Aliens are threatening Cardiff and Ianto goes back in time to seek help. These are his adventures ...

Stitch in Time

Chapter One

He woke with a headache and could not focus on anything else for several minutes. Easing himself into a sitting position, Ianto Jones leant back against the wall and held his head in his hands fighting back the urge to be sick. If this was what time travel did to the human body he never wanted to do it again once he got back to 2008.

When his stomach was under control, he slowly raised his head and looked around him. He was in a brick-lined, curving corridor with an arched ceiling and bare stone floor. It was dimly lit and … damp. Ianto realised his back and bottom were wet from the moisture on floor and walls and levered himself upright with difficulty, gagging as his lunch threatened to come back up. He stood, swaying and listened intently. Nothing unless … He thought he heard footsteps, one set, moving away from him. This alarmed him and he looked around for places to hide in case of need and saw a door to his left. Easing it open, amazed how easily it moved; doors in the Hub usually needed a lot of encouragement if not a judicious shoulder or kick. He looked into the dim space cautiously and then stepped inside. The space was filled with artefacts, from a huge spaceship to shelves filled with jewellery and other small items. It was a treasure trove for most people but Ianto was not interested in it.

Still feeling woozy, he left the room and went along the corridor keeping alert for other people moving about. He saw and heard no one which reassured him and his confidence grew. A door stood open and he peeked in, his mouth slowly falling open. Now this is something wonderful, he thought, pushing open the door and wincing when the hinges creaked. He looked back down the corridor but nothing stirred; he had been lucky. Back in the room again, he walked around, mesmerised by the sight of row upon row of metal filing cabinets all neatly labelled. He opened a drawer at random and drooled at the order within: folders were inserted tab side uppermost with clear, copperplate handwriting recording the contents. It was marvellous.

The press of metal against the back of his head and the click of a gun's hammer being pulled back alerted him to danger too late. "Stand very still or I'll blow your head off." Ianto did as he was told, making sure his hands were in sight, held up and slightly out to his sides. "Turn round, very slowly." The pressure was removed and he slowly turned keeping his hands held high.

"Hello, Jack," he said with a smile.

The man standing in front of Ianto did not change his stance, the large, old-fashioned gun remained levelled at Ianto's head held steady in one hand. The man's eyes narrowed a little but otherwise continued to stare at the intruder. "You seem to have the advantage. Who are you? How did you get in here and what do you want?"

"My name's Ianto Jones and I work for Torchwood Three. I was … deposited here by a Newok teleport from 2008. And I came to see you." The Welshman smiled again, amazed that this Jack looked identical to the man he knew other than the sideburns and slightly longer hair.

"Why?" The word was snapped out and Jack's wary and rigid stance did not alter a bit. This stranger was dressed correctly for the 21st century but anyone could do that. He had a long way to go before Jack would believe anything he said.

Ianto's smile faded and he bit his lip. "We're being invaded by the Dellans. They came through the Rift three days ago and have taken hostages including Gwen. My colleague, Gwen Cooper," he added hastily realising this Jack would not know her. "If the Dellans don't get what they want they'll kill them all and then destroy Cardiff."

"So you skedaddled out of there. Got out of danger." Jack's voice dripped with contempt.

"No!" Ianto made to step forward but stopped when the gun was pressed against his forehead. "No, I didn't," he ground out between clenched teeth. "The only reason the Dellans are here … there," he shook his head in confusion, "is to reclaim the Orb of Uska. It fell through the Rift in 1887 and was in Torchwood One's archives where it disappeared some time before 1901. I've been sent back to get it." Ianto did not say that it was Toshiko and he who had devised the plan. Left alone in the Hub while Jack and Owen negotiated with the aliens, they had realised how futile the struggle would be and resolved to retrieve the Orb.

"A likely story. What proof do you have?"

Ianto thought for a moment. "My Torchwood ID." He went to reach inside his jacket but stopped when Jack waggled the gun. "Then you get it," he said with irritation. This had sounded so much easier when he and Toshiko had come up with the plan. "It'll hardly be the first time you've felt me up."

Jack barked with laughter and a delighted grin spread over his face. "I'm starting to like you, Ianto Jones. Get it out, slowly." He kept the gun trained on the intruder and watched his every move.

"Here." Ianto handed over the laminated card. "Look, Jack," he began, "I'm new at this time travelling lark. I know you've done it all your life so just help me out, will you? What will convince you I'm telling the truth?"

Jack took a pace backwards and scanned the ID, keeping the gun in his hand but lowering it. He looked the intruder up and down, from his polished black shoes to his charcoal grey pin striped suit to his crisp blue shirt and contrasting tie to his anxious face and short curly brown hair. He was a handsome man, no doubting it, and his Welsh accent was cute. Should he turn him over to Emily or not? No, Jack decided, at least not yet.

"Tell me about me, that'll do for a start. But make it good because the pen pushers will be coming back soon." He returned the ID.

Ianto smiled. "That's easy. You're a Time Agent turned conman from the 51st century currently working freelance for Torchwood. A bit under duress but also because it suits you; you can use the equipment here to find The Doctor. Because you want him to take away your immortality. And yes, I suppose I could have got that from the archives. But I know that you were born in a frontier settlement on the Boeshane Peninsula in the Silver Devastation and you've not told anyone here that. Not yet." He was confident that this would be enough to convince Jack.

Jack had gone very still and now sat in silence regarding Ianto. All trace of a smile had gone from his face. "I've never told anyone I was a Time Agent. Maybe you are." The gun was raised again.

"No, I'm not!" protested Ianto. "Look, I don't know anything about it. It's just what you told me, okay?"

"Not okay. Sorry, Ianto Jones, but …" his voice tailed away as his finger tightened round the trigger.

Ianto thought frantically, trying to think of something that would convince Jack. He had forgotten the man's obsession with the Time Agency, he should never have mentioned it. Then he remembered. "You first found you couldn't die, or rather couldn't stay dead, when you were shot through the heart on Ellis Island," he said in a rush. His breath ragged as he struggled to control his fear. "You were hitting on another man's wife at the time."

"That I haven't told anyone," said Jack slowly, releasing the pressure on the trigger, "and the Agency is unlikely to know either." He was silent, regarding the man before him. Was he a Time Agent? Unlikely, his inexperience was shining out of him and the Agency wouldn't have sent an untried boy after him or have concocted such a convoluted story.

At that moment Ianto leant forward and was sick into a handy waste bin. He let out a small groan when it was over, standing up and wiping his mouth. "Sorry," he muttered, "told you I wasn't used to this."

Jack smiled, reassured that this boy was who he said he was. But that was an outlandish idea in itself; Ianto Jones needed to be kept close and watched. Not that that would be a chore. He cleared his throat and asked, "If this Orb you're looking for is in London, why come here? And why not come here before it was moved?"

"I told you, I've never done this before. I've no idea what it's like in this time." He looked anxious. "It is 1900, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is." Jack relaxed, leaning back against a filing cabinet but the gun remained in his hand.

"Thank God. We didn't have much time to be fancy and made a straight Hub to Hub jump to a time you'd be here. We knew you'd help." He paused and bit his lip again. "You will, won't you, Jack?"

"I don't know. I should raise the alarm and hand you over for interrogation." Jack watched Ianto gulp noisily. "But you intrigue me." With sudden decision, Jack holstered his gun and smiled. "Besides, I'm bored."

"Oh God." Ianto's words came out with such dread and resignation that Jack laughed out loud, the sound ringing round the large room.

"Seen me bored before, have you?"

"Too many times." Ianto grinned back, relaxing for the first time since they'd met. He took in Jack's ruffled white shirt and straight-legged woollen trousers held up with braces. The costume hadn't changed much in over a hundred years. "So, what's our next move?"

"Hey, you're the one with the mission. How you planning to get back, anyway?" Jack walked to a set of small wooden drawers and opened one revealing neat serried ranks of filing cards inside. He began flicking through them.

"With this." Ianto withdrew a credit card-sized, thick piece of metal. "What are you looking for?"

"Location of this Orb. If it was found in Cardiff there'll be a record of it. Aha!" He pulled out a card. "Uska, Orb of," he read out. "Item number TW3/87/U473-1. Transferred to London for further analysis in April 1897, authorised by Emily Holroyd." He looked up to see Ianto holding his iPhone towards him. "Huh, okay so you've got the technology. Big deal." He replaced the card in the drawer and shut it with a bit more force than was strictly necessary.

"I was recording the information," said Ianto softly. He pressed the screen and replayed the stored memo. "We may need it."

"True. Any more gadgets I should know about?" Jack stood with his hands in his pockets in a pose Ianto knew so well.

"Not really. I've got a gun." He took the Glock from the holster in the small of his back and Jack took it.

Jack held it and aimed it into the distance. "Nice. But it – and the phone – mark you out as wrong. Keep them hidden." He handed the Glock back, butt first. "We're going to have to do something about your clothes, you stand out like a sore thumb in those." He paused, thinking. "We can't leave for London until tomorrow and it's too dangerous to stay here, big as the Hub is. Best come home with me." Jack wanted to keep Ianto close, just in case he proved not to be the naïve time traveller he appeared.

"We can't go to London now?" queried Ianto. He knew that the teleport was programmed to take him back to five minutes after he'd left – well, he hoped it would – but it still seemed liked wasting time not to be getting on with his mission. However, he had come to get Jack's help so ought to go along with whatever he suggested.

"No train until five. Come on."

The two men walked to the door of the room and, after Jack had checked the coast was clear, walked down the corridor. As they made their way along, Jack explained it was Sunday night and the base was only sparsely manned. They climbed up two levels then traversed another corridor. Ianto looked around him but didn't recognise much until they came to the cells. These were the blocks of three he knew well but with metal bars rather than the heavy blast doors. He'd have liked to explore but the sight of pooled blood in one cell and the smell of mingled urine and cordite deterred him, besides Jack was urging him on. They stopped at the foot of a flight of brick stairs.

"This is where it gets tricky," said Jack, looking up the stairs. "Charlie's on the next level up, or was when I came down, and he's no fool. I need you to stay here while I go and get him out of the way. I'll whistle when you can come up."

He was gone in an instant and Ianto pressed himself into the shadow of the stairs, feeling vulnerable again. This was the Hub, his place of work, but it felt very alien to him; a century had made it unrecognisable except for the cells. The time ticked by and Ianto grew cold standing against the damp brickwork and wrapped his arms round his body to keep warm. The whole Hub was colder and clammier than he'd expected and some walls were literally dripping with water. The smell of coal smoke confused him too until he decided the place must have coal fires. Ianto had lost the feeling in his feet by the time he heard the soft whistle from above. Cautiously, he edged up the stairs and was relieved to see Jack waiting at the top.

"This way, quick." Jack took hold of Ianto's arm and propelled him along, past a brick and glass office, towards the exit.

Ianto walked along obediently but his head was swivelling from side to side. There was a lake, a big one, and what looked like a submarine tethered to a bollard. Running alongside the path they were following were rail tracks and off to one side bunkers full of coal. The legendary train, thought Ianto, remembering stories of the rail link between Torchwoods Cardiff, London and Glasgow. It was all true. He came to a complete halt when they passed the Torchwood sign on the tiled wall; this was the modern-day work area. He twisted round to look out across the lake that was the lower level of the Hub in his day. It was incredible and he'd have liked to linger but Jack's fingers were digging into his arm and pulling him along.

"This is no time for sightseeing!" hissed Jack under his breath. "Charlie'll be back in a couple of minutes and Emily and Alice might get tired of one another and come up for a breather." He pulled his companion along and through a large metal door where he halted. "This is the main exit. We have to go up three floors. Follow me."

Jack led the way, taking the stone stairs two at a time. Ianto followed as quickly as he could, still trying to work out where he was in 'his' Hub but failing. They had climbed two floors before, above them, a door opened and they heard voices – both women – and footsteps came down the stairs towards them. Jack grabbed Ianto's shoulder and forced him to crouch in a dark corner, positioning himself so as to block sight of him.

"Jack, that you? What are you doing lurking in the gloom?" asked a brassy blonde with a marked Cockney accent. "Getting ready to pounce on us poor defenceless girls," she giggled.

"If I only had the time," sighed Jack, moving to embrace the woman, pulling her brunette friend to join them. "I'd give both of you the time of your lives." His suggestive tone and closeness were enough for the women who giggled a lot more and pressed up against him. In their corsets and thick garments they were safe from feeling anything untoward.

"Go on with you," said the brunette in a strong Valleys accent. She pulled away and pushed Jack into Ianto's corner so the Welshman had to scrunch up some more. "All mouth you are."

"Oh no, there's more to him that his mouth," laughed the blonde knowingly.

"Gloria, you haven't fallen for his claptrap, have you?!" The brunette pushed the blonde before her and they continued down the stairs continuing to talk loudly.

Jack waited until they reached the lower level before saying, "You can come out now. One more level and we'll be outside." He led the way up stopping on a landing to get his caped greatcoat from a stand. Hanging beside it were other coats and Jack took one of these, a black overcoat, and passed it to Ianto. "Put this on, and this." A flat cap followed.

The coat was small for Ianto but he got it on and held it shut when the buttons wouldn't meet the holes. The cap was greasy with hair oil and smelt but he pulled it on and hoped for the best. Jack led the way up yet another flight of stairs – Ianto thought longingly of the lift – and opened a door at the top gesturing for the other man to wait. A second later, he indicated all was well and Ianto stepped out into the night.

In the next chapter, Jack finds out more about this stranger who's landed in 1900.