A/N: Sorry this update has taken so long, been really busy. Hope you like it.
When Gwen saw Clare Foster's driving license picture, she instantly thought she was meeting someone who was in her mid-twenties, but then doubled checked age, she find she was only nineteen.
In her picture, she looked bright and confident, however it paled in comparison when Gwen met her in person. The Clare standing in front of her was shaken, tired, and not full of life like most girls her age. Wrapped in a blanket, she avoided Gwen's gaze, but instead fixated on the black paint on her hands.
"Who are you?" she asked in a soft voice.
"I'm Gwen Cooper, from Torchwood. I need to talk you about the murder a couple of nights ago."
Clare shook her head, closing the door when Gwen blocked it with her boot. "I'm not a reporter, I promise." Clare stared at her, unsure.
"Look, Miss Foster, there is a killer on the loose and I believe your story. I want to find this person before anyone else gets hurt." Gwen told her.
Clare nodded, opening the door for her. She led Gwen into the living room, a large space, with modern furniture and marble fireplace. In the corner of the room was an old wooden desk littered with paints and used brushes.
"Where are your parents?" Gwen asked, her eyes glancing to the framed photos on the wall above the fireplace. A younger Clare was sitting in the middle of a middle aged couple with her arms wrapped around them both.
"At work. Is that a problem?" Clare asked, shifting anxiously.
"No, course not. Might be better actually. Did you talk to them about what happened?" Gwen said, hoping she had some sort of support from home.
Clare bit her lip, pulling the blanket tighter. "No, they thought… they didn't believe me."
"It's a hard thing—"
"I'm not crazy!" Clare cried abruptly, then fiddled with the corners of the blanket in her fingers, stunned by her own outburst.
"I know." Gwen said, reassuringly. How could an adult expect to understand what was happening, let alone a teenager? A child? Gwen wondered.
"I'm not though. It was just so…"
"What?" Gwen prompted.
"It's eyes," Clare answered, sinking down onto the sofa. "Complete darkness. It…it was horrible."
Gwen sat down on the on a chair opposite, so Clare didn't feel pressured or overwhelmed. It was her house after all. "What happened that night?"
"I was out with friends, having a few drinks. It was my mate's twenty first, but it was getting late and I didn't have enough for a cab, so I started walking back. But there was strange noise, like something snarling. I came to an alley and the sound got louder. At first I thought it was dog that had gotten lose…" She shuddered, her voice trailing off.
"Then what?" Gwen asked, gently.
"I stepped closer, I saw this hooded figure, thought maybe he was drunk and needed help. Then I saw these claws. It turned around to see me, grabbed this weird box thing next to it, then there was a puff of smoke and it was gone."
"In the report, you said it came towards you?"
"Yeah, pushed me against the wall. I… I thought it was going to kill me." Clare clasped a hand to her mouth, tears wetting her eyes.
Forgetting professionalism, Gwen dashed over, putting her arm around the scared girl. "Oh, sweetheart, it's okay. It's okay. Can you tell me what happened next?"
"It just stared at me." Clare sobbed, the horrific memory rushing back. "Then it disappeared as well."
Why not attack, Clare? She was scared, alone, why leave her? Gwen thought.
"Clare, can you tell me what the killer looks like?" Gwen asked, needing to finish the interview quickly before she traumatised the youngster anymore.
"I can one better. Studying for an art degree, thought it might help make sense of all this." She walked to the old desk, picked up a sketch pad and handed it to Gwen. "How can something like that exist?"
Gwen blew out her cheeks, her eyes widen. "Oh, my." she whispered.
Clare's skills had depicted a clear image of the creature that Torchwood was hunting for but it still didn't settle Gwen's stomach. The alien was a basic human shape, two arms, two legs, but it's skin was a dark green colour. The eyes were black and hollow, and from each hand were five long claws dripped in blood. The creature's razor sharp teeth were bared, as if it was snarling like wild dog. It was dressed in a long, plain black robe flowing to its feet.
"You said something about a box?" she asked, her gaze not moving from the painting.
"It was the size of Rubik's cube, but it was black with these strange green symbols carved in." Clare sniffed.
Gwen stood up, taking her eyes away from the painting. "Miss Foster, I know this must have been hard for you, talking about something like this, but I'm very grateful. This will help the investigation." She stood up to leave, but took one last look at the painting. "Can I keep this?"
With Rose on her quest in the centre of town, Jack began his search on the cliffs, hoping to distract himself from the worries of home. Ianto was healing, slowly, but healing nonetheless. He had been through so much, and Jack couldn't help but feel like he hadn't done nearly enough.
A few weeks ago, the team learned that there was an alien parasite located in a primary school. The team managed to track down the creature and freeze it, using a device they had acquired some time ago.
Jack winced at the joke he made because the alien reminded him of a slimy, steroid infused worm. But his tone quickly changed when the parasite turned out to be dormant and attacked Ianto.
Over the next few hours they fought long and hard to remove the alien, but it was draining Ianto's life energy. Scans revealed that the parasite's teeth had sunk through the skin, allowing tentacles to latch to the bone. To break the alien's grip, they had to break the bone in Ianto's leg.
Taking the blame for the misjudgment, Jack broke Ianto's leg as quickly as he could, while Rose and Gwen held his hand. Ianto's scream pierced Jack's heart as they successfully removed the parasite, but the damage was already done.
Further test results concluded that the paralysis was temporary, but Jack's guilt and pain was overwhelming, almost searing. Working at Torchwood had its risks, but how far do you go for the job?
Jack blew out a long breath, feeling the sea breeze on his skin. I'll be home soon, he thought. He carried on walking along the cliffs, glancing up to see Alec in the distance.
Putting on a brave face, Jack cheerfully waved at the approaching copper. Well, he needed something to cheer him up and DI Grumpy made it so easy.
"Fancy seeing you here." Jack yelled.
"What are you doing, Captain?" Alec shouted back, his tone laced with authority.
"Seeing the sights. I love the seaside, don't you?" Jack grinned.
Alec grimaced. "We confirmed that your results last night. I had to tell Helen Jones that Billy was dead this morning."
"Hard part of the job." Jack said, his voice serious. "Learnt anything new?"
"As if I'd tell you." Alec sneered, walking away.
"We were willing to work with you until you insulted Rose."
Alec stopped in his tracks, his jaw tightened. "I'm sorry for what I said to your colleague."
"Tell her that."
"I will, next time I see her." Alec said, turning around.
Jack pondered for a second, before making his thoughts known. "What exactly did you say to her?"
"She didn't tell you?" asked Alec, stunned.
"I know it was bad." Jack told him. "But she didn't give me the details. She isn't like that."
Alec bit his lip, fearing the reaction from the protective man in front of him. "I asked her how she got her job. If her relationship with you secured it."
Jack clenched his fists and unclench them, debating on whether to hit the copper or push him off the cliff all together. He decided to choose neither option, knowing Rose would still disapprove. "Oh," he simply said.
Jack stared out the beautiful sight of the cliffs, seeing the waves brushing against the sand below. "Rose and I have been friends for years. When I met her, she had worked in shops. She's a clever girl, she deserves more than that." Jack explained.
"Yeah, she does." Alec agreed, before he could stop himself.
Jack raised an eyebrow. "Really?" he smirked, amused by the new piece of delicious information. "Taken a shine to, Miss Tyler?"
Jack flashed Alec a mischievous grin while he scowled, refusing to admit it was true. Wanting to push the subject a little further, before the copper retreated, Jack raised in his arms in mock protest. "Don't arrest me. Otherwise you'll never be in her good books."
Alec rolled his eyes, stepping closer. He coughed purposefully, needing to change the topic. Oh, he was losing his focus again.
"Billy Hansen was leaving the pub called the Three Sailors on the night he died, his friends said he walked home alone. We checked with local taxi services, they didn't pick him up." He pointed down the road. "His house is half an hour away from here. If he did walk he could would come along the cliffs before he came to his house."
"Not many people would walk along here that late at night." Jack mumbled.
Alec pulled out a photo of Billy and handed it to Jack. "He was a big guy, it would take someone very strong to attack him."
Or something very hungry, Jack he could weigh in with his opinion on the matter, his phone rang. Glancing at the number, he sighed, relieved that there was a lovely Welsh girl on the other end.
"Please tell me you have something good?" he answered.
"Better. Check your phone. I've sent you something you need to see. Clare Foster saw the killer and drew a very helpful picture." Gwen said, walking towards the docks.
Jack pulled his phone away from his ear, saw the photo and swallowed thickly. He turned his back to Alec, lowering his voice. "Is that…?"
"Yep, Jack be careful," Gwen told him. "You and Rose need to be armed. I know she isn't keen on guns but you need to be on red alert."
"What are you doing now?" he mumbled.
"Going back to the hub. Ianto has been trying to locate the landing site. We're getting closer to finding out where this thing came from."
Jack glanced over his shoulder to see Alec watching him, intrigued. "How is he?"
"Being brave as usual." Gwen muttered. "There's something else though. Clare saw the alien teleport a box somewhere. Maybe this thing can only transport one thing at a time."
"That's good, it means it's powers are limited." Jack mumbled, rubbing his eyes.
"Everything alright, Captain?" Alec asked, puzzled by the bits of conversation he was overhearing.
Gwen slowed down, alerted by the unfamiliar voice. "Is someone else there? " she asked, slightly panicked.
"Yeah, everything is fine, send me the details." he said, firmly. "I'll see you when I get home."
Alec stepped closer, trying to hear more of what Jack was discussing. You're up to something, he thought.
"Thanks, Mom." Jack said, cutting off the call.
Gwen smiled, putting her phone back in her bag, feeling much more relaxed. "Cheeky git."
"Who was that?" Alec demanded, crossing his arms.
"Mom wants to know if I'll come back for my grandmother's birthday." Jack lied, turning to face him. "You know what parents are like."
Alec gave him a sceptical look. "I know you're hiding something. I will find out what. Whatever it takes."
Jack stepped closer, standing over Alec, losing his playfulness. "Go back to your office, Hardy. You're better off there."