ericadawn16 | What Lies Beneath

Title: But Time Marches On
Characters: Jack, Rhi, Iefan, Johnny, Lucia, David, Emyr, Mica, Alice Jack/Ianto Rhi/Johnny David/Emyr
Rated: PG-13 ANGST COE Spoilers MPREG
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summary: Secrets continue to lurk just below the surface.
Author's Note: The Sequel to But Time Didn't Stop

Previous Chapter: A Grape Mistake

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

What Lies Beneath

"I'd like to propose a toast," said Thomas and raised his glass, "To old friends and new friends, may we never part!"

They all clinked their glasses together. Jack hesitated, but a little wine shouldn't do any harm. Although he ended up drinking more than he meant to and the glass was empty when he sat it back down.

"Jack, let me get that for you," Thomas spoke and before he could refuse, Thomas was filling the glass again.

"Thomas just wants to please everyone," said Alice with a smile, "I can't wait to see the look on Iefan's face when he opens his present later."

She looked so happy that it made him happy, too. It was almost the way it should be with the big sister excited about her brother's first Christmas except for her husband and child not in on the secret.

"Now that we've gotten to see Italy, the three of you should come to Wales sometime. Newport has a lot to see, too," Johnny told them. Mica laughed as soon as the words came out of his mouth. Jack had to admit that Newport and the Mediterranean Coast were very, very different.

"You know, I've never been to Britain, that could be fun especially being where Missy grew up. I'd like to see what she saw," Thomas said with a look towards Alice.

"Oh, there's not much to see, why do you think I left?" Alice spoke and shook her head. He knew that look. It had been one he'd worn before on his face. She didn't want to go back because that would mean that she would have to face everything that happened.

"I'd still want to see where you were a little girl. I've never even seen pictures," Thomas argued, "But according to our doctor, he doesn't want her flying between March and August, just to be safe so it can't be any time soon."

"Perhaps Jack can host Christmas next year," Rhi suggested with a grin and a knowing glance at him. She knew he wasn't capable of cooking and his dining table was less than a year old. Alice laughed at the idea, too.

"You're Prostestant, yes?" Thomas asked while taking up a forkful of salad.

"I guess that's what you call it," Johnny said and made a noise that made Jack think Rhi had hit him under the table.

"But Iefan, he has had Baptism or Cresima?" Thomas questioned and Jack cringed. He'd meant for Iefan to know his father's religion, but kept forgetting all its little details. Jack knew that Rhi and her family usually went on Christmas Eve. However, since they were in Italy, they weren't sure where to go and the idea was abandoned.

"He had a confirmation with his Godparents: me, Johnny and a doctor," Rhi explained and her lie was so convincing that even Jack had to remind himself that it never really happened, "Jack decided to delay his baptism for when he's older, isn't that right? Jack?"

"Yes, that's right. I want him to be older so he understands Christianity better when he does it," Jack said with a nod and hoped that made sense. He'd have to ask Rhi how old she and Ianto were and how that stuff worked.

"Oh, I see, I'm very ignorant of anything that's not Catholicism, but I have read that it's more popular to wait until the child is seven or perhaps even in their teens," Thomas spoke and drank some of his wine.

"So, if Al...Melissa teaches English, what do you do for work?" Mica asked him since he was on her left. For a second, he didn't reply and Jack hoped he wouldn't question the different name she started to say. Without realizing it, he finished another glass of wine.

"I have to drive into Sanremo where I work for a marketing firm," Thomas said and wiped his hands on the napkin, "I've been trying to talk them into letting me do some work at home, but no luck yet. What do you want to do?"

Jack shared a look with Rhi and knew they were thinking the same thing. She better not mention Torchwood or aliens or anything questionable. He was trying to be on his best behaviour rather than scaring Thomas away.

"I want to be a journalist and investigate things no one else does," Mica said to everyone's surprise, "Have you ever heard of Sarah Jane Smith?"
Thomas shook his head and she continued, "She's English and I got to work with her last summer. She's really cool."

"That's fantastic that you know what you want to do at such a young age..."

"I'm not that young, I'll be fifteen in May," Mica interrupted with a frown.

"To the rest of us, fourteen is a very young age," Alice said while playing with her cup.

"And you...David, what are you studying?" Thomas asked and cut up his meat.

"I'm going to be a teacher. I haven't decided which age group that I want to work with. I like all of them," he spoke with a smile, "I can't even decide on a subject."

Jack leaned towards Iefan with some cut pieces of turkey and the chair squeaked under him.

"How did you pick English?" David continued while looking at Alice. Jack wondered how she would answer that.

"Well, it's not English like literature of anything of that sort. I studied the language at university, taught some classes after that and wrote some articles," Alice lied without a single tell. She'd had too much practice because of him. His daughter had become an expert liar. Alice had written articles, but they had been under yet another name. She did nothing that would bring her too much exposure in case someone would sort out the truth. Then, she married and when she had Steven, he became her whole world.

"After the divorce, I wanted a new life so I came here where my mum grew up and it seemed like the logical choice to tutor people in English since my mum did make sure I was Bilingual," Alice explained with another lie. Jack tried to lock eyes with David and plead with him not to say anything. Rhi knew the truth about Steven but he wasn't sure about Mica or David. The young man nodded and said, "By the way, Emyr is studying to be an accountant."

"Really?" Thomas asked.

"Yeah, I'm really good with numbers so it'll be easy," Emyr spoke, "and it'll be steady money."

There was something he wasn't saying. However, Jack wasn't sure what that could be.

"Some companies let them work at home also," Thomas said and a grin appeared on Emyr's face. Thomas had sorted out what he hadn't been saying and Jack wondered about that. Then, it came to him.

"You want to stay at home with the kids," he blurted without another thought and David coughed.

"Well, not right now, but when we do have them, yes, it would make things easier. We could save on daycare and I'd get to spend more time with them," Emyr spoke as David gulped down his wine.

"There seems to be several empty glasses," Thomas commented and stood up. Jack was guessing he would get more, but he was doing well with his drinking. He hadn't made a scene yet. Rhi was making a face and he patted her arm. Emyr noticed this and a guilty look came over his face.

"We won't have kids for quite some time, Rhi. Really, we won't. We don't even plan to marry until we've finished more schooling," Emyr tried to assure her. It appeared to Jack that David and Rhi were both relieved.

"We haven't even discussed where we want to live after graduation," David spoke as if to himself.

"But you'd stay in southern Wales, wouldn't you?" Rhi asked in a sad voice. David shrugged and Johnny glared at him.

"David and Emyr are both adults now. Grown-up children have to do things on their own that could upset their parents, but he'll still love you," Alice spoke in a soft voice that almost broke Jack's heart. Steven would have just been a couple of months older than David. Rhi seemed to remember this as well.

"No, that's right. It's just hard to accept that sometimes, my little boy," she said and smiled at David who reddened.

"This is better," Thomas said as he refilled all the drinks, "and we can talk about happier things." After he finished pouring the grape juice, he added, "We should have a photo of everyone while we're here."

"We should!" Johnny agreed, "We haven't had a family photo in years, have we?"

"No, we haven't," Rhi agreed and he could see her thinking, "not in over eight years."

Except for Thomas and Lucia, they all knew that meant since Ianto had died.

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