"Gwen?" a voice called.
Gwen stopped, turning around. A man (perhaps in his late twenties) stood in the middle of the road, a goofy grin on his face. He was tall, with a mop of brown hair, tweed jacket, and a blue bow-tie.
"Can I help you?" Gwen asked.
"You're Gwen. Never thought I'd see you again. I should probably stop coming to Cardiff so often, otherwise I'm bound to run into... people. Anyways, coffee, Miss Cooper?"
"And who are you?"
"A friend."
"A friend," Gwen repeated cynically.
"Oh come on. Are you going to pass up a free cup of coffee? It's just right there," he pointed to the coffee shop across the street.
Gwen took a tentative step forward. She was low on caffeine and she'd been on the schedule to be working late tonight with Torchwood. And it was free... "No strings attached?"
"I promise you that this coffee lacks strings of any kind. Come on," he grinned and started across the street to the coffee shop. Gwen hesitated, but followed him after a moment's deliberation.
They sat down across from each other in a booth. He rattled off a complicated order for himself; the waitress scribbled furiously to keep up with him. Gwen took pity on her and ordered something simple.
The man took a large sip of his coffee and choked, coughing and sputtering, "Ow! Hot! Ow!"
The few other people in the shop stared at him. Gwen raised her eyebrows.
"Ugh. That's disgusting," he wrinkled his noise and stared down at the cup of coffee suspiciously. His hand drifted to his pocket, then back up as if he'd changed his mind.
"You ordered it," Gwen noted, sipping her own. Blech; it had nothing on Ianto's coffee.
"Yes, well, I don't know the first thing about coffee. I just ordered what Amy usually gets. Plus more caffeine," he grinned manically. "I can always do with a bit more caffeine."
"Who's Amy?" Gwen asked. "Girlfriend?"
"Nah."
"Sister?"
"Something like that. She's my... friend doesn't exactly cover it. We travel together. Along with her husband Rory."
Gwen nodded. "It must be difficult to travel with a couple. I work with one. It's a bit annoying. And why am I talking to you about them?"
"People have this habit of spilling their darkest secrets around me."
"Is that why you buy strangers cups of coffee? You've poisoned me, haven't you?" Gwen asked in mock-horror.
"No," the man grinned, "this would be the first time, actually."
"Then why me?"
"I owe it to you. I owe you a lot more than a coffee, but this is the most I can do at the moment. Well, technically I could do more, but I won't. It'll end in tears and hole in the universe the size of Belgium. So... yeah, that's all I can do for now."
Gwen raised her eyebrows. "What do you mean? How can you owe me? I've never met you before now. "
"I've met you, though," the man said grimly.
"What are you talking about?" Gwen doubt in the man's sanity increased with every word he said.
"You were with Torchwood the first time I saw you."
"How do you know about Torchwood?" Gwen stiffened.
"Heh, if it wasn't for me, Torchwood wouldn't exist."
"What?"
"Time-traveler," he pointed at himself. "Queen Victoria didn't like the way I did things -but seriously, how many alien werewolves do you see? I had reason to be excited- so she started up Torchwood to protect the great British Empire from people like me. Not that I'm exactly 'people.'"
"That's not– I mean- You've got to be kidding."
"That's a bit hypocritical coming from you. Aliens, sure you'll believe that. But time-travel? Come on, you've seen people pop out of the past, or come back from the dead. Are you really going to say time machines aren't possible?"
Gwen glowered and the stranger smirked.
"Face it: stranger things have happened."
Gwen frowned. "So when did you supposedly meet me?"
"You just got back from a trip to the Himalayas-"
"I've already been to the Himalayas. I don't remember seeing you."
"I know. Just hear me out, alright? You and your team were lucky to get out alive. The four of you escaped and by the time you got back, the Master had already taken over. It was far too late for anything to be done, but you didn't let that stop you. You all fought until your last breath. He killed you in front of anyone left who cared... You died well, Gwen."
Gwen's breath caught in her throat, "If you're a time-traveler... does that mean that this is going to happen in the future? Doesn't telling me mess up the space-time continuum or something?"
"No. It happened during the Year That Never Was. Only eight people alive can remember those events, including yours truly. Lucy Saxon is in prison, at this point in your timeline. The four Jonses are struggling to cope with what happened–Martha Jones now works for UNIT; I believe you'll meet her sometime in the near future."
"Who's the eighth person?"
"You know him," the man said. "The mysterious, immortal leader of Torchwood 3."
Gwen stared at him. "Jack?"
The man nodded shortly.
"When you say anyone left..."
"By that time, half the world was dead. It was broadcast to everyone and anyone the Master thought would be particularly affected by it. Which included Jack, the members of the resistance, and whatever was left of Torchwood."
"They saw me die?"
The man nodded. "You were stunning."
Gwen stared at him, mortified.
"No, really. You looked death in the face with an expression of utter defiance. Actually, I believe you spit in his face," He grinned at her proudly, "Your death resulted in several hundred people joining the resistance movement against the Master."
Gwen got up from the table abruptly, spilling coffee down her front. She stormed out of shop. She glanced behind her; he was following her.
"Why'd you tell me this?" she demanded, not stopping, she had to get away from him.
"You deserve to know."
"Deserve to know that in a year that never actually happened, my team and I were killed off in front of the entire world and the man who brought us together?"
"Yes," he said bluntly.
"Why?"
"You should know that– should your time come– you'll be able to stand strong and die well. Harsh times lie ahead for you, Gwen Cooper. I've seen your future. It's not easy. It's not painless. You'll never be 'safe.' You'll loose people you love and those that aren't lost will be danger as some point. But, Gwen, you're going to be okay. You should know you're going to be okay, in the end."
Gwen stared at him, "Who are you?"
"Just a traveler passing through. I have too much time on my hands."
"No, who are you! What's your name?"
The man smiled at that, "I have lots of names. The Wanderer, Traveler, Maintenance Man of the Universe, the Oncoming Storm, and some... less pleasant ones. But there's this one that's used the most; one that I'm universally known as, and that's Doctor."
"Doctor who?" Gwen asked.
"And with that you've lived up to all my expectations!" he winked. "Until we meet again, Ms. Cooper," he swept into a mock-bow, then ran off in the opposite direction.
"Doctor?" Gwen puzzled, staring after him. "The Doctor... Jack's Doc– DOCTOR!" Gwen shouted, running after him.
The man laughed, vanishing around the corner. A blue police box stood in the middle of the alley, the door shutting as she ran towards it. A strange, rasping noise began, and the box disappeared, leaving behind a bewildered Gwen.