Chapter 9.

Ianto didn't know quite how to act. I mean, Alice was normal. She lived on an ordinary street, in an ordinary house, and had an ordinary life. No guns hanging from the wall in case of alien attack, no secret doorways leading off into an underground hub. She had the same face has Jack, even the dimples when she smiled. She had the same smile too. Her skin was quite tanned, because of an Italian mother Jack explained.

The sit-down was awkward to say the least. Jack spoke in facts only, with Alice lent in the doorway of the living room. Ste, much to his disappointment had been shepherded into his bedroom, away from the important "adult talk."

Jack met "Alice's mum" as she was always referred as, in Torchwood. Jack recruited her to join the team. This hurt Ianto the most. The two married and had Alice, but juggling Alice and Torchwood was hard and she was put into a boarding home. Alice's mum eventually gave up Torchwood.

And that's where the story got a bit hazy. Alice grew up with as much normality as Jack and Alice's mum could muster, and Alice herself got married and had Ste. Alice's mum had died in 2006, and Alice's husband seemed to disappear from the story. Ianto didn't ask. In fact Ianto didn't ask any questions. Jack was telling him all this, all about this part of his past, and Ianto wasn't going to interrupt him.

Jack was saying goodbye to Alice before long, and Jack and Ianto left with awkward thank yous. Ianto noticed that Alice never called Jack "Dad," and the two barely even touched. It was a sad family in the end.

"We should get back to Torchwood," Jack said quietly as the two started walking back to Gwen's car, "Maybe John wanted to lead us to, to Alice,"

"Why? Why would he want that?"

"Because it hurts." Jack looked into Ianto's eyes, his on nearly the point of tears, "See," He smiled briefly, "I don't want my past,"

"You had a child, Jack. You can't just want to... to get rid of that,"

The two entered the car quickly, and Jack stared as stone into Ianto's eyes.

"I didn't mean it like that, Ianto. There have just been some bad times with Alice, and..."

Ianto interrupted, "You want her to call you "Dad," you want to hug her, and be a proper dad. Bad dancing and all,"

Jack chuckled under his breath, and looked away from Ianto. "Her past was wrong, Ianto. I should have been there more in her past, but... but we'll never get that chance..."And with that the pair drove off, back to hub.