Fic: Dominoes 2/2 Torchwood/Doctor Who

[i_want_2]

Monday rolled around with a hint of boredom. For the first time, Ianto wasn't immediately looking forward to going back to work. While his last day of work had called in to question his mental fitness, the weekend had been filled with enough emotional healing to make up for it. The last two days with Martha had seen him the most content he could recall and he wasn't ready for that peace to end.

But, end it would. Monday was here, and it meant he had to go back and face the questions. He knew his co-workers would be an endless bundle of nervous energy around him. There would be no end to the distractions they would cause in their curiosity. It wasn't the first time he had gone through these motions.

Sharing the black cab with Martha, Ianto was calm and composed once more. His black suit was, like last Friday and as always, perfectly creased. Unlike Friday, he now sat next to his sweet Martha, holding her hand visibly to any who looked within. Beside him, he could see from the corner of his eye the proud way she held her head. In a moment of weakness, he reached up and traced his fingers over the side of her face.

Blushing, Ianto couldn't say what had come over him. He just had to make sure she was real and whole. When she turned to him, kissing his finger tips before his hand fell away, he smiled for her. "Have I told you today how beautiful you are?"

"Yes, Ianny." She chuckled as he pinched her arm. Martha had never seen him this open before and the thought of it alone made her giddy. "You know they are going to know what happened this weekend."

"Yes. I am prepared for the inevitable." The teasing would be merciless, of course. He, of course, had plenty of ammunition on which to use against them. "It will not get ugly, I assure you."

"Funny, I was just about to say give it as good as you get." Squeezing his hand, she saw the front of the hospital come in to view. Where she had always been excited before, today, she felt a little disappointed to be coming back. A quick look to Ianto let her know she wasn't the only one feeling it. That knowledge made her heart flutter.

~~~~~~~~~~~

As he entered the halls of Royal Hope Hospital, Ianto felt as if he were floating on air. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, the heart monitors were beeping. Over head, the florescent bulbs hummed a tune most beautiful. Head filled with cotton, he nearly waltzed his way in to the office.

He didn't make it three steps in the door before a folder was slapped against his chest. Looking down at it, Ianto frowned. He felt the lightness of being evaporate and he was once more stuck in his own body. "What's this?"

"John Smith." Dr. Stoker thumped the file twice in quick succession. "It's against normal hospital policy for a non-licensed person to interview a patient. Therefore, you will take Nurse Rhys-Atwood with you and gather his personal information and medical history." He held a hand up to forestall Ianto's next questions. "Your name has been bandied about for this assignment, and this one chance I am willing to give to you. Prove yourself, and I will consider giving you a recommendation for formal training and eventual licensing." Without another look to Ianto, he walked out of the office.

Ianto stood there for a moment stunned.

Coming over to guide him from the office, Nurse Rhys-Atwood took him by the arm. "Come along, we've a lot to do today." In her other arm were a dozen new manilla folders. "There was a recent influx of patients over the weekend and several more are on their way."

"Ah." It explained why the man in charge himself came down to speak with lowly old him. By the time everything he had been told sank in, they were rounding the corner in to the admittance lounge. Gurneys, already loaded down with patients, were lining the walls all the way to the doors. He looked in askance to the nurse.

Smiling, she pointed to a gurney down the hall, next to the women's room doors. "He's a wily one, the admitting nurse couldn't get much more out of him than his name." With a quick pat on the shoulder, she shoved Ianto down the hall. Not having the chance to watch him go, she walked up to the nearest gurney and opened a file.

Ianto steeled himself against the gnawing pit in his stomach. He could do this, it wasn't much different than what he normally did. And, there was a bright side, there would be no illegible hand writing. His was impeccably neat, and would be easy to read when he entered it in to the hospital's intranet. Resolve sharpened, he marched up to the gurney and cleared his throat. "Mr. Smith, I am Mr. Ianto Jones. I am here to take down your information for our files."

Looking up from his nurse watching, the dark haired man smiled at Ianto. "Hello!" Then he went back to observing the flow of people around them.

Blocking the man's view, Ianto tapped his folder with a pen. "Mr. Smith, I understand your curiosity, and wish you to indulge in it as much as you like. However, before I can allow you to continue, you will first have to answer a few standard questions."

Judging that Ianto wasn't going to be as easily flustered as the earlier nurse, he sat up a little in his bed. Taking the bedding with him, he settled it around his waist. The gown he wore did nothing for his backside, so he kept it covered mostly by the pillows.

Ianto tapped the folder with his pen twice more. "What is your full name?"

"John Smith!" Smiling brightly, he tilted his head a little to the side.

"Your occupation?" Writing out the name clearly, Ianto put a question mark next to it.

"Oh, I dunno." Scrunching his nose, he leaned until he could see past Ianto. "I've done a little bit of everything really."

Ianto checked several boxes on the sheet. "Prostitution?"

"Excuse me?" The man sat up straight, looking at Ianto with wide eyes.

"Have you ever had sex for money?" Stepping in closer to the man, Ianto lowered his voice. "You needn't worry about the police, patient confidentiality applies to anything you tell us that does not involve the abuse of a minor or person besides yourself. As prostitution could be construed as self abuse, your secret will be safe with me." Patting the man's hand, he plastered on a smile. "Besides, your sexual history is part of the questions I am obligated to ask."

Jerking his hand away from Ianto, the man used the blankets to wipe it off repeatedly. "I most certainly have never, never had sex with another person for money! Each and every time I have mated with another has been consensual and entirely for our pleasure. There is never a call for such..." He couldn't continue as the twitching of Ianto's mouth grew distracting. Narrowing his eyes, he pointed a finger at Ianto. "Oh, you're a very naughty person, Mr. Jones."

Glancing down, Ianto put the pen to the chart. "I take it, then, that is a negative on the prostitution answer?"

"Most certainly." Rearranging his blankets, he refused to let Ianto see he had become amused by the incident.

"All right then, on to the next." Ianto checked the next question. He was scanning the line when someone slammed in to him from behind. Gripping the bed, he had used the gurney to keep from falling.

"Oh, I'm so clumsy." Using Ianto as a post, she climbed up until she was steady. When he turned around to grab her arm to help steady her, she smiled. "Please, forgive me, dear. I'm a little older than I care to be, and my body just isn't what it used to be."

"Quite all right." Keeping his firm grip on her, Ianto glanced about for help, but found everyone else busy. "Can I help you with something?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, there is." Both her hands on Ianto's arm now, she nodded towards the loo. "I badly need to go, but I've not the strength to make it on my own. I know it is a terrible imposition, but, could I impose upon you to help me walk to a stall. Once there, I can take care of my business on my own. I just need someone to help guide me along."

The man on the gurney watched her with a concerned expression. "I wouldn't do that, Mr. Jones."

"Well, then, it's a good thing he isn't you." Tugging on Ianto, she pulled him towards the door with her. "It won't take but a minute, young man, and then you can get back to what you were doing."

Before he could object, Ianto found himself leading the shaky old woman in to the loo. He gave John Smith a warning look, then ducked inside. Ianto forced himself not to look around, and thus didn't see when the old woman straightened up. The next second, he found himself plastered against the wall, the woman holding him there by his throat. Ianto tried to gasp out a question, but she silenced him with a slap to the face.

Shoving his head aside, she started to cackle and leaned in. The next instant found her flying away from him, screaming in agony.

Holding up the tazer from his inner pocket, Ianto followed the woman. What should have taken down a large man had barely even stunned the woman. Gasping for breath, he chased her across the loo and in to a stall. He snarled as he lunged at her, stabbing the business end of the tazer in to her side.

Out in the hall, John Smith felt a chill run through him. Closing his eyes, his head exploded with flashes of memory and bits of knowledge that shouldn't have been there. Falling back on his gurney, he started to gasp and felt weak. Nausea caused him to groan. While he watched the ceiling, a clear wave rushed over everything and the hall grew quieter.

As the pain slowly abated, he grew strong enough to hold his head up. There were still gurneys all along the hall, but there were no longer people filling them. He raised his hand to steady himself with the wall and found it cloaked in a dressing gown.

A noise in the loo drew his attention. It was then he remembered. "Mr. Jones!" Sliding off the gurney, he reached in to his pocket and pulled out the sonic screwdriver. Pushing open the door, he found the restroom a mess. Toilet and tissue paper were scattered across the room, broken dispensers lay in pieces. At the far wall, surrounded by a blue goop, Ianto clutched a large black tazer to his chest.

"She came at me, I swear it. Self defense." Staring ahead in a daze, Ianto didn't acknowledge John at first. Swallowing, he gave a high pitched whimper. "She was going to eat me." After a couple blinks, he stared calmly up at the man. "I'm sorry, Mr. Smith, but I do not believe I will be able to complete your forms today."

For a full minute, all John could do was stare at Ianto. "Am I crazy, or weren't you just wearing a black suit, Mr. Jones?" He could kick himself, it was obvious the man was in shock about something that had just happened.

Glancing down at his brown suit with the white dress shirt, Ianto shook his head. "No, it is the same I was wearing this morning when I left my flat." Rising up slowly, he slipped the tazer in to his inner pocket. "By the way, my name is Mr. Smith, Ianto Smith."

"What?" Frowning, John scratched his ear. "What?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Guiding the still not quite there Ianto to a table with two hot cups of tea, John set them and the man down. "Now, you stay right here, I'll go get us some sugars. You'll like it, trust me." He patted Ianto on the back for reassurance, then started back through the tables to the lunch queue. Grabbing the condiments from their buckets, he smiled at the old woman manning the till.

He was walking back through the tables when he spotted a familiar face on the front page of a newspaper. The reader was currently engrossed with something on the inside, but he only wanted to see the front page. In bold print, it read 'Prime Minister Jones Wins Second Term'. Wide eyed, he tapped the reader on the shoulder.

Lowering her paper, Martha smiled at him. "Yes?"

"Excuse me, but, can you tell me something real quick. Won't take you but a second, really." Pointing to the front page, he pushed his glasses up. "Can you tell me how that woman is still prime minister? Last I heard, she was facing a no confidence vote!" He caught himself yelling at the nice young woman and frowned. "Sorry, it's just, old feelings, bad dealings."

Nodding, she glanced the article over before recognition came to her. "Oh, yeah, I read about that. Real come from behind lady. She presented her case, rather quite well, and her party won the election." Shrugging, Martha looked up from the article to John. "I suppose it was meant to be."

"I'm not so sure." He grinned at her. "Thanks, love." As he turned away, he grit his jaw and continued on to the table with Ianto.

Martha followed him with her eyes as she raised her paper. She watched as he sat down across from Ianto Smith. When the man's expression turned from blank to glowing, she snorted. "Figures. All the good ones." With a sigh, she raised her paper and began to read the locals.

"Now, Mr. Smith," John said the last name with a bit of humor. "Let's see. How long have you been a Mr. Smith?"

"Since Dr. Margaret Smith found me, that'd make it around six months." Sipping his tea, Ianto eyed the now empty sugar packets on the table. He reached out and balled one of them up. "Why did you call me Mr. Jones?"

"Seemed appropriate." Waving off his question with a careless gesture, John sniffed at his tea, but didn't drink it. The stuff smelled vile. "Who were you before you were Ianto Smith?"

Ianto looked up. "Don't you know?" For a moment he seemed to know exactly who was sitting across from him, but that was quickly gone like any other memory of before. Blinking, Ianto shook his head to clear the case of blurred vision. "Do I know you, sir?"

John turned sharply at the question, eyeing Ianto with an air that sent a chill down his spine. Lips drawn tight, he considered the young man in front of him. It was impossible, but nothing came to mind. He eventually shook his head. "Nah. I have no idea who you are. Which is strange, cause I should know. I know everyone I meet."

Grimacing as he took another sip of the tea, Ianto set it down with a sound of finality. "Considering I know even less, I suppose that puts us on even footing, Doctor."

The skin above his left eyebrow twitched, causing his line of hair to raise a few times. John felt his hearts skip a beat. "What did you call me?"

"Doctor. That's what you are, after all." Standing up, Ianto reached in to his jacket pockets and pulled out a pair of leather gloves. He slipped them on as John rose from his own chair. "If I am to be evaluated for my recovery purposes, experimental or otherwise, then I prefer to be at least notified before hand. This, charade, is not necessary, sir."

"Whoa, wait a minute!" Grabbing Ianto by the hand, John frowned. "Hold on there, boy, you're taking off in a whole new direction. We're not even in the same galaxy." Releasing Ianto, he held out his hand. "Greetings, Ianto Smith, I am the Doctor. Nothing else, just, the Doctor."

For a long time, Ianto stared at the man's hand. It was a strange and surreal feeling. He couldn't place it, but he knew the man in front of him. Finally, after a deliberate internal debate, he accepted the Doctor's hand. A jolt ran through him and for a moment, he could remember; Martha, Jack, his Lisa, everything. Then it was all gone.

The brush of a warm finger upon his cheek drew his attention to the fact there were tears running down them. Daring to look up, he found the Doctor standing very close. An instinct wanted him to move back, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Wiping away Ianto's tears, the Doctor patted his cheek. "It's okay, Mr. Smith." He held out his hand once more, turned up and inviting. "Come with me."

He didn't even pause to consider. Accepting the hand, Ianto squeezed it tightly. For the first time in six months, someone wanted to be with him.

The Doctor glanced over to where Martha was reading still reading the paper. Six months of her history, her and Ianto's shared history, gone in an instant. "And she'll never know." He wasn't sure what had changed, but he knew it couldn't be undone. The time stream had reverted and the new flow was permanent. Shaking his head, he found the exit. "Let's go!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"It's been six months, Jack. Time's up!" Standing at the head of the conference room table, Owen put his hands on his hips. To either side of him, Tosh and Gwen reluctantly nodded their agreement.

Jack would have sighed in to his coffee, but one of them had left the coffee machine on all night and burned up a pot of the cheap stuff. It didn't permanently damage the vital piece of equipment, but the shop claimed clean up would take a week on back order. He would get it back tomorrow. Back to the matter at hand, he was almost ready to accede to their demand. But, he was still in charge.

They had no say, it was as simple as that.

Or so he thought.

Raising the clicker, Owen smugly grinned at him. Behind him, the screen lit up and a CV file appeared on the screen. "Candidate one. Speaks ten languages, seven fluently. Knows typing, takes dictation, and can run a bloody copy/printer." He scowled at Gwen as she looked away. "Filing, both folders and nails, check and check! She's also a lesbian, which means you can't knock this one up."

"Wanna bet." Jack didn't realize he had said it allowed until Gwen was scowling at him. Sitting up, he faced her directly. "Oh, don't start with me, Gwen. We all know Lucy came on to me first. It was her idea not to use a condom. How was I supposed to know she was the crazy stalker type?"

"Glug, glug, Captain. The HMS Justification just sank." Eyes narrowed, Owen clicked the button on the remote. Coming up beside the screen, he held up his hands and pulled them apart. A metal rod extended between them. Using the tip, he pointed at the screen. "Candidate number two. He's Oxford trained, but we won't hold that against him. Knows five languages, but once sweet talked an alcoholic Russian diplomat out of a case of vodka."

"What's so special about that? I could have gotten a case, a passport, and his underwear." Smirking, Jack realized, was actually addictive.

"The diplomat only spoke Russian, number two can't speak at all. I'll let you figure out how they communicated." Owen was unamused. Clicking the button, he drew up another profile. "Candidate number three wears tight skirts to distract from the fact she knows a dozen way to kill you with her bare hands. Her secretarial skills are above standard, but her last employer says she has an attitude problem. The stapler imbeded in the wall was a neat trick, so, I am inclined to agree."

He clicked the remote and a male visage came on the screen.

Both Tosh and Gwen flinched away. Even Jack seemed to have a hard time staring at the picture.

"Candidate number four. He speaks thirty current languages and knows eight dead languages. He can type one hundred, forty words per minute. His record for filing is more than exemplary. The man knows his weapons, three forms of martial arts, and taught boxing to orphans." Watching as they seemed to grow impressed, he put in the killer. "He is also a gourmet chef specializing in coffees."

"He's perfect." Jack didn't think he could have done it, but apparently Owen had actually found someone. It was just too good to be true. "So, what's the catch?"

"Aside from being able to scare spiders, he's currently employed at Torchwood Two..." was all Owen got out before Jack gave him the kill sign. Turning off the screen, he put the clicker and his pointer back on the table. "Face it Jack, our options are limited given what we do. Not to mention the fact three of the last five replacements you personally knocked up!"

"Hey, you were responsible for Sherry!" Pointing at Owen, Jack found himself at the center of attention. Sitting back, he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Retcon and a little blue pill aren't going to solve our problems any more, Jack. We need a real replacement and not just some person who got the position because you thought you could shag them." Taking the lead on this one, Tosh put a hand on Owen's arm to keep him calm. "We have discussed this, Jack, as a team. We can't do this alone."

"We're not alone. There is the whole team. We work together to get the job done, that's the way it's always worked." Jack wanted to argue with them, to fight for his point. Inside, he knew it was a lost cause, though. There were too many things gone wrong, so many bad choices made. Still, admitting defeat now would mean he made a mistake back then. "No way. We are not having his conversation again. End of discussion."

"We'll frankly, Jack, it's not up to you. Not this time." As Jack stood up, Owen leaned over the table to stare him down. "You buggered it, and said sod it all to the rest of us. Well, to hell with you and your damned pride. We're going to find a replacement, and that's that."

"I'm so glad you speak for everyone on this, Owen." Jack looked to Gwen, and then Tosh, to confirm they weren't going to back down. Jaw clenched, he pushed up from his crouch over the table, and shook his head. This was going to get ugly before anything was resolved. But, if he wanted to keep his team, he had to make sacrifices. "You have two days, Mr. Harper. If you don't find someone, I want yours on my desk."

"My what?" Standing up tall, Owen scowled.

Jack gave him a knowing look, licking his lips, before turning and walking out.

"My what?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ianto hadn't known what to expect. Still in a daze from the fight earlier, walking up to an out of use police box hadn't felt odd. Watching as the Doctor paused at the doors to unlock it with a key, he stood there feeling very much out of place. Three hours before, he would have been near panic over this. He couldn't exactly remember why at the moment, but there it was.

As he twisted the lock, the Doctor looked over his shoulder to smile at Ianto. "You're really going to like this, I believe." Then, with a grand gesture, he pushed open the doors and strolled right in. "Be sure to wipe your feet."

"Of course." Chugging along behind, Ianto registered nothing out of the ordinary at first. The chamber he found himself in felt as normal and scary as the rest of the world. Taking in his surroundings, he had the presence of mind to note the exits before focusing once more upon the Doctor.

Gaining no reaction from Ianto caused him to frown. He was the Doctor, he always got a reaction. Putting a hand on his chin, he cocked his head to the side. Despite the impression he had received from their first contact, he was still getting nothing on the human. It was almost as if he didn't exist as far as the universe was concerned.

Thinking of something, the Doctor spun and headed up the ramp to the TARDIS' controls. Bending slightly, he began to flip a few of the switches, calling up the scanners. When he felt the hum of the electrical field sweep over him, he smiled. "All right, Ianto, stand still, this won't hurt a bit."

"Yes, sir." Ianto watched passively as the Doctor jumped.

The Doctor put a hand to his chest, hearts beating rapidly. Staring at the man who was now only a step away, he shook a pointing finger at him. "It's not nice to sneak up on your elders, Mr. Smith."

"Sorry." For the first time since their meeting, Ianto felt himself genuinely smiling.

It was like a sudden sun rise, forcing the Doctor to back up. Placing a hand to his temple, he felt a little light headed as a rush of knowledge came over him. The world was a little off kilter, he almost expected to see a cat chasing a dog, but it was starting to make sense. "Yes, well, hold still."

"Yes, sir." Ianto held himself up at ease, the malaise seeping from his mind. When the wave of energy swept over him, he resisted the urge to squirm. After it had passed, he shook himself out and tugged his suit jacket back in to place. He was composed by the time the Doctor looked up from his controls.

"Well, it seems everything is in order with you, Mr. Smith. Not a thing out of place." Stretching out, he unhooked the two buttons on Ianto's suit jacket. The Doctor pushed the jacket open, then set about tugging on his tie. It was a mighty war, but he finally untied the knot and then it came off easily. Standing back to admire his handiwork, he smiled brightly. "Better!"

"If you don't mind my asking, but what was the purpose of disheveling my person?" The urge to put his clothes right had his fingers twitching. Until he knew the answer, he would play along.

"Oh, but that would spoil the fun in it." Throwing the tie over his shoulder, the Doctor faced his controls again. He placed his hands together and rubbed them vigorously. "Now, where should we go?"

"Go?" That earlier feeling of dread returned. Ianto glanced to the entrance and found himself wanting to run out. "Where would we go in... This is a space ship, isn't it?"

"Close." With a twinkle in his eyes, the Doctor pressed a button. "How much do you know about your past, Mr. Smith?"

Swallowing, Ianto grabbed the hem of his jacket and forced it closed. After he did up the buttons, he adjusted his collar. "That is a very familiar question."

"Oh, but I have a feeling I am more acquainted with your past than you are. So, in this case, a formal approach is simply not necessary." He keyed up a timer, rotating the handle until it clicked three times. When he was certain it would take him where he wanted, he released the controls. "Would it interest you to know that you are, in fact, not American? You have never even been outside the United Kingdom."

The cloud over his mind was back. Ianto tugged ineffectively on the ends of his jacket for lack of a better place for his hands. Looking down, he eventually shook his head.

"Ah. Well, let's fix that shall we?" The Doctor didn't wait for a response. Raising his pinky, he wiggled it at Ianto then drove it straight down to a control knob. When he touched it, the TARDIS' vortex manipulator began to screech.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1328 A.D.

The children were watching him.

Ianto wasn't quite sure what about that disturbed him, but they wouldn't leave him be. The Doctor seemed to be friendly with the natives, they even accepted him among them. He, however, was something to be stared at, the children, or ignored, the adults. He had a striking suspicion this was the Doctor's fault.

A girl, with long black hair pulled back, came to stand next to him. Much to the rapt amusement of the others, she poked him in the stomach with a finger. When he stared at her in confusion, she did it again. "Why are you poking me?"

She looked up at him, confused. "You do not supposed to speak."

"Why not?" There had to be something wrong with her, or may be she didn't understand proper English. He wasn't quite sure which was the right choice, so kept his thoughts on the subject to himself.

"Children speak only when to not questions asked." She gave a huffing sound before poking him again.

Brushing her hand away from him, he started away. Evidently she was ignorant and thus, not one he should be speaking to. The village the Doctor's ship had brought them to appeared to be something native to the Americas. The documentaries and books he collected hadn't much information, but these were similar to what they did have. Only, the fact they all agreed upon, this way of life was no longer practiced.

With a great sigh, Ianto found himself the very real possibility he had been taken back in time. Either that, or he simply had a psychotic break. Considering the brain damage Dr. Silani said he had suffered, both had equal chances. Oh well. Since he was here, he might as well have a look around.

It was obviously a mobile tribe. Their homes were made of great poles and animal hides. Smoke rose from some, indicating they were occupied. He was studying a mural of animals on one when he was poked in the back. Twisting to face this new annoyance, he found the little girl. Scowling, he smacked her hand when she reached up to poke him again. "Go away."

"You are broken, understanding between ears empty?" She gestured over her shoulder towards the group of kids. "Go back come do not over homes among!" When he started to turn back, she hit him across his arse. "Go back come do not over homes among!"

He was about to hit her when she pointed to the kids again. This time, they parted and pointed passed them towards the TARDIS. "What do you little brats want?"

"Move!" She grabbed him by his belt and tugged. Gesturing with her free hand to the TARDIS, she tried to drag him towards it. "Bad! You, bad! Go!"

Her cries drew movement from one of the smoking homes. Pushing the animal hide door open, the Doctor's head appeared. Seeing that Ianto was involved in the altercation, he frowned. He climbed out, but left the door open for the elders to see.

Ianto felt his exasperation dissipate at the sight of the other man. "Doctor, finally. I..." He was silenced when the girl backhanded him in the gut. "Why you little..."

"Mr. Smith!" The Doctor shook his head at Ianto, amusement clearly in his features. Turning to the girl, he crossed his arms. "Problem seems be what is?"

"Yours of child, disrespect intentional and deliberate!" She raised her nose, but the gesture was lost as she hadn't the height to pull it off. Instead, she poked Ianto in the gut, then gestured to the TARDIS. "Punishment sent away, child not I listen."

Sighing, the Doctor gave Ianto a reproving look. He shook his head before nodding to the girl. "Problem, child mine is. Forgiveness, please?"

After a second, she narrowed her eyes. "Prove it."

Nodding, the Doctor walked up to Ianto. "Stand still, Ianto, this is for your own good."

Ianto grew nervous as the Doctor's fingers made quick work of removing his belt. He was jerked slightly forward as it was yanked from his trousers. For a moment, he feared the man was going to use it on him.

Instead, the Doctor folded it in half, then presented to the girl with palms open. "Forgiveness requested. Acceptance arms open, please gifted among possessions."

"Accepted." Bright eyes and smiling, she accepted the belt and ran off. The other kids followed after her shouting and cheering.

Watching as she ran off with his only belt, Ianto wanted to protest. He turned to the Doctor, ready to lay in to him for giving away his clothes. However, he was stopped by a finger to his lips.

"Not a word, please. You are already in enough trouble." Jovial and bubbly, the Doctor started to cackle. He took Ianto by the arm and lead him to the TARDIS. While they passed the home he had left, he waved at the elders inside. "What a shame, I can't seem to take you any where."

"Me?" Wide eyed, Ianto was near to sputtering and it was far from the funny situation the Doctor seemed to find it. Still, he allowed the man to drag him along. This entire trip was an exorcise in madness. When they reached the TARDIS, he waited for the Doctor to unlock it before storming his way inside.

As the doors closed behind him, the Doctor nearly fell over from his sudden eruption of laughter. He was winded and gasping for breath when he saw the outraged expression on his companion's face. That set him off again, high pitched and screeching.

Hands on his hips, Ianto had undone the two buttons on his jacket. "I fail to see what you find so amusing. You gave away my only belt; that cost me twenty-five pounds, mind you. On top of that, that tiny, dog bum sniffing brat got away with making a fool of me and you agreed with her!" By the time he was finished, his face was flushed and his hair was standing up in patches from having run his hands through it.

The Doctor was on the floor, his cheeks red and soaked. His voice was horse from the constant laughing, and his chest hurt. But, but, it was so funny. He couldn't bring himself to explain, much less speak.

Seeing the man wasn't going to be of any use, Ianto huffed and turned away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1941 A.D.

"I said you were young and were my ward. They took it from there. Among their people, that made you a child, mine to be exact. And, since she had reached puberty, she was technically your elder." Sitting on a wrot iron bench in front of a street cafe, the Doctor sipped delicately from his coffee. He paused to take a bite of his biscuit before looking over at his near irate companion. "I am sorry, Mr. Smith, but as an adult, you would have been expected to follow their rules more closely. The consequences would have been most dire had you broken one."

Ianto faced out over the open Parisian street. Sipping on his coffee, he grimaced. It was practically vile. Whoever had made it should have been thrown in prison for violating the beans in such a way. Putting his cup down, he wiped his fingers off on the table cloth.

The Doctor saw the action, but chose not to remark on it. "You are new to this, so there are a few things you must understand. The places we go on our travels will not be like the world you left behind. We are guests in their time, showing a little curtesy to their way of life and them is always a healthy ideal."

"Travels?" He wasn't going to remark on the time comment. It confirmed his earlier assumption, that would simply have to be accepted and left alone. Raising his eyebrows, he picked up a biscuit from their plate. "We will be going to more places?"

"If you wish." The Doctor gave pause. Until that moment, he had time to consider it. Did he really want a new companion so soon after... He frowned. "We don't have to settle any thing right this moment. Eat your biscuit, Mr. Smith."

Ianto did as he was told. Watching out over the street, he felt the mouthful of confection sink in the pit of his stomach. A gray car, with red flags waving, drove passed. The past was obviously not his friend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

286,421 A.D.

"Those are aliens." Ianto felt incredibly stupid saying it, but that was the only thing that would come to mind. Well, that and the fact he wanted to run back to the TARDIS screaming like a little girl. "Why are they aliens?"

"Because they evolved on a planet far from your own." Watching as the writhing mass of six legged, black aliens danced around a massive pink pillar, the Doctor let the sound of their chanting flow over him. The range of their voices would contain only a few notes his human companion could hear. Yet, he heard every bit of it. "On that topic, you are, technically, the alien. Since we are on their planet, you are the little pink man from another world."

"I can see your point." He forced himself to remain still. While the rhythm was playing havoc with his pulse, he was beginning to understand why the Doctor had brought him there. Ianto closed his eyes and let their singing wash over him. And yes, he realized, finally, it was singing.

As his pulse rose and fell with the flow of their voices, Ianto felt himself swaying. It wasn't dancing, not even close to a stagger, but he couldn't quite keep himself still. His eye lids started to feel droopy and he wanted to lay down. Next thing he knew, he was crash landing in to the Doctor's arms.

His tongue felt thick, making it hard to open his mouth. When he did, his jaw didn't want to work right. It hung open making him look stupid, he knew. Eventually, he summoned enough control to speak. "What's happening...to...me?"

"It's the song of death cycle. These few," the Doctor nodded to the singing aliens, "will mate soon. After they mate, they will lay their eggs. Like most species on this planet, after laying their eggs, they will die. They do not grieve for their death, for with it, brings new life." His own hearts beat proudly in rhythm to the rise and fall of the alien song. "The vibration created with this song actually stimulates their reproductive cycle. It will take several more days of this chanting before they are ready."

Ianto's jaw lost the fight and hung loose once more. He bonelessly slipped further to the ground, the Doctor's grip the only thing keeping him up.

"If we stay longer, your body will begin to change too, but I don't think you'll like it." He tapped Ianto's ribs with his fingers. "Your bones are vibrating in sympathetic harmony. It's causing your blood pressure to rise dramatically." Tapping out a small rhythm on Ianto's chest, he started to drag the man towards the TARDIS. "Don't worry, Ianto, you'll be back on the TARDIS soon and then all you'll have is some lovely memories and a terrible headache."

If he could speak, Ianto would have had a response to that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was the end of his first day with the Doctor. Ianto could barely keep his eyes open, but he refused to give in to sleep just yet. He wanted the day to keep going on, no matter what. He didn't want to sleep, just in case. Just in case.

Sitting down next to Ianto, the Doctor let his legs swing off the grating. "I know the feeling." He bumped shoulders with the human, using only enough force to make him feel it. "It doesn't go away right away, so it's okay to sleep."

"Is this..." He flapped his tongue a bit. Ianto still didn't have complete control of his body. "Is this real? I'm not drooling in some bed back at Royal Hope am I?"

"Oh, this is very real, Ianto Jones." They sat for a bit. The Doctor knew he was pushing it, but he felt the need to try. With the extent of the damage, and the amount of chemical, it probably would never happen. Feeling the human watching him, the Doctor looked over at him. "Can you remember?"

For a heart beat, Ianto almost said yes. But then the name Jones sounded alien to him once more. Instead, he shook his head. "I'm not him."

"I know." He surveyed his companion, taking note in his exhaustion. Raising a hand, he pointed towards the opening at the far end of the causeway they were on. "Through there you'll find a bedroom for you, all made out. Doesn't matter which door you choose, it's all the same."

Ianto nodded. It took several attempts to rise, but he finally made it to his feet. There would be plenty of time tomorrow to discuss things. He would get some answers, may be learn a thing or two about time travel even. "Good night, Doctor." Staggering away, he rubbed at his face.

"Good night, Ianto." He barely whispered the words, Ianto having already drifted off. When he could no longer sense the presence of an active mind, he stood up. After he wiped off his pants, the Doctor walked over to the controls and flicked a couple of switches.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2008 A.D.

Sitting at Tosh's work station, Jack had paused the CCTV footage. He was currently contemplating his recent bought of rotten luck with giant alien beasts. It seemed every time something new came through the rift, it was bent on killing humans. Not that there weren't some people who couldn't use a little untimely death, it just got old pretty fast. The big, ugly goat-god kind were always on the bad side.

Having spent nearly a week on the cold autopsy table, his back was still acting up a bit. He would have asked Marissa to rub it for him, but she seemed to be unwilling to get near him. Jack had a sneaking suspicion their newest recruit had been given a crash course in his idea of a massage. Gwen would have to be punished, of course.

He was thinking up ways to involve salad dressings in her punishment when a familiar screeching filled the hub. The alien tech alarms started to blare, but Jack quickly reached out and turned them off. Twisting Tosh's chair around, he found the blue box appearing on top of the paving slab. Much to his amusement, it was a perfect fit.

When it had solidified, he rose to his feet and straightened his clothes. He smiled broadly and put his hands on his hips. A second later, the doors opened. The smile diminished a little, but he kept up the leer. "Hello, welcome to the hub."

"Jack." The Doctor's voice was flat, his lips pulled tight. "Just the man I wanted to see."

"Hello. You don't look so bad yourself." Jack tried to crane his neck to the side so he could see passed the man, but found only him. "Where's the Doctor, Rose?"

"Rose is gone, Jack, you know that." Swallowing, he closed the TARDIS' doors behind him. His brown jacket hanging open, the Doctor walked over to the man. "It's me. You probably don't recognize me because I've changed my hair cut, but it's still me."

"Doctor?" His smile completely gone, Jack sank a little in on himself. He sat back down as the Time Lord walked up the stairs to his level. Shaking his head, he didn't want to believe it. The CCTV footage had been correct. "I've got a lotta questions to ask you."

"And I'm prepared to answer them, in time." The Doctor glanced about the computer stations until he found a chair. Grabbing it, he dragged it next to Jack. He slapped at Jack's hands when he started to sit down. "Un uh, keep your mits to yourself, Harkness."

The smirk came back for a blazing showing. "Gotta try."

"Of course you do. It wouldn't be you if you didn't." It sounded perfectly reasonable. Even in the middle of the night in the center of a deserted base of an organization built on capturing people like him and dissecting them. "I'm here for a reason."

"Ianto Jones?" Jack was already spinning the chair. Hitting a few keys on the computer, he brought up the CCTV footage he had been reviewing earlier. As it played, images of the Doctor and Ianto walking in to the TARDIS repeated. "I've been keeping an eye on him."

The Doctor watched the images loop a few time before he focused on Jack. "You've done a terrible deed."

Jack nodded. "I know."

"I'm not giving him back, Jack. What he eventually decides, well, that's up to him." Rubbing at his forehead, the Doctor took a long breath. For a bit, silenced reined in the hub. Then he felt compelled to say something more. "He's resting now, the TARDIS will ensure he doesn't have bad dreams tonight."

"That's good. He hasn't been sleeping well since...you know." Jack's lips quirked. He stood up from the chair, false cheer on his face. Rubbing his hands together, he smirked at the Doctor. "How about I fix us some nice tea? It's in my office."

The Doctor followed suit. Upon standing, he pushed his glasses up. "That sounds lovely."

"Great." Jack didn't waste any time in draping an arm around the Time Lord's shoulders. Guiding him over to the stairs to his office, his smile was genuine. "Let me tell you about my team, Doc."

"I get the feeling I know where this is going, Jack, and I have to warn you." Patting his coat, the Doctor narrowed his eyes. "I have a sonic screwdriver, and I know how to use it."

Jack's smile grew three sizes. "I'm counting on it."

THE END........................................