Time Intertwined

Chapter 8

The next morning Marcus woke early, walked the narrow stairs, and left with the hotel owners' voices ringing in his ears insisting he stay for breakfast. Marcus had no time for breakfast besides he knew of a bakery around the corner that baked the best cream buns and neenish tarts daily when he was a boy and he figured he could grab one.

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Jack woke, stretching out, seeking out Ianto, his hand roamed the bed before he opened his eyes. He wondered where Ianto was, he was missing Ianto's warm body next to him, opening his eyes finally and seeing the gaudy furniture of the hotel room, he quickly remembered where he was and frowned. He knew it would be a while before he saw his lover after spending all night trying to figure out how to get his Vortex manipulator to work, the only thing he worked out was that he would just have to relive the 35 years and wait till he could go back to Torchwood Cardiff at the time that John jumped him to whisk him away to parts unknown. He figured that John was wanting to go off-planet but Marcus had been mucking about with the computer that is connected to the rift Manipulator, well Jack thought that it only shown where the rifts spikes were not to control placement, but with John's working Vortex Manipulator and John's fiddling with dates on the computer combined brought them here.

Stepping down off the narrow stairs of the hotel Jack could smell the heavenly scents of a country breakfast cooking. He didn't need much convincing to eat the hearty breakfast prepared by the hotel owners. After tucking into the freshly cooked breakfast Jack thanked the matronly owner then made his way into the centre of the town to find out how to get to the Radyr Woods to scope out the area of where the girl was killed, where he thought that Marcus would be heading.

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Marcus didn't head out to the Radyr Woods after the first night spent in the past, instead he walked around the town reliving the old sights of his youth, knowing that he didn't need to go to the bush track for another four days. His thoughts wandered as to how he was going to stop the man from hurting, killing his daughter. He knew he was not acquainted with weaponry but if he was going to be able to stop the man from harming his daughter he would need to obtain something to defend himself and allow his future daughter to escape.

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Thinking that he should head out to Radyr Woods knowing that Marcus would go there, Jack asked a local could he rent out a vehicle, not much luck there, in this timeline, car rental was not the norm so he walked out there instead. After the two hour walk there and then searching around and not finding Marcus and more importantly not reading any rift reading from his Vortex Manipulator he headed back into town. Weary, thirsty and hungry after his walk to the Radyr Woods and back he headed straight to the local pub.

Walking in he saw a three men at the bar, two men playing a game of darts, a couple sitting in a booth and a homely looking barmaid leaning on the counter talking animatedly to the men at the bar. Jack walked up to the bar ignoring the stares from the locals, "A pint of bitter, and are you serving dinner?"

"Yes, we got Sheppard's pie, steak and chips and roast chicken with vegetables" the barmaid said eyeing Jack appreciatory.

"Mmmm choices! What do you suggest?" Jack flirted.

"Sheppard's pie every time"

"Sheppard's pie it is" Jack said looking straight at her, then turning to the locals at the bar, "Jack" extending his hand.

The three men turned, the man closest to Jack spoke, "Bryn" and indicating his mates at the bar "Sulwyn and that's Ifan" .

"Good day Bryn, Sulwyn, Ifan" nodding his head in acknowledgement to each one, "Sorry my Welsh is a bit scratchy"

"That's okay, Sulwyn and I speak English, not so much Ifan, bit of a tradionalist" Bryn said.

"Bryn, see any strangers about town?" Jack asked casually, curious if Marcus has been sighted.

"Yeah, you" Brin said.

"Yeah besides me" Jack said trying to instil trust by maintaining eye contact.

"That fellow there" the second local said scowling indicating with his head towards the corner.

Jack turned to look and pursed his lips when he saw John sitting closely to a young woman in the corner, berating himself for not spotting John straight away. John didn't notice Jack as he was engrossed in the young woman he was with. Jack watched him from the corner of his eye, waiting to see if he was going to do something inappropriate.

"No one else?" Jack said trying to not look that he checking over at John.

"Nope"

"Game of darts?" Jack asked to deflect that he was asking about strangers knowing that he himself was a stranger in town.

The local closest to him eyed him up and down, "You play?"

"It's been a while" Jack said apologetically.

"What's you're wagering?"

"A pint for you and your mates or you pay for my dinner" Jack said good humourily.

"Done" the local nodded, "eat your grub first, Glynis, Jack here will pay after our game"

Jack laughed at the cockiness of the Bryn.

Polishing off his Sheppard's pie in record time due to the exquisite flavour and his hunger sopping up the remnants with the warm crusty bread that was served with it, Jack took up position at the dart board. After throwing the game to let Bryn win and paying for the pints as promised as well as his dinner, Jack periodically would look over to where John was to check that he wasn't doing anything stupid.

"Another game?" Bryn asked thinking that he could make a better wager than a couple of pints.

"Sure" Jack said smiling shrugging his shoulders.

"20 pounds wager?" Bryn said challenging Jack.

"Sure" Jack said silently grateful that his wallet was in his trousers when he threw them on back in 2010.

Before he could throw his first dart in the next game, the woman sitting with John stood up and slapped him across the face and attempted to walk away from him. John grabbed her hand and pushed her down. Jack was over to them before John could do anything more, "I believe the young lady is not interested"

"What the…" John spluttered.

"Off you go" Jack pulled John to standing and frog-marched him out of the pub, hissing in his ear, "Don't say a word"

Outside the pub, Jack manoeuvred John into a dark alley, "Jack you only have to ask, you know that I like it rough"

"Shut up" Jack sneered, "I would have thought you would have transported back"

John shrugged his shoulders, "Oh well, you know, thought I check out the talent here before I go"

Jack shook his head, pursing his lips, "You never change"

"And you have changed too much Jack" John sneered.

Jack sighed "With the help of people who care and after a while you get tired of the old games" Jack said tiredly.

"Yeah whatever" John said rolling his eyes.

"So your vortex manipulator works?" Jack said hopefully.

"With the boost from your rift, it's back to full power" John said cockily, "although it's accuracy is still a bit dodgy"

"Can you get me back" Jack said hopefully, "I'll make it worth your while"

"And what would that be?" John said pulling himself up to full height.

"I'm sure that there is something in the Archives that would be of interest to you" Jack said, "I'd even let you have your pick"

John thought that over, he was sure that Jack had accumulated quite a cache of stuff that he would have liked to get his hands on but there was something more he would like to get his hands on, "Really, anything?"

"Ummm yeah, yes John anything" Jack said reluctantly, thinking that most of the alien artefacts John could get his hands on anyway travelling about so there was not too much harm done, "once you get me back I'll take you to the Archives and you can have a look around and have your pick"

"Oh I don't need to have a look around, I know exactly what I want"

"And what would that be?" thinking when would he have had the chance to see what was in the Archives.

"Oh about 6 foot tall, blue eyes, cute nose, gorgeous bum, and lips so kissable" John said drooling, "and let's not forget that Welsh accent"

Jack's eyes turned dark with anger and fear for Ianto, "NO, no way, he is not part of the deal"

"Oh well enjoy living through this time line…again" and with that statement John quickly stepped back from Jack and pressed a button on his wrist strap and disappeared.

A/N: Yeah I know John is a bastard but I love working with him.