TORCHWOOD - CONDUIT
Chapter One
Cardiff Bay was busy that afternoon, bustling with locals and tourists alike, all enjoying the rarity of sunshine on an early spring day. All except for Captain Jack Harkness and Gwen Cooper that is. They were standing by the railings overlooking the Bay, and they were arguing. To be more precise, Gwen was arguing. Jack was listening.
"You forget - people have feelings Jack!" Gwen snapped as she stared stubbornly out across the Bay
"That's not fair!"
"No? - You can't just go walking all over them all the time, you can't! You know – you're forgetting what it's like to be human! Oh – what's the point?"
Jack watched bemused as she stormed off to join the rest of the Torchwood team who were sitting on a line of seats nearby. He just couldn't help feeling like a father attempting to reason with their irrational teenage offspring, and getting nowhere fast.
The Torchwood team. His team. Owen, sitting on the back of one of the seats with his feet on the metal bench, fiddling with the latest application on his new, top-of-the-range mobile phone; Toshiko sitting next to him, only really half listening to Gwen sounding off about Jack; whilst Ianto stands, reluctantly drinking coffee from a cardboard coffee-shop cup, eyeing the contents with the utmost suspicion.
Jack sighed and turned to lean on one of the rails. He looked out across the Bay, half-blinded by the bright sunlight as it hit the water. Lost in thought, he was oblivious to the pretty, dark-haired, young woman in the red dress, perched on the railings next to him. She had watched with interest, and not to mention slight amusement, the recent squabble. She leaned towards him.
"Well, I guess that told you!" She laughed as she lowered herself from the railings. For what was probably the first time in a long while, Jack was rendered speechless. Well, almost.
"Estelle?" He stuttered eventually. The pretty girl's face lit up, her smile widely matching Jack's own. She loved this part - she almost never fully appreciated how much she missed him, until she saw him again.
"Hello Captain!"
Jack laughed. From across the Boardwalk, Gwen turned to see Jack and 'the woman in red' in a friendly, but passionate embrace.
"Who's Jack talking to?" She asked no-one in particular. The others turned to look.
Toshiko, shielding her eyes from the glare of the sun on the Bay, shook her head. "I don't know, she doesn't look familiar."
Owen looked up from his new toy and offered a smile, which quickly turned into a lecherous sneer. "Dunno, don't recognise her but ... Jack obviously does!" He sniggered and pointed in Jack's direction, they turned back to see Jack and Estelle sharing a friendly kiss. Gwen looked away, trying to ignore the sharp pang of jealousy suddenly stabbing at her insides.
Down by the railings, Estelle pulled away from Jack "There! Now let them say you've forgotten about feelings!" she laughed.
"I didn't know you were coming! It's good to see you" said Jack warmly
"You too, it's been a long time" Estelle looked around her at the busy Boardwalk and then up towards the Roald Dahl Plass "How about de-briefing me over a coffee? I take it you do still drink coffee?"
"Live on it!" Jack laughed. He took her hand and the pair walked off down the Boardwalk and up the wooden steps that led towards the Plass "Come on, I know a great little place." In that instance, Jack suddenly remembered and stopped short -
"Oh, by the way – welcome to the 21st Century!"