Disclaimer: The list of what I do not own is long and includes pretty much everything in here up to and including Seren.
A/N: Alright, this is a one-shot based off of Helen Pattskyn's AU. If you haven't read her stories…well you should because they are amazing. They are what RTD should have done with Torchwood. To be perfectly honest I now see her world as actual Torchwood and canon as some horribly sad twisted other story. So please go read.
If you still haven't gone to read her stuff first and want to read mine here is what you need to know: Mickey works for Torchwood and is with Ianto's sister. Ianto and Jack have a biological daughter named Seren that was born in the future thanks to a time trip with the Doctor. Jack has greatly built up the Torchwood team and has a child named Jason who he had in the 51st century before joining the Time Agency. Jack's mother, after the death of Jason's other father, came back in time to find Gray but found Jack instead. She and Jason also live with Ianto and Jack, who have been married.
And if that doesn't make you want to go read Helen's stuff I don't know what else would except for this: her story The Bonny Welshman is about Jack in the 25th century. He's the captain of a scavenger ship and meets a (possibly, but I believe so) reincarnated Ianto Jones in the form of Kamden Anders, a twenty year old former sex slave who has run away and joined Jack's crew. A-ma-zing.
So now that you have returned to me, after reading all of Helen's work (which would take about a month) please, enjoy this one shot.
"Um...hey Jack?" Captain Jack Harkness peered up from the budget reports that Ianto had fobbed off onto him earlier that morning. Mickey was peeking around the corner, looking decidedly timid-an expression that didn't sit well on the young man. "This can't be good,' Jack thought but forced himself to smile at his brother-in-law.
"Mickey Mouse, what can I do for you?" Although Mickey rolled his eyes at the old nickname, the familiarity of it seemed to ease him up and he at least came through the doorway.
"Call for you," was all he said, with a grin that resembled more of a grimace.
Jack rolled his eyes, "I told you lot that all calls from the home office should be directed to Ianto or Tim I'm not-"
"It's the school," Mickey said, interrupting Jack's tirade. With a sigh Jack let go of his anger and slumped back into his seat.
"Where's Ianto? IANTO!" Jack asked and then bellowed, pushing out of his chair and rushing by Mickey, "Ianto?"
"No, Jack-" Mickey started but was interrupted by Ianto coming out of the kitchen, wiping his hands off on a dish rag.
"Yes sir?" he asked dryly, well aware that half of the staff was now turned around at their desks to see what the yelling was about. Even Bobby was coming up the steps out of the medical bay-Jack hollering for Ianto was always a pleasant distraction to whatever he was dissecting.
"School rang," Jack explained, reaching for his and Ianto's jackets, "I told Jason's head last week to-"
"Jack!" Mickey's outburst made Jack spin around to face the young man who had followed him out of the office with his hand still over the mouthpiece of the telephone.
"What?" Jack responded in the exact same tone and volume that Mickey had used, making Ianto flinch.
"It's not Jason, its Seren," Mickey said, in a softer tone.
"Seren?" Ianto asked, throwing his dishtowel behind him, and all but ripping his jacket out of Jack's hand, "Is she alright, what's wrong?"
"Nothing," Mickey said, stepping back from the intensity of an upset Ianto Jones, "She's just in the head's office, she's in trouble."
"Wait a second," Jack said, seeming to wake up out of his stupor, "Seren? Not Jason?"
"No cariad," Ianto said as he threw his jacket on, "Seren not Jason." He turned to Mickey, "tell them we'll be there in twenty." Jack was still putting his coat on when Ianto grabbed his arm, pulling him out the door.
The last thing anyone heard before they left was Jack's protest, "But Seren's the good one!"
Jack knew his husband better than to try talking to him on the short drive to the school. Seren was still in year one though, and Jack was wondering what she could have possibly gotten into. Fortunately for the two men their daughter had seemed to inherit Ianto's soft temperament and had been one of the more popular students at her nursery school, especially with the teachers. In the six months she had been in primary school they hadn't gotten a call once and the teachers at parents night had nothing but rave reviews for her.
"Would you stop that?" Ianto spat out at his husband, "You're driving me mad."
Before asking what it was he was doing now, Jack took a moment to look at himself and realized he was tapping his fingers along the dashboard. He pulled his hand back immediately and muttered an apology to his husband.
"It's fine, I'm sorry, look-" Ianto took a deep breath before continuing.
"I'm sorry I snapped at you. This is just the first time with Seren and I had kind of hoped, well it's just the first time with Seren."
Jack was quiet for a few minutes watching the trees drift by the car. They seemed to be moving so slow but he knew that was just his perception because he let Ianto drive.
"You hoped she would be different from Jason because she was your child?" Jack finally asked, thinking it was better to just say it than let it build up inside him. The last thing he wanted to do was fight on the way to the school but knew it'd be worse if he kept quiet about it.
"I'm sorry I shouldn't feel that way," Ianto said, leaning back into the seat.
Jack just shrugged his shoulders instead of responding. The one area he had no experience in was with being a step-father. Every child he had helped raise-and he used the term helped rather loosely- had been his own. The few times he had gotten caught up with a parent, male or female, he had left before meeting the child. Of course there was that one mother with the grown son which had lead to-
"Jack?" Ianto's voice was hesitant, "Why are you grinning?"
"Sorry, just memories," he explained, letting the grin slide from his face. He was only slightly startled when Ianto's hand reached out to take his.
"I really am sorry, cariad," Ianto said, gripping his hand tightly, "I love Jason you know I do."
"I know," Jack said and he meant it too. Ianto had never been anything but supportive with Jack's son and Jack had never seen Ianto prefer Seren over her older brother. Hell, Ianto even got on well with Alice and treated Stephen the same as his nieces and nephews.
"I know sweetheart," Jack repeated, using an endearment he rarely did with the younger man, "You're wonderful with him. And I have different expectations of both the kids as well, for every child-" Both men let the conversation drop off after that, neither wanting to dwell on what children might come later for Jack.
But Ianto continued to hold onto Jack's hand until they pulled into the parking space. Giving it one final squeeze before both men climbed out he smiled at his partner.
"I love you Jack."
Jack took it as a mark of how upset Ianto still was that he didn't even notice the looks the receptionist was giving them as she went back to let the head know they were there. To her credit, Dr. Stevenson, the head, didn't bat an eye at the fact two men had come to collect Seren, who Ianto saw was sulking in a chair in the corner of the office.
"It's a pleasure to meet both you, Mr. Harkness and you Mr. Jones-Harkness," Dr. Stevenson said smoothly, shaking each mans hand, "Seren, do you want to say hello to your fathers?" The little girl mumbled out a greeting but wouldn't look either man in the eye, a sure sign that she was angry.
"Thank you for getting down here so quickly," Dr. Stevenson said, taking a seat behind her desk. She seemed slightly thrown by the fact that both men waited for her to be seated before taking seats themselves.
"We're fortunate enough to work on the Plass," Jack said, with a smile and continued once it was obvious Ianto was too distraught to say anything, "So what happened to bring us down here?"
"During show and tell time, Seren threw the video she brought in at another student," Dr. Stevenson said, looking Jack in the eye before looking at Ianto, "The boy- Walter Jenkins- had said she was lying and there was a bit back and forth before she threw the item. He did duck and no one was hurt but Ms. James thought it would be best to send her down to me. Even though this is Seren's first visit to me, we do not tolerate fighting or tall-tales." Dr. Stevenson looked over at Seren for this last line and the little girl was actually shaking at this point before she yelled out at her fathers.
"I didn't lie! Papa, you taught me not to lie, I was telling the truth, but Wally said I wasn't! I'm sorry I threw something but I was so mad and-"
"Seren, look at me okay," Ianto said, kneeling down in front of the chair his daughter was in, "Honey, no matter what Walter Jenkins was saying, you shouldn't throw things at people when they are taunting you. There's no good reason to get into a fight with a classmate." Ianto glanced briefly at Jack when he snorted at that last line but fortunately the immortal man didn't say anything.
"But Jason gets into fights!" Seren argued back.
"And he's punished for that too," Ianto said, "We don't like it when either of you get into fights. Even if you think someone else started it."
"What punishment is the school enforcing?" Ianto asked, looking back at Dr. Stevenson but still holding onto Seren's hands.
"Since nobody was hurt and this is her first time, we were not planning on any kind of suspension or time out," Dr. Stevenson said, "but it might help to take her home for the rest of the day."
"What about that other kid?" Jack asked, "That Wally Jenkins, he was taunting her."
Dr. Stevenson drew herself up before answering.
"Ms. James did not believe he should be punished, as Walter was correct in saying that Seren was telling tales."
"I wasn't," Seren muttered, but with much less venom than before.
"Ms. James explained that she believed Seren was just a bit confused as during show and tell she said her father was Tommy Lee Jones."
Ianto glanced down at Seren who was now looking at her shoes. He refused look back at Jack who he knew would find this amusing.
"Well that's hardly cause to call her a liar," Ianto said with a steady voice.
"No, but she went on to say that her other father was Will Smith."
"Oh really?" Jack asked and Ianto could hear the grin in his voice.
"Seren?" Ianto asked, not wanted to turn around for anything. But his daughter was biting her lower lip and refusing to look him in the eye. To Ianto she seemed confused by this statement. "Sweetie, you know my name is Ianto, right?" Seren nodded but still wouldn't look up.
"Of course it wasn't until she pulled out the video that things started to get out of hand." With this Dr. Stevenson pulled something out of her top drawer and held it up for the two men to see. When Ianto glanced up he understood exactly what Seren had done.
Stephen had spent the night before and he and Jason had asked Ianto for a recommendation for a good "old" movie. Going through his DVDs, Ianto had given them the movie Dr. Stevenson now held.
Men in Black.
"Huh," was all Jack said and now Ianto knew he couldn't look at his husband for a completely different reason.
"Thank you," Ianto managed to get out, taking his movie back from her out stretched hand. "I think we'll use the rest of the day to go over what a movie is."
"I know what a movie-" Seren started but Ianto reached down and picked up his daughter, effectively silencing her.
"Come on Jack, need to go," he said, still not risking a glance in Jack's direction.
"Lovely meeting you, hope we don't see you again," Jack said quickly before following Ianto and Seren out the door. He didn't catch them until he reached the car where Ianto was buckling his daughter into the back seat. Jack took the opportunity to slip into the driver's seat and for once Ianto didn't argue with him about it.
"Just drive," was all Ianto said when Jack opened his mouth and the older man actually followed this direction. It wasn't until they reached the stoplight that they both lost it.
"Oh my god," Jack gasped, laughing harder than he had laughed in recent memory.
"Its okay sweetie, we really aren't laughing at you," Ianto said, turned around in his seat to face his indignant daughter.
"I didn't lie!" Seren argued, not understanding her parent's laughter, "I didn't! You fight the aliens like Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones did, Jason told me that's what they were called. And sometimes you make the aliens go boom and the insides come out and sometimes they are your friends!"
Ianto was trying to control his breathing to calm down-he knew there was a big talk the three of them needed to have. And it was going to be much sooner than the talk they had with Stephen or Jason. He had almost succeeded in acting normally when Seren started up again.
"And I know your name is Ianto not Tommy Lee. I didn't mean that you were Tommy Lee, I meants that Daddy was Tommy Lee cause he's the old one!"
Any composure Ianto still had was lost at that point, especially when Jack stopped laughing and shouted out an insulted "oi!"
After a few minutes Ianto finally calmed down enough to tell Jack to pull off at the shopping center ahead.
"Why?" he asked, clearly still peeved at being called the old one.
"I've laughed off enough calories for an ice cream," Ianto explained, "and my daughter defiantly deserves a treat."