A/N Thank you sooo much reviewers, your opinions have been taken into account. But more reviews are very, very welcome. I'm sure many of you are very upset with Torchwood's loss, but...

keep reading… I can't let you leave empty handed now can I? ;)

The next morning the team woke up bleary eyed. The only person missing was Owen who had left a brief note on Tosh's computer to say he had gone home as he needed drink and sleep. After everyone had read this, they were sure he hadn't meant a cup of tea drink.

The atmosphere in the Hub the next morning was almost unbearable. Depressing would have been and understatement. Nobody had realised how much Ianto had meant to them personally until he was no longer there. Hardly anyone could concentrate on work, it was more like moping around, trying to find something to do. Even after Owen had returned, clearly hung-over, just after midday, nobody was speaking, or even doing much. The whole day was slow; the Rift seemed to be doing nothing as well. By the end of the first day without Ianto, the team were feeling (if possible) worse.

Late that night when everyone had virtually packed up and shut their workstations down, Jack announced that he was taking everyone to the pub.

"A toast to Ianto." He had sniffed briefly. As everyone gathered to go out, the cog wheel door opened before Tosh had even activated it to do so. The team stood warily. Intruder?

Jack produced his ancient Webley and held it pointing slightly towards the floor, ready to rise it, if need be. As the cog door wheeled back, a figure stood, almost posed, behind it. Jack squinted to make out someone he was sure he recognised.

John stepped forward, "Hey kids, did you miss me?"

"Like Hell we did." Owen spat bringing his own gun out. John tutted,

"Now, now Owen, no need to be rude." He said patronisingly. Owen glared at him; Jack raised his gun at John along with Gwen and Tosh.

"I think it would be best if you didn't shoot me, otherwise you won't get your precious Eyecandy back." John winked at Jack. After he said this he produced a sort of amulet, which flickered recognition in Jack's mind.

"What's that?" Gwen asked aiming at it with her gun.

"Don't Gwen." Jack said quietly.

"Why, what the fuck is it?" Gwen asked chancing quick glances at Jack, while still having her Glock 17 trained on the mysterious object.

"Yes, what is it Jack?" John asked, cocking his head to one side. Jack frowned struggling to remember it. It looked like something from his days with the Time Agency. "Well I'll tell you," John said impatiently, "This is a Time Bubble, similar to a Time Loop except the event doesn't keep recurring. It takes you back to a point. This amulet can take you back to the designated time it was set to. This is without upsetting time and Fate and Destiny etc. So you can change an event, without all the problems that tend to occur. Quite ingenious actually." He explained, "But before I go on, I'm tired of having all these guns pointed at me." He said stuffing the amulet back into his pocket. He flicked something out his jacket pocket and suddenly everyone's guns violently shook themselves out of their hands and landed by his feet. John smiled at his accessory like a boy would at his new toy.

He brought out his own impressive gun and pointed it at Gwen. She froze. "Right, now let's exercise a bit of control shall we?" John continued in his patronising way. He rounded on Gwen and put the gun to her head, "Now that I have your attention, boardroom now!" he ordered.

"John, just-" Jack started,

"Just what?" John cut in, "Just put the gun down and let us shoot you instead." He said sarcastically, "I don't think so." He jammed the gun into Gwen's head just to remind the team who was supposed to be in charge at that moment. He wrapped an arm around her neck like a boa constrictor and pulled her towards the boardroom.

Once everyone had shuffled cautiously into the boardroom, John ordered everybody, apart from Gwen, who he appeared to still be holding in a minor headlock, to sit on the floor against the wall. They did so, as Gwen was turning slightly blue when John got angry. "Ok then." He started. He sat down on a chair and pulled Gwen onto his lap before wrapping his legs around hers making it very difficult for any escape. "So, my Time Bubble," still holding the gun to Gwen's head, he pulled the mysterious amulet out of his pocket, "Inside this amulet, I have a point in time that I'm sure you will be very interested in. It happens to be a moment 30 seconds before a Mr Jones was regrettably hit by a car." John said innocently. Jack stood up at this moment.

"What are you talking about?" he asked sternly,

"I'm talking about a small loophole in the death clause, so to speak." John replied philosophically. Jack narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"You didn't." He said slowly.

"What? Hit Eyecandy with a car? No! Never." John said with mock surprise, "I hit him with the Torchwood SUV." He announced, looking Jack straight in the eyes. At this Owen stood up. John wiggled the gun and took the safety catch off and put it back against Gwen's head, so Owen was forced to sit down again as he knew John wouldn't think twice about shooting Gwen.

"But that didn't kill him, so I had to give him a little help to go." As John spoke, Jack curled his fists in anger as he heard what John had done right under his nose and he hadn't even seen it. "So I gave him a little dosage of my own recipe, lethal brew." John's smile increased as he saw the burning anger in Jack's eyes.

"But!" John exclaimed dramatically, "I'm going to give you this amulet on one condition." Again his and Jack's eyes met in a daring stare, "You stay loyal to me, as my partner and I will give you this amulet and give you the chance to save Eyecandy." John smiled, impressed with his own brilliant mind. "So Jack, does he mean more to you than just a shag? Because if you bring him back, you're mine, forever. You'll never be able to touch him again." John raised his eyebrows at Jack, daring him to answer. John sat back, leaving Jack in his predicament, as he lent back he let his hand wander and settle on the inside of Gwen's leg.

"Fuck off." She hissed pushing his hand off.

The team had all been staring at Jack, waiting for his answer. Gwen looked at him hard, hoping he was contemplating how to get rid of John, and not considering not bringing Ianto back. Then Jack nodded. Gwen felt truly scared for the first time, as Jack's face had a look of defeat on it. "Give me that Time Bubble, John. I want my tea-boy back."

John's grin was wider than a Cheshire cat's. Jack didn't trust it. He stepped forward but John stood up still strangling Gwen. She choked slightly at the unexpected drag on her neck. Jack to a cautionary step back again with his hands up, "Ok, you've had your fun, now let Gwen go and give me the bloody Bubble." Jack asked trying to keep his temper now.

"Come with me Jack." John said quietly. He pushed Gwen past Jack so that she hit the wall where Owen and Tosh were sitting,

"Hey!" Owen barked, holding onto Gwen and helping her to sit on the floor. Tosh also glared at John but didn't say anything. He smiled at them all, ignoring Owen's complaint,

"Now, kiddies, grown ups have very important things to talk about, so stay in the boardroom and be good, if you don't, well then John's just going to have to shoot you." He walked to the door and gestured that Jack should follow. Jack walked out and John followed, shutting the door behind him.

Immediately, Tosh brought her PDA out of her pocket and activated her Bluetooth set. She tapped quickly on her PDA then motioned for the other two to stay quiet. She listened intently to John and Jack's conversation,

"You realise this is a test, don't you?" John was asking on the other side of the wall.

"You are one big test." Jack replied smoothly.

"That I am, but you love me for it." John came back equally as smooth.

"Did love, past tense." Jack retorted. Not that the team could see but John stepped closer to Jack and looked up at him. He slowly brought the Bubble out of his jacket. Jack moved his hand to receive it but John immediately stepped back.

"One more little thing." He added slyly, before Jack could blink John had taken a knife out of his back pocket and threw it at Jack where it embedded itself deep in his stomach. Jack groaned as the knife sliced through his flesh. He looked up at John whose facial expression hadn't altered. "Now go save your precious little Eyecandy, but if you don't make it, instead of just knowing he's dead, you'll be able to watch him die too." John chucked the amulet at Jack who grabbed for it desperately to avoid it smashing on the floor.

It was a small object that fitted in the palm perfectly. It was a spherical shape that glowed, a calming sea blue. The Bubble amulet started to turn pink, however, when Jack snatched it, activating a small button on one side.

Jack closed his eyes feeling a small lurch like when in an elevator. He opened his eyes wincing as the pain in his stomach grew. He looked around. He was suddenly in the pouring rain. He heaved himself up until he was standing. He started to panic. 30 seconds John had said. Behind him he heard a speeding vehicle. He turned around to see Ianto with his back to him starting to cross the road. His heart leapt at the sight of Ianto. "Yan! Ianto! Look out!" Jack yelled at the top of his voice. He staggered to the road. Ianto turned around,

"Forget it Jack!" Ianto yelled back, about 10 feet away from him. Jack paused, momentarily stunned. Then he remembered what his relationship had been with Ianto the last time he saw him before he died. This made him more determined. Ianto was not going to die hating him. He staggered over as fast as he could, screaming and yelling and making as much noise as he could, trying to get Ianto to stop going near the road, as words were starting to fail him. His brain was starting to cloud over preventing it from communicating with the rest of his body, including his vocal chords.

He stumbled over and looked up. Ianto was standing at the edge of the road now. Ianto looked behind him and saw Jack on the ground. He watched Jack, confused as to why the Captain had sat on the ground. But then he examined him more closely, Jack didn't look well. He started to head slowly back to Jack when a roaring sound was heard coming around the corner. Ianto looked around again to see the Torchwood SUV hurtling towards him. Jack yelled at him, something was wrong. Ianto didn't know what but he knew something was up. He ran back to Jack only just missing being hit by the car. The SUV braked hard and swung around, catching the Captain and the tea-boy in its glaring headlights. Ianto bent down,

"Yan." Jack croaked, smiling slightly. He lifted his arm up and touched Ianto delicately on the cheek.

"Jack what happened?" Ianto asked, extremely confused. Suddenly he saw the glint of the knife. "Oh my god, Jack, how did you get stabbed?" he was alarmed now. Jack pointed at the SUV,

"John."

Ianto dragged Jack away from the road. The SUV was still there rumbling as the engine warmed up. Then it slid forward slightly with an aggressive rev.

Ianto scrabbled desperately, trying to drag Jack's increasingly heavy weight away from the menacing 4x4. He pulled, tugged and dragged Jack back until they were a few yards away from the SUV which still just sat there, engine running. Ianto looked at Jack who was starting to turn very pale.

"Hang on, Ianto. We can't go back to the Hub yet." Jack stuttered. With great effort he heaved himself, with Ianto's help, to his feet.

"Why not?" Ianto was completely confused now.

"I don't have time to explain, but we just can't. Now do as I say." Jack was fighting his body that was aching to just shut down. His shirt was stained with his blood that was still seeping through the wound. He limped, again with Ianto's help, across the small area back towards the millennium centre.

"Make sure we're not near the paving slab entrance to the Hub." Jack reminded Ianto. He knew that even in a Time Bubble, he couldn't meet himself without a bad outcome. Ianto helped him to sit behind the water feature, away from the concealed entrance to the Hub. They heard the SUV trundling slowly towards them, the headlights seeking them out. But it past without seeing them. John was tapping on the steering wheel trying to see through the heavy rain quite unsuccessfully.

Jack slowly died of blood loss in Ianto's arms. The Welshman sat in the rain, cold, confused and afraid. He didn't know why or how John had come back. Nor did he know how Jack had ended up stabbed but he sat there patiently with the dead man in his arms.

After a few minutes he jumped in surprise as Jack stirred taking in a huge breath. Jack smiled up at him. They steadily rose together and Jack embraced Ianto tightly. "I don't know if John will stop now, it's not really his forte. But he hasn't come back, so where is the bastard?" Jack thought out loud.

"Jack, are you going to tell me what the Hell is going on?" Ianto asked, completely confused by now. Jack looked the tea boy in the eyes and sighed heavily.

"Yan, it's just such a long story and I don't have much more time. But you have to go back to the Hub on your own and find me. Warn me about John and be ready." Jack explained,

"Find you? But you're already here!"

"No, I travelled back in time to stop you being hit by the SUV. The present me is sitting in the Hub wondering where you are and is about to go to your flat. So you have to get back there and warn me about John or I will leave and he will be able to get into the Hub." Jack tried to reason with Ianto. The Welshman frowned in complete bewilderment. He had no idea what Jack was on about. "Just trust me, ok?" Jack urged. Ianto shrugged and nodded. "Thank you," Jack sighed, he kissed Ianto on the forehead, "Now go, quick!" he pushed Ianto in the direction of the Hub.

He could feel the Time Moment from the Bubble starting to end. He watched Ianto jogging back to the Hub as he felt himself starting to be dragged back to his present day.