Chapter 2

A groan slipped from Jack's mouth, and he spared a moment to be thankful that he still had a mouth and he could groan. Wherever they'd ended up, it wasn't an exploding star or the middle of an ocean. In fact, it felt as though he were lying on concrete.

A groan nearby told him Ianto had also survived and a swell of relief lifted some of the heavy weight from his chest.

The weight returned soon enough when he heard no other sound. "Ianto." Jack pushed himself up onto his knees. "You all right?"

"As well as can be expected." Ianto lay on his back, and one might have thought he was admiring the night sky if there hadn't been such a sickened look on his face. "My back will never be the same again."

Jack scanned their surroundings. They appeared to be in an alley, with dim light shining down from a shaded bulb on the wall overhead. Gwen and Rhys were nowhere to be seen.

They could be anywhere, literally anywhere on whatever planet they had just landed on. Using years of experience and training to suppress the urge to panic, Jack went to Ianto and helped him to his feet

The Welshman grunted in pain, and pressed a hand to his back.

"Come on." Jack draped Ianto's right arm over his shoulder to keep him steady. "We have to find help."

"And where . . . will we . . . find . . . that." Ianto spoke in grunts between sharp gasps.

Jack could have imagined a hundred better scenarios to be hearing those noises. "We'll have to hope the locals are friendly."

They made slow progress to the mouth of the alley, and emerged on what appeared to be a rather ordinary sidewalk. By that time, Ianto was recovered enough to walk on his own, though he stayed close to Jack.

Clubs and bars lined the street, along with a few closed shops. People milled around, queued up outside the buildings, laughing and chatting. Humans to the naked eye, but Jack knew better than to assume.

Ianto's thoughts echoed his own. "Are we still on Earth?"

"Can't be sure until we ask." Jack ignored the look Ianto gave him and approached a cute young man with striking green eyes, leaning against a wall. Here's hoping they speak English. "Excuse me." He put on his best charming smile. "We could use a little help."

Green Eyes started a little, and tugged at the brim of his fitted cap. He wore gloves that reached well into the shirt sleeves of his turtleneck, leaving only his face visible. "What do you need?" His accent was distinctly American. His eyes darted to Ianto and narrowed.

"It's a bit embarrassing," Jack affected a chuckle. "We've gotten a bit turned about. Where exactly are we?"

Green Eyes glanced down the road, and tilted his head toward a sign. "Superior Avenue."

Jack flashed him another grin. "And what city?"

Interest and amusement lit the man's face and he pushed away from the wall. "Are you serious? Cleveland. Ohio."

Jack affected a relieved laugh. "Great. Our GPS broke, and we weren't sure we'd made it to the right city."

Green Eyes nodded slowly, eyes skipping back to Ianto. "You need a hospital or something. I can give you a ride."

Something shifted in those eyes, and gave Jack an uneasy feeling. "We're good. Thanks for your help." He turned away and led Ianto down the sidewalk.

"So we're still on Earth?" Ianto whispered.

"What are the odds that there would be two Clevelands in the universe?" Jack sighed. "We need to find Gwen and Rhys."

As if responding to Jack's words, his cell phone rang. With a startled glance at Ianto, he fished it out of his pocket. Gwen appeared in the caller I.D. Jack pressed the call button and held the phone to his ear as if it might explode. "Gwen."

Gwen's Welsh vowels poured through the phone line. "Jack. Thank God. I'm with Rhys." A muffled voice interrupted her, and she and presumably Rhys had a brief conversation. "Please tell me we're on Earth."

"Far as I can tell." Jack glanced at Ianto, and noticed he was staring behind them. Jack followed his gaze and spotted Green Eyes. The young man had followed them, and was inching his way closer. He was lousy at subtle. When he caught Jack watching, he immediately turned on his heel, and might as well have started whistling. Deal with it later. "Gwen, what can you tell me about where you are?"

"It looks like a warehouse district. There's a sign that says 71st street."

"Stay put, and keep your weapons ready. We'll find you."

"Be careful, Jack. See you soon." Gwen hung up and Jack snapped his phone shut. "We need to find 71st street." Before Ianto could answer, Jack turned to Green Eyes. "Hey, what's your name?"

The young man gaped at Jack for a few seconds then seemed to snap out of his stupor. "Paul. I'm sorry I followed you, but it seems like you need help. Can I give you a ride somewhere?" He offered a weak attempt at a smile.

Jack nodded. "71st street."

The pretty green eyes widened and he swallowed. "That's a lousy area."

"Then let's make it a quick trip" Jack slapped the young man on the shoulder. "Lead the way."