Going to Jack's office... why did it give me the same feeling as being called to the headmaster's in school?

Personally, I'm a good girl (really, I am!) I've never got in trouble in school like that. Nothing worse than forgetting the odd piece of homework... But if I did do something bad, got caught, got sent to the head master... well, I can guarantee I would be filled with that exact same sinking sensation as I felt just then, as I followed Jack.

There was a lump in my throat and my stomach felt heavy inside me... oh dear, what did I do that was so wrong?

By the time I caught up, he was already sat behind his desk and I took the same seat I was in before the rift alert. There was a big Déjà vu!

For a moment, he didn't say anything which was very eerie. He just stared at a few pieces of paper on his desk.

I sat their twiddling my thumbs and put the flower from the florists in my hair. I managed to catch a glimpse of the documents: they looked like mission evaluations. Then, Jack finally spoke to me.

Turns out I wasn't in trouble at all! Jack was, and I quote, impressed with my initiative and quick thinking! He said with a bit of training, he reckons they could get a torchwood operative out of me yet! Could you imagine that? Caitlyn Llewellyn: Torchwood operative *dies*

And training, eh? Could that be the same training Gwen got in ghost machine? A girl can dream... and until Ianto turns up, in my opinion, Jack's fair game! (can you blame me for thinking like this, really? Ha!)

As I left the office, Tosh handed me an ID card and an A4 sheet of paper.

"Her is your access codes, key them in to get into the hub. It will also let you into the main rooms of the archives, but I wouldn't bother. They're hard to make sense of. If you need anything from there to help anyone, just ask."

She gave me a warm, genuine smile and I really felt like part of the Torchwood team.

She also showed me a small desk with a computer which she said I could used. "I sometimes need it to run simulations if my own doesn't have the processing power... but you're very welcome to borrow it."

I looked at the clock on the monitor as she showed me how to use it. It was 7 in the morning. It was now over two days since I last saw my mam.

"I need to go home!" I exclaimed, out of nowhere.

"Pardon?"

"My mam... she thought I was at a friend's house, she'll be worried." I promptly turned on my heels and walked up to Jack's office, explaining the situation I was in.

And what a situation it was! I mean, I actually got a job working for Torchwood... but I was expected to go to school and live at home with my mam. That didn't leave much time for fighting aliens!

I didn't really know what to expect jack to do. I mean, he didn't know me or have reason to trust me. He could easily have said "look, just go home then, I'll give you a shout if the Doctor turns up!" But instead...well, he pulled out all the stops to keep me in Torchwood!

He called a board meeting, but this time, he asked me to wait outside while he briefed the team.

Just over 20 minutes I waited until they finished. Tosh left the room first, promptly rushing to her supercomputer and opening some design software programme. Next, Suzie and Owen left together. As he did so, he turned to me and whispered

"Well well, I'm not sure what makes you so special, newbie, but Jack really does want to keep you around." Owen confused me. One minute he was a jerk, next he was nice. Now he was back to a jerk. Dear me, I feel sorry for Tosh!

Well anyway, Suzie told me to go into the board room, Jack needed to see me. I said Ok, thanks, but it came out rather meekly. Something about Suzie just intimidated me. Probably the part of her which turned her into a murder... anyway...

When I got there, Jack explained to the team that I had travelled through the rift, from the future at the same time, my younger self travelled through the rift leaving here.

"But that's not what happened-" I interjected. Jack said he knew that, but the team didn't have to.

I suppose he didn't need them asking too many questions about where I was from, just in case I told them too much about him.

He asked me if working for torchwood was really what I wanted. I told him of course it was. Then, he called his plan into action.

First, he called my mam. It was barely gone 8am, and my mam didn't work Tuesday mornings so I knew she'd be annoyed being woken up!

"Hello? Is that Ms Llewellyn? Hi. My name is Professor Smith from The American College of Science..." He proceeded to inform my mam about how I'd won a scholarship after entering a competition at school. He put on an extra-strong American accent, and even though he wasn't in the room with my mother, I could hear flirtation in his voice. It was quite gross actually... That's my mam!

He told her that a representative of the college would arrive at our house today to interview me, and inform her about the university. She should expect a call from the school shortly.

"wow," was all I could mutter when he was done. "thanks."

"Don't thank me, it was Owen's idea."

Owen? I really don't get that guy...

I went out into the hub and saw what Tosh was working on – in front of her, on the screen, was a very official looking website for the "American College of Science." The name was a bit sucky, I'll admit it, but the website looked fantastic!

"I've updated your current school records too. And I'm just about to re-route your school telephone number to call your mother from it. I'll tell her about the competition, what a wonderful opportunity it will be, how you can live on the campus."

Again, I just said "wow. Thank you so much, Tosh. This is just... it's amazing. Thank-you." She smiled modestly and went back to the project. As I walked away, I saw her pick up the phone.

Owen. Then, I wanted to see Owen.

"Alright, Newbie!"

"I have a name you know." He stared at me blankly. "It's Caity." I confirmed.

At first, I didn't mind 'Newbie,' it felt like a badge of honour... I was part of the team! It was grating a bit now...

"Hm," was all he said, as he went back to study some luminous test tubes in front of him. Then it clicked. Caity was just like Katie. Maybe it reminded him too much of his fiancé? I mean, it couldn't have been more than a year ago she died. Owen was the newbie until I showed up.

I sighed a bit in mock resignation. "Newbie's fine..."

For the first time, he looked up at me. "Thanks," I began, making eye contact. "I mean, thanks for coming up with the plan to keep me here. I didn't know how it'd do it."

"Hey, you saved my back, I'm just returning the favour. We're even. Oh, I don't know if you know the next part of the plan... You're supposed to go home in a bit – just got back from a friend's I suggest – your mum will coo and be all proud, then I'll turn up, a rep from the school, tell her your flight leaves tomorrow...We'll escort you to the airport blah blah blah. Then we'll take you back here, reading to start!"

The plan was brilliant. I couldn't deny that. I felt a bit honoured they were going through such trouble to keep me here, whether it was jack's orders or not it made me feel special.

At 9am I left the hub, knowing I'd be back tomorrow morning. As I stood in front of the door it felt surreal to be home after so much had happened. Then, it hit me – I was leaving my mam and this world behind. Was that really what I wanted?

Oh yes.

I could always come back and visit for school holidays.

I just lifted my arm to knock when the door swung open and my Mam pulled me inside.

"Caitlyn!" she exclaimed, giving me a hug. "I've got fantastic news!"

She proceeded to tell me about the fake college and everything Jack and Tosh told her. I played my part well, looking shocked, surprised and excited perfectly!

"What was the competition?" She asked.

"Oh, um..." I stumbled, "It was just an essay of sorts. And they looked at your grades and everything."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I... I never expected anything to come of it." She hugged me again, I think... she was crying!

"I'm so proud... My little Caity, the scientist!"

She stopped a moment to ask if I really wanted to go. I think it just dawned on her I'd be leaving the country. I told her I did, it was a fantastic opportunity.

Jack had told my mam the flight was tomorrow, and although it wouldn't be confirmed till she filled in some official (yeah right) forms which his college would bring round, we still decided to start packing.

I've got to say, it was such a fun morning. We only stopped when the doorbell rang – Owen was here, only he wasn't Owen. He was Mr Jones.

First Smith and now Jones? Torchwood needs a lesson on originality, that's for sure!

Owen talked to my mam first, before leaving her with numerous lengthy forms I could only imagine Tosh had written out. He then asked to see me.

Me and Owen talked in the dining room while my mam was engrossed with paperwork.

"So, Ms Llewellyn, you think you'd make a great addition to our college do you?" he grinned.

"Shut up," I hissed. He looked very smug.

"Tell me... why's Jack so keen to take you on? I mean, he only wanted me because he knew I was a doctor..."

That's now quite true – he wanted Owen because he was a doctor and he'd already seen firsthand what aliens could do...

"...Tosh is just so genius it's freaky, Suzie's the weapons expect... And well he's just captain bloody fantastic, isn't he? What are you?"

That was a good question, Owen. I had no idea – what could I do? What could I bring to Torchwood?

Luckily, I didn't have time to answer – Mam poked her head through the door with the completed forms. I even had to sign a few to make it look official.

She offered Owen tea or coffee, but he refused – he said he had to go back to work but a car would pick me up tomorrow morning.

And that was that. The plan was complete and my mum brought it. I was free from school and home – I was a Torchwood operative 24/7

Mam called in her work (she's a nurse and works evening/night shift on Tuesdays) She said she wanted to spend as much time with me as she could before I left.

So we had a girly day, watched some telly, ate some chocolates. It was nice.

We finished packing after tea (my favourite, chicken tika) and then we went to bed.

Well, hasn't this been the world's most rambling journal entry? Sorry about that. But, well as you've read... quite a lot has happened to me in a short space of time! And I just wrote down what was going on whenever I got a spare second...

Well, it's now April 24th 2007. I'm writing this from bed; my own bed. It's the last time in a while I'll be sleeping here. Where will I sleep tomorrow? Where will I live? This has all gone so fast, I never even thought...

It'll all sort itself out, I know it will.

Well, I best get some sleep – aliens to catch and all that jazz in the morning!

Goodnight, Rodger! I'll write more as soon as I can :)