Among the Forgotten

by LizzeXX

11/OC -Time Lady- When the Doctor's regenerates, his Mate, Angel, is in for the most heartbreaking time of her lives. Cracks in time, Amy Pond, River Song, and many more trials will be thrown at her. How will everything affect her? Will she survive losing her companion Rory? What will she do when the Pandorica opens? And what happened to the Doctor? Sixth in the Heart of Time Saga.

31. Miracle Day: The Blessing

A/N: Warning: This episode of Torchwood contains references to a pedophile, mentions of past rape, and past murder. This comes about mostly when Oswald Danes is mentioned and when scenes involving him occur.

~8~

Miracle Day: The Blessing

The Torchwood team sat in a van, driving through the streets of Venice Beach California, where UNIT had relocated them, it being near the Phi-Corp main base of operations, their main headquarters only ten short miles away, in Los Angeles. They all found it rather amusing that a pharmaceutical company, one meant to help heal people, was located in the 'City of Angels' given that there was one in the very backseat.

They looked back, all of them quiet, the radio broadcasting the news very low due to the sight. Angel had fallen asleep a short while ago, her head resting on Gray's shoulder, his arm around her own shoulders to keep the bumping of the roads to a minimum and let her sleep.

They'd all noticed she was a bit more easy to tire, she'd yawned quite a bit on the plane but had refused to sleep since, she claimed, if the assassin somehow tried to get to the plane, she ought to be awake to help them. Jack had nearly flipped at the thought of her using the Vortex on something as big as a plane to keep it safe as it crashed over America, but Angel had just laughed and told him she was joking…only to mouth 'no she wasn't' when his back was turned, though none of them told him that. They all knew that Angel would do anything to protect the people she loved, a trait she shared with Jack.

The team had to admit, despite their lingering doubts about Gray, the boy had truly taken to his role as an older brother easily. He was always watching out for Angel, being supportive of her in a silent way, they always saw him give her a bit more food off his own plate during meals. Angel seemed to eat all of her food but Gray, after the first attempt had been discovered by the psychic, claimed she was too skinny and put two egg rolls on her plate. It was…sweet. Though they supposed they were still being a bit harsh on the man.

Jack had given 12 children to aliens, condemned them to a life of eternal hell, and done who knew what else in his past and they'd forgiven him. It would be hypocritical to hold what Gray had done over his head for much longer given all he'd done to try and make amends. Tosh had forgiven him, with encouragement from Angel, nearly right after it happened, Jack as well. The others were just…slower to follow.

It was just…most of the things Jack had done hadn't been directed at them, it had been to others or before they'd met him. Gray's actions had nearly killed Tosh and Owen.

Speaking of, the duo was still back in Washington, but based in the UNIT headquarters. Owen was prohibited to leave as one of the few alien experts and medical advisors on the Panels and none of them felt right about leaving him there alone, so Tosh had stayed with him. It was just Jack, Gray, Ianto, and Gwen there with Angel at the moment. They would have been a bit more worried to leave Tosh there alone with Owen, given her pregnancy, but Gwen, and surprisingly Angel, had joined in to say that pregnancy didn't stop you…Gwen even citing a few examples of when her own pregnancy had literally scared their enemies into submission with how mad she'd gone. There was one time she'd actually gotten a Sontaran to cower in fear due to her excessive mood swings scaring the living daylights out of it, not an easy thing to do. And they'd seen that Tosh was just as equipped to handle herself and others, more protective and fast, and scary as all hell when she was angry which was quite a shock given her more quiet and shy nature.

And when she was that angry, only Owen could calm her down, so really, it was in their health interest as well to let Tosh stay with her husband.

Gwen smiled as she looked on Gray and Angel, the girl was paler than they remembered her being, quieter, though she'd gotten a bit better, she'd started smiling more, which was a relief as they could all tell something had had her upset when they first saw her, beyond just losing her companion. It seemed like, despite the Miracle, Angel was doing better, and that was wonderful to think they'd had a hand in that.

Ianto, who had been glancing at Gray and Angel from time to time, finally decided to stop. He'd been, admittedly, a tiny bit jealous of the relationship Gray had formed with Angel, that sibling-like bond. He and Jack were so close, partners really, in every sense of the word, but…Angel hadn't been that comfortable around him. He'd worried that it was his relationship with Jack, he knew it offended some people, but it had been put to rest during the 456 incident, seeing how frantic and terrified Angel had been to think she'd failed to save him had cleared that up that she loved him as much as she did Jack. He'd mentioned it to Gwen, wanting a woman's perspective on why Angel might not do what she did with Gray with him, and Gwen had just laughed and reminded him HE was Jack's.

Which had confused him.

Then Tosh had joined in and explained that he was as good as Angel's brother-in-law and, while that was close, that wasn't exactly a brother. And Angel was just very kind and cautious, she knew how much Jack loved him and, according to some stories she'd shared with Jack that had been told to them during their own relationship troubles, she'd only had experience in one relationship, with the Doctor, a man who got fiercely jealous if anyone even looked at her. She probably just didn't want to make things awkward with Jack by being TOO close to him. Which made sense in an odd way. She always showed she cared for him in other ways, asking his opinion, making sure he was ok with things, helping him, protecting him, checking up on him. She'd even called from the TARDIS once or twice just to chat. She just wasn't very physical with him, she hugged him yeah, sometimes linked arms with him or kissed his cheek, but it made sense that she wanted to leave moments like that, like falling asleep on him, to be a moment shared between him and Jack. It was different when your sibling fell asleep on your shoulder as opposed to your significant other. And Angel wasn't technically either. It was sweet of her to think of his relationship with Jack in every interaction she had with him.

"And the Miracle continues," a man was saying on the radio, "With healthcare throughout America now reaching a state of crisis…"

"The courts have been flooded with claims and counterclaims as people adjust to a new form of life," Jack flicked to another station.

"I had a heart attack in October," a man wheezed, "The company replaced me, but I can still work. I'm not like I'm going to die, am I? So, if I have to sue them to get my job back, then I will."

"Who is there to speak for the living when the White House is silent," another woman spoke, "The Vatican is silent, the scientists are silent? Well, I am not…"

"In business news," and yet another station, "Pharmaceutical companies are predicting record profits. Phi-Corp has pledged a payback scheme in local communities around its Los Angeles headquarters…"

"Jack," Gwen grabbed his hand as he went to poke another button, "Pick one or turn it off."

"Actually, just turn it off," Ianto requested, it was getting repetitive and frankly irritating to hear people constantly talk about the Miracle with no new information given, not that they'd have any way to obtain the new information.

Jack laughed and flicked a switch, turning it off as they pulled up to a quaint beach house right on the shore.

"Oh that is gorgeous," Gwen murmured, staring at the little house. For once it didn't seem like they were going to end up in some stinking, dirty pit, they actually had a house with walls and lights and hot water. Perhaps they should team up with UNIT more often.

Jack shut the car off and turned around, all of them seeing his regretful look as he stared at Angel, all of them knowing he didn't want to have to wake her up.

"I got it Jack," Gray told him, reaching out to gently shake Angel awake, "Angie…time to wake up…"

Angel blinked a bit as she came around, hiding a yawn behind her mouth, "Sorry," she winced, offering them an apologetic smile.

"Don't be," Gray waved it off.

"When was the last time you slept?" Ianto frowned at her, worried, he'd never seen her that tired before.

"Not long ago," she shrugged, not giving a definite answer.

Because she honestly didn't know.

She hadn't had a solid night's sleep in…ages. Either she'd wake up from that nightmare of everyone forgetting her, or she'd just be unable to fall asleep, or her thoughts would get away from her, or she just…couldn't get comfortable. She'd gotten so used to falling asleep in the Doctor's arms that, to sleep without him, was difficult. She almost found herself hoping the insomnia he'd admitted to as well might be similar to that, that he just…couldn't sleep without her there.

"Time Lords don't need as much sleep as humans," she added.

"That doesn't mean you should not get any," Gwen reached out to put a hand on Angel's arm.

Angel looked down at it, blinking a moment, before she started to smile. They were concerned about her, worried, they…cared about her. As terrible as it was, she'd…almost forgotten what that felt like, to have someone genuinely worry for you. Rory had, Rory had worried and fussed over her so much, but…Rory was gone now.

She missed Rory.

"Whenever you feel tired Angel," Jack said, using her full name and not his nicknames, making her look at him, "You take a nap, understood?"

She smiled and nodded, "Aye aye Captain."

"Watch it," he pointed at her jokingly.

"Come on," Gray nodded at the doors, moving to get out, "2,700 miles, one plane ride, and a car…I need a stretch."

They all agreed wholeheartedly to that, clambering out of the car to look around the beach. It was lovely, warm and sunny with a light breeze.

"Wow, look at that horizon!" Gwen breathed, staring out at the ocean, "We've reached the edge of America!" she laughed.

"Decades since I saw the Pacific," Jack murmured, putting an arm around Ianto's waist, "Must be about…70 years."

"I came here with John," Gray told them, thinking of all the places on Earth and in the Universe that John had shown him, staying true to his word to Angel to show him the wonders of the Universe.

"I've never seen it before," Angel remarked, thoughtful.

"You're kidding!" Gwen looked at her, even she'd been to California once.

Angel just shrugged.

"Where's Phi-Corp from here?" Ianto asked, glancing around, he'd come there three times with other Torchwood establishments, on missions though.

"Ten miles that way," Gray pointed down a road, "It's another city. Phi-Corp headquarters in Los Angeles, this is Venice."

"We need to get everything set up," Jack determined, turning to lead them back to the car to get their equipment, the items Tosh let them take from her, she really loved her computers.

They made quick work of it, only needing two trips each to get everything out of the car and into the house.

Jack paused though when he noticed that Angel stopped and was staring at a wall of posters that said 'Dead is Dead' on them, a frown on her face.

"Angie?" he walked over to her, glancing between her and the posters, knowing that look, "Everything ok?"

"What is that?" she asked him, glancing at him, "'Dead is Dead?'"

"Let's find out," he remarked, shifting the box in his hands to under his arm and pulling out his mobile, "Tosh," he smiled.

"Jack!" Tosh shouted as he put her on speaker, the others coming out of the house to see what was keeping them, "Are you alright, did you make it there ok?"

"We just got in yeah," he nodded, "Listen, we're not set up yet and we need you to run a search on the slogan, 'Dead is Dead' and…"

"Owen's been complaining about that," Tosh cut in, "It's the latest campaign."

"As if Oswald Danes wasn't bad enough," they heard Owen mutter in the background.

"Hush," Tosh called to him, before getting back to them, "This one is founded by an Ellis Hartley Monroe."

"And who's she when she's at home?" Gwen asked.

"A small-town mayor trying to make a name for herself," Owen answered.

"Owen!" Tosh huffed, "Ellis Hartley Monroe started the 'Dead is Dead' campaign because she thinks we should treat people who should have died as if they're already dead."

"She's got a point," Owen grumbled, seeming frustrated with having to admit he agreed with her.

"Anyway," Tosh got them back to point, "Now that you're there I can use that address to order that spare server."

"Then we start in on Phi-Corp," Jack grinned.

"But first thing we've got to do is lift out the security profile…"

"It's Rhys," Angel cut in quietly.

"What?" Jack looked at her, but then Gwen's phone began to ring.

She winced, "I've got to take this. Sorry," she got up and rushed for the door, "Um, yeah. I...won't be a moment," she smiled and stepped outside, smiling, "Hello."

"How's everything?" Rhys asked.

"Oh, you know what Torchwood's like. It's terrible. I mean, we're living in this...shed thing," she smirked back at the beach house, "And there's no electricity, there's no water. It's dark and cold and damp…"

"I thought it was boiling hot in Los Angeles all year round," Rhys remarked.

"Well, they lied, Rhys."

"What's that noise?" he asked, hearing a group of skaters pass her, "Is that people?"

"Yeah," she said slowly, "Street gangs."

And then a seagull squawked above her.

"Was that a seagull?"

"Er...it's a woman, er...on the rampage. A mad woman. Anyway, so how's my little girl?"

"Don't call me that, Gwen!"

"You're very funny. Do I get to say hello?"

"No! It took me two hours to get her to sleep," she nodded, having forgot the time difference for a moment, while it was daylight here, it was night there, "She was fretting like mad. I'm not waking her, so tough."

She sighed, "I'm not on holiday, Rhys. I'm out here working."

"Still, tough. So, what's happening with Phi-Corp, then?"

"Uh, yeah, things. Listen, there's one thing you've got to sort out, ok, and that's my dad. They keep saying the hospitals are full of MRSA, so can you get him out?"

"That's impossible, honestly, now. They said on the news no one's allowed to move. But he's safe enough, Gwen."

"I have never felt so far away," she murmured, "Look, I just don't trust the hospitals, Rhys. There must be something you can do," she looked down as her phone beeped, "Look, I've got to go, ok? I'm busy. They really need me. We're on a mission. Er, just get my dad out, Rhys, ok? I'll phone you tonight."

"It's already tonight," he reminded her, before sighing, "Bye."

"Bye," she whispered, ending the call and heading back into the house…

Not even noticing a man with a camera snapping pictures of her, "Torchwood located," he called into a phone.

~8~

"Everything ok Gwen?" Angel asked as Gwen stepped back in.

"You were right, it was Rhys," she smiled apologetically at them, "Sorry."

"We've all got family," Ianto waved her off, thinking about his niece and nephew and his sister, Jack about his daughter and grandson, "The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can see them."

"Ok," she nodded, "Where are we up to Tosh?" she looked at the phone lying on the table.

"I'm going to try to lift out the security protocols on Jilly Kitzinger's files," Tosh said.

"There is a lot of..." they looked over, hearing Oswald Danes speaking to see Angel had the remote for the TV in her hand and had turned the TV on to his latest interview.

"A bit obsessed with this bastard are you?" Gwen frowned, it was…so unlike Angel to be focused on a rapist or murderer.

"There's something wrong," Angel sighed, rubbing her head, "He's involved, there's something…more to it."

Jack nodded, "I'll put a permanent trace on him so we always know where he is."

"Thanks Jack," she smiled.

"Did we find anything more on Kitzinger Owen?" Gray called, knowing Tosh and Owen had been working on that while they were on the way over.

"She's freelance," Owen answered, "Working with Phi-Corp for six months. She's not connected. She just happened to be at the right place at the right time."

"Just like Oswald," Ianto remarked.

"So what's happened to the world is invisible," Jack summed it up for them, "But, quite by chance, Oswald's found himself right at the heart of it. George Eliot wrote this chapter in Middlemarch. She said that if you take a piece of metal with random scratches all over it and hold a flame up to the metal, the scratches look like they're forming patterns, circling around the light. And that's Oswald. He's blazing away, and patterns are starting to revolve around him. All we have to do is keep watching."

They all looked at the TV again, watching Oswald speaking, frowns on their faces.

~8~

Oswald Danes wandered around his new hotel room, much nicer than the motels he'd been living in, all courtesy of Phi-Corp. He looked at the plush bed, felt the fuzzy robes, and enjoyed opening the sodas in his mini-fridge, listening to the fizz. He'd just sat down in a chair when there was a knock on the door and Jilly came striding in.

"Change of plans," she sighed, "Got some statistics here. You'll need to memorize them," she handed him a paper, "The White House is planning some sort of rally in Los Angeles. We might have to move by the end of the week. But the good news is, Phi-Corp has asked me to stay at your side full-time. Evidently someone over there believes you're important. Who am I to argue?" she added the last part just a touch bitterly.

"Glorious," he smirked, standing, "I'll bet that's killing you, Miss Kitzinger, because you can't stand the sight of me."

"No, I can't," she agreed, "No, sir, not at all. But it is not my job to like you. I will find your coffee, I will accompany you to the studio, recommend whether Diane Sawyer is better than Piers Morgan. All that and more, but between me and you, it's your hands," she glanced at them and back up immediately, "I can't look at your hands without thinking about what they did."

"You ever wonder why anyone considers me important?" Oswald eyed her.

"I'm sure someone's got a reason."

"Wouldn't you like to know what it is?"

"Very much so."

"How much do you know about our masters at Phi-Corp?" he moved to sit on the edge of his bed, "Because I did a little searching of my own last night. It's been a long, long time since I was allowed online. I tried to find out who's above Phi-Corp, who owns them, and the strangest thing happened. The information just scattered away. All sorts of names and tangents and diversions, but nothing tangible. That's when I recognized the pattern, because I've had a lot of experience perfecting how to hide myself online. And suddenly, I'm looking at someone else doing the same, but on a massive scale. Worldwide. I wonder why," he smirked, getting up, "Time to go."

"What for?" she frowned as he headed for the door.

"Central News, 3.30. Isn't that right?"

"If you would let me finish, they cancelled you. Apparently they booked someone else."

He frowned, "Who did they get?"

"Ellis Hartley Monroe, the darling of the 'Tea Party,'" she turned and flicked on a TV, to the news, showing him an older blonde woman giving an interview, "She's been looped on Channel 55 all day long, and she's radical."

"I think someone's got to say it," the woman nodded, "'Dead is dead.' We are surrounded by people who should have died. I'm sorry for them, yes, but these people fill me with terror. Am I the only one brave enough to say it? They should have perished. I'm sorry, but they should. And by persisting, they are draining the resources of healthy, living citizens. Now, I'm nobody special, but I'm a mother and a voter and an American, and I'd like to think that that means something. This is what I want."

"Looks like you've got a rival," Jilly smirked.

"The 'Dead is Dead' campaign asks..."

"You'd better think of a line, or you'll be yesterday's news."

"…and taken to a place that's safe, and I mean safe for the rest of us. The 'Dead is Dead' campaign asks that these citizens be removed from society and taken to a place that's safe."

Oswald glared at the woman as he watched her speaking. Well, this was a bit of a problem, wasn't it?

~8~

Angel was curled up on the sofa, a cup of tea in her hand as she watched a blonde woman giving an interview about the 'Dead is Dead' campaign, "...don't speak ill of the dead...because dead is dead, and sometimes, segregation is vital and necessary, because these living deceased should not have equal rights. No, sir. They should be removed. They should be contained. And then they should wait. Because I believe their passage to the afterlife has but paused. And when this miracle ends, death will find them. Their time will come and they will die."

"Everything ok?" Jack asked, plopping down on the sofa beside her, startling her, not an easy thing to do being psychic.

"Fine," she nodded, clearing her throat, trying to shake of the growing pit in her stomach as she listened to the woman, unable to help but feel like something bad would happen to her, "We ready?" she glanced at a large crate that had the spare server Tosh had sent.

"Yup," he nodded as the team gathered around them, Tosh and Owen with them via webcam on a laptop on the table, "You're on Tosh."

She nodded on the screen and began to type, information appearing on the large TV screen on the wall for them to see the plans, "There's over 100 dedicated servers identical to that one inside the Phi-Corp building, all containing corporate data. But according to Jilly Kitzinger's information, number 113 is a secure server, accessible by only the highest corporate brass."

"That's our target then?" Gray came to lean on the back of the sofa, his arms crossed, resting his chin on Angel's head, making her laugh, which made the rest of them grin to hear.

"Yeah, but when Phi-Corp says secure," Owen added, "They mean secure."

"I have never seen firewalls like this before," Tosh muttered, "And I'd love the chance to crack it, but we don't have the time even with all the Torchwood software at our disposal. Jack, I think our only option is to steal number 113, to physically take it, and cover our tracks by leaving a duplicate in its place."

"Which is empty," Gwen frowned.

"So, we damage it," Jack shrugged.

"Fire damage would be best," Ianto nodded, "Phi-Corp will think the information's lost, not stolen, and they won't overreact."

Angel reached out and handed Gwen her phone that was lying on the arm of the sofa a moment before it rang, "Oh, sorry," Gwen turned it off, "It's off."

"So, how are we going to get inside?" Gray looked at them, he hadn't done much infiltration with Torchwood since coming on, mostly just fighting aliens.

"This is the IT Center where the servers are housed," Tosh brought up a layout of the building, "Floor 33, maximum security, completely enclosed. We need to gain access, but it's restricted, with some rather serious biometrics. Only one man can gain total access. The man who designed it Nicolas Frumkin," she brought up another image of an Asian man in a suit.

"What kind of biometrics?" Ianto asked, "I mean, what level?"

"Every entry needs voice print, palm print, iris recognition, by him and him alone."

"Ok," Jack nodded, grinning, "Then I know exactly what we need to do."

~8~

Jack and Gwen were walking through a park, hand-in-hand, dressed in more…easygoing fashions, "Oh, hey!" Jack laughed as they came upon a man and woman, Mr. Frumkin and his wife, pushing their baby along.

"Oh, my gosh," Gwen put on a false American accent, sounding far too peppy, "Look at her! She is a beauty."

"Yeah."

"Oh! Hey, baby!" she tickled the little girl's stomach.

"I swear we've met before," Jack remarked to the man, "You're, um..."

"I'm Nicolas," he introduced.

"That's right! Nicolas Jackson, isn't it?"

"No, Nicolas Frumkin," he stated.

~8~

Tosh smirked, recording that all the way across the country.

~8~

"Yeah, yeah," Jack held out a hand to shake his, "My name's John Smith."

~8~

Gray and Ianto glanced at each other in concern as Angel's smile at Gwen's funny accent faded at those words, the three of them watching the feed from the contacts Jack was wearing along with Tosh and Owen.

~8~

"Your baby is just so amazing!" Gwen gushed, "She is just awesome! She's a keeper, isn't she? Aww," she handed Nicolas a stainless steel water flask, "Do you mind holding that for me? Thank you," she leaned in and tickled the baby with both hands, "Look at you! Wow. I'll take that off you," Gwen took the flask back by the top.

"Doesn't she remind you of our little girl?" Jack nudged Gwen.

"Oh, you should see her!" Gwen beamed, pulling out her phone to show them pictures of Anwen.

"We'd better be moving along," Nicholas tried to shake his head, "It's lunch hour, so..."

"Oh, there she is!" Jack laughed as she found her, holding up the phone to them.

"Her name is Sally Anne Louise Matilda...Jane," Gwen smiled, "We couldn't choose!"

"No!"

"She's beautiful," Nicolas nodded, uncomfortable.

"Thank you," Gwen laughed, before thrusting the phone in his face, right at his eye, "Look at her little face!"

~8~

"Got it," Tosh beamed.

"You're a genius," Owen kissed her temple.

"Yes I am," Tosh smiled, capturing the image of the man's iris using Gwen's phone.

~8~

"So, it was awesome meeting you," Gwen pulled the phone away, "Just super good."

"Yeah, you too," the man shied away from them, disturbed.

"See you around!" Jack cheered.

"Sure thing, hot diggity!" Gwen smiled as they walked off.

"See you later. Take care," he took her hand and led her off, "You are so never doing that accent again."

"I am mortified," she whispered, looking it too, her own accent back, "I'm absolutely mortified!"

~8~

Nicolas Frumkin sighed to himself as he made his way to his car that night after a long day at work. He got in and had just started it up...when he someone grabbed him from behind and held a knife to his throat, the same man that had been watching Gwen.

"What do you want?" Nicolas gasped.

"What's your name, sir?" he held up a recorder.

"I'll give you money!"

"I just need your name. Nice and clear, if you could."

"Frumkin," he gasped, "Nicolas Frumkin."

"There's an organization, Mr. Frumkin, called Torchwood," the man pulled the recorder away, but the knife remained, "Now, I'm only telling you this so you know who's to blame. Torchwood is about to access your secure site, which means I also need access using your biometrics."

"I can tell you how to get in," Nicolas pleaded, "There's a code."

"No, there's not."

"There is. I swear to you, there's a code that you can use to..."

"Shh, shh, shh," he quieted the frantic man, "I'm afraid I studied all the specifications. The protocol's quite clear. I need the biometrics of poor Nicolas Frumkin. Which means, firstly, your voice. Consider that done. And then..."

"Please," Nicolas gasped, knowing what the man was going to do next, what he'd need, "Please don't. Please!"

"It's your system, which means it's your fault. Because the next thing I need is the palm of your hand, and then one of your eyes, but just one."

"No!" he started to struggle.

"Don't worry," the man gave a dark chuckle, "No one dies!" and pulled him into the back seat, Nicolas screaming as the needed parts were taken…

~8~

The next day, Torchwood was ready to take on the Phi-Corp server.

"Tosh?" Ianto called on the webcam, sitting at a computer of his own in the beach house, in charge of recording everything Gwen saw while Tosh worked at controlling the phones and security for the building, "Everything online?"

"Mhmm," she nodded, "UNIT's got a good signal."

"Right," Owen grinned, behind her, pulling out his phone, "Let's do it then," and called Jack, "We're ready."

"On it," Jack replied.

~8~

Gwen, dressed in a lovely skirted suit, walked towards the Phi-Corp building, Angel acting as her assistant, following her, with a pad of paper in her hand, "Ok," she stopped to 'check' her reflection, "Here we go."

-Good luck- she saw Tosh write.

"Good luck," she laughed, heading in with Angel.

Jack had railed to high heaven that his little sister wasn't going anywhere near the Phi-Corp headquarters when they'd been debating who should go where and if they should take partners. It had been unanimous that Gwen go in and Jack go in, Angel had insisted that partners be taken so that his and Gwen's backs would be watched. The team seemed to agree...until she'd offered to go with Gwen. Gray had taken her side in the matter, bringing up the argument that it would be better to have the psychic inside with them to warn them of things, that she'd be able to better sense it there than outside somewhere. That and neither he nor Angel had any idea how to really use the software, which Ianto knew how to use. Jack had, begrudgingly agreed to that.

"Hi," Gwen walked up to the front desk, smiling charmingly at the man behind it.

"Can I help you?" he eyed the two of them.

"Yes, I'm here for the training sessions on…" she looked at Angel.

"Floor 21," Angel quickly checked the blank notepad in her hand.

"Your name?" the man asked.

"Yvonne Pallister," Gwen replied, handing him a fake ID, "International Sales."

"Only problem is, I don't see any training going on today," he looked at a record on the computer beside him.

"Ms. Pallister received an e-mail last night," Angel said quickly, "From a Lorraine in Human Resources."

The man nodded, picking up a phone, "I'll call them."

"Ok," Gwen nodded.

"Phi-Corp Human Resources," they could hear Tosh answer, having rerouted the phone lines, putting on a false American accent as well, "This is Lorraine. How may I help you?"

"Yeah, I have a Yvonne Pallister down here," the man began, "She says there's some kind of training…"

"Yes. Send her right up. Floor 21."

"Ok," he sighed, hanging up and handing Gwen back her ID, "Floor 21. Go on up."

"Thank you," Gwen nodded, handing Angel the ID as they headed for the lift, "Brilliant job," Gwen whispered to Angel as the doors closed.

Angel smiled, "Thanks. That's a first though."

"What, sneaking in somewhere?" she found that hard to believe given the Doctor's habits.

"The first time without using psychic paper," she laughed.

That made more sense.

~8~

Jack slowly pulled a large delivery truck into the parking area below the Phi-Corp building, him and Gray getting out and walking to the back to unload their 'delivery.'

"Hold up, hold up!" a security guard ran over as Gray opened the back of the truck, Jack pulling on some gloves, "Who are you?"

"Delivery," Gray gestured at the truck.

"I don't have anything on my schedule," the man shook his head.

"It says Human Resources," Jack looked at a clipboard in his hand.

The man gave them a suspicious look and gestured for them to wait as he headed to a phone in his office.

"Human Resources," Ianto answered, using a false American accent as well so as not to arouse suspicion.

"Yeah…I got a delivery here?"

"Right, yes, our document shredder broke down. We had to rush a new one. Send it up."

"Sure thing," he nodded, hanging up and returning to Jack and Gray who hadn't stopped unloading, "Go on up," he pointed to the lift, watching as the two men tried to wheel the heavy-looking crate off, "Need some help?"

"No, we're good," Jack winked at him as they stepped into the lift, smirking at each other as the doors closed.

~8~

Angel led Gwen right to the lift on Floor 33, waiting till the doors opened and Gray and Jack stepped out. While Human Resources was located on Floor 21, the servers were on Floor 33, and that's where they were going.

"Hello, handsome," Gwen called, startling them which made Angel laugh, "Love the uniform."

"Ditto," Jack eyed them in their suits, Angel in pants though, winking at them.

"Come on," Gray pushed the crate off.

"Oh, hold on," Gwen winced, bracing herself against the wall to pull her shoes off, "Whoever wears heels to work is heroic. Why do women put up with these things?"

"The Fire Department would get here in 12 minutes," Angel said as she and Gwen followed the men.

Jack nodded, "When they arrive, Tosh," he called, wearing an earpiece to hear her and Ianto, "You direct them to the 14th floor. That should buy us another…"

"Five minutes," Angel answered.

Jack grinned, "Brilliant," and winked at her, making her smile, "Before they check other floors."

Gray paused below a fire sprinkler and grabbed a piece of paper and a lighter, burning the paper before blowing it out, holding the smoking end of it up to the sprinkles, setting off the alarms.

"Fire on the 14th," Tosh reported, tapping away at her keyboard.

"Please exit the building," the automated voice began to call to the employees who slowly began to file out, calm, thinking it a drill.

They waited till the floor had cleared and quickly made their way down them, to the server room, "Please state your full name," the computer system stated as Gwen stepped before it.

"Nicolas Frumkin," Jack pressed his Vortex Manipulator, playing the recording they'd taken in the park.

"Please place your right hand on the sensors as indicated."

Gray stepped up with a white latex glove on, the palm print from the steel water flask Nicolas had taken from Gwen printed across it.

"Please look closely at the circle below."

Gwen leaned in, her eyes, with the Torchwood contacts in, wide open.

"Iris in five," Ianto called to Jack, and they knew he was sending an image of Nicholas's iris to the contacts.

"Access granted," came a moment later.

"I never thought that would work," Gwen breathed.

Angel smiled, "I did."

"Psychic," Jack muttered playfully.

"Captain," Angel joked back.

"Welcome back, Nicolas," the computer hissed and the door opened.

"You're in," Ianto told them.

"Time to get to work," Jack nodded, leading them in.

"Server 113…" Gray murmured as they looked through the rows of servers.

"This way," Angel called, leading them at a hurried pace to the second to last row, right to the server.

"Could we have used her," Owen remarked to Jack, who smiled, as he and Gray got to work opening the crate while Angel and Gwen pulled the plugs out of the servers.

"Hey Angie," Jack looked at her, "Every consider becoming a member of Torchwood?"

She blinked and looked at him, "I thought I already was one."

The three of them smiled, knowing Ianto, Tosh, and Owen were smiling as well, "That you are," Gwen nodded, giving her a quick sideways hug, when her phone beeped.

"I've got this Gwen," Angel smiled at her, pulling the rest of the plugs out while Gwen grabbed her phone, standing to keep a lookout for them down the aisle.

"Yeah," Gwen answered, "Anwen alright?"

"She's fine," Rhys answered, "She's at home. I know you're busy. I was just phoning about your dad."

"Is he ok?" she turned to watch the 'Harknesses' at work, smiling at how they were moving. Angel was pulling the plugs out, moving from one server component to the next as Gray pulled the server out, moving to put it in their storage crate at the same time Jack pulled one of the already damaged decoys out and put it back into the real server, the men reversing their positions, all of them working in complete tandem.

"He's fine. Same as ever, no change. I just saw him, he sends his love. But I did what you said and made a fuss about getting him moved."

"We're a bit busy, sweetheart. Just tell me, can you get him out of there?"

"Yes, I can. Shall I go ahead?"

"Oh, I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. Just do it and let me know what happens," she glanced at the back door and then the trio, seeing them finishing up, Angel working on reconnecting the wires, "Oh, and give Anwen a big kiss. Ok? Bye," she ended the call and ran to help Angel, getting instructions from Ianto and Tosh on the contacts.

"Good luck," Jack whispered to them as he and Gray headed out with the server.

"Ok, go!" Gwen urged them.

-Reattach 655 to 321- Gwen saw, "655 to 321," she told Angel, taking -322 to 340- for herself.

"322," she murmured, nodding at Angel, "One more. 324. Done!" she beamed, turning to smile at Angel...

Only to see a man behind her with a gun.

~8~

Jack and Gray had just reached the underground parking area, when they stopped dead, opening the back of the truck to see the security guard lying inside it, a rope around his neck, still alive though clearly having been strangled. And they knew what that meant, someone had come after them.

"The assassin!" Gray gasped, all of them had known there was likely more than one.

"Angel!" Jack grabbed his arm, "Gwen!"

And they ran off to the lift, needing to get back to them.

~8~

"An…" Gwen tried to warn her.

But before she could even get the word out of her mouth, Angel had turned, throwing out her hand, a swirl of gold flashing out like a protective wall that pushed against the man and sent him flying backwards into the wall.

Angel gasped, staring wide-eyed at the man's prone form, knowing he wasn't dead, but just knocked out. She hadn't meant to do that, she'd just been trying to bring up the wall to protect them from the bullets and to maybe knock the man back long enough for Gwen to get the gun off him. It seemed she'd put a bit more force into it but she'd never done that before. She looked at Gwen, "I'm sorry," she whispered, "I just…I saw him coming and…he had a gun and he was going to hurt you and…"

Gwen just laughed and hugged her, "We are SO keeping you when this is over," she whispered to Angel. Angel blinked, stiffening in her arms which made Gwen pull away, "What is it?" she frowned, seeing Angel's eyes filled with tears as she looked at her, startled.

"You…you want me?" she murmured.

Gwen nodded, "Course we do!" she told the girl, squeezing her shoulders, "You wouldn't believe how often Jack goes on about you, how much we all think about you. We miss you Angel. We've only met you a few times but…we miss you. You don't come round often enough."

"That's the Doctor's fault," she murmured, but started to smile, it wouldn't be for much longer, no, she was determined to make even more of an effort than just phone calls. No…she was going to do better at keeping in their lives, like they were always in hers.

-What the hell just happened?-

Came up before Gwen's eyes, she rolled them, knowing THAT was Owen.

"Angel!" Jack shouted as he and Gray burst into the room, "Gwen!"

"What happened?" Gray asked, seeing the man, unintentionally mimicking Owen.

"He tried to sneak up on a psychic is what," Gwen laughed.

Jack looked at Angel and quickly made her way to his side, hugging her tightly as Gwen and Gray got their would-be assassin all taken care of.

~8~

The assassin's eyes fluttered as he slowly came around to find himself tied up, on the ground, against the wall of the server room, his hands bound behind him. He struggled, trying to free himself…

"The more you struggle the tighter the ropes get," Gray warned him, "A little trick I picked up."

He looked up to see Gray standing before him, his arms crossed, Jack beside him with his arm around Angel who was fidgeting and biting her lip, Gwen glaring at him with her hands on her hips.

"Who the hell are you?" Gwen demanded.

"Names aren't important right now," the assassin countered.

-Wonderful, he's cryptic- she saw from Tosh.

"What do you want?" Jack asked.

"You dead, Jack," Owen commented over the earpiece, "Don't need to be Angel to know that."

Jack rolled is eyes, "You want me dead, then why am I still alive?"

The man's jaw tensed, "You have…protection, apparently," his gaze flickered to Angel, Jack tensing and pulling her closer, "Now that is interesting, last I heard…you hadn't seen her in centuries."

Jack frowned at how they knew that, there was only one time he hadn't seen her in a century, but he'd told quite a few people about her and the Doctor, vaguely.

"The Angel," the assassin sneered, making them stiffen at how he knew of her, "Fitting isn't it, with Miracle Day and all. It's hardly been advantageous for those in my line of work, the day the killing stopped. So I can't tell you, Jack," he turned his attention back to the man, "How wonderful it is, how truly wonderful it is, to meet somebody who's mortal. When I was offered this task, I took it immediately. It's my Holy Grail."

"If he's the only one that can die then it's in your interest to keep him alive," Gray countered.

"Well it's not like he can kill him at the moment," Gwen remarked, eyeing the restraints.

"Why are you after Jack?" Angel frowned.

"I've been paid to eradicate him, but that only makes me wonder why. What makes you so different?"

"I don't know," Jack shook his head.

"And yet you're the only one left, the only true human."

"If I knew, I would tell you. I'm trying to find out the same thing myself."

-Ianto says, ask who's employing him- Gwen saw on the contacts.

"Who employs you?" she nodded.

But the man just kept focused on Jack, "Don't you have any idea, Jack? They told me it was a very long time ago. Don't you remember?"

"Who?" Gwen repeated.

The man smirked at Jack though, "What, your psychic sister can't work it out either?"

"Who told you that?" Jack glared at him.

"You're very special to them, Jack. They trust me enough to tell me that. But I hear rumors...of miracles yet to come, of a new society being forged here on Earth, and I'd like to guarantee my place. And to do that, I need leverage. So, tell me...what did you give them so long ago?"

"When?" Gray looked at his brother who seemed confused.

"Tell us who's employing you," Gwen demanded.

The man just laughed, "You'll never stop them, for this...is who they certainly are. They are everywhere. They are always. They are no one. They have been waiting for such a long time. Searching the world...for a specific geography."

"What the hell does that mean?" Jack shook his head.

"That means that they've found it. And they've made it magnificent."

"Who are they?!"

"As though I would tell you," he started squirming.

Angel's eyes flew wide, "It's a bomb!"

Jack looked at her a moment before running forward and grabbing the man, unzipping the front of his jacket to see there was, in deed, a bomb strapped to him.

How had they missed that?!

"Bye bye Jackie boy," the man laughed.

"Go!" Jack shouted, ushering them out of the room, "Go! Go!"

They fled, running down the hall as fast as they could, just making it to the other end when the explosion nearly knocked them to their feet. It was a very concentrated blast, small enough to destroy the room, a few rooms probably, and all those in it (under normal circumstance at least), but not enough to take the whole building out, they doubted Phi-Corp, for who else would know about them and their mission, would risk destroying their own headquarters.

"Everyone ok?" Jack looked around, seeing Angel leaning against the wall where she'd fallen into it.

"Fine," Gwen nodded as Gray helped her up.

"Angie?"

"I'm ok," she breathed, panting as she moved to rest her back to the wall, taking only one brief moment to rest a hand on her stomach, to the others, appearing as though she were just panting, but she let out a breath of relief, the baby was ok.

~8~

"It's such an unfortunate phrase," Oswald Danes gave another interview, the man himself and Jilly standing in the news room, watching it with smirks, "'Dead is dead.' It's coarse. I know, as a survivor, it's hurtful. The last thing that we need right now is a campaign that's going to empower the mob."

"The words of Oswald Danes are quickly becoming a worldwide phenomena," a reporter began.

"Today the story of Danes and the abandoned child truly went viral," another TV played a different station, the same story being played in Japan and Spain.

"As the White House stays silent, we ask is Oswald Danes now becoming the voice of the people? Is he the one true representative of this miracle age?"

"You are trending like never before, you clever bastard," Jilly commented as they turned to leave the building, having other places to get to.

"You make it all sound planned," he laughed, "I was just trying to help those unfortunate souls."

"Well, it's working. Guess what they're calling you in France. The Sainted Danes."

"That's almost blasphemous."

"And now you're a definite for the Miracle Rally. Flights are booked to Los Angeles. They want you to speak from the stage, and guess who you're replacing?"

"Ellis Hartley Monroe?" he started to grin.

"Ellis Hartley Monroe!" she nodded, cheering, "She must be livid!"

As though hearing her, the last TV they passed showed another reporter bringing up word of the woman, "We contacted the office of Ellis Hartley Monroe, asking for a response, but they told us Mrs. Monroe will not be making any statements for the foreseeable future."

They smirked and left the building, getting into the limo waiting for them, they had a flight to catch.

~8~

In the back seat of a car, one Ellis Hartley Monroe slowly woke. She'd been at a hospital, where all the overflow patients had been taken, speaking about her 'Dead is Dead' campaign when Oswald Danes had showed up. The man had had the nerve to walk right into the disease filled hospital in nothing more than a paper mask which he removed, giving a speech about how the ill shouldn't be overlooked, how 'Life is Life' and how they should be treated as still alive and not waiting to die.

It had stolen her thunder and she found herself storming off to her car as the press went wild for him. She'd just taken a sip of her coffee and the next thing she knew, she was waking up in her car in…in what looked like a junkyard.

"Mrs. Monroe?" a voice called and she looked at the radio where a triangle was spinning slowly around on the screen of her GPS, "We'd like to apologize. We're really very, very sorry about this. Indeed, we'd like to imagine if time and tides had flown in a different way we could have almost been friends."

She gasped as the car jolted.

"I hope that's some consolation at the end. The truth of it is, we liked your message Mrs. Monroe. We liked your style. But we already have Oswald Danes. We don't need another."

She let out a cry, starting to pound on the windows as her car was lifted into the air by a crane.

"And certain aspects of your strategy were revealing our hand just a little too soon. And we have been planning this so carefully for such a long time."

Her eyes widened as she saw her car being lowered into one of the crushing machines.

"Because we are everywhere. We are always. We are no one. And soon, the Families will rise."

She screamed as the radio cut off, her car crushed around her…with her still in it…unable to die.

~8~

"Anything yet Tosh?" Jack asked as he paced around the beach house, Tosh and Owen on the main screen, on the webcam as Tosh tried to crack the server information.

Tosh shook her head, "It's going to take days, weeks even with UNIT and Torchwood's software," she sighed, "But I'm rushing through a primary sift for basic patterns."

"Jack," Gray began, "Have you thought anymore about it? That guy said it was someone you knew."

"Not that easy when you've lived thousands of years," Jack remarked.

"It is for me," Angel shrugged, "I mean, I'm not 1,000 yet, but…" she smiled, "I remember everyone."

"That's because you're special Angie," Jack nudged her, moving to plop down beside her on the sofa, Ianto sitting on the armrest beside him.

"Got it!" Tosh cheered, "First basic pattern coming up now," the image shifted and they could see the information she'd cracked beside her.

"Is that…land prices?" Ianto squinted.

"Estimates dating back years and they're all linked to these construction plans."

"Plans for what?" Jack frowned.

"Overflow camps," Owen read over Tosh's shoulder, "It's what they're calling them, for all the patients in ICU."

"Phi-Corp's taking charge of them," Gray shook his head, "Like they own them."

"Sold some kind of strategy to the UN," Owen sighed.

"Phi-Corp and whoever else is behind them," Angel remarked, staring at the plans intently, a niggling in her mind but she just…couldn't seem to make the connection. She didn't doubt that the Doctor would have worked it out, but he wasn't there, so she'd try her best and hope.

"But what the hell are they up to?" Gwen wondered.

"Whatever it is," Ianto murmured, "It can't be good can it?"

"Ring ring," Angel called.

Gwen sighed, knowing what that meant and answered her phone just as it started to ring, "I am so sorry," she called to Rhys, getting up and walking to the window to talk, trying not to disturb the others, "I've been so busy, I didn't ring you back. But I'm going call you back in half an hour, and that is a promise."

"Calm down!" Rhys laughed, "Don't worry. I'm phoning with good news. It's about your dad."

"What is it? What's happened?"

"I said it's good news. Now, stop and listen, you daft thing. I've got him onto that scheme, top of the list."

"What scheme?"

Angel stiffened beside Jack, "What is it?" he asked her quietly.

'...Category 1 is basically dead!...'

...smoke rose from the tops of ceramic buildings...

'...let the outrage begin...'

Angel let out a breath only able to shake her head, tears in her eyes as the terrible feeling inside her grew, the vision hadn't been clear, but it gave her enough to know that whatever was happening in the overflow camps was...terrible and horrible and that they needed to be stopped.

"Government's stepped in to prop up the NHS," Rhys continued, Gwen not seeing the others start to tense behind her, "They're spending millions. They're building these sort of camps to help people."

"...overflow camps?" Gwen swallowed.

"That's it. I got your dad inside the South Wales site."

"Ok, Rhys, listen to me. Do not let them go. Do not let them take my father. I haven't time to explain. Just...just bloody move!"

"They just moved him out…"

"Then stop them, ok!" she shouted, growing frantic, hearing Rhys panting as he ran to stop them, "This is bloody Phi-Corp, Rhys, and they are up to something. Move! Don't let them go! Just get him back. Get him back now!"

A moment later, her heart stopped, "Gwen, it's too late."

She dropped her phone, turning to the others, "They've got my dad," she breathed, "They've got my dad."

Angel stood and quickly moved to her side, hugging Gwen tightly as the team looked on, solemn, but determined to help.

~8~

Owen and Tosh were in the middle of trying to get Gwen's father out of the overflow camp, Tosh trying to hack into their records while Owen tried to use his medical sway to have the man removed, yet nothing was working. The camp refused to do anything without a physical presence there, which was why they knew Gwen and Gray were heading back to Cardiff to try and stop it.

What had shocked Owen was that Gwen had actually requested that Gray go with her. Gwen had been all too willing to put a bullet in both Gray and Captain John when they'd met Gray, but there she was, requesting him to come along. According to her she wanted Gray with her for his experience and his, well, they all knew Gray was the sort of man to do what was necessary, his time with the aliens having skewed his morals just slightly, what might have made the others pause or fret, didn't have the same effect on Gray. He was more willing to do what needed to be done which was what Gwen needed if things went south.

Owen huffed, throwing his mobile down on the bed behind him, frustrated.

"No luck?" Tosh guessed.

"None," he glared at the phone.

"Nor me," she put her head in her hands, gently tugging at her hair, feeling miserable that she was letting Gwen down, but the firewall on the camps was even more secure than the other things she'd hacked. It was like these camps were something Phi-Corp really did NOT want others to be privy to.

Owen had just fallen back down onto the bed, staring at the ceiling, when his mobile went off, "Oh come on," he grumbled, answering it, "Harper."

"Dr. Harper," Colonel Thomas began.

Owen sat up straight, Tosh looking over, seeing him stiffen, "What's wrong?" he asked, hearing a solemn tone in the man's voice.

"The Medical Panels have been disbanded," the man began, "The report was sent to congress. HHS secretary took it directly to the president. Apparently now that the Categories have been finalized it clears the way for a lot of legislation."

He blinked, "What do you mean 'Categories?'"

"The Categories of life, it would seem."

"And what does that mean?"

"Instead of dead or alive, there are now three Categories. I've sent you the information," Owen looked at Tosh and nodded to the laptop, the girl getting to work on it, "It's being rolled out across America and Europe. The Categories become official at midnight. Dr. Harper we need to know what's happening, this needs to end soon, before the Categories become commonplace."

Owen nodded, "We'll need a flight to California."

"But sir…"

"You only kept me here for the Panels," Owen cut in, "You want this solved, you put Torchwood, all of us, in one place and we'll get it done."

Thomas sighed, "Understood sir, we'll book you and your wife…"

"Tosh," Owen cut in, waving at her when she looked at him, "Her name is Tosh, yeah she's my wife," he smiled, "Bloody LOVING that, but that's not her name, that's just a title, you call her Tosh."

"My apologies. We'll book you and Tosh the next flight out."

"Thanks," he nodded, ending the call.

"Owen," Tosh began, looking at him, alarmed, "You need to see this."

He got up and walked over to him, his jaw tensing when he saw the information on the screen, exactly what the Categories were and what it would mean for the Category 1 and 2s that were being forcibly taken to the overflow camps…

~8~

Gwen stood at the terminal of an airport, Gray behind her, both of them waiting for their passports to be checked so they could go on and get to Gwen's father.

"Thank you," Gwen smiled, Gray nodding, as they were given their fake IDs back and headed through the airport.

Gray nearly rolled his eyes when he spotted Rhys, dressed as a driver, waiting for them with a sign that read 'Yvonne Pallister & Marco Rattigan,' the aliases they'd been given.

"Yvonne Pallister," Gwen smiled as she walked up to him.

"Yes, indeed, madam," Rhys smiled at her, "I'm your driver."

"Clearly."

"Is there any luggage to pick up?"

"No, the only thing you'll be picking up is me."

"And me," Gray added quietly, holding both their bags like a gentleman.

If Rhys heard him he said nothing, just smirked at Gwen, "That'll be a pleasure."

"I don't like the tone of your voice," Gwen shot back playfully.

"And what are you going to do about it?"

"Many things," Gwen said seriously, before giving him a big kiss.

Gray waited a few moments before clearing his throat, "The mission, Gwen?"

"Right," she nodded, patting Rhys's arm, "Come on, let's get out of here. Who's with Anwen?"

"No one," Rhys answered, "I left her with petrol and a cigarette lighter," he joked, "Your mum's there, isn't she?"

Gwen nearly groaned at that, "Oh, great. See, now in America you can legally divorce your own mother."

"I get it. They do things better in America, don't they?"

"Not everything, Mr. Sloane."

"Please tell me this won't keep up the entire way back," Gray muttered, now starting to understand why Ianto and Jack had looked so (almost) pleased not to be selected to go with Gwen.

It was sweet, he was sure, that she and Rhys were so in love and he knew it was probably a coping mechanism of sorts to joke and flirt when they were worried, to lighten the fear, but he really hoped he wouldn't have to put up with them flirting and kissing the entire time.

Gwen just smirked, "Not the entire way," she told him, "Rhys has to drive doesn't he?"

It was a joke in Torchwood, Gray was NOT allowed anywhere near anything that he could drive or that moved. He was a terrible driver, worse, Jack claimed, than even the Doctor. Either he drove FAR too fast or he ended up veering everywhere and reversing into things among other such instances.

~8~

Gray had to smile though when they entered Gwen's mother's home, the woman immediately handing over Anwen to the girl's mother. Gwen was a tough as nails woman, he'd seen her take down more than her fair share of men twice her size, so it always threw him to see her being so gentle and nurturing to the baby.

"Well, hello there," Gwen beamed as soon as her daughter was in her arms, "Look at you. Look at you. Have you been good? Have you missed your mum? Oh, look at how you've grown so much. Now, have I got a kiss?" she laughed as Anwen kissed her.

"She's a very good girl," her mother remarked, "Sleeps the whole night. Doesn't fuss at bedtime like some babies I could mention," she gave Gwen a look.

"My mother said the same about me," Gray remarked. Jack and him, contrary to their grown natures, were quite the opposite as children, Jack was silent and serious, while he had been playful and very, very loud. It was funny how events shaped you but he wouldn't have it any other way. It was nice to see Jack being more carefree and less worried at times, while he knew Jack likely considered it a blessing that he'd matured and knew when he should be quiet.

"Look what you're wearing, huh?" Gwen tried not to grimace at the sheer amount of pink her mother had forced on her daughter, she even had a frilly pink headband, "So much pink. So...cute," she pulled the band off.

"Is this it?" Gray asked, walking over to the back wall that was covered with maps and news clippings, information they had sent to Mrs. Cooper to set up for them, he noticed a few more clippings, clearly the woman's own work.

"Your latest mission," Mrs. Cooper nodded.

"For God's sake, Mary, I told you, let her get in," Rhys sighed, "Let her spend some time with her daughter. She doesn't need to start work straightaway."

"This is all off the A48?" Gray looked at one particular area as Gwen sat down with Anwen, letting him take the lead for a few moments so she really could spend some time with her daughter.

"Two miles outside Cowbridge," Mrs. Cooper moved beside the man, pointing at the map, "Taking in patients from all South Wales."

"Are those…old army barracks," Gray squinted at another picture.

"Closed down in 1996," she nodded, "Reopened two days ago. Designated an official overflow camp. That's where they've taken your father," she glanced at Gwen, "And that's where you're going...to get him out."

"Well what are we waiting for?" Gray grinned.

Gwen shook her head, "You are JUST like your brother."

~8~

Gwen, Andy, and Gray pulled up to the old barracks that had been converted to the overflow camp, really like a large warehouse, to see a man standing before a gathering of complaining and concerned people, "If you're here about an existing claim, step to the right, please."

"But my son is in here!" a woman called, "They took him and no one asked me. Can I see him please? He's 17."

"I've written, I've phoned," another agreed, "I've been standing over there for two hours and I was in the wrong place."

"I've got money," a man tried to get through, "5,000 in cash."

"No, no, no," the man who seemed to be at least partially in charge shook his head, holding up his hands, "Can I remind you all any cars parked by the gates of the module will be towed, no excuses?"

"This is a mess," Gray murmured.

"What's the size of this place?" Gwen looked at Andy.

"God knows," the man scoffed, "They've got patients coming in from Bristol. Hospitals are closing across the southwest 'cos MRSA is going crazy. Add the increase in geriatrics and maternity, the NHS is going to go bust by the end of the week."

"How many camps nationwide exactly?" Gray frowned, looking at the man as well.

"35," Andy sighed, "Fair do's, it might be chaos, but at least it works."

"Andy, don't be so thick," Gwen shook her head, "Think about it. No NHS, who's paying for all this?"

"Phi-Corp," Gray answered, "You've got your healthcare system being run by the business that started of your problems."

"Come on," Gwen stepped forward, approaching the man still trying to calm the crowd.

"Now listen, one at a time…" the man pleaded.

"He's Category 2!" the woman called about her son.

"I'm first, my mother's Category 1," another nudged her.

"I need to take my father home," Gwen called, pushing her way to the front.

"You need to get in the queue," a woman nearly got in her face.

"Hey," Gray pushed himself between Gwen and the woman, using his full height and stature, "Back off."

Gwen smiled at that, she had slowly warmed up to Gray, he did seem truly sorry for what he'd done, more and more so each time they saw him, and his time at Torchwood had helped him really come to care for them all, he was just as protective of them as Jack, perhaps even more so since he had hurt them in the past. It was like he was trying to make up for it.

"His name is Geraint Wyn Cooper," Gwen continued.

"No one's going out today," the man shook his head.

"Right, forget you," she muttered, stepping up right onto the same large rock the man was standing on, "Who's in charge? Who's in charge!"

"Admin is over there," he pointed into the warehouse, "Complaint forms are on the desk in yellow."

"Right," she nodded, hopping down and heading in.

"But we've been waiting over there!" they heard the people continue to complain as they made their way through the warehouse to the back.

"Excuse me," Gwen pushed her way through the crowd to a man in police garb, "Excuse me, lieutenant. This won't take long. I need to remove a patient. It's urgent."

"Speak to one of the care workers," he waved her off, bored, as though he'd heard this same complaint hundreds of times before, which he had, "They can tell you how to process your claim."

"It's not a claim," Gray frowned, "It's a PERSON."

"I haven't bumped my car," Gwen agreed, "We're talking about my father."

"Sorry, if I could just..." Andy cut in, straightening, "The thing is, the removal of this woman's father is being done under police authority, sir."

"Thank you," the man nearly scoffed, "But we are not under the control of the Welsh police, sergeant."

"Look," Gwen began, "His name is Geraint Wyn Cooper. He's had a heart attack, but he's recovering."

"So he sounds like a Category 2, which means he'll be safe in here. If you'd care to read the definitions..." he turned and grabbed a pamphlet off the desk behind him, handing it to Gwen.

"Oh, I like that," she rolled her eyes at the fancy front cover, "Yeah, I'll show you definitions. Just have a look at this," she flipped it over, showing them the back of it, the familiar logo printed there, "Bloody Phi-Corp logo," she handed Gray the pamphlet and turned back to the lieutenant, "Now listen to me. This country is not under martial law. My father is a taxpayer and a law-abiding citizen. He is entitled to go home and I am not moving until I take him. Have you got that?!" she added with more of a shout, growing more worked up the longer she talked.

"Yes, that's perfectly clear," the man drawled, "And I hope it's also clear why I'm now having you arrested," he gestured for the two officers behind him to step forward.

"Hey, sorry, boys," Andy held up a hand in surrender, "Come on now, Gwen. I think we're leaving."

"Not going anywhere," Gwen shook her head, staring down the lieutenant.

"Me either," Gray tensed, crossing his arms, standing by her.

"Given time, we will have this facility open and running like clockwork with access for all," the lieutenant tried to reassure her, "But right now we have cholera and dysentery and swine flu. And every patient needs immediate definition under the three Categories. So it's a lockdown. No one is allowed in and no one is allowed out. When the situation changes, we'll let you know. Thank you."

And with that, he turned around, leaving Gwen ignored.

Gray shook his head at the man, "Come on Gwen," he whispered to her, putting a hand on her shoulder to turn her around, "We'll think of something."

Gwen nodded and strode away, shoving past the other people who had gathered in the warehouse, "Excuse me, please. Excuse me. Bloody categories. All the things I fought with Torchwood, and what stops me? Red tape."

"Well you know what they say about that," Gray smirked, "Little snip of the scissors."

Gwen looked at him, starting to smirk as well, THIS was why she wanted Gray there, "Oh yes."

"What's say we break in here, we find your dad, and get him out?"

"Tonight?" Gwen suggested playfully.

"It's a date," Gray winked.

"Don't tell my husband that," Gwen joked, linking her arm with Gray's as they walked off.

Andy just shook his head, running after them. This would not end well.

~8~

Jack frowned as he stood at the edge of the beach, watching as Angel sat in the sand, her knees to her chest, her chin resting on her knees as she stared out at the ocean. He'd noticed that there was just…something wrong…with her. She wasn't happy and joking and laughing like she had been the last time they'd seen her. Something had upset her, something had scared her, something had made her sad and…it hurt that he didn't know what it was.

Because Angel hadn't told him.

And that hurt worse, to know she wasn't talking to him about what was bothering her. The team, well, they all talked in hushed tones when Angel had fallen asleep on the way to California, they'd all told him to leave it alone for the moment. They all knew Angel, she'd push it off and want them to focus on the mission, she'd try to play it off as not bad and then pretend that she was fine and she might just fool them for a short while. He'd never had a younger sister so Gwen and Tosh telling him about what girls wanted had helped put it in perspective. They got upset easily, yes, they were more emotional than men, sure, but when they truly and deeply felt something, they closed it off. They got quiet and they just…didn't want to talk about it, not till they were ready, not till they were sure they could handle discussing it.

To push a woman to talk before she was ready would push her away.

And he didn't want that.

But it killed him to see her so…not her. He could only hope that he could remind her that she always had him, whenever she was ready to talk, he'd be there for her.

He walked out onto the beach, in his full clothes and WWII jacket and plopped down beside her.

"You should have told me you'd never been to California before," he remarked, "I'd have taken you."

Angel was just quiet, lost in thought, as she stared out at the different hues of blue before her, not quite as blue as the TARDIS but beautiful nonetheless.

He frowned, "Angel?"

"Do you think I'm useless Jack?" she asked.

He blinked, completely thrown by the question, "Why would you ever think that Angie? Ever?"

What had happened to her? The Angel he'd seen last time had been so…confident, so sure of herself, so driven…she wouldn't have ever considered herself useless.

She shrugged, "I just…" she sighed, turning her head to rest her temple on her knees and look at him, "I just feel…like everything's spinning out of control and no matter how hard I try I just…can't help, I can't work it out, I can't stop it…"

Jack reached out and put his hand on her shoulder, "Everyone feels like that every now and then Ang, especially in times like these," he looked out at the various people walking around, "Times like these, the game goes to the person who speaks with the loudest voice. But pretty much everyone just wishes their mother was here."

"My mother can't be here," she murmured.

He squeezed her shoulder, "Neither can mine," he moved closer, putting his arm around her shoulders and rubbing her other arm, "But you know what Ang, I'M here, I'll always be here, literally," he laughed, making her smile as he nudged her.

"At least once we work out what happened and reverse it."

"I spent so long Angie, being angry at being immortal," he admitted, "But…it took a very special immortal alien to show me that a longer life isn't always a curse, sometimes it's a gift."

She reached up and squeezed the hand on her arm, "It depends on the person."

"And you know what, I know that, even though Gray and Stephen and Alice will grow older, that I get to be there for them, and for their children, like a very wise woman once told me," he winked at her.

"I'll always be here for you too Jack," she rested her head on his shoulder, the two of them just staring out at the surf.

"And you're not useless Ang," he whispered to her after a few moments of silence, "You are the greatest asset anyone could ever have."

"Because I'm psychic."

"No."

"Because of the Vortex?" she frowned.

"Nope," he started to smile.

She pulled away to look at him, "Because I can fix a TARDIS?"

He laughed, "Not that either."

"Then what?" she shook her head.

Jack just stared at her softly, she really couldn't see it could she? She could see the brilliance in so many others, but not herself, "These," he pointed at the center of her chest with two fingers spaced out like a V, "Your hearts," he told her, "The strongest, biggest, most pure things in the Universe Angie. No one has hearts like yours."

Angel blinked and started to smile, "And that's YOUR greatest asset," she pointed right at the center of his face.

"My nose?" he went cross-eyed.

"No," she laughed, "Just…you, being you. Being the best big brother ever."

"Aww, come here you," he laughed, pulling her to him in a tight hug, beaming over her shoulder as he heard her laugh a real and true laugh, like she was finally happy.

"We interrupting?" a woman called.

They looked over from their hug to see Tosh and Owen standing there with a suitcase each, smiling at them, both of them able to tell that Angel had cheered up quite a bit as well.

"What took you so long?" Jack joked.

"Oi!" Owen huffed, "We were lucky to even get a flight. Everyone's coming to LA for this Miracle Rally thing," he held up a flyer, "The plane was full and the AC was knackered."

Angel laughed and got up, moving to take Tosh's suitcase from her, seeing Owen was also holding a few cases of the Torchwood and UNIT equipment too, "Let me help," she took the suitcase.

"Thanks," Tosh smiled, turning to head into the house.

"Angie," Jack called as she turned to him from following Tosh, "That right there," he nodded at her, "Exactly what I was talking about."

She smiled widely at that and turned to help Tosh into the house, she'd spent so long with the Doctor, with a Doctor who only seemed to think about her in terms of her abilities even though she knew that wasn't true at all, he worried about her as a person but…being around River Song, it always left her feeling like that was really the only thing she was good for, the only thing that she could compare between the two of them.

It was…nice…SO nice to find that the reason Jack and the team wanted her around had nothing to do with any of that, but just…her being her. And if Jack thought she was an asset all on her own, then…maybe she was.

~8~

Jack grinned as he, Owen, Tosh, Ianto, and Angel gathered in the sitting room of the beach house. Tosh and Owen were on a sofa, Angel sitting on the armrest beside Tosh while he sat on the floor, Ianto on an armchair beside him, gathered around the TV that had scores of data streaming across it.

"And Torchwood is go," Jack announced.

"Right," Tosh nodded, bringing up even more facts but in an organized manner now that the files had finished sorting, "This is everything we've gathered so far. Got chases updating every 20 seconds, tapping into major newsfeeds, WikiLeaks, backdoor routes into the CIA and FBI..."

"What about South Wales?" Owen called.

"Got her," Ianto nodded, setting down a laptop on the middle of the coffee table with Gwen and Gray visible through it, sitting in Gwen's kitchen that night, Anwen in her arms as she burped her.

"Yeah, we're here," Gwen called.

"Can you see us?" Gray asked.

"Clear as daylight, Agents Cooper and Harkness."

"Thank you Captain Harkness," Gray laughed.

"You're welcome Agent Harkness," Jack smirked.

"How is Angie Harkness?" Gray continued the joke.

"Just fine Harknesses," Angel laughed.

"Ok can we stop that now?" Owen cut in, though they all seemed amused.

"Have you seen the latest?" Gwen asked, "France and Germany have all started overflow camps."

Ianto frowned at that, "Those were the last two left, that means the whole of Europe's joined in."

"China's saying no to the camps," Tosh reported, "But the Pan-African Summit said yes."

"Have you managed to find anything more about the morphic fields Jack?" Angel looked at him.

"It kept getting mentioned on the medical panels," Owen remarked as Jack shook his head, "But it's only theory."

"Still, better see what we can find," Gray agreed.

"Keep the traces running on Jilly Kitzinger and Oswald Danes," Angel spoke up, staring at a picture of them as it appeared on the monitor before them, "I don't think he knows it, but…he's connected himself to this now."

"Ok," Jack nodded, "How these Category things work?" he looked at Owen.

But it was Gwen who answered, "Well, they've activated the Categories over here. It's officialdom gone mad."

"Category 1 is really bad," Gray told them.

"Yeah," Owen nodded, "That's people with no brain function or anyone who would normally have died. They're Category 1."

"Ordinary people are Category 3," Jack followed along.

"Right. That's people with no injuries, nothing. They're fine."

"Then Category 2 is what?" Ianto shook his head, "Everyone in-between?"

"People who are alive and functioning with an illness or injury that'll persist but not kill."

Angel frowned though, "But…what about the people who get hurt, badly, but…if they had enough time could heal. Wouldn't that make them go from Category 2 to 3? What then?"

"That's what Owen was ranting about the entire way over," Tosh remarked.

"What?" Owen defended, "People don't fit categories."

"I agree," Angel smiled at him and Owen gave a smug nod to the others.

"Worse than that," Gray cut in, "This process has given the United Nations a definition for life, which also means there's a definition of death even in a world where no one can die."

"The government now has the power to decide whether you're dead or alive," Jack frowned, "No one should have that much control."

"What does Phi-Corp get out of this?" Ianto wondered, "How do they profit?"

"And who's controlling them?" Angel added.

"Maybe whoever that is needs these overflow camps for a reason," Owen guessed.

"That's exactly what I was thinking," Tosh nodded, typing away and bringing up more information for them to see, "'Cos I have been looking into the NORAD satellites and the building specs," she showed them an image of a camp, "This is our nearest overflow camp in San Pedro," she showed them an overhead satellite map of the facility, "And THESE are the specs from the Phi-Corp server," she brought up another one, an image right on top of it, two rather large buildings at the foot of the map missing, "Do you see it? The buildings on the plans are called the modules."

"But where is it on the photograph?" Angel realized.

"No module," Jack nodded.

"There's a module on the plans but not on the photos," Tosh nodded, "It doesn't exist."

"No, hang on," Gwen frowned, "We heard somebody refer to the module today," she looked at Gray.

"The module's been masked," Gray determined, "That's what they do with military installations."

"Right," Tosh agreed, "So brilliant old me, I went into NORAD and I got the undoctored photographs. The buildings exist," she brought up the image of the satellite view again, "Half of these are old army camps just being converted. And now anything labeled the module is hidden from view so the public can't see it. It's the same for all the sites I've checked. The same thing in Wales too, Gwen."

"Hmm…" Gwen hummed, suspicious.

"But why do that?" Ianto asked, "Why seal them out of sight?"

Angel frowned, staring at the photo of the module, she felt...bad...something bad about them. Something truly terrible was involved with them. But she didn't know what and, given the horrible twisting in her gut, she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"Well, they're gathering all the Category 1s," Owen sighed, "The only question is, what are they using the bodies for? Is it to investigate or to experiment?"

"Do you mean like dissections?" Ianto looked over, "They're dissecting people?"

"Vivisections. When they're alive it's vivisections."

Jack rolled his eyes, about to comment, when Gwen cut in quietly, "My father's in there."

"They could be cultivating..." Gray suggested, "Making diseases to make more customers using Category 1 patients like Petri dishes."

"Could explain the rush to strip their human rights," Tosh had to agree.

"So we need to get inside the camp to find out what those modules are," Jack determined.

"Yeah," Gwen smirked, "Already on it this end. Rhys signed up as a driver and I used the ID software to get Gray and I on the medical register. So Nurse Yvonne Pallister and Dr. Marco Rattigan are going on the night shift."

"I could get inside San Pedro easy," Owen added, "If I use my position on the Medical Panels, I could go to San Pedro as an inspector."

"We should have a body too," Gray remarked, "Someone who can sneak around among the Category 1s, see what's happening to them."

"You know," Jack smirked at Owen, "You could have gotten in as Category 1 patient if you were still, you know, dead."

Owen rolled his eyes, "Can it mortal man. I may not be able to pass as a Cat. 1 anymore, but I can still make someone into it," they looked at him for explanation, "Couple of drugs to slow the heart rate and knock you out ought to do it. I can't see them looking too much into testing and things with all this chaos."

"I'll do it," Ianto offered.

"No," Jack shook his head.

"There's no one else Jack," Tosh remarked, "I can't, I'm pregnant, Owen's passing as a doctor…"

"Oi!" Owen pouted.

Tosh, without looking at him, just patted his leg, "You know what I mean," she told him, before continuing, "We can't risk human medicine on Angel and you're mortal. If anything happened, you'd die."

"It's got to be me," Ianto nodded.

Angel looked at Jack, seeing him very much upset by this plan, about the danger posed to the ones he loved, the ones he'd nearly lost so many times before…when something caught her eye.

"Could you go back a minute Tosh," Angel called, seeing Tosh flicking through images of San Pedro, she squinted at a call for workers sign, "They need clerical staff," before biting her lip, looking at Jack, "I might be able to do that," she told them, "Get into the offices, find some paperwork…"

"Are you sure Ang?" Jack asked her, they hadn't really been separated, or at least not Angel since she got there, always had a partner with her.

She started nodding, feeling more sure of herself, "Yeah, and it would be better with me there, I might be able to sense if Owen or Ianto need me. I'll have more access as someone who works there," she glanced at Jack, "I can help protect them."

Jack sighed, "I don't like it."

"Tough," Tosh smirked, pleased that they were calling the shots this time.

~8~

Jack ran after a team of Emergency Medical Technicians as they were called to the beach house, "It's this way," he shouted, frantic, leading them into the house, right to Ianto as he laid on the sofa, unconscious, "He's over here. His name is Jonesy. He's always had a weak heart, but after Miracle Day, we thought he'd be fine but he collapsed! He won't wake up!"

"Ok," a female technician moved to kneel by Ianto, opening his eyelids to check his pupils, "Jonesy?" she called, not seeing the others peeking in from a back room or Jack trying desperately not to laugh, "If you can hear me, we've got you. It'll be ok," she motioned to her team and they quickly got Ianto onto a stretcher, wheeling him out and back to their ambulance.

"Where are you taking him?" Jack ran after them.

"We have to take him to the overflow facility in San Pedro. Is that ok?"

"Can I come with him?"

"I'm sorry, sir. There's no visitors. Here," she handed him a paper, "Dial this number and ask for an update."

"You look after him. I love him. That crazy old boyfriend of mine," his sad expression faded into a pleased smirk as the vehicle drove away and he made his way back in to see Owen and Angel getting ready, "He's on his way."

"No," Owen muttered sarcastically, "Is he?"

"Hush," Tosh lightly whacked him on the chest, before kissing him, "Be careful."

"Always," he promised her, sincere, ever since they'd found out about the baby, he'd been FAR more careful than he usually was. He was NOT about to leave his son without a father.

"Right, now, Angie," Jack turned to Angel, "You and Owen are gonna follow."

Owen nodded, "I phoned UNIT, had them pull a few strings. Got observer status."

"Any trouble," Jack continued, "You help get each other out."

Angel smiled, hearing a second meaning in his words, he fully believed she was capable of holding her own in there and helping Owen if needed, "Aye Aye Captain," she joked.

He laughed, hugging her tightly, "You be careful too."

"Everything will be fine Jack," Angel crossed her hearts, "Trust me."

"Always," Jack nodded, stepping aside to let the two out.

"Think they'll be ok?" Tosh had to ask as soon as the door was shut, leaving the two of them to man the databases and tech.

"With Angie there, oh yeah," Jack said, fully believing it.

Some would say the same for the Doctor, but for him, it was Angel, she'd kept the Time Lord plenty safe, he'd seen her save people the man couldn't. She'd saved Owen's life twice before, he trusted her with it, he trusted her with his team's life, with his life, always. When Angel put her mind to something, amazing things happened.

~8~

Oswald and Jilly smiled as they sat in the backseat of a limousine, watching a TV report of the Rally they were heading to on the small screen that dropped down from the ceiling of the car.

"Yes, there are some heavy hitters lined up for today's Miracle Rally to raise money for the overflow camps," a man was saying, standing before a large gathering of people all talking and cheering, "At 4pm, the vice President will introduce the President, who will speak live from the Oval Office via satellite. Then a parade of big-name guests will take the stage," he smiled at a young girl beside him, "Jessica MacCauley got here early from Redlands. Tell us who you're here to see."

"Oswald Danes," she breathed, making Oswald smirk, "The execution guy. He's just been so amazing since all this happened."

"But doesn't it worry you, his criminal record? The things he did?"

"But you can't have a Miracle Day without miracles. And that's Oswald. He really is a miracle."

"I think we have someone," they could hear, not just from the TV but outside as the limo pulled up to the crowd, "I think we have someone here!"

"Alright," Jilly began quickly as the car began to slow, "We've got you on fourth in the running order, that's 90 minutes before the President. They wanted clear blue water between you and him, which is understandable. Here is a first draft of what they want you to say," she handed him a piece of paper with the speech on it, "The key word is 'revelation.' You say revelation and the Phi-Corp logo comes up. And I mean massive. Actually, I've put revelation in all caps…" she pointed out.

"Why was this written out for me?" he frowned, staring at the words that just…weren't him, "I'd rather use my own words."

"Oh, really? Oswald, that's sweet. Take it."

"Oswald!" they could hear the crowd chant as Jilly got out, rushing around the side to join him, "Oswald!"

"And we're walking, Eugene," Jilly called into her phone as she escorted Oswald out, "Confirm Oswald Danes arriving at Gate 6."

"Oswald!" the crowd was screaming now, "Oswald!"

"Thank you," he smiled at them, "Thank you. Thank you. It's very good of you to come. Great to be here with all of you today. Good of all you to come."

You'd never think, from their reactions, that the man had raped and murdered a little girl.

…or maybe you could.

"You bastard!" one man shouted, clearly remembering the truth behind Danes, "You bastard, Danes! You killed her!"

"Go!" Jilly urged him to rush down a small ramp towards the building as the man and a few others began to throw rocks and other objects at him, "Trouble. Go, go. Go, go, go, go," she whipped out her phone as soon as Oswald was in the building, "Yeah, it's Gate 6. I didn't get the ID, but there was a TV camera and they filmed the whole thing. Now get that footage. I want that footage destroyed. Do you hear me? No, don't tell me to keep it down. Don't you ever tell me that. You just do it!"

"20,000 people all here for me?" Oswald smirked though, even as Jilly had a minor-meltdown, chuckling darkly.

Excellent.

~8~

Owen pulled the car to a stop outside the overflow camp, glancing at Angel, "Remember, if we meet, you don't know me."

She nodded, "Owen…be careful out there."

"You too."

She got out of the car but stopped, staring at the camp, and turned back to him, "And Owen…" she bit her lip a moment, "DON'T let him get you alone."

"Who?" he frowned.

"I don't know," she swallowed, "But…" she glanced around, lowering her voice, "Keep your gun ready."

He stiffened and nodded, keeping that firmly in mind, knowing Angel would NEVER tell him to have his gun on him if she weren't truly scared for his safety, as he pulled up to a checkpoint to get in.

"ID?" the guard called and he handed one over, "Ok. Hold on. Go ahead. Next!"

And Owen pulled into the camp.

~8~

Ianto slowly came around to see nurses and doctors rushing around him, beds lined up as far as he could see, feeling a bit groggy as the drugs wore off, Owen had been very specific that they wear off by the time he'd arrived. They had agreed to pass him off as a Category 2, to ensure he'd be awake and fully functioning instead of risking him automatically being listed as Category 1 and being unable to help himself if the drugs didn't wear off as soon as they had. That was another reason Angel was there, to get into the computers and forge some papers to make him a Category 1 once he was awake.

"Ok," a young doctor walked up to him, a line of what looked like colored clothes pins dangling around his neck, in white, blue, and red, "What have we got?" he grabbed Ianto's chart, "Positive on respirations. Positive on pulse…heart defect," he glanced at Ianto, "That makes you Category 2, sir," he pulled a blue clip off and stuck it to Ianto's button up shirt, having forgone his typical suit in favor of simple pants and a shirt.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Category 2, rhymes with blue," the man shrugged, moving to the bed beside him, "Negative. Negative. Category 1. Ok," he ushered a nurse on as he pulled the line of clips off and hung them on an IV holder, "Go ahead and write up the chart and I'll peg her," he pulled a red clip off and pinned it to the woman.

"Hold on," Ianto frowned, "She's very ill…doesn't she need more than just a peg?"

"It's emergency procedure," the man said quickly, "I've 50 patients to process in an hour. Got a better system, write a letter."

Ianto frowned, watching as the man rushed off.

~8~

"What happened to Rosanna?" a plump black woman asked, glancing up at Angel as she slowly made her way into an office-like area.

"She won the lottery," Angel shrugged, "Central Office called me in," she added, going with the story the team had worked up for her, "Angela Jones," she reached out to shake the woman's hand, "Nice to meet you."

"Rachel Jameson."

She smiled and sat at the open desk across from Rachel, glancing around, "Um, sorry," she smiled apologetically, "I've never worked in an office like this before, they said something about copying the statistics for the module?"

"Nothing to do with me. Ask Maloney," Rachel jerked a thumb at the only enclosed office in the room, with windows in it so they could see a slightly balding man with glasses sitting within, grinning.

Angel watched him closely as he got off the phone with someone and rushed out of the office just as Owen swaggered in, "Welcome, welcome. My casa is your casa. My name is Colin Maloney and I'm in charge here," he shook Owen's hand.

"Dr. Owen Harper."

"Welcome to Medical Lot 338, Dr. Harper. Sorry about the heat. Suppose you take it better than me, huh?"

"Probably," Owen shrugged, being blunt, "Shall we begin? I'd like to start with the module."

Maloney blinked, startled, "I'm sorry, module's closed, obviously. You're from Washington. You should know that."

"Yeah and since my inspection orders mention it specifically, I think I'd best see it, don't you?"

The man chuckled nervously, "Quite the take-charger aren't you? Patients first, I think. Don't you?" he echoed, "That's always my motto. Rachel, pull my cart around for me, would you?" he called as Rachel rolled her eyes and picked up the phone, "I had a little cart customized. I think you'll find it easier on your feet."

"My feet are fine," Owen eyed him, "Though I'm not surprised yours aren't."

Maloney chuckled as though he'd made a joke instead of an insult, clapping Owen on the back as he led the man out.

Owen glanced back at Angel as he reached the door to see her give him a small, worried smile and winked at her in reassurance before he left the room.

~8~

"It's, er," Rhys stuttered as he pulled a small lorry up to the gates of their own overflow camp, "Driver Rhys Williams, Nurse Pallister, and Dr. Rattigan," he told the guard, who checked his roster, "Just like the old days," he murmured to Gwen.

"No, it's not," she shook her head, serious, "It's worse. It only ever gets worse."

"Mr. Williams, Miss Pallister, Dr. Rattigan, you can head on in," the guard waved them on.

"Not big on security are they?" Gray remarked.

"All the better for us," Gwen agreed as they reached the warehouse, hopping out.

"Good luck," Rhys called to them.

Gray gave him a small salute while Gwen smiled, "Ok, see you later."

~8~

Angel printed out a copy of the documents that marked a 'patient' as Category 1, having managed to easily find it in the system before quickly excusing herself on a bathroom run and making her way carefully through the rows and rows of sick and injured outside the building, walking right over to where Ianto was, letting her feelings guide her.

She knelt down beside him, "Hello," she whispered, putting a hand on his, "You ok?"

He nodded, "Did you find it?"

She held up the papers, taking the file by his bed and switching out the Categories before handing him something to hide under his covers, "Here's the camera."

"Right," he glanced over, "Get one of those red pegs and clip it on me, Red is for Category 1," he told her.

She moved over and nabbed one, pinning it to his shirt, "Good luck Ianto," she whispered, kissing his forehead quickly and giving his hand one more squeeze before rushing over to a nurse as he laid back down, "Hello? Excuse me, sorry, um, I noticed that man's in the wrong place," she pointed at Ianto, "His chart says that he's Category 1 and he's clipped for it too," she gestured to the evidence, the nurse checking the chart as well, "We should move him. Take him to the module."

The nurse nodded and called for some other male nurses to help move him, Angel biting her lip as she watched him go.

~8~

"Ok!" Jilly cheered as she found Oswald sitting in a chair against the wall of a hallway beneath the stage where the Rally would be held, "Found you this," she handed him a water, "And here's a new copy of the speech," she gave him a new paper, "They've added some stuff in about a lifetime of penitence, et cetera."

"I understood that I was supposed to have a dressing room," he cut in, "Did they run out?"

"Oh, no," she smirked a bit, "No. There's plenty of dressing rooms. I checked. You'd be surprised, genuinely chic. I'd imagined this place to be all concrete."

"Where's mine?"

"Tiny little problem," she winced mockingly, "Certain other people in certain other dressing rooms, they don't want you anywhere near them. And we're talking serious names here. It's a very definite ixnay on the Oswaldway."

"But that's your job," he glared at her, speaking threateningly, "YOU represent ME. You get me a room."

"Now don't get angry," she laughed, "Careful with the bloodlust. It's showing. Excuse me..." she smiled, pulling out her phone as it rang, slowly walking down the hall away from him, "Steve, no. I told him no. And you know what? If that little bastard tries to charge me one more time, so help me God, I'm going to get Ioannidis on him."

Oswald sighed and looked around, tensing when he spotted Jack standing at the end of the hall, "Won't be but a minute," he called to the guards who had come with him as he made his way down the hall in that direction, "No, no, stay here," he added when they tried to follow, "That's an order."

He reached the end of the hall, but Jack was gone…only for him to catch a glimpse of him out of the corner of his eye, down another hall. He rushed after the man, who just kept seeming to disappear and reappear for a moment, until he reached where the stage was still being constructed, Jack nowhere to be found.

~8~

Owen rolled his eyes as 'I Wish I was in Dixie' played on the horn for a small golf cart that Maloney had driven over to him, hopping in the back as Owen took the front seat, "I want you to meet Ralph," Maloney gestured to the driver, "He's my personal escort while I'm on the lot. Great guy. Great guy."

"Good to meet you, Doctor," Ralph nodded, pulling away to start the tour.

"Yeah, likewise," Owen sighed.

"This is my first tour, but I think we might get some important people wanting to visit, you know?" Maloney grinned, "We've got a line on Hillary I'm feeling really good about."

He frowned, "Hillary Clinton?"

"Duff," Maloney corrected, sounding even more pleased by this Hillary than former First Lady, "Hillary Duff. Alright, this way," he got out of the cart as it pulled up before a tent of some sort.

"...to help their system and to fund research into the Miracle itself…" Maloney paused to see a TV playing news of the Rally.

"Oh, we're missing it, that Miracle Rally. I hear rumours of Phil Collins."

Owen however, had ignored him and was actually checking the chart of a patient, "This patient is being monitored every hour," he nodded, vaguely impressed, "That's very good."

"Yes, our priority is efficiency. If a patient is in decline, we monitor them very closely so that we can move them to Category 1 promptly without wasting any more resources."

Owen frowned at him, "Your priority should be care, not efficiency."

"Everybody gets sufficient care, Dr. Harper," he assured the man, "Did I say any different?"

"Category 1 is basically dead. You don't just lower their status, you're letting them die when you make them Category 1."

"Well, there are new triage regulations, doctor. Treat the ones who can recover."

"That regulation was put in place for emergencies only," he said, vaguely recalling a mention of it at panel, some Vera woman had thought of it in her hospital.

"This is an emergency. Everything here is an emergency. We can't give everybody private rooms. Would you like a private room, George?" he turned to a male patient who could only wheeze and not answer, "Yeah? See, they'd all love private rooms. But it's impossible. Now you should see the kitchens. They are gleaming."

Owen glared at the man as he walked off, seeming inches away from wanting to find a way to murder someone who couldn't die given the man's complete lack of concern for the patients around him.

~8~

Gwen was wandering through the aisles and aisles of patients in the overflow warehouse, when she heard someone hissing at her, "Gwen! Gwen!"

She looked over to see Gray peering at her through a stack of equipment on a wheeled shelf.

"Did you find him?" she asked, making her way over to him.

"Yeah," he smiled, leading her back the way he'd come, right to her father.

"Gwen?" the man blinked up at her.

"Oh, my God, dad," she knelt beside him, taking his hand, "How are you? How do you feel?"

"All the better for seeing you," he smirked.

She laughed, "Oh, dad."

"What are you wearing? Pyjamas?"

"No, dad."

"You look good though. It's good to see you."

"Yeah, we couldn't come to visit. They wouldn't let us in. We…"

"Gwen," Gray cut in gently, a hand on her shoulder, "We need to be quick."

She nodded, "Listen, dad, we've come to get you, alright?"

"Get me?" the man frowned.

"Yeah."

He looked over at Gray, "Who's your friend?"

"Jack's brother."

"Gray," he introduced, "Nice to meet you."

Gwen snorted at that, "I definitely see the family resemblance," she murmured, thinking of Angel.

Gray beamed at that, making the connection as well, before shaking his head, "Gwen, the lorry."

"Let's go, dad," she started to help him up, "What have you got, shoes or just slippers?"

"Where are we going?" her father asked.

"Sir, it's not safe here," Gray told him, helping him to his feet, "We need to get you out."

"What do you mean 'it's not safe?'"

"You know all those things I used to investigate with Torchwood?" Gwen began, "This is one. Haven't time to explain. But listen, you've got to come with me, dad, ok?"

He nodded, "Yeah."

Gwen nodded as well and they led him through the maze of beds, carefully avoiding the nurses and doctors till they reached a back space they could sneak out of, Rhys waiting with the lorry for them.

"Easiest to have him in the cab," Rhys ran over, helping them to the front of the truck, "Geraint, can you climb up? We'll give you a hand."

"I can do that, don't worry," Mr. Cooper waved him off.

"Rhys," Gray looked at him, "Go around and pull him up, we'll push from behind.

"Ok," Rhys ran off to climb into the cab.

"Are they coming?" Mr. Cooper began to pant, "Is it safe?"

"Dad, don't panic now," Gwen tried to calm him, "Try to stay calm. I've got you."

"We need to hurry," Gray looked back, seeing one or two nurses looking over, "They're starting to see us."

Gwen moved to help him push…when her father groaned in pain.

"He doesn't look good," Rhys called.

"What?" Gwen gasped as her father let go of his leverage and began to fall back into their arms, "Dad? Dad? Dad!" she started to panic as he began to clutch at his chest, in pain, "Dad? We need some help, please!" she shouted, drawing the attention of the other nurses on purpose, her father was having a heart attack! It was justified, "I need some help. Anyone, please, I need some help!"

"Code 1..." a nurse yelled back as she ran over, Gray backing up to give more room, "Assistance needed, please. Code 1! I need assistance now!"

"Come on!" Gwen pleaded with her father before speaking quickly to the nurse, "He's my patient. He's already had a heart attack," he gave a cry of pain in her arms and shuddered, making her wince, "Look, he's my dad, ok? He's my father. Now I need you to look after him, please. Is it bad? I got you. Dad?" she gasped as his eyes fell closed, "Dad!"

~8~

Ianto kept his eyes closed, kept as still as he could be as he was moved into the module, the movers thinking him a Category 1. It was a large, dark room, with what looked like messes of bunk beds or large shelves everywhere. As soon as the door closed, the workers leaving, Ianto quickly got out of his bed and looked around, opening the camera to use as light as he recorded what he saw.

The room was full of bodies, cleary the ones who 'should' be dead, given their injuries and states of decomposition halted.

He grimaced, pulling out a handkerchief to hold in front of his mouth and nose as he filmed them, "This is the module, built by Phi-Corp, hidden within the overflow camps. I'm inside one, and you can see they are treating patients like storage objects," he walked over to the walls, feeling them, "It's cold in here, the walls are cold too, made of ceramic. Don't know why," he returned to one of the patients, feeling their arm, "The patients are warm, they're still alive, but I don't think this is refrigeration. No sign of experimentation, but they are very injured and just…being left here," he shook his head, heading for the door, "Let's see what's outside then."

He pulled the door open and stepped out to see a few other identical modules set up on either side of him.

~8~

Owen half-jumped off the cart as it pulled to a stop at the next point in the tour, stalking off as Maloney ran after him, "I'm sorry, where are you going?" the man demanded.

"I want to see inside," Owen moved to one of the other buildings that had 'Restricted Access' on the door, for authorized personnel.

"It's just storage," Maloney tried to wave him off.

Owen just rounded on him, "Whenever I want to see something, you pull me off. Which is interference in the inspection. You let me do my job or I report you, understood?" he didn't even wait till the man answered before turning and storming into the building, only to stop short in horror, seeing the room full of patients, seemingly forgotten and very very ill ones, "Is this what you call storage?!" he shouted, half-disgusted, half-outraged.

"It's…a temporary measure…" Maloney supplied as he and Ralph followed Owen in, "We don't have the staff. We don't have the money or the room."

"Which patients are these?" he looked at a chart, seeing one condition similar to the patients outside, so what made them different?

"These are the ones without insurance."

He scoffed, disgusted at that, "Where are the nurses? Have they even been fed? Excuse me," he moved to a woman's side, "I'm sorry, but how long have you been here?"

"Yesterday," she rasped, "They said...we had to wait."

"These people, they're pending," Maloney added, "We've a couple of glitches in the system, that's all. Just ten days ago I had a job in public housing. I think I've adapted very well."

"Please, help me," another patient begged.

Owen's eyes widened, "That man's wearing RED!" he shook his head, "That's brain dead and yet he's conscious!"

"So we made a mistake," the man shrugged, "Hundreds of patients, one mistake. That's an excellent hit rate."

Owen stormed over to him, "You made him Category 1. He's nowhere near 1. Do you realize what happens when you make somebody 1?"

"We should step outside," Maloney tried to usher him out, "We're disturbing the patients."

Owen just shook his head and stepped back, "What else are you hiding?" he turned and stalked through the room, to a back door, "And what's in laundry?" he read off the door, before bursting into the room, nearly gagging at the horrible, soiled smell, "This is disgusting!"

"I think you've forgotten America's in crisis," Maloney remarked harshly, "I don't know how you Brits do things across the pond, but times like this, somebody's got to take charge. And in this instance it just happens to be me."

"What, and you think you're actually doing a good job?" Owen scoffed.

"I'm under budget."

"So spend the money!" he shook his head, "This is why a system like this'll never work because it'll always be run by men like you. Idiots the lot of you!"

"What are you going to do, report me?" Maloney rolled his eyes, "You're not even an American citizen.

"I'm not no," Owen agreed, "But I've got an awful lot of connections, you see. I was brought here by the government," he said, enjoying the startled look on Maloney's face, "And I can do so much more than report you. I can have you prosecuted, thrown in jail for life."

"Oh, you're so full of it."

"Am I?" Owen glared, "Try me. You'll be prosecuted for causing harm to people in your care and YOU will be found guilty as charged. I guarantee you're going to jail. I swear I will see you inside a prison cell for the rest of your long life."

Maloney glared and put his hands behind his back, "Ralph, come on. Come on, arrest me."

"Oh, don't be so rid..." Ralph began.

Owen tensed, as though just noticing it was only the three of them in the room, that he was alone with the man and his guard.

"This jerk wants to arrest me. You going to do that?"

"Maybe you should both cool off…"

Owen subtly reached behind him, taking the gun tucked into the back of his belt, ready…

"You should do it, Dr. Harper," Maloney sneered, advancing on him, "You're so clever. You Brits, thinking you know what's best for us?" he grabbed Owen's arm, "Come on. Come on, arrest me!"

"Get off!" Owen shoved him away.

Maloney stumbled back and turned to Ralph, grabbing the gun off him, and turning to fire on Owen…

Only for Owen to fire back at him first, one shot to the leg sending the man to the floor, making him drop the gun too far away to reach, before he raised his gun at Ralph, "You want to join him as a Category 2?" he glared, his hearts racing at how close he'd nearly come to being shot. If it hadn't been for Angel's warning…he didn't even want to think what might have happened to him.

"N-no," Ralph stuttered.

Owen nodded, "Come here," he gestured him over, ignoring Maloney's cries of pain as the man clutched at his leg.

Ralph swallowed and made his way over…Owen grabbing his arm roughly, yanking him over to a radiator in the wall, pulling the man's handcuffs off him and chaining him to it. He turned, grabbing one of the soiled sheets and tore a piece off it, half-shoving it into the man's mouth as he tied the strip behind his head, gagging the boy. He turned and stormed over to Maloney, holding the gun right at his head as the man froze, clearly thinking he was about to be turned into a Category 1.

But Owen just smacked him across the face with the butt of his gun, knocking him out. He needed to make sure he could get Ianto and Angel out of there before any alarms were raised.

He headed for the door, pausing to look back at Ralph, "You tell your little buddy when he wakes up," he glanced at Maloney, "Never, ever try to pull a gun on a man who has a psychic on his team."

And with that, he stormed out of the room, tucking the gun back behind him and swearing Angel was getting the biggest hug of her life when he saw her again. That was three time she'd saved his life, three times she'd given him more time with Tosh.

That deserved a hug that was three times as big.

~8~

Oswald Danes paced in the hall beneath the stage of the Miracle Rally, able to hear the MC building up the crowd, "Ladies and gentlemen and children of the world," he began, shouting into the microphone, "This is Los Angeles and this is the Miracle Rally!"

"Ah," Jilly ran over to him, "Ok. You're on in five minutes. They've cut you down to 90 seconds. But here's the new draft," she handed him yet another revision to his speech.

"Oh, God damn it," he grumbled, seeing yet another version of the words that weren't his.

"And the keyword is still 'revelation.' You got that? Hmm? You've got to say 'revelation,'" she grinned and hurried off to make sure everything was set, just making it to the stairwell, when a voice called out behind her.

"Miss Kitzinger?" a man stepped up.

She stopped and turned to him, smiling, he was rather handsome, "Can I help you?"

"Just wanted to say you're doing a very good job."

"Thank you," she smiled more genuinely, eyeing him, "And you are?"

"Oh, this isn't about me. You're the one being noticed."

"By whom?"

"The right people."

She smirked, nodding, "Good."

"Excellent," he agreed.

She gave him another look over, "We should talk."

He chuckled, backing off down the stairs, "We'll see."

She watched him go a moment longer, before the cheering of the crowd reached her and she remembered her job. She shook her head and rushed up the stairs.

~8~

"He was fine," Gwen murmured as she sat beside Rhys, his arm around her, Gray standing before her, his arms crossed, staring across the rows of people in the overflow warehouse, watching the doctors as they spoke over Gwen's father a small distance away, "Then I sweep in like I'll solve everything. And then I cause this."

"This wasn't your fault Gwen," Gray remarked, his eyes still on Mr. Cooper.

"You didn't CAUSE anything," Rhys agreed, squeezing her.

"He had a heart attack because I made him get up," Gwen sighed, before glancing down at Rhys's pocket as something moved, "And your phone won't stop buzzing."

Rhys pulled out his phone, "It's the supervisor. I'm supposed to be at work, remember?"

"Go," Gray called, "You can't let them fire you, we might still need the lorry later."

Gwen nodded, patting Rhys's leg, "Go on, I'll call you when I know something. I promise."

Rhys gave her a quick kiss before standing and heading off.

"Gwen," Gray tensed, seeing them moving her father.

Gwen stood up, frowning as the man was wheeled off, in the opposite direction of the Category 2s. She quickly made her way over to another doctor with a clipboard, stopping them, "Excuse me. Hi. Don't want to bother you, but the man who had a heart attack, Geraint Cooper, he's my dad…"

"Sorry, your father's being reclassified," the woman checked a chart, "He's Category 1."

"That's not possible," Gray shook his head as Gwen looked like she'd been punched in the gut, "Category 1 is brain-dead, he's alive."

"He's unconscious. His heart is failing…"

"Yeah, and that's NOT Category 1. He's just unconscious."

"I'm sorry, the doctor decides, not me."

"Right," Gwen scoffed, "But where is this doctor? Because I need a word. Ok? Because my father is not dead."

"Well, you've got till tomorrow morning 'cos then we have to move him. Those are the instructions, I'm afraid. All Category 1s go to the module."

"And what happens there?" Gray crossed his arms, glaring, recalling Angel's reactions when the module plans had first been introduced. They had all seen the expression on her face, they all knew nothing good happened there.

"Sorry, it's not my area. Try asking admin.," she turned, nodding the men wheeling Mr. Cooper on, "Wheel him out. Store him with the rest of the Cat 1s."

"Gwen," Gray grabbed her arm as she moved to go after them, "We'll get him back, I promise."

Gwen swallowed, watching as her father disappeared around a corner.

~8~

Angel stared at the monitor of her computer, unable to really focus on anything. She'd found a few papers about the module, but all of them just referred to the place as storage.

She bit her lip, swallowing hard, starting to feel ill, only this time it wasn't just a bad feeling in her gut, it was the baby.

Why did they call it morning sickness when it happened randomly throughout the day?

She'd just turned to Rachel, about to say she was going to the restroom, when she paused.

Owen had stormed back into the room and was heading right for her.

She let out a breath of relief, seeing him ok. She'd been worried for him ever since they'd separated. She'd told Rory once, vaguely, to keep an eye on a woman, not having realized there would be more than one woman he'd encounter. She'd later realized she'd meant Ambrose, he thought she'd meant Alaya, and it had not ended well for any of them. She'd been so scared that her words not to let himself get alone with someone would be too vague, but there he was. He was ok.

Thank God.

"Miss Jones?" he walked over, not looking at her but at the few women around her, going with their 'not knowing each other' ruse.

"Angela," she held out a hand, shaking his, "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," he nodded, "Mr. Maloney was called away to deal with something and asked if you might show me out?"

She blinked, hearing the hidden meaning, they needed to leave, now, "Of course," she nodded, standing, taking a few papers with her that no one noticed and led him out.

As soon as they were outside, surrounded by chatter and other voices she looked at him, "What happened?"

"Maloney got me alone," Owen muttered darkly, "But I kept my gun ready."

"You didn't…"

"No," he looked at her, "Not like you can kill anyone anymore, but I shot his leg to keep him down. Knocked him out and chained up his escort. We need to go before someone finds them."

She nodded, "We need to find Ianto."

Owen gestured ahead of them, "Lead the way."

~8~

Ianto carefully made his way around the different modules with the camera, recording as he went, "I've searched the perimeter and it's all sealed off. There are three buildings in this module but they all have too small a capacity for real storage, which is what they claim they are. Storage for the Category 1s. But there's no way they'll fit all of those patients here. It's exactly as small on the inside as on the outside."

He looked around, making his way behind them to see what sort of controls might be attached to them.

~8~

Oswald Danes took a breath, trying to calm himself as he looked down the hall, only to spot Jack standing in a doorway to a stairwell. He frowned, and made his way over to it, pleased to see the man was still there this time, "Mr. Jack Harkness," he chuckled, "I could accuse you of having an obsession with me."

Jack just looked at him, "What happens afterward, Oswald, when the fever dies down and the world wakes up to the fact that a murderer is standing center stage? Somewhere out there those men are waiting for you in the dark."

"I can smell them," Oswald agreed, "Their pits are soaked with sweat and bile."

"But what if...you became a hero instead?"

"Oh, my, yeah," Oswald started to nod, "Certainly that would be good."

"You're about to go out onstage and talk to the world with a happy little Phi-Corp speech, yeah?" he took the paper in Oswald's hand, "But you could use this moment, Oswald," he handed him back the paper, but held up another as well, one that Tosh had typed for him, the woman back in the beach house, running her searches and trying to crack the information they still needed, "Here's your speech," he gave it to him too, "Say those words instead. Phi-Corp knew about the Miracle. They've been ready for years. That's the proof all written down ready for everyone to hear it."

Oswald read it over quickly and glanced at him, "You want my help?"

"I want anyone's help," he corrected, "I've never dealt with anything like this. It's way beyond me. But you, you could expose Phi-Corp live on air and help ME change the world."

"We'd be partners?" he asked as Jack nodded, "And what would I get out of it?"

"End the Miracle...then you can die. You're cursed with intelligence. Clever enough to know who you are and wise enough to want it to end. You help me and I promise..." he swore, "I will help YOU to die."

"Oswald," Jilly called as she rushed down the hall towards him, "Oswald, they've been looking for you. You're on in 30 seconds."

"Yeah, sure," Oswald nodded, blinking as he turned to go, "Certainly."

"Do the right thing, Oswald," Jack called.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Jilly's eyes narrowed at him, recognizing him from the man she'd seen Owen glance at, knowing this was Jack Harkness but unwilling to let it slip that she knew, not wanting him to be suspicious of her.

"You've got one chance," he continued to call to Oswald as the man turned and left, "Take it."

"One chance for what?" Jilly looked between him and Oswald's retreating figure, "What exactly did you just say to him?" she snapped at Jack.

He smirked, "Maybe you're about to find out."

"Who are you?"

"Don't miss the speech," Jack turned and headed off in the other direction.

"One more thing, soldier!" Jilly called, making him turn to her as she snapped a picture on her phone, wanting proof for her bosses that Jack really was there. She watched him go a moment, before turning and rushing off after Oswald, now actually worried, "Wait a minute, Oswald. What did he say to you?" but her voice was drowned out as Oswald made it to the stage, the cheering louder than her, "Revelation!" she shouted, hoping he heard her.

"Oswald Danes!" the MC introduced as the crowd went wild.

"That's the keyword. Stick to the script, ok? Say revelation!"

Oswald, if he heard her, made no indication of it as he made his way on stage, squinting against the lights as he reached a podium set up for him, "Kind of hard to see. What do I want?" he fidgeted, looking at the two speeches set before him, "That's the question. All these years on this Earth, what do I really want?"

"Children, you bastard!" a man shouted in the crowd.

"No," he shook his head, "Because that's my curse. I'm cursed with the knowledge of that deep down in my soul, sir. And that's my tragedy. It's who I am."

"You're a loser!"

"All these..." he dropped the speeches, the papers fluttering to the floor, "Alright. All these fancy words," he picked them up, looking lost, "They're no help to me. And these...these..." he sighed, turning them over and looking at the crowd, "These won't help me either. The truth is I know what I am," he told them, "And I know what you are too. Yes, I do. Each and every one of you. Because I know for certain what has happened to the Human Race," he smiled, slowly growing more confident as Jack and Jilly watched from opposite ends of the stage, "I know because this has happened before. 50,000 years BC. what's called the Great Leap Forward. Human beings suddenly…we started to bury our dead. We created art and money and love. They loved. They learned to love. We made a leap from animal to human. And now, right now, in our very own lifetimes…" he laughed, "It has happened again. The next Great Leap. We have made it from animal to human to what? This is the question. After Miracle Day...what are we now? I know," he called, "This is something I know because I am the man...who has lost heaven forever. So I can feel the truth of it. I'm telling you...man has risen again!" he shouted over the crowd as they began to cheer, "Now he has a new name. And his name...is..." he lowered his voice, the crowd hushing to silence as he whispered…

"Angel," he smiled, repeating it louder, "Angel. Angel!"

Jack shook his head sadly at how Oswald had made his choice, and disgusted that the man would ever compare himself to the girl who was like his sister. Even being an alien, she was more human than this man was, she was more an actual angel than anyone he'd ever met.

"Oswald!" the crowd began to chant, "Oswald! Oswald."

"We are angels!" the man grinned.

"Oswald! Oswald!"

"We have been elevated. He have been purified. We have been given life...unending. We are the first angels on Earth!" the crowd started to clap, "And I promise you this there are even those who have been planning for this, the agents of angels in this brand-new world. I'm telling you right now, THEY stand amongst us. Yes! For this is MY...revelation!"

The crowd went wild as the Phi-Corp logo flashed on the screens behind him.

Oswald just held out his arms, his eyes closed, taking in the chants and cheers of the crowd, "Oswald! Oswald!"

Jack simply turned and walked away.

~8~

"Ianto!" Owen hissed through a fence, spotting Ianto wandering around the back of the modules Angel had led him right too.

"Are you ok?" Angel asked, curling her fingers around the fence as Ianto ran over to them.

"I'm fine, what happened?" he asked them.

"We need to go," Owen moved to the lock on the fence, starting to pick it…

When an alarm blared and the sound of large locks clanking into place rang out.

They looked up as Ianto spun around, seeing that the modules themselves appeared to be powering up.

"What's going on?" he frowned, about to step closer.

"Ianto don't," Angel called, her voice cracking as tears filled her eyes, staring at the modules, that pit in her stomach worse than ever.

"No, go," Owen nodded him on, "See what's happening."

Angel swallowed as Ianto put a hand on hers, squeezing it before rushing over to a module door, lifting the camera to record what might be happening inside.

~8~

"Rhys," Gwen called into her mobile as she and Gray stood outside the warehouse, staring out at the modules across the lot.

"On my way back," Rhys reassured her, "They had me running patients to the burn center…"

Gwen frowned, stiffening, "Burn center?"

"Yeah, that's what the driver said the modules are for burns victims. All done now though. Be there soon, ok?"

"Gwen?" Gray looked at her, seeing her go pale and stare at the modules, "What is it?"

~8~

"Oh my God," Ianto breathed, his mouth falling open, his eyes wide in horror as he stared into the module.

"What are they doing?!" Owen cried as they saw smoke start to rise out of the tops of them.

Angel grimaced, a horrible stench in the air that had her turning to a waste barrel behind her, gripping the sides of it so tightly her knuckles turned white.

"Angel!" Owen ran over to her as she started heaving into it.

"Owen!" Ianto shouted, still recording what was happening in the module, but looking away from it at him as he looked up…

Angel shook beneath Owen's hand as he tried to rub her back and hold her hair away from her face as she was ill in the barrel. She closed her eyes, shaking, trembling as the truth was revealed in the stench and smoke.

~8~

"They've built ovens," Gwen realized, staring in horror at the modules releasing a white smoke, a terrible smell reaching them, "They built ovens all over the world. That's what the modules are, they're ovens," she looked at Gray, alarmed and disgusted, "They're burning them. The patients, they're burning them alive."

~8~

A well-dressed black man sat in his office on the top floor of a large office building when his lovely secretary walked in, "I pulled everything I could find on the Shanghai Deal and you're due to chair the Phi-Corp executive board at four o'clock," she told him, handing him a stack of files.

"Thanks, Janet," he smiled at her, taking the documents.

"Stuart, is everything alright? You don't seem happy."

"Everything's fine. We're living in miraculous times. I couldn't be happier. You shouldn't call me Stuart in the office."

She nodded, wincing, realizing she was being far too familiar with him, "Sorry...Mr. Owens."

He looked up when she headed out of the room, glancing at the TV on his wall, an interview with a local doctor, "Of course, suicide is impossible now," the doctor was saying, "But people are becoming inventive. They're finding ways to get as close to death as possible. That's the philosophy of the '45 Club,' people who believe that jumping from 45 floors up or higher is the only guaranteed way to lose consciousness forever. It's sick, but just the same, the 45 Club is catching on."

He glanced at the door, Janet disappearing behind it, and grabbed his phone, calling one of the numbers on the files, "Wai," a man answered, a distinct Chinese accent in his voice, "Who's calling, please?"

"It's Stuart Owens," he replied.

"How can I help you, sir?"

He glanced at the door, lowering his voice, "This must be strictly confidential. My eyes only. Is that acceptable?"

"Of course," Wai agreed.

He sighed, picking up a paper, looking at the information on it, "In 1999, a large parcel of land, near Shanghai Center, was purchased by a division of Phi-Corp. That's where the records end. I need to know exactly what's happened to the land since then."

"Phi-Corp construction?" Wai suggested.

"Not on paper. There are subsidiaries, shell companies."

"May I ask what this is about?"

"Do you need to know?" he countered.

"It could be of some help."

He rolled his eyes, "Of course, you are aware of the changes going on in the world."

"Yes. My uncle was dying. Now he's not."

"I'm trying to understand what happened, whether Phi-Corp had anything to do with it. I believe this construction site is key."

"I asked my uncle what happened. He told me to never question a miracle. You may not like what you find."

"He may be right. Call me back in a few hours," and with that, he hung up the phone.

~8~

Across the world a young Asian man, Wai, quietly and carefully made his way to a Phi-Corp location, tracking a request made by an American. Usually he wouldn't have bothered, but this was too suspicious to pass up, and he could see how the supposed Miracle was affecting the world, where it was heading. Anything he could do to stop it, he would do. He looked around, reaching a gate, and slipped inside…

~8~

Wai pulled out his phone that night, seeming dazed as he called out.

"Wai?" a voice with a distinct American accent answered, the voice of Mr. Owens.

"It's me. You told me to call back."

"Yes. What did you find?"

"A dead end," he swallowed.

"What do you mean? What are they building?"

"There's nothing there," he blinked, tears in his eyes as he began to walk, "I looked. I found nothing, nothing at all. Goodbye, Mr. Owens."

He closed his phone and threw his arms out, letting himself fall off the 45th floor of a building.

~8~

The 5 members of the Torchwood team was silent and solemn as they gathered in the beach house. Tosh was sitting on the armchair, Owen on the armrest, his arm around her as she looked down, solemn and devastated. Ianto stood behind the sofa, a remote in his hand as they looked at the TV, watching the recording he'd made of the modules. The only noise in the room being his voice and the recording, and the sound of someone sniffling.

He glanced down to see Jack sitting on the sofa, looking down at Angel as she laid across it, her head resting on his lap, her eyes on the video even though they were red from the tears she'd cried earlier. Jack gently ran a hand through her hair, trying to calm her down, trying to comfort her.

Of everything they'd seen, some of which had been truly disgusting and disturbing, this was worse. This wasn't alien, this was human, this was human beings burning each other alive. And that was enough to make all of them sick and solemn. None more so than Angel, to have to see it.

That was what Ianto had seen in the module, the bodies crying out in pain as they were burned, fire around them. It was hard to watch, hard to bear, they'd tried to get Angel to go into another room, but she'd just said she was there, she knew what was happening in the modules.

Seeing it was just…harder for her, but she was a part of the team.

Jack moved his hand to her shoulder, squeezing it as the image finally stopped and cut back to Ianto, sitting in the car as Owen drove him and Angel back to the house.

"You don't know who I am, you don't need to know. All you need to know is that I'm Torchwood. We're going to expose everything that's happened in the San Pedro Overflow Camp, in all the overflow camps in the world. Everything that you've just seen…that's what they do to the Category 1s. The modules built in the camps were made for only one purpose, incineration. At first it'll be the Category 1s, but we know where it'll go. Where it always goes, to convicted felons or illegal immigrants, to anyone who would try to stop them or protest. If we can't stop this Miracle, everyone will end up here eventually. Everyone gets sick, everyone will keep growing older, and the ovens will be waiting for all of us. Unless we can stop it."

The image cut to static as they looked at each other, not sure what to do.

"We need to stop them," Angel whispered.

Jack nodded, squeezing her arm again, "We will, I swear Angie, we will."

"How?" Ianto looked at them.

"What do we do next?" Owen had to agree.

"I think I might be able to help," Tosh cut in, "While you were out there, I was hacking into the Phi-Corp database."

"I thought the security was too good," Jack frowned.

"Not the security," Tosh shook her head, "The people, the CEOs and other heads."

"It's never about security, it's about the people," Angel agreed, taking a breath and sitting up, "What did you find?"

Tosh pulled a laptop over and spun it around to show them a series of emails she'd discovered from a Mr. Owens to his 'secretary.'

Jack smirked, that was just the leverage they needed to get information.

You gotta love a scandal.

~8~

"Dr. Patel?" Gwen made her way through the warehouse, now more determined than ever to get her father out, Gray with her to make sure she didn't get them thrown out entirely, "Are you Dr. Alicia Patel?"

An Indian woman looked up at her, "I'm sorry, can it wait?"

"No, listen, you've got to change this paperwork," she handed her the chart she'd taken from her father's bed, "There's been a mistake. It's about my father. Geraint Wyn Cooper, he's been placed in Category 1, but he's not that bad, I swear. I've seen him, he's just unconscious."

"It's debatable. There's a fine line between Category 1 and 2."

"But you saw him. You labeled him. There's definitely been a mistake."

"I'm just following the government guidelines."

"Can't you just take another look?" Gray frowned.

"If I did that, I'd have to do it for everyone. We're under enough pressure as it is."

"I understand," Gwen swallowed, trying to stay calm, "But..." she took a breath, "Sorry, listen. You...you have to change this, ok? They move the Category 1s at 6am. They'll take him to the module."

"Sorry, not my department."

"Really?" she scoffed, "Is that so? Do you even know what your department is, Dr. Patel? Do you even know what really happens here?"

"Do you know what happens in the module?" Gray added.

"Like I said, I'm rather busy," she waved them off.

"They burn people," Gray hissed, feeling sick at the thought that she was being so cavalier about it all.

He'd been burned before. The aliens who had him captive had been…inventive…their technology fearsome in healing, but only so that they could have pristine prisoners to play with again. He'd been burned alive at times, his limbs specifically, healed, just so he could be burned again. He knew what that was like, the agony, and this human, this human that Angel had so much faith in, was just talking like it was someone getting a paper cut!

"They burn living people! The Category 1s are still alive and they're being burnt."

"This place has been built around institutional murder," Gwen added quietly.

"I'm not the one who makes the rules," the doctor defended.

"No, you're just the one who enforces them, aren't you?" Gray sneered.

Gwen blinked, realizing what Gray had, "You knew about this?"

"Category 1s are dead," the woman turned to them, speaking in hushed tones, more patients around them, "That's the law. Under the emergency rulings for the sake of public health, dead bodies can be incinerated en masse."

Gray shook his head, "Have you ever been burned before doctor? Hmm? Are you actually in those modules when they're turned on? Or how about the one flipping the switch?"

"No," Gwen answered for her, "You're here. You're nice and safe, hidden behind your paperwork."

"You don't have the nerve to actually watch them burning," Gray told her, a dangerous, dark note in his voice that reminded Gwen of everything he'd endured, of the man he'd been before Angel had helped him, "Because then you'd have to face the truth that this isn't a hospital at all, it's a concentration camp."

"If you'll excuse me..." the woman swallowed, turning away from him.

"They built a concentration camp here in Britain today and you are one of the staff!" Gwen accused.

"The entire healthcare system is about to collapse. What else am I supposed to do?"

"Say NO," Gray told her.

Gwen nodded, "You say no. You say no, that's what you do. For the love of God, you say no."

"But I can't…" she tried to defend herself.

"Don't you dare," Gwen cut in, "Don't you dare. Don't you dare look at me and tell me you're obeying orders. Don't you bloody dare."

"Come on Gwen," Gray put a hand on her shoulder, "There's no getting through to someone like her," and turned her away, pausing to throw back, "You might want to find a different profession when this ends," he warned the woman, "You'll never be able to call yourself a doctor again."

And with that, he turned and followed Gwen back through the warehouse to the back door, where the lorries were parked, to see Rhys pacing, "Rhys!" she gasped, hugging him.

"Oh, my God," he shook his head, looking completely shocked, "I was driving them to the module! I was driving people into the ovens!"

"You didn't know," Gray put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it to reassure him.

"I can't do it," Rhys swallowed, "I'm gonna quit and..."

"Not just yet," Gwen cut in, "I need you to do one more transfer for me. My dad. We're taking him out."

"We can't. The compound's closed down. No more movement orders till 6am."

"I know, Rhys! That's when they'll take my father to his death!"

"Look," Gray cut in, remaining calm, calmer than he had been inside, knowing he needed to be calm now, more for Gwen than anything, "Rhys," he turned to him, taking charge, "Steal some keys and get a hold of a lorry. Gwen," he looked at her, "We'll get your dad out, on a stretcher this time," he added, "Slide him into the back and get out. ok?" he looked between them.

"Got it," Rhys nodded.

"Good, the nurses change over at 5am," he continued, "That's our only chance," he looked at Gwen, "We'll get him Gwen, I swear. We can do this. We can beat the system. We can beat them all. Ok?"

And in that moment, looking at Gray, Gwen didn't see Gray, the man who had tried to murder her friend and destroy her city, she didn't see the broken man trying to make amends. No…she just saw Jack, his little brother, Angel's older brother, trying to help.

She nodded, "Ok."

Gray nodded, not knowing that, in that one moment, Gwen had forgiven him.

~8~

Jack and Angel entered a lovely, upscale restaurant, looking around for their target. Angel nudged Jack and nodded to the bar, leading him over to a lovely black woman in a rather nice dress sitting there alone.

"Janet Tanner," Jack smiled as he came to sit beside her, Angel standing between them.

Janet blinked and looked at him, opening her mouth.

"You don't know him," Angel answered before she could as, "Or me, Angel, nice to meet you," she introduced.

"You work at Phi-Corp?" Janet eyed them.

"Not exactly," Jack smirked, "You don't know us, but we know you. Your name is Janet Rae Tanner," he began, listening to Tosh reciting the information she'd found over his earpiece, "You're 27 years old, 5'9", 119 lbs. The youngest daughter of Gerald and Elaine Tanner of Nantucket, Massachusetts. You moved to California to attend college where you earned a bachelor's degree in art history. You currently reside in a Westwood apartment. You go to the gym three times a week. And you drive your Hybrid downtown every day to an administrative assistant position at Phi-Corp industries."

"And you're some creepy stalker dude last seen on America's Most Wanted," Janet countered.

"I may be wanted," he grinned, "But it's not what you think."

"Listen, I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but I'm meeting someone."

"After dinner with his wife," Angel blinked, startling the woman.

"One of my associates came across some e-mails from you to your boss, Stuart Owens," he scoffed, pulling out his phone, reading the emails, "'Can't wait to see you.' Nice. Then 'Happy Valentine's Day.' Sweet! Then a little less subtle. 'You can so do me tonight.' Ouch!"

"What do you want?" Janet tensed.

"We just need your help to meet him Janet," Angel reached out and put a hand on her arm, "Our friends are in danger, all of you are, because of this Miracle. We think Phi-Corp is doing something bad to people and we need to stop it. We need to find out who's behind it."

"Please," Janet whispered, "You can't tell anybody about us."

"We won't," she crossed her hearts, Jack smiling as he watched her work her magic on the girl, "I promise, we just need your help in getting him to talk to us."

"I wouldn't do anything to hurt him," she shook her head.

"Sweet Janet Rae," Jack sighed, "I wish he felt the same about you. I'm sending you some more e-mails from Stuart Owens to the head of Phi-Corp Human Resources," he tapped his phone, "Requesting your transfer to Cincinnati! Woo hoo! He's such a romantic."

Janet looked at her phone as it beeped, her eyes widening as she saw the messages, "Bastard!"

"I like the bit where he calls you 'limited.'"

"Limited?"

"So, what do you say, Janet? We could sit here drinking appletinis and complaining about men all night. Or we can go get that Phi-Corp boss of yours."

"Will you help us?" Angel asked.

"Count me in," she nodded.

~8~

Jack and Angel walked through the restaurant area, spotting Mr. Owens and his wife having dinner, "Well, I suppose I should have the salad…" his wife was saying.

"I'd go for the steak if I were you," Jack cut in, "With a very large bourbon and a pack of cigarettes. Why not? We're going to live forever, right?" he glanced at Owens, "Courtesy of Phi-Corp."

"Excuse me, I think you're at the wrong table," Owens glared at him.

"You're Stuart Owens," Angel shook her head, "The COO for Phi-Corp Industries, so we're at the right table then."

"You know me then," he eyed them, "The question is, who are you?"

"Friends of Janet's," Angel smiled.

Jack chuckled at that, leave it to Angel to make another friend in the middle of a crisis, "Your secretary? We met at a bar, the one you were planning on going to after dinner," he leaned in, whispering, "Does your wife know?"

"Elizabeth..." Owens turned to her as she got up and stormed out, getting the hidden meaning in Jack's words.

"Don't go after her," Jack warned the man as he stood, "Or we'll hurt her. My associates are holding Janet hostage. You need proof?" he grabbed his phone and dialed, handing it to the man.

"Hello? Who's there?"

"Help," Janet gasped, "Help me!"

"Janet, where are you?"

"I don't know. I'm in a cellar. They've got me tied up. They're hurting me, Stuart. Make them stop."

Owens's jaw tensed as he looked at them, "What exactly do you want?"

Jack just plucked the phone back, "I'll let you know when it's safe to release her."

"Go get him," Janet told him, ending the call, having only been playing along.

"We want the truth," Angel told him, moving to sit down at the table with Jack.

"Which is why Angie's here," Jack smirked, "Don't bother lying, she can tell when you are," he leaned in to whisper, "Psychic."

Owens rolled his eyes, not believing that she was psychic, but knowing that she was at least a good reader of body language to tell if someone was lying, "About what?"

"The Miracle," Angel began, "How exactly did it happen? Why did it happen? How do we stop it?"

"Why would I have the answer?"

"When the day came, Phi-Corp was ready," Jack told him, "We found warehouses stocked with painkillers waiting for the Miracle to come along."

"That's your smoking gun?" he laughed.

"You're a man in charge. You knew it was coming."

"Mr.…" he eyed them.

"Harkness. Captain Jack Harkness."

"Are you with the military?"

"Freelance. I represent the people who are trying to stop Phi-Corp."

"So that security breach on the 33rd floor..." he frowned, thinking of the minor explosion.

"That was us."

"And an assassin," Angel added so the man wouldn't think they were terrorists who had blown up the room.

"It's not me you're after," Owens sat back in his chair, "In fact, I've been trying to find out the truth just as much as you. I'm not...a bad man, Mr. Harkness."

"Captain," Angel corrected.

"I'm not a bad man, Captain," he amended, "I'm not a good one, either. I'm a middleman, in every sense of the word. And faced with the thought of being who I am for God knows how long, I'm just as keen as you to find out exactly what's going on. Especially with the stock market threatening to collapse, a man like me needs insurance," he eyed Jack, seeing him frowning, "You don't believe me. You think I'm the epitome of evil, the devil in a three-piece suit…"

"In my experience, that's how it works," Jack remarked.

"Your experience must be rather simple. You have a rather archaic view of good versus evil, don't you?"

"He's telling the truth Jack," Angel sighed, "He really doesn't know. He wants it over as much as we do."

Jack eyed him, "What have you found out so far then?"

The man looked at Jack, seemingly a bit startled he'd given in so easily and believed the girl, "I've sent agents all over the world following the paper trail, the backroom deals, the holding companies within holding companies. That's when I came face-to-face with the true face of evil."

"The system itself."

"Precisely. If the schemes and conspiracies are being plotted, then they must be seen only as patterns, waves...shifts that are either too small or too vast to be perceived. Someone is playing the system, right across planet Earth, with infinite grace beyond any one person's sight. No, I'm sorry, Captain, but Phi-Corp isn't controlling this. Profiting, yes, but this is part of a much larger design, way beyond any of us."

"But how can you be part of it and not know what's going on?"

"Let me give you an example. These warehouses full of drugs, no doubt you'd love to uncover an incriminating memo dated the day before Miracle Day, signed by me, authorizing the stockpiling of painkillers. The truth is, a pattern like that began, say, maybe five years with the systematic increase in production in random factories around the world, based on market share projections. Where was the warehouse?"

"Washington DC, 3rd and Boston."

"I'd imagine transportation of the drugs to the 3rd and Boston was then carried out over a 12-month period by maybe five different haulage companies outsourced to seven or eight different independent suppliers. So that means everyone's to blame, everyone and no one. Whoever is behind this, they don't show themselves. Not to me, not to you. But to play the system like this the markets, the politics, industry...they had to be planning this for a very long time. I WISH I knew who they were."

Jack glanced at Angel a moment, when she nodded, and he turned back to the man, deeming him trustworthy enough to ask this, "We were told that the Miracle involves geography. Does that mean anything?"

"No," he sighed, "But there is one word that my operatives picked up dating back to the mid 90s, and then erased."

"The Blessing?" Angel guessed, thinking of the second word she'd heard in her first vision, her stomach twisting at the mention of it.

The man looked at her, shocked, "Yes…"

"What does it mean?" Jack looked between them, Angel could only shrug.

"There was a document from Italy from a source inside the Council of Ministers, a contact then deceased. It simply referred to 'the Blessing.' It said 'They have found the Blessing.'"

"Jack," Angel cut in, a hand on his arm, "We need to go, now."

He looked over, seeing two security guards in the distance making their way up the stairs towards the restaurant.

He nodded, getting up, "We'll be in touch," he told the man before he led Angel out, "What do you think?" he asked her.

"I think the brownies looks delicious," she remarked.

He looked over, laughing when he saw a desert cart with cakes and cookies and pastries and brownies on them. He reached out as they passed, snatching a plate of brownies off it and handing it to her, smiling as she beamed and began to munch on them, eating every single one of them by the time they'd reached the car.

"Jack..." Angel called as they got in, he looked at her to see her smile had faded, "Can I borrow your phone?"

He nodded, handing it over without question.

~8~

Rhys pulled up to a check point within the complex, stopping when a guard motioned for him to, rolling the window down, "Patient transfer at this time of night?" the guard asked.

"I just do what I'm told," Rhys shrugged.

"Exactly what were you told?"

"Patient transfer, 5am."

"Who told you this?"

"My supervisor, who else?" Rhys laughed.

"What's his name?"

"Well…" he floundered a moment, "He's got more authority than you, mate. He's a captain. Captain Jack Harkness. He ordered me."

"That's a bit odd. I don't see a Harkness on our roster. I'd better make some calls…"

"Oh, God!" Rhys murmured to himself as the guard turned away and pulled out his phone, swallowing hard, hoping he wouldn't be found out.

~8~

"Not long now, dad," Gwen whispered as she and Gray gathered by her father, her beside him, holding his hand as Gray worked on unlocking the wheels so they could get the man out fast enough, "I promise," she looked back at the path to the back, "Hell to pay, Rhys Williams, if you don't show. Hell to pay."

"I'll help," Gray murmured.

~8~

"Can I go now?" Rhys asked as the guard walked back to him.

"I don't understand. They've stopped movement orders until 6am, but you've been given special instructions. Why's that, then?"

"Yeah, well, this Captain Harkness must have taken a shine to me. He had that look about him, if you know what I mean. Not that there's anything wrong with that…" he glanced at the radio clock, "Oh, look at the time. I'm late enough as it is."

"I need to make another call," the guard held up a finger and turned away again, on the phone once more.

Rhys waited a moment longer before flooring it and driving right into the complex.

~8~

Gwen looked over as two patient movers passed, "A boatload of Category 2s arrived in Cardiff last night," one was saying, "One of those cruise ships full of British citizens from abroad. All sick as dogs."

"Hell of a state," the second groaned.

"Expelled from Europe like boat people."

"Last thing we need is more patients."

The man sighed, "Come on, we've got to get these Cat 1s ready for transport."

Gwen looked at Gray, who checked his watch and nodded, "Alright, dad," she whispered to him, "We're getting you out of here now."

Gray moved behind the bed and began to push it through the back aisles, Gwen rushing ahead to open the locked door outside, where Rhys pulled up a few moments later.

"Where the hell were you?!" Gwen hissed as Rhys jumped out to help Gray load the man into the back.

"I was on time," Rhys defended, opening the back, "Only this officious bastard held me up."

"You could have run him over," Gray remarked, Gwen actually nodding along with that.

"I'm not the run-over type. I drove off when the silly bugger was on the phone."

Gray sighed, "Which means he's likely followed you."

"Hurry," Gwen told them.

Rhys moved across from Gray, "One, two, three!" they lifted the legs of the bed and slid the man into the back of the lorry.

"Get going," Gwen told Rhys, "Take dad home," she added, "There's something Gray and I've got to do here before we go to the States."

"You're going back to America?" Rhys frowned.

"We need to find out what's behind this," Gray explained, "And stop it."

"Before we do," Gwen looked at the modules, "We haven't finished with this place yet."

"That's him!" they heard someone shouting, Rhys looking over to see the guard rushing towards them with two others, "That's him!"

Gwen grabbed his arm as he turned to head back into the lorry, "Hey, hey, hey. Where's my goodbye kiss, you big fool?"

Rhys leaned in and kissed her quickly.

"Now?" Gray shook his head at them, "You want to do that now?"

Gwen sighed, pulling away, "Get going," she urged him as he ran for the cabin and started the lorry.

"Now you hold it right there!" the man shouted, "Get me the south gate!"

They ducked back, watching as Rhys drove off, using the distraction of the guards to sneak back into the facility.

Rhys swallowed, seeing them closing the south gate and shook his head, "Here we go," he murmured, before pressing the gas and driving right through the gate, cheering as he made it out into the night.

And then his phone rang…

He looked down at it with a frown and answered, "Jack, what is it?" he asked, blinking, not hearing Jack but...

"Angel?"

~8~

"Jack!" Tosh shouted when the contact lens cameras flickered on on the laptop beside her, "It's Gwen!"

The team and Angel gathered around her, watching as Gwen appeared in a mirror, Gray behind her, "Hello. Anybody home?"

-You're a sight for sore eyes- Jack leaned in and typed.

"Jack, is that you?"

-All of us- Tosh answered, -You ok?-

"Yes," she smiled, "And we'll be there soon," she glanced at Gray and back to the mirror, "We're coming back to the fight."

Gray moved beside her, speaking so that they could see him, "But there's something we need to do first," he held up some detonation putty, "Something we need to show the world."

"Record it for us?"

-You got it- Tosh smiled.

They watched as Gwen and Gray snuck to the modules, sticking the putty and wires and detonators to the side of it before rushing to where the vehicles of the nurses and doctors were sitting, stealing a bike, Gray getting on the front, Gwen behind him.

"You watching?" Gwen looked at Gray as he spoke over his shoulder.

-Yes- Tosh typed, -Radio link open. Make your message.-

Gwen nodded and started to speak, "This is the truth for the whole world to see. We let our governments build concentration camps. They built ovens for people in our names. Now I don't care if the whole of society bends over and takes this like a dog, we're saying, 'No!'"

She patted Gray's shoulder and he pressed a button, all of them watching as the modules exploded just as the sun started to rise.

~8~

The next morning the Torchwood Team and Angel sat in the sitting room, watching the news. They had sent out the video of the modules and the San Pedro camp and the footage from Gwen, broadcast it to the world, and the world had reacted.

Angel curled up on the sofa with a tea in hand, Tosh eyeing the green tag hanging from it, decaf, before glancing at her own green tag as opposed to the red tags the men had, caffeinated. The men were standing around them, all watching the news intently.

"Flesh can burn," a government official was saying on the news, trying to defend the camps, "That's the stark truth facing the world today. We've known since Miracle Day that flesh can still burn…"

"But today there's outrage..." a reporter continued as their own footage of the modules and what was being done appeared.

"We did it," Jack nodded, "We're whistle-blowers. Every major news organization. The world knows the truth now. Let the outrage begin."

Angel frowned though and shook her head, seeing the footage, "I don't think it'll be that simple."

And then, the report continued with the official, "There will be no apology for the Category 1 process. We exist in a permanent state of emergency. The White House stands by our disaster response as appropriate and as sanctioned by Congress. This is exactly what we would do in times of a famine or a plague or pestilence…"

"You're kidding me," Owen scoffed, "They should be shutting those camps now. And they're just talking about it."

"At least we made it public," Ianto said.

"We've never had to fight politicians on this scale before," Tosh agreed.

"We need to look at the bigger picture," Angel murmured.

Jack nodded, "We need to find out what 'the Blessing' is."

~8~

Gwen sighed as she and Gray walked through the airport terminal, back in the States, "Hello, I'm not available, but leave your name and number and I'll call you as soon as I can," Rhys's answer phone picked up for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Rhys, it's me again. I've landed. I'm back in LA. Where are you, you bloody fool? Why aren't you picking up the phone? Call me back."

"Everything ok?" Gray looked at her.

Before she could even answer a call came over the speakers, "Gwen Cooper to the white courtesy phone. Gwen Cooper, you have a call. Gwen Cooper to the white courtesy phone. Gwen Cooper, you have a call."

She frowned and looked around.

"There," Gray pointed, spotting one and they rushed over to the white phone stuck to the wall.

"This is Gwen Cooper," she answered, "Hello, this is Gwen Cooper. You said I had a message?"

"Lenses," came a raspy reply.

"What?" she stiffened, "What did you just say?"

"Lenses."

Gwen looked at Gray, alarmed, as she hung up the phone, "They want me to put the lenses on."

Gray looked around, not sure what to do, he doubted that anyone would let him into the restroom with her and he wasn't about to leave her alone, "Come on," he took her hand and led her off to a quiet corner, digging in his pack for a small mirror.

"You are so a Harkness," she muttered as he held it up to her, letting her unscrew the cases and slip them in, blinking a bit.

"Well?" he asked, "Anything?"

She shook her head a moment, before tensing as a mesage appeared.

-We have your mother.-

"No…" she breathed, her eyes wide.

-We have your husband.-

"W-Who..." she started shaking, "Who are you?"

-We have your child.-

"What do you want?!" she hissed.

-Bring us Jack.-

Gwen let out a breath, grabbing the mirror and pushing it down.

"What is it?" Gray frowned.

Gwen shook her head, "They have my family," she breathed, looking at him with tears in her eyes, "They won't give them back until…"

"Until what?" he asked, but she was silent, "What do they want Gwen?"

"Jack. They want me to give them Jack."

A/N: Oh no! Jack! :( I hope, for those who have seen Miracle Day, that the changes made are ok. Lol, I think a huge chunk of episode 6 was removed since, with Angel there and warning Owen about Maloney, that the incident with Vera wouldn't have happened to him and that Ianto wouldn't have been captured like Rex. I think of the start of the modules in the San Pedro camp as 'to schedule' once the module was full, just to explain why they started up :)

But awww, brotherly moments with Angel :) And we also saw a little bit of the Vortex as a slightly offensive and defensive thing here with Angel using it to push the man away. Lol, I don't think she meant to literally throw him into the wall but just hadn't ever pushed someone away with it before and used a little too much :) And I hope Gray's development makes a little sense, how Gwen wanted him to go with her and why. I think Gwen would really be the second most likely to have a hard time forgiving Gray for what he did (Owen being the most likely) and that this was needed for her to finally forgive him for what happened. I doubt Owen will ever forgive him for shooting Tosh, but I wanted to show that he's really making an effort and has really come to care for the team :)

And yay! Angel starting to take a little more charge now, starting to get used to doing things on her own and believing in herself again :) Trusting herself :) That's a good step isn't it? :) I can say there's a scene at the end of the last chapter of the crossover that will REALLY help her get back to a semi-good place :)

We also have another submission for the HOTS challenge too! Yay! ^-^

What if? Angel Loses the Baby, by the stargate time traveller, (the fanfiction site)s/9558931/1/What-if-Angel-loses-the-Baby-Hear ts-of-Time-Saga-Challenge

I thought the interpretation of the Lake scene was great, a few readers have PMed me about doing one for that episode/scene so it's always awesome to see it play out :)

And OMG! We might just make it to the next sneak peek by the next chapter, lol, a sneak peek on the last chapter of the TW crossover :)

Some notes on reviews...

Lol, yup :) I can't wait for Series 3 of Sherlock ^-^ As I watched it, I kept picturing Leena sitting in 221B, on the sofa, reading, and looking up as the door opens and just smirking lol :)

It's definitely been a challenge trying to work it for the TW team instead of Esther and Rex, especially when the CIA gets involved in the next few episodes, we'll have to see how it goes :) And awesome! I loved it :) Especially the little 'Angel snaps at River' moment ;)

I hadn't heard that, so that's always interesting to learn :) I hadn't done much research into what the Doctor knew of Miracle Day, just sort of basing it on the TW episodes for now :) I think it's the 11th Doctor who knew. I interpreted the Jack we saw at the end of The End of Time to be just after Children of Earth, before he returned to help watch over Gwen, so it would probably be 11, just my opinion though, I don't think they specified anywhere :) It's pretty long, this one's longer, and the next one might just be longer than this lol :) I'm excited to find out who 12 is today too ^-^ I think the regeneration energy-healing thing was more, she wouldn't want him to do it, but the last him did it anyway, because he didn't want to see her hurt or injured. To her, seeing him not even offer or think to offer was like him saying he didn't care that she was injured, just based on how his 10th self used the energy :) I think she'd still refuse to let him do it, but it's the thought that counts sort of thing :) Thanks, that means a lot to me :) I'm sorry that happened with your story though :(

I think she'll wait till the very end to decide whether to tell them or not, just because...can you imagine Jack (and Gray and the team) and how they'd act around her if they knew? Lol, I feel like they'd freak out and go overboard on protecting her and she'd want them to focus on the Miracle instead :) But they're all definitely noticing things, like how much she's eating and sleeping and getting sick and decaf, they'll slowly put the pieces together in some ways :) But even if she doesn't, I think they'd still give her strength/hope, they've sort of already started here :) And I can say Gray will actually have a BIG role in that in the last chapter :) It made perfect sense to me, no worries :)

I can say someone else very close to Jack will end up immortal, yup. But I won't say who :) I'll leave that open for debate till tomorrow :)

There's one more chapter of Torchwood after this one and then the HOTS saga will continue through the rest of Series 5 and on to Series 6 yup :)

I can say Angel will eventually face River and put her in her place yup. I can say there's a moment I have in mind where she has words with River and actually gets angry/defensive against her, but that might not be till Series 8. It's one of those things where it has to be the right moment and it hasn't happened yet in the chapters I've written. But I can say that Angel will grow more sure of herself and that eventually she will also hold her own against River before Series 8 as well. We might just see a few more instances involving River that has Angel trying to put up with it in the future, but it'll be more because she has other things to worry about, like the baby and the dangers of the situation at the moment. No worries, I completely understand :) Angel will have issues with River and feel inferior to her a little while longer though, but she will eventually be able to face River down before Series 8 too :)

I can say that Sarah Jane will learn quite a few things about Angel and the Doctor in Death of the Doctor yup ;)

The Doctor will probably be taking Amy to Arcadia and the Trojan Gardens while Angel's with Jack :) Vincent and the Doctor opens with Amy commenting on those places so I had Angel suggest he take Amy there in the last chapter, so that's what they're doing while this is going on :)

We'll have to see what the gender is if the baby makes it far enough to determine it }:) I think, so far, Proffy's the only one who's got a girl coming up :)

I'm glad you liked the reworking of the Series, I hope this chapter kept it up too :)

The Doctor and Amy are at Arcadia and the Trojan Gardens during this little adventure :) Not with Vincent nope, I've got big and worrying things planned for that episode that involves Angel being there ;) We'll have to see who ends up in the Pandorica and who brings who back in the Big Bang };) Oh Utah, so many theories about who will be at the Lake, but my lips are sealed for that one, we'll be finding out in about...3 weeks! Wow! :) But the Ganger will be...complicated, that 2-parter will be very, very complicated }:) I can say she'll be getting a lot more attention in upcoming chapters yup, the Doctor's going to be noticing changes in her personality coming from this crossover and there will be things that will get quite a few reactions out of him ;) No worries about the length, I love every sort of review :)