[Well I hope everyone had a great Christmas and got lots of good stuff. Christmas is quite big in my family so there's lot's to do in the run up and lots to clear up/sleep off afterwards. Highlight of this year was the very drunk half of my family (including me) squeezing into the hall to sing 'New York, New York' (with Jazzy kicks and arms around shoulders) but my cousins were taking their baby home so we had to do it whispering so he didn't wake up. You haven't lived until you've watched drunk 20/30 year olds stumbling a can can-esque 'New York New York' in almost silence. Brilliant.]

I've never been afraid of any deviation
And I don't really care
If you think I'm strange
I ain't gonna change and I'm never gonna care about my bad reputation

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts - Bad Reputation

Meat: part 2

The board room was pretty tense. Winter took the moment to examine Rhys as he talked through what he'd seen. He was tallish, on the other hand everyone seemed tall to her. Judging by the little performance just before he could hold his own in an argument but she got the feeling that he was quick to anger. She turned her attention to Gwen as she paced up and down the room. Every now and then she would open her mouth as if to argue about something but then shut it again and quicken her paced for a few strides.

'What is this Scooby doo?' She finally exclaimed.

Winter smiled and stuck her hand up. 'I'm Scooby.'

Owen shot her a smirk.

'Oh, and where was I when you decided to get involved?' Rhys yelled.

Winter leant forward watching the row, it was kind of funny really.

'Did you give me a second thought?'

Owen turned to Tosh and Winter his hands on his head. 'The joys of domestics.'

They both sniggered but quickly cover their mouths, no one wanted to get into the firing line on this argument.

'Rhys is right,' Jack told Gwen, 'he's our best way in, stun guns only.'

'We've handled bigger than this, why don't we just storm in, guns in the air and arrest them?' Owen asked, never the one for a subtle entrance.

'Those men are organised criminals, if we storm in guns blazing, they'll kill the evidence and run,' Jack informed him.

'I wasn't suggesting blazing, just waving,' Owen replied.

'The last thing we need is a bloodbath,' Jack concluded.

Gwen wasn't letting it go. 'I know that but…'

'Once Rhys has loaded up, he can clear,' Jack told her. 'You don't have to come, you can stand down.'

'Might be better.' Tosh put in.

'You love him,' Jack appealed, 'makes you vulnerable.'

'He's not going in there without me,' Gwen growled.

'What about me?' Winter called down to the other end, propping her boots on the table and reclining.

'What about you?' Jack repeated quizzically.

She rolled her eyes and grabbed the keyboard from Tosh. 'As I'm sure you're all aware, today is international 'Take your kid to work day"

They still looked at her with bank faces. She smiled wickedly at Rhys. 'How do you feel about having a daughter Rhys?'

He looked stunned and scratched the back of his head. 'Well, I don't know… I mean...'

'There you go then, Gwen doesn't want him going in alone but she can't go with him. So I pretend to be Rhys' daughter on work experience for the day and you have the best of both worlds.' She had a feeling Jack wouldn't go for the plan as it was so she added one more sentence, 'Plus, It'll get us both out of the way.'

The indecision that had been present in his eyes dissipated and he glanced at Gwen. 'How do you feel about that?'

Gwen bit her lip and then gave a sharp nod. 'Thank you,' she murmured.

Winter flashed a grin and then hopped up. 'I'll go change then.'

Jack smiled. 'Short skirt and pigtails?' he asked expectantly.

She shook her head. 'In your dreams Harkness.'

'Not just mine,' he shot back as she disappeared down the corridor.

TTT

She joined them in the main hub a little later after donning a pair of converses, black tights, jean shorts, a baggy band t-shirt and a jacket. Unfortunately the RAF hat hadn't quite made the cut, she needed to look boring and normal for this. She slipped her I-pod into her breast pocket and swept her up into a messy ponytail. '17 again,' she murmured to herself.

Jack wolf whistled as she walked in with the car keys. Pip seemed to read the expression on her face and slapped him from his position on Jack's shoulder. Tosh giggled and there was a twitch of a smile from Gwen but she was obviously pretty aggravated by the whole situation.

They piled into the SUV and Jack went through the plan again as Winter navigated her way to the headquarters of Rhys' firm. Jack and Rhys got out and she drove off to the half-way point, hiding the SUV down an ally and hopping out, tucking the keys into her pocket and following the others to the back door.

Five minutes later Rhys and Jack arrived. Rhys helped Owen, Gwen, Tosh and Ianto into the truck and Jack hoisted Winter up to the front of the cabin. She smiled when she got inside, this was new, she'd never been in such a massive vehicle. Jack headed around the back and she listened to the doors slam. With a final check of her sword beneath the seat she relaxed into a slouch and tucked the earphones in with no music playing, pulling out a stick of gum and getting to work on it.

Rhys jumped into the front and gave her an odd look. 'Your eyes?'

'Contacts,' she replied as he examined the brown colour.

He nodded and started the truck up.

'Jack is not going to like being stuck in there,' she mentioned, to ease the tension.

'Is he always like that?' Rhys asked.

'What a charming, handsome, smart, improvising, opportunist with a flair for the 1940's?'

'I was going for git,' Rhys replied.

Winter smiled, 'Pretty much.'

'Go on then what should I call you?'

She thought for a moment, 'Sophia,' she replied.

He glanced at her, 'That your real name?'

She smiled, 'Winter is my real name. Or Nemo, depending on who you are.'

He nodded as the slaughter house came into view and she gave him a quick pat on the back before turning away from him a bit, tucking her feet up onto the dashboard and setting a scowl on her face like she didn't want to be there.

Rhys showed his credentials and explained Winter's story at the gate. The greasy looking man leered at her through the door. She chewed her gum and looked the other way causing him to wrinkle his nose and let them though. Rhys gave her a nervous look but she stayed in character, hoping it would help him to as well.

TTT

It was all going pretty well until Rhys panicked. Before she knew what was happening Rhys had been punched in the face and she had been pulled from the van. She would have fought back but no one had told her they had guns. She gave Rhys a shake of the head to stop him from fighting them and one of the men caught it. 'I take it you're not his daughter then.'

She shook her head.

'So what are you then bitch?'

She couldn't help herself. 'I'm nobody's bitch,' she sneered.

The man with the gun to her head pulled her back against him. 'We could always change that.'

They forced Rhys and her through the factory until she spotted Ianto had also been made.

She hated the slight look of panic on his face at the guns, obviously she wasn't the only one who hadn't realised they would be armed. The three of them were led through to the main meat room and Winter recoiled in horror. The poor thing was groaning. The sound filled her head and reverberated around it. The monster was in pain, so much pain.

Out of the corner of her eye she caught three figures diving behind the boxes.

'What is it?' Ianto asked.

'The lads call it the cashcal,' the man behind Winter replied.

Another man ran in and yelled at him, 'Dave what are you doing?'

'The lad saw as making some money,' Dave replied, he pushed Rhys forward. 'Fancy something for yourself eh? Thought we'd be a pushover.'

Winter knew that if Gwen was seeing this then their chances of this going remotely well were about to be blown. She looked over at the boxes, vainly trying to spot them. Nothing.

Suddenly Dave pushed Rhys even further away and pointed the gun at him. 'Show yourself or I shoot the delivery boy!' he yelled.

'No you bloody well will not!' Winter scowled and moved in front of the gun.

His eyes tightened as did his finger. Gwen leaped out from behind the boxes. When Jack and the others were spotted she knew there was little hope of all of them getting out, alive that is.

Jack argued with Dave who was holding Ianto by the back of the neck. She darted her gaze between Rhys and Ianto. The gun was aimed at Rhys, but if she pushed it one way it would hit Ianto, the other it would hit one of the team. Without a seconds thought she made up her mind. She shot forwards and jumped on top of Dave. Alright there was no way she could take him out before someone shot her but she figured it might cause a long enough distraction for the team to do something.

The shot rang out and she rolled off him winded.

Commotion ensued and she looked up to see Ianto and Dave struggling with the gun. Ignoring the pain in her chest she lashed out, kicking Dave's feet so he fell to the floor. Ianto took the opportunity to get in a decent punch and grab her arm, dragging her backwards (a little too quickly) the floor scrapped against the exposed flesh of her back and stung as with bleary eyes she watched the creature roll towards her.

Well, that would be a novel way to die, at least she could be sure no one else would have it written on their TORCHWOOD report "Crushed by space whale".

The great whale suddenly stopped rolling. She let out a shaky breath and clutched her hand to her chest. There was blood, she'd expected that but not as much as she'd thought there would be. She stumbled to her feet and Ianto helped her out to the front where Jack helping Gwen into one of the vans. He turned and looked at her white as a sheet, moving towards her he looked over at Ianto.

'I have no idea,' Ianto replied. She opened the coat so they could all inspect the damage to her chest just a gash. It still bled but it wasn't a gunshot. How had that happened. A thought struck her and she put her hands into her pocket, cold metal pressed against her fingers and she pulled out her i-pod.

Both Jack and Ianto let out a breathy laugh as her face fell surveying shattered screen with a bullet embedded right in the middle. Sighing she looked up at them and smiled slightly.

Jack ushered them both toward the van and Winter gasped on the floor of the back, with Owen working above him and Gwen knelt by his side, was Rhys. She turned to Jack in shock but he put and hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her into the front seat. 'He'll be fine, he's in safe hands.'

Winter nodded and pressed her head back into the headrest as they sped back to the hub.

TTT

That night she sat opposite Ianto. He had his waist coat unbuttoned and a large whisky in his hand to match the one in hers. Owen had stitched up the gash on her breast without a single crass comment which was nice. It had been a waste of a t-shirt and she'd need a new I-pod but other than that, no loss.

'What went through you mind?' Ianto asked.

'When?'

'When you jumped in front of Rhys.'

She thought back to the moment of rash decision and answered truthfully, 'This is going to hurt.'

Ianto smiled and Winter couldn't help but chuckle as Owen popped his head around the door.

'I'll check it again tomorrow yeah,' he told Winter she nodded. He turned to go but stopped in the doorway.

…

'And if you ever get the urge to jump in front of a bullet again…don't'

…

Remember to review if you liked it!

'Sonotalady': well you sound very healthy! (Layered with sarcasm). I hope you're feeling better now :) I must admit it was hard to write but it's so much easier to read through and make changes too because it's a single storyline and I'm not constantly worrying about things in this episode not linking up to the rest of the series. It's quite relaxing. Yes the cannibals would be gone, it's more of a figure of speech now, she's just using it as a way to convey how much she hates the idea. I mean Winter can be mean but I don't think she'd really send someone off to Brecon if the cannibals were still there. Of course I'm going to kidnap something Torchwoody. Possibly the slice of wall with the dragon on it because the studio that was the hub, is now the doctor's TARDIS but they kept the dragon for old time sake. How long is it until some git paints over it. Or the SUV! I'd love that! I should market that idea. Pocket monkey's to keep your hair out of your eyes, they're bound to take off :)

'Rachy Babes': I'm glad you like it :) I have to agree these are really fun chapters because they're less character driven so I can have fun with the dynamics. Owen and Winter don't get enough time together so they needed that little bit of attention. *massive grin* Merry Christmas to you too!

'sevandfred4ever': Oh well suit yourself. That just leaves one less person to fight over the Doctor with me :) lol. Don't worry I have a chapter coming up on my companion story, 'words have meaning, names have power', that's completely Owen and Winter. I don't even think Pip's in it. (He won't be pleased about that.) Everyone in Wales speaks English so you don't HAVE to learn Welsh. Personally I'm going to have a go because it does sound quite fun :)

'Zaziness': Don't worry Owen still has a few comments but they are, as you say, at the end of the whole episode it just seems like there are more because I put up a few episodes in 1 part. I love the teasing, it can be difficult with some characters but Owen and Winter just fit together so well, the banter flows. Oooo Torchwood box set eh? I'm waiting for the sale. Only, I can't bring myself to buy Children of earth because I know I won't watch much of it. It upsets me too much. Yeah Winter does that to be honest, I was sitting on a train on day and she just turned up with a glass of ginger beer, told me to stop being a moron and write in the bloody song because people wouldn't mind THAT much. (you'll see what I mean.) lol love the future review. Unfortunately for you I waited until after Christmas so now you have to write another one. HA!