There was something out there.

Something bad.

Something wrong.

It was out there and it was manipulating the world.

Gwen Cooper woke up with a loud gasping breath. It was very late and very dark as she struggled to climb out of bed. There was a heavy humming breathy noise in her room as her daughter slept peacefully in her cot. Unaware that her mother had just suffered another strange nightmare. Gwen listened to her baby's breathing before perky her ears, Tosh was shifting in her sleep in the room next door while Owen was snoring beside her, and Ianto was down the corridor quiet as always.

She carefully picked up her precious baby and held her as tightly as she could risk. She admired her daughter's healthy body – no blemish, no permanent sign of injury, no internal damage, mental or physical – it was a blessing considering Gwen gave birth to her at gun point a little over a year ago.

She rests her forehead against the cool glass of her window and relaxes just a little bit.

"Something bad is going to happen Rose," Gwen whispered to her daughter, "but don't worry, Mummy will protect you, and so will Uncle Ianto, Uncle Owen, and Auntie Tosh."

She just didn't know who she was fighting this time.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTW

It was very Welsh.

The cottage they were living in. Stone build, four bedrooms (one to be Rose's when she is older), large living room/study/dining room and tiny kitchen. The house was surrounded by a large garden and two barns used to hold some of their weapons, Tosh's motorbike, and the gardening tools. It was indeed a nice place.

But it was in the middle of bloody nowhere and Owen hates the countryside.

He hated gardening even more.

"Why couldn't we live in the city?" Owen whined as he dug into the soil. The whining voice broke Ianto out of his thoughts and he turned from looking at the sky to Owen. "Surely none of us can rest here easily after that cannibal incident. Besides it smells revolting here – all that grass, pig's shit, and sea air. It's disgusting." Ianto rolled his eyes and turned back to look at the helicopter. "Don't be suspicious," Owen said pausing from his daily rant of the evils of countryside. "We won't be able to sleep tonight if we think the government are flying above us."

"It's not safe," Ianto said, "we're still not safe."

"Were we ever? Honestly Yan, we fought aliens on a daily bases, interfered with the police on a weekly bases, and attempted to destroy the government almost two years ago. Are we ever going to be safe? Torchwood might officially be over but we still have those memories, and weapons, and the knowledge. The government might think we need to disappear again."

"You are a very comforting person, Owen," Ianto said sarcastically, "I feel so much better."

Owen ignored the sarcasm. "We should have moved to the city. No one would have noticed us there. Somewhere like Birmingham where we could have been invisible. We stick out like a sore thumb in this bloody grassy world with sheep!"

"The government gave us this house with express order for us to remain silent. We don't have any choice in this Owen...and what is wrong with sheep?"

"I keep forgetting that you're Welsh," Owen said shaking his head. "Though I have to say there is one good thing about the countryside."

Ianto felt a sudden urge to get a video camera or at least call Gwen and Tosh out to witness this incredible moment. "And that is?"

"You are not wearing a suit any longer," Owen smirked, "I never thought I lived to see the day you wear a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with trainers."

"Oh shut up!"

"You know...Gwen has been eyeing you up in those jeans."

"I'll repeat myself – shut up."

Ianto then left Owen to struggle with the gardening as he walked back into the house. His thoughts were no longer on the helicopter or the government but on Gwen instead. Gwen Cooper the now single mother. They had attempted to run Torchwood out of Owen's flat for eight months but then the government got involved again and Gwen got kidnapped. Having your child born while your wife was held at gunpoint was the final straw for Rhys. Especially since he had no input in naming the baby and Gwen kept flinching when he tried to touch her. It was a mutual divorce and Rhys writes weekly to Rose. Every Monday Gwen will read his words out to the baby.

In the past year since the divorce and slow but definite change happened in the group dynamic. Owen and Tosh were now happily married (shocking sudden change) and that left Gwen and Ianto together when they went to do couply things. Their friendship had strengthened and there was an attraction that might have always been there but was now a lot stronger. He dreams of Gwen sometimes but then he also dreams of Jack and he is sure she does too.

At the end of the day they both love Jack.

Ianto thinks he might be able to share Jack with Gwen. Just as long as Jack shares Gwen with him.

That is if Jack ever came back. It's been over two years since they last saw him properly and they were beginning to wonder if they will ever see him.

They haven't seen the Doctor or Rose Tyler or Donna Noble or Martha and Mickey Smith since either. Well not strictly true they did see them briefly at Sarah Jane Smith's funeral when Rose was just two months old.

Rose Anwen Cooper-Williams was Torchwood's baby. All four of them adored her as if she was their own and Ianto was sure Jack would too if he ever came back.

"Outside, on my own, at midnight, and there was not a sound to be heard," Gwen's voice could be heard as she spoke softly and almost magically. Ianto walked in to watch her as she fed Rose and told her story. Despite her nervousness and fears when she first found out she was pregnant Gwen had taken to motherhood quickly. Ianto thought it made her even more beautiful than before. "And I looked up and a woman came out of the sky..." a dramatic gasp. "Shining she was – like moonlight and her eyes were white, blazing white, and then she started to sing like a thousand choirs. One woman with a thousand voices and it was beautiful-"

"Have you told her the one where Uncle Owen got locked in the cell naked?" Ianto asked.

The typing in the corner stopped as Tosh let out an uncharacteristic snort and Gwen giggled. "Oi!" Owen yelled as he walked in mud all over the floor. "Stop trying to turn the kid against me."

"I can't turn her against you when she already hates you," Ianto smirked.

"She doesn't hate me!" Owen protested. It was a sore point that he was the only one who couldn't get Rose to settle down when she's crying. She calms immediately when Ianto holds her, takes only a few seconds more with Gwen, and two minutes for Tosh but if Owen was the one to hold her she'll cry her eyes out until someone came to rescue her. "She just doesn't like the way I smell!" he was sure it was that cologne Ianto brought him for Christmas.

"Well then shower," Gwen said screwing her nose up. "I don't know what Tosh sees in you."

"Animal magnetism," Tosh said dryly.

There was a sudden knock on the door.

The atmosphere suddenly changed from a teasing warm one to a tense cold one. Everyone froze for one long second before they all moved. Tosh grabbed Rose from her highchair and hid under the desk while Owen got a gun out and stood behind the wall, Ianto opposite him, and Gwen grabbing a hand gun went to open the door.

"Hello," a male voice.

"Sorry," a female one added.

"I hope we're not disturbing you," the male one said cheerfully, "if we're going back to the village is it quicker to walk across the beach or get cut off. Better to ask I thought just in case."

"We have got proper shoes," the woman said just as cheerfully as her companion, "It's no problem."

"This is private property. I'm busy," Gwen said rudely before slamming the door.

She rushed back into the living room and peered out of the window. Ianto followed her and could see an elderly couple walking down the path. "Now that was something I expected Owen to say," he teased gently in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere.

"Hey!"

Rose giggled with Tosh.

"I could have shot them," Gwen said shakily. Ah so that was why she was rude, her nerves were all shaken and she had almost gone against her principals and hurt two innocent people.

"But you didn't and we're safe," Ianto murmured as his hand took hers giving it a calming squeeze. "We're safe. It's over. No one knows we're here." He led her to the sofa and sat her down. "Now I'll make us all a cup of coffee."

"And some lunch, make us some lunch Ianto," Owen ordered.

Great even though they were living in the countryside, no longer officially working for Torchwood, and were supposed to be equals – Ianto was still the tea boy. Bloody typical.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTW

Gwen's father is in hospital.

It was a heart attack and he was stable. Thank god. But it was still a little frightening especially for Gwen who thought the world of her father. She had been literally Daddy's little girl when she was a child and couldn't bear the thought of her father dying. Ianto didn't like the idea either. After the whole 456 thing Gwen's parents once again found out about Torchwood and didn't really care. It made Gwen happy and what made Gwen happy made them happy. Ianto, Owen, and Tosh were often invited to Sunday dinner and Ianto often got into in-depth conversations about Welsh politics with Mr Cooper.

Rose was already cut off from her Williams' roots as Rhys' mother refused to have anything to do with Gwen. It wouldn't be fair if she lost a grandparent before ever getting to know him.

Then suddenly something magical and terrifying happened.

No one can die.

It was called Miracle Day.

No one dies even if they should they don't. Someone had been burnt to a crisp and were still moving and breathing despite the absolute agony they were in.

Gwen was in tears as she had no idea what to do, what to say, or what to even think. It took Ianto a cup of coffee, some chocolate and comforting words before he could get her to calm down.

After being reassured by Andy, who promised to visit Gwen's father everyday so Gwen could go back into hiding, they headed back home. Ianto driving in a calm slow pace since he was certain if Gwen got behind the wheel they would end up in a ditch. She was far too busy listening and talking to Tosh and Owen as they debated this Miracle Day thing.

At first Owen thought it was a good thing and Gwen was almost inclined to agree with him. After all this meant that Gwen and Ianto could live the long extended life Tosh and Owen received from Rose Tyler and they could be all happy. It also meant that their little Rose would grow up with no concern about health and safety.

But then Tosh pointed out that the world is already struggling with the population it has let alone one that have long life-spans. Food would eventually need to be rationed, property prices would rise and get crowded, and unemployment would rise as there would be fewer jobs in the world, economy would eventually crash, warfare would get even worse as soldiers began to believe they were immortal, and medicine would run out...it would be the apocalypse eventually.

They then debated about the causes of this Miracle Day as Ianto got closer towards their little home. It could be in the water, the food, the air, a strange coincidence, maybe the rift has done something...

Then they touched a sensitive subject...it could be him...or maybe Rose Tyler did something or maybe something happened to the TARDIS...

"You know," Owen said with all the sensitivity of a bull, "I bet it's Jack's fault."

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

After spending the whole night going over everything and arguing whether or not it's likely for Jack to turn up Ianto drifted into a half-sleep doze with little Rose curled up on his lap, her head against his stomach and her tiny hand clutching onto his t-shirt. Gwen was also dozing on his shoulder with a hand clutching his tightly. The two Cooper girls had soft dreamy smiles on their faces as if they were dreaming about the same pleasant thing.

"Oi, tea-boy, make us a cuppa!" Owen demanded.

Ianto was about to make a sarcastic insulting comeback when a loud squeak of their gate could be heard. Tosh froze before peeking out of the window. "There's a man out there."

A sudden flurry of movement happened. Owen took Rose who was still sleeping away, Tosh snatched up her gun, Ianto grabbed his and backed Gwen up who held hers high up and burst out of the front door.

The man held up a gun to her as well. Ianto observed that he was an injured, ill man as he hobbled, panted, and could barely stand properly. He had dark skin, dressed sharply in a smart suit, and had a look about him that suggested he fought and seen terrible things.

"CIA!" he shouted.

Great an American busybody. Ianto suppressed a shudder as he remembered the American out roar whenever Britain got all the alien attention. Bloody power-hungry pigs.

"Yeah? So what?" Gwen yelled back summing up Ianto's thoughts.

The man started a coughing fit before he collapsed. Gwen turned to face him with a confused frown. Ianto watched the man behind her but gave her the slightest of winks to tell her that the man was still unconscious and not about to attack her.

"Owen! This man needs medical attention."

"So call a bloody ambulance!" Owen snapped as Rose woke up and started to cry. "We should do a runner before more of them find us."

"I agree," Tosh said. "It looks like no matter what we do they're going to drag us into it anyway so we might as well leave and begin our own investigation on our free will."

"Gwen..." Ianto said, "Do you still have those handcuffs?"

"Shut up Owen!" Gwen snapped as Owen opened his mouth to make a comment about Gwen and Ianto having kinky sex. God he was too predictable. "And no, Ianto, I don't...but I know there's some handy rope"

"Shut up Owen!" Ianto and Gwen snapped as Owen once more tried to make a comment on kinky sex. "Go grab the rope, I'll start packing," Ianto added.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

They didn't get their chance to do a runner before anyone else turned up.

They packed the essentials, Gwen quickly lay down the law to the man who woke up just after she tied him up, and Tosh was making a call to the emergency operator when a helicopter began to hover outside one of the bedroom windows. They all moved quickly or ducked to avoid some sort of missile that flew through the window and out of the hallway one blowing everything up in its path.

Ianto was beginning to wonder if Jack and Owen's presence in his life have begun to corrupt him as he couldn't help think that Gwen looked dangerously sexy as she tried to shoot down the man in the helicopter while holding Rose tightly to her.

They ran out of the house quickly, ducking, and dodging any possible bullets when Jack appeared out of thin air with a gun. He looked heroic, smug, and sexy as ever. They all quickly piled in the car and was chased by the helicopter until Jack handed Ianto a 'present' of an alien weapon.

He shot down the helicopter and it went down in flames. Owen cheered childishly, Tosh let out a huge sigh of relief, and Ianto blushed faintly as he felt Gwen peck him on the cheek.

They all climbed out of the car and stood side by side looking at the destroyed plane. He felt Jack's hand take his and smiled slightly.

"Who are you people?" the CIA agent asked looking at them with horror.

"Torchwood," Gwen said calmly.

They all exchanged looks and burst into maniacal laughter. They were once more reunited. They were back. They were going to better than ever before...

They were going to be Torchwood again.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

They were now home.

Because that was what Cardiff had always been to them. Home. Ianto could almost believe they were going through their secret passage behind the tourist info booth desk or down the invisible lift. That they would sit round their old conference table and eat pizza or Chinese. He remembered his beautiful coffee machine and how the new one was nothing like the amazing one in the Hub.

Instead they sat at the newly built pass as Gwen tried to think of what to do. Should one of them run off to Mary Cooper to drop Rose off? Should one of them find somewhere to stay? Does Jack have any new weapons because they hardly had anything left from their Torchwood jobs?

"I cut my arm," Jack said.

"And?" Owen said. "Don't be a baby Jack."

Owen was never the first one to forgive Jack when he does his runners. That was usually Tosh followed by Ianto, then Gwen. Ianto had a feeling there was going to be a few snide remarks from Owen for quite some time.

Nothing new there then.

"No, I cut my arm," Jack pulled down his sleeve to reveal a gruesome cut that looked it might be infected, "look at it. It's not healing...I'm staying hurt."

"You mean..." Gwen trailed off as the realisation hit her. "Oh my god!"

"I know!"

Owen grabbed Tosh's arm and pulled her sleeve down to reveal a bruise. He then pulled up his shirt and looked at the grazing on his stomach. Still red raw. "We're not healing either..."

"The whole world becomes immortal," Ianto said quietly putting it together, "but you three are turned back to mortal..."

Now that was bloody typical just when Ianto and Gwen get their chance to be immortal with the rest of the group they had to go and turn mortal on them. How unfair is that?

"I'm normal again..." Jack said in awe. "Plain human once more..."

"You talk some crazy shit, you know that?" the CIA agent said. They found out on the very long car journey that his name was Rex Mathewson and he was a pain in the rear.

"Shut up!" everyone shouted.

"It doesn't concern you," Jack added.

"Let me look at your arm," Owen said turning to Jack in his doctor mode.

"Any minute now," Rex murmured...Ianto's ears pricked as he could hear sirens heading towards them. Shit! "Here's my ride now," Rex stood up. They all began to run but were quickly surrounded. Poor Andy looked dejected as he appeared out of one of the cars. He was obviously forced to do this. Owen made some rude remarks and protests that Rex ignored. He began to ramble conditions and codes all from America.

But the fact was heard loud and clear.

They were going to America and forced to work with the CIA.

Torchwood...in America.

Well this should be good.