The Orphan and Her Family

Chapter Forty-Seven

The next thing Sophie registers is gravel biting into her legs. She then registers the pain in the side of her face. Raising a hand to touch the tender skin, she also attempts to open her eyes. Bright light floods her pupils, only serving to cause her head to throb more. Reaching behind her, she notices a brick wall that she is certain was not there when she was knocked out. She pushes against the wall, and uses it as leverage, climbing to her feet.

Blinking a few times, she makes out the vague figures of some of the Torchwood crew. "Jack?" she slurs, taking a step forward, "What's happening?" One of the figures turns around, and she recognizes the cut of the suit as Ianto. She stumbles forward, and the Welshman catches her, "Where's Jack?"

Her vision is almost clear, and she sees how Ianto glances over at Owen and Tosh. "He left with Gwen."

"Why?" she asks.

Owen points upward, and she follows where he's pointing, seeing a large monster filling the sky. "I told you there would be consequences if you opened the rift," she sighs, leaning against Ianto for some support. She reaches a hand up to her temple, gently touching the tender part where the pistol hit flesh, "Bl**dy h*ll that smarts."

Owen takes a step toward her, and Sophie steps back. "I'm not going to hurt you. Let me take a look."

"Sorry, it takes a minute to get over being pistol whipped by someone, doctor." She steps toward Owen, and he gingerly takes her chin in his hand.

He turns her head, and sucks in a breath, "Looks like you've got a concussion. You'll need plenty of rest. and drink plenty of water." He slips a hand into his pocket, and pulls out a small pill bottle. Dropping a couple tablets into his hand, he pushes them into her hands, "Take this, it should help."

She nods, but another wave of dizziness causes her to almost fall over, and Ianto once again steadies her. She quickly swallows the pills, and leans against the Welshman. Shortly after, a person runs up, yelling for them. She winces, and clamps her hands over her ears. She wrenches her eyes open, and sees Gwen. "Where's Jack?"

She looks guiltily downward. "Abaddon, he took his lifeforce."

Sophie pushes herself out of Ianto's arm, and nearly falls. The Welshman reaches to steady her, and she pushes the hands away. "Where is he?"

The Welshwoman leads the team to a large open field, where Jack lies, dead.

Sophie drops to her knees beside the body, and searches his neck for any type of a pulse. When she can't find one, she drops her head onto his chest, and starts to cry.

Hands pull her off, and Ianto lifts the Captains body, and carries it over to the van.

*Torchwood Morgue*

Jack is laying on the table, pale and in a body bag. Sophie walks up to him, taking his lifeless hand in her own.

Owen stands behind her, and places a hand on his shoulder, "He's ice cold. No vital signs."

Sophie shrugs his hand away. "He's not dead. He can't be dead. Jack is immortal, he's a fixed point. You can't destroy a fixed point. He isn't dead."

"He's gone, Sophie."

"I'm going to stay here until he wakes up."

Owen, Tosh, Ianto, and Gwen look at each other in concern, but acquiesce to her request. They all turn, and exit, leaving Sophie alone with her brother.

*Five Days Later*

Tosh walks into the cold storage area, where Sophie is still sitting on the hard, metal stool, clutching Jack's hand, "It's been days. We have to face up to it. He's not coming back."

"No, he can't be dead. I can't lose another person."

Tosh places her hand on the younger woman's shoulder, "Let him go, Sophie."

The tech turns and leaves the room. Sophie turns back to her brother, laying on the cold slab. She leans over him, and presses a soft kiss to his forehead, brushing the hair out of his eyes. She offers his cold hand one final squeeze, and then pushes herself to her feet. Just as she turns away from him, she hears his voice say, "Hey, kiddo." She turns on her heel, and throws herself onto his rapidly reheating body.

He grunts, but holds her as she joins him on the slab, and kisses his cheek, "You're alive, thank Rassilon, Omega, and any other important beings out there."

He chuckles, and pushes himself up into a sitting position, "How long," he asks, his voice still a bit raspy.

"It's been five days, Jack, I thought you were gone."

"I can't leave you behind, you know this."

She slips off the table, and helps Jack off it as well. He stretches, his muscles tense from laying stationary for so long. Sophie grabs a stack of clothes off a nearby table, and hands them to him. He smiles thankfully at her, and starts to take off the hospital gown.

Her eyes widen, and she turns around, allowing the Captain a semblance of privacy. Once he's back in his clothes, he comes up and sweeps Sophie up in a proper hug. She clings to him, as he spins her around. He presses a kiss to her cheek, and sets her back down on the floor. Grabbing her hand, he grins, "Let's go give the team a shock."

He exits the cold storage room, and heads up to the main section of the Hub. As they enter, Toshiko is the first person to see the Captain. She drops the device she was studying, and runs over to hug him. When the tech releases him, Gwen is there to hug Jack next. After the Welshwoman, comes Ianto. Jack holds the Welshman in his arms. Sophie looks around the room, noticing how the team has been putting it back together. She also sees Owen step in from the next room. Jack releases Ianto, and makes his way over to the doctor.

Owen looks sadly at the Captain. He starts to say something, but Jack cuts him off, "I forgive you." He pulls the doctor into a hug, and Owen cries into his chest. Once Owen releases the Captain, Jack walks over to stand next to Sophie again. 

She leans her head on his shoulder, "Don't do something as reckless as that again, got it?" she hisses into his ear.

He squeezes her hand, but doesn't respond.

***

Shortly thereafter, Ianto, Tosh, and Owen head out to get some coffee for the whole team. Jack heads up to his office, and almost immediately pulls his greatcoat back on. Sitting down in his desk chair, Sophie hops up on the side of the desk. Gwen sits opposite the desk, deep in thought, "What's happened to the Rift?"

He shrugs, and leans back in his desk chair, "It closed up when Abaddon was destroyed. But it's gonna be more volatile than ever."

"The visions we had. We all saw people we loved. What did you two see?"

Sophie sighs, and glances over at Jack, "My friend, my roommate, she was trying to convince me to open it."

Jack places a comforting hand on her knee. Gwen turns to Jack, and raises an eyebrow, "Nothing. There was nothing."

"What would have tempted you?" Gwen asks, leaning back in her seat, "What visions would have convinced you to open the Rift?"

The Captain jumps from his seat, and grabs Sophie's hand, heading for the exit. "The right kind of Doctor."

Gwen goes to follow them, but Jack shoots her a look. Sophie leans her head against his shoulder. She can't help but notice that he is also wearing a backpack. Normally, she'd ask something about it, but at this moment, she's so happy to have him back that she doesn't care. "Do you want to, maybe, go for a walk? I'm not gonna be here much longer, and I want to be able to spend some time with you, when we're not in a crisis."

He smiles down at her, "Have I ever shown you the 'rift lift'?"

"Nope," she shakes her head.

He leads her over to a block of stone sitting on the floor. The duo climb atop, and slowly rise up to the streets of Cardiff.