Chapter Two
Lily looked at all the screens and tech in the backseat of the SUV.
"But I don't get it…what is Torchwood?" she asked again.
Jack met her gaze in the mirror, "We are outside the government and beyond the police. It's up to us to protect Cardiff from the aliens," he answered.
"Oh please…some of that alien stuff? I can not believe I've gone and gotten into a car with a couple of nutters," Lily muttered.
Jack smiled and glanced at Tosh who looked at Lily, "What are your parents names?" she asked.
"Michael and Abigail Ainsworth," Lily answered.
Tosh clicked away at the keys on her laptop in the front seat and sighed slightly, "Michael Ainsworth, born December the 12th 1888, died May the ninth 1982. Abigail, his wife, born March the fifth, 1891, died July 15th, 1975. They were survived by one daughter and a son. Their youngest Lily Abigail Ainsworth who was born January the 22nd 1922, went missing July the 3rd 1941. She was never seen again and was officially listed as dead five weeks after the date of going missing. There was an investigation but no one brought to charge or blamed. Her father refused when they tried to pin his daughters disappearance on boyfriend Jonathan Bowen, who fought in the war and came out as a highly decorated hero," Tosh finished reading and looked at Lily.
"Stop it, that is not funny. My parents are not dead! I just saw them today, my mother bought the swimsuit I'm wearing. She just bought it today!" Lily cried.
Jack eyed Tosh who was about to say something but stayed quiet.
A moment later they pulled into a parking lot. Jack met Lily at the door and helped her out of the car. She looked as if she had been crying again, but Jack said nothing.
"Come on Miss Ainsworth," he said.
Lily followed Jack as they stood by a door, waiting for it to open. It did a moment later and the three walked in.
"It's quite dark isn't it?" Lily asked, confused with her new surroundings.
They did a bit of walking and then some lights came on, "Almost upstairs to the flight," Jack commented.
A second later they walked up a short flight of stairs and into a large room. Lily saw a man with brown hair who was typing at his desk and a woman with long black curly hair who was looking at some sort of metal glove. Just then another young man came over, he was dressed in a smart looking suit and holding a tray of cups. He offered Lily a smile who nodded.
"Everyone this is Lily Abigail Ainsworth. She has fallen through the rift from 1941, so show her some respect," Jack called out.
"Suzie Costello, nice to meet you," the woman with black hair said upon walking over and holding out her hand for Lily's.
The girl just smiled and nodded, "Sorry…I would shake your hand, but all I have on under this blanket is my swimsuit. So I prefer to stay covered, thanks," she said.
"Only a swimsuit? God you must have been freezing!" Suzie cried before eying Jack briefly who shrugged.
"Come on over here and sit down," the woman ordered.
Lily nodded and a moment later she was sitting down at Suzie's desk. She looked around and then stopped on Jack, "What is this place? What is all this stuff, and what is the Rift?"
"This is the Torchwood Hub, our base of operations. All the stuff? It's almost impossible to name it all at once, so to simply put it, it's our... toys of sorts," he answered.
"So what about the rift?"
"Cardiff was built on top of a rift in time and space. You were on the beach which at that time there was the slightest of cracks and you fell through and wound up here in 2005," Owen explained, never looking up from his desk.
"But…that's impossible! Are you honestly trying to tell me that I just traveled in time?" Lily asked, tears of frustration welling in her eyes.
"Yes you did, I'm sorry," he replied.
"So…my parents?" she looked a Tosh who nodded sadly, "I'm so sorry Lily."
"That means I'm…not twenty, but in all actuality…I'm in my eighty's," she said, letting the tears fall gently.
"And you don't look a day over nineteen," Jack flirted in response.
Lily blushed without meaning to and just looked down at her hands, "So how do I get back home?" she asked, her voice barely audible.
"Well you don't…you can't. Even if we could send you home we couldn't because of the pure fact you were pronounced dead. If you went back to the forties and waltzed into your house like you were never gone, people would think they were seeing a ghost, and it could ultimately cause a lot of problems," Owen answered.
Lily bit back a sob, "So what do I do? Where am I going to live?" she asked.
"We have houses where we have one other couple staying. We can put you up in a room in the house and get you situated with fashions, food, how to use the stove, and all that other technology that's involved with the 21st century. Cell phones, credit cards, and all that other... fun stuff," Tosh answered.
Lily sighed and Jack could see she was tired but also ready to start crying again. "Alright Lil, let's get you over to the houses. Suzie you go to a store and buy her some clothes then bring them over to the house," Jack ordered.
"Alright," Suzie grabbed her coat and bag and then stepped onto a platform and a moment later she disappeared in the ceiling.
"How did she do that?" Lily asked, sheer puzzlement in her eyes.
"Call it the magical lift," Jack said simply.
"Okay then…" she replied.
"Come on, let's go," he said.
The girl stood up and followed Jack towards a large round door. They walked up some halls and then another door opened, where they gently walked into a dimly lit room, which had a desk in the middle of the room, brochures scattered all over the surface and a television by the wall. There was another room that had a beaded curtain hanging up, but Lily couldn't see what was beyond it.
"This is Ianto's office, as a cover for the Hub we have it disguised as a tourist shop," Jack explained.
"Who would want to visit Cardiff?" Lily asked miserably.
Jack smirked, "Yes…who would want to visit Cardiff?"
They walked into the sun and Jack noticed lily shiver again. He pulled his coat off and took her blanket, "Here put this on, you'll be warmer," he said as he glanced, noticing her blue swimsuit. It tied on at the neck and had white polka dots on the suit. The color commented her complexion and hair, Jack thought.
"Thank you," she muttered as she took the heavy coat and put it on. Jack helped her get it buttoned and tied. They then walked up a flight of stairs and Lily looked around.
"This is Tiger Bay isn't it?"
Jack nodded, "Yes it is."
"So much has changed," she said sadly.
"I've watched it all…unfortunately," he muttered.
"What?" Lily asked.
"Nothing, so that is the Millennium Center, the Water Tower. The house you'll be staying at is right down that street over there. So we can walk," he explained quickly.
Lily nodded and followed Jack down the once familiar streets, but she no longer knew any of them. After a few minutes of silence, Jack walked up the path to a house. He pulled out a key ring and turned the lock. The door opened with ease and Jack stepped to the side to let Lily past.
She looked around the hall and tried to smile, "This is nice," she commented.
"We try our best, come on," Jack said as he headed for some stairs and walked up them.
A moment later he opened a door to a bedroom. It was pretty standard. A bed was in the middle of the room, a nightstand on each side of the bed, one had a reading lamp and the other, what Lily would soon discover to be called an alarm clock. In the corner was a wardrobe and a desk in front of the window. A door was opened and revealed a private bathroom.
"I hope this is alright. Suzie should be over with some clothes and then she can take you back out and get a full wardrobe," Jack said as Lily looked around the room.
"But I haven't any money…how am I to pay for a new wardrobe?" she inquired.
"Leave it to us," Jack answered.
"You're being too kind," she muttered as she sat down.
"Well I know what it feels like to be trapped in a strange place…and want more than anything to get back home. I know better than anyone, trust me," he replied as he sat down beside her.
"Thank you Captain," she said softly.
"It was no problem," Jack said with a smile.
He then glanced at his watch, "Alright Suzie should be by soon, but I've got to go now. You look like you could do with a bit of rest. So how about you do that," he suggested.
Lily nodded and stood up as she began to untie the belt on the coat. She un-buttoned it and pulled it off where the Captain then took it from her.
"Thank you…again," she said.
Jack stood up and put the coat on, "I'll check on you later, alright?"
She nodded and Lily watched as the Captain left the room, gently closing the door behind him. Once she heard the front door close downstairs she took her quilt that he had left on the bed and wrapped it around herself, where she then curled up into a ball and cried herself to sleep…
XX
A/N- So there is that chapter, I hope to have three done soon. I am going to a viewing tomorrow at the funeral home and Friday morning is the funeral. This is all going to be emotionally draining…so we'll see what I can manage….leave me the love…all my love! Beccs!
