Hally was sat at her new desk in the central area of the Hub with Gwen's and Tosh's on either side. Jack and Toshiko had set her up with a desk of her own about two weeks ago, much to the approval of Gwen who was happy to not have to share her computer with the Time Lady anymore. She'd been with Torchwood for just over two months, however, Jack still hadn't moved her sleeping arrangements out of the Hub. Hally had started to consider whether she should broach the subject herself, offer to start looking for flats and see what Jack said. It was getting increasingly difficult for her to do anything without Jack noticing. She'd taken to actively taking a backseat in some of their investigations so she could hang back at the Hub while the rest of the team headed out into the field. Then, with those precious few hours, she'd grab her laptop and phone and try and trawl through the small mountain of emails Mace was sending her way. Project approvals, funding requests, sign-offs.
Hally hated to admit it, but Jack was doing a really good job of keeping an eye on her.
She'd grabbed her laptop after the team had dashed out, something to do with Gwen's fiance Rhys and his lorry company. The team seemed wrapped up in the emergency enough that they'd not thought twice when Hally hadn't followed them. So now, she was swiftly scanning her emails, trying to get through as many as she could.
Most of them were simply research projects or requests for additional funding on already running projects. Easy approvals.
However, as her eyes scanned over the project briefing she'd just opened, her face creased into a deep frown.
Project Osterhagen.
Hally had to read the document three times to double check she was reading the proposal correctly.
She hit reply and typed with irritable force.
To: M 13135ColM
Subject: Re: Project Osterhagen Funding Application
This is insanity. I'm not signing off on it.
Shut. It. Down.
H
She chewed on the inside of her jaw as she continued firing off responses, her mind caught up in anger on the Osterhagen proposal.
Another email caught her attention and her eyebrow quirked. She paused, taking a moment to think before shooting a response.
To: M 13135ColM
Subject: Re: Archangel Decommission
Hold off on this.
H
She closed and hid the laptop before the team returned.
"All good?" She smiled over at Ianto when he logged into the station next to her, updating paperwork.
"Bit of a mess…" He shot her a knowing look back, she chuckled softly.
Her phone vibrated loudly against her desk, drawing both of their attention to it. She glared daggers at it, 'CM' appearing on the screen.
Mace.
Fucking idiot.
She grabbed the phone and slid out of her seat, slipping into one of the side corridors as unsuspiciously as she could. She brought the phone to her ear. "I've told you… you can't just call me."
Mace cleared his throat at her brisk tone. "The Osterhagen Project must go ahead."
She lowered her voice, but kept the edge of venom. "No, it can't. It's ridiculous."
"But the plans have already been pre-approved by the United Nations…" He started.
Hally clicked her tongue against her teeth. "Well, I guess you should have checked with your Time Lord bank account first." She bit out, checking over her shoulder and moving further down the dark corridor. If Jack caught her she'd probably not be able to offer him an excuse he'd believe.
"It's a last resor-"
"I don't care. It's barbaric and having it exist is a massive weakness. You're practically inviting your enemies to blow up the planet."
The colonel paused.
"Worldwide Governments are expecting it… it's been approved across the globe…" Despite being a middle-aged man, he sounded like he was whining.
Hally huffed. "Well, there's no way I'm funding those 25 warheads. If you need a Project Osterhagen to show the world, then go ahead. Make a fake. You can put in as many protocols as you need but the nuclear warheads aren't happening." Her tone held no room for argument.
Mace spluttered and started whittering but her attention was solely on the man in front of her. Ianto had peeped his head around the corner, he offered her a polite smile. "I'm doing a round of coffees, I know you always say no but do you want one?" His face was the perfect mask of a genuine question, but curiosity sparkled in his eyes.
"Can I call you back?" She cut across Mace, her tone dramatically different to the cold bite she'd given to the colonel before. Then she hung up the phone, shooting an equally graceful smile at Ianto. "No thanks… I still can't stand the stuff." She hummed a laugh.
Ianto hummed back. "I'll try not to take it personally."
Her eyes glimmered. "Please don't, me and hot drinks in general just don't mix well. Far too impatient." She hoped the small talk might have him on his way.
No such luck.
"Everything alright?" His eyes flicked to her phone still in her hand. The question hung in the air between them.
"Yep." She popped the 'p' cheerfully. Her eyes narrowed slightly. Ianto wasn't Jack. She was at no liberty to divulge any information to him. If he had a problem with it, no doubt he'd run straight to Jack anyway. Which, Hally was all for trying to avoid. Perhaps a distraction of sorts.
"So… are you and Jack serious…?" She voiced, cocking her head to one side in interest.
"It's… complicated." Ianto offered in return, uncertainty hovering behind his words.
Hally nodded, sucking on her cheeks. "And what's with him and Gwen?"
Something loosened in the man's stance and his mouth pulled into a genuine smile. "I ask myself that often."
Interesting. She'd landed on something. Hally curved her mouth into an amused smirk. "Huh. I guess for an immortal, relationships are complicated." She mused out loud.
His face dropped and he nodded quickly, covering his obvious disappointment.
Success.
He recovered quickly, crossing his arms. "And what about you?"
"What about me?" She cocked an eyebrow.
"Your… lifespan…" She almost laughed at his caution.
"Usually my lifespan isn't anything to worry about. Although at the moment I'm not too sure." She pouted in thought. Hally could practically see the cogs turning in the poor man's head, so she decided to put him out of his misery. "But dating humans isn't really my thing."
A look of surprise crossed over his face and his eyebrows arched. "Really… so?"
Her mouth twitched into a wry smile. "That would be telling." With that, she squeezed past him to head back to her desk, hoping she'd managed to give him enough to think about, that he might forget her phone call.
Cardiff was beautifully sunny today. Hally grabbed a sandwich for her lunch and sat on the edge of the dock as she ate it, enjoying how the sun reflected off the water. She was also using the weather as an excuse to leave the Hub and take The Master's phone with her. Armitage had texted her during Jack's team brief that morning and the phone had practically been burning a hole in her jacket pocket since then.
A - 'I've found something. Arrange a time to discuss.'
H - 'That is going to be difficult. Jack won't leave me alone.'
A - 'So get him off your back.'
H - 'How?!'
A - 'For a supposedly higher species, you're really stupid sometimes.'
H - 'Excuse me?'
A - 'Use what you've got.'
H - 'What the fuck have I got?!'
His reply wasn't instant this time, she stared at the device, willing him to hurry up.
A - 'Why did The Master marry the human?'
"What?!" Hally sneered at her phone. What kind of answer even was that? How was that helpful to her current predicament? Although, the longer she stared at his answer, the deeper the crease in her forehead became. Because the more she thought about it, the more uncomfortable his answer made her. The Master had married Lucy to piss her off… in a sense. Because she'd kissed Jack in front of him.
That had been awkward.
But it had been more than that for Koschei. He had thought that Jack… liked her. Cared about her. More than in a friendly way…
"Kids these days. Always on their phones."
Speak of the devil.
Hally got to her feet and slipped the phone into her pocket as she turned to see Jack descending the steps to the dock. He flashed his usual winning smile. He never failed to find her. He really was, always around. Perhaps she'd read it wrong. Hally had assumed that Jack had been keeping her close out of pure suspicion, but what if there was more to it? Perhaps Captain Jack Harkness was more conflicted than he was letting on.
Trust.
She needed his trust.
Enough that she could come and go from the Hub as she pleased. Enough that he might consider letting her live outside of his domain.
Honesty.
Closeness.
He needed her, to be honest with him.
Or at least to think she was.
She swallowed a grimace and shot a dazzling smile back at him. It wasn't that getting close to Jack was difficult, however, the idea of deceiving him in that way made her uncomfortable. He was her friend. She cared about him. And if it turned out that he did like her, it felt awful to knowingly be using that against him. Plus it wasn't like… well, she was sure if The Master had never existed, perhaps she and Jack would have made a good pair.
She was married. She wasn't blind.
But, if it was between not hurting Jack and not getting The Master back…
Decision made.
He leant against the railing, his gaze moving out to sea. "Does make me wonder though…" His voice trailed off in the way it did when he was about to make a point.
She raised an eyebrow at him.
"For someone who only got a phone 2 months ago, you sure do get a lot of calls." He quirked an eyebrow back at her, his eyes flicking to hers.
Usually, round about now, Hally would pull back from him. Make a lame excuse and distance herself. However, if she was going to roll with her new plan she'd need to do the opposite.
Lean in.
So she did.
She physically leant into him, joining his side, both of them now looking out over the bay. Her hip grazed the outside of his leg, if he noticed he didn't react to it.
"I know…" She swallowed before letting out a tired exhale. Fingers crossed handsome Jack wouldn't be able to help but want to help the damsel in distress. But Jack wasn't to be taken for a fool, if she wanted his trust she'd have to give him something honest, something real. "I… I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Her jaw was doing its best to clench and keep her quiet. This really wasn't something she wanted to divulge to… anyone, but she had to try. Give him a piece of her and see what he did with it. Although, she was painfully aware that her plan could also dramatically backfire. "Do you remember, back on the Valiant… I told you I'd done something."
He turned his head to look down at her, his attention fully on her face. Both their arms were resting against the railing now, she felt his shift as he pressed the outside of his forearm against hers in a comforting gesture.
Her hands clenched and she forced herself to keep talking. "Alina. You met her, the blonde at the bar."
Jack hummed in acknowledgement. Her body stiffened and she straightened up. Every muscle in her body wanted her to shut up and back away, she retreated the smallest amount, unable to stop herself from jerking away. Jack took her hand in his and squeezed. "You can tell me…"
God, was getting him on side really that easy?
And yet, getting her mouth to open was proving more difficult by the minute. What if he hated her…?
No. Push forward.
Hally ran her free hand through her hair and let her eyes fall shut for a moment. She had never wanted to tell anyone and now she was using her worst moment to get Jack to trust her.
Uuuuuuuurgh, was she the bad guy?
It definitely felt like it.
However, a bad guy probably wouldn't feel so much guilt.
She was the worst villain ever.
What would The Master think?
"I… in that year… it was an accident… K… The Master took this off." She brushed her fingers over the band at her neck. "Like The Doctor said… just once but… there was an accident… I know I already said that." Her tongue was heavy in her mouth, the words tumbling out with no real direction.
Jack frowned. "Hal…"
"I killed her."
She couldn't look at him. Her eyes hardened in sheer determination as she glared at the sea. "I didn't mean to. But I killed her. I killed about 30 people Jack… we were ambushed and I didn't mean to." Emotion choked up the words.
Jack didn't say anything, she couldn't stop and think about what could possibly be going on in his head, couldn't turn to look at his face. "She wasn't supposed to be there…" Hally did her best to clear her throat, shaking her head. "Anyway… I was checking up on her… all of them." She corrected herself, her eyes flicking open. "I went to see her. I didn't approach her or anything. She wouldn't remember any of it… but I just wanted to check she was ok."
Jack moved then, his hands came to her shoulders and he turned her towards him. "Hey…"
Hally looked to the sky, trying to stop the water from escaping her eyes. "I killed 30 people, Jack." She shook in his arms.
Jack wrapped her up in his arms in an instant, his hand pressed to her cheek. "It's ok… it's fixed. It didn't happen."
Her head shook, and all of a sudden, it was as if the wall she'd built inside herself crumbled. Everything hit her all at once. The tears that had threatened to fall were now streaming down her face. It overwhelmed her. All of it. Jack. Alina. UNIT. Armitage. The Master was dead and The Doctor was gone and she was so, so alone. She burst into tears.
Jack held her shaking form into his, his hand stroking her hair. "Shhh… it's alright." He let her cry into his chest, only ever offering words of gentle support. After a few moments, she stifled the tears and rebuilt the shaky wall. She wiped the streaks from her face, trying her best to avoid eye contact with the man who was still holding her.
His fingers caught her chin and he tilted her head until their eyes met. Her wide, fearful eyes were met with his bright blue. But there was no rage or disappointment like she'd imagined. Instead, they were filled with empathy and fondness.
She internally groaned.
Why was Armitage always right?
Hally took in a shaky breath. Jack's hands remained on her, steadying her.
Once he was sure she wasn't going to collapse back into his chest he took a small step back and offered her his arm. "Let's go for a walk."
After bursting into tears in broad daylight, all Hally really wanted to do was go and hide in her room. But she'd come this far, she couldn't push him away now. Hally slipped her arm in his.
It wasn't like she minded being with Jack.
Hanging out with him was nice.
He was nice.
His hands on her were… nice.
The way he looked at her was nice.
But apparently, nice had never really been her type.
Jack walked them along the bay, up towards the park. She held onto his arm, she couldn't deny that his presence was steadying.
Hally exhaled, shaking her head. "I feel like such a mess." A weak laugh fell from her lips.
The side of his mouth twitched. "You're not a mess. You've been through a lot."
"You know, it's almost annoying how understanding you are." Her chest vibrated with amusement.
He cocked an eyebrow, looking down at her. "Oh, really? What would you prefer?" With the sunshine, the park was full of families and kids playing, there was even an ice cream van in the distance.
Her smile was undeniable as she shrugged. "I don't know. Shout at me. Tell me I'm a monster. Banish me from your team."
His eyes twinkled with mischief. "Well… I'm not going to banish you, but if it makes you feel better I could always bend you over my knee?"
"Jack!" She squeaked, her eyes blowing wide.
His face split into a playful grin. "What?" His voice lilted innocently.
She shook her head trying to stop her own smile from spreading across her face. "You can't say that! I'm a grieving widow."
"Well, would the grieving widow like an ice cream?" His eyes glittered as he nodded his head towards the ice cream van.
Her face lit up and she nodded. "Yes… yes, she would."
Jack ordered them both an ice cream, she would have been happy with anything but he insisted it come with a chocolate Flake and extra chocolate sauce. The pair sat side by side on an empty park bench, overlooking the sea.
"Thank you for letting me into your life." It was difficult to give him a sincere smile with chocolate sauce around her lips. Jack snorted and wiped at her mouth with his thumb.
His eyes softened. "Of course. We like having you. I like having you here."
She hummed her appreciation.
"Do you think you'll go back to travelling with The Doctor…?" Jack watched her even as he used the Flake to spoon ice cream into his mouth.
"Are you trying to get rid of me?" Her eyebrow quirked. Jack chuckled lowly in his chest. Hally turned her gaze away from him, chewing on her lip. "I don't know. Maybe one day. But not right now."
"Have you spoken to him, since…?"
"Nope." She pursed her lips together. Hally knew that eventually, she was going to have to talk to her father, however, they were both notoriously terrible communicators, so she was hoping she wouldn't have to cross that bridge for a little while. Although, no doubt Jack would try and push for it. "So, you're stuck with me for the foreseeable future." She gave him a convincing smile. "Hmm, I was thinking actually… I should probably look to get my own place." Her eyes scanned his face for a reaction. "Not that I don't love the sewer." She added in quickly, actively trying to keep the conversation light, playful. "But, you know, just somewhere small with a proper kitchen so I'm not living off solely pizza and ice cream."
Jack nodded, eyes laughing at her. He pressed his lips together momentarily, the only sign of resistance before the side of his mouth twitched in a smile. "Yeah… we can look into it."
Interesting.
Well, he hadn't outright said no.
Although she was already well aware that he'd sorted an apartment out for her weeks ago.
Baby steps.
He nudged her playfully and she let a giggle fall from her mouth, looking up at him fondly.
God, wouldn't life be so much easier if she'd just fallen in love with Captain Jack Harkness?
She wouldn't have to betray anyone. All this guilt probably wouldn't exist. The guilt was so heavy. She really hated it. Then there was her father. The Doctor would probably disapprove, but after a while he'd come around. She imagined that Jack would be protective, but not obsessively controlling like someone...
He'd take her out on dates. They'd go for dinner. He'd be romantic. If she'd fallen in love with Captain Jack Harkness they could probably have a normal life. Or as normal as any time-travelling, immortal couple could be.
But when Jack looked at her, with those sparkling blue eyes, it was nothing like when The Master looked at her. The hunger, the obsession. It set off a yearning within her. When Jack touched her it was warm, pleasant. The Master's hands left a burning trail on her skin, forever begging for more. There was nothing in the universe that could compare to him.
Jack would probably make love to her.
Whereas The Master demanded her pleasure. When the two of them connected it was like wildfire. His hand at her neck, his body on top of hers, the way he kissed her like his life depended on it.
Hally swallowed, looking away to hide the unmistakable blush on her cheeks.
Dammit.
"Time to get back to work?" Jack offered.
She nodded quickly, clearing her throat and shooting him a smile. "Yes, I suppose the world won't save itself."
Jack chuckled and rose to his feet, offering her his arm once more. This time she took it without hesitation. Betraying Jack hurt. But it would be worth it. In the end.
Jack had informed her that they'd found her an apartment a few days later, although he caveated the announcement with an excuse that the space wasn't quite ready for her yet. She knew it was a lie, however, it was certainly progress. She'd have her own private space soon enough. He'd even gone so far as to show her pictures. Hopefully, it wouldn't be too long before he agreed to move her.
Trying to run a national taskforce, alongside working on plans to resurrect her husband was constantly a struggle with Jack hovering behind her at every turn. She had arranged to call Armitage the following week, although how she was going to pull that off, she didn't yet have a clue.
Jack knocked on her bedroom door. "Hey, I need you, we've got a Weevil in St David's shopping centre." He called through the door. Hally checked the time as she pulled open her door. It was 7am.
"I thought Weevil hunting was yours and Ianto's thing?" She scrunched up her face, a clear message to Jack that she'd rather not be dragged into Weevil capturing duties.
He rolled his eyes in response. "It is but Ianto won't be in for another 2 hours and I'd like to prevent the general public from being mauled to death this morning." He fixed her with a stern look.
"Urgh. Fine." Hally conceded and followed Jack out of the Hub to the car park. They both jumped into the SUV. "You know, if Weevils could refrain from acting out until normal office hours, that'd be preferable."
He shot her a smirk and drove them into central Cardiff. He pulled up on the pavement directly outside the shopping centre and grabbed the Weevil spray from his pocket, chucking it to her. "You ready?"
Her exhale didn't have to be so heavy, but she didn't like Weevils. "Yes." She muttered irritably, sliding out of the SUV. They entered the shopping centre together, Jack with his gun in hand and Hally armed with the spray. Although, The Master's Laser Screwdriver also sat happily in her pocket, if needed. The pair stayed relatively close to one another as they quietly searched for the rogue creature. Weevils were practically pests, living in the sewers of Cardiff, living off anything they could get their hands on. Every now and then, one or a little group would accidentally find their way up to the surface. They could be vicious and often any interactions with humans ended up with a big chunk being taken out of the unsuspecting residents of Cardiff.
Jack's eyes narrowed and he motioned towards a shop front, as they approached Hally noticed the steel shutter had been smashed inwards.
Bingo.
Jack hit the button to the right of the shop front and the shutter began to rise, screeching angrily as the broken layers scrunched up against each other. The Weevil snatched its head up towards them, snarling. Hally looked up at the name of the shop, 'Thorntons'. Judging by the mess on the floor, a chocolate shop, the Weevil had its face stuck in the decorative fountain of liquid brown.
Using Jack as a distraction, Hally was able to make quick work of stunning the Weevil, then Harkness jumped in with a hood. It was the easiest way to keep the creature docile while they dealt with it. He dumped it in the back of the SUV and after some deliberation between the two of them, decided to drop it off just at the entrance to a known Weevil den. Usually, Jack and Ianto would bring the Weevils they caught back to the Hub to lock in the cells, but Hally didn't see the point.
"It's like a cooling-off period." Jack huffed, reversing the SUV back onto the road, the vehicle now Weevil free.
She rolled her eyes at him. "It's a Weevil, it doesn't need to cool off."
"You're grouchy in the morning."
She snorted a laugh. "Yes, I'm not a morning person."
A noise was coming from the central Hub, the sound getting louder and louder as they walked along the entrance corridor to the front door. It sounded like screaming. Whatever it was it was loud. Hally and Jack shared a look of concern as he pulled out his gun. The door rolled open and Jack took up an immediate defensive stance, scanning the area for the threat.
It was definitely screaming.
Gwen, Owen, Tosh and Ianto were all huddled around Toshiko's computer. The minute Hally and Jack entered they seemed to flinch in shock. Owen leant forward, trying and failing desperately to stop the noise that was apparently coming from the screen.
The sound was haunting.
Jack stiffened and in a second marched over to them. "Turn that off." He was furious, the team looked back at him like schoolchildren who had just been caught misbehaving. Tosh pressed on the screen, the noise stopped.
"Where did you get that?" Jack's jaw clenched and he rounded on his team. His hard gaze demanded answers. Ianto and Toshiko looked at one another, their faces pale. Hally took a step forward, intrigued to see what had Jack so angry. He held his hand out towards her, blocking her path. "Don't."
Hally slapped his hand away and stepped in front of him, giving herself an unrestricted view of the screen. They'd been watching a video, the picture was greyed and quite grainy. CCTV footage. A growl vibrated in Jack's throat behind her. She could see Jack in front of her too, on the footage. And herself. Armitage, The Doctor, Martha, Lucy and The Master.
It was footage of the bridge of the Valiant. Footage from a CCTV camera capturing the lower bridge from the angle of the upper bridge. She could see herself clearly.
A cold shiver passed through her at the realisation that the screaming she'd heard, had been from her. She leant forward and rewound the video.
"Hal…" Jack warned lowly.
She ignored him, pressing play.
"I love him…"
Two guards had The Master held near the bottom of the stairs. The Doctor was turned away from the camera, looking at her.
She could feel everyone's eyes on her, the Hub suddenly feeling very small and tense. Jack's heavy hand squeezed her shoulder, she wasn't sure if it was supposed to be comforting or a signal to stop. She shrugged him off either way.
"Doctor if you let them go… anything he ever does is on you." Jack growled.
"What would Rose do…?"
She saw as The Doctor deflated, nodding to Jack who took his hands off her.
"If this is what you really want…?"
Then The Doctor turned, his face now visible to the camera, he was looking at The Master.
"If you let me go, I will go with her. You'll never see me again."
His voice. She'd missed his voice. She wishes she could see his face.
Even though she expected the sound of the gunshot, it still made her jump. Watching oneself get shot was strange. She could see as the realisation dawned on her and the pain set in. Jack caught her, holding her in his arms. He looked terrified.
"Lucy stop! Put the gun down!"
The Doctor was bargaining with Lucy, Hally's eyes narrowed as the human turned the gun on The Master. "I'm sorry Doctor. But, he cannot be allowed to go free and without her, he can't."
"No!"
Armitage joined Jack at her side.
"I'll just heal her! I swear! Please! Doctor!"
Her breath caught in her throat. She'd been a little busy trying not to die at the time, she hadn't heard The Master reasoning with The Doctor. The desperate growl in his voice. Her hearts pulled inside her chest.
Hovering over her, Armitage muttered something to Jack and Jack looked up at The Doctor. "Doctor! She's going to be fine."
Hally's jaw clenched, the whole thing in her memory was a bit of a blur. It had all happened so fast. Even now, rewatching it, everything had happened in less than 3 minutes. The Doctor lunged for Lucy but it was already too late.
She didn't flinch at the sound of the gunshot this time.
The Master doubled over.
The second gunshot hit his chest. Her body was cold and numb as she watched The Doctor rush to his side. Hally cocked her head to one side as she saw herself start to struggle on the screen. She was yelling, even she couldn't make out the words, it was just noise. A high-pitched wailing. Begging.
Hally winced.
"No!" The Doctor shook The Master's lifeless body. The other humans seemed to deflate, almost relax. The only movement in the room was the hopeless battle Hally was waging against the two men holding her back. Her jaw ground at the endless screaming coming from her mouth. Wasn't it about time for one of them to shut her up?
Indeed.
Armitage shifted, muttering something to Jack. He used her hair to pull her head to one side, allowing Armitage to inject the sedative into her neck. Her body went limp and Armitage immediately scooped her up in his arms, getting to his feet.
The atmosphere on the screen changed instantly. Both The Doctor and Jack rounded on Armitage. Jack had grabbed a gun, he was pointing it at the soldier's head.
He seemed to survey them slowly, looking from The Doctor to the barrel of the gun in Jack's hands. "I'm taking her to the med bay. Unless you'd both rather she bleed out on the floor?" His voice was gruff as usual, tired from holding her back, with a hint of sarcasm. Jack and The Doctor shared a look on the screen, she couldn't quite make out their faces but she could imagine they painted a picture of distrust. The Doctor nodded and Armitage marched from the bridge, Jack following swiftly behind him.
That was where the footage ended.
The silence was thick with tension. Five pairs of eyes watched her. Hally could still feel the rage flowing off of Jack.
She wasn't sure how she felt. There was an overwhelming blanket of numbness creeping through her limbs.
But his voice.
Hally pressed her eyes closed and took in a deep breath.
"Sorry…" Gwen muttered. Hally slowly turned to face them, her face uncharacteristically blank.
Jack directed his anger at Gwen, as she'd been the one to speak first. "How did you access that?" Then, his attention shifted knowingly to Tosh. "Toshiko?"
Toshiko winced with shame. "Well…"
"It was me, Jack." Ianto cut across her, allowing the brunt of Jack's disappointment to hit him. He cleared his throat, addressing Hally as he continued. "I noticed… all our files on Lucy Saxon disappeared… so I looked into it and UNIT had done the same, as had the British Government." Ianto swallowed. "So I got Tosh to hack into their systems… I thought it was off, thought maybe we should check it out… I didn't think… I had no idea."
Hally didn't respond.
Jack's nostrils flared, he ran a frustrated hand through his hair.
Toshiko nodded, affirming Ianto's story. "I'm sorry." Her eyes met Hally's, genuine regret swelling inside them.
A frown pinched Gwen's forehead and her eyes narrowed as she studied Hally and Jack. "Were you going to tell us?"
Jack's eyes flashed in warning. "Tell you what?"
"Who was Harold Saxon?" The others shifted uncomfortably at Gwen's question. Evidently, they all wanted answers.
"It doesn't matter. He's dead." Jack sent Gwen a stern look, his eyes commanding her to leave it alone.
Gwen bristled. "Yeah because his wife shot him. Shot both of them…" Her accusatory glare flicked over to Hally. "… after he'd killed the US President. The footage doesn't make any sense, Jack."
Owen hummed in agreement. "She's right. One minute you're all being held on the ground at gunpoint, then in the next frame you're all in completely different places and she's telling everyone that she loves him?" He tilted an eyebrow up at Hally.
Hally shifted her weight.
"What happened, Jack?" Gwen pressed.
"Enough." Jack ordered and his team fell silent.
Hally's voice was quiet. "He was a Time Lord." All eyes fell back on her. "Like me, like The Doctor."
Jack's expression was dark, his anger still simmering underneath the surface, but nevertheless, he shifted closer to her, placing himself next to her in a stance that was both protective but also sent a clear message to the others. Do not push.
"He pretended to be human, you all elected him as Prime Minister… then he took over the planet. He used … umm… they were called Toclafane. They were from the future." Hally tried to explain it in the least complicated way. "He used them to take over the planet. Enslaved the human race. For a whole year. But it was based on a paradox, once the paradox was broken time reversed so that the year never happened." She turned her head back towards the screen. "That's why the footage doesn't make sense. There's an entire year in between those clips that got wiped from existence because technically it never happened."
"So why do you remember it and we don't?" Owen asked, curious.
"The Valiant was at the heart of the paradox. Only those on board remember it…"
Ianto narrowed his eyes. "So you fell in love with the man who destroyed the world?"
Hally shook her head quickly. "No…" She took in a sharp inhale. How could she possibly explain it in a way they'd understand? "I…"
Jack's hand pressed against her lower back as he cut in. "He was her husband." His hand rubbed at the base of her spine. "A long time ago. But, he changed and she couldn't stop him." He must have felt the way her entire body tensed because his thumb pressed firmly into the muscle running the length of her back. He was lying. The insistent thumb was warning her to go along with it. Hally shut her mouth and let him take the lead. "She thought she could fix him, but she couldn't."
Her fingernails dug into the skin of her palm as she forced herself not to say anything. Jack's hand kneaded into her back knowingly, almost apologetically.
The team looked between them and then silently between each other as if collectively deciding whether they were satisfied with what they'd heard.
"Is she a threat?" Gwen's eyes were cold as she addressed Jack.
"No." Jack responded immediately.
Gwen looked at her, Hally returned her stare. Finally, Gwen nodded. "Alright."
This seemed to placate the others, who along with Gwen, all swiftly seemed to be very busy with their work. Tosh cleared her throat. "I… I'm sorry for your loss."
Hally couldn't stop the wince. "Thanks."
Jack moved away from her side to address Toshiko at her desk. "Tosh, wipe that file. I don't ever want to see it again. Understood?"
Tosh nodded quickly. "I'll wipe everything. No one else will be able to find it." Jack gave her a short hum of approval before he turned and stalked towards his office, throwing over his shoulder, "Ianto. A word." Ianto clenched his jaw in apprehension, following Jack into his office.
Hally hovered awkwardly for a moment, then she retreated from the Hub. She needed some air. Needed to be somewhere they weren't watching her.
Hally paced up and down the dock, trying her best to keep her breathing steady. What Jack had said felt like a blade slicing into her chest. She knew he was purposefully lying. He'd said what he'd said to make it easier for the team to understand. He wanted them to trust her. Hally took in a deep breath. Her body still felt cold. Numb. But there was a scorching rage bubbling deep in her centre.
None of this was fair.
Only after hearing his voice on the recording had it really hit her how much she missed it. She missed him so much it hurt. Physically.
The anger inside her blossomed, consuming the cold until it swam through her veins in a fiery heat. How could they stand there and question her? These humans. They knew nothing. All of them. Every single last stupid human on this planet.
Hally gripped the railing, glaring out at the sea.
This universe would bring him back to her. Or she would burn this universe to the ground.
"Hey…." Jack's voice pulled her from her thoughts. He nodded back towards the door. "Come with me." It wasn't a question. He'd already turned on his heel and started walking back into the Hub. She released the railing and begrudgingly followed him. He didn't take her into his office, or the conference room like she assumed he might. Instead, he took her into the basement, the Hub had a gym set up for employee use, there was a matted area in the far corner. Jack shrugged off his coat and turned to her. "How's your shoulder?"
Her face twisted into an irritable scowl. "Mostly fine."
"I'll go easy on you then." There wasn't any hint of jest in his eyes.
Her face must have portrayed her confusion.
"You're angry." He stated as if that explained his actions.
Hally bristled. "Yes."
"Good. So hit me."
She cocked an eyebrow. "What?"
"Hit. Me."
"Yeah, I heard you the first time…"
"Don't worry, I'll fight back." His mouth curved into a smug smirk. Hally scoffed, her face settling into a scowl. Sensing that she wouldn't be making the first move, Jack lunged for her. He took her by surprise but she managed to duck under his arms before he could get her. Immediately, he came for her again, this time she knocked his arm hard out of the way, using his momentary imbalance to escape his advance.
She hadn't fought hand-to-hand like this since Gallifrey, unless you wanted to count her many unsuccessful skirmishes with Armitage, and she was definitely out of practice. On Gallifrey, she'd been able to cheat her strength using her power but with the Biodampener on she was relying only on her natural muscle mass. Which was apparently, abysmal.
She was, however, currently fuelled by rage.
Hally swung at him, he caught her arm easily and used it to lever her body into his, trapping her back against his chest.
"Let it out."
She growled lowly and kicked back at his shin. To avoid the painful impact he pushed her forward. Hally turned quickly, hoping he would assume she'd be off balance and so wouldn't expect another attack, and she aimed her fist at him.
A smirk curved his mouth as he batted her away again. "Been a while?" His eyes twinkled. He was purposefully trying to rile her. Hally lunged at him, shoving him hard with both her hands. He barely moved, amusement vibrating in his chest. "You're quick, but you're weak."
"Yes. I know." She spat back at him, trying again to land on him.
Despite having told her that he'd go easy on her, Hally was tiring quickly. She'd managed to land all of two hits in twenty minutes and considering she was practically drowning in her own sweat, Jack barely looked out of breath.
Stupid immortal.
Although she had to admit, her anger was all but forgotten.
Stupid immortal.
Jack lunged at her and Hally used his open position to weaken his stance with her leg. She grabbed him and turned them both, his momentum leading them straight to the floor. Hally had all of 2 seconds of victory, before he rolled them, trapping her underneath him.
She felt his chuckle against her own chest. "You're scrappy, I'll give you that." Hally huffed, rolling her eyes at how pleased he was with himself. "Better?" His raised eyebrow was irritatingly knowing.
"Yes." She mumbled, pouting. Hally wriggled but he didn't budge, holding her down with his weight.
The twinkle in his eyes dimmed. "You know I didn't mean what I said."
Hally met his gaze. He was referring to what he'd told his team about her relationship with The Master. "No, I know. If you told them the truth, they wouldn't understand." A weak sigh fell from her lips.
"You can always come to me, you know?" His voice lowered, eyes scanning her face. "I'm here. When you need to scream or cry or shout or hit something…" The side of his mouth pulled into a smile. "I'll always be here." She wasn't sure what it was, perhaps it was the lull in his voice, or that he was so close she could see every colour within his iris, but she believed him. A soft warmth spread across her cheek and Hally realised that Jack's thumb was brushing across her skin. Both of them suddenly became very aware of the position they were in. Lying on the floor, alone, Jack's body pressed over hers. But neither of them moved. His eyes scanned hers, a shadow of uncertainty lingering in the sky blue. Then his gaze flicked down to her lips.
Someone coughed loudly from the other side of the room. Jack pushed off her swiftly, grabbing her hand and helping her to her feet.
Ianto stood in the doorway to the gym, watching them with a dark look on his face. Hally pretended to brush herself off while the two men glared at one another silently.
Ianto cleared his throat. "Tosh detected a rift spike." His tone was clipped. "Thought you might want to check it out?"
Jack nodded and grabbed his coat. "Yep."
Ianto turned to exit before he paused and looked back. "Oh… and umm, that apartment, in the bay. It's ready."
Irritation sparked behind Jack's gaze. Ianto had just obliterated Jack's excuse for keeping her living in the Hub.
Thank you jealous Ianto.
"Great." Jack bit out, forcing a smile onto his face. Ianto hummed.
Thank you jealous Ianto indeed.
Hally was finally living out of the Hub.
She'd moved in a few days ago. The apartment was nice, a two-bedroom, two-bathroom modern flat with a balcony overlooking the bay. She'd dragged Toshiko shopping to find things to make it feel more homely, they'd come back with an array of pictures, houseplants, cushions, the works. Then Jack helped her move her clothes. She'd even gone out and bought food. Cereal and milk and bread.
Hally felt like an adult.
Like a human adult, with an adult life.
It was strangely comforting.
No doubt The Master would laugh at her.
Well, The Master was dead, so whatever.
She would horde house plants if she wanted to.
The balcony had provided the perfect opportunity to test out the Laser Screwdriver too. She could fiddle around with it without the danger of it hitting anything important should she get the configuration wrong. Hally had spent hours flicking through the multiple settings. The device was genius, although she expected nothing less. It made The Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver look primitive in comparison. Koschei had even added in sonic setting, which she found hilarious after his disdain at The Doctor's screwdriver.
Men.
There were lethal settings, non-lethal settings, stun settings, sonic settings, scanning settings, too many to remember. It would have been excellent if The Master had also had the foresight to write her a manual, it would have saved her a great deal of time and she might have avoided the crescent-shaped burn she now had imprinted on the inside of her palm.
Once she'd figured out the right setting, Hally scanned her new apartment for cameras or wireless bugs, anything that shouldn't have been there. To her surprise she found none. Which either meant the apartment was clean or Jack had used something she couldn't pick up on.
For her own sanity, she decided to assume it was the first option.
Now, Hally could deal with her many to-do lists without skulking around like a criminal. That morning she grabbed The Master's phone, dialling the familiar number.
"Armitage."
"Well, I'd hope so." She muttered at his formal greeting. "What have you got?"
Hally could practically hear him roll his eyes. She wanted to remind him that she could have tried opening with small talk.
"You were right about DoS being important. DoS are the Disciples of Saxon."
Hally pulled a face, Armitage unaware of her distaste, continued. "He put together documents, they call them the 'Secret books of Saxon'. But they're basically an instruction manual. For resurrection."
At his words, Hally felt a rush flow through her. A mixture of relief and hope. The confirmation that she needed that he had actually planned something. She wasn't alone. They really could bring him back. Hally pressed her lips together in thought. "So this 'cult', they have the books?"
Armitage hummed. "They do, and if you're going to request their assistance it's probably best you don't refer to them as a cult."
She rolled her eyes. "They are a cult though, aren't they?"
Armitage simply hummed again. "I don't doubt they're already aware of you. I can put you in contact. Arrange to meet. See what they might need."
Hally nodded slowly, then, realising he couldn't see her, she confirmed. "Yeah… let's do it."
"I'll contact you when I have something."
"Mmhmm."
He hung up, Hally looked down at the phone. "Bye, then."
Hally checked the time, she really should have already left to get to the Hub but there were things she needed to deal with. She quickly pulled up her contact list, calling Mace. Fingers crossed she could keep it quick.
He picked up after only two rings. "Ma'am, how can I help?"
Her face scrunched, however, she didn't have time to berate him for his formal greeting. "Update me on the new Osterhagen plans."
She heard him swallow. "Yes, well, we're moving ahead as you requested." There was a slight bite in his tone, he was still sulking over his ruined plans. "Protocols will be put in place, but only the top level will have the full details. Final activation will run via you."
Hally hummed, clicking her tongue against her teeth. "Good. And the plans for the Archangel recoding…" She sat herself in front of her laptop, eyes wandering over the documents he'd sent her. "…Those look good so I'll send over my approval now." She sent over the email as she spoke. "Is there anything else you need urgently? I know my inbox is completely unmanaged right now but just tell me if there's anything you need sign-off on now and I'll look at it."
Mace paused for a moment in thought before clearing his throat. "If you could take a look at the Black Archive Security email and Project Indigo. Those are the top priority."
Hally nodded. "I did take a quick look at Indigo…" Her tone indicated her feelings on the idea. "…I mean, you're more than welcome to try."
Mace exhaled loudly, however, she hadn't said no so he kept his mouth shut. Hally scanned over his proposal for the additional security for the Black Archive and grumbled. "Everything is so expensive."
"Yes well, you have the funding to burn." Mace clipped. He really was in a mood with her this morning.
She rolled her eyes. "Apparently so. Fine. I'm sending over those approvals now. I'm heading over to Torchwood, so please do not call me." With that, she hung up, dumped the laptop under the bed and rushed out of the flat. She checked the time again, 09:47.
Shit.
She was supposed to be at the Hub at 09:00…
Whoops.
Plus, with Gwen on holiday, Jack would definitely notice her absence. Perhaps she could pretend she overslept? She rushed into the hub. "I know, I know, I'm late!" She exclaimed when Tosh sent her a wry smile upon her dishevelled arrival.
As Hally headed to her desk she spotted a man sitting where Gwen would usually be and she paused. She didn't recognise him. He flashed her a smile, his strawberry blonde hair framing either side of his face. Hally opened her mouth to ask Toshiko who it was, but the man was on his feet before she could get a word out. "Better late than never." He winked knowingly and his hand grasped her upper arm.
Her face split into a wide smile.
Of course, she knew this man.
It was Adam.
He worked at Torchwood. He'd been there for three years and he'd welcomed her into the team along with the rest.
Adam.
He was in all her memories of Torchwood.
At the sight of her smile, the apprehension in his eyes drifted away and they shared a laugh. Jack descended the steps from his office, drawing their attention with his voice. "It's always the ones who live closest to the office that are late." He tried to fix her with a stern look but amusement was twinkling behind his eyes.
Hally smirked and crossed her arms. "Well technically, I'm only a consultant, so I can make my own working hours."
Adam looked between them, a self-satisfied smile on his face. He gently squeezed both of their shoulders. "And this constant flirting is why you're my favourite immortal couple." He pulled a face, shooting Jack an impish grin.
Jack looked at her fondly. She could remember all of it, clear as day. Falling in love with Jack on the TARDIS, The Master dying, a sad feeling of relief. Jack being there for her. Always Jack. Moving to Torchwood and picking up where they'd left off.
Falling in love.
Stolen kisses away from the team.
Trying to keep it a secret.
They'd managed it for barely a week.
Sex.
A lot of sex.
Hally hummed, a sly smile playing at her mouth. "I think it's perfectly reasonable for me to be an hour late, considering you had me stay two hours late yesterday for unpaid overtime."
Adam chuckled, his eyebrows arching. "Unpaid overtime. Is that what you're calling it these days?" He flashed Jack a knowing smile. Jack smirked, then leaned down and pressed a silencing kiss to her mouth. She leant into the kiss, enjoying the feeling of his mouth against hers.
Soft.
Gentle.
Warm.