A Series of Firsts
Disclaimer: There is no owning on my part!
Summary: A look at six of Annabelle's first milestones in her life. Ianto/Jack. Part of the "Immortal Janto" series.
Another story about the lovely family that is Jack, Ianto, and Annabelle.
First steps
Annabelle was eleven months old when she took her first steps on her own. It had been during a serious problem when the TARDIS had been abducted with the children on-board. Donna, the Doctor, Jack, and Ianto had been frantic, alternating between problem-solving and being extremely furious as the aliens who had kidnapped the TARDIS (and their children). When they had finally managed to get the TARDIS back (mere seconds before the ship was set to explode), the first thing they had done was get into flight. Donna had the twins in her arms and Jack and Ianto were trying to coax Annabelle out of a corner. As soon as the little girl had recognized her fathers, she smiled that cute baby smile of hers and let go of the grating that she was using to hold herself up, taking a shaky step towards them.
Ianto had been there first, catching her as she was about to fall. He swept her up and smiled through his tears. Jack was behind him, stroking Annabelle's hair, proudly cooing over her.
After that, her skills improved with time and both Jack and Ianto found that they enjoyed chasing her around the TARDIS, even after a long day. Both S.J. and Geoff were frequently around to join in playing with their young cousin, even forgoing school-work to play with Annabelle.
First words
Her first word came two months later, when she was thirteen months old. Jack had wanted her to say, "Daddy," and Ianto wanted her to say, "Dada." Donna had pointed out how they were arguing semantics, but the two immortals refused to budge on their respected words. However, Annabelle, being the child of two very unique people, had made up own mind about her first word. She had looked up at the glowing coral of the TARDIS, one evening after dinner, waved a hand at it, and declared, "TARDIS!"
The entire group had been quite surprised by that. For a month after, the TARDIS was humming brightly, with all the affection and love that she could muster for the little girl. The Doctor sailed around the ship with all the pride of an uncle when, shortly thereafter, Annabelle's vocabulary expanded to include, "Unca Doctah." Once Annabelle started talking, she kept getting better and soon she was speaking, even with the simple words and phrases of a toddler.
First skinned knee
Jack had been there when she got her first scraped knee, when she was almost two years old. He had been watching Annabelle, S.J., and Geoff, while Donna, the Doctor, and Ianto were busy trying to solve a problem. Annabelle had accidentally fallen down, when she was chasing the twins. Her tears had him at her side within four seconds flat. Jack was quick to tend to her skinned knee, singing a lullaby as he did.
Ianto nearly had a heart-attack when he saw the bandage on her knee, but Jack calmed him down.
First tricycle ride
Gladys and Stuart had given Annabelle a tricycle for her third birthday. Annabelle had squealed with delight and was soon scurrying around on the thing. Jack and Ianto shared a knowing smile, since the tricycle would come back to the TARDIS with them.
After that, it was a common occurrence to see Annabelle cruising around on her little pink and purple tricycle, Jack or Ianto trailing behind her nervously.
First crisis averted
Annabelle wouldn't be Ianto and Jack's daughter if she didn't save the world on occasion. Actually, the first time she did was very interesting because there had been a race of gnomes (actual gnomes) who had wanted to take over the world, when she was four years old.
She had figured out how to defeat them – by bopping them on the nose.
The Doctor had gaped like a fish for a good forty-five minutes after that, as Annabelle merrily sat on the couch in the control room, eating crackers. Donna had long since given up on controlling her laughter. Ianto and Jack were equally astounded at how their daughter had figured out a rather ingenious solution to the problem.
First day of school
Both Jack and Ianto had been very nervous about Annabelle attending regular school on Earth. Granted, they both knew that it was important that she interact with other humans and grow up with a relative normal childhood (or as normal as a childhood as she could have, given that her fathers were immortal and her uncle, aunt, and cousins were all Time Lords/Ladies). Still, the first day of school had brought out their anxieties.
They had moved into a nice little house, at the edge of a suburb, not too far from Sylvia and Wilfred's house, mainly because Ianto had pointed out that traveling was exciting and not conducive to a small child who was going to be attending school regularly. There would be time enough to travel on the TARDIS, once Annabelle was fully grown. Jack had agreed.
Donna and the Doctor had understood since, while they did travel, they weren't doing as frequently at the moment, since the twins were now almost thirteen and in school as well, about to start Year Nine. The TARDIS, for now, was content to sit in the backyard of a house around the corner from Jack and Ianto's. This way, Donna had argued, they could still be close to one another.
When they had brought Annabelle to her first day of Year One, she had been scared to leave her parents behind, but, with the encouragement of Ianto, she had timidly set out into the classroom, where Jack and Ianto had watched her approach another little girl, one who was playing with blocks by herself in the corner. The two watched as they begin tentatively playing together.
And so, as their little girl entered school, Ianto and Jack settled down to enjoy what would be a very interesting time. A domestic life wasn't necessarily the most common thing for either one of them at this point (traveling with the Doctor for as many years as they had been had made them adjusted to the weird), but this would be a new set of adventures.
So what do you think? Did you like it? Let me know!
And, as you've guessed, I've started on a new series of stories, covering how Ianto and Jack will adjust to living in a house and not traveling with the Doctor. This should be quite interesting, since we get to see them avert problems (both on a large, planetary scale, as well as in the domestic setting as well).
Keep reviewing and I'll try to get another one up soon!