Sparkling Cosmos {A Torchwood Story Two} [COMPLETED]

4. A Lot To Unpack Here

I don't leave the flat for a week. There's too much going on inside to let me go outside right now.

Toshiko visits me every other day, anxious to know if I'm all right and that this Time Lord thing isn't ruining me. Jack calls me up and sees me once to go over things I've now learned about myself to see if it correlates because, surprise surprise, this mysterious Doctor is also a Time Lord. Makes sense. Owen comes and goes, off to work and random shags and nights out, all the while double- and triple-checking I'm okay beforehand.

Suzie doesn't visit me at all. Go figure.

After the week is up, I feel like I've spent enough time with my new old self to handle something else. I've spent the whole time doing tests, seeing if anything's changed, but apart from my brain chemistry and DNA everything comes up normal. Time Lords aren't shapeshifters, not are they mystical beings - they're just humanoid aliens, capable of technology that can biologically rewire you.

I must meet them. But first, time to venture out.

As the clock in the Roald Dahl Plass strikes, Owen and I head off to Mermaid Quay into work, him glancing at me every so often to check I'm still me. It's getting a bit annoying.
"I'm fine, you know; no different than the five seconds ago you checked."
"I know that, I'm just... I'm still confused," he replies, throwing his hands up. "What in the hell were you doing here as a Time Lord? You're an alien. But you had your mind erased and put in a drugring? I just don't get it."

Welcome to the club.

As soon as we go through the door of the inconspicuous little shack that hides our base, a man appears behind the fake desk. My immediate reaction is to pull out my gun, because what the fuck and also I haven't been social in a week, and both the men start.
"Evy, Evy no," Owen says to me as you would a nervous puppy, taking my gun gently away from me, "This is Ianto Jones, remember? The blood-soaked guy from London? He followed Jack around a bit then asked for a job, so he keeps up our facade."

Ianto stares at me with worry written across his face. I only now realise that the only two times I've met this guy, I've pulled a gun on him. I must look insane.
I sigh and swipe my gun back into its holster at my waist. "Nice to formally meet you, Ianto Jones. Sorry about the gun." And without further embarrassing myself, Owen and I go through the brick door into the dimly lit hallway.

As soon as the door closes behind us and we start walking, Owen tuts mockingly. "Is this what all Time Lords do then, eh? Pull loaded weapons onto innocent civilians?"
I elbow him in the ribs and he doubles up in laughter instead of pain, then chases me to the lift. When we're secured inside of it, we begin a poking war just like old times until the cog door is in front of us.

We step into the Hub, and I breathe in the atmosphere. Weird, it looks the same, but since I turned back into a Time Lord it's like I feel and understand it all completely: the unfinished gizmos; the Rift bouncing up and down smoothly; Jack jogging towards me...

Oh dear. I just know what he's gonna ask.

"Welcome back, Evelina," Captain Jack smiles, giving me his crocodile grin. I nod wordlessly, just waiting for him to say it.
He claps his hands together. "So, if you would like to come into my office, I have some files for you to look at, and then after lunch if you wouldn't mind reporting to Owen who has a few tests for you..."

Apparently Time Lords are psychic, too.

~∆~

I slump on the gurney as Owen uploads the last sample of whatever he just took from me, and the little animation loads up. I've always liked how he made it a little game for himself whenever the results take long.

I swing my legs. "What are you testing?"
"Aren't Time Lords meant to know everything, even tests?" Owen replies, and I cast my eyes to the floor.
"Well maybe I'm just not a very good Time Lord."
"Oh, come off it, Evy," he says, and spins around in the chair to come up to me. He places a hand on my lap. "As if anyone knows what a Time Lord is meant to be like. I don't think even Jack knows. They're just a new type of alien we haven't recorded everything about yet."
I stop swinging and look up at him, worried. "Does that mean I'm a threat now?"

The look Owen gives me melts my legs clean away. The wounded expression makes me feel like I just told him he was a threat. Like I'm a part of him. He just looks so sad.
"Evelina, you're the least threatening alien that's ever lived on Earth. You're also the loudest," he adds, and grins when I hit him playfully.

I ask bashfully, afraid of the answer, "Do you still want to, you know... do stuff, with me? Knowing that I'm not human?"
He's silent for a while, thinking about his answer. Rubbing my knuckles, he says in a quiet voice, "Yes. I don't care if you're not human, you're still Evelina Cosmo Firestone, and I can see that just in your eyes. They haven't changed. And neither has your attitude. You're still you, and that's enough for me."
A hot flush runs through my body, and I look down with a silly smile. I'm enough for him. It sounds so insignificant, but feels lovely to hear.

My stomach rumbles, and the intimate moment is cut short and we both laugh.
"Go on, get some cookies," Owen says, declaring me free to go, and I jump off the gurney and he pats my bum before walking up the steps into the main room of the Hub.

I pass Ianto balancing coffee cups on my way, and I nod at him mindlessly enough, but when I hear him put down all the cups and go down to the holding cells I turn around. I go to the cups and inspect them all: empty. So why did he act like he was delivering them when he saw me?

Right. Time for some sleuthing on our new coworker, methinks.