Chapter seven: Anger, pain and suffering

"Are you sure this is safe?" Beth asked Gwen as Tosh finished strapping her in.

"Yep." Gwen had no trouble lying to people, but Jackie did. Gwen shot her an uneasy look; at least Gwen had the decency to feel guilty.

"Just try not to, you know," Beth said sheepishly. "kill me or anything, okay?"

Jackie glanced towards Jack and shot him a glower. He looked pointedly over her head as Tosh sets up the metal helmet. Ianto stepped forward and offered Beth a sip of water. "You'll probably get dehydrated during the probing." He explained.

After a few swallows, she bobbed her head at Ianto. "Thank you." Owen took the helmet from Tosh and looked towards Jack, for permission to put the helmet on Beth. Jack nodded and Owen placed it on her head. A band running around the front of the helmet beamed to life once secured on Beth's head.

"We're all set." Tosh announced.

"The probe drills down through your consciousness," Jack explained, his hands on his hips. "So if there's anything hidden, it'll pop to the surface."

"Will it hurt?" Beth asked timidly.

"Yeah." Jack didn't even attempt to soften the blow. He just let her have it straight and hard.

Beth titled her head to the side, a slight fear welling up inside her before quelling it. "Your bedside manner's rubbish."

At Jack's smirk, she stated dryly. "You should see his manners in bed." The look of shocked indignation on Jack's face was priceless. "Believe me, they're atrocious." Everyone stared at Jackie in shock. "Frankly, everyone's a lot better off not knowing."

Jack cleared his throat sharply. "All right." Gwen said quickly, desperate to change the conversation, even though she was bursting with curiosity. She knelt down in front of Beth. "We all ready?"

Beth swallowed nervously, but bobbed her head in agreement. "I suppose."

"Okay, we'll do this slowly." Gwen began to explain. "Tosh will control the probe, Owen will make sure you're not in danger, and Ianto will have more water when you need it. And I'll be right here, okay?"

"And what about him?" Beth questioned, looking towards Jack. "What does he do?"

"I'll be watching." Jack stated.

"It's what he does best." Jackie whispered in a tease. "He was a Captain in WW2," Beth's eyes widened in surprise. "so, once a Captain, always a Captain."

Beth glanced at her. "And you?"

"She's leaving the room." Jack explained. "She's telepathic, so she'll pick up all of your emotions and feel them herself."

Jackie shook her head. "No, I'm staying here."

"No." Jack stated firmly as he shook his head. "Your telepathy will absorb her pain as well. It'll hurt you too."

"Then at least she won't suffer alone." She pointed out as she took a step away from Beth and sat down on the ground. "And maybe, it'll cause you and Owen to be a bit more alert on your game."

Jack growled out. "God, you're a stubborn woman."

"Stubborn, yes. Woman? Maybe."

"Well, if all the curves are in the right places." Jack's voice trailed off at the dirty look Jackie shot him.

"Are you ready, Beth?"Gwen questioned. Beth nodded her head. "All right."

"Okay," Jack glanced at her. "last chance." She crossed her arms across her chest firmly and he exhaled. "Fine. Tosh."

The probe buzzed and then the sensation of a screwdriver being pressed into her skull hit her. Jackie and Beth yelled in unison at the pain. Jackie fell backwards and grabbed a hold of her head in agony. "I'm human." Beth gasped out and cried out again as the pain increased.

"Safe." Owen said.

"Who killed the burglars, Beth?" Jack demanded.

"I don't know." Beth cried out as the pain increased.

Jackie screamed and grabbed her head. "Oh, God!"

Ianto went towards her and Jack shouted. "Don't touch her Ianto!"

"But she's-

"She's glowing Ianto!" Gwen snapped. "You can't touch her when she's like this."

"Safe." Owen proclaimed as electrical static was heard.

"What planet are you from?" Jack demanded.

"I'm human!" Beth cried out. "Oh, God, it hurts." She pleaded. "Please, please, stop."

"Go deeper." Jack ordered.

"Are you sure?" Tosh questioned. "She-

"Do it!" he shouted furiously.

"God, don't!" Jackie pleaded. "Don't!"

But Tosh and Owen did as they were ordered and Jackie screamed as she curled up in a fetal position. She really wished that she hadn't insisted on this, but she couldn't leave Beth to suffer alone like this especially since the last person's head exploded. She didn't know if her head could explode, but at least Jack and Owen would hopefully be more cautious.

"Their vital signs are all over the place," Owen reported. "but still safe."

"Stop!" Jackie screamed and then wished she hadn't. "Oh God!" she felt as if she'd ripped her head in two.

"Getting electromagnetic buildup again." Tosh said.

"Who killed those men?" Jack bellowed above the screams.

"I don't know." Jackie couldn't even hold her eyes open anymore. "Make it stop."

"For God's sake," Gwen shouted. "come on!"

"Go deeper." Jack shouted.

Jackie screamed and began crying as acid began dripping through the tears in her brain. "Jackie is being put through hell!" Gwen shouted at Jack. "I thought you claimed to have loved her!"

"She chose this!" He shouted.

"Safe." Owen reported.

"Deeper!" Jack ordered again.

"Jack, stop!" Ianto shouted. "Help her!"

Jackie began sobbing and screaming hysterically as pain began to erupt all over her body. An alarm went off and two strong arms went around her body. She could tell from the groan of pain, that it was Jack holding her. She grabbed onto his arms, squeezing and he let out a shout of pain. She could tell from the crunching that she'd shattered the bones in his wrists to dust. The agony was too much; Jackie lost her hearing and surrendered into oblivion.

She didn't know how long she was out for; it seemed like a short time for her. She returned to consciousness and bolted upright, gasping for air. "God!" Jackie held her head as tears leaked down her cheeks as Jack helped her sit up. "That…probe…should be destroyed."

"I told you," he stated, his mouth dangerously near her ear. "not to stay."

"How…could you?" She questioned as she cried. "Do this…to another person? It's cruel."

"Sorry," his lips brushed her forehead as he lifted her up from the ground. "but it was necessary."

She turned towards Ianto, who was glowering slightly at Jack. "Ianto?" he walked over to her and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Ianto took her and moved her to the couch. "What happened?"

"You passed out." He explained as he set her down. "Take it easy." He reached into his pocket out pulled out an aspirin. He handed her a bottle of water as well. "Here."

"Thank you. How did you-

"I figured you'd stay here." He squeezed her hand as she put the aspirin in her mouth and took a large swallow of water. "I've never seen you shy away from helping someone in pain or need yet."

"Did you find anything?" Beth questioned.

Jack kept his tone neutral, but she could sense he was hiding something. "Owen, escort her back to her cell, make sure she has something to eat and drink as well. Everyone else; to the conference room." She stood up and wobbled a bit, but Ianto let her brace against his shoulder as they stumbled towards the stairs. "Ianto, she shouldn't be walking."

"I'm fine." Gwen moved to help her as well, but she held up a hand. "I'm fine." Jack exhaled as he stomped over to her and swooped her up off her feet. "Jack."

"Jackie, shut up. Ianto, she needs a cup of tea. Gwen, find her something to eat." Gwen and Ianto moved off without questioning his orders. Jack set her down in his chair, the one facing the screen. He then moved to get a glass and sherry from the table. He poured her some and handed her the glass. "Drink."

She glowered at him. "I'm not fragile Jack; I'm capable of walking on my own."

"Sorry to burst your bubble Jackie, but after that incident, you are." He put the glass in her hand and sat down beside her. "Your body is different than ours and it gets drained rather easily. You just have to deal with this fact and accept it." She took a sip of the sherry and the alcohol warmed her body and dulled the pain. "I'm sorry, you had to feel that, but, you refused to leave."

"I didn't want to risk Beth's head accidentally exploding." She exhaled and leaned back in his chair. "I figured if I stayed, then you and Owen would be more on your game."

"And, we were."

She exhaled. "Still seemed brutal."

"Yes, it was, but I couldn't take the risk, it paid off. Beth is an alien."

Jackie bit her lip before asking. "What do you think I am?"

He shook his head. "I'm not sure exactly. I'd have thought Timelord for a moment, but, they're extinct and you have several different traits that are not connected to being a Timelord. The inhuman strength, for one and the body glowing for another. I'd say you're a mix of two different species. Which ones, that has yet to be determined, there are dozens of actually crushed my wrists to nothing, almost took my hands off."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." He stated. "Be glad it was me and not Ianto."

"I hurt you."

"Not your fault. Now you know, don't push your body through extreme pain."

"Am I dangerous then?" she questioned. "Are you going to-

"No." He arched a brow at her and gently ran his thumb over her mouth. "No tests or anything will be done on you."

"Why not?" She questioned. "For all you know, I could be faking my innocence and plotting to take out Torchwood."

Jack laughed. "Not happening Jackie, you're not that type."

"I could be." She stated. "I'm not human. I didn't know what I was and Beth didn't know what she was."

"You're too human, no matter what you think. You're not the type of killer anyone would send to take out Torchwood. Tosh told me that you discovered your powers when you helped protect me from Abaddon. Your powers came to life, when someone you cared about was in danger." His voice softened. "That tells me what your nature his. Too much heart…even when you're furious at me."

Unable to stand the look in his eyes, she jerked her chin away from his touch and swallowed another gulp of sherry. Gwen, Tosh and Ianto came in. Jackie pushed the sherry away and reached for the tea. "Thank you Ianto."

Gwen handed her half a ham sandwich and Jack arched his brow. "Is that all we've got on hand?" He questioned. "Nothing a little heartier than that?"

"I'm fine," she assured him as she prepared to move to her seat. "besides, this is about as far as Gwen's culinary skills allow."

Jack pushed her back down into his seat and moved to take hers. "Alright, everyone take your seats."

Jackie took a bite out the sandwich Gwen made her and focused on the screen that Tosh switched on before taking her seat. It replayed the screen moment that Jackie missed when she was unconscious. Her mouth fell open in shock as she saw Beth's arm. "What?"

"Might want to close your mouth." Jack whispered quietly before stating clearly for everybody. She closed her mouth and swallowed the ham and cheese down. "She's a sleeper agent." He explained. "It all clicked when I saw the implant."

"A sleeper agent?" Owen frowned as he asked. "Who for?"

"No one knows very much. They don't leave survivors." Jack unfolded his hands. "Official designation is Cell 114. They infiltrate planets, adapting their bodies, gathering intelligence, sometimes for years, watching, until they're ready to take over."

Jackie shuddered as Gwen stated. "Okay, that's creepy."

"If we're lucky, she's the first." He paused for a moment as he explained. "They send an advance guard to gather Intel, given false memories so they blend in." He exhaled as looked towards the screen showing Beth sitting in the cell. "She has no idea she's not human." It was in that moment Jackie actually heard a sense of sympathy from Jack for the first time this morning. "Her real self must have taken over briefly, killed the burglars. Self preservation."

"Told you she did it." Owen said pointedly to Jackie.

"But she didn't do it." Jackie said softly. "Her counterpart did."

"Eat your sandwich." Jack said as he picked it up and handed it to her without even looking at her. She rolled her eyes and took a bite out of it anyway. She was hungry every time something liked this happened. If she didn't eat a little after one of those incidents, she could pass out. "The point is, by the time they attack they know every single thing about the planet." Jack arched his brow and sat up in his seat. "Tosh."

Tosh stood up and moved towards the screen. "The implant gathers information. Normal X-rays don't show it. She's projecting a false image. It's got all this data stored inside it." Jackie studied the screen as dozens of familiar items showed on the screen. Jack pushed her glass of brandy towards her, watching her out of the corner of his eye. She purposefully reached for Ianto's tea and took a gulp. "This is a force field generator. It creates an impervious layer above the skin, just a nanometer thick." Tosh turned to Owen. "That's why you couldn't get the needle inside her."

"Right, well," Owen's voice died as he looked at the screen. "God, look. They even know about us."

"They know more about this place than I do." Ianto observed in awe before lightly pounding the table with his fists in irritation. "Nobody knows more than I do."

"Annoyed Ianto?" She teased quietly.

"What if there's more of them?" Gwen asked, a hint of panic behind her words. "What are we gonna do about this?"

"For a start," Jack's firm note instilled calmness before he said quietly and sympathetically. "I think we should tell her."

Jackie's entire being jolted in icy shock and she let out a gasp as she jumped out of her chair. "I need to leave." Jackie stated as she ignored her chair crashing to the ground behind her. "Now."

Jack stood up and shook his head. "I need you to stay here."

She shook her head. "No, I can't stay here. I need to go."

"Jackie," he said firmly as he grabbed her arm. "I know this is-

"No!" She cried out, her eyes wide. "There is somewhere I need to be!" she held his gaze. "I'm not mad at you, I swear it, I'm being told to go somewhere and I have to go. Somebody needs my help."

"Let her go Jack," Ianto said as he pulled Jack's hand away from her arm. "She's done this before."

The moment Jack's hand was free; Jackie bolted from the room and ran. Someone was going to die soon. Someone who was weak and couldn't defend himself or herself. She hoped that she could make it in time. Jackie closed her eyes, allowed the waterfall of senses to envelope her and move her to the person in need.

Jackie's world came to a screeching halt and she winced as she grabbed her head with one hand as she looked around the busy street. Her body reacted differently each time she had to help somebody. She stood there in a trance, the world flowing by her rapidly while she remained calm. Suddenly, the world resumed to a normal speed as time for her to act approached.

As she glanced around the street, her eyes were drawn to a young woman pushing a pram. The woman paused for a moment and rolled up her sleeve to look at her arm for a moment. The baby pram began to drift away and the woman straightened up and looked into the distance.

She stared in shock as the woman leaves the scene and leaves the pram to roll into traffic. Jackie reacted fast. She'd been sent here to rescue the baby. She grabbed a hold of the pram handles and pulled the wailing child away from the traffic.

Jackie touched her earpiece. "Tosh? I've found another one of those sleepers and I think she's been activated." No sound whatsoever. "Tosh? Jack? Ianto? Can anybody hear me?" she groaned and pushed the pram after the woman, following her at a safe distance. She slapped her earpiece in irritation and it buzzed to life. "Thank God. Hello? Tosh, can you hear me?"

Yes. Tosh sounded grainy then the ground shook, causing everyone to shriek. What was that?

"I don't know. Tosh?"

Someone blew up a petrol tanker. Tosh reported. Looks like someone wanted to take out the M4 link road for some. No, it's not the road. There's an underground fuel pipeline. It's a special supply for the military. They use it in emergencies.

Not anymore. Owen stated. Hold on. I've got a report coming through. Patrick Grainger's been murdered.

Who? Tosh questioned.

Leader of the Council, Owen reported. stabbed several times in the chest, and once in the forehead. Sound familiar?

Why would anyone want to kill him? Gwen questioned.

He's also the city coordinator. Ianto informed them. Takes charge of the city during major emergencies. Has all the security protocols.

How do you know that? Owen questioned.

I know everything. Ianto stated matter-of-factly. Jackie laughed and rolled her eyes as Ianto then admitted. And it says so on the bottom of the screen.

They're putting all the pieces in place. Gwen, take her. Tosh, Owen, it's starting, it's happening right now.

"Jack," she reported. "I'm following one of the sleepers. She's headed towards the civic building."

Don't engage. He ordered.

"If I don't, people will die." She stopped pushing the pram and grabbed a hold of an older woman's shoulder. "Please, watch my baby for a minute."

That done, Jackie ran and jumped on the woman's back! The woman fell forward, landing on her face. Jackie wrapped her hand elbow around the woman's throat in a stranglehold. She slammed her foot on the woman's shoulder and pulled, trying to suffocate her. Then, the woman's arm grew into a long blade. Fortunately, Jackie had her pinned down, but the woman was strong.

Jackie shouted in her speaker. "I need backup, now!"

Then, her earpiece filled with high pitch beeping. The high-pitched squealing caused her body to blaze and react with a strength that she didn't know she possessed. The woman let out an unearthly scream as Jackie pulled. She suddenly fell backwards to the ground, clutching the woman's head in her arms. Jackie gagged and threw the head away from her as she realized that she'd just torn the woman's head off.

Tears fell down her face as she vomited. Jackie couldn't realize she'd just done that. After being sick, she wiped her mouth and turned towards the woman who was staring at her in shock. "Thanks for watching the baby."

That done, Jackie turned and headed back to the base. She hailed a taxi and ordered the driver to move it. He did it somewhat rapidly as she was covered in blood and he didn't want to be the next victim. Her body shook and she inhaled deeply, forcing herself to regain some control. At this moment, she decided to make up with Jack. She had too much rage and anger inside her. She needed to make peace with him and get it out of her system.