As soon as Jack pulled in to the parking lot he was surprised to see Donna running towards the car as fast as she could without tripping. He rolled down the window on Gwens side and leaned over.

"Jogging in high heels is not recommended, no matter what the Cosmopolitan says!"

Donna frowned at him before her face cracked into a huge honest grin.

"He's back! Jack, he's come home!"

Gwen had no idea who she was talking about so she turned to Jack for an explanation but seeing his wide-eyes stare she completely forgot.

"He's back?"

"Yeah! Not ten minutes ago, he's having tea with miss Hartman!"

Jack threw of his seatbelt and opened the door but the he halted himself so suddenly his momentum made him slide of the seat and down to the ground.

"Gwen! Gwen I can't just...!"

"I'll be fine Jack...!"

"Not a risk I'm willing to take! Come here!"

With that, he shut the door, ran around the car and pulled her out.

"I'm not just dropping you Gwen, I'm not that bad of a friend... Though I guess all this is sort of my fault..."

She shook her head. He had been right, she would have had to face him at some point. Still, all she wanted right now was to go to bed.

"Jack, I'll just head up to my room, I still haven't unpacked and..."

"Not leaving you! Come on, I'll introduce you to the most amazing man in the whole world!"

"Who?"

Jack grinned and Gwen did smile back because he looked happier than a child on christmas eve.

"The Doctor!"

Over the past two days she had gotten bits of information about this doctor-fellow, how brilliant and wonderful he was. That he was centuries old and had been fighting this cause since before it was a cause. He was a genius and a hero.

"Hi there! I'm the Doctor! What's your name then?"

She blinked. Twice. Then she made an effort to return the huge childish grin and shook the bony hand held out to her.

"Hi... I'm Gwen Cooper."

The skinny man in the brown suit shook it with force and peered at her from all angles he could.

"Say Gwen... How long has your family lived in Cardiff?"

"Urm... Since the nineteenth century I think...?"

"Hm, I thought so..."

"What...?"

"Met a girl named Gwyneth, 1869, right here in Cardiff! Bright young woman, you look just like her! Even have that same little gap in your front teeth!"

She glanced over at Jack only to find him squirming in silent laughter. She gave him a face and turned back to the man with the poofy hair.

"So, miss Hartman says you're the new little protégé. You're pyrokinesis right?"

"Eh, yeah. I think that's what it's called."

"Amazing...! It's been a long time since I saw someone with a pure element... Centuries at least...!"

Gwen squirmed a bit. The room was big and bright, one of the few sitting rooms that had been kept as just that. The chairs were a soft blue that went well with the dark wood and for some reason it matched the Doctors suit perfectly.

"What did the one before do?"

The Doctor looked over at Jack, and Gwen started to notice that he had yet to even smile in his direction. Now his brows wrinkled and he placed his fingertips together, answering in a soft, almost sad tone.

"Oh... He controlled lightning. Well, controlled is a strong word. It tore him apart, ripped his mind and soul to shreds. He was born dying, and nothing I did could save him..."

The contrast to the smile he'd worn just a minute ago robbed Gwen of all possible words. She just sat there, trying to understand. Now, for the first time, she believed that this man might have lived for such a long time. He almost looked older.

"Not that that will happen to you, Gwen! You seem right as rain! ...You ...Don't hear anything strange do you? Noise? Voices? ...Drums?"

"What? No?"

"There, see! Perfectly fine!"

She looked at Jack again, getting only a smile and a shaking head.

"Well, I'm afraid I don't have much time, Rose should be done by now. I'm afraid I'll have to leave. Got a world to save and all that."

She was almost startled when he suddenly stood up. Looking at his feet she had to bite her lip not to laugh. Suit and sneekers? How did he make that combo work?

"Well then, Gwen Cooper, Jack. You two take care of yourselves! I'll drop by before I leave again. Stay out of trouble and don't call miss Hartman a witch, it's not nice to those hard-working magical women who rightfully bear that title..."

"Doc...?"

"Yes Jack?"

There was something cold in the way he said his name, turning around in the door with his coat over his arm.

"Can we... I dunno... Have dinner or something? Before you leave? Talk a bit? Just us...?"

She had never seen Jack so insecure before. She almost felt like giving him a hug.

"We'll see."

Then he was gone and Jack was looking at the empty doorway with a look that Gwen recognized far to well.

"Oh my God..."

"What?"

"You're in love with him!"

"No I'm not! He's my dad! Jesus Gwen...!"

She stared him down, piercing him with her sharp eyes. He caved in seconds.

"Yeah... That obvious?"

"Sorry, was it a secret?"

"Is that sarcasm?"

"You bet! Is that why he's so...?"

"Awkward? Yeah... Guess I shouldn't have told him but... I had to...!"

She looped her arm around his, leaning against his shoulder.

"Guess you and I have quite a lot in common..."

Jack put his hand at the back of her neck and placed a soft kiss in her dark hair.

"Yeah... Guess we do."

She felt so drained. She just wanted to forget. Forget about her mom and dad, even if she wondered what she had told him. She wanted to forget about Rhys and her old school and her old life. She couldn't run from this, she wouldn't even try. Better to just wipe it clean and start fresh.

"Hey Gwen?"

"Yeah?"

"Wanna go find the others, shack up some booze and pizza and just have a little party in Owens room?"

"Why Owens?"

"He doesn't mind the mess."

"Let's go then!"

"Did you talk to Jack?"

He jumped almost guiltily when Rose popped up behind him. Shrugging the rest of the jacket up on his shoulders he turned around with a big goofy grin all over his face.

"Yeah! Great chat! He has a new friend, Gwen! Lovely girl, reminds me off a friend I had back in 18...69...!"

Rose crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, making his little rant ebb out and stop mid-sentence.

"I tried, I really did...!"

"Not hard enough."

"What do you want me to do Rose? Go along with it? I couldn't! And even if I could, what about you?"

"Doctor..."

He bit his lip. He knew she was right, she always was. His beautiful, wonderful, fantastic, amazing, brilliant Rose. Still, he couldn't do it. He tucked his hands in his pockets, facing away.

"I'll try again before we leave. Now let's get this over with, ok?"

"Ok. But we're coming back! And I'll keep dragging you back here until you two work it out!"

He groaned. He loved Jack, he really did, but not the way the boy wanted him too. To the Doctor, Jack would always be that crying little six year old he had rescued from the riots.

"You don't realise do you?"

"Realise what?"

Rose gave him a sad smile, taking his hand as they walked through the house.

"How much it hurts me to see you reject him like that. Seeing how cruel you can be to someone who loves you."

He stopped. Cursing in a language long forgotten by mankind he pulled his brilliant Rose into a tight embrace. This had to stop. He could live with the little dance he and his son did, he could bear it until the stupid boy got some sense, but if Rose was hurting, this had to stop.

He was playing favourites, he knew, he was only human. Well, not only, but close enough. It didn't change much though, she would always be his reason. For everything.

"Let's... Get the world as safe as we can for a minute, and then I'll take care of my straying son. I promise."

"Alright."

As they came up the stairs, Jack and Gwen were met by a smiling Lisa, a pot of tea, a plate of biscuits and two cups.

"I heard from Ianto. Do you want to talk?"

"Well..."

"We don't have too, but I thought you might want a cup, just to calm down."

"Thank you Lisa... I think I'll take you up on that actually."

"Alright! I will leave Gwen in your... Delicate hands, Lisa. Pizza at eight! You know where Owens room is, right?"

"Second on the left, I remember."

"Good! Later!"

They watched him waltz off to the boys section, long coat swaying behind him. Lisa rolled her eyes and nodded towards the girls' end.

"Want to come to my room? More privacy..."

"Sure. Let me help you with that!"

"Oh thank you!"

Gwen woke up five minutes before the alarm went off. It surprised her, considering the amount of alcohol she'd drunk the night before. She sighed and rolled over on her side, watching the seconds tick past her eyes.

She had cried. She had cried and told Lisa everything. About the spying in the rain, about the fire, about her mom and about Rhys. Lisa was so kind, patting her back and handing her tissue after tissue, not even minding that the tea went cold, forgotten on the bedside table.

Ianto came and knocked, telling them dinner was served. He had given Gwen half a hug and asked her if she was alright. She had thrown the question right back at him, getting only a small smile.

They got by. Live day by day, care for those you met and remember those who leave. She was starting to understand. They only had each other, everyone else in the world would reject them. Still, if she was going to be a freak, at least she was in good company.

A bit too good turned out. Gwen groaned and buried her face in the pillow.

The problem with beer, no matter how much you eat before or how little you drink, is that it takes away all your sense of decision.

At least she'd had enough sense to go to sleep in her own bed and not Owens. Though he was a damn good kisser. Today was going to be so awkward.

"Alright! Page 31 and I don't want to hear a single word that's not written in there!"

Everyone snorts and does as they're told. Donna is a good teacher, just as rude and easily bored as any of her students. They will read sonnets for about forty-five minutes, then it will turn into a Hamlet-parody staring miss Noble and Mr. Harkness. They can read until it boils down to that.

True to form, the last half hour is spent watching Jack and Donna go at it like two rabid dogs on crack. Gwen has never enjoyed english literature so much, and she suspects that miss Noble has actualy managed to teach them something today, despite all the interruptions. Gwen might even be abled to recall a few Shakespeare lines if she has too.

In the afternoon they have power practice and Gwen still feels the world spin slightly when she reads it on her schedule.

"I don't want too!"

"Owen helps you practice, so return the favour please."

"I still don't see why I should cut myself!"

"He'll heal it...!"

"Still don't see the point! You do it!"

"I can't!"

"Why not?"

Jack grunts and leans against one of the desks in the empty classroom.

"I'll heal faster then he'll manage. Immortal, remember?"

"More like immoral..."

She glances over at Owen. If it had been yesterday she would have done it just to see how he did it, but today she is awkward and he still hasn't looked at her. Damn.

"Why can't you just practice on yourself?"

He glances at her, then looks away and is she imagining that he's blushing?

"Can't do that neither. Can't heal myself... Bloody useless gift ey?"

"Oh..."

"That, and the more Owen heals someone, the faster it gets. If you get injured, it's better if he's used to your body."

She tries real hard not to glow bright red, but Tosh still raises an eyebrow at her. Double damn.

"Fine, whatever!"

She takes the knife Jack held out at the start of the bloody conversation and holds her hand over the sink. No need to make a mess.

She doesn't cut deep, she can't bring herself to it, so she makes it a long cut over her arm.

"You better not leave a scar..."

His hands are cold as they hold her, and she wonders if she's warmer then before now that the fire is so close to her skin.

"Don't worry love. I've done this before. Wouldn't dream of leaving such a mark on a pretty girl like you."

He smirks at her and god help her, but Gwen smiles back. She realises that everyone in the room now knows but it's done and there was no way of keeping it a secret anyway.

Lisa picks up her phone, carefully. She doesn't want to be caught with it during class but that ringtone she can't ignore. It's a text. A name and an order.

Secure him.

She closes the phone and starts plotting how to make a regular fall into her net. She decides on her red dress and focuses on her schoolwork.

[AN; Still no comments... Don't get me wrong, I like to see subs and faves, but darnit I want to know what you think! What I think is that after the latest episode of Torchwood, I was so bloody right to give Gwen her powers! BITCH IS ON FIRE! Gawd I love her! X3 Feels weird posting chapter nine when I'm working on twelve... Still, if there is something you'd like to see, review! It might just pop up! Like the stopwatch-scene, or something like that! Go for it, I'm a nice little nerdy fangirl like the rest of you, I'll love it! XD]