Gwen winced and sat back in her chair. It had been three weeks sense she had found the strange device, and the rift activity had slowed to a trickle, nothing had happened all day, and Gwen was bored. Her neck and back were sore from sitting at a desk all day. She looked at the clock, it was still an hour before Lunch. She spun her chair around, wondering if she could ask Jack to let her off early. Gwen turned back to her desk, trying to find something to do for the day, when her phone rang. It was the police, saying there had been a complication with paperwork over the robbing, and could she come down to see them. She rushed up to Jack's office to ask for an hour off, he was happy to oblige, in the condition she took her phone with her and kept it on at all times.
Happy to be free Gwen took her time driving to the station, but as soon as she arrived the happiness disappeared, as it seemed everyone at the station was already out at lunch. They would be back soon, the receptionist assured her, and asked her to take a seat, someone would be with her soon.
Near the station stood a figure, hidden in the shadows between buildings. He had been following her, watching her all this time, learning her manner, how she spoke and walked. He was pleased with what he knew, and felt ready to test his knowledge. He watched the station a moment longer, when Gwen did not reappear he moved quickly to the car he had stolen, and hurriedly got in.
He drove as quickly as he dared, he had not had much practice driving, when he was following Gwen it was ok, he just worked on staying behind her, luckily she didn't drive to fast. he was sure he had gotten the hang of it by now, slamming on the breaks seconds before a bus shot out in front of him. He breathed out, human life was proving harder than he expected. The bus moved and he stepped on the gas, barley missing the car behind it.
Finely, after several near crashes he reached his destination. Getting out near the tourist office he noticed his hands where shaking. Strange, he thought, this body seems to respond to how I feel. He shoved his hands into his pockets, and walked towards the hub. As he neared it he slowed his walk, imitating the way Gwen walked.
He entered the building and looked at the young man behind the desk.
"Hey Gwen, that was quick." Ianto said smiling at him.
The creature looked back at him, suddenly nervous,
"Yes" he stuttered out, feeling his heart pound in his ears. "I forgot... Something." He finished feebly.
"Oh, well go straight through." Ianto said.
The creature smiled at him, before quickly turning towards the door at the back of the room. He stepped towards it cursing at himself. He was finding this much harder than expected, all he wanted was to pop in, and see if Gwen's friends would be fooled into thinking it was her. it was the body, he decided, he didn't like it one bit, surly he shouldn't be able to hear the heart beating? And his hands, he looked down in horror, they where covered in sweat.
He rushed in, deciding to get this over as quickly as possible. He hurried to the unoccupied desk he assumed was hers, and was relieved to see her stuff on it.
"Hey Gwen, done already?" Jack asked, noticing him.
The creature looked up, "Um no, just heading out to lunch, only I... Wanted to pick up this!" He held up Gwen's gun triumphantly. "Incase I needed it."
"Oh ok." Jack replied, giving him a funny look.
"Oh well I'll just be off then!" The creature turned and hurried out, the second he was out of sight he broke into a run, sprinting back to his car and vowing not to do that again until he was certain he could. He pulled out quickly, intending to find Gwen and continue following her.
He was about half way to the station when he miscalculated a turn, shot up onto the pavement and into the cafe nearby. He herd himself scream, such a feminine scream he thought, before smashing through the cafe window and into the counter.
Slowly the creature opened his eyes. The body was alive, he grinned, the body had survived the crash, ok, so not without harm he admitted, the glass from the windshield had done a bit of damage.
He grinned, a strange feeling filled him, one of, happiness? Relief? He wasn't sure, his kind did not name emotions. A scream nearby brought his mind back to reality, he was sitting in a busted car inside a cafe, this was not good. Hurriedly he shoved open the door and ran.
It was late when Gwen finally made it out of the police office. She looked at her watch and sighed, she'd missed lunch. Gwen got a burger from a takeout nearby and ate it in the car on her way back. She passed a wreak on the way, some poor fellow had slid off the road and into a building. Gwen felt a pang of sorrow as she remembered all the times as a copper she had showed up at a similar scene to find a dead body.
She hoped in this case no one had been seriously injured.
When Gwen got back to the hub she found it almost deserted, only Jack remained. "Hey where is everyone?" She asked, walking into his office.
Jack looked up surprised,
"Oh I sent everyone home, the rift isn't doing anything and everyone was getting restless."
"Oh right, well I'll just be off then."
Gwen said, backing up towards the door.
"Right, see you tomorrow."
Jack watched her leave, noticing how she hurried to get out of the building.
He was tired and sore. He had done his best to patch up the bodies wounds, they where nothing major. However once he was satisfied the body was ok a larger problem presented its self. He was lost. In a part of the city he'd never been to, his clothes were ripped and filthy, and the body was screaming at him that it needed rest.
He dragged it on, looking for a place to stay, he had money, stolen money, but money nonetheless. Stumbling past an alleyway he heard a drunken voice call out.
"Hey, loooovely, what choo doing out 'ere?" He turned to face the man, a stupid drunk, barely standing, who leered at him. He noticed how the man was staring at the bodies chest, and felt a great anger well up inside him.
Who was this man, this waist of life, this pathetic excuse of a being who dared approach him? He had seen things this man couldn't even imagine, he had fought wars across the stars, he had met kings, he had been a king! And yet this weak, feeble human dared to speak in his presence? His fingers remembered the gun, they drew it from its holder.
He was pleased to see the man step back at the sight of it, he would pay for his mistake. The creature clicked off the safety, watching the man stutter and beg. With cold determination he stepped forward and pulled the trigger.
He felt surprisingly calm as he watched the man fall, as though all his anger had been used up performing that one act. Turning sharply from the body he began to walk, he knew he had to put as much room between him and the remains as possible, and he still didn't know where he was.
The creature wandered aimlessly for a while, on the look out for anything he recognised, and finally he saw something. The young man from the tourist centre, he had changed out of a suit into jeans and a T-shirt, and had a bag of takeout tucked under one arm. He followed the man carefully, should he risk it he wondered. This man knew Gwen, surely he would help her, or at least who he though was her. But it wasn't safe, how would he explain his appearance? And if he did ask for help the man might mention it to the real Gwen. Unless, of course he made sure the man didn't speak to Gwen. Yes, he thought, he still had the device with him, and he would quite like to return to a male form.
Grinning he straitened out his bra and walked towards Ianto.