Title: Thrice Blessed
Chapter: 4 – It's Done How?
Word Count: 4052
Rating: PG13 (might go up to NC-17 later chapters)
Characters/Pairings: Jack/Ianto, Gwen/Rhys (mentioned), Toshiko and Owen (remembered), OCs (including new Torchwood Three members: Tabitha Adams and Dr. Shandi McNeil)
Spoilers: Not really, but post TW series 2 and DW series 4.
Warning: MPREG, M/MM
Disclaimer: I don't own Jack and Ianto (heavy sigh), I'm pretty sure they own each other. I do know the BBC and RTD owns all things Torchwood.
Summary: Jack's been acting on edge lately and Ianto wants to know why.
Chapter Summary: Jack has a talk with Shandi and Ianto, explaining the mechanics of pregnancy for him.
Huge thanks to the most wonderful Grace Musica for the beta - not only catching my grammar goofs, but willing to bring up things that make me think.

Gwen and Tabitha worked at their desks while Shandi started her tests on Jack. It was tempting for the two women to wander over to the railing and look down on the proceedings in the autopsy bay, but they had agreed to give Jack and Ianto their privacy. Gwen knew her friends enough that when they were ready for spectators, they would let everyone know – especially Jack.

Tabitha had mentioned several times how she should go down to the Archives and prepare for the delivery they were expecting later that day. Gwen finally assured the young woman that it was all right to wait until the results of Jack's tests were revealed, and if needed, Gwen was prepared to help down in the Archives.

Tabitha Adams was the youngest member of Torchwood, at age 23. They recruited her seven months before. Previous to that, she had been the delivery girl for Jubilee Pizza, while she went to college.

Ianto had gotten to know her initially through idle chat when she delivered their pizzas to the Information Booth. First he had learned she was getting ready to graduate, and was looking for job opportunities. Which lead to her telling him that she was majoring in theoretical physics and had a minor in Administrative Management. She admitted to Ianto that she did not expect to make a career with her major, especially in Cardiff, but it was an interest of hers, and if her grades were any indication, she was good at it. She explained that maybe one day she would leave Cardiff for London, or some other big city where the opportunity to work with her major would be possible. Until then, she was looking for a position as an office manager, or a personal assistance to some executive.

There were times when she delivered her pizza, she would find Jack sitting outside, and start up a friendly chat. He would get her to talk about theories of paradoxes, alternate universes and time travel. Jack was impressed with her. Slightly embarrassed, she once admitted to Jack that she believed they were not alone in the universe, and that she had seen strange things around Cardiff that could not be from the Earth. She had talked with both Jack and Ianto about when the Earth moved. She believed that one day they would discover the truth of who or what was responsible. She did not buy the general accepted theory of how the Earth was taken out of its orbit by a rare phenomenon and returned, or even some stories that claimed Earth did not move, but atmospheric conditions around the world made it seem like it had.

Jack and Ianto knew it would be a matter of time before they offered her a job. They were just waiting, mostly agreeing to allow the girl to graduate, since Torchwood would take all her time. Jack, Ianto and Gwen had decided they needed to find another person to take over Ianto's old position of general admin and archiving. Ianto was devoting almost all of his time out in the field and taking on Toshiko's responsibilities as best he could. He had always been good with computers, so the more he learned, the less time he had for his other position. The Hub was starting to look a mess. Ianto was just barely still keeping them in coffee and meals, but that was about the extent of it. Jack, Gwen and Shandi tried to lend a hand whenever there was free time in cleaning up, but it was just not the same anymore. The problem was Ianto was probably the most competent person for the admin position, but he had long proved more competent in his new duties, along with being a senior member of the staff, with Jack and Gwen. They had their eyes and ears out looking for someone to take on Ianto's old position, but they knew any average person with general admin skills would not cut it for them. They had to have more to offer, room to grow and take on other responsibilities whenever it called for it.

One evening, seven months before, there was a Weevil running loose around the Quay. Ianto had called it the mother of all Weevils later, because it gave them more trouble than what was normal. Jack and Ianto, being alone in the Hub while Gwen and Shandi were out retrieving alien tech from Barry. The two men left the Hub believing they could handle it, and it was just another Weevil Hunt for them. Being they were already down along the pier when they subdued it, they decided to bring the Weevil in through the Information Booth. It was the shorter distance of their choices. The Weevil started to come to once they entered the small area, and gave them trouble. Jack and Ianto found themselves wrestling it below to the Hub to secure it in a cell before it caused them any more injury or killed one of them.

Both men had forgotten the pizza they had ordered five minutes before they got the Weevil alert, or the fact that they could not close things up in the Information Booth properly. It was only once the Weevil was in a cell, did they remember and Ianto was to go and quickly lock things up for the night, then Jack planned to tend to his wounds, thankful they were minor, even if they looked worse.

Tabitha had watched the two men she had started to think of as friends struggle with the strange looking figure as they entered the Information Booth. When she entered the area, she did not see Jack or Ianto. She did see the open doorway where she never noticed one before and followed the way down. As she went through the tunnel, she imagined it would lead to a base of covert operations. She started to believe she might be right as she ended up in the elevator that took her down. She was not disappointed at what she walked into, amazed at the huge cog door rolling back to allow her further into the Hub.

Jack and Ianto returned from the vaults with torn clothes, and bleeding, to find the stunned pizza delivery girl in the middle of the Hub, still holding their pizza. Her head was tilted upward, her eyes on the pteranodan flying high above them.

It reminded the men somewhat of when Gwen first showed up. Only Tabitha had no suspicions of them in anyway, believing they were what they said. She knew they were special ops of some sort in for Cardiff Police, but she thought they just dealt with more of the harder cases. Sort of like an advanced CSI, was what they convinced her they were, and yet they still managed to remain vague. Besides, she was honestly delivering their pizza. They were the ones to leave the doors open.

While Ianto ran up to close things up before anyone else decided to wander in, Jack called Gwen to come in, telling her they had a situation, and he thought he had a solution, but wanted her input.

By the time Jack, Ianto and Gwen left the boardroom, Jack and Ianto eating their dinner while they talked, and keeping an eye on the girl they left sitting on the couch, they came to a decision. They were going to follow Jack's idea. Ianto agreed that he thought they were making the right decision. They offered her a job as general admin for Torchwood. If she did not work out, they would just Retcon her and let her go. Seven months later, and under Ianto's guidance in learning her duties, they knew they made the right decision. Tabitha had since graduated college and fit right in. Once again, things were running smoothly within the Hub and the little things to keep them going. Ianto still insisted on making the coffee, but she served it. Ianto was also certain that it would not be long before he turned over all the Archiving to her, and not have to help out as he had been doing whenever he had time.

Gwen and Tabitha looked up from their work when they heard what suspiciously sounded like a whoop of joy coming from Jack. There was laughter down in the autopsy bay. Before Gwen had a chance to stand up and go over to investigate what was going on, Ianto showed up at the top of the stairs.

"We're going to be daddies!" Ianto yelled across the Hub, completely losing his usual composure he maintained at work. He ran back down the stairs again.

Gwen took that as their invitation to join the others. "C'mon along, Tabitha, and let's go congratulate them."

Tabitha stood up, with wide eyes fixed where the autopsy bay was.

"You okay, love?" Gwen asked, coming closer.

Tabitha nodded. "Yeah. But… Jack's pregnant."

"Isn't it wonderful?" Gwen agreed. She put an arm around Tabitha's shoulders and guided her toward the railing, where they could look down. "Congratulations!" she called out. Tabitha stood next to her, nodding mutely, still seeming somewhat in shock, but also happy for her bosses and friends.

Jack beamed up at them. "We're waiting for the blood test results."

Shandi looked up. "We still have a bit of a wait. Tabitha, would you be a dear and get Jack some tea. Hell, throw in a biscuit too, since he was such a good patient so far." She looked back at Jack while Shandi ran off toward the kitchenette. "Because I know that won't last another month or two."

Jack held up his hands. "No promises."

"Deal. Just remember I'm your doctor, and we'll get through this."

Ianto put his arm around Jack's shoulders and pulled him close, while laughing. He planted a sloppy kiss on Jack's cheek while still laughing.

When Tabitha brought Jack some tea, he told her it was all right for her to watch the rest of the proceedings. Tabitha went back up the stairs to once again, joining Gwen by the railing, while Shandi worked on Jack's blood test.

The test confirmed Jack's urine test. There was no doubt that he was pregnant. Shandi suggested that she get answers to her questions first before proceeding with a scan. She explained it would help her see what was going on better, being this was unlike any pregnancy she had encountered, including in her med school days.

Jack suggested they go to his office for a while. As they walked across the Hub, Jack still wearing only his tee, Gwen looked at Tabitha.

"While they have their talk, why don't we go down and make sure we're ready for our shipment," she suggested. "Then we'll have time to celebrate."

Tabitha nodded. She was curious how pregnancy would work with Jack, but respected his privacy.

Jack seemed to sense the curiosity from Gwen and Tabitha. "Hey," he called out to them. When they looked back, he said, "I'm up to answering any questions that might come up as a result of this, but the long Q&A belongs to Shandi, for obvious reasons."

"Of course, Jack," Tabitha said with a small smile. "Just don't say I didn't warn you, because I am now."

Gwen laughed, looking back at her leader and best friend, and winked. She offered a smile to Ianto, who managed to appear to be excited and scared senseless at the same time. "Tabitha and I will be down in the Archives, getting ready for our shipment."

"You know, of course, that I'll be done there shortly," Ianto stated.

Gwen turned to face Ianto with a huge smile on her face. Giving him a mock salute, she said, "The Archives will be ready for inspection, sir!"

Tabitha broke out in laughter. Jack blinked, before he joined Tabitha. Ianto merely gave a small smirk. "That's what I'm saying. Carry on."

Jack grabbed Ianto's hand and pulled him toward his office, while the two women left the main area of the Hub for the lower levels. "Come on, you, before that goes to your head." He looked back to Shandi. "And he says I'll be impossible to live with." He winked at their medic, as Ianto attempted a scowl, but failing miserably.

Jack settled behind his desk, while Shandi took the offered chair before Jack's desk, and Ianto planted himself on a corner of the desk.

"So what do you need to know?" Jack asked, leaning back in his chair.

Shandi studied Ianto, seeing the surprise and curiosity on the younger man's face. This was obviously bringing up some things Jack had never shared with his partner. "Some of the stuff is going to be personal. Like stuff that should be in your medical file, however understanding why, we'll have to have it elsewhere, but I will need it to draw on during this pregnancy. We'll start with the essentials for now, until after you and Ianto get to talk privately. Which I get the feeling you need to do."

Ianto absently nodded his head in agreement before he realized he was doing it. His eyes shifted to Jack, who was looking up at him. "Yes, I think we do have a few things we need to sort," he said to Jack.

Jack tried flashing Ianto a reassuring grin, but he had always hated with Ianto used the word 'sort' when it came to matters concerning their relationship.

"First of all," Shandi started, bringing both men's attention to him, "how does it work? As sketchy as your medical record is, there are x-rays, along with some of those probes Dr. Harper convinced you to play subject for."

Jack gave a small sad smile. "I was his best test subject, because if something went wrong testing alien medical tech, he couldn't permanently kill someone, and yet still learn to understand how it would work on a human."

"I must say he came close to killing someone," Ianto commented dryly, his mind on some incidents, most notably the singularity scalpel.

Shandi chuckled. "So I heard. Now, Jack. How does it work?"

"You don't see anything evident, because there isn't. However, I can show you on the scans where is the little gland that it all starts from. I'm not good at explaining it in scientific terms, just what I know. It's part of my urinary tract. However, once activated, it does more." Jack shrugged in apology. "It obviously activated, and now that there's an embryo, I think you'll find in the scans the embryo has adhered itself where it will develop. There will be a mucus covering that is forming itself into a stronger lining. It's called the uterine lining. It will grow larger, because that is my womb to carry the baby. Once it settles in place, it will act just like a woman's uterus, growing along with the baby. Originally the baby in the mucus covering is attached to the urinary tract, but by the time the uterine lining is formed, you'll see all the other equipment forming from the baby and it shouldn't be much different than what you know of pregnancy."

Shandi sat in her chair, staring at Jack with utter fascination. She worked her mouth a couple of times before she found her voice. "You mean we get to watch the uterus form for your baby?"

"Where I'm from, it's called a uterine sac. After you deliver the baby, you'll also have to remove the remains. Then after that, no womb. Just like those scans you have of me, there will be no evidence that I can carry children."

"So, if you get pregnant again, the same process will happen?"

Jack nodded with a smile. "Yes. A new uterine lining will form around the baby with each pregnancy."

"That's amazing," Shandi exclaimed. "Wow!"

"Indeed," Ianto stated, also looking at Jack in amazement.

"I can point out what you need to be looking for when we do the scan," Jack offered.

Shandi looked thoughtful. "If you don't mind, I would like to scan you week by week. Not only to appease my own curiosity, but as we determined, this is not the 51st century, so if something seems to be off, we can catch it right away and do what we can to correct it."

"That's fine," Jack agreed. He looked up to Ianto. "I think Ianto would enjoy seeing the process. For the next few weeks, it will be vastly different than a normal pregnancy, then it should seem the same, but you'll also have the uterine lining to get past once it's formed. However, I believe we have a few devices among the alien tech that will be safe enough to use to track the pregnancy when regular equipment can't get past it."

"Explain, Jack," Shandi asked. She was scribbling notes on a notepad now as Jack talked.

"The uterine lining is thicker and more opaque than a woman's uterus. Sometimes there is only one place to regularly do a scan and see the baby. That would be the weak spot. Every lining has one. As long as it isn't too weak."

"Right. That would lead us to dangers to look after," Shandi commented.

"Weak lining, yes. It can cause the uterine sac to rupture. It's rare that it happens."

"What else?" Shandi insisted.

"The uterine sac detaching. If the umbilical cord and sac remain intact, then bed rest until it is safe to deliver can bring a successful birth."

"Right. I'll be wanting to know if that's not the case, and what can be done if we notice signs of it happening. And we will be monitoring for it. Along with what could cause it."

Jack's face fell slightly. "It's rare. Maybe 1 in a 100 pregnancies."

"Where you're from. Right now, there's just one pregnancy. And while we'll think healthy throughout the pregnancy and that you bring to full term a healthy baby, we will be watching for anything to prevent that, and I want to know in advance what could be done to correct it." She pointed her biro at Jack. "So this is not the time to decide what I need to know and what to keep secret when it concerns male pregnancies. Got that?"

Ianto twisted to give Jack a pointed look.

Jack sighed and nodded. "Sure. Of course. The baby comes first."

"Good, I'm glad you feel that way, because as of now, I'm putting you on limited duty, Captain. No wrestling with Weevils, running up and down the streets of Cardiff after aliens or placing yourself in situations that could injure or kill you. We don't need you dying with that baby in you. You will come back, but chances are your baby won't. Remember that before you decide to go behind my back and disobey my orders."

"You sound like my medical director back in the Time Agency."

"Oh? What did he or she have to say about that?"

Jack's mouth formed a thin line. Ianto shook his head. "Come on, Jack. The truth. What did your medical director do for pregnancy precautions."

"Time travel was considered a risk for pregnancy. Not that once or twice while pregnant can cause a miscarriage, but all agents who became pregnant were taken off the active list for traveling in time." Looking down, he admitted, "I was basically given desk duty. Research, drawing up contracts, determining prime insertion points. My second pregnancy, I was sent to the Academy to teach core courses."

"Desk duty for you, Captain Harkness," Shandi said the words Jack dreaded, but knew she was right for saying them.

"It's going to be hard," Jack admitted.

"I'll tell you what will be hard," Ianto stated firmly. "When you try to get out of the restraints I place on you to keep you out of the field will be hard."

Jack looked up at Ianto, raising his eyebrows, with a leer. "Oh really? Tell me more."

"This sounds like too much information for this session," Shandi exclaimed, but she was smiling. She looked over her notes. "Okay, I have enough to understand what we're about to do next. I do expect you to do a lot more talking in the next few days. If you like, talk into a recorder and release the recording to me to make my notes from. If I have any further questions, believe me, I'll be sitting you down and asking. Okay?"

"Talking for a recording sounds good," Jack agreed. "I can do that."

"As soon as possible."

Jack looked around his desk, as if judging what was pressing on his desk. "I might be able to start later today."

"Good." She smiled at Jack and Ianto. "Now, I gather you two like to see your baby? "

Ianto looked at Jack, smiling. Jack took Ianto's hand and squeezed it. "Yes," Jack answered, as Ianto nodded in agreement.

Shandi looked at Ianto. "Remember, it might not be much to look at."

"It'll be enough to see if everything is starting okay," Jack commented.

"And that's what we want to see," Shandi said. "Which reminds me. Do you have any idea how many weeks you might be?"

"About 5 to 8 weeks," Jack replied. "But not more than 8. For one thing, it had to have happened some point after our drought happened."

"I'm going to assume that by taking measurements we can narrow it down?" Shandi asked.

"Yes. You will. There will be signs along the way to let us know if we're on track."

"You'll tell me what they are, yes?"

"Of course."

"We'll still have a while before the baby's sex organs are developed enough to determine sex, but when we get to the time, do you think you would want to know the sex?" She looked at Jack, then Ianto.

Ianto shrugged. "I'm not sure. I know Iola did, and it helped us in helping her be prepared for Drew's birth. What did you do the before, Jack?"

"The first time, no. The second time, yes. I don't know yet."

"We have time until then," Ianto stated. "We can talk it out and come to a decision before we get to that point."

Jack smiled at Ianto, touching his hand. "Ever the pragmatic one." He looked back at Shandi. "We'll get back to you on that one." He grinned and winked at her.

"Right." Shandi stood up. "I still need to set up the proper equipment for the scanning. So why don't you wait here and I'll call you when I'm ready."

Jack looked like he was ready to protest. Ianto smiled down at Jack. "Sounds fair. Give her a chance to get ready. In the meantime, we both still have work that needs to be done."

Jack stared at his desk, knowing he's going to be seeing more of it than the field in the coming months and groaned. Shandi laughed as she left the office.

Ianto sat quietly for a moment, before he stood up. Leaning across the desk, he softly kissed Jack. "I should go and check on Tabitha and Gwen, and make sure we still have Archives."

Jack snorted, looking up at the younger man. "I find it hard to believe you'll ever release full control of the Archives to Tabitha."

"One day, yes, but she's not ready yet." Ianto smiled at Jack, and then straightened his suit jacket. "I trust you will call me when Shandi is ready?"

"Of course. Be gentle with them," Jack teased.

"Be gentle with me after I see what they did to my Archives." Ianto rolled his eyes and turned to leave the office.

Jack shook his head as he watched his partner leave the office. The only way Jack would believe Ianto could actually turn complete control of the Archives over to Tabitha would be when he actually did it. If he did it.

After all, seven months later, Ianto was still grooming Tabitha in serving coffee and food, along with handling the Information Booth.

Shifting through his paperwork, giving it a cursory glance to determine importance, he could not help chuckling at how particular Ianto could be.

It was going to be interesting to watch when Ianto became a father.