This is being written in collaboration with my talented friend nightchild78. We are having fun bouncing ideas off each other, and sharing in the excitement of watching this story unfold!
Special thanks to Rose Malmaison for making the image to go along with this fic!
Categories: NCIS/Torchwood
Rating: M
Characters: Tony DiNozzo, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Abby Sciuto, Tim McGee, Ziva David, Dr Donald Mallard, Jimmy Palmer / Jack Harkness, Ianto Jones, Toshiko Sato, Owen Harper.
Pairings: Tony/Gibbs, Jack/Ianto, Tosh/Owen.
Warnings: Swearing, slash, Mpreg, explicit sexual situations.
Spoilers: Set during the 6th season of NCIS and after Children of Earth for Torchwood. Mentions of the episodes SWAK, Boxed In, Hiatus Part 2, Escaped, Singled Out, Chimera and Requiem for NCIS and for the episodes Cyberwoman, To the Last Man, Dead Man Walking, A Day In the Death, Exit Wounds as well as the whole of season 3 of Torchwood. Miracle Day never happened.
Disclaimer: We don't own these characters. We just like to play with them.
(Author's note: Good news! It looks like you'll be getting one more chapter after all! In writing this, I realized that the ending was deserving of it's own chapter. I think it will make more of an impact that way. So you still have one last chapter to look forward to next week. :)
Also, since my love for Ianto is equal to my love for Tony, I decided to start a LiveJournal community in his honor as well. I invite you to join us over at Coffee With Ianto (coffeewithianto, a place to celebrate and appreciate the lovable, charming, and witty Welshman through fan fiction, fan art and discussion. It's still a brand new community, but I hope that it will grow into something great!
I'd also like to once again invite my fellow Tony fans to be a part of things over at Being Tony DiNozzo (beingtonyd). We've had some good discussions over there, and I am definitely looking forward to more!)
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Life changed after Owen and Tosh departed their earthly existences. With Jack and Ianto the only remaining members of the Torchwood team, they decided to put a new team into place. First, they purchased an old government safe house to use as the new headquarters. The manor had become their home, and they didn't feel comfortable with the idea of strangers walking around. Then, they set about putting together a new team. Younger agents, efficient and dedicated, with no job or family responsibilities to interfere with their duties.
Once the agents were properly trained, Jack joined Ianto handling things in the background; taking on a more administrative and advisory role.
Priorities had changed. Jack used to think that the best way to make the most of his immortality was to do his part to keep the earth safe, battling threats both alien and supernatural. He had applied himself to meet the Doctor's expectations and demonstrate to him that he was worthy of his trust.
But ever since Jack had met Tony, things changed. Discovering that the daughter he had given up back in 1943 had a son - a son that was pregnant with a child of his own - gave Jack another chance at family. One that he never thought he'd get again. He ended up growing very close to Tony and his boyfriend Jethro; feeling a sense of protection for his grandson, and a sense of relief that he was with someone who was equally protective of him.
Another pleasant surprise was Tony's unexpected friendship with Ianto. Two men who had both come from unhappy childhoods, having lost their mothers at young ages, and been left with fathers who didn't know what to do with them. Both rising above their struggles to become brave, intelligent and compassionate men. And in each other, they had found a very special understanding. Jack couldn't have been more pleased that two of the most important people in his life had formed such a special bond.
Imogen's birth served to bring everyone closer together. Throughout his pregnancy, Tony's health continued to deteriorate. He had grown weak to the point he couldn't take care of himself, and could barely move. A coma had left him brain damaged and struggling to communicate. Caring for Tony had become a group effort, with everybody doing their part to ensure the health and well being of both mother and unborn child.
To everyone's relief, Tony survived the pregnancy, and a fat, healthy baby girl was born. Tony eventually regained his strength, though his steps were unsteady, slow, and made with great effort, for the rest of his life.
Tony's speech came back slowly. After a lot of hard work, we was finally speaking normally again by the time Imogen was around 2 years old. So they both really started speaking at the same time.
It was clear from an early age that Imogen was highly intelligent and observant, just like her parents. And by the time she was 12, she had started asking the inevitable questions. Though she didn't recall playing "magic peek-a-boo" with uncle Owen, there were still a lot of things which intrigued her.
How could she so strongly resemble both Tony and Gibbs, even though she was supposedly born via a surrogate?
Why didn't "uncle Jack" ever age, while everyone else did?
Why didn't Owen ever eat or drink?
Her family promised to answer all of her questions when she was older. And on her 16th birthday, they kept to that promise.
The day ended up being quite an event! First, Jack showed her everything they had saved to the computer; old photos, files, and medical records, documenting everything from both Jack and Tony's pregnancies, to death and resurrection records. There were old photos of Jack from both the past and distant future, and Tony during every stage of his difficult pregnancy. Jack told Imogen of his true relationship to her, and he and Ianto spent a good part of the morning telling her all about Torchwood.
It was all very exciting, and Imogen possessed enough intelligence to see the proof for the truth that it was, however unbelievable it might have seemed.
But for her, the highlight of the day was when Tony and Gibbs presented her with the pendant that Gibbs had given him when they first became a couple.
"Your dad gave this to me," Tony told Imogen. "It's got generations of powerful magic behind it, and is the reason I became pregnant with you."
"You mean you were wearing it when you had sex?" Imogen guessed, smirking.
"Why, yes, this pendant was witness to our intimacy," Tony replied, unfazed. It was cute when Imogen tried to embarrass him. But, like Jack, Tony was shameless in that respect, so it was to no avail.
"It belonged to Shannon," Tony elaborated more seriously, exchanging a loving look with Gibbs as their fingers intertwined.
And Imogen understood. Since she was small, she had heard stories about Shannon and Kelly, and knew that they had been a very important part of Gibbs' life before he'd met Tony.
It was with all of this new information, and these new gifts, that Imogen began to truly understand what an incredible family she came from. And it was in their rich history that she found inspiration.
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Imogen was now in her 40s. Despite of her extraordinary background, she lived a quiet, ordinary life, the most inspired aspect of it being her wonderful paintings. She specialized in landscape painting. Mountains, meadows and oceans; the magic of sunrise, or the mystery of the nighttime sky, perfectly captured. She knew that Jack had seen many fantastic things, having countless adventures in the vast universe, and though she had stayed firmly rooted on Earth her entire life, in her paintings, a person's imagination could travel galaxies. That was the power of her artistic gifts.
Imogen was also known for her pottery; cups, bowls and vases painted with intricate designs.
Imogen's Imaginings was home to her creations. In the front, there was a small gallery to one side, showcasing her recent works. To the other side was a shop, selling paintings and pottery. Custom pieces could also be requested for an extra fee.
In the back of the building was a studio, where Imogen spend most of her time, covered in paint or clay, working with tireless passion and focus.
But she cleaned up nicely. Tall and slim yet curvy, with long, flowing, dark brown hair, which she wore up while she worked, but hung past her shoulders in loose curls when it was down. Her green eyes and full lips matched her mother's, as did her smile. Yet, when angry, she could shoot an intimidating glare that would make her father proud.
Imogen's passion, focus, talent and beauty eventually won the heart of Jordan Smith, an old childhood friend and the son of Martha Jones and Mickey Smith, who had remained close friends of Jack and Ianto's over the years.
Like Imogen, Jordan preferred a quiet life. An English professor at Georgetown, he was more likely to be seen reading about fantastic adventures than going on them, even though he had been offered to travel with the Doctor more than once. His parents' experiences had taught him to be cautious when it came to time travel.
The couple's families had a long and amazing shared history, which made for a certain level of comfort between them. They could be completely open and honest. No need for secrets.
The true stories they had been told as children were far better than any tales of fiction. Yet the couple craved comfort and stability. Perhaps when they were older, they could travel to amazing worlds unknown. The Doctor knew where to find them, after all. But for now, they wanted to provide a settled existence for their son Daniel, now a freshman in high school, with a strong interest in computers.
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Today, Imogen's life didn't feel very quiet and settled. The previous day, just over 20 years since her father had died, Imogen had to bury her mother.
Her father's death had come as a shock, as Gibbs had been active and in seemingly good health, showing no outward indication that anything was wrong. So when a sudden heart attack claimed him, the grief caused an upset in Tony's emotional stability. It was then that Imogen saw just how her parents relied on one another. And it was then that she watched as Jack and Ianto provided the support and comfort that Tony needed. Support and comfort that they would provide until the very end.
Which is exactly what they had ended up doing. Three years earlier, Tony had a stroke. He had been lucky to live into his 80s, considering all of his health problems. But his poor health and existing brain damage made the stroke all the more devastating, and Tony declined rapidly in his final years.
Jack and Ianto became Tony's full time caregivers, with nurses coming in to help throughout the week.
Imogen also came in to help out as much as possible, and it broke her heart to see Tony's mental decline. Initially, he would mix up his words, or forget them altogether, which caused him great frustration. Later, after a series of "mini strokes", it pained Imogen to see that he no longer recognized her. In fact, as he neared the end of his life, there was no flicker of recognition for anything or anyone at all. Jack and Ianto took care of Tony's needs, but Tony no longer noticed. His mind wasn't present. Imogen tried to find solace in the fact that at least he was no longer grieving Gibbs' absence.
Imogen blinked back tears, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly as she made her way to her old family home. She had just seen her in-laws off at the airport, and with Jordan at work and Daniel at school, respectively, she decided to give herself a day off and spend it with Jack and Ianto.
Pulling up the driveway and parking the car, she glanced over at the garden that Tony had loved so much in life. Every Sunday afternoon when Imogen was a little girl, Tony would pack a picnic lunch for Gibbs, Imogen and himself, and they would eat it out in the garden. To young Imogen, these lunches were an event! And even in adulthood, they were among her fondest memories.
Imogen got out of the car and meandered into the garden, admiring the beauty. Jack and Ianto had really done a wonderful job maintaining it over the years - though Jack would be the first to admit it was mostly Ianto's doing.
Closing her eyes and breathing in the sweet perfume, Imogen was transported back to the smiles and laughter than rang through in this place that, to this day, still felt magical.
In a clearing at the far corner of the garden, the old swing set still stood. With a child-like glee, Imogen hurried towards it, seating herself on her favorite swing.
Closing her eyes once again, she could clearly remember the sensation of flying, wind blowing her hair back as Jack pushed, cheering:
"Up! To the stars!"
Opening her eyes, Imogen looked to see Jack and Ianto making their way towards her. Jack remained unchanged over the years, still very much the man he had always been.
Ianto, however, was a far cry from the baby faced young man she remembered growing up. His dark hair, now a silvery gray; his face, lined with the wisdom of age. He looked quite the distinguished older gentleman. Still handsome as ever. Jack had come to the conclusion that, unlike Tosh's resurrection, which had been accidental, the fact that Owen had willingly poured his vital energy into Ianto helped make his state more permanent, even though the Welshman was still aging.
Seeing the old couple together now, those who didn't know them well would never believe that Ianto was the younger man.
Standing up, Imogen walked to meet Jack and Ianto in the middle of the garden, exchanging tearful hugs with each of them.
"Decided to take a little detour, I see," Ianto quipped, as he pulled back from their hug.
"Yeah," Imogen sighed, shoving her hands into her pockets and looking around fondly at the well maintained grounds. "I just associate this garden so strongly with memories of my parents. Especially my mom." She was glad she could freely refer to Tony as "mom" in present company. It felt so much more natural falling from her lips.
"I know what you mean," Jack said, nodding in agreement. "He and I used to have many nice conversations out here."
Ianto smiled, breathing in the sweet air. "You know, I can see feel his presence here," he observed, his voice thick with emotion.
Jack nodded again, recalling what Tony had told him when they had first met, about feeling as though his mother were there with him. Now, whenever Jack wandered through the garden, he could swear that both of them were walking beside him. It was a very comforting thought for a man like him, who had been lonely for so long.
"Come on," Jack finally said, putting an arm around Imogen as the three of them walked up to the house. "We have some things for you."
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Tony's bedroom remained untouched since the day he died, save for the sheets, which had been stripped from the bed. A partially filled IV still hung from the stand. A cart stood by the bed, its drawers filled with briefs, changing pads, towels and personal grooming supplies.
On the bedside table were two framed photos; one of Tony and Gibbs holding baby Imogen, and another similar photo of Imogen with her own family.
A television hung from the wall, which Tony watched with an innocent wonder in his final years, fascinated by the sound and movement, though not fully comprehending what he was seeing and hearing.
Imogen took a seat on the bed, while Jack sat across from her on one of the chairs beside it.
"I'll be back momentarily," Ianto promised, excusing himself, and Imogen nodded as she looked around the room.
Imogen noticed that the room still smelled like Tony; a rather nice lavender scent from the soap Ianto had turned him onto years before. She felt a twinge of gratitude that Ianto and Jack had been so diligent about keeping Tony clean. She'd been in enough nursing homes to know that the sick and elderly were often neglected, left to lay in their own filth until someone could be bothered to wash them. Imogen had always felt comforted by the knowledge that her mother was clean and well cared for by family that loved him.
Looking up as she felt the bed dip beside her, Imogen saw Ianto smiling at her, holding a small gift bag.
"These belonged to your mother," Ianto explained, as Imogen reached into the bag and pulled out a rag doll.
The doll's stuffing was uneven, and it's red yarn hair sat incomplete on its head, making the doll appear to have a crooked receding hairline. Save for two lopsided button eyes, the doll was faceless.
Jack laughed as he watched his great granddaughter's face screw up in curious amusement as she studied the thing.
After you were born, while your mom was in bed getting his strength back, he decided to take up sewing and knitting," Jack explained. "He wasn't very good at it."
"I can see that," Imogen laughed, pulling a pink, misshapen knitted object out of the bag.
"That was supposed to be a hat for you," Ianto said, smirking. "Your mother would be mortified if he knew we were giving these to you. He was quite unhappy with how they turned out, and requested that I throw them away."
"I'm glad you didn't," Imogen said, tossing the hat onto the bed beside the doll. "Mom made these for me with loving intentions. He put a lot of time and work into them. I don't care how they look. They're something for me to remember him by."
"We thought you might feel that way," Ianto commented, looking fondly at Imogen.
Imogen nodded, tears forming in her eyes. As she once again picked up and examined the ugly rag doll, a loud, strangled sob escaped her throat.
"I miss him so much," she wept, leaning onto Ianto's shoulder.
The Welshman hugged her tightly. Jack shot up from the chair, sitting down at Imogen's other side and holding her. Now enveloped in love by two of the men who helped raise her, their soothing energy slowly quieted her sobs.
"I know you miss him. We all do. But I can promise you he is happy", Ianto soothed. "There is an existence beyond this one. I've seen it, and it's beautiful!"
At those words, Imogen looked up and smiled at Ianto. One comforting aspect of having a family like hers was that, when they said things such as this, you could be sure they were speaking the truth.