AS THE WORLD FALLS DOWN

"And remember to do your homework after school and not two minutes before bedtime" Gwen said sternly as she parked the car.

"Yes Mum" her three children chorused in an innocent tone. She suspected they'll purposely forget homework again tonight.

"Well then, goodbye. Have a nice day" they exited the car without saying goodbye back, running towards the school gates and their friends waiting there. "AND BE GOOD!" she called after them. She sighed but couldn't resist smiling as she set out for work.

Eleven years ago she never thought children and Torchwood would mix but Rhys had made it work. She couldn't claim the credit for all the hours he fed, played and parented the children. She was rarely home for dinner and barely managed to say goodnight to them when she did get home, exhausted and drained from another day of saving the world. Driving them to school was the most quality time she gets with them unless she took her holidays. The children were good they were just mischievous like their father. Jack had just turned ten recently while Emily and Charlotte (Charlie, Mum, its Charlie) were eight and six respectfully.

"Ma'am" a voice interrupted her thoughts through her ear piece. "We have another weevil attack close by"

"I'm on it, gather the rest and get armed. I'll need back-up if the weevil gets out of hand" Gwen ordered.

"Yes Ma'am! It's heading towards the shopping centre"

Gwen quickly spun the driving wheel and turned sharply round a corner. This was what she really lived for. The excitement and adrenalin from saving people. She loved Rhys and her children dearly but nothing could measure up to this. She enjoyed being the boss of it all, having a strong team at her back and following her orders. Having a secret base that she had chosen and built and going to bed satisfied that she made the world just a little safer for her children.

The car halted to a stop as she flung the door open and got her gun out. People were running towards her screaming as they tried to escape the weevil. "Torchwood, out of the way!" she yelled out as she pushed past pedestrians and ran through the street straight to the weevil.

Her heart hammered as she shot at it. The bullet went through its arm but it roared an angry growl before lunging at her. She shot again and missed, Damnit! What the hell is wrong with her? She's a better shot than this. She aimed again, stumbling back as it lashed out and-

Uck!

Its claws struck into her side and she fell down to the ground as it lashed out for her face. Jack, where the hell are you when I need you? Where was her back-up? Where was everyone? In a quick startling second all her grief hit her again as she realised Jack, Tosh, Owen and Ianto were all gone and this was definitely it. Her team, the one she had made and shaped, weren't going to get there in time. They didn't have Tosh's quick computer skills to get the co-ordinates within a second, they didn't have Ianto's organising skills or Owen's medical and they didn't have Jack's leadership to get them to act quickly.

Everything went dark before she even knew it.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

"Gwen..."

Grey streets flickered around her, a bright red hoodie, a swish of a blue coat and warm strong arms around her.

Music began to play, familiar music, magical music, a song she heard from before somewhere.

As such a sad love. Deep in your eyes, a kind of pale jewel. Open and closed within your eyes, I'll place the sky within your eyes.

Silver lights and glitter and beautiful things. A man running towards her, his great big coat flying behind him as he calls out to her, reaching out for her. She can't see his face. It's all blurred and made over with something else. Something else she knows.

There's such a fooled heart, beating so fast in search of new dreams. A love that will last within your heart, I'll place the moon within your heart.

Red, screaming, save and sound in warms arms, familiar voices echoing around her calling out all the same thing, "Gwen!"Flashes of faces that she knows somewhere, the blank mask of a hurt man, the annoyed scowl of a sarcastic doctor and the warm hurt eyes of a shy girl.

As the pain sweeps through. Makes no sense for you. Every thrill has gonst, wasn't too much fun at all, but I'll be there for you-oo-oo. As the world falls down, falling, (as the world), falls down, falling in love.

The blurs clear up and in a peaceful darkness she could hear the music disappear slowly, fading out as her breathing gets louder and deeper and she opens her eyes...

TWTWTWTWTWTWTW

The light was blinding as it was when the curtain was suddenly pulled round sharply and a man stood there glaring at her. He was tall and rather intimidating though she faced down worst and was hardly bothered by his glare. He had sandy, dirty coloured hair long enough to be tucked behind his ears; he wore a long coat and was stocky. Middle aged, roughly in his forties the most.

"Bout time you woke up" he growled. "I get a call saying my DI, who has yet to come to work was in hospital. You can't get knocked down before you even start. Isn't a good impression, y'know?"

"Who are you?" she croaked.

"DCI Gene Hunt. Your new boss, you should count yourself lucky most wouldn't bother keeping you on if that's all you can take. Some man pushing you back into a wall, I've seen other women made of stronger stuff than that. Get up and get dressed Cooper before I drag yer out in your undies"

"I don't understand. I think you got the wrong person or made a mistake, I'm not a police officer anymore I'm a-"

Hunt rolled his eyes. "DI Gwen Cooper recently transferred from Cardiff after a nasty divorce. I do know who you are missy. This is what I get taking on another female DI, I was better off with that whiny git but no he had to bugger off as well. Well, what are you waiting for? Criminals aren't going to stand around waiting for you to make arrests, get up and get dressed!"

Without thinking Gwen got up and started to get dressed. She stared down in a mix of confusion and tiredness at what she was putting on. Tight black leggings and a baggy white t-shirt with bright coloured designs on, she had a black jacket to match and she was wearing real converses. Real eighties converses, proper vintage. A quick peek in the mirror and she noted in horror that her hair had been back-combed into wild black...tangles and wildness.

"Oh god, like waking up in the eighties" she muttered patting her hair down. She had no brush on her and a comb wouldn't do anything at all.

"Hurry up, we going to the station not a pageant" Hunt snarled.

She stepped out and he barely looked at her before whirling round and marching out of the ward. "I need to discharge myself" she said running to catch up with him.

"No need. Already done it" he grunted leading her out towards what looked like a Mercedes where two guys stood by it. Well one was leaning all over it and smoking while the other stood there patiently. "Oi! Harper, what have I told yer about leaning on my car? It's too good for you to get your crummy marks all over it"

"Sorry Gov, next time don't take so bloody long chatting up some bird" Harper drawled as he stamped out his cigarette. He was wearing a brown leather jacket, jeans and a shirt. Mousy brown hair just hit the collar of the shirt. He turned and looked at her. "Not much to look at her, look at all of them freckles"

"Well DIs aren't chosen for their looks, Owen" a tired voice said patiently. The second man was dressed in a suit, hair neatly combed, all nice and clean. He turned round and smiled at her fleetingly and politely. "They're chosen for their brains and hard work. Good to meet you Ma'am"

She looked at them both blankly, her heart was thudding harder and harder and she just couldn't believe it. "She don't look like she has any brains gaping at us like fishes" Owen observed.

"Owen...Ianto..." she choked out. "You're here!"

They both looked at her in confusion. "I'm sorry Ma'am" Ianto said, "but do we know you?"

"It's me! Gwen Cooper, we worked together in Cardiff, at Torchwood with Jack. Don't you remember?"

"I've never been to bloody Cardiff. What the hell is Torchwood and who the fuck is Jack?" Owen said.

"Right ladies, you can all have a good catch up after we caught some criminals and it's your own time. Not now when we're working" Hunt said as he unlocked the car. "Cooper is in the front with me"

"What but I'm always in the front" Owen whined.

"Yes but she's DI and you're not"

Owen grumbled as he climbed in the back seat with Ianto. Gwen went to put her seatbelt on but Hunt gave her a dark look that made her stop and let it bounce back into place. "Thatta girl, Freckles. We're police officers not vicars" he then started the car and in a way that she'd only seen in movies or when Jack was driving, he began to drive fast and insanely.

"I can't remember" she said looking around at her surroundings. It was so different and less...high-tech from Cardiff. If Owen and Ianto don't remember her then she might possibly been dragged into something by the rift and she needs to know where and when. "Where am I and what year is it?"

Hunt barked a laugh. "London, Freckles, in 1986"

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