Torchwood Four; Dublin, Ireland

Keara Montfert wandered. The headaches worsened to the point where she gave in and took pills. It numbed the pain and her thoughts. Her psychic ability wasn't working either way. What images she did receive were jumbled and distorted. She should have seen the attack on Jeannette. Intentionally using her ability resulted in static. It was beyond her experience. She called the Refuge and they offered to send Mr. Zhao to bring her back, but wouldn't help her figure out what was happening.

Part of it she knew was arrogance. After realizing what she was truly capable of, she used it. Dealing with Other Keara made it necessary. Beyond that, she wanted to be special. When she lived at the Fellowship, she believed her ability was defected. More than anything, she wanted to be real.

The Prophet warned about arrogance. She should have listened to him. The Refuge took her in and gave her everything she needed. She stayed in contact with the others who came from the Fellowship. The social set-up was different. It wasn't the first time she'd wished things had been different. Or that Colin was there. She missed Africa, but not Kenya. Life was easier in Nigeria.

She sat on the floor next to a potted tree. When a leaf fell and landed on her leg, a sudden flurry of images followed. Clear, vivid images of unfamiliar locations. The first was an indoor garden she suspected was a Torchwood office with a young girl, eleven or twelve, texting on her cell phone. Next she saw an attack in Nigeria where Idrissa was seriously injured. Then a gorgeous alien garden and a twenty-something Jewish man had an alien device attach itself to his wrist. Lastly, there was a wedding with the younger version of the Prophet; it was disrupted by an explosive sound.

It darkened. All that remained was a blackness with whiffs of purple. She heard voices. Talking, laughing, crying and screaming mingled together until it overwhelmed. A little girl no more than six stepped from the purple. She had dark skin and vivid green eyes.

"The worlds are colliding," the small child said. "The lady holds them together. She's losing her grip."

Keara opens her eyes and finds she's curled up in a ball on the garden floor. She tried to move, but her head spun. The pain was gone, but her ears were full of static.

"Don't move." Trefor hovered near by.

"I don't know what any of this scan reading means," Malcolm said quietly.

"What happened?" Keara didn't like how weak she sounded.

"You were screaming."

She rubbed her face. "I had a vision. A powerful vision."

"Of what?"

Keara described it the best she could. "I think the little girl is an anchor." She exhaled sharply. "I don't even know what that means."

General Trefor Williams carried Keara to the infirmary. Malcolm agreed to sit with her. Without an idea of what was wrong, there wasn't much they could do for her. If he contacted the Refuge, Bobby Zhao would be sent to collect her whether she wanted to go or not. He might show up anyway. He'd gotten the impression she wasn't sure she wanted to go back.

Unsure of what else to do, the general called Jack. With the ear com, Ianto might overhear.

"Harkness."

"Are you by yourself?"

"Yeah."

The general explained what he knew about Keara's vision. "What do we actually know about Kylia?"

"Not enough. She appeared in a previous vision months ago."

The general wondered where to start puzzling over the information. "Is there a Jewish man at Armore?"

"Possibly."

"Ideas?"

"No."

Jack Harkness needed to interview a child that had a variety of problems. Kylia came from another universe where the Torchwood Institute didn't burn, and knew her world was gone. She'd been seriously ill and probably came back from the dead as Malcolm had as a child. Except she returned fully healed. Her illness affected her early education. She called herself a witch and identified Ianto as a witch; it couldn't be dismissed because she recognized her grandfather who had to look a lot different with an estimated twenty year age difference. They suspected she had some type of ability. She hadn't mentioned it or used it.

He couldn't help but remember something Kylia said. She came into the living room while he was working late. She'd asked about time agents, something Anwen had mentioned, and said, "The universes need fixed points. Something disrupted the fixed points."

The Doctor had told him he was a fixed point in the universe. When Rose accessed the Tardis to save them, she'd brought him back to life. She made him immortal, or nearly immortal. He couldn't forget the Miracle Day situation. Parallel universes were similar. He hadn't thought about it, but it was likely there were other immortal versions of him.

Jack was with future Aman the day he died. Under those circumstances, it was likely that other versions of himself reacted and acted much like he had. It was also possible that at least one version didn't allow Aman to sacrifice himself. The question then was what affect that had and how he fixed it.

The information that came with Kylia showed an increasing breakdown of matter at the quantum level. It indicated a problem with devices in different parallel universes that interacted badly and were causing the barriers to disintegrate. The fulgurite death was two versions of the same debris or other from two universes colliding according to Morpheus. That could potentially apply to the quantum level alien devices that affected time and Torchwood Four, in the very least.

Jack stepped into Ianto's office, and immediately wondered. Trefor and Kylia were pouting. Anwen sat at John's desk, which wasn't unusual, with an e-reader she wasn't using and no computer. He could only guess Ianto took all the toys, and the extra computer and tablets. Then he remembered the discussion they'd had on getting the kids ready for school.

"I found something."

"What?" Jack crossed the room to Ianto's desk.

Ianto waited until he was next to the desk and spoke quietly. "Possible victims associated with the Pierro group and the genetic predator Rhawn Glas contacted you about."

"Is that one of the ballistic shields?" Jack noticed the device Ianto was wearing on his forearm.

"Yep." Ianto motioned at a pile of miscellaneous on the floor next to him.

"They ran out of things to throw at you."

"Yep." Ianto held up another device. "Controls the door independent of the computer."

"Send me the details."

"I already did." Ianto reached for Jack's hand. "Bree can review the information." If you can't handle it was implied. "What did you need?"

"I have questions for Kylia."

"Jack…"

Kylia stood. "Grandpa's mean."

"Come here." Jack picked her up and set her on the desk.

"I want my dolls." The quivering pout and threatened tears was good.

"Then do what Ianto asked, sweetheart."

She crossed her arms. "Mum wouldn't make me."

"Do you now what anchor is?"

"For a boat?"

"No." Jack reminded himself he was trying to question a traumatized six year old. "Do you remember telling me the fixed points were disrupted."

Kylia nodded.

"What does that mean?"

"I don't know." She shook her head.

"One more question. Who is 'the lady?'"

"Lewella."

Jack already suspected that. What type of ancient could hold the universes together? He also wondered if there was some way to contact her. It wasn't something he wanted to consider. If the situation was as bad as it appeared, he would have to ask Ianto. They could try going back to the cemetery where she first appeared last year on Samhain.

"Be good for grandpa." Jack helped her off the desk.