When Jack went back down to the main area of the Hub he could smell coffee and guessed Ianto had returned, although he couldn't be seen so not waiting for him to return Jack took the liberty of pouring himself a mug of the hot liquid, pausing to savor the flavor. "Taking my job now are we Sir?" a voice came from behind him. Jack turned around to grin at him.
"If you're worried about needing more work I can come up with a few extra tasks for you".
Ianto arched an eyebrow, "I am sure you could. I picked up some more vegetables and took them downstairs. I guess they didn't like the eggplant".
"Really though, who does like them?"
"I do". Jack shrugged, "anyway, I think they ate the corn cobs too, so I guess we won't have to worry about them getting enough fiber. They were in the pool again".
"Kra felt pretty dried out yesterday when he was unconscious in the cell".
"Wouldn't the salt dry them out faster?"
"In the desert it helped them hold onto the water longer. We were told they had caves with pools of salt water in them, but like textbooks now, it's hard to know what was actually correct. They were gone centuries before I was born."
"Well, I guess you can rewrite the textbook when you get there again". Ianto paused; it was a strange thought knowing his boss was going to still be around for his own birth.
"Don't think about it Ianto, it might create a paradox and the Doctor already thinks I'm wrong". Ianto wasn't sure if he was serious about creating the paradox so he let the idea slip by. "I wonder…" he started before letting the sentence die.
"What?"
"Nothing", it was then that Owen came back in, still looking tired. Taking pity on him Ianto took him a mug of coffee before he even made it from the door. "Get any sleep Owen?" Jack asked.
"No" he grumbled in response dropping his stuff on his desk and going down to the autopsy bay. Jack and Ianto followed him, each leaning over the edge of the rail.
"What's wrong?" Jack refrained from adding 'now' to the end of that sentence.
"Why don't they show up on our scans? The ultra sound worked, so why not the computers?" he asked looking up at the pair. "Anyway, I am going to bring them up here and see if I can get a visual ultrasound. I really wish I could take a scan of Kra's head, we have no way of knowing when that baby is due, and I don't need him rupturing a blood vessel in his head before".
"We'll need to turn the lights down in here before you bring them up". Owen nodded, "I'll go get them". Jack left Owen to set up medical area, trusting one of them would dim the lights before they got back.
In the basement, the aliens were dressed and sitting on the bed munching on the new potatoes Ianto delivered, "how are you feeling?" he asked coming in the room. Both turned to look at him.
"Better".
"Sleep and food can do that". He watched Isarra lick the starch off her fingers. "Owen would like to check you both over upstairs, he has better equipment there. Will you come up?" the aliens hesitated but after a silent conversation they got up and followed Jack. Despite having had sleep, a dip in the pool and food Kra seemed unsteady on his feet which lead Jack to believe he might have a head injury. Jack put his arm across his back helping to support him as they slowly made their way upstairs.
Ianto or Owen had not only lowered the lights in the autopsy bay, but also those in the rest of the Hub. Once in the autopsy bay, Jack helped Kra onto the table while Isarra stood close petting his hand trying to comfort him. Like he had early that morning Owen checked over his ears, eyes and vitals. He was concerned about the bruise and lump on his forehead and asked him to lie back on the table. Jack put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and helped him back. Owen tried several handheld scanners, making sweeping passes over his head trying to get readings. He fiddled with knobs and tweaked settings before he finally yelled "Ahhhhaaahhhh" startling all of them. "Got it!"
"Got what?" Ianto asked.
"The scan, I had to change the frequency, but I finally got it to register them". He took another scan of Kra's head before setting the device against the computer watching it upload. Once complete, he pulled up the scan fascinated by the image of the alien's brain. He looked over several imagines trying to look for damage without spending too much time studying the brain itself. That could and would be done later. "It looks like you just have a pretty nasty bump; I don't see any brain damage".
"This is good?" Kra asked, smoothing his hands over his baby.
"Yes, it's good. The swelling should go down in a couple days and it will be sore, but you'll be okay." Kra nodded, Owen couldn't tell if he was relieved or not, his expression gave nothing away. "Has it moved yet?" he asked pointing to his stomach.
"Yes," he took Owen's hand and put it to the side of his belly. Just under the surface Owen could feel the small fetal movements as the baby stretched and wiggled. A rare smile passed over Owen's face.
"We might be able to get a look inside" he offered. Both aliens looked at each other, this time he could see the worry on their faces. He pulled over the old ultra sound machine, "this is like what I used yesterday, only it will give us a picture. It's perfectly safe" he promised.
"You can see from the outside?" Isarra asked.
"Yep, Jack come here" Owen pointed to a spot on the floor next to him while he turned it on.
"Why me?" he asked untucking his shirt moving to stand where he was directed.
"You are our fearless leader" he pulled up Jack's t-shirt pressing the wand to his lower back pulling up a picture of his kidney. Using the controls he took a screen shot of it and turned the monitor to the aliens, "Jack, your kidney looks large, we should run some tests". Jack just glared at him. "See?" he pointed out the image, "yours should look clearer".
"Okay" Kra agreed and pulled his shirt up, "just, use care. This is our only one".
"I will be very careful" Owen promised putting a small amount of gel on his stomach. Isarra held onto Kra tightly, her eyes wide on the screen as Owen moved the wand. "There it is", a clear outline of the baby's face and ears could be seen. Moving the wand a little they could make out a hand and then a foot. Owen marveled at how human like it looked, minus the bat ears that looked a little like horns on the screen. "I think it's a girl" He said studying the image.
"I wouldn't bank on that Owen" Jack told him. "They have no external… you know".
"Well then, congratulations, it's a baby".
"Baby" Kra repeated the foreign word and reached out to touch the screen. Owen left the image on the monitor why he gently cleaned off the man's stomach and pulled his shirt down.
"Other than your head and probably being sore from the crash, how are you feeling" he asked helping him sit back up.
"Tired" Owen made a note on his computer.
"Are you comfortable downstairs? Too cold? Are you getting enough food?"
"There is more food than we have ever had" Isarra said. "It is nice to have a space to rest. A quiet place. A place for Kra to care for this one, a safe place".
"Are you from one of the colonies?" Jack asked.
"No. We are from the mine"
"The mine?" Jack didn't recall anything about a mine from his studies.
"Yes. We are taken to work." The pair shared a knowing look. "To die" Isarra clarified wondering if the translation still carried the same weight. "No one leaves the mine".
"That's why you had to leave, to save the baby".
"We are forbidden to find another, if the Leqqay knew."
"Aren't you Leqqay?" Ianto asked. The aliens looked at him with wide eyes.
"No"
"But you are from the planet of Leqqay" Jack confirmed. He had an idea of what they meant by not being Leqqay.
"Yes. We are – " the translator seemed to cut out; Jack guessed it couldn't come up with the right word. Isarra paused a moment "we are less than Leqqay." It was what he guessed. The Leqqay had convinced them they were no longer part of the same race, an inferior one.
"What would have happened if you had been caught? Would you have been killed?"
"Worse". Kra held Isarra's hand tighter. "Terrible. Too terrible" A pink tear escaped Isarra's eye running along her nose until she wiped it off.
"Your ship took you far far away from Leqqay. You can get all the rest and food you need here" Jack promised. "If there is anything you need or want, we can get it for you".
"No, nothing more." Jack knew they would never ask for anything.
"As their doctor, I think they need something other than raw potatoes".
"They ate the corn" Ianto told him, but Ianto knew what he meant. "I'll try some other foods; maybe they will like pasta and fruit. I'll start a list" he was talking to himself as he left.
"What of our ship?" Kra asked.
"I'm sorry" Jack told him, "I don't think we'll be able to repair it. It took a lot of damage". Kra sadly nodded. "When you are feeling better, we'll take you to see it".
"They tried to stop us. But it was a better death than staying."
"None of that now, no one is dying. I want you to get as much rest as you can in the next few days. It will help with the pain and the swelling in your head, and it should help with the dizziness. Not to mention you both look like you could sleep for a week."
"Sleep never comes in the mine. It is strange to have nothing. We could help here" Isarra offered.
"No. The only think I want you both to do is rest and recover your strength" Owen told her. Reluctantly she nodded. They had spent their lives working, sleeping when they could, eating whatever scraps of food they could find, living in terror and now they had nothing to do, plenty of food, a comfortable place to sleep and so much water.
Once their rescuers had left them to eat, they cautiously picked through the food in case it was a trap. Isarra had ventured into the hall looking for the strangers, but after a time it was clear no one was returning. They enjoyed the brown foods immensely. They were firm and crunchy with no bugs or bad parts. Best of all they didn't have to share and there were more of them when they woke. They tried some of the other foods, the yellow bumpy ones were different and the green one they weren't sure about. The rest they saved for later, just in case.
When they had both eaten their fill, they buried themselves under the soft bedding. Neither had ever had a bed. The elders had spoken of them from their time as children, come in the colonies had still had them, but no one had them in the mines. This new space was cooler than they were used to, but once under the blankets and curled together, the baby protected between them; they found it impossible to fight off sleep. Even now, despite having been constantly on the move, they both felt the desire to return to the comfortable place in the basement and rest as Owen instructed.
They would allow themselves time to heal and recover; after all, it's why they risked death to escape. Isarra also knew that Kra wasn't just tired from his injury. He was giving as much as he could to their child to ensure it was growing and healthy. They hadn't meant to conceive the child, they knew what would happen if they were caught, but it had happened and Kra spent as much energy as he could to protect Isarra until he could carry it. He had been the strong one then, but as the time passed he grew weaker. She had tried to get him smuggled out of the mine and to one of the colonies, but it had fallen apart and she made new plans to steal the ship. It was dangerous, but each day Kra struggled and she knew they would be caught, they had to at least try and it worked. They made it. They were safe and their baby would be born free.
Jack helped them back to the basement and they collapsed on the bed, "it's nearly night here, so the rest of us are going to get some sleep. We've all had a long week, but you are free to wander down here." Jack couldn't think of any think on the 6th floor that they could possibly get into, and he suspected they wouldn't try. They had been conditioned to follow orders, but he didn't want them to think they were being held prisoner. "Ianto will bring some other food in the morning that you might like."
"We have" she pointed to the vegetables.
"Owen thinks you need a better variety." Isarra looked perplexed by this concept. "Don't worry about it. Are you warm enough down here? It's probably colder than where you are from".
"Yes, but it is okay."
"Do you need anything? Anything you want?" they shook their heads and Jack sighed, surely there was something else. "Anything you will need for this one?" he let his fingers brush Kra's stomach, before he could take his hand away Kra took it gently moving it to the side just as he had Owen's. They had hid their child for so long, and now these wonderful people seem so worried for it. Although he couldn't communicate with it, he could feel how happy it seemed to have the attention as if it craved the contact.
Jack stooped down and spread his hand over the swell, he wondered if they were a species whose fetuses thrived on outside stimulation. In some species, it was expected that everyone who encountered an expecting person they would rub their stomach and make a wish for it. The contact was as important as food for them. "How much longer?" he asked glancing up a Kra, the man had a relaxed smile on his face.
"Soon", he rubbed the other side, "the space is smaller now."
"I am sure it's feeling better now that its parents are safe."
"Yes, it is trying to stretch now; it knows we do not have to hide".
"No, you don't need to hide here. You are safe Little One", he rubbed his thumb over the lump where it felt a foot or elbow was sticking out. "I know how hard it can be to recover from what you two have been through" he told the aliens, "how hard it is to ask for help, but we don't know much about you, so you will need to help us to help you, if not for yourselves, then for this one".
"We just need rest and quiet". Isarra said with a reassuring smile.
"Alright then" he stood up. "I live upstairs and Gwen should be here most of the night, so if something comes up, let us know". They watched Jack leave and Isarra collected the potatoes and sprouts they had avoided the day before. The pair held a silent conversation discussing their current situation. Their future was uncertain, but they had decided the night before to put their trust in these people. So far they hadn't hurt them, and kept their promises of food and rest. If Jack said they would be alright, they would trust him.
Isarra felt her mate shift uncomfortably beside her. It had taken him a while to get to sleep, but once he had she had fallen asleep quickly. His racing thoughts woke her, but they were moving too quickly for her understand them. All she could feel was his discomfort and uneasiness as if every nerve was on edge.
"Kra?" she said gently reaching her mind out to his. Kra shifted again turning to face her.
"He is so happy" he put his hand under his belly, which had drastically shifted as his mate slept, but was now painfully resting against his hip. Unable to get comfortable, Kra sat up pulling his shirt off. Isarra could see how much he had moved, and the dark lines that were moving up her mate's abdomen. "He will be here by morning".
"He" her mind whispered.
"I wish you could hear him" Kra's eyes filled with tears. Isarra reached over wiping them away and moved closer wrapping her arms around them both.
"Soon".
"Very soon", he said putting his hand over hers.
After making coffee Ianto took two cups to Jack's office. Tosh and Owen weren't in yet, and he'd already delivered Gwen's to her. "I made pasta noodles for the aliens". Ianto said as he sat down opposite of Jack. "I hope they like it. I picked up apples, carrots, and blueberries."
"I think they will probably try whatever we give them".
"They were really mistreated at home, weren't they".
Jack nodded, "There weren't many records left, but the future is pretty good at torturing".
"What could be worse than being dead?"
"The way you die" Jack said quietly. He'd had enough to know. Ianto didn't know how to respond to that. "I think tonight, after the sun sets I am going to take them out to the Plass. They might enjoy the fresh air". Ianto nodded in agreement.
"Have you given any more thought to what we will do with them?"
"I might have an idea" Ianto raised an eyebrow as if to ask 'so what is it?' "I'll tell you if it comes together." He downed the last of his coffee, "let's go see if our visitors like pasta".
Ianto collected the bowl of pasta he'd made that morning so it was still warm and Jack took the bag of fruits. As they neared the room, Jack paused to turn the translator on. "Hey we brought food".
The two men paused just inside the door; their aliens had piled all the blankets into the corner of the bed against the wall. Kra had been wrapped up and his head rested against the wall. Isarra sat next to him her arms around him and the blanket. Upon hearing him, she opened her eyes. Jack thought she looked more tired than she had when he left the night before.
"Is Kra okay?" Jack asked her. She gave them a warm smile and reached over pulling the edge of the top blanket back. The humans leaned forward to see, wrapped in a blanket, tucked in his father's arms slept their son. His wide set eyes were closed and his big ears drooped down, fine downy hair covered his head. Without waking Kra, Isarra carefully took the baby from his arms and Jack sat on the edge of the bed to better see. "When Kra said 'soon' last night, I figured we'd have more time".
"I think he did as well. This one got too excited. He wanted to meet you", she gently offered him to Jack who was surprised but accepted the bundle.
"Hello there," Jack told him. Jack shifted allowing Ianto to see the baby, "say hi Ianto".
"Hello" Ianto said running the back of his finger over the baby's head. He couldn't help but think it looked like a bit like a baby bunny.
"Have you picked a name yet?" Isarra shook her head. The baby stretched his arm out flexing his fingers and yawned. Ianto was surprised to find he already had a row of sharp dagger like teeth, and made a mental note not to let him chew on his fingers. He opened his eyes looking at Ianto, and unlike his nephew or his niece, he got the impression this baby could already see him. "Is it a girl or a boy?"
"A boy" she said proudly. "We are lucky".
"Are girls bad?" Ianto asked thinking about how many countries on Earth were having girls was less desirable.
"Boys are hard", she said. "We didn't mean to conceive him. It was an accident. Our life was hard, our journey here was hard. Most born are girls, the boys die before the come. They are more fragile".
"But you beat the odds. Everything in the universe against you and you made it" Jack told the infant. Knowing everything he knew, Jack was beginning to understand why they had died out. There were no male children to continue the race. "He's beautiful" Jack told Isarra, "you and Kra did a wonderful job". He handed the baby back to his mother. "Is Kra okay? Does he need anything?"
"When he wakes, he will need food. Could" she paused finding it hard to get the words out. Jack and Ianto watched her struggle with the request.
"What do you need?"
"A place to bathe? It will help him heal. A blanket for him" she gestured to the baby.
"Of course. I'll show you do the bath so you can take him when he wakes. How are you feeding him?" Jack had met enough aliens to know that very few born with teeth nursed from their parents. The look Isarra gave him led him to believe she hadn't given it any thought. Clearly escaping was as far as their plan went. It made him realize that Kra really had believed they still had time before the arrival, time to prepare for him. "I am sure we can come up with something. Do they usually eat the same things you do?"
"Melted." Jack looked at his manipulator. Obviously, melted was not what she meant.
"Liquefied?" he tried to clarify. She shrugged but nodded. He guessed she wasn't sure on the translation either. "Well we will go round up some things for this one and you can try Ianto's pasta and take a bath". Isarra put the baby back in her mate's arms tucking the blanket back around them and then followed Ianto and Jack to the locker room that held several showers and one bath tub. They showed her how to use both, where the spare towels were and left the lights dimmed for when they came back.
Isarra went back to her family and the guys went back upstairs. By now everyone had shown up and had at least one cup of coffee, "Gwen, I have a job for you" Jack said as they reached the top of the stairs. 3 pairs of eyes settled on him. "It will be the hardest assignment you ever had with Torchwood and I need you to take it very seriously" he said. The agents were clearly getting nervous about what he was going to say next. "I need you to go find things for a baby. A big one, about this big" he held his hands apart indicating how big, "probably for … 3-6 months" he guessed at that part, it have been a fair number of years since he had actually bought anything for a baby. "We'll need some baby blankets, some bottles, and whatever else you think one might need".
"Jack are you serious?" Owen asked.
"Yes. The baby came this morning. Mom, dad and baby all seem to be doing fine".
"Why didn't the bastard say something yesterday?"
"Owen, most alien babies aren't like humans. I don't think Kra was planning on him coming today. Isarra said he got excited, I assume she meant the baby, and he decided that last night was the right time".
"Babies don't make those decisions Jack. Do you think it was the ultrasound?"
"Sometimes, alien babies do make those decisions. The Niry can carry their children for years, and then one day the child decides it's ready and you've got about 20 minutes to find someplace before it rips out of your stomach. Very messy births. So no, I don't think it was the ultrasound. I think he's just been hanging out, and now that mom and dad are safe, and we've all been poking at it, he got curious and decided to come out. So Gwen, you have a mission. Take Tosh". With more enthusiasm than he'd seen in a while, the girls left already plotting and planning their trip.
Jack could still see the deep crease in Owen's forehead, "Owen, they are fine. I am sure they will let you check him over. This will be better for them anyway; Kra needs to get his own food instead of pushing it all to the baby. Maybe they will name him after you". Owen rolled his eyes and went down to the medical area. "Ianto, could I get some of your wonderful coffee".
The girls returned several hours later with an armload of bags. Jack didn't say anything; he'd made that mistake once and wasn't going to make it again. "We knew they didn't have anything, so we got a little bit of everything" Gwen said as a way of apologizing. "We're going to put the clothes and blankets in the wash".
Ianto found the bag with the baby bottles in it; he wondered how long it would take the baby to bite the tip off. "I'll sterilize these and blend up some potatoes".
"What!" Owen yelled across the Hub.
"Owen, relax" Jack told him. "They eat the same things as their parents but liquefied. It probably only takes a couple months before they are on solids".
"It's a newborn!"
"You haven't seen its teeth" Ianto said and then turned to go up to the kitchen.
"It was born with teeth?"
"Yes, they have the set their whole lives, and then get a second set".
"I wondered. I saw those daggers Isarra bit Gwen with, but they were different later".
"It's because they have two sets of teeth, and I am going to trust them to know what their child is going to eat. Why don't you go down now and see them, while Ianto works to alien baby food magic in a blender". Owen stalked off and Jack stopped to peek in one of bags, it contained one stuffed elephant. He just shook his head and went back to his office.
Ianto headed up to Jack's office, he held out a bottle of white liquid, "I'm good thanks". Ianto rolled his eyes. "It's not for you, unless you like pureed uncooked potatoes".
"Good luck".
"Owen gathered up some things, and we need your translator", Jack looked down at it. "Either hand it over or come on". A little reluctantly he undid the buckles and handed it to Ianto. Ianto carefully took it knowing that Jack didn't hand it over to just anyone.
"I have a phone call to make" he said as sort of a justification. Ianto nodded and headed downstairs collecting Owen as he went. It appeared that the aliens had found the showers and Kra looked like he was feeling better. He noticed that the bowl of pasta was empty.
"How are you feeling? We did a bit of improvising, but see if he likes this", Isarra took the bottle from Ianto and handed it to Kra who offered it to the infant. He made a face but then accepted the bottle. "The girls picked up some clothes and some blankets for him, how was the pasta?"
Isarra finally took her eyes from the baby, "we like it. Kra is feeling better from your shower, your food helped. He is happy". She looked back at her child and stroked his cheek.
"Owen came to check to see if you were okay and that he was okay", Ianto noticed the bottle was empty. "If he's still hungry I have more".
"He is good now" Kra said, "do you wish to hold him?" he asked Owen.
"Oh, well, um. Sure, yes", he nervously took the offered baby. He'd never been good with children, let alone an alien child. But the baby gazed up at him with pale blue eyes.
"He likes you". Owen couldn't help but smile at him, he had already been through so much for a day old infant, and his parents had traveled across the universe and the Rift to protect him. He tried not to think that one day all of this would have been for nothing, that one day all his kind would be gone. They looked a bit odd, but they seemed like a gentle race.
"Can we make sure he's okay?" Kra nodded. Owen laid him on the bed unwrapping the blanket. The first thing he noticed was that his skin wasn't as translucent as his parents. Using his recalibrated scanner he ran it over the baby collecting readings. "Well, he appears to be healthy" Owen said wrapping him back up.
Just then the girls came downstairs into the room. "Ah, your new favorite Aunties" Owen told the baby. "You haven't met Tosh" he told Isarra and Kra. They both nodded at her.
"We brought clothes and blankets". Gwen said, her eyes landed on the baby. "Ohhhh look at you!" She cooed, kneeling down beside Owen. "You are just perfect".
Both women took turns holding the baby and he seemed to love the attention. Both of the aliens sat back and let the humans cuddle their child. Silently they went over names trying to pick one. A part of them never imagined they would make it this far and actually get to pick out a name.
They spent almost an hour with them, before heading upstairs. Ianto promised to return with more pasta for them. While the water boiled, Ianto made more coffee and took a cup to Jack. He paused outside the door watching the man pace, holding his cell phone.
"Hello Gorgeous, It's your knight in shining armor. How are you? Um, look, I need a huge favor. I need you to make a call to a friend.I have a situation here. Martha, I know I don't need to remind you not to talk to UNIT about this. We have some visitors that I need some advice on; you know how he hates messing up timelines and such. They can't stay here and I am at a loss. So, give me a call. Bye"
Ianto watched him end the call and let out a heavy sigh. He took the opportunity to open the door, "Coffee Sir?"
"Always" he said accepting the cup.
"They liked the pasta. I'm making more, and the girls took the clothes and blankets down. They still haven't settled on a name, but he liked the potato juice".
"Good".
"I'm going to blend up a bunch and stick it in the fridge. I don't know how often or much they eat, but you might want to take some down tonight".
"Me?"
"You live here; you'll be here all night". Ianto turned and left going back to his pasta making.
In the morning Ianto was dismayed to see the Hub was a complete disaster. Pizza boxes were piled on the coffee table and take away cups littered the desks. None of it had been there when he'd left the night before. He sighed and started to collect the garbage tossing it in bin. From the corner of his eye he caught something move and he nearly jumped out of his skin. It took him a second to realize their aliens had ventured upstairs and where hiding just in the shadows. He quickly hurried to dim the lights.
"Ianto! What are you doing with the lights?" He heard Jack yell from his office before he appeared on the stairs. "Oh" he said when he saw the little alien family. With the Hub dark they came into the main area. Isarra held the baby wrapped in one of the new blankets and Kra had the bowl Ianto had been putting pasta in.
"Hungry?" Ianto asked reaching for the bowl. He didn't expect an answer but they surprised him.
"Yes, and him" Kra gestured to the baby. "Also, we chose a name. We will call him Kraen".
"That's a nice name" Ianto told them, truthfully, it sounded as odd as theirs, but he imagined theirs sounded odd to the aliens. "I'll go get him a bottle and start on more pasta".
When he returned with the bottle, Jack was holding Kraen. Despite seeing his boss snuggling the baby with his own eyes, Ianto still found it hard to believe. He handed him the bottle and went back to work collecting the trash. He would get after whoever left it once the Leqqay were back downstairs.
While Jack fed the baby, Ianto brought down two bowls of pasta and showed the aliens to the couch so they could sit and eat. They had just finished when a terrible noise filled the Hub and the wind blew papers off all the desks. At the same time, the intruder alarm went off. With all the noise the aliens cowered on the couch holding their ears. Screaming came from Jack's vortex manipulator, translating the cries of Kraen.
Ianto hurried to turn off the intruder alarm and pulled out his gun. In the corner of the Hub sat an old blue police box. "Ianto" Jack said as things quieted down, "put the gun down and take Kraen. Check on Isarra and Kra"
"Wha-" Ianto started, but found his arms full of the baby watching Jack move closer to the box. He went to check on the aliens, who seemed shaken but unharmed. They took their child back, holding him close trying to calm him.
"Captain Jack!" A loud voice rang out across the Hub.
A little confused it took Jack a minute to finally respond, "Doctor? What are you doing here?"
"Martha called, said you had some time line emergency and I needed to get over here". The Doctor's eyes danced over the interior of the Hub, taking it all in. "Is that a Pteranodon? And why is it so dark in here?" he asked wrinkling up his nose.
Jack was still giving him an odd look, usually he was excited to see the Doctor, but he certainly hadn't expected him to show up. "I did call Martha" he admitted, "and I did ask her to call you. But I asked her to call me back. I didn't say anything about an emergency or you coming. Not that I'm not happy you did" he added quickly.
The Doctor scowled at Jack, expecting this to be some sort of con. "Doctor, this is Ianto" Jack said when the Welshman appeared at his side. "I think to better see for yourself why I called". Jack pointed to the couch. The Doctor looked across the Hub where Jack pointed and froze, "Disif" he said sounding as confused has Jack had been to see him. Suddenly his face lit up, "How did you get Disif!"
"Came through the Rift".
"Disif?" Ianto asked, "I thought they were Leqqay".
"No no," the Doctor said, "well, they were once upon a time."
"Disif was the word your manipulator couldn't translate". Ianto deduced and Jack nodded.
"They escaped the mine on Leqqay and their ship got sucked into the Rift and landed in a nearby park. When I called Martha I was just hoping for a phone call and some advice. But now that you are here can you help them? The sun will burn them up and they can't live in the basement where they are currently hiding…" his voice trailed off as the Doctor approached the Disif. "He's a friend" Jack told them.
"Jack! You didn't say they had a baby!" Jack rolled his eyes.
"You have been here for all of one minute. This is Kra, Isarra and Kraen. He's two days old. This is the Doctor" he told them.
"You are very loud" Kra told him, even with the automated translation is still sounded scolding.
"Oh right, sorry about that. You have sensitive ears".
"We will go downstairs" Kra said ushering his mate towards the stairs. Jack and Ianto guessed the noise and new face startled them a little.
"Can you help them Doctor? Take them somewhere safe"
The Doctor stuffed his hands in his pockets and flopped on the couch, "Jack, you know I can't interfere".
"You interfere every time you show up. In 500 years they will be enslaved by their own kind, in 1000 years they will all be gone. I'm not asking you to change that"
"But you are! Just by saving them, could alter the entire timeline." Jack folded his arms across his chest.
"You know what it's like to be the last one of your kind, are you really going to curse them with that?" The Doctor was quiet for several minutes.
"This goes against everything, there is a small colony of them on a rehabilitation planet".
"What's a 'rehabilitation planet'?" Ianto asked as he tried to keep up with the conversation.
"It's like a refugee planet. It's a bit like a chameleon planet, it can change and adapt to whoever is living there. Species from all over have come to seek asylum there. Not all who go there thrive, but there are some Disif who escaped Leqqay although it's a head of your aliens' time."
"How do you know?"
"The mine collapsed killing everyone in it. Nearly 10 thousand Disif were working in there". Jack and Ianto didn't know what to say each wondering how close their aliens were to that collapse.
"So you will take them there?"
The Doctor sighed; he couldn't really stand by and watch them die on Earth, "yes. I will take them to the colony".
Jack nodded, "good. We'll go talk to them. And yes, that is a Pteranodon" he said taking Ianto by the elbow pulling him downstairs.
"I'm sorry about all the noise. Wasn't expecting visitors" Jack sat down on the edge of the bed. They had gotten Kraen to sleep but he had a small crease in his forehead, as if he was worried about something. He reached over smoothing his finger over the crease. "You are safe", Jack told him. "The man upstairs is called the Doctor" he said to Isarra and Kra. "He is going to take you somewhere where you can live free and raise Kraen in the open air. There are others of your kind living there in a colony" he saw the worry pass over Isarra's face. Jack took her hand giving it a small squeeze, "not like the colonies on Leqqay. This is on another planet far away, there are other kinds who have suffered like you have and they have all gone to this place to heal."
"But we are safe here".
"Yes, you are. But the truth is, your life here can never exist beyond the Hub". He avoided using the word 'dangerous'. "The Hub is no place to raise a child. This new planet, there will be other Disif children he can play with. You can give him the life you wanted when you escaped." He could see them discussing it between them and finally Kra nodded. "Come upstairs when you're ready".
"Are you sure about this Jack?" Ianto asked as they walked up the stairs.
"Yes, it wasn't the exact plan when I called Martha, but I can work with this. He can take them somewhere safe".
"You trust him?"
"With my life" Ianto nodded and followed Jack upstairs.
Ianto filled and packed the rest of the bottles and the vegetables he knew the Disif liked. It would give them something until they could get settled into their new home. He hoped wherever they were going they would be happy and could live full lives with others of their kind.
The Disif appeared at the top of the stairs, holding the bag that Gwen and Tosh had packed the baby clothes and blankets. Jack went over to them "it will be alright" he promised leading them over to the TARDIS. "I think you might like her" he said stroking his hand over the wood.
Ianto joined them, "you can't keep your hands off anything can you?"
"She likes it". Ianto rolled his eyes.
"I brought you some things for the trip" Ianto told them.
Jack saw Kra's and Isarra's ears perk up, "can you hear her?" their whole faces lit up. "The TARDIS is telepathic" he told Ianto. The Doctor popped out the door.
"All ready then?" he asked. "See you've met the TARDIS, she's happy to have you on board! We don't get telepaths often. She set up a room for you".
"Well," Jack said. "This is goodbye" he told the Disif.
"Thank you Jack" Kra said. "You saved us. We will never forget that".
"Good luck" Ianto said.
"You will say goodbye to Gwen, Tosh and Owen for us?"
"Of course."
"You have all been kind".
"We should be off" the Doctor said ushering them into the TARDIS. Jack and Ianto stood back. "I will see you again Jack". He said closing the door. Jack looked over at Tosh's desk; on top of it was the toy elephant they had picked out. He picked it up brushing its fur.
"Wait!" he yelled running over to the door and going inside. The aliens all looked at him, "Gwen and Tosh picked this out for Kraen. It's sort of an Earth tradition. Something to start a new life with" Isarra took it from him with a smile. Jack left going back to where Ianto stood. Together they watched the blue box and their aliens disappear.
"Well then, I am going to go drain that tank".
"Sure? We could do a little skinny dipping first" Ianto rolled his eyes and made his way downstairs. He didn't want to be there when the rest had to be told their aliens were gone. Although he knew Owen would never admit it, he had grown fond of them, and the girls were in love with that baby. He would miss them too, but as he looked around the dark room they had lived him, he knew they would have a better life.
