The Orphan and Her Family

Chapter Nine

Sophie tosses and turns in the bed for hours, until ultimately giving up. She meanders out of her room, and Jack looks up from where he's slumped on the sofa. "Can't sleep?"

She shakes her head, "Everytime I close my eyes, all I see is her body."

Jack sighs, "Where I come from there's this therapy for people who have nightmares, mainly those who have PTSS."

"Really?" she asks, slumping against the door jam.

"It's called touch therapy. Basically, two people share a bed, to help each other through their nightmares. It's nothing more than a sleepover really, but I'm willing to give it a shot, kid."

"Really? You'd do that for me, Jack?"

"That's what big brothers do, or at least, from what I've come to understand." He leads her back into the room, and she flops back onto the bed. Jack removes his dress shirt, climbing into the bed as well.

"So how exactly is this supposed to work?"

"Go to sleep. I'll be here if you need me. Another presence, knowing someone is with you, it's been shown, in the 51st century that is, to be a comfort."

She nods, and Jack feels her shift in the bed. She curls up on her side, tugging the blankets up to her chin. The immortal has never done something like this before, been in a bed fully clothed with someone else. But, Sophie reminds him a lot of Grey when he was younger, and he'd do anything to help his family. He doesn't know how long they lay in the dark, until Sophie's breathing evens, and he knows she's fallen asleep.

Jack stares up at the ceiling, and can't help but smile when he sees the glow in the dark stars in the shapes of actual constellations. His mind wanders back to his childhood. He only snaps back when hands grab his t-shirt. He snaps his face to Sophie, and sees the tears streaming down her face, even though she's still asleep. He pulls her body to him, simply combing his fingers through her hair in a calming pattern. He stays like that the rest of the night.

She sits up slowly, the sun streaming through the blinds. "Feeling better?" Jack asks, leaning against the headboard.

"I slept better than I have in a long time. Thanks Jack, really."

"Not a problem." He flings his legs over the side of the bed, "What d'you have to eat around here?"

She rolls her eyes, climbing out of the bed as well. "Give me a few minutes and I'll make us some breakfast."

"Alright. I'm gonna run down to the van, grab a change of clothes. I'll be back soon."

***

That afternoon, Jack and Sophie decide a movie marathon is in order. Jack pops some popcorn, while Sophie pops her Star Trek: the Original Series DVD in. Just as they sit down to watch the show, Jack's phone rings. He sighs, pulling it out of his pocket, "Harkness."

Jack stands from the sofa, and Sophie begrudgingly pauses the show. She tunes out his conversation, knowing that he's probably going to have to leave. Hanging up his phone he spins around to face her, "How do you feel about a camping trip?"

"Uh, what?"

"That was the team, looks like there are some suspicious deaths along the Welsh countryside. So, road trip with some camping thrown in. What d'you say?"

"Will it be dangerous?" she asks, already leaping to her feet.

"Probably. But there will be loads of adventure."

She nods, "All right, I'm in."

"Pack a bag, it could be a few days."

***

A couple hours later, Sophie finds herself in the backseat of the Torchwood van, between Ianto and Gwen. Tosh is in the middle front seat, with Owen on the passenger side and Jack driving. There hadn't been any questions when Jack showed up with Sophie in tow, but she can't ignore the concerned glances she's getting from the entire crew. She's leaning around Ianto, admiring the view of the Welsh countryside, when Owen starts to complain again, for the twelfth time during the trip.

"I hate the countryside. It's dirty, it's unhygienic, and what is that smell?"

"That would be grass," Gwen comments, rolling her eyes.

Owen turns around in his seat, "It's disgusting."

"I don't know," Sophie says, leaning more around Ianto, "I think it's quite pretty. The way the hills perfectly crest into the sky, the sun shining through the trees, and the clouds formed perfectly. I've been all over the universe, seen amazing and wonderful things, but nothing beats a view like this."

Jack smiles at her in the rearview mirror, and Owen gives her a sideways glance, "There's something wrong with you, Sophie, I swear."

Jack reaches over and smacks the back of Owen's head, not saying anything. Ianto looks at the way Sophie is leaning forward in her seat, "Next stop, Sophie, we can trade seats."

"Really?"

He nods, leaning back as far in his seat as possible so she can see better. They continue down the road a ways, stopping at a mobile snack van along the side of the road.

Ianto walks over to the window to get some food, and Sophie sits down at the picnic table. "Jack, you mind giving me a run down on the details? You were a bit vague when you invited me along."

"There have been seventeen disappearances in this area within the last five months. The police are clueless."

"Now there's a surprise," Owen comments, pulling the collar of his jacket up, "No offence, PC Cooper."

Sophie sets her backpack down on the table, flipping it open, as Jack continues, "The last known whereabouts of each one is somewhere around here."

"All within a twenty mile radius," Tosh adds.

"Anything else linking them?" Gwen asks, watching as Sophie pulls a bag if trailmix out of her backpack.

"None of the bodies have ever been found. These people just fell off the radar. No patterns in age, sex, race. One minute they're here, the next, pfff. Gone."

"The rift doesn't spread out this far," Gwen states, then second guesses herself, "Does it?"

Jack shrugs, "We don't know that much about it to be certain. And it's increasing in activity all the time."

"Oh, come on," Owen grumbles, walking back toward the group, "Aliens aren't gonna bother hanging around out here. Probably some sort of weird suicide club with people choosing the same spot to end it all." Jack glances over at Sophie, and watches as she stares into her trail mix as if it holds some sort of secret, "God knows, if I had to spend too long up here, I'd want to top myself," Owen finishes.

Ianto comes walking over from the van, four burgers in his hands. He deposits them on the table, handing one to Owen. "Here you go. Careful, they're hot." He looks over at Toshiko, "Sure you don't want anything, Tosh?"

"Really sure," she nods. Sophie grabs a second bag of trailmix, sliding it over to her. Tosh smiles thankfully at her, continuing her thought, "A friend of mine caught hepatitis off a burger from one of these places."

Jack's face drops, tossing his burger down on the napkin. Sophie rolls her eyes, "Not like you could catch it anyway," she murmurs. Jack sticks his tongue out at her.

"We'll start with the most recent victim, Ellie Johnson. We last have record of her making a phone call. She dropped out of signal mid-call. The coverage map has her placed somewhere about here" he points a little ways down the road, "Looks as good a place as any to set up camp."

Owen, who was about to take a bite of his burger stops to glare at Jack, "Sorry, did you say camp?"

Sophie grins, "Camping in the great outdoors, what could be better." Owen glowers at her, "Oh, c'mon, Owen, even Kirk, Spock, and Bones went camping in Star Trek 5. It can't be that bad."