The Beginning of the End (SFTT Contest entry)

The Beginning of the End
(Search for the Truth Contest Entry)
((I hope your in the mood to read something, This is really long ))

I turn off my iPod and shove it into my pocket. We spent so many hours sitting on our way to Cardiff, my friend Bri was now wishing she hadn't agreed to come. My friend Larissa was stretching her legs and I was bouncing on my feet looking around while standing outside our hotel. Jj, Larissa's boyfriend, is looking around smiling happily.

"So where are we going to meet your new friends?" Bri asks Jj, popping her back a third time, "It better be someplace we dont need to sit. I'm never going to sit again after this, maybe lay down, but never sit."

"That's what she said," I say blandly to her. She makes a face at me and rolls her eyes.

"Nice one."

"They said to meet at this fountain," Jj says, ignoring our banter. He pulls out a map and looks at it for a few moments, "It's called Roald Dahl Plass? It's within walking distance actually."

"Great! Lets get a cab!" I say walking to the edge of the road and hailing a cab, "it will take even less time!"

"AGH!" Bri says as we shove ourselves into the back seat, "I said no more sitting, you suck Air."

"Roald Dahl Plass, please," I say as I shift sideways to look out the window. I look back at her, "It's not far right? So what does a few more minutes in the car matter?"

"I will get my revenge Air, oh yes I will get my revenge," she says shaking her fist at me, "and it will involve frogs!"

"Yes, yes, I'll get you and your little dog too. I know, I know."

In no time we arrive at the fountain, which really wasn't that far. Bri climbs over me to get out of the cab because she really is tired of sitting. Larissa and Jj climb out and hand over the cab fare since we basically gave them the expense money. I get out and tie my hair back in a ponytail.

"Oh is that them?" I ask walking up next to Larissa, "The guy with the black jacket and the one in the T-shirt running at him from a hot air balloon?"

"Oh yeah that's them, Hey Josh! David!" Jj leads us over to them, and the hot air balloon, "Josh! David! Hey it's me Jj! This is Larissa, my girlfriend and these are her friends. This is Bri and this one is Air. I would say they don't bite, but I honestly cant be sure."

"Hey, how are you?" Bri asks smiling at them.

"If you will excuse us a moment, Josh where is my detector?" the other guy says looking around.

"...The Doctor?"

"No, the detector!"

"I had it a minute ago..."

"What did you do with it?!" He asks frantically grabbing the other guys shirt and shaking him.

"Something about... John Lennon..." Josh say's dazed.

"JOHN LENNON?! STOP SPEWING NONSENSE MAN!"

"The singer John Lennon?" I ask, "or a John Lennon street performer?"

"A Lennon street performer, Air?" Bri asks smiling.

"Anything could happen. We're in Cardiff," I say putting my hands in my pockets, "I've already seen a hot air balloon and a crazy guy in a blue-"

"Blue Box?! Was it a Blue Box?!" the guy I now assume is David, shouts.

"You shout a lot," Josh says.

"You lost my detector! This girl has a lead on the Blue Box and you lost it!" he says letting go of Josh's shirt.

"Um...I was going to say a crazy guy in a blue t-shirt," I finish pointing at him, "I get the feeling I should have stuck with just crazy guy."

"Wait, what detector? What's it look like?" Larissa asks.

"Well, it was made from my guitar," Josh says looking over at her then back at David, "So really, it's MY detector."

"Do you know how long it took me to make it?!" David cries out, "What it cost me?!"

"An hour, four dollars, and a bit of dignity," Josh replies calmly. Bri and I chuckle.

"You owe me four dollars then!"

"You owe me a guitar!"

"Guys, not that your fight isn't absolutely the most interesting thing ever," Bri says rolling her eyes, "But I'm hungry, can we eat or something?"

"Your paying?" David asks hopefully, completely distracted by the idea.

"Don't pin our money situation on these nice people," Josh says, "Although if you would pay we'd be happy to pay you back sometime."

"Sure, no problem man," Jj says gesturing to them that they should lead the way.

We head into a little cafe in sight of the fountain and order some food. Our group sits at a table just next to Josh and David because there isn't enough room for all six of us to fit at the one. I munch away on fish and chips, watching them talk about whatever they're talking about.

Right about the time I run out of fish I turn and see a purple squid sliding down the window between Josh and David. I jump up and run over to the window watching it flop onto the ground.

"TRUUUUUUTH!" David yells, he jumps up from the table and runs outside.

Josh looks at me and then out at David running to the fountain. I look out but dont see anything in the area he's running to and the squid has disappeared from the ground. Turning to my group I make the suggestion that we pay and go after him. As quickly as possible we leave the cafe, running to ware David stands.

"Dude, they where like right here," David says pointing at the ground, "Just a
second ago, I swear it."

"Who was right here a second ago?" Bri asks catching her breath, "You know this isn't helping us to believe your not crazy."

"He's not crazy," I say to her, "I saw the weird purple squid thing hit the window, too."

"Right so where is this weird purple squid then?" Bri retorts throwing her arms out to her sides out of frustration, "because I don't see anything."

"I dont know," I say, looking around for any sign of the little purple thing, "Obviously its disappeared like whoever David was chasing disappeared!"

"Well apparently one of them is our friend Claire," Josh says also looking around, "David saw her with the man in the blue box. The detector that I lost beeped and flashed whenever she was around, but, well, you know what happened with that."

"No, actually we dont," Jj points out, "We found you just after that."

"Right well, I don't really know what happened either," Josh says walking around an SUV that had just abruptly pulled up to us. Jj, Larissa and Bri follow him as he and Jj talk about crazy people. A man steps out of the SUV and walks up to David and I.

"Mr. Bontorin?" The man asks looking at David.

"Your last name is Bontorin?" I ask David looking puzzled.

"Why?" He says narrowing his eyes, "Whats yours?"

"Rizzo," I answer, "and if you make a comment on that damned movie Grease I will pummel you."

"Fair enough," he says looking back at the man, "Why do you want to know?"

"Ianto Jones, Health and Safety," the man says, "Just need to ask you a few questions, sir."

"Health and Safety my ass!" David says just as I'm about to ask if there is such a thing.

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave the premises."

"Why?" we ask at the same time.

"Health and Safety," Ianto answers.

"Ahaha good one," I say, "No but seriously if I'm going anywhere I wanna see some ID."

"Yeah, I don't see you asking anyone else to leave the Plass!" David puts in.

"Yes, because they all left already," He replies with a sigh, "I assume its because of your yelling, Sir."

"Don't you 'Sir' me! We're looking for the TRUTH!!" and once again David is
yelling, I'm tempted to encourage this because I personally love yelling. I decide to wait for the right moment because Ianto starts to speak again.

"Well I guess that's good because the truth is about to be on top of you in a few seconds," He says looking up.

I look up in the same direction and see a giant something coming right at us. David has started rambling about finding truth or something and doesn't notice. Stepping back from him I stare open mouthed at the flying thing as it gets closer. Totally unable to speak all I can do is listen to Ianto count down and David rant.

Suddenly Ianto stops counting and David pauses his rant having noticed. He still doesn't see the, what I can now see is a pterodactyl, coming at him fast. Just as I realize he's about to be grabbed I yell.

"David! Watch out there's a!" but I'm too late and he's yanked into the air like a mouse captured by an owl, "Ianto you have to-"

"David!?" Josh yells as the SUV speeds away from us, "Air where is David?"

"He was just-" I look into the sky, but he's flown out of sight, "He was just-"

"Crap, now we've lost him too?" Josh says frustratedly, "I just saw who we're looking for in that SUV!"

"You lot sound confused," says a voice from behind me.

"AAH!" I shout jumping around to face him, "Where the bleeping Applesauce did you come from?!"

"Applesauce?" the new guy asks, he has blond hair and a black hoodie with a red shirt under that. Oh he's handsome isn't he, I think to myself, but creepy too.

"Yes, she says stuff like that," Larissa explains to him.

"Don't explain my WORDS to him!" I yell, now that Davids flown off someplace someones got to do the yelling, "Those aren't for his understanding you hear me! Besides
he's creepy!"

"Oi! I am not creepy!" he yells back at me, "I'm interested in the SUV just like you all. So why dont you all come with me and we can talk about it!"

"See I told you, creepy," I say poking him in the arm and glaring at him, "He's trying to get us into an ally so he can rob us or something."

"Yes and besides we need to wait here and see if David comes back," Josh says, "I dont know where he's run off to but I'm sure he'll be back any minute now."

"Ah, well, I'm sure we can find a way to master your problems," Creepy guy chuckles, then he brakes into a full on laugh. I just stare at him like he's insane, because I'm sure he is.

"UNIT! CEASE THIS LAUGHTER!" A girl says running up behind Josh and my friends. Josh turns and stares at her, "Oh crap."

"Allie?!" Josh looks at her with wide eyes, "So that was you! What are you doing here in Cardiff?"

"I'm Jogging!" she bluffs.

"In an SUV?" Bri asks.

"Um, no I mean I was jogging and then a friend picked me up!"

"You have friends in Cardiff?" Josh asked.

"Yes! Yes, I'm just visiting them!" She says excitedly.

"What are their names?" I ask.

"Uh...." Allie notices the creepy guy standing on her other side looking at a jar in her bag, "It's my cat."

We all look at it then at Allie. None of us are buying it but the thing in the jar meows. Suddenly the creepy guy smiles ever wider than he did while he was laughing.

"No. That's a-"

BAM! Allie smashes the jar into the guys face and screams for us all to run away. Everyone bolts except for me, I'm too shocked by the fact that she practically killed the guy with a jar. I mean, he was creepy but did he really deserve that?

((((Meanwhile, Back on the Ranch))))


"Oh god did we loose him?" Bri asks panting.

"Yeah, and Air apparently," Larissa says looking back the way they came.

"So is the coast clear?" Allie asks. Everyone turns to look while she covertly puts her thumbs through two little loops under her collar, "Just keep checking."

"Allie we don't see-" Josh is cut off by Allie.

"GO GO INDIGO!" She yells, a blue flash emitting from the place she was standing.

"Allie?" they all turn around to face her.

"Oh hell she's disappeared now too," Josh says looking around.

((((Back at Roald Dahl Plass))))


I'm sitting on the ground by the passed out creepy guy when suddenly a girl comes around the fountain. She's calling someones name and as she comes closer I realize it's Davids name.

"Hey, your looking for David?" I ask her as I stand up and brush my jeans off.

"Yes, oh thank god, you've seen him?" I nod, "Great is he ok where is-"

Right about then creepy guy sits up groaning. He touches his face and winces blood coming out of his nose.

"Oh dude, are you ok?" She asks him.

"Jar....Face...." He promptly passes out again. She stares at his lifeless form on the ground. After a few minutes she gets out her phone and dials something, then picks
up the creep by his upper arms.

"Get his feet would you?" She asks and I grab him around the ankles and help her to move him. As I do the person she called answers, "Allie, What the hell did you do to this guy?"

Oh she's calling Allie, I think to myself as we drag the guy. There's a long pause during which we stop for a short break. I take the opportunity to shift to his right side and grip his knees that way I'm lifting him a bit more.

"Allie!" She yells, "I know its you..........No I'm not! Don't you hang up on-!"

"She hung up huh?"

"Oh yeah. Lets get this guy into the hub."

We get him around to the front of the fountain and she tells me to drop his feet. When I do she puts his head down gently and we start to move down. I look all around me as we descend, trying to see everything at once. But it turns out there isn't much to see in this cavernous room except the lift and the passed out guy.

"I'm Lydia by the way," she says holding out her hand for me to shake. I take it as she says, "I'm a friend of David's from Canada. One of the ones he's looking for."

"Oh, I'm Air. I guess I was one of the people helping him search," I say shrugging and dropping her hand, "Um, where you in the SUV also?"

"Yup, I work here at Torchwood three. Our pterodactyl, Myfawny, got out and that's how we ended up in the SUV," she explains, "We saw David coming at us and hid behind a perception filter. Ianto came and saved us with the SUV."

"Oh so, it was your pterodactyl that made off with David," I accidentally say out loud.

"What?!"

"Oh nothing! So whats Torchwood about then?" I cover, smiling to hide my nerves.

Lydia stares at me suspiciously for a few moments until we reach the lifts destination. She grabs the guys arms again and I grab him at his knees again. We manage to carry him to a futon, setting him down as carefully as we can.

"Geez, Allie did a number on his face," Lydia says turning her head sideways to look at him closer, "did she really hit him with the jar?"

"Yup the jar with the 'cat' in it," I say looking around the room. The wall very
helpfully says Torchwood on it in tile, "Is that running water down there?"

"Oh that? Yes," she says poking the creep.

"Should you be poking him while he's injured?" I ask coming over and poking him myself. He groans but doesn't move.

"Should you?" she laughs as he starts to open his eyes, "Hey, guy? How are you feeling? You need anything?"

He rubs his head sitting up a little. Lydia looks at him with a worried
expression and goes on.

"Food? Water? Cold pack?" she asks.

"Hot pack?" I add. He looks around for a moment during which I realize he is still a creep. Although less creepy with a messed up face, I think to myself, a little pathetic but a lot less creepy.

"You will give me control of this base," He says eerily. Right back to creepy town, I think rolling my eyes.

He smirks at us and Lydia stares at him in disbelief. I go back to looking around for a few minutes as she sorts out her thoughts.

"Did...did you just try to hypnotize me?" she says laughing a bit.

"No," he says trying to look innocent.

"You so did!" She says grinning, "Dammit, I was hoping you where one of the nice aliens."

"Alien?" I ask frowning at her.

"Under section twelve of the Shadow Proclamation I'm going to have to ask you to..." she gets cut off by a shining blue light just above him. I get closer to her and stare at it over her head. Huh, I think to myself, Lydia is short if I can see over her head. I'm thinking of that as something smacks into us.

I feel like I've been hit by a meteorite. I try to look around but something heavy is on my chest. Realizing its a person, and that its also not Lydia, I shove at it trying to get up.

"Agh! Get off!" I say trying to get out from under it.

"Ow! Ow! Your on my leg!" Lydia says from the other side of whoever, or whatever
it is, "Leg! ow! Get-"

Finally she get's free and whatever is on me shifts over. I sit up and rub my back. The thing that fell on us is off to my side glowing the same blue color. Ignoring whatever it is I stand up and check to make sure nothing is broken.

"Great now my prisoner has escaped!" Lydia says grumpily, her glasses hang off her face, "just who the hell do you-!"

"Arms, legs, nose, ears, thumbs," says the shiny thing on the floor, moving to sit up, "It worked!"

The moment Lydia see's the, what I see is some guy, she blushes. Looking at the back of his head I wonder why this day has turned out so crazy and what's going to happen next. I don't have to wait very long to find this out though. As I've been sitting there speculating on what might have gone differently today I realize, once again, I've been left out of a conversation.

"Oh-oh! Claire told me about you! You're Handy!" Lydia exclaims.

"Don't call me that," the guy says.

"So what should we call you?" I ask coming to sit on the other side of the coffee table from them, "Oh-oh, can I call you Joseph?!"

"What? Joseph? No you can not call me Joseph," He says, but he pauses to think about it for a moment, "Do I look like a Joseph?"


"Wait hang on but," Lydia shakes her head, "aren't you supposed to be living happily ever after with Rose? What are you doing back here?"

"Oh, you know. No reason..." he answers.

"You got bored didn't you?" Lydia says looking at him like she's not surprised.

"Pretty much immediately, yeah."

"Um hey whats this person doing in here?" Ianto asks coming in from a room just off of the one we're in.

"To which one of us are you refuring?" I ask him raising an eyebrow.

"You."

"Thought so."

"Seriously why is she here."

"I'm Air."

"Right why is Air here?"

"She followed me," Lydia says putting on a bad poker face.

"I was invited! She needed help carrying this half dead guy that got smacked in the face with a purple squid in a jar that Allie was carrying!" I say then take a huge breath, "Then this guy landed on us after coming through a weird portal. I would hardly say I 'followed' anyone into all this on purpose."

"Lydia is that true?" another man asks coming from behind Ianto.

"Ummm, noooooo."

"Uh-huh," the man says, "Well I'm Captain Jack Harkness, if you would just look here for a moment miss."

Some flashy light goes off, instinctively I cover my face. I stay as still as possible thinking that maybe he shot me or something. Certainly it wouldn't be the weirdest thing to happen that day.

"What was that flashy light?" I ask, "Or do I not want to know?"

"She deflected it?!" comes another voice, female this time, and Welsh.

"Impossible! It wasn't..." Jack stops and then chuckles, "Ooh oops. Looks like that old line about setting lasers to kill instead of stun....ah well."

I look up and see a hole in the floor a few feet away from me. Turning my gaze to the other two standing next to them I start to shake. That lazer almost hit me, I think, that idiot almost killed me. Son of a-

"Sorry about that, but hey how'd you block it?" He asks excitedly.

"I didn't," I say, "It must have been-"

"Owen will know," Just like that I'm taken into another room.

Looking around it looks like a typical hospital room. Still looking I hear the door open and close. It's the female welsh lady who had pushed me into this room a few seconds before.

"Here put this on and Owen will be right in," she says, "I'm Gwen by the way, whats your name?"

"I'm Air," I reply looking at the hospital gown, "Um...whats that about? Why are you all so curious about me blocking the laser thingy?"

"Well, its possible you've been in contact with alien life and its," She pauses to think about it, "changed you."

"Oh," I say looking at my feet, "can I not change into that?"

"Sure I dont care," she says throwing it onto a chair.

"Where is Lydia? Are her and Joseph still out there?"

"Lyds is out there still, but who is Joseph?"

"The man in blue, I call him Joseph because he doesn't like Handy."

"Oh, yeah they're both out there."

She walks out and a person I can only assume is Owen comes in with Ianto. I frown at a weird table Owen wheels twords me. On it is what I believe to be a Geiger counter and a few other weird things.

"Hello, I'm Owen you've met my associate Ianto Jones," Owen says turning on the Geiger counter, "Let me just run a few tests and then you can have some nice hot tea or something."

"I only like Coffee and Cocoa hot," I say as he passes several things that beep in front of me, including the Geiger, "though that might just be because I haven't had hot tea before."

"Really?" Ianto says, "Never?"

"Yup, I live in the desert so its too hot," I smile at him, "Winter is usually
when I drink the hot Coffee and Cocoa."

"Hmmm..." Owen says taking us away from talk of hot beverages, "It would appear that your ability to deflect the lazer was connected to some latent physic ability."

"What?" I ask raising an eyebrow.

"Your using more of your brain than normal," He say's frowning at me.

"Oh," I say, "am I still using more of my brain than normal?"

"Obviously not," He mutters leaving the room.

"Guess your done," Ianto says, "Come on you can go back to Handy and Lydia now."

We leave the room and go back to the larger part of the hub. Lydia and Handy stand there with scarfs and jackets on. I cock my head to the side as we come to a stop next to them.

"Where are you going?" I ask, "and without me? I'm in over my head and your gonna leave-"

"Wanna come with? It's snowing and we're going for a walk," Handy says.

"Sure Joseph I'd love to!" I say happily, then I frown, "I dont have a jacket
with me...or a scarf....or anything."

"Don't call me Joseph!" Handy says unhappily.

"It's better than Handy," I retort, he mutters and rolls his eyes.

"You came to Cardiff without any winter clothes? In winter?" Owen asks coming out with a large cup of something hot.

"Again, live in the desert, don't really need that stuff," I say, "Well actually we do but they dont sell the right stuff until after your snowed in."

"Interesting system," Lydia says handing me an extra scarf.

"Oh yes isn't it?" I laugh. Gwen hands me a jacket and I shove it on, "Wait, anyone have gloves?"

"No I dont think so," Ianto says.

"Ok frost bite it is!" I say heading for the way out with Lydia and Handy.

We get on the lift again and head up. This time snow falls on us from the opening far above. I try not to look up because it will make me dizzy and I might fall off. Lydia try's not to look at Handy too much but fails.

Eventually, and after much awkward silence, we reach the square. I look around at people running to get out of the weather. It's beautiful, the snow sticking to the ground around the fountain makes me smile.

"Right here we go off for a walk," Handy says, "try to keep up!"

I run after him and Lydia, but continue to stop and stare at things around us as we walk around. As I fall behind once again I hear Lydia and Handy talk about something. I've no intention of finding out what it is because I'm too busy playing in the snow. At one point I get a dirty look from a woman walking in the other direction. So I decide to catch up to my little group.

"Yikes," Lydia is saying, "I mean, with the life you had before... that's just cruel."

"Whats going on?" I ask, walking next to her.

"Oh Joseph's just been telling me about his life in the other dimension," She says smiling at me.

"Not you too," He complains at her use of my nickname for him.

"Right, so, what now?" she asks looking over at him.

"No idea," he says kicking a lump of snow on our path, "No wait, have you got a phone?"

"Um sure here," she says handing it over.

He takes it and pulls out a weird pen looking devise. Pressing a button on the side the bulb at the end lights up and the whole thing makes a buzzing sound. He gets a look on his face of considerations.

"Hold on I thought you meant to call someone," She says crossing her arms.

"Nope, tracking the space-time disturbance with the Torchwood network," he says, "Just hope your mobile can-"

Just then her phone sparks and dies. He looks at it surprised then let down, while Lydia looks surprised then irritable.

"Damn," he says looking at it.

"You broke my phone," Lydia says.

"Broke the network, got a back up?"

"A back up network?" she says skeptically as he tosses her phone over his shoulder, "actually there is one emergency access point to a backup network, but-"

"Great where is it?!" he says getting excited.

"Scotland," I say without warning. Lydia stares at me like I just spoke Greek, "Um..no? Sorry it just came to me."

"Just came to you?" Lydia asks, "The location of a top secret Torchwood facility with access to a back up network, just came to you?"

"Yes?" I say.

"Seriously, what are you?" Handy asks.

"According to Owen I have 'Latent physic abilities' or something," I say rubbing my hands together, "I know that everyone has physic abilities to an extent, but you would think my friend Larissa would be the one in this situation."

"Why's that?" he asks.

"She used to see stuff, predict peoples futures," I shrug like its no big deal, "I would think if anyone got weird powers it would be her."

"Did Owen say how you got these 'powers'?" Handy asks, I shrug not really knowing
how to answer that, "Maybe we'll find answers along the way then. Great this is turning out to have been a great idea!"

Lydia rolls her eyes and the talk of going to Scotland begins. With much excitement and only the smallest bit of caution.

((((Before it started to snow, Cardiff Docks))))



"Why are we fishing out here again?" Bri asks looking over at Josh.

"We're waiting for David to come back," He says sipping tea.

"Oh right.....where the hell is that guy?" she asks looking around, "And what the heck happened to Air....omg what if Air and David.....Ran off? Together? Forever?!"

"Would she do that?" Jj asks them as he casts his line again.

"I dunno, they are both insane," Larissa says as she throws stones into the water, "So I guess its possible they did....although that doesn't sound like Air."

"Oh I've caught something," Josh says reeling it in. After a few moments struggle
a pare of jeans comes out of the water stuck to his line. They all stare at them, "Huh?"

"Hey is that David?" Bri asks pointing to a man getting out of the water and
running off, "He's being chased by a Swan."

"Yeah I bet that's him," Josh says folding the pants. He places them next to him and picks up his pole.

"Aren't we going to go after him?" Larissa asks swinging her legs over the side of the dock, "I mean, I think you caught his pants."

"Eh, maybe later," He says sipping his tea.

((((Eh, Maybe Later))))


Walking to the ally they last saw David run into, the group looks around for any sign of him. It's dark out and the only street light is behind them, casting a faint light on there surroundings. For some reason this light doesn't reach very far into the ally. Josh holds Davids pants and calls out for him.

"David?" he says quietly, "I found your pants....If your....you know.....in here."

"In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king!" a person shouts grabbing Josh by the collar. Bri screams and everyone jumps.

"Oh David its you!" Bri says, "You gave me a freaking heart attack, crazy!"

"Wait," Josh says, his collar still in Davids hands, "You still have...both of your....I dont get it."

"Just give me my pants back," and with that David is reunited with his pants.

((((On a train from Cardiff to Torchwood 2, Scotland))))


As we speed along the railway twords another Torchwood, which Lydia explains to me as Torchwood 2, we all find ways of occupying ourselves. Lydia sketches, I listen to music on my iPod and Handy asks if we've made it there yet. The answer to the last bit always being, no not yet be patient.

"Oh for-" Lydia exclaims suddenly, "Can't you sit still for more than five seconds?"

"It's only been five seconds?" Handy says looking a bit crazy.

"Are you stir crazy or something?" I ask turning off my music and shoving my player into my pocket, "I would let you listen to my iPod but I dont want you to break it like Lydia's phone."

"Not just stir crazy, I'm bored," he sighs looking out the window, "if your friend James just had a phone in that cabin, we-"

"He has a phone, but it's on the secure line that you broke," Lydia says going back to her sketching, "So now we cant call and have to take a train. At least he'll be glad to see us. E.T. relations is, like, the coolest job ever, but it can get a bit lonely. He probably hasn't seen another Humanoid in months."

This time I sigh and ask if we're there yet. The answer is still no and as we round a bend I ask for a piece of paper from Lydia and a pen, starting a game of M.A.S.H. with Handy.

He ends up living in a house, married to Jackie Tyler with one child, driving a unicycle in Zeppelin land with a job as a mud wrestler. He says the game is rigged and doesn't want to play anymore, but I make him do mine which was much better.

"How do I end up living in a house, married to Jackie with one child, driving a unicycle in the other dimension working as a Mud Wrestler," He complains, "While you get to live in an Apartment, married to Robert Downey Jr. with eleven children, driving a
Van?"

"In Australia working as a Wild Bull Tamer," I add, "and I end up with that because I chose better people for mine."

"Yes but Jackie?!" He tosses the paper and pen on the table, "Thats just not fair."

"Mind you she did put David on hers," Lydia puts in, "So she could have ended up with a bad one too."

"Alright lets do yours then," he says picking up the pen again.

"Oh look we've arrived!" lots of boring nothingness and two games of M.A.S.H. later our train has stopped at our station. We get off the train and Lydia looks out at
the weather.

I wonder what my friends are doing right about now and decide to text one while I wait for Handy and Lydia to make the plans. I decide to text Bri since Larissa rarely ever notices her phone go off, unless you catch her at just the right moment.

'Hey wut u guys up 2' I ask.

I get a reply almost instantly 'wondering wtf your off doing'

'I'm with Josh and David's friend, Lydia'

'Wut? Where?'

'Scotland'

'Wtf'

'Idk'

'David says OMFG TRUTH, and I guess have fun'

'Lol David and ttyl' I text putting my phone into my pocket.

Lydia decides that we will take a cab as far as we can and walk the rest. Handy eyes my phone like he wants to take it apart.

"No," I say pointing at him, "Bad Joseph."

"Come on you guys lets get going," Lydia leads us out to the curb and we jump in a cab and head in what I can only assume is the direction of Torchwood 2.

During the ride I start another game with Handy, this time a game of 'would you rather'. It get's into a very complicated time-space related spot ware the only answer is to give up all hope. The remainder of the car ride is spent playing thumb war.

After many games and curses the cab stops at the end of a gated road. I peak out and see absolutely nothing. Rain is pouring down so hard the only thing you can see is part of a field with sheep in it and a road with a gate on this end of it. Lydia hands over the cab fare and we get out and start up the road.

Several miles down the road we're on, we turn down another road and walk along it until we finally see lights. Lydia points it out and says that its Torchwood 2, the place we're heading for. I cheer and Handy looks a little brighter, but after all this walking in the rain we dont do much else. When we get closer I see its a very simple Cottage with smoke coming from the chimney and a fence that's slightly in ruined.

A few moments later we make it to the door, tired, cold, wet and a bit muddy. Lydia raises her hand to the door and knocks. It seems like forever before someone comes to the door and answers. When they do I see its a Ginger guy with crazy hair and a look of total surprise.

"I'll put the kettle on," He says inviting us it. We come in and start drying off, "I wish you'd called, I could have prepared better."

"We couldn't call," I say, "Joseph broke the network, we came to use the backup one."

"Oh is that so?" He says as I nod and Handy looks irritable, "Well....that's....I'm sorry who's Joseph and who are you?"

"I'm 'Joseph' and that's Air," Handy says pointing at me, "and I didn't do it on purpose you know-"

"Yeah yeah," Lydia says, "So can we borrow your computer, James?"

"What for?" James asks.

"We we're tracking a space/time disturbance," Handy says, "Or trying to, when the network broke-"

"When you broke the network," I correct him, "It didn't just go and break itself."

"Yes, right, whatever," He says glaring at me.

"Sure you can use it. Just dont break it," He adds walking out of the room.

We sit down in front of a desktop computer and Handy presses one button. I stare at him and back at the screen. He doesn't do anything more.

"Hold on, We just traveled 500 miles and nearly died of exposure-" Lydia starts.

"And boredom," I add blandly.

"-so you could press one button?" she finishes.

"This station was already tracking the disturbance," He says.

"But James doesn't touch this thing," she says, "He can barely work a microwave-"

"No, no, no, the Timelords I sensed are here," He says, interrupting Lydia, "they're using this station, this whole cabin to monitor the disturbance. Disturbances.
There's more than one. One here, big one in London."

"Um," I say but no one notices.

"Oh that's clever," He continues.

"What's clever?" Lydia asks.

"Rassilon, this is him all over."

"Guessing Rassilon is a bad Timelord."

"What's a Timelord?" I ask interrupting loudly.

"What? Oh Timelords are aliens from a planet called Gallafrey," Handy says, "or they where, that is, until the Time War. All placed in a time lock so they wouldn't
destroy the universe with themselves. No survivors, or so I thought. Looks like there trying to break through."

"Oh, neat," I say, "so some of them are here tracking the same disturbance's you where trying to track?"

"Yes."

"Is it this, Rassilon, guy?"

"No he's in London with the Rani," he says.

"Also a bad guy?" Lydia asks.

"Yes."

"So then-" I say.

"-Which Timelord is here?" Lydia finishes.

"H'lo," says a voice from behind us. I jump and the others look startled. I turn
and face a man with salt and pepper hair and a mug of something hot, "Yu tu're gud. Hau d'y'know so much about Taimlords?"

"We're Torchwood. Hi,"Lydia says pointing to herself.

"An' this?" He asks pointing to me.

"Air, average civilian dragged into all this," I say happily. He nods.

"Ah'm Pr'fessor Joyce," He says, "Gud t' meet yu."

"Dr John Tyler," Handy says standing.

"I call him-"

"Nothing."

"Wha' is it? Yu call him wha'?" He asks expectantly. I get a dirty look from 'Dr John Tyler' and smile back innocently.

"Joseph," I say grinning.

"Oh for the love of, when will you stop?" Handy asks.

"When I'm dead."

"Well, s'pose ah shud explain wha' ah can," Professor Joyce says, "ah'll ge' th'
tea," He walks away to the next room and calls back, "d'yu take marshmallows?"

"Um, Sure," Lydia says.

"No thanks," Handy calls back.

"I'll try it!" I cry out. There's a pause after that. Filling me with a sense of
sickness I can't quite place. Just as I think I'm going to throw up or something Lydia asks the doctor something I don't quite catch.

"He's my Dad," I hear and then everything goes black, I wake up on the floor
covered in water with concerned faces leaning over me.

"Ugh, what happened?" I ask sitting up, "I feel like I've been run over by a Planet."

"You just fell over without any warning," Lydia says.

"I saw something," I say suddenly remembering something from when I was out, "Like a dream or something. I was on this planet with orange/red light and I could see the earth from where I stood."

"Oh hell, your nose is bleeding. Don't worry its just on the bridge," James hands me a tissue and I hold it to my face.

"I think it has something to do with all this," I say in a funny nose-plugged-up voice. I gesture to Prof. Joyce and Handy, "I feel like its to do with you."

"Tha' sounds li'k Gallafrey if yu ask me," Prof. Joyce says.

"Yes it does, and if what you saw is any indication of what Rassilon and the Rani are up to-" Handy starts.

"Then we better get a move on," James says.

"Wait, what do you know about it?" Lydia asks.

"Nothing, but I assumed by their tone it was bad."

"Very, Very bad," Handy says.

I get up and sit in the chair as everyone trys to figure out what it all means. My only hope is that we survive, because what I saw wasn't good. The vision was me standing on Gallafrey as it crashed into earth, the only thing left a fragmented fiery chunk of rocks floating above me.

With that I leave you, I've nothing more to say. As this all plays out I may choose to tell you more. But this is whats happened so far and its not any good speculating what will happen next because I dont know. What I do know?

The last of the players have taken their places in the game. In London Rassilon schemes, the dark and impending storm brewing just beyond him. The Master and The Doctor his prisoners, his puppets. The idiots and fools just far enough away to not pose a threat. I've seen it all.

What will become of the Earth? What of Gallafrey?

Only time will reveal what is fiction and what is Truth.


(The End.)

((Or is it the beginning?))