Title: Memory and Time (12/?)

Author: Emma

Characters: Jack Harkness, Ianto Jones, 10th Doctor, Torchwood Three, others

Rating: Starts PG, but hey, it’s got Jack and Ianto in it!

Disclaimer: Oh, please. If I owned them, would I let some of those idiots write the scripts? And if I were making any money off them, would I be where they could find me?

Spoilers: None. This takes place in my Homecoming AU, twelve years after Invincible Summer

Summary: Something is trying to mess with Jack’s time line…

Author’s Note: From now on, it’s all Toshi’s POV.

Part one is here; Part two is here; Part three is here; Part four is here; Part five is here ; Part six is here ; Part seven is here; Part eight is here; Part nine is here; Part ten is here ; Part eleven is here

        “Ianto!”

        Toshi watched in horror as the Captain threw himself after his partner only to be caught across the chest by the Cyberwoman’s metal-encased arm and flung back to land in a heap at doctor Harper’s feet. It was obvious he was still weak; worse, if the Cyberwoman's exoskeleton was even half-way operational, he had probably gotten a large surge of electricity aimed at disrupting his motor function. She had to assume he wasn't going to be any help on this one.

         Without Uncle Ianto’s protection, Uncle Jack and doctor Harper they were open targets for Manger, and he didn’t miss the opportunity. A stream of dark energy pinned them in place. Doctor Harper was forced to divert most of his own energy to protect the Captain and himself. The two streams met with a hissing much like the sound of lava meeting the ocean. Over her head, Toshi could hear the sound of the Universe being ripped apart as the monsters tore their way through.

        And that was all she could hear.

        It didn’t make any sense. Torchwood Three should have been in full defense mode. The staff ran monthly drills using different invasion-of-the-Hub scenarios. At the very least the Rift monitors should have been howling from all the unusual energy bouncing through the place.

        She struggled to her feet and looked around. She had landed closest to where Manger was, right by the greenhouse stairs. The Doctor and Yan were at the other end of the room, near the medical wing; the rest were back towards the new conference room.

        She was the only one moving.

        "Surprised, my dear? Did you think Chaos would leave so many enemies in the field, able to strike back?”

         Toshi turned back towards Manger. The old man was pale and sweating, his natty façade disintegrating under the effort of keeping doctor Harper in check. Beyond him, the Cyberwoman stood almost at attention, more like a suit on armor on display than a living being. As Toshi studied her, an almost forgotten piece of Torchwood history came back to her.

         “You are Lisa Hallett.”

         The vacant eyes flickered.

         “Your Uncle Ianto tried too, my dear. It didn’t work then, and it won’t work now. Chaos made sure of that.”

         “She was under his control even then?”

         “He plans ahead. Who better?”

         An ear-splitting keen filled the space as one of the monster managed to get most of its body through the rip. The sound seemed to shake doctor Harper, and he wilted a little before pushing back against Manger again.

         “At last.” Manger’s voice rang with satisfaction. “Miss Hallett, if you please, finish what you began. I will handle doctor Harper. The Dark Reapers are here for Captain Harkness. And you miss Cooper-Williams… I am sorry you are here. I am not a vicious man and I bear you no ill-will.”

         While Manger talked, Toshi was looking around surreptitiously. The weapons locker was too far away, and in any case it was unlikely that there was anything there that would work against the monsters; all the larger weapons were downstairs in the armoury. She also knew she couldn’t win a fight against Lisa; the Cyberwoman had the advantage in both size and weaponry. Her only option was to create a distraction. If she threw Manger off his game even for one second, doctor Harper or Uncle Jack might have a chance.

         As she started to drift into position, she caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye. Someone was on the catwalk leading to Myfanwy’s old nest. She didn’t dare look up. Deliberately, she bumped into Yan’s desk.

         “Really, miss Cooper-Williams…”

         “Are the mannerisms natural or are you impersonating an upper-class twit?” she prodded him in her best bratty voice. “Because either way you’re not as good as Rowan Atkinson.”

         Red swept up from neck to forehead as Manger drew himself up. “You are not going to distract me, my dear. I am too old a hand to be tricked by a little thing like yourself.”

         “You really like to hear yourself talk, Mr.Manger.” She grinned. “And speaking of distracted, have you noticed that your monsters don’t seem to be in any hurry to follow instructions?”

         Manger looked around. Lisa knelt on the fountain catwalk. The Cyberwoman had dragged an unconscious Ianto up onto the metal grid and seemed to be examining him in detail. Overhead, the Dark Reaper circled the fountain column, seemingly disoriented. Manger’s frustrated snarl made Toshi giggle. Glaring at her, he reached into a pocket and pulled out an object and brought it to his lips.

         “A dog whistle?” Toshi bent over laughing. “Your deadly monster can be controlled by a dog whistle?”

         “I don’t think I shall be sorry to see you die at all, my dear. ”

        He blew the whistle. The Dark Reaper answered with a loud cry, and then threw itself into a dive. Toshi reached for the paperweight Yan kept on his desk. It was made of sharp thin sheets of metal soldered to a heavy stone base. Uncle John had explained that it was part of the kind of disruptor mine used by hijackers to disable the freighters carrying basic supplies between settlements in the galactic border colonies. It wasn’t much, but if she could hit the Reaper in the exact spot where the fire had burned the one she had fought in Ageros she might buy doctor Harper the few seconds he needed.

         She didn’t get to use it. As the Reaper reached the nest catwalk it seemed to bounce off an invisible barrier. Keening in rage, it rose up towards the ceiling then threw itself into a faster, steeper dive. The same thing happened as it reached the catwalk, but this time the force threw it against the brick wall. At the same time, a figure hurtled down from the shadows above to land squarely on the Cyberwoman’s shoulders, propelling them both into the water.

        The disruption of his plans seemed to weaken Manger. His energy began to sputter as doctor Harper pressed him. Suddenly he threw himself backwards, aiming his energy at the space over their heads where some of the Reapers still struggled to break through.

         “Toshi!”

         The shout made her turn just in time to see the doctor’s sonic screwdriver hurtling at her head. She snapped it out of the air, aimed it at Manger and pressed the button. His body arched, spasming, as he faded from sight. Above him, the Reapers also faded as the tears in space and time healed as if they had never existed.

         Suddenly things started happening all at once. The intrusion alarms blared out a belated warning as people launched into action as if fired from slingshots. Toshi decided that it was now safe to have a minor nervous breakdown. She made her way to the sitting area and collapsed onto one of the ottomans, holding her head in her hands and letting the tears flow.

         “Are you alright?” The arms that stole around her and cradled her were already familiar. “My brave, talented, dangerous Toshiko.”

         “How long?”

         He seemed to understand the question. “Ten minutes.”

        “Ten minutes?” To Toshi that seemed the funniest thing of all. “All this happened in ten minutes?”

        “Amazing, isn't it?” He pulled her head up. “Look.”

         She watched as Uncle Jack sat on the catwalk and dragged Uncle Ianto's body onto his lap. He leaned down and pressed their mouths together. Toshi was startled to see them start to glow. Behind them, Uncle John pulled himself out of the fountain, snorting water through his nose. He accepted doctor Harper's offered hand and let the doctor haul him upright.

        "Toshi...”

        She looked back to see her parents standing in front of her. “Mum, tad, I'm sorry, but I'm shaking too much to stand up and hug you properly.”

        “You don't seem to be short on hugs,” her mother said acerbically, while at the same time reaching out and brushing her hand over Toshi's hair. “Doctor, how did you keep those things out of the Hub?”

        "Me? I thought it was something you did, like that time bubble that kept the Daleks away.”

         “It wasn't us.” Uncle John walked up to them, bare-chested and rubbing his hair with a towel. “It was mainframe. Come out to play, sweetie. Don't be shy.”

         The hologram formed on the greenhouse steps. Toshi heard her mother's gasp and doctor Harper's strangled whatthehell right before she realized what she was looking at. Rather, who she was looking at.

         “Doctor...”

        “Oh, no. You can't blame me. She was there already. All TARDIS did was to midwife the birth.”

        The woman was slight, with delicate Asian features and a sweet smile. She was wearing an outfit Toshi would have cheerfully fought a crowd of bargain shoppers for, and the highest heels she had ever seen. Her blue-black hair was up in an elaborate chignon.

        Toshi watched her mother stumble forward. “Toshiko...”

        “Not quite, but yes. Hello Gwen. You look good. Rhys, hi. Owen, it's so nice to see you.”

        “Tosh, how?”

        “You know I was experimenting with the mainframe, right? It got a little out of hand.” She glided over to the catwalk. “Hey, Jack. Ianto. Is it me, or is this kind of familiar?”

         Toshi couldn't help but notice that neither of the men seemed very surprised, although they were a little teary-eyed. Her mum, Tad, and doctor Harper joined them, and they stood close together, whispering.

         “It's starting to feel like a superhero convention around here,” Andy appeared with a tray full of glasses and mugs. “So, John, how did you know to keep away from the main floor?”

         “I had a visit from doctor Harper's boss. He signed me to a short-term contract.” He grabbed a mug and swallowed about half the contents at one gulp. “Damn, that water was cold. So what's next, doctor?”

        “Next, we take Jack to Gallifrey.”

        “I heard Jack say something about Saxon going mad from it.”

        “Yes. It's... hard, staring into the Vortex. Some minds can't handle them.” He sighed, dropped his chin on top of Toshi's head. “I think Jack can handle it."

         Andy offered him a mug of tea. “Whistling past the graveyard, Doctor?”

        “For all I'm worth, Andy. Losing Jack... I can't bear to think about it.”

        “But there's a chance.”

         The Doctor stared into the depths of the mug as if trying to read the future in the tea leaves. "Yes, Andy. There is."