The Orphan in the TARDIS

Chapter Thirty-Two

The next time Sophie wakes up she's in a dimly lit room. There are rafters high overhead. Voices echo down to her ears, and she looks around, seeing what look like mortuary freezers. Sophie starts, nearly falling off the bench she's laying on. A clatter echoes through the room, as she accidentally knocks a tray off a nearby table.

A few seconds later, Dr. Harper comes running in. "Woah, calm down. You're okay, you're safe."

Sophie relaxes, "Where am I?"

A familiar voice echoes from above, "Welcome to the Torchwood Hub!" She looks around, seeing Jack leaning down gazing over some railing. "This place is top secret. We don't just bring anyone down here."

"Lovely, thanks then."

Jack walks over to the stairs, doing a sort of walk/skip down the stairs. "How you feeling, kiddo?"

"Well, I've certainly been better. Anyway, I think I remember you wanting to ask me some questions."

Jack glances at Owen, an eyebrow raised. The doctor rolls his eyes, "She should be fine. Just take it easy, Sophie."

The woman nods, sitting up. Jack grabs her under the knees and under her back, carrying her bridal style. "Jack!"

"Sophie!" he retorts, carrying her up the stairs. Gently he deposits her in a wheelie chair in front of a desk.

Gwen leans against the desk, crossing her arms. Concern knitting her brows together, she asks, "Can you tell us what happened?"

"I was heading down to a tea shop, when I happened to spy a crowd of people all staring into the sky. I know most people wouldn't think much of it, probably assuming their cloud spotters, but, when you live the sort of lives we do..."

"You question the odd behaviours, and notice the people who seem to be acting out of the ordinary." Jack finishes, leaning against the railing that looks down to the morgue.

"Precisely. Anyway, there was some sort of spacecraft heading to earth. Definitely crashing, judging by the flames and the trajectory of its approach. It...uh...it hit me..."

Jack immediately bites his lip, looking as if he's trying not to laugh. Closing his eyes, he takes a deep breath and levels his face, "So, you can tell when a ship is crashing, but you still get hit by it?"

"Oi!"

Gwen glares playfully at Jack, tossing a paper ball at him. "What did the ship look like?"

"Well, uh, it was...big...and on fire...and flying at my face. Look, I'm really sorry, but I didn't get a great look at the ship, sorry."

"That's alright. We found where the crash happened. The only thing we aren't sure of is if there was anyone on board."

"Really couldn't tell ya, sorry."

At that moment Ianto enters the room. He walks over to the group, setting mugs down. "I wasn't certain, but I assumed you would like some tea. I was wondering how you liked your tea."

"Just some cream and one sugar. Thank you, Ianto."

"Of course, ma'am," he nods, turning around to get Sophie her tea. As the Welshman leaves, Tosh comes in from another entrance. "Oh, Sophie, I'm glad to see you're okay."

"I don't know if I'd say 'okay' but I am alive, and that is really what matters."

"That's for sure," Jack comments, grabbing his jacket from a different desk, "We'll be back soon, kid. Please don't touch anything."

"Wait, just-just hold on a second. Where are you going?"

Gwen tugs on her own coat as she responds, "UNIT has cordoned off the crash site. Seeing as we have the only victim, the case is ours."

"We want to get to the evidence before UNIT gets impatient," Tosh finishes.

"Right, yeah, that makes sense."

Jack nods, before calling for Owen from over his shoulder. "Oh, bl**dy h*ll! I'm coming! Hold your f*cking horses, Jack!" the doctor says, ascending the stairs while tugging a hooding over his shoulders. Turning to Sophie, he says, "If the pain gets worse, tell Ianto. He knows where the good drugs are. Don't do anything stupid, like trying to walk or stand. Take it easy, I'll change your bandages and such when we get back."

"Sir, yes sir," she smirks, giving him a two fingered salute. The doctor rolls his eyes, following the others out of the Hub.

As they all leave, Ianto comes back into the main part of the Hub, handing her a mug. He shakes his head, noticing the still steaming mugs he had just brought in. "If they aren't going to drink it, why do they ask me to go through the trouble of making it?"

He moves to grab the other cups, when papers suddenly begin to fly about the Hub. An elephantine wheezing can be heard. Ianto straightens, cocking an eyebrow as a box begins to form in the middle of the square of desks. The unflappable Welshman watches the TARDIS materialize, not one hair blowing in the wake of the ship's appearance, although his jacke blows slightly. Sophie is sure it's the complete opposite for her, but couldn't care less, as she takes a sip of tea.

The doors swing inward, and out steps a bubbly, blonde woman, her Sheffield accent echoing through the large space. "That is not what I'm saying, Graham. What I'm saying is that the TARDIS has a mind of her own. We don't question it."

"But we were promised a beach, Doc. This ain't a beach. I'm not even sure what it is."

"Looks like a grunge sort of basementy thing, Grandad."

Yaz steps out behind the others, her eyes raking over the space. She makes eye contact with Sophie, who raises her mug as a form of greeting. The policewoman's eyes drift down, noticing the bandages all over her torso. "Sophie, oh my gosh, what happened to you?"

"There was a spaceship. It crashed. I helped to slow it down."

The Doctor rushes over, standing inches away from Sophie. She pulls her sonic screwdriver out of her pocket, scanning the girl. "The truth is, I should be more surprised, but it is you, Jackie Lynn." The woman rolls her eyes, as Ianto clears his throat. The Doctor's head snaps to the Welshman, a smile filling her face. Her eyes then move to survey the room, "Where's Jack? He should be here."

"Jack and the rest of the team went out to inspect the crash site, Doctor."

"You can recognize me, Mr. Jones?"

"Not quite, ma'am. The blue box is a bit of a giveaway. You took charge, so I assumed you were the Doctor."

"I knew I liked you, Ianto Jones. Alright, first I need to get Sophie into the TARDIS, let the TARDIS handle her injuries. Then I need to go and see this crash site myself. Then I just need to stop the alien threat, and we'll be back in time for tea!" she grins, glancing over at her crew.