Torchwood - Outside the government, beyond the police. Tracking down alien life on Earth, and arming the human race against the future.

But what kind of future is there for a man who has lost his one true love?

Jack was in his office with the door closed, as usual, leaving the team to its own devices. Gwen glanced at the door, sighing, then looked back at the computer.

"You're at your most beautiful when you're in a staredown with one of those infernal machines," Rhys commented, kissing the back of her neck and taking her by surprise.

"Not now, Rhys," Gwen snapped, then felt bad about it because she knew without turning around that her husband's face had crumpled. "Sorry. I could do with a little help around here. In case you haven't noticed, we're short… well, pretty much everybody, and whilst Jack is busy having yet another lie-in, the responsibility all falls on my shoulders."

Rhys put his hand on Gwen's shoulder. "Lemme have a crack at it, Gwennie."

"At which?" Gwen squinted. "The Recliklithium levels being off the charts around Cardiff Bay or the interpolation coordinates on the Rift Activity Monitoring System?"

Rhys laughed. "That's a good one." His smile faded. "You're not pulling my leg now, are you? I could do with a translation."

"Right. Basically Jack's been giving us things just to keep us busy and out of his hair whilst he does whatever it is that lately takes precedence over preserving human life as we know it. One of them is monitoring areas not generally known for fluctuations in energy for unusual activity."

"The idea being that you won't find anything so you'll look busy and he doesn't get bothered."

"Precisely. Except that if you take a look here - " Gwen pointed at the monitor with a manicured finger - " the line goes off the chart. So now the question is, which of us is willing to risk Jack's wrath by alerting him to the fact that his attempt to waste our time has resulted in something important?"

"That would be you," Rhys said. "Or we could leave it to that pretty young replacement for Owen Harper, eh?"

Gwen rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll do it."

She got up and knocked softly on Jack's office door. When she got no answer, she put her hand on the knob and turned it a crack, then stuck her head in.

Jack was staring at a cube in his hands. It was hard to tell if he was awake or asleep.

"Jack?" Gwen said softly. He didn't answer. "JACK!"

Jack jerked up. "Sorry. It's easy to get lost in time with this thing. Novelty item. Time cube full of moving pictures, makes you feel like you're right there. The technology is primitive, really, nothing more than a movie you can hold in your hand, even if it is made of your personal memories."

"And which of yours were you viewing?" Gwen's voice was soft.

Jack said nothing for a moment. Then he said, "Nothing exciting. When you've lived as long as I have, going through your memories is more or less the equivalent of watching paint dry. No surprises."

"You want to be surprised, do you?"

"That's impossible given the finite number of things in the universe. But go ahead. Prove me wrong and surprise me." Jack's eyes twinkled and for a second he seemed like his old self. Then he rubbed the bridge of his nose and the light went out of his eyes again. "Seriously, whatcha got?"

"Only the biggest energy spike we're capable of picking up, down at Cardiff Bay where there's no rift activity to speak of."

"Oh. Okay." Jack's voice was flat.

Gwen deepened her voice, doing her best to imitate Jack's American accent and pattern of speech. "This is big, unfathomably big. Last time the readings were this high was when that swarm of Aruotactian Hive Orks fell through from the 72nd Century. Better assemble a team and get out to see it straight away."

Not even a hint of a smile. Jack glanced down at his time cube. "Aruotactian Hive Orks? Really, Gwen?"

"Should we get on it or not?"

"Yeah, if you want. Report back in a few hours. I'll stay here and…" But Jack didn't say what he'd do. Gwen stared at him, her eyes full of compassion. He ignored her until she gave up and walked away.

A flash of light, and the Black Guardian landed in the bay area of a large Welsh city. J.J. had landed face down on the ground, unconscious from the Black Guardian's attack on him earlier. The culmination of all chaos and darkness surveyed the area. He chuckled to himself.

"Cardiff," he sniggered. "What a depressing place this is. There is sure to be nothing here of any use to you.". He looked down at J.J. and smiled. "Jack Deveraux, Jr, you have no idea the plans that I have for you."

The Black Guardian knelt down and rubbed J.J.'s back malevolently. "You will never see your friends in Salem again. Of course, why would you? They are all just as worthless as the next one. None moreso than you. However, I plans for you, my little friend. You will assist me in the ultimate destruction of the universe! All shall bow down before me. Particularly those infernally boring cretans, the-"

Before the Black Guardian could finish his thought, he heard the sound of tires squealing. A black SUV made a sharp turn around the corner. He fumed as it drew closer. "Another time, I think. I'll come back for you, Jack Junior, just you wait," and with that, the Black Guardian vanished.

The SUV came to a stop. Gwen ran out, followed by a young female doctor with, as Jack once described it, the voice of a nightingale: Martha Jones. They ran up to J.J.'s body.

"What've we got?", asked Gwen as Martha pulled out a scanning device.

"He's alive, but barely," Martha said, looking over the results from the scanner. "That's odd. Traces of dark matter in his bloodstream."

"Dark matter?" said Gwen. "Isn't that impossible? When matter and dark matter combine, it causes an explosion."

"No, that's anti-matter," replied Martha, still looking over the scans. "Dark matter is different. It's not the absence of matter, it's matter that's been corrupted by dark forces. Last time I saw this was…". Martha trailed off.

Gwen blinked. "Was when?"

"That was a long time ago," Martha said, looking from the scanner to J.J. "Before I joined you lot. Nearly a decade ago."

"So, you have seen this before?" questioned Gwen.

Martha knelt back down to do a secondary scan. "Dark matter, yes. But not in these quantities. Gwen, these readings are unlike anything I've ever seen before. There's no way that any normal human could contain this much dark matter without interference from outside forces."

"Is he dangerous?"

"Potentially," said Martha. "Only one way to find out. Take him back to the Hub and put him in a cell. I'll be able to better examine him there, anyway."

"Oh, Jack is gonna love this," sighed Gwen. She and Martha picked up J.J.'s body and put him in the back of the SUV. Then, they got in and drove off.

In a dimly lit room, Paige lay on the bed, still knocked out from the gas. She was no longer bound and gagged. Rather, her hands and legs were chained to a bed, and a blindfold had been placed over her eyes. A hand pushed a lock of hair away from Paige's face, and proceeded to put a gas mask over her nose and mouth. A blue gas emanated from the mask, making it the only thing that Paige could breathe.

"Sweet dreams, Miss Larsen," whispered a man with a heavy German accent.