Jack knew that the last day the team were sure they'd actually seen Ianto was January 24th. So the Doctor, looking dubious, took them back to that day. Jack knew that the Doctor was having doubts. They had to park the TARDIS in a place none of the Torchwood team would see it and they not only had to avoid being seen by, whilst following Ianto, they also had to hide from Gwen, Owen and Tosh. According to them they hadn't seen Jack in four months, so appearing to them now would mess up the time line.

So Jack and the Doctor were wandering through Cardiff city centre on red alert for any sign of a Torchwood member. Jack would occasionally check the file he had stuffed in his coat pocket. Owen had told him that Ianto had left early on the last day they saw him to go shopping. This was not something Ianto usually mentioned so he must have been shopping for something in particular.

Jack didn't know what this mysterious item (or items) was, but he knew that Ianto would only shop in one shopping centre, right in the heart of Cardiff. There was no reason for always using the same place, Ianto was just organised and punctual and didn't like change.

Four hours later, the Doctor was starting to grumble. They'd been stood outside the Water Lily Shopping Centre since it had opened watching every person that came and went. It wasn't something the Doctor was used to doing, standing on the sidelines.

"How much longer are we gonna have to wait!" The Doctor grumbled, sounding very much like a whiney five year old.

"Until we see Ianto," Jack replied. "You know this is going to be it for the next few months. No travelling."

"That's what you think!" The Doctor said under his breath. "Can I at least go for a wander? You don't need me to stay here. You can call me if you see Ianto."

Jack glanced at the Doctor momentarily. As much as he needed to remain vigil in his search for Ianto, he knew that the Doctor wasn't human and got impatient very quickly if he was forced to stay in the same place for too long. It was one of the many curses of being Time Sensitive.

"Ok, but bring me back some chips," Jack agreed.

The Doctor grinned and was off like a shot. Jack sighed and turned his attention back to the crowds around the entrance of the shopping centre. He hadn't thought to ask when Ianto had left the Hub to come shopping so he knew he could be stuck there until just before closing.

The Doctor felt a little guilty for leaving Jack, but this was a mission fuelled by human emotions. There was only so much the Time Lord could put up with. He wandered towards the square in the middle of town were hundreds of pigeons were pecking at invisible crumbs on the concrete slabs.

Then he felt it. It wasn't big, or obvious, it was just a tiny flicker in the air. Like something that was there disappearing. It was the feeling he got every time the TARDIS dematerialised. He turned on the spot, his brown trench coat flying out behind him. But it was gone as quickly as it had appeared.

There was no sign of any disturbance, or any kind of alien activity. None of the people around him seemed to have noticed anything so the Doctor decided it was probably the Rift. Some little fluctuation in time that he and he alone could feel. All the same it made him a bit edgy and he decided to go and get some chips.

There was only one other man in front of the Doctor and as he waited he glanced up at the television in the corner. A blonde woman was reporting from some old house on a hill that looked like it should be in a horror film. The words 'strange noises' appeared on the screen as the camera was aimed towards the house. The Doctor frowned. News must be slow if they were reporting on a 'haunted' house.

"Yeah, that's the third time this week," the big burly Welshman behind the counter said to his customer. "They reckon kids just keep going in there for dares and disappearing."

"It's more than that though isn't it?" The customer picked up the plastic bag containing his three portions of chips. "Our Harry got spooked the other week when he went to have a look with his mates. Said that they just seemed to be hypnotised by the place and walked straight in. Course Harry pelted it back once he realised he couldn't pursued them to leave. We haven't seen hide or hare of any of them since."

The Doctor frowned slightly as he pondered this. Kids disappearing in the same house? It suggested something was amiss. Children going missing was one thing, but being apparently mesmerised by a house and wandering in only to disappear of the planet was another thing entirely.

"Oi, mister," the man behind the counter waved his hand in front of the Doctor's face. "You want some chips or what?"

"Yeah, sorry, zoned out," the Doctor smiled pleasantly. "Two portions please."

As the man sorted out the Doctor's chips, he allowed himself to slip back into his reverie. He'd have to talk to Jack about investing this new mystery. Of course the other man was set on stalking his on/off boyfriend, but maybe he'd let the Doctor go alone? Jack wouldn't just completely ignore something so obviously alien. And even if his team went to have a look they hadn't laid eyes on the Doctor yet so it wouldn't destroy the space/time continuum.

Ten minutes later he was sat down with Jack again eating chips. He had been thinking so hard all the way back he hadn't even realised where he was. So it startled him when he realised Jack was talking to him.

"Are you ok?"

"What? Oh- yeah," the Doctor nodded.

"Are you sure?" Jack frowned worriedly. "You look really pale."

"I'm fine," the Doctor said, smiling, though inside he felt anything but. That little change in the surroundings hadn't come from just anywhere. It had been time related and he had the horrible feeling it was connected with the house on the T.V.

"Look, if you want to go back to the TARDIS for a bit then that's fine," Jack continued. "I don't expect you to hang around the whole time."

"Jack," the Doctor pointed a chip at him. "I said I'd help you, so I'm going to. I'm fine; it's probably just the Rift having an effect on me. If it gets too bad I'll go and rest in the TARDIS for a bit."

Jack seemed satisfied by this answer and they lapped into companionable silence again. The Doctor returned to his thoughts but it wasn't long before he was pulled out of them again. Jack suddenly stood up craning his neck over the crowd.

"That's him!" He said. "That's Ianto!"