CHANGE

England Field, 1965

In theory, Keara Monfort thought, destroying the 456 would save the hub and Ianto. A simple solution to a complex problem. The first of many. Jack needed to keep his humanity and stay on Earth. Keeping him out of a trouble would be an ongoing problem. But he was needed. By Torchwood, Earth and Anwen.

Keara arrived before Jack and the bus. She stopped walking and consulted a local map on a hand-held computer. Then using a device strikingly similar to a key fob, she summoned a containment box from Nigeria. The contents provided everything she needed to destroy the 456.

Using the hand-held, Keara quickly accessed a blueprint. Assembling the device took longer than expected. She heard the bus in the distance before completing it. Having to rush annoyed her, but she activated it in time. It arrived and Jack unloaded the kids. He eyed the area as if he suspected a problem. When he flipped open his wrist-strap, Keara knew she had to act. Revealing herself had not been part of the plan. With no other option, she dropped the energy cloak concealing her. She needed to buy time.

As Keara hoped, Jack looked up from his scan. Then reached for his gun. She activated her ballistic shield. The future technology added to his suspicious, but he holstered his weapon. A Webly was ineffective against the energy barrier.

"Who are you?"

"Future Torchwood." Keara wondered how much she should tell him. "The aliens won't honor this agreement." That much wouldn't damage the time line.

"You're intentionally changing the past?"

She nodded. "It's necessary to save the planet."

When the 456 attempted to take the children, they transported the weapon based on Jack's original design. A light flashed briefly. She checked her hand-held and nodded. It worked. Allowing the children to survive complicated the minimal change she hoped for.

"You destroyed your time line."

She nodded. "Long ago."

Anwen would have rescued the children, especially the Anwen she'd foreseen as a result of this change. Keara wished she could protect Anwen from everything. But it wasn't possible. Pain and loss happened. Overprotection would keep Anwen from becoming the leader she needed to be.

"Why?"

The answer was too painful to share. "You destroyed yours."

"Unintentionally."

That was an understatement. After meeting multiple versions of Jack, she still didn't know the whole story. His immortality somehow involved Time Lord technology and an alien invasion. Torchwood files had varying explanations for his arrival during Victorian times.

"I need to go." Keara thought of one advantage to meeting Jack. "Use this to boost your reputation. You will need it."

Hughes Flats; Cardiff, Wales

Friday, June 21, 2019

Ianto Jones sat on the edge of Jack's bed with his eyes closed. After ten years, their relationship felt like an ongoing argument in-between Torchwood crises. In the beginning, their relationship was casual and fun. They played naked hide-and-seek in the hub after hours. And stole intimate moments when they could. It felt like a different lifetime.

Jack propped himself up. "Come back to bed."

A simple request. Except nothing was ever simple anymore.

Jack's mobile rang. He shifted in bed to reach the phone on the bedside table behind him. "Morning." He then switched it to speaker phone, answering Ianto's unasked question.

"Something happened," Anwen said, unsure of how to explain. "It felt like a change in Rift energy."

"Did you tell your mother?"

"No. She doesn't want to believe me. It scares her."

Ianto turned toward Jack. "Comparison?"

"Uncle Jack. You have energy like the Rift, but it's different. You're not from here and whatever happened isn't either."

Anwen had shown an odd sensitivity to Rift energy. She could easily identify objects that came through. The only possible explanation was adaption. So far. She was born and raised in Cardiff. While most people had no idea the Rift exist, anyone living nearby had been exposed.

"What did it feel like?" Jack asked.

"Change. Like someone editing a story," Anwen said, "Except I think it's time."

Jack met Ianto's eyes. They both had ideas what that meant and none of them were good. Like many conversations, they'd been together long enough that it didn't need to be said. Time manipulation was bad. If Anwen could sense chronons, that meant her ability was more than sensitivity caused by the Rift. That was the most Ianto could anticipate. The rest they would have to discuss.

"Get some sleep," Jack said.

The call ended.

Jack flipped open his wrist-com and scanned the building. "Nothing obvious."

"Is it possible Anwen senses chronons?"

"I don't know." Jack reached for Ianto. "It can wait." The previous argument led to brief wrestling until they kissed and the conflict faded as it always did.

When the mobile rang again, Jack was laying half on top of Ianto. Jack reached for the phone, not wanting to move. "Hey." He switched it to speaker phone.

"We have a problem." Gwen went on to explain that Anwen had a black, watch-like band on her left wrist. Scan readings suggested a wrist-strap. "We can't remove it."

"Give us ten minutes. Then bring Anwen up."

Jack Harkness stood in the kitchen eying the sunrise through the window. Ianto made coffee and considered breakfast. The familiar routine reminded Jack what caused the recent conflict. They spent most of their nights together, but kept separate flats. If they moved in together, they'd argue more. And he would have a harder time keeping the secrets Ianto needed.

The door opened and Gwen entered with Anwen. Jack turned and walked toward the main room, patting Ianto's arse. They needed to talk without arguing. Easier said than done. Maintaining a relationship between two people with incompatible world views was complicated. And painful.

"Get a room we're not in," Gwen said in amusement.

Jack flipped his wrist-strap open and scanned Anwen's new accessory. "It's a wrist-strap similar to mine. With DNA encoding and a chronon signature." He wondered why the readings looked familiar.

"How do we remove it?"

Jack looks at Gwen. "We don't."

She didn't like that answer. "Where did it come from?"

"I don't know." Except the scan readings looked familiar. Wrist-straps were customized. He didn't remember one designed to conceal itself, or any instance where one was re-purposed. The only idea he had was future Torchwood. It didn't explain how or why.

Ianto Jones waited by the coffee pot mentally reviewing his to-do list. Landscaping, inventory, maintenance review. He wanted to plant annuals, but didn't have time. Which was his fault. Torchwood London authorized hiring more personnel, but he made excuses. For the most part, the jealousy was unfounded. But he couldn't help it.

Jack walked over, set his chin on Ianto's shoulder and a hand lightly on his opposite hip. A gesture Ianto viewed as an affectionate demand for information. He was trapped between a hug and the counter.

"You're tense," Jack prompted.

"I have a lot to do." It was no secret why.

"Are you mad about the flat or the applicants?"

Ianto hesitated, knowing it's pointless. "Yep."

"Do you want to interview support staff?" Jack gave it a moment. "A doctor wants to transfer from London." Amusement crept into his voice. "She can keep up with Tosh." He paused. "And has Owen's bedside manner."

"That's why she's leaving London. Owen was promoted to head of medical." Jack was trying to politely point out the hiring paranoia was unjustified. "Are we good?"

"Yeah." Ianto knew better than to argue, but he couldn't help it. "Sharing a flat is reasonable." And it was proof of commitment.

Jack sighed. "We need to stop doing this."

Ianto sadly agreed. Although Jack didn't bring company home, out of consideration, it would be harder to keep the details to himself. A compromise they made years ago. Understanding and accepting were unfortunately two different things. "I can't."

"We will figure it out."

Ianto nudged Jack back and turned around. They hugged. Regardless of their differences or arguments, they were determined to make it work. Argentina changed everything. Ianto expected the transfusion of Jack's blood to kill him. Even if Ianto had known the potential side-effects, he would have done it anything. Neither of them expected to survive. Instead, he woke Jack's equal. They were immortal and bonded.