Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood or its characters

Chapter 5

1st March 1999

Jack groaned as he sat up and rubbed his head. That was the roughest ride yet. He'd definitely heard Gwen's voice, which meant the team were trying to find him. They had managed to create an opening for him, but how did they know where he was? Then it hit him. Ianto. His memory must have changed to include Jack. He stiffened. What sort of effect had that had on Ianto? Had it hurt him? He was worried.

He was startled out of his thoughts by a car racing past. He looked around and noticed he was on a street. The car pulled into a driveway opposite, and Jack recognised it as Ianto's house. He recognised Ianto's father as he got out of the driver's side, yelling at the sullen teen getting out of the passenger side.

"Think you're so clever do you? Think you're a big man for getting arrested?!" he was yelling.

Teen Ianto started walking to the back of the car. Jack could see his father was going red.

"Think you're so great? Let me tell you sunshine! Shoplifting isn't that great! You couldn't even do that right! Got caught and then I am dragged out of work to come pick your pathetic arse up! You realise you will have a conviction?!. Then again it's not like you will amount to anything anyway!"

"What the hell is going on?" Jack saw Ianto's mother step out of the house, Rhiannon by her side. "What's all the shouting about?"

Ianto's father pointed at the teen. "Ask this worthless excuse of a son of ours! Got caught shoplifting! I had to go get him from the police station." He turned back to Ianto. "Do you have any idea how humiliating it is being called at work by the police telling me I need to go pick up my criminal son? The grief I am going to get tomorrow at work!"

"Honey calm down!" Ianto's mother said, approaching him and placing a hand on his shoulder.

Ianto's father shrugged her off and walked up to Ianto, getting in his face. "If I lose my job it will be all your fault you little shit. We will lose our house and everything and all because of you" he hissed.

"Stop!" Ianto's mother said sharply.

"Tell you what son, you are nothing but a little lowlife. You will amount to nothing and today has just proved it" Ianto's father said before pushing past his mother into the house.

Jack watched as the teen Ianto ran off, with his mum and sister calling his name.

Jack knew he shouldn't get involved, but he had to. He followed him.

"How is it looking Tosh?" Ianto asked as he approached her working on the rift manipulator.

"Nearly finished repairing it" she replied. She flicked a switch and grinned as the lights on it came back on. "Scratch that, it's fixed."

Ianto breathed a sigh of relief. He was worried it had been damaged beyond their capabilities to fix it. Owen was currently checking Gwen for concussion, but Ianto wasn't too worried as she was already arguing about going through the next opening to get Jack. He had rolled his eyes and walked away. Last thing he wanted was Gwen invading his memories. He rubbed his head. It was beginning to hurt again.

Jack found Ianto slumped against a tree, knees pulled up to his chest staring into space. Jack's heart went out to him. Being told you are worthless and won't amount to anything would destroy any kid's self esteem. Jack spotted a newspaper and glanced down at the date. 1st March 1999. A quick calculation he worked out Ianto was 15 here. As he walked over he could see Ianto's slightly spotty skin, a tiny hint of stubble, and his hair was slightly greasy. Typical teen. Jack smiled as he imagined Ianto as he was now. He knew he had to be careful, but he couldn't leave him like that. He walked over and sat down next to Ianto. The teen glanced up and narrowed his eyes.

"What do you want?" he asked sullenly.

"Just thought I would join you" Jack replied.

"Why? I'm not in the mood for company. Piss off!"

"Now now" Jack said. "No need for that."

Ianto glared then tilted his head slightly. "Do I know you?"

So he didn't really remember their last meeting. That was good. "No I don't think so."

"Then if you don't know me why are you here? If my dad sent you to lecture me you can get lost. I had enough from him earlier."

"I heard" Jack said quietly. "And the things he said were wrong. No one on this planet is worthless."

Ianto snorted. "Tell that to my dad. Or the twats at school."

Jack looked at him to see that expression he saw on Ianto's face so many times. That stubborn expression but behind those eyes there was sadness and pain.

"It may not feel like it now but things will get better. School doesn't last forever. You shouldn't let them get you down. You should use that stubbornness of yours to get up and prove them all wrong. Go and make something of yourself."

Ianto snorted again. "What? Go to university? Become a high flyer? My dad says steelworks and cars are a proper man's job. I'll never get into university."

"Why?" Jack asked.

Ianto looked at him properly for the first time, his blue eyes widened in surprise. "Why what?"

"Why can't you go to university? Why can't make you a high flyer?"

"Because..I-" Ianto stuttered then stopped. "I'm not clever enough" he said quietly.

Jack snorted before he could help himself. "And your dad and the twats from school are qualified enough to determine that? I'll tell you something. You are clever. You are more intelligent than you can imagine."

Ianto narrowed his eyes again. "What makes you say that?"

"I can see it in your eyes. You are intelligent and determined. Use those qualities to do something with your life." He poked Ianto on the forehead. "Use that for good and not petty shoplifting."

Ianto started looking at him in wonder. "Who exactly are you?"

"Owen!"

Owen and Gwen came rushing up from the med bay to see Ianto doubled over clutching his head. Owen swore and ran back to grab his medical bag. Gwen took Ianto's arm and helped Ianto sit before he collapsed.

"It's happening again!" he panted.

"What have you got?" Tosh asked, kneeling down in front of him.

"Same place" Ianto gasped. "That park. Ugh!" he doubled over.

Owen came rushing up. "Hang on Ianto mate!"

"What date Ianto? Do you know?" Tosh asked.

Ianto winced as Owen stuck a needle in his arm. "Day I was caught shoplifting. 1st March.." he cried out as he fell on his side.

Tosh ran to her station and started typing furiously. "I need the year and time Ianto."

Ianto was panting heavily through the pain, barely able to speak. The pain relief wasn't working. He could feel himself losing consciousness.

"Stay with us mate!" Owen said. His voice sounded so far away. "We need the time and year still."

"1999" he whispered. "4pm" Ianto then passed out.

Jack looked at the young Ianto. "I'm just a stranger passing through who saw a young man who looked like he needed someone to talk to. Or someone to knock some sense in to."

Jack bit his lip to hold back a laugh as Ianto rolled his eyes.

"Anyway I think you should go home now. Your mum looked really worried when you ran off" Jack said.

Ianto snorted. "My dad won't care if something happened to me. You saw how he was."

"Or maybe he was that angry because he actually sees your potential and doesn't want you wasting it as a shoplifter." Jack tapped his head. "Reverse psychology."

Jack could see the cogs whirring in Ianto's brain. Ianto made to stand but his legs gave way as they had gone numb. Jack caught him and helped him up.

"Thanks" Ianto said.

"Be brave and go home. Your dad will calm down and your mum will look after you" Jack said, putting his hand on Ianto's shoulder. "And do something with that brain of yours. Aim high. You never know where your ambitions will take you."

Ianto nodded then smiled for the first time since they started talking. "Thanks for the chat. You've given me a lot to think about."

Jack smiled. "Good. Now go home before it gets too late."

Ianto nodded and started walking away. He stopped and turned to wave at Jack. Jack waved back with a smile on his face. He watched Ianto's retreating back and leaned against the tree. This whole tumbling through Ianto's timeline was interesting, but he was gaining a whole new insight into the Welshman. Ianto never really spoke about his father apart from that they hadn't been close, and now Jack could see why if those were the sort of things his dad said to him on a regular basis. It certainly explained Ianto's self confidence issues. He was startled by a cracking sound. He closed his eyes and tensed up, ready for the familiar excruciating pain. He opened them and saw an opening a few hundred metres away. It was blurry and the colours were faint but he could tell it was the Hub.

"Jack! Jack! If you can hear us you need to come through now! We don't know how long we can keep this open!" he heard Gwen calling.

He walked closer and the images became clearer. He could see Gwen holding her hand out. Just behind her he could see Owen moving someone into recovery position and inserting a cannula. He started running as he saw the figure was Ianto. What had happened to him? Was he alright? Questions swam round his head as he ran.

"Hurry Jack!" Gwen called. She was holding out her hand.

He came to the opening and started crossing through it when the familiar pain took over. Jack yelled as he doubled over. He tried to step through completely but something was stopping him. He forced himself through and landed onto the floor of the Hub. Seconds later he felt an opening surrounding himself and could feel himself falling. The last thing he heard was Gwen screaming his name as darkness took him once more.