"I swear, Jack, if this niffler thing of yours makes me late, by the Gods, I will serve your kidneys to Janet for breakfast tomorrow," Miranda said as she trudged across the muddy trail, her wellies sinking into the soft ground.
It was nearly Sunday afternoon and after a string of complaints from the Parks Service to the South Wales Police and the RSPCA about dead birds, the entire Torchwood team was searching the Cardiff Bay Wetlands Reserve.
"How is this my fault, Will?" Jack said as he combed through the reeds and tall grass looking for the errant alien creature. "If you're so worried about being late, go. The rest of us can handle this."
"I found another one over here, Jack!" Gwen called out as she lifted the dead body of a featherless bird and dropped it into a large bin liner.
"Gwen? Toss me that bin liner, I've got another one over here, poor thing," Fish said as he held up the dead body of a wryneck in his gloved hand. The poor body looked small and pathetic without its feathers.
"This is futile, Jack," Miranda snapped. "We've been out here all morning."
"I don't understand why it would leave, there's plenty of food here for it," Jack said.
"Too many people, maybe?" Gwen asked.
"Maybe it's killed off most of the smaller birds and the only source of the feathers it eats are the larger water fowl?" Fish offered.
"Either… or both," Miranda said. "No fresh water? This is a salt marsh…"
"We just found out about the reports of the featherless bodies but they've been going on for about a week now," Ianto said, looking odd in his jeans and t-shirt. "It peaked around Thursday but it's fallen off a bit since then."
"All right everyone, we're done here. Let's all start heading back to the SUV. Ianto? See about ordering some feathers somehow, maybe we can trap it. Gwen, keep an eye out with the locals, it could end up in one of the other parks. Fish, I think it's time to build a better mouse trap," Jack said, his hands on his hips. "And Will? Have fun at the in-laws."
"I'll see all of you Monday," Miranda called out as she trudged back to her car, making sure to shoot Jack a death glare as she passed him. If she went back to the Hub now, she'd have just enough time to clean up and change. She might be a little late picking up Nora but if she pushed the speed limit all the way to London, they'd be on time. She sent a quick text to Nora letting her know that she was on her way. The two had agreed that if Miranda didn't pick Nora up on time, that Nora should leave without her. With her stomach full of butterflies, Miranda pulled into traffic and sped towards the Hub.
She made it to Nora's flat a half hour late. Nora was wringing her hands, nervously, fiddling with the cuff of her sleeve the entire way to London. Miranda could feel her own nerves as well, arriving late was not the first impression she wanted to make. But Miranda had watched Jack Harkness drive the Torchwood SUV for far too long. She'd have to get Fish to fix some speed camera tickets when she returned to Cardiff but the two managed to arrive five minutes early.
Nora squeezed Miranda's hand and rang the bell. Miranda hung back, watching affectionately as Nora greeted her family and then turned to introduce her.
"Miranda this is my sister Carys, my brother Luke, his wife Brooke," Nora said introducing her family members. Miranda did her best to smile and shook hands with each one. She couldn't remember the last time she'd met the family of anyone she'd dated and her stomach was tied in knots. Carys's reception of Miranda was chilly. It seems that Nora's younger sister still hadn't forgiven Miranda for breaking Nora's heart. Luke and his wife were both pleasant and polite but Miranda could feel the tension rolling off them. Miranda wondered if it was always like this when Nora brought her partners home or if it was the fact that this was the first time that one of them had received an invitation.
"My mother, Siwan," Nora said.
"Mrs. Ashline," Miranda said formally, "it's lovely to meet you."
"And you know my Tad of course," Nora said as she introduced her father.
Colonel Ashline looked just as formidable without his uniform but Miranda found it strange to see him in a pair of jeans and a polo shirt. The last time she'd seen the Colonel face to face, it had been in London for the annual Torchwood briefing at UNIT's London headquarters, the Colonel had been in full dress uniform. Now that the two were standing in such proximity, Miranda could see the strong resemblance between father and daughter.
"Colonel Ashline, it's good to see you again," Miranda said, shaking the man's hand.
"You know my husband, Doctor Ryan?" Siwan asked, surprised.
"Yes, ma'am, and please, it's Miranda," she said with a friendly smile. "Your husband and I work together on occasion."
"Are you with UNIT, Miranda?" asked Luke.
Before Miranda could answer and lie, Colonel Ashline said, "Doctor Ryan works for another agency that we frequently liaise with."
"So you're not military?" Carys asked.
"No, I'm not," Miranda said.
"Let's all have a seat in the lounge and you two can stop interrogating your sister's friend," Siwan said.
Out of the corner of her eye, Miranda saw Nora's jaw tighten at the way her mother had referred to her. Nora was about to open her mouth to protest when Miranda brushed her fingers against Nora's hand. Nora turned to her and Miranda shook her head slightly, giving her lover a soothing look. Nora took a deep breath and sat down next to Miranda on the sofa. Not to be completely dissuaded, she clasped Miranda's hand in full view of her family. Miranda saw the Colonel and his wife both shift uncomfortably in their seats and she suppressed a grin.
Luke's wife cleared her throat and said, "What sort of medicine do you practice?"
"I do consulting for a government agency. As the Colonel knows, I can't really discuss my work," Miranda said. It was the half veiled lie that she had once told Nora. "Before that I was a surgeon, in New York."
"In America? No wonder you can afford the pretty trinkets," Carys said, poking the bracelet that Miranda had bought Nora.
Miranda was about to open her mouth with a snide remark of her own when Nora's mother snapped at her daughter in Welsh.
"Stop it, Carys! You're embarrassing yourself and your sister," Siwan said.
"She's trying to buy Nora's affection, Mam!" Carys spat back at her mother in Welsh.
"Enough, Carys, you're being rude," Siwan said.
"Am I the only one who cares that she broke Nora's heart?" Carys exclaimed. "Now, you two invite her over for dinner?"
The argument continued on in Welsh and started to become more heated. Nora was flushing deeper and deeper as her family argued and Luke joined in. Nora drew in a breath to speak several times but seemed to be unable to get in a word. Carys continued to insult Miranda and her intentions while Siwan tried to placate her youngest and Luke continued to try to mediate between the two. The Colonel was oddly silent through the entire argument but occasionally casting a glance Miranda's way as if waiting for her to put a stop to it all. How he knew that Miranda could understand every word, she had no idea. Finally, Miranda felt it had all gone on long enough and cleared her throat loudly.
"Forgive my children, Doctor Ryan," Siwan said. "They forget their manners."
Miranda turned to Nora and quirked her eyebrow.
Nora nodded at her, an evil smile on her face and said, "Oh, go on."
"No apologies are necessary, Mrs. Ashline. I know that your youngest is being protective of her older sister and that no offence was intended," Miranda said, in flawless Welsh.
Brooke turned her head quickly and covered her mouth to hide the grin on her face. She failed to suppress some of the laughter as Miranda saw her shoulders shaking slightly. Luke didn't even try and burst out laughing as he cast his youngest sister an evil look. Siwan looked scandalised and embarrassed and Carys looked completely mortified. The Colonel remained impassive save for the smallest curl to one corner of his mouth.
Still flushed, Siwan retreated to the kitchen with Carys and Nora to set out dinner. They had shoved down Miranda's offers of help, leaving her in the lounge with Luke, Brooke and the Colonel. The three of them sat making awkward small talk until Siwan called them to the table.
The family joined hands and the Colonel spoke with a bowed head, "Bless, O Father, Thy gifts to our use and us to Thy service; for Christ's sake. Amen."
The beginning of the meal was spent mostly in silence as most of the family members cast nervous glances at Miranda and each other. Gradually, the mood relaxed and the silence was filled with some more awkward small talk and random conversation. By the time the meal was completely done, everyone had relaxed well enough to begin questioning Miranda again.
"So how did you two meet?" Luke asked. He was scraping the plates into a bowl and then piling them in front of him.
"Alvin. He bolted and ran across Bute Park. Miranda saved the day. Isn't that right, Cariad?" Nora said, smiling. She draped her arm loosely around Miranda's shoulder. Miranda noticed the slightly startled looks from the rest of the family at the endearment.
"I wouldn't call darting after a dog saving the day, love," Miranda said with a smile.
As the family got up to begin clearing the table, Miranda was pushed back down into her seat again.
"Don't even try, Miranda. I've been married to this oaf for two years and they still won't let me lift a finger," Brooke said.
Miranda smiled and got up from her chair anyway not to help but to watch. A soft smile played on her lips as she watched the Ashlines interact in the kitchen. They each had their own places and jobs. It was easy to see why she and Brooke weren't allowed to help, it would have thrown a wrench into a well oiled machine. Miranda couldn't help but smile at the family scene feeling a stab of longing for the normalcy and a little bit of jealousy. The family was oblivious to her watching them until her mobile went off. With a frustrated sigh, she pulled the phone out of her pocket and looked at the caller ID. Jack. "Excuse me, I'm sorry but I have to take this."
She connected the call and lifted the phone to her ear. "Ryan… Just a moment, Jack," she turned to the Colonel who was taking the filled left over containers from Luke and putting them away in the fridge.
"The back door," he said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder.
"Thank you, Colonel," Miranda said as she strode towards the Ashline's back door. She went through the door and moved as far away from the house as the backyard would allow.
"Sorry about that, Jack… No, we just finished dinner. What's going on?… Blast, is Ifan okay?… Do you need me back?… If you're positive they're not poisonous, then there's no need for the A&E if you don't think he needs stitches… Of course, just clean them out really well and I'll take a look when I get back… No, Jack… No, Jack… You're sure?… Right… Right… Tell him I'm looking at them anyway. I can hear him in the background… Maybe some antibiotics… After midnight… Are you sure?… Right… Okay, thanks, Jack…" Miranda disconnected the call with a sigh. The niffler was proving to be more annoying, it had broken into a local home goods store and devoured the linens section. Its entry to the store had triggered the alarm and the niffler managed to escape again after sinking its teeth into Ianto's hand.
"Doctor Ryan? If there is some emergency, I can have a UNIT helicopter at your disposal in ten minutes to take you to Cardiff," the Colonel said from the back doorway.
Miranda put her phone away and said, "Thank you, but that won't be necessary, Colonel. Captain Harkness was updating me on an ongoing situation."
"Anything UNIT needs to be aware of?" he asked.
"Nothing like that," Miranda said and noting that the door behind the Colonel was open said, "A small pest problem."
The Colonel's eyebrows raised but he said nothing. Instead, he stepped through the doorway, closing the door and stepping towards her. "You and my daughter appear to be doing well. I'm pleased."
Miranda raised her eyebrow and didn't bother concealing her surprise or annoyance. "I mean no disrespect, Colonel, but I find that hard to believe. You were quite against our relationship on a number of levels, not all of them to do with my work or - how was it you termed it? My 'abnormality'."
"You are a woman of faith, Doctor Ryan?" the Colonel asked.
"I am, sir," she said.
"And you have no conflict between your faith and this… lifestyle?" he asked.
"I am baptised a Catholic, Colonel, but I was born before that faith's inception. I have never seen anything in my long life to make me believe that love, in any form, is wrong."
The Colonel gave her an appraising look. "You're far older than I thought."
"I trust you will be discrete, Colonel. My unique nature is a secret I guard carefully," Miranda said with a hint of chill in her voice.
"Your secret is safe with me," he assured. "Do not mistake me, Doctor Ryan, I'm pleased that Nora is happy but I don't understand my daughter's choices. As her father, I only want what is best for her. Do you have children?"
Miranda felt a fist clench around her heart. She blinked back against the tears trying to force their way out as memories of laugher and smiles long passed rose in her mind.
Her voice unsteady, she said softly, "I raised a son once."
"And did you not want the best for him? To see him grow into a man with every opportunity?"
"I did my best, as every parent does. My son is long dead," Miranda said, choking on the words.
Ashline stepped forward, putting a hand on Miranda's shoulder. "I'm sorry. The loss of a child is something no parent should ever have to endure."
"He lived a full and long life. I buried him as an old man but it's a loss that I've never recovered from," Miranda said. "And please, we're not working. It's Miranda."
"Marcus," he said with a soft smile but then his tone and expression turned serious. "May I ask you a favor, one parent to another?"
Miranda answered him only with a quizzical look.
"Every parent worries about their child. We cannot always be there… we will not always be there to watch over them and even when they have grown, they are still our children and it is impossible to see them any other way," the Colonel sighed. "No matter what happens between you and my daughter, will you watch over her, when her mother and I are gone?"
"I love Nora very much," Miranda said firmly. "I will always watch over her as long as I am able."