The diving man's coming up for air
'Cause the crowd all love pulling Dolly by the hair
And she wonders how she ever got here
As she goes under again.

Duran Duran- Girls on film

Combat: part 1

'If you don't get up from my desk in ten seconds I'll use the bloody singularity scalpel on you?' Owen threatened as he stood, arms crossed in front of Winter.

'The what?'

'The thing we dug up yesterday.'

'What the hunk of metal you were arguing with Jack about?' she teased.

'It's not a hunk of metal, it's a medical implement.'

'And it's staying in the vault until we know how to use it,' Jack told them as he hopped up the stairs, his coat flung over his arm and Winter's sword in one hand.

'We'll never know how to use it if you keep it locked up,' Owen snapped.

Jack chose to ignore him and moved to Winter, 'We've got a weevil on the loose. You in?'

Owen scowled and mumbled about getting home for his night off. Winter grinned and jumped up, grabbing her weapon and letting him drag her over to the lift.

'Ooooo we going the scenic route this time? I thought we only used it on special occasions.'

'This is a special occasion,' he replied helping her up onto the slab.

'Really?'

'Yeah, we're going weevil hunting! Just you, me and a ravenous alien life form,' she smiled at his almost manic grin.

'You make it sound like a date,' he leaned in.

'Who says it's not,' she pointed to the corner of the room.

'He might have something to say about it.'

Jack studied Ianto cleaning a mug carefully and flipped open his manipulator, 'You don't think he'd just join in?'

'Fair point.'

They stepped off the lift in unison and he led her across the plaza away from the sea. She hooked her arm through his and looked around at the stars that glittered in the sky. 'Have you really seen them Jack?' she asked, not looking over to him but keeping her eyes trained above.

'Hmm? Oh, some of them yeah.'

She glanced over at him and then bit her lip before asking, 'Do you miss it?'

He nodded wistfully.

'Would you go back with them? The Doctor and Rose I mean?' he seemed to sadden as he led her through the deserted streets.

'Rose is gone.'

'Oh! I'm sorry. All those stories…you never said.'

'She's on the list of the dead from canary wharf.'

They walked in silence for a block but Jack stopped her, 'Yes, yes I would go with him.'

Winter nodded sullenly and turned to carry on but he pulled her back with one hand in hers. 'But I would come back. For all of you. I would have thought you'd realised by now.'

She cocked her head to the side.

'I always come back.'

They both smiled just as a scream broke through the peacefully night. Jack grinned and they took off hand in hand down the road.

Near the end Jack pulled to a halt. 'You take the high road, I'll take the low road,' he told her in a thick Scottish accent.

She laughed and let him boost her up onto a window above one of the shops. She scaled the side of the building, the scabbard around her waist scraping against the rough brick-work, and then set off towards the various yells of shock. Suddenly they all died down and Winter came to a stop atop the last building in the row. She ran to the edge of the roof and looked down. Jack and the weevil were at a stand-off in the ally below.

'I hate to break it too you but you're not my first,' he told the creature, 'anti-weevil spray, hand clamps,' he told it, holding the two items up to let it see. 'Come on! Let's make this easy for both of us.'

The creature roared at him and she looked for a way to get down to Jack. She dropped down to the roof floor to try and lower herself but Jack saw. 'No stay up there!'

He took his eyes off the weevil for a second and suddenly it was on top of him. She watched in horror as the fought and the weevil sliced into his shoulder before taking off down the street.

'What now?' she asked timidly.

He looked up and signalled back while he yelled, just in case she couldn't hear.

'Gwen's not far from here, I'll get her for back up. You carry on behind it but don't try to take it down alone. We'll meet you on the way, you got your comm?'

She nodded and he motioned in the direction behind her. She headed to the other side of the building and jumped across the way to a metal balcony, wedging herself between the corner of the ally and the balcony wall and scuttled down to the ground before taking off in the direction Jack had pointed.

Before long she heard a low growl and running steps in front of her. She sped up and stopped short, watching the weevil as it entered a multi story car park. She stopped and closed her eyes listening for Jack and Gwen's footsteps. Inevitably they turned up across the other side of the area surrounding the building. She saw them run through the front entrance and entered through the back.

The second floor door loomed ahead and she rushed through it as a white van hurtled towards her. She had just enough time to jump up as she glanced of the side of the bonnet and fell, rolling, to the floor. The world was spinning a little and she groaned, mentally checking herself for damage.

'Nemo! Nemo.' Jack was slapping at her arms. She waved him off and sat up shaking her head to relax her neck.

'I'm good. I'm good,' she told him, flexing the arm that had collided with the van.

'You just got hit by a speeding vehicle, you are not "good". Come on.' He swept her up off the floor and made to pick her up but she slapped his shoulder.

'Oh for God's sake Jack! Put me down, I'm fine.'

He pulled a concerned face but left her to it and they steadily made their way back to the hub.

TTT

As Jack pulled on his braces Winter sat on the floor of his office, a sleeping Pip held like a baby in her arms.

'One, since when did other people know about weevils? Two, have they done this before and if so how come we didn't know about it? Three, what do they want with them anyway?'

Winter smirked, 'Well I think we can count out sex slaves, not the most appealing of creatures.'

She saw a ghost of a smile drift over Jacks face and as he made his way to his desk he ruffled her hair approvingly.

'Might not be connected,' Ianto added, 'but we've noticed a surge of unusual injury's being reported at the A & E unit.'

'Chunks taken out of legs and arms, deep wounds to backs and stomachs,' Jack mumbled as he went over the list, 'so, we have a wave of weevil attacks to add to our problems. Oh! And by the way, that spray we used on the previously, looks like they're becoming immune to it.' He picked up the phone and punched in a number.

Winter got up and took the phone from his hand, 'I'll do it.'

He nodded and she went to sit in his chair and placed Pip on her lap. Jack and Tosh began to talk about the weevil kidnappers while she listened to the dial tones of Owen's mobile phone.

'This is Owen's leave a message, if you have to.'

She sighed and looked at the clock on Jack's desk, 'Look Owen I know it's your night off but we've had a bit of trouble with some guys who nicked a weevil earlier. Jack's called everyone in. Could you just come in for a while,' she paused thoughtfully, 'I'll let you have your seat back.' She hung up and shook her head at Jack. He nodded thoughtfully before leaving with Ianto to look over the CCTV. She placed her head on her hand and ran a finger over her lips.

'You know you look more and more like Jack every day,' she looked up to see Gwen in the doorway.

'Is that a compliment or an insult?'

Gwen smiled but didn't answer. 'Any luck?' she motioned to the phone still in Winter's left hand and she shook her head. 'I'll see if I can get through on my mobile'. Gwen smiled and left the office quietly, leaving Winter to wonder where Owen was and what state he would arrive in if he was unable to answer his phone.

TTT

Toshiko mapped out the route of the van on her screen as Jack and Gwen watched on. 'This is two hours ago.'

Winter approached and watched as two men carried the weevil from the van and a third drove the van away. Suddenly the screen descended into fuzz.

'What happened to the picture?' she asked.

'The CCTV cameras went down.'

'Do you think it was deliberate?' Gwen asked turning to Tosh.

'I think these guys really don't like to be watched.'

'See I know it's a character flaw,' Jack told them, 'but that just makes me all the more determined to find out what it is they're hiding.' He turned to the female section of his team and gave his orders, 'Toshiko keep following the van as the lead. See if the computers can pick it up on any of the other camera's around that time, if we can find out where it went we may find our kidnappers. Then get a couple of Torches and get to the SUV.'

She nodded and turned back to the keyboard.

'Gwen, keep ringing Owen every half hour he may just have his phone on silent.'

She looked doubtfully at Owen's desk but nodded all the same.

'Nemo, you have a choice. You can hang around here or come and see and old warehouse with me.'

'Oh, you've twisted my arm Captain,' she said sarcastically. 'Come on then.'

TTT

They took off in the SUV and headed across to the main docks. The sun had come up and the morning was cold and crisp. Tosh hopped out of the car and handed Winter a large powerful flash light. They looked around the deserted area.

'Looks like we missed them,' Tosh mused.

'Yeah but if you quit places in a hurry you tend to be forgetful.'

Tosh glanced confused at Winter, 'What does he expect to find?' she whispered.

Winter shrugged, 'You know how when you move house you put everything into bags and clear them out and leave.'

Tosh nodded.

'Well have you ever had another quick look around the house before you go.'

Another nod.

'Sometimes you're so used to seeing something there you leave it by mistake, like a shell from a previous holiday or an ornament your brother gave you that you haven't even dusted for years. And sometimes there are just things that you've missed in a hurry, like a rubber band on the floor or a paper-clip.'

'So we're looking for paper-clips.'

'Sort of.' They entered the warehouse quietly.

'I do have a question though,' Winter looked up at Tosh, 'I thought you lived on the street, how do you know what moving house is like?'

'I was in care for a while. I moved around a lot, got used to combing houses for things. Nobody wants you for long.'

Tosh smiled warmly. 'We did.'

Winter smiled back gratefully and watched from the door as Tosh and Jack walked a few more meters sweeping the lights across the floor and ceiling. She shone the light directly above her and noticed a camera pointing directly at the end of the warehouse Jack and Tosh were heading towards.

'You know what they used these warehouses for in world war two?' Jack asked. Winter and Toshiko both looked up at Jack who had a sudden haunted look on his face. 'Storing the bodies of dead G I's.' He paused, never taking his eyes off his beam of light, 'sometimes you can know too much history.'

There was a banging noise and both Jack and Tosh took out their guns. 'There's nothing here,' Toshiko commented.

'So what were they doing here? Why come all this way out.'

They headed a little further when Jack spotted something. 'Looks human, male.'

'Is he alive?'

'Hello? You OK there? We're looking for the people who were here last night. If you saw anything now's a good time to speak up.'

The man still didn't move and Winter was pretty certain she didn't want to get any closer than her doorway. She had seen enough dead bodies lately.

'Jack he's bleeding!' Tosh cried.

The two of them ran forward and he swung the body onto its back.

'Oh my god!' Winter strained her eyes to catch a slight glimpse of the bloody mess that had been the young man before turning back to analyse the outside of the building for cameras. None but the one Tosh had disengaged.

'Weevil marks,' Jack pointed out.

'You don't think it's in the building still do you?' Winter yelled over to him. He shook his head.

'No, we'd hear it. Tosh, help me with the body.'

Before either of them could touch it, a noise rang through the warehouse.

'Is that … the crazy frog?' Winter called, sniggering.

'Is it his?' Tosh asked.

Jack looked up, voice dripping with sarcasm, 'You don't think I'd chose that ring tone.'

Winter stifled a giggle. Jack searched the man's body and produced the phone. Tosh said something Winter didn't catch but Jack flicked the phone open and made a rather rousing speech to whoever was on the other side before phoning Ianto for a trace on the number. Winter started up the SUV and let them load up the dead body, barely allowing enough time for them to close the doors before she was off back to the hub.

TTT

It was 9 o'clock when Owen finally made it through the hub doors. Jack was by him in seconds.

'Right first point of call I want her left side checked out for injury and then we have a body down in the morgue for you to autopsy,' Jack pointed at Winter his eyes fixed on Owen relaying his disapproval of the lack of communication they had had with him over the past few hours.

Winter rolled her eyes, 'I'm fine,' she moaned, again.

Owen sighed and approached her, looking her over critically, 'Why what's she been doing this time.'

'Nothing,' Winter snapped back at him.

'She was hit by a speeding van. Left side,' Gwen said.

Winter glared at the traitor as Owen pulled up her sleeve and felt her shoulder. After four minutes he gave up.

'Nothing, where's the body.'

Gwen led him through to the med bay and sat on the steps with the man's wallet. While Owen slipped his scrubs over his jeans and t-shirt. He took a quick look around the body before calling Jack down to take a look. Toshiko followed him and looked over to Gwen as she gave them the information from the wallet.

'Dan Hodges, date of birth, twenty-first of January 1979. Salesman for Webb publishing software. Looks like he was married with a kid.'

Winter took up her usual spot on the balcony, he legs dangling against the tiles.

'Yeah,' Owen held up his left hand complete with wedding band, 'No shit Sherlock. Right, definitely death by weevil. But he took a right kicking before the throat was punctured.'

Jack nodded as Owen continued his callous analysis. 'Weevils go for the kill, straight for the jugular. Look at his face, black eye, bruises to the cheek bones. Same across the back and the ribs.'

'Could he have been tortured?' Tosh asked from the balcony.

Owen glanced up and nodded, 'Maybe but I reckon these wounds were inflicted by humans, why smack someone about and then set the weevil on them? Why not get the weevil to do all the work for you?'

Winter looked around as Ianto entered the area, 'Hey Yan! Come to join the party?'

'It would appear you and I have wildly different definitions of a party,' he joked.

'Any luck with the phone records,' Jack asked.

Ianto shrugged his shoulders as he lent on the bar next to Tosh, 'The last incoming number was blocked and the phone's entire call history has been erased.'

'They're moving fast,' Tosh mused.

'You ask me, these guys are using weevils to create the perfect murder. No fingerprints, no traces of recognisable DNA. A quick guaranteed death, noting to connect anyone to the murder.'

'Right. Should be a piece of piss to find the killer then,' Owen joked, 'Well, what about this guy, someone's got to break it to his wife that he's dead.'

Everyone found somewhere else to be looking and Winter shook her head so violently it hurt her neck.

TTT

When Gwen returned from the wife's house she was in an awful mood. She stormed past everyone and grabbed a newspaper from the table sitting down to scan through it quickly. Jack pulled a face at Winter and approached her slowly.

'Where's Owen?' he asked.

'Don't know and could care less.'

Jack's eyebrows lifted and he backed off, handing Winter the medical file on Dan Hodges.

'Could you take that up to Ianto he needs to fill in the blanks.'

She took one more look at Gwen and headed up to the front office to find Ianto. He was skimming through a website, Amazon by the looks of it. She placed the file on the table and he jumped about a foot in the air before realising who it was and relaxing ever so slightly.

'What'cha looking at?' she asked leaning up against the side. She noticed Pip sat on the other side of the computer huddling against the monitor, possibly for warmth, with half a mango in his hand. 'Where on earth did he get that?'

Ianto sighed and stretched his arms out, 'I've been thinking,' he said, 'we never celebrate Jack's birthday and I realised the only thing stopping us is that we don't know when it is. It's not on his personnel sheet and I can't find any mention in the archives so I figured we could just make one up for him. Like the Queen, he can have an official birthday and keep his real one for himself.' He span around slowly, to face her, 'only problem is I don't know what to get him. What do you get a man from the future? Oh, and as for the mango I honestly haven't a clue.'

They both looked inquisitively at the monkey who looked up about to take another bite and, seeing their stares, held the mango as far away from them as he could.

They laughed and Winter looked at the screen thoughtfully. 'I know normally this would be a really odd thing to say because he's your boyfriend and everything...'

Ianto blushed and made a few stuttered comments.

'Yan you sleep together, go on dates and don't think I haven't noticed you wearing one of his shirts every now and then. He's your boyfriend.'

The blush deepened and the door burst open revealing Owen. Ianto's eyes widened and he dropped behind the counter. Winter smiled and pressed the button letting Owen through the wall. 'It's aright he gone, you can come out now.'

Ianto stood up coughing and brushed himself off.

'Anyway, as I was saying, he wears through his socks quicker than Pip goes through the fridge and he's in need of a decent pair of new braces. Plus you could always get him some more whisky. Oh, and he likes books more than most people realise, about anything really, but I'd steer clear of engineering or the Second World War because he just reads bits out to you every five pages and tells you how wrong they are and in which ways.'

Ianto laughed and nodded thoughtfully as Winter hit the button again and headed back down the corridor.

'I'll see what I can find out about the date,' she called back.

When she got to the main hub Jack was stood next to Toshiko's computer. Gwen on the sofa and Owen at his desk.

'Hang on why me?' Owen asked.

Tosh turned to answer him as Winter tried to catch on.

'Jack, Winter and Gwen were in the car park, I was at the warehouse. If they've got access to CCTV they'll recognise us.'

'They never saw me.' Winter pointed out as she approached Jack's office.

'Yeah they did,' Jack replied.

'No, I ran at the van from behind a post and it would have been too quick to even get a hair colour. As for the CCTV at the warehouse. I saw the cameras and I was at the door. Other than the one you had Tosh disable before we went, I wasn't visible to any of them.' She jumped on to the sofa and propped her legs up, 'I'm not saying that I should go or anything. I'm just pointing out how much better I am at my job than you guys.'

Jack smirked and even Gwen looked like she might laugh.

'Never the less,' Jack replied, putting them back on subject, 'We have to get under their guard, find out what's going on and Owen is the best fit.'

Owen sighed but eventually agreed and Tosh began tapping away at the computers to create him a new life.

TTT

'I'm his what!' Winter asked, her eyes widening as she eyed the golden band.

'You're his wife. You've been married half a year. Met in Hyde park about two years ago, engaged in same spot, nothing special just a small ceremony. Keep all details vague and simple, if we even use you that is,' Tosh repeated.

Winter looked at them all in astonishment, 'Do I look like anybody's wife?' she said incredulously.

'Ask me again in a few years,' Jack joked and then pushed Ianto forward, 'But for now, that is where the lovely Ianto Jones comes in.'

Ianto took her hand and dragged her off to her bedroom followed by Gwen. Gwen attacked her with the small supply of make-up she kept at the Hub. Then ran straighteners through her hair before combing it back smoothly behind her head. Ianto handed her a suit bag and she pulled out a black suit skirt and Jacket and a mildly revealing red top. Finally, he handed her a pair of sharp red high heels and slipped a pair of earrings and a necklace on her. Then he helped her hobble back and forward in her room until she was comfortable enough in the heels to walk out into the main hub area.

Owen and Jack were sat discussing his character when she walked through the door. She pulled a face as she stumbled when a heel slid through the grating.

'These are ridiculous,' she seethed, 'why does anyone wear them?'

'Because they look fucking amazing.'

She looked up to see Owen staring at her like he was seeing her for the first time and even Jack looked a little shocked.

'You scrub up well,' he commented.

Ianto's coughed and moved to stand closer to Jack. She suddenly felt very exposed in front of them all.

'God guys it's just a skirt.'

'A very tight skirt,' Owen corrected.

Ianto saved the day and moved in front of her, 'Maybe we should do the photos.'

Jack clapped his hands together, 'Right'.

They took some in the red outfit and one or two with a different top or jewellery. Gwen spent ages fussing around with her hair when suddenly Ianto appeared with a white dress.

'Oh no! No I'm not wearing that!'

He looked at it, 'What's wrong with it?'

She wrinkled her nose, 'What's right with it, I'll look like a marshmallow.'

Owen sniggered as Ianto and her argued and finally Jack suggested something a little slimmer and less...ruffled. She tugged the new dress over her head and let Ianto tighten the back strings. He led her out and she crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at them all and daring them to say anything.

'Jack, you want to give the bride away?' Ianto asked, puckishly.

Winter turned, mouth open, the traitor! Him, of all people. Jack smiled at her and shook his head. 'I never could.'

She rolled her eyes and marched over to the green screen, hitching her dress up with her jaw set.

When the pictures were done, Tosh began manipulating them and adding them to the website. Winter sat back on the sofa between Jack and Ianto and slipped her feet out of the heels, putting them up onto Jacks lap. He oversaw the website Tosh wad creating and the mini lives she put together for Winter and Owen and he rubbed her sore feet to keep his hands busy.

Owen grabbed a briefcase and took one last look at his character description before leaving the hub.

'Are you sure this is a good idea?' Winter asked tiredly.

'No,' Jack replied, 'but it's the best plan we have.'

'You mean it's the only plan we have.' Winter replied.

He nodded grimly, 'Funny how often those things are one and the same.'

TTT

Winter lent on the side of Jacks office as Toshiko spoke to Gwen. She gazed around at the team and eyed Gwen closely. Ever since Owen had arrived that morning the two had been balancing on a knife edge. She could only guess that Gwen had discovered Owen's closeness with the pilot Jack had mentioned. Well, it was her own fault really, she never should have slept with Owen and she didn't own him. As for Owen himself she thought that maybe Jack had been underestimating how close Owen had become with this woman. How attached.

Ianto came in behind her making her jump, 'I've tracked down another step of suspicious injuries at the hospital,' he told Jack, 'they sound pretty bad.'

Jack pushed Winter out of the door gently, 'Fetch your sword sharpening kit then get to the SUV,' he told her.

She nodded and span around to get to the armoury. As she passed Jacks door she caught sight of herself in the mirror.

'Jack,' she called over, 'I'm just going to change.'

He span around and eyed the skirt that hit just above the knee the killer red heels and the blood red shirt.

'Nah! Leave it on, you look good.'

She glared at him and headed off to the armoury mumbling about sexual harassment in the workplace the whole way there and back.

She got into the back of the SUV and leaned forward to the space between the driver and passenger seats. Ianto clicked his seatbelt on and turned to the other two.

'So, enlighten me, why have I been asked to bring my sword sharpening kit?' she asked Jack as he pulled out of the garage.

'Some people need more persuading to open up than others,' Jack replied nonchalantly.

'And I take it the stupidly short skirt is in case he's just a total pervert.'

Ianto turned sharply. 'You look good,' he grumbled.

'Chill Yan it was just a joke, I meant no offence to you or your perfect sense of style.' She leant across and kissed the top of his head.

Jack glanced over and pouted, 'Hey don't I get a kiss.'

'No.'

'Why not?'

'Because you'd look down my top.'

He smirked and then glanced over again.

'Put your seatbelt on I'm going at fifty,' she sighed and shook her head falling back into her seat.

'Not much of a Gene Hunt are you Captain.'

'Now there's a man who would look down your top.' she smirked and clipped her seatbelt into place.

[I've been really ill lately so I've been updating very slowly but it should get back to a more regular pattern soon. Hopefully anyway. I'm just about to type out the 'End of Days' :O no pressure there then. *quivers in…* wait, where the hell did my boots go, oh there they are… *quivers in boots*

As an incentive to make it awesome reviews would be good!]

['Zaziness': like I said in the message to you, I'm really sorry for not getting your review before I put the second half of 'Out of Time' up. I really did appreciate hearing from a new reader :) I think that the stories where the author has a clear view of what the end point is but hasn't a clue how the characters will get there, are the best ones. if you plan something too much you lose faith in it or you get bored too quickly and then people are left with half finished stories. I'm glad it's working for you :) and yes Winter does need a hug possibly a long hug, maybe with a certain coffee boy...and a captain. *Cough Cough*. Owen as a caterpillar was based on a costume on of my friends had planned to come in but she couldn't make it and her granddad died recently so I wanted to put her into the story some how, I really loved the idea of Jack forcing him into antenna thought lol.

'sonotalady': I was really worried about this one because I knew it needed some comic relief because the story was getting a tad bit too dark but I didn't want to cross the line, so I'm glad it worked out alright. I have to admit that I was trying to mess with you, well not you personally, that would be mean. however I was trying to mess with everyone because I didn't want anyone to guess what was about to happen :) Happy it worked.

'Rachy Babes': Pip's present was one of my favourite bits, he's such a charmer. sometimes I look back over a chapter and realise he's hardly in it because it does work without him, but it feels almost... empty without having him to slap his face in frustration or eat them out of house and home. Thanks for the review.]