Fic: Reign of Scars; 2/15 [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.
~*~
~ Six Months Earlier ~
*
~ Chapter 1 ~
If I could, then I would change everything, Everything.
*
The most nauseating thing about being close to the crater that had been the centre of the Hub was not the faint miasma of smoke and death that clung to the tumbled concrete and twisted metal bones of a place that had been almost alive, it was the stench of shattered lives and broken dreams. Siannon didn’t dare to breathe any deeper for fear she would lose her breakfast and if it affected her like this, she shuddered to think how much worse it must be for Gwen. She glanced aside; Gwen had her arms wrapped around herself, one hand hovering protectively over her still-flat stomach, her face streaked with tears and dust and pain. She raised her head and returned Siannon’s gaze.
"After we lost Tosh and Owen, He said ‘the End is where we start from.’ I have no idea how to start anything from this," Gwen said as she nodded at the crater in front of them. "Where do I go from here, Siannon? The rift isn’t going to stop spitting things out just because Torchwood isn’t here any more to keep it in check. What’s going to happen to Cardiff and what the hell can I do about it on my own?" She wiped a hand across her face, smearing the dirt and the tears even more. Siannon bit her lip, too many emotions and echoes of past conversations roiled inside of her for her to immediately say anything but she did step closer to Gwen and wrap an arm around her. As Gwen leaned into her and took another shuddering breath, Siannon made her decision.
"Who said Torchwood isn’t here anymore? I can see it right in front of me."
"A pregnant woman and a hole in the ground… very impressive, isn’t it?"
"Actually, I see a pregnant woman, an immortal and a hole in the ground. What do you think of that?"
"What do I...?" Gwen tilted her head away from Siannon’s shoulder and narrowed her eyes as she stared. Siannon shrugged ingeniously. "Are you offering what I think you’re offering?" Gwen asked.
"To become part of Torchwood? Yes."
"Why?" That was a challenge as much as a question, and Siannon treated it as such, giving Gwen’s shoulder a squeeze while she stared unseeing out over the wreckage.
"I made a promise, Gwen. Ianto might not be here to remind me of it, but I can’t think of a more obvious reminder than that," Siannon indicated the tumbled mess at their feet. "If you’ll accept it, I’ll make you a promise too. You aren’t alone, Gwen; you have Rhys and the baby outside of all this to think about. I can promise to be here for Torchwood as long as you need me."
"But you didn’t want…"
"No, you’re right, I didn’t. But that was then, this is now. Underneath the veneer of civility, all immortals are warriors and this is one battle I can’t turn away from and still live with myself. I owe it to you, to Owen and Tosh and Ianto and most of all to that baby you’re carrying. You became my family while I wasn’t looking." It was always the same; mortals had a habit of sneaking themselves into immortal lives until it was unthinkable to do without them. Gaining her Torchwood family had been an unexpected thing of the highest order but family they were, no matter that they’d been shattered by recent events, and she had to do her best to protect what was left.
"What about Jack - and Adam?"
"Right now they only need each other. There’s nothing we can do for them. Later… well, if Jack decides to come back to Torchwood the least we can do is make sure there’s one here for him. It’s what Ianto would want too."
"Yeah, it is." They shared a sad smile before Siannon removed her arm and stepped away from Gwen. Her hand was grabbed unexpectedly by Gwen and subjected to a firm handshake. Siannon raised an eyebrow in query. "Welcome to Torchwood, Siannon O’Niall," Gwen said with the hint of her old grin. "I’m sure we’ll find your - ah - experience very useful."
"I’m sure you will. So what do you have planned for me, boss?"
"Medic? Having a doctor who could use a gun was useful. Having an immortal medic who can use a gun and a sword should be even more useful. That’s if you don’t mind? I know you and Owen…"
"No, it’s a good idea. I was due for a career change soon anyway; when you don’t age you can’t stay too long in one place. Torchwood kind of removes that problem, doesn’t it?"
"Kind of," Gwen agreed. Siannon watched as Gwen took a deep breath and straightened, turning her back on the destruction of the Plas; she had an inner strength that had to be admired. Like Ianto had been, she was Torchwood to her very soul, even if she didn’t realise it and Siannon couldn’t help but be somewhat in awe of that; it was a long time since something rather than someone had meant that much to her. "So," Gwen said with what sounded like forced brightness, "Do you want to come round for dinner? Rhys is cooking."
"Now that is an offer I won’t refuse." Siannon accepted the offer in the spirit in which it had been made. Jack had had a point - the end was where you had to start from - but it was easier to make that start if you weren’t doing it alone and as she walked away from what used to be Torchwood arm in arm with the woman who would make it rise like a phoenix from the ashes given half a chance, she decided that she would do everything in her power to ensure that Gwen had that chance.
Dinner was a wonderful slice of normalcy thanks to Rhys and as the conversation devolved into discussions of where and who and when and how he made dishes vanish and post-it pads and pens appear as if by magic. For a heart-wrenching moment he reminded Siannon of Ianto but he wasn’t and never would be; he was himself and that was fine. By the time Siannon finally left, leaving Gwen drowsing on the couch, she had a folder full of lists and the first steps on her new path laid out before her. What would happen after she took those first steps was anybody’s guess but at least she had somewhere to start. Rhys accompanied her to the door of the flat.
"You could stay you know, Gwen would like that." Siannon noticed he said nothing about how he felt about it. She patted his arm.
"Thanks for the offer, Rhys, but I’ll have to turn it down. Maybe another time." She tried not to smile at his obvious relief; he was a good man. She was about to step through the door when a hand on her shoulder stopped her. She turned back toward Rhys with a raised eyebrow.
"I need to say thank you while I still mean it," he said in explanation. "Gwen’s been lost, defeated almost, and there’s been nothing I could do about it. You’ve given her new hope, a new direction and while I’d rather she just walked away from Torchwood once and for all I think we both know that will never happen."
"I don’t think she’d know how to walk away even if someone showed her the way, not at the moment at least. I appreciate what you’re saying Rhys and I promise I’ll keep as much of an eye on her as she’ll let me. You know Gwen."
"Yeah, I do."
Siannon didn’t say goodbye, just patted Rhys’ arm again before she turned once more and walked down the hall away from the still open door. She heard it close with a snick before she’d reached the stairs. She was with Rhys on this one - she doubted he’d be thanking her much in the future.
*
It was some days later when Siannon stood near the crater on the Plas at Gwen's shoulder listening to her explaining very carefully and forthrightly just why UNIT had no right to remove anything found in the wreckage without consulting her first. To Siannon's ears she sounded like she finally, truly believed what she was saying when she told the guard that in the absence of Captain Harkness she was the acting head of Torchwood Three and as such had the final say on how the wreckage of her base was dealt with. The guard looked nervous, which was gratifying in and of itself, and appeared to be more than happy to pass them along to his superiors.
"I think you frightened him," Siannon commented to Gwen as they were let into the site HQ, a grand name for the series of portakabins nearby.
"Good," murmured Gwen in reply. "It's about time we made them realise that we still mean business. They've had a free rein for too long over our property." Their escort indicated they should wait outside another door while he ducked inside; the door was left open so he could be heard doing nothing more sinister than informing his superior that they'd arrived. He came back out of the door with a relieved look on his face.
"The Brigadier will see you now," he said as he passed them on his way back out. Siannon went through the door first, standing to one side as Gwen entered behind her, then closing the door as Gwen approached the desk. Only then did Siannon pay specific attention to the person behind the desk. The Brigadier was not the older army man she'd been expecting, but a woman with afro-Caribbean blood and while she wasn't exactly young any more, she was no elder stateswoman either; Siannon could tell she very definitely still regarded herself as a warrior.
"I'm Brigadier Winifred Bambera," she announced, leaning over the desk to shake their hands. "I'm overseeing this operation - and subduing some of the more enthusiastic salvage attempts. Anything we have found so far remains intact, awaiting clearance from yourselves before it is taken elsewhere."
"Doesn't sound like UNIT's normal attitude to Torchwood property," Gwen said.
"It just so happens that I'm not exactly your normal sort of UNIT officer. Plus my orders are from a higher authority than the military - one that has Torchwood's interests at heart. You are to have our assistance as long as you require it, and where you require it. I am here to ensure that order is obeyed. So far most of what we've done has been to make the area as safe as possible, which should enable you ladies to access it to conduct your own searches without undue risk to yourselves."
"That's... reassuring."
"Shall we go?" They both followed brigadier Bambera out of her office, Siannon once again half a step behind and to one side of Gwen; she knew the military types would not miss the implications of the position and that was the way she wanted it.
On approaching the crater more closely, Siannon forced herself to look at it more clinically, to take a step back from the pain that was still - and probably would be for a while - her first reaction to the sight of it. To her eyes, there was little that could be done with what was left of the main hub area beyond stabilising it and hopefully preserving what might be left of the more distant parts. One thing was certain, the city powers were going to want the huge hole in the ground filled in as soon as possible and there was precious little that Torchwood could do about that though it would be her job to ensure that what could be done was done while Gwen talked the authorities into running in circles. Siannon had a feeling that brigadier Bambera would be happy to offer some covert help and decided to look into her background as soon as possible; she'd not been lying when she identified herself as 'not exactly your normal sort of UNIT officer' and Siannon wanted to know why.
There was little to be seen or salvaged on that day, but Gwen decided that one of them would pay a daily visit, no matter what, to ensure that nothing was missed despite Bambera's apparent vigilance. That meant that Siannon's other priority - finding Torchwood Cardiff a new home - had now become even more important. She found herself smiling as she walked away from the wreck of the old Hub beside Gwen; the world had better watch out as with two determined women behind it, Torchwood Three would rise again and despite the pain and the sorrow behind the determination, she found herself looking forward to it. This was going to be her life for the foreseeable future and she'd be damned if she wasn't going to make it count.
The next day, while Gwen was down at the Hub site with Brigadier Bambera, Siannon endeavoured to put her own affairs into order; she couldn't concentrate on Torchwood if she still had loose ends untied in her previous life. The job wasn't an issue so much - the school was still in uproar after the whole 456 debacle and wouldn't question her resignation and the lack of notice given - but her home in Cumbria was a different matter; it was a place that had to be lived in and she hadn't had the time to find herself a trustworthy caretaker, or to pack that part of her life away until she needed it again. However, she had a network of long-lived and honourable friends who she knew would help out if they could, especially with the added incentive of living on Holy Ground and she had one particular person in mind who would not only make a good caretaker for her home, but would also be a useful extra resource for Torchwood. She was smiling as she dialled the number, pleased when it was picked up almost immediately.
"Rich, I don't suppose you'd be interested in repaying that favour, would you?" Her smile widened at the enthusiastic response. Once again Richard Ryan had proved she could rely on him whenever she needed him. Now she could face forward, giving Torchwood all her attention without worrying about what would sneak up on her from her old life and bite her on the arse; Rich would watch her back, even if it was only metaphorically and that was probably the most reassuring thing about the whole damn situation.
*
The fractured structure of their days continued, but they accomplished enough that Siannon began to feel like they were getting somewhere. She’d found a place near Gwen’s flat to rent so that travelling to the Bay together was the sensible thing to do but at least she wasn’t under Gwen and Rhys' feet constantly. It did mean that Torchwood was essentially run from her lounge, but she'd lived with worse situations and no doubt would again. The dedicated Torchwood mainline number was diverted to a Torchwood mobile, which they took in turns to keep with them, saving at least part of Rhys' sanity. In return he helped out as much as he felt he could.
*
Chapter 2
A/N:2
Fans of Classic Who will recognise Brigadier Winifred Bambera from the Seventh Doctor story, Battlefield. Her partner in crime, Ancelyn, will also be turning up later in the story. While I hope I have treated the characters with the respect they deserve (I love Bambera and Ancelyn), I have been less respectful of the original timeline of Battlefield (it was supposed to be in the near future) and outright ignored that, and certain other pieces of information given with regards to its place in 'modern' history.
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.
~*~
~ Six Months Earlier ~
*
~ Chapter 1 ~
If I could, then I would change everything, Everything.
*
The most nauseating thing about being close to the crater that had been the centre of the Hub was not the faint miasma of smoke and death that clung to the tumbled concrete and twisted metal bones of a place that had been almost alive, it was the stench of shattered lives and broken dreams. Siannon didn’t dare to breathe any deeper for fear she would lose her breakfast and if it affected her like this, she shuddered to think how much worse it must be for Gwen. She glanced aside; Gwen had her arms wrapped around herself, one hand hovering protectively over her still-flat stomach, her face streaked with tears and dust and pain. She raised her head and returned Siannon’s gaze.
"After we lost Tosh and Owen, He said ‘the End is where we start from.’ I have no idea how to start anything from this," Gwen said as she nodded at the crater in front of them. "Where do I go from here, Siannon? The rift isn’t going to stop spitting things out just because Torchwood isn’t here any more to keep it in check. What’s going to happen to Cardiff and what the hell can I do about it on my own?" She wiped a hand across her face, smearing the dirt and the tears even more. Siannon bit her lip, too many emotions and echoes of past conversations roiled inside of her for her to immediately say anything but she did step closer to Gwen and wrap an arm around her. As Gwen leaned into her and took another shuddering breath, Siannon made her decision.
"Who said Torchwood isn’t here anymore? I can see it right in front of me."
"A pregnant woman and a hole in the ground… very impressive, isn’t it?"
"Actually, I see a pregnant woman, an immortal and a hole in the ground. What do you think of that?"
"What do I...?" Gwen tilted her head away from Siannon’s shoulder and narrowed her eyes as she stared. Siannon shrugged ingeniously. "Are you offering what I think you’re offering?" Gwen asked.
"To become part of Torchwood? Yes."
"Why?" That was a challenge as much as a question, and Siannon treated it as such, giving Gwen’s shoulder a squeeze while she stared unseeing out over the wreckage.
"I made a promise, Gwen. Ianto might not be here to remind me of it, but I can’t think of a more obvious reminder than that," Siannon indicated the tumbled mess at their feet. "If you’ll accept it, I’ll make you a promise too. You aren’t alone, Gwen; you have Rhys and the baby outside of all this to think about. I can promise to be here for Torchwood as long as you need me."
"But you didn’t want…"
"No, you’re right, I didn’t. But that was then, this is now. Underneath the veneer of civility, all immortals are warriors and this is one battle I can’t turn away from and still live with myself. I owe it to you, to Owen and Tosh and Ianto and most of all to that baby you’re carrying. You became my family while I wasn’t looking." It was always the same; mortals had a habit of sneaking themselves into immortal lives until it was unthinkable to do without them. Gaining her Torchwood family had been an unexpected thing of the highest order but family they were, no matter that they’d been shattered by recent events, and she had to do her best to protect what was left.
"What about Jack - and Adam?"
"Right now they only need each other. There’s nothing we can do for them. Later… well, if Jack decides to come back to Torchwood the least we can do is make sure there’s one here for him. It’s what Ianto would want too."
"Yeah, it is." They shared a sad smile before Siannon removed her arm and stepped away from Gwen. Her hand was grabbed unexpectedly by Gwen and subjected to a firm handshake. Siannon raised an eyebrow in query. "Welcome to Torchwood, Siannon O’Niall," Gwen said with the hint of her old grin. "I’m sure we’ll find your - ah - experience very useful."
"I’m sure you will. So what do you have planned for me, boss?"
"Medic? Having a doctor who could use a gun was useful. Having an immortal medic who can use a gun and a sword should be even more useful. That’s if you don’t mind? I know you and Owen…"
"No, it’s a good idea. I was due for a career change soon anyway; when you don’t age you can’t stay too long in one place. Torchwood kind of removes that problem, doesn’t it?"
"Kind of," Gwen agreed. Siannon watched as Gwen took a deep breath and straightened, turning her back on the destruction of the Plas; she had an inner strength that had to be admired. Like Ianto had been, she was Torchwood to her very soul, even if she didn’t realise it and Siannon couldn’t help but be somewhat in awe of that; it was a long time since something rather than someone had meant that much to her. "So," Gwen said with what sounded like forced brightness, "Do you want to come round for dinner? Rhys is cooking."
"Now that is an offer I won’t refuse." Siannon accepted the offer in the spirit in which it had been made. Jack had had a point - the end was where you had to start from - but it was easier to make that start if you weren’t doing it alone and as she walked away from what used to be Torchwood arm in arm with the woman who would make it rise like a phoenix from the ashes given half a chance, she decided that she would do everything in her power to ensure that Gwen had that chance.
Dinner was a wonderful slice of normalcy thanks to Rhys and as the conversation devolved into discussions of where and who and when and how he made dishes vanish and post-it pads and pens appear as if by magic. For a heart-wrenching moment he reminded Siannon of Ianto but he wasn’t and never would be; he was himself and that was fine. By the time Siannon finally left, leaving Gwen drowsing on the couch, she had a folder full of lists and the first steps on her new path laid out before her. What would happen after she took those first steps was anybody’s guess but at least she had somewhere to start. Rhys accompanied her to the door of the flat.
"You could stay you know, Gwen would like that." Siannon noticed he said nothing about how he felt about it. She patted his arm.
"Thanks for the offer, Rhys, but I’ll have to turn it down. Maybe another time." She tried not to smile at his obvious relief; he was a good man. She was about to step through the door when a hand on her shoulder stopped her. She turned back toward Rhys with a raised eyebrow.
"I need to say thank you while I still mean it," he said in explanation. "Gwen’s been lost, defeated almost, and there’s been nothing I could do about it. You’ve given her new hope, a new direction and while I’d rather she just walked away from Torchwood once and for all I think we both know that will never happen."
"I don’t think she’d know how to walk away even if someone showed her the way, not at the moment at least. I appreciate what you’re saying Rhys and I promise I’ll keep as much of an eye on her as she’ll let me. You know Gwen."
"Yeah, I do."
Siannon didn’t say goodbye, just patted Rhys’ arm again before she turned once more and walked down the hall away from the still open door. She heard it close with a snick before she’d reached the stairs. She was with Rhys on this one - she doubted he’d be thanking her much in the future.
*
It was some days later when Siannon stood near the crater on the Plas at Gwen's shoulder listening to her explaining very carefully and forthrightly just why UNIT had no right to remove anything found in the wreckage without consulting her first. To Siannon's ears she sounded like she finally, truly believed what she was saying when she told the guard that in the absence of Captain Harkness she was the acting head of Torchwood Three and as such had the final say on how the wreckage of her base was dealt with. The guard looked nervous, which was gratifying in and of itself, and appeared to be more than happy to pass them along to his superiors.
"I think you frightened him," Siannon commented to Gwen as they were let into the site HQ, a grand name for the series of portakabins nearby.
"Good," murmured Gwen in reply. "It's about time we made them realise that we still mean business. They've had a free rein for too long over our property." Their escort indicated they should wait outside another door while he ducked inside; the door was left open so he could be heard doing nothing more sinister than informing his superior that they'd arrived. He came back out of the door with a relieved look on his face.
"The Brigadier will see you now," he said as he passed them on his way back out. Siannon went through the door first, standing to one side as Gwen entered behind her, then closing the door as Gwen approached the desk. Only then did Siannon pay specific attention to the person behind the desk. The Brigadier was not the older army man she'd been expecting, but a woman with afro-Caribbean blood and while she wasn't exactly young any more, she was no elder stateswoman either; Siannon could tell she very definitely still regarded herself as a warrior.
"I'm Brigadier Winifred Bambera," she announced, leaning over the desk to shake their hands. "I'm overseeing this operation - and subduing some of the more enthusiastic salvage attempts. Anything we have found so far remains intact, awaiting clearance from yourselves before it is taken elsewhere."
"Doesn't sound like UNIT's normal attitude to Torchwood property," Gwen said.
"It just so happens that I'm not exactly your normal sort of UNIT officer. Plus my orders are from a higher authority than the military - one that has Torchwood's interests at heart. You are to have our assistance as long as you require it, and where you require it. I am here to ensure that order is obeyed. So far most of what we've done has been to make the area as safe as possible, which should enable you ladies to access it to conduct your own searches without undue risk to yourselves."
"That's... reassuring."
"Shall we go?" They both followed brigadier Bambera out of her office, Siannon once again half a step behind and to one side of Gwen; she knew the military types would not miss the implications of the position and that was the way she wanted it.
On approaching the crater more closely, Siannon forced herself to look at it more clinically, to take a step back from the pain that was still - and probably would be for a while - her first reaction to the sight of it. To her eyes, there was little that could be done with what was left of the main hub area beyond stabilising it and hopefully preserving what might be left of the more distant parts. One thing was certain, the city powers were going to want the huge hole in the ground filled in as soon as possible and there was precious little that Torchwood could do about that though it would be her job to ensure that what could be done was done while Gwen talked the authorities into running in circles. Siannon had a feeling that brigadier Bambera would be happy to offer some covert help and decided to look into her background as soon as possible; she'd not been lying when she identified herself as 'not exactly your normal sort of UNIT officer' and Siannon wanted to know why.
There was little to be seen or salvaged on that day, but Gwen decided that one of them would pay a daily visit, no matter what, to ensure that nothing was missed despite Bambera's apparent vigilance. That meant that Siannon's other priority - finding Torchwood Cardiff a new home - had now become even more important. She found herself smiling as she walked away from the wreck of the old Hub beside Gwen; the world had better watch out as with two determined women behind it, Torchwood Three would rise again and despite the pain and the sorrow behind the determination, she found herself looking forward to it. This was going to be her life for the foreseeable future and she'd be damned if she wasn't going to make it count.
The next day, while Gwen was down at the Hub site with Brigadier Bambera, Siannon endeavoured to put her own affairs into order; she couldn't concentrate on Torchwood if she still had loose ends untied in her previous life. The job wasn't an issue so much - the school was still in uproar after the whole 456 debacle and wouldn't question her resignation and the lack of notice given - but her home in Cumbria was a different matter; it was a place that had to be lived in and she hadn't had the time to find herself a trustworthy caretaker, or to pack that part of her life away until she needed it again. However, she had a network of long-lived and honourable friends who she knew would help out if they could, especially with the added incentive of living on Holy Ground and she had one particular person in mind who would not only make a good caretaker for her home, but would also be a useful extra resource for Torchwood. She was smiling as she dialled the number, pleased when it was picked up almost immediately.
"Rich, I don't suppose you'd be interested in repaying that favour, would you?" Her smile widened at the enthusiastic response. Once again Richard Ryan had proved she could rely on him whenever she needed him. Now she could face forward, giving Torchwood all her attention without worrying about what would sneak up on her from her old life and bite her on the arse; Rich would watch her back, even if it was only metaphorically and that was probably the most reassuring thing about the whole damn situation.
*
The fractured structure of their days continued, but they accomplished enough that Siannon began to feel like they were getting somewhere. She’d found a place near Gwen’s flat to rent so that travelling to the Bay together was the sensible thing to do but at least she wasn’t under Gwen and Rhys' feet constantly. It did mean that Torchwood was essentially run from her lounge, but she'd lived with worse situations and no doubt would again. The dedicated Torchwood mainline number was diverted to a Torchwood mobile, which they took in turns to keep with them, saving at least part of Rhys' sanity. In return he helped out as much as he felt he could.
*
Chapter 2
A/N:2
Fans of Classic Who will recognise Brigadier Winifred Bambera from the Seventh Doctor story, Battlefield. Her partner in crime, Ancelyn, will also be turning up later in the story. While I hope I have treated the characters with the respect they deserve (I love Bambera and Ancelyn), I have been less respectful of the original timeline of Battlefield (it was supposed to be in the near future) and outright ignored that, and certain other pieces of information given with regards to its place in 'modern' history.