A/N: Chibi!Tosh has stopped crying! She says she feels much better now, and she reminded me to thank everyone who was kind enough to review. And she said I should remind everyone that Auntie Beeb owns this stuff. Not me.
Anyhoo… new chapter. This one involves some actual JackJenny stuff…. I would have done this last time but I needed to make sure the Doc was grounded for a while. So this is… domestic, and cute, and kinda fluffy. Enjoy!
Over the next few days, arrangements for the Doctor, Jenny and Donna were made… Ianto was looking for a house they could stay in, and they were temporarily added to the list of current Torchwood staff – the Doctor as a Consultant, Donna as his assistant, and Jenny as a junior operative until she got used to everything.
In reality, it worked out that the Doctor divided his time between rummaging through the Archives looking for parts, rummaging around in the TARDIS, arguing with Jack about just about anything, and imparting bits of Gallifreyan wisdom to Jenny. And generally making the Hub even more of a mess than it already was, which was really starting to annoy Ianto.
"Really, can't you do something?" He appealed to Jack.
"Sorry. The Doctor's kind of a force of nature. Best not to get in the way, and a real pain to clean up after."
"Just… talk to him? Please?"
"Because it's you, I'll try. No promises though."
Donna, meanwhile, had settled into Torchwood life easily. She didn't have much experience with aliens, but her first session on the firing range had been… impressive, and her long experience as an office temp meant that she handled the stacks of paperwork easily. Her efficiency actually made it possible for the team as a whole to do more fieldwork. For the first few days, while Ianto was finding accommodation, she had been staying with Martha, who she was really bonding with. The Doctor was staying at the Hub with Jack, and they had planned for Jenny to sleep there too… until Gwen found out and nixed the idea straight away, taking Jenny home to stay with her and Rhys.
Somewhat surprisingly, Jenny had adapted very quickly to her new life. She was bonding with Gwen, which was good – of the three women she knew, Gwen was closest to her in age (technically). Even the Doctor managed to dial the over-protectiveness down just enough to realise that Jenny needed a friend who was at least close to her age. Or her apparent age, anyway. As for the work… the military training she'd been implanted with at her creation was useful. They found out that she knew three forms of unarmed combat as well as being very proficient with firearms - Jack didn't even bother giving her more than one session on the firing range. All she needed was one lesson to get used to 21st-century weapons and she was fine.
Jack wouldn't admit this to anyone for love nor money, but her skill in that area actually scared him sometimes. And the way she could take down a Weevil single-handed and with only minimal use of Weevil-repellant spray was just a little worrying too…
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On the fourth day after the Doctor, Donna and Jenny had arrived, Ianto had a house organised for them, and he'd even managed to sort out basic furniture and a bank account each for the Doctor and Jenny (in the names John and Jenny Smith). That day, entirely by coincidence, there wasn't too much work to be done at the Hub, so the whole team went to help them settle in.
It was a rather nice house – big, situated next to a park, and in an area without too many curious neighbours. Just in case, though, it had a tall hedge running around the house and garden. There were four bedrooms – after a long talk with Jack, it had been decided that Torchwood could probably use a house anyway, if only as a place for guests to stay that wasn't the Vaults or a hotel. None of them had much stuff to move in… just clothes from the TARDIS and a few other items, so they spent the rest of the day relaxing. It was warm and sunny, so Gwen, Martha and Donna were outside in the garden, while Ianto and the Doctor headed to the nearest supermarket to pick up supplies for a barbeque (it had been the Doctor's idea).
Jack and Jenny were supposed to be joining the others outside. Actually, they were in Jenny's new (if temporary) bedroom. At first Jack had been helping her put her clothes away in the wardrobe, but now that was finished they were sitting on her bed talking.
"It's a nice house, this. Ianto did a good job."
Jenny shrugged. "I don't know that much about normal-people houses. It seems nice though. And I have my own room, like on the TARDIS."
"Yeah. You should get some decorations… pictures and things. I know you won't be here long, but you might as well have a room that looks nice while you are."
"I've got some photographs. Me and Dad and Donna, mostly, in different places."
"That's a start. We'll have to get you some frames to put them in."
"Jack…. I think… I think I'd like some pictures of you, too. And Gwen and Martha and Ianto. So that when we go again, I'll have something to help me remember my friends."
He smiled. "I'm sure we can manage that…" An idea occurred to him. Jack took out his phone and speed-dialled Ianto's number.
"Ianto… are you still in the supermarket?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Could you get some disposable cameras while you're there?"
"Er… yes. Why?"
"Just something for Jenny, that's all."
"Oh. Of course."
As he put his phone away, Jenny asked. "What's a disposable camera?"
"You know the photos you've already got?"
"Yes. We used Donna's camera."
"Well, a disposable camera is like the one Donna has, except it has a set amount of film inside it, and once that film is used up you open the camera, develop the pictures and throw the camera away."
"Oh. And it's just like a normal camera?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. Thanks, Jack."
"Thank Ianto when he gets back, not me."
"I don't mean the camera. I mean… since we got here, you've been so good to me. I know it hasn't been very long, but you've really been looking after me. That's what I wanted to thank you for."
"It's just my job."
"But… you took me shopping… you got Ianto to find a house for me and Dad and Donna… you didn't have to do that. Donna could have stayed with Martha, Dad would've been happy at the Hub, I wouldn't've minded staying with Gwen a bit longer."
"Oh… you know, Jenny, your dad's sort of… special, to me. And I don't see him that much, so I try to make an effort when I do. And of course there's you and Donna to look after."
"Well, thanks anyway, I appreciate it." She hugged him. It was meant to be an ordinary, friendly hug… but it lasted just a little bit too long, holding each other with Jenny's head resting against Jack's shoulder.
"It was no problem. My pleasure." He went to kiss her forehead, but that went a bit wrong when she looked up and he ended up kissing her mouth instead.
It only lasted about a second, barely counting as a real kiss, and he pulled away almost immediately. She sat up straight, looking at him curiously. "Jack? What's wrong?"
"Oh. Er… nothing. It's just… that shouldn't have happened."
"Why not? Did we do something bad? Isn't kissing allowed?"
"That's not it, exactly. I made a promise, that's all."
"To who?"
"Your Dad. I told him nothing would happen between us…"
"Oh. Right. So it's not me? I didn't do anything wrong?"
"No, of course not… I just can't, that's all."
"Oh."
Jack sighed with relief when he heard Ianto shout up for them, and left the room quickly. On the way downstairs he stopped to splash cold water on his face.
Ohh… why her? Of everyone I know… why'd it have to be her? Anyone else and it'd be fine. Now, he'll find out somehow and then I'll really be in trouble.
He found Ianto in the kitchen with several shopping bags.
"Ianto. Did you get everything?"
"Yes. The Doctor's taken the barbeques outside already, we got the disposable kind. And I got you those cameras." He took a couple of smallish cardboard boxes from one of the bags.
"Thanks. D'you need any help with this stuff?"
"If you could take the drinks and the glasses outside, that would be good."
"Sure."
Once outside, they soon had the barbeques set up and a variety of food cooking. Ianto and the Doctor had also bought other things… like a frisbee, a ball, other game-related things, and while the food was cooking they played together – a frisbee game, a football match with Gwen, Jenny and Martha on one side and Jack, the Doctor and Ianto on the other (Donna was refereeing while keeping an eye on the food).
When they'd exhausted themselves, they collapsed onto the grass to eat. Later, when it started to get dark, they cleared away the barbeque things and moved inside, where they camped out in the living room. Ianto had had the foresight to get other food items on his trip to the supermarket, so pretty soon all seven were sitting on the various chairs, the sofa, and in the Doctor's case the floor, watching DVDs. Jack, Jenny and Ianto occupied the sofa – Ianto at one end, and Jenny resting against Jack at the other, with Jack's arm around her shoulders. It occurred to Jack that it was risky… but everyone was focused on the movie so he decided it was safe, just about.
Guess what? The Chibis are running riot again. Well, sort of. Chibi!Ten's holed up with a stack of Agatha Christie novels (I just saw "The Unicorn and the Wasp"), and he's ignoring me. And Chibi!Master is smiling waaaaaay too much, in a really creepy way. Evidently he's up to something… and Chibi!Owen is being more of a git than usual, he keeps having stupid arguments with Chibi!Ianto, Chibi!Rhys, Chibi!Gwen… and possibly Chibi!Myfanwy-the-pterodactyl as well. Not sure how he managed that last one. But if I get muchos reviews, I can rally the other Chibis and they can strike back. Somehow.
You know what to do…