Jack and Ianto walked along the streets side by side, though they weren't holding hands anymore. Jack was perfectly comfortable with his orientation, as most who knew him were fully aware, but Ianto was still rather self-conscious about being bisexual. Jack could hardly identify with it, but he couldn't blame Ianto for it. "It's getting better," he pointed out quietly, after a few minutes of quiet. "In 2027, the United Nations will make homophobic legislation illegal. By 2050 it'll be a thing of the past."

"And by 2050 I'll be retired," Ianto pointed out. "It's a bit late, for me."

"It'll be fine," Jack said bracingly. "Come on – look, there's no one around, now." He gestured at the quiet alley they were in. "We're more likely to be found by a weevil down here than by a person." He held out a hand, smiling. Meeting his eyes with a trace of his own smile, Ianto took it, and didn't resist as Jack leaned in, kissing him gently.

Ianto closed his eyes, feeling a hint of his tension fading away. He kept his eyes closed as Jack drew back a moment later, trying not to hear his father's voice, the voice which demanded to know just what-

"See?" Jack's voice, warm and gentle and real, interrupted his thoughts, and he opened his eyes to see him smiling. "Was that so bad? It doesn't have to stay secret forever."

"This looks pretty secret to me," Ianto observed.

Jack gave a bark of laughter. "I just can't win, can I?" he said. "Come on. Let's go home."

He hadn't let go of Ianto's hand. Ianto didn't quite want him to. "Yeah," he agreed, unable to hold back a small smile as a gentle breeze tugged at Jack's hair. The two of them started walking again, still hand in hand.

The wind grew stronger, whipping Jack's coat about and pulling at Ianto's sleeves. Jack glanced at the sky – it was overcast, as was so common in Britain. "Storm on the way," he sighed, and both quickened their pace. "Let's try to get back before the rain hits."

The wind, though, had other ideas. It grew stronger, slowing them, making each step a struggle. "This can't be natural." Ianto had to raise his voice for Jack to hear him above the wind whistling in their ears.

Jack nodded. "Tosh!" he said into the com. "Anything from the Rift?" He pressed a hand to the earpiece, trying to hear a response. "If you're saying anything, I can't hear you. We've got a ridiculous wind-" A gust slammed him against the wall, and the com was knocked loose, blowing down the alley – and stopping just ten meters away.

"It's localized!" Ianto realized, staggering against the wind. "If we can get to the edge-"

Instead, he found Jack pulling him closer, arms wrapping around him as the American stared up at the sky. Squinting hard against the wind, Ianto looked up as well.

Light was gathering above them. It wasn't like gas, exactly, just wisps of light spiraling together, forming a single shape – a gigantic dragon flapping overhead. Each wing was the length of a city block, and the tail coiled out behind it, long and majestic and thick with muscle. An instant later, it was diving towards them, mouth gaping open, and they could see the teeth, the fangs each the size of a grown man's forearm. Pinned in place against the wall by the wind, they could do nothing but cling to one another, trying to brace for the impact, and the teeth.

Ianto's lips were moving, the wind snatching away his quiet words – a prayer to the God he had lost any faith in when he joined Torchwood London and saw the realities of the universe. Now, the words were a desperate plea, or perhaps just a frightened search for comfort – he wasn't sure which, himself.

Light shone almost blindingly bright, even through their closed eyelids, a distant roar sounded in their ears even over the wind. Then it was dark, but the wind was still there – stronger even than before, tearing around them like fingers and hands trying to pull them apart. Unable to feel so much as the ground beneath their feet, anymore – if there was one – they clung to one another with all their strength.

After an eternity in the darkness which may have been only seconds, Jack was dropped unceremoniously onto what felt like pavement, Ianto on top of him, and both men fell into blackness.

Owen slipped his arms around Tosh from behind. "Do we have to work?" he complained. "Maybe we could let John watch the rift."

Tosh snorted. "Suddenly you trust him, do you?"

"Well, no," Owen admitted. "But if he messes up, he's out of Torchwood, and he knows that. In the meantime, my appetite isn't all I've gotten back."

"We can't just ask him to do it," Tosh said. "Look – we'll get off at our usual time, and go to my place. Alright?"

Owen sighed. "Fine."

John chuckled as Tosh turned back to the screens. "I'll leave you two alone, then," he said, turning to leave.

"Wait," Tosh said suddenly.

John looked back, eyebrows raised. "What, you want a threesome? Didn't think you people went for that sort of-"

"Negative rift spike," Tosh said.

"A what?" John frowned.

"Negative rift spike," Owen said. "Usually, the rift sends stuff here from other places. Negative spikes are when it takes stuff from here and sends it somewhere else – and we can't do much of anything about it," he added pointedly to Tosh.

"We can't," Tosh agreed. "But we can let Jack know."

"Right."

Tosh shot him a small smile, then spoke into the com. "Jack? We've got a negative rift spike." She waited for a response – and didn't get one. "Negative rift spike," she said again. Still no response came. She looked at Owen. "You heard that through the com, right?"

"Yeah," Owen agreed quickly. "Maybe he turned it off?"

Tosh snorted. "He told us to leave ours on," she pointed out.

"Yeah, well…" Owen trailed off. On the one hand, his cock was telling him to get Tosh home as soon as possible. On the other hand- "Gwen," he said into the com. "You can hear me, right?"

"Yeah," she agreed. "What's going on?"

"Apparently Jack can't."

Tosh was typing something into the computer. A map appeared on the screen, with four numbered blue dots – two on the Hub, one by Gwen's flat, and another somewhere else in the city. "Ianto's com is off, but Jack is on," Tosh said, slowly.

John frowned, striding over and looking over Tosh's shoulder at the map. "Let's go, then," he said bluntly.

"Since when were you in charge?" Owen asked.

"Since never," John said, already starting towards the cog door. "I'll go by myself, if I have to, but I want to find Jack, and I reckon it would be a lot easier if you two tagged along, especially if we wind up needing any of your gizmos."

Tosh and Owen glanced at each other, unsure. "You did-" Owen started.

"Oh, come on," John groaned. "Look – Jack decided to trust me. Looks to me like you can trust his judgment – which hasn't turned out badly for me, I don't know about you blokes – or you can leave him to whatever's going on. Which could be nothing, or it could be something he needs us for."

Owen sighed. "Let's get in the SUV," he said finally. "I'll drive."

They piled in, and Tosh read out the location to Owen. The car couldn't fit into the alley, and they stopped at the mouth. Almost right away, John got out, frowning at something farther down. He strode forward, Tosh and Owen hurrying behind him. Near the end, he bent and picked up the com. "Look familiar?" he asked grimly, handing it to Owen.

Tosh frowned. "He would have noticed if he'd lost it," she pointed out.

"And Ianto doesn't tend to turn his off," Owen said. "Not against orders, definitely."

"Not looking too good," John agreed.

"Gwen," Owen was speaking into his com. "I think you'd best get over here. Jack and Ianto are missing."

"On my way," Gwen replied.