Sixteen: Adam
Marius was getting used to couches, strangely enough, and happily had gotten used to the idea of house-sitting as well, or flat-sitting, while Gwen and Rhys had been on vacation for a week. His ankle had healed and not much had happened to require Torchwood attention, meaning everyone had done their own projects, gone on with life, and not really done much.
And the morning after Gwen and Rhys had arrived home, Marius going to bed early after he started to get a headache, he had awoken to a pounding one when Gwen had faintly shook him.
"You okay?"
"No," Marius muttered from under the sheets. Why did sunlight have to hurt? "Go on with out me. You'll be late."
"Do you want me to make an excuse?"
"Unless something big comes through that you need me for, I'll be here trying to get rid of a headache." He managed a weak smile at her. "Go on. Rhys is off one more day. I'm sure I'll be in later, and either way if anything too bad comes up, I'll know. Thanks for the worry, though."
Gwen nodded, quickly rubbing a hand through his hair before disappearing out the door, allowing Marius to cover his head and groan at the pain. Why was this happening? What would bring this up? He was healing, and now this?
"You okay?" Rhys's voice caused him to turn back into the couch.
"No."
"You need anything?"
"Not yet. Hopefully it'll be gone soon."
--
Rhys was worried. The morning had been odd for Marius, who normally was calm or spending most of his time helping out as much as he could, was now sick. Sunlight seemed to annoy him, he had a headache that none of his medicines could cure, and now he was spending most of his time either looking sick or--
The sounds from the loo made him wince as he looked back down at the number. No matter what, he had to call the number. Marius had told him not to call and bother Torchwood, and had become even more adamant about it later on before this recent bout of being sick.
So that left this number that Gwen said was supposed to be a doctor for his alien race and would arrive in a flash. Rhys frowned at the number, the name, and the title before dialing the number.
"Hello, how may I help you?" a female voice answered.
"I'm looking for Professor Avery. Is--."
"What is the nature of your inquiry?"
"It's about a patient, Marius. I'm calling because he can't."
"One moment please." There was a sudden, small click before the phone was now answered by a deeper male voice. "Hello? Who is this? How did you get this number?"
"I-I'm Rhys."
"Who?"
"Rhys Williams, Gwen Cooper's fiancée. Listen, I'm calling about Marius because he's sick and--"
"And she gave you the number, huh?" the voice behind him caused Rhys to jump and spin, turning to face an uncommonly beautiful man who reached over to turn off phone Rhys was still holding. "Thanks for calling me. That sounds odd. What are his symptoms?"
Rhys paused, then said, "This morning he had a headache, close to a migraine, then this. He doesn't want me to call Torchwood either, and I guess--."
"Owen could help him a little, but the medicines didn't cover this. I have to check up on him anyway. Still--" he paused, looking around and picking up a random picture of him and Gwen together. "When's Gwen coming home?"
"A few minutes. Why?"
"Just wondering how long I had. I think this is psychometric, not physical."
"What?"
"To quote the Beatles, 'It's all in your mind'. Now then, please pick up the black bag you're about to trip over and come with me."
Rhys looked down, grabbing the bag, and following the man into the bathroom where Marius leaned over the toilet bowl, shuddering as he finished the choking sound.
"That doesn't sound good. How do you feel?"
"Like everything is rearranging itself when it shouldn't and I've turned myself inside-out. Hi Avery."
"Hi yourself. Rhys called me because apparently you're in need of help. From the sounds of it you are. Rhys, pull out the item that looks like a spatula and hand it here. I need to make sure I'm right."
Rhys nodded before digging up the strange item and handing it to Avery, who fiddled with it briefly before hitting Marius on the head with it.
"owwwww..."
"Stop being a baby."
Marius choked, then began to heave again as Rhys looked up at Avery, who sighed as he looked over the readings. "Just like I thought...this is bad."
--
"You could've come out to help!" Rhys yelled as Jack headed down to grab some equipment and Avery walked out, Marius asleep on the toilet.
"Who else came in, besides Jack?"
"How the bloody hell should I know? I've never seen the bloke! Who was he, one of Torchwood's new recruits?"
Avery frowned, shaking his head. "No, Marius or Gwen would've mentioned it, and when he came in Marius got bad enough I had to give him a sedative. I didn't want that guy to know where we were."
"Why?"
He looked at Rhys, then over to the closed door. "Listen, something is fishy here, and sadly all I can tell you or him is that he should look into things that have recently come up, and be ready for things. Oh, and when Gwen comes back, make her comfortable, and if anything, fornicate."
"WHAT?"
"Have sex with her. Cater to her needs. Do various naughty things you would never rightfully discuss with anyone, and have fun while doing it to show her that you know her and her body that well. Marius should leave soon, and probably not come back. Oh, but if Jack asks, tell him I said that Marius and Ianto are connected, and if Marius is showing off something wrong, even if Ianto isn't then there is something wrong. But if Marius is in pain without anything affecting him, it's Ianto. Same in reverse. Okay?"
"Okay, but--."
"I need to get out of here. A lot of other thing to do and people to see. It was nice to meet you, Rhys. Hope I don't see you on an occasion like this again, but if I do, hopefully it'll be good. Bye!" In a sudden flash of gold, just as the door opened, Avery was gone, and Jack stood looking over at Rhys.
"You okay?"
The question served to shake Rhys out of his surprise and back into anger. "No, what do you think I am? My girl's got no memory of me, and you don't know why! Like I'd bloody well be alright!"
--
Marius slowly stood, looking around before blinking. "Loo..." the memory of why he was here hit him and he sighed. "Great."
Marius slowly stood, wincing at the returned pain in his ankle. Okay, so he had lied slightly on that it was 'healing quickly' but it only hurt him if emotional stress came up.
Which it just has, apparently, he thought to himself, looking at the connections and wincing. Oh, this isn't good.
He moved out of the bathroom, looking over at Rhys as they almost ran into each other.
"You okay?"
"Better, if that works, but not okay. What's wrong?"
"It's...it's Gwen. She's forgotten me. Jack was here a minute ago, went out to make a call about getting her back here. We're hoping to get some memory back but...well...I dunno. Avery left, said...well...oh, what was it?" Rhys clicked his fingers, then said, "Oh yeah! You and Ianto are connected, if you're in pain then there's something wrong with Ianto and the same in reverse. Plus it's something that just recently happened. And when Jack came in there was this new bloke, I didn't know him and neither you or Gwen mentioned him before. Anything?"
Marius paused, then shook his head. "No, but I'll find out. Don't speak to Gwen about it, though." Marius picked up his coat, heading out before he looked back over at Rhys, "and if Avery gave you any advice, take it. I don't care how odd it sounds or how blunt it was, take it."
"Oh...okay."
Marius headed out the door and paused, frowning as he went.
"Smoked salmon. It's your favorite, isn't it?"
"How did you know that?"
What was Gray doing there? He shouldn't...
Jack's acting weird, why can't we just go together? It's been a while--
"Okay, what was that?"
Adam and I have been together for a whole year today?
Marius felt himself stop suddenly, pulling away from the minds as he headed from the apartment and closer to the Hub, moving through a longer route and missing the passing of the Torchwood SUV twice before he stopped again.
"Damn it, who does this guy think he is?"
...remember...
...remember..
"Remember my ass," Marius muttered, stopping at a nearby opened pub to get some water. He winced as the strange...thing...asked Jack about his past and tried to force him into speaking it, into remembering just so he could have it, so he could have another way out.
"Juvenile," Marius muttered as he tried to push the memories away. He had gone to the Boeshane Peninsula Office and looked into Jack's file. They had only given him a few things, including that he had been there during an attack, had been taking care of his brother, and that the two had been separated. What happened to the brother was never given to him, and it had only been shown as a possible reason for him joining the Time Agency, but Marius couldn't give him anything. He couldn't leave, and he couldn't go looking for a ghost just to make Jack happy.
And I'm not that kid either.
Marius drank his glass of water and headed out, stopping again at the sudden disturbance between Owen and Toshiko, then shook his head. "He's seriously fucked this up. I'm not about to let him get away with this."
--
Jack had almost forgotten about Marius until he saw him, heading over towards the Torchwood Hub. He paused on that, turning to go and look for him.
Mairus was sitting, leaning against a wall and holding his head between his hands.
"Marius?"
"go away."
"What's wrong?"
"I...it's..."
"What?"
"Give me a minute. This man...ah, this guy is a novice, and horrible." Marius gritted his teeth before saying, "Go find Ianto."
"Why? You're--."
"I'm in pain because Ian—Ianto's in pain. Go to the Hub. Save him. Adam has to be busy for the rest of the night. Go!"
Jack raced back to the SUV, then heard Don't rush in. Don't give him a reason to reappear. Give me time. Let me save him.
Who?
Ianto, you idiot. Go, and don't worry. I'll get this right. He's a novice, but I'm a—ah... A pause, I'm the master. He's got nothing on me.
Jack left Marius alone to that.
--
I didn't do that!
All human record is a lie!
Stop!
Remember it! Remember it!
That's FUCKING IT! YOU STOP NOW!
Ianto felt himself pushed away, stuck somewhere between reality and—and...
Who the--
Your worst nightmare. You will not mess with him. You will not touch him. I am going to kill you for what you've done.
Ianto shook at the anger in the voice and then felt a touch on his shoulder. He turned and wasn't in the rain-drenched area, but in the Torchwood Hub.
"He's not here." Ianto looked over, blinking.
"Marius. This is...dangerous."
"I know," he was leaning against Jack's desk. "Ianto, I'm sorry, but he thinks he's won. I have to let you keep the memory of...of what he wants you to think."
"Why?"
"Jack's
coming to find you. I'm right behind him, but—" Marius paused,
then looked down. "Never mind. I'll be there faster then you think.
I hope."
"Then what?"
"Simple," Marius said, "Then I deal with Adam. I'm not going to let him exist."
"He...he said he exists in memories. Why can't we let him exist?"
Marius sighed, looking over at him. "He's more a parasite then anything, first off. Second off..." Marius paused before saying, "he's...sloppy. What he's done is not supposed to happen, and he's not supposed to change things like that. If he was good, I wouldn't have gotten a headache or known about it. Don't worry...Jack has faith in you." Marius stood and touched Ianto's shoulder. "You'll let him know something is wrong. I'll help the minute I can."
Ianto nodded, trusting Marius. It wasn't in the same way he trusted Jack, but it was...it was...
Marius gave him a smile, patting his shoulder. "I'm sorry."
"Do it. I'll forget it, right?"
"Yes."
"Then do it. I can take it..."
Marius sighed. "No you can't. But that will help. You're not a killer, Ianto Jones. You've seen too much death anyway, and Jack knows it."
--
"You're not a murderer, I'm certain of it."
"Of course he's not," Marius' voice caused both to jump briefly as he looked up from the small workstation he sometimes used, the videos from that day on the screen.
"Adam didn't appear until today," he told Jack, "and I told Ianto what I would do."
Ianto, looking over the files of himself being forced to remember a false memory. "I remember now."
"How'd you get here so fast?" Jack asked simply.
Marius pointed to the band around his arm, which had a mild glowing symbol on it. "It left me use that power to transport for a few seconds. I headed here as soon as I could and decided to make sure it would get you moving. If not, I was ready to beat you with a stick."
"Ha ha."
Marius held up a small wooden board. "I grabbed it just in case."
"You were saying?"
Marius looked over at Jack, pulling up Adam's file. "It was only updated and added 24 hours ago. He's been tricking you all, hacking into your minds in the hopes of staying here. The main mistake he made was picking you lot."
"Why?" Jack asked, then realized it. "The connections...and Rhys didn't really say where you were. I nearly forgot about you..."
"He gave me a headache just by doing what he was doing," Marius told him, "then he messed with Ianto like that. I don't care if it was self-preservation, he's officially pissed me off. On top of that, I enjoy Owen and Toshiko as they were, not as they are. Reversing their personalities won't help him, and he's not going to stay."
"You sure?" Jack asked. "What's the plan?"
"Simple. Introduce me. I've been out of everyone's minds until I show up...he'll try his thing, and I'll deal with him."
The lights to the Hub turned on as the group turned off the computer, Marius moving away as Owen walked in with a grouping of flowers he quickly put at Toshiko's desk before going to work, Ianto heading up while Marius watched Toshiko and Adam. He glared at the smug Adam, watching Jack and Ianto slowly surrounded him and Jack pointed the gun at him.
Marius walked out, looking over at Adam and Jack. "Jack overreacts to things like this a lot, doesn't he?" he smiled at the team, who blinked upon seeing him before Toshiko muttered, "Marius? What are you--?"
"I came in. I was starting to feel better...until yesterday. Headache, remember Gwen?"
"You said not to bother and tell Jack," Gwen said, her voice only just above a whisper, "and I--."
"Forgot when you remembered Adam?"
"He's been here for years!" Owen countered.
"Which is why Ianto would have known him so well, yeah? Why I would have a connection to him, right?"
Adam reached out, touching Marius, who allowed it despite Jack's annoyed look, then pulled his hand back, gasping in pain. Marius turned to glare at Adam. "That doesn't work on me. I'm not human. I'm not someone you can mess with just because you think you should be allowed life."
"And why are you allowed it when I'm not?" Adam snarled back, his true face showing, "I was in the Void, lost, until I found you all, and your memories."
Marius waited, then shook his head. "Even the Void is a place to be in. You were there for a reason, 'Adam' and you should've stayed there. You don't mess with people's head if your a novice like you...it causes too much pain. You think you're making it better? Gwen should remember Rhys, not you. If Jack wishes to forget something, let him forget! Owen and Toshiko aren't like this, they aren't how you made them just to suit yourself! And Ianto--." At that Marius' face turned dark, the same that Jack and Gwen had seen when Lilith had thought about what Ulamo was doing to him earlier, "I will destroy you for hurting him like that just because he realized it. You could've tried asking. You couldn't find anyone who might need an extra person, a family member, a loved one, no. You had to have them." Marius stepped up in front of the cringing Adam, the evidence of contained power seeming to boil under his skin and around him, causing everyone to shrink back. "You've fucked with their heads, and I won't allow you to survive. Not now, not with a good excuse, and not ever."
--
No one came to the flat warming...no one cared.
You didn't exactly ask, did you? All you did was be quiet, banter once or twice, but keep your head down. And that's how you were caught, with no one to say 'she would never do that'. And then what? Jack found you.
"Five years..."
Jack found you. Jack gives you all of them. Not him. Not me. You're brilliant, Toshiko Sato. Lovely and brilliant, and you don't shine brightly like you should, but when you do--
...but I loved him?
He forced that on you. You love another. I'm so sorry.
Toshiko felt a tear trail down her cheek as she saw it all. Before the touch there had just been her as confident, as a colleague, then he had chosen her for being a fling? For love? Why? Why hadn't she seen through it?
Because memories sometimes do lie. Oh...Marius...Jack...
I'm sorry...
--
Everything...Rhys and everything. Andy fancied me but I always had Rhys, and then there was Jack and oh I would leave Rhys for him but I can't--
You're giving me a headache.
Sorry. But he...he...
You only changed and lost that loved one. I know you love Jack. He loves you too.
But we can't be, can we?
...Jack can't have children. He will live forever and ever and ever and it will pain him when you all die. You are not like Ianto to him. You're a different person...you're lovely, and he sees the wonderful wife and friend you make. He will keep you as that, for all you might want more...but you'll be happy, won't you?
...yes...yes...he can take care of us all and our children and everyone, can't he? And we can keep him human.
Thank you.
--
I'm...am I like that?
My first line on you is biography is that you're a prat. You are.
Thanks.
You've had it rough. She loved you and kicked you out because it was the best. The love of your life died before you could show her everything in your world. Cynicism is a part of you, Owen, because without it you can't survive losing people, and saving them.
I can't save them all.
No one can.
I saved you.
You helped.
Oy!
You helped in more ways then one. Thank you.
--
I've lost so much...
The Hub again glowed in the main office, Marius leaning against the desk. "I took it all out. All the false memories. The only thing left is you."
"What will happen to Adam?"
"Jack's watching him until I reach him, until it's only me."
"And then?"
"I'll show him what a Sidra can do with memories."
--
Gray...Dad...
Are they who you are or who you were?
Could you find them?
No.
If I asked, would you try?
You dad died.
But Gray—John said he found Gray...he didn't say it but then Gray is alive and--
And what? What can you do other then be here, Jack? The past cannot be changed, Jack. I can't change your past. I can't tell you the future. Everything for you is linear to me, just as everything the Doctor does is linear for Lilith. We can't find futures and we can't change the past. We can only go on ahead, recording and changing as this does. You're immortal, Jack Harkness, and we can't change that. Use it as the gift and curse it is, but use it to help them.
I will...but...
Gray is the past. Just like John, just like the Time Agency, those two years, the Doctor, Rose...you wished to erase John, why can't you erase it all? Why can't you be their leader? You have to remember, Jack...remember the past, cherish it, and learn from it, but don't live it. You'll only destroy yourself.
--
Adam was on his knees, looking at those he couldn't reach as Marius looked down at him.
"You remember me."
Marius tilted his head at the nearly-destroyed entity, frowning at him. "No."
"But—but you did this! You have to know me! You have all their memories in your mind, I can feel them! I'm living through you."
"For now," Marius said, touching the computer and closing his eyes.
"No...no, what are you doing? Stop!"
"I'm putting in a restrained file. You can't exist where it is, Marius, and while I'll be out of it like the others, all they'll know is they've lost 48 hours. All I'll know is that it's for their own good. I've erased you from everything, and you can't return."
Adam shreked in pain, reaching out to Marius. "Stop, please! Please, let me go! Let me go somewhere else, find someone else, just don't kill me like this!"
Marius looked down at Adam, and shook his head. "No. I don't care what I might have to deal with because of this, but you are too dangerous to be allowed to wander here. I can't let you leave and live. I had memories put into me, terrible memories, and one Ianto shares. That you would put such memories into him on purpose, when explaining or pleading would've worked...I'm not forgiving you for it, and I'm not going to be gentle either. They're my Clients, and I don't take well to anyone messing with them."
With that, Marius closed his eyes, and forgot.
--
"How did we lose two days?"
Gwen's voice caused Marius to turn over, looking at her. "What does it matter?"
"But--."
"Gwen, all the Retcon is here, and there's just no record of it. Either it was too dull to recall, or something big happened that required forgetting. Either way, if there was something to it you'd have gotten a call from Rhys or something."
Toshiko blinked at the mound of flowers at her desk, picking up the card. " 'To Toshiko, stay brilliant, Marius'? When'd you get these?"
Marius looked over, then shrugged. "In the two days we forget?"
"Oh...why?"
"I'm not allowed to give flowers to a lovely lady?"
"What about me then?" Gwen joked back as Jack smiled from his office, cleaning things up.
"You have Rhys, bother him about it."
"And do you give them to men as well?" Owen asked, coming up from the medical area, "or are you not like Ianto in that sense?"
"I don't give flowers," Ianto protested.
Marius looked over at Ianto. "You gave Lisa tulips on your first date."
"...that was different."
"Since she surprised you and ended up wearing them, sure it was."
"Hey!"
Marius looked back at Owen, "And I give flowers to people I like, Owen. You're a grade-A prat, so why are you complaining?"
Owen stuck his nose up in the air, "Just wanted to be loved."
"Then talk to Toshiko."
"Wh-what?" Toshiko turned bright red as she stuttered.
"She can give you the flowers."
"Oh..."
Owen snorted, "Right, because I need second-hand flowers."
Toshiko played with the card in her hand. "Well, it's the thought that counts, right?"
Ianto seemed to be looking for something, Marius motioning towards Jack's office as Ianto headed into the area, Jack looking at an odd wooden box before handing over Ianto's diary.
"And I didn't need that mental image, but thanks you two..." Marius muttered as he turned back over and went to sleep again. Something nagged at his mind, something that had been done, but at the same time...it didn't.
If it's worth remembering or forgetting, I'll have a report on it. Either way...it doesn't matter. They're all safe, though, and I'm better. That's what matters.