Previously: "Owen!" Jack snapped, interrupting the man, "I have enough to deal with right now okay! So just get rid of that! And clear this mess up…" He added before storming off up to his office, Jack sat down at his desk and clenched his fists, wondering if he had been too harsh on Owen, after all the past few days couldn't have been easy on the medic… But Jack really couldn't bear it if Owen were to go off the rails again. The last time with the Weevils in the cage had been bad enough…

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Apology.

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Jack sat down on Ianto's sofa and scowled at his stomach, his rapidly growing stomach… "Here." Ianto said, handing over a mug of hot chocolate, something Jack had decided he preferred to Tea.

"Great." Jack muttered. Ianto raised an eyebrow, "Sorry, my bladder's just become a trampoline, it's a tad annoying…" Jack said, managing a small smile as Ianto snorted.

"Anything I can do?" The Welshman asked.

"Doubt it." Jack mumbled.

Ianto frowned, "You should call Owen…" He said gently.

Jack clenched his teeth and shook his head, "It's normal." He said, "Besides, Owen's probably too pissed to care."

Ianto raised his eyebrows again, "Okay…" He said, drawing the word out.

Jack scowled, "After we got back from the hospital last week, out of the TARDIS, he admitted he'd been drinking but promised he was over it all, then I found his stash in the kitchen." He muttered bitterly, "I am so sick of being lied to…"

"The stash wouldn't have been one semi empty bottle of vodka under the sink would it?" Ianto asked quietly.

"Yes…. How did you…" Jack trailed off.

"Owen put it there before we went in the TARDIS Jack. I didn't say because you had enough going on."

Jack slumped against the sofa, "So… He wasn't lying when he said he was over the drinking thing…?" He questioned, Ianto shrugged and Jack sighed, "Why didn't he tell me?"

"Jack he's been following you around like a lost puppy all week, and every time he's tried to talk to you you've sent him away or changed his shifts so he's working nights when you're not around." Ianto paused, "I'm sorry, If I'd have known it was about the vodka I would have said something sooner…"

"You should have told me anyway." Jack muttered.

Ianto resisted rolling his eyes, knowing that Jack was turning his guilt at the way he'd acted towards Owen into anger towards Ianto instead, "Like I said, You had a lot going on. It was a tough day."

Jack growled and slammed his mug down, sloshing hot chocolate everywhere and making Ianto wince, "Why are you all treating me like I'm going to break? You all watch me worriedly and then whisper together, you try and pretend like everything's okay but it isn't! The only one of you who is actually talking to me and acknowledging what's going on is Tosh!" Jack yelled. Ianto took a small step backwards as Jack stood up, "And I am fucking sick of it!" The immortal growled before storming off, slamming Ianto's flat door on his way out. Ianto sighed and ran his hand over his face, he had honestly thought that acting as normal was the best thing for Jack but apparently not, hell Tosh had tried to tell him the other day but, oh no, Ianto had thought he knew best. Well so much for that. Ianto let out a huff of air and peeked out of the window, watching as the SUV drove away, he groaned and moved to pick up his own keys before stopping. He was due in the Hub in a few hours anyway, perhaps it was better to let Jack cool down before following him. It would give Ianto a chance to think things through too. He jumped as his phone beeped and frowned, picking it up to read the text.

I'm sorry. J. x

Ianto gave a chuckle, blinking back tears and telling himself to get a grip, I'm sorry too. He typed out before pausing; You shouldn't text whilst driving though! He added before placing a kiss at the end and sending the message.

I pulled over! Going for a walk to get some space, Talk later? J. X

Ianto smiled before typing back a text promising to speak to Jack later, then he headed into his bedroom and pulled out some clean clothes, deciding to have a shower.

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Jack shrugged his coat off as he walked into the Hub, "Owen about?" He asked Tosh who was scowling at a computer, the woman nodded distractedly before beginning to angrily hit keys. Jack gave a small laugh before heading over to the med bay where Owen was sat at a computer, staring blankly at the screen. "Hey…" Jack murmured and Owen looked up, his eyes wide before he narrowed them and gave a scowl, turning back to the computer screen. "Look… Ianto told me that the bottle was from before we went in the TARDIS, I'm sorry for getting so angry I just… I thought you'd lied to me when you said you were over the drinking and stuff and… It scares me Owen. Last time you went off the rails it was pretty terrifying."

Owen scowled at the computer screen, "I tried to tell you…" He growled.

"I know, and I'm sorry." Jack said gently, placing his hand on Owen's shoulder.

"Hmm…" The Medic grunted.

Jack gave a small smile, knowing he was forgiven, "So did you find out anything from the blood tests?"

"That you're abnormal. But we already knew that." Owen said with a smirk, "But seriously, nothing new really, obviously your blood's changed slightly but… Well it's difficult to analyze because it's so different to average blood anyway."

"Great." Jack grumbled, "So something could go wrong and you wouldn't be able to know?" He asked worriedly.

"I'll keep doing ultrasound scans which are our best way of noticing any abnormality anyway." Owen said, "We'll do like one a week or something just to be safe if you want but there's really no need. The woman at the hospital said the pregnancy was going fine. And I've noticed you're showing a bit more now which is a good thing."

Jack pulled a face, "Is it?"

"Maybe not for your ego but in terms of helping the babies, yes." Owen said, rolling his eyes.

Jack wrinkled his nose, "Okay, well I better go fax those things to the Prime Minister. I'll see you later."

"Sure." Owen nodded, turning back to his computer and frowning at the document he was supposed to be working on. Jack went up to his office and faxed some papers over to the Prime Minister before looking out across the Hub, smiling to himself as the cog door rolled back and Ianto walked in. The younger man looked up and spotted Jack in the office, sending the man a grin before bounding up the steps to the office, ignoring Owen's yelled, "Oi teaboy! Get us a coffee."

"Hey." Ianto smiled, suddenly slowing and seeming shyer as he walked into the office.

"Hey." Jack replied awkwardly, "Look I… I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have snapped like I did."

Ianto shook his head, "I'm glad you did. I had no idea you were feeling like that." He murmured, closing the office door and moving to sit on Jack's sofa, "I thought that by not talking about it, that by protecting you from the emotions I was feeling that… That it would be better for you." He said quietly, "It's probably a good job you did yell like you did because otherwise we would have spent the next four months like this…"

Jack gave a wan smile, "I know you were trying to protect me, and I am thankful for that." He murmured, moving to sit next to Ianto, "But pretending this isn't happening isn't good for any of us."

"No, it isn't." Ianto agreed.

"I need to know how you're feeling about all of this. I really like having you around Ianto and what we have, whatever it is exactly, I don't want to lose it. This is why we need to communicate a bit more." Jack mumbled, looking ridiculously uncomfortable.

Ianto nodded, trying to push away his own awkwardness, knowing that they needed to talk about this. "I… It's not exactly a perfect situation." Ianto said quietly, "But… I do want to stick around, for you. It's difficult though, to know that you went through so much… I don't know how to fix this, how to make it all better."

Jack gave a low, humorless chuckle, "You can't. But you just being here, staying next to me though all of this, it helps." Ianto gave a small smile before glancing away, "There's something else though isn't there?" Jack asked quietly, "Something that's bugging you."

Ianto sighed, biting at his lip, "There's nothing really, it's just a strange situation."

"I understand if it's too much." Jack whispered sadly.

"No! No… I am sticking around, Jack. I care about you…" Ianto said, "We'll be fine." He added.

Jack nodded, resting his hand on Ianto's own, "It'll all be over soon anyway." He murmured and Ianto tensed, standing up quickly.

"I should get to work." He said, moving to the door.

"Ianto!" Jack said in surprise, "I thought… Come on, we need to talk about this, whatever it is."

Ianto stopped by the door, turning slowly to face Jack again, "I… It doesn't matter." He said, "It's not a big thing."

"I need to know." Jack replied, his teeth clenched, "Please…" He added, his voice shaking slightly as he wrapped his arms around himself.

Ianto sighed, "I don't agree with your decision to give the babies up." He admitted quietly, "I mean, I do understand it but I don't agree with it."

Jack froze, "Oh." He said finally, "I… I didn't realize…"

"It's really not an issue Jack. This is your decision and I stand by you…" Ianto said gently, moving to sit back down.

"Yeah but you don't agree with it." Jack muttered, standing up almost the second Ianto sat down. "Why don't you agree with it?" He asked, his voice almost harsh and Ianto closed his eyes briefly.

"I shouldn't have said anything."

"But you did! So why don't you agree with it?" Jack asked again.

Ianto bit at his lip, "I just don't feel that blood should matter… Just because their other father was an evil scumbag doesn't mean that they're going to be. Those children are innocent in all of this." He said quietly.

Jack slumped back down onto the sofa, "Exactly." He whispered, "But I wont be able to… I… Look at me Ianto! I'm not fit to be a father! They deserve more."

Ianto froze, "Oh Jack…" He whispered, taking the man's hand. "You'd be a great dad…"

Jack chuckled humorlessly, "No, trust me. I suck at it. My daughter can't stand to see me…" He muttered.

"Daughter?" Ianto asked with a gasp.

Jack winced, "I… I have a daughter, she's older than you… Her name is Alice and she has a son… I have a grandson."

Ianto frowned, "Did you… Were you pregnant with her too?"

"No… No. Her mother was Lucia, she worked here…" Ianto nodded, he knew about Lucia, having read the files. "Sorry, I should have told you." Jack muttered.

Ianto shrugged, "It's fine… So you and she don't get on?" He asked gently.

"She resents me… I wasn't a good father, I'm lucky she even lets me see Stephen, that's my grandson." Jack explained, "No," He said, "It's better for these kids if they go to someone who can do the job properly."

Ianto sighed but gave a small nod, squeezing Jack's hand briefly; it was Jack's decision after all. "Like I said, I stand by you…" He murmured softly.

"Thank you." Jack whispered. They both looked up as the heard a knock on the office door, "Come in!" Jack called out.

Tosh looked around the door, "Sorry." She murmured, "Umm that body we found, the weevil victim, I can't find his details on our system at all, or on anyone else's systems."

Jack frowned, standing up and instantly going into professional mode, "Oh." He said, "That's odd, let me see." And with that he was gone, leading Tosh back down the stairs to her desk.

Ianto bit at the inside of his cheek before letting out a huff of air and standing up, moving over to Jack's desk and picking up all the rubbish, dropping it into the bin. Then he picked up the dirty mug and left the office, taking the mug into the kitchen before washing it and putting the coffee machine on as well as the kettle, making everyone mug of coffee and then making Jack a mug of hot chocolate. Ianto put all the mugs on a tray before moving into the main Hub and handing them out, "Thanks." Tosh mumbled as she continued to scowl at a computer screen, Jack hovering next to her with an irritated look on his face.

"This makes no sense." He muttered.

Ianto moved forwards slightly and looked at the screen, "Well obviously the records have been wiped. Have you asked UNIT if it was anything to do with them?"

"Good idea." Jack said with a smile, he was just about to head back up to his office when his mobile rang, "Hello?... Martha Jones!"

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Please review.

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