#5 in the series. Reference to the first story "Carry Me On," but still could be read as a standalone.
Brief mention of violence.
Jack/Ianto + Leander
Jack wasn't sure why he thought it would be possible to have a normal day with his son.
He had officially given himself the day off, something he hadn't done in a very long time. He had one thing he wanted to accomplish on said day off, and that was to buy a car. He had never seen the need for a personal car before, the SUV was always there, but it just seemed more and more practical to have a normal car for himself and Leander to do normal things in. Key word being normal.
They had taken a taxi to the dealer and Jack had picked out a car in an outrageously short amount of time and paid in cash. The salesman was very happy. Jack and Leander were in the car and driving off the lot within the hour. He had picked a Mazda, in white. Completely opposite from the SUV, and therefore normal he thought to himself, however irrational.
As they drove down the road, Jacks wrist strap emitted a long succession of beeps which abruptly stopped. He glanced down and realized it was indicating rift activity not far from his current location. He tapped the communication device in his ear.
"You guys see that?"
Gwen answered first. "Yeah, believe it or not we do function without you. Tosh is pulling it up now." Jack smirked.
"Looks like its localized to Bute Park, something might have come through," Tosh answered. Jack ran a hand through his hair, looking at Leander in the rear view mirror. He sighed.
"I'm right near there, I'll check it out. Leanders with me though so I can't do much, you guys should get out here."
"Don't you have the day off, sir?" Iantos voice asked through the comms.
"You know me, can't stay away," he replied drily.
"Seriously, we'll handle it Jack," Ianto returned.
" 'Scuse me, don't wanna interrupt the lovers spat but I'm done checking on this Weevil sighting and I'm closer than you lot so I'll go," Owen told them.
"Good. Meet me there, I'll still get there before you Owen, and Ianto, Gwen and Tosh can still come in case we need back up." Jack turned off his earpiece and glanced back at Leander again. "We've got to make a quick stop before we go home okay buddy?"
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
He had not seen their day ending up this way. Ianto was right, he should have let them handle it. Or he should have left Leander in the car. Jack was mentally kicking himself for being so stupid as he stood facing an as yet unknown alien that seemed really angry at the moment, with a five year old at his side.
"Stay back," he whispered to Leander. Jack took a few steps forward so he would be first in line if the alien chose to attack. He tapped the comms unit in his ear, "Where are you guys? Could really use the backup…"
"Jack, I'm 2 minutes away," Owens voice came through.
"We're on our way too, but won't reach your location for about 10 minutes," Ianto replied as well, driving the SUV well over the speed limit, causing Gwen and Tosh to wince every corner they took.
Owen pulled up to the park, tires screeching as he slid in to a free spot. He threw open his door, pulled his gun, and located Jack in the field. He saw him in the distance, long coat flapping in the wind, the tiny figure of Leander a few yards behind him. Owen had to blink a few times as he looked to the area in front of Jack, it seemed blurry but empty for a few seconds until the greenish grey shape of the alien came in to focus. He reached Leander, putting a hand on his shoulder for a brief moment, then leveling the gun back in the alien's direction.
"I'm here Jack," he announced. "I think it's got some sort of low level perception filter. I couldn't see it at first and it doesn't seem to be causing a scene." Jack started to turn and look at Owen, but the alien, which had up til now not made any move toward Jack, violent or otherwise, thrust one of its extremities outward and stabbed Jack through his side. He gasped, doubling over but catching himself before falling to the ground. The aliens arm retracted and the blood stain on Jacks light blue shirt grew alarmingly fast. Jack put his hand over the wound, wincing at the pain the action caused.
"Owen, go. Get him out of here," Jack ordered, forcing the words out through the pain. He coughed and spit out some blood.
"Jack," Owen hesitated.
"Daddy?" Leander called out.
Jack turned to face Owen, heedless of the alien raging behind him. He gasped a few times trying to catch his breath. "Owen, please." His voice was pleading. Owen nodded seriously.
"All right, let's go, kid." Owen swung Leander up onto his hip and sprinted to the car. Leander protested, squirming in Owen's arms. "He'll be fine, yeah? We'll just leave him to it, and meet him back at the Hub. No worries." He patted Leander's back in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. Leander whimpered. Owen shrugged. He got in his car with Leander still clinging to him and shut the door. He took a deep breath, feeling relatively safe with the kid in a locked car.
"Okay kiddo, climb in the back. Go on." He tried to pry Leander off him and angle him in to the space between the two front seats. Leander cried harder. "Leander, come on."
"No, don't let go of me," he cried, grasping Owens shirt tighter between two little fists. "Please?" Owen was never a person who went crazy over kids but even he had a hard time denying that. Feeling Owen's grip loosen, Leander snuggled closer to his chest while sitting on his lap. "Daddy's hurt, I wanna stay here," he mumbled against Owen.
"Yeah, well," Owen started. "He'll be fine in the end. Always is." Owen ruffled his hair, leaving his hand resting on top of Leander's head. The Torchwood SUV pulled into view next to Owens car, Gwen and Tosh jumping out and heading to the field immediately. Ianto jogged up to Owens window so Owen lowered it a few inches.
"Everyone okay?" he asked, bending down to look in at Leander. Owen nodded.
"Kid's fine, Jack got hurt while we were over there. He told me to take Leander out of here but this one outright refused," Owen poked Leander's shoulder, but Leander wasn't finding the humor in it. Ianto reached his arm through the window and wiped the tears off Leander's cheek.
"Everything's going to be fine, promise."
"Daddy's hurt," he repeated.
"I'm going to go check on him now, I'm sure he's fine." Ianto looked grimly to Owen then started off in the direction of the others. Owen sighed.
"Don't think so," Leander replied quietly a minute later, voicing his fear.
"Oh, hey, don't think like that okay? We wouldn't tell you your Dad was going to be fine if he wasn't." Owen wished it was Ianto who had stayed behind. He was much better equipped to deal with Leander. Through the windscreen he saw the team heading back in his direction, Jack being half carried between Ianto and Gwen. Blood covered almost all of his shirt and most of his trousers by now. Owen kept Leander angled toward his chest so as not to see the worst of it. Ianto made eye contact with Owen and tapped his comms, "Meet us back at the Hub, yeah?"
"You don't need me?" Owen asked hopefully.
Ianto hesitated. "Jack wants to just let it play out, let whatever's going to happen, happen." Ianto didn't seem to entirely agree with that plan, and Owen could hear Jack grunting as they maneuvered him into the SUV. So, Jack was letting himself bleed out. Brilliant. "Tosh is going to drive Jacks car back, just get Leander there, please?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'll follow ya." Owen tapped his comms, disconnecting from Ianto. "Hey, look." He nudged Leander and pointed out the window. "Your dad and Ianto are headed back so we've got to follow them, which means you have to get in the back." Leander clung tighter to Owen. "Sorry, I can't take no for an answer this time, definitely can't drive like this." He pulled Leander away and manhandled him in to the back. "As it is, I don't even have a car seat for ya." He made sure the boy was buckled in, at least.
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In the SUV, Jack was draped across the backseat, half on his side so he wouldn't be laying on his wound. His upper body was leaning against Ianto's chest, head rested on his shoulder. Ianto had one arm around Jacks shoulders, the other reached in to his suit coat pulling out a handkerchief. He started to press it on to Jacks injury but Jack gasped and batted Iantos hand away.
"I'm just trying to slow the bleeding," Ianto told him.
"Jus' let it go," Jack slurred. Ianto narrowed his eyes, watching Jack. He had lost way to much blood.
"So I'm supposed to just let you bleed to death? Why not try to save you first?"
"Takes so much longer," Jack whispered. "Too late anyway, not long now…I can tell. I'll die before my body can heal properly."
"Jack," Iantos voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. Jack looked up at him, inches from his face.
"I'll be okay," Jack said, confused.
"I know that," Ianto snapped, and then regretted his tone. He softened. "I know you'll come back, it's just hard to watch you die and not help."
Jack still looked confused. "But you are helping." Ianto shook his head. "No, you are," Jack told him as forcefully as he could manage at the moment. Jacks hand grabbed Iantos and held on tight. "You're here, that's all I want from you right now." Ianto sighed and kissed Jacks forehead. "Just stay with me, so you're there when I wake up."
"I won't leave your side," Ianto promised.
"Leander," Jack managed to say with great effort.
"He's good. He's with Owen, they'll meet us at the Hub. I told him you would be okay." Jack nodded listlessly. "Why don't you just rest now, Jack. Nothing to worry about." Ianto stroked his hand through Jacks hair.
"Mmm," Jack made a noise but then fell asleep, or passed out, Ianto couldn't tell.
He continued running his fingers through Jack's hair, not wanting to check for his pulse.
"Is he?" Gwen glanced at Ianto in the mirror.
"I don't know," Ianto replied, not willing to check at the moment. Gwen smiled tightly at him. Ianto kept his head down.
"Never gets easier does it?" she asked finally. Ianto let the question hang without answer. Tears stung his eyes and he knew she was watching but he didn't care anymore. He swiped at his eyes, clearing his vision. "He'll be back soon," she told him reassuringly.
"I know," he choked out. Ianto brought both arms around Jack, hugging him tightly and ignoring the wet, blood stained clothes. He stayed like that for the rest of the ride.
Ianto and Gwen struggled getting Jack in to the hub. He was a literal dead weight at that point, but they managed to drag him to the sofa and lay him out.
Owen, Tosh and Leander came through the door minutes later, Leander pulling away from Owen's hand and running over to Ianto who was currently sitting on the coffee table in front of Jack.
"Hey, love," Ianto whispered. Leander crushed himself against Ianto's legs. Ianto picked him up and set him on his lap. "Your dad's resting, he should be awake soon." Leander looked over at Jack skeptically. Ianto had arranged Jack's coat to hide a good deal of the torn and blood stained clothing. "I know he looks really sick right now, but he's healing."
"I'm gonna stay with him," Leander declared. Ianto smiled. He wasn't going to tell him not to anyway, but he did find the fact that Leander left no room for discussion funny, and much like how Jack would act in a similar situation.
"We'll wait together." Ianto moved himself to chair with Leander on his lap to be a little more comfortable. Owen came over with some apple juice and handed it to Leander. "Taking over my job, Owen?"
"Not likely," Owen scoffed. "He said he was thirsty in the car."
"What do you say?" Ianto looked expectantly at the little boy.
"Thank you, Uncle Owen."
Owen winked, "No problem, kiddo."
From the sofa, Jack's body twitched slightly and then he gasped as he came back to life, body arching off the sofa, causing him pain. Jack grunted, grabbing his side that had surely healed but had residual pain lingering.
"Daddy!" Leander hopped off Ianto and dove onto Jack throwing tiny arms around him. Ianto winced knowing Jack wasn't entirely pain free yet. Jack's arms instinctively came up around his son but he was still a bit dazed.
"Ianto?" Jack asked nervously looking around. His eyes found Ianto and he reached out his hand. Ianto grabbed the hand immediately and moved so he was in Jacks line of sight. "It's okay, I'm here. You're okay." Jack was nodding. "No one got hurt," Ianto added. "Apart from you. And no one even saw because of the perception filter it had, so no clean up." Ianto put his free hand on Jack's shoulder. "It's all right." Jack finally took his eyes off Ianto, happy that everything else had gone smoothly.
"Ander, you okay?" Jack looked down at the top of the boys head. He nodded. "I'm sorry our day was ruined. And I know you saw some scary things…I never wanted you to have to see something like that again." Jack remembered how upset Leander was when the Doctor dropped him off in the hub two years ago, after seeing Jack killed 50 years previous.
"You're not hurt now?" Leander looked up at him innocently.
"Nope. Just a little tired is all." Leander smiled.
"Uncle Owen was right."
Owen was working on his computer, his back to the happy family trying to ignore the domestic scene when he heard his name. He swiveled his chair around to face them. Jack raised his eyebrows but Owen just shrugged.
"What was Uncle Owen right about?"
Leander sat up straight. "He said you would always be okay." He accentuated the word always.
Jack glared at Owen, who tried his best to stifle a laugh. "What?" Owen asked in mock innocence. "I was right. Wasn't I, little man?" Leander nodded eagerly. Jack still looked annoyed but between Leander's happy face and Owen's teasing Ianto couldn't help but laugh a little.