Ficathon: The Fury of a Storm, 2/? (gen)
Part two! Hope you're still enjoying. Part one is here.
Rating: Gen
Characters/pairings: All SJA characters, all Torchwood characters. Canon pairings.
Warnings: NA
Spoilers: General for Torchwood: Children of Earth
Ianto slipped out of the sitting room a little later. "Luke's sleeping," he reported. "Or dozing, at least. He looked like he needed it."
Jack nodded. "I'll take him upstairs. Any joy?"
"Every channel is showing the news. Everyone's talking, but no one has any ideas - or if they do, they're keeping them to themselves."
"We need to talk to Frobisher."
"It's late," Ianto said doubtfully.
"Hmm. Tomorrow, then, first thing. Sarah Jane, you should get some sleep."
She shook her head, accepting his hand up. "I'll be in Luke's room tonight. Tell Gwen she can use my room. I assume you're going to let her sleep at some point."
Jack nodded. "I'll bring him up for you."
"Thanks."
Ianto took the empty cups, smiling faintly at her soft 'thank you'. "We'll figure this out, Miss Smith. I know you don't approve, but we really are good at what we do."
"I approve of your intentions, Mr Jones. Just not your methods."
"Ianto, Miss Smith."
"Sarah Jane, Ianto."
Jack came back through, carrying Luke. "Clyde's right, you should get some meat on this boy."
"Hyper efficient metabolism. He eats enough." Sarah Jane followed him up the stairs; Ianto headed back into the kitchen.
Jack came back down a little later, carrying an armload of blankets which he dropped on the couch. "Gwen, Sarah Jane says you can use her room."
"Won't she be using her room?"
"She's going to sit with Luke. Come on, I'll show you."
"I persuaded Rhys to take a couple of days holiday. Get out of Cardiff."
"Good idea."
She studied him, fiddling with her phone. "What's going on, Jack?"
"I don't know yet. We'll figure it out. We always do." He grinned at her. "Get some sleep."
"Back at you."
**
No one slept much. Luke was the last one up, finding everyone gathered in the sitting room again. Jack was hastily packing things up while Gwen paced, talking on the phone, and Ianto wrote quickly on a notepad.
"What's going on?" Luke asked Ianto, who happened to be closest to him.
"We got in touch with someone in Frobisher's office."
"Is that good or bad?"
"Not really sure yet. Go talk to your mum."
He nodded, carefully circling the room to where Sarah Jane was leaning against the wall. "Morning."
"Morning." She pulled him into a hug. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine. What's going on?"
"Torchwood are leaving."
"Why?"
She shook her head. "Jack doesn't want to put us in danger."
"Because we never get in danger on our own?" he pointed out, frowning.
"You don't usually have the government hunting you down. Unless you've got something going on I don't know about," Jack said briskly.
"You're safer here," Sarah Jane said.
"We might be. You're not."
"You said the best chance of figuring out what was happening was here," Luke pointed out. "Where are you going to go? You don't have the Hub any more."
"We'll find somewhere."
"Jack, don't be ridiculous," Sarah Jane said firmly. "Unpack and get back to work."
Jack sighed, looking over his shoulder at Ianto and Gwen. "Well?"
"We are mostly set up here," Ianto said lightly.
"Rhys is coming here - sorry, Sarah Jane," Gwen added. "He won't be staying, I just had to give him somewhere to meet me."
Clyde wandered in, glancing casually around. "Morning."
"Clyde, didn't I tell you to stay away?" Sarah Jane said.
"That was yesterday. Who wants breakfast? I'm guessing you haven't taken time out from saving the world to eat yet?" He snagged Luke's arm, dragging him into the kitchen. "What's going on?" he hissed urgently as soon as they were out of earshot. "I nearly got lost getting here!"
"That's the perception filter. Mum is hoping it'll keep anyone who might be dangerous out." Luke glanced at the door, checking it was closed. "I think the government is trying to kill Torchwood."
"Don't they work for the government?"
"Not really." Luke shrugged, looking around. "Are we going to cook something?"
"I am," Clyde agreed. "I've seen what you can do to food. You don't get to touch."
**
Gwen headed out a little later to meet Rhys and pick up some things they needed. Clyde, and Rani who'd arrived after breakfast and ignored Sarah Jane's hints that they should leave, sat chatting quietly with Luke, pretending they weren't watching Jack and Ianto work. Sarah Jane tried several times to send them up to the attic, but they refused to go. Eventually she gave up and sat with them.
Gwen reappeared an hour or so later, Rhys in tow and eyes flashing. "Jack!"
"Uh oh," Clyde murmured, straightening up. "Retreat?"
"Frobisher ordered you killed!"
"What?" Jack frowned. "Well that's dumb for a lot of reasons. I can't die."
"Also, he needs Torchwood to deal with this," Ianto added.
"Also, he's supposed to be on our side. Where did you get this?"
Gwen dumped her bag and jacket on the couch. "His new PA. She saw the order go out. You and those three UNIT people."
"Hi," Rhys said awkwardly to Sarah Jane.
"Oh, sorry, love. Rhys Williams, Sarah Jane Smith. Her son Luke, his friends Clyde Langer and Rani...sorry," she added to Rani.
"Chandra. It's fine."
"You've got the magical connection?" Rhys said to Luke.
"I'm not sure it's really a connection. It only goes one way."
"Ah well, they say every little helps, yeah?"
Jack, who'd been leaning over Gwen's shoulder as she typed, straightened abruptly. "Kids, why don't you..." He floundered, looking to Sarah Jane for help.
"Not be here?" Clyde said with a sigh. "Come on, guys, let's go upstairs."
Luke glanced at Sarah Jane for her agreement before following him upstairs. Rani scowled at Jack, trailing after them.
"That was subtle," Rhys noted. "What's going on?"
Jack gestured to the computer screen. "We're getting an email from Gwen's new friend Lois."
"They're building something in Thames House," Gwen explained. "She's sending me plans. Does this look like anything to anyone?"
Sarah Jane stepped around Rhys to study the screen. "It's sort of like a tank," she said eventually. "Like a giant fish tank. Why are they building it?"
"The aliens sent instructions," Jack told her.
"If they can do that, why are they talking through the children?"
"Because they can. It incites fear. It demonstrates their power." He shrugged half-heartedly. "They want something, and they want to negotiate from a position of strength, so they're showing us. Do as we say or we will take your children. Look at our power."
"That sounds like the voice of experience talking," Rhys said, leaning over Gwen's other shoulder to look at the plans. "What're the tubes for?"
"Air supply. Or...some kind of supply." Gwen pushed gently until he backed up enough to let her stand. "Jack, why does Frobisher want you dead?"
"I don't know." When Sarah Jane glared at him, he protested, "I don't know."
"What about the UNIT names?"
"I don't know them."
"They were all good officers, according to the Brig," Sarah Jane said. "Good people. He worked with two of them at one time or another."
"Nothing in common?" Jack asked. "Missions they were all on, offices they all worked in?"
"Nothing on the record. Which doesn't always mean anything in UNIT." She sighed, sitting down. "What's the plan, Jack?"
"Until we know more about what they want, there isn't one, I'm afraid. You should probably keep the kids in today."
"You've changed your tune," Ianto said in surprise.
"Johnson's going to be getting anxious, if she's really supposed to take us out of play. No point in giving her targets. Gwen, did you have trouble getting back here?"
"Didn't see any black cars, if that's what you mean. Nearly pulled into the wrong drive, though."
"The keys are working." Sarah Jane nodded. "That's one good thing. Mr Williams, you must be hungry. Lunch time, I think."
"I'll help," Ianto said, mostly drowning out Rhys' "It's Rhys, thank you."
"Thank you. Jack, can I bring the kids back down?" Raising her voice just slightly, she added, "Assuming they aren't sitting on the stairs listening to us, of course."
There was dead silence for a moment, then the muffled sounds of three teenagers trying to sneak away without making any noise.
"They're fine," Jack agreed. "I wasn't sure what the information would have. I want to keep them out as much as I can."
"They've been fighting aliens for a while now," Sarah Jane pointed out.
"Yes. They haven't been fighting their own government."
"Is that where we're going?" she asked very softly.
"I think so," he said just as quietly.
"Well then. Forewarned is forearmed." She rose to her feet. "Ianto, let's see what's left in my kitchen." Leaning out of the door, she added, "Luke, you guys can come down now!"
"What's that?" Clyde called back. "Can't hear you over this video game we're enjoying up here!"
"Stop tying up Mr Smith's processing power!"
"We're not really playing anything," Luke said after a slight pause. "Can we stay up here?"
"If you want, until lunch is ready. Don't talk to Mr Smith! He's working on something for me."
"Yes, mum!"
**
Rani glanced at the boys. Luke was curled on the couch, completely ignoring them - not always unusual, but he wasn't actually doing anything, just staring into space. She looked at Clyde, who shrugged helplessly. Whatever was happening to Luke, they couldn't help with it.
She turned abruptly to the computer, typing rapidly. This was a long shot - the time was all wrong, for one - but it was the only thing she could think of.
"What are you doing?" Clyde asked, watching her.
"Tell you if it works," she murmured. "Just need a minute..."
There. Typing another line, she swung the computer around so Luke could see the screen. "Luke?"
"Hmm."
"Luke."
"Took you long enough." Maria, clearly just woken up, glared at him from the screen. "What kept you?"
"Maria." Luke blinked, uncurling to look at her. "What are you..."
"Rani thought I might like to know what's going on."
"What's going on," he repeated blankly.
"Yeah, kids talking in unison, remember? You do remember what's been happening?"
"Yeah, of course." He shook his head firmly. "Yeah. Sorry. Has it - what's it like over there?"
"Pretty creepy, but it keeps hitting while most of the kids are asleep. We really only got the last one - we are coming back."
"You haven't..."
"No. Too old, aren't we?" She considered the group. "Or not. What's going on?"
"Luke's super alien brain's done it again," Clyde offered when no one spoke.
"What?" Maria eyed all three of them. "Someone start talking. Now."
Between the three of them they explained everything that had happened so far. Alan joined them halfway through, listening intently. "You all right?" he asked when they'd finished. Luke nodded. "How can we help?"
"My mother's worried about three UNIT personnel who were killed yesterday, but she can't find anything out. Can you try?"
"You want me to hack UNIT?"
"It'll help," Clyde agreed.
"It'll land me in prison."
"That's all right, Ianto Jones is brilliant at jail breaks."
"Comforting," he muttered. "Who am I looking for, Luke?"
He listed off the names. "They all worked undercover at different times, so I don't know...but if you can find anything, it'll help."
"Where d'you want me to send the information?" He was already typing on his own computer. Luke rattled off an email address. "Where?"
"A friend of my mum's in UNIT. She trusts him. He'll be able to use whatever you find."
"Are you all right, Luke?" Maria asked, studying him.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Having those things in his head is killing him, but he's fine," Clyde agreed lightly.
"It's not killing me!"
Maria glanced at Rani, who shrugged. "It's not killing him, but it's definitely not much fun."
"I'm fine," Luke said firmly. "Honest."
"Uh huh. You look fine," Maria agreed. "Do I need to send the boys away?"
"Hey!" Clyde and Alan protested in unison. "What about Rani?" Clyde added.
"I'm a girl," Rani said in her best 'well, duh' tone.
Luke smiled faintly. "No. I'm all right. Promise."
Maria nodded. "All right. Call me? If you need to?"
"I will."
She glanced at Rani. "Make sure he calls me if he needs to?"
"He will."
"I'm going to need a little time on this," Alan said absently. "I'll send it to your mum's friend. Let us know if there's anything else we can do."
"Thanks," Clyde said brightly.
"Maria, you should stick with your dad," Luke said absently.
"Okay," she agreed, glancing at Clyde, who nodded quickly. "Listen, call us? I know you're going to be busy, but..."
"We'll keep you in the loop," Rani agreed. "Promise."
**
They pulled together a meal; Sarah Jane noted in passing that she was going to need to shop pretty soon. Hosting four extra people on top of Clyde and Rani was straining her larder.
Luke was quiet during lunch, picking unenthusiastically at his food; Clyde and Rani were covering for him, though, and it wasn't until he actually stopped eating and dropped his head into his hands that anyone really noticed.
"Luke, what's wrong?" Sarah Jane asked. She'd meant it to be quiet, but Gwen noticed and stopped talking in the middle of an anecdote, drawing the others' attention.
"Luke, is it them?" Jack asked. Luke nodded sharply, eyes closed tightly. "Got your wall up?"
"I'm...no..."
"Okay. Clyde, move, please." Clyde scrambled out of his seat and Jack dropped into it, touching Luke's temples. "Okay. Same as last time, a wall."
"What's going on?" Rhys asked softly.
"Jack's helping Luke get them out of his head," Gwen said distractedly.
"Come on, Luke, you remember this. A wall. Come on, you can do it."
Luke stiffened, eyes flying open; his hands came up to knock Jack's away and he scrambled out of his chair, stumbling backwards. "It was you."
"What?" Jack stood and most of the others followed suit.
"Twelve children!"
Jack took a step back, staring at him. Luke was panting, terrified and on the edge of tears. "Luke, I don't know what..."
"1965. It was you, you started this!" He plunged forward, thumping Jack as hard as he could. Clyde took a moment to be glad Luke had never had any interest in martial arts, or indeed learning how to fight at all; his hand-eye coordination and reflexes could have made him deadly, but as it was he was just flailing, missing Jack as often as he hit him. "You did it, you started it, this is all because of you!"
Ianto finally got an arm around him, spinning him away; Luke threw off Clyde's steadying hand, pounding out of the room. Rani chased him.
Jack, who hadn't reacted at all to the hits, sank down to sit on his chair. Ianto dropped to one knee in front of him, touching his arms and hands and face to try and get his attention. "Jack, what is it? What's he talking about?"
"456," Jack murmured.
"What is that? 456, what is it? Jack, come on."
Jack took a breath, closing his eyes. "In 1965 the British government was contacted by an alien race. They used the four five six frequency, so that's what they were called - they never gave us a name. They offered us a medicine, a cure for a new strain of Indonesian Influenza. They said an outbreak was coming and it would decimate the world."
"Twelve children?" Gwen said softly when he paused.
Jack nodded. "In return for the cure, they wanted twelve children. Twelve healthy children between the ages of two and twelve."
"And you handed them over," Sarah Jane said flatly.
"I didn't know. Not until I got to the meeting point. I hadn't been told, on purpose. But - yes. They took twelve children from an orphanage in Scotland and we handed them over, three UNIT personnel and me. The 456 gave us the cure and when the Influenza broke out, it was contained and dealt with. Government scientists confirmed it would have ripped through the world. Killed as much as twenty percent of the population, maybe more." He shrugged, looking up. "They didn't do this last time, use the children this way. They don't need to. They're in contact with the government."
"So what's changed?" Ianto asked.
"I don't know. But if they're back? This is really bad."
**
Rani knocked lightly on Luke's door.
"Go away," Luke said from inside.
"No. Let me in."
There was no answer; she opened the door, looking warily in.
Luke was sitting on the edge of his bed, gripping the edge of his mattress tightly. His eyes were red and swollen, but he wasn't crying anymore. "We are coming tomorrow."
"I'm sorry?"
"The message. 'We are coming tomorrow'. Go away. I don't want to talk right now."
"Who wants to talk?" She eased the door closed, crossing to sit next to him. "Talking's over rated. I'm just going to sit here."
She sat beside him for a while. They could hear voices rising and falling downstairs; Luke sat tense, listening, though she was fairly sure even he couldn't make out the actual words.
After a while she slid her hand across enough that her fingers were just barely brushing his; he didn't react at first, but after a few minutes he moved, wrapping his fingers around hers. Rani waited patiently, and a few minutes after that he sighed, relaxing all at once and resting his head on her shoulder.
"Hi," she said softly.
He breathed out a laugh. "Hi."
"You okay?"
"No. Yes. I'm...yes."
"Once more, with conviction?"
"I'm all right."
"Head hurt?"
"Mmm."
She nodded. "Do you want to lie down?"
"No."
"All right."
Clyde thumped up the stairs, coming in without bothering to knock. "You all right?"
"We are coming tomorrow."
He blinked. "Nice to know. Where are you going?"
"It's the message," Rani said when Luke didn't answer. "Whoever they are, they're coming tomorrow."
"Oh. Yeah, the news said that." He hunkered, watching them. "Captain Harkness figured it out 'cause of what you said. It's a race called..."
"I know who it is," Luke interrupted him.
"Oh?"
He rubbed absently at one temple. "They know I'm here. There's...noise, in here. I can pick bits out of it."
Clyde whistled softly. "Okay, that's new. Think you should tell someone about that?"
"Yeah. I suppose." He didn't move, though; Clyde settled on the floor, leaning against the bed beside them.
"What are they talking about downstairs?" Rani asked.
"1965, I guess. Last time these aliens were here. Sarah Jane keeps sending me to do stuff so I won't hear them."
"Do stuff?"
Clyde nodded, raising his voice by an octave. "Get Jack a glass of water, Clyde. Go and check in with Mr Smith, Clyde - as if I'd know if he'd found anything anyway," he added in his own voice.
"He knows about the 456?" Luke asked.
"Yeah. Don't they have a name?"
"I don't know. If they do I can't see it." He grimaced, flopping backwards across the bed. "I need to go apologise to Captain Harkness."
"Why?" Rani asked. "You didn't hurt him."
"Yeah, it was kind of embarrassing to watch, actually," Clyde agreed. Rani thumped him, grinning, and he stuck his tongue out at her.
"I need them out of my head, and I can't do it. I don't know how."
Clyde leaned on the edge of the bed, knocking lightly on Luke's forehead. "Ten thousand minds in there and you can't do it?"
"None of them know how. This isn't something that happens to normal people."
"I suppose not. I'll go ask him to come up."
"Thanks, Clyde."
"Can I help?" Rani asked quietly.
Luke smiled, shaking his head. "Stay with me?"
" 'Course."
Whatever the adults had been talking about, they stopped when Clyde appeared. "He's all right," he told Sarah Jane, then turned to Jack. "He wants to talk to you."
"If he's going to hit Jack again..." Gwen started, but Clyde shook his head.
"He's over that. He says the 437 whatever have found him. They're poking around his brain, trying to get in, and he doesn't know how to keep them out, not really. He needs you to teach him, quickly."
"All right," Jack agreed, rising to his feet. Ianto and Gwen both tried to follow him; he glared them down, and before they could argue Sarah Jane said firmly, "I'll go with you."
"Clyde," Gwen said, "what message did Luke get?"
"We are coming tomorrow. Same as every other kid in the world." He turned before she could ask anything else, hurrying upstairs on Sarah Jane's heels.
Luke was sitting up, holding onto Rani. Sarah Jane sat next to him and he caught her hand, smiling shakily.
"Clyde says they've found you," Jack said, kneeling in front of him.
"Captain. I shouldn't have..."
"Not the time," he said gently. "Focus."
Luke shook his head jerkily. "Can't. If I concentrate on anything they can see it, they're looking at my thoughts. They're trying to figure out how I'm fighting back. I can't even think about you or they'll see...someone give me something to think about?"
"Count off pi," Rani suggested.
"I don't have to think about pi!"
Jack started him on a complex problem about a ship travelling between two points at a particular speed, going around a disputed area of territory, avoiding the gravity well around a black hole and staying free of an electrical storm. Sarah Jane took over, adding extra hazards and demanding updates on the hypothetical fuel consumption and travel time. Luke relaxed slightly as he ran the calculations, nodding when Jack reached for his temples.
Though Sarah Jane kept going with the problem, Luke's answers slowed and eventually stopped. Rani and Clyde glanced worriedly at each other, but before they could speak Jack shifted back onto his heels, letting go of Luke.
"Jack!" Sarah Jane demanded when neither of them spoke.
"It's all right. We put in - a fake layer. The 456 can poke around all they want in there, they won't find anything important."
"You can't keep them out altogether?"
"If we try and block them fully they'll just keep pushing. Luke's strong but there's a lot more of them. Putting in this fake layer, they think they've beaten him. They'll keep rooting around to make sure he's not hiding anything, but they won't find anything in the layer we've left them and they won't realise there's anything else to see."
"What's it like, mate?" Clyde asked.
"Like I've been slimed. But inside. They're moving around in there. It's weird." He rubbed at the bridge of his nose for a moment. "Thank you, Captain Harkness."
"You're welcome."
"Is this one going to last?" Sarah Jane asked.
"Yeah. This one will stick." Jack ground the heel of his head against his eye. "Luke, you should sleep, if you can."
"Yes, sir," Luke murmured.
Sarah Jane glanced at Clyde, who nodded. "We'll stay with him, Sarah Jane. Go do your thing."
"Thank you."
Sarah Jane let Jack get most of the way back into the sitting room before asking, "Is it really going to hold?"
"It's really going to hold. He's strong enough to hold it up. He just didn't know how to do it. They can huff and puff all they want, that wall isn't coming down."
"Will he still get the messages?"
"I don't know. I think so. We'll find out, I guess."
"Everything all right?" Ianto asked mildly, watching them.
"Everything's fine. Where are we at?"
"Exactly where we were when you went upstairs," Gwen said briskly. "Lois is still sending us what she can, but Frobisher's office is in a holding pattern; they're waiting for this thing in Thames House to be finished. We probably won't know anything else until then."
"No sign of anyone finding us?"
"Nothing on any channel we've been able to monitor."
"Mr Smith hasn't found anything either," Sarah Jane said absently.
"Right." Jack shooed Gwen away from the computer, sitting at it. "If there's nothing going on, Gwen, take Rhys and get out of here for a bit. Get some fresh air."
Sarah Jane vanished into the kitchen for a moment, returning with her own TARDIS key. "Johnson's probably not going to sneak up on us from behind," she said off Jack's look. "The people back there have a big, angry dog. Your key is out front, it'll keep anyone seeing us from that side. Gwen, put this in your pocket and keep Rhys as close to you as you can."
Gwen accepted it, studying it carefully. "What'll it do?"
"It'll make people less inclined to notice you. Just don't draw attention to yourself, you should be fine."
"And don't lose it," Jack added. "Those are a rarity."
"Don't worry too much," Sarah Jane advised her. "They're hard to lose. Don't take it out of your pocket, you'll be fine."
Gwen nodded, slipping it into her pocket. "Thank you. Jack, I'll be back..."
"Tomorrow, unless we call you," Jack said firmly. "Take Rhys, find a nice hotel, relax some. We'll call if anything happens."
Gwen studied him for a moment before turning to Ianto, who smiled. "We'll call if anything happens," he promised.
Finally convinced, she left through the kitchen where Rhys had been hiding out.
The kids came down a little later, staying mostly out of the way of the action. The Torchwood computer had taken over most of the sitting room now, as Gwen and Ianto kept adding extra bits to it. Luke was fascinated, and whenever Ianto had time he explained what they were doing and what each component was for.
That evening Sarah Jane pulled out sleeping bags and camping mattresses and bedded the kids down in Luke's room. Jack didn't ask how she'd persuaded their parents to let them stay, considering what was going on. She passed extra blankets to Jack and Ianto and left them to sleep or not as they wanted. As long as they didn't wake anyone else up, she didn't care.
**
By the next morning tempers were starting to flare; tension and close quarters were taking their toll. Sarah Jane took Clyde and Rani shopping with her, leaving Luke with Jack after threatening him with various dire fates if he let anything happen. Jack took all the threats calmly, accepting them without argument.
Gwen returned a little later, bumping Jack from the computers and typing rapidly. "We may have a breakthrough," she said, pushing back slightly to show him the screen.
"What is that?" Jack asked, frowning.
Ianto got it before Gwen could answer. "That's Lois, isn't it? She's wearing the contacts."
"It's Lois," Gwen agreed. "They're on their way to Thames House. Lois is going to get into the meetings. We have eyes and ears."
"They're contact lenses with an embedded camera," Ianto explained to Luke. "We can see everything she's seeing, and we have lip reading software so we can hear, mostly."
"You're going to spy on secret government meetings?"
"Yeah," Jack said, watching him. "That's the plan."
Luke thought for a minute before smiling. "Cool." Eyeing the screen, he added, "Where are they?"
"Travelling somewhere. I don’t know London." Gwen studied the screen. "Is that Westminister Abbey?"
"St Paul's Cathedral," Ianto murmured.
"Ah. Knew it was one of those."
Luke straightened suddenly, looking past Jack at the wall. "We are here."
"I'm sorry?"
He gestured. "We are here. That's what they - the children are speaking. In that direction."
"Right now?"
Luke nodded, eyes still locked in that direction.
Jack eyed him. "Any problems?"
"No. They can't see me anymore."
They watched Frobisher's party get signed into Thames House. Lois was clearly nervous during the security scans; Gwen tried typing comforting messages, but Lois kept jumping every time one showed up, so she stopped. The room they were shown into was crowded with people and Lois went more or less unnoticed as she slipped around the walls.
"What's the tank for?" Gwen murmured, studying it.
"For the 456," Ianto guessed. "They must need special atmosphere."
They watched Frobisher fumble through the introductions. Lois wrote the 456's answers in shorthand which Ianto translated, but apart from that the group was silent.
Jack glanced at Luke after a few minutes, drawing him to one side. "Can you hear any of that?"
"From the source, you mean?" Luke shook his head. "The wall's holding. I can feel them up there, but I can't hear them anymore." He studied Jack, swallowing. "Do you want me to try?"
"I really don't. Your mother'll kill me." Luke smiled faintly. "But I think we need you to. We have to know if they mean what they're saying or if this is just the opening volley. Are you willing?"
He took a deep breath, nodding. "If you think it'll help."
"It'll help. Do you know how?"
"Yes. I just...I need a minute."
Jack nodded, squeezing his shoulder and going back to the computer. Frobisher was faltering through a question about why the 456 had chosen Britain to visit, clearly uncomfortable. "...why the 456 chose Great Britain as its point of embarkation."
"We came here," Luke murmured. Ianto, frowning, repeated the words from Lois' pad. "You have no significance. You are middle men."
"...middle men. Jack, what's he doing?"
Jack waved him off, drawing Luke back to the computer. "Keep going," he urged the boy. "Gwen, read out what Frobisher's saying."
"We have a request," Luke said.
Gwen blinked, turning back to the computer. "By all means."
"We want a gift."
"Of course. But what nature of gift exactly? Jack, what are we doing?"
"We want..." Luke paled, taking a step back. "Captain..."
"What?" Jack said intently.
"They want children," he whispered.
Jack winced. "We knew they probably would. That's what they wanted last time."
"No, they..." He shuddered. "Last time it was just twelve."
"And this time?" Ianto asked.
"Ten. Ten percent of the children of the world." His voice shook. "They want two hundred million children. And they'll destroy the planet to get them."
Rating: Gen
Characters/pairings: All SJA characters, all Torchwood characters. Canon pairings.
Warnings: NA
Spoilers: General for Torchwood: Children of Earth
Ianto slipped out of the sitting room a little later. "Luke's sleeping," he reported. "Or dozing, at least. He looked like he needed it."
Jack nodded. "I'll take him upstairs. Any joy?"
"Every channel is showing the news. Everyone's talking, but no one has any ideas - or if they do, they're keeping them to themselves."
"We need to talk to Frobisher."
"It's late," Ianto said doubtfully.
"Hmm. Tomorrow, then, first thing. Sarah Jane, you should get some sleep."
She shook her head, accepting his hand up. "I'll be in Luke's room tonight. Tell Gwen she can use my room. I assume you're going to let her sleep at some point."
Jack nodded. "I'll bring him up for you."
"Thanks."
Ianto took the empty cups, smiling faintly at her soft 'thank you'. "We'll figure this out, Miss Smith. I know you don't approve, but we really are good at what we do."
"I approve of your intentions, Mr Jones. Just not your methods."
"Ianto, Miss Smith."
"Sarah Jane, Ianto."
Jack came back through, carrying Luke. "Clyde's right, you should get some meat on this boy."
"Hyper efficient metabolism. He eats enough." Sarah Jane followed him up the stairs; Ianto headed back into the kitchen.
Jack came back down a little later, carrying an armload of blankets which he dropped on the couch. "Gwen, Sarah Jane says you can use her room."
"Won't she be using her room?"
"She's going to sit with Luke. Come on, I'll show you."
"I persuaded Rhys to take a couple of days holiday. Get out of Cardiff."
"Good idea."
She studied him, fiddling with her phone. "What's going on, Jack?"
"I don't know yet. We'll figure it out. We always do." He grinned at her. "Get some sleep."
"Back at you."
**
No one slept much. Luke was the last one up, finding everyone gathered in the sitting room again. Jack was hastily packing things up while Gwen paced, talking on the phone, and Ianto wrote quickly on a notepad.
"What's going on?" Luke asked Ianto, who happened to be closest to him.
"We got in touch with someone in Frobisher's office."
"Is that good or bad?"
"Not really sure yet. Go talk to your mum."
He nodded, carefully circling the room to where Sarah Jane was leaning against the wall. "Morning."
"Morning." She pulled him into a hug. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine. What's going on?"
"Torchwood are leaving."
"Why?"
She shook her head. "Jack doesn't want to put us in danger."
"Because we never get in danger on our own?" he pointed out, frowning.
"You don't usually have the government hunting you down. Unless you've got something going on I don't know about," Jack said briskly.
"You're safer here," Sarah Jane said.
"We might be. You're not."
"You said the best chance of figuring out what was happening was here," Luke pointed out. "Where are you going to go? You don't have the Hub any more."
"We'll find somewhere."
"Jack, don't be ridiculous," Sarah Jane said firmly. "Unpack and get back to work."
Jack sighed, looking over his shoulder at Ianto and Gwen. "Well?"
"We are mostly set up here," Ianto said lightly.
"Rhys is coming here - sorry, Sarah Jane," Gwen added. "He won't be staying, I just had to give him somewhere to meet me."
Clyde wandered in, glancing casually around. "Morning."
"Clyde, didn't I tell you to stay away?" Sarah Jane said.
"That was yesterday. Who wants breakfast? I'm guessing you haven't taken time out from saving the world to eat yet?" He snagged Luke's arm, dragging him into the kitchen. "What's going on?" he hissed urgently as soon as they were out of earshot. "I nearly got lost getting here!"
"That's the perception filter. Mum is hoping it'll keep anyone who might be dangerous out." Luke glanced at the door, checking it was closed. "I think the government is trying to kill Torchwood."
"Don't they work for the government?"
"Not really." Luke shrugged, looking around. "Are we going to cook something?"
"I am," Clyde agreed. "I've seen what you can do to food. You don't get to touch."
**
Gwen headed out a little later to meet Rhys and pick up some things they needed. Clyde, and Rani who'd arrived after breakfast and ignored Sarah Jane's hints that they should leave, sat chatting quietly with Luke, pretending they weren't watching Jack and Ianto work. Sarah Jane tried several times to send them up to the attic, but they refused to go. Eventually she gave up and sat with them.
Gwen reappeared an hour or so later, Rhys in tow and eyes flashing. "Jack!"
"Uh oh," Clyde murmured, straightening up. "Retreat?"
"Frobisher ordered you killed!"
"What?" Jack frowned. "Well that's dumb for a lot of reasons. I can't die."
"Also, he needs Torchwood to deal with this," Ianto added.
"Also, he's supposed to be on our side. Where did you get this?"
Gwen dumped her bag and jacket on the couch. "His new PA. She saw the order go out. You and those three UNIT people."
"Hi," Rhys said awkwardly to Sarah Jane.
"Oh, sorry, love. Rhys Williams, Sarah Jane Smith. Her son Luke, his friends Clyde Langer and Rani...sorry," she added to Rani.
"Chandra. It's fine."
"You've got the magical connection?" Rhys said to Luke.
"I'm not sure it's really a connection. It only goes one way."
"Ah well, they say every little helps, yeah?"
Jack, who'd been leaning over Gwen's shoulder as she typed, straightened abruptly. "Kids, why don't you..." He floundered, looking to Sarah Jane for help.
"Not be here?" Clyde said with a sigh. "Come on, guys, let's go upstairs."
Luke glanced at Sarah Jane for her agreement before following him upstairs. Rani scowled at Jack, trailing after them.
"That was subtle," Rhys noted. "What's going on?"
Jack gestured to the computer screen. "We're getting an email from Gwen's new friend Lois."
"They're building something in Thames House," Gwen explained. "She's sending me plans. Does this look like anything to anyone?"
Sarah Jane stepped around Rhys to study the screen. "It's sort of like a tank," she said eventually. "Like a giant fish tank. Why are they building it?"
"The aliens sent instructions," Jack told her.
"If they can do that, why are they talking through the children?"
"Because they can. It incites fear. It demonstrates their power." He shrugged half-heartedly. "They want something, and they want to negotiate from a position of strength, so they're showing us. Do as we say or we will take your children. Look at our power."
"That sounds like the voice of experience talking," Rhys said, leaning over Gwen's other shoulder to look at the plans. "What're the tubes for?"
"Air supply. Or...some kind of supply." Gwen pushed gently until he backed up enough to let her stand. "Jack, why does Frobisher want you dead?"
"I don't know." When Sarah Jane glared at him, he protested, "I don't know."
"What about the UNIT names?"
"I don't know them."
"They were all good officers, according to the Brig," Sarah Jane said. "Good people. He worked with two of them at one time or another."
"Nothing in common?" Jack asked. "Missions they were all on, offices they all worked in?"
"Nothing on the record. Which doesn't always mean anything in UNIT." She sighed, sitting down. "What's the plan, Jack?"
"Until we know more about what they want, there isn't one, I'm afraid. You should probably keep the kids in today."
"You've changed your tune," Ianto said in surprise.
"Johnson's going to be getting anxious, if she's really supposed to take us out of play. No point in giving her targets. Gwen, did you have trouble getting back here?"
"Didn't see any black cars, if that's what you mean. Nearly pulled into the wrong drive, though."
"The keys are working." Sarah Jane nodded. "That's one good thing. Mr Williams, you must be hungry. Lunch time, I think."
"I'll help," Ianto said, mostly drowning out Rhys' "It's Rhys, thank you."
"Thank you. Jack, can I bring the kids back down?" Raising her voice just slightly, she added, "Assuming they aren't sitting on the stairs listening to us, of course."
There was dead silence for a moment, then the muffled sounds of three teenagers trying to sneak away without making any noise.
"They're fine," Jack agreed. "I wasn't sure what the information would have. I want to keep them out as much as I can."
"They've been fighting aliens for a while now," Sarah Jane pointed out.
"Yes. They haven't been fighting their own government."
"Is that where we're going?" she asked very softly.
"I think so," he said just as quietly.
"Well then. Forewarned is forearmed." She rose to her feet. "Ianto, let's see what's left in my kitchen." Leaning out of the door, she added, "Luke, you guys can come down now!"
"What's that?" Clyde called back. "Can't hear you over this video game we're enjoying up here!"
"Stop tying up Mr Smith's processing power!"
"We're not really playing anything," Luke said after a slight pause. "Can we stay up here?"
"If you want, until lunch is ready. Don't talk to Mr Smith! He's working on something for me."
"Yes, mum!"
**
Rani glanced at the boys. Luke was curled on the couch, completely ignoring them - not always unusual, but he wasn't actually doing anything, just staring into space. She looked at Clyde, who shrugged helplessly. Whatever was happening to Luke, they couldn't help with it.
She turned abruptly to the computer, typing rapidly. This was a long shot - the time was all wrong, for one - but it was the only thing she could think of.
"What are you doing?" Clyde asked, watching her.
"Tell you if it works," she murmured. "Just need a minute..."
There. Typing another line, she swung the computer around so Luke could see the screen. "Luke?"
"Hmm."
"Luke."
"Took you long enough." Maria, clearly just woken up, glared at him from the screen. "What kept you?"
"Maria." Luke blinked, uncurling to look at her. "What are you..."
"Rani thought I might like to know what's going on."
"What's going on," he repeated blankly.
"Yeah, kids talking in unison, remember? You do remember what's been happening?"
"Yeah, of course." He shook his head firmly. "Yeah. Sorry. Has it - what's it like over there?"
"Pretty creepy, but it keeps hitting while most of the kids are asleep. We really only got the last one - we are coming back."
"You haven't..."
"No. Too old, aren't we?" She considered the group. "Or not. What's going on?"
"Luke's super alien brain's done it again," Clyde offered when no one spoke.
"What?" Maria eyed all three of them. "Someone start talking. Now."
Between the three of them they explained everything that had happened so far. Alan joined them halfway through, listening intently. "You all right?" he asked when they'd finished. Luke nodded. "How can we help?"
"My mother's worried about three UNIT personnel who were killed yesterday, but she can't find anything out. Can you try?"
"You want me to hack UNIT?"
"It'll help," Clyde agreed.
"It'll land me in prison."
"That's all right, Ianto Jones is brilliant at jail breaks."
"Comforting," he muttered. "Who am I looking for, Luke?"
He listed off the names. "They all worked undercover at different times, so I don't know...but if you can find anything, it'll help."
"Where d'you want me to send the information?" He was already typing on his own computer. Luke rattled off an email address. "Where?"
"A friend of my mum's in UNIT. She trusts him. He'll be able to use whatever you find."
"Are you all right, Luke?" Maria asked, studying him.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Having those things in his head is killing him, but he's fine," Clyde agreed lightly.
"It's not killing me!"
Maria glanced at Rani, who shrugged. "It's not killing him, but it's definitely not much fun."
"I'm fine," Luke said firmly. "Honest."
"Uh huh. You look fine," Maria agreed. "Do I need to send the boys away?"
"Hey!" Clyde and Alan protested in unison. "What about Rani?" Clyde added.
"I'm a girl," Rani said in her best 'well, duh' tone.
Luke smiled faintly. "No. I'm all right. Promise."
Maria nodded. "All right. Call me? If you need to?"
"I will."
She glanced at Rani. "Make sure he calls me if he needs to?"
"He will."
"I'm going to need a little time on this," Alan said absently. "I'll send it to your mum's friend. Let us know if there's anything else we can do."
"Thanks," Clyde said brightly.
"Maria, you should stick with your dad," Luke said absently.
"Okay," she agreed, glancing at Clyde, who nodded quickly. "Listen, call us? I know you're going to be busy, but..."
"We'll keep you in the loop," Rani agreed. "Promise."
**
They pulled together a meal; Sarah Jane noted in passing that she was going to need to shop pretty soon. Hosting four extra people on top of Clyde and Rani was straining her larder.
Luke was quiet during lunch, picking unenthusiastically at his food; Clyde and Rani were covering for him, though, and it wasn't until he actually stopped eating and dropped his head into his hands that anyone really noticed.
"Luke, what's wrong?" Sarah Jane asked. She'd meant it to be quiet, but Gwen noticed and stopped talking in the middle of an anecdote, drawing the others' attention.
"Luke, is it them?" Jack asked. Luke nodded sharply, eyes closed tightly. "Got your wall up?"
"I'm...no..."
"Okay. Clyde, move, please." Clyde scrambled out of his seat and Jack dropped into it, touching Luke's temples. "Okay. Same as last time, a wall."
"What's going on?" Rhys asked softly.
"Jack's helping Luke get them out of his head," Gwen said distractedly.
"Come on, Luke, you remember this. A wall. Come on, you can do it."
Luke stiffened, eyes flying open; his hands came up to knock Jack's away and he scrambled out of his chair, stumbling backwards. "It was you."
"What?" Jack stood and most of the others followed suit.
"Twelve children!"
Jack took a step back, staring at him. Luke was panting, terrified and on the edge of tears. "Luke, I don't know what..."
"1965. It was you, you started this!" He plunged forward, thumping Jack as hard as he could. Clyde took a moment to be glad Luke had never had any interest in martial arts, or indeed learning how to fight at all; his hand-eye coordination and reflexes could have made him deadly, but as it was he was just flailing, missing Jack as often as he hit him. "You did it, you started it, this is all because of you!"
Ianto finally got an arm around him, spinning him away; Luke threw off Clyde's steadying hand, pounding out of the room. Rani chased him.
Jack, who hadn't reacted at all to the hits, sank down to sit on his chair. Ianto dropped to one knee in front of him, touching his arms and hands and face to try and get his attention. "Jack, what is it? What's he talking about?"
"456," Jack murmured.
"What is that? 456, what is it? Jack, come on."
Jack took a breath, closing his eyes. "In 1965 the British government was contacted by an alien race. They used the four five six frequency, so that's what they were called - they never gave us a name. They offered us a medicine, a cure for a new strain of Indonesian Influenza. They said an outbreak was coming and it would decimate the world."
"Twelve children?" Gwen said softly when he paused.
Jack nodded. "In return for the cure, they wanted twelve children. Twelve healthy children between the ages of two and twelve."
"And you handed them over," Sarah Jane said flatly.
"I didn't know. Not until I got to the meeting point. I hadn't been told, on purpose. But - yes. They took twelve children from an orphanage in Scotland and we handed them over, three UNIT personnel and me. The 456 gave us the cure and when the Influenza broke out, it was contained and dealt with. Government scientists confirmed it would have ripped through the world. Killed as much as twenty percent of the population, maybe more." He shrugged, looking up. "They didn't do this last time, use the children this way. They don't need to. They're in contact with the government."
"So what's changed?" Ianto asked.
"I don't know. But if they're back? This is really bad."
**
Rani knocked lightly on Luke's door.
"Go away," Luke said from inside.
"No. Let me in."
There was no answer; she opened the door, looking warily in.
Luke was sitting on the edge of his bed, gripping the edge of his mattress tightly. His eyes were red and swollen, but he wasn't crying anymore. "We are coming tomorrow."
"I'm sorry?"
"The message. 'We are coming tomorrow'. Go away. I don't want to talk right now."
"Who wants to talk?" She eased the door closed, crossing to sit next to him. "Talking's over rated. I'm just going to sit here."
She sat beside him for a while. They could hear voices rising and falling downstairs; Luke sat tense, listening, though she was fairly sure even he couldn't make out the actual words.
After a while she slid her hand across enough that her fingers were just barely brushing his; he didn't react at first, but after a few minutes he moved, wrapping his fingers around hers. Rani waited patiently, and a few minutes after that he sighed, relaxing all at once and resting his head on her shoulder.
"Hi," she said softly.
He breathed out a laugh. "Hi."
"You okay?"
"No. Yes. I'm...yes."
"Once more, with conviction?"
"I'm all right."
"Head hurt?"
"Mmm."
She nodded. "Do you want to lie down?"
"No."
"All right."
Clyde thumped up the stairs, coming in without bothering to knock. "You all right?"
"We are coming tomorrow."
He blinked. "Nice to know. Where are you going?"
"It's the message," Rani said when Luke didn't answer. "Whoever they are, they're coming tomorrow."
"Oh. Yeah, the news said that." He hunkered, watching them. "Captain Harkness figured it out 'cause of what you said. It's a race called..."
"I know who it is," Luke interrupted him.
"Oh?"
He rubbed absently at one temple. "They know I'm here. There's...noise, in here. I can pick bits out of it."
Clyde whistled softly. "Okay, that's new. Think you should tell someone about that?"
"Yeah. I suppose." He didn't move, though; Clyde settled on the floor, leaning against the bed beside them.
"What are they talking about downstairs?" Rani asked.
"1965, I guess. Last time these aliens were here. Sarah Jane keeps sending me to do stuff so I won't hear them."
"Do stuff?"
Clyde nodded, raising his voice by an octave. "Get Jack a glass of water, Clyde. Go and check in with Mr Smith, Clyde - as if I'd know if he'd found anything anyway," he added in his own voice.
"He knows about the 456?" Luke asked.
"Yeah. Don't they have a name?"
"I don't know. If they do I can't see it." He grimaced, flopping backwards across the bed. "I need to go apologise to Captain Harkness."
"Why?" Rani asked. "You didn't hurt him."
"Yeah, it was kind of embarrassing to watch, actually," Clyde agreed. Rani thumped him, grinning, and he stuck his tongue out at her.
"I need them out of my head, and I can't do it. I don't know how."
Clyde leaned on the edge of the bed, knocking lightly on Luke's forehead. "Ten thousand minds in there and you can't do it?"
"None of them know how. This isn't something that happens to normal people."
"I suppose not. I'll go ask him to come up."
"Thanks, Clyde."
"Can I help?" Rani asked quietly.
Luke smiled, shaking his head. "Stay with me?"
" 'Course."
Whatever the adults had been talking about, they stopped when Clyde appeared. "He's all right," he told Sarah Jane, then turned to Jack. "He wants to talk to you."
"If he's going to hit Jack again..." Gwen started, but Clyde shook his head.
"He's over that. He says the 437 whatever have found him. They're poking around his brain, trying to get in, and he doesn't know how to keep them out, not really. He needs you to teach him, quickly."
"All right," Jack agreed, rising to his feet. Ianto and Gwen both tried to follow him; he glared them down, and before they could argue Sarah Jane said firmly, "I'll go with you."
"Clyde," Gwen said, "what message did Luke get?"
"We are coming tomorrow. Same as every other kid in the world." He turned before she could ask anything else, hurrying upstairs on Sarah Jane's heels.
Luke was sitting up, holding onto Rani. Sarah Jane sat next to him and he caught her hand, smiling shakily.
"Clyde says they've found you," Jack said, kneeling in front of him.
"Captain. I shouldn't have..."
"Not the time," he said gently. "Focus."
Luke shook his head jerkily. "Can't. If I concentrate on anything they can see it, they're looking at my thoughts. They're trying to figure out how I'm fighting back. I can't even think about you or they'll see...someone give me something to think about?"
"Count off pi," Rani suggested.
"I don't have to think about pi!"
Jack started him on a complex problem about a ship travelling between two points at a particular speed, going around a disputed area of territory, avoiding the gravity well around a black hole and staying free of an electrical storm. Sarah Jane took over, adding extra hazards and demanding updates on the hypothetical fuel consumption and travel time. Luke relaxed slightly as he ran the calculations, nodding when Jack reached for his temples.
Though Sarah Jane kept going with the problem, Luke's answers slowed and eventually stopped. Rani and Clyde glanced worriedly at each other, but before they could speak Jack shifted back onto his heels, letting go of Luke.
"Jack!" Sarah Jane demanded when neither of them spoke.
"It's all right. We put in - a fake layer. The 456 can poke around all they want in there, they won't find anything important."
"You can't keep them out altogether?"
"If we try and block them fully they'll just keep pushing. Luke's strong but there's a lot more of them. Putting in this fake layer, they think they've beaten him. They'll keep rooting around to make sure he's not hiding anything, but they won't find anything in the layer we've left them and they won't realise there's anything else to see."
"What's it like, mate?" Clyde asked.
"Like I've been slimed. But inside. They're moving around in there. It's weird." He rubbed at the bridge of his nose for a moment. "Thank you, Captain Harkness."
"You're welcome."
"Is this one going to last?" Sarah Jane asked.
"Yeah. This one will stick." Jack ground the heel of his head against his eye. "Luke, you should sleep, if you can."
"Yes, sir," Luke murmured.
Sarah Jane glanced at Clyde, who nodded. "We'll stay with him, Sarah Jane. Go do your thing."
"Thank you."
Sarah Jane let Jack get most of the way back into the sitting room before asking, "Is it really going to hold?"
"It's really going to hold. He's strong enough to hold it up. He just didn't know how to do it. They can huff and puff all they want, that wall isn't coming down."
"Will he still get the messages?"
"I don't know. I think so. We'll find out, I guess."
"Everything all right?" Ianto asked mildly, watching them.
"Everything's fine. Where are we at?"
"Exactly where we were when you went upstairs," Gwen said briskly. "Lois is still sending us what she can, but Frobisher's office is in a holding pattern; they're waiting for this thing in Thames House to be finished. We probably won't know anything else until then."
"No sign of anyone finding us?"
"Nothing on any channel we've been able to monitor."
"Mr Smith hasn't found anything either," Sarah Jane said absently.
"Right." Jack shooed Gwen away from the computer, sitting at it. "If there's nothing going on, Gwen, take Rhys and get out of here for a bit. Get some fresh air."
Sarah Jane vanished into the kitchen for a moment, returning with her own TARDIS key. "Johnson's probably not going to sneak up on us from behind," she said off Jack's look. "The people back there have a big, angry dog. Your key is out front, it'll keep anyone seeing us from that side. Gwen, put this in your pocket and keep Rhys as close to you as you can."
Gwen accepted it, studying it carefully. "What'll it do?"
"It'll make people less inclined to notice you. Just don't draw attention to yourself, you should be fine."
"And don't lose it," Jack added. "Those are a rarity."
"Don't worry too much," Sarah Jane advised her. "They're hard to lose. Don't take it out of your pocket, you'll be fine."
Gwen nodded, slipping it into her pocket. "Thank you. Jack, I'll be back..."
"Tomorrow, unless we call you," Jack said firmly. "Take Rhys, find a nice hotel, relax some. We'll call if anything happens."
Gwen studied him for a moment before turning to Ianto, who smiled. "We'll call if anything happens," he promised.
Finally convinced, she left through the kitchen where Rhys had been hiding out.
The kids came down a little later, staying mostly out of the way of the action. The Torchwood computer had taken over most of the sitting room now, as Gwen and Ianto kept adding extra bits to it. Luke was fascinated, and whenever Ianto had time he explained what they were doing and what each component was for.
That evening Sarah Jane pulled out sleeping bags and camping mattresses and bedded the kids down in Luke's room. Jack didn't ask how she'd persuaded their parents to let them stay, considering what was going on. She passed extra blankets to Jack and Ianto and left them to sleep or not as they wanted. As long as they didn't wake anyone else up, she didn't care.
**
By the next morning tempers were starting to flare; tension and close quarters were taking their toll. Sarah Jane took Clyde and Rani shopping with her, leaving Luke with Jack after threatening him with various dire fates if he let anything happen. Jack took all the threats calmly, accepting them without argument.
Gwen returned a little later, bumping Jack from the computers and typing rapidly. "We may have a breakthrough," she said, pushing back slightly to show him the screen.
"What is that?" Jack asked, frowning.
Ianto got it before Gwen could answer. "That's Lois, isn't it? She's wearing the contacts."
"It's Lois," Gwen agreed. "They're on their way to Thames House. Lois is going to get into the meetings. We have eyes and ears."
"They're contact lenses with an embedded camera," Ianto explained to Luke. "We can see everything she's seeing, and we have lip reading software so we can hear, mostly."
"You're going to spy on secret government meetings?"
"Yeah," Jack said, watching him. "That's the plan."
Luke thought for a minute before smiling. "Cool." Eyeing the screen, he added, "Where are they?"
"Travelling somewhere. I don’t know London." Gwen studied the screen. "Is that Westminister Abbey?"
"St Paul's Cathedral," Ianto murmured.
"Ah. Knew it was one of those."
Luke straightened suddenly, looking past Jack at the wall. "We are here."
"I'm sorry?"
He gestured. "We are here. That's what they - the children are speaking. In that direction."
"Right now?"
Luke nodded, eyes still locked in that direction.
Jack eyed him. "Any problems?"
"No. They can't see me anymore."
They watched Frobisher's party get signed into Thames House. Lois was clearly nervous during the security scans; Gwen tried typing comforting messages, but Lois kept jumping every time one showed up, so she stopped. The room they were shown into was crowded with people and Lois went more or less unnoticed as she slipped around the walls.
"What's the tank for?" Gwen murmured, studying it.
"For the 456," Ianto guessed. "They must need special atmosphere."
They watched Frobisher fumble through the introductions. Lois wrote the 456's answers in shorthand which Ianto translated, but apart from that the group was silent.
Jack glanced at Luke after a few minutes, drawing him to one side. "Can you hear any of that?"
"From the source, you mean?" Luke shook his head. "The wall's holding. I can feel them up there, but I can't hear them anymore." He studied Jack, swallowing. "Do you want me to try?"
"I really don't. Your mother'll kill me." Luke smiled faintly. "But I think we need you to. We have to know if they mean what they're saying or if this is just the opening volley. Are you willing?"
He took a deep breath, nodding. "If you think it'll help."
"It'll help. Do you know how?"
"Yes. I just...I need a minute."
Jack nodded, squeezing his shoulder and going back to the computer. Frobisher was faltering through a question about why the 456 had chosen Britain to visit, clearly uncomfortable. "...why the 456 chose Great Britain as its point of embarkation."
"We came here," Luke murmured. Ianto, frowning, repeated the words from Lois' pad. "You have no significance. You are middle men."
"...middle men. Jack, what's he doing?"
Jack waved him off, drawing Luke back to the computer. "Keep going," he urged the boy. "Gwen, read out what Frobisher's saying."
"We have a request," Luke said.
Gwen blinked, turning back to the computer. "By all means."
"We want a gift."
"Of course. But what nature of gift exactly? Jack, what are we doing?"
"We want..." Luke paled, taking a step back. "Captain..."
"What?" Jack said intently.
"They want children," he whispered.
Jack winced. "We knew they probably would. That's what they wanted last time."
"No, they..." He shuddered. "Last time it was just twelve."
"And this time?" Ianto asked.
"Ten. Ten percent of the children of the world." His voice shook. "They want two hundred million children. And they'll destroy the planet to get them."