A/N. Thank you for all the reviews for the last chapter, i'm pleased you wanted me to carry on. Cookies to all. Enjoy the next chapter. :)
Chapter 9.
The next couple of weeks after the alien infiltration of the Hub were fairly quiet. There was some Rift activity, and a slight increase in weevil sightings, but on the whole nothing that the team couldn't handle.
Molly walked into the hub through the cog door, and headed over to her computer to check some of the programmes she had running. She came in by herself most mornings now as Ianto had taken to staying with Jack more, not that she minded, she was happy they were getting on so well. As she put her bag down on the desk, Ianto appeared holding out a cup of coffee.
'Thanks. Everything ok today?'
'Yeah, there were no alarms last night, it was quiet.'
'Good. Where's Jack?'
'He's on the phone to UNIT, so he's not in the best mood. It's too early to be dealing with them.'
'I wonder what they want?'
'I'm sure we'll find out soon enough. I better go and make everyone else's drinks.'
Jamie came in through the door next and Gwen not long after. Jack came out of his office and called everyone to the boardroom. They all went in and sat down with their mugs of coffee. They took their respective places, Jack at the head of the table, Ianto and Gwen either side and then Molly next to Ianto, Jamie next to Gwen.
'We are getting a visit from a representative from UNIT. It's to do with the device that came through the Rift at the docks, the one we thought looked like it had another half. Well they have the other half.' Jack did not at all sound happy about this visit.
'Is it Martha?' asked Gwen.
'No sadly not, if it had been I would have been a lot happier about all this. It's a guy called Alex Palmer.'
Molly had just been taking a sip of her drink when she heard Jack say the name Alex Palmer and she coughed in surprise at hearing this name, trying hard to swallow her drink before she spat it out. Everyone turned to look at her though.
'You ok, Molly? Jack said.
'Yeah, sorry. Errrm.. Did you say Alex Palmer?'
'Yes, why do you know him?'
'Knew him.' Molly said quietly.
'That makes it easier.' said Jack, and then he continued talking.
'I wouldn't count on it.' Molly said, so quietly that no one else heard her. Everyone had gone back to listening to Jack, but Molly couldn't concentrate. Out of all the people that worked at UNIT why did it have to be him, unless there was another Alex Palmer, but this was highly unlikely. So many thoughts were going round her head she didn't realise she was being spoken too.
'Hello, Molly are you with us?'
'What. Sorry, you said something?'
'I said how is the predictor programme coming.'
'Oh, I think I've finally got it. Just need to wait to test it.' Molly was quite proud she had got this programme working as it was the one she had the most trouble with. She hoped now that it was predicting exactly and wasn't out by hours as it had been before.
Everyone then dispersed heading to their workstations to get on with the various jobs they all had going on. Molly though still couldn't concentrate, and spent the morning not doing much other than staring at her computer screen. At around 1pm Jamie walked over to her desk, he had noticed that she had been quiet and unfocused.
'Hey, I was going out for some lunch, do you want to come?'
'No thank you, I really need to keep working, I'm not getting very far today.'
'I did noticed you looked distracted. I hope you don't mind me asking, but is it something to do with this guy that's visiting, the one you knew?'
'What makes you say that?' Molly asked quite defensively, wondering if she had really been that obvious. 'Sorry, I didn't mean to snap, it's nothing it's just someone I never thought I'd see again so it was a bit of a shock when Jack mentioned him. I'm fine though, really.' She smiled up at him in what she hoped was a reassuring way, but Jamie was not convinced. He thought better of trying to push the subject. If there was more to it then he wouldn't be the one she confided in, that would be Ianto, and a part of him wished she would talk to him too. Jamie knew though that Molly could be very guarded when it came to talking about herself. The sound of Jack's voice woke him out of his thoughts.
'Right our visitor is on the way up, lets try and make him feel welcome.' Jack said as he made his way down the stairs from his office.
The cog door then opened and Ianto stepped through bringing with him Alex Palmer. He was just slightly shorter than Jack, had short cropped hair and brown eyes. Gwen and Jamie had walked over, but Molly hung back slightly. Jack went over and introduced himself, flashing his famous grin as he did so. 'Captain Jack Harkness, let me introduce you to the others. You've met Ianto already.' He led Alex over to the others, 'Gwen Williams and Dr Jamie West', Alex shook hands with both of them, as they were introduced. Molly knew she was going to have to come over too. As Jack saw her walking over he started to introduce her, but Alex interrupted him.
'Molly Jameson. I can't believe it.' Alex walked over to her, and gave her a brief hug. 'You're looking great, then again you always did.' He said smiling at her.
'Thanks.' said Molly quietly, and blushing slightly as the others were looking. 'Please excuse me, but I need to get back to what I was doing.' Molly then turned and hurried away back to her computer.
The other four team members were watching this exchange and all trying to work out what was going on. Molly had been quiet, and looked as though she has been trying to blend into the background, plus the whole time she had been near Alex, she never made eye contact with him. They all pretty much jumped to the same conclusion that he was an ex boyfriend, given the amount of awkwardness.
Alex didn't seem phased by this though, and even commented on the tension, 'It's always awkward when you haven't seen people for a while. Anyway I believe we have business to attend too.'
'Yes we do, this way. We'll go to my office.' Jack led the way to his office, Alex following. Gwen and Jamie then turned and looked at Ianto.
'Why are you both staring at me?' He asked.
'Can you shed any light on what just happened. Has she ever mentioned him before.' Gwen asked.
'No, but even if she had I wouldn't tell you.'
'Well there's definitely a story there.' Gwen continued.
'I'm not so sure it's something we should ask her about though. I mean she really looked like she didn't want to be anywhere near him.' Jamie said.
'Probably a bad break up.' Gwen guessed.
'Hopefully he won't be here that long.' said Ianto trying to steer the conversation away from Molly. 'I wonder what's going on in the office.' The three of them all turned their heads to look up at Jack's office.
Jack and Alex came back out of the office about half an hour later, and Jack announced. 'Meeting in the boardroom, ten minutes.'
Molly had been back working at her computer when she suddenly realised she had company. It was Alex.
'Hey Moll.' he said.
'Don't call me that.'
'You always used to like it.' Alex said, and he reached out with his left hand and went to stroke her cheek with his fingers, but she moved her head out of the way.
'Don't do that either.' She said. 'What the hell are you doing here Alex?'
'I'm here representing UNIT on official buisness.'
Molly rolled her eyes. 'Yeah right, both you and I know this kind of job is beneath you, it's the sort of thing you'd send a junior staff member out to do for you.'
Alex looked at her, a harder edge in his eyes and a malicious smile on his lips. 'Well if you must know I took the job because of you. Imagine my surprise when I heard Molly Jameson of all people was working for Torchwood. Never thought I'd find you again.'
'It must be my unlucky day then, because I never wanted to see you again.' Molly stood up from her desk and went to walk away, but Alex grabbed hold of her arm. She looked around, but she couldn't see any of the others.' Let go.'
'What are you going to do, get your new friends to come to your rescue.' Alex said smiling.
'Why after all this time would you even want to find me?'
'You just disappeared on me, and well to be honest I was a bit put out by that. No one just leaves me like that.'
'I had damn good reasons for leaving you, and if I had tried to tell you I was going you wouldn't exactly have made it easy, so I upped and left. I know what it is you're really worried about, but don't be.'
'Good, but then you did always know what was good for you. Now I'm going to be here for a few days, why don't we get reacquainted.' Alex said as he pulled Molly a little closer to him.
'Let go of my arm.' Molly said in a controlled voice, she was trying to keep the panic she was feeling out of it. 'I am not the same person I was all those years ago, so don't test me. How about we just get along while we have to, then you can get out of my life and stay out.'
'We'll see.' said Alex smirking. He then released Molly's arm and turned to walk away. 'Come on then, we have a meeting to go to.' He then walked off towards where the others were already gathered in the boardroom.
Molly had to sit down for a minute to compose herself. She was shaking and trying to hold back tears. Seeing Alex was something that she never thought she would have to do again, and it was so much harder than she had ever thought. She took a deep breath and then got up and walked to the boardroom. She had to get through the next couple of days without arousing suspicion from the others as she did not want to talk about what was going on. Molly walked into the boardroom and took her usual place next to Ianto, the whole time not looking in Alex's direction.
