Author's notes: Yup. Another quick update. I started writing this about ten am this morning. It's now just shy of eight pm in North Carolina on Monday night (chapter to be posted on Tuesday), and I'm pretty dang pleased with my progress. I just wish my other muses were as cooperative. And did anyone else see 'Jeopardy' tonight (9/24)? 'Torchwood' was one of the clues in the spin-off category (the answer was 'Doctor Who') … that made me smile. Okay, in this chapter, Carlyon receives a phone call he was eagerly awaiting; Jack learns who took care of Flat Holm while he was away, and Natalie gives her father an unexpected gift.
Chapter Ten
Surprises
Tregarth Homestead, Oklahoma
That night
At exactly ten pm, the main house phone rang in the Tregarth household. Not surprisingly, everyone was still up … it had been one of those days. Carlyon Tregarth didn't even bother looking at the caller ID … simply swept up the receiver and said, "Hello, Sophia." He smugly ignored the wop-jawed expressions of his three older grandchildren, to say nothing of the newest members of the team. One day, they'd learn. He always knew when it was Sophia on the other end of the line. It wasn't something that could be explained, it was simply a fact, and he was never wrong. His wife's light laughter echoed down the line, and Carlyon added, "You don't sound surprised by my greeting, m'love."
"Carlyon, I stopped being surprised by you a very, very long time ago … more to the point, I stopped being surprised by anything you did or said a very long time ago. You and Jack both. How has the day gone? Any fights between Owen and Rex?" Sophia asked. Carlyon looked at the pair in question, who were very carefully avoiding each other's gaze, and rolled his eyes in exasperation. The family as a whole received something of a reprieve from the rivalry between the two when Lucas and Owen went out to the negative Rift spike (although Jason hadn't known what it was), and then took the young Rift orphan to the hospital.
Unfortunately, that peace didn't last long (did it ever?) … this time, because of Rex, who shot his big mouth off as soon as Owen and Lucas walked in the front door. Carlyon didn't hear the exchange (he was in his private office, going over the books), but he heard about it by way of Adriane, who wasn't shy at all about sharing her opinion. The good news was, not only did Owen take a swing at Rex, but the former CIA agent was currently in the doghouse with Octavia (along with Adriane, Priscilla, Esther and even Mij, but Octavia was the most important one so far as Rex was concerned).
"Things were quiet for most of the day, since Owen and Lucas had a negative Rift spike, but Rex put his foot in his mouth all the way up to his hip when they got back," Carlyon answered. There was a light slapping sound, and he knew that his wife just face-palmed. He continued, very carefully not smirking at the agent's sheepish expression, "Owen put his fist into Rex's jaw, and now, Rex is in the doghouse with Octavia. And how has your day been, my dear?" There was a snort, mutters from Jack and Natalie (so they were all in the same room), as well as Ailsa asking with some exasperation, 'who's being silly now, Mama Sophia?'
"Eventful. Angelo left Natalie the compound and he left Jack the bulk of his investments and holdings … someone killed Jack while he was exploring the garage … and I met a very nice gardener named 'Ray.' Take notice of where my foot is, Jack. I can leave you in a world of hurt," Sophia warned. There was an explosion of laughter (probably Natalie), Jack muttering about the violent women in his life, and more mutterings from Ailsa about silly grown-ups. Deciding that this conversation was entirely too entertaining not to share with everyone, Carlyon put the call on speakerphone. Besides, Rex could use a reminder that he wasn't the only one who put his foot in his mouth.
"Repeat what you just said, m'love, I think the rest of the family should listen to this … that way, we can do a long-distance briefing. You can tell us what's going on there, and Owen and Lucas can tell you about our very first Riftugee. Yes, Esther, that's what Gaetano is actually called, in Torchwood terms," Carlyon suggested when the young blonde registered a double-take at the unfamiliar word. Fortunately, he hadn't yet pressed the button for speakerphone when his wife responded with some suggestions that were anatomically impossible, to say nothing of very unpleasant. There was a second explosion of laughter, this time from Jack and Natalie, as well as Ailsa whining at her mother to stop covering her ears.
However, Sophia did just that, telling all and sundry about Jack being murdered in the garage; about the inheritance for both Jack and Natalie (prompting a low whistle from Rex and nothing more), as well as the revelation that Oswald Danes' bodyguards were in fact employed by Angelo Colasanto. Owen blurted out, "Hell! That actually makes sense! You're still an idiot, Jack." He yelped when Esther swatted the back of his head and glowered at her, rubbing the sore spot. It couldn't have been that sore, Esther hadn't hit him that hard. Or maybe she did. Carlyon was never on the receiving end of Esther's swats, so he really couldn't say.
Besides, a glance at the girl's face told him that she was worried. Owen came to the same conclusion, evidently … he picked her hand up, the same one that swatted him, and lightly kissed her knuckles. She offered him a small smile, but said nothing as Sophia told them about the events of the day. When Sophia ran out of things to say (and either Jack and Natalie had nothing to offer, or they wanted to do it some other time), Carlyon took control. First, he gave an overview of everything that happened that day. And then, he turned the conversation over to Owen and Lucas, who walked them all through the negative Rift spike, finding Gaetano and the steps Lucas took to save him. Once that part of the briefing was complete, Owen said, "One thing I don't understand … in Cardiff, being Torchwood meant that visiting hours didn't apply to us. I get that we're in Oklahoma, not Cardiff, but …"
"You want me to take this one, Carl?" Jack asked. When Carlyon made an assenting noise, Jack explained, "There are three basic reasons, Owen. First, like you said, we're in Oklahoma, rather than Cardiff. We're very new here as an institute. In Cardiff, Torchwood was there for nearly a hundred fifty years. They were often not happy about it, but they were familiar with us. That's not true in Oklahoma. Second, most of the hospitals are still reeling from the Miracle. Carlyon and I decided together that the best thing we could do, given that fact, would be to make sure Torchwood operatives weren't underfoot. And finally, we have auxiliary members here in Oklahoma, who can watch over our Riftugees, such as Ava Halloran. I know you'd feel better if you were there with him, Owen, but I promise, he's in very good hands with Ava."
Owen looked a little better, and Lucas added, "What I want to know is why CIA there freaked out when he saw a picture of Jason, Mom and Dad, and me?" Freaked out? This was the first he heard of this. Carlyon frowned, and to his astonishment, Rex looked mutinous … but that didn't stop him from squirming. There was silence from the members of his family who were in Nevada, and even Esther was frowning in obvious confusion. Octavia cleared her throat, her expression described best as 'thunderous,' and Matheson squeaked. Really, Carlyon couldn't blame him: his middle daughter could be terrifying when she was angry. Scratch that: all three of his daughters could be terrifying when any of them were angry.
"Okay, okay! Damn, you're worse than World War II! OW!" Rex snarled at Octavia, who stared at him unsympathetically. He exhaled and said, "Fine. Your late husband, Owen and Jason's father, is a dead ringer for an assassin who tried to kill Jack and Gwen Cooper in Los Angeles when we infiltrated one of PhiCorp's buildings." Esther gasped, her face turning white, and Owen put a protective arm around her shoulders, glowering at Rex. Really, if their rivalry wasn't so annoying, it would actually be funny. Carlyon very carefully didn't look at his middle daughter's face. Even now, she was sensitive about potential slurs to David's memory.
"That doesn't surprise me," Priscilla observed coolly, "since David had a twin brother, whom he kept away from his family because his brother was dangerous. Oh, he loved his twin … of course he did. But he feared what would happen to his wife and sons if his brother got too close. Next issue?" Of course, as soon as the words were spoken, the entire meeting dissolved into chaos. And rather than intervene, Carlyon rose to his feet, turned off the speakerphone, and went into his private office, where he could continue the conversation in peace.
TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW
"Well," Natalie observed, holding Ailsa on her lap, "that was certainly interesting." Jack could only nod his agreement. There were so many comments he could make, but since there was a five-year-old in the room, he wouldn't. He actually saw a picture of David Martinelli in his first weeks at the Tregarth house, and while his heart skipped a beat when he recognized the man … well. David Martinelli died a hero. The same couldn't be said of his twin brother (assuming he actually died of his wound, which was questionable, since the Miracle ended two months later).
"My apologies, dear ones," Carlyon sighed, "but Rex walked right into the lion's den, and admitting when he's wrong is not Agent Matheson's strong suit. So. Jack inherited Angelo's investments and holdings, while Natalie inherited the compound itself. I know Natalie needs some time to think about this, so what are your plans, Jack?" The immortal captain made a face, prompting a muted giggle from Ailsa, and Carlyon added, "Be careful about the faces you make in front of my granddaughter, Jack, there are some questions Natalie isn't ready to answer."
"No comment," Jack retorted, drawing laughter from Sophia and Natalie this time. He added after a moment, "Still thinking about it, may wait until Nat makes her decision before I really start thinking about it." At Natalie's confused expression, he explained, "Well, the staff has to be paid somehow." The young woman face-palmed in obvious embarrassment, and Jack added, "And right now, I'm a lot more concerned about our safety. If that assault in the garage was just against me, that's one thing … but if it was a precursor to an attack against Sophia, Natalie, and Ailsa, then that's a very big issue."
"What did Philip say while you and he were talking at dinner, Jack? Oh, by the way, Carlyon … dinner was outstanding. Nothing fancy … slices of pork loin, boiled noodles that our granddaughter smothered in parmesan cheese, and salad … but absolutely delicious. I spoke with the cook after dinner and asked if I could have the recipe, since my oldest daughter loves to cook. She beamed and promised to have it ready for me tomorrow, since that was one of Signora Talia's favorite dishes to prepare. I have the feeling that I'm in her good books," Sophia observed. Oh. So that's where she disappeared to. Not that Jack had any room to talk.
And he wouldn't, choosing instead to answer her question, "He doesn't see an issue with returning Suzie's coffin to us. In fact, he wasn't entirely sure why Angelo kept it separate from Tosh's, unless …" Angelo and Carlyon worked together often, both men referring to the other as his best enemy. Was it such a stretch to consider the possibility that Carlyon briefed Angelo on the Resurrection Gauntlet and Suzie's use of it? Jack made a mental note to bring that up with Carlyon later and continued, "We also talked about his grandfather and grandmother. I heard some stories about Talia from Liam, and Philip had stories of his own."
"I never thought much about it, but Angelo has a point. Natalie is a great deal like Talia Colasanto," Carlyon mused. As she had every time someone brought it up at dinner, Natalie blushed, and Carlyon went on, "And while I'm thinking about it, I want to talk to you about Gaetano. He was given a thorough examination and while he's in pain from the snakebite, as well as somewhat dehydrated, he's not as traumatized as some of the Riftugees who came through the Cardiff Rift. We need to find him a good home, preferably with a family who speaks enough Italian to ease him into living here."
"Dad, why can't Inoltre find him a home in Italy? Or would that be more of an adjustment for him?" Natalie inquired, referring to the Italian equivalent of Torchwood. Yes, now that Jack thought about it, he remembered her mentioning that she knew a few members of Inoltre from her college years. He wondered if either lady knew this Ethan, and decided after a moment that he would investigate that possibility more thoroughly later. Along with a few other things. And Carlyon was answering his daughter's query, bringing up memories which Jack thought he put away many years earlier.
"It's a worthy thought, darling girl, but unfeasible. Something similar was tried, years before Flat Holm was created, and it turned out the Riftugee had more issues than was known. Fifteen people died as a result and the director of Torchwood Cardiff at the time nearly lost his post," Carlyon replied. Jack's eyebrows rose. Was that what happened? He was on assignment elsewhere at the time, and when he returned, the entire Hub was eerily quiet, with people exchanging spooked looks. Natalie nodded, looking sad, but made no more objections.
However, that didn't mean she had nothing left to say. She asked, "Flat Holm? What's that?" Given that Carlyon already told him that he hacked into the Hub, Jack really wasn't surprised that the other man knew what Flat Holm was. Sophia's expression was thoughtful, rather than confused, which meant that she knew about the facility. But when she looked at him, there was no judgment in her eyes … only acceptance. He wondered if she would still feel that way if she knew the entire story. That question was answered by the lady herself.
"Flat Holm is a facility off the coast of the UK, where the Riftugees of Cardiff were housed, if they couldn't be reintegrated back into society. Sometimes they could be, but most of the time … most of the time, they couldn't be. Jack created Flat Holm so they could have a sanctuary. It wasn't very pretty, according to the accounts I read, but it was far better than the alternative," Sophia replied. She made eye contact with Jack as she spoke, adding, "I was incredibly proud of you when I read those accounts, Jack. Carlyon and I tried to come up with ways to help those poor souls, but nothing we tried ever worked."
Jack shifted, a bit uncomfortably, and Natalie murmured, "That's par for the course with Torchwood. It doesn't have to be pretty, it just has to be effective." She raised her head, smiling faintly, and asked, "Torchwood wasn't by chance created by a mother, was it?" That surprised a laugh out of Jack, and her mother grinned impishly. Natalie pressed her free hand to her cheek, eyes comically wide, adding, "Oh, that's right, it was created with the sanction of Queen Victoria, who was a mother and a grandmother many times over!"
"It was indeed, my dear. And Jack, don't think I don't know about the trips you made to Flat Holm after your return to Earth and before your departure. I have eyes and ears there, too," Carlyon advised. Jack wasn't sure if he should be flattered or worried about Carlyon having so many fingers in so many pies, and then decided to be grateful that Carlyon was watching over the remaining residents of Flat Holm while he was away. The other man continued after a moment, "All right, so the briefing is done, it's time for one-on-one conversations. Jack, Sophia, I don't think we need to talk about anything else. Natalie?"
"Actually, Dad … if you don't mind, I'd like to run a few things by you. Not about the house, but other things," Natalie asked hesitantly. Carlyon immediately assented and Sophia switched the speakerphone off, before handing the receiver to Natalie. She whispered, "I'll go into my bathroom, so you guys don't have to leave the room. Ailsa, be good for Jack and for Mama Sophia." Be good for Jack? He'd just been volunteered as a babysitter? Or designated as a babysitter … he looked up in protest, but it was too late. Natalie kissed the top of her daughter's head and walked into the en suite, closing the door behind her. Jack closed his mouth with a snap, and Sophia just grinned at him.
"C'mon, Jack … I'm sure the two of us can handle a five-year-old girl for twenty minutes or so. Assuming you don't have a … hot date with someone?" she asked merrily and Jack just glowered at her. Sophia just smirked and asked, "Okay, Ailsa, we can go back to the gardens or stay here until Mommy is done talking to Grandpa, and then go to the gardens. She hasn't seen them yet, remember? What do you think we should do?" Jack thought briefly about pointing out that it was getting close to Ailsa's bedtime (assuming it wasn't already past), but decided that there were times when discretion was the better part of valor. And this was one of those times.
"Wait for Mommy! The gardens are sooo pretty, Jack!" Ailsa told him earnestly. Sophia winked at him and glanced at her watch. Oh. Oh, Sophia was a wily one. She grinned at him and Ailsa asked, "While we're waiting for Mommy, can Jack tell me a story? He tells really good stories, Mama Sophia." Yeah, once they were seriously edited. Her favorite was a heavily edited version of his encounter with Margaret the Slitheen, back when he was traveling with the Doctor and Rose. Her favorite part was when Slithia (Margaret) was turned into an egg, giving her a second chance, by the good enchantress, Lady Blue (the TARDIS).
"I would love to hear some of those stories myself. That's an excellent idea, Ailsa!" Sophia replied, smiling at Jack knowingly. He would pay her back. He didn't know how or didn't know when, but he would pay her back for doing this. He smirked at her, pleased to see her smile falter just a little. 'Be ready, old friend,' he thought, 'if there's one thing I learned from quite a few people, including Ianto, it's to strike when it is least expected.'
TWTWTWTWTWTW
Natalie closed the door behind her, before sliding down the wall, the cold of the floor seeping through her thin cargo pants. And the cold felt good, especially after her rather embarrassing conversation with Jack before dinner. Her father said softly, "Now tell me, sweet girl, tell me what's troubling you. Is it the compound … or rather, what you should do about the buildings on the compound?" The air left her lungs in a rush and her father added, "Oh, my dearest Natalie. You've already decided to keep your inheritance, but haven't figured out what you're doing yet with that inheritance." She didn't ask how he figured that out.
"Angelo's request was that I keep a few buildings for Jack's use, and that's a request I have no problem with honoring. He's already taking note of which buildings would be best for his purposes. I'm guessing that he'll use them as safe houses. And I want maybe a small cottage or something for myself when Ailsa and I need time away. But there are a lot of buildings left, including the main house. I thought for a bit about turning the main house into a home for homeless veterans, but the logistics got the better of me. I still don't know what to do about the main house, but I was wondering if there's not an empty building in Lawton or Dupres that we could use for the vets," Natalie said softly.
There was a brief silence, and then her father said, sounding as if he'd suddenly developed a cold, "I think that will be far easier to set up than you can imagine, my dear. Like Jack himself, I bought real estate to use as safe houses. We used one of those safe houses during the Year. And I can't think of a better use than a home for veterans. When you, your mother, Ailsa and Jack come home, while Octavia and Adriane are in Scotland, I'll take you there and we can inspect it. It's structurally sound, but quite bare of any amenities." Natalie suddenly found it hard to breathe, especially when her father added, almost dreamily, "I knew I had one safe house too many, but couldn't think of what to do with it. What do you think, dearling, should we call it the Natalie Tregarth Home for Wounded Warriors?"
Natalie all but squeaked as she exclaimed, "Daddy, no! Don't name it after me!" Her face was turning so red, it wouldn't have surprised her to learn that planes flying over Nevada could navigate by her blush. Her father made a strangled sound that Natalie couldn't quite identify, and after a moment, she said more calmly, "Please, don't name it after me. We should name it after someone important. Maybe one of your mates in the war who didn't come back, or someone who fell through the cracks, someone who died before he could be helped?"
"I … might know of a few," her father allowed, voice growing steadier. There was a slight pause, and then he asked, "Did I ever tell you about the men I served with, darling girl, aside from Jack?" Natalie acknowledged that he had not, and her father continued, "I will remedy that when you four get home. After Ailsa has gone to bed, and while everyone else is doing other things, I'll tell you about the finest men I ever knew. And they were the finest men you could imagine. Some of them might have even been good enough for you and your sisters."
Natalie blushed again and said, "So, you don't think this is pie in the sky? We really can do this? I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner, but …" Her father immediately began hushing her, and Nat fell silent. As ever, when she was nervous, she started babbling. The worst part was, she wasn't even sure what she was nervous about. Unless it was what she saw earlier. She still was struggling with that, even though Jack was so kind about her poking into his business.
"We can do this, dear heart, and what's more, we will do this. You didn't think of this sooner, because there was no reason for you to think of it sooner. And now that you have, we will have our new house open and ready for business within six months," her father said quietly, with determination. He paused, before adding, "Yes, we're Torchwood. Yes, we're committed to protecting the people of this region from whatever comes through the Rift. But the Rift won't always be spewing things out, and we'll be able to set up the house properly during the quiet periods. And I will guarantee you that Jack will want to help."
Jack. Funny how things kept coming back to him. Or maybe not funny, but ironic. Hell, she didn't know which word she wanted to use! Jack confused her so damn badly, she felt all topsy-turvy. Apparently, she put her feelings in a box a bit too well, because now the djinn was out of the bottle, and all she could think about was Jack. How still and pale he was when Ray carried him from the garage; the gentleness of his smile when she admitted what she saw in his room and what she was doing in there … the way he looked as Liam Grady (who else could it have been?) made love with him. Natalie shuddered, because oh, heavens … he'd been so very beautiful and so very unguarded.
She wondered, a bit distantly, why she didn't feel angry on Esther's behalf. And then she remembered the last thing Esther told her before they all loaded onto the helicopter … that she wanted Jack to enjoy himself, whatever that enjoyment took. Esther held her hands tightly between her own two, her brown eyes very serious as she told Natalie, 'terrible things happened to Jack the last time he was in Nevada. I want good memories to replace those. Promise me that you won't stop him, Nat.' And Natalie promised, because in the months since her rescue, Esther had become her best friend. It was what Esther wanted, and so Natalie would honor that request.
And, as she said, it wasn't her business. But in her mind's eye, she could still see Liam Grady suspended over Jack, could hear the moans and gasps of pleasure, and her own feelings were a mixture of shame at seeing something so intimate and desire, because oh God, seeing that turned her on. Porn never had this effect on her … she would never tell either of her sisters, but she watch a few porn movies in college with a few of her friends. The best way to describe her reaction was a combination of 'ew, really?' and 'uhm, okay …. why?' Seeing how her friends reacted made Natalie wonder if maybe there was something wrong with her.
She didn't know. What she did know was that regardless of what she saw today, she still regarded Jack as Esther's (and Owen's), and she didn't poach on other people's territory. She was also quite sure that Jack would have a few things to say about being someone's property or territory, but dammit, it was the best way she had of making sure she didn't get her heart broken (again) or didn't make a fool out of herself (again)! Her father said softly, "Natalie? What is it, sweetheart? Is being in such close quarters to Jack making things harder for you?"
"Oh, crap … so you figured it out, too?" she moaned. Her mother and two sisters figured it out, and so did Esther. So far, her menfolk had been blissfully oblivious. It looked like that was about to come to a screeching halt. Damn. She allowed her head to drop back against the wall, and she sighed, "I really hoped that no one else would figure it out. Guess I need to work on my poker face, if I want to keep it hidden from everyone else. I know that I shouldn't want him, Dad … he's gorgeous, taken, is three times my age, still grieving for what he's lost … did I mention gorgeous? I shouldn't want him, but I do. So much."
"Oh, my beautiful daughter … in truth, I think I would be more worried for you if you didn't find Jack appealing. He is very handsome, to say nothing of charming and charismatic, and despite his occasionally flippant manner, he's also one of the most compassionate people I've ever known. He can be ruthless, of a certainty, but the choices he's had to make have cut deeply into his heart and his soul," her father sighed. All right, that wasn't telling Natalie anything that she didn't already knew, but she also knew that her father was leading up to something. He added, "The point is, Jack is a person who is beautiful inside and outside. You have nothing to be ashamed of, being attracted to him."
"I … I'm not ashamed. Exactly. More like … I don't know what to do with this," Natalie admitted. She knew that despite what Jack told her earlier, after she admitted a truth to him, he couldn't be interested in her that way. It was why she nudged Esther toward acting on her feelings for him. Besides, they had a history between them, thanks to the months they traveled together before the Miracle ended and after Jack was shot.
"You're doing just fine, sweetheart. What else is on your mind?" her father asked gently. Natalie hesitated, and then told him about Ray, how he carried Jack as easily as she carried Ailsa. Her father was silent for several moments, and then said, "I have some ideas, but I would prefer to do some research first. In the meantime, I know it's getting late. It is here … no, no, no apologizing. I couldn't have slept until I spoke to you and your mother. Rest well, my darling daughter, and I will speak to you in the morning. I love you."
"Love you, too, Dad," Natalie replied. She hung up the phone and leaned her head against the wall once more. Her mind was starting to slow down, or maybe things were starting to fall into place. At last, she pushed herself to her feet and opened the door, returning to the main room. Ailsa was sound asleep against Jack's chest and Natalie smiled in spite of herself. Her mother whispered the tentative plans, adding that Natalie still hadn't seen the gardens at night, and Jack would escort her there. Remembering what her father just told her, she agreed to that plan, since her mother would be staying with Ailsa.
She would never know that as her father hung up the phone that night, he was weeping silent tears of joy because, 'she called me 'Daddy.' My baby girl called me daddy.'
TBC