Time Doesn't Always Run Straight
Sleeper
Part 1
New chapter, yeh! Sorry for the delay, uni has been killing me. Had 3 assignments due all on the same day and am starting to get ready to apply for jobs. Which is really scary. This chapter is probably a M for violence, death and sexual references. Also Sleeper will be very Jestine centric, as will a lot of the stories. I'm sorry if you don't like that but Jestine is kind of what makes this story different from the show. Also after Sleeper there probably be another interlude then Meat. After that will be To The Last Man and I will be skipping Adam. Once again thank you to everyone, the response to this story has just been so amazing.
Jack lets out a sigh of relief at the sound of the clog door blaring. It was three long weeks since the incident with John and both he and Owen had finally relented in letting Jestine out on the field again. She had been restless almost from the first day of confinement to base. At one point she had even declared she had quit, storming out. Only to return the next day muttering in some other language. Jack was almost relieved when a call came through late in the afternoon about a loose Weevil. So he had sent Jestine, Owen and Ianto to deal with it, expecting them to be back within the hour. It was almost two hours after they had left and Jack had been beginning to worry before the cog door announced their arrival.
Jack makes his way out of his office to find out what took so long. His questions flee his mind as he takes in Jestine. She was soaked head to toe, her hair plastered to her face. He wrinkles his nose at the smell. Sewer.
"What the hell happened?" Jack asks as Owen and Ianto join Jestine, although neither seemed to have come in contact with the sewer.
"One of the Weevils fled back into the sewer and someone decided to follow it." Owen glares at Jestine.
Jestine glares back at him. "It was rabid, we couldn't just let it wander around free, it would be only a matter of time before it attacked someone."
"Doesn't explain how come you look like you went for a swim in the sewer." Jack comments.
"While carrying the Weevil back she fell." Ianto supplies as he glares at the pool of water congregating at her feet.
Jestine pouts. "I did not fall. I strategically dived for cover at the sound of other Weevils."
Jack sighs and runs his hand through his hair in frustration. "You need to be careful. You shouldn't have been in that situation. I know you found it difficult not being allowed on any field missions but you can't be reckless like that. Otherwise I will have to make the ban permanent."
Jestine looks at him in outrage. "But you can't. You wouldn't." She splutters.
"I won't this time because I understand how difficult you found it to not be able to do anything you enjoyed but I will not tolerate you being so careless in future." Jack warns.
"But first you need to go and get changed. You're dripping all over the place and will get sick if you don't put something dry on." Ianto intervenes before Jestine can start a strop. They had had far too many of those during the time that Jestine had been barred from field duty. And then there were the days where she would ignore them all. Ianto got the impression that Jestine was used to doing as she liked.
"And you smell." Gwen adds to Jestine's retreating back. Jack shoots a glare at Gwen as Jestine gives Gwen a hand gesture that would get her thrown in jail in 3 galaxies.
Jack looks over to Owen's desk at the sound of things being thrown around. He realises Owen is packing up. "Where do you think you're going?"
"I just had to put up with her for two hours, plus the three weeks she was 'trapped' here. I don't care what you have to say, I'm going to the pub." Owen answers.
Jack pauses for a moment before announcing, "Pub night everyone. Be ready to go when Jestine comes back."
"We could always leave her behind." Gwen suggests hopeful but everyone ignores her.
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"So why are we at a drinking establishment?" Jestine asks as they settle into a booth.
"I don't know about you but I plan on getting so pissed I don't remember having to deal with you for the past three weeks." Owen replies. Jestine glares at him in return.
"Team-bonding." Jack corrects. "It's been a long time since we've done anything as a team and I thought it would be good for moral if we had a nice night out."
Jestine cocks her head to the side in a gesture Jack now recognises as her trying to work something out. In the last few weeks Jestine had often asked about certain aspects of 21st century living.
"Team-bonding, activities designed to increase teamwork and trust amongst a group, bringing the group closer together." Jestine recites and then frowns. "I don't understand how consuming alcoholic beverages will increase our teamwork and trust, surely there are better activities."
"What would you suggest then?" Jack asks curiously.
Jestine pauses in thought for a moment. "Hunting requires lots of teamwork and provides a meal afterwards. Plus it helps weed out the weak ones." Jestine suggest.
Gwen glares at her as Jack frowns. "Not really what most people do in the 21st century." He tells her. "Plus there aren't any weak ones in this team." He beams at his team.
Jestine looks at him sceptically. "If you say so. Whatever, give me a time where the best activities were hunting and orgies."
Owen coughs up the sip of beer he had just taken. Tosh gently rubs his back as he splutters. Gwen glares at her as Jack lets out an exasperated sigh and Ianto rolls his eyes.
"Did you really have to?" Jack asks, shaking his head. He was sure Jestine did that on purpose. She often seemed to innocently say things that were completely unacceptable.
Jestine just shrugs. "I was just saying."
"Well don't. No-one wants to hear what you do outside of Torchwood." Gwen glares at Jestine.
"Time for more drinks." Owen mutters despite the fact they had only gotten their drinks a few minutes before.
"I do not understand these people." Jestine huffs as Owen heads back to the bar.
Jack chuckles. "You think this is bad, try 19th century Earth."
"I have been to Earth then. But I was only a child so didn't get to do much." Jestine comments.
Ianto is curious as to what someone like Jestine would have done as a child. "What did you do?"
Jestine grins. "Chased a monster."
Jack shakes his head. "Of course, what else would you be doing?"
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Jack sighs as his phone rings, knowing it almost certainly would put an end to an enjoyable night. He glances around the pub at his team. Gwen had already gone home to Rhys but he, Owen, Tosh and Ianto were in the middle of a game of pool. Jestine had initially joined them but quickly declared it a boring game. She was now chatting up some redheaded women at the bar.
Jack nods as Andy briefly gives him details on the latest case.
With a final nod Jack hangs up.
Having heard Jack's phone go off the team stopped their game, waiting for instructions.
"We've got a burglary gone wrong." Jack explains.
"What are we doing with it?" Owen asks.
Jack shrugs. "They just told me that it seemed like one of ours. A bit weird."
He looks over to Jestine, debating whether or not to interrupt her flirtations.
"We probably should bring her. She'll kill you if this turns out to be something and you didn't tell her." Ianto states.
"Plus you're probably saving the population of Cardiff." Owen mutters as Jack moves to interrupt Jestine.
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"What have we got?" Jestine is practically bursting as they pull up to the crime scene. Jack is just grateful she seems to have gotten over being interrupted earlier.
"Tosh, what happened?" Jack asks as they exit. He had only been told the briefest of details and was hoping Tosh had found out more.
"Two IC one males, one fatality, one seriously wounded after a fall from a fifth-floor window onto a police vehicle." Tosh explains as Owen rushes over to the man.
"Bloody hell!" Owen exclaims as he motions for an office to give him the IV bag. "Here you are. Has he been stabilized?"
The team look up at the building, seeing the broken window where the man had fallen from.
"Ianto, Owen, go with him to the hospital. See if he says anything. Interview the husband and wife while you're there. Tosh, Jestine, with me." Jack orders.
Jestine winks at Andy as they enter the building, smirking at his resulting blush.
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Tosh scans the room with her scanner as Jestine examines the body and Jack listens to the officer.
"Bit weird, this one. Might be one of yours. Nobody saw anything, hear anything. Blah, blah, blah. The usual. Don't know why we bother asking." The officer prattles on.
Jack nods politely. "Thanks so much. We'll take it from here. Now, if you could just wait outside." Jack encourages the officer outside.
The officer almost makes it out the door before stopping. "In my opinion, the husband did it. He was looking for trouble, expecting to be burgled."
Tosh and Jestine stop in their investigation to watch the exchange.
Jack internally sighs but asks the officer, "Really?" in the off chance that he might have something useful to say.
"Yeah, look. No other reason I can think of for keeping sports equipment in the bedroom." The officer replies, indicating to the bloodied cricket bat on the floor.
"Wrong." Jestine interrupts Jack's reply. The officer is taken aback.
"As a police officer you should be aware of the amount of home burglaries that occur each year. Are you saying it is unreasonable for someone to have something for protection? Do you not have any means of protecting your own home if you were to be burgled?"
The officer splutters, his anger rising at being corrected by Jestine.
"Plus this wound was clearly done by some kind of blade, probably long and narrow, but definitely not a bat. Surely even a 21st century human could see that." Jestine scoffs at the man. "Now if you have nothing other than incorrect guesses to share, could you please leave and let us get on with our job."
"You're probably better waiting out here." Jack gives the man an apologetic smile as he practically pushes the man out of the door.
"Making friends?" Tosh remarks as Jestine turns back to the body.
"The guy is a idiot." Jestine mutters as she re-examines the body.
"What happened to cooperation?" Jack teases.
Jestine shrugs. "Andy does not jump to conclusions, he at least tries to look at the facts."
"No glass inside, so it was definitely broken out." Tosh drags their attention back to the case. Jack nods as he also takes a look at the dead burglar.
"The police say the same as you Jestine. Caused by some sort of long, narrow blade." Jack has a quick glance around the room. "No other weapons in the room could have done this. So how the hell did they manage it?"
"The wife did it." Jestine mutters as she strikes the air with an imaginary sword, her real one thankfully still strapped to her hip.
Tosh shakes her head. "She couldn't, she probably weighs less than I do. I can't see how either of them did this."
Jack shrugs. "When you fear for your life, you would be surprised what you can do."
"The wound corresponds to someone between this and this height." Jestine indicates at about 5'4 and 5'8. "Likely too short for a male, but average for a women."
Jack quickly accesses the couple's information. "Beth is 5'7, you were right." He confirms. "But how did you know?"
"When you see as many wounds as I have, you start to recognise patterns." Jestine answers as she peers out the window. "And with the right momentum, she could have possibly pushed him out the window." Jestine frowns. "But both the style of the attack and force needed to push him out suggests that she had knowledge that she shouldn't."
Jestine suddenly turns around and faces Jack. "I need to speak to the wife. She is hiding something."
"Owen and Ianto are already at the hospital. They can interview them and tell us if they find anything." Jack replies.
Jestine shakes her head. "No, they will not get the information I need. She will not admit to anything. Especially anything alien."
"Then how are you going to get her to tell you?" Jack challenges, regretting it almost instantly as he remembers some of the techniques the Time Agency used to teach their agents.
"Being the 21st century I doubt she has much psychic training. I might be able to pick up on something." Jestine suggest.
"It would take you too long to get there." Jack argues. While it seemed likely that the couple were somehow involved, he wasn't sure about letting Jestine loose. He remembered how the Time Agency was and didn't want to expose too many to that.
Jestine smirks and indicates to her wrist-strap. "I promise no torture or anything. Just a little look around to see if there is anything strange. If they didn't do anything it would save us a lot of time." She is practically begging.
Jack sighs. He knows Jestine is offering them a better option than what they have at the moment but he still hesitates.
"I won't even need to talk to them. Just be near them, and Ianto is there. You know he stops me doing wrong." Jestine argues.
Reluctantly Jack nods. Jestine doesn't waste a second, her fingers flying across the buttons on her strap and in moments she is engulfed by a bright golden light and then gone.
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"What are you doing here?" Owen asks as Jestine seemly just appears out of no-where.
"Jack said I could come and see what the couple have to say about what happened at the flat." Jestine answers.
"We are capable of asking them, why are you really here?" Owen asks sceptically.
"I suggested and Jack agreed that they might be hiding something. So I'm going to see what is hidden in their mind." Jestine replies.
Ianto raises an eyebrow at her. She rolls her eyes. "He said I could. You can call him if you want. And I promised that I wouldn't torture them or anything so I don't see the problem."
"The fact you even needed to promise not to torture is the problem." Owen mutters. "Still might come in useful. But no talking to them, don't need to freak them out anymore." He warns. Ianto sighs.
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Mike is in bed while Beth sits next to him as Owen, Ianto and Jestine enter.
"We just need to ask you some questions and take some samples Mr and Mrs Halloran." Ianto explains as Owen snaps on a pair of gloves. Jestine looks both of them over, unnerving them in the process. Ianto shots her a glare.
"We've already spoken to the police." Beth answers uneasy under Jestine's gaze.
"I know you've been through a lot tonight but can you please just tell us what happened?" Ianto sooths her.
"I didn't see anything. We all heard this weird noise, then the next thing I know, I'm in the corner and he's just…sitting there, dead. The other one was just gone." Beth replies.
Ianto nods as Jestine scribbles on the clipboard she had acquired at some point.
"And then what?" Ianto probes.
Beth shakes her head. "Nothing. I just stayed there till the police arrived. Couldn't move." She looks guiltily over at Mike. Owen is currently swabbing his hand.
Mike smiles at Beth reassuringly. "Don't be silly. You did the right thing. I'm fine."
Beth smiles back. "Quiet you. The doctor said you should rest."
"I don't think the doctor meant my mouth." Mike retorts.
Beth replies deadpanned. "Actually he did. He was very specific. He said no talking for a whole week."
Jestine rolls her eyes at the conversation as Owen shakes his head at Ianto, indicating the test had come back negative.
Ianto sees Jestine is about to open her mouth so decides to end their interview. "Thank you for your time. We'll let you get some rest now." He quickly pushes Jestine outside.
As soon as they are out of earshot Jestine turns around and glares at Ianto. "Why did you stop me? I had important questions to ask." She demands.
"Because I know that look. They have just been burgled. The last thing they need is you harassing them." Ianto answers calmly.
"She is hiding something." Jestine glares at him.
"You heard her, she doesn't remember anything." Owen starts to head to the surviving burglars room.
Jestine scoffs. "You really going to believe her?"
"What makes you think she is hiding something?" Owen asks.
"I couldn't read her mind." Jestine frowns in thought.
"So because you couldn't invade her privacy you assume she is hiding something." Ianto snipes. He knew Jestine was just trying to help but ever since the case with Mary he had been very wary of anything to do with mind reading.
Jestine glares at him. "You do not understand. I naturally have a high level of psychic ability. When you then add in the training I have, I should have no difficulty reading a normal 21st century human. But I could not get single thought from Beth. She might not have anything to do with what happened to the burglars but it is a coincidence do you not think? And never ignore a coincidence, unless you're busy, in which case as always ignore coincidences."
"Ok, assuming you're somehow right. What do we do then?" Owen questions Jestine.
"I need to see the burglar." Jestine responds.
"He's unconscious at the moment so you will have to wait." Ianto tells her.
"I don't need him conscious to read his mind." Jestine replies.
"It doesn't matter. You are not rooting around in someone's mind while they are unconscious, it's just rude." Ianto overrules her. "You can wait here till he wakes up."
Jestine grumbles but heads to the bedside anyway.
"She's going to give me grey hair." Ianto mutters.
"She's going to give us all grey hair." Owen adds as they head to the exit.
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Jestine grins as the burglar starts moving.
"What happened? How did she do it?" Jestine demands.
The heart monitor starts beeping incessantly as he tosses. "The woman…in the flat, keep her away from me!" He screams before he flat lines and passes out. The alarm goes off and the nurses rush off. Jestine curses as she leaves the room.
"He just flat-lined. He mentioned Beth but ain't going to get anything else from him." Jestine tells Jack over the phone. "I will bring her in with me."
"No, wait for me to come to the hospital." Jack replies.
"I can bring in suspects you know." Jestine mutters. "I did it hundreds of times in the Time Agency."
"And that's why you are waiting. It seems to have escaped your notice but we operate differently from the Time Agency. We don't even know if she is guilty." Jack argues.
"The evidence suggest otherwise." Jestine grumbles. "But I guess they made you boss for some reason." She reluctantly agrees to wait.
Thank you so much for reading, please let me know what you thought. Next one should be up in about a week.