Snotty Nose
Jul. 21st, 2010 08:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ericadawn16Title: But Time Marches On
Characters: Gwen, Ianto, Jack, Iefan, Alice
Rated: PG-13 ANGST COE Spoilers MPREG
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summary: Jack tries to help Alice in her love life.
Author's Note: The Sequel to But Time Didn't Stop
Previous Chapter: Lula
Masterlist: http://ericadawn16.livejournal.com/113396.html
Snotty Nose
Gwen took the light-colored hood off Ianto who groaned as he watched a movie on her laptop. She knew he liked wearing it inside because it looked like a dragon, but he didn't need to be wearing it every second.
"It's warm here, you don't need it here," she said and took a few steps to the door.
"You're leaving? But it's the good part! They're going to blow up the school and Neville's going to cut the snake's head off!" her son complained and she smiled. Those were the exact reasons why she felt this was a good time for a break.
"I need to talk to Selene for a moment, I'll be back," she told him, "love you."
"Yeah," Ianto agreed and she sighed. However, with any luck, she'd be able to miss all of the final battle and return in time for the train station or credits. This was her least favorite of the films. It was too much like work. Gwen left her office and walked to the public lift. She wasn't about to show Ianto a way into the actual Hub even if he seemed to be taking after Rhys; less curious than she would have been.
Selene was testing things in the lab when Gwen found her. Gwen had given up trying to make sense of the beakers and tubes and various chemicals. As long as it didn't have negative effects, Selene could do whatever she wanted.
"Has Jack contacted you?" Gwen asked, taking a seat on a stool.
"No, but it's only been a week, has he phoned you?" she questioned without stopping her experiment.
"No," Gwen admitted while finding a loose thread on her shirt, "and I really thought he would especially yesterday."
"But yesterday wouldn't have been their anniversary while they were alive. I believe I read that Ianto was hired in early November 2006?" Selene asked, hitting a timer and turning her stool around to face Gwen.
"Not sure, it was before I was, but I think it is important to Jack. Last year, we..." she hesitated as she remembered, "We watched the Thames House footage where they died."
Selene pushed up her glasses with a thoughtful look on her face.
"Do you think it helped?" she inquired and Gwen hated being forced to remember.
"I suppose, it was the next day when he said he wanted to work at Torchwood again," Gwen told her and ripped the thread off with her fingers.
"He does have Iefan, his daughter and Ianto's sister to think about, I don't see him as a flight risk this time," Selene spoke, "so we'll just have to wait for him stop being stubborn."
"Knowing Jack, that could take a millenium or two," Gwen retorted, "It would help if I could phone Martha, but I can't reach her. She must be on the planet with the worst reception in the universe."
"Maybe Jack's having better luck," Selene suggested and crossed her legs.
"I hope so," Gwen spoke, tempted to find some trace of Jack on CCTV but she had an eight year old that needed her attention.
*************************************************
Jack went to pet Lula like Iefan was doing when he noticed Iefan's nose dripping on the puppy's fur. His son didn't seem to mind so he'd keep an eye on it. He made eye contact with Alice and they both appeared to be thinking the same thing. Jack opened the back door and Lula ran out with Iefan following. He hesitated about letting Iefan out with a cold, but if it wasn't bothering him. Alice was finishing her book although she kept looking at her mobile. He wished he could do something. Well, there was one idea, but he liked it almost as much as calling Selene for a talk. Iefan was running around so he took out his mobile and scrolled through his address book. He'd been trying for two months so he doubted it would work now. After the seventh or eighth chirp, Jack was going to give up when Martha's voice answered.
"Jack! I'm so glad to hear from you. The reception here is abysmal," she complained, "What's new?"
Jack wasn't where to even begin and there was crackling so he might have lost her.
"I've been suspended from Torchwood," he revealed.
"But why? What happened?" Martha asked.
"I was drinking," he spoke and it sounded so stupid when he said it. He knew it was wrong. It just didn't seem like it at the time.
"Gwen wants me to talk to Selene," Jack continued and it felt good to talk to Martha. They'd been through so much together.
"Oh, Jack," Martha uttered, "Have you talked to Selene?"
"Why?" he asked as Lula pulled on Iefan's clothes with her teeth.
"Because that's what she's there for," Martha spoke, "She's a Psychiatrist."
Jack almost dropped the mobile.
"What?"
"Yes, it was Gwen's idea and I agreed that Torchwood needed a full-time Psychiatrist on-call 24/7. She's there to notice any issues that Gwen might miss and be someone to talk to who understands. Selene is very qualified. It's a positive addition. I think you should give her a chance," Martha explained and Jack shook his head. No wonder they'd made it a requirement to talk to her. Jack had no idea. He thought she was just a medic like Owen or the others.
"How's Mickey and Mariah?" Jack asked, sitting down on the garden chair.
"It's challenging, but I think we'll manage. Mariah keeps wanting a pet even though I told her---let----Earth---Jack---"
With that, the call was over but it was more than he'd heard from her since January. He looked over at Alice and it looked like she was asleep. Jack snuck back into the house and took her mobile off the couch, copying a number before putting it back. Then, he went back outside and shut the door. As it chirped on the other end, he had no guarantee that he would even answer it. He wouldn't answer a strange number if it were him.
"Please pick up," Jack whispered.
"Hello, Thomas Moretti," said the voice on the other end, recognizing the British country code.
"This is Jack Harkness, Melissa's dad, please...please don't hang up," he begged and wanted so much for this to work.
"Okay," Thomas agreed.
"Do you still love my daughter?" he asked. There was a long pause before Thomas answered, "Yes, but I...I just can't...she lie to my face as my wife."
"Don't blame her. This is all my fault. Do you remember the first time you held Lucia? How you imagined her life was going to go? How perfect it would be? How you would change it from your own to make her life better?" Jack asked, "I felt all of that with Melissa, but here's the thing, the thing about being a parent. You do all that planning and hope and most of the time...they turn out just like you anyway."
A sigh came from Thomas' end.
"I want you to have all the facts. I want to tell you everything so you'll understand why she is because she loves you and she's miserable. She hides it well, but she learned that from her mother and me so I know," Jack continued, "but some of it is going to be hard to believe."
He searched for some sign of a response.
"And this...what you will tell me...it will explain everything?" Thomas asked.
"Yes," he uttered and checked that Alice was still asleep for her afternoon nap. Iefan was sneezing quite often so maybe it was time for his nap as well.
"Tell me," Thomas spoke and Iefan's nap could wait a little longer if he was able to fix things for Alice. Then, he sat outside as he started from the beginning.
***************************************************************
"Poor thing," Alice spoke and tried to blow Iefan's nose which was getting quite red. He was being irritable and didn't want to do anything.
It had been a couple of days since they went out to eat. Her dad seemed to be in better spirits especially last night. She was feeling better, too. This morning, Thomas had sent her a picture of Lucia like she used to do when he was at work. She still wished they could all be together again. However, at least she did have her dad and brother to take her mind off things for a bit. She didn't even have that much time to miss her job between Iefan and her pregnancy and worrying about everything. It felt so much worse than last time, even her size appeared bigger.
Rhi
Characters: Gwen, Ianto, Jack, Iefan, Alice
Rated: PG-13 ANGST COE Spoilers MPREG
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summary: Jack tries to help Alice in her love life.
Author's Note: The Sequel to But Time Didn't Stop
Previous Chapter: Lula
Masterlist: http://ericadawn16.livejournal.com/113396.html
Snotty Nose
Gwen took the light-colored hood off Ianto who groaned as he watched a movie on her laptop. She knew he liked wearing it inside because it looked like a dragon, but he didn't need to be wearing it every second.
"It's warm here, you don't need it here," she said and took a few steps to the door.
"You're leaving? But it's the good part! They're going to blow up the school and Neville's going to cut the snake's head off!" her son complained and she smiled. Those were the exact reasons why she felt this was a good time for a break.
"I need to talk to Selene for a moment, I'll be back," she told him, "love you."
"Yeah," Ianto agreed and she sighed. However, with any luck, she'd be able to miss all of the final battle and return in time for the train station or credits. This was her least favorite of the films. It was too much like work. Gwen left her office and walked to the public lift. She wasn't about to show Ianto a way into the actual Hub even if he seemed to be taking after Rhys; less curious than she would have been.
Selene was testing things in the lab when Gwen found her. Gwen had given up trying to make sense of the beakers and tubes and various chemicals. As long as it didn't have negative effects, Selene could do whatever she wanted.
"Has Jack contacted you?" Gwen asked, taking a seat on a stool.
"No, but it's only been a week, has he phoned you?" she questioned without stopping her experiment.
"No," Gwen admitted while finding a loose thread on her shirt, "and I really thought he would especially yesterday."
"But yesterday wouldn't have been their anniversary while they were alive. I believe I read that Ianto was hired in early November 2006?" Selene asked, hitting a timer and turning her stool around to face Gwen.
"Not sure, it was before I was, but I think it is important to Jack. Last year, we..." she hesitated as she remembered, "We watched the Thames House footage where they died."
Selene pushed up her glasses with a thoughtful look on her face.
"Do you think it helped?" she inquired and Gwen hated being forced to remember.
"I suppose, it was the next day when he said he wanted to work at Torchwood again," Gwen told her and ripped the thread off with her fingers.
"He does have Iefan, his daughter and Ianto's sister to think about, I don't see him as a flight risk this time," Selene spoke, "so we'll just have to wait for him stop being stubborn."
"Knowing Jack, that could take a millenium or two," Gwen retorted, "It would help if I could phone Martha, but I can't reach her. She must be on the planet with the worst reception in the universe."
"Maybe Jack's having better luck," Selene suggested and crossed her legs.
"I hope so," Gwen spoke, tempted to find some trace of Jack on CCTV but she had an eight year old that needed her attention.
*************************************************
Jack went to pet Lula like Iefan was doing when he noticed Iefan's nose dripping on the puppy's fur. His son didn't seem to mind so he'd keep an eye on it. He made eye contact with Alice and they both appeared to be thinking the same thing. Jack opened the back door and Lula ran out with Iefan following. He hesitated about letting Iefan out with a cold, but if it wasn't bothering him. Alice was finishing her book although she kept looking at her mobile. He wished he could do something. Well, there was one idea, but he liked it almost as much as calling Selene for a talk. Iefan was running around so he took out his mobile and scrolled through his address book. He'd been trying for two months so he doubted it would work now. After the seventh or eighth chirp, Jack was going to give up when Martha's voice answered.
"Jack! I'm so glad to hear from you. The reception here is abysmal," she complained, "What's new?"
Jack wasn't where to even begin and there was crackling so he might have lost her.
"I've been suspended from Torchwood," he revealed.
"But why? What happened?" Martha asked.
"I was drinking," he spoke and it sounded so stupid when he said it. He knew it was wrong. It just didn't seem like it at the time.
"Gwen wants me to talk to Selene," Jack continued and it felt good to talk to Martha. They'd been through so much together.
"Oh, Jack," Martha uttered, "Have you talked to Selene?"
"Why?" he asked as Lula pulled on Iefan's clothes with her teeth.
"Because that's what she's there for," Martha spoke, "She's a Psychiatrist."
Jack almost dropped the mobile.
"What?"
"Yes, it was Gwen's idea and I agreed that Torchwood needed a full-time Psychiatrist on-call 24/7. She's there to notice any issues that Gwen might miss and be someone to talk to who understands. Selene is very qualified. It's a positive addition. I think you should give her a chance," Martha explained and Jack shook his head. No wonder they'd made it a requirement to talk to her. Jack had no idea. He thought she was just a medic like Owen or the others.
"How's Mickey and Mariah?" Jack asked, sitting down on the garden chair.
"It's challenging, but I think we'll manage. Mariah keeps wanting a pet even though I told her---let----Earth---Jack---"
With that, the call was over but it was more than he'd heard from her since January. He looked over at Alice and it looked like she was asleep. Jack snuck back into the house and took her mobile off the couch, copying a number before putting it back. Then, he went back outside and shut the door. As it chirped on the other end, he had no guarantee that he would even answer it. He wouldn't answer a strange number if it were him.
"Please pick up," Jack whispered.
"Hello, Thomas Moretti," said the voice on the other end, recognizing the British country code.
"This is Jack Harkness, Melissa's dad, please...please don't hang up," he begged and wanted so much for this to work.
"Okay," Thomas agreed.
"Do you still love my daughter?" he asked. There was a long pause before Thomas answered, "Yes, but I...I just can't...she lie to my face as my wife."
"Don't blame her. This is all my fault. Do you remember the first time you held Lucia? How you imagined her life was going to go? How perfect it would be? How you would change it from your own to make her life better?" Jack asked, "I felt all of that with Melissa, but here's the thing, the thing about being a parent. You do all that planning and hope and most of the time...they turn out just like you anyway."
A sigh came from Thomas' end.
"I want you to have all the facts. I want to tell you everything so you'll understand why she is because she loves you and she's miserable. She hides it well, but she learned that from her mother and me so I know," Jack continued, "but some of it is going to be hard to believe."
He searched for some sign of a response.
"And this...what you will tell me...it will explain everything?" Thomas asked.
"Yes," he uttered and checked that Alice was still asleep for her afternoon nap. Iefan was sneezing quite often so maybe it was time for his nap as well.
"Tell me," Thomas spoke and Iefan's nap could wait a little longer if he was able to fix things for Alice. Then, he sat outside as he started from the beginning.
***************************************************************
"Poor thing," Alice spoke and tried to blow Iefan's nose which was getting quite red. He was being irritable and didn't want to do anything.
It had been a couple of days since they went out to eat. Her dad seemed to be in better spirits especially last night. She was feeling better, too. This morning, Thomas had sent her a picture of Lucia like she used to do when he was at work. She still wished they could all be together again. However, at least she did have her dad and brother to take her mind off things for a bit. She didn't even have that much time to miss her job between Iefan and her pregnancy and worrying about everything. It felt so much worse than last time, even her size appeared bigger.
Rhi
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