Smiley faces
It had taken a few days, but in the end Rose had gotten herself somewhat situated. Jack and Gwen had helped her find a small apartment not far from the Hub, and Jack had even bought furniture for her.
She liked working for Jack, he was like an older brother and the rest of the team was great people. She had gotten closer with Gwen, who had loosened up considerately when she found out there was nothing but platonic love between Rose and Jack (although Rose had chosen not to comment on that). Owen had definitely also won her over, he was smart and fun and not half bad to look at. Tosh and Ianto, on the other hand, were harder for her to get to know. Tosh seemed rather shy and Rose lived in constant fear that one day Ianto would simply poison her coffee. She hadn't asked Jack, but it was obvious something between the two of them was going on and now Ianto looked at her like she had destroyed whatever it was.
All in all Rose was as satisfied as she could be, given the situation. She still missed the Doctor and desperately hoped he would turn up whenever something alien happened in Cardiff, but Jack had explained that there hadn't been any signs of him, almost like he was avoiding their time and place.
"So, first mission with a new team. Exciting, huh?" Jack was practically bouncing off the walls in the conference room.
"Well, technically, it's an old team with a new member" Owen corrected.
"Still, very exciting" Jack said, although his smile was not quite as big now.
Rose sent him her biggest smiled. "Well I'm definitely excited" she said.
"Good! Giant bats!"
"Giant bats" Gwen repeated with a confused face.
"Yes! That's our mission. Giant bats" Jack said with a huge grin, like this was the best thing to ever happen to Cardiff. "There have been several sightings and well, nappings…"
"Nappings? Is that even a word" Rose asked.
"It is where I'm from" Jack answered. "But in our terms, the giant bats swoop down and grab a person and then fly off."
"With the person" Tosh asked in a concerned voice.
"Yes and it's not quite as endearing as when Myfanwy does it" Jack said.
"And the people?"
"Well I think it's safe to assume that they are not there just to keep the bats company" Owen said.
"So what, we go investigate and ask the giant bats to stop hunting people" Rose asked, somewhat new to all this. Granted, she had worked for Torchwood before, but that was in an alternative universe and things had been somewhat different there. Jack didn't answer.
The team arrived at an abandoned warehouse a couple of miles outside Cardiff. There had been some bickering in the car concerning space and body odours, to which Owen had just responded with an extremely childish behaviour and shoving Tosh out of the way to get to the front seat, but Rose didn't care, she was too excited.
"Are we even sure they are aliens" Gwen asked.
"Not entirely, but unless they've been eating fertilizer I don't see how they could be from earth" Jack said and loaded his gun.
The team was just about to enter the warehouse when they all noticed a red headed woman snooping around.
"Hey, who are you" Jack yelled.
The woman turned around with a surprised look on her face, which soon turned into a suspicious one. "Who the hell are you" she yelled back.
"Just what we need. A snotty reporter" Owen said.
"Oi, I ain't no snotty reporter, you twat" the woman said, coming closer. "I'm a temp!"
"Well unless you're a temp for Torchwood, you need to leave right now" Jack said.
"I ain't going nowhere. Heard a rumour about giant bats so I thought I'd check it out."
"Of course you did. What's your name?"
"Donna Noble" Donna Noble said. "Who are you?"
"Torchwood" Gwen said. "What, we'll retcon her later anyway" she said when the rest of the team looked at her.
"What is a temp doing here anyway" Rose asked.
"I'm looking for someone" Donna said.
"Pest control" Jack asked.
"No, just a man. Not that it's any of your business" she said in a defensive tone.
"I've scanned the entire warehouse. Six live forms inside, all appears to be alien! Tosh said.
Jack sighed. "Ianto, please call Donna Noble a taxi.""You can just forget about that, handsome. I ain't going nowhere."
"Look, this is going nowhere. Let's just retcon her and get on with this" Owen said in a bored tone.
"Let her come inside" Rose said. "It can't hurt and bats are nocturnal right, so they'll be sleeping."
"Ianto, call that cab. You" Jack pointed at Donna, "can have a peek and then you leave!" Donna just nodded and Tosh gently opened the door and one by one the team entered the warehouse.
From the ceiling hung six huge forms and there was a faint buzzing sound in the air. The team quietly walked around looking at the bats.
"Definitely alien" Jack said in a hushed tone.
"What are they" Ianto whispered.
"Bats. Just not from the earth bats" Jack answered.
"What do we do with them, send them back" Rose asked.
"No, not exactly" Jack said. "We kill them!"
"What?" Donna's voice sounded so much louder inside the warehouse and they all took a minute to make sure the bats hadn't awoken.
"But…. We should give them a second chance, help them…. We can't just kill them."
"Rose, they are parasites! Leeches! They're carnivores, they feed on other live forms. There is no place to send them back to!"
"But…. We can't just kill them like this!"
"Well, we could wake them up, have them chase us around for a bit, if that would make you feel better" Owen suggested.
"Owen, shut up. Rose, take Donna outside and wait for the taxu" Jack ordered.
Rose looked unhappy, but did as ordered and dragged Donna outside.
"Is he really going to kill them" Donna asked, as they sat down outside.
"Yes" Rose said, not meeting her eyes.
"How can you do this, this job?"
"You do what you have to do!"
"I suppose. But you're so young, all of you."Rose just shrugged. How was Donna supposed to understand any of this, Rose hardly understood half of it herself. The Doctor had always been about mercy and second chances, something Rose had loved the most about him, his great humanity despite everything. And she knew Jack wasn't like that, she had seen it with her own eyes, but she hadn't expected this! She closed her eyes as six shots disturbed the silence.
Jack exited the warehouse a few minutes after and went to fetch something in the jeep before walking over to the two woman. "Take this" he said and handed Donna a bottle of water.
"Are they dead" she asked.
"Yes." Jack watched carefully as Donna drank from the bottle. "Are you okay, Rose?"
Rose shook her head as tears slowly slid down her cheeks. "No..:"
"Rose, this is what we do…"
"What, we're pest control, is that it?"
"No, but we protect people from creatures like that. You can't talk to them, you can't reason with them."
"I need some peace" she said and walked over to the jeep.
Donna was just about to say something when a taxi pulled up. "Nice to meet you, Donna Noble. Stay out of trouble and make sure you finish the water" Jack said and slammed the door on the taxi shot and watched it drive away.
The team met outside the warehouse.
"Is she alright" Gwen asked and motioned towards the jeep where Rose sat in the backseat.
"No, but she will be. She's just used to a different approach" Jack said. "It will get better."
"Guys, the computer just picked up big rift activity in Cardiff" Tosh said, looking at her computer. "It's like something is forcing its way through."
"No rest for the wicked then" Owen mumbled.
"We better check it out" Tosh said and started to lock the coordinates.
"This is where it came through" Tosh said as Jack parked the car. "But it's been a while, so it could be everywhere!"
"Or it could be right over there" Jack said and pointed.
An older blond woman was standing in the middle of the huge parking space looking extremely out of place, especially since Jack knew for a fact she was supposed to be in an alternative universe.
"Oh my god" Rose almost screamed and flew out of the car. "MUM!" The woman turned and started to run towards Rose and they met in a clumsy embrace.
"What's going on" Gwen asked.
"Rose" a tall man suddenly yelled and joined the embrace.
"It's a bloody reunion" Owen mumbled.
Jack turned just in time to see and old acquaintance approach them. "Captain Cheesecake" the man greeted with a nod.
"Mickey Mouse" Jack responded without a smile. "What's this, your band of merry morons?" Jack motioned at the three men standing a few feet behind.
"Funny" the man said and looked at Rose and the two people embracing her.
"Why are you here? No, scratch that, how are you here?"
"Rift manipulators" the man said and threw something at Jack.
"So we should expect the universe to collapse on us any second now?"
The man grinned. "Maybe later. Rose baby, how about some love?" Rose screamed and threw herself at the man.
"Will someone please explain what is going on" Gwen said in a loud voice.
Before Jack could say anything, the booming voice of Jacqueline Tyler filled the void. "Oi, you get the hell away from my daughter, you pervert!"
Jack looked at her with surprise. "Me?"
"Yes you, you freak. I've called the cops on you before, I'll do it again. Don't you dare touch my Rose!"
"Mum" Rose said in an embarrassed tone. "What are you on about?"
"He used to lurk around outside out apartment, watching you on the playground, trying to talk to you" Jackie said in an accusing tone. Jack suddenly looked very embarrassed.
"Is that true" Rose asked. She suddenly remembered a tall man comforting her after she had scraped her knee when she was five.
"After the game station, I was stuck. You and the Doctor had left me and when I tried to get back I ended in the 19. Century. So I just… Lived through the years and when I reached your timeline…." Jack smiled a little. "I missed you, so I went to the Estate a couple of times, just to check in. Your mum misunderstood the situation and called the cops on me!"
"This is all very nice, but could we please get an explanation" Owen said in a loud voice.
Thank you for reading. Sorry for any mistakes, I don't have a beta, so I am to blame. I hope you will all review. A special thanks to the faithfull reviewers, who make me feel very happy.