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ericadawn16Title: But Time Marches On
Characters: Jack, Alice, Lucia, Thomas, Gwen, Rhys, Iefan, Rhi Jack/Ianto Alice/OC Gwen/Rhys
Rated: PG-13 ANGST COE Spoilers MPREG
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summary: Alice talks to her husband about Jack and Iefan.
Previous Segment: The Tea Party Incident
Author's Note: The Sequel to But Time Didn't Stop
Previous Chapter: The Tea Party Incident
Masterlist: http://ericadawn16.livejournal.com/113396.html
Bedtime
Alice waited for Thomas to arrive home. She rubbed a hand over her belly and wished she could feel some movement, but it must be too early for that. Her dad was back in her life and she wasn't sure how to feel about that. Thomas should know though...or know something. He couldn't know the truth.
It wasn't just Jack though. She had a brother now. After forty-seven years of being an only child, she had a brother named Iefan. She wasn't sure how to feel about that either. Iefan was younger than Lucia and would only be a couple of years older than the new one. Of course, that didn't mean anything since he would have to pose as their cousin and not their uncle. Alice was trying not to think about how her dad had carried him. Her dad had always been capable of odd feats and alluded to other things, but being pregnant...that was one that she didn't know about.
She sighed at how complicated everything was and Lucia looked at her with interest. Her daughter was going to try and intercept Thomas at the door. She knew this. At 6:18 PM when he opened the door, Lucia jumped up and ran at him.
"Papa!" she cried and wrapped her arms around his legs.
"Princessa," he told her with a smile and a wink at Alice.
"Mama had stwange people here," the little girl complained and he shook his head.
"Your mama does important things. She tutors and teaches people..."
"It wasn't that," Lucia interrupted and Alice disentangled her before pointing her towards the bathroom.
"Go wash your hands for dinner," she told the girl who pouted but did as she was told.
"What is it?" Tom asked, taking her hand.
"My brother came here today," Alice explained and watched her husband's green eyes widen.
"Brother? We've been together seven years and I don't remember you ever mentioning a brother before," he said with confusion.
Because I didn't know I had one? Thought Alice before saying aloud, "We didn't get along so I preferred to pretend I didn't have one."
Tom put his hands on her shoulders and squeezed in his reassuring way.
"Oh, Missy, how are you feeling? Do you want to lie down and I can give Lucia her dinner? You're not supposed to be stressed," he spoke and hugged her. She was relieved that his thoughts had turned from her keeping a secret from him to worrying about the baby.
"I'm fine," she told him, "Really, it's just a shock."
"What made him come back now? Did he want something?" Tom asked while taking her hand. She squeezed his hand back.
"He wants us to be able to talk to each other again," she explained before adding, "He has a baby now...toddler really."
"Did he bring the wife as well then?" he questioned and her stomach sank a little bit. She'd forgotten how her husband was still conservative in some respects. Hopefully, this would go well.
"No, there isn't a wife actually," Alice explained and watched her husband try to process this.
"He has a girlfriend then?" Tom asked and she shook her head. She rubbed her fingers on his palm and wrist. At least, it might be more understandable if he thought Jack was her brother.
"No, he married a man and they adopted a baby," she spoke and saw him inhale and exhale deeply. His lips opened and closed for a few seconds before he managed, "Have you met his...partner then?"
She wondered how much time there would be before Lucia returned as she took a second before answering that.
"No, Ianto died so Jack is having to raise their son on his own now," Alice said and it struck her how rough that was to do. Even with Rhi to help, she remembered what it had been like for her and Steven.
"Oh," Tom spoke and nodded, "Maybe I can meet the two of them soon?"
She resisted telling that they would tomorrow night. It should be two or three days before they try for a dinner together, but maybe they could have some sort of playdate first? Lucia's straight, ginger hair came around the corner.
"Princessa, I just found out that you have a cousin! Did you see him? What do you think?" he asked with a smile.
"He's weird. I don't like him," she declared and Alice sighed.
"Boys are weird, aren't they?" Tom agreed with a laugh and she hoped that was the problem. Hopefully, reading minds was the extent of Iefan's oddness.
"Dinner's ready as soon as we can set the table," Alice announced and they headed into the dining room.
*********************************************************************
Gwen kissed Ianto on the forehead and pulled the covers up to his chin. It was hard to believe her son would be eight next month and odd to think that she and Jack must have conceived less than a month apart especially when she thought of the toddler that was Jack's world. She wondered what was going on in Italy. Then, strong arms wrapped around her with a kiss on the cheek.
"Something's on your mind, Gwen," Rhys spoke because he knew her so well.
"Thinking about Jack," she said and wrapped those arms with her own, "I wondered if his daugher would be able to forgive him."
"He didn't have much choice, sacrifice his grandson or live with the knowledge that millions of kids were going to die," he whispered, "But I don't know if I could have done it."
"Yeah," Gwen agreed although every year that she led Torchwood made her wonder. Every decision where every outcome would cost them something made her wonder what she was capable of at this point. How hard had she become? Was that why she hadn't become pregnant again? She was on the pill when their son came along, but all this time, she'd stopped taking it. Jack had asked once whether Ianto was an only child and she'd lied, telling him that it had been planned that way.
"Come to bed, Gwen," Rhys uttered in that soft, seductive voice she had grown to love and she nodded.
********************************************************************
Jack should have known it wouldn't be so easy. Iefan seemed to realize that they weren't at home and he wasn't going to sleep in his own crib and everything was strange.
"Faba!" the toddler cried and his face was red. Jack had tried bathing him, putting him in clean clothes and reading to him. He supposed it hadn't helped that the chapter wasn't very exciting; family politics at a wedding. Iefan seemed to enjoy the earlier books a lot more.
"Faba had a booboo, remember? Your aunt Melissa is going to make him all better again but you'll have to wait until tomorrow to see him," he told him and Iefan screamed again. He didn't want to call Alice and meet her husband this way.
"Taddy, wan Faba!" the toddler screamed and waved his arms and kicked at the bed coverings.
"You can't right now," he told him and went to take him in his arms, but Iefan hit him so he had to let go. Sometimes, Jack saw himself in Iefan and sometimes, he saw Ianto. Iefan's temper always reminded him of Ianto. He tried to talk to him telepathically except the toddler was too upset for that. All Jack could do was watch as his son went from screaming one moment to sound asleep the next. He'd finally tired himself out. His mobile vibrated on the table and he saw that it was Rhi.
"He just fell asleep," Jack said into the device as his greeting.
"I was just going to ask if you wanted help, I think the whole hotel heard him," Rhi commented and Jack sighed. The hotel had just five rooms, but they were only using four of them.
"I should probably talk to Mr. Gruber tomorrow," he spoke and thought of the seventy-eight year old who had told him only an hour or two before about looking forward to a relaxing holiday.
"If he hasn't already left," she spoke and was probably right. Still, the hotel had said they welcomed small children with cot and high chair provided.
"Tomorrow, I'll pick Faba up from Alice as early as possible," Jack told her and hoped it would be ready. It wasn't as though it could be easily replaced either. He didn't know where or when in time and space that the Doctor had purchased it.
"Things seemed to go well earlier," Rhi said and that reminded him.
"Yes, and if it continues to go well...I offered to stay," he spoke and hoped she'd understand.
"For how long? We're supposed to leave on Christmas Eve and be back for a full day of Christmas," Rhi pointed out and he knew that was the original plan...
"Yes, but if I can work things out with Alice, I'd like us to have Christmas together," Jack explained and there was silence for a second.
"I didn't bring any of the gifts, I never thought this was a possibility," she said and he unbuttoned his shirt; more tired than he realized.
"You could always go back when we planned and the two of us will visit when we come back," Jack suggested although Rhi would never go for that. This would be Iefan's first real Christmas because of the time mix-up. There were pictures from a Christmas he supposedly had when he was four months old but that was due to Lois and some program she called Photoshop.
"I suppose we can find some small gifts here and exchange the rest back in Newport," Rhi agreed and he realized he'd left all the gifts for Iefan in Cardiff as well. However, they were in Italy near the border with France and with the entire internet at his disposal. He could come up with something.
Worries in the Dark
Characters: Jack, Alice, Lucia, Thomas, Gwen, Rhys, Iefan, Rhi Jack/Ianto Alice/OC Gwen/Rhys
Rated: PG-13 ANGST COE Spoilers MPREG
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summary: Alice talks to her husband about Jack and Iefan.
Previous Segment: The Tea Party Incident
Author's Note: The Sequel to But Time Didn't Stop
Previous Chapter: The Tea Party Incident
Masterlist: http://ericadawn16.livejournal.com/113396.html
Bedtime
Alice waited for Thomas to arrive home. She rubbed a hand over her belly and wished she could feel some movement, but it must be too early for that. Her dad was back in her life and she wasn't sure how to feel about that. Thomas should know though...or know something. He couldn't know the truth.
It wasn't just Jack though. She had a brother now. After forty-seven years of being an only child, she had a brother named Iefan. She wasn't sure how to feel about that either. Iefan was younger than Lucia and would only be a couple of years older than the new one. Of course, that didn't mean anything since he would have to pose as their cousin and not their uncle. Alice was trying not to think about how her dad had carried him. Her dad had always been capable of odd feats and alluded to other things, but being pregnant...that was one that she didn't know about.
She sighed at how complicated everything was and Lucia looked at her with interest. Her daughter was going to try and intercept Thomas at the door. She knew this. At 6:18 PM when he opened the door, Lucia jumped up and ran at him.
"Papa!" she cried and wrapped her arms around his legs.
"Princessa," he told her with a smile and a wink at Alice.
"Mama had stwange people here," the little girl complained and he shook his head.
"Your mama does important things. She tutors and teaches people..."
"It wasn't that," Lucia interrupted and Alice disentangled her before pointing her towards the bathroom.
"Go wash your hands for dinner," she told the girl who pouted but did as she was told.
"What is it?" Tom asked, taking her hand.
"My brother came here today," Alice explained and watched her husband's green eyes widen.
"Brother? We've been together seven years and I don't remember you ever mentioning a brother before," he said with confusion.
Because I didn't know I had one? Thought Alice before saying aloud, "We didn't get along so I preferred to pretend I didn't have one."
Tom put his hands on her shoulders and squeezed in his reassuring way.
"Oh, Missy, how are you feeling? Do you want to lie down and I can give Lucia her dinner? You're not supposed to be stressed," he spoke and hugged her. She was relieved that his thoughts had turned from her keeping a secret from him to worrying about the baby.
"I'm fine," she told him, "Really, it's just a shock."
"What made him come back now? Did he want something?" Tom asked while taking her hand. She squeezed his hand back.
"He wants us to be able to talk to each other again," she explained before adding, "He has a baby now...toddler really."
"Did he bring the wife as well then?" he questioned and her stomach sank a little bit. She'd forgotten how her husband was still conservative in some respects. Hopefully, this would go well.
"No, there isn't a wife actually," Alice explained and watched her husband try to process this.
"He has a girlfriend then?" Tom asked and she shook her head. She rubbed her fingers on his palm and wrist. At least, it might be more understandable if he thought Jack was her brother.
"No, he married a man and they adopted a baby," she spoke and saw him inhale and exhale deeply. His lips opened and closed for a few seconds before he managed, "Have you met his...partner then?"
She wondered how much time there would be before Lucia returned as she took a second before answering that.
"No, Ianto died so Jack is having to raise their son on his own now," Alice said and it struck her how rough that was to do. Even with Rhi to help, she remembered what it had been like for her and Steven.
"Oh," Tom spoke and nodded, "Maybe I can meet the two of them soon?"
She resisted telling that they would tomorrow night. It should be two or three days before they try for a dinner together, but maybe they could have some sort of playdate first? Lucia's straight, ginger hair came around the corner.
"Princessa, I just found out that you have a cousin! Did you see him? What do you think?" he asked with a smile.
"He's weird. I don't like him," she declared and Alice sighed.
"Boys are weird, aren't they?" Tom agreed with a laugh and she hoped that was the problem. Hopefully, reading minds was the extent of Iefan's oddness.
"Dinner's ready as soon as we can set the table," Alice announced and they headed into the dining room.
*********************************************************************
Gwen kissed Ianto on the forehead and pulled the covers up to his chin. It was hard to believe her son would be eight next month and odd to think that she and Jack must have conceived less than a month apart especially when she thought of the toddler that was Jack's world. She wondered what was going on in Italy. Then, strong arms wrapped around her with a kiss on the cheek.
"Something's on your mind, Gwen," Rhys spoke because he knew her so well.
"Thinking about Jack," she said and wrapped those arms with her own, "I wondered if his daugher would be able to forgive him."
"He didn't have much choice, sacrifice his grandson or live with the knowledge that millions of kids were going to die," he whispered, "But I don't know if I could have done it."
"Yeah," Gwen agreed although every year that she led Torchwood made her wonder. Every decision where every outcome would cost them something made her wonder what she was capable of at this point. How hard had she become? Was that why she hadn't become pregnant again? She was on the pill when their son came along, but all this time, she'd stopped taking it. Jack had asked once whether Ianto was an only child and she'd lied, telling him that it had been planned that way.
"Come to bed, Gwen," Rhys uttered in that soft, seductive voice she had grown to love and she nodded.
********************************************************************
Jack should have known it wouldn't be so easy. Iefan seemed to realize that they weren't at home and he wasn't going to sleep in his own crib and everything was strange.
"Faba!" the toddler cried and his face was red. Jack had tried bathing him, putting him in clean clothes and reading to him. He supposed it hadn't helped that the chapter wasn't very exciting; family politics at a wedding. Iefan seemed to enjoy the earlier books a lot more.
"Faba had a booboo, remember? Your aunt Melissa is going to make him all better again but you'll have to wait until tomorrow to see him," he told him and Iefan screamed again. He didn't want to call Alice and meet her husband this way.
"Taddy, wan Faba!" the toddler screamed and waved his arms and kicked at the bed coverings.
"You can't right now," he told him and went to take him in his arms, but Iefan hit him so he had to let go. Sometimes, Jack saw himself in Iefan and sometimes, he saw Ianto. Iefan's temper always reminded him of Ianto. He tried to talk to him telepathically except the toddler was too upset for that. All Jack could do was watch as his son went from screaming one moment to sound asleep the next. He'd finally tired himself out. His mobile vibrated on the table and he saw that it was Rhi.
"He just fell asleep," Jack said into the device as his greeting.
"I was just going to ask if you wanted help, I think the whole hotel heard him," Rhi commented and Jack sighed. The hotel had just five rooms, but they were only using four of them.
"I should probably talk to Mr. Gruber tomorrow," he spoke and thought of the seventy-eight year old who had told him only an hour or two before about looking forward to a relaxing holiday.
"If he hasn't already left," she spoke and was probably right. Still, the hotel had said they welcomed small children with cot and high chair provided.
"Tomorrow, I'll pick Faba up from Alice as early as possible," Jack told her and hoped it would be ready. It wasn't as though it could be easily replaced either. He didn't know where or when in time and space that the Doctor had purchased it.
"Things seemed to go well earlier," Rhi said and that reminded him.
"Yes, and if it continues to go well...I offered to stay," he spoke and hoped she'd understand.
"For how long? We're supposed to leave on Christmas Eve and be back for a full day of Christmas," Rhi pointed out and he knew that was the original plan...
"Yes, but if I can work things out with Alice, I'd like us to have Christmas together," Jack explained and there was silence for a second.
"I didn't bring any of the gifts, I never thought this was a possibility," she said and he unbuttoned his shirt; more tired than he realized.
"You could always go back when we planned and the two of us will visit when we come back," Jack suggested although Rhi would never go for that. This would be Iefan's first real Christmas because of the time mix-up. There were pictures from a Christmas he supposedly had when he was four months old but that was due to Lois and some program she called Photoshop.
"I suppose we can find some small gifts here and exchange the rest back in Newport," Rhi agreed and he realized he'd left all the gifts for Iefan in Cardiff as well. However, they were in Italy near the border with France and with the entire internet at his disposal. He could come up with something.
Worries in the Dark
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no subject
Date: 2010-08-03 08:43 am (UTC)Haha. Jack doesn't know about Photoshop? It's like the Doctor and money. Or Eleven and not knowing he dresses like Ducky from NCIS. (But I do like Ducky...he's my favorite British story-telling coroner on TV.)
no subject
Date: 2010-08-20 01:30 am (UTC)I don't know Ducky. I remember Abby...actually Eleven dresses similar to Second.