I walked up to the door of Torchwood's new hub. After Jack exploding I figured he wouldn't want to be near that site, but I assume once he called the place home he wanted to stay there, because it was built on the remains of the old hub. I waved at the CCTV to let them know someone was here before opening the door. When I slowly pulled the door towards me so someone might have time to come and greet me. The man himself, Jack Harkness, greeted me.
"Hello Captain. You have no idea who I am, but you know my father." I said smoothly.
"I know a lot of peoples fathers." He was quick to reply. I had a feeling he didn't want me here.
"You would remember my father much better than anyone else's. He was older than you. Not older than you appear to be, but age wise."
"I only know one man older than me. And he couldn't have a daughter."
"It's just like him to keep me a secret from you. I'm Alis. I am the Doctor's daughter and you know I can help you."
"The Doctor doesn't have a daughter."
"Don't be so bitter. I know he told you that he was the last Timelord. Once upon a time, though, he doubled his genes and made it so there was a little him in a little dish. That little thing grew into me. I have double Timelord genes making it so I have the power to heal people and maybe even other things. I just don't know what I can do in this body."
"There are no positions open."
"You should have some after that whole 456 debacle there should only be you and Gwen. I could be a lot of help."
"Why Alis? Why not something like your father? Why not something powerful?"
"I named myself. I didn't have a name when I first met my dad." I could hear in his voice that I could actually have a job here. I could help him. And he didn't know what I could do to make it so his life was worth while again.
"How do I know your not lying?"
"You don't."
"Can I trust you?"
"Can you trust the Doctor? If you trust him you can trust me."
"Come down to the hub. Meet the team." I was in. I was finally in the hub. Jack had begun to trust me. I had to get the entire team to trust me though. It was a good thing the team was only Jack, Gwen, and Rhys because I didn't know how much longer Jack could stand living the way he was.
He pushed in a small button behind a desk and the hidden door swung open. He swiped a key card and the elevator door slid to reveal a glossy interior. He stepped in and waved me in afterward. When we both were in the door slid shut. Jack pushed a small button to stop the elevator.
"Gwen and Rhys can't access the camera in here so they have no idea what I'm doing but we can't take long."
"Huh, it seems you don't trust your team too much,"
"I want you to tell me what your doing here."
"I'm here to help you. I want to make your life easier."
"You're not going to touch anything down there until I trust you. Understand?"
"Completely."
"Good." He pushed the elevator to start it again.
"You should really get some elevator music." I said trying to lighten the mood.
"Not my job." He replied bitterly. I guess one of the side affects of living the way he did was bitterness. It came with drinking too much and killing yourself time and time again. It didn't seem like a good life.
The glossy door opened again and we stepped into the hall. He entered a pass code into the lock and then swiped the card again. He was overly secure in making sure I didn't see the code. He put on a dashing and reassuring smile and stepped into the hub.
"Gwen, Rhys. This is our new friend. Alis." Friend. I liked how I wasn't on the team yet. Jack just doesn't trust anyone anymore. Or maybe he just doesn't trust me.
Gwen walked up and smiled with a grin that you had to smile back to. "I'm Gwen. How did you and Jack meet? He doesn't bring just anyone down here."
"He is a good friend of my father."
Jack conveniently added, "Her father is my doctor. A daughter who decided to find me because she thinks she could be of some help around here."
"I'm nearly as old as he is. And my father is more than only your doctor. He is everyone's doctor. He is the doctor who helps everyone on Earth but doesn't take the credit."
"You're THE Doctor's daughter?" Gwen seemed very surprised.
"Jack wasn't going to mention it, but I deemed it necessary."
"Wow." Rhys walked up to us then.
"What's with the commotion?"
"This is the Doctor's daughter and she is here to help us." Gwen said with bewilderment.
"With what? There isn't anything going on around here."
"I'm here to help with anything. I know you all can't exactly trust me yet. Believe me though, I can help." After that was said I knew I had to be into Torchwood. Gwen looked as though she could trust me to save her life and if Gwen trusted me, Rhys trusted me. All I had to do was gain Jack's complete trust. I knew that he trusted me enough to let me stay for a while though.
"Give me a key to your TARDIS." Jack said. What can I say? My plan was going to work.
Jack led me up to his office. The space wasn't necessarily large but it wasn't too small either. He had an antique looking desk in the corner and you couldn't help but noticing the clutter of it. I saw two empty liquor bottles in the trashcan beside the desk and one half full on a stack of folders with two cups next to it. He filled one and started to drink.
"Isn't it a little early? I mean, I won't judge considering after being murdered once, regenerating, and murdered again, and well, regenerating again of course, I drank a whole week straight.", I wondered why he didn't offer me some. I asked, "May I?" while reaching for the bottle.
"No.", he said a little too quickly. He snatched the bottle away from me and our hands touched. I could feel his pain rush through me, if only for a brief second.
"I understand. You don't want me goofing off the first day." I saw the smile that he had plastered on for Gwen and Rhys slowly fade.
"I will need a copy of the TARDIS key."
"Who said I had a TARDIS?"
"Well, I figured, Timelord equals TARDIS."
"Only Timelords born on Gallefry get a TARDIS. I was born here. In the future of course, but he carried me in that dish to about the time you became immortal and dropped me off so I could grow up."
"So do you have a flat or a car or something I can have the key to so you are treated as equal to the rest of the team as possible?" It was nice to see some humor shining through, because as far as I could tell from me being here he was miserable.
"Well I have a car. And I am an alien, so I could go and live in one of your cells in the basement."
"I'll have Gwen help you find a place to live. For tonight you can stay at my place. I don't usually sleep much anyways. Go ask Gwen if you can do anything and ask if her about the flat finding." I started to walk out leaving him there to drink.
"Do you need me to do that paper work that the alcohol is sitting on?"
He sighed and said, "It would be helpful. Here, wait." He tossed me a key. "Here is the key to my flat. And the paperwork doesn't have to be done now, just get acquainted with Gwen and Rhys."
When I walked back down to the central part of the hub Gwen was typing something into the computer. I thought it would be nice to have a girl to talk to considering I was one and she seemed nice enough.
"Hey, Gwen. So I was talking to Jack and he said you might know where I could get a flat. I am kind of in need of one considering I only have a car and some money. I am staying in Jack's flat because he invited me to stay there."
"I can help you find a flat. Jack is letting you stay at his place? I don't think anyone has been there."
"Yeah. I think that it's because of my dad and he says he doesn't sleep much anyway."
"It's probably true. I don't think he would sleep much. Immortality must have its perks. You would know that though."
"I'm not immortal."
"But you're a Timelord. They are supposed to be immortal."
I shook my head. "We just live a long time. Any who, is there anything you need done?"
"No. I don't think there is anything, but I could go for a coffee."
"Rhys, do you want some coffee?"
"Nope. I haven't been doing much, so I wouldn't need any."
"I'll go ask Jack if he wants some and then I'll get the paperwork he needs done."
Jack was in the same spot I had left him in. I knocked and then pushed the door slightly open. He was in the same spot but he wasn't holding a glass of liquor, he was grasping a handful of photos.
"I can come back later. It's just, Gwen wanted coffee and I was thinking I could get you some while I was at it. And I was going to get the paperwork."
"I would love a coffee and I think I will do the paperwork myself. I should be productive. It would be a change for the better. Don't bother making coffee, though. Go and buy some from the little coffee shop on the corner."
"You've got it, Captain." I walked towards the door. I had my hand on the knob but I glanced over my shoulder. He hadn't looked up from the one photo that was on top of the stack since I had come in. I thought that he was thinking something to private, so I didn't ask. He had a slight smile, a sincere one, but tears were coming into his eyes. I decided it was my time to leave.
I walked out the front door of the hub into the bright sunlight. It was so dark and dank in the hub, that walking out of the door was like walking in the sun. I walked slowly taking the time I needed to think of what to do at the hub. I could find something, that wasn't a problem. It was what I needed to do to make sure I could redeem myself.
Why was I even worrying about redeeming myself? I shouldn't. I live longer than more than seventeen humans combined. I could have saved them though. I could have saved him. All the people in that building and I had to walk away because I was too scared. I could have at least tried to save Neirin.
I couldn't think about that. I would start crying, in public, and Jack or Gwen could probably see me through a camera. I had to focus on Torchwood. I had to focus on Jack.
I walked into the small coffee shop. It had a sort of rustic feel to it. I was the only one in the shop, besides the short man behind the counter. He had graying hair and was reading a newspaper. He looked over it when he heard the door close and he spotted me.
"Hello." I said with the warmest smile I could muster up. "I would like three coffees. To-go please."
"Sure. Five quid." I handed him the money and went picked up a newspaper from the stand. "That cost too."
"I'm not going to take it. I was just reading the front page." He grumbled something under his breath and went back to making the coffee. There was nothing unusual in the article. There really hadn't been any rift activity.
"Here's your coffee." He handed the three cups to me in a little tray as he popped the last top onto the cup. I walked the length of the shop and stepped out.
I started thinking again. If there were anything to be done for Jack, why would he hide it from the rest of the team? Did he think what he wanted was beyond technology's grasp? I also wanted to know why I was drawn here.
I knew that Jack wanted to be left to mourn, he didn't want to accept me, but knew I could be helpful to the team. I walked to the hub and waved at the camera again, somebody had to let me inside because Jack hadn't given me a key yet.
Gwen greeted me, as I walked into the door to begin a long stretch of dark, dank time in the hub. She took a coffee and sipped it, "Mmmm, It's okay. I have been spoiled with good coffee far too long." She handed me a key card with 'Alis' printed into it. She also handed me a slip of paper with a 6-digit code on it.
"Try the key card. It might not work yet, but it should open most things in the hub." Gwen said in between sips. The hidden door opened and I slid the key card. The door opened to reveal the glossy elevator. We stepped in and rode down to the hub.
"Gwen, has Jack gotten any better since that day? At least that you noticed."
"He seems to still be somewhat depressed, but he was drinking days and days through, continuously killing himself, not coming into work. He still drinks, he still kills himself, but from my point of view, he has gotten better." Not from my perspective. I thought.
The elevator stopped and we hopped off of it. I walked to the keypad, swiped my I.D. and entered the 6-digits. The door's alarms blared as I strolled in with Gwen at my side. I took the stairs to Jack's office. Through the glass I could see him working. He had a glass in one hand and a pen in the other. He was drinking, but at least there was work getting done.
"Jack?" I inquired as I opened the door. "I have the coffee you asked for. Is there anything I could possibly help you with?"
"Hmm? Oh, coffee, Jenny bringing me coffee. I have been getting the work done."
"How much more liquor have you drank since I left, Jack?" He wouldn't respond. "Jack?" He kept looking down at the paper. "Jack!" I could see him slowly look up.
"Tell Rhys and Gwen to leave. There is nothing for them to do here today."
"Yes, Jack." I put the coffee on his desk and took the liquor out of his hand. As I unwrapped his fingers from the glass, I could see one thing in his mind. Not one thing, but one person. I could tell it was the one person he had truly loved. The one he had let slip away. I finally knew why I was drawn to Torchwood Three, to the Captain. I finally knew why I was here. I was here because of Ianto Jones.
"Ianto." I muttered under my breath as I set the cup onto a clear spot on Jack's desk. As the name came out of my mouth I realized it was the exact thing I shouldn't have said as soon as the words left my lips. My eyes widened as Jack looked up.
"What?" Jack said harshly.
"Well… Um… Well… Jack…." I stammered "I'm just going to…. Um… go tell… Gwen and Rhys to go home now…." I left the room in a hurry to make sure Jack didn't have the time to respond to what I had said. I slowed my pace, as the stairs got closer to my feet. I had gotten to a normal walking pace as I reached the last step.
"Gwen? Rhys? Jack says you can leave for the day." I waited for a response, but didn't hear anything. "Gwen? Rhys?" I walked towards a computer to check the CCTV. The elevator came up first. "Humph." No one was riding the elevator. I thought that checking the alien cells was pointless but I pulled the cameras feed up anyways. "Oh. Dear God." I quickly turned the camera feed off.
I didn't want to go back up to Jack's office, but seeing as I didn't know what to do in the situation, I thought I had to make my way back there.
I climbed the stairs back to the Captain's office and noticed as my hand met the cold door handle, that Jack wasn't sitting at his desk. He was standing. I poked my head through the door. "Can I come in?"
"Your head is already in the door."
"I'll take that as a yes. So, I found Gwen and Rhys, but…."
"They were in a place that you didn't plan on going to talking to them in. Gotcha. Leave a note on Gwen's computer. Meet me back here after your done."
"Ok. What about my car?" I asked, grateful he hadn't brought up what I had said.
"It will be there in the morning. Trust me. I have left more valuable things out there.
"I'll try to trust you." I said sarcastically as I exited the room. Walking down the stairs I thought about why wouldn't bring Ianto up after I had said his name. Maybe he was waiting, which would be normal Jack behavior.
I picked up a pen off of Gwen's desk and found a sticky note. I scribbled on it to make sure the pen wrote and then left a note 'Gwen, Jack and I have left the hub and he says you and Rhys can take off the rest of the day. Jenny'. I stuck the sticky note to the side of her computer and made my way back to Jack's office.
I walked to the bottom of the staircase and picked up my bag and coat. I saw another bag that wasn't mine and peeked inside. It was a computer bag with a bright, white, Torchwood-grade laptop inside. I zipped the bag and carried it with me, hoping, to be more exact praying, that Jack wouldn't notice the extra bag.
"Come on, Alis." Jack was becoming impatient.
"Patience is a virtue, Jack!"
"One virtue that I don't have. Come on."
"Well, I think I should teach you that virtue.", I said as I strolled into the office.
"You took long enough."
"I know. I know. So let's get going then." He slid back a panel behind the desk. "That's unexpected."
"Give me the key. This is the door." I tossed him the key. He caught it and flipped up a compartment. He slid the key into the keyhole and turned it until the lock clicked. The door opened with a whoosh and Jack stepped through.
"You coming?" He said as he went down the corridor. I followed him cautiously. The hallway ended and stairs started going down into another hallway with rooms branching off. "First room on the left, kitchen and dining room. On your left is the sitting room, next two rooms on the left are bathroom and the next two rooms on the right are bedrooms. The last bedroom and last bathroom are mine. That means you will be staying here." He led me into the first bedroom. I noticed that all the rooms were all shades of grey and very slight accents of color. My room had a green lamp and green throw pillows. The only light in the room came from the light on the ceiling in the lamp.
"Very bland." I said while looking at the dark furniture.
"It's the best I would do. I am going back up to the hub. Make yourself at home." He left the room. His footsteps slowly disappeared the door of the underground house closing behind them.
I pulled the laptop out of the bag. Someone had left an account open on the screen. I clicked open the employee files. "Okay, who are you Ianto Jones?" I typed 'Ianto Jones' into the search bar. The name came up under deceased employees. The file read, 'Ianto Jones. Born: 19 August 1983. Death: 9 July 2010. Torchwood information: Torchwood One: Junior Researcher, Survived Canary Wharf, Lisa Hallet (partially converted cyberman)- girlfriend (deceased) Torchwood Three: Office Manager, Junior Researcher, Fieldwork Captain Jack Harkness- boyfriend, Height: 6' Weight: 160 lbs.' etc. etc.
I found the one thing I was looking for in his file, Jack's name. The file confirmed that Ianto was something to Jack before he died. I clicked on the death certificate. It read 'Death by Torchwood during the 456 invasion'. It had nothing heart-felt on it. Just 'death by Torchwood'. I expected that to be on every single one.
I closed the employee files and opened the CCTV. I checked to find Jack. He wasn't in his office or on the main floor. I clicked open the cell cameras to find aliens staring back at me. The next set of camera feed was in the morgue. I found Jack sitting on a stool next to freezer box number 0012. There was a man lying on the slab and Jack was talking to him.
I watched him through the camera.
After leading me to a place I could stay and sending Gwen and Rhys home, he was down in the morgue again. It appeared as though he was finishing up a nightly routine. He pulled open slab number 0012 and saw the well-preserved face of his young lover staring at the ceiling.
"Hey, Ianto." He said as he pulled up the stool that was in the corner. It had the indention from countless butts sitting here and just looking at whomever they chose to. He picked up Ianto's hand. "Ianto, we had the most unexpected guest today. She says that she is the Doctor's daughter and I believe her. She has the same air about her. The same determined look. She said that she was here to help me. She was helping. She brought back coffee and she offered to do paperwork. That was your job at first. I wanted to make sure I did something that would make you proud, so I did the paperwork myself."
"You would have liked her. She has the air about her. She is confident about what she is doing here. I can just tell by talking to her. She is mysterious though. I know nothing about her. She can be trusted exactly like her father." He rubbed his thumb up and down on his hand, as if to warm it up though he knew that it wouldn't become any warmer. "You're still beautiful, Ianto. You are still the only person I will ever truly love." He placed a kiss on the dead man's lips "Good night, my Ianto."
He stood up and pushed Ianto back into the freezer. I watched his young lover's face slowly disappear into the cold darkness. Jack carried the stool and put it back in the corner. He looked back at the freezer like he was going to go back but then looked away. He looked back towards it and walked back to the freezer. He opened Ianto's slab back up. He pulled him out and leaned into Ianto and whispered in his ear. I couldn't make out what he said but he looked pained when he looked up. Was he saying something he should have said while Ianto was still alive or was he saying something he didn't want to say on the CCTV?
I saved the footage from the CCTV to the computer to see if I could use this to help Jack and Ianto in the long run. I closed the computer and put it back into the case it was in.
I walked out of my bedroom and down the hall to the kitchen. I found an old bruised banana in a silver bowl that was sitting on the black counter-tops. I wondered how Jack had the money for this stuff. I picked up the banana, closed my eyes, and thought about it being ripe and edible. I thought about healing it and how someone could eat it once it was ripe again.
I opened my eyes and set the banana down on the counter-top. I watched as it ripened back to a normal banana yellow color instead of brown. This body healed things more quickly that the old one did.
I grabbed the banana and peeled it. I heard the door close and spotted Jack as he strolled into the kitchen looking depressed. "That banana was bruised." He said in a very monotone voice.
"I told you I could heal things and maybe this body is strong enough to do more. I'm just not sure yet."
