Chapter 1 - Beginnings

For the first 6 days of my life it was brilliant because I didn't remember anything. See the thing was my parents left my on my own on the steps to Hartlepool Street orphanage. They didn't want me. Apparently they where going travelling and it would have been too dangerous for me to go with them. Still is apparently. For the next 15 years, 364 days, 6 hours and 2 minutes, I was brought up as a sweet innocent girl, who always did well in her exams and was never in trouble. Not always popular, bit a geek actually. Seemed to have a knack for science, must have inherited it from somewhere. But in the big wide world, I was an insignificant being. Just a normal girl, trying to get on with her life.

At the orphanage I was the eldest and therefore the responsible one, the one the other kids looked up to and for 15 years of my life I was that person. Everything changed when I was 16.

June 1st 2006. My 16th birthday. That's the day that everything changed.

I was at the care home, they stopped calling them orphanages due to some rights movement which meant that we weren't orphans but classed as kids in care, and there was a knock at the door. At first I thought it would be some door to door sales person trying to sell us some vacuum cleaner that would do all the work for you, but it wasn't, it was the postman. You might not think that this is unusual but it was as kids in care hardly get any post. So I opened the door and took the mail of him. He was a nice chap, 'bout 6 foot tall, skinny and quite handsome actually. I'll never forget him because he was the only one who said happy birthday to me and truly meant it. I mean the kids and the staff at the home where nice and wished me happy birthday but it was like it had been rehearsed a thousand times already. Anyway the postman handed me just one letter. A bright white envelope, with Miss G Tyler and the address of the home written in elegant slanted writing on the front of it. I hadn't got a clue who it was off, after all my parents had left me and I had no other relatives. Or so I thought.

I opened the envelope to find a newspaper article. It was old because the colour wasn't black and white it was more brown, you know, like an old treasure map. I opened it up and recognised the picture straight away it was that of an old war poster. You know the one with the solider pointing out towards you and saying Britain needs you. Except this said Torchwood needs you. Then written underneath in the same elegant handwriting that was on the envelope was a message. It read:

Miss Tyler, please meet me at the Millennium Centre on the Roahl Dahl Plass, Cardiff, June 1st 2006. I'll be wearing a suit.

I'll be waiting

I quickly turned it over to see if there was a name, but there was nothing. I turned to Maria, one of the care workers, thinking it was some joke. After all I was leaving the day after to go to the halfway house. Ready to try and start my life. But no, no joke nobody knew about it. The staff even asked the kids if someone was messing around, but no one owned up. What was I meant to do? Go to Cardiff and meet this mystery person or stay at the care home with set routines and birthday cake?

I decided against it, I mean, 1. I didn't know who was this person was. They could be some psychopath wanting to kill me for all I know, 2. I couldn't anyway, my parents left me no money and I'd spent all my money on my lunch at school before I left and 3. The care home would never let me go anyway. So that was that. I stayed at the care home with the set routines and ate the birthday cake. Or did I?

I figured it out. It would take me 2 hours to get to Cardiff train station and another half hour to find this mystery person. The only thing I needed was the train fare. I was glad it was my birthday! Birthday money would sort out the fare. Sorted! Normally I would have told someone where I was going; normally I wouldn't even do this sort of thing. Normally went out of the window when I chucked my bag out. I sneaked past the kitchen window and out of the front gate. Cardiff here I come.

I reached the train station bought my ticket and waited for the train, with all these thoughts running through my head. It looked like I was running away. Technically I did plan to go back to the care home once I'd finished meeting this mystery person, but just like the old me that went out of the window to. So sat on the train on my way to Cardiff. Just as I predicted, 2 hours later I was in Cardiff station asking a local police officer where Roahl Dahl Plass was. I was determined to find out who this Torchwood was and who this mysterious stranger was.

After directions from the local police officer, I found the Plass fairly easily. I thought back to Maria and the kids at the care home, probably not even noticed I'd gone, I hoped anyway. But there stood on the pavement, arms by his side, watching the world pass by was what I thought to be my stranger and boy was I right. Thing was where he was stood the rest of the world couldn't see him. It was just me and only me. Whether it was because I was desperately looking for him or whether it was a coincidence, I'll never know. But there he was my stranger. Demanding to meet me on my 16th birthday.

I walked over to him. He looked at me and smiled. This must be him then, I thought.

"Miss Tyler, I presume?" he said in a thick welsh accent. Definitely from around here then. "I'm Ianto, Ianto Jones. I've been expecting you"

AN: okay so this is my first ever doctor who story. Please be lovely people and review it so I know where the good stuff is!