ericadawn16 | One Not So Tiny problem

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

Previous Chapter: Alien Entrails

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

One Not So Tiny problem

Gwen may have only found out about these aliens this morning, but she didn't need to know much to know she had a horrible dislike of them. For one thing, they had stolen a coach full of tourists they were going to take onto their spaceship. For another, they could appear as anyone and that was why she was standing in front of two Jack Harknesses. One of him was quite enough.

Come on, Jack, Gwen thought, give yourself away. She didn't understand why he didn't try to shoot the alien himself. Gwen held her gun cocked, waiting for some sign. Then, one of the Jacks took out his webley and shot. However, it was at Selene. She ducked and the other Jack jumped in front of it. Gwen shot the fake Jack that crumpled to the ground, reverting to its original form. It appeared dead, but she put restraints on it anyway. Jack groaned and sighed behind her. There was a trace of blood on his right sleeve, nothing more. Selene was fine and looking at him. Jack's expression was so dejected that something clicked in Gwen's mind. She ran to him and noticed the smell of alcohol she had ignored earlier.

"You wanted to get shot!" she screamed at him and gave him a shove, "How dare you!"

"No..." Jack refuted and shook his head.

"You did, you put the rest of my team in danger" Gwen accused as Lois and Bernie took care of the alien.

"I didn't..." Jack argued but it was in a less defensive tone.

"You could have gotten Selene killed," Gwen spat and Selene shrank away almost a metre from them.

"I..." Jack started before sighing again, "I just wanted to talk to him again. If I could just talk to him, then everything will be fine."

For a second, he reminded her of the way he was when it first happened.

"Jack, Ianto's dead," Gwen stated and anger flashed in his blue eyes.

"You think I don't know that? You think I'm not reminded of that every day? Every time I look at Iefan?" Jack asked in annoyance.

"Then, you can't depend on him, Jack. You have to let the rest of us in, let us help you. Let us know what you're thinking," Gwen pleaded, "Why? Why would you need to see him that badly?"

"Because everything is shit," he uttered and must have been drunk to use that word. She had heard Jack curse less than a handful of times.

"It can't be that bad," Gwen whispered, but she couldn't understand why he had started drinking, what had led him to this point.

"My daughter is miserable. She's probably getting another divorce and she's a whole time zone away from her daughter, plus, I killed her son or did you forget that? Lula refuses to be trained and...and..." he stumbled and Gwen wasn't even sure he was going to continue, "Rhi's sick."

By the way he said that, she knew it was bad. She knew that Rhi hadn't been watching him and that she hadn't seen her in awhile.

"How sick?" Gwen asked, a little afraid of the answer.

"Cancer."

"Shit," Gwen remarked and frowned. Rhi didn't deserve that. Still, now she had an explanation to the madness, but there was only one thing to be done about it. She looked at Selene, hidden in the shadows and the younger woman gave her a nod.

"Jack, you're going back to the Hub and when you're sober, I'm sending you home. I don't want you on this case anymore. I don't want you helping us at all today or tomorrow. In fact, you're suspended from all duty. When I send you home, I don't want you coming back unless Selene or myself asks you. I know you didn't talk to Selene before so now it's an order. You have to talk to her if you ever want to work for me again," she spoke and turned away. It took every ounce of strength not to look back or undo it all. She had to do this before Jack got one of her people killed.

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

Later that day, Jack was still in shock as he parked the car and entered the house. Alice and Iefan sat in chairs outside as Lula ran around. He thought he could go unnoticed, but Alice turned around to see him. She always did know when he was there. Alice came in to see him with Iefan running and overtaking her.

"Taddy!" he screamed and Jack wished he could be better for both of them.

"How's my boy?" Jack asked, picking him up and kissed his cheek.

"He's always a good boy," Alice spoke, just like Rhi had done before. Jack knew Iefan had his moments, but every female seemed to overlook them. He supposed that was his contribution.

"Why are you home so early?" she questioned and her hazel eyes settled on the bloodstain for a moment. If only that was the real reason, but if he was going to be staying home for the forseeable future, she'd have to know.

"I...I was sent home," he admitted, "Suspended actually, but it's purely a temporary situation."

"Dad..." she spoke and gave him that stare. His curt answer wasn't going to work on her.

"I showed up to work...inebriated," he spoke and saw the disappointment on her face.

"You showed up to work like that?" she asked in a hiss.

"A few times," he confirmed and his daughter groaned.

"I should have noticed. How could I miss something like that? But I was so wrapped up in myself that I..." she spoke and shook her head again. He wanted to tell her it wasn't her fault, but it'd be a lie. The drinking had helped him live with everything including their issues without having to really deal with their issues. Jack rubbed Iefan's back and a strange look came over her face.

"Dad, if a PC caught you, if you caused an accident, if anything happened, they could have taken him away," she spoke and he felt like someone threw ice water over him. He'd never thought about that. He could never let anyone take him away: he was his son. He was Ianto's son. Jack wasn't sure what he was supposed to do as Alice went back into the kitchen. Although he heard her doing something, he wasn't sure what it was. Then, she returned with a box with all his liquor inside.

"You're going to pour it out?" Jack asked although she could have done that in the kitchen sink.

"No, but I am going to put it in the one place you'd never venture...under my bed," she answered, "I know you'd never drank that much around me before until Christmas, but why didn't you say something? You should have told me you were an alcoholic."

"I've never liked labels, you know that," Jack spoke and she narrowed her eyes.

"Well, this was an important one," she stated and took it upstairs. He watched her in case something happened.

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

Mica hated homework. It wasn't that it was hard. She just hated having to do something so she was putting it off as long as possible with bad telly and x-box. However, odd sounds were coming from downstairs. She peeked out of her room and saw her mum doing the same thing from her threshold. Nothing good could come from her dad in the kitchen.

"As long as he doesn't burn it down, bugger it," Rhi replied and went back into her room. Today was one of those days where her mum only came down for dinner if that. Mica hoped it was working. An eternity later, her dad's voice called out, "Food's ready!" She made her way downstairs where the smell alone was nauseating. Mica didn't understand how her mum could take it. It appeared to have been fish and chips in some former life. Now, it was blackened char and something that resembled mashed potatoes more.

"Dig in," he insisted after moving the chair out for Rhi. This wasn't common. It was new since her mum had cancer. There was silence as they tried to eat what he cooked.

"I thought it'd be easier on you if I did some of the cooking," her dad said in a sort of apology.

"Thanks, but if you really love me, you'll never try to cook again," Rhi spoke and Mica tried not laugh. Johnny had a hurt look for a few seconds. Then, he shook his head.

"Pizza?" he asked and looked at them. Mica fully supported that idea.

"Up to you, I haven't much appetite," her mum spoke and Mica tried not to notice how much weight she'd lost.

"Couldn't have been too much worse than that Shepherd's Pie you made that one time," Johnny joked.

"That was your mum's recipe and yes, this was worse," she spoke but they smiled at each other.
Lula