Torchwood Three; Cardiff, Wales
Sunday, February 24, 2020
Anwen Williams preferred the garden. It was peaceful. She sat under a potted, alien tree that sang every time the mist machine came on. Something about it was calming. She settled in with another technical manual Luc left in his lab. She was getting better at understanding the computers.
A memory surfaced as she was reading. "Why are we here, John." It took a moment to realize she was hearing an older version of her own voice. "I have a meeting with heads of state. I need to prepare."
Suddenly, she was standing in a massive garden, watching an exchange between herself and John. The sun was setting over the impressively organized, fancy greenery. A horse snorted unseen. He pulled the older her against him and kissed her. She felt liked a voyeur. Attempting to look away didn't work.
"I have work to do."
"The paperwork is done. Langford is handling the details."
"We're going to make-out in the garden like a couple of teenagers."
John laughed. "We could." She'd never seen him that happy.
The memory faded. Tears were sliding down her cheeks. Anwen wiped her eyes. The emotion stayed with her.
She felt guilty. Since what happened in the infirmary, she'd avoided John. When he was lucid enough for a conversation, he didn't know who she was. She could have handled that. The recognition had been replaced by fear. The man that loved her older self was gone. She pushed herself up. He'd nearly self-destructed trying to keep a promise and protect her. She owed him. Whether he had any idea who she was or not.
Finding him was easy enough. After he returned to Forest Farm, she hadn't mentioned being able to track John. It made her mother nervous. The ability increased after the second portal. It was a different kind of connection she didn't understand. The CN, Rift energy and portal had done something unexpected. His missing memories were an obvious example.
"John." Anwen stopped halfway up the hallways from him and crossed her arms. "There is a pterodactyl nest behind that door."
"I hoped it was the way out."
"What is it with you and Uncle Jack and locks?"
He turned to look at her. "Determination." The CN wasn't affecting him anymore. His chronon signature was almost back to normal. The Rift energy, she suspected, was their connection.
"Still seeing cute monsters?"
"No."
Anwen nodded. "Good. You can help me fix the maintenance bots."
"I wouldn't know how."
"Right." Patience, she told herself. Prince Charming reverted to a frog. "Except you taught me how to program the maintenance bots."
"Darling…" He hesitated.
"Do you normally call ten year olds 'darling?'"
"Uh."
"What do I call the maintenance bots?" She crossed her arms. "First thing that comes to mind."
"Roombas."
Finally. Anwen nodded. "What's a Roomba?"
"I have no idea."
"Its an automated vacuum cleaner. You call them Roombas because of the older version of me."
"This is ridiculous."
"Yeah." She nodded again. "You're still fixing the Roombas."
He eyed her wrist as he walked by. It was if she knew what he was thinking.
"My wrist-strap can't be removed."
John Hart reviewed the maintenance bot, an impressive piece of technology from another time period. Five minutes into inspecting it, he realized he did know how to repair it. But he didn't remember having seen one before. "How was this damaged?"
"Electrocuting a biomech. Ianto and I were in the hub. It was to soon for me to connect with the Rift again. You and Uncle Jack were up top trying to avoid walking into a trap. Ianto improvised."
"This killed a biomech?"
"Between the bots and the Weevils, they took out three of the four, and left the fourth one badly mauled." Anwen paused. "We probably have security footage of you taking out the last one."
Unsure of what else to do, he opened the toolbox she'd given him. The tools looked familiar. It gave him an idea. If he could get passed the kid, he could override one of the security panels, and use the bot as a distraction.
"Does this look familiar?"
He looked up and she was showing him the ring she wore on a necklace. "Maybe."
"Why would you have an engagement ring engraved with 'Peace' instead of something romantic?"
That oddly sounded like something he would do. "How did you get it?"
"When you went to Canada to rescue Luc, you gave it to me to hold. I kept it."
"Luc Sarkisian." The name came to him. A tall, angry teenager with impressive robots.
"You're remembering." Anwen moved closer.
"I don't know."
Anwen reached for his hand, on top of the bot. He felt the energy charge but was unable to move in time.