[Alright no excuses this time. I'm late and I'm a twit, feel free to throw stuff.]

I should have stayed but I lost my head,
With all of our words, devoicing themselves.
I should have stayed but I lost my head,
I should have stayed but I lost myself.

Always running out of time.

Motion City Soundtrack- Always Running Out of Time

They Keep Killing Suzie: part 1

'It's been two weeks and no hint of action. Can't we all just sod off home?' Owen shouted across the hub.

Winter smiled as she sat on the newly installed swing, about twenty five feet in the air, reading a book with Pip on her lap. Toshiko was slowly stabbing at her keyboard, it appeared that even she had nothing to do. Ianto was upstairs in the office and Jack was in his office trying to look busy. As for Gwen she was around somewhere. It was too quiet.

A phone rang in Jacks office and both Toshiko and Owen leapt to their feet and ran to the door. He closed the door in their faces making Winter laugh, Owen turned around and picked the balls of paper up from his bin and attempted to throw them at her. Eventually Jack exited his office and grinned at them.

'We're going on a road trip,' he said.

A resounding 'NO' flew through the Hub and Gwen appeared from the tunnels.

'No way Jack,' she said darkly.

His eyes widened and he shook his head. 'Not like that, I meant we're off to a crime scene. Murder last night and we need to check it out apparently, come on.'

Winter left her book on the swing, let Pip get a hold of her hair and made her way through the rope maze to the nearest pole, sliding down to the bottom she grabbed her coat and entered the SUV garage with Jack.

'You heard anything from your mother?' he asked out of the blue, as he handed her, her sword.

'No, and I'd rather not.'

'You kept the number.'

'I binned it when I got back.'

'No you didn't.'

She sighed and strapped herself into the front seat. 'Okay, so I didn't, I don't know why. I was planning on, but when it came to dropping it I couldn't. I just stuffed it in one of my books. Don't mention it to the others.'

He nodded and gave her hand a squeeze.

'No ones expecting anything from you Nemo, we just want you to be happy, but we can't make any of your decisions for you. They all know that.'

'What are you talking about?' he shook his head.

'Don't worry about it yet, just know that we'll support you whatever you want to do.'

Owen chose this moment to open her door. She waved cheekily at him and he slammed the door shut again causing Jack to let out a bark of laughter.

TTT

The roads were pretty empty as they sped through at sixty miles per hour, with Gwen constantly reminding Jack that the corpse wasn't getting any deader. As they pulled up everyone snapped off their seatbelts so they could get out as soon as the car stopped. Jack pulled on the handbrake and everyone opened the doors and slid out.

This was a part of the job Winter loved. Passing everyone by and prancing under the tape as if they owned the place. Pip sat proudly on her shoulder his tail wrapped around her neck under her dark hair. They headed straight for the lady in the suit and stopped in front of her. She turned to look up at them.

'At last you must be Torchwood, the team bitch about you all the time.'

Winter smirked but Jack ignored the remark, squaring up to the house and straightening his cuffs.

'And you are?'

'Detective Swanson.'

'I'm Captain Jack Harkness.'

She gave the team a close inspection and her eyes lingered on the sword hanging from Winter's hip but she quickly looked away when she met contact with her violet eyes.

'So I've heard, tell me something are you always this dressy for a murder investigation.'

'Would you rather me naked.'

He grinned cheekily and Winter held back an unladylike snort and turned to look at the house instead. Normal looking place.

'God help me, the stories are true.'

'So, who's the victim?' Gwen interrupted.

'That's victims, plural. Yesterday a man was murdered at ninty-six Oakham Street, Alex Arwen, twenty-eight, single, an estate agent, here we go.'

She handed the file to Jack who flicked it open at Winter's level so she could get a look. Not a pretty sight.

'That's from the scene of crime. Today and here we get more. Mark and Sarah Briscoe, both thirty-three, married. He's a surveyor and she works in education.'

'What about the smears of blood, is that writing?'

'Work in progress. Come inside and see the finished thing.'

She marched towards the house purposefully, followed by the whole team. Winter slipped in front, still thinking about what Jack had said. She entered the bedroom and her hand flew straight to her mouth in shock. Pip buried his face in her hair, probably against the smell. She had expected blood, she had expected the smell, but not the writing.

'Oh my god.' Gwen said, standing just behind Winter.

'Looks like somebody wants your attention,' Detective Swanson told Jack, coldly.

'They've got it,' Jack replied, 'Gwen, Owen get the stuff from the SUV, Tosh, background on the Briscoe's.'

They disappeared and Winter turned to look at him.

'Anything I can do?' he shook his head, unable to tear his eyes from the writing.

'Not just yet. Just hang around here for a while and…'

'Don't wander off,' she finished for him. He smiled and turned as Owen and Gwen re-entered the room followed by Detective Swanson who approached Jack.

'We found a few of the killer's hairs from the first murder. Lab results should be in soon.'

'Good, we'll need that. Now if you could just clear the room. Some of this equipment is strictly need to know.'

She obviously wasn't happy about being asked to leave but she turned to exit the room mumbling.

'Well, it was only a matter of time.'

Jack's face froze as he tried to control his emotions, 'What was?'

'Torchwood walks all over this city like you own it. Now these people are paying the price. Ordinary people being ripped apart with your name written in their own blood. From where I'm standing, you did this, Captain Jack Harkness, you did it.'

Winter growled and made to storm after her but Jack wrapped an arm around her, pulling her back. Pip transferred himself to Jack's shoulder.

'Leave,' He said, like he was telling a dog to stop chasing a ball.

She deflated and leant back against the non bloodied wall, her foot against the white paint.

'Still,' Owen told them, 'at least we've got a head start, If it's someone we've pissed off that narrows it down to what four or five million.'

'And that's just the humans,' Jack agreed. He sighed and switched on his comm, 'Tosh, how we doing?' he nodded as she spoke to him and ended the conversation with a quick thanks before telling them all to pack up. Winter trailed behind them all and glared at the detective as they approached her outside.

'Initial findings say, Caucasian, male, early 40's smoker, drinks tequila. Doesn't match any DNA profiles. Only thing of interest is a compound we've never seen before,' she told them.

Owen peeked over her shoulder before grabbing the report and scanning it again.

'Recognise it.'

'Uh oh we're in trouble,' Owen said.

Winter leant on his arm to peek at the report. 'Shit,' she said, looking up and just catching Jack's raised brow.

'What is it?' he asked.

'Compound B67,' Owen told them.

Jack sucked in a breath, 'You're kidding.'

'Retcon, he's got Retcon in his blood.'

The detective crossed her arms tightly, 'What the hell is Retcon?'

'Need to know.' Winter snapped.

Jack pushed away from the car door and headed over to the SUV, the team left the angry woman at the side of the road and set off back to the Hub.

TTT

Jack called an immediate conference as soon as they got back to the Hub. Pip made himself comfortable on a chair and Winter waited impatiently at the door for Ianto as he sped up the spiral staircase and into the boardroom with them. She shut the door and sat down cross legged on the table. Ianto gave her a stern look so she slipped off her converses and chucked them in the corner, wriggling her toes in her socks. He rolled his eyes and turned back to Gwen who was panicking.

'Wait a minute I've taken Retcon.'

Everybody smirked.

'Well you better stay away from sharp objects then,' Jack joked.

Winter laughed and pulled her sword further away from Gwen dramatically. She frowned and Jack turned across the table, stretching up so he could see across Winter's legs.

'Ianto, how many people have we given Retcon to?'

He thought for a second before he replied, '2008.'

'Hey, what if they all become psychotic,' Owen mused.

Winter glanced over at him in part amusement and part concern.

'Do you have to sound so happy?' Tosh asked him.

'Yeah I'm just saying, main streets.'

Jack ignored the argument and went on to giving orders, 'Tosh, narrow the list down to fit Swanson's profile, start checking them out as fast as you can. You two, there's gotta be a link between the victims, find the link, find the killer.'

Ianto got up and retrieved Winter's shoes. She smiled and slid to the end of the desk dangling her feet over the edge. He rolled his eyes at her and knelt to the floor to slip the converses back onto her feet, thumbs brushing over her ankles softly.

'Jack if there is a link, why don't we just ask the victims themselves?' Gwen asked.

Ianto took Winter's hands and she hopped off the desk. They stood in front of each other for a second with their hands still joined. Winter felt her face flush and dipped her head, letting go and turning and ducking around to Jack's side.

'Not the right time for a séance thank you very much,' he told Gwen.

'The first time I met Torchwood you had that glove.'

Winter's eyes widened and she picked Pip up under her arm, he squirmed like a small child but she ignored him. 'Seriously, after all the trouble that thing caused, you want to get it out again?'

Jack shook his head agreeing with her. 'No way.'

'Not after what it did to Suzie,' Owen told her.

'It brings people back to life,' she argued. 'Just for two minutes we could question the murder victims.'

'That's exactly what she said. She was one of us we trusted her, and now she's dead because of that thing.' Owen told her.

Suzie's death had hit him hard. He liked her, unlike Winter. It was one of the only points they seriously disagreed on.

'The glove stays in the safe where it belongs,' Jack ruled.

He turned to leave but Gwen stood up, not willing to let it go so easily, 'These murders are happening because of Torchwood, so Torchwood has got to do something.'

Winter growled at her, her face darkening. Ianto noticed and took her hand giving it a squeeze. Jack sighed and glanced over at Owen.

'Alright we'll give it a shot.'

Winter kept her mouth shut. It was only a couple of murder victims and if they had any luck no one would be able to use it again. They entered Jack's office, followed by Toshiko and he span the code, pulling the box from the wall.

'It fell through the rift about fourty years ago, lay at the bottom of the bay until we dragged it up. I always figured this wasn't just lost, whoever made it, wanted rid of it.'

'You know, we never gave it a cool name,' Owen mused.

Tosh turned to him confused, 'I thought we called it the resurrection gauntlet.'

'Cool, name.' he repeated.

Winter could have sworn she heard Tosh murmur, 'Well I think it's a cool name.'

'How about, the risen mitten?' Ianto asked.

Her face broke out in a sudden grin and she turned to poke him in the side. He shrugged. 'I think it's catchy.'

She laughed as they took the glove down to the med bay.

Jack helped Owen load Alex Arwen onto the table and Toshiko set up a recording system as they attached monitors to his body. Winter sat down on the walkway dangling her legs over the side next to Ianto and leaning over the bottom rung of the railings. Peregrine didn't like the med bay much. He had chosen to sit at Owen's desk chewing on a tarantula.

'Jack you ok?' Gwen asked as he studied Alex's body.

He glanced up at her, threw Ianto his stop watch and proceeded to don the glove, 'Don't forget, the maximum resurrection time is 2 minutes, that's only because Suzie had practice.'

Winter shivered, there was far too much of Suzie in this case. Personally she'd be far happier when the glove was safely stowed away and she was carelessly rocking on her swing again with nothing to do.

'So, the most we're likely to get is 30 seconds ok. Tosh you ready.'

Toshiko shouted back in the affirmative and they began. Jack placed his hand on the victims head and leant back, his mouth open as the uncomfortable feeling ran through his arm.

'Come on Alex, come back,' Jack breathed.

'How does it work?' Gwen asked.

'you just sort of feel like, reaching into the dark, finding the dead.'

They watched as he mumbled and squirmed and eventually ripped his arm back in pain and frustration. 'Sorry, never really was very good with this thing. Owen.'

He tried to pass it on to the medic who shook his head, 'Nah I tried last time.'

'We all did, it didn't work for anyone else,' Winter chipped in.

'Well I never had a go.' Gwen mentioned.

They looked at her considering and then Jack handed over the glove watching her carefully.

'It's cold,' She said.

'It warms up,' Jack replied, 'the glove relies on some sort of empathy, compassion and…just be yourself.'

She reached forward and touched the man's head gently. Suddenly her head shot up and she took in a deep breath, as she did so, Alex drew his first breath with her.

He immediately began screaming for his life and finally, oblivious to Jack's attempts to calm him he began sobbing for his mother. Winter hit her head on the railings as the time on Alex's life ran out and Jack and Gwen argued about trying again. They ruled to move onto the next corpse but this time it was far quieter. Instead of screaming Mark kept asking quietly for his wife. Finally he gave them some information. 'pilgrim.' Winter let go of the breath she had been holding. They had the information, now the glove could go away and they could just forget about it all. She smiled despite herself but it melted from her face like hot wax as the victim continued to speak.

'She was always talking to him,'

'What was her name?' Jack asked quietly.

'Where's my wife?' he asked, visibly upset.

'Her name!' Jack demanded.

'Suzie.'

The name seemed to echo around the room. Winter's eyes widened and everyone looked up at the young man as he let go of his final breath.

'One minute, five seconds.' Ianto told them, though his voice gave away how stunned he was by the news.

'Jack, did I hear that right?' Toshiko asked from her station.

'Could be anyone, must be lots of Women called Suzie.'

'Not connected to this case,' Jack told Owen, 'We've been talking to the wrong corpse.'

Tosh began her search for Pilgrim as Ianto set off for the kitchen to make Gwen a much needed cup of tea. Owen and Jack stayed behind to put Mark back in his draw and so Gwen and Winter headed up to the boardroom to wait. Pip made a chattering noise and put his hand to his mouth. She sighed and dipped into her pocket, pulling out a couple of walnuts. He caught both and got started cracking into the first.

Gwen laughed as he smacked on the floor a few times. 'I meant to ask ages ago,' she said, 'I just never found the time but where on earth did he come from? I mean Jack tells us you used to live on the streets around here. Did you find him there?'

Winter worried her bottom lip but shook her head and began to un-strap her sword so she could curl up in her chair.

'He fell through the rift,' She told Gwen, 'about three months after I'd joined there was major rift activity in an old block of flats. Problem was it had been half destroyed to make way for new buildings so Jack sends me up through the old ventilation system.'

'It's a glamorous job this isn't it,' Gwen joked.

'And there he was swinging from an old light fixture. I think he thought I was another monkey or something.' She glanced over at Pip getting started on the second walnut and smiled fondly, 'he took to me so easily. He couldn't stand Suzie and he's always been rather wary around Toshiko. Jack he came around to after about two months and Owen in about a year.'

'What about Ianto?' Gwen asked as the man himself entered the room and handed her a mug of hot tea.

'Oh, he loves Ianto,' she smiled. 'But I'm pretty certain that, at least at first, that was because it was Ianto that fed him.'

Ianto snorted and shook his head, slyly dropping half an apple to the little monkey.

'Ah cupboard love,' Gwen said.

'No, I'm just a likeable person.'

Winter ignored him and continued, 'Well, anyway, Owen did some tests. He thinks that Pip's come from somewhere around the year 5000. He seems to have slight differences in shape, size and bone structure to a modern Capuchin and his intelligence out-weighs them as well, like, he seems to have a basic grasp of what we tell him to do. He also seems to live longer. We don't know how much longer but he should start to slow down soon if he's was an ordinary capuchin but he seems to have the body of a young monkey still.'

'Wow, I wonder what it was like, where he was, before he got here I mean.'

Winter nodded and stared at her friend for a moment before turning back to Gwen.

'You know Peregrine means Pilgrim,' she told her, 'that's why I chose it.'

Owen and Jack entered at this point and took up a seat and the window space as Toshiko raced up the stairs to hand them all leaflets.

'Pilgrim, a religious support group, more like a debating society,' She told them, 'meaning of life, does god exist? All that stuff. The point is it was tiny more like a hobby, run by Mark Briscoe's wife Sarah. She had all that stashed in a wardrobe. Hand written and photocopied. That's why we couldn't find any records, she isn't even on line.'

'No mention of Suzie or Max?' Jack asked.

Toshiko shook her head, 'Not a word, she didn't even keep a register.'

Owen threw the sheet back across the table, 'Wouldn't be our Suzie though. She wouldn't go to that support group bullocks.'

'How do you know?' Gwen asked. 'I mean were you friends. Any of you? Who was her best friend in this place?'

Owen answered, 'Well, she sort of, kept herself to herself.'

'Well then, if she needed to talk, maybe that's exactly where she'd go. A group of complete strangers.'

Jack nodded understandingly and moved towards the table, 'Could be. You've got a point Gwen. Time we got to know our deceased colleague a little better.'

Winter got up taking Pip with her. 'I'd rather not.'

'Come on, we'll do it quicker with you on board,' Jack told her.

'Look I didn't want her interfering with my life and I'm pretty sure she wouldn't want me interfering with hers. Only, I'm going to respect her wishes and leave her be.'

'Do I have to order you to make you come?'

'Will you?'

'Yes. If I have to.'

'Fine then, do it.'

He sighed exasperated.

'What is your problem with Suzie?' Owen asked.

Winter turned her violet eyes on him glaring, 'My problem is that when we met Gwen in that hospital she tried to blackmail me and when I wouldn't comply she smacked my head against a wall so hard I spent a good three minutes trying to remember how to walk. Is that enough for you Dr Harper?'

'What?' Jack's jaw had tensed and his eyebrows furrowed.

'Oh what, you seriously believed that one moment I'm all fine and dandy and then, out of the blue, I suddenly come over all faint? You lot were just too busy with the excitement of teasing Gwen to realise I had a massive lump on the back of my head. Fine, I'll come, but don't expect me to feel all mushy about Suzie.'

With that finally said she stormed out of the conference room, grabbed her coat and went to sit in the car and wait for the others.

TTT

No one spoke to her on the way there. She caught Jack glancing over at her every few minutes but that was easy to ignore. As far as she was concerned by making her come along he had forfeited the right to be comforted about her state.

The rain bounced off the bonnet of the car and Pip pressed his hands against the glass as if trying to feel the wetness through it. Winter opened her coat up and he snuggled up inside as they entered the self storage unit. Jack pulled up outside Suzie's garage and they stepped out into the rain. He handed Winter a torch which she snatched from him and shone on the lock.

'Come on then, let's get it over with,' she said.

Jack took in a deep breath and inched closer to Gwen.

'Have I got this right? When I die you get to keep all of my possessions. My whole life's gonna get stashed in a lock up?'

'Rules and regulations,' Jack replied.

'Only if you have a life,' Winter mumbled.

Owen smirked and nudged her softly. She glared at him but his smile softened and she recognised it as an olive branch. After a second she nodded silently to him and turned back to the garage.

'What if I leave all my stuff to Rhys?'

'We'll stash him away too,' Jack lied.

The door rumbled open revealing a load of Torchwood issue cardboard boxes. Winter remembered the look of joy on Ianto's face when he received them. She'd asked when he would ever find a use for them. The only place they could be used was in the hub because people weren't supposed to know Torchwood existed. Suzie's death had given him the perfect opportunity to use them. Not that he'd found it remotely heartening when Winter pointed this out to him.

'Tread carefully People, with respect. This is the life of Suzie Costello.'

Winter let Pip out of her jacket and walked over to the nearest box she could find. Pulling the flaps open and sifting through some cutlery and plates haphazardly before closing it and moving on to the one below.

'That's all we are in the end,' Tosh commented. 'A pile of boxes.'

Gwen and Tosh began a short conversation on Suzie's father while Winter sifted through a box of jewellery. Some of which she recognised. There was a light squeaking from above her and she looked to a metal trolley and saw Pip perched on the top in a small Turkish hat Suzie had picked up on her travels. She reluctantly let out a laugh. 'You don't quite look like Abu yet sweetheart.'

He took the hat off, dropping it into the box she was about to close.

'Jack.'

Winter turned when she heard the disappointed tone in Tosh's voice.

'Pilgrim,' Tosh said, and handed him a leaflet like the ones found at the Briscoe's house. 'She's part of it.'

'That proves it then. No choice.'

Winter moved closer.

'It's time Suzie came back.'

They all nodded and moved back towards the entrance of the vault.

'No.'

Jack stopped, the others turned to face her but he just, stopped.

'Nemo,' he sighed.

'No. We got by before we had the glove. We solved so many cases without bringing people back from the dead. Why should we rely on it now? Why can't we do it the old fashioned way? It'll take longer but we'll get there.'

'And someone else will die in the meantime,' Jack replied.

'We don't know that.'

'Do you want to risk it?'

'I'd risk a lot to not bring her back,' she replied.

Jack finally turned around and glanced at the others. 'Get in the car,' he told them.

Winter crossed her arms and looked away, refusing to meet his, oh so understanding, eyes.

'Alright, how about a compromise.'

She glanced up and held an arm out to Pip so he could climb onto her shoulder. 'I'm listening.'

'I bring Suzie back for two minutes, you don't have to go anywhere near her and we can work out that rota you were talking about for time with Ianto.'

She breathed in and bit her lip, deliberating. Seeing as this was possibly the best deal she was going to get she nodded slowly.

'I want Friday evenings and Saturday day.'

He pulled a face. 'Friday evening?'

'Movie night.'

He sighed, 'Put it to Ianto, if he says yes, deal.' He held out a hand and she marched over, taking it firmly. 'Did she really do that?'

Winter blinked. 'What?'

'Blackmail you, hit you?'

'It was less hitting me. More hitting the wall, with me,' Winter replied.

'What did she have on you?'

'Andy.'

'She was the one you thought was going to tell me.' He nodded in understanding and pulled her in with her hand, wrapping her in a warm hug. 'Never keep that stuff from me again. Please.'

One hand moved up from her hand to wrap around her neck and he pulled back to look in her eyes. He opened his mouth, as if trying to explain himself but instead he sighed and swiped his thumb over her cheek, kissed her forehead and headed for the car.

'Jack,' she shouted through the rain. He turned to look at her as he reached for the handle and she watched the rain seep into his coat and shirt. 'Thank you.'

[Rachy Babes: Glad it's still living up to expectations :) I really love Owen and his dark sense of humour so it was always a must to try and fit in as much as I could. There are chapters where he doesn't start or end them, but that's more my techniques, showing the reader the weight of not having Owen there, if I go onto the next series it's going to be really difficult to say goodbye to him :( for everyone. Anyway, thank for the review, I really appreciated it. :D]

[Alright so here's how this goes, I'm not dead, nor am I leaving this story. I have all the chapters written until the end of the season so I will be updating but after that there's going to be a gap because I'm starting to see writing this story as a bit of a chore and when that happens the writing suffers and you lot don't deserve to read totally crap. Therefore I will update until the end of this series and I'll think carefully about what will happen after that. Rest assured I'll be back I wouldn't leave you hanging like that, I know I hate it when people do it to me.]