Jack- November 6th, 2009
Nov. 17th, 2009 01:01 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ericadawn16Title: But Time Didn’t Stop
Characters: Jack, Rhi, David, Mica Jack/Ianto
Rated: PG-13 ANGST COE Spoilers MPREG
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summary: Jack has tea with Rhi and family.
Author's Note: Starts after COE.
Previous Segment: October 29th, 2009
Masterlist: http://ericadawn16.livejournal.com/63337.html
November 6th, 2009
As usual, Mica was playing on the game machine although Jack noticed a new picture on the wall. He went over to it and saw a small girl with an even smaller baby in her lap with dark curls just covering the top of his head and bright blue eyes.
“That’s you and Ianto,” he commented without taking his eyes off the photo. How much would their baby look as he did?
“Yep, he would have been almost six months there…I’ve…I’ve been going through things and I found it,” Rhi explained and he heard her go into the kitchen. After seeing to things there, she came back. At that point, he’d settled himself on the couch. His back was bothering him again and he knew that wouldn’t change for fifteen more weeks.
“You left for three months without telling anyone what you were going to do and you have nothing to say about it?” Rhi asked with her arms crossed over her chest. All his words died in his throat. She turned to her daughter and spoke, “Mica, I want you to go to your room and slam the door so I can hear it and I want you inside when it shuts. I don’t want to find out you shut it and snuck back down.”
After a moment of hesitation, she paused the game and went upstairs. They both watched her.
“I welcomed you into our home. I treated you like family. I tried to be understanding about your condition. I never…I never blamed you or Torchwood, I tried to blame the aliens or the government, but…but you just left!” the Welshwoman complained and sat on the couch beside him. Then, she stood up, but after a few seconds, sat back down farther away.
“I’m sorry,” he uttered and knew it wouldn’t help, “I did call.” Rhi’s brown eyes were growing incensed.
“Twice!” she spat, “In that entire time, you called twice! Didn’t we mean more than that to you?”
There was something odd about the way she’d said that.
“I thought I’d mean more than that after all these years. I thought you loved me, but you went and got yourself killed!” she screamed and started hitting him in the chest with her fists, “Why? Why? Why did you do that?”
Her voice broke and he grabbed her, holding her close. Please don’t kick or move, he thought to the baby. It wasn’t the time to explain that. Instead, he held her, running a hand down her dark hair that had grown out and rubbing her back.
“It’s not fair,” she sobbed into his chest, “He was only twenty-five.”
“I know, I’m sorry, but I’m not Ianto,” he whispered and she went still for a moment.
“I know, I know, but…you were there and you knew him, too. You loved him, you understood so it was like…like he wasn’t so dead,” Rhi struggled for the words but made no move to remove herself from his arms, “and then you left and he was gone, really gone.”
She punched him again in the shoulder which he deserved. There was nothing more he could say to her that would make it better. Instead, he found himself with tears coming down his cheeks which he hated.
“Couldn’t you have stopped him? Made him stay in Cardiff or something?” the Welshwoman asked and the light shown off the metal in her necklace. Ianto’s necklace was in a box in the warehouse with Owen’s jacket and Tosh’s refrigerator magnets. With a sigh, he tried to focus on the present. He shook his head. It really was how Gwen had tried to tell him earlier.
“He’d have never listened to me. If he knew something was right, it didn’t matter what I said or thought,” Jack answered, shaking his head again and opened his mouth for a chuckle that didn’t come, “It was his idea to go. He didn’t want them to get David and Mica.”
Rhi continued to cry into his shoulder as the tea whistled in the background.
“I should get that,” she spoke, taking his arms off her, wiping her face and standing up. As soon as she left the room, he could hear small footsteps retreating up the stairs. Mica had snuck down as her mum told her not to do. He put his hands together and put them to his mouth. What was he going to do here? What had he been expecting? That they’d just welcome him with open arms whenever he bothered to show up? Jack sighed at the old mistakes that he kept repeating. The baby squirmed.
“Yes, you can move now,” he whispered and laid a hand on the bump.
“What was that?” Rhi asked, carrying in the tea tray, “Mica, David, biscuits!”
Feet thundered down the stairs within seconds.
“Nothing,” he assured her and moved his hand to a more neutral position.
“What would you like with yours?” she questioned as the children took their share of chocolate biscuits, “The children don’t usually like tea.”
“I want some tea,” Mica declared and he wondered if it was just to be contrary.
“Guest first,” the Welshwoman replied and handed him a cup before starting on the girl’s.
“Milk would be fine,” he told her and would put a large amount of it the cup as well as only having the one cup. He knew he wasn’t supposed to have a lot of caffeine.
“You look…healthier,” she commented while fixing her own and he had to laugh. It was just a nice way of saying he’d gained weight.
“I spent the last week or so in Paris,” he explained and took a sip.
“Must be nice,” she retorted and put sugar in her own cup, “Did you find what you were looking for?”
He hesitated at the question. While he hadn’t achieved what he wanted, he had found so much more in finding out about his pregnancy.
“Or were you just running away?” Rhi asked before drinking.
“Yes, I ran away,” he admitted and was fairly certain the tea cups would prevent her from hitting him again. Jack was right although she glared at him with those brown eyes.
Then, she seemed to slump in defeat.
“Well, at least you’re being honest with me,” she spoke and Mica dipped her biscuit in the drink. If she saw how his demeanor drooped, she said nothing. One of the biggest things to ever happen to him and it concerned her and he couldn’t tell her. He had to keep her impending niece or nephew a secret.
“Sally Mitchell tried to kiss me today,” David complained suddenly.
“And did you kiss her back?” his mum asked with a grin, “We’ll have to tell your father when he gets back with the takeaway.”
“No, I don’t like her like that,” the boy replied and stuffed another biscuit in his mouth. Jack ended up staying for the Chinese takeaway and not wanting to leave, but he sat in the main room with Mica and David in their beds, knowing it was time to go.
“You hardly ate any of it,” Rhi pointed out and her lips pursed in concern.
“Must have filled up on too many biscuits,” he spoke and stood up.
“No, I watched you. You only had one with your tea,” she commented and she was too smart for her own good. What should he tell her?
“My back’s been bothering me today, must have done something to it,” the man said with a small smile like it was almost a joke.
“I’d offer a massage, but I was always rubbish. Johnny was decent during the two times I was pregnant, but…”
“It’s fine,” he told her and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. Then, the clock chimed the hour.
“Nine times the passing bell: Ye merry souls, farewell,” he recited and she shook her head.
“God, he could be morbid sometimes,” Rhi spoke so she knew why he’d said it, “but he wasn’t always, just so you know…”
“I do, I know, he read Bridget Jones and had the complete series of Sex and the City on DVD,” Jack said, remembering, “He even sent me undercover once with the name: Mr. Big.”
To his surprise, her brown eyes narrowed.
“Really?” she asked as though that was interesting.
“What? I’ve seen the film. She ends up with Mr Big, I thought it was a good thing,” he told her and crossed his arms.
November 6th, Part Two
Characters: Jack, Rhi, David, Mica Jack/Ianto
Rated: PG-13 ANGST COE Spoilers MPREG
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summary: Jack has tea with Rhi and family.
Author's Note: Starts after COE.
Previous Segment: October 29th, 2009
Masterlist: http://ericadawn16.livejournal.com/63337.html
November 6th, 2009
As usual, Mica was playing on the game machine although Jack noticed a new picture on the wall. He went over to it and saw a small girl with an even smaller baby in her lap with dark curls just covering the top of his head and bright blue eyes.
“That’s you and Ianto,” he commented without taking his eyes off the photo. How much would their baby look as he did?
“Yep, he would have been almost six months there…I’ve…I’ve been going through things and I found it,” Rhi explained and he heard her go into the kitchen. After seeing to things there, she came back. At that point, he’d settled himself on the couch. His back was bothering him again and he knew that wouldn’t change for fifteen more weeks.
“You left for three months without telling anyone what you were going to do and you have nothing to say about it?” Rhi asked with her arms crossed over her chest. All his words died in his throat. She turned to her daughter and spoke, “Mica, I want you to go to your room and slam the door so I can hear it and I want you inside when it shuts. I don’t want to find out you shut it and snuck back down.”
After a moment of hesitation, she paused the game and went upstairs. They both watched her.
“I welcomed you into our home. I treated you like family. I tried to be understanding about your condition. I never…I never blamed you or Torchwood, I tried to blame the aliens or the government, but…but you just left!” the Welshwoman complained and sat on the couch beside him. Then, she stood up, but after a few seconds, sat back down farther away.
“I’m sorry,” he uttered and knew it wouldn’t help, “I did call.” Rhi’s brown eyes were growing incensed.
“Twice!” she spat, “In that entire time, you called twice! Didn’t we mean more than that to you?”
There was something odd about the way she’d said that.
“I thought I’d mean more than that after all these years. I thought you loved me, but you went and got yourself killed!” she screamed and started hitting him in the chest with her fists, “Why? Why? Why did you do that?”
Her voice broke and he grabbed her, holding her close. Please don’t kick or move, he thought to the baby. It wasn’t the time to explain that. Instead, he held her, running a hand down her dark hair that had grown out and rubbing her back.
“It’s not fair,” she sobbed into his chest, “He was only twenty-five.”
“I know, I’m sorry, but I’m not Ianto,” he whispered and she went still for a moment.
“I know, I know, but…you were there and you knew him, too. You loved him, you understood so it was like…like he wasn’t so dead,” Rhi struggled for the words but made no move to remove herself from his arms, “and then you left and he was gone, really gone.”
She punched him again in the shoulder which he deserved. There was nothing more he could say to her that would make it better. Instead, he found himself with tears coming down his cheeks which he hated.
“Couldn’t you have stopped him? Made him stay in Cardiff or something?” the Welshwoman asked and the light shown off the metal in her necklace. Ianto’s necklace was in a box in the warehouse with Owen’s jacket and Tosh’s refrigerator magnets. With a sigh, he tried to focus on the present. He shook his head. It really was how Gwen had tried to tell him earlier.
“He’d have never listened to me. If he knew something was right, it didn’t matter what I said or thought,” Jack answered, shaking his head again and opened his mouth for a chuckle that didn’t come, “It was his idea to go. He didn’t want them to get David and Mica.”
Rhi continued to cry into his shoulder as the tea whistled in the background.
“I should get that,” she spoke, taking his arms off her, wiping her face and standing up. As soon as she left the room, he could hear small footsteps retreating up the stairs. Mica had snuck down as her mum told her not to do. He put his hands together and put them to his mouth. What was he going to do here? What had he been expecting? That they’d just welcome him with open arms whenever he bothered to show up? Jack sighed at the old mistakes that he kept repeating. The baby squirmed.
“Yes, you can move now,” he whispered and laid a hand on the bump.
“What was that?” Rhi asked, carrying in the tea tray, “Mica, David, biscuits!”
Feet thundered down the stairs within seconds.
“Nothing,” he assured her and moved his hand to a more neutral position.
“What would you like with yours?” she questioned as the children took their share of chocolate biscuits, “The children don’t usually like tea.”
“I want some tea,” Mica declared and he wondered if it was just to be contrary.
“Guest first,” the Welshwoman replied and handed him a cup before starting on the girl’s.
“Milk would be fine,” he told her and would put a large amount of it the cup as well as only having the one cup. He knew he wasn’t supposed to have a lot of caffeine.
“You look…healthier,” she commented while fixing her own and he had to laugh. It was just a nice way of saying he’d gained weight.
“I spent the last week or so in Paris,” he explained and took a sip.
“Must be nice,” she retorted and put sugar in her own cup, “Did you find what you were looking for?”
He hesitated at the question. While he hadn’t achieved what he wanted, he had found so much more in finding out about his pregnancy.
“Or were you just running away?” Rhi asked before drinking.
“Yes, I ran away,” he admitted and was fairly certain the tea cups would prevent her from hitting him again. Jack was right although she glared at him with those brown eyes.
Then, she seemed to slump in defeat.
“Well, at least you’re being honest with me,” she spoke and Mica dipped her biscuit in the drink. If she saw how his demeanor drooped, she said nothing. One of the biggest things to ever happen to him and it concerned her and he couldn’t tell her. He had to keep her impending niece or nephew a secret.
“Sally Mitchell tried to kiss me today,” David complained suddenly.
“And did you kiss her back?” his mum asked with a grin, “We’ll have to tell your father when he gets back with the takeaway.”
“No, I don’t like her like that,” the boy replied and stuffed another biscuit in his mouth. Jack ended up staying for the Chinese takeaway and not wanting to leave, but he sat in the main room with Mica and David in their beds, knowing it was time to go.
“You hardly ate any of it,” Rhi pointed out and her lips pursed in concern.
“Must have filled up on too many biscuits,” he spoke and stood up.
“No, I watched you. You only had one with your tea,” she commented and she was too smart for her own good. What should he tell her?
“My back’s been bothering me today, must have done something to it,” the man said with a small smile like it was almost a joke.
“I’d offer a massage, but I was always rubbish. Johnny was decent during the two times I was pregnant, but…”
“It’s fine,” he told her and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. Then, the clock chimed the hour.
“Nine times the passing bell: Ye merry souls, farewell,” he recited and she shook her head.
“God, he could be morbid sometimes,” Rhi spoke so she knew why he’d said it, “but he wasn’t always, just so you know…”
“I do, I know, he read Bridget Jones and had the complete series of Sex and the City on DVD,” Jack said, remembering, “He even sent me undercover once with the name: Mr. Big.”
To his surprise, her brown eyes narrowed.
“Really?” she asked as though that was interesting.
“What? I’ve seen the film. She ends up with Mr Big, I thought it was a good thing,” he told her and crossed his arms.
November 6th, Part Two
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-11-17 10:02 pm (UTC)Thanks for sharing!
no subject
Date: 2009-11-17 10:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-18 04:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-29 06:52 am (UTC)thanks
I'm not sure Rhi would take the baby news well. She might freak out.
no subject
Date: 2009-12-06 02:16 pm (UTC)Thank you for your comments, I look forward to them.
no subject
Date: 2009-12-06 02:20 pm (UTC)Right, how would Rhi take it? And would Rhi take it well when he leaves Earth, knowing that her niece or nephew was with him?
It's better this way, for now.