Disclaimer: Owning nothing is good. Say it with me. "I do not want to own Doctor Who. I will not try to steal Doctor Who." Ah, lovely.

A/N: Guess what I have? Plot development! Yay!


A Plan?

We tried everything, we really did.

Sarah Jane was great - I could tell she really wanted to help, but there was just nothing we could do! We tried getting Mr Smith to call the TARDIS here, but he just said he "couldn't interfere with the dynamic interface of a living structure". Or something.
We tried to get K-9's advice (some random metal dog trying to seal a black hole) but he couldn't stay long enough to think of something.

Even Maria helped, along with Luke and Clyde, who I met on the second day. Luke was apparently Sarah Jane's son, though I was sure the Doctor had never mentioned her having kids - and whenever I asked about it, everyone went quiet. Strange.

I learnt a fair few things whilst living with Sarah Jane, and I found a few strange things as well. For one, I learnt that although the Doctor liked to think he was giving Rose and me so much by taking us into space, there were plenty of aliens looking for trouble on Earth. I learnt that (as much as I hated to admit it) thirteen year olds actually could handle alien threats almost as well as me. I learnt that Luke did not like to be beaten in science - especially not when discussing technobabble.

I found that Sarah Jane didn't like to discuss her travels with the Doctor, and that under no circumstances were you to make fun her her metal dog. I found that Maria's dad had no idea what Maria gets up to, and that she'd never tell him (as much as I tried to convince her to).

And then I found out - or rather, I didn't find out - the strangest thing of all, when Sarah Jane mentioned "the battle". My memory stirred, and I remembered what Jackie had asked me when I'd found myself in her flat all those weeks ago.

"Has it happened to them yet?"

she'd asked me. "The battle. Do you - do they know about it yet?"

She had only mentioned it in passing, but I saw everything. I saw how she turned away when she'd said it; how she'd changed the subject as if it was a forbidden topic; how when she'd turned around again her eyes were ever so slightly clouded over. So I asked her.

"What's this battle everyone's talkin' about?" I'd said, as casually as I could. She'd turned to me, startled, and shaken her head.

"It doesn't matter." she'd replied, just as casually. "You'll find out when it's time."

And that was all she'd said. I couldn't get anything else out of her.

And all of this was well and good, but I still hadn't learnt where to find my parents.

I spent six weeks living with Sarah Jane and Luke before we gave up.

It was hard to admit, but we all knew we'd never find the Doctor this way. We had to stop researching every few days when Sarah Jane needed help with some alien plot, and then we had to start over when we got back. It was pretty hopeless. And that was when Sarah Jane mentioned Torchwood.

My ears pricked up interestedly. "Wait... I've heard of them. I think. Yeah, something... something to do with a Werewolf, right?"

Sarah Jane frowned. "Well, I don't know what Torchwood you mean, but I'm talking about the organisation Torchwood, not a Werewolf."

"What's Torchwood?" Luke asked, entering the attic casually. He joined Maria on the sofa, and they were both now studying Sarah Jane carefully.

"Well... they're just a company. Just people. Like us." she said simply.

"You mean," Maria started carefully. "Like us, as in, they're human? Or like us, as in, they catch aliens?"

Sarah Jane sighed, and I walked over to join Maria and Luke on the seat as Sarah Jane turned to them. "Well, the second." she'd told us defeatedly.

"Wait, there's an official organisation that catched aliens? Apart from UNIT?" I asked disbelievingly.

"Well, it's been around for hundreds of years." she said. "At least, the old one had been." Her eyes flickered over to me when she said that.

"What d'you mean?" I asked.

"I mean... Torchwood caught aliens. It scavenged them, and took their technology, and killed them. And then there was... a battle." She continued before I could interrupt, "And that Torchwood was, I don't know, defeated, I suppose. So then this new Torchwood was set up. But this time, it's much smaller, and they're based in Cardiff."

"Cardiff?" Maria asked, frowing. "As in, Wales? There's an alien catching agency in Wales?"

I laughed. "Of course - the Rift!"

"The what?" Luke asked, clearly annoyed at my knowing something he didn't.

"There's a Rift in Space and Time running through Cardiff. We used to use it to refuel when we needed to." I explained. "I suppose... it could cause trouble. Torchwood must monitor it; make sure nothing happens to endanger you lot."

Then it hit me. "Wait... it's 2007, right?" I asked, standing up slowly. Sarah Jane nodded silently. "then... I can do it! No. Yes! No..." I frowned, turning around to think. "Wait... if this is - then that was... YES!"

Maira jumped back, and Sarah Jane looked expectantly at me as I turned back aorund to face them. "I can find them!" I cried. "I can find my parents!"

"But - how?" Sarah Jane asked, smiling.

"Like I said, we use the Rift to refuel. But we've got to be careful, we have to make sure we don't go to a time when we've already refuelled there, or it's crossing our own timeline." I ignored Maria's confused look and continued. "We have to leave a gap of at least fifty-seven hours - not sure why, the Doctor once explained it but I personally think he just liked the number - and the last time we refuelled was on the 21st of July, 2007!"

Luke was grinning happily, but Sarah Jane and Maria were clearly lost. "The next time the Doctor and Rose refuel, it should be around the 23rd to the 25th of July! So..." I paused, waiting for them to figure it out. "I just have to wait until then and go find them!" I ended ecstatically.

Sarah Jane hugged me warmly and Maria leapt up to do the same. "That's brilliant!" she cried, and we all had a group hug. Even Luke.

So there I was! Going to Cardiff!

... Hey, it seemed like a good idea at the time.


A/N: Review!