Fic: Reign of Scars; 11/15 [PG-13] TW/HL/DW crossover. Fix!it Big Bang
Title: Reign of Scars
Author: aeron_lanart
Beta: idontlikegravy
Artist: idontlikegravy - Art!.
Fandom(s): Highlander/Torchwood/Doctor Who (part of the Mystery Verse, my existing AU)
Characters/pairing: Gwen/Rhys, Siannon O'Niall (OFC) and Richie Ryan, with appearances from lots of other Torchwood and Doctor Who characters (both Classic and New Who).
Rating/Warnings: PG-13/teen. The only warnings are for language and angst, as it is a post Children of Earth story in the Torchwood scheme of things and the outcome of CoE is NOT the thing that's being fixed in this fic. Miracle Day is ignored in this verse. This is the direct sequel to Shattered in Aspect and includes some dialogue from that fic as part of it takes place in the same time period.
Disclaimer: The BBC/RTD own the Torchwood/Who universe and its characters. Panzer/Davis Productions own the Highlander universe and its characters. I own the OCs.
No copyright infringement intended, no profit made. Title and quote from the song of the same name by Pro-Jekt.
Summary: The Torchwood Hub is a hole in the ground, Jack Harkness has fled with no-one any the wiser as to his whereabouts and Gwen is dealing with an unplanned pregnancy. However, while she still stands, there's a chance Torchwood could rise from the ashes of its destruction even though the road ahead is hidden in the shadows. This is the story of what happened to Torchwood in this verse during the 6 months at the end of Children of Earth, after the 456 and the destruction of The Hub, while Jack and Methos were wandering the world.
A/N:
Written for Fix-it Big Bang fixitstory. Please go here to see the lovely art.
Can also be read at AO3.
~ 10 ~
*
Chaos erupted around them but Siannon ignored it, her attention was all on Gwen even as she cursed the fact that her medical bag, and more importantly the Bekaran scanner it concealed, was inside the van.
"Gwen. Gwen. I need to check you over. Come on now, let me see." Gwen slowly loosened from her tight curl. "Yes, that's it." Siannon kept her voice pitched low and steady, a point of calm on which Gwen could focus. "Deep breaths now. That's good, that's good." There was a soft thump beside her and Siannon glanced aside as the Bekaran scanner was thrust into her hand by Lois. She breathed a sigh of relief and switched it on. The quiet beeps of the scanner seemed eerily loud but the initial scan did not reveal anything life threatening for either mother or baby; it needed to be reset for a more in depth scan but that would have to wait. Siannon glanced up to find Gwen white and wild-eyed, chewing at her bottom lip.
"So far so good," Siannon said. "We need to get you back to base for a more thorough scan."
"Ok. What about…"
"I think we can let Johnson and Simon worry about everything else. Lois is going to drive us back, then she can return to assist with clean up. Think you can stand?"
"I can bloody well try," Gwen said and gave Siannon a shaky but determined looking smile. Siannon nodded and offered Gwen her arm, but said nothing else.
Lois drove them back like she was channelling The Stig but all Siannon could feel was relief that the journey was over quickly.
As soon as she'd managed to get Gwen safely ensconced in the med bay, Siannon sent Lois back to the others with the van. While most of her reasons for that were altruistic - Johnson and Simon would need the help with clean up, she was sure - there was a part of her that just wanted to get everyone else out of the way of any potential explosion that resulted from the results of Gwen's scans. So far, the baby seemed to be fine.
"You do know we're going to have to tell Rhys about this," Siannon said as she passed the Bekaran scanner over the swell of Gwen's exposed belly.
"If the baby is OK I don't see why…"
"Oh for fuck's sake, Gwen. Your hip is black and blue from where you hit the floor, your elbow isn't much better and as for where tango-alien hit you… put it this way, Rhys is going to know you were knocked down as soon as he looks at you. He'll be worried sick anyway, but imagine what he'll be like if he's kept in the dark. Think, Gwen! This isn't just about you and him any more."
Siannon frowned down at Gwen, who bit her lip and closed her eyes, seeming to shrink down into herself as the defiance left her expression. It was almost enough to make Siannon feel guilty for yelling at her. Almost. She sighed.
"The baby?" Gwen asked, her voice slightly unsteady. Siannon glanced at the scanner, before resetting it for another pass.
"Seems to be fighting fit. A little shaken up I think, but I'm sure you could tell that by the amount of movement. You've both been lucky this time; next time you might not be."
"There won't be a next time." The unsteadiness in Gwen's voice sounded like it had firmed into determination.
"You're right, there won't be a next time. I'm going to make sure of that, but probably not in the way you think," Siannon said as she glared at Gwen.
"What?!" Gwen tried to sit up, but Siannon pushed her back down again so she could complete the scan. She probably hadn't been as gentle as she should have been, but she had made sure she wasn't actually near any of Gwen's bruises as she pressed her back onto the examination bed.
"You're going on desk duty as of today," she announced.
"I can't!" There was another attempt to sit up, though Siannon was ready for it with a restraining hand and Gwen barely managed to move her shoulders off the bed.
"You can and you will, and no amount of arguing is going to get me to change my mind; I'm the Torchwood medical officer and I'm making the decision in the best interest of everyone's health. None of us would want to deal with the aftermath of what could have happened today. Anyway, we've been training Lois up for just this point in time, so we'll be fine. If you so much as breathe in the direction of a weevil or anything else without me granting permission, I'll tie you to your fucking chair. Got that?"
Gwen gave Siannon a decidedly non-committal sounding grunt and avoided eye contact.
"I mean it, Gwen. I won't back down, so don't even think about trying whatever deviousness is going through your head. I won't have it, and you'd regret trying, I can guarantee that."
"I wasn't…"
"Oh don’t give me that fucking crap, I know you too well. You do realise you aren't going to be able to wrap me round your little finger like you do with Rhys, don't you? Just accept your new physical limitations for what they are: a sign that your baby needs you more now, in order to prepare for the shock of the outside world. It's not just you and Rhys who want the baby to be OK, we all do, and we're more than happy to compensate for any physical stuff you can't do to make sure it stays that way."
"When you put it like that… Maybe you're right."
"I know I am." Siannon waved the Bekaran scanner at Gwen in lieu of stating the obvious. Gwen glared at her.
"Hmph."
Siannon finished the scan with no further interruptions from Gwen, for which she was very grateful because as her immediate worries were reassured, Siannon had been getting more exasperated with Gwen, which wasn't entirely a surprise. She didn't think Gwen realised just how thankful she was when the Bekaran scanner showed that there had been no damage to the baby, or major damage to mum. Gwen was resilient, the bruises and contusions would heal, but her baby was a living embodiment of new beginnings for them all. As she put the Bekaran scanner away, her eyes caught on the ultrasound machine in the corner. For everyday use, the Bekaran scanner was far superior to anything else she had at her disposal, but it required a certain degree of skill to interpret the images it showed. An ultrasound, with its more familiar images and hard copy that could be kept, might be a very good idea. She turned back towards Gwen, who was sitting on the edge of the examination couch, putting herself back together.
"I was thinking I could use this fancy new machine in the corner for a change, and do a good, old fashioned ultrasound scan while everyone is out. We could even invite Rhys over so he can see for himself that baby is fine; it would probably be a hell of a lot more reassuring than having me wave the Bekaran scanner in his face and waffling medical jargon at him. What do you think?"
When Gwen turned to face Siannon, her eyes were huge in her face and her smile only marginally less so.
"Yeah. That's... Yeah, I think he'd love to. I know I would."
"Then that's settled. Give him a call and I'll make sure the others know to take their time getting back here." Siannon made her way to the door, intending to give Gwen some privacy for her phone call to Rhys. She'd only just reached out to grab the handle when there was the sound of Gwen clearing her throat behind her. Siannon didn't turn around.
"Siannon?" Gwen asked, she sounded almost hesitant. Siannon looked over her shoulder; Gwen was still perched on the examination couch, her legs swinging like a child's.
"Yeah?"
"I just… Oh hell. You know I… What I mean is… Thanks. I know I'm not easy to deal with at times, but I do appreciate what you do." The smile she gave Siannon was gentle, genuine and full of hope. Siannon returned it kind.
"You're welcome," she replied, and let herself out of the med bay, careful to make sure that Gwen didn't see or hear the huge sigh of relief she gave as she closed the door. Disaster of Cooper proportions averted yet again, which was something Siannon knew would be happening with greater regularity now that Gwen was desk bound, but for all that it was a headache, it was something she wouldn't change for the world.
It was obvious that the scan had been a good idea when both Gwen and Rhys left the Torchwood base wreathed in smiles. Rhys had displayed exactly the sort of protective behaviour she had expected, but Gwen had surprised her by being the very soul of tact and diplomacy as she mentioned that a warm bath and a massage would do both mother and baby the world of good. It seemed she'd had enough of confrontation for the day, for which Siannon was truly thankful; not just for herself, but for all their sakes.
Once Gwen and Rhys had left she straightened up the med bay, a delaying tactic to be sure, but she was in a cheerful, if somewhat twisted mood, and she felt like leaving the others to stew for a short while. When she finally did emerge, she was confronted by a barrage of stares.
"That appeared to go more smoothly than expected," Johnson said. It wasn't a question - quite - but Johnson was still fishing for an answer.
"Oh?" Siannon queried with false innocence; two could play at that game after all and she'd had centuries of practice.
Johnson frowned. "Well, they were both standing and had not obviously suffered any further damage when they left," she added.
"And smiling, don't forget the smiling," Lois said with a grin of her own.
"Which could lead us to assume it went well," concluded Simon. "If we were in the habit of assuming anything, that is. Which we aren't."
"Not a bad habit to have round here, but yeah, mum, dad and baby are all fine. I even have the evidence to prove it." She carefully waved a print out of the ultrasound scan just out of everyone's sight and reach. "However, there is one thing we need to discuss first; something that heralds a major change in Torchwood policy, starting today."
There were varying noises of polite enquiry from Johnson, Simon and Lois. Siannon gave them a smile as she joined them at the table and placed the printout of the scan in the centre. She gave them a few seconds to have a look and then leaned back in her chair so she could see them all easily.
"As from today, Gwen is on non-active duty."
"That's a relief," Lois said. Siannon knew she'd been quite worried about Gwen, more than she had actually admitted to the others, and Lois had approached her as the best source of information.
Siannon smiled to herself; her next pearl of wisdom was very much relevant to Lois.
"Gwen being deskbound means that you, Lois, will now take up your position as a fully fledged member of the Torchwood team," she said.
Lois let out an odd, undignified sort of sound that wavered somewhere between a strangled whoop of joy and a squeal of not-quite fright.
"You're sure I'm ready? I mean I… Me! I was just a bloody PA!"
"I'm sure. You've been a damn sight more than 'just a bloody PA' since you first came into contact with Torchwood. You put your life on the line for us," Siannon said. She meant every word; she'd heard from Gwen just what Lois had done during the 456 fiasco and couldn't help but admire her for it.
"Not to mention that you've worked hard towards this, Lois; in fact we all have," Johnson said. She narrowed her eyes slightly and frowned at Lois before she continued. "There is one thing, though…"
"Only one?" Lois asked, she looked like she was trying not to smile.
Johnson nodded. "At present. I'll inform you if any more come to my attention."
"And?" Lois prompted.
"You're going to have to remember to carry your gun. We didn't put all that work into making sure you could use it just for you not to carry it. Feeling guilty for being a good shot is no excuse."
Siannon bit back a laugh. "Johnson, stop being so bloody intimidating. This calls for a celebration," she said.
"Not going to argue with that," Simon agreed.
"I'll even buy the first round," Siannon added.
"Don't go overboard!" Lois said, the grin on her face proof that she'd given up on trying to hold it back.
"You're worth it. After today I think we could all use an excuse to celebrate being alive," Simon commented. "Johnson, you can think of it as a team-building exercise if you want, but you're going with us. No arguing."
They all dissolved into laughter, Johnson included. As ever, Siannon couldn't help but be surprised at how much younger Johnson looked when she laughed.
As for the needing an excuse to celebrate being alive, she agreed whole heartedly. It wouldn't just be Lois taking her place in the team that they would be drinking to though, she knew they would raise a glass in thanks to whatever entity wanted to take responsibility for it that nothing worse had happened to Gwen or the baby, even if they didn't admit to such aloud. Their struggle to become Torchwood in truth and not just in name was in big part due to Gwen and her dogged refusal to give up; a bit of Welsh stubbornness had come in very handy at times.
As their laughter quieted, Siannon raised her head to be confronted by Johnson's penetrating gaze. Johnson gave her a small nod of acknowledgement that informed Siannon that Johnson at least knew full well what had potentially been at risk and was not afraid to admit it; Torchwood wasn't the only thing that was attempting to rise like a phoenix from the ashes of its previous self after all.
*
Chapter Eleven
Author: aeron_lanart
Beta: idontlikegravy
Artist: idontlikegravy - Art!.
Fandom(s): Highlander/Torchwood/Doctor Who (part of the Mystery Verse, my existing AU)
Characters/pairing: Gwen/Rhys, Siannon O'Niall (OFC) and Richie Ryan, with appearances from lots of other Torchwood and Doctor Who characters (both Classic and New Who).
Rating/Warnings: PG-13/teen. The only warnings are for language and angst, as it is a post Children of Earth story in the Torchwood scheme of things and the outcome of CoE is NOT the thing that's being fixed in this fic. Miracle Day is ignored in this verse. This is the direct sequel to Shattered in Aspect and includes some dialogue from that fic as part of it takes place in the same time period.
Disclaimer: The BBC/RTD own the Torchwood/Who universe and its characters. Panzer/Davis Productions own the Highlander universe and its characters. I own the OCs.
No copyright infringement intended, no profit made. Title and quote from the song of the same name by Pro-Jekt.
Summary: The Torchwood Hub is a hole in the ground, Jack Harkness has fled with no-one any the wiser as to his whereabouts and Gwen is dealing with an unplanned pregnancy. However, while she still stands, there's a chance Torchwood could rise from the ashes of its destruction even though the road ahead is hidden in the shadows. This is the story of what happened to Torchwood in this verse during the 6 months at the end of Children of Earth, after the 456 and the destruction of The Hub, while Jack and Methos were wandering the world.
A/N:
Written for Fix-it Big Bang fixitstory. Please go here to see the lovely art.
Can also be read at AO3.
~ 10 ~
*
Chaos erupted around them but Siannon ignored it, her attention was all on Gwen even as she cursed the fact that her medical bag, and more importantly the Bekaran scanner it concealed, was inside the van.
"Gwen. Gwen. I need to check you over. Come on now, let me see." Gwen slowly loosened from her tight curl. "Yes, that's it." Siannon kept her voice pitched low and steady, a point of calm on which Gwen could focus. "Deep breaths now. That's good, that's good." There was a soft thump beside her and Siannon glanced aside as the Bekaran scanner was thrust into her hand by Lois. She breathed a sigh of relief and switched it on. The quiet beeps of the scanner seemed eerily loud but the initial scan did not reveal anything life threatening for either mother or baby; it needed to be reset for a more in depth scan but that would have to wait. Siannon glanced up to find Gwen white and wild-eyed, chewing at her bottom lip.
"So far so good," Siannon said. "We need to get you back to base for a more thorough scan."
"Ok. What about…"
"I think we can let Johnson and Simon worry about everything else. Lois is going to drive us back, then she can return to assist with clean up. Think you can stand?"
"I can bloody well try," Gwen said and gave Siannon a shaky but determined looking smile. Siannon nodded and offered Gwen her arm, but said nothing else.
Lois drove them back like she was channelling The Stig but all Siannon could feel was relief that the journey was over quickly.
As soon as she'd managed to get Gwen safely ensconced in the med bay, Siannon sent Lois back to the others with the van. While most of her reasons for that were altruistic - Johnson and Simon would need the help with clean up, she was sure - there was a part of her that just wanted to get everyone else out of the way of any potential explosion that resulted from the results of Gwen's scans. So far, the baby seemed to be fine.
"You do know we're going to have to tell Rhys about this," Siannon said as she passed the Bekaran scanner over the swell of Gwen's exposed belly.
"If the baby is OK I don't see why…"
"Oh for fuck's sake, Gwen. Your hip is black and blue from where you hit the floor, your elbow isn't much better and as for where tango-alien hit you… put it this way, Rhys is going to know you were knocked down as soon as he looks at you. He'll be worried sick anyway, but imagine what he'll be like if he's kept in the dark. Think, Gwen! This isn't just about you and him any more."
Siannon frowned down at Gwen, who bit her lip and closed her eyes, seeming to shrink down into herself as the defiance left her expression. It was almost enough to make Siannon feel guilty for yelling at her. Almost. She sighed.
"The baby?" Gwen asked, her voice slightly unsteady. Siannon glanced at the scanner, before resetting it for another pass.
"Seems to be fighting fit. A little shaken up I think, but I'm sure you could tell that by the amount of movement. You've both been lucky this time; next time you might not be."
"There won't be a next time." The unsteadiness in Gwen's voice sounded like it had firmed into determination.
"You're right, there won't be a next time. I'm going to make sure of that, but probably not in the way you think," Siannon said as she glared at Gwen.
"What?!" Gwen tried to sit up, but Siannon pushed her back down again so she could complete the scan. She probably hadn't been as gentle as she should have been, but she had made sure she wasn't actually near any of Gwen's bruises as she pressed her back onto the examination bed.
"You're going on desk duty as of today," she announced.
"I can't!" There was another attempt to sit up, though Siannon was ready for it with a restraining hand and Gwen barely managed to move her shoulders off the bed.
"You can and you will, and no amount of arguing is going to get me to change my mind; I'm the Torchwood medical officer and I'm making the decision in the best interest of everyone's health. None of us would want to deal with the aftermath of what could have happened today. Anyway, we've been training Lois up for just this point in time, so we'll be fine. If you so much as breathe in the direction of a weevil or anything else without me granting permission, I'll tie you to your fucking chair. Got that?"
Gwen gave Siannon a decidedly non-committal sounding grunt and avoided eye contact.
"I mean it, Gwen. I won't back down, so don't even think about trying whatever deviousness is going through your head. I won't have it, and you'd regret trying, I can guarantee that."
"I wasn't…"
"Oh don’t give me that fucking crap, I know you too well. You do realise you aren't going to be able to wrap me round your little finger like you do with Rhys, don't you? Just accept your new physical limitations for what they are: a sign that your baby needs you more now, in order to prepare for the shock of the outside world. It's not just you and Rhys who want the baby to be OK, we all do, and we're more than happy to compensate for any physical stuff you can't do to make sure it stays that way."
"When you put it like that… Maybe you're right."
"I know I am." Siannon waved the Bekaran scanner at Gwen in lieu of stating the obvious. Gwen glared at her.
"Hmph."
Siannon finished the scan with no further interruptions from Gwen, for which she was very grateful because as her immediate worries were reassured, Siannon had been getting more exasperated with Gwen, which wasn't entirely a surprise. She didn't think Gwen realised just how thankful she was when the Bekaran scanner showed that there had been no damage to the baby, or major damage to mum. Gwen was resilient, the bruises and contusions would heal, but her baby was a living embodiment of new beginnings for them all. As she put the Bekaran scanner away, her eyes caught on the ultrasound machine in the corner. For everyday use, the Bekaran scanner was far superior to anything else she had at her disposal, but it required a certain degree of skill to interpret the images it showed. An ultrasound, with its more familiar images and hard copy that could be kept, might be a very good idea. She turned back towards Gwen, who was sitting on the edge of the examination couch, putting herself back together.
"I was thinking I could use this fancy new machine in the corner for a change, and do a good, old fashioned ultrasound scan while everyone is out. We could even invite Rhys over so he can see for himself that baby is fine; it would probably be a hell of a lot more reassuring than having me wave the Bekaran scanner in his face and waffling medical jargon at him. What do you think?"
When Gwen turned to face Siannon, her eyes were huge in her face and her smile only marginally less so.
"Yeah. That's... Yeah, I think he'd love to. I know I would."
"Then that's settled. Give him a call and I'll make sure the others know to take their time getting back here." Siannon made her way to the door, intending to give Gwen some privacy for her phone call to Rhys. She'd only just reached out to grab the handle when there was the sound of Gwen clearing her throat behind her. Siannon didn't turn around.
"Siannon?" Gwen asked, she sounded almost hesitant. Siannon looked over her shoulder; Gwen was still perched on the examination couch, her legs swinging like a child's.
"Yeah?"
"I just… Oh hell. You know I… What I mean is… Thanks. I know I'm not easy to deal with at times, but I do appreciate what you do." The smile she gave Siannon was gentle, genuine and full of hope. Siannon returned it kind.
"You're welcome," she replied, and let herself out of the med bay, careful to make sure that Gwen didn't see or hear the huge sigh of relief she gave as she closed the door. Disaster of Cooper proportions averted yet again, which was something Siannon knew would be happening with greater regularity now that Gwen was desk bound, but for all that it was a headache, it was something she wouldn't change for the world.
It was obvious that the scan had been a good idea when both Gwen and Rhys left the Torchwood base wreathed in smiles. Rhys had displayed exactly the sort of protective behaviour she had expected, but Gwen had surprised her by being the very soul of tact and diplomacy as she mentioned that a warm bath and a massage would do both mother and baby the world of good. It seemed she'd had enough of confrontation for the day, for which Siannon was truly thankful; not just for herself, but for all their sakes.
Once Gwen and Rhys had left she straightened up the med bay, a delaying tactic to be sure, but she was in a cheerful, if somewhat twisted mood, and she felt like leaving the others to stew for a short while. When she finally did emerge, she was confronted by a barrage of stares.
"That appeared to go more smoothly than expected," Johnson said. It wasn't a question - quite - but Johnson was still fishing for an answer.
"Oh?" Siannon queried with false innocence; two could play at that game after all and she'd had centuries of practice.
Johnson frowned. "Well, they were both standing and had not obviously suffered any further damage when they left," she added.
"And smiling, don't forget the smiling," Lois said with a grin of her own.
"Which could lead us to assume it went well," concluded Simon. "If we were in the habit of assuming anything, that is. Which we aren't."
"Not a bad habit to have round here, but yeah, mum, dad and baby are all fine. I even have the evidence to prove it." She carefully waved a print out of the ultrasound scan just out of everyone's sight and reach. "However, there is one thing we need to discuss first; something that heralds a major change in Torchwood policy, starting today."
There were varying noises of polite enquiry from Johnson, Simon and Lois. Siannon gave them a smile as she joined them at the table and placed the printout of the scan in the centre. She gave them a few seconds to have a look and then leaned back in her chair so she could see them all easily.
"As from today, Gwen is on non-active duty."
"That's a relief," Lois said. Siannon knew she'd been quite worried about Gwen, more than she had actually admitted to the others, and Lois had approached her as the best source of information.
Siannon smiled to herself; her next pearl of wisdom was very much relevant to Lois.
"Gwen being deskbound means that you, Lois, will now take up your position as a fully fledged member of the Torchwood team," she said.
Lois let out an odd, undignified sort of sound that wavered somewhere between a strangled whoop of joy and a squeal of not-quite fright.
"You're sure I'm ready? I mean I… Me! I was just a bloody PA!"
"I'm sure. You've been a damn sight more than 'just a bloody PA' since you first came into contact with Torchwood. You put your life on the line for us," Siannon said. She meant every word; she'd heard from Gwen just what Lois had done during the 456 fiasco and couldn't help but admire her for it.
"Not to mention that you've worked hard towards this, Lois; in fact we all have," Johnson said. She narrowed her eyes slightly and frowned at Lois before she continued. "There is one thing, though…"
"Only one?" Lois asked, she looked like she was trying not to smile.
Johnson nodded. "At present. I'll inform you if any more come to my attention."
"And?" Lois prompted.
"You're going to have to remember to carry your gun. We didn't put all that work into making sure you could use it just for you not to carry it. Feeling guilty for being a good shot is no excuse."
Siannon bit back a laugh. "Johnson, stop being so bloody intimidating. This calls for a celebration," she said.
"Not going to argue with that," Simon agreed.
"I'll even buy the first round," Siannon added.
"Don't go overboard!" Lois said, the grin on her face proof that she'd given up on trying to hold it back.
"You're worth it. After today I think we could all use an excuse to celebrate being alive," Simon commented. "Johnson, you can think of it as a team-building exercise if you want, but you're going with us. No arguing."
They all dissolved into laughter, Johnson included. As ever, Siannon couldn't help but be surprised at how much younger Johnson looked when she laughed.
As for the needing an excuse to celebrate being alive, she agreed whole heartedly. It wouldn't just be Lois taking her place in the team that they would be drinking to though, she knew they would raise a glass in thanks to whatever entity wanted to take responsibility for it that nothing worse had happened to Gwen or the baby, even if they didn't admit to such aloud. Their struggle to become Torchwood in truth and not just in name was in big part due to Gwen and her dogged refusal to give up; a bit of Welsh stubbornness had come in very handy at times.
As their laughter quieted, Siannon raised her head to be confronted by Johnson's penetrating gaze. Johnson gave her a small nod of acknowledgement that informed Siannon that Johnson at least knew full well what had potentially been at risk and was not afraid to admit it; Torchwood wasn't the only thing that was attempting to rise like a phoenix from the ashes of its previous self after all.
*
Chapter Eleven