Chapter Text
Disclaimer: Jack Harkness, Owen Harper, Suzie Costello, Rhys Williams, and Toshiko Sato do not belong to me, nor does the concept of Torchwood. They are the property of BBC, Starz, and Russell T. Davies. John Keller, Scorponok, Cliffjumper, Mikaela Banes, Agent Tom Banacek, Agent Simmons, Rodimus Prime/Hot Rod, Sam Witwicky, Megatron, Captain Will Lennox, Sergeant Robert Epps and Optimus Prime also do not belong to me. They belong to Hasbro and Michael Bay. The Keller ladies (including Corey) and Lily Banes, on the other hand, do belong to me. I don’t mind if you borrow them. . .just ask first, give credit where credit is due, and return them to me alive, intact and more or less unscathed. (collapses, gasping for breath)
Moments in Time
Chapter One
Bring the Rain!
May 1995
West Virginia
An onlooker first arriving in the American Torchwood lair could have been forgiven if they assumed the four members of Torchwood (plus one spouse and one child) were watching a movie. They were all staring at a vidscreen, on which several soldiers and some villagers somewhere in the Middle East were battling a large robotic insectoid. Sand was kicked up and men danced out of the way, yelling instructions and warnings to each other. It was an easy mistake to make. . .but it was no movie. It was all too real.
“What. . .the. . .hell. . .is that?” Owen Harper snarled, staring at the vidscreen over Toshiko Sato’s shoulder. A few hours earlier, after seeing a press conference held by Secretary of Defense John Keller regarding an attack against a SOCCENT base in Qatar, Owen’s boss told them to monitor all communications in that part of the world. He seemed. . .anxious, and that wasn’t like Jack at all. And then, two minutes earlier, Tosh called out that she had something. They all ran to her side. . .to see this. And Owen noted that no one answered him, no one had any idea of what was attacking the American soldiers and residents of a small village.
“I can’t be sure, Owen, not without seeing more,” Jack Harkness answered quietly. Owen’s boss stood behind them all, his three year old daughter cradled against his chest while he held his wife Lacey’s hand. Or was she holding his hand? And more worrying to Owen, Jack looked. . .concerned. There wasn’t a hint of mischief or flirting in Jack’s expression. In fact, the other man’s blue eyes were focused on the screen, and he asked, “Tosh, can you clear up the picture?” As ever, Tosh was working to do just that, before Jack even finished speaking.
“Lacey, did your dad say anything about this the last time you talked to him?” Suzie Costello asked softly, taking up position beside her friend, reaching for Lacey’s free hand. Lacey Keller Harkness, the daughter of the aforementioned Secretary of Defense, shook her head, her eyes never leaving the screen as well. Owen debated for a moment about whether he believed her or not, and then decided that he had no reason not to believe her. At least for now.
“No. . .no, he’s been settling into his new position as Secretary of Defense, and. . .no. No, he hasn’t said anything. I’ve heard more about things from Mama than I have from Dad, and she isn’t telling me anything new,” she replied. Everyone looked at her expectantly, and Lacey added, shrugging, “She hates DC. Always has. Agrees with Tosh. . .it’s a nice place to visit, but she has no desire to live there.” Owen rolled his eyes. He didn’t understand Tosh or Corinna Keller. Sure, DC was crowded, but it was a city. You expected that from a city.
“I’m betting that he didn’t say anything, because he didn’t know anything. He would have no way of knowing, but that’s Scorponok,” Jack observed quietly, and his hushed tone made Owen even more nervous. He worried when Jack got quiet. It tended to be a Very Bad Sign. His boss continued, “You wouldn’t have any way of knowing about this, Lace, since you were away at school at the time, but I told your dad and the others about the ‘Bots once. Remember hearing about the rescue from Bolivia? That rescue took place because I got myself caught while trying to help a ‘Bot escape. Scorponok isn’t a ‘Bot, but he or it is the same species as Cliffjumper. I’d heard of Scorponok, but I’d never seen him until now.”
Now that Jack mentioned it, Owen could tell that the. . .was that a robot? Either way, it was shaped like a scorpion. . .and. . .holy shit, that was sodding wicked! And no, Owen didn’t mean that as a compliment to the immense thing currently menacing members of Owen’s own species. Tosh asked almost tentatively, “Jack? There was just a transmission from the soldiers on the ground to the Pentagon. They’re asking them to ‘bring the rain.’ Do you have any idea what that means?” Bring the rain? Owen rolled his eyes, on the verge of making a snide remark, but Suzie caught his eye and shook her head very slowly. He rolled his eyes again, this time at Suzie’s over-protectiveness. Owen was no soldier, but he could make a pretty good guess.
Jack smiled slightly, a smile that never truly reached his eyes, and replied, “You’ll find out in a minute, Toshiko. Watch.” All right, that didn’t sound especially promising to Owen. However, Torchwood, plus Jack’s wife and daughter, watched in silence as the giant robotic scorpion was targeted and pounded, before escaping into the sand once more. But it left a parting gift for the soldiers it was trying to kill. . .a piece of its tail. Literally. Owen half-expected Jack to make an innuendo about the relic left behind, but his boss was focused on the issue at hand. Jack murmured, “Oh, very good. That’ll help us considerably. Lacey, is your mobile on?” His question to his wife surprised everyone, but the brunette nodded and Jack continued, “Good. I have a feeling your father may try to call, and I want the lines open.”
“Is this it, then?” Lacey asked very softly. Jack turned to look at her more fully, still holding Corey protectively against his chest, and Lacey continued, voicing the question that Owen was pretty sure they were all thinking, “Is this where everything changes, as you’ve always said?” There was a moment’s hesitation, and then Jack slowly shook his head. And that scared Owen more than anything. Whatever was coming was most likely even bigger than this, and this scared the hell out of Owen. Lacey sighed very quietly, and then straightened her shoulders, continuing, “All right then. That means we still have work to do.”
“Ye-up. Suzie, I know you’re fascinated by that glove that Cardiff sent over, but I really need you focused on this,” Jack told Suzie. She didn’t look happy, but nodded her assent. That was in the last batch of ‘what the hell is this’ shipment which came from Jack’s former location. Suzie picked up it and now they couldn’t get her away from it. It was starting to worry both Jack and Lacey, Owen knew. For that matter, it was starting to worry Owen. Yes, they were sleeping together and no, he didn’t love her, but he did care for her. At least, as much as he could bring himself to care for anyone.
“I’ll continue to monitor the transmissions from the Pentagon,” Tosh volunteered. She hesitated, but added, “Lacey, I’m sure your father is fine. I admit I don’t know him very well, but he seems to be a very resourceful man.” That won a smile from Lacey. She squeezed Tosh’s shoulder appreciatively, before taking Corey from Jack’s arms and heading out of the room. Tosh spared her one last look, before returning her attention to her computers. Suzie sat down beside her, and Owen looked at Jack expectantly.
“Just be ready, Owen,” was all his boss would say quietly, “depending on how things fall into place, I may need you to come with me to Washington. Make sure you have everything you need.” The young doctor nodded, biting back any sarcastic remark he might have made. He thought about the soldiers who just fought off a giant alien, robotic scorpion and wondered how many of them would survive the coming days. And, he realized, he was incredibly glad that he was here, rather than there. Owen wasn’t a coward, but he knew his limitations.
TWTWTWTWTW
It was too long since he left the Boe, and even longer since the afternoons he spent sitting on the foot of the Prime whom he knew, Rodimus Prime. Roddy, as he encouraged the child Jack to call him, was the sparkling (son) of the great ‘Bot leader, Optimus Prime. And just like his majestic father, he loved humans. It was always ‘humans,’ never ‘squishies.’ He would tell Jack stories of his father and brother, and of his younger sister Sunburst, whose first incarnation died at the hands of their uncle Megatron. She was later reborn, and Roddy always promised to tell him that story one day. But one day never came and after he was ten years old, Jack never saw Roddy or the other ‘Bots again. At least, not until he encountered Cliffjumper years earlier.
Not for the first time, Jack wished he thought to write those stories down. . .but where before it was to preserve his memories of those cherished friends, his desire was now to find a strategic advantage. Scorponok, according to Roddy’s stories, was among his father’s opponents during the Great Cybertronian War, along with Roddy’s own uncle Megatron. But did Roddy ever mention the actual name of the planet where the civil war came to an end? The name, no. No, he only ever referred to it as ‘the planet of the Primes.’ At the time, he thought Roddy meant it was Cybertron, but now, as an adult, it didn’t make sense. Roddy spoke of his home planet of Cybertron clearly, plainly, without any reservations. . .and not with the same reverence or love he used when he spoke of the ‘planet of the Primes.’
So was it possible, that with both factions now on Earth, that it would be that conflict which changed everything? Jack didn’t think so. . .thus, his response to Lacey. . . but he was wrong before. His thoughts turned next to Cliffjumper. Was he still functioning? Did he know that other Cybertronians were on the planet now? And just why were they here? It really wasn’t a surprise when Lacey appeared in the doorway to his office, saying softly, “My cell is on, and I’ve called Mama to let her know that things might get. . .interesting. Don’t worry, I didn’t tell her anything classified.” What went unsaid was that Lacey knew very little that was classified. Not for Torchwood’s protection or his own, but for hers. They both preferred it that way.
Jack held his hand out to her, pulling her onto his lap once her fingers intertwined with his, and answered, “I know you better than that. Think I shocked Owen when I didn’t take the bait with that piece Scorponok left behind?” Lacey snickered as she made herself comfortable. . .which, for some reason, always involved a great deal of squirming, usually at the worst. . . Oh. Jack’s breath caught as his wife’s bum brushed across some particularly sensitive strategic spots. Oh, she was doing that deliberately. He growled, conveniently ignoring all the times when he did the same to her, if not worse, “You do realize that I have ways of making you pay, Alexandra?”
“But I made you smile,” she guilelessly pointed out, before settling and continuing, “As to Owen, I think you seriously wrong-footed him. He’s come to expect certain things from you, and for you to miss such an obvious innuendo? I think he’s worried now. Not that this is a bad thing, mind you.” Her hand slid up his back to massage the nape of his neck and Jack allowed his head to fall against her shoulder. She murmured, “Maybe this is the first contact that changes everything. Maybe it isn’t. Maybe Torchwood is ready and maybe not. But you can take comfort in one thing, Jack.” He lifted his eyes to meet his wife’s dark eyes, and Lacey added, “This is happening in our backyard, so Yvonne Hartman and her thugs can’t get involved.”
“She wasn’t always like that, or so Alex said,” Jack mused quietly, finally able to say his friend’s name without the now-familiar ache. But he smiled at his wife and said, “You’re right.” Technically speaking, since Torchwood was an institute of the British Crown, it was still British territory. Thus, even their base here in West Virginia counted as a small patch of Britain, like the British embassy. However, Lacey’s point held true. His smile broadened and he repeated, “You’re absolutely right. This is our turf and even if we can’t assist your father and those soldiers directly, we have other ways of helping.”
“Damn straight. We’re Torchwood, after all. And before you ask, Corey is with Tosh, ‘helping.’ Don’t ask me how a four year old can help a computer genius, but Tosh certainly seemed happy enough to have her assistance,” Lacey replied. ‘We’re Torchwood.’ Jack hadn’t wanted his wife involved in the institute at all, and he wanted it even less when Lacey became pregnant with Corey. But things never worked out as you planned, and since they weren’t near the Rift, Lacey and Corey weren’t as in as much danger. Torchwood was still plenty dangerous. . .he only had to remember the previous year, when his team went up against that cross between Boba Fett and the Predator again. At least this time the worst he got out of it was a dislocated shoulder.
And he still didn’t know what species it was…but where the original was a bounty hunter, the last one was a soldier. It kept repeating its rank and serial number and mission when Jack questioned him/it/whatever. . .and that mission wasn’t supposed to be on Earth. Although, it did seem surprised when Jack translated Lacey’s observations about the bounty hunter she killed years earlier. Working together, Jack and Tosh got their soldier’s teleporter functional again. He/it bowed to them both and knelt to Lacey (surprising the hell out of her), and Jack could only hope that would lead to a more congenial third encounter with that species.
For now, he said only, “I think Corey doesn’t allow Tosh to work too hard, and she seems to be the only person who can lure Suzie away from that damn gauntlet. That thing is starting to worry me, Lacey. When Suzie first started researching it, I thought it might yield something useful. But she’s starting to get more obsessed with it and more determined to figure out its secrets, and I’m finding that the idea of bringing someone back from the dead, even to find murderers. . .” He let his voice trail off.
“I know,” she said quietly, “I’m keeping an eye on her, too. Suzie’s a grown woman, and I’m afraid that if you try to limit her exposure to that thing or take it away from her, she’ll grow more determined to get it back. I don’t know, Jack, it seems like either way we go, we’re screwed.” Yeah, his sentiments exactly. Lacey’s hand on his cheek brought his attention back to her and she said very seriously, “But I can tell you this. Suzie Costello is my best friend, aside from you, and I will not let some godforsaken gauntlet take my best friend away from me without a fight.”
“Between you and that gauntlet, I’ll bet on you every time. You, my lovely, are a very formidable woman. Learned most of it from your mother,” Jack told his wife. She grinned at him cheekily and he stole a kiss. For a few precious moments, he simply held his wife, inhaling the scent of her shampoo and treasuring the sensation of her breath against his skin, as well as her weight across his thighs. He whispered, feeling her shiver, “Even if this isn’t where everything changes, the ‘Bots being on Earth will change things. And we still have to be ready.” Her grasp on him tightened.
“Bring it on,” she murmured, “I’m a military wife, Jack, I knew what I was getting into when I married you. Might have gotten a bit more than I bargained for, but like I told you before, that would have been true, regardless of whom I married.” Yes, she did say that, and she was right. But he was a bit more of a handful than most men (or women, come to that), and he reminded her of that. She snickered and replied, “Yeah, well, you remind me of that every single night.”
That provoked a surprised laugh from him. She laughed as well, telling him, “I’ve learned quite a lot from my gorgeous husband.” Yes. . .yes, she did. He learned from her as well. Lacey kissed his forehead, murmuring, “And right now, my gorgeous husband has work to do. We both do. So I’ll let you do your job, and I’ll do mine. But we will be continuing this. . . conversation tonight, after the kids are in bed.” Jack laughed at that, as he was meant to, then Lacey slid from his lap. . . dammit, she did that on purpose! The extra little swing of her hips told Jack she did indeed, as did the grin she tossed over her shoulder. However, once he appreciated the view of his wife’s departing backside, Jack did turn his attention back to the piles of paperwork on his desk.The twenty-first century was when everything changed. And Jack would do everything within his power to make sure they were ready.
TBC