Chapter six: No easy way out

Jackie whistled 'Matchmaker' from 'Fiddler on the Roof' as she cheerfully swung her and Ianto's hand. "Don't." Ianto begged. "I've got that tune stuck in my head." Jackie obliged and switched to 'If I were a rich man' which still caused Ianto to frown. "And that one as well!" she bit her lip and began to whistle 'Sunrise, Sunset' causing him to groan. "I give up, is there one song in that musical that isn't catching?"

She laughed as moved to the hub entrance, but as they approached, a cold feeling washed over her and she stopped. "Something's wrong." She said in a whisper. "Someone's frightened, terrified. I don't know who though…it's a different sensation." Jackie and Ianto's hands went to their guns as they entered the hub. Upon entering, they observed Tosh and Owen surveying the security monitor. Jackie frowned. "What's going on?" she asked. "I can sense it. Where's Gwen?"

"Jack and Gwen are interrogating a woman we've brought in a few moments ago." Tosh explained as they crowded around the monitor. "Jack suspects her of murdering two burglars who injured her husband."

She frowned. "A bit domestic for our taste isn't this?" she questioned. "Do we have any evidence that she did it? Blood on her hands or anything like that?"

"No blood on her," Tosh testified. "completely clean."

"And," Ianto asked slowly. "we suspect her because?"

"She might be alien." Owen added.

Jackie peered onto the screen to observe a terrified woman with a bag over her head. Jack pushed the woman down into the chair before ripping the bag off her head. The woman flinched as Jack slapped the bag on the ground. The woman was also handcuffed.

"Do we also," Jackie asked through her teeth. "treat suspected aliens like that? We don't even treat the weevils like that and they're animals!"

Ianto placed a hand on her shoulder as Jack glowered at the woman. Tell me everything. He demanded; the look in his cold blue eyes reminded her of when Jack mentioned he used to be good at torture and she wondered if he was the best candidate to be conducting this interview.

Where am I? The woman's wide eyes darted around the room with the frightened eyes of a captured animal. Where is my husband?

He's safe.

What do you mean safe? She asked in concern. What have you done with him?

Nothing yet. Jack sneered at her as he took his hands off his hips, placed them on the opposite end of the interrogation table and demanded in a low voice. Tell me what happened in the flat, Beth. It had to be you or Mike, so how did you do it?

Beth glanced towards Gwen, her eyes silently pleading for help, but receiving none. You can't treat people like this. I've been burgled, attacked. At this point, Jackie reached out and began reading her, searching for any signs of lies, but she found none. I want a lawyer, I want a phone call. If you're charging me with something

We're not charging you with anything. Jack stated calmly. We don't have to. And there'll be no lawyer, no phone calls. Just us and this room for as long as it takes. Jackie rolled her eyes at his threat. Now, tell me what happened!

I told her and the police. Beth said as she struggled to remain calm. Please, I don't know anything.

Jack walks around the other end of the table as Gwen places photos of the crime scene in front of her. "So," she asks. "what makes us think that she did this again?"

"The burglar," Owen said. "told Gwen to keep the woman in the flat away from him. Those were his dying words."

Look at them. Jack snapped, drawing her attention back to the monitor. The second one just died in hospital. Keep her away from me. The woman in the flat. Those were his dying words. Now why would he say something like that? Jack shouted at her.

I don't know, Beth's voice broke. I swear. I never touched him.

Is it Mike? He shouted at her and Jackie bit her lip to keep from shouting at the screen in fury. There was barely any evidence for them to treat her like this. Are you covering for him?

No! The moment those syllables left Beth's mouth, the light bulb blew. Everyone frowned and looked at the bulb.

Jack. Gwen said softly and Jack left the room.

She exhaled and bit her lip and turned to the others. "I guess this is the point where we all meet in his office for a team meeting."

Ianto bobbed his head. "Yep." They walked up to the office and peered into the interrogation room. "Do you think she did it?"

She shook her head. "No way. We have no blood on her or her husband that belonged to the burglar. We have no weapons and all we really have is the dying words of a burglar."

"Keep her away from me, the woman in the flat." He repeated the words slowly.

"There could be a third woman." Jackie suggested. "She could have possibly killed the burglars, but as to why Beth wouldn't remember that, I don't know."

"Unless she knew the woman and is covering for her." Ianto suggested and she nodded. "Possible scenario. You don't happen to enjoy murder mysteries, do you?"

She laughed lightly. "Love them."

"However," Owen said as Jack came in the room. "there is no evidence of there being a fifth person in the room, only four. Nice try Jackie, but, it didn't work."

"Well," she said as she turned to Owen and rose up off the ground a few feet. "if you're like me, you don't have to walk on the ground all the time."

Owen offered no comment and she lowered herself to the ground. "Just us and this room for as long as it takes?" she turned to where Jack and Ianto were studying Beth through the window. "Terrifying."

Jack puffed up just a bit. "Really?"

"Absolutely." Jackie recognized that tone in Ianto's voice; it was usually what happened when he was getting ready to play a joke on people. "Shivers down my spine."

Jack shook his head. "You don't look scared."

"Oh," Ianto said distantly. "it passed."

Jackie laughed and placed her hand on Ianto's arm. Jack glowered her. "Stop with the playacting Jackie, it's getting irritating."

"Go get your cup of morning coffee," she shot back at him. "And maybe you'll be back to your irritating yet, somewhat, charming self."

Jack glowered at her and moved towards his chair. "Tosh, anything on the body scan?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary." She announced.

"What about the light?" he questioned as he began rubbing his fingers together. "Power surge?"

"Nothing from us. There was an electromagnetic buildup around her," Jack smiled just slightly as he turned to Tosh. "but I can't see how she caused it."

"Same thing happened at the hospital, Jack." Owen stated, before turning towards her. "Can't be a coincidence."

Jack turned to her. "What about you? Can you sense anything out of the ordinary?"

Jackie glowered darkly at him. "I feel fear." Jack crossed his arms across his chest. "I sense terror and I sense worry. Do I sense something abnormal as if she's hiding something? No, I don't."

He turned his head an inch and questioned. "Sorry, do you have a problem?"

"Yes, I do!" She bit back her temper. "I find your treatment of her rough and unnecessary. Just because she was the only one in the room, that doesn't make her capable of murder!"

Jack exhaled and turned to Tosh. "Fill her in on everything we have."

"I have." Tosh said softly. "Even what the burglar said. She discredits the word of a thief though."

He studies her. "The man was dying, why would he lie?"

"Your own words dispute you Jack." she pointed out. "The man was dying. Can his word be trusted? Is a person's mind fully coherent when they're dying?" Jack offered her no reply. "What makes you certain Jack?"

"Instinct."

"Funny thing instinct. Sometimes it can steer you wrong. If she is alien, then it's possible that she doesn't even know it, just like me."

"So, what are you saying?" Jack questioned.

"If you're wrong, you've hurt an innocent person. Just…take it easier on her."

Jack shook his head. "I can't, not when she may have killed somebody. A burglar, but a person nonetheless. If you're doubting-

She shook her head. "No, I don't doubt you or your reasons. I know you always have a reason for everything you do, but I'm simply stating that I don't care for your methods this time in this particular case."

He grinned at her. "Well, at least I still have your unwavering loyalty in me."

Ianto and everyone let out a groan and protests. Jackie held up her hand and held his gaze. "Of course you do. You're the general and I'm the private. That is as far as my loyalty to you goes. However, Captain, if you think your charm and flattery is going to 'win me back' you're wrong. You lost me a year ago, not three days ago and nothing you can say or do can make up for that time lost."

Jack gave her a questioning look, but fortunately, he decided not to pursue this topic. "It's her." he stated as he held her gaze. "I know it is." he sat up and went back into his Captain mode. "Okay, let's do some tests, see who or what we're dealing with."

"I'm on it." Owen said as he hurried from the room.

Jackie cleared her throat. "I'm going to go make some coffee."

"I've got some adjustments to make on the manipulator." Ianto said as he followed her out of the room. But all three of them went different directions.

By the time Jackie had made the coffee and handed it out to everyone, Gwen had arrived with Beth. Everyone moved in the direction of the autopsy room. Jackie glanced at Ianto and he gave her subtle thumbs up. She blew him a silent kiss before leaning over the rail to look at Beth and Gwen. Beth was astonished and in awe of their smelly, yet spectacular base.

"This is where you work?" Beth questioned.

"Yep." Gwen said somewhat dismissively. "Cozy, isn't it?"

"Who are you people?" Beth questioned as she came up the stairs. "Don't you have any windows?"

"It wouldn't really be in keeping with the whole secrecy thing, people looking in, would it?" Gwen explained.

Beth leaned over and sniffed the sub-etheric resonator. One of Ianto's favorite items and nobody messed with it, for fear of his wrath. As if sensing it, Ianto popped out from behind where he was connecting a loose wire and said abruptly. "We don't sniff the sub-etheric resonator."

Jackie giggled at his reaction as Beth apologized. "Sorry." Beth hurried up the last few steps. "It's so big. This is crazy."

"Yep." Gwen said.

"Don't mind Ianto." Jackie said to Beth as she approached her. "He's actually very sweet, but you just sniffed his favorite toy." She placed her hands on her hips as Beth surveyed the hub again. Jackie smiled knowingly. "It's amazing isn't it?"

Beth nodded her head. "I suddenly feel very, very small."

"Come on."Gwen said softly. "Let's just get these tests done, and then you can get home, okay?" Gwen then called loudly. "Come on Owen."

"Alright!" he grumbled.

Jackie fell instep alongside her. "I bet Mike will be glad to see you. Have you two been married long?"

"Two years." Beth said quietly, before hesitantly asking. "You and Ianto?"

"We've been dating a year and three days." At Beth's curious look, Jackie said. "Don't ask, time splintered and we lost the year we had, so I guess you could say technically three days."

"And those three days," Jack said as Beth went towards the seat Owen had prepared for her. "are going to be passed off as temporary insanity within the month."

She cleared her throat as she nudged Beth towards the seat. "Jack is my ex, so he's a bit cross to come back and find his girlfriend in love with someone else. He didn't even bother seeing if anybody was alive."

"I was held prisoner." He stated in a firm voice.

"I was tortured for a week and I still managed to get out," she pointed out before turning aside. "so, no excuses on your part." She turned to Owen who was watching them curiously, as he snapped on his gloves. "Are you ready?"

He nodded his head and turned to Beth. "Ok, we'll start with a few blood tests. Nothing to worry about, just a," Beth cringed and turned aside from Owen, who's voice dropped a little suspiciously at her reaction. "little needle."

Owen went to jab her, but a faint tinkling sound caused them all to frown. "What?" Jack questioned in an impatient tone.

"Needle's snapped." Owen said as he went to grab the next syringe.

"Haven't you got a nurse to do this?" Beth asked nervously.

"He's a doctor." Gwen assured her. "It's okay."

Jackie reached over and placed her hand on Beth's. "It's alright." And the second needle breaks when Owen tries to draw a blood sample. Owen glances at Beth coldly before tossing the syringe down on the tray.

"Okay," Beth stated firmly. "look, I'm not gonna do this if you can't even," her voice faded as Owen picks up a scalpel and advances towards her. "What are you doing?"

"Bear with me." he said as he brought the scalpel to her skin.

"Hey, hey!" Beth cried out, fortunately for her, the blade breaks on the scalpel. She exhales deeply in relief.

"Told you so Jackie." Jack says directly to her.

She tosses her head to the side. "And I told you so too…Captain."

"When was the last time you were in a hospital, Beth?" Owen asks.

"I don't remember." Beth stares at the scalpel in shock. "I don't think I ever have. Why, what's wrong with me?"

"Well, any operations? Checkups?"

"No, nothing."

"When was the last time you felt ill? Have you had a cold? Anything?"

Beth shakes her head. "I don't think I ever have. I take a lot of vitamin C."

"Hmm." Owen tilts his head as he looks at his broken scalpel. "Hell of a lot, I reckon."

"I'll replace that Owen." Jackie offers. "And the needles."

"Okay, Beth." Jack asks, his patience running thin. "You make light bulbs blow; we can't break your skin. What planet are you from?"

Shock runs through Beth before stating as if she were an irritated adult talking to a child. "Earth."

That only serves to irritate Jack further. "Stop wasting our time." Jack shouts. "We know you're an alien."

Beth stares at Jack in the eye and states calmly. "There's no such thing as aliens."

Those words infuriated Jack and he swings over the chain rail and stalked towards Beth, grabbing the handcuffs. Everyone backed away as Jack undid the arm ties and put the handcuffs on Beth. Jack then pulled her from the chair and began dragging her out of the room.

"Jack!" she shouted at him as she took a step towards him. "She isn't lying!"

"Stay out of this Jackie!" he snapped.

"I am not going to stand by while you," Ianto grabbed her by the shoulders and she let out a groan. "Ianto!"

"He knows what he's doing." Ianto assured her. "It'll be alright."

She shook her head. "Ianto, this is not like him! Why is he behaving like such a monster?"

She felt Jack react the moment the words left her lips and he paused for a moment. Ianto relaxed her grip on her and she went towards the security monitors. Jack had stopped dragging her, but he was still moving her firmly.

"Jackie," Gwen said patiently. "you need to calm down. You're overreacting."

"Overreacting?" She spun free of Ianto's grip and stared at Gwen. "I am not overreacting. What if that was me?" Jackie questioned. "I didn't know I was an alien either! If Jack treated me the way he's treating Beth, I'd hope to God you'd ask him to take it easy on me!"

"Beth is a lying-

Jackie cut Owen off. "She isn't lying! If she is alien, she doesn't know!" she wrenched free from Ianto and glowered. "She doesn't know. Did you run any lie detectors tests on her?" No answer. "I can sense a lie before it even has a chance to form. She isn't lying."

And with that, she stalked off towards the gym. She mentally slapped on the Rocky 4 soundtrack and slammed the gym door. She pulled off her shirt and suit jacket, throwing them on the nearest bench. She adjusted her tank top as 'No easy way out' by Robert Tepper began to blare loudly from the speakers. She grabbed the gloves and strapped them on her hands, inhaling deeply, fighting for control. However, not this time, she couldn't find it.

All the pent up anger and frustration exploded out of Jackie and she spun out of control, turning fifteen turns before rolling on the ground and jumping up. She launched into an explosive, hardcore contemporary routine as sweat began dripping down her forehead instantly she danced with such violence and passion that she feared her heart might burst. The song lasted for four minutes and twenty seconds. She didn't even let up on her fierce pace until the song ended. When it did, she dropped to the ground in a heap, breathing heavily as her sweat dripped onto the gym floor.

"Feel better?" Tosh asked quietly as Jackie jerked upwards, she hadn't even sensed Tosh enter the room. "That was beautiful, even if you're hurt and angry."

She exhaled deeply. "Thanks….I almost feel better." She inhaled. "I don't know what's the matter with me." she jumped up from the ground and snapped as she went towards the water fountain. "This isn't like me!"

"Is it Jack?" Tosh questioned softly. "Is it him that's causing you to act this way?"

"As much as I'd like to blame him, I can't." Jackie took a huge swig of water and swallowed it. "This is my body, my emotions, I should be in control of them, but I'm not!"
She kicked the wall. "It's infuriating!"

"You're still in love with him," Tosh questioned. "aren't you?"

"No!" Jackie spun around and snapped. "No, I'm not!"

"I don't believe you." Tosh said gently. "I think…he's right, you're just mad at him. But, you don't want to dump Ianto and…you're conflicted at this time."

"Tosh," she pointed out. "he abandoned all of us. He didn't look for us in the year he was gone. He was with the doctor." She practically spat at Tosh. "That's where his loyalties belong, not to us. I was held captive and tortured by the master before managing to escape. And when the master put a price on my head, Jack still didn't come."

"Jackie," Tosh said slowly. "you need to talk to him."

"I'm talking to you." she stated. "Not him, I can't, not yet. But…someday I will, I just," she shook her head as she moved to sit down on the bench. "it hurt me, really hurt me. You and I were good friends and you always offer me great advice. You told me to let Jack go and I did. I fell in love with Ianto."

"I think…you're trying to hold onto a memory. That time," Tosh explained gently. "it's gone, it evaporated."

"Same with Jack, that time is gone as well. I'm going with what I have and that's Ianto." she exhaled before admitting. "It is hard Tosh, to lose something so special with two men at the same time. I'm trying to deal with two loves from an evaporate past and trying to find the real love and it's hard."

Tosh smiled and stepped towards her. "If things get too hard," she wrapped her arms around Jackie's shoulders in a hug. "feel free to talk to me. I know it's hard to talk to Gwen at times and maybe, you're not comfortable talking to Ianto yet but, anything you say to me will be in the strictest confidence."

"Thanks Tosh." She returned Tosh's hug. "I really appreciate having you around. You're a very special person Tosh and I hope the day comes where I'll be able to repay you for your kindness."

Tosh pulled away, blinking away tears. "We really should get back to the hub now."

Jackie nodded. "Before Jack pulls out the rack and the thumbscrews."

"I believe he got rid of those years ago." Tosh said dryly as she handed Jackie back her shirt. "Here you go."

"Thanks."

"And promise me," Tosh said firmly. "that you'll talk to Jack as soon as this is over."

Jackie pulled her shirt over her head and exhaled. "I promise."

"Good."

They walked back to the hub and Tosh moved to her computer. Ianto was wheeling an unfamiliar chair into the room as Jack came in with a black box. He arched a brow at her appearance before turning his attention to the item in hand. Tosh paused and watched as Jack pulled out a half-finished metal looking shell.

"You said we weren't allowed to use that again." Tosh reminded him.

"It's just a mind probe." The testy note in Jack's voice, caused her warning senses to go up.

"Remember what happened last time we used it?" Ianto questioned.

Jack inhaled. "That was different." He stated. "That species has extremely high blood pressure."

Jackie was about to question that ridiculous statement when Ianto explained in his dry manner. "Oh, right. Their heads must explode all the time."

Jackie and Gwen's heads both shot up. "Oh no!" She snapped. "Don't you dare!"

"I'm with Jackie this time Jack," Gwen reasoned. "you can't do this. What if you're wrong? If she's human, it'll kill her."

"I'm not wrong." We have to find out what she is.

"Are you going to wind up doing this to me as well?" She questioned, causing him to whip his head around. "After all, I'm alien and you all don't know what I am. It's logical assume that sooner or later the experiments have to begin."

Jack held her gaze. "Not until you've killed somebody. You're not a possible threat, she is."

"Take it easy, you two." Tosh said firmly. "You're not helping things any." She addressed Jack. "Stop at the first sign of trouble."

"Or the first sign of exploding." Ianto added in a low voice.

Jack exhaled before requesting. "Gwen, bring her up."

Gwen looked as if she'd rather be asked to assassinate the prime minister, but after a moment's pause, she reluctantly did as Jack requested. "Okay."

As Gwen passes by, Ianto shakes the chair and buzzes as if he's being electrocuted. Jackie rolls her eyes and exhales in irritation. Jack snaps his fingers and points at Ianto. "Hey!" Ianto stands up and leaves the room; Owen follows him, shaking his head in disapproval.

Jackie looked towards Jack and shoved her hands in her pockets. "I'm sorry." She found herself somewhat sorry now. Jack looked at her in surprise. "They say…there's something that get's to everyone and I guess, this case is the one."

He crossed his arms across his chest. "Do you want to stand this one down?"

She shook her head. "No. I've done harder and felt worse while you were gone; I just need to get over it."

He stepped towards her. "No one gets over things that easily." She glanced down at her feet, noting one of her red polished toenails had been scraped. She'd have to repair it tonight. "I'm sorry too Jackie."

She glanced up at him and shifted back a step when she found his face so close to hers. "For what?"

"You know what I mean." he said as he reached for her hand. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything that you had to go through while I was gone that caused you to just latch onto Ianto."

She pulled her hand free. "I didn't 'latch' onto Ianto, I chose Ianto when I saw him finally out from under your shadow. He's a very good man."

"Shame you're not in love with him."

Jackie shoved Jack and moved away from him. "And that Captain is why we are not going to stop arguing and fighting any time soon!"

TJ: Glad to have you back! Yeah, you and Jack don't like it all. Chapter 14, is where everything comes to a screeching halt and changes drastically!