Chapter 6

It took another four days until Xana announced she felt confident Ianto could use the Vortex device successfully. In the days before, when Ianto was done with working with Xana, and he was not relaxing in his suite, he spent his time going out and exploring the city. Twice Jack had accompanied him, showing him spots that were his and Sean's favorites.

The evening of Ianto had met Sean; they invited him up to their penthouse for dinner. Jack was still monitoring them through his wrist strap while both Ianto and Sean were careful not to touch each other. Ianto was amazed when he first entered the penthouse. He thought the suite he was staying in was bigger and nicer than the flat he had back home, but it was shadowed by the large and spacious area Jack and Sean called home. The rooms had high ceilings and most of them had glass walls that overlooked the city. It was a duplex apartment, with the bedrooms upstairs and above that was another rooftop garden. They had plenty of space surrounding the penthouse and it was closed off with high fences, making it safe for the children to play outdoors. Ianto noticed a swing and gym set outside the living room doors that led to the patio. It was futuristic looking, but not so different that he couldn't tell what it was. For most of the time he spent with the Jones family, he was kept busy by the three children, all of them curious about their mysterious Uncle Ianto, especially knowing he would only be around for a short time. Ianto found himself taking the kids to the park a couple of days later, because he was done for the day, but Sean and Jack both had a dinner meeting. The kids begged that their uncle watch them that evening.

Ianto grew fond of the children, and knew he would be sad to say goodbye to them. His comfort was knowing that one day in the far future, he wouldn't be just their uncle. He would be their Taddy and he would know the experience of bringing the twins into the world. Unlike his first couple of nights in the strange future, feeling lonely and missing his world and Jack, Ianto slept well, content and happy to know what the future held for him.

On the fourth day, Jack followed Ianto into his suite after he let the older man in. "Are you up to giving this a try tonight?" Jack asked Ianto. "Xana doesn't feel any further work will improve your chances. The small tests she ran with you this morning confirm you can take yourself home."

Ianto sat on the stool, over by the breakfast bar, that looked into the kitchen area. "That anxious to get rid of me, Jack?" he teased.

Jack looked stricken. "No. But well… I already have you here. I need you with the me that you left behind. All I can think about is how I felt during the time you were missing. I was desperate, willing to try anything to get you back. By the time you finally came back, I know Gwen, Owen and Toshiko were most certainly ready for you to show up. I drove them crazy. But I was so scared I had lost you and would never get you back."

Ianto smiled at Jack and laid his hand on the other man's shoulder. "I know, Jack. As much as I'm enjoying this time, and seeing what's in store for us, I need to go home. I've been here about a week now." He patted Jack's shoulder and moved his hand away. "I think that's the longest I've gone without a shag since you returned from your time with the Doctor. Or even a kiss. Especially with you around."

"I can give you one kiss. I don't think Sean would mind too much." Jack gave Ianto a cocky grin. "I mean, it's not like I'll be cheating on him with you."

"I know, Jack. You don't have to. I'll be kissing you tonight. And shagging you into tomorrow."

Jack laughed. "It's always the quiet ones." He rested his arms on the counter as a thoughtful look crossed his face. "I do have you around and have had you with me for a very long time, but weird as it sounds, I'm also going to miss you."

"I know," Ianto stated quietly. "I'm going to miss you, too. Well, at least until the Retcon kicks in."

"We're going to have to be very precise with it. You'll take it just as you're ready to leave. I can't take a chance of it kicking in while you're controlling the device, and I know you can keep quiet but I'd feel better if you can honestly say you don't remember when I realize you're back."

"Do we have an exact departure time?" Ianto asked.

"After dinner. Come spend one last afternoon with the family and have dinner with us. Afterwards you can come back here and get yourself ready. Xana and I will bring the device here. Then back you go."

"Sounds good to me."

Jack stood up and smiled at Ianto. "Come up in about an hour. I want to take a nice long shower and unwind a bit." He winked and with a grin, added, "As much as I can with three kids and a pregnant partner." He bent down and lightly kissed Ianto's forehead. "I'll see you in a bit."

"I think I'm going to relax a bit too until then." Ianto smiled up at Jack. "Thank you. For everything."

"You too. I need to thank you too. Later, Ianto."

"See you, Jack."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ianto was coming out of the shower when he heard the intercom buzz. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he went over to the intercom just outside the bathroom. "Yes," he answered.

"Ianto," Jack's voice came through.

Ianto immediately tensed up. In that single word, he felt waves of fear coming from Jack, along with an array of other emotions. "Jack? What's wrong?"

"We're down in medical. It's Sean… he had an accident," Jack explained, his voice sounding like he was close to tears.

"Enough said, Jack. I'm on my way down. I take it Sheila's with the children?"

"Yes."

"I'll be there in a few."

"I'll tell them that you're on your way down."

"Hang in there, Jack."

Ianto closed the communication and rushed to get dressed. Instead of the suit he had put aside to wear to dinner, he grabbed a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt and was on his way to medical within minutes.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Xana met Ianto at the medical area and escorted him through until he found Jack pacing the halls, running his hands through his hair.

"Jack," Ianto called out. When the other man lifted his head and looked at him, he broke into a run and pulled Jack into his arms. He felt Jack tremble and held him tight. "You should sit down. Come with me." He was glad when Jack allowed him to guide them to a battered couch. Jack didn't let go when they were seated. "Tell me what happened."

"It was a stupid accident, one of those freak things, but he's lost a lot of blood and no matter what they do, they don't think they can keep him from dying. Which is okay, because he'll come back, but the baby… he's just barely six months along. Even with our technology, the survival rate is still a little better than 20% that the baby can survive outside a human body," Jack explained, and then buried his face in Ianto's shoulder.

Ianto ran fingers through the dark hair wayward hair, trying to smooth it. Jack wore his hair even shorter than his Jack, but had almost the same overall style. With the shorter hair, however, it stuck up at random angles more than Ianto was used to. "Are there any alternatives?" Ianto asked.

"I offered to carry the baby through the rest of the pregnancy, but the pregnancy is too advanced for a cold transplant. I'd have to get treatments for my body to produce the right hormones, to be in the right condition to host a baby. It could take hours, but we don't have hours. They're still trying to find ways to keep Sean alive, but we were both told we should pick a name." Jack shuddered. "You know, for the birth certificate. And here we wanted this one to be a surprise until it was born."

At little urging from Ianto, Jack explained how Sean had slipped in the kitchen on a wet spot while carrying a knife. While he managed to prevent the blade from ripping open the sac containing the baby, the knife had dragged and caused a huge gash along Sean's side. By the time a doctor came up to the suite, Sean had already lost too much blood.
As Jack finished his explanation, Torchwood's medical officer, Isaac Radzinsky joined them, requesting that Jack join Sean in the treatment room. They had done all they could. Jack was to sit with Sean while he died, and wait for him to come back.

With tears running down his face, Jack rushed into the room, leaving the doctor behind. Ianto stood up and walked over to him. "Excuse me for asking, since I assume you know your job more than I do, but if it is a blood loss, why not a transfusion?" he asked Isaac.

The doctor leaned against the wall, looking exhausted. "It came up as a possibility. In fact, it would be his best bet in staying alive, but unfortunately we can't."

"Can't? Why not?" Ianto asked. "Surely my blood supply is not so rare."

"Actually it is. Humans have undergone a natural progression of evolution since your time. While your blood type remains the same, with the exception of offspring of interspecies breeding, Sean's blood is lacking certain elements that our blood supply has, making it incompatible. The last of the original blood samples from your time are long gone. And since Sean doesn't stay dead, we never had a need for a blood supply compatible to his. Being immortal, his blood didn't evolve. It is still the same as the 21th century."

"Meaning, my blood." Ianto grabbed the doctor by his shirt. "How long would it take to reproduce my blood? Or better yet, would you be able to get enough from me to keep him alive?"

Isaac blinked and stared at Ianto as if seeing him for the first time. "Yes. Why of course. You're Sean. You have the same blood type. I think I can…."

"Hold on one moment," Xana cut in. She had been standing close and listening to them. "I don't know how this paradox thing works exactly, but being they aren't supposed to touch, wouldn't that also create a paradox?"

"I don't know," Isaac admitted. "Follow me, Ianto, and let's ask Jack. Hopefully it won't be too late."

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