Author's notes: After 15 years of writing for myself, here is my first work to be published. Thanks to Roza Fufa for giving me the encouraging kick in the pants I needed.

Set sometime after first season, Owen is alive, full team, Jack/Ianto established... no specific episodes mentioned (as of yet).

The SUV stopped outside of a warehouse were the GPS had indicated something or someone had come through the Rift. Jack unholstered his weapon as Owen and Ianto came around the vehicle both with weapons drawn. Ianto glanced down at the device he held and pointed to a building next to the one they had stopped in front of, "can we hope for a Weevil?" Owen said.

"In the middle of the day?" Jack responded.

"Tosh didn't recognize the signature, so not a Weevil" Ianto added and was shot a dirty look from Owen.

In front of the building Jack crouched down next to a silver pool of liquid that almost looked like mercury, "what is it?" Ianto asked as he scanned it.

"I think…" Jack stuck his finger in the pool.

"Are you stupid?" Owen smacked his arm. "It could kill you!" The three men paused and looked at each other. "Oh. Right." Jack rubbed the substance between his fingers and took a sniff of it. "I swear if you lick that…"

"I think it's blood" Jack said wiping his hand on his knee and stood up.

"Blood? Silver blood? What are we hunting? Unicorns? Please tell me it's unicorns."

"Several alien races have silver-ish blood. If it's wounded it could be more dangerous, so keep an eye out" Jack warned them.

They followed the trail of blood into the warehouse until it stopped. Jack glanced back at Ianto who motioned up the stairs which led to a hallway of abandoned offices. Each took an office, made a quick sweep of it and then moved to the next. "Jack" Ianto said standing in the doorway of the third door he'd checked. He trained his gun on the woman leaning against the wall breathing heavily. Her left hand pressed to her side was covered in the silver blood and it spilled down the knee length leather shorts and collected in the top of the boot that started just below her knee then pooled around her foot.

Both stared at each other until Jack and Owen appeared. The woman pushed herself off the wall and with her right hand pulled a long knife with a cured blade from behind her. It seemed like a strange move considering she appeared to have a gun like weapon holstered to her left hip, although it was also covered in blood.

The three men slowly entered the room trying not to spook her, "please tell me she is really dressed all in leather" Ianto rolled his eyes without looking at the doctor. Of course that would be the first thing Owen would notice.

"Hey there" Jack said, "Why don't you put the knife down. Three guns against you aren't really the best odds". He started to slowly move forward as she took a step back flipping the direction of the knife in her hand. Jack studied her trying to place her race. She had long dark blond hair pulled up behind her and had delicate features, the aqua eyes were unusual but not enough to place her origins. In fact, if it weren't for the silver blood she was rapidly losing his first guess would have been human but Jack also knew that aliens should never be judged by their exterior. She could very easily be an over sized man eating cockroach on the inside, although, he thought they generally did not bleed silver. "Look, we really don't want to hurt you" as if to demonstrate he put the Webley back in the holster and held up his hands out to show they were empty. He knew Owen and Ianto both had their weapons on her. "You are losing a lot of blood. Who are you" he asked. Her aqua eyes moved from his face to the men behind him and back, "where are you from?" She nervously turned the knife over again.

"Zy'oe" she finally said. Jack straightened up; a look of confusion passed quickly over his face then faded. "Zy'oe?" he repeated.

"You know it?"

"Yes. You came through a Rift in time and space and ended up on Earth. Let us fix your wound and we can try to get you back home through it".

"No!" The strength in her word caused Jack to take one step back. She raised her right hand and the knife she still held in surrender, the left still covered her side. "Under Article 7 of the Shadow Proclamation, I surrender myself as your prisoner, in exchange, I ask to serve out my sentence on Earth". So many questions ran through Jack's mind as he stood watching her.

Finally he said "put the knife down" wondering if it was a ruse to get him to lower his guard. There was no way a Zy'oean would willingly surrender with no chance of returning to their plant. Slowly she bent down and gently put the knife on the floor keeping her eyes locked on Jack's. She withdrew a spiral bladed knife from her right boot and set it next to the other. She stood up and started to reach for the gun, "Don't" Jack warned. She quickly put both hands up. "Ianto" he held his hand out and Ianto put the restraints in Jack's hand. "It's just for everyone's safety" he said carefully approaching her. Jack gently closed the wrist restraints around her "what's your name" he asked.

"Zafia Phazah"

"I'm Jack, this is Owen" he motioned the man forward. "He's a doctor and will cover your wound before we go". She briefly nodded. Owen had already put on a pair of gloves and unholstered the bloody weapon holding it out for Ianto to take. Without touching it, Ianto sealed it in a plastic bag with the Torchwood logo on it. He gathered the knives and put them in a second bag. "Ianto will look after them" Jack told her.

"We need to get her back to the Hub before she loses any more blood because we'll be out of luck for a transfusion" Owen told Jack as he pressed a wound pad to the woman's side. As if emphasizing his point Zafia collapsed against him, "great" Owen grumbled, now covered in blood.