A Fragmented Meeting Following the Battle of Canary Wharf
Siwan sighed quietly as she walked down the street towards Bute Park, her high heeled sandals tapping against the concrete beneath her feet. As the cool night air gently blew through her long hair, she was more grateful than ever that the cold never really bothered her, especially dressed as she was.
The sapphire-eyed Welshwoman was dressed in a black one-shoulder drape sleeve dress that reached her thighs, a pair of onyx earrings in her ears and a pair of black 6" high heeled sandals with a matching small black clutch purse in her hand*. The purse was from the TARDIS and was bigger on the inside. Her long raven-blue back hair was left open, tumbling down her back and to her knees in a cascade of silky, messy curls.
It had been just over six weeks since the Battle of Canary Wharf and mankind was already explaining it away – a global scale terrorist attack that resulted in the deaths of thousands and disappearances of hundreds more. For the most part, Siwan could understand the need to explain it away, the need for there to be a logical explanation that didn't involve two alien races trying to annihilate each other, however it didn't help make the pain of losing their loved ones any easier to deal with.
If anything, having to stick to the story that was being spread about the terrorist attack was making it harder to cope. They knew the truth, they knew what had really happened, but they couldn't say anything, to anyone aside from each other.
Siwan and Adam had been out on a date intending to celebrate her birthday, all but forced out of the house through the combined efforts of Rhiannon and Seren.
The couple had been doing their best to look after Mica and David while Rhiannon, who was also grieving her lost loved just like the rest of them, was also dealing with being in remission from leukemia. She had gone into remission earlier that year following a series of aggressive chemotherapy treatments, however with the loss of their loved ones in so violent a manner had the doctor informing her that she faced the possibility of the cancer cells returning – much worse than before. Seren meanwhile was experiencing the effects of regeneration as she slowly became a Time Lady once again and the Doctor, who was juggling taking care of his girlfriend/ wife, was also trying to establish a connection to Rose using the last gap that existed between their Universe and Pete's World so they could at least say goodbye.
For Siwan, in the past few weeks, she found that her eyesight had healed completely and she no longer needed to wear her prescription glasses. Though she did still keep them on hand just in case, much like Seren still did with hers. While speculating on the change, the Doctor said that it was likely similar to Seren experiencing her own change back into a Time Lady. Since Siwan had not already begun to feel the effects of regeneration the way Seren had, it was very likely that she would not be experiencing the change back into a Time Lady, though she had still gained a few aspects of Time Lord Physiology like the enhanced senses and the higher tolerance for extremes, pain and illness.
Unfortunately, the date had been cut short by a call to Siwan from Rhiannon informing her that Mica had forgotten her beloved stuffed bunny, aptly named 'Cwningen' at Bute Park while Adam had gotten a call from the doctor covering his shift at the hospital regarding one of his patients. The two split up at the restaurant they had been eating at, Adam taking the car back home so he could speak with his colleague via video conference call while Siwan walked the short distance to Bute Park to try and find her darling niece's precious Cwningen.
She crossed the grass towards the area Mica had been playing with David earlier in the day when the sounds of a scuffle along with snarling and growling reached her ears.
"Oh, what the hell." She muttered, drawing her Bo-Staffs from her purse and turning the clutch into a cross-body purse before slinging the chain across her chest.
She quickly and carefully followed the sounds of the fight occurring a short distance from where she found a man wearing an RAF greatcoat – Captain Jack Harkness – fighting with a strange looking, almost humanoid, creature – a Weevil.
Taking stock of the scene in front of her, she could see that Jack was losing the fight, on his back against the ground with the Weevil on top of him and ready to tear a good chunk out of his neck. For the most part, Jack seemed to be doing a relatively good job of keeping the Weevil's teeth away from his neck. However, it was a quickly losing battle with the Weevil's superior strength.
Absently grateful that she was downwind and that the Weevil couldn't smell her, she crept up towards it. Just as it managed to bite Jack in the neck, drawing a pained scream from him, Siwan brought her Bo-Staff down on the creature's back twice, drawing its attention to her.
"Hi!" She said cheerfully, a bright smile on her face, when the Weevil turned to her, growling menacingly.
Seeing its attention on her, she took several steps backwards until she felt a tree against her back, the Weevil a step in front of her. It swiped its clawed hand against her head and she ducked, slipping away from the tree as the Weevil used its other hand to swipe at her side. It growled angrily and Siwan could sense the anger and frustrations inside it.
"Keep it occupied!" Jack yelled, getting to his feet and rummaging through his pockets.
"How am I supposed to…?" Siwan began to retort before trailing off, remembering something Seren had told her about when she had encountered the werewolf in 1879, Scotland. She turned to the Weevil and took a breath before opening her mouth and singing, a gentle, soothing melody flowing from her full lips.
"Hush now, don't be scared
Through this tide of darkness
Shadows may march, thunder may roar
But peace will soon be prevail"
The Weevil slowly stopped growling, its eyes slowly began drooping involuntarily as the song calmed it down from its frenzied state.
Behind the Weevil, the Captain was staring at Siwan in complete astonishment, stunned at the sight of the calming Weevil.
"Through our land, this sacred land
Nightmares spread confusion
But stand your ground
Until you've found
The strength to light your way."
Siwan uttered the last note and the Weevil swayed in its spot as the remnants of the song echoed in the dark air that surrounded them. Jack shook his head and, taking advantage of the Weevil's distraction, quickly darted between it and Siwan. He held up a small can and spraying the Weevil with its contents, making the creature slump to the ground, unconscious. Jack made quick work of tying the Weevil's hands and putting a bag over its head.
"Thanks." Siwan said, glancing at the man while retracting her Bo-Staffs and tucking them away into her purse.
"No, thank you." Jack said in his distinctly American accent, turning to face her and small smile crossing his face. "Sapphire-Bird."
He was dressed in a light blue button down shirt and a pair of darker blue-grey trousers beneath his greatcoat.
"Captain Cheesecake." Siwan said with a smile of her own, taking in his appearance. "Lucky escape."
"I had it under control." Jack said defensively before groaning, a hand shooting up to his neck where a trickle of blood stained his collar as it ran down his throat.
"I could tell." She said dryly with a raised eyebrow. "It was quite vicious." She frowned and stepped towards him, reaching her hand out towards his neck. "You're bleeding. You'd better let me clean that before you leave."
"I had worse from shaving." Jack replied dismissively.
"Somehow, I actually can believe that" Siwan said, snorting in amusement.
"How did you know singing would work?" Jack asked curiously.
"Something my sister once did with a we- with a wolf." Siwan replied, correcting herself at the last moment before she said 'werewolf'. Jack nodded in understanding and she turned her attention to the Weevil, looking at it curiously. "So, what are you going to do with the Weevil now that it's been subdued?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Jack denied, his entire body going tense and his easy smile fading from his face. Siwan lost her own smile, looking at him with a decidedly unimpressed expression on her face. "I'll take him from here." He hoisted the unconscious Weevil over his shoulders in a fireman's' carry before walking away from her, calling over his shoulder, "Thanks for the assistance, Sapphire-Bird."
"Anytime, Cheesecake." Siwan called to his retreating back before adding, "By the way, have you seen a stuffed rabbit laying around?"
"No!" Jack called back, the confusion evident in his raised voice even as it carried across the wide distance between them.
"Nuts." Siwan groaned.
With a resigned sigh, she turned and headed back to where Mica had been playing with David earlier that day, hoping to find the stuffed rabbit.
The next morning, after a rather grueling night courtesy of a cranky Mica who didn't have Cwningen, Adam decided to take Mica and David out for a few hours to the park again while Rhiannon and Seren got some rest. The Doctor agreed to take over the responsibility of caring for the two women while Siwan, who was going out for a run, would also stop by the market for some groceries.
And so, with a kiss at the doorway and calls of farewell to those staying at home, the couple went their separate ways for the morning. Siwan started her jogging route at the Estate on the outskirts of the city before making her way through the city towards the Roald Dhal Plass and Mermaid Quay, always having enjoyed the sight of the water reflecting the sun's rays.
Siwan was dressed in a dark blue sports tank top over a lighter blue sports bra, navy blue-almost black sports leggings that reached just below her knees and dark blue and white running shoes on her tiny feet. Her long hair was tied back into a high pony with a dark blue sweatband around her head and matching dark blue sweatbands around her wrists*. Her mobile, a Samsung Galaxy S9 in sapphire blue, was concealed in a mobile armband strapped to her left forearm while still giving her easy access to the device if needed, a pair of straggly headphones plugged into her ears as she paced her run to the tune of the pounding music.
Reaching the Quay and stopping at the pier near a Tourist Information Center, she removed her headphones and bent over, her hands on her knees as she panted for breath. Her sweat-slicked skin glimmered in the sunlight and made her already fitted clothes cling to her like a second skin. Catching her breath, she pulled a water bottle out of her lightweight backpack and took a long sip of the cool liquid before pouring a small amount into her hand and dripping it over her flushed face and neck.
"I must say, I love the sporty look you have going on." A male voice called from behind her.
Siwan shrieked in alarm and whipped around to face the owner of the voice, nearly dropping the water bottle in the process.
"Cheesecake!" She cried when she saw who the voice belonged to. "You scared me!"
"So, any particular reason you're here of all places, Sapphire-Bird?" He asked, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Actually, now that you mention it, yes, I do have a particular reason for being here." Siwan admitted, her eyes wandering to his neck where he had been bleeding the night before. "I wanted to make sure that you were okay after last night. That Weevil did manage to bite your neck."
"I'm fine." Jack replied, just as dismissive as the night before when she had mentioned it. He pulled down his collar to show the lack of blood and wound marks. "See?"
"Hmm, must've looked worse than it actually had been." Siwan remarked. "Anyway, I wanted to bring something by for you. It was supposed to be a 'get well soon' gesture but apparently that's no longer needed." She pulled the thermos out of her bag and uncapped the lid, pouring some of the steaming liquid into the makeshift mug before holding it out to the Captain. "Coffee?"
Jack carefully took the proffered mug and looked at it for a second, almost hesitant, before taking a small sip.
"Wow." He said in amazement, his eyes wide at the wonderful taste of the drink. "Just as amazing as I remember it."
"Thanks." Siwan said with a slight blush, a small smile on her face. "You didn't deny knowledge of the Weevil like you did last night."
"I read up on you last night after I got back from the park." Jack admitted, rapidly finishing the coffee before handing the cup back to her. "I know that you're a Companion as well as Seren's sister. I also know all about how Yvonne tried to repeatedly hire you, only to fail each time while you became friends with each person she sent. If you came here for a job, then you're out of luck because I washed my hands of One a long time ago."
Siwan, who had slowly stopped laughing the longer he spoke, stared at him with a decidedly cold expression, anger swimming her jewel-colored eyes.
"Tell me Captain, did you wash your hands of the innocent people who had suffered because of the Battle?" She asked, her voice just as cold and hard as her expression. "Have you given any thought to the innocent people whose lives had been destroyed because of Yvonne's quest to make Britain great again? Those innocent people who had no idea what Yvonne was doing or planning? You wanted to make your Torchwood different from Yvonne's, fair enough, you have that right. But did you spare any thought to the civilians who watched their family and friends get killed by Cybermen or by Daleks?" By that point, Siwan had tears swimming in her eyes as she raged against the man, letting out all the frustrations and sorrow she had been holding inside for the past 6 weeks. "I lost my brother-in-law, my god-sister, my god-mother and my best friend in that Battle. And those Torchwood employees that were killed, many of them were my friends and they all died, Jack! Most of them had joined the Torchwood Institute because they wanted to save the world, and in the end, they did. They gave their lives so that the Cybermen and the Daleks could be sent back into the Void." Siwan shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "You want your Torchwood to be different? Start by helping those that survived! Otherwise… Otherwise, you're no different from Yvonne." She let out a breath and wiped her face, looking out over the water for several seconds. When she turned back to Jack, the man staring at her with an unreadable expression on his face. "I'm going to go, before I give in to the urge to slap you."
She turned and resumed her run, going back along the Plass. Jack stared after her until she was out of sight, her words and questions played over in his mind as though on a loop.
"She got to you, didn't she, oh fearless Captain?" Owen chortled over the comm link, laughing hysterically. "Damn! I forgot what a spitfire that woman could be!"
"Owen, you know her?" Jack asked, only mildly surprised by the possibility.
"Oh yeah, definitely." Owen replied after several seconds, his laughter slowing down to chuckles. "Her boyfriend, Dr. Adam Pierson, and I worked together in Sidcup for a few months. Of course, back then they weren't dating, Adam was pinning after her and she was completely clueless to it, seeing him as a friend."
"What changed?" Jack heard Suzie ask over the comm, even though both were down below in the Hub, along with Tosh. "How did they end up dating?"
"Her sister disappeared before reappearing a year later." Owen replied. "She reappeared same time as that space pig incident last year. Adam had been a big support for her during the year her sister was gone and slowly, she fell in love with him."
Jack knew what Owen was talking about – Seren's first trip in the TARDIS and the subsequent mishap with her return.
He put his hand in his coat pocket and fingered the stuffed bunny that he had found earlier that morning, Siwan's words playing in his mind. Was he really no different from Yvonne? Is helping the survivors a way he can make his Torchwood different? Make it something the Doctor and Seren could be proud of? Something Siwan could be proud of?
He didn't know, but he knew that he wanted to do whatever he could to make his Torchwood different from Yvonne's.
Night had fallen and Siwan was walking through the warehouse district, making her way towards one specific warehouse. She had finished a conference call with the hospital Board alongside Adam and as such, was dressed accordingly in a smart skirt suit consisting of a red button-down blouse, a white asymmetrical skirt that was just above the knee on the right side and just below the knee on the left. Over top, she wore a white blazer while on her tiny feet, she wore a pair of red 4" high heeled pumps*. She had small ruby and diamond earrings in her ears and a matching ruby and diamond ring on her right middle finger, her red-plated silver watch on her left hand. A matching red purse hung from her elbow, swinging gently as she walked. Her long hair was tied up in her typical French twist, keeping the long locks out of her way while she worked while still giving her a smart appearance.
Reaching the road that would lead her to the warehouse she wanted to go to, she looked both ways before crossing. Suddenly, she was bathed in a glare of white headlights and heard the sound of squealing tires. Turning to the sound, she screamed in shock as an SUV sped towards her and slammed the breaks inches away from her.
"Are you bloody insane?!" She yelled as soon as the driver stepped out of the car and made his way towards her.
"What the hell where you thinking, crossing the road like that?!" The driver, who turned out to be none other than Captain Jack Harkness himself, yelled back at her.
"The road was clear when I started to cross!" Siwan snapped back angrily, glaring up at him. "You were the one speeding like you the Hounds of Hell on your tail!"
"Red is definitely your color." He said, running his gaze over her lithe form and completely changing the subject. "You should wear red more often."
"I have my Bo-Staffs strapped to my thighs." Siwan said calmly with a raised eyebrow, not at all fazed by the sudden change in conversation as it was quite normal between the two of them. "You know I won't hesitate to hit you with them."
"You're so much work." Jack said with a hint of whine in his voice.
"But completely worth it." Siwan shot back with a grin.
Jack laughed lightly and shook his head.
"Any particular reason you're wandering the warehouse district at this time of night?" He asked, a hint of concern on his face.
"Yeah, there is." Siwan said, her playful expression fading as she became serious. "And since you're here, I could use your help with something."
"I'm in the middle of a case. I can't help you." Jack said, shaking his head and turned to head back towards the SUV. "I'm sorry Sapphire-Bird."
"So you don't want to take a Pterodactyl home with you?" Siwan called to his retreating back.
"Pterodactyl?" Jack repeated, whipping around to look at her in amazement.
"I found one in a warehouse not too far from here." Siwan explained, walking around to the other side of the SUV and getting into the passenger side while Jack got into the driver's seat. "The warehouse itself is scheduled for demolition and I have no way of sending her home. So I've been looking for a place she can live but that list is painfully short."
"Yeah, there aren't very many Pterodactyl-friendly places in the city." Jack said dryly, following her directions to the warehouse.
Siwan snorted at his comment before falling silent, only speaking up to give him directions.
Reaching the warehouse in record time with Jack's reckless driving, they got out of the SUV and Jack popped the trunk. He removed his coat and tossed it in the backseat before opening a case. He proceeded to fill a hypodermic syringe with a very high-grade tranquilizer.
"Is that the only special equipment you've got?" Siwan asked, watching him seal the syringe with an equally massive needle.
"Yeah, 'cos I keep dinosaur nets in the back of the SUV." Jack replied sarcastically.
"They did at Torchwood London." Siwan commented, causing Jack to shoot her a dirty look. "Hey, you have your reasons for not liking them, I get it. There are some days I don't like them either, especially when I think about the pain that they caused, but you can't deny that they did tend to be prepared for a variety of eventualities."
Jack didn't reply, only turning and darting towards the warehouse with Siwan half a step behind him. Jack opened the door and stepped inside with Siwan beside him, both looking up at the sound of a screech to see the Pterodactyl flying high among the rafters and darting down towards them.
"Nope." Siwan said, running back out of the warehouse with Jack beside her ad slamming the door shut.
"How'd you find it?" Jack asked, panting and leaning back against the door.
"I found her with a Rift Activity Locator." Siwan replied.
"Torchwood London." Jack muttered.
"See, quality kit." Siwan pointed out. "Though I did have to tweak it a bit."
"What for?" Jack asked with a frown, knowing that the Locator would be a top-of-the-line device.
"Mica kept trying to put it in her mouth and David kept thinking it was a video game." Siwan said, an exasperated expression on her face.
"How old are they?" Jack asked curiously, remembering Mica from his first visit to Cardiff with Seren and the previous Doctor as well as his years of watching the Tyler/ Jones family from a distance as they were growing up.
"Mica's 2 ½ and David's 7." Siwan replied.
"I see." Jack said, nodding. There was a bang on the other side of the door. "She's quite excitable."
"Must be your aftershave." Siwan commented dryly.
"Never wear any." Jack replied, looking down at her.
"Really?" Siwan asked with a raised eyebrow, an impressed look on her face. "Hold on, 51st Century pheromones?"
"You people have no idea." Jack said with a smirk. "Ready for another go?"
"I'm game if you are." Siwan replied with a grin.
"3, 2, 1." Jack counted down, turning the second he reached '1'and opening the door. They ran inside and saw the Pterodactyl swooping down towards them with a loud screech.
"Split up!" Siwan yelled.
Siwan dropped her purse by the door as they split up, her going in one direction and Jack going in the other. Running in a wide circle around the Pterodactyl, the met up behind her.
"Shh, shh, shh." Jack said softly, his gaze firmly trained on the Pterodactyl.
"It's okay, sweet girl, we're not going to harm you." Siwan said, her voice a gentle coo.
"You can't stay here." Jack said, his voice just as gentle as Siwan's. "Come back with me. I've got somewhere nice and big where you can fly around."
"So you'll take her, then?" Siwan asked hopefully.
"Well, I need a guard dog." Jack said sheepishly.
"You're not going to keep her as a guard dog!" Siwan hissed angrily.
"Fine, I won't keep it-"
"Her." Siwan corrected.
"Her as a guard dog." Jack said with a resigned sigh, making the correction in reference to the Pterodactyl they were trying to catch.
"Thank you." Siwan said, smiling brightly up at him. "I was afraid of what might happen to her if I couldn't find a safe place for her to go."
Jack smiled back at her before turning his attention to the Pterodactyl. For several minutes, he tried to get close to her but failed each time, the creature flying higher into the rafters before he could get near.
"What exactly is your plan, Cheesecake?" Siwan asked after Jack failed to get close to the Pterodactyl for the tenth time in as many minutes.
The Pterodactyl landed on the ground several feet away from them, watching them with beady eyes.
"I'm gonna be the decoy." Jack said quietly, not tearing his eyes away from the Pterodactyl.
"And it will rip you to shreds." Siwan said dryly.
"Dinosaurs?" Jack said with a scoff. "Had them for breakfast. Had to. Only source of pre-killed protein after the asteroid crashed." He glanced at Siwan and saw her looking at him with an incredulous expression, an eyebrow raised. "Long story. Here you go." He carefully handed her the hypodermic syringe. "One injection to the central nervous cortex. I'll keep her occupied. Move."
"No." Siwan said, looking at the syringe for a second before looking back at the Captain.
"What?" Jack asked, looking at her in surprise.
"She knows me." Siwan replied, handing the syringe back to him. "I'll be a better decoy."
"Way too dangerous." Jack argued, trying to hand the syringe back to her.
"Probably." Siwan agreed, glancing at the Pterodactyl before looking back up at Jack.
"What are you going to do? Sing to her?" Jack asked sarcastically.
"Not yet." Siwan said, taking him seriously. "First, I'm going to try my secret weapon." She pulled a bar of chocolate out from her blazer's bigger-on-the-inside pocket and held it up. "Chocolate, preferably dark." She walked away from him, moving slowly towards the Pterodactyl. She whistled lightly, getting the Pterodactyl's attention. "Hey sweet girl." She cooed, unwrapping the bar and holding it up. "Myfanwy, I've got your favorite, see?"
"You named it?!" Jack asked incredulously as Siwan tossed the unwrapped bar to the floor in front of the Pterodactyl, named Myfanwy.
"Of course I did." Siwan replied, glancing at him briefly before turning back to Myfanwy. The Pterodactyl was happily munching on the chocolate, her beady eyes on Siwan. "Do you like that? It's good for your serotonin levels, if you have serotonin levels. Do dinosaurs have serotonin levels?"
Myfanwy looked at Siwan for a moment before whipping around to look at Jack with a loud screech. Jack groaned as Myfanwy shot towards him.
"Whoa!" Siwan exclaimed as Jack ducked the sharp beak and grabbed hold of Myfanwy's leg as she took flight once again, soaring into the rafters.
"Whoa!" Jack screamed, getting flown around the warehouse by Myfanwy. "Siwan!"
"Inject her!" Siwan yelled.
Jack screamed as he was flown around, trying to find enough purchase on the Pterodactyl's leg so that he could inject her with the tranquilizer.
Finally, after several tense seconds, he was able to reach up and inject her in the leg. As soon as the syringe was emptied into Myfanwy's leg, he let go and dropped several feet, landing on Siwan and sending them both tumbling to the dirty floor with Jack on top of the beautiful Welshwoman.
"Sorry." Jack said, looking down apologetically at Siwan.
He marveled at the feel of her tiny, lithe form against his larger one. From the moment he met her in London, he had been attracted to her. Her beauty, her innocence seemed to draw him in like a moth to a flame. But every time he flirted with her, while she gave as good as she got, she never gave any other indication of interest and he had been well aware of Adam's love for her. When Seren had disappeared with the Doctor in 2005, he had seen Siwan get close to Adam while he supported her through the difficult time. As Adam and Siwan got closer and she slowly began to reciprocate his love, Jack stepped back and toned down his flirting to just banter – the one thing he would never do was get between two people so right for one another and so in love with one another as Adam and Siwan clearly were. No matter how much it hurt, he would be her friend because he had slowly begun to fall in love with the tiny Welshwoman, though she predictably had no clue.
He was drawn out of his musings when he noticed that Siwan's gaze was not on him, but rather on Myfanwy who was rapidly losing momentum directly above them.
"Move!" She screamed, rolling them over to the side before stopping with her on top of Jack.
Seconds later, Myfanwy crashed down to the floor, unconscious, right where they had been. Siwan rolled off of Jack, lying next to him as they both laughed gaily, adrenaline pumping through their systems.
"That was fun." Siwan said as she sat up and looked over at Myfanwy, her laughter slowing down to giggles.
"I'm sorry." Jack said softly, sitting up as well and looking at Siwan.
"For what?" Siwan asked with a frown.
"For how I had behaved earlier, what I had said." Jack replied softly, looking at her with an almost tender expression in his bright blue eyes. "You were right and I didn't want to face it, I didn't want to admit it. I didn't think about those people that were innocent and just caught in the crossfire. I was just so angry that Yvonne didn't listen to me when I repeatedly told her to leave the breach alone, leave the Sphere alone that when everything went to Hell and the dust settled, I convinced myself that I wasn't responsible for any of them." He smiled softly at her, reaching up to tuck a tendril of hair that had come loose behind her ear. "You reminded me of the person your sister once showed me I could be."
"Does this mean you're going to help the survivors?" Siwan asked softly, looking up at him.
"Yeah, it does." Jack replied, a determined expression settling on his face. "But I could use your help."
"How?" Siwan asked curiously.
"Join my team." He said, looking at her with an earnest and pleading expression. "You would also be able to help the survivors and be there for your sister while Seren and the Doctor are travelling."
"I can't, Jack." Siwan said sadly, shaking her head. "Several months ago, I might have considered it, especially as a way to keep Seren and the Doctor safe, but I can't right now. Not after One had caused, I'm under no illusions that they're innocent in the Battle, no matter if there were innocent people in that Tower. You said it yourself, Yvonne refused to listen to you, she had refused to listen to us as well when we tried to convince her to stop until the last second. Right now, I have my family to worry about before I can worry about the world. I'm also still travelling when we're not visiting Rhiannon and the kids."
"I understand." Jack said quietly, both of them getting to their feet.
And Jack truly did understand. Siwan, who had been friends with so many of the people at Torchwood One, didn't see them the way he did, the way his team did – as people who were more interested in harnessing alien power and technology than truly understanding where it came from. She saw them as people who were just trying to save the world, maybe not in the right way or even the best way, and in the end, she saw them fight for what was right. She saw them give their lives for what was right and to save the world.
"How can I help those that survived?" He asked, looking down at her.
"Be their friend." Siwan replied simply, smiling up at him radiantly. "Show them that you're not like Yvonne had been, that you don't prescribe to the 'if it's alien, it's ours' motto." She went to the door and grabbed her purse before hurrying back to him, rummaging through the bag and pulling out her mobile. "I'm going to give you my number as well as Adam's. You can call either of us if you need help, we've both got the super-phones."
Jack nodded, pulling his more contemporary mobile out of his pocket and inputting the numbers into his contact list while Siwan added his personal number to hers.
"You going to be okay transporting her back to the Hub?" Siwan asked, looking down at Myfanwy.
"Yeah, I'll be okay." Jack replied nodding, putting his mobile back into his pocket. "She'll be knocked out for several hours, enough time for me to get her to the Hub and settled in before she wakes up." He paused for a moment before saying, "There's something I need to give you."
"What?" Siwan asked, putting her mobile back into her purse.
"Come out to the SUV." Jack said, nodding towards the door as he moved towards it. "It's in my coat."
Siwan frowned in confusion and followed him out of the warehouse, back to the SUV. Jack grabbed his coat and reached into the pocket, pulling out a stuffed bunny, the color faded to a light brown from the repeated washes.
"Cwningen!" Siwan exclaimed, a bright smile crossing her face when she saw the stuffed bunny. She looked at Jack in amazement, taking it from him. "Where did you find it? When did you find it?"
"I found it this morning, just before I met you on the pier." Jack admitted.
"Where was it?" Siwan asked. "I could have sworn I scoured the entire park last night!"
"In a tree, near the treeline leading into the woods." Jack replied, the expression on his face a cross between amazement and exasperation at the antics children manage to get up to.
"Right!" Siwan exclaimed, slamming her forehead in exasperation for not remembering when she had last seen Mica with the toy. "Mica had been playing with it by the trees and had accidentally tossed it up too high. Before she could get any of us to retrieve it for her, David caught her attention and we all became side-tracked."
Jack shook his head and laughed, particularly at Siwan's exasperated expression.
"I should get going." She said, stopping his laughter abruptly. "You have a Pterodactyl to get settled and I have a stuffed bunny to return to a very cranky toddler."
She smiled at him and turned, beginning to walk away from him.
"Sapphire-Bird!" Jack called to her back.
"Yeah?" She asked, turning to look at him.
"Love the suit!" He said with a flirty grin.
Siwan laughed and shook her head, turning around and resuming her walk towards the outskirts of the city. She walked in silence, broken only by the sound of her heels clicking against the cement ground beneath her feet.
She was almost home when her mobile rang. Pulling it out of her purse, she answered with a crisp, "Jones."
"Siwan, it's me." Seren's voice said from the other end, sounding much stronger than it had been a few hours earlier.
"Seren, you sound better." Siwan said in relief. "Is the transformation complete?"
"Yup." Seren replied, popping the 'p' cheerfully. "I am officially a Time Lady once again."
"I guess this means I'm officially calling you 'Nana' and 'Ada'." Siwan said, laughing lightly.
"Yeah, I guess it does." Seren replied, laughing lightly.
"What's up?" Siwan asked curiously. "Are Rhi and the kids okay? Adam?"
"They're all okay." Seren replied reassuringly. "How long 'till you get home? The Doctor - your father - was able to establish the connection to Rose. But our window is extremely short."
"I'll be home in a few minutes." Siwan replied, picking up her pace so she was walking briskly. "I need to change out of these clothes, they got dirty while I was at the warehouse."
"So you were able to find a home for Myfanwy?" Seren asked.
"Yeah, I did." Siwan replied. "Captain Cheesecake agreed to take her and look after her."
"That's good." Seren said approvingly. "I'll see you in a few minutes."
"See you, bye." Siwan said.
"Bye."
Siwan ended the call and put the mobile back into her purse before picking up her pace once more, running the remaining distance towards her home.
Links (on pinterest):
*Siwan outfit/ jewelry/ shoes/ purse with her hair open and curled - .ca/pin/474566879470291318/
*Siwan rollerblading outfit (shades of blue) with her hair in a high pony- .ca/pin/474566879475941716/
*Siwan skirt suit/ jewelry/ purse/ shoes, with her hair in a French twist - .ca/pin/474566879475626072/