Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood, both belong to the BBC and their respected writers. But I do own Gaia! :b
A/N: 2 weeks and counting until the end of school, woo! Thank you for all the alerts/ reviews/ favourites so far, it means a lot.
Gaia was annoyed now; one near death experience and she had become Torchwood's cotton wool kid. It had started out as little things, people willing to fetch stuff for her, Owen being less argumentative when Gaia asked him something. At first Gaia through everyone was just being nice, but it became apparent that they were being over protective when a weevil hunt came up.
"Weevil attack on Chace Street." Tosh yelled from her work station and Jack bounded out his office.
"Suit up kids." He said almost happily, it had been the first bit of action in weeks. Gaia grabbed her gun and placed it in her holster. She then began to make her way to the rolling door and was stopped by Jack. "Where are you going?" He asked, in a tone that made Gaia feel like a misbehaving child.
"Weevil hunt." Gaia said with raised eyebrows as if it were obvious.
"No you're not. There isn't enough room in the SUV for all of us." Jack stated. Gaia looked at him in a mixture of anger and confusion.
"So, that's never been a problem before." Gaia retorted.
"Err..." Jack began but Tosh cut him off.
"Report of second attack." Tosh said reading the live news feed on her monitor. Jack let out a deep breath.
"We're on it." He called to Tosh before turning back to Gaia. "Just stay here." He said, his older brother tone coming into play. He kissed her on the forehead and ran out to Owen and Ianto who were waiting in the SUV. Gaia was not impressed.
That incident had been the first in many, now a days Jack seemed to say no to her more than any other word in the universe and it was driving her up the wall. He seemed to forget that she wasn't a child, nor was she the age that they all perceived her to be. She was much, much older than all of them and had done and seen things most of them could only imagine. What right did any of them have to try and control her in this way? It was moments like these at Torchwood that she craved a holiday.
Hence when she received a text from who she knew to be River, she jumped at the chance to leave. The text contained a set of coordinates and Gaia quickly programmed them into her vortex manipulator. She was just about to leave when her thoughts drifted to the team. She was still annoyed with them but she should really give them a warning, she may be gone a while, the coordinates she got were never accurate. So she scribbled down a note that read: "Gone Out X" and left in a crack of light.
Jack had been feeling slightly guilty about treating Gaia like a child as of late, but they'd had come so close to loosing her (and in his case, again) that he didn't want to even risk her getting hurt. But he had to remember that Gaia was far from a child, she knew everyone of the team even more than he did and no doubt themselves did. She was clever, dead cold genius most of the time and she would have figured out easily what he was doing to her and by default the team as well. She deserved an explanation. So Jack left the confines of his office and made his way to Gaia's. He didn't bother knock before entering, he had never knocked before and was shocked to see Gaia disappear in a crackle of light before his eyes. He huffed and walked over to her desk. He spotted the note she written. "Gone Out X." He thinks he deserves a little more than that.
Gaia landed in with a jolt, yet managed to remain on her feet. She closed her eyes as her head span and took a deep breath to calm her stomach. "Well that was nice." She joked to herself, her eyes still closed.
"I can imagine." A familiar voice said behind her. Gaia's eyes opened with a start and she turned to face the voice. Standing at the end of the alleyway that Gaia had landed in, was River Song. She was wearing a dress, which caused Gaia's eyebrows to raise. It had a bodice on the upper half, which was adorned with green and black fabric and the bottom half fell to her ankles and had black lace along its bottom. "Hello Sweetie." She said happily.
"Hey, nice dress." Gaia replied and walked over to the other woman. River smiled and kissed Gaia on the cheek much to Gaia's surprise and grabbed her hand.
"Thank you and I have someone I'd like you to meet." River said and pulled Gaia along by the hand. Gaia couldn't help but smile at River; River's smile was contagious and Gaia had seen a warmth in River's eyes that showed Gaia that she was older than the River from their previous meeting. That meant this River was a bit confident than her younger self and Gaia had to admit she found that slightly attractive.
Being dragged along by River, Gaia had a look at her surroundings. She was on Earth that was easy enough, she could feel her planet around her and at a guess she'd say she was in 15th Century London. She hadn't been here, well to this time period, before. Hence she couldn't help but notice the terrible smell. River caught her expression of disgust and laughed. "Oh sweetie, believe me it gets worse." River commented and Gaia blushed at the fact River had caught her expression.
River pulled Gaia through the winding streets of medieval London. She finally stopped at the 3 Witches Inn and pulled the other woman inside. She was greeted by the barmaid, Tam. "River! Back so soon?" Tam asked as she poured a gentleman a pint of ale.
"Yeah." River replied with a smile. Her hand was still interlocked with Gaia's.
"Back to see Will no doubt and who's your friend?" Tam asked, nodding her head towards Gaia.
"This is Gaia." River introduced.
"Hi." Gaia said with a small wave.
"Oh this is Gaia." Tam exclaimed a knowing smile on her face. River rolled her eyes whilst Gaia looked worriedly between River and a grinning Tam.
"What do you mean this is Gaia?" She asked slightly self-conscious. Tam chuckled at Gaia's discomfort.
"Don't worry love." She replied to Gaia and then turned to River. "Will's in his room if you want to see him." Tam replied. River nodded.
"Thanks Tam." She replied and led the still worried Gaia up the stairs.
"What did she mean this is Gaia?" Gaia asked River. River chuckled.
"Spoilers sweetie." She replied and the pair approached the wooden door at the top of the stairs.
Inside the room was a certain William Shakespeare sitting head in hands at his desk. He looked up as River and Gaia entered. "River Song back already I see." He said a sly grin on his face.
"The answers still no Will." River replied. "No matter how much I would like too." She added with a wink. Will laughed.
"You can't blame a man for trying." He shrugged. Gaia then stepped from behind River. Will's expression instantly changed.
"Gaia, it has been so long." Will said, getting to his feet and kissing Gaia's hand.
"You've met?" River asked with raised eyebrows, she was sure she had come earlier than last time Gaia had taken her.
"We've met?" Gaia reiterated to Will. Will realised his mistake.
"Ah, you are younger than when we met. You did it explain it to me once, but it was many years ago on my part." Will explained and both time travellers nodded in understanding. It seemed they could do nothing linear.
The trio sat down around Will's desk and discussed his current work. He was current writing The Winter's Tale and was intrigued at Gaia's and River's view on his work. Gaia was a big fan of Shakespeare, she was also incredibly proud. His work was even read and appreciated on Starnet, several galaxies from Earth and she felt like a proud mother. She had created the human race and they created masterpieces such as Shakespeare, she couldn't help but feel proud. Their conversation though was stopped with a piecing scream.
In an instant River and Gaia had run back downstairs to the bar, Will not far behind. The scream had come from a young woman, whose hair was slightly singed and skin blackened from smoke. "Fire!" She yelled frantically. The Inn's customers looked at the woman in shock, all their drinks stopped halfway to their lips. Then chaos ensued.
"What's going on?" Will asked as he ran down the stairs behind River and Gaia to see the chaotic bar.
The shrill of the soot-covered woman screaming "Fire" not only explained to Will what the commotion was, but fuelled the chaos also.
River and Gaia watched the scene unfold, both with little means to do anything to stop the panicking customers. Tam on the other hand wasn't having any of it. Climbing onto the bar she got everyone's attention with the bar bell.
"Alright, now that I've got everyone's attention, I'm telling you to calm down!" She said her voice firm but not raised or angry. The crowd instantly quietened down and returned to their seats, their gazes still on Tam. "Thank You." Tam said with a sigh in relief, she then jumped off the bar and approached the now hyperventilating woman. "Deep breaths." She encouraged and led the woman over to a chair. "Now what happened?" She asked. The woman was still very shaky and through her deep gasping breaths she told her tale.
"Farriner's Bakery, on Pudding Lane there was, is... Fire!" She gasped through ragged breaths. River and Gaia looked at each other worriedly. Nodding her head towards the door, River gestured towards outside. Gaia nodded and the pair weaved their way through the gathered crowd to the street, Will opted to stay at the Inn.
"I've heard of a fire in Pudding Lane." River noted as they watched the smoke drift into the sky in the distance. They were now outside and alone after walking a few streets down from the Inn.
"Yes, it's the Fire of London. But it doesn't happen for almost another 600 years." Gaia explained rattling her brains for an explanation.
"Could it be another fire?" River asked, her degree was in archaeology yes, but Gaia knew more about Earth history than anyone in the universe.
"No, there's no recorded detail of a major fire in London before 1666." Gaia replied. She was now pacing up and down the path, River watching as she thought. "A fire in this time period is devastating; the entire city will be up in flames in a matter of hours if the source isn't dowsed." Gaia continued and River blanched at the information. "This isn't meant to happen." Gaia finished. She had now stopped pacing and was playing with the ends of her hair; a habit she did when deep in thought.
"So we better find that source then." River stated, having a feeling the gift older Gaia gave her would finally come in useful. Gaia, the younger Gaia, turned to River with a smile on her face.
"Yes we better." She said and grabbed the other woman's hand and ran down the street, heading the in the opposite direction to the terrified passers-by.
Gaia and River approached the burning building. Its fire had been partially put out, but the back room of the building would constantly reignite, causing a lot of trouble for the men trying to put it out. "There's something back there." Gaia said a foreign tickle in her mind from the presence of the unknown entity.
"Okay, how are we going to get there?" River asked it was obvious they couldn't just run in, the flames would get them before they'd get there. Gaia opened her mouth to reply, before closing it again when she realised she didn't know.
"I don't know." She stated and watched the house, analysing it for an entry of sorts.
River looked at Gaia as her eyes flickered over the house. Even this young it seemed Gaia hadn't been that different. River laughed to herself before walking over to one of the men trying to dowse the flames. "Mi' lady you should really stay back." The man said politely as another man ran past carrying a bucket of dirty Thames water.
"Sweet." River said, her tone conveying that she wasn't going to listen to the man's advice. "Is there a street behind the house?" She asked. The man looked up at her strangely, as if he was trying to figure out what she was thinking.
"Er, yeah Botoloph Lane." The man replied. River smiled.
"Tah." She yelled as she ran back to Gaia. "I've got us a route in." She said happily as she grabbed Gaia's hand and started to pull her toward Botoloph Lane. Gaia looked at River confusingly as the words processed in her mind and then she grinned.
"Brilliant." She replied and ran alongside River rather than being dragged along.
Approaching the building from the rear Gaia and River had very easy means of access to the back of the building, a burnt down back door. Without conversation or conformation the duo ran in trying to find what was lurking inside.
The instant the women entered the building their faces went flush due to the heat. It was devastatingly hot. River instantly pulled the `gift` the older Gaia had given her and sprayed it on her face in some hope it would cool her down. It didn't work, the water just evaporated upon contact with her skin. "What's that?" Gaia asked.
"A water gun." River replied innocently. "Courtesy of you." River continued, her mind slightly addled by the heat to realise that she had revealed a spoiler. Gaia nodded in response and swept her gaze of the half burning room when her eye caught something. Curled up in the corner of the building was a salamander shaped creature, its skin ablaze and eyes orange. River's eye also caught site of the creature. "What is it?" She asked.
"It's a Magma beast hatchling from the planet Androzani Minor." Gaia explained studying the creature.
"Oh dear." River replied gravely, she had heard of such a creature. Androzani Minor was a predominantly lava covered planet, too hot for most living things, bar the Magma beasts which swam the lava as sea.
"Yeah." Gaia stated and then she had an idea. "We need a bucket of water." She told River and without hesitation River ran back to the front of the building and the men with the buckets of Thames water.
Gaia crouched down as River left, firstly to get to the creatures eyelevel and secondly to get a little out of the heat. She watched the creature as it watched her, its golden eyes not daring to blink as it watched her every move. "What are you doing do far from home? Hmm?" Gaia asked the creature although she knew it couldn't reply. The creatures tongue flicked out and licked it nose, its eyes still fixed on Gaia. Gaia shuffled forward and the creature scuttled further into the corner in fear. This caused the wooden wall behind it to blaze a raging inferno. The sheer heat caused Gaia to jump back, her face feeling the full brunt of the heat.
Several seconds later River ran back in bucket in hand and pulled Gaia back to her feet. "Okay, now pass me the water gun." Gaia said. River pulled the small toy gun out of her holster and handed it to Gaia. "I'm going to get it into the middle of the room and you need to get behind it and pour the water over it. You're going to need to completely dowse its flames, because it's not going to be happy that we got it wet and if we don't dowse it completely it'll reignite." Gaia instructed and River nodded getting the bucket ready.
"Okay, sounds pretty simple." River admitted.
"Ready?" Gaia asked and River nodded. They got into position.
An hour later a slightly charred Gaia and River were standing at the summit of Tengchong, a volcano in China that was due to erupt that year. Their plan had been successful and the creature found its new environment much more homily than its last. "Well that went okay." River said happily, watching the small creature run around happily on the volcano's ashen crust.
"Yep, luckily for us." Gaia replied happily, squeezing the other woman's hand. "We were quite lucky it was only a hatchling, a full grown adult would have been a nightmare to handle." Gaia continued and turned to face River, who had a slight glum look on her face. "What's up?" Gaia asked concerned.
"This was meant to be a date, a nice quiet day with Shakespeare and then dinner or something." River admitted, her voice quiet and so unlike her. Gaia's hearts fluttered, a date. River Song had taken her on a date...
"A date..." Gaia spluttered surprised.
"Yeah." River admitted shyly, this was new to her as well, their roles were usually reversed. "It wasn't as quiet as I'd planned it to be." River continued looking down at her feet. Gaia smiled genuinely happy at the other woman and was touched that she had gone through all of this for her.
"When did we ever have a quiet day?" Gaia said softly and River shrugged her shoulders. Gaia smiled at River softly and then encircled her arms around the other woman's neck. "And who says we can't still have dinner?" She continued with a cheeky grin. River looked up and beamed at her; then kissed her on the lips.
"Did I mention you're amazing?" River asked happily, her arm now around Gaia's waist with Gaia's arms still around her neck.
"Not nearly enough." Gaia replied cheekily, echoing the words she had said to Jack on so many occasions. The couple kissed again and disappeared in a crack of electricity, off for their dinner date.
Gaia landed happily back in Cardiff after her dinner with River. River had taken her to the Pierre D'Carroll, one of the best restaurants this side of the Acorn Nebula. They had both turned up still slightly charred, but it seemed with River's previous reputation with the restaurant they were given the best table in the house, right by the window, overlooking the planet below. That was probably the best thing about the Pierre D'Carroll, other than its exquisite food, was the fact that it was in orbit around the planet Midnight, a diamond covered planet that's only know resident was the spa resort. Once Gaia had gotten over the amazing view from her seat, she ordered, drank and conversed happily with River. They talked; well they talked about a lot of things. They made sure to keep away from any spoilers, and in River's case that was most of her past and talked about well... stuff. Gaia felt like she had done most of the talking that night, it seemed the elder her hadn't explained much to River about her past or Torchwood in fact and River was asking question after question all with a bubbling curiosity. Gaia couldn't really refuse but to answer all her questions truthfully. It had felt good to get some of it out in the open and off her chest.
And that had been how the evening went. Gaia and River had talked, enjoying one another's company, River's leg had often wondered too high up Gaia's thigh and they both ate amazing food. Gaia would have said it was a good first date, if River had meant what she'd said earlier.
Now Gaia had landed back on the Plass, she had been aiming for her office but once again she had been a little distracted as she had entered the coordinates for the hub. She couldn't help but smile at the memory. She stepped on the pavement slab and sighed in content as it began to lower in the hub. The lift speed was almost painfully slow most days, but now it was nice to move at this pace it gave Gaia time to think. She couldn't help but feel confused at her own and River's relationship. It was obvious that River was crazy for the Doctor, that was clear the last time she'd seen them together, but how did she fit in? Both of them had feelings for her and she couldn't help but admit she had feelings for 11 and River, and she had nothing against polygamy but the Doctor... it just didn't seem his thing.
The lift reached the bottom of the hub and Gaia was instantly drawn out of her day dreaming by the click of several guns. Looking up she was surprised to see the team, bar Jack, gun up and aiming at her. "Okay..." She said confused, not making any gesture of surrender.
"Who are you and how did you get in here?" Gwen asked, jutting her gun at Gaia as she spoke.
"Er... Gaia and I came in down the lift." Gaia said pointing at the rising stone, returning to its place at the pavement. "Is this a joke or something because you know those things won't work on me, you'd be wasting your bullets." Gaia stated, hands on hips. Toshiko looked confusingly at Gaia.
"Why wouldn't they work?" She asked her gun still trained on Gaia. Gaia looked at Tosh in shock and then looked at the others who also looked curious as to her answer.
"Never mind." Gaia reconsidered. "Where's Jack?" She asked and the team looked at each other unsure whether to tell her. They all turned to Gwen.
"He's out." Gwen replied, more snapped at Gaia. Gaia raised her eyebrows at the team.
"Well call him back then on your comm. I would but mine's up there..." Gaia pointed to her office. "...in my office." She finished.
"What are you talking about?" Gwen snapped. "That's not your office that's... that's..." But Gwen couldn't answer and her gun faltered.
"Someone's really messed you lot up haven't they." Gaia said sympathetically and Gwen instantly whirled back round, her gun trained on Gaia again.
"What do you mean someone's messed us up?" Ianto asked, his voice firm and potentially frightening.
"You're not acting like yourselves and believe me; of all people, I should know." Gaia replied, turning to face Ianto. Gwen rolled her eyes, clearly not convinced about Gaia.
"You know what, sod this. Sit over there." Gwen ordered pointing at the computer chair that Ianto had pushed into the middle. Gaia complied. "Tosh call Jack, let's see what he makes of this. Owen, Ianto keep your gun trained on her, I'm going to check out her so called office." Gwen said and climbed the stairs up to Gaia's office.
Gaia rolled her eyes and leant back in her seat, completely blasé to the fact Owen was still pointing a gun at her. She then noticed a change in the medic. "Owen since when did you wear glasses and well... dress like that?" Gaia stated, shocked that she hadn't noticed the nerdy looking Owen previously.
"I, I always dress like this." Owen stuttered, his usually cockiness absent and a scared, timid man standing in its place.
"Hm-mm." Gaia replied. If she didn't know that something had happened to the team before, she definitely knew now.
Gaia then noticed Ianto. There was a glint in his eye, a glint of defiance. What ever had happened to them, Ianto, the real Ianto, not this one who was quiet and unobservant, was fighting back. She smiled at Ianto, even though he was pointing the barrel of a gun at her face. He looked at her unsure before slowly lowering his gun a little and Gaia turned absently mindedly back around. Swiverly chairs were always her weakness.
2 minutes later Gwen walked back in, her skin slightly blanched but her gun still in hand.
"She's was right. That is her office." Gwen said timidly, she was never a very gracious loser.
"What?" Tosh asked shocked. "But why wouldn't we remember that?"
"Maybe..." Gwen began. "Maybe it's like me with Rhys..." Gwen tried and Gaia looked at her worriedly.
"You forgot Rhys." Gaia said shocked and Gwen nodded.
"Yeah, apparently it might have been over exposure to the rift or something. At least that's what Adam said." Gwen replied shrugging her shoulders. Gaia's expression didn't change.
"Adam? Who's Adam?" Gaia asked.
"I'm Adam." A voice said from the cog door. Gaia whipped around to face the man. She should have known.
Adam walked to wards Gaia. "And who are you?" He asked, trying to lure her in. It wasn't going to work.
"Leave now." Gaia stated. Adam raised his eyebrows.
"So said the intruder." He retorted, Gaia snorted and rolled her eyes.
"You are a pest you know that." She shook her head and took a deep breath. "Now, I'm giving you the choice. Leave, never come back and wipe yourself from these people's minds or I will." Gaia ordered.
"Hey now." Gwen began, not liking what Gaia was implying but she was quickly cut off by the woman in question.
"Not now Gwen." Gaia snapped and Gwen was stunned and slightly scared into silence.
Adam laughed. "And just who do you think you are to ask me to just leave?" He said incredulously. This is when Jack walked in.
"Gaia!" He said happily and ran over to give the woman a hug; Gaia quickly returned the hug before turning back to Adam, who now looked quite scared.
"You're Gaia, as in The Gaia?" He asked his face pale and slightly sweaty.
"The one and only." Gaia replied, a slight smirk. Adam gulped.
Jack looked worriedly between the pair. "What's going on here?" He asked. Gaia answered his question with a question of her own.
"Jack, how did you recruit Adam?" She asked. Jack looked at her strangely for a second trying to figure out what she was playing at, but then reluctantly answered.
"Er... weevil hunt. He helped me capture it." Jack said not going to much detail.
"Okay, now give the details of that hunt, where were you? What time of year? You know the little bits that you always remember." Gaia persisted. Jack thought about, usually he had a pretty good memory, especially when it came down to details, but meeting Adam... he came up with a blank. And no, that wasn't an innuendo.
"I...I..." Jack stuttered, before looking at the nervous Adam. Gaia then turned to Gwen.
"What about you? When did you first meet Adam?" She asked. Gwen thought about it too.
"Err... I walked in and he said `and who's this` and we joked about." Gwen replied, her voice getting more unsure as she told her tale.
"Details?" Gaia asked, but Gwen shook her head not able to come up with any. Gaia then turned to face the whole team. "All of you think of the first time you met Adam. Now, bar the actual first conversation etcetera, what do you actually remember of that day?" Gaia asked and all them shook their heads, coming up with nothing.
Gaia then rounded back to Adam. "So once again Adam, I'm telling you to leave." She spat angrily. Adam then freaked out.
"But, I don't want to. Why should I have too? Why am I not allowed to exist? I don't want to go back there, to the black, the nothingness. Why should I be made to go back there when there's so much to feed on here?" He argued and now Gaia was fuming.
"Why Adam... you want to know why? It's because you manipulate people. You change them, their personalities, their likes, their dislikes. You change what it means to be them. You're a monster and a pest." Gaia took a breath. "I'm so old now. I probably would have had more sympathy in my younger years. But now... Goodbye Adam." She spat and out of her lips once again came that beautiful language, the language that put any Earth human in a daze. She told the team to forget, to sit and sleep. And as she spoke her will was done.
Adam yelled in pain as the Torchwood members fell to the floor in sleep, their memories purged of him. Gaia ignored the creature and turned to Jack. His eyes were steel and still directed at Adam. He had made no move to comfort the thing. He turned to Gaia and gave a quick nod of his head. Gaia smiled softly at him and then whacked her forehead on his. Jack instantly slumped to the ground unconscious and Gaia stumbled back a few steps, slightly dazed and disorientated. Adam faded into nothingness.
Gathering her bearings Gaia looked around at the sleeping Torchwood team. It seemed she be doing the clear up of this investigation single handily. Adam may be gone, but evidence of him being here would still remain and she had to clear it up. So heading over to the monitor she began to wipe to the CCTV of the last 48 hours; that was only the beginning of many tasks.
Exactly 3 hours after Adam's departure Gaia teleported herself to the top of the Plass. Now was the time to put her ingenious plan into action. She stepped on the lift and it slowly descended into the hub. At its bottom everyone was scratching their heads trying to recall what had happened in the last 48 hours. "I'm back." Gaia called happily as the lift reached the bottom. Everyone rounded to look at her.
"Gaia, you're back." Jack said incredulously. Gaia snorted.
"I know, I just said that." She joked and Jack rolled his eyes. "Why do you all look so tired? Not to mention the bed head." Gaia laughed, indicating at Owen whose previously gelled geeky side parting hair was now up at several random angles. Gaia was now beginning to wonder if her plan had actually worked.
"We seemed to have lost the last 48 hours." Tosh said to Jack as she looked at her monitor.
"Okay... Gaia when did you get back?" Jack asked.
"About 2 minutes ago." Gaia lied and Jack nodded.
"Okay..." Jack then went to rabbit commands at the others as they fruitlessly tried to re-gather the last 48 hours of their lives. Gaia sat there amused, her plan had worked.