Author's Note: So the idea for this story sort of came out of my earlier story "Sometimes You Can't Forget" and while it is not completely essential to read it before reading this story, I've been told that reading it clears things up about the plot. So with that said, I highly recommend that you check it out (either before or after reading this): s/9752923/1/Sometimes-You-Can-t-Forget
It was late, really late but Harper wasn't leaving. She stood at the waterfront of Cardiff Bay, waiting for something to happen. She had a feeling about this place, a feeling that this was where her search would finally end. That this was where she would find her father. She looked out onto the water, her heart pounding in anticipation. Finally she heard a door open and she turned sharply to look behind her. She let out a sigh of slight disappointment when she saw that it wasn't her father. Instead it was some man in a suit, the real serious looking type.
"Can I help you?" he asked.
"Well I don't know, can you?" Harper responded, "I'm looking for a Jack Harkness. You know him?"
The man paused for a second, as though he was unsure what to say. As if it was unsafe to tell her if he knew anything, "who's asking?"
"His daughter."
There was a long silence. The man looked at her, shocked. Harper cocked her head, trying to figure out what was going on in his head. She had never been able to read people like her mother had. That was one thing she hadn't inherited.
"Come with me," the man said, leading her towards the door.
This was it. This was happening. If Harper was being completely honest then she would have had to admit that she was nervous but that wasn't her style. She wasn't one to let her guard down. She took a deep breath and walked through the door, trying to keep herself from shaking or at least to keep it under control. Keep it together Harper she told herself, as she was lead into an elevator then through a large moving door that resembled a gear. Through that door it was nothing like what she had expected. She looked around at all the various pieces of machinery and other things that she couldn't even identify. Sure she had done her research on Torchwood. She knew exactly what her father did. She knew that he was the head of Torchwood Three and she knew what Torchwood was, she just hadn't really been expecting something so….huge. Harper found herself stuck in a sort of trance as she took in her surroundings. She was taken out of it by a familiar voice. A voice that she hadn't heard in a long time.
"I didn't realize we were having a visitor," it was Jack Harkness, Harper's father.
"She was standing outside the hub for hours. I went to see if she wanted something and…" the man who had brought her in trailed off. Harper opened her mouth to finish his sentence but the man continued, "she says she's your daughter."
Jack's smile faded. Harper could feel her heart pounding. This was the moment of truth. Jack looked over at Harper and paused. She just stared at him, eyes wide, blank expression. He seemed to be noticing something in her. Was it that she looked like her mother? People had always commented on her resemblance to her mother.
"What's your name?" Jack asked. He seemed to be almost as nervous as her, trying to keep it together just like her.
"Harper Sylano," she said, "Well, Harper Margueritte Adysson Sylano if you want to get technical but Harper's good enough."
"Your mother is Anna Sylano, right?" Jack looked completely stunned, as though he hadn't ever expected to see Harper, "and you'd be twenty two years old."
Harper nodded.
"You look…so much like her," Jack commented, seemingly entranced by her presence.
"And you, you haven't changed a bit," Harper replied, "Not like I expected you to change. Mom told me all about your…deal or whatever it is. I didn't believe it at first but eventually I did my research and sure enough she was right." Somehow Harper was able to talk freely around her father. She had been so nervous about meeting him and could still feel herself shaking a little bit but somehow the words just managed to come out. It was as though she was trying to cover for her nerves but wasn't even conscious of it.
"Your accent," Jack continued, "it's Welsh."
"Well I was born and raised here wasn't I?" Harper said, "Last time I checked, accents weren't inherited and somehow I don't think my mother would send me to an American school just so that I could sound like my parents."
A smile started to form on Jack's face, "you're definitely your mother's daughter," he said, "come on, we'll talk more in my office." He motioned for Harper to follow him, "Ianto, can you bring me some coffee?"
Ianto, the man in the suit, nodded.
"Harper, you want anything?" Jack asked.
"I could go for a macchiato," Harper replied, "If you can make that of course."
"Sure," Ianto said, then went to go make the coffees.
"Come on," Jack said, "We've got a lot to talk about."