Chapter One

The alarm clock mixed with the sound of a child crying made Rhys Williams let out a loud sigh as he opened his eyes in the early morning. He looked over at the clock and saw that it was seven a.m., leaving him two hours to get him and his son ready for the plans they had for today.

Slowly and with another tired sigh, he threw back the sheets over him and got out of bed. "It's okay Riley, daddy's here," Rhys stated soothingly as he picked his child up from the crib. He moved them over to the changing table and lied the baby down. "Today's going to be a good day because today is the day we're going to see your mum."

Rhys immediately became silence as he looked down at his child. His son, Riley Cooper Williams, born seven months ago was one of the happiest days of his life. He also believed that it was Gwen's best moment as well, even thinking that it would be enough to make his wife the woman she used to be before everything happened. Sadly, it wasn't enough and Rhys was left alone to care for the small child.

The baby gurgled happily as Rhys continued to change him until he was finished. "See, I knew you'd be happy about seeing your mum. Come on; let's get you something to eat before we finish getting ready."

He picked Riley up and the two of them made their way to the living room area. Rhys didn't get far when he suddenly he stopped after witnesses something strange. Lights began to swirl around his living room, scaring him and holding his baby as tightly as he could against his chest. The lights suddenly dissolved and in their absence a blue police box.

Rhys didn't say anything as the police box opened and an unfamiliar man walked out and smiled at him. "Who are you?" he finally asked the man continued to smile. "What do you want?"

"I'm sorry for barging in like this but my name is the Doctor, just the Doctor. Maybe you've heard of me."

"Yeah I've heard of you. My wife Gwen mentioned you a time or two in the past."

The Doctor grinned at the acknowledgment. "Ah, so you have heard of me."

Rhys simply shrugged. "So what she mentioned you. It still doesn't explain what you're doing here, in my living room with a police box."

"Well you see that's the problem. I wasn't trying to come here. I was aiming for the Torchwood main office but the T.A.R.D.I.S brought me here instead. I don't know why but it did. Who did you say you were again?"

"I never said but my name is Rhys Williams and I live here."

"Haven't met a Rhys Williams before," the Doctor whispered. "I don't think I know you."

"I don't know you either but we both know Jack."

"Captain Jack Harkness, you know him."

"Yeah, Gwen used to work with him at Torchwood when there used to be a Torchwood."

"Used to, what do you mean used to be? Did something happen?"

His eyes gave the Doctor a sorrowful glance before he moved them to the floor. "You could say something happened; yeah that's what you could say."

The Doctor could see Rhys's sudden change in demeanor and made a step closer to the other man. "Hey you said you know Jack."

"Yeah I do."

"Then you wouldn't mind telling me where Jack is would you?"

Rhys placed his child in the highchair and took a bottle out of the refrigerator. He had too much to do today and none of it involved talking to this mysterious Doctor fellow. "I can't help you Doctor because I haven't got a clue to Jack's whereabouts."

"You don't know where he is."

"Nope, he's not even on Earth anymore."

He gasped. "Well if he's not on the planet then who's running Torchwood?"

"Sorry to tell you this Doctor but there is no more Torchwood. There hasn't been for almost a year and a half now."

"You can't be serious."

"On most days I wish I wasn't then maybe my life wouldn't be the mess that it is now."

"Tell me what happened."

"Look Doctor I have a lot of things to do today and I don't have time to engage in story time with you alright." Rhys replied as he placed the bottle in the microwave. "Besides," he sighed. "It's not like you can fix the damage, it's already been done."

"Please, just tell me what happened. I need to know."

It didn't take long for Rhys to concede as the sound of the microwave coincided with his thoughts. "Fine," he replied, taking the bottle out.

"I'll tell you but not now. I have to finishing getting my son ready to go see his mom but I'll tell you what happened afterward. That is, if you still want to know."