Age Six

It was a late night in Torchwood and Jessica sat with her head sitting on the metal table sleepily. "Tosh run a scan of alien tech within the last 100 miles of the crash site." Jack snapped trying not to show how tired he really was. Jessica and wanted to do so many things today and they were on the way home to bed before this came up. Ianto came up and handed his wonderful boyfriend a cup of coffee. "Here you go Captain." He said with a wink that made Jack's smile light up his face. "Thanks." he said as he was drinking the coffee. "Are you sleepy sweetie?" Gwen asked Jessica seeing her head on the table. "mmmm," Jessica replied "Don't want to sleep, can't sleep. Nightmares," Gwen sat down in the metal seat right next to her. "You know what my mum used to do when I couldn't sleep? She would sing me a little song and I would feel all better." "Did she?" Jessica asked. "Did it always work?" Gwen smiled and nodded. "Could you sing me one?" Gwen bit her lip knowing that she hadn't sung to anyone since primary school but nodded her head. "Ready, darling?" Jessica smiled and lifted her head to nod. Gwen took a deep breath and began to sing

"Tick tock goes the clock
And what now shall we play?
Tick tock goes the clock
Now summer's gone away

Tick tock goes the clock
And what then shall we see?
Tick tock until the day
That thou shalt marry me

Tick tock goes the clock
And all the years they fly
Tick tock and all too soon
You and I must die."

Jack turned his attention to Gwen singing softly to Jessica as she stroked her hair and began to sing along.

"Tick tock goes the clock
We laughed at fate and mourned her
Tick tock goes the clock
Even for the Doctor

Tick tock goes the clock
He cradled her and he rocked her
Tick tock goes the clock
Even for the Doctor…"

Jessica was fast asleep and Jack picked her up in his arms. "Where'd you hear that at?" He asked Gwen. Gwen shrugged. "She sings in her sleep, I've heard her before." Jack nodded acting like this was new knowledge about his daughter that he already did not know. Jessica had always sung in her sleep, ever since she learned to talk. Whatever it meant he did not know and couldn't contact the Doctor to find out. "I'm going to take her to the hide away." Jack told Ianto. Ianto nodded kissing his sweet baby girl on her head. "Good night darling." He whispered to her. Jack carried her to the small hide away apartment that they had not used in years since they had gotten their own apartment a few minutes from Torchwood. He set her in her old bed as she mumbled in her sleep. "Tick tock, Tick tock, Tick Tock." Over and over again like a broken record. "Tick Tock Jessi, Tick tock." Jack whispered tucking her in and leaving the room only leaving his daughter with the sound of an old clock ticking and her own words. Tick Tock. Tick Tock.