Twisted Thoughts - Chapter Three (of Three)

  Chapter Three - Discovered

"Have you ever felt
Like your only comfort was your cage
You're not alone
I've felt the same as you

Have you ever felt like your secrets give you away
You're not alone
I've been there too

Cause everyone is looking
Everyone is laughing
But I think everyone feels the same
Everybody wants to feel okay
Everybody wants to
Everybody wants to feel"

Twenty minutes later Jack and Ianto met back where they started. They waited a few minutes and Gwen came running up, looking a bit winded.

"Are you okay?" Jack asked.

"If you ask another stupid question I'll rip your head off and turn you into one of those zombies you love so much." Ianto held back an amused grin while Jack raised his hands in defense.

"Didn't mean to offend you sweetheart. So, back to business, did anyone see anything?" They both shook their heads.

"Maybe you should have come up with a better plan than just wandering around hoping we'll stumble across one." Jack looked at Ianto incredulously, as if he couldn't believe he'd say that. Finally he grinned, smacking his shoulder in a playful gesture.

"Sass! I like it! And you're right. I haven't been thinking clearly lately and-"

"Guys?" Gwen interrupted him, looking at a shadow behind them. "Is that what a zombie looks like?" The men quickly spun around and saw a single form walking with that same limp towards them.

"Yep." Jack said quietly, pulling his stun gun out. "Let's see if we can get it back to base for examination. Don't startle it. I don't want to shoot it unless I have to." Now it was Gwen's turn to look at Jack as if he lost his mind.

"We're just going to let it walk up to us? Are you insane, what if it tries to eat us?"

"Well, it's only you two that have a problem, not me. I'm not fully human anymore, according to lore zombies only like pure human flesh."

"Oh. Thanks then." Ianto stiffened in more than slight irritation. The three of them stood there as the 'zombie' or whatever it was lumbered towards them. At first it looked like it was going for Gwen, but as it drew near to her, it sniffed and seemed to turn away in disgust from her. Jack saw the change in the creature's demeanor and shouted

"Ianto, get down!" He shot as it lunged for Ianto but it was faster than it looked. The shot grazed above its head and it knocked Ianto to the ground. Ianto started shouting as the creature began to drag him by his legs. Before she knew what she was doing, Gwen leapt on top of the zombie and started pounding away with the butt of her gun. It thrashed as it felt her on him but Gwen quickly overpowered it. Jack could only watch in startled surprise as the creature tried to get away from Gwen, as if it repulsed her. Finally it was out cold. Gwen stood up, dusted her jeans off, and strolled past Jack like nothing had happened.

"Want me to pick your chin up off the ground?" She teased him, not bothering to look back and see him quickly shut his open mouth.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The three of them were quiet as they drove back to the base, the 'zombie' tied up in the back. After a thorough examination, Jack had determined that it was a creature of the void that had once been human or at the least, humanoid.

"Exposure to the void turned it into this?" Ianto could only stare at it horrified, knowing that the torn up and skin-rotted creature in front of them had once been one of them. Jack nodded, leaning down to haul it into the van where they could dispose of it humanely back at the Hub. Hopefully it had been the only one.

Jack twisted his mouth in consternation. The suspicious things about Gwen were piling up faster than he could keep up. And with the whole Quist incident a month ago, he really should have been more on his guard. The void creature had been repulsed by her, and if the Quist really had gotten inside Gwen, it would be a reasonable explanation. After all, the creature would probably to go back into the void kicking and screaming.

He kicked himself for not letting Ianto in on his fears, knowing that his friend was still hurt for Jack hiding stuff from him. He looked in the rear view mirror at Gwen in the backseat. She just stared at the window, wincing like her head hurt.

"Headache?" He asked breaking the silence.

"...Yes." she answered, glancing at him. Their eyes connected and Jack cursed himself. She had seen his look of suspicion. She narrowed her eyes and Jack knew he had made a big mistake. He looked away from her and hoped to God that she wouldn't do anything rash before he could. He'd have to trap her inside the base, interrogate her like the Doctor had with Rose. Oh he wished the Doctor hadn't wiped his own memory of that time, he sure could use his help with this. Oh well, just him and Ianto would have to do.

"You think that was the only void creature?" Ianto asked Jack, not noticing the oddness of their coworkers' exchange.

"I sure hope so." He didn't want to have to deal with a horde of 'zombies', at least not until this mess with Gwen was sorted. Because he definitely knew there was something wrong now. He glanced at her again and frowned. There was a large mark growing on her chest near her collarbone, like her skin was falling off. If he wanted to save his friend, he'd have to do something immediately. But first he'd have to bring Ianto in on what exactly was going on. They pulled up near the back entrance of Torchwood and everyone hopped out.

"Ianto, can I talk to you alone? Gwen, you can wait for us inside."

"But what about the zom-"

"Forget the effin' zombie!" Jack snapped at Gwen and she gave him an angry look. As she stormed off Ianto smiled, thinking he knew what was on Jack's mind. As the door slammed shut Jack turned to Ianto.

"Have you noticed anything odd with Gwen?"

"What?" Ianto wasn't expecting that.

"Gwen, there's something wrong with her."

"Are you sure?" He replied, slightly disappointed.

"Yes," Jack began pacing, "last night, I lied to you, I was looking at something I should have made you aware of." He continued pacing, growing more and more agitated with each step. "There was an anomaly in her DNA, that's why the gun case wouldn't open for her. She's been acting odd, and now there's a strange mark on her neck." Ianto frowned.

"Normally I'd say you were crazy, but I've been in this business for far too long. You probably are right, but what do you think it is?" Jack paused for a minute, hoping he was making the right choice.

"I think she's possessed by the Quist. The same one that was in Rose."

Meanwhile Gwen/the Quist was watching on the overhead cameras.

"T-that's not possible, we killed it." Ianto didn't want to believe it, but he had this sinking feeling in his chest like he knew it was true.

"I know, we should have, but we...the Doctor must have underestimated it. It somehow got out of Rose and into Gwen without us noticing."

"But she's not pregnant."

"No, the Quist matured fast enough, like the first one that inhabited the Doctor, it got the power of possession."

"Okay, I believe you. What are we going to do?"

"She's already suspicious, so we have to get inside now, knock her out and tie her up. We'll have to use the singularity scalpel again."

"Uh...about that."

"What?" As if anything else could go wrong.

"I did an inventory the other day and I couldn't find it, I thought maybe you had it." Jack tried to keep in his anger but failed. He smacked his fist against the wall angrily.

"Damn it! She must have taken it!" He shook his hand, wincing at the pain.

"Jack, what do we do?" Ianto's voice rose in agitation.

"We've got to get in there, we'll find another way." They burst in through the door. Ianto hit the button that should have opened the sliding wall, but nothing happened. Ianto hit it again. Nothing.

"She's locked us out!" Jack ran around to the computer and hit a few buttons, but to no avail.

"Leave now and I won't kill you!" came Gwen's voice over the speakers.

"Gwen? Gwen let us in! Don't do this! Gwen if you're in there, fight it!"

"Gwen is gone!" The Quist snapped back. "Her life is mine now! If you had left well enough alone, everything would have been fine." Jack turned to Ianto, giving him his cell phone and telling him to dial a certain number.

"I thought you were a Quist, you want domination, not a normal life." The speakers were quiet for a moment.

"I thought I did." She said quietly. "But I'm the last of my kind now, and I was mad, so mad at the Doctor and the Time Lords for destroying my race. I was glad his was wiped out. But now I realise I can't do anything about it, I can't make any more of my race. It's over. I thought I'd live longer if I pretended to be Gwen. I could live a normal life like you humans seem to desire, that way my race could live on as long as possible." Jack looked over at Ianto, who nodded as he handed him his phone back.

"Not like this...Quist, do you have a name?"

"Not really, I chose it for myself. Belle."

"Alright Belle, why don't you let us in and we can talk, find a way for you to keep living without killing Gwen."

"I-I'm not killing her."

"Your skin is falling apart, I saw it. This struggle is not only gonna kill her but you as well. Now let us in."

"No! You're lying, just like the Doctor did, and he nearly killed me, like he murdered my father."

"You were killing Rose! If you want to live like a human, you'll have to make some major life changes and not do the same things your species used to." He sighed in relief as Ianto came in with the person he had called earlier.

"Gwen?"

"Rh-Rhys?" Belle's voice was shaky, knowing she had a weak spot for the only person who had shown her what real love truly was.

"Yeah, it's me. I need to talk to you love, can I come in?" Ianto had already filled him in on everything that was happening.

"No, I still can't fully trust you. But don't go," she added hurriedly. "I want to talk to you."

"What about?"

"I...I'm sorry for pretending to be your wife. At first I didn't care, but then I saw how much you truly loved her. I've never experienced anything like that before, our species isn't really known for its love and compassion." She gave a small nervous laugh. "I'm dying, and look how sentimental I'm being." Jack remembered the contusions on her neck and arms and guessed it was getting worse. "I don't think I can survive a trip to another host, I was so weak after the Rose child..."

"We can help you," Rhys replied. "if you let us in."

"No, no...it's better this way. I'm sorry for causing you all so much trouble-"

"Belle! Don't!" Jack cried, knowing what she was going to do.

"Remember the last of the Quist was different!" Suddenly the doors to the entrance opened and Jack took off running, with Rhys and Ianto at his heels.
They found Gwen's body lying on the floor in front of the computers, the contusions spread across her upper body.

"Is she alive?" Rhys asked, a tremor in his voice as Jack checked her pulse.

"Yes. Merely unconscious. Help me get her on the couch." After she was situated, they stepped back, seeing her body was moving. Gwen opened her mouth and a cloud of yellow mist filtered out, going up into the space above them. The cloud dissipated and they heard Belle's voice whisper

"I was different..."

EPILOGUE

Gwen had woken up ten minutes later, complaining of the contusions on her body burning like fire, for which Jack had given her some medication cream for. She said she remembered everything from the moment the Quist entered her body. She remembered her constant struggle against Belle that caused the contusions in the first place, and she remembered the Quist's change of heart and the willingness to let go. After that Rhys had helped her home.

Now Jack was sitting on the lowered platform to the upper entrance, staring out into the dark open sky above him. Ianto watched his boss for a minute, before coming over to join him. Jack looked at him as he sat down beside him, but didn't say a word. Ianto was quiet for a minute as well, until he felt the need to speak.

"Do you think it's really over this time?" Jack turned his head to look at him.

"Yeah. I really do. It's just..." he stopped.

"What?"

"It's just...I wish it didn't end the way it did. I wish we could save more of them, the ones that deserve it anyway."

"And you think Belle did?"

"Yeah. At the end there she made the right choice. Isn't the final choice the most important?" Ianto nodded.

"We save as many as we can, nobody could ask us for any better."

"Yeah I know. Doesn't change the way I feel though." They were both quiet again.

"How do you go on each day, if every death bugs you like this?" Ianto asked softly. "I can't even imagine." Jack looked at him and smiled.

"Good friends." Ianto returned his smile, albeit a little bittersweet. He stood up and shouldered his bag.

"Sleep well boss." Jack narrowed his eyebrows, wondering if he knew he hardly ever slept. "G'night Jack." He said as he walked towards the door. Jack sighed.

"Good night Ianto." He waited until he heard the sliding door shut behind Ianto, before resuming his gazing at the vast night sky above him. There was still the problem of the possible void creature invasion of London, but all of that could wait until tomorrow, after all, he deserved it. He laid down on his back as he felt his eyes drooping. A few minutes later he fell asleep, dreaming of days long gone. Days of laughter and tears, fighting and running, and of his two best friends who showed him a different way of life, so many, many years ago. As he dreamt on, the stars shined their light unwavering on his face.

"You are worth fighting for."

"There goes my pain
There goes my chains
Did you see them falling
Because this feeling
There has no meaning

You can't change me
You can't break me

There goes the world
Off of my shoulders
There goes the world
Off of my back
There it goes..."

   END