The Orphan in the TARDIS

Chapter Eleven

    "Okay, how do we find them then?" Sophie inquires.

"Great question!" The Time Lord exclaims.

"You don't know, do you?"

"I have a plan. It just happens to require the TARDIS."

Sophie shakes her head, "So, to my flat then."

The Time Lord decides to not verbally answer the question, rather choosing to turn in the direction of the aforementioned flat. Sophia shrugs, offering an apology with her eyes to the Torchwood team. Jack offers her the crook of his elbow, not hesitating to follow the Doctor into potential danger. He raises his other arm, pointing two fingers forward as a signal to his team to move out.

"Actually, sir," Toshiko starts, causing the Doctor, Jack, and Sophie to freeze in their tracks, "I would still like to search the crater, just to see if there's possibly any clue. If that's alright."

The Doctor glances at Jack, who nods, he turns around to face team Torchwood "Sounds fine, smart plan, here, when you're done we can meet up here." The Time Lord tugs, from his inside jacket pocket, a small card.

"Why do you have business cards with my address on them?"

"Uh..." The Gallifreyan hesitates, "Spoilers?"

The woman sighs, rolling her eyes.

The Captain addresses all his team, except for Tosh, "Okay, let's go."

Sophia nods, and Gwen adds, "Actually, I'm going to stay with Tosh, she can always use help."

Jack agrees with a nod, turning toward Dr. Harper, a silent question blazing in his eyes. "I'm gonna stick around too, people are injured, I can help."

"Half an hour, no more, understand?" The team nods.

Jack and Sophie, arms still linked trail idly behind the Doctor, the Captain calls over his shoulder, "Ianto!"

The Welshman follows behind them with a quick, "Coming, sir."

*At Sophie's Flat*

Sophie quickly unlocks the door, hoping Morgan is out, because she has absolutely no clue how she'd explain coming home with three strange young men. She swings the door open, gesturing for the other three to enter. "Sorry about the mess, I mean, I literally moved in yesterday, but, still, sorry."

"I doubt you were expecting company, and it's a lot cleaner than the Hub, so I can't complain."

The Welshman looks at the Captain, "And whose fault is it that the Hub is a grungy mess?"

"Point," Jack cedes, then points a finger at the wall. "Is that a sword?"

Sophie turns her head to the wall that he's pointing at, "No, it's a very sharp, pointy metal stick." An eyebrow rises on Jack Harkness' face. "Yes, that's a sword. It was a gift from Queen Boudica."

Ianto approaches the hanging weapon, "There's a Welsh inscription, 'Live Long and Prosper', Star Trek, really?"

The Doctor, who had already casually strolled into his TARDIS, called out, "She won't stop quoting it. I've tried, and she just refuses to stop!"

"Resistance to my Star Trek quotes is futile!" she shouts back at him. She walks into the TARDIS, followed by Jack Harkness.

Ianto walks in behind both of them, and stops still, his gaze raking over every inch of the giant box, and then continues in his path, his face settling back into one of indifference. The Doctors head pops up from underneath the console, eyeing the Welshman, "Normally, they have a much different reaction."