Just Imagine...

Hit me Where it Hurts

Sam found Jack slouched by the door to Adam's cell, unconscious. He had taken the retcon. But Adam was still in there, flickering and screeching in rage and agony.
"YOU CAN'T FORGET!" He screamed, repeatedly slamming himself against the glass of his cell, "YOU CAN'T FORGET! REMEMBER ME!"
Sam crouched down and picked Jack up in her arms. He was heavy, but Sam was running on adrenaline and the need to get her son away from this monster.
Adam continued to pound himself against the glass, banging on it with this fists.
"YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER!" He bellowed.
"Why?" Sam snarled, not even looking back, "you'd be better off forgotten. Forever. And that's what you're going to be." She turned around to face him. "Goodbye, Adam Smith. You never existed."
Adam shrieked so loudly it made Sam's ears hurt and tears of pain sprung to her eyes, but she carried on, holding Jack a little tighter to her body. She was going to forget Adam, for not only Jack's sake, but for the whole team's sake.
Once she was in the break area, Sam slowly lay Jack down on the couch, gently kissing his forehead.
"It's okay now," she whispered, "he's gone, he's gone, it's over. He's gone."
"Not yet." A warped voice hissed from across the room. Sam stood straight up, immediately tense.
Adam was there, flickering in and out of existence like an old lightbulb on the verge of going out forever, with a grin so full of malice it made Sam's blood run cold.
"No," she said, voice shaking, "you can't have gotten out."
"But I did." Adam murmured. There was a crackling, staticky sound when he spoke. That's how Sam knew he wasn't real.
"You aren't real," she said, "let us go. Let them go."
"Not you?"
"It doesn't matter. Do whatever you want to me, just leave them alone!"
"You really care that much about them? You'd be willing to sacrifice yourself?"
"YES."
"Interesting."
"Why? Why is it interesting??"
Adam was slowly stalking towards Sam now, each step visibly taking great effort.
"You tried so hard to be the big, bad meanie," Adam droned, "but your heart was never in it. That's not your way, Sam. Is it?"
"What are you...? Stop." Sam croaked, stepping away from him.
"You learned to push people away," Adam went on, circling her like a hunting wolf, "because other people hurt, don't they? They abuse you. They don't understand you. They leave you."
"I said stop!" Sam snapped, clenching her fists as she fought back tears.
"It was inevitable from the start that your inability to stop loving others would be your downfall. Even when you try to push people away, you still end up opening your heart to them."
"SHUT UP!"
Sam whipped around and swung at Adam, hitting nothing but empty air.
"Temper, temper," Adam tutted, suddenly right next to her ear, "there's no need to fight now, Sam."
"Get away from me!" Sam spat, leaping away from him, "you aren't real! I'm talking to nothing!"
Adam winced, almost completely disappearing. Then he grinned again.
"If I don't exist then why am I still here?" He taunted.
"You aren't," Sam snarled, "you never were. You never existed. You're nobody, Adam Smith! NOBODY!"
She leaped at him, pushing him backwards into the pool at the base of the water tower before plunging in after him.
The water was cold but Sam ignored it, grabbing Adam by the shoulders and pushing his head under the surface.
"I can't even drown you," she panted, "but I can snuff you out." She placed her palm over his face and pushed his head underwater with all her might. "Adam Smith isn't real. Adam Smith is nothing."
There was a cloud of bubbles as Adam screamed under the water, then vanished. For good. Sam sat in the water, drenched and shaking from more than just the cold.
She could hear something across the hub. It was her phone, ringing on her desk. Sam didn't move to answer it. She didn't have the strength. Forgetting Adam had drained all her energy. If only retcon worked on her.

Sam still wasn't picking up, and that worried Jay immensely. He'd messaged her as well and she'd only replied once, saying she wouldn't be home in time for dinner, but not saying why.
Where was she? What was happening to her?
When Jay couldn't bear it any longer, he called the neighbours - a sweet elderly couple - and told them that he needed someone to babysit. When they arrived he quickly explained the situation, then grabbed his car keys and left, Zephyr following him. The tiger seemed to sense that Sam was in trouble, and that made anxiety flutter in Jay's belly.
"Don't worry, Sam," he murmured as he started the car, "I'm coming. Just wait for me. Hold on."

Sam awoke in somebody's arms, still soaked to the bones and freezing cold.
"Sam!" Jay said anxiously, "Sam! Speak to me!"
Sam opened her eyes and looked into her wusband's beautiful round face, like the full moon. His aquamarine eyes were shining with worry and his cherry blossom pink hair was wet, as if he'd been in the water. Sam coughed weakly, feeling Zephyr nuzzling her damp hair.
"Hey, Jay," she wheezed, "I-I'm okay."
"No you're not!" Jay exclaimed, cupping her cheek with his warm hand, "I found you face down in the water! What happened to you?"
Sam cringed, remembering what had happened. Would Adam come back if she told Jay?
"That new member of the team?" She asked, "the one you didn't remember? It was an alien parasite. It crawled into our brains and changed our memories, made us think it was human and had been with us for years."
"You mean A-" Jay started.
"Don't say the name it used!" Sam cut him off, "I don't know if it'll come back. Just talking about it could bring it back. The others took retcon to get rid of it but..."
"Retcon doesn't work on you." Jay filled in. Sam nodded slowly.
"So I had to do it the old fashioned way." She laughed softly.
"That's not funny." Jay scolded gently. He pulled her to her feet and she leaned on him, resting her other hand on Zephyr's back as the big cat pressed herself against her. Jay and Zephyr helped her to the couch, where she lay down beside Jack.
"What about the kids?" Sam inquired.
"I left them with the neighbours," Jay said, "they're always willing to help."
"Good." Sam sighed.
"Where are the others?" Jay asked as Zephyr crawled onto the couch and rested her head on Sam's chest, her tail drifting over to tickle Jack's chin. Jack twitched, letting out a sleepy giggle.
"The boardroom," Sam murmured, feeling herself fading, "take care of them. They need love right now..."
The world went black.

Jay left Zephyr to watch Sam and Jack sleep, heading to the boardroom. Gwen, Ianto, Owen, and Tosh were all slumped down in their seats, quiet snores filling the room. Jay shook his head sadly.
"You poor darlings." He murmured, walking around and doing his best to make each of them more comfortable, as well as giving them each a gentle kiss on the cheek.
He decided to stay the night. The neighbours would give the kids breakfast if need be, and he wanted to stay here in case any of the Torchwood team awoke.
He sat at Sam's desk, watching over her and Jack. Zephyr's tail was twitching and every once and a while its fuzzy tip would brush Jack's skin. Jay smiled whenever it happened and caused Jack to laugh in his sleep. Just like his renther, he was even ticklish when he was asleep.
Morning came eventually and everyone slowly awoke, though Sam was the last one.
"I feel you staring at me." She mumbled to Jay, who was crouched beside her now.
"Payback for all the times you stared at me in my sleep, you pervert." Jay teased. Sam laughed, still not opening her eyes.
"Are the others awake?"
"Yes."
"Do they remember?"
"No. They're confused as hell."
"Thank God."
"He's gone, Sam."
"Good riddance."
Sam finally opened her eyes and sat up, taking Jay's hands in hers.
"We should tell Rhys what happened," she said seriously, "that thing affected Gwen's memories of him, he'll need to know not to bring it up in case..." she trailed off.
"Okay," Jay murmured, "we'll do that. We can drive Gwen home."
Sam smiled.
"Did I tell you that I love you?" She asked.
"Not recently." Jay answered sarcastically, beaming back.
"Well I do," Sam murmured, "a lot. More and more every day."
"Can't wait for tomorrow then."
"Me neither."
Jay leaned in and kissed her, for a little longer than usual.
He felt like Sam needed some extra love that morning.