Ficathon: Every Darkest Sky, 5/6 plus epilogue (teen)
TITLE: Every Darkest Sky
CHARACTERS: Maria, Rani, Mrs Wormwood, Jack + Torchwood Three, (name redacted for spoilers)
RATING: Teen (disturbing situations, offscreen death, aliens taking over)
WORD COUNT: 25443 all in. 3917 this chapter.
SPOILERS: Goes AU just before the end of Invasion of the Bane.
SUMMARY: For the End of SJA Ficathon - This is a loose interpretation of two prompts:
"Sarah Jane didn't find Luke - maybe UNIT did, or some other alien, or even the Doctor. What happens and what does Luke become without her guidance and his friends?” and “Luke as a bad guy. How does Team Sarah Jane take him down?” Notice I said loose interpretation. :D
Part one is here, part two is here, part three is here and part four is here. Enjoy!
The streets were crowded, mostly with human Bane. Some were still working at whatever task they'd been given, but most had stopped what they were doing for lack of orders. Jack considered having Nathan order them home or to safety, but it would have taken too long, and when the factory was destroyed hopefully they'd be freed anyway.
There were Bane, real Bane, guarding the factory gates. Nathan made the team leave the car and walk in; no one tried to stop them, even though they were openly carrying weapons and clearly not Bane of either type. There were a lot more Bane inside, and some came worryingly close to the team, but Nathan pushed his way through without pause.
In the rubble of the main room he paused, eyeing the bus still embedded in the wall.
"Cosy," Jack noted. "Who did that?"
"Sarah Jane. She couldn't get the doors unlocked."
"Determined woman."
Nathan nodded, turning to a work station. "I can recall the Bane from here." Something roared overhead, and he added, "That's the Bane Mother. She can't reach us."
"Holy...are you sure?" Gwen demanded, automatically lifting her gun towards the ceiling.
"She can't reach us here. Captain, do you want to watch me?"
"Since the controls are labelled in Bane, that wouldn't help me much. I'll trust you. How long to get all of the Bane back here?"
"A few hours. They're spread all over the country." Nathan finished what he was doing and stepped past the group, looking up. "Greetings, Bane Mother."
The thing roared and he flinched, stumbling back a step. Jack caught one shoulder, steadying him. "She can't reach us, yeah? Can she set the Bane on us?"
"I can order them down. Bane Mother - the operation was in my mother's hands, and her death leaves it in mine. Planning isn't Bane Mother's strong suit."
"Nathan, are you alright?" Gwen said sharply.
"Oh yes." He smiled faintly. "She's yelling at me, but I don't have to obey. I'm wonderful."
Bane poured into the room from deeper in the complex; the team swung their weapons up, but they made no move to attack, just milled around.
"That the recall?" Jack asked.
"Yes sir. Those are Bane who were close by."
"Nathan," Ianto said thoughtfully, "was Wormwood keeping any other subjects? Other than you and the girls?"
"If she was, she didn't tell me." Nathan moved to another control panel, this one more conventionally labelled in English. Ianto followed, watching over his shoulder as he ran through a search string, demolishing the security protocol without seeming to notice it.
After a moment he blinked, studying the screen. "No. Or, at least...if she did there's no record of it here."
"She'd have recorded it?" Gwen asked, eyeing the Bane still milling around under Mother. The huge alien was still roaring, but they didn't seem to be reacting much.
"She was a scientist, more or less. She'd have recorded something." He glanced up as the Bane Mother screamed again, answering "No, I didn't kill her. It wasn't me." He was pale, and Jack tugged him away from the computer.
"If we leave now, can she undo what you've done? Send them away again?"
"Once they're all here, she can, but not until then."
"Right. We'll wait outside, then. Tell me exactly what I need to do to destroy her."
****
Nathan stayed in the jeep, in the end, watched by Gwen, while Jack and Ianto ventured back into the factory. The Bane now covered every surface, clinging to walls and ceilings and each other, but they cleared a path for the two Torchwood men.
"I once knew someone who'd have given you a chance," Jack announced to the Bane Mother; she'd withdrawn into the ceiling and was watching them suspiciously. "He'd have offered to let you leave the planet. Unfortunately for you, I'm not him. You and your Bane killed and hurt millions of people. You can burn."
He and Ianto set the little speakers on the computer, wiring them together. On Ianto's nod they set them going, broadcasting noise directly to the Bane Mother on the strongest signal they could devise. She immediately screamed, thrashing violently and knocking Bane down every time she moved.
Jack ducked out of the way of a falling Bane. "Time to go!" Ianto nodded, scrambling out past the bus with Jack on his heels.
Gwen was standing by the car, watching as the building started to quake. Nathan was huddled inside, carefully not looking; he didn't look up as they piled in and pulled the car down to the gates.
Jack halted there and they climbed out, watching as the building abruptly exploded. Thick Bane goo covered the debris and rained down around them, though nothing touched them or even came close.
"Is that stuff dangerous, Nathan?" Jack asked, toeing a lump.
"I wouldn't eat it, sir, but it won't harm the water cycle or anything." Nathan half-turned, watching through the gates. The human Bane outside were wandering around, completely confused.
"That looks promising," Jack said.
"Promising accidents," Ianto agreed. "They've no idea where they are."
"It'll clear." Nathan leaned against the car, watching them. "They'll remember."
"Jack, we should call UNIT, make sure they're ready," Gwen said. "We're going to need them on the streets until we get some order back...Ianto!"
Ianto spun, catching Nathan as he crumpled. "Breathing," he reported quickly. "Heart rate's - up a little - no temperature." He looked up, shrugging. "Exhaustion?"
"Maybe." Jack grimaced. "Should have brought Owen. Gwen, call UNIT while we're moving. Get hold of Martha, if you can, or that friend of hers - the Brig."
"Right," Gwen agreed, opening the door for Ianto. "Got it?"
"He doesn't weigh anything." Ianto slid in, managing Nathan easily. Jack shoved the door closed and climbed in the front. "Let's go."
****
UNIT took over control of the city; Jack moved everyone to another Torchwood base and he and Ianto spent a lot of time liaising with the various UNIT officials. Rani and Maria went out each day with Gwen and Tosh, joining the clean-up crews, pitching in wherever they could help. Clyde, back to himself, went with them. Jack had UNIT watching out for any of their parents; UNIT had taken the rest of the former Human Bane off their hands, but the thought of the kids in refugee housing made Jack uncomfortable and while they were in London anyway he didn't mind keeping them.
Nathan slept in the hastily-built zero room, slowly healing.
"He really did burn his brain," Owen told Jack. "It's regenerating, but he actually burnt parts of it away. I don't know how he stayed on his feet, let alone anything more complicated."
"His brain is regenerating?" Jack repeated.
"Who is he, Jack?"
"Still working that part out."
Four days into the rebuilding efforts, Jack's liaison of the day - they never seemed to last longer than a day, for some reason - arrived at their base. "Captain Harkness!"
"Colonel Oduya," Jack said brightly. "How can I help you?"
"I have someone you might want to meet." He gestured to his car; one of his men got out, directing a civilian.
"Oh?"
"Alan Jackson. I believe you're acquainted with his daughter."
"Oh." Jack tapped his radio. "Tosh, you online?"
"Here, Jack," she said cheerfully. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Need you to pull Maria and get her back here."
"She's not here?" Alan asked anxiously.
"She's fine," Jack promised him. "Tosh?"
"With you in twenty. What should I tell her?"
"That nothing's wrong. And it's not about Nathan."
Alan mouthed 'Nathan' but Jack ignored him as Tosh signed off. "Thank you, Colonel."
Oduya nodded, unsmiling as ever, and turned away. Alan glanced after him before advancing on Jack. "Where's Maria?"
"On her way back here. Where've you been, Mr Jackson?"
"I..." he swallowed, looking around. "I was on Bannerman Road when I woke up. Maria wasn't there."
"She's been here with my team. What did Colonel Oduya tell you?"
"Just that she was here."
"Maria helped us to bring down the Bane. She crippled their strongest weapon and gave us the power and the opportunity to stop them. Your daughter's a hero, sir."
"My..." Alan swayed, bracing himself on the nearest wall. "Maria?"
"Yeah. I'll let her give you the details. Come in. She won't be long."
Rani was with Maria when they arrived in. The two girls had started a tentative friendship, built mostly on being the only people each could really talk to, and on the fact that Rani was willing to give Nathan the benefit of the doubt. The revelation that he had literally given himself brain damage to protect them had shaken most of the team.
"Captain?"
"Over here." Jack stood, pressing Alan back into his seat; the girls were coming from behind him and couldn't make him out.
"What's going on?" Maria asked.
"Nothing's wrong," Jack assured her. "Colonel Oduya was here. He brought you something."
"Brought me..." Maria's eyes widened as her father stood up. "DAD!"
Jack stepped away as the pair rushed at each other, collapsing together in a heap. Rani watched for a moment before turning away. "Is she leaving?"
"I haven’t asked. I thought I'd give them a few minutes." He glanced at Rani. "We'll find yours, Rani. Promise."
"You shouldn't promise things you can't deliver, Captain." She shrugged off the hand he tried to put on his shoulder. "I'll go get some coffee. They'll probably need it."
"Rani..."
She was gone. Jack scowled, settling down at his desk where he could keep an eye on the Jacksons without interrupting them.
True to her word, Rani re-emerged with coffee once the Jacksons finally let go of each other. It took a while; even after they'd calmed down enough to actually start talking, neither was very eager to let go of the other. They kept touching, checking, and they stayed in each other's eyeline all the time.
"So," Alan said finally, once they were all sitting together with coffee in hand. "Captain Harkness says you saved the world. What's that about?"
"I what?"
"Crippled the Bane's strongest weapon?"
"Oh." She glanced at Jack. "I didn't cripple him."
"You stopped him," Jack pointed out. "He might have wanted to stop before that, but you're the one he actually did it for."
"They're not deliberately speaking in tongues," Rani said brightly, directly to Alan. "They've just forgotten that they haven't actually told you what they're talking about yet."
"I'm used to it." He grinned when Maria punched him, rocking with the hit. "It'd be nice if one of you could tell me, though."
Maria nodded, taking a deep breath. "Remember when I went with Kelsey to the Bubble shock factory? Well, we got separated when some alarms started..."
****
She went through the whole story. Alan listened carefully, still holding on to her, reluctant to let go. Rani added bits here and there; Jack gave Torchwood's side where it was needed.
"The Bane's weapon was a kid?" Alan said finally.
"A boy," Jack agreed. "It would have worked, too, if they'd been more careful. Wormwood thought her control would keep him from thinking about what he was doing, but he knew right from wrong. Sarah Jane and Maria taught him that much."
"And he's still here?"
"Healing. He hasn't woken up since the factory."
Alan sighed, shaking his head. "I don't remember anything."
"None of the human Bane do," Maria told him. "You were sort of - switched off. Nothing that happened actually registered with you."
"I'm sorry."
"It really, really wasn't your fault, Dad. Trust me. It's fine."
He nodded, taking a deep breath. "Right. Captain Harkness, how can I help?"
"I'm sorry?"
"You're helping to rebuild the city, right? Or the country, I guess. How can I help?"
"What can you do?"
"You're not leaving?" Rani interrupted.
"I don't think we're going back to that house. And that UNIT Colonel, Odubya..."
"Oduya," Jack corrected.
"Oduya," Alan repeated. "He's promised to keep an eye out for Chrissie or Ivan, and he'll bring the information here." Maria shuddered and he tugged her lightly against him. "Sorry."
"It's fine. I don't mind staying here. It's nice to be able to help."
Alan nodded, looking back at Jack. "I'm computer security. Firewalls, viruses, hacking attempts."
"Alright. I think we'll be able to use you. But not today. Relax and catch up with Maria. I'll make sure you have a room."
Rani started to stand to follow him and Maria caught at her wrist. "Rani, stay?" Glancing at Alan, she added, "If you don't mind, Dad."
"No, of course not. Just give me a second to talk to Jack." Alan carefully disentangled himself, pausing as he started to stand. "Rani, do me a favour and hang onto her until I get back. Just in case she vanishes."
"Yes sir," Rani agreed with a grin, taking Maria's hand.
"Thanks," Jack murmured as they walked a few paces away. "Rani's a bit...she doesn't have anyone except Maria, anymore. We're looking for her parents, but..."
"It's all right. It was the other way around, I hope her parents would be kind to Maria." He glanced over his shoulder at them; Rani was talking quietly, holding Maria's attention.
"You don't have to stay. Between us and UNIT, we could set you up somewhere."
"I get the feeling she wouldn't be too happy about that."
Jack nodded. "She feels responsible for him. She taught him how to be a person and he burnt through the control to save her, but he doesn't really know anything about this world. She wants to make sure he's all right."
"And is he?"
"Owen says he's healing. I guess we'll find out."
"What are you going to do with him? Dangerous genius..."
"Not dangerous."
"Possibly dangerous genius on the loose?"
"I have some ideas. Need to talk to him." Alan glanced over his shoulder again and Jack smiled faintly. "Go back to your daughter, Mr Jackson. This can wait. One of us will be around if you need anything, all right?"
"Thank you." Alan clapped him on the shoulder, heading back to join the girls.
****
Owen was checking Nathan's monitors when he woke.
"Hey." Owen glanced briefly at him, checking the readings. "How're you feeling?"
Nathan swallowed a couple of times before answering. "Tired. How am I?"
"Everything looks alright. You know who you are? Where you are?"
"I'm Nathan. The Archetype." He glanced around without moving his head. "I don't know this place, but it feels like a zero room and you're Dr Harper, so it's probably Torchwood."
"Correct on all counts."
"How long was I..."
"Days." Owen waved it away, reaching for a glass on the table. "Here. Can you hold this? Drink it slowly."
Some of the water spilled, but he managed most of it. "Thank you."
"Uh huh. Follow my finger, Nathan."
"I'm really tired."
"Yeah. Quick test. Follow my finger, come on. Do you want a painkiller?"
"I'm not in pain. Thank you."
Owen let him go back to sleep, stepping out of the room to call Jack. "There's no sign of brain damage," he reported. "Kid's wiped out, but he's not sick and he's not in pain. A little real sleep, I think he'll be his old self. Only hopefully without the homicidal intentions."
"Let's hope," Jack agreed.
"So what are you going to do with him, Jack?" Owen studied him. "You're not going to keep him."
"Put a kid on the team? Gwen would kill me. No, I have another idea. Let me know next time he wakes up."
****
Jack talked to Nathan the next time he woke up. Nathan was perfectly aware that he couldn't be trusted and couldn't stay with Torchwood, but he had no suggestions to make, only a promise that whatever Jack decided he would go along with.
"So what are you going to do?" Gwen asked when he left the room.
"I have a plan."
"Oh? And what's your plan?"
Jack grinned at her. "Nathan needs to be on his feet, so it'll wait a couple of days. Need some help out in the field? I'm very useful."
"Yeah, I'll bet. Come on then. We'll find something you can do."
CHARACTERS: Maria, Rani, Mrs Wormwood, Jack + Torchwood Three, (name redacted for spoilers)
RATING: Teen (disturbing situations, offscreen death, aliens taking over)
WORD COUNT: 25443 all in. 3917 this chapter.
SPOILERS: Goes AU just before the end of Invasion of the Bane.
SUMMARY: For the End of SJA Ficathon - This is a loose interpretation of two prompts:
"Sarah Jane didn't find Luke - maybe UNIT did, or some other alien, or even the Doctor. What happens and what does Luke become without her guidance and his friends?” and “Luke as a bad guy. How does Team Sarah Jane take him down?” Notice I said loose interpretation. :D
Part one is here, part two is here, part three is here and part four is here. Enjoy!
The streets were crowded, mostly with human Bane. Some were still working at whatever task they'd been given, but most had stopped what they were doing for lack of orders. Jack considered having Nathan order them home or to safety, but it would have taken too long, and when the factory was destroyed hopefully they'd be freed anyway.
There were Bane, real Bane, guarding the factory gates. Nathan made the team leave the car and walk in; no one tried to stop them, even though they were openly carrying weapons and clearly not Bane of either type. There were a lot more Bane inside, and some came worryingly close to the team, but Nathan pushed his way through without pause.
In the rubble of the main room he paused, eyeing the bus still embedded in the wall.
"Cosy," Jack noted. "Who did that?"
"Sarah Jane. She couldn't get the doors unlocked."
"Determined woman."
Nathan nodded, turning to a work station. "I can recall the Bane from here." Something roared overhead, and he added, "That's the Bane Mother. She can't reach us."
"Holy...are you sure?" Gwen demanded, automatically lifting her gun towards the ceiling.
"She can't reach us here. Captain, do you want to watch me?"
"Since the controls are labelled in Bane, that wouldn't help me much. I'll trust you. How long to get all of the Bane back here?"
"A few hours. They're spread all over the country." Nathan finished what he was doing and stepped past the group, looking up. "Greetings, Bane Mother."
The thing roared and he flinched, stumbling back a step. Jack caught one shoulder, steadying him. "She can't reach us, yeah? Can she set the Bane on us?"
"I can order them down. Bane Mother - the operation was in my mother's hands, and her death leaves it in mine. Planning isn't Bane Mother's strong suit."
"Nathan, are you alright?" Gwen said sharply.
"Oh yes." He smiled faintly. "She's yelling at me, but I don't have to obey. I'm wonderful."
Bane poured into the room from deeper in the complex; the team swung their weapons up, but they made no move to attack, just milled around.
"That the recall?" Jack asked.
"Yes sir. Those are Bane who were close by."
"Nathan," Ianto said thoughtfully, "was Wormwood keeping any other subjects? Other than you and the girls?"
"If she was, she didn't tell me." Nathan moved to another control panel, this one more conventionally labelled in English. Ianto followed, watching over his shoulder as he ran through a search string, demolishing the security protocol without seeming to notice it.
After a moment he blinked, studying the screen. "No. Or, at least...if she did there's no record of it here."
"She'd have recorded it?" Gwen asked, eyeing the Bane still milling around under Mother. The huge alien was still roaring, but they didn't seem to be reacting much.
"She was a scientist, more or less. She'd have recorded something." He glanced up as the Bane Mother screamed again, answering "No, I didn't kill her. It wasn't me." He was pale, and Jack tugged him away from the computer.
"If we leave now, can she undo what you've done? Send them away again?"
"Once they're all here, she can, but not until then."
"Right. We'll wait outside, then. Tell me exactly what I need to do to destroy her."
****
Nathan stayed in the jeep, in the end, watched by Gwen, while Jack and Ianto ventured back into the factory. The Bane now covered every surface, clinging to walls and ceilings and each other, but they cleared a path for the two Torchwood men.
"I once knew someone who'd have given you a chance," Jack announced to the Bane Mother; she'd withdrawn into the ceiling and was watching them suspiciously. "He'd have offered to let you leave the planet. Unfortunately for you, I'm not him. You and your Bane killed and hurt millions of people. You can burn."
He and Ianto set the little speakers on the computer, wiring them together. On Ianto's nod they set them going, broadcasting noise directly to the Bane Mother on the strongest signal they could devise. She immediately screamed, thrashing violently and knocking Bane down every time she moved.
Jack ducked out of the way of a falling Bane. "Time to go!" Ianto nodded, scrambling out past the bus with Jack on his heels.
Gwen was standing by the car, watching as the building started to quake. Nathan was huddled inside, carefully not looking; he didn't look up as they piled in and pulled the car down to the gates.
Jack halted there and they climbed out, watching as the building abruptly exploded. Thick Bane goo covered the debris and rained down around them, though nothing touched them or even came close.
"Is that stuff dangerous, Nathan?" Jack asked, toeing a lump.
"I wouldn't eat it, sir, but it won't harm the water cycle or anything." Nathan half-turned, watching through the gates. The human Bane outside were wandering around, completely confused.
"That looks promising," Jack said.
"Promising accidents," Ianto agreed. "They've no idea where they are."
"It'll clear." Nathan leaned against the car, watching them. "They'll remember."
"Jack, we should call UNIT, make sure they're ready," Gwen said. "We're going to need them on the streets until we get some order back...Ianto!"
Ianto spun, catching Nathan as he crumpled. "Breathing," he reported quickly. "Heart rate's - up a little - no temperature." He looked up, shrugging. "Exhaustion?"
"Maybe." Jack grimaced. "Should have brought Owen. Gwen, call UNIT while we're moving. Get hold of Martha, if you can, or that friend of hers - the Brig."
"Right," Gwen agreed, opening the door for Ianto. "Got it?"
"He doesn't weigh anything." Ianto slid in, managing Nathan easily. Jack shoved the door closed and climbed in the front. "Let's go."
****
UNIT took over control of the city; Jack moved everyone to another Torchwood base and he and Ianto spent a lot of time liaising with the various UNIT officials. Rani and Maria went out each day with Gwen and Tosh, joining the clean-up crews, pitching in wherever they could help. Clyde, back to himself, went with them. Jack had UNIT watching out for any of their parents; UNIT had taken the rest of the former Human Bane off their hands, but the thought of the kids in refugee housing made Jack uncomfortable and while they were in London anyway he didn't mind keeping them.
Nathan slept in the hastily-built zero room, slowly healing.
"He really did burn his brain," Owen told Jack. "It's regenerating, but he actually burnt parts of it away. I don't know how he stayed on his feet, let alone anything more complicated."
"His brain is regenerating?" Jack repeated.
"Who is he, Jack?"
"Still working that part out."
Four days into the rebuilding efforts, Jack's liaison of the day - they never seemed to last longer than a day, for some reason - arrived at their base. "Captain Harkness!"
"Colonel Oduya," Jack said brightly. "How can I help you?"
"I have someone you might want to meet." He gestured to his car; one of his men got out, directing a civilian.
"Oh?"
"Alan Jackson. I believe you're acquainted with his daughter."
"Oh." Jack tapped his radio. "Tosh, you online?"
"Here, Jack," she said cheerfully. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Need you to pull Maria and get her back here."
"She's not here?" Alan asked anxiously.
"She's fine," Jack promised him. "Tosh?"
"With you in twenty. What should I tell her?"
"That nothing's wrong. And it's not about Nathan."
Alan mouthed 'Nathan' but Jack ignored him as Tosh signed off. "Thank you, Colonel."
Oduya nodded, unsmiling as ever, and turned away. Alan glanced after him before advancing on Jack. "Where's Maria?"
"On her way back here. Where've you been, Mr Jackson?"
"I..." he swallowed, looking around. "I was on Bannerman Road when I woke up. Maria wasn't there."
"She's been here with my team. What did Colonel Oduya tell you?"
"Just that she was here."
"Maria helped us to bring down the Bane. She crippled their strongest weapon and gave us the power and the opportunity to stop them. Your daughter's a hero, sir."
"My..." Alan swayed, bracing himself on the nearest wall. "Maria?"
"Yeah. I'll let her give you the details. Come in. She won't be long."
Rani was with Maria when they arrived in. The two girls had started a tentative friendship, built mostly on being the only people each could really talk to, and on the fact that Rani was willing to give Nathan the benefit of the doubt. The revelation that he had literally given himself brain damage to protect them had shaken most of the team.
"Captain?"
"Over here." Jack stood, pressing Alan back into his seat; the girls were coming from behind him and couldn't make him out.
"What's going on?" Maria asked.
"Nothing's wrong," Jack assured her. "Colonel Oduya was here. He brought you something."
"Brought me..." Maria's eyes widened as her father stood up. "DAD!"
Jack stepped away as the pair rushed at each other, collapsing together in a heap. Rani watched for a moment before turning away. "Is she leaving?"
"I haven’t asked. I thought I'd give them a few minutes." He glanced at Rani. "We'll find yours, Rani. Promise."
"You shouldn't promise things you can't deliver, Captain." She shrugged off the hand he tried to put on his shoulder. "I'll go get some coffee. They'll probably need it."
"Rani..."
She was gone. Jack scowled, settling down at his desk where he could keep an eye on the Jacksons without interrupting them.
True to her word, Rani re-emerged with coffee once the Jacksons finally let go of each other. It took a while; even after they'd calmed down enough to actually start talking, neither was very eager to let go of the other. They kept touching, checking, and they stayed in each other's eyeline all the time.
"So," Alan said finally, once they were all sitting together with coffee in hand. "Captain Harkness says you saved the world. What's that about?"
"I what?"
"Crippled the Bane's strongest weapon?"
"Oh." She glanced at Jack. "I didn't cripple him."
"You stopped him," Jack pointed out. "He might have wanted to stop before that, but you're the one he actually did it for."
"They're not deliberately speaking in tongues," Rani said brightly, directly to Alan. "They've just forgotten that they haven't actually told you what they're talking about yet."
"I'm used to it." He grinned when Maria punched him, rocking with the hit. "It'd be nice if one of you could tell me, though."
Maria nodded, taking a deep breath. "Remember when I went with Kelsey to the Bubble shock factory? Well, we got separated when some alarms started..."
****
She went through the whole story. Alan listened carefully, still holding on to her, reluctant to let go. Rani added bits here and there; Jack gave Torchwood's side where it was needed.
"The Bane's weapon was a kid?" Alan said finally.
"A boy," Jack agreed. "It would have worked, too, if they'd been more careful. Wormwood thought her control would keep him from thinking about what he was doing, but he knew right from wrong. Sarah Jane and Maria taught him that much."
"And he's still here?"
"Healing. He hasn't woken up since the factory."
Alan sighed, shaking his head. "I don't remember anything."
"None of the human Bane do," Maria told him. "You were sort of - switched off. Nothing that happened actually registered with you."
"I'm sorry."
"It really, really wasn't your fault, Dad. Trust me. It's fine."
He nodded, taking a deep breath. "Right. Captain Harkness, how can I help?"
"I'm sorry?"
"You're helping to rebuild the city, right? Or the country, I guess. How can I help?"
"What can you do?"
"You're not leaving?" Rani interrupted.
"I don't think we're going back to that house. And that UNIT Colonel, Odubya..."
"Oduya," Jack corrected.
"Oduya," Alan repeated. "He's promised to keep an eye out for Chrissie or Ivan, and he'll bring the information here." Maria shuddered and he tugged her lightly against him. "Sorry."
"It's fine. I don't mind staying here. It's nice to be able to help."
Alan nodded, looking back at Jack. "I'm computer security. Firewalls, viruses, hacking attempts."
"Alright. I think we'll be able to use you. But not today. Relax and catch up with Maria. I'll make sure you have a room."
Rani started to stand to follow him and Maria caught at her wrist. "Rani, stay?" Glancing at Alan, she added, "If you don't mind, Dad."
"No, of course not. Just give me a second to talk to Jack." Alan carefully disentangled himself, pausing as he started to stand. "Rani, do me a favour and hang onto her until I get back. Just in case she vanishes."
"Yes sir," Rani agreed with a grin, taking Maria's hand.
"Thanks," Jack murmured as they walked a few paces away. "Rani's a bit...she doesn't have anyone except Maria, anymore. We're looking for her parents, but..."
"It's all right. It was the other way around, I hope her parents would be kind to Maria." He glanced over his shoulder at them; Rani was talking quietly, holding Maria's attention.
"You don't have to stay. Between us and UNIT, we could set you up somewhere."
"I get the feeling she wouldn't be too happy about that."
Jack nodded. "She feels responsible for him. She taught him how to be a person and he burnt through the control to save her, but he doesn't really know anything about this world. She wants to make sure he's all right."
"And is he?"
"Owen says he's healing. I guess we'll find out."
"What are you going to do with him? Dangerous genius..."
"Not dangerous."
"Possibly dangerous genius on the loose?"
"I have some ideas. Need to talk to him." Alan glanced over his shoulder again and Jack smiled faintly. "Go back to your daughter, Mr Jackson. This can wait. One of us will be around if you need anything, all right?"
"Thank you." Alan clapped him on the shoulder, heading back to join the girls.
****
Owen was checking Nathan's monitors when he woke.
"Hey." Owen glanced briefly at him, checking the readings. "How're you feeling?"
Nathan swallowed a couple of times before answering. "Tired. How am I?"
"Everything looks alright. You know who you are? Where you are?"
"I'm Nathan. The Archetype." He glanced around without moving his head. "I don't know this place, but it feels like a zero room and you're Dr Harper, so it's probably Torchwood."
"Correct on all counts."
"How long was I..."
"Days." Owen waved it away, reaching for a glass on the table. "Here. Can you hold this? Drink it slowly."
Some of the water spilled, but he managed most of it. "Thank you."
"Uh huh. Follow my finger, Nathan."
"I'm really tired."
"Yeah. Quick test. Follow my finger, come on. Do you want a painkiller?"
"I'm not in pain. Thank you."
Owen let him go back to sleep, stepping out of the room to call Jack. "There's no sign of brain damage," he reported. "Kid's wiped out, but he's not sick and he's not in pain. A little real sleep, I think he'll be his old self. Only hopefully without the homicidal intentions."
"Let's hope," Jack agreed.
"So what are you going to do with him, Jack?" Owen studied him. "You're not going to keep him."
"Put a kid on the team? Gwen would kill me. No, I have another idea. Let me know next time he wakes up."
****
Jack talked to Nathan the next time he woke up. Nathan was perfectly aware that he couldn't be trusted and couldn't stay with Torchwood, but he had no suggestions to make, only a promise that whatever Jack decided he would go along with.
"So what are you going to do?" Gwen asked when he left the room.
"I have a plan."
"Oh? And what's your plan?"
Jack grinned at her. "Nathan needs to be on his feet, so it'll wait a couple of days. Need some help out in the field? I'm very useful."
"Yeah, I'll bet. Come on then. We'll find something you can do."