Author's Notes: Prologue to 'Reality and Other Games'; to be continued. Spoilers through to Children of Earth.
Everyone had gone. The Hub was deserted. Jack felt a little miffed that once again Ianto had buggered off without saying goodbye.
There was a note on his desk.
'You were asleep. Night. x'
Succinct. It made him feel a little better.
Suddenly there was a loud mechanical noise. Just the lift down from ground level. Probably an insomniac Ianto back for 'overtime'.
"Jack!"
Jack looked up, the voice was unfamiliar. Female; and definitely not Gwen's cadence.
"Are you there?" The voice shouted, closer now. Jack did nothing.
There was a loud knock on the door.
"C'mon, Jack!"
She was knocking. If she could get in, she would have.
"Who are you?"
"Look, this is important, and I'm tired. I just need to talk to you!"
"Why should I?"
Jack wondered if he was being paranoid, but there was an edge to her voice, an authority, a hidden, rather than overt danger.
You can't die, you stupid bastard. Even so, you're not afraid of this.
"I don't wanna break the door down. Bit...forward-just let me in, please!"
"Who are you?"
"It's a long story..."
Jack walked towards the door.
"If you don't help me, Torchwood will be destroyed, so many people will die...you, repeatedly; Ianto, so many civilians..."
She paused.
"And Steven."
"Says who!"
"Says the future if you don't help me! I need your help! We have to change something, help something, to fix this..."
"'Fix' the future? Not even..."
"Because this isn't that timeline, it's got to be altered. You have to help me...that can't happen because it doen't happen, not in this reality!"
"Save your grandson. Save Ianto. Save everyone. I need your help. Will you help me?"
"For the good of humanity?"
"Oh, for a second there I thought you'd say no. C'mon, then."
Why do I do these things?