It's been a few weeks since the incident with the Family, the bruise on Lila's arm gone away finally, leaving barely a mark, nobody noticed it while she worked at the library because she switched to long sleeves as the air started getting colder, again.
Just in case she worked out a story that she donated blood to Red Cross, of course that's a stretch, but telling the truth about how she was almost drained of her blood like the nurse from 'Halloween II' wasn't exactly something she could spin.
Theodore made a full recovery, top to bottom, no marks on his arms, and he's back being the aloof giant Lila knows.
Hammond had to ask about their adventure, which Theodore's forced to tell the truth, but made sure to empathize that he and Lila had the best care in the world, in the form of Al, and steaks.
Lots of steaks.
Thank God for genetics, as Theodore would've been in trouble!
Of course, they followed Al's dietary recommendations allowing them to rejuvenate their blood cells under his watchful eyes, but an excuse to consume his weight in steaks, Theodore had to use!
Still no idea how Lila wound up in the cellar without being drained like Theodore, Theodore thought it might've been the sheriff, since he seemed to know more than he let on, but regardless, Theodore's happy none of them were worse for wear, and that's all that mattered in the end.
The Family's dead, that's good enough.
Sad about the island, but Al said there was nothing he could've done, everything he tried seemed to cause worse things to happen, thus he stopped.
The island was doomed either way, if not the Family, some other means.
Though the island became uninhabited after the last ship peeled away from the dock, there's some good news.
The island's becoming a sanctuary of sorts, for animals like turtles coming ashore for egg laying, so the island wasn't entirely uninhabited.
Oh!
Al had to pay this, by the way.
The inn forwarded a bill to Al and on it, it requested payment for the broken bed.
Now, Al may be old, but he has more RAM than this year's super computer, and the bed didn't break because the sheriff abducted the two from their room…
"Just… pay… please…" Theodore summed his and Lila's reactions to the bill as Al happily read off the list in the bill, including the cost of replacing the brand-new bed frame that the inn owner had just bought the month before Theodore and Lila paid for the room.
Not surprisingly, this proved moot when the inn bankrupted because of the island economy going up in flames, literary, but the inn owner made use of the money she got from the payment, seeing how she opened a new inn on the mainland somewhere else.
Oh! She also has new rules regarding payment in the event guests break the beds, something she didn't think of adding until…
That was the point when Theodore threatened to mute Al and Lila threatened to tell Bumble how Al forgot her birthday.
Oh, the look on his face!
…
A burst of cold air went through the area as it settled, autumn's on its way out, and with it comes the return of winter, December's on the horizon, there's already commercials spamming parents of the latest toys and gadgets for this year's Christmas shopping, and people already making plans for merrymaking, with parades planned.
It's that wonderful time of the year!
Lila already has presents made out to her family, Theodore's, her co-workers, the perks of being the Doctor's companion, she's able to get ahead of her Christmas shopping, but of course the aloof giant's been sneaking around for clues on what he's getting for Christmas.
She made it clear that she wouldn't tell, despite his attempts at persuading her, but she commended his attempts, for what it's worth.
The two made plans for traveling on Christmas, once they made sure their respected families received ample amounts of merrymaking, they'll travel to Mars, where it's warmer, and there they'll spend much of the day, before returning to Earth.
Everything's going according to plan when Lila's father grew tense, unusually terse, and absentminded.
Daphne said that his new job in the navy's been giving him problems, causing tension, but he won't leave it despite her pleas, due to his commitment.
Multiple times, Lila tried to talk to her father about what bothered him, but he wouldn't tell her anything, telling her that he can't, it's against the rules, as he put it.
He apologized for his behavior, admitting that his new work has him spread thin, which, at this time of year, worsened his mood, and he promised to make it up to them.
Billy and Ethan didn't know much about his new job, either, they're in different areas of the navy, that it's impossible for them to know, only rumors, that's about it.
One day, Billy said he heard murmurs that the navy's working with some sort of new government body, some sort of defense, that it's possible their father's helping, since he spent much of his youth as an engineer aboard different ships.
Ethan tried asking around on his end and heard similar rumors, that there's a new branch, some sort of division, and that they've been recruiting different people from different areas in the military.
Doesn't seem like there's anything serious going on or about to happen, everything's standard as far as the brothers were concerned, and no chatter about anything awry, nothing that suggested otherwise.
It's all secretive, but it's understandable why.
It'd also explain their father acting the way he did, he couldn't tell them anything, even if it meant they had a better understanding on why he's acting the way he is, but that's life in the military.
Hopefully, everything levels out and there's word soon, so that their father doesn't turn grey before Christmas.
Today's another adventure, the TARDIS took them somewhere as it normally did, and when they poked their heads out, they're in a basement of some sort, one of the standard places that the TARDIS materializes in these adventures of theirs.
Stepping out, the two looked around, getting an idea where they ended up, with Al unable to give them any form of background information, due to something blocking him from accessing whatever was here.
He can't even find a vulnerable port to root through, either, all vulnerabilities have been systematically found and closed, he can't even make one for him to use, either, it's sophisticated.
Much more sophisticated than he expected and they've dealt with every known system that they came across during their time adventuring.
He's trying, but failing, and now he's just making sure the system doesn't take notice of his attempts of breaking in, while covering up his tracks.
Still, the crafty AI wasn't deterred as he kept the two posted while they maneuvered around the basement filled with metal containers filled with unknown objects, but they must be worth a lot of money, enough that there's a paper with a long list of charges for anyone getting caught plundering from the boxes.
"You notice how your father looks at me?" Theodore brought up how seemingly, the stern Paul S. Watson gave Theodore looks, always when Lila wasn't around or looking, and when Theodore tried bringing it up, he simply hand waved it as him being fatherly.
He tried describing the looks with Lila helping him decipher their meanings, by the end Lila narrowed it down to her father distrusting Theodore.
"Distrusting? Me? Why?" Theodore found the thought egregious, pointing out that he's been with Lila long enough that any concerns her father has with him, should've dissipated by now, but Lila reminded him that they haven't told him the truth.
It's hard telling the truth when the truth sounds like a science fiction show that was created by someone else living the life depicted in the show.
You try coming up with a better explanation.
"I don't know why he's all the sudden giving the look, Teddi, and believe me, I made it clear with him the moment I told him we were dating. If you weren't treating me right, I'd drop your ass… off a rooftop," Lila couldn't explain why her father suddenly grew distrustful with Theodore despite the two getting along while making it clear to her father had there been any issues with her and Theodore, she'd resolve them.
He hadn't said anything to her about not trusting Theodore, but knowing her father, trying to the broach the subject would result in a whole lot of nothing.
Exhaling sharply, Theodore frowned as he wanted to know the root of the issue, since they'll be over at the Watsons come Christmas and if Theodore doesn't know why, it'll be an awkward Christmas until they manage to escape through the door.
Lila comforted him, telling him that she's sure that her father will finally tell her the truth.
"Maybe he's just doing what a dad does, y'know, the impending announcement?" Lila gave her thoughts on why her father turned 180 on Theodore without reason.
It's that time of year, the saying went, and with it came presents, announcements, oh my, maybe her father expected them to announce their engagement or something.
"I doubt it," Theodore didn't believe it could've been that, else the looks that the man gave him would be more intense.
No, this was something else, and he can't think of anything.
"I'll talk to him," Lila tells Theodore her plans on speaking with her father, wanting to get to the root of the issue, before it's something they must deal with on top of his behavior come Christmas.
Seeing the look in Theodore's icy blue eyes, Lila comforted him, assuring him that he didn't have anything to worry about, though he may feel as though he should.
"You're my Teddi, that's good enough," Lila gently squeezed his nose as he showed his pearly whites, a giggle from him as Lila tickled him with her free hand, before they returned to getting their bearings in the basement filled with highly expensive things.
Curiosity got the best of them and they had to know what was so expensive and intricate that resulted in fines and jail time if someone got caught stealing anything from the crates that Theodore used his trusty Sonic Screwdriver to take a gander at what they're dealing with.
Inside, there's a neatly line of firearms, of the military variety.
"Yeah, I'm getting that feeling there's a reason why Al couldn't get us any information," Lila tensed as she sees the weapons, carefully packaged, and scrutinized by inspectors before finally shipped out.
"Doesn't explain why we're here, though," Theodore winced as he carefully closed the crater with Lila's help, making sure not even their fingerprints were on the crate, out of fear of being traced back to them, despite the fact it was their fault for getting too curious for their own good.
Al didn't have a clue other than that they had to come here and that's never a good sign for their lot when it comes to these adventures of theirs.
Every time, it's always something serious, and already, the pair tensed up as they saw the scope of what they're looking at.
Military graded equipment.
Theodore checked around for anything identifying the ownership, coming across logos for UNIT and an emblem he couldn't recognize.
"Torch… wood?" Lila raised her brow as she read the emblem.
Torchwood?
Standing beside her with his large hands in his pocket as he studied the emblem, his mind turning, Theodore couldn't come up with an answer.
Reaching out to Al, Theodore didn't get any answers from him, he didn't know anything about Torchwood, either.
"Maybe UNIT's branching out?" Lila gave her suggestion that UNIT's getting its own new division of some sort and it made sense to Theodore, seeing how they're prone to expanding their reaches wherever they can, sometimes ensuring they have arms in places nobody expected them.
Well, it wasn't unexpected this involved UNIT, again, though he doesn't know which branch this UNIT hails from, so he isn't sure if it's the branch that had misgivings with his father or a neutral entity.
He made this known to Al and Al couldn't tell him what UNIT they're looking at, so that said, at least this was a start of getting down to the bottom of their visit.
Her arm interlocked with his, Lila walked with Theodore towards the elevator, complete with the warning signs splashed on the sliding doors as it opened when Theodore hit the button with his free hand.
Their psychic papers in their pockets, if there's any problems, they can lie their way out of the situation.
Entering and hitting the button, the pair's brought up from the basement to the main floor, upon the sliding doors opening they're met with advanced MP5s pointed in their faces.
Sighing, having been over this numerous times to count, Theodore gave his spiel, pearly whites and all, and the armed men marched them out of the lift.
They tried separating him and Lila, but Theodore wouldn't have it, forcing the armed men to keep them together as they're marched through the gun grey halls, muzzles practically pinned into their backs.
Radio chatter, as expected because of how the pair came up from the basement, despite it only accessible through the lift, though Theodore wanted to point out it's inexcusable there's no guards on post, or some sort of system keeping unauthorized personnel from accessing the basement with only the lift.
"Doctor," Theodore heard someone call out to him with a look on his face as he stepped forward with armed men behind him.
Theodore meekly shrugged as he struggled for names to call back as the slim tall man stood in his spot, looking him over.
Unlike the men marching them, this man's wearing a neatly pressed deep navy three-piece blue suit with a sleeveless black vest over the white dress shirt underneath, nothing that a military personnel would wear, his black hair's slicked back with gel, not in the military standard, ether.
Even tan, didn't look like a fed, but there's an air about the man that says that despite his appearance, he's seasoned.
There's a silver earpiece in his right ear that shined under the lights above, allowing him easy contact between him and his superiors.
Lila broached with, "Okay, save us time, please, who're you?"
Truthfully, she wanted answers, and the man gave it, his name's Ianto.
"Okay, Ianto, could you…?" Theodore awkwardly asked for the armed men to stop pointing their guns in his and Lila's backs, it's getting uncomfortable, and Theodore didn't want bruising.
Shaking his head, Ianto tells him, "Sorry, Doc, no can do, it's out of my hand. You know the rules."
Ah, yes, the rules.
"Kid! Kid! You gotta help me!" Al urgently called out into Theodore's head, causing him to turn his attention away from Ianto.
Theodore asked what was wrong and Al sputtered, "I'm being towed!"
The UNIT guards located and disabled him, they're bringing him up, causing Theodore's eyes to widen as he's shocked.
Lila's confused as Theodore's expressions, only when he patched her into his conversation with Al, her eyes widened, too.
It drove the point home when Theodore and Lila watched as men pushed the loaded with the TARDIS strapped to it with Lila going, "You can't do that!"
Sighing, Ianto flatly told her that it's alien, so it belonged to them, now.
From the tone of voice, Ianto's only reading off the rules, but his expression presented him as unhappy about the seizure as Theodore and Lila.
"Under whose authority?" Theodore demanded to know who operated this branch, wanting to exchange choice words with whoever deployed rules that seized the TARDIS without cause.
Because it's alien doesn't have much weight for him.
Ianto's answer didn't help Theodore as the man informed him that the person who had the authority over the confiscation of the TARDIS's in a meeting at this moment.
So, for now, if Theodore would like, he'd have to follow Ianto around until then, unless he wanted to spend time in an electrified cage.
Despite not being the leader of Torchwood, Ianto had enough clout to send the soldiers away, removing the muzzles imprinting on Theodore and Lila's backs as they're allowed some freedom, though they had to stay with Ianto.
They're not too fond of unauthorized visitors wandering the halls.
"Okay, something's clearly going on here, so spill!" Lila demanded Ianto tell them the truth, they're already here, and there's no point hiding it from them, hell, the Doctor's practically standing beside her!
Frowning, Ianto led Theodore and Lila around the Torchwood Base while he explained what led to the formation of Torchwood.
UNIT needed a new division where it'd be able to have plausible deniability, something that took the risks and blame off UNIT.
When it can't do something because of government red tape, it puts Torchwood to task in its place, thus it can keep the façade of being neutral and obedient.
"Like what?" Lila questioned the use of creating a brand-new division while she and Theodore were led towards the large panel glass overlooking a series of computers with people shuffling between screens, watching the scanners, writing notes.
Ianto replied with a simple, "Aliens, usually."
The biggest reason UNIT created Torchwood's because of the rising cases of aliens mingling among humans and though there hadn't been any instances of hostilities, UNIT didn't want a risk of panic or war.
Hence, Torchwood.
"The public doesn't know anything about aliens and that's a good thing, as you understand," Ianto tells them that they've been keeping watch on all aliens they've successfully identified.
So far, outside the lunatics, no one's encountered an alien, well that they're aware, and for Torchwood, they want to keep it that way.
It didn't help when the recent science fiction show grew in popularity and the contents of the show were uncomfortably close to the real deals.
So much, they've been trying to track down the creator, wanting to question him, but he's been impossible to find.
There than not.
Tried posting people outside the last known places he goes, but so far, there wasn't a hit.
Couldn't talk with people he knew, due to concerns that they might catch on, or ask too many questions.
It's been one of those things.
"H-hold on, you're telling me that a show has you on edge?" Theodore found it impossible to believe that a show was too close to the truth for Torchwood's comfort and Ianto nodded as he confirmed that the show ended up on their radar because of the show containing things that they found concerning.
Raising her brow, Lila asks, "Which are…?"
Gesturing as he led them away from the large panel glass, continuing their walk, Ianto proceeded to take them to a containment room where he showed the pair one of the things from the show that concerned them.
It was disabled and chained, but still capable of communicating.
The all-too-familiar screech as it caught sight of Theodore, "Doc-tor?"
Stepping backwards as she clutched Theodore's arm while he shielded her, Lila exclaimed, "Are you effing kidding me?"
Why?
Of all the damn things they had the misfortune of knowing, why?!
His icy blue eyes wide, Theodore asks, "W-where on earth did you capture this?"
Ianto casually shrugs as he says, "Found it patrolling the pacific. We think it's a scout. So far, there hasn't been any pings from the mothership, but we have reasons to believe this isn't a one-time occurrence."
The wayward Dalek ended up in an unknown location compared to what it'd normally scout, causing it's chassis to become waterlogged.
Hadn't a passing naval ship found it in time, it would have drowned, and likely set off a nuclear bomb, which would have a devastating effect.
Thankfully, it was unable to fight back when it was fished out of the waters, that when it came too, its weapons and bombs were already stripped and disabled, preventing it from lashing out while Torchwood figured out what to do with it.
"Are you out of your effing minds?!" Lila questioned the mental gymnastics these people had to corral and capture a Dalek.
Yes, it's disabled and incapable of exploding itself, fine, but the fact that they captured a scout isn't doing Lila favors if Ianto tried spinning this as a good thing.
She and Theodore have been at this for practically thousands of years, but hell who keeps track of time when their lives were on the line, but in all their adventures, when there's a scout, there's always a mothership somewhere expecting a house call, and when they don't get that house call, it's not a good thing!
Ianto wasn't affected by Lila's justified outburst as he stood in his spot with his arms behind his back, the Dalek in the background screeching at Theodore who held a mortified look on his face, instead he held a quizzical look on his face, his dark eyes blinking.
Lila called him out on it and he responded with an intrigued, "You sound just like that engineer that came aboard not too long ago."
Flabbergasted as Ianto didn't take the appearance of a Dalek seriously, much less the horrifying implications of one captured, Lila mustered, "Excuse me?"
Ianto didn't speak more on it, he received a call in his earpiece that he's to bring the Doctor to the meeting room, and he confirmed his orders, before relaying them to her and Theodore.
Leading them out of the containment cell while soldiers guarded the chained Dalek, screeching for Theodore's blood, Ianto walked them through the halls towards the meeting room, where they hoped to get answers on what's going on.
More than they bargained for, as they soon learned when Ianto opened the door into the meeting room, where they heard a southern man exclaim, "Are you out of your effing minds?"