Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood or its characters

A/N: I wasn't sure what the date of Canary Wharf was so I made an educated guess. Enjoy!

Chapter 7

Gwen handed Ianto a cup of tea and sat next to him on the sofa with her own. Ianto was watching Tosh and Owen discussing scans and readings at her workstation.

"How are you doing Ianto?" Gwen asked.

Ianto sipped his tea and smiled weakly. "I've been better."

Gwen nodded, sipping her own tea. "We will get him back Ianto. I know we will. At least we have some ideas where he is if he keeps going through your timeline."

Ianto snorted. "I have to admit it's strange having Jack suddenly being inserted into my childhood. Although I always remember a conversation I had with someone in my local park."

Gwen looked at him curiously. "What happened?"

"I got a minor conviction for shoplifting when I was 15." he admitted. Gwen looked at him with wide eyes. "I was an idiot. Anyway my dad didn't take it well. Shouting at me in our drive. Told me I was a nothing. You know the type of stuff. I ran to my local park. I always remember some random guy sitting with me and talking to me. Told me to use my intelligence for something better than petty shoplifting." Ianto smiled as he looked down at his tea. "I always remembered his words but I didn't really remember him. Wouldn't have recognised him if he came up to me in the street. But now I see it was Jack. Jack told me to do something with my life. He made me believe I could do better and I could escape away from that estate. That I could do something with my life. It's crazy. I used to hope I did that man proud. It's strange to realise it was Jack."

Gwen held Ianto's hand. "Well it's safe to say Jack IS proud of you. Very proud."

I hope so" Ianto replied.

"I know so" Gwen said firmly. "You've grown so much since I first started. You are so much more confident. You're a great field agent."

"Stop it Gwen you'll make me blush" he laughed.

"No worse than when I walked in on you and Jack in the greenhouse" she said with a wink.

Ianto groaned and bowed his head. "I'm never going to live that down."

Gwen laughed and patted his leg. "Drink up. I'm going to go see how Owen and Tosh are getting on." She stood up. "We will get him back Ianto. We won't give up until we do."

"I know" Ianto said. "I just hope he's ok, where ever he has ended up."

20th July 2007

Jack put his hand over his mouth to stop him from retching. His nostrils burned from the smoke from the gunfire. He could smell burning flesh and hear screams of people being converted. He stuck his head out into the corridor and saw he was right by a conversion area. He pulled his head back in as he saw Cybermen dragging a group of screaming women. He closed his eyes as he could hear the machines, knowing exactly what they were doing.

"We need to upgrade more quickly. We are losing to the Daleks. We need soldiers quicker. Start upgrading the whole body. Attach the suits to the flesh" he heard a cold robotic voice say.

He retched as he listened to the Cybermen, knowing how even more agonising that type of upgrade was. Knowing that Lisa was going to suffer that fate soon.

He looked again and saw the corridor was clear. He snuck out and made a run for it to the nearest staircase. He wasn't as familiar with the Torchwood One building. He ran down the stairs and entered the next corridor. There were people running in all directions screaming. He jumped back as two women ran past him, running up the stairs from where he came. He wanted to stop them, wanted to shout they were running towards the Cybermen but he couldn't. He couldn't get involved, no matter how much he wanted to. He turned to the left as he suddenly heard that all too familiar accent.

"LISA! LISA WHERE ARE YOU?!"

He watched as Ianto was darting between everyone, looking at every face. He was red and sweating, with a desperate expression on his face. Jack's heart broke. He wanted the rift to swallow him up right now so he didn't have to see this.

"LISA!"

He watched as Ianto grabbed someone.

"Mike have you seen Lisa?!" he asked in a panicked voice.

"Sorry Ianto I haven't!" Mike said as he dashed off.

Ianto grabbed another man. "Steve! Where's Lisa?!"

"I saw the Cybermen rounding up the people from HR. They were taking them to the 25th floor!"

Ianto thanked Steve and started running to the far end. Jack followed, losing himself in the panicked crowd. He had to try and keep Ianto safe. Keep him alive. He watched as Ianto reached the stairs and dashed up 6 flights of stairs, not stopping for breath. Jack followed him with a group of others. He and the others gagged as he realised he was on another conversion floor. He heard the familiar thumping footsteps of the Cybermen.

"You will be upgraded. Or you will be deleted!" The group turned and Jack jumped out of the way as they ran back toward the stairs screaming. Two Cybermen walked past Jack and were heading toward Ianto. Jack admired Ianto, who stood there with a defiant look on his face. He could see he wanted to be taken as it would be the quickest way to find Lisa.

"You will be upgraded!" the Cybermen said as they advanced.

He couldn't let that happen. Jack pulled out his webley and shot both the Cybermen to distract them as they reached their hands out toward Ianto. He ran off in the opposite direction, hearing both Cybermen following him. He ran round the corner to a dead end. He turned to face the two Cybermen and smirked.

"You will be deleted!"

"You have no idea who you are messing with. I'm not so easily deleted boys!"

As the Cybermen advanced there was the sound of an explosion and rumbling, like an earthquake. Jack grinned as he realised what was about to happen.

"Enjoy the void boys. Say hi to the Daleks for me!"

He raised his hand and waved as the Cybermen were suddenly sucked upwards away from him. He went back round to the corner to the corridor and jumped back as dozens of Cybermen and Daleks whipped past. He closed his eyes and imagined what was happening on the top floor. Finally the rumbling stopped and the Cybermen and Daleks were gone. He crept down the corridor to the conversion area where he could hear screaming. It tore him up as he could hear the agonised screams of those who had been left mid conversion. He peered in and saw Ianto at the far end of the room, bent over a figure. He could hear him crying and begging. Jack could see from his angle it was Lisa.

Ianto suddenly straightened up and headed toward the door. Jack slunk into the shadows as Ianto ran past. A frightening thought occurred to him. He could end things right now. He could finish Lisa off here. Then Ianto wouldn't have to watch her slowly deteriorate and suffer. He wouldn't have to come to Torchwood Three. He pulled out his webley, ignoring the other screams and begs for help, and walked over to Lisa's table. He stood partly in the shadows and raised his webley to her face.

"Please" she whispered. "Please end it. I can't take the pain!"

Jack looked at the desperation in her eyes. So different to the cold indifferent ones he saw at the Hub that terrible evening. So human.

"Please" she said again.

She looked like she was about to say more when her voice was drowned out by more screams and cries for help. People begging for death. Jack lowered his gun. He couldn't do it. Killing Lisa now would change Ianto's timeline too much. He would never come to Torchwood Three, never come to Jack. Jack knew he was being selfish. He was telling himself he had to protect the timeline but part of it was definitely for him. He couldn't imagine his life without Ianto in it.

He leaned over Lisa. "I can't now. But I promise I will end your pain one day" he whispered to her.

He doubled over and gasped as that pain gripped him once more. He fell to his knees as he saw everything fade.