ericadawn16 | One Way Ticket

Title: But Time Marches On
Characters: Rhi, David, Iefan, Alice, Jack, Gwen, Mica, Johnny Rhi/Johnny Jack/Ianto
Rated: PG-13 ANGST COE Spoilers MPREG
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summary: The return of Alice Carter...
Author's Note: The Sequel to But Time Didn't Stop

Previous Chapter: Who Doesn't Like Torchwood?

Masterlist: http://ericadawn16.livejournal.com/113396.html

One Way Ticket

Rhi sat on the couch while Iefan walked around, carrying a wicker basket. It contained his blue dog which had wheels, but she wasn't about to question it.

"Mum," David spoke and sat down near her without touching. She hated how everyone was treating her like she was made of glass or something. Rhi was fine. She may be tired more easily, not allowed to do a lot of things, have to go to hospital every few days and have absolutely no interest in Johnny doing anything with her in bed, but she was fine.

"I was thinking that maybe I should take the semester off. You're still recovering from the surgery and everything and you'll start chemo in a few days, I could help around here," he said as though it was perfectly normal. Her dear boy had lost his mind.

"No," she spat before he could say anymore.

"What? But..."

"I have your dad and Mica; I'm not on my own here. You're supposed to be at university, learning, making something of yourself more than we did, that's what I want," she told him and patted his leg.

"Modi!" Iefan exclaimed and climbed up to sit on her lap. She pretended that he didn't feel heavy and uncomfortable so close to her stitches. Rhi hated thinking that since she loved Iefan so much. Her brown eyes looked for confirmation that David wouldn't go through with his plan.

"But I'm not that far away if you need anything," David reminded her.

"I know," she confirmed.

******************************************

Alice watched as Lucia played with her zebra and baby zebra in her plastic country villa.

"I apologize for my sister, what she did was wrong. We had a...row over it," Thomas spoke with his hands in his pockets. His gaze was kept on Lucia.

"Papa, you're coming back? I miss you," Lucia complained and set down her toys to run to Thomas, wrapping her arms around his legs as far as they could go. Alice wished she didn't have to see her this way.

"No, but I thought we could have an evening, just the two of us. My hotel has a swimming pool and you can order anything you want, even an ice cream sundae," he said and looked at Alice who nodded. Who was she to deny Lucia her father? However, even if Thomas was no longer staying with his sister, the damage had been done. The locals had the same opinion of her and her tutoring jobs were non-existant. She would have to find something else or someplace else. Alice would give Thomas one more chance to see if there was any hope for them.

****************************************************

Jack sat his desk; waiting for time to leave. It was weird having a desk with everyone else again, but he was used to it by now. Lois was reading Little Women at her desk half a metre away from his while Bernie was playing some video game at his desk nearby. Selene had her own office in Medbay. Then, his mobile went off. It was a text message asking him to see Gwen in her office. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good. He took the lift and the door was already open. Gwen shut it behind him and stood holding a print-out.

"When you left that first time, I did everything I could think of to try and keep tabs on you. One of those things was to put a flag on Alice and all her aliases," Gwen admitted, "but I never took it off."

He was about to complain about Torchwood spying on his grown daughter when she continued, "This just popped up...one airplane ticket from Nice to London for Alice Carter."

"What? It...it can't be her," he argued even as he scanned the ticket purchase done online from a computer in Apricale, "but it's only one ticket...Lucia isn't mentioned at all. She'd never leave Lucia behind."

"I don't know but maybe it has to do with why she hasn't returned your calls," Gwen spoke and was probably right. Something was very wrong with his daughter and he wanted to know what it was.

*******************************************

Alice walked through the terminal with the rest of the passengers until they reached the mobs of welcoming family and friends. Her frown increased. She was all alone. Maybe she just wasn't meant for a happy family like the rest. She hadn't bothered telling anyone about the trip except for Thomas and Lucia. Then, she saw a glimpse of familiar fabric. Jack stood with his hands in his pockets, watching her. She wanted to pick a fight with him again; hurt him like she felt. The words she wanted to use were forming on her lips as she came closer to him, but they died away. Instead, tears started running down her face and she uttered, "Oh, daddy, what am I supposed to do now?"

His arms wrapped around her and hugged her tight as she cried into his chest.

"You could come home with me," he uttered in a soft tone, "I have an extra room, it's next to Iefan's but..."

There was no way she could step foot in that house again: the one she had shared with Steven. She had arranged a hotel room, but her dad wanting her to live with him? They'd never lived together. She had to admit as a child, hoping that they could and be like a normal family like her classmates. Alice grew tired of hating him. If she couldn't work on her marriage, maybe she should work on this for the moment although part of her was afraid he'd hurt her again.

"Okay," she agreed and they went to collect her luggage.

*******************************************************

Rhi woke up on the couch.

"Damn," she spat because she was supposed to be watching Iefan and couldn't hear him anywhere.

"Iefan! Iefan! Iefan!" she called out in the hope that he would call back. There was nothing. She rose to her feet and walked with a slow gait. After two weeks of chemo and finishing up the radiotherapy, she felt like shit. Now, she had possibly lost her only nephew. He had to be in the house. However, she combed the entire first floor and couldn't find him. Did he climb over the baby gate? Then, she remembered how this was Iefan she was talking about. Of course, he went over the baby gate. Then, the door opened before Johnny and Mica came in.

"Mum, what's wrong?" she asked and Rhi felt like crying even though she knew it was an over-reaction.

"Nothing, Iefan's upstairs, he must have climbed over the baby gate..."

"What? Whose room is he in?" Mica asked with a worried expression on her face. Something snapped without her realizing it.

"I don't know! There! Please? I wasn't watching him!" she admitted and her daughter backed away, shocked. Rhi hated yelling at her, but it just came out.

"Sorry," she apologized and fanned herself, "Why does it have to be so bloody hot in here?"

"Mica, why don't you go upstairs and find him?" Johnny suggested and came closer to Rhi. He waited until she was upstairs and spoke in a soft voice, "You have to tell Jack, not that something happened, but you can't watch Iefan until you get better."

As much as she was loath to admit it, he was right. She'd never forgive herself if something happened and Iefan deserved better. Hopefully, he would be able to find arrangements.

"He's sleeping on your bed!" Mica yelled from the foot of the stairs. Rhi wondered if he would still be sleeping after that.

********************************************************

Alice strained to hear everything on the other end of the call: not just the words, but the sound of Lucia's breath and the way she was lightly kicking something.

"I love you, Lucia," she said and made kissing noises into the mobile. Lucia giggled.

"I love you, too, mama," the girl said, "I have to go now, papa says."

She looked at her watch and it would be bedtime there.

"Bye..." she started and knew that the call had ended. She missed both of them so much. At least, she and Thomas were talking, but it was almost all about Lucia. Alice was glad she had her dad and Iefan instead of going through this alone. Jack had surprised her with how much he really cared. Maybe he really had changed.

Speak of the devil, she thought as the two of them entered the house. However, the expression on his face was pained. Did something happen at work?
Alien Entrails