Project: Time Lord

Everything Changes

Akira looked up from her homework as Gwen Cooper entered the office with pizzas.

Ianto came into the room with two mugs of coffee in hand, placing one of them in front of Akira as he looked up at Gwen.

"Oh, hiya." Gwen greeted, "Sorry I'm late. Someone ordered pizza?"

"Who's it for?" Ianto asked.

"I think it's a Mr. Harkness,"

Akira couldn't hide the smirk when the door slammed shut behind Gwen causing the officer to jump.

Ianto reached beside Akira and pressed the switch to open the hidden entrance to Torchwood.

"Best not keep him waiting," Akira teased.

Gwen headed down the entrance.

Akira slammed her workbook shut and stood up.

"Where do you think you're going?" Ianto questioned.

"I was going to ask my dad about a certain equation," Akira lied.

Ianto shook his head. "Funny cause this is your History workbook,"

"Fine. I made a bet with dad that Owen would crack first, and we all know that if I don't see it for myself, he'll cheat me out of 20 quid,"

Ianto smiled. "Go on then,"

Akira smiled as she quickly went through the other entrance to get into Torchwood; she was above the catwalk when Gwen entered. Akira heard a tiny squeal and noticed Terry tilting his head toward her. "Shh." she hissed at the pterodactyl. "You don't want to give away my position, do you?" Akira glanced down at the scene.

Toshiko was typing away on her computer with Owen behind her, going over some documents.

Suzie was welding away on the resurrection gauntlet.

Akira smiled when she saw her father exit his office, his eyes drifting towards her hiding spot, where he gave a discreet wink.

Owen finally burst out laughing as he turned to face Gwen. "I can't do this. I'm sorry. I'm rubbish. I give up,"

"He set me off," Toshiko scolded Owen.

"Well, that lasted 0.2 seconds," Suzie argued.

"Hmm. She's carrying pizza," Owen mused.

"Come on. She was gonna say, 'Here's your pizza,' and I was gonna say, 'How much?'" Captain Jack Harkness told his team, "And she says, 'Oh, whatever, 20 quid,' and I say, 'Oh, I don't have any money,'"

"Well, that's rubbish," Akira called out, causing everyone in the room to glance up at the girl as she flipped down to be next to her father. "You were hoping I would lose the bet, weren't you?"

"I was working on a punch line. I'd have got there, but it would have been good. Owen, give my kid 20 quid,"

"Why me?" Owen demanded.

"Because you're the reason I lost the bet,"

"There's your pizza. I think I'd better go," Gwen said, interrupting the squabble.

"I think we've gone past that stage,"

"You must have been freezing out there," Akira noted as she counted the money Owen had handed her. "How long were you walking around? Three hours?"

"You could see me?" Gwen asked.

"Mmm-hmm,"

"And before we go any further, who the hell orders pizza under the name of Torchwood?" Akira's father wondered.

"Ooh! I know the answer to that one!" Akira pointed over to Owen.

"Uh, yeah, that would be me." Owen admitted, "Sorry, I'm a twat,"

"That man at the hospital," Gwen said. "That porter. What happened to him? That was real. He was attacked,"

"He's dead," Jack admitted.

"But there's no one gone missing,"

"We took the body, retrospectively changed the work rota, planted a false witness who saw him leaving the hospital, giving him an alibi for the next 48 hours, so when his body's pulled out of the docks next Tuesday night, he's only been missing for three days," Toshiko explained.

"He was murdered,"

"Yeah,"

"And you covered it up,"

"It's my job," Toshiko shrugged.

"And that other man, John Tucker? Last night in the alleyway, I saw you,"

"And what did you see?" Akira's father asked.

"You revived him,"

"No. What did you see?"

"You resuscitated him,"

"No. What did you see?"

"You brought him back to life,"

"Yeah,"

"Who are you?"

"Torchwood,"

"What's Torchwood?"

"This is Torchwood. All around you,"

"And what happens to me?"

"Oh," Jack realized.

"I'm police. Constable Gwen Cooper. You can't do anything,"

Akira's father smirked. "Right, then, PC Cooper. Do you want to come to see?"

"See what?"

"You saw the murder...come and see the murderer,"