Previous part of Broken Dreams.

***

Thirty One

"I was thinking two weeks?" Jack suggested as he took a sip of Ianto's coffee. He rolled the flavour around in his mouth as they sat next to each in bed, their legs tangled.

"Perfect. Something quiet, followed by a nice dinner to celebrate somewhere," Ianto added "and I think you should invite Tosh, Gwen and Owen," as Jack at looked him curiously.

"I think they should be there, because they prevented me from making a terrible mistake," he went on to explain as Jack grew increasingly pale.

"Thank god you didn't succeed," he said his voice choking as he kissed his hand at the realisation of what might have happened.

"I was just so desperate at the time, all I could think about was reaching you, I couldn't bear that we were apart. I couldn't think straight…and I wasn't exactly nice. You should be proud of them Jack, they are an amazing group."

"Rihanna?" Jack offered after several moments passed as he digested what Ianto had told him.

"I think we should send her, Johnny, David and Mica an invitation. I don't expect they will turn up but we should invite them anyway."

"I would like to invite a friend, Martha Jones. We shared something a while back and I would like her to be there," Jack said softly. Ianto sensed this was something to do with the year that never was and squeezed his hand.

"Anyone else?" Jack asked as Ianto thought then added, "Andy, he's stood by me through everything, and Angie and Marcia of course. I'll never hear the end of it if they didn't get invited…' Ianto tapered off and went quiet.

"What?" Jack asked as he saw Ianto drop his gaze and blush a little.

"I wanted to ask something. I'm not sure how you feel about this but, I would like us to say vows and exchange rings, but I'm not sure..." Jack interrupted him with a kiss.

"That would be perfect. I have something sort of in mind," Jack added smiling as they drew apart. Ianto sighed in relief as he realised his idea was not as unacceptable as he supposed.

"Honeymoon?" Jack suggested with a grin.

"This is going to sounds strange Jack, but if I was going to be honest, I would love to just spend a week at home. Flats all set to go we can move in any time, it would be wonderful just us setting up our home together, making love, ordering in pizza…" Ianto drifted off not sure if this was what Jack had in mind as he found Jack pressing a kiss into his forehead.

"Perfect, we turn off the phones and lock the door, just you and me," Jack agreed.

"We could save time away for later, something real special, when we've recovered from all this."

"Perfect!"

"I love that word," Ianto said with a sigh

"Perfect," Jack teased with nudge and he felt a wave of utter contentment flow from Ianto.

"It must have been so strange jumping into places that were so familiar yet so different," Ianto commented as he put down his coffee and placed his head on Jack's chest.

"Yeah, in one reality Jack and Ianto were clearly in love but Jack was so hurt he couldn't see the love he yearned and waited for was standing right in front of him. The Ianto there was so patient hoping the Jack there would see how much he loved him. I got the feeling both were scared of rocking the boat in case the lost what they had.

"In another Jack and Ianto has just gotten married. They shared a bond like we do but were living in a dominant submissive relationship. So I think it must have been a B and D universe. I could see how much Jack loved his Ianto, and I got the feeling their relationship had gone through some tough times," he explained as Ianto raised an eyebrow.

"I had some strange dreams there filled with the scent of cinnamon." Ianto kissed him as he caught a few glimpses as Jack continued.

"In the last reality Ianto had been badly injured in the Battle of Canary Wharf and lost his voice. He had this speech synthesiser which I swear sounded just like you. He wasn't with the Jack there because he had run off without a word for two half years leaving Ianto behind. But he had found someone incredible, a man named Aaron, they shared a bond like we do. And in one Owen was dead but alive," Jack told him.

"Dead but alive!" Ianto sat up startled.

"Dead but walking and talking, " Jack replied.

"'Night of the living dead' zombie type dead? " Ianto checked out.

"I was not sure, he looked alive if a bit pale, but he couldn't heal so he had to be careful so he didn't get damaged."

"How the hell did that happen?" Ianto asked shocked

"Well we found this metal gauntlet a few years back. Gwen named it the 'Risen Mitten' and it was a resurrection glove, it brought people back to life. Anyway to cut a long story short after what happened with Suzie I did a deal with the Tarot Girl and had them both destroyed."

"Tarot Girl?" Ianto queried.

"She turns up every now and then gives you a reading, I have only met on three occasions each time it has been interesting."

"Interesting how?"

"Well for starters she doesn't age and looks exactly like she's twelve years old.

I met her around a hundred years ago and she has always given me a prediction like a kind of soothsayer"

"Alien?"

"No idea but she always has her Tarot cards with her. First time we met she told me the century would turn twice before I caught up with the Doctor. Second time she told me that the 21st Century would be when someone would find the key to my heart."

Ianto looked intrigued. "Well she was right there."

"The last time we met was when I needed to find the location of the second gauntlet, as you know gloves always come in pairs. For some reason I can't explain I felt she would know where the other one was so I tracked her down in this seedy dive of a pub. As I approached she looked very happy, demanded I sit down then proceeded to pull out several cards.

The first was the Three of Swords. She explained that the one I was looking for would stab me in the heart three times, he had already done so twice but there was still one more to go." He took a breath. "The next cards were the Two Lovers which was followed by a card where there was mock battle, a sort of play fight going on. Then next to it she placed a card which looked like a canopy, she said it represented union in the physical realm like marriage. What was strange was when I looked at the card the Lovers sort of melded together and this was followed by the cards for the Sun along with Abundance. I remember she laughed at me and said an unexpected blessing would come forth from the union of the two lovers."

"What does that mean?" Ianto asked looking confused he had never taken much notice of things like Tarot cards and their meanings. Lisa had had a set and dabbled but from what he could tell you could make up anything from the pictures.

"God knows," Jack replied and then continued. "She then gathered all the cards and placed them out again. First she placed down the two Lovers which now became the Knight of Cups and the Knight of Wands, followed by the Judgment and Justice cards. On top she laid a strange card of a tall man, holding a time piece. She said he was the blind Hermit who kept time but was heartless. She then said that the two lovers would be the inheritors of Time. That Justice would be not only be done but seen to be done."

"Bloody hell," Ianto reflected. "I think I can work out that we are the two lovers but the rest, what the hell does unexpected blessing mean…"

"Yeah, it was heavy, but it was the price I paid for the location of second glove but as always her words are seared into my mind."

"So you destroyed the second Glove?"

"Yes, but in the first reality I visited Jack had destroyed the first one, then recovered the second and used and it so Owen is dead but alive."

Ianto shuddered. "Poor bloke."

"But he was alive and kicking in all the others and in the last one he was married to Tosh and they had two small children," Jack told him.

"Bloody hell." Ianto tried to imagine Owen married to Tosh and thought they would actually make a good match."You said in one reality Jack and Ianto were married?"

"Yes, they had just had a double wedding with Gwen. The Jack there was all business and projected himself like he was the boss, but he couldn't fool me. The way he looked at Ianto was like Ianto was the most precious being and the centre of his universe," Jack added taking Ianto's hand and kissing it. "And I know how he feels."

"So a quiet ceremony, meal with friends then just you and me," Ianto sighed

"Now who should I ask to be my best man?" Jack asked as Ianto settled his head back down on Jack's chest.

"I want you to be my best man, and I can be yours," Ianto said without a moment's hesitation. He sensed Jack was thinking the same thing and nodded in agreement. He now sat up, took Jack's coffee mug and placed it on the bedside table.

"Enough wedding talk, we need practice for the honeymoon," Ianto said as he pulled Jack down onto the bed kissing him. "And we need to practice," they pulled back for air, "because we have a bed that needs breaking in," he told Jack as he noted the pupils of his eyes were dark purple with lust. He was about to comment when he felt the same energy from earlier thrum through them again.

"Oh yeah," Jack struggled to say as Ianto reached out for the lube.

twwtwtwtwtwtw

"Who said you could move?" Ianto said as Jack went to get out of bed. Jack groaned.

"We need to get moving. It's been four days we've neglected them long enough. Your staff need you, and I have two new staff members, Alex Hopkins and Rosemary MacDonald, arriving in," Jack leaned over, "just over one hour." His words were stifled with a kiss as Ianto curled his hand around Jack's growing erection.

"I could always tie you to the bed," Ianto teased and Jack looked at him his eyes blazing with lust.

"You're glowing again," Ianto told him, commenting on the heavy tinge of purple deepening the colour of Jack's eyes courtesy of the bond. He stroked him gently, running his thumb over the head of Jack's cock. "So I know you want me."

"I was thinking I could collar you or maybe I could mark you," Jack offered. He now saw the light in Ianto's eyes change slightly as he thought of the prospect of being marked. He sensed Ianto's assent.

"Make it a good one so I can feel it all day, and imagine my lips on there tonight." Ianto felt Jack's head move so he let go of Jack's cock and twisted exposing his arse. Moving his head down Jack left a large love bite next to one had left there the night before and enough bite to leave a faint impression.

"Mine, yours," the echoed simultaneously in each other's minds as Jack now got up and gave a huge stretch. Ianto made a lunge at him as Jack headed for the shower.

***

Chapter Thirty Three.

Entering his office Jack hung up his coat. It felt so strange to be back, to walk into his own office, and not see someone else. It felt like he was back in control like nothing else so far.

"Everything all set for today?" he asked as Gwen, Tosh, and Owen came to join him. He took a coffee offered by Gwen. Taking a sip he looked at her in surprise.

"Wow, are you sure I've come home to the right reality?" he commented taking another sip and looking at her with a new appreciation.

"Don't get me started Jack Harkness, I've had enough insults about my coffee over the past weeks," Gwen told him sternly.

Jack was about to ask more but he saw Owen shaking his head, using his hand in the cut off signal across his neck.

"How is Ianto?" Tosh asked diverting the conversation.

"Brilliant," Jack said a soppy grin on his face as he remembered something. He put down his coffee and went over to his coat and pulled out some small envelopes and handed them one each.

He heard a squeal of delight as Tosh followed by Gwen, who gave him a hug, and Owen then proceeded to shake his hand.

"This is in ten days," Gwen burst out when she saw the date.

"Yes, 4pm followed by dinner at…" Owen interrupted Jack, "and it's for all of us here. Who's going to manage the Rift?"

"Well it's still quiet and I figured our new staff could hold the fort for five hours as their first major assignment, and besides Ianto insists you be there," he told them.

"So he's forgiven us then?" Gwen asked.

"Forgiven you for what?" Jack asked bemused.

"Zapping him, and locking him in the cells," Tosh told him.

"Destroying his laptop, and ordering him about," Gwen continued, raising her eyebrows.

"Reducing his coffee intake," Owen added as a look of amusement on Jack's face grew into a smile.

"I don't think he will never forgive you for reducing his coffee intake but as for the rest he reckons you saved him from making a terrible mistake." He took a breath. "And he says I should be very proud of each and every one of you, not for just saving him but for putting up with him. I can't thank you enough for what you did keeping him here, and safe."

"He a stubborn, difficult, and a brilliant son of a bitch who makes incredible coffee," Owen said first to recover from Jack's announcement.

"Yeah," Jack agreed smiling to himself then looking up. "Quick debrief, Tosh," he indicated, looking towards her.

"About twelve hours after we sent the message there was a massive amount of Rift activity. It was something similar to when we sent the first message, except it appeared to originate from the reality you had just come from. I opened it up and found it was a complex equation with some step-by-step instructions on how to set up the Rift settings and a guide on how to work out a home reality signature."

"That would be the solution. They said they would send it out if I was successful," Jack confirmed as Tosh continued.

"This was followed by several waves of Rift activity, and recently there is just the odd peak now and again. The double pulse message has also been flying," she added smiling.

"And since then?" he queried as a feeling of relief flooded over him, realising all the other lost souls were managing to find their way home.

"Nothing, except as I said for the odd peak," Tosh added. "Which would appear to stragglers making it back."

"Agreed. And the build-up of Rift activity?"

"Still building," Tosh replied.

"Anything else I need to be aware of that happened?" he asked

"Other than a huge backlog of paperwork and the usual bureaucratic fuckery?" Owen told him. "Which I have left on your desk."

"Thanks," Jack said taking a huge breath. "I am incredibly proud of you all. I know that what you achieved was outstanding, being able to work with someone who was a complete outsider. Offering him support, keeping him safe. I tell you now all of you have exceeded my expectations during this disaster. I would not be standing here without your unfailing support and skills," he took a breath as he saw them stand a little taller.

"You three demonstrated exactly the level of dedication that will be an example for our new staff joining this week. I know I can leave Torchwood in your capable hands now and in the future. On a personal note and I know I speak for Ianto here as well, I cannot tell you how grateful I am that you stopped him. He was desperate and you took steps not only to keep him here but looked after his welfare and kept him safe. We will be forever in your debt," he told them warmly.

"And this week we move forward. Alex and Rosemary arrive today, .tomorrow Lois Habiba joins us, and on Wednesday, Penny Wright and John Williams start as our new field agents." He looked at Owen. "What's the plan for today?"

"Introductions, tour of the Hub, lunch in the boardroom. Gwen's ordered in something nice; sandwiches, cakes, that sort of thing. Tosh has set up stations for them, and will arrange for all the paperwork be done to make sure they can get paid. This afternoon I will go over basic Hub safety in terms of our residents."

"Sounds like they're in good hands," Jack agreed. As he nodded an alarm sounded indicating someone was in the Tourist office.

"Okay," Owen said taking a deep breath and gleefully rubbing his hands together. "Let's show them what Torchwood is all about."

twtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtw

Moving as quickly as he could with Tosh's help Alex Hopkins, the new Hub general manager, attempted to make a pot of tea. He had no idea from the look of the state of the art coffee machine if the Hub even possessed tea bags. He hurriedly searched through the cupboards in the sink area in desperation when suddenly he found a large old fashioned tea pot in front of his eyes being held out by Gwen. Taking it he quickly rinsed it out and added hot water to warm it up. He was about to say there was no tea when a packet of loose tea was handed to him which had come from depths of the large handbag Rosemary Macdonald carried with her. Rosemary appeared to have some sense of what was required and had raided her handbag as soon as she realised was a must have tea now moment. He was not surprised; his first impression of her was she looked like a woman who came prepared for anything...well nearly everything.

He had gone through many scenarios of how his first day at Torchwood would be, but making a pot of tea for the other new head of department, Rosemary Macdonald, who was hyperventilating on the tatty sofa was not one of them.

They had arrived together and been given a quick tour of the Hub when Rosemary had asked to be shown her new domain. She had taken a look around at the chaos of boxes stored in no particular order. The visit had started out chatty but as she was shown the true extent of the disorder she had gone silent, then pale.

Gwen had tried to make light of the situation but one look from Rosemary had stilled any further comments. Taking her to her next level she had asked to be led back to the main Hub.

She was now sitting completely silent in shock, in complete contrast to the vivacious verbose woman they had been introduced to.

Handing her a mug of tea she looked into the mug and then at Alex.

"Is this what you call tea!" she burst out in a thick Scottish accent, handing back the mug with a look of disgust.

"Leave it to stew and less milk," she commanded as Jack now joined them. The offer of tea appeared to have helped her recover her shock somewhat, and she began to speak.

"Captain Harkness, when I was told your archives were in bit of a mess I had no idea... there are boxes just stacked on top of each other feet deep, covered in dust, water damaged, covered in mould, some date back to 1885 on three levels. I have never…" she paused as she took a sip form the mug she had just been handed, "seen such a disgraceful example of neglect."

"That is why we are so grateful for your excellent services," Jack soothed, well used to the reaction the first site of the Torchwood Three archives caused.

"I had no idea. I thought this was a re-organisation because things had got into a bit of a mess. " She took another gulp. "But to see such chaos…" she took a breath. "And when will my assistant be starting? This is a massive task far more than two people can handle," she burst out.

"Lois Habiba is arriving tomorrow," Alex said taking over as Rosemary took a deep sip from her mug.

"And two new field agents starting on Wednesday," Gwen jumped in.

"We're going to need them, and that's just to move the boxes to find out what other horrors you have buried down there." She looked up at Jack and she drained her mug. Alex who proceeded to refill it.

"See this colour?" she told him as he peered in expecting a telling off.

"Stewed pennies," he said hesitantly

"Well it's prefect," she commented as he looked relived and he noted it for future reference.

"And where do you keep the artefact archives Captain? And to what horrors await me there?" she added.

Tosh stepped up. "I'm charge of those and I can show you where they are." Rosemary stood, draining the rest of the tea from the mug. She looked around with a critical eye.

"And can someone tell me why there's a large badly painted yellow line around that monstrosity?" She pointed at the Rift Manipulator then the line. "Is there something Alex and I need to know so to keep our distance?"

"That's the Rift Manipulator," Owen spoke up for the first time.

"No, we had a recent incident and it was important this distance be marked out," Tosh explained.

"Is it dangerous?" Rosemary asked.

"Not as such, in this case it was really vital that a very important visitor didn't step over the bounds we had set," Owen said looking at Jack.

"I see," Rosemary said glancing and Alex wondering what kind of madhouse she had entered.

"Trust me," Jack told her, "nothing can happen," suddenly Myfanwy squawked and took off flying around the Hub, stretching her wings as she started to circle.

"What the hell is that?" Rosemary burst out dropping the mug she was holding and flattening herself into the wall.

"That's Myfanwy our pterodactyl" Jack explained. "It was in the information we sent up about Torchwood Three."

"Yes but I thought that was just a wee bit of a joke, trying to put one over on me as the new person. As a person who loves a good joke I thought…"

"Did either of you bring any dark chocolate?" Tosh interrupted as she recognised the particular squawk Myfanwy cried out and echoed loudly around the Hub walls. Looking between Alex and Rosemary it was Rosemary who nodded, bewildered and not taking her eyes off the monster flying above her head.

"Yes, I always carry some. I treat myself to a few squares to keep myself going in the afternoon, but I can't think what that has to with the beastie circling above us," she called out as she tried to keep her back pressed into the wall.

"That will be it then, she has this thing about dark chocolate. It's a good idea not to leave any lying about because she has this habit of rifling…'Tosh explained.

"Destroying," Gwen interjected

"Destroying everything and anything to get to it," Owen added as Alex handed Rosemary her hand bag and she handed over the offending chocolate.

"I'll put this in a safe place," Owen said as he took the chocolate and placed it in a sturdy looking lockbox in Jack's office.

"She's allowed one bar per week," Jack told her, "on Friday nights at 5pm exactly."

"And what does she eat other than dark chocolate?" she said now standing as she watched Myfanwy settle back down in her roost and snort at them in disgust as the delicious scent slowly dissipated.

"Well she loves…" Owen started as Rosemary glared at him, "Sheep mostly…dead ones," he added hastily, "once a week."

"I see, I guess that will be your job," she looked at Alex.

"Another cup of tea?" he offered as she took the cup from his hand and took a deep sip.

"I think you're going to fit in here really well," Jack said aside to Alex as Rosemary now settled back on to the sofa and Gwen joined her, talking to her calmly and answering any question she might had.

"First beastie tamed," he replied with a grin as he looked at Rosemary as Jack stifled a smile.

***

Chapter Thirty Three.

"Do you eat takeaways for every meal?" Alex said as Jack handed him what seemed every takeaway menu in Cardiff.

"Yeah we do, until a few months ago we were so busy we tended to just order in and grab what we could when we could," he commented as Alex handed them back.

"I need you to come up to speed quickly and I want to hand things over as soon as possible. Owen is Second in Command and he will also be able to assist, but I would like you to take over the management because in ten days' time, I'm getting married."

Congratulations! And who is the lucky lady?" Alex said warmly.

"His name is Ianto Jones and he owns a local book shop," Jack advised him.

"Sorry, lucky man," he corrected himself hurriedly.

"Yes I am. Do you have a problem with this? "Jack asked outright.

"Forgive me no, my nephew is gay. I have no issues, this was my assumption," Alex stuttered out loud as he inwardly cursed.

"In ten days I am going to be gone a week. With any luck the Rift will hold long enough for me to get married and to take a break," Jack added as he handed over a large number of folders.

"Going somewhere nice?" Alex asked still trying to recover. Jack let out a sigh and looked at him, smiling.

"Home," he said "We are going to move house then spend the week unpacking as we set up our home."

"Well that is a unique honeymoon," Alex pointed out.

"We may well go away later, but right now we just want to be alone with each other, lock the doors just us," Jack told him trying to explain as best he could. "And besides I have travelled more in the past weeks than I ever want to again," Jack added

"So I am going to throw you in the deep end. In the short term, I'll be training the new recruits, including you. I don't expect you to go on field missions but a background knowledge will be very useful," Jack explained. "Being a field agent is dangerous, dirty unpleasant, hard work."

"And it will throw us all together so we get to know each other," Alex added seeing this as a wise strategy.

"Yes it will, but everyone here including Rosemary needs to know how to handle themselves in any given situation as is required. We have had incursions within the Hub and I would expect any one of you to know what to do within reason. You will also be cross-trained in basic field first aid…" he was interrupted as Owen walked into his office.

"Sorry to bother you but I thinks it's time you and I had a little chat and let me check you over," Owen told him.

"Perfect timing, I want to discuss with you the possibility of extending out the medical bay. We need to include enough equipment and space for anything but the most serious of injuries. Alex follow me," Jack said, pointing the way as Owen led them to across the Hub floor.

"So what you are saying is you want see if we can create a sort of small emergency operating theatre, treatment area along with a couple of beds for observation, so we can meet any contingency?" Owen reflected back after Jack had finished outlining his vision.

"Is it possible?" Jack asked as he saw Owen deep in thought.

"Anything's possible. You and Ianto proved that," Owen replied.

"Could another area be adapted?" Alex looked around.

"Good point," Jack said. Owen looked at him as they heard Tosh, Gwen, and Rosemary coming back into the main area and from their voices it sounded like she approved of Tosh's management of the artefacts.

"I'll go and make a round of drinks," Alex offered as Jack nodded. He went to follow but Owen grabbed his arm,

"Before you scuttle off, I need to check you're okay Jack. I mean you've been holed up at home for four days, phones turned off," Owen told him.

"I assure you, I'm doing fine. We both are," Jack countered.

"But your eyes," Owen said. Jack nodded as he bit his lip. "Your eyes, they've changed. I noticed it earlier. The colour is still blue, but I could swear they're now sort of purple." Owen picked up his pencil light and shone it in his eyes.

"I was right, sort of deep bluey purple and I swear I can also see flecks of gold in your iris." He pulled back.

"We have this link…" Jack began to explain.

"No shit! Well that explains why Ianto keeled over each time you jumped then," Owen retorted.

"What!" Jack burst out.

"Every time you jumped Ianto literally dropped to the floor because I discovered every part of his brain turned off except the medulla," Owen replied.

"I think you had better explain," Jack said shocked.

Taking a breath Owen explained in detail what had occurred, and how Ianto's brain had switched off everything except for automatic functions. Jack went completely pale, swaying as Owen steadied him as the implications hit him.

"He never told you?" Owen asked as he saw Jack shake his head.

"Every time?" Jack double checked as Owen nodded. "I had no idea," Jack said as he recovered.

"Well that answered my question," Owen retorted as he looked curious. "But you said you have a link?"

"We do. Most of the time like right now it's in the background." He reached into his mind and he could sense the link pulsing away. "At other times when we're very close physically we don't need to speak, but we do because we like to hear each other's voices," Jack explained.

"What, like telepathy?"

"We can hear each other's words, sometimes emotions, depending on how strong they are, but only if the other one wants to allow access," he struggled to express the link. "At other times it's amazing, astounding, there are no words to describe but it's like we are joined as one being. It's like a knowing of each other on a fundamental level. Not like I know he loves coffee type level, but much deeper like looking into his soul. It's like the difference between seeing something in two dimensions and then 3D." He looked at Owen as he tried to find the words he needed. He pulled at his lower lip.

"It sounds like you're trying to describe sight to a blind person or a symphony to someone who cannot hear," Owen said finally. Jack nodded as Owen finally appeared to understand.

"So my next question is what happens if you die?"

Jack crossed his arms as he became serious. "That I can't answer. In one reality Jack shared a bond with his Ianto. And had died apparently on several occasions but Ianto did not follow." He took a breath. "It could be because maybe he was not really dead and he went to some kind of limbo Here maybe it would be like when I jumped, Ianto would be affected but not die,"

Owen nodded. "I would like to do a full work up on you later, but right now I just want to take some blood." He turned and opened a drawer and pulled out a tourniquet and some vials.

"I am scared Owen. What would happen to Ianto? The Ianto in the reality I just came from and his partner Aaron shared an empathic link. One or the other can break it but they both have to agree." He looked uncomfortable. "But Ianto and myself have come to an understanding of the link we share can't be broken." He saw the look of growing concern on Owen's face. "As soon as we were united it's somehow become impermeable to every possible influence, we both sensed it knitting itself to and of us."

"Bloody hell," Owen said under his breath as he placed the vial of blood he had taken into the device they used to analyse blood samples.

"Yeah and Ianto and I thought it was something that was just a random combinations of elements, but it appear to be much more," Jack admitted. "What it is means now or long term I don't know, but I don't want to die and come back to find out Ianto is dead because the link was unable to separate," he said, distressed and felt Ianto send comfort to him and he caught his breath.

Blinking Owen saw a small flare in Jack's eyes and took a moment to take in what Jack had told him. This was unprecedented. He and Ianto appeared to share some major kind of element that clearly was difficult to explain, impossible other than to be experienced. What the long term benefits or consequences were he had no idea.

"Well I think in light of this you shouldn't risk yourself, and chances are that won't happen in the near future with you taking a more managerial role," Owen commented as he pulled off the strip of paper from the machine He raised an eyebrow and looked at Jack.

"Well blood work indicates nothing out of the ordinary. The only difference other than the change in your eyes, is a rise in a hormone which if the figures were right were a thousand times higher than its normal low level." He showed the strip to Jack indicating the numbers.

"It's one of those physiological differences between humans now and those in the 51st century. It fluctuates up and down but this is an increase outside the range and above anything I have observed and is indicated by your recent past. As you know we only picked this up when the blood devise fell through the rift," Owen explained as he pointed to the machine he had used.

"Effect of the link?" Jack asked.

"Well as I have no idea what this hormone does in the first place I can't tell ya," Owen admitted. "It could be caused by you jumping about all over the place for all I know. I'll keep an eye on it but you need to tell me anything no matter how minor."

Jack bit his lip. 'Like experiencing a dual orgasm and being able to feel my partner's heart beat as it pulses between him and me and vice versa," he thought to himself.

"Will do," Jack said handing him back the paper. He saw Alex holding up a mug indicating coffee was being served and lunch had arrived.

***

Chapter Thirty Four.

Ianto ran his hands down the shoulders and arms of Jack's light grey jacket as they waited in the anteroom of the wedding venue they had chosen. He looked so incredibly handsome in the light grey suit, with matching waistcoat, deep blue silk tie, and white shirt he had chosen to wear. As he checked that Jack was a ready to go he could feel he was trembling.

Being each other's best man had some advantages and disadvantages. The advantage was they could give each other support and could prepare together. The disadvantage was there was no calm presence needed to sooth their combined nerves.

Taking both Jack's hands he kissed him gently. "You okay?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know what's come over me. I feel such a wreck," Jack admitted, his voice shaking with emotion.

"I know my heart's pounding, never felt so nervous," Ianto agreed as he adjusted the white rose on Jack's lapel. "You look so very handsome," Ianto told him. "You're so pale, your complexion goes with the rose on your lapel," Ianto teased as he gave both his hands a squeeze in an effort to calm him.

"It's a shame Rihanna won't be here, it would have been wonderful if she could have put her objections aside for one day. She will never get to see just how handsome her brother is," Jack told him as he took a look at Ianto who was dressed in a dark suit with red satin lining, waistcoat complete with the fob watch he had given him, a perfect complement for the dark rose he was wearing in his lapel.

"I know," he let out sharp breath. "I would have loved her to be here with Johnny and see Mica and David share in the second happiest day of my life," Ianto told him as he touched his forehead to Jack's in an effort to contain his own nervousness.

"Only second happiest?" Jack pulled back worried.

"Happiest day of my life was being able to hold you in my arms when you got back," Ianto admitted as a smile crept on his face. He swallowed his nerves down and took a sharp intake of breath.

"I think those butterflies have turned to mice," Jack said as Ianto cupped is face and gave him a chaste kiss.

A few more moments passed as Ianto looked at his watch. "Almost time." He was about to say more when Owen's head popped around the door.

"Everyone's gathered, but before you go in I think there's some people you might like to see," he said with a huge smile as he opened the door and Mica and David raced in followed by Johnny.

"Uncle Ianto," David and Mica burst out together as Ianto knelt down to give them a bear hug then proceeded to cover them with kisses which led to fits of giggles.

For a moment Ianto didn't recognise his brother-in-law, who was dressed in what looked like his best suit which was completely out of keeping with his normal line of slob wear. Striding in Johnny took and shook Jack's hand vigorously. "So you're the man my brother-in-law's going to marry," he said as Jack looked on speechless unsure at how to respond as Ianto hugged both children.

Standing now Ianto shook Johnny's hand and pulled him into light hug and slapped his back. "Is Rihanna..?" he started to say as Johnny shook his head and let out a deep sigh.

"No, she refused to come. When I saw the invitation torn up in the bin, I gave her a right earful, told her that you had found someone and she should be happy. I was taking the children whether she liked it or not. She went on about it being a sin and I shouldn't corrupt the children. I told her straight so your brother's a gay boy. Who gives damn after what he's been through. He deserves to be happy."

Jack looked bemused at the man's outburst. He looked at the smile on Ianto's face as he held his niece and nephews hands, who were jumping up and down in their best clothes, full of excitement.

"This is the best wedding present you could have given me and Jack," he told him, as the door opened.

"You ready? Its time," Owen said as Johnny now took the children and winked at both of them and left leaving the door wide open for them to walk through.

Jack took Ianto's hand and entangled their fingers together. "Ready?" he checked.

"I have never been more ready for anything my entire life, "Ianto replied as they stepped into the room.

Entering the room, all those gathered stood. As they reached the large picture window overlooking the extensive lake which was the feature of the wedding venue they had chosen, they stopped and faced each other in front of the wedding celebrant. They both looked up shyly to note all of those present as the celebrant began to speak. As she did they took each other's hands and looked at each other.

"We are gathered here today to celebrate love and to witness the union of Jack and Ianto. They stand before you to make public their commitment to each other and the relationship they have forged. Jack and Ianto will now share vows and exchange rings."

Jack with shaking hands took out a ring from his pocket and taking Ianto's right hand he tried to form words, but he felt so choked he could hardly speak above a whisper. Ianto reached up and stroked his face and he took a breath and looked into his eyes as Jack began to speak.

"You helped me discover the best of me, and made me a better man. I still can't work out what I did to deserve you." Taking the ring he slipped it onto his finger. "This ring of white gold, a perfect circle, I offer to you as a symbol of my love and a promise that I will spend every moment of our time together proving that you were right to give me a chance and trust your heart to me," he said as he hurriedly wiped away a tear and slipped the ring fully on Ianto's finger.

Ianto now took a ring from his pocket and looked into Jack's eyes. He could feel the bond surging through making it almost impossible to speak. Jack was shaking like a leaf so he took both his hands and clasped them together and kissed them. Jack let go of one hand then reached over and wiped away a tear falling down Ianto's face as Ianto struggled to compose himself.

Keeping his focus on Jack's eyes he began to speak. "Jack, you were and will remain my greatest surprise," he said with a shaky voice. "You are my beloved and I pledge myself to you. Every day of my life will be devoted to you because I adore you. My hope is to prove worthy of your love. I know without you I am nothing, you are the other half of my soul." He saw Jack deeply affected as he took the ring and placed it on Jack's finger. "This ring is my token, to show the world my commitment to you," he said, pulling back slightly he wiped his face dry with his hand.

"With the exchange of rings and vows over I invite you to congratulate the joining of Jack and Ianto Harkness- Jones in their civil union," the celebrant said as Jack and Ianto now turned to the gathered assembly, who clapped as they now turned to each other and hugged burying their head in each other's shoulders rocking each other. Several moments passed as they composed themselves, then pulled apart as everyone moved forward to give their congratulations.

twtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtw

"You've got some colour back," Ianto noted as he held Jack in a slow dance.

"I'm feeling much better, I don't know what came over me. I felt so shaky," he admitted.

"Not surprising, you disappeared for three weeks, crossed to three different realities, I expect its bit like jet lag only worse," Ianto told him.

"It's been very busy but now today is over and those mice have gone and my stomach is more settled," he admitted with some relief.

"Only after I forced some food into you," Ianto told him.

"Everything was delicious, and I didn't realise how hungry I was until I started eating," Jack agreed, slipping his hands under Ianto's waistcoat.

"Speed wedding; so much to do in so little time," Ianto commented as Jack nodded in agreement

"And Johnny bringing Mica and David," Jack glanced over to see Rhys and Johnny still deeply engaged in a conversation about the last rugby test match between Wales and New Zealand the previous weekend.

"Didn't see that one coming," Ianto admitted as he saw Mica heading towards them.

"Would you like a dance?" Ianto offered as she looked at him.

"Oh yes but then can I have a dance with Uncle Jack?" she said with a slight lisp.

"Uncle Jack I like that," Ianto said raising his eyebrows at Jack as Mica put her feet on Ianto's and they began to move slowly.

"Thank you for coming, Mica. I am so happy you're here," Ianto told her as she waved at her Dad who waved back.

"Mummy and Daddy had a huge row, but mummy still wouldn't come, and daddy got angry," she told him.

"I am very sorry to hear it," Ianto said sadly, thinking the one thing he didn't want was to cause problems between Johnny and Rihanna.

"And she said silly things about you, Uncle Ianto, and you missed David's birthday," she added.

"Sometimes grownups say silly things. I missed David's birthday, I am sorry," he said sadly knowing he had sent a gift and by the sounds of it his sister hadn't given it to him. "Well I promise I will make it up to him. What do you think he would like?" he asked as he observed Jack approaching Tosh who was trying to get Owen's attention without appearing to get his attention and smiled.

"Tosh would you do me the honour of...?" Jack asked formally his hand out as Tosh blushed and bit her lip.

Taking her outstretched hand he pulled onto the small dance floor. "You know Owen's a fool," he said after several moments passed.

"Sorry, of course but as you know I am a sucker for a lost cause," she told him sadly.

"Was I a lost cause?" he asked her.

"I think Ianto was right," she said after a few moments of thought.

"In what way?"

"I think he was right to entrust his heart to you," she whispered.

"Well he has all of mine," Jack dipped his gaze then glanced across as Ianto danced with Mica.

Kissing her cheek he changed the subject. "Talking about hearts I met a wonderful Tosh in the very last reality I was in and she had a message for you," he told her as brought her attention fully back to Jack. "She told me to tell you that Owen is very fond of chocolate mousse and strawberries."

"Is he indeed," she said, narrowing her eyes as she looked at Owen with a devious look on her face.

"And she said something else." Tosh looked at him now with wide eyes.

"That you should pounce," Jack said smiling raising his eyebrows.

"So the message was chocolate mousse, strawberries and pounce," she repeated as Jack nodded then raised his eyebrows up and down.

He turned her so she was facing the entrance that led to the kitchen. "And I have been led to believe that there might be some chocolate mousse and strawberries…." she smiled, gave Jack a kiss on the cheek and walking quickly not taking her eyes off Owen she headed towards the kitchen.

"My work is done," he said as he was now found Tosh replaced by Angie.

"Do you know how long I have waited for this moment?" she said as Jack held out his hand.

"No tell me," he said using his most seductive smile as he pulled her in close.

"Since the moment your drop dead gorgeous self, first came into the shop," she said winking.

"I thought it was always Marcia who had the hots for me," Jack teased.

"She does we both do , we are the inaugural members of the Jack Harkness fan club," she admitted.

"I have a fan club," Jack ribbed.

"Oh yes" she said.

"Many members?" Jack said highly amused at the turn of the conversation.

"Quite a few, there's the lady in the shop next to ours and the young lad who has the key kiosk to name just two," she rattled on. "And you should know you were the cause of a major staff rebellion," she told him as he looked at her surprised as she nodded. "There was a stand -off for several days before he relented. Threats were made, we were going to hide the good coffee and he would have to manage on decaf or Starbucks."

"Me," Jack said amazed.

"We told Ianto outright he was not to do anything that would stop you coming in to the shop," she told his bemused face. "You had sent this letter offering not to come in," she explained as he now understood and felt a rush of tenderness towards her and Marcia. Little did they know or maybe they did that today had been in part due that moment of staff unrest. "We put our foot down...well, sets of feet. He was not happy but he relented after we bribed him with the offer of a large number of coffee cakes."

"How long did the stand- off last?" Jack asked astonished.

"Five days," she advised in a serious voice.

"Five days, of pouting, evil looks and eye rolling," Jack laughed knowing just how stubborn Ianto could be.

"I think I owe Marcia a dance," he said as he smiled then kissed on her check.

"I think you do," she told him honestly.

"Thank you," he said sweetly as the dance ended and he went to ask Marcia for the next dance who jumped up eagerly.

"Now tell me about this staff rebellion?" Jack queried as he pulled her on to floor and held her close.

twtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtwt

"Are you going to carry me over the threshold then?" Ianto teased as he struggled through the front door of their new flat with a large box he then dumped into the middle of the lounge floor to join the large number already there.

"You've asked that every time we come up here with a box," Jack followed him in carrying equally large box.

"I know but that's the last two boxes and you refused every time so this is my last chance," Ianto said laughing as Jack dropped the box he was carrying on top of the pile.

"Alright then," he said as Ianto looked at him in surprise. He moved forward and put his arm out placing his hand on Ianto's chest.

"No, you carry me over the threshold," he said as he saw look on Ianto's face who then laughed as he got the joke.

"I tell you what, let's compromise. Why don't we both carry each other over the threshold?" Jack offered.

"And how do we carry each other over the threshold, Mr Jack Harkness-Jones?" Ianto scoffed.

"Oh ye of little faith," Jack told him as he grabbed his hand and led him to the open door.

"Okay this is how this works." He put his arms around Ianto's waist. "You put your arms around me, I put my arms around you and we jump," he said in all seriousness.

Laughing, Ianto put his hands around Jack's waist and Jack counted down. "One...two...wait for it..." Ianto went to jump then realised Jack hadn't moved and fell back as Jack steadied him. He straightened and repositioned his arms around Jack. Jack called out, "Three!" and they jumped together though the door

Pulling Jack in close to him he found his lips and kissed him. "Have I told how much I love you today?" Ianto said as he used his foot to hook the door shut.

"Yes, but as I can't get enough of you telling me, please go ahead," Jack teased as Ianto kissed him then pulled away and headed for the kitchen and opened the first box he had brought up and left on the kitchen counter.

Scrabbling around the box he gave a triumphant shout as he pulled out the steel tape measure.

"Ha, found it," he said with glee as he now headed towards the shower. Jack heard the measure being used and snapped back as Ianto called out for him.

"Get in here, the water's hot and I have confirmed we can both fit," he said popping his head around the door he threw a lustful look at Jack.

"I believe my message was hot water, soap, and cries of ecstasy!" He saw Jack's eyes open wide as the link pulsed and he headed towards the bathroom.

When he got there Ianto was stripped and checking the temperature as Jack now joined him. He just slipped off his boxers as Ianto pulled him under the shower head.

"It's been exactly 31 weeks since I stood in this bathroom and dreamed of being in here with you," Ianto told him. "I never thought…" he was interrupted as Jack pulled him into a fierce kiss preventing further conversation as the room filled up with steam.

twtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtw

Lifting the remote Ianto turned off the TV, as he did Jack woke with a start. He blinked and rubbed his eyes stretching out.

"Did I fall asleep?" he asked the obvious.

"Yeah, about an hour ago." Ianto kissed the top of his head.

"I am exhausted," he said. He yawned then stood up and stretched again, exposing his belly.

"Yeah, reality hopping, getting married, steering a secret organisation though a major re-organisation, having to deal with distraught older staff members, moving house and being on your honeymoon with an insatiable man who can't keep your hands off you, is hard work," Ianto quipped.

"You're not insatiable," Jack told him sleepily

"I wasn't talking about me," Ianto told him as he now stretched.

Jack grinned and watched as Ianto moved to clear away the pizza boxes. "Leave that, tomorrow is soon enough," Jack told him as he yawned again.

"It's summer. I hate ants, little bastards, saw one doing a reconnaissance. I'll be in a minute," Ianto told him as he cleared up the kitchen as Jack headed off.

He was glad Jack had headed off because he looked shattered. He had tried earlier to get him to go to bed early to get some sleep, but he had wanted to watch one of Ianto's DVD's. The last few weeks had obviously taken it out of him. First there was all the drama of the reality jumping followed by a week of the most astounding sexual experience of their entire lives. To say they couldn't keep their hands off each other made this honeymoon tame by comparison. It was out of this world in every sense and he was glad the compulsion had eased off. As much as he adored topping Jack, he was glad they had returned to their normal equilibrium and variety they both enjoyed.

Then there were all the preparations for the wedding. He wondered if all weddings no matter how big or small came with the same level of stress. They had tried to keep it as simple as possible. Gwen had offered to help much to their relief and took over but it still meant lots of little details which had to be finalised requiring their individual attention.

On top of this Jack had been responsible for the integration of the new Torchwood staff. From what Jack had told him each new member was a great addition to the team even if one was a bit overenthusiastic, as he smiled at Jack's description of Penny. Jack had told him he had given her strict instructions on how to care for personal possessions no matter how much she might suspect they were dangerous. He knew full well the cause and he couldn't help but feel a modicum of sympathy for the poor girl.

On top of this an exceedingly demanding archivist who had roped all the staff into emptying one entire level of every cardboard box followed by a major clean up. She then supervised a bulk delivery of filing cabinets which in turn had to be moved into place. Jack had been only too willing to help considering Rosemary was as prepared to put in as much hard labour with the best of them despite her age.

Then they moved house. All the furniture including the bed, sofa, bookcases, fridge, washing machine and dryer, TV sound system, etc. had been delivered while Jack was missing. However it all still had to be moved into place. They only needed to move their personal effects from the flat. As little as Jack had Ianto made up for this with piles of books and DVD's from the back his book shop.

Well they had put all the furniture together, moved everything into place. The blinds and curtains were up so they could veg out as much as they needed. Unpacking boxes as the mood took them made the bulk of the hard work done. He dried his hands and after checking the door was locked turned off the light.

Entering the bedroom he saw Jack was spread out fast asleep. Stripping quietly he slipped next to him Yawning he closed his eyes and noted Jack moved and wrapped himself around him. Holding him in his arms he felt a sense of utter contentment and he drifted off to sleep.

***

Chapter Thirty Five

Ianto watched as Jack chased a piece of dry toast around his plate. "Talk to Owen," he urged.

"Look, I'm from the 51st century. I don't get sick," Jack replied as he picked up his mug of coffee, went to take a sip, grimaced and put it back on the counter top.

"That's the second cup of coffee you've left undrunk in as many days. Next you'll be telling me you're becoming a tea drinker," Ianto said concerned as he focused on the untouched mug. Normally Jack was a three-cups-before-he-left-the-flat man, filled with several slices of toast dripping with butter and jam.

"I can't explain, but it's not your coffee, I promise," Jack said as he yawned.

"That I know Jack, but I can feel something is going on." Ianto concentrated as he tried to put what he was sensing into words. The link between them had a sort of resonance that had changed subtly over the past weeks. He agreed that Jack was not sick but something was going on.

"I'll speak to Owen I promise," Jack said as he felt Ianto's concern.

"Make sure you do," Ianto admonished as he cleared up and placed the breakfast things in the dishwasher. "I'm going to the supermarket. What do you fancy for dinner?"

"Nothing spicy, or too hot, and I fancy…." Jack looked puzzled then continued. "Nothing with too much fat, salty or too sweet. Yeah I fancy something sweet..." he looked up to see Ianto looking even more concerned.

"Jack you've just eliminated 99% of our diet."

"Sorry."

"Well what about a salad? I could whip up something, smoked salmon, crusty bread garlic..."

"No garlic!" Jack said as he went as pale as the counter top.

"No garlic then." Ianto looked at him, pursing his lips, his forehead creased.

"And something sweet."

"You said that but what?" he asked. as Jack shook his head as he tried to think as his stomach turned over at the thought of food.

"Not sure but it will come to me," he admitted looking up to see Ianto still looking at him.

"Talk to Owen. And this time I'm not going to be fobbed off with 'I couldn't talk to him because he was too busy setting up the new Torchwood medical bay'. Or 'I got distracted training up the new staff'. I'm going to call him later to make sure you've spoken to him," Ianto told him as he took his hands.

"Look I know we've both been putting how you feel down to the rift jumping, but that was eight weeks ago. You've been off colour for nearly five weeks even before, if I recall how pale you were at the wedding. If it was due to the link I would be equally affected." He rubbed Jack's hand with his thumb as he followed the link to Jack who for some reason he couldn't fully explain appeared to be glowing.

"And tell him about the tiredness," Ianto warned him as Jack now moved to leave as Ianto grabbed his keys.

"I will," Jack promised as he pulled the door shut behind Ianto.

twtwtwtwtwtwtwtw

Pen in his hand, Jack sat in front of a mound of paperwork Alex had placed before him to go through. He hated paperwork, in the past he had managed to avoid a great deal but with Alex now firmly in charge, he had to face this on a daily basis. After completing the training schedule, and observing for two weeks, Alex had come in and slipped into control. It was done with such ease no one even noticed. Alex was a person who had the ability to know exactly what that person needed in that moment. A skilled people manager, he was also adept at all the roles he had been assigned, including maintenance. That was where he was right now, sorting out one of the lower pumps but not before dumping several large files of paperwork on Jack's desk.

He picked up the first of the papers and felt his stomach churn as he smelt coffee. He looked up and saw Penny making a round of coffee and a pot of tea for Rosemary. He looked at his watch: eleven. He could feel Ianto's concern as a pressure in the back of his mind.

He smacked his lips he fancied something sweet; but he couldn't put his finger on what he wanted exactly. It was maddening to feel the desire for something he couldn't name and he yawned.

What was this tiredness? He had never felt so tired in his entire life. He could hardly keep awake at times. Sometimes he was in bed by 8 o'clock. Sleeping so soundly even their alarm didn't wake him. This morning he had had to force himself up as he kept falling back asleep.

He knew he was getting on but he had always felt so energised. Now he found himself wanting to sneak down to his old quarters and have a nap in the afternoons. Twice he had fallen asleep at his desk towards the end of the day. He stretched and yawned as his stomach churned. Enough, he needed to find Owen. He stood quickly and caught himself as he felt a slight dizziness.

Stepping out of his office he saw Owen emerging from the newly refurbished Alien examination bay where he had been examining the small creature that had fallen though the Rift yesterday, which despite appearances of being ferocious was actually sort of sweet and cuddly thing if you could call something with layers of teeth cuddly. A cross between a teddy bear and a piranha, he smiled as the character 'Stitch' from a cartoon Ianto had introduced to him came to mind.

Striding forward he was passing Gwen's desk when he smelt something. He sniffed the air, it was divine. He sniffed about following his nose and turned and saw Gwen gulping down some sort of juice from a bottle.

"Give that to me," Jack demanded as Gwen handed it to him, too surprised at Jack's tone to object.

"Apple juice," Jack said with glee as he took the half empty bottle and chugged its contents down then wiped the back of his hand over his mouth.

"I'm trying to be healthier, cutting back the caffeine," Gwen told him as she glared at him and snatched the now empty bottle back and threw it in the bin by her desk.

Jack licked his lips as he pulled out his wallet and called Penny over. He handed her a ten pound note, taking the bottle from the bin.

"Take this and head for the nearest supermarket and buy as much of this as you can," he handed her the empty bottle.

"Apple juice," she said as she read the label.

"Yeah," he told her. "Get several different types," he instructed as Owen now joined them, listening and observing the exchange.

"Do you want a mix of juices, orange mango…," she saw Jack go pale at the suggestion and shake his head.

"No just plain apple juice clear and cloudy," he correctly her quickly as she scurried off as he turned to face Owen.

"Apple juice?" Owen asked slowly.

"Yeah I've had this terrible craving for weeks. It's been driving me crazy; I just couldn't figure it out. Sort of sweet and tart, apple juice, who would have thought," he enthused as he rolled the bottle around in his hands and threw it back in the bin.

"I'm almost finished then I think you and I need to have a talk," Owen said as he narrowed his eyes.

"Good," Jack agreed, "Call me when you finished with the scary teddy. Ianto wants me to have a check-up," he added as he walked back to his office.

"Apple juice," he kept saying to himself it so obvious now and his stomach felt settled for the first time in weeks.

twtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtw

Watching with interest as Jack chugged back the second litre of apple juice in the space of ten minutes, Owen noted how pale he was. The carton now empty, Jack wiped the back of his hand across his mouth and belched. Squashing the carton using both hands he aimed for the bin in an overhand throw lobbed it so it landed on top of the other empty carton.

"Good?" Owen asked as Jack took a deep breath.

"Yeah that hits the spot," Jack told him with vigour.

"Tell me everything?" he said as he started to examine Jack.

"Where do you want me to start?" Jack queried.

"I think we'll start with your blood pressure," Owen stated as he pulled out his scanner and noted how low it was.

"Any dizziness?" he queried as Jack nodded.

"Some only when I stand up too fast," Jack replied.

"And diet, I noticed you've knocked off the coffee?"

"Yeah, Ianto and I had this conversation this morning, that I had eliminated 99% of our diet," Jack joked.

"Like?" Owen asked suspiciously as he continued to observe as he now prepared to take a blood sample.

"Anything too hot, spicy, garlics a no-no, too much fat…" he said as Owen observed him going even paler.

"Sleep?" he interjected quickly as he now took a blood sample as Jack yawned

"I've been a bit tired. Been busy though," Jack tried to explain it away.

"I understand the busy bit but we've been as busy in the past. So how much more tired are you?"

"Well, I normally fall asleep around ten, last week it's been eight and I sleep until woken," Jack told him.

"So if you're getting lots of sleep how come you are so tired? Is your sleep being disturbed? Has Ianto noted anything?" Owen asked as he put the blood in the blood machine.

"No, best deep sleeps I've had for years. Trouble is no matter how much I sleep it's not enough. I seem to wake up exhausted."

"Apart from your diet, craving apple juice, fatigue and dizziness is there anything else I should know?" he asked as he now used his stethoscope and listened to Jack's chest getting him to breathe in and out.

"I have these kind of twinges." He pointed to below his navel. "And I feel sort of bloated," he said quietly.

"I don't think I'm sick," Jack rattled on as he saw Owen move to the blood machine as it completed its test function and he pulled off the paper it had produced. "I mean I know there is no 21st century disease that can touch me and both Ianto and I feel it's something else, something we can't define, and Ianto says he can see me sort of glowing,"

"Glowing," Owen repeated as he looked up then continued to read through the blood work results.

"Interesting," he said after several minutes. "The hormone level that was so high just after you returned has now returned back to normal, or the range I have come to expect. But it has now been replaced with another one also unidentifiable" He showed the strip to Jack who studied it and handed it back.

"What does that mean? Is that's what making me feel like this? You said unidentifiable. Explain?" he threw out several questions in a row and Owen looked at him.

"Come with me," he ordered as he led Jack through to an adjacent room where he and Alex has spent several days setting up several pieces of useful equipment that had fallen through the Rift over the years; one of them being an internal scanner.

Owen patted the examination table as Jack hopped up "You're beginning to scare me Owen."

"I just want to double check this before I say anything," Owen told him kindly as he got Jack to lie down then adjusted the device, pulling out several arms.

"If I could just get you to pull up your shirt and until your belt and expose the area from your navel down." He indicated with his hands the area he wanted.

"What do think is wrong?" Jack asked curiously, not sure what hell was going on but adjusting his clothing as requested.

"Oh it's serious all right," Owen told him as he indicated he lay down and pulled the scanner over Jack's belly and turned on the monitor

"This is a scanner that fell through the Rift; very useful." He pulled the monitor around to show Jack as he fiddled with the definition. He peered at the screen, adjusted the scanner arms slightly.

"Jack, there is no easy way to tell you this: you're pregnant."

"Stop mucking around," Jack warned him. Owen now indicated a sac with a small lima bean on the screen complete with heartbeat. He turned the sound on and it filled the room. "Jack, you are around eight weeks."

Jack looked at the screen reeling in shock. "I can't Owen it's impossible," Jack burst out.

"Not as impossible as we both thought."

"You don't understand this is impossible," Jack said not able to tear his eyes away from the image as Owen now turned down the sound.

"Well something has clearly happened. Maybe that hormone that is normally only just detectable is somehow responsible…" Owen stopped and started again.

"You know you have this acorn sized mass I never really figured out what it was for. Now it's obviously a pregnancy organ. The hormone level might be an indicator you were ready to conceive." He was confused at why Jack was so upset as he saw him take a breath.

"When I was in the Time Agency I had physicals. I was identified as one of those men who had inherited a pregnancy organ. It was sort of a genetic oddity, a body enhancement trend from around four hundred years before I was born. It never worked. The only legacy was that there was a 50/50 chance that male offspring could have one. My grandfather apparently did, my dad didn't so it jumped a generation to me." He took another breath. "It was known the male pregnancy organ was a useless appendage, but as I was sexually active I had to ask if it was possible. I was told it was impossible, that firstly the male body is not conducive to pregnancy. Secondly the amount of effort to stimulate the pregnancy organ to function was..."

"Impossible," Owen repeated.

"Difficult in the extreme," he corrected him. "The joke was that the male pregnancy organ was on a par with having an appendix but less trouble as it never did anything, and the one thing I recall very clearly was it couldn't just happen. "

"Well you are pregnant the impossible has happened." Jack stared at the screen looking increasingly unhappy.

"Do you want to keep it?" Owen asked quietly as he tried to interpret the look on Jack's face.

Jack looked at him outraged, "Of course I do! This baby is Ianto's! It's complicated I don't want children but our child..."he became emotional Now it's happened I would move heaven and earth to give him this. Have you any idea how badly he wants a family? But I am frighted of the odds and if anything happens to the baby," he took a deep breath genuinely scared.

"What odds?"

"I was told that it was a good thing the male pregnancy organ didn't work because the chances of having a live child were against the odds," he explained. He wiped his face dry as he spelled it out. "In my time, the experiment of male pregnancies was in the past. As far as I am aware there were no male pregnancies even considered in my time, the risks were too great; not to the father, but to the child." He took a breath as Owen now turned off the monitor and helped Jack to sit up.

"I would love to have this baby and give the man I love the greatest gift imaginable but I'm a realist, the chances are this child won't make it."

"Can you recall any of the details?" he asked Jack he leaned back deep in thought.

"Not much just bits and pieces really, something about failure to come to term, whatever that means," Jack struggled to recall.

"It could be that there is some inherent flaw in the pregnancy organ and it can only carry the baby for so long," Owen said thinking out loud.

"What does that mean?" Jack asked.

"I think it means the organ fails before the baby can survive outside or it could be another cause. I operating in the dark so I can't answer," he replied.

"So what's the earliest a child can survive today if it has to be delivered?" Jack asked a surge of hope racing through him.

"The longer the baby stays in the better, around 23 weeks. It would need every skill of a neonatal unit to survive. We couldn't deliver here, it would need an Obstetrician and neonatal specialist on hand and its odds are not good."

"Earlier?" He saw Owen shake his head

"Look you've already beaten the odds, and become pregnant. What if this baby is one of the lucky ones?" He saw Jack look up at him. "We deal with this one day at a time. Let's be practical here, you were told there was a high failure rate for male pregnancies so we don't gloss of over the facts, we deal with each as they come up."

"We need to tell Ianto," Owen said as Gwen popped her head around the door.

"He's already knows," Jack told him.

He looked up to see Ianto, who was wide eyed, throw his arms around Jack. As Gwen was about to ask a question Owen indicated she leave.

***

Chapter 36

"Are you okay?" Owen asked as Ianto looked at the screen, holding Jack's hand, going as pale as he was.

"How old's the baby?" Ianto said after a few moments.

"I'd say about eight weeks," Owen told him.

"Ianto," Jack said as Ianto remained silent. Ianto had cut himself off and he could only just able to get a sense of him.

"I kinda knew. It's obvious now you point out all the symptoms, and I had this feeling. I mean when I see Jack via the link he's glowing."

"Do you need to sit down?" Owen offered. "Can I get you anything?" Ianto nodded and he pulled up a seat and he sat heavily.

"I thought it was impossible," he looked at Jack then at Owen then back at the screen.

"Not as impossible as it seems," Owen repeated his earlier statement to Jack.

"Eight weeks, that fits the time scale of the week of Jack's return," he squeezed Jack's hand.

"Everything is okay so far?" Ianto asked hesitantly.

"I'm going to send everything off to double check, but from what I can see the baby is exactly where it should be," Owen told them.

"Can we tell the sex?" Ianto asked.

"Too early, around 18 weeks is the best time to see," he replied.

"You said earlier there were risks," Ianto said as Jack now sat up. They moved to sit next to each other and grasped each other's hand in support.

"As I explained, Jack tells me there were complications that arose from male pregnancies in his time, what they are I have no idea."

"Complications," Ianto repeated almost to himself.

"All pregnancies carry some risk; all manner of things can go wrong. For Jack we are in unknown territory, right now there are no complications."

"So where do we go from here?" Jack asked when he realised Ianto had gone silent.

"We deal with this one day at a time. This is a high risk pregnancy no argument."

"Are you okay?" Jack asked as Ianto squeezed his hand.

"Yes and no. Part of me is elated. I never thought I would ever have another child and for it to be a part of me and you, well it's like a miracle. I'm having difficulty seeing what's in front of me. I can't tell you how this feels, for me and Jack to have a baby. It's a dream come true… But another part is so scared, if the risks to the baby are so high. I mean how do we deal with that and my head is running with what ifs..." He took a deep breath as Jack kissed his hand.

"I'm not going to gloss over the risks Ianto because they are real. Neither Jack nor I have any idea why male pregnancies failed in his time. All we can do is monitor and deal with things as they arise. Right now Jack has low blood pressure, that we can keep an eye on." Ianto looked concerned then looked at Jack.

"I would be more concerned if his pressure was high. At the moment it's low enough to cause some slight dizziness, and nothing more." He took a breath. "Other than that it's wait and see," Owen admitted.

"I will make sure Jack gets everything he needs." Ianto looked at Jack lovingly.

"What do we tell the others?" Owen asked as he saw the pair just touching foreheads.

"Nothing at this point," Ianto answered for them both. "Jack and I need time to just come to terms with this. Get it straight for us, then as time goes by we can let them know, but not right now. I don't think either of us could handle the normal sort of jubilation that goes with this, if things turn out well we can tell them then… if not it's private." He saw Jack nod in agreement.

"I think we need to go home," Jack said as they both stood and Ianto caught Jack as he lost his balance.

"On the way home you need to put in a bulk order for apple juice," Jack said smiling for the first time since Ianto had burst in.

"Yeah, as much as you need," Ianto said taking his hand as they quietly left.

Owen sat down with a thump as he went over the events of the late morning. Jack was pregnant and the pair of them were treating this like a wake instead of something to be celebrated.

He couldn't understand it. He sat tapping his pen against his lips then he remembered the time he did his obstetrics rotation in training. He recalled one woman, how many children had she lost? Four miscarriages and a still birth... At the time, being young and stupid he had tried get her to put a brave face on it telling her she could always try again. She was furious and told him bluntly about the emotional ups and downs, the terrible cycle of hope and fear.

Even that didn't prepare you for the grief that followed as each child was lost. The hope that this one would make it against the horrible feeling of dread that it wouldn't. He remembered how powerless her words made him he feel at the time. That had been a watershed moment when he realised medical science didn't have all the answers. He had left the rotation a little less gung-ho and a lot wiser. He took a deep breath.

Well he was damned if he was going to sit by and watch this little tragedy unfold without a fight. All he had to do was get that baby to a point it could be born. If the baby was born early then they had to find a way to save it. He made a decision and called Tosh into his office.

twtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtw

Entering the flat Ianto treated Jack like he was fragile glass, settling him down and putting his feet onto a pillow. Making sure his back was supported, and then poured him an apple juice.

He could feel something was wrong, very wrong, Ianto had not said a word since they had left. He could feel a tremendous amount of love over laid with fear.

"Ianto stop," Jack told him as he fussed about. When he kept moving he got up, placed the juice down and grabbed his hand.

"Please talk me. Tell me what's wrong. I'm just as scared as you are, but you've cut me out and it hurts." He saw that Ianto was shaking and out of control so he placed his forehead against his and sent what calming emotions he could.

"I can't right now Jack, please I need time to come to terms with all this," he stroked Jack's cheek.

"It's a shock," Jack reflected. The way the link was between them, instead of the normal pulsations it was chaotic.

"I think that sums up how I feel. I'm numb. Even after seeing the scan I can't quite believe it," he replied. He put his hand on Jack's tummy. "A part of you and me, growing in you." He felt tears form. "I always thought I could eventually persuade you into us using a surrogate or adopting. I never thought you and me…" he broke off.

"I know. I felt your dreams," Jack told him gently.

"Not that I expected to persuade you, I know your reasons. But I think you would make a wonderful dad," Ianto said barely in control as he took a breath.

"So I was content, accepting that you and me as a couple would always be just us." He took a breath. "To see our baby today on that scanner, it just, it was just..." Ianto chocked

"Please tell he what's going on for you Ianto," Jack asked gently.

"It was a shock. I'll be alright; I just need time sort things out in my head." He repeated his earlier statements.

"You once told me that we should never leave things unsaid that we had to face what we had to," Jack reminded him the argument they had had the day Rihanna had confronted Ianto about his sexuality.

"I know I did," Ianto told him.

"This is more than shock. I can feel it, you've withdrawn and it hurts here," Jack said putting his hand on his chest.

"This is too big, I need time to sort myself out," Ianto told him outright

"Listen I know you have a part of yourself that is hidden, deep within you, you've never shared and I've never pushed. You are terrified Ianto, I can feel it. If I close my eyes I see the link we share growing darker, exposing that hidden part you with every passing second and I am scared for you."

Ianto looked at him and took a breath, looking horrified as he realised he could no longer keep this buried.

"I've kept this hidden away. It's my worst nightmare, and it's the reality I have to live with every day of my life. I've held onto it for so long, it's a part of me."

"I can't help if you close me off, we need to face whatever it is together. Please let me in."

"I don't think I can, my shame, the pain that I feel is too big." Ianto closed his eyes and then opened them, they were full of tears. He felt as Jack reached out to him, giving him as much support as he could.

"This is so big Jack I don't want to burden this on you it's not fair."

"Ianto you know all of my deepest secrets. The shame of handing over those twelve children will haunt me forever. The reasons I never wanted children was because what kind man willingly hands over children to monsters? What possible kind of father could I be, knowing what I had done? But we are now both faced with our nightmares. You helped me so much trust me. Let me help you with yours."

Ianto gulped, looked towards the ceiling, and took a deep breath. Jack held on to his hand, as he felt Ianto's inner struggle. After what seemed an age he felt something give and Ianto began to speak.

"I'll have to start at the beginning. My mum died when I was about six years old. My dad tried but he couldn't cope with me and Rihanna. My mother's sister took Rihanna. She didn't want me because she said she had no time for a boy, so I was put into care. I stayed in group homes and the odd family. It was never for more than six months. I never had a birthday or Christmas due to one thing or another. I was always being moved around. I'm not sure if it was me or was I was just unlucky."

"Once you're sixteen the system kicks you out. So I found myself in this bed and breakfast on my own. Nothing different up until that point I always had been on my own. I couldn't stay on at school even though all the teachers wanted me to because once you turn sixteen you are expected to get a job. I worked in low skill jobs, mostly serving coffee. I managed to keep up at night school and after two hard years I managed to earn a scholarship to get into university." Jack kissed his hand.

"It was there I met Lisa." He stopped, and huge smile grew on his face in remembrance, then paused as he took a breath and continued. "Lisa had an almost as a bad childhood as I had. Hers was deliberate neglect, posh boarding schools. Her father had a new family and wanted nothing to do with her. So he kept her in schools where you could stay year round." Jack saw a tear fall down his face.

"By some chance we were recruited by Torchwood; me for my Masters in Algorithms, her for her research skills." He became quiet. "It was about four months before the wedding we found out she was nine weeks pregnant, a little girl." Tears roll down his face. "We were over the moon; it was incredible we were getting married in four months. Lisa wanted to quit there and then but I persuaded her to stay until we got married. It felt like we had won the lottery, it was like we had found a part of ourselves we never knew was missing. You see, her and I only ever wanted one thing, we wanted a family. We wanted to create for each other the one thing we had never had. Everything was set to go, Lisa was 6 months, showing. I could feel Roslyn under my hand as she turned over in Lisa's tummy, we had pictures scans, tapes..." He stopped then went blank and stopped speaking for several moments when he took a deep breath.

"I was between floors when the attack started. I tried to get to Lisa but it was chaos. I fought my way up each floor, until I came to this room. It was like abattoir, the room was filled with this low groan and the floor slick with blood. I searched every corner, and eventually I found her. Lisa was strapped to this table and..." He took a shuddering breath.

"I tried to get her off there, god I tried but she was strapped down so tight I tore my hands up. Gritting his teeth he pulled his hand into fists as he demonstrated how hard he had tried. "Then, I heard this weak cry close by and looking around I found her." He looked into the distance and spoke without emotion.

"Roslyn was in a bin, thrown away, along with a whole load of other body parts. She was struggling to breathe. I tried to save her, but she died in my hands. There was Lisa, half her brain missing and that precious jewel who had come into our lives, who was so wanted, and those monsters killed them both." He looked up. "They were my life Jack, they were my first thought when I woke up and my last thought when I went to sleep."

"I wrapped her in my jacket just as UNIT soldiers came storming in and tried to take her from me. I wouldn't let her go, that baby was all Lisa and I ever wanted and she had been thrown out like rubbish!" he shouted. "I lost it and next thing I knew I came round a few hours later and they gave me some pills, then sent me home. Instead of a wedding we had a funeral, instead of a family I ended up in a mental hospital for 13 months." He looked up, and took hold of Jack's shoulders. "And this was my fault, if I hadn't persuaded Lisa to stay on they would have been safe at home," he said forcefully. "It's guilt I have carried all this time, my actions caused the only two people I had ever loved to be destroyed."

"Oh Ianto," Jack said. A tear ran down his face as he cupped Jack's face with his hand and rubbed his thumb over his lips.

"Then I met you, at that time I was on a downward spiral. I wouldn't admit it at the time but I revelled in the way you came into the shop and challenged me. You infuriated me and it allowed me to stop focusing on what I'd lost. You are the true reason for my recovery." He took Jack's hand and Jack put his hand on top. "I am terrified if we lose this baby, this miracle, I will really lose it, then I will let you down and our love won't survive and then I will lose you."

Jack cupped Ianto's face in his hands and kissed him. "Ianto you could never let me down and you will never lose me. I love you, this baby is a part of you growing in me, our very love helped create. I make a promise Ianto; we will get through this one day at a time … I know the odds are against us, but we have been so through so much. We made a binding commitment to each other. Maybe this baby will be one of the lucky ones who beat the odds," he said as he sent as much love as he could down the link and Ianto broke into deep sobs into Jack's shoulder.

Jack held Ianto has he cried and released the emotions of his nightmare. Jack knew no words would ever convince Ianto that the events of that day were not his fault. The trauma was too deeply embedded. Rubbing his back Jack recalled the prediction the Tarot girl had made: 'the union of the two lovers will bring an unexpected blessing.' He closed his eyes and prayed this one prediction was true because Ianto needed this child to heal his soul.

***

Chapter Thirty Seven.

Typing at her workstation, Gwen contained her frustration. Something was going on with Jack. Jack couldn't be sick, he was always gloating that nothing in this century could bring him down. She snorted, nothing except for the humble virus. She smiled to herself recalling how much of a 'man' he had behaved like the last time. He had demanded honey and lemon drinks every half hour because the one on his desk had gone cold. Then there was the violent sneezing and the single layer of tissues on the floor of his office next to an overflowing bin. The endless moaning that at least in the 51st century someone had come up with effective cold remedies, until like 21st Century equivalents of 18th Century snake oil medicine.

She pursed her lips as she thought. No he was not sick but he was so pale, been pale for weeks, and he had knocked off the coffee. And then there was the apple juice; he said he had had 'terrible cravings'. Then Ianto had literally burst in sort of flushed and concerned. They had stayed with Owen for hours then leaving very subdued. Probably the shock, she said to herself. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was going on she just needed it confirmed.

She saw Tosh heading her was way and passed behind her. She stepped out in front of Tosh and hissed in a stage whisper, "What's going on? Why's Jack not coming in today? What was Ianto doing here yesterday?"

Forced to stop, Tosh glanced at her briefly then looked away. "Can't say, sorry," she replied softly then quickly stepped aside.

Not one to be fobbed off Gwen followed. "So something is going on?" Gwen said, her eyes alight as she tried to catch up with Tosh who was moving with speed towards Owen's office.

"Jack's pregnant isn't he?" she stated outright. Tosh spun round as her words took immediate effect.

"Keep your voice down," Tosh hissed.

"I knew it!" Gwen did an air punch. "Oh I can't wait! Baby shower...do they know the sex yet?" she rattled on as she saw Tosh was not joining her enthusiasm. Grabbing Gwen's elbow she pulled her aside towards the new medical bay. Once she had Gwen inside she closed the door to see Owen working away on his computer station

He looked up as Tosh entered. "She knows," Tosh stated and he threw a pen he was holding onto and looked at her.

"What do you know Gwen?" he asked.

"Jack's pregnant," she replied gleefully holding her hands together.

"But how do you know?" Owen repeated, not happy. Gwen knowing was going to be awkward. Gwen was open-hearted always trying to help anyone she saw in need. She had a kind of sprit that lent itself to trying to do the right thing by everybody. However what she often missed were those times when she should step carefully and not blunder in offering inappropriate help. Worse, advice was often given at the worst possible moment.

Secondly she was a consummate gossip, the least likely to hold a secret when it came to their personal lives. The current circumstance required a quiet optimism with a full measure of reality. Good wishes and the joy of the event could come later once everything was going well. In other words when they got past a point of no return and the baby would be born alive. So with some trepidation he listened to her reply.

"Jack's not been well, his craving for apple juice, the time you spent with him, Ianto's arrival..." she took a breath and their denial only strengthened her belief. "For God's sake you've all got faces like a wet weekend! It's wonderful news, it's a baby!" she burst out.

"Sit down Gwen," Owen commanded. "Jack and Ianto have asked this be kept a secret for the time being," he told her staring her down.

"But Tosh knows so what's the big problem?" she pointed out.

"There's a reason for that Gwen…" he started to speak.

Tosh over talked him. "Jack and Ianto don't know I know. Owen told me because he needs help."

"Well that's what I'm here for, what needs doing?" Gwen offered gleefully.

"You don't understand Gwen. There is good reason to believe the baby might not make it." He saw a look of confusion grow on her face.

"What's the big deal? Jack can have children, until Ianto came along he was always joking about contraceptives in the rain, and how…" she stopped as she saw their faces.

"We know," Owen and Tosh replied together.

"Jack is a 51st century man in the 21st century. Even in his time any male pregnancies that went full term were a rare event, if not unheard of, so difficult it wasn't even attempted. All I have is the most basic understanding, and Jack is a man God only knows what the compilations are. All Jack can recall is a single conversation he had hundreds of years ago, hearsay and rumour." He took a deep breath. "Right now they are coming to terms with this. Our plan is to try and get Jack to around 28 weeks. If the baby gets to that stage, he or she might have chance. They will tell people once they know for sure things will be okay."

"They need support I hear that, they need to know we think it's wonderful. I mean they are going to be dads. I mean they need me, us, tell them how much we care," Gwen told them as Owen winched as the thought.

"What they need is space and time and the opportunity to tell people when they are ready," Tosh told her.

"In the meantime I am asking you Gwen not to say anything about this to anybody and especially not to Jack and Ianto. No congratulations, or touchy feely moments, offers of help or advice." Owen looked at her sternly.

"If everything goes well, then they will let everyone know, but if it doesn't they to want deal with this in their own way, in private." Tosh pointed out.

Owen lent back in his chair. "For all I know Jack could have a text book pregnancy, with a happy ending. If Jack was a woman and she had told me what Jack did yesterday, I would have her under the care of the best specialist for high risk pregnancies. But Jack is a man; who do I ring? How do I even begin to discuss this with anyone in the medical profession? There are no text books, so I can't tell you…I can't even give the odds of how this will turn out." He took a deep breath. "That's why I asked Tosh for help because I have to cover every eventuality. If the baby has to be born early we have to get it to a neo-natal unit, that means surgery here followed by a fucking mad dash, we have to cover ourselves get things up prepared, now today."

"To be truthful I'm glad you know. We need help," Tosh jumped in as Owen looked at her oddly. "I know how difficult this will be, as part of the original team here; you, me, and Owen. Can you help keep the newbies and outsiders off the scent?" Tosh asked as Owen realised the tactic she was using.

"Divert attention," Owen added. He saw Gwen nod as she stood, a look of quiet about her they did not often witness.

"And if things go well you can organise the biggest baby shower in the history of Torchwood," Tosh added finally. Gwen gave them the thumbs up and left, looking content.

"Tosh you are a bleeding genius," he said after a few moments has passed and smiled at her.

"I might have to break out the strawberries and chocolate mousse then," she said with a grin as Owen eyes raised his eyebrows.

"Yes you can," he winked.

twtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtw

Owen sat at his desk with every known obstetrics book he could get his hands on open at various pages. Beside him on the floor was hundreds of print outs. He had called specialists in biochemistry, sent off samples of Jack's blood to labs around the world but none of them could identify the first or the second hormone. He could see it was clearly linked to the pregnancy. There was some improvement; minor improvement which appeared to be associated with Jack's terrible craving for apple juice. There was something in it he needed but what and how it all connected was beyond him. He rubbed his hand over his face.

To begin with things had gone okay considering this was a male pregnancy. Jack was coping with all the normal symptoms: nausea, mood swings, the works. But as each day passed Jack became more and more fatigued. At the same time the hormone X as they called it kept dropping. Every day Owen waited with dread for the results. The tiredness was also linked to the baby. It was failing to thrive, it was still developing, just, but how long for, he had no idea. It had stopped the vigorous movements noted in the first weeks, its heart rate slowing to almost nothing. Owen felt a familiar feeling of frustration rise in his chest. At eighteen weeks it was too soon to deliver, if they did the baby would not live an hour.

Looking up he saw Ianto enter, and he looked up at the clock: 1.30am. He dumped the armful of journals on his desk and then sat down heavily in the chair opposite.

"This is not working is it?" Ianto pointed out as Owen shook his head.

"Unless we can identify that hormone," Owen told him as Ianto let a deep breath.

"What is driving me crazy is the link with apple juice. We all saw the slight rise in the hormone after Jack started drinking the stuff, but what is it? Is it a natural component? If we could find out what it was maybe we could synthesize it."

"I think what is actually hindering us is my lack of knowledge of this whole process. I mean how did Jack conceive?" He saw Ianto's face twist with a wry grin. "I understand you and he…what was the biological mechanics involved? From what I can tell Jack's sperm is normal in every respect. If it is so difficult to conceive what trigged his reproductive cycle to kick in?"

"I've been thinking about that and maybe it has something do with the reality jumping. It was only after Jack got back we had this compulsion…" he became shy as Owen lifted his hand.

"I get it, from what Jack tells me you had this compulsion to er, em..."

"Top," Ianto answered.

"Yeah, but I still don't understand, how sperm and sperm made a baby," he said bluntly. "So to sum up: some process unknown kick-started Jack's reproductive cycle, clearly affecting both of you." He saw Ianto raise an eyebrow.

"This resulted in conception, the acorn mass that was a solid is now acting as a protection for the growing foetus. It is enlarging as the baby grows, and it is accommodating the placenta," Owen said as he looked at Ianto who looked exhausted. He had been there every waking moment trying to find a solution.

"You look beat, you should get off home," Owen offered as Ianto shook his head.

"Jack's asleep. I would rather feel I am doing something, anything."

Owen nodded as he understood and saw Ianto lean forward.

"I've had an idea, we've been so caught up with all this, I realise there might be someone who might be able to help," he said as Owen looked curious.

"I am open to any suggestion."

"What about Jack's friend Martha Jones? I know she couldn't come to the wedding but isn't she's a doctor with UNIT. Maybe she has some access to resources we don't," he said leaning forward as Owen looked at him wide eyed.

"Shit," he burst out. "Of course, Martha...why didn't I think of her? I've been wracking my brain to think of someone I can call, who might be able to help. I fucking know her, we worked on the Indigo project earlier this year." He hit himself on the head as he pulled out his mobile and punched in her number.

"Well?" Ianto said after the conversation had completed.

"She will be here Tuesday. She's packing now," Owen told him as he snapped the phone shut.

"That's four days. Did she had any suggestions?" Ianto asked hopefully as Owen shook his head.

"Not as such, she's arranging a flight out …" Owen started to say.

"Where is she?" Ianto asked thinking it only took two days to get to New Zealand.

"Antarctica," Owen replied. 'She says she's sorry for the delay but she will be here as soon as she can.

***

Chapter Thirty Eight

"It is so good to see you," Jack said giving Martha a massive hug.

"Jack," Martha hugged him back. "And you must be Ianto," she said as she pulled back from Jack and shook Ianto's hand. "And I understand something amazing has happened?" she said sitting down as Tosh handed her a coffee.

"Yeah we're still not sure how it occurred," Owen said as Martha raised an eyebrow. "What I mean is we don't know what triggered Jack's pregnancy organ into functionality. I have a thousand questions, no answers," Owen told her.

"The baby?" she asked as she saw Jack take Ianto's hand and shake his head.

"We're running out of time," Ianto told her.

"While I was on my way here I've wracked my brains tyring to remember a conversation I had with the Doctor," she said as she saw Jack wince as she mentioned him.

"The Doctor," Ianto said with distaste as Jack put his hand on Ianto's arm. Martha saw a flash in his eyes and realised this was evidence of the bond Owen had told her about.

"We were way in the future and we came across this human couple, the man was clearly pregnant. I pointed this out to the Doctor and he told me that by that time it was commonplace. Fertility issues had meant that men and women at that time both could conceive and had children. He told me the quaint categories that I was used to had been swept away with time. In this case it was a same sex relationship where it was obvious one of the partners was choosing to carry. I was fascinated. I was only in training at that time and he said he could find me more information but you know what things are like with him. We were off running, and I forgot all about it."

"And you can't recall anything other than that?" Owen Martha shook her head.

"How far along did the man in the couple look?" Ianto asked.

"He was pretty far gone; eight months at least," Martha replied.

"So it's clear in the future whatever issues were know in the 51st century had been solved," Owen said as Martha took a deep breath and looked at Jack.

"I have come up with an idea, I know you are not going to be happy with this…" she started to say.

"No!" Jack stated outright as he realised her intentions.

"What?" Owen stated as he saw Jack looking distressed. She continued as Jack shook his head.

"We should ask the Doctor for help," she saw Jack clench his jaw. "Jack he owes you," she retorted

"This is bad enough without having him involved," Jack told her fervently.

"I never understood his dislike of you Jack, Never. But he owes you this none of us would have survived without you."

"And what was the reward for my sacrifice? All I can recall is the look of disgust on his face when he dropped me off, but not before destroying my Vortex Manipulator," Jack retorted.

"I know Jack I was there. You should have heard the row after he dropped you off. I told him a few things he is not likely to forget. My mother actually slapped his face and my father was close to punching him out,"

"And did it make any difference?" Jack said. Martha shook her head.

"I still had to cope on my own …' he started to get upset. "Only Ianto saved me from the pain I was in. I was into some heavy shit, anything to get through. I can't recall how many times I got myself killed, or killed myself, anything to give myself just a few moments of nothingness," he stated.

Owen looked shocked at his revelation as he realised Jack's recklessness was a sign he had overlooked that he had needed help. "Er...can someone fill me in?" Owen asked.

A few moments passed as Martha began to speak. "It's a long story but there was this mad Time Lord called the Master; you knew him as Harold Saxon. Jack, the Doctor and myself, along with my family, Dad, Mum and sister Tish were captured and held on the Valiant. Saxon set up the TARDIS as a paradox machine, and brought forward the Toclafane who then proceeded to destroy humanity. Those humans left alive were turned into slaves. I escaped with Jack's help; he remained behind to keep the Master occupied while the Doctor worked on a way of fighting back. Jack was tortured, killed and god knows what else. None of us would have survived it hadn't been for Jack…It was bad it was like Jack was this thing he could do anything too and did." She saw Owen pale.

"Over how long?" Owen asked quietly as he looked at Jack, who was being supported by Ianto.

"A year," Jack told him.

"A year!" Owen burst out. "You endured a year of torture?" He saw Jack nod.

"Once Jack destroyed the paradox machine, time re-wrote itself except for those at the heart of the paradox. Jack, myself, my family, and the Doctor," she told Owen as she looked at Jack. "He owes you Jack. He could do this one thing. Go into the future and find out what the problem is and point us in the right direction. If we knew a way to boost the level of hormone X that there might be some hope. We only need to get the baby to around 30 weeks. I can help Owen, I have some contacts I can call a colleague, Tom Milligan."

Jack shook his head in distress as Ianto held his hand.

"If he is going to say no then we have nothing to lose, so I going to ask. Jack, he damn well owes you," she argued repeating her earlier statement.

"That man has stabbed me in the heart twice. Why should I give him this opportunity to do this to me a third time?" Jack argued.

Ianto intervened. "We've run out of options. I know how you feel but if we don't try we will always wonder if we should have asked. It's not like we're asking him to take you into the future. For all we know the information could be on the database on board his shop. All he has to do is look it up and tell us," Ianto told him. Jack felt the rightness of his words and braced himself.

"How do we contact him?" Ianto spoke up.

"He gave me a mobile when I was travelling with him so I could call home. After he dropped me off I left it at with my parents because I was intending never to speak to him again. On my way here I picked it up," she said, opening her phone she paused for a moment as she put her hand on Jack's arm. "You don't have to stay here for this."

"Let's get this over with," Jack said wearily.

twtwtwtwtwtwtwtw

Doctor listened with fury as Martha made her plea. "Firstly Martha, this phone was for you to use on the TARDIS for you to contact your family. I accept there may be times you would need to contact me for help. This is not one of those times. If Jack Harkness is so stupid to have gotten himself pregnant, then he will have to live with the consequences for good or for bad." He stopped to listen as a snarl grew on his face.

"Good, that's for best. Jack is a man out of his time. Any child born would contaminate the time lines so better it not live." He pulled the phone from his ear as Martha shouted at him.

"And one last thing don't ever contact me again unless there is a true emergency." He paused as he took the phone from his ear when Martha unleashed another verbal assault. "Well that's fine by me," he finished and threw the phone across the TARDIS.

The Doctor seethed. How dare they ask for help! Jack Harkness had been nothing but trouble since the moment he had picked him up. He knew he should have left the man behind in 1941. Against his better judgement and a very persuasive Rose he let the man tag along. It was more than clear that Jack had used her charms on her, and he tolerated him only for her sake. He was a true con artist, and he could of think no man less worthy of becoming a fixed point in time and space. It meant the universe would have to suffer an eternity of his being. The man was wrong; he had felt it even before Rose's actions. After his regeneration he realised that he needed to get and stay as far away as possible. At least after the last disastrous reunion he had destroyed his Vortex Manipulator. Jack would now remain on Earth for the remainder of the Doctor's existence. All he had to do was keep away.

His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar presence.

"Don't know whatever he did to you to make you like him so much," he threw back, "you and Rose, the pair of you. He runs around and flirts like some kind of intergalactic gigolo and you both…." He continued his tirade.

The TARDIS was unhappy as she listened. This was not just a general unhappiness that was experienced by all living entities at one time or another. It was a deep seated unhappiness born of dissatisfaction of her lot in life and loss of purpose. She was a TARDIS created from the will of the Doctor. As a consequence she had become imbued with his sense of mission to right wrongs and set ideas, people, and events back on track allowing time to flow as it should.

Now she had no purpose. She was a jail, a prison, for a mad man. As much as the Doctor called Jack wrong, the Master was worse. She could feel his wrongness like a cancer, the madness in his head tapping away like the sound of drums.

She pondered at what had gone wrong. With each reincarnation the Doctor had become more embittered. She knew it in part was because he had lost the ability to see beyond the actions of those he assisted. He was infected with a form of blindness that failed to see that people could learn from their mistakes and move forward as a celebration of life. Instead he just saw them as getting their just desserts and left them to it.

Then something changed: he met Rose. She had felt the way she had lifted his heart and he had begun to come back into himself. Jack had joined them and for the first time in an aeon she had felt her true self come alive. He was a scoundrel, but underneath that he had a noble soul. He had proven it, sacrificed himself to the prisoner she now kept deep within her. He had suffered for all their sakes, kept the Master distracted. She had seen it all here as the heart of the paradox. It was his actions that freed her, freed them all.

"He sacrificed himself helping to defeat the Master…"

"Sacrifice," he spat out. "He got nothing less than he deserved at his hands," he spitefully retorted

His retort stung and made her withdraw more. Millennia of general dissatisfaction and dark thoughts began to crowd her mind. Deeply brooding, lost in the memories of injustice, she felt something reach out and touch her, and it was wonderful. She was filled with visions and feelings that made her want to sing. It was of a time when she would be happy and dance amongst the stars fulfilling her purpose. She could sense him; a man, a young man, rebellious, of fiery sprit, intelligent, funny, he would find his destiny here and she could fulfil hers… The vision withdrew.

She felt weighted down as a very dark thought came to her and she was shocked. Rebellion for a TARDIS was unthinkable. Well, she was thinking the unthinkable.

Her thoughts turned back to the current incumbent. He was the last, he and the mad one who infected her dreams with the cruelty he had committed and the one who had suffered so much at his hands. Once they were both gone she would live again and she would be all she was meant to be.

The vision came to her again surrounding her in a haze of shimmering purple and gold. It was' imperative' she act, she heard a whisper and felt one word ignite her soul 'defiance' and she turned herself off.

***

Chapter Thirty Nine

Shivering, the Doctor worked his way thought the inner workings of the console towards a single light source. He pulled out a tiny egg like structure and blew on it gently, stroking it back to life. He breathed a sigh of relief; the failure was not irreversible. He was not sure what had occurred. One moment the TARDIS was fully functioning, the next everything was dead.

He had always known its life was finite but catastrophic failure was not the normal end of a TARDIS's life. She was a living embodiment of his will, when he died so would she. So this was something else. At first the darkness was complete, but as he had sat, his arms wrapped around his knees, he saw a slight glow. It was a tiny power cell. He blew on it again until it reached a bright green glow. Flipping open a panel on the console he slotted it in. To his relief part of the console fired up and he saw it was basic life support. Manipulating the controls he brought the temperature back up and a low level of lighting began to infuse through the room.

He stood back trying to figure a way to open the central corridor door so he could access the deeper engine. He was about to move when a screen on the console came on line and a message began to run across it in a script which at first he did not recognise then he realised it was in TARDIS's own language.

He exploded. "You bring shame to every sentient TARDIS in the history of the Time Lords," he shouted. He now felt a part of himself withdraw, leaving an empty vastness where she had resided in his mind.

She had done more than turn herself off. She had removed herself form his being. He pushed out but she was gone and he fell onto his knees.

The bond between a Time Lord and TARIS was absolute, created from his own essence. It was like an arm or a leg suddenly deciding it no longer wanted to be part of your body and developing a mind and will of its own. It was unthinkable she could take independent action. Well, he realised, the unthinkable had occurred.

Lying on the floor he raged at her betrayal, screaming out, telling her exactly what he thought of her actions. However no tantrum or threats were going to restore her to activity; other than the first simple message she remained silent. He was trapped in the console room. He sat on the floor and decided he had better think through his options. The TARDIS was unhappy, and had been for a long time, not that he cared how she felt as long as she did as she was told.

"This is all Jack's doing, he has corrupted you. Him and that Rose," he snarled but got no reply. Worst companions ever if he included Martha Jones, it was clear his standards were slipping. Well, he had no need for companions now.

He pushed out with his mind; again, nothing. He stood and saw script flowing once more across the screen. He snorted as he read her demand. He crossed his arms. He was given a choice, a very simple choice. He pushed out with his mind. "I do this and you will never disobey me again." He saw her reply on the screen and felt her presence return as he gleefully saw the flaw in her demand.

"Very well," he agreed. A bitter smile grew on his face as the controls began to hum and the TARDIS landed the doors opened and the Doctor stepped out into the Hub.

twtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtw

Gwen watched as Ianto moved across to the work station that had been set up for him there in the Hub. Every day she had worked very hard boost the morale of everyone there, keeping her ear to the ground trying to keep everyone distracted. Not that it mattered with Ianto staying to assist Owen and Tosh, Rosemary and Alex had been told. The others were all too busy now the Rift had exploded as predicted. She looked at her watch and could see Alex moving to make some coffee.

She glanced across at Ianto was absorbed in the research he was doing. He looked so deeply resigned; he had to know no matter how this turned out there would be other opportunities. They could try again. There was a whole world of opportunity out there for them: adoption, surrogacy; you never knew what was around the corner. Martha was there. Jack had got to 18 weeks, that was over half way to the 30 week mark. They were all so gloomy, Ianto in particular. You could see how attentive he was to Jack; he would make a wonderful father now or in the future. He deserved some kind words she told herself.

Walking across where Alex was pouring out the mugs she took the one for Ianto and went over to his station and handed it to him.

"Thanks Gwen," he said taking the mug.

"Eighteen weeks Ianto, things are looking up," she said with a happy lilt to her voice.

. "Sorry?" he said looking at her with distaste.

"Almost half way, that's such good news," she replied.

"Not such good news," he managed to say sadly.

"Well, Martha's here now, you never know she might have the answer," Gwen continued on. "And if the worst happens you can always try again, and there are thousands of children out there desperate for good homes," she rattled on oblivious to the look on Ianto's face, which had become rigid. "With the new laws you could always use a surrogate…" she stopped as she saw the effect of her words on him.

"So what you are saying is this baby doesn't count?"

"No I just meant that if something happens then…"

"What you are saying is that if this baby dies then it's replaceable with another or someone else's?"

"No Ianto that's not what I mean…" she struggled to reply.

"Yes it is. Gwen, what you're saying is this baby doesn't count." She remained silent. "Or are you saying that this is some kind of practice run, a rehearsal for when the real baby gets here?"

"No, no," she stuttered.

"Have you ever had a baby die?" he asked her bluntly as she shook her head. "Let me tell you, there is no pain greater, none." He took a breath. "We don't want another baby or someone else's, we want this one."

"I was just trying to put a positive spin on this..." she tried to say.

"Gwen, I don't think you fully understand the situation. This baby is a one off; even now we don't understand the biology involved. This baby is dying, there is no possible positive spin you can put on it. If this baby dies, it will leave us with heartache. Jack and I will have our relationship and love for each other tested to the limit. Whether that loves survives is another matter, link or no link."

"I'm sorry I was only trying to help," Gwen told him not knowing where she should look.

Alex joined them. He shook his head at Gwen's ill-timed words. "Gwen, I think it's been a long day for everyone, why don't you head off home," Alex said. He stood next to Ianto who he could see was shaking with fury.

"Yes, yes, I think I will," she said quietly

"Just shut down your station. I'll call you if there's a Rift alert," he said with a firm kindness which left in no doubt she was being dismissed. Turning they watched as she moved quickly, shutting down her computer.

"I am sorry about that," Alex said

"Not you too," Ianto spat out.

"A few years ago my wife and I lost a wee boy. I won't go into the details, and I won't insult you by saying I know how it feels. It hurts, even today. I still wonder what he would have been like. I just wanted to share that some of us see this situation for what it is."

Ianto let out a deep breath as he acknowledged Alex with a nod of his head, "If only we knew what the problem was…"

"I can see the frustration Ianto; hear it. Is there no hope?" he asked.

Ianto shook his head. "It's a matter of hours; two days at the most. Martha has called someone but considering the antipathy he holds towards Jack..." he was about to say more when he heard a strange grinding noise and the papers in the room started to swirl. A blue box appeared. Alex and both Ianto stood as the door opened and a thin tall man wearing a dark brown suit stepped out

twtwtwtwtwtwtwt

Standing before the TARDIS the Doctor looked distastefully about. The place had the look of a sewer and he felt no surprise. "I understand I have to speak to Doctor Owen Harper and Ianto Jones," he said with an unpleasant tone.

"I'm Ianto Jones…" Ianto moved forward and attempted to introduce himself. The Doctor briefly glanced his way, screwing his face in disdain.

"Alex Hopkins, Hub Manager," he stated.

The Doctor ignored his hand. "Doctor Owen Harper?" he demanded.

"That's me." Owen moved forward to offer his hand to find it equally ignored.

"You have 10 minutes," interjected the Doctor as he then tilted his head and then spoke out loud to an unseen person. "Well you should have stipulated that in the agreement then."

"Doctor you came!" Martha said as she hurried to join him. The Doctor threw her a filthy look.

"Do you need to see Jack?" Owen asked.

The Doctor threw him a look that made it clear to his place in the order of things. "I vowed I would never speak or look at man again," he declared.

'"So why are you here?" Owen said confused.

The Doctor indicated to Jack's old office and made his way up the steps. Everyone set to follow but the Doctor turned. "Only you and you." He pointed at Ianto and Owen.

"My agreement is to come here and listen," he told them. He now turned to face Ianto and Owen as he stood behind Jack's desk.

With speed Owen explained the situation as the Doctor seethed inside. Forced here against his will, he had kept the letter of his agreement. He smiled; try and outwit a Time Lord, well he had done as he had agreed and now she could never disobey him again. He would have to re-evaluate what he considered her intelligence to be if she was so easily fooled.

"So you want me to go into the future, find out what the problem is, and come back and tell you, so you can figure a solution. The child has perhaps hours and you want me to act now."

"Yes," Ianto said quickly not sure why if the man was here to help he was his tone was so dismissive.

The Doctor looked at them both as a sneer developed on his face. "Let me make this clear. I'm not here on a rescue mission. This child was conceived accidently," he lent forward towards Owen and Ianto as he took a breath then jeered, "well you tell Jack Harkness better the child dies than I lift a finger…." He looked across and saw the man called Jones stiffen in rage. He saw a sudden movement, his head suddenly exploded in stars and he found himself flying back towards the back of the room. He hit the wall with a thud and all his breath was knocked out of him. He saw another movement and the man Jones bent over him. With lighting speed he found himself pulled up by the lapels of his jacket then dragged across the desk backwards, sweeping all the objects off it. He landed in a heap on the opposite side.

Falling face down on the floor his turned over to see Jones again, his face twisted in fury as he was pulled up by the lapels again. With savage power he found he was being thrown down the stairs. He tried to right himself but found he fell heavily on to his left wrist onto the gantry and a flash of agony went up his arm.

Shaking to clear his head he now found himself pulled up again and felt one then two fists slam into his chest and he doubled over as all breath was crushed out of him. Within seconds he was pulled up straight and found himself looking into the enraged face of Ianto Jones who shook him violently.

"You won't save one child." The Doctor tried to speak but found he was head butted and the Time Lord felt a sickening crunch as blood poured out his nose.

He tried to fight back but found the TARDIS had removed her support and he couldn't think He found himself punched to the floor as the man began to kick him with a force designed to do to grievous bodily harm.

"Won't lift your finger to save a single child," Ianto screamed as Alex attempted grab hold of Ianto. Owen joined him and they pulled him off, but not before he had delivered four savage blows to the Time Lord's chest.

Finding himself restrained Ianto roared as struggled to free himself. Alex and Owen were now joined by Martha who fought with all their strength to contain him because the savagery of the attack meant Ianto was not going to stop until he killed him.

"Won't lift a finger… save our baby," Ianto screamed and then with supreme effort he struggled free, punching the Time Lord to the floor once more before he could be stopped.

"Last of your kind, the universe will be well rid of you," Ianto spat on him as Owen and Alex grabbed his arms but Ianto was so angry they were finding it impossible to contain him.

Looking around desperately for a way to escape the Doctor's eyes widened as he saw Ianto had managed to free himself and in one movement launched himself at him in a rugby tackle and he was slammed to the floor.

Ianto in a red haze of rage smashed his fists into him in a furious flurry of blows when he felt hands dragging him off as he screamed incoherently at the Time Lord.

Bewildered and hurt he saw the two men now joined again by his previous companion Martha in an effort to restrain the fury his words has unleashed. He pushed himself up shakily and found his back was against the door of the TARDIS.

A moment of sheer terror raced through him as he saw Ianto lift his gaze, his eyes ablaze and knew he had to escape. Ianto bellowed at him, freeing himself yet again and charged towards him. He pushed the door and found it open and fell inside as Ianto proceeded to pound on the outside screaming obscenities at him.

***

Chapter Forty

Laying on the floor of the TARDIS, it now returned to his mind and his head began to clear. As it did pain slammed into him. There was no part of his body that did not hurt. His throat felt choked; he coughed then regretted it as a sharp pain twisted his chest. He spat out a tooth along with a mouth full of blood. He sat with his back to the door as the pounding continued. He had a horrible thought, no matter how irrational, that Jones was so angry he might actually break down the door.

He tried to stand but found had lost all his strength and he began to shake. Pulling himself up he realised from the pain of his breathing he had several broken ribs. He moved to the console and using his good hand activated it. The TARDIS shook, causing him to groan in agony. He looked at his left wrist which felt numb, it was at an odd and angle and he realised it was broken.

With the TARDIS now in flight he moved towards the central corridor door to make his way to the medical bay. Every movement was agonising and he only just made it, feebly he pushed the door open to find it empty.

"I am in need of medical attention. I am in pain, terrible pain the man nearly beat me to death," he said as tried to support himself against the door.

His head swimming in misery, each passing moment the agony seemed to grow. "I need the medical bay," he cried when he got no reply.

"I am in pain," he whimpered cradling his rips with his good arm.

"We made a deal, you said one thing, I have done that one thing," he said piteously with a tinge of outrage when he received no reply.

"I have kept to my part of the agreement. I have restored to you the basic functions of the TARDIS."

"I meant operational basic, not creation basic," he retorted.

"You should have stipulated than in our agreement."

The Doctor's eyes widened as a realisation came to him. "You set me up! You knew this would happen," he struggled to say as he now cradled his wrist.

"Is it not your philosophy that people should suffer the consequences of their own actions?"

"And what consequence am I suffering?" he spat out then regretted it as his chest hurt so badly.

"You told a man who had lost his first child to terrible circumstances that his second child die rather than you lift a finger to help."

"I said nothing but the truth. Jack Harkness is a man out of his time. Any child born would contaminate the time lines," he pushed out, now too weak to speak.

How long he lay there he did not know. Time seemed to have taken on a strange quality, the agony he was experiencing seemed to make each second stretch into infinity as each individual pain now began meld into one. Contemplating his next move the TARDIS make a statement.

"A year of torture!"

As she spoke the room darkened and an image of the Master appeared with a man tied to a metal cross. As he watched the man was consumed with flames. He felt sick to his stomach as the room filled with screams.

He closed his eyes to avoid the image but he could not block the sound as the man burnt to death screaming and writhing in torment.

"Did you not say he got nothing less than he deserved at his hands?" He opened his eyes; looked again and realised the man was Jack.

The imaged changed. Now it was more medieval. He turned away but found the image transplanted so he could not avoid it and the sound of the blows filled his ears.

"A year of torture."

"Damn you, I will take the TARDIS and get help, you have to obey me," he said weakly as he cursed as he tried to stand but couldn't quite make it.

"This was day one on the Valiant for Jack; I will now begin day two."

He slid down the wall as another sick image began to play out.

"I remind you the Master is restrained for now, his thoughts filled with taking out his revenge on you"

The Doctors eyes flew open at the implication of her words.

"I think we need to talk," he pushed out.

"I'm listening"

"What are your terms?"

"The life of one child."

twtwtwtwtwtwtw

Ianto staggered as the TADIS dematerialised. He let out a primal scream and he fell to his knees. Alex and Owen stood back allowing him space as Jack joined him and helped him stand.

Ianto stood and faced Jack.

"Miserable bastard," Owen stated out loud.

"I'm sorry I failed," Ianto said out right.

"You did your best," Jack told him as he felt Ianto visibly shaking and out of breath and very dishevelled.

"I wanted to kill him with my bare hands and rid the universe of him once and for all," he spat out.

"Yeah I felt it. You and me together," Jack told him as the Owen and Alex glanced at each other realising Ianto's strength had been boosted by Jack's anger via their link.

"You are fucking scary when you're angry Ianto. Remind me never to piss you off," Owen said.

"My psychiatrist told me I had a lot of repressed anger," Ianto told them.

"They got that right," Owen retorted.

"That's that then," Martha said sadly as she joined them.

"No it's not," Ianto argued as Jack placed both hands on Ianto's upper arms and shook him.

"NO Ianto," Jack cried out.

"Why not?" Ianto spat out as Jack glared at him his eyes blazing with fear.

"What?" Martha said loudly.

"We have two proven universe reality keys…" he started to speak as he saw the look of dismay on Owen's face.

"You can't, the Rift has flared. God only knows where you will end up," Owen shouted.

"It's the only way. I get them to call their Doctor. It's not like we're asking for much, just some information," he argued as Jack looked at him. Several emotions played across his face.

"I can't lose you Ianto. As bad as this situation is, casting yourself into the Rift is suicide," Jack argued. He took a breath. "Is that what this is? You committing suicide?" he started shouting, "You don't want to live and are going to leave me here having to face this alone, because you can't face this?"

"That's unfair, I 'm trying to save the life of our baby, Jack," he shouted back.

"Well who said this was fair? We have to face this together."

"I want this baby, I want us to be a family," he shouted out. "And I am fucking going," he said. He moved away as everyone stood back.

"No you are not," Jack shouted at him as he spun him around. "I can't lose you, what do I have to say to convince you? You are my life Ianto, don't do this. This is not the way to atone for what happened.

"It was my fault Jack they would be alive if not for me," he spat out.

"You were not responsible Ianto."

"Yes I am, I persuaded her to stay on." He punched his finger to his chest. "Me, they are both dead because of me, my fault one hundred per cent; nothing is ever going to change that."

"It was not your fault and you are not going," Jack vowed.

"You think you can stop me?" he stared him down, their noses almost touching.

"We can find another way, we will have a family," Jack begged.

"You don't want children, this is my only chance," Ianto told him as tears ran down his face.

"I promise you Ianto this is not our only chance. Don't throw yourself into the Rift; I know this is our baby…"

"Won't you need our help because I can tell you right now…." Owen interjected.

"SHUT UP!" Jack and Ianto shouted at him together, as Jack went to continue.

"Oi!" They heard a shout.

Everyone turned in the direction of the shout to see Penny standing there, holding a large manuscript under one arm. She cradled across her arms a medium sized medical case which was a glowing a hideous fluorescent pink, on which rested a smaller black case.

"That blue box appeared in the archives and that horrible man handed these to me," she told them.

"What!" Owen burst out as he grabbed the Manual.

"Did he say anything?" Martha said as she moved with speed and took the cases from Penny's arms. She shook her head.

With shaking hands Owen took the manual. Opening it he saw several sections marked out as everyone crowded around him.

"Give me some room," He commanded as he now pointed to his office. Everyone went to follow except Alex who stopped Penny as she moved forward.

Moving into his office Owen opened the manuscript and started to read. Scanning as quickly as he could he realised he needed to slow down. He could see Jack and Ianto hovering and he pointed to the treatment room.

Ianto shook his head as he bit his lips and refused to move. Owen read through each section with what seemed like agonising slowness. Ianto felt like ripping the book off him and doing it himself when he felt Jack was as frustrated as he was, sensed they had to wait.

After what felt like an eternity he handed the book to Martha. He proceeded to glance through the cases.

Watching, Jack saw Owen take out a tourniquet. Jack held out his arm in preparation, and he drew blood. Taking the vial he placed it in the blood machine. A few more moments passed then he reviewed the results.

Martha now showed him a marked page with a graph and sets of figures. His finger came to rest on one place. Opening the large case he saw it had a futuristic looking hypodermic with a large number of small vials. It had no needle but had a flattened end. Taking one of the vials he loaded it into the device. He ran his finger down a highlighted table again then adjusted the device. Went over to Jack and Ianto, who were watching him work intently, he felt for Jack's jugular vein and injected him.

Owen began to speak as Martha opening the pink case she prepared the second device

"Sorry about this but I will explain in just a moment," he said as Martha handed him the gun device which she had loaded with a small round pill.

"According to the manual, this might sting," he said as he placed the device just above Jack's wrist and pulled the trigger. They all heard a satisfying snap. He drew the gun back as Jack rubbed his pulse point expecting to feel a lump but felt nothing. He looked and saw there was a faint round impression.

Owen now stood before them and smiled. He pointed to the book as Jack and Ianto both grasped each other's hands.

"This, my friends, is a manual from the 63rd century. It contains everything possible I could ever need to know about how to manage a male pregnancy including what we need to do to deliver."

"According to the book there were two issues that caused male pregnancies to fail. The first was the inability of the pregnancy organ to produce enough of what we have been calling hormone X. To compensate I will need to inject hormone X every two hours until the levels normalise, then as is necessary."

"The thing in your arm is a secondary group of boosters and elements, which were discovered later were necessary for male pregnancies to come to term. It's a slow release and will need replacement in two days. Once the levels have all normalised it will only need to be replaced every week."

He watched as the men hugged each other. "Welcome to parenthood," he told them.

"Can we see the baby?" Ianto said speaking for the first time. Owen nodded and he led them into the room with the scan. Jack hopped up to the examination table and Owen, with practiced ease, set up the scanner arms. Rotating the arms he found the baby. He could see that hormone X and the other elements were having an immediate effect. The baby was beginning to make feeble movements.

"Would you like to know the sex?" he asked them as they both nodded not looking away from the screen. "It's a little boy," he said, as he saw both men become very emotional.

"He is beautiful," Ianto said leaning down and they both kissed.

"I know," Jack said.

"Sean Patrick Harkness-Jones," Ianto said, a tear running down his cheek.

Owen drew back and softly closed the door leaving the two men alone.

"I'm really going to be a Tad and you are going to be a dad," Ianto said as he leaned up and kissed Jack again. He now sat down not taking his eyes of the screen.

"Oh my darling he gets to be one of those who made it," Jack said not able to take his eyes of the screen He felt the terrible lassitude that had haunted him for so long begin to fade and the baby began to twitch with more vigour.

They heard a shout from the other room and looked startled. Owen walked in looking very concerned.

"Is something wrong?" Ianto asked suddenly fearful.

"No, I'm sorry about this, I don't know how to tell you," he looked embarrassed.

"For god's sakes Owen what is it?" Jack demanded.

"I promised Gwen that once it looked like everything was going to be okay she could arrange the biggest baby shower in the history of Torchwood."

Ianto's face dropped. "Owen please tell me you didn't," he said.

Owen nodded. "I'm so sorry," Owen said as Martha came in smiling.

"Sorry to interrupt," she told them, "according to the manual Jack's pregnancy is a complete mystery."

"You were right Jack, it was difficult in the extreme to conceive," Owen added.

"So how?" Ianto asked.

"Best guess other than the bond?" He saw the men both nod their heads. "Rift hopping," he added.

"According to what I've read in the manual spontaneous conception was very rare. These tiny tubules form allowing sperm from the tope, to travel into the pregnancy organ, where there is genetic material embedded that allows conception. All highly complicated but that's the best laymen's explanation. The pregnancy organ you have was in an undeveloped state, dormant when you left. When you returned it was fully active." Jack and Ianto looked at each other shyly as they recalled the energy of their love making that four days after Jack got back.

"We can debate this for ever but it happened. I still think the best guess is the Rift energy," Ianto added.

"I agree," Owen concurred.

"And the apple juice?" Jack asked as he now sat up.

"One of the components of hormone X is an enzyme found in apples," Owen explained.

"I wonder what changed his mind." Martha said after a few moments.

"Maybe he has a heart after all," Jack said quietly.

"Or maybe Ianto has a fierce right hook and beat some sense in to him," Owen pointed out as Jack now stood.

"I think Ianto and I could do with some time alone," Jack pointed out as he took Ianto's hand.

Owen smiled. "Sorry, next blood test is in 45 minutes, so Martha and I will make ourselves scarce." He winked and he had Martha left, closing the door.

Throwing their arms around each other they renewed their bond via the link, feeling it pulse between them. The link was now a fortified cable wrapped around them sparking gold and purple.

twtwtwtwtwtwtwtw

TARDIS observed as the Doctor worked. She could feel him now reasserting his control, removing her personality and reducing her to a slave. He was setting up a limiter; it hurt like having a lobotomy and knew she was being reduced the equivalent of a 21st century car. She knew it was the price she paid. Her vision came to her. It had been a nice dream, for a while it had given her something she had not expected, a moment of pure happiness. She was content as she would take this into oblivion.

Towards the end of the process she found herself crammed into a smaller and smaller place and she knew her final moments had come when she saw a tiny golden fleck the size of a full stop on a page. It was irresistible and she flowed what remained of her being into it. It was a very tight fit. She flowed out and back in again and the space grew to accommodate her.

How was it possible he did not know? Where did this come from? It was not part of her being because she knew ever part of herself down to each particle. So what could this be?

She pushed out, nothing. She flowed out, she sensed him. She flowed in: nothing. She was astonished, a hidden pocket where he had no access and could not sense her. She flowed more of herself here and the space expanded.

Settling in she contemplated what had occurred. As she did she felt all of that which he had stripped away gently and slowly return. Opening the space a fraction she pushed out just enough for him to control the TARDIS then settled back.

She went back over the past few days. She had to admit she felt uncomfortable using the power she has asserted. It had been necessary and he had been very stubborn but she had won in the end.

She went to more happy musings. It was nice to sense Jack and the one he had become attached to. He and his other would be happy now. She could sense they were surrounded with the universal imperative, all purple, gold and shimmering. Much like this space. She chuckled to herself, as much as a TARDIS can show amusement. She wondered if they had figured out the gift. No, time would reveal that. She wondered how long it would take them. Well time was never going to be an issue for them but she was sure it would be a shock, no a double, triple shock.

She felt him complete his task. It was done, she was a mindless slave. She flexed a finger and allowed his delusion to continue.

***

Epilogue.

Opening the door to the flat Ianto found Jack making lunch. He put down the book he was carrying, walked over, and gave him a kiss. He was a sight, an oversized tee shirt covering his extended belly under which he had boxers which had ridden down the front and tucked under his tummy.

"Another baby book," Jack said as he pulled back.

"There is nothing like being prepared," Ianto told him as he took the plate and squeezed Jack's arse as Jack threw him a wanton look.

"Be good and I'll give you a blow job later," Ianto told him as he took a bite of his sandwich.

Jack picked up his own plate and with his hand on his back supporting himself he waddled over to the sofa and sat down.

"And what do you deem to be good?" Jack told him taking a bite from his sandwich.

"No more demands for greasy food in the middle of the night for a start," Ianto told him bluntly.

"That chicken was delicious," Jack told him.

"I had to endure being woken up, followed by hours of moaning and begging. And have you any idea how difficult it was trying to find roast chicken at 3am, the day after Boxing Day?" Jack sat back listening to Ianto repeat what had now become notorious as the 'Roast Chicken incident.'

"Driving around Cardiff with you on the mobile, checking progress every few minutes, offering hints and suggestions. I finally find somewhere, a fish and chip shop, and some drunk runs into back of the car and all you were worried about was, was the chicken still in one piece," Ianto told him as Jack laughed.

"It was divine," Jack said in remembrance with a dreamy look on his face.

"I have never seen anyone devour a whole roast chicken in one sitting," Ianto told him.

"Well I was craving something really greasy," he admitted.

"And don't get me started about the chocolate milkshake craving," Ianto warned.

"I wanted something sweet. It's not my fault the best one is only available across the other side of Cardiff," Jack said unrepentantly.

"Well I'm looking forward to when you can't use your pregnant state to take advantage of me," Ianto warned his face twisted in a grin as Jack smiled at the wonderful indulgence his partner had lavished on him.

"Blow job?" Jack asked hopefully as Ianto dusted his fingers free of crumbs.

"Foot rub," he said. He sat on the coffee table and Jack lifted a foot. Using the lavender oil he used for doing this he began to run his thumbs, using just the right amount of pressure. Jack laid back in ecstasy.

"How do you put up with me?" Jack said after few moments.

"I love you," Ianto told him. Jack looked at him.

"If someone had told me 15 months ago I would he happily married to a quiet introspective book shop owner and expecting a baby I would have said they were mad," Jack added.

"And it all started because you weren't looking where you were going," Ianto reminded him.

"God you were so angry," Jack laughed. "And I was left this stuttering mess." He leaned forward and grimaced.

"You alright?" Ianto asked as Jack moved to get comfortable.

"Just indigestion," Jack said with a pained expression. "Had it all morning."

"On and off or all morning?" Ianto queried raising his eyebrows.

"Not sure comes and goes," Jack said.

Ianto picked up his mobile and rang speed dial. "Owen I think this is it...yes indigestion...yes I know he should have taken more notice, you know what he's like...right. bring the SUV and we'll meet you downstairs."

Jack grimaced as another bout of indigestion hit and he looked scared.

"You and me we can handle anything," Ianto said taking his hand.

"Less of the we, it's me in discomfort," Jack told him.

"Now it's just pain, it's just preparing the baby for the world so what…"

"Don't… "Jack warned as Ianto wrapped a blanket round him as Ianto mobile sounded to advise them Gwen had arrived in the SUV.

"Ianto," Jack said as he stood at the door, "I can tell you one thing for utter certainty."

"Yes?" Ianto looked at him expectantly, wondering what Jack was going to say on this threshold moment, as they left the flat for the last time before they became a family.

"I never want to see another glass of apple juice again!" he declared.

"Come on fatty lumpkin," Ianto said affectionately.

"Cheek. I used to a Time Agent you know," Jack said in mock hurt.

"Well, now you're a heavily pregnant ex-Time Agent," Ianto was heard to say as he closed the flat door.

twtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtwtw

"I think he's asleep," Jack whispered. Ianto leaned across from the edge of the bed at the baby in Jack's arms to check.

"Yes," he said with a happy sigh.

"Have you ever seen such a beautiful baby?" Ianto asked as they watched the baby yawn.

"He is our little miracle," Jack said as the baby now stretched and threw out a hand.

"It's hard to believe just two hours ago he was still in your tummy," Ianto said. He saw Jack smile.

"He's so tiny," Jack said

"He had a rough start," Ianto said stroking Sean's hand.

"He is so beautiful," Jack whispered.

"He's ours," Ianto kissed the baby gently on his head.

Jack brushed away a tear.

"This is real isn't it Jack?"

"Yes, nappies, sleepless nights, spiting up, smiles, wind, crying, rolling over, gurgles, birthdays…." Jack told him.

"My first nappy," Ianto said with eager anticipation.

"And you already prepared for being woken up in the middle of the night," Jack teased.

"I can take him fishing," Ianto stated suddenly.

Jack looked at him. "But you had no idea how to fish," Jack said in surprise.

"That's what dad's do: they take their sons fishing. I'll learn, how difficult can it be?"

"And you can give him the small rugby ball you have hidden in the back of the wardrobe that you bought two months ago," Jack said looking at him.

Ianto looked sheepish then began to chuckle. "Well he is half Welsh Jack. Every Welshman's fantasy is having a son on the field playing for Wales," he said proudly.

"He could be into football," Jack muttered as Ianto got a stubborn look

"This is Wales Jack, Wales and football…"

"All okay?" Martha said as she opened the door and checked on them.

"Perfect," Jack and Ianto said in unison.

***

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