Man, this one was long. 11,218 words, to be precise.
In more words, a lot of stuff goes down here. Comment to tell me who good (or horribly) I do. Enjoy!
***
"Gwen, texting you the location," Ianto said into his phone as they walked towards the abandoned building. "Appearing four or five signs of life, definitely nonhuman. Get here as soon as you can."
"So, sure they're not Weevils?" Owen asked.
"Don't think so," Tosh shook her head, checking her scanner. "Different energy patterns. I can't make sense of it. Not a species we've encountered before."
"Well, let's hope they're friendly, then," Owen muttered.
"Sweep together," Jack said, pulling out his gun. "The sooner we get this done, the sooner I get to Lexi."
"You really like her, don't you?" Tosh asked as they worked their way through the building.
"You'll need to meet her to understand," Jack smiled softly. "She changed my life. Literally, it's because of her I'm like this."
"Ah, so now we know who to blame," Owen snorted. "Wonderful."
"Owen," Jack snapped. "That's my little sister."
Owen muttered incoherently, but Tosh paused when they made it to the upstairs floor. "Toshiko?" Jack asked.
"New life sign," Tosh frowned. "This one's odd . . . it's saying - "
Before she could finish her thought, they heard running, and all four aimed their guns - only for Jack to instantly lower his when a pretty blonde wearing a pale yellow sleeveless blouse, white jeans, brown horseback riding boots, and her hair in a bob-style haircut, a white denim jacket draped over her shoulders. She was holding a blaster in one hand, and her other reached out and grabbed Jack's hand when she passed. "Run!" she shouted, yanking Jack after her, who immediately turned tail. "Come on, run!"
"Why?" Jack shouted as he ran after her, the rest of his team following.
"Because those bombs are about to go off in five seconds!"
"Bombs?!" Ianto yelped.
"Five of them!" The blonde stopped in front of a blue police box, opening the doors. "Inside!"
"What?" Owen stared at her. How did she expect them to fit inside a police box?!
"Go!" she shoved him inside. Jack pulled Ianto and Tosh in, and the blonde stepped in after them. It was only a second after she closed the door that the box rocked with the force of a massive explosion.
"There we are!" a hyper man's voice said. "Safe and sound!" Owen spun around to see a ridiculously skinny man by a spaceship console, wearing a brown pinstripe suit, a ginger woman in a dark blue blouse and slacks smirking as she worked with him. "Landed inside to wait for you lot, only to find that there were five bombs inside programmed to go off the moment Jack entered the building. So then, being the genius Alice is - " He broke off, suddenly looking past the Torchwood team, and he blanched. "Alice!"
Owen turned to see the blonde girl, Alice, grimace as she took off her jacket, and his jaw dropped when he saw the rapidly growing blood stain on her blouse. "And that's the second time I've washed this," she grumbled, wincing as she tried to stem the flow.
"And that's why I told you not to use that arm!" the man ran over, Jack also going over to help her.
And that was when the team noticed - the police box was huge! And it wasn't even a police box! "Yeah, it's a spaceship," the ginger patted Owen's shoulder as she walked over, hovering over the skinny man as he worked on patching up Alice's shoulder. "And he's rude and will forget to introduce himself."
"Bleeding Bonded takes precedent, Donna," he told her.
She sighed, rolling his eyes. "That's the Doctor, that's the Alchemist, and I'm Donna. Donna Noble."
"Captain Jack Harkness," Jack grinned at her.
"Don't flirt with my sister, Jack," the Doctor warned.
Jack blinked. "She's your sister?"
"Yes, that's what I just said," the Doctor rolled his eyes. "Pay attention."
"Well, aren't you crabby?"
"Alice took a bullet to the shoulder for me just a while ago, and in saving you, tore the stitches. Forgive me if I'm in a mood."
"Whenever you're ready to stop the testosterone fight," the Alchemist grumbled.
"Sorry," both said at once.
"Hang on," Owen frowned, recognizing that tone. "You're the girl that was on Jack's phone."
"And you're the one that answered it," she nodded. "Sorry, the Alchemist is my real name. I just go by Lexi Harkness sometimes."
Tosh's jaw dropped. "Jack's little sister?!"
"He's your brother?" Donna asked in surprise.
Jack winked at her, only to wince when the Alchemist punched him in the arm with her good hand. "Yes, he is."
"Yes, she is," Jack said at the same time, answering Tosh's question.
"OK," Owen took a look around the TARDIS. "And your sister just happens to live in a spaceship."
"They're aliens," Jack shrugged.
"They're what?!" Tosh did a double take.
"The Doctor and the Alchemist," Ianto winced. "Enemies of the Crown. Sorry about Yvonne Hartman. I worked for Torchwood One for a time."
"Ianto Jones, then," the Alchemist nodded, smiling when he looked surprised. "Oh, I know all of you. First thing Jack did when he was worried for you lot was check up on you. Thought, you're important to him, might as well try and keep tabs on you all. Ianto Jones, former Torchwood One worker. Owen Harper, the doctor of the team. And Toshiko Sato, technical guru."
There was stunned silence. Then - "You're good," Owen nodded.
"Well," she drawled out, mocking flipping her hair over her shoulder, making both the Doctor and Jack snicker.
"First order of business, thank you for saving us," Jack said sincerely.
"You're welcome," the Time Lords answered in sync.
"And second - " He pointed to the towel the Doctor was now wrapping around the Alchemist's shoulder for a makeshift tourniquet. "How did this happen?"
"I got in the way of a shot meant for him and our daughter," the Alchemist said easily.
Jack's face turned a ridiculous shade of white at the implication. "What?!"
Donna laughed hysterically as the Doctor grinned sheepishly. "Progenation machine. DNA taken forcibly from us, out came Jenny."
"OK," Jack said slowly.
"They were in the middle of a civil war," the Alchemist shrugged, wincing when she shifted her bad shoulder. "Me being shot was the last of it."
Owen raised an eyebrow. "You make it sound like nothing."
"She was shot dead by the Devil before she turned into who she is now," the Doctor waved it off.
That got blank looks from every Torchwood member. "The Devil," Tosh repeated blankly.
"Well, the spirit of the Devil trying to escape from a black hole, so it possessed someone on the crew blasting away on the rock - "
The Alchemist put one hand over his mouth. "Doctor."
"Mmm?"
"You can shut up now."
He simply nodded, Owen snickering as the Alchemist lowered her hand. The Doctor glared at Owen, but even Jack was smirking at him. "Hang on, though," Donna looked around. "When they told us we were coming here, they said there were five Torchwood members. Where's the fifth?"
Tosh blanched. "Oh, my God. Gwen!"
The Doctor went to the console, activating one of the scanners and looking at the devastated building. A black-haired woman was panicking as she took in the destruction, another man behind her. "Oh, my God," Ianto stared at the remains.
"I tried to get out and dismantle the bombs, but they wouldn't even respond," the Alchemist said. "And when you lot entered, they started counting down."
"They were meant for us," Jack narrowed his eyes. "Can you get us back down there?"
The Doctor simply pulled a lever, the time rotor going.
***
"Oh, my God," Gwen Cooper stared at the remnants of the building, her husband Rhys Williams staring at it.
"Gwen, there's no way they survived," Rhys began -
When a wheezing sound echoed behind them. Gwen spun around, reaching for her gun, to see a blue police public call box suddenly appear. She nearly dropped her gun when Jack poked his head out the doors. "Someone rang for God?" he winked.
"Jack!" Gwen ran to hug him as he stepped out, then nearly fainted in relief when the rest of the team followed behind him. "Ianto! Tosh! Owen!"
The Doctor whistled as he came out next, shielding his eyes against the sun to see the building's remains. "It looks worse from here."
"Lucky you came here instead of going to the Hub," Jack squeezed the Alchemist's hand.
"You all were very lucky," the Alchemist nodded, narrowing her eyes. A threat against her brother was not to be taken lightly.
"Sorry, who're you?" Gwen blinked.
"Oh, sorry," the Alchemist held out her hand. "Lexi Harkness. Or the Alchemist. Usually it's the Alchemist, but Jack calls me Lexi, and the Doctor calls me Alice."
"And Rosie called you Ali," Jack reminded her.
"That's the Doctor, that's Donna," the Alchemist pointed with her other hand, the Doctor and Donna raising their hands in hello.
"Lexi Harkness?!" Gwen gawked.
"Back on track," Donna interrupted. "Who did this?"
"And where's the SUV?" Ianto looked around.
Jack's vortex manipulator started beeping suddenly, and Jack pressed one of the buttons. A hologram of a man in a red coat appeared, and the TARDIS trio blinked when all five Torchwood members groaned simultaneously. "Oh, no," Ianto shook his head.
"Doctor confused," the Doctor raised a hand, pointing at the hologram. "Who's he?"
"Captain John Hart," Jack answered, narrowing his eyes as the Alchemist slipped one arm through his, eyeing the hologram with distaste. She already didn't like him, based on the others' reactions. "We go back."
"In a good or bad way?"
"Jack, what does he want?" Gwen interrupted.
Jack pressed another button. "Ooo, déjà vu," the hologram of John grinned. "Or did I say that already? Hey, team! Of course, there might be a few less of you by now." The Doctor narrowed his eyes as the Alchemist squeezed Jack's arm. Going back in a bad way, then. "Don't know if you liked my little gift. Of course, you can't die. And with all that life, all that time, you can't spare any for me. Oh! Say hi to the family!"
John popped up another hologram, this one of a young man in dusty clothes, looking remarkably similar to Jack. Jack blanched. "No way," he breathed. "It can't be!"
"Jack?" the Alchemist whispered. "Who is he?"
"Been a while since you've seen your brother, eh, Jack?" John smirked.
"Gray?" Jack croaked hoarsely.
The Alchemist's eyes widened as she looked between the young man in the hologram and Jack. No wonder they looked so alike! "What happened to him?" she asked.
Before Jack could answer, John continued. "OK, here's what's going to happen. Everything you love, everything you treasure, will die." Jack blanched and pulled the Alchemist closer at that, the Doctor's eyes narrowing, knowing that threat applied to his Bonded. That did not put Captain John Hart on his good side. "I'm going to tear your world apart, Captain Jack Harkness, piece by piece, starting now." He smirked. "Maybe now you'll want to spend some time with me."
Gray looked up once to see Jack before the hologram fizzled out. "I don't like him," the Alchemist said instantly.
"That makes two of us," the Doctor said tightly.
"And three," Donna shook her head.
"Bastard John's taken our SUV," Owen checked.
"Looks like he's driven it back to Torchwood," Ianto nodded.
Tosh looked at one of her many devices. "I'm getting readings of rift activity all over the city. Major rift flares at St. Helen's Hospital, the Police Headquarters, and the Central IT Server Station."
Gwen fished through her pockets when her phone rang, and she answered. "Hey, Andy?"
"Gwen, you've gotta get here right now," one of her former police force members said. "I'm serious, we need you."
"OK, I'm on my way, all right?" Gwen hung up, looking at Jack. "This is him, isn't it? This Captain John, or whatever he likes to call himself."
"Rhys, drop Owen at the hospital," Jack ordered, taking charge instantly as the Alchemist walked over to the Doctor and Donna, the three of them talking together in low voices. "Tosh, Ianto, cover the Central Server building. Gwen, the police station, and take me to Torchwood."
"You think we're all going to fit in there?" Rhys looked back at his car.
The trio broke apart. "We're all going to fit in there," the Doctor nodded at the TARDIS.
"If you get involved, he's going to go after you, too," Jack warned, looking from the Alchemist to the Doctor.
"You're my brother," the Alchemist said simply. "I'm not leaving."
"And if she's staying, so are we," the Doctor added.
"You're stuck with us," Donna smirked.
For once, Jack didn't flirt back. "God bless you," he sighed in relief.
The Doctor just laughed and opened the TARDIS door. "All aboard!"
"No way we're all going to fit in there," Rhys stared at the TARDIS as the Alchemist and Donna went in, followed by Jack and Ianto.
"You're going to," the Doctor patted his shoulder. "In you go. And yes, it's bigger on the inside," he smirked when he saw Gwen's and Rhys's jaws drop. "Now, locations! Where're we all going?"
"Doctor, go with Gwen to the police," Jack answered, giving him his job immediately. "Donna, how about you go with Tosh and Ianto?"
"I can't even change a plug," Donna shook her head. "What can I do at the Server Station?"
"Donna," the Doctor said in a warning voice.
She sighed, hanging her head. "Fine."
"So me with you?" the Alchemist looked at Jack.
"No!" he and the Doctor said sharply at the same time.
The Alchemist groaned. "This wouldn't happen to be because of my shoulder, would it be?"
"John's already got Gray," Jack shook his head. "No way in hell is he getting you."
"And yes, your shoulder," the Doctor added. "Alice, please."
Owen cleared his throat. "She can come with me. Hospital's got just as much equipment as the Server Station does."
The Alchemist sighed. "Sure," she nodded, giving Owen a small smile. "Why not?"
"Jack, these are traps," Tosh warned him.
""So be careful," Jack advised. "You know what he's capable of."
"What about you?" Gwen asked.
"I'm gonna go reason with him."
"He just tried to kill us!" Owen protested.
"And failed miserably," Jack said, clapping the Doctor on the shoulder as he and the Alchemist worked on setting up the coordinates for their stops. "I was the only one who could ever control him. That's why the Time Agency partnered us."
"Did you just say Time Agency?" Rhys stared at him. "Don't tell me that's based in Cardiff, too."
Donna smirked at him. "And you're in a time machine piloted by two Time Lords."
"I'm in a what with who?!"
The Alchemist just laughed as the Doctor flipped a lever, the TARDIS taking off. "Why's he doing this, Jack?" Owen asked. "What does he want?"
"That's what I'm going to go ask him," Jack scowled.
***
Jack entered the Torchwood Hub to the soundtrack "I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper." He frowned, seeing John dancing on the catwalk above. "Come on, sing along!" he called. "It's our song!"
"We don't have a song," Jack growled. "And if we did have a song, it wouldn't be this song!"
John pouted. "You're no fun," he declared as he turned the music off.
"Thank you," Jack huffed.
"I've been here quite a while," John descended down the stairs. "What kept you?"
"We all survived," Jack smirked. "You know, if you're gonna set an explosion, you really need to take into account the backup forces."
"Backup?"
"My sister, her Bonded, and her Bonded's sister," Jack answered.
John frowned, not understanding what Jack meant by that. "The bombs were just prototypes. Had to test out a theory. How are they all, your little team?"
"Completely unscathed," Jack smirked wider, seeing John scowl. "What do you want?"
"I want you to know that I love you."
Jack snorted. "Funny way of showing it. My sister just hugs me."
John turned around, frowning slightly to himself. He knew Jack only had a brother, and that was Gray. Who the hell was this "sister?" "No, seriously," he said. "You have to understand. I really do love you." He turned around, emptying two machine gun clips into Jack. Jack staggered and fell face down into a puddle of water, blood and water splattering everywhere. "Because this is gonna get nasty."
***
"Andy!" Gwen called as she ran into the police station, the Doctor on her heels, Rhys lagging a bit behind.
"They just appeared out of nowhere, across the whole building," Andy rattled off as Gwen strode through the crowd, seeing places taped off, blood splatters everywhere, the Doctor wrinkling his nose at the mess. "They weren't human. At least, not like any human I've ever seen. Half the station's in shock. Four of the most senior officers, murdered. Everyone's running round like headless chickens."
"Which actually exist," the Doctor said, before scratching the back of his head when Gwen stared at him. "Not the time. Right."
"Whoa, who's he?" Andy pointed at the Doctor, then looked at Rhys. "And Rhys? What are you doing here? This is a crime scene, and a confidential crime scene at that. If it gets out what happened here, there'll be a city wide panic."
"I won't go babbling," the Doctor promised.
"And I'm keeping more secrets than you'd believe," Rhys added.
"Oh?" Andy raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"
"Like a Time Agency based in Cardiff, and he's one of them."
"Oh, it's not based in Cardiff," Gwen sighed.
"And it's Time Lord, not Agent," the Doctor corrected.
"Brilliant secrets," Andy snorted. "I ask, you tell. Well done. Hang on, what's a Time Lord?"
"An alien," the Doctor said easily as he and Gwen went on.
"You're a what?!"
Gwen bent down to look through the food slot of one of the police cells, only for the Doctor to grab her and yank her back as the creatures inside threw themselves towards Gwen. "You OK?" he asked.
"Yeah," Gwen nodded, recognizing them instantly.
"Bloody hell," Rhys gawked. "What are they?"
"Weevils," Gwen answered. "They live in the sewers."
"Tell me you're joking!"
"Don't mind if I subdue them, do you?" Gwen asked, taking a small grenade out.
The Doctor frowned, seeing it. "That won't kill them, will it?"
"You don't want them dead?" Andy stared at him.
"I'd rather avoid more bloodshed, thanks," the Doctor narrowed his eyes.
"It'll just knock them out," Gwen assured the Doctor, and he nodded. Gwen tossed the grenade inside, and gas came out, knocking the Weevils out. "They killed the four most senior officers?"
"Almost like it was targeted," Andy confirmed.
The Doctor and Gwen exchanged looks as Gwen put a finger to her Bluetooth. "Tosh, report where you are."
***
"Just entering the Central Server," Tosh answered as she, Ianto, and Donna walked inside, torches in hand. "No sign of rift activity yet."
"So you're like UNIT?" Donna tried to clarify.
"Except smaller," Ianto nodded. "A lot smaller."
"And a lot quieter."
"Because usually if we're involved, it's bad," Tosh nodded.
"Well, at least you weren't involved in ATMOS."
"We were ready to be," Ianto looked at her, seeming impressed. "You were there?"
"Helped stop it," Donna smiled. "It was all the Doctor and the Alchemist, though. I'll tell you what, never get on their bad sides."
"Noted."
"So what exactly is this place?" Donna looked around.
"This building houses servers for the military, police, NHS," Tosh answered. "Even looks after the server systems for the nuclear station at Turnmill."
"What problem did they report?" Ianto asked.
"Ghosts, in these server stacks," Tosh pointed down a row.
"Ghosts," Donna sighed as they walked down. "Of course it would be ghosts."
The trio stopped dead when they saw another trio ahead of them: three cowled figures, all three bearing scythes. "Devils," one of them rasped. "Blasphemers. Pray to your heathen God, while in the Lord's name, we cast you out."
Ianto and Tosh looked at each other, then drew their guns and fired. Donna winced at the gunfire, but the scythe bearers dropped. "There we are, then," Ianto said in satisfaction.
"Sorted," Tosh smirked.
Donna frowned. "I've been with the Doctor and the Alchemist enough. Wasn't this a bit . . . easy?"
***
"Owen, it's Gwen. Do you have anything to report?"
"We've got some activity in the basement," Owen answered as he followed a doctor down to the basement level, the Alchemist following along behind him.
"Coming back from a fag break, saw the door open, and there it is, chewing through the cables, so I locked it in," the doctor gestured towards the locked room.
"OK," Owen nodded, peeking through the small window to see.
"What the hell is it?"
The Alchemist looked as well. "Oh, it's a Hoix!" she grinned. "Haven't seen one of them in a while."
"Yeah, we caught one in Barry last year, in a kebab shop," Owen told her. "He went through seven donor sticks in twenty minutes."
"Yikes."
"Have you got the keys?" Owen asked the doctor as he took out a syringe.
"What's that?" the Alchemist looked down at it.
"All species sedative," he answered as he took the keys. "Now, food. You got anything to eat?"
"Er . . . " The Alchemist popped open a ring on her finger, took a sniff, then nodded. "I imagine chocolate might get him out."
"You've got a ring that smells like chocolate," Owen said blankly.
"I've got a sensitive nose."
"Fair enough," he conceded, opening the door. "You know, if that thing attacks and you get hurt even more, the Doctor and Jack will have my hide."
"They can try," the Alchemist rolled her eyes, walking forward and clicking her tongue. "Hoixie!" she cooed, leaning down and extending her ring, the Hoix turning to her as Owen hid. "Come on, Hoixie, come and get the chocolate. There you are," she grinned as the Hoix crept forward. "Smell what I've got? Yeah. That's it. Good boy. Come on, that's it. Now!" Owen jumped out and injected the Hoix through the neck. The Hoix slumped, knocked out. "They really are quite stupid," the Alchemist remarked as she put her ring back on.
"Nice team, Alex," Owen commented.
She blinked, looking at him. "Alex?"
He blinked, not even realizing that had come out. "Well, I'm not dealing with the mouthful of your name, and Jack calls you Lexi. Might as well call you Alex."
The Alchemist considered. "I think I can handle Alex."
***
When Jack came back to life, he was strung up by chains crucifixion style, and John was moving around the Hub. "Comms and weapons have been removed, in case you're wondering," John told him. "So no chance of rescue."
"This is a little extreme, don't you think?" Jack raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, what? Suddenly you're anti-bondage?"
"Why are you here?"
"Well, see, now you're interested in me," John sighed. "It's always the same. Nobody cares until you tie them up. Number of reasons, actually. First of all, you were very rude to me."
Jack stared blankly at him. "What?"
"Very rude indeed. In front of people who barely knew me, you belittled me. I can't let that go."
"You're serious?!"
"Second," John went on, "you have all of time, eternity essentially, and you still refused to spend time with me. After all we've been through together, after all I've done for you."
"Where's Gray?" Jack demanded. "What have you done with my brother?"
"You don't realize," John shook his head. "Actions, ramifications, ripples in the pond. It's beyond my control."
Jack scoffed. "Beyond your control? Please."
"It is," John insisted as he worked on the controls. "You need to understand that. So, localize the rift storms, a few short sharp shocks - "
"Don't touch those controls!"
"Oi!" John glared at him. "I'm working here!" Jack cried out in pain when electricity went through the manacles, shocking him. "If you don't want that again, keep quiet."
"No," Jack panted as John worked.
"So, I think I'm ready to find the vantage point," John rubbed his hands together. "A little power, and we're all set."
"Hey!" Jack shouted. "Whatever you're planning, we're going to stop you."
"Oh?" John raised an eyebrow. "Go on, then. Stop me. I hope you can. Really." Jack just glared at him. "No? All right. Let's go get ourselves a good view."
Jack closed his eyes as John worked on teleporting them. Lexi, if you can hear me, John has something planned. It won't be good.
***
The Alchemist slowed her actions with Owen, hearing only snippets of Jack's thoughts as the Vortex sent them to her. brain. Lexi . . . me . . . John . . . planned . . . won't . . . good . . .
"Kasterborous!" she called telepathically.
"I'm here, Namara," he responded instantly.
"John's got something planned. Can you find out what it is?"
"On it."
***
"What the hell are we doing here?" Jack looked around as they teleported to the top of Cardiff Castle.
"Now this is a good view," John smirked, then used his vortex manipulator to zap Jack's when he was about to attack. "I told you, no struggling!"
"I can make things right with you!"
"You don't understand," John shook his head. "You can't ever make this right." He raised his vortex manipulator, using the comm on it. "Attention Torchwood employees. Evening, all! Now, stop what you're doing."
***
"Jack, what's going on?" Gwen asked when she heard John's voice, not seeing the Doctor slip out of the station. "Are you OK?"
"Jack can't come to the comms right now," John chuckled. "But if you leave a message, I'll be sure to pass it along."
"What've you done to him?" the Alchemist demanded.
"No, no, wrong question. You should be asking, what I am I about to do to you?"
"Put Jack on right now!" Ianto demanded.
"Eye candy! That was so masterful, so bossy . . . so basically powerless. Get up to the roofs of your buildings. Quickly now, spit spot!"
***
"Why?" Owen asked as he and the Alchemist ran for the stairs to the roof.
"Because if you don't, well, you'll miss all the fun."
***
"Hold on a minute," John said as the Doctor scanned around with his sonic. "Do I mean fun, or do I mean carnage? I get them confused. Are you running yet? No dawdling now."
The Doctor's eyes widened when he picked up something very bad on his sonic, then quickly ran to the TARDIS. If he hurried . . .
***
"What're you doing?" Jack demanded.
"I'm sorry," John apologized.
"No!"
"Cardiff," John sighed, looking around. "Isn't it pretty? Doesn't it twinkle so? Take a good look. Remember this, because it all goes so quick." John pressed a button -
And nothing happened.
Jack blinked, but it was nothing compared to John's jaw drop. "What the - ?" he smacked the button.
"Sorry, Captain," the Doctor's voice came over the comms. "It appears your bombs have been disabled. Who did, I wonder?"
"I bloody love you!" the Alchemist whooped.
"Well," the Doctor drawled out.
"All right, then," John braced himself. "Plan B."
"What?!" Jack yelped, just as John pressed another button, and grabbed Jack.
***
The Alchemist was nearly blown off her feet when a shockwave came from where she knew the Torchwood Hub to be. "What was that?" Donna came over the comms.
"Major energy flare," Tosh answered. "And it's bad. There was a huge rift flare over at the castle, generated by the rift manipulator at Torchwood."
"Tosh, Ianto, Owen, are you OK?" Gwen asked.
"Yeah, we're fine."
"Still here," Ianto answered.
"Me, too," Owen answered as he ran back into the hospital, the Alchemist behind him.
"Donna, Alchemist, Doctor?"
"Right here," the Alchemist shook her head.
"Just peachy," Donna's response was.
"Was there any damage done to the city?" the Doctor asked.
"Landlines, mobile phones, and IT networks all down," Tosh answered. "TV and radio off. Currently, there's a surge in traffic trying to leave the city, but that wave cut off all major routes in and out. He's completely crippled us."
"Shit," Gwen sighed.
"Don't want to be the harbinger of doom, but the systems which serve the Turnmill nuclear plant have all gone offline," Ianto added.
"Fantastic," the Alchemist sighed.
"Right," Gwen said. "Tosh, Ianto, you have to stabilize the nuclear power station. Make that a priority. Owen, Alchemist, what's it like at the hospital?"
The Alchemist took a torch out of her pocket and flipped it on as Owen started running around, checking on patients. "We've lost all power here," she answered for him. "The backup generators gave out. Every single machine in this hospital is down."
"Basically, it's a disaster," Owen added.
"Listen," the Doctor ordered. "We'll fix this. All of us, together, we're going to put this city back together, and we're going to find Jack."
"And punish John," Gwen added.
"That comes last in priorities," the Doctor said. "Everyone, be careful."
***
"We're safe," John sighed in relief when they teleported in the middle of a clearing. "Now, before you do anything rash, you have to hear - "
Jack punched him hard. "Take us back, now!" he demanded.
"No way," John shook his head. "We have to be this far to escape the trigger signal."
"What?"
John held up his wrist. "Look at it. Go on." Jack slowly took a look at what was on his wrist. "It's bonded to my skin. I can't get it off. Open it."
Jack's jaw dropped when he saw what John had. "Whoa."
"Ninth generation detonator."
"You're a walking bomb!"
"Add to that a surveillance circuit, to monitor my every word and action, and he has me doing anything I'm told, because if I don't, boom," John said miserably. "I'm not my own man. I thought you'd see that. But oh, no, you're so self-obsessed you thought I'd want to blow up the stupid city when I could be experiencing seventeen simultaneous pleasures in the Lotus Nebula." He blanched suddenly. "Oh, no. Just run."
"Oh, please," Jack rolled his eyes. "That is the oldest trick in the book."
"Jack?"
Jack froze when he heard the voice, and he slowly turned to see Gray stop walking towards him, his face one of disbelief. "Gray?" he asked back.
"I never stopped believing," Gray grinned, running towards him. "I always knew we'd find each other again!"
Jack grabbed his brother and hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry," he apologized hoarsely.
He gasped when he felt something stab him in the gut. "Sorry's not good enough," Gray spat, and the last thing Jack saw before he died was his brother's face twisted in hatred.
***
"This was a targeted attack, designed to cause maximum panic," Gwen said as she took control of the police. "Usual emergency procedures won't cover what's happened here. This is where we find out how good we really are. Cover the whole city. Knock on doors, check on people. Tell the people that they are safe and that it is being dealt with. Get out there and do your jobs."
"Come on, let's go," one of the policemen said.
Gwen sagged in relief as the Doctor walked in as they came out. "You're good, Gwen Cooper," he complimented her.
***
"Go!" Ianto shooed off Tosh and Donna.
"It won't work!" Tosh insisted.
Ianto huffed in frustration. "Nothing, sorry."
"So we need to restart the Turnmill servers?" Donna asked, just to clarify.
"Yes," Tosh nodded.
"What if you can't?" Ianto asked.
"Then the reactor goes into meltdown."
Ianto looked up. "Then I'm going up there."
"But Ianto - !" Tosh protested.
"Look, if we can't fix the remote servers, there must be something I can do on-site to prevent nuclear meltdown."
"But isn't that suicide?" Donna frowned.
"Are we gonna discuss it, or are we gonna do it?"
Donna stared at him long and hard. "Then we all go. If this does end up being suicide, I am going to haunt my brother forever if he doesn't get his arse to us to save us."
***
Jack ignored John shackling his ankles and wrists. Instead, he stared long and hard at the brother he didn't recognize anymore. "I looked for you," he said. "I searched for you for years. You were my first thought every day."
"What are you expecting, hmm?" Gray tilted his head. "A loving reunion? Absolution? Me to say 'it's OK, brother, I forgive you?' Those creatures, they live to torture. They kept us just on the verge of life. I'd lie there, hemmed in by corpses, praying to become one, because you let go of my hand. Remember?"
"If I could swap with you, I would," Jack said honestly.
"Remember it again," Gray's eyes hardened. "I believed you'd come, but you never did. How long before you gave up, hmm? Months? Years? Decades?"
"What do you want from me?"
"I want you to suffer," Gray smirked darkly. "I want your life. This is Cardiff, 27 AD. The city will be built here over the next two thousand years. Your grave will be the city's foundations. Your blessing of life becomes a curse. Each time you revive, with a throat full of earth, each time it chokes you afresh, and you thrash on the edge of death, you think of me."
"All right, calling a halt now," John straightened up. "I can't let you do this."
Gray just pushed Jack backwards, into the grave John had dug. "Fill the grave," he ordered.
"No way," John shook his head.
"Then the detonator on your arm gets activated." John looked down at Jack, who simply nodded to him. John took off a ring, kissed it, then tossed it onto Gray's chest. "What's that?" Gray scowled.
"It's, er, sentimental value," John answered as he began to fill the grave.
***
"Skulking, is it?" Rhys asked as he sat by Gwen.
"Still no word from Jack," Gwen muttered.
"Hey, it's gonna be fine."
"What if it's not?" Gwen asked. "What if this is how it all ends? I can't do this, Rhys. I'm not up to it."
"Rubbish," Rhys snorted, hugging Gwen around her shoulders as Gwen's eyes teared up. "Those coppers are out there now because of you. Even if you don't believe in yourself, they did. And I do. You're a bloody hero, Gwen. So you keep going, because we need you."
Gwen sniffed. "Will you marry me again?"
Rhys grinned. "Yeah."
"Gwen, Doctor," Tosh suddenly spoke. "I've got a rift alert from inside the Hub, mirroring the pattern from earlier when Jack disappeared."
"Do you think it could be him?" Gwen asked, straightening as the Doctor wheeled away from where he'd been checking on the Weevils.
"I can't check it out. I've got to get the Turnmill servers back online."
"Tosh, I can't leave the police station."
"Yes, you can," Rhys told her. "If they need you, we'll be fine."
Gwen frowned. "Are you sure?"
"I'll see you when it's all over," Rhys promised, kissing her. "Go."
"Allons-y, Gwen!" the Doctor ran out the door, Gwen running after him, both of them going for the TARDIS.
***
John was certainly surprised when a police public call box appeared right in the center of the Hub. He was more surprised when Gwen was out the door the moment it solidified, her gun out. "You took your time," he quipped.
"On your knees!" Gwen ordered, aiming at him.
John rolled his eyes as the Doctor came out next, hands in his pockets. "Honestly, it's just sex, sex, sex with you people."
"Now!" Gwen barked, and John obeyed. "Hands behind your head. I'm gonna need a really good reason not to shoot you within the next twenty seconds."
"I know where Jack is."
"That's a good reason," the Doctor walked forward, leaning down so he could be eye to eye with John. "But how do we know you're not lying?"
"He's buried alive somewhere beneath this city. I came back to help you."
The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "After you just attempted to bomb this city?"
"Listen to me," John swallowed. This was the man that had disabled the bombs that no human in this century could have done. He had to believe him. "You have to believe me. It's Gray, Jack's brother, that's been doing all this."
"Don't talk rubbish," Gwen narrowed her eyes.
John's eyes went to his wrist, and the Doctor's eyes followed. He frowned, taking John's wrist and checking it. "Molecularly bonded detonator," he identified. "You're a walking bomb."
"I had to do what he wanted," John nodded miserably. "Look, he forced me to bury Jack, and then he freed me. He told me I could go anywhere I wanted. I could've run, but I chose to come back here."
"What happened?" the Doctor asked as he took out his sonic screwdriver to work on the bomb.
"They were separated as children. Gray was abducted. When I found him, he was chained to the ruins of a city on the Bedlam Outlands, surrounded by corpses. He was the only one left. The creatures had long since gone. Don't know how long he'd been there. He thought I was the rescuing hero. So, it took me too long to realize he'd learned terrible things watching those creatures. He let me trust him. Ow!" he hissed.
"There we are," the Doctor said as he peeled the bomb off John's wrist. "Molecular bond now unbonded."
"Free man," John held up his hands. "I didn't have to come back here. I could've run."
Gwen narrowed her eyes. "You find Jack, I'll let you live. But you'd better be quick."
"Fine," John said simply, going to one of the computers, the Doctor warily eyeing Gwen's gun before exaggerating a step to the side. "Toshiko, I need you to run a trace for an etheric particle signal NME, transmitting at two hundred betacycles."
"Gwen, where are you?" Owen's voice said. "What's he doing? Where's Jack?"
"Trace that signal," John said. "We'll find him."
"We've got him covered, Tosh," the Doctor said. "Do as he says."
There was a pause, then Tosh said, "No signals even vaguely resembling that."
True surprise came onto John's face as Gwen's grip on her gun tightened. "No, there must be. That transmitter was guaranteed for five millennia through three ecological permalayers. It has to still be transmitting. If not, we'll never find him. He'll be buried forever."
"You better hope not," the Alchemist threatened. A high-pitched noise suddenly rang out from inside the Hub, making the Doctor groan and cover his ears. "Doctor?" the Alchemist's tone changed in an instant.
"What the hell is that?" Gwen asked at the same time.
The Doctor turned a monitor around, showing the Weevils crawling through the corridors. "I believe that was a call to arms."
"It's Gray," John said as Gwen checked the other monitors. "He must be here in the city. He said he was gonna take Jack's life, destroy it from the inside out. A Weevil wake-up call could be just the beginning."
"Doctor, what do we do?" Gwen turned around, only to hear the TARDIS dematerializing. She narrowed her eyes. "Oh, that's just . . . " She huffed.
***
"Owen, Gwen, can you hear me?" Ianto's voice said, and Owen looked up from what he was doing. "The streets are flooded with Weevils. They came out of nowhere. There's no chance we'll get to the nuclear power station in time."
Owen stood up. "Manual life support," he told the head doctor. "Get them round the hospital. Ianto, leave it to me. I can get there."
"How?"
Owen smirked. "King of the Weevils, remember?"
"I'm coming with you," the Alchemist headed after him as he left.
"We could die," he told her.
"I'm going to make sure that doesn't happen."
Owen snorted. "Definitely Jack's little sister."
The Alchemist just gave a Cheshire grin as they ran out into the streets, the Weevils letting Owen pass.
***
"I am telling you, I have run every scan possible," Gwen insisted. "There is no signal traceable."
"Then try again," John argued. "It's got to be there." Gwen just went back to work. "Oi! I'm talking to you!" A moment later - "You know, you've got a real pest problem around here."
Gwen's head shot up to see Weevils surrounding them, then there were gunshots, and they fell. She sighed in relief as Ianto came in, gun raised, Tosh and Donna behind him. "God, I'm so pleased to see you," she grinned, only to jump and redirect Ianto's gun when he aimed at John.
"Hey, hey, don't start," John held up his hands. "I'll make things right, Eye Candy."
"Then start by getting those Weevils down the vaults before they recover," Tosh said. "It takes more than a bullet to stop them."
***
"You did what?" Ianto shouted, dropping his end of the Weevil he and Donna were carrying, Donna yelping as she, too, dropped the Weevil.
"Ianto!" Gwen sighed as she and John lowered their Weevil to the ground.
"I didn't have a choice!" John defended himself.
"Something my brother said recently, Captain," Donna narrowed her eyes. "There's always a choice."
"OK, can we just get these Weevils into the cells, please?" Gwen asked.
Ianto grumbled, but obeyed. "If we don't find him, I'll kill you. Very slowly."
"You're in a line," Gwen huffed.
However, when they were all in the cells, the doors suddenly slammed on them. "What the?" Donna shouted.
"Whoa, what's happening, Tosh?" Gwen reached for her Bluetooth. "Tosh? Ianto, my comms are dead."
"Gwen," John said warningly.
Gwen turned to see Gray saunter up to John, his eyes narrowed. "I let you go. I gave you one trip. You could have gone anywhere."
"A question of honor," John answered.
"Gray," Gwen went up to the glass. "You're Gray, right? There's no need for this. We can help you. Just tell us where Jack is."
"His life's mine now," Gray grinned before leaving.
"Where's Jack?" Ianto shouted after him. "What have you done with him? What have you done with him?"
***
When Jack resurrected, he coughed and choked, dirt flying everywhere, but his throat didn't fill back up. "Easy," the Doctor's voice above him said, and Jack tried to sit up, the Doctor's hand on his back, helping him. "There you go. I imagine buried alive isn't fun."
"How long was I there?" Jack croaked.
The Doctor considered. "Forty seconds."
"What?!"
"Thank Johnny boy," the Doctor held up John's ring. "Nice little transmitter with a very rare pattern? Easy to track."
"We need to get back," Jack scrambled to his feet. "Gray will be there."
The Doctor sprang back to the console, pointing to controls for Jack to handle, both men hurrying to get back to the present day.
***
"What are you doing?" the woman at the power plant demanded as Owen and the Alchemist burst in. "Get the hell out of here!"
"What the hell are you doing here, more like," Owen shook his head. "This system's going into meltdown."
"A soldier never leaves her post."
"Well, you can leave now, OK? I'm with Torchwood, and we're dealing with this."
"Yeah? Wha do you know about nuclear containment structure?"
"You've run out of power, and the containment structure's over-pressurized," the Alchemist started rattling off, Owen's eyes widening as he realized just how smart the Time Lady was. "The containment spray and the cooling systems aren't working, so the fuel can't be cooled down. It's overheating. So, sooner rather than later, there'll be a meltdown, and radioactive material will be released into the atmosphere." The woman stared at her, and the Alchemist raised an eyebrow. "Go."
"Be careful," Owen said, handing over a canister. "There are creatures out there on the loose. Take this. It's a kind of mace."
"Sounds more dangerous out there than in here," the woman said.
"Yeah, I'd say it's pretty much even. Go."
"Thank you," she said sincerely before leaving.
"All right," the Alchemist cracked her knuckles. "Tosh? Let's do this."
***
"OK," Tosh answered, working at her computer. "I don't want you to panic, but the reactor's already hit the critical point."
"In other words, it's going into meltdown, and Owen and I are in the eye of the storm."
"Yeah," Tosh bit her lip. "Sorry."
"Can you fix it?" Owen asked.
"Of course I can," Tosh grinned. "I'm brilliant!"
"Yeah!" Owen cheered.
"I'm going to try and divert power from an auxiliary source back to Turnmill," Tosh said, working at her keyboard. "If that works, I can talk you through restoring the coolant system. Right now - "
BANG!
Tosh's eyes bugged, and she pressed one hand to her stomach, feeling blood gush over her fingers. "Tosh?" the Alchemist asked sharply.
"Help me," Tosh whimpered, sinking to the ground.
"Tosh, can you hear me? Are you there?"
The monitors suddenly shut off, and Gray threw the power cables to the floor. "I've heard people say death is such a waste," he said. "I imagine it more as a relief." His lips twisted in a cruel smile as he leaned down towards Tosh, the Alchemist still calling in the background. "What's it like? How does it feel? Are you afraid? Are you sad?" Tosh just stared up at him. "You can tell me. The battle's done."
But before Gray could make another move, a familiar wheezing sound echoed in the Hub. Gray frowned, turning. "What's that?" he asked, leaving.
"Tosh?" Owen called as Tosh grimaced, trying to reach her gizmo and help them, trying to staunch her bleeding at the same time. "Talk to me. We need your help here, babe."
***
"Oh, thank God," Gwen slumped in relief when they heard the TARDIS engines.
"About bloody time," Donna laughed slightly.
"I have an idea," John said, messing with his vortex manipulator.
***
Gray made it to cryostorage when he stopped, seeing a blue police public call box just appear in front of him. A ridiculously skinny man in a tight, brown pinstripe suit with brown hair sticking up all over the place stepped out, leaning against the box, one eyebrow raised. "Someone wants a word with you," he said.
Jack stepped out next, Gray's eyes widening. "I forgive you," Jack said simply.
"How did you survive?" Gray sputtered.
"I forgive you, Gray," Jack emphasized before walking past him.
The Doctor gave Gray a sad look before following. "Don't you walk away from me!" Gray shouted, storming after them. "Don't you walk away from me! Stop! Stop!"
"I've forgiven you," Jack spun around to face him. "I gave you absolution. Now do the same for me."
"I prayed for death," Gray spat. "Those creatures, the things they did to us, because of you! The favorite son, the one who lived, who will always live. The only strength I have is my hatred for you."
"I didn't know. I didn't realize until it was too late."
"I begrudge you everything," Gray snarled. "I want to rip it all from you. To leave you screaming in the dark. I will never absolve you. All of it, it's your fault!"
Jack simply hugged his struggling brother. "I'm sorry," he said sincerely, then held a chloroform handkerchief over his brother's mouth. As Gray's struggling slowed, Jack's eyes closed, feeling the Doctor's hand on his shoulder supportively. "I know," his voice cracked. "I know, Gray."
***
"Got it!" John cried triumphantly. Another high-pitched noise rang out, making them all cringe. "Sorry."
"What have you done?" Gwen glared at him.
"Recall signal," John answered. "Time for all the pets to return home."
***
"Tosh?" Owen called. "Come on, girl."
Tosh grimaced, but finally managed to reach her device. A few taps, and power came back on. "That's the power!" the Alchemist whooped.
"You OK, Tosh?" Owen asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Tosh winced.
"Right, what's going on there?"
"Just a machine malfunction."
"Are you hurt?" the Alchemist asked.
"Who, me?" Tosh chuckled nervously, even as she reached for one of the painkiller syringes. "No, I'm fine." She injected herself, taking a few deep breaths. "OK."
"Well, come on," Owen said. "Let's do this."
"All right," Tosh nodded, working on bringing up schematics. "OK . . . " She blanched. "Oh, God!"
"Talk to me, Tosh, I can't see what you're seeing," the Alchemist said.
Tosh swallowed. "There's no way to stop the meltdown. It's too far gone."
"Fantastic," was the Time Lady's sarcastic response.
"Come on, there's got to be something," Owen insisted. "There's always something. Come on."
"The only option now is to vent the flow channels internally," Tosh said.
"Vent them where?"
Tosh swallowed. "The area you're in is a containment building."
"It'll vent in here," the Alchemist figured it out. "I'll set up a time delay program, channel the fuel into the bunker, and instigate permanent lockdown. Seal the building, and the meltdown will be contained within."
"And obviously, remember to get out," Tosh added.
Owen snorted. "Yeah, I think I can remember that bit."
"I'll open the system protocol," Tosh said, working on her keypad. "You just need to enter the timeframe and authorize it, OK?"
"OK, Tosh, let's do this thing," the Alchemist said, then paused. "And Tosh? Thank you."
Tosh smiled weakly, one hand still on her bullet wound. "That's what I'm here for."
***
"What were you doing, napping?" Donna barked as the Doctor raced into the cell block, Jack behind him.
"Jack!" Gwen cried in relief as Jack opened her cell, the Doctor opening Donna's. Both men were instantly hugged by the women. "Oh, thank God!"
"We thought we'd lost you," Ianto added, hugging Jack next.
"Never, never," Jack shook his head.
"Quite a queue for the hugs," John noted.
"Always has been, always will be," Jack nodded. "I still say my sister gives the best."
"Nice use of the ring," the Doctor tossed it back to John, who caught it. "Led me right to him."
"It's the least I could do," John shrugged. "Listen, Gray's in the Hub."
"I know," Jack said somberly. "It's done."
"And speaking of hugs," the Doctor's eyes darkened. "Where exactly is my Bonded?"
***
"Yes!" Owen whooped when the Alchemist finished the protocols. "Rock and roll!"
Then an alarm started blaring, and Tosh's horrified cry rang in their ears. "Oh, no! Owen, Alchemist, get out of there! There's an emergency power surge in the system. When that hits, it'll trigger an emergency lockdown!"
Owen spun around, his eyes widening, and he sprinted for the doors as they started to slide shut, but seeing he would be too slow -
And suddenly, the doors were ensnared in gold, the doors grinding to a halt. Owen's eyes bugged open, and he spun around to see the Alchemist with clawed hands, her eyes gold and tearing up, her beautiful face twisted in obvious pain. "Go," she croaked.
"No way," Owen shook his head, storming back over to her. "I am not leaving without you."
"Owen, you've got to."
"What part of no do you not understand?" Owen demanded, grabbing her around the waist, seeing she was about to collapse. He bore part of her weight, and he practically dragged her out the doors, just narrowly getting out in time. "We started this together, we're ending it together."
"Might not get far," the Alchemist mumbled, her face contorting more, blood starting to stain her jacket once more, not just from her bullet wound this time, but also from her nose.
Owen's eyes widened, and he draped one of her arms around his shoulders, helping her as they hurriedly left the building, neither of them realizing that in the process, their comms had shorted out.
***
Tosh noticed right away, however. "Owen?" she rasped, not hearing anything. "Alchemist?"
She heard the sound of running, then heard a sudden skid. "Tosh!" the Doctor's voice called, and she tilted her head to see the Doctor run down the steps, his eyes wide in horror as he followed the blood trail to where she was sprawled. "What happened?"
"Gray," Tosh whispered as he ran to her side, crouching to check where she had been shot. "Shot me."
"I can see that," the Doctor grimaced as he took off his brown overcoat, using it to help stem the flow of blood, then he started looking through his pockets. "Where are they . . . "
"Doctor?" Donna's voice called. "I thought you came this - oh, my God!"
"Donna, get down here!" the Doctor shouted as he pulled out a few syringes, Tosh able to see they were full of a dark red liquid - blood. "I need your help!"
"Jack, hurry up!" Donna shouted as she ran down the stairs.
"I'm coming!" Jack's voice shouted as it came closer, and Tosh knew he saw the blood when he gasped. "Toshiko!"
"Donna, those coat pockets, right one, there should be the stitches and bandages there," the Doctor ordered as he checked the syringes, Jack running down the stairs, his face blanched of all color. "Jack, don't you dare drop those needles, and don't you dare let her give up."
"Where's that?" Donna suddenly looked up at the diagram on the wall.
"The nuclear plant at Turnmill," Ianto recognized, his eyes wide as Gwen practically flew down the stairs, John and Ianto remaining above. "Owen and the Alchemist are there."
"What?" the Doctor asked sharply.
"Sealed in," Tosh whispered. "Rerouted the blast. I couldn't hear them after the power surge went off."
Gwen clapped a hand over her mouth. "They're not dead," the Doctor shook his head, taking the materials he needed to stitch Tosh up from Donna. "I would know."
"How?" Tosh asked weakly.
"Because if Alice was dead, I'd be a bloody wreck," the Doctor answered, getting to work on stitching the wounds closed. "Tosh, you're going to need to hold on. I can save you, but if you give up for just a second, I can't make any promises."
"And you just happened to be carrying all this in your coat?" Jack couldn't help but ask.
"Alice has a shot shoulder, and no matter what I say, she uses that arm when she shouldn't," the Doctor rolled his eyes fondly. "You'd think she'd know by now to listen to me when she's injured."
"She never does," Donna grumbled.
"Right, that's one," the Doctor cut the string. "Gwen, can you lift her up?"
"Yeah," Gwen nodded, helping Donna gently lift Tosh into a sitting position, the other woman whimpering in pain.
"Just one more to work with, I promise," the Doctor told Tosh, the woman nodding in complete trust as the Doctor got to work.
"Have you tried getting in contact with them?" Jack asked Gwen.
Gwen shook her head miserably. "Our comms went out when we were locked in."
"Bandages," the Doctor held out his hand. Donna handed them over, and the Doctor worked quickly, wrapping the bandages around Tosh's abdomen, the woman's breathing getting shallower. "Jack, the needles."
"What are they?" Jack asked, even as he handed them over.
"Blood replenishers," the Doctor answered, sticking one in the front of Tosh's abdomen, watching color slowly return to the woman. "They adapt to any species' blood. I keep them in case Alice loses too much blood. In this case, it'll adapt to Tosh's." He took the other one and stuck it in Tosh's back, smiling when Tosh's breathing settled back to normal. "Toshiko Sato, no more getting shot. Doctor's orders."
"I'll try," Tosh closed her eyes, feeling her heart rate go back to normal.
"Thank God," Gwen choked out, hugging Tosh as tightly as she could without hurting the woman.
"You saved her," Jack locked eyes with the Doctor. "Thank you."
"Once in a while, everybody lives," the Doctor shrugged, standing up. "But now, I need to go find my - "
One of the phones started ringing, and frowning, Ianto went to answer. He barely got to open his mouth before he blanched. "For you," he pitched the phone to the Doctor.
He caught it and put it to his ear. "Hello?"
"Doctor, you need to get here, now," Owen's panicked voice said, and the Doctor's eyes widened as he scrambled to get back up the stairs. "It's Alex."
"What happened?" he demanded, pointing from Jack to Ianto, then pointing up the stairs to head out of the Hub. Catching onto the signal, both men followed him, Gwen and Donna exchanging concerned looks. "Owen, tell me exactly what happened."
"Kind of need both hands right now, Doctor," Owen said tightly. "She's losing too much blood."
Ianto thought the Doctor couldn't go any faster. He was proven wrong after Owen said that. "Where are you?" the Doctor snapped.
"We didn't get far from the plant. Not sure which side we came out on, but Doctor, you need to hurry. She's . . . " He heard the man swallow. "It's not good."
***
The three men dodged chaos in the streets, trying to get to the nuclear plant. It was pitch black when they arrived, lit only by a few street lamps. "Great," Jack growled, checking for a torch as Ianto flipped his on.
The Doctor closed his eyes, focusing on his Bond to the Alchemist. "Namara?" he asked as gently as he could.
He felt a faint stir. "Kasterborous," she answered, the quietest she ever had.
"They're here," the Doctor looked around, using his sonic screwdriver for a bit of light. "Just keep looking."
The three men split up, Jack and Ianto looking around the building, the Doctor checking the surrounding areas. As it turned out, Jack didn't need a torch to see.
All he did was follow his ears.
The moment he heard a woman's whimpers and a familiar voice saying encouraging things, Jack ran. When he came around the corner, he stopped dead, eyes wide in horror.
Owen looked up at him, his hands stained in blood. The Alchemist was barely hanging on, her eyes half shut, blood streaming from her nose, the ends of her blonde hair now much darker; her entire arm was soaked in the same dark color instead of the white denim. "I don't know what the hell this is," Owen shook his head as Jack scrambled to get over. "The bleeding just got worse and worse."
"Doctor!" Jack shouted, hearing two sets of running feet immediately after he yelled. "Ianto!"
"Holy shit!" Ianto's jaw dropped, looking sick as he took in the Alchemist's position.
The Doctor, on the other hand, looked like he was about to punch something. "Move," he ordered roughly. "And tell me exactly what happened. Don't leave a single detail out, Owen."
Owen quickly scrambled out of the way, letting the Doctor get to work. "Tosh told us that there would be a power surge, and it would trigger emergency lockdown," he explained, trying to keep his own breathing steady. Jack was an absolute mess, and he was about the same. He could see how Jack got so attached to the Alchemist. Owen was already starting to see her as a sister as well. "Right after she said that, the doors started closing. We weren't going to make it out, but then she somehow stopped them."
"Gold energy?" the Doctor guessed, gently peeling the Alchemist's jacket off, grimacing when he saw just how much blood his Bonded was losing. "Jack, I'm going to need another syringe."
"Gold energy, yeah," Owen nodded as Jack crouched by the Doctor, taking a needle filled with dark liquid from his pocket. "It really hurt her. She started crying right away. When we finally got out, she could barely walk, and she started bleeding from the gunshot wound and her nose. When we got out here, she collapsed and couldn't get back up."
"Bloody Vortex," the Doctor growled, finding the bandages he still had, wrapping it around the Alchemist's shoulder as best as he could. He couldn't do much here in the dark, but once he got back to Torchwood, he was not leaving her side until she woke up. "Jack, stick it in her collarbone, right there."
Jack obeyed, inserting the needle where the Doctor pointed. "That'll do for now," the Doctor said, reaching down to carry the Alchemist bridal style. "Hope you've got enough equipment back at Torchwood, Owen."
"Whatever you need," Owen confirmed.
"Good." The Doctor shifted his hold and managed to put two fingers to the Alchemist's temple. If she wasn't out already, judging by how she had tried to curl into the Doctor, she was now, as her head lolled back. "She's going to need it all."
***
"Oh, my God!" Donna shrieked, eyes wide, when the three men with various blood stains ran back into the Hub later. Donna wasn't focused on them, though - she was focused on the blonde woman covered in blood the Doctor carried.
"What happened?" Gwen demanded as she helped Tosh stand from the floor, John going to help the weak woman stand.
"Vortex overuse," the Doctor diagnosed as Owen ran to clear things off one of the tables.
Jack halted in his tracks, eyes wide. "I thought it was safe!"
"It's anything but," the Doctor shook his head, Owen helping him lay the Alchemist down. "She's been dying ever since the Titanic."
"Hang on, that wasn't a hoax?" Donna blinked.
"Not the time, Donna!" the Doctor shook his head, tossing the Alchemist's bloody jacket to Ianto, who caught it and went off somewhere with it.
"Was that the gold stuff?" Owen asked as he put on his coat, the Doctor unwrapping the bandages.
"That was the gold stuff," the Doctor nodded, grimacing when he saw just how bad the bleeding was. "Look away, Donna."
"No," Donna shook her head. She looked a bit green, but she stood her ground. "I'm not leaving, Spaceman."
"Just tell us how we can help," Gwen nodded.
"We need to get the blood off, first," the Doctor gestured to the Alchemist's arm, the blood starting to dry. "Donna, you do that. Tosh, keep an eye on her vitals. They might look out of whack, but I need to know if anything ever spikes." As the two women ran to get what they needed, the Doctor looked at Jack. "Supplies, same I used for Tosh."
"What happened to Tosh?" Owen's head snapped up.
She shrugged, wincing. "I got shot."
Owen blinked, then blanched. How had he not noticed the blood stains covering her, too?! "The Doctor saved her, though," Gwen smiled at the Time Lord as Donna came back with damp towels, the two starting to scrub the blood off.
"I'm just glad I came when I did," the Doctor shook his head as Jack started organizing materials on the side table. "If Donna and I hadn't headed in, those last few minutes would have been her last. If we weren't there, she would have died."
Owen looked at the man. "Thank you," he said sincerely.
"Return the favor," the Doctor looked down at the Alchemist. "I'm going to need your help."
***
After a full half hour of working on fixing the Alchemist, Donna had to wonder how the Doctor wasn't dead on his feet. Owen had been utterly exhausted when he was finished, having helped the Doctor with the stitches and the multiple blood replicator injections. Ianto had paced so much, Donna swore the scuff marks all over the floor was from his shoes. Tosh had fallen asleep at her desk, and Gwen was calling Rhys, occasionally looking over at the Alchemist. John leaned against the wall by where Jack was sitting, the immortal man's head in his hands, John's hand on his shoulder supportively. Owen looked just as tired as Donna felt, and Donna was the one sprawled on the floor, her head pillowed on her jacket. Owen was sitting ramrod straight, his eyes flicking from the Alchemist to the machines monitoring her vitals. His eyes were completely red from lack of sleep, but he kept awake.
The Doctor, on the other hand, did not appear tired at all. He was mainly keeping himself busy by keeping an inventory of Torchwood's medical supplies, and Donna could occasionally hear him mutter something under his breath. He, too, was constantly looking over at the Alchemist. She was still too pale for his liking, but he wasn't going to overdose her on the blood replicators.
The sun was nearly going up when he felt a small nudge in his mind. His head jerked up, making Jack look up as well. "Doc?" Jack asked.
"Kasterborous," the Alchemist said, and the Doctor had to strain his mind to hear her. "Tell my brother to stop broadcasting his worried thoughts so loudly."
"She can hear you worrying," the Doctor nodded at the Alchemist, Jack blinking.
"Didn't mean Jack."
The Doctor blinked at that, then smiled at Owen. "I think she just adopted you."
Owen started. "What?"
"Apparently, she's more concerned about your worry," the Doctor patted the stunned man on the shoulder as Jack grinned. "She's starting to wake up."
"Thank God," Gwen finally collapsed on the floor in relief, Ianto grinning widely for the first time in the last day.
" . . . guys worry too much," the Alchemist whined quietly as her eyelids fluttered.
The Doctor snorted loudly as Donna and Jack laughed loudly. "Stop trying to commit suicide by Vortex, and maybe we'll worry less."
The Alchemist just wearily raised a hand, the Doctor squeezing it tightly.
***
Jack looked down at his brother lying in one of the cryoboxes when John approached. "My whole life, I was looking for him," Jack said. "Now I have to lose him all over again."
"You cryo-freeze him, and then what?" John asked. "Wake him up in a hundred years, and he's remarkably better? Because that's not gonna happen. Maybe killing him would be the release he needs."
Jack shook his head. "There has been enough death." And he didn't want to kill Gray. Not when he learned the Alchemist had three months to live now, after a scan by the Doctor.
"You didn't struggle when I buried you, like you were allowing it."
"It was my penance."
"It's not your fault."
Jack just kissed Gray's forehead and pushed the box into the freezer. "Need help with those rift predictions?"
John shook his head. "A lot of this planet I haven't seen. You like it so much, thought I might take a look. Maybe see you around." He looked over Jack's shoulder to see the Alchemist and Owen slowly approach. "I'm sorry for your losses," he added, kissing Jack on the cheek before leaving.
Jack closed his eyes, turning to see his siblings - one he had before, and one he had just gained. He silently opened his arms, and the Alchemist immediately hugged him, Jack crying into her shoulder. Owen joined the hug a few moments later.
***
"We've done this before," Jack noted as the group of eight stood on an overlook, watching the Plass.
"Don't know which version was worse," the Doctor said. "Last one, or this."
"The last time, the Master died," the Alchemist reminded him.
"This time, you nearly did."
"That scared me to death," Jack admitted.
The Alchemist smiled tightly. "I'm not going anywhere any time soon, Jack."
The Doctor and Jack exchanged glances. "I hope not," the immortal man finally said.
Gwen eyed him, then nudged him. "Go on," she said. "You know you want to."
"Want to what?" Donna blinked.
"Since he won't stop worrying about you for so long," Gwen looked at the Alchemist, "he wants to tag along. At least for one adventure."
The Alchemist blinked, then grinned. "Really?"
Jack sighed, rubbing his face. "Yes," he admitted. "But with what happened to the city - "
"We can handle the city," Tosh told him with a grin. "You nearly lost your sister, Jack, right after you lost Gray. Go on."
Jack sighed again. "If you're sure."
"Yes!" the Alchemist whooped, hugging him tightly, the Doctor and Donna laughing at her eagerness.
"Anyone else want to join?" the Doctor surveyed Torchwood. "At least for an adventure or two?"
"I'm staying," Gwen shook her head. "Maybe another time, but after my speech to the police, Andy wants me back for a while. I can help the city restart."
"I'll stay and help her," Tosh added. "Get back in the game. And knowing your adventures, Doctor, there'll be a lot of running involved. Probably not good for me right now."
"No, definitely not," the Doctor agreed.
"Ah, what the hell," Owen shrugged. "I'll come."
"Really?" the Alchemist's eyes lit up.
"Why not?" Owen grinned, putting one arm around her shoulders. "Considering the first adventure I got with my sister was one that ended with her bleeding on me, I think I want a redo."
"Ianto?" Jack offered, seeing the other man was still silent. "You want to come?"
Ianto blinked - he had thought maybe it would just be a family outing, with the Doctor and Donna being siblings, and Owen joining the family of the Alchemist and Jack. But then he saw the way the Alchemist's eyes brightened at the invitation, and how neither the Doctor, Donna, nor Owen refused, he nodded slowly. "If it wouldn't be an intrusion."
"Definitely not," the Doctor grinned, seeing the Alchemist wink at him as Ianto joined the group. He knew from previous phone calls the Alchemist made with Jack that there was a large possibility that the team camaraderie between Jack and Ianto was probably more than just camaraderie. That, and the man made very good coffee, and the Doctor normally preferred tea.
"We'll be back as soon as we can," Jack promised, hugging the girls staying.
"Bye, Jack," Gwen smiled.
"At least we know where you're going this time," Tosh joked as she hugged Owen tightly.
"You should've seen him," the Alchemist grinned, eyes lighting up as she backed up towards the TARDIS. "And heard him. He was screaming when he ran towards us."
"Lexi!" Jack groaned in embarrassment as everyone shared a laugh at that.
"And don't get me started on The Year That Never Was," the Alchemist continued.
Jack growled and playfully chased her into the TARDIS, the woman squealing and running inside. The Doctor just laughed as he headed towards the box with Donna, Owen, and Ianto. "We'll bring them back," he promised Gwen and Tosh as they waved. "Good luck with the city."
"And you," Gwen smiled, watching the police box fade away.
"Jack was right," Tosh said as she looked out over Cardiff. "The twenty-first century is when it all changes."
"And Torchwood is ready," Gwen smiled, the two women exchanging determined looks.
***
I am not kidding. This took three days to write because there was so much stuff to put in. Hope you liked it!
"School Reunion" is next for Anna!