![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ericadawn16Title: Knocked Up!
Author: Ericadawn16
Prompt: Knocked Up
Character/Pairing(s): Jack/Ianto, Gwen/Rhys, Rhi/Johnny, Ianto/Lisa
Rating:R
Warnings: MPreg, sex, language
Spoilers:Character from COE
Word Count:68,599
Disclaimer for TW and the movie you are using:I own nothing.
Summary:Ianto gets a promotion at work, meets Jack and things are never the same...
Beta: BIG Thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
madkatstar_pir8 pirate4evrnavy2 and surreal_44
Author's Notes: This story is very AU. Chapter Seventeen: Twenty-eight Weeks Along
Chapter Eighteen: Twenty-eight Weeks Along Continues
"I'll calm down when you get out of my fucking car!" Ianto screamed and knew he really couldn't afford getting this worked up. Jack opened the car door and stepped outside. After shutting the door, he knocked on the window.
"Can you let me back in the car, please? Have you calmed down? Did you take a breath? This isn't anywhere near Wapping," Jack spoke and Ianto pointed across the Shadwell Basin.
"I believe it's that way," he said and sped off before Jack could say anything more. As he drove, he felt better. At least, he wasn't so light-headed and he'd said everything that had been building these last seven months. He parked his car next to Gwen's sporty red number and got out. First, he really needed to piss. Then, he'd have someone fill him in on the latest with this case. Just as he was zipping up, Gwen found him.
"I thought I locked that door," Ianto said before washing his hands.
"You did," Gwen confirmed.
"I should have known," he muttered and noticed she was staring at him, "What?"
"You're very flushed. How are you feeling? Do you need to sit down?" she asked when another idea seemed to strike her, "Or have you been up to something?"
"Far from it," he answered, "We had a major row instead."
"Shit," Gwen remarked.
"Yep, I really don't want to talk about it," Ianto said, "just tell me what's going on here."
Once this neighborhood had been Chinatown, now it was filled with converted warehouse flats and the occasional Chinese restaurant. Alas, they had to end up in a flat instead of getting noodles in a comfortable booth.
"Patrick Starkey, age forty, now deceased. He found some technology in an alley and bought it home. After working on it for years, he made it work again and it killed him. We have it trapped in a flat as we speak, but it still killed two others before we got control. It calls itself WOTAN. It's a sort of war machine," Gwen explained and Ianto was confused.
"Is it alien or not?" he asked.
"Not," Gwen replied and straightened her top in the mirror.
"Then, why are we here? Sounds more like a case for the spooks to take care of," Ianto spoke.
"Apparently, they're busy and we already had a file on this thing from last time. It was originally built in the sixties. An EMP should do the trick but the only device available is in Northwood," Gwen said and frowned.
"That's only an hour away," Ianto stated with hope.
"On a good day," she reminded him, "Today? Traffic. So, we're here to mind the killer robot and keep civilians away."
"That's fucking suicide," he complained as rubbed his belly. He'd just had another one of those false contractions.
"I know, they seem to know...they called in a professional, but he hasn't arrived yet," Gwen spoke., "You finally get to meet Jack."
After letting out a sigh, Ianto uttered, "I think I've had more than my share of Jacks for today."
"But honey, this one's gorgeous; please," she begged and took one of his hands, "please."
He hated when Gwen acted this way and it was always easier to play along rather than fight her.
"Fine, show me the gorgeous man," Ianto acquiesced and Gwen squealed at winning.
"He should be here any moment if he hasn't arrived already," she said as they headed out of the empty flat. It was full of electronics that were going to be fried as well as the robot. He supposed they would all receive compensation cheques from the government. They walked into the hallway when he spotted him. What was his Jack doing here? A thought crossed his mind again. It was a thought that had been whispering in his ear all these months: louder in the last month or two, but he had tried to ignore it. Jack whispering in Guppy's ear and making her smile was all the confirmation he needed.
"Fucking bastard!" he spat in a low voice and he felt so stupid. He should have confronted him before it got this far. It had gone on too long now. Gwen looked from him to Jack and back again. Her brown eyes grew wide.
"Captain Jack Harkness is your baby daddy?" she asked and her words ascended in pitch until 'daddy' became an almost screech. The last thing Ianto needed was for Jack to see him or for someone else to connect the dots.
"Shh!" he hissed and put his hand over her mouth for a moment until she appeared to be relaxed.
"I just can't believe it. I mean, Rhys said he saw the two of you together last night with Banana Boat, but I didn't believe him either," she babbled, "the two of you...you're just so...different."
Perhaps too different, he thought yet he really didn't want to believe her. It was too late. Jack was coming over.
"Ianto, I..."
"Don't, don't say anything" Ianto interrupted, "and don't follow me!" He rushed to use the lift and rode it down. Part of him wanted to be angry while the other half wanted to cry. Ianto checked his watch and decided to head back for his appointment with Martha. An ache formed in his lower back and as soon as the doors opened, he hurried to a rubbish bin where he threw up what little he'd eaten earlier. He rubbed his mouth with the back of his sleeve and felt someone watching him. It was Suzie, just what he needed...fuck. Gwen appeared from another direction. She must have taken the stairs.
"Come on, Ianto, let me drive you back," Gwen said in a soft voice, "you don't look well."
He just nodded and followed her to the passenger seat where he tried to ignore the pain.
"We don't have to talk if you don't want to," she spoke in that tone that meant that she really wanted him to talk about it. Not today, he wasn't in the mood. Gwen also insisted on going with him to Martha's office. Finally, she stepped out, took one look at Gwen and took Ianto into the exam room.
"What happened?" she asked as soon as the door was shut behind them.
"Nothing except my finding out that Jack's been lying to me all this time, but then, I bet you already knew that," Ianto accused with his biggest evidence being a gut feeling. Before she could say another word, the door opened and Jack walked in with one eye surrounded by shiny red skin.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Ianto asked in annoyance. His first impressions of worry were quickly replaced with an urge to make them look even. Ianto pulled his fist back and hit Jack in the face. Jack stumbled back and Martha went to his aid.
"Nothing broken, you'll be fine. I assume the other eye is Gwen's handiwork? If I hadn't taken an oath, I'd be tempted to do the same," Martha spoke and went back to Ianto's side.
"Hell of a right hook you have there," Jack remarked with a grin in Ianto's direction.
"Do not make fun of me. Okay? I am hormonal, I am terrified, and I am falling apart, so stop treating everything like it’s a big joke!" Ianto yelled with his fists on his hips.
"I’m sorry you’re freaking out, but I was just babysitting a killer robot. Sorry if I’m trying to lighten the mood a little," Jack spoke, "I was only trying to protect you."
"Well, don’t! Okay?! You've lied to me all this time and I was stupid enough to believe you! You can’t take anything seriously! You didn’t even read the baby books," Ianto complained, "Or were you going to leave me so you wouldn't need them anyway."
"I didn't read the baby books! Because I read them last time and how much would have really changed in thirty years? It's the same physical mechanics. They still need nappies and bottles. Nothing's changed. It's exactly the same," Jack said and tried to step closer to him.
"It may not be your first child, but it's your first with me! It just shows your lack of commitment, Jack! That you’re not in this with me!" Ianto spat although his anger was melting into disappointment.
"Did you just say my lack of commitment? Because that’s what it sounded like. It almost seems as though you forgot I proposed to you like an asshole! And you said no to me!" Jack reminded him, "Don't tell me that I don't care when I've been with you to every appointment, made sure that you purchased maternity clothes and worried over your health especially when you never did tell Guppy to take you off of active duty! I thought maybe if you didn't know who or what I was, you'd be safe and Torchwood wouldn't sort out that I was your boyfriend and the father of your baby."
"I don't understand. What would they want with Jack?" Ianto asked Faith and she'd replied, "It's because of what he is." The problem was that Ianto still didn't know and after all this time, he wasn't sure he cared anymore.
"If you feel that way, you should just go. Really. Just go. Because we didn’t mean to do this together, okay? And, and we tried to make it work and that was good, I suppose," he said and felt his eyes water, "But it doesn’t work. Because we are two completely different people. And I think it would just be easier for both of us if we stop fooling ourselves."
Then, another bout of pain coursed through his body and his head felt like it was splitting open. He closed his eyes and grabbed onto the exam table.
"Ianto!" Jack and Martha both exclaimed and he felt Martha preparing to measure his blood pressure. When he opened his eyes again, Jack was watching him with a worried expression.
"You know what? I know this isn’t you talking, it’s your hormones and the pain you're in, but I would just like to say, 'Fuck you, hormones! You are a crazy bitch, hormones! Not Ianto! Hormones!' Fuck them. I just want you better," Jack spoke and it almost looked like his blue eyes glimmered in the harsh light. However, this wasn't even about him, it was about them and how he couldn't see any future between them.
"Fuck you, Jack Harkness," Ianto hurled at him and spots appeared in his vision.
"184/106! Shit, Ianto, your blood pressure's through the fucking roof," she said and turned to Jack, "You're going to have to leave. He can't have any added stress."
Jack opened his mouth as if to say something, but he closed it instead and went to the door.
"I love you," he uttered before exiting the room.
"Whatever," Ianto replied and tried to take a deep breath as Martha felt his hands and face.
"I'm going to need a urine sample to rule out preeclampsia and I don't want you out of my sight. Do you think you could manage?" she asked and reached in a drawer for a jar.
"Yeah," he agreed and held out his hand for it. Their argument was still replaying in his mind. It had happened so quickly. He turned his back to her, undid his trousers and filled it up as best he could.
"Don't pull them up yet. Actually, if you can, you might as well pull them off," she said before placing a test strip in the cup. He had them off while she studied a second one.
"It's negative for Proteinuria, that's good," Martha spoke, "Can you make your way up there and lie back?"
Ianto was able to do this without help except that as soon as he lay down, his belly tensed and he grimaced. That didn't escape her notice as she felt his bump.
"How long have you been having these pains?" Martha asked in a stern voice.
"An hour or two," he answered since he'd been distracted by the arguments, "They're just Braxton-Hicks."
"No, they're not," Martha spoke while poking around down there, "Shit...you're in labor."
"What?!" Ianto shrieked and hoped he'd heard wrong, "I can't be. I'm only twenty-eight weeks. She needs more time."
"I know, but you're having contractions and your cervix is thinner," she said and he waited for something positive before he started going to pieces, "but on the plus side, your mucous plug is intact and you're not dilated. We should be able to stop this."
One moment he'd been mad at Jack, the next he was scared for his daughter. She walked to his left and said, "I want you to roll towards me."
Ianto did so and she continued, "Everything is going to be fine if you just do as I say. You're going to have to relax. I don't want to give you drugs, but I will if I have to. For right now, take deep breaths. Find your happy place...maybe even try to sleep. I'm going to put you on a fetal monitor and put in an IV for some fluids. You look a bit dehydrated."
It was easy for her to say. She wasn't the one in danger of having his daughter born prematurely or having a shit-time with the dad or his sister's marriage falling apart, too. His anxiety must have been evident on his face. Martha bent down and kissed him on the forehead before placing a hand on his belly.
"I know it's hard but you have to try, for her sake," she whispered and Ianto nodded. When she went to rummage in the larger drawers, he put his hands on the bump.
I can't wait to meet you, he thought, but not right now. It can't be like this. He wanted her to be full-term with all the health benefits that entailed. Martha pulled out two elastic belts with boxes attached, looked them over and wrapped them over his belly before attaching them to a monitor. The steady sound of his baby's heartbeat came through the speakers.
"Well, at least she's not in distress, a hundred and forty beats per minute, nice and healthy. Now, we just need to get you into the normal range," she said with a sigh and took out an IV kit. Ianto tried to push everything out of his mind by focusing on his daughter's heartbeat. He listened to the whooshing sound repeat over and over and over. At least she was okay and with any luck, she would stay that way.
************************************************************
Jack only had a vague recollection of phoning up Johnny and suggesting a trip to a pub. He couldn't be by himself and he doubted Johnny wanted that either.
"So, now I have my very own hotel room," Johnny explained between sips of his beer, "Yay!"
The last word had been said in a bitter way and Jack drank from his bottle before checking his mobile again. He kept hoping he'd missed the sound or vibration of receiving one, but the display was empty. Jack had hoped that Martha would tell him as soon as she had the chance. Most of the time, their appointments hadn't lasted that long but Ianto...he looked so much in pain when he left, almost like he was...No, Jack couldn't think that way. His mind kept bringing up the worst possibilities: that Martha hadn't called because something had happened to Ianto or the baby.
"What do you keep checking? Sports scores?" Johnny asked and asked the bartender for another one.
"No, we had a baby appointment earlier, I got kicked out of it," he explained and gestured to his face.
"So, that was Ianto! I knew it!" Johnny exclaimed and started laughing.
"He's only responsible for one eye. Gwen did the other," Jack spoke and that only made Johnny chortle louder. Then, his mobile vibrated and he was so nervous that he almost dropped it.
"What's it say?" Johnny asked as Jack pressed things so the text would appear on the screen.
"Martha says that Ianto...went into labor! But...but she stopped it and he's resting now and she wants me to keep an eye on him," he read and rubbed his face, "If he ever lets me near him again..."
"Or if Rhi ever lets him out of her sight once she finds out about this," Johnny commented and Jack nodded.
"I've really messed everything up this time," he said and finished off the beer.
"Marriage is like that show 'My Family' but it’s not funny. All the problems are the same, but it’s... Instead of all the funny, pithy dialogue, everybody’s just really pissed off and tense. Marriage is like an unfunny, tense version of 'My Family' but it doesn’t last thirty minutes. It lasts forever," Johnny spoke.
"Let’s get out of here, man. Honestly, let’s just go. Let’s go to New York," Jack suggested because he could let Ianto have his space and return to come up with a plan.
"I might be able to get us on the company jet," Johnny said with his hazel eyes lighting up, "Let's do it!"
"Yeah," Jack agreed, standing up.
"Why not?" Johnny asked with a grin and held up his beer. Jack clanked his own against it.
Chapter Nineteen: Still Twenty-eight Weeks Along
Author: Ericadawn16
Prompt: Knocked Up
Character/Pairing(s): Jack/Ianto, Gwen/Rhys, Rhi/Johnny, Ianto/Lisa
Rating:R
Warnings: MPreg, sex, language
Spoilers:Character from COE
Word Count:68,599
Disclaimer for TW and the movie you are using:I own nothing.
Summary:Ianto gets a promotion at work, meets Jack and things are never the same...
Beta: BIG Thanks to
madkatstar_pir8 pirate4evrnavy2 and surreal_44Author's Notes: This story is very AU. Chapter Seventeen: Twenty-eight Weeks Along
Chapter Eighteen: Twenty-eight Weeks Along Continues
"I'll calm down when you get out of my fucking car!" Ianto screamed and knew he really couldn't afford getting this worked up. Jack opened the car door and stepped outside. After shutting the door, he knocked on the window.
"Can you let me back in the car, please? Have you calmed down? Did you take a breath? This isn't anywhere near Wapping," Jack spoke and Ianto pointed across the Shadwell Basin.
"I believe it's that way," he said and sped off before Jack could say anything more. As he drove, he felt better. At least, he wasn't so light-headed and he'd said everything that had been building these last seven months. He parked his car next to Gwen's sporty red number and got out. First, he really needed to piss. Then, he'd have someone fill him in on the latest with this case. Just as he was zipping up, Gwen found him.
"I thought I locked that door," Ianto said before washing his hands.
"You did," Gwen confirmed.
"I should have known," he muttered and noticed she was staring at him, "What?"
"You're very flushed. How are you feeling? Do you need to sit down?" she asked when another idea seemed to strike her, "Or have you been up to something?"
"Far from it," he answered, "We had a major row instead."
"Shit," Gwen remarked.
"Yep, I really don't want to talk about it," Ianto said, "just tell me what's going on here."
Once this neighborhood had been Chinatown, now it was filled with converted warehouse flats and the occasional Chinese restaurant. Alas, they had to end up in a flat instead of getting noodles in a comfortable booth.
"Patrick Starkey, age forty, now deceased. He found some technology in an alley and bought it home. After working on it for years, he made it work again and it killed him. We have it trapped in a flat as we speak, but it still killed two others before we got control. It calls itself WOTAN. It's a sort of war machine," Gwen explained and Ianto was confused.
"Is it alien or not?" he asked.
"Not," Gwen replied and straightened her top in the mirror.
"Then, why are we here? Sounds more like a case for the spooks to take care of," Ianto spoke.
"Apparently, they're busy and we already had a file on this thing from last time. It was originally built in the sixties. An EMP should do the trick but the only device available is in Northwood," Gwen said and frowned.
"That's only an hour away," Ianto stated with hope.
"On a good day," she reminded him, "Today? Traffic. So, we're here to mind the killer robot and keep civilians away."
"That's fucking suicide," he complained as rubbed his belly. He'd just had another one of those false contractions.
"I know, they seem to know...they called in a professional, but he hasn't arrived yet," Gwen spoke., "You finally get to meet Jack."
After letting out a sigh, Ianto uttered, "I think I've had more than my share of Jacks for today."
"But honey, this one's gorgeous; please," she begged and took one of his hands, "please."
He hated when Gwen acted this way and it was always easier to play along rather than fight her.
"Fine, show me the gorgeous man," Ianto acquiesced and Gwen squealed at winning.
"He should be here any moment if he hasn't arrived already," she said as they headed out of the empty flat. It was full of electronics that were going to be fried as well as the robot. He supposed they would all receive compensation cheques from the government. They walked into the hallway when he spotted him. What was his Jack doing here? A thought crossed his mind again. It was a thought that had been whispering in his ear all these months: louder in the last month or two, but he had tried to ignore it. Jack whispering in Guppy's ear and making her smile was all the confirmation he needed.
"Fucking bastard!" he spat in a low voice and he felt so stupid. He should have confronted him before it got this far. It had gone on too long now. Gwen looked from him to Jack and back again. Her brown eyes grew wide.
"Captain Jack Harkness is your baby daddy?" she asked and her words ascended in pitch until 'daddy' became an almost screech. The last thing Ianto needed was for Jack to see him or for someone else to connect the dots.
"Shh!" he hissed and put his hand over her mouth for a moment until she appeared to be relaxed.
"I just can't believe it. I mean, Rhys said he saw the two of you together last night with Banana Boat, but I didn't believe him either," she babbled, "the two of you...you're just so...different."
Perhaps too different, he thought yet he really didn't want to believe her. It was too late. Jack was coming over.
"Ianto, I..."
"Don't, don't say anything" Ianto interrupted, "and don't follow me!" He rushed to use the lift and rode it down. Part of him wanted to be angry while the other half wanted to cry. Ianto checked his watch and decided to head back for his appointment with Martha. An ache formed in his lower back and as soon as the doors opened, he hurried to a rubbish bin where he threw up what little he'd eaten earlier. He rubbed his mouth with the back of his sleeve and felt someone watching him. It was Suzie, just what he needed...fuck. Gwen appeared from another direction. She must have taken the stairs.
"Come on, Ianto, let me drive you back," Gwen said in a soft voice, "you don't look well."
He just nodded and followed her to the passenger seat where he tried to ignore the pain.
"We don't have to talk if you don't want to," she spoke in that tone that meant that she really wanted him to talk about it. Not today, he wasn't in the mood. Gwen also insisted on going with him to Martha's office. Finally, she stepped out, took one look at Gwen and took Ianto into the exam room.
"What happened?" she asked as soon as the door was shut behind them.
"Nothing except my finding out that Jack's been lying to me all this time, but then, I bet you already knew that," Ianto accused with his biggest evidence being a gut feeling. Before she could say another word, the door opened and Jack walked in with one eye surrounded by shiny red skin.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Ianto asked in annoyance. His first impressions of worry were quickly replaced with an urge to make them look even. Ianto pulled his fist back and hit Jack in the face. Jack stumbled back and Martha went to his aid.
"Nothing broken, you'll be fine. I assume the other eye is Gwen's handiwork? If I hadn't taken an oath, I'd be tempted to do the same," Martha spoke and went back to Ianto's side.
"Hell of a right hook you have there," Jack remarked with a grin in Ianto's direction.
"Do not make fun of me. Okay? I am hormonal, I am terrified, and I am falling apart, so stop treating everything like it’s a big joke!" Ianto yelled with his fists on his hips.
"I’m sorry you’re freaking out, but I was just babysitting a killer robot. Sorry if I’m trying to lighten the mood a little," Jack spoke, "I was only trying to protect you."
"Well, don’t! Okay?! You've lied to me all this time and I was stupid enough to believe you! You can’t take anything seriously! You didn’t even read the baby books," Ianto complained, "Or were you going to leave me so you wouldn't need them anyway."
"I didn't read the baby books! Because I read them last time and how much would have really changed in thirty years? It's the same physical mechanics. They still need nappies and bottles. Nothing's changed. It's exactly the same," Jack said and tried to step closer to him.
"It may not be your first child, but it's your first with me! It just shows your lack of commitment, Jack! That you’re not in this with me!" Ianto spat although his anger was melting into disappointment.
"Did you just say my lack of commitment? Because that’s what it sounded like. It almost seems as though you forgot I proposed to you like an asshole! And you said no to me!" Jack reminded him, "Don't tell me that I don't care when I've been with you to every appointment, made sure that you purchased maternity clothes and worried over your health especially when you never did tell Guppy to take you off of active duty! I thought maybe if you didn't know who or what I was, you'd be safe and Torchwood wouldn't sort out that I was your boyfriend and the father of your baby."
"I don't understand. What would they want with Jack?" Ianto asked Faith and she'd replied, "It's because of what he is." The problem was that Ianto still didn't know and after all this time, he wasn't sure he cared anymore.
"If you feel that way, you should just go. Really. Just go. Because we didn’t mean to do this together, okay? And, and we tried to make it work and that was good, I suppose," he said and felt his eyes water, "But it doesn’t work. Because we are two completely different people. And I think it would just be easier for both of us if we stop fooling ourselves."
Then, another bout of pain coursed through his body and his head felt like it was splitting open. He closed his eyes and grabbed onto the exam table.
"Ianto!" Jack and Martha both exclaimed and he felt Martha preparing to measure his blood pressure. When he opened his eyes again, Jack was watching him with a worried expression.
"You know what? I know this isn’t you talking, it’s your hormones and the pain you're in, but I would just like to say, 'Fuck you, hormones! You are a crazy bitch, hormones! Not Ianto! Hormones!' Fuck them. I just want you better," Jack spoke and it almost looked like his blue eyes glimmered in the harsh light. However, this wasn't even about him, it was about them and how he couldn't see any future between them.
"Fuck you, Jack Harkness," Ianto hurled at him and spots appeared in his vision.
"184/106! Shit, Ianto, your blood pressure's through the fucking roof," she said and turned to Jack, "You're going to have to leave. He can't have any added stress."
Jack opened his mouth as if to say something, but he closed it instead and went to the door.
"I love you," he uttered before exiting the room.
"Whatever," Ianto replied and tried to take a deep breath as Martha felt his hands and face.
"I'm going to need a urine sample to rule out preeclampsia and I don't want you out of my sight. Do you think you could manage?" she asked and reached in a drawer for a jar.
"Yeah," he agreed and held out his hand for it. Their argument was still replaying in his mind. It had happened so quickly. He turned his back to her, undid his trousers and filled it up as best he could.
"Don't pull them up yet. Actually, if you can, you might as well pull them off," she said before placing a test strip in the cup. He had them off while she studied a second one.
"It's negative for Proteinuria, that's good," Martha spoke, "Can you make your way up there and lie back?"
Ianto was able to do this without help except that as soon as he lay down, his belly tensed and he grimaced. That didn't escape her notice as she felt his bump.
"How long have you been having these pains?" Martha asked in a stern voice.
"An hour or two," he answered since he'd been distracted by the arguments, "They're just Braxton-Hicks."
"No, they're not," Martha spoke while poking around down there, "Shit...you're in labor."
"What?!" Ianto shrieked and hoped he'd heard wrong, "I can't be. I'm only twenty-eight weeks. She needs more time."
"I know, but you're having contractions and your cervix is thinner," she said and he waited for something positive before he started going to pieces, "but on the plus side, your mucous plug is intact and you're not dilated. We should be able to stop this."
One moment he'd been mad at Jack, the next he was scared for his daughter. She walked to his left and said, "I want you to roll towards me."
Ianto did so and she continued, "Everything is going to be fine if you just do as I say. You're going to have to relax. I don't want to give you drugs, but I will if I have to. For right now, take deep breaths. Find your happy place...maybe even try to sleep. I'm going to put you on a fetal monitor and put in an IV for some fluids. You look a bit dehydrated."
It was easy for her to say. She wasn't the one in danger of having his daughter born prematurely or having a shit-time with the dad or his sister's marriage falling apart, too. His anxiety must have been evident on his face. Martha bent down and kissed him on the forehead before placing a hand on his belly.
"I know it's hard but you have to try, for her sake," she whispered and Ianto nodded. When she went to rummage in the larger drawers, he put his hands on the bump.
I can't wait to meet you, he thought, but not right now. It can't be like this. He wanted her to be full-term with all the health benefits that entailed. Martha pulled out two elastic belts with boxes attached, looked them over and wrapped them over his belly before attaching them to a monitor. The steady sound of his baby's heartbeat came through the speakers.
"Well, at least she's not in distress, a hundred and forty beats per minute, nice and healthy. Now, we just need to get you into the normal range," she said with a sigh and took out an IV kit. Ianto tried to push everything out of his mind by focusing on his daughter's heartbeat. He listened to the whooshing sound repeat over and over and over. At least she was okay and with any luck, she would stay that way.
************************************************************
Jack only had a vague recollection of phoning up Johnny and suggesting a trip to a pub. He couldn't be by himself and he doubted Johnny wanted that either.
"So, now I have my very own hotel room," Johnny explained between sips of his beer, "Yay!"
The last word had been said in a bitter way and Jack drank from his bottle before checking his mobile again. He kept hoping he'd missed the sound or vibration of receiving one, but the display was empty. Jack had hoped that Martha would tell him as soon as she had the chance. Most of the time, their appointments hadn't lasted that long but Ianto...he looked so much in pain when he left, almost like he was...No, Jack couldn't think that way. His mind kept bringing up the worst possibilities: that Martha hadn't called because something had happened to Ianto or the baby.
"What do you keep checking? Sports scores?" Johnny asked and asked the bartender for another one.
"No, we had a baby appointment earlier, I got kicked out of it," he explained and gestured to his face.
"So, that was Ianto! I knew it!" Johnny exclaimed and started laughing.
"He's only responsible for one eye. Gwen did the other," Jack spoke and that only made Johnny chortle louder. Then, his mobile vibrated and he was so nervous that he almost dropped it.
"What's it say?" Johnny asked as Jack pressed things so the text would appear on the screen.
"Martha says that Ianto...went into labor! But...but she stopped it and he's resting now and she wants me to keep an eye on him," he read and rubbed his face, "If he ever lets me near him again..."
"Or if Rhi ever lets him out of her sight once she finds out about this," Johnny commented and Jack nodded.
"I've really messed everything up this time," he said and finished off the beer.
"Marriage is like that show 'My Family' but it’s not funny. All the problems are the same, but it’s... Instead of all the funny, pithy dialogue, everybody’s just really pissed off and tense. Marriage is like an unfunny, tense version of 'My Family' but it doesn’t last thirty minutes. It lasts forever," Johnny spoke.
"Let’s get out of here, man. Honestly, let’s just go. Let’s go to New York," Jack suggested because he could let Ianto have his space and return to come up with a plan.
"I might be able to get us on the company jet," Johnny said with his hazel eyes lighting up, "Let's do it!"
"Yeah," Jack agreed, standing up.
"Why not?" Johnny asked with a grin and held up his beer. Jack clanked his own against it.
Chapter Nineteen: Still Twenty-eight Weeks Along
