Antar, six months after Fandom

[izzyalienqueen]

Isabel stumbled as the ground shifted under her feet. Michael looked back at her, tilting his head in a way that she recognized as a question. Are you okay? She smiled tightly and nodded, not willing to do anything that would indicate she wasn't ready to be out on a mission like this so soon after they got her away from Kivar.

They continued on, the shaking of the ground becoming more pronounced as time passed. Then it didn't matter because they were under attack and all that was important was not getting hit.

A sharp cry of pain caught her attention and Isabel turned, immediately starting towards where Michael was lying on the ground. She'd taken two steps when the ground heaved once more and a light flashed. Stumbling, Isabel fell forward. And then it all went black.



The rift alarm grabbed everyone's attention immediately -- it 'd been incredibly quiet for weeks.

It didn't take long for Tosh to track the source, and pull up the CCTV.

When Jack saw the small heap of blonde girl curled limply on the ground, he hit the button, switching off the feed. "That's it. Everyone go home. You've got the night off."

It took five minutes of fast talking, and he had to physically push Ianto through the door, but they were finally all gone. "Right," he muttered. "Let's see what the hell you're doing coming through the rift."

She was easy to find, and he crouched next to her, studying her carefully. She was definitely out for the count, but when he brushed the hair off her face, she flinched.

He spent a long time staring down at her. This was his younger self's weak spot, his Achilles heel, and it was going to bite him one day. Already had, at least once. It would be incredibly easy to end that problem, here and now. But she stirred, turning towards him with a noise that was part whimper and part sigh, and the moment was gone in a flood of memories not his own.

"It's alright, Isabel," he said. "You're safe." Who knew if she could hear him, but when he carefully picked her up, she didn't flinch.

It didn't take long to get her back to the Hub. He set her on the couch, checked her for injuries and, finding nothing more serious than scrapes and bruises, draped a blanket over her.

Coffee, the latest printouts on the lack of rift activity, and a chair dragged over where he could see her, and he propped his feet on the couch and made himself comfortable. If she didn't wake up soon, he'd call Owen back, but if he could keep the others out of it, he'd be a happy Captain.



[NFB yadda, yadda, yadda...]

Comments

[torchwood-jack.livejournal.com]

That was something he understood all too well. "We'll figure something out. Isabel, you said Kivar had you." He didn't want to push her, but he had to know. "What did he do to you?" he asked, crouching down again so he could see her face.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Lost in thought, it took her a moment to realize what he was asking. "No, not that. They got me out in time. Besides, that was weeks ago. It doesn't matter now."

[torchwood-jack.livejournal.com]

"Okay." He pushed to his feet. "Couple of options. Shower, get out of those clothes, and let me check you out. Or do it in reverse."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Considering her skin felt like it was crawling on her, and a hot shower was a luxury she seldom got in the Royalist camp, it didn't take Isabel long to decide. "Shower please."

[torchwood-jack.livejournal.com]

"Done. Come with me," he said and led her through the complex to the showers. "Towels there," he pointed, "and I'll be back in a minute with clean clothes. Will you be okay on your own?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I'll be fine," she nodded, reaching for the hem of her shirt before looking at him pointedly.

[torchwood-jack.livejournal.com]

" Easy." He held up his hands. "My intentions are perfectly innocent," he assured her. "And I'm going to have to see at least some of you eventually."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I know," Isabel said. "But first things first."

He nodded, and she watched him leave waiting until the door was closed to turn on the water. It was hot almost instantly and she stripped out of her clothes, stepping under the spray with a sigh.

[torchwood-jack.livejournal.com]

A quick rummage turned up a pair of Gwen's jeans, and a thick sweater of his. Somehow, he thought she'd appreciate the weight of it.

It left him in the unusual position of cooling his heels, leaning on the door next to the showers while he waited for her to finish. He debated calling Jack - or Parker - and decided no. He'd told her she could have as long as she liked. He wasn't going to go back on that.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

The hot shower had helped her feel clean. But it also made her aware of the number of bumps, bruises and scrapes she'd experienced during that last fight and her passage through the rift. After what seemed like way too short a time, Isabel forced herself to turn the water off, dry off and get dressed in the clothes she found just inside the door of the room.

Passing a hand over her hair to dry it, she stepped out of the bathroom, and into the hall.

[torchwood-jack.livejournal.com]

"Better?" He held out his hand. "One more stop, and then you can sleep."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Isabel took his hand and let him guide her, too tired to argue.

[torchwood-jack.livejournal.com]

Her passivity was worrying, because it didn't match anything in the memories, but it was useful. He led her into the lab and directed her into a chair. "You need to lose the sweater. You can hold it in front of you, though. I'll be quick."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Numbed by grief and exhaustion it took her a minute to realize what Jack was asking. And what doing so meant he would see. "No," Isabel said, wrapping her arms around herself. "I'm fine. Just some bumps and bruises. They'll heal."

[torchwood-jack.livejournal.com]

"Yes," he said firmly as he moved to stand in front of her. "We can't take any chances with you -- your Jack would never forgive me. And you never know what might have come through the rift with you. If you've got scratches, cuts, they need to be cleaned."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I took care of that in the shower." Although no amount of scrubbing would ever get rid of Kivar's mark. "I'll be fine."

[torchwood-jack.livejournal.com]

She was hiding something. His determination crystallised as he pictured the worst. "Isabel," he said in a tone that brooked no argument. "Either take it off, or I'll look when you're asleep. Your choice."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Jack..." But she knew this Jack was probably just as determined as her Jack when he set his mind to something. With a resigned sigh, Isabel turned her back to him and pulled the sweater over her head, holding it to her as she took a seat.

[torchwood-jack.livejournal.com]

Frowning, he ran his hands gently over the skin of her back. He'd been expecting...something. But there was nothing but scrapes and bruises. "Nice tattoo," he said, tracing his finger over the roundish script on her shoulder.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Isabel pulled her shoulder away abruptly. "Don't."

[torchwood-jack.livejournal.com]

He lifted his hands, holding them up in the air. "Okay." The tattoo was the key. "You don't like it?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"No," she said shortly. She hated it. Hated what it originally meant. Hated what it symbolized to her. In the time since they had gotten her away from Kivar, Isabel's never forgotten it's there. "Just fix whatever and let me get dressed."

[torchwood-jack.livejournal.com]

He silently unfolded the first aid kit, and started carefully cleaning the cuts and scratches. Most were superficial, apart from a long abrasion above her hip that worried him. "Okay," he said as he finished. "I think you're good. Apart from that." His hand hovered over the mark, but he didn't touch it. "I might be able to get rid of it."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Isabel went very still. "You can?"

[torchwood-jack.livejournal.com]

"Might," he emphasised, wandering over to the drawers and pulling out a flat metal disc with a curved handle. "This restores skin and muscle to its original state. But it's slow - faster to let minor injuries heal on their own and it's useless for anything serious. But it should work on that. Eventually. Want me to try?"