Time for Jack and Ianto to inform the children of The Plan …
Telling the Children – April 4753, Ogmore and Hafan
The flivver flew over the treetops, skimming along at a good pace. Holly liked to fly fast and in these skies there was no other traffic to slow her down. Behind her, Owain sat looking out of the windows at the National Park that he had explored on foot many times over the years, as a child and later as an adult with his own children. They had been good times leaving him with many happy memories and he smiled as he thought of the joy to come when he introduced his grandson, Brook, now only six months old, to the same pleasures.
"Do you have any idea why we've been summoned like this?" asked Holly from the pilot's seat. Holly had posed the question twice before, irritated at being asked to Ogmore only days before her fifty ninth birthday party. Whatever their parents had to say could surely have waited until then. And why had partners and children been excluded from the invitation? It was all very mysterious.
"No." Owain was not overly bothered by the strange summons issued by his parents. His professional success and happy home life had made him very easy going. At fifty five he had it all and was not going to let this unexpected trip upset him.
"Well something's up," continued Holly, making a small course correction. "And Minda knows what it is, I'm sure of it."
"Perhaps. She's always been close to Dad and Tad, especially since Bree died."
"Maybe, but if there is some news I don't see why she was told and not us."
"We're going to find out what this is all about very soon so why not just wait and see. I assume Jared will be at your do next weekend?" As Owain had hoped, the mention of her new grandson diverted Holly.
"Oh yes," she gushed, smiling over her shoulder at him. "Jared is lovely. And Ruth is playing the little mother, helping feed and care for him."
"Like you did for me," grinned Owain.
"I tried but you wouldn't let me! You screamed most of your first year," she replied, going over familiar family territory. She was delighted to be a grandmother again. Jonty and Carenza's second child was now two months old and Ruth, his sister, would be three in a month's time. She saw them regularly and loved them to bits. She hoped that Sukie would have children soon; she and Edward had been married for nearly a year.
"There's the house," said Owain, seeing the familiar roof looming out of the trees. "Can we circle round and come in over the sea? I love that view of it."
"Okay."
Holly made the necessary course change and soon they were over the water before she turned and headed straight for the house, slowing to little more than a hover. The place looked as impressive as always and both she and Owain considered themselves lucky to be able to call it home. As they neared the shore, two figures emerged from the front door and stood on the steps, waving at the flivver. Jack and Ianto had an arm each around the other's waist and even from that distance, Holly and Owain could see their parents' smiles.
"They look happy," commented Owain, waving back to the two men as the flivver banked for the approach to the landing pad.
"Umm," said Holly non-committedly. She concentrated on the landing and brought the flivver down gently onto the pad. Using the thrusters, she moved it to the parking area. "Looks like we're the first to arrive."
"How can you tell?" He was unbuckling his seat restraint.
"Minda's flivver isn't here." Holly shut down the engine and secured the craft. Out of the windscreen she saw her parents appear round the corner on the path from the house. "Let's go and find out what this is all about."
"Don't start, Holly," cautioned her brother, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Let them tell us whatever it is in their own way and in their own time. Please."
"All right."
Jack was at the door of the flivver and opened it, holding it open for Owain to clamber down. "Welcome, welcome," he beamed at them, covering his nervousness with false bonhomie. "Great landing as always, gorgeous."
"Let me take your bag, sweetheart," said Ianto to Owain, holding out a hand. "Good trip?"
"Very, thanks." He handed over the small overnight bag and hugged his tad. "The new teleport link to Norwich is so convenient." He had made the teleport jump from Newcastle to Norwich that morning where he had met Holly and flown on with her. In all, it had taken just three hours to get from his home to Ogmore.
"How's the family, tiger?" asked Jack, reaching into the flivver to get Holly's bag and help her down the steps.
"Good. Newlyn's coming over for Holly's big bash next weekend … with Brook." He grinned when he saw Jack and Ianto's delighted reaction. "Thought that would please you."
"Ruth and Jared will be there too, so you'll be able to see all your great-grandchildren," added Holly. She hugged her dad and tad. She had not seen them for a month and was again reminded how young they both still looked. With her own birthday looming it was an unwelcome reminder of her increasing years.
"It's going to be a great occasion," beamed Ianto. "Come on up to the house. We've put you in your old rooms, hope that's okay."
He led the way with Owain and all four were soon inside the house. Holly and Owain went upstairs to unpack and freshen up. While they were gone, Ianto turned to Jack and smiled bravely.
"This is it then," he said, standing in the hallway facing his partner.
"Certainly is. No going back now." Jack returned the smile and stroked Ianto's face. "Let's hope they understand."
"It's up to us to make them."
"True." If they didn't understand, he had a supply of Retcon ready.
Holly returned to the ground floor first. "When's Minda due?" she asked.
"Any time. Luke was going to leave London as soon as he could this morning but there's always a fair bit for him to organise." Ianto smiled at her. "Any more photographs of Jared?" he asked hopefully.
"One or two," she said, laughing. "I'll show you them when you've told me what this secret meeting is all about."
"It's not a secret, love," replied Jack, "we just want a chat with you children alone. And not another word until Minda and Luke get here." He took her arm and steered her towards the kitchen. "Come and help me start on lunch."
Ianto watched them go and then looked up as Owain appeared on the stairs. "Would you like a coffee?" he asked.
"Love one."
The two men joined the others in the kitchen and Ianto made the drinks while Jack and Holly prepared vegetables for lunch. They were still there when they heard a flivver overhead.
"I'll go and meet them," said Jack, wiping his hands. "We could do with Luke's help with this anyway."
"Hey, are you criticising my cooking?" protested Holly.
"He wouldn't dare," commented Owain.
Jack left with them continuing to exchange familiar insults. He reached the landing pad to find Luke and Minda already out of the craft. "Hello, you two. Let me take your bags."
"I can manage mine, thanks," said Luke. He smiled at his dad but was not particularly happy to have been asked to come for this overnight stay. The restaurants – seven now – were busy and he didn't like leaving everything to Bruce. Plus, Tyrone had got himself in with a rather unruly group of young people and needed close supervision. He was nothing like his sister who was no trouble at all. "What's this all about, Dad?"
"We'll tell you after lunch," he said, taking Minda's bag and slipping her arm through his. "And Holly's in charge of making it at the moment so goodness knows what we'll get unless you help out."
"Oh no." Luke strode ahead of them, diverted, as Jack had intended, from his other concerns.
"He's worried about Ty," said Minda quietly when her brother was out of earshot. "Seems he rolled home drunk last night - well, this morning I should say - and they had a big row. Luke didn't get much sleep."
"He's turning into quite a tearaway, that boy," said Jack with a little grin. He distrusted perfect children and felt Tyrone, at seventeen, should run wild a little. "How are your girls?"
"Very well. Caro's got next weekend off so she'll be coming to Holly's party after all. I think it'll be a full house."
"I'm looking forward to it, especially as Owain's told us Newlyn is coming with Brook." He grinned down at her.
"Oh, excellent. I'm looking forward to seeing him again." She sighed and slowed down, forcing them to a halt. "Anything special you want me to do or say today?" she asked.
"No, love, but thanks for the offer. If you want to be as surprised as them, that's fine. We won't - "
"No," she interjected, "that would be silly. I don't mind them knowing that I've helped you. Are we going to Hafan?"
Jack pulled a face. "I don't know. Your tad thinks it would be a good idea but I'm not so sure. I think we'll just play it by ear."
They continued up the path and went into the house. Minda put her head round the kitchen door to say hello then disappeared upstairs to unpack and freshen up. She was keen to keep out of Holly's way as much as she could until after lunch. Luke had not bothered to unpack, just dumped his stuff and rushed back to the kitchen where he had taken over lunch preparation. He was bustling about impatiently to the amusement of the rest of them.
"I think we should leave him to it," said Ianto. "Let's go and sit down comfortably and you can show me all the new baby pictures," he said to Holly and Owain. He led the way into the library. Jack stayed in the kitchen to help Luke, hoping to get him to talk about his worries for Tyrone.
When she finally came downstairs, Minda saw the others in the library and joined them, sitting beside Owain and cooing over the photographs when it was her turn to look at them. Caronne still showed no signs of settling down with anyone, and as she was not yet twenty Minda was quite content. She put aside the photographs and tuned into the conversation.
"It just wasn't to be, not this year," Owain was saying. "We got to the quarter finals but Medusa were too good for us." The Geordies' cup run was over. "There's always next year."
"How's the job with the YCA going? Still enjoying it?" asked Minda, folding one leg underneath her and leaning back against the arm of the couch so she could see him better.
"It's okay. There's still some diehards who like things the way they always have been but there are more like me who see the need for change. It'll happen in the next few years." He smiled at her.
"I still find it incredible that we're so … respectable and so old," said Holly with feeling. "It doesn't seem five minutes since we were all young and fancy free and you were out there," she waved a hand at the window, "kicking a blessed soccer ball. Where has the time gone?"
"It has gone by so very fast," agreed Ianto from his seat beside her. "I remember you all being born." In this very house, he thought but did not say, so many memories were tied up in this structure. "Holding you in my arms for the first time."
"Don't get sentimental on us," said Holly, giving him a poke in the ribs and laughing. "I was just thinking that we're all in our fifties now." Minda had reached fifty the month before. "And two of us are grandparents."
"And I'm a great-grandfather," Ianto pointed out, "three times over."
The conversation continued as they exchanged news of their families and careers interspersed with reminiscences of their childhood years. Ten minutes later they were joined by Jack and Luke who had left the meal to cook. The latter was less uptight than he had been but it took him half an hour of gentle ribbing from his siblings before he completely relaxed. Ianto watched them and welcomed this chance to be with just his children. When the younger members of the family were present attention naturally fell on them and he couldn't remember the last time that just the six of them had been gathered in a room together.
"I'll go and check on lunch," said Luke, standing up, "should be almost ready."
"I'll help." Ianto got up and walked out with his youngest son, the two of them looking so very alike. "Hope you're not working too hard again," he said as they entered the kitchen to delicious aromas.
"No, Tad, I'm not. Though I could have done with being at home right now." He went to the oven and checked the joint baking inside. "Was it really necessary to get us down here?"
"Yes, sweetheart, it was. And you look like you need the break." Ianto started setting the table. "If it's Ty that's troubling you, don't get so wound up about it. Owain was just the same at that age and he's turned out all right."
"That's what Dad said. I just don't understand Ty, I really don't. Whatever I say makes no difference whatsoever." He looked over at his tad, bewilderment all over his face. "I don't know what to do for the best."
"Let your Dad have a talk to him, that's what sorted out your brother."
"Umm, Dad said he would. Maybe he'll listen to Dad when he won't listen to Bruce or me." Mechanically, he went back to the stove and checked on the vegetables. "These are ready for serving, will you get everyone to the table?"
"Yes, chef," said Ianto with a grin and went to do his bidding.
The lunch was a great success. It was rare to have an old fashioned roast meal but the weather was typically showery for April and something warm and filling, and familiar, was just what they wanted. The extra touches from master chef Luke had also made it particularly special. Dessert was a fruit fool that Ianto had made earlier but even he was surprised at the way Luke served it; the swirl of cream made all the difference.
"I'll make coffee when we've cleared away," said Ianto when they had all finished eating. "We can take it in the living room and Dad and I tell you why we wanted to see you."
"At last!" said Holly.
"Anyone would think you didn't want to visit us," said Jack, feigning hurt. "I think it's great to have you all here." He stood up and started to collect the dishes together.
"It's not that I mind coming, I just don't see why you couldn't have said whatever it is at my party." She got up and helped him clear the table. Luke, Minda and Owain strolled to the living room, out of the way, as she and Jack cleared the rest of the crockery and cutlery and loaded the dishwasher before helping Ianto carry in the coffees.
"Anyone fancy a liqueur?" asked Jack, shutting the living room door. The others were all arranged on the couches and chairs.
"I'll have a Crème de Menthe," said Minda, legs curled beneath her as she sat by Luke on one of the couches. As so often happened, the children had split up by age, with the elder two sitting together facing the younger pair.
"Not for me," said Owain. He drank occasionally but still not very much.
"I'll have a Sabra," said Luke. He was resigned to spending these two days with his parents and decided to really unwind; he had been working hard.
"Oh, go on then. I'll have one of those too," said Holly.
"Crème de Menthe, Ianto?" asked Jack.
"Please." He was settled in a chair, coffee mug clutched against his chest and looked relaxed although he did not feel it.
Jack got the drinks and passed them round, getting himself a Sabra; he liked the mix of chocolate and orange. He sat in the other chair, facing Ianto with the children on the couches on either side of him. He sipped the liqueur and then a little of the coffee.
"Come on then, spit it out," prompted Owain. "If you don't tell us why we're here soon Holly will explode with anticipation."
"Hey!" She thumped his arm, nearly spilling his coffee. "You want to know as much as me."
"Just tell us," said Luke.
"Okay." Jack looked at Ianto and was encouraged by the nod his partner gave him. He opened his mouth but nothing came out. He had thought about and planned for this moment for so long and now he could not find the right way to start.
"Dad?" prompted Owain again.
"Sorry, it's just hard to know where to start." He took a deep breath. "You all know I was born in the future and that I can't stay dead. Because of that I have a rather unique problem. If I don't take care I'm going to either cause a time paradox by meeting myself or affect the timeline by creating a situation, a history, that didn't exist when I was born. In other words, it's imperative that I do all I can to ensure the conditions are just as they were when I was born."
"How?" asked Luke.
"First, by not being head of the single most important organisation on the planet," said Jack wryly. "That's why I left Torchwood when I did and why I picked Felix Yakov to succeed me. You see, by the time I'm going to be born, Torchwood is just a minor arm of the Alliance, barely noticeable. By breaking it up, it means the Time Agency that I will one day join will be created on schedule."
"That's why you left!" declared Holly. "I knew there had to be more to it."
"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you all then, but I was trying to make it as natural a transition as I could. And I didn't want you to have to keep a secret through the media storm that followed." He sipped the liqueur and got an encouraging smile from Ianto.
"That can't be all you have to do," said Owain shrewdly, "or you wouldn't need us here now."
"No, it's not. I have to disappear so no one ever links me to my younger self. Too many people know what I look like and that I can't die – particularly all those that worked for Torchwood – and that I live here. I have to become invisible to everyone so that no one remembers me or even thinks of me until after I've been born."
There was a small silence as the children took this in. Then Luke spoke, "Do you realise how mad that sounds? When are you going to be born?" He shook his head. "Now I'm doing it!"
Jack chuckled, grateful for the lightening of the mood. "I know it's weird, but believe me that's nothing. When you've travelled in time as much as I have you get used to not knowing what tenses to use! I was – or will be – born about three hundred years from now. That's only a couple of lifetimes so you'll appreciate my difficulty. I can't have even the smallest possibility that someone will connect me with the young man I will be." He smiled at Luke. "And if you think Ty's wild you should have seen me!"
"When you say disappear," pressed Holly, "what exactly do you mean?" She looked from him to her tad and back again.
"I have to leave and go somewhere else to live. Somewhere I can keep my head down and not be noticed until my younger self has gone back in time to start his long, long life."
"Where are you going to go? And is Tad going with you?" Holly was on the edge of her seat, her voice demanding as she began to understand what her dad was telling her. "Are we ever going to see you again!?"
Jack put out a hand and rested it on her shoulder. "Yes. You'll see me again but … well, it's not going to be here and it's not going to be as often."
"And you, Tad, are you going with him?" she demanded, staring at the Welshman.
"Of course I am. I love your dad, more than you could ever know, and I wouldn't let him go off alone like he wanted to." Ianto was sitting up now, a response to the charged atmosphere in the room. It may be Holly reacting but Owain and Luke were as affected as she was, just showing it differently. "You can come and visit us in our new home. IF we can rely on you, on all of you, to keep our secret."
Minda was sitting watching the play of emotions on her parents' and siblings' faces. She had had three years to get used to the idea of her parents moving to Hafan and had the advantage of having visited their new home. With the equipment she had helped to install, they would be able to live there happily, away from the public glare and protect the timeline. But if the family let slip details of where they were the whole purpose of the exercise would be null and void.
"I'm not sure I understand why it has to be secret," said Owain, laying a restraining hand on Holly's knee when it looked like she would speak again. "No, Holly, let's hear the rest of it. Dad?"
"It's all a matter of temporal mechanics which is barely in its infancy right now so I won't confuse you with all the technical details," began Jack. "Basically, what we have is a fixed point in time – me – travelling along a linear timeline about to smash through a kink in that same timeline. If that happens, the timeline is shattered and time starts adjusting to compensate. In my case that means a knock-on effect to the past two and half millennia. All Earth's history for that time could potentially be rewritten."
Luke groaned. "That's the simple explanation?" He turned to Minda, "You're the genius in the family, did you understand any of that?"
"Enough to realise how potentially devastating it could be," she said. "There's another complication that I should tell you about. Do you remember when I was lost in Australia, thirty odd years ago?" They nodded. "I went forward in time then and met Dad, the young Dad. I'm an additional factor in all this that could also change history."
"You met Dad?" asked Owain, amazed. "You never said."
"And you knew all about this … this disappearing, didn't you?!" Holly accused.
"I told Minda a couple of years ago," said Jack, trying to get the discussion back on track, "because I needed her technical help. Our new home has to be protected and I needed Minda to help me do that."
"How could you, Dad? How could you tell her and not us!?" Holly was looking at him aghast and with threatening tears in her eyes. In that moment she looked very vulnerable. She'd always been confident that she was close to her dad and now she had been deliberately kept in the dark while Minda had been allowed into the secret. It hurt her a lot.
"Like I said, I needed her technical expertise." Jack was on the edge of his chair now with both Holly's hands in his own. He fixed her with his most penetrating gaze. "There was no other reason, gorgeous, none at all. Please believe me." Holly blinked back the tears and pulled her hands free, looking away from her dad. She sank back into the couch and wrapped her arms around her, looking down at nothing. Jack's heart cracked a little at the sight, he hated hurting her.
Owain decided to move the discussion along. "I don't understand the explanation, Dad, but I'll take your word for it that it's correct. So you have to make sure you avoid yourself and that no one remembers Jack Harkness and links you and … the young you because if they did history would change. Is that right?"
"Yes." Jack was still sitting forward, and glanced at Holly before returning his gaze to the others. "Your tad and I have bought an island and built a house there. I'm not going to tell you exactly where because I don't want you to have to lie about it. We're going to leave here in mid-August, ostensibly for a long holiday, but we won't be coming back. We'll be settling in our new home, Hafan. We need you to tell anyone who asks that we found somewhere we loved and that we decided to stay, that you don't know when we're coming back."
"And that means history will be all right?"
"We're going to live there very quietly and if all goes to plan no one will know we're there. I'll be forgotten and the timeline will continue as it should with my younger self going back in time to find your tad." Jack smiled at Ianto. "When he's gone, I'll be able to come out of hiding and continue my life."
"How long?" asked Luke, his mind still reeling with the talk of temporal mechanics. He understood his parents would be moving and the reasons why and that was enough for him to try and comprehend.
"About five hundred years, to be safe."
"Five hundred!?"
"I'm already over five thousand years old, pumpkin, what's another few hundred?" Jack smiled at him.
"But Tad isn't immortal," pointed out Owain.
"No, but I'm a clone," said Ianto. "I'll live another three hundred years or so anyway. And I can be cloned again." He looked round at them all. They looked shell shocked still. "The most important thing for you all to understand is that while we won't be here at Ogmore and we won't be coming to see you as we have been, we will be in touch by vidlink and we want you all to come and visit us, you and your partners and the grandchildren and the great-grandchildren."
"That's why we've arranged things as we have," said Jack, "but it wouldn't have been possible without Minda's help. So I'll not have you taking it out on her that she knew of these plans before you. Understand?" He looked round at them sternly, one by one. The boys met his eye and nodded. "Holly?" prompted Jack when she did not look up. She nodded without raising her head.
"If this new home is to be secret, how are we to visit you?" asked Owain.
"We have a private teleport link," explained Ianto, grinning. "It's very neat and works ever so well. If you want to, we could use it now." He left the offer hanging as they looked at him in surprise, all except Minda who was smiling at the expressions on their faces.
"Before we go anywhere," said Jack smoothly, wishing Ianto had not made the offer quiet so readily, "we need to think about this place. The property belongs to a holding company and it will be maintained for our eventual return. But we don't really want to leave it empty. We were hoping one of you might like to live here. It would help provide cover for your visits to us as, like your tad says, the teleport is here to get you to Hafan."
There was a deeper silence as the children took in the implications. None of them wanted to leave the house empty; it was inconceivable that it would not be available to them as a holiday home at least. But if their parents weren't here, would there be a reason for coming? As for living here, they had built their lives away from this part of the world and uprooting themselves and their families would be difficult.
Ianto saw their confusion and sympathised. They had a lot to take in all at once. "Look, I think you need a bit of time to consider all this. Let's go to Hafan, I really want to show you the house."
Jack nodded, reluctant but seeing the logic of the change of scene. "Good idea. Minda, help me set it up?"
"Of course."
"Give us five minutes." Jack and Minda left the room.
"Before we make this trip," said Ianto, "there's something I want to say to you three." His voice held a note of authority he rarely used to them and they all took note of it. "Your dad loves you all very much and has gone to a lot of trouble to ensure that we can stay in touch. It's not been easy for him, far from it, and neither of us has taken the decisions we have lightly. If you can't make this work, then your dad and I will have to disappear completely because protecting the timeline for you and your families is more important than our need to stay in touch with you. You may never see us again." He looked round at them. "Do you understand what's at stake here?" They nodded. "Good. Now," he smiled suddenly, "let's go and see Hafan."
He led the way to the workshop where Minda was waiting for them. Jack had already teleported across and was making a few final preparations at the other end. After a few moments, Holly and Owain made the jump followed by the remaining three.
Luke looked around at the enclosed space where they materialised and was relieved when after viewing the two rooms on this floor, they teleported up to the main house and the natural light. He followed his tad out of the front doors onto the veranda which was bathed in warm sunshine and took in the glorious view. "This is lovely," he said.
"I'm glad you like it," said Ianto. "Come down here and look back at the house." He led them down the shallow steps to the grassed area in front and they got their first view of the house, now sitting within greenery and looking as if it belonged.
After admiring the house and the view a little longer, Ianto led them back inside and gave them the grand tour. He delighted in showing them all the rooms, especially the guest bedrooms which, he hoped, would convince them that they had a place here too. They completed the tour in the kitchen and then went out onto the patio where Jack and Minda were waiting for them.
"It's fabulous," said Owain, grinning. "It reminds me of Ogmore."
"Well, I did design them both," replied Ianto, matching the grin. "There's bound to be some similarities."
"Is that a herb garden?" asked Luke, walking near the edge of the patio.
"Yes, go and have a look. All of you, go wherever you like."
They all scattered around the place. Owain walked round the house, on the veranda, to the front of the house and admired the view of the bay; Luke and Minda went to explore the herb garden; and Ianto went into the kitchen to see if there was any juice. That left Holly and Jack on the patio.
"I see you have a pool," she said quietly.
"Couldn't do without my daily swim." He paused. "Are we all right, love?"
She looked at the ground then up at him. "Yes, of course we are. I just don't like it when things change. I can't imagine Ogmore without you two there."
"It took us a long time to come to terms with that too, but it has to be."
"I see that now. And if you're here, well, you're in a beautiful place." She smiled at him and he wrapped her in a hug.
Ianto joined them, a tray of juice and glasses in his hand. "Everything all right?" he asked, setting down the tray.
"Uh huh. I still don't like the thought of not seeing you so often, but that's better than not seeing you at all." She hugged her tad.
"Then will you apologise to Minda, please?"
"Yes, I shouldn't have taken it out on her." She stood with her parents wondering how they got to be so wise. She still floundered about trying to make the right decision.
"There's one other thing, Holly," said Jack. "Your tad and I hoped that you would be the one to live at Ogmore. Owain and Luke can't move easily - the Geordies and the restaurants aren't portable - and the house is too big for Minda on her own. But you could relocate Jones the Book – either to Cardiff or to Ogmore - and there's room for you and Gilles, Sukie and Edward and Marcus when he's at home."
"And you'd be closer to Jonty and the children," added Ianto. "Please say you'll think about it."
"I suppose it might be possible," she said slowly, thinking of the practicalities.
"You could do what you want to the house and the property, within reason."
"I'll need more time to think about it. And discuss it with Gilles and the others before I can decide." She could see many advantages in living at working at Ogmore but also a number of difficulties.
"Thank you, sweetheart. We just want you to give it proper consideration."
"The garden is full of fabulous plants," enthused Luke walking back to join them, Minda a pace or two behind. "What kind of animal life is there?" He had never lost his love of the natural world and would have liked time to explore properly.
As Ianto and Jack told him about the island, Holly made her peace with Minda and they both went looking for Owain. An hour later, they were all gathered again on the patio drinking juice and enjoying the lovely day.
"We must be in the southern hemisphere," mused Owain, head back and face turned up to the sun. "Perhaps Indonesia."
"Did you listen to your Dad!?" asked Ianto in exasperation. "We're not going to tell you where we are and we need you to keep any speculation to yourselves. This place has to remain secret otherwise we may as well just leave you all now!" He got up, took the tray and empty glasses and stormed into the kitchen.
"What did I say?"
"Honestly, you can be stupid sometimes," said Jack, rounding on Owain but including the others in his scorn. "The last thing your tad wants to do is leave Ogmore and not see you so often. It's tearing him apart that he won't see Ruth, Brook and Jared grow up like he's seen the others. If you keep this up, he won't be able to see you at all! Is that what you want?" Jack stood up and followed his partner into the kitchen.
The four siblings looked at one another in silence for several minutes until Minda spoke. "They mean what they say. If we don't go along with this plan of theirs, they'll really disappear. Dad gave up a job he'd been doing for thousands of years so that he could maintain the timeline, and Tad's left Jones the Coffee. They're making the biggest sacrifices, not us."
"I don't think anyone can disappear these days, not completely," said Luke.
"Of course they can! Especially when they've got Torchwood's resources and Dad and Tad's cunning. This plan has been in the making for years, at least twenty years, and Dad made all his arrangements with great care."
"That long? They've been planning that long?" queried Holly.
"Yes."
"Minda, this timeline … thing," began Owain, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, "what would happen if history was affected?"
"No one can predict the effects, not precisely. Well, Dad probably can but I certainly can't. Basically, if Dad does anything to prevent himself going back in time like he's supposed to then everything that happened on Earth from the 20th century to today could change. It could all be wiped out in an alien attack that Dad wasn't there to stop. Or it might be more subtle, maybe the colonisation programme won't start or will start later and differently. Or a key discovery won't be made. The possibilities are endless."
"But the obvious one is that we wouldn't be here," said Holly, "because Dad wouldn't meet Tad and wouldn't clone him." She found it easier to understand when she related it to her immediate circumstances. "We'd … cease to exist, is that right?"
"Yes. Which is where my trip in time comes into play." She took a deep breath and continued. "We didn't tell you I met Dad because it was less complicated that way. But you should know that, in order to get me back, he agreed to have two years of his memory wiped. Apparently it's that act that was the reason he ended up going back in time in the first place. So if I don't exist history is changed. Dad has to protect our existence."
"This is too complicated for me," said Luke after a moment.
"I don't think we need to understand it at all," said Holly decisively. "Dad and Tad have to protect the timeline and they are going to do it no matter what we say. All we can do is accept that and move on. They've found a way for us to continue to be a family. It'll be different but that's a lot better than the alternative. Right?"
"Absolutely," agreed Owain. "I want them in my life, and my kids' lives, however we can manage it."
"Me too," said Minda immediately.
"And me," added Luke. "They've done so much for us, this is little enough for us to do in return."
"Then we're agreed. We'll ask no more awkward questions and we'll play by their rules." She looked round them and they all nodded agreement. "About Ogmore. Dad's suggested I move Jones the Book and live in the house because all of you are tied to your current locations. I've not had time to think about it fully, and I need to consider Gilles, but I think I'm going to agree. If I do, it would be open house for you all of course. But what do you think? I won't do it if you'd rather I didn't; we can leave it as a holiday home for us all."
"I'd rather it was lived in and I can't do that, it would be silly to uproot the twins now," said Owain. "I'd be happy for you to take it on."
"I think it's a great idea," put in Minda, "the place is too big for me."
Luke was silent a moment or two then said slowly, "I love that house and I'd really like to live in it myself. It would be ridiculous to even try at the moment - I couldn't manage the restaurants from Ogmore – but who knows about the future. Circumstances change and maybe in ten, twenty or more years it would be possible."
"One of the things Dad and Tad are planning here is some cottages in the grounds," put in Minda. "Tad's really hoping we'll all be here together at least occasionally and wants the extra room. Couldn't we do something similar at Ogmore? The property's huge."
"I like that idea," said Owain. "We could each build our own place and use it as we liked. Would that help, Luke?"
Luke was nodding. "Yes, it could be interesting to design something just for Bruce and the kids. Yes, as long as that was a possibility I'd have no problem with you moving in, Holly."
"Like I said, I do have to think it through a bit more myself," she cautioned, "but if you're happy, I'll talk to Gilles." The others smiled; Gilles rarely had a chance to disagree with any of Holly's plans.
"I think one of us should go and find Tad and Dad," said Minda.
"I'll do it," volunteered Owain. "I need to apologise."
After that discussion, all four children were fully supportive of The Plan. The rest of the day and most of the following was spent hammering out the details of the cover story for Jack and Ianto's disappearance. The children left knowing what could and could not be said to their partners and families. Holly's birthday party, just five days after the summit meeting, as Owain dubbed it, was the last time the whole family was together before the move to Hafan and Ianto and Jack made the most of it, spending time with all their children, grandchildren and especially their great-grandchildren. There would be more get-togethers over the coming years – at Ogmore and at Hafan – but they were never quite the same as that one.
Next time, how well with the arrangements work out in practice?