A/N: Next chapter, as promised. Hope you enjoy. Spoilers Alert! Some Gwen bashing too :D Oh, and before I forget, Cai (pronounced C-aye) is short for Cainwyn, and Oops[ie] is a nickname for Owain, but I'll explain that later on in the story ;D

Declaimer: Sadly, I do not own Torchwood

Chapter 4

Announcing the news

"I'll go make the coffee, Rhys, a hand, please."

"Oh, yeah, mate. Be right there."

Jack nodded to Ianto and took a deep breath before leading the way to the conference room. Once Ianto and Rhys had passed around the coffees, Yan sat beside Jack, and whispered "it's time, Jack."

So Jack stood and said "I have several pieces of news. Firstly, Rhys has joined the team. He'll be helping Ianto around the Hub, also, driving us places and transporting alien goods when we need them to be moved.

Secondly, I'll be hiring a couple more people onto the team, in the hopes that we can get more holiday time, and breaks. It also means that if one of us is temporarily down, we're not pulling double shifts to cover for them." He drew a deep breath and continued. "And lastly, Ianto and I have some good news."

"What, you're pregnant and it's an alien?" Owen joked.

"No, we're getting married." Jack replied. "Well, not actually married, considering how stilted you twenty-first century people are, but we're entering a civil partnership."

"You're serious, aren't you?" Owen asked, before continuing "Well, bloody hell, it's bad enough now, but if you're married, you're going to be a lot worse, and if I see an undeleted bit of CCTV again, I may be sick."

"I think it's brilliant." Tosh said getting up to hug her boss, and her best friend. "Congratulations, guys!"

"Bloody brilliant! Well done, mates." Was Rhys's enthused response.

Everyone looked at the pale Gwen, and Ianto raised his eyebrow, realising that she was trying hard to not scream in anger. "Gwen…" Rhys said, but instead of replying, she jumped to her feet, and stalked angrily out of the Hub.

Rhys paled in shock and sat down, and seeing this, Jack inclined his head, ordering everyone out. "I'm sorry, Rhys. I…"

"I thought she loved me. I knew that she was pining after someone else when I asked her to marry me, but I thought she loved me. Why, Jack?"

"When we first met, Yan and I weren't as close as we are now, and I was intrigued by her. I flirted with her- I flirt with everyone, to be honest- but she believed I thought she was special, and at first, I did. I let her argue with my orders because she claimed to be the only one who remembered what being human in the twenty-first century meant. I have to say, at first, I was attracted to her, but I knew she had you, and I wouldn't take it passed flirting anyway; Yan had already gotten that deep into my heart that I remained exclusive to him. Then, gradually, she began to change. She grew colder, more cruel. She hadn't seen anything truly bad, and yet she changed. Torchwood changed her. I thought that by becoming your fiancée, she was finally becoming herself again. It's taken me this last week to see how wrong I was. I am truly sorry, Rhys. I know you love her."

"I think, at one point, I did. But now, I don't think I've loved Gwen, so much as loved my version of her. This Gwen- Torchwood's Gwen- isn't the woman I fell in love with, and I think I've known that for a while."

The two men looked at each other, before Jack said "Right, well, we'll deal with Gwen later, but now; training. First is your complete introduction into aliens, then weapons, then safety speed driving-for emergencies only- then tech. then lastly, emergency first aid. Ianto will take you for your alien introduction, which will last a week." He paused and walked to the door. "Yan!" He called, and Ianto headed over to them, another mug of coffee for Jack. He nodded Rhys follow him, and as he left the room, Jack stole a chaste peck and winked flirtatiously. Ianto smirked and rolled his eyes as he left, with the parting shot "Now we just need to tell my family."

Jack visibly gulped. Ianto's family didn't even know about him. He really hated the initial meeting with his partners' families. As Rhys passed, he muttered what sounded like "Good luck, mate." Before disappearing to the Archives.

Three days later found Jack in a state of nervous fear. He kept fiddling with a tie he wasn't sure he was going to wear or not, when Yan approached him and took the tie from him. "No ties necessary. It's only casual, and you look intimidating enough without one on."

Jack breathed a sigh of relief, before he began panicking once more. "What if they really don't like me? What if they disown you for being with me? I can't bear you losing your family because of me."

"Jack, look at yourself. They'll love you, or they'll never seem me again. It's as simple as that. And you are also my family, so quit worrying."

"I know telling them your fiancée is a man over the phone is cruel, but shouldn't we have prepared them to begin with?"

"Were you this nervous when you met your previous partners' families?" Ianto asked curiously.

"No," Jack replied. "I was nervous, but not this nervous. None of them knew me as well as you do, nor did the mean as much to me, to be completely honest."

Ianto smiled at that, before ushering Jack to the car.

They stood on the doorstep, hand in hand, as Yan rang the bell. The door flew open, and something flew into Yan's arms, as he laughed "Hello, monster, are you going to let me go, or do I have to call mam on you?"

"Hi Yan. It's so great that you came! You'd never guess what: Owain has a girlfriend. She's in Year 13 and they've been going out for two years' but no one knew 'cept me cuz I know everything about him. He brought her home with him today and she's real pretty and Owain's thinking about proposing to her, but he said he'd wait 'til we heard your news, cuz we haven't seen you in yonks, what with your job and us being at Uni and tad and all."

"All right, Cai, slow down! And let me come in. This is Jack, by the way."

"Hi, Cainwyn, I've heard a lot about you." Said Jack with his dazzling Harkness grin.

"Hi, Jack." she replied before leaning in to Ianto and whispering "Oh my god, he's hot. Where'd you find him. Can I have him?"

Ianto laughed and shook his head. "I'll explain once everyone's gathered."

"Rhi, Johnny and the kids aren't coming. Mica's got the flu and Johnny's working. It's just me, you Owain, Mam, Seren and Jack."

"Tad?"

"Didn't listen to Mam and went to the pub an hour ago."

Ianto sighed, and Jack squeezed his shoulder. They then walked into the living room, and Ianto received hugs from his baby brother and his Mam. He then managed to get everyone sat down before saying "Mam, Cai, Oops, Seren, I'd like you to meet Jack, my fiancée."

The shocked silence almost became unbearable, when Cai squealed and hugged both men, exclaiming congratulations. Oops soon followed his twin's example, in a more sedate (what Jack would have referred to as Ianto-like) manner. Seren, who was also there to be introduced to the family, stood and congratulated them, like a strange who had just watched the proposal. The twins sat down, and they all glanced worriedly at Mrs Mairwyn Jones, who had remained silent. Ianto began "Mam…"

But she shook her head, and, fingering the silver cross around her neck she muttered "Wrong, it's wrong. What will your Tad say? How could you? What about Lisa?"

All in the room reacted as though they'd been whipped. Stunned disbelief to anger was written on their features, and Ianto, the angriest present, coiled up and prepared to shout, when Jack shook his head and said "Mrs Jones, I'd like you to know I love your son, with all my heart and soul. We well be making our relationship as legal as the law allows for homosexual couples. If you wish to see your son again, especially if you wish to see him happy, I believe you need to apologise to him, and congratulate him on his up and coming nuptials. Otherwise, we'll be leaving, and you will have no contact with him from this point on."

Ianto's mam shook her head and said "I'm sorry, but I can't. If his tad should find out…"

"Leave him already, Mam!" Ianto said abruptly. "Us kids have all moved out. There's no need for you to stay. Please. If he find out some other way and then realises you know, he'll hurt you-bad."

"Yan's right, Mam. We all know how Tad gets when he's angry. It's only because of you and Yan that me, Oops and Rhi weren't hurt. But we did see. We saw how he hurt you and Yan. Please, Mam."

Jack tensed when he realised Ianto's tad was abusive, and he wrapped his arm protectively around Ianto's waist. Ianto realised the significance of the gesture, and squeezed Jack's hand in gratitude.

Mairwyn Jones noticed this exchange, and it, unlike the words of her children, reached past the scared woman, and touched the strong mother. She nodded, saying "He could be back any minute, we've got to be quick if we're really going to do this. Kids, grab all the stuff you want to keep. Jack, can you pack away the last of Yan's stuff. Yan, get everything of value that belongs to me, or my side of the family. I'll get my clothes."

After a bustle of activity, Jack's SUV was loaded with everyone's things and all the seats were filled. Mairwyn had locked the door and posted an envelope with the house key and a note about why they left, through the letter box before joining everyone in the SUV.

As they were driving down the street, the four Joneses tensed as a drunken man swaggered down the road. Jack rubbed Ianto's leg and whispered "Your father, I presume?" All Ianto could do was nod his response and be glad they hadn't been delayed.

A/N: Next chapter to be posted tomorrow. TTFN and DFTBA x