Story disclaimer: I own none of the following. Many of the references in this story are owed to the writers and the rest of the team(s) involved in the creation and production of Torchwood and Doctor Who. Without them, this story would not be possible. My character Teya owns me. I am making no money from this or any of my other fics posted on this site.

Scene Thirteen – Present Day

Jack paused long enough to watch Teya cross the Hub to make herself a coffee, his hands tucked into his pockets and his eyes narrowed as he wondered at the fear on Ianto's face and the way he had tightened his grip on whatever reports he had been holding. The Welshman had recognised Teya, of that much Jack was sure, though he could not think how. He must have come across her in Torchwood London, and putting two and two together could only mean trouble for both Torchwood and Cardiff. Ianto had already gone down to the boardroom to prepare some form of briefing whilst Jack had been attempting to persuade Teya to stay a little longer. The Everlarth kept a wary eye on Gwen – who was looking up some information for Ianto on the computer - as she went, and Jack knew that she still did not trust the Torchwood team. With good reason, he admitted to himself regretfully…

"Jack?" Gwen's welsh lilt summoned him from his thoughts, lifting his mood just a little and making him turn to face her. "Are you alright?" She smiled shyly as his eyes connected with hers. It was, as always, as if the man with all his darkness and mystery could see right into her soul, knew her thoughts...

"Sure..." He offered her an arm in his most over-the-top gentlemanly manner, which Gwen accepted with the shy smile that never failed to make Jack's heart beat just a little faster. A few minutes later, the Torchwood team was sat round the table in the boardroom, and Ianto wasted no time in launching into his concerns.

"Your friend, Jack, she's an Everlarth." It was more of a statement than a question as Ianto looked sharply at Jack.

"I think Teya might take offense at the term friend these days, but yes, she's an Everlarth." He returned Ianto's gaze levelly, aware of his jealousy but refusing to acknowledge it. Jack voiced his earlier thought. "You've met her before."

Ianto looked away, suddenly ashamed, remembering the first time he had seen Teya during his training at Torchwood London. How he'd walked down the cell block, privately horrified by the Weevils, the Blowfish and the shape-shifter, then seeing the poor pathetic form that he had been told was an alien, yet looked so... normal... Her yellow eyes so pale that they were almost white, sunken and lifeless, had connected with his even as their trainer warned them about hardening their hearts to the ploys of aliens, to remember the first rule of aliens – always assume they bite. Ianto couldn't quite believe that this one would, reading that pitiful gaze that had tugged at his heart. Coming back to the present slowly, Ianto nodded, still unable to look at Jack.

"Ianto?" It was, again, Gwen's soft voice that prompted him to continue.

"There was a message for us from the Chief Inspector this morning, called in late last night." Ianto's voice took a moment to become flat and professional again. "There have, so far, been a total of fourteen deaths in the last ten days, all unexplained, all of the victims dying from severe blood loss."

As he spoke, Ianto flashed up images on the main screen of each victim, and he now handed copies of the autopsy reports round the table. Again, each report held pictures of the victims, pale and grey. He would not look at Jack as he continued. "The thing that is confusing the police and coroners is that there are no apparent wounds that would permit that sort of blood loss. In fact, most of the bodies were completely clean, save for a three or four day old cut approximately three centimetres to the left wrist." Again, Ianto provided images of these cuts on the main screen, extracted from the autopsy reports as he spoke.

"Everlarths are plasmavores." Jack filled in for Gwen, seeing her confusion. "They feed on blood. Human legend of Vampyres stem from the presence of an Everlarth colony on Earth several centuries ago. The stories have been romanticised a little – Everlarth's don't feed from the neck but from a cut to the wrist. The first time I met Teya she was feeding from a guy in an inn, call it a bonus for a good nights work..."

"And you can put away the crosses, garlic, sunlight and so on." Ianto at, unsure whether to smile or scowl at Jack. "The only way to kill an Everlarth is with a good, old fashioned gun. Though a stake through the heart might just do the job I suppose."

Jack stood up, feeling a familiar sense of déjà vu. He went over to the screen in the pretence of inspecting the autopsy images more closely, when in reality it was to hide the fact that he was unable to face his colleagues. He'd been in this situation before, and last time he'd made the wrong choice, a decision that had cost numerous lives and Teya's trust in him. And now that he was in the same situation, would he make the same mistake again? He took a deep breath, suddenly aware of the eyes of team on him, both of them waiting for his call.

"Teya was chasing a Weevil for food when I came across her." He turned to face them at last. "More to the point, she was injured and starving. Everlarth's heal quickly when they're fully fed. No way did she kill and drain fourteen bodies in ten days. More to the point, she's been feeding off Weevil blood for a while now, desperate to avoid detection since the last time she encountered Torchwood."

"Everlarth's don't exactly have a reputation for being that cunning Jack." Ianto objected.

"Teya's had to be cunning, Ianto. She's alone, and terrified of being recaptured by Torchwood. She only came here because I asked her to trust me. I promised I'd let her go. I'm not about to break that promise." Jack sighed heavily, turning away from his team. He took another deep breath before continuing. "What Teya and I didn't tell you is that it was me that handed her over to Torchwood the last time that bodies started turning up in London, all of them drained of blood with a cut on the wrist. Teya wasn't responsible then, I won't believe that she is now."

"Thank you, Jack." Teya was in the doorway of the boardroom as Jack spoke, and she managed to smile just a little at him as he spun to face her. The two of them locked gazes, and though nothing was said, Gwen and Ianto took this as their cues to get their investigation underway. Ianto went to pick through the autopsy reports in greater detail, while Gwen took on the rift activity and other related reports, as well as to make some calls to see if the police department had any leads.

"So it's Gwen is it?" Teya smiled, now knowing that it was Gwen that had influenced Jack so profoundly. Well, good for her.

Jack glanced back to where Gwen had disappeared after Ianto, smiling a little, thinking he knew what Teya was alluding to. He shook his head in denial. Teya took a seat, looking over some of the autopsy reports as Jack studied her for a few minutes. She was aware of his gaze on her, but unwilling to give Jack anything to work from. Full and rested, she supposed Jack had gone some way in an attempt to make things up to her. She was even beginning to believe that he might let her go.

"I'm sorry." Jack paused, having started an apology that he hadn't intended to give, wasn't sure where to go next. "They threatened to kill you... I'm so sorry."

"So you said, Jack." Her yellow eyes met his as she pushed the autopsy reports away. She stood up again, going to stand opposite him. "I don't know how you do it, Jack. How do you keep going? Knowing who you are and what you've done?"

"I fought so hard to get you out of there. I tried to get them to transfer you up to Cardiff so that I could look after you..."

"Obviously you didn't try hard enough Jack." Her voice was low, cruel in its intensity. Her temper snapped as she spoke, angered by his apology and the tears that she had denied for years. Teya stood threateningly close to him, glaring at him with nothing but malice and contempt on her face. "You saved me by handing me a death sentence Jack! And believe me; death would've been preferrable to what they did to me. I think even you would be surprised at what you can live through. They broke me Jack, destroyed what little you left of my spirit, and it was your fault they did."

Jack watched as she ran for the door, leaving him stood speechless. He'd seen the tears well in her eyes as she had spoken and, if he knew Teya at all, it would be the first time since escaping Torchwood London that she had let her emotions run away with her. He sighed, following her through the Hub in time to see the great circular door roll shut behind her. Gwen and Ianto, both at their stations, glanced at Jack but neither voiced their questions. Stony faced, Jack walked past them, his hands tucked in his pockets and head lowered. He walked into his office, without a word or a glance of acknowledgement, to disappear into his bunk space.