Here we go,, Sorry once again for taking so long.
They had been in Vegas 4, for two days. And the search for the grenade had been futile.
"This isn't working," Rachel complained. She had been pacing across one patch of grass for about 8 hours. Her footprints worn into the ground.
"Fawks, our stuff isn't equipped to find something this big. And all the rift energy around it is confusing the machines." Will told her.
"You're right. We need to go shopping," Rachel grinned. "I've got a bone to pick any who. Anyone want to come and see me scare the crap out of a grown man," Rachel asked.
Ianto, Jack, John, Gwen, Rachel and Paul, Will and Jake made their way into the busy market.
"Stay close," Rachel said, taking Gwen's hand and putting it with Paul's.
They made their way to the market. A small police man was stood by the entrance.
"Hiya, mate." Rachel winked at him.
"Wait, your just a legend, a rumour. You died years ago." Said the police man.
"Clearly," Rachel said sarcastically. "Tell you what, go tell your boss, tell them. Legend lives."
Then she brushed past him. They walked a way into the market, before cutting through an alley.
"Paul, take Gwen and Jake in the front, Will, go with them. I'll take the back," Rachel told them. Paul, Jake, Gwen and Will walked back to the busy market, Rachel led the others going through the alley.
They carried on walking for a couple of minutes before they were faced with a padlocked door. Rachel took hold of the padlock, and tugged it down, with a loud snap, it broke off.
"Come on," Rachel sang. Walking through the large door. It was the back door to a shop. A big shop, that sold lots and lots of weapons.
"Hey, what are you doing?" the shop keeper called to the people who had just walked in the front way. They had shut the door behind them, flipping the open sign to close and shutting the blinds.
"I'll call the police," The shop keeper warned.
"And they won't care," Jake laughed.
"Boy who cried wolf and all that," Paul said.
Rachel nodded for Ianto, Jack and John to go through. They did, standing by the door with Paul and Will. Jake was leaning on the counter, a very nervous looking man, shifted in his place, behind the counter.
"Listen, Tec and friends," He said. "I've paid my debt out, this month. I've got no business with you,"
Rachel laughed from the shadows.
"This place is a bit of a mess, Vinny," She said, walking into the open. The shop keeper visibly backed up. Now against a wall.
"Now, now, I ain't going to hurt you, yet," Rachel smirked.
"That's not possible, the Ragoras, claimed the reward, you're dead!"
"Hmm," Rachel raised an eyebrow at him. "How big a cut did you get?"
"Fawks, my darling, my good friend, I…I don't know what you're talking about."
"You're about as good a liar as I am," Rachel said. "Years back, I sent a message to this little box," She said. Pulling a box from a shelf, slamming it on the counter. Vinny flinched. "It was coded in a way that only two people could read it."
"I was one of them," Rachel said, sitting on the edge of the counter.
"And you were another." Rachel stated.
"So, it makes me wonder…how on earth the Ragoras found me, when only you knew where I was."
Vinny paled, and stuttered.
"So, here's what's going to happen," Rachel smiled sweetly.
"You're going to give us everything we need, without question." Rachel nodded to Jake and Paul and Will, who started taking things from the shop.
"And you're not going to make a fuss,"
The shop keeper couldn't say anything, he was speechless.
"And by the way," Rachel pulled out a piece of cloth, with a drawing on it. "Have you seen this around?"
"Oh, no. That's a …"
"Yeah," Rachel nodded.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, we don't sell them, not to anyone."
"Not even on the black market?" Rachel questioned.
"No, to dangerous, someone got one?" Vinny asked, worried.
"Yeah,"
"So they've got to be here,"
"Full moon, yeah, don't worry, with this," Rachel said, nodding to the bags of equipment taken from the shop. "We'll find a neutralise the situation."
Rachel gave him a smile. And turned to the door.
Last minute as everyone else walked out, she turned and threw him a small diamond.
"Thank you," The shop keeper said gratefully.
"What was all that?" Jake asked her.
"He answered my questions," Rachel said.
"Hang on, I don't get it," Gwen said as they followed Rachel down the market street.
People and Aliens were calling to her, like old friends. Saying "welcome back" and "good to see you."
"I thought she was a criminal." Gwen said. It seemed more like she was a celebrity to the people they had seen.
"She is," Will explained. "But similar to Robin Hood."
"Maybe slightly more selfish," Jake laughed.
"Yeah, she steals for her own gain. And job offers that are worth a lot. But most of the money goes into the economy of this place," Paul told them.
"You have to understand," Jack told Ianto and Gwen.
"Though Vegas has a flashy name, not all of them are doing so well,"
"This place for example," Jack looked around. "look around, people are begging on the streets, picking pockets for food."
"If you don't run a casino or bar, your constantly on the brink of bankruptcy," Will said.
"All the busy shoppers are from Vegas 1, 2, or New New York." Paul said.
"The rest of us don't have enough money."
"So, Rachel takes from the rich gives to the poor," Ianto clarified.
"Yeah," Will said.
"Plus, she's very good at charming herself out of situations." Jake laughed.
Rachel in front had stopped walking. In front of her was a huge bear of a man. Towering above her. Jack looked up at him. The man blocked out the sun, casting a shadow over the 8 of them.
"Who's your friend?" John asked.
"Bear," Rachel muttered.
"Not very original." Jack said.
The huge man had remained silent. Then he broke out into a huge grin.
"Fawks, come home!" He bellowed.
"no bear…" Rachel protested as the man lifted her up, hugging her tight to his chest.
"Bear… bear, I can't." Rachel squeaked. Struggling for breath.
"Fawks come back to Bear," He said happily.
"Bear…!" Rachel pushed helplessly against his chest.
The others were to busy laughing to help. As this huge threatening man, giddy as a puppy, jumped around with Rachel still hugged to his chest.
"Bear, being squished!" Rachel yelped.
"oh, Bear sorry." He said, dropping her unceremoniously on the ground.
"What are you doing in town?" Paul asked, helping Rachel back to her feet.
"Bear heard rumour, Fawks come home. So, Bear come see. And Rumour true," He said happily.
"Alright, well, we're going to see Floss," Rachel said breathlessly, brushing down her trousers.
"Ok, Bye Fawks, Bear happy you live," The man walked out of the market.
"What was that," Jack laughed.
"Bear, suitably named." Will laughed. "Raised by bears,"
"Who's Floss?" Ianto asked.
"For all intents and purposes, my mum," Rachel grinned.
"TEC!" Was a yell. A group of children had pounced onto Will, on the way to the main street.
"Keep your hands in your pockets," Rachel whispered to The torchwood team.
"Fawks?" The kids turned.
"Y'alright little 'uns," Rachel smiled. They instead pounced onto her. Rachel bent down and picked up the smallest and youngest. A little boy with blonde scruffy hair and dimples.
"Hello Oscar," She grinned. The little boy laughed and hugged her.
"Meet the orphans," Paul said.
"all of them," Gwen asked incredulously.
The group comprised of about thirty five kids, ranging from 4 to 17. Rachel tipped her hat to the girl who was obviously the oldest. Lifting young Oscar onto her shoulders.
"You guys heading home?" Rachel asked. Looking to the sky, the sun shone bright in the sky, about noon.
"Yeah, the patrols will be out soon." Answered the oldest looking boy. All the kids were scrawny and scruffy, unkempt.
"We're heading the same way," Jake told them, lifting a little girl up, and placing her on his back.
"These are all orphans?" Ianto confirmed.
Rachel nodded. "Families can't afford them, or their runaways. Or regular orphans. The thing you learn quick here, the ones worse off stick together."
"What are the patrols?" John asked.
"Coppers, army, clock watchers. Anyone they can get." One of the kids explained, as the now large gang of people walked through the streets.
"Clock watchers?" Jack asked.
"Time agents," Said Oscar from Rachel's back.
"they're shut down," John said.
"There still about though,"
"Five of them,"
"Ruthless, they are,"
"Glad you think so," A new voice said.
Jack was about to whir around to face the foreign voice. Rachel stopped him, taking Oscar from her shoulders and giving the small child to Jack.
"Keep moving, I'll sort it," She whispered.
Jack followed the group as they carried on. Rachel staying where she was, then turning to see the speaker.
"Hello, are you still Phil?" She grinned.
"No, Felix now."
"I preferred Phil." Rachel smiled. "How've you been Phil?"
"It's Felix," He growled.
"I couldn't care less, as long as you know who I am I'm happy,"
"You know the rules, you should be gone by now,"
"I know the rules, I just don't listen to them," Rachel grinned.
"I should arrest you,"
"You can try,"
"Just move out of the streets,"
"Sir, yes, sir." Rachel gave a mocking salute and jogged after the large group.
"You should have been arrested," Jack said.
"Yeah," Rachel agreed.
"Yet here you are," Jack laughed.
"They know perfectly well that they won't be able to catch me, so the police and clock watchers who patrol here don't try, it's when someone new comes along and tries to be a hero, that I've got to be careful,"
They had arrived outside a plain looking shop, grey walls and a simple brown wooden door.
The kids all hurried in. Rachel nodded for them to follow.
Once inside Rachel heard the Torchwood team gasp.
The shop on the outside was a plain boring building, on the inside. It was like Willy Wonka's Factory. Multicoloured sweets scattered shelves, boxes of different labelled delicacies stacked up.
"Wow," Gwen whispered.
Higher up were beds, hammocks and all sorts for the orphans to sleep on.
"You foolish girl!" Snapped a voice.
"Hi, aunt Flo," Jake grinned as a plump short woman walked towards them.
"You don't call, don't write, I thought you were dead!" She snapped at Rachel, who hung her head.
"Sorry," She muttered. "I've been busy," Rachel said, tilting her head in Ianto, Gwen, Jack and John's direction.
"I can see that," Flo said. "Well, how d'you do?" She greeted the torchwood team as the kids and Rachel's boys dispersed through the shop.
The rest of The torchwood team and the Rachel's boys had arrived to Flo's shop via an underground tunnel, and were now sat round the shop.
"Ah, no, no, you best leave that," Rachel said. Taking a piece of chocolate away from Gwen.
"How come?"
"Jack, do you want to explain?" Rachel grinned over at him.
"In the 42nd century, Cadbury came up with a new recipe . But it went a little wrong,"
"You know chocolate is an aphrodisiac." Rachel said.
"Yeah, this chocolate," Jack said raising a piece. "Orgasmic,"
"Literally,"
"and powerful enough for them to start selling it as a drug."
"So unless you want to embarrass yourself, here and now. Lay of the chocolate."
"She was born to be a mum," FLo said kindly to Gwen. As the two of them watched as Rachel played with little oscar.
"Alright kids, bed," Flo called to them.
"Do we not get a story?" Asked the kids.
"Or a song, we always get a song,"
"What do you think Fawks?" Flo asked grinning.
"Well…."
"Please," The kids were begging.
"I'm up for a story," Jack said.
"Alright, alright." Fawks agreed.
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