The man looked down at his hands, dirty with coal dust. Another honest day in the mines.

"Hey, Jack!" Someone called from behind him. "Going home to the wife and kids? Or would you rather join us down at the Brick?"

Jack smiled as he turned to face the other man. My wife. My kids. No words had ever sounded sweeter to him. "No, Bill, I'll go home to the missus…hardly seen her this week."

"If you change your mind, you know where we are…" the man clapped him on the back and joined the others who were waiting.

Swinging his black metal lunchbox, Jack tucked his helmet under his arm and began the trek home.

Rounding the corner, Jack could just see the top of the house. His house. The house he shared with Emily. Emily and their two (soon to be three!) beautiful children.

He could smell whatever it was that Emily was cooking as he set foot on the porch and was ambushed by a small boy as he entered the door.

"Daddy!" The dark-haired boy dressed in overalls exclaimed, causing Jack to drop the items he was holding and catch him.

Ruffling the boy's hair and giving him a quick hug, he smelled the distinct smell of little boy – dirt and sweat with a tinge of his mother's perfume. The smell of my son…my son.

"In here!" A female voice called.

Jack walked to the doorway of the kitchen, still holding his son. He watched as the woman fluttered around the room from appliance to appliance.

"What's all this fuss about? Are we having a dinner party?" He crossed to her and put an arm around her.

"Quit teasing!" Emily turned to kiss him on the cheek. "How was your day?"

They turned from one another as Jack made his way to the chubby baby seated on the floor playing with a wooden rattle. Setting the boy down and patting him on the back, he bent to look at her.

"And how is my princess?" He took a seat beside her and was rewarded with a big toothless grin.

"Cutting teeth, thankyouverymuch," Emily replied for her daughter as she set a bowl on the table. "She's been a regular bear. 'Course, all you get is smiles…"

"Don't be bitter because Andi loves her daddy," Jack mock-scolded as he picker her up and put her in the nearby highchair.

"Jack, get cleaned up. Dinner is almost ready." Emily continued putting things on the table. "And take your son with you."

Jack chuckled and looked at his son. "Come on, you heard your mother…"

Smiling, the boy stood to follow his father. Jack could hear the sound of his shoes as he tried to keep up stride. When he got to the door, Jack stepped aside to let the boy in first.

"Daddy," he asked, "how much do you love Mommy?" His large blue eyes smiled, knowing the answer.

Ahhhh…the game! "Well, let's see, Thomas, " Jack rolled his sleeves as he talked. "I love her as much as a frog jumps."

"As much as the sun shines?" The little boy watched his father lather his hands.

"That much and more." He smiled at the boy, getting a smile in return.

"Do you think she knows?" The look on his face was so sincere it almost made Jack cry.

"We should tell her, I think." Thomas ran his own small hands under the water.

"Under your nails," Jack instructed, helping the boy scrub.

Thomas looked up at his father, causing the man's heart to leap to his throat. How can someone love someone else so much?

"Daddy are the mines safe?" the question threw Jack out of his haze.

"Why?"

"Because Georgie says you could die. He says his uncle died…" the boy's voice trailed off as he rinsed his hands.

"Thomas, I will never die. I promise." Never were truer words spoken. He ruffled the child's hair again as they walked back to the table, Jack with his hands in his pockets.

"Hey, mommy!" Thomas perched himself in his chair.

"Did he wash his hands, Jack?" Her back was to him.

Jack walked to stand behind her, wrapping his arms around her growing waist. He put his face in the crook of her neck and gave her a soft kiss. Emily shivered and almost dropped the bowl she was holding.

"You stop that, Jack!" She playfully slapped at him.

"Tell her, Daddy! Tell her how you love her!" Thomas urged, bouncing in his seat. "Tell her you love her as much as the frog jumps, as much as the sun shines! Tell Mommy!"

Emily turned to look at their son, for all the world sitting in a chair doing nothing more than looking like his father. Her heart tugged as she looked from one to the other, noticing how much they looked like clones. "Maybe you should tell me before the boy explodes..."

Jack drew her around to face him, noticing that there was a wider gap between them than before. He reached down to place a hand on her expanding belly and was rewarded with a kick. He looked into his wife's eye, only to find her watching him. He questioned her with only his eyes and she nodded, placing her hand over his. Another kick – this one bringing tears to Jack's eyes.

Yes, it was true that they had already had two kids, but this one thing never ceased to amaze Jack. There was really someone in there - someone Jack had partially been responsible in creating. He looked deep into Emily's eyes and tried not to cry. But it was no use - her own eyes were watery, and he was powerless. Eyes still flowing freely, he looked over to the table and saw both Andrea and Thomas watching silently. Jack motioned for the boy to come and stand beside him. Thomas obeyed and Jack took the boy's hand and placed it on Emily's tummy. His eyes grew wide as the baby poked at the hand resting there.

"Did Mommy eat the baby?" Thomas was horrified at the thought, but was innocent to think anything different.

This brought peals of laughter from the adults in the room. Emily ruffled the boy's hair and put her other hand to her lips in an attempt to stop the laughter. "No, sweetie, it's just growing there…"

"Oh. Can we eat now?" The boy looked from parent to parent waiting for an answer to this new question.

He was answered by a boost from Jack, who carried him to the table, but not before giving Emily one more kiss. "Come on, sit down, I'll get the rest."

Emily let herself be led by Jack to the table, his hand on the small of her back to guide her.

"Jack Harkness, you never cease to amaze me." Emily's words to her husband were sincere. Never before had she met a man like him – seemingly so complicated, but so easy to understand once you got to know him. And how easy it had been to get to know him! The moment they had spotted each other, it was as though there was no one else in the world for either of them.

"Good. I like it like that." Jack took a bowl from the counter and placed it on the table before sitting.

"You were going to tell me how much you loved me?" Emily reminded, catching the look of excitement on her son's face.

Jack put down the spoon he was using and clasped his hands in front of him, elbows on the table. His face was serious as he replied. "I love you more than the sun and the moon. You are my reason for existence, my reason to breathe every breath that I take. Without you, I would wander this Earth alone and without purpose. I love that we share two – no, three – beautiful children that hold so many possibilities in their future. I love the way your hair falls in your face at the end of the day and the way bite your bottom lip and lean towards me when I am telling you things – like now. In short, Emily McGary, I love every little thing you do and every little way you do it."

Still looking deep into the eyes of the remarkable man opposite her, Emily unfolded her own hands and picked up her fork. "I'll bet you say that to all the girls."