Hally stepped through the door onto the platform, relieved to finally be off the train. The Master followed close behind. Surprisingly, he'd dealt with the long journey a lot better than she'd thought. She had assumed that it would only be an hour or so before he was pacing up and down. Restless and bored. But instead, he was more than happy to remain in bed with her. They had slept intermittently, either looking out of the window or wrapped up in each other during their waking hours, Koschei's hands drawing intricate patterns across her skin. She'd fallen asleep in his lap, only to be drawn from her slumber with The Master's head between her legs.

She certainly hadn't minded.

Around an hour before they were due into Cardiff, he'd redressed and exited the compartment, returning barely ten minutes later with a suitcase full of alternative clothing, as he'd described it. In short, The Master refused to wear villager garb any longer. It certainly felt better against her skin. The skirt was still far too long to be practical, but the material was at least softer and less heavy. A dark almost aubergine purple affair, with black lace detailing at the bottom. The jacket was a perfect match, exactly the same colour, perhaps a thicker material for warmth. Long, elegant sleeves tapered into a snug fit with a slight ruffle of the shoulders. Again, a high neck, which Koschei would simply have to put up with and dramatic dark detailing down the front. The jacket cinched in at her waist, flaring out in a sort of 'W' shape just above her hips.

She had to hand it to her husband, their new attire was certainly better. Despite the thievery. The Master was now dressed in a dark grey suit, a long jacket over the top. He had looked her up and down in their compartment, eyes trailing over the clothes in silent admiration. He captured her chin with his finger. "I like this colour." He added, nodding in approval at her outfit before stepping back.

The platform was busy, filled with noise. Humans moved around like cattle as they carted their luggage off the train and on towards their next destination. Children weaved in and out, some being followed by tired-looking parents. The Master linked his arm with hers, outwardly, the perfect picture of a handsome couple and moved them away from the bustle out into the ticket hall forecourt. Hally kept her eyes peeled, searching for Jack's familiar form. The Master wrinkled his nose in distaste. "He's near, I can smell him. He smells wrong."

Hally shot him a look but otherwise kept her mouth shut.

Someone knocked into her shoulder and she turned slightly to glare back at them before turning back to find herself staring down the barrel of a pistol. The barer was a woman, blonde, perhaps in her mid-30s? Hally never really was too sure with humans. She felt The Master's arm tense underneath hers.

"Can I help you?" Hally cocked her head to one side, mentally primed to pull up a shield should the stranger go to attack. Shouts of surprise and fear echoed through the forecourt as onlookers noticed the sudden standoff. Panic began to ensue, a sharp contrast from the still trio in the centre.

"Two heartbeats. The both of them." Another female voice spoke from behind her. Scottish and clipped as if impatient. Hally checked behind her to see a younger woman, a brunette, pointing a primitive device at the pair of them.

Wonderful.

"Torchwood. I presume." Hally offered the blonde a tight smile, assuming she was who she'd spoken to on the phone before she'd gotten through to Jack.

"Quite. And you're Hally, which must make you, The Doctor." The blonde looked between the pair of them, her eyes narrowed in distrust.

The Master let out a sharp snort.

"Where's Jack?" Hally cocked an eyebrow at her, the brunette circled around slowly to join her colleague, looking them both up and down, pouting.

"Oh, poor Jack's a bit dead at the moment." The brunette offered a wry smile, mischief flashing behind her eyes as she shamelessly admired the pair of them. "Now, now… the files say rather a lot about you two… but they did rather miss out how delicious you are."

Hally let out a slow sigh.

Great.

The Master's face split into a charming smile. "Ladies. You flatter us. But please, put down the gun, we'd really hate for anyone to get hurt." His voice lilted with the unsaid threat.

Hally tensed, unsure how the two women would react, their eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Emily!" A familiar voice shouted as Jack ran across the forecourt over to them, shooting furious daggers at the blonde. A dark angry stain of blood was still fresh in the centre of his chest. The blonde tutted, rolling her eyes.

"Can't you ever stay dead for more than five minutes?!" She turned to give Jack a look of mock disapproval.

The Master hummed in quiet agreement, earning him a silencing pinch on the arm.

Jack, not taking his eyes off his colleagues, placed himself between the two women and Hally and The Master, his hands up in an action of surrender. "Emily listen… she's not a threat. I told you, she's a friend. I trust her."

Jack, of course, missed the look the two Time Lords shared behind his back.

"You told us she wasn't with The Doctor." The brunette sneered, pointing over Jack's shoulder towards The Master.

"She's not…" Jack frowned, shooting a look behind him.

"He's got two hearts, Harkness. Your little lady friend is lying to you." The brunette mused, her voice lilted with mirth.

Jack's face fell into a frown as he turned fully to survey the both of them, eyes flicking over towards The Master in confusion and concern.

Hally cleared her throat awkwardly. "He's not…" She let out a soft sigh, mourning the loss of the simple cover story of The Master simply being her human companion. "He's not The Doctor." They were really going to have to make sure they wiped Jack's memory after this.

A frown creased Jack's forehead as he considered the other options, his eyes flicked down to her hand searching for and finding the evidence he'd been looking for on her ring finger. "Oh…"

She offered him a sympathetic smile.

The look on his face had The Master bristling. "Disappointed, Harkness?" His tone held immediate challenge and now was not the time.

Jack, being Jack, instantly rose to the challenge. "Well, yeah, she still owes me a kiss." He shot a wink towards The Master. The groan that fell from her lips was drowned out by the growl that emanated from her husband, his back stiffening. The aura around him shifted immediately.

Danger.

Even Jack took a step back.

Hally shifted herself between the two men, still facing Jack as she pressed herself back against The Master's chest to prevent him from advancing on the Time Agent.

"Koschei, not now…" But his anger had flared, images flickered through his mind. Photographs. Her pain. His mind had zeroed in on one thing. "Koschei!" She turned, pressing her hands against his chest. His eyes snapped down to hers, untampered pain flashing behind the deep brown.

"Master, please…" Her own eyes were wide, silently pleading. His jaw pulsed with tension, the fire in his eyes cooling as he forcibly pulled back his rage. He looked up at Harkness, before his eyes flicked back down to her. A moment later his mouth was on hers, pulling, taking, claiming her mouth in front of their audience. A warm blush spread across her cheeks as he pulled away, shooting daggers at the man behind her. She cleared her throat, turning back to the trio, winding her fingers with The Master's behind her back as she did so.

The two women shared a look between them, the brunette had a look on her face that could even have been described as impressed. "Not The Doctor then…" She quipped, smirking slightly.

Hally coughed an awkward laugh. "Definitely not." She looked up at Jack. "We're not after any trouble. We are… actually stranded." Jack watched her, eyes trailing from her to The Master behind her, she could see the thoughts racing through his mind.

"We don't have anything that can get you back, Hal?" His voice softened.

Her eyes moved down to glance at the Vortex Manipulator at his wrist. "You do."

"It's broken. It doesn't work." The unsaid apology glittered in the bright blue of his eyes.

"We can make it un-broken." Hally smiled up at him, very conscious that they were still all very much standing in a public place.

The Master hummed from behind her in warning. She huffed. "He can make it un-broken."

Jack looked behind him at the two women, the blonde gave him a short nod, although Hally could see she wasn't completely convinced. Jack turned back to them both, nodding. "Ok, let's get out of here."

She nodded and the pair of them followed Jack from the station while the two women dispersed. The public gave them all a wide berth, no doubt someone had contacted the police, so they moved quickly.

Jack walked ahead, leading them swiftly away, cutting down an alleyway between two buildings as they walked.

She could feel the tension rolling between the two men and she let out a slow exhale. Was there seriously no scenario in which they could simply exist near one another without one of them behaving like a five-year-old? This was before The Master had taken Jack captive. All Jack knew was that the man by her side was a 'long lost' husband.

"So…" Jack started, breaking the silence as he looked back at Hally, his eyes flicking up to The Master. "Not dead then?"

It took a moment for The Master to respond, straightening his back as he did so. "Evidently." The Master clipped back.

"He was dead." Hally offered Jack a smile. "It's complicated."

"Evidently." Jack drawled back. As he moved away, he missed the look of chastisement Hally gave her husband.

He led them underground into the Torchwood HQ, not quite as big as the Hub would be, but spacious enough. Jack slipped the Vortex Manipulator off his wrist. "Even if you do get this piece of junk working, I'm going to need it back…"

Hally nodded, offering him a knowing smile. "Yes, you are. I was thinking you come with us, we 'hitch a ride', so to speak, then we send you back here with one trip. Manipulator goes back to being caput and we… wipe your memory of us ever being here." Her eyes sparkled softly. "Timelines." She offered as an explanation.

He chuckled. "Uh huh." He handed the manipulator to The Master, holding onto it a moment too long as he caught the man's gaze. "You don't like me very much, do you?"

The Master stared back and for a moment Hally thought he might not bother responding. "No." He hummed and pulled the strap from Jack's hand, moving across to the side of the room to the nearest workbench. The Master made himself at home, searching out the tools he could use and got to work.

Jack turned back to Hally, his eyebrows arching in disapproval. She let out a soft chuckle, watching as The Master hunched over the manipulator, concentration on his face. "Been a while?" Jack murmured, the meaning behind his words obvious to her.

She turned back to look at him. "No, not really. Can't get rid of you these days." Her mouth curved into a smirk, knowing he wouldn't understand the amusement behind the words.

He hummed in thought. "How long do I have to wait? For The Doctor…"

She sighed softly, shaking her head. "Maybe it's better you don't know…"

"You're going to wipe my memory anyway." He countered, shrugging. "Tell me, Hal."

Hally rolled her lip between her teeth, considering him before she rather quickly gave in. "It's over a hundred years Jack, and it's not…" Her eyes drifted over towards where The Master was working. "It's not exactly what you're searching for." He narrowed his eyes, not sure what she was getting at. She shook her head, exhaling sadly. "Just… do good here." She offered him a complicated smile. "You're a good man Jack, just keep doing that." She could feel it as The Master's gaze landed on her, but his eyes flicked back to the vortex manipulator as soon as she moved to catch his stare.

"Done." The Master straightened up, waving the manipulator in the air before chucking it towards his wife. Hally caught it, offering The Master an appreciative look. She was about to fasten it onto Jack's wrist before she thought better of it, simply handing it back to him.

"Coordinates are already set." The Master noted, slotting in beside her.

"Anything I should know?" Jack cocked an eyebrow.

Hally hummed, cocking her head to one side. "Could be fine, could be chaos. Let's find out." She placed her hand over the top of the manipulator, The Master placing his hand over hers. Jack chuckled lowly waggling his eyebrows in excitement. He activated it and the floor slipped out from underneath them. A moment later her feet hit the ground, accompanied by a low groan from The Master. The world tilted, her vision uncomfortably fuzzy for a moment as her body caught up with the jump, her stomach churned. She straightened up, taking in their surroundings and letting out a breath of relief at the familiar setting.

Cardiff.

Definitely 21st Century.

The centre of the city.

An explosion rocked the ground and the trio whipped around, they couldn't see what had caused it, the blast coming from behind the building they were standing in front of, but what they could see, splitting the sky, was an angry chasm, oozing a dark red haze. The Master caught her gaze, his expression grim. "Hole punch…"

Screams erupted from nearby and Jack turned back to her, his eyebrows raised. "Chaos, huh?"

Hally took in a deep breath, grounding herself. Reluctant resignation filtered onto The Master's face. "Well." He muttered, "I suppose, we'd better save the world." He punctuated his disdain with a roll of his eyes, before offering his hand out to his wife.

Despite their circumstances and the likely time constraints, a slow, wry smile curved onto her face. She slapped her hand in his and he squeezed hard.

"Keep up, Harkness!" The Master barked, setting off into a run, pulling Hally with him. Jack didn't need telling twice, sprinting after them as they ran down the street, circling around to the front of the building in search of the source of the explosion and screaming. They could see more of it now, the ugly, raging scar seemed to cut the atmosphere in half, bleeding energy. Angry sparks of energy escaped in tentacle-like tendrils. The Master slowed to a walk, they'd run into a small square just outside a shopping centre. The source of the mass panic was now impossible to miss. Humans were running, huddling and trying to take cover and hide from a towering Tyrannosaurus Rex, snapping its jaws as it circled around the square.

"Woah…" Jack muttered, his eyes never leaving the predator. Its massive form silhouetted against the backdrop of Cardiff city centre as it scanned the area for its next target. At the edge of the square, two humans scrambled over a toppled food truck. It snapped after them. "Did it come through that?" Jack motioned towards the rip.

"Most likely…" The Master's voice was low, eyes flicking around as he quickly tried to conjure up a semblance of a plan.

Hally gazed up at the sky, a very real sense of doom washed over her as multiple cracks appeared, tainting the once serene blue with a menacing shade of red. The very fabric of reality was fracturing around them, pouring chaos down upon them.

Jack had already drawn his weapon, the sharp crack of gunfire echoing through the chaos as he fired into the air. The sudden noise succeeded in diverting the attention of the T-Rex away from the cowering humans, its colossal head swivelling to lock its predatory gaze upon the trio.

The Master's frustration boiled over, his voice dripping with disdain as he berated Jack for his reckless actions. "Oh, well done genius," he growled, his tone heavy with furious disbelief. But Jack, undeterred, met the Master's glare with defiance, his grip tightening on the weapon as he prepared to face the ancient menace head-on.

"If you have a bright idea, go right ahead!" Jack retorted, his words laced with sarcasm as he raised his gun, ready to take on the monstrosity before them. However, before he could pull the trigger once more, Hally intervened, her voice cutting through to him.

"Shooting it is only going to make it angrier!" She shouted, her hands moving swiftly to shove Jack's gun back down to the ground.

The T-Rex circled its massive frame to face them fully, its roar reverberating through the square, human screams echoed off the surrounding buildings as some attempted to make a frantic escape, taking advantage of the distraction caused by the creature's attention being drawn to Hally, The Master, and Jack.

The air stirred with the beast's foul breath, causing Hally to scrunch her face in disgust as she took a step back, her mind racing for a plan. Eyeing the towering buildings and the occasional tree, she scanned her surroundings for anything that could be used as a makeshift weapon to fend off the approaching threat.

The Master's voice, tinged with a hint of urgency, broke through her thoughts. "Darling," he murmured, his own composure wavering slightly as the T-Rex loomed closer, the ground trembling beneath its massive feet. "I'm not usually one to rush you, but..."

Jack, his bravado faltering slightly, raised his gun once more. "Oh, a little less confident now it would seem." he quipped, shooting a glare at The Master, who responded with a sneer.

Hally squeezed between the two men, positioning herself in front of them, ready to unleash her powers in defence. As the T-Rex's gaze bore down on her, she steeled herself, summoning her power to rush just below the surface.

With a deep breath, she straightened her shoulders, meeting the creature's eyes with a defiant stare. She knew she could take it down. She had to. And as if sensing her determination, her maelstrom of certainty, the T-Rex hesitated, its black pupils dilating ever so slightly as it took a step back, a low snarl rumbling in its chest.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Hally noticed two familiar figures rushing into the square, their guns raised in readiness. It was Gwen and Owen, their expressions a mix of confusion and concern. Catching Hally's gaze, they paused, unsure of what to do.

Without breaking her focus on the T-Rex, Hally raised her hand in their direction, silently signalling for them to stay back, knowing that the situation was already precarious enough. She could manage. Better to keep them safe.

As the T-Rex shifted once more, its massive head lowering to growl furiously at Hally, she felt a chill run down her spine. Behind her, Jack's voice came in a whisper, filled with uncertainty. "What's it doing...?"

The Master's response was barely audible. "It's deciding... who the apex predator is..."

Confusion clouded Jack's features, his brows furrowing in bewilderment as he tried to comprehend what The Master meant. Meanwhile, The Master leaned forward, his hand pressing into the small of Hally's back. Before she could react, he gave her a sudden push forward, propelling her towards the T-Rex.

Before Hally could turn to shoot a murderous glare over her shoulder, the T-Rex reacted with another deafening roar, its hot breath washing over her face as she found herself directly in its line of sight.

Hally's heart pounded in her chest as she stood face-to-face with the towering predator. She stared directly into its eyes. She could not back down now. Any sign of weakness and it would lunge at her, breaking every bone in her body. She might survive, it was likely, but being eaten by a T-Rex was certainly something she would rather avoid. The air crackled with tension, her senses heightened as adrenaline surged through her veins.

"I fucking hate you." She slammed into her husband's mind.

"Be the apex predator."

"YOU BE THE APEX PREDATOR!"

"Don't get eaten." He flicked back.

Throwing him into the creature's mouth as a distraction was looking more and more appealing.

There wasn't a living being present in the square who wasn't watching her with their undivided attention. The two men behind her, Gwen, Owen and all the remaining humans. She noticed, with a pang of frustration, that some had even taken their phones out. A T-Rex pops up in the middle of the city and what do humans do? They film it. Great. Just great.

She'd managed to forget for all of twelve seconds that the pair of them had, at this point, some of the most famous faces on the planet.

She was going to get eaten by a T-Rex, all live-streamed on social media.

Joy.

The T-Rex took a testing step forward, but she took her own. Staring up at it, never dropping eye contact. She continued to fill herself with the undercurrent of energy, letting the power stream through her, fizzing at the edges of her skin. Burning, ready to be set free.

The predator stared back at her, shifting. Behind it, its tail swiped irritably from side to side. It lowered its neck further, its head barely a meter off the ground, staring at her. Teeth bared, a constant low growl rumbling in its throat. Ready to strike. Ready at any moment to snap her in half. Her gaze darkened, warning bleeding through as she took another step forward. Less than two steps between them now. The growl ceased. Silence. She couldn't back down now. Any show of weakness and it would strike, so she stared it down and prayed to a god she didn't believe in and finally, finally, it took a small step backwards.

Its spine curved, razor sharp teeth still bared as it took another, larger step backwards. It turned, letting out a furious roar towards the onlookers who shrank back with fear. Then, it shifted, circling around to glare at her, before it broke into a run, away from them. Away from the square.

Hally turned letting out a very strained breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding, sending daggers towards her husband.

A grin slowly spread across his face, the smug, unarguable kind.

She took a step towards him, giving him a hard shove.

"Prick."

Jack watched the exchange, looking from her to The Master. Whatever comment he was going to make was interrupted by the arrival of Gwen and Owen. The Welsh brunette looked them all up and down, eyes travelling from Hally to The Master and finally resting on Jack.

"Jack?"

Jack turned to her, cocking an eyebrow and not hiding the slow look of appreciation as he looked her up and down. "Well, Hello there…"

Gwen's face scrunched with a confused frown. "No… I'm looking right at you." Hally realised she must have also been talking with present-day Jack over the comms.

Owen and Gwen shared a look before Owen's attention clocked on to Hally. "Do you know how to stop this?"

Her face split with honest concern. "I don't know. But we came back to help." Owen's gaze flicked from her, to The Master and to Jack again, as Gwen's had done. He nodded his head.

"The castle. That's where Jack is. It's converging there…"

Gwen looked at him, a silent message. "Owen…"

He looked at her, giving her a rebellious shrug. "What?!"

"Jack isn't going to like this…" Gwen ground her jaw, eyes flicking back towards the two Time Lords.

Owen snorted, shrugging again and motioning towards the 1901 Jack. "Don't know what you're talking about?" He shot Gwen a smirk before beckoning them all away, towards the castle.

They ran, chaos evident throughout the city. In the short time it took to get to the entrance of the castle they'd ran past at least a dozen sights that definitely didn't belong in 21st-century Cardiff. WWII soldiers, Vikings, and Cybermen, to name but a few. Hally swore a pair of Toclafane had whizzed over their heads.

Owen and Gwen led them to the castle, heading inside. A pulsing open wound crackled in the centre of the high walls. Moving closer, they spotted Jack standing before the rift, his silhouette stark against the crimson light emanating from the opening. Before him stood the man from New York, the one who had shoved Hally and The Master through into 1901. Anger crackled around her husband as his eyes settled on him. The man was standing in front of the angry fissure, holding the device he had wielded days before, its intricate design glowing faintly in his hands. His eyes were fixed on Jack, a sense of tension hanging heavy between them, almost like the pair were stuck in some kind of standoff, a threat.

The two men were talking to one another, Hally could see their mouths moving but they were just out of earshot.

"…this doesn't have to end like this…" Jack was reasoning. His words trailed off at their approach.

"An audience. Wonderful." The man sent a wide smile towards the advancing group.

Jack turned, catching sight of Gwen and Owen first before his eyes slid and landed on… himself.

"He came with them." She stated simply, her voice betraying a hint of unease. Jack's eyes narrowed, his gaze finally shifting to settle upon Hally and The Master, who stood a few paces behind Gwen.

At the sight of them, Jack's face immediately darkened, a shadow crossing his features. His back stiffened, muscles tensing as he instinctively shifted into a defensive stance.

Hally, sensing a swift escalation, raised her hands pre-emptively upwards in a gesture of peace. "We're here to help," She offered, her voice steady.

But Jack's response was immediate and harsh, his words cutting through the air like a whip. "We don't need your help." He spat.

The man behind Jack let out a slow laugh. "He couldn't possibly accept your help. Doing so would only mean him accepting responsibility."

Gwen looked from the man to Jack. "Jack? Do you know him?"

Jack waved Gwen's question away swiftly. The man's attention shifted to the newcomers, eyes glinting as they settled on the two familiar faces. He sneered. "Although, I didn't expect to be seeing you two again so soon."

The Master growled, danger, cold and sharp emanating from him.

Jack raised a questioning glance her way.

"We hitched a ride from 1901." She offered as explanation, motioning towards the younger version of Jack who punctuated her words with a slow smirk.

Jack's attention was split between the threat in front of him and his enemy behind him. Conflicted. He shifted, revealing his gun sitting in its holster. A wordless warning.

The Master snorted. "Are you going to try and shoot me again?" His mouth curled up into a snarl. "I would have thought you'd have more pressing issues at hand."

Young Jack, the Jack they'd brought with them frowned, Hally's attention flickered between the two. One murderous Jack she could deal with, but if his younger counterpart decided to join in the murder mission, that might cause problems. 1901 Jack shifted his gaze down to her, confusion and conflict in his gaze. He couldn't understand the heated tension he'd stepped into. The fact that his elder would rather draw a gun on her husband than deal with the world falling apart around them…

There was a soft sigh to their right, feminine. "We both know you're not going to shoot him, or her, Jack, so stop peacocking and get back to the actual problem." The voice was sharp, demanding and yet teasing.

And undeniably familiar.

Hally turned her head, her brain taking a moment to process the face in front of her.

Her utter shock, turned swiftly to anger.

"What is she doing here?" Hally turned her attention back to Jack, accusation burning behind her stare.

Harkness shifted, the only sign that he was in any way bothered by her glower and shrugged. "I hired her."

"You… what?!"

"We had a vacancy." He shot her a meaningful look.

"No.. you… for a psychologist?!" She snapped back.

Jack opened his mouth to reply but Alina cut in for him. "I'm sure you would agree, that for a small team who are consistently shoved into highly stress-inducing and unbelievable scenarios, my skillset would be nothing but an asset. Plus, I have the added experience of dealing with extremely volatile extra-terrestrials."

Out of the corner of her eye, Hally could now see that Toshiko and Ianto had joined them, they must have been with Alina.

Hally stared at her. Dumbfounded.

"She's very difficult to say no to…" Jack muttered under his breath.

"But…" Hally turned back to him, vying to somehow make this his fault. "But, she has a son!?"

"And that somehow makes me less capable?" The blonde clipped.

Hally opened and closed her mouth a few times before a soft whine caught in her throat. "Well… no."

"No." Alina shot her a definitive smile. She turned to the man. "Now, we're all being incredibly rude, Victor here is trying to hold the world to ransom after all." Alina slowly motioned to the man who stood patiently waiting behind Jack. She sent him a small smile. "Do continue, I assume you have some demands?"

The man, Victor frowned at the blonde, scoffing. "I don't have any demands. There's nothing you can do to stop me." He took a step backwards, towards the gateway behind him. "I'm taking this and I'm going to change everything…"

Alina cocked her head to one side, considering him. "Well… see, that's unlikely. You've evidently made a point of making a big spectacle. You want someone's attention, whose is it?"

Jack's shoulders tensed, which Alina noted silently.

The Master's voice snuck into Hally's mind. "The device, in his hands… if I can get my hands on it, I should be able to reverse the temporal signature. Close the splintering rifts." They shared a look, before Hally's gaze shifted to what was evidently the main splinter behind Victor. The Master would have to close the smaller fragments first, then they could work on closing the main one.

"Distraction?"

"That would be marvellous, darling. Don't let him step into the rift."

"Mmhmm…"

Victor sneered at Alina, taking a step backwards towards his intended destination. "Wait!" Hally yelled, grabbing his attention. Victor scowled at her, taking another step. "It's Jack isn't it?!" Hally added quickly. That seemed to pique Victor's interest. Hally, continued, counting on Victor's need to recite his woes.

Angry people love to talk.

"Hally…" Jack's voice was low, a dark warning edging into his tone.

She let out a soft laugh, manoeuvring herself further towards Victor. "What did he do to you?"

Victor paused. "You…" A scowl creased his face. "Nothing that can't be fixed."

Hally nodded slowly. "Right… so you go back in time… what, fix whatever he did? Hmm? Is that the plan?"

Victor just stared at her.

"I hate to break it to you… but that's not going to work. You seem… like a smart man." Hally exhaled a chuckle. "That device is primitive… it's not working how you expected it to, is it?" The flicker of uncertainty across his face told Hally all she needed to know. "You use that… you create a whole new timeline… that device doesn't have the power to sustain that. Both timelines will collapse in on one another. Trust me…"

"Why would I trust you?" Victor sneered.

"Well, it's sort of in the title, Time Lord." She smirked at him. "I admire the thought though… but what about… an alternative?" Her face stretched as she offered him a small smile.

"Because, as it turns out. Captain Jack Harkness is rather a nuisance to the both of us?" She continued, her tone dripping with self-assured sarcasm. Uncertainty rippled through the team behind her as The Master shifted, slowly, around to the other side of the group.

A frown marred Victor's face. "You're lying to me. You're Torchwood too…" He accused.

Hally's response was a soft chuckle, tinged with a hint of mischief. "Barely." She admitted with a nonchalant shrug, her demeanour bordering on arrogance. "I don't really need you to believe me…" She added, motioning towards Jack, the younger version of Jack. "The solution to both of our problem is standing right in front of you."

1901 Jack looked at her, frowning. "Hal?"

She ignored the looks of betrayal, lacing her words with calculated charm as she offered him a disarming smile. "You kill that one, and this one…" She gestured towards 21st-century Jack, "Never has the chance to do… whatever it was that's gotten you so worked up." She proposed, her tone sugary sweet. "No time travel required."

"I'm not stupid… he can't die!"

Hally's smile remained unwavering as she tilted her head to one side, her gaze fixed on Victor. "Not ordinarily…" Her voice dropped, as though sharing a secret. "But you see… you've got me." With a flourish, she raised her hand, twisting it in a motion that sent waves of golden energy swirling around the younger Jack.

A cry of pain escaped Jack's lips as he clutched at his chest, his body wracked with the effects of Hally's manipulation. The future version staggered, weakened by the draining of his life force. Victor's eyes widened in realisation. "It's the power of the Time Vortex," Hally explained, her tone almost reverent. "It's what keeps him alive. And I can take it away. If you like..." Her offer hung in the air, a tantalising promise of salvation or destruction, depending on Victor's choice.

As Victor hesitated, grappling with the new option presented to him, Jack from 1901 groaned, collapsing to the floor. Gwen rushed to his side, her voice filled with desperation as she pleaded for Hally to stop.

Victor opened his mouth, closing it again. "Why would you help me?"

"Oh, it's nothing personal… the life of one man to save a whole planet?" She offered a nonchalant shrug. "No one could deny it was for the greater good…"

Victor took a step forward, away from the rift, considering her offer.

"Ready?"

"Always."

Hally's eyes slid across to the older version of Jack, his face had paled, the energy she was pulling from 1901, ultimately, killing him.

Uncertain hurt flashed behind his eyes.

"Vatican Cameos."

"What?" Victor frowned at her, his attention more or less, fully on her. Her eyes flicked back to his.

"I said..." Hally paused, her breath catching in her throat. "Vatican Cameos." With those words, she released her hold on 1901 Jack, who staggered, supported by Gwen's steady hands. In the same instant, 21st Century Jack, sprang into action, his movements swift and purposeful. He seized his gun and trained it on Victor, his finger poised on the trigger.

Simultaneously, Hally flicked her hand to the left, the time device pulled from Victor's grasp and into the waiting hands of The Master, who wasted no time in setting to work on the intricate machinery. The sharp crack of Jack's gunshot shattered the air as the bullet struck Victor in the shoulder, causing him to stagger backwards in pain. Hally reacted instantly, grabbing hold of him and forcibly pulling him away from the rift's ominous glow. Victor stumbled and fell to the ground.

Stepping in front of him, Hally positioned herself as a barrier between Victor and the rift, ensuring that he remained incapacitated and unable to pose any further threat. Owen and Ianto moved swiftly to assist, dragging Victor further away from the crack as the rest of the team sprang into action.

Behind her, the rift pulsed angrily, its energy seeping out in erratic bursts. Sensing the growing instability, Hally took a wary step away from it, checking over at The Master who was swiftly moving dials, shifting parts around, reversing the damage. But even as he worked, the original crack continued to widen, becoming increasingly unstable.

"Uhh… not to rush you…" Hally muttered towards him, her tone betraying her fear.

"Yes, I know!" He snapped back, taking a few steps back away from the now angrily throbbing divide. White hot energy surged towards them, crackling with anger as it hit the barrier she'd forced up. But the rift continued to pulsate furiously with increasing intensity. Hally could sense it building, a volatile storm gathering strength within the confines of the rift. The air crackled with anticipation, charged with raw power.

Suddenly, a surge of force erupted from the rift, knocking them all to the ground with a deafening impact. Hally gritted her teeth against the force of the blow, her senses reeling. With adrenaline coursing through her veins, she scrambled to her feet, her mind racing with urgency. Hally wasted no time. With swift movements, she summoned all she could to encase the bleeding rift. A protective shield around the growing chasm.

But even as she flowed more energy into it, reinforcing the shield, Hally knew that their time was running out. The energy within the rift continued to surge, threatening to rupture the barrier and unleash untold devastation upon them all. With every passing moment, the pressure mounted.

"Master!" Hally's voice rang out with urgency.

"Do you want to do it?!" He shot back, his glare filled with murderous intent, which she returned with equal venom.

"No! I want you to do it! FASTER!" She exclaimed, the strain evident in her voice as she struggled to maintain the shield against the relentless onslaught of energy.

The force of the rift grew stronger, smashing against her defence with increasing ferocity, cracks spider-webbed across its surface. Hally pushed harder, pouring every ounce of effort into keeping it intact. Chaos reigned as time energy seeped through the weakening barrier, threatening to spiral out of control. The Master's eyes flicked up towards her shield and back to her, then down to the device in his hands. Time was running out. He needed more time.

"Harkness!" The Master's voice boomed, cutting through as he addressed Jack, distaste evident in his tone. "Grab her hand!"

Jack hesitated, uncertainty flashing across his features. "What?!"

"Grab her fucking hand!" The Master growled impatiently, his frustration palpable as Hally quickly cottoned on to his plan. Without waiting for Jack's consent, she seized his hand, immediately tapping into the boundless well of life energy within him. Jack let out a pained grunt, but he gripped her hand nonetheless. 1901 Jack followed suit, mirroring his counterpart's actions and linking hands with Hally.

Energy surged through them, coursing into her veins and providing just enough power to bolster the weakening shield. The Master clicked the final piece of the device into place, coming to stand by her side. "Ready?" he asked, his voice steady despite the impending carnage.

"Ready," Hally confirmed without hesitation.

He didn't ask twice. With a swift motion, The Master hurled the device into the rift. The energy swelled and built, pressing against the shield with renewed vigour. Hally groaned, pain splintering her mind as she fought to keep it contained, her muscles straining against the overwhelming force.

The pressure intensified, the shield cracking under the strain before finally, it yielded. With a deafening roar, the rift collapsed into nothingness, taking the device with it. Hally released the energy, her arms dropping to her sides as she stumbled, The Master's arms catching her.

His eyes scanned over her, assessing her condition. She was pale, trembling slightly, but she was fine. She would be fine. He hummed in approval, nodding as he kept an arm around her for support.

There were a few moments of blissful silence as everyone took a breath.

All still alive.

Cardiff safe.

World saved.

Hally let out a heavy exhale, feeling as her hearts slowed. Caving to the comfort she craved, she turned into The Master's hold, letting her head fall against his chest as her body recovered.

"So… what do we do about him…?" Ianto broke the silence. Hally forced her head back up, half-expecting Ianto to be looking at The Master. He wasn't, he was looking at 1901 Jack and Hally let out a soft sigh.

"Well… the plan was to wipe his memory and send him back…" She caught the gaze of the man in question, he nodded.

"We can't change my timeline, I can't remember any of this." The older version noted gravely, his eyes scanning over Hally and The Master meaningfully.

"Well… I guess it's good to know the future is in good hands." His younger self quipped, shooting a wink towards himself, causing Gwen to roll her eyes as she hauled Victor to his feet. She and Ianto escorted him out of the castle grounds.

"And we're wiping my memory how?"

Hally shifted out of The Master's arms, giving him a look which he acknowledged with a nod, however, before he could move, 21st-century Jack intervened, his expression darkening with distrust as he glared at the Time Lord. "I'm not letting that man anywhere near my mind." He declared vehemently, his hand rummaging around in his pocket until he produced a small circular tablet. "We'll retcon me."

With a sense of finality, Jack handed the tablet to his younger self, who accepted it without hesitation, swallowing it down with a determined gulp.

"Been a pleasure." His younger self smirked at his older counterpart.

The Master shifted forward, checking the coordinates on the vortex manipulator, just one trip, then the device would be as useless as it was before.

21st-century Jack double-checked it, of course, and only after satisfying himself that everything was in order did he step back.

1901 Jack cleared his throat, a gesture of readiness as he offered his older self a nod of solidarity. Shooting Hally a warm smile, he then turned his attention to The Master, his eyes narrowing with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. "Something tells me, I'll be seeing you." Jack watched The Master's face, the ghost of a smile curved at his mouth.

"Quite."

Jack, next to Hally, shifted irritably.

Younger Jack's chuckle reverberated through the tense atmosphere, mischief gleaming in his eyes as he spoke. "I'm going to take a wild guess... a stab in the dark... you don't like me... because I've kissed your wife," he quipped, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.

The Master's posture stiffened, his expression darkening with barely contained fury. "Among... other things." He added, his voice laced with thinly veiled contempt.

Jack's chuckle persisted, his demeanour unapologetically playful as he continued to poke at the man in front of him. "Well... I did kiss you first." He remarked, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

His meaning didn't quite sink in fast enough, because before Hally, The Master or even Jack's older self could protest, Jack had grabbed The Master by the lapel of his jacket yanking him forward as he smashed his mouth against the Time Lord's.

Hally's mouth fell open.

It took at least three seconds for The Master's brain to kick into gear and he shoved the taller man backwards off of him. Jack shot him a wide grin, pressing the button on his Vortex Manipulator, disappearing from sight.

Stunned silence fell across the group.

Hally chewed on the inside of her mouth, begging the smirk that wanted to creep onto her face to remain hidden. She brought her hand up to her face to hide the inevitable smile, trying to mask the amused exhale as a cough.

"Don't you dare…" The Master's gaze shot to her, murderous.

She hummed, practically vibrating in her attempt to quell the laughter. "I didn't say anything…"

Jack groaned inwardly. "Someone kill me."

"Gladly." The Master growled.

A sharp giggle escaped her mouth, drawing heated glares from both men in front of her. That only made it worse, she tried to press her mouth shut but laughter bubbled up as they continued to glare at her.

"Stop it." The Master ordered but she'd already lost, laughter falling freely from her.

"Well…" Water had actually started to pool in her eyes, her lungs burned as she struggled to pull breath in. "You know… I might need to plan out a whole year's worth of revenge now…"

"Hally…" His voice was low in warning.

"Marry a human… I dunno, take over a planet?!"

Alina let out a snort of laughter.

The Master advanced on her, catching her jaw in his hand as he glared down at her. Her face still held a stupid smile and he growled. "You're ridiculous."

"No… you're ridiculous." She countered, eyes flashing, teasing mirth plastered all over her face. The Master stared at her, his eyes demanding obedience. Her smile softened, eyes still glittering.

Something within him shifted and his eyes narrowed as a smirk slowly curved at his mouth. "Mmm." He offered in agreement. "Well… perhaps you're right… If anything, I should have pitied you, after such a terrible experience."

Hally snorted, his jab evident. Jack rolled his eyes, refusing to take the bait.

Gwen and Ianto returned, their faces depicting their confusion over the suddenly strange atmosphere. "Jack…? How do you know him?" It took the group a moment to realise she was referring to Victor.

Jack tensed up again, shaking his head. "It doesn't matter… it's in the past."

The Master let out a laugh. "Oho, I think your little hero façade is slipping."

"Ok… let's hit pause on this little pissing match." Alina clicked, crossing her arms over her chest. She warily eyed both Jack and The Master, waiting for one of them to rebuff her, when neither man did, she continued. "Gwen, your concerns are valid, we will pick up this discussion later, won't we Jack?" Alina shot him a look. He rolled his jaw, neither confirming nor denying it. "I'm going to assume the pair of you need a place to stay before you head back to New York?"

This pulled a reaction from him, as Jack looked towards Hally and back up at Alina. "You're awfully trusting of the pair who murdered you."

"Excellent deflection, Jack." Alina cocked an unimpressed eyebrow.

Hally bristled, glaring towards him.

"Wait… what?" She heard Owen clip.

The Master's gaze fell on Owen, his face curling with distaste. He turned his head towards his wife, raising an eyebrow. "He smells funny."

Hally shot him up a look, more focused on the conversation happening in front of them. She crossed her arms over her chest. But The Master was insistent. "What is wrong with him?"

Hally sighed outwardly. "He's dead."

"Dead?"

Alina sighed, sending a small smile towards Owen. "As you can see Owen, I'm not 'murdered'."

"Dead."

Jack barked out a laugh. "Now, who's deflecting?"

"Disgusting."

The blonde turned towards Jack. "If there's something you want to say, Jack?"

"Shut up a second."

"How… are you actually here, though?" Hally turned to look up at Alina. Her expression softened, a sort of uncertain familiarity.

"Can't you make it, not dead? It's making me feel sick."

"Shh."

"I don't remember… if that's what you're asking?"

Hally nodded.

Jack cut in. "Your little publicity stunt." He spat. Alina watched her, her eyes alight with interest as she considered Hally.

"I had dreams… then, suddenly your faces were all over the internet and I realised that for some reason I was dreaming about two people I'd never met."

"The smell is unbearable…"

"I don't remember… not everything. It's more like having watched a film. It doesn't quite feel like me, but I know the story. I know how it ends."

Guilt prickled across Hally's skin. Alina's near-grey eyes stayed on her face.

"Can't you fix it?" The Master spoke out loud this time, fed up with being ignored. She shot him a glare.

"Fix what?"

His gaze moved over towards Owen, looking at him as though he were a particularly gross bug he needed her to squish.

"No, I can't…-" Then she stopped and actually considered it for a moment, eyebrows raising. "Oh… well, no I probably can."

Owen's eyes flicked from hers to The Master's, perturbed by the sudden unwarranted attention. "Uh, what?"

"Sorry, he's… pestering…" Hally offered as explanation, moving closer to Owen. "Would you prefer to be, not dead?"

"Not dead?"

"Mhmm, not dead."

"Uh… as in…?"

"As in, not dead."

"I don't… alive?"

"Probably."

"Probably?"

"Well, I haven't really done it before, so it's likely but I'm not putting anything in writing." Hally offered, smiling coyly.

He stared at her. "Not dead…"

"Mmmhmm." She motioned towards his chest, where she knew the bullet wound still sat.

Owen, finally following her line of thought, unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt, revealing the still open wound. The Master made an unnecessary noise of disgust from behind her. She placed her hand just above the bullet hole, against his skin and closed her eyes. He did feel strange. Like a slab. A slab of dead matter. It was uncomfortable. Touching him. So dead. So wrong. She forced herself to focus, feeling him, she worked in order, fixing each part in sequence. Skin knitted back together, muscle, nerves and blood vessels along with the wall of his heart that had been torn to shreds as the bullet had hit. She extended her presence outwards from his chest, mending his broken fingers and then finally she pressed energy into his chest. Not too much. Just enough. His heart beat back into life. Air fell into his lungs as neurons started firing in his brain.

Owen took in a sharp pained breath, his eyes widening with fear. Hally took her hand away, worried she'd somehow hurt him. He spluttered. "My heart is beating…"

"Yeah…"

"I'm breathing… oh my… fuck, I'm breathing. I'm breathing so much… is this too much? I've forgotten how to breathe. Shit. Fuck." He let out a laugh, touching across his chest, the wound gone. Tosh moved to his side, taking his pulse. He touched her hand. "I can feel you." A smile split across Toshiko's face. "Holy shit…" Owen looked down at Tosh and without a second thought, lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her desperately.

Hally took a step back, very much removing herself from … whatever that was. The Master sniffed. "Better." She rolled her eyes.

There was a noise.

Metallic.

Hitting the floor.

Ianto noticed the canister first.

Gas.

Gas began to flow from the canister.

A thick, viscous fog.

Gwen coughed as it infiltrated her lungs.

Gas.

Hally acted quickly, lifting her hand to force the gas away from them, primed to defend when pain slammed into her mind. She let out a sharp scream, holding her hands up to her ears as if she could squeeze the agony out.

Ringing.

Agonisingly loud ringing pounded her ears as she fell to her knees.

She couldn't hear anything else.

Gwen was shouting something.

Through the tears in her eyes, she could see Jack also holding his head, grimacing with pain.

The Master, like her, had fallen to the floor. The humans didn't seem affected.

Although, there was the gas.

Haze filtered across her vision.

Gas.

Jack had grabbed hold of Ianto. Hally tried to move, tried to get to The Master but she couldn't.

Pain.

Mind splitting.

Like a bomb going off inside her mind.

Bomb.

She couldn't move.

Gas.

The gas was in her lungs.

It was knocking her out.

Coursing through her lungs and into her bloodstream.

How was that even possible?

The Master's hands grabbed towards her as he slipped into unconsciousness.

Panic.

Actual panic.

Darkness.