katwinchester: The morning after is now... let's see how it goes :)
Cherry-Anne Sponge: A drunk man's words/actions are a sober man's thoughts/desires ;)
TheWeddingFairy: Glad you liked it. Hm made me think of sweet and sour. Sweet and sour Janto... :/ hm.
leonale: Thanks!
reddevilpoes: I don't think going slow is going to be a problem for Jack.
Efern: What an awesome analogy! Thanks *blushes*.
WickedWitchoftheSE: I learnt from the best, I only wish I was half as good writing serious slash scenes as my idolised masters are! I'm rubbish compared to them!
SakuraKissy: Lisa is always going to be on the horizon. As for the other TW Team Members they will be making some appearances but again waay in the future. Got to explain them in and got a really good/interesting way of doing it!
Authors/Note: I love forward slashes /////! Anyway this is the 'morning after'. Ultimate domesticated Jack! Sadly no apron though... Taren discovers Jack in his tad's bed and things progress from there. Toshiko and William get closer behind closed doors and Jack tells her about Stephen. There isn't that much of a warning for this part. Very mild PG-13/Young Adult for possible swearing and mentions of sexual aids. Enjoy! Oh and keep up reviewing! Please! Thanks!
Part Nine
Taren woke up to hear Addie crying, he went into her room and tried singing to calm her but she wasn't having any of it. It was still early and he knew that his mam and tad would get cross if he woke them up before seven but Addie needed tad so he hurried to his parents room and opened the door only to find his tad and Jack curled up in bed together
"Tad?" he called quietly before he got his nerve up; he tried to reason with himself... he did like Jack he just wasn't sure how much he liked him for it to be okay to sleep in bed with tad. Was this another sleepover? He didn't know, there was plenty of time to ask later, right now Addie needed him to wake tad "Tad! Addie's crying!"
Jack jerked awake hearing Taren's insistent voice while Ianto stayed fast asleep, he'd had a difficult couple of days and he was still exhausted from Lisa walking out and not sleeping... the amount of alcohol he consumed last night couldn't have helped, mused Jack
"What's wrong Taren?" he wanted to know as he sat up in bed
"Addie's crying, I tried singing but it wouldn't work"
"Okay kiddo let me just put some pants on and we'll go see what the problem is" he slid from the bed pulling on his slacks quickly before following Taren to Addie's room.
The new baby girl was wriggling and crying in her cot, she almost stopped when he picked her up and he could smell her stinky nappy "Awww there, there bay! I think we've found the problem. Pass me a diaper"
The little boy passed him the nappy as he laid her out on the changing mat and unfastened her baby grow, her sobs quietened as he cleaned her up and put the fresh nappy on her before buttoning up the snaps. Taren smiled as he lifted her up and cradled her against his naked shoulder where she began nuzzling him
"I think she's hungry"
"I think so too, let's go down and get some breakfast. It's still early and I think your tad needs his sleep"
"Why were you sleeping in tad's bed?" he inquired making Jack pause, he wasn't sure what to do or say about that because he didn't know what Ianto wanted his son to know
"You should ask him when he wakes up... it's complicated Taren..." he explained then sighed "Are you angry?"
"I just want my tad to be happy. Mam didn't make him happy... if you could then that would be okay with me" he smiled then ruffled the boys' hair with his free hand before all three of them went downstairs. He laid Addiena out in the little baby seat and put it on the kitchen counter while he was making breakfast.
Back upstairs Ianto woke up alone, the bed was cold and Jack was no where in sight... he felt his heart break
"He's gone" he gasped... he shouldn't have let Jack into his bed last night; first Lisa leaves him and now Jack's gone? Angrily yanking on his dressing gown he stomped towards Addie's room to find her gone, suddenly alert and eyes wide with panic he raced to Taren's room to find that empty. He barrelled down the stairs terrified that Lisa had come and taken them when the smell of a cooked breakfast and strong coffee came wafting out of the kitchen.
Taking a few steps into the kitchen he spotted Taren kneeling on a chair that had been placed against the counter near the lower cupboards feeding Addie a baby bottle while Jack was making breakfast in the pan. Lisa never cooked, she was always too busy with a report or a file that had to be done... it was nice for someone to be making breakfast for him for a change "Starting without me?"
"You were asleep, thought it best to let you get a few more hours. We changed Addie" he nodded at Taren who was carefully feeding Addie the bottle of milk Jack had warmed up
"And I'm giving her her bottle!" he smiled happily, he looked so proud that he was being the doting big brother. The Welshman bit his lip then shook off his doubts and went over to Jack wrapping his arms around his waist as he stood at the cooker resting his head against his lover's shoulder
"Thanks" he smiled. Jack glanced at Taren who just shrugged his shoulders and gave him a thumbs up before turning back to his little sister.
"I know we were going to the park today but I need to go home and get changed, I'll be back later... it's just I need clean clothes and a shower" he explained, Ianto shook his head
"Borrow some of mine and you're more than welcome to use the shower" he answered still hugging him from behind.
*
Several hours later Toshiko was walking along the high street her boss, the man she was living with, hadn't come home last night. He'd gone to Ianto's and she imagined that he was still there, she'd heard the rumours flying round the office and hoped the young man was okay. Honestly, she was also grateful that he'd been gone all night so William could stay over... it had been a very long time since she'd been with someone; she'd been in that UNIT prison cell for six months before Jack had rescued her and the way things were going between her and Spooner sooner or later she'd have to tell him about her past.
William had come up to her office at the end of the day yesterday and invited her out for a coffee, she happily accepted and then things led on from there. She was a bit embarrassed that she had gone all the way with him on the first date but they were connected by unusual circumstances, after spending two days together in a drunken binge and waking up pretty much naked going that little bit extra didn't seem all that bad. And Toshiko had certainly enjoyed herself last night.
Last night was the reason she was walking the high street this morning, she needed supplies if she was going be involved in a relationship. William had asked her out to see a film later that night and if things were to happen she couldn't take from Jack's stash of condoms again... Jack's bedside cabinet draw had been very scary, half of the things he had in there she didn't want to know what he used them for!
Tosh turned the corner and spotted Ianto out of the corner of her eye, he was sitting at a little café table, with his son, gently rocking a new shiny pram. She was about to wave when Jack came out of the café carrying a tray; he set it down on the table, leaned down kissing Ianto chastely on the mouth before finally sitting down to share out the drinks. She couldn't help think how right they looked together and it was good to see Jack smiling, hell she didn't know Ianto all that way but he looked like he was floating on cloud nine.
They spotted her as she made her way over to them. Jack pushed out the seat next to him and she happily sat down
"I didn't think I was going to see you here" she commented
"Likewise, Taren... you remember Toshiko from auntie Rose's party right?" asked Ianto re-introducing his son to the pretty Japanese lady. Taren nodded blushing as she smiled at him "And this is our daughter Addiena"
"She's beautiful" she grinned as she glanced at Jack; he'd noticed that Ianto had said 'our' instead of 'my' daughter.
"How was William?" Ianto smugly asked beating Jack to the punch of embarrassing her, she blushed bright red ducking her head nervously
"Whose William?" Taren demanded to know as he drank his milkshake, they'd been to the park and now Jack was taking them shopping to buy Taren some new toys or DVDs and some clothes for Addie
"William is my boyfriend" she explained still blushing
"Tad, will I get to meet Uncle William? He is my uncle right? Like uncle John because Rose was mam's friend so if you're my dad's friend does that make you my aunt?"
"Well, I don't really know your dad all that well" she explained Ianto suddenly got confused, his son used the Welsh version of dad... he'd never called him dad before
"Yes you do" he protested
"What are you talking about?" chuckled Ianto
"She's my aunty, right? Because he's my dad" he pointed squarely at Jack who blinked in shock and surprised, Ianto glared at him thinking this sudden mess was his fault
"What?"
"Mam left so you're going to live with tad from now on... you make him happy so you're going to live with us... right?" he glanced at his tad to Jack then back again hoping one of them would answer him
"Tarry... yes Jack did stay last night but it's difficult for grown-ups. He can't just come and live with us..."
"Why not? I like him! I like him more than mam and I want you to be my tad and I want him to be my dad!" he began to sob suddenly upset by the whole situation. Ianto lifted his son off the chair onto his knee
"I think it's best if we go" stated Jack gesturing for Tosh to join him "I'm sorry about all this"
"Don't be" he replied as he stroked his son's back to soothe his tears "Thanks for coming round..."
"Here's my number, and if you want I'll call you tonight?"
"I'd like that" he nodded, Jack cupped his cheek stroking a side burn before leaning down to kiss him softly
"Bye. Bye Taren" he bid farewell then he and Tosh linked arms and walked away.
She looked up at him as they walked down the street away from the café, she could see how hurt he looked that he was walking away
"You love him don't you?" she stated rhetorically, he glanced at her and nodded simply "Then go back!"
"I can't" he cried with a shake of his head "It's too soon since his wife left him, I want all the things Taren thought would happen but I don't want it just because he's using me to get over Lisa. I want him to want those things but I want him to want them from me not because I'll be a distraction"
"What are you going to do?"
"Give it time, it's all I can do. I didn't mean for Taren to think that I would be his dad from now on... the poor kid. All he wants is for his tad to be happy"
"Tad?"
"It's Welsh for dad. Ianto would be his tad and I'd be his dad... I'd like that. Taren's such a great kid and Addie is absolutely beautiful"
"I didn't realise you were a fan of kids" she commented as she steered him into the chemist she'd been looking for
"Only mine" he told her off-handedly not realising what he'd say, she blinked in surprise he stopped when he felt her staring at him "What?"
"I didn't know you were a father"
"I'm not" his eyes fell down "Not anymore" he continued walking but since she wasn't leading the way anymore he didn't know which aisle she had been aiming for
"What happened?"
"A long time ago I had a son and he was killed in the war... several years later I had a daughter called Alice and I... I..." he scowled, his eyes filled with tears. He stopped walking and turned to face Toshiko "She grew up and had a child of her own; a little boy called Steven and I... I killed him. I killed my grandson. I killed him right in front of her"
"Jack" the fear was evident in her tone, in her eyes and in her body language. She was terrified of him "Why?"
"To save everyone... I killed him to save everyone else" whispered Jack, so sad and so ashamed of what his done
"What do you mean everyone else? The world?" he turned around and continued walking, only glancing over his shoulder to ask her what she was looking for
"Condoms. I borrowed from your draw... sorry"
"Did you use the little pebbles?" he grinned trying to turn the situation into something completely different and once again he gave off the impression that he was harmless to her but now she knew better. Her boss was a murderer. "So you and William? Finally getting over Owen?"
"Owen?" the name made him stop and his shoulders sagged
"Never mind, forget I ever mentioned the name" he ordered her but she shook her head
"You told me that you came from another reality where your Ianto had died, was there another me in that reality? You talk to me like you've known me for years! You're trusting me with secrets... or at least things that should be secret! Did you know me in that reality?"
"Yes"
"How? How did you know me? What was I to you?"
"You were my friend, we worked together in Torchwood. In that reality I didn't work for Torchwood London but the Cardiff branch. I recruited you the same way I did here but in that reality you'd only spent six months in the UNIT prison not nine years. I had a team who worked for me at Torchwood Three; Gwen Cooper, Ianto Jones, Owen Harper and you"
"Past tense, Jack, what happened?"
"Only me and Gwen are left alive... and I'll never see her again. I left her to come through the void into this reality; I found you and I found Ianto. Here all of you are still alive" she breathed in deeply, shock filling her
"In your reality, I died" she told herself "How?"
"You were shot... look I don't think we should really be talking about this" he didn't want to go into details. He just wanted to go home and wind down, things had happened and he wasn't sure how he felt about it.
"You're right" she nodded then grabbed several boxes of condoms. Jack grinned, grabbed some himself and two bottles of lubricant before they headed to the counter to pay.
*
Toshiko had decided to get a bottle of wine so several hours later after their shopping trip they were sat in their pyjamas in the living room with a glass of red each
"So how is Ianto? You two did seem pretty cosy" commented Tosh making him smirk
"We made hot man o man love" he replied, she couldn't help but blush as her mind conjured up the thought of them two together unbidden "But I'm not sure what happens next. There isn't just the whole thing with Lisa... there's also his kids, if we do become a couple then I'd be Taren and Addie's step dad"
"Does it bother you? The thought of being a parent again? After what you did?" his face dropped and his eyes darkened
"I did what I had to. You think I enjoyed it? Killing Steven? He was my flesh and blood and I loved him! I did it because I had to and no one else would... I'd already lost you and Owen and Ianto by then, how could I just continue living my life knowing that I could have saved everyone but chose not to just because he was my grandson?"
"Sorry, I'm sorry Jack... I don't know what it means to make that kind of sacrifice. You're living with it, aren't you? Every day you live with it"
"Barely" he gasped then chugged his wine down
"What was I like? In your reality?" a change of subject was in order; things had gotten too dark for the both of them
"You were brilliant" it wasn't a compliment for her, he was talking like it was fact. In his opinion it was... she'd saved the world countless times and that last time she'd given her life "I've never met anyone with a mind as fast or smart as yours"
"Now you're just being mean"
"No" he shook his head, chugged his wine "I mean it"
"I'm going to go to bed" she announced finishing off her wine before rising to her feet
"Probably best, on Monday I want to re-evaluate every employee to see if they're doing there job. I don't like it when people try and lord it over others" she gave him a look to say that was what he was doing but he just shrugged his shoulders "Heh, it's my job and I am in charge. The reason why Torchwood One is what it is, is because of it's workers; I think it's time for an overhaul especially when they let the 456 walk all over us"
"456?"
"Something for you to look up tomorrow, I know you've missed a lot of time because of UNIT but I need you to get up to date. Have something strong on hand, you're not going to like the catch up" he explained, she just nodded then wandered into his bedroom.
He loaded up his computer and looked up what Gwen was doing, it didn't take him long to hack into her computer using the software his machine had; there were wedding pictures, baby pictures of her two kids, photos of awards she had won during her time in the police force. She was happy. He turned away from her and looked up Owen. He couldn't say the same for Owen, he'd lost it after Katie died but he got back on his feet two years after that... now he worked at a small clinic helping drug addicts and teen parents.
"Jack?" he almost jumped when he heard her speak behind him "Whose that?"
"That's Owen" he whispered, she nodded before glancing down at him
"Are you coming to bed?" he shook his head, yes, then powered down at the computer; after seeing her reaction to Owen Harper he wasn't sure he liked this reality.
Toshiko watched him sleep, he'd woken her up, she guessed it had been a while since he had done it; since the time he started at Torchwood? Since he rescued her from UNIT? Before he came through the void? It surprised her how quickly he could fall asleep and how tired he looked right before he did, like it was something terrible to be avoided. She knew that she shouldn't really be watching her boss sleeping, it was like an invasion of privacy, but he had insisted that the bed was big enough for both of them and he'd made it clear that he wasn't interested in her. No, that was reserved for Ianto, she was considered family and he didn't mess with family.
"Uhh" his heard jerked sharply in his sleep and it made her jump. What was he dreaming about? What was he seeing behind his eyes, what was haunting him? "Nuuuh"
"Jack?"
"Toshiko" he gasped rolling his head away from her, she heard him apologise in his sleep before his head rolled back to face her "Ianto... don't... not him" the desperation and sadness in his voice was breaking her heart
"Jack" she repeated trying to wake him from his sleep; he was lost in the nightmare waiting for it to end... suffering in those memories made dark by his guilt, by his pain... by all the things he'd lost and left behind unwillingly.
"No" he sobbed as tears glittered round his closed eyes "Ianto... please not him!"
"Jack!" she repeated one last time louder this time, he jerked awake sitting up on reflex reaching out for something that wasn't there. His shoulders sagged in defeat before he glanced over his shoulder at her, his eyes were shining softly with unshed tears and he lost it
"Toshiko" he sobbed, she sat up pulling him into her arms
"Shhh it's okay, it's going to be okay"
"I loved him, I really loved him... oh god I miss him so much! I miss them all so much! It hurts! It hurts more than death and more than the darkness!" she stroked his naked back trying to calm him down. His sobs eased off until he was hiccuping in her arms "I need to be up high" he decided pulling away from her to throw on his clothes "Go back to sleep. I'll be back in the morning"
"You can't go out alone!" she protested but it fell on deaf ears, he needed the cold and the wind and the dark. It comforted him more than anything else, especially when things were bleak, and it was what he needed now.
"Get some sleep" he told her before leaving. She sank back into the bed and tried to do what he asked, which meant she was awake for the rest of the night worrying if he would come back.
TBC...
