[Sorry about the delay but yesterday I went to see my brother and cousin compete in the London triathlon and it took up the whole day. As for the day before that I was teaching a friend to ride a bike. All in all, quite good reasons I think.]

Some girls won't dance to the beat of the track
She won't walk away
But she won't look back
She looks good
But her boyfriend says she's a mess
Lady Gaga – Dance in the Dark

Day One: Part 1

'I still don't understand why we didn't get any choice in this whatsoever,' Owen grumbled as he cleaned the instruments on his table.

'I did ask,' Winter replied, grabbing a handful of towels to begin drying, 'but he pulled the lolly trick on me.'

'You're going to have awful teeth.'

'I do brush them Owen and don't you go getting all self-righteous on me, think of your poor liver.'

Owen shrugged and handed her a scalpel. 'Well, she starts tomorrow and unless she royally cocks it up then she's here to stay so we better get used to it.'

'I guess it's a newbie I can actually tease this time.'

Winter looked up to find him watching her with a slight smile on his face. She smiled back and placed the knife and tweezers she had been holding in their draw. Tosh appeared at the top of the steps and slowly walked down them.

'Nothing to do?' Winter asked her. She shook her head.

'The rift's quiet and the language processor needs time to calibrate before I can start entering anything but English. So...'

'Here,' Owen chucked a pack of paper towels in her face, 'make yourself useful.'

Winter handed Toshiko a nasty looking cutting tool. She looked at it in horror and dropped it on the ground in relief when a loud bleeping noise came from her computer. She ran up the stairs as Owen swore behind her. 'Don't believe it, it took me four minutes to clean that.'

Winter patted his back and headed up after Tosh.

'What is it?' she asked, when she reached the station at the top of the stairs.

'Some sort of meteorite I think.'

Suddenly Jack was standing between them, a phone pressed to his ear.

'...yeah we're dealing with it.'

He snapped the phone shut and took a closer look at the screen. 'Alright, let's go take a look. Tosh text Gwen.'

'What? Now? She doesn't start until tomorrow.' Winter asked, stunned.

'And if this turns out to be something, then we'll be dealing with it tomorrow, she may as well know what's going on.'

'We can fill her in.'

Jack shook his head and walked over to his office to grab his coat. Owen sidled over as if he was taking a look at the screen himself.

'Nice try but it looks like she's arriving early.'

Winter sighed and grabbed her coat off the back of Owen's chair. 'Pip?' she called.

Ianto entered the hub with the Capuchin sat on his silver tray polishing off what had been a banana.

'This monkey is going to eat us out of house and home.' Ianto stated placing the tray on Toshiko's desk. Winter laughed and bent down to the monkey.

'You're full aren't you?'

Peregrine sat back with a satisfied look and Winter knew, he wasn't going anywhere. 'Alright then, Ianto would you leave him in Jacks office for a while, let his stomach calm down?'

He nodded and winter smiled before heading out to the SUV. They picked Gwen up on the way out of town and she seemed fairly excited. Winter was not accustomed to be squashed between her co-workers but Tosh needed a computer and Gwen had to get in on the run so now she was being elbowed from both sides as the journey continued.

'Right everyone.'

Winter yawned as Jack began his leader talk, 'Simple locate and clean-up operation, find that meteorite before anyone else gets their hands on it.' He turned around from the passenger seat to look at Gwen, 'Good to see you by the way.'

'Yeah,' Winter murmured, 'thrilled.'

Jack's forehead creased a little but he ignored the remark.

'Tosh have you found it yet?' Owen asked from the driver's seat.

Winter smirked when Gwen jumped as the Computers lowered from the sides of the cars. 'Have you got enough kit?' She asked incredulously.

Toshiko shrugged, 'Basic tracking and surveillance,' she pointed to a red dot on screen, 'the crash site. With this I can tap into CCTV networks, national Databases...'

'Is this CRIMIN?' Gwen asked pointing to her screen.

Winter rolled her eyes she knew what was coming next, 'This is the police computer system, you shouldn't have this.'

'You know if you want to be a part of this you may want to stop saying you and start saying we.' Winter told her.

The words 'crash site is 100 meters ahead' had never sounded sweeter. Winter leapt out of the car before Gwen even had a chance to move, opening Jacks door as she heard Owen speak.

'Shit. The amateurs got here first.'

She nodded as she observed the army boys surrounding the crash site.

'Still,' she said as Jack hopped out of the car, 'I do love a man in uniform.'

Jack grinned at her and winked as he pushed the door shut behind him. Winter fell into formation on Jacks right and they marched towards the tents.

Once through the tented area they could see what they were dealing with. A gaping hole in the ground and a piece of smouldering rubble.

'Where's Gwen?' Jack asked suddenly. Winter turned around to discover that Gwen had vanished.

'Oh well'.

Jack nudged her playfully, 'Be nice.'

She rolled her eyes and followed the others as he turned to re-enter the tents. 'And don't wander off!' he called back.

Winter sighed and stopped in her tracks. She wished Jack hadn't said that. If he had just carried on walking she would have stayed put but with the thought of a wander was now for-front in her mind she set off at a quick pace, up into the trees.

It was dark, obviously, and a little chilly. The area was cordoned off way back and she could see one or two armed figures in the distance. There appeared to be nothing around here that would be of any use to the team so she wandered a little further around the site. Nothing.

'Nemo!'

She turned sharply at the sound of her name, sauntering straight back through the woods and emerging above the crash site on the opposite side to the tents. Jack relaxed and glared at her, hands on hips. 'What did I say about wandering off?'

'Too much,' she replied as she noted that they all seemed to be holding gas masks. 'What the hell happened here?'

Owen turned to her, snapping his case shut. 'Just as you predicted,' he picked the case up and stood straight, 'she cocked it up.'

Gwen blushed and looked at her feet whilst Owen ran up the side of the crater and sped through the tent doors. She sighed and glanced back at Gwen who looked almost like she wanted to cry. She suddenly felt a wave of pity for the woman. It was hard coming into all of this and she realised that she wasn't exactly making it much easier. She smiled at Gwen before following Owen, hoping to calm him down a bit before Gwen had to share the car with him again.

TTT

The trip back was painful. Winter kept a hand on Owen's shoulder throughout the whole journey. Every time Gwen apologised she squeezed, digging her nails in, warning him to keep his mouth shut. When they got to the hub though even Jack had had enough. 'Seriously, stop saying that.'

'But I am though, I mean really, really sorry. God I can't believe it.'

'Didn't they teach you health and safety in the police?' Owen asked bluntly. Winter kicked him, silently motioning for him to cut it out.

'Well, you two chucked tools at each other so I...'

'We didn't miss.'

'Owen, will you just shut up!' Winter whispered. He gave her a look that clearly read 'traitor'.

'I'll sort it, whatever's happened I'll deal with it.'

She had to admire Gwen for wanting to sort her own mistakes but it clearly wasn't an option. 'What do you think has happened? I mean it was just gas wasn't it? Can't be too bad. Can it?'

Winter couldn't stop herself this time. 'Right because Gas never hurt anyone, did it?'

Gwen looked over at her, horrified by the possibilities.

'On the plus side,' Jack interrupted, 'we've got good evidence. Relatively undamaged.'

Winter leant over the metal railings and looked at the rock in the metal case.

'On the down side there's and alien on the loose, we don't know where it is, why it's here or what it's gonna do.' Owen continued, turned to give Gwen a 'This is your fault' look.

'Give her a break.'

Owen glanced at Tosh but didn't say anything.

'God, this has been the worst first day ever.'

'We all make mistakes, get over it,' Jack replied, 'now we find and recover whatever came out of there.'

A cough from behind Winter made her jump and she spun round to see Ianto with a monkey draped over his shoulders and a clipboard in hand.

'This might help, night club death, been phoned into 999, circumstances sound a little unusual.'

Winter took the report from him and skimmed down. Her eyes widened and smirked at Jack handing the clipboard to Gwen who blushed crimson.

TTT

The journey there wasn't as bad as Winter had expected. She was still squashed but Peregrine kept her occupied by trying to pull on Gwen's hair. As the car flew to a stop Gwen stuck her arm out to stop Winter from flying through the air. The others jumped out and ran inside but Gwen was lagging so Winter opted to stay with her and they were about to enter the club when a voice stopped them.

'Gwen!'

'Hi!'

Winter turned to see a young man in a yellow police jacket had caught Gwen's attention.

'Bloody hell. Look at you all Posh.'

Winter came around to Gwen's side. 'Who's this?' he asked as he eyed the monkey on her shoulder.

'I'm Winter, I work with Gwen and this is Pip'

Andy nodded swallowing, letting Gwen introduce him before turning back to her.

'So, special ops? We all wondered.'

'Sorry I meant to call, it's been a bit of a whirlwind.'

'Go on then tell us all.'

Winter gave Gwen a sharp look to remind her that she couldn't say a word luckily she didn't have to do anymore because the Captain called up to them from the doorway.

'Coming?'

'Yeah sorry.'

Winter took her leave deciding to give them a second to themselves and she raced down the corridor after Jack.

'You could be a bit nicer you know.' She chastised. He raised an eyebrow.

'First you don't want her here now you're telling me to be nicer to her?'

She sighed and shrugged, 'I changed my mind. She means well and she's not as annoying as I thought she was.'

Jack smiled, 'Either way, I need her here. Not upstairs chin-wagging.'

'I think it's nice she has friends outside of Torchwood,' she replied as they entered the main bar room.

Jack laughed and placed a hand on her shoulder as her pushed her towards the ladies toilets. 'Did I tell you she has a boyfriend too?'

Winter looked sharply up at him, 'No!' he nodded, 'Really? Wow, how's that going to work?'

'I have no idea.'

TTT

Winter had listened to the bouncer's story and to be honest she was disgusted. Fine they shouldn't have been shagging in the bathroom but that was no permission for him to spy on them.

When they entered his office she felt like throwing up. She'd slept in cleaner places on the street. Peregrine came back with a mouse which she made him finish before he came anywhere near her.

As the film got more X-rated Owen jokingly covered her eyes but she slapped him away.

'Wow.' Was all Jack could say as the film finished.

'My God.' Owen agreed.

'He just...'

'...Came and went.' Owen snorted as Jack finished off Gwen's sentence.

'Now that's how I'd like to go.' Owen stated.

Tosh glanced over before answering, 'I'm sure we could arrange it.'

'How can that be?' The bouncer interrupted, 'it doesn't make any sense, it's not possible.'

Winter really didn't like this man.

'Well maybe if you hadn't been watching CCTV of the girls toilets you wouldn't be in so much distress,' she told him coldly.

He turned to look at her, 'Are you calling me a pervert?' she glared at him.

'If the shoe fits.'

'You little...' the bouncer pushed her back into Owen who grabbed her and pushed her behind him trying to push the man back as Peregrine jumped onto his head in a bid to keep him away.

He reached up and plucked the animal of his head throwing Pip. Winter watched in slow motion as her best friend smacked against the wall and lay still. She yelped and pulled the knife from her belt, lunging at the bouncer who took one look at the object and his eyes filled with fear but before Winter could reach him Jack had grabbed her arm.

'Stop!' he shouted, she looked up at him and sheathed the knife. He nodded towards Pip and she brushed past him hurrying over to the wall and escaping to the car with her friend.

'And as for you,' Jack turned on the bouncer, 'you touch one of my team again and I'll put you in a small dark room for the rest of your life.'

He headed out of the door, glancing back at Gwen, seething. 'Question him. Tosh, we'll need a body from the cryo chamber, close match to the dead guy's appearance, disfigure the face dump it someplace remote, make it look like a suicide.'

Gwen poked her head back around the door from where she was going to question the bouncer, 'You have a stash of bodies!'

Jack pointed back towards the bouncer and she sighed returning to her questioning. Then he stalked out of the room to find Winter.

He found her sitting in the car, Pip was still totally limp and silent tears had slipped down Winter's face and onto her t-shirt. She didn't hear him until he opened the door and slid in beside her. She glanced up at him through thick wet lashes. He leant over and kissed her hair, slipping the monkey from her grasp.

Gently, Jack lay the creature out over his lap and ran his manipulator over it. She turned to get a better look at the strange symbols that appeared on the screen, and wished she could tell what they meant.

The blue light switched off and Jack looked up at her. He smiled. It took a few moments for the smile to sink in and she flung her arms over him pressing her lips to his without thinking.

He was stunned but reacted quickly, kissing her back. In fact, for a second, he was quite disappointed when she pulled back and cuddled Pip in her arms, clearly too worried to really think about what she just did. He smiled and slipped out of the car, closing the door quietly and looking up at the stars, reminiscing.

He breathed out as the manipulator started to beep, looking down at the screen he noted that it was leading him to a build-up of recorded energy. He followed the signals to the back of the club where, moments later, Gwen joined him to tell him she had got nothing but an earful from the bouncer. What he wasn't expecting was a morality lesson from her. 'What about the boy's family? You can't just fake his death.'

'You want to tell his family he died screwing an alien?'

'We don't know that for sure.' Jack pointed to his manipulator.

'Same elements we recorded at the crash site, traces all over the club but strongest in this area, something happened here.'

He glanced around and spotted the camera before leading Gwen inside to take a look at last night's footage. He found the time and the correct camera and they watched as event unfolded. The girl on the tape convulsed in the alley behind the club as the gas entered her body.

Gwen felt an overwhelming urge to cry. This poor girl had become a killer because of her. Jack leant over and removed the tape, taking it as evidence. He left the room and Gwen murmured, 'It's all my fault. If it weren't for me he'd still be alive.'

'Thinking like that will get you nowhere.' The voice from behind startled her and she turned to see Winter, her eyes were a little red but she was smiling, understandingly. 'At least we know more now, we've seen the alien's host body.'

'We can't let her kill again.'

Winter laid her hand on Gwen's arm. 'I'm sure you won't.' There was a pause until Winter spoke again. 'If it makes you feel any better I didn't do too well on my first day either.'

'What happened?'

Winter smiled a little at the memory. 'I almost killed Owen.'

Gwen gasped her eyes growing wide.

'I tripped over one of the poles Jack was putting up for me, landed on a bottle of the pterodactyl's special sauce which went all over Owen who was chased around the hub for fifteen minutes because, in my hurry to get Jack, I hit the lockdown button and we couldn't get him to a safe place.'

Gwen laughed and then gasped. 'Oh I'm sorry, I didn't ask, how is he?'

'What Pip? Jack said he would be fine, well he didn't say it but... as good as.'

TTT

Back at the hub Winter changed her top and left Peregrine curled up in his hammock before joining everyone in the side room behind Jack's office. She rolled his chair over to where Owen stood and curled her feet under.

'So what's this supposed to do?' asked Gwen.

'I'm using satellite tracking data to determine the inward trajectory of the meteorite.' Jack reeled off.

'Which in human terms means he's working out where the hell that thing came from.' Winter put in making Gwen and Toshiko laugh.

'Hey, sometimes a little techno-babble is good for the soul.'

Winter laughed and pulled a cola flavoured lolly pop from her pocket and shoved it in her mouth.

'So this is like a route planner.'

'Not far off.' Tosh replied handing the files she was holding over to Owen who thanked her and stuck them in the gap between Winter and the chair to hold them while he sipped his coffee.

'Rhys, my boyfriend, he's a transport manager. He does this sort of stuff, on a slightly smaller scale.'

Jack laughed and Winter smiled at the odd look Tosh was giving Gwen. 'You have a boyfriend?'

Gwen grinned, 'Yeah, have you.'

'Don't have time with this job,' she replied.

Gwen's smile faded a little but she didn't give up hope she turned to Owen. 'What about you? You seeing anyone?'

Winter smirked, the thought of Owen in a steady relationship was something she'd never even considered.

'You've got to be joking, I can get all the grief I need here.'

'What about you two? You must be pretty serious, living together and everything.'

It took a moment for Jack and Winter to realise she was talking to them. They both looked at each other stunned and began denying their relationship in the same quick succession of words.

'Whoa! No, we're not together, we just live... together.'

'I mean, not that she's not… we're friends…'

'Just friends…. friends who share a room…you know like, siblings…'

'But really attractive siblings…who sometimes kiss.'

'Hey I was in the moment.'

'I'm not complaining.'

'Can you get on with your tracker thingamajig, please. Some of us have jobs to get on with.'

Gwen watched the bickering but still looked taken aback, glancing around the team.

'None of you have partners?'

'Just you, Newbie.' Owen insisted.

'I'm not being rude or anything,' everyone turned to face her, 'well, maybe I am but, how do you switch off from all this stuff? What do you do to relax?'

Jack just stared at her, Tosh turned away, Winter picked up a book from Jack's desk and Owen joked away the tense silence.

'I torture people in happy relationships.'

Gwen's eyebrows raised and Winter could see that she wished she'd never asked.

TTT

Twenty minutes later she was fully engrossed in the book when Gwen tapped her on the shoulder. There were a few seconds of silence as Winter awkwardly closed the book and pushed it onto Jack's desk, waiting for Gwen to speak.

'When we first met,' Gwen began, 'you and Owen, you were both a bit sarcastic and a bit rude,' she looked at the desk like she was considering leaning on it but thought better of it, 'then there was a bit of Jack about you, you were a bit of a show off, hanging around the place, like you knew things I didn't.'

'I do know things you don't.' Winter interjected, not sure she liked where this was heading.

'I thought you hated me.'

There it was. Winter looked away, out of the window to where Jack and Tosh were studying star charts on her monitor. 'When I arrived here last night it didn't seem like anything had changed but, suddenly, you turned around and stood up for me.'

Winter glanced at Gwen and shrugged a little. 'It's not easy being the newbie.'

'I just wanted to say thank you. I don't know what changed your mind, but it's nice to feel that someone here is on my side.'

'Coffee's ready!' Ianto called as he rounded the second floor of the hub. Winter stood up and made for the door.

'I think I like you, Gwen Cooper.' She turned and pointed at her, 'That doesn't make us friends, yet, and it doesn't mean I trust you, but I like you.'

Gwen smiled as Winter practically skipped out of the office to exchange a kiss on the cheek for a mug of hot coffee.

'Gas traces confirmed as Vorax and Ceranium.' Tosh told everyone.

'Great my two favourite gases,' Jack replied sarcastically, 'can we do a check and find out what we know about them.'

'I'm all over it.' Owen confirmed as Gwen made it down to see what Tosh was working on.

'What's this doing?'

'I've taken an image of the girl from the CCTV image and I'm cross-referencing it with the UK population.'

'You can't have every face in the UK on there, that would be against civil liberties, data protection, all that stuff.'

'Still doing that you instead of we thing.' Winter reminded her, she heard jack chuckle behind her and without thinking leant back against him. He froze for a moment and so did she but, before anyone else noticed, he relaxed and wrapped his free arm around her and pulled her close.

Tosh's computer flashed with a result and Owen immediately started grumbling.

'119 suspects, this thing is supposed to give us a single clear match.'

'The CCTV was too low rez. I've tried magnifying and augmenting but it just breaks up. Which means the software can't function.'

'It's narrowed the numbers down.' Ianto replied, 'Winter and I could check through the rest,' he turned to face Jack and Winter, 'you know, the old fashioned way, with our eyes.'

Winter snorted into her coffee gaining a grin from Ianto.

'What about the fingerprints we took of the ally wall?' Gwen asked. The computer found no matches and Gwen's shoulder's sagged, 'Well it was a long shot.'

'Yeah just a bit' said Owen.

'At least I'm trying to do something!' Gwen snapped.

'No, you're trying to do anything.' Owen retorted.

Jack sighed and let go of Winter to approach the desk. 'The CCTV must have picked up her arrival at the club. Tosh can you reformat the recognition software to trace her journey backwards via the street-camera networks?'

'I'll have a go but it'll take a while to process every possible turn on every street corner means hundreds of possibilities.'

'Have a go, at least we'll know where she started the evening.'

'We could cross-reference that with the addresses of the remaining face matches.' Gwen pointed out.

Owen clicked his fingers and pointed at her, 'Good one newbie, that's a bit more like it.'

Winter leaned over and ruffled his hair.

They all turned when they heard a tapping from Jacks office and a quiet bang. Winter looked up at Jack with excitement.

'Pip's awake.'

She thrust her coffee into Jack's hands and ran over to his office, leaving them all to continue with their work.

TTT

An hour later Jack poked his head down the hole to see Winter with Pip on her chest reading Wuthering Heights.

'We have an address if you're interested,' he pulled a hideous white body suit from behind his back, 'and I have a lovely plastic suit for you'.

She smiled and laughed but shook her head. 'Alright well, we'll see you a little later, alien girl in hand.'

Winter sat back against the wall, so far Jack had yet to mention the slip up in the club. She had only realised after her worry for Pip had completely dispersed, that she had totally cocked up. In an ordinary working relationship, employees did not go around kissing their bosses.

Pip squirmed on the bed reminding her that she had stopped reading and she looked down at the book, 'I am Heathcliff.' She read aloud, then stopped, overthinking everything that had happened and groaned. Knowing she wouldn't be able to enjoy it now she threw the book into the corner of the room.

Pip watched it fly and leapt over to retrieve it, hopping over on two feet in an odd little dance. She closed her eyes and gently banged her head against the wall.

'Why am I so stupid?' she exclaimed, running her hands through her hair.

TTT

The sound of the cog door rolling aside startled Winter from her newfound place in Owen's chair. Peregrine looked up and carefully jumped from the desk, to her lap, to the floor. It was obvious he was still sore from the incident last night but it didn't seem to stop him.

Jack swept him off the floor as Gwen led the girl off to the cells. 'Went well then?' Winter asked.

He shrugged and leant against the desk. 'She almost escaped, saved by Owen with this.'

He pulled a small, rock-like object from his pocket and flicked it in the air. Pip reached out and caught it as it fell, turning it over in his hands he bit into it and, finding it hard, handed it back.

'What is it?'

'Portable force-field, it shouldn't have left the hub but it was a nice save.'

He pocketed the stone and took a long look at the monkey in his arms. 'So how's he holding up? Any problems?'

'Nope, he's a bit hesitant in the way he moves but I think he's just sore.'

'He's a brave little guy.'

'Yeah,' she whispered, 'yeah he is.'

Jack sighed and turned to face Winter. 'We should talk…'

'Not right now, later, when everyone's gone. Alright?'

He grimaced and nodded as Owen and Tosh entered the room. Winter stood up and relieved him of Peregrine before heading towards Jacks office. But she stopped when she heard Owen murmur

'Hello! Happy birthday me.'

She noticed he was looking at the screen and she retraced her steps to stand behind him.

'Ooo, now that's hot.' She replied. As she saw the passionate embrace Gwen and the girl had found themselves in. He smirked and lent back in his chair. 'Oi you lot,' Winter called, 'I think we might just have a situation.'

Owen coughed and looked a bit hot under the collar as Jack headed over to stand by Winter's side.

'Wow.'

Tosh stood behind him and Winter sniggered at the looks on their faces.

'I thought she said she had a boyfriend.' Owen said.

'You people and your quaint little categories.'

Winter elbowed Jack and leaned in a little to get a better look. 'Do you think they'll go all the way? Cause if it comes to that I'm out'ta here.'

This time it was his turn to elbow her. 'We should really get her out of there.' Tosh mentioned a voice a little far off.

'Yeah.' Jack agreed. He suddenly snapped to his senses. 'I mean yeah come on.'

Tosh followed close behind as he ran off towards the cells. ' I'm just going to, just um, record a bit first.' Owen mumbled.

'You're a sick man Owen Harper.' Winter laughed.