Chapter Twenty-Two: Thirty Weeks Along
May. 23rd, 2010 07:14 pm![[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 Twenty-One: Twenty-nine Weeks Along
Chapter Twenty-Two: Thirty Weeks Along
Ianto was beginning to get scared...
"We're lucky though. We were able to find her new name, Alice Carter and track down her medical files. She doesn't appear to have inherited any of her dad's more unusual traits but her son is just three and there's always your daughter," Yvonne spoke with glee.
"What?" Ianto asked and just the sight of their smiling faces made him feel sick.
"Jack's been such a great asset for us that it would be that much more productive if he could have offspring with the same qualities," Yvonne said and eyed his belly.
"So, you want my baby?" Ianto questioned.
"Listen to you," Yvonne spoke and the two senior members laughed.
"I don't want your baby," she continued and Ianto relaxed, "right this moment, it still has some growing to do."
"But..."
"It won't be today," Alex explained in a calm voice, "We'll wait until she's born which will hopefully be after this ghost business. We'll take Steven and get them both tested at the same time."
He clasped a hand on Ianto's shoulder in a supportive way before continuing, "If she turns out to be normal, you can have her back."
They...they were going to take Steven and his baby and depending on the test results, they were planning on keeping them?
"But...but...you can't take my baby," Ianto said with his hands clutching his belly. Yvonne and Alex looked at each other before laughing.
"Ianto, don't be a fuckwit. I can have you stranded in Siberia when this baby's born and that's on a good day. You know our motto, 'If it's alien, it's ours'," she said and pressed a button on the desk, "Harry, I want you to please collect my little guest here."
"No, no...it's not alien, she's a human being!" Ianto shrieked as the door opened behind him. Yvonne and Alex were laughing again as if he was a little kid who didn't know anything. Harry locked an arm around his shoulder and pulled. Ianto didn't want to fall or have something happen so he stood up on his own and let himself be led out. Tears were already coming down his face. His baby was human. They had no rights to her. What was he going to do? Should he tell Jack they were going after Steven, too? His fingers rubbed the outside of his mobile. Despite everything, his first impulse wanted Jack to tell him everything was going to be fine...preferably while holding Ianto in his arms and maybe kissing him...
Ianto shook his head. He had no proof that Jack could fix this. He didn't know how anyone could fix this. Somehow, he made his way to the lift and his own storey. He was hoping to see Gwen, but he came across Suzie.
"I'm glad you're finally admitting it, like we didn't already know. You've had a waddle for months. Did you think we couldn't sort things out?" Suzie asked, "And all that time you were on active duty, what would you have done if we really needed you? Hide in the loo while we were one person down? Let us die because you didn't want to admit you were up the duff? How selfish is that?"
Ianto started to sob and couldn't stop. First, Yvonne had informed him that his baby would be taken away and experimented on. He was afraid for her life and now, Suzie was verbally accosting him. An alarm went off in the building for everyone to prepare for the next ghost shift.
"I have to go," she said, "so do you."
He barely noticed her leaving. She made him sound as bad as Jack with deceit and lies. Had he put them in danger? His head pounded and it felt like he couldn't breathe. Then, everything went black.
"-to, Ianto," said Martha's voice and he opened his eyes. He was in an exam room again and his hands went for his belly. The belts were strapped across it again.
"Is she...?"
"She's fine," she told him and he sighed in relief, "but you're a centimeter dilated."
Shit.
"Your blood pressure was worse than the last time which is why you fainted and scared me half to death. I was afraid you really did have Eclampsia this time," Martha said and he could see the worry on her face, "You remember our deal, you're on bed rest. I'm going to send you home and you're going to stay there. You're not even going to come here for check-ups; I'm going to come see you. I mean it; I want you off your feet: bed, couch, toilet, that's it. No more work."
"That's fine," Ianto uttered, "I don't want to ever come back here."
His voice cracked on the last few words and Martha reached over to hug him.
"What happened? Did something happen with Jack?" she asked.
"No, it's not that. Yvonne and Alex called me into her office and...and..." he stuttered because it sounded so unbelievable in his head but it really happened, "and they said they would take her and do tests on her!"
"What? That's my job. No one else can do my job. I'm the only one who gets to make sure she's healthy," Martha complained with a smile. She didn't understand. Ianto shook his head and tried again, "They want her because they said she could be like Jack and that Jack was special and...and they said she was alien and...and their property."
Martha was hugging him again.
"Now, now, you're going to get your blood pressure up again," she said and started looking at all the vitals. He could hear the beep representing his daughter's heartbeat as well as his own. Martha's behaviour was very odd.
"But she can't be an alien, I'm human. Jack's human..."
Martha sighed and came close to him again.
"Jack's not from Earth, Ianto. He's not even from the twentieth century," she said and he knew that...part of that.
"He's from the fifty-first century, he told me that," Ianto spoke but then he hadn't thought about Jack being from another planet.
"Still, he was born on another planet over three thousand years from now, that's close enough for Torchwood," Martha said, "He's not entirely the same as us, close enough to have children...obviously, but..."
"Fuck," Ianto spat and remembered the other part, "but they also said Jack had qualities they wanted."
Martha rubbed her face and mumbled, "He should have told you long ago...did you ever wonder why Jack gets sent into the missions he does?"
"He has a lot of experience," Ianto answered and realised that wasn't what she meant.
"Well, he does, but it's because he's over a hundred and fifty years old from my estimation," Martha told him and his mouth gaped open.
"What?"
"Jack used to travel with Rose and the Doctor. They were all going to die until Rose did something with the Tardis. Jack died but then, he...wasn't. He can die but he'll always come back. I've heard him refer to it as his 'accident' sometimes," she explained and Ianto rubbed the exposed part of his belly, "but he doesn't like to talk about it, I think it's hard on him...living like that."
"What are we going to do?" Ianto asked and his chest was starting to hurt again, "I don't want them getting her and they said they would take Steven, too."
When she looked confused, he added, "Steven's his grandson." The room was starting to spin again. What were they going to do?
"For now, I want you to try and relax or you'll end up having this baby at thirty weeks and her lungs need more time than that. I'm going to talk with Rhi and Jack about checking in on you because you won't be able to do a lot for yourself, like meals. There's also me, Gwen and Lisa. We can all help out," Martha said, "It's going to help that you'll be away from here, but you'll still have to come here for the c. section so they'll know...we have some time, we can sort this out."
She kissed him on the cheek before continuing, "You should rest. We'll move you in the morning. I'm going to set you with a smaller, portable fetal monitor. It's like a civilian model they use except it's going to tell me your blood pressure, heart rate, her blood pressure and heart rate, whether you're having contractions, how strong they are and the duration. You're going to plug it into your mobile twice a day and send it to me. We're going to get through this and you'll have a beautiful daughter...came up with a name yet?"
Ianto shook his head. Nothing seemed perfect yet.
"Well, you can look into that at home," she said and left him in the dark.
Thirty-Two Weeks Along
Ianto sat on Rhi's couch as Rhi and Johnny held suitcases in front of him.
"It's been two weeks and you haven't had any more contractions or dilations or whatever," Rhi said while Johnny winced, "Martha said she would come over in the morning. I have stuff in the fridge for all weekend."
"You know, it’s a rare thing that you live to see the day your wildest dreams come true. I mean what is there left to want? I get to go to Edinburgh castle and zoo," said Johnny, "and I get to drive seven hours to do it!"
Rhi rolled her brown eyes and pointed out, "I offered to do it."
"You're not getting in my seat," Johnny argued and shook his head.
"Yay, Edinburgh, land of enchantment," Ianto joked and Mica and David perked up for a moment before yawning again.
"Don’t get them all riled up before the drive," Rhi retorted.
"We've already had to explain about a zillion times why you can't just pop in at J.K. Rowling's house for a spot of tea," Johnny said with a laugh, "or why you can't have a ghost for a pet."
"We'll be back on Sunday," Rhi spoke and nodded.
"Or Saturday. You never know. We might see it all in one day," Johnny said with a shrug.
"Sunday. Let's go. Phone me if you need something," Rhi told him and they left. They had never gone more than two weeks without speaking to one another and that was why he fought against his instinct to flee.
******************************************************************
Jack woke up to a noise. His stupid mobile was chirping. He reached over to read the caller: Yvonne Hartman.
"Not her," he complained and touched the button, "Jack Harkness here."
"We have him! We have him and his ship and that blonde companion, Rose!" she screamed into the mobile and hung up. Jack was awake in an instant. He'd have to tell the others so they could attempt a rescue operation. The Doctor always had a plan, but that didn't mean he didn't need help doing it.
*****************************************************************
Martha had left Ianto a few hours before. She had become an aunt with the pictures to prove it. In an hour or two, he was due to get a visit from Gwen for lunch. Jack and Johnny had helped him move from the guesthouse to the main house because they felt that would be easier while Rhi and the family were away. It was a little too quiet which made him miss them more. Maybe this time apart would be good for him. It wasn't as though they could live together forever. At the moment, he was on the couch with a baby name book. It was hopeless. Everything seemed too ancient or too weird and most of them were probably names of ex-girlfriends anyway. How was he supposed to compete with over a century of dating? He hadn't had the nerve to bring it up with Jack yet. Jack was always on his best behaviour with just some kissing. Martha had stressed that Ianto couldn't afford to be over-excited in any way, even by himself. Then, he got a sharp pain and felt his stomach grow hard for a brief moment. Since it had happened twice before, he knew exactly what it was.
"Shit," he spat and looked at the antique clock that Mica had cracked when she was three. Maybe he could wait for Gwen.
*****************************************************************
Strange metal men had just appeared everywhere.
"John? John, you don't happen to know what those are by chance?" Jack asked especially when they seemed to be armed.
"Not a clue, love," John replied.
"They're Cybermen and they're deadly," Mickey spoke in a cold voice.
"That's what I was afraid of," Jack said, trying to think of what would work best on them.
***********************************************************
It was past two and Gwen never showed. The contractions were getting worse and Ianto took out his mobile. He called Gwen with no answer so he called Martha, nothing. What was going on?
"Jack, please pick up," he begged as it rang.
"Ianto, what's wrong?" Jack asked as greeting.
"Labour," he replied and heard the common sound of shooting, "Weevils?"
"No, definitely not them," Jack said in an odd tone, "Did you try Martha?"
"Of course, with no success. I need you and I need you to get her," Ianto told him and didn't care how whiny he sounded, "At the very least, come get me and take me to her."
There was a definite pause.
"I'll be there a.s.a.p." Jack said, a bit breathless and there was more weapon fire before the call disconnected. Maybe he could stop...oww, that fucker hurt. Maybe he could slow them down or something if he just relaxed. He made his way up the stairs to the bathroom where he laid out candles and made himself a bubble bath. Ianto focused on the bubbles and soft candlelight, but it was hard when it felt like he was being stabbed every eight minutes.
"Please, please, someone needs to get here," Ianto uttered, "I'll do anything, I'll even wear the ring, just send someone here...but not Yvonne or Alex because they can just die."
A little after that, he heard the front door open and somebody call out.
"I'm up here in the bath!" Ianto shouted.
"Hello! Ianto? Hello!" a familiar voice yelled and Ianto couldn't believe it.
"Owen?" he asked in a timid voice and the other man appeared in his doorway.
"Ianto. What is this, like a water birth? What are we doing?" the doctor questioned while holding a case in one hand.
"We aren't doing anything. Why aren't you Jack or Martha?" Ianto asked and tried to move lower in the bubbles. He didn't want Owen seeing everything.
"Because they were busy at the moment," he said and Ianto noticed the burn on his arm. What remained of the sleeve was bloody and he favored the other arm.
"It looks like you should be doctoring yourself," Ianto commented and nodded towards the wound.
"Yes, I should be as sterile as possible," Owen agreed and Ianto couldn't help grinning.
"Your girlfriends should love that," he quipped as Owen removed his shirt.
"Jack sent me. He couldn't find Martha but I'm just as qualified. I may not have been off-planet or the Doctor's companion, but I did medical school and the rounds, fully qualified. I've delivered babies before," he told him and cleaned up the burn.
"Except I'm not delivering that way, I'm supposed to be taken back to Torchwood for a c. section," Ianto argued while the light shone on the scar he bore on his left arm.
"We can keep that as a goal," Owen agreed as though speaking to a child, "if we can push the labor back to tonight or tomorrow, but you haven't told me how far apart the contractions are and I don't know how dilated you are so I can't tell you whether you'll have that option or not."
There was something he wasn't telling him.
"Get me my mobile," Ianto ordered.
*******************************************************************
Jack's mobile chirped. He knew it had to be Ianto but he ignored it because for that brief moment, he was frozen in fear.
"Exterminate!" a mechanical voice cried just like his nightmares. He could still remember what it was like to die that first time. If they killed him a second time, would he still come back? He hated to leave everyone during this time, but he didn't want Ianto to give birth without him.
************************************************************
Ianto tried everyone again, including Jack. No one answered. It was worrying so he called Rhi.
"Rhi..."
"Ianto, stay in the house! No matter what happens, stay in the house!" she hissed before he could say another syllable.
"Rhi, what's going on?" he asked and hoped she wouldn't hang up.
"They weren't ghosts at all. They're some sort of metal tin men with guns. We're hiding in part of the castle...they started killing tourists," she said and his heart sank. He now understood the wound on Owen's arm and why his calls went unanswered.
"Did any of you get hurt?" Ianto asked.
"No, Mica scraped her knee, that's all. I have to go now, they might hear," she said and there was nothing. Owen's face was sympathetic.
"Are they fine?" he asked and Ianto nodded.
"That's good," Owen said although his face was still a little sad. If Torchwood was the center of it all, they would have the most casualties and Jack had sent one of the needed medics to be with him.
"They're a little less than eight minutes. I'm wearing a monitor so I could send you specific numbers," Ianto offered and was trying not to panic. Everyone he knew was in mortal danger and it was a very real possibility that he would have to have this baby naturally. He wondered whether Owen was hiding drugs in his kit.
"Yes, that would be helpful. Have you had your bloody show?" he asked and Ianto waited for the contraction to pass before remembering what that was. It had been in the baby books. He looked down.
"I don't know. I'm in the bath. I don't know about that or my waters," he admitted and wondered if the bath had been a bad idea.
"First, send me the data," Owen said so Ianto did so although he had to bend his leg out of the water. The doctor studied on the numbers on his mobile and turned to Ianto.
"Now, will you let me check on other things?" he asked gestured toward Ianto's crotch, "You'll have to step out of your bath. Try not to knock your pretty candles over."
Chapter Twenty-Three: Thirty-two 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 Twenty-One: Twenty-nine Weeks Along
Chapter Twenty-Two: Thirty Weeks Along
Ianto was beginning to get scared...
"We're lucky though. We were able to find her new name, Alice Carter and track down her medical files. She doesn't appear to have inherited any of her dad's more unusual traits but her son is just three and there's always your daughter," Yvonne spoke with glee.
"What?" Ianto asked and just the sight of their smiling faces made him feel sick.
"Jack's been such a great asset for us that it would be that much more productive if he could have offspring with the same qualities," Yvonne said and eyed his belly.
"So, you want my baby?" Ianto questioned.
"Listen to you," Yvonne spoke and the two senior members laughed.
"I don't want your baby," she continued and Ianto relaxed, "right this moment, it still has some growing to do."
"But..."
"It won't be today," Alex explained in a calm voice, "We'll wait until she's born which will hopefully be after this ghost business. We'll take Steven and get them both tested at the same time."
He clasped a hand on Ianto's shoulder in a supportive way before continuing, "If she turns out to be normal, you can have her back."
They...they were going to take Steven and his baby and depending on the test results, they were planning on keeping them?
"But...but...you can't take my baby," Ianto said with his hands clutching his belly. Yvonne and Alex looked at each other before laughing.
"Ianto, don't be a fuckwit. I can have you stranded in Siberia when this baby's born and that's on a good day. You know our motto, 'If it's alien, it's ours'," she said and pressed a button on the desk, "Harry, I want you to please collect my little guest here."
"No, no...it's not alien, she's a human being!" Ianto shrieked as the door opened behind him. Yvonne and Alex were laughing again as if he was a little kid who didn't know anything. Harry locked an arm around his shoulder and pulled. Ianto didn't want to fall or have something happen so he stood up on his own and let himself be led out. Tears were already coming down his face. His baby was human. They had no rights to her. What was he going to do? Should he tell Jack they were going after Steven, too? His fingers rubbed the outside of his mobile. Despite everything, his first impulse wanted Jack to tell him everything was going to be fine...preferably while holding Ianto in his arms and maybe kissing him...
Ianto shook his head. He had no proof that Jack could fix this. He didn't know how anyone could fix this. Somehow, he made his way to the lift and his own storey. He was hoping to see Gwen, but he came across Suzie.
"I'm glad you're finally admitting it, like we didn't already know. You've had a waddle for months. Did you think we couldn't sort things out?" Suzie asked, "And all that time you were on active duty, what would you have done if we really needed you? Hide in the loo while we were one person down? Let us die because you didn't want to admit you were up the duff? How selfish is that?"
Ianto started to sob and couldn't stop. First, Yvonne had informed him that his baby would be taken away and experimented on. He was afraid for her life and now, Suzie was verbally accosting him. An alarm went off in the building for everyone to prepare for the next ghost shift.
"I have to go," she said, "so do you."
He barely noticed her leaving. She made him sound as bad as Jack with deceit and lies. Had he put them in danger? His head pounded and it felt like he couldn't breathe. Then, everything went black.
"-to, Ianto," said Martha's voice and he opened his eyes. He was in an exam room again and his hands went for his belly. The belts were strapped across it again.
"Is she...?"
"She's fine," she told him and he sighed in relief, "but you're a centimeter dilated."
Shit.
"Your blood pressure was worse than the last time which is why you fainted and scared me half to death. I was afraid you really did have Eclampsia this time," Martha said and he could see the worry on her face, "You remember our deal, you're on bed rest. I'm going to send you home and you're going to stay there. You're not even going to come here for check-ups; I'm going to come see you. I mean it; I want you off your feet: bed, couch, toilet, that's it. No more work."
"That's fine," Ianto uttered, "I don't want to ever come back here."
His voice cracked on the last few words and Martha reached over to hug him.
"What happened? Did something happen with Jack?" she asked.
"No, it's not that. Yvonne and Alex called me into her office and...and..." he stuttered because it sounded so unbelievable in his head but it really happened, "and they said they would take her and do tests on her!"
"What? That's my job. No one else can do my job. I'm the only one who gets to make sure she's healthy," Martha complained with a smile. She didn't understand. Ianto shook his head and tried again, "They want her because they said she could be like Jack and that Jack was special and...and they said she was alien and...and their property."
Martha was hugging him again.
"Now, now, you're going to get your blood pressure up again," she said and started looking at all the vitals. He could hear the beep representing his daughter's heartbeat as well as his own. Martha's behaviour was very odd.
"But she can't be an alien, I'm human. Jack's human..."
Martha sighed and came close to him again.
"Jack's not from Earth, Ianto. He's not even from the twentieth century," she said and he knew that...part of that.
"He's from the fifty-first century, he told me that," Ianto spoke but then he hadn't thought about Jack being from another planet.
"Still, he was born on another planet over three thousand years from now, that's close enough for Torchwood," Martha said, "He's not entirely the same as us, close enough to have children...obviously, but..."
"Fuck," Ianto spat and remembered the other part, "but they also said Jack had qualities they wanted."
Martha rubbed her face and mumbled, "He should have told you long ago...did you ever wonder why Jack gets sent into the missions he does?"
"He has a lot of experience," Ianto answered and realised that wasn't what she meant.
"Well, he does, but it's because he's over a hundred and fifty years old from my estimation," Martha told him and his mouth gaped open.
"What?"
"Jack used to travel with Rose and the Doctor. They were all going to die until Rose did something with the Tardis. Jack died but then, he...wasn't. He can die but he'll always come back. I've heard him refer to it as his 'accident' sometimes," she explained and Ianto rubbed the exposed part of his belly, "but he doesn't like to talk about it, I think it's hard on him...living like that."
"What are we going to do?" Ianto asked and his chest was starting to hurt again, "I don't want them getting her and they said they would take Steven, too."
When she looked confused, he added, "Steven's his grandson." The room was starting to spin again. What were they going to do?
"For now, I want you to try and relax or you'll end up having this baby at thirty weeks and her lungs need more time than that. I'm going to talk with Rhi and Jack about checking in on you because you won't be able to do a lot for yourself, like meals. There's also me, Gwen and Lisa. We can all help out," Martha said, "It's going to help that you'll be away from here, but you'll still have to come here for the c. section so they'll know...we have some time, we can sort this out."
She kissed him on the cheek before continuing, "You should rest. We'll move you in the morning. I'm going to set you with a smaller, portable fetal monitor. It's like a civilian model they use except it's going to tell me your blood pressure, heart rate, her blood pressure and heart rate, whether you're having contractions, how strong they are and the duration. You're going to plug it into your mobile twice a day and send it to me. We're going to get through this and you'll have a beautiful daughter...came up with a name yet?"
Ianto shook his head. Nothing seemed perfect yet.
"Well, you can look into that at home," she said and left him in the dark.
Thirty-Two Weeks Along
Ianto sat on Rhi's couch as Rhi and Johnny held suitcases in front of him.
"It's been two weeks and you haven't had any more contractions or dilations or whatever," Rhi said while Johnny winced, "Martha said she would come over in the morning. I have stuff in the fridge for all weekend."
"You know, it’s a rare thing that you live to see the day your wildest dreams come true. I mean what is there left to want? I get to go to Edinburgh castle and zoo," said Johnny, "and I get to drive seven hours to do it!"
Rhi rolled her brown eyes and pointed out, "I offered to do it."
"You're not getting in my seat," Johnny argued and shook his head.
"Yay, Edinburgh, land of enchantment," Ianto joked and Mica and David perked up for a moment before yawning again.
"Don’t get them all riled up before the drive," Rhi retorted.
"We've already had to explain about a zillion times why you can't just pop in at J.K. Rowling's house for a spot of tea," Johnny said with a laugh, "or why you can't have a ghost for a pet."
"We'll be back on Sunday," Rhi spoke and nodded.
"Or Saturday. You never know. We might see it all in one day," Johnny said with a shrug.
"Sunday. Let's go. Phone me if you need something," Rhi told him and they left. They had never gone more than two weeks without speaking to one another and that was why he fought against his instinct to flee.
******************************************************************
Jack woke up to a noise. His stupid mobile was chirping. He reached over to read the caller: Yvonne Hartman.
"Not her," he complained and touched the button, "Jack Harkness here."
"We have him! We have him and his ship and that blonde companion, Rose!" she screamed into the mobile and hung up. Jack was awake in an instant. He'd have to tell the others so they could attempt a rescue operation. The Doctor always had a plan, but that didn't mean he didn't need help doing it.
*****************************************************************
Martha had left Ianto a few hours before. She had become an aunt with the pictures to prove it. In an hour or two, he was due to get a visit from Gwen for lunch. Jack and Johnny had helped him move from the guesthouse to the main house because they felt that would be easier while Rhi and the family were away. It was a little too quiet which made him miss them more. Maybe this time apart would be good for him. It wasn't as though they could live together forever. At the moment, he was on the couch with a baby name book. It was hopeless. Everything seemed too ancient or too weird and most of them were probably names of ex-girlfriends anyway. How was he supposed to compete with over a century of dating? He hadn't had the nerve to bring it up with Jack yet. Jack was always on his best behaviour with just some kissing. Martha had stressed that Ianto couldn't afford to be over-excited in any way, even by himself. Then, he got a sharp pain and felt his stomach grow hard for a brief moment. Since it had happened twice before, he knew exactly what it was.
"Shit," he spat and looked at the antique clock that Mica had cracked when she was three. Maybe he could wait for Gwen.
*****************************************************************
Strange metal men had just appeared everywhere.
"John? John, you don't happen to know what those are by chance?" Jack asked especially when they seemed to be armed.
"Not a clue, love," John replied.
"They're Cybermen and they're deadly," Mickey spoke in a cold voice.
"That's what I was afraid of," Jack said, trying to think of what would work best on them.
***********************************************************
It was past two and Gwen never showed. The contractions were getting worse and Ianto took out his mobile. He called Gwen with no answer so he called Martha, nothing. What was going on?
"Jack, please pick up," he begged as it rang.
"Ianto, what's wrong?" Jack asked as greeting.
"Labour," he replied and heard the common sound of shooting, "Weevils?"
"No, definitely not them," Jack said in an odd tone, "Did you try Martha?"
"Of course, with no success. I need you and I need you to get her," Ianto told him and didn't care how whiny he sounded, "At the very least, come get me and take me to her."
There was a definite pause.
"I'll be there a.s.a.p." Jack said, a bit breathless and there was more weapon fire before the call disconnected. Maybe he could stop...oww, that fucker hurt. Maybe he could slow them down or something if he just relaxed. He made his way up the stairs to the bathroom where he laid out candles and made himself a bubble bath. Ianto focused on the bubbles and soft candlelight, but it was hard when it felt like he was being stabbed every eight minutes.
"Please, please, someone needs to get here," Ianto uttered, "I'll do anything, I'll even wear the ring, just send someone here...but not Yvonne or Alex because they can just die."
A little after that, he heard the front door open and somebody call out.
"I'm up here in the bath!" Ianto shouted.
"Hello! Ianto? Hello!" a familiar voice yelled and Ianto couldn't believe it.
"Owen?" he asked in a timid voice and the other man appeared in his doorway.
"Ianto. What is this, like a water birth? What are we doing?" the doctor questioned while holding a case in one hand.
"We aren't doing anything. Why aren't you Jack or Martha?" Ianto asked and tried to move lower in the bubbles. He didn't want Owen seeing everything.
"Because they were busy at the moment," he said and Ianto noticed the burn on his arm. What remained of the sleeve was bloody and he favored the other arm.
"It looks like you should be doctoring yourself," Ianto commented and nodded towards the wound.
"Yes, I should be as sterile as possible," Owen agreed and Ianto couldn't help grinning.
"Your girlfriends should love that," he quipped as Owen removed his shirt.
"Jack sent me. He couldn't find Martha but I'm just as qualified. I may not have been off-planet or the Doctor's companion, but I did medical school and the rounds, fully qualified. I've delivered babies before," he told him and cleaned up the burn.
"Except I'm not delivering that way, I'm supposed to be taken back to Torchwood for a c. section," Ianto argued while the light shone on the scar he bore on his left arm.
"We can keep that as a goal," Owen agreed as though speaking to a child, "if we can push the labor back to tonight or tomorrow, but you haven't told me how far apart the contractions are and I don't know how dilated you are so I can't tell you whether you'll have that option or not."
There was something he wasn't telling him.
"Get me my mobile," Ianto ordered.
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Jack's mobile chirped. He knew it had to be Ianto but he ignored it because for that brief moment, he was frozen in fear.
"Exterminate!" a mechanical voice cried just like his nightmares. He could still remember what it was like to die that first time. If they killed him a second time, would he still come back? He hated to leave everyone during this time, but he didn't want Ianto to give birth without him.
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Ianto tried everyone again, including Jack. No one answered. It was worrying so he called Rhi.
"Rhi..."
"Ianto, stay in the house! No matter what happens, stay in the house!" she hissed before he could say another syllable.
"Rhi, what's going on?" he asked and hoped she wouldn't hang up.
"They weren't ghosts at all. They're some sort of metal tin men with guns. We're hiding in part of the castle...they started killing tourists," she said and his heart sank. He now understood the wound on Owen's arm and why his calls went unanswered.
"Did any of you get hurt?" Ianto asked.
"No, Mica scraped her knee, that's all. I have to go now, they might hear," she said and there was nothing. Owen's face was sympathetic.
"Are they fine?" he asked and Ianto nodded.
"That's good," Owen said although his face was still a little sad. If Torchwood was the center of it all, they would have the most casualties and Jack had sent one of the needed medics to be with him.
"They're a little less than eight minutes. I'm wearing a monitor so I could send you specific numbers," Ianto offered and was trying not to panic. Everyone he knew was in mortal danger and it was a very real possibility that he would have to have this baby naturally. He wondered whether Owen was hiding drugs in his kit.
"Yes, that would be helpful. Have you had your bloody show?" he asked and Ianto waited for the contraction to pass before remembering what that was. It had been in the baby books. He looked down.
"I don't know. I'm in the bath. I don't know about that or my waters," he admitted and wondered if the bath had been a bad idea.
"First, send me the data," Owen said so Ianto did so although he had to bend his leg out of the water. The doctor studied on the numbers on his mobile and turned to Ianto.
"Now, will you let me check on other things?" he asked gestured toward Ianto's crotch, "You'll have to step out of your bath. Try not to knock your pretty candles over."
Chapter Twenty-Three: Thirty-two Weeks Along
