22 years, 7 months and 14 days. That was how long it had been since Jack Harkness had stepped foot in Cardiff. He'd transported on the outskirts of the city, knowing he'd pass through unnoticed by anyone keeping an eye on the planet, an unimportant blip in the endless streams of data. He walked down past the river, earning himself a view of the city as he approached. It appeared largely unchanged from what he remembered. Some of the original architecture was replaced by the shining shards of glass , technology growing and merging with traditional stone. The advertising boards were no longer printed posters peeling off the walls but plastered across screens in technicolour, advertising the latest gadgets and must haves.
He'd come back reluctantly, keeping one eye on Earth out of nostalgia over the years. He knew that UNIT had their eye on things, and that mostly the planet had avoided any alien disasters for the past 20 years. He was aware that Gwen had tried to continue Torchwood but had avoided digging into it at all in this time. She would be in her 50s now, settled down and enjoying a relaxed life he hoped. He didn't look into it because he didn't want to know any different than the happy image he had in his head for her. He'd given so much of himself to that place, and lost so much to it, that he couldn't face the thought of her going through that too, any more than she already had because of him. She was the only one of the team he allowed himself to think about, the only one who at least still had a chance. Tosh and Owen's memory still pained him, even though he could at least look back fondly at their lives. But one person, one name, he couldn't even think it without his chest tightening to the point of agony.
But something had caught his eye. UNIT had referenced Torchwood in one of their bulletins, commending them for their "ongoing maintenance of Cardiff". So someone was running the place, and quite successfully by the sounds of it. No reason at all for him to get involved then. And he wouldn't, he promised himself. His time at Torchwood was over. But something in him had just had to see, from a distance, that the place he had once called home still had a purpose.
It was uncharacteristically hot in the city, the sun beating down onto Queen Street, the light reflecting off the storefronts glistening like mirrors. The streets were empty, everyone having gone off to the beaches to make the most of the weather, standard behaviour for the Welsh Jack thought nostalgically. The city looked beautiful to Jack, although he strongly suspected it was the novelty of seeing it again more than anything else. He was wandering around aimlessly, getting a feel for the place rather than just staggering up to the bay and attempting to enter the Hub, assuming that it was in the same place at all. He wanted to see what the city was like, how the current team's "maintenance" looked to the general public. He'd hope to maybe catch a glimpse of them in action. And apparently he wouldn't have to wait long.
He heard the growl behind him and spun to defend himself. A hoix was speeding towards him, but the alien was paying no attention to him whatsoever. It was far more concerned with getting away from whoever was chasing it.
The girl ran past him effortlessly, her dark ponytail swinging as she sped in pursuit of the alien. She looked young, maybe 21 at the quick glance Jack managed before he took off after them both, a pair of dark sunglasses obscuring her face from him. Watching her speed off in dark jeans and Converse tugged at his heartstrings as he thought of the good old days with Gwen and the rest of the team. The Hoix rounded a corner into what it hadn't realised was a dead end. It spun around wildly, panicked, straight into where the girl was blocking the entrance to the alleyway, her hands on her hips. Jack held back at the edge of the wall, ready to step in when necessary but something he couldn't put his finger on was telling him to trust this girl to handle herself.
"you about done?" she raised an eyebrow at the hoix mockingly. It growled angrily in response, moving as if to attack. Jack lurched forward to lend a hand but he'd barely moved an inch before realising he didn't need to bother. The girl was like lightening, intercepting the hoix with a graceful sidestep and having its arm up behind its back in a matter of seconds. She tased the Hoix expertly and it crumpled to the ground, unconscious. She grinned, tapping her earpiece as she stepped over the alien's unconscious form.
"It's down" she spoke, barely even out of breath, "Is the cell ready?"
She paused as whoever was on the other line replied, unheard to Jack but the person clearly had a sarcastic answer for the girl based on her expression,
"Well, I have to check! We don't want a repeat of last time, having an unconscious weevil appear on top of you wasn't ideal" She laughed, twirling her ponytail in her fingers casually, "I know you haven't fully recovered you don't ever shut up about the smell"
"ok, ready for transfer? I'll send this over then head back to the Hub" she spoke into the earpiece as she attached a device to the hoix's neck, turned it on and stepped back as the alien disappeared, dematerialising before Jack's eyes as if nothing had ever been there at all.
"Woah didn't have that in my day" Jack murmured appreciatively, causing the young woman to startle. She turned to the voice, and her eyes widened behind her sunglasses.
"you're…" she breathed, not finishing the sentence, backing towards the entrance to the alleyway,
"Captain Jack Harkness" Jack held out a hand in greeting, "You're Torchwood, right?"
"I…have to go" she breathed, avoiding the hand and immediately taking off running. She headed in the opposite direction to the bay, further into town knowing Jack would probably attempt to follow her, albeit subtly. She barely looked behind her as she ran, just knowing she had to put as much distance as she could between herself and this man. She didn't stop running until she got to almost the other side of town before slowing the pace, even though her heart was beating against her ribs almost painfully. She stopped around the corner, resting her hands on her knees to catch her breath. After a few seconds she sank to the floor, leaning against the alley wall. She pulled out her phone and frantically dialed the first number that came to mind, knowing only one woman would be able to help her right now. The phone picked up after a couple of rings,
"Aunty Gwen" she said breathlessly, "I think we have a problem. I think I just met my dad"