A/N: Spoilers up until 'Adam' (including information mentioned in both Twilight Streets and Trace Memory) and, unfortunately, all characters (except for Abbey and Miranda) belong to RTD and the BBC; we just play in the sandbox.

September 24, 2006.

That was the date Owen Harper walked into the Sword and the Scroll, an old pub in the heart of Cardiff. The pub had belonged to one family for over a hundred years. Now it rested in the hands of Paul Gallagher, though that was not entirely true. Legally, the land belonged to Paul Gallagher but he rarely spent time there though. The pub was run by his daughter, Abbey who took over the pub and changed her name to her mother’s maiden name, Rhodes, when she turned eighteen.

Owen had only been in Cardiff for a few months short of a year when he found his way to Abbey Rhodes’ pub.

It was late, very late, or incredibly early depending on how you want to look at it; in half an hour the pub would close. There was no one there, and Abigail Rhodes was content to begin cleaning up. She began clearing off the tables when she heard the large wooden door open. Abbey stood straight and turned to see a man walk in. He wore baggy black cargo pants and a light blue t-shirt under a black leather jacket. He turned to look at Abbey, fair skinned with deep brown eyes. “Hello,” she said with a smile.

Owen took a moment to look around. At least the place was not silent. Loud music, some sort of “classic rock” was playing. It was not exactly Owen’s favorite kind of music, but he was tired and was not about to argue now, not with the woman standing in front of him. “Hello.” he answered her. “Place is kinda dead tonight?”

Abbey laughed and approached him, carrying empty beer bottles. “Place is kinda closing.” She paused as she set the beer bottles down on the bar top. “Well, not permanently, but we close up in about half an hour.” She took a moment to look the newcomer over and smirked. “Just barely made it.”

“Guess so.” Owen took a seat on one of the barstools and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the counter. “Small place you got here, quaint.”

“Its cozy. Mostly regulars.” Abbey answered as she washed out the glasses. “Never seen you here before, and judgin’ by your voice, you’re not from Cardiff.”

“Oh God no.”

Abbey looked up at him and raised a brow. “Excuse me? Don’t have to sound so offended. You might want to watch yourself.”

Owen smirked and found himself laughing a bit. It had been a while since he last laughed. Not since Katie. “Or what? You’ll call up the owner and have me thrown out?”

It was Abbey’s turn to smirk. “Don’t have to 'cause you’re lookin’ at her.” She laughed when she saw Owen’s face turn bright red. “You got a name, Stranger? As sexy as mysterious men are…”

“Doctor Owen Harper.” he answered her with a smug grin. He always had to let people know of his title. They respected him more, and Owen was only a “little” narcissistic.

“Oh, you’re a doctor are you?” Abbey smiled a him and continued washing the glasses. “That supposed to impress me?”

“Depends, does it?”

Abbey laughed and shook her head. “Not really, but you’re amusing, so that earns you some points.” She glanced at the clock above the door. “You’ve got twenty minutes, Doctor Owen Harper. What are ya drinkin’?

Owen seemed to think on this question for a long time. As if it were a life or death question. If he answered wrong, he would be struck down by a massive bolt of lightning. “Just a beer I guess.” he answered reluctantly.

“You always that decisive?” Abbey smiled at him and reached into the ice chest under the bar to grab him a bottle of beer. She opened it and handed it to him.

Owen laughed, but did not answer her question. “Long day.” was all he offered her.

“Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt.”

Owen glanced up at her after taking a long swig from the beer bottle. “I doubt that.” Nothing was said between them for a while. Abbey finished cleaning off the tables and left the young doctor to his thoughts. When she finished her cleaning she took her position behind the bar once more and smiled. “You got a name?” he asked finally. “Only fair, since I gave you mine.”

“Abbey,” she answered simply. “Abbey Rhodes.” Before Owen could speak she placed the index finger of her left hand against his lips. “Not one word or I will kick you out of here so fast you won’t know what happened.” After a pause, Abbey removed her finger from his lips and smirked. “Trust me, I’ve heard everything.”

“You always that outgoing with mysterious men you’ve just met?” he asked with a smile. It was a charming smile, one that Abbey had not expected and if she were a different woman, may have actually fallen for.

“Only the pretty ones.” Abbey watched Owen finish his beer and she glanced up at the clock. “You’re a lucky one Doctor Owen Harper. Never let anyone stay after hours. And look, we closed twenty minutes ago.”

Owen smiled and stood. He left some money on the counter for her. “It was nice meeting you Abbey Rhodes.” With that the man turned and left the pub. Abbey thought little of it until two days later, shortly before closing the man returned.

Owen Harper made that pub a regular stop for him on his way home from work quite often over the next two years. Abbey, a loner for most of her life, found that she was getting close to this man. Not in any sort of romantic sense, but for the first time in Abbey’s memory she was willing to call Owen Harper a friend. She trusted Owen, though, she only trusted him to the point where she let him stay and catch a drink after they closed. Two years Owen Harper walked into her pub day in and day out. Alone. Just him, for two years. Then one night in early August, 2007, Owen came in with someone.

“Evenin’ Harper.” Abbey said in passing as she crossed the bar to give another man a drink. The man was older, he had been frequenting the pub for decades, watched little Abbey Rhodes grow up. He was always the last person to leave at night before Owen would show up. The old man took his beer, gave her some cash then left the pub, offering her a polite “good night”. Abbey stopped in front of Owen and leaned over the bar to give the doctor a small kiss on the cheek. That’s when she noticed he wasn’t alone.

There was a man, easily her age, maybe a year or so older. He wore a suit, white shirt, black vest and a black tie under a black suit jacket. Abbey looked him over and smiled. He had gorgeous blue eyes and for a moment Abbey found it hard to look away. “A friend of yours Harper?” she asked, still looking at the man in front of her and not Owen.

“Somethin’ like that. Colleague actually.”

“Oh, is that what you’re calling it.” she teased.

“Funny. He’s new here so I thought I’d show him a good place to get a drink, although I may have been wrong, we can always go somewhere else.” Owen patted the man on the back, which seemed to aggravate him.

Abbey glanced over the man next to Owen and smirked. “No no, its all right. Not gonna find a better place than this. Stay, please.” She smiled at the stranger.

“Ianto Jones.” he said quietly, extending his hand towards Abbey with a warm smile.

“Abbey Rhodes.” she told him, taking his hand and shaking it. “It's nice to meet you Ianto.” He nodded in agreement and asked for a beer. Abbey got him a beer.

“Oi, don’t I get anything?”

“You know where everything is, Harper. Get it yourself.”

“You said I’m not allowed back there.”

“Since when has that ever stopped you?”

“Good point.” Owen smirked and instead of walking around the bar he hopped over it, knowing that always irritated Abbey.

“OWEN HARPER!” Owen stopped dead when she yelled his name. The sudden should made Ianto jump a little. “I swear if you do that one more time I will break those skinny legs of yours!” Owen blushed and Abbey looked back at Ianto as he chuckled. “You work with him? You’re a doctor?”

Ianto laughed and shook his head. “More like a receptionist really.”

“I am so sorry.” She leaned over towards Ianto, to speak softer. “I think I’d go crazy if I had to spend a whole day with him.”

“Oi, I can still hear you Abbey.”

Abbey stood straight and smiled, draping her arms over Owen’s shoulders. “I know.” She gave him a soft, tiny little peck on the lips before taking a step back and smiling innocently.

“Always teasing, you are Abigail Rhodes.” She smirked as Owen hopped back over the bar.

“I will break you Owen Harper and you know it!” Abbey turned her gaze back to the newcomer who was now left laughing between sips of beer.

“You’ve known Owen long?”

Abbey laughed and shook her head. “Not really, a couple years. I guess that‘s pretty long. Oh god, two years. I‘ve known Owen for two years. Well, that’s two years of my life I‘m never getting back.” Abbey smiled sarcastically at Owen.

“It was love at first site, mate. Wasn’t it Abbey?”

She rolled her eyes and her hand collided with the side of Owen’s head. “Keep dreaming Harper.” Abbey climbed up on top of the bar and sat down, letting her legs hang over the edge. It was then, that Ianto noticed she was barefoot.

Ianto Jones had been there for only a month but he was good at reading people. Owen Harper, at least the Owen Harper he saw within Torchwood, was not one to have friends. The way they laughed, the way they talked it was as if they had known each other for much more than only two years. He quickly learned that it was because of Abbey’s personality. She was approachable, and possessed a smile that could light up a room. People just gravitated towards her. It reminded him a lot of his employer, Jack Harkness, though Jack was on a completely different level. After a week or so, Ianto began showing up at the pub more often than Owen. Owen would be there once or twice a week. Ianto made it a point of going almost every day.

They both had their moments. A different dynamic in their friendship. Owen and Abbey were close, like siblings almost. Abbey was always looking out for the younger doctor. She would keep an eye on him while he was there. Owen had a tendency to drink too much. While that had probably been a habit long before Abbey knew him, she felt oddly protective. “Owen, hand them over.” she commanded, in a very uncharacteristically authoritarian voice.

“That’s really sweet Abs, but I’m fine.”

“Owen David Harper you give me those keys right now!”

“You worry too much Abbey.”

“Yes, well it’s a flaw. Get over it and hand me those keys or I promise you I will come over there and get them.”

“That sounds like it could be fun.”

“Remember last time? Was it fun?” He shook his head. “Do you think this time will be any different?”

Still Owen refused. “Abs, really I’m fine. You may not think so, but I think I know me better than you do.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that Owen.”

“Well I can think of a way to find out.” he said with a smirk. Owen’s smirk turned into an excited smile as Abbey approached him.

She rested her hands on his shoulders. “Really? And what would that be?” She hated doing this, leading him on, but it was better than him ending up dead n the side of the road. Her hands slid down his chest and rested on his hips, playing absently with his belt. Before he had a chance to answer her, she slipped her hand into his left pocket and pulled out his keys. Abbey took a few steps back and shook her head. “It just gets easier and easier Owen.” She sighed and shook her head.

Abbey placed the keys in her safe and locked it. Not that it mattered. She turned back to Owen. “That’s not fair.”

“Stop complaining. When it saves your life one day you’ll thank me.” She smiled and turned off the outside lights. Abbey walked around the bar and leaned against it, looking up at Owen as he stood. “You need someone lookin’ out for you Owen.”

He smiled at her. Owen opened his mouth to speak, but instead of speaking he started to fall backwards. “Easy tiger.” she said as she caught him. Abbey helped Owen into back room where there was a cot in the corner. She helped him lay down and before she was able to grab a blanket she noticed he had passed out, either that or simply fallen asleep.

Abbey sighed and left the room to lock the doors. It was becoming a bit routine, Owen drinking too much and staying the night in the pub. Each time Abbey stayed with him. Partly because she did not want to leave him alone in the pub, mostly because she wanted to make sure he was safe. She locked up the doors and grabbed a spare blanket from the back room and sat down in the corner. It was not long until she fell asleep. Sure enough, just like every other morning after Owen stayed, Abbey woke up laying on the cot, covered with a blanket. Owen’s keys were gone from the safe and the keys to the pub were left in a loose board on the outside wall. Owen had locked up before he left.

Abbey was easy to relate to for both of them. They could talk to her about anything. Ianto could talk to her about anything. But chose to talk to her about nothing. The weather, current events, her dance lessons down the street, the music she played at her pub. If that got into personal conversation it was all about her. He rarely said anything about himself, unless it was something before Torchwood.

Ianto was not the first to know. Owen knew long before Ianto, but never said anything. Ianto was the first to confront Abbey about it though. About the small bruises, cuts, and burns that would appear on her from time to time, increasing in frequency. Three months. Ianto had known Abbey for three months, and as seen with Owen before, he could talk to her as if he had known her for three years. He came in, just after she had closed. Abbey started leaving the doors open for Owen and Ianto. He stood in the doorway, between the bar itself and a small stone room in the back. Abbey had earphones in, she could not hear a thing.

Ianto smiled, watching her dance around. He had left his suit jacket on the bar, rolled up his sleeves, and unbuttoned his vest. It was time to relax, he even removed the tie and had the collar of his red shirt unbuttoned. Ianto leaned against the door frame and waited until she turned and finally noticed him. Abbey turned bright red and took the earphones out of her ears. “Ianto… uhh… hi.” He watched her search almost frantically for something.

That’s when he noticed them once more. He was unable to keep it to himself anymore. Ianto took Abbey’s arms and stopped her motion. The smile on his face had faded. “Who’s doing this?” he asked.

Abbey jumped as his fingers ran lightly over the bruises on her arm, the scars on her shoulders. She took a step back and looked down. “Don’t worry about it Ianto.” she said quickly. She grabbed her hoodie and pulled it over her head, covering the scars and bruises.

“Abbey, tell me, please.” He took her wrist and held it gently. The girl’s blue eyes met his, and if he looked hard enough he could see tears in them. “Who’s doing this? Your dad?” She was silent. Her silence told him everything. Normally, with Abbey, he always knew what to say, but now he was coming up empty.

“Please, just leave it alone Ianto.”

That was the last time they spoke of it again for months. On occasion it would come up, but it was rare and each time she begged him to drop it and let the topic die. She did notice, over the following year that Ianto Jones was becoming incredibly more protective of her. She was not about to complain. It meant that he spent more time at the pub, that she got to see him more. She enjoyed spending time with Ianto. Ianto Jones and Owen Harper were her family. As dysfunctional a family as that was, it was hers.