Is that a phone? Ianto wondered incredulously. He looked up from his sketchbook where every page was covered with pencil drawings of the mysterious Jack. The Time Lord stood up from the rock he was sitting on in the middle of the forest as a ringing sound echoed around the medieval forest. It's 1207, he reminded himself as he started walking towards the noise. There are no phones. No mobiles, no landlines. Maybe some tin cans with bits of string, but other than that, no phones. Phones don't work here. Hello? Anyone there? No, because there are no phones.

And yet, it kept ringing and he kept walking. The sound was getting louder, and Ianto began to realize that it was coming from the same direction as his TARDIS was parked. He stopped abruptly. "That isn't even a real phone," he muttered, and started walking again, faster this time.

The ringing was indeed coming from his TARDIS. And not even the interior phone where he actually ever took calls; no, the exterior phone-box phone was ringing. Ianto opened the small door to the phone compartment slowly, staring at it as if it was going to jump out at him. Ever so carefully, he reached for it, hesitated, then picked it up. He brought it to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Finally!" a young man's voice exclaimed. Ianto froze. "I've been waiting for someone to pick up for nearly an hour. So you can help me with a pterodactyl problem, yeah?"

Speechless, Ianto blinked a couple of times. "It's...it's twelve o' seven," he said at last.

"Oh, I've got half past three. Wait, am I phoning a different time zone?"

"You sort of are." Ianto rubbed the tip of his nose.

"Hang on, will that cost extra? Like a long-distance fee or something?" the young man said worriedly.

"I...I shudder to think," Ianto answered. "Um, where did you get this number?"

"The man in the shop wrote it down."

"What man?"

"I don't know." He sounded irritated. "Just the man in the shop. Hold on-" Away from the phone's microphone, the man called, "What's the password for the phone line thing? You know, the one that gets us the discount for off-world."

A faint other voice shouted back. "R-Y-C-B-A-R-1-2-3!"

"Well how the hell am I supposed to remember that?" grumbled the man. "R-run, you, clever, boy, and...remember...123."

Ianto could hardly breathe. "What did you say?"

The man was hardly listening. "Well, that can't be right, it's telling me I can't even be phoning this number. But...aw, damn, I have to put in the password again." Whispering under his breath, he repeated, "Run you clever boy and remember...123."

"What was that?" Ianto demanded.

"Don't shout! It's just something to remember the password, you know, one word for each letter. I'm good at coming up with those. Ugh, it's still not letting me put it in. Oh well, so, can you come and help with the pterodactyl? It's actually really annoying, and the man in the shop said you could definitely help. Best help line in the universe, was what he said."

"Okay. Well. Yes, I will definitely come to help. Goodbye!" Ianto slammed the phone down into the compartment, gawping at it. "A pterodactyl," he muttered. "What the…"

Having traced the call to a small colony on a peninsula on a small planet in the middle of nowhere in the 51st century, Ianto was thoroughly confused and very curious. He set coordinates and took off.

He had redesigned the interior of the TARDIS recently while trying to locate Jack Harkness, and it was now simpler, more elegant, and fit this regeneration much better than the previous frivolous oranges and pinks. The lighting scheme was greens, blues, and just a hint of the red he was so enamoured with now. Above the center console hung three spinning, silver structures with the names of people he had loved written in circular Gallifreyan, the written language of his people. There were still two levels of controls but the floor was no longer glass, but chrome, and Ianto felt more at home here.

The landing was smooth and uneventful, but Ianto stayed in the TARDIS for longer than was probably necessary. He checked all of the safety features that he normally ignored, just to put off leaving and having to confront the mystery. But he could only stall for so long, and a few minutes later, he was walking out onto a sandy expanse in front of a large, sandstone structure that spiraled up into the sky. It was simple and rough enough to be clearly a work of function rather than aesthetic, but the effect of the pale beige against the bright blue sky was quite beautiful. Ianto had figured out exactly which part of the building the call had come from and even knew which door to knock on, but still, he was nervous as he approached it, introduced himself as a family visitor to get past the watchman standing guard in front of the main entrance, and climbed the extensive and twisting flights of outdoor stairs to the fourth level.

Ianto hesitated before knocking on the door. What if… "No," he said aloud, and knocked.

A few seconds later, someone called from inside. "Yeah, I hear you!" A short while after that, the door opened. "Um, hi."

Ianto's eyes widened. It was him. It was Jack. He looked much younger than either time he had seen him before and he wore loose fitting grey and tan clothes, but it was unquestionably Jack. "Jack Harkness!" Ianto exclaimed.

"Yep, that's me?"

"Captain Jack Harkness!"

"Uh...Just Jack Harkness, dunno where you got Captain from."

"Do you remember me?" Ianto asked eagerly.

Jack just looked confused. "No. Should I? Do I know you?"

"Ianto. No? Ianto Jones." A desperate look was starting to creep into Ianto's eyes. "Don't you know me?"

"Sorry," apologized Jack. Then he swept his gaze up and down Ianto's height. "Although I might like to know you, if you know what I mean."

"But you always knew me before," said Ianto, disappointed. "The Dalek Asylum? Weevil fighting? The living snowmen in Victorian England with the lizard woman and her wife and their potato?"

Jack's eyebrows shot up. "Okay," he said, and closed the door in Ianto's face.

"No! Jack! Wait!" Ianto cried. Cautiously, Jack propped the door open against his foot and stared out at Ianto. "Listen, I just want to talk to you."

"About what?"

Who you are and why you keep dying, was what Ianto wanted to say. But instead, he answered with, "Anything. Do you live here? Do you travel a lot? Someone else lives here, too, don't they?"

"Right, we just met, and those are personal questions. Save them for the first date, okay?" Jack said, and tried to close the door once again.

"No, Jack, please!" But it was too late. He sighed and went back down the stairs slowly. He was going to have to try a different tactic.

Later that night, he went back the the door and knocked once more. This time, he knew Jack would listen to him.

"Okay, this has to stop," Jack said by way of greeting. "I don't have time for this right now, it's late, and there are kids trying to sleep in here. I don't really care what your problem is, but I know you don't come from around here and you need to leave. If you try to stalk me, I'll have your memory wiped."

Ianto smiled. "So...you're not going to help me capture this pterodactyl, then?"

Jack stared at him. "That was you?"

"On the phone, yeah."

"How did you get here so fast?" Jack asked indredulously. He stepped outside the door and closed it carefully behind him.

"I happened to be able to get to this neighborhood fairly quickly, on my...mobile phone," Ianto replied, gesturing towards the TARDIS parked in clear view on the beach.

"Why do you point at that blue box when you say mobile phone?"

"It is a surprisingly accurate description," Ianto laughed. "Are we going, then?"

"Pterodactyl hunting with an attractive man in a tight suit? I wouldn't stay behind for anything," said Jack flirtatiously.

Outside of an abandoned warehouse a mile or so away from the main part of the colony, Ianto prepared a large syringe full of liquid. Jack was eyeing it, confused. "What, you don't carry around general anesthesia on a regular basis?" teased Ianto.

"Not usually, and certainly not for dinosaurs."

"Ah, now, that's a common mistake," Ianto corrected. "It isn't actually a dinosaur, it's a pteranodon. And technically, pterodactyls don't exist. That was just a name to describe any pre-historic flying reptilian-like creature made up by some early scientists."

"Everything's just a name made up by scientists," Jack pointed out. "Ready?"

"Yeah." Ianto opened the door to the warehouse and stuck his head inside. A shriek rang out and a large, flying creature swooped towards the door. "Nope!" he shouted, and slammed the door closed again.

Jack was laughing. "See why I haven't done anything about it?"

"Yeah, well. It seems aggressive."

"It's very excitable," agreed Jack.

"Must be your aftershave," Ianto said without thinking. He flushed slightly as Jack grinned at him.

"Never wear any."

Ianto frowned. "You smell like that naturally?"

Jack winked. "Ready for another go?"

"I'm game if you are," sighed Ianto.

"Three, two, one!" Jack counted, then threw the door open, pulling Ianto inside with him. They ducked as the pterodon dived low over them again, but it pulled back up sharply. "Split up!" cried Jack.

They dashed to opposite sides of the warehouse. The pteranodon alighted on the ground directly between them, facing Jack.

"Hey, we're not going to harm you," Jack said soothingly. "But you can't stay here, okay? Come over to me, I'm sure Ianto has somewhere nice and big for you to fly around in."

WHAT? mouthed Ianto. Jack glared at him and shushed him with his finger on his lips. The pteranodon screeched again and took off, flapping over their heads like a great bat, buffeting about in the large empty building. Ianto ran across the floor to meet Jack in the middle. "What exactly is your plan?" he hissed.

"I'm going to be the decoy," said Jack.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing?" Ianto cried in exasperation.

"No! That's why I called you!" complained Jack.

"I'm not too experienced in this either!" countered Ianto. "But if you're the decoy, it'll rip you to shreds!"

"I've had dinosaurs for breakfast," Jack joked nervously.

"It isn't a dinosaur!"

"Even better! Fine, you be the decoy, then."

"Good, because I have a secret weapon."

"What's that?"

"Chocolate." Ianto pulled a chocolate bar out of his pocket. "Preferably dark. Dinosaurs love it."

"He isn't a dinosaur," reminded Jack.

"Shut up. Also, I think it's female." Ianto stepped out from the shadows into the center of the room. He handed Jack the syringe as he brushed past him. "Try to get it in the central nervous cortex. That's knock it out."

"I actually know where that is," Jack said, pleased with himself.

"Good for you." Ianto waved the chocolate bar in the air, tempting the pterodon back down. "Here, I've got your favorite, yeah?" It landed heavily on the floor, its back to Jack. Ianto threw the chocolate bar carefully. It skidded along the floor and stopped a few feet away from the creature. "Good for your serotonin levels," he coaxed. Jack started creeping up behind the pterodon quietly. "If you've got...serotonin levels," the Time Lord added as the pterodon snapped up the treat.

Suddenly, the pterodon whirled around and took off into flight. Probably trying to catch hold of it and get the syringe into it before it flew away completely, Jack grabbed the creature's feet and was swept along up into the air with it. "Whoa!" he screamed. "Ianto!"

Ianto stared in horror. If Jack fell from that height, he'd be seriously injured. Memories of Jack from Victorian London falling from the cloud flashed through his mind and he started running, trying to get underneath the flying reptile. Jack was hanging from only one of its legs now as it attempted to shake him off, irritated. The young man swung the arm holding the syringe over the pteranodon's back, jabbing the needle quickly into the back of its neck, right where the spinal cord met the skull.

The pteranodon let out a shriek, and Jack let go. He fell through the air and Ianto put his arms out to buffer his landing. Both of them toppled to the floor, Jack on top. "Sorry," said Jack breathlessly. Before either could move, Ianto looked up to see the pterodon dropping like a stone. It was huge, and was going to land right on top of them. Acting instinctively, both of them rolled together out of the way. They barely made it, but they were safe.

Now, Ianto was lying on top of Jack, their noses almost touching. Both were panting, and Jack's eyes sparkled with the rush of adrenaline. Ianto felt the overwhelming urge to kiss him, but resisted. Rolling off of the other man, he stood up. "I should go," he said.

"Aren't you going to take care of that?" Jack pointed to the pterodon.

"Yeah. I'll come back, I just need something to take it away in."

"Are you leaving completely?"

Ianto turned back towards him. "Why?"

"I was thinking. Wanna do this again sometime?" Jack suggested. "Probably not catching dinosaurs-"

"Pteranodons."

"-but who knows, maybe."

Smiling, Ianto went back over to the other man, who was still lying on the ground. He offered his hand, and Jack took it. The Time Lord helped him to his feet. "Maybe so. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. More than fine. That was a lot of fun, actually."

"You almost died," Ianto pointed out.

"Yeah, well, it's more adventure than I've ever had before," admitted Jack. "I kinda liked it. I've wanted to travel forever, but…"

"Why haven't you?" Ianto queried.

"I was going to, and then I kind of got stuck taking care of a couple of kids." Jack shrugged. Ianto remembered Francesca and Digby, the siblings that Jack had been tutoring in Victorian London. "I was just visiting some friends, and then one of their moms died. It was really sudden, but…"

"You felt like you had to stay with them, that it was the least you could do," realized Ianto.

"Yeah."

"You still want to travel, though?"

"I'm still going to!" Jack protested. Then he was downcast again. "I just don't know when."

Ianto changed the subject. "You seemed not to be too surprised to have a prehistoric Earth creature flying around a warehouse. Most people would completely freak out."

"I guess I just have an open mind," Jack answered. "Besides, if we can travel in time, we can do anything, right? I wanted to join the Time Agency, but I don't think they'd accept me. They usually don't accept applicants from the colonies."

"What if…" Ianto debated whether or not to offer. You came this far, you're going through with it, he told himself. "Would you like to come travel with me?" he said finally. "I'm going pretty far away to return the pterodon to where it belongs. You could come, if you like."

Jack's eyes widened. "What, like now?"

A hint of a smile was playing around Ianto's lips. "Yeah."

"Wh-where?"

"Anywhere you like." Ianto leaned in closer, as if to share a secret. "I'm a time-traveller, Jack," he whispered. "I have a space-time ship that can take us anywhere in the universe at any time." He looked up and met Jack's eyes. They were shining with possibility. "You interested?"

Jack bit his lip. "Come back tomorrow. Ask me again then."

"Why?" Ianto asked, incredulous as to how anyone could even consider turning down that offer.

"Because, I might even say yes tomorrow." Jack started to leave. "After seven good?"

"I have a time machine, Jack, any time is good."

Jack grinned at him. "See you then." And he was gone.

Ianto followed slowly after to fetch the TARDIS and take the pterodon home. He decided to dub the creature Myfanwy, a Welsh name, and bring it back to its own time. Although he wondered how it had gotten into the 51st century, he didn't think too much of it. With the Time Agency based on a nearby planet, there was bound to be temporal anomalies around. After relocating the pteranodon and watching her fly off safely after the effects of the drug had worn off, Ianto stood alone at the center console.

"Alright, Jack Harkness. It's time to figure out what you are," he announced.

I am actually very proud of this chapter, as a mashup between Fragments: Ianto and The Bells of St John. See you next Tuesday for the next chapter! Please review, that keeps me writing. Love you! ~Clare