The next day, I wake up at three in the morning to find Mum in my room, watching me. "Bit early for you to start, don't you think?" I ask her.
"Well, I was worried about you, but… yeah, I feel I might not be able to get back to sleep. I may as well do something productive."
"What, by creeping your daughter out by watching on her for the rest of the night?"
"Something like that," she laughs. I head into the central hub, followed by Mum. Clyde, Rani, Maria and Luke are already in there.
"You four okay?" I ask.
"Yeah, are you?" Maria asks.
"Yeah. What are you doing awake at three in the morning."
"I wet the bed," Luke admits. "The others were helping me with the washing machine- technology is something I still have to get used to."
"That's okay."
As I turn my screen on, the rift begins playing up. "What have you got?" Mum asks, sitting up.
"An aeroplane that has hit bad turbulence and needs to land. We'd better go and meet the passengers since they are from the 1950s."
We are at the airstrip at half three when the plane lands. "Hello, there," the piolet calls, smiling as we walk forward. She climbs out, followed by two passengers. "Apologies for the unplanned touchdown just hit some rotten turbulence."
"Emma Smith-White," I smile, shaking her hand.
"Diane Holmes, piolet. Is this some secret base? You must show me around some day, Emma."
"Everything all right?" The man asks.
"How long before we head off again?" The woman asks. "My uncle's expecting me."
"When did you leave?" I ask.
"About half an hour ago," the piolet answers.
"Which date?"
"Today, December the 18th."
"Which year? Diane, I need to know."
"1953."
When we head back to the Child's Torchwood Hub, I wake up Mummy, letting her know that we have company. We gather in the main room and introduce ourselves, explain to them that they travelled through time. John Ellis, Emma Louise Cowell and Diane Holmes introduce themselves. We show them evidence to show that they moved fifty years into the future. "But if all this is true, how do we get back?" Diane asks.
"You don't," I say, sadly. "According to history, your plane never returned. I'm sorry." We try to locate any family that they might have without any success. I promise to try again and for them to get some sleep.
Gita takes them to a hostel for the night while we sort out means of identification for them. "I think we should let them keep their names," I tell Jack.
"That could confuse the authorities," Jack points out. I shrug, telling him that it would be some comfort to them to keep their names the same.
In the morning, we explain that we set up bank accounts for them, but we will give them a daily allowance so they can learn about money management and get used to the currency. When we take them to the supermarket, we advise them on how much they should spend on food and luxuries. Emma seems to be enjoying herself, as is Diane until she buys a pack of cigarettes. After going shopping, Alan drops John at the Millenium Stadium, taking the girls back to the hostel.
That evening, Emma and John argue before Emma returns to Child's Torchwood. Gita explains that there is no-one else we can turn to, so I let her have a room in the hotel area. After I go to bed, I spot Mum watching over me, worried. Slowly, Mummy walks over to her. "You okay?"
"I don't know what to do, Sarah," Mum whispers. I realise that she's crying. "What if she was killed yesterday?"
"She wasn't, that's all that matters." Suddenly, I feel my stomach ache. I grab it, crying out in agony.
"Right, we need to get you out, Emma. I'm taking you to the woods." I nod, momentarily wondering why.
"Sarah will need to learn how to hunt in a few years, but I don't know if I can teach her."
"I'm sure you'll be a great teacher, Mum."
When we get there, Mum explains that it could be that my Qetesh hunger is starting to come through. "You'll need to work on the art of surprise, concealment. To hide within a society, you need the element of surprise. But we'll master the basics first, okay?" I nod. "Close your eyes, smell the air around you. You need to decide what to hunt, so you need to identify the smells around you, as well as working out who is friend and foe." I nod, closing my eyes. "Find some easy prey. Take a deep breath in." I nod, complying with the instructions she gives me. I can smell all sorts of beings; rabbits, foxes, birds. Then, I smell something off.
A man is raping someone. My eyes fly open, and I take off, racing through the woods. I am faster than Mum, and it's only a few minutes until I lose her altogether.
"HELP!" A woman screams as a man, her boyfriend- ex-boyfriend- bears down on her.
"We've had this date from the start," he growls, pushing her against a tree.
"Help!"
"No one's coming, Lizzie." I watch through the branches, waiting.
"Please, help!" I jump down as Lizzie continues screaming, grabbing the man.
"What the hell?" I look up at Lizzie.
"Run, get out of here!" Lizzie takes off at a run. I turn back to the man, who is laughing, trying to throw me off.
Mum jumps down from the trees. "Well done on keeping control," she smiles.
"Thanks," I smile. "Should we call the police?"
"I would like to think that the police can handle this, but I don't think they will." Mum glowers at the man. "We'll let you off just this once. However, if we catch you doing it again, you'll wish you have never been born." I let go of the man, who runs off.
"I hope he's taken my threat seriously."
"He should have," I agree.
"Now, Emma, that was a good save. Let's get back to the hunt, yeah?" I nod, quietly, focusing my senses again.
During my hunt, I make sure to keep the ecosystem stable. If I need to hunt again any time soon, I'll go further out.
When we arrive back at Child's Torchwood, Emma asks if she can join Child's Torchwood. I agree, smiling. I offer her to stay in Cardiff to help run the base there, and she agrees. I show her how to use the weapons we have and start training her.
"Right, see you later," Rani agrees, smiling.
"Who was that?" I ask her.
"It turns out Dad can come here! The police found him, but he and a woman found with him were unable to remember who they are. They regained their memories and asking about us. I also told him about Child's Torchwood- you don't mind, do you?"
"Of course not," I smile. "Who was the woman?"
"Chrissie Jackson. I was about to let Maria know."
Haresh arrives at Child's Torchwood the next day; Rani and Gita go to meet him. When I meet him, I show him around, explaining what Child's Torchwood is trying to do. "This is incredible," Haresh breathes. "If it all goes right, then you could save many children." I nod, explaining that is the plan.