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Bilis Manger was a very patient demon man. He could, and did, wait years, centuries for plans to come to fruitition, so waiting a few days was nothing. It was an easy thing to do when one could just step across time. But he was always one to push things along in the right direction, so he had left cryptic little messages for Jack Harkness, anonymous of course, to meet him at a very quiet, out of the way bar not far from the Millennium Centre. The messages were addressed, however, to a Captain James Harper.

Each evening, he waited the bar across the street to see if his bait would be taken.

You just woke up and found yourself in bed with the very LAST person(s) you ever expected to. How did this happen, is this real, and now what will you do?

I must say that in this guise at my age, I would be very surprised to find myself waking up next to anyone in bed. However, it is not entirely beyond the realms of possibility and highly probably in another form.

I do think, though, that the person or persons that I woke up next to would be far more surprised.

Imagine the reaction on Harkness' face should he ever wake up and find my arms around him, despite how generous he is with his affections. How we might have got into such a situation is pure conjecture, but I highly doubt we would have tumbled into bed after a wild night partying. No, more likely, I would have whispered sweet nothings into his ear gently persuading him, guiding the evening to its inevitable and undoubtedly pleasurable conclusion.

Or maybe I will wake next to Gwen, and as her still sleepy gaze looks upon her Rhys me, those lush lips will press against mine as she coyly asks Rhys for a repeat performance. Of which Rhys I will be only too glad to provide.

Or perhaps Owen will dream of his pilot or Ianto dream of his dead girlfriend there in bed next to them, when it could well be me.

I can expect anyone in my bed, but what about others?

And elderly man walks up to you in the street. He appears, oh, in his mid-seventies, and he is dressed in a manner that was, perhaps, fashionable decades ago, in a cravat. He asks, so very politely, if he can help you and introduces himself. You don't suspect him of anything, not yet at least as he shows you around the building, letting you in all those rooms you couldn't get into before. Then your search for you friends turns up nothing, like a proper English gentleman, he offers to put the kettle on. After all, a cup of tea makes everything better, doesn't it?

It's only once you talk to your other…friends that you realize that all is not what it seems.

Those who know me may wonder why I take this guise. The answer is quite simple. I prefer to appear frail, old. Perhaps my bones are weak. People like to help me then, or if not help me then at least are more wont to listen to me. For all they see is a fragile old man, well-spoken and well-dressed who is out of his time. How could such an old dear possibly want to do anyone any harm, and even if he wanted to, how would he?

That night there were angels dancing at the Ritz.

1941. Even in those chaotic, dark days people found reasons to enjoy themselves at a party, and I, for one had a ball.

This one particular evening was a very special one. People came to the Ritz to show their appreciation for the brave men in uniform that would soon be leaving Cardiff to be reassigned with their squadron closer to the actin. It was a farewell party for those saying goodbye to their sweethearts and to wish them luck.

The two strangers showed up. One in a very unconventional uniform that was barely recognizable as RAF, and the other was a young Japanese lady. They certainly livened up an already swinging party.

Naturally, people were suspicious of Miss Sato because of her nationality, but her companion managed to put to rest their fears of her being an enemy spy. As for him, perhaps I should call him Captain Harper, after all I'm sure it's as much his real name as the other he uses. Up to this point, I had been curious as to how he would introduce himself to one Captain Jack Harkness. What does one say to the man whose name and identity you've stolen? But I need not have worried, and I even recorded the meeting on my camera for posterity and to leave clues for Torchwood to find them…and me.

The two captains got along better than even I imagined they would. I knew the fraud would be curious and Captain Harkness would be drawn to a fellow American in the Eagle Squadron, but I underestimated their chemistry and sexual attraction. Not that I minded.

I was more focused on Miss Sato. Captain Harkness was nothing more than to keep the phony distracted. The important thing was to get her to write down that formula so the others could open the Rift. The timing of the air raid was perfect, giving her the chance to slip away, write it down, and hide it without being discovered -- and I must say, using her own blood was an inspiration of her own making.

Then the dancing continued.

The pair of them are quite a surprising couple. Miss Sato as I just mentioned, and then 'Captain Harper's' natural charisma. But it was the real Jack Harkness who took us all by surprise by asking his…identity thief to dance. I would have put money on it being the other way.

You might not think this, but I can be quite the romantic, and that night watching them both dance in each other's arms was a beautiful sight, moving around the dancef loor cheek-to-cheek. Although everyone else aside from Miss Sato and myself were almost reeling with shock. It was a pleasure to see 1940's sensibilities so fundamentally shaken.

So with a kiss our two strangers left through the Rift to deal with the chaos now unleashed by the rest of their team, and dear Captain Harkness left saluting, about to die the very next day.

Oh, a very splendid party indeed, and I say let the dancing always continue!

I'm still researching the Iblis aspect of Bilis, but this is what I've come up with so far and how it relates to how he'll be played here.

( FAQ style )

Oh, isn't this fitting? This prompt follows on quite neatly from last weeks.

Now, where did I leave off? Oh yes, I had said about the Captain and Miss Sato returning from 1941 through the Rift.

So, where does the disappointment come in? It comes in the most severe form possible, the abrupt end of the plans one has set in motion for millennia. It didn't take much of my skills to encourage those four members of Torchwood that they needed to fully open the Rift to bring back their loved ones and set to rights the mistake they made by opening it in the first place.

They did it. Abaddon the Devourer was released from his imprisonment to feast on all those in his shadow. After so long a victory. But that victory turned quickly sour. I can't say for certain what happened, but somehow, Jack Harkness sacrificed himself until his energy overwhelmed him.

Then it was no more.

But it was not the end. Will not be the end.

Of course I do.

Anything can slip through the Rift, even ghosts. Ghosts are just an echo of the past, or future that can, on occasion take more solid form and not be merely a recording of they once (or will) did. In some extraordinary circumstances and in the right hands, these ghosts can even be manipulated.

For example, there might be some anonymous reports of big band music coming from a disused dance hall. Those reports might attract the attention of certain interested parties. Upon their investigation, they might find a time more than sixty years previously being played out before them, and when they discover that one ghost is that of Captain Jack Harkness, the real one mind you not the charlatan who calls himself such. A nice little distraction while Miss Sato worked on the formula so her colleagues could open the Rift for them to return, and set in motion his return.

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Bilis Manger
Torchwood
Word Count: 156