're our boss. What do you say?" she turned towards the immortal, hands on her hips.

He knew what happened last time and while Gwen wasn't physically hurt, he wanted them all safe.

"Ria is right. You can help us from here."

Jack grabbed his coat and headed towards the door. I shook my head and beckoned him over.

"We need to be there sooner than later so take my arm."

He took my arm in his and I reached over to my wristlet. I punched a series of buttons and turned to the team.

"I promise it will be over soon. You will know when it's done."

My wristlet activated and we were whisked away from a warehouse in Cardiff to an empty room within Thames House. Not even a minute after getting there, the building shook while the 456 beamed down into the tank on the 13th floor.

"WE ARE HERE. WE ARE HERE. Now we need to find a man named Dekker. He will help us alter the signal."

Jack gave me a look before we left the empty room to walk idly through the corridors. Sure we ran into guards but with a quick stare, I had them forgetting we were even there. We made it up to Floor 13 when we found the man we were looking for.

"Mr. Dekker, what if I could tell you I knew how to end this before it went any further?"

Before he had a chance to response, John Frobisher left the room and stopped immediately when he saw us.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, motioning for the guards to capture us.

"If you don't allow us to do what we're here for, your children will end up on the list of children who are given over to the 456," I threatened.

His eyes grew into slits and he stalked closer. The guards approached and circled around us.

"Are you threatening my children?"

"Just stating a fact. I know of the government's involvement with the 456 decades ago. I know you have killed anyone who was involved then, even trying to come after Jack. I know of their demands and what the British government will do about it. I know that your own children won't be exempt and rather than giving them over to the 456, you will kill your two girls and your wife before committing suicide."

"How?"

"An act of God if that's what you want to call it. I can stop this before it goes any further," I shrugged.

My mobile rang so I answered it.

"Ria, the signal was sent a minute ago. Gwen called and confirmed with the asylum that Timothy White has passed."

"Send the signal to my PDA. Thanks, Toshiko, for everything."

A beep from the PDA indicated that the signal had been sent. I put my mobile back into one of the pockets and pulled out the PDA.

"I can have this over in 5minutes, Mr. Frobisher, with lives spared. The only thing I ask, well order more like it, is that all files on Torchwood are wiped clean and every team member is given a pass."

"I cannot approve of that."

"Then be prepared to lose your entire family, the Prime Minister will be kicked out of office because I will leak everything to the media, and the public will riot knowing the government condoned all that has happened."

"Alright. Do it," he growled.

"Thank you. Mr. Dekker, we need to head to your lab and alter the signal my friend has sent. It will be amplified back to the 456 killing them."

Dekker seemed interested and escorted Jack and I to his lab. I handed over my PDA to the scientist and he quickly went about altering the signal. It wouldn't take long and there was much to tell Jack.

"You have an idea of what's going to happen."

"This is how you're saving Steven," he said in such a solemn voice.

"And many more. Before we do this, there are some things you need to know or do for me. I want you to find David and give him the ring back. I don't care what you tell him, if anything. If for whatever reason, Zen, sorry Captain John Hart, comes back to Cardiff, I need you to kill him. I implanted an idea into his mind but if it doesn't stay he won't be able to kill my mum if he's dead. I left something on the hard drive for you all. Just type in my first name."

"I've got it. How are we going to transmit?" Dekker asked, turned around to us.

"In a minute. There's only one more thing I need to tell you, Jack. The reason Torchwood was always in my life was because of my mum. She is a member of the team. My full name is Alexandria Cooper-Williams. Gwen and Rhys are my parents. In my time, she found out she was pregnant when this all happened.

"The reason I didn't want to be around Rhys is because I look quite similar to his mum when she was younger. I didn't want him to connect the dots."

"Rhys? Trust me, you didn't have to worry," Jack joked.

"I don't want you to tell either of them, especially Gwen, who I really am. But if they do get pregnant, suggest the name Alexandria. It's a lovely name."

"To go with a lovely woman."

Jack pulled me in for a hug. I clung to him for a moment before pushing away. I turned to Dekker and tried to smile at the man. He had hooked up a small platform to his computer equipment so I stepped onto it.

"You'll be using me to transmit the signal. Once I begin sending it out, the children will pick it up and amplify the signal to the 456. If anyone is in the room, they will eventually see the alien explode and the ship hovering in our atmosphere will do the same.

"Goodbye, Jack. Give everyone my farewells. Oh, here. Have my wristlet. It's a complete functioning vortex manipulator with its own perception filter. There are a couple other tweaks but I'll leave that for you to figure out. I will say that the perception filter is large enough to cover two people who don't want to be seen," I said as I slipped off the wristlet.

After Jack took it, I nodded to Dekker and closed my eyes. I opened my mind completely and felt the moment the signal entered my body. My body went still, my head flung back and my mouth opened. I let out such a strange noise, not quite a scream nor a yell. It was like a combination of a scream and a hum. As the children picked up the signal, my voice became louder and my body began convulsing. I knew it wouldn't be much longer.

Many floors above them, the alien within the tank began screaming and slamming itself up against the walls of the tank. Just as Ria foretold, the alien exploded and a beam of fire shot up from Thames House into the sky to the hovering ship. That too exploded, the debris burning up in the atmosphere above Earth.

Jack watched as Ria gave her life to destroy the 456. As her body shook, he wanted to go over and hold her but he knew he couldn't interfere with the signal. He did rush over as soon as her body collapsed on the platform. He cradled her body in his arms and wept for the girl. He knew the others would be worried but didn't have the energy to tell them what happened just yet. So he stayed on the floor of the lab with Ria's cooling body for an hour.

Dekker had brought Frobisher to speak to Jack but as soon as the Captain saw him, he used the wristlet to transport Ria and himself back to the warehouse in Cardiff. The team was upon them quickly and with a quick look, they knew the girl didn't make it. Gwen and Tosh began crying, their men pulling them into their arms for comfort. Ianto knelt down and tried to release Jack's arms from the body.

"She knew she was going to die. Since the first time she spoke the words from the 456, Ria knew she would be the one transmitting the constructive wave. There was no other way except to use a child but she wouldn't have allowed that."

"She gave her life to save millions, Jack. She did what we all would have done," Ianto said.

"It may have been millions but it was only for two; the lives of two people who I care deeply for. She knew that it would have crushed me to lose you and Steven. She left something for us," Jack said.

Ianto took Ria's body from Jack as the man stood and went over to the computer. When she instructed him to use her first name, he knew she meant Alexandria and not Ria. He typed in those 10 letters and stepped back so everyone could watch. A video file began playing and it started with a smiling Ria.

"I'm filming this as you all sleep not even 20feet from me. I don't have much to say except that I love you all and I'm grateful that I was able to correct a few things while here. Tosh and Owen, I don't know what lies ahead for you both but just remember to live life. Gwen and Rhys, life might throw you some ups and downs but I know you'll see them through and grow closer because of them. Ianto, remember what I told you that day we ran into each other at the market. Also start spending some time with your niece and nephew.

"And Jack. Dear Captain Jack. You may be immortal but don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today. Stop pushing people away; it might be time to let them back into your life. You never know when they might be gone. You are the best boss, best leader anyone can have. Rebuild Torchwood 3 into something you all can be proud of. Goodbye."