Chapter notes: Clara finds out more about her father. Sorry it has been so long but real life and re-drafting my novel before I sent it out into the world for others to read have occupied my time.

Chapter 2

'Who is this Captain Harkness and what is Torchwood?' Clara asked. Madame Vastra looked at Jenny and then back at the earnest young woman now stood in front of her.

'Sit down, my dear. Strax, I think we'll need more tea and some cake, for this story will take a little while. Jenny, could you get the photograph collection in my travelling trunk. I think I have some images of the Captain amongst them.'

Jenny and Strax went about their tasks whilst Clara sat down in the chair opposite the Silurian detective.

'Torchwood is an organisation set up by Queen Victoria to protect the Empire from phantasmagoria, especially a certain alien we have both met and been befriended by.'

'The Doctor,' Clara said. 'So Captain Harkness, my father, is an enemy of the Doctor.' She looked distressed. Jenny came into the room carrying a bag.

'Oh no Clara, not now, or at any time,' she explained. 'Captain Harkness came to Earth in 1869 from a long way in the future where he'd met the Doctor but not the Doctor you met.'

'No, that was the ninth regeneration,' Strax said as he put the tea and cake on the table. 'The one you met is the eleventh version and just as annoying!' He poured cups of tea for them all and cut each a piece of Victoria Sponge Cake. 'I made this myself human, so eat and enjoy.'

'But if Torchwood considered the Doctor to be an enemy what happened?'

'I said that this would be a long story,' Madame Vastra continued, taking up the theme once more. 'Captain Harkness intended to wait until the Doctor returned to Earth so that he could ask him why he'd abandoned him in the future but he discovered something new about himself, that he could die but that he didn't stay dead, and believe me my dear, he tried. However, his facility came to the attention of Alice Guppy and Emily Holroyd, who will run Torchwood Cardiff in the 1890s. They make an interesting couple!'

Clara noticed a look of annoyance cross Jenny's face. 'Now, my love, you know that Alice and Emily hold no interest for me. Their tastes are far too violent and they would consider me to be another alien to be dealt with in their usual way; as they did Captain Harkness.'

'And what way would that be?' Clara asked.

'They would kill me as they tried unsuccessfully to do with your father and when that failed they persuaded him that he would be better off working for Torchwood than against them. Do you have the photographs Jenny, dear?'

Jenny passed over a collection of images. 'This is the most recent one we have. I believe it is from the year 2008. The man in the suit is Ianto Jones, another Torchwood operative. They make a handsome couple don't they?'

Clara stared at the photograph of the man who was her father. He was indeed handsome and dressed in what appeared to be an Air Force greatcoat. She noted that their hair colour was the same but that they didn't share any other obvious similarities, except the inability to die. She'd always assumed that she'd look like her father as she looked nothing like her mother. The man in the grey suit was also very handsome and she speculated about the relationship between her father and the man.

'How did you get this?' she asked. 'And where are they … I don't even know when to ask about them let alone where.'

Vastra took the photograph. 'We too have travelled in time, thanks to the Doctor and his blue box. Many companions of the Doctor have been called into service by the Time Lord including the Captain.'

'So my father was a companion?'

'Yes, my dear, both before and after he became immortal.'

'This immortality, how did it happen? My mother said that I was born that way because of the combination of her and my father.'

'We're not sure of the details. It was something to do with a woman called Rose Tyler, who also travelled with the Doctor. Your father will be able to tell you more if you can find him. The universe is a pretty big place to go looking for him. You should probably seek out Gwen Cooper; she is the only member of Torchwood Cardiff from 2008 who is still alive after the events of 2009.'

'So this Ianto Jones is dead,' Clara asked. She felt a sudden sadness that she couldn't explain overwhelm her.

'Yes, he was killed by an alien species called the 456 about a year after the photograph was taken. Your father loved him very much and felt tremendous guilt over his death and that of his grandson.' Clare looked up.

'So I have a brother or sister. I'm not Captain Harkness' only child.'

'No, my dear, there are more. Jack spread his favours throughout the century and a half he remained here waiting for the Doctor to return. He took over Torchwood Three in the year 2000 and built his team but people who work for Torchwood rarely collect their pensions.' She reached over and picked up another photograph. 'This was his team.' Clara looked at the five people. 'Who are the others?' she asked.

'Gwen Cooper is the woman to the right; she stayed in Wales after Jack left in 2009 so you'll probably find her there. We may have some leads but you're going to have to use your own travelling device to find her and it's important to get there at the right time. Timelines are tricky things. Gwen married and had more than one child. She went into hiding at various times until after the strange events of 2012. That may be the best time to find her. She may know where he is then. I know that a new team was created but I'm not party to up to date knowledge of that time. The other two people were Toshiko Sato, a lovely young woman who was murdered by the Captain's brother, and Owen Harper, a doctor who was finally killed helping to save Cardiff from a nuclear disaster. Now Clara, if you are going to 2013 you will need different clothes. I think we'll have something suitable. I imagine that you'll be pleased to be out of those skirts. Jenny always loves it when she gets to wear the trousers don't you, my dear.' Clara watched as the other woman blushed.

'Stay with us tonight and then leave in the morning. Strax will do a little digging. We have a few modern contraptions here but often the signal is somewhat erratic. Time travel can cause fluctuations.'

The next day Clara found herself dressed in jeans and a t-shirt with a loose jacket, socks and boots. Sadly, underwear proved to be more of a problem. She would have to pick something up when she got to the 21st century. She pulled the jacket across her chest. She put what possessions she had in the backpack and made ready to depart. Travelling using the vortex manipulator was always a little unpredictable.

'This is the best guess we have. You'll find this money will be in an account in your name. By 2013 you should have a decent amount. This card will get it out of the machine at the bank if you put in this number. This is the last address we have for Gwen Cooper and her husband Rhys Williams. Good luck, my dear.'

Clara kissed Vastra and Jenny and went to do the same to Strax. He stood back. 'Goodbye, boy. You do well with your parentage. Captain Harkness is a good soldier.'

Clara pressed a few buttons and disappeared from the room. She had tried to programme her wrist strap for January, 2013 and Cardiff, somewhere near to the Bay. Travelling this way was always painful and there was usually a bad landing. She rubbed her rear and looked around. She'd landed in a restroom, which was good as no-one had seen her appear out of nowhere. Needing time to settle down she splashed her face with cold water and then sat down on the toilet seat in order to acclimatise to her new surroundings. She needed to get her bearings so took out a small computer and connected it to the wrist strap. It told her that she was in a restaurant in the Bay or to be exact over the Bay. She'd just have to brazen it out and walk out through the main exit. When she got to the door she ran as fast as she could, all the time checking that no-one was following her. She sat on a bench and finally, using the technology available, established an address for Gwen Cooper's mother. It really did help being a genius with all things technological. She wondered if her father was like her. He certainly had the looks but did her have the brains? The address was in a place called Swansea.

Feeling hungry and still in need of some underwear, she looked around. She managed to remove some money from a machine, purchased some more clothes and then looked around for somewhere to eat. She really wanted a soufflé but had nowhere to cook one and they didn't feature prominently on any of the menus she'd read outside the buildings. Instead she bought some fruit and sandwiches and sat on another bench for a while watching the people hurry by, going about their everyday life. She used the wrist strap to check for alien tech but found only vague traces at the Bay. Madame Vastra had told her that the headquarters of Torchwood Three had been destroyed and the technology scavenged. If the Captain was still on Earth there was a chance that he was on board a ship with his new team, if there was a new team. Clara knew that she had to get hold of Gwen Cooper if she was ever going to find her mysterious father.

She opened up the laptop she'd just bought. It was a bit basic but should do the job. As she hacked into the various systems she finally got into e-mail and phone records and placed a tracking device. Gwen's mother used her husband's name as a password. It was all too easy and eventually she pinned Gwen's location to a quiet street on the outskirts of Cardiff. She found the local bus times and thirty minutes later was stood opposite the correct door.

The house was a typical terrace that didn't look out of the ordinary to the naked eye but Clara's surveillance gear told her that it was bristling with technology way beyond anything normal for this type of property, or even this time. Clara knew that they knew that she was here. She decided to wait across the road. If they were curious enough they would come to her.

An hour later she noticed a woman with long dark hair dressed all in black walking up the street. Her daughter was in the buggy she pushed with one hand. The other was probably in the pouch that hung from the handle. Gwen Cooper obviously believed in being prepared. Clara pretended to turn away giving Gwen the chance to use her weapon, hopefully just to intimidate. Moments later she felt the gun in her back.

'Who are you and why are you watching my house?' Gwen had a nice accent, Clara thought.

'My name is Clara Oswin Oswald and I'm looking for my father. I was told that you might know where he is.'

'I'm sorry but I can't help you find him. Have you tried the Salvation Army or the police?'

'Well, you see that would be difficult as I'm not from around here and neither is my father. His name is Captain Jack Harkness and, as far as I know, he doesn't know I exist but you see…..' she said turning around to look at Gwen. 'There's absolutely no point in using that because I'm like him – I don't stay dead and I could really use a cup of tea right now.' She pushed Gwen's chin up to close her mouth and began to walk purposely across the road.