Daughter of Torchwood

New Normal

The adrenaline of Captain John's departure had faded, replaced by a heavy, contemplative silence. Back at the Hub, Jack gathered the team around the conference table. His expression was uncharacteristically grave as he finally detailed the harrowing specifics of the Year That Never Was. He spoke of the Master's cruelty, the global enslavement, and the personal toll it had taken on both him and Starla.

When he finished, Gwen was the first to speak, "Star, what are you going to do now? About school? About where you'll actually live?"

Starla leaned back in her chair, "I'm not sure. The world reset, but the trauma didn't. I want to finish my GCSEs, but everything feels so uprooted. Technically, I should be in Year 11 now since I'm fourteen, but I've missed so much."

"We could get you enrolled in Cardiff," Jack suggested, "Go straight into Year 11. Do you think your Gran would be against you living with her permanently?"

Starla's eyes widened, "Oh god, I bet Gran doesn't even know about Mum. I don't think she'd mind me staying, but moving here means leaving Sarah Jane. Leaving Luke. Leaving my whole life behind."

Owen tapped a pen against the table, "You could always stay in the year you were in? No one but us knows you're fourteen. To the rest of the world, you're still thirteen. You stay in Year 10 with Luke and Clyde. It gives you a chance to breathe. Once you finish school, you revert to your correct age. You need a stable roof."

Starla looked at her dad, lost, "What do I do, Dad?"

Jack squeezed her hand, "Let's not make permanent decisions yet. Let's start by going to London. We need to find out exactly what happened to Eliza."

Before the drive, they stopped at Mavis's house. The conversation was difficult. Mavis admitted she'd had a nagging feeling that something was wrong during Starla's three-month absence. When Jack explained Eliza's passing, Mavis was devastated but resolute. She made it clear that if Starla chose to move to Cardiff later, she would always have a home there.

Stepping back out to the SUV, Jack was surprised to find Tosh and Owen leaning against the bumper, bags already packed.

"Fancied another road trip," Owen shrugged, "Ianto and Gwen can handle the Hub for a day or two."

Starla laughed, grateful for the company. The four of them piled into the SUV and began the three-hour trek to London.

They arrived at Bannerman Road in the mid-afternoon. Starla's heart sank when she saw the "SOLD" sign in front of Maria Jackson's house. As they climbed out of the car, Luke Smith ran toward her from across the street. She didn't hesitate, meeting him halfway and pulling him into a fierce hug.

"Where have you been?" Luke asked, "So much has happened. Your mum..."

"I know about Mum," Starla said, her voice dropping, "Has she been removed from the house?"

"Yes. Come on. Mum is in the attic, she'll explain everything," Luke linked his fingers with hers. Jack, Owen, and Tosh followed them up the stairs.

The attic was filled with the familiar hum of secret technology. Sarah Jane Smith spun around the moment she heard footsteps. "Starla!" she beamed, rushing forward to pull the girl into a protective embrace. She then looked over Starla's shoulder. "Good to see the three of you again," she added, greeting Tosh and Owen with a warm nod of recognition.

Once they were settled, the mood turned sombre. Sarah Jane explained how she had found Eliza and arranged a quiet burial, "Luke, Maria, Alan, Clyde, and I were all there. She had a proper send-off, Starla."

"At least she wasn't alone," Starla murmured. She then brought Sarah Jane and Luke up to speed on the Year That Never Was, the Valiant, the chains, and the Master's reign.