Chapter Two: Theta
Cardiff, Wales.
The TARDIS landed right in the middle of Torchwood hub. Jack was waiting with a huge grin still pasted on his face. Gwen looked over from where she was stationed as the TARDIS appeared. "Visitors?" she asked Jack.
"Friends." Jack answered, awaiting the Doctor and his beautiful blonde angel of a daughter to step out.
Jenny
"Come on Dad, he's not going to bite me. I'm sure he's not a werewolf." I joked. My dad whined and pouted. Jack may have been a friend, but he wasn't happy about seeing him. "Just step out and say hello. And do be polite. He is your friend after all."
I opened the door and stepped out to see Jack with his huge grin still plastered on his face. I didn't realize until he spoke that my dad was right behind me.
"Don't even think about it Jack." He said, his voice giving off a threatening tone I didn't like. Jack didn't seem to like it much either.
"Wasn't planning on it, Doc." He said, still grinning before turning his attention directly to me. "Hiya, Gorgeous. Tell me, how do stand being with him?" I laughed a bit in reply.
"It's not so bad. He's usually smiles and laughter, until you buzz in it seems." I said, a small smile finding its way onto my face. My dad huffed slightly before going over to talk to the woman at the computer.
"Don't mind them. He'll be caught up in that for hours. Maybe days if you're lucky. Tell you what Gorgeous, let's go take a walk. Maybe I could buy you lunch?" Jack said, his one eyebrow rising slightly in question. I nodded, not really caring much if my dad approved about this or not. Jack held out his arm to me and I took it, looking over my shoulder at my dad. He looked too intrigued by what that Torchwood woman was showing him on the screen to even notice Jack and I leaving the hub without him.
"So, Jack, tell me, what was it like, being with my dad." I said as we stepped outside together. Jack started rambling on and on about the stars and the planets and the alien women, but mainly about the women. He would mention how this one was pretty, but that one was better. Or how this one was so dull of a conversation, but she was just the second prettiest thing he'd set eyes on.
"So, what's the prettiest thing you've set your eyes on Jack?" I asked, just trying to keep it cool. He was so different from my dad, but so alike as well, and he interested me.
"You, Gorgeous. Your dad must have to fight every single man off of you when you go somewhere. He's an extremely protective man, if you haven't noticed. Loves you to bits I bet. That's why he was so threatening to me. But don't you worry, I'll keep you safe." He said with a winning grin. I had to admit, he had an amazing smile. It was bright, like the sunlight, and happy too.
"Well Captain, I wouldn't expect any less from you." I said, smiling in return. We came to a small park with a fountain in the middle where the mother duck and her ducklings swam. Jack took me straight over to the place the ducklings loved to play.
"They all have names." He said gently. "The darkest one is Betta. She's a handful. That one there," he pointed to one of the lighter brown ducklings. "He's called Sam. Gwen named him, so of course it'd be plain. And Sam's twin over there, she's Natasha. And that little one is Theta. Don't know where I got a name like that, but that's what his name is. He likes it too."
The one called Theta swam over to me and quacked softly at me. He was cute, the way he was smaller than the others. "He's so cute, Jack! Oh I just want to take you home with me, you cute little thing you!" I said to the duckling. Theta hopped up onto the edge, since it wasn't that high from the water's surface and quacked at me again.
"Your dad would probably give you hell for it if you did." He said, and I knew he was right. Ducklings were messy and my dad hated messes, even though majority of the time he made them.
"So what? Can't I have a little pet of my own? Something to take care of besides my father?" I asked him. He pondered it for a moment. While he was thinking, I reached down and pet the duckling, which was now waddling over to where I was sitting.
Then I noticed something that was sort of off. The mother and the other three ducklings were heading away from the littlest one. "You're going to miss your family, little Theta. You should go home." I said in a gentle voice.
Suddenly, and completely unexpectedly, a voice came from behind me. "He doesn't have a home. He's like the person he was named after. That Theta doesn't have a home either anymore."
I turned to look at the sad face of my father. Jack did the same, only shock waved over him. At least, that's what it looked like. Then I realized what my dad had meant and why Jack looked in shock. My father's real name was Theta.
