Title: Keeping Up with the Harkness-Joneses
Fandoms: Torchwood/Glee
Pairings: Mostly Jack/Ianto and Quinn/Finn, with grautitious mentions of many Doctor Who, Torchwood and Glee ships.
Rating: PG-13, and a sound PG-13 at that
Warning: Lots of fluff, lots of sad chapters, implications and mentions of domestic abuse, occasional violent chapters and Jack and Ianto like to kiss...a lot.
Beta:I don't have one at the moment, but if you'd like to, I'd be more than appreciative!
Summary:After discovering that Ianto is immortal, Jack is able to rebuild his life with the other man. They become Ianto and Jack Harkness-Jones, and are dropped off in Lima, Ohio by the Doctor. Why Lima? The Rift is like a window, with Cardiff on one side, and Lima on the other side. They expect the craziness that comes with the Rift. What they don't expect? Needing to adopt a six year old: Quinn Fabray. And they discover that life doesn't always turn out like they planned.
Notes: Special shout out to carnation12, the loveliest most loyal reviewer anyone could ask for, and to Qzil and Hazel, who to told me to put this fic on the site in the first place!
Chapter 6
Most people in Lima don't get anything larger than a dog for a pet. The Harkness-Jones family has a pterodactyl. Somehow, much to Ianto's delight, Myfanwy finds her way to Lima, and now lives in a bunker underneath the Harkness-Jones house. Both Jack and Ianto are delighted to discover that Quinn and Myfanwy take to each other in the blink of an eye, to the point where Myfanwy would make whining noises for the first few days when Quinn would go off to school.
"Daddy, you have to give Myfanwy something other than dark chocolate every day because you always tell me that dark chocolate isn't good for my tummy when I try to take Myfanwy's," Quinn instructs one day as they're getting ready for dinner. Ianto notes with a grin that Quinn's Welsh pronunciation is improving every day.
Jack is still at work; apparently, there is some major rift activity downtown and it doesn't seem like he'll make it home for dinner tonight. "She likes oranges. Or...orennau. She took the clementine out of my lunchbox and ate it one big gulp when I had a picnic with her!" Quinn makes a large gulping noise to demonstrate. Ianto smiles and begins cutting up an orange to show his daughter that he is more than dedicated to the pterodactyl's well-being than she makes him out to be. He doesn't feed Myfanwy chocolate every day like Quinn seems to think he does. In fact, most days he doesn't, but he loves spoiling Myfanwy as much as he loves spoiling Quinn.
"Quinn, you know I don't like you down there with Myfanwy by yourself," Ianto says, dicing the orange into tiny pieces and mixing it with some meat. He seals the mixture in a container which he sticks in the fridge to give the pterodactyl after dinner. "You can't come down with me tonight to feed Myfanwy."
"But Daddy!" Quinn whines, stamping her foot. Feeding Myfanwy with Daddy Ianto is one of her favorite parts of the day.
"No buts," Ianto keeps his voice calm and even. Between Jack and Quinn, he's gotten very good at keeping his voice calm, but letting them know that he isn't happy. "That's one of the two rules I told you about Myfanwy: you can't be down there with her by yourself and don't let anyone that she's here. If you're good tonight, you can come with me to feed Myfanwy breakfast tomorrow. How does that sound?"
"Fine," Quinn grumbles, folding her arms. She's still upset that she can't she can't feed Myfanwy tonight with her Daddy Ianto, but she supposes that she'll have to take it if she wants to feed Myfanwy the next morning. "Daddy, I have a question about rule number two. Can I bring Artie to see Myfanwy?"
"Absolutely not," Ianto says, shaking his head firmly. "What part of 'don't let anyone know that she's here' is unclear, Quinn? And I don't even know who Artie is, Quinn."
"Artie is a boy in my class! He really likes dinosaurs and he's a really good secret keeper!" Quinn says, pleading. She sticks out her bottom lip and clasps her hands together tightly. "He's a really good friend to me and he keeps all the secrets I tell him and he doesn't tell anyone else like Brittany and Santana do!" She looks at him very seriously and adds, "Daddy, he holds doors open for all the girls, and we play dinosaurs at recess and he always lets me be the T-Rex even though the T-Rex is his favorite dinosaur. So maybe I could thank him by showing him a real dinosaur? He's never gonna get to see one up close ever unless I show him!"
"Are you going to take him on a date, Quinn?" Ianto asks wryly, smiling at his little girl. He continues stirring the meat and vegetables in the pan.
"No, I don't know how to cook and I don't know how to dance," Quinn says casually, and Ianto chuckles a little bit at that. He and Jack always have a special dinner and slow dance in the living room on their date nights. "And dates are only for grown-ups. Daddy Jack always looks forward to your date nights, Daddy Ianto. He gets so crazy making sure the house is so clean and perfect for when you get home from work. One time he burned his hand on the candle, and I kissed it and made it all better."
"Yeah?" Ianto asks, shuffling around, setting the table. Jack had failed to mention that to him. Then again, they don't say much on their date nights. There's a lot more in simple touches and loving glances on their nights together. He bites his lip, looking up at the clock. He's not used to waiting for Jack to come back from a mission. He's so used to being by Jack's side, knowing exactly where and when Jack is at all times.
"And," Quinn adds for emphasis, not seeing that her father is distracted. Ianto looks at his daughter, trying to refocus. "I don't care what the house looks like when Artie comes over because he would only see Myfanwy and Myfanwy's bedroom is always a mess because you never ask her to clean up. And we wouldn't be down there alone! We'd have each other." Ianto gives her a pointed look and she says sheepishly, "Or you or Daddy Jack could be down there with us. That would be okay too. Artie doesn't mind that I have two daddies. He says that his mommy says that there should be more love in the world."
"I'll ask your Daddy Jack about it, see what he has to say." Ianto says with a mock sigh. Quinn pumps her fist in the air, a silent gesture of victory. "He hasn't said yes yet, annwyl," he teases her gently. "Now go wash up for dinner."
Jack returns about an hour after they finish dinner, and Myfanwy has been fed. "Daddy!" Quinn leaps up from the couch and runs into her father's waiting arms. "Daddy Ianto fed Myfanwy without me today," she tells him, pouting, once Jack has lifted her up and propped her against his hip.
"She also had a picnic with Myfanwy without telling either of us and she wants to bring one of her friends from school, a boy, home to see our lovely pterodactyl," Ianto quips getting up off of the couch, and slinging an arm around Jack's waist. "Hello, cariad," he murmurs, giving Jack a gentle kiss. "How was work?"
"Fine. The usual. Rift activity, chaos, the whole nine yards," Jack says cheerfully enough, but his eyes focus on some far off point which means one of two things: either Jack has died today, or someone else has died and that has got Jack thinking. Ianto tightens his grip around Jack and Jack briefly presses his forehead against Ianto's. "You want to bring a boy here?" Jack asks playfully to the girl in his arms. "Quinn, I thought we talked about this: no dating 'til you're married."
"You and Daddy Ianto started dating before you got married," Quinn responds with a full grin, rolling her eyes. "And it's not a date, Daddy! I just want to show him Myfanwy because he likes dinosaurs and lets me be the T-Rex when we play dinosaurs at recess!"
"The T-Rex, huh?" Jack asks, knowing that the T-Rex is Quinn's favorite dinosaur, other than Myfanwy. "I guess it couldn't hurt." Quinn cheers and Jack adds, very seriously, "But you have to swear him to secrecy. He can't tell anyone else or they'll take Myfanwy away from us, all right?"
"Yes, yes, yes, I promise!" Quinn says excitedly. "Can I go call him to invite him over now?" Jack sets Quinn down and she makes off for the kitchen, her yellow nightgown flowing in her wake. The moment she is gone, Jack brings Ianto tightly to him and holds him there for a moment.
"What happened?" Ianto asks quietly, so glad that Jack is here with him. "Jack, tell me what happened."
"I died," Jack says quietly. "My team knows about my immortality." Ianto lets out a shaky exhale and holds Jack as tightly as he can. "They don't understand it, but they're not gonna cast me out, either." Jack gently strokes the back of Ianto's head with his thumb. "The only thing I could think about is what would happen to you and Quinn if I didn't come back. I promised her I was never gonna leave her. And I promised you." His eyes search Ianto's face desperately, trying to memorize every line, every detail.
"It's all right, Jack," Ianto says soothingly, cupping Jack's face in one hand and stroking it with his thumb. "You came back. You're here, you're safe." Jack still looks unconvinced and Ianto kisses him firmly. "I love you."
"You know I'm never going to leave you again, right?" Jack asks roughly, burying his face in Ianto's chest.
"I know, cariad," Ianto says softly, guiding him to the couch. "I know." They sit down and Ianto allows Jack to curl into him. "Not used to seeing you like this," Ianto whispers, holding Jack closely. "I wish I knew how to help."
"You are helping," Jack murmurs, sniffling. "I just…I don't know. I've never needed to know that someone's there, safe, like I need to know you are. I care about you so much, Yan." Ianto smiles and kisses Jack's forehead gently.
"Daddy Jack?" Quinn's quiet voice trembles from the kitchen. She's just standing archway between the kitchen and the living room. "Daddy Jack, what hurts?"
"Nothing hurts, baby," he replies, sitting up and wiping his eyes. "I'm fine." Quinn says nothing, but she climbs into his lap, and curls up against his chest.
"I love you, Daddy Jack," she whispers. "Would it make you feel better if Artie didn't come over tomorrow?"
"Oh, sweetheart," Jack says, drawing his arm around Quinn. "You can still have your friend over. Everything's fine." He kisses the top of her head. They send her off to bed shortly after, and she goes without protest, knowing that her Daddy Jack is upset.
The next day, Jack takes the day off from work, and there's very little indication of rift activity. He picks up Quinn and her friend Artie up from school, and Quinn is chattering away about the 'awesome' thing she has to show him. And when Jack brings them to the bunker, the little boy's breath is taken away, and he slips his hand into Quinn's. "What is that?" he breathes.
"That's Myfanwy," Quinn explains. "She's a pterodactyl. But you can't tell anyone that she's here or she'll be taken away."
"Do the others know?" Artie asks, his eyes not moving from the creature. It swoops up in front of him and eyes him warily. "What's it doing?" he asks nervously.
"She wants to know if you're safe," Quinn explains, placing her tiny hand between the pterodactyl's eyes. "Put your hand where mine is. She likes that." Artie mimics her action and the pterodactyl coos. "She likes you!" Quinn exclaims happily.
"Does anyone else know about this?" Artie asks breathlessly, petting the dinosaur.
"Just you," Quinn smiles, and Jack wonders for the first time if he's going to have to worry about Artie when Quinn gets older. And so Artie comes over every Thursday to do homework with Quinn and play with Myfanwy. Sometimes, Rachel, Santana and Brittany will come over after Quinn and Artie have their play time with the giant pterodactyl, and the Harkness-Jones household is bustling with children. This goes on happily for two years, until one day just before Quinn's ninth birthday; Jack goes to pick up Quinn at school, and finds that she is sitting alone.
When he walks to her, she runs toward him and throws her arms around his middle letting out a sob. He strokes her hair concernedly, and he kneels down to try and talk to her. She throws his arms around his neck and continues to sob. She's not as light as she used to be, but Jack can still pick her up with ease and he allows her to cry it out while he walks back to the parking lot. "Daddy, I tried so hard to not cry all day and it made my throat hurt and I can't do it anymore," she sniffles at him.
"It's all right, sweetheart," Jack coos. "It's okay to cry. And you just tell me what's wrong when you're ready." He sits in the backseat of the car with Quinn on his lap, crying her eyes out. His heart aches because she's crying. Then, he gasps a little bit because he remembers that three days ago, there was massive Rift activity. Huge beasts came out of nowhere and caused a massive fifteen car pile-up. He vaguely remembered them talking about a little boy Quinn's age who…suddenly two and two clicked. "Are you crying because Artie is in the hospital, sweetheart?"
Quinn nods, sniffling. "He might not walk again, Daddy. They're all saying that he's never gonna walk again, but Artie's stronger than that! He has to be! He's my Artie and I know he's stronger than that!" She clings to her daddy as tightly as possible because she needs something solid to hold onto. "And teacher says we can't see him, cuz he won't wake up…why won't he wake up, Daddy?" Jack has no idea how to answer that except to hold the little girl a little bit closer. "Daddy, if Artie wakes up before my birthday, can I go see him on my birthday instead of having a birthday party?"
"Of course," Jack says, but he doesn't think it'll be likely. But, the boy proves him wrong and wakes up a few days later, just in time for Quinn's birthday. He, Quinn and Ianto go down to the hospital with cake and balloons, and Mrs. Abrams insists that Quinn shouldn't spend her birthday with Artie, and Quinn insists that she wants to and nobody should say no to the birthday girl. At first, it's clear that Artie is wary about having his friend nearby. But soon the two kids fall back into their old ways, laughing and talking excitedly to one another, and Jack and Ianto smiling at their little girl, thinking that she has the biggest heart in the world.
Well, I hope you enjoyed it! It was kind of sad, but also very happy? I dunno. Please, tell me what you thought. I'd love to know! Have a nice afternoon/night/weekend! See you Monday!
-LBP