bPart Five/b

iJune 2007/i

"No."

"Please," Jack begged. "There's no other way. I have to fix this."

"You wanted to change one thing, Jack," the Doctor answered. "Just one small thing, that would've happened anyway, you said. Remember? Now you have to live with the changes you've made."

"I can't live with them. I can't live with Ianto being in a hospital because I screwed things up."

"What makes you think this will fix it?"

"Because it has to."

"No. I am not helping you do this," the Doctor said, frowning. "You don't know what will happen. There's no way to do this without causing a problem. I can take the past you away, but then I'll end up returning him with no memories of what happened during the time he was gone. It won't work."

"I thought of that, and I have this," Jack said. He grinned as he held an object up for the Doctor to see. "If I keep it with me it'll record my memories, then we just need to transfer them to him."

"And the fact that you shouldn't find me for several months after this?"

"Retcon."

"Jack..."

"Please..."

center***/center

iSeptember 2006/i

"Looks like as good a place as any to set up camp," Jack said, looking around their surroundings. He hated bringing them here, knowing what was waiting for them. He had to do it, though. Torchwood was supposed to investigate this, and he wasn't supposed to know it wasn't an alien at work. All he could do was try his best to make sure things happened just differently enough to save Ianto.

"Sorry, did you say camp?"

Dealing with Owen's desperate hatred of camping and the outdoors in general was something Jack had been dreading even more than facing those...monsters again. Nothing he could do about it, of course; to leave Owen behind would've changed the timeline too much. At least everyone else would make the best of it. No one was happy about it but Ianto, Tosh, and Gwen were at least trying to be pleasant.

center***/center

A few hours later they were all standing over the body in the woods. Everything had gone just as it had before, except for the awkwardness of Ianto's response to Gwen's question about snogging. There was still some uneasiness because they all knew who Lisa was, but not the guilt from before. Not for anyone but Jack, because the others had played no part in Lisa's death this time.

"Cause of death?" Jack asked.

Jack wasn't really listening to Owen's answer; his attention was on Ianto, who was methodically wrapping caution tape around the trees. Then he heard the SUV in the distance.

"Is that ours?" Tosh asked.

"Yes," Jack sighed, as they all ran back toward camp. "Didn't I remind you, more than once to get the keys, Owen?"

"Sorry."

center***/center

They needed to split up. It'd be safer if they stayed together but Jack knew it wouldn't work. He needed the cannibals to reveal themselves, and they wouldn't, not when the five of them were together. They were deranged, not stupid. They couldn't take on five armed people at once. Jack briefly considered just leading the others to where the cannibals were hiding, to where they were storing their victims, but he doubted anyone was there now. They were too busy trying to trap them, so they needed to do this at least somewhat the way they did before.

Jack looked at his team. He'd made a horrible mistake the first time they did this. He'd sent Ianto and Tosh off alone. He had believed he was sending them on a safe mission—find and retrieve the SUV, no danger. He'd believed the danger was in the buildings so he'd simply sent his tech people off on their own. He knew the right thing to do was to let it all play out as it had before, and just be there for Ianto later, when they returned home, but he couldn't do it.

"Owen, Gwen, see if there's any room at the inn," Jack said finally, making a decision. "Tosh, Ianto, with me, we'll follow the signal."

They split up, walking in opposite directions. Jack stopped, realizing he'd forgotten something. He turned back to Owen and Gwen. "Stay together...and be careful!" he yelled. He wanted to warn them, tell them that a frightened, armed kid was in one of the homes, but he couldn't. He needed to let things happen the way they were meant to.

center***/center

"It's just half a mile up here," Ianto said, checking the PDA once more.

Tosh grabbed the PDA from Ianto's hand. "Least we still have this," she grumbled. "Rest of my stuff was in the vehicle."

Jack and Ianto exchanged looks as Tosh stormed off ahead of them, both men trying desperately not to laugh at Tosh's angry grumbling. All three froze in place as a scream sounded in the distance.

"What was that?" Tosh asked, looking around.

"Just a...fox or something," Ianto said looking around as well.

Jack remained silent. It wasn't a fox, that much he was sure of, although he wasn't sure who it was. It could be Gwen; if everything was going as it had before, she would be shot. It didn't sound like her, though. And if it was, she would be fine. It was Owen she needed with her, not him, anyway. She needed a doctor and she had one. It was Ianto and Tosh who needed his help and his attention right now.

"I'm sure it's..." He looked around him, and realized he was alone. Tosh and Ianto were gone, must have left while he was lost in his thoughts. He needed to find them, now, before...Another scream rang through the air, this one he recognized as Ianto's voice. He was too late...He started running toward the sound of the scream. If Ianto was taken so was Tosh, and he'd failed. He'd let them down. He needed to fix this.

Jack ran toward the main building in the village, the one where he'd found everyone before. As he ran he knew they wouldn't be there, not yet. Ianto and Tosh had said they'd been held in a cellar of some kind first, until the villagers were ready for them. They had no idea how long, though, just that they had been there when they woke and then moved when it was...time. He had to try, though. It was the best he could do.

He reached the building quickly. Gun in hand, he pushed the door open and peered inside. Just as he thought, empty. It was too early. He walked out; staying wouldn't help Ianto. If they saw him in there they'd find a new place to...He'd have to start searching for them. Maybe force these...people to make a move early. He'd need back-up, though. He had to go back and get Owen and Gwen...

center***/center

Why couldn't anything go according to plan? They weren't in the house he'd thought they'd be in. They had been there, but it looked like they'd left already...or were taken. It was getting dark, time to go back for Ianto and Tosh. By the time he got there, Owen and Gwen would probably be there too. He really didn't doubt that they'd once again be caught as well.

center***/center

A few hours later, they were all gathered around an ambulance as the villagers were being taken away and medics treated Gwen, Tosh and Ianto's injuries, Owen hovering over the women as Jack stood as close as he could to Ianto. He'd come back and risked so much to prevent Ianto from going through this again and he'd failed. On the Bright side Ianto was speaking. He was definitely in shock but he was speaking to them. Jack just needed to make sure he kept it that way.

"All three of you need to go to hospital," one of the medics said, pulling Jack from his thoughts.

"No," came the reply from all three.

"I'm a doctor," Owen offered. "I'll make sure they're all okay. No one will be left alone tonight."

"That's right," Jack agreed. "We'll make sure they're okay. First sign of a problem and we'll get them to A&E."

"I really think..."

"They don't want to go," Owen pointed out. "You can't force them."

"Fine, but these two," the medic motioned toward Tosh and Ianto, "really need to be watched for at least a couple of days."

"They will be," Jack assured him.

They waited for the ambulance and police cars to leave before helping Ianto, Gwen and Tosh into the back of the SUV, then Jack and Owen climbed into the front. As they headed back toward Cardiff the five of them began to argue over the arrangements that would need to be made to follow the medic's orders.

"I have Rhys," Gwen insisted. "He'll be with me tonight. I'll be fine."

"I'll be fine on my own," Ianto said quietly. "I just want to sleep."

"No," Jack said startling everyone.

"I just need sleep, sir," Ianto insisted. "I will be in for work in the morning."

"No," Jack said again. "You need to take time off to heal. Tosh as well."

"I have to agree with Jack," Owen said. "Neither of you should be at work for at least a few days."

"Tosh can stay with me," Gwen offered.

"Fine, and I'll stay with Ianto," Jack agreed.

"I don't want to be a bother," Tosh protested.

"And I don't want a babysitter," Ianto insisted.

"Tosh your choices are staying with Gwen for a couple days, or Owen staying at your place," Jack said, cutting off anymore arguments. "Ianto, your options are me or Owen."

"Fine," Tosh said sullenly. "I'll just need to stop off at home and pick up some things."

"Right then, I guess I choose Jack," Ianto said resignedly.

"Why do I suddenly feel very insulted?" Owen said, frowning.

TBC.