A/N - I know I've lost readers who haven't liked the way this is going, but this is a lighter chapter - warmer in character. Although all seems to be hopeless, it won't necessarily be as sad as some may believe ... remember, this is a rewrite.

Chapter 9

Jack had been leaning on the wooden gate since before the sun had set. It was growing cooler, but he was warmly bundled up in a thick sweater under his great coat, even thought the buttons no longer fastened, it kept his legs warm. After Ianto and Owen had left he'd not wanted to stay cooped up indoors – if he'd been in Cardiff he'd have sought out a roof top and gazed out across the city, to gain perspective on what was troubling him, but that wasn't an option in the middle of the countryside.

So he'd settled for a gentle stroll up the hillside as far as the stile that led into the field adjoining the farmhouse. Turning around he'd been able to look back over the valley and watch the sky change colour. Unlike the cityscape with its twinkling lights, the valley became dark, the only light being the reflected sparks in the stream as it captured the fiery hues of the sky.

He was lost in the quietude, the only sounds being the natural voices of the creatures settling down for the night. He could see why Ianto thought this was such a wonderful place, it had certainly brought more colour to his cheeks than Jack had ever witnessed in Cardiff.

Out of the murky light suddenly shot a bundle of light and dark fur, running close to the ground, and fast. Startled he spun around and saw the silhouette of a woman making her way down the field in his direction. He was torn, he knew he was meant to be keeping a low profile, but he'd missed company and he figured that in the failing light his extended abdomen wouldn't be obvious.

"Madog! Come here!"

The furry shape darted back past Jack, crashing into the backs of his legs and almost bringing him to his knees, luckily he was able to grab onto the gate.

"I am so sorry – come here, you daft dog!"

The woman had a larger dog with her that seemed to be far better behaved – it sat down patiently as the younger dog sank to its haunches on the damp grass and panted heavily.

"No harm done. Were you calling him Mad Dog?"

"No – Madog, it's Welsh for 'good little one' – although he's way too mischievous for his name."

"Just a puppy then?"

"Three months old. This is his father – Maldwyn." The woman crouched down and attached a lead to the collar of the younger dog. "I'm sorry about this, Captain Harkness. I know the arrangement was to leave you undisturbed and if it wasn't for that young scamp running after a rabbit-"

"No problem, Megan. I didn't mean to be out for this long. I should be headed back to the cottage."

"Did you bring the torch out with you?"

Jack shook his head – it hadn't occurred to him that he'd be out as long as he had been. But looking back towards the dark outline of the cottage, he could no longer see the worn pathway through the field.

"I guess I forgot there aren't any street lights out here. I don't suppose you have a spare torch with you?"

"Not a spare torch, but I can walk back down the hill with you, make sure you get back in one piece." Megan offered, with a chuckle.

"Thanks – that would be great."

"Here, if you take the lead for this one and I'll shine the torch on the path." Megan handed over Madog's lead to Jack and then linked her arm in his.

Jack was unaccustomed to accepting help from relative strangers, but there was something about Megan that made him trust her. He was beginning to realise that he should place more faith in Ianto's judgement.

"I didn't realise I'd become such a city boy."

"And there was me thinking you'd always lived in Cardiff."

"No, once upon a time, I lived near the sea." Jack spoke wistfully, seeing the soft dunes of the BoeshanePeninsula in his minds' eye.

"Cardiff is near the sea," teased Megan lightly, nudging him gently in the ribs.

"No – I meant near the ocean, deserted beaches stretching out beyond the high dunes."

"Oh, somewhere in America, then?"

"No." Jack bit his tongue, annoyed at himself for snapping at the woman whose inference was understandable, considering his accent. "Sorry – I've done a lot of travelling in my life."

"I figured as much. Me, I've hardly ever been out of Gwynedd, apart from a few shopping trips into Conwy."

"There's something to be said from putting down roots." Jack sighed, feeling the tug of something deep inside him. The tug of the dog on the lead in his right hand and the warmth of the kindly woman's arm to his left made him long for a proper home.

"Talking of roots – mind your step, there are some near the surface here." Megan shone the torch on the ground near the base of a twisted hawthorn tree, pointing out the gnarled roots that broke through the stony ground. "The soil's too thin really for trees, but this one tries its best."

"You love this place don't you?"

"Oh yes – always have. It's an ancient landscape this, it can be harsh and unforgiving if you don't understand its ways, but if you take it your heart, it looks after you."

Jack smiled to himself. Ianto had tried to tell him that Megan was special, that there was more to her than the competent housekeeper and manager of their quarantine station.

"Almost there." Megan swung the beam of the torch upwards so it picked out the gate in the wall at the far end of the field. The older dog had already reached it and was sitting patiently, waiting for them to catch up.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. I take it by the fact that the lights are out and there's no smoke coming from the chimney that Ianto has gone back to Cardiff?"

"Yeah." Jack had also forgotten to bank up the fire, something Ianto had made sure they did whenever they'd gone out for walks, to make sure the cottage stayed warm. "He left this afternoon."

"He said he was convalescing – is he better now?"

"Better than he was, but I wish he could have stayed for longer."

"Ah," Megan said, as she heard loud and clear what the captain was leaving unsaid. She thought that the young man had seemed very concerned about his boss in a way that went beyond loyalty, and she'd seen them, arm in arm, walking by the stream. She realised why the captain seemed so lonely – he was missing his lover.

"It did him good, staying here. This place always works its magic."

Megan had taken over the maintenance of the cottage from her parents when she'd got married, almost fifteen years ago. There was a lot that was never spoken of, yet understood implicitly. It used to be Alex who would come to make arrangements and then there was 'The Captain'. More recently, the doctor with the London accent had visited to upgrade the medical facilities. It was all done for the sake of the strangers that would come to stay, people they'd hardly ever lay eye on, who'd arrive in the dead of night and leave under the cover of darkness. The first one she'd had to cater for only ate seafood and it all had to be delivered, alive, in buckets of seawater.

As Megan pondered memories of guests who'd stayed at the cottage in the past, Jack was considering the future. Out of the corner of his eye he caught the bright trail of a meteorite as it burnt up on entering the Earth's atmosphere and he made a wish.

"Would you like me to come in and get the fire going for you?" Megan asked as she held open the door and switched on the lights.

"No, that's fine. It's my fault it's gone out." Jack knelt down on one knee to get a closer look at the puppy that was snuffling at his feet. In the light he could see that the young dog was mottled brown, with a white tummy and a white stripe down its nose. Dark brown eyes sparkled mischievously as the puppy rubbed its cold, wet nose into the palm of Jack's open hand. "Hey boy, time to go back with mummy now."

As soon as he said the words, he quickly looked at the sofa as if expecting to see Ianto sitting there with an 'I told you so' smirk on his face.

"Thanks," Megan took the lead. "No Madog, this isn't your house. Right then, Captain, I'll be getting this pair back home now and leave you in peace."

"Please, call me Jack. You know what? I'm glad this young scamp ran into me, otherwise I'd probably still be looking for the way back."

"I'm sure you'd have managed. But I'm glad we had a chance to chat."

"Me too." Jack smiled as he considered how fortuitous their chance encounter had been.

"So, I take it you'll be wanting cooked meals delivering again next week?"

"Yes, please, same as before. I don't suppose you could bring some more of that fruit cake –"

"Bara brith? Did you two get through the last one already?"

"Ianto took what was left – he said it was the best he'd ever tasted." Jack recalled wrapping it in foil and sneaking it into Ianto's bag when he wasn't looking. He hoped it would be a nice surprise. "But if it's too much trouble-"

"None at all. It'll be a pleasure – I love baking, especially when I know it's going to be enjoyed."

"That I can guarantee. And, Megan, thank you again – for everything."

"I know you can't say what you're here for, but all the others, they come to stay when there's a problem, or they're in danger – I hope everything works out alright."

There was concern in the young woman's eyes – it was as if she could sense that he wasn't staying there entirely out of choice. She knew enough about Torchwood to know that those who were sheltered in the cottage were housed there for their own safety.

"So do I, Megan. But I'm starting to feel more optimistic than I have for a long time. I'm even beginning to feel at home here."

"That's good then. Stay long enough and this land will adopt you and yours."

Jack took a good look at the young woman, standing in the threshold of the cottage he'd shared with Ianto. Her curly auburn hair formed a halo about her face, her cheeks were pink from the cold air, and he could make out a smattering of freckles. But it was the smile that impressed him most – open, honest and heartfelt. He'd spoken with her before, but it had been all business. In the time it had taken for them to walk through the fields, they hadn't exchanged many words, but they had finally become friends.