I'm actually off to a golden wedding today so I'm writing this on Friday :) this's weird talking to you for tomorrow for me and today for you *mindblown*. Anyway, while I try to refrain from tipping trifle over the arrogant wife of my mother's cousin, who has totally mucked up this party for my nana's youngest brother who deserves a way better celebration but oh well, life goes on.

BAMM. it'sSydney: I loved writing drunk Nemo, the conversation about Jack being balld was actually stolen from my sister and brother who had it totally sober but every now and then my sister comes up with funny comments like that, that make us chuckle :)I have to admit the history rant was my own back for having to study American political history between 1865 and 1992 which bored me to tears half the time. Bit of me showing off my historical knowledge there :)

Dwatlaskrhtcm: It's ok to love a smutty chatpter :) I love the romanticism of it but I love seeing Jack and Winter forced into human time. A bit like the Van gogh ep of dr who with the doctor saying. 'is this how time normally passes? Really slowly, and in the right order?' that's how I see this chapter.

Rachy Babes: I knew she'd enjoy that author's note ;) I'm currently e-mailing you so it's odd to be talking to you here as well. Well I love seeing my story lines in your story. I'm sure Lost will continue, maybe try to plan out a timeline of what you need to do then fill it in slowly. If you can't think of a filler or you don't fancy taking on another filler, just go straight onto the main event, skip some time. Watch some Torchwood (series 1 or two) that always helps :)

1945: The last ep was really good, I've had to change some things but it was rather a challenge to stop myself from just sitting and watching and forcing myself to get on and write it. Fluff at the start of this and kind of at the end but yeah…enjoy :)

I put my name on the line for love
'Cause this is what I've been waiting for
I saw it all like a sign above
So follow me, follow me

I put my name on the line for love
Together we'll break down the walls
This is a different kind of war
So follow me, follow me

Tell me baby, that you love me
There's nothing higher, higher than me
If love and freedom's all that we need
Then follow me, follow me

Say it loud
We'd love to love to love ya'

Kerli – Army of Love

The next day Winter and Jack, showered and, sporting matching headaches, headed for the door of the abandoned apartment. 'I blame you for this.' Winter told him.

'You drank most of the wine.' He retorted.

'No, I drank most of the champagne, you drank most of the wine.' She reached for the handle but he pulled her full circle and trapped her against the wall. She smiled at him and grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him in for a fierce kiss before flouncing into the room. Jack stumbled slightly as he walked, not used to the hangover experience.

'I feel awful, which is amazing.' He announced, surveying the scene in front of him. Esther sat at her computer, Gwen by the door and Rex opposite her, staring intently into her eyes. 'I thought we broke up.' Rex glanced over and Winter noted that he had gained some new clothes while he was gone.

'Yeah well, there's work to be done.' He turned back to Gwen and frowned. 'So they just look like contact lenses.' She nodded.

'Look at the lap top. They're the one piece of Torchwood tech that I kept.' Winter smiled as Gwen explained the lenses to Rex and yelped as Jack hauled her off the comfy chair and sat back on it himself, pulling her onto his lap.

'That's very very cool, where'd you get it from.' Rex asked.

'A distant moon of a distant star.' Jack replied.

'Ha, Ha, Ha.' The sarcasm thick in his voice, 'really where'd you get them?' Jack repeated his sentence and Winter slid onto the floor to lean against his legs as he lent forward.

'I am loving this hangover.' He got up and Winter groaned, fake tripping him as he passed her legs. 'I knew mortality would make things more intense.' He snatched Rex's medication and returned to the seat.

'Hey don't touch my pills I need them for legitimate pain.'

'I need them too.' Jack argued.

'You weren't impaled.' Rex argued.

'No but she was and boy was it good.' Winter groaned again and lay back on the floor, putting one arm over her eyes to shield her face.

'You know when I said I fucking loved you.' She commented, 'I lied.' He smirked.

'Would that be the first time when you said it or the eighth time when you screamed it to kingdom come?' She picked her leg off the floor and kicked him. Jack chuckled and looked up at the fellow occupants of the room, one agent in particular looked very unimpressed. 'ooo, Rex doesn't like his jokes too smutty.'

'No, I just don't like men in their forties acting like they're twenty.' Winter smiled and propped her feet up against Jack's thighs, concentrating on Gwen's voice rather than the churning feeling in her stomach. Jack may have missed this little quirk of immortality but she really didn't see what he was fussing about.

TTT

'Hello Darling.' Winter said as Jack secretively closed the door to the apartment from the outside. He jumped and span around to face her. She headed closer and crossed her arms over her chest menacingly. 'You weren't planning on running off without telling me were you?'

'Me? Never.'

'That's what I thought.' She replied blandly, she hooked her arm through his and let him lead her down the stairs. 'Where are we going?'

'Too speak with Oswald Danes.'

'The paedophile? How's he mixed into this?'

'I don't know but he was on every channel earlier and now he's turned up at the meeting. Gwen spotted him with the Kitzinger woman. I think we need to find out what he knows.'

'My sword is inside.' She told him. He patted his sidearm and smiled as they walked.

'This'll do.'

They headed around the back of the building and Jack boosted Winter up into the room taking her hands and hauling himself in after her. They glanced around the plain room, Jack frowned and jumped slightly at the sound of another voice.

'Ok, you ready for me.' Winter's eyes widened as Oswald Danes snatched his jacket from the side and looked up at the pair of them.

'Yeah sure.' Jack replied, a little unsure of himself.

'I'd apologise for being late but it wasn't my fault, I was needed across town.' Winter nodded hoping she looked understanding rather than stunned, 'Still, made it, and this will be going out live yes? Can you tell me, who's interviewing me?'

'It's ermmm, it's…' She stuttered, looking to Jack for help. He gave up and went straight for his gun. Oswald didn't look too shocked by the action. Something about this wasn't right, she felt it deep down and she could see Jack was thinking the same thing.

'You met with PhiCorp today.' Jack stated, 'Why?'

'You'd have to ask them.'

'Did they mention Jack Harkness, Did they mention that name?'

'Never why do you ask, Jack.' That was it, now the uncomfortable feeling became full blown fear. This man was oozing an uneasy intelligence and an unsettling calmness and she didn't need any special senses to know that they needed to get out right now. 'I figured if you cared so much about the name it was probably yours.' He glanced at Winter and gave a creepy smile, 'She doesn't exactly look like a Jack.' The Captain pulled a voice recorder from his pocket.

'I just want you to talk.'

'What about?'

'We saw you on television.' Winter told him carefully hiding the shake in her voice.

'You said you felt forgiven for taking the life of a child.' Jack continued. Winter frowned a little and looked up at him. Oh God, she had a sudden realisation that felt exactly like a slap in the face, this wasn't about the miracle. Jack was kidding himself into thinking it was part of his investigation but really, underneath the bravado, Jack was still thinking of his grandson. The idiot had put their lives in danger for answers, why couldn't he have talked to her, why didn't he mention it. She resisted the urge to take his hand and instead began making escape plans in her head.

'The truth is, she flaunted it.' Oswald told them, 'her innocence. Most people, they get hit or whatever, and it's hours before they show up,' he began moving closer to them and Winter felt herself take an unplanned step back, 'but they showed right away. With her it was like, I was painting on her.' This was sick, and neither Jack or herself needed to hear it, she knotted her hand in the back of his coat and tugged gently but he wouldn't budge. 'And she was so beautiful I thought it couldn't get any better than that but, Oh, Jack I swear to you. Right there at the end, I felt her life leave and, she left through me. You know that feeling? I think you do. And I relive it every single night because that was the best moment of my life.' To Winter horror Jack lowered the gun and reviewed his stance.

'Now I understand, you do know this because you're searching for one thing, one simple thing, execution.' The two men smiled, painfully, at each other, 'We're without death, and it's killing you.'

Winter turned to look at the door and frowned, the doorknob had moved, it had rotated ninety degrees, her eyes widened when she realised what that meant, someone was outside, waiting to come in.

'Jack.' she whispered.

'Boys!' Oswald yelled. The door flung open and three large, blank faced men stormed into the room and grabbed both Jack and Winter's arms. They snatched the recording from Jack and threw it to Oswald, holding the struggling pair as the convicted felon strolled around his room without a care in the world. 'I did visit PhiCorp and they were kind enough to offer me protection.'

'In exchange for what?' Winter hissed.

'A message.' He replied, walking past her and tapping her nose. 'Don't hurt them just get rid of them.' He paused in the doorway and turned back to the men. 'Well, you can hurt them a little but, not the face. That's how it's done these days.' The grip on her arms tightened and, as the front door swung shut Winter slammed her foot down on the toes of the culprit. He growled in pain and picked her up, throwing her into the bathroom that joined onto the hired room, her head cracked against the bottom of the sink with a sickening thud. She heard Jack yelling her name in between grunts of pain and the slam of the bathroom door. Her hand travelled up to her back of her head, when she pulled it back her fingers were glistening with blood. She pushed herself to her knees and made to stand up but a well-placed kick to her side pushed her back down to the floor. She whimpered quietly at the rustle of fabric and the clink of metal, looking up she instantly covered her head with her hands.

From the bedroom Jack heard the yell of pain and he forgot about his own position, fighting wildly to get into the bathroom. Winter's legs curled into her stomach as the strip of leather smacked against her back again. The man grabbed her around the neck and pulled her onto her knees with his left hand and brought the belt down in a swishing motion. But this was what she wanted, she opened her mouth and bit into the skin of his arm hard. The man yelled in pain and shock as his blood trickled onto her teeth . He stumbled backwards and she leapt for the door, throwing it open and running straight into another large man. Jack was being held back in the corner his head bowed in pain and exhaustion, she stepped back into the chest of the man she had bitten. He snatched her hands and forced them roughly behind her back pulling her down to kneel on the ground. The man towering in front of her laughed and she smiled back before pulling her head back and swinging it forwards to collide with his groin. He yelled in pain and doubled over, Jack chuckled a little but winced when the man holding him back pulled his arms further behind his back. The man Winter had attacked growled and backhanded her across the face before tossing her over his shoulder and motioning for the other to follow him. They brought them down to the front doors of the building and chucked them out onto the side walk. Winter winced as her head, once again, collided with something hard, the floor. A buxom woman approached Jack excitedly and asked.

'Did you see him in there? Did you see Oswald Danes? Did you touch him?' Jack and Winter stared at the woman like she was insane.

'What?'

'Oswald? Did you touch him?' she got no answer and got up to leave, leaving both to stare at the face of Mr Danes as he broadcast his 'message' to the states.

Jack heaved his body off the paving stones and turned to hurriedly pull Winter up. He ushered her around the corner and into a side road where he stopped and took her face in his hands, bowing her head to examine the cut on her head. She hissed as he probed it gently.

'Are you ok?' She looked up at him and let out a controlled breath.

'The only reason I haven't slapped you yet is I don't know how much more pummelling that body of yours can take.'

'What?'

'Why did we just go there?' He frowned at her.

'Because he's connected to this and we needed answers.' She shook her head.

'No Jack. And you know how I can prove that isn't the answer. Every question you asked in that room was about how he felt about killing that girl. You didn't go there for the miracle, you went there because you don't think you can be forgiven for killing Stephen and if you can't be forgiven then why should he be.' Jack shook his head and she reached her hands up to his face. 'But we have forgiven you, because it was the only thing you could do. It was him or the rest of the children on earth. And sure it was a crap choice to have to make but you made it. You did what no one else could do.'

'Alice…'

'Will, most likely, never come around. But she doesn't understand the decision you had to make. She doesn't know what it's like to be responsible for every stupid human being on this planet. If she'd had to make that decision and there were two children there. Her own and another mother's. Who would she pick?'

'That's a terrible question.' He replied.

'It was a terrible situation.' She retorted. 'And if you're ever going to be truly happy again you need to push that guilt away and think of all those mothers who still have their sons and daughters. You need to stop torturing yourself because no one else is.' His head dropped and he looked down the alley, disbelief in his eyes. 'I killed people too Jack.'

'You were protecting the kids.'

'So were you. I protect a bunch of kids who had no one to miss them, no one to scream for them to be brought back. And I murdered five men who probably had mothers, cousins, children of their own. And do you know how I sleep at night?' he shook his head sadly and she pulled him in for a hug. 'You.' She whispered.

They stayed wrapped in each other arms for a few minutes before she pulled back and kissed his cheek. 'We need to find the others before they run off and do something stupid.' She told him.

'Like getting beaten up in a high rise building?' She laughed and wrapped her arm around his waist.

'Yeah something like that.' He smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. 'bloody hell my head hurts.' She moaned. He leant over and softly kissed her forehead.

'I'm sorry kitten.' She sighed and watched him as he changed the subject. That seemed to be his answer for everything these days, he just changed the subject.

TTT

They walked back to the flat but found Rex and Ester piling out with their arms laden with the computers. 'What's going on.'

'The phone rang. The PhiCorp phone, the one we stole with access to their network. We answered but we think they might have traced it. We have to bail out. Now.' Jack took a computer form Rex and waved over to Gwen as she came around the corner.

'Gwen, get us a car.' She nodded and disappeared again, they followed and left the computers at the roadside as they collected themselves.

'So where do we go?' Esther asked.

'California.' Rex decided for them. 'It's far enough away, it'll be easier for us to blend in in a crowd and maybe the sun will convince certain members to get rid of their enormous coats.'

'Hey vintage is the height of fashion.' A white car squealed to a stop at their side and Esther climbed in. 'come on Rex, in.' The agent looked up at the Captain.

'No way I'm taking the front this time.' Jack shook his head.

'Nemo gets the front.' Winter sighed.

'Jack I'm fine.'

'No, you're not I can see your back.' She made to get in the back and he grabbed her arm, pulling her back. 'Nemo takes the front.' He insisted. Rex glared at him but Gwen climbed out of the driver's seat.

'How about Rex drives and then I'll go in the back.' The two men shrugged and Jack climbed in while Rex swapped places with Gwen. Winter sent the other woman a look of thanks and slid into the passenger seat. She bit her lip in discomfort as her back pressed against the seat, Rex already treated her a bit like a kid, no need to give him any more ammunition. They drove all night, the sun rose and beat down upon the car making it hot and stuffy, combined with the rubbing on her back she was starting to feel ill.

'Can we stop soon?' she asked when the feeling became too much.

'No, we keep moving.' Rex ordered.

'Alright but I'm most likely going to throw up.' He eyed her angrily and turned into the nearest motel.

'Fine, but if we get found, I ain't coming back to rescue you.' She shook her head and pointed her thumb towards the back seat.

'No, that's his job.' Jack chuckled and they all climbed out of the car, Esther went inside to get the rooms sorted and returned with a single key.

'They only have one spare room, there's some conference in town, sorry.' Rex snatched the key and strode off towards the room. Esther hesitated and got back into the car.

'I'm just going to drive it around the block, my heads a bit…stressed. I'll be back soon.' Gwen smiled and nodded and Jack took Winter's hand leading her inside. They looked around the tiny motel room and Gwen sighed.

'It's not quite the Ritz, but it'll do.' Rex lay down on the bed and shut his eyes. Jack looked at Winter, searching for pain but she worked for Torchwood, she was good at hiding discomfort. He sighed and pulled her into the bathroom.

'Hey! You two.' They turned to see Rex looking at them. 'other people want to use that bathroom and the walls are thin as paper, don't get carried away.'

'For your information I'm going to clean the cuts on her back. So get back to sleeping, I prefer you that way.' Jack shot back. It defiantly wasn't his best comeback but right now he wasn't worried about his reputation. Rex had been right, the sooner they could get moving, the safer they would be. He sighed and sat Winter down on the side of the bath, she didn't say a word as he lifted her top over her head. The silence between them spoke volumes. She was in pain, he could feel it, the way she seemed to calculate each movement and the way she refrained from opening her mouth to make even the smallest sound. He was angry, angry at Oswald Danes, angry at the bodyguards who'd done this and most of all, angry at himself. He lead her there and she was half right, part of him had wanted to know how the man could forgive himself but there was defiantly something else, Danes was tied into this somehow. He just had to find out how he fit into the picture.

Winter hissed as he applied a wet handkerchief to her back. The angry red lines glistened with the water and he forced himself to look as he wiped off a small streak of blood. When he was done he leant over and kissed her shoulder gently wrapping her in his arms. Her arm encircled his head and played with the hair on the back of his neck. 'This is the part where you tell me that I'm not allowed to get overprotective and stop you going on missions.' He told her over her shoulder, trying to lighten the mood. She smiled and turned her head a little to look at him.

'Oh you don't have a choice. I'm going wherever you're going Harkness, unless I deem it to be either boring or unnecessary. You can't stop me.' He raised an eyebrow as she got up, slipped her top back on and headed for the door.

'When do I ever go anywhere boring?'

'Well I'm not going to follow you around absolutely everywhere like when I went into that walking coma.'

'Walking coma?' Gwen asked from her position on the only chair in the room.

'yeah, this alien ghost doctor thought she'd make me feel better by removing the TARDIS from my brain only it sent me kind of…well.' She looked over at Jack who was giving her a strange look. 'What?'

'That, was the most frightening thing I've ever been put through.' She blushed and looked down.

'I'm sorry, I just…'

'no, no it wasn't you fault it's just…it's been a while since then and I'd almost forgotten about it.' She sighed and sat down on the floor.

'At least you can be reminded of it. Those stupid six months though, no, no one has the faintest clue what I was doing.' Gwen shot Jack a worried look but he just grinned.

'Or who you were doing it with.' Winter glared up at him. 'Come on Nemo, you can sit around wondering about the past, it happened, you can't get it back, you may as well move on.' She sighed as he sat down next to her and rested her head on his shoulder. The door opened and Esther walked in but she looked sad, Gwen offered her the chair but she refused and curled up on the floor by the bed. The last thing Winter felt before sleep took her was a light kiss on her forehead. 'let it go.'

TTT

Winter sat back in the new safe house. To be honest she felt a lot less safe here then back at the grotty little flat in D.C. The weather here was too hot for her skin that was more acclimatized to Welsh weather. The people were all strange, unknown, and there was nowhere to run. All in all she wished she was back on board the TARDIS, safe in Jack's arms, with the Doctor bouncing around the console, Pip swinging from the cables and Amy and Rory trying to convince him to take them somewhere safe, no doubts in her mind, not about her safty, her friends, or her relationship. Esther had just finished her presentation on the PhiCorp office block, another idea that made this place a whole lot less safe. She rolled onto her side and gazed up at the picture on the screen. Nicholas Frumkin smiled down at them from his suspect dossier, she sat up and motioned to the young man, turning to Rex.

'So go on then, let's hear this oh so amazing plan.' Rex grinned as the bathroom door opened and Jack stepped out to stand by Gwen. Winter's mouth dropped.

'Is that a good shocked look or is this another 'don't ever wear a tie again' moment?' Jack asked. She eyed the ordinary T-shirt and jeans combo and the slightly gelled hair and suppressed her giggles.

'Well I can't say it's particularly sexy.' He groaned and raked his hand through his hair again. 'But it doesn't look bad. Just…boring.' Gwen laughed at him. 'You're not leaving unscathed Mrs.' Winter informed her. 'What is that? The all American chav?' Gwen looked down at her hoodie and Winter got up pulling her hair out of the scraped back ponytail and tying it at the side instead. 'There, you look about 17 but it'll do for what I'm guessing you're doing.' Jack spun her into his arms and leant down to whisper in her ear.

'There is one good thing about this outfit.' She raised an eyebrow questioningly, 'Less clothes to take off.'

I know that chapter was a little heavy in places but don't worry, fun stuff will resume soon. :)