[I'm really sorry I haven't updated for ages but I was at guide camp… is that a good enough excuse, not really. But you can all rest assured that I would much rather had been writing this for you.]

This is my Vietnam
I'm at war
Life keeps on dropping bombs
And I keep score

Pink – My Vietnam

Ghost Machine: Part 1

'Oh come on, you can tell that at least.'

'No Owen, I can't.'

Winter hung on her bar, attempting to read a magazine as Owen jabbered away while working on a weevil victim.

'Well, you didn't find the SUV with supernatural powers and I don't believe in chance, that leaves tracking. So, where's the tracking device then? If it's inside me, I'll kill you.'

Winter sighed and threw the magazine at him. It had been like this for several days and everyone had pretty much dropped the incident with her old friends but Owen was just too curious to let it drop and she was coming close to just telling him to shut him up. Which was likely what he was aiming for.

Plans for changing the run-down building into some sort of home for the kids were already being drawn up and Winter couldn't thank Jack enough for the support he was giving her in the project. Not just with the money but just by being him. He had convinced her to take him to the building under oath that he wouldn't start anything and truth be told she was glad to have the company. Being back there made her feel anxious and hot, she had felt a chest tighten and reacted by reaching out for Jack's hand. He had squeezed it reassuringly and kissed her forehead, waiting for her to calm down until they went any further.

Over the next two days they had cleaned it up a bit and taken tonnes of pictures to be given to the architect who was now working on a draft for them.

No one from the team asked why she was doing it, she guessed it was because Jack told them not to. Unbeknownst to him, she went out the day after they spoke and had a plaque made for the door then stashed it in their wardrobe.

Andrew House

'Hiraeth'

Her wounds had healed well since that night and, with some accelerated healing cream courtesy of Owen, there was only the faintest yellow look to her face, that she covered with some foundation that Gwen had slipped to her one day.

However the same could not be said for Jacks wounds. Although he'd come to know real harm that day, he had had a few sudden realisations which at hit him a lot harder than anyone realised. The first being how dangerous it was to let Winter wander off on her own with no one but a monkey for protection.

To fix this he had made up an excuse to go with her whenever she left the building, or at least sending Ianto along.

The other was that he had made Winter own up to her fears about the kiss in the back of the SUV and, while he sat there looking at her turn deeper shades of red, he realised he didn't know what to do either. The conversation was stunted and awkward and they agreed that it was just a thing that happened and might happen again but might not because they were friends and in Jack's philosophy that generally included a little kissing. (she had laughed at this and they had fallen into conversation about The Doctor again.)

'Don't know how you can read this crap.'

Owen's voice broke through her thoughts and she looked over to see him flicking through the magazine she had just lobbed at his head.

'You should be reading gossip rags or sewing patterns not this, this is ...'

He looked up as she swung to the ground and caught her glare, daring him to continue. He shrugged and tried to discreetly slip the magazine into his draw. She shook her head and ran over to grab another from the table next to the sofas. He joined her moments later and snatched that one too. 'Fencer's world. You have to be kidding me.'

He threw her a disgusted tone as he collapsed onto the sofa next to her and began flicking through it. 'There's a magazine for fencing?'

'Actually its for all kinds of sword fighting, not just fencing.'

She snatched the magazine back and opened it at a random page. 'And can a person actually read a sewing pattern?' she asked, before turning back to the page and starting to read.

He sighed and walked over to sit in his own chair only to find it occupied.

'Get out of the chair,' he told the monkey, who looked at him and went back to cleaning his fur. Owen turned to winter. 'Would you get the thing out of my chair, I want to sit down.'

She looked up at him and cocked her head a little. 'Maybe.'

He narrowed his eyes at her, 'What do you want?'

'Where are the others?' she asked.

His shoulders tensed and he spoke a little too quickly, 'No idea, I told you that.'

'Yes well, the problem there is that I know you're lying, and I know, you know, I know you're lying. So, if you tell me, I'll call off Pip,' she paused for effect, 'and if you don't, then I hope you have your rabies shots.'

As if on cue, Peregrine smiled showing off his large sharp teeth. Owen backed away a step and then relaxed, 'Fine, fine, they went to track down an alien device, just been activated again.'

'We have a case and no one thought to tell me?'

'Jack, ordered us not to.'

'He did what!' she seethed as the cog door rolled open and the rest of the team, including Ianto who'd been driving the SUV entered. 'Jack, bloody, Harkness!' Winter yelled.

He looked up sharply to see Winter standing, hands on hips, violet eyes flaring with anger and Owen, scratching the back of his neck lightly as if he'd done something wrong. From this, he concluded that Owen had caved and made a mental note to give him extra paperwork for at least month.

'Look...' he started, moving forward.

'No. You look. I've put up with you following me everywhere I go, and I've put up with all the useless jobs you give me to keep me busy around the Hub but I've had it up to here with the suffocating cotton wool ball you've got me wrapped up in. I'm not a child Jack and, more importantly, I'm a part of your team and, as a part of your team I need to know when we have a case. '

He had the decency to look sheepish as she wound down her rant but as soon as she finished he held out a file for her. She glared at him playfully and took it from him before crossing to sit back on the sofa. She pulled out what looked like a print out of sound waves.

'What is it?' she asked.

Jack sat next to her and swung his arm over her shoulder as he let his head fall back. 'No idea.' He replied, 'but someone has it who isn't suppose to and tonight, we're getting it back before that someone does any damage with it. Whatever it is.'

TTT

'Alright everyone!' Jack hollered as they swerved around the corner in the SUV.

Winter was flung into Gwen and then into the door as they careered down the street. 'We don't know who we're dealing with, be on your guard. Winter take the roof path, Owen and Gwen I want you ground level, I'll take the SUV.' He paused and then spoke into his comm. 'Tosh have you got a visual yet?'

'No, I can't track him fast enough. I've just got the scanning signal, as soon as he stops swerving I'll have him.'

Winter grabbed her door handle and threw a look at Jack who nodded. He stopped suddenly and she jumped out of the car and jumped straight up to the nearest fire escape. It took a lot of strength to pull herself onto the roof but once she was up she set off across it, Tosh guiding her from the Hub.

It was nights like these that she wished she'd brought Pip with her, he was faster and would have found the good route for her to cross.

'Winter you need to turn left and make your way towards the station area, should be flat enough.' Tosh mentioned before giving Gwen and Owen some instructions.

Her legs burned as she neared the station, she saw a figure in dark clothing run through the shopping area, dark hair flowing behind and a com in her ear.

'Gwen!' she breathed out, she took a leap to a lamp post and headed the way Gwen had, rolling under the closing barricade that slammed shut, cutting off Jack and Owen.

Winter fell behind and then stopped as she saw a fight break out between Gwen and the target. He lost his jacket and ran but Winter had had a break in those few seconds and took off after him. He was good at disappearing, but she was better, catching up to him and getting within arms reach. Finally he ran straight across a main road and she screeched to a stop for fear of being hit by a car. She yelled in frustration and turned around to walk back.

TTT

Jack was pacing up and down the station as she arrived back. Gwen was sat, her head in her hands as she attempted to explain something to Owen, who looked far from impressed. All in all it looked like the plan hadn't quite worked out.

'What's going on then?' she asked.

'Apparently Gwen's seeing ghosts.'

Winter's eyebrows raised and Gwen decided to elaborate.

'When I used the thing I got from his pocket I saw... it was like everyone had just vanished, just me and the little boy. I could see him and hear him but I couldn't move, I could hardly talk.' She shook her head and wiped her sweaty brow on the back of her hand.

'Oh wonderful, so we got the device but no one thought to call me off, I almost got turned into road kill.' Winter huffed as she put her hands on her hips and nodded towards Jack, 'and what does he think he's doing.'

Jack turned to look at them all and returned to his troops. 'Let's head back to the hub, maybe Toshiko can give us a hand. Besides I think we could all do with some coffee.'

He led the solemn parade back through the station to the shopping centre where they piled into the SUV. Winter didn't really want to sit down, her back was sweaty and the thought of pressing her soaking top against it made her shudder. Thankfully, Jacks driving improved on the way back and she was able to stay on the edge of her seat.

Tosh met them and relieved Jack of the device before running off to take as many tests as she could. Ianto followed them down. 'Are you heading to the showers?' he asked Winter.

'Why? Do you want to join me?'

He blushed and looked away.

'Hey!' Jack called back. 'Flirting with Ianto is my hobby.'

Winter stuck her tongue out at the back of his head and Ianto chuckled warmly.

TTT

The showers were all cold, she would have to warn Jack that whatever had been messing with the heating systems was at it again. When she had changed she padded barefoot up out of hers and Jack's room, surprised half way out by Ianto offering her a hand which she took so he could help hauled her out.

She smiled as he handed her a coffee. Pip, lying casually on his shoulders, gave her hair a playful yank as a hello. She grinned and turned to Jack who was sitting at his desk fiddling with a large cream cake.

'Shop lifting conviction.' Tosh continued from wherever she had left off, 'a bottle of vodka and three pot noodles.'

Winter snorted into her coffee and perched on Jack's desk.

'Criminal mastermind.' Owen commented, 'Got anywhere with that, er, mystery object?'

'Alien of course, oh! Gorgeous nanotechnology.' Jack praised through a mouthful of food.

Winter threw a paper ball at his head, 'Didn't anyone teach you manners?'

He shrugged and turned back. 'This thing makes NASA look like toys 'r' us,' he laughed.

'Well you've really narrowed things down haven't ya?' Owen complained as he pulled away from his lost game.

'Well, what have you been up to Owen?'

He turned to stare at Winter accusingly but didn't have an answer to give her, so instead he glanced at Gwen who had picked up the device.

'At the station it was doing this,' she said, 'and when I held it, it lit up and went mad.'

'Not doing it now is it'

'Do you ever get bored of being so negative?' Winter asked Owen, standing from Jacks desk and fiddling with a paperweight.

'Nope, anyway, someone has to be realistic around here.'

'So,' Tosh said, turning to Jack, 'what do we do now?'

'This kid Bernie,' he began, through another mouthful of cream cake. 'Where does he live?'

'Splot,' Toshiko answered.

'Splot?'

'I believe estate agents, pronounce it splow,' Ianto replied.

Winter couldn't stop the snort that escaped and stifled her giggles with the back of her hand. Jack looked between the pair and rolled his eyes, smirking none the less.

TTT

While Tosh, Owen and Gwen canvassed the neighbourhood. Ianto and Winter spent a while researching with the files Tosh had brought up. The whole affair turned out to be rather fun. At first they had spent a great deal of time pouring over the details but finally she convinced him to show her how to make a paper aeroplane and that had taken the best part of an hour so far.

'I can't believe you don't already know.'

'Never really had anyone to show me I guess,' she replied.

Ianto smiled and made one last fold of his fourth plane before launching through the air. Winter watched as it soared past Pip who pounced on it and ripped it to shreds. Ianto's face fell. 'Tosh will not be pleased.'

'Never mind, we can always print more. What else can you do?'

Ianto didn't seem to get much time to spend with his favourite member of Torchwood, since Gwen had arrived and the team had needed more experience to back them up, so he didn't need much persuading to start teaching her some basic origami. She wasn't very good but he could tell she was trying.

'Oh!' she cried, throwing her hands up in disgrace. 'This is hopeless.'

Ianto looked down at the shredded piece of bent paper in front of her and then back to her comical scene of frustration. He couldn't help it, he burst out laughing. She glared at him and stood up, hands on hips. Her lips pursed and a grumpy look but there was a hint of amusement to it so he wasn't worried.

'Filing work has obviously got funnier than when I was doing it,' a voice from the door commented.

Ianto and Winter looked up to see Jack, not looking too please. Ianto coughed and started to clear the space beside him and Winter picked up the shredded bits of aeroplane as Pip climbed onto her shoulder.

'Come on,' Jack said, walking past them. 'Let's go find the rest of the team, hopefully they've actually done some work.'

Winter glanced back over to Ianto who looked rather sheepish, she mouthed 'sorry' and hurried after Jack, not wanting to get him in any worse a mood.

TTT

Unfortunately the team obviously hadn't got further.

As Winter trailed behind Jack she saw the three of them huddled together using a large brick structure as a table. She almost felt sorry for what they were about to receive.

'We did try Jack.' Tosh explained.

Owen pushed a pasty forward as if that would make do for their failure. Jack looked at them almost incredulously before turning and heading towards the bridge. Winter grabbed the pasty for herself, muttering a quick thank you to Owen before traipsing forwards.

'What's he gonna tell us?' Owen began; sometimes Winter thought the man had no sense of self preservation, could he not see the mood Jack was in? 'Got it off an alien down the market?'

'Where are we going?' interrupted Gwen.

'Back to the railway station.' Jack replied. Winter looked longingly at the uneaten portion of her pasty and handed it to Pip who hopped from her shoulder and began to pull it apart. She jogged to catch up with Owen as Jack explained his idea for an experiment.

'What I have to do that again?'

'Someone does,' Jack turned around and flung the device to Owen. 'Any volunteers?'

'We don't know what it is or what it does?'

Gwen's sense of adventure (or lack thereof) was really quite off-putting, but Winter knew what she meant, she was worried and one of these days she was bound to be right.

'No,' Jack replied shortly.

When he did that most people knew it was best to lay off but Gwen was new… or just stupid.

'Jack. This could be dangerous!'

Winter rolled her eyes and braced herself.

'Yeah.'

'Erm I don't mean to be picky,' Winter turned away and watched Pip chasing after a frog at the edge of the tunnel, 'but I think I can spot some flaws in this plan.'

'I'm sorry, I thought you were the guys who gave up looking for a nineteen year old kid this morning? I figured maybe you were after something more exciting, a bit of a challenge.'

Jack stormed ahead. Gwen and Tosh carried on after him. Winter thought to stay with Owen but she just wanted to be back at the hub, making aeroplanes and bad flowers so she swept past him, pulling Pip away from the angry frog and onto her shoulder. Owen mumbled something as she walked away but she missed what it was and it wasn't until he shut up that she turned to make sure he hadn't drowned in a puddle.

He was standing quite still. His arms outstretched with the device flashing in his hands. His face was white and he was staring straight ahead, at her. He twitched suddenly, making her jump and she gradually, edged towards him, he turned his head, glancing around the tunnel but his eyes were glassy, as if he was entranced. She put a hand to his shoulder but his breathing was so erratic she backed away.

'Jack!' she called, shakily.

'Not now,' he yelled. 'Hurry up.'

'No really! Jack!'

Owen sucked in a deep breath and leant forwards, she thought he was going to collapse but he looked at her, his breathing heavy and forced and then swamped her in his arms.

Pip squealed in disgust and scampered onto the floor. Winter wrapped her arms around Owen but he was squeezing her really tightly and it was starting to hurt... She reached behind herself and slipped the device from his hand, holding it out to a hand that she could tell was Jack's.

'No prizes for suffocating co-workers Owen,' she joked. Although she really was struggling to breathe now. He seemed to realise what he was doing and pulled back quite suddenly. He wouldn't speak for a moment, just breathing heavily and glancing between them all and then finally muttering something about someone being scared.

Gwen took his arm and pulled him down the way they had been heading. Jack looked at the device and then pocketed it before silently offering his arm to Winter, who in turn offered hers to Pip.

'Back to the Hub?'

He nodded.

TTT

The Tale of 'Lizzie Lewis' had obviously had an effect on Owen. While they tried to explain the case to each other he sat there only questioning, no snide remarks, no jokes, just a sullen look.

An exclamation from Jack brought everyone's heads snapping up. 'Quantum transducer! Look!'

'Wow! I'd kill to get one of those!' Toshiko told everyone.

Winter knelt down by the device and raised an eyebrow at Tosh.

'Transducers convert energy from one form into another,' she explained, 'they're in headphones, they convert electrical signals into sound and then this device too, converts quantum energy and, and, and magnifying it.' Winter stood up.

'So, the ghosts are the sound and the quantum energy is the electrical impulse.'

Toshiko nodded excitedly.

'Of course, it's emotion!' Jack looked up expecting everyone to be with him, he sighed and turned to Gwen, 'human emotion is energy, you can't always see it of hear it, but you can feel it. Ever had déjà vu? Felt someone walk over your grave? Ever felt someone behind you in an empty room'

'That's usually pip.' Winter put in, Gwen sniggered but Owen made no reaction. He wasn't even smiling. She frowned.

'Anyway, like I was saying. There was someone behind you, there always is.'

'A ghost.' Gwen finished.

Winter had the feeling she should've brought a flashlight to shine under Jacks chin.

'What else have we got on Lizzie Lewis?' Owen asked.

Everyone turned, he couldn't have been listening to a word they had said. 'What else have we got?'

'Um, 1963, the records aren't all that detailed.' Tosh answered him, she obviously wanted to help him but there was only so much, even Tosh could produce.

'What about newspapers, witness statements, coroner's reports.'

'Owen!' Jack warned.

'What do you want me to find exactly?' Tosh complained.

'Well there must be something.'

'For a case to be re-opened you need new evidence or a new witness.'

'I saw it happen.'

'No you didn't, you weren't there. You saw the echo of a moment amplified by alien technology, so just tell me how that will play in court?'

'Well since when did we care about courts?'

'Tomorrow we go looking for Bernie Harris, find out what he knows about this ghost machine. We do our job and find where this thing came from now go home.'

With that little speech, Jack left followed by a certain monkey, its tail stuck right in the air. 'Gwen with me,' he shouted back.

TTT

Gun training had always been a release for Jack.

When he couldn't sleep and his mind was whirring, the range was a perfect place to clear your head. Especially when you had someone to keep you company. He made a point of dragging out the sexual tension as far as he could with Gwen as he helped her to become more confident with the weapons around her, it relaxed the process and, he wasn't going to lie to himself, it was fun.

Soon they were laughing and joking but the vibe was still there. Clear as day. As they came to an end he smiled at her as she pulled off her ear protectors. 'Nice work, like I said, I hope you never have to use them.'

She grinned back and he saw her eyes flicker to the wall.

'Who's is that lot?'

He looked over to see her staring at a collection of swords, knifes, bows and arrows. He smiled as she surveyed the collection, passing the long and short bows and moving onto the knifes with their decorative (and yet lethal) guards. And the swords, long, thin and beautifully made.

'They're Nemo's' he replied, hands in pockets.

She reached out to touch one and he stepped over to her, 'Ah! I wouldn't do that if I were you, especially not that one.'

She pulled her hand away from a meter long blade with a curved shape and a gold and green handle. There was an inscription carved into the metal blade and Gwen turned her head to read it.

'Don't bother you won't understand it,' he laughed.

'What does it say?'

A voice from the door made her turn her body to face the girl now approaching. 'Ai vaes ailai si thasti eil thol vaeli.' she spoke in a flowing tongue that sounded close enough to her home tongue to give Gwen pause but not enough that she understood any of it.

There was silence for a moment as Jack smirked.

'Now I know that's not Welsh.'

Winter laughed, 'It's a form of elfish from Tolkien. We had an alien who only spoke that and I was the only one who bothered to learn it so we understood what he was going on about.'

Gwen nodded her eyes wide as Winter reached up and took the sword down from the wall.

'It means 'I reach into the flame and find peace."

Jack reached up and took another sword from the set, a slightly more battered one with a long guard and straight blade.

'She sucked with guns.'

'I did not! I just don't like all the noise, and besides, hardly anyone fired an arrow by mistake.'

'Like I said, she sucked with guns and so she asked to be taught something else. With her obvious athleticism…'

Jack lunged forward trying to catch Winter of her guard, she swung around and fended him of swiftly, 'She was a perfect candidate to keep me up to date with my swordsmanship skills.'

Gwen backed up as the fight continued until with a little trick in which Jack shone light into Winter's eyes, he overpowered her.

Dusting herself off Winter frowned and took the other sword from him, replacing them on the wall. Gwen clapped gently then glanced at her watch.

'Oh, God look at the time.'

Winter ran her finger over the sharp edge of the blade as Gwen spoke to Jack. 'When do you get to go home? You seem to live here. You don't do you?' she smiled at Gwen's shocked voice, 'I thought you both had a flat somewhere nearby or… I don't know. Here? Really? Doesn't it drive you mad?'

People didn't seem to understand how amazing living in the hub was. For one thing the lie in's were excellent, and the climate control was to die for, as was the easy access to coffee and the many hide aways.

'Gotta be ready, the 21st century is when it all changes.' Trust Jack to come up with some duty bound crap, 'and I hate the commute,' he added.

'Where do you sleep?'

Winter took a quick intake of breath and glanced up at him. No one, but Ianto knew they shared a bedroom… or a bed for that matter. As far as they knew there were tunnels all around the hub and they had separate rooms, but Jack seemed to be more open with Gwen and she worried he might blab.

'I don't'

She looked up sharply at Jack but he was still looking at Gwen. Beaming inside she crept over to the door and took one more listen before leaving to find Ianto for one last origami model before he left.

'Doesn't it get lonely at night?'

The question a pang of sadness to her heart. Yes, when Jack wasn't there, when he was off working, it felt as if the whole world was tumbling out of kilter. Like she was all alone. Again.

Jack didn't seem to answer and, for a moment, she wondered if he was feeling the same thing.

'I better get back, Rhys will be wondering where I am.'

Winter slipped through the door and headed up towards the office suddenly desperate to see a friendly face. She burst through the door and saw Ianto, stood with his bag in one hand and jacket in the other.

'Oh! I was just about to leave. Was there something you wanted?'

She looked at him and for a moment then walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He reciprocated and she held him tightly.

'Don't ever leave me Ianto. I don't know what I'd do without you.'

He pulled back a little.

'Where's all this come from?' he asked she shook her head and he pulled her back into his arms. 'Well I wasn't planning on going anywhere other than home, unless you know something I don't.'

'No, just...' she rested her head on his shoulder, 'just don't leave, okay. Everyone else does, even Jack. Half the time I haven't a clue where he is, even when he's right in front of me. If I lost you I don't know what I'd do.'

He pulled back sharply and looked at her.

'I'm not going.'

She smiled and hugged him once more before he waved and disappeared out of the door.

TTT

She didn't sleep that night, she couldn't. She waited until Jack thought she was sleeping and slipped away to do some last minute work and then sat up, her legs bunched up next to her chest.

She eyed the phone on the bedside table but who was there to call? Instead she settled down with a book from Jack's collection, "Anti gravity vessels, super electron cannons, cloaking devises, chameleon circuits and their care and maintenance: for dummies".

She giggled quietly, that had to rubbish, as if, thousands of years in the future they would still have "for dummies" books.

She flicked it open and was pleased to fine that it was in English. 'Might waste a few hours.' She murmured and began to read.

At about eleven the next morning Jack was up and about and she was half way through, it was actually quite interesting, she had half a mind to start constructing one of them in the catacombs but Jack interrupted her thought by jumping down the hatch.

'Owen found Bernie Harris for us, wanna...what on earth are you doing with that?' he raised an eyebrow and sat down next to her, peering over her shoulder.

'Found it on the side, it's rather interesting?'

'You read all of that? How long have you been awake?'

'Not long I just opened it a few pages back and started reading.' She lied.

He looked at her funny and then stood up, taking the book from her hands.

'Anyway, so, Owen got Bernie? When did that happen?'

'This morning, he must have passed him in the street or something,' Jack said but he didn't sound convinced.

Winter sprung up from the bed and made her way through the side door to the shower.

'I'll be out there in a second.' Jack nodded to no one in particular and looked down at the book in his hands, he knew she was lying, there were page corners turned down along the way and that was her little habit, some pages were even a little worn in the bottom corner from where the sweat on her fingers had soaked in as she fiddled with the pages.

So why was she lying to him? He sighed and put the book back on the shelf, whatever it was he'd have to find out for himself, she'd never tell him out of her own free will.

[Please review]