In Love With A Stranger

by AuthorA97

Leah Luna-Johnson has just survived a whole year by herself. Her friends were dead, her parents were dead, and the Captain's fate was in the air. She had only one friend left. Why was everyone getting so upset by him? She doesn't judge Jack for his shitty friends. (Part of Fallen Star Series, sequal to Hidden By Aliens!)

6. Adam

It was cold.

Leah walked out of her bedroom. She rubbed at her arms, trying to get some heat going. All she felt were chills down her whole body. Little goose bumps covered her arms and legs. Even the hair on her neck was standing.

Thelma smacked the thermostat. Leah blamed all her problems on that.

"It's busted again?" Leah guessed.

Thelma sighed. She ruffled her hair, letting it out of the messy bun there. "Yeah. I don't know what you keep doing to make it like this."

Leah held up her hands. "I don't touch that thing. That's all Mum."

"Oh and Mum never got any help, did she?" Thelma snarked. Leah sheepishly grinned. "Fix it."

"Yes Mom."

"And then, I want you to work on your school program." Thelma stated.

"Mom! There's a system! I can't be late on a day when Gwen isn't there!" Leah pleaded. Today was Gwen's day off. Leah wrote out a whole system ages ago. Since Gwen and Leah had the most sense, it was agreed that neither of them could be gone at the same time. Bad enough that Gwen's honeymoon was coming up!

"Don't you start with me." Thelma wagged a finger at her daughter. Leah opened her mouth, ready to argue more about it. "I already told Jack you're not coming in until lunch at the earliest."

"But-"

Thelma gave Leah the look. The mom look. The look every child knows, just on instinct. That mom look. Something in Leah's chest shifted at the look. Her spirit, physically giving in, probably.

==ILWAS==

It was cold.

Leah hated when it was Mum's turn to cook breakfast. Mum tried to make pancakes, but they were from the freezer. All they got was a minute in the toaster. Mum served them as they came.

The blueberries in them were nice, though. Odd, then, that they didn't sit as well in Leah's stomach. Must be the chilly air in their flat.

==ILWAS==

It was cold.

Leah waited too long to grab the pizzas, and they were cold. Could it be helped? She'd added a new set of lessons to her digital download schooling equipment. They were so exciting! That made her a bit late picking up the pizzas. So what? Owen could reheat it, if he really wanted to whinge about it.

==ILWAS==

It was cold.

Rainy weather and Cardiff often meant the locks weren't heated right. Leah gave the door a hard yank. It flew open, knocking her back.

She paused.

The door shouldn't have opened like that. It should've been locked, and frozen. Like it has been all month.

Leah pulled the door open. She picked up the pizzas, balancing them on her arm. She ignored the chills up her arms and back. That's just the breeze from outside coming into the warmth of the Torchwood lobby. That's all- Leah told herself. It couldn't be anything else.

Nothing else would make her this cold. Like, like she was being dragged back outside into the freezing cold. No. Wait. Something was trying to drag her back. Leah couldn't properly place it.

Her hearts were pounding. Leah's breathing sped up. This felt different from her usual feelings on sensing Jack's presence. This set her off in a new way. She forced the feelings away. Like Garfield taught her. It could just be residual feelings about the trauma from the Year. Leah could ignore those feelings easy. This was all just part of the experience known as 'paranoia'.

Leah saw Ianto first. The man carrying a tray of tea. He brightened at Leah- his usual polite smile and the same as always. Leah smiled at him. The familiar face eased some of the worry in her chest. Of the whole team, Ianto was the most expressive. If something were wrong with the team, Ianto often told her. Leah liked that he was so emotional.

"Good afternoon, Leah." He greeted her.

"Sorry I'm late." Leah adjusted the pizza boxes. "I was looking at the botany systems for a series of Level 4 plants. Did you know there's a flower called Cladrastis Stolonifers, that blooms only 3 weeks out of a year, and makes a supposedly yummy fruit?"

"Oh is that today's topping?" Ianto asked. "Silly me for assuming you'd gotten our usuals."

Leah laughed. "Shut up." She knocked his arm. Ianto smiled along with her. "Let's take them up."

Ianto agreed.

Together, with pizzas and tea, Leah and Ianto walked into the Hub.

A tingling feeling still came over Leah. An impulse to run, to hide, to get away. Leah ignored it. She kept walking with the pizzas.

"Everyone! Lunch!" Ianto called out.

Leah expected to hear the familiar shout from Owen. Something sarcastic about her taking a long time, or maybe that Leah better have got the good stuff this time. Leah expected it, and welcomed it. She would pretend to keep the pizza if he was so ungrateful, and he would roll his eyes to apologize. Jack and Aunt Chloe would smile, while Tosh told Owen to be nicer to Leah. Then everyone would eat pizza, as Leah got to catch up on the work she missed.

That's not what happened.

An Owen shaped thing walked up to Leah. It looked like Owen. Actually, no it didn't. While it had Owen's face and build, everything else changed. Gone was his usual rumpled shirts, due for washings on any given day. This Owen-like thing dressed clean. A neatly pressed shirt that actually probably belonged to Ianto. Yes! It did. And the glasses on Owen's nose- no, those belonged to him. A prescription? Owen usually preferred contacts.

More shocking were the figures behind. One walked past Owen without sparing him a glance. If Owen dressed in one mode, then Tosh dressed the complete opposite. Whereas Owen was brash and rude and curt, Tosh was gentle and kind and soft spoken. The Tosh reaching for the pizza in Leah's arms was not those things. This Tosh dressed up in her usual button-up, only with a lot of the upper buttons undone to reveal her chest. A stark contrast.

Then came Leah's aunt. Her cool aunt, her lonely aunt, dressed often in business casual suits with dark colored polos. It reminded Leah of her Mum, of her usual sorts of clothing. Leanna and Chloe both grew up around police and law, their outfits reflected those choices. Leah grew up around those choices. Before Leah's very eyes stood a person more alike her mom than her mum. Chloe always kept her hair down- but this Chloe wore it in a messy bun. She wore a soft colored cover up, her work jacket long gone.

Leah could only stare, fear bubbling in her stomach.

"There we are." Tosh took a pizza box from Leah. "I'm gasping."

Leah let her go without a word. Her head was spinning and running a billion miles a second. And even that felt too slow.

Owen and Chloe didn't come up to Leah. Instead they sat down politely on the couches. Owen didn't even have a beer. Ianto handed him a cuppa. Owen never drank tea with his pizza- always beer that he kept in the fridge!

Leah stood in front of the couches. The rest of the team started on with lunch, happy for the respite. "Did anything happen today that I missed?"

"Nothing out of the usual, darling." Aunt Chloe assured her. "It's been a perfectly relaxing morning."

Pfft, if Leah believed that she would drink Owen's beer. "Owen, did you want me to grab you a beer? I know you usually-"

"What? Why?" Owen asked.

Leah paused. "Cause you're already sitting, so I thought I would get your drink?"

"No, why? I'm on the clock. I can't drink. Besides, have a perfectly good cuppa tea here." Owen lifted up the cup before having a sip. "Good work as always, Ianto."

Ianto bobbed his head. "Thank you."

"I'll have it if he won't." Tosh told Leah. "Fetch it for me?"

Leah hated this. She hated all of it. The feeling in her chest grew and bubbled, spreading out to her whole body. A headache pounded against her skull. "Tosh, are you sure nothing happened?"

"Just a minor flux in the Rift." Tosh shrugged.

Leah gawked. "Minor- There's no such thing. Every time something comes through the Rift, we're in danger. What came through? Have you ID'd it yet-"

Tosh rolled her eyes. "Look, I get it. You were late coming in. It's not a big deal. We're seven grown adults, we can handle ourselves just fine without you for a morning."

Seven? But- But how is it seven?

Bad. Bad. Badbadbadbad-

Something came from the Rift and now everyone is strange and different!

"Jack!" Leah called out.

She looked towards the Captain's office. He needed to be here. Leah could feel him here. Feel the abrasives of his existence, feel the push back of it. He was alone. No matter what, Jack was alive.

The office opened. Jack walked out. He was already smiling. "Leah! Learn anything today?"

"Yeah, and I think I'm not done." Leah glanced at the three strangers eating pizza. "What's this about the-" Leah stopped herself.

A man walked out behind Jack. A true, real stranger.

Normally, if they met someone new, Leah would hear about it before they appeared. That literally happened the other day with Tommy Brockless- the man previously living in their freezer. This man stood beside Jack as a stranger.

Worse yet was this...Leah couldn't explain it. The air around him felt wrong...like it wasn't entirely...there. Her senses told her someone stood there. She just couldn't tell what it was. One thing for sure was that it wasn't human.

"Leah?" The stranger asked.

"Adam. Always with the jokes! Chloe's niece, remember?" Jack explained. He ran up to Leah, hugging her.

"Right. Chloe's niece." 'Adam' nodded, glancing over at Chloe.

Leah patted Jack's back. She kept her eyes on Adam. He stared right back, smiling curiously at Leah.

"Of course. Leah Johnson. How could I forget?" Adam walked up towards her and held up his hand. "Good afternoon, Leah. Thanks for finally bringing in lunch."

Jack stepped back.

Leah stepped forward, eyeing the hand in confusion. "What came through the Rift, Jack?"

The man tensed. His smile became strained.

"Nothing." Jack replied. "False alarm."

"Jack." Leah reached back to him. She gripped tight to his arm, pulling him back. "We don't get false alarms."

Jack shrugged. But his face scrunched up, confused. "The equipment is old."

"It was. I fixed it." Leah reminded him. "Something came through. Why won't you tell me?"

Jack only stared, concern creasing his brow.

Oh no

Oh no

Nononono

"You really don't know." Leah realized. "You- you don't see it, do you?"

"See what?" Jack asked. His concern flooded his voice.

Leah looked back at Adam. "Who are you? How do they all know you?"

"Leah, it's me. Adam. I've been here for ages." Adam stepped forward. He held his hand out again. "You just need to remember, just like I did."

He reached his hand for her arm. Before Leah could recoil, Adam made contact.

A lot happened then. Leah froze, tensing up. Her brain didn't quite shut down. It's more like every single sense of her's became overwhelmed. The man froze as well, looking pained from holding her hand.

Something dug in her mind. It tried, really. It attacked in the direction of her memories. That which Leah guarded so carefully. If Leah was more aware, she would nearly be impressed. However this experience hurt. So much so that Leah's conscious mind took a little nap.

Her eyes snapped up to Adam. His hand gripped tighter. Leah grimaced at the added assault on her mind.

Adam kept holding her. Fighting her. As her eyes took on a golden hued glow, he met them unflinchingly.

"Get." Leah- or whatever being that happened to be inside her, waiting for the right time to Wake Up- growled. "Out."

Adam became overwhelmed by senses as well. Whatever being laid in wait inside Leah, it didn't like sharing. She pushed with a force that didn't seem possible. To be fair, Adam only expected to deal with humans and a mildly interesting alien. He hadn't expected to face a Time Lord.

He flung himself away from Leah. Leah gasped, falling to her knees. The golden hue faded from her eyes, leaving her usual amber. She held herself, wheezing.

"Leah!" Jack and Chloe rushed to her side.

"Adam!" Tosh rushed to Adam's.

Leah panted, grunting and whimpering in pain.

"Leah. What's wrong? What happened?" Jack asked.

Chloe pressed her hand to Leah's head. "Is if a fever?"

"What happened?" Tosh asked Adam.

"She did." Adam touched Tosh's arm. "She came out of the Rift, attacked me!"

Leah looked up at him. "What did you say?"

"Adam, what are you-" Jack began.

Adam walked from Tosh. Leah noted the dazed look on Tosh's face. "That's right. Leah doesn't even have a niece." He touched Owen's shoulder. Then moved to Chloe's. "How could she?"

All at once, the team backed away from Leah. They pulled out their weapons.

"Hey!" Jack held up his hand. "Whoa! Let's all calm down. Adam, it's just Leah."

Leah held Jack's arm. The look in her aunt's eyes wasn't friendly. It was the kind of rage that Leah saw in their workday. "Aunt Chloe? It's me. Remember?"

Chloe turned off the safety. "I've got no niece."

By the twin suns, Chloe had no idea who Leah even was.

Leah could only watch in fear. "Jack no. Jack, we need to go."

Jack looked away from the team to look at Leah- see how sure she was about this. That ended up being a mistake. Adam took advantage of that to touch Jack's still outstretched arm.

Leah stared Jack in the eyes. She watched in real time as he stared at her like she held every answer, then as it shifted into the worst kind of rage.

Jack pulled out his gun. Leah flinched back. She couldn't think. She couldn't get her legs to run. All she could do was watch as all her friends betrayed her.

"This thing, it messed with your heads." Adam cautioned. "Made you all think she was your friend."

"I am!" Leah told them. She looked to her aunt, seeing cold hatred. Owen and Tosh handled their weapons at her with a professional detachment. She looked again at Jack. She only saw rage there. "It's me, Leah Luna-Johnson. You guys know me. I just brought you pizza!"

"She tricked you. I brought the pizza." Adam told them. "We need to lock her away."

Leah's hearts pounded. Her breath caught in her lungs. All she could do was panic.

"Somewhere she can't ever touch you." Adam explained.

Jack pulled out a pair of handcuffs.

"Nonono-" Leah begged. Begged and pleaded. Her vision blurred. She fought back tears. She wouldn't let this thing see what it was doing to her. "I can fix this. I know I can fix this. Whatever he's done-"

"What you've done." Adam countered.

Jack slapped the handcuffs on. Leah gasped out, like she'd been gutted.

"You tried to hurt my team." Jack growled. Leah crumbled under Jack's glare. "I won't let you do it again." He turned to the team. Their team. "Throw her in beside Janet!"

==ILWAS==

That was a few hours ago.

Leah sat back in her cell, reclined against the wall. She curled herself in a ball. She wasn't quite sobbing. Tears fell out of her eyes, silently falling to the ground below. Not that Leah even noticed them fall. Or felt water on her cheeks. Or was even aware that her body sat down on the ground.

She didn't like to think about that. Or thinking at all. Leah saw her memories of what happened, playing them in a slow motion loop in her head.

They did it.

They'd actually, for real, did it.

A whirring sound went off.

Leah ignored it.

It went off again, louder.

She looked up.

A tiny, buzzing toy slipped in through the air holes of her cell.

Leah watched them come close. Azure, Janet's bug. Meant to keep watch over Janet because Leah wanted to see the adorable alien all the time.

The bug paused.

Leah sniffled. She pressed her back against the cold wall. "A-Act-"

The bug perked up.

Leah shuddered. Her head felt shattered. Like she could regenerate now, and completely understand. "Activate Worst Case Protocol."

Azure whirred. A sound very much like a slide whistle came next, and beeps and Azure buzzed.

"Mum 1, Mom 2." Leah curled herself deeper into a ball. Her wet cheeks pressed against her shirt sleeves.

More buzzing. More beeps.

"Can't come home." Leah choked on the words. She panted, finding her breathing more of a struggle. Her eyes shut tight. If her world was darkness, she could forget her location. "Torchwood's under attack. Stay away. Please, Moms, please. They- They got Aunt Chloe. Don't come! And don't trust them. Any of them. If they come see you, send them back. Especially Adam! Don't let him touch you! Please. I can't- I can't lose- lose you again. End message."

Azure whirred once more.

They left her.

They left her.

He promised.

Torchwood never keeps their promises.

Leah sniffled.

And the last Time Lady, kept company by a toy bug and a Weevil, cried again in a cold Torchwood cell.

It was cold.

==ILWAS==

Jacm held up a large crate. He's found it by Adam's desk, waiting around like a useless lump. "Class D artifacts. Tosh, I need you to run a full check."

Tosh nodded, accepting the box. "Sure."

"Owen, you can help." Jack ordered. Why not let the two kids have it out? Maybe something would finally happen between them.

Owen walked over to join Tosh. "Happy to."

Jack patted Adan's shoulder as the man sat down. "Adam, I know how much you love audits."

Adam shrugged. "It's got to be done."

"If you could-"

"Go through the investigation reports, find out when they might have come through the Rift." Adam recited.

Jack wished all his team were as gung-ho to get work done. "You okay with that?"

"I have been for the last three years." Adam grinned at Jack.

Three years. Had it really been that long? Jack could hardly believe time moved so fast. Being immortal often did funny things with your perceptions of time.

But, even Jack knew when the work day started.

"Chloe." Jack called out. "Tell me again what time we're supposed to come in?"

Chloe smiled at Gwen, before smiling at Jack. "Ten minutes ago."

"See?" Jack looked at Gwen. "Everyone else is on time. Quit slacking."

"Yes, Paris was lovely, thank you." Gwen cheered. She turned round to Jack. Her smile fell fast. She stared behind his back. "Who the hell is this?"

Everyone tensed up.

Jack's fury rose.

Adam took it in stride. "Just because that's what I said to you on your first day." He held her shoulder. A wide grin on his face. "Remember?"

Gwen stared, only more confused. Then she broke out in a smile. "Sorry, couldn't resist. Come here, you." She pulled Adam in for a hug. Jack's fury tamed. "Good to see you." She patted his back. Adam patted hers. When the hug broke, Gwen smiled at Tosh. "Hey, Tosh, you're looking good."

Jack stepped back, into his office. He needed to collect his thoughts if he were going to work properly.

He couldn't believe it. A creature from the Rift, getting so close to him and his team. Jack believed for a good while that the thing belonged, that it was Chloe's niece. Good thing Adam broke them all out of it. Jack owed him a lot for it. To think, Jack was worried that it reached Gwen too. The odds of that were terrifying beyond thought.

Jack braced himself. He needed to have a conversation with it again. They'd spent most of the day yesterday making sure that aliens hadn't done much. Adam volunteered, as he claimed they all needed to rest to get their heads in order. By his checks, the Hub was clear from that thing's influence.

Jack, uncharacteristically, agreed. He spent the afternoon and evening relaxing. He and Ianto made a date night out of it.

It felt off. Jack loved spending time with Ianto. Hell, just loved him in general. But last night, something felt missing. Maybe Adam was right about their minds needing to settle. Jack would sort everything out before long. Whatever it takes. Nothing messed with his team.

==ILWAS==

Jack walked into their basement. The lights to the cells switched on with every step. Janet whimpered loudly, laying flat on the bench beside her.

Jack watched, curious.

"It's alright, Janet."

Jack stomped over to her cell. He was startled, for a moment. Instead of the young girl like he expected, a different figure stood in the cell. A young boy wearing white robes. He held out his hand.

In Jack's memories, he took that hand.

"Captain Jack?"

Jack shook himself out of it.

The little boy was gone. In place, a young girl. Fifteen by Earth years, if Jack guessed. A smart plow. It made itself look young to make them all protective. It dressed itself in a long sleeved brown top, marked in dark patches along the arms, jeans, and a pair of thick black boots. She kept herself against the back wall of the cell. She curled up, holding her legs to her chest.

Even the face looked innocent. Round, small, a tiny nose, and a pair of cold amber eyes.

Jack thought that was the worst part. It must have picked up traits that all of them would find acceptable, to make all of them accept it easier. Terra would punch this thing on that fact alone.

The girl blinked those eyes at him. That face showed only rage but the eyes revealed it. Concern- fear- for it's own continued existence. He ignored the twinge in his chest.

"It won't mean anything to you." The girl said. "But it's okay. This- this is all okay." Her mouth shook, so she clamped it tight.

Jack sneered. He reminded himself of what this thing would've done. The ways it would hurt his team, his friends. The way it could've ruined the legacy of Terra Johnson in his mind. "What are you, and where did you come from?"

The girl sighed. She lowered her head against her arms. "I won't tell you."

"What were your plans, exactly?" Jack asked. "After you gained our trust? You planning to kill us?"

The girl snorted.

"Make us kill each other?" Jack tried. The thing said nothing. Jack laughed. "Well, nice try. It won't work." He leaned against the wall, glaring at it. "You're never getting out of this."

The thing didn't move.

"Jack?" Jack didn't look away from them. Gwen walked up to the cell. "You okay? Who are you talking to?"

"I'm fine." Jack answered. "Let's go."

Gwen ignored him. She walked past Janet, up to the cell. "Oh my god."

The thing lifted it's head. Wide eyes stared at Gwen. The fear was still there, and growing.

"Jack. What've you done? That's just a girl." Gwen reached for the door.

Jack grabbed her arm.

The thing deflated, pressing itself harder against the wall.

Janet whimpered. She cried out, louder.

The thing flinched. "Janet. I'm fine." She promised. Her voice was calming and low. If Jack wasn't looking, he might actually believe it.

The Weevil quieted down. Gwen's eyes widened.

"It's not. It wants you to think it is." Jack told Gwen.

Gwen stared at it, only more confused. "What do you mean?"

"It came through the Rift." Jack revealed. He moved Gwen's arm from the door. "We can't trust it."

Gwen continued to stare at it. The girl ignored them both. Janet kept roaring.

==ILWAS==

Jack brought Gwen to the Hub. He left her with the team before going into his office. Tosh and Owen were at the computer, typing away on it.

"Just doing a quick check. We had Rift activity two days ago. Only she came through." Tosh explained.

"What is she?" Gwen asked.

"We don't know. She's refused to say." Tosh replied. She pulled up security footage of the cell of the unmoving alien. "It tried to play with our minds- make us trust her. It. Make us trust it."

Gwen hummed. "I really can't leave you to your lonesome, can I? How did you stop her?" Gwen asked.

"We didn't." Chloe replied. "She gave up. We figured out she was messing with us, and she let us cuff her. Reminds me of a mouse now."

Gwen stared at the camera screen. She leaned in, eyeing the young girl. It reminded her of her first day. Carys, and the sex gas. The poor girl that cried in the corner. Gwen could remember researching Carys, getting the information from...from...from somewhere. Gwen wished she could help this poor kid just the same. But if she came through the Rift, attacked Torchwood, then there was no helping her.

"Like me." A tiny little mouse toy peaked from around the computer. Owen poked his head beside it.

Tosh eyed it, not pleased. "What's that?"

"It's a screen cleaner." Owen explained. He waved the stuffed mouse around, trying to make it cute. Tosh raised her eyebrow, further unsure. "I thought you might like it. Er, do you? Do you like it?"

Tosh took the small mouse toy. She eyed it like you would view a normal mouse. "Just what I need. A small rodent looking at me while I work. Think I'll call it Owen."

Owen frowned. He still smiled at Tosh, walking past her back towards his usual desk.

Gwen smiled at Chloe. The two sighed, shaking their heads. "He's like a puppy bringing her sticks. When's he gonna realize he's got no chance?"

"He'll be waiting forever." Chloe teased. "He already has been for years."

"Oh, leave him alone." Adam chided them. He smiled. Gwen figured he was being really nice, considering Tosh was Adam's girlfriend. "I think it's sweet. He's happy."

Gwen thought that made Adam really kind. Lord knows if Gwen had a partner, she would be upset if someone flirted with them. Pity for Gwen that she was still single.

==ILWAS==

Gwen, as it turns out, was not single. In fact, she had a fiance waiting at home. Granted, now it was a furious and confused fiance wondering why the love of his life was holding a gun at him.

Jack and Adam were called. They showed up at the apartment, guns at the ready. Gwen said she was in danger. Torchwood stood with themselves. They buzzed outside.

"Jack?" Gwen's voice came from the speaker.

"Gwen, it's us." Jack told her.

The door buzzed. Jack and Adam ran inside.

"In here, Jack." Gwen called out.

Jack walked in. His gun at the ready. He saw no immediate threat. Rhys stood in the room, still in a bathrobe. Gwen had her gun aimed at Rhys. Jack figured something was up. "What's going on?"

"You tell me." Gwen, still keeping her gun up, reached back. She picked up a framed picture of her with Rhys. "Look, he's put photos of us up. He must have done it while I was at work. He's deluded. He keeps saying he's my boyfriend."

Jack watched, confused but keeping his gun up. Rhys sighed, like he'd been having this argument for a good long while. "He is. It's Rhys."

Gwen shook her head, even more confused. "I've never seen him before in my life."

"You've been with him for years." Jack reminded her. This wasn't like when Gwen pretended to forget Adam this morning. This was a real memory problem.

"See?" Rhys told Gwen.

Jack started carefully walking to Gwen. He held up his hand. "Give me the gun, Gwen."

Gwen gripped tighter to it. "No. He grabbed me, Jack. Who knows what he was going to do?"

"How can you say that?!" Rhys shouted. He glared at Jack. "What have you done to her?!"

"Nothing."

"Oh, come on. I know what kind of sick games you play. Pills to make you forget. Is that what that is, yeah? Are you phasing me out so you can have her all to yourself?" Rhys lashed out at Jack. "What about your boyfriend? Did Leah lie about that?"

Jack grabbed him, trying to calm him down.

Gwen pushed her gun forward. "Stay away from him!"

"We're engaged! I bought you the bloody ring you're wearing." Rhys told her.

Gwen looked at her hand. She stared at the ring, her confusion only growing. Jack stepped in between the two of them. He tried to understand what was going on with Gwen. This kind of change worried him.

Also: Rhys said her name. The name of the girl in their cells. She told Rhys about Ianto. How? That's not how it happened. Adam said it...hadn't he? He remembered the conversation about Jack and Gwen's relationship, Adam sitting in the backseat.

Did Rhys know her too? Had the creature got to Gwen and Rhys, as Jack feared this morning? How? What- what was that girl? Why was she trying to replace Adam?

Adam went to Gwen's side. "Why don't you come with me to the Hub?"

"Who the hell are you?" Rhys asked, glaring at Adam.

"He's one of us." Jack reminded him. Rhys should know that. He worked with the whole team last week. Adam explained it all to Rhys. Jack remembered it.

"We can check you over. Jack will stay here and take care of things." Adam assured her.

Jack looked at Rhys. "Okay?"

Rhys watched Gwen, unable to look away.

"Don't let him go. If he comes after me again, I'll kill him." Gwen promised. She did leave with Adam. She didn't look back.

Jack patted Rhys on the shoulder. The man couldn't look away from the retreating Gwen. "Trust me, I didn't do this. But whatever's happened we'll put it right." Jack promised.

Rhys nodded, hopeful Jack could keep that promise.

==ILWAS==

Owen checked Gwen's pupils. "Right. Well, no signs of long-term damage, as far as I can see."

Adam nodded, patiently listening.

"Or alien intervention, like we guessed. But, I must be missing something. I'm sorry, but it's a mystery to me why you can't remember Rhys."

Gwen frowned, confused and confounded.

Adam watched Gwen, intrigued.

==ILWAS==

Jack set up the camera.

Rhys huffed. "Is this really necessary?"

"She needs to remember. Where did you meet?" Jack asked.

"Er, college. Fancied her from the moment I saw her. Not just her looks, you know. I mean, she is a looker. Oh, I-" Rhys stopped. He sighed, dejected. He ran his hand down his face.

"Tell me about your first kiss." Jack instructed.

Rhys took a breath. "Er, in the supermarket. I was going to make her spag bol, and then I realized, didn't I? It's got bloody garlic. Can't kiss a girl with garlic breath. No, we were in the queue. I said, I want to make something else. She starts to laugh. She calls me Rhys the Rant. And then she kissed me, right there in the queue."

Jack grinned. The memory sounded beautiful.

"And I thought then, Jack. I thought, I'm going to marry this bloody mad woman even if it kills me." Rhys looked straight into the camera, lowering his face as he became overcome with emotion.

Terra could make something, maybe, to jog memories. The right memories, Jack meant. The Doctor and Terra explained the memory wipe the Time Lords gave to Terra. Jack reasoned if Time Lords took away memories, they'd be able to give them too. Jack doubted he would get Terra down here. The Doctor wouldn't bring her back to Jack for anything.

But Jack's mind held onto the idea. Of Terra being there, somehow, helping Jack fix his problem.

==ILWAS==

The phone rang. No answer.

Chloe tried again.

No answer. No, worse than. It went straight to voicemail.

Chloe dialed again. When the phone stopped ringing again, she let it drop on her desk.

Owen walked by her. He eyed the phone, curious. "Everything alright?"

Chloe hummed. "I can't tell." She turned round to Owen, a blissful smile on her face. "Sometimes things don't work out the way you intended."

"What do you mean?" Owen asked.

"Well it's just-" Chloe motioned to the phone. "I've been trying to call Leanna. She's not answering."

"She might be working?" Owen tried. "She's a copper, right? Her hours might be different from Torchwood."

"They are." Chloe giggled, perking up.

Owen paused, thoughtful. "Then again, maybe we should check on her? We're not entirely sure who Leah got to."

Chloe shrugged. "I'm sure it's nothing to fret over." Chloe was sure she should be stressed. Her sister not answering the phone, yeah maybe that's normal the first time. A full day with no call? Concerning. But Chloe couldn't bring herself to worry. What would that ever get anyone?

Owen did have a point, about what the alien from the Rift may have done. When they were sent home, a normal Torchwood employee might've gone to check on their family. Chloe, for some reason, hadn't thought about them at all.

She'd been calling because tomorrow night was family night. Chloe wanted to know what she'd bring. Her sister hadn't answered.

"Did you try her wife- Thelma?" Owen asked.

"No. Why?" Chloe doubted Thelma would pick up if Leanna hadn't.

Owen frowned. He looked down, avoiding eye contact with Chloe. "Sorry. It's just- it sounded like a good idea. If your sister is busy, call Thelma. She might be up."

"It's 1 in the morning." Chloe reminded him. "I don't think Thelma's been awake for hours. Leanna's the one that likes staying up late."

Owen nodded. "Alright. If you're sure."

"I am. Hey! How are the scans for that box going?" Chloe asked.

"No sign of anything yet." Owen replied. "Tosh- Well Tosh is running tests on it. She'll find something, she always does."

Chloe smiled at Owen. While she and Gwen mocked Owen earlier, Chloe found it admirable. She wished her boyfriend was as affectionate as Owen was with Tosh.

==ILWAS==

Jack wanted to talk to Rhys about Leah. Every time her tried, he found Rhys staring at pictures of Gwen. The man was too emotionally wrung out for any questions Jack would ask.

Ianto brought Gwen back to the flat. Gwen walked with tense steps. Rhys watched her like she'd been gone years, rather than a couple hours.

Jack and Ianto exchanged a look. Ianto nodded. Jack figured it would be alright. He walked to the door.

Gwen grabbed his arm. "Don't leave me, Jack."

"You'll be okay." Jack assured her. He trusted Rhys to take care of Gwen. They left the two together.

Down below, Jack walked towards the car. His mind stewed with a game plan. Once Jack got back to the Hub, he would march up to Leah's cell. He'd give that alien the riot act until she promised to let Gwen and Rhys go. The damage on his team went too far.

"Is that what I think?" Jack asked.

"Jack." Ianto cautioned.

"It was her, wasn't it?" Jack snapped.

"Owen thinks posible amnesia. He's checking possible causes but he's ruled out alien intervention." Ianto reported.

Jack huffed. Yeah right. Jack didn't buy that for a second. The technology of Torchwood was advanced compared to the rest of the Earth, but not like in Jack's time. Owen's tech wouldn't have caught something like this.

"Oh." Ianto tossed the keys. Jack caught them. "Weevil sighting by the sewer in Rockall Street."

Jack turned to the car. He stopped, shocked.

A little boy stood on the side of the road. Dressed in white, with a tan jacket. A familiar outfit. A familiar hairstyle. A familiar pair of eyes.

"Jack?" Ianto asked.

No, no it couldn't be him. Jack refused for it to be him. It was impossible. He wouldn't be that young. Or maybe he was? Jack couldn't be sure.

"Jack?" Ianto tried to ask.

Jack turned. "Can you see him?"

Ianto quickly scanned the street with his eyes. "Who?"

Jack looked back. Nobody stood there. Nobody ran up or down the street. The boy was gone, as if he'd never been there.

Decision made, then.

"I'm sending out Chloe." Jack stated. He sat down in the car, slamming the door shut.

Ianto climbed in. He made no comment about the obvious rage coming off Jack in waves. "Are you sure? We could go. It's been a while since we went hunting together." Ianto offered. "We could make a night out if it?"

"She can handle it. I need to have a conversation with our newest guest." Jack gripped the steering wheel tight enough to choke.

==ILWAS==

Chloe's phone rang. She answered, not wanting the sound to distract the Weevil. "Hello?"

"Stop fucking calling."

"Leanna?" Chloe gasped. "What are you-"

"Don't- don't you fucking call us again! Stay the hell away from us." Leanna snapped. "We want nothing to do with you! Not until you make this fucking right!"

The call ended.

Chloe stared at the phone. "Leanna?"

Her sister didn't reply. The Weevil did.

Chloe whirled around. She shot them down with a well-timed knockout dart. The Weevil went down without another word. Chloe loved these things. Whoever made them was a superstar.

==ILWAS==

Jack slammed his fist against the cell.

The girl jumped back. She made no sound.

"Tell me what you did to Gwen and Rhys!" Jack shouted.

"Nothing!" It lied. "Are they- are Gwen and Rhys okay?! Did something happen?"

"Don't play dumb!" Jack hissed. "You did something to them, and then all of us. You changed them!"

"Changed how?!" It asked. "I've not left this cell in days!"

"Then you did it before we locked you away!" Jack snapped. "Tell me what you did to my team so I can fix it."

"I did nothing!" It insisted. "I fucking swear!"

"Don't lie to me!" Jack slammed his fist again on the door.

Janet hissed and snarled.

It cried out. "Janet! Stop it! Please stop it!"

The Weevil keened. Jack looked over. The Weevil slumped back down on her bench, whimpering and making other such noises. Jack checked on the humanoid. It was panting, taking deep breaths in and out.

"How did you do that?" Jack asked. "To Janet?"

It exhaled. It wiped it's brow, drying it on the jeans. "Weevils are connected by a hivemind. It's mostly emotional based. She's detecting my emotions and reflecting them. It's taking a lot out of me to make her mellow again."

Jack glanced back at the calm, almost docile Weevil. "You can do that? Through the walls?"

"Yes. Janet's always liked me." It smiled. One could call it 'fondly'. "Like she thinks I'm her youngling that needs protecting. She's adorable."

"You can reach through walls with your mind-" Jack began. "-and it's supposed to be a stretch that you can reach farther?"

It's head rolled back. It made no sound as it thumped against the back wall. "Unlikely. Torchwood cells have always been equipped to block out psychic attacks, even since the first days of Queen Victoria. She made it a point for Torchwood agents to withstand any sort of psychic attack, after being the victim of psychic paper. It's an extreme reaction but understandable. Your cells were outfitted in 1958 after finally getting the funding."

"You did your research on us." Jack realized. To know things like that, Leah must have been studying them for months. They hadn't noticed an alien stalking them. This was unacceptable.

It snorted. "That you believe, but nothing else I've said the last two days?"

"It's the only thing you've said that's true." Jack replied. He glared at it. "If you didn't change us, what else could have done it?"

It paused. "...us?" Lifting it's head, they stared at Jack with wide amber eyes. "You don't seem very different." Jack braced himself. "You included yourself- not just 'my team' but 'us'. As if you've been changed in some way, or are experiencing a negative effect. What's happened to you? Are you okay?" They stood up, walking up to the door.

Jack watched her face, her eyes. An expression of worry and fear, as expected. Only Jack realized in a wave of confusion that it feared for Jack rather than of him. One other person in the whole of creation looked at Jack like that.

He blinked.

A man stood behind Leah. He wore the same white/tan robes as the boy. He did not look worried, or concerned. Or instead, he looked so worried and concerned that he exploded in anger.

"Get out." The ghost ordered. "Get out, son!"

Jack panted.

"Jack? Jack, what's wrong?" Leah asked.

Jack shook his head. "Dad?"

"Run!" The ghost ordered.

Jack flinched back.

"Jack! What do you see?" Leah looked around the hall, around her cell.

"Yeah, Jack, what have you seen?"

Jack and the alien whirled to the side. Adam walked into the basement. He focused on Jack, but did glance at the prisoner.

"What are you doing here?" Jack asked.

"I came with you, Jack, remember?" Adam put his hand on Jack's shoulder. "It's done it to you again."

"Yeah, of course." Jack glared at the alien. Yes, Adam came with him. He noticed Jack's rage and was concerned. Adam thought Jack might do something stupid if left alone.

The alien sighed. It's shoulders slumped.

"Jack, are you okay? What did you see?" Adam asked.

Jack shook his head. He wouldn't talk about it. He couldn't. Not ever again. "My past."

"What part of your past?" The alien asked, soft and careful.

"Jack, ignore her. Talk to me."

"Don't talk to either of us." The alien suggested. "Think about whoever you trust most. Talk to them."

"I did. Once." Jack admitted. He took a deep breath, fighting through the memories.

"Yeah? What was that like?" The alien asked.

That Jack was willing to remember.

==ILWAS==

They were drinking.

The best stories always start that way.

There was a party going on. Rose was in a partying mood. If she wanted to party, the Doctor always obliged her like the lovesick idiot he denied being. The Doctor would show off the best parts of the party to Rose. It made sneaking off so incredibly easy.

Jack found a bar. Terra made a joke about Jack always finding the best bars on every planet. Jack replied that no he hadn't found the best bar. If it was, there would be more strippers. They both laughed. They both drank.

Terra talked about herself. After her birthday with her sister, she told Jack more and more. About her life before the Doctor. In her home universe.

Maybe it was the drinks. Maybe it was how Terra smiled, talking about her brothers and how much they clearly meant to her. Maybe Jack just needed to tell her and see if she really did love him like she claimed.

So he told her.

"I had a brother. Once."

And Terra paused, her drink resting against her lips.

Jack kept going. If he stopped now, his liquid courage would fail him. "I haven't thought about him in years."

Terra lowered her drink. She looked at Jack. Not expecting more, or less. She only stared. Her 'I won't judge you' face. It was rare. Jack welcomed it.

Jack shared his story. He shared all of it. Every painful detail. He pulled them out of his chest like leftover bullets. Eventually, when he died for the first time, he would still recall this moment as more painful.

Terra gave him another drink. Then, she gave him a hug so Jack could cry. The purple hoodie helped hide the tear puddles.

==ILWAS==

This time, there were no drinks. There was no party. But Jack did see amber eyes giving the all too rare 'I won't judge you' face.

"It was meant to be buried." Jack told her.

The alien nodded.

"I buried it over a hundred and fifty years ago." Jack told her. He buried it with Terra, swearing to never let the memory have air again.

"Come on, Jack. You can trust me. I've always been here for you." Adam touched his shoulder again.

And Jack did trust Adam.

Not the same as he trusted Terra, but he did. After centuries without Terra, Jack let himself trust someone again. Adam was that person.

"I'm the one you can confide in."

"And so was she. Because you would never forget her- or let her be replaced."

Jack grimaced. The memories kept coming back. Stronger. Louder. Desperate.

Adam and him, having long talks in his office.

Terra smiling in a World War 2 hospital.

Jack poured out his feelings to Adam.

Terra helped herself to Jack's burdens.

Sometimes, sometimes Adam and Jack talked about how maybe Terra wasn't the best person. The easiest to trust, or to rely on.

Terra. Carrying Jack's secrets to her graves. Not telling the Doctor anything more than he ought. Even after the Year.

Adam reminded Jack that Terra thought this Jack, immortal and unkillable Jack, was a mistake.

A voicemail. Her crying voice. She said the mistake was hers, never his.

Terra could never be replaced. That bond between them went beyond a friendship with Adam. From their first life, to this new one. Terra understood Jack in ways no human today ever could.

"Why now?" Jack asked himself.

"The human mind was never meant to suppress things like that forever." The alien reasoned. "It's coming back now as a warning. Your subconscious senses a threat so it's warning you however it can."

"Tell me, Jack. You can't hide from the past forever."

"I can't afford to remember." Jack stressed to them.

"Jack, talk to me, please. Forget her. Tell me." Adam asked.

"Why?" Jack countered.

Adam only smiled reassuringly. "I can help. Trust me."

"No! Jack, don't do it." The alien pleaded. She pressed against her cell door, reaching her fingers through the small air holes. It looked like she was trying to hold his hand. "Process it yourself. Alone. Without him. Go!"

Jack looked between the two of them. Indecision ruled his thoughts. "I'm not sure I should do this."

"Just let him go." Adam ordered. "He's not playing your games anymore."

Leah punched the door. "This is not a game! This is the human psyche! It's not clay for you to mold however you please!"

"I can help him. That's why I'm here!" Adam said.

Jack closed his eyes.

Terra paused, her drink on her lips.

==ILWAS==

"Where are you, Jack?" Adam asked.

Jack could feel the sun. He looked out on the beach. In the distance, stood the settlement where he grew up.

The white robes wrapped around his body. It kept off the sand. Not only that, but it was much more breathable than 21st century clothes. Jack missed that about the future.

"Boeshane Peninsula. My home in the fifty first century." Jack recalled. He watched his own memory. "We lived under the threat of invasion. They came without warning. We thought they'd pass over us, like they always did. But they didn't. Not that day."

Children screaming. Neighbor kids that Jack used to play with. His teachers. The local shopkeeper that always slipped Jack and Gray extra when they came from candy. All of them, screaming.

"Who?"

"The most horrible creatures you could possibly imagine. Their howls travelled before them." Jack heard those howls even now.

His father came up to Jack and Gray. Jack's father put Gray's hand in Jack's.

"Run. Take Gray. Keep him safe." His father ordered.

"Take Gray." Jack repeated.

"Gray?" Adam asked.

"My little brother." His heart broke in his chest.

Gray was so young, so small.

Terra put his head on her shoulder. "Their hands always feel too big for yours, yeah? Like they were never meant to fit."

Jack agreed.

"No, no, no, no. Dad. Come with us." Jack remembered begging.

He was only a boy.

"No, I've got to go get your mother. Run!" His father ordered.

"One minute, I was holding his hand."

Jack remembered running. Gray's nails hadn't been cut in awhile. They scratched his hand as they ran. He hadn't noticed when the scratching stopped.

"I don't know when he let go."

He'd shouted so much. Jack was surprised he could hear anything over the screams and howls.

"One minute, his hand was in mine, I don't know when he let go. I don't think I noticed, I thought he was there, just behind me. I retraced my steps, hoping that I'd see him again."

Jack searched. He searched the beaches. He searched the fields. He searched the streets of their settlements.

No sign of his baby brother.

Terra brushed her hand in hair. Jack shuddered.

"Did you find him?" Adam asked.

"I ran all the way home." Jack hadn't found his brother.

"Jack, what did you find?" Adam asked.

His father. His white robes stained.

"Don't listen to him. Ignore it!" Leah begged.

Terra sniffled. His story made her cry with him. Maybe both of them drank too much.

"I searched for Gray for years. I never found the body." Jack recalled.

"It's not your fault." Terra promised.

"It wasn't your fault." Adam assured.

"I let go of his hand!" Jack snapped at them both. "It was the worst day of my life. It's the last thing I want to remember."

Jack stormed out. He left them behind.

(One day, one very drunk day decades ago, Jack realized that if Terra knew his life at Torchwood, then she might have already known about Gray. Yet when Jack shared the story, she loved and held him anyway like she heard it for the first time. Not because it didn't matter, but because Jack mattered.)

==ILWAS==

An interesting conundrum happened at the same time. The box they were investigating, came out to be just normal wood. Owen claimed Jack found it from the alien. Tosh swore it was Adam. Ianto promised to check his diary. He kept very astute logs of their cases.

You can imagine his surprise, then, when he checked it.

Not a single mention of Adam.

Many, many mentions of Leah. Of her work on the team- in the team. Her leading them when Jack left, her revelation of being an alien, all of it. Written in Ianto's own hand.

She'd been telling the truth.

"What's wrong?"

Ianto shot off the couch. Adam leaned on the other cushion, relaxed but definitely not there a second ago.

"My diary. You're not in it." Ianto told him. Why say it? Ianto shouldn't have said it. He was too shaken to think clearly.

Adam snatched the diary away. He looked inside, thumbing through the pages.

"Everyone else is. Even her- Leah. Why would I leave you out when you've been here so long but include her? Like I'm remembering a man who doesn't exist, and I let him hurt my friend." Ianto pondered.

His heart pounded. His mind held a caged animal, screaming to be released. Memories fought with each other in the hope to be let out.

The diary fell from Adam's hand. A hand that went in and out of existence.

Ianto gawked. "What are you?"

Adam narrowed his eyes. "Cross me, and I will fill you full of fake memories until your head is on fire, because that's how I exist."

"Leah. Why have you done that to her?" Ianto asked.

"Humans are easy. Your mind- it's just the right kind of stupid for my people to work with. Whatever your friend is, she fought back. It was incredible. I've never seen a mind like that. I want to break it." Adam grinned. Madness glinted from his eyes. "Let me show you."

Adam lashed out. His hand on Ianto's head.

Ianto gasped. Pain-pain-pain! "Gwen-"

"Memory is a very delicate thing. Feeding myself in wiped other memories out. It's a side effect of what I have to do in order to survive." Adam explained.

"Jack has to know-" Ianto choked out.

Adam snorted. "Yes he does. But not about me."

New memories flooded his mind. A young girl in the streets. Ianto's hands on her neck. Her eyes going foggy as his grip tightened.

"I know you didn't mean to kill her. You just couldn't stop yourself. Remember this." Adam told him.

Ianto shook his head, like that would shake the memory off. "I didn't do that."

"Oh, yes, you did, and she wasn't the first." Adam gripped his hair, nails digging painfully into his skull.

Another girl. Ianto followed her booted steps. She'd be so afraid. Light brown eyes filled with tears. Brown hair got crushed under his hands.

"Please don't hurt me."

Ianto did. And he enjoyed it.

"Good old Ianto, loyal Ianto. Roaming the streets at night for bait." Adam taunted.

Ianto shook his head. "My diary."

"All human record is a lie! You twist it into what you want to believe. But we know the rot in your heart. You crave flesh." Adam snapped.

"No. Please." Ianto screamed.

"Leah's not in here- because she's your target." Adam reminded Ianto. "Didn't you notice? All those girls, all so young, all of them looked like her, didn't they?"

Ianto screamed again.

"Remember it. Remember it. Remember it. Remember it. Remember it."

Ianto remembered. Countless nights spent thinking about it. About killing. About hurting those girls. About hurting the alien in their basement. Security was too good. He could never reach her. But he could reach all of them.

"I help you dump the bodies. It's me you call." Adam reminded him. "It's me you'll call when you finally kill her."

Adam kept the cameras from finding Ianto. He kept records clear. He made sure Ianto never got found.

"You know, I forgot what a rush it is, feeding in the bad stuff." Adam laughed.

Ianto couldn't hear him. His mind called out for flesh, for another girl to use and cast aside.

Jack needs to know

Jack needs to know

==ILWAS==

His mother cried at seeing his father's corpse.

"Franklin? Franklin, wake up. Please."

He swallowed, trying to make himself speak through his fear and guilt. "Mom?"

She turned to him. Her own words panicked and rushed. "Where's Gray? Where's Gray? Where is he, son? Where is he?"

"We were running so fast. One moment his hand was in mine-" Jack looked down at his younger hand. Gray left scratch marks.

His mother cried out. She clung to his father's body, like he was still alive to comfort her. "No, not my little boy. Not my little boy."

Jack watched. He watched his own memory, lost.

"Why now? Why now?"

==ILWAS==

Chloe knocked on the door.

Neither of them answered.

Chloe knocked again.

Heavy footsteps. A panicked whisper, her sister replying in a furious hiss.

Chloe knocked again. Her phone buzzed. Chloe pulled it out, giving it a check.

Leanna: Go away

Leanna: Now

Chloe: Why? Why are you hiding from me? What have I done now?

Leanna: We told you to stay away. Why won't you listen?

Chloe huffed. "Because you're being stupid!"

"OI!" Leanna shouted.

A hush. Leanna's angry muffled reply.

"Sorry, Chol." Thelma called out. "It- something happened. We're working it out."

"I can help." Chloe reminded her.

"It- it's fine. Lee and I've got it ourselves. Our- Our thermostat broke. Leanna thought you broke it." Thelma explained. "Turns out, it wasn't. Thing was old and busted. So- so we're installing a new one."

Chloe stepped back. Ah, of course. Chloe understood a little better now. That's why Leanna yelled at her to fix it. "But I haven't been to your place for weeks."

"Yes! Yes, well. She- she thought it was a sisterly prank."

"What the hell-" Leanna hissed. Chloe could barely make it out. "Ugh- ow- yes. That's it. The fucking thermostat."

"You thought I- what- broke in just to mess with you?" Chloe giggled.

"You've done worse." Leanna grumbled.

"When?" Chloe asked.

Chloe and Leanna usually had a very tense relationship. It got better over the years. Still, you can't always fight back the urge to fuck with your sister. But that was usually Leanna with Chloe. Chloe could barely remember her last prank on Chloe. She forgave her sister's rage too often to want to prank her.

"It was stupid." Thelma conceded. "I've been telling her that for days."

"So can I come in?"

"Hell no!"

"Better not!" Thelma added. "Cause- cause- Uh- it's a mess! Yes. It's a mess. So untidy. I wouldn't want you seeing it like this!"

Chloe snorted. "I've seen worse at your place. Neither of you are very tidy."

"I spilled paint as we installed the thermostat, and now-"

"Oh!" Chloe gasped. "Oh you're having sex!"

"No!" "Yeah!" Came their replies.

Chloe laughed.

"We were having sex before you showed up!" Thelma explained. "And we'd like to get back to it!"

"Right! Right yeah! Sorry about- that. About this." Chloe replied. She walked back towards the elevator.

Back in the flat, Leanna hugged a shaking Thelma.

"It's alright." Leanna kissed her head. "That was-"

"Holy shit, Lee."

"I know, I know-"

"Holy shit. She's an idiot. She's not usually an idiot."

"You were wicked brave."

"She never even said her name." Thelma hiccuped, tears spilling out. "Or apologized. She bought that."

"You're a better liar than me." Leanna held her tighter. Tears fell from her own eyes, dropping on Thelma's head. "And a better person. I was gonna kick her arse."

Thelma sniffled.

"But our little girl wouldn't have wanted it." Leanna's voice wobbled. "Bloody hell."

Thelma held Leanna tighter. Her legs were shaking to hold her up. "I want her back."

"We'll get her." Leanna promised. She kissed Thelma again. "We'll get our baby even if we have to break down those damn doors ourselves." Leanna looked over at their counter.

Two small, tiny bugs sat there. They hadn't moved or spoken in days. Not even with Leah's voice. Leanna could still hear it. No parent could forget their child's fearful voice.

How long would they wait this time?

==ILWAS==

Jack walked out of his office. He planned to talk with- Adam- Wait No. No he didn't. He wanted to talk to- Adam.

No.

He wanted to talk to her. For some reason, Jack was more at ease after hearing her words than using Adam's. He was supposed to trust Adam, but Jack felt none of the usual trust.

"Jack."

Jack turned. He saw his boyfriend sitting behind a desk. Worse, he did not look happy. "Ianto. Hey. What's wrong?"

"You have to put me in the vaults. Lock me up." Ianto swallowed. He stood up, flinching at the slightest sound. "I killed three girls. Strangled them. I'm going to kill a fourth."

Jack stared, jaw clenching. "Stop kidding around."

"I'm serious. I murdered them in cold blood. I took their bodies, and-" Ianto flinched. A full body flinch, cowering from some unseen thing. Jack stepped closer, wanting to calm Ianto down. Maybe then he would snap out of it. "You have to lock me away before I turn on you- or her. None of you are safe."

Jack walked up. He reached for Ianto, pulling him close. "Hey, hey, come here, come here." Ianto fell against his chest. Jack brushed his hand on his back, squeezing him tight. "What's happened to you?"

Ianto panted. His face dripped in sweat, like he'd been fighting something for a long time. "I'm a monster."

==ILWAS==

Jack set the device down. Ianto stared at it, panicking.

"Best lie detector on the planet. If something's untrue, the light turns red. Go." Jack ordered.

Ianto obeyed. "My hands on her throat. And it felt so good. Squeezing the life out of her." The light flared green. "It reads as truth."

Jack stared, shocked. "I don't believe it. Okay, tell me about the second girl."

"She tried to get away, but I was too quick. Pleading, and I, I didn't care. Something in me wants to kill." Ianto replied. "It wants to kill again. It wants to kill her."

"No. This is not you." Jack tossed the lie detector aside. He looked into Ianto's eyes. "Something's changed you. You're not a murderer. I'm certain of it."

Ianto seemed to disagree.

==ILWAS==

Jack left Ianto in his office. His first stop was the computer system around Tosh's desk. He checked the security cameras. There, a lot of things started to make sense. He reviewed as much as he was able of the past two days. The things he found did nothing to settle him. If anything, he became further enraged by every clip.

He brought Ianto back with him. Ianto shook against it, trying to escape. He wanted to run to the cells, and they both knew it.

"Come here, come here. Just look, look." Jack quickly pressed play.

Ianto watched. He still tried to buck Jack off.

"Remember it." Adam pressed his hand to Ianto's skull. The Ianto on screen screamed. "Remember it. Remember it. Remember it. Remember it."

"But..." Ianto began.

"It was all fake." Jack explained. "He's not real."

"But what about the girl?" Ianto asked. "That came through the Rift."

Jack played the tapes of when that girl came in.

He played it from the first actual sighting of her. Her first steps into the building, using a keycard and everything. She walked into the Hub. She paused at the sight of his team. She walked to each one, starting careful conversations.

Jack saw what she was doing. She, even before any of them, saw this as wrong. She didn't shock the team, yell or make demands. She calmly walked around, keeping her knowledge silent.

It reminded him of someone.

He saw himself walk up. The girl eyed him cautiously too. Even more so at seeing Adam by his side.

She touched Adam. The moment broken by them painfully gasping, pushing themselves away from each other. Adam started telling them she came through the Rift.

He saw the heartbroken look on the girl's face once Adam turned them all against her. The agony on her face when Jack caved. He remembered that moment, and it didn't settle this pit in his gut.

Jack almost couldn't take it. He had to see her, now.

==ILWAS==

Janet was whimpering. It- Leah talked to her, giving her reassuring words.

Jack brought Ianto to the cell. Leah tensed at seeing them.

"Jack-" Ianto began.

"Adam. What is he?" Jack asked her.

The girl's face perked up. A small bit of light came back to her amber eyes. Jack ignored the pang in his chest. "You know."

Jack shook his head. "Not the whole story."

She still looked happy. "It's more than I've had these past few days!" She hiccuped a happy sob.

Even though the tapes proved that Jack and this girl were close, he was still wary. "You've blocked Adam from your mind. How?"

"My people are telepathic. He couldn't change me if he tried." The girl explained.

"Can you help Ianto?" Jack asked. "And me?"

The girl paused. She glanced at Ianto. "Yes. Obviously. What did Adam do?"

"Changed me. Made me remember." Ianto winced, shaking his head.

Leah stood up. She walked to the door, trying to yank it open. "Jack, open the damn thing!"

Jack quickly did so. Leah rushed out. She and Jack lowered Ianto to the ground.

"What are you going to do to me?" Ianto hissed. He tried to lash out. Jack held him from behind, keeping his arms down.

Leah knelt down. She held up her hands. "What happened to you was a violation. No other way to describe it. I am going to explain in detail what I am doing, and why I am doing it. At no point will I do anything without telling you. Do you understand me?"

Ianto thrashed.

Jack hugged him tighter. "Come on, Ianto, come on! You know this isn't how it's supposed to be. Don't fight it, please!"

Ianto panted. "Yes. Yes I understand. You know what you're doing, right?"

"They taught this stuff when I was still toddling. If I couldn't do it, I'd be an embarrassment." She replied, shutting her eyes in concentration. She reached up her hands. "The human brain has a memory center. The hippocampus is where most memory is processed and stored. It's located on the right side of your brain, so I am going to touch one finger to the right side of your temporal lobe. My other hand is going to your left temple. This is to help me in balancing the false memories from the real ones. Just breathe, take it easy. I'm going in now."

Ianto gasped. He was feeling the girl in his mind. Jack could see her eyes moving about beneath her eyelids, as if searching. Leah flinched away, gasping in horror. Her eyes opened, and she nearly shrieked. Ianto hardly seemed surprised by her reaction. He had been watching the memories again, having to relive them in an almost painful way.

Jack immediately went to Ianto's side, making sure the man was okay. Ianto was breathing heavily, the memories hitting him harder than they did before.

"That son of a bitch!" Leah shouted. She stomped her foot, twisting her fists into her brown hair. She started pacing in her small hallway. "I'll kill him! I will kill that asshole! I might have been kind after what he did to me, and all of you, and especially Gwen, but making Ianto think he's a murderer!? That fucker is going so far into the ground he'll meet the earth's core and the spiders waiting there!"

Jack looked up at her. "Can you fix it?"

Leah nodded, a dangerous gleam in her eye. He had seen that gleam before, in a certain mad Time Lord. "With pleasure." She put her fingertips to Ianto's forehead. The man was shaking."Okay. Ianto, I'm going back in-"

"No." Ianto shook his head. "I won't make you see that again."

"It's not hurting me, it's hurting you." Leah stressed. "I'm just going to pull them from your mind, erase them from your head."

Ianto shook his head. "Gwen remembered. It took time but she remembered."

"How to explain- Uh. Gwen got a papercut. You've been shot. One needs more help than just 'be patient'." Ianto flinched. "Right. No murder jokes. I will just erase the memories of murder. I can do that. My people are good at erasing memories."

"Your people?" Jack asked.

Leah paused. "I've never told you, before. You've always known anyway." She shifted on her knees. She looked up at Jack. "Maybe she told you, once."

Jack figured it out. Terra, that amazing girl, looked at him like she knew him all her life. Like he was a hero. He was important to her, and to the Doctor.

That meant Terra always knew what happened here. That she had been locked in here, this cell, and treated worse than a rat. That Jack Harkness treated her like a criminal, when she was one of his oldest friends.

"Okay Ianto." Terra's first self assured the well-dressed Torchwood agent. "I'm going to ask you to keep calm, alright? Just think about the time before Torchwood, before Jack, look for all the things that defined you. That made you love watches, tea, and your boyfriend. It'll be over in no time."

==ILWAS==

Morning came. Jack brought Leah back upstairs. She took careful steps, like the wrong one would mean being thrown back into the cell.

Jack could understand her hesitancy.

It disgusted him to know he'd done that to his friend. After she brought back Ianto's memory, she restored Jack's memories. Jack finally saw the truth. All those moments before, he'd shared with Leah instead of Adam. Adam swapped himself for her many times.

The first Jack did was hug her. Leah returned it. He asked about her parents, if they were safe. Leah assured him she got a message out. She'd kept a bug in Janet's cells to keep watch over the Weevil. A live feed of a creature just too adorable for words.

Yeah. That was very Leah Luna-Johnson.

Jack couldn't stop smiling. His friend, his best friend, had his back. Jack broke his promise to her. Still, she did her very best to protect his team. Their team. Her team? The semantics hardly mattered. Right now, they still belonged to Adam.

Leah reached her computer. "Oh, my darling, what has he done to you?" She typed on it. It locked her out. She hacked in, restored her password, and got onto the security systems in record time.

Jack raised an eyebrow.

Leah shrugged. "I left a virtual backdoor for me. Just in case."

"Lucky us." Ianto leaned over her shoulder. Leah tilted to let him see. "What about his file?"

"Adam cleared me out of the system as best he could. His file is here." She pulled it up.

Jack squinted at it. "Anything wrong with it?"

"Nope. It's been in pristine condition since it was created." Leah typed on her keyboard.

Jack and Ianto exchanged a look. "And when was it created?" Jack asked.

Leah grinned. "No flies on the Time Agent." She pointed at the file. "It was created thirty-six hours ago."

Jack clenched his jaw.

The lights switched on. Leah quickly ducked behind her desk.

Jack turned to see who was coming in. Owen waddled up the stairs, peering around the large bouquet of flowers. He placed them on Tosh's desk before walking away. Jack and Ianto split apart. They were mindful of their own steps, careful not to seem too close.

Tosh and Adam came next. With his memories restored, Jack seethed at the man. He excused himself to his office, watching from the window. Adam Smith. He ruined their team. He forced them to betray each other. Their youngest member's life was in danger for two days, and they did nothing. Worse than nothing- they played into Adam and his sick game.

Jack wouldn't blame Leah for leaving and never coming back. He wouldn't be surprised either. The very idea broke his heart. If it kept her safe, then it was the only choice.

Jack glanced over. His office came with a great view of Leah's. A strategic choice earlier on. He couldn't see her completely, just the tips of her boots.

Tosh smiled at the flowers. Her smile tightened when she saw the card. "Oh. Owen."

Owen stumbled over to her. The most shocking thing was the way his team acted now. The stark differences made his head spin. "About last night. It was selfish of me."

Tosh shook his head. "Owen, I think the world of you."

"I know, I know. I'm really sorry. I don't want to jeopardize our friendship. The most important thing is that you're happy." Owen explained.

Tosh nodded, politely. "Thank you."

"Tosh, you are, you are happy with Adam, aren't you?" Owen asked.

Tosh glanced at her boyfriend. She smiled at him, then gave Owen a grimace. "Completely."

Owen nodded, accepting. "Okay." He walked back to the autopsy pit.

Chloe came in next. She stretched out her arms, her shirt sleeves sliding with the movement. "Good morning everyone!" She walked right through Tosh and Owen, ignorant of any of the looks between them. "How'd you all sleep? I slept fine. It's so great when everything works out, doesn't it!"

"Chloe. How did you sleep?" Adam asked, smiling like he was humoring her.

Jack wanted to punch him.

"Great! Especially after I chatted with my sister."

Jack saw the boot twitch.

"Yeah! Apparently someone messed with her thermostat. Blamed me for it, the silly things!" Chloe giggled. "Glad we got it sorted!"

"So who messed with the thermostat? Was it a break in?" Tosh asked.

"I don't know." Chloe took a lock of her hair, twirling it on finger. "Probably."

Jack checked again. The boot was completely out from the desk.

"Probably nothing." Adam mused. He stood up, walking to Chloe.

Gwen arrived before he could. "Hey."

"Gwen!" Chloe spun around. She dragged Gwen into a hug. "Oh you sweetie pie! Are you alright?" She ended the hug. She cupped Gwen's face, locking their eyes. "Are you okay?"

"I'm getting better." Gwen replied, cheerful. "Things are coming back, slowly. Rhys thought I shouldn't come into work but-"

"That's amazing!" Chloe gave Gwen another hug. "We've got your back, whatever happens!"

"You just have to give yourself time." Adam stepped closer. "Chloe's got the right idea. Come on, group hug."

Tosh and Owen walked over to it. They joined.

Jack checked on the desk. The boot was gone. He wanted to check, but found no obvious sign.

"That's better, see?" Adam laughed. He walked over to Ianto. "Hey Ianto, come here. You alright, mate?" He reached a hand up.

Ianto flinched.

"Listen, I could murder a coffee." Adam requested.

Jack spotted Leah. The Time Lady was hiding beside Adam's desk. As Adam sat down, Leah stood up. Jack checked his pocket.

Jack rushed out.

Leah held a large gun to his head. It clicked.

"You son of a bitch." Leah hissed.

"You!" Tosh gasped. The others in the team got out their guns.

"How did you get out-"

"Stay down! Stay down!"

"Let's not do anything crazy!"

Jack ran up. He reached over, trying to hold her hand. She jerked it out of his reach. "Leah. Put it down."

"He'll go after them!" Leah hissed. "My family!"

"No. He won't." Jack promised.

Leah gripped tighter. She pressed the barrel against Adam's skull. "I won't let him!"

"Neither will I!" Jack came up. He took hold of her hand. She looked up at him, eyes watering. "Trust me."

Leah grit her teeth. She squeezed tighter to the gun.

So did Jack.

With a noise of pain, Leah loosened her grip. Jack held her shoulder. He guided her behind him, taking hold of the gun. Leah hugged Jack. She hissed and seethed, punching her fists on his suspenders.

"Thanks, Jack." Adam relaxed. "I was worried-"

Jack pressed it back against his head. "Talk to me, Adam. If that's even your name."

Adam tensed. "What?"

"What are you doing, Jack?" Gwen asked.

"He's not who you think he is. He's been feeding himself into our memories by touch." Jack explained.

Tosh scoffed. "Is this some kind of sick joke? It's that thing messing with you, not him!"

"He didn't exist until two days ago." Jack revealed.

The team didn't react.

"Can somebody tell me what's going on, please?" Adam asked them.

Owen stepped forward. The guns made him skittish, so he made sure to stay out of firing range. "Jack, we've known him for years. He is part of the team."

"No. We've known Leah for years. She's part of the team. He's replaced himself in our memories." Jack snapped.

Adam gave a laugh. "Come on, Jack." He reached his hand over.

Leah hissed. She tried to lash out, but Jack held tighter. He pulled them both back. "Ah, ah. You don't get to us like that."

Adam tightened his face, frustrated. He made himself smile. "Jack, you know me. You recruited me three years ago."

Jack shook his head. "All I know is, when I think of my team, I see you there. But I don't feel anything for you. No pride, no warmth. You, the one who I can confide in, the one who unburied the dead. I felt all those things when I looked at the alien enemy I locked in my basement."

Leah squeezed him.

"Jack, maybe you've just forgotten him, like I did with Rhys, yeah?" Gwen asked.

"That's a symptom of his manipulation." Leah told her. "He jammed your head so full of him, trying to get rid of me, that Rhys got dragged in too. You know me, Gwen. We got recruited at the same time. You thought I was a pizza girl."

Gwen paused. She got a look in her eye. The same look as when she started to remember Rhys.

"You mean how your manipulation works." Adam argued. "It's you doing it. You even brought pizza the other night to trick us."

"I took the pizza from you." Gwen recalled, slowly. "But- no I didn't. I- It was-"

"You see! She's done it again!" Adam warned.

Jack pushed Leah off him. He picked Adam up by the collar, holding the gun to his throat. "I'm taking him to the Vaults."

"Jack, this is ridiculous." Adam argued.

"Move!" Jack ordered.

Tosh came forward, keeping her gun raised. "No!"

Owen flinched forward. "Tosh, that's not gonna help."

"Tosh, put it down." Chloe told her. "You're not gonna shoot Jack.

"I'm just going to lock him up." Jack told her.

"You should be locking up her!" Tosh snapped.

"I'm not going to harm him." Jack promised.

"Why should I believe you?" Tosh snapped.

Owen walked around Tosh. The gun still freaked him, so he tried to keep his distance. Pity he loved Tosh more. "Tosh, Tosh, we can talk about this."

"Drop the gun, Jack!" Tosh ordered.

Two shots went off.

Tosh fell to the ground. Adam fell into Jack's arms.

Everyone looked aside.

Leah lowered the blow dart gun. She patted her aunt on the back. "Thanks for the gun, Aunt Chloe."

"Aunt?" Chloe asked, squinting at Leah.

==ILWAS==

Jack locked it shut.

Adam slapped the door, pleading. "Don't kill me. I had to become part of your memories in order to survive. I didn't mean any harm."

"You changed us." Jack snapped.

"For the better. You didn't remember who you were. I helped you." Adam insisted. "Look at Owen, all his cynicism gone. He's a different man now. Selfless, happier. Chloe! She's always been worried and anxious. Look at her now! Happy and carefree. And Toshiko, too. She's never been this confident."

"You made us lock our friend in jail." Jack snapped.

"If I hadn't, she would have killed me!" Adam pleaded. "Whatever she is, it isn't right! I've never seen anything like it. How do you stand being around her? She's the monster!"

"Is she why you came after us?" Jack asked. "Because of her?"

"No! All of you have such unique memories, specially you, Jack." Adam explained. He stared at Jack with wide, excited eyes. Completely different than when Terra stared at Jack that first night. "All those extraordinary memories you hold. Some hidden, some absent. Your singular mind. That's what drew me here."

"Good job. It's what we do best. Wipe out the big, bad aliens." Jack told him, content with that.

"You can't shoot me!" Adam shouted. Jack just walked away. "You made me live! And you always remember what you killed, don't you, Jack?"

Jack paused, considering, before leaving.

==ILWAS==

Leah took a deep breath. Just, the deepest breath possible for her. She kept the air in Thor five seconds. She slowly exhaled.

"Memories make you who you are." Leah explained.

'A life is just memories!'

Leah took another long breath, held it, released it. "Adam changed that- changed you. I am here to put you all back."

She reached in front of her. The team all sat around a table, watching Leah work. Ianto sat beside Jack, holding the Captain's hand. She turned down the lights. She activated the screen, displaying a calming video with dark blue swirls.

"Find a memory that defines you. That shaped you. If I'm wrong, then he'll still be in his cell and you can lock me back up." Leah offered. "Just try. I know you can. Think back to before you met Torchwood, before you met Jack."

The team began to relax. They stared off, their eyes distant as they searched.

"Find yourself again. They're inside, waiting to be found again. The deep, deep ones that you thought you left behind. Bring yourself back home." Leah explained. She stretched out her mind, encouraging them along. "Tell me who you are."

Gwen's thoughts came first. Leah listened, cautious and careful. "The college canteen. Rhys is sitting opposite me, telling stupid jokes."

"Where do you find a tortoise with no legs? Where you left it." Rhys' voice floated by her mind.

Gwen giggled. Leah smiled too- it was a good joke.

Chloe came next. 'Mum and Dad kicking out Leanna. They gave me a choice.' "I chose her." 'I've always got to look out for my sister.'

Leah did smile, but it was tense. Something like pain twinged in her chest.

'It's my birthday. I'm ten. Mum spends the whole day screaming.' "But I love you-" 'because you're my son, but that doesn't mean I have to like you.' Owen scoffed in his seat.

Leah never thought she would miss that.

'Maths club.' "Something so reliable about maths." 'Always the right answer.' Tosh nodded. Tears were already falling on her cheeks.

'I turn 16. She packs my bags.' Owen huffed out a laugh. "That is the nicest thing you've done for me in years, Mother."

'Kissing him in the supermarket.' Gwen smiled, giggling. "The look on his face."

'My first flat.' Tosh smiled. "I don't have a flat warming." Tosh dropped the smile, crying more. 'There's no one I want to invite.'

'The way he looks at me sometimes, as if he's scared of what he feels for me, like.' "I love him." Gwen stated. Sure, and confident in her choice. "But not in the way I love all of you."

Leah hated herself. She reached in her pocket, pulling out a little tin box. She popped out a little white pill.

She slipped it into Gwen's hand.

'Getting a niece. Promising to look after her too. We'll make a better family.' Chloe choked, starting to cry again. "Being the reason it broke."

"Never." Leah gave her a pill, and it killed a part of her to do it. "You're the reason it's whole."

'Knowing there has to be more to life than this. Knowing I'm special.' Tosh nodded. "Waiting for someone to see it."

"I saw it." Jack promised.

Tosh looked over at him. Something in her eyes said she was still lost, still wandering, maybe as if she herself didn't believe it.

Leah put another pill in her hand. "I do too."

'You save one life, a hundred lives, but it's never enough.' Who'll save me?" Owen asked.

"I will." Leah gave him another pill. "We all will."

Leah held out two more pills. Ianto took one, stared at it. Jack took the other.

"I trust I don't have to explain retcon to you." Leah said in a low, detached voice. She'd taken away her tears. Just a cold manner worthy of a Time Lord. "You need to forget Adam. That means removing the next 48 hours. I made this batch fresh. It'll do the job. You'll be yourselves again."

Ianto took his. Jack kissed his head, before taking his.

Gwen and Chloe went next.

Owen looked at Tosh before swallowing it.

Tosh stared.

Leah walked back to her.

More tears fell. "I'm going to lose so much."

"He hurt you." Leah reminded her.

"He loved me and I loved him." Tosh argued. "It's no different from real memory."

"He hurt you." Leah repeated. "No real love would."

Tosh sniffled. "Goodbye, Adam." She took her pill.

==ILWAS==

Leah held the pill out.

Rhys looked at it. "So just have to take it?"

Leah nodded.

"And Gwen will be alright?"

"Adam will never hurt Gwen, or you ever again. All you've got to do is forget." Leah explained.

Rhys glanced at the pill. "For Gwen." He popped it.

==ILWAS==

Leanna and Thelma cried.

Leah did too.

"I don't-"

"Shh, Shh, it's okay."

"You're gonna be okay." Thelma kissed her head.

Leah gasped, pushing herself into the hug. "There's no time. Please. Just take it."

"No. We can't forget." Leanna snapped. "We've never even met him. Why should we?"

"Because there's no way you could look at Chloe without remembering!" Leah argued. She sniffled, curling against her mothers. "And if you remember and fight her, then Chloe will try to see why, and then she'll remember him and it'll happen all over again and I can't do this again, Mum, please!"

Leanna kissed her head. She and Thelma looked at each other.

"Please don't make me!" Leah sobbed. "I can't- I really can't! Please!"

"Okay. Okay." Thelma squeezed her in the hug. "You won't. I promise you won't." She sent her wife a knowing glare.

Leanna paused.

Thelma glared again.

Leanna nodded.

==ILWAS==

"There's nobody left."

It was only midday. Leah was busy. The team were all asleep in the main conference room ready to sleep the memories away, like they'd never been. Better they all think they had a late start, then remembering today.

Leah spent an hour clearing out the Hub of Adam. From his files, to his desk, to any messages on their phones, the flowers Owen gave Tosh, even down to the little wooden box he'd brought with him. Not a single trace of Adam except his glitching body in their cells.

She was far more thorough getting rid of Adam than Adam had been in getting rid of her.

"You too." Adam reminded her. "You'll remember. That's all I need."

Leah raised an eyebrow.

Adam tensed. "Leah, I know what it's like not to exist. Please don't send me back there."

Leah stared him down. "I thought about it. About taking the little pill. Then, I thought about what you did to my team. Changed them, hurt them, scared my family, nearly got Rhys killed, do I even need to say what you did to Tosh? Or Ianto? Forgetting you now would be a mercy. I'm not good at mercy."

"What are you going to do?" Adam asked.

Leah hummed. "Forget you."

"How?" Adam questioned.

Leah shrugged herself off the wall. She walked to the cell. She knelt beside it, sitting herself down. "My people banished me."

"Banished? Why?"

"I said no." Leah replied. "That's all I did. I told our leader, no. Such a small thing. A little word, and yet it changed my whole life. I knew it was coming. I still said it. Do you wanna know why?"

Adam nodded. "Yes, please. Tell me."

Leah hummed. "I saw the future. And the past. An awful future that should never be repeated. My leader asked me to name the person responsible. I refused. He punished me with banishment. And at the moment of my death, I would forget all about my home and life before. A new person will stand up, and walk away. No idea of who she once was. Of what she gave up. And then, Adam Smith, you will die too. You'll die with me. Isn't that poetic?"

Adam laughed. "You're going to kill yourself?"

"No, no, that's too kind a fate for you." Leah sharpened her focus on him.

"You'll still remember the bad stuff." Adam warned her. "Those will belong to you. That will never go away."

"No. My people are quite thorough. I'll be surprised if I remember my own name." Leah replied.

"Or your parents."

Leah scoffed. "They are no parents of mine."

"Really? You don't want to hold those, even a little bit?" Adam asked. "One good day with them?"

"The day they gave me up was the best day of my life." Leah answered. "Mother woke me by pounding on my bedroom door. She didn't even let me eat breakfast. Father never said goodbye. I was carted out the door with the clothes on my back, to look inside a tear in time and space. I was eight years old. My own parents wanted nothing to do with me. Them, I'm happy to forget."

"Are you really?" Adam countered. Leah thinned her lips. "What about the last good memory of you and your parents?"

"It's worthless." Leah hissed. "Just like them."

"There's no good memory you want to keep?"

"So you can corrupt it? No." Leah scoffed. "Come on, Adam. Be less obvious about it."

Adam lashed out. Before he reached the door, his hand went out of phase. Most of his body did as well. He collapsed on the floor. He cried out in pain.

Leah watched impassively.

"I was in the Void for so long the colors of this world almost blinded me, Leah, you wouldn't understand. It was so beautiful after the darkness and the stench of fear. Your team gave me that. Let me do this for you. Come on. You want this." Adam offered, pleading.

"The Void. Wow." Leah snorted, giggling. "I'll go there someday, did you know? I can remember her going in. I remember her screaming. And you know what else? Some people call it Hell. I get why. It's awful, isn't it? So big. Yet so small. Almost like it's bigger on the inside."

Leah pulled out a small, wooden box.

Adam gawked at it.

"Do I understand hell?" Leah snorted. "Adam, my people invented it."

Adam flinched back. He shot up, trying to pull off the door.

"I'm sending you to hell. Be honored!" Leah twisted a small opening on the box. "You're my very first, Adam Smith. Until I die, you'll spend every moment in a waking hell. Then you'll blink out of existence. It's almost a mercy, then, isn't it?"

Adam screamed.

Leah only smiled.

==ILWAS==

Leah walked back into the Hub. The pizzas in her arms warmed her back up.

Everyone was one they'd computers, typing away.

"Leah! Where have you been?" Jack called out.

"Oh a girl takes some vacation time, and everyone gets all shouty!" Leah snarked. She put the pizzas down on the table. "Owen, I'm getting your beer."

"Oh that's a change."

"Don't make me regret it." Leah walked towards the small fridge for the beer.

Jack walked to her side, stopping her. "So you haven't been here the past two days?"

"No. Gwen took her break, I took mine. Why? Did something happen?" Leah asked.

Jack shook his head. "We don't know. The last 48 hours are just- gone."

"The system's blank, the CCTV's been wiped. What's been going on? What have we been doing?" Tosh asked the team.

"I don't know." Chloe replied. "And I don't like it."

An obvious problem. Leah couldn't see a way around it. They would know they were missing memories of two days. Leah couldn't exactly turn back time without causing a paradox. But she figured out a decent enough plan to convince them otherwise.

Owen scoffed. "Great. That's two days of my life that I'll never get back."

"Did you guys just party the whole time?" Leah asked, giggling. She went to the fridge, opening it up. "Because the fridge is out of alcohol. And the trash can over there's got a bottle in it."

"It is?" Gwen asked.

"It does?" Owen checked the bin.

"I see how it is. The minor leaves for two days, and you all decide to throw a party." Leah scoffed, shaking her head. "Really not hurting my feelings at all."

"Maybe if you weren't such a hardarse. We would invite you." Owen snarked.

"Shut it." Chloe whacked his arm. Owen whined, rubbing it. "You get my niece drunk, I feed you to Joey."

Leah smiled. She walked over to her desk. She put her bag down. The team would take care of the rest. They'd bicker and banter about throwing a party, figure out retcon had been used, and figure out the rest.

She opened her bag. Inside, she pulled out a wooden box. She stared at the intricate designs. As she turned it about, a small piece fell off.

She slotted it in place. The box slid open. For a moment, Leah heard the faint sounds of a man screaming.

Leah smiled. She closed the box. Content, she packed it away into her desk. She'd not be thinking about it again.

Time to enjoy some pizza.

==ILWAS==

AN: …I actually really like this. Adam was one of my favorite Torchwood episodes.

This got rewritten like, 3 times. There was an ending where Leah forgot, an ending where Ianto attacked her, and an ending where nobody forgot and Leah fucked Adam up real good. This is the ending we end up with. I like it a lot too.

It always vaguely annoyed me that nobody remembered Adam. Like, I understand why, but I'm bothered that in-universe nobody remembers. So I'm gifting Leah with it. She also gets a very perfect reason for building a perfect prison for Adam.