When they got back to the Hub Jack laid the still-unconscious Ior on the couch. "How long is he gonna be out for?" Rex asked.
"Not entirely sure," Jack confessed, "This is the first time I actually got to use one of those patches."
"I had one used on my once," Martha said, "I think I was out for like, maybe twenty minutes."
"When did this happen?" Neal asked.
"A long time ago," Was all Martha said.
"I used one once was and was out for about an hour," Violet said, "After a long job ,my ex-boyfriend Mannix used them one after another, slept for half a day."
"So basically at any time," Gwen said.
"Yeah," Jack said.
"So what exactly are we gonna tell him when him wakes up?' Gwen asked.
"No offence Gwen, but I think maybe I should try it this time," Jack said, "He thinks you were trying to trick him. Of course, I was the one who stopped him from running so, stand by, just in case. We're gonna have to play it by ear a little but outline, we're gonna tell him he's in the year two thousand thirteen, a brief explanation of how he got here, get his story, and then we'll work from there."
Gwen was silent for a moment, the said, "Jack, I've thinking about what Neal said earlier."
"About how if he was accused to witchcraft we'd be sending him back to his death?"Jack replied.
"Yes," Gwen said, "We can't do that. You know, before your vortex manipulator were fixed we'd help people who came through assimilate."
"Wait a second," Rex cut in, "How do we know not sending him back would affect time in some way?"
"It's never happened before," Gwen argued.
"That we know of," Rex said.
Everyone turned to look at him.
"Well, we wouldn't notice if it changed because we wouldn't know it had been the other way in the first place. " Rex explained, "Right?"
"Well, with our exposure to the Riff there is a possibility we could remember both realities," Martha interjected, "At least, that's what a friend of mind said once."
Jack raised his hand. "You all have good points. Let's just...wait 'till he wakes up, hear his story and work from there."
When Ior woke up, his vision was blurry for a few moments and he was disoriented. When vision cleared, he could see six people standing in front of him, their eyes peering down. He leaped up, looking around the strange place made with stone and brick, and filled with strange things that he had no idea what they were. The man in long blue-grey coat knelt down in front of him, just as the two woman had, put a hand on his shoulder. ""Ior, it's alright," The man said, speaking in an accent Ior had never heard before, "No one's gonna hurt you."
"H-how do you know my name?" Ior asked.
"She told me," The man gesturing up to the woman with the long dark hair and the pale skin, who was so beautiful the Ior first saw him he though she must be an angel, "I believe you already know Gwen."
"Hello," The woman, Gwen said kindly.
Ior turned back to the man in charge. "What is this place?"
"We call it the Hub," The man said," Now, Gwen tells me that you believe you are in Hell, is that true?"
"Yes," Ior replied, "Because I was accused of witchcraft."
"But the thing is you're not in Hell," Jack said, "Ior, this might seem like a strange question, but before you wound up here, what was the year?"
Ior paused a moment then said, "The Year Of Our Lord Fourteen Hundred And Two. Is that important?"
"Yes," The man said, "Because you're now in the year two thousand thirteen."
"How can this be?" Ior asked.
"Well," The man began, "I won't get into all the scientific mambo jumbo but basically there's this thing called a Riff in time and space, and someone had the bright idea to build the city Cardiff right on top of it. Sometimes things will get pulled in. Things in people. Which is what happened to you. Now, me and my team here," He nodded back to line of people watching the conversation, "It's our job to deal with it when things like this happened."
Jack decided to give Ior a minute to let it all sink hand. It was always lot for people to process, taking one breath in the time they were from the next here.
"What are you going to do with me?" Ior asked at last.
"Well, we've actually been discussing that while you were asleep," The man said, "You've caused a lot of worry with this talk of witchcraft charges."
"Please, you don't understand!" Ior said, starting to panic again, "I falsely accused by someone, I never actually-"
"Clam down," The man said firmly, but gently, "The problem isn't if you were guilty or not, because for witchcraft in no longer a crime, mainly because no one believes in it. Some of us have just stated concerns that if I should take you back to your own time your life would be in extreme danger. So we would like to hear your story up to the point you wound up here."
Ior sat fully upright on the long piece of furniture he found himself on, and began, "It was started when I started taking a liking in this local girl in my village, the weaver's daughter, Catherine. But the blacksmith's apprentice, Ian, wanted her hand in marriage, too. Soon, we were in an intense competition to get her father to give us Catherine's hand. It went on for months. I'm just a farm boy, I couldn't offer much, but neither could Ian and neither of us was giving up, so one day, he goes to the constable and accuses me of being a witch, saying I cast a spell that started a fire in the blacksmith's forge. I of course denied the charges, but then the constable found wlovesbane and belladonna hidden in my stable. I swear, it wasn't mine, Ian must have put them there to try to frame me so he would be the only one asking to marry Catherine. But they were about to arrest me and I couldn't prove my innocence so I fled, hoping that maybe I could start over and some other town. Our village is very small and isolated you, see, with no one of any conscience there. "
"That means he's from a map dot," Neal whispered to Violet who seemed a tad perplexed.
"I know what he meant," Violet whispered back somewhat defensively.
"But I had no bonds in any community, couldn't find anyone to take me on for a possession, and people where suspicious about why I had come. I had to keep moving without supplies or protection. Then this morning I found myself here, in Cardiff, in Two Thousand Thirteen. I believe you know what happened next."
"Yes, we do," Jack confirmed.
"Jack," Gwen said, "We can't send him back."
"He's not in any severe danger," Jack said.
"Not in any severe-" Gwen looked up to the say and took a minute to calm down. "Jack, he's not nothing but the clothes on his back, no one to help him, if he goes back home he's looking at the bad end of a noose-"
"Is there a good end?" Jack asked.
"Jack, come on," Violet said, stepping forward, "He's just a kid. He's only-" She looked at Ior and asked, "Sweetie, how old are you?"
"Sixteen," Ior answered.
"See, sixteen," Violet said, "Sixteen, Jack! If he were from this time he'd still be in high school."
"Violet, when you were sixteen you were on your own with a kid sister who you were the guardian of." Jack pointed out.
Everyone's eyes darted around awkwardly and Violet gave Jack a look that said, "Really? That's your argument?"
Jack had to admit Violet wasn't exactly the poster child for well adjusted people.
"Okay, maybe that wasn't the best example," Jack admitted.
"Ya think?" Rex said.
"Hey!" Violet shouted defensively.
"Sorry, but-" Rex began.
"Yeah," Violet conceded, "I know."
"Shouldn't we ask Ior what he thinks about this instead of talking like he's not even here?" Neal blurted out, "I mean if the kid wants to go home this is all academic."
Jack turned back to Ior. "Well, Ior," He said, "What's gonna be?"
Ior was silent. His head was spending with all the information and possibilities being thrown at him. This was too much. He had not where to go, but this wasn't his time, wasn't his world. He didn't know what to think. This, this wall too much. He couldn't bear to stay a moment longer. He leap off the couch and ran, where to he wasn't sure.
"Oh, not again!" Violet cried as Ior ran up the stairs, Jack in hot pursuit. When he finally caught, up with the boy, Ior screamed almost hysterically, "No! I can't! This all too much! Just too much!" And then he fell to the floor, panting.
Jack knew this was because he was overwhelmed, so he knelt down beside him and said gently, "It's all right. I know, this can be a lot to handle. There's use to be a time when you'd have to stay here, but now we can get you back where you came from. I can take you back now, if you want."
At that point Ior just looked dazed.
"Alright," Jack said, helping Ior to his feet, "Why don't you just set back down on the couch let this all sink in and we'll talk in a couple of hours, alright?"
Ior nodded as Jack lead him back to the couch. Jack sat him down and looked around at the team, saying, "Come on, give the kid some air." And with that they disbursed.
"Are the reactions usually that bad?" Neal asked Gwen, as they walked up together.
"They vary," Gwen said," It's not the worst reaction I've ever seen, but it's not the best."
"Well, how did it usually work out when they had no choice but to assimilate?" Neal asked.
"Let me put it this way," Gwen said, "We had this man, woman and girl from the nineteen fifties come through once. The girl got a job in the city and is living a very fulfilling life right now. The man who came through with her killed himself, and the woman flew her plane back into the Riff and we have no clue what became of her."
Neal was quiet for a minute. At last he said, "Are we sure it's a good idea to even him the option?"
Gwen turned to Violet with a look of disbelief on her face. "How can you even say that? You of all people?"
"What does that mean?" Neal asked.
"When we found you, you were pretty much backed into a corner," Gwen replied, "What do you think would've happened if you hadn't just happened to stumble on us?"
"That was a complete different situation," Neal argued, his voice taken a sudden cool tone.
"The point still stands," Gwen said, "You got a second chance, if you think about it technically a third, why can't he?"
"Because I wasn't a suicide risk," Neal said, a slight edge in his voice.
Gwen was quiet for a moment. "Neither is he," She said at last, "Look, maybe I shouldn't have thrown all that back in your face, and I can see your concern, but if Ior doesn't think he can handle this he can ask Jack to take him home. I don't know why I'm getting this defensive about it."
"Maybe it's cause you were the one who found him," Neal suggested, "So you want to make sure he's okay."
Just then, Rhys, Martha and Violet walked up to them. "Guys," Rhys began, "Me and the girls have been talking and we think we have an idea how to help Ior out even if he decides to go back to his own time."
Neal and Gwen both turned to look at them. "We're all ears," Gwen said.
Martha spoke this time, "Do you guys have any jewelry you're not attached to?"
Thirty minutes later the group had amassed a pile that contained two silver spoons, glass "emerald'' ' hairpins, a sliver ring, a marble letter opener with roses craved into the handle, a gold buckle, ruby earrings, a necklace of pink jade beads, a gold doorknob, a sterling silver tie clip, a copper ring, an opal pendent, a brass pin, a gold ring, an ivory bracelet, a fux onyx ring, and a coral necklace. Neal finished out the pile by dropping a pair of jewel-studded golden sugar tongs on it.
"Why would anyone need tongs that small?" Violet said.
"They're used for sugar," Neal said.
"And how does this help Ior exactly?" Rex asked.
"They did a lot a trading back in those days," Violet said, "He can trade them for the necessities of life or sell them for money."
"That way he has something to survive on," Martha said.
Looking down at the pile, Jack commented, "Who put the costume jewelry in?"
"Hey!" Rhys said defensively, "It's not like they have any way to tell! And at least I put something in!"
"Who didn't put something in?" Violet asked, "I'm pretty sure everyone put something in."
"You didn't put that much in," Rex commented, playing with her.
"I put in the ring," Violet retorted, pointing to the cooper band, "And besides, I don't have the much jewelry ."
"It's true," Neal confirmed, "She doesn't."
"And what's your excuse?" Gwen asked, "Seems to me you could've given a little more to the save Ior The Farm Boy Fund."
"Hey," Neal responded, mock-defensively, "I gathered what I could in fifteen minutes!"
"Well," Gwen said, gathering it all up in the huge leather square they had it under, "I think we have more than enough."
Jack looked over at Ior. "Looks like he's ready to make his decision."
Jack walked over to the couch and sat down decide the boy. "So Ior," He began, "What's it gonna be?"
Ior looked up at Jack. "I want you take me back," Ior said.
"It's gonna be tough for you," Jack said, "You know, no money, no resources, food or shelter."
"I know," Ior responded, "But it's where I from. It's my home. I need to go back."
Jack smiled. "My friends and I thought you might think that. So we got you a little something."
Gwen walked over to them carrying a leather sack. She sat it down on his lap then sat on the arm of the couch. Ior opened it up and gasped at what he saw inside. Inside the bag was a pile of fine jewels. He looked up at Gwen in disbelief.
"We figured you could use them to trade, or sell them, maybe," She explained.
"It's too much," Ior said, "I couldn't possibly-"
"Really," Gwen said, "We want you to have it."
Ior just gapped. "Thank you," He said at last, "Thank you so, so much."
"Don't worry about it," Gwen said, it was nothing, "Just-take care of yourself okay?"
"I will try my best," Ior replied, "I promise I want let you down."
Jack took his arm. "You ready?"
"Yes," Ior answered.
"You might wanna brace yourself," Jack advised, then teleported.
Within seconds they found themselves on a lonely stretch of country road. Ior dropped the bag and leaned forward, trying not to vomit. "It's alright," Jack said, patting a hand on Ior's back, "You'll be okay in a few minutes. "
Ior righted himself and turned towards Jack. Jack handed Ior back the bag, then looked down the road, saying, "I'm not sure where this road leads, but if you start walking you'll find a town somewhere." Laying a reassuring hand on the young man's shoulder, Jack said, "Now, you be sure to keep your promise, okay?"
Ior nodded. Jack then teleported back to Cardiff. Ior stood there a moment, amazed even with everything else that had happened, and then he turned and started walking down the road. Into the future.